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Our Favorite Shots From The Greatest Meteor Shower Of The Year

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Geminid Meteor

The Geminid meteor shower lit up the sky Thursday night with hundreds of streaming fireballs.  

Cloudy skies and street lights notwithstanding, the most intense meteor of the shower of year could be seen from almost every point on Earth. 

In some parts of the world sky watchers braved chilly temperatures during the pre-dawn hours to capture the dazzling shooting stars on camera.  

There's another opportunity to view the meteor shower tonight, though it won't be as spectacular.  

In case you missed last night's display, we rounded up some beautiful pictures taken by amateur and professional photographers. 

Watching from San Francisco, Tony Eckersley saw around 30 meteors over a one-hour period. Eckersley snapped 90 photos and managed to capture 7 meteors, which are featured in this composite shot.



This picture, captured a 1 a.m. on Dec. 14 in Saukeville, Wisconsin, was posted by Twitter user Susan Kim.



At 2:20 a.m. on Dec. 14, Jason Pierce was lucky enough to catch three Geminids in less than a minute over New York City.



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These Are 12 Of The World's Weirdest Zoos

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cave of sea lions zoo1. Caves of Sea Lions

Oregon’s Sea Lion Caves are the only known mainland rookery and wintering home of the Stellar Sea Lion.

The system of sea-level caves also provide sanctuary for the California Sea Lion and serve as a resting place for a variety of birds, from Tufted Puffins to Bald Eagles.

There’s even a whale watching deck from which visitors can see Gray Whales and migrating orcas.

The caves were discovered by Captain William Cox in 1880, but have only been open to the public since 1932, as the cliffs and lack of roads made it difficult to access the caves by land.

Today, visitors can access the caves via their gift shop off of U.S. 101.

2. The High-Altitude Zoo

The only specialized zoo in India and the largest high-altitude zoo in India, Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (a.k.a. Darjeeling Zoo), specializes in breeding animals for alpine conditions, including Snow Leopards, Tibetan Wolves, Red Pandas, and Himalayan Newts.

The zoo is also home to Blue Sheep, Blood Pheasants and Bhutan Grey Peacock Pheasants, Satyr Tragopans, and Himalayan Monals.

The zoo was established in 1958 as the Himalayan Zoological Park.

It was renamed in 1975 when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi dedicated the zoo to the memory of Padmaja Naidu, the former governor of West Bengal.



3. The Biblical Zoo

The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem, also known as Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, highlights a collection of animals featured in the Hebrew Bible.

The narrow focus has been difficult for the zoo to maintain, since many of the Bible’s animals are now extinct in Israel.

The terms used in the Bible to name animals are also somewhat ambiguous, leading to some uncertainty over which animals are actually discussed.

The zoo now includes a variety of endangered species in addition to the biblical animals, and it has become known for its breeding programs, which have enabled it to reintroduce at least 11 species to Israel’s nature reserves.

Since its inception in 1940, the zoo has moved several times, but today it resides in the Malha valley.

The two-level park includes trees and shrubs mentioned in the Bible, an artificial wall called Moses’ Rock, and a “two-story, boat-shaped wooden visitor’s center meant to resemble Noah’s Ark.”



4. Old MacDonald’s Farm

In 1966, a public park and petting zoo called Old MacDonald’s Farm opened in Hampton, Virginia.

Designed like a working farm, the park showcases farm animals and fowl as well as Virginia-native wild animals.

Now known as Bluebird Gap Farm, the park intends to expose kids to animals in a farm setting, to which they would otherwise have very little exposure.

In addition to the animals, the park showcases both modern and antique farm equipment, the original Hampton train station, a family cemetery, a demonstration garden, and an Azalea Trail featuring rare azaleas.



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GOLDMAN: Here Are Our Top 7 Trades For 2013

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casino dealer

Goldman Sachs has released its top seven trade recommendations for clients in 2013.

We have already highlighted two of the trades as they've been released over a period of days.

