NATO Alphabet Converter/Huge If True/Framework for letting "it" go

Recomendo - issue #445

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Jan 12, 2025

Easy NATO phonetic alphabet converter

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

Illuminating science YouTube

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

A framework for letting it go (whatever “it” is)

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

Party dice game

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

Replace tape and tacks

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

Alt Japan guides

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

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.

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