New York Times
BERLIN — As artifacts go, they are mere trinkets — an old purse, playing cards, a lantern. Even the display that caused the crowds to stop and stare is a simple embroidered tapestry, stitched by village women. [Slide Show]
Casual reading for the intellectually curious.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Hitler Exhibit Explores a Wider Circle of Guilt
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
BERLIN — As artifacts go, they are mere trinkets — an old purse, playing cards, a lantern. Even the display that caused the crowds to stop and stare is a simple embroidered tapestry, stitched by village women. [Slide Show]
BERLIN — As artifacts go, they are mere trinkets — an old purse, playing cards, a lantern. Even the display that caused the crowds to stop and stare is a simple embroidered tapestry, stitched by village women. [Slide Show]
Toddlers’ Favorite Toy: The iPhone
By HILARY STOUT
THE bedroom door opened and a light went on, signaling an end to nap time. The toddler, tousle-haired and sleepy-eyed, clambered to a wobbly stand in his crib. He smiled, reached out to his father, and uttered what is fast becoming the cry of his generation: “iPhone!”
New York Times
THE bedroom door opened and a light went on, signaling an end to nap time. The toddler, tousle-haired and sleepy-eyed, clambered to a wobbly stand in his crib. He smiled, reached out to his father, and uttered what is fast becoming the cry of his generation: “iPhone!”
Atheists Debate How Pushy to Be
By MARK OPPENHEIMER
LOS ANGELES — Energized by a recent Pew Research Center poll showing that atheists are more educated about religion than religious people, 370 atheists, humanists and other skeptics packed a ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel last weekend to debate the future of their movement.
New York Times
LOS ANGELES — Energized by a recent Pew Research Center poll showing that atheists are more educated about religion than religious people, 370 atheists, humanists and other skeptics packed a ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel last weekend to debate the future of their movement.
Friday, October 15, 2010
A Second Disease Vanquished
By DONALD G. MCNEIL
New York Times
Quietly, almost under the radar, a United Nations organizationannounced this week that another disease — the first after smallpox — had been eliminated from the face of the earth.
Quietly, almost under the radar, a United Nations organizationannounced this week that another disease — the first after smallpox — had been eliminated from the face of the earth.
A Red-Hot Sport Leaves Some Folks With a Sour Taste
By ANNE TERGESEN
Wall Street Journal
George and Janet Dillard bought a home in SaddleBrooke, a 55-and-older community in Tucson, Ariz., where they hoped to meet neighbors with common interests and enjoy the tranquility of the desert and mountain setting.
But two years ago, a trio of "pickleball" courts were opened about 100 feet from the Dillards' property. Their peaceful lives were disrupted, as was the harmony in SaddleBrooke.
George and Janet Dillard bought a home in SaddleBrooke, a 55-and-older community in Tucson, Ariz., where they hoped to meet neighbors with common interests and enjoy the tranquility of the desert and mountain setting.
But two years ago, a trio of "pickleball" courts were opened about 100 feet from the Dillards' property. Their peaceful lives were disrupted, as was the harmony in SaddleBrooke.
Study of Montgomery County schools shows benefits of economic integration
By Stephanie McCrummen and Michael Birnbaum
Low-income students in Montgomery County performed better when they attended affluent elementary schools instead of ones with higher concentrations of poverty, according to a new study that suggests economic integration is a powerful but neglected school-reform tool.
Washington Post
Low-income students in Montgomery County performed better when they attended affluent elementary schools instead of ones with higher concentrations of poverty, according to a new study that suggests economic integration is a powerful but neglected school-reform tool.
Alarms to Outsmart Sleepyheads
By ANNE MARIE CHAKER
Wall Street Journal
What does it take to wake you up in the morning? Would the rip of a chain saw do the trick? [Slide Show]
What does it take to wake you up in the morning? Would the rip of a chain saw do the trick? [Slide Show]
Y U Luv Texts, H8 Calls
We Want to Reach Others But Not to Be Interrupted
By KATHERINE ROSMAN
Wall Street Journal
For anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says. [Interactive Graphic]
By KATHERINE ROSMAN
Wall Street Journal
For anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says. [Interactive Graphic]
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Capitalism Saved the Miners
The profit = innovation dynamic was everywhere at the mine rescue site.
By DANIEL HENNINGER
It needs to be said. The rescue of the Chilean miners is a smashing victory for free-market capitalism.
By DANIEL HENNINGER
Wall Street Journal
It needs to be said. The rescue of the Chilean miners is a smashing victory for free-market capitalism.
What Oman Can Teach Us
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
As the United States relies on firepower to try to crush extremism in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, it might instead consider the lesson of the remarkable Arab country of Oman.
New York Times
As the United States relies on firepower to try to crush extremism in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, it might instead consider the lesson of the remarkable Arab country of Oman.
Earth Is Parched Where Syrian Farms Thrived
By ROBERT F. WORTH
AR RAQQAH, Syria — The farmlands spreading north and east of this Euphrates River town were once the breadbasket of the region, a vast expanse of golden wheat fields and bucolic sheep herds.
New York Times
AR RAQQAH, Syria — The farmlands spreading north and east of this Euphrates River town were once the breadbasket of the region, a vast expanse of golden wheat fields and bucolic sheep herds.
As Nations Age, a Chance for Younger Nations
By TED C. FISHMAN
New York Times
YOU MAY KNOW that the world’s population is aging — that the number of older people is expanding faster than the number of young — but you probably don’t realize how fast this is happening. Right now, the world is evenly divided between those under 28 and those over 28. By midcentury, the median age will have risen to 40.
YOU MAY KNOW that the world’s population is aging — that the number of older people is expanding faster than the number of young — but you probably don’t realize how fast this is happening. Right now, the world is evenly divided between those under 28 and those over 28. By midcentury, the median age will have risen to 40.
New Tool to Test Home Listings
By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ
ZipRealty, a nationwide residential real estate brokerage, recently released a new tool on its Web site aimed at helping potential home sellers decide whether to put their home on the market.
New York Times
ZipRealty, a nationwide residential real estate brokerage, recently released a new tool on its Web site aimed at helping potential home sellers decide whether to put their home on the market.
Securing Your Laptop Before It Gets Stolen
By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ
Fred R. Conrad/The New York TimesThere are software programs available that can help you safeguard your laptop before it’s stolen.
If your laptop happens to be stolen, like mine recently was, it can be a big hassle to protect your data after the fact. That’s why it’s important to know how to secure your laptop before it’s gone.
New York Times
Fred R. Conrad/The New York TimesThere are software programs available that can help you safeguard your laptop before it’s stolen.
If your laptop happens to be stolen, like mine recently was, it can be a big hassle to protect your data after the fact. That’s why it’s important to know how to secure your laptop before it’s gone.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Bullying: The advice you got is wrong. Here's what really works.
It's time to rethink our approach to bullying. Much of the advice we’ve been given is not only ineffective, but actually makes things worse. Here’s what we should be teaching our kids instead.
By Patricia Kelley Criswell
Christian Science Monitor
The warm fuzziness of the first few weeks of school is cooling and the strength of the "bullying will not be tolerated" lectures is waning. Come October, social hierarchies emerge and, too often,bullying begins. Low self-esteem, a bad day, months of anguish, suicide – the range of effects victims suffer is devastating. Parents, aware of the perennial pattern, hold their breath, hoping their child isn't targeted.
Christian Science Monitor
The warm fuzziness of the first few weeks of school is cooling and the strength of the "bullying will not be tolerated" lectures is waning. Come October, social hierarchies emerge and, too often,bullying begins. Low self-esteem, a bad day, months of anguish, suicide – the range of effects victims suffer is devastating. Parents, aware of the perennial pattern, hold their breath, hoping their child isn't targeted.
Building a More Resilient Brain
By SHIRLEY S. WANG
A lifetime of speaking two or more languages appears to pay off in old age, with recent research showing the symptoms of dementia can be delayed by an average of four years in bilingual people.
Wall Street Journal
A lifetime of speaking two or more languages appears to pay off in old age, with recent research showing the symptoms of dementia can be delayed by an average of four years in bilingual people.
Moonlighting as a Conjurer of Chemicals
By NATALIE ANGIER
Sir Isaac Newton was a towering genius in the history of science, he knew he was a genius, and he didn’t like wasting his time. Born on Dec. 25, 1642, the great English physicist and mathematician rarely socialized or traveled far from home. He didn’t play sports or a musical instrument, gamble at whist or gambol on a horse. He dismissed poetry as “a kind of ingenious nonsense,” and the one time he attended an opera he fled at the third act. Newton was unmarried, had no known romantic liaisons and may well have died, at the age of 85, with his virginity intact. “I never knew him to take any recreation or pastime,” said his assistant, Humphrey Newton, “thinking all hours lost that were not spent on his studies.”
New York Times
Sir Isaac Newton was a towering genius in the history of science, he knew he was a genius, and he didn’t like wasting his time. Born on Dec. 25, 1642, the great English physicist and mathematician rarely socialized or traveled far from home. He didn’t play sports or a musical instrument, gamble at whist or gambol on a horse. He dismissed poetry as “a kind of ingenious nonsense,” and the one time he attended an opera he fled at the third act. Newton was unmarried, had no known romantic liaisons and may well have died, at the age of 85, with his virginity intact. “I never knew him to take any recreation or pastime,” said his assistant, Humphrey Newton, “thinking all hours lost that were not spent on his studies.”
Offshore Wind Power Line Wins Backing
By MATTHEW L. WALD
WASHINGTON — Google and a New York financial firm have each agreed to invest heavily in a proposed $5 billion transmission backbone for future offshore wind farms along the Atlantic Seaboard that could ultimately transform the region’s electrical map.
