Book recommendations are good. I really liked the SuggestMeABook subreddit. It'd be nice to have that here.
I think what those other places are missing are some kind of book club. If there's enough critical mass here, it'd be interesting if there could be small groups read a book together and discuss here.
I tend to be one of those people who wants to say yes to everything. That's partially because I'm a people pleaser and don't want to disappoint. But I'm trying to be better about protecting my time. If something doesn't get a "hell yeah" gut reaction from me, it's probably best that I decline. "Present me" tends to overestimate how excited "future me" will be about some commitment.
Having said that though, it should be a healthy balance I think. Some of the better experiences I've had have been ones where I was initially reluctant about them but ended up being glad I did them.
So... Balance. Protect your time. But it's also okay to occasionally step out of the comfort zone.
I've bought at least two bags from ebags.com that I've been very happy with. The first bag was for a large 17 inch laptop I used in college. It was one of the only places I could find that carried laptop backpacks that could fit a thick 17 inch laptop. That bag is still getting use when I travel with very little signs of wear. I was so happy with it that when I needed a new carryon bag, I went back to ebags and got their Mother Lode Travel Backpack. It looks like they have a lifetime warranty for their ebags brand products.
A mechanical keyboard. I have the CM Storm QuickFire XT with Cherry MX brown switches. I got it from Amazon. It doesn't look like it's available anymore. But there's a whole world of mechanical keyboards out there. I haven't researched them in a long time since I love the one I have and don't need a new one -- and probably won't need a new one for a long time.
I really like the size and aesthetic of the Field Notes notebooks. Small and thin enough to fit in a pocket. Maybe not as durable as some might be looking for. I kind of like the weathered look they get after some use though.
For something larger and more durable, I've liked these Miliko brand notebooks. The paper is nice to write on and doesn't bleed through.
Yes I did. He recounts his experiences meeting different people around the country. I hope this isn't a spoiler, but what I appreciated was his honest opinions about the different areas and people he met. He wasn't being some pollyanna and trying to find the good in everyone. If he didn't like someone he met or a particular part of the country, he didn't sugarcoat it. And by the last part of his trip, he just wanted to get home to his wife, which I found very relatable when I'm traveling for work or have been on a vacation that's gone on a little too long.
I'm currently reading Cloud Atlas. Not related to simplicity. I saw the movie when it came out. I didn't understand it at the time, but I'll probably rewatch it when I'm done with the book.
Travels with Charlie was a great and quick read. It's about his road trip across America with his dog in his homemade truck bed travel camper.
That's pretty apt advice given today's volatile society. I wonder and struggle about the tolerance part. Who should tolerate who? Should we tolerate those who are intolerant of us? If we all tolerated each other, then that's the ideal scenario. But if there's an intolerant group, should they be tolerated? If we don't tolerate the intolerant, then we'll be accused of being intolerant. But if we allow them to be intolerant, then what happens?
Looks good! I haven't ridden in about 10 years, but even when I was riding regularly, I never got confident enough to try jumps like that. The trails I was riding on didn't have many jumps like those.
East of Eden is a masterpiece