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A new book, Otherwise Normal People, explores the world of competitive rose gardening.
Norman Perez attempts to set first Guinness World Record for the longest computer typing session.
June 26, 2007 · Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox leads the major leagues in ejections. In fact, he now shares the record for being thrown out of the most games with John McGraw, the legendary skipper of the New York Giants who earned the nickname "Little Napoleon."
June 26, 2007 · A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine finds that many doctors waste patients' time — and lose their focus — by interjecting irrelevant information about themselves. Researchers say physicians disclosed personal information in about one-third of office visits, and 85 percent of the disclosures didn't help the patient.
June 26, 2007 · His fiancée called off the wedding. So Layne Hess wanted a refund. He went to court, demanding payment for everything he did during their courtship. There was the cruise to Alaska, and the trip to France, and the vasectomy. Hess says he wouldn't have spent all that money if they weren't getting married. But the court turned him down, saying Jody Johnston never provided a money-back guarantee. She did, at least, return the ring.
June 26, 2007 · A Texas death-row inmate wants to go out laughing. He is soliciting jokes on the Internet. And he plans to tell one or two of them before receiving a lethal injection. Patrick Knight was convicted of murdering two elderly neighbors. Now he is paying the penalty, but he says he wants to bring some levity to the situation. If you're thinking of contributing a joke, bear in mind that Knight says he's against anything gross or disgusting.
June 25, 2007 · One could argue that civilization began when we figured out how to break a carbon bond – through fire. Breaking carbon bonds releases a cheap and addictive energy. It's a habit many countries find hard to kick. Web Extra: Watch Episodes 1 and 2
June 25, 2007 · Almost 60 years ago, Virginia Ruda and her husband founded Ruda's Records and Polish Gifts in the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga, N.Y. Ruda says people in and around Buffalo are still crazy for Polka music, but mostly they get it on the Internet now.
June 25, 2007 · Author Kate Christensen says the book "packs a wallop in a small amount of space, satisfies without satiating, and goes down easily, pithy and nutritious and sweetly briny." Web Extra: Read an Excerpt
June 25, 2007 · Flight passengers may carry a number of misperceptions about airlines, such as the idea that flights are "scheduled," and other popular notions. Here's a primer.
June 25, 2007 · Afghanistan hopes to turn a collection of medieval minarets into a world heritage site. About 600 years ago a dozen Islamic towers shone with bright tiles outside the ancient city of Heart, in northwestern Afghanistan. They survived decades of war. But they may not survive the peace. Cultural authorities say a road running through is shaking the ground so much, that the minarets are in danger of falling over.
June 25, 2007 · Whatever its virtues, Hebrew is not quite ready for baseball. Israel saw its first professional baseball game. And the broadcasters who started calling the game in Hebrew had trouble finding appropriate words for "ball," "strike," or "home plate." They finally slipped into English. Whether the game itself will translate is unknown. But Israel now has a six-team league.
June 24, 2007 · Pairing food with a favorite vintage isn't just for oenophiles anymore. The beer industry is pushing beer-food pairings as specialty beers become more popular, and as Americans' palates become more refined.
June 23, 2007 · China plans to send the Olympic torch for the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the summit of Mt. Everest. But what kind of open flame can withstand the thin air and high winds on the mountain peak? Jerry Bell of the American Chemical Society has answers.
Listen to NPR's Kitchen Window as a podcast every other Wednesday, hosted by Bonny Wolf.
Three comics with roots in the Middle East talk about the challenges of humor during times of war.
Last night, the TV personalities traded appearances on each other's programs. Hijinks ensued.
New York may be seeing a rise in jokes per capita, but do more clubs mean better comedy?
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"Being both a science and a music nerd, I couldn't help sitting there until the song/story was finished."
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