Global 2011: Amy Adams Cast as Lois Lane

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Amy Adams has landed the iconic role of journalist Lois Lane in the upcoming Superman reboot from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures.

Adams joins Henry Cavill, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner on the production, which will be directed by Zack Snyder.

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/usmovies.thehollywoodreporter.com/amy-adams-cast-lois-lane-zack-snyders-superman

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• Amy Adams Cast as Lois Lane in SUPERMAN Reboot (collider.com)
• Amy Adams Is Lois Lane In Zack Snyder's Superman (cinemablend.com)

Global 2011: Reese Witherspoon Weds Jim Toth

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Reese Witherspoon married Jim Toth early Saturday evening at her 6-acre ranch in Ojai, Calif., UsMagazine.com has confirmed.

Wearing a custom-designed Monique Lhuillier gown, the actress, 35, exchanged vows with CAA agent Toth, 40, in front of 120 family members and friends (including Renee Zellweger, and Alyssa Milano, and Tobey Maguire) in the front courtyard of the Ojai house.

Witherspoon's best friend, Heather Rosenfield, served as matron of honor, and her kids with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe -- daughter Ava, 11, and son Deacon, 7 -- took part in the ceremony. The Oscar winner's young nieces served as flower girls.

The "Tennessee Waltz" was the processional music for Toth and the kids, while Witherspoon walked down the aisle to "Here Comes the Bride." The 20-minute ceremony was officiated by Reverend Jimmy Bartz, founder of Thad's church in Santa Monica, where the couple have been attending weekly Sunday services. The duo exchanged wedding bands designed by jeweler William Goldberg.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/reese-witherspoon-weds-jim-toth/59304?nc

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Global 2011: Close Encounter with Enormous Shark

Image via WikipediaPresumably, the kayaker in the video was aware that the massive creature swimming toward him was a harmless basking shark, but the situation must have been unsettling nonetheless. The extremely rare encounter with the planet's second-largest shark -- only the whale shark is larger -- occurred off Panama City, Fla.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/25306/florida+kayaker+has+close+encounter+with+enormous+shark/

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• Genome of World's Largest Shark to Be Sequenced (livescience.com)
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Global 2011: Natalie Portman Slammed by Her Black Swan Dance

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Sarah Lane, the American Ballet Theater dancer who acted as Natalie Portman's dance double in the hit film, has a gripe with the Oscar-winning star and the film's execs.

Lane alleges she was told by executives at Fox Searchlight to stop speaking publicly about her work in the movie so that Portman could take the credit for the amazing dance moves herself.

In interviews, Portman talked frequently about how grueling it was to master ballet techniques for the intense psychological drama. Yet when she won her Academy Award for the acclaimed performance, the actress failed to acknowledge Lane during her acceptance speech. Lane was also apparently deleted from a DVD extra showing Black Swan's special effects.

http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/1000-natalie-portman-slammed-by-her-black-swan-dance-double

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• 'Black Swan' controversy: 'Natalie herself did most of the dancing,' insists Fox Searchlight (insidemovies.ew.com)
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Global 2011: Mascot Eats Cheerleader!

Mascot Eats Cheerleader!

Global 2011: 8 Last-Minute Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

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Taylor Swift is not dating "High School Musical" star Zac Efron in real life, but the two will be paired up in the theatrical adaptation of the 1971 Dr. Seuss book, "The Lorax," it was revealed this week.

Swift will portray Audrey in the 3-D, GCI film due out in 2012 and to be produced by Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment. Audrey wins the affection of Efron's character Ted.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/thatsreallyweek/134434/mar-14-20-taylor-swift-and-zac-efron-link-romantically-for-dr-seuss-film/

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• Taylor Swift joins cast of "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" (reuters.com)
• Taylor Swift Embraces Dr. Seuss' Tree-Loving Lorax (eonline.com)
• UPDATED: Taylor Swift Will Speak For The Trees In The Lorax (cinemablend.com)

Global 2011: Elin Nordegren one-ups Tiger Woods, buys 17,000 sq. ft. mansion

Image by char1iej via Flickr
If you wanted to know what Tiger Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordgren would buy with her rumored $100 million-plus divorce settlement, here's the answer to your question: Nordegren has decided to buy a $12.2 million mansion. I know, I'm just as shocked as you are.

As Page2Live's Josie Lambiet reported on Friday, Nordegren new digs in North Palm Beach, Fla., are just 10 miles away from Woods' new place on Jupiter Island, meaning the two will be seeing a lot of each other in the future. Can you say awkward moments? The best part about Nordegren's mansion is that it reportedly "dwarfs" Woods' home by more than 7,000 square feet. Take that, Tiger!

