2025-01-31 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 heard multiple frustrating stories last year about people locating where their lost bags were with Apple or Android device trackers, but the airline customer service people refusing to do anything with that information. They’re now going to start paying attention it seems thanks to new data sharing partnerships with Apple Airtags that are going mainstream. Announced in November with 15 airlines to start, implementation is already happening: United has integrated a sharing feature within its app and others should roll out this year. See more details here.
Four years ago, one US dollar would get you 104 Japanese yen. Today it gets you 156, meaning you’ve got 50% more spending power in this fascinating country. Get a Japan Rail Pass from past advertiser 12Go and see multiple areas to take advantage of this deal window. Other countries where your dollars or euros will stretch much further than a year or two ago are Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, and Turkey. My favorite site for checking historic exchange rates is an oldie but goodie: fxtop.com.
UNESCO just published its latest list on its World Heritage sites and monuments that are in danger and the locations are far and wide, from Albania to Zambia to Maine. Some are loved to death, others aren’t getting enough love to fund the maintenance. Then there are issues with natural disasters, climate change, and missiles raining down from Russia and Israel. See the full list here.
There has been a lot of news out this week about predictions of flight prices going up, but read past the headlines and this is mostly a U.S. problem due to reduced capacity. With Spirit Airlines in big trouble and cutting flights, less competition on some routes means higher prices. Capacity in Asia is rising, however, so long-haul flights to there are expected to go down this year. Meanwhile, JetBlue says you can pay with Venmo.
2025-01-30 00:00:00
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I’m a photo editor, producer, and passion-project enthusiast. I was born and raised on the Upper West Side in New York City and now I live in Brooklyn. I have a weekly newsletter that I’ve been writing for over eight years. — Leonor M.
Bearing witness to my child learning to read has been the latest in unimaginable heart-stoppingly beautiful moments that have come along with parenthood. It is hard and exhausting, but watching this small human become a person has been such privilege and to see her learn this particular skill has brought me to tears on more than one occasion.
2025-01-29 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.
Dragon Was Terrible
by Kelly DiPucchio
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2016, 40 pages, 8.1 x 10.2 inches, Hardcover
It’s always fun to read about a rascally creature who does terrible things. In Dragon Was Terrible, Kelly DiPucchio’s frank, conversational telling and Greg Pizzoli’s bright, clear illustrations create an instantly accessible world. The reader is immediately drawn in, commiserating with the narrator and the frustrated villagers and freely judging that terrible Dragon, making it a really fun read aloud.
Dragon really does behave badly. He picks on creatures smaller than himself, he ruins nice things. From throwing sand to tagging the castle wall, he tends to be stereotypical in his terror. Every kid who reads this book will have experienced the act or aftermath (and, at some point or another, will have been at least an occasional perpetrator of) Dragon’s misdeeds. The strongest and loudest and maddest knights and villagers are no match for this jerk, but a clever boy tames the beast without a single blow. Of course, kids love a young hero, but for grown-ups, there is real satisfaction in seeing this battle of wits in which the hero’s weapons are words (he wins by writing a book!) and insight (a book that appeals to Dragon’s powerful self-image).
Sometimes, the only way to change a big orange beast is to trick him. Though I don’t really believe that all similarly hued and equally terrible creatures (I’m talking about the biggest, orange bully-elect of them all, here) could be so easily lured with good books and friendship, it’s nice, at least, to have a happy ending to read to my kid.
– Mk Smith Despres
Comic Book Fever: A Celebration of Comics: 1976-1986
by George Khoury
TwoMorrows Publishing
2016, 240 pages, 8.5 x 0.7 x 10.9 inches, Paperback
If you’re an aging comic book fan, say in your late 40s or early 50s, Comic Book Fever will scratch the hell out of any nostalgic itch you’ve ever felt about the hobby. George Khoury’s picture-heavy examination of comics and comics culture from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s triggers a flood memories.
There are the comics themselves: Landmark runs of the X-Men, Teen Titans and Daredevil. And the artists: Frank Miller, George Perez and John Byrne. Not to mention all the ads, toys and snacks.
Remember ROM Space Knight, Big Jim and Micronauts? And all those superhero ads for Hostess Twinkies? Or the classic Jack Davis-illustrated ad for Spalding basketballs featuring Rick Barry and Dr. J?
Heck, this book even includes a feature on Grit, the family newspaper that lured generations of comic fans into selling its tabloid door to door with the promise of cash and prizes.
There are also features on such classic stand-alone comics as Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles by Jack Kirby; the first-ever DC-Marvel match-up, Superman Vs. Spider-Man, and the Neal Adams-illustrated Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. And that’s the point.
