Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the U.S., and has 2.2 million employees around the world. 

But at least a handful of those workers say they've lost their jobs for insane reasons. 

One employee claimed she was let go for saving a puppy, while another tried to fight back against the Black Friday masses and lost her job. 

Other employees were supposedly axed for less noble pursuits.

For throwing around iPads and posting a video of it online.

Walmart fired employees at a Kentucky store who posted a video of themselves throwing and dropping boxes containing iPads in the storeroom, according to NBC News.

"Hope nobody buys that," one said.

Walmart said it was embarrassed at the behavior, telling NBC News, "It made us wince."

For stopping an armed robber.

Walmart supposedly fired four employees who managed to disarm a robber at a Utah store, according to the Consumerist.

The thief was allegedly trying to steal a netbook, and when the employees confronted him, he pulled out a handgun.

Walmart policy states that employees are required to "disengage" and "withdraw" if a customer presents a weapon.

For praying with a crying customer.

A pharmacist sued Walmart for religious discrimination, claiming she was canned for praying with a customer (and getting caught on camera).

The video supposedly showed the pharmacist touching the hand of the customer, who was crying, according to ABC News.

The employee said she was merely helping a patient, not praying. But she did not dispute that she prayed "with customers when requested to do so," ABC reported.

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We're far from the ideal democracy described by Noam Chomsky, in which ordinary citizens feel involved in policy decisions and happily fund the society they've built together. 

We live, instead, in an "US Weekly" world, where the lives of celebrities command as much attention as the workings of government, if not more. And stars are indeed like us, only more so, in their alienation from communal enterprise – if a reluctance to pay taxes is any indication.

A USA Today report, "Celebrities are often in debt to the tax man," was somewhat sympathetic to the plight of famous tax delinquents, explaining that "celebrities and entertainers -- unlike most taxpayers -- often have huge incomes that vary wildly from year to year,"  an easy setup for tax trouble.

A review of famous names recently in the papers for owing the IRS turns up a few patterns. Tax scofflaw celebrities aren't usually the sort of figures known as A-Listers – or, if they are, like Lil Wayne, they tend to be somewhere past their prime. Rap, reality television, and claims of financial mismanagement by others also recur. There's a significant amount of marital trouble in these lives as well. Click through for our complete gallery.

(Hat tip to Accounting Today, which keeps a running tally of "Celebrity Tax Foibles.")

1. Lindsey Vonn

In April 2012, The Detroit News reported that skiing star Vonn and her estranged husband Thomas owed $1,705,437 in taxes from 2010, the year Vonn took Olympic gold in downhill at Vancouver. Vonn sounded genuinely surprised and moved quickly to settle the debt.

"This is an important lesson for me," she said in a Facebook post. "Not being in control of my finances and relying on someone else who you believed had your best interest at heart was a mistake"— an allusion to Vonn's husband, according to The Christian Post — "and one I will not make twice."

Vonn is currently dating Tiger Woods, so everything should be fine now.

2. Stephen Baldwin

The star of The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) and Celebrity Big Brother 2010 was arrested in December 2012 and charged with failing to pay more than $350,000 in New York state income taxes; Baldwin apparently failed to file in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

By pleading guilty to one count of repeated failure to file -- a class "E" felony -- Baldwin avoided prison time. He has already paid the state $100,000 in restitution and has agreed to shell out an additional $300,000 before his sentencing on July 19, 2013.

3. Ja Rule (Jeffrey Atkins)

Ja was sentenced to two years in prison on an illegal gun charge in late 2010, and in July 2011 he received an additional 28 month sentence for having failed to pay taxes on $3 million between 2004 and 2006. The judge allowed him to serve his terms concurrently; he is set to be released on July 28.

Ja denied intentional wrongdoing on the tax evasion front. "I in no way attempted to deceive the government or do anything illegal," he said in court, according to BET. "I was a young man who made a lot of money .... I didn't know how to deal with these finances, and I didn't have people to guide me, so I made mistakes."

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Profit margins in the airline industry are thin, and one of the key culprits is the cost of jet fuel.

Filling aircraft tanks cost the global airline industry $207 billion in 2012 — 33 percent of its operating costs, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Airlines can't control the price of fuel, but they can work to reduce how much much they use.

