Thoughts

I kind of like you can make home screen icons in iOS 18 larger and the labels disappear now, but I really wish there were a way to hide app labels AND keep icons their original size. I feel old(er) rocking the large icons…

I decided to alias my Mastodon account from mastodon.social over to social.lol where all the cool kids seem to be hanging out these days. I lost about 50 followers in the move, but that’s okay. I’m on a better instance this way.

I added my Micro.Masonry plugin to the Micro.blog plugin directory this morning (well, last night and updated this morning). If you’re looking for a nice masonry style layout for your Micro.blog photos page that’s mobile responsive, give it a look.

For reasons unknown to me, my Tinylytics plugin for WordPress has had (what I’d call) a large spike in downloads over the last few days. Not that it matters much… It’s just interesting to see it.

Now that I’ve moved to just one site on Micro.blog, I’m thinking long and hard again about “going all in” and aliasing my Mastodon username back here. If I do, maybe I can make it stick this time. I’ll ruminate on it through the day, and then make a decision tonight.

I shared this nugget a while back, but it’s worth sharing again… If you have a domain you’d like to forward to another domain with just a simple DNS modification, I totally recommend ForwardDomain.net to accomplish it.

The move from WordPress to Micro.blog is now complete…

I got the core features of a new Micro.blog masonry style layout photos page plugin worked up this morning. I still need to add the ability to set preferences for number of columns and image gaps, but I’m liking the results. Check out my photos page to see the results so far.

Jimmy Vaughan was the opening act for Eric Clapton tonight. So great to hear some good Texas Blues. It’s also great to see guys who are pushing 80 years old still out there doing their thing.

A huge shout out to Aaron Vegh for the quick turnaround on a solution to a Croissant issue (not a bug) I reported after “wedging” my Threads account into a state of inability to delete. Super friendly and quick support responses as well. That’s what I dig about the indie dev community.

I tried using Arc as my default browser for the day yesterday. I don’t think I’m quite ready for it, so I’m returning to Safari. I’ll keep playing with Arc here and there so maybe one day it feels more natural and I’ll make the move permanently.

Well, my monthly call with my mentor got canceled last minute, so I think that’s my cue to go outside and get some fresh air with a walk.

And just like that, I’m back on Micro.blog… 👋

I think the people who produce TV shows have come to realize that, while sex still sells, conflict sells even better. Every cable TV show I flip past seems to have nothing but conflict as a plot line. It’s both distressing and sad at the same time.

Hate to say it, but the pre-recorded Apple events just don’t have the magic of the Jobs era. Whereas we once hung on every word that came from Steve’s mouth, the super-polished sizzle reels Apple tries to pass off as an “event” have become boring and predictable. I stopped watching after 15 minutes.

I feel so empowered when I decline a bunch of meetings because I’ll be on PTO later in the week. It’s my favorite way to start a Monday. 💪🏻

Trying something new for dinner… Broke out the smoker for the first time this year to infuse a little smoke to some chicken breasts before I finish them up on the grill. Pairing it up with grilled corn on the cob.

I picked up an Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID today (not the extended model). I’ve been using an Apple extended Bluetooth keyboard forever, so the hand placement feels a little different. I do like the new smaller size under my hands, and thoroughly like the touch sensor being “right here.”

I’ve been weighing the options of sticking with Micro.blog, running my own WordPress server, or going the 100% free route of a Hugo site published on GitHub pages. Cost and effort wise, Micro.blog is the front runner, plus (I’ve said it before) there’s the community. Con is I’m not 100% in control.

Something I do like about the new version of Reeder… When opening a toot from the feed, it gives the full Mastodon thread in context.

Auto-generated description: A social media conversation discusses the features and pricing of Raycast Pro, including adaptive clipboard management and AI usage.

I’m going to throw some knee-jerk observations about Reeder out as I evaluate it… A big thing I’m seeing: If you follow someone/something in multiple places (Micro.blog, Mastodon, RSS), you’re going to see the same post multiple times. That makes for a lot of duplicated noise in your home feed.

I’m giving Raycast Pro a spin to see if it’s worth what they’re charging. ~$100/year seems a tad steep for the pro features, so we’ll see in a couple of weeks if my mind has been changed. I do like the custom window management feature however…

Okay… So I may roll back what I said about Reeder the other day. The new release looks intriguing. I’m going to subscribe for a month or two just to see what it can do. I’m still not 100% sure I want to consume all my content in one place though. 🤔

I got lost in thought and managed to put too much water in my oatmeal this morning, ending up with the consistency of clam chowder wallpaper paste. I’m a chunky oatmeal guy…

I’m considering changing my Apple Music subscription from single-user annual to family monthly to allow my wife and son to play their music on various devices (HomePod) and not interrupt what I’m already playing elsewhere. Anyone else using the Apple Music family plan? Is it worth it to you?

I managed to wander my way back to Reeder for RSS a little while back, but noticed this morning the app has been renamed to “Reeder Classic” on the Mac App Store. This means a new release is imminent with a new purchase likely needed. I think I’m going to move back to NetNewsWire (again), probably for good this time.

I added a books page to my Micro.blog site today. It’s still a little bare, but I hope to up my reading game going forward. I used to be a voracious reader, but lost the mojo for it over the last decade.

A Tuesday (Monday) morning work rant: If I’ve ignored your unsolicited business email the first three times you’ve sent it, don’t send it a fourth and then fifth time demanding a response from me to take a meeting. You won’t get it, and now you’ve been relegated to the domain block list. Bye.

I’ve started using Omnivore as my read it later app. I’m not sure how I’ve missed this one, but it’s pretty impressive, and open source no less.

I took time this weekend to refresh my Micro.blog theme for about the hundredth time after discovering a nice webfont. As usual, one tweak led to the next and suddenly hours have passed by. I’m happy where it’s at for now, so it’s time to step away.