Newser Story Index from December, 2008
Welcome to the Newser Story Index. Here you find stories written by Newser writers and editors, assembled with supporting photos and videos from the files of the news story.
Dolphins' Hunting Tools Mostly Used by Females
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 26, 2008 12:44 PM CST
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Beside humans, few other animals use tools to get their everyday chores done. Even fewer of them are marine mammals, so researchers in Australia were surprised to catch bottlenose dolphins employing conical sponges to dig in the seafloor. Mostly female dolphins use the snout-protectors, and only if their mothers showed them how, reports the Wall Street...
Politicians We'll Miss in 2009
Politico
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Dec 26, 2008 12:29 PM CST
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The election is over, a political era is ending, and a number of this year's frequent headline-makers will step out of the spotlight in 2009. Politico gets misty-eyed about its favorites: Dick Cheney: Who else would tell a senior senator to “go f*** himself”? Who else, when asked about the public’s disapproval of his foreign...
Spending Beyond Our Means? It's All China's Fault
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2008 12:13 PM CST
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The financial crisis is, in part, a result of the uncomfortably tight economic embrace between the US and China, New York Times reports. China has long fostered an unsustainable credit cycle by keeping its currency artificially cheap and lending massive sums to the US. “Nobody wanted to get off this drug,” explains Senator Lindsey Graham....
2008's Hottest Ladies
Fox News
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Dec 26, 2008 12:02 PM CST
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You didn't think Fox News would forget about the ladies, did you? Here's a sample of its choices for hottest bods of 2008: Karolina Kurkova: She has no bellybutton, "but that didn't stop magazines from Photoshopping one on her for their photo spreads." Angelina Jolie: "Perpetually one of the world's most...
With Clinics, Bush Leaves Compassionate Mark
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2008 11:52 AM CST
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One Bush project that President-elect Obama isn’t likely to overturn is the expansion of funding for nonprofit medical clinics in underserved areas. The push—unequalled since Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty—to provide accessible health care for the poor and uninsured was one of the campaign promises President Bush described...
2008's Hunkiest Guys
Fox News
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Dec 26, 2008 11:44 AM CST
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Fox News has a holiday gift for everyone: The hottest men of 2008. Here's a sample: Barack Obama: "Slated to become the president with the meanest six-pack in history." David Beckham: "Wow. We want to say something but just ... wow." Brad Pitt: "Even that three-piece suit can't hide his great physique."...
Caroline Has Been Stingy With NY Dems
New York Daily News
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Dec 26, 2008 11:33 AM CST
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Caroline Kennedy has not donated much money to New York Democrats, and it could dent her appeal to Gov. David Paterson as he decides on his appointment to fill Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat, the New York Daily News reports. Although Kennedy has given around $30,000 to federal candidates, she’s given nothing to state politicians beside...
Baby Bronx Makes Online Debut
E! Online
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Dec 26, 2008 11:21 AM CST
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Sticking to earlier statements about not pimping out their wee one for mad sums of cash, new parents Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz posted a freebie pic of their one-month-old online. “We decided to share the best gift we could ever receive with you: Bronx Mowgli Wentz. We couldn’t be happier,” the duo wrote on Fall Out Boy’s...
Brady, Gisele Get Engaged
TMZ
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Dec 26, 2008 11:11 AM CST
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Tom Brady popped the question to girlfriend Gisele Bündchen on Christmas Eve, and the Brazilian model accepted, TMZ reports. The sidelined New England Patriots quarterback reportedly proposed aboard a private jet from New Jersey to Boston. Also on board were Bündchen’s parents and four dozen white roses. The two have been together about...
Status Update: Everyone Else's Life Is More Exciting
Washington Post
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Dec 26, 2008 11:05 AM CST
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Remember those holiday letters, the ones informing you of all the exciting things your friends did while you sat at home? Facebook brings you that jealousy 24/7, writes Patricia Beauchamp in the Washington Post . While she’s “wondering how much she could get for a box of gaucho pants on eBay,” her friends are skydiving, closing deals...
