On a recent trip back to the US, I was introduced to these Paypal-like "Cash Apps" that are all the rage for paying people back, splitting bills, etc. I made this list to document them for my own purposes.
Cash App
- Well this one has a pretty straight-forward name!
- Owned by Square
Venmo
- Owned by Paypal
Zelle
- Owned by Early Warning Services, which is a partnership of several major US banks.
I started this list to document scam phone numbers I've received scam calls from.
Japan (+81)
03-6667-4873
I've always known myself to be a nervous person, but unfortunately as I've gotten older my relationship with anxiety, stress, and insomnia has worsened. What used to be sweaty palms or minor pre-presentation tension is now a borderline panic attack. I have sought and tried professional medical help, but I hesitate to start regularly medicating myself for fear my waking life will become that of a loopy automaton. Sleeping pills were nice, but soon got addictive. I didn't like the direction this was going.
Instead I sought a more holistic approach, which includes mental and meditative exercises coupled with stress-fighting dietary supplements. Below I document my hunt for the ultimate dietary supplements to combat anxiety, stress, and insomnia.
Notes
- The links I included are to the products I myself have tried and (in the case of favorites & honorable mentions) personally recommend.
- In general I like the NOW brand, as I find it consistently potent. Nature's Way is also good.
- I don't like Japanese brand DHC. Their supplements seem very weak and do next to nothing for me. I gave up on that brand.
- Japanese brand Nichie is awesome. This is the one I use for Maca. Unfortunately, they don't offer my other favorites.
Read more: The Hunt for the Ultimate Dietary Supplements for Anxiety, Stress, and Insomnia
I had been a contented Vistaprint customer for several years. While they don't make the highest quality business cards in the world, they're inexpensive, and their online design tools and templates are swift and painless to use. However, after the following abysmal experience, I've vowed never to use them again.
Living abroad I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to my financial accounts and credit rating back in the States. It would really suck if I were the victim of fraud and didn't even know it. Even worse would be dealing with identity theft while living overseas. Below I compiled some helpful links and tips for keeping a close eye on your USA credit situation.
NOTE: Many of these sites are only accessible from within the US, so I recommend a service called Getflix that offers VPN connections. This very affordable service allows you to access these sites while abroad.
Read more: Living Abroad - Credit Reporting, Alerting, and Freezing
The Sony a6300 camera is an amazing little guy, and overall I've been fairly satisfied with its performance thus far. However, as is the case with small form-factor mirror-less cameras that feature big-ass sensors and 4K video recording, it's not without limitations. Below I list the a6300's limitations, along with how I've been working around them. As 4K video recording is the most intense shooting scenario for this diminutive camera, I primarily focus on that situation. Knock-on-wood--I have yet to suffer nearly as much when shooting stills or HD video.
Read more: Working Around the Limitations of the Sony a6300/a6500 Camera