There are two basic approaches: Reduce the number of flights by packing each plane to the gills, and make each flight more efficient by cutting weight wherever possible.

Here are eleven ways to do just that. Some are already in place, others are on the way, and the rest are likely to appear in the next few years — no matter how uncomfortable they make passengers.

Samoa Air is charging fat passengers extra.

The new carrier may not save money on fuel, but it will recoup what it pays.

Ticket prices for the regional airline are based on passenger weight. In an area with a severe obesity problem, the weight limit on its small planes can easily be reached.

Major airlines may consider charging a "fat tax"— an extra fee for overweight passengers who require extra fuel to ferry around the world — but will likely never put the policy into practice.

Instead, they'll find other ways to save weight.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is designed to be a fuel-saving game changer.

The passenger jet, which promises fuel savings through new composite materials and a powerful lithium-ion battery, has been out of service since the FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive on January 16, following two incidents in which that battery failed.

The 787 may return to the skies at the end of May, but it's an example of how major overhauls and clean-sheet design are difficult to pull off.

Boeing is shrinking the lavatories on its 737 jets.

The standard economy class lavatory is three by three feet. Boeing is shrinking that in its 737 planes, thanks to a new design from B/E Aerospace.

Delta will be among the first to fly planes with the smaller facilities. The airline says passengers won't notice the difference, because the extra space has been removed from behind the sink, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Passengers are more likely to notice the four extra seats the smaller bathrooms make room for.

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The Masters is of course about golf.

But sometimes golf can be slow and boring so photographers' eyes and cameras move to the golfers' wives and girlfriends.

It's fun to capture how they react to their husbands' and boyfriends' play, and they all happen to be very beautiful.

So let's learn a little more about the women taking over the Masters.

Somewhat new to the scene is Paulina Gretzky who has been dating Dustin Johnson for several months

But she's totally supportive of him. Here she is in the rain on Day 2

Gretzky is known for her racy Instagram feed. Here she is with Johnson

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From NYC's micro apartments to one couple's 140-square-foot home, small living spaces are the "it" trend in home design.

And now it seems they've made their way over to Europe.

First reported on by Wired, American architect Marc Baillargeon and French architect Julie Nabucet converted a 130-square-foot master bedroom in Paris into a chic studio, and the result is incredible.

The apartment is located in the Montparnasse neighborhood of Paris, and was created for the owner's son. In order to work, their design needed to be hyper-efficient in space, aesthetics, and storage.

The end product is a bi-level studio apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, and even a hidden pull-out bed.

You have to see it to believe it.

What was originally a master bedroom with nine-foot-tall ceilings is now a bi-level living space.

It has steps that lead to the kitchen, eating, and bathroom areas.

The living area can be converted to a bedroom in a moment's notice. The kitchen table and second level help make the two areas feel separate.

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This past Wednesday, philanthropist and cosmetics tycoon Leonard Lauder donated a cubist art collection worth $1 billion to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

That may seem extravagant, but Lauder can afford it — Forbes estimates he's worth $8.1 billion, due mainly to the cosmetics empire founded by his mother, the late Estée Lauder.

Her shrewd sales tactics and corporate strategy have kept the Lauders on top for over seven decades. Estée Lauder pioneered giving out product samples to women, encouraged them to try her scents at the department store counters, and undercut her competitors with cheaper prices and better marketing.

Today, the Estée Lauder empire now owns 29 other big-name brands and reported sales of just over $9.7 billion to investors last year.

And how the Lauders spend all that money is almost as interesting as the rags-to-riches story of how the daughter of two Hungarian Jewish immigrants left behind a beauty dynasty.

Estée Lauder was the daughter of Hungarian Jewish immigrants.

According to the book Brand New: How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers' Trust from Wedgwood to Dell, Estée Lauder was born Josephine Esther Mentzer in 1908 in Queens.

Her father was Max Mentzer, a Hungarian Jewish man who immigrated to the United States in the 1890s.

Her mother Rose also left Hungary in 1898, but came to join her first husband with their five children. The historical record is fuzzy, but within seven years of arriving she had left her first husband and married Max Mentzer instead.

She got her start by selling cosmetics in a beauty salon.

