For Those Who Can't Decide on Dessert, Here's the Dish

Cherpumple' Bakes Three Pies Inside Cakes; 'Total Spectacle' or Deadly Sin?

By GEOFFREY A. FOWLER
Wall Street Journal

Turduckens are now American holiday fixtures, those Frankenstein fowl featuring a turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken. Last Thanksgiving, Charles Phoenix created the turducken of desserts. [Slide Show]

New Ways Bankers Are Spying on You

By KAREN BLUMENTHAL

Wall Street Journal

Big Banker is watching you—more closely than ever.

With lenders still skittish about making new loans, credit bureaus and others are hawking services that help banks probe deeply into your financial closet. The new offerings include ways to look at your rent and utility payments, figure out your income, gauge your home's value and even rate your banking habits based on details like whether your direct deposits have stopped.

Iowa's Total Recall

Voters give activist judges the boot. Lawyers are shocked.
Wall Street Journal

Iowans made a clean sweep of the state Supreme Court on Tuesday, voting to recall all three justices who were up for a retention election. The rout is being played as an unprecedented politicization of state courts. Maybe if judges behaved less like politicians, they'd have less reason to fear recall votes.

Exporting Our Way to Stability

By BARACK OBAMA

New York Times

AS the United States recovers from this recession, the biggest mistake we could make would be to rebuild our economy on the same pile of debt or the paper profits of financial speculation. We need to rebuild on a new, stronger foundation for economic growth. And part of that foundation involves doing what Americans have always done best: discovering, creating and building products that are sold all over the world.

An ‘ARE YOU SMARTER THAN AL GORE?’ energy quiz

Christian Science Monitor

Everyone has been conditioned to flick off lights when they leave a room – or, if they forget, to tromp dutifully back to turn them off. Many such energy-saving actions have become routines that make us feel very green, very much the global good citizens helping to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. We don't really know how Al Gore would do on this quiz. But if you take it and ace it, you might feel a little competitive with the man who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to counter climate change by reconsidering the energy choices behind the problem. Take our quiz and find out how much you really know about your energy use:

Would Law School Warning Labels Help?

Ari L. Kaplan
The National Law Journal

People smoke. People speed. They don't exercise or get enough sleep. They go to law school. By now, everyone is aware of the consequences of these actions. In fact, they have known them for some time. The question is: who is responsible?

World Freedom Day

Answers.USA.Gov

World Freedom Day is a United States federal observance to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall. It started in 2001 and is celebrated every November 9.

November 7 Daylight Saving Ends

By: Ginger | November 05, 2010 | Category: General

GovGab: Your U.S. Government Blog

On Saturday night, November 6, before drifting off to a blissful slumber, most people will turn their clocks back one hour, because daylight saving time ends on November 7. If you are a stickler for details, you will wait until November 7 at precisely 2:00 a.m. local daylight time to set your clock back one hour which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time.

Hoover Dam Bypass

Arizona Central

The Perfect Stimulus: Bad Management

If no one had a hamster-brained sociopath for a boss, who would start new businesses?
By SCOTT ADAMS

Wall Street Journal

One of my earliest childhood jobs involved shoveling manure at my uncle's dairy farm in upstate New York. Things were going well until my uncle explained that no matter how well I performed, I would never be promoted to farmer. Or even cow. I had hit the manure ceiling.

Wardens Shut Illegal Franklin County Kennel, Remove 58 Rare Breed Dogs

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The state's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement has shut down a kennel operating illegally without a license in Franklin County after learning the owner was hoarding 68 rare New Guinea Singing Dogs. [To see a video from Animal Planet where you can hear them "sing" access this link].

Very Low Health Risks from Full-Body X-ray ScannersSearch Consumer Updates

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Be it in airports, court buildings, or other venues, Americans are increasingly encountering full-body imaging systems, the new wave in electronic security screening.

A Fall Guide: How to Pick Your Next Computer

By WALTER S. MOSSBERG

Wall Street Journal

If you're shopping for a new computer this fall, you won't find big surprises. But you'll still have to juggle a lot of technobabble terminology and watch your budget. Perhaps the biggest question for some buyers will be whether to get a tablet or a laptop, now that Apple's iPad is a proven hit and a flood of competitors is on the way.

Drones Get Ready to Fly, Unseen, Into Everyday Life

By SIOBHAN GORMAN

Wall Street Journal

Brangelina beware. The paparazzi of Splash News are coming for you and you'll never see them coming.

Gary Morgan, chief executive of the celebrity-photo agency, said he'd like to be buzzing his quarry soon with silent, miniature drones mounted with tiny cameras. No more harassment from helicopters hovering in the Hollywood Hills.

The Turf War for Tots

In TV's battle for the hearts and minds of preschoolers, it's Mandarin and math vs. stories and sparkle
By AMY CHOZICK

Wall Street Journal

They're just learning how to tie their shoes and use the bathroom, and yet they represent one of the most important demographics in television. Preschoolers aged 2 to 5 spend an average of more than 32 hours in front of a TV screen each week, according to Nielsen.

Dog catches salmon swimming across road

Sexual abuse in childhood tied to schizophrenia

By Frederik Joelving

MedlinePlus

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Sexually abused children are at increased risk of developing schizophrenia later in life, Australian researchers have found.

Protecting Your Home From Afar With a Robot

By PETER WAYNER

New York Times

When Robert Oschler, a programmer, leaves his home, he knows it is secure. And if he ever has cause for concern, he can open his laptop and survey the house through the eyes of his watchdogs.

