Digital hygiene/The End of Children/How to Navigate the Weirdness

Recomendo - issue #457

Digital safety essentials

Andrej Karpathy’s guide to digital hygiene has practical steps for protecting your privacy and security. Here are the essentials: Use a password manager (like 1Password) to create unique strong passwords for every service; get a hardware security key (like YubiKey) as your second factor authentication instead of text messages; and use Privacy.com to create credit card numbers that are locked to one specific merchant and can’t be used elsewhere, preventing unauthorized charges. — MF

Intro to global depopulation

Many people are having trouble wrapping their heads around the fact that global depopulation and not overpopulation is our challenge. The childless trend has been underway for 50 years but has accelerated dramatically recently. We are at the cusp of deaths outnumbering births on the planet, with no change in sight. I recommend this very, very long New Yorker article – “The End of Children” – as the very best introduction and explainer. It focuses on particular programs, people, and events in South Korea, which is leading the world in depopulation, much faster than the Japanese. The piece is beautifully written, expertly reported, and informed. I think everyone should read it; paste the article url link into 12FT to read it in full. — KK

How to Navigate the Weirdness

This two-part talk, How to Navigate the Weirdness by Erik Davis, gave me such great comfort and clarity on how to ground myself in the complexities of our current societal consciousness. The intention behind these talks is to honestly assess the present moment and share navigational tools for sanity, sense-making, and creative engagement. Davis gives historical context and talks about the transformative cultural shifts that have led us to this point, while also addressing the psychological impacts of media saturation, among other things. His strategies emphasize flexibility, mindfulness, and critical thinking. Here is part one and part two, and here is some of his advice (paraphrased):

• Ground yourself in physical sensations and direct experiences to counterbalance the effects of media saturation and overwhelming information.
• Use foxhole or gallows humor as a tool for resilience—find connection and levity even in difficult situations.
• Embrace an “emotional remix,” allowing opposite emotions like grief and joy to coexist, fostering a flexible emotional state.
• Practice situational pluralism by recognizing that multiple valid frameworks exist for interpreting reality.
• Deepen your capacity to embrace uncertainty, mystery, and doubt without searching for fact or reason—not everything fits into a fixed narrative.

—CD

Assisted backpacking

I love multi-day walks, but not hefting a loaded backpack the whole way. The solution is to have my luggage bag forwarded each day, so I only walk with a tiny daypack. This liberation is heavenly, and makes me glad to walk a week or more. Luckily there are outfitters that will arrange luggage forwarding in great places to walk in the countrysides of Europe and Asia. There are no guides; you pick the route you want, and the dates you want. They arrange modest lodging, the luggage forwarding, and then give you a map on your phone. The fees are very reasonable, not much more than the lodging itself. For example, last week I used MacsAdventures to help me walk the last 100km of the El Camino de Santiago in Spain. I’ve used the same outfitter to walk several self-guided week-long rambles in the Cotswolds, England. The arrangements and luggage pickups were flawless. — KK

Favorite Products

In Kevin Rose’s recent newsletter, he shares the results of his semi-annual survey of Favorite Things. With more than 27,000 votes across 24 categories, the results paint a clear picture of the top tools people are favoring right now. Kevin runs this survey to track the rapidly evolving AI landscape and keep his community informed on emerging trends and products. Like the results reflect, I still use most Apple and Google products for things like email, calendar, and browser, but I’ve permanently moved on from Google Search to a paid Perplexity plan, and I can’t imagine ever going back. — CD

USB-C to USB-A Adapter

These tiny Syntech USB-C to USB-A adapters let me connect my older USB devices to my newer laptops. The pack comes with two adapters that plug into the computer’s USB port. — MF

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04/13/25

Book Freak 177: The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho's Masterpiece on Following Your Dreams

Get The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho is a mystical story about a young shepherd named Santiago who embarks on a journey to find his “Personal Legend” — his true purpose in life. Through his adventures across the desert, encounters with mysterious characters, and lessons in alchemy, Santiago learns profound truths about listening to his heart, reading the signs of the universe, and pursuing his dreams despite obstacles. This short book has inspired millions of readers worldwide with its simple yet powerful message about having the courage to follow one’s destiny.

