Searching for a CSA

If you are trying to avoid GMOs and the potential for strange growths or zombie-like qualities this summer, participating in a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, may be a good choice.

Polluted canvases

Art from smog and lichens

Sometimes we need the most literal of images to open our eyes. So it is with Kim Abeles’ art — she creates art with smog so viewers can see the dirty tracks of the way we live in clear outlines. She has enlarged often-overlooked lichen and given them eyes.

Jumping the power lines

CU engineers install renewable energy systems in Haiti

Forget the grid. For the developing world, professors forget the power lines and the coal-fired electricity they deliver. In developing you countries, renewable energy sources are their the answer to getting people online, was, powering up their cell phones and running computer labs in schools.

No environmental regulations in this House

Though Congress this year may be better known as the session that failed to accomplish anything, a report commissioned by three ranking members of the House shows this year’s collection of Representatives has cast more anti-environment votes than any other in history. The total averages out to one anti-environmental vote for every day in session in 2011. The votes were split by party, with 94 percent of Republicans voting anti-environment and 86 percent of Democrats voting pro-environment.

Envelope, please

An energy-efficiency program conceived in Boulder just might convert you

Fueled by federal grant dollars and powered by a team of advisors, the EnergySmart program is proving catalytic in the way it helps people take action after receiving an energy audit.

Resolve to contribute to a healthier planet

It’s that time of year. The resolutions fly back and forth, the company incentive packages and community weight loss programs are rolling out. Your gym is about to become a lot more crowded with people looking to burn off the holiday pounds and jump into the new year leaner and meaner and healthier, ideally.

Contesting the rules of roadlessness

Six years ago, in the interest of protecting Colorado’s pristine wilderness areas while the national roadless area rule was being contested in court, the state began development of a roadless rule. Two drafts and 200,000 public comments later, local conservation organizations are now looking to scrap that rule and go back to the national roadless rule, which has since been validated twice by circuit courts, including the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver in October. Not only is a state rule no long necessary, conservation groups say, the Colorado roadless rule doesn’t offer protections for Colorado’s forests that are as strong as the national rule. They’re putting pressure on the Obama administration to block the proposed Colorado Roadless Rule.

Drifting toward answers on lost crops

If you shop with any regularity at the Abbondanza stall at the farmers’ market, you might have noticed some gaps in their inventory this fall. Dried beans and winter squash are mostly what Shanan Olson, co-owner, says people have commented on missing. They ask why, and she’s not sure how to reply. Pesticide drift on their organic-certified farm in 2010 cost most of their fall harvest, a $250,000 loss. At least, that’s what they can piece together. What really happened to their crop has been a complicated puzzle to solve.

Fishing for sustainable seafood

Step away from the shrimp cocktail and the smoked salmon spread. Even fisheries that sell products stamped with the seal of approval from the Marine Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit that promotes solutions to overfishing and certifies fisheries and seafood products as sustainable or environmentally friendly, have been the source of some oceanic nightmares.

Shop local services

This year, you could give gifts. Or, you could give the gift of a stronger local economy, more jobs, more money for local charities and more tax dollars for infrastructure by buying services instead of goods. Spa treatments, haircuts, house cleaning, massages and computer help are all examples of services that can be purchased from locally owned businesses.

Briefs | Saving the ocean in Colorado

As part of the one-year anniversary of the Colorado Ocean Coalition, Sherman’s Lagoon cartoonist Jim Toomey and Blue Frontier Campaign founder David Helvarg will be speaking at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13, at the Boulder Public Library. They will be part of a “Making Waves in Colorado” symposium being held from 1 to 5 p.m. that will include National Geographic Explorer in Residence Sylvia Earle, U.S. National Marine Sanctuary Program Director Dan Basta and environmental hero Margo Pellegrino.

Briefs | CRC celebrates 35 years

The Center for ReSource Conservation (CRC) will be celebrating its 35th anniversary as an environmental nonprofit at its ReWards dinner on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder.

Briefs | Buds for boobies

In response to the alarming rate at which breast cancer rates have been increasing in recent decades, and to protest conventional treatments, a local nonprofit is raising money to fund non-toxic and safe breast cancer research and prevention education.