Top New Phrases of 2008
Times (UK)
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Dec 26, 2008 10:55 AM CST
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2008 will be remembered not only for a historic election and financial gyrations, but for the words and phrases that came into use this year. Ben Schott, author of Schott's Almanac , lists some of 2008's most interesting neologisms in the London Times . Terrorist fist jab : A blunt Fox News-ism to describe Barack and Michelle Obama's famous...
At-Risk Owners Pay Big Bucks to Mortgage Modifiers
Washington Post
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Dec 26, 2008 10:44 AM CST
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A growing mortgage-modification industry has cropped up amid the housing bust, the Washington Post reports, charging homeowners thousands to help them negotiate better loans. The problem? Non-profit groups already offer those services gratis. “It is very frustrating to find a homeowner who has paid a for-profit company $3,000 to $5,000,”...
Leo, Kate Pave Way for Revolutionary Road
Rotten Tomatoes
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Dec 26, 2008 10:30 AM CST
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Revolutionary Road , a 1950s-era drama about marriage, love, and angst, has its flaws, but ultimately it works, writes Kenneth Turhan in the Los Angeles Times . That’s largely thanks to stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio and director Sam Mendes, who overcome a storyline that seems “as dated as the language” used in the film....
Cash-Squeezed Bereaved Hold Funerals at Home
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 26, 2008 10:14 AM CST
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Amid the recession, many who’ve lost loved ones are turning to less expensive in-home funerals, the Los Angeles Times reports, and it's creating a booming business for “death midwives,” consultants versed in preparing bodies and completing paperwork for such services. Once, such midwives were in demand for their alternative care;...
More Trouble Looms for Holiday Travelers
USA Today
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Dec 26, 2008 10:03 AM CST
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Holiday travelers may be in for more trouble this weekend, USA Today reports. Snow is expected from Montana to New Mexico, rain in the Midwest could cause flooding, and the South can expect heavy thunderstorms and possibly a few tornadoes. "It's going to be a wild ride," said one meteorologist. Travelers already have been delayed or...
Obama Most Admired Man: Poll
USA Today
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Dec 26, 2008 9:56 AM CST
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Barack Obama is the man Americans admire most, according to a new USA Today /Gallup poll, and no one else comes even close. Obama was the first or second pick for 32% of respondents; George Bush, who has topped the list for 7 years, came in second with just 5%. It’s the first time a president-elect has topped the list in more than 50 years.
Jeb Bush Leans Toward Senate Run in Florida
Politico
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Dec 26, 2008 9:35 AM CST
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All signs are pointing toward a Jeb Bush run for the Senate in Florida, Politico reports. Nothing’s settled, say those close to him, but the former governor has been working the phones since Sen. Mel Martinez announced he wouldn’t run again in 2010. "Everything indicates that he's in," said a Republican strategist. "You're...
First Lady's Job Is Real: Let's Pay Her
Washington Post
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Dec 26, 2008 9:20 AM CST
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Michelle Obama is taking flak because she's putting her law career on hold to help her kids adjust to life in Washington. In fact, however, she’s not leaving professional life at all: Her new role as first lady—"the hardest job she will ever hold"— comes with a staff, a budget, and the weight of expectations, writes Lauren...
Obama Must Be a Goo-Goo: Krugman
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2008 9:07 AM CST
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Bill Clinton once declared that “the era of big government is over.” Barack Obama can’t do that, writes Paul Krugman of the New York Times. “Indeed, he has to be a goo-goo.” Goo-goo being a century-old term for “good government” proponents. FDR, for example, was a classic goo-goo. He expanded government and...
Stocks Get Post-Holiday Bump
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 26, 2008 8:54 AM CST
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Stocks saw a modest uptick this morning, despite a consumer spending report seemingly designed to puncture post-holiday cheer. The Dow rose 40.93 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq added 3.86 and 5.81, respectively. But volume was extremely low, as many Wall Street denizens took the day off, meaning the moves may not be indicative of overall market...
