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We want to know what’s in your now—a list of 6 things that are significant to you now—3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit.

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

Hi! I’m Claudia Dawson, Editor of What’s in my NOW?, co‑writer of Recomendo, and writer of Many‑Worlds Vision, a newsletter of shamanic dreams, visions, and channelings.

I also write poetry, play with altered states, facilitate psychedelic and dream integration, and practice energy healing with sound and light touch.

Claudia’s Many-Worlds Vision

Many-Worlds Vision is a newsletter of shamanic dreams, visions, and channelings. I believe the natural self is psychic, our hearts telepathic, our souls multidimensional, and that the foundation of quantum consciousness is love.

By Claudia Dawson

PHYSICAL

• Full Body Red Light Therapy Mat: This may be my most expensive “tool,” but it is definitely the most magical item I own. Just 10–15 minutes on this full-body mat reliably induces euphoria and a deep sense of calm in my system. I often pair it with meditation or Meditative Mind music to deepen the experience. There are no strict prescription instructions—you can use it any time of day for mood enhancement, to help balance circadian rhythms, and to support muscle recovery after working out.

• Solfeggio Body Tuner Set for Chakras & Meridians: These are weighted tuning forks designed to be placed on acupressure points so you feel the vibrations moving through your body. They’re color‑coded to correspond with the chakras and tuned to Solfeggio frequencies associated with energy balancing and deep relaxation. Like the full body red light therapy mat, using these tools affects me on what feels like a cellular level. The visible, felt effect is that I’m deeply relaxed and in a more energetically coherent state after using them. I also use them on loved ones when I do Reiki, placing the forks on specific points so the vibration can support release and alignment.

• Portable Massage Table: Sound healing and light touch are not a business for me, but I love creating healing, soothing spaces for the people I care about, and having this portable massage table makes it easy to do that. It’s affordable, low‑commitment, and sturdy enough to hold about 200 pounds. I also really love that it’s pink.

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DIGITAL

• AudioPen: I was an early adopter of this app, and I believe it’s still run by one indie developer named Louis, who has always been so responsive and helpful. I use it frequently to transcribe my dreams, gnosis channelings, and newsletter drafts, especially when I’m thinking out loud and don’t want to type. You can create folders to organize your transcriptions and choose different writing styles to clean up your ramblings—Academic, Technical, Descriptive, Casual, or whatever tone you want. I even created a custom writing style based on my own writing samples, so it sounds like me, just clearer. There are other features, too many to list here, but it’s seriously my most used phone app, right up there with iPhone Notes.

• ACER Integration Online Community: ACER Integration is an online community and yearlong program that moves through twelve tree archetypes using guided imagery, music meditations, online sharing circles, and other practices rooted in nature connection. Over the course of a year you get to know the trees and their medicine while deepening your relationship with yourself, the natural world, and other humans from all over the world. It’s not a substitute for therapy, but there is an application and selection process, along with clear protocols that keep the container safe, which makes it a very safe place to integrate transcendent and altered experiences alongside the very real stuff of life. I participated as a community member during the first year of its launch and have been a Sharing Circle and Dream Circle facilitator with ACER now for almost three years. It’s a very sacred space for me, and my favorite place that exists only online.

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INVISIBLE

Ubuntu Philosophy: “I am because we are”

Ubuntu is an African philosophy of relational personhood and shared humanity, often expressed as “I am because we are” or “a person is a person through other persons.” Ubuntu reminds me that my becoming is not a solo project—it happens in the space between myself and others. When I feel challenged in relation to someone, I remind myself of this, telling myself some variation like, “I become a person through other people.” This helps me remember that growth in this lifetime often means participating in uncomfortable relational dynamics, even when I’d rather detach or dissociate.

I don’t think I’ve ever been a fully embodied person, having spent most of my time in etheric realms and dreams. But now, in my forty-second year of life, I realize that spiritual growth doesn’t happen only in the higher realms or with the angels—it happens here, in the 3D, in the mundane, in the uncomfortable, in the relational.

I’ve learned to love sitting with people in shame, guilt, and fear, in the mud and in the hard stuff, because life is hard and it takes effort just to remain a hopeful, happy, loving person. If I can stay in that state while deepening my capacity to sit with sorrow, misunderstandings, and these human injury games we play, then I’m also deepening my capacity to love.

PHYSICAL

• Free Run dog harness/leash. Built with components of climbing-gear quality, this makes my country dog so happy. Leash when I need it, free when I don’t. Never leave home without it.

• 4-in-1 braided multi-charging cable. This saves me from travel spaghetti and is working great so far. I want one that is lightning, rather than USB, but next time.

• Altra Lone Peak shoes. Zero drop, wide toe box. On my 4th pair. Walked the Norte route of the Camino in these and leaving today for the first half of the Via Francigena. Perfect paired with Aonijie toe socks inside Darn Tough crews. No blisters, cool feet.

