Dialysis Facility Tracker

By Robin Fields, Al Shaw, and Jennifer LaFleur

ProPublica

This site is for dialysis patients and others who want to learn about the quality of care at individual dialysis clinics. Among other things, you can learn how often patients treated at a facility have been hospitalized, report certain types of infections or are placed on the transplant list. The information is submitted by facilities and collected by contractors of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, the federal agency that oversees most dialysis care.

Twas a Night in December

Elusive Saharan Cheetah Captured in Photos

By Jeanna Bryner

LiveScience

An elusive Saharan cheetah recently came into the spotlight in Niger, Africa, where a hidden camera snapped photos of the ghostly cat, whose pale coat and emaciated appearance distinguish it from other cheetahs.

Sweaters: Frightful Or Festive?

By RACHEL DODES

Wall Street Journal

O Christmas sweater, O Christmas sweater! Amid a surge in fashion nostalgia, the much-maligned Christmas knit is enjoying a moment of irony-infused popularity. [Slideshow: Sporting Christmas Cheer]

Happiness 101: Less tweeting, more meeting

Studies show that happiness is directly linked to conversations that are substantial, not superficial. Yet our communications are dominated by quick electronic exchanges. In a high-stress era like ours, we need to tap into our most valuable resource – each other. That's why I talk to strangers.
By Michael Serota

Christian Science Monitor

On my Metro ride to and from work each day, I watch as hundreds of faces filled with contemplation, frustration, and annoyance look past one another. Although it is mildly entertaining to see the lengths to which some will go to avoid making eye contact – or worse yet, engage in actual conversation – it is also sadly ironic. The human contact that these commuters take such pains to avoid might also reduce the emotional baggage they carry.

Christmas lights: Outdoor displays go higher and higher tech (video)

By Samantha Murphy
Christian Science Monitor

When Carson Williams of Mason, Ohio, posted a YouTube video of his lively computer-synchronized Christmas display on his front lawn a few years ago, the video went viral. Millions of online viewers watched Williams' multi-colored lights in the form of peace symbols, glowing stars and dancing trees, move in sequence to the song "Wizards in Winter" by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Quirky Christmas traditions around the world

By Ariel Zirulnick

Christian Science Monitor

Christmas cheer is widespread in the days leading up to Dec. 24 and 25, but it manifests itself in many different ways, from predicting the future to trying not to choke on a hidden coin. Below are just a few of the many unusual Christmas traditions around the world.

Health Tip: Do You Have a Phobia?

Here's how to tell
By Diana Kohnle

MedlinePlus

(HealthDay News) -- While fear is a normal reaction to a perceived danger, a phobia may be diagnosed when a fear is exaggerated or irrational.

Going Platinum: What to Look for When Buying Platinum Jewelry

FTC Consumer Alert

Federal Trade Commission

Platinum ... the very word conjures up quality and luxury. When it comes to jewelry, platinum usually is mixed with similar metals or non-precious base metals. The value of a platinum piece of jewelry often depends on the percentage of platinum it contains: the higher the percentage of pure platinum, the higher the value. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, says that knowing how marketers describe platinum and what questions to ask can help you make an informed choice when you're shopping.

Can We Feel Good About Our Necks?

By CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS

New York Times

NECKS don’t lie. Sagging there betrays age like the rings on a tree, and now-common Botox and fillers in the face make neck imperfections stand out in stark relief. In her 2006 best-seller, “I Feel Bad About My Neck,” Nora Ephron, by then 65 and a resolved turtleneck wearer, raged against the injustice of having no remedy for her slackening throat skin, short of surgery.

A Holiday Card From Google

By KATHERINE ROSMAN
Wall Street Journal

For Micheal Lopez, creating this year's holiday card came down to the wire. The design took five artists about 250 hours. It will be opened by hundreds of millions of people. You're on the list.

Christmas movie trivia: Take the quiz

Christmas movie trivia: Take the quiz
Christian Science Monitor

For some, the holiday season isn't complete until the family has viewed "White Christmas" and sung along with the Irving Berlin classics. Or how about a little Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life?" How well do you know Scrooge, Charlie Brown, and the Grinch? Take our trivia quiz.