Pakistan Moves Troops Toward Indian Border
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2008 8:40 AM CST
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Pakistan began moving thousands of troops away from the Afghan border toward India today amid tensions following the Mumbai attacks, intelligence officials said. The move represents a sharp escalation in the standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbors and will hurt Pakistan's US-backed campaign against al-Qaeda and the Taliban taking place near Afghanistan's...
Rove: Bush Is a Bookworm
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 26, 2008 8:30 AM CST
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Bitter liberals may believe the president is an illiterate buffoon, but in 2006 the president read a whopping 95 books, and, just for good measure, read the entire Bible front-to-back, Karl Rove assures us in today’s Wall Street Journal . “In the 35 years I've known George W. Bush, he's always had a book nearby,” Rove writes. “Mr....
States See Lottery Sales Take Rare Dip
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 26, 2008 8:17 AM CST
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In good times and bad, state governments have relied on the lottery to bring in as much as $1 billion for education programs and other beneficiaries. But last quarter, sales of tickets fell by $215 million nationwide, only the second dip in 16 years. At a moment when states are contending with major budget shortfalls, reports the Wall Street Journal...
4 Insurgents Escape in Iraqi Jail Riot
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2008 8:01 AM CST
(AP) -
Four prisoners who belong to the insurgent group Al-Qaeda in Iraq broke out of jail during a riot today that killed six police officers and seven prisoners in the western city of Ramadi, police said. Authorities have imposed a curfew on the city, the capital of Anbar province, as they search for the escapees.
Oil Prices Reverse Monthlong Decline
Reuters
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Dec 26, 2008 7:44 AM CST
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Oil prices rose today—after dropping more than 30% this month alone—as the United Arab Emirates joined Saudi Arabia in curbing crude supplies, reports Reuters. Crude oil rose as much as $1.55 a barrel, or 4.4%, to $36.90 in New York this morning. The UAE cut was larger than expected and comes after oil tumbled further on Christmas...
Obama Visits Troops in Hawaii
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2008 7:31 AM CST
(AP) -
Barack Obama ventured from his Hawaii vacation hideaway on Christmas Day to thank Marines and sailors at the nearby military base for their service. He spent more than an hour at the dining hall, posing for pictures between the ham, roast beef, and turkey on the buffet and lingering a few moments at each table. The trip came well after the evening...
Recession-Battered States Slash Medicaid
Washington Post
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Dec 26, 2008 7:14 AM CST
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As states across the country struggle to cope with staggering budget shortfalls, 19 of them have cut back on Medicaid, reports the Washington Post . The states, along with DC, are lowering payments to hospitals and nursing homes, ending coverage for less common treatments, and booting some citizens out of the program entirely. "It's not a pretty...
Winter Chills Green Energy
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2008 7:03 AM CST
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Winter weather is cooling newfound enthusiasm for renewable energy, the New York Times reports. Solar panels get snowed up or suffer from lack of sunlight on short winter days, and biodiesel sometimes congeals in cold weather. Wintry weather is a plus for wind power, but turbines can get iced up and some observers say they hurl chunks of ice as they...
Chinese Set Sail to Join Fight Against Piracy
CNN
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Dec 26, 2008 6:29 AM CST
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Chinese warships are leaving home waters today for the first time in centuries, heading to the Gulf of Aden on an anti-piracy mission, CNN reports. Two destroyers and a supply ship are setting out to protect Chinese vessels in response to soaring pirate attacks off Somalia. The warships will join a multinational naval group patrolling the Gulf. The...
Guinea Coup Chiefs Promise Elections
BBC
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Dec 26, 2008 6:11 AM CST
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Rebel army officers who led a revolt in the West African nation of Guinea will meet with foreign diplomats tomorrow to reassure the international community about their future plans, reports BBC. A military junta seized control hours after the death of despotic ruler Lansana Conte. The US, European Union and Afrian Union have condemned the coup.
