There aren’t that many independent garden shops around. But GardenHood is one that is a hidden gem on the east side of Atlanta. For such a small space, they have a great selection of plants, trees, and shrubs. Their space is always fun to meander through, even you have no plans to purchase that day.
There’s nothing like Minor League Baseball.
Cumberland Island is one of Georgia’s natural treasures. Most of the Georgia coast is protected, but Cumberland Island is not only *completely* protected, it’s also huge and intact.
The Oconee National Forest does not have the mountains of the Chattahoochee National Forest, its northern partner, but it does have plenty of scenery and diverse flora & fauna.
Around Murray’s Lake in the Chattahoochee National Forest, the beavers have completely taken over. The wetlands upstream from the (man-made) lake have a series of dams with old lodges and lots of fallen trees. It’s so cool to see in person.
Tanya Miller is my Representative in the State of Georgia House of Representatives. She is one of those rare individual politicians that I actively vote for (rather than ticking a box for an abstract person / party).
I love how zinnia flowers are ridiculously easy to plant and enjoy throughout the summer. We got this packet from Southern Seed Exchange.
Baseball is so much anytime, but is especially fun at night.
Atlanta is, curiously, the headwaters of two major river systems (Flint & Ocmulgee). The Flint starts underneath the airport runways. This spot is one source of Intrenchment Creek, which flows to the South River, to the Ocmulgee, to the Altamaha, to the Atlantic. It’s also a lovely spot to enjoy historic landscape architecture.
The Appalachian Trail is such an incredible achievement in construction, planning, coordination, and *maintenance* – props to the many volunteers and Forest Service land managers who keep this trail wide open and wonderful.
I never notice Redbuds until the Spring, when they really show out.
The Hickory Ridge Trail in the Cohutta Wilderness in the Chattahoochee National Forest is a favorite interior trail of mine.
Love this – Pure Independence
Atlanta is a city full of hidden gems. And one of the best hidden gems is in the neighborhood of…
There is a lot that’s wrong with education in the United States. And there are a lot of potential solutions…
This is a legit list -> 50 Years of Travel Tips
I’ve read a lot of business books and talked to business-owners, but I wish I had just seen this illustration years ago. Very smart, worth a thousand words…or thousands of dollars.
Ohhh…I love this -> Wikenigma – A Website of Unknowns
Like eating better, reducing spending is both extremely difficult…and not difficult at all. There are a million reasons why humans…
So concise & succinct -> Vanguard Explains Cryptocurrency in a Portfolio
Love this flow chart.
I love these kinds of lists, especially from people living a non-traditional life -> 18 Life-Learnings from 18 Years of The Marginalian
So far, the generative AI tools have been amazing at recommending new books and authors. They take the old trick…
In 1849, Henry David Thoreau published a book about a boat trip he took with his brother.
Long, but funny and useful -> 50 things I know by Sasha Chapin
Wow, this article resonates -> Everyone’s a sellout now
My cows have grown a nice coat for winter.
Heretic by Catherine Nixey is about the hundreds, if not thousands, of versions of Christianity that flourished in the hundreds…
This guy finds the best stuff, every year -> 52 Things I learned in 2024
All of these lists are hilarious, useful & awesome -> Things to argue about over the holidays instead of politics
Very thought-provoking -> I have a few questions by Morgan Housel
The 2014 National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking didn’t sit on a shelf – it led to real, tangible change.
Very interesting post -> I Went from Reading 40 Books a Year to Reading 0
This year was a pretty random year with what I read. It was purely driven by interests at the moment rather than any plan or queue.
If you disagree w/ someone and want them to actually listen – express their position better than they can; list any points that you agree with; say what you’ve learned from the position; only then can you express disagreement.
Ruby Beach is beautiful, rugged, and powerful.
Casual Viewing: Why Netflix looks like that is a absolutely brilliant, deep-dive into how business model incentives drove every cycle of media into…not what we all wanted.
I now own three cows. I’ve quickly learned that cows have a lot of variables…and they are the odd asset with living personalities.
Acadia National Park is small & compact, but very underrated. It’s a very special Park.
The Gulf of Mexico is often calmer than many lakes.
Olympic is one of the most underrated National Parks.
The Banjo Brothers bike panniers offer great design, durability, and storage but can be uncomfortable to carry and require careful loading.
If wool wasn’t already invented by sheep, it would be a magic material.
The erosion that formed Providence Canyon just keeps on going.
I got to go to an Atlanta Falcons game. I grew up going to Atlanta sports as well as college…
Bicycle Tours of Atlanta is the perfect way for anyone visiting, moving, or living in Atlanta to get to know the city.
Kudzu is the iconic invasive plant of the American South.
Seattle is a city in an incredibly beautiful setting that is surprising in several ways.
