Has our relation with machines made us feel so deprived of human contact that we befriend anyone and shack up with whoever has a mattress?

NEWYORKER: You��re Welcome

Yet retailers stand to benefit from one fallout of the Great Recession this holiday: Adult children have been returning home to shack up with their parents, which is expected to boost sales of home products, outshining everything from consumer electronics to toys, clothing and jewelry, according to an IBM study.

FORBES: The Anti-American Dream Will Help Fuel Home Furnishings Sales This Holiday

The best place to saddle up with a board is at the thatched shack beside the tourist information centre in Hangaroa, easily spotted by its bright orange walls.

BBC: Surfing on Easter Island