Voxcali

A dinner in Vladivostok reveals the motive behind the First Lady's kidnapping and adds a powerful military backbone to Jack Tang's plans to shake up the global power alignment.

Chapter Thirteen - 2nd Half

If the plan were successful, Tang would be in a position to do far more than punish the men who had turned the final years of his mother’s life into a living hell for them both.  He would be in a position to correct a distortion in the global political structure that denied tens of millions the most basic necessities of life while in other parts of the world millions of tons of food rotted in storage and tens of billions of dollars of production capacity idled.  By eliminating the inefficiencies resulting from inconvenient borders, the East Asian Federation would trigger an economic boom of epochal proportions, elevating the lives of tens of millions. 

      In short, he would reshape the world to his vision.  It was high time the position of humanity’s supreme ruler devolved to someone of intelligence and compassion, thought Tang with growing impatience.

      That larger objective had helped him keep his sanity by diverting his thoughts away from energy-sapping hatred, anger and worry, and toward more productive emotions.

      Tired of waiting for Kanov, Tang called room service and ordered dinner.  He was inspecting an overpriced and apparently overdone filet mignon when the phone rang.  It was Kanov’s female aide calling from the lobby to announce the General’s arrival.

      “Have him come right up,” said Tang, replacing the cover over the filet mignon and deciding he wasn’t hungry after all.   

      A moment later he found himself facing a uniformed bear nearly his height but at least a hundred pounds heavier.  The bearded face wasn’t what Tang had expected.  It had the ruddiness of the Eskimos he had seen during a trip to Alaska.  Kanov’s eyes were narrower, shrewder, more playful than imagined.  Behind the general stood a fresh-faced blond wearing the uniform of a Russian army first lieutenant and two soldiers holding AK-47s hanging by leather straps slung over their shoulder boards.  At a signal from Kanov, the soldiers positioned themselves on either side of the door while the blond followed the general in.

      “Mr X, is it now?” Kanov said, giving him a quick, hard embrace to go with an overpowering handshake.  His English was heavily accented but better than most Americans would expect of a Russian general.

      “I am honored to meet you, General,” said Tang.  He gestured toward the dining table.  “I’ve ordered up a little food and wine.  You must be hungry after the long flight.”

      “Thank you,” said Kanov, seating himself before the meal.  He lifted the cover and smiled approvingly.  “I ate on the plane but this I will eat too.”  The aide quickly stepped forward and poured a glass of wine for Kanov and, using a spare water glass, for Tang.  The two men toasted and Tang sipped from the glass while Kanov carved up a large piece of the filet mignon.  Before it disappeared into his bearded cave, Tang saw that, indeed, it was far too overdone.  Next time he ordered a steak in Russia, he would ask for rare, maybe extra rare.  Kanov didn’t seem to mind, however.  Several more pieces followed in rapid succession, to be quickly mauled by his large, surprisingly white teeth. 

      “I assume you’ve given thought to my proposal,” Tang began.

      Kanov nodded and shoveled in another piece of shoe leather.  Verbal responses from Kanov were unlikely, Tang decided, until the whole shoe had found its way into his imposing belly.  Kanov washed down another mouthful by draining the cabernet from his wineglass.  The aide quickly refilled it while Kanov resumed his assault on the rapidly diminishing steak.

      “We have commitments from the key parties,” said Tang.  

      The whites of Kanov’s eyes flashed at Tang while another large wedge of meat disappeared into his mouth.  Kanov glanced at his aide and made a little gesture with his left hand.  She promptly picked up the phone and ordered up what sounded to Tang like a bottle of vodka.

      “Your participation would certainly magnify the potential reward for everyone involved,” said Tang, feeling himself giving in to his impatience.  Impatience in negotiations, he well knew, was dangerous and counterproductive.  But he was nearly out of time now.  Kanov’s participation wasn’t essential, in his view.  They could succeed without the advantages the Russian would bring.  Kanov’s nuclear-armed Siberia would add military credibility and its vast resources would multiply the ultimate economic potential.  Those benefits were somewhat offset, however, by the risks of an unpredictable response by a provoked Kremlin.  Even with Siberia gone, Russia would control 3,000 nuclear warheads, many deployed from submarines, not to mention five hundred MiG-29s, five thousand T-75 tanks and an army of seven hundred thousand.  The other danger of Kanov’s participation was the general’s own loose-cannon tendencies.  No telling what ego-fueled demands he might make after they had crossed the Rubicon by declaring the birth of the East Asian Federation to an incredulous world.

      Kanov raised a thick finger to call for time out while he drained the wineglass.  Then he picked up the napkin and scrupulously wiped his mouth and beard while eyeing Jack Tang with amused condescension.

      “Forgive me for saying, but without me,” Kanov said, “you are a few small pieces of land with one hundred Chinese nuclear missiles, maybe not so many.  If I may say, without me you are a joke.  Not a big joke, a small joke.”  Kanov emitted a violent braying laugh that filled the air with shockwaves.  Even after the braying subsided, Kanov’s eyes twinkled with amusement.  Taking a softer, somewhat pedagogical tone, he said, “With me, you have more natural resources than any other nation on earth.  You are a nuclear superpower.  The US, Russia, China—they will be scared to touch you.  They will send white-haired ambassadors to kiss your feet.”

