How Fashion Is Influenced By Our Grandparents [Infographic]

Are you concerned that the clothing you wear is not cool enough? Or are you just more of a free spirit that likes to wear whatever you have lying around to bring out the most of your personality? Luckily, the fashion trends of today are allowing people to turn back the clock and wear seemingly whatever they want in order to make a statement. From your grandparents’ old clothes to other vintage styles from decades past, what you wear says a lot about your individual nature, and can also put you at the forefront of the latest in hipster fashion. If you are unsure about what dressing like a hipster entails, take a look at this infographic for the top 10 signs that you are already dressing like one. You can also see the top fashion trends from the past seven decades in order to get inspiration for your next hipster outfit! Start digging through your attic or shop wholesale clothing for the best retro clothes to add to your hipster collection!

Is Wasted Food the Key to Clean Energy? [Infographic]

Food waste is a nearly unlimited resource generated by our global food system. Humans have mastered the plow and modified every aspect of our food supply -- and the effects aren't all good. Now most of the developed world struggles with obesity, not starvation. In the process of feeding ourselves we've created a gigantic global waste stream -- dumping nearly 70% of the world's food waste into landfills.

What if we used discarded food waste to produce fuel and electricity?

Over the next 25 years global energy demands will increase by 50% while global oil supply dwindles. Waste-to-energy could be the key to a more sustainable future.

This infographic illustrates just how much food is being wasted across the globe -- from farm to fork, and everywhere in between -- and how that waste can be harnessed for energy, specifically biofuels that can be used to replace the oil-based fuels we use every day.

Hats of Mad Men [Infographic]

Mad Men took America by storm in the summer of 2007, putting AMC on the map for television drama and making an instant star of Jon Hamm. While movies like Forrest Gump tell the story of Vietnam and the hippie movement in America, Mad Men shows the other side of the 1960's, focusing on on the greed and fast lives of advertising executives in Manhattan. And as iconic as the characters of the show is the 1960's fashion. Every season, we fashionistas love to debate what changes we will see in wardrobe as the show approaches the 1970's. 

To celebrate season 6 of Mad Men, which premiered on April 7th, we present this infographic of the hats that make the characters. Whether it's Don Draper's high quality fur felt fedora or Lane Pryce's awkward Russian fur hat, the hat makes the man (or woman)! So pour yourself an old fashioned, put on your favorite headwear, and get ready for season 6 of the best drama on television!

Ten Facts You Need To Know About Easter [Infographic]

Let's face it, you probably know already quite a lot about Easter thanks to the net and its main search engines, but this infographic from Smack is providing us with ten more obscure facts that you might have missed... and, as today is Easter Sunday and we desperately needed an Easter related post to mark the day, this egg-cellent infographic (found on the visual.ly site) was like a timely gift from heavens that we decided to share with you guys, with the hope that you'll find something you actually didn't know in it.

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

PS: Happy Easter to all this blog's visitors, readers and supporters!

The Strangest Laws in the Land [Infographic]

The United States is famous for more than its status as a world power. The nation’s maintenance of antiquated laws – considered stupid in our modern era – has long been a humorous topic.

In Alabama, for example, there is a law that prohibits both disguises and laughter inside of a church. In 1888, a man named Williams wore a fake mustache along with his Sunday best and was charged with disrupting a religious service. His appeal to justice was denied since his false mustache was worn “intentionally” and was “an act in its nature rude”.

A law prohibiting the exploitation of bears is another Alabama gem that can result in fines, imprisonment or loss of bear custody for the offending parties. What exactly is bear exploitation, you ask? It involves engaging a bear in a wrestling match, receiving money for said wrestling match or surgically altering a bear for purposes of exploitation, including tooth or claw removal. If you were planning on hosting a bear wrestling match, it’s not recommended that you do so in Alabama.

Historical Women of War [Infographic]

Women have always played a pivotal role in society. From child birth to rearing women have proven to be the link that brings everything together. In the same fashion, women have significantly influenced the armed forces. Throughout history the supposed “weaker sex” has displayed strong mental and physical abilities.

During ancient wartimes men were on the frontline while women were at home. Although not viewed as significant at the time, ancient women’s work at home greatly contributed to the success or failure of a country at war. Whereas women who cared for children allowed their husbands to concentrate and win fights, women who did not tend to home duties served as distractions and sometimes caused nations to lose wars.

As time progressed and more rights were granted, women became the face of frontlines in war and even served as authoritative figures in battle. Sergeant Major Mildred C. Kelly is one of several females to make warrior history in 1974 when she was appointed over hundreds of well-qualified men to be Command Sergeant Major.

Today there are no limits to what women can do and war is no exception. From Majors to Generals, women have conquered every role except the Commander-In-Chief position. When it comes to war women truly show off their girl power.

Weather Forecast Without Gadgets [Infographic]

The sheer idea of looking through the window to see if it's raining or not, instead of checking our smartphone would probably be seen as a very old fashioned one nowadays. But, unfortunately, even those wonderful gadgets we take for granted do have their vulnerable moments (they do tend to drop into the toilets a lot) sometimes..