Google logo today: Decoding Google's holiday doodle

Google launched an interactive holiday doodle logo today with 17 portraits of scenes around the world. Can you decipher it?
By Alicia Pflaumer

Christian Science Monitor

Google rolled out their holiday greeting doodle Thursday morning. Seventeen individual interactive images replace the letters of the original Google logo.

In-store social workers help inner-city Target workers

The Target store in Compton, Calif., has something most Targets don't: Saundra Edwards. She's the store's social worker.
By Andrea Chang
(Los Angeles Times)

Seattle Times

LOS ANGELES — The Target store in Compton, Calif., has all the familiar features: aisles of discount merchandise, a full-service pharmacy and a small army of sales clerks and cashiers in bright red shirts.

It also has something most Targets don't: Saundra Edwards. She's the store's social worker.

Creative idea? Kickstarter connects artists with online funding.

Kickstarter.com points online patrons toward worthy projects they didn't know existed

By James Turner
Christian Science Monitor

Like many people, Aaron Dunn has a dream. Mr. Dunn wants to see all of the world's great classical music available free of charge, unencumbered by copyrights, for anyone to do with as they wish.

New Online-Date Detectives Can Unmask Mr. or Ms. Wrong

By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

New York Times

Never mind whether your date is smart or good-looking. How do you know you aren’t flirting with a felon?

The Doctor's Dog Will See You Now

Therapists Use 'Canine Assistants' to Comfort, Cheer Patients; Duke Senses an Anxiety Disorder
By MELINDA BECK
Wall Street Journal


Walk into psychiatrist Drew Ramsey's office in Manhattan and you'll likely be greeted by Gus, a four-year-old shih tzu. After escorting you through the waiting room, he may hop onto the ottoman and go to sleep or sit beside you on the couch.

The Newest Way to Watch TV Isn’t on Your TV

Watch TV Shows & Movies online at Clicker

Gay Rights Political Donations Plummet Amid Contentious Congressional Session

By Lauren Heple

OpenSecretsBlog

Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Discrimination in the workplace and schools. Unequal benefits for same-sex partners. Marriage equality.

The years leading up to the 2010 midterm election have been an important stretch for gay rights advocates, but you wouldn't necessarily know it by gauging the amount of money invested this cycle by gay and lesbian rights groups and their donors.

2010 Census Data

Bureau of the Census


[Includes Maps and Interactive Graphics]

CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO THE 2010 FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

General Accounting Office

The U.K’s 10 Most-liked TV Ads of 2010

December 21, 2010

NielsonWire.com

Aleksandr Orlov, the meerkat star of the Compare The Market ads, has held off stiff competition from Lewis Hamilton, Mr. T, Dannii Minogue and Lionel Messi to make the ad featuring his great-grandfather’s victory over a mongoose army the U.K.’s most-liked TV ad of the year. [Links to videos]

LouseBuster

[Some time ago I became aware of this product. It recently received FDA approval. See KSL article, PRWeb and Deseret News]

In This Journey, Every Sunday Is Moving Day

By NOAH ROSENBERG

Real estate stories, of claustrophobic kitchens, tyrannical landlords and rodent-size roaches, are a New York rite of passage. Stories of misery, unexpected good fortune or strange living arrangements — surely every New Yorker has one.

Send Your Parents a Tech Support Care Package

Google

Assembling the Global Baby

With an international network of surrogate mothers and egg and sperm donors, a new industry is emerging to produce children on the cheap and outside the reach of restrictive laws.

By TAMARA AUDI and ARLENE CHANG
Wall Street Journal

In a hospital room on the Greek island of Crete with views of a sapphire sea lapping at ancient fortress walls, a Bulgarian woman plans to deliver a baby whose biological mother is an anonymous European egg donor, whose father is Italian, and whose birth is being orchestrated from Los Angeles.

The Man Who Said No to Hitler

His life was not in danger under the Nazis, but his soul was. He chose exile over a devil's bargain
By TERRY TEACHOUT

Wall Street Journal

Adolf Busch, the greatest German violinist of the 20th century, is now known only to classical-record collectors who treasure the searchingly eloquent 78s that he cut with Rudolf Serkin, his son-in-law and recital partner, and the Busch Quartet, the ensemble that he led for three decades. But there is another reason to remember him, one that in the long run may well count for as much as the music that he made: Mr. Busch's name is at the very top of the short list of German musicians who refused to kowtow to Adolf Hitler. This latter aspect of his life is described in detail in Tully Potter's "Adolf Busch: The Life of a Honest Musician" (Toccata Press), the first full-length biography of the violinist ever to be published. It is at once a stirring tale and a disturbing one.