      “What do you want?” Tang said bluntly.  Coarse as he was, the general was immensely persuasive in his own way.  His immense physical presence and energy lent power and credibility to what would have sounded foolish coming out of other lips.

      “Japan.”

      Tang wasn’t sure he had heard correctly but checked himself from showing his surprise.  In truth, he had considered that the East Asian Federation would be in position to annex its wealthiest neighbor.  But he had avoided mentioning that possibility to Kanov.  But the man was a general, after all, used to considering the prospective profits from the exercise of military power.  Jack Tang was forced to revise his grudging estimation of the big rude bear.

      “If your brilliant plan succeeds,” Kanov said, “United States will sit and pull her hair like old woman while we disarm Japan and declare it colony of East Asian Federation.  With your permission, I will be governor general of Japan.  I will enjoy that very much.  Especially after what Japan has done to Russia, China and Korea.  All our partners will enjoy that very much, eh?  Our Mongol forefathers tried twice to conquer Japan—and failed both times.  We will succeed.  Those small clean Japanese women will make beautiful comfort women for our soldiers, eh?” Kanov’s prolonged braying was even louder than the last time, the shock waves sending little wavelets across the wine glasses.   

      “Is Japan all you want?” said Tang coolly. 

      “Yes, all I want is the world’s second biggest economy!” Kanov managed to strangle his hilarity to say.  “With one hundred twenty-five million slaves with more money than Americans.  I am a modest man with modest needs!”  His braying was becoming hard on Tang’s ears.  The general’s ruddiness, he now suspected, was the cumulative effect of a thousand tiny blood vessels bursting every time he laughed.  In time Kanov’s laughter subsided into small happy moans and he used his napkin to wipe the tears that had formed at the outer corners of his eyes.  The knock at the door was room service delivering a liter bottle of Stolichnaya.  The blond aide poured a cup for her general and another for Tang.

      “To you, Jack Tang—if I may call you that now—a very amusing man,” Kanov said, raising his glass in a toast.  He drained his glass and slammed it down for a refill.  Tang had never been a fan of straight vodka but felt honor-bound to follow suit.  While the glasses were being refilled, Kanov turned to Mr X with a serious face.  “How sure are you of your technology?”

      “It’s foolproof,” Tang said calmly.  “In three days the whole world will see the first practical demonstration.  After that, we won’t need to see another one—unless some doubting Thomas forces us to offer more proof.  It will be there in case we need it.”

      “For how long?” Kanov’s eyes had taken on a keen, skeptical edge that was almost frightening in its intensity.  “How long before they can discover it and learn how to defeat it?”

      “It’s hard to say.  In the worst-case scenario, it would take them at least three weeks.  Knowing the level of personnel who will be asked to provide the solution, it would probably take them that long just to figure out what happened.  Then, who know?  Maybe even six months to implement a solution.”

      “Three weeks, eh?” Kanov said, his eyes softening perceptibly.  “Three weeks is enough time, even to secure Japan.”

      “If all goes well,” Tang declared, “the East Asian Federation will be recognized as a new nuclear superpower within six days, eight or nine at most.”

      “You are an optimist,” Kanov declared with a stern demeanor which quickly dissolved into a broad grin.  “As am I!”  With that the general jumped to attention and presented Tang with a violent rendering of a Russian salute.  “I salute the President of the East Asian Federation.”

      Melodramatic gestures generally left Tang cold, but the occasion seemed to call for some kind of gesture.  Rising from his chair, Tang returned the salute.  “I salute you, General Dimitri Pavlovich Kanov, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the East Asian Federation and Governor General of Japan.”

      Now that the negotiations had been satisfactorily concluded, the General’s expression and voice softened, taking on the more subdued aspect of practical concern.  “We have much work to do, Mr President, and not many days.”

      “You’re right, General.”  Tang sat back down, noting that only then did Kanov take his seat.  “How quickly can you secure the support of your officers?”

      Kanov smiled and nodded.  “I will call them all here by Monday.  Every Russian officer dreams of avenging our shameful defeat in 1904.  They will be happy when I promise them Japanese women, Japanese TVs and Japanese cars.”

      “Let’s hold off on the military details.  We don’t want the CIA getting wind of our plan until it’s too late for them to do anything.”

      Kanov leaned back and jutted out his lower lip in skeptical thought.  “But we must assure them of our ability to defeat American intervention.  Without assurance, they may think I have had too much vodka.”

      “I assume everyone in Russia knows about the abduction of the First Lady of the United States,” said Tang evenly.  It was his job to dispel from the mind of Kanov—and every other Federation partner—all doubts as to their ability to defeat the technological and human resources of the United States.  Only then could they secure the support of their key people.

      “That was you?” said Kanov.  The jut of his lower lip said he was impressed.  “Very nice.  But how will that assure us success?”

      “As a general, you know that military objectives are best won in the hearts and minds before any shots are fired.  What could be a stronger endorsement for the East Asian Federation than to have its birth announced by the First Lady of the United States?  Then to have her declare her support for the justness of our objectives?  That will ensure that our cause is given full faith by our own peoples and by our potential adversaries.  That will be followed by the practical military demonstration I mentioned.  That should end all thoughts of interference.”

