Book Freak #188: Outraged

Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground by Kurt Gray

Get Outrgaed

Understanding the root of moral conflicts is essential for maintaining social cohesion. Kurt Gray reveals that our deepest disagreements stem not from hatred or ignorance, but from different perceptions of harm and who needs protection. This insight provides a practical pathway to meaningful dialogue across political and moral divides.

Core Principles

The Harm Foundation

All moral beliefs, regardless of political orientation, are rooted in protecting against perceived harm. Conservatives and liberals don’t differ in their desire to prevent harm — they differ in their views of who is being harmed and what constitutes harm. Understanding this shared foundation creates opportunities for connection.

Moral Validation

Acknowledging others’ genuine concern about harm doesn’t require agreeing with their conclusions. When we validate someone’s moral perceptions as sincere attempts to protect against harm, we create space for real dialogue. This validation helps decrease dehumanization and enables more productive conversations.

Story Over Statistics

Personal narratives about harm are more effective than facts and figures in building understanding. Stories help us see the human impact behind moral positions and create emotional connections that statistics cannot match. They make abstract moral principles concrete and relatable.

Try It Now

1. Start your next difficult conversation by asking about a personal experience that shaped the other person’s views
2. When someone expresses a opposing viewpoint, respond first by acknowledging their concern for preventing harm
3. Share a personal story about why you care about an issue before presenting your argument
4. Find someone with opposing views and ask them to explain who they’re trying to protect and why

07/23/25

Nimona/ Cat Rackham

Issue No. 76

NIMONA – A MODERN MEDIEVAL WORLD WHERE THE BAD GUYS ARE GOOD AND THE GOOD GUYS OFTEN AREN’T

Nimona
by Noelle Stevenson
HarperTeen
2015, 272 pages, 6 x 9 x 0.7 inches (softcover)

Buy on Amazon

A few years ago, I had the good fortune of discovering Noelle Stevenson’s comics through an interview she did with Danielle Coresetto of the webcomic Girls with Slingshots. I read Nimona when it was available in full online and fell absolutely head over heels in love with the comic, blasting through it from start to finish in one sitting. When I revisited the site a few months later to show it to a friend, I was delighted to find out that it had been picked up by HarperTeen and was to be published later that year – no one deserved a publishing deal more than this incredibly talented illustrator and writer.

The graphic novel is set in a fresh fictional world of Stevenson’s imagining, inspired by the medieval fantasy scene but infused with science and technology. The titular character, Nimona, is a shape-shifting young girl who has foisted herself upon her favorite super-villain, Ballister Blackheart, as his sidekick and general mischief-maker. In a Despicable Me-esque fashion, the moral and big-hearted Blackheart has dedicated his life to grand (and mostly failed) schemes against the Institution of Law Enforcement & Heroics, a shadowy corporation with shadowy motives that ousted Blackheart years before. Nimona herself is brash, mischievous, and reckless – and in a split second, can turn into a rhino to smash through a steel door, or into a dragon to fly off with a massive chest of gold.

The characters are clever, snarky and lovable; the plot is filled with adventure and, at turns, heartbreak. Stevenson’s art is wonderfully stylized, colorful and expressive with charming and memorable character design. It’s a tricky thing to make a cast of characters this likable without it feeling cheap or like pandering, but don’t worry, there are no Mary Sues here. Every character has depth and pain and plenty of flaws, but they wiggle into your heart a little deeper for it. Their bickering and bantering give them a real family feel.

What I love most about Nimona is the delightful subverting of expectations and conventions: the collision of the modern and the medieval; a world where science and magic and technology all work side by side. The bad guys are good guys and the good guys often aren’t. Our hero is a super-villain, and the strongest characters are the most vulnerable. The contrasts don’t feel like stark juxtapositions – they feel like a harmonious blend of swords and science in the loveliest way possible. – Michelle Kaatz

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CAT RACKHAM COMICS ARE AS MISERABLE AS THEY ARE WONDERFULLY ADDICTIVE

Cat Rackham
by Steve Wolfhard
Koyama Press
2016, 124 pages, 7.3 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches (hardcover)

Buy on Amazon

Cat Rackham is an anxious, scruffy, navel-gazing kitty who sometimes likes adventures. But mostly he likes to stare. And sleep. And stare some more. An existential Ziggy, if you will. He has a couple of friends, but he is usually by himself. He doesn’t have good luck, and his stories don’t have especially happy endings, but they’re weirdly charming and, dare I say, humorous. He used to have his own web comic series, created by Adventure Time storyboard artist Steve Wolfhard, until it disappeared for no apparent reason. Fortunately, Koyama Press has just released Cat Rackham, a collection of these comics that are as miserable as they are wonderfully addictive. – Carla Sinclair

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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.

07/22/25

Vehicle Living

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 147

Public safety gear catalog

Urban camouflage

My Jeep is camouflaged to look like a commercial fleet vehicle. I made up a fake company name, appropriated a 1950s-era logo that once belonged to a nuclear energy mutual fund, painted safety stripes on the back, and plastered a fake vehicle number all over the place. I also added flashing yellow lights in the rear window, and a police-style spotlight and rubberized push bumper to the front. VERY FUN accessories … and useful too (when used with discretion). The spotlight is incredibly versatile — you can point/rotate it while sitting in the driver’s seat — and it’s come in handy countless times for roadside emergencies, setting up campsites, or finding house numbers on dark streets.

This urban camouflage guise is very useful for parking in yellow zones, urban/industrial exploration, and crime deterrence. And the thing is… it really works!

The spotlight, bumper, and rear flashers came from my *all-time favorite* mail order catalog: Galls, “The Authority in Public Safety Equipment and Apparel.”

It’s a gold mine, full of handy things that you didn’t think you were allowed to buy. — Todd Lapin

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Vagabonding tips

VW Vagabond

This couple penny-pinched their salaries for several years, bought a VW Van, and drove it around the world (US, South America and Africa). They share what they have learned on one of the most helpful websites I’ve seen for this sort of thing. I really like their sensibility and advice. Very reasonable and very wise. They also “review” the tools and stuff they found vital in their small traveling home on this page. Click on a tool to see more.

They give good advice about shipping vehicles (very complex) and even saving up enough to make the journey. They have a book, too.

While living in a VW Van for three years, they got the idea that even this lifestyle was too complex so they get simpler for the next stage. They are now bicycling across Asia, another adventure and great idea. They are riding recycled 1980 mountain bikes. As usual they have all kinds of great tool reviews (water filters and the like).

Part of the reason their advice and website is so useful is that they have no sponsors — a rarity for ambitious trips like this these days. It keeps them honest and useful. Check ’em out. — KK

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Tips for American nomads

Dwelling Portably

Practical advice about being homeless or low-budget in-motion by choice — camping on the edges, living simply, getting by on the road and loving it. This old-fashioned zine crams tons of tips onto a few sheets of paper printed in minuscule 6-point type. Holly and Bert Davis have been publishing this resource for several decades (formerly called Message Post) so they have a no-nonsense perspective. It’s for modern nomads in the US choosing alternative lifestyles to working 9-5 in the same place. You get hard-won need-to-know wisdom like: How to live in cars. How to buy staples for 25 cents per pound. Can you camp in U-Hauls? Where can you find a cheap dentist? The dangers of social services taking kids without a house. Fixing a free bike for long-haul travel. etc.

Everyone should live in near-poverty at least once in their life, and this humble newsletter provides guidance and inspiration of how to learn the max from it. — KK

• Legality of salvaging from dumpsters. Amy Dacyzyn, who phoned several police officials, said (in The Tightwad Gazettte, July 1993), “Dumpster diving is generally considered to be legal with the following exceptions: — If the container is on CLEARLY MARKED private land, behind a fence or locked up. However, most dumpsters in ‘semi-public’ areas such as parking lots are fair game. — If the discarded items are outside the dumpster they should not be taken.” A deputy district attorney in Santa Clara, CA, where many people rummage for high-tech discards, told Amy: “By putting items in a dumpster, the companies have abandoned ownership…. The idea that people are stealing is not a prosecutable case.”
• For quick earning with little expense, consider cab driving. I can almost always get a job immediately, anywhere in the country. Drivers often quit, and cab owners are anxious to keep their equipment rolling. After 6 months, a driver will usually start to ‘burn out’ and not put in as many hours. That’s okay: if you’ve worked hard and not spent much, you’ll have enough money to move on. I just quit the best deal I ever had: 38% of meter plus owner paid gas. I did so much business I couldn’t handle the stress. But I now have enough to live modestly for two years.
  I usually lease a 24-hour (single shift) cab and sleep in it, bathing at public facilities. Generally, if one is working hard, the owner gives you a lot of leeway. You will need a valid drivers license with good record, and a sense of direction and ability to rapidly learn your way around. Cab driving is a good way to scout a new area, and gain information and interesting experiences.
  Alas, driving is becoming increasingly competitive and, in big cities, regulated. Also, some cities are dangerous, even if one knows the streets well. I advise: small towns, or working-class suburbs adjacent to big cities. Depressed areas are actually good places to make money as many people there can’t afford cars. You’d be surprised how many people I take to welfare offices. Waitresses and bartenders often tip well, because THEY depend on tips. Las Vegas is, by universal acclaim, the best place to earn big bucks. As with anything, ask the old timers — which will be easier after one has ‘hacked’ a few times.

