The Greatest Places to Experience the Simple Life

These are 10 great places: Block Island, R.I.  Block Island can be defined by what it lacks: There are no stoplights, no McDonald's, no Holiday Inns. Instead, the town of fewer than 1,000 year-round residents "is a landscape of freshwater ponds, rolling green hills and dramatic 250-foot bluffs," van Ogtrop says. In winter, Block Island becomes an artists' community. 800-383-2474; blockislandinfo.com Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill Harrodsburg, Ky.  It's not uncommon at Shaker Village to see a pair of oxen laboring in the field or a blacksmith in period clothing shoeing a horse. It's a delightful step back in time and "a testament to the simplicity of the Shaker lifestyle," van Ogtrop says. "Plank-and-stone...

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Tiger and Stricker Dealt Big Loss in Presidents Cup

MELBOURNE (AP) – Being with his ex-caddie was the least of Tiger Woods' worries Thursday. Woods and Steve Stricker, unbeatable two years ago in the Presidents Cup, didn't make a birdie, didn't win a hole and tied the record for the biggest loss in the history of the event. Tiger Woods and teammate Steve Stricker matched the record for worst loss in Presidents Cup history, falling to Adam Scott and K.J. Choi on Thursday. Adam Scott and K.J. Choi were relentless at Royal Melbourne, keeping the ball in play and making enough birdies as Woods and Stricker self-destructed. The International side won, 7 and 6. They were the last of six foursomes (alternate-shot) matches in the opening session, yet the rout was so great they were the second...

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6 Dead after Storms, Possible Tornadoes hit Southeast

Officials said Thursday that an adult and a child were killed in central North Carolina during Wednesday's storms. A home remains damaged Thursday after a storm system hit near Rock Hill, S.C. Suspected tornadoes were reported Wednesday in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina. Dozens of homes and buildings were damaged, and thousands of people were without power as trees and power lines were downed. In South Carolina, three people were killed and five injured when a likely tornado swept through a rural community near Rock Hill, about 20 miles south of Charlotte, N.C. In north Georgia, a man was killed when a tree fell on his sport utility vehicle. Diane Pierce surveys damage to her property after strong winds from...

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Calling All Astronauts: NASA Has a Job Opening For You

Astronauts! They’re just like us. Well, at least while they’re job hunting. The International Space Station could be your new office. The National Aeronautics & Space Administration has an opening for an astronaut based in the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. They’ve also gone the contemporary route for job recruitment by posting the position on the job website USAJobs. Folded in with ads for positions such as IT specialist and medical technologist, the open call posting is seeking candidates who have a “sense of daring” and a “probing mind” for a position that, unsurprisingly, could require “[f]requent travel.” Of course, there are more concrete requirements as well, including U.S. citizenship, a bachelor’s degree in engineering,...

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Google Music Store Launched with Free Track Sharing, Exclusive Content

Google Music Google Music is now open to everyone in the U.S. It’s a free service that you can use to store up to 20,000 of your songs on Google’s servers and stream those songs to compatible devices. Songs can now be purchased directly from the Android Market as well. Google will make recommendations to you based on your music collection you’ve uploaded, all songs have 90-second previews, and purchased songs are automatically added to your online collection and downloaded to the device you use to purchase the songs. Google will offer one free song each day, and there will be a weekly “spotlight” artist with backstories, bios, photos and videos. Google+ integration is onboard, and purchased tracks you recommend and share will be...

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The Best Trucks on the Road

These 8 pickups each have one characteristic that sets them head and shoulders above the competition. Americans love their trucks, and each truck buyer has a different reason for needing one. Drivers might need a truck to tow a boat, camper or snowmobile, or as an everyday workhorse on the job site, or simply for the occasional trip to the garbage dump. Traits valued in a pickup may include power, towing capacity, off-road capability or passenger space. Here we bring you the best, most capable pickups in eight categories. Most Powerful Heavy-Duty Pickup Ford F-Series Super Duty Over the past few years, there has been an arms race in the heavy-duty pickup market. Power and torque numbers for diesel engines have grown significantly....

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The Best Wonders of Nature in the World

These are 7 wonders of nature in the World. Halong Bay, Vietnam The best way to experience impossibly scenic Halong Bay is by boat. Hop on a junk and poke around the 2,000 rocky monoliths emerging dramatically from the water. Some of the limestone karsts are hollowed out and feature caves and grottoes perfect for exploring. The bay, whose name translates as "descending dragon," was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, honoring its unique geologic and aesthetic value. Amazon Rainforest, South America The Amazon rainforest spans the borders of nine South American countries, with the largest portion in Brazil. The Amazon River, the main artery of the rainforest, has more than 1,000 known tributaries, and 17 of those...

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Up to 650,000 visitors a year watch the Penguin Parade

What's a trip to Australia without an encounter with its unique animals? If you're in Melbourne and have a hankering to get up close and personal with native wildlife — as well as enjoy some fabulous coastal views — make the two-hour drive southeast of the city to Phillip Island. The Penguin Parade, Destination Phillip Island Begin your visit at the free-range Phillip Island Wildlife Park, situated at the heart of the island — and have your camera ready. Kangaroos, emus, koalas, cassowaries, echidnas and dozens of other indigenous species roam this 24-hectare facility, presenting photo ops galore. Fifteen minutes away, on Summerland Beach in Phillip Island Nature Park, lies Penguin Parade, the main tourist draw. There, the aptly named...

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Cartoons of the Week

November 5 - November 11 Quoted from TIME CARTOO...

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