Send a Personalized Call from Santa

Google

Netflix Streaming: Convenience or Quality?

By Eric A. Taub

New York Times

Netflix made big news recently, when it announced that it would offer a streaming-only plan in the United States. As Reed Hastings, the chief executive of Netflix, said in a press release, “We are now primarily a streaming video company delivering a wide selection of TV shows and films over the Internet.”

What he didn’t mention is that consumers who prefer to stream their content will learn that just as with cellphones, they’ll often have to sacrifice quality to get convenience.

"Own Your Space--Keep Yourself and Your Stuff Safe Online" Digital Book for Teens by Linda McCarthy

By Microsoft

Brief Description: "Own Your Space" was written by Linda McCarthy, for Internet savvy "tweens" & teens, and their parents or educators.

Top Test Scores From Shanghai Stun Educators

By SAM DILLON

New York Times

With China’s debut in international standardized testing, students in Shanghai have surprised experts by outscoring their counterparts in dozens of other countries, in reading as well as in math and science, according to the results of a respected exam.

Social Science Palooza

By DAVID BROOKS

New York Times

Every day, hundreds of thousands of scholars study human behavior. Every day, a few of their studies are bundled and distributed via e-mail by Kevin Lewis, who covers the social sciences for The Boston Globe and National Affairs. And every day, I file away these studies because I find them bizarrely interesting.

Math Puzzles’ Oldest Ancestors Took Form on Egyptian Papyrus

By PAM BELLUCK

“As I was going to St. Ives

I met a man with seven wives. ...”

You may know this singsong quiz,

But what you might not know is this:

That it began with ancient Egypt’s

Early math-filled manuscripts.

It’s true. That very British-sounding St. Ives conundrum (the one where the seven wives each have seven sacks containing seven cats who each have seven kits, and you have to figure out how many are going to St. Ives) has a decidedly archaic antecedent.

On a Hunt for What Makes Gamers Keep Gaming

By JOHN TIERNEY

New York Times

By the age of 21, the typical American has spent 10,000 hours playing computer games, and endured a smaller but much drearier chunk of time listening to sermons about this sinful habit. Why, the experts wail, are so many people wasting their lives solving meaningless puzzles in virtual worlds?

Is your office going to the dogs? Five top dog-friendly employers.

Only 17 percent of US employers allow pets, even though researchers find that dogs make employees happier, more productive, and encourage teamwork. Plus, having your Pekinese or chocolate Lab begging for a walk is a perfect way to break up a routine workday. Here are five top dog-friendly companies:

By Sara Afzal

Christian Science Monitor

In Kentucky, Noah’s Ark Theme Park Is Planned

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN

Wall Street Journal

Facing a rising tide of joblessness, the governor of Kentucky has found one solution: build an ark.

The state has promised generous tax incentives to a group of entrepreneurs who plan to construct a full-size replica of Noah’s ark, load it with animals and actors, and make it the centerpiece of a Bible-based tourist attraction called Ark Encounter.

Google Opens Online Bookstore

By JEFFREY A. TRACHTENBERG And AMIR EFRATI

Wall Street Journal

Google Inc. launched Google eBooks, its long-anticipated digital bookselling enterprise, on Monday.

The venture, now rolling out across the Web with hundreds of thousands of popular titles for sale and millions more free, will compete for a slice of the digital books business, which is valued at close to $1 billion and is expected to grow in the coming years.

Segway Laws

December 2010
Governors Highway Safety Association

Segway LLC manufactures electronically propelled two-wheeled devices designed to transport one person with a maximum speed of less than 20 mph. In most states, Segways must follow the rules pertaining to pedestrians while on roads and sidewalks, such as traveling on the left side of the road, facing traffic.

Basic Facts About Low-income Children, 2009 Children Under Age 18

National Center for Children in Poverty

Authors: Michelle Chau, Kalyani Thampi, and Vanessa R. Wight
Publication Date: October 2010

Children represent 25 percent of the population. Yet, they comprise 36 percent of all people in poverty. Among children, 42 percent live in low-income families and approximately one in every five live in poor families. Winding up in a low-income or poor family does not happen by chance. There are significant factors related to children’s experiences with economic insecurity, such as race/ethnicity and parents’ education and employment. This fact sheet describes the demographic, socio-economic, and geographic characteristics of children and their parents – highlighting the important factors that appear to distinguish low-income and poor children from their less disadvantaged counterparts.

