philnewton.net

Updated Pocket highlights bookmarklet

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:51:00 -0400

A couple of years ago I wrote a small bookmarklet for copying Pocket article highlights to an org-mode file. Pocket recently made some large updates to their site which modified the markup and broke the bookmarklet (and also ruined their iOS app).

I've written a new version of the bookmarklet. It works the same as before and will copy highlights to the clipboard, wrapped in org-mode quote blocks.

Drag the button below to your bookmarks toolbar, and then click it when viewing any highlighted article in Pocket to copy notes to the clipboard (tested in Firefox):

Copy Pocket Highlights

The un-minified source is below and can be modified to remove org-mode specific formatting if needed:

let to_clipboard   = "#+TITLE: " + document.getElementsByTagName('h1')[0].innerHTML + "\n\n";
const all_highlights = document.querySelectorAll('.sidebar-anchor aside > div > div > div > button');

all_highlights.forEach((highlight) => {
    if (highlight.classList.contains('inline-button') || highlight.hasAttribute('aria-label')) {
	return;
    }

    let highlight_text = highlight.innerHTML;
    if (typeof highlight_text !== 'undefined' && highlight_text.trim() != '') {
	to_clipboard += "#+begin_quote\n";
	to_clipboard += highlight_text.trim() + "\n";
	to_clipboard += "#+end_quote\n\n";
    }
});

to_clipboard += "*Source*: " + document.getElementById('reader.external-link.view-original').href;

navigator.clipboard.writeText(to_clipboard);

Groundhog Day Resolutions - 2022 Review

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 12:31:00 -0500

I set a total of 7 goals for 2022 because I thought it would be easier. It was not.

Major Achievements

Completed an ultramarathon

This was my largest achievement of the year and the one I'm proudest of. I started with a training plan that was far too advanced for me (I blame New Year optimism) so I ended up using a modified marathon plan. Running 5 days a week wasn't as bad as I imagined and it got me over the finish line.

Running 31 miles in one go was difficult - and quite lonely at times - but I enjoyed the challenge.

I'll probably do it again.

Minor Milestones

In no particular order:

Started yoga on a regular basis.
Set a new personal best time for my half marathon.

Disappointments

Achieving 1 goal out of 7 isn't exactly what I'd hoped for this year.

I didn't write much and I missed it.

I'm writing yet another "I set goals and didn't achieve them" end of year post which is a bit of a bummer.

Summary and Looking Ahead

I really wanted to work on my game-related goals this year but I just couldn't get into any kind of rhythm. I took on an additional freelance client at the start of the year, and whilst I really enjoy working with them the added workload hasn't always been easy.

My other disappointment was the lack of writing. Once I got out of my writing routine it was almost impossible to get back into.

My keyword for 2022 was focus which I kind-of did, except my focus was not on my own goals. I don't know if that really counts.

I haven't decided on everything I want to work on next year, but I'm quietly optimistic about it.

Groundhog Day Resolutions - February 2022

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 21:02:02 -0500

January's primary goals

1. Finalize my 2021 major goals

Last year was a bit of a goal frenzy, so this time around I'm keeping things simple and limiting my major goals to just 3.

2. Finalize my 2022 secondary goals

Like my major goals, I've really cut down on secondary ones. I was drawing a bit of a blank for what to set, so I stuck to things I really wanted to do. My thought process was pretty much "it's better to whole-ass a few things than half-ass a lot".

3. Set up the 2022 goals hub

My 2022 hub page is now online.

January's secondary goals

1. Publish 4 posts

January was a lot busier than I expected, which meant my writing took a big hit. AKA I didn't write anything.

Primary goals for February

1. Publish 3 posts

February is a short month so I'm going a little smaller with this goal. I'm still feeling a bit of writer's block, but I've noticed that I feel worse when I haven't written for a while.

2. Plan my ultra-marathon

I have an event and training plan in mind - now I just need to figure out the details. I've done a couple of half and full marathons and I'm pretty comfortable with what's involved, but this one feels like a whole new thing and it's making me a little nervous.

3. Decide on a retro game to write

One of my major goals this year is to publish a retro game. Most of my games have been retro-themed, but I've never actually built something on a retro platform. I'm targeting the Atari ST as that's what I grew up with and I know its capabilities fairly well. I just need to settle on an actual idea and go from there.

Groundhog Day Resolutions - January 2022

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 20:01:01 -0500

I usually spend the first month of the year figuring out what I'm going to do and getting myself organized. This year is no different.

Primary goals for January

1. Finalize my 2022 major goals

I set a lot of goals last year and fell short on most of them. Although on paper I still completed more goals than 2020, it didn't feel particularly good. This year I'm limiting myself to a smaller number of more important goals.

2. Finalize my 2022 secondary goals

There were a lot of filler goals on my list last year, which meant I just didn't bother with them. I'm keeping things more focused this year and keeping my secondary list shorter.