Nintendo to Launch Videos for Wii
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2008 5:31 AM CST
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Nintendo plans to launch video programming for the blockbuster Wii game console, reports AFP. Players could access original programming online to watch on their TV sets. The service will be aimed initially at the Japanese market and expand to markets worldwide. Rival Sony already uses its popular PlayStation for online movie sales and advertising,...
Death of GOP IT Guru Fuels Conspiracy Mills
The Zoo
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Dec 26, 2008 5:00 AM CST
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The death of Karl Rove's IT consultant in a plane crash last week has let loose a flood conspiracy theories, the Zoo reports. Michael Connell was due to testify in a case alleging voter fraud in Ohio in 2004, and had asked for police protection, according to some reports. He crashed while piloting his small plane. Many believe the crash is highly suspicious...
Pakistani Taliban Vow to Blow Up Girls' Schools
Times (UK)
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Dec 26, 2008 4:30 AM CST
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Taliban militants in Pakistan's Swat region have threatened to blow up schools and kill schoolgirls if female education isn't halted by next month, reports the Times of London. The extremists have already destroyed 125 schools for girls in the region this year. Women have been warned not to set foot outside their homes without being fully covered....
Israel Readies Gaza Strike
Haaretz (Israel)
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Dec 26, 2008 4:04 AM CST
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Israel is preparing a short, intense air and ground assault on militant positions in Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Haaretz reports. The Israeli cabinet has given the green light for an operation in retaliation for recent rocket attacks on civilian targets within Israel. Officials will meet again Sunday before any incursion, according to spokesmen. ...
Viagra Helps CIA Win Over Afghan Chiefs
Washington Post
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Dec 26, 2008 3:34 AM CST
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Little blue pills are proving to be a potent weapon in the CIA's efforts to win support from Afghan chieftains in the battle against the Taliban, the Washington Post reports. The notoriously fickle warlords—often aging men with up to four wives to satisfy—usually expect to be paid for the co-operation, and agents say giving them money...
Death Toll Hits 8 in 'Santa' Slayings
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 26, 2008 3:01 AM CST
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The death toll in the Christmas Eve massacre by a California man dressed as Santa Claus has now risen to at least eight as more details of the rampage emerge, the Los Angeles Times reports. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo first shot in the face an 8-year-old girl who answered the door at his former in-laws' home, then opened fire on his relatives, ex-wife...
Terrorists Up to Dangerous New Tricks Next 5 Years: US
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2008 2:23 AM CST
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The number of homegrown Islamic militants in the US is expected to increase sharply over the next 5 years, according to a Homeland Security assessment obtained by AP. A pool of "terrorist wannabes" will be recruited online and used to carry out attacks, including sophisticated cyberattacks for which al-Qaeda currently lacks the expertise,...
No Christmas Miracle for Retailers
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 26, 2008 1:57 AM CST
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It was a bleak Christmas and promises to be a less than prosperous New Year for retailers with consumers tightening their belts and spending less, reports the Wall Street Journal . Retail sales dropped 5.5% in November and 8% in December, compared with the same months last year. Luxury goods, usually recession proof, were hardest hit, with sales plunging...
2008 Hall of Infamy Inductees
Vanity Fair
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Dec 25, 2008 8:21 PM CST
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As we look back at the great people who made their mark this year, let us not forget to document the schlubby, the sneaky, and the just plain criminal. Vanity Fair has done the legwork, rounding up a month-by-month rogue's gallery. Some highlights: January: Rudy Giuliani's Florida strategy was hapless at best.
US Students Flock North for Cheap Tuition
Boston Globe
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Dec 25, 2008 7:50 PM CST
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Cash-strapped Americans with their sights set on college see Canada as an affordable alternative to domestic institutions, the Boston Globe reports. Low tuition fees and a stronger US dollar—it’s worth $1.21 in Canada right now—are luring more high school students in the northeast across the border, with the number of Americans...
