Amazons Interesting Finds/Prehistoric Invertebrates/Fraudster Calls

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TIP: Any bones or skulls you collect can be whitened up without using chlorine bleach, which can weaken the bone. Use concentration hydrogen peroxide, which will fizz and brighten bone to a brilliant white very quickly. You need stronger stuff than the dilute peroxide found in drug stores. Head to the hair care aisle or hair product stores, and look for bottles of concentrated H2O2 in bottles labeled as Clairoxide or the like. KK

SERVICE: Amazons Interesting Finds will give you pages of really cool, surprising stuff. Like this Milk Drop Bowl. I dont know how they are curating it, but I particularly like the Fun option. KK

LEARN: Dr. Mokus Hiragana and Katakana apps use mnemonics to help you memorize the Japanese syllabaries. Within 60 minutes I had all the syllables memorized (roughly 100). MF

TOOL: Because of the Tangle Teezer, I actually like brushing my hair after I shower. Just a few, quick strokes and my hair is super smooth and detangled. Ive used the Tangle Teezer on my 10-year-old niece, who has 26-inch long hair and hates getting it brushed, and there was not one complaint. A tip for brushing long hair painlessly: gather all hair in a fist and brush in sections from the bottom up. CL

TOY: Leave it to the Japanese to sell toy models of prehistoric invertebrates. Not fierce dinosaurs, or ancient predators, but spineless slugs and amorphous marine creatures extinct millions of years ago. The Favorite Store offers two of my favorites, inexpensive anatomically accurate soft casts of Opabinia and Anomalocaris. KK

ENTERTAINMENT: When I get a call from a fraudster (like a Microsoft tech support scammer or an IRS impersonator), I merge their call with the Jolly Roger bot ($6/yr). This is software that has canned voice responses designed to confuse and waste the time of the criminal who calls you. Listen to funny recordings of the bot in action here. MF