Briefs | Boulder cops to enforce codes

City of Boulder officials announced this week that they have given the police authority over certain areas of code enforcement. On Oct. 10, the Boulder Police assumed responsibility for quality-of-life code enforcement items, which officials say will streamline service delivery to the community.

Buff Briefs | Search for A&S dean launched

The University of Colorado Boulder has launched a national search for a new dean for its largest college, the College of Arts and Sciences. John Stevenson, dean of the Graduate School, will chair the search committee.

Briefs | City council forum on tap

Urban Land Institute (ULI) Boulder will host a city council candidate forum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the West Senior Center, at 909 Arapahoe Ave.

buff briefs | Monisha Merchant resigns seat on CU Board of Regents

Monisha Merchant resigned her seat on the University of Colorado Board of Regents on Sept. 25. She will become the senior advisor for business affairs for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. Merchant is a Lakewood Democrat whose six-year term began in January 2009 after she won the election in November 2008.

Briefs | Lighten up, Boulder

GO Boulder, the University of Colorado and local merchants have teamed up for the fourth annual “Lighten Up Boulder” campaign to highlight the importance of using a bike light for night cycling.

Briefs | Hospital hosts drug drop-off

Several local organizations are sponsoring a free pharmaceutical drive-up and drop-off event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Boulder Community Foothills Hospital, at 4747 Arapahoe Ave.

buff briefs | Draper named vice chancellor

Frances Draper, associate vice chancellor for strategic relations, was promoted to the post of vice chancellor for strategic relations on Sept. 16. The appointment is effective on Oct. 1 and will raise her salary from $153,000 to $175,000 a year.

The ghosts of Valmont Butte

Ever since the city of Boulder purchased its Valmont Butte property, city taxpayers have been picking up the tab to pay for the environmental sins committed by more than a century’s worth of long-departed users at the site. And that tab may be getting bigger as more ghosts from the property’s past continue to reveal themselves.

The reintroduction of Clyfford Still

Museum draws American master back onto the canvas of art history

Even art enthusiasts who believed they knew the work of leading American abstract expressionist Clyfford Still had surprises waiting when the museum of his work opened in Denver. But for everyone else, it was a surprise just knowing the man existed at all.

Opening doors

Frank Alexander lauded for making a difference for county’s needy

Frank Alexander started helping the needy in high school, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and food pantries in tiny Hopewell, N.J. Now, decades later, he’s still helping the less fortunate, just on a much larger scale. Alexander is Boulder County’s director of housing and human services, and he’s Boulder Weekly’s Person of the Year because he has been responsible for leading a remarkable transformation in how the county helps its needy.

Writing a new ending for Boulder's chronically homeless

Complex issues confront the homeless and their community

The 76-year-old man who calls himself Reverend Friendly walks with a shuffled gait. Old age and decades of heavy, indiscriminate drinking have reduced his mobility considerably. His long, white beard flows down to his chest, and his eyelids droop heavily over his eyes, giving him the appearance of being permanently sleepy, or at least squinting.

Behind the GMO curtain

Big Ag threatens war on Boulder

Had Dorothy and her dog stumbled into the Dec. 8 county commissioners meeting, where the issue of genetically modified crops on open space was the topic, she might have uttered the line, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Boulder any more.” And for good reason.

Bad seed

The hidden costs of allowing genetically modified crops on county open space

It’s never easy being a Boulder County commissioner. In the best of times it’s a cross between housekeeping and playing referee. And then there are times like we’re having now when an emotional issue — in this case the expanded use of genetically modified crops on open space lands — has turned once-routine meetings into something more akin to cage fighting. It’s not an exaggeration.

Season of service

Boulder's faith communities play crucial role in helping the needy

Several times a week, 47-year-old Ron Cobbley does his part to serve Boulder’s homeless. He spends much of his time assisting First Presbyterian Church with a lunch for the homeless and greets visitors by name or with a friendly pat on the back. Few would know that Cobbley is homeless himself.

