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Six-pack of Silly Putty

My family has long suspected that I have ADHD, so I went to a psychiatrist, and he confirmed it. In addition to practicing breathwork and taking long walks whenever possible, I bought a six-pack of Silly Putty eggs. Now, when I’m not using my hands for a productive purpose, I find myself kneading a wad of Silly Putty. It helps me stay focused during Zoom meetings and phone calls. After around two weeks, I discard the old wad and replace it with a fresh one. — MF

Small-boat cruises

The idea of a cruise has been ruined by mega-ships carrying 5,000 passengers. You could not pay me enough to get on one of those. But the fundamental idea of going on a journey that returns to the same bedroom each night while pulling right up to that day’s destination is pretty awesome – and entirely doable. The secret is to sign up for a very small-boat cruise, the smaller the better. Ideally 12-20 passengers, or a maximum of 40. Instead of round the clock entertainment and food, a small boat can land at tiny villages, or wilderness places that a mega boat can’t get to, deboard instantly (instead of hours), and let you kayak and snorkel or fish right off the back. The best small boat cruises are design to maximize outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking during the day, instead of shopping in port cities. We’ve had great small-boat cruise experiences in the Galapagos, the Turkish coast, and recently Alaska. Yes, small boats are more expensive per day, but since they include transportation, lodging and meals, they are very much worthwhile every now and then. We had a fantastic journey on this 9-day Alaskan Dream Inside Passage Sojourn visiting small Alaskan towns, a native American village, and glaciers that big boats can’t get to. — KK

Forgiveness tool

Heart-centric meditations are what help me quickly diffuse highly-charged emotions within my body. Sometimes it’s as easy as telling myself to “breathe through my heart.” Other times I need to practice visualizations and taking on the perspective of someone other than me. The meditation that has been working for me lately is the Cut-Thru Technique created by the Heart Math Institute. It’s designed to create objectivity and dissolve the significance of perplexing emotions. The entire 5-step process is highlighted and outlined here in this article I saved (scroll down). — CD

3000+ most popular AI websites sorted by monthly traffic

It seems impossible to keep up with all the new AI tools being released and even directories for AI websites available seem to pop up daily. This list of the most visited AI sites is based on monthly traffic and it’s a good way to discover and deem what is most useful. I’m still using Perplexity.ai on a daily basis to answer all my questions, Otter.ai to transcribe my audio notes, and Midjourney.com to create my daily dream imagery. — CD

Damage-free hanging

A really cool and clean way to hang pictures, mirrors, hooks, frames, devices, almost anything, onto a wall without damaging the wall (no holes, or torn paint) is with 3M Command Hanging Strips. It’s hard to explain how they work, but I’ve been using them for a decade and they really do work miraculously. The strips will adhere securely to the wall forever (even with weight), but when it comes time to move or remove them, they instantly let go with zero wall damage. They come in all sizes for different weights you are hanging. Super ideal for renters. — KK

Junk mail elimination tips

This issue of David Friedman’s newsletter has five tips for reducing junk mail. They include a service that will opt you out of junk mail ($4 for 10 years), stopping pre-approved credit offers, and opting out of coupon mailers. I have followed all the suggestions mentioned in this newsletter.” — MF

— Kevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, Claudia Dawson

06/4/23