      “Forgive me if I am mistaken, Mr President, but wasn’t the First Lady abducted by force?” Kanov protested apologetically.  “How can she declare her support for our cause—and be believed?”

      Tang gave a laugh that came out much louder than he had intended.  Must be the vodka.  Or maybe Kanov’s influence.  “Your point is well taken, General, but is based on an incorrect premise.  The First Lady was abducted, but not by the East Asian Federation.”  Tang’s eyes locked Kanov’s meaningfully.  Smiling, Tang lowered his voice.  “Instead, the East Asian Federation will be her rescuer—and the First Lady will be suitably grateful, especially considering the heinous fate her captors had in store for her before her rescue.  The American people will share fully in her gratitude.  Her husband, the President, would find it very awkward, if not impossible, to make hostile moves against his wife’s rescuer.  Not during a reelection campaign.”

      Kanov’s eyes widened in speechless amazement.  Then came the explosion of his deafeningly loud braying laugh, making Tang momentarily regret having shared this bit of intelligence.  The laugh lasted a good ten seconds and entailed several thumps of the dining table by Kanov’s beefy hand.  “You are most brilliant man, Tang!” gasped the General.  “Brilliant and amusing!  Most worthy President of the East Asian Federation!”  Kanov grabbed the Stoli bottle and filled Tang’s glass—something his female aide had discreetly stopped doing after sensing Tang’s difficulty with the stuff—then his own.  Thus began a series of toasts that ended when Jack Tang passed out. 

      The amused General Kanov carried his new President to the bedroom and tucked him in.  Then he picked up the Stoli bottle and drained what remained directly into his throat before leaving the suite.  Such an amusing man, this Jack Tang!  And generous too, awarding him the world’s second biggest economy without batting an eye. 

      General Kanov’s laughter filled the lobby of the Donghae Hotel as he led Sukorsky and the guards out into the cool evening air of Vladisvostok in search of other diversion.  

From pioneering soul-infused hip-hop to directing the hit dramedy K-Pops!, 9-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak is an elite creative mind.

With 9 Grammy Awards to his name, Korean American artist Anderson .Paak commands the global music scene with a legendary catalog spanning four studio albums from 2014 to 2019: Venice, Malibu, Oxnard, and Ventura.

And on October 23rd he will release a joint album with Cordae titled, “Heavy is The Crown.”

Paak’s most popular song is the soulful 2021 Silk Sonic and Bruno Mars mega-hit collaboration “Leave The Door Open,” which stands as his most streamed track on Spotify and won Grammys for Record and Song of the Year.  2018’s “Bubblin” won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance and is his most viewed video on YouTube. From 2019’s Ventura “Come Home” won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance, while the Best Melodic Rap Performance from 2020 “Lockdown” rounded out his Grammy wins.

Expanding his creative reach, .Paak released his directorial film debut in 2024, with the dramedy K-Pops!  The plot follows a washed-up American musician who travels to Seoul to join a TV competition house band, only to discover his long-lost son is competing to be the next superstar.  The movie holds an impressive 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and features popular Asian actors and musicians including Jee Young Han, Jonnie Dumbfoundead Park, Kevin Woo, and Cathy Shim.  Its vibrant soundtrack pulses with major K-pop and Korean hip-hop collaborations, highlighted by standout tracks like “Flashing Light” with Crush and “Party In the Corner” with Hongjoong Kim and Jay Park.

Born in Oxnard, California, the 40-year-old multi-instrumentalist initially broke into the music industry by playing drums in his church band, working odd jobs, and eventually catching a break as an assistant and producer for Shafiq Husayn, followed by drumming for Haley Reinhart.

A musician’s musician, Pack continues to push creative boundaries, earning him a feature on Time-100’s 2026 list of Most Influential People.

From sports betting and Kalshi prediction markets to Labubu blind boxes, mystery subscriptions, and video game loot boxes, the thrill of taking chances is everywhere

Kelli (00:00)

I want you guys to think about the last time you spent money on something without knowing exactly what you were going to get. Maybe you bought a labu-boo blind box because you were hoping to pull a rare. Maybe you opened a pack of Pokemon cards, or maybe you even placed a bet on a basketball game

because you thought you knew which team was going to win.

What do all of these things have in common? You're paying for a chance at an outcome. And I've been noticing that this concept is becoming increasingly common in our everyday lives. Gambling isn't just something people do at the casino anymore. It's on our phones, it's in sports, video games, and now it's even in collectible toys. And sometimes it's just built into the way that these companies market products to us.

A lot of these experiences don't necessarily feel like gambling, but in reality, if you really think about it, they are.

Buying a cute collectible toy does not feel the same as walking into a casino and putting $100 on red at a blackjack table. But psychologically, there's some similarities.

You're already excited about the possibility of getting something special and rare, even though you don't know what the outcome is actually going to be. And if you don't get what you wanted, there's always that temptation to try again.

So in this episode we're going to talk about how gambling and gambling like experiences have become so normalized

Because once you start noticing it, you really are going to start seeing it everywhere.

Let's start with sports betting because sports betting has become such a massive industry. I feel like it's changed the way people watch sports completely.

Before you used to watch a football game because you were a fan of the team, you wanted your team to win and you wanted to see a really good and exciting game.

