Parade 12-18 by The Southern Illinoisan

S U N D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 1

@JoiningForces (Michelle Obama’s first official tweet) Military families serve @BillGates Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to Steve Jobs’ family our nation too. Let’s all show our appreciation by #JoiningForces with them. Get involved: & friends. The world rarely sees someone who made such a profound impact. JoiningForces.gov -mo @BigBoi (from Outkast) day. d ay We’ve logged 427 @twister_tracker What an insane da Kurt Cobain, Janis @SHAQ @ @S HA AQ im retiring... Joplin, Jim Morrison, #tornado warnings @johnlegend Jimi Hendrix and now Amy @ladygaga @ @l la (on bullying) I am meeting issued today and with w it our President. I Winehouse. All died we’re not done yet. @Oprah @ @Opr @O O ah h Happy H ap that New York will passed p pa as marriage equality w ill not stop fighting. This must end. Our aged 27. RIP to you (on her last (on (o all. #amywinehouse show) Thanks tweeps. WE to generation has tonight. A victory for human @andersoncooper rights. Progress. This penn state abuse scandal is just beginning DID D DI ID IT! the power I fear fea to end it... @JessicaSimpson @ @J Jes It’s True! I am going to be a mummy! @JanetJackson Clarence Clemons was a @RyanSeacrest (with Scotty McCreery) After wonderful w wo on talent. the #IdolFinale with the man of the He will be on my @MTVPress @ M Just got cchamp. ch hamp. am hour, @SMcCreeryAI10. CreeryAI10. Congrats g mind tonight. tthe he goosebumps!! She’s S he’s preggers!! Congratulations Jay and Bey! @Rep_Giffords The @SteveMartinToGo I met Elizabeth Taylor several @alyankovic (“Weird Al” #Capitol looks beautiful an and a nd I am honored times. She was witty and selfdeprecating, which I found surprising and delightful. tto ob be e at work tonight. Yankovic): BTW, Christina She loved to laugh. Aguilera, nice job at the Ag Super Bowl, but changing the @NBA @ N We want our @ebertchicago (Roger Ebert on the words to songs is MY gig. players and teams to do well Oscars) I hope James Franco does better on the oral exam for his PhD. and a nd we hope our proposal is accepted. Good night. @Lara (ABC News) Chants in Tahrir: ‘‘Muslims, Mus Christians, We are One.’ @newtgingrich Todayy I am @ @n newtgingrich g g @TechCrunch President Obama This T his is the rebirth of a country, with a announcing g myy candidacy can for Calls On U.S. Citizens To ‘Tweet’ To ffeeling ee that anything President P Pre Pr resident es of the United State States... Lawmakers About Raising Debt Ceiling @Astro_Ron (astronaut Ron Garan) Just is possible #Egypt @hopesolo (American soccer player) I will embrace watched the this silver medal and give my utmost respect launch of for japan. Thanks to all friends, families, and fans who sstood too behind us. Atlantis live #FromSpace onboard the #!SS God Speed S Sp pee eed d #STS135! #STS #S TS13 TS 135! 13 5! See See you you in in a couple couple of days # co #NASA NASA NA S @B @BillyCrystal @ illly il lyCr Crys ysta yst tal Am doing the O tal Osc Oscars sccar scar arss so tth the he yyoung he gw woman oman om man iin n th th the pharmacy will stop @charliesheen Face it folks, you just feel asking my name when better when you say it. #WINNING I pick up my prescriptions... @whitehouse President Obama: @Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals) “I can report to the American We are the #WorldSeries people and to the world, that champions! the US has conducted an @DeathStarPR Natalie Portman operation that killed Osama bin Laden” had a son. In unrelated news, everyone here on the Death Star is suddenly @aplusk (Ashton Kutcher) I will looking a little nervous. #StarWars forever cherish the time I spent with Demi... @McllroyRory (golfer) Thanks to everyone for all the messages over the past few hours. It was a very special @questlove (Questo of the Roots on the Occupy Wall Street crackdown) Somethin bout to go down yo, swear I counted 1000 riot gear cops bout week for me. Proud to be a major champion! @SpeakerBoehner Now Live on Twitter to pull sneak attack #carefulyall @drudge[Report] Average gas price nationwide likely to top $4 by week’s end As 112th Congress Set to Open

WHAT A YEA∏! THE HIGHS, THE LOWS

(& THE TWEETS)

2011

YEAR END ISSUE

PARADE

P Parade.com/celebrity

Q: Do you think Charlie Sheen’s career can rebound? —Ayla Nejad,

Elizabeth PE Eli iza z Taylor Taylor Tay l

La Jolla, Calif.

