21 April 2024
PamPam/One Billion Americans/Free Scribd downloader
Recomendo - issue #406
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Maps in minutes
PamPam lets you create custom maps in minutes and it’s fun to use! I was able to quickly search for and add points of interest by simply describing them to an AI. Then, I customized them with stickers and text. It feels very playful. For an even faster map-making experience, you can copy and paste text or a link to a list of places. PamPam is free for personal use and that includes 5 maps, 100 spots, and up to 500 views per month. I decided to test it out by making a nostalgic map of my hometown in under 5 minutes, and here’s what I created. If you’re unable to view it, it’s probably because I have a free account and I’ve reached the limit of 500 views. However, you can check out the templates here. — CD
Heretical good idea
At first, the title sounds like an insane idea: One Billion Americans. But this easy-to-read book is very persuasive in making the case why current Americans benefit from a vigorous immigration policy and generous family friendly programs, as ways to increase the country’s prosperity. Matt Yglesias, the author, deals with all the obvious objections of a billion Americans in an even handed way. He changed my mind; I think it is a great idea. — KK
Free Scribd downloader
While reading an article, I came across a link to a court document hosted on Scribd. However, Scribd charges a monthly fee of $12 to access their hosted files. Since I didn’t want to subscribe just to read a document that is in the public domain, I used a website called Scribd.vpdfs.com to download the file instead. (You may want to check out the numerous complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau by users who claim that Scribd continued to charge them even after they canceled their subscription.) — MF
Best cave experience
I’ve visited many tourist caves in the world. They all have their attractions. But by far the best cave experience I’ve had is Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Not only is it huge, but it is highly decorated, with endless intimate, close-up ornate formations. And an unthinkable amount of work went into making its immense spaces accessible, without wrecking its wildness. You can easily spend half a day enchanted. Like the Grand Canyon, or the Pyramids, it is an experience that cannot be captured by images. Bonus tip: Get the self-guide audio tour. I rank it in my top 3 favorite national parks. — KK
Ear wax removal tool
Years ago I used Q-tips to remove wax from my ears. They didn’t do a good job because most of the wax got pushed deeper into my ear. Later, I found specialized ear wax removal tools that are designed to scoop and scrape out the wax more effectively. One tool I like is the Clinere earwax removal tool, which has a built-in stop guide to prevent accidentally poking too far and damaging the eardrum. — MF
Authentic recommendations
If you find Recomendo useful, you’ll definitely enjoy Rambull — a newsletter that profiles a different person each week and shares 6+ recommendations for living, buying, experiencing, and more. I had the pleasure of being profiled last week, and I was truly impressed by the thoughtfulness and care Rob, the creator, invests in crafting an issue. A few of the things I shared were ones I had intended to recommend here, making this a bonus Recomendo! — CD
04/21/2421 April 2024
PamPam/One Billion Americans/Free Scribd downloader
Recomendo - issue #406
Sign up here to get Recomendo a week early in your inbox.
Maps in minutes
PamPam lets you create custom maps in minutes and it’s fun to use! I was able to quickly search for and add points of interest by simply describing them to an AI. Then, I customized them with stickers and text. It feels very playful. For an even faster map-making experience, you can copy and paste text or a link to a list of places. PamPam is free for personal use and that includes 5 maps, 100 spots, and up to 500 views per month. I decided to test it out by making a nostalgic map of my hometown in under 5 minutes, and here’s what I created. If you’re unable to view it, it’s probably because I have a free account and I’ve reached the limit of 500 views. However, you can check out the templates here. — CD
Heretical good idea
At first, the title sounds like an insane idea: One Billion Americans. But this easy-to-read book is very persuasive in making the case why current Americans benefit from a vigorous immigration policy and generous family friendly programs, as ways to increase the country’s prosperity. Matt Yglesias, the author, deals with all the obvious objections of a billion Americans in an even handed way. He changed my mind; I think it is a great idea. — KK
Free Scribd downloader
While reading an article, I came across a link to a court document hosted on Scribd. However, Scribd charges a monthly fee of $12 to access their hosted files. Since I didn’t want to subscribe just to read a document that is in the public domain, I used a website called Scribd.vpdfs.com to download the file instead. (You may want to check out the numerous complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau by users who claim that Scribd continued to charge them even after they canceled their subscription.) — MF
Best cave experience