The trades aren't for everyone and some of them are pretty technical.

But they offer a very intimate look at what Goldman Sachs sees for the world next year.

The common thread throughout the trades: 2013 is the year of risk-on.

Go long the Wavefront GDP Growth Basket

Originally introduced: August 13

Target return: 10 percent

The trade: This is basically a risk-on bet on the U.S. stock market. Goldman's proprietary "Wavefront GDP Growth" basket is comprised of long positions in cyclical stocks from the materials, industrials, and consumer discretionary sectors and short positions in more defensive stocks from sectors like consumer staples and healthcare.

The logic: Goldman is bullish on the U.S. economy in 2013 and thinks the stock market should therefore see a rotation into cyclical stocks as growth accelerates and investors seek higher returns from riskier assets.



Go Long the Current Account "FX Current"

Originally introduced: December 10

Target return: 4 percent

The trade: "FX Current" is another proprietary Goldman basket. Investing in it involves taking long positions in currencies of countries running current account surpluses, funded by currencies in countries with account deficits.

The logic: Goldman strategists write, "When the global macro and policy outlook becomes more uncertain, cross border capital flows tend to slow temporarily, often leaving a large current account deficit or surplus as the primary drivers of the FX market." In other words, countries running big external deficits could face currency depreciation risks.



Go Long Large Cap US Banks

Originally introduced: December 7

Target return: 20 percent

The trade: Invest in the KBW Bank Index (ticker BKX), comprised of stock in several of the biggest U.S. banks.

The logic: This is another risk-on bet on the U.S. economic recovery in 2013. Goldman notes that U.S. banks lagged housing stocks as a rebound in U.S. housing took place in 2012. However, Goldman expects some of that improvement in housing to pass through to bank balance sheets in 2013.



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The Best Features Of Lenovo's IdeaPad 13-inch Yoga

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lenovo yoga 13 inch ideapadLenovo's latest laptop, the 13-inch IdeaPad Yoga is available now and starts at $999.

We have the full review of the laptop here, but take some time and check out the gallery of the best new features.



The IdeaPad Yoga sports a 13-inch screen. It's has a slim profile and weighs 3.4 pounds.



The yellow port is where the charger plugs in. It is completely different from other chargers we've seen. On this side is also the SD card slot and the USB 2.0 port.



On the other side is the USB 3.0 port, HDMI, and headphone jack.



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The 10 Most Buzzed About Politicians Of 2012

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ron paul, editorial sidebar, getty

The 2012 election cycle had a number of powerful personalities compete for the limelight.

From notorious legislators to presidential also-rans, dozens of politicians dominated the news all year.

Google tracked these people over the course of 2012 and has collected them in Zeitgeist 2012, a bundle of lists describing people and events that defined the year.

Here are the top ten politicians Americans were searching during the election.

 

10. Texas Gov. Rick Perry



9. Vice President Joe Biden



8. Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO)



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YACHT OF THE WEEK: Take The Family Cruising On The $1.85 Million Lady Laura

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lady laura yacht

Yachts may be great for Bond villains and the like, but they are at their best when they can take the family out on the water for some vacation.

The "Lady Laura" may be the ultimate family yacht, with room for nine guests and lots of open communal spaces.

The 98-foot yacht was built in 1992, and thoroughly renovated in 2008. And compared to most luxury yachts, the $1.85 million asking price is a pittance.

The 2008 renovation cost $300,000.



It comes with a 26-foot tender, with twin 225hp Yamaha engines.



The aft deck is a bit small, but there's enough room to relax on the sofa.



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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Bidding On This Laguna Beach Villa Starts At $10.5 Million

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Historic Villa Rockledge

A 25,000-square-foot historic compound in Laguna Beach, Calif., will be auctioned off tomorrow, with a starting bid of $10.5 million

The property, known as Villa Rockledge, was built by famed California developer Frank Miller in 1918 and later restored by Roger and Sherill Jones in 1973. It has been on and off the market, listed as high as $34.5 million.