Married men are nicer, and here's why

By Alison McCook

Reuters

(Reuters Health) - Men tend to behave better when they're married - both because marriage likely helps improve their behavior, and nicer men are more likely to be married in the first place, a new study reports.

Doctor's diagnosis drew laughs, but it saved woman's life

By Sandra G. Boodman

Washington Post

As the all-too-familiar number flashed on his cellphone shortly before 9 p.m., Dan Landri-gan reflexively braced himself for bad news. The caller was one of the doctors treating his wife, Donna, who had been in a coma for four months. "She sounded pretty choked up," Landrigan recalled.

USA.gov Happy Holidays

NORAD Tracks Santa

Welcome to NORAD Tracks Santa

All the preparations for this year are in place! Choose a language to receive updates from the North Pole and discover surprises in the Kid's Countdown Village.

Lead thieves use Google Earth to target churches

Reuters

(Reuters) - Thieves in Britain are using Google Earth to target lead roofs on Church of England buildings to sell on the lucrative metals market, a Church spokesman said.

About 8,000 churches have made insurance claims for lead theft worth about 23 million pounds during the past three years, the Church's estate commissioner Tony Baldry said during a debate in Westminster Hall.

Cyber Monday 2010: Tips for finding deals and avoiding mishaps

Cyber Monday features many good deals, from discounted prices to free shipping. Here are tips for shopping online efficiently and securely, from your desktop computer or your smart phone.
By Mark Trumbull

Christian Science Monitor

Eager to chase down Cyber Monday deals, or just doing some online shopping before Christmas week arrives?

Here are some tips that some shopping gurus and consumer experts say you might want to consider. They might help you find a good deal, protect you from an unhappy experience, or just streamline your search.

Masters of Math, From Old Babylon

By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN

New York Times

If the cost of digging a trench is 9 gin, and the trench has a length of 5 ninda and is one-half ninda deep, and if a worker’s daily load of earth costs 10 gin to move, and his daily wages are 6 se of silver, then how wide is the canal?

War Machines: Recruiting Robots for Combat

By JOHN MARKOFF

New York Times

FORT BENNING, Ga. — War would be a lot safer, the Army says, if only more of it were fought by robots. [Interactive Graphic]

Al Gore's Ethanol Epiphany

He concedes the industry he promoted serves no useful purpose.

Wall Street Journal

Anyone who opposes ethanol subsidies, as these columns have for decades, comes to appreciate the wisdom of St. Jude. But now that a modern-day patron saint—St. Al of Green—has come out against the fuel made from corn and your tax dollars, maybe this isn't such a lost cause.

Channeling the Web: How to plug your TV into the Internet

Just as we've finally sorted out the digital TV transition, another wave of technology is about to remake the lowly set once again. This time it's a flood of new gadgets for connecting TVs to the Internet and tapping the river of online content.
By Brier Dudley
Seattle Times

TV isn't supposed to be complicated. [Printable PDF of Graphic]

A Bully Finds a Pulpit on the Web

By DAVID SEGAL

New York Times

SHOPPING online in late July, Clarabelle Rodriguez typed the name of her favorite eyeglass brand into Google’s search bar.

In California, Carports That Can Generate Electricity

By FELICITY BARRINGER

New York Times

SAN JOSE, Calif. — And California begat cars, and the cars begat asphalt parking lots. And the lots spawned electricity, transforming the hills and the deserts.

Black Friday 2010

Black Friday 2010
By: Ginger | November 26, 2010 | Category: Mone

GovGab: Your U. S. Government Blog


I actually have some Facebookfriends who have posted that they are finished with Christmas shopping already! Are they kidding? If I posted that sort of thing, my sisters would definitely be duct taping me to a chair, asking “What have you done with our sister?” and checking to see if there is an empty, already-hatched, alien pod in my back yard. My sisters consider my whole approach to the Christmas shopping process to be something akin to a “chicken with its head cut off.” I tend to put off Christmas shopping because I don’t enjoy it. I end up in a mad scramble (get it chicken… egg… scramble? OK, bad pun!) at the last minute, making purchases willy-nilly. If I would pay attention to the sales and do a little planning, I would pay a lot less for those last-minute purchases.