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DIGITAL

• Marco Polo app. So much fun to share good morning videos with my granddaughter far away. No intrusive ads, no bs, feels secure—I don’t believe in putting kids’ images out in the inter-world.

• Ladder app. I re-committed to strength training in January and Ladder provided just what I was looking for. Love Team Crews Control—functional training for all ages, with an emphasis on maintaining flexibility. Plenty of fun. This is worth the money, IMHO.

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INVISIBLE

“Never cut what you can untie.”

Having grandchildren brings this home over and over. My kids’ dad, their bonus mom, their other brother—everyone together for dinner. So glad we all love each other, and also glad we have our individual lives.

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

Todd Henion is a recently retired airline pilot now trying to fix the world one toaster at a time.

PHYSICAL

• Finite and Infinite Games - James Carse: This book has changed all the measures and time markers in my life. Understanding and identifying an infinite game radically adjusts my goals and roles. Simon Sinek has recently reworked and broadened this dichotomy into organizational psychology in his book The Infinite Game. Both categories of game are worth playing, but the rules and outcomes are dramatically different.

• JetStream Pens: There is no better smooth ballpoint pen. Pretty cheap and very reliable. Everyday ballpoint writer with stunningly gentle flow.

• 11-in-1 Klein Screwdriver: Among the highlights of my month are our local Repair Cafes. Neighbors bring in broken and damaged appliances, clothes, and all sorts of stuff. We volunteers try to repair them in collaboration with the owner. This simple multi-bit screwdriver that I carry most days, allows access to the insides of so many household items—despite different screw types—allowing me to work to understand how the machine works and how to put it right. The puzzle-solving, in partnership with the owner, is really joyful. A screwdriver can be a magic key.

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DIGITAL

• Libby App: Having 10-20 good books in my pocket at all times to divert my scrolling brain into a story or concept is the fruition of childhood fantasy. And add that it is all free and very pleasant to use.

• Instapaper (Read it Later app for news and websites): “One should always have something sensational to read on the train” —Wilde

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INVISIBLE

“I don’t mind what happens.” — J. Krishnamurti*

I discovered this quote many years ago and just recently (two or three years ago) started to interrogate what he might have meant and what it means to me. I find it represents both a “Yes, and…” acceptance of our very limited ability for control. And subtracts the unhealthy attachment to outcomes that we automatically generate.

“I don’t mind what happens. That is the essence of inner freedom. It is a timeless spiritual truth: release attachment to outcomes, deep inside yourself, you’ll feel good no matter what.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti

City Builder, Investor, 3X Founder, Negotiator, Mentor & Author who helps solve problems before they happen — and pilots planes in between.

Links:
linkedin.com/in/alladamartin
facebook.com/alladamartin
allaadam.com

Project I’m working on: How Hobbies Change Lives [For over 20 years, I've been fascinated by people who do wonderfully unexpected things in their free time. The deeper I go, the more convinced I become that hobbies, taken seriously, are one of the most underrated forces shaping our lives. And, hey, if you have one (the weirder, the better), I'd love to hear about it!]

PHYSICAL

• Piper Warrior plane canvas created from a photo I took: Aviation has a strange way of simplifying life. Up there, excuses disappear, priorities become obvious, and physics remains wonderfully indifferent to your feelings. This canvas, which graces my office wall, reminds me daily that perspective changes everything. Sometimes the solution is not to work harder on a problem, but to gain a little altitude.

• Mini Pelican Pin: multicolor and very cheerful, the best companion for any blazer. It was love at first sight. Bold, slightly ridiculous, and impossible to take too seriously, this pin has it all. The wiser I become, the more convinced I become that professionalism and playfulness go hand in hand. Some days a mini pelican on a blazer does more for my motivation than an entire productivity system.

• Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés: This is one of those books people recommend for years before you finally pick it up and wonder why you waited so long. Thankfully, it found me in my twenties. It is part mythology, part psychology, and part permission slip to trust your instincts more and more and more. And hey, despite the first word in the title, it works remarkably well for all genders.

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DIGITAL

• TED talk "How Cities Come to Life": It has always amazed me how many people think cities happen by accident. They never do. Every city is a constellation of decisions made by people, for people, or, well, against people. I’ll be honest: I did not want to give this talk. But I eventually realized I couldn’t not give it, especially considering how the pain of poorly designed cities entered my own life. So I went all in and explored why cities shape far more than skylines, what becomes possible when we design them intentionally, and how they can teach us to live better. It still amazes me that I actually did it, so yes, it’s very much in my NOW.

• Dear Derek’s new website: I love Derek Sivers’ ability to make complex ideas feel simple. His new website is a reminder that the internet doesn’t have to be noisy, addictive, or poisonous. It can still be thoughtful, personal, and useful. Way back when, he inspired me to make my own website as simple as they make them. Maybe he’ll inspire you, too.