The new 17,000 square foot home boasts eight bedrooms and, get this, a 4,700-square-foot basement. I actually heard she bought the house because the basement was big enough to house every sports blogger on the planet. So get ready, gentleman, we're going to be moving to a swankier crib in the coming months.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/Elin-Nordegren-one-ups-Tiger-Woods-buys-17-000-?urn=golf-335365

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• Elin Nordegren Buys $12 Million Mansion in Florida (blippitt.com)
• "EXCLUSIVE: Tiger Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordegren buys $12.2 million-North Palm Beach mansion" and related posts (page2live.com)
• "EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Tiger Woods Has New Girlfriend & She's An Elin Look-Alike" and related posts (radaronline.com)

Global 2011: 7 dates that’ll create instant chemistry

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You’ve had a pleasant date or two, but you “just aren’t feeling it…” yet. Rest assured, attraction isn’t always instant: Research shows that it typically takes a guy three meetings to fall for a woman — and as many as 20 dates for her to feel the same. Plus, there are things you can do during these early outings that’ll help get some chemistry percolating and jump-start your budding relationship. So, consider skipping your typical dinner date and trying one of these options to get a buzz going between you.

Date idea #1: Go hunting
Date idea #2: Get dizzy
Date idea #3: Attend a group dining experience
Date idea #4: Get in touch with your artistic sides
Date idea #5: Get nosy
Date idea #6: Dance, dance, dance
Date idea #7: Play a game together

http://yahoo.match.com/y/article.aspx?articleid=10214&TrackingID=526103&BannerID=737598

Global 2011: U.S. millionaires population expanded by 8% in 2010

Image by Ahmad Nawawi via Flickr
What recession? The millionaire population jumped in the U.S. by 8% last year, fueled by the stock market recovery, according to an industry report on Wednesday.

The number of U.S. households worth at least $1 million rose to 8.4 million in 2010, compared to 7.8 million the prior year, according to a report by Spectrem Group.

"The affluent market grew in 2010 due primarily to the stock market rebound, but despite their growing portfolios, attitudes remain significantly different than in 2007," the report said.

"The size of the affluent market increased in 2010 but did not reach the highs obtained in 2007," the year that the recession began, according to the report.

Last year marked the second consecutive year of increases, the group said, following a 16% surge in the millionaire population in 2009.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-millionaires-population-cnnm-649773567.html?x=0

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Global 2011: Prince Harry instead of William on royal wedding mug

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Everyone knows Kate Middleton is marrying Prince William. Well, almost everyone. The people behind a souvenir mug that commemorates the royal wedding didn't get the memo and made a pretty big gaffe.

They got the picture of Kate Middleton correct, but instead of William, the mug features an image of his younger brother, Harry. Ruh ro.

According to the UK's Telegraph, the mug was supposedly designed by Guandong Enterprises, a Chinese firm. But the Telegraph found that the company is "apparently registered in Britain." Does that mean that this "mistake" could instead be, in the Telegraph's words, "an elaborate spoof"?

http://royalwedding.yahoo.com/blogs/a-wedding-mug-faux-pas-1209

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Global 2011: Rise and Fall of Patricia Kluge

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It's the kind of story from which movies are made. Sad ones, that is. A beautiful young woman marries a billionaire, divorces and uses her hefty settlement to strike out into a celebrated business, only to lose it all. Rather than a contrived film plot, this is the real-life story of Patricia Kluge.

Last month Kluge, now 62, bid adieu to Albemarle, a beloved Charlottesville, Va., manse. That's when the 200-acre, 45-room estate became the subject of a foreclosure auction on the courthouse steps in downtown Charlottesville. By its ending, creditor Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News) had repossessed the property for just $15.3 million.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112329/rise-fall-of-patricia-kluge?mod=family-love_money

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Global 2011: 13 Things Baristas Won’t Tell You

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Gourmet coffee and skilled baristas may raise coffee prices but we still need them for the perfect cup. Here are some of your baristas’ secrets.

