A Health Insurance Insider Offers Words of Advice

By WALECIA KONRAD

New York Times

WENDELL POTTER is a 20-year health insurance veteran who served in top public relations jobs at such firms as Cigna and Humana. Now a senior analyst at the Center for Public Integrity, Mr. Potter has written “Deadly Spin,” a tell-all about practices of the health insurance industry. The book chronicles insurers’ attempts to influence legislators, policy makers and the public, as well as his own change of heart about his work.

A Simple Map to the Land of Wholesome

By JANE E. BRODY

New York Times

For the first time since it began issuing dietary guidelines, the government offered new recommendations last month that clearly favor the health and well-being of consumers over hard-lobbying farm interests.

The Six-Legged Meat of the Future

By MARCEL DICKE and ARNOLD VAN HUIS
Wall Street Journal

At the London restaurant Archipelago, diners can order the $11 Baby Bee Brulee: a creamy custard topped with a crunchy little bee. In New York, the Mexican restaurant Toloache offers $11 chapulines tacos: two tacos stuffed with Oaxacan-style dried grasshoppers.

Where Have The Good Men Gone?

Kay S. Hymowitz argues that too many men in their 20s are living in a new kind of extended adolescence.
By KAY S. HYMOWITZ

Wall Street Journal

Not so long ago, the average American man in his 20s had achieved most of the milestones of adulthood: a high-school diploma, financial independence, marriage and children. Today, most men in their 20s hang out in a novel sort of limbo, a hybrid state of semi-hormonal adolescence and responsible self-reliance. This "pre-adulthood" has much to recommend it, especially for the college-educated. But it's time to state what has become obvious to legions of frustrated young women: It doesn't bring out the best in men.

Let it Snow. Then, Attack

By BOB TEDESCHI

New York Times

MAYBE it’s a New York thing.

People in other parts of the country still sound rational when discussing snow and ice. They gauge the environmental impact of salt, and weigh the karmic smarts of tossing snow over the property line.

Annandale civic association elects dog as president

By Brigid Schulte

Washington Post

For more than 20 years, candidates running for office in theHillbrook/Tall Oaks Civic Association in Annandale have stood up, waved and received polite applause at the annual meeting in June. Everyone votes, eats ice cream, chats with neighbors and goes home.

Rare photo shows 8 cougars on game trail

Using a camera triggered by a motion-sensor device, a hunter captured a rare sight: eight cougars huddled together on an Eastern Washington trail as if attending some big-cat block party.
By Craig Welch

They don't exactly hunt in packs, don't travel in herds and aren't typically thought of as communal beings.

Brushing and Flossing: An Animated Demo

Trendy threads from waste

Pratibha Syntex could lead in the next textile wave: low-waste, recycled cotton.
By Michael Benanav

Christian Science Monitor

If you want to be "green," you may have to change your clothes. And your sheets.

Unemployed need not apply, some firms say

By Tony Pugh
McClatchy Newspapers

Seattle Times

As if finding work weren't hard enough, a federal agency warns that some employers are excluding jobless workers from consideration for openings.

In an Amish village, the SEC alleges a Madoff-like fraud

By David S. Hilzenrath

Washington Post

The personal assets of Monroe L. Beachy, a 77-year-old Amish man, included a horse, buggy and harness. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, his skills included financial fraud.

Five Signs You're a Bad Boss

By DIANA MIDDLETON

Wall Street Journal

When the number of employees Matt Kaplan managed at a lab at the University of Arizona in Tucson mushroomed from six to 30, the school called in a management coach to make sure he was prepared. What he learned surprised him–his employees thought he was distant and didn't trust their work.

Want better students? Teach their parents.

Children of less educated parents often enter school unprepared for instruction – programmed for academic failure. But early coaching for parents with pre-school age children can change that trajectory. Why not include more of these cost-effective ideas in education reform?
By Jerome Kagan

Christian Science Monitor

Education in the United States has been the recent recipient of generous acts of philanthropy. Facebook founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has donated $100 million to improve education in Newark, N.J., with the goal of reversing the acute high school dropout problem in that city. And the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged nearly $3 billion to support education at the elementary through college levels.

