Even Finish Masks Volatile Year For U.S. Economy

2011 was a year of crisis and revolution, and that took a big toll on the world’s financial markets. In the United States, stocks lurched along for much of the year, losing and gaining ground over and over again. Stock prices are ending the year just about where they were at the beginning, and anyone [...]

2011 In Film: Bob Mondello’s Top 10 (Plus 10)

Wizards, transformers and vampires did their best, but they couldn’t transform 2011 into a magical year for Hollywood: Despite all the 3-D and IMAX screenings and the premium prices that come with them, industry box office sagged by half a billion dollars compared with last year. But quality? That’s another story. The most celebrated movies [...]

2011 In Film: Kid Lit, Schmid Lit, Or: Enough Spinach

Pixar movies rarely receive bad reviews, but the monotonous, surprisingly violent and intermittently xenophobic Cars 2 didn’t get the usual free ride from critics. The movie’s director, John Lasseter, eventually responded in an article in The New York Times, which said that he and his team where “comforted” by the film’s financial success. As of [...]

The Perfect Champagne Pour: It’s A Science, Not An Art

Here’s something to impress — or annoy — your friends this New Year’s Eve: the science behind the champagne pour. To preserve the fizz and taste of the wine, you need to preserve the bubbles, a recent study found. Scientists in France measured the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide – what’s inside those trains of [...]

Big Education Grants Threatened By Teacher Spats

Teachers and school districts say they agree that better teacher evaluations are needed, but they can’t agree on the details. Now, those disputes threaten federal grants meant to encourage education reform. Take New York state, which has a lots of failing schools. Those schools got more than $100 million in federal School Improvement Grants. In [...]

When The Road Back To Work Detours

Part of an ongoing series For the long-term unemployed, getting a job isn’t always the end of the story. Randy Howland spent most of this past year working at a $10-an-hour customer service job. He used to make six figures. With this job, he was settling, just so he could have the satisfaction of working. [...]

‘Haters’ Are Going To Hate This Story

Haters are here. And there. And everywhere. And the word “hate” is in the air. Fox has a new sitcom: I Hate My Teenage Daughter. A recent issue of Us magazine tells us “Why Scarlett Johansson Hates Blake Lively.” Psychology Today explains “Why We Hate Airport Security.” Dick Meyer, formerly of NPR and now executive [...]

‘Occupy’ Activists Urge Like-Minded to Participate In, Not Disrupt, Iowa Caucuses

In a cavernous Des Moines meeting hall just west of the state Capitol, progressive activist and writer John Nichols had a simple message for those involved in Iowa’s iteration of the Occupy Wall Street movement. “Learn to get cool with losing,” Nichols told about 50 people who had come to hear advice from longtime activists, [...]

Answering The Question ‘What Was It A Good Year For?’

For many people, 2011 wasn’t a great year. When the economy wasn’t sluggish, it was turbulent. And all manner of disasters seemed to rotate through the headlines. But in some states, and some neighborhoods, people got along just fine. Look closely at the worlds of business and sports, music and politics, and you’ll find a [...]

Build-A-Bear Workshop Recalls Colorful Hearts Teddy Bears

If you gave or received a Build-A-Bear this holiday season, you may want to check it over. Nearly 300,000 Colorful Hearts teddy bears from Build-A-Bear Workshop sold in the U.S. and Canada have been recalled. The teddy bear’s eyes can fall out and become a choking hazard for children, according to the U.S. Consumer Product [...]