Welcome to my Digital Garden
I'm Ray — a curious mind who writes to think and thinks to write. This is where I collect ideas across technology, books, food, music, travel, and the trails in between. Some posts are polished; others are seeds still growing. Pull up a chair, look around, and stay as long as you like.
The Quiet Alchemy of Pandoc: Converting Between Word and Markdown
How Pandoc’s extended Markdown syntax and clever reference document system turn the messy business of converting between .docx and .md into something almost magical—a bridge between two worlds of writing.
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The Invisible Canvas: How Transparent Materials Sculpt Sunlight
An exploration of the active, elegant physics of transparency—how glass, water, and air are not empty voids, but dynamic sieves that bend, filter, and trap the sun.
The Borrowed Battery: A Curious Explorer’s Guide to Caffeine, Chemistry, and the Illusion of Energy
Peeling back the neon labels of our modern energy elixirs to discover the fascinating neurochemistry of caffeine, the reality of biological debt, and our quest to outrun sleep.
The Silent Arsenal: Exploring the Invisible, Intelligent Warfare of the Plant Kingdom
An exploration of the invisible, active warfare taking place beneath our feet—how plants employ chemical weaponry, mechanical armor, and community-wide networks to survive and thrive.
How HTTPS Works: A Visual Guide to Secure Web Browsing
Dive deep into the mechanics of HTTPS, SSL/TLS handshakes, and cryptography. Learn how the modern web encrypts data to protect user privacy.