Drug shortage crisis

The shocking origins of America's deadly drug shortages

Thanks to the world’s largest drug manufacturers, our elected officials and a media environment addicted to good visuals and easy answers, we have been given a culprit in recent weeks, a dastardly collection of small medical distribution companies collectively referred to as the “gray market.” These companies make their profits in the secretive shadows of the mainstream pharmaceutical sector.

Surviving shelters

Shelters and rescues try to collaborate, and sometimes clash, on saving dogs

Sawyer is a one in a hundred dog. He’s sweet, loyal and smart, with a playful streak likely to mature into a watchful air. At 16 months old, 83 pounds and mostly legs, he has a puppy’s energy for bounding through the backyard, but is so eager to please that his foster guardian says her best disciplinary weapon is a spray bottle. But a month ago, Sawyer, a purebred Akbash, was on the edge of becoming one of a couple hundred dogs the Humane Society of Boulder Valley euthanizes each year as untreatable or unhealthy.

Occupying Democracy

As our leaders loudly preach, democracy is something that we export to the rest of the world — to certain monarchies and autocratic regimes that rule Arab nations, for example. And it’s understandable though regrettable, they tell us, that there would be eruptions of pent-up anger at aloof upper classes in India, Greece, Spain and Israel. But a genuinely populist uprising to bring democracy, both economic and political, to the U.S.A.?

Why the U.S. Government Won't Protect Us From Toxic Chemicals In Our Food Supply

In 1985, “We are the World” won song of the year, The Goonies and Back to the Future lit up the silver screen, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would assess the health risks of dioxins.

The great carbon bubble: Why the fossil-fuel industry fights so hard

If we could see the world with a particularly illuminating set of spectacles, one of its most prominent features at the moment would be a giant carbon bubble, whose bursting someday will make the housing bubble of 2007 look like a lark. As yet — as we shall see — it’s unfortunately largely invisible to us.

The Key to Addressing Climate Change – Indigenous Knowledge

The precipitous rise in the world’s human population and humankind’s ever-increasing dependence on fossil fuel-based ways of living have played a significant role in raising the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG).

Is Today's Beef Better For The Environment?

The American beef industry has taken a bit of a beating in recent years. Beef has been linked to heart disease and cancer and hamburgers have been recalled. We're also often told that cattle require a lot of precious food and water to make tender steaks.

The Race for the Most Ethical Water Bottle

The recession has encouraged us to cut our frivolous spending. Environmentalism has encouraged us to cut our frivolous waste. The result? The market for sustainably-branded products is more competitive than ever.

Giant Crack in Antarctica About to Spawn New York-Size Iceberg

With a gargantuan crack slowly splitting it apart, Antarctica's fastest-melting glacier is about to lose a chunk of ice larger than all of New York City, scientists say.

Groundhog Day 2012: Punxsutawney Phil's Forecast Is In

In the afterglow of early morning fireworks on Groundhog Day 2012, the Inner Circle of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania—human handlers of the word's most famous groundhog—took the stage at rural Gobbler's Knob to introduce what Vice President Mike Johnston called "the Great Oz of weather forecasting."

The Next Generation of Renewable Energy May Be Created Under Water

When reporters, politicians, and environmental advocates talk about renewable energy, they talk about wind and solar. This makes sense: Of the newer generation of renewables, wind is contributing the lion's share of electricity generation. California’s wind energy association just announced that 5 percent of California’s power now comes from wind farms. Solar plants still provide only a tiny slice of energy, but last year, with prices dropping, the industry was booming.

How Clean Energy Projects on Public Land Will Power 3 Million Homes

Not so long ago, American energy policy might have included carbon-busting endeavors like cap-and-trade. But now, politicians’ focus has turned to clean energy, which Congress isn’t exactly rushing to support.

Reclaimed Wastewater for Drinking: Safe but Still a Tough Sell

Water filtration technology has advanced to the point where wastewater can be rendered safe for drinking, according to a new report, but legislative and psychological hurdles will need to be overcome before widespread adoption can happen.

