Women

First there was Japanese hair straightening; it was all the rage until it wasn’t.  Then came the Brazilian keratin treatments promising to turn your curly hair into sleek, shiny straight strands of goodness.  And now with the economy in dire straights everyone is tightening their belts and trying to be more budget conscious.  I searched for some at-home remedies for curly or frizzy hair that would provide similar results for a fraction of the cost.  J F Lazartigue has come to the rescue with a line of straightening products consisting of shampoo, conditioner and a gel.

Valentine’s day is just around the corner, splurge on yourself or someone you love and buy pampering in a jar with Sisleÿa Global Anti-Age Cream Day and Night Facial Treatment

Offices can be downright chilly in winter, especially for women. Thank goodness Japan's JTT Online Shop is offering these “Hedge Hot USB” powered foot warmers in the shape of cute boy & girl hedgehogs!

Geek chicks looking to flaunt some geek chic should look no further than Mass Item's “Measuring” line of math set women's jewelry from Japanese designer Kyozo Kawabe. The miniaturized and accessorized rulers, triangles and protractors come in a variety of colors and won't leak ink into your pocket protector.

A rather “tasteful” fashion show at World Chocolate Wonderland in Shanghai, China, featured clothing and accessories made from delicately (and deliciously) carved & crafted chocolate.

... The public is largely biased toward males in the who's funnier gender debate, and rationales have ranged from the male role in biological attraction, likening male humor to a peacock's tail, to the male's willingness to be more risque with sexual language and innuendo.

Coffee seems to be the new miracle drug. A minimum of 4 cups of coffee has been shown to be effective in reducing risk of diabetes, skin cancers, and strokes (in women), among the other powers it possesses.  Now, the Harvard School of Public Health has explored the effects of the magic 4+ cups on depression among women... men have not been studied yet.

Spyware just got personal. "Karelog" (Boyfriend Log) allows jealous girls to keep track of their boyfriends through their Android cell phones, without said boyfriends knowing they're being monitored from afar.

China's controversial One-Child Policy may have put the brakes on the country's unsustainable rate of population growth but that silver lining hides a dark cloud: a widening gender imbalance that makes it increasingly hard for a guy to find the right girl... or ANY girl, for that matter.

And now for something completely different: Spam burgers! Burger King Japan's latest fast food selection slips a sizzling slab of Spam into one of their new BK Bites burger pairs. The horror... actually, the Hormel.

You may not be a living dolls but at least now you can look like one. A new type of patterned stocking makes the wearer's knee joints look like ball joints – the type found in some popular Japanese anime figurines.

... a London mortuary, Leverton & Sons, has now teamed up with make-up company to the stars, Illamasqua, to give funeral goers a sight they will never forget: the deceased's 'Final Act of Self Expression," directed by the deceased herself.

I just came back from speaking at the Minnesota's Inventor's Congress (MIC). For those of you who don't know, the Minnesota Inventors Congress is one of the oldest and most established inventor trade shows in the country. And I have to say, I learned more from the inventors who attended MIC then I ever thought possible. It was so inspiring that I felt compelled to write this article and share.

Loneliness and shyness seem to be serious issues for many Japanese guys, but fear not: a series of 3 self-help DVDs is here to save the day. Microwave up a frozen Swanson entree, pull up a ratty sofa and pop in a disc, hungry Otaku, your virtual dinner dream date awaits!

As you begin your path toward bringing your invention to market, you might become keenly aware of how many naysayers suddenly show up in your life.   And when I say naysayers I mean people who don't share your vision, don't believe you can make things happen or let you know that for some reason or another you cannot actualize your invention dreams. 

Need a little help sleeping lately? Just pop the “Sleeping DVD” into your player and drift off to slumberland, gently guided by the soft voices and easy-on-the-eyes looks of some of Japan's most alluring dreamgirls.

Beijing's Zhang Yumo sometimes finds her work tiring. It's not a problem, however, because as one of China's six professional 'Hotel Test Sleepers', Zhang gets paid for sleeping on the job.

Like your women flat as a board? Then get your abs to Taiwan, where two twenty-something Planking pals from Taipei and Taichung are prone to putting themselves in some very uncompromising positions... and that's no lie.

The social conscience of China was proudly on display this week when a private plastic surgery clinic and nursing school teamed up to give a young Chinese woman a new nose – and with it, a new opportunity to build a better life.