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Vanity Fair
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Dec 25, 08 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.
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Salon
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Dec 25, 08 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.
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TechCrunch
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Dec 25, 08 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 ?
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Forbes
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Dec 25, 08 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 mogul." Burns Manor, $127 million: Montgomery Burns' “cartoonishly lavish” Simpsons manse includes 1,000 typing monkeys and the biggest TV set on the planet.
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New York Daily News
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Dec 25, 08 6:42 AM CST
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Rather stay home than risk more bad weather today? Make a quick trip to the video store so you can hunker down with the New York Daily News ' favorite Yule flicks: It's a Wonderful Life (1946): Didn't see that one coming, did you? Jimmy Stewart. 'Nuff said. A Christmas Story (1983): We double-dog-dare you to forget this tale of Ralphie. Home Alone (1990): Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Left behind when his family jets off to France, Macaulay Culkin defends his home turf from would-be burglars. Meet Me in St Louis (1944): Judy Garland introduced the classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" at the end.
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Doctors Without Borders
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Dec 23, 08 4:42 PM CST
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Aid organization Doctors Without Borders has released its annual list of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here's a sample: Somalia: Increased friction between insurgents and the government unleashed some of the worst violence in a decade. One in five children there dies before turning 5. Congo: Hundreds of thousands have fled a devastating civil war and have no access to health care, food, water or basic shelter. Avoidable diseases like measles and diarrhea are taking a devastating toll on the displaced.
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Gourmet
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Dec 21, 08 8:00 PM CST
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Closing the wallet and opening the palate are set to be big in 2009, says Gourmet , which has served up its predictions of next year's hottest food and travel trends: With the economic slump, home cooking is hot, hot, hot. Learn to cook a casserole and take mom’s advice—eat more beans. Forget cupcakes: Ice cream is the new dessert, with gourmand-friendly options (think goat's milk) on the docket.
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New York Times
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Dec 21, 08 6:21 PM CST
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Bending and breaking under holiday stress? Relax! The British Medical Journal has bah-humbugged six holiday health myths, the New York Times reports: Night eating makes you fat: Calories are calories. When you eat doesn't matter; it's what you eat. Poinsettias are perilous: Reported cases of human poinsettia consumption: 22,793. Significant poisoning cases: 0.
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USA Today
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Dec 21, 08 5:05 PM CST
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Christmas shoppers are thinking small this year, and the gifts they're buying reveal how Americans are coping with recession, USA Today reports. Here's a list of today's trends: Practical: Nearly half of the most popular items searched for online were boots, according to one mall inventory service. Gifts that help people organize and save time, like USB flash drives, are also popular.
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Dec 21, 08 1:07 PM CST
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Celebrities broke new ground with their moronic bungles this year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. And, let's face it, they're fun to watch: Lil Jon: The rapper reacted to questions about his opening a winery: “I'm not like an expert, so don't ask me no questions. This is not some ghetto Boone's Farm." Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani: The musical pair named their son Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale.
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Rolling Stone
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Dec 21, 08 5:02 AM CST
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Dear Science tops Rolling Stone 's year-end best list with an album “that sounded the most like America in 2008." The top 10: TV on the Radio, Dear Science : "Infernal visions of war and economic desperation," but "amid the fear and loathing" is "defiance." Bob Dylan, Tell Tale Signs— The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 : "One of Dylan's most consistently gripping albums."
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Rolling Stone
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Dec 20, 08 3:41 AM CST
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When it comes to belting out the single of the year, Beyoncé ran (wedding) rings around the competition, says Rolling Stone, which lists its top 10: Beyoncé, Single Ladies : "Irresistible and exuberant." Santogold, LES Artistes : "New Wave guitar hook of the year." MGMT, Time to Pretend : "A magnificent piece of snark about acting like rock stars."
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New York Times
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Dec 18, 08 1:35 PM CST
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David Pogue runs down the best tech ideas of 2008 in the New York Times , “the flashes of genius that somehow made it through committee, past the lawyers, and into the marketplace.” Highlights include: Headache-free packaging: Amazon’s plastic-free alternative is good for the environment and does not require the jaws of life to open. Freehands gloves: Type away on your PDA—effectively—without exposing your paws to frostbite.
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Time
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Dec 17, 08 7:40 PM CST
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Election coverage and reports on the financial crisis ate up much of the media's attention in '08—while some major news stories went under-reported. Time runs down the biggest: A Pentagon gaffe accidentally sent nuclear warhead fuses to Taiwan in 2006; the mix-up was noted this year—by the Taiwanese. The Congolese civil war steadily intensifies, displacing 1 million people; cholera epidemics and refugee camp overcrowding are concerns.
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Daily Mirror (UK)
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Dec 17, 08 6:56 PM CST
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Taking its cue from the infamous shoe-toss of an Iraqi journalist—a sign of high contempt in his culture—the Daily Mirror presents a how-to guide for provoking international incidents: Buddhist countries: Nothing raises eyebrows or ire more than a pat on the head, as that's where locals believe the seat of the soul is located.
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Travel Leisure
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Dec 17, 08 3:13 PM CST
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Experiencing the local flavor sometimes comes at a cost—violent illness. Travel + Leisure lists ways to avoid the world's most unwelcome travel surprises: Malaria: To avoid this dangerous parasite take prophylaxis before traveling—usually mefloquine or chloroquine; and wear long sleeves and a repellent containing DEET. Giardiasis: A menace in the city or wilderness, stick to bottled or boiled water and be wary of uncooked vegetables.
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Politico
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Dec 17, 08 11:20 AM CST
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James Rickards is far more pessimistic about the economic crisis and its global implications than most of his analyst colleagues, Politico reports. But he’s also well respected by US intelligence and defense services. Here are four of his nightmare scenarios. Terrorism: Al-Qaeda has long sought to disrupt the US economy; the current crisis would give any attack a "force multiplier effect"
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Entertainment Weekly
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Dec 16, 08 7:35 PM CST
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With next year's big-name film and TV projects (including a new Star Trek and a fresh Tom Hanks movie) featuring some unknowns, Entertainment Weekly lists the rising stars of 2009: Kara DioGuardi , American Idol : The songwriting force behind hits by Pink and Ashlee Simpson will sit at the show's judging table. Chris Pine , Star Trek : Old spaceship, new Captain Kirk.
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Guardian (UK)
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Dec 14, 08 7:02 PM CST
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As a tumultuous year winds down, the Guardian asks the question on everybody’s mind: who are 2008’s biggest douchebags? A selection: Nicolas Sarkozy : “Good God, man, will you put her away just for a second?” Sarah Palin's advisors : "What you need to do, Sarah, to communicate your folksy down-home attributes, is wink a lot. The world will love it."
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Esquire
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Dec 14, 08 6:08 PM CST
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One UN study estimates 1.8 billion people will face extreme water shortage by 2025; the US government projects 36 states could face a similar fate by 2013. Doug Cantor, in Esquire, examines potential shortage solutions: PlayPump: A pump attached to a children’s merry-go-round extracts water from the ground as it spins. Expected to provide water for 10 million people by 2010.
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