Signs of the -- are everywhere, and Singaporeans aren’t happy about it. For months, eateries, libraries, and hospitals across the island nation handed out small, often brightly colored stickers to visitors who could show proof of vaccination or who attested they were -free. After clearing the entry checkpoints, people wore the stickers while inside the venues. Outside, scores of discarded badges ended up stuck to railings, walls, signs, traffic-light posts—practically any surface within arm’s re...
Apr 20, 2022•43 sec•Ep. 91
Signs of the -- are everywhere, and Singaporeans aren’t happy about it. For months, eateries, libraries, and hospitals across the island nation handed out small, often brightly colored stickers to visitors who could show proof of vaccination or who attested they were -free. After clearing the entry checkpoints, people wore the stickers while inside the venues. Outside, scores of discarded badges ended up stuck to railings, walls, signs, traffic-light posts—practically any surface within arm’s re...
Apr 20, 2022•5 min•Ep. 92
Mercury retrograde is one of the best-known astrological events, a time when the planet Mercury appears to move backward—an illusion caused when it laps Earth’s orbit. Astrology adherents usually organize their schedules around it to dodge planetary-induced chaos. Now, their calendars are getting trickier: This year, the retrograde will occur four times instead of the usual three. People who believe in bad luck foresee an extra spell of it and are having to rejigger parties, trips and projects. ...
Apr 19, 2022•41 sec•Ep. 93
Mercury retrograde is one of the best-known astrological events, a time when the planet Mercury appears to move backward—an illusion caused when it laps Earth’s orbit. Astrology adherents usually organize their schedules around it to dodge planetary-induced chaos. Now, their calendars are getting trickier: This year, the retrograde will occur four times instead of the usual three. People who believe in bad luck foresee an extra spell of it and are having to rejigger parties, trips and projects. ...
Apr 19, 2022•4 min•Ep. 94
Want to live an extra seven years? Think nice things about old people. A new book on the psychology of aging argues that positive beliefs about growing old can add an average seven-and-a-half years to a person’s lifespan. Such good thoughts give the mind greater power over longevity than steps like lowering blood pressure (which adds roughly four years, according to the book), cutting cholesterol (four years), quitting smoking (three years) or losing weight (one year). Becca Levy’s “Breaking the...
Apr 18, 2022•45 sec•Ep. 95
Want to live an extra seven years? Think nice things about old people. A new book on the psychology of aging argues that positive beliefs about growing old can add an average seven-and-a-half years to a person’s lifespan. Such good thoughts give the mind greater power over longevity than steps like lowering blood pressure (which adds roughly four years, according to the book), cutting cholesterol (four years), quitting smoking (three years) or losing weight (one year). Becca Levy’s “Breaking the...
Apr 18, 2022•5 min•Ep. 96
Elon Musk went full-on corporate raider a week into his rolling clash with Twitter Inc., offering a $43 billion bid for the company and warning he might sell his stake in the service if rebuffed. The Thursday offer was the latest in a will-he-or-won’t-he saga between the world’s richest person and the social-media service. The offer was at once serious—Mr. Musk disclosed it in a federal filing—and at the same time tinged with humor, as the offer was for $54.20 per share, a barely veiled referenc...
Apr 15, 2022•35 sec•Ep. 97
Elon Musk went full-on corporate raider a week into his rolling clash with Twitter Inc., offering a $43 billion bid for the company and warning he might sell his stake in the service if rebuffed. The Thursday offer was the latest in a will-he-or-won’t-he saga between the world’s richest person and the social-media service. The offer was at once serious—Mr. Musk disclosed it in a federal filing—and at the same time tinged with humor, as the offer was for $54.20 per share, a barely veiled referenc...
Apr 15, 2022•7 min•Ep. 98
On a bustling, tree-lined block outside downtown Omaha sits a modest home with a wood-shake roof and brown-and-white striped window awnings. If its walls could talk, they’d tell the origin story of Omaha’s most famous man, billionaire Warren Buffett. On an arched door in the sunroom of the home is Mr. Buffett’s signature along with the words: “The birthplace of Buffett Associates May 1956.” In the mid-1950s, the property was home to Mr. Buffett, nicknamed the Oracle of Omaha for his investor acu...
Apr 14, 2022•56 sec•Ep. 99
On a bustling, tree-lined block outside downtown Omaha sits a modest home with a wood-shake roof and brown-and-white striped window awnings. If its walls could talk, they’d tell the origin story of Omaha’s most famous man, billionaire Warren Buffett. On an arched door in the sunroom of the home is Mr. Buffett’s signature along with the words: “The birthplace of Buffett Associates May 1956.” In the mid-1950s, the property was home to Mr. Buffett, nicknamed the Oracle of Omaha for his investor acu...
