FEMA launches Android App just in time for the Hurricane

FEMA’s had a mobile version of their website available for a while now, but all that information does you no good if you can’t get an internet connection. Given the fragility of mobile networks during disasters, going without web access is a very real possibility.

Enter FEMA’s new, self-titled Android app, which puts a wealth of emergency preparedness information right in the palm of your hand just in case.

The app contains information and advice on what to do for disasters ranging from earthquakes to wildfires, and everything in-between. Also present is the emergency kit checklist, which outlines all the items and provisions one may need to get through some trying times. Very useful, especially because some things they recommend (like a “whistle to signal for help”) aren’t exactly the first things to come up when brainstorming the contents of a survival kit. For those worst case scenarios when the best bet is to head for a nearby shelter, the app lists locations where it should be safe to hunker down.

How to Correctly Pronounce Designer Names

Label Whore?

Remember when you weren't sure if Ralph Lauren's name was pronounced  like the girl's name or the Italian actress Sofia Loren?  Here's a cheat sheet of some labels from across the pond that aren't as easy as our own Thom Browne and Michael Kors.

Alessandro Dell'Acqua: Ala-SAND-roe del-LA-kwa

 

Ann Demeulemeester: ann DEH-moo-lah-MEE-ster

 

Bottega Veneta: BO-teg-a VEN-eta

 

Burberry Prorsum: BUR-bur-ree proar-SOME

 

Comme des Garçons: Comb day gar-SON

 

Dior Homme: dee-OAR OM

 

Dolce & Gabbana: DOLE-chay and gab-BON-a

 

Dries Van Noten: DREEZE van KNOW-ten

 

DSquared2: DEE squared

 

Givenchy: Zshee-VON-she

 

Gucci: GOO-chi

 

Hedi Slimane: Eddy slim-MAHN

 

Hermès: AIR-mehz

 

John Varvatos: John var-VAY-toes

 

The Hair You Don't Want !

With a wide array of products on the market there is no 
excuse for unwanted body hair. Trim it, Shave it,Wax it or Laser it.  Hey, everyone has something that they’re self-conscious of, and if unwanted hair is one of them, there are plenty of solutions!

Room with a View: Dana Hotel & Spa Chicago

An astonishing number of people want to keep up with the Kardashians. Well, give it a try. Make like an overpampered reality star and stay at Kim K's favorite boutique hotel in Chicago, the Dana. This 216-room spa and hotel is just steps from the Windy City’s (in)famous Michigan Avenue and right in the heart of trendy River North’s restaurant row. You can’t turn right or left out the front door without bumping into a bistro, café, eatery, boutique, department store or wine bar.

‘Tricolored Calfskin Sneakers’ By D&G

D&G introduces new reinforced metal eyelets. Crust leather insert at back at heel and along topline. Leather innersole and lining. Rubber soled tricolored calfskined sneaker.  Starting at $325.

Jay-Z + Kanye a Marriage Made In Hip-Hop Heaven

In this age of the regional hit, the no-budget viral video, the Twitter star.  It seems the center of the hip-hop world has been weakening, and the genre readjusting to life built from the bottom up. 


Against this back drop, along come a marriage made in hip-hop heaven ---Jay-Z and Kanye West.  These are two old-fashioned icons, the last of a dying breed. There are younger stars who have their sort of dominance on their mind — Lil Wayne and Drake primarily — but the landscape they have to navigate doesn’t favor the lengthy reigns of old, especially when the entrenched powers refuse to cede any ground.

A $1,000 Emergency will be Difficult for Most Americans to Handle

Sixty four percent of Americans don’t have enough cash on hand to handle a $1,000 emergency expense, according to a survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, or NFCC, released on Wednesday. Only 36% said they would tap their rainy day funds for an emergency. The rest of the 2,700 people polled said that they would have to go to other extremes to cover an unexpected expense, such as borrowing money or taking out a 

cash advance on a credit card.

Street Style!