The Pacifier Gets an Upgrade: Apps and Gadgets to Soothe the Baby

By FARHAD MANJOO

New York Times

I ACQUIRED my first piece of baby-related technology two months ago, just a few hours after the birth of my son. My wife, baby and I were all still in the hospital, and the baby — who looked a bit less confused than my wife and I about this new state of affairs — seemed to need help getting to sleep. After a bit of trial and error, I found that he appeared to be comforted by a gentle, continuous shushing sound near his ear. But how long could I keep shushing? Wasn’t there some easier way?

Squinkies Maker Savors Demand for Holiday’s Hot Toy

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD

New York Times

Midway through last year, as analysts tried to predict where the economy was going, the toy maker Bill Nichols decided he had the answer. He bet that the economy would still be so shaky this holiday season that a bargain-priced plastic toy would take off.

The Incredible Flying Nonagenarian

By BRUCE GRIERSON

New York Times

On the third floor of the Montreal Chest Institute, at McGill University, Olga Kotelko stood before a treadmill in the center of a stuffy room that was filling up with people who had come just for her. They were there to run physical tests, or to extract blood from her earlobe, or just to observe and take notes. Kotelko removed her glasses. She wore white New Balance sneakers and black running tights, and over her silver hair, a plastic crown that held in place a breathing tube.

Description Is Prescription

By DAVID BROOKS

New York Times

One hundred years ago, Leo Tolstoy lay dying at a train station in southern Russia. Journalists, acolytes and newsreel photographers gathered for the passing of the great prophet. Between 3:30 and 5:30 on that freezing November morning, Tolstoy’s wife stood on the porch outside his death chamber because his acolytes would not let her in. At one point she begged them to at least admit her into an anteroom so that the photographers would get the impression she was being allowed to see her husband on his final day.

The National Archives Celebrates Thanksgiving

National Archives

Washington, DC…On October 3, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation naming Thursday, November 26, 1789, as an official holiday of "sincere and humble thanks." The nation then celebrated its first Thanksgiving under its new Constitution. On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln made the traditional Thanksgiving celebration a nationwide holiday to be commemorated each year on the fourth Thursday of November. In the midst of a bloody Civil War, President Lincoln issued a Presidential Proclamation in which he enumerated the blessings of the American people and called upon his countrymen to "set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise."

Thanksgiving Day: Nov. 25, 2010

U. S. Census Bureau

In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims, early settlers of Plymouth Colony, held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation's first Thanksgiving. Historians have also recorded ceremonies of thanks among other groups of European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Virginia in 1619. The legacy of thanks and the feast have survived the centuries, as the event became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the occasional fifth Thursday.

Helpful Holiday Hints for Holiday Travelers

Transportation Security Administration

Every holiday travel season, TSA prepares its workforce of 50,000 Transportation Security Officers to ensure we provide a smooth holiday travel experience for travelers.Since this is during the busiest travel time of the year, TSA wants to remind passengers of the security procedures in place and help travelers be prepared for security, before they leave home. [Access link above for video]

10 Riskiest Places to Give Your Social Security Number

Here's how to lower the chances of your number falling into the wrong hands -- and what to do if it does.
By Cameron Huddleston

Kiplinger.com

McAfee, the antivirus software company, recently released a list of the most dangerous places to give your Social Security number. Many of the places on the list might surprise you:

Enjoy all the trimmings without carving your Thanksgiving budget

By Consumer Reports

Assuming you’re not from a family of competitive eaters, this year’s Thanksgiving meal will cost you $43.47 to prepare, a 56-cent increase over the 2009 total. That’s according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) annual price survey of a classic Thanksgiving dinner-for-10, which includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, peas, cranberries, rolls with butter, relish, pumpkin pie and drinks.

Finding a Trustworthy Kennel to Board Your Pets

Better Business Bureau

As much as pet owners may want to take their furry or feathered friends with them where ever they go, sometimes you can’t take them with you and finding a kennel or pet care service you can trust is paramount. That’s why the Better Business Bureau has created a checklist to help pet owners choose a safe and reliable home-away-from-home for their pets.