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INVISIBLE

Genius is the opposite of expectation.

I wrote this one down at least twelve years ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. We tend to associate genius with intelligence, talent, credentials, or achievement. Increasingly, I suspect genius is the ability to see what everyone else overlooks because they are busy looking where they were told to look. It hit me when I realized that some of the most interesting people I know are also the least constrained by expectation.

PHYSICAL

• LEZER Trigger Massage Point
  This item has been a life saver for me when I have an ache on my back or soreness near my groin area where I just needed something to target it right at the spot with some tough love. This was exactly what I was looking for and it does the job beautifully every time I needed it. I carry this with me when I travel since it’s light and small.

• Axiom S2 VX Pack
  I recently just switched to this backpack after having my only one-bag as the Tom Bihn Synapse 25 for over 12 years (which I love too). This bag has great design in terms of laying out various compartments including a place for your water bottle on the side for easy access and easy laptop access on the opposite side. There is only one easy-access pocket on the top near the handle too. I find this bag’s size to be fair for my one-bag travel if I don’t bring an extra pair of shoes.

• Luna Sandals - Mono Winged Edition
  Before these sandals, I was wearing Earth Runners running sandals. The straps on the Earth Runner aren’t that durable and usually breaks around two years. I’ve had these Luna sandals for over 3 years and they’re still going strong. They’re very durable and I walk, hike, and run in these during my travels as well as every day wear.

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DIGITAL

• Claude Code

  I first started coding with Claude back in February and now over 20 projects later still making new ones as well as updating existing ones. I feel like it’s the best coding agent out there albeit other people dig Codex more. I feel like you really need to get the right skills and plugins in order to truly unlock the full power of these agents. I’d recommend superpowers and compound-engineering as some plugins to install. You can just use Claude as a harness without paying for Anthropic’s plan by using DeepSeek API. Another great harness is Open Code.

• Pilgrim - Mindful Walking
  This app is great for me to take daily walks with. Sometimes when some ideas or inspirations hit, I’d hit record and note down those thoughts which then gets transcribed on-device for me to use along with some of the context on my walk like where did the inspiration hit as well as the weather and moon cycles. And when I travel and just wander about, it gives me a great summary on exactly where I had walked on a map as well as the ability to create a small web page and postcard-like image for me to share with my friends.

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INVISIBLE

energy begets more energy

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

PHYSICAL

• Dr. Pepper Zero: With the emerging evidence that artificial sweeteners aren't all that bad for you, I can now engage in diet soda without restraint. Coke Zero, Crush Zero, A&W Zero...they're all incredible, but there's nothing more refreshing than the spicy cherry goodness of Dr. Pepper.

• Patagonia Black Hole 40L: This is the perfect duffel bag (so good I own two). It's carry-on compliant for most planes, has ergonomic shoulder straps, and is extremely durable. I keep one fully loaded with climbing gear for bouldering days in Squamish, and another "clean" bag that I use for travel. The 40L bag has more than enough space for international travel. It's stylish and comes in a range of colours (although I prefer the black with rainbow print).

• Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Pan 11.75": This pan inspires me to be a better cook. It's my daily driver and is seasoned enough where I can make an omelette without any sticking. The Matfer pan has a welded handle without rivets, allowing for a completely smooth cooking surface. It's lighter (and heats faster) than a cast-iron, is oven safe (at reasonable temperatures), and avoids the potential health impact of nonstick pans.

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DIGITAL

• Instapaper: I have a tough time reading news articles (mostly movie reviews if I'm being honest) on my laptop. Instapaper lets me save articles without ads within the app, which I can then access on my Kobo. I can read without distraction on my handheld reader while I'm on the go or using a cardio machine at the gym.

• The New York Times Cooking app: This has been essential in my cooking journey. I love that I can save recipes that I enjoy or want to cook in my recipe box. Additionally, the search function lets me choose dishes based on time investment or ingredients that I'm keen on playing around with. Learning how to cook with the NYT app has been low-stress, easy and a ton of fun.

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INVISIBLE

I’ve always had a predisposition towards delayed gratification and type II fun. As a result, I haven’t felt much type I fun or joy in my life. I recently had an experience of pure pleasure drinking the best coffee of my life in a Parisian cafe (shout out to Joachim at Substance), which led to a lightbulb moment. I can still strive and work hard, but experiencing bliss, awe and wonder is also important. That was a bit of a ramble, but the TL;DR of my invisible now is chasing moments of simple joy just for the sake of it

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

LINKS:

• instagram.com/xternal

• linkedin.com/in/pavelguzhikov

• facebook.com/pavel.guzhikov

• guzhikov.substack.com

NEWSLETTER:

Journey of a quiet changemaker

Stories about pain, gain and lessons learned from entrepreneurship, tech, social work and living with eyes open.

