It’s been a little quiet around here since I’ve been pretty busy with work and school. Since I’ve been on the go so much, I’ve been trying to find games that I can play I’m in between meetings or interviews. I like games that I can play both on mobile devices, like my tablet and smartphone, and through web browsers. And I like games that I can play for short periods at a time and return to later.

Recently, I’ve been playing Temple Run 2, Angry Birds Star Wars and Zombie Smasher. Each of these games has cute, cartoony graphics. When I looked on Google for games with similar graphics, I also came across http://www.cheekybingo.com/. It looks pretty cute but I haven’t played around with it yet. Check it out here. 

During the Steam sale, I also bought some new (well, new to me) video games–including the first two Bioshock games (for just $10. Oh yeah!). I still have to play through Deus Ex: Human Revolution… not to mention, a slew of Humble Indie Bundle Games! For now, though, I think I’ll focus on just leveling up in Angry Birds.

I found one! A teapot, that is. And it was just $5 from a local thrift store.

The title of this post is one of my favorite quotes from my favorite childhood book, Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye. It alludes to the unifying power of tea across cultures. It’s a sweet sentiment, I think.

I found this photo on Tumblr and traced it back to here. I just love it. I can’t stop looking at it. It encompasses everything I’ve been trying to achieve lately.

Peace.

Serenity.

Quiet.

Calm.

Minimalism.

Introspection.

Clarity.

The tones, the colors, the setting. The mix of industrial and natural textures. The framing, how the wall is blocking part of the table and the viewer doesn’t know who or what is around the corner.

The teapot. I love that damn teapot. I’ve been indulging in a lot of tea lately and it’s seriously been helping me balance my life. And I’m not much of a New Age-y person (not that there’s anything wrong with that, I’m just much more of a skeptic) but the ritual of making, drinking and savoring tea has profoundly impacted my day-to-day life.

Places like these keep popping up in my imagination and then I find actual photos of real places and I know it’s possible to make this kind of space for myself.

I’ve never really understood the whole Tumblr and Pinterest phenomenons until recently. I didn’t really get how saving these images and GIFs from around the web were important. But both resources have been monumental in helping me see the potential for quality of life–improving it in simple ways, like putting a pretty teapot on a pretty table. It’s inspiring in a straight-forward, no-nonsense way, like, you’ll either find this beautiful or you won’t. I love going back to my profiles to find themes and connections between the images I find moving. Sometimes I don’t remember finding certain things and it’s like a nice note to myself. This image is one of those–I’d completely forgotten about it until this week. I love the internet and I love the many ways it inspires me often.

I’m not sure what compelled me to start watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles–I just really wanted a good quality sci-fi show to delve into and this fit the bill. And I’m so glad I gave this show a chance because I loved it. I’m also totally bummed it got cancelled so early on. Sigh. This comic I found on Tumblr sums it up pretty well.

This show, as suggested by the title, is part of the Terminator canon, although the producer notes that there are several discrepancies in the timeline. TSCC stars Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister, among other notable roles) as Sarah Connor, Thomas Dekker as John Connor and Summer Glau as Cameron, a T-800 model Terminator. There’s only two seasons but both are very well done.

The story revolves around Sarah Connor’s efforts to protect her son, John, so that he’ll eventually fulfill his role as the messiah of humanity. The two travel around through time to prevent Skynet from being built and eventually causing the apocalypse.

This show surprised me with how funny and quirky it was at times, particularly in the first season. There are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. I am a huge sci-fi fan but it’s a genre that takes itself pretty seriously most of the time, so it was nice to have some comedic relief. It helped me really connect with the characters.

I also have a much bigger appreciation for Summer Glau. Her character, Cameron, was incredibly interesting–especially her relation to a human version of herself (you’ll have to watch the show to understand what I’m talking about). She’s also hilarious! I think she’s great at deadpan humor.

I highly recommend this show, whether or not you’re a big sci-fi fan. It’s free on Amazon Prime, and it’s also on Netflix.

Also, Summer Glau’s Terminator face might have to be my Halloween costume this year. What do you think?

I’m just a sucker for a good manifesto. I was inspired by some of my favorites, including the cyberpunk manifesto and the self-repair manifesto, to write this one. I looked on the web for other EDC manifestos and didn’t really find one, so I’m hoping this will suffice for now.

In the spirit of open source and everything else I value, you are welcome to publish this manifesto on your blog/website/publication without credit to me (although it’s always appreciated ). You’re also welcome to edit, add, omit, etc. any of it. Like all writing, this is a work in progress. I hope to make a nice graphic for it, but if you have ideas for one, please feel free! I just ask that you send me a link to where you’ve shared it because I’m curious. Enjoy!

The Everyday Carry Manifesto

While a person’s everyday carry—EDC—may be first and foremost a collection of items, what we choose to carry every day signifies the way we choose to live our lives. An EDC represents a sense of ownership, personal responsibility, and the baggage we choose to maintain to improve and enrich our day-to-day existence.  A proper EDC should be comprised of items with the following characteristics:

Functionality

Each EDC item should be functional, and should serve a clear purpose, such as convenience, preparedness, or entertainment.

Quality

Selecting EDC items is not about materialism or consumerism. On the contrary, curating an EDC means to find items that will last for a lifetime. Quality includes aesthetic appeal, but should first and foremost mean that an item will be durable and reliable. Items that can be repaired easily by the owner should be encouraged to reduce unnecessary economic and environmental waste.

Preparedness

EDCs should aid in preparedness depending on the potential crises in one’s daily life. For some, this may mean preparation for large scale catastrophes like natural disasters; for others, this may mean having necessary tools to use for small occurrences at work or home.

Minimalism

Striving for minimalism means to weed out the unnecessary. An EDC should not cause burden, but rather, should aid in a feeling of completeness. Only essential items should be carried, and should be selected thoughtfully with the above purposes in mind.

Community

Having a strong EDC is helpful in aiding an individual, but should also be evaluated by the ability to help others when needed. This does not mean loaning out sacred or beloved items, but should represent a desire to aid others in tasks or emergencies.

Ultimately, a person’s EDC is more than just a collection of items—it’s indicative of one’s personality, professions and priorities. Above all, an EDC should be chosen with the discretion of the person who will carry it.

I updated my EDC recently and I’m finally really happy with my lot. One of my goals was to minimalize. While I generally have a few extra items that aren’t pictured here, this really is an accurate representation of what I have in my bag at all times. (Now, if I could accomplish this in other aspects of my life, that would be great. )

Here’s what I have now:

• Leatherman carabiner accessory (I love this thing and use the bottle opener all the time.)
• Fiat 500 Sport key
• Swiss Army knife (I used to have these as a kid and was feeling nostalgic. I still use my Leatherman micra sometimes, too.)
• 4GB key USB
• Eos chapstick ball
• Spyderco Tenacious
• Lockpicks
• Reporter’s notebook (I get these free from work since I go through them like crazy. I love them.)
• Moleskine cahier (I got a pack of 3 and these are great little notebooks. I’ve been using them as my personal journals.)
• Gel pens
• Timex Weekender
• HTC EVO phone
• Timberland wallet

I feel like I’ve finally accomplished a streamlined EDC with sturdy, neutral gear and a few fun, colorful accessories. I especially love my new Timex which I’ve worn pretty much non-stop since I’ve gotten it.