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Vehicle freezer

Coleman Stirling Power Electric Cooler

This is a fantastic electric cooler based on the free piston Stirling cycle that will maintain freezing temps even in a hot car. The power consumption is amazing, 24 watts. It’s quiet, light weight, works great. Much more practical than the portable compressor or propane based freezers. I’ve had two in continuous use for two years now and they are wonderful. I think this product has not taken off like it should because of confusion with the cheaper, power hogging thermo-electric Peltier-type coolers. — Todd Troutman

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Cold tool

Portable Freezer

I have been doing a fair amount of research into a portable fridge for an vehicle expedition I am planning on doing from Baja to Alaska. The problem lies in the Peltier thermoelectric technology used in the new cheap coolers; they just don’t make really cold temperatures.

To my knowledge there is nothing great in the sub $100 range, but there are excellent efficient cold fridges made for expeditions. These will actually freeze stuff. Unfortunately the cheapest is about $550. They are the ones with the sealed Danfoss compressors. These portable fridges/freezers are marketed by Waeco, ARB, and Engel and are all basically exactly the same products. You can pick which one you think has the better customer support; I can’t say which that is yet. I would probably go with ARB, as they have a very high rep in the 4×4 community. But the Waeco USA site also has a ‘factory reconditioned’ section that is worth keeping an eye on for the right model. — Alexander Rose

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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.

07/21/25

Rental car toll hack/DIY legal guidance/Flounder Mode

Recomendo - issue #471

Rental car toll hack

Rental car companies love to shake you down with their toll programs—- either pay an absurd daily fee (like $25/day!) for their toll service or risk getting slammed with massive processing fees if you hit a toll booth. But here’s a money-saving move: register your rental car’s license plate on The Toll Roads website before driving. I snap a photo of the plate and VIN (enter it here to get the car’s year, make, and model) at pickup and add it to my FasTrak account right there in the parking lot—takes 2 minutes. Set the start/end dates for your rental period and you’re good to go. — MF

DIY legal guidance

Getting legal advice from a chat AI is an okay way to start, but you’ll need something more trustworthy to complete a legal deal. For 50 years I (and many others!) have relied on Nolo Press for legal guidance. Nolo offers fantastic guidebooks to common legal needs — from speeding tickets, to small claims court, to bankruptcy and divorce. In some cases they offer online forms and software to get what you need. I’ve used Nolo to create my own LLCs, partnerships and other legal entities. I also used their guide to change my name legally. They are very clear and trustworthy and much cheaper than a lawyer. — KK

Inspirational profile on Kevin Kelly

This essay on Kevin Kelly by Brie Wolfson, titled “Flounder Mode,” is my favorite profile of Kevin Kelly I’ve ever read. It perfectly matches my own experience of knowing him — a creator who is endlessly curious, prolifically generative, laid-back, kind, and genuinely happy. Equally compelling are Brie’s honest reflections about her career path, which invite me, as a reader, to reflect more deeply on my own choices and dreams. More than ever, I feel inspired to align my creative habits and decisions with what truly interests me. I recommend this to anyone interested in redefining for themselves the meaning of “greatness,” “ambition,” and “outcomes.” — CD

Headphone stand

This simple headphone stand is one of those “why didn’t I get this sooner?” purchases. It keeps my AirPod Max headphones always within reach and has a weighted base to prevent tipping. I went with the metal version over plastic for better durability. A small upgrade that makes my workspace feel more organized. — MF

Bullshit Remover

Bullshit Remover is a fun tool to play with. Paste any block of text into the box and it will remove the “crap” and give you back the truth behind all the words. — CD

Favorite quotes

Time for some more quotable quotes:

• The patient inherit everything the impatient leave behind. — Shane Parish
• Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could. — Rudiger Dornbusch
• I wouldn’t have seen it, if I didn’t believe it. — Marshall McLuhan
• There are two kinds of people in the world… and who is not both of them? — James Richardson
• Everything that moves will be autonomous — Jensen Hwang
• Knowing what you’re doing is way overrated. — Pope.L
• A cartoonist is someone who has to draw the same thing day after day without repeating himself. — Charles M. Schulz
• You have to be unreasonable to see the world that doesn’t yet exist. — Will Guidara
• If I knew where songs came from, I’d go there more often. — Leonard Cohen

