Ugh. I wish Instagram made it easier to get posts out. I’ve got a Make.com setup to crosspost them to my blog for safekeeping, but I keep hitting free-plan limits. Hard to justify paying more for the automation than for the blog itself. A fruitless wish, I know.
TIL that in the Messages app on Mac, if you hold down ⌥ and then cycle with the up/down arrow keys with the message field highlighted, it’ll autofill your previous messages in case you need to rewrite something quickly for whatever reason. 🧠
Just a quick appreciation post for how impressive generated alt text has gotten. From my recent post with lots of cat pictures, using a prompt that’s basically as simple as “write alt text for this image.” I rarely need to make edits anymore.
The Sparks family really packed in a full day at King Philip Spring Wall for their first time climbing outdoors together! We climbed on three different walls, practiced a bunch of new techniques, did a primer on top rope anchors, and got in a gorgeous rappel!
The whole family had a blast, and it was another gorgeous early autumn day with the crag all to ourselves. #Sendtember is just around the corner!
Matt Birchler: ‘+ My text-based social media thoughts mid-2025’
There was a joke a few years ago about how Avatar was the highest grossing movie of all time, but no one talks about it and it doesn’t have any major cultural impact. I think that’s being a bit unfair to Avatar, but I think that general idea applies to Threads as well. Apparently tons of people are using it, tens of millions more people every month, but it doesn’t seem to have any “juice”.
I was bullish on Threads, and now actively avoid it. I only think about it when it annoys me by sneaking posts into my Instagram feed.
Just wanna shout out @keenan@social.lol and @cygnoir@social.lol for their great discussion in a recent episode of their new Friendship Material podcast regarding their feelings and decision-making around not having kids. ‘Twas a vulnerable, thoughtful, and validating conversation. Loving the show!
Paul Kafasis: ‘We Used to Be Very Friendly’
Sure enough, each and every person mentioned in the article rightly assigns the blame for this drop [in foreign tourism] to Trump. I guess the headline uses “some” only because they didn’t have a chance to speak to everyone.
Local word on the street here in upstate New York is a roughly 30% drop in tourism — primarily from our Canadian neighbors. I had a Canadian hiking client tell me point blank that I was “lucky to make the cut” as she had canceled a trip to Disneyland in response to Trump’s bullying her country.
Coaching Aurelia the past number of months and try her out on different crags has been so fun, and today Aurelia got on the classic North Country Club Crack (5.6)! The conditions were perfect and Jewels & Gems crag empty. 🤯 It was awesome to see her put together lots of different techniques we’ve practiced. And, as usual, she put her own spin on the route. 😉
Grandma and Grandpa were there to cheer her on, and be part of the belay team. These experiences spent together are the best!
My other tech task today: downgrading my iPad mini from the iPadOS 26 beta back to iPadOS 18. For one, it simply wouldn’t update past the second public beta — it was stuck verifying the update no matter what I tried. Second, and more importantly, I really miss Slide Over and Split View on the Mini.
Great success! I finally got Time Machine backups going over the network to a new external drive on my old Mac mini. I tried so hard to get it to work with the same drive that the Mac mini itself uses for Time Machine, but no dice. Now they each have their own drive and my MacBook Air’s data is safe!
We had to say goodbye to Ollivander, the world’s snuggliest, purriest, and bestest two-scoop cat there ever was. 💔 The end came too soon and too sudden, but Ollie let us know it was time. We gave each other 10 wonderful years together.
My favorite memory of Ollie will forever be the daily face rubs he gave and collected, coupled with his endless purrs. He purred from the minute we chose him from PetSmart right up to his final moments. I’ve never known a cat like him.
John Gruber: ‘Apple TV+ Subscription Price Increasing From $10 to $13 Per Month, but the Annual Price Remains Unchanged at $99’
Apple TV+ has been reported to have higher than average churn. So I think today’s price hike, affecting only the monthly price, is about dealing with that. If you want to subscription hop, Apple TV+ is going to cost a bit more. If you want to stay subscribed to Apple TV+, you really ought to subscribe annually (or subscribe to Apple One and get Music, Arcade, and additional iCloud storage bundled together).
The unchanged bundle price perplexed me, but this is a good take.
Nick Heer: ‘Jay Blahnik Accused of Creating a Toxic Workplace Culture at Apple’
The behaviours described in this article are deeply unprofessional, at best. It is difficult to square the testimony of a sizeable portion of Blahnik’s team with an internal investigation finding no wrongdoing, but that is what Apple’s spokesperson expects us to believe.
If true, this is super shitty of Blahnik. I noted his absence in the WWDC keynote. I wonder if he’ll make an appearance in September…
Y’all have asked so we’re answering the call! OMG is now offering group hikes tailored for folks working toward their #46ers. The fall is a gorgeous time to be in the High Peaks, so we’re excited to offer at least one group hike every week in September and October.
We’re soft-launching with Street/Nye on 9/3 and then Colden on 9/10 and 9/11. That’s right, two opportunities to hike Colden — one for hikers who prefer a slow to moderate pace, and one for the speed demons. You choose, and then there’s no surprise on the pace! (Is this a good idea? Bad idea? Let us know in the comments!)
Stay tuned to the Group Events page on our website for the rest of the schedule coming out next week.
@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk @saranaclake @adirondack46ers_ #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide
It’s a truly special day when someone finishes their 46er journey. Maigann certainly put in the effort with a final push of 45+ miles over three days to complete Allen (go get it now, conditions are ideal!), Sawteeth, and Lower & Upper Wolfjaw.
Every journey is unique, and Maigann’s was full of wonder, positivity, and love for the trail. Congrats to her on amazing accomplishment!
@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk @saranaclake @adirondack46ers_ #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide
13 minutes from order placed to shipment and tracking information received. Must be some sort of record! 📦
Families who adventure together…have awesome memories together? Is that the saying? Either way, I love seeing kids and their parents do rad things together and cheer each other on. It warms my heart. 😍
Enjoyed a grand adventure yesterday with @jmhaas73 checking out the South Face of Gothics and climbing the Original Route. Getting in and out is bushwacky, but the climbing is pure fun. What it lacks in difficulty, it more than makes up for with its spectacular setting. Can’t wait to go back and do more there!
(Final pic is of the anchor on top of South Face Direct, not Original Route. We just went to check out its condition, which is good!)
Went for the extra credit peak yesterday on a scouting mission for an upcoming guided trip. MacNaughton, and therefore all the ADK 4,000-footers, are in the bag! ⛰️
The first 5 or so miles are super enjoyable! The last 2 are a bushwhack during which you get to play hide and seek with the “trail” (not a trail). A fun adventure on a hot day, capped with visit to Rocky Falls and dip in Heart Lake. 8.5 hours car-to-car. 🥾
Pretty killer deal for this Slim 120W 4-port power adapter with Find My from Twelve South. Usually $120, I just bought it for nearly half off with the on-page coupon. (via The Verge)
Massive kudos to Ryan and David for taking on the Gothics cable route yesterday! We pushed a solid pace all day to avoid some weather and they were totally game. High Peak 5/46 in the bag. Oh, and we counted 378 stairs built into the Orebed Slide if anyone’s wondering. 😅
@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide