Newser Story Index from December, 2010
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.
Arizona Law Banning Ethnic Studies Takes Effect Tonight
Christian Science Monitor
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Dec 31, 2010 4:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
An Arizona law banning Mexican-American studies takes effect at midnight, opening a new front in the state's immigration wars. Among other things, the law bans courses designed for students of any particular ethnic group—even if they are open to all students. The state schools chief wrote it in response to complaints about a program in the Tucson...
Germany Removes English Phrases From Signs
The Local
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Dec 31, 2010 4:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
Germany's transportation minister is not happy with what he considers an invasion of the English language into German culture, and he's fighting back. Thomas Ramsauer has begun replacing English words and phrases used by his department with original German, reports The Local .
Discovery Cancels Show on Michael Jackson's Autopsy
Reuters
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Dec 31, 2010 3:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Discovery Channel has scrapped plans to air a reenactment of Michael Jackson's autopsy, Reuters reports. Michael Jackson's Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson had been scheduled to air internationally next month (though not in the US), but the network decided that with a court hearing on Dr. Conrad Murray's culpability set next week,...
Georgia Lawmaker Likens GOP to KKK, Then Womanizers
Mediaite
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Dec 31, 2010 3:17 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Georgia state senator has thrown down against his political rivals, comparing turncoat Democrats to Ku Klux Klan members, Mediaite reports. State Senator Robert Brown, lashing out against his former Dems who'd switched over to the GOP after Republicans made big gains in the election, said that they "put on some red sheets on the bed and say....
Dow Up 8, Ends Year at Highest Mark Since '08
MarketWatch
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Dec 31, 2010 3:15 PM CST
(AP) -
Stocks have ended a rocky 2010 quietly. The major indexes were little changed and trading volume was at one of its lowest levels of the year as many traders took the day off. Despite investors' concerns about the US and world economy, the S&P 500 and the Dow both rose about 14% for the year, including dividends. The Nasdaq, meanwhile, rose about...
Self-Sharpening Tools? Sea Urchins Show How
National Geographic
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Dec 31, 2010 3:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
The humble sea urchin may teach us how to make knives that never need to be sharpened. Scientists think they've figured out how the creature manages to eat through rock and still maintain teeth that never go dull, reports National Geographic . "It is one of the very few structures in nature that self-sharpen," says one researcher of each...
College Wrestles With Kinsey's Porn Collection
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 31, 2010 2:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
Indiana University is about to open a new cinema to show off the school's own film holdings—unremarkable until you consider that those holdings include 14,000 pornographic movies belonging to sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. Among those are 2,000 one-reel stag films going back to the 1920s, a unique bit of film history that's thought to be the biggest...
4-Second Silences Make Us Feel ... Awkward
Time
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Dec 31, 2010 2:11 PM CST
(Newser) -
Just four seconds of silence in the middle of a conversation can be excruciating, research finds: That pause can leave us feeling left out and awkward, reports Time . “Conversational flow is associated with positive emotions, and a heightened sense of belonging, self-esteem, social validation and consensus,” researchers report in the...
Face It, Fellow Boomers, Getting Old-Old Isn't Pretty
New York Times
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Dec 31, 2010 1:56 PM CST
(Newser) -
Author Susan Jacoby has just turned 65, and she's not signing up for the "90-is-the-new-50" school of thought on aging. Having seen what old age did to the women in her family in their 90s—bright minds trapped in failing bodies, and in the case of one grandmother, Alzheimer's—she counters the "age-denying" credo of many...
News Fail: The Year's Most Misunderstood Stories
Cracked.com
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Dec 31, 2010 1:31 PM CST
(Newser) -
This year, we hated Jay, pitied Mark Zuckerberg, and were sure the Tea Partiers were insane. But we were wrong, says Cracked . Some accepted myths, followed by the truth: Jay Leno stole Conan's job. Actually, “Leno had nearly nothing to do with Conan getting fired.” It all came down to contracts—and Conan’s didn’t...