The huge compound is composed of a giant 5,000-square-foot house which has 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, as well as six surrounding villas. Altogether the compound has 12 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, access to its own private beach, and parking for 12 cars.

True to its name, Villa Rockledge sits right on an ocean clif.

Full listing at Premiere Estates.



It is one of the only homes in Laguna Beach with a private beach, which spans 120 feet.

Full listing at Premiere Estates.



It is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's the oldest home on the ocean in Laguna Beach.

Full listing at Premiere Estates.



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The 99 Most Desirable Women Of The Year

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jennifer lawrence

What does it really mean to be a desirable woman?

Is it solely about a pretty face or a career accomplishment? Is it about having perfect proportions or about being "wife material"?

Start with #99 >

You answered these questions by voting in our annual Top 99. And judging from your responses and those of our staff, one thing is clear: Desirability isn't any one of these things, but all of them.

You chose women who represent the complete package of beauty, brains, ambition and charm. And we think you chose wisely.

From young up-and-comers to Top 99 vets, here are the women who make all our hearts skip a collective beat.

More From AskMen:

A Very Sexy Reason To Look Forward To 2013

The Best Books Of The Year

Meet Hip Hop's Next Generation

99: Bérénice Marlohe

Why is Bérénice Marlohe # 99?

While your average Joe probably doesn’t know all that much about this French beauty, he will before long. For years, Bérénice, who was born and raised in Paris, was cast only in small roles on French TV. And then 2012 happened. That year, Bérénice was cast alongside Daniel Craig as Séverine, the newest Bond girl, in the 23rd installment of the James Bond series, Skyfall. On the heels of Skyfall’s success, Bérénice was recently cast as the star of director Terrence Malick’s upcoming film, an as-yet-untitled project that will feature such A-listers as Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale.



98: Kim Kardashian

Why is Kim Kardashian # 98?

Kim Kardashian, the reigning queen of reality television, certainly had a productive—and lucrative—2012. Kim, the hotter half of KimYe, recently signed a new three-year deal with E! that will keep the Kardashians on the network through their series’ ninth season. The deal is worth an estimated $50 million. As further proof that Kim knows how to get paid, earlier in 2012, she launched two fragrances and a clothing line.



97: Charlize Theron

Why is Charlize Theron # 97?

Statuesque South African beauty Charlize Theron had a wildly productive 2012. Over the past year, Charlize starred in two blockbuster films, Prometheus and Snow White & the Huntsman, both of which were massive hits. And 2013 looks like it’s set to be another banner year for this actress. Aside from starring with Tom Hardy in the Mad Max reboot, Charlize may reprise her role as the beautiful but mentally challenged Rita Leeds on the highly anticipated Netflix-only Arrested Development revival.



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PRESENTING: The 10 Most Conservative Members Of Congress

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Ron Paul

It's almost the end of this session of Congress, and looking back we can see who were the most conservative members. 

The DW-NOMINATE score was developed by Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal as a way to determine where legislators voted in relation to each other.

By looking at how each legislator voted on every roll call vote compared to the member's peers, DW-NOMINATE is able to show how liberal or conservative a Congressman or Senator is. 

Over the course of a session, they develop a score based on how they vote compared to their peers. By looking at hundreds of roll call votes and comparing them mathematically, the DW-NOMINATE process is able to figure out where each member sits politically compared to other members.

The closer to -1 a member's score is, the more liberal they are. The closer to 1 a member's score is, the more conservative they are. At zero, a member is considered very, very centrist.

On this list, the closer the score is to 1, the more conservative the member is.  

Knowing this, Poole is able to rank them in order of partisan tilt based only on how they voted in a single session.

As the 112th Congress approaches its end, we can look to the DW-NOMINATE score to see who were the most conservative members of the House of Representatives mathematically. 


10. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)

Score: 0.745

Votes: 863

Hensarling, the chairman of the House Republican Congress, was a co-chair of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, better known as the "Super Committee." He is also a former chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee. 