A: It already has. Although

his substance abuse problems and erratic behavior got him ﬁred from Two and a Half Men in 2011, the 46-year-old actor

Q: What has happened to Elizabeth Taylor’s jewels since her death in March? —Clark, Lincoln, Neb.

A: After a three-month

traveling exhibition, the star’s iconic pieces, including her 33-carat diamond ring from Richard Burton, were, at press time, slated to be auctioned by Christie’s. A portion of the proﬁts from event admissions and publications will beneﬁt the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Find out which item got the highest bid at Parade.com/taylor. PARADE POLL You voted these your favorite Parade celebrity covers this year.

The Muppets....... 32%

Brad Pitt. . . . . . . . . . . 10%

Ellen DeGeneres. . . . . . 7% See all of our 2011 issues at Parade.com/covers

2 • December 18, 2011

has two promising projects in the pipeline. He’s wrapped ﬁlming on the comedy A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, costarring Bill Murray, and his new sitcom, Anger Management— an adaptation of the 2003 ﬁlm—is scheduled to air next summer on FX.

Top Charitable Celebs Here’s the Giving Back Fund’s 2011 list of famous philanthropists, based on public records.* Read more at Parade.com/charity. 1. JAMI GERTZ

and husband Tony Ressler $10,569,000 2. HERB ALPERT

$9,104,800 3. MEL GIBSON

$6,853,000 4. GEORGE LUCAS

$4,250,000 5. NORA ROBERTS

$3,000,000

WALTER SCOTT ASKS …

Email your questions to Walter Scott at Parade.com /contact

Melissa McCarthy

The actress, 41, won an Emmy for Mike & Molly this year and has awards buzz for her role in Bridesmaids. What did you learn from your nonacting jobs before you hit it big? To be kind to people. I think everybody should

wait tables, because you get the best and worst thrown in your face. People would lash out at me, and I just thought, “I’m working so hard. Why are you yelling about a vodka and tonic?” Y You must have had a blast making Bridesmaids. It was rreally weird character stuff, right up my alley, that I’d n never gotten to do in a movie. I’m just shy of playing a m man in it, wearing pleated Dockers and an orthopedic sh shoe. I had the time of my life. Are you as perky offscreen as you are on? I have a lot of energy. And I feel like I got hit with a lucky stick: I have the greatest husband and two little girls who make me crazy—in a good way—and I love what I do for a living. What’s there to be blue about? Letters to Walter Scott can be sent to P.O. Box 5001, Grand Central Station, New York, N.Y. 10163-5001

P Charlie Sheen PCh

Q: Is Brad Pitt retiring?

*The Giving Back Fund does not include those who chose to keep their donations private or declined to participate (thus no Oprah or Brangelina).

—Rebecca —R Danigelis, Boston

A: Not anytime soon.

Pitt, 48, created a fuss in November when he told a TV interviewer that he envisioned acting for only three more years. But he clariﬁed his comments days later, saying, “I wasn’t actually putting an exact deadline on my expiration date, but I see it coming.”

in July (they also have daughters Katherine, 22, and Christina, 20, and son Patrick, 18), the two cleared up a tense misunderstanding over their divorce papers. Since then the exes, who live three miles apart, occasionally meet for lunch or attend church together.

Q: Is Maria Shriver on speaking terms with Arnold Schwarzenegger? —Jeff C., Calif.

A: Yes, she is. After keep-

ing vigil by their 14-yearold son Christopher’s hospital bed following his boogie-boarding accident

P Shriver, Schwarzenegger, and son Christopher at church recently.

PHOTOS, FROM TOP LEFT: JIM SMEAL/WIREIMAGE; ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES; RD/KIRKLAND/RETNA DIGITAL; DR/X17.COM

