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Back in 2002, when blogging was the Next Big Thing, I was recruited to be a beta tester for a new commercial blogging platform from the creators of Moveable Type. It was a rather radical idea that you could pay for a hosted blog — and it offered many advanced features — so I signed on. When the software debuted as TypePad, I was given a steep lifetime discount for my help and feedback.
I continued blogging on the site for the next 22 years. TypePad hosted my personal blog, several short-lived special project blogs, and a collaborative blog that supported the writing of books with my coauthors.
Eventually, TypePad was acquired, and probably switched hands a few times. I kept using it, not only because of the great price I was getting, but because of inertia. A couple of years ago, when it became clear that it was only running on the benign neglect of its overlords, I considered switching to something else. But the weight of thousands of blog posts, some of which were still receiving a decent amount of daily traffic, kept me on the platform.
It wasn’t a shock when TypePad suddenly announced they were shutting down in September 2005. With just 30 days of notice, I scrambled to preserve not just my content, but the links as well. Damned if I was going to contribute to the Internet’s creeping link rot.
I was shocked that Bluehost, the owners of TypePad, didn’t offer any migration services. I reached out to Ghost to see if they had any migration support (they don’t) and WordPress.com Support simply didn’t understand what I was asking. (I may have been “talking” to a ‘bot.) TypePad Support provided me with a raw export, which included almost all of my content and graphics, so I decided to roll my own escape hatch, so to speak.
Which brings us to this new static site. Most of my old TypePad posts are preserved. The technology stack consists of AWS EC2, AWS S3, and Eleventy. On the authoring side, I’m no longer able to use the beloved MarsEdit. Instead, I’m using a mix of Ulysses and Drafts. It’s cumbersome, but functional. I’m not entirely pleased with where the blog is today, but in less than a month after shutdown, I have a functional, minimalist replacement running. Thanks for tuning in and sticking with me.
I hate to boast, but my dentist says that I have “unbelievable dental hygiene.” I attribute this to Sonicare, Listerene, flossing, and Water-Pik. It’s the latter that I am addressing here.
I’ve used a Water-Pik since I was a young boy, but over the decades the quality of the product has very much declined. And while I still recommend one for health reasons, there are a few problems with the latest handheld model:
Water-Pik brags about being USB rechargeable, but that’s a fallacy. They use a proprietary connector on the end of the USB cable so you still have to use their cable. What a ridiculous design decision that offers only annoyance, no benefits.
Oh, wait, it gets worse. I’ve tried several USB charges (Apple, Amazon, and generics) and none of them work with the Water-Pik cable. I finally found one that will charge the device. If they’re going to be so picky about the specs of the charger, the least they could do would be to include on in the box. Good luck finding one on your own!
The water tank is poorly designed and difficult to clean and drain completely. It’s also difficult to fill, especially in the shower, which is where I use it.
On the plus side, Costco offers a nice bundle of the handheld and sink-side model, Again, the quality of the build is not as good as it used to be, but it still works, and the Costco price is great.
Finally, a word of caution. Being frustrated with the size and other problems (see above) with the handheld unit, I purchased a no-name “oral irrigator” from the Amazon. Don’t bother, it didn’t work nearly as well. Despite all the issues, get the name brand Water-Pik version.
If the name of the note is “Untitled” it’s probably because the note only contains an image , so there is no first line of text. Therefore, to name it, you need to add one. The Apple user guide for Notes will not help you with this at all.
For another tip about an oddity in Notes see: How to Select All and Copy from the iOS Notes app
This 2025 book by Dr. Alexandra Sowa features text on the cover, and a title, that make it seem like it’s filled with hype and breathless enthusiasm, but I found it to be quite helpful and practical. I guess I should apologize to Doctor Sowa for that; I’m afraid “doctors” like Oz and Drew have made me cynical.
The detailed discussions of how GLP-1 meds work is invaluable, and within the first ten pages I already knew more than my doctor told me.
One of the more interesting aspects of the books is learning how GLP-1 medicines have additional effects, such as reducing the appeal of alcohol. Moreover, that the hunger-reducing effects diminish over time, but because of the hormonal changes that are involved, hunger does not return with the same furor.
The book is also filled with practical advice, such as ensuring that you eat a certain amount of protein with every meal, and importantly, that it be consumed first. The necessity of fiber, hydration, and not skipping meals is also well explained.
Normally, at this point in one of my book reviews, I’d include a bulleted list of things I learned or appreciated. With this book, not only are there too many to do that, I feel like my restatement and summary would gloss over the importance of the information. So, instead, I’ll end here some earnest encouragement that this book is well worth your time and effort if you’re partaking of what really does promise to be a medical revolution. I got my copy at the Amazon.