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It's not a fad for me. I didn't use a phone much in the US and I've never owned a smart phone. I only associate with people in my neighborhood and people online, so I really have no need.

In Cambodia, and yes, while my lifestyle seems minimalistic to me and to most expats here, I still live on about 3-4x what an average Cambodian does.

It's also been easier because I live in a bustling local neighborhood with a big market nearby, and Cambodia naturally has some of the best fruits and vegetables in the world. I haven't had to sacrifice at all on food, which is important to me. I do miss the clean air and open space that more affluent cities tend to have though.

I agree about the pitfalls of a work-obsessed culture, but your tangential speculation about meat, women, and causes of suicide in Japan seem comically simplistic and honestly prejudiced.

I am not really a minimalist intentionally, but I'd guess that at least by amount spent I rank near the very bottom of HN posters. Over the last 3 years I have averaged about $300-400 USD per month, which includes rent and a yearly visa. I don't own a phone and I have no air conditioning, hot water, television, etc. I bike or walk everywhere -- no car or moto. I do own a computer and a 12$ per month internet connection, a set of speakers, a table, a home-made standing desk, and a mattress. My wife / room mate has a few things too, but she is similarly minimal. We share books and colored pencils, but beyond that it's just assorted small items. Even with our relatively small number of possessions though, moving apartments still seems daunting.

Why are this comment and the parent comment downvoted? As someone who doesn't know about string theory it's hard to tell.

I also noticed that and came to HN looking for comments. Interestingly, here in Cambodia there are so many Lexus SUVs you wouldn't believe it. Phnom Penh has surprisingly expensive cars all over (usually I see a few Ferraris or Bentleys every week), but Lexus is king. I wonder if this is part of Lexus's business strategy? Do they advertise their cheap maintenance cost, or are Lexus drivers generally aware of it?

I agree with you, but just to be clear, Portugal decriminalized all drugs.

What about their "grubby hands"? Was that referring to their bathing habits?

I had the same question a few months ago. Unfortunately working from Asia wasn't an option, but I'd still suggest reaching out since the Khan Academy folks are very helpful and encouraged me to interview if I was ever back in the US.

Who is Klein? Do you mean Jill Stein?

And I don't see what you mean by #BernieOrBust being intellectually dishonest, can you explain? There is so little substantive difference between Trump and Clinton, that I completely understand how Sanders supporters feel that way.

It does qualify for me as ASCII art, since I often see the term used loosely to encompass any art made from typographic characters.

I am a huge fan of these two experimental pieces from 'ASCII' artist Raquel Meyers and chiptune/electronica musician Goto80:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y82QTBMBX4o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=054vq9Sd8Ow

It would be nice for me to get individual master tracks for sampling purposes. I would pay for access too, but I've never even seen that as an option.

> I want a test. Step one: Name 3 people in your primary and name 3 in the opposing party's primary. Who is your party chair? Who's in the majority in the house? Who're the senate majority and minority leaders?

I don't know those last two for sure. I don't really care about the minutiae of what happens in the morally bankrupt and corrupt US government, but I am politically informed. If I vote it'll be for Jill Stein. Should my vote not count because I failed this test?

Writing web crawlers and astroturfing to get all that data is hard. Facebook would more likely just buy that data straight from the source, since most other tech companies are similarly unscrupulous and happy to sell.

> they are exempt from the usual capitalist status quo which forces a venture to be good, popular and eventually profitable

I think you're making a lot of assumptions here. Does the pressure to make money force a venture to be good? Certainly some products are not good, and we have many examples open source projects that are fantastic. Plus there is still social pressure to be doing interesting things with your time, but it's my guess that very creative people don't even need any outside encouragement.