So how will we be able to know what will the weather be tomorrow if our beloved phone has given up the ghost? Easy: look at the cows and listen to the birds!. Intrigued? Have a look at the infographic embedded below, and all will eventually be revealed.

Don't forget to look for the rainbow!

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

Climate Change in the American Mind [Infographic]

Good news! It looks like, despite what is perceived through the media or/and social media sites such as (for example) Twitter, more and more Americans believe that climate change is really happening and that it is actually being directly caused by human actions.

Let's have a look at how much they do, with today's infographic. 

Dramatic Changes In American Life [Infographic]

American life has changed dramatically in just 30 years. The U.S. population has grown by more than 80 million people. The male population has increased by more than 40 million, while the female population has grown by 38 million. Women still have a slight population edge over men with an additional five million members.

The average sales price for a home in 1983 was $89,000. In 2013, the average home sales price slightly more than $272,000. The average American's income has increased a great deal since 1983. The average person earned a salary of just $21,000 in 1983. In 2013, the average American earns a yearly salary of $49,000.

The political landscape has changed dramatically. In 1983, only 24 women held an elected position. The current number of elected women in office is 97. In 1983, Republican candidate Ronald Reagan won the election with just more than 50 percent of the vote. In contrast, Democratic President Obama was re-elected with 51 percent of the popular vote.

The Human Side of Healthcare Is More Important Now Than Ever [Infographic]

Changes are taking place in the way healthcare professionals are being taught to connect with their patients. A human connection with a patient is what the patient sees. When a patient feels the warmth of human kindness from the people helping them, it gives them hope about the future.

Healthcare facilities are now more often called to task for how their patients feel about the care they have received. When the patient is able to experience the human side of their caregivers, there is a marked increase in the satisfaction a patient feels. That satisfaction and connection result in higher HCAHPS scores. These satisfaction surveys are an important part of changes taking place in the American healthcare system.

The closer a patient feels, because of the human side of healthcare, to their caregivers, the less stress and worry they have. This results in less time calling for help, which provides more time for caregivers to show their human side to more patients.

The reason for these changes is to make sure that every patient receives the best possible care. The goal is to stress the CARE in healthcare.

The Mysterious Lifespan of a Decision [Infographic]

The brain works in ways that scientists and doctors are still trying to figure out. For example, scientists believe they can use an MRI to determine somebody’s decision seconds before he or she is aware of it themselves. A problem is posed to consumers when they are examining the choices on the shelves before them. While consumers love to have choices, they also want to make a decision with ease. This is where slick marketing comes in to play.

Some experts believe that offering fewer choices is actually much better than offering more. It would appear that some people are more apt to make a purchase when there are few options available; they might be overwhelmed. In the end, all this information is used by companies to tailor their marketing tactics even more personally. Shoppers who use store loyalty cards are being analyzed each time they shop. Ultimately, each choice a shopper makes lives on long after it has been made.

What if Grooveshark, Spotify, iTunes, and Pandora Existed in the 50s? [Infographic]

Back in the 50s, Grooveshark would have been like a personalized jukebox. You’d be able to look up your favorite songs and have them played just for you. No guarantees that your favorite tune would be available, though. Sure, it would have been free, but the songs wouldn’t be in alphabetical order. So if you really didn’t know what you wanted to play, you would have been fresh out of luck. This is just one example of how different your favorite music programs of today would have been in decades gone by. Your other favorite music programs, like Spotify, iTunes, Last.fm and Napster could have operated much differently, as well. Pandora likely would have had ads between its songs, and you wouldn’t have been able to skip songs you didn’t like--which would have been quite unfortunate, considering most of the music played would have been stuff you’re not that fond of anyway. 

Get more details on your favorite modern music programs and what they would have been like in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s by checking out the infographic below.

The Biggest Media Providers, Their Profits and Controversies [infographic]

Ever since media became mainstream with the invention of the printing press, people have been reading it. They've also been buying newspaper, watching television and venturing to see the latest movie at their local theater since each of those activities became commonplace. No matter how you look at it, providing media to the masses is a big industry.

That's why it's no surprise that there exist a set of media corporations that are bigger than all the rest. They broadcast programs that people watch each day, publish the latest in current events and put out new movies for people to go see. While all of these activities are extremely entertaining to the people watching and reading, they're also profitable to the companies involved.

These media corporations haven't gone without controversy. Each one has something surrounding their names, whether it's a massive wardrobe malfunction during a major event or it's discriminatory hiring practices. One of these media corporations that is a household name to anyone who has a child has even been accused of trying to broadcast subliminal messages to its audience.

The Self-Driving Car: Will Google Lead the Way? [Infographic]

The self-driving car has long been projected, but they are still unavailable. The promise of the self-driving is compelling as the ability to travel without having to pay attention to the road inspires visions of spending driving time watching videos or reading. Google has invested heavily in self-driving cars, but will their efforts succeed?

Google has some advantages over other who have tried in the past. Their Maps platform features some of the most sophisticated maps and mapping algorithms available, and their databases have been tested by drivers armed with video cameras. When it comes to navigating cars, Google has the technology necessary to succeed.

