Mies Container restaurant in South Korea is the new Hooters for women

While men have always had Hooters to satisfy their craving for good food and scantily clad women, it seemed that the ladies were left with nothing to ogle but their hot wings. Thankfully, the people of Seoul, South Korea, felt the same and decided to open Mies Container, a new factory-themed restaurant that employs only masculine men.

One step inside the uniquely-themed eatery and you’ll realize why so many women are flocking there, not even minding to have to wait for a table. All of the waiters are young and hot, and while the restaurant claims they do not hire based on looks, they do say that the three qualities the staff must have are being a male, being energetic, and being masculine. To add to the ambiance, the restaurant design, which won the Reddot Design Award in October, is made to look as though you are actually in a factory, with tools, oil drums, chains, and lots of steel (the furniture and the abs). And if that’s not enough, the food is tasty, filling, and budget-friendly, with meals ranging from about $8-$17.

You won’t find an official website for Mies Container, as the company is relying on viral marketing and visitors writing about it on their blogs. I guess it’s working.

[image via Mies Container design blog]

Druid loses fight to have Stonehenge burials reinterred

A druid named King Arthur Pendragon has lost a legal bid to have human remains discovered at Stonehenge reinterred.

The cremated remains of more than forty individuals found at the stone circle in 2008 are currently being studied at Sheffield University. They’re due to remain there until 2015, at which point they’re supposed to be returned to Stonehenge. King Arthur stated in a BBC interview that the authorities have no plans to return the remains and he was fighting to have them reburied at once. The court rejected his claim, stating there was no evidence that the university and courts have acted outside the law.

King Arthur Uther Pendragon, shown here holding a staff and praying while celebrating the summer solstice at Stonehenge, is a prominent druid who often appears on British media. He had his name legally changed after he realized he was the reincarnation of King Arthur, his website says. King Arthur was one of the driving forces behind getting full public access for solstice celebrations at Stonehenge. He has also successfully campaigned for Druids to wear their traditional white robes while incarcerated, as he himself has been several times after political protests.

OK, I can practically hear the eyes rolling. Yes, this modern King Arthur is an eccentric like only an Englishman can be, but he’s bringing up a valid issue, and one that is contentiously debated in many nations. In the U.S., Native American groups have successfully lobbied to have human remains returned to them so they can be reburied in the traditional manner, rather than being left in museums to be studied. Native peoples in other nations have had varying levels of success.

One might also bring up the objection that the Celtic druids came long after the Neolithic, when Stonehenge was built, so that the stone circle isn’t a religious monument for them. But the fact is modern druids feel the site is sacred, and if we are to have freedom of religion, that means we have to accept not only Jews, Muslims, and Hindus, but also Druids, Mithraists, and Satanists. Freedom takes us outside our comfort zone.

In the past twenty years, public and academic opinion has generally shifted towards granting Native Peoples the rights to their remains, but the issue is less clear when it comes to prehistoric remains unrelated to any existing ethnic group. After 5,000 years, can the English really say they’re related to the people who built Stonehenge? The modern King Arthur says yes, but scientific opinion differs. This question has led to a lot of legal battles, especially in the U.S. with tribes claiming remains that archaeologists say don’t belong to them.

What do you think should be done with humans remains? “Don’t dig them up in the first place” isn’t always an option, since many remains come to light during modern construction or natural erosion. Tell us what you think in the comments section!

[Image courtesy Ann Wuyts]

Travel Trends: How do men and women travel differently?

We all know that men and women are different — different bodies, different brains, different planets of origin — but how different are they when it comes to travel?

Both men and women average the same number of domestic trips per year (3), spend about as much money per foreign trip ($2,479 for men, $2,357 for women), and spend about the same on luggage in a year ($111 for men, $107 for women). They’re also equally likely to be asked for travel advice, and they’re equally likely to qualify as Four-Percenters.*

But, anyone who’s ever argued with a travel companion of the opposite sex knows that sometimes you just have different priorities — sightseeing versus sunbathing, planned versus spontaneous, cultural enrichment versus thrill-seeking, guided tour versus package. Do you side with the majority within your sex? Have you ever had a conflict with an opposite-sex travel partner because of travel styles? Can we really chalk it all up to hormones?

Take a look at the data and tell us what you think.

*Four-Percenters are defined as individuals who took 3+ foreign trips in the past 3 years AND 3+ domestic trips in the past 12 months. They represent 3.4% of the US population.

[Data source: 2009 Survey of the American Consumer]

See more Travel Trends.

How far will a man drive without asking for directions?

How far will a man drive without asking for directions? In this particular case, the answer was nine hours. Nine hours!

An 81-year-old Australian man named Eric Steward took a wrong turn in New South Wales country town Yass, reportedly on his way to buy a newspaper, and ended up on a major highway. He drove almost 400 miles before pulling off and asking the advice of a policeman at a petrol station.

“This little old man came up to me saying he was lost. He handed me his mobile and asked if I could speak to his wife,” Victorian Police Senior Constable Clayton Smith told Reuters.

Steward claims that after taking the wrong turn, he just went with it: “I just went out on the road to have a drive, a nice peaceful drive.”

Nine hours.

cough-cough-Typical.-cough

[via Reuters]

For men still scared of girls – we present the “Männermobil” RV

If you don’t like traveling with your wife, or you just think girls will give you cooties, check out the Männermobil RV.

This “boys only” mobile home has absolutely nothing that appeals to (most) women. Inside the “mobil”, you’ll find a Wii, Playstation 3, 2 flat panel TV’s, 2 different surround sound systems, a man-friendly kitchen with a microwave, coffee maker and various liquor dispensers.

More entertainment comes from satellite TV, Internet access and a Blu-ray player. There is a shower, but it doesn’t work. A sign on the mirror reminds men that “real men shower outdoors”. The actual shower is outside, on the rear of the RV.

Outside is also where you’ll find a grill, fold-out foosball table and dart board. On the roof is a Biergarten for those rare events when you actually find a women willing to get close to your scary male habitat on wheels.

No price was revealed, but if you think you need one of these, I doubt price is much of an issue, plus you’ll need to have it shipped from Germany.