Comic Book Fevercelebrates the mass-market popularity of comics even as this popularity was starting to fade. By the end of the period covered, comics were no longer something that every kid grew up on, but a hobbyist product available only in specialist comic book shops. The industry’s move to direct marketing and emerging competition from other pastimes, such as video games, spelled the end of an era. The bright side was the emergence of the independent press and creator-owned series such asElfquest,Love and Rocketand, ahem, theTeen-Age Mutant Ninja Turtles, all also covered here. Now, of course, superheroes are again hugely popular thanks to the movies. And comics, in the form of collected editions and graphic novels, are widely available in bookstores. But the days of sipping a Slurpee at 7-11 and plucking comic books from the spinner rack are, sadly, gone forever. With the help of this book, at least, we’ve still got the memories.
– John Firehammer
2025-01-28 00:00:00
Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.
Round-the-world travel was my occupation for many years. It’s an admirable vocation ignored by the travel industry and travel media. They think in terms of two weeks not two months or two years. Ignore the country-specific info in this thick tome as out of date [Note: the new edition of this book should have fixed this issue.–OH], but do pay attention to his airline ticketing advice, and his general wisdom about long-term travel. To anyone planning to take some serious time off to explore the far world at a cut above Stompers, start with this book. And then leave it at home. — KK
Some people are afraid to have a gap in their resum . Don’t worry about it. Don’t leave a gap in your resum , either. More and more, I hear from returned travelers who are putting their travel experience at the top of their resum : “A year spent traveling the world, familiarizing myself with the diversity of world cultures, and learning how to understand and deal with people from backgrounds different from my own.” Prospective employers may smile, they may laugh, they may be jealous – but they will offer you the job.
We used to call ourselves drifters, or freaks, but “stompers” works just as well. Stompers are young, nomadic travelers having a great deal of fun meandering around the world, hanging out, partying in run-down grass shacks in exotic places, hooking up with each other, paying attention to the local scene, while ignoring boundaries. It is more a lifestyle than a vacation. Once centered mostly in Europe during the summer, the entire world from Ghana to Laos is now stomping grounds. This book is subversive, irreverent, bombastic, self-published, and full of the best advice I’ve seen in print for global vagabonds. It assumes you have very little money, but a whole lot of time and are open to new experiences. Average trip of a stomper: one year. What I like about the author, Brad Olsen, is that he seems to have made every possible mistake, but learns quickly from them.
Here’s the acid test: If you need to sleep in a bed on your world tour, The Practical Nomad is more your speed (and mine, too, these days). If you don’t care where you lay your sleeping bag down for the night, and you intend to be on the road for more than a month, this is the owner’s manual for you. — KK
The World’s Cheapest Destinations
So much to see, so little time. You won’t ever see it all, so why not select your destination by how inexpensive it is, thus maximizing your journey? You can spend two weeks in Europe, or 6 months elsewhere. Your choice. Travellers who choose the latter have far more fun, learn more, and bring dollars where it can do the most good. Rock-bottom prices also transform budget travel in these areas into luxury travel. This thin guide is a good investment for this approach. It lists 21 of the world’s cheapest countries for travelers with more time than money, with a brief idea of what to expect. Stick to these few and you’ll still have a lifetime of adventures. — KK
[The author’s website has some interesting and helpful links for bottom-fed travel: http://worldscheapestdestinations.com/]
The Surfer’s Journal is pure surfing. For about 10 years now, Steve and Debbee Pezman have been sharing their love of the ocean and waves with other like-minded water people. A unique feature is the absence of advertising except for 2-3 pages from companies that surfers respect, like Patagopnia and Billabong. (By contrast a recent Collector’s Edition of Surfing mag, in listing what it called “The 25 Most Powerful People in Surfing” had almost half its list composed of CEO’s of surfboard or surf apparel companies.) The photography is stunning (a lot of credit going to photo editor Jeff Devine), the articles are in-depth, and there are a lot more longboard shots than the more typical punching-through-the-lip shortboard aerials that dominate the other surf mags. There’s also a lot of wonderful stuff from the past; it’s amazing that after all this time they still come up with unique shots from the 50s and 60s and sometimes earlier, when life was simpler and waves were uncrowded. The soul of surfing, 5 times a year. It’s the only magazine where I’ve saved every copy. — Lloyd Kahn
2025-01-26 17:00:00
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A cool way to make some unusual art is to render an image in Lego. I used a kit from BrickMe that turned a photo of my wife into 5,625 pixels, and then they supplied me with Lego tiles in 50 different colors. Using the map they also supply, I “painted” the image by applying the tiles in the manner of paint-by-numbers. I glued the final assembly onto plywood to hang in my studio. The procedure is well-designed, fun, with plenty of extra tiles. Mine was the small size at 24 x 24 inches (57 x 57 cm) for $126; they can go much bigger. – KK
