Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I’m writing this week’s Sunday Edition in iA Writer, as my Ulysses subscription is expiring shortly, and I want to test other options. I can’t believe iA Writer is still around and being updated and an iA Writer 2 hasn’t been introduced in the meantime. Crazy talk. I spent $10 on this app 10 years ago, and I can still use the latest version today. I have not paid appropriately for this product.

There are two core reasons for sticking with Ulysses all these years:

  1. I like the way Ulysses handles images for a blog post. Images are saved right in the sheet. I am scared of losing all my photo-heavy blog posts (I have them saved elsewhere, but I don’t want to go looking for them in case of an emergency.)
  2. I also like the way Ulysses handles Markdown. Links are hidden behind rather than inline with the rest of your text. I find this less distracting.

Of course, if iA Writer works, so too would Obsidian, which I have been using for some long-form, deeper Bible study research recently. I’m not sure how to properly keep notes separate in an Obsidian vault, though. Another experiment for another day.

My Mode Envoy Setup

I’ve written here about the Mode Envoy, and my review of the keyboard hasn’t changed:

The reason I write about the keyboard is because I think I now understand why these keyboards can get so expensive. This sum of parts is far, far better than any previous sum of mechanical keyboard parts I’ve tried. The chassis is sturdier and truer. The switches are great for any environment. The keycaps are probably the nicest keycaps on the market right now. Subjective, I know.

Oh, how naive. I was such a mechanical keyboard toddler back then.

I’ve since changed a few elements of my Mode Envoy. It’s now more retro, more sculpted, and a lot more thunky. I love it. Everything about it, in my head, is an upgrade from the original Mode Envoy components I reviewed in January 2024.

Here’s my current load-out:

I am obsessed with the GMK MTNU profile. They have this wonderfully welcoming shape, providing you with beautiful little resting spots for your fingers. I find the size of each keycap’s “landing pad” — i.e., the area that you press down on the keycap — to be a perfect size; it’s not too big, which could cause you to accidentally actuate the key beside the one you’re trying to press, and they aren’t too small to constantly have your fingers fall off the edge of the keycap.

GMK keycaps are really high quality. I almost giggled at my initial review of Mode’s keycaps being the “best on the market” at the time. Oh, how wrong I was. This GMK plastic is soft and smooth to the touch. The makeup of the plastic even changes the tone of each actuation. I am likely ruined for buying GMK keycaps for the rest of my life now.

Lastly, Durock Silent Shrimp switches — I’ve used these almost exclusively on my mechanical keyboards for the last 12–15 months. They have a louder pop than the Boba U4 Silent Tactiles, but they are far less mushy. And the Boba’s are less mushy than the original Mode Anthracite switches I reviewed back in January 2024! These Silent Shrimp switches have a nice pop, a pleasant return, and my favourite actuation feel. They are magnificent. Someone will have to introduce me to something they think is better because I have officially arrived to the longed-for “happy zone”. I believe this switch was made for me.

This somewhat modified Mode Envoy has me looking forward to writing sessions at home. The softness of the GMK keycaps is inviting. The thunkiness of the Silent Shrimps ensures I have that slight audible feedback, but it’s not loud enough to keep the entire house up at night. And I like the way this keyboard looks as part of a white/grey/walnut setup. It fits perfectly.

Don’t quote. Make it yours and say it yourself.

Derek Sivers (on what is an increasingly enjoyable blog to read; certainly one that expands your thinking):

If I hear an idea, have considered it, and integrated it into my beliefs, it’s mine. I’ll say it succinctly in my own words, and stand behind it. Like adopting a child, I will take care of this idea and raise it as my own. If anyone wants to know the source, I’ll be happy to tell them.

I enjoy reading Sivers’ blog because it provides food for thought on various topics — family, life, wealth, and more. I don’t tend to agree with all of it, but that’s OK! I enjoy the thought-process and the great writing.

This is one of those ideas I disagree with, at least to an extent. I do think the idea of “adopting” an idea as your own and explaining it concisely, in the sense of how that idea relates to your life, does mean you can speak with a sense of ownership about the idea. I also like the concept of providing the source if someone asks.

But passing off an idea that isn’t your own as your own is disingenuous. Period.

The end-game of this concept will lead to folks coming off far more confident on a topic than they are. I can’t be the only person who senses immediately when someone gives “Reddit answers” — someone who comes off with that “gotcha” or smart-ass remark about a particular topic. Those comments have little-to-no second order thinking — they apply an assessment to the immediately visible situation, but provide no analysis for consequences of consequences. I try pretty hard to ask a reasonable follow-up question to these sorts of Reddit comments. The answer to the follow-up question almost always drifts off, a red herring is provided, and a new topic is introduced.

Immediate attribution of an idea to someone else is wrapped up at its core in one word: humility. A person willing to attribute an idea or concept to someone else always exudes humility, and this leads to a more meaningful conversation about that topic, even if in-depth facts about the topic aren’t known at the time.

There’s a lot of advice online about being confident, being true to yourself, and not letting those who disagree with you have any impact on you. These traits so often lead to difficult people. Approaching a concept or idea with humility and speaking about it in humility — these people are the ones worth having a lifelong relationship with.

The Second Cup

The iPad’s Sweet Solution — (MacStories)

I am perplexed and ashamed that I didn’t think of using Readwise Reader as a web app instead of the native app. The native app isn’t good at all.

The Eames Lounge Chair - A 20th Century Icon — (minimalgoods)

I am becoming less materialistic as life goes on — you know, cost of living, children, etc. — but this chair still ranks at the top of the bucket list. It just makes every space.

26 ChatGPT features your accounting firm needs to know about — (Jason Staats)

There are a number of awesome features discussed in this Twitter thread, and they aren’t specifically for accountants either. I have to take better advantage of projects and tasks.

Cable Keepers — (Ugmonk)

If you have a Gather set on your desk (or any metallic surface), these Cable Keepers are spectacular. They tidy up loose wires and ensure they don’t fall away from the edge of a desk.

Apple Watch has been playing a crucial role for NHL referees — (9to5Mac)

It’s pretty rare for one of my past hobbies (professions?) collides with technology. I would have loved to have a tech tool while on the ice to notify me of issues.

Happy Sunday. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.