Reid, McConnell May Weaken Filibuster Reform
Talking Points Memo
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Dec 31, 2010 1:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Looks like filibuster reform won't be all that sweeping, after all. Junior Democratic senators—including Tom Udall of New Mexico—are pushing to revamp the rules to prevent what they say is Republican obstruction, but the Senate leadership of both parties looks ready to water down any changes, reports Talking Points Memo . Harry Reid...
Dead Woman Signed Debt Collection Affidavits
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 31, 2010 1:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
Martha Kunkle signed thousands of affidavits for a large debt collector … after her death in 1995. Portfolio Recovery Associates says her signature hasn’t been used since 2008, when its invalidity was first questioned—well, uh, except in one case last July that a rep claims was “inadvertent”—but Kunkle’s name...
Paper or Cloth? Italy Bans Plastic Bags
BBC
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Dec 31, 2010 12:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Italians use some 20 billion plastic bags yearly—or 300 per person. But that ends tomorrow: the country is banning the non-biodegradable bags in shops, the BBC reports. It’s “a key step forward in the fight against pollution and it makes us all more responsible in terms of recycling,” says the country’s environmental...
PETA's Weirdest Stunts of the Year
AOL News
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Dec 31, 2010 12:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
PETA’s not into subtlety when it comes to demonstrations against animal cruelty. AOL News offers some highlights from the past year: A barely-dressed couple frolicked on an outdoor bed in Nashville to assert that vegans were better lovers. The group’s London branch called on a team of pregnant women to perch on all fours in cages....
32% of 9-Month-Olds Obese or Overweight
LiveScience
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Dec 31, 2010 12:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
Chubby babies are adorable, sure, but a new study shows that overweight or "obese" babies (researchers shy away from attaching the label to kids so young) are likely to stay that way—and a huge number of infants fall into those categories. Almost 32% of babies are obese or overweight by nine months, and that number rises to 34% by two...
Obama's Move to the Center Is Just a Ploy
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2010 12:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama's so-called shift to the center is all just for show, writes Charles Krauthammer. "Now, as always, his heart lies left." Obama still plans to complete his "socialist-democratic transformation," but first he's got to get around the Republican House. Not a big problem: What he and the Democrats can't accomplish through...
Biggest Geniuses of 2010 ... Picked by MacArthur Geniuses
Daily Beast
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Dec 31, 2010 11:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
The biggest intellectual, cultural, and technological achievements of the year were powered by these brains—some we know well, some we don’t. The Daily Beast got together with 20-plus recent winners of MacArthur “Genius” grant to determine the year’s smartest: Jon Stewart . Going beyond the biting Daily Show , Stewart...
Arkansas Tornado Leaves 3 Dead
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2010 11:35 AM CST
(AP) -
A tornado fueled by an unusually warm winter air sliced through parts of northwestern Arkansas early today, killing at least three people, injuring several others, and knocking out power to thousands. Three people died in Cincinnati, a small town about three miles from the Oklahoma border. A sheriff's dispatcher said the storm touched down near the...
Most Critics Sweet on Devastating Blue Valentine
Slate
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Dec 31, 2010 11:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
Some critics are raving over Blue Valentine , a harrowing tale in which Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams play a couple ripping apart at the seams. But not everyone is impressed with the film (whose infamous oral sex scene has gotten plenty of press). “This wrenching story of a marriage that rides a roller coaster for six tumultuous...
Beware Republicans' New Voodoo Economics
New York Times
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Dec 31, 2010 11:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
Paul Krugman warns against what he sees as a new version of "voodoo economics" that Republicans plan to codify in the House: "The belief that deficits created by tax cuts just don't matter." Jon Kyl and crew think that any tax cut is a good tax cut, no matter the consequences for the budget. Somehow, it will all work out with spending...
Rogaine to Wills: We Can Help With That Bald Spot...
Life & Style
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Dec 31, 2010 10:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
The royal wedding is sure to be a divine affair, with one teensy exception: Prince William’s bald spot. But never fear: Rogaine is here to help! A rep for the company tells Life & Style , “We've been watching Prince William's growing bald spot closely for years, and we believe Rogaine can help … When he's on the altar and...
No Pardon for Billy the Kid
AOL News
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Dec 31, 2010 10:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
In a decision that’s sure to break the hearts of Old West nerds, Gov. Bill Richardson has declined to pardon Billy the Kid, after thinking about it just long and hard enough to boost tourism. In an announcement on ABC’s Good Morning America , the New Mexico governor said he was turning down the much-publicized pardon request “because...
Winter Storms Bring 100-Car Pileup in Fargo
kfyrtv.com
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Dec 31, 2010 10:27 AM CST
(Newser) -
A blizzard in North Dakota led to a 100-vehicle pileup on I-94, KFYR-TV reports. Drivers were stranded for hours near Fargo with visibility less than 10 feet in some areas. “It was a little surreal there for a while,” said one observer. No life-threatening injuries have been reported. I-94 is now closed, as is I-29, notes AOL News. Click...
'Sexy Spy' Reaps Rewards at Home ... Herring, a Lion Cub
New York Times
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Dec 31, 2010 10:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
Russia’s love affair with “sexy spy” Anna Chapman continues: Yesterday, she made her first major public appearance, and received a pretty major gift for her trouble. On a Russian talk show, she revealed some of her passions (acting, shooting, Angelina Jolie, and—not surprisingly—spy movies) and said she’s always...
Australians Stranded by Texas-Sized Flood
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 31, 2010 9:54 AM CST
(Newser) -
The good news for Australia: It got to celebrate New Years first! The bad news: A huge portion of the country is underwater. Prime Minister Julia Gillard today promised government assistance to the roughly 200,000 people that have been affected by a huge flood in the northeastern state of Queensland, the LA Times reports. Rivers in the region...
Inside Hefner's Not-Exactly-Romantic Proposal
E! Online
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Dec 31, 2010 9:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
The story of Hugh Hefner’s Christmas Eve proposal to 60-years-younger galpal Crystal Harris just keeps getting more and more romantic. Turns out he didn’t actually ask her to marry him, he just handed her a Little Mermaid music box (yep, really) that was holding the ring, and said, “I hope it fits.” It actually ended up...
Best Cities for Singles on New Year’s Eve
Daily Beast
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Dec 31, 2010 9:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
If you're a single lady and looking to ring in the New Year with a new love, go west, young woman—ideally to Los Angeles, the best city for single women in the nation, with 111,000 more single men than women. If you're a single man, however, the Northeast corridor, between Washington, DC, and Boston, is the place to be. New York City takes the...
WikiLeaks Could Get a Good Man Executed
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 31, 2010 9:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
Julian Assange once boasted that “there has never been a single report of any of our documents causing physical harm to any single person.” Tell that to Morgan Tsvangirai, the Zimbabwe prime minister who faces potentially lethal treason charges thanks to one leaked cable. A document last week revealed that Tsvangirai had told Western...
N. Korea Airs First Western Flick—Starring Keira Knightley
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2010 8:41 AM CST
(Newser) -
North Koreans got treated to the country’s first-ever televised Western film this week: Bend It Like Beckham . News, soaps, and documentaries usually dominate the airwaves, and Western movies are restricted, the AP reports. The broadcast seemed to be an edited version of the Keira Knightley- and Jonathan Rhys Myers-led film; a banner that...
In Newsweek Spread, Assange Touts Gentleman Lifestyle
Newsweek
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Dec 31, 2010 8:22 AM CST
(Newser) -
Life is just so droll when you’re international man of mystery/rape suspect Julian Assange. Sure, he’s under house arrest, but house arrest doesn’t look so bad in the hilarious-yet-unfortunate “ Christmas with Julian” photo gallery Newsweek is running. Maybe it’s because that “house” is a 600-acre...