US Department of Labor launches Veterans Hiring Toolkit for employers

U. S. Department of Labor

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of a new online toolkit to guide employers through the process for hiring veterans. The free toolkit is designed to assist and educate employers who have made the proactive decision to include veterans and wounded warriors in their recruitment and hiring initiatives.

Tuition Over Time, 1999-2010

Chronicle of Higher Education

The published price of college continued to climb in 2010-11, according to "Trends in College Pricing 2010," the newest installment in a series of annual reports issued by the College Board. To explore tuition trends at a particular college or university, start by choosing an institution type and a state, and then select an institution. You will then be able to compare its tuition and fees with those at other institutions, stretching back to 1999.

Running Shorts. Singlet. Shoes?

By KATIE THOMAS

New York Times

If running 26.2 miles in a couple of hours seems daunting, imagine doing it barefoot.

SAT Prep on the Web: A) a Game; B) Online Chat; C) All of the Above

By KATHERINE BOEHRET

Wall Street Journal

This Saturday, high-school students around the country will sit for hours of silent testing that will determine some portion of their future: That's right, it's SAT time. For both parents and kids, the preparation for taking the standardized test is stressful and expensive, often involving hours of studying and several hundreds of dollars spent on classes, workbooks and tutors. And many kids will take these tests more than once.

A World in Which You Can Be Mayor Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704462704575590260880867750.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular#ixzz14GJtSu00

People Vie for Title, Glory, and Discounts On Foursquare.com; Marketers Play Ball
By KATHERINE ROSMAN

Wall Street Journal

Barack Obama is president of the United States, but Dustin Davis is Foursquare mayor of the Oval Office. Mr. Davis, 30, is also mayor of the Pentagon, where he works as an information technology specialist, and of the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery, which he frequently walks past en route to work.

Your College Major May Not Be As Important As You Think

By ZAC BISSONNETTE

New York Times


Here’s an excerpt from a letter that an indignant father sent to his son after hearing that he had opted for an impractical major:

Happy Meal ban passed: San Francisco says no to toys

A Happy Meal ban passed Tuesday by the SF Board of Supervisors limits toy giveaways in unhealthy meals and requires fruits or veggies with each meal.
By Trevor Hunnicutt

(Associated Press)

Christian Science Monitor


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — For some veggies-hating children, Happy Meals won't be so happy anymore.

San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 on Tuesday to approve an ordinance that would limit toy giveaways in fast food children's meals that have excessive calories, sodium and fat. It also requires servings of fruits or vegetables with each meal.

Robotic hand might become a valuable gripper even though it has no fingers

By Kristen Minogue

Science Now

It turns out that opposable thumbs aren't critical for getting a good grip. Neither are fingers. Scientists have created a robotic hand that can do such things as serve drinks and draw pictures even though it has no digits. [Video]

High-Tech Looks Put New Spin on Laundry

Sleek, High-Tech Machines Rolling Out

By ANJALI ATHAVALEY

Wall Street Journal

The lowly washer and dryer—for years condemned to toil in the basement—are increasingly becoming the showpiece of the first-floor laundry room. So more appliance makers are gearing them toward high-end, tech-savvy consumers.

From Farm to Fridge to Garbage Can

By TARA PARKER-POPE
New York Times

How much food does your family waste?

A lot, if you are typical. By most estimates, a quarter to half of all food produced in the United States goes uneaten — left in fields, spoiled in transport, thrown out at the grocery store, scraped into the garbage or forgotten until it spoils.

They're watching you: methods to block nosy Web advertisers

Virtually everything you do online is scrutinized by search engines and advertising networks that evaluate you as a potential customer based on what you search for, the sites you visit and the ads you see — whether you click on those ads or not.
By Mike Swift
(San Jose Mercury News)

Seattle Times

Virtually everything you do online is scrutinized by search engines and advertising networks that evaluate you as a potential customer based on what you search for, the sites you visit and the ads you see — whether you click on those ads or not.

"Secure Flight" Starts for Travelers

By: Jake | November 01, 2010 | Category: Travel

GovGab: You U. S. Government Blog
Last week, one of my loyal readers, emailed me about a call she received from her airline regarding travel plans she booked months ago. The call stated that if she did not provide her full name, birth date and some other information for her flight, she wouldn't get her boarding pass. By coincidence, I had recently booked some travel plans and noticed the online airline reservation system asked for more information than usual.

Debt Collectors Face a Hazard: Writer’s Cramp

By DAVID SEGAL

New York Times

When Michael Gazzarato took a job that required him to sign hundreds of affidavits in a single day, he had one demand for his employer: a much better pen.

The Many Powers of Maybe

Refusing to Commit Has Never Been Easier, and It Says A Lot About Us

By ELIZABETH BERNSTEIN
Wall Street Journal


If I asked you to have dinner with me Friday night, would you say "yes"? (Great!) "No"? (Bummer.)

Or would you break my heart and say "maybe"?

It seems it wasn't long ago that invitations required definitive answers. We would receive a phone call or a piece of mail requesting our attendance at an event, and we were expected to call or write back—with an affirmative or negative response.

Money tip: Old-style TV antennas can bring in new savings

By Gregory Karp
(Chicago Tribune)
Seattle Times

You might have read about people cutting their cable-TV bills by watching shows online, using all kinds of high-tech gear and services.

Europe’s Plagues Came From China, Study Finds

By NICHOLAS WADE

New York Times

The great waves of plague that twice devastated Europe and changed the course of history had their origins in China, a team of medical geneticists reported Sunday, as did a third plague outbreak that struck less harmfully in the 19th century.