Four key pieces of advice from the book:

When You Want Something, All the Universe Conspires to Help You

“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream,” said the alchemist, echoing the words of the old king. The boy understood. Another person was there to help him toward his destiny.”

Fear of Failure Blocks Your Dreams

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

Live In the Present

“Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. You’ll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now”

Life Tests You Before Big Dreams

“Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'”

04/11/25

US Immigration Searches/Georgia (Country) Prices/Waterproof Walking Shoes

Nomadico issue #150

*We recently hit two big milestones. This is the 150th weekly edition of the newsletter. Also, we won a “Best Travel Newsletter” GOLD award earlier from the North American Travel Journalists Association. Thanks for your support in getting us here!

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Wipe Your Phone When Entering the USA?

In another example of politics impacting travel, we’re now seeing international headlines like “Has the USA Become a Hostile Environment for Tourists?” and “Police State Immigration Intrusions Deterring Travel to U.S.” Flight bookings from Canadians are down more than 70% on some air routes and we’re seeing research studies saying the U.S. will probably lose at least $18 billion in tourism revenue this year alone due to political factors. The latest immigration actions aren’t helping: every major media outlet is reporting on phone and laptop searches when entering the country and advising people—even natural-born citizens—on how to avoid the snooping. This Wired article is the most comprehensive I’ve seen about what to do.

A Month of Pollution Left in Thailand

If you’ve been watching White Lotus and are thinking of flying over to Thailand where it takes place this season, you might want to wait at least another month. Throughout Southeast Asia, farmers burn their fields after harvesting crops and it’s especially bad in Thailand. Most of the burning is in the north but when I was there once at this time of year, the haze extended all the way down to Malaysia, spoiling any island views on either coast. Here’s a rundown on the timing from Nomadic Notes.

Travel Bargains in the Republic of Georgia

I was leading a group tour in the country of Georgia last month and spent a lot of time researching prices for food, drinks, transportation, and more while I was there. The country is a terrific value for travelers and if you decide you want to stick around, citizens of more than 75 countries can stay for up to a year on a tourist visa, no extensions required. See the details in my report here: Prices for Travelers (and Residents) in the Republic of Georgia.

Waterproof Walking Shoes

From the northern hemisphere down to the tropics, late spring and summer tend to be rainy season and an umbrella is not going to help your feet much in a downpour. If you want to still pack light but be prepared for rain, get a pair of waterproof hiking shoes or trail running shoes that look and function the same as the normal versions but have a waterproof membrane to keep your feet dry. Common shoe brands making them include Columbia, Adidas, Keen, Skechers, Oboz, and Merrell.

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.

04/10/25

What’s in my NOW? — Justin Taylor

issue #209

I’m a marketing executive who’s worked at Nike, Activision, Twitter and WWE currently consulting helping brands big and small. In my spare time I like to garden, spend time with my daughter, and build LEGO’s.

The Landing Pad is my Substack newsletter helping marketers with their job search with weekly job listings, tips & tricks, and helpful articles from experts.

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PHYSICAL

• Ledger Flex: I’ve been buying Bitcoin as a long term investment regularly, and prefer to own it myself rather than hold it on a centralized exchange like Coinbase. Recently purchased the Ledger Flexwhich is a beautiful hardware wallet that gives you added security and makes transactions easy because of its touchscreen.
• Puzzles: Between meetings, after work, while I’m deep in thought. I’ve been spending a lot of my time on puzzles. I find it’s soothing, helps me focus and think, and just really enjoy a good break from screens for a change to do something enjoyable
• Reigning Champ Hoodie: I’m at that point in my life where I’m basically wearing a uniform everyday, and my Reigning Champ hoodies are an almost everyday look. I’ve done a ton of research and I’ve found them to be my favorite BY FAR and them in a bunch of different colors

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DIGITAL

• I’m currently a marketing consultant, and I help lots of early stage companies with their branding, product positioning, and early marketing activities. I always recommend this video by Simon Sinek about how businesses that have a “why” that you can communicate is so important. Highly recommend this for entrepreneurs and business leaders.
• Telegram – More and more of my business and group chats with friends are moving to Telegram recently. The features are much more robust then text group chats, it’s very popular internationally, and earlier stage companies are using it more than Slack from what I’ve noticed.