Ex-Trooper Sought in Dallas Shootings Dies
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2008 6:39 PM CST
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The former Utah state trooper implicated in a Dallas freeway shooting spree died in a Texas hospital last night after shooting himself during a police standoff, the AP reports. Authorities suspect that Brian Smith, 37, caused at least one of two roadside deaths Monday, but ballistics tests have yet to confirm that bullet casings from his gun match...
Eartha Kitt Dead at 81
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2008 6:15 PM CST
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The versatile and ever-sultry Eartha Kitt died today at age 81, the AP reports. Kitt, with her trademark purr, had a career as a dancer, singer, and actor that spanned six decades. Among her musical hits was “Santa Baby," now in common rotation during the holidays. Kitt, who retained her self-proclaimed “sex kitten” image well...
Best 2008 Movies You Probably Missed
Salon
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Dec 25, 2008 5:18 PM CST
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Behold: a top 10 movies list that doesn't include The Dark Knight . In a year that's hard to sum up, Stephanie Zarachek pulls together an eclectic mix of great flicks for Salon: Even repeated viewings don't betray any flaws in Happy-Go-Lucky , a "luminous" tale of a London school marm by British director Mike Leigh.
For Sale: Soviet Sub, Very Rusty
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2008 4:00 PM CST
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The former Soviet submarine used in Harrison Ford’s film K-19: The Widowmaker may be sunk for good. The cruise-missile sub, which served as a floating museum in a Rhode Island river until it foundered in a 2007 storm, will be sold for scrap if no one buys it by Jan. 31, the AP reports. The vessel would cost over $1 million to repair.
Run-DMC's Christmas Jam Made Rap American
The Smart Set
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Dec 25, 2008 3:40 PM CST
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If Christmas is one authentic American effort to create traditions in a nation that has mostly imported them, Christmas music is about as American as it gets, writes Morgan Meis on the Smart Set. “When you do the Christmas song you are solid, you are in the club,” Meis argues, and Run-DMC sealed rap’s status as solidly American with...
Sopranos ' Johnny Cakes Commits Suicide
New York Post
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Dec 25, 2008 3:15 PM CST
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The actor who played Johnny Cakes on The Sopranos is dead, the New York Post reports. John Costelloe, 47, shot himself in the head in Brooklyn last week, police and friends said. The former firefighter served a brief but pivotal role as the gay lover of a closeted mobster in the HBO series. Costelloe was currently getting rave reviews in an off-off-Broadway...
10 Places Already Feeling Global Warming's Heat
Scientific American
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Dec 25, 2008 2:54 PM CST
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While some consider global warming a cautionary tale of things to come, its effects are already being felt all over the world, reports Scientific American. The worst-hit: Darfur: The deserts have been crippled by a decades-long drought, and can no longer support farmers or their grazing herds. America's Gulf Coast: Multiple hurricanes...
The Year in (Wiki) Questions
TechCrunch
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Dec 25, 2008 2:31 PM CST
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Need a primer on 2008? TechCrunch runs down common questions from each month on WikiAnswers: January: When was the last time snow fell in Baghdad? February: Why did the Hollywood writers go on strike? March: Why did Bear Stearns fail? April: Which races has Danica Patrick won? May: How successful was Sex and the City...
Above All, Pinter Was Remarkable, Loyal Friend
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 25, 2008 2:12 PM CST
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He didn’t always like the plays of Harold Pinter, who died yesterday at 78, but Guardian theater critic Michael Billington says he’s sure they “will endure wind and weather, because he understood the insecurity of human life.” Billington, also Pinter’s biographer, remembers the “poet’s ear for language”...
World's Priciest Fake Homes
Forbes
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Dec 25, 2008 1:53 PM CST
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Forbes has put together its first list of the world’s most-expensive fictional homes. Including literature, video games, and Monopoly, the editors had a few ground rules—no castles, and take it easy on the country estates. Xanadu, $135 million: A perfect mountaintop retreat for Citizen Kane , “a tragically flawed media...
