Lifestyle briefs

Dec 8, 2011, 4:06 GMT

Online blogs targeting hipsters

London/New York (dpa) - The trademarks of the pretentious hipster generation are thick-framed 'Nerd' glasses, t-shirts with deep V-necklines and skin-tight jeans. Thanks in part to their liking for big and extravagant parties located in the trendiest areas of the world's cities they are also the target of animosity. British newspaper The Guardian highlighted the increase in antipathy in an article on hipster hate blogs. Most of the blogs have photos of androgynous 'arty-types' hanging out in cafes in New York together with a vilifying caption. New Yorker Joe Mande has even published extracts from his blog 'Look at this Fucking Hipster' in book form. The Guardian's reporter concluded the only thing more fashionable than being a hipster is laughing at one.

Social network for house pets proves popular in Germany

Berlin (dpa) - A new social platform in Germany aimed exclusively at house pets is proving popular. The website mysocialpetwork.com allows pet owners to upload images of their loved ones such as dog Julius shown 'working out' or the spider Fraulein Meier who posted the comment 'That was a really delicious grasshopper' on her wall. The website is administered by Dr. Owl who keeps the community supplied with useful tips and advice. About 30,000 pet owners have registered since the site went online in August. A smart phone app is planned.

Camel milk chocolate takes off in Switzerland

Zurich (dpa) - The Swiss are famous for their high quality chocolate but according to the country's media it seems they are slowly opening up to chocolate made from camel milk from the United Arab Emirates. 'Kamelmilch Schoggi,' as the imported chocolate is colloquially known, has found a place on the shelves of the Swiss discount supermarket chain Migros. However, it's not cheap with a 130 gram bar costing the equivalent of 20 dollars.

Germany's sexy Christmas market season underway

Hamburg (dpa) - The Christmas market season is in full swing in Germany with shoppers regularly indulging in Xmas specialities like sweet roasted almonds and mulled wine. Christmas lights help create a generally romantic atmosphere but in Hamburg's 'Santa Pauli' market on the city's famous Reeperbahn things can get a little bit sexier. The market's organisers boast it's 'Hamburg's most lustful Christmas market.' Located in the St. Pauli district, which is known for its red light area, the market is for adults only. Another Hamburg Christmas market, the 'Winter Pride', is located in St Georg district and is aimed at the city's gay and lesbian community. The southern German city of Munich also has a gay and lesbian Christmas market called 'Pink Christmas' which is being staged for the seventh time.