These are resources I want to share with you. To get on the list a product or service must work amazingly well, provide great value or exceptional functionality, solve a real problem, or improve the quality of life – better than alternative solutions. I used all the resources listed here and every single one of them impressed me.
Internet and Online Resources
BADNET – if you want to start a blog, BADNET offer is hard to beat. You order the web hosting through them (a step that you have to do anyway), and they install and set up WordPress for you. The website is delivered to you already configured and ready to go. Furthermore, four blogging reports included in the deal contain informational gold for a budding blogger. I have used them and can vouch that they deliver as promised. There are many other websites with tutorials on how to start a website, but only BADNET does the actual work for you – and for free!
Grammarly – it is a spell checker on steroids. I started using it recently and it’s amazing how helpful and easy to use it is. It installs as a browser extension or as an app (on a laptop). The version I use is the free version, so the price is great!
1Password – my password manager, i.e. an encrypted container for passwords and other confidential data. Choosing the right passwords and the password management system is crucial for your privacy and even security. I have been using 1Password for years on all my devices and cannot imagine functioning without it. It now holds hundreds of my passwords and documents. There are other passwords managers out there, but I know 1Password works reliably. If it doesn’t break, don’t fix it!
TinyPNG – is an online compressor of PNG and JPG images that is amazingly efficient. Compression around 85% is common, with no visible image deterioration. You may disagree if you are a pro photographer or a painter, but for the rest of us, it is perfect. I used to use ImageMagick, pngcrush, and others – but no longer! TinyPNG works better, and it is free.
The Ultimate Online Privacy Guide – the title says it all! This post is the most comprehensive compendium of knowledge about privacy I could find. It is chock full of detailed data about encryption, privacy holes, threats, as well as recommended software and services. It also offers practical, actionable advice on how to improve your privacy. A treasure trove of information!
Dietary Supplements
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. This is what I use and what works for me. To make up your own mind, consult your doctor and do online research. That is what I did.
Pure Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Powder. To begin with, the specific brand is not as important as what’s in it. Avoid the buffered powder – it’s just added chalk, ostensibly for your own good, but really to increase profits. There is the usual controversy about dosing, but I go with Linus Pauling who received two Nobel prizes and lived to be 93. He advocated very high doses of vitamin C. Don’t fret over your dosing.
Colloidal Silver. I have been using it to boost my immune system and as a preventative measure. Silver’s anti-microbial properties are well known. It reportedly kills 650 various micro-organisms. Silver has been used as a preservative and healing agent since ancient times. I use a few teaspoons a day when I feel an infection is coming.
Coconut Oil is a saturated fat that is a natural source of medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are digested and utilized differently from other fats, which give them unique health-promoting benefits. Bruce Fife’s book The Coconut Oil Miracle, now in its fifth edition, explains the oil’s properties and lists its many therapeutic, nutritional, and cosmetic uses.
MCTs have a unique metabolism. Unlike all other fats, and unlike glucose, they do not require insulin to enter cells. Instead, they are directly converted into energy in the liver. Endurance athletes well know that MTCs are a great source of energy.
I have added coconut oil to the recommended resources because of the evidence that it might be beneficial in cases of memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. Be aware that the benefit is controversial and contested by the medical establishment. Read for yourself: Alzheimer’s Association Warns Against Coconut Oil – Member Replies “Coconut Oil Gave us our Father Back!”
Travel Essentials
When you travel a lot, you quickly realize that you use some resources so often that they become indispensable.
Carry-On Travel Backpack (by AmazonBasics). A versatile backpack I take everywhere with me when I travel.
This 30 l backpack is carry-on compatible. Moreover, it expands from very slim to bulky, thanks to its side straps and an expansion zipper. This expandability is its biggest value because you can use it anywhere from an overnight stay to a two-week trip. To me, its volume hits the sweet spot: it’s not too small and not too large. Its three handles, a shoulder strap and (foldable) backpack straps allow to carry it like a suitcase, tote, and a backpack. A veritable chameleon! A convenient laptop pocket accommodates even a large laptop.
The price of $50 is a good deal for the size. Cons? It could use more zippered internal pockets.
Charles Schwab Bank ATM Card refunds your ATM transaction fees. Automatic Teller Machines are the most convenient source of funds when traveling, particularly when traveling abroad. Unfortunately, transaction fees have become pretty hefty (currently about $5 for foreign banks) and can quickly add up to a noticeable cost. For that reason, I use the Schwab debit card almost exclusively when traveling. To my knowledge, it’s the only one that offers fee refunds. (If you know about another one, please let us know in comments.)
Disclosure: I do not benefit in any way by recommending this card to you.
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