Sorry, Google: Facebook Most-Visited Site in US
Reuters
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Dec 31, 2010 8:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
Facebook knocked Google from its cushy No. 1 slot this year, becoming the most-visited website in the US, Reuters reports. Between January and November, Facebook saw 8.9% of all US visits; Google.com saw 7.2%. If you count all of Google’s properties, like YouTube and Gmail, however, Google takes 9.9%, surpassing Facebook. Yahoo’s properties...
Coming in 2011: The World's 7 Billionth Person
Time
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Dec 31, 2010 7:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
Things to look forward to in 2011: all-natural Frito-Lay chips , a bunch of truly unnecessary movie sequels , and … the world’s 7 billionth living person. That lucky baby will arrive sometime next year, according to the UN Population Reference Bureau, writes Bryan Walsh for Time . The world’s 6 billionth living person was born...
New Orleans Boots Residents Out of Last FEMA Trailers
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2010 7:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
In the five years since Hurricane Katrina, FEMA trailers have been a fixture of the New Orleans landscape—but by the start of next year, the city wants the last ones gone. It calls the 221 remaining trailers an eyesore, and says residents will have to pay fines—as much as $500 a day—if they don't move out. But leaving could be tough...
It's 2011 Somewhere: Australia Rings in New Year
BBC
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Dec 31, 2010 7:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
You may be just waking up, but it's already 2011 somewhere—namely Australia and New Zealand, the first major countries to see the new year. Sydney celebrated with what's been touted as the world's most sophisticated New Year's fireworks display, the BBC reports. So, while you're waiting for your own clock to hit midnight, enjoy these shots...
US Secretly Sends Ukraine's Uranium to Russia
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2010 6:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US carried out a secret operation this week in which 110 pounds of highly enriched uranium—enough to make two atomic bombs—were sent from Ukraine to Russia, as part of the Obama administration’s not-at-all secret push to secure the world’s nuclear material. Russia intends to blend down the uranium and make it useless for...
'King of the Birthers': I'm Running for President
Huffington Post
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Dec 31, 2010 6:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
The first Republican candidate has officially entered the 2012 presidential race: Self-proclaimed “King of the Birthers” Andy Martin will seek the office, he told New Hampshire radio. Though he said he’s "clearly" not the frontrunner, "I'm going to have a tremendous impact on the presidential election. I'll be driving...
Airports' New Year's Resolution: Dump TSA?
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2010 6:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
Fed up with TSA hassles at the airport? You may be in luck. Aware of growing passenger fury, more and more airports—including Dulles and Reagan National—are considering switching to private companies for security screening, reports the Washington Post . Sixteen airports have chosen to go the contractor route since 2002, and more are...
Nooks Squashing Books
PC Magazine
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Dec 31, 2010 5:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Following in Amazon's footsteps , Barnes & Noble announced yesterday that its Nook e-reader is now the company's best-selling item ever. What's more, the retailer is now selling more e-books on its website than old-fashioned, papery things. Though Barnes & Noble is being shy about releasing actual sales figures, it did say that more than...
10 Things to Help Get You Through New Year's Eve
Huffington Post
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Dec 31, 2010 5:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
Ahh, New Year’s Eve. A holiday filled with inappropriately sparkly dresses and unnecessarily large quantities of tiny, tiny appetizers. On the Huffington Post , Alida Nugent lists 10 things you’ll need to get through “this sloppy and not-really-monumental occasion”: That cocktail dress : In addition to the sparkles, it...
Thrill of Lovin' Is Gone? John Mellencamp, Wife Split
PopEater
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Dec 31, 2010 5:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
Sounds like the thrill of livin'—together—is gone. Rocker John Mellencamp is splitting with his wife of 18 years, reports PopEater . Mellencamp, 59, met then-model Elaine Irwin Mellencamp, 41, when she posed for the cover of his 1991 album, Whenever We Wanted . The two got engaged 10 weeks later. "John and Elaine Irwin Mellencamp...