9. Rep. John Campbell (R-CA)

Score: 0.757

Votes: 809

Campbell, a four-term Congressman, serves on the House Committee on Financial Services and the Budget Committee. He also chairs the Budget and Spending Task Force of the Republican Study Committee. 



8. Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)

Score: 0.775

Votes: 853

Franks, a four-term Congressman from Arizona, is another active member of the Republican Study Committee. He also serves on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees. 



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Now Here Are The 10 Most Liberal Members Of Congress...

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Maxine Waters

It's almost the end of this session of Congress, so we're looking back to see who were the most liberal members. 

The DW-NOMINATE score was developed by Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal as a way to determine where legislators voted in relation to each other.

By looking at how each legislator voted on every roll call vote compared to the member's peers, DW-NOMINATE is able to show how liberal or conservative a Congressman or Senator is.

Over the course of a session, they develop a score based on how they vote compared to their peers. By looking at hundreds of roll call votes and comparing them mathematically, the DW-NOMINATE process is able to figure out where each member sits politically compared to other members.

 The closer to -1 a member's score is, the more liberal they are. The closer to 1 a member's score is, the more conservative they are. At zero, a member is considered very, very centrist.

On this list, the closer the score is to -1, the more liberal the member is.  

Knowing this, Poole is able to rank them in order of partisan tilt based only on how they voted in a single session.

10. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

Score: -0.634

Votes: 773

Ellison, who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was the first Muslim ever to be elected to Congress. He also serves on the House Financial Services Committee. 



9. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)

Score: -0.639

Votes: 839

Grijalva, the other co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has represented Arizona's 7th district for five terms, and serves on the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Natural Resources. 



8. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

Score: -0.647

Votes: 852

Schakowsky, a seven-term Congresswoman, is the Chief Deputy Whip for the House Democrats, as well as a member of the House Steering and Policy Committee and co-chair of the Seniors Task Force.  



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The Best Places Around The World To Spend Christmas

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boston christmas time lights

A girl on a donkey leads a candle-carrying procession past San Miguel de Allende’s shops festooned with piñatas and poinsettias.

When they stop before a Spanish-colonial building and break into song, you realize you’re witnessing the reenactment of Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter that takes place in the days leading up to Christmas.

Check out these unforgettable Christmas destinations >

Whether your winter holiday trip enhances your yuletide nostalgia with traditions, sparkly lights, and nippy air or makes a radical break from it—by, say, taking you to warmer climes or a quiet, far-flung hideaway—breaking the habit of staying home will always reward you with a Christmas you’ll never forget.

With that goal in mind, we’ve rounded up diverse, exceptional places to get you in the spirit of taking off.

Quebec City is one of our favorite historic destinations for the holidays. The narrow cobble-stoned streets and stone architecture of the walled city, founded in 1608 by French explorer Samuel de Champlain, make it as romantic and European as it gets on this side of the pond.

Add to that a proclivity for snowfall and an abundance of top-notch bars and restaurants, and you may wish the New Year could be postponed.

But the appeal of warming up over the holidays is undeniable, too. For the die-hard contrarian, Kaikoura, New Zealand, ought to do the trick. It’s the height of summer there at Christmas, a holiday most often celebrated outdoors with backyard barbecues.

But it’s also a great time to be hiking the rainforest of the Kaikoura mountain range or on the waters of Kaikoura Bay, one of the most biodiverse marine environments on the planet. It’s the summer home of sperm whales, fur seals, dusky dolphins, and pilot whales, and all it takes to commune with them is a boat and a bit of perseverance.

South America has weathered the global recession better than most regions, and it’s not hard to see why. Brazil in particular is peppered with off-the-beaten-track gems that offer a true escape, like the coastal Portuguese colonial town of Paraty, about 140 miles south of Rio.

