# opal (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 2 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover opal. Page: Feed: --- ## [Fluorescent Agate: Why Some Agates Glow Under UV Light](https://www.rockngem.com/fluorescent-agate/) _2026-08-20 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ A fluorescent agate offers collectors a hidden bonus: It glows under ultraviolet light. Agates are considered a “gateway rock” in the collecting world because they are widespread, easy to find and usually inexpensive to purchase. They also come in the full color spectrum and can contain wonderful patterns and inclusions. Get a fluorescent agate, however, \[…\] The post Fluorescent Agate: Why Some… ## [Mineral Properties That Seem Like Magic](https://www.rockngem.com/mineral-properties-like-magic/) _2026-08-19 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ Mineral properties can produce some of nature’s most surprising effects, from rocks that attract magnets or glow under ultraviolet light to gemstones that appear to contain stars, cat’s eyes or even double images. Many of these properties are not only fascinating to observe but also fun to demonstrate and share. To explore them, I’ve pulled \[…\] The post Mineral Properties That Seem Like Magic… ## [One of The Dumbest Questions Asked on Ruby/Rails Subreddits](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/08/one-of-dumbest-questions-asked-on.html) _2026-08-17 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ One of the dumbest questions I see asked on the Ruby/Rails subreddits is "Are Ruby & Rails still worth learning today?" (plus other variations, such as "Are Ruby and Rails still relevant today?" and "Are Ruby and Rails dead?"). Are you stupid!?!! Obviously, if you ask such a question inside an online community of devs who make a living with these technologies, they are going to answer "yes" (to… ## [How Is Opal Formed? The Science Behind Its Colors](https://www.rockngem.com/how-is-opal-formed/) _2026-08-17 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ How is opal formed? It begins when water carrying dissolved silica moves through cracks, cavities and other open spaces in rock. Over time, the water evaporates or drains away, leaving behind silica that can harden into one of the world’s most unusual gemstones. Twist a precious opal in your hand and you may see flashes \[…\] The post How Is Opal Formed? The Science Behind Its Colors first appeared… ## [UV Rocks: A Guide to Fluorescent Minerals](https://www.rockngem.com/uv-rocks-guide-to-fluorescent-minerals/) _2026-08-17 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ UV rocks are fluorescent minerals and gems whose amazing beauty is on full display when exposed to ultraviolet light. These fascinating rocks have been studied for hundreds of years and are just now beginning to be known. Here’s our guide to these beautiful gems. UV Rocks Key Takeaways UV rocks are minerals and gems that \[…\] The post UV Rocks: A Guide to Fluorescent Minerals first appeared on Rock… ## [Asteroid Belt Rocks: Clues to Earth’s Formation](https://www.rockngem.com/asteroid-belt-rocks/) _2026-08-12 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ Asteroid belt rocks are ancient remnants of the material that helped build our Solar System. Most orbit the Sun in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Here, millions of rocky and metallic bodies preserve clues to conditions that existed about 4.6 billion years ago. The main asteroid belt contains an estimated 1.1 to \[…\] The post Asteroid Belt Rocks: Clues to Earth’s Formation first… ## [Meteoritics: The Science of Meteorites](https://www.rockngem.com/meteoritics-science-of-meteorites/) _2026-08-11 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ Meteoritics is the study of meteors, meteorites and meteoroids. It was born rather dramatically on the afternoon of April 26, 1803, at L’Aigle in Normandy, France. As fireballs flashed across the sky leaving trails of smoke, residents gazed in awe as thousands of rocks plummeted to Earth. Besieged by demands to explain this surreal event, \[…\] The post Meteoritics: The Science of Meteorites first… ## [XO Ruby joins RubyConf/RailsWorld as Another Exclusive Discriminatory Unexcellent Conference](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/08/xo-ruby-joins-rubyconfrailsworld-as.html) _2026-08-11 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ So, I got contacted by the organizer of the XO Ruby conference (aka Travelling Ruby), Pascal Laliberté, on meetup.com because I organize the Montreal.rb Ruby Meetup and am a Montreal-based Expert Ruby Software Engineer. He said XO Ruby is coming to Montreal and asked me for help with it. We end up meeting in a video conference call. To help out, I indicated that I asked my company to consider… ## [Blue Gems: 10 Night-Sky-Colored Favorites](https://www.rockngem.com/blue-gems-10-night-sky-colored-favorites/) _2026-08-11 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ Blue gems range from royal and cobalt blue to midnight blue and deep violet-blue, offering some of the most dramatic colors found in the mineral world. Some resemble a night sky or outer space, especially when their dark bodies contain glittering pyrite, chatoyancy or flashes of spectral color. These rich hues make blue