Every so often I suffer from what I call "Emacs Fatigue". It's closely related to "Text File Fatigue". Using Emacs tends to pull one toward using it for everything, which is what I'd done. Then, I simply grow tired of staring at the same thing every day. When this happens, I "decide" to uproot my life and move my notes into something else. This time, that something else was Bear.
So, someone recreated the entire Adobe Creative Suite, open-source, all platforms, in Rust. Artcraft. I haven't gone further than to launch PhotoCraft, but it sure is ambitious!
Regarding "vibe-coded" apps, my current feeling is this... If an app works the way I want it, I'll use it, regardless of how it was made.
A couple of weeks ago, I moved all of my Denote (Org mode) notes into Bear app on my Mac. I was feeling trapped by Org mode. I was tired of always having to convert from .org to .md and back again, so I made the call to go all-in with Markdown, via Bear. Then I changed my mind. Instead, I changed Denote to use Markdown rather than org-mode. That's better. More on this later.
As a habitual early adopter, I couldn't help but install my own instance of littleFedi and kick the tires. It didn't take long before I decided to move there.
what struck me about Gurman’s article is just how unenthused I am by an Apple smarthome product. Some of this is fatigue from a decade of Siri disappointment and skepticism about the company’s ability to deliver on a voice-centric product. More than that, however, I bristle at the idea of introducing Apple’s constraints to more parts of my life.
I've been surprised that I feel much the same way.
I was on my Mac this morning, just minding my own business, when suddenly I found myself using the Linux laptop, and I liked it.
littleFedi is "A small ActivityPub server written in Go"
It was officially released (I think) yesterday, and is another project from Stefano Marinelli of BSSG fame.
The best part about being on a Mac is that there are a lot of great apps available that can't be found anywhere else. That might also be the worst part of using a Mac. I can't stop playing with software.
Somebody said, "If you can't hold it, you don't own it." They were right.
Read this somewhere recently: "I'm not aloud to sing in the house" 😄
Sal's follow-up to my post about ending my Linux experiment includes a note about Apple Messages. I can't believe I didn't mention that. One of the biggest drawbacks for me on Linux was not having easy access to Messages. (Nearly) everyone I correspond with uses Messages. I hate typing anything on my iPhone, so having to switch to my phone to text someone was no fun at all. And forget about sharing a funny meme or whatever. I could never get KDE Connect, LocalSend, and friends to work fast enough or consistently enough to make it worth it. It was one hurdle I was never able to clear when using Linux.
I want to drop social media (aka Mastodon) completely one day, and the next day I think about installing littleFedi | A small ActivityPub server written in Go and moving my identity there.
Today, I had hoped to spend more time away from the computer, but I didn't. I can't. Still working on the addiction.
What's your favorite Navidrome client for macOS? Navibeat looks pretty good.
I don't intend to self-host my email, but if I did, this might work: Stalwart Mail & Collaboration Server
It's a close call between my frustration with tangled cables and my hatred of Bluetooth.
There's been a few changes to the site. I've changed the colors to look more "normal" (to me) and the layout is now card-based. I didn't love how posts sort of flowed together, so now there is obvious delineation between them.
After many failed attempts, I am finally comfortable doing all of my computing using Linux. In case you haven't heard, Linux is good now! And yet, I'm back on my Mac...for now.
I had a 7:00 AM appointment at the dentist. That's one way to start the day, I guess. At least my teeth are clean.
I may write more about it later, but I've been all-in with Bear recently and I can't tell you how calming it has been. It's the anti-Obsidian and that's a good thing.
Control Panel for YouTube is a browser extension which gives you more control over YouTube by adding missing options and UI improvements
After only a few minutes, this has become my new favorite browser extension. (via Dense Discovery #408)
I didn't want the Baty.net Editor to be just another tab buried in my browser, so I had Claude make me a real Mac app out of it.
My little SSG CMS has changed the way I feel about writing on this blog. I'm sure it's a reaction to Text File Fatigue. I've hit a wall with looking at everything I read and write via Emacs. I'm bored with it, so writing in this clean, simple little web UI is refreshing.
Speaking of subscriptions, subscription fatigue has a been a thing with me for a while. My rule now is that unless you're providing me with infrastructure, storage, or some other service that has ongoing costs for you, I'm not paying a subscription fee. An app that I download once and then just does what it does, all by itself, should not require a monthly payment from me. LLMs have gotten so good at creating useful, personal tools that the first thing I think when I see that an app has an unnecessary subscription is, "I guess I'll just make my own."
I'm back on my Mac and all-in with Bear again right now. Working on an Alfred workflow for daily notes and logging. So refreshing!
Well, it looks like I may have a use for that "extra" Xteink X4 I bought: Snail — The screen you can read in the sun. (via Espresso Shots 9-27-26)
Some of you may be disappointed to hear it, but I vibe-coded a CMS for this blog.
Usually, when I grow tired of editing blog posts using Markdown files in Emacs or whatever, I create a new blog using Ghost or something like it. This time, I did something different.
Such an amazing man and story. I've seen Rush three times: 1980, 1982, and 2012. They're my favorite.