Estée's uncle John Schotz was a chemist with his own cosmetics company, New Way Laboratories. She would sell his products for him.

The story goes Lauder was getting her hair done and was approached by the salon's owner about her "perfect skin."Lauder says in her autobiography that she came back to the store and gave the salon owner a makeover with her uncle's products.

The owner was so impressed that she let Estée sell the creams and cosmetics out of the salon.

Her first "factory" was actually based out of an Upper West Side restaurant.

By the time Estée married Joseph Lauder in 1930, her business in Manhattan beauty salons was on the rise.

So she stopped selling her uncle's products in 1935 and started her own company — Estée Lauder, after her middle name.

The couple ran the business together out of a small office on 39 East 60th Street in Manhattan, and made all of the creams and cosmetics on gas burners in a former restaurant on 1 West 64th Street, according to Brand New.

They even attached the labels themselves.

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The Boston Marathon, which will take place on Monday, is one of the most famous distance races in the world.

Runners train for months to compete in the 26.2-mile journey through the city.

But no matter how much you have trained, you will need a lot of fuel to make it all the way.

Here are 10 restaurants in Boston where you can get a carb-laden meal before the big race.

The Official Pre-Race Dinner

City Hall Plaza

This is the official carb party before the race.  

Last year they served over 11,000 pounds of pasta and more than 3,000 pounds of fresh vegetables.

Anthem Kitchen and Bar

South Market Building, Faneuil Hall

Anthem has a marathon special the night before and the day of the marathon: for $10, you can have as much pasta as you want.

That's a good pretty good deal.

Avila Modern Mediterranean

One Charles Street South

Nothing is more synonymous with "carbs" than pasta. Avila Modern Mediterranean has Bottomless Pasta Bowls for $12.

You can get the homemade fettuccine with broccoli rabe, organic baby mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, and shaved parmigiana, or the fusilli bolognese with braised veal, beef, pork, and tomato sauce.

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CareerBliss has released its list of the ten happiest companies in tech.

If you're on the hunt for a new tech job and want to surround yourself with shiny happy people, consider sending your resume to one of these workplaces.

10. Advanced Micro Devices

AMD is a major semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, Calif. It makes processors, motherboards, and all order of computer components, some of which might be in your personal computer right now.

Happiness (out of 5): 3.93

Average salary: $84,000

Source: CareerBliss

9. HCL Technologies

HCL Technologies is an IT company in India. It handles "outsourcing services, business process outsourcing, and infrastructure services."

Happiness (out of 5): 3.95

Average salary: $65,000

Source: CareerBliss

8. Yahoo!

A longtime mainstay of the modern tech environment. It's most known for its web portal and recently made some news when CEO Marissa Mayer came out against letting employees work from home.

Happiness (out of 5): 3.98

Average salary: $87,000

Source: CareerBliss

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Sometimes the coolest part of a piece of software isn't even advertised.

Let's take a look at some of the hidden abilities and Easter eggs in some popular Mac applications (that you probably already own).

Apple's TextEdit icon

Apple fans will recognize the text on the TextEdit icon, beginning with, "Here's to the crazy ones." They're the words used in a famous Apple commercial.

Emacs psychoanalysis

Start up Terminal on your Mac. Type "emacs" and hit enter. Quickly press esc + x. Then type "psychoanalyze-pinhead" to see your Mac have a conversation with itself. To stop the scrolling conversation, press ctl + g.

The "suck" effect for minimizing a window

You can choose between the "scale" or "genie" effect when you minimize a window on your Mac. But there's a secret third choice called "suck."

Start up Terminal and type "defaults write com.apple.dock mineffect -string suck" and restart your computer. The new effect is activated.

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From In-N-Out Burger’s devoted fan base on the West Coast to the stampedes that greet the unveiling of a new Shake Shack, well, anywhere, it is no secret that the hamburger is a beloved part of the American diet.

See the world's favorite burgers >

No matter the state or city, visitors are guaranteed to find a delicious, local iteration of this national culinary treasure. And though the United States has been making—and enjoying—burgers for decades, other nations are getting in on the act.

