Minimal Monthly
Hi Reader,
Whether it’s a car, appliance or pair of jeans: I tend to use my stuff until it’s on its last leg.
I have an old friend who always chuckles whenever he drops by: "That coffee grinder STILL works?" He was with me when I bought it nearly 20 years ago.
My electric beater is from the mid-80s (yup, the nineteen-eighties). It’s ugly as heck but it still works. It sits in the cabinet next to an electric citrus juicer from 1997, also still in weekly use. You get the picture.
So it was unlike me to oversee a repurposing solution staring point blank at me the other week. I had suddenly gotten it into my head that I desperately needed a small peripheral touchscreen that I could flip vertically and perpetually torture myself with by exclusively displaying my to-do list, which currently has 291 tasks on it and I just want to cry or clone myself, but I digress.
Obsessing over a dedicated device to arrange my to-dos presented a great opportunity to avoid actually doing my to-dos. Happens to the best of us.
So I spent two evenings scoping out all the newfangled skinny touchscreens on Amazon and watching reviews before finally placing an order for a wee $160 screen.
When it arrived, I thought it looked so cool that I sent my friend a picture of my battlestation improvement with a thumbs up. I also asked him if his kid needs my old iPad. Still worked, just too old to receive updates. He said no, and I went about my day.
The new touchscreen started giving me doubts an hour in though. The picture quality was kinda crummy, and the seller failed to mention that the touch functionality was wonky with Macs. Ugh. If only it had good image and touch quality like an iPad, I thought to myself.
Wait a minute...
A quick Google search led me to an $8.99 one-time app purchase called Yam Display. It lets you mirror your desktop for cheap, even on old Apple devices. It worked perfectly. Couldn’t believe it.
I packed up the new touchscreen and sent it right back. The ancient iPad can be used for the rest of its lifespan now as a screen extension. I love it. My to-do list, not so much. Ergo: if you have an old device lying about, maybe you can breathe a second life into it, too.
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Blog Updates
Stuff I've Loved
- Former People Magazine reporter Michael Small shared his podcast with me, and I’m glad he did because I Couldn’t Throw It Out is thoroughly enjoyable. That theme song! The pop culture! His stash of old interview tapes! Check out the episode where he sits down with Peacock TV’s Swedish Death Cleaning hosts. Are they really just the greatest therapists in disguise?
- Ageism is a huge pet peeve of mine, so it's been great seeing more mature models on the runways recently. Also digging the Balmain outfits.
- Interior inspo: the entire money issue of Dwell magazine was really good.
- You want to lie on the sofa? You want to look at yourself in the mirror? You want to have throw pillows on your couch? Fellas, is it gay to have furniture? When a 24M asks Reddit for decor advice.
- If you’re feeling scheisse and need a kick in the britches, Self-Help Singh has some words of wisdom for you. Made my day. 💩
- It’s a problem: no one taught us basic finance in school. Designer Alfred Lape also didn’t do the math until he was over the age of 35, when he realised you need at least a million saved up to be able to modestly retire in your sixties. Side note: he has a super soothing voice.
- Please don't judge my mild YouTube addiction, but isn't it just mesmerising watching this guy power wash? Small biz owner who's racked up over half a million subscribers on the side. Smart guy.
- Not gonna sugar-coat this: Ultra-processed foods cause mental illness, debilitating metabolic changes, and over three dozen other diseases. We sure have managed to royally &!“% up millions of years of evolution within the space of a century, huh. Peer-reviewed meta-analysis in The BMJ.
- Our eating habits aside, we haven't changed much. Idk if this photo compilation was AI'd or not, but it's cute all the same.
31/03/24: Send newsletter ✔️
290 more tasks to go.
Happy chocolate bunny day if you celebrate!
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Thank you for reading. If you have any comments or feedback, hit reply and drop me a line.
Have a great month ahead,
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