20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web

By Google

TSA-blocking briefs keep your privates private

by Matt Hickey

CNET News

I just had a harrowing incident on a flight from New Orleans to Seattle. Due to a small electrical fire, my plane had to be diverted to Memphis; it then took another day and a half to get home.

Cyber Monday: Beware the malware

by Elinor Mills

CNET News

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving and you're sitting at your work computer suffering from food coma. Too bloated to get any real work done, you decide to do something that doesn't occupy too much of the brain--online Christmas shopping.

For real education reform, take a cue from the Adventists

By Elissa Kido

Christian Science Monitor

Education reform has taken center stage lately as Americans struggle to close the oft-condemned achievement gap. But quietly in our midst, the second largest Christian school system in the world has been steadily outperforming the national average – across all demographics.

Investors Put Money on Lawsuits to Get Payouts

By BINYAMIN APPELBAUM

New York Times

Large banks, hedge funds and private investors hungry for new and lucrative opportunities are bankrolling other people’s lawsuits, pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into medical malpractice claims, divorce battles and class actions against corporations — all in the hope of sharing in the potential winnings. [Interactive Graphic] [Graphic]

The Lionfish Creates an Uproar, Bringing Out the Hunters

Voracious Intruders Stalked With Spears; Doing Your Part by Eating Them
By PAUL GLADER

Wall Street Journal

KEY LARGO, Fla.—Fluctuations in the fish population are flummoxing marine scientists the world over. But few species elicit the solution served up for the lionfish.

Are you a wimpy parent? Check for these 7 signs

A child psychologist shares seven questions to ask yourself to determine if you are a wimpy parent.
By Gregory Ramey
(Cox Newspapers)

Seattle Times

DAYTON, Ohio — I have evaluated numerous children whose only problems are that they live with loving and dedicated parents who are wimps.

Should You Be Snuggling With Your Cellphone?

By RANDALL STROSS

New York Times

WARNING: Holding a cellphone against your ear may be hazardous to your health. So may stuffing it in a pocket against your body.

Making Ads That Whisper to the Brain

By NATASHA SINGER

New York Times

WHAT happens in our brains when we watch a compelling TV commercial?

The Defiant Ones

In her new book, the author of 'Seabiscuit' turns to the unimaginable ordeal of an Olympic athlete and WW II hero. Because of her own debilitating illness, they struck a special bond.
By STEVE ONEY

Wall Street Journal

With a fringe of white hair poking out from under a University of Southern California baseball cap and blue eyes sharp behind bifocals, 93-year-old Louis Zamperini refuses to concede much to old age. He still works a couple of hours each day in the yard of his Hollywood Hills home, bagging leaves, climbing stairs and, on occasion, trimming trees with a chainsaw. His outlook is upbeat, even rambunctious. "I have a cheerful countenance at all times," he says. "When you have a good attitude your immune system is fortified." But as he plunged into "Unbroken," Laura Hillenbrand's 496-page story of his life, the happy trappings of his current existence fell away. [Interactive Graphics]

What's the Latest Move in Sports? Doing the 'Dougie'

Dance Moves Into New Arenas, and There's a Bow-Tie Version

By BEN COHEN

Wall Street Journal

Across the sports world, from college pep rallies to the gridirons of the NFL, it's becoming the year of the Dougie.

This celebratory dance— based on a series of moves described in the hit song "Teach Me How To Dougie," by the hip-hop group Cali Swag District—generally consists of shimmying and then gliding one's hand through one's hair. In a long line of Ickey Shuffles and Dirty Birds, it is just the latest example of athletes using work as an excuse to boogie.

Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Welfare Kings

There is no precedent in Jewish history for a whole community devoting itself to Torah scholarship.
By EVAN R. GOLDSTEIN

Wall Street Journal

In Israel, where modernity coexists uneasily with tradition, hand-wringing about the country's ultra-Orthodox Jewish minority is a national pastime. Cloistered in poor towns and neighborhoods, exempted from conscription into the military and surviving largely off government handouts, the black-hatted ultra-Orthodox, known as Haredim, have long vexed more secular Israelis. Now, in the wake of an Israeli Supreme Court decision, this perennial tension has escalated to new heights.

Man makes record $335,000 in Entropia Universe virtual real estate deal

By Chris Richardson,

Christian Science Monitor

While real estate prices are down across America, there is one place that's booming. Just don't count on the bank giving you a mortgage for these properties. They are completely fictional.