Art Deco is in. At least when it comes to your clothes.

This is a real “shocker.”

A soldier blogs until his heart’s content.

Sweden doesn’t have any real problems.

Don’t go overboard this holiday season with your spending.

Facebook advertising won this girl the election!

This month‘s must haves.

Poor Jessica Simpson. No, not really.

Kelly Clarkson is in the big time again.

This purse will set you back a couple bills.

That quote

“I can now live without fear […] When you hear that Sweden has fought its last war 400 years ago, there’s no expecting any war […] So you feel you can live in safety. You feel more human.”

At the time of this article’s publication, there have been between 82,349 and 89,867 civilian deaths in Iraq since March 2003 according to Iraq Body Count.

It is true that under Saddam Hussein’s regime thousands were killed and even more simply disappeared. As Matthew says, however, what ever improvement the new government brings, the fear of death and continued violence prompts many to seek a better life elsewhere. According to UNHCR’s September 2007 report, approximately 60,000 Iraqi’s are forced to leave their homes each month due to ongoing violence.

On December 10, 2004, Gorges Toma moved his family from their Iraqi home to a less than tenable living situation in Turkey following the murder his brother. In Turkey the Christian family lives in a small Muslim town. They must get permission to leave the city, are legally forbidden to work, and all family members over 18 must register daily at the police station. They wait for the call telling them they have been granted asylum in America.

Twenty-eight year old Ammar Abdulla left Iraq in November 2006 for Damascus.

He wrote to the BBC telling them:

“I used to run a translating bureau in Baghdad. I left in November last year after I received a threatening letter with a bullet in it saying don’t ever open the office again. I closed up, and a few days later a car bomb went off outside and completely demolished the office. I am here in Damascus with my two sisters. One is a doctor; she was working at a health centre in Iraq when a cleaner said to her: “Put a veil over your head or you know what will happen to you.” A cleaner threatened my sister. My parents are still in Baghdad; that’s why I can’t send you a ‘photo of myself, it may get them in trouble.”

World Vision, a non governmental organization dedicated to the plight of children, warns of a “trapped” generation of Iraqi children growing up in this disarray and violence. It is through their literature that I learned of Fawaz’s story.

Nine-year old Fawaz and his family are Iraqi refugees living in Amman. When Fawaz was 6 he was kidnapped. The 21 days it took his family to gather the US 13,500 ransom to secure his return has left him with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In Amman, his is not allowed to attend school, something that might help him return to a semblance of normality. He has regressed to thumb sucking and is alternately overly attached to his parents and violently aggressive—all signs of the traumatic effect of his ordeal.

Conflicts persist throughout the world leaving countless victims in their wake.

Here are some ways you can make a difference in the lives of these refugees:

Sponsor an Iraqi child. Provide basic necessities for them. Let them know that someone out there cares about what happens to them.

Donate to War Child in Iraq (If you are in the UK you can use your mobile phone to donate. In the US check out the rest of their site) War child works with child victims of conflict throughout the world. In Iraq they are working with children living on the street who otherwise have no one to care for them.

Advocate for Change with the International Rescue Committee, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch.

In the second part of this article, I will talk about the overall Iraq refugee crisis and what various countries are doing to help/ hurt the refugees’ chances for obtaining a better life.

Leave it to the Swedes to solve a shopping enthusiasts biggest dilemma: the mirror.

You know the drill. You try on a new pair of jeans. You twirl in the mirror to check out how your butt looks but your neck just won’t cooperate to give you the best view. You can drag along friends who may or may not tell you the honest truth, or worse a boyfriend who just wants to make a break for it and get a soft pretzel.

So what’s a girl to do? The solution is in a new device called the DelayMirror. Created by scientists in Sweden, it’s a combination mirror, camera, computer, and plasma screen. As you turn, the camera snaps pictures and displays them on the screen so you can see how you look from every angle. The device made its debut in the UK at a popular retail chain today. So far the reviews have been positive.

I wonder what will happen when the DelayMirror makes its way to the states. Will seeing ourselves (and our imperfections) 360 degrees around make us even more particular about body image?

Too bad that thing can’t see the future.

Besides, if make-up sex is as treasured as it is, I’m sure there’s nothing better than “I’m out of the slammer can you believe it’s been three to five years” sex. Come on, no sane ex-felon would want to be pasty and pale for that.

Since bikinis are not standard issue prison clothing (surprised?), inmates are claiming that they are being sexually discriminated. The girls argue that male inmates can simply take off their shirt and get a well balanced glow while female prisoners don’t have that same luxury.

These fiesty jailbirds are currently petitioning the local prison council, and attempting to challenge them with sex discrimination charges.

Crafty, ladies!

Unfortunately, the answer they’ve gotten so far is that they can lay out in shorts and sport tops. Good thing the prisonettes won’t take that lying down (hehe!). One prisoner complained, “We are treated differently because we are in an institution,” now I could be crazy, but is that not the point? Really, I’m just surprised Paris isn’t part of this coalition. According to TMZ, jailing Paris is costing more than ten times the standard daily amount because of all her special needs. Ten!

But I digress. Another prisoner argued, “We want to be able to enjoy the sun just like everybody else in Sweden, whether they are in an institution or on the outside.” Well, I’m pretty sure those on the outside haven’t committed incarcerable offenses BUT…fair enough. I say if you’re going to take away their sex, booze, and freedom, at least give them a damn bikini.