It was in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age that the modern concept of celebrity was born, said George Packer. But if the worship of gaudy wealth and fame began in The Great Gatsby era, we’ve taken it to new, “perverse” heights in 21st-century America. Today, celebrity demigods dominate every field: There are celebrity chefs, bankers, computer engineers, chief executives, hip-hop […]
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■ Louisiana lawmakers are considering legislation that makes the Holy Bible the “official state book.”The legislation was opposed by some Democrats—not because it suggests the state’s endorsement of one religion, but because it originally specified the King James version, which some Christians do not use. “Why not put all versions of the Bible?” suggested state Rep. Robert Billiot.
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Plenty of research has proved that meditation and yoga can lower blood pressure, improve mood, counter stress, and benefit your mental and physical health. Now a new study has shown for the first time that these ancient centering practices can actually affect your genes, turning beneficial ones on and harmful ones off. Researchers analyzed the genes of 26 volunteers who […]
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Astronomers have discovered the largest rocky planet yet, and its existence has profound implications for our understanding of the early universe and the potential for extraterrestrial life. Kepler-10c, which was spotted by NASA’s Kepler space telescope, has a diameter of roughly 18,000 miles—more than twice that of Earth —prompting scientists to create a new class of planets, dubbed “mega-Earths.”The body’s […]
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■ Griffin Furlong has been fighting an uphill battle, but this week the 18-year-old graduated as ”class valedictorian” after his mother to leukemia when he was 6, Furlong spent two years in a homeless shelter with his father and brother. “It was horrible,” he said. “A kid should not have to go through that.” A month ago, just before final […]
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A beluga whale has decided that it doesn’t want to leave a Norwegian port. It has decided that humans are something to play with. Russian Spy Whale On the harness there was an inscription – Property of St. Petersburg. A Russian spy whale? Since beluga don’t usually like being around humans it was very strange to spot this one outside […]
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Horsemeat is passing for ground beef in supermarkets all over Europe, said Hugh Camegy in the Financial Times. Claims have also been made that there are restaurants serving horse meat. It has been found in Findus’s frozen lasagna, Tesco’s frozen hamburgers, and even Burger King’s Whoppers in the U.K., France, Sweden, and beyond. The horsemeat makes its way to dinner […]
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When you decide to get a tattoo there are a few things you should consider before getting one. Don’t do it if you are not of sound mind, like if you have been drinking with your buddies. Have you checked out the artist and made sure that they are certified and clean? After you have done the research and have […]
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The number of juveniles in the nation’s criminal justice system has been in decline for years. California and New York have closed some of their largest and most troubled juvenile detention facilities. Missouri has recently been credited with doing a better job of caring for its most troubled children, further limiting the state’s population of teens in punitive settings. But […]
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■ A Georgia college student faked his own kidnapping to avoid telling his parents he was flunking English. After receiving the F grade, Aftab Aslam, 19, texted his parents on behalf of a group of make-believe abductors, warning them not to call police or he would be killed. He camped out for eight days but came home when the weather […]
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