[Nascimento]

[The Black Knight]

(07-03-2016 09:50 PM)Leonard D Neubache Wrote:  

(07-03-2016 09:43 PM)HonantheBarbarian Wrote:  

...
3. A fire pit. Very cheap, very easy excuse to get a girl over and check out the stars and have her already at your place. Its got plausible deniability built in, and I enjoy the primal and elemental aspect of starting a fire. If you are into bushcraft, you can show of your primitive fire skills without actually taking her camping. And when you're done, hey your living room happens to be right there. Its cool to sit around with your buddies as well.
...

Anyone that's never banged a girl in front of a fireplace on a faux fur rug doesn't know what they're missing.

Firelight on naked skin triggers something very primal in the human brain. Even fucking under candle-light beats a bedside lamp.

Never really even thought about it until I read the aforementioned but the most intense bang I have ever experienced (and for the chick as well from what I could tell) was with a chick in a room with a handful of candle lights.

I really need to make a mental footnote of this for future bangs: Bring the fire!

[Cobra]

Birth control other than condoms.

[American Rampage]

Very nice thread, gentlemen. A man should take the time to appreciate the small details in his life, as they make all the difference.

(07-04-2016 12:44 AM)LINUX Wrote:  

Wild Turkey 101 is my go-to whisky for American holidays. On today's Fourth of July celebration I drank it from...

(07-03-2016 09:43 PM)HonantheBarbarian Wrote:  

A set of really good scotch glasses. Preferably from a thrift store with a story behind them. I had some bourbon at a buddy's house the other night and he served it in those shitty little Crown Royal glasses that come free with the bottle. It just didn't have the same appeal as a heavy-bottomed, textured old school "oil baron" scotch glass. A snifter is also a nice conversation piece although I never actually place my liquor in it.

I once received a set of Glencairn Whisky Glasses as a Christmas gift. I cannot go back.

[Chaos]

Don't be cheap on your bed boys! You are spending 1/3 of your life in your bed so there is no reason to be greedy here.

Kitchen island, large bathroom and shower are all great investments since they are being used daily.

A bigass fridge makes me happy too.

[Fast Eddie]

Material possessions matter, big time, especially as you get older. I know that over the next 10 years I might lose some hair from my head and some spring from my step, but so long as the Collapse doesn't happen I'm on my way to being able to afford the following nice things, and thinking about it brings happy anticipation:


There is contentment to be had from a nice ride, on so many levels. Some guys don't like driving, but I certainly do. The joys of a nice car are multifactorial. It looks nice sitting on your driveway and it's fun to pamper it mechanically. It's exhilarating when you push it hard on twisty roads. And it's a nice ego boost when you're picking up a chick,or even a friend, in your 80k toy. And I'm all about stroking my own ego

Going to have a boat, too, although it's around 8-10 years away. I don't get at all excited about big houses or fancy apartments so my big money sink is going to be the boat. The way I'm expecting things to go, I will be working 6-8 months of the year in the US either living in a cheap apartment or in reimbursed hotels when working on assignment. The rest of the year I will be in SA or SEA and live on my motherfucking boat. If I can afford it it will be a catamaran cause no chick is going to refuse a sleepover when you show her a picture of the view outside your window and it looks like this:



Those are the big ticket items I'm looking forward too. I also can't say enough about high quality hiking boots and winter boots. It's a good feeling putting on good boots and lacing them on before hitting the muddy forest trails or going into deep snow in winter.

[realologist]

I agree with a nice King-sized bed and nice memory foam pillows to go with it. I think I spent $2500 on the mattress and pillows.

[TooFineAPoint]

1. Seasonally appropriate clothes:
- quality linen for the summer
- quality wool for the winter

2. Nice shelves to hold books and multimedia (CDs, Records, DVDs). Could be metal or wood, just not the horrible faux wood shit in most furniture stores.

3. A loyal, well-trained pet:
- an animal adds immensely to the vibe of a room, is a great conversation-piece, and very helpful for small breaks when you are working late nights on a personal project (taking the dog out for a walk at midnight or playing with the cat on a 15 min break really refreshes the mind).