By Pavel Guzhikov

PHYSICAL

• Crocs Geometric Clog — I always thought Crocs are lame and uncomfortable, until my friend some day told me he is sexy enough to wear crocs all the time. Then I randomly bought this geometric one and fell in love. I go to gym, shop, sometimes office and basically anywhere where something more is not expected by circumstances. Really comfy and versatile.

• Black Diamond Astro — bought a couple of years ago in Tashkent, Uzbekistan for mountain hiking and camping, but had a new like at my home and daily life in London, UK. I use it in so many situations – to keep my hair up, to read books, to cook in the kitchen, to play with kids, to run. It is a thing which makes me see everything more clearly in all possible ways.

• Ion8 Primo 720ml water bottle — I am very British-local-manufacturing-patriotic which I try to write about in Substack by the way. I used Camelbak bottles a lot, but switching to ion8 made me feel the difference. Everything is perfect here up to the nozzle. It is beautiful, useful, comfortable and makes me drink more and more with more pleasure.

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DIGITAL

• Endel — even in years when creating music is a click away I still love and feel Endel is doing a great job for me and my brain. It relaxes me, soothes, focuses, energises... and so on. It is like ML but without feedback loops. Don’t know, it just works amazing for me.

• Knowledge Project — if I have to consume only one source of information, this would be it. Shane does a great job for years asking great questions to interesting and not always obvious people. Signal in the world of noise. Ideas to think about. Thought provoking.

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INVISIBLE

"Just keep livin’" — mentioned by Matthew McConaughey in his first book is an internal engine that was always in me to keep doing things often even without thinking why, what for or how. For me it is an idea for both “stand up and play again” and that even “empty” days are fine to be out there.

Gordon Tebo is a singer/songwriter living outside of Chicago. He recently released his new album, “Exotic Fears”, which served as a sort of exorcism of anxiety and grief.

PHYSICAL

• An acoustic piano. Not a digital piano. Nothing you have to switch on: it’s always on—that’s the feature! It doesn’t even have to be a piano. A guitar works great, too. Even if you don’t know how to play an instrument, it doesn’t matter. The presence of the instrument in your apartment, house, life, is enough. A friend comes over, sits down and plays a song. Kids come by and noodle mindlessly. It’s a piece of furniture, and it’s not going anywhere. It’s not a liability: it’s a major organ in the living organism you call home. Get one, used. Play it first before you buy it. Get the one that feels right. It will change your life.

• The Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L. Good backpack design is like conceptual origami. How did they seemingly include every conceivable useful feature, spanning functionality, security, and accessibility, into a package that looks sleek and feels great? It’s masterful. I just went to Philly on a 3 night trip and it was overkill. I could travel for a week in this thing comfortably. I want to travel even more than I already do because it makes travel fun and freeing. Thoughtfulness, resourcefulness, and thoroughness: it’s what makes things great.

• My beater 2014 Toyota Highlander. I had been contemplating buying a newer car on the grounds that this car is now over 100k miles, has taken some hits, doesn’t have the best gas mileage, the tech is ancient, the turning radius is terrible, and the back hatch takes forever to actually open on its automatic mode. But then I got thinking: I drove my family across the country on a move. I took my aging and sick dog on its final car ride. I drove my second newborn home from the hospital in it. I can bang it up and it doesn’t care. I don’t stress about this car. No one probably wants to steal it. No one even notices it. In fact, someone drove into it at full speed because they didn’t see it (they were on their phone). I thought it was totaled but it came back to life and I swear it drives better now, and maybe even loves me back at times.

DIGITAL

• Bear (notes app). Here’s where I do all of my writing. Lyrics, random thoughts, poems, beliefs, dreams, recipes, drafts, everything. It’s nothing special, but it works. It works because it’s not trying to be anything more than a good notes app. It’s minimal yet not lacking features. It’s sleek yet it’s not trendy. Everything I’ve done that took a little bit of planning and turned out great in the past 5 years started right here in Bear.

• Infinite Loops podcast. Like all podcasts, you kind of have to forgive the host. They don’t know who’s listening, or how many times they’ve listened to one of their episodes. They often repeat the same things every episode, tell the same stories, and you know what they’re about to say before they start talking. But that’s not what makes a podcast. The guests make it or break it, and Infinite Loops has great guests that span all sorts of disciplines and offer all manner of thoughtful opinions and measured ideas. Their heads are screwed on tight but they still provoke deep and useful thought. And the host is pretty good, too.

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INVISIBLE

A sense of humor.

“Humor and self-righteousness are mutually exclusive” … a classic Alan Watts observation.