Google is large enough company that they can afford the investments necessary. Google has already tested cars that drive with minimal human assistance, and their progress has been encouraging. The states of Nevada and California now allow Google to test their cars on public roads. While the self-driving car is not a realistic option yet, Google might have a shot at succeeding.

How the Super Rich Dodge Taxes [Infographic]

If you happen to be super rich, you’re probably well versed in all the ways to not pay your income tax. For the wealthy, skimping on paying income tax is so ubiquitous that the average tax rate paid by those making $10 million a year is only 19 percent. Comparatively, the tax rate on an annual income of $388,350 or more is 35 percent.

There are many ways to significantly reduce one's taxable income, thanks to a gracious amount of loopholes in tax law. America’s wealthiest individuals can place funds in offshore accounts, funnel it through shell companies, or make generous tax-deductible donations to their spouses in order to reduce income tax rates.

One popular method of income tax reduction involves deducting the fair market value of a donated item. For example, as a wealthy person, you might purchase a sculpture for $1,000. Some years later, you can have it appraised for $10,000 before donating it to a needy organization. Now you can deduct $10,000 from your taxable income!

The Top Smartest People in the World [Infographic]

Knowing exactly how smart a person is can be difficult. IQ tests only measure a portion of intelligence and can be inaccurate. We may never know who the smartest person in the world Is, but we can certainly tell a genius when we encounter one. Superscholar.org has created an infograph showing ten of the smartest people alive today.

The infograph gives pictures, biographies and estimated IQ scores for ten of the most intelligent people in existence. Many of the figures are well-known experts in math, science and chess, and many of the figures work at the world’s top university. One woman, Judit Polgar, makes the list, but you’ll have to look at it to see what makes her one of the ten smartest people in the world.

Why the Earth May Lock Its Pantry Door [Infographic]

When human populations begin to adversely effect the health and happiness of planet Earth, the planet often quickly responds with no-nonsense messages designed to provide humans with a crash course in manners. Just like the average human householder does not appreciate house guests who overstay their welcomes and empty the contents of their refrigerators without even asking, the Earth gets testy when treated like a free flophouse.

If current breeding trends among humans continue, Earth will be soon be playing host to more unwanted visitors than it has room for and may have to exercise tough love in getting them to move on. This may come in the guise of a worldwide agricultural collapse in which the Earth simply locks its refrigerator and cupboard doors. Because food supplies for most humans are now centralized by the use of factory farms, significant amounts of humans will be encouraged to find other dwellings in the event that the Earth overturns its welcome mat.

The Evolution of Inventions [Infographic]

While the original inventors get most of the credit, it is often the later improvements that transform what these inventions could do. Inventions are thought of as standing alone, but the evolution of these inventions is what makes them so helpful.

Wilbur and Orville Wright are justly credited with inventing the airplane. The incremental design improvements, however, made the airplane a viable option for mass transportation. With the invention of the jet engine by engineers in Germany and the United Kingdom, the airplane is now the most popular form of long-distance travel.

Likewise, the Z3, ENIAC and ABC were widely hailed as the first computers in their countries of origin. The inventions of the transistor, raster monitor, hard drives and microchip were crucial for changing computing into what it is today. Computers are the ultimate example of unwieldy inventions that would evolve dramatically. It is hard to believe how much faster tiny cell phones are than these early, pioneering inventions.

Outside the Corporate Culture Box [Infographic]

On hearing the words "corporate culture," many people might think of a gray, colorless, monolithic culture and an inflexible approach to getting things done. But all corporate culture refers to is the many and varied ways companies express who they are. Therefore, corporate culture can be as diverse as any other type of culture. Corporate culture will vary between industries as well with more conservative industries such as banking, insurance and finance being slower to change and adopt new cultural mores than creative industries.

Corporate culture began to undergo a big shift in the 1990s when the first start-ups and dot-coms arose and attempted to bring a more playful ethos into the workplace. Those early companies were notorious, though, for their long work hours. Today's innovative corporate cultures emphasize life/work balance and flexibility among other benefits.

So, who are among the most innovative companies today in inventing their own corporate cultures, and what values do those cultures promote?

Image compliments of Human Resources MBA Degree Guide

Cults and Consumers [Infographic]

Cults have always fascinated the human psyche. The Bible and Greek literature mentions religious cults and their strange practices. Today, modern culture is obsessed with cults; references to Charles Manson and the Jonestown Massacre are commonplace. Thousands of cults are expected to exist today with millions of Americans involved, many of whom would not define themselves as cult members.

Of course, the definition of cults has evolved. Marketing professionals draw on the psychology of cults to attract consumers to certain products. A marketing cult positions itself as a select club that targets the truly dedicated brand fanatics and draws on users’ obsession with the product. By collecting enough dedicated fans, the club propagates itself as users reach out to other potential consumers and promote the brand. Strong leadership and overtures to promoting the public good, just like in a real cult, keep members hooked. Sound like any companies you know?