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INVISIBLE

Keep learning.

A new topic, language, about a sub culture, whatever it is. Having a thirst for knowledge is the most powerful way to continue to grow

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04/9/25

If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! / Everything Is Teeth

Issue No. 61

IF YOU EVER WANT TO BRING AN ALLIGATOR TO SCHOOL, DON’T!

If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t!
by Elise Parsley
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
2015, 40 pages, 9.5 x 12.2 x 0.5 inches (hardcover)

Buy on Amazon

When my kiddo really likes a book, she’ll ask to read it again and again and again, and she’ll only tire of it if something new comes along to replace it. The fact that my daughter has asked to read this book every night for the past two weeks – and still cracks up at the funny parts – speaks volumes.

If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! is a wacky, colorful, and delightful tall tale for children ages 4-7. As Elise Parsley’s New York Times bestselling debut book, it tells the story of Magnolia, a unique girl who responds to her teacher’s request to “bring something from nature for show and tell” by – you guessed it – bringing an alligator to school. As one can guess, havoc ensues.

Magnolia tries to convince her teacher that alligators are “quiet and good” and that he “won’t eat anyone,” but then spends the rest of the story trying to avert certain disaster. The alligator draws funny pictures to make Magnolia laugh, creates paper-airplane origami that winds up in the teacher’s hair, almost eats a fellow student, gets chewing gum everywhere, and eats Magnolia’s lunch. In return, Magnolia gets her name written on the board, followed by several checkmarks and an underline, which guarantees a trip to the principal’s office after school.

If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! is a delightful and silly read, especially for preschool or primary school children who have already experienced show and tell. Parsley does a magnificent job of capturing Magnolia’s frustration and exasperation with this misbehaving beast. The illustrations, which were digitally drawn in Adobe Photoshop and colored in with Corel Painter, are vibrant, imaginative, and spot-on funny. Magnolia’s exaggerated expressions, especially when she’s mad at the “innocent” alligator, are priceless and giggle-worthy…even if you’re a grown-up. – Jennifer Brozak

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EVERYTHING IS TEETH – AN UNSETTLING, AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL PEEK AT A CHILDHOOD OBSESSION

Everything Is Teeth
by Evie Wyld (author) and Joe Sumner (illustrator)
Pantheon
2016, 128 pages, 8.1 x 10.3 x 0.7 inches (hardcover)

Buy on Amazon

Everything Is Teeth is an unsettling, autobiographical peek at a childhood obsession: author Evie Wyld’s fixation with sharks, and with a particular shark survivor named Rodney Fox. This is a small girl with a big internal life; pop culture and her imaginings about sharks are more vivid than real life.

Joe Sumner’s art is well matched to the mood of the text. The illustrations are spare, and mostly black and white. The images of books and sharks are vivid by comparison, especially the bright red blood that pops up periodically. And the humans are drawn with big heads and childlike features, which is appropriate for text that reveals an introspective child’s thoughts about grownups. The best lines are about Wyld’s parents, such as: “He hangs on to his jetlag like it’s the last bit of civilization he’ll see in a long while.”

Why sharks? One hard-to-avoid theory is that Wyld’s focus on blood is one sign of her apprehension about menstruation, and womanhood in general. She tells two especially memorable stories of washed-up sharks found and cut open. One contained a litter of shark pups, the other some expensive stiletto heels. Stilettos and offspring are potent symbols of womanhood, of course. Thus, becoming a woman, like facing off with a shark, inspires both fear and fascination. I was also a morbid girl who wasn’t so sure about this femininity business, so this odd book strikes a chord. – Christine Ro

NOTE: The link above sends you to the same book, different cover.

