2025-01-20 00:00:00
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After one too many frustrating calls trying to spell out airline confirmation codes (“No, B as in Boy, not D!”), I built this simple web tool. Type in any text and it instantly converts it to NATO phonetic alphabet – so “B2K” becomes “Bravo Two Kilo.” Try it for clearly communicating flight bookings, WiFi passwords, or any string of letters and numbers over the phone. — MF
A YouTuber I follow with eager anticipation is Cleo Abrams, who creates a science explainer about once a month, called Huge If True. For a great example, watch her video explaining what’s involved in human egg freezing and harvesting. (That they are her eggs added fantastic depth to her reporting.) A monthly schedule allows her explainers to have sophisticated levels of production and clarity. Her range of interests are broad and varied, and generally uplifting. I am a happy subscriber. — KK
This is a beautifully simple and concise framework for processing and releasing difficult emotions. The author outlines a 14-step guide that begins with acknowledging your feelings and ends with creating meaningful rituals. Every step is practical and flexible for anyone to adapt it to their own needs and experiences. — CD
My daughter’s college friends are obsessed with this simple dice game called LCR Wild. Each turn, you roll up to three dice marked L, C, R or Wild – passing chips left, right, to a center pot, or using Wild to steal from anyone. As she explains: “Chips that go to the center are eliminated from play, so the game gets more intense as the supply dwindles. You can theoretically win the center pot with three wild rolls, but I’ve never seen it happen!” The last player with chips wins. Perfect balance of luck and light strategy that works for 3 or 30 people. — MF
I always keep Elmer’s Resuable Tac ’N Stik in my craft supplies. It comes in handy when I want to hang up paper prints on my wall without having to use a nail, and I avoid the risk of peeling off wall paint with double-sided mounting tape. — CD
The dollar-to-yen exchange rate continues to make now a fabulous time to visit Japan. The main trick is to get out of Tokyo, but Tokyo is a good place to start for first time visitors. My favorite guide to Tokyo is one aimed at kids, but also one that anyone young at heart will benefit from: Tokyo, City Trails by Lonely Planet Kids. It points you to all the actual fun things to do, not just endless food and temples. How about a toilet showroom, a chocolate bath, or a sleep capsule? In the same vein, for your guidance to cosplay, manga, anime, otaku activities, I recommend Tokyo Geek’s Guide. It’s a great way to experience the city and modern Japanese culture. — KK
2025-01-18 00:00:00
Gar’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales is published by Cool Tools Lab. To receive the newsletter a week early, sign up here.
Wesley Treat continues his efforts to build “the suckless workshop,” a smartly-designed space for efficient and more productive makery. In this video, he tackles one of his most persistent workshop headaches: finding a proper home for temporary storage solutions like his apple boxes, project trays, poly bags, and the magnetic parts trays he loves. The goal? Create an organized, adaptable storage system that keeps everything accessible, stackable, and easy to label (and re-label). Along the way, we see Wesley refine the design of the trays, add clever whiteboard labels for quick, temporary identification, and sneak in some handles for better portability. A custom-built storage rack pulls it all together, with slots for different box sizes, a dedicated drawer for baggies and small parts, and even space for overflow bins and parts shipment arrivals. In the end, Wesley is happy that he’s moved one step closer toward his elusive goal: a workshop that sucks less.
I love working with polystyrene. If you’ve never built anything out of it, maybe you’ll be inspired after watching this video. It’s not only a great material for modeling, but it’s great for prototyping, building project enclosures, cosplay accessories, and lots more. Once you have the basics down, and the right glue (he uses CA, I recommend Weld-On 3), you’re ready to jam. And that’s pretty much the approach used here. Modeler and diorama builder, Henrique Ventura, improvises a sci-fi crate using little more than some scrap styrene, CA glue, a razor knife, and some sanding sticks. Some really great tips in here and worth your time even if you’re only mildly interested in working with this material.
In this Project Farm episode, Todd tests 19 different step-bits. The brands tested are Snap-On’s Blue Point, Mac Tools, Irwin, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Norseman, TEMO, Greenlee, Toolant, Diablo, EZARC, 1WANUE, KSEIBI, OXMUL, Hercules, PIT, Sharptool, Neiko, Anfrere. The bits are tested for speed and durability in mild- and medium-hardness steel, stainless steel, and very hard AR500 high carbon steel. In the end, Todd comes away impressed by the speed and performance of the Temo ($30 at time of testing). Shockingly, the $125 Snap-On Blue Point and Mac Tools ($100) did not fare well at all.
One of the most popular posts I’ve included in Gar’s Tips & Tools is Scott Wadsworth’s How to Climb a Ladder video. In the above video, Scott describes the functions of different shovels (round nose, square-point/transfer, trench spade), the differences between long-handled and D-handle shovels, and the best, most pain-free way to move a lot of material.