This quote is a useful tool for being alive right now. I can get mad that things aren’t going my way or the world is spinning out of control more than yesterday, and my feelings are valid, of course. But one has to balance out those feelings with awareness. And the funniest thing a person can say is what they firmly believe to be true. That’s the funniest damn thing! Try it sometime with someone you trust and love. Once you out it, you pop the bubble in your mind that was holding it all together and you realize you don’t actually know anything other than how you feel inside right now. And that always makes me feel better. Laughing feels great too.

PHYSICAL

• Feel Good Bench: I use a cushion when I meditate at home, but when I travel, I pack a Feel Good Bench. You can spend way too much time comparing different benches online. This one is sturdy, comfortable, slides into a backpack, and is solidly constructed with wires and magnets.

• Clock Parts: I love clocks. I have a classic Simplex schoolhouse clock in my kitchen that was on the wall of every one of my classrooms growing up. But for a long time it was powered by a long, ugly cord hanging down the wall. So I fixed it with parts from Clockparts.com. They have the parts to turn any old clock into a battery powered clock. My Simplex clock now runs a sweep hand on one D battery that I replace every two and half years. My antique Ingraham mantel clock runs great, and you’d never know it is battery powered.

• RO Bucket: I have a hobby sugarbush and tap twelve trees on my city lot in Saint Paul, MN. But boiling all that sap while teaching and raising kids is a challenge. The RO Bucket helps me manage it by removing around 60% of the water. It saves me crazy amounts of time and money and allows me to stay on top of big sap runs. It’s easy to use and maintain and Carl, the owner, is always available to troubleshoot problems.

DIGITAL

• Omnioutliner Pro: I bought my first PowerBook in 2001, and OmniOutliner came preinstalled. I’ve never looked back. I think, read, and write structurally, and so my tendency is to outline. This tool helps me organize all my writing and speaking projects. Most often, I use it to plan out my courses. I’ve built a template to organize each course by weeks and days. It’s easy to update after class with what worked and what didn’t. The Essentials version gives you a feel for things, but the Pro version is where the magic really happens.

• YNAB: This is probably over-recommended, but YNAB is easily the one digital tool I can’t live without. My wife and I have been using it since 2010 to manage finances. It’s allowed us to budget for moving, buying a house, changing jobs multiple times, having one then two then — surprise — three kids, prioritizing travel, and saving for retirement. The transparency allows us to have super easy money conversations. It’s the first app I open every morning.

INVISIBLE

N-1

Call it Buddhist, Stoic, existentialist, or whatever, this is my shorthand for capturing the idea that we will do everything in our lives a finite number of times and that eventually we will do everything a final time. I tattooed it on my arm. It helps me more deeply appreciate the good moments, recognize that even the challenging things will end, and reminds me that there will eventually be a final time. And, sadly, we often don’t know when that is. Is it now? Sam Harris’s Last Time meditation from his excellent Waking Up app conveys this better than I can.

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

Also, please free to forward this to a friend you would like to see featured in WIMN. The full archive of the past 253 issues is available here: https://whatsinmynow.substack.com/archive

PHYSICAL

• Mac mini travel case: Once upon a time, EE nerds walked the Earth with geek boxes containing wires, transistors and stuff. Now you can LARP that lifestyle with a Mac Mini travel case. Need to add a custom shoulder strap for the full effect but the ability to take my powerful mini anywhere two legs can walk is worth every strange look.

• Comma 4/sunnypilot: Upgrade your car with an advanced, open source driver assistance system. Comma 4 is hardware that easily plugs into over 300+ cars while sunnypilot is a community project upgrade that offers more features than the base software. You may need to grab a tech friend but the ability to put in a destination and have the car drive there (with vigilance) is more widely available than most people think.

• Sony WH-1000XM4 headset. I loved these when I first got them. After 2 years of nearly constant use, I upgraded to the XM5. After another two years of heavy use, the XM6 came out. After testing those I ‘downgraded’ back to the XM4, and have no regrets. You won’t either. The noise cancelling is strong and it switches to ambient on a guess, a problem with the XM5.

DIGITAL

• Caveman (Claude Code skill). Yes, it writes output like a caveman. Yes, that’s funny. But guess what? Caveman save tokens (~65% avg). Three levels: lite, full grunt, ultra (almost alien-speak). Not just for code, either. After having Caveman rewrite Mark Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar, I was convinced of its potential in other domains, and I’m trying to port it to Claude Desktop with the intent of writing all emails in full grunt mode. The world would be a better place if you joined me on that mission.

• Repoprompt. This is a context management tool for AI. Ignore the advertised token windows, the rot starts hard after 128-256K, if that. Repoprompt has AI scan the codebase, codeslice files to fit set token budgets and improves prompts. Oh, it also enables AI pair programming between models, with review gates, plan checks, the works. Only for MacOS at the moment but Windows is on the roadmap (for a year now…). Also on the roadmap: PDF text splicing. The result? Stronger output responses, less energy burn, earlier bedtimes.

