History

Facebook's reversal of fortunes in such a short span of time has played out almost like a modern-day morality tale.  The fall-out of the social network post-IPO, after such an enthusiastic build-up was telling. While it lined the pockets of some (namely investment bankers), it deprived the 99 Percenters (or Dumb F*cks as Zuckerberg so adroitly labeled them back in 2004) full-disclosure, resulting in a subsequent short-fall on their FB investment.

The term "Dumb F*cks" has hung over Mark Zuckerberg like a dark cloud during the course of the last 8 years. Not because his nickname "Zuck" rhymes with the expletive, but because the CEO of today's largest social network derided his early FB users as such. In 2004, when first percolating the idea of FB in a Harvard dorm room and asked how he attracted so many followers so quickly, he off-handedly responded they were following him blindly, like "Dumb F*cks."

Legions of guitarists, string players, troubadours, and DIY-shaker makers will converge on Bryant Park May 1, 2012 for Occupy Guitarmy, as part of the Occupy Wall Street May Day initiatives for social and economic justice. And you're all invited. Just show up at the Gertrude Stein statue at 12 Noon on that date and get ready to jam all the way down to Union Square.

When you wear Helen Keller sunglasses, “You see the world, the world sees you.” One wonders what the real Helen Keller, blinded by illness at an early age, would think of the Chinese company who came up with that jarringly inappropriate motto.

Tokyo Sky Tree, the world's tallest free-standing broadcasting tower, was officially completed on Leap Day of 2012. The 2,080 ft (634 meter) tall tower soars almost twice as high as the 1958-built Tokyo Tower and will take over most of the orange & white downtown landmark's digital broadcasting duties.

In fact, they're already here... but you wouldn't know it just from looking. Japanese automaker Honda has begun importing the subcompact Honda Fit into Canada from Guangqi Honda Automobile Co. Ltd., in China. The move may pave the way for the long-awaited next step: Chinese-made cars from Chinese automakers.

Things are booming in China, though not always in a good way – just the opposite, actually. From watermelons to whales and coffee makers to coins, these 7 unexpectedly explosive objects prove even well-designed products can bomb in the marketplace.

Whenever a new movement consumes the hearts and minds of a large percentage of the populace, its time to take stock in what really moves these folks to act? The zeitgeist that emanated from Facebook and Occupy Wall Street couldn't be any more different from each other, yet there is an undercurrent that threads the two together. Both attract those that have an overwhelming desire to band together within loosely-knit organizations that welcome all.

The massive tsunami that pounded Japan's northeastern coast following the devastating March 11th, 2011 earthquake left few trees standing along the shoreline. Among those few survivors is a battered, twisted pine that now resembles a Chinese Dragon. The so-called Dragon Tree has become a symbol of hope and renewal for the region's hard-pressed residents.

The Toyota 2000GT SEV is a one-off, electric concept car being shown to the public at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon. Designed by the Crazy Car Project under the direction of the Toyota Automobile Association, this “shocking” automotive update takes Toyota's iconic late-sixties sports coupe from flower power to solar power.

Well if you've been following the partisan rhetoric emanating from the Belt Way, you might not think that the government of "We The People" is going to fare too well going into a contentious election year. However, if you're one of the 99 Percenter contingency, things might be looking a little "rosier" for you . . . and they do mean that literally.

Charlie Sheen may have Adonis DNA but when it comes to winning, Genghis Khan DNA conquers all! Chinese scientists have announced they've successfully sequenced the genome of one of the Great Khan's direct descendants, and they didn't need a fossilized mosquito to do it.

Awakened like a sleeping giant, the 99 Percenters were first motivated by the Arab Spring - but now have orchestrated a movement that has taken on a whole life of their own. Commencing with a make-shift tent city constructed overnight in downtown Manhattan four weeks ago, Occupy Wall Street has caught not only America's zeitgeist but one that is cyberventilating across the globe as well.

Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and visionary former CEO, was tremendously admired and respected by China's newly wealthy, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy generation. In the wake of his sudden passing, a number of instant memorials paying homage to Jobs have sprung up at Apple's flagship Chinese stores.

Ready for the next tsunami? Then you've really got balls: enhanced fiberglass “Noah” capsule balls, to be exact. Japan's Cosmo Power designed these bright yellow survival spheres so users can escape onrushing floods and ride the relentless quake-spawned tidal waves to rescue.

Action figures don't get more awesome than this: U.S. President Barack Obama standing over the late (by mere seconds) Osama bin Laden, an assault rifle slung over his shoulder and his trusty Blackberry clipped to his belt.

The octagonal 50-foot clock remaining on the shore of the Hudson River facing Manhattan is a historical reminder of Jersey City's tenaciousness and its prominence during the 1940s & 1950s. By the 1970s, the city experienced a period of urban decline clouded by corruption held over from the Mayor "Boss" Hague reign of backroom deals and political cronyism .

On September 17th, a protest organized by several activist group will take Wall Street by storm to protest opposition to the use of corporate money in politics. Groups such as Anonymous, Adbusters, US Day of Rage are collaborating their efforts to promote a peaceful protest to attract on upwards of 20,000 to turn downtown Manhattan into a campground.

A huge gray “Mao Suit” now on display in the Chinese city of Ningbo celebrates both the 1911 Revolution against China's creaky Qing Dynasty and revolutionary Father of the Nation, Dr. Sun Yat-sen.