Now people are watching games because they need a player to score one more touchdown, or they need somebody to make two more three-pointers, or they need the score to go over a certain number. And suddenly the entire viewing experience becomes about whether your bet is going to hit or not.

The scale of the sports betting industry is truly insane. According to the American Gaming Association, Americans legally wagered approximately one hundred sixty six point nine billion dollars on sports in two thousand twenty five.

That same year, sportsbooks also generated about seventeen billion dollars in revenue.

One of the reasons why I think this has become so big is because the accessibility is a huge part of the story. You don't necessarily have to travel to Las Vegas or travel an hour away to the casino anymore.

Because in states where online sports betting is legal, you can place a bet from your couch and you can place a bet before the game starts and in many cases you can place bets while the game is even happening.

Sports betting is still illegal in a lot of states, including California. And I'm talking about traditional sports books like FanDuel and DraftKings.

So if you're living in Los Angeles, you can't legally open a traditional sports book app and place a bet on the Rams winning. But that's where things get really tricky and interesting because there's an app called Kalshi and on Kalshi people in California have been able to put money on the outcomes of all sporting events.

So how does this even make sense? Because if sports betting is illegal in California, how is there an app where you can essentially put money on which team is going to win?

That's because Kalshi is not structured as a traditional sports book. It's what's called a prediction market. Instead of placing a conventional sports bet, you're buying and selling contracts will happen. So, for example,

You might purchase a contract predicting that the Lakers will win a particular game. If that outcome happens, that contract pays you out according to the terms. And if it doesn't, you can lose the money that you paid for it.

And Kalshi does not just offer sports. You can trade on predictions involving economic announcements, entertainment, political events,

and all other kinds of real world outcomes like the weather or how much Bitcoin is going to be today at five PM.

So this experience is pretty similar to sports betting. You're still risking the money on an outcome of a sporting event, but that's why Kalshi has become the center of a huge legal controversy.

Kalshi has been battling this dispute of legality, but as of October 2026 Kalshi's sports prediction markets have remained available in California even though traditional sports betting is prohibited.

So why are so many young people betting on sports?

According to Pew Research Center, 31% of Americans ages 18 to 29 reported betting on sports in some kind of way.

in 2024

The share who had placed an online sports bet increased from 7% in 2022 to 17% in 2025. That's a major change in just three years. I think part of that appeal is that sports betting combines several things that people already enjoy: sports, competition, technology, social media, and the possibility of making money.

You can watch the game with your friends and suddenly somebody has something different writing on the outcome. One person needs this team to win, the other needs a player to score twenty-five points. And if you've ever been around people who are sports betting, you know how intense it can get. And it really does make the game a little bit more fun.

It kind of gives people a reason to care about almost any game and you're no longer just disappointed that your team lost because you actually lost money. And that's a very different emotional experience than just watching a game for fun.

Now moving on from sports betting, something completely different, labubus because when I started thinking about this topic, I realized that blind boxes might be one of the best examples about of how gambling like mechanics have entered ordinary shopping. Think about how a blind box works. You walk into a store, you see a collection of adorable figures, maybe there's six designs and then one secret design. You have a favorite, but you just can't choose.

You must buy a sealed box, open it, and hope you get the one you want. And if you don't, you might have to buy another one, and another, and another.

Obviously buying a laboboo isn't legally equivalent to placing a sports bet because you're still receiving a physical product, but the underlying psychology can overlap because you're paying for uncertainty and you're hoping for a particular outcome and there's a chance you'll be disappointed.

What's also pretty fascinating is that the product itself isn't always the most exciting part. Sometimes the exciting part is simply just opening it or the anticipation and the suspense. And social media has turned this entire experience into entertainment as well.

People will film themselves opening ten, twenty or thirty boxes all in one video, and their viewers watch along hoping that that person gets something rare. And if they don't, there's always another box sitting right there.

It's quite a powerful business model because the companies are not just selling you toys, they're selling you the possibility of getting the toy that you really want.

That's where the psychology gets really interesting. Because have you ever wanted something so badly? And then when you finally got it, the excitement kind of wore off immediately? Maybe it was a designer item, maybe it was a limited edition collectible. Or maybe it was something that had been sold out for months. Sometimes the anticipation is more exciting than actually owning the item.

And I think blind boxes definitely take advantage of that feeling because if you want one specific character and you don't get it in that first box that you buy.

You might think, okay, that wasn't that bad. Let me try again. So you'll buy another and it's still not the one you want, but now you've already spent your money and you're thinking about how close you might be to getting what you want.

But again, like gambling, the system does not have specific guarantees

Because buying several boxes does not mean that one character that you want will be in any of those. And that's what people forget. The next box does not know how many boxes you've already purchased. And this is similar to what psychologists call the gambler's fallacy: believing that the previous random outcomes change the likelihood of a future independent outcome.

It's the same kind of reasoning that makes someone think a roulette wheel is going to land on red just because it landed on black the last eight times.

Now, aside from blind boxes, we also have subscription boxes. I think subscription boxes are another really interesting example because you've probably seen a lot of companies that will send you a box every month with products you did not choose individually. They have makeup subscription boxes, snack boxes, clothing boxes, and other collectible things. And part of the appeal is that you don't know exactly what's coming every month.

