Another quick note about Journelly -
Álvaro Ramírez was kind enough to grant me access to test the app after I found out it’s based on org-mode.
I just started playing around with it but so far I’m impressed, particularly with its ability to “talk to” Emacs back on my Mac. I can easily edit notes that I created on the phone, and these edits, including links, strikethroughs, and lists, show up on the app in turn.
There’s more to explore and the app is still in beta, so I will give it a couple of days before I write something more thorough.
Correction about Journelly
My previous post about Journalley has one big omission in it- Journalley is based on org-mode!
Journelly and org-mode
Irreal likes Ramírez’s Journelly. To each their own, sure, but after I read the review he mentioned, I’ve been scratching my head a bit. I don’t get it.
Irreal is a dedicated Emacs user, and I estimate he uses more Emacs in his day-to-day functions than I do - so why does he feel the need to use something that is not Emacs for quick notes?
One of my theories is iPhone usage. That’s probably a big one. Using org-mode on an iPhone is not easy. There’s Beorg, but it’s geared more toward task lists and calendars than taking notes (even though you can do that, especially if you have templates). Even better, you could include a timestamp every time you record a new note, which is one of Irreal’s needs of his requirements. I’m not sure if he wants to include voice recordings or dictate notes on his iPhone, but both of these things are pretty easy to do - exporting an audio note and attaching it to a header in org-mode is pretty straightforward and can probably be automated.
My issue with any such apps, especially if they’re meant to capture “everything” (like pictures, short videos, oral notes, etc.), is that pretty soon they start competing with org-mode. What follows is confusion about what I put where which is usually followed by a short burnout of using either one. Then I have a period when I don’t save anything, and I regret it later.
org-mode is not perfect, but as long as I use it, I have one place where I know I can find whatever I need. At work, I usually keep detailed notes of what I did under each header with timestamps, even if they are just a few lines long. It’s more than just recording information: the act of writing clears up my head and helps me figure out what goes next, and the “emotional memory” (for lack of a better term) reflected in the mood of my notes helps me remember things later that I didn’t think of actually writing down. I can find old records this way, even if they happened years ago.
As I already said, to each their own. We all get to choose what tools we want to use. This is not about preaching; it’s just that his use case makes me put my Emacs thinking hat on and think about what I would do. These scenarios are interesting to solve.
I’d love to write him an email or comment, but I can’t find an email address, and the blog’s commenting system uses Disqus, which doesn’t let me log in with any accounts I want to use. Oh well. Maybe he will find this post.
Good morning ☀️ 📷
So, this happened:
FBI raids home of prominent computer scientist who has gone incommunicado arstechnica.com
Sounds like a teaser to a movie, if you ask me…
I’m starting my fourth week of morning workouts, and I wanted to write a few thoughts down.
First, I wouldn’t be able to keep up if these workouts weren’t very short. Each “workout” consists of stretches, two (only two) exercises, and meditation.
For stretching, I focus on my back. First, there’s arms against the wall (this video explains it pretty well, especially the second part). Then toe-touches (side to side), then to the floor (well, my rug), with cat-cow for a few repetitions. I repeat this whole thing twice.
For the actual exercises, I just do slow push-ups and then crunches (a combination of straight and side-to-side). Again I repeat it twice, so two sets for stretching and two sets for exercises.
After I’m done with both, I finish up with meditation of five minutes, which at this point is mostly a breathing exercise while looking out the window at the start and then closing my eyes for the rest of the time.
The more “serious” exercises happen sporadically throughout the week in the afternoon. For these, I don’t have a routine yet. That’s what I’m trying to work on next.
Another critical factor in maintaining a routine is to repeat the same exercises in a familiar and simple pattern (this is why doing it every day in the morning works well). Progress in exercises is something that, in my opinion, needs to be completely on hold until there is a routine, and then it comes on its own. If you do a certain number of push-ups, for example, you’ll find that after a couple of weeks it’s easier to push forward automatically and do more. The same is true for everything else.
This is why the key to advancing my afternoon routines (which is a bit longer and a bit more intense) needs to be “docked” into persistence, and I’m trying to figure out what that is. For example, if I had lunch at a fixed period, or if I had an event happening every day at 15:00 or 16:00, it would be helpful, but the nature of my work and life balance means it’s flexible and changing. It’s also not helping that I don’t do these every day (at least not for now), so I need to figure out dedicated workout days.
How I use AI to write, maintaining my voice: curious.port111.com
Reflections on intimacy and alone time
I reflect on past relationships: the importance of personal space and understanding one’s emotional needs for intimacy and solitude at the same time.
Hank Green explains why your DnD campaign will most likely fail if you go for a group of over 3 or 4 people. Science!
A website called “DOGEQUEST” has posted on a searchable map what it claims to be the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of Tesla owners across the United States, and says it will remove the data if an individual proves that they have sold their Tesla. The map also includes the addresses of Tesla dealerships, the rough locations of Tesla superchargers, and the personal information of employees of the Elon Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
I’d go as far as to say that it’s good to see something opposing to the DOGE-ish takeover of the government, but not this way. People who own Tesla may or may not be supporters of Musk at the moment, and not everyone can just get up and sell their car. Besides, the information can be outdated, incorrect, or misleading - there’s no way of telling (404 media themselves explain this)
The site’s cursor is a molotov cocktail.
Burn everything down and ask questions later. I understand the anger, but we can do better than this. Left or right, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side. It matters not.
Someone else will always tell you their issue is the most pressing; it’s up to you, if you have the bird’s eye view, to correctly assign it to your time as you deal with everything else. And don’t forget to water your plants.
Joker, 2019 - ★★★★½
This is the second time I watched this film, as a preparation to watch the sequel. I remember why it was hard to watch the first time and the second time wasn't easier.
This movie is too real to dismiss as just another "Batman" movie. While dramatized, the events in the film revolve around a realistic situation of a realistic mental illness of a potentially realistic person. I'm not surprised to see that most of the negative criticism came from prestigious places like the New Yorker or the NYT: these are exactly the guys that would miss the point.
East Harlem. I used to run here when I lived in the area. 📷
Leading universities around the country are laying off faculty and staff as the Tomato in Chief is giving their funds to the company that has repeatedly killed people with its planes. I mean, I guess that’s the point?
Eyeing China threat, Trump announces Boeing wins contract for secretive future fighter jet apnews.com
back in the groove
My structured daily routine: focusing on self-care, productivity, and clear task management through an organized agenda
Buying toilet paper with whogivesacrap part 2: I’m pissed and going to Amazon. VPN is on, Amazon doens’t care, directs me to their brand. I click “buy with one click.” Done. The correct address is on file.
And that’s how Amazon wins 😞
Buying toilet paper with whogivesacrap, part 1: ISP thinks it’s bad and blocks it with Cisco automated protection. Turning on VPN. Works. Buying .. Shopify: “oh no, you have VPN, you’re bad. Also, we have a different delivery and billing address on file.” Turning off VPN to fix. Cisco comes back 🤬