Obama Unleashes His Super PAC

Last night, President Obama’s campaign manager, Jim Messina, sent out an e-mail announcing that the Super PAC Priorities USA will now receive the full backing and support of the presidential campaign:

California Prop 8 ruling on gay marriage overturned

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Tuesday ruled unconstitutional Proposition 8, the 2008 California ballot measure that banned same sex marriage.

Job Openings Jump to Near a 3-year High

The number of available jobs in the United States jumped in December to near a three-year high, supporting other data that show a brighter outlook for hiring.

Romney's Big Win in Nevada: Does It Matter?

Surprising almost no one, Mitt Romney won the Nevada caucuses on Saturday. Associated Press returns from 14 of 17 counties -- but not Clark County, the largest in the state -- showed Romney drawing 42 percent of the votes. Entrance polls of caucus-goers released by CNN earlier in the night showed Romney pulling 55 percent of the vote statewide.

Tebow says he might run for office one day

If being an NFL quarterback doesn’t work out for Denver Broncos signal caller Tim Tebow, then perhaps a career in politics may be the next best thing.

Why the Komen/Planned Parenthood Breakup—While It Lasted—Was Good for Feminism

My delight at the Susan G. Komen Foundation/Planned Parenthood breakup lasted a glorious forty-eight hours—which is the time it took for the nation’s most prominent breast cancer charity to reverse the decision that it would no longer fund the nation’s most prominent women’s healthcare provider.

Washington State Moves to Legalize Gay Marriage

The state Senate in Washington passed a bill on Wednesday night that puts the Evergreen State on a course to becoming the seventh state in the country to legalize gay marriage.

Why Obama should be worried

To hear Democrats (and much of the media) tell it, President Barack Obama is a man on the rebound. The president turned in a strong State of the Union speech, picked a smart political fight over taxing the rich and authorized another heroic Navy SEAL mission in terrorist territory. Sounds like a recipe for reelection, they say.

Romney wins big in Florida

Mitt Romney claimed a powerful victory in Florida’s presidential primary, reasserting himself as the front-runner for his party’s nomination and leaving Newt Gingrich reeling from a likely double-digit defeat and facing an uncertain path to regaining his post-South Carolina momentum.

Deafening Republican Silence on Financial Fraud Task Force

In Republican folklore, President Obama is a sworn enemy of American capitalism. He wants to “put free enterprise on trial” (Mitt Romney); he erroneously thinks that the country’s problems “must be the fault of those people on Wall Street” (Mitch McConnell); he has “bastardized” Wall Street CEOs (Fox News’s Neil Cavuto, and no, I have no idea what he means).

Turning the tables

Monsanto sued by organic farmers and seed companies

The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed a lawsuit last year against Monsanto Company on behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses and organic agricultural organizations. According to PUBPAT’s website, the suit was filed “to challenge the chemical giant’s patents on genetically modified seed.

Reverend Friendly, street poet, dies at 76

Laverne Lobdell, the heavily bearded, silver-tongued street poet known as Reverend Friendly, who haunted Boulder’s open mics for decades, died on Jan. 7. He was 76.

Valmont cemetery families say city in danger of digging up human remains

For the “no evidence of off-site contamination” argument to be true, we would have to believe that a half-century’s worth of windblown contamination was stopped dead in its tracks by chain-link and barbed wire fences. As we found during our investigation, “no evidence” of contamination actually means no testing for contamination.

Lawyer: City/county could be liable for cemetery contamination

The Valmont School District No.4 Cemetery Association is being represented by Randall Weiner, the lawyer who in 1999 helped about 300 residents of the Denver suburb Globeville win a settlement in a class-action lawsuit against a smelting plant accused of contaminating the area with lead and other heavy metals.

Contaminants found at Valmont Butte

Arsenic: Skin damage, circulatory system problems, increased cancer risk. Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, anorexia, vomiting, epigastric and abdominal pain, and diarrhea, in addition to dermatitis, muscle cramps, cardiac abnormalities,...

Valmont Butte timeline

Valmont Butte timeline

CU senior auditor registration is Jan. 23-24

The University of Colorado has begun registration for spring classes with the Senior Auditors Program.

