Recently at work they were like, "Hey so you can work from home 4 days a week. Also we're moving, so the view is great but now your cube is gone and it's called hoteling, and the space you used while you're here is only for when you're here."

I'm particular about some things in my life, for example I don't eat or drink out of plastic and don't particularly enjoy disposable cups. I know this next one sounds over the top, but I also do not like stale air. I don't like tap water, seed oils, and people who don't wash their hands.

Due to these factors I just bring my meals and water AND coffee AND supplements to work on the one day per week that I'm on the office. I left some possessions at work such as a single serve french press, two fans, and real cups. I bring 8 glasses of water, everything is packed in glass and heavy as heck, it's my life let me live it.

Anyway I'm strong and healthy, carrying 20lbs of crap up one flight of stairs was no issue for me. However now I have more things I have to bring back and forth every week and 16 stories up. These items include: real cups, my fan, laptop, and now the whole coffee maker has to go with me.

A man with less determination than myself would let the change in circumstances change his decisions. I will not alter my path because things have gotten harder, BUT there is no way I'm carting 20lbs of glass, food, and electronic equipment up 16 stories by hand. People might ask "what about the elevator?" They're incredibly slow and now all of my stuff doesn't fit in my giant trader joe's grocery bag so it's still a long walk to my desk and God by his grace gave us the wheel 10,000 years ago.

It was time for an upgrade. It was high time! Enter the Toughbuilt Massive Mouth XL toolbag. Yeah it's a tool bag and it looks tactical and has an offensive sounding name. I could probably put my whole dog in this thing if he'd get in. It's huge and I'm thinking of adding actual power tools to my edc. I mean why not? A reciprocating saw is probably one of the most useful tools on the planet. How about a wrecking bar or a power bank big enough to use as a back up whole house battery? At the very least I'm going to go with a tool roll of the same tools I carry in my Leatherman Wave+ but full size. You just never know when you may need em.

When people show you who they really are, don't make them tell you twice.

I'd like to spend as little time as possible on this thing, but it just does everything. My money is on my phone, my credit score, my work emails, my important notices, all breaking news and frequent updates from my peers across social media - so it's tough. After Elon took over twitter I found myself exploring it again and more than I'd like and even though I've unfollowed everyone on Instagram beyond people I know in real life or that are known to be real people / friends of friends etc.. I still find myself checking it more than I want. Blocking it is annoyingly restrictive but it does work and I may go back to doing it.

You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me⁠— the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day⁠—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.

There is nothing more seductive in the world of tools than an entire toolbox that fits in a pocket.

Everything modern has circuits, chips, and software. Cameras, watches, and cars, and even many bicycles these days are essentially just computers. Everything has been poisoned with "smart" technologies, software, bluetooth, and awful apps. Every year there are new smart devices. Smart TVs, smart rings, smart fridges, and smart pens. There is seemingly no end to man's desire to put a chip in it. All of these things depend on batteries or worse, constant software updates. Inevitably after about 3 years they become disposable junk.

Leatherman have been making multitools for 40 years and their tools and many others can last forever if you take care of them. A hunk of polished stainless steel takes us back in time to when things were simpler. If something broke, you could fix it, if you didn't know how, you could figure it out just by taking it apart. Something about a world like that inspires confidence that all things can be put right no matter what they happen to be.

Some models even let you replace hard wearing parts like saws, files, bits, and wire cutters. This allows the tool that can fix almost anything to be fixed itself, and that fact is elegant and beautiful.

Do I need a saw, wire strippers, and a diamond file every day? Have I ever needed these things unexpectedly? Have I ever needed them at all? I don't know, and you're asking the wrong questions.

Most tools are purchased for a purpose, and they sit in a tool chest until they are needed. A multitool is purchased for all of the endless possibilities one may encounter and it is carried everywhere. Whatever forks open in whatever roads are traveled, with a multitool in a pocket, one feels as if they may follow whichever prospect holds out the greater adventure. When you think about the freedom that comes with one little box in your pocket, it is an exhilarating rush. Am I going to hot wire a car today? I haven't decided yet, why don't you tag along and find out. (Don't worry, I won't).

My current daily driver is a Leatherman Wave+. It strikes the perfect balance between having not enough and too much. It's heavy, but not too heavy to carry in a pocket. While there are many lighter tools and a few heavier, the Wave+ is perfect for people with desk jobs that tackle occasional projects around the house and in the garage. It's always been up to the task whenever I have needed it.

