Monthly Archives: February 2012

British women take to the streets in anti-diet protest

February 28, 2012 – 12:06 pm

by Nancy Ludwig WHAT’S HAPPENING Anti-dieting women staged a protest against the slimming industry outside London’s Houses of Parliament (Guardian.co.uk, 15 January 2012). Called Ditching Dieting, the women-only campaign against the likes of Slimming World, Weight Watchers, et al., invited women to dump their diet plans, slimming mags and calorie counters into a giant hazardous-waste […]

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Tatzoo challenges animal lovers to think ink

February 28, 2012 – 12:02 pm

by Nancy Robinson WHAT’S HAPPENING Millennials are putting (real) skin in the game to help endangered species. Organized by San Francisco Bay Area tattoo artists, Tatzoo is a call to action through social engagement, designed specifically for 18- to 35-year-olds. The challenge: “Engage 100 people in 100 days to help save a local endangered species.” […]

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Sliding scale: Spain gets its first fish vending machine

February 28, 2012 – 11:58 am

by Sairica Rose WHAT’S HAPPENING A fishmonger in Spain’s Basque region has come up with a novel way to serve fresh fish in a flash. By installing a vending machine in the doorway to their shop, the owners of Pescadería Martín Arrandegia invite customers to stop by round the clock (ABC.es, 12 January 2012). Whether […]

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SECRET HANDSHAKE

February 28, 2012 – 11:45 am

by Hans Eisenbeis Last week, I was in Fargo, ND, to see one of the world’s great sporting spectacles: the largest youth hockey tournament in North America, featuring 168 teams made up of 9- and 10-year-olds from the Dakotas, California, Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, Ontario, Manitoba and beyond. As a native Minnesotan, I admit that […]

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Burgers go dark in France

February 21, 2012 – 1:53 pm

by Lindsay Paterson WHAT’S HAPPENING Burger chain Quick — McDonald’s biggest competitor in France — has launched a set of three original burgers to mark the launch of Star Wars in 3D in France and Belgium (BusinessInsider.com, 6 January 2012). The most innovative is the Dark Vador, which is served in a black bun coloured […]

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Disease control: Postmen double up as social workers in Gorakhpur

February 21, 2012 – 1:49 pm

by Aditi Krishnan WHAT’S HAPPENING The postman does not just deliver mail in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. He is going to be chatting up consumers on Japanese encephalitis. Prevention strategies will be his main topic of discussion. Senior doctors from District Hospital Medical College and WHO health officials have been roped in to instruct the mailmen. 80 […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Health, India | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Walmart invites fledgling brands to “Get on the Shelf”

February 21, 2012 – 1:46 pm

by Nissa Hanna WHAT’S HAPPENING Walmart is calling all product inventors and budding brands with “Get on the Shelf,” a competition that gives enterprising people a shot at putting their idea on the retailer’s sales floor. Shelf-space-seeking hopefuls submit a video touting their product, then campaign for support on social networks or their own website. […]

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DON’T JUST PUT A BIRD ON IT

February 21, 2012 – 1:43 pm

by Sarah Fazio “I love your sweater.” “Thanks. It used to be a bicycle.” This “used to be a” refrain echoes as upcycling’s cachet expands beyond locavores, Etsy zealots and conscientious hipsters. Upcycling, the love child of recycling and reuse, turns castoffs into artisan crafts. I respect the practice. I even have a clutch made […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Green, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Teens share passwords instead of exchanging rings

February 14, 2012 – 3:29 pm

by Cree McCree WHAT’S HAPPENING Time was, teens swapped gum mouth to mouth to show their affection. Today’s true-love ritual is much less yucky, but arguably far more intimate: sharing passwords to email and Facebook accounts. The widespread practice is growing. 30% of US teens have shared passwords with a steady, with girls almost twice […]

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What did the 1% study in college?

February 14, 2012 – 3:26 pm

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Iconoculture has been doing our best to help fill out a meaningful and informative portrait of “the 1%” to improve understanding of the top income-earners in the US. Who are they, where do they live, what did they do to become our wealthy and privileged overlords? A January 2012 analysis […]

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Bangalore’s swish set sways to silent music

February 14, 2012 – 3:21 pm

by Anindita Sengupta WHAT’S HAPPENING Bangalore’s party animals are getting quieter — on the dance floor. Silent parties, where they listen to music on wireless headphones, are in vogue. There are usually three DJs playing music and a colour code helps the DJs know when the partygoer changes channels (TimesOfIndia.com, 20 December 2011). Such parties […]

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THE LOOK OF LOVE

February 14, 2012 – 3:12 pm

by Amber Davis Love/hate may be the best way to describe humans’ collective relationship with Valentine’s Day. As in, love the partner, hate the restaurant-reservation scramble. Or love free candy, hate the looks of pity from people who think that “single” is the saddest word in the world. Mixed emotions haven’t slowed spending. According to […]

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Tattoo removal up as Spaniards compete for jobs

February 7, 2012 – 12:43 pm

by Sairica Rose WHAT’S HAPPENING Ink on the skin can blot candidates’ job prospects — so claims Barcelona’s Planas Clinic, which has seen an 81% rise in demand for laser tattoo removal since 2008 (LaVanguardia.com, 27 December 2011). As job competition increases in Spain, these former fashion statements are becoming a pain. Rafael Serena, head […]

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CutTime Players bring classical music down to earth

February 7, 2012 – 12:40 pm

by Lisa Parks WHAT’S HAPPENING After 22 years, bassist Rick Robinson is leaving his position with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to tour with a smaller ensemble group. Their mission: to bring more classical music to African American and other underserved communities. Robinson’s CutTime Productions organizes concerts, arranges and contemporizes popular symphonies and delivers lectures that […]

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Kids get the cold shoulder from Jell-O’s adults-only vending machine

February 7, 2012 – 12:37 pm

by Nissa Hanna WHAT’S HAPPENING Sorry, kids, you’ll just have to wait: Jell-O’s concept vending machine dishes out free samples of its Temptations desserts — but only to sweets seekers with facial features that reveal a bit more mileage. Kraft is using the facial-recognition device to promote its first line of indulgent adult treats (layered, […]

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