Iraq war comes to you live on YouTube
An influx of videos from insurgents and homemade clips from U.S. soldiers have helped transform YouTube and other video-sharing sites into an alternative news network. While such grim footage is readily available in DVD shops and markets across the Arab world, it is rarely shown on U.S. television news channels.
Humorists say every pun is its own re-word
A good pun is like a good steak: a rare medium well done. Get it? If you don’t, you’re not alone. When it comes to puns, not everyone is laughing.
More pride, more prejudice: Jane Austen given new life as sequels thrive
Nearly two centuries after its publication, Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" continues to spawn sequels, spinoffs and adaptations.
Changing light bulbs to stem global warming
Municipalities across the country are working to replace incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient lighting. In addition to saving money, the efforts are aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
At last, the lip tattoo: new space for an intimate thought
Taking inspiration from livestock, tattoo artists are drilling into a new territory: the inner lip. It's one's own little secret. Only intimates know it's there.
Dying for attention: Why people are killing themselves online
Online deaths are not always what they seem to be. In many cases, Internet users are pretending to have died, and a group of cyber-sleuths is working to expose the fraudsters.
Gyms target guys for single-sex classes
After years of letting them struggle in the back of coed Jazzercise classes, fitness centers are beginning to offer men their own single-sex classes.
Finding love underground
Millions of the lovelorn pay money to find online partners or endure excruciating blind dates. Now comes a far less expensive ploy--subway dating.
Online cartoons: not your old Sunday funnies
From alien roommates to a pet hit man who offs Garfield, online funnies give a new generation of cartoonists a chance to make it.
Celebrating 50 years of "On the Road" with Jack Kerouac
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Jack Kerouac's most acclaimed novel, "On the Road." Celebrations commemorating the book are scheduled across the country.
Libraries for reading? What an odd idea
More and more people are checking out books from libraries--but there is no paper or printed text. Instead, audio books on tapes, CDs and MP3s are attracting "readers" who have long commutes and little free time.
Need a parking spot? Look online
Drivers sick of circling the block for parking spots will soon have a new place to look. Several entrepreneurs are thinking big about small spaces and promising high-tech help to ease the dreaded hunt for a place to park.
Out with the outties and in with the innies
Cosmetic surgery is focusing on the belly button. Innies are in, and outties? They want to be innies, too.
Press savvy witches launch PR campaign for Wiccan war dead
Forget the wands and broom sticks, witches in the U.S. military carry M-16s and fly F-16s. But if they die in battle they won’t be honored by Wiccan rights. Now, across the country, a campaign is being waged to ensure that Wiccan soldiers get the honor and religious respect they deserve.
For blacks, tracing the past can be a painful trip
For white Americans, tracing their roots can lead them to a passage booked on the Mayflower; but, for black Americans, going back to the boat is often a painful, emotional experience.
I went to a historic ball game, and all I got was this lousy ticket
If Giants slugger Barry Bonds breaks the all-time home run record this season, his bat will go to the Hall of Fame and the ball he hits could sell for millions, but a ticket for that game will be nearly worthless to collectors because of changes in ticket design and how tickets are purchased.
Community icons become canvases for kids' art, hopes, dreams
Across the nation, children have taken up paintbrushes to participate in a giant public arts projects sponsored by Portraits of Hope. By turning icons of a city into giant canvases, kids are also learning about important social issues.
Pixilated property dispute a real issue in court
Video games have evolved into online worlds where you can own virtual property, sell virtual goods and walk away with real money. It may seem silly, but it's big business--worth an estimated $1 billion annually. Can you have property rights in a place that doesn't exist?
Conscientious tax resisters say they won’t fund war
Conscientious tax objectors are telling Uncle Sam they won't pay money for bombs and guns. And, if the Vietnam era is any guide, few will end up going to jail.
Experts in the odd: Academics search out weird niches
Whether it's researching the history of roller coasters or of professional wrestling, or of beards, scholars are directing their areas of research into the weird.
Hugging can be contagious
Can one man change the world by offering free hugs? Juan Mann thinks he can.
The new daylight saving time: Will it really work?
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 shifts the time change three weeks earlier this year. But, while the added evening light is welcoming to many, no one is sure exactly how much energy will be saved.
A jockey's life, stage 1
Ah, to be young, lean and on a horse. For thoroughbred jockeys a year as an apprentice, or "bug boy," is a lucrative blessing. Growing up is the hard part.
It shoots roll film and it's blurry, but the Holga's catching on
The Holga, a cheap plastic film camera made in China, is gaining in popularity among photographers and amateurs alike.
MRI scans: Do they still trigger claustrophobia?
MRI scanners, which formerly required people to squeeze into a coffin-tight space, have come a long way since they became available in 1980. According to experts, those suffering from claustrophobia should no longer fear going in for a scan.
Care for a bloomy rind? The art of selling cheese
The job of selling cheese is becoming increasingly complex as the market for artisanal cheese expands.
Troubled teens head into the woods to salvage their lives
Troubled teens are heading out into the woods for help. They've been sent there by their parents who hope that therapeutic wilderness programs will get their wayward children back on track.
Goji berries: the new miracle fruit?
A fruit grown in the Himalayas is touted by distributors as a miracle berry that can fight cancer, HIV and a host of other ailments. Nutritionists have their doubts.
American belly dancers are rescuing a Middle Eastern tradition
Inspired by Shakira's music videos and exotic world beats, women are flocking to belly dance classes across the country. They’re also bringing change to a Middle Eastern folk tradition.
Family history: going way back via DNA
Where do you come from? You may find an answer encoded in your DNA, but only if you ask the right questions.
They bury horses, don't they? Well, now they do
Long sentenced to the rendering plant or just a deep hole in the back 40, horses now get full-honor funerals, complete with preaching, praying and all the trimmings.
Care for some antiques with your meal?
Ever wonder why so many chain restaurants have antiques up on the walls? Many companies have extensive decor teams that use authentic antiques to generate a nostalgic atmosphere for diners.
Tech-savvy Americans track religious extremists on the Web
Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, some technology-savvy Americans are spending their spare time tracking religious extremists on the Web.
More and more Americans consider themselves "hidden immigrants"
As more employees and their families are sent overseas by companies and the government each year, a growing number of people feel strangely out of place when they return to America.
Graffiti artists ditch spray paint for lasers and magnetized light bulbs
A group of tech-savvy graffiti artists have developed lasers and magnetized light bulbs for splashing their art around town.
Big business looks to fine artists to enhance its image
Companies are looking to artists to promote their businesses, and artists are eager to grab the security of working for a corporation. But in the transaction, do artists lose their integrity?
The things we put in our ears may or may not hurt us
From crack cocaine to hearing aid batteries, humans stick plenty of foreign objects into their ears. But, surprisingly, medical complications are more likely to be caused by the innocent-seeming cotton swab.