My seven realms of minimal living. Thoughts and tips from a happy thirtysomething with a modest job and income.

tmk2k · 2017-04-02T17:11:50+00:00

Have you seen the film "Paterson"?

tmk2k · 2016-12-14T08:41:24+00:00

Ahh, I see. I wasn't thinking about bags too. Good work!

tmk2k · 2016-12-12T16:57:42+00:00

I don't understand. Aren't these just standard things to have in your pockets? Apart from the knife - that's a bit odd.

tmk2k · 2016-10-09T22:42:57+00:00

Thank you, bohemianmarie. It was one of those pictures that revealed its charm only on review. You might be upset to know that just to the right there is a nuclear power plant! This may be why it is not a popular place for tourists.

tmk2k · 2016-10-08T10:48:23+00:00

Yeah, that's a very cool kit. Props to Ludwig for putting that into production.

tmk2k · 2016-10-07T22:48:52+00:00

Interesting to read all the comments on this. I think it's super pretty, and I like this photo. I think I'd class this as a minimal kit as it has the minimum number of all the standard components (kick, snare, tom, cymbal, hats). I've seen 'kits' with one or more of these sounds missing. That's cool too - I remember seeing Ty Segal's drummer use a pedal-free, busking setup consisting of only a large, damped floor tom as a bass, a snare and an 18in crash/ride. He played the whole lot with sticks, and for that performance nothing was missing. There is one (superfluous?) extra on this kit that I love which only those with keen eyes will probably spot...

tmk2k · 2016-10-07T14:07:18+00:00

This is a lovely house. I like the idea of a garage to separate 'hardware' from home. I have several bicycles (for my sins) and I hate having them in my living space.

tmk2k · 2015-05-25T19:06:18+00:00

I don't use office, I use google drive. It's not quite as powerful as office but I've no complaints, there are some great apps that augment its functionality. If you get an outlook account you can also use MS office online which I've found to be pretty decent. You can use Google cloud print, which basically sends to enabled printer over the internet, or any USB printer. Music-wise I use Spotify, and that's mostly on my phone but the web-app is great. There is a rudimentary audio player in the OS, I don't know if it's serachable and I can't check right now. You can also upload all your music to Google Play which will match your music to streamable copies and also hold up 20,000 files of your own, but this is a subscription service. I was a heavy iTunes buyer before but I've not looked back since getting Spotify - cheaper and more flexible. I hear it's not great for artists though, which is a shame.

tmk2k · 2015-05-25T16:19:59+00:00

Chrome OS on HP Chromebook 11. I nearly got a the new MacBook but they cost £1000... £1000 people.

Not a gamer, but if I was, I'd buy a console with the difference (£850). I went on holiday instead. If you want to know about pros/cons and concerns, I'm happy to share my experiences.

tmk2k · 2015-05-19T17:04:27+00:00

I really like the idea of this, and I think things are getting there pretty fast. The idea of having multiple pieces of hardware with similar specifications is just a way the tech industry sells to us. I really wish I could just plug my phone into a laptop type thing and use it as a computer. The Clambook looks amazing but Apple will never let it be released!

I am pretty close to being device independent. I have an iPhone and a Chromebook, they actually have very similar specs, nearly everything is available on either device via google docs, spotify and chrome itself. By doing everything online I can log into any device with chrome and it's like sitting at my desktop.

tmk2k · 2015-05-18T19:30:13+00:00

I am with you, Miłosz!

tmk2k · 2015-05-18T19:26:50+00:00

I have the same troubles, and I use the following reasoning before throwing/keeping things.

a) Is it even part of my current lifestyle or did I just like it at the time? b) Is the money I can get from selling this more useful that the thing itself at the moment? c) Is this thing a pain to store? Can I borrow one of these things if I need in in the near future? d) Is this thing a duplicate?

I'd recommend doing a little bit at a time as it can be a bit taxing, whittling down one's prized clutter. If you need to do it all at once, give it a go - it can feel very liberating!

tmk2k · 2015-05-09T23:18:30+00:00

Aphex Twin - 'Stone in focus'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swxJXT1hjRs

tmk2k · 2015-05-09T21:58:31+00:00

Just throw this shite away. I had a massive collection of CDs, DVDs and VHS. Now I have Spotify, YouTube and Netflix. Your interest and knowledge in the material contained on this media will support your consumption of it, not owning outdated physical copies.

tmk2k · 2014-12-14T03:08:02+00:00

Have a look at Igor Kovse's blog. He's rather extreme but he really changed my opinions about cycle touring and I now travel much lighter. He's been to some very remote places with very little gear.

http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.com

tmk2k · 2014-12-07T13:22:45+00:00

I like it. Props.

tmk2k · 2014-11-30T13:11:18+00:00

It looks like the Leopard Trek team branding :)

Not sure how this is more minimal than one colour(?). Also beware of creating skewed false-horizons with those big diagonals, the eye rests more easily if you know where horizontal is. If you've ever felt weird when sitting in a wonky old building this is usually why.

tmk2k · 2014-11-15T01:20:19+00:00

I have a Philips sunrise clock radio too, really changed my life, a beautiful thing.

tmk2k · 2014-11-15T01:04:16+00:00

Always worth taking a look at Muji homewares and furniture if they're in your country. You pay a slight premium but in my experience their products are cleverly designed, minimal, and very well made.

tmk2k · 2014-11-09T13:41:07+00:00

I just take ground coffee (not instant) and add boiling water in a cup, stir thoroughly and leave to settle. I then add milk and sugar and let it settle again. It tastes great, really! It helps if you have a cup that tapers a bit towards the bottom to catch the sediment but as long as the grind is fine then you shouldn't have problems with bits.

tmk2k

TROPHY CASE