Agadir Burger: Tel Aviv, Israel

This popular national chain started as a stand in Tel Aviv nearly 15 years ago. Today there are nine freestanding restaurants all over Israel. Agadir serves only four kinds of burger—a testament to its quality-over-quantity approach. Choose from plain (available in four sizes, starting with a slider-sized portion), mushroom-based veggie, chichi entrecôte and the Diana, a beef-and-lamb combo dressed up with aioli, tomato, spring onion and pickled lemon.

Signature Burger: The Agadir, a plain burger weighing in at three-quarters of a pound. At that size, adding toppings would only make it harder to eat. 

agadir.co.il

Fergburger: Queenstown, New Zealand

This New Zealand eatery opened way back in February 2001 in a tucked-away alley called Cow Lane, but its popularity among Kiwis propelled a move to a bigger space on Queenstown’s busiest thoroughfare four years later.

It expanded again in 2011 with an adjacent bakery (Fergbaker), which turns out handmade buns. Fergburger adopts an evocative naming strategy. Little Lamby, for instance, is a prime New Zealand lamb burger with a tomato relish and mint jelly. The falafel-based vegetarian burger received a more controversial moniker: Bun Laden.

Signature Burger: Hungry visitors gravitate to the Big Al and its two beef patties, bacon, cheese, two fried eggs and aioli. Tomato, relish, lettuce and beetroot are there, too, but you might not notice.

fergburger.com

Flippin’ Burgers: Stockholm, Sweden

Jon Widegren’s burger hot spot celebrated its one-year anniversary in March, and the Swedes are still lining up to get a taste. The six burgers here (one is a veggie) are as plain as they come except for the Cricket, which is topped with cream cheese, pickled onion, caramelized onion and pickled jalapeño.

But Widegren’s less-is-more style is firmly rooted in quality. The restaurant grinds its own meat (grass-fed if possible), which comes from small-scale local producers, a Stockholm bakery bakes the bread and the pickling is done in-house. His goal was to add some American burger tradition to the local food landscape, so don’t be surprised to find In-N-Out and Five Guys paraphernalia decorating the interior.

Signature Burger: The Flippin’ is Widegren’s take on the double cheeseburger, which he prefers to eat with no condiments or add-ons. But you can have it however you want.

flippinburgers.se

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What does Barbie look like with no makeup on? It's one of those questions no one asks because, of course, Barbie's "makeup" is permanently painted onto her face.

Artist Nickolay Lamm created these illustrations of America's favorite doll to show how sexualized Barbie is. The Mattel brand is a toy for girls, of course, but she wears purple eyeshadow, thick mascara and hot pink lipstick. In real life, most women can't get away with that color scheme (unless it's a Saturday night).

Lamm also notes that there's some research showing that young girls develop inappropriate ideas— or inappropriately early ideas — about what's sexy because of their exposure to sexy marketing.

So Lamm got to work on Photoshop and gave Barbie's face a scrub. He did the same for Disney Princess Cinderella and one of the Bratz dolls, who are notorious for their streetwalker-style looks. (See more of Lamm's stuff here.)

Barbie still looks good au naturel, and she also looks more human.

Without makeup, Barbie sometimes looks rather plain.

This is what Barbie would look like first thing in the morning.

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The new PSY "Gentleman M/V" video has just released Saturday on the official PSY Youtube channel.

(VIDEO BELOW)

PSY, who's "Gangnam Style" video reached a billion views, instead chose to release "Gentleman M/V" without the video, which has raised some eyebrows, considering it was the video that really hooked in viewers the first time around with Gangnam. 

Gangnam Style currently has over 1.5 billion views on Youtube. 

Say that out loud. One point five BILLION views on Youtube. 

That is just ridiculous, and sets up PSY for possibly the biggest letdown ever when it comes to the second release of what could be the biggest one hit wonder of all history. 

One thing that remains the same is that in "Gentleman M/V" PSY is most definitely back up to his goofy antics, even adding in butt scratching and whiping his hand across a girls nose. Really. Elevator guy and the man in the yellow suit are back as well. 

Reddit currently has a thread going with some varied reactions. 

Jump right to our breakdown of the PSY Gentleman M/V video >

Check out the video. 

He's back.

Back in dance form.

With some crazy hip gyrating action again.

