Bookmarks (1212)

As a rule of thumb, I try to never check luggage when I fly, but there are times when it is simply unavoidable. Also unavoidable is the subsequent required trip to the luggage carousel. You know the scene: The area is littered with your fellow exhausted travelers who are eager to get their bags so they move along to…Read more...

An increasing number of Americans are asking whether living in the United States is still a good idea—and I don’t blame them; there’s a lot going on right now. I’m still a fan, but that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping my options open, downloading Duolingo, and learning as much as I can about how to move to somewhere else…Read more...

I learned a lot about myself this morning thanks to Dimensional, a social media app that serves up a bunch of personality tests and encourages you to compare results with your friends. Not that I learned much from the tests themselves—personality tests are silly—but I did discover I am someone who can be made aware…Read more...

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, people have been talking about what abortion was like in the days before modern medical procedures. Even in ancient history, abortions were performed with both surgical and medicinal techniques; Ben Franklin famously included a protocol for herbal abortions in one of his books. And…Read more...

Insightful documentary explorations into the most pressing issues of our day are all well and good, but given that I usually watch TV when I want to completely wall off my brain from the horrors of reality, I’ll take a YouTube-style deep dive into a piece of pop culture ephemera (almost) every time. The Day the Music…Read more...

Water can help your garden feel more tranquil—and it can encourage birds and other wildlife to spend more time in your yard. Adding a water feature can sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. You can get all the benefits of having a backyard oasis without a lot of hassle. Here are some simple tools and tips you…Read more...

Every year around mid-June my inbox is flooded with press releases for flag cake recipes, all of which boast new and exciting takes on the patriotic dessert. Usually I ignore them, because flag cakes have been done to death, but America has really outdone herself this year, and she deserves a cake—an unprecedented…Read more...

Plenty of things can cause fights in a relationship, from infidelity to a misalignment of values, but many issues boil down to a lack of trust, a lack of communication, or a blending of the two. And then, you have your finances. Money causes major stress to many of us all individually, so it makes sense that it would…Read more...

Anyone who has ever moved as an adult knows how expensive it can be. Between hiring movers, renting transportation, replacing lost or broken items, the bill that comes along with settling into a new home can be pretty steep. If you’re looking to save money on your next move, know that the little things add up. To…Read more...

When you’re traveling or out and about, a single USB-C adapter is never enough. You probably need at least two USB-C ports—one for your iPhone and the other to charge your MacBook, iPad, or other peripherals. While you can get a plethora of third-party multi-port chargers, Apple has never made one—until now.Read more...

Viewed through modern eyes, long-discredited parenting techniques seem laughable—what kind of idiot would feed a six month old child eggs, bacon, and coffee? But remember, raising your kid in weird ways wasn’t that weird when tons of people were doing it.Read more...

From Netflix, to iCloud or Google Cloud, to Amazon Prime, to Blue Apron, you probably subscribe to more subscription-based services than you can easily remember— which can be a problem when it comes to canceling services that you aren’t actually using anymore.Read more...

Although fireworks make appearances at New Year’s Eve celebrations, sporting events, and even weddings, their big day is unquestionably the Fourth of July. But how did the explosive displays come to be associated with Independence Day in America? And when did that start? Here’s what to know about the country’s loudest…Read more...

In the past few months, ever since the draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade was released, searches for female sterilization have quadrupled, a trend that is likely to continue now that the right to a legal abortion has been overturned by the Supreme Court. Given that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas stated in…Read more...

It’s estimated that 25 million Americans have a fear of flying. And although the fear is a perfectly natural one—how does it stay up there, especially when turbulence hits?—it can have a significantly negative impact on a person’s life. But there’s a simple mental imagery trick, invented by an airline pilot and making…Read more...

According to the National Resources Defense Council, up to 40% of the food in the United States is never eaten. A lot of factors contribute to that reality: restaurants cook more food than they’re able to sell in a day; grocery stores overstock their shelves to create the appearance of abundance; farmers can’t always…Read more...

For years, my kids have been following me into my garage gym. (Even before we had a proper home gym, they would steal stray dumbbells or yoga balls that I thought I had bought for myself.) I would encourage their interest, but I wondered: How can I encourage them to make exercise a habit? It took a while, but I think…Read more...