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to create more distance between myself and my phone. This list offers some effective tricks to make your phone less interesting, as well as tips to avoid “brain rot.” According to the Oxford Dictionary, brain rot refers to the “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” For me, simply disabling badge and sound notifications was enough to make my phone less engaging. I also encouraged my closest friends and family to call me more often and text less. — CD
Glicol is a free music programming environment that runs in your web browser — no installation needed. As someone who dabbles in music coding, I like how it lets you connect audio nodes (like oscillators and filters) using simple >> arrows, similar to patching modular synths. It’s instantly usable for beginners. Watch a demo video. — MF
My father liked this aluminum tablet stand ($20) that I gave him for his birthday so much, he bought one for my mother. Unlike fixed-angle stands, this one lets you easily dial in the perfect viewing angle. Rubber-padded grips prevent slipping and scratches. Works with everything from phones to large tablets (4-17 inches) and folds nearly flat for travel. — MF
My home office doubles as a guest room, so I needed to find a comfortable floor mattress that could be easily packed away when not in use. I did a lot of research and went with the highly reviewed Milliard Tri-Folding Memory Foam Mattress (6-inch, Twin XL). Every overnight guest we’ve had says it’s really comfortable. I’ve also slept on it and liked it so much that I bought the smaller Twin size (6-inch) just to have an extra one on hand for camping trips or overnight retreats. — CD
There is a growing understanding of why some houses burn in a wildfire and why some escape. There are many things you can do to prevent your house from burning. First, the chief factor is how close your home is to another burning house. It is houses that set fire to houses, more than trees or vegetation. Prevention is a community thing. Second, a stream of embers ignites most houses, rather than flames. Those embers pile up in gutter debris, dry leaves near the foundation, firewood stack against a wall, or embers flying into vents, and that kindling ignites the house. These insights are based on the latest research into wild fire. A great starting point for learning what you can do – based on evidence – is the California Chaparral Institute. — KK
Recomendo is an authentic, hand-crafted, human-written weekly newsletter that is free, but not cheap. Consider supporting our work with a paid option, now at the low price of $45 per year. Paid subs enable us to keep making it free for others. Recomendo is published by Cool Tools Lab, a small company of three people. We also run the Cool Tools website, a YouTube channel and podcast, and other newsletters, including Gar’s Tips & Tools, Nomadico, What’s in my NOW?, Tools for Possibilities, Books That Belong On Paper and Book Freak.
2025-01-24 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.
We’ve previously reported on Spain’s onerous data requests for Brits and aggressive income tax grabs for foreigners already paying taxes elsewhere. Now the country is in the news again with more signals that they don’t really want foreigners putting down roots there. First, they’re ending their Golden Visa program, following similar moves by other countries who found it to be “too successful.” But the prime minister has doubled down with a statement that he wants to implement a 100% tax on real estate investments from non-EU foreigners.
While it’s valid to be concerned about how dirty federal energy policy will become under the next US administration, cities and companies keep marching into a cleaner air future regardless. Chicago recently announced that 100% of its city buildings—including its two airports—are now running on renewable energy only. The reduced pollution is equivalent to taking 62,000 cars off the road.
JCPenney just announced it is merging with Sparc Group, which owns Forever 21, Aéropostale, Eddie Bauer, Nautica, and Brooks Brothers. The A/B InBev beer conglomerate stocks the sports stadium stands with its own Bud, Corona, Stella, Beck’s, Leffe, Labatt, Hoegaarden, Goose Island, and a potential 390 others. In travel, Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, CheapTickets, ebookers, Vrbo, and Hotwire are all part of the same company. I just made 2025 season price updates to this article on how it is so much more expensive to ski in North America than in Europe. It is partly because Vail Resorts owns 37 ski mountains and Alterra owns 15.
While I was wheeling an Osprey suitcase around Europe for two months, my wife carried an Eagle Creek Gear Warrior one we’ve been using for even more years. One of these costs two or three times what something from Samsonite or a lesser brand will, but it’s better made and guaranteed for life. In a quarter-century of using bags from Eagle Creek—an independent company—I’ve only actually thrown away one of them. The company has sent replacement wheels twice, so the warranty is not just an empty promise. See the current checked version in 4 colors or the carry-on version at Amazon. Or see the whole line at EagleCreek.com.