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A few days ago, rumor spread that One Direction's Harry Styles was at work on a solo album, presumably plotting his post-boy band career.

A rep for the band vehemently denies that Styles is going anywhere, and we're glad for him — most ex-boybanders don't fare too well on the charts after they fly the coop, with the exception of a few rare (and extremely handsome) gentlemen.

Not everyone can be Justin Timberlake. 

13. Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys)

An opening gig for Britney Spears on her European tour couldn't get people excited about "Back to Me," the debut album from the Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough. Maybe he should have released that Latin album he'd been talking about.

Watch his music video for "100,"here.

12. Joe Jonas (Jonas Brothers)

Joe Jonas' debut solo album "Fastlife" was originally slated to drop around the same time as his ex-girlfriend Demi Lovato's "Unbreakable," but its release was pushed back after the singles "See No More" and "Just in Love" failed to catch steam.

The album only charted for two weeks, which may have led Jonas to cut ties with Hollywood Records.

Here's his video for "See No More."

11. Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys)

It's a little unfair to compare Brian Littrell's debut solo album "Welcome Home" to his pop contemporaries', as his is the lone Christian album among them. It performed very well by Christian rock standards, with over 100,000 copies sold, but didn't get much mainstream attention.

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Kobe Bryant wrote a heartfelt, slightly unhinged post on Facebook at 3:30 a.m. last night after suffering a season-ending injury.

It was the greatest example yet of how totally unfiltered Kobe has become.

He simply doesn't care what people think anymore.

For the past 12 months, he's been saying one hilarious, controversial quote after another. We picked out our 24 favorites.

Get well soon, Kobe.

Kobe reveals what he'd do if he got fouled like Blake Griffin does (last April)

Source

Kobe questions the manhood of defenders who flop on charges (May)

Source

Kobe hates David Stern's plan to impose an Olympics age limit (July)

Source

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What were you doing during your 20s?

Probably attending a college or university, enjoying your youth, and having new experiences away from home.

Many of technology's most notable billionaires were doing no such thing.

Michael Dell for instance was already investing in stocks and precious metals before he graduated high school.

During their early years, Dell and the other seven entrepreneurs were busy laying the foundations for some of today's biggest and most recognizable companies.

Mark Zuckerberg was a billionaire by 23.

Zuckerberg, a Harvard drop out, was already a billionaire from Facebook at the age of 23. 

By the time Zuck was 25, Facebook had an estimated 500 million users worldwide. Also during this time Zuckerberg was involved in various legal disputes initiated by others who claimed a share of the company because they helped to set it up.

When Zuckerberg was 26, he was honored as TIME Magazine's person of the year.

Bill Gates started his own company, developing a programming language for a new computer system.

In his early 20s Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard and decided to start his own software company with friend and co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen.

Microsoft's official history says that in 1975, when Gates was just 20 years old he and friend Paul Allen were inspired by the MITS Altair 8800 a computer system. Gates and Allen began to develop a BASIC language for the Altair.

One month later, Gates and Allen sell BASIC, the first computer language program for a personal computer, to Microsoft's first customer, MITS of Albuquerque, NM.

Steve Jobs trekked to India during his 20s and had a life-altering experience, shortly after he returned from his trip he became a Buddhist.

At the age of 19, Steve Jobs took a job as a technician at legendary game company Atari.

By the time he was 20 he had a reputation for "being the smartest guy in the room" and but also difficult to work with.

At the age of 21, Jobs and long-time friend Steve Wozniak formed their own company, selling circuit boards. They named it "Apple Computer Company" after a happy summer Jobs had spent picking apples.

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The storied New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan's Financial District is a beacon of American capitalism.

You've probably seen the facade of the "Big Board" and images of the trading floor on financial television, but there's a lot more to the historic building.

We took an exclusive tour of the parts of the exchange that you won't get to see on TV.

We also got to view the stock exchange's extensive archive collection, which we will share with you soon. 

In the meantime, let's explore the NYSE beyond the trading floor.  

Here we are right outside the historic New York Stock Exchange Building.

So this is what it's like to be on the other side of the fence.

This is the 'VIP' entrance to the exchange located at 2 Broad. If you're going to ring the bell, you and your group would probably convene in here. We did back in the fall.