It's kind of like receiving a present that you paid for yourself and I do understand why people like it because it's fun and convenient and it keeps your month exciting.

Sometimes you might find products that you wouldn't have purchased on your own.

Because you are paying for the surprise and depending on the subscription, you might receive products that you don't really want.

I wouldn't technically call this gambling.

Because many of these companies do provide a predictable assortment or guaranteed retail value, and some do let you choose the contents. But these mystery subscription boxes do use a similar anticipation and reveal experience to blind boxes.

Same thing in video games.

In some games, players are able to purchase a randomized reward. Maybe it's a character skin or a weapon or a special outfit. And instead of buying that specific item directly, you can pay for a chance to receive it.

Once you start looking at these mechanics, you start to notice them in so many other places. Trading cards, Pokemon cards, sports cards,

and other collectible card packs have used randomized contents for decades. You buy a pack hoping to pull something rare, maybe you'll get a valuable card or your favorite player. And if you don't get it, you can always just buy another pack.

Again, this doesn't automatically mean every trading card purchase is gambling, but it does mean the product combines collecting with chance. And then there's also the resale market. Sometimes a rare collectible can sell far more than its original purchase price. So now people aren't just buying because they like the product. People are buying because they're hoping to get something valuable so that they can resell it again.

And make their money back times ten.

I truly think social media has amplified this entire phenomenon because we're not just participating in these experiences, we're actually watching other people participate themselves. There are so many videos across social media about opening mystery blind boxes until I get the rare secret. Did I just pull a $1,000 card? Watch me open 50 Labubu boxes.

Will this sports bet hit today? All of these videos have something in common because they create reason to keep watching. People want to see the outcome and creators know that. They make build up, there's suspense, and then they give you the review.

Sometimes disappointment is followed by another attempt. It's an incredibly effective storytelling format.

Now I don't want this episode to sound like every person who's buying blind boxes or placing a sports bet has a gambling problem because obviously that's not true, but a lot of people do participate in these activities recreationally. People are setting budgets and putting aside money to enjoy these experiences and then they move on.

So why do we love taking chances? I think there really is something very human about enjoying uncertainty. People love surprises, we like competition, and we like the idea of possibly getting lucky.

Opening a present is exciting because you don't know what's inside. Buying a mystery box can be fun because you don't know what you're going to get. Opening a trading card pack can be completely nostalgic.

And placing a small wager can feel exciting to somebody who understands and accepts the possibility of losing. The issue isn't simply that an outcome is uncertain. It's what happens when companies combine that uncertainty with repeated spending, urgency, and the possibility of a valuable reward. Because then comes the question: are you buying something because you actually want it?

Or are you buying something because you want the feeling of possibly getting something better? And there's the big distinction. Because with the normal purchase, you're paying for a known product. You might have wanted this product for a while and now you finally saved up enough money to buy it. With the mystery purchase, you're not just paying for the product, you're also paying for the experience of not knowing. And with gambling,

You may be risking your money for a chance to win more money.

They're not at all legally or financially equivalent, but they can appeal to overlapping parts of human psychology. So after looking into all of this, I think the biggest takeaway is that gambling-like experiences have become incredibly normalized in modern consumer culture. Sports betting is accessible through many apps in many states, and now we have the poly market. Blind boxes have turned collecting into a global trend.

Video games are selling random rewards, trading cards and mystery boxes are turning shopping into a complete game of chance, and social media is making the most of these exciting outcomes.

I don't think the answer is that we should all stop buying collectibles or enjoying the surprises. I think the answer is that we should become more aware of how these experiences are really designed, because companies understand something about us consumers. We love anticipation, we love the possibility of winning, and sometimes people love the chase more than the actual reward. So the next time you're about to buy another blind box,

Open another pack of Pokemon cards, or spend money chasing a particular income, maybe ask yourself, would I still want this if I knew I wasn't going to get the rare prize? And if the answer is no, maybe you're not really buying the product, you're just buying the possibility. We've reached a point where the thrill of chance has become something companies can just package, market, and sell in almost any industry.

So let me ask you guys one final question. Are we actually becoming a society that gambles more? Or have companies just gotten better at making gambling like experiences feel like ordinary shopping and entertainment?

I think it's a little bit of both, but that's all for today's episode, and I will see you guys in the next one.

From practicing dating to avoiding a lonely dinner, Japan’s rental-partner services offer connection without the expectations of a real relationship.

Did you know, in Japan you can “rent” a girlfriend to visit an amusement park with you or hire a boyfriend to join you for dinner? The reality is much less scandalous than the internet makes it seem.

These businesses are essentially paid-companion services that allow customers to experience a planned, public date without the commitment of a real relationship. A client can browse profiles created through an agency, select a companion and arrange a date, which can involve sightseeing, shopping, or just simply grabbing a coffee.

The concept developed from Japan’s larger stand-in industry, which dates back to at least 1991. Agencies provide real people who could temporarily appear as friends or a even wedding date. Some customers want to maintain appearances at an important event, while others want company or someone who will listen without judging them.

