@pratik Off topic, but have you read Peter Swanson’s The Kind Worth Killing? I don’t think I’ve ever read another books that stopped me in my tracks at certain plot twists as that one.
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@patrickrhone Highlighted is a terrific app! I love how it even captures the page number of the highlight if it can find it in the photo. Great export capabilities as well. I’ve stuck with Readwise because I read so many ebooks, but this is the app to use if you read mostly physical books.
@birming Stunning!
@maira I know how you feel. I’m on a similar quest to read all of Stephen King’s novels. I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel now, and it has become a chore. It helps to take a break!
@chrisd I’ve been journaling in Day One for the past 12 years, and I liked it so much that I went back and transcribed all my old paper journals, creating this massive digital archive of my life. Over the past couple of years, I’ve gravitated back to a notebook and pen in the morning and using Day One for short recap entries at night. I appreciate the searchability and accessibility of digital journaling, but I sure love the tangible feel and creative thoughts that flow from pen and paper.
@thedimpause Ah, enjoy! My wife and I got married on Skiathos at the end of a three week holiday together. We didn’t plan this, but when you know, you know. This picture reminds me of the many wonderful moments exploring those islands. Yia mas!
@manton very cool! I’m testing this now with my Wordpress blog.
@robertbreen.com testing the ability to reply to a Webmention-enabled Wordpress blog post from within Micro.blog.
@manton Another example of Micro.blog being ahead of the curve!
But I do have a question about this. I use Micro.blog to follow other blogs. In these cases, the followed blog profile includes: “Automatic user profile based on author’s RSS feed”. The posts that show up in my feed have a reply option. What happens to replies I write from within Micro.blog? Will the blog post author ever see them, or is this reply option solely meant for Micro.blog users?
@genegualtieri I read Brightness Falls earlier this year, but somehow missed that this was the first of a McInerney trilogy. I’ve added this one to my reading pile. Thank you!
Thursday, September 18, 2025 →
@Mtt You might consider the Bear app. It’s only available on Mac, iOS and iPad (web access is in beta), but checks most of your boxes. Great search tools (it searches inside PDFs and images), easy organization via tags and nested tags, and terrific export capabilities. Web page capture via its new Safari extension is great. And the overall design itself is beautiful. It doesn’t allow you to forward emails to it like you can with Evernote though.
Saturday, September 13, 2025 →
@cjhubbs I remember enjoying this one a lot, though it’s been a few years since I read it. It’s good to know that the book has aged well. I didn’t realize there were two sequels.
Saturday, September 13, 2025 →
@rscottjones Love this, Scott. You can’t control the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
@markmcelroy.bsky.social Uggh.
> When I want to securely attach two or more pieces of paper together, I don’t bother with paper clips. I reach for my stapler.
Aha! Another delight. Thank you for your wit and wisdom!
@markmcelroy.bsky.social What????!?!
@bradleyandroos Ha! Love this. Great writing. I hope there is a sequel!
@jim Excellent! I look forward to it!
@jim Could you share the reasons you wanted a Fediverse presence outside of Micro.blog and the reasons you returned? This whole part of blogging is one big box of confusion for me. If you’ve already answered this somewhere, shoot me the link. Thanks, Jim!
@Eyebeemania Hobbies are important! Working toward a meaningful purpose can be the difference between a happy and miserable retirement.
@jim Before I retired, I was able to ratchet back my leadership responsibilities over the course of about four years. It was difficult at first, but eventually I became pretty good at championing the successes of others and resisting the urge to grab the reins. It can be a much more gratifying kind of work if you approach it from the right perspective, which it sounds very much like you are.
This phased approach reallly helped with my transition to full retirement, which would have been more of a jolt if I had gone from 50-60 hours a week of working to a full stop.
Enjoy the ride!
@ayjay This one is now on my Christmas list too! Thank you!
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 →
@cliff538 oh, that’s great to know!
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 →
@cliff538 I gave this book a try many years ago, but stopped reading it for some reason. I keep hearing great things about it. Your note was tipping point! I’ve added it to my list. Thanks!
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 →
@manton Gotcha. These feel like the updates you might make on Goodreads, but privately (though you make it easy to publish too).
I was thinking these notes could be used to write a comprehensive review of the book to be shared when I finish reading it. My dream feature for bookshelves in Micro.blog is that book covers link back to my review of the book vs. the generic Micro.blog book database.
Thanks for continuing to push the envelope on reading features!
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 →
@apoorplayer Whenever I’m feeling long in the tooth or suffer from that “damp, drizzly November in my soul,” I think of this bit from Ulysses by Tennyson:
“Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 →
@manton Terrific idea! Once you enter a note for a book, I don’t see a way to edit it or add to it. Is the idea that you enter multiple notes per book in a stream of consciousness fashion, or do you envision being able to create a single note that you add to over the course of reading? Would you consider adding markdown support for notes?
