Bong Joon Hos latest movie, Mickey 17, is a lot of things. Its a story about work, cloning, colonization, inequality, first contact, and the evils of capitalism. Its a satire, a slapstick comedy, and a sci-fi epic. It also belongs to one of the rarest and strangest subgenres of film: doppelgnger movies.Robert Pattinson plays Mickey, who signs himself up to be an expendable on an expedition to colonize an alien planet. This means that, if he dies, the expedition science team can simply print out another one of him and download his consciousness into it. (In a touch of director Bongs signature visual wit, his consciousness is stored in an old brick.) When the 17th Mickey survives what seemed like certain death, he finds himself living alongside Mickey 18 but duplicates are strictly forbidden. Hijinks ensue.It is the law of doppelgnger movies that the doubles must be inverses of each other, personality-wise partly as a showcase for the actor doing double duty, partly to make them easier for audiences to tell them apart, and partly to evoke the duality of identity, of ego and id. Pattinson does a superb job contrasting Mickey 17, a hesitant doormat with a wheedling voice, with the more strident Mickey 18; its never confusing which is which. It is also the law that these identical doubles must become locked in a dark dance with each other as they attempt to consume, assimilate, or otherwise overtake each other. Usually theres an unwitting sexual or romantic partner entangled. This contest is sometimes resolved well, but usually not. Mickey 17 obeys all these rules.As familiar as its tropes may seem, a true doppelgnger movie is a pretty rare find. They are a subset, or cousin, of a more popular form: the identical twin movie. An identical twin movie isnt necessarily a doppelgnger movie, dealing with the fundamental premise of one identity split in two although it can be. Dead Ringers and Adaptation are doppelgnger movies, but Legend and The Parent Trap are not. Those are just movies with identical twins in them.Doppelgnger movies are often psychological thrillers, but in fact, they can be spliced with almost any genre: action, comedy, even romance. Here are some of our favorites.EnemyWhere to watch: Free with ads on Pluto TV, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TVDenis Villeneuves last truly Canadian film arrived in 2013 sandwiched between his first two Hollywood pictures, Prisoners and Sicario, and was rather overlooked. Its an oblique, compelling story in which Jake Gyllenhaal, a mild-mannered, mopey history teacher, spots someone who looks exactly like him playing a bit part in a film, and tracks him down. Other Jake is, of course, more confident and doesnt have Jake 1s commitment issues; their meeting proves to be a disastrous mistake. Or does it? Enemy is haunting and thought-provoking without being overdetermined, it looks unreal Villeneuve shoots Toronto like a sepia wasteland of alienation and it has one of the most WTF endings ever.Dead RingersWhere to watch: Prime Video, Peacock, free with a library card on Hoopla and Kanopy, free with ads on Pluto TVAlthough spliced with the identical twin genre, David Cronenbergs utterly chilling 1988 masterpiece Dead Ringers might still be the archetypal doppelgnger movie. Jeremy Irons plays Beverly and Elliot Mantle, twin gynecologists who regularly swap lives and identities like its no big thing, but who descend into a spiral of madness and addiction when shy Beverly falls in love with a patient (Genevive Bujold) who has two wombs. Cronenbergs usual body horror is sublimated in the details of this relatively tame but still deeply disturbing and devastating film, and Irons is flat-out incredible in it.MoonWhere to watch: For digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TVLike Enemy, Duncan Jones 2009 debut Moon is a film about how disturbing it would be to discover you had a doppelgnger, and like Mickey 17, its a sci-fi cautionary tale about cloning and the cheapness of human life. Sam Rockwell is a solitary lunar miner who awakens after an accident, only to discover himself, still lying unconscious at the accident site. It turns out theyre both clones. Its a rare example of a doppelgnger movie where the doubles work together to uncover a larger mystery, but its still unsettling, and its location the dark side of the moon is ripe with the eeriness and symbolism the genre thrives on.The OneWhere to watch: For free with a library card on Hoopla, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TVAnd now for something completely different. Normally, a doppelgnger movie is about two doubles trying to destroy each other. This 2001 Jet Li movie is about one evil doppelgnger trying to destroy all the other versions of himself across the multiverse, and another good one trying to stop him. Its a dumb, post-Matrix bit of high-concept action or, alternatively, a popcorn precursor to Everything Everywhere All at Once. Its not as thoughtful about doppelgngers as the other movies on this list, honestly, but there arent many doppelgnger movies where you get to watch Jet Li doubles do kung fu on each other (or Jason Statham have hair!), so it gets in.The DoubleWhere to watch: Prime Video, free with a library card on Hoopla, free with ads on Pluto TVRichard Ayoades black comedy from 2013 (a good doppelgnger year), starring Jesse Eisenberg, is a modernized adaptation of the urtext of all doppelgnger fiction: Fyodor Dostoyevskys 1846 novella. (For more literary doppelgngers with even greater existential angst, try Vladimir Nabokovs Despair.) Eisenberg is the office worker whose life is upended by a more confident doppelgnger, only nobody else can see the resemblance. Ayoade maybe leans a little too hard on the Kafkaesque visuals, but his lighter comic sensibility is a welcome take on this often dark subject matter.UsWhere to watch: For digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TVJordan Peeles 2019 follow-up to Get Out is probably the best exploitation of doppelgngers for pure horror. Lupita Nyongo and her family