Personality Walter Scott,s

Visit us at PARADE.COM

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your guide to health, life,

money, entertainment, and more

his was a bad year for autocrats: Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, egf Muammar el-Qaddaﬁ in Libya, and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia were all pushed from power. Still, more than 40 nations remain under authoritarian control. With help from Amnesty International, Freedom House, Georgetown University, Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, and the U.S. State Department, PARADE presents its 2011 list of the world’s worst dictators. 1. Kim Jong-il North Korea Years in power: 17 While Kim, 69—a ﬁlm fan who once kidnapped a South Korean director and forced him to make movies— dines on lobster with silver chopsticks, his people live in misery: 43 percent of children under 5 are thought to be so malnourished that their growth has been stunted. All mail and phone communication by citizens is monitored, and Internet access is limited to party favorites. Some 200,000 prisoners toil in labor camps where they are starved and tortured. Despite UN sanctions, North Korea continues a nuclear enrichment program. rogram. 2. Isaias Afewerki Eritrea rea Years in power: 20 Afewerki, 65, once led Eritrea ritrea to independence, but todayy he deprives his citizens of all freedoms. There is no formal constitution, and every male starting at age 18 must enter “national service,” which is forced labor of

To see the rest of the top 10, plus previous lists, go to Parade .com/dictators

WORLD’S WORST DICTATORS 2011

Here Today, Here Tomorrow?

THIS YEAR, SEVERAL HAVE BEEN OUSTED—SO WHO IS STILL IN POWER? • By Rebecca Webber indeﬁnite length (evaders are jailed or killed). People with unsanctioned religious beliefs are imprisoned and tortured, as are journalists and activists. More than 50,000 Eritreans have escaped caped to refugee camps in Ethiopia. Western ofﬁcials allege that Afewerki is aiding iding Al Qaeda–linked militants in Somalia. 3. Omar al-Bashir hir Sudan Years in power: 22 2 Although al-Bashir, 67, 7, took power in a

bloodless coup, his reign has been marked by extreme violence. Some progress occurred in 2011—the country was successfully partitioned into two entities, Sudan and an the Republic of South Sudan—but the Sout strife continues. In stri regions under dispute reg with South Sudan, alw Bashir’s military has B

FACE FACES OF TYRANNY These

ﬁve men stubbornly cling to power despite inter rnational outcry international and sanctions.

2 3

bombed civilians, killing untold numbers and causing at least 100,000 to ﬂee. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged al-Bashir with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 have been killed since 2003. The ICC also alleges that he has embezzled billions of dollars. 4. Islam Karimov Uzbekistan Years in power: 21 Raised in an orphanage, Karimov, 73, rose through Communist Party ranks to control this former Soviet republic. Activists, journalists, and anyone practicing a religion other than the accepted form of Islam are often jailed, and about 7,000 prisoners are currently being held and tortured. Each fall, university students, teachers, civil servants, and children as young as 9 are forced to live in barracks and harvest cotton under inhumane conditions. Karimov’s health is thought to be poor, and some believe his eldest daughter is being groomed to rule. 5. Bashar al-Assad Syria Years in power: 11 Assad, 46, a trained ophthalmologist, succeeded his father as Syria tyrant in chief. As part of Syria’s the Arab A Spring, Syrians began revolting revolt in March, and he responded respo by ordering the military tto bomb and ﬁre on crowds. Over 3,500 demonstrators (including (inclu more than 250 children) have been killed, with over 10,000 jailed or missing at press time. The U.S. U and Europe have condemned Assad’s actions, imposing sanctions and calling for his resignation. In an unprecedented move, the Arab e League placed economic and L political sanctions of its own p on member nation Syria after o Assad refused to end attacks A and to let in monitors. a

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: AP PHOTO/GEERT VANDEN WIJNGAERT; KNS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; NEWSCOM; KHALED AL-HARIRI/X00374/REUTERS/CORBIS; ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Report INTELLIGENCE

4 • December 18, 2011

Ask Marilyn By Marilyn vos Savant

I walk the same hilly route all year. In the fall and spring, I don’t even break a sweat. In the winter, I start out cold but feel very warm by the time I get back. And in the summer, I perspire heavily. Am I burning the same number of calories each time? —Jocelyn Scott, LaGrange, Ga.

Your calorie burn isn’t signiﬁcantly different from season to season unless you’re literally shivering—shaking uncontrollably—in the coldest weather. (This is how the body produces heat when it becomes too cold. The process uses a lot of calories if it goes on for long; by then, you’ll be in danger of hypothermia.) The same goes for ﬁtness: Your gain from the year-round exercise is nearly the same, regardless of whether you suffer! To ask a question, visit Parade.com/askmarilyn ®

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t was the year of 9-9-9 and the 99 percent; nuclear

meltdowns and a state government shutdown. Justin Bieber cut his hair, Kirstie Alley cut a rug, and Congress failed to cut a couple trillion dollars from the ever-