You may have heard of the controversial dating site beautifulpeople.com when CNN covered its decision last month to cleanse its membership of about 5,000 people because they had gained weight over the holidays. You can only join if existing members deem you attractive enough, and the added pounds were reason enough to be expelled. Read more
Valentine's Day is just around the corner. But that doesn't mean you have to run and hide from the sappy Hallmark side of the holiday. There are ways to celebrate love--whether its with your friends, your family or your 'better half'--without getting swept up in the hype. Read more
Darley Newman fell in love with horses and travel at an early age. And after paying her dues at networks such as CBS and The WB, Newman used her budding experience in television and merged her two passions to create an Emmy winning travel series, Equitrekking. Read more
Winter has arrived and whether you plan on making the most of the snowy season at a popular ski resort, escaping to a warmer destination, or attending a winter festival, you’ll definitely want to get the most from your travel budget. And with the holiday travel price hikes behind us now is a great time to find some deals when you book your winter getaway. Read more
Recently, I wrote a blog for Mother Jones about the new Sherlock Holmes flick. It wasn't about Robert Downey Jr.'s celebrity comeback, or Jude Law and Sienna Miller's tumultuous relationship. It was about the (possibly) homosexual relationship at the center of the film, and what it revealed about America's attitudes toward sexuality and masculinity. As an example, here was one commentator's response: "Awww, come on folks--I think they scooped TMZ [the online gossip rag]!Read more
Gabrielle Bernstein has paved her path to success by sharing her life strategies with others. Not your typical self-help guru, she is a life coach and motivational speaker for the next generation. This month Bernstein launches her self-transformational book, Add More ~ing to Your Life – A hip guide to happiness. In her book, Bernstein guides the reader through her dynamic "~ing Equation," a method of sharpening one's intuitive senses and activating untapped inspiration. Read more
It is a staple among news outlets for the first of January--that obligatory story on the percentage of Americans who accomplish their New Year's resolutions, and how YOU can stick to yours (much like this article from the Wall Street Journal). Read more
It's official: 2009 is over and 2010 is upon us. You've no doubt consumed your fair share of best-and-worst-of lists for the past year (and decade), but what about the horizon? Here are some major events to look forward to for the next 365 days:
Traveling can be stressful any time of year. Add a dose of holiday madness and headaches can ensue. Here are some tips to make life easier.
-During this holiday season, Google has partnered with 54 airports across America to offer free wi-fi to travelers to ease the stress of the season. It’s available until January 15, 2010. More information can be found here. Read more
Meat is expensive, and getting more so. Last week, economists projected that food prices will rise significantly in 2010. In the United States, wholesale pork prices are already up 27 percent this year, the costs of beef will jump by 4 to 5 percent, and dairy products will jump by 20 percent. Poultry will also become more expensive, Bloomberg reports. Read more
"LAST year was arguably the year of the travel deal, with resorts and airlines practically begging for bookings, and many travelers finding bargain airfares and hotel rooms as a result. But airlines have cut back capacity, meaning there will be fewer seats going unsold, and resorts may not be as quick to cut rates to attract guests, now that the economy looks as if it might be on a slight rebound. So now is the perfect time to review your booking strategy. Here are 10 simple steps you can take to help cut your travel costs in 2010."
"Britain's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said it uncovered a worrying trend of "nature starvation" among young Britons when it conducted a study to find out just how important it is for people to connect with the natural world.
The survey of 1,000 people found that only about a third (37 percent) of under 35s feel connected to the natural world, compared with more than half (55 percent) of those aged over 35."
"The Wall Street Journal reported that "next spring, Fine Living Network, a cable channel created in 2002 at the height of America's infatuation with affluent living, is slated to be phased out. In its place, Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. will launch the Cooking Channel." It turns out that this could foretell a lot about the local news business and where it should be heading, according to the man behind the shift."
Dec 30th 2009 From The Economist print edition Across the rich world more women are working than ever before. Coping with this change will be one of the great challenges of the coming decades THE economic empowerment of women across the rich world is one of the most remarkable revolutions of the past 50 years. It is remarkable because of the extent of the change: millions of people who were once dependent on men have taken control of their own economic fates.Read more
As alluded to in my piece the other day, I thought I'd flag a Letter to the Editor in the UK's Independent blaming the Schengen Agreement for the attempted terror attack on Christmas day.
See below my response...
Dear Sir,
Given the various comments beneath Mr Lennox's letter, I can only guess that you published his critique of Schengen for the sole purpose of giving your readers some pre-2010 amusement. Blaming Schengen for the foiled attacks is, of course, quite ludicrous.Read more
