The Wandering Synapse [390]

Just a mini update...

In the shed. Navigating the intersection of connection and curiosity.

It’s still winter.

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#TheAction

Things happened. Lots of things involving walking, caring, writing, cooking, fetching meds, meetings, driving, necking coffee and fleeting moments where I might stop, take my bearings and continue. I’m pretty sure some of these things might be interesting to talk about here but to be honest I’m still in the middle of it all.

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#ThePictures

I started watching The Gold on BBC.

It’s good. I vaguely remember the original incident happening. I'd hoped to finish the series this week, nearly there.

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#TheWords

I've managed to get a few written words under my belt this week. Dictating pages from my travel journals into a Rode microphone that hangs above my desk. Much like I'm doing now. Voice dictation has got so good that sometimes there's a little need to go back and put in or correct punctuation. If I'm honest, it probably does it better than I would.

If I write manually, I often write as I talk. But if I'm dictating, I'm talking as if I'm writing as I talk. If that makes sense. Anyway, it saves me a lot of time although there have been long pauses as I try to decipher the page. There's been a couple of humorous, or weird and wonderful moments that I've come across this week. I extracted a couple them to save for later.

I made a mistake of starting to write up the journals from the end of the 90s when in reality, I should have started at the beginning of the 90s. That way I shall have a little more idea of the things, places and people I'm rediscovering. So after this particular journal from 1999, I shall go back in time to 92 and copy the rest of my journals up from there.

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#TheSound

Instead of writing an in-depth dispatch this week I decided to record this podcast for supporting subscribers.

A mirror of the thinker [Audio 047]

Then someone asked me where this week’s email was and I felt guilty. So here is a mini one. The audio shares far more than this text. Subscribe and you can add the podcast feed to your favourite podcasting app, or listen through the Substack app, or in the browser on desktop.

In the podcast I’m out walking the dog in the snow and amongst the 43 minute Stream of verbal diarrhoea, (am I selling it?) I talk about retro audio tech from my friend @ArtPod, my every day carry and what happened when I cooked a chilli for the family using the worlds hottest chilli pepper.

For extra context, what you are looking at here (between the Salvador Dalí socks) is a Realistic Stereo Electret Condenser Microphone 33-1065 V6, a pack of 10 Philips Mini Cassettes and a Philips LFH-0590/00 Pocket Memo Mini Cassette Recorder.

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#TheConsumed

It’s been a long time (perhaps 9 months) since I had a Kitkat, but I don’t remember the normal version tasting as good as this new vegan one. At least I think it’s new.

Tasted darker and richer.

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#TheThings

It’s been ages since I shared the pocket tech I use for ‘every day carry’ And Dave Thackeray reminded me by sharing this video. It focuses on finding the lightest EDC kit while covering all the specific needs of the video maker Tod Parker.

I’m going to include a bunch of Amazon links in this section and i’m not sure why. firstly Amazon do not rate highly when it comes to ethical shopping but we are addicted. These links won’t cost you any more but i’m meant to get a kickback of a few pennies should you purchase after clicking any. I can’t remember the last time that happened. So in a way I feel like I am plugging them, even though it makes me feel dirty, and in return they give me nothing.

If you would be so kind as to take out a paid subscription to this dispatch there are ZERO Amazon links in the supporters emails and we can all feel better about ourselves.

I know you just read right past that red button. Are you sure you don’t want to invest £4 a month in my efforts here?

Ok. What was I saying…

What you carry every day in your pocket, your EDC kit, can vary depending on the your individual needs. You might not carry it in your pocket it might be in your bag or your car or as I stated in the audio, on your belt.

Outdoor enthusiasts, Roadies, office workers or cyclists will all have different needs. Most EDC kits tend to have some variation of a pocket knife, torch/flashlight, multi-tool or pen.

I’m tempted to have a go at building my own version of the kit in the video above but struggle to see how it can be more accessible and as easy to deploy as my current kit.

Of the items he uses I can personally I can vouch for the Victorinox Bantam as it’s an amazingly light and versatile pocket knife. I use this knife if i’m dressed up and don’t want bulky pockets. The bigger blade has come in handy but it’s rare i’ll really need it over the far more versatile Swiss Mini Champ. This really is a tool to be reckoned with and I could fill a newsletter with things this little tool has helped me with. If money is no object then you can save a third of the weight with this lighter Mini Champ. although you are missing a few vital functions like the pen and tweezers.

I also rate the Topeak Lite DX rachet kit he features, but I use mine with the bike. My main heavy duty workhorse tool is the Swisstool and you can sometimes get it in a bundle with a better ratchet kit and corkscrew. I don’t remember seeing a corkscrew in his kit at all.

This kit comes with a wrench i’ve not seen before. I guess it negates the use of the reach bar but if you just want the ratchet wrench on it’s own it’s here.

The flashlight he recommends I think is older than this lighter one. But it might be slightly bulkier. In the winter months I use this much brighter 350 lumen torch. (Pictured above) But my watch and phone normally suffice.

I’d love to try out the Leatherman Style PS but they are hard to find in the Uk. It’s easier to find the Squirt which is a little heavier but has more features. This video features them both and has my Swisstool for scale.

I already have an old Leatherman Juice (two actually) but although useful with a corkscrew they are too bulky.

For writing I have a micro pen but never use it as I have the pen in my mini champ and hardly ever need it. Perhaps to sign something.

All of my gear is easy to get to and I know that I can deploy any feature in seconds. I’m not sure that stuffing everything in a wallet will have the same effect but I know I’m going to try it and see.

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#TheThanks

I must thank those that pay $5/month to keep things going and get all the content I share into this feed. If you are able, please upgrade to become a paid supporter.

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#TheWeb

When you are exhausted can’t face curating a list of interesting links. Ask the internet to help…

Christian Payne @Documentally

I've ran out of energy but really need to finish my weekly email. Any chance you can reply to this with a useful, interesting or good news link you have recently read?

Click on the tweet to read the thread. I’d rather not be held responsible for what might be there. It is Twitter after all. So far so good.

Don’t forget… I have some photos here on Flickr, or search Documentally@octodon.social to find me on Mastodon. I’m still @Documentally on birdsite but visit less regularly. If you like you can buy me a coffee here or send a tip via PayPal.

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#TheEnd

This was a little more in depth than I expected. Thanks for reading if you did. And liking and commenting if you had the energy.

Next week I have meetings and mayhem. Not much else planned. If it’s not snowing i’ll go for a bike ride. Have a good one.

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“Every morning brings us news of the globe, and yet we are poor in noteworthy stories. This is because no event comes to us without being already shot through with explanation. In other words, by now almost nothing that happens benefits storytelling; almost everything benefits information. Actually, it is half the art of storytelling to keep a story free from explanation as one reproduces it. . . . The most extraordinary things, marvelous things, are related with the greatest accuracy, but the psychological connection of the event is not forced on the reader. It is left up to him to interpret things the way he understands them, and thus the narrative achieves an amplitude that information lacks.” ~ Walter Benjamin

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Rest,

See you out there.

Over…