INVISIBLE

“In the cellars of the night, when the mind starts moving around old trunks of bad times, the pain of this and the shame of that, the memory of a small boldness is a hand to hold.” — John Leonard.

I don’t need this quote at the moment, but maybe someone does. It’s been helpful in the past. Record your bold, authentic acts. Collect more. Revisit them.

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

PHYSICAL

• Spyderco Dragonfly 2 penknife Non-locking, featherlight, legal to carry in most European countries, and the steel takes an edge beautifully. At tavernas in Greece, my friends always turn to me the moment something needs cutting: come on, where’s the knife? The rare object that manages to be both entirely practical and quietly perfect.

• Collings OM2H-T guitar I own twenty-three guitars, so nominating one is not a trivial act. Julian Lage was among the first high-profile players associated with this model — which is how I heard of it — and when I found this particular example in London, even the staff said there was something unusually good about it. There still is.

• Chuang Tzu: Inner Chapters (trans. Gia-fu Feng & Jane English) I’ve read the Inner Chapters almost every week since I was seventeen — I’m now in my mid-sixties. I own six or seven translations; this one earns its place through Jane English’s photographs, which capture the spirit of the Tao in a way I’ve never found elsewhere.

DIGITAL

• Claude Code (via Visual Studio Code) I’m a retired English lawyer on a mountainside in Greece, writing a historical novel set in 1445 Samarkand. Through Claude Code I run an AI-powered publishing operation: a chief of staff called Archie coordinates specialists covering research, editing, marketing, and law. None of them exist in the conventional sense. All of them are indispensable. Full story on my Substack.

• Lost and Savage An Italian rides a Kawasaki W650 across Central Asia — the W650 was my first serious motorcycle, and the Silk Roads are my obsession. Quieter, stranger, and considerably more interesting than the usual motorcycle travel content.

INVISIBLE

The chief element of happiness is this: to want to be what you are. — Erasmus

You could attribute this to Marcus Aurelius or Chuang Tzu and nobody would blink. Its universality is the point — not a cultural artefact but a simple, portable truth.

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

LINKS:

• Linktree

• Instagram

• Substack

PHYSICAL

• Selah: A Báyò Akómoláfé Reader — “When times are urgent, we must slow down.” This book is an essential challenger of all human conditioning, an existential thirst trap, tool, a teacher, a gift.

• The Zone of Authenticity: Authentic Connection Cards — This deck of cards has helped me reconnect with my mother and father after years of distance. We spend one hour a month picking cards from the deck, answering the questions, listening to one another, sitting with each other’s unfolding authenticity. It’s playful at times, heavy at times, and an invitation to soften into new shapes of old relationships.

• Blue-light Blocking Glasses for Daytime Use — As someone who spends hours a day looking at screens and suffers from headaches and migraines, these blue-light blocking glasses are a true lifesaver...and they are cute! Yes, sometimes it’s awkward to be the one on the video call with yellow-lensed glasses, but don’t we all need a simple way to practice giving fewer sh*ts what others think?

DIGITAL

• An Existential Guide to: Making Friends —  For you—you who some days (maybe most days) wish you were moss, you who find eye contact with animals pleasureful and eye contact with humans uncomfortable, you who struggle to answer the ice breaker question because you are every color, you who, at your core, only want to be held and cared for.

• You, The Living — A black comedy that begins with this quote from Goethe’s Roman Elegies, “Therefore rejoice, you, the living, in your lovely warm bed, until Lethe’s cold wave wets your fleeing foot.”

INVISIBLE

hard on the systems…soft on the people…

Just a good reminder for us all right now and always.

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

PHYSICAL

• Garmin Forerunner 965 — After a decade of loyalty to Fitbit, my wife finally talked me into making the switch to Garmin — and I haven’t looked back. As someone running about 30 miles a week, the depth of data it provides is genuinely useful: VO2 max, HRV, sleep scores, route maps. I’m not just collecting numbers — I think it’s actually made me a better runner and healthier person.

• Rogue Hoe/Pick — If you live in the American Midwest, bush honeysuckle is basically a villain — invasive, stubborn, and once you know what it looks like you’ll see it absolutely everywhere. I picked up this hoe/pick while volunteering with the Missouri Conservation Corps and it’s the best tool I’ve used in a decade for chopping, pulling, and hacking these things out at the root. Simple, brutal, effective.

• Urban Chestnut Brewery — My cousin owns this St. Louis gem, and I have it on good authority that he’s a good guy. But the beer stands on its own — Urban Chestnut leans into classic European styles done really well. If you’re in St. Louis their two taprooms are worth your time, and you can find their beer at retail locations across the region. You won’t be disappointed.

DIGITAL

• Waking Up — I’ve been a Sam Harris fan for over 20 years, so I was thrilled when this app came out. Harris once wrote that spending every waking moment lost in thought leaves us at the mercy of wherever our minds wander — and that meditation is a way of breaking that spell. This app makes that accessible without being intrusive. From 30-second mindfulness moments to daily quotes to a vast library of guided sessions, it meets you wherever you are and whenever you’re ready.