Despite the name, renting a girlfriend or boyfriend does not usually include anything sexual. Agencies establish boundaries surrounding physical contact, private locations and communication outside the booking. There are certain agencies that permit activities such as holding hands or linking arms when the companion agrees, but prohibits other physical contact and some enforce even stricter no-contact policies.

So, how much does a temporary relationship cost?

Prices vary by agency and the companion selected, but services generally begin around ¥3,000 to ¥6,000 per hour, or around $18-$37 per hour. Many companies require customers to book at least two hours, and the client is also responsible for transportation and all other date expenses.

Rent-Kan is one of Japan’s most popular agencies and currently lists a two-hour date at ¥13,200 with tax which is around $83 USD. The company also charges a ¥550 administrative fee, transportation beginning at ¥3,300 and, after the first booking, a ¥2,200 selection fee. That means even a simple two-hour café date can cost approximately ¥17,000 before paying for food.

Renting a girlfriend or boyfriend does not mean purchasing someone’s affection. Customers are paying for time, attention and the experience of companionship within carefully established boundaries. It may never replace a genuine relationship, but for a few hours, it can make a lonely afternoon feel a little less uncomfortable.

This Chinese folk tale illustrates the importance of honesty, especially when it looks and feels exactly like admitting failure.

As Erik Spoelstra begins his milestone 18th season guiding the Miami Heat, the addition of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo launches a thrilling new chapter for the franchise's legendary coach.

Erik Spoelstra enters the new NBA season with a new centerpiece in Miami after the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.  The two-time MVP joins Bam Adebayo and gives Spoelstra another elite frontcourt talent as he begins his 18th season on the sideline in Miami, making him the longest-serving head coach in professional sports.

Spoelstra’s tenure became nationally defined by the arrival of LeBron James in 2010, when James joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to form the trio that became known as the “Heatles.”  The team reached four consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 through 2014, winning championships in 2012 and 2013 – James’s first two championships.

Spoelstra had already spent 15 years with the organization before becoming head coach in 2008.  He joined the Heat in 1995 as a video coordinator and worked his way through the coaching staff under Pat Riley.  His first championship came in 2006, when he was an assistant on Riley’s staff, before he eventually succeeded Riley as head coach.  By obtaining that title, the Filipino American became the first Asian American head coach of the four major sports leagues.

Spoelstra has also become a prominent figure in USA Basketball.  He served as an assistant coach for the U.S. men’s national team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping the Americans win gold in Paris.  In 2025, he was named head coach of the U.S. men’s national team for the 2025-28 cycle, putting him in charge through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The 55-year-old grew up in Oregon and played basketball at Jesuit High School in Beaverton before attending the University of Portland.  He played professionally in Germany after college and returned to the U.S. in 1995.

Since the Heatles era, Spoelstra has added two more Finals appearances, in 2020 and 2023, and remains at the center of the Heat's culture established by Riley, defined by intense physicality and team success above individual ego.  With Antetokounmpo now joining Adebayo, he begins another chapter with the Heat built around a new pairing of established stars.

To enjoy the benefits of partner dancing requires coping with some social and racial aspect of participating in a dance community.

Tom Kagy (00:01.496)

within a formal dance style like West Coast Swing, Country Two Step or Salsa.

That sounds too obvious even to bother stating. What isn't obvious are the ramifications of that reality for someone mainly seeking physical and mental benefits from dance. As with any community, alliances, friendships, even romances do form among a group of regular dancers. That prompts me to address a topic that naturally arises in discussing

Partner dancing, sexual attraction and chemistry. Yes, partners are members of the opposite sex, though these days I do occasionally see same-gender couples on the dance floor. Someone once said dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire. That statement, in my opinion, was meant in an aesthetic or metaphorical sense and not as a reflection.

Of the realities under actual ballroom dance conditions. Yes, I know there are a lot of romantic and sexy dance scenes in the movies, like dirty dancing, for example. But in those scenes, the dancing is merely incidental to a depiction of the couple's sexual and romantic chemistry. That's very different from people focused on learning a dance form and

Tom Kagy (02:06.961)

And from the follower's perspective, trying to follow the idiosyncratic moves of a leader with whom she hasn't been practicing for hours is probably just as all consuming. No one wants to look like a bumbling space case when they're on the dance floor. Even if you happen to find your partner attractive, that awareness only enters briefly into your consciousness at the outset.

and is quickly submerged by the demands of the dance despite various levels of physical contact as the dance progresses.

Obviously some of the moves appear visually to embody male-female sexual or romantic dynamics, but mentally, you know, what's going on in your mind, the focus remains on making sure the moves are executed correctly and safely, without bumping into each other or one of the other couples.

Of course, that doesn't mean that some dancers aren't also interested in forming friendships and even romances. But that doesn't take place during the dance, but rather on the sidelines, typically among railbirds taking a break. Then there's the concept of quote dance wife, unquote, which was broached to me on a few occasions by female regulars of the West Coast swing community.

Tom Kagy (04:10.737)

exclusivity that went directly against my conception of dance as a series of mini adventures with strangers.

Spending the bulk of my dances with a dance wife was exactly what I didn't want. So I politely and subtly backed away from such approaches. No doubt I'm not the only one. Nearly half the dancers in the Westy crowd were attached, though most didn't have partners willing to sacrifice their evenings to embracing a new dance form. So ironically, some of my most frequent partners.

were the actual wives of other men rather than unattached women seeking a dance husband.