1. Drinking two quad-shot, 22oz, vanilla lattes every day is bad for you.
2. Sometimes the owners of independent coffee/espresso carts buy cheap coffee and sell it as a respected brand.
3. Please believe me.
4. If you’re not at Starbucks, don’t order like you are.
5. You are the reason for the wait.
6. Be nice.
7. Just because they’re vegan doesn’t mean our cakes are good for you.
8. Yes, I went to school for this.
9. There is an art to pulling a perfect shot of espresso.
10. Tip
11. A bigger cup doesn’t mean more coffee
12. Latte art isn’t merely decorative.
13. A real macchiato has just a stain of milk foam and no sugar.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/13-things-baristas-won-t-tell-you-2463942/

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Global 2011: Video game plays on fears

Cover via Amazon
It's already been a busy year for shooters, but publisher THQ thinks they found the formula for first-person success in the upcoming -- and somewhat controversial -- Homefront.

Due out March 15 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, the game imagines a fallen America in 2027. Players, as you might expect, will join the resistance and fight their way across the country to win back America's freedom.

Left there, it would be a pretty formulaic shooter -- but THQ has amped things up with a politically-charged back story and pulled in screenwriter John Milius, who penned the similarly themed film "Red Dawn" (as well as "Apocalypse Now," "Clear and Present Danger" and "Conan the Barbarian"), to handle the plot behind the game's single-player campaign.

http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/468-homefront-turns-political-fears-into-potential-hit

Global 2011: One-Page Resume

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Not only is the longer-than-a-page resume not the end of the world, but many recruiters and job-search advisors actually encourage job seekers to continue selling themselves after the page break. Paul Anderson , a Seattle-based career coach, says one-page resumes simply don't have enough content. "I completely advise against [the one-page resume] unless it's a college graduate or someone who's brand-new to the marketplace," he says.

This newfound affinity for page two is largely due to the job market's digital transition. Reading onto a second page now means scrolling down on a computer screen rather than actually turning a piece of paper. And job seekers have more than the human reader to consider; resumes are now at the mercy of computerized applicant-tracking systems. Those databases search not only for keywords, but for frequency of keywords, Anderson says, which means a resume that mentions coveted job responsibilities or skills four times is likely to outrank ones that includes that same keyword only once or twice. And to include keywords repeatedly, you need space--at least two pages, possibly three, he says.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/The-Death-of-the-OnePage-usnews-367610885.html?x=0

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• What You Never Knew About Resume Writing (businessinsider.com)

Global 2011: One Good Deed Per Day

Maren McNess has cleaned out attics, held doors and worked in homeless shelters to make good on her promise.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/omaha-ketv-18230073/girl-keeps-new-year-s-resolution-one-good-deed-per-day-24439740

Global 2011: Gas Savings Tips That Don't Actually Work

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Have you filled up your car lately and cringed to see how much a tank of gas sets you back? The average cost of a gallon of unleaded gas has climbed above $3, with predictions that international unrest may drive prices even higher. We still have to drive to work and/or school, so we look for ways to squeeze more miles out of that pricey tank -- but do those tricks you hear about amount to real savings? Here are six gas saving tips that don't actually work, and ways you can make the most of a gallon.

1. Turning Off the AC
2. Filling Up When It's Cold Outside
3. Increasing Tire Pressure
4. Pouring Additives
5. Changing the Air Filter
6. Keeping the Engine Running

The Bottom Line

There are a lot of myths out there when it comes to saving gas. So what does actually help improve your fuel economy? Instead of looking at your car to improve fuel economy, try changing the way you drive. Calm driving on the highway -- not zipping between lanes, tailgating or revving the engine so you quickly get up to speed -- can improve your fuel efficiency a whopping 33%. Remove any excess weight from your car to bump fuel economy another 2%, and drive sixty miles an hour (when the speed limit allows) on the highway for another 23% improvement in fuel efficiency. In the end, best fuel economy comes from a calm and safe driver, something that's a good thing regardless of the price we pay at the pump.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112266/gas-savings-tips-that-don't-actually-work?mod=series-e-article

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Global 2011: NASA scientist finds evidence of alien life

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Aliens exist, and we have proof.

That astonishingly awesome claim comes from Dr. Richard B. Hoover, an astrobiologist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, who says he has found conclusive evidence of alien life — fossils of bacteria found in an extremely rare class of meteorite called CI1 carbonaceous chondrites. (There are only nine such meteorites on planet Earth.) Hoover’s findings were published late Friday night in the Journal of Cosmology, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

“I interpret it as indicating that life is more broadly distributed than restricted strictly to the planet earth,” Hoover, who has spent more than 10 years studying meteorites around the world, told FoxNews.com in an interview. “This field of study has just barely been touched — because quite frankly, a great many scientist would say that this is impossible.”

Hoover discovered the fossils by breaking apart the CI1 meteorite, and analyzing the exposed rock with a scanning-electron microscope and a field emission electron-scanning microscope, which allowed him to detect any fossil remains. What he found were fossils of micro-organisms, many of which he says are strikingly similar to those found on our own planet.