• NotebookLM — I hadn’t interviewed for a job in nearly 20 years, so when I decided to get back on the market I started with NotebookLM as a thinking partner — uploading personality assessments, personal reflection notes, and an honest account of what I wanted from my next role. Once I landed an interview, I shifted gears: fed it company research, the job description, and all that personal data, and it helped me figure out where I could genuinely add value. It synthesized everything into a custom podcast I could listen to on my runs, and during cooldowns I’d switch to Gemini Live for mock interview questions. After a few weeks of that I felt genuinely ready. And wouldn’t you know it — I got the job.

INVISIBLE

“Proceed as the way opens” — Quaker Proverb

I first encountered this Quaker proverb in William Least Heat-Moon’s River-Horse, where he called it his “precept of last resort” while navigating 5,000 miles of American waterways. It stuck. There’s something in it that echoes what evolutionary biologists call the “adjacent possible” — the idea that each step forward opens up the next one, even when you can’t see very far ahead. I find it grounding. It’s never hopeless. There’s always something you can do, and one move usually reveals the next.

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

PHYSICAL

• Five year diary - only a couple sentences a day, but the perspective that emerges once you are into the second or third year is incredible. Like, it turns out everything bad happens to me on December 11. Everything good is first week of April. I’m on year 7.

• Reading light (bookmark style from Glocusent) - this tiny thumb drive of a nightlight saves me from looking at my phone if I’m awake in the night, with warm and cool settings and different brightness.

• Mandoline slicer (from OXO Good Grips) - makes all slicing and dicing way easier, which makes me eat more veggies.

DIGITAL

• Duolingo - I am now competent in two new languages, but it’s also a way to be productive and not on social when I’m on my phone.

• Headspace - meditating on a streak!

INVISIBLE

I love this Toni Morrison quotation:

“Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge—even wisdom. Like art.”

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

LINKS:

• Substack

• Instagram

• Website

• Studio Kaki

• Yuba

PHYSICAL

• MD Notebook [A5] — I’ve never kept a consistent journal or diary, but this year I’m trying out some morning pages, and I’m loving the weight of this notebook, the smoothness of the paper, and the fact that it always lies flat.

• Olympus AF-1 Camera — I pulled this camera out of my storage box last summer; it belonged to my grandpa. Normally, I don’t love point-and-shoots and prefer more control while shooting, but it’s actually been quite liberating to shoot with. It’s got a great built-in flash, and it’s lightweight, which makes it great for travel or pocketing for a night out.

• Hinomoto Konbu Bag — I thrifted this bag in Tokyo and have since fallen completely in love. It’s functional, durable, has no external branding, and has the most satisfying zip.

DIGITAL

• Only 8 — a brilliant website about Barcelona streets and who they’re named after.

• Never Too Small — A YouTube channel featuring beautifully thought-out apartments, houses, cabins, all roughly under 60 m² (646 ft²). It’s an excellent source of inspiration for interior design and architecture, and covers spatial problem-solving. It’s also fascinating to observe the distinctive ways in which individuals decorate their homes in cities across the globe.

INVISIBLE

“Coming back — so many pathways through the spring grass.” — Yosa Buson

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

PHYSICAL

• Nite Ize Portable Device Stand. Very handy for propping up the iPad (or phone) on my lap or on a flat surface. Great for allowing hands-free use of my iPad while following recipes either in my photos, Notes, or online.

• iKlip Xpand by IK Multimedia…universal mic stand support for iPads and tablets. Designed for musicians for use on a microphone stand. In addition to using it as-intended, I also use it for FaceTime calls, and whenever I need hands-free iPad operation…i.e. when following a DIY video or when cooking.

• I have a Wagner’s 1891 Original Cast Iron Cookware, 13 3/8 inch skillet…it is an indispensable piece of cookware that I ‘inherited’ from a friend of my mother’s who was downsizing. I wouldn’t have sought out such a large/heavy pan as a must-have kitchen item. It’s non-toxic non-stickiness along with the ability to go from stovetop into the oven are amazing properties. The Wagner pans aren’t made any longer, but any large cast iron skillet (Lodge or Staub) would suffice. Make sure you get one with a handle on both sides, as it’s heavy.

DIGITAL

• WeTransfer…file transfer service. Free level…Share and receive up to 3 GB / month, 10 transfers per month, transfer expiry up to 3 days. I use this to share large .wav files with my band mates that are too large to email. There are also paid levels which include more GB and transfers per month. The ‘Free’ level (email required for sign up) is truly ‘free’ and works perfectly.

