Learn to draw/Evolution of Trust/World Time Buddy
Recomendo: issue no. 178
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Learning to draw
This hand-drawn book is the best course on art and drawing I’ve seen. The cartoonist Lynda Barry has been teaching non-artists to draw, and she has somehow magically captured her class into this book called Making Comics. This guidance is particularly aimed at people who think they can’t draw. It will teach you how to draw, more importantly how to see, and even more importantly how to create with originality, by taking yourself out of the way to see what shows up. It refreshed my very concept of art. I’ve already given two copies of it away. — KK
A fun interactive way to learn about game theory
You have probably heard about the Prisoner’s Dilemma, the classic Game Theory problem. This website, called The Evolution of Trust, lets you play the Prisoner’s Dilemma against computer opponents who employ different strategies to maximize their winnings. You also get to see what happens when the computer players play against each other. — MF
Convenient world clock
I often need a quick way to find the best time for meetings with people in other time zones, and I find World Time Buddy is the best time converter visually. All of the overlapping business hours between two time zones are highlighted yellow, so I can easily decide the best hours to suggest. — CD
Self-ID for iPhone
If you find an iPhone and want to know whose it is, who lost it, use that phone to ask Siri: “Siri, who’s phone is this?” and it will tell you. — KK
Winter shampoo routine
It’s wintertime, which for me means my skin and scalp get itchy. Lotion helps my skin, but I don’t want to put lotion in my hair. Instead, I’ve been using a J.R. Liggett’s Tea Tree & Hemp Oil Shampoo Bar ($7) and a $6 hair scalp massager to thoroughly shampoo my hair. This shampoo doesn’t seem to remove all the oil from my hair, so my scalp doesn’t get dry and itchy. — MF
Cool Tools Gift Guide: Claudia Picks
This year for my Cool Tools Gift Guide, I picked past Recomendo favorites that I think would make great gifts like the the Sanuk Yoga Slings or the Philips Wake-up Light Alarm Clock. Although my absolute favorite gift (under $20), which I think every friend should have, is the Sweese Butter Keeper Crock. You can see the rest here. — CD