[Guitarman]

My Guitars (including 1970's Les Paul custom), my amps (all vintage or of vintage design). My small collection of classic cars that are a pleasure to drive, my turntable (a British make) and my classic rock vinyl collection.

BTW, all of the above impress women and have got me laid! ha ha.

[debeguiled]

In general I don't care much about material stuff, though I do like to own one or two things that are well engineered, beautiful to look at, and useful.

Number one on my list is a good Pelikan M200 marbled fountain pen.




It is not really a status pen, the marble part is actually made of plastic. Don't care. I like the look, and it feels good in my hand, and there is something more studied and slow about using a fountain pen to write.

I originally bought it as a drawing pen, and found out that several of the New Yorker cartoonists used it, which didn't hurt the decision to buy it. You can get varied thicknesses to your line when you draw by pressing down harder, not as much as you would with a standard drawing pen which you have to dip in the ink as you draw, and which is a whole lot fussier and messier and I would not have the patience for.



The normal ink you get for fountain pens is paler and less consistently dark than the traditional India ink used with a dip pen, so it is worth it to track down a bottle of Fount India, also sold by Pelikan, that is made specifically for fountain pens, because normal India ink will clog a fountain pen in a second. It is not quite as jet black as standard India ink. Close enough though.






You can buy extra nibs as spares, or of different thicknesses if you need it for drawing:



Having a good fountain pen feels classy, and that extra bit of care you take with it makes you take your writing or drawing a little bit more slowly and carefully.

It has a plunger system to fill it with ink that you operate by twisting the non-business end of the pen. If you want to fill it, submerge it in an ink bottle and twist. Emptying the pen for a flight to prevent an ink leak on the plane is the reverse, and then you hold it under running faucet and fill and empty it a few times with water, and you are done. That is how you clean it out too.

It is a bit of work to clean and use, but nothing onerous. That bit of preparation actually makes you feel like you are getting ready for a serious undertaking.

You aren't just scribbling with a Bic, you are writing. You are drawing.

And the relative convenience of having a good drawing pen if you want to sketch something while traveling makes a lot of difference.


A few months after I bought my first pen, I found out that one of my favorite cartoonists at the New Yorker actually used cheapo Bics for all his drawings. Oh well:



Didn't matter though in the long run. It still feels good to have and use a fountain pen. Not just a disposable necessity. A tool of the trade, and worth spending a hundred bucks on.

Also, I never get tired of the goofy pelican beak that is the pen's clip:



A subtle playful detail on an otherwise stately object.

[Saccade]

Nice thread. For me, a good pair of headphones makes me content and comfortable. I use headphones almost daily, so it would make no sense for me to not have a quality pair.

I had these for 2 years:

Audio Technica ATH m50x

These are relatively cheap ($140) and reliable and have solid sound quality. What surprised me the most is how long these things lasted me. Eventually, a plastic piece that anchored the position of one of the ear cups broke off making them unwearable. If you're looking for quality headphones for a fair price I'd look here first.

I'm sporting these now and I love them:

Sony MDR-1A

I got these for $200 on amazon. I can wear the ear cups for hours and not have discomfort. They're amazingly comfortable, add that on top of the great sound quality and they're without a doubt the best headphones I've owned.

This damn near looks likes a sales pitch but I just love quality headphones. I'm not an audiophile or anything like that but this is my perspective as an average consumer.

(07-05-2016 02:20 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  

In general I don't care much about material stuff, though I do like to own one or two things that are well engineered, beautiful to look at, and useful.

I exclusively use pens when I write (unless pencil is absolutely needed) because nothing can quite match the ease and comfort a quality ballpoint pen can bring. There's no sharpening or breaking with a pen. If I tried, I could probably use a single pen for the next year of my life and beyond. You could never do that with a pencil.

I'd imagine one day I'd spring for more expensive pens but for now I roll with this classic:


Solid lines and rarely any problems with distribution of ink. I haven't found cheap pens that can compete with them.


Edit:

realologist Wrote:

I agree with a nice King-sized bed and nice memory foam pillows to go with it. I think I spent $2500 on the mattress and pillows.

A perfectly firm pillow is something that just heightens the quality of any man's sleep. Not too soft, not too firm, and not too large as to tilt the head uncomfortably. And too top it all off, a soft pillow case with a high thread count so you can lay your head down on a cloud. I've had the same Tempur-Pedic pillow for about 8 years now and I haven't really encountered a pillow quite like it...

