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Story Stack | Archive | Pat's Picks
  1. Learn to Dance - Even if You Think You Can’t (VIDEO)

    With wedding season upon us, the Wall Street Journal says even the most awkward person can learn to dance well-enough to be a part of the party. Most instructors say to start with a simple step-touch move and take things from there. One thing to keep in mind for the timid, while you may think all eyes are on you, those on the sidelines are actually watching the best dancers.VIDEO

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  2. Is Spider-Man Still a Box Office Draw?

    USA Today asks whether the latest installment in the Spider-Man franchise will have the power to rule the box office the way the first three films in the series did. Since then, theaters have been swamped with superhero and comic book films. Critics say instead of trying to compete with the likes of Iron Man and Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man filmmakers just need to make a good, smart, funny, exciting movie.

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  3. Tracking a Real-Life Oceans 11-Style Bank Heist Crew

    The Los Angeles Times has a great read about efforts to catch a sophisticated bank robbery crew in the Los Angeles area. The group of five was so good at breaking into banks through the roof - and leaving virtually no traces of their crime. But the plastic back to a walkie-talkie eventually helped detectives track them down…and catch them in the act of another heist.

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  4. Use Data to Improve Shale Gas Development

    Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp take to the New York Times Opinion pages to talk about shale gas. They say the shale gas boom can benefit the planet and the economy, but only if it’s done correctly. They’re calling for a data-driven analysis of shale gas aimed at making its development safer. For example, right now, so much methane is released while extracting shale gas that any environmental benefit to higher natural gas use is lost.

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  5. George Clooney’s Fiancee “The Total Package”

    The New York Daily News gives us details about Amal Alamuddin, the Oxford-educated human rights lawyer who has apparently convinced the world’s most famous bachelor to walk down the aisle again. The News says George Clooney’s fiancee is “the total package,” with Oxford smarts, New York ambition and Hollywood looks. Among her clients as an attorney, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

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  6. Reprogram an Old Hearing Aid to Save Thousands

    New hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars. But the Charlotte Observer says people with mild to moderate hearing loss can often use pre-owned hearing aids that have been reprogrammed. Hearing aids can be passed on from friends or family members who have upgraded to new ones, and refurbished devices are available from manufacturers for a fraction of the price of new hearing aids.

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  7. Is Gourmet Dog Food Bad for the Environment?

    One of the big claims about gourmet dog food is that it contains fewer (or no) animal byproducts. But Washington Post Health and Science Columnist Brian Palmer says creating food specifically for dogs, rather than using byproducts of food meant for humans, takes a toll on the environment. Dogs are genetically predisposed to eating the things we don’t want to eat - and they can live long and healthy lives eating animal byproducts.

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  8. Dividing the Rent? Use a Triangle

    Trying to figure out how to split the rent with your roommates? Try Sperner’s lemma. The New York Times says this old mathematical proposition can be used to fairly divide unequal assets, like apartment rooms of different sizes. It works by using a triangle to create scenarios where you tell which room you’d pick at a variety of prices. The Times article has some interactive features to help you through the process.

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  9. Magnetic Beads Treat Acid Reflux

    A new medical device is being called a game-changer for those suffering from acid reflux. Surgeons are implanting the LINX device - a small ring with magnetic beads -where the esophagus and stomach meet. The magnets pull the valve closed after food passes, keeping stomach acids from returning to the esophagus. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says so far, about 2000 of the devices have been implanted.

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  10. Pfizer Would Reap Huge Tax Savings in AstraZeneca Deal

    Pfizer has many reasons for wanting to acquire British rival AstraZeneca for $100 billion. The Wall Street Journal says one of the less obvious reasons is the to save billions of dollars in taxes. Pfizer would likely move its U.S. headquarters overseas - to pay a tax rate. Pfizer would move largely in name only, keeping its operational headquarters in New York.

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  11. Survivors Recall Deadly D-Day Rehearsal

    The South Florida Sun-Sentinel catches up with survivors and family members of those killed in a deadly D-Day rehearsal called “Exercise Tiger” that happened 70 years ago today. Eight ships practicing for the invasion were discovered by a German convoy. 749 U.S. service members were killed. Many involved lament that few Americans are aware of the operation - which is overshadowed by D-Day.

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  12. Few Investment Options Fueling Tech Bubble

    San Francisco Chronicle business editor Thomas Lee says big-money venture capitalists are fueling the tech bubble by dumping a huge percentage of their money into internet-related startups. Meanwhile, biotech and medical device firms are attracting a small percentage of venture capital dollars. One reason investors shy away from biotech and medical devices is that new devices often take a while to win approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

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  13. Kindergarten Cancels Show So Kids Have More Time to Get College Ready

    A Long Island school has cancelled its traditional year-end kindergarten show, saying students need the time to get themselves college and career ready. The New York Post says the school’s principal sent a letter to parents stating the time that would’ve been spent preparing for the pageant would best be used helping the students become strong readers, writers, coworkers and problem solvers.

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  14. Capping Chernobyl

    The New York Times details a $1.5 billion dollar project to build a 32,000 ton arch over the damaged nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, Ukraine. The project will all but eliminate the risk of further contamination at the site of the 1986 explosion. The arch will be slid into place on Teflon pads, covering the makeshift shelter that was put in place when the reactor melted down.

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  15. Clippers Trying to Focus Amid Owner’s Alleged Racist Remarks

    The LA Times’ Bill Plaschke says the Los Angeles Clippers have the weight of the world on them as the try to regain their focus in their playoff series. They lost game four to the Warrirors last night, amid all the distractions caused by the release of tapes containing racist statements purportedly made by their owner, Donald Sterling.  Plaschke says last night, “The stress of trying to be a national symbol of resilience against a centuries-old demon . . . was overwhelming.”