gems popular \[…\] The post Blue Gems: 10 Night-Sky-Colored Favorites first… ## [Faceted Quartz: Creating a Galaxy Gem with Opal](https://www.rockngem.com/faceted-quartz-galaxy-gem-with-opal/) _2026-08-11 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ Faceted quartz can create remarkable optical effects, especially when paired with colorful opal. Inspired by Earl Montgomery’s Space Gems, the Galaxy Gem combines a precisely faceted quartz gemstone with a small opal insert set into a concave culet. The result is a composite gemstone that can magnify, focus or create a kaleidoscope-like view of the \[…\] The post Faceted Quartz: Creating a Galaxy… ## [Home Internet From Space (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/hMNotc6J99N2) _2026-08-11 · **Sponsored**_ Residential satellite internet that brings connectivity to homes beyond conventional networks ## [The Role of Rocks & Minerals in Plant Growth](https://www.rockngem.com/rocks-minerals-in-plant-growth/) _2026-08-06 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ Minerals for plant growth come from the air, water and soil, with many essential nutrients originating from the weathering of rocks. For millions of years before the advent of commercially available synthetic fertilizers, many of those nutrients entered the soil through the mineralization of rocks. Key Takeaways Rocks and minerals are a natural source of \[…\] The post The Role of Rocks & Minerals… ## [Grape Agate: A Mineral That Looks Like Grapes](https://www.rockngem.com/grape-agate/) _2026-08-06 · Admin · Rock & Gem Magazine_ Grape agate may resemble a bunch of grapes, but this colorful mineral is actually botryoidal purple chalcedony. This food look-alike is a mineral that has a cool factor that can’t be denied. Key Takeaways Grape agate is the marketing name for botryoidal purple chalcedony, a variety of quartz with grape-like clusters. Grape agate is typically \[…\] The post Grape Agate: A Mineral That Looks Like… ## [Ruby Memes 2026-07-30: One Bad Monkey Spoils The Bunch](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/07/ruby-memes-2026-07-30-one-bad-monkey.html) _2026-07-30 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ One Bad Monkey Spoils The Bunch! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 This Ruby meme is a variation on the common expression "One Bad Apple Spoils The Bunch" that is noting how introducing inferior devs into a Software Engineering team ends up reducing the entire team's skill and intelligence to the least common denominator skill and intelligence of the weakest links, thus corrupting the whole team the same way a bad apple… ## [The Embarrassing Ruby/Rails Community Chronicles 2026-07-28](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-embarrassing-rubyrails-community.html) _2026-07-28 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ "The Embarrassing Ruby/Rails Subreddit Chronicles" becomes "The Embarrassing Ruby/Rails Community Chronicles" as it expands to cover embarrassing interactions by bad Ruby/Rails devs all across social media and the real world, exposing rudeness, meanness, discrimination , and unexcellence/unintelligence in the Ruby/Rails worldwide community. The goal of course is to call that out to discourage in… ## [RubyConf Austria 2026 Talk Video: Frontend Ruby on Rails with Glimmer DSL for Web — Andy Maleh](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/07/rubyconf-austria-2026-talk-video.html) _2026-07-20 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ My RubyConf Austria 2026 talk has been published on YouTube! What if your frontend was just... Ruby? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTukq5AcSK0 You can find the talk slides over here: https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/06/rubyconf-austria-2026-frontend-ruby-on.html ## [A Supporter Sympathizes with My Discrimination by RubyConf 2026](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/07/a-supporter-sympathizes-with-my.html) _2026-07-15 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ I am thankful to the Software Engineer who shared a very supportive comment regarding my experience of discrimination by RubyConf 2026 . ## [RubyConf 2026 Is Not a Safe Environment for Everyone](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/07/rubyconf-2026-is-not-safe-environment.html) _2026-07-14 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ RubyConf 2026 is not a safe environment for everyone. They have an in-group and an out-group. If you're in the in-group, they will treat you well and accept talk proposals by you even if you don't have top-level skills in Software Engineering. If you're in the out-group, it doesn't matter if you launch rockets to the moon successfully on your own or win the approval of Matz himself, you will be… ## [Ruby Open-Source Innovation Process Expectation vs Reality](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/07/ruby-open-source-innovation-process.html) _2026-07-13 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ Expectation regarding the Ruby open-source innovation process: 1- I stumble upon a problem at my job in our Ruby application. 2- I build a solution for it in an open-source project (e.g. the ability to write the Frontend with a Ruby Frontend Framework instead of using an inferior JavaScript library like React). 