Even among the somewhat younger crowd that flocked to Country Two Step, a significant number were attached outside the dance floor, so they were free to cut a wide swath through prospective partners without inviting attachment. But as in the outside world, avoiding attachment does carry penalties. Some women painted me as being stuck up or occasionally even as a

Tom Kagy (05:56.378)

And as in the outside world, I also incurred resentment from a few of the male dancers. I can only speculate as to their motives, but I did occasionally detect snipes about my leads being too physical, aggressive, wild. For that I can only surmise that I must have fed some insecurity on their part about their own moves. Speaking for myself, I had zero interest in what other men were doing.

unless they did a very cool move well enough for me to try to pick up pointers. So between the women who felt I wasn't returning their attention and the men who felt insecure, there did develop a segment of the community who liked to express their dislike or disdain for me. But fortunately the opportunity to show animosity is rather limited on and around a dance floor. So my anti-fan club

that causes me zero loss of self esteem or even equanimity.

Moving on to the topic of race, I felt a little negative sentiment due to my being I felt little negative sentiment due to my being Asian American, at least with a Westy crowd. It typically included a couple of Asian women and occasionally an Asian man in addition to myself, out of a group which at its borderline based heyday averaged about three dozen dancers.

Tom Kagy (07:46.687)

The situation was a bit different on Thursday country nights, which generally pulled in a crowd that was about twice as large and maybe a decade or two younger, with a median age of about thirty instead of about forty-three for the Westy crowd. Those country nights typically drew crowds from a significant portion of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, ranging from UCLA to Hollywood and the West Valley.

Toward the east and south, all the way to Carpenteria, Santa Paula, Santa Clarita, and Ventura to the west and north.

On a rare occasion over the decades I did hear slurs like slant, gook, or jap muttered from somewhere behind me in the counterclockwise progression of a two step, or from the rail that surrounded the dance floor. Even if I had been able to detect the source of those utterings, I would have been hard pressed to disrupt my partner to address it.

On one occasion I was able to detect its source just as the dance was ending, leaving me free to quote accidentally unquote, bump hard into the offender. No response was detected, which in itself confirmed my suspicion of the source.

Tom Kagy (09:23.787)

Probably eighty-five percent of the two step crowd at the borderline in a physical dance must have been troubling, maybe threatening. I thoroughly understand their perspective because I grew up with the likes of them, who were typically at the foot of the classes I was in, but of course that didn't quite let me excuse their behavior. No, racism wasn't much in evidence on most borderline knights.

But being who I am, I was always aware of race, if only as a matter of sociological interest. It was the mostly white crowd in a conservative suburb, but most of the women I asked to dance seemed to take my race perfectly in stride. Maybe that's why I do remember the handful of instances in which I did smell racism. Only one

One of those was from a young woman who rejected my offer to dance. Not while turning me down, but after I had moved on, I happened to overhear her casually explaining to a friend that she didn't dance with quote Japs. The other times were in the casual use of a slur in reference to me in conversation with a friend. One I remember well was a very tall woman, at least six feet.

He was actually one of the better followers and someone I had danced with on several dozen occasions. So I know better than to assume that a woman isn't racist simply because she dances with me, nor do I assume she's racist because she refuses my offer. Over the years I've learned that women have many possible reasons for refusing a dance. The two most common are fear of making a fool of themselves and

Tom Kagy (11:44.936)

But key to the amount of physical and mental energy at my disposal.

So typically I would start off the evening with several dances, then take a break for a couple of songs, then resume for several sets of maybe two or three songs, each broken up by rests for a song or two. The most dances I've ever had in a night was twenty-two over a two and a half hour period at the borderline. That kind of night was probably fueled by a combination of good music.

And an abundance of prospective partners. Even back in the borderline days, I probably only averaged 13 to 17 dances on a typical night. More recently, when the only convenient dance venue offers salsa and bachata on a dance floor a third the size of the borderlines, I rarely get in over a dozen dances, and often as few as ten.

The limiting factors are the number of danceable songs, the number of available partners, combined with my lack of desire to dance with the same person for more than two songs, and the lack of space to move on the dance floor. I know that an issue that seems to loom large in the minds of some men is the rejection rate. As I've mentioned, being turned down has never been much of a consideration for me.

Tom Kagy (13:47.107)

That rejection rate varies with the venue, the crowd, and the type of dance. Two or three rejections a night is probably typical for me, with my batting average higher with the bigger crowds at the borderline where I dance to more songs than at the smaller salsa club. Other than what I mentioned while a while earlier, race hasn't been a significant factor. At least not that I'm conscious of.

But the most disturbing instance of what might have been racial bias involved an Asian woman in her mid-twenties. It was the borderline on a Thursday night, country night, when the mix was sets of country two-step tunes like Just to See You Smile and Ring of Fire, alternating with line dance numbers like Popperhead Road and Footloose.

Occasionally the DJ would slip in a West Coast swing, maybe a cowboy waltz, or a nightclub two step.