Its friendly locals, cerulean waters, exceptional beaches, and exotic-bird-filled jungles may make you forget what holiday it is altogether. Like we said: unforgettable.

Check out these unforgettable Christmas destinations >

More from Travel + Leisure:

Best of 2012

Holiday Travel Inspiration

Best Travel Gifts Under $50

America's Best Ski Towns

Best Travel Gadgets 2012

Charleston, South Carolina

Why Go:Charleston puts its own spin on the holidays—pecans roasting instead of chestnuts, eggnog spiked with bourbon, and choirs singing spirituals at Drayton Hall plantation.

Where to Stay: The 21-room Wentworth Mansion dresses in subdued Victorian finery for the holidays with magnolia wreaths, old-world Santas, and two grand Christmas trees in the foyer.

Every room has its own fireplace. On your pillow at turndown: chocolate truffles.

Holiday Dinner: At Peninsula Grill, chef Graham Dailey uses a fine selection of glazes and sauces, such as on his grilled peach glazed jumbo shrimp, and gives you the option of sinfully grilled steak and sauce.

Take your pick among blue cheese–balsamic glaze, red pepper béarnaise, foie gras–truffle butter, or brandy-peppercorn sauce.



Reykjavikík, Iceland

Why Go: In this otherworldly landscape, daylight is a four-hour affair and the liquid-green aurora borealis illuminates the nighttime sky.

Statues of the 12 Yule Lads (the Icelandic version of Santa Claus) peer out from every corner shop and window.

Where to Stay: For covetable views of the Hallgrímskirkja cathedral and reasonable room rates, check in to the Hótel Leifur Eiríksson.

Holiday Dinner: The seafood restaurant Vid Tjörnina lures locals and visitors alike with its classic Icelandic cuisine. How about fermented shark meat followed by shots of Brennivín (a.k.a. schnapps, or “firewater”)?

Reykjavikík, Iceland



Santa Barbara, US

Why Go: During winter, the coastal towns in Santa Barbara County combine New England–style comfort and old California elegance with outrageous holiday kitsch.

Where to Stay: In Montecito, the 500-acre San Ysidro Ranch could be a Vermont hunting lodge (rooms have wood-beamed ceilings and stone hearths), except that it’s 20 minutes from world-class surfing at Rincon Beach.

Holiday Dinner: Go super casual at Stacky’s Seaside, which stands out like a grounded trawler.

Fortify yourself with its fish and chips before hitting the Summerland Winery’s tasting room for a wine that shouldn’t work but does: a sparkling Zinfandel.



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Inside The Odd And Hilarious Subculture Of 'Weird Twitter'

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There's an unusual subculture of jokesters on Twitter, and they're probably having more fun than you.

Instead of tweeting filtered photos of their lunches or their vapid thoughts on technology (you all know who you are), they share surreal bursts of unusual ideas, jokes that are funny not because of a conventional punchline, but because they fly in the face of what we think a joke is.

An example:

weird twitter

A grad student named Sebastian Benthall delved into the world of Weird Twitter and has shared many of his thoughts on his blog, perhaps most notably that"Weird [T]witter definitely exists, and it is bigger and weirder than I imagined."

This is not a proper organization in itself. It's simply a name given to identify people who want to give you a dose of humorous weirdness.

There's often a certain style to these tweets, such as obvious misspellings or unusual capitalization. You've probably heard of @horse_ebooks, a famous Twitter account tweeting out small bits of poetic nonsense that sometimes come across like a zen koan. It might be considered the spiritual father to this stuff.

So a minimalist definition of "Weird Twitter" might be as easy as the this: it's a group of people who tweet very inaccessible things to humorous effect.

I'm pro-Weird Twitter, and I've gathered up some of my favorite examples of these tweets.







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These 7 Apps Will Help You Get Your Messy Life Together (AAPL)

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information overload, stress, overwhelmed, frustrated, confused, student

Why not let your fancy iPhone or iPad handle some of the load of your daily life?

