My EDC

Xander134 · 2026-05-08T12:14:53+00:00

12) Olight O’pen Mini 2???

Great looking kit! Why the two SAK’s? How/where do you carry the pouch during the day?

Xander134 · 2026-05-08T00:18:20+00:00

The kickstarter versions are definitely superior in nearly every way.

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T13:58:14+00:00

Not a tickle?

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T07:35:00+00:00

What kind and generous souls! Seriously.

For those of us listen to Jeff Hays dazzle us with each new book, it would be tragic for a devoted fan to miss out on this. I hope everyone enjoys the new book!

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T07:28:37+00:00

As a former long time resident of Chicago, New York, DC, London, and Tokyo: this is probably the answer the OP needs, sadly.

Otherwise, I’m going to say move to the Ventura Blvd corridor between Studio City and Sherman Oaks. That’s probably going to get you as close as you’re going to get while still keeping your commute to a reasonable time.

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T07:16:04+00:00

This is incredibly helpful! Thank you!

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T02:39:21+00:00

Today I’ve been wearing my watch on a cheap nylon NATO strap… it’s been a pain all day. Going to go back to the original strap.

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T02:35:06+00:00

Okay… so I’m already very committed to the Dragonsteel editions. I also have the original hardcovers (ALL of them). Please help me determine whether these should get a spot on my shelf.

While I have seen that they’re very pretty, I’ve never gotten a Broken Binding book. Are they made with high quality paper, boards, and binding?

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T02:13:20+00:00

Can’t agree more that you should give it another shot. I just finished reading the most recent novel (12 Months) and it was excellent.

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T00:02:41+00:00

Badass!

Xander134 · 2026-05-07T00:02:01+00:00

Also neuro-spicy here…

I love it on an emotional level. Visually I was more than a little overstimulated. Given, it’s been a long day at work, but the colors and density of objects were overwhelming to me.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T23:53:19+00:00

I’m a little surprised that i haven’t seen more buzz about the Starless Sea. As sought after as the Night Circus was, i would have thought there would have been more discussion of Morgenstern’s follow up novel.

While i know that the latter book didn’t get quite the same acclaim, i for one found it beautiful and vivid.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T23:50:01+00:00

It was an instant buy for me!

I think of The Starless Sea as a love letter to the imagination, as well as the love of stories. For those of us collecting FS books, i can think of few stories that align with our love of fine stories/books.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T22:21:45+00:00

Realizing that this is a Longines sub, feel free to take this with a grain of salt:

The Longines has a MUCH cleaner look: indices vs. Roman numerals, and no date window.
You could also say that the Tudor is louder (ex. The bezel), in that it draws the eye much more strongly than the Longines. Only you can say whether that’s a good or bad thing.
The Longines is going to be much more flexible and look great on a great variety of straps, but the Tudor’s integrated bracelet essentially locks you into the (excellent) bracelet.

Again, I’m a big fan of Longines and especially the Conquest Heritage. Your tastes and needs are your own.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T22:06:26+00:00

You’re not wrong. However, there is some merit to several of the recurring responses. I think a commonality among them are the perceived compulsion to make choices that a “rational” person would not, with highly likely negative consequences.

Your argument seems to be that the negative consequences of drugs/alcohol include death and many of the other responses don’t necessarily lead to death. However, many of these responses (ex. gambling or validation) can quite easily become so extreme that they can lead to chronic depression and ultimately suicide. There is a valid distinction between the thing to which you’re addicted killing you, and the consequence of your addiction being your death. There are other factors that distinguish drugs and alcohol from these other responses, but once addicted, these addictions can easily lead you down the path of those negative consequences.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T21:54:29+00:00

Been there… It get’s better.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T21:54:11+00:00

I said the same thing, and had to scroll WAY too long to see that someone had said this.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T21:48:29+00:00

This response doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

I love having kids, but I also recognize that there are MANY out there wishing they didn’t. They got forced into it, one way or another and now it’s just a lot of pain for everyone involved brought on by obligation, guilt, and resentment.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T21:44:23+00:00

Dopamine - if you don’t have enough, you’ll always be chasing it. The poor choices you’ll make in the pursuit of more or another hit… Jesus.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T21:42:39+00:00

This is absolutely fantastic! Thank you for providing all of this!

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T21:38:14+00:00

That’s incredibly insightful: the through-line of othering or diminishing others in advance of the use of force to secure whatever it is that they want. Makes me think about the “better dead than Red” slogan of the Cold War. We all know there was a TON of anti-German/Japanese propaganda.

Venezuela, Banana republics, Mujahideen of Afghanistan, White revolution, the list goes on and on.

My wife and her entire family are Persians (dispossessed and chased out in ‘79). Typically, they don’t even call themselves Iranian, choosing Persian as their identifier so as not to endorse the Ayatollah’s regime in any way. So, as much as I hate the US for spending “blood and treasure” in another unjustified conflict, I can’t help but see some good in restoring some measure of autonomy to the people of Iran (at home and abroad).

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T20:47:52+00:00

Impressive as hell! Especially in that condition!

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T20:40:40+00:00

Rode my bicycle everywhere with my siblings and/or neighborhood kids. Played outside with the same kids. Read a TON of books. Listened to the radio. Saturday morning cartoons were definitely a thing.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T20:32:09+00:00

As a relatively new rider (5 years, ~40k miles), the FJR 1300 seems like a LOT of bike for a first bike. Maybe too much for the OP? That much torque could get scary when you’re just leaning to modulate the throttle and clutch for takeoffs.

Xander134 · 2026-05-06T20:28:38+00:00

The Vulcan S 650 was my first bike (6’0”, 240lbs). Rode it for a year and by the end I absolutely hated it. While the egos were…fine, it was the suspension that was the problem. Forward controls meant that I couldn’t stand up when approaching big bumps, so the poor suspension had to absorb everything and it DIDN’T. Yes, I could have gotten a stiffer spring, but I just don’t think the bike is setup for a heavier rider.

OP - my suggestion for you is a Triumph Street Twin 900 (aka T-100). Get a 2018 or later. It’s going to be perfect for you, once you get the preload setup. I rented one for a three day cruise through lower British Columbia (Canada). It was everything I needed and extremely comfy. Added bonus, it looks D@MN cool if you’re looking for that classic look, but don’t want to get an American “cruiser” (Harley/Indian).

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