In a modern world where everything is cheap and disposable, a quality multitool is still a fine thing that can last a lifetime with proper care. More than that, a well made one inspires the imagination every time it's picked up off the dresser, or held in the hand, and as each tool is unfolded and neatly put back, one is free to wonder what trouble will find them next.

I quit Twitter a few months ago, not because Elon was buying it, but because I really don't like the way algorithms distort reality by amplifying the voices of celebrities and "influencers" who are often paid by companies and other entities to promote the "current thing". These tweets go viral, trend, and control the conversation on Twitter.

I still find myself checking Twitter occasionally. Unfortunately there is a lot of information there. People send me links to tweets or I want to find out what's going on in the topics I followed there.

By "quitting" I mean I deleted all my tweets and no longer post there, set my account to private and deleted the app.

I switched to Mastodon. Mastodon is a federated social media network. You can join a free server or start your own. I started my own. Nobody controls Mastodon, each server regulates itself. Since I'm the only user on my server, I don't have to worry about ads, trackers, algorithms, getting shadow banned, or being cancelled or dealing with people who have inflammatory opinions.

There is no algorithm on Mastodon. You just get a firehose of information from what's happening on your server - so on mine, my timeline is empty. There is also a federated timeline that shows posts from people I follow on other servers. Without the algorithm, the conversations on Mastodon are more diverse and there is not a small group of elitist people with blue checkmarks dominating the conversation. Servers are often focused on specific topics, sort of like reddit's subreddit scheme. Which makes it easy to avoid the purple haired weirdos.

No ads, no algorithms, no suppression of information, it's great.

I used Hostdon.jp to set up my server. I pay in Yen, and had to use Apple's translate tool to navigate the site, but my server costs about $4 a month. Not bad.

Over the last few years I found and relied on immense inner strength to stick to my "NO". I stuck to my decision despite massive peer pressure, threats, bribes, and guilt. I stuck to my NO not out of stubbornness, but because I truly believe in my choice. The wavy no pattern is a tribute to every person who has ever said NO and meant it and stuck to it no matter what was thrown at them.

We own some land miles from anywhere. When you own land, you need chainsaws and other dangerous tools that could easily sever an artery. Way out there, we're far from a hospital, emergency services, and even cell reception. While we do have a few neighbors, it would take many minutes to find help when seconds count. I like to be prepared. I carry a multitool, pepper spray, a flashlight, and bandaids in my EDC kit. Recently I got to use my bandaids when K cut her finger open on some splintered wood. It felt good to be equipped and able to help.

I've heard a couple of horror stories lately that inspired me to get a tourniquet. One guy saved the life of a co-worker when a chainsaw kicked and nearly cut the co-workers arm off. The man and his arm were saved by the tourniquet.

Another guy in the Amazon reviews of the tourniquet I bought cut his wrist in an accident while using a circular saw. fortunately he was prepared, and managed to slow the bleeding enough to survive while he waited for a life flight.

Another common way of severing arteries is in a car accident. I've seen several in my time, even a crash at 20 miles per hour is terrifyingly loud. I've been in at least 2 accidents in my life and many close calls. So far I've been fortunate to have no serious injuries.

There are tons of tourniquets on Amazon available for less than $10 a pop, but they're made in China and lack any certifications. I decided to go with a North American Rescue. It's the official tourniquet of the US Army, approved by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care and used by many first responders.

To see a list of other devices approved by the CoTCCC click here.

To buy yourself an orange NAR tourniquet like mine, click here (amazon affiliate link)

Chest Seals are used to treat something called a sucking chest wound. I go out into the woods and frequent places where people carry firearms. These are caused by gunshots and puncture wounds. We all know that in the US, firearms are common and many people carry them in public places, legally and illegally. While I'm personally not overly concerned about gun violence, or an accidental shooting, these events happen in our country every single day. It just makes sense to be prepared and I came across them while looking for a tourniquet. They are often sold together in an IFAK or Individual First Aid Kit. To buy some chest seals, click here (Amazon affiliate link).

If building an IFAK you may also consider adding a collapsible CPR mask, latex gloves, trauma shears - used to quickly cut away clothing that may need to be removed to assess an injury or wound, and gauze both regular and hemostatic, which can help wipe up blood and in the case of the latter stop the bleeding.

If you do frequent rural areas often, you should consider reaching out to the Emergency Services Dispatch in the area to find out of they use What3Words addresses. What3Words is an app that can locate you when you're far from a known address.

Having stuff is good, but useless if you don't know how to use it. I've taken a first aid course that included CPR but I think it's time to take a few more classes to make sure I know how to use these tools should I ever need to.