Year: 2019

  • Member Journal — 6/3/19

    Shorter article this week, as you read this I am in the process of moving, also because I seemed to have already packed my keyboard so I am typing on the screen. Hold up, this is silly, let me find that thing. Ok, got it, onward.

    This week: competing theories of how to live your best life, being banned from Uber, and a practical level of obsession.

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  • The Totebook from Studio Neat

    I received a couple of these to test from Studio Neat a little while back. As you all know, I am a huge fan of everything they do, these notebooks are no exception.

    I don’t know that there is a better notebook to buy out there. It’s taboo to talk about other competing products when you promote something new, but I am totally going to break that.

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  • Ulysses 16: 2-Up

    Today, Ulysses has a new app version bringing it up to 16. As you know, I think it is foolish for any person to not own this app, and just as foolish to waste your time writing in any other app. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement in this app, and thankfully the team behind Ulysses agreed.

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  • Member Journal – 5/27/19

    This week: my favorite newsletters, restaurant red flags, a popular deep think post has me ruminating on this member post, and a substantial amount of of words on backpacks and briefcases at the end of it.

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  • Member Journal — 5/20/19

    This week: the more they know, the best thing at Starbucks, high powered charging, wireless charging, and the cult of Jack.

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  • My Never Ending Internal Debate: Dedicated Camera or iPhone Only

    At some point around the iPhone 4/4S/5 era, the iPhone camera became good enough. It wasn’t demonstrably better than most dedicated cameras at the time, but it was good enough that most people would be fine with it. It was also easier to carry, and still is, than most dedicated cameras — at least those worth carrying.

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  • Member Journal — 5/13/19

    This week: I have a bigger shift, something has me wondering, I struggle with Cal Newport, polluting meetings, and cancelling news.

    Should be fun.

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  • Orbit Gear Eagle Claw Review

    When I travel for work, I generally travel in a smaller backpack with that being my only bag. In the past, I take that backpack to and from the work locations and events as it is my only bag on the trip. This is generally not an issue, but can be a bit cumbersome when all you are carrying is an iPad Pro. Additionally, I have been getting a little more interested in carrying a hand bag on a regular basis for my life in general — as you can imagine I have no shortage of bags in my home, but none of them quite fit the bill for me.

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  • Member Journal — 5/6/19

    This week: quit how you want to be remembered, lady backpacks, shut out the noise, Apple Notes, stress, Slack, privacy, and paywalls.

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  • WESN Micro Blade Rev. 2

    Note: WESN sent me this sample for review.

    The WESN TI Micro Blade is one of those knives where it should have a cult following because of exactly what is shirks. It’s small where everything is large, it’s inexpensive in a category overflowing with overpriced crap. It uses better than average materials, and oh, it is minuscule in size and yet can replace most EDC blades. In other words, from the specs alone, this should be the ideal blade for office workers everywhere.

    It is big enough to get shit done, and small enough not to threaten any HR department. But, the first version I got had a major deal breaker.

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  • Member Journal — 4/29/19

    This week: I talk about a terrible company, and relate decision fatigue to algorithm fatigue, I rate everyone, and lastly there is a new app that I am infatuated with.

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  • A Starter Guide for Going iPad Pro Only

    I don’t know how anyone can stand to use the new MacBooks out there, or why they would spend that much money on a computer. So, this is my quick guide on how to use an iPad Pro full time in a general computer sense (i.e. not for niche uses like Audio/video/photo editing or anything of that nature). Follow this guide and you can leave behind the world of overpriced computers that you will never fully utilize and instead enter a happier place.

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  • Member Journal for 4/22/19

    This week: I talk about a name, I ask what are you doing, I offer a top tip, I share insights from a dense man, millennials, and I cull things.

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  • Tom Bihn Ghost Whale Organizer Pouch

    Quite a name, for what is actually a very neat and simple pouch — I touched on this pouch for members, but it’s pretty great. So let’s talk about it a little more. I picked up the size ‘small’, but it does come in a few other sizes and I found the measurements provided to be very accurate overall.

    For this, I am solely focused on the small size.

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  • My Dyneema (DCF) DOPP Kit

    There have been no shortage of pouches I have used for DOPP kits, or toiletries bags, in the past. There’s the GR1 Field Pocket, and then for quite some time I used the Echo Field Pocket, recently I moved to the Bond Venture Pouch. All of those shared the same problems: they were really good, but not ideal. They had pockets and pouches, but they were all a bit too cramped while also being too small. The Venture pouch gave me constant problems managing items in the elastic straps.

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  • Member Only Post for 4/15/19

    This week: I use a Mac; boredom makes things difficult; the privacy parts; and printed things make me sneeze.

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  • Why Newsletters Beat Social Media

    Paul Jarvis:

    I pay over $230/month for Mailchimp so I can keep sending you emails. But this cost (the most I pay for monthly software by a lot) is worth it because it’s doubly profitable: Mailchimp makes enough money from me so they don’t have any need to sell my or my subscribers’ data. And I make enough money from my products by sending emails on their platform to cover the costs and not have to resort to ever selling data from my subscribers either. So it’s a win-win-win!

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  • Member Post for 4/8/19

    This week I dive deep into News+ to talk about the shittastic nature of its design, take a quick chicane into privacy and Facebook, hammerhead turn back around to a document pouch I am in love with, and sprint across the line with thoughts on the MacBook keyboard fiasco.

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  • Tom Bihn Synapse 25

    Note: Tom Bihn sent this backpack for review purposes.

    My dad previously reviewed this bag, but my review of Tom Bihn’s well loved Synapse has been a long time coming. I chose the 25L because it is a more versatile size than the 19L and because I wasn’t confident a 19L bag would look right on my back. For those who follow the cult of onebag travel, this bag is nothing new as it has been among the preferred bags in that group for years.

    Let’s dive into Tom Bihn’s Synapse 25 and see what is what.

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  • Member Post for 4/1/19

    In this issue: no April Fools jokes; almost but not quite there; small hand bags for men; science touches where you work.

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