Apr 14, 2022•5 min•Ep. 100
Electric guitarists can spend years searching for tube-powered amplifiers that will give them the perfect tone. Now many of them are on the hunt for the tubes themselves. Long made obsolete in most consumer electronics by printed circuit boards, vacuum tubes are still used in guitar amps and hi-fi equipment. Aficionados say the tubes—just a few inches tall, with heated filaments that resemble a dimly glowing bulb—provide a warm, creamy tone unmatched by solid-state circuitry. “It’s something I d...
Apr 13, 2022•51 sec•Ep. 101
Electric guitarists can spend years searching for tube-powered amplifiers that will give them the perfect tone. Now many of them are on the hunt for the tubes themselves. Long made obsolete in most consumer electronics by printed circuit boards, vacuum tubes are still used in guitar amps and hi-fi equipment. Aficionados say the tubes—just a few inches tall, with heated filaments that resemble a dimly glowing bulb—provide a warm, creamy tone unmatched by solid-state circuitry. “It’s something I d...
Apr 13, 2022•5 min•Ep. 102
As a prelude to its plan to return U.S. astronauts to the moon’s surface for the first time since 1972 , the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has asked several space-robotics companies to design their own pod-like lunar landers to ferry scientific instruments and gear to the surface without a crew. At least two of these commercial entities also plan to send up art, though it’s unclear which one will be ready to launch first. The lander with Mr. Koons’s art is pledged to hitch a ride...
Apr 12, 2022•6 min•Ep. 103
Jeff Koons is in a race to be the first man to display his art on the moon, an exhibit that could net him a fortune. Mr. Koons, the world’s most-expensive living artist, is known for creating mirrored steel sculptures evoking balloon animals that have sold for as much as $91 million. Now, the artist has made an artwork he thinks can survive a 238,900-mile trip to the moon aboard a lunar lander slated to take off this year. To succeed, he will need to rocket ahead of rivals including Sacha Jafri,...
Apr 11, 2022•46 sec•Ep. 104
Jeff Koons is in a race to be the first man to display his art on the moon, an exhibit that could net him a fortune. Mr. Koons, the world’s most-expensive living artist, is known for creating mirrored steel sculptures evoking balloon animals that have sold for as much as $91 million. Now, the artist has made an artwork he thinks can survive a 238,900-mile trip to the moon aboard a lunar lander slated to take off this year. To succeed, he will need to rocket ahead of rivals including Sacha Jafri,...
Apr 11, 2022•6 min•Ep. 105
Rob Thomas, 50, is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, a solo artist and lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, which is planning an upcoming tour. He spoke with Marc Myers. When I look back at the low points in my childhood, I’m amazed I survived and emerged where I am now. My mom, Mamie, married at age 14 to escape her abusive mother, Mattie. She had her first child at 16, divorced, remarried, had me at 21, and divorced again when I was 2 in the mid-1970s. We were all but doomed to a life of poverty....
Apr 08, 2022•59 sec•Ep. 106
Rob Thomas, 50, is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, a solo artist and lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, which is planning an upcoming tour. He spoke with Marc Myers. When I look back at the low points in my childhood, I’m amazed I survived and emerged where I am now. My mom, Mamie, married at age 14 to escape her abusive mother, Mattie. She had her first child at 16, divorced, remarried, had me at 21, and divorced again when I was 2 in the mid-1970s. We were all but doomed to a life of poverty....
Apr 08, 2022•6 min•Ep. 107
Two letters all over social media started as a jolly greeting among cryptocurrency fans and went on to inspire a new virtual currency, real-life tattoos and, naturally, online squabbles. The catchphrase “gm”—or, to put it the old-fashioned way, good morning—is increasingly popping up on Twitter , Telegram and Discord channels, often alongside images of surf, sun-dappled flowers and sunsets. The abbreviation is more than just a pleasantry for people who embrace blockchain, the technology underpin...
Apr 07, 2022•43 sec•Ep. 108
Two letters all over social media started as a jolly greeting among cryptocurrency fans and went on to inspire a new virtual currency, real-life tattoos and, naturally, online squabbles. The catchphrase “gm”—or, to put it the old-fashioned way, good morning—is increasingly popping up on Twitter , Telegram and Discord channels, often alongside images of surf, sun-dappled flowers and sunsets. The abbreviation is more than just a pleasantry for people who embrace blockchain, the technology underpin...
Apr 07, 2022•6 min•Ep. 109
TOKYO—The Tokyo Stock Exchange inaugurated its new top-tier Prime section on Monday, and all the familiar names were present, Toyota , Sony , Honda and the like. And then there was Econach Holdings Co . , which has 13 full-time employees and hasn’t paid a dividend since 1969. The company owns Thermae-yu, a bath and spa in a Tokyo red-light district that features a massage parlor, a pub and all-night service. It is no insult to say that Econach operates at some distance from the stock exchange’s ...
