After Covid and Getting Back to the Starting Point - Tech, Routine, and Willingness Follow Through

As you know, I got the corona virus just after Thanksgiving (I till don't know how exactly I got it.  I didn't go anywhere prior to that except Home Depot looking for Christmas decoration and picking up Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving at the Grove in Los Angeles).  And it's been heck trying to get back into shape.  I have made progress and I gave myself a generous timeline to do that.  And while I had hoped to "under promise and over deliver", it may look like I need that amount of time to get back to where I was - assuming there is no lingering issues that some recovered Covid patients reportedly experienced.

I jokingly gauged where I was post-Covid based on age - I felt like I was over a hundred by how I was walking in the house.  I would have to rest after getting up from the couch to the kitchen.  Washing dishes required that I pause to ease the pressure off my back.  I had issues breathing through the masks for a few days (I panicked when I though I suddenly was no longer taking on air).  Seven days after showing no symptoms, I felt I was closer to 80-90 range. I was walking better but still had to rest and take naps.  And two weeks later, I was closer to about an average 75 year old.  I was able to take a couple flights of steps but I felt like I was walking on mud.

Routine

During this time, I kept my progress with my Apple Watch and my iPhone and a spreadsheet.  How many steps I took, my heart rate, temperature (not through the watch), and distance I walked, and my blood oxygen level.  I am still doing that now.  It's become a routine for me and I've added other tasks to it as well.  As a matter of act, I've set a goal to create a routine app based on my experience by the end of the year.

Right now, I am starting to run.  I likely lost 10-15 pounds during that time and have gained it back rather quickly.  So, I'm now trying to force myself to get back to where I was pre-COVID-19.  During the month of November, I had ran at least 1 mile per day.  I am trying to get back into that.  

The Tech

Since this is a tech blog, I have to really note how helpful wearable technology is today.  The Apple Watch with its health sensors, especially with the oxygen sensor, was critical to my time while I was sick and the recovery period.  It's not perfect.  Health features in wearables, regardless of weather it is the Apple Watch or Fitbit devices, are in the early stages.  And I'm happy to note that there are other companies in this realm and that our choices will not just be Apple and Google.

The Follow Through

Beyond tech and building a routine, what is required to make it all work is the will to make it all happen. I am proud of how I have decided to make sure I recovered completely and get back to my pre-Covid level and surpass it.  A few friends and I do an annual guy trip that involved participating in an official 5K or 10K run before the pandemic and we will do it again after it is all over and I want to make sure I hold my own.  

It is not simply that I have said to myself "I need to get my health back" or "I want to get back to my physical level" but that I carrying it out and making it happen.  Just have to do it.  

If you're like me or just have a desire to get somewhere, physically or mentally, I suggest you do this next.  Whatever it is that you need or want to do to make it happen, go do it now.  Starting doing burpees, clean your room, or just get out of the house.  That'll be your day one.  And let's see you follow through with day 2.  Sounds simple but it is not.  It is going to be different for everyone.  Get an app or use a calendar and start logging your progress.

Just start on something.

Hybrid iOS and Mac Device - It Would Need To Be Done Right

Source:  Google Search.

It is common knowledge that Apple's own chips used in the iOS devices for years and now on the just updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are very fast.  There is almost nothing on the market that comes close to the processing power and the amount of power it needs.  It's the main reason why Apple is moving away from Intel chips. Apple's chips are simply faster and runs cooler.  It is why Apple's iPhone blow competing Android devices out of the water.  It is why Apple can arm its devices with only a few GB of RAM and the Galaxy devices need 16 GB.  Given how fast Apple's new M1 chip is and the potential for even better upgrades in the future, it is time to revisit a subject hat has divided the Apple community:  a tablet that runs both the iOS and Mac OS.  

First let me say this, with iOS and Mac OS the way they are not, it would not work.  It would be a nightmare.  Mac OS would not work with the current touch interface that works so well on the iPhone or iPad.  I would not buy such a device even if it was available now.  And I'm sure there are other problems that goes along with this.  

However, make no mistake - such a device is something Apple either has thought about or is a bit further along. Think an engineer at Apple has not managed to get MacOS running on and iPad Pro?  Perhaps an iPad Pro with the yet to be released M2 chip running MacOS like hot knife on butter?  

It will require Apple to rethink how the touch interface would work.  It would require an intelligent interface that knows when touch interface works better and when traditional PC interface works better.  But there is another way that Apple will make this happen.

How exactly would Apple do this?   I'm going to come back with a couple of thoughts on this later.  For now, I think it is worth bring up this discussion again.  

Do Articles How around Get Fit Work?

 Source: Men’s Health

I need to lose weight and I’ve done what everyone else have done: diet, exercise, fasted.  Joined gyms, sign up for 5K runs with friends, ran with friends, ran by myself, and everything else I’m sure you’ve done. However, I would have some early success before I start gaining my way back. So, there is Internet articles about how to gain muscles six packs lose weight or how to become the next Iron Man really work? That’s what I want to find out after finding this article about a guy doing 100 Burpee’s per day. Does it really work? We’ll see.

However, I would have some early success before I start gaining my way back. So, there is Internet articles about how to gain muscles six packs lose weight or how to become the next Iron Man really work? That’s what I want to find out after finding this article about a guy doing 100 burpees per day. Does it really work? We’ll see.

 Today is my second day doing it yesterday.  I had a busy day I only did 40. Today, I had an even busier day but I managed to sneak in 60 burppees throughout the day. Now, I don’t think it’s meant for me to just spread out 10 burpees at a time throughout the day. But given my physical condition I could not do more than 10 at a time before I felt like I was going to faint.

