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Avoid the red dots
Sinuous is a free web-based game where you control a snakey line through a shower of red dots. The goal is to avoid the red dots for as long as possible. There are also special dots that give your temporary powers if you touch them, like slowing down the red dots or creating a deflector shield. My high score is 11174. — MF

Comedic science podcast
On every weekly episode of the podcast Ologies, host Alie Ward interviews a researcher in an obscure field of science, that is, another “ology.” Past 200 episodes include Melittology (bees), Graphology (handwriting), Vulcanology (volcanoes), Horology (clocks), Vexillology (flags). Ward is witty, smart, playful and funny, and she asks exactly the right questions so that you too become obsessed with the same corner of the universe that you didn’t even know existed a few minutes earlier. — KK

Re-usable Post-it Note
Probably the greatest invention since the Post-it Note are these 7×11 Post-it Dry Erase Sheets ($10, 3pk). They come ready to use, all you have to do is peel the liner and stick it somewhere. One sheet is small enough so that it’s not an eye-sore, and big enough so that it’s useful. I love it. — CD

Best book writing software
Scrivener is a specialized word processor for writing books. I’ve used to write my last three published books (non-fiction) and now I’m using it to write a novel. It’s especially useful for collecting and organizing research materials. I can add audio recordings, websites, images, and videos, making them easy to find. It also has excellent outlining and corkboarding tools. In addition to helping me write books, I use Scrivener to write long articles and reports. The The Mac version is on sale for $30 (It’s usually $50). — MF

How to stop worrying about what other people think
Here is a positive visual that shows you ways to stop worrying about what other people think. My favorite tactic is to “Remember that people aren’t that interested in you.” If I ever hesitate sharing something I wrote or created, I just tell myself “No one cares.” It’s so freeing! — CD

Quick art painting
I used to draw and paint a lot, but I never mastered the control of colors. I’ve renewed my interest in making art by getting an iPad with an Apple pencil and a $10 app called Procreate. Procreate is the intuitive graphics program that I always wanted from Illustrator and Photoshop but they were too complicated. Procreate is fast, obvious, crisp, revolving around the natural gestures of holding a pencil or brush. Its built-in smartness let me find and fill colors as if I were a pro. It has the expected layers and undo functions, but also enough simplicity that it is also perfect for sketching lines in black ink. It’s a joy to use, inspiring me to do a painting a day. — KK

05/30/21