Ecuadorean Villagers May Hold Secret to Longevity

By NICHOLAS WADE

New York Times

People living in remote villages in Ecuador have a mutation that some biologists say may throw light on human longevity and ways to increase it.

Single motherhood still rejected by most Americans, poll finds

By Carol Morello

Washington Post

Even as they've grown more comfortable with same-sex or unmarried couples raising children, most Americans still view single mothers as detrimental to society, according to a new poll of attitudes toward the country's soaring number of non-traditional families.

Cinderella Dreams, Shoestring Budget? No Problem

By COLLEEN DEBAISE

Wall Street Journal

If consumers can rent a movie by mail, or wheels on a whim, why not a couture gown should the occasion strike? That's the concept behind Rent the Runway, a website launched in November 2009 that promises to give "every woman the opportunity to be Cinderella for the night," says co-founder Jennifer Hyman. Customers can choose from an array of designer duds for one-time wear at a fraction of the frocks' retail price tag. (A little black dress worth $1,250, for instance, rents for $150, plus shipping and $5 insurance.) Returns are as simple as dropping the Dolce & Gabbana or Diane von Furstenberg into a pre-paid mailing envelope. To date, Rent the Runway appears to be leading a charmed life of its own, signing up 800,000 members, growing February sales at 10 times last year's rate, securing $17 million in venture capital and becoming cash-flow positive in under a year. Ms. Hyman, 30 years old, and her co-founder, Jennifer Fleiss, 27, who met at Harvard Business School, are attending this week's Fashion Week as buyers, on the look-out for styles that customers will love, wear – and return.

True Artistry Born of Craftsmanship

By CORINNA DA FONSECA-WOLLHEIM

Wall Street Journal

Guitar maker John Monteleone stands under an enormous photograph of himself that covers a whole wall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as shoals of visitors stream by without recognizing him. Most are busy fiddling with the iPod app specially created for the exhibition "Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York," perhaps listening to guitarist Mark Knopfler praise him as a modern-day Leonardo da Vinci.

Bakin' Whoopie: A Pie Fight Starts Over a Cream-Filled Cake

Two States Claim the Snack Originated There; Named by Amish Kids—Or After a Sexy Song?
By SUMATHI REDDY

Wall Street Journal

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa.—At the weekly Root's Country Market here in Pennsylvania Dutch country, everyone seems sweet on whoopie pies. [Slide Show]

The Dismal Science Meets Modern Matrimony

Wall Street Journal

In their new book, "Spousonomics: Using Economics to Master Love, Marriage and Dirty Dishes" (Random House, 2011), authors Paula Szuchman of The Wall Street Journal and Jenny Anderson of the New York Times argue that economic principles can serve as a guide to a happy marriage. [Interactive Graphic]

Get Out of My Way, You Jerk!

Researchers Study 'Sidewalk Rage,' Seeking Insights on Anger's Origins and Coping Techniques
By SHIRLEY S. WANG

Wall Street Journal

You don't need a car to get road rage.

For many people, few things are more infuriating than slow walkers—those seemingly inconsiderate people who clog up sidewalks, grocery aisles and airport hallways while others fume behind them.

Hell on Wheels: Is there no end to the stream of traffic insults?

Even though traffic levels are generally down because of the recession, our streets feel meaner. Faster-paced lifestyles, angst about the economy, more distractions, less civility, a glut of downtown paving projects — it all adds up to more bile for many of us.
By Bob Young

EVERYONE'S GIVING me the finger.

Driving or walking, doesn't seem to matter. Men and women, they're both putting the "ass" back in passive-aggressive.

Health benefits of falling and staying in love

By Rachel Saslow

Washington Post

Love may make the world go 'round, but is it powerful enough to lower one's blood pressure, reduce depression and speed the healing of an injury? With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we set out to find the answer and discovered that science says yes.