are terrorized by doppelgngers of themselves on vacation; this is potent enough imagery as it is, but it turns out Peele has something even grander and darker in mind. After the wickedly pointed Get Out, some felt Us was too psychologically diffuse and elusive to land the same way, but that, surely, is the point. Ambiguity and doppelgnger movies go hand in hand.Honorable mentionsJohn Woos Face/Off, in which John Travolta and Nicolas Cage swap faces, is technically not a doppelgnger movie, but it hits so many of the genres themes, and is so extravagantly entertaining, its surely allowed in the canon. Ditto A Different Man, the 2024 dramedy in which Sebastian Stan receives a miracle cure for his facial disfigurement but then has his life overtaken by Adam Pearson, who looks something like his old self. And in Black Swan, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis dont look exactly alike, but Dostoyevskys theme of duality and story of an impostor assuming the protagonists life are fully explored.For some other genre flavors within doppelgnger world, try Bill and Teds Bogus Journey, a broad comedy in which the excellent duo must battle evil robot versions of themselves, or The One I Love, which gives the typical low-key Sundance relationship drama a wicked doppelgnger twist. There are some smart sci-fi twists on the concept embedded in Dual (obviously) and Annihilation (more obscurely). And, returning to Cronenberg-adjacent territory: Does iconic 1980s horror Possession count as a doppelgnger movie? Im not sure. Im in two minds.Where to watch: Face/Off is streaming on Paramount Plus, or free with a library card on Hoopla. A Different Man is streaming on Max. Black Swan is streaming on Max. Bill and Teds Bogus Journey is streaming for free on Prime Video with ads. The One I Love is streaming for free with a library card on Hoopla, or for free with ads on Plex. Dual is streaming on AMC Plus, or for free with a library card on Hoopla. Annihilation is streaming on Paramount Plus. Possession is streaming on Shudder, Metrograph at Home, and for free with a library card on Kanopy and Hoopla. All of these movies are available for digital rental or purchase on Amazon and Apple TV.

Developer LocalThunk, the anonymous individual who made Balatro, recently published an extensive breakdown of how they made the game. The post, which details all the milestones involved with launching the indie game, goes deep on personal experiences, from self-doubt and disbelief at his success to serious health concerns and anxiety attacks. Its also about the lessons he learned about making and marketing a game that went on to sell millions of copies and won awards and nominations against the odds.There are a lot of warnings developers can take from LocalThunks story, like when he admonishes himself for delaying going to the doctor so he could keep working on the game during an important period. In fact, I think any creative person can learn a few things from the post. But many of them will be even more relevant for game developers. Here are three key takeaways.Listen to your playtestersLocalThunks story has plenty of moments that point to the devs humble nature, including his proclivity for feedback and his willingness to implement it. At several points during the development of Balatro, LocalThunk relied heavily on people who played early builds at first, his friends, and later, a group of playtesters.That feedback wasnt always constructive. Sometimes, it was the push he needed to keep writing code.It was really great knowing that this game was actually being enjoyed by someone I know, and I wanted to prove to him, my other friends, my partner, my family, and myself that I could make something really fun and interesting, he wrote of his feelings after receiving unexpectedly high praise from a friend he shared a beta with in August 2022.By May 2023, listening to these playtesters became an official part of his strategy: This marks the beginning of a more player-focused development strategy I would adhere to instead of just listening to my gut all the time.Hire expert help if you canSometimes asking for help involves calling a doctor when you have an anxiety attack, like LocalThunk did a month before Balatro was released. Sometimes it looks like calling in support for things that are becoming huge roadblocks, or things youre not an expert in, like writing music.I contacted Luis Clemente on the freelance website Fiverr and he delivered an absolutely amazing soundtrack for Joker Poker, LocalThunk wrote, using the games placeholder name at the time, about a year before launch. I was very nervous about this because it was (at the time) the only money I had spent or planned to spend on the game. The games iconic music panned out swimmingly for LocalThunk and Clemente.Another roadblock that required LocalThunk to hire help was porting the game to as many platforms as possible something publisher Playstack felt was important to the games success. He describes spending several months on porting efforts before hiring developer Maarten De Meyer to help. He also hired a lawyer to help him negotiate his publishing deal, and his confidence was boosted up from perhaps the most important help any creative can get: support from your parents.Take breaksWhile LocalThunks story includes significant heartache (literal and metaphorical), it also includes a lot of genuine efforts to maintain his mental health, relationships, and drive to keep developing. Early in development, he took a long break from working on Balatro because he got bored. A few months later, he came back to the build invigorated and ready to implement brand new ideas: Im so excited about the game again, and I have a ton of momentum, he wrote about May 2022.Later, he describes taking a break for a surf trip with friends during a month where no other work happened on the game. The next month, he secured several instrumental pieces of the game: the score by Luis Clemente; the flame effect that happens when you get an amazing score; and the name Balatro.