3. Set up the 2022 goals hub

Looking back at 2021 there were a lot of goals where I didn't add much detail, which didn't help when it came to working through them. By February I want all of my goals - primary and secondary - to have detail pages.

Secondary goals for January

1. Publish 4 posts

I didn't write as much as I wanted to last year, so I want to start the new year in a more positive way.

—

This year I'm sticking to the word focus for my goals. I've always struggled with this, and it feels pretty darn awful to look back at a year and feel like I've achieved nothing.

Groundhog Day Resolutions - 2021 Review

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 12:31:00 -0500

My 2021 Groundhog Day resolutions did not go as well as I'd hoped. There were still some bright spots, but I can't help feeling disappointed about how the year went.

Major Achievements

Released a new game (kind of)

I released Splodey Boats 2000 in January. It's a rewrite of a game I created in Flash for Ludum Dare #29. Since Flash is now deprecated I rebuilt the game using my own game framework.

It's not the most exciting experience in the world, but I'm happy with how it turned out. You can read the post mortem for more details on how it all came together.

Beat both my running personal bests

I am never going to be a fast runner, but I still wanted to improve my times. I took about an hour off my marathon time and 15 minutes off my half marathon. I ran more miles this year than 2020, which isn't bad considering I stopped running regularly after completing my half in October.

Minor Milestones

In no particular order:

The site was added to Planet Emacs. This was a nice surprise.
I finished version 1.0 of Writing PHP with Emacs.
I meditated (nearly) every day for an entire month.
I actually read some books this year.
I got slightly better at deliberately practicing.

Disappointments

I struggled with writer's block for a lot of the year; I even took a few months off writing GHD updates which is pretty unusual for me. At the start of the year I was much more confident about my writing, but that slipped away and I just couldn't seem to create anything worth publishing.

There were a lot of goals that I didn't even get started on. Just looking at the list now I can't help but be annoyed that it's December 31st and I couldn't even put the effort into some of the smaller ones.

Stats!

Major Goals Achieved: 41%

Minor Goals Achieved: 33%

Primary goals set in my GHD posts:

Month	Goals Set	Goals Achieved	Percentage
January	4	4	100%
February	3	2	67%
March	4	4	100%
April	3	1	33%
May	1	1	100%
June	3	3	100%
July	3	0	0%
August	0	0	-
September	0	0	-
October	2	2	100%
November	3	3	100%
December	3	3	100%

Secondary goals set in my GHD posts:

Month	Goals Set	Goals Achieved	Percentage
January	1	1	100%
February	3	3	100%
March	3	1	33%
April	2	2	100%
May	2	0	0%
June	1	0	0%
July	2	0	0%
August	0	0	-
September	0	0	-
October	0	0	-
November	0	0	-
December	0	0	-

Overall Monthly Stats

Totals	Goals Set	Goals Achieved	Percentage
Primary	39	23	59%
Secondary	14	7	50%
EVERYTHING	53	30	57%

Summary and Looking Ahead

For the last few years I've achieved about 70% of the goals I've set. I went into 2021 with the idea that if I set more goals, I'd get more done. After all, completing 70% of 10 goals is better than 70% of 5 goals.

That approach seemed like a good idea at the time, and in some ways it worked well. Goal-wise I completed more primary goals than I set than in 2020, but overall I feel really disappointed with what I actually did.

I think part of my disappointment is because most of the goals I achieved didn't really build up to anything - they were just some stuff that I did. This was mostly because I rushed and set goals that seemed like they'd be interesting and achievable, rather than because they built towards any sort of target.

2022 contains a milestone birthday for me - I turn 40 in October - so I'm feeling a little more reflective about the New Year. 2021 was supposed to be about creation and contribution, and although I did both I don't feel like I did enough of either.

My focus for 2022 is just that: focus. I'm going for a much smaller set of goals, but they're all ones that I feel will build towards something greater over the next few years.

Groundhog Day Resolutions - December 2021

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 12:12:00 -0500

December is finally here. This will be a brief GHD post as I'm working on the end-of-year one.

November's primary goals

1. Finish another primary goal

I completed another two sessions of deliberate practice, which took me past the minimum I set myself for the year.

2. Finish one secondary goal

I read two books in November to complete my "read more" goal.

3. Start planning my 2022 goals

I have a list of 2022 goal ideas ready; some are new, others are goals from years ago that I never completed.

Primary goals for December

1. Finish planning my 2022 goals

2. Set up the 2022 goals section of the site

3. Write my GHD 2021 summary post

Groundhog Day Resolutions - November 2021

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 11:11:00 -0500

October was my first month back on GHD goals after some time off. It went okay.

October's primary goals

1. Finish one primary goal

I spent some time working on improving my processes. This is something I've written about before and it's definitely something I overlook.

My primary focus was on improving my daily workflow; things like automating common tasks and learning more about the tools I use every day.

There are still improvements I'd like to make, mostly around my daily habits, but so far I'm happy with the changes I've made.