On the World’s Largest Cruise Ship, the Sea Is an Afterthought

By TONI SCHLESINGER

New York Times

I WAS standing in Central Park in the middle of the Caribbean Sea near an Indian mangosteen tree, a Malaysian olive tree, a number of elephant ears and a total of 96 other species of plant. Birds were tweeting and mothers, as diversely global as the plants, pushed strollers along the paths. A little girl twirled in a pink dress. [Slide Show] [Interactive Graphic]

Have You Charged Your Eyeglasses Today?

By ANNE EISENBERG

New York Times

A NEW device may be joining smartphones, iPads and music players that you have to charge overnight: electronic eyeglasses. These glasses have tiny batteries, microchips and assorted electronics to turn reading power on when you need it and off when you don’t.

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo welcomes baby ocelot

Woodland Park Zoo welcomed its newest furry friend to the world Jan. 15, when a mother ocelot gave birth to a single kitten.
By Seattle Times staff

Woodland Park Zoo welcomed its newest furry friend to the world Jan. 15, when a mother ocelot gave birth to a single kitten.

'Maria, Maria, I've Just Met A Goose Named Maria...'

In L.A., a Bird Bonds With Mr. Ehrler, but Renovation May Force Her Out
By ALEXANDRA BERZON
Wall Street Journal

LOS ANGELES—City engineers planning to clean up a 143-year-old lake here are ruffling the feathers of a celebrity couple. [Slide Show]

As Weather Worsens, So Do Manners

By JENNIFER LEVITZ And ILAN BRAT
Wall Street Journal

Complaints about bad snow etiquette are flying like snowballs this winter, as one blizzard comes on the heels of another.

Sometimes, Justice Can Play Politics

By NOAH FELDMAN

New York Times

WHAT is it about those robes? They are only flimsy bits of wools, enlivened in a few cases by some very European lace at the collar. Yet the moment our Supreme Court justices put them on, a segment of the concerned public imagines that they have become priests consecrated to the sacred order of the Constitution.

Clues May Reveal When a Person Is Faking Remorse

Study finds telltale signs include emotional swings and hesitation when speaking.

Health Day

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

FRIDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- When someone is trying to fake remorse, they display a greater range of emotional expressions, switching from one emotion to another very quickly, and speak with more hesitation, researchers have found.

Science Cinema

Psyched to Buy, in Groups

By DAVID POGUE

New York Times

You might think that this column is about Groupon.com, the white-hot Web site whose coupons save you 50 to 90 percent at local businesses. But it’s not. It’s about psychology.

Leprosy, Plague and Other Visitors to New York

By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS

New York Times

When New York City’s health department revealed last weekend that three people had contracted cholera, it was a reminder that the city is not just a world capital of arts, business and the like — but also of exotic diseases.

Animation Nation

Quickly made computer-generated cartoons are attracting millions of viewers online. Now, corporations, advertisers and Hollywood executives are taking notice.
By ELLEN GAMERMAN

Wall Street Journal

Last fall, television actor Richard Ruccolo sat down to make an animated movie about life in Hollywood. Twenty minutes later, a frustrated actor and a clueless talent agent, played by two cuddly-looking stuffed animals, strolled across his computer screen.

Why does contemporary classical music spurn melody?

Proponents of modern symphonic music cast unhappy audiences as unenlightened. But for most listeners, music elicits emotional rather than intellectual responses. Certainly, classical music should should challenge and evoke. It just shouldn't sound like bus crashes.
By Michael Fedo 

Christian Science Monitor

A few years before he passed, my father and I were discussing contemporary symphonic music. Like most concertgoers, Dad didn't care for it – except he wasn't like most concert-goers. He was a charter member of the Duluth, Minn., Symphony Orchestra, and sat in its French horn section for nearly 40 years.

God at the Grammys: The Chosen Ones

Why do so many musical superstars think that their careers are part of a divine plan?

By NEIL STRAUSS

Wall Street Journal

Music interviewer Neil Strauss finds a surprising common thread that separates the famous from the super famous - a firm belief that a higher power is guiding the wildly successful into glory. He talks about his theory with WSJ's Christina Tsuei.

State Cyberbullying La A Brief Review of State Cyberbullying Laws and Policies

Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D. and Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D.
Cyberbullying Research Center

Unemployment 101: Who pays for jobless benefits, anyway?

