Recomendo

Claudia’s Holiday List/Identify that light in the sky/Double inhaling

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Recomendo: issue no. 280

3 things to cultivate meaning
Last year, I made a shopping list of everything that made me happy in 2020. This year I have been trying to be less of a consumer, so I only have three things that I would recommend as gifts for the holidays. Each one helps to cultivate purpose and gratitude in my life, and they are all priced under $20. The three things are Moon List Workbooks, Blessing Cards and Wall Calendars, like this one. For the full list, visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/2021-holiday-gift-guide-claudias-picks — CD

How to identify that light in the sky
Here is a “sometimes humorous, but mostly accurate” chart of how to identify that light in the sky. In Sedona, Arizona, I went on a UFO tour where the guides taught us how to identify all the various lights we see in the sky. I wore night vision goggles and saw a lot of non-blinking lights moving fast and veering off straight paths. We had lasers that we used to point them out (never directly at). One even beamed back brightly at us in response. — CD

Inhale twice to calm down
Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman says double inhaling is “the fastest way that I’m aware of — that’s anchored in real known biology to calm oneself down — is an inhale through the nose, and then another inhale at the top.” — MF

Netflix for Apps
Think of Setapp like Netflix for Macintosh applications. For a monthly subscription fee, you get access to 210+ curated apps. I’ve recommended Setapp here before, but they have a few new apps I find myself using every day that I want to mention: Rocket Typist, Paste, and TextSniper. Setapp is usually $10 a month, but here’s a link to get a year for $69. — MF

Streaming rock concert
I have uncool musical tastes. I love pop music; the more poppy the better. My favorite pop rock band is the uncool Coldplay. I also don’t like to go to concerts but I love to watch recorded concerts on a screen, which I find much better than being there. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of Coldplay’s very recent concert and light show in Seattle (Live from Climate Pledge Arena), now streaming on Amazon. It’s a non-stop 90 minutes. If you are a fan, this will fulfill; if you want an introduction, this will do it; if you are a hater, hush.  — KK

Favorite Quotes
Some recent quotes I keep returning to. — KK

  • Things that never happened before happen all the time. — Scott Sagan
  • Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. — Anne Lamott
  • To get people to build a boat you don’t need to get them to weave canvas, forge nails, or read the sky. You need to give them a shared yearning for the sea. — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
  • A foreign accent is a sign of bravery. — Amy Chua
  • We don’t travel to move. We travel to be moved. — Pico Iyer
  • Believe those who seek the truth, doubt those who find it.
 — André Gide
  • It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious. — Alfred North Whitehead
  • The invention of the ship was also the invention of the shipwreck. — Paul Virilio
  • This present moment used to be the unimaginable future. — Stewart Brand
-- Kevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, Claudia Dawson 11/28/21
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Categories

Future Eclipses/Italy’s Nomad Visa/Death of ExOfficio

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.

Planning Future Solar Eclipse Viewings

I had a few bizarre minutes of totality on a beach in Mazatlan last week and the latest total solar eclipse was a fantastic experience. If you’re looking to make travel plans to catch a future one, you’ll need to head out of North America for the next couple of decades. Upcoming total eclipse viewing opportunities will be Iceland/Greenland, Spain/northern Africa, Australia/New Zealand, and Botswana/South Africa. See a full list here that goes beyond 2030.

A Travel Power Strip for Europe

I often travel with a portable travel power strip for places that don’t have enough outlets, but that problem is especially prevalent in Europe where double outlets are a rarity and buildings can be much older. So when I head to Spain in May, I’m packing this travel power strip with a European plug so I won’t have to pack an additional adapter. The four-foot cord wraps around the base and there’s a strap to hold it together, so it packs up tight.

Italy’s Digital Nomad Visa is Live

Italy's digital nomad visa is officially available as of this month, though obtaining one looks to be far from simple according to this article. You need a stack of documents including proof of income, hefty health insurance, proof of accommodation in Italy, and a criminal record certificate. As with most of these, however, there's a fatal flaw in the “proof of employment” requirement that seems to eliminate the largest pool of potential applicants. You must "submit a declaration signed by their employer before any visa will be granted." Time will tell if we can submit one on our own behalf or if this is a deal breaker for the self-employed and the solopreneurs.

The Death of ExOfficio

I started traveling decades ago, so I’ve got a lot of ExOfficio clothing in my closet. The items were uncannily long-lasting, still looking good after 20 or 30 trips. I say “were” because the brand got bought out by the Newell Rubbermaid conglomerate a few years ago, the makers of Sharpies, trash bins, and toasters. ExOfficio has now devolved into an underwear-only brand: read the sad story I wrote back in February here. It gets worse though: their closest competitor, UK-based Craghoppers, announced this month that they are pulling out of the U.S. market, despite this historic market share opportunity opening up. Buy up inventory while you still can at their U.S. site through April 30.


KEVIN KELLY SITES

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