Monthly Archives: January 2009

Even the wealthy are heading to the pawn shop

January 30, 2009 – 1:03 pm

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Pawn shops are doing well in the Great Recession. The National Pawnbrokers Association says business was up nationally about 10% in 2008. But pawn shops that specialize in serving wealthy communities in Beverly Hills and Philadelphia say business was up as much as 40% (WSJ.com 12.30.08). The NPA says the average […]

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“Black market” hair cuts

January 29, 2009 – 6:17 am

by Stefania Revelli WHAT’S HAPPENING 2009 style and trim trend: Go stealth? As consumers go to great lengths to stretch their dollars, home hair-cutting parties are an accessible option. Private coif parties aren’t new, but a struggling economy has caught stylists illegally accepting evening shifts, offering up lovely locks for fewer bucks (NewYorkTimes.com 12.10.08). Some stylists report […]

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We don’t need no education: But iPods, we’ll take

January 28, 2009 – 5:52 am

by Paul Katz WHAT’S HAPPENING Textbooks are so very 20th century. The U.K.’s University of Derby is experimenting with a digital alternative by providing students with lessons via iPod. The school provided to 35 first-year radiography medical students iPods pre-loaded with video tutorials on how to properly position patients under an X-Ray machine. The gadgets […]

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A Digital Prez-ence

January 27, 2009 – 2:29 pm

by Paul Katz More than a million citizens packed into every nook and cranny of the National Mall last week to watch now-President Obama take the oath — but also groundbreaking was the throng of proud Americans who enjoyed the event via technology. Internet video supplier Akamai Technologies reported a record 7.7 million viewers who […]

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Podcast: One-Week Honeymoon

January 26, 2009 – 4:47 pm

The team critiques the first week of the Obama presidency, as well as the specter of “nationalizing” U.S. banks, and China in recession. Download this week’s economic podcast with Chris Keating, Derek Stubbs and Hans Eisenbeis here: One-Week Honeymoon: Bottoms Up Week 15 33 min, 12 sec.

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Economic meltdown, Economy, Money/Spending, Podcasts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Church stages mass marriage for undocumented Latino parents

January 26, 2009 – 8:40 am

by Abelardo de la Peña Jr. WHAT’S HAPPENING Too few Latino parishioners in the pews were cluing a Bakersfield, CA, priest that many of them were not married. His solution: a workshop and retreat resulting in the mass marriage of more than 40 couples. When Fr. Miguel Flores became pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, […]

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The iPill delivers drugs directly to the disease

January 23, 2009 – 5:45 am

by Sarah Barker WHAT’S HAPPENING Open your mind wide! Dutch tech tank Philips introduced a smart iPill that monitors temperature and acidity as it travels down the digestive highway and drops its drug cargo right where it’s needed. It was developed to reduce dosages and side effects with targeted treatment (TheRegister.co.uk 11.12.08). Packed in the […]

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Travelers can now tackle cities by mood

January 22, 2009 – 6:01 am

by Stefania Revelli WHAT’S HAPPENING Broke in New York City? Feeling romantic in London? I Feel London’s mood-based maps help travelers search for things to do and see based on their disposition (Springwise.com 12.3.08). Three locations (New York, London and Toronto) each feature nine maps for nine moods: naughty, energetic, romantic, sophisticated, chilled, girly, manly, […]

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Dude! Headbanging can lead to brain damage

January 21, 2009 – 12:00 pm

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Turns out your mom was right: that loud rock music really can turn your brain into vegetable dip. Actually, it’s not so much the music, but the  aggressive headbanging. A recent medical study in Australia found that headbanging to heavy metal music can cause brain damage and spinal injuries (BBC.com […]

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Top 40

January 20, 2009 – 11:21 am

by Becky Sun This month I complete my 40th year on the planet. (I might be the reincarnation of an empress dowager, but my psychic and I are still working that out.) I used to think that 40somethings were out-of-touch fuddy-duddies in stretch pants, but now that I’m entering their ranks, I’ve revised my notion. […]

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Podcast: IconObama?

January 19, 2009 – 3:24 pm

Hans and Chris talk about the credit crunch, the devalued dollar, and we tag our new president with three Iconoculture macrotrends. Download this week’s economic podcast with Chris Keating and Hans Eisenbeis here: IconObama?: Bottoms Up Week 14 28 min., 36 sec.

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As the world turns bicultural: All-Latino cast on English-language soap

January 19, 2009 – 8:18 am

by Anthony Montoya WHAT’S HAPPENING A soap with a telenovela edge, Hacienda Heights is an English-language daytime drama starring an all-Latino cast. Hacienda Heights marries two popular TV and cultural formats: English-language soap operas and Spanish-language telenovelas, airing weekly on San Francisco’s KRON-TV Channel 4 (Examiner.com 12.3.08). Emmy Award-nominated soap actor Tom Eplin of As […]

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Concierge: The buzzword for medical care in 2009?

January 16, 2009 – 6:14 am

by Stefania Revelli WHAT’S HAPPENING More primary-care physicians are taking a shot at a “boutique” model that downsizes their patient load and eliminates their dependency on insurance and Medicare coverage (Baltimore Sun 10.26.08). Patients will be charged a flat annual fee, which promises less hurried visits and 24-hour access to doctors, including home visits. For example, […]

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“We outsourced the job of … firing you”

January 15, 2009 – 6:40 am

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING A Belgian advertising agency needs to fire one employee to stay ahead of the recession, but management doesn’t have the guts to do it. So they’re asking the Internet to decide. The agency, So Nice,  has posted the (morose) pictures and profiles of 8 employees, and listed the “strong points” and […]

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Portable showers freshen up off-grid living

January 14, 2009 – 6:34 am

by Sarah Barker WHAT’S HAPPENING Sea To Summit’s waterproof fabric pocket shower gives new meaning to showering on-the-go. The gadget holds up to 2.6 gallons of water. Hung from a tree or pole via the included cord, it absorbs heat from the sun and lets loose with an 8-1/2 minute shower (DailyCandy.com 8.11.08). Flow can be adjusted by twisting […]

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