Employers pay state and federal taxes to cover all those unemployment checks. But with unemployment at 9 percent, those taxes aren't enough, leaving some states in dire straits.
By Ron Scherer

Christian Science Monitor

The Obama administration is trying to change the way the unemployment insurance system is funded.

Cameron's Multicultural Wake-Up Call

The growth of Islamist extremism in the West is something even the politically correct can no longer ignore.
By DOUGLAS MURRAY

Wall Street Journal

London

'Multiculturalism has failed," said British Prime Minister David Cameron last weekend in Munich. If anybody thought they had read those words before, it is because they have. Many times. Last October German Chancellor Angela Merkel (sitting onstage with Mr. Cameron when he gave his speech on Saturday) said the same. Finally, Europe's mainstream party leaders seem to be realizing what others have long noticed: Multiculturalism has been the most pernicious and divisive policy pursued by Western governments since World War II.

Working Stiffs: Playing Dead on TV Can Keep a Career on Life Support

Actors Are Sorely Needed for Corpse Duty; A Reporter Gets Shot on 'Law & Order'

By AMY CHOZICK

Wall Street Journal

"Corpses, hold your breath…and, Action!" the director yelled. I had been slumped in an office chair on a Hollywood set for hours, covered in a gooey mix of corn syrup and medical latex made to look like a messy chest wound.

It's not easy playing dead for a living.

For Federal Programs, a Taste of Market Discipline

By DAVID LEONHARDT

New York Times

Wouldn’t it be nice if taxpayers could somehow get a refund for government programs that didn’t work?

Moles: Nature's rototillers are mightier than a machine

Mightier than a tunnel boring machine, moles are always busy making their mountainous hills.
By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times 

Dew sparkles on acres of lush lawn, velvety smooth and green. Except, of course, where molehills pock the perfection. [Graphic]

Jules Verne on Google: Can you find all the hidden treasures?

Google's salute to Jules Verne has lots of nooks and crannies. Did you find the sunken crown? How about the divers?
By Chris Gaylord

Christian Science Monito

Google crafted a loving tribute to Jules Verne today with its interactive logo. The company replaced its homepage banner with portholes, providing a charming view of 20,000 leagues – or at least 1,000 pixels – under the sea.

Brace yourself for the food-price bubble

If the world has a poor harvest this year, food prices will rise to previously unimaginable levels. Food riots will multiply, political unrest will spread, and governments will fall.
By Lester R. Brown

Christian Science Monitor

In early January, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that its Food Price Index had reached an all-time high in December, exceeding the previous record set during the 2007-08 price surge. Even more alarming, on February 3, the FAO announced that the December record had been broken in January as prices climbed an additional 3 percent.

Death Tax Ambush

Many states now have crushing burdens.

Here's some free financial advice: Don't die in New Jersey any time soon. If you have more than $675,000 to your name and you die in the Garden State, about 54% may go to the IRS and the tax collectors in Trenton.

Art Project

Social Scientist Sees Bias Within

By JOHN TIERNEY

New York Times

SAN ANTONIO — Some of the world’s pre-eminent experts on bias discovered an unexpected form of it at their annual meeting.

Going to Great Lengths for Beautiful Hair? Dermatologist Shares Hair Care Tips for Healthy and Damaged Hair

American Academy of Dermatology

NEW ORLEANS (Feb 4, 2011) — While the latest hairstyles and hair colors may look great, dermatologists warn that many women are subjecting their hair to harsh chemicals and heated styling devices that, in turn, can damage the hair. Over time, lustrous hair can look lackluster, become brittle and require a complete hair care overhaul to improve hair health and appearance.

Speaking today at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), dermatologist Zoe D. Draelos, MD, FAAD, consulting professor at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C., discussed the most common sources of hair damage and tips to reverse damage and maintain healthy, lustrous hair.

The Claim: Whispering Can be Hazardous to Your Voice

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

New York Times

Ever have a bad case of laryngitis? To protect your voice, you may have felt the urge to whisper. But many otolaryngologists advise against this, warning that whispering actually causes more trauma to the larynx than normal speech. Singers in need of vocal rest are often given the same advice: Avoid whispering. It will damage your pipes.

