I’ve made a few updates to what I’ve been using, mostly adding new categories. However, there has been one big change. For document creation, I’ve switched from Pages to iA Writer. Pages has done everything I’ve needed, but I wanted to go back to Markdown. My original reason for switching away from Markdown was the limited availability of things like custom styles that I prefer in lecture/sermon notes.

I’ve always liked the idea of having a Now page on my site, and have even toyed with it a few times. I decided to make my own version using a dedicated category that will preserve posts from before now as well. When I do update my Now, I won’t lose the old ones. Perhaps it’s not exactly how it was intended, but it’s what I’m going to use.

As a tech-minded person, I’m forever testing out new hardware, apps, and services. Here’s an up-to-date list of what I’m currently using on a (near) daily basis.

For years, I’ve been an EDC (Everyday Carry) enthusiast. I’ve gone down every rabbit hole you can imagine from Bugouts to Sebenzas to Shamwaris to Zebralights to Hank’s Lights…the list could go on. As I’ve aged (matured?) I’ve settled into a kit that works well for my lifestyle.

After years (wow, that happened fast) of crafting themes for Micro.blog, I’m excited to introduce Mythos Theme — my latest project that represents the direction of my theme development work. Before diving into what makes Mythos special, I want to share some important updates about my existing themes and where they stand moving forward.

Everyday Carry Update

For many years, I’ve carried a pocket knife and a flashlight every single day. And not just any. I have gone through countless iterations over the years. When you dive into the EDC world, you’ll find a vast number of opinions singing the praises of one brand/steel/LED/etc. At the end of the day, it’s all personal preference.

The sweet spot for a high-end knife these days is probably in the $300 range. However, most people would be perfectly content with a $30 Victorinox Cadet or something off-the-shelf at a sportman’s store. It really is a whatever-works-for-you thing. But here’s the deal, some people would drop $1,000+ on a grail (to them) folding knife. Does it offer additional utility over the $30 option? No, in fact, you could argue it offers less utility.

The same goes for flashlights. Yes, you can grab a light for $500+. You can also get...

3D Printing

For years, I’ve considering diving into the 3D Printing game, but for one reason or another I’ve always held off. But this week, I finally took the plunge and ordered a BambuLab A1 with AMS and a few other accessories. I’d been considering that exact model for a month or two, and I couldn’t resist when they announced their anniversary sale.

I know I’ll need to print a couple things for the printer itself first thing, but what are some things you suggest printing? I know I’m going to print some EDC stuff, a few household things, and stuff for the kids. I’ve also looked into some organization things like underware and gridfinity that I may play around with.

I’m open to any and all suggestions.

Plumbing Issues

We’ve been in our current house for over 5 years, and we’ve had constant issues with our kitchen sink not...

Today’s roundup will be a little different. Instead of focusing on 3-4 specific broader thoughts, I’m just gonna drop a handful of small tidbits. Straight to it…

Once you’re a husband, dad, and homeowner, you should really invest in quality tools as the need arises. Items like Knipex Cobra Pliers, Wera Tool Check Plus, and the Leatherman Arc are great places to start. Buy hand tools as you need them, but opt for quality if you ever see yourself using them more than a few times. I’m thinking of doing a quick video of my Leatherman Arc detailing accessories and mods I’ve made.

The feature on AppleTVs where you can connect multiple bluetooth headphones at once is one of the best unsung features of any Apple product. Speaking of Apple, I’m enjoying the new powerful Spotlight in macOS Tahoe. It’s obviously just beta 1 (and it does have issues),...

As a theme designer, I frequently provide basic support via email. As a primarily Apple ecosystem user, my go-to email clients are Apple Mail on both macOS and iOS, along with iCloud.com. For the most part, they do what I need them to do. Unfortunately, they don’t have a solid built-in way to share code snippets. Yes, there are snippet sharing services that will do the trick, but sometimes you just really want to have some inline code in an email that looks and acts like you expect.

In trying to solve this problem, I discovered that you CAN add a beautifully styled code block to Apple Mail with an odd workaround. If you display a code block in a web browser, you can then copy that code block and paste it into a new email. It’ll honor the font choices, styling, text-wraps, everything.

So naturally, I had to create a...

Apple Beta Software

I know it’s risky, but I installed the initial developer betas on my iPhone and Mac. Some years I do it, some I don’t. I have no criteria whatsoever that helps determine when I do and don’t other than impulse. Here are a few of my initial thoughts that I have not seen expressed elsewhere:

• The default Safari bar isn’t my favorite. I don’t think I should have to tap twice just to see my other tabs¹. Fortunately, there’s a setting you can change to remedy this without losing the Liquid Glass design.
• Messages has slightly more powerful filtering now, including showing your drafts which is a nice touch.
• Apple Intelligence in Shortcuts is going to be a bigger feature than people realize. I quickly created one that allows me to add a short note to the notes app. First it takes my input, corrects grammar,...

Email Changes

Over the years, I’ve changed my email setup countless times. Off the top of my head, I’ve used everything from Gmail to ProtonMail to iCloud Mail to Fastmail (and more). Every time, I’ve taken the steps to transfer email between old and new services. For the last few years, I’ve been using iCloud Mail with custom domains. For the most part, I was content with the setup.

However, as things in my life have changed over the last couple of years, I need more integrations/automations connected to my email. I recently made the decision to switch back to Gmail. I know, I know, privacy and security and all that. At the end of the day, I made the decision (after a lot of research) that the trade-offs weren’t as severe as some people claim. Is it perfect? No, of course not. But it’s acceptable in my case.

My work email...

Baseball Travel

Every year, we do our best to catch a couple Atlanta Braves games. Some years, that involves travel to Atlanta. A couple years ago, however, MLB changed their schedule to make very team play every other team (regardless of league and division). This means, for example, that the Braves will play the Astros every season. One season in Atlanta, the next in Houston.

This works out great for us, being from Louisiana. Every other season, we can watch the Braves within a 3 hour drive. Fortunately, in the other seasons, they play in Arlington, TX (Rangers). That’s a 6 hour drive for us, but that’s still shorter than the trek to Atlanta. This is an Arlington year, and we just bought tickets for the July games.

Last time we went, my son got a ball in batting practice (we snuck in, but that’s a whole different story) AND a foul...