“The exciting thing is that they are in many cases recognizable and can be associated very closely with the generic species here on earth,” said Hoover. Some of the fossils, however, are quite odd. “There are some that are just very strange and don’t look like anything that I’ve been able to identify, and I’ve shown them to many other experts that have also come up stump.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/nasascientistfindsevidenceofalienlife

Global 2011: Mumbai slum fire destroys home of Slumdog actor

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A fire in a Mumbai slum destroyed the one-room shack of "Slumdog Millionaire" child actress Rubina Ali, leaving her family homeless, Ali said.

The fire also swept through hundreds of tenements late on Friday near railway tracks where Ali continued to live even after gaining global recognition. Nobody was hurt in the fire.

Ali, who shot to international fame for her role in Danny Boyle's Oscar winning 2008 film "Slumdog Millionaire," said she lost most of her belongings including precious photographs taken during her trip to Los Angeles for the Oscar ceremony.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/mumbai-slum-fire-destroys-home-of-slumdog-actor/57838?nc

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Global 2011: Super Trailer

Global 2011: Scientists' amazing California discovery includes fishing tackle 12,000 years old

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Looking for signs of ancient human settlement, they unearthed meticulously-crafted spearheads and other tools that date back 12,000 years and provide insight into the lives of a seafaring culture that obtained bounty from the ocean.

The astonishing discoveries, at three sites on Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands west of Santa Barbara, strongly support the theory that during an era when the first traces of humans appeared in the archaeological record in North America, a coastal culture existed that was distinct from the well-chronicled inland Clovis culture, which consisted of big-game hunters who subsisted on mastodons and other large mammals.

A 15-member team led by Jon Erlandson of the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History found chipped stone tools, used for fishing and hunting, along with an abundance of discarded seashells and bones.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/24870/scientists+amazing+california+discovery+includes+fishing+tackle+12000+years+old/

Global 2011: 5 Signs That You’ve Met Your Perfect Match

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First, the good news: You’re headed toward happily ever after if…

1. You discover quirky things you have in common
2. Neither of you flinch when the future comes up
3. It’s super-important that your friends like your new partner
4. You think in “we” terms even when the going gets tough
5. You constantly stumble across things you want to share

Now, the bad news: You could be headed toward a dead end if…

1. You roll your eyes at each other during an argument
2. You can’t handle the uncomfortable silences
3. Your dates are always chock-full of distractions
4. You find yourself criticizing little things about each other
5. You only want to deal with each other when the chips are up

http://yahoo.match.com/magazine/article0.aspx?articleid=4483

Global 2011: Lincoln's racial views

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Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address has inspired Americans for generations, but consider his jarring remarks in 1862 to a White House audience of free blacks, urging them to leave the U.S. and settle in Central America.

"For the sake of your race, you should sacrifice something of your present comfort for the purpose of being as grand in that respect as the white people," Lincoln said, promoting his idea of colonization: resettling blacks in foreign countries on the belief that whites and blacks could not coexist in the same nation.

Lincoln went on to say that free blacks who envisioned a permanent life in the United States were being "selfish" and he promoted Central America as an ideal location "especially because of the similarity of climate with your native land — thus being suited to your physical condition."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lincoln_colonization

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• Lincoln urged free blacks to resettle abroad (cbsnews.com)

Global 2011: Eat This for Gorgeous Skin

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The best get-flawless-skin regimen? It's not a trendy spa treatment. It's a way of eating. Yeah, yeah, we know that for years, experts said greasy foods and chocolate don't cause pimples and that, overall, what you eat has no effect on your skin. But research proves otherwise. So follow these four rules on how to feed your face.

1. Lay Off the White Stuff
2. Savor Seafood
3. Banish Blush Triggers
4. Indulge in Olive Oil

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/eat-this-for-gorgeous-skin-2454120/

Global 2011: Why women really are better at almost everything

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Contrary to jokes and one-liners, women are better drivers than men. They’re also better at getting the joke. And better with hammers. And video games. And social networking. And did we mention, they get dressed faster than guys? This isn’t opinion, it’s fact, and Dan Abrams can prove it.

In his new book, Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else, Abrams collects research from leading studies over the past few years to make the case for the ‘fairer’ sex. A legal analyst for ABC News and former lawyer, he approached the topic as a defense attorney, using evidence that already exists to debunk popular myths about women.

