Slowly getting back into the swing of things here… got a few articles I wanted to share:

I have some friends who just came back from Alaska and bought some liquor at the duty-free shops and ran into the problem of transporting it home now that you can’t take liquor on a plane.  They aren’t alone.

This one is for Lauren: this article about the hoody (hoodie?) is amazing for two reasons: first, it is a very interesting piece on how culture changes and a simple piece of clothing can change people’s perceptions.  Secondly, I can’t believe that they wrote that much about a sweatshirt.  Really.

This is a very cool idea: basically a YouTube for Xbox games, allowing consumers to write video games.  I don’t like Microsoft, but I have to give them kudos when its due.  Now if they could just make using Word easier, it would be great.

Kickball is back!  That either makes you happy or it brings back bad, bad gym class memories.

Just in case you don’t have enough with a brand logo being on your underwear, socks, pants, t-shirt and, of course, your hoody, you can always have one tattooed on you.

Advertising is the art of the 20th century (be afraid) and this is someone’s attempt at listing the Creepiest Icons in Advertising History.  He forgot Joe Isuzu.

I have made mentions of the growing power of China, and Asia in general, in a global economy a few times before, but here is an article about counterfeit phones posing a threat to the companies who sell the real thing.  Counterfeiting is a major issue in China, and is one that needs to be resolved if they are to get the investment from the big branded companies.

Tagging for travel sounds cool and the concept might be a technology that could become really big.  Though I still like sitting down with a guide book and reading it, folding pages, underlining it and being able to take it with me.

Trend alert!  Hyphy dancing. Of course, according to some, its already too popular (read the last part of the article).

Remember "Pretty In Pink" or the "The Breakfast Club"?  Teen movies have changed and this article offers an interesting history of them.  Of course, being a teen has also changed… I remember being mainly concerned about the "fag tag" on the back of my shirt, not taking the right prescription drugs for my ADHD, terrorism, or STDs.

Last but not least… further proof that apparently no one can make their own decision without being influenced by celebrities.