Longmont wants input on 1st & Main

Options for the revitalization effort, which was prompted in part by the Regional Transportation District’s long-term plans for a commuter rail station at the site, include housing, bike trails, walking paths, restaurants, retail and light manufacturing uses. The closure of the nearby Butterball plant has only added to the opportunities to regenerate the area, officials say.

New commissioner: Gain consensus on GMOs

New Boulder County Commissioner Deb Gardner says that while she opposes the planting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on county open space, she doesn’t plan to be heavy-handed about it.

A day of action, amending, occupying

Move To Amend, a national coalition with local affiliates across Colorado, is calling for a day of action on Friday, Jan. 20. Occupy the Courts asks volunteers to occupy federal courthouses for one day in more than 100 U.S. cities.

Gallery: The Black Keys live at the Fillmore

The Black Keys tore up the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver on June 3, 2010. Take a look at the visuals.

GALLERY: Miike Snow at the Ogden Theater

Boulder Weekly's Michael Accomazzo had a chance to check out Miike Snow at the Ogden Theater on Friday, April 9. Check out some of the action:

GALLERY: Signtology at its finest

In this week's issue we feature Dan Ericson aka Dunn the Signtologist and his extraordinary portraits that make run-of-the-mill street signs works of art. Check out the gallery:

GALLERY: Spoon live at the Ogden Theater

Spoon played a packed, sold-out show at the Ogden Theater in Denver last night, and the band did not disappoint the loyal crowds there to see the indie-rock icons. The opening acts, Micachu and the Shapes and Deerhunter, received unenthusiastic yet polite applause from the crowd, and a quick look at the many bored faces dotting the floor of the Ogden implied that most were there for the main act, not the openers.

Slideshow: Body Worlds & The Story of the Heart at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Check out photos from the new exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Body Worlds & The Story of the Heart. The exhibit will run from now until July 18, 2010. Look for the Boulder Weekly feature about the exhibit in the March 18 issue.

Police blotter | Canoe save me?

At 5:10 p.m. on June 10, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mountain Fire Rescue and Boulder Emergency Squad responded to Marshall Lake at the 6600 block of Marshall Road on report of a capsized canoe.

Police blotter | Face punch

On Friday, May 20, a 31-year-old man was arrested by the Boulder Police Department for second- and third-degree assault charges, according to the Boulder Police. The man who was arrested allegedly punched a victim in the face multiple times, leaving the male victim seriously injured, according to the report.

Police blotter | iRecovery

A laptop, iPod and cell phone were reported stolen from the 1800 block of 22nd Avenue in Boulder on Jan. 23, but Boulder police now have a photo of the man who came into possession of the computer, thanks to a program that takes a picture of the first person who opens the laptop after it is reported as missing or stolen.

Police blotter | A very strong shot

A Boulder County sheriff’s deputy with a stationary radar located at Highway 36 near Cherryvale Road at 2:20 a.m. on Jan. 16 reported seeing a car approach at a speed of 111 miles per hour.

Police blotter | Spoons: not just for eating

Boulder police officers were dispatched to the Emergency Pet Clinic at 1658 30th St. The cat did not suffer any broken bones or internal bleeding, but the 19-year-old suspect admitted to injuring it because he was stressed and exhausted from traveling.

Police Blotter | Kids, close your eyes

Officers were on a routine patrol near McCaddon Cadillac, at 2460 48th Court, on Nov. 10 when they noticed two men running.

Police Blotter | More threats at Boulder High

On Monday, Oct. 25, school resource officers found one threat in a third-floor mens bathroom and another threat in a bathroom on the second floor. The threat targeted Boulder High School students, Latinos in particular, and the writer threatened to bring a gun to school on Friday, Oct.

Police Blotter | Arrests in scrap metal thefts

Deputies responded at around 9 a.m. to the 5400 block of Sunshine Canyon after callers reported seeing two men loading scrap metal from destroyed homes into the back of their pickup truck. The truck was intercepted about one and a half miles up Sunshine Canyon and was stopped at Sunshine Canyon Drive, near Mount Sanitas.