Mario Day, otherwise called Mar10 Day or just March 10, is nearly here. This is a yearly celebration to commemorate Nintendos iconic plumber. Its not his birthday or anything, but rather a totally random day that sort of looks like his name when spelled a specific way. Its just like how Star Wars Day falls on May 4. The main feature of Mar10 Day is deals, on both Nintendo consoles and Mario-themed games. Walmart is selling a Nintendo Switch OLED bundle for $349 that comes with a digital download code for the fantastic Super Mario Bros. Wonder and a three-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. Thats a savings of nearly $70. GameStop is also selling just about every notable Mario game for $20 off, making them $40. This even includes the recently-released Luigis Mansion 2 HD, which is a great port of a 3DS classic. Gamers can pick up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario 3D World Plus Bowser's Fury, Super Mario Odyssey and Princess Peach: Showtime, all for $40. The remake of the very first Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is down to just $30. Theres one last little goodie here for Nintendo fans. The companys famous (or infamous) alarm clock, Alarmo, is now available for purchase from both Walmart and Target, in addition to pre-existing availability on the Nintendo online store.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/mario-day-deals-include-a-switch-oled-that-comes-with-super-mario-bros-wonder-for-349-130030476.html?src=rss

At MWC 2025, Samsung executive Annika Bizon re-affirmed the company's commitment to AI.

Apple Music has enlisted the expertise of an unexpected guest for a special radio broadcast. Here's what you can expect from King Charles III's Apple Music radio show

Layoffs last week at NOAAs Office of Aircraft Operations, home of the NOAA Hurricane Hunters, threaten to reduce the quality of data critical for hurricane monitoring, prediction, and warning. On February 28, NOAA terminated two flightdirectors and one electronic engineer.Hurricane Hunters fly into active storms to collect data used for weather forecasts.One might think that the firing of just three crew members in an organization that employs nearly 100 of them wouldnt be a big deal. But it so happened that two of the probationary employees who had been on the job for less than two years were flight directors, the job I held from 1986 to 1990. This is particularly problematic since every Hurricane Hunter mission is required to carry a flight directora meteorologist whos charged with ensuring the safety of the mission from a meteorological perspective.Ride through the eyewall of Hurricane #Helene aboard @NOAA WP-3D Orion #NOAA42 "Kermit" during our evening mission on Sept. 26, 2024. This mission gathered crucial data of a large hurricane intensifying before landfall. Find NOAA resources on continuing impacts and post storm pic.twitter.com/qv0QxLzjp2 NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) September 27, 2024In order to keep all three NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft operating 24/7 during a significant hurricane, NOAA has in the past had eight crews, and thus eight flight directors. With the loss of two flight directors, NOAA is down to just six of these key crew members. This will barely be enough to keep the planes in the air for the twice-daily flights that occur during a significant hurricane threat.And as explained in aninterview with NBCby Kerri Englert, one of the fired flight directors, NOAA had aimed to have 10 flight director positions filled. But after she and another flight director were terminated, that left just six. Now, she said, if one flight director is sick, there will be fewer Hurricane Hunter flights.And we shouldnt be surprised if further staff depletions occur before hurricane season. I know that if I still had my old job as a flight director for NOAAs Hurricane Hunters, worries about my job security would have me looking hard for new employment.Indiscriminately firing skilled workers is bad in private business. Add the threat to public safety caused by haphazard and indiscriminate layoffs, and the government actions are impossible to justify by any rational, performance-based standard, hurricane expert Bryan Norcrosswrotethis week.MY OPINION: There was a plan to dismember and partially privatize NOAA and the National Weather Service in 1995. It was a bad idea then, and weakening those critical public-safety agencies is a worse idea now. More at bit.ly/4ioxHqu Bryan Norcross (@bnorcross.bsky.social) 2025-03-03T14:22:43.775ZThe value of the NOAA Hurricane HuntersThe Air Force, which maintains a fleet of 10 Hurricane Hunter aircraft, has not been affected by budget cuts. Thus, the loss of a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft because of short staffing will not greatly reduce the overallquantityof flights undertaken. However, it will significantly reduce