Apr 06, 2022•57 sec•Ep. 110
TOKYO—The Tokyo Stock Exchange inaugurated its new top-tier Prime section on Monday, and all the familiar names were present, Toyota , Sony , Honda and the like. And then there was Econach Holdings Co . , which has 13 full-time employees and hasn’t paid a dividend since 1969. The company owns Thermae-yu, a bath and spa in a Tokyo red-light district that features a massage parlor, a pub and all-night service. It is no insult to say that Econach operates at some distance from the stock exchange’s ...
Apr 06, 2022•6 min•Ep. 111
Elon Musk disclosed a 9% stake in Twitter Inc., turning one of the social-media company’s most famous users into its largest shareholder. The surprise move sent Twitter’s stock up 25% in Monday trading, though little is known about Mr. Musk’s intentions. The Tesla Inc. chief executive has previously reveled in the attention from his more than 80 million Twitter followers, and criticized the service broadly. In a securities filing Monday, Mr. Musk reported owning almost 73.5 million shares of Twi...
Apr 05, 2022•56 sec•Ep. 112
Elon Musk disclosed a 9% stake in Twitter Inc., turning one of the social-media company’s most famous users into its largest shareholder. The surprise move sent Twitter’s stock up 25% in Monday trading, though little is known about Mr. Musk’s intentions. The Tesla Inc. chief executive has previously reveled in the attention from his more than 80 million Twitter followers, and criticized the service broadly. In a securities filing Monday, Mr. Musk reported owning almost 73.5 million shares of Twi...
Apr 05, 2022•6 min•Ep. 113
Stuart Williams, a voice actor, took his seat behind a microphone at a sound studio in Manhattan one cold day early this month. On a screen in front of him played a steamy love scene from the second season of “Bridgerton,” the hit romantic streaming series set in Regency-era London. “He lies behind her, gently moving his hand between her thighs. Their lips remain pressed together as he shifts to lie over her, supporting his weight on his powerful arms,” Mr. Williams intoned in his crisp English ...
Apr 04, 2022•56 sec•Ep. 114
Stuart Williams, a voice actor, took his seat behind a microphone at a sound studio in Manhattan one cold day early this month. On a screen in front of him played a steamy love scene from the second season of “Bridgerton,” the hit romantic streaming series set in Regency-era London. “He lies behind her, gently moving his hand between her thighs. Their lips remain pressed together as he shifts to lie over her, supporting his weight on his powerful arms,” Mr. Williams intoned in his crisp English ...
Apr 04, 2022•6 min•Ep. 115
Warren Bischoff, who leads a group of financial advisers in the Washington, D.C., area, has taken on a new role since returning to the office a few months ago. He’s the dress-code police. In a single week, he had to tell one employee that white tennis sneakers are a no-no, another that bluejeans aren’t appropriate, and a third that T-shirts will never fly. In a recent edge-case ruling, he decided that “dress sneakers”—brown shoes with a white sole—might be OK, but only on Fridays. “They have a f...
Apr 01, 2022•38 sec•Ep. 116
Warren Bischoff, who leads a group of financial advisers in the Washington, D.C., area, has taken on a new role since returning to the office a few months ago. He’s the dress-code police. In a single week, he had to tell one employee that white tennis sneakers are a no-no, another that bluejeans aren’t appropriate, and a third that T-shirts will never fly. In a recent edge-case ruling, he decided that “dress sneakers”—brown shoes with a white sole—might be OK, but only on Fridays. “They have a f...
Apr 01, 2022•5 min•Ep. 117
Last fall I reported on a phenomenon that doctors around the globe were just beginning to understand: Teen girls were showing up in hospitals and clinics with sudden motor and verbal tics seemingly related to videos they watched on TikTok. Doctors say they’re continuing to see an outsize number of girls suffering from tics, and some are also developing new disorders.New research findings offer hope that the problems can be addressed. Starting back in the spring of 2020, girls in Chicago were unc...
Mar 31, 2022•55 sec•Ep. 118
Last fall I reported on a phenomenon that doctors around the globe were just beginning to understand: Teen girls were showing up in hospitals and clinics with sudden motor and verbal tics seemingly related to videos they watched on TikTok. Doctors say they’re continuing to see an outsize number of girls suffering from tics, and some are also developing new disorders.New research findings offer hope that the problems can be addressed. Starting back in the spring of 2020, girls in Chicago were unc...
Mar 31, 2022•6 min•Ep. 119
Armed with a slim laptop and a Wi-Fi hot spot, Bobbie Carlton used to work everywhere—coffee shops, clients’ offices. The 56-year-old, who runs an online speakers’ platform, felt like the archetype of the modern worker. “Cords are for old people,” she explained. Now 50 feet of Ethernet cable snakes through her 100-year-old house in Lexington, Mass., climbing over doorways, running up the staircase, taped to the floor of the upstairs hall. It’s seriously ugly, she acknowledges. “Good God, this is...
Mar 30, 2022•44 sec•Ep. 120
