Here is a selection of the "and finally" news stories from the Monday Briefing in 2015. Credit goes to my colleague, Alex, for tracking down these stories and for his ability to come up with the right pun or quip to accompany them. The Monday Briefing is taking a break until Monday 4th January. In the meantime the Deloitte economics team - Ian, Debo and Alex - wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Coffee vending machines that greet staff in the voice of the company boss are being rolled out at a number of businesses around Japan, with the company behind the machines claiming that programmed quips such as "You must be tired" spoken in the boss's voice promote "better communication" – brew-haha
The Economist reports that two girls, aged seven and eight, had their lemonade stand shut down by police in Texas, as the girls were selling without a $150 peddler's permit and because the state requires a formal kitchen inspection for the sale of any food and drinks – bitter dispute
An 85-year-old Austrian grandmother was found to have shredded €950,000 of savings before her death, in an apparent attempt to spite her family, although the bank has now promised to replace the notes and pay the money to her next of kin - relative returns
Researchers at Bournemouth University suggest that smartphones and tablets should carry warning labels like alcohol and cigarettes, to prevent users becoming addicted to their gadgets and raise awareness of digital addiction - surfing kills
The New York Times reports on the growing popularity of full beard transplants in America, with baby-faced men paying up to $7,000 to acquire a "more mature, more manly" look – money out of thin hair
New research from Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School and INSEAD suggests that sarcastic humour increases creativity for both its expressers and recipients, with the delivery and deciphering of sarcasm apparently offering psychological benefits that have been largely underappreciated – big surprise
Russian newspaper Izvestia reports that government officials have doubled the average price demanded for a bribe this year, because falling oil prices and Western sanctions have halved the value of the rouble against the dollar – opportunity cost
The Japan Times reports on the growing popularity of moss-viewing excursions in parts of Japan, where people are taken in to the countryside to view colonies of moss at close quarters – your moss my gain
Ikea has reported a shortage of bunk beds, mattresses and duvets in German and Swedish stores as local authorities buy furniture to accommodate refugees – bedlam
The Journal of Neurology & Psychiatry warned about the "new neurological complication of wearing tight jeans" after a woman was hospitalised after spending hours helping a friend move house in overly-skinny jeans - fashion victim
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras revealed that his partner and the mother of his children had threatened to leave him if he cut a deal with Greece's creditors to stave off bankruptcy – trouble and strife
The UK Times reports that staff at the B&Q DIY chain have been trained to prepare for "sensitive" queries following the release of Fifty Shades of Grey film, warning that some customer requests may not be "for home improvement purposes" – learning the ropes
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