I’m Shafiq Alibhai. This site is where I keep my notes, rants, and the occasional useful thing I’ve figured out.

I’ve been running a homelab since before it was trendy, I bind my own books when I can’t find the edition I want, and I spend far too much time hopping Linux distributions like they’re collectible cards.

What I read

Reference material, self-help books that actually help, and anything funny enough to make me snort in public. Digit and Chip magazines used to be my monthly ritual back when tech press actually mattered. Writing and Writers Digest taught me that most writing advice is just common sense wearing a tie.

What I listen to

My taste isn’t coherent and I don’t pretend it is. One minute I’m listening to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the next I’m deep in a Beyoncé B-side, then suddenly it’s 50 Cent on repeat because why not. The ones I keep coming back to are Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Barbara Pravi, Michael Jackson, Pharrell Williams, Shakira, Kylie Minogue, Gwen Stefani, Eric Clapton, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Camila Cabello, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Adele, Blackpink, Twice, Usher, Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, Dua Lipa, 50 Cent, Eminem, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, Nelly Furtado, Ricky Martin, Lalisa, Lily Allen, Robbie Williams, and Elton John.

What I watch and play

Quake 3, Unreal Tournament, Road Rash, and Need for Speed. Formula 1. That’s the whole list.

What I use

The tools that get out of my way: Zed for editing, Git for version control, Homebrew and Flatpak for getting things installed, Waterfox for browsing, Hugo for this site, Pandoc and LaTeX when I need to produce something that looks proper, Colima and Docker for containers, Alacritty as my terminal, IINA and Kodi for media, The Unarchiver because macOS still can’t open a RAR, Lulu for firewall rules, LibreOffice because proprietary office suites are a tax on productivity, Macs Fan Control because stock thermal management is more of a suggestion than a guarantee, and Lomiri.

I’ve tried every Ubuntu flavour, plus PostmarketOS, Mobian, Armbian, Droidian, GUIX, Tribllix, OpenIndiana, and openFyde. I collect operating systems the way other people collect shoes.

Who I follow

Lewis Hamilton, Karun Chandok, Barack Obama, Jay Shetty, Romesh Ranganathan, Jimmy Carr, Robert Kiyosaki, Steven Bartlett, Dr Rangan Chatterjee, Naomi Schiff, Michael Jackson, Remo Fernandes, Sadiq Khan, and Jack Kelly. No particular order. Some I admire, some I find interesting, some I just enjoy listening to.

What I sometimes do

I donate to Cancer Research UK, Barnardo’s, the British Heart Foundation, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity Shop, and The Salvation Army in West Bromwich and Oldbury. Buying second-hand from the Salvation Army isn’t just charity for me – it’s also a decent way to furnish a flat.

I follow what’s happening in the UK and the European Union. Not passionately, but I pay attention.

Movies I like

  • Untouchables

Movies I dislike

  • Tenet
  • Justice League - Snyders Cut

TV Series I like

  • Friends
  • Friday Night Dinner

TV Series I dislike

  • The Book of Boba Fett
  • The Falcon and the winter soldier

Books I like

  • Chicken Soup Series
  • The Diary of A CEO
  • 1984

Books I dislike

Songs I like

  • Legends never die
  • Points of authority
  • Genie in a bottle
  • Controlla
  • Shutdown

Bucket List

  • Travel to all continents
  • Learn French