As you probably already know, Kim Kardashian was recently robbed at gunpoint and robbed of millions of dollars in jewelry in Paris. Reports say she was quite shaken up after the incident. As it turns out, a costume company named Costumeish sought to make hay of the ordeal with its "Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume Kit," complete with a fake ring, gag, white robe, black wig, sunglasses, and two-foot rope. The $69.99 item was pulled following backlash received on social media and on the retailer's website. The company's vice president said this is the first time it has yanked a product from the site, even though Costumeish has sold several other offensive costumes in the past. It doesn't surprise me that so many people were up in arms over this tasteless effort on the part of Costumeish to capitalize on Kim Kardashian's traumatizing experience. I can't stand her and will never understand why she and her family get so much media attention. Stil...

ISIS has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Paris yesterday that left at least 128 people dead and roughly 200 wounded. As President Obama stated last night, the United States stands firmly with France just as the European country supported the U.S. after 9/11. The scale of the horror is just unfathomable. Several terrorists, eight of which are confirmed dead, unleashed a series of coordinated attacks in six sites throughout the city that included the Bataclan Concert Hall and the Stade de France. Per reports, the militants wore explosive belts and carried machine guns. It's hard to believe that people in the world could carry out such evil, despicable acts in the name of their religion. How can one claim that their God "tells" them to unleash so much carnage and bloodshed on humanity? ISIS doesn't know what's coming to them. France's retribution will be merciless, I'm sure, and the U.S.-led coalition waging war against ISIS (which inc...

What's your preferred way of traveling? Would you rather travel to places in person, or in your head? For certain people, the latter seems more up their alley. The reasons for this are varied. It may be that they're: Afraid of airplanes Hesistant to deal with the stress that comes from travel Strapped for cash Uncomfortable with the thought of being away from home for days in an unfamiliar place Perfectly content traveling vicariously -- through videos, books, documentaries, and other sources I think I can be a little of both. It all depends on the mood I'm in. Sometimes I would rather spend the weekend at home learning about a city -- say, Paris or Honolulu --- via travel books or videos than by actually traveling there.  Every once in a while, though, I do get the itch to venture beyond the comfy confines of my condo and explore museums, mountains, and other attractions that glossy magazine photos don't do justice to. Some people might argue ...