For one of those latter songs, a nightclub two step, I asked a young woman standing nearby at the rail with some of her friends. She had never danced nightclub two step but seemed happy to give it a try. After one of my 30 second tutorials, she was handling the basic steps well and seemed to be getting into a groove. I happened to be facing the rail and noticed that her friend, an Asian woman,

Tom Kagy (15:28.279)

It was clear that the interruption had been totally instigated by their Asian friend, who, when I glanced at her, was trying to appear oblivious to what was transpiring on the floor.

I can't say for sure what this Asian woman's motives were, but it did call to mind a phenomena I had seen a few times. Asians who had thoroughly internalized racism and acted out on their notions of the sensibilities they ascribed to their white companions. It was a bizarre psychological phenomenon, maybe something akin to the Sokholm syndrome.

On the whole, my nineteen thousand dances over seventeen years was actually reassuring to me about the state of American race relations. In actual real world contact with other Americans, white, Asian, Hispanic, black, at close quarters, anti Asian racism wasn't a significant enough force to interfere with the fun.

And partner dancing itself has been a boon to my lifelong pursuit of all-around fitness, physical, mental, and emotional. I encourage everyone to give it an honest shot.

Chinese supermodels, South Asian newcomers and Asian American favorites brought debuts, dramatic wings and unforgettable looks to the 2026 runway.

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned to Los Angeles with some of the brand’s most famous Angels, extravagant new wings and one of its most diverse groups of Asian models yet. The show was held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City and was divided into collections inspired by spring, summer, fall and winter, with a playful PINK halftime show in between.

Chinese supermodel Liu Wen returned for her 10th Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, maintaining her record as the most experienced Asian model in the brand’s history. She was the first Asian model to walk the Victoria’s Secret runway back in 2009 and this year she stunned the crowd with two striking looks.

Ming Xi also made a highly anticipated comeback after last appearing in 2018. For her seventh show, the Chinese model walked in two outfits, a floral corset surrounded by dreamy, transparent fabric and a bright pink lace set with delicate wings.

Fellow Chinese model He Cong returned for her second Victoria’s Secret show after appearing in the brand’s 2024 revival. She walked first in a soft lingerie look during the Vintage Victoria section and later in a dramatic black-and-white winter ensemble.

Chinese newcomer Yue Gu also made her Victoria’s Secret debut during the youthful PINK halftime show. South Korean model Yoon Young Bae joined her in the colorful segment, marking Bae’s second consecutive year on the runway. Their outfits featured Y2K-inspired pieces as KATSEYE performed.

Japanese-Dutch American model Yumi Nu returned for her second show after making her debut in 2025 and Japanese American newcomer Shamari Koharu completed the elegant Vintage Victoria section, both bringing Japanese American representation to one of fashion’s most watched events.

Filipino-British model Christina Nadin made her debut in the PINK segment, making her the second Filipina to walk the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

South Asian representation was especially strong with British Indian model Neelam Gill returning for her third consecutive show in a colorful Indian-inspired look.

Indian model Ravleen Varghese made her Victoria’s Secret debut with two separate walks, making her the first Malayali woman to have walked in the show.

Sri Lankan model Elina Gunawardena also made her debut, while Indian-Dominican model Luna Yohannan returned for her second consecutive show.

Asian models were once treated as rare additions to the Victoria’s Secret runway, but this year, they appeared throughout nearly every part of the show, demonstrating how much the image of a Victoria’s Secret Angel has continued to expand.

A homegrown love finds domestic bliss without the benefit of exotic overseas settings.

Is domestic bliss

Is it cool to kiss

Can our hearts catch fire

Can we fall in love

[Chorus]

Can we tie the knot

Would you really miss

[Chorus]

Beauty pageants in the Philippines are more than glamorous competitions as they represent community pride and a chance to shine on the world stage.

In most countries, a beauty pageant is just another televised competition, but in the Philippines, they feel more like the World Cup, complete with intense training and passionate fans.

Filipinos do not wait for Miss Universe. Beauty contests of all ages are regularly incorporated into festivals and community events, giving contestants opportunities to perform long before reaching a bigger stage. Fans analyze everything from a candidate’s runway walk to her evening gown and interview answers with the same intensity sports fans use to study an athlete.

In 1908, the Manila Carnival staged what historians recognize as the country’s first national beauty contest. The event was designed to promote commerce and present the Philippines as a modern American colony, making its carnival queen both a celebrity and a symbol of colonial influence.

Over time, Filipinos transformed pageants into something of their own. Rather than representing a colonial government, beauty queens began representing their communities and eventually the entire country on the world stage. The Philippines has produced four Miss Universe winners: Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margie Moran in 1973, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015 and Catriona Gray in 2018, placing the country among the most successful nations in the pageant’s history.

These victories were also not based on genetics or luck because the Philippines has developed a pageant industry made up of designers, makeup artists, interview coaches and specialized beauty camps where candidates can spend months perfecting their pageant walk, while also practicing public speaking and preparing to answer difficult questions under pressure.

Winning a crown creates major career opportunities as successful contestants often move into modeling, television, brand partnerships and even politics. This gives local competitions higher stakes because a pageant can provide visibility and open doors that may otherwise be difficult to access.

And that’s why even with the controversy behind them, beauty pageants remain prominent in the Philippines, because here, a beauty queen can represent years of preparation, pride and the opportunity for a nation to see itself celebrated before the entire world.