August 2014 - Daily Inbox

After Buying a Pug Pup, UK Mom Sees Her Custom Dog Bandana Enterprise Grow

30Aug

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Business

After Buying a Pug Pup, UK Mom Sees Her Custom Dog Bandana Enterprise Grow

Louise Smith, a retail manager from Riverside in Tamworth, England, was looking for a fun accessory for her first dog almost two years ago. Despite an allergy to dogs, 26-year-old Smith, a mother to six-year-old Jake, ended up buying her pug George when she fell in love with his "character, charm and crazy personality." Yet when Smith went to find a fun accessory to fit her "baby's" personality, she and George were unhappy with the choice of doggie t-shirt. She decided that a simple bandana would do the trick instead, but she came up empty after trying to find a suitable one online. A few weeks later, however, Smith discovered a fabric stall in her local market and decided to try making her own doggie accessories. "I bought a few meters of different fabrics, dusted off my se...

Plastic Surgery Billboard Gets Taste of its Own Medicine When Vandals Give it a Makeover

30Aug

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Local

Plastic Surgery Billboard Gets Taste of its Own Medicine When Vandals Give it a Makeover

This month, a plastic surgeon may have learned to think twice about how he advertises his services after his billboard was vandalized in Jackson, Michigan.Earlier this summer, a billboard sign went up for Ann Arbor Plastic Surgery. The billboard showed two muffins wearing jeans and read, "Friends don't let friends muffin top" -- muffin top is a phrase describing when a person's belly overhangs their pants waistband.As it happened, though, many people in the local area took offense to the sign, which they saw as being critical of women's bodies and relying on shame to promote plastic surgery. As a result, someone spray-painted smiley faces onto the muffins, added a giant "X" over the slogan, and wrote "You're beautiful!" at the top. Dr. Pramit Malhorta, the clinic's director, reported be...

What China has that the United States Doesn’t

30Aug

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Business, World

What China has that the United States Doesn’t

It is 1980 and Shenzhen, a Chinese city less than an hour's drive north of Hong Kong, is an unpaved, rutted network of roads filled with homeless people and small farmers slaughtering chickens along the side of the road. Now the city is the reason why the United States will never need to manufacture electronics. From making cheap consumer goods to manufacturing the world's (i.e. Silicon Valley's) latest and greatest electronics, Shenzhen is now a large bustling modern city that rivals that of Shanghai and Hong Kong. What many Americans don't understand is that Silicon Valley doesn't need to manufacture their own products; outsourcing to a foreign country is more cost effective. Electronic design and manufacturing don't always occur under one roof. Shenzhen is to making the product...

Americans are Moving Inland to Cities Like Oklahoma City That Promise More Affordable Living

29Aug

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Local

Americans are Moving Inland to Cities Like Oklahoma City That Promise More Affordable Living

Every year, about 36 million Americans pack their worldly possessions into the back of a car or a u-haul and make their trek to a new home. What many people studying the migration paths of Americans notice, though, is that moving is hardly a state of equilibrium. More people are moving to certain areas than others -- and collectively, these moving paths can have a big influence on the fate of city economies.Right now, there is an overall shift taking place from coastal cities to inland cities. As difficulties with securing mortgages and high property costs persist in states like California and New York -- among others -- more people are moving inward, toward urban centers that promise an easier and more affordable lifestyle. Oklahoma City is an example of a city that is benefiting from ...

Private Schools Could be the Solution to India’s Battle with Discrimination

29Aug

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Local

Private Schools Could be the Solution to India’s Battle with Discrimination

The caste system penetrates all aspects of life in India, and for grade school children, this can mean an unnurturing and even unsafe learning environment. Even though it is illegal, discrimination is ever present in the Indian government school system, with lower caste children often being separated and teased by students of a higher caste and teachers alike. The work of Gary Becker, a Nobel Prize winning economist, that combined economics and sociology, could provide the country with a solution. Becker's application of economics to discrimination shows that discrimination increases when there is no cost involved. Government school teachers will be paid the same regardless of how they treat their students. The actions of a for--profit private school teacher, however, can impact enrollm...

