Escape the Flu This Season

It's enough to make the hypochondriac in all of us squirm

(NEWSER) - The trash smells worse than the kitchen sinks, but it's not necessarily less prone to germs. Health gives you the 12 germiest places:

1. Kitchen sink and counters—Use antibacterial product.
2. Airplane bathrooms—Flushing sprays germs everywhere.
3. Wet laundry—E. coli, courtesy dirty skivvies. Use bleach, dry high heat.
4. Public drinking fountains—Up to 2.7 million bacteria per square inch.

Medicine marches on, leaving behind some ailments that defy understanding

(NEWSER) - Doctors have successfully performed a face transplant, but the cure for the common cold still eludes them. LiveScience ponders the diseases that got away.

1. AIDS
2. Alzheimer's disease
3. The common cold

No. 1 is Alexandria, Virginia

(NEWSER) - If you think America's bookworms live in New York or San Francisco, think again. Amazon has released its list of the country's 20 most well-read cities, and they hail from such states as Michigan and Florida, reports Reuters . Top honors goes to Virginia's Alexandria, and though Berkeley and Cambridge do indeed make the top five, they're joined by Ann Arbor and Boulder. Wait til you see who's sixth: More»

Want a job? Avoid fine art, according to 'Daily Beast' list

(NEWSER) - Hey, college students: If your life plans include getting an actual job, you may want to avoid the stars of the Daily Beast 's "most useless" majors list. Majors are ranked in terms of employment, taking into account unemployment rates among recent and experienced grads, earnings, and likely job growth this decade. The list contains a few surprises—sure, fine arts won't get you far, but neither will hospitality management:

1. Fine arts (12.6% unemployment among recent grads; recent grads earn an average $30,000)
2. Drama and theater arts (7.8%, $26,000)

Where to avoid the people and the noise and find serenity

(NEWSER) - Even for die-hard swimmers, surfers, and sunbathers, sometimes a day at the beach is anything but, thanks to way, way too many people. The good news is that there are still undiscovered beaches out there. Travel + Leisure went scouting for such secret beaches. Here are its best finds:

• Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico: This artist colony is way cooler in both temperature and temperament than the Margaritaville of Cabo San Lucas, an hour to the south. Pacific breezes stir up rough and tumbling waves that have made this kicked-back community a surfer’s haven.