Still, it was very promising. I think I can eventually get up to 20 to 25 burpees at a time.  I want to stick this out for more than just a week. Perhaps I’ll stick it out for 2 to 4 weeks. But I’ll be reporting back every few days on my progress. Doing temper piece at a time and spread it out throughout the day to get up to around 50 to 70 it’s better than doing nothing at all.

2 to 4 weeks. But I’ll be reporting back every few days on my progress. Doing temper piece at a time and spread it out throughout the day to get up to around 50 to 70 it’s better than doing nothing at all.

Anyway, it’s experiment. But ultimately, I think with anything whether it’s trying to lose weight learn new skills or trying to develop a new habit, it’s all about staying committed. I do think that these Internet articles, not just for working out, but about how to personal growth or developing a new skill or habit, works if you are willing to stick with it.

Why Is iMessage and Facetime Trending On Twitter

 Apple's iMessage and Facetime was trending for a while today on my Twitter feed on the Explore tab.  So far, I have yet to figure why.  So I kept at it.  Going through the feed.

Then I found this:  WhatsApp is integrating with Facebook Messenger (Arstechnica).  It means that Facebook will be combing through messages for ways to monetize user messages.  So, people are recommending iMessage, Signal, and other highly encrypted messaging apps.

At first, I had thought that perhaps Apple was finally bring iMessage and Facetime over to Android and possibly Windows.  Nah, didn't happen.  

As for Facetime trending on Twitter, it could be that if people are going to abandon WhatsApp, they might as well consider Facetime as an option.

Facebook Bans Trump - Maybe Forever

Source:  The Verge, Buzzfeed.

Trump has many, many friends in the Congress.  Most if not all of them are Republicans.  So, news today that Facebook has banned Donald Trump, president of the United States for eleven more days, is not going to sit well with some of his devotees, especially those who are looking to become the heir apparent of the MAGA movement.  However, the move by Facebook has impressed me even though I am not a fan of Facebook or its CEO (I am no longer a Facebook user).  Twitter only banned Trump for 12 hours.

A few things are going to be predictable in the short-term.  Many Trump fans, First Amendment advocates, and right wing groups will denounce the move by Facebook.  They will threaten (which will get a few of them banned as well), they will vent, and they will consider other options.  But really, what other options are there at this time for conspiracy traffickers and MAGA supporters?

Over the long term, expect congressional hearings about the power of Big Tech and Trump advocates to continue to grind their axes against what they perceived as censorship against conservatives.  Most of it will be done as red meat for right wing, primary, and fringe supporters.  Just as he did during the last hearing, expect Matt Gaetz (who I think secretly dream of being Matt Trump) to berate Facebook and Twitter at future hearings without really asking any questions that is relevant to privacy or the impact of social media and regulation of social media.  

For Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, the decision to ban Trump was clear.  Trump was attempting to stage a coup and encourage violence rather than condemn it and tell his supporters to back off.  Furthermore, Trump continues to lie about the fact that he did not win the election because it was stolen from him by frauds (which was largely rejected by the FBI, DOJ, his own attorney general, and state Republican officials).  

Here are statements from Facebook and Twitter regarding the Trump bans:

It's likely Facebook will allow Trump back on the platform.  He is a draw and source of revenue after all.  Twitter has already let Trump back since it's past the 12 hour ban.  It will be interesting to see what kind of impact these bans and pushbacks against Trump by members of his own party will have on his future social media updates.  So far, Trump has not said anything on Twitter.

Note: I just want to note that I'm not a fan of Donald Trump as a person.  But I'm also appalled by his conduct as president of the United States.  Regardless of whether it is a Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal, or a moderate, I'm going to go write things as I see it if I think the person's conduct is wrong or does not have the public's best interests at heart.

Twitter Gives Trump A Twelve-Hour Time-Out, But Twitter Should Have Done This More Often

 Just Breaking:  Twitter just issued an lockout on President Trump's account for twelve hours after his series of false tweets about the election and lies led to the siege on the Capitol after Trump mobs turned into insurrectionists and attempted to keep Trump in office for another term (The Guardian).  The question is shouldn't have Twitter done this years ago?  Lies are that lies.  Conspiracy theories are just that:  conspiracy theories.  So Twitter should have marked them as such right from the beginning and clamp down this kind of tweets that all built up to what happened today.

I am a daily Twitter user and for the most part, Twitter works great for me.  I don't use Facebook anymore because it's worse than the swamp that Trump has created for himself and his cronies because Facebook has enabled the fringes of Trump supporters to thrive while Facebook monetizes off them to the detriment of the republic.  Twitter has has well but in my book, it's not as bad as Facebook.  But Twitter has a lot to answer for.

I do think that the new Congress should have a bipartisan commission to address social media and how toxic it can get if left unchecked or allowed to police itself.  I respect and support the first amendment but right now, the kind of tweets coming out of Trump and his fringe supporters is keeping facts from reaching people.  Facts and conspiracy theories and lies should not be out there as if allowing users decide on what they believe.  

It will not be easy.  So far, the congressional hearings in the last couple of years yielded nothing other than grandstanding by politicians (mostly Trump minions) that really does not address how social media can be regulated.  

And this is just the issues with toxic tweets for lies and falsehoods.  Privacy is still front and center for many users like myself.

I'm glad Trump has been given a time-out that really should have came earlier.  But Twitter has its share of responsibility for this dark chapter in hour history.