Added 9 August, 2013
For the same reason that some people in the west are wearing blingy grillz on their teeth, some Asian teens are sporting fake braces as a status symbol. This orthodontia has flourished in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Kids are forking over $100 for the black-market fashion braces to fool observers into thinking they can afford the authentic...
Added 7 August, 2013
There's a new hotel brand coming to the Caribbean and you can bet the shops inside will be top-notch. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has bought a five-star hotel on the island of St. Barths and is planning to open others in Egypt, Oman, and the Maldives as well as in Paris and Milan. The latter will be right next to Prada’s store. To get to the...
Added 7 August, 2013
Tesco, one of the world's largest retailers, is revamping how it uses space in its largest stores, building a community room into its new Tesco Extra in Watford, England. As shopping goes online, brick-and-mortar retailers are looking to attract customers in ways that Internet businesses can't compete. Turning shopping into an even more...
Added 6 August, 2013
The majority of American teens delay getting a driver’s license, according to new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. In a departure from previous years, only 44-percent of teens are obtaining a driver’s license within 12 months of the minimum age for licensing in their state and just over half (54 percent) are licensed before their...
Added 5 August, 2013
Amsterdam could be the first city in the world with a Phyto-kinetic green bus, a real city bus with a real garden on its roof. The eco project is notable not just for its uniqueness, but because it cuts CO2 emissions that automobile engines are releasing into the atmosphere. To water the roof, it is only necessary to make use of the condensation...
Added 1 August, 2013
According to a new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, a whopping 36% of America's young adults ages 18 to 31 are living in their parents’ home. This is the highest share in at least four decades. A record total of 21.6 million Millennials lived in their parents’ home in 2012, up from 18.5 million of their same aged...
Added 31 July, 2013
The Kroll Show on Comedy Central has a terrific skit about Dr. Armond, a dog plastic surgeon, but pet 'braces', cosmetic eye replacements, and tummy tucks are no joke. Some owners are putting their pets under the knife to give them a new look. Kaiser the Doberman is recovering from 'ear implant' surgery for perfectly upright ears. His owner is...
Added 29 July, 2013
Rife with budget problems, the State of California is now raising revenue by allowing some inmates to paying for their own jailing by buying upgrade to a nicer cell. Inmates pay about $150 per day for nicer accommodations that are often also separated from the rougher holding pens. And it's not for everybody, only people convicted of more minor...
Added 28 July, 2013
A subterranean park in New York City just got critical political support for it to go forward. Dubbed the Lowline, as a humorously named counterpoint to the city's Highline on the other side of Manhattan, will be built inside the former Williamsburg Trolley Terminal, a depot for streetcars that was opened in 1903 and in service until 1948 when...
Added 25 July, 2013
This month, a "record-breaking" number of family reunions are happening in Fort Lauderdale, according to the region's Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Florida is hardly alone. While family reunions represent a small percentage of the leisure travel business, the segment has been growing recently. "We see a lot of family reunions here in Palm...