JULY 22, 2006

Full News Archive

• Headline: A Summer of Labor Insights. Impact: The struggles of cabana staff led to the invention of the 'staycation', where people realized they could just complain about sunburns in their backyards instead of at overpriced resorts.. Fact: The term 'cabana boy' was originally coined to describe someone who served ice water, but now it means 'someone who will carry your drink while you pretend to be on vacation.'.
• Headline: Queens Blackout: A Tale of Two Generations. Impact: The Queens blackout sparked a revolution in emergency preparedness, leading to the invention of portable fans and battery-operated snacks. Who knew darkness could inspire such genius?. Fact: In the grand scheme of things, the blackout taught the young to appreciate their smartphones more and the old to appreciate their life choices—like moving to Queens..
• Headline: Scrutiny of Silicon Valley Stock Options. Impact: The scrutiny over stock options ignited a heated debate about corporate greed that eventually led to the rise of 'conscious capitalism'—because nothing says 'I care' like a well-crafted PR campaign.. Fact: Silicon Valley's dot-com bubble burst was like a bad haircut; everyone knew it was coming, but no one wanted to admit it until they were stuck with the aftermath..
• Headline: What We Have Here Is Success. Impact: The revival of the Community Theater inspired a resurgence in local arts, leading to a bizarre trend of townsfolk performing Shakespeare in their backyards, completely baffling the neighbors.. Fact: Community theaters are like the dad jokes of the performing arts world—always there, sometimes cringe-worthy, but you can't help but love them..
• Headline: Bloomberg Takes New Role: Defender of Con Edison. Impact: Bloomberg's role as the defender of Con Edison set a precedent for future mayors to moonlight as corporate cheerleaders, paving the way for the political circus we see today.. Fact: It's not every day you see a mayor trying to win a popularity contest while simultaneously holding a corporate shield—talk about multitasking!.