{"id":46639,"date":"2026-08-05T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=46639"},"modified":"2026-07-31T09:09:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T16:09:18","slug":"whats-in-my-now-thomas-plaatsman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/whats-in-my-now-thomas-plaatsman\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s in my NOW? \u2014 Thomas Plaatsman"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I\u2019m a globally minded Dutchie who developed a passion for culture after having lived in Spain, Kenya, Ecuador, the Philippines, and Brazil. I now run a&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/0cb1f6dd-ebeb-41dc-a13d-42b73e8958b9?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blog<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/7dc8c19b-ed24-4f56-affd-71d5112eb31d?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">newsletter<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;to help curious individuals discover books, movies, and music from around the world and broaden their perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">  <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NYaJvsH92I4ZQDxJj4jTc49kP2tl2rnpEcxV2vmedq84VpyD7ndJjyvvvCF4y5sFhDsq_BDEPyySunEDY1knuIMY0YlncAMUJjHjS84WnccUbNA4KsgnYxfaSsI7IKGTD1lzU0tpOwhqO1pInjBtZ125YHEt_GnfIel_49KcHLYxOfofGBPKCcav8_HJP-SIaoDjou9que3Jwp4kktjIO3t-g_0cZ2yTWtPuTmM8bOaQdxu_aMvAz14lg5t690GwoZ_PTnrlgYT0SBc_q4HkEUCRZGhV7GavakqeZ4f63V4AEFsXrjv=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!rZsi!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9a20c754-f84e-4f25-9023-3dd987060cf0_1280x1280.png\">    <\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/194c8494-74f6-4a95-a1e6-7c7e6b496a15?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cultural Reads Newsletter<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/194c8494-74f6-4a95-a1e6-7c7e6b496a15?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The best music, book &amp; movie recommendations worldwide<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/194c8494-74f6-4a95-a1e6-7c7e6b496a15?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">By Culturalreads<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/files\/2026\/07\/wimb-ThomasPlaatsman-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46640\" width=\"719\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/files\/2026\/07\/wimb-ThomasPlaatsman-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/files\/2026\/07\/wimb-ThomasPlaatsman-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/files\/2026\/07\/wimb-ThomasPlaatsman-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/files\/2026\/07\/wimb-ThomasPlaatsman.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>PHYSICAL<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/14788f05-6efa-40b9-9025-0345dc810c11?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Imarhan Signed Vinyl<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; I\u2019ve been a huge fan of Desert Blues, a type of music from the Sahara Desert often performed by the Tuareg, a Berber people who live across the desert. The genre first became widely known through the band Tinariwen, who started making music to support the Tuareg cause during the conflicts in Mali and Niger. Some of the band members even received military training by Gaddafi\u2019s government. Today, there\u2019s a new wave of bands that often sing about similar themes, including the nomadic way of life, political struggles, and cultural memory. Despite not understanding the lyrics, the music really strikes a chord with me. Imarhan is my absolute favorite and ended up in my Spotify Top 5 two years in a row, so I was thrilled to get a signed vinyl at their last concert.<\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/b078af2b-0ed9-49db-8c66-7cc8c15d500f?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sorrow of War<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;by B\u1ea3o Ninh &#8211; Whenever I travel to a new country, I buy 1-2 books by local authors to gain better insight into the culture. During our family trip to Vietnam, I found The Sorrow of War, which is the fictional account of a Vietnamese soldier who was 1\/10 survivors out of a brigade of 500. It\u2019s been one of my favorite books ever since, not only because it provides a very refreshing counter-perspective to the many American books and films out there, but also because it\u2019s wonderfully written from the perspective of an ex-soldier with PTSD who constantly gets catapulted back into the war and gradually tells the reader the full story through these fragments.<\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/c44687e0-ca72-4587-aa02-9212920acde3?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pedemeia<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/c44687e0-ca72-4587-aa02-9212920acde3?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a>(Colorful) Socks&nbsp;&#8211; I love colorful and high-quality socks. One summer in Portugal, I ran into this small store that only sells socks, often at great summer discounts. Ever since, whenever I visit Portugal, I buy a few pairs, but the last time I was glad to hear that they now ship internationally.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>DIGITAL<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/220081a2-09b5-466e-bbac-9539bc5f8fa9?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GOWOD Stretch App<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; When I was younger, I played a lot of basketball and never worried much about my health. Now, in my mid-thirties, after years behind a desk, I\u2019ve spent almost 10 years struggling with neck pain. Several months ago, I discovered the stretching app GOWOD, and it\u2019s the first thing that has genuinely helped. The app first measures your flexibility through a series of exercises, then creates a personalized stretching routine. Every month you can retake the test and track your progress, which I\u2019ve found surprisingly motivating.<\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/6a3b62b1-e8ff-498c-98ba-0f0433286f53?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmZzB6In0.4ieSFe4rvvESx3-YSOApdZUV-VKuM1Arc6QBuHWifaY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Radiooooo<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; I\u2019m always on the lookout for new music and, despite the many streaming platforms, often struggle to discover new artists I really like. That\u2019s why I love Radiooooo. The five O\u2019s stand for the five continents, and the platform lets you explore music by country and decade. The songs are uploaded by users and curated by a group of French DJs, making it a great place to discover lesser-known music in a world full of algorithms.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>INVISIBLE<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>When you don\u2019t know what to read\/watch\/do next, instead of trying to fill that empty space, just wait and give life a chance to respond.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/whatsinmynow.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Sign up here<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0to get\u00a0What\u2019s in my NOW?\u00a0a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>issue #265<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47588,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2303],"tags":[1553],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46639"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46639"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46642,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46639\/revisions\/46642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}