Beauty Queen Contestant Arrested for Insurance Fraud

29Aug

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Lifestyle

Beauty Queen Contestant Arrested for Insurance Fraud

In Riverside, California, a woman has been arrested for workers' compensation fraud thanks to online videos of her participating in beauty pageants. Shawna Lynn Palmer claimed to have fractured her toe last March while working for Stater Brothers in Riverside as a grocery store clerk. As a result of her injury, Palmer said she couldn't wear a shoe or put weight on her foot, preventing her from working. During multiple visits to a doctor, she said she could not move her foot in any direction, and she was ordered to refrain from working. She consequently was granted workers' compensation in March. However, a Youtube video has surfaced of the 22-year-old participating in the 2014 Miss Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix pageant during the time she was receiving compensation -- back in April. C...

Unpakt Online Booking Brings Transparency to the Moving Industry

29Aug

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Business

Unpakt Online Booking Brings Transparency to the Moving Industry

Most people are already familiar with Yelp, the popular website which allows users to score and review local businesses like restaurants and hotels. But what if you need to score your moving company? Unpakt is a fairly new comparison site specifically for movers. Through Unpakt, users can already find and book legitimate companies online, but the company recently announced a new and even more useful service. Users will now be able to receive free and immediate price quotes through a calculation tool on the website. The Quick Quotes feature will provide users with price quotes in less than a minute from Unpakt's pre-approved list of companies, and they can select a good offer as soon as they receive it, which guarantees that they'll be charged the offered price. This is possible be...

As Paris Looks to Get Rid of Love Lock Bridges, Lockport Wants to Encourage Them

29Aug

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Lifestyle, World

As Paris Looks to Get Rid of Love Lock Bridges, Lockport Wants to Encourage Them

In some parts of the world -- especially Paris -- cities are trying to slowly wean citizens and tourists away from the practice of leaving "love locks." Yet some areas, such as Lockport, New York, are hoping to replicate the love lock's popularity in order to bring new tourism to their area. What is a love lock? About 15 years ago, couples visiting European cities began leaving locks on bridges as a symbol of their love. The locks are often decorated or bear the initials of the couple. Soon, many bridges in popular areas become completely covered with locks. Lockport, NY is hoping that the lock can have special resonance with their namesake. Lockport gets its name from the Erie canal locks within the city, and the new Lockport Beautiful group is hoping that the metal locks, perm...

Electric Feel: Special Bacteria Help Detect Water Pollutants

29Aug

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Lifestyle

Electric Feel: Special Bacteria Help Detect Water Pollutants

What happens when scientists and governments know that a body of water is polluted, but can't test for toxins due to the expensive equipment? The University of Bath brings in their electric bugs to test the waters. Scientists from the university's Department of Chemical Engineering have recently developed a low-cost and effective device that is intended to be used by developing countries in order to help them monitor their drinking water in real time. This real time data feedback will omit the need for expensive lab equipment. Water pollution cause by industrial waste is a serious problem in developing countries as many governments dismiss the need to monitor environmental impact as production takes top priority to improve the nation's economic standings. More developed countries ...

Car Insurance Basics: Why Switching Insurance Companies is Harder than Ever

29Aug

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Business

Car Insurance Basics: Why Switching Insurance Companies is Harder than Ever

UPDATED 10/13/2020 Car Insurance is a topic many adults are familiar with. To the many young and innocent drivers of America, it might be just a strange bit of maintenance they pay their parents $100 a month for. However, it's a lot more complicated than that. What Is Car Insurance? Car insurance's most basic definition is financial protection if you or another driver cause an accident that damages some else's person, car, or other property. Each state has minimum requirements for the coverage you need on the vehicle. Mandatory coverage often includes liability or bodily injuries, property damage, medical payments, personal injury, and uninsured motorist. Which of these you actually need is part of car insurance coverage law in your state. One of the car insurance cove...