Anyway, this is a really interesting topic to discuss and I'm glad Travesty opened a thread about it.

[Centurion]

Funny thing about the Pilot G2. It's got top-tier ink and writing feel. Trouble is midway through I think something got stuck in the nib. Maybe it's sand or dirt or just correction fluid. So then the ink flow rate dropped to half and it felt awful.

I've looked online and it's split between people thinking it's good and bad. I wonder if it's different batches having different quality or if it's really necessary for it to be clean.

[jamaicabound]

Personally I'm not really big on material things. I was kind of pleasantly surprised to see the things on this list. For the most part it's not watches or cars, but things that improve quality of life, ie skylights, windows, a nice bed, etc.

To me money is more about freedom and having choices than physical things with the exception of say my home and things I use on a daily basis.

[Mercenary]

(07-05-2016 02:20 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  

Short thread derailment:


Debeguiled, that is an excellent cartoon that perfect describes the hopeless situation of most beta males today.
It should be re-posted in another thread to get full exposure.

[debeguiled]

@Mercenary

There is a lot of proto Red Pill stuff in older issues of the New Yorker. At some point I will make a thread about it, though it is hard to know where to start. Peter Arno, for instance, another cartoonist, was a rakish beast in the twenties.

[TheFinalEpic]

A fast computer for audio and video editing, writing, and building online empires.

[Wahawahwah]

Good watch.
Motorbike.
Sex bot.

Yeah thats pretty much it.

[MongolianAbroad]

The thread's been pretty good so far, I vote to keep it to things that you actually own or have owned, before we see a bunch of Ferraris dropping the thread value to zero.

If you don't own something, you don't really know if it would increase your material happiness. Marketing telling you it will isn't the same thing as actually experiencing it.

Here's my list:

1. Owning a business with employees. Being the boss is a great feeling. Bringing a girl over to your place of business and introducing her to your employees is a great feeling.

2. Sleeping in your own home. Sleeping in your own home is very different from sleeping in an apartment you're renting, the peace of mind, the complete silence, it contributes to a deep serenity and amazing sleep.

3. A light alarm. Waking up without sound is a great way to start the morning.

4. A large master bedroom, as big as two normal bedrooms. Waking up and looking across an empty room, with minimalist decor, makes me happy.

5. Minimalist furniture. Eliminating clutter, both physical and mental, contributes to my personal happiness, and minimalist furniture is one way I eliminate clutter.

6. A macbook. They just work. It's wonderful when things just work, because then you can work on the things that matter, instead of being prevented from doing so by things that don't.

7. 18 copies of the same, comfortable black v neck, four copies of the same, comfortable blue jeans, 20 copies of the same, comfortable pairs of socks, and 20 copies of the same, comfortable pairs of underwear. Not having to think about what to wear every day frees up your mind to think about the things that really matter, which, for me, currently, is personal growth and strengthening relationships with loved ones. Not having to do laundry, or to drop laundry off to get done for you, as often as before, is fantastic.

8. A great pair of glasses, lightweight, with a proper fit, and that turn into sunglasses in the light. Before I had these, I wore contacts all the time, not knowing how amazing a good pair of glasses were. After I spent a bit of money on this pair of glasses, I rarely bother with contacts anymore. I suppose someone that has done lasik might find this quaint, but nonetheless, my new pair of glasses bring me happiness.

9. A subscription to a lawn mowing service. I suppose I don't "own" this, as it's a service, but nonetheless, I'll include it, because it's within the scope of the subject matter. Not having to mow your own lawns is fantastic. Getting out there, sometimes in the sun, and getting dehydrated, then spending the rest of the day re-hydrating, was a waste of productive time. Automating that task has resulted in increased productivity, and increased happiness. Again, it allows me to focus on the important things.

10. An extremely comfortable pair of sneakers with a very soft, shock-absorbing base, brown or in another traditional tone, so they can be quasi-dressy, enough to make it look like you cared that morning, when combined with the comfortably-fitting black v neck and jeans. Also, being able to go for long walks at any time without thinking about your footwear is great. Knowing your footwear won't cause you knee pain later in the day or later in life is also fantastic.