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Larry Ellison, is one of the most outrageous, outspoken personalities in the tech industry.

And he has been for years.

He's held the CEO role at Oracle since 1977. That makes him the longest-running tech CEO in Silicon Valley history.

And that certainly gives him the right to have opinions on just about everything.

Cloud computing: "Maybe I’m an idiot, but I have no idea what anyone is talking about."

In September, 2008, Larry Ellison completely dissed cloud computing while speaking at an analyst conference. He said:

“The interesting thing about cloud computing is that we’ve redefined cloud computing to include everything that we already do. ... The computer industry is the only industry that is more fashion-driven than women’s fashion. Maybe I’m an idiot, but I have no idea what anyone is talking about. What is it? It’s complete gibberish. It’s insane. When is this idiocy going to stop?"

Cloud computing: "I'm not gonna fight this thing."

At that same conference, he also admitted that Oracle would start selling cloud services, too.

"We'll make cloud computing announcements because, you know, if orange is the new pink, we'll make orange blouses. I mean, I'm not gonna fight this thing. .. well, maybe we'll do an ad. Uh, I don't understand what we would do differently in the light of cloud computing, other than market ... you know, change the wording on some of our ads."

Cloud Computing: SaaS was really his idea and Marc Benioff stole it.

"I started NetSuite. NetSuite was my idea. I called up Evan Goldberg and said, 'We're going to do ERP on the Internet, software-as-a-service.' Six months later Marc Benioff, finding out what NetSuite was doing, and kind of copied it," Ellison said at the 2012 AllThingsD's D10 conference.

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The cost of living has gone up for most of us across the US. But some places are and will always be more expensive to live in than others.

Some of us are glad to make the sacrifices needed to live in the most expensive cities in the US. Others would rather trade the high cost of living for a more a less hip location that leaves money in their pockets at the end of the day.

So, what are the most expensive places to live?

SEE ALSO: Simple household tips that will save you thousands every year >

Orange County, California

The third city in California to land on this list, the cost of living index for Orange County is 140.6, making is slightly more expensive than Boston, which has a cost of living index of 139.9.

While the average cost of a gallon of milk or a T-Bone steak in the OC is cheaper than elsewhere, it’s the pricey homes that put the OC on this list. The average home cost is $682,703.

Washington, DC

Expensive homes put the nation’s capital in 6th place. The average home in the capital costs $746,549 and the overall cost of living index is 144.6.

To make up for the high cost of living in DC, the area is full of jobs with higher than average incomes.

Stamford, Connecticut

Housing and other costs of living are nearly twice the national average in Stamford. The typical home sells for $569,411 while a gallon of milk costs $2.51, more expensive than in New York City.

Although it’s expensive, its proximity to Manhattan makes it an appealing option for people who need to travel to NYC often.

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With innovative restaurants, sophisticated hotels, and a booming art scene, Shanghai is undergoing one of the most rapid expansions in the East.

More from Travel + Leisure:

• Best Chinese Restaurants in the U.S.>
• World's Strangest Natural Wonders>
• America's Most Charming Accents>
• World's Coolest Ferris Wheels>
• Best Cooking Schools Around the World>

Lay of the Land

Former French Concession: The plane-tree-lined streets and gracious villas of the well-preserved neighborhood make it the city’s most coveted address.

The Bund: Thanks to a recent $33 million restoration, this thoroughfare, Shanghai’s answer to the Champs-Élysées and Fifth Avenue, has welcomed a slew of luxury stores, upscale restaurants, and top hotels.

Jing’an: The lively downtown district, crammed with skyscrapers and mega shopping centers, is fast-paced and often crowded; for a break, head to the 13th-century Jing’an Buddhist temple.

Lujiazui: You’ll find some of the city’s best hotels in the financial district on the eastern banks of the Huangpu River.

Getting Around: Taxis are easy to hail, but drivers seldom speak English, so make sure you have addresses written down in Chinese. Alternatively, the metro is extensive and efficient.

Eat: From laid-back local haunts to temples of haute cuisine, here’s where to dine now.

