For the past ten years I’ve packed some Quick Clot bandage in my first aid kit. It’s a bandage that decreases bleeding five times faster than a regular bandage, from 10 minutes to 2 minutes. It is especially useful for scalp wounds which bleed profusely. It is expensive ($15) so I cut one up into smaller pieces to use for smaller gashes. — KK

The MuteMe button is a large illuminated physical mute button that plugs into your computer with a USB cord and sits on your desk. When your mic is off, it glows red. Press the button to unmute and the light changes to green. No more “We can’t hear you, you’re on mute.” — MF

Now that I am a grandfather I interact with kid stuff again. There’s a new generation of drinking cups for toddlers way beyond sippy cups. Munchkin cups ($6) use an ingenious weighted straw that deliver liquids to a child in any cup orientation with zero spillage. They are a hi-tech marvel, with 47,000 reviews on Amazon. They really keep liquids tight. — KK

I’ve been sending more and more PDFs to my Oasis Kindle. I used to attach and email the files to my Kindle email address, but I recently discovered there are easier ways! You can download a PC or MAC app called Send to Kindle and then just drag and drop documents into the application. There’s also a Chrome extension and an app for Androids. — CD

I subscribe to over 100 newsletters. With that many, it’s hard to keep track of which ones are worth keeping. Rishikesh Sreehari, who publishes the newsletter 10+1 Things, has a good system: “Every time I receive a newsletter that I don’t like, I add a star against the name of the publication or author in a small note that I maintain in Obsidian. Once there are 5 strikes, I straightaway unsubscribe from the newsletter.” I’m using a Google Spreadsheet to keep track. — MF

I came across this lovely intention for preparing a meal in the The Creative Independent’s interview with Musician Regina Spektor. She shared that she has trouble sitting still and meditating, so this is an active meditation:

You decide something you dedicate the meal to. It can be peace in the world, or someone’s health, or anything that is stirring you at the time. Then as you cook, every little action of the cooking—washing, cutting, mixing—can be imbued with that dedication. You concentrate on that intention from start to finish and keep repeating the thought in your mind as you cook. In the end, every bite is filled with that wish.

—CD

I am a big fan of YouTuber Ali Abdaal. In this video about Resumes he condenses a whole book of information presenting the best advice for applying for a job into 30 minutes. It’s the same advice I gave to my kids when they started working. Whether you are looking for a job, or hiring someone, this is worth your time. Forward it to a young person. — KK

Investor Sahil Bloom posted a Twitter thread of frameworks that “provide clarity in complex situations.” Here’s an example: “Crazy Idea Framework — If someone proposes a crazy idea, ask: (1) Are they a domain expert? (2) Do I know them to be reasonable? If yes on both (1) and (2), you should take the idea seriously, as it may be an asymmetric bet on the future.” — MF

This Spotify playlist comprises of 715 songs, handpicked by neuroscientists, and meant to elicit “frisson,“ which means a sudden feeling or sensation of excitement, emotion or thrill in French. Music that increases in loudness or has an abrupt entrance of a new voice or deviations from harmony can often induce "frisson.” Human screams also incite the same response. Which makes sense because one of the songs on the playlist made me increasingly uncomfortable. This article on Big Think will give more background on the ways we experience this profound emotional state. — CD

I use Paypal to send money to strangers (like on Ebay or Etsy); I use Venmo to pay friends; but if I need to send a lot of money (more than several thousand $$$) I use Zelle. Unlike Venmo which holds a reserve in your account that you replenish, Zelle is basically a bank to bank wire transfer – for free. But the interface is person to person. Still can’t do it internationally, but it is very handy for larger peer-to-peer payments in US. Easy to set up. — KK

I’m still wearing a face mask indoors. But my ears are paying the price, especially on long flights when the pressure of the loops against the back of my ears becomes painful. Last week I started using these Velcro face mask extender straps, which pull the loops away from the back of my ears. I should have bought these things two years ago. — MF

What came first: Watts Towers or The Beatles’ Abbey Road? The film Tom Jones or Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits? The Dream by Henri Rousseau or England’s Natural History Museum? This Google quiz asks questions like these (and shows relevant images) and challenges you to click what came first. A faster answer will yield a higher score. — MF

AnswerThePublic takes all the autocomplete data from search engines to report back what questions people are asking all over the world. You can test out the the search engine with 1-2 keywords, which is helpful for anyone doing market research or just nosy like me. You can use it twice a day for free without having to pay a monthly cost. — CD

Author Dan Pink has mastered the art of delivering fantastic advice in 2 minutes or less. His latest Pinkcast is his 5 tips for optimizing travel to a foreign city. I concur with these 100% and do them myself. To save you 2 minutes here they are:

1. Go to the highest point in the city.

2. Buy a local newspaper.

3. Ride public transportation.

4. Go to McDonald’s (Seriously.)

5. Spend an hour in a grocery store.

But you’ll miss Dan’s humor and his persuasion if you don’t watch his pitch. — KK

One of our Cool Tools podcast guests, Jeff Waldman, author of Tools: The Ultimate Guide, turned me onto the best construction screw there is. It’s the GKR R4, used to bolt together wood framing, decking, or cabinets. As he describes in our Cool Tools Show-and-Tell video, the engineering in this tiny piece of metal is amazing. It is designed to be super easy to attach large pieces of wood together very securely very fast. In my experience the GKR R4 screws are stronger and faster than comparable screws. — KK

I only recently learned that you can configure an iPhone to perform an action by double- or triple-tapping the back. You can use it to take a screenshot or go to the home screen, for instance. I use it to open the camera app. Here’s how to do it. — MF

At least once a week, I move a tabletop mirror (similar to this one) onto my desk to help with my sitting posture. I keep it just to the right of me so it’s not distracting and I position it so that if I can see myself in it out of the corner of my eye, I know I’m sitting up straight. — CD

Before oil, empires fought over gold. And before gold, empires fought over spice. There were six spices that opened up the Americas, and bound Asia and Europe together permanently. Kate Humble, a BBC host, journeys to the remote geographical sources of these 6 spices in her series The Spice Trail. The depth of her research and travels are astounding. I am in awe of how ignorant I was about these substances, and now I am grateful how intimate with them her travels made possible. There are 3 sessions available on YouTube: 1) Pepper and Cinnamon. 2) Nutmeg and Cloves. 3) Saffron and Vanilla. History + Travel + Food. Highly recommended. — KK

I stopped using mood tracking apps a while back, because I got better at recognizing slight mood shifts and anticipating my own needs in the moment — whether that’s asking for space, taking a screen break, or hugging my dog. But now I’m back on the mood tracking app bandwagon, because How We Feel is more than just a mood tracker — it’s created by scientists, therapists, designers and engineers, so not only does it help you find the right word for your feelings, it helps you understand the science behind emotions and provides strategies to regulate your mood with elegantly produced videos, and the analytics of your mood over time are displayed in beautifully-designed patterns and colors. It’s free and I believe it’s in beta, so it will only get better. — CD

I played Ransom Notes with my family a couple of weeks ago and we laughed ourselves to tears. Each player grabs a handful of about 75 words printed on magnetic strips (they look like refrigerator magnets) from the inventory. Someone draws a card from the deck and reads the instructions. Example: “Tell someone you’ve clogged their toilet during a party.” Each player has to use their word magnets to form an answer on a small metal plate. Example, “I have elaborate booty chaos please not mad,” or “did dump tough disappear.” You are supposed to vote on the “best answer,” but we were too busy laughing hysterically to keep score. — MF