Health benefits of falling and staying in love

By Rachel Saslow

Washington Post

Love may make the world go 'round, but is it powerful enough to lower one's blood pressure, reduce depression and speed the healing of an injury? With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we set out to find the answer and discovered that science says yes.

Most ADHD Kids Have Multiple Conditions, Study Says

Two-thirds face other struggles, such as learning disabilities, anxiety, speech problems, data shows.
By Maureen Salamon
HealthDay 

MONDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Two-thirds of American children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder struggle with other mental health and developmental conditions, such as learning disabilities and anxiety, a new study suggests.

Why So Many Rich People Don’t Feel Very Rich

By CATHERINE RAMPELL

New York Times

Our post last week on whether the salary of Robert Gibbs, who is leaving his post as White House press secretary, is “modest” provoked some interesting reader comments. Several readers chimed in to say that even if it most likely placed Mr. Gibbs comfortably in the top 10 percent of earners, an annual salary of $172,000 probably didn’t feel like a lot of money, given where he lives, similarly educated counterparts in the private sector, etc.

Mobile Wallets Poised for European Takeoff

By KATHY GORDON

Handbag and wallet makers beware: the day when we will finally be able to leave the house with just our mobile phone is approaching. Contactless payments are being integrated into mobile phones so they can be waved past a mobile reader to pay for our shopping.

An ‘unbeatable’ jockey robot

By Bonnie James

Gulf Times

An Indian robotics research engineer has developed in Qatar a voice command jockey robot system that will save racing camels from whipping.

Personal Care & Activity: Top and Bottom Spending Cities

[Infographic]

In a Graying Population, Business Opportunity

By NATASHA SINGER

New York Times

Calibrated to make the wearer, in this case the student Katii Gullick, experience old age, the Agnes — short for the Age Gain Now Empathy System — has harnesses and bands that restrict joint and limb movements. [Interactive Graphic]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Online Courses, Still Lacking That Third Dimension

By RANDALL STROSS

New York Times

WHEN colleges and universities finally decide to make full use of the Internet, most professors will lose their jobs.

From Diapers to 'Depends': Marketers Discreetly Retool for Aging Boomers

By ELLEN BYRON

Wall Street Journal

When baby boomers call ADT Security Services Inc. with questions about medical-alert alarms, they get operators specially trained to be sensitive to their needs. Top of the list: Don't remind them that they've aged.

2 Detained Reporters Saw Secret Police’s Methods

By SOUAD MEKHENNET and NICHOLAS KULISH
New York Times

CAIRO — We had been detained by Egyptian authorities, handed over to the country’s dreaded Mukhabarat, the secret police, and interrogated. They left us all night in a cold room, on hard orange plastic stools, under fluorescent lights.

Secret Texting... Pass It On

By LAUREN A.E. SCHUKER

A new messaging service aims to keep your secrets safe.

TigerText Inc., which can send texts that vanish from both the sender and receiver's phone after a select period of time so they can't be copied or forwarded, has developed a niche following among celebrities trying to keep their lives private. About half a million people have downloaded the service, which was started in February 2010 by four Los Angeles businessmen.

Overpaying for cell service? Probably, check handy rate chart

Posted by Brier Dudley

Lots of people think they're overpaying for wireless service, and they're right, according to a new report from BillShrink.

The billing analysis website studied more than 230,000 people's wireless plans last year and compared them with actual wireless usage.

It concluded people overpay an average of $336 per year because they're confused about all the different plan options.

Super Bowl commercials 2011:The best 3 online now (video)

You don't have to wait until Sunday. Many companies are already airing their Super Bowl 2011 commercials days before the Big Event. The goal is to create a pre-game buzz around their ads. Check out our favorites, so far.
By David C. Scott

Christian Science Monitor

Rescuing the Earth’s Weather History

By JUSTIN GILLIS

New York Times

One of the most profound limitations of climate science arises from a simple fact. While humans have existed on this planet in more or less their present form for perhaps a quarter-million years, the historical record covers only a few thousand years, and the record of accurate weather and climate observations is much shorter than that.