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Google and a New York financial firm have each agreed to invest heavily in a proposed $5 billion transmission backbone for future offshore wind farms along the Atlantic Seaboard that could ultimately transform the region’s electrical map.
Taking Early Retirement May Retire Memory, Too
By GINA KOLATA
New York Times
The two economists call their paper “Mental Retirement,” and their argument has intrigued behavioral researchers. Data from the United States, England and 11 other European countries suggest that the earlier people retire, the more quickly their memories decline.
The two economists call their paper “Mental Retirement,” and their argument has intrigued behavioral researchers. Data from the United States, England and 11 other European countries suggest that the earlier people retire, the more quickly their memories decline.
New Web Code Draws Concern Over Privacy Risks
By TANZINA VEGA
Worries over Internet privacy have spurred lawsuits, conspiracy theories and consumer anxiety as marketers and others invent new ways to track computer users on the Internet. But the alarmists have not seen anything yet.
New York Times
Worries over Internet privacy have spurred lawsuits, conspiracy theories and consumer anxiety as marketers and others invent new ways to track computer users on the Internet. But the alarmists have not seen anything yet.
'Scrapers' Dig Deep for Data on Web
By JULIA ANGWIN And STEVE STECKLOW
Wall Street Journal
At 1 a.m. on May 7, the website PatientsLikeMe.com noticed suspicious activity on its "Mood" discussion board. There, people exchange highly personal stories about their emotional disorders, ranging from bipolar disease to a desire to cut themselves.
It was a break-in. A new member of the site, using sophisticated software, was "scraping," or copying, every single message off PatientsLikeMe's private online forums.
At 1 a.m. on May 7, the website PatientsLikeMe.com noticed suspicious activity on its "Mood" discussion board. There, people exchange highly personal stories about their emotional disorders, ranging from bipolar disease to a desire to cut themselves.
It was a break-in. A new member of the site, using sophisticated software, was "scraping," or copying, every single message off PatientsLikeMe's private online forums.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Watch Out for ATM Skimming
By JENNIFER WATERS
Wall Street Journal
The next time you pull up to an ATM, take a closer look at the machine. Does it look a little clunkier than usual?
The next time you pull up to an ATM, take a closer look at the machine. Does it look a little clunkier than usual?
The New Bugatti: Waiting for Superman No More
By DAN NEIL
I've encountered some pretty courageous people in my time. I once shook John Glenn's hand. I've seen Pierce Brosnan sing in public. But the bravest guy I've met lately is Pierre-Henri Raphanel, the pilote officiel for the Molsheim, France-based car maker Bugatti. It was Mr. Raphanel who, in July, strapped himself into the new Veyron 16.4 Super Sport and circuited Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track at an astonishing 268 mph, setting a new Guinness land-speed record for a production car. [Slide Show]
Wall Street Journal
Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
I've encountered some pretty courageous people in my time. I once shook John Glenn's hand. I've seen Pierce Brosnan sing in public. But the bravest guy I've met lately is Pierre-Henri Raphanel, the pilote officiel for the Molsheim, France-based car maker Bugatti. It was Mr. Raphanel who, in July, strapped himself into the new Veyron 16.4 Super Sport and circuited Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track at an astonishing 268 mph, setting a new Guinness land-speed record for a production car. [Slide Show]
Mexican cartels and ensuing violence leave mark on Texas border town Read more: Mexican cartels and ensuing violence leave mark on Texas border town
By Kevin Vaughan
The Denver Post
ZAPATA, Texas — Sgt. Jimmy Mendoza is so baby-faced he could pass for a high school student, but he has helped drag bodies from the Rio Grande, bullets in their heads.
The Denver Post
ZAPATA, Texas — Sgt. Jimmy Mendoza is so baby-faced he could pass for a high school student, but he has helped drag bodies from the Rio Grande, bullets in their heads.
Homemade ricotta: A big payoff for so little effort
By Russ Parsons
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
(Seattle Times)
When it comes to most things around the house, I'm about the most unhandy guy you've ever seen. I can't hang a picture straight. But when it comes to cooking, I go a little do-it-yourself crazy. The last couple of weeks I've been making my own ricotta. Before you dismiss this as just another wacky fad, trust me — you've got to give it a try.
When it comes to most things around the house, I'm about the most unhandy guy you've ever seen. I can't hang a picture straight. But when it comes to cooking, I go a little do-it-yourself crazy. The last couple of weeks I've been making my own ricotta. Before you dismiss this as just another wacky fad, trust me — you've got to give it a try.
In the cards: How teenage poker prodigy Steven Silverman won, and lost, millions
By Jessica Weiss
Steven Silverman doesn't miss the old days: Those restless nights when, deep in the throes of his latest poker binge, he slept on an air mattress on the floor of his 2,700-square-foot penthouse apartment in Bethesda.
Washington Post
Steven Silverman doesn't miss the old days: Those restless nights when, deep in the throes of his latest poker binge, he slept on an air mattress on the floor of his 2,700-square-foot penthouse apartment in Bethesda.
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