250 Adventures/Draw in 6 Steps/Correct way to plug in a USB
The 250 best adventure novels of the 20th century
Voracious adventure novel reader Josh Glenn put together a list of 250 of his favorite adventure novels of the 20th century, with a capsule review of each book. I’ve already added a bunch to my reading list. Many are available on project Gutenberg and other public domain book and audiobook websites. — MF
Draw something in 6 steps
As someone who is on the never-ending quest to learn how to draw, I really appreciate NYT's How to Draw in Six Steps. The visual clips and tips are encouraging. Here is a sketch of Pablo's face (my dog). — CD
Correct USB plug orientation
You try to insert a USB plug and it doesn’t fit. You flip it over and it still doesn’t fit, so you flip it back to the original side and now it fits. Ugh! How many thousands of times has that happened? Just remember this: the topside of any USB plug will be smooth metal and the underside will have a groove down the center. Keep the smooth side up. — KK
Keep your Mac clean
I’ve been using a utility called CleanMyMac X for a number of years. I use it to completely undelete applications (and all their associated files), locate and delete space-wasting unneeded files, and scan for malware. It has a lot of other features, all of which are presented in a simple interface. — MF
Sharpen your skills of deduction
One thing that has helped me unwind at the end of every day is trying to solve logic puzzles on my phone. Something I always loved doing as a kid. I found this free, no ads iPhone app ($2.99 on Google Play) called Logic Puzzles by Egghead Games. There are puzzles for different levels of experience that you have access to, so you can start off easy and work your way up, or alternate between quick and more challenging games. It's been two months since I downloaded it, and I have solved 80+ games, and I still have 16 more to go before I in-app purchase more, which I will, because it really is fun! — CD
The story of my life
Story, by Robert McKee, is the best book written on how to construct a great story. McKee’s masterclass on story writing is well known in Hollywood. It is condensed into a 4-hour audiobook (better than the written book), performed by McKee himself. It is not just a manual for screenwriters; these short 4-hours turned me into a super fan, able to appreciate stories on whole new levels. Indeed, I found this book profound and realized that it is a useful guide to constructing an interesting life, which in the end is also a story. — KK