Our pals over at Maker Update share their favorite maker projects of 2024. Donald and Tyler look at 11 projects in total. Some fun stuff here like the Modular Macro Keyboard with its customizable, snap-together design featuring knobs, sliders, and magnetic connections. Equally cool and captivating is the Carpentopod, a walking coffee table inspired by Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest kinetic sculptures. And the Akira motorcycle replica turns heads on the street with its faithful recreation of Kaneda’s iconic bike, complete with innovative steering geometry that preserves both style and handling.
Food tips too good not to share
I married into one of these silicon pastry mats and I don’t know what I did without one. I’ve been a life-long bread baker (off and on, anyway). I’ve used flour on the countertop (messy) and baking parchment (fussy) in the past. The silicon mat is thick and sticky enough to confidently adhere to the counter, and when you’re done, you just sponge it off and roll it back into the tube. The silicone surface is a dream to knead on and the rulers, measurements chart, and sizing circles (pizza dough!) are handy. A highly recommended kitchen tool for $10.
Readers offer their feedback, tips, tales, and tool recommendations.
My long-time maker friend, Steven K. Roberts (a.k.a. the High-Tech Nomad) sent this email a few issues back:
Loved this issue. The magnetic pencil reminded me that I may never have sent you this.
Back when I had the Nomadness sailboat, I replaced the salon table with a lab desktop. One of its features was an embedded 16×32 piece of 16 gauge steel just under the laminate. This allows magnetic fixturing, which was of course interesting in a sailboat for things like meters and parts trays, but I’ve since moved it into my mobile lab and use it along with my N52 inventory to keep things organized at the video production studio (even when not mobile).
This article details the fabrication process, starring my late friend Fred Westergaard, who remains an inspiration to this day. Working on fabrication projects with him had the twin benefits of superb results and deep learning curves.
Gar’s Tips & Tools is free, but if you really like what I’m doing here and want to support me, please consider a paid subscription. Same great taste, but more cheddar for me to help keep the lights on this enterprise. I will also pick paid subscribers at random and send them out little treats on occasion.
Special thanks to all of my paid subscribers so far and an extra special thanks to Hero of the Realm, Jim Coraci.
2025-01-17 00:00:00
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
I’m only a casual user of packing cubes, finding that I can get more into my bag by rolling and stuffing to fill all available spaces, but I do use a few each trip. My favorites are the compression cubes with two sets of zippers. The first closes the pouch as normal, but then the second zipper compresses it down further, squeezing what’s inside so it takes up less room. They’re great for underwear/socks or dirty laundry. There are lots of knock-offs available, but if you want ones more likely to last, go for Eagle Creek, Thule, or Tortuga.
If you want to geek out on which countries are serving adventure travelers best, check out the just-released Adventure Tourism Development Index, the first one put together since the pandemic. Among developed countries, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Norway came out on top in the multi-factor scoring system. Among the emerging economies, the top scores went to Costa Rica, Chile, Thailand, and Brazil. There were a few surprises in the top 10 of the latter, like Montenegro and Romania.
I learned two important things this week. 1) There’s been a huge spike in Norovirus cases lately and this time it has gone well beyond cruise ships. 2) Hand sanitizer is useless against it. So what can you do to lessen your chances of getting it? Wash your hands often with soap and water and lay off the shellfish, especially oysters and clams. See more info here.
Egypt was recently declared malaria-free. From the BBC: “The disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in October after certifying that almost 100 years of anti-mosquito efforts have finally rid Egypt of malaria. It’s the third country in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region to get a clean bill, following the UAE and Morocco. Unfortunately, dengue fever cases have tripled in parts of Latin America in part due to a hotter, wetter climate. Pack your DEET.
2025-01-16 00:00:00
I am a librarian and aspiring writer. I live in the Rio Grande Valley. For the new year, I will be writing more on my reading life, my writing processes, and the arts I enjoy in my substack. For 2025, I will be researching and spotlighting female authors (fantasy, horror, and romance) of the past that are not as well known as they should be. — Alison Faith Young
For 3-4 minutes, study the location you are at: I have ADHD and work an office job. My mind moves fast and I can hyperfocus on the wrong things at the wrong time. Whenever I feel the need to scroll on social media or glance at my phone, I stop what I’m doing and just study the objects in my surroundings. This grounds me and I am able to redirect myself into whatever work priority I need to do for the day.
2025-01-15 00:00:00
Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.
The Art of Trolls
by Jerry Schmitz
Cameron + Company
2016, 160 pages, 11.2 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches, Hardcover
Trolls, in their various incarnations, have been collectible for decades. The most popular era for Trolls was undoubtedly the 1990s, when Russ brought them into the limelight again. The Troll theme was so popular that they even found their way to crossovers with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the popular Burger King Kids Club characters. Full disclosure, my wife and I collect Trolls, so we’re kinda particular about the subject, so keep that in mind.