3- I win an award for my open-source project by Matz, the creator of Ruby. 4- I get… ## [Reminder that RubyConf 2026 is a Cesspool of Discrimination and Exclusion](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/07/reminder-that-rubyconf-2026-is-cesspool.html) _2026-07-10 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ Just a reminder that RubyConf has become a Cesspool of Discrimination and Exclusion . In 2026, it doesn't matter how well accomplished a Ruby Software Engineer is in the Ruby community as even if they win awards by the creator of Ruby himself, if they propose a topic that is taboo with the organizers of RubyConf, they are excluded and discriminated against, without even providing a valid reason… ## [Ruby Memes 2026-06-26: The Ruby Clown](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/06/ruby-memes-2026-06-26-ruby-clown.html) _2026-06-26 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ The brief version: The explained version: ## [Snapshot Showdown on Google Play (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/DUPRfoMzRXDo) _2026-06-26 · **Sponsored**_ Available on Google Play for Android devices. ## [The Ruby Community in 2026](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-ruby-community-in-2026.html) _2026-06-25 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ The Ruby community in 2026 is dominated by mean discriminators and their benefactors (they're about 50% of the community at least). Many devs in the Ruby community who are indirect (unconscious) or direct benefactors of discrimination have this attitude of "well, if this discrimination problem is not affecting me, then I don't care". So, they're not real Rubyists because real Rubyists always care… ## [Ruby Memes 2026-06-12: The "Cool" Reactionary](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/06/ruby-memes-2026-06-12-cool-reactionary.html) _2026-06-12 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ ## [Andy's Laws of AI in Software Engineering](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/06/andys-laws-of-ai-in-software-engineering.html) _2026-06-09 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ (Note: this is a live document that could undergo revisions in the future) I came up with a list of laws in relation to doing general Software Engineering work with reliance on AI, from my experience as a Master Software Engineer experimenting with AI and from observing other Software Developers who experiment with or use AI. Law #1: "The more Software Developers use AI, the more valuable Software… ## [RubyConf has joined RailsConf & RailsWorld as another exclusive discriminatory unexcellent conference](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/06/rubyconf-has-joined-railsconfrailsworld.html) _2026-06-05 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ RubyConf has joined RailsConf & RailsWorld as another exclusive discriminatory unexcellent conference by discriminating against any speakers who submit talks that cover Frontend Ruby technologies or dethrone React/JavaScript in any way. In 2025, I won an award for a highly innovative and outside-the-box Ruby open-source project at an international Japanese tech competition that Matz, the creator… ## [Presentation Slides for RubyConf Austria 2026 Talk "Frontend Ruby on Rails with Glimmer DSL for Web"](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/06/rubyconf-austria-2026-frontend-ruby-on.html) _2026-06-02 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ My talk “Frontend Ruby on Rails with Glimmer DSL for Web” went well at RubyConf Austria 2026 . Especially given that after the talk, Chad Fowler (the starter of RubyConf and famous book author of The Passionate Programmer , among other books) told me “good job”, and Obie Fernandez (a famous entrepreneur and book author of The Rails Way , among other books) told me he will try Glimmer DSL for Web… ## [Glimmer DSL for Web 0.9.1 Hello, Modal!](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/05/glimmer-dsl-for-web-091-hello-modal.html) _2026-05-05 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ Glimmer DSL for Web ( Matz Approved Fukuoka Award Winning Frontend Framework for Rails) had a new release in version 0.9.1 that includes a new sample called Hello, Modal! to teach how to create modals in Glimmer DSL for Web in the Frontend of Ruby on Rails web applications. By the way, rendering modals has been supported since the beginning in Glimmer DSL for Web, but there were no samples that… ## [DB GUI 0.4.0 Remember SQL Command History (useful w/ Ruby on Rails DBs)](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/05/db-gui-040-remember-sql-command-history.html) _2026-05-04 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ DB GUI is a Database querying desktop app built in Ruby. It supports PostgreSQL to start. Version 0.4.0 added support for remembering SQL command history. I needed that feature at my job to be able to easily re-run certain SQL queries in our Rails web application, so I added it very quickly, thanks to the awesomeness of Ruby! GitHub: https://github.com/AndyObtiva/db-gui RubyGem:… ## [Ruby Memes 2026-05-03: The Popularist](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/05/ruby-memes-2026-05-03-popularist.html) _2026-05-03 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ The Popularist (see the meme below first) ceases to question things, stops thinking for themself, and throws all their principles out of the window as soon as a bad technology becomes popular, due to The Popularist lacking the courage and backbone needed to say no when many devs head in the wrong direction. Do you know Software Engineers who behave like "The Popularist", making it impossible to… ## [Ruby Gem Discovery: HighLine](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/04/ruby-gem-discovery-highline.html) _2026-04-30 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ I recently stumbled upon a Ruby gem called HighLine that simplifies basic command line input/output via an \`ask\` method and supports validation, conversion, and multi-choices: https://github.com/JEG2/highline Here is an IRB session going through HighLine examples from the project README : ## [What took 1.5 months to build in React JS code took 1.5 days in Glimmer DSL for Web Ruby code](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/04/what-took-15-months-to-build-in-react.html) _2026-04-28 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ When I reimplemented a React component as the first Glimmer DSL for Web Component in my job's Fintech Rails web app, I thought I did what would have taken 1 week in React in 1.5 days in Glimmer, which seemed like a great improvement in productivity at the time (333.33% the productivity if we count 1 week of React as 5 business days). I recently inspected the Git timeline of the original React… ## [Point a Domain, Start a Pit (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/vVv0JW0nu2SZ) _2026-04-28 · **Sponsored**_ Point any domain to a blacked-out, poison-green coming-soon page with an email waitlist. ## [Exercises for the wroclove.rb 2026 Ruby conference workshop "Building Rails SPAs in Frontend Ruby with Glimmer DSL for Web"](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/04/exercises-for-wrocloverb-2026-ruby.html) _2026-04-25 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ I recently published a GitHub repo containing the exercises of the wroclove.rb 2026 Ruby conference workshop "Building Rails SPAs in Frontend Ruby with Glimmer DSL for Web": https://github.com/AndyObtiva/glimmer\_commerce This GitHub repo provides the simplest and fastest way to learn Glimmer DSL for Web (the Ruby-in-the-Browser Rails Frontend Framework that gained Matz's approval by winning a… ## [Ruby Memes 2026-04-14: The Ruby Hypocrite](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/04/ruby-memes-2026-04-14-ruby-hypocrite.html) _2026-04-14 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ "Oh Ruby, you're the most elegant and beautiful language ever! I just love you so much..." ## [Competent vs Incompetent Ruby Devs When Encountering React](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/04/competent-vs-incompetent-ruby-devs-when.html) _2026-04-01 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ Incompetent Ruby devs when encountering React: - This language is used by Facebook, so it must be great (regardless of the fact that Facebook always suffers from tons of bugs and is an unethical company that has spied on its own users)! - React is used by many rich large companies, so it must be a very good technology (regardless of the fact that often, rich large companies are unagile, unethical,… ## [Ruby devs who use React end up with too much competition from the React community](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/03/ruby-devs-who-use-react-end-up-with-too.html) _2026-03-20 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ I have observed that Ruby devs who use React often have a hard time finding a job because too many people know React. Well, that's one more reason to learn Glimmer DSL for Web ! Not only will you do the work of React devs in half the time or sometimes at 10x productivity in Ruby, but also you will have a unique competitive advantage not many devs have and become indispensable as a result, unlike… ## [Glimmer DSL for Web 0.8.3 Preventing Components from Shadowing HTML Elements](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/03/glimmer-dsl-for-web-083-prevent.html) _2026-03-18 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ Glimmer DSL for Web (Fukuoka Award Winning Ruby-in-the-Browser Frontend Framework for Rails) had a new release in version 0.8.3 , which now raises an exception plus a correction hint if the user attempts to define a component or a component slot with a name that shadows an existing HTML element. For example, suppose a developer defines a Glimmer Web Component class called \`Input\`, which would… ## [Workshop Accepted: "Building Rails SPAs in Ruby using Glimmer DSL for Web" at Wroclove.rb 2026](https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/03/workshop-accepted-building-rails-spas.html) _2026-03-17 · Andy Maleh · Code Master Blog_ My 3-hour workshop proposal "Building Rails SPAs in Ruby using Glimmer DSL for Web" was accepted at the Wroclove.rb 2026 Ruby Conference, which takes place April 17-19, 2026 in Wroclaw, Poland. Title: Building Rails SPAs in Ruby using Glimmer DSL for Web Description: Glimmer DSL for Web is a Ruby-in-the-Browser Web Frontend Framework for Rails that won an award at the Fukuoka Prefecture Future IT…