thequalityof the data collected, potentially negatively impacting hurricane forecasts.The NOAA aircraft include two heavy-duty P-3 Orions that penetrate into the eye of a hurricane and one high-altitude Gulfstream IV jet that collects data around the periphery. All of the Hurricane Hunter aircraftboth Air Force and NOAAfeed data into the computer models used to forecast hurricanes. This includes data from instruments mounted on the aircraft as well as dropsonde data from probes launched from the aircraft that fall on parachutes through the storm. But only NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft carry Doppler radars, which capture a detailed 3D picture of the entire storm every few seconds.Figure 1. Summary of operations by the NOAA Hurricane Hunters and NOAA Hurricane Research Division in 2024 (Image credit: NOAAAtlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)Data from these Doppler radars are fed into three of our top hurricane models: the newer HAFS-A and HAFS-B and the older HWRF. The two newer models made the best intensity forecasts of any of the models for two of the most damaging hurricanes of 2024,MiltonandBeryl, and also did very well forHelene. In many cases, the HAFS-A and HAFS-B forecasts were far superior to the official intensity forecasts from the National Hurricane Center.Without data from the NOAA Hurricane Hunters, it is dubious that these models would have performed as welland the National Hurricane Center official forecasts would likely have been less accurate. A2024 studyfound that assimilation of the data from the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 2007 to 2022 into one of the top hurricane intensity models, the HWRF, helped reduce its intensity forecast errors by 45%50%.Bumpy ride into Hurricane #Milton on @NOAA WP-3D Orion #NOAA43 "Miss Piggy" to collect data to help improve the forecast and support hurricane research.Visit https://t.co/3phpgKNx0q for the latest forecasts and advisoriesVisit https://t.co/UoRa967zK0 for information that you pic.twitter.com/ezmXu2Zqta NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) October 8, 2024National Hurricane Center losing two staff membersAccording to conversations Ive had with knowledgeable people, the National Hurricane Center, or NHC, did not have any probationary employees fired in last weeks purge. However, NHC is losing one tropical analysis and forecasting branch forecaster and one technology and science branch IT person to the fork in the road offer. With a staff of just 76, staffing will be a bit tight at NHC for the immediate future, I was told. It appears that NHC will have a full complement of the hurricane specialists that write the hurricane advisories this year (though NOAA is being threatened with further mass layoffssee end of article).Excellent NEW analysis from my colleague Noah Fritzhand on the national security benefits of NOAA:councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/03/05/n Erin Sikorsky (@erinsikorsky.bsky.social) 2025-03-05T16:06:28.110ZNOAA Hurricane Hunters are key to advancements in hurricane researchThe three NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft are world-class flying laboratories that carry research scientists from NOAAs Hurricane Research Division into storms. Research performed by these aircraft has been critical in the huge advancements that have been credited with astonishing increases in forecasting that have generated billions in savings in recent years. The National Hurricane Center set an all-time record for forecast accuracy in 2024. A 2024 study by the nonprofit, nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research, The Social Value of Hurricane Forecasts, found that recent advancements in hurricane forecasting for 18 continental U.S. landfalling hurricanes from 2005 to 2020 (including all 9 major landfalls and 9 of the 20 additional Cat 1 and Cat 2 landfalls) led to a 19% reduction in total hurricane-related costsan average cost reduction of $5 billion per hurricane. The benefits came either by decreasing deaths and damages or by inspiring confidence in decisions not to spend money on pre-storm adaptation measures.The average benefit of $5 billionper major hurricaneis on par with the entire 2024 NOAA budget of $6.8 billion and far in excess of the cumulative $250 million spent over the period of 2009 to 2019 on hurricane research. And these benefits were likely considerably underestimated, the researchers said, since they only looked at the value of improved wind speed forecasts and did not study improved rainfall and storm surge forecasts.Banger of a quote from Chris Bretherton" No amount of clever technology can cover the gap that is forming. Artificial intelligence, he says, cannot compensate for a lack of human intelligence."www.science.org/content/arti Tim Andrews (@tim-andrews.bsky.social) 2025-03-05T09:39:45.432ZSignificant cuts to hurricane researchSignificant