04/8/25

Vapors

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 132

Pax Vaporizer

Pax Vaporizer

This is a portable vaporizer that works, is simple to operate, easy to clean, and looks beautiful. Vaporizers heat leaf material such as tobacco or pot so that they release their active ingredients without burning them. It’s a cleaner, healthier alternative to burning something you intend to inhale. You use your lungs to draw air over a heating element that vaporizes the material. Pax’s biggest draw to me is its electric heating element. I find electric works better than the butane-powered vaporizers, such as the Iolite (their new Wispr is electric, but the original model is butane) because they are a lot smaller and more discreet. I found the Pax fairly easy to figure out and very easy to use. My only criticism is that it needs cleaning frequently. Stickier stuff like weed buds are harder to clean than tobacco. The Pax is very sensitive and prone to malfunction if not cleaned regularly. But is very easy to clean if you use white vinegar.

I have had my Pax for about two weeks now and it’s amazing. The Pax is a portable, battery operated (rechargeable Lithium-ion) vaporizer used for enjoying tobacco or any other loose leaf herb by vaporizing instead of smoking it. A vaporizer works by heating up the plant matter to between 370F and 410F to the vaporization temperature of the active chemicals in the plant without combusting it. The actives come off the plant material as vapor which can be inhaled, leaving behind the cellulose and less volatile chemicals. As a result you get the effect of smoking without the harmful by products such as carbon monoxide, tar and ash particulates that come from burning. It is actually hard to go back to smoking once you are used to using a vaporizer because the vapor is so clean compared to inhaling smoke. I would say that the vaporizer is the cool tool and the Pax is (in my opinion) the best vaporizer on the market. — Jason Weisberger

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The Eterra Tulip Vaporizer

I am a long-time (40 years) cannabis user. Since discovering vaporizers I seldom “smoke.” My lungs feel a lot better. The taste of the herb is like the essence of the flower and resin. Once the cannabinoids are vaporized, you throw out the herb. This means you’re not pulling all that foliage through your lungs. It’s a revolution and especially beneficial for those using herbs for medical purposes. A vaporizer that is simple and that I recommend is the Eterra Tulip. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once mastered it’s rather elegant, as well as less expensive and complicated than other vaporizers: — Dan K. Holly

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Harm-Reduction Device for People Hooked on Cigarettes

Kanger evod Electronic Cigarette

I began smoking in the 6th grade. In the 25 years since I’ve quit more times than I can count — sometimes for a couple of years at a time — always to eventually return to the habit. I’ve tried nicotine gum (tastes terrible), nicotine patches (itched and gave me bizarre dreams), and quitting ‘cold turkey’ (generally unpleasant — especially for those around you!). While all of these approaches deal with the underlying nicotine addiction, none of them address the loss of the social, psychological and habitual aspects of smoking.

Several months ago I tried my first electronic cigarette, and I haven’t smoked a real one since. In fact, I no longer have any desire to, and don’t anticipate ever really smoking again. Electronic cigarettes satisfy both the nicotine cravings as well as the smoking habit — I actually don’t feel like I’ve given up anything, but rather gained something new.

The technology behind electronic cigarettes is surprisingly simple. A wire coil heats up when it is connected to a battery (much like the filament in a light bulb). A wick runs through the coil and draws fluid to it; the heat from the coil turns the liquid into a vapor which you inhale — it’s essentially the same technology used in fog machines, but on a much smaller scale. Because the output is water vapor, users call this “vaping” and themselves “vapers” to distinguish from “smoking” and “smokers.”

The liquid starts with a base of either propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, or a blend of the two (this is what produces the visible vapor). Nicotine is added to this in a variety of concentrations ranging from 2.4% to 0.6%, roughly corresponding to the range available from filterles down to ultra-light cigarettes. Finally, flavoring is added — the variety of available flavors is mind-boggling, with everything from traditional tobacco and menthol flavors to fruits, coffees, and dessert flavors.

The advantages of electronic cigarettes over traditional ones are numerous. There is no combustion, hence no smoke, no carbon monoxide, no tar or other carcinogens, and no risk of fire. There is no second-hand smoke, and no unpleasant smell. They can also be significantly less expensive on an ongoing basis than cigarettes — I’m currently spending about 1/3 of what I did on cigarettes.

The primary health concern of e-cigarettes would be the continued use of nicotine. Nicotine’s health effects are paradoxical and are similar to caffeine in that respect — regular consumption can have both positive and negative effects depending on the individual.

