‘Janie Jones’: Family Harmony Takes Practice

The Clash’s “Janie Jones” describes a character with a handful of loves — rock ‘n’ roll, getting stoned, and a woman named Janie Jones — and one dislike: his boring job. In David M. Rosenthal’s film of the same title, Alessandro Nivola plays Ethan, a declining 30-something rock star who’s a boozer, not a stoner. [...]

‘Rum Diary’: Drinks And Deadlines, In The Tropics

Noteworthy for what must be the least psychedelic acid-trip scene ever filmed, The Rum Diary struggles to seem both authentic and outrageous. The movie is Johnny Depp’s latest tribute to his friend and inspiration, journalist Hunter S. Thompson, and should interest members of either man’s cult. Everyone else will be wondering how “gonzo” could be [...]

Hormones And Metabolism Conspire Against Dieters

There are some fresh insights from Australia that help explain why it’s so difficult for dieters to keep off the weight they lose. Willpower will only take you so far, in case you haven’t run that experiment yourself. Turns out our bodies have a fuel gauge, not entirely unlike the gas gauge on our cars, [...]

‘Fast And Slow’: Pondering The Speed Of Thought

In 2002, Daniel Kahneman won a Nobel Prize in economics — but he isn’t an economist. Kahneman’s field is the psychology of decision-making, and that’s the topic of his new book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. Kahneman tells NPR’s Robert Siegel about the two systems that make up what he calls “the machinery of the mind:” [...]

New DUI Law Takes Effect Next Week

A new stricter DUI law named after an OSU student killed by a repeat drunk driver goes into effect November First.

More Corporations Shed Light On Political Spending

For the first time, 100 of America’s biggest corporations are being rated on the transparency of their political activities. On Friday, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the nonpartisan Center for Political Accountability will release an index that ranks the S&P 100 companies. The rankings come as politicians employ new loopholes — [...]

Muslim Activist Challenges Fla. Republican’s Views

There’s no member of the Republican freshman class in Congress more outspoken than Florida Rep. Allen West. Since he was elected last year, West has become a strong voice on Capitol Hill for fiscal restraint, socially conservative values — and responding to the threat posed by Islamic extremists. On the topic of Islam, West has [...]

Greeks Fear They Are Losing Their Sovereignty

World markets rallied Thursday after European leaders agreed on a plan to deal with the eurozone debt crisis. But in Greece, the most imperiled country, there was skepticism that the deal will do much to help the country out of recession. In addition, many Greeks also fear that they are losing their sovereignty and are [...]

Bangkok At Risk Of Its Worst Flooding In Decades

Thailand’s capital Bangkok is facing the imminent threat of widespread flooding after three months of unusually heavy rain. Panic buying has left grocery shelves empty of basics. Many are fleeing the city, and many areas are virtually empty. The government has declared a five-day holiday to encourage people to leave Bangkok for higher ground. Thursday, [...]

No, You Can’t: World Record Ideas That Didn’t Cut It

Guinness World Records keeps more than 50,000 records for people that can say they are the most, the fastest or the highest at a range of quirky and impressive feats. But when the company recently released its latest annual book — which added new records like Most Dogs Skipping On A Rope and Fastest Wedding [...]