Watch sidewalk artists in Waikiki draw extreme caricatures of customers, and their customer’s hysterical reactions. The drawings are much more exaggerated than typical caricatures yet they look uncannily like the subjects. I was laughing along with the people who bravely sat for the drawings. A guaranteed mood lifter. — MF

Like the previously recommended SciHub, Libgen (Library Genesis) is a shadow library offering free scientific papers online. But in addition to journal articles, this Russian-based site also offers magazine articles, books, and especially full textbooks often required for school. I use it to find scientific papers. Scientific and academic information is often very hard to get, especially in the developing world, so Libgen is extremely valuable everywhere, despite the fact that US-based publishers consider it a pirate site they are trying to take down. I was disappointed my own books were not included in Libgen; I’d be thrilled if they were. — KK  

Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR), also known as yoga nidra, induces a state of deep relaxation while maintaining consciousness. If you're unable to take a 15-minute nap when you're tired, I find that one of these free 9-minute NSDR tracks has a similar effect. The guided breathing techniques help to slow down my heart rate, and the body scans redirect my focus from external visual information to a sensation of pure rest. — CD

Rocumentaries.com is a growing collection of over 200 documentaries handpicked by the website's creator for their quality and interesting subject matter. You can filter the selection by Genres and Channels, and each listing includes links that direct you to their streaming platforms. I always enjoy documentaries but don’t have the time to search for new ones, so I appreciate that these films have been vetted and vouched for, and I've added several to my watchlist. — CD 

When it comes to buying produce, I opt for organic whenever possible. However, there are certain non-organic fruits and vegetables that contain negligible traces of pesticides. These are known as the "Clean Fifteen" and are typically cheaper than their organic counterparts. The list includes avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, honeydew melon, kiwi, cabbage, mushrooms, mangoes, watermelon, and carrots. On the other hand, the "Dirty Dozen" refers to produce that, when non-organic, tends to have high levels of pesticides. This list includes strawberries, peaches, spinach, cherries, kale, pears, nectarines, tomatoes, apples, celery, grapes, and potatoes. Choosing organic versions of these can help avoid pesticide exposure. — MF

If you define success in the conventional ways – wealth, fame, accomplishments — then Sam Altman has a great list of tips on How to Be Successful that are very helpful in nudging you in that direction. Altman is the co-founder of OpenAI and ChatGPT, but he published this essay five years ago before he was “successful.” — KK

Using wide-mouth mason jars is a great way to store leftover soups, stews, and curries that I prepare in a pressure cooker. However, transferring the liquid into the jars often creates a mess on the counter. That's where a canning funnel comes in handy. I wish I had purchased one 20 years ago. The one I currently use is the Bilal stainless-steel model. — MF

Generative AI art is particularly suited for architecture. My favorite AI Instagram follow right now is Midjourney Architecture. It features the best examples from diverse creative AI co-artists who generate ultra imaginative buildings and unexpected interiors. It doesn’t matter if these won’t ever be built. (There is a set of multiple images behind each image on the home page.) — KK

Noted is a weekly newsletter on the art of note-taking that focuses on the personal notebooks of creative and historical figures. I’m always amazed at the in-depth research and insights by English professor and literary historian Jillian Hess. Her passion and curiosity for note-taking are evident and very inspiring. Peeking inside personal notebooks offers an intimate glimpse into someone’s inner space and this newsletter has influenced the way I organize my own thoughts. Highly fascinating and highly recommended. — CD 

Author and bookstore owner Ryan Holiday is a voracious reader. He’s compiled a list of 38 rules to make book-reading more rewarding. Excerpts:

• In every book you read, try to find your next one in its footnotes or bibliography. This is how you build a knowledge base in a subject — it’s how you trace a subject back to its core.

• Don’t just read books, re-read books. There’s a great line the Stoics loved — that we never step in the same river twice. The books don’t change, but you do.

• Ruin the ending. I almost always go straight to Wikipedia and figure out the plot — especially if I am reading something tough like Shakespeare or Aeschylus. Who cares about spoilers? Your aim as a reader is to understand WHY something happened, the what is secondary.

— MF

For 30 years we’ve permanently packed a blanket in our car, which we use for picnics, sitting on the beach, as a seat at rest stops, etc. For the past few years we keep the Scuddles Outdoor Blanket ($28, and 15,000 reviews on Amazon), which is the best. One side is slippery and waterproofed which means it stays dry but also dirt and sand don’t stick to it. The other side is fuzzy but very durable and tidy. While it spreads out large, it easily folds up into a handy self-closing easy-to-store package with a handle. Very nice. — KK

We recently moved and needed to mount a couple of dozen pieces of wall art. I bought a picture hanging kit called the Go Hang It! that simplified and sped up the process. The plastic gadget makes it easy to position a picture precisely where you want it and mark the wall for mounting hardware. — MF

A recent set of forever stamps released by the US Postal Service is so beautiful they could be framed. These stamps depict “Life Magnified” in stunning micro-photographs. In fact this sheet is so lovely that you can buy the sheet without the usual perforations (which means they can’t easily be mailed), but perfect for framing. If you need a stamp, they look great on envelopes as well and are valid “forever.” — KK

This digital word game called Totem Word is a quick and fun way to find a single word that resonates with you in the present moment. You start off with 10 words, narrow them down to 5, and ultimately choose one that defines you. I’ve been focusing on  words related to my passions, personality traits, and aspirations. The final word I select serves as a guiding principle throughout my day. So far, my daily words have included artful, restful, inquisitive, and avant-garde. — CD 

Google has taken its first steps toward integrating its generative AI into your search. Google SGE is now available as a default option in your browser. When you google something the AI sorts the answers into a readable summary, which allows you to respond and ask further questions in a conversational mode. It displays at the very top of the search page in a tinted box. I find it very helpful, reliable, and extremely easy to use – it’s just there. To turn it on, you need a Google account, Chrome on desktop or Google app on phone, and to be in the US. — KK

This post on Instagram is meant to help you understand the difference between being busy and being productive. It also serves as a reminder that taking a 10-minute break every hour is important, and that you should be your biggest supporter and celebrate your accomplishments each day rather than focus on what didn’t get done. The account @thebraincoach is run by a neuropsychology doctoral student and my mental body is grateful for this kind of social media content. — CD 

Recast is a smartphone app that converts any online article into a brief podcast-style audio summary with high quality AI voices. The free version lets you listen to a large selection of pre-processed articles. For $10 a month, you can select articles you want to summarize. I’m sticking with the free version for now. — MF

Los Angeles is under invasion by the Aedes "ankle-biting" mosquito, which was first spotted in Southern California in 2001. The population has been growing ever since. Some of my family members have bad reactions to DEET, so I bought Murphy's Naturals Lemon Eucalyptus Oil Insect Repellent Spray. It keeps the mosquitoes away, as long as I reapply it every few hours. — MF

I loved finding these tips on MyFridgeFood.com, which is a website that gives you recipes based on what you have in stock. I can’t verify the usefulness of all the tips, but the two I’m walking away with today are 1) spiraling my spaghetti so that falls naturally into the pot and 2) crushing garlic in a ziplock bag. — CD 

I am a reserved guy. I envy people who can toss off compliments to strangers, making their day. To help me get better at this I’ve been watching British comedian Troy Hawke greet random strangers on the street, showering them with creative, witty, genuine compliments. It is a joy to see strangers shine when praised for a small thing. Hawke’s tiktok/instagram performances, in mustache and smoking jacket, are genius and hard to beat, but his antics have inspired me to be more generous in sharing compliments. — KK