DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ From one of Britain's most popular toys to the target of police raids: how a children's doll became a symbol of racism
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A police raid on a bar just outside of London renewed a debate over racist dolls. But despite the long history of the racist trope, the debate over the doll's place in British culture continues. Revellers take part in the Children's Parade at Notting Hill Carnival in London, Britain, August 28, 2022. But it does appear that there is some gradual shift in public opinion happening with the dolls. Nevertheless, the enduring popularity of the blackface doll creates the impression "that we live in a post-racial society," Scott said.

☆ Seen Big Ben already? Here's a Londoner's guide to visiting other parts of the city
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Central London's City of Westminster is its political heart, while the City of London is where the capital's financial decisions happen. But be warned: Several paths across Hyde Park are pedestrian-only, and police often fine people who cycle on them. The City of London is a blend of old and new, with St Paul's Cathedral close to skyscrapers as well as Roman ruins. While north London has Hampstead Heath, south of the river is Richmond Park, which dwarfs its northern counterpart in size. There's also a branch in central London's Covent Garden — the flower-filled restaurant The Petersham — that has an sit-down deli and bar.

☆ What Rom-Coms Teach Us About Love, Life and Meg Ryan’s Hair
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Tala Safie | Alexis Soloski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

THE ENDThank you for playing,Photo credits: Sony Pictures (“Jerry Maguire”); Universal Pictures (“Love Actually,” “Marry Me,” “Notting Hill,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Along Came Polly,” “Bridesmaids”); 20th Century Fox (“Say Anything,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “There's Something About Mary”); Columbia Pictures (“50 First Dates,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Hitch,” “The Holiday,” “The Wedding Planner,” “Cruel Intentions”); Miramax (“Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Kate & Leopold,” “She’s All That”); MGM (“Licorice Pizza”); TriStar Pictures (“Sleepless in Seattle”); Warner Bros. (“You've Got Mail,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love”); Lionsgate (“Shotgun Wedding”); New Line Cinema (“Monster-in-Law”); Buena Vista Pictures (“Pretty Woman,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” “High Fidelity”); Disney (“The Princess Diaries”); Focus Features (“Deliver Us from Eva”); Paramount Pictures (“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”). A quiz by Tala Safie and Alexis Soloski. Produced by Sean Catangui, Amanda Webster, Alicia DeSantis and Lorne Manly.

☆ Nonstop partying, lavish spending, and sexual-harassment accusations: Inside the self-destruction of Pollen, the music startup once worth $800 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Melkorka Licea | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +41 min

About 400 Pollen employees were camped out in Mendocino County, California, for five straight days of partying. Two former Pollen employees told Insider that they recalled the assistant telling them about Callum's inappropriate comments at the time. (The Pollen representative said Callum and Bedi didn't date at Pollen or at any other company connected to Pollen. Out of 360 events Pollen announced over the past 12 months, 39 were canceled, the Pollen representative said. (The Pollen representative said that "out of hundreds of thousands of customers, fewer than 100 people were moderated" online.)

☆ ‘Love Actually’ director feels ‘a bit stupid’ about movie’s lack of diversity
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Every year, as the days grow colder and Christmas draws nearer, “Love Actually” quickly becomes a festive favorite on people’s television screens. But nearly 20 years on from the release of the 2003 romantic comedy, the movie has faced scrutiny over its story lines and lack of diversity. He was speaking to Diane Sawyer as part of a documentary on ABC News titled: “The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later.”“Love Actually” features interweaving story lines, following several romantic relationships. Hugh Grant plays the British prime minister who falls in love with his assistant, played by Martine McCutcheon. Universal/Dna/Working Title/Koba/ShutterstockNearly 20 years on, “Love Actually” remains popular, becoming a staple of the holiday season.

☆ American homebuyers are finding UK bargains, discounted by a weaker pound
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

American homebuyers are searching for bargains in the U.K., as a weaker pound contributes to double-digit price cuts. The fall in the British currency, which is off 17.5% against the U.S. dollar year to date, has made U.K. real estate cheaper for buyers paying in U.S. dollars. A property listed at 5 million pounds in Knightsbridge, for instance, would have cost $8.6 million eight years ago but $4 million today. The asking price: 30 million pounds, or about $33 million with today's currency exchange rates. That marks a savings of more than $6 million for U.S. buyers, paying in dollars, compared with a year ago.

☆ I quit my high-pressure job at a top law firm and became a lifeguard after I had a heart attack. I'm paid less, but I'm happier than ever.
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-10 | by ( Daniel Shailer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

After 13 years of hard work and partying, he experienced a heart attack at 38 years old and quit. Hard work and hard partying were my daily routine, all powered by Freshfields' paychecks and London's buzz. Until one Saturday in 2009 while I was partying hard in Notting Hill. Three days after my heart attack, despite his warnings, I went back to work. I decided to quit my job at Freshfields and set out on a year of rehabilitation to get better properly.

☆ Inside Gwyneth Paltrow's new London Goop store — where you can buy the infamous vaginal eggs and amethyst bottles
▼ + stars: | 2018-09-29 | by ( Tom Murray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

The trials and tribulations of Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle brand, Goop, have been well-documented. Just this month, Paltrow's company made headlines for settling a $145,000 lawsuit over claims that its vaginal eggs could balance hormones, admitting that some of its magazine's outlandish health advice may not work, and for selling $30 repellent for "psychic vampires." Despite the controversies, Goop seems to be going from strength to strength. A source recently told The New York Times that the company was worth $250 million and they just opened a pop-up in London's affluent Notting Hill. With the lure of vaginal eggs and vampire repellent impossible to resist, Business Insider's London bureau decided to drop in on Goop's new outpost to check out its most outrageous wares.

Search resuls for: "Notting"

8 mentions found