There are a number of apps readily available to make sure you remember everything at the store, get all your tasks done, and even pay your bills on time.

Evernote

The app that helps you "remember everything," Evernote is set up to let you jot down notes and take pictures of whatever you like. You can then sync your notes so that you have them across all your devices.

Use this for shopping lists, to-do lists, or anything else you want to make sure not to forget.

Price:free



BillMinder

You probably already have enough to remember without trying to remember when the bills are due on top of it all. BillMinder is a straightforward app that reminds you when to pay your bills so that you can focus on other stuff and stay productive.

Price:$1.99



Clear

It's probably the sexiest to-do list app there is. Clear is minimal in aesthetic but high on function, helping you keep easy track of the tasks at hand.

Price:$1.99



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The Best Apps To Give As Gifts For The Holidays (AAPL)

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roommates christmas tree happy gifts

Physical objects as gifts?

Please.

This year, give your friends and family some apps.

You don't have to wrap them and they can be just as useful or entertaining.

Here are some of the apps that we think make excellent gifts for the different types of people in your life.

Grill-It

There's a grillmaster in nearly every family. Give him or her this app that contains a number of grill recipes (new ones are added all the time) for maximum grilling inspiration.

Price:$0.99



Infinity Blade II

This game was a runaway success for a reason–it's just plain fun. Kill bad guys with a sword, earn coins to upgrade your weapons, and become a defender of the realm!

Price:$6.99



Golfshot GPS

This app is perfect for your favorite golf nut. It contains GPS data for over 40,000 golf courses so that you always know exactly how far it is to the pin.

Price:$29.99



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PRESENTING: The Worst Housing Market In The World

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spain real estate

There remains debate over whether America's housing market has truly bottomed, but it's certainly not as bad as it was during and immediately after the recession.

The same cannot be said for Spain.  

The AP reported Thursday home prices fell 14.4 percent year-over-year in the second quarter and 15.2 percent in the third.

Prices in Madrid fell 17.9 percent.

The situation is so bad, it threatens the banking system, and in turn threatens the the finances of the entire nation. That in turn threatens all of the Eurozone, as its neighbors wait nervously to see if Spain ends up needing a bailout.

What's the problem?

We dug in.

The busting of Spain's housing bubble was one of the first international ripple effects of Lehman.



It has not stopped since.



Since Q1 2011, the rate of quarterly price declines has accelerated — to -15.2 from -4.1 in Q3.



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This Documentary About 3 Innocent Teens Jailed For 20 Years Reveals The Scary Flaws In Our Criminal Justice System

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west memphis three damien echols

The "West Memphis 3" case has gripped the country since the early '90s. That's when three teens were arrested for the sexual assault and murder of three 8-year-old boys in Arkansas.

The teenagers always maintained their innocence and after nearly 20 years behind bars — and the help of some Hollywood heavyweights like Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson — Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly, and Jason Baldwin walked out of prison free men in August 2011.

But the case is far from over. Defense attorneys for the West Memphis 3 have all claimed Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Stevie Branch, one of the murdered boys, should be looked at as a suspect in the case.

Attorneys for Echols said in January Hobbs' nephew told friends "my uncle Terry murdered those three little boys," Fox 16 reported at the time.

Hobbs has fought the allegations, calling them "more of a publicity stunt" than anything else. In truth nobody really knows who killed the boys.

On Monday night I was lucky enough to attend a screening of West of Memphis, the latest documentary about the case, produced by Jackson and Fran Walsh and directed by Amy Berg.

I was only 5 years old when the case first broke and truthfully never knew much about it other than the major developments that happened in the past few years. So going into the movie, I had no opinions about the trio's guilt or the case in general.

But the documentary was so moving and presented such a gut-wrenching picture of a town torn apart by a horrific crime and six young lives — the victims' and the West Memphis 3's — forever damaged that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.

The pictures that follow are all stills from the movie and tell the essential aspects of the West Memphis 3's long journey.