11. A height-adjustable desk. Many folks buy desks with fixed heights, but unless you're lucky enough to match the desk, this isn't ideal, especially for very short or tall folks. My height adjustable desk allows me to enjoy proper ergonomics as I spend my day diving into the subject matter I need to dive into that day.

12. An extremely comfortable chair, the kind you can sink into for ten hours and forget that you're even in it. It needs to be able to move up and down and to lock itself at various angles. I sat in over 200 chairs before I settled on my current chair. I bought my brother a copy of it as well and he loves it. Everyone that sits on my chair comments on how comfortable it is and how they could sleep in it. If your occupation involves a fair amount of sitting, this is a must.

That's a fair list for now.

[Travesty]

We need to make a tally of kinds of posts:

Virtual signaling they are pleasantly surprised with contents of thread

Narcissistic diaries of personal pleasures that aren't practical

Motorcycle, gun, guitar, surfboard, car

Then practical everyday things that can make a big difference

As of now motorcycle, gun, car, guitar is winning unfortunately.

If someone says iPhone I'm gonna have a fucking meltdown!

[Easy_C]

I'll second motorcycle. Riding on a motorcycle vs. driving in a car is like the difference between being in the grad canyon and seeing a picture of the grand canyon, if that makes sense. You're much closer to the elements and all the sensory stimulation: you get smells, temperature shifts, sounds, etc. that you just don't get when you're behind glass walls.

I also think there's some tangible benefits, not to mention that motorcycle riders have improved brain functionality as compared to those who only drive cars in some areas....plus the "stress reduction" is well documented. They actually do make you happy and it doesn't take an expensive one to do it.

[Bear Hands]

My bedroom has an east-facing window. Sunrise coming over the mountains wakes me up with little need for an alarm most mornings. Waking up without the need for blaring sound makes sleep feel more restful, even if it's the same amount of time either way.

[Vaun]

Guitars, at least for me. I have never owned a car that has given me a similar pleasure. I wreck motorcycles, or at least enough of them as a kid to know Ill do it again at 40. A nice bicycle is hard to beat; road or mountain, I was hooked on them for years.

[Hannibal]

I saw someone mention the Pilot G2.

I used them for years, but it wasn't until I got into using a fountain pen did I know what I was missing.





This is a cartridge converter that allows you to use bottled ink. The red part functions as a screw plunger to siphon ink into the cartridge.



With this setup I'll be able to use the same (fountain) pen for ages.

Lamy is kind of like the Glock of fountain pens. It's durable as hell in spite of the price, it's German, and it's a one size fits all model. You either like it or you don't.

I think I spent $30 on this Lamy fountain pen (Safari model) and $5 on the converter cartridge. A $10 bottle of ink might last me a couple years and I write about fifty pages of notes a week.

I have a similar philosophy with my shaving equipment.

Although a straight razor would be nice, the good ones are stupid expensive and no one knows how to take care of them anymore.

I'm not the most alert in the morning either so it isn't a great idea to shave with something that can kill you if you're not paying attention.



A safety razor is a good compromise of safety, shaving quality and price. I can get a pack of 100 double sided razors for what, $13? I've had mine for two years and I have yet to go through a quarter of the box. A 12 pack shitty Gilettes goes for no less than $7.



I've written about my pressure cooker in the past, but it is one of the best pieces of kitchen equipment I've ever bought. Thanks to this thing, I've put on 40lbs in the last two years and easily saved hundreds of dollars on my food bill.

[AneroidOcean]

   

   

   

   

[General Stalin]

For me...

A grill I love to cook on:



Comfortable, form-fitting, breathable, athletic underwear:



A perfectly seared, salt and pepper seasoned premium cut of beef:



A large, expensive, deep, comfortable, pre-aged leather sofa you can just sink into:



Fireplace with a large comfortable shag (or bear skin) rug:



Tie it all together with a large open-concept living space with vaulted/cathedral ceiling:



A huge. Fucking. Fridge.



A comfortable bed and sleeping space that is just made for fucking where you just want to lay in it all day and night:



Dim, warm, ambient lighting - I prefer string lights:



I could go on...