Mercato: Jean-Georges Vongerichten teamed up with Shanghai-based design duo Neri & Hu at this rustic-chic, Bund-side Italian restaurant done in reclaimed wood and leather. Wood-fired pizzas and fresh pastas top the menu, but there are plenty of stellar fish options, including salt-and-pepper sea bass and scallops with green chile, lime, and pistachio. $$$

Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet: The city’s most buzzed-about new restaurant has only 10 seats —and a three-month waiting list. With the help of projectors, scent diffusers, and a sophisticated sound system, chef Paul Pairet combines audio, olfactory, and visual effects with innovative dishes bearing wacky names such as “foie gras can’t quit” and “truffle burnt soup bread.” It’s dinner theater for the 21st century. $$$$$

Hai by Goga: At his first restaurant, Goga, a pared-down space overlooking the city, San Francisco native Brad Turley gained a cult following for his spot-on Pacific Rim cuisine. His second act sticks to the same formula: boldly flavored options such as tuna-edamame potato salad and scallops with Thai lobster curry. 86-21/3461-7893. $$$

Lost Heaven: Moody lighting and carved-teak chairs set the stage at this local favorite in the Former French Concession that whips up the city’s finest Yunnanese cuisine. There are mouthwatering lemongrass-laced meats, vegetable pancakes, and spicy curries. $$

Jishi: When it comes to Shanghainese food, this unpretentious restaurant is as authentic as it gets. (The waiters speak nary a word of English.) Tangcu paigu (sweet-and-sour spare ribs) and congbao yutou (braised fish head with scallions) are staples; if it’s hairy crab season (October–December), don’t miss the xiefen fenpi (crab with vermicelli sheets). 86-21/6282-9260. $$

Madison: An alum of New York City’s Gramercy Tavern, young chef Austin Hu showcases standout dishes — such as duck breast with apple, chrysanthemum greens, and chorizo-flecked vinaigrette and candied pork belly with kimchi jus — in a loftlike restaurant in the Xuhui district. $$$

Restaurant Pricing Key
$ Less than $25
$$ $25 to $75
$$$ $75 to $150
$$$$ More than $150

Shop: Looking for the best Shanghai designers, beauty products, and more?

Dong Liang Studio: Partners Charles Wang and Nam Lang’s three-story space stocks an impressive collection of women’s clothing from cutting-edge Chinese fashion labels, including fitted jackets by local designer He Yan and hand-stitched evening wear by Beijing-based Vega Zaishi Wang. 86-21/3469-6926.

Antik Nana: The beauty is in the details at London-trained Nana’s studio, where the jeweler’s quirky, intricate designs — clockwork brooches inlaid with miniature hourglasses; antique bracelets with clusters of skull charms — are inspired by steampunk themes.

Xinlelu.com: At this online fashion retailer’s brick-and-mortar showroom, there’s a tightly curated assortment of up-and-coming Asian designers (Aijek, Nuomi), along with a selection of vintage items handpicked by owner Cairn Wu Reppun.

Ba Yan Ka La: Enter French expat Jean Zimmerman’s calm-inducing flagship in Xuhui, and your serotonin levels will instantly skyrocket. His soaps and lotions (Tibetan roseroot bubble bath; Chinese mulberry body milk) treat everything from skin woes to body aches.

Mary Ching U.K.-bred designer Alison Cheung’s Shanghai boutique is a mecca for heels and handbags. But the traditionally minded should steer clear: statement stilettos come in hot reds, pinks, and snakeskin, and cashmere slippers are playfully adorned with pom-poms and fake gems.

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Polls have shown that political partisanship has surged to an all time high over the past decade, driven in part by ongoing culture wars on controversial social issues.

But the Republican-Democrat split doesn't get to the heart of what's really dividing Americans on these issues. When it comes down to it, Americans generally agree with members of their own generation. 

We've found eight instances in which political fights are fundamentally generational. Specifically, the contrast lies among the millennials, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation. 

1. According to a recent Pew poll, 65% of millennials support marijuana legalization. Contrast that to 50% of their Boomer parents, and just 32% of their grandparents in the Silent Generation.

2. A full 70% of millennials support same-sex marriage, compared to just 31% of those in their grandparents' generation, according to a recent Pew study.

3. Among millennials, 65% say there should be a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. In contrast, only 47% of people over 65 support a path to citizenship, according to a November 2012 Washington Post/ABC News poll.

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