“In nearly every field, statistics and studies show that women are better collaborators, are more cautious and more adept at navigating treacherous terrain,” writes Abrams in his book’s opening statement. “I am not convinced that women as a group play basketball or read maps better than men. The evidence here will show, however, that women are living longer and evolving better than men.” It takes a lot for a man to admit his own weaknesses (there’s a chapter on how women tolerate pain better), so we wondered why Abrams would make the case for women. Turns out, it’s a man’s job.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/why-women-really-are-better-at-almost-everything-q-a-with-author-dan-abrams-2460114/

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• Women are better than men at ... everything? (timesunion.com)

Global 2011: Most typical face on the planet

National Geographic Magazine released a video clip, below, showing the most "typical" human face on the planet as part of its series on the human race called "Population 7 billion."

The researchers conclude that a male, 28-year-old Han Chinese man is the most typical person on the planet. There are 9 million of them.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110303/us_yblog_thelookout/the-most-typical-face-on-the-planet

Global 2011: Diane Lane Is Superman's Mom

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Diane Lane is an actress who has seemed perpetually 37 for about 20 years. There's a weary, sexy worldly wisdom to her that has allowed her to appeal to both men and women, either in erotic "thrillers" like "Unfaithful" or big crowd-pleasers like "Secretariat." Thirty-seven is a good age for an actress to seem; old enough to be respected, but young enough to still be attractive to all age groups.

The one age she doesn't seem like: elderly.

Yet the 46-year-old, onetime Oscar-nominee Lane will play Martha Kent, Superman's "mom," in the upcoming Superman reboot.

http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/798-diane-lane-is-supermans-mom

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• Diane Lane will play Martha Kent in new 'Superman' (insidemovies.ew.com)
• 'Superman' Reboot Taps Diane Lane To Play Clark Kent's Mom (mtv.com)

Global 2011: Why Most Self-Help Books Stink

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Christine Whelan is a student of the self-help movement -- literally. This University of Pittsburgh professor did her doctoral dissertation on the self-help industry and what makes something in this genre a best-seller. Her take? She tells me that while the idea that we can make ourselves better by reading a book is perennially popular (who wouldn't want to improve their lives in 4 hours?) many books fall far short. Here's why:

1. The "real people" are made up.

2. They promise that change is easy.

3. There's probably no evidence.

So which books don't suck? After wading through more than 300 over the years, Whelan is partial to "books that offer solid advice to guide readers step-by-step toward long-term change. These are books that encourage the reader to get back to core virtues like perseverance, honesty, self-control and thrift -- not empty quick-fix solutions." These include Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (1937), M. Scott Peck's "The Road Less Traveled" (1978), Samuel Smiles' "Thrift" (1876!), Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" (1987) and a few other dark horse ones,

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112206/why-most-self-help-books-stink

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Global 2011: Dream Jobs: Six-Figure Salaries

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Seemingly every week, another publication or website comes out with its list of the "Best Jobs of the Year" or the "Hottest Careers," purporting to show the best fields to get into for job stability and earnings potential. The problem with many of these lists is that the jobs and careers on them often require years and years of training, offer an extremely small overall pool of jobs, or really don't pay all that well.

1. Online Marketing Director
2. Mobile Applications Developer
3. Global Supply Chain Manager
4. Financial Advisor
5. Financial Analyst, Gaming Industry

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/112224/dream-jobs-six-figure-salaries?mod=oneclick

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• 10 Jobs That Offer a Big Bang for Your Buck (money.usnews.com)

Global 2011: 5 things you never knew about Pac-Man

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Having been a part of the pop-culture landscape for over 30 years now, Pac-Man is a pretty familiar character.

He has adorned cereal boxes, been the star of a Saturday morning cartoon program and appeared on virtually every gaming platform to have ever been released.

That's not just systems from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. It also includes essentially every cell phone that has a screen, long-dead portable systems and plug-and-play devices for your TV. Along the way, the little pellet-muncher has built an empire that has allowed publisher Namco-Bandai to survive the worst the economy could throw at it.

But even the most well known icons have their secrets. This week, at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Toru Iwatani, creator of the game, offered a postmortem on the industry's biggest franchise-and told a few tales most fans have probably never heard.

Here are the five most surprising:

1. The point of the game was to attract girls
2. Each ghost had specific orders
3. What, exactly, does Pac-Man mean?
4. The missing puzzle piece
5. The ghosts were almost just one color

Related articles

• The birth of Pac-Man - more details (gonintendo.com)
• A Behavioral Analysis of the Pac-Man Ghosts [Arcade] (kotaku.com)