West of Memphis is the story of three teenagers: Damien Echols (L), Jessie Misskelley (M), and Jason Baldwin (R). The three were convicted in 1994 of the murders of three young boys.

Source: Wikipedia



The victims were found in a creek in West Memphis, Ark. Christopher Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore, all 8 years old, were found naked and "hog tied" in the water.

Source: Sony Pictures



The community was outraged at the murders and turned on the trio. The West Memphis 3 drew so much ire because they were different and were long suspected of belonging to a Satanic cult, according to the documentary.

Source: Sony Pictures



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SEX, LIES, AND PHOTOSHOP: These Ads Were All Banned In 2012

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zombie ad ban

As 2012 comes to a close, it's time to remember the ads that were deemed too risqué, disingenuous or gratuitous to make it to glossy magazine pages or commercial breaks.

These are the most eyebrow-raising ads that were banned around the world this year. 

They were kicked off the airwaves for everything from showing naked models to promoting dangerous driving to depicting brain-loving zombies to offending elderly dudes with the implication that an "older man does not receive any [sexual] attention due to his age."

An ad for "Taken 2" was banned in the U.K. by the infamous Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) when it found out Twentieth Century Fox highlighted fake reviews claiming it was a "ten out of ten."

Read more here>



The ASA banned eight American Apparel ads in April (this is one of the only ones sans full nudity) and "told AA not to use similar images which were exploitative of women or that inappropriately sexualized young women in future."

Read more here>



American Apparel got in trouble with the ASA again in December for showing this image (which we censored) on its site. The watchdog explained, "because her breasts were visible through her shirt, we considered the images could be seen to sexualise a model who appeared to be a child."

Read more here>



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The Best Someecards To Send Your Techie Friends For The Holidays

21 Money-Saving Gifts For Everyone On Your List

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moviepass main image

If you're serious about giving the best to loved ones this year, why not give them something that's built to last –– and help them save at the same time? 

We've rounded up a list of great gift ideas that are not only functional, but have the added bonus of helping break the bad habits that tend to waste cash.

Save on movie tickets with a MoviePass subscription

If anyone on your list is a Netflix or Hulu fan, they'll go nuts for MoviePass.

It's only been out a few months, but MoviePass is new app that lets users see as many movies as they want for a monthly fee ($25 to $40, depending on location). 

For cinephiles in cities where some theaters charge up to $17 for a 3-D flick, this can mean huge savings over time. 

Price: $39.99 and up



Save on movie rentals with a Hulu Plus or Netflix subscription

Cable can be expensive, costing anywhere from $30 a month and upwards, but if your loved one is looking for nothing more than TV and movies, aim for a Hulu+ or Netflix subscription this holiday season.

All their favorite shows and movies are available—and not just the most recent episodes, but entire seasons, too.

Price: $7.99/month for 
Hulu Plus and Netflix



Ditch your daily coffee habit with the Bodum French Press

Dumping your daily coffee habit won't rescue your finances necessarily, but it certainly could leave a few extra bucks in your pocket each day.

The Bodum French Press includes an 8-cup French press as well as a 15-ounce travel press for caffeine fiends on the go.

Price: $40



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These Are The Celebrity Investors Conquering Silicon Valley

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Celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Leonardo DiCaprio are investing in tech companies as they aim to conquer Silicon Valley.

We look at some of the big movers and shakers in the growing world of celebrity tech.

Will.i.am

Will.i.am has become the latest celebrity to release his own brand of technology products, with a range of iPhone accessories that go on sale this month.

His consumer electronics and app venture i.am+ includes the foto.sosho range transforms the iPhone into a 14 megapixel camera.



Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has invested in several technology start-up companies in recent times including music sharing platform Turntable FM and celebrity social media site Backplane.

Kanye West is another celeb who has invested in Turntable FM.



Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt has put his name to another tech savy celebrity technology brand in the form of Ludacris' Soul headphones.

The Olympian has joined the increasing number of celebs to endorse audio devices.



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