2. Finish one secondary goal

I ran a half marathon in October and it went much better than my first attempt. I was still a little slower than I would have liked, but considering I flew back from the UK 3 days before the race I'm pretty happy with my performance.

Primary goals for November

1. Finish another primary goal

There are a couple here that I can get done if I focus on them (and I think focus will be a theme for next year).

2. Finish one secondary goal

Some of these are month-long goals and probably won't get done this year, but there are one or two shorter ones I can work on.

3. Start planning my 2022 goals

I rushed my goal setting for 2021 and I think it shows. I'd like to take a more considered approach for 2022 and concentrate on things I actually want to do instead of what sounds good.

Filtering the Emacs dashboard agenda

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 07:42:00 -0400

I use emacs-dashboard to show an overview of my work when I start Emacs. It looks a little like this:

The weekly agenda gives me a quick glance of what's scheduled for the week ahead, as well as any upcoming deadlines, but I wanted to tweak it slightly to remove some non-useful information.

I use the WAITING keyword to mark tasks that are waiting on someone else and don't require my attention. I have a separate agenda command to show me all WAITING tasks and there's no need for these to show on my dashboard.

The dashboard package provides a couple of different ways to customize the agenda view. One of those is dashboard-match-agenda-entry, which uses org-mode's tag and property matching to filter tasks.

Limiting the dashboard agenda looks like this:

;; Match just one TODO keyword.
(setq dashboard-match-agenda-entry
      "TODO=\"TODO\"")

;; Match multiple keywords.
(setq dashboard-match-agenda-entry
      "TODO=\"TODO\"|TODO=\"IN-PROGRESS\"")

;; Match everything except WAITING.
(setq dashboard-match-agenda-entry
      "-TODO=\"WAITING\"")

There is a lot more to org-mode's matching system; I've used it to create custom views for displaying my monthly goals, but it can be used to match tags, categories, and even properties like Effort.

My Emacs Ledger reporting configuration

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 10:28:00 -0400

I've been using Ledger to keep track of my finances for several years, and one feature I really like is the ability to run reports from within Emacs via ledger-mode.

Creating these reports is done by customizing the ledger-reports variable. It's also possible to set them using the ledger-reports-add function, but I prefer to set them all in one go during setup.

My current list of reports looks like this:

(setq ledger-reports
 '(("bal"            "%(binary) -f %(ledger-file) bal")
   ("bal this month" "%(binary) -f %(ledger-file) bal -p %(month) -S amount")
   ("bal this year"  "%(binary) -f %(ledger-file) bal -p 'this year'")
   ("net worth"      "%(binary) -f %(ledger-file) bal Assets Liabilities")
   ("account"        "%(binary) -f %(ledger-file) reg %(account)")))

bal: Shows the balance of all accounts; this also includes individual expenses (such as Expense:Car:Gas) so it's a pretty long report.
bal this month: As above, but only includes transactions from the current month.
bal this year: Same as bal, but limited to the current year.
net worth: A short report that shows what I've got in each account, as well as what I owe on loans and credit cards.
account: This prompts for an account name and then shows its transactions for the current file. This is useful for quickly seeing how much money has been spent on a specific category during the year.

Emacs reports that have the %(ledger-file) token are run against the current ledger file. I have my Ledger files stored in a projectile project so I can quickly jump to them to run reports or make adjustments.

Copying all Pocket highlights with a bookmarklet

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 10:23:00 -0400

I use Pocket for managing my reading list and make liberal use of its highlighting functionality. Although Pocket has an API - and an Emacs reader that works really well with it - there isn't a way to export highlights. This makes it a pain to process my notes to the point where I just don't do it.

To make things easier I wrote a little bit of JavaScript to export highlights from a Pocket article view. It wraps all highlights in org-mode quote tags, adds a title and "Source" link, and then copies everything to the clipboard.

It's not perfect; it doesn't handle images, and lists end up being copied line-by-line, but it makes the process much, much easier.

Drag the button below to your bookmarks bar, and then click it when viewing any highlighted article in Pocket to copy notes to the clipboard (tested in Firefox):

Copy Pocket Highlights

The un-minified source is below and can be modified to remove org-mode specific formatting if needed:

to_clipboard   = "#+TITLE: " + document.getElementsByTagName('h1')[0].innerHTML + "\n\n";
all_highlights = document.getElementsByClassName('highlight');

for (highlight in all_highlights) {
    highlight_text = all_highlights[highlight].innerHTML;
    if (typeof highlight_text !== 'undefined' && highlight_text.trim() != '') {
	to_clipboard += "#+begin_quote\n";
	to_clipboard += highlight_text.trim() + "\n";
	to_clipboard += "#+end_quote\n\n";
    }
}

to_clipboard += "*Source*: " + document.getElementById('reader.external-link.view-original').href;

navigator.clipboard.writeText(to_clipboard);