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Giving up the smartphone part 2: thrusting your beliefs at others.
Six months ago, my second blog post in this series highlighted my experience giving up, then bringing back, the smart phone. It was a valuable learning experience which led me to better use the device, while increasing my appreciation for the features which are truly valuable to me. In order of importance to me (greatest…
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Free Bicycle story eBook offer
I wrote a little bookette, as I alluded to on my June 13 post “I am an Author.” At the time, I didn’t say anything about the work itself, as I didn’t yet know what my plans were for it. Initially intended to be a pitch, I’m now offering it up for public consumption. It’s…
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Tracking the rides
I’m tracking my bicycle rides again, after a hiatus of a few years. When I got back into bicycling several years back, I was keen on tracking all my rides. I commuted, rode during my lunch break, and of course rode recreationally on evenings and weekends. I began using Strava; I was familiar with the…
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Why I value my Public Library
The primary reason why my wife and I selected our present place of residence seems now pointless given that our income generation has no longer a geographic requirement. There is one item from my “nice to have” list when selecting this home (it made the cut), that has now become a must have: Namely, living…
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Tooting your own horn
Do you drive a motor vehicle? Does it feature a working horn? Where I live, I have the opportunity to hear the sound of vehicle horns regularly. I also drive a car with a working horn (yes, I’ve had at least one without). Subsequently, I’ve given this matter a certain, perhaps undue, amount of thought,…
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Freedom
I’ve long suspected that freedom is a construct which simply does not work in societies. At least not on scale: As soon as a freedom is granted to me, it invariably impinges a freedom of someone else. There may be an exception I haven’t considered, but by and large, I believe this to be true.…
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I am an author
I’m not a fan of the “fake it ’till you make it” mentality. It seems a tad disingenuous. I believe there’s also a danger in pretending to be something you are not. Unfortunately for me, that mantra’s adherents have a distinct advantage when it comes to making changes. For context, I gave up a career…
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Discovering minimalism at the Mall of America
I write this on the day I’ve earmarked to pack for my latest trip. For nearly eight years, I’ve committed to bringing, regardless of trip length, only what I can carry on my back. And by that, I mean a backpack that conforms to airline personal item criteria. I also sometimes bring a folding bicycle,…
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On selling regrets
I’ve been selling off some bikes. Sadly, I’ve finally come to admit that I’ve mistakenly sold one I should have kept. Or perhaps not. The bike in question happens to be a 1955 Schwinn Corvette 3 speed. Mine was slightly customized to suit my riding, and aesthetic tastes. I sold this bike well over a…
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What giving up my smartphone has taught me
Spoiler alert: I brought it back Just because you can find use for a feature, doesn’t mean you should. The venerable Swiss Army knife comes in many configurations. Victorinox alone offers 400 models. It’s obviously not a one size fits all proposition. The same is true of smart phones, and the fact that they aren’t…