• Canva…graphic design tool…I have used this to design album cover art and business cards for my band. Very intuitive user interface. It can be used online, but I prefer their app for iPad. While there are options to ‘upgrade’, the free version (email required for sign up) fulfills my needs.

INVISIBLE

Mantra for mindful practise, relaxation, general well-being…taken from a broth-making cookbook, (by Louise Hay, I think)…

“See the breath. There is only the breath. And so it is.”

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

PHYSICAL

• reMarkable Paper: I always need to write things down, to clear my head and capture ideas. My phone was already overflowing with notes, but this (fairly expensive) toy helped me turn that chaos into something tidy. Bonus: they even have a refurbished section.

• Computer Engineering for Babies: it’s the very first gift I gave my newborn daughter. Because yes, I care a lot about nurturing a young girl’s engineering mindset. And okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a total nerd and I love the idea of sharing that passion with her.

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: simply the best video game I’ve ever played (no French bias tbh). I’m so obsessed that I’d go to a concert just to hear its soundtrack, which took two years to compose. It’s also the only game I’ve finished completely and then replayed in New Game+ mode.

DIGITAL

• My new project Looties. It’s the marketplace dedicated to merch from the tech ecosystem. It enables developers to buy and resell pieces from conferences and events, in a space where tech culture is collected, passed on, and kept in circulation.

• The talk from Steve Winslow at PyTorch Conf 25: Genuinely, this was the only talk I managed to attend and somehow the most refreshing one I’ve been to in a long time. Clear, well-vulgarized, short, and actually useful. It introduced something genuinely new (a new OSS license for AI models) instead of recycling the usual noise.

INVISIBLE

Being authentic is about being honest, not impressive — favoring truth over optics, and refusing to say what I can’t defend with facts.

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

PHYSICAL

• Asvine P36 Titanium Piston Demonstrator fountain pen: This is simply a fountain pen which is punching so far above its weight it’s ridiculous. It writes smoother, feels better, and looks nicer than many pens costing even 10 times what this Chinese “replica” pen cost. Fitted with a Bock medium nib and filled with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsutsuji, it’s a delight.

• Elephant N-Wallet: I got fed up with breaking my butt every time I sat down because my wallet was full up. Honestly, it was around 1” deep at that point. I switched to Elephant N-Wallet and apart from the occasional new elastic band, it’s been amazing. I carry no less than I did before but it’s a much smaller package. As an aside, I also use a small Muji Polyester double zip case to carry more stuff like pill cases and other bits and bobs. As a combination it’s perfect for me.

• Resound Vivia Hearing aids: I’m pretty much deaf these days and these hearing aids have been incredible for me. Not cheap but the sound quality is incredible and the MFI connection to my iPhone for streaming works beautifully.

DIGITAL

• I recently switched over to Microsoft OneNote after my previous e-note supplier increased their subscription to beyond stupid. The fact that it’s included with my Office subscription (kinda sorta free, right?) and I bought and stacked annual packages on Amazon Prime Day, I don’t pay anything until June 2028!

• I simply could not exist without RSS and my Feedly account. I follow 600 feeds of varying activity levels and never miss an update. I’ve been a user since 2013 (post Google Reader). Simply perfect.

INVISIBLE

Whatever you do today, do it with the confidence of a 4-year old in a Batman cape.

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.

PHYSICAL

• Oven pull - These are wood or silicone sticks with two notches. You grab your oven rack with it to get it in and out of the oven while putting some distance between yourself and a very hot metal box, so you’re less likely to burn yourself.

• Keats & Co. Evensong Chai - Caffeine free (it’s rooibos), plus all the profits go to tuberculosis treatment. Good.store, which runs the brand, is a great company run by internet celebrities John and Hank Green and they have all kinds of other good products as well.

• Public libraries! - Listen, I work at an academic library, and I still hit up my local public library all the time, because they have items for checkout that my workplace doesn’t have, and they’re one of the last places in American society where you can hang out and they won’t ask you for money (save for maybe late fees). Plus they may have programs and items you weren’t expecting, like board games, odd kitchen equipment, tax prep help, passport services, free museum passes, or makerspaces.

DIGITAL

• Kung Fu Grandpa in the Food Lion parking lot! - The narration combined with the absurdity of the guy messing with nunchucks in the grocery store parking lot is pure gold.

• Worlds Beyond Number - If you had asked me a year ago if I would be interested in a podcast of four people playing DND together, I would have said no. Past me would have been wrong. Some of the best audio storytelling, and a lot of that is due to the friendship between the four players, all with improv backgrounds. (But also: The editing and sound design are pretty killer as well.)

INVISIBLE

“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it” — Pirkei Avot, 2:16

Especially helpful in these times!

What’s in your NOW?

We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.

If you’re interested in contributing an issue, use this form to submit: https://forms.gle/Pf9BMuombeg1gCid9

If we run your submission in our newsletter and blog, we’ll paypal you $25.