Last week I asked you for your unwritten rules of parking lot etiquette. As I wrote then, this request sprung from when I previously asked Lifehacker readers for their unbreakable rules of driving etiquette. From there, a sub-category of passionate pleas for common sense and human decency emerged. In addition to the…Read more...

The age of the noctilucent cloud is upon us. Night-shining clouds are historically rare, beautiful formations of shimmering ice crystals hanging in the upper atmosphere that were only visible in the northern parts of the world in years past. They’ve been steadily creeping south for four decades though, so this could…Read more...

Let’s be honest: One reason we love sharing our Spotify listening data is for the competition. There are apps that help flaunt off your eclectic library or prove you’re among a band’s highest listener percentage, but now you can display the depths of your obscure music tastes by creating a Spotify Iceberg thanks to…Read more...

You don’t need to intervene if you find a baby bird. Truly, fledglings don’t need your help. But an injured bird is another matter. If one flies into your streak-free window, for instance, and is now lying on your deck, it only makes sense that you’d want to help out your tiny, feathered friend. You can do that, but…Read more...

Hanging out at the airport is no one’s idea of a good time, but as the Transportation Security Administration warns of longer-than-usual wait times during this busy summer travel season, it (unfortunately) seems the prudent choice is to get to the airport early.Read more...

My refrigerator is broken. Not broken in a way that cannot be fixed, but broken in a way that requires a specialist of some kind. It has taken over a week to schedule that specialist, so I’ve been working with a mini fridge for eight (8) days. This has obviously limited the amount of perishables I can keep around, so…Read more...

I used to be someone who started every morning with Wordle and all its spin-offs. I mastered how to play four, even eight Wordles, but a few weeks ago I went about my morning routine—a run, coffee, and work—and simply didn’t feel the need. Not even the Gay Wordle. (Happy Pride.)Read more...

You’ve likely seen videos of fish pedicures or seen signs advertising them the last time you were abroad. Kim Kardashian famously got one in Greece, screeching on camera while tiny fish nibbled the dead skin off her feet. The idea is familiar to American audiences, but not as commonplace in our daily lives—fish…Read more...

For some reason, the frequency of google searches for “How to move to Canada” spiked by 550% last week. Maybe Justin Trudeau must have announced a new tourist-attracting marketing campaign or something?Read more...

The sun can wreak havoc on a lot of things, from your car to your skin. Did you know that even your eyes are susceptible to damage from UV rays? They are. We don’t usually call that “an eye sunburn,” though; we call it photokeratitis. But it’s effectively the same thing, and it’s bad news. Here’s what it is and how to…Read more...

If you’ve checked the news even once over the past few months (or tried to buy basically anything), you know the United States is currently dealing with a bit of an inflation problem. Compared to this time last year, the price of food has gone up 10.1%. The price of new cars has gone up 13.7%. The price of hotels has…Read more...

Want to add some kettlebell exercises to your routine, but aren’t sure where to start? Here are 11 mostly beginner-friendly moves you can do with those kettlebells that are lurking in the corner of your gym, or with a bell you might have at home. We’ll start with the more accessible stuff, and get into some useful but…Read more...

Last week, Green Day frontman Billie Joel Armstrong told a London crowd he was planning to renounce his United States citizenship because the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal right to an abortion in the country. It’s not exactly shocking that the man whose band is responsible for the 2004…Read more...

One of the many decisions to make when traveling is: Airbnb or hotel? While you’re probably going to consider the obvious, like location, availability, and cost, there are many other factors that could influence your experience.Read more...

Knowing how to finish a dish is what separates the great home cooks from the merely good ones. That extra bit of attention to detail not only makes your food taste better, it makes it feel intentional and complete. If your meal is a sentence, the finishing touches are the period, or perhaps an exclamation mark. A…Read more...

After a tortured development process that involved multiple failed films and more than a few false starts as a TV series, Y: The Last Man premiered on Hulu, finally bringing celebrated comics writer Brian K. Vaughan’s post-apocalyptic opus to the small screen. It was promptly canceled before the first season had even…Read more...