I’ve visited many tourist caves in the world. They all have their attractions. But by far the best cave experience I’ve had is Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Not only is it huge, but it is highly decorated, with endless intimate, close-up ornate formations. And an unthinkable amount of work went into making its immense spaces accessible, without wrecking its wildness. You can easily spend half a day enchanted. Like the Grand Canyon, or the Pyramids, it is an experience that cannot be captured by images. Bonus tip: Get the self-guide audio tour. I rank it in my top 3 favorite national parks. — KK
Ear wax removal tool
Years ago I used Q-tips to remove wax from my ears. They didn’t do a good job because most of the wax got pushed deeper into my ear. Later, I found specialized ear wax removal tools that are designed to scoop and scrape out the wax more effectively. One tool I like is the Clinere earwax removal tool, which has a built-in stop guide to prevent accidentally poking too far and damaging the eardrum. — MF
Authentic recommendations
If you find Recomendo useful, you’ll definitely enjoy Rambull — a newsletter that profiles a different person each week and shares 6+ recommendations for living, buying, experiencing, and more. I had the pleasure of being profiled last week, and I was truly impressed by the thoughtfulness and care Rob, the creator, invests in crafting an issue. A few of the things I shared were ones I had intended to recommend here, making this a bonus Recomendo! — CD
04/21/2418 April 2024
Luggage Built to Last/€49 French Rail Pass/Europe on a Budget
Nomadico issue #100
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
* Happy birthday to us: we just hit issue #100! Thanks for your support and if you upgrade to being a paid supporter, we’ll reward you with an e-book soon that has 104 of our best travel and living abroad tips from our first two years.
Digital Nomad Visas On One Page
Mark F. stumbled upon this VisaList site that is an alternative to some of the digital nomad visa guides we’ve highlighted before. This one has a clean layout and reflecting the governments’ habits of “announce first, plan later,” most are still listed as “developing.” This is a very minimalist site with frequent grammar errors, but it does show fees and income requirements and it links out to the official government page for each of the 56 countries and territories.
Independent Rugged Bag Companies
You don’t see many review blogs talking about USA-based Tom Bihn or Red Oxx luggage because you can’t buy them at retailers that pay commission like REI or Amazon. They only sell directly to consumers, allowing them to maintain high standards without having to sell their products for low margins at half the retail price. Also, unlike the big companies that need to keep retailers excited, they can sell the same classic bag for 20 years and not feel pressure to make changes. I just used my 14-year-old Tom Bihn Aeronaut for two recent short trips and forgot how much faster you can move if you have a light carry-on bag with no wheels. (Read the 96 5-star comments to see what real brand devotion looks like.)
€49 French Rail Pass
You’ll need to be 27 or younger and be touring France at the busiest time of year, but if that’s you or someone you know, you could ride the rails around France this summer for just €49 for 2 months. The most populated area around Paris is excluded, but that still leaves a big chunk of the country to explore and it would only take a few trips to come out ahead. See more details here. (Note that Germany runs a similar scheme with fewer age restrictions.)
Europe on a Budget
Last year I spent about five months in Europe, this year I’ll be there somewhere between two and three months. The continent has a reputation for being expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you’re savvy about the when, where, and how. Here’s my advice based on a few decades of visits: Touring Europe on a Budget: 11 Money-saving Travel Tips.
04/18/2417 April 2024
What’s in my NOW? — Mark White
issue #175
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Technologist and Podcaster living in Memphis, TN. Always looking to make the best of the next opportunity and a really hot cup of coffee. Tunes:Uncovered is my podcast about songs you probably have not heard but should! — Mark White
PHYSICAL
- Field Notes 56-Week Planner — small but just right for planning my weeks, podcast dates, meetings, etc.
- Behringer U-Phoria UMC404HD USB Audio Interface — Most of my podcasts are remote, this unit makes it easy to still have channel specific control but it’s small, lightweight and needs no external power.
- SENSARTE Nonstick Frying Pan Skillet — breakfast gets more important as we age, this frying pan absolutely will not stick to anything you throw in it. Excellent for eggs.
DIGITAL
- Spotify — whether it’s listening to podcasts while cleaning the workshop or background music it’s hard to beat Spotify’s breadth of shows, songs, and music.
- Structured App — Multiple daily reminders of the things a busy person will forget to do. Drink more water, spend 30 minutes on a side project for 30 days, etc.
INVISIBLE
If you want to be productive, wake up early. If you want to be creative, stay up late.
Not sure who said this but it’s true, at least for me.