Police blotter | Man accused of harassment after alleged peeping

According to a police report, a 19-year-old CU student from Nigeria was walking near Broadway and Pleasant Street on Sept. 18 with a 23-year-old friend, who is also from Nigeria, when they heard voices behind them. The suspects allegedly used the n-word, called the victims monkeys and told them to go back to their country of origin, the report said.

Police Blotter | Unexpected growth

The victim said she was in her bedroom when she heard an alarm indicating someone was opening a door to her residence. She left the room to investigate and observed a white male walking around. She ran back into the bedroom to call police and looked outside, where she noticed that the interior dome light of her vehicle was on.

Happy 80th birthday to the Twinkie

Twinkies do, in fact, have a shelf life — 25 days, to be precise, according to Hostess Foods. It only seems like the yellow sponge cake injected with vanilla cream filling lasts forever. Maybe because it's been around as long as anyone can remember.

Amphibious caterpillars discovered in Hawaii

Moths of the Hawaiian genus Hyposmocoma are an oddball crowd: One of the species' caterpillars attacks and eats tree snails. Now researchers have described at least a dozen different species that live underwater for several weeks at a time.

Radiation from space floated as possible cause of Toyota issues

It may sound far-fetched, but federal regulators are studying whether sudden acceleration in Toyotas is linked to cosmic rays. Radiation from space long has affected airplanes and spacecraft, and is known for triggering errors in computer systems, but has received scant attention in the auto industry.

Florida targets Giant African snails

They're not as menacing as Burmese pythons, but Giant African snails are now in the same class as the large snakes — targets of the government. The invasive mollusks are considered a major plant pest and a potential public health threat. And now federal and state authorities are seeking to prevent the large, slimy, shell-toting snails from re-establishing themselves in Florida.

Philadelphia airport screener disciplined over prank

DETROIT — A University of Michigan student boarding a plane in Philadelphia to return to Detroit Metro Airport from winter break got a big fright in the form of a prank by an airport security screener.

Fat owners linked to fat dogs, but not fat cats

Many thanks to the Lempert Report for alerting us to a piece of pet-obesity news. A study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition investigated the relationship between body weight in pet owners and body weight in their pets. Its finding: Overweight owners tend to have overweight dogs, as other studies have reported before. But no such relationship was seen between owners and pet cats.

Police leave ransom note for pot plants, nab alleged grower

MARATHON, Fla. — After a citizen's tip led undercover detectives to six large marijuana plants growing in a wooded lot in the Florida Keys, police half-jokingly left a phone number and ransom note.

Chillax, the '09 banned words list has arrived

DETROIT — Drawing nominations from English enthusiasts and those just plain tired of overused expressions, Lake Superior State University's Word Banishment Committee has issued its list of words and phrases it deems time to be "unfriended."

Couple accused of stealing Christmas gifts, setting fire to church

MODESTO, Calif. — Officers arrested a married couple suspected of breaking into a Modesto church late Tuesday, stealing Christmas gifts intended for needy children and starting a fire, a police spokesman said.

Drunk 4-year-old Tenn. boy found trying to steal Christmas presents

A four-year-old boy was found wandering in the street – beer in hand – wearing a dress in Chattanooga, Tenn. earlier this week.

Study credits 'app economy' with 500,000 U.S. jobs

The surge in mobile software and other apps has also led to a surge in jobs, almost half a million just in the U.S., estimates a study out today from CEO network TechNet.

Google Chrome browser launches for Android

Google's Chrome web browser has finally launched for the Android smartphone platform. The long-awaited arrival comes in public Beta for smartphones and tablets currently using Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Judge Refuses to Shut Down Online Market for Used MP3s

A one-of-a-kind website enabling the online sale of pre-owned digital-music files got a legal boost late Monday when a federal judge refused to shutter it at the request of Capitol Records. It could be short-lived boost, however.

iPhone soaks up 75 percent of all mobile phone profits

Though it holds only around 9 percent of the global mobile phone market, Apple raked in 75 percent of all profits across the industry last quarter, according to Asymco analyst Horace Dediu.