One of the key benefits of electronic cigarettes though is the ability to easily regulate the amount of nicotine consumed. The various concentrations offered in liquids provide an easy way to gradually step down one’s dosage if one desires. Additionally, most liquids are available in 0% nicotine concentrations, so that it is possible to entirely wean oneself from the nicotine without having to give up usage of e-cig devices.

While the underlying technology is simple, there is an incredibly wide range of hardware and types of electronic cigarettes, and it can be confusing to the first-timer trying to figure out where to start.

Like many people I started with a small “cig-alike” device which is similar in size and appearance to a traditional cigarette. The most popular brand of these is Blu, likely due to their mainstream celebrity advertising. While these work, they have several practical drawbacks. The batteries are small and need to be recharged frequently. The disposable cartridges don’t last very long, can have inconsistent flavor, are relatively expensive, and limit the choice of liquids and flavors. While they are a great starting point, most users who stick with electronic cigarettes will outgrow them relatively quickly.

The next step up tends to be the Joyetech “Ego” system. These are the size of a small cigar and consist of a battery plus a refillable tank. Due to their popularity these have essentially become an industry standard, with a variety of manufacturers making compatible hardware. After trying several combinations of products from different manufacturers I’ve settled on the Kanger EVOD system as the best for everyday use, and it’s the system I recommend to most new users.

The EVOD is relatively new and addresses several problems with earlier systems. The heating coil in the tank is at the bottom rather than the top, so that the short wicks are always immersed in fluid. This prevents the wicks from going dry and prematurely burning out the heating coil — this also makes them more compatible with thicker brands/flavors of liquids. All coils will eventually burn out though, so the EVOD has an easily replaceable and inexpensive coil unit (older systems generally require you to replace the entire tank). The EVODs are also very well made and use several o-rings to ensure that the tank won’t leak.

EVOD tanks are compatible with all Ego-style batteries, so you can certainly buy the tanks ($6-10) and batteries (~$20) separately, but Kanger has just released a starter kit which includes 2 batteries, 2 tanks, 5 replacement coils and a charger for about $50 – this is a great deal if you’re just starting out, and the easiest way to get into a vaping system that you’re not likely to outgrow right away.

A big part of the attraction of vaping is the ability to try many flavors to find the ones that are perfect for you. In that respect it’s more akin to the world of cigars or pipes than cigarettes, where it can become a bit of a hobby rather than just a habit. There are a lot of small liquid producers and importers, but it’s a largely unregulated field and it can be difficult to determine the quality and source of their liquids — many of them come from China and there have been questions raised about the quality control and safety of the ingredients used.

Personally I feel it’s best to stay with domestic brands who provide information on their ingredients and are committed to a high-quality product made with pharmaceutical-grade ingredients under laboratory conditions. The largest of these is Johnson Creek, and their “smoke juice” is highly regarded as one of the highest quality on the market. I’ve tried several of their flavors and have been very happy with them.

One of the best resources I’ve found for reviews of hardware, liquids and general information is Spinfuel Magazine. Unfortunately their site is a little busy and can be difficult to navigate, but their content is unbeatable; they’re dedicated to being a beginner-friendly resource as well as providing useful information to more experienced vapors. They also have fairly strict guidelines about the liquid suppliers they’ll review which makes it much easier to identify quality manufacturers and stay away from liquids from questionable sources.

The e-cigarette world is young and has largely been the domain of early adopters, but has grown rapidly in the past few years and looks poised to explode into mainstream awareness soon. The manufacturers and retailers have been careful not to market their products as smoking cessation devices in order to avoid being regulated as medical devices (although the FDA is due to report findings in April of this year and will likely begin to regulate the market). Nonetheless, based on my experience and the anecdotal experience of many other users online, I feel they provide the first truly effective alternative to smoking — whether you just want a healthier alternative or are looking to quit nicotine all together. Even given concerns over continued use of nicotine they provide a significant level of harm-reduction to smokers, and I think anyone who smokes owes it to themselves and their loved ones to give them a try. — Evan Donn

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.

04/7/25

What’s in my NOW? — Justin Taylor