Police: Boy's Likely Killer 'Cold, Soulless Murderer'
KHOU TV
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Dec 31, 2010 5:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
The woman accused of kidnapping 12-year-old Jonathan Foster, killing him, burning the body, and dumping it on Christmas Eve is a "cold, soulless murderer," according to Houston police. Investigators found a "wealth of evidence" at Mona Nelson's house: burned carpet and twine similar to that found with Foster's body, welding torches,...
Stanford Busts UConn's 90-Game Win Streak
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2010 10:40 PM CST
(AP) -
Top-ranked Connecticut's record 90-game winning streak is over. The Huskies never led and were beaten by No. 9 Stanford 71-59 tonight, ending a run that drew national attention to women's basketball. Stanford was the last school to beat the Huskies, in the 2008 NCAA semifinals.
Anorexic Isabelle Caro Wanted to 'Send a Strong Message'
AOL News
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Dec 30, 2010 6:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
The death of anorexic French actress Isabelle Caro has her many supporters lamenting the 15-year struggle that took her life at age 28. Highlights from an overview at AOL News : At her worst moments—she got down to less than 60 pounds at times—Caro ate two squares of chocolate and a few cornflakes per day. A friend says the infamous...
Israel's Natural-Gas Find Is Biggest in 10 Years
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 30, 2010 6:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
Discovery of a massive field of natural gas off the coast of Israel could transform the Jewish state's economy and even alter the balance of power in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reports. Houston-based Noble Energy confirmed yesterday that the so-called Leviathan field has 16 trillion cubic feet of gas, making it the biggest deepwater...
The Decade's Yuckiest Fashion Trends
Betty Confidential
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Dec 30, 2010 5:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
Here's a really tough question: What's been more annoying this decade—Jon Gosselin, or the Ed Hardy clothing he cannot seem to stop wearing? The label makes PJ Gach's list of the decade's 10 worst fashion trends. Also on Betty Confidential's list: Crocs: "Plastic shoes don’t go with anything," Gach astutely observes. Even...
Justin Bieber Caught in Ground Zero Mosque Hoax
New York
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Dec 30, 2010 5:28 PM CST
(Newser) -
These things happen when you're a teen idol in the Internet age: After the satirical site Celebjihad ran a fake story saying Justin Bieber thinks those opposed to a Ground Zero mosque are bigots, the tale began spreading like wild on the web. Foes started a boycott Bieber page on Facebook, and one of the most vocal opponents of the mosque began giving...
Lisa Murkowski Certified as Winner in Alaska
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2010 4:46 PM CST
(AP) -
It took awhile, but Lisa Murkowski was officially named the winner of Alaska's Senate race today. Gov. Sean Parnell and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, who oversees elections, signed the paperwork certifying her victory. That should enable Murkowski to be sworn in with her colleagues next week in Washington.
2010's Most Painfully Obvious Scientific Discoveries
LiveScience
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Dec 30, 2010 4:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
This year there were groundbreaking discoveries ... and then there were these gems. LiveScience compiles 10 of the most "duh" scientific findings of the year: Meth is bad for your unborn child: A shocking study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that kids born to moms who used meth while pregnant had brain abnormalities...
Kindle Allows E-Book Lending ... Sort Of
ReadWriteWeb
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Dec 30, 2010 3:32 PM CST
(Newser) -
Amazon today gave its Kindle users the ability to lend e-books for the first time, an innovation the Nook e-reader had first. The privilege comes with similar limits, however, as ReadWriteWeb explains. First of all, it's up to the publisher whether a book can be loaned, which could create a pretty random spread of loanable and non-loanable titles....
Rich Out-Drink the Poor— and More Boozy Facts
Daily Beast
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Dec 30, 2010 3:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
Drinking cuts across all social, economic, and cultural lines, but who imbibes the most? Some answers, compiled by the Daily Beast : Men drink more than women (57.6% vs. 46.5%). The gender gap is all but nil for underage drinkers, then widens with age. New Hampshire drinks the most beer of any state. At 31.6 gallons per capita per year, New Hampshirites...