cuts to NOAAs hurricane research efforts have also occurred, though the full scope is unclear.NPR reportsthat six hurricane researchers were fired at NOAAs hurricane research lab in Miami, including Andy Hazelton, one of the key developers of NOAAs top hurricane forecasting models. In an interview withlocal10.com, which has a copy of his termination letter, Hazelton said, I got a performance review recently that said I was doing a good job. I won NOAA awards for team member of the year. Our big mission is to protect lives and property. All the weather data that you use, whether it is an app on your phone or what you see on TV, a lot of that comes from the National Weather Service and NOAA the satellites, the radars, the modeling. When you see the spaghetti lines on TV, that is what I do. I am the brains behind the computer that makes that spaghetti line.In aninterview with The Washington Post, Rick Spinrad, a former administrator of NOAA, said thatNOAAs Environmental Modeling Centerhad suffered a 25% staff cut. This group is responsible for the computer forecast models that form the bedrock of U.S. weather forecasting, including hurricane prediction. In aninterview with NPR, James Franklin, a retired head of NHCs Hurricane Forecast Unit, said staffing cuts have gutted the modeling center to the point where he wonders if work there to improve the hurricane models will come to a halt.The National Weather Service has a higher favorability rating than Taylor Swift.The NWS as a whole lost about 10% of its staff last week, but those cuts werent made with regard to geography or the population each office serves.My latest for @fastcompany.com:www.fastcompany.com/91291167/ins Eric Holthaus (@ericholthaus.com) 2025-03-05T19:28:20.510ZNOAA threatened with further cutsNOAA has already laid off between 5% and 10% of its staff and has plans to lay off around 50% of its total staff and lose 30% of its funding, according to Andrew Rosenberg, a former deputy director at NOAA and co-editor of theSciLight newsletter. Should they materialize, such cuts would significantly increase the current and future risks from hurricanes. That could prove dangerous in an era of accelerating climate change impacts from stronger hurricanes with higher winds, more destructive storm surges from sea level rise, and heavier rains from a warmer ocean and atmosphere.The administrations Project 2025 plan calls for NOAA to be broken up, most of its climate change research ended, and the National Weather Service to be commercialized.What people are doingContacting elected officials.This websitemakes it easy to learn who your representatives are and how to contact them.Attending Stand up for scienceprotestsbeing held nationwide.SPEAKER LINEUP FOR STAND UP FOR SCIENCE Here's our list of current speakersand it's still growing! Come tomorrow to hear some amazing speakers talk about science, their experiences, and the future. #standupforscience2025 Stand Up for Science 2025 DC and Nationwide! (@standupforscience.bsky.social) 2025-03-06T13:07:17.078ZAs surely as if bombs are being dropped on our cities, we are trashing our economy by trashing science: "Estimates of the value of weather and climate information to the U.S. economy exceed $100 billion annually, roughly 10x the investment made by U.S. taxpayers." www.ametsoc.org/ams/about-am Dr. Jeff Masters (@drjeffmasters.bsky.social) 2025-03-03T16:33:53.953ZBy Jeff MastersBob Henson contributed to this post.This article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Bad tax advice is not a new phenomenon. Years ago, I can remember hearing a small business owner explaining that making a single comment about his business before dessert allowed him to deduct a dinner out with his wife. According to his logic, his one-sentence remark about work made the meal a business expense.But this kind of spurious tax advice used to only come from your divorced uncle or sweaty strangers at parties. Then along came social media, offering a vast platform to people who have no idea what theyre talking about. Reasonable-sounding tax tips can go viral, leaving taxpayers who follow them vulnerable to some serious consequences.No matter where youre getting your tax guidance, its important to know how to recognize bad advice. Heres how to identify crappy advice before you follow it all the way to an audit.Go straight to the sourceYou probably dont feel superconfident about your understanding of taxes because they are so complex. The U.S. federal tax code is 6,871 pages long (single-spaced, 11-point font, and mostly likely printed in Comic Sans because irritating is as irritating does).There are probably a significant number of tax attorneys who dont know everything in the legislation, which is a great reason why you should be leery of any random TikToker giving tax advice.Since youre not going to be taking the tax code on your next vacation for some light reading, you need to know