Photographer Chloé Jafé worked as a hostess in a Tokyo bar to meet and gain the trust of members of the Japanese mafia. Six years later, she published a photography… Read the rest of the article: French photographer explains how she was able to take photos of Yakuza bosses' wives

I've been wanting a Teenage Engineering op-1 for years, but I can't justify paying $1300 for something I might not use a lot. But the Behringer TD-3 synthesizer, at about… Read the rest of the article: The low-cost Behringer TD-3 synthesizer looks like a lot of fun

MetalBallStudios made this animated video that helps you envision the size of various named asteroids by placing them in Manhattan. [via Laughing Squid]

Covid-19 is a lab-concocted version of the common cold that's been weaponized to make Trump look bad, says Rush Limbaugh. From HuffPost: Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed on his… Read the rest of the article: Rush Limbaugh, noted epidemiologist: "The coronavirus is the common cold, folks."

In Reader's Digest, Megan Kennett writes about the time a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent at JFK asked her if she was bringing any fresh fruit or vegetables into… Read the rest of the article: After passenger told U.S. Customs agent that her suitcase once held a smashed banana, she was detained and added to a watch list

When I was in Tokyo in 2017, I left my daypack in a taxi. I asked the person who was running a cooking class I was attending if there was… Read the rest of the article: If you lose your keys, phone, or wallet in Japan, you will probably get it back. Here's why

A man found a hidden GPS tracking device on his car. He removed it, and the police who put it there were so mad they arrested him for theft of… Read the rest of the article: Court rules that removing a GPS tracking device from a car isn't the same as stealing it

[UPDATE: CNN reports "Harvey Weinstein was taken to New York's Bellevue Hospital Monday night after feeling chest pains and having heart palpitations and high blood pressure on his way to… Read the rest of the article: Serial rapist Harvey Weinstein remanded into custody: "He is no longer a free man"

In balmy Edmonton, a woman was arrested for liberating a package from a front porch. Watch the exciting police action on YouTube! Image: YouTube

As of 12:35pm ET, the Dow Jones index is down nearly 1,000 points, due mainly to uncertainty about how Covid-15 will affect international trade. To balance the decline, here are… Read the rest of the article: The stock market is plunging today, but two things are up: the price of gold, and weed use among seniors

The Manhattan Institute issued a report that reveals that a year of middle class wages no longer pays for major household expenditures. From The Washington Post: Lead author Oren Cass… Read the rest of the article: This chart reveals why the rising GDP hasn't helped the middle class

Earlier this month, the United States Copyright Office and the World Intellectual Property Organization co-sponsored a symposium titled Copyright in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.  The purpose of the symposium… Read the rest of the article: How the "monkey selfie" is affecting copyright law for art and writing produced by artificial intelligence

Laura Kampf made this cool looking plywood chair with a storage space for books. She says she'll upload plans for making one of your own soon. If you like videos… Read the rest of the article: DIY plywood chair with book storage

“Why is Chris Matthews on this air talking about the victory [of] Bernie Sanders, who had kin murdered in the Holocaust, analogizing it to the Nazi conquest of France?” asked… Read the rest of the article: Why did Chris Matthews say Bernie Sanders' win in Nevada is like the Nazi conquest of France?

I write a weekly newsletter with Claudia Dawson and Kevin Kelly, called Recomendo. In each issue we briefly recommend 6 things. Here's a great tip in the Jan 26, 2020… Read the rest of the article: Help your future self by imagining an invitation to a far-off event is tomorrow

"I'm not only the Hair Club president but I'm also a client." If those words ring a bell, then join me in celebrating a man brought much happiness to others.… Read the rest of the article: RIP Sy Sperling, founder of Hair Club for Men

https://youtu.be/KcsiD3nNzA4 Learn about "Nook Inc.’s Deserted Island Getaway Package" in Animal Crossing: New Horizons  for Nintendo Switch, which is coming out on March 20, 2020. Image: Nintendo

Twenty-five experts have issued a warning about the potentially cataclysmic consequences of the rapidly shrinking insect population, reports The Guardian. In a two-part article for Biological Conservation, the scientists wrote:… Read the rest of the article: "The current [insect] extinction crisis is deeply worrisome," say experts

On our app you can filter out anybody who thinks climate change is Fake News. — OkCupid (@okcupid) January 14, 2020 OKCupid recently announced it's letting its users avoid dating… Read the rest of the article: Dating site OKCupid lets you filter out climate change deniers

Researchers at McAfee adding a small piece of tape to the "3" on a 35 MPH traffic sign, to make it look a little like an "8." Then they put… Read the rest of the article: Changing a 35 MPH traffic sign to 85 MPH with a piece of tape causes Tesla to drive 85 MPH