I recently conducted an interview in Zoom with over 200 people in the audience, and a colleague who watched later told me I should not be Zooming to a large audience with my bedroom in the background. But instead of moving my computer set up, I bought this a Webaround Portable Greenscreen It’s a 56-inch circular chair-mounted background and it works perfectly with Zoom’s Virtual Background setting. You can use any photo as your background. Here’s a before and after photo of me without and with the greenscreen. — MF
My inbox has an abundance of newsletters and emails with advice for the current situation, as does my newsfeed. I feel connected, grateful and overwhelmed. Here are the links I found most helpful and am happy to share:
Giant list of shared ideas for quarantine/social distancing with kids
20 journaling prompts I swear by to get you out of your head
How to Not Let the Coronavirus Steal Your Mental Health While You’re At Home (This was emailed to me by my therapist who got it from a professional/therapist networking online group and was told that it could be shared) — CD
This deep stretch for hips YouTube video by Sara Beth Yoga is 20 minutes long, but flows so well and it’s easy to follow on my phone. It’s relaxing, rewarding and always helps me get rid of the tightness in my hips. — CD
3M Scotch Tear By Hand Packaging Tape looks like ordinary packaging tape. The difference is that you can tear off pieces by hand, instead of having to use scissors or the serrated edge on a dispenser. I started using it years ago and it’s worth the extra price in the safety (no more ripped finger skin) and convenience I gain. — MF
YouTube is way underrated as an educational institution. You can learn literally anything, including how to do surgery. The challenge is the uneven quality of the average video. One solution is YouTube’s own channel called The Learning Playlist. YouTube hired experts to curate the best learning videos they could find on a particular subject, and make a playlist for it, all on one channel. I am a happy subscriber. It’s also a good place to begin a search for how to study for a test, to how to organize a community group, and so on. — KK
Hand Mirror is a one-click camera check (free, Mac only). If you are about to join a Zoom or other video meeting, just click the icon on your menu bar and make sure you look presentable before you go live. — MF
In these dark times I need a little lightness, I need some humor, I need a bit of inspiration. I need Inspirobot. Inspirobot is an AI that generates inspirational quotes set on an inspirational photo — you know those posters. Because it is a dumb AI, it generates a lot of nonsense. But every fifth one is foolish in an unconventional way, which is the root of humor. It borders on profundity. Just keep clicking. — KK
I’ve used Hotwire to book hotel rooms. On the plus side, they have good deals, on the minus side, you don’t know which hotel you are reserving until after you’ve paid the non-refundable fee. But here’s a video on “How ANYONE Can Get 50% Off Hotels” that shows you how to find out which hotel HotWire is offering before you commit. — MF
Many folks dream of being self-sufficient on a half-acre homestead somewhere. The person I know who’s come closest to that goal is Lloyd Kahn, who has evolved a do-it-yourself lifestyle near a city that really works and is not a fantasy. He’s put his 46 years of building his own homes, foraging for wild foods, raising plants, traveling in a van, working from home, self-publishing, and all-around DIY into one photographic book. The Half-Acre Homestead is not how-to; it’s a visual demonstration of what an integrated handmade life looks like, for real. At 85 years young, Lloyd Kahn is still doing it! He is one of my heros. — KK
I work from home 80% of time and was in need of comfy footwear more substantial than flip flops but not as relaxed as slippers, in case I need to run outside. These Sanuk Yoga Sling Sandals were exactly what I wanted. They are cushiony and comfortable for standing at my desk, they keep my feet warm, and in my opinion, look good with jeans, plus I don’t feel like a slacker when I’m working without real shoes on. — CD
According to this Fast Company article, patience is hackable by thinking as concretely as possible to perceive wait times as shorter. For me, what has always worked without fail is my secret grocery-store shopping mantra: “I am zen. I am floating.” And then I just imagine myself floating through the store, not bumping my cart into other people or rushing to get past them, and smiling softly like a weirdo. But it works! And when irrational anger starts to rise up, I think about this quote by Thich Nhat Hanh, “Three hundred years from now where will you be and where shall I be?” – CD
My 16-year-old daughter and I like listening to lo-fi electronic music in the car, and we got interested in making some lo-fi music of our own. Instead of buying a synthesizer, we just bought this cheap 32-key MIDI keyboard (Model AKM320). We are using it with Apple’s Garageband app, which has built-in software synths. It was literally plug-and-play, because it required no software drivers. It comes with a USB cable. — MF
I’m not a prepper. I did zero prep for Y2K; didn’t even fill my gas tank. A lot of prepper talk is sheer nuts, and even damaging. However in an emergency I aim to be a help not a burden, so some degree of being prepared is needed. The least insane prepper site is The Prepared, which dials back a lot of the paranoia and nuttiness, and is more Wirecutter style reviews of gear. Their intensity is two notches above mine, but at least their advice is sane. I got some good tips about being responsibly prepared. — KK
One thing that has been making my workday easy and versatile is this very comfortable, useful lap desk by LapGear ($35). On it, I can fit my 15" Macbook, my mouse, and my phone. Which means I can easily switch up my workspace by moving it to my comfy chair or couch and still be productive. I am loving it and should have bought one sooner. — CD
I’ve tried a lot of vegetable peelers, and the OXO Good Grips Pro Y-Peeler is now my favorite. It feels solid in my hand, and it has a long blade to speed up peeling. It’s great for peeling sweet potatoes. — MF
I reuse jars from the kitchen, for storage and for display items. Getting the jar labels off was a chore until I started using Goo Gone (which we’ve mentioned before but never explicitly recommended). It’s an odorless penetrating oil that unsticks adhesives from anywhere people stick stuff. Spray on, let soak and peel off. Leaves a temporary oil film that evaporates. — KK
If you’re a member of Amazon Prime, you get guaranteed delivery dates for your Prime purchases. I recently learned you can get a $5 credit if a delivery is late. Just go to Amazon’s Live Chat and tell the representative that you have a late delivery and want a credit. It’s worked for me all four times I’ve tried it. — MF
A delightful Instagram account I enjoy: Accidental Wes Anderson. It’s a curated collection of still images in the style of a Wes Anderson movie. Same symmetry, colors, and tone. The way Wes Anderson would view this Instagram is not in a stream but in grid view. — KK
Whenever there is a swarm of firetrucks in our neighborhood, I check my Nextdoor app in case anyone has posted any info, and it was there that one kind neighbor pointed me to the PulsePoint Respond app, which informs you of real-time medical and fire emergencies near you. If you’re CPR-certified, you can also sign up to receive “CPR-needed” notifications if someone nearby is having a cardiac emergency. Unfortunately, it’s not available in all areas yet, but definitely worth checking out. — CD
Artist Olivia De Recat made a cartoon with lines to illustrate different kinds of relationships and how they change over time . The last one might make you a bit misty-eyed. — MF