where to go for credible information about your taxes. Believe it or not, the IRS.gov website is an excellent resource for regular taxpayers.Not only does the IRS website provide an annual list of the Dirty Dozen most common tax scams to be aware of, it also offers a list of trusted partners for tax preparation and filing, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to file your taxes. You can also use the IRS.gov search tool to look up any dodgy tax advice to see if it passes the sniff test.Uncle Sam has provided us with a valuable tool in creating and maintaining the IRS website. We should make use of itwhile we still can.Beware of conspiratorial thinkingA lot of bad tax advice starts by suggesting that the adviser will be letting you in on a secret that only the smartest and richest people know. The implication is that the vast majority of sheep-like taxpayers dont know about these tips and pay the IRS far too much of their hard-earned money every April. But you, random person scrolling TikTok on the toilet, are much too smart to fall victim to that!While it is certainly true that rich people successfully avoid paying income tax, thats because theyre rich and not because they know something you dont. A billionaire can afford to have a team of CPAs and attorneys working year-round to identify and exploit inconsistencies in the tax code.Theres a reason this kind of appeal is so seductive: we love feeling like were part of an exclusive group of intelligent people, especially when we feel helpless against larger forces (like the U.S. tax code). This is the same reason why conspiracy theories feel so satisfying. They allow us to feel superior to those who arent in the know.But there are no secret hacks that normal people can use to avoid paying taxes. Any tax advice that implies otherwise is basically a conspiracy theory.Reject urgencyWhile some bad advice is just evidence of the advisers ignorance, theres also a thriving cottage industry of tax scammers who use the stress of tax season to line their pockets. The 2024 tax season saw an estimated $5.5 billion in tax fraud, usually through phishing, among other identity theft tools.One of the best ways to avoid falling victim to tax scams (or any other type of scam) is to slow down. Most scams use a sense of urgency to get their victims to abandon their skepticism. Were all a little nervous about getting our taxes done accurately and on time, so were vulnerable to a demanding email, text, or phone call from someone purporting to be from the IRS. We feel time pressure, so we hand over our personal information.Similarly, an offer to do your taxes for youbut only if you ACT NOW!!!can activate our financial FOMO. Its easy to comply without thinking because the ticking clock makes you feel like you have no choice but to act quickly.If you find yourself hurrying to do something tax-related because of an unknown third party, force yourself to stop and take 24 hours before you act. That gives you time to research the adviser, phone call, or other contact who set off your all-fired rushand it gives your prefrontal cortex the time to override your lizard brain.Dont make taxes any harder for yourselfFiling your taxes is difficult enough without adding audits, fraud, and scams. You can avoid bad tax advice by familiarizing yourself with the IRS.gov website, recognizing when advice sounds conspiratorial, and just saying no to someone insisting that you have to hurry.Doing that may not make tax season any more pleasantbut at least it will protect you from even bigger problems down the road.

Want to bring the cozy elegance of boucle furniture into your home, but without the hefty investment? The Robertas Sherpa Ottoman is your shortcut to achieving that effortlessly chic, ultra-soft lookwithout committing to an entire boucle sofa or chair.The plush teddy fabric upholstery in this ottoman exudes warmth. It also offers incredible versatility. The tufted square design not only adds visual interest but also provides a comfortable and supportive place to sit, prop up your feet, or even use as a stylish accent piece.Whether its tucked under a vanity, placed in a cozy reading nook, or serving as extra seating in the living room, this ottoman adapts to your needs.This sherpa ottoman is crafted from durable engineered wood. So, its safe to say that this piece is as sturdy as is stylish. Rubber feet ensure stability while protecting your floors, and the best part? No assembly requiredjust unbox and enjoy. Plus, its compact in size, so you can shift it across rooms conveniently.Perfect for those who love modern, cozy aesthetics but dont want to commit to a full furniture overhaul, this ottoman is an easy way to bring texture, comfort, and style into any space.Available now on Wayfair.

I agree that alegria illustrations have to go.

From beach days to board meetings, these top totes are designed to protect your valuables, and then some.