I offer these as small mind-tickles to remind you of what you already know, but have forgotten. — KK

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07/20/25

Travel Gear Deals/Avoiding Bug Bites/Bad Behavior Fines

Nomadico issue #163

Cheaper Gear at Amazon

As I’m sure you’ve heard, we’re in the midst of Prime “Day” at Amazon, a sale event that’s going on for 72 hours this time. A few items we’ve recommended before are marked down quite a bit, like the 10-inch Kindle Fire tablet (56% off), the JBL Go 3 travel Bluetooth speaker (30% off), and the Lifestraw backcountry water filter (43% off). This is a great time to pick up earbuds or headphones, like the folding Beats Solo 4 headphones at 51% off.

What Really Works Against Mosquitoes

This Lifehacker article on how to avoid mosquito bites when you’re enjoying the summer weather on your deck is refreshingly concise. I’d add treated Insect Shield clothing to the list for an extra layer of protection, but it’s easy to remember a breeze and the right sprays. “DEET really works, and so do picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. If a mosquito repellent spray (especially a ‘natural’ one) doesn’t have one of these ingredients, it’s probably no good.” I usually go for a higher percentage of DEET than they recommend, which you can find online or at sporting goods stores.

Bad Behavior Fines in Europe

I’ve frequently discussed new travel fees popping up all over, but this article showing all the things you can be fined for in Europe was about five times longer than I expected. You may think Europe is more laid-back about showing skin, but you’d better not walk around in swimwear in parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, or Croatia, with some fines exceeding $1,500. Unruly behavior, smoking in public, eating next to a cultural monument, or even taking a selfie in the wrong place could hit your wallet hard. And don’t pull out a dashcam for your rental car in Austria: it’s illegal there.

How Many Passports?

Now that AI is answering our questions, sometimes even giving the right answer, you don’t see many articles like this answering a single search query like “How Many Passports Can You Have?” The answer, according to this Travel + Leisure article, seems to be “plenty” if you want to go to the effort. There are even circumstances where you could have two for your home country.

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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.

07/17/25

Mooncop / Super Graphic

Issue No. 75

MOONCOP – A STORY WITH EXISTENTIAL PATHOS THAT WE EARTH-DWELLERS CAN RELATE TO. RELEASED TODAY!

Mooncop
by Tom Gauld
Drawn and Quarterly
2016, 96 pages, 6.6 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches (hardcover)

Buy on Amazon

The great Moon colonization project was a failure. The few diehards who remain in their prefab pod-like houses are going back to Earth. That leaves the unnamed lunar police officer with barely anything to do as operations wind down. Author/illustrator Tom Gauld is in top form with his just-released Mooncop, telling a simple story with a deep layer of existential pathos that even we Earth-dwellers can relate to. – Mark Frauenfelder

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SUPER GRAPHIC: A VISUAL GUIDE TO THE COMIC BOOK UNIVERSE

Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe
by Tim Leong
Chronicle Books
2013, 196 pages, 7.4 x 9.4 x 0.6 inches (softcover)

Buy on Amazon

How has Superman’s logo changed shape since it was first created in 1938? How long do comic book characters tend to stay dead? How do the populations of fictional cities compare to New York City or London? Tim Leong’s Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe uses bright maps, word webs, graphs, and flowcharts to answer questions like these and illustrate correlations among different comic book characters. Most of his information comes from the usual Marvel and DC superhero comic books, but he also analyzes information from such classics as Tin-Tin, Peanuts, and Archie comics.

The smartest graphs show Leong’s skill for bringing together information into succinct visuals, such as the charts showing that superheroes tend to wear primary colors while supervillains tend to wear secondary colors. Other spreads draw information from the comic book business or affiliated merchandise. For example, some infographics discuss which demographics reads comic books, which characters won most often in Marvel Universe Trading Card Series, and which comic book writers are the most prolific. Still other pages use the graphs to make sight-gags without providing any insight or trivia. These pages, such as the graph entitled “A Personal History of Saying ‘Good Grief’” which is drawn as the pattern on Charlie Brown’s shirt, are briefly amusing but not the pages to study. Instead, take your time exploring Scrooge McDuck’s family tree, the character web of Sin City, and the pie charts of every weird pizza the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have eaten. You never know when that information might be useful. – Megan Hippler

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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.

07/15/25

What’s in my NOW? — Steven Ovadia