I’m on my final two weeks of my Apple Fitness+ trial, and here’s my upcoming schedule:

I’m using 25lbs dumbbells for the strength workouts, which for some workouts has been at the limit of my strength. I keep a pair of 20s close by, just in case. I haven’t done a HIIT in a couple of weeks because I’ve been focusing on Strength, so returning to it should be interesting.

So far, I really like Apple Fitness+. My conundrum is that I have a year’s subscription to Beachbody On Demand that doesn’t expire until October. I do like it, and I know the next one or two workouts I want to do in BOD once my Fitness+ trial is over, but that won’t take me into October. I want to subscribe to Fitness+ but my “responsible” self is telling me to wait. So for now, I’ll wait.

Charlie Warzel in the New York Times:

In 2016, Mr. Caulfield met Mr. Wineburg, who suggested modeling the process after the way professional fact checkers assess information. Mr. Caulfield refined the practice into four simple principles:

1. Stop.
2. Investigate the source.
3. Find better coverage.
4. Trace claims, quotes and media to the original context.

Otherwise known as SIFT.

I had an argument/discussion with a really good friend yesterday about whether or not flu cases went down during the last year. I told her they went down because of our collective COVID precautions—wearing masks, social distancing, washing our hands—but she said it’s not true because they weren’t testing for influenza, so there’s no way of knowing for sure. She’s been against all the COVID precautions since the beginning, so I could understand where she was coming from. I still didn’t believe she was right, so I went online, found around ten sources for my claim that flu cases actually went down, and she said,

We don’t “believe” the same articles. We can both find ones that show what we agree with 🤣

I’m not sure if this SIFT method would’ve worked with her, but I find it useful for myself anyway. I also don’t know how to converse with my friends who don’t share the same definition of “truth” as me. Am I wrong? Is she wrong? Is there a balance? I have no idea.

But we’re still friends, and I’m fiercely loyal to my friends, even when we disagree.

I’m not really sure what’s going on here…

…but I like it! 😵

Molly Wood in the latest episode of Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly:

Facebook is cigarettes… It’s Big Tobacco… They know its product causes harm and they keep minimizing the harm to keep selling product. #FacebookisCigarettes

Agree 100%. And over 2 billion people are addicted.

I’m thinking through some things—questioning habits, rethinking workflows, expanding my thought domain—and I remembered I had this note that I used to use a lot before the coronavirus was a thing.

My productivity system is a single text file that I write in every day. I would like to write an article one day on it. I’m also reading through Cal Newport’s A World Without Email, a book that exemplifies confirmation bias for me.

There’s this mindset among many people online that I like to call app lust. It means this desire to try out the next great app because people think it’ll be the answer to their problems but in reality just serves as a distraction that gives the person a hit of dopamine. Each new app satisfies this craving, and they’re always on the lookout for the next hit. I used to be this way, and I’ve learned that I’m happier when I rely less on technology and on apps.

Anyways, I’m still thinking through these thoughts, but here’s the list I used before the coronavirus and something I hope to use more of today:

• Does it scare the hell out of me?
• Will it take me out of my routine?
• Will it help other people?
• Will I make friends?
• Will I grow from this experience?
• Would I do this regardless of money?
• Will I regret not doing it?

I created a new tag: guitar. I went back and tagged a few older posts with it. I want to slowly start building an archive of notes and achievements on my site in regards to my guitar practice. I’m not sure what that will look like yet, but I’m excited to find out! So let’s go!

Happy Sunday!

A beautiful and tragic work of art. I’m tempted to buy the Library of America’s complete collection of Philip Roth’s novels. Nine volumes, 28 novels, $240. Tempted.

I’m kinda giddy that John Gruber’s favorite iOS writing app is iA Writer. It has been mine for years. I’ve tried Ulysses, Day One, Bear, 1Writer, etc., but nothing compares to iA Writer. All my writing gets done on it, and I do a lot.

This morning I finished reading the last volume of Demon Slayer, a manga by Koyoharu Gotouge. Like many, I came into the series by watching the amazing anime first, which I loved, and the rest of the story told in the manga does not disappoint. I loved it.

One thing I like to do is take screenshots of panels I particularly like. They can range anywhere from funny lines of dialogue, like the one above, to simple and quiet panels that pause time to show a beautiful moment.

Here are some of my favorites. Warning: spoilers.