If your eyebrows furrowed last time you got the check at a restaurant, you’re not alone. The price of going out for a meal has risen 9% compared to this time last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While taking the family out to dinner certainly isn’t your cheapest meal option, it doesn’t need to be…Read more...

Apple’s Notes app might not be the first option to come to mind when you want to keep a conversation hidden from others. But by using its collaboration features to invite others into a “conversation”—and then deleting the messages when you’re done—you can erase all evidence of your chat. Sure, it’s nowhere near as…Read more...

Buying or selling a house is a stressful marathon of endless complications—but when you’re finally done borrowing wheelbarrows of cash and signing approximately one thousand sheets of paper, you can finally relax and enjoy your new home, right? Ha ha, no of course you can’t, because the worst is yet to come: You have…Read more...

We all have our bad days at work. When you do, it can be all too easy for our emotions to get out of control, whether that means crying at your desk over bad news or lashing out at a colleague in anger. If you find yourself melting down at work, there are coping strategies that can help temper your emotions, mitigate…Read more...

Back in 2020, many car rental companies got rid of large parts of their rental fleets. Now, with surging demand and less supply, car rental prices are often astronomical (not to mention what you’ll spend on gas to fill up the tank). When you travel to Europe, though, you have another option: auto rental buy-back…Read more...

Snakes often get a bad rap and sometimes with good reason—there are plenty of venomous snakes that are dangerous to pets and people in North America, including diamondback rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads. In spite of their reputation, though, there are many species of snakes that aren’t dangerous at all,…Read more...

My fellow Americans, please: In the name of all that is good and holy, stop acting dumb when you visit other people’s countries. I know all American tourists don’t act like oafs overseas, but enough do to make the stereotype of the “ugly American” common and lasting.Read more...

Leeches. Parasites. Maybe even bed bugs? Landlords get called a lot of things—none of them favorable. This couple running a “15-Airbnb empire” went viral on Twitter last week, highlighting an increasingly common consensus online: Everyone hates landlords.Read more...

Google Password Manager is an all-encompassing password management service for your Google Account, but actually managing your manager can be a little tricky. It doesn’t have a specific app or extension (like password managers like 1Password or Bitwarden typically do), but is deeply woven throughout Google’s products.Read more...

With the exception of your bathroom, you probably have multiple appliances, devices, lighting, and electronics is most rooms in your home—all of which need to be plugged in. Plus, there are things like vacuums, fans, and other items that may not get their own dedicated outlet, but need one on occasion.Read more...

If you’re fortunate enough to live in a home with some outdoor space, you probably should use it. Whether you have acres of land, a compact backyard, or an apartment balcony, it’s entirely possible to create a dedicated, hospitable area where you can sit and enjoy being outside—even if you don’t have the budget, time,…Read more...

June is coming to an end, which means it’s almost time for fireworks and hot dogs. But after your third cookout, you may be looking for something to eat that isn’t a tube of meat. Fortunately, there are plenty of food deals and freebies this 4th of July weekend. Here are a few to consider.Read more...

In addition to providing companionship, (some) dogs are also hard workers. For example, some breeds are excellent at herding sheep or cattle, while others use their heightened sense of smell to sniff out drugs or diseases. Read more...

After decades of the assumption that a proper lawn must be made up of a single type of uniformly green—and freshly mown—grass, people are realizing that there are other (far less time-consuming and more environmentally friendly) options out there. One of these is a tapestry lawn.Read more...

For many people, window fans are essential tools for keeping cool—especially if they don’t have (or are cutting back on) air conditioning. Even with access to AC, window fans can provide an otherwise-stuffy room with some much-needed ventilation.Read more...

June 24 happens to be National Bring Your Dog to Work Day, but lots of people take their pooches into the office or other professional space a lot more often than once a year—usually to the delight of their colleagues. It’s great for the dogs, who don’t have to stay at home anxiously awaiting their beloved person’s…Read more...

As the cost of flights continue to go up, consumers are looking for ways to rein in the total cost of their airfare. One fee you can avoid if you play it right is paying for the honor of bringing your luggage onto their plane. Each airline has its own set of rules and definitions for baggage. What’s technically a…Read more...