Headlines from December 10, 2009

A perk of being in the C.I.A.: bypassing airport security.
In short, he loves the Jews. Sen. Orrin Hatch pens a new holiday tune, "Eight Days of Hanukkah."
Festival-goer summons police overs allegations that the music he was hearing wasn't jazz.
Why Congress has the right to meddle in college and professional sports: They're considered interstate commerce.
Thuggish interpretation of "Hansel and Gretel" causes uproar at British primary school.
U.S. Immigration decides whether to allow artists into the country based on their "cultural uniqueness."
Thirty-five years later, John Hurt revives his portrayal of Quentin Crisp, depicting the icon's autumn years in New York.
New Yorkers remain unimpressed by the M.T.A.'s insistence that fallen leaves could result in train delays.
Bizarre light show hits Norway.
The Obamas arrive in Oslo for the Nobel ceremony.
The boast that you can burn through a truckload of water every minute does not reflect a discerning nature. The hubris of artificial snow.
Launching tomorrow, a spacecraft will take infrared images of the night sky, revealing what's out there that we've never seen.
From 1943, Walt Disney Studios' creative process chart.
Obama shouldn't encourage distrust between India and Pakistan; Obama must plan to negotiate with the Taliban.
Unique solution to fixing American politics: Square the districts.
Instapaper for the commute: Everything you know about America vs. Iran is wrong.
New data show Australia, land of climate skeptics, to possess the largest homes.
Calling salmon lovers: Buying "fresh" fish from halfway across the world is very anti-green.
This restaurant is trying really, really hard to keep up with the times. If magazines were restaurants.
Richard Rodriguez waxes nostalgic on newspapers.
For the first time, Chinese will buy more cars this year than Americans.
Op: Worrying about America falling behind in green tech is silly; smarter to goad everyone into going hard and fast.
Writer who hung out with Pynchon spills: reclusive novelist partial to weed, Heller, green corduroys.
False confessions occur frequently: notes on the power and the tragedy.
New take on natural selection: Happy accidents (single rare evolutionary events) create new species.
Notes on how "extinction training" can delete scary memories.
Working out is harder in the morning: the proof you didn't need.
Workout tips from an extremely buff opera singer.
Gift for the friend who has everything: Posed, autographed pictures of David Hasselhoff.
Videos of interest: High-performance double pendulum; the decade according to nine-year-olds.