I really like the direction you’re taking here with notes and books.
@EpiphanicSynchronicity Yes! I forgot about how good the speakers are on this laptop. They removed the speaker grills on either side of the keyboard, and now the sound seems to come out of the keys themselves. Smart.
@acfusco Ah, yes. One to read and reread.
@philbowell Definitely check out the 15”. The Field Notes cover this one by Robrasim. I bought the cover in 2018 and have been toting it around with me ever since. There are more expensive ones out there, but this one has held up remarkably well. I added this pen loop earlier this year after purchasing a nice pen (before that I kept a cheap pen inside the fold of the cover).
@birming that is brilliant!
@McCWanders Your travel plans sound perfect! Yes, break in those new hips!
@jim What a great idea! I’ve already added to my site. Thank you for all your great work with the mnml theme.
@apoorplayer Ah, this post brought back memories. First of all, the decision to give up sailing was difficult for me. I’ve never felt more alive than at the helm of a sailboat in a fresh breeze. But eventually, the effort and toil of doing it well, and all the maintenance, outweighed the moments of joy. We sold the sailboat and bought a trawler (a powerboat that goes about the same speed as a sailboat, but can do so directly into the wind, which is a remarkable advantage). Second, the decision to sell the trawler and come off the water to buy a small RV. And third, most recently, of selling the RV in favor of extended travel.
I used to joke about the old geezers who sell the sailboat to buy a trawler, and then exchange the trawler for the motorhome, before heading to the nursing home and finally the funeral home. I don’t joke about this anymore. And I am resisting these last two steps!
Join the resistance!
@bjhess I’m also curious about Monarch, but have similar reservations. I’ve been using Quicken to manage my finances for decades, and while it has its quirks, it works fine. The effort in moving to something else feels like a hefty lift. What are you using now?
@bethanyh Yes! For people that have the luxury of time, this kind of immersive travel can be very rewarding. The world is your oyster!
@rscottjones So true. Even for this five-month trip to New York, we brought way too much stuff. I can never seem to apply this wisdom when I’m in the process of packing…..
@bethanyh Ah, that’s great to know that your persistence paid off. I have started this book and stopped multiple times. Your post has motivated me to try again.
@tracydurnell I love the wide range of your reading interests!
@bobwertz We’re staying in Manhattan for the summer, and I decided to take the New York Times because, well, we’re in New York. It turns out that I am the only resident in a 50+ unit apartment building who takes the newspaper (any paper), and this morning, an AARP advertising insert fell out when I opened the folds. Well played, AARP. The days are definitely numbered for physical newspapers, but I will enjoy them while they last.
@chrisheck I know exactly how you feel, Chris. In the last year of his life, our twenty-year-old son decided to drop out of college. He wasn’t happy in school. This was a shock to us, but we supported him and encouraged him to forge his own path. Later that year, he was killed in a motorcycle accident, but we had a great relationship right up until the end. I am thankful for this, as it would have been even more devastating if we had fallen out over this. Love them and support them as they are, which is exactly what you’re doing.
@apoorplayer It looks like you might have stumbled into the Shire. Beautiful!
@thombehrens Thank you for sharing these insights on Middlemarch. I read this with a group on Twitter a few years ago. I felt very connected with the everyday plights of the characters by the end of this very long novel. And yes, very funny at times. This is a book to read and reread for its quiet wisdom.
@manton Ah, great essay, Manton. They don’t make ‘em like Woz anymore. And I’m sorry you’ve been lumped together with tech CEOs. Anyone who took the time to read your blog posts or peruse your book would know you are definitely one of the good guys! As you said though, it comes with the territory.
@johnchandler This looks very interesting!
> endlessly reconsidering opportunities without forward motion is a place to hide.
This!
@birming The photo blog looks great! Using a sub-domain of your main blog is a really smart way to separate these out. One thing you might consider is adding a menu link back to your main blog from the photo blog so as a reader you can navigate back to your terrific written posts. I love how you’re embracing and showcasing all the best parts of Micro.blog!
@numericcitizen Impressive system to track and share your workflows! Is that Craft? If so, it’s come a long ways since I last used it.
@jodyross.bsky.social I love this! Congratulations!
@rscottjones Excellent observations about the social benefits of these everyday bars. Many happy hours of my life have been spent bellied up to the bar or playing pool. I gave up alcohol four years ago, which also kind of forced me to give up this social pastime. I do miss it. Good to know that non-alcoholic beer and non-alcoholic beer drinkers are more common in the bar scene these days.