$50 Workshop/Tyke/Timelog
Bootstrap workshop
I like this guy’s YouTube channel, the $50 Workshop. He’s bootstrapping a woodworking workshop starting with $50 worth of simple bought tools, and then using them to build his own table saw, drill press, etc. He makes things from scrap wood with his current tools to buy parts to make better tools. It’s encouraged me to make my own tools. — KK
Menu bar notepad
Tyke is a free, simple MacOS menubar app that opens a small text-only scratch pad. It converts copied text into plain text, which I like. I've only had it for couple of days, but I'm already using it multiple times a day. — MF
Easy time tracking
Timelog is a free time tracker you can use in your browser. You don't even need to sign up for an account. I like that it keeps going even if I accidentally close my window. — CD
Stiff-bristled scrubbing brush
The Bürstenhaus Redecker ($10) is made from beechwood and has incredibly stiff palm leaf fiber bristles. It removes burnt eggs from cast-iron pans with ease. I was a die-hard fan of the OXO scrubbing brush, but this is better. — MF
Mindful eating tip
A new habit I've picked up is to put my fork down between bites. Originally this was a weight-loss tip — and it has helped me eat less — but also it's helped me relax while eating, and I enjoy my meals more. — CD
Good book I enjoyed
The recent short biography of the Wright Brothers, in a book by that name, written by the historian David McCullough had tons of news for me. I did not realize the brothers worked out the mathematics of airfoils. They were not just tinkers but doing actual science. Pioneering that pure research paid off. But they also spent too much time trying to defend their initial patents and not enough inventing new stuff afterwards. This succinct book has other lessons and is well worth the time. — KK
— Kevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, Claudia Dawson