Recomendo

BriefingDay/Write your own eulogy/Aerolite hand luggage

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Recomendo: issue no. 189

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Suggestions for web reads
BriefingDay is a free daily half-page email that lists 5 very interesting articles around the web.  I usually click and read at least one of them, with pleasure. It’s curated by Thomas Marban who created Hvper, the internet on one page. — KK

Write your own eulogy
Anne-Laure of Ness Labs has a great post on the exercise of writing your own eulogy as a blueprint for your future. The process of writing down the exact values and accomplishments you want to be remembered for can provide clarity as to the small steps you can take today to create that narrative. Her post provides example questions to help you draft a eulogy and it’s up to you to work backwards to take action. I also spent about 25 minutes using this free step-by-step guide to writing my own obituary (angstrom.life/goals) and when I was done I was given a mission statement to create the imaginary legacy I want to leave behind. My life goals are very simple: write more poetry, which is something I yell at myself everyday, and to perfect my poor drawing skills so that I can create the stories that won’t stop gnawing at me. — CD

Maximum baggage for basic economy
“Basic economy” is the cheapest way to fly on United. You don’t get to select your seat and you can’t check any bags or even bring a standard carry-on bag without paying extra. You are allowed one personal item, measuring 17x10x9” or less. That’s smaller than most backpacks and is an unusual size. Fortunately, Aerolite makes a bag measuring 16x10x8” (called the 16 Inch Aerolite Carry On Hand Luggage Flight Duffle Bag) and it’s big enough for a couple of changes of clothes, toiletries, electronics, and a laptop. — MF

Super plywood
Plywood is an underrated material. But the really good stuff can be hard to find. Baltic Birch plywood is a super-duper version of plywood with many thin layers without voids that is as sturdy as metal, but lighter and much easier to use. You can fabricate things from it that you otherwise might use metal or plastic. But real Baltic plywood is hard to find. Big box stores like HomeDepot and Lowes often carry Birch plywood that is hard wood only on the outside layers; inside is softwood, which is okay but not great. I found I could get real, dense, all hardwood Baltic Birch plywood online in smaller sheets. For the kind of projects you’d want to use super plywood for (jigs, boxes, toys, prototypes), you don’t need, or want, large sheets. These 20×30 inch ¾ inch thick sheets ($16) from Woodworker Source are perfect for me. — KK

Fastest way to remove pet hair
We have a chocolate lab and a long-haired cat and their dark hairs can be found on every surface of our house. This $25 reusable roller (ChomChom Roller) is the fastest and easiest way to clean our couch and comforter. You just roll back and forth over flat surfaces and the roller catches all the hair in a dust receptacle that you empty out. Much more efficient than sticky lint rollers. — CD

How our relationships change over time
Artist Olivia De Recat made a cartoon with lines to illustrate different kinds of relationships and how they change over time . The last one might make you a bit misty-eyed. — MF

03/8/20

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