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  16. Food Radiation Meets Resistance in U.S.

    Dozens of other countries use radiation to rid their food of pathogens with no reports of human harm. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the technology here in the U.S., yet it has been slow to catch on, according to the Washington Post. The paper says for many people, it conjures up images of mutant, glowing food. Yet dozens of studies say the process can virtually eliminate all bacteria in minutes.

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  17. Fewer Young Adult Voters in 2012 Elections

    Newsday has results of a Census Bureau report that finds voting rates among 18- to 29-year-olds fell to 38 percent in 2012, down from 44.3 percent in 2008. While more young adults may have been motivated to vote in 2008 by the candidacy of Barack Obama, researchers say the toxic political climate that followed may have turned off many young voters in 2012.

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  18. Custom Sneaker Designer Draws Big Stars

    The San Antonio Express-News profiles Jake Danklefs, an artist who customizes sneakers for a living. He gets about 20 requests a day for custom designs for which he charges anywhere from $300 to $1000 a pair, and you must include the shoes. He’s designed for LeBron James and Olympic sprinter Justyn Warner among others. Danklefs doesn’t change the integrity of the shoe, but customizes them using paint, decals or laser engraving.

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  19. New Digital Warhol Works Revealed

    Dozens of early computer-generated art works by the great Andy Warhol have been uncovered - buried on floppy discs since 1985. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says it took three years just to extract the data from the discs. The chief archivist for the Andy Warhol museum says the work is significant because we get to see an accomplished artist struggling with a new medium.

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  20. 5 Reasons GM Will Survive Recall Crisis

    Recall-damaged General Motors reported an 86% drop in quarterly profits yesterday. But Detroit Free Press columnist Tom Walsh offers five reasons why GM will survive this crisis. Among them, GM has plenty of cash on hand and consumers continue to buy GM cars. The company can also take advantage of the opportunity to interact with customers who bring their cars in for recalls.

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  21. Amazon Testing Its Own Delivery Service

    In a blow to major shipping carriers, the Wall Street Journal says Amazon is testing its own delivery service in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. The company is using independent contractors to bring packages “the last mile.” The Journal says the move brings Amazon closer to “the holy grail of e-commerce,” same-day delivery.

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  22. Troubled Bridges Over the Nation’s Waters

    USA Today dedicates its front page to a new study that finds 63,000 bridges in the United States are structurally compromised. The report comes amid fears that the federal Highway Trust Fund, which provides funds for road and transit projects, is running out of money and could become insolvent by the fall unless Congress acts. The fund is paid for by the federal gas tax, which hasn’t been raised since 1993.

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  23. Richard Gere Fools New Yorkers in Role as Homeless Man

    Richard Gere is a good actor. So good, that he was mistaken for a homeless person while shooting his latest film on the streets of Manhattan. The New York Post says no one recognized the famous actor - and one woman even gave him a bag of food, which he graciously accepted without breaking character.

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  24. Google Maps to Offer View of the Past

    It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Google ends up being the company to figure out time travel. But for now, Google is offering a new feature of Street View that allows you to look through images dating back to 2007. If you see an hourglass in the upper left corner of the Street View screen, there is old imagery available. The feature is rolling out globally. The Wall Street Journal says the time machine will eventually be available in almost every location that has a Street View.

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  25. New Fitness Company Offering At Home Spin Classes

    The New York Times Business Section says investors are lining up to back a new fitness company called Peloton. Clients buy a $2000, high-end spin bike with a tablet - and then pay $39 a month to pedal along with live-streamed or recorded spin classes from home. The tablets are designed to allow users to compete with friends over Facebook - and will soon offer Netflix streaming. Peloton managed to lure top instructors with the promise of exposure to clients around the world.

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  26. Breaking News: News Outlets Overusing Alerts

    Actor Josh Gad writes a guest column in USA Today decrying the overuse of breaking news alerts by news outlets. He says CNN felt the need yesterday to send an alert to his phone, telling him that Lupita Nyong’o had been named People Magazine’s Most Beautiful Person of 2014. He says editors need to be much more discriminating when deciding what news is worthy of sending out an alert.

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  27. FDA Releasing Plans to Regulate E-Cigarettes

    The Food and Drug Administration is outlining plans to regulate electronic cigarettes as well as cigars, pipe tobacco and hookahs. The Washington Post says the plans, if adopted, would force e-cigarette manufacturers to stop selling to minors, stop handing out free samples, put warning labels on their products and disclose the ingredients. As of yet, there are no plans to ban online sales or the use of flavorings that critics say are designed to attract young smokers.

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  28. Lime Shortage Leads to Outrageous Prices

    Have you noticed a lemon replacing your lime in a Corona? Blame the great lime shortage. Cases of limes that once sold for $30 are now commanding as much as $200. The New York Post says the shortage has a number of factors, including heavy rains that knocked blossoms off trees, a bacteria that has damaged crops, even hijackings of delivery trucks by drug cartels.

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  29. Netflix to Raise Prices for New Users

    Three years after its disastrous price increase, Netflix is taking a more cautious approach as it looks to raise prices again. The New York Post says the streaming video service will hike the monthly fee for new users by $1 to $2. Current subscribers will continue to pay $7.99 a month for “a generous time period.” Netflix says price hikes will allow it to produce more original programming like “House of Cards and “Orange is the New Black.”

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  30. Man Recreates 1964 World’s Fair

    The Orlando Sentinel profiles Rob Bianco, a Florida model maker who was so enthralled by the 1964 World’s Fair in New York he actually built a scale model of it as a 13-year-old boy. It was so impressive that the fair’s mastermind, Robert Moses, wrote him a letter of admiration. Now 50 years later, Bianco still makes custom models of buildings from the fair which he sells to collectors. VIDEO

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