It's so f**king hot outside today, makes me wanna loose my shirt and hang around the office like this.  How's the weather in your town today?  Let us know in the comment section. 

Office Cool for Sweltering Days

Finding a suit that will go from the sweltering days of a midsummer day to the freezing temperatures of an office cubicle is easier said than done. Most of us will rely on throwing our suit jacket on-and-off in desperate moments of sweat and chill. Not that that is a bad thing - it just might be time for something a bit different, something a bit modern. 


Linen suits are a perfect way to cope with these unforgiving dog days of summer. The way to wear th linen suit: Embrace the wrinkles. Right in line with the leisurely summer season that it's best worn in, the suit looks better when carefree with wrinkles. And it keeps you surprisingly cool and airy, even when in the midst of a heat wave. Designers from Michael Bastian to H&M are making the weather-appropriate suit this season. Wear with light colors and patterns, and you're summer ready. But then there is the khaki suit. The best thing about the khaki suit: It instantly makes you look summer-appropriate.


This season, J.Crew has also built a great collection of summer suits that compromise all aspects of summer office-wear that are worth looking into. 

How A Suit Should Fit

When it comes to tailored clothing, nothing --not fabric, craftsmanship, or provenance-- is more important than fit.  After all, it doesn't matter how fine the fabric is, or how many tailors hand-stitched the finishing details if the thing is hanging off your shoulders and grazing your knuckles like a prom rental. 


The Shoulder
This is the single most important part of the fit of a jacket. Every other part of the garment can be re-cut, but the shoulder is the deal breaker. The pad (if there is one) should come right to the widest part of your shoulder muscle—and never past it. If it does, return the suit and go down a size. Period.


Trouser Length
Because suit pants, typically, come unfinished, you’ll have to get them hemmed. So the power is in your hands here. No break is the way things are going these days, this works best if your trousers are slim. If you’re more of a traditional cut kind of guy, go for a small break. And the large break? Save it for your 60-year-old tax-lawyer. (And hey, no offense to tax lawyers—they saved us a bundle last year.)

Desk-It Notepad: Because Square Yellow Pads Don't Always Cut It

If you’re as tired of Outlook and Gmail pop-up notifications as we are then you’ll appreciate the refreshingly simple Desk-it ($10). The 7-day notepad is a simple, honest technique for keeping the week’s to-do’s organized. Keep it near your keyboard for a visible reminder of what’s next on the docket — and as much as we love technology, there’s nothing more satisfying than crossing something off a to-do list. A graph version is also available for you sketching types.

Where to Find Back-to-School Deals

Wether you are preparing to go back to school or college or are sending someone off, its best to shop around for the best back-to-school deals available.  

Most stores offer back-to-school promotions, so it's up to you to figure out what you need, the best time to buy it and where to go -- especially whether you should buy in-store versus online. Many stores continue their deals through the second or third week of September, though sometimes sales can end earlier depending on the part of the country. Here are tips on where to shop, when to go and what to expect.

Supplies: There are always weekly deals out there, in which products like pens, glue sticks and index cards can cost as little as a penny but more often range from 50 cents to $2 at stores like Staples, Target, WalMart and Office Depot. But you're not the only one hunting deals. You'll benefit by shopping early in the week when the deals first start to ensure the shelves won't be empty when you arrive, says Jevin Eagle, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Staples.

Chill Out & About with Cardboard Coolers

Sometimes it’s nice to keep things chilled without lugging around a cooler. Cascade’s Cardboard Cooler Boxes ($15) are a new green alternative to the styrofoam options we’ve all used before (which are probably still sitting in mint condition on the garbage heap they were dumped on, right next to the Twinkies). Each box is composed of 70% recycled cardboard and features a NorShield waterproof coating for enhanced durability. On the cooling front, these boxes pretty much match the performance of other disposable coolers and can maintain a temperature of 41° F for 36 hours straight using two bags of ice. Having the french word for cold stamped in giant block letters across the box, unfortunately, won’t help your cool factor at all.