Have you ever wondered what makes one pop song a hit and another a flop? The answer isn’t money, reports NPR’s All Things Considered, which calculated the cost of writing, producing, and marketing “Man Down,” a track from Rihanna’s latest CD, Loud . It’s currently bringing up the rear on iTunes…
Continue reading …A real-life Magneto in Brazil? Metal appears to stick to Paulo David Amorim, reports the AP , citing local media. The 11-year-old’s apparently magnetic qualities have led classmates to nickname him “magnet boy.” Though a doctor says he’s never seen such a case before, he adds that the boy’s health is…
Continue reading …A salary of $5,000 per year may not sound like a lot, but in India, where per-capita income is just $900 per year, such a wage is highly desirable. That’s why the systematic outsourcing of many customer service and sales lines to India, where US companies are more than…
Continue reading …Ever wondered how a pair of jeans, even great-looking ones, could possibly cost $300 or more? The Wall Street Journal has the answer—and in large part, it’s because the fancy pants were made in America, writes Christina Binkley. If a pair of $300 True Religion jeans had been made…
Continue reading …Michele Bachmann was already in hot water after signing a pledge that appears to maybe, sorta-kinda, call for a ban on porn . Now it turns out that same pledge included a controversial slavery-related clause in its preamble, forcing Bachmann to backpedal and the group behind the pledge to ultimately remove…
Continue reading …Which towns will prosper the most in the next 10 years? Forbes Magazine runs down the 52 biggest cities in the US in terms of future vitality, job growth, increase in population of children, and immigration numbers. The winners: Austin, Texas: High immigration and a good reputation among educated workers…
Continue reading …The final edition of News of the World contains a secret message to News International CEO and former NotW editor Rebekah Brooks—and it’s not a nice message. Staff members found a way around orders from News International to “ensure there were no libels or any hidden mocking messages of…
Continue reading …Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez won the Tour de France’s ninth stage today, as France’s Thomas Voeckler came in second, allowing him to take the lead overall. Sanchez, who moved into second place overall, said “it was really a hard stage today,” and the AP notes the day was full of…
Continue reading …By this point, Sarah Palin has got to be pretty sick of people asking whether she’ll run for president in 2012. Sarah Beth Palin, that is. The 20-year-old shares her name with the headline-grabbing politician, and while things certainly got crazy for the Alaska Palins when John McCain announced his…
Continue reading …The Beckhams finally have their girl: Victoria Beckham gave birth this morning to a daughter weighing 7lbs., 10oz., according to a family spokesman. The couple are “delighted to announce the birth of their daughter,” born at Los Angeles’ Cedars Sinai hospital, said the spokesman. Brothers Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, 8, and…
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