The MeowApps AI Engine plugin for WordPress offers cost-effective, flexible AI integration but requires experimentation and AI knowledge for best results.
MailPoet is a user-friendly email marketing tool for WordPress, offering seamless integration, a free plan, and RSS features, but lacks advanced options.
MailerLite offers affordable pricing, high deliverability, and useful automation tools, but lacks advanced features on its free plan.
LowFruits SEO software is affordable and simplifies keyword research, but it lags behind bigger tools like Ahrefs in data freshness.
LinkWhisper is a WordPress plugin that simplifies internal linking, saving time and offering customization, but requires SEO knowledge and careful setup.
Lasso is a WordPress plugin that simplifies affiliate link management with a user-friendly dashboard, but its high cost and aggressive upgrade ads can be frustrating.
InMotion Hosting offers reliable business-focused web hosting with solid performance and customer support, but lacks top-tier features and scalability.
Flippa is a popular marketplace for buying and selling websites, offering diverse options but has issues with low-quality listings and trust.
BrightLocal is a specialized local SEO tool with an intuitive interface, reliable data, and affordable pricing, but lacks broader SEO features.
Blinkist offers quick summaries of nonfiction books, saving time while providing essential insights, but its focus on social features and AI-generated content can detract from quality.
WP All Import & Export is a powerful WordPress plugin for bulk data management, offering reliable imports, scheduling, and extensive compatibility, but it has a steep learning curve and high upfront cost.
Rocket.net offers fast, user-friendly WordPress hosting with great support, but is costly for small sites and limited to WordPress only.
RankMath is a stable, feature-rich SEO plugin for WordPress, but it has a pricey Pro version and some modules may underperform.
Namecheap offers affordable and user-friendly WordPress hosting, but has limited server access and slow support. Ideal for small businesses and beginners.
Namecheap offers affordable shared hosting with user-friendly tools, but has limits on resources and lacks free SSL certificates.
Namecheap offers competitive domain pricing, a wide selection of TLDs, and strong privacy support, but lacks phone support and has rising costs.
Motion Invest offers strong support and quick sales for buying and selling websites but has lower-quality listings and a basic interface.
The MeowApps Social Engine plugin offers free and affordable social media management with WordPress integration, but has some setup challenges and interface flaws.
Mt. Rainier National Park is an incredible, beautiful, and underrated National Park.
The PATH Foundation has been building out an entire network of protected trails around Metro Atlanta.
Yup. This post is right on -> Bluesky and enshittification
Well-done post -> What I want from Mozilla
If you are able to support environmental causes, look at buying a hunting / fishing license. It’s leveraged & incredibly effective.
The Cohutta mountains in Georgia’s section of the Appalachians are not especially high, but their topography is unique enough to generate their own weather.
In September 2021, I sold the shivarweb.com website on the Empire Flippers marketplace. Shivarweb.com was a website that not only…
We went several years owning a Nissan Leaf and a mid-size SUV. But when the SUV was in the shop…
Looking over the pond at Kubota Garden in Seattle, Washington
The last collection of detective stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle is still surprising, fun, and better than most detective fiction today.
Youth sports aren’t what they used to be.
Fascinating podcast episode from Odd Lots -> How Fraudsters Are Bilking the Government Out of Billions of Dollars
Love this post about the intersection of politics & culture -> Sloth was not the right answer
Cabbagetown in Atlanta has devoted entire blocks to massive murals.
Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch is a doorstop of a book that is readable, fascinating, and approachable.
So lovely, peaceful, but full of energy, but also not the place to sunbathe.
Mt. Rainier has too much beauty for one place.
The Longmire settled the land around Mt. Rainier in cabins that still exist today.
Why hello Atlanta!
Mother Nature doesn’t want you goofing off on the Pacific Coast beaches.
Walking around Atlanta where there’s constantly changes coming.
Some of the creeks in Olympic NP look like are from a storybook.
Our National Parks (along with every other tourist destination) suffer from overcrowding. Even some places with infrastructure and thoughtful visitors…
Exercise regularly, eat a nutritious diet, eschew cigarettes, limit alcohol consumption and nurture meaningful relationships.
Mt. Rainier is one of those rare places that’s truly difficult to overhype.
We live in a time of such confusion and rancor, with a culture that puts a premium on things that don’t last: money, fame, status, likes.
Mimetic Desire is the idea that we want what other people want. Beyond the absolute basics of bodily need, our…
Thoughtful post on a hot topic -> How Will You Save Small Midwestern Towns without Mass Immigration?
One of the favorite reads this year was Status Games. It’s a brilliant tour of how humans cooperate in groups…
At Florence Marina State Park, the Chattahoochee River pools into the Walter F. George Reservoir (aka Lake Eufaula).
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