LAND OF THE RISING STAR » Day Break’s Taye Diggs was just a struggling actor the first time he went to Tokyo. But what happened on that trip has kept him returning to where it all began. by mark seal 

AND NOW FOR A MOMENT OF PUBLIC HUMILIATION » Have you ever read an old diary from your adolescence and had vivid flashbacks to those angst-filled years? Now think about reading that diary on stage, in front of an audience. It’s supposed to be cathartic. We think it sounds mortifying. by kevin raub 

PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT » For a select few with the cash and the courage, a Ferrari is not just a car. It’s not even a lifestyle. It’s a dream come true. by gregory katz

THE LIGHT AND DARK OF IT » We already explored the effects of living in virtual darkness during Alaska’s winter solstice. But what about the flip side of living with 22 hours of light during the summer solstice — what would that do to your psyche? by kevin raub  

EVERYBODY’S WATCHING » As the 13th most popular site on the Internet, with people watching more than 100 million of its videos every day, YouTube­ is taking the web by storm. by jack boulware

PROBLEM SOLVER » Lenovo became the world’s number-three PC maker­ overnight (literally). Here’s why Dell and Hewlett-Packard are looking over their shoulders. by tracy staton

BLACK DOG DAYS AND BEYOND »You can learn about Winston Churchill through books or at museums. But you won’t really know the man until you visit Chartwell, his retreat in the pastoral English countryside. by gregory katz 

DIVINE WINE » The world’s smallest vineyard started out as a big joke. But thanks to its owner and spiritual backer (the Dalai Lama), its yield is heavenly. by gail harrington 

GOING SWIMMINGLY » Paris may be more than a hundred miles from a good beach, but a great new place to swim and sun is floating right on the Seine. by dan carlinsky 

COOKING UNDER PRESSURE » It might be a trendy way of preparing food, but sous vide is fast becoming one of the most controversial cooking techniques to hit restaurant kitchens across the country. Allow us to explain. by josh sens 

A TASTE OF HAWAII » Your taste buds will say mahalo if you load up your kitchen with culinary wonders straight from the islands. by jenna schnuer