Redbox, Verizon Team on Streaming Service

Redbox and Verizon are working on a streaming video service to take on Netflix, but so far have said little about how it will work.

Facebook and Twitter are more addictive than cigarettes or alcohol, study finds

A new study suggests that social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter are more difficult to resist than cigarettes or alcohol. A team from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business recently conducted an experiment involving 205 people in Wurtzburg, Germany to analyze the addictive properties of social media and other vices.

Facebook’s $5 Billion IPO: The Next Google? Or The Next Groupon?

Facebook is finally going public. On Wednesday, Facebook filed the prospectus for its initial public offering. The social giant seeks to raise $5 billion in initial funding. That’s in line with some of the largest IPOs in technology history, and it comes eight years after the company was first launched in the Harvard dorm room of CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Feds seize 307 sports-related domains in advance of Super Bowl

Federal authorities said Thursday they had seized and shuttered 307 domains, 16 allegedly engaged in unauthorized live sports streaming and the remainder accused of selling fake professional sports merchandise, including National Football League paraphernalia.

How to Get the Most From Your Netflix Streaming Subscription

So you’ve decided to get Netflix. Smart move: Even with last year’s notorious price hikes, the company’s Unlimited Streaming service is a ridiculously good deal at $7.99 per month. You get commercial-free movies and TV shows, with no limits on viewing, streamed to just about any device you prefer--smartphone, tablet, game console, set-top box, and so on.

PlayStation boss Kazuo Hirai becomes president of Sony

Kazuo Hirai has been named as President and CEO of Sony Corporation. He will take the role on April 1, and replace Howard Stringer in both roles.

US presses China, Japan, South Korea to trim Iran oil imports

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner faces a stiff challenge this week as he tries to persuade China, Japan and South Korea to reduce their dependency on Iranian oil and natural gas.

Venezuelan consul in Miami ordered to leave U.S.

The United States has ordered the expulsion of Venezuela’s consul general in Miami after allegations surfaced that she discussed possible cyber-attacks on U.S. soil while she was stationed at her country’s embassy in Mexico.

Muslim villagers clash with Chinese authorities over mosque’s demolition

The government demolition of a newly refurbished mosque in a northern Chinese village has raised tensions with the Hui, a Muslim group that in the past has been granted more freedoms by the Chinese Communist Party than other embattled minorities such as the Uighurs.

Kim Jong Un to face stiff challenges as North Korea’s new leader

North Korea’s newly-minted leader faces a steep political learning curve: His doting father Kim Jong Il is now officially gone, memorialized this week in a state funeral where hundreds of thousands of mourners flailed in sadness along the snowy streets of Pyongyang.

Death toll in Philippine floods climbs to nearly 1,500

The death toll from floods in the southern Philippines has climbed to 1,453 as heavy rains triggered fresh floods in provinces on the east coast, the Office of Civil Defense said Tuesday.

Egyptian court halts virginity tests on female protesters

A Cairo court has ruled against forced virginity tests on female protesters detained in military prisons. “The court orders that the execution of the procedure of virginity tests on girls inside military prisons be stopped,” Judge Ali Fekri, head of the Cairo Administrative Court, announced Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the mercurial strongman who styled himself as a “Dear Leader” while ruling over an impoverished police state, died at 69, according to North Korean state media.

Police, protesters clash in Cairo; 1 person killed

One person was killed and more than 130 injured, including 32 military police, in a clash Friday with pro-democracy protesters in downtown Cairo, the Egyptian Health Ministry said.

Iran rejects U.S. request to return spy drone

Iran on Tuesday rebuffed a U.S. request to return the radar-evading drone that was seized while on a CIA spying mission, saying the country should first apologize for violating Islamic Republic airspace.

An extradited Noriega returns to Panama

Manuel Noriega, the onetime military dictator of Panama who also moonlighted as a CIA spy and successful drug-trafficking money launderer, was flown home Sunday after two decades in U.S. and French prisons and faced yet more jail time in Panama.