On Our Radar: Rare Aerial Footage of Isolated Amazon Tribe

By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLF
New York Times

A film crew accompanying a researcher with Brazil’s Indian Affairs department captures rare aerial footage of a highly isolated tribe living deep in the Amazon rain forest, near the Peru-Brazil border. Advocates for the region’s indigenous people say illegal logging in Peru is driving other isolated tribes across the border into Brazil, causing conflicts over resources and territory. Responding to the release of video and images of the tribe, Peruvian authorities said this week that they would work to stop the intrusion of loggers into protected areas. [Survival International]

Treating Chronic Pain and Managing the Bills

By MICHELLE ANDREWS\

New York Times

MAYBE the question is not who suffers from some type of chronic pain — but who doesn’t?

“If you tally up everybody who has chronic, recurring back, headache and musculoskeletal problems, it includes almost everybody by the time people get into their 30s,” said Dr. Perry Fine, a professor of anesthesiology at the Pain Research Center and theUniversity of Utah and incoming chairman of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

The deficit Americans should think about most: personal character

Our huge public debt ultimately reflects our lack of individual restraint. But we can do better.
By Lawrence W. Reed

Christian Science Monitor

From council rooms in small towns to the marble corridors of Capitol Hill, Americans are rightly focusing on ways to halt the tide of red ink.

Medical Detectives Find Their First New Disease

By GINA KOLATA

New York Times
Louise Benge’s medical problems started when she was 25. Walking became excruciating. Her calves got hard as rocks, and every step was agony. Her hands started hurting too. And the condition, whatever it was, only got worse over the next two decades.

How to Opt Out of Pre-Approval Offers

By: Jess | February 03, 2011 | Category: Money

How often do you receive offers in the mail for acredit card orinsurance that you've been pre-approved for?

What to do if you get stuck in snow, sand, or mud

Consumer Reports

Getting stuck in snow is annoying at best. And in addition to being inconvenient and uncomfortable, it can also be dangerous.

The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

By David Pogue
New York Times

This week, most people on the East Coast were hunkering down indoors, prepared for this winter’s fourth Snowstorm of the Century. I, on the other hand, was riding around a hotel ballroom on a YikeBike. And I’ll be straight with you: I had kind of a Segway moment.

Printers Adapt to World of the Web

By ERIC A. TAUB

New York Times

Now that you can view maps on cellphones, send pictures directly from a digital camera to photo frames and use a smartphone’s screen as a virtual airline boarding pass, who needs to print any more?

A lot of us, apparently.

Pepperoni: On Top

By JULIA MOSKIN

New York Times

ACROSS the United States, artisanal pizza joints are opening faster than Natalie Portman movies. But inside those imported ovens, pepperoni — by far America’s most popular pizza topping — is as rare as a black swan.

The Price of Football That Even Nonfans Pay

By MARK YOST

Wall Street Journal

Fans of the New York Jets would have liked nothing better than to be spending money to cheer on their team at Sunday's Super Bowl in Dallas. Unfortunately, their team was defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game. But in an odd twist of league economics and political gamesmanship, even those New Jerseyans who didn't die with the Jets or stop watching when the Giants collapsed in December will be paying for football. That's because the state (i.e., the taxpayers) still owes about $110 million in debt on the old Giants Stadium.

Nurturing Nests Lift These Birds to a Higher Perch

By NATALIE ANGIER

New York Times

Amid all the psychosocial caterwauling these days over the relative merits of tiger mothers and helicopter dads, allow me to make a pitch for the quietly dogged parenting style of the New Caledonian crow.

New Caledonian crows are renowned for their toolmaking skills.

A Swede by Any Other Name. In Fact, Many Swedes.

By JOHN TAGLIABU

New York Times

STOCKHOLM — Martin Cervall believes that his grandfather was on the cutting edge of a contemporary trend in Sweden.

These days, growing numbers of young Swedes about to marry are not only choosing flatware patterns but also picking new names. Sometimes it is an older family name; more often it is one they simply concoct.