Life

Don’t let the title deter you. Like failure, boredom is an unavoidable part of the human experience and deserves further consideration.

In response to skyrocketing gas prices and a struggling economy, Wendy Brown asks us to envision a reinvention of suburbia.

Bed bug infestations are now epidemic, thanks to an uninformed public and incompetent exterminators who don’t know how to treat bed bugs specifically.

After graduating from USC, Daniel Seddiqui found himself unable to find a full-time job. In dire financial straits, he decided to work his way across the country: 50 jobs in 50 states in 50 weeks.

Twenty-six years ago, Stan Brock founded Remote Area Medical to provide free medical care to people in Third World countries. Today, the large majority of its clinics are held in the United States.

Nicolas Buissart’s “urban safari” includes stops at a vandalized, abandoned subway station, a pile of coal waste, and the former home of a serial killer. Sound like fun?

Santa Claus “does a perennially poor job of matching stuff with people. In doing so, he destroys a lot of value,” says Joel Waldfogel, author of “Scroogenomics.”

Hundreds of post-secondary schools are fostering a party atmosphere in an effort to retain students and maximize profits.

Burdened by high expectations, many students find college to be a letdown. Guest columnist Dr. David Leibow puts things in perspective.

It wasn’t all that long ago that everyone drank water from the tap. Today bottled water is everywhere—one of the most successful commercial products of the past few decades.

“We’re not so much making fun of individuals, we’re making fun of poor choices,” says Luke Wherry, co-founder of People of WalMart dot-com.

Armed with markers and correction fluid, Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson—co-authors of “The Great Typo Hunt”—are on a mission to rid the world of misspelled words, mislaid apostrophes, and other impediments to clear communication.

Countless individuals have predicted the end of the world, and they’re been wrong—every time. Why do we continue to pay attention?

No doubt you’ve heard how Travis the chimp permanently disfigured Charla Nash. Did you know that his mother, Suzy, was gunned down in a similar incident in 2001?

“Join with the president and stand up for him,” says Lenny Kates. “He’s doing a wonderful job in a very difficult time.”

Inspired by a segment on Oprah, Lisa Shannon launched Run for Congo Women, and now works full-time advocating for women in the Congo.

The Stand Still Parade put Whalan on the map. But can the parade survive the town’s population decline?

Architect Victor Gruen denounced suburbia, hated traffic, and had little interest in shopping. What possessed him to create the shopping mall?

Caretaker-turned-entrepreneur James Brown opens Mr. Vacuum Cleaner in Eastwood, England.

The 35th annual Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest will take place on Tuesday March 23, 2010, with contestants vying for $2,500 and a place in the Odor-Eaters Hall of Fumes.