Calling out room dynamics/Teeny phone tripod/Purse hook

Recomendo - issue #447

The art of naming what’s in the room

This article on "The Art of Calling Out Room Dynamics" is geared toward high-stakes professional environments, but I find it incredibly useful advice for defusing tension and realigning unproductive group meetings of any kind. The article outlines practical tips, as well as the psychology behind naming what is in the room. Pattern interruption helps to break negative loops, and focusing on the collective experience helps to create psychological safety and make space for honest dialogue. This is a conversational superpower that anyone can develop. — CD

Teeny phone tripod

It’s not easy to prop a phone up at the right angle. For video calls using the phone, or for photography I sometimes want a steady position sans arms. I use this itsy-bitsy holder from Peak Design that folds up to the size of a credit card, but thicker. Parts of the card fold out to form a tripod and the remaining is a magnetic plate which holds the phone (check to be sure your phone back does magnets). I can then stand my phone on a desk for a video call or place it outside like a small camera tripod for video or timelapse. The design is ingenious. It slips into my daypack when travelling. — KK

Purse hook for tables

After one too many purses sliding off restaurant chairs onto grimy floors or taking up table space, my wife started carrying this clever folding hook in her purse. It magnetically collapses to the size of a silver dollar but unfolds to securely hang bags from any table edge. — MF

Public domain image search tool

I was tired of visiting multiple museum collections one-by-one for usable images, so I built this simple web tool that creates direct search links to 11 major institutional collections on a single page. Enter a search term like "sailing ships" and get one-click access to results from places like the Smithsonian, Met Museum, Library of Congress and more. Free. — MF

Source for sacred statues

Sacred Source is a treasure trove of sacred images, traditional deities, and spiritual statues. It is my go-to source for buying hand-crafted devotional artifacts for my altar. They have such a diverse range of statues, honoring both ancient cultures and modern spirituality. As a small company dedicated to supporting artisan families, every purchase feels like a meaningful choice. — CD

Known unknowns

This is super cool: Wikenigma, an encyclopedia of known unknowns. What we know we don't know. A startlingly long list of unanswered questions, uncertainties, and blank areas in our collective knowledge. Frontiers. Good places to work. — KK

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