The book begins by giving a little history of DreamWorks Trolls, which came out in November 2016, and then goes into little bios about several of the main characters, along with a ton of development art and character expressions for each. Then, the book moves on to explore everything from the lighting, modeling and effects to the various backrounds and settings created for the film. The book is a ton of fun. I managed to read through it without any spoilers and the fantastic artwork is definitely worth checking out. This book is not just a detailed and attractive full-color hardback coffee table book, but it also includes a special fold-out poster in the back that details all the characters of the film.
– Matt MacNabb
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
by J.K. Rowling
Arthur A. Levine Books
2016, 304 pages, 5.9 x 1.2 x 8.7 inches, Hardcover
There are more readers and writers today thanks to J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter books instilled a love of reading in kids and adults. The movies brought Rowling’s characters to life, spreading the joy of the series worldwide. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay has the power to introduce people to reading and appreciating screenplays.
Make no mistake, this is a script. It’s formatted like a script, which could be a bit odd to unfamiliar readers, but what’s wrong with odd? It has jump cuts, high wides, and montages. I’d argue that this is quite possibly the most beautiful script that’s ever been produced. Each page has ornate 1920’s style detailing, and scene breaks have little ink illustrations between the pages. This book about magicians feels magical. There’s also a handy little guide that explains the film terminology you will find throughout.
Don’t read this before watching the film. See the movie, appreciate that for what it is, then read the script. Then for the full experience see the movie again, to see how the script translated onto film. I think that this book can help demystify screenwriting, and possibly inspire a generation of young screenwriters to take a stab at writing something of their own. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, or a budding screenwriter, you’re going to want this book.
– JP LeRoux
2025-01-14 00:00:00
The Vedic texts of the Hindus were among the first texts ever written down, and some of the longest. The Mahabharata is the keystone epic and it goes on an on, an endless soap opera of gods, kings, loves, feuds, monsters, wars, good and evil, and spiritual lessons. The hundreds of long Indian names can exhaust a westerner’s patience fast. While I lived in India I found the easiest way to get into these stories was via the cheap comic book versions sold on every newsstand. Bright colors, action-packed, simple story-line and in English, these are the same comics that tens of millions of Indian kids also start with. The true classics are published by Amar Chitra Katha, the Marvel of Vedic literature. You can purchase these graphic novels online from the importer below. Some students have scanned the entire Ramayana comic online to give you a sense of what you have been missing. — KK
Zen riddles. No answers. A tiny “big joke” book. — KK
A Cup of Tea
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
The Moon Cannot Be Stolen
Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal. Ryokan returned and caught him. “You may have come a long way to visit me, ” he told the prowler, “and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift.” The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away. Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, ” I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.”
Muddy Road
Tanzan and Ekio were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.
Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.
“Come on, girl,” said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.
Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself.
“We monks don’t go near females,” he told Tanzan, “especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?”
“I left the girl there,” said Tanzan. “Are you still carrying her?”
Calling Card
Keichu, the great Zen teacher of the Meiji era, was the head of Tofuku, a cathedral in Kyoto. One day the governor of Kyoto called upon him for the first time.
His attendant presented the card of the governor, which read: Kitagaki, Governor of Kyoto.
“I have no business with such a fellow,” said Keichu to his attendant. “Tell him to get out of here.”
The attendant carried the card back with apologies. “That was my error,” said the governor, and with a pencil he scratched out the words Governor of Kyoto. “Ask your teacher again.”
“Oh is that Kitagaki?” exclaimed the teacher when he saw the card. “I want to see that fellow.”
Teaching the Ultimate
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
“I do not need a lantern,” he said. “Darkness or light is all the same to me.”
“I know you do not need a lantern to find your way, ” his friend replied, “but if you don’t have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it.”
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. “Look out where you are going!” he exclaimed to the stranger. “Can’t you see this lantern?”
“Your candle has burned out brother,” replied the stranger.
Despite what has been said, the United States is not at war with terrorism in general, but with militant fundamental Islam; a clash of civilizations. At the heart of Islam is the Quran, and at the heart of the Quran is very difficult to translate oral poetry. Indeed Muslims often declare that the sheer beauty of the original Arabic verses is evidence of its divine origins. Translations of any sort are thus suspect, and so the English world is without great Quranic texts. Among the older, stiffer, and formal English translations, I have been unable to find a version with extensive annotations, a concordance, or even a decent modern paraphrase. For a book influencing current events to such an extant, this vacancy is a deep loss.
Your best bet to encounter the Quran — an effort I believe is essential these days — is via a recent translation by Thomas Cleary. Straightforward, unadorned, yet vibrant, this is the best modern English translation of the Quran to date. — KK