04/17/2416 April 2024
A Beginner’s Guide to Immortality / Goldfish Ghost
Books That Belong On Paper Issue No. 10
Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO IMMORTALITY: FROM ALCHEMY TO AVATARS
A Beginner’s Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars
by Maria Birmingham, Josh Holinaty (Illustrator)
Owlkids
2015, 48 pages, 7.4 x 0.6 x 9.7 inches, Hardcover
Featuring simple, bold, and colorful illustrations, A Beginner’s Guide to Immortality examines humanity’s never-ending quest to discover the secret to eternal life. The book is categorized into five options on extending one’s life: Elixirs, Meeting Immortals, Visiting Magical Places, Patience, and The Future.
Starting with a look at historical figures such as Gilgamesh’s search for youth-restoring seaweed and Qin She Huang’s hunt for a fruit which grants eternal life, the book touches on the unsuccessful search for mythical life-extending tools like alchemical elixirs, the philosopher’s stone, and the flesh of the ningyo fish. The folkloric Moon rabbit is shown is vibrant yellow, stirring its cauldron of the Elixir Of Life.
The journey continues to mythical places where some form of a fountain of youth supposedly exists in Bimini, St. Brendan’s Island, and Tir Na Nog. A dynamic full-page illustration of a maiden soaking in a mountain stream in bold aquamarine evokes an idyllic atmosphere. Real-life places such as those in Earth’s Blue Zones occurring in Sardinia, Okinawa, and Loma Linda, California, where inhabitants regularly live to upwards of 90 years, are also investigated.
Venturing into the realms of biology and other sciences, long lived animals such as naked mole rats, planarian worms, and a jellyfish known as turritopsis dohrnii are described. A gene that centenarians may possess known as FoxO is examined. Healthy routines like eating well, regular exercise, and flossing are suggested. A humorous full-page illustration of famous literary immortals is shown, featuring amazons, wizards, Pinocchio, and Dracula.
Ending the book with options that might exist in the future, cryogenics, mummification, cloning, and inserting one’s consciousness into a digital avatar are all represented. The theory of biomechanical immortality is vividly illustrated in emerald green with an enormous robot having its puny human brain installed as pleased scientists look on. Finally, the belief in an afterlife in world religions is presented.
A Beginner’s Guide to Immortality is a lively, quick read, exploring concepts in history, science, literature, and geography, and presented in an easily digested manner. Charmingly illustrated in a blocky, comic book style, with chunky images of futuristic robots with glowing brains, medieval alchemists mixing strange chemicals, and Ponce De Leon wielding a metal detector, it’s an informative, humorous book.
– SD
GOLDFISH GHOST DOES NOT BEGIN WITH THE DEATH OF A FISH. IT BEGINS WITH THE BIRTH OF A GHOST.
Goldfish Ghost
by Lemony Snicket, Lisa Brown (Illustrator)
oaring Brook Press
2017, 40 pages, 8.4 x 10.4 inches, Hardcover
Goldfish Ghost does not begin with the death of a fish. It begins with the birth of a ghost. The wonderfully clever, silly, sweet story about a ghost in search of good company comes from husband and wife team Lemony Snicket and Lisa Brown.
Though the story is great, it’s the little details in Brown’s illustrations that make me love this book. Goldfish Ghost (and the ghosts of the sea creatures he meets) floats through the story belly-up. Tucked into the beach scene is pair of people ghosts, watching the waves in old-timey bathing suits. The subtle way in which Brown uses scrawled, faint, white line—ghost-like in its own right, like the chalked words erased from a blackboard but not really gone—is so lovely and smart, it’s probably my favorite thing about the whole book.
04/16/2415 April 2024
Cartoon History
Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 82
Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.
Flippant, but painless, world history
Cartoon History of the Universe (Volumes 1, 2, 3)
Larry Gonick, the over-educated cartoonist, continues his series of book-length comic-strips that illustrate ancient history. This new 300-page installment covers the rise of Arabia and the role of “Orientals” in crafting the culture we have today. In Gonick’s hands history is a hoot, and very much about ideas. I particularly savor this latest volume because by moving the center of the universe somewhere east of Europe — delving into Islam, Africa and East Asia — Gonick’s cartoons can remedy the ignorance and arrogance of the west. Laugh your way to enlightenment! — KK
ALL REVIEWS
EDITOR'S FAVORITES
COOL TOOLS SHOW PODCAST
WHAT'S IN MY BAG?
17 April 2024
ABOUT COOL TOOLS
Cool Tools is a web site which recommends the best/cheapest tools available. Tools are defined broadly as anything that can be useful. This includes hand tools, machines, books, software, gadgets, websites, maps, and even ideas. All reviews are positive raves written by real users. We don’t bother with negative reviews because our intent is to only offer the best.
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