diff --git a/nvim/.config/nvim/spell/en.utf-8.add b/nvim/.config/nvim/spell/en.utf-8.add
index 23e4299..662453d 100644
--- a/nvim/.config/nvim/spell/en.utf-8.add
+++ b/nvim/.config/nvim/spell/en.utf-8.add
@@ -95,3 +95,4 @@ transnationalism
 universalisms
 univseralism
 weaponization
+blog
diff --git a/polybar/.config/polybar/config b/polybar/.config/polybar/config
index 1738cc1..ac48e9a 100644
--- a/polybar/.config/polybar/config
+++ b/polybar/.config/polybar/config
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ padding-left = 0
 padding-right = 0
 module-margin-left = 2
 
-modules-left = workspaces sxhkdmode pomo papersdue
+modules-left = sxhkdmode workspaces pomo papersdue
 modules-center = music date
-modules-right = networkspeed mail weather archupdates cpu temp backlight volume battery
+modules-right = networkspeed mail weather archupdates cpu temp volume battery
 ; do not use offsets for the bar, would only work with override-redirect
 ; and will mess up tray https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/1355
 tray-position = right
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ ws-icon-default = ♟
 ; Default: %icon%  %name%
 ; unfocused = Inactive workspace on any monitor
 label-unfocused = %icon%
-label-unfocused-padding = 4
+label-unfocused-padding = 2
 label-unfocused-underline = ${colors.background-alt}
 ; focused = Active workspace on focused monitor
 label-focused = %icon%
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ format-underline = ${colors.primary}
 [module/date]
 type = internal/date
 ; Seconds to sleep between updates
-interval = 1.0
+interval = 5.0
 ; See "http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/io/manip/put_time" for details on how to format the date string
 ; NOTE: if you want to use syntax tags here you need to use %%{...}
 date = %d/%m
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@ time = %H:%M
 ; if `date-alt` or `time-alt` is defined, clicking
 ; the module will toggle between formats
 date-alt = %A, %d %B %Y (W %V)
-time-alt = %H:%M
-label = %date%%{T2}  %{T-}%time%
+time-alt = %H:%M:%S
+label = %date%%{T2} %{T-}%time%
 format-underline = ${colors.primary}
 
 ; display information on currently playing track, allows simple track manipulation
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ format-underline = ${colors.primary}
 [module/networkspeed]
 type = custom/script
 exec = $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/polybar/scripts/poly-networkspeed
+exec-if = type $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/polybar/scripts/poly-networkspeed
 tail = true
 format-underline = ${colors.primary}
 
diff --git a/scripts/.local/bin/control-brightness b/scripts/.local/bin/control-brightness
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..afcf83d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/.local/bin/control-brightness
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env sh
+# Brightness control script using xbacklight
+# Will use notify-send to create brightness notifications, if dunst is used
+# or the notification daemon supports tag stacks, will automatically update
+# the same notifications and not create new ones.
+#
+# inspired from https://gist.github.com/Blaradox/030f06d165a82583ae817ee954438f2e
+
+usage() {
+  echo "usage: control-brightness up|down [step], where step can be any int value
+or:     control-brightness set target, where target can be an int value 0-100"
+}
+
+direction=$1
+step=${2:-10}
+
+get_brightness() {
+  xbacklight -get | cut -d. -f1
+}
+
+send_notification() {
+  icon="preferences-system-brightness-lock"
+  brightness=$(get_brightness)
+  # Make the bar with the special character ─ (it's not dash -)
+  # https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box-drawing_character
+  bar=$(seq -s "─" 0 $((brightness / 5)) | sed 's/[0-9]//g' |
+    sed -e 's/^─/┠/' -e 's/^\(.\{20\}\)/\1┫/')
+  if type dunstify 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
+    dunstify -i "$icon" -u normal "    $bar" -a "xbacklight" -h string:x-dunst-stack-tag:brightness
+  else
+    notify-send -i "$icon" -u normal "    $bar" -a "xbacklight" -h string:x-dunst-stack-tag:brightness
+  fi
+}
+
+case $direction in
+up)
+  xbacklight -inc "$step"
+  send_notification
+  ;;
+down)
+  xbacklight -dec "$step"
+  send_notification
+  ;;
+set)
+  if [ -z "$step" ]; then
+    echo "set option requires target brightness to be specified."
+    return 1
+  fi
+  xbacklight -set "$step"
+  send_notification
+  ;;
+*)
+  echo "usage: control-brightness up|down [step], where step can be any int value"
+  ;;
+esac
diff --git a/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc b/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
index 5ce3764..c0371c3 100644
--- a/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
+++ b/sxhkd/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ super + F7
 
 # enable function (/media) key functionality
 XF86MonBrightness{Up,Down}
-  xbacklight {-inc,-dec} 10
+  control-brightness {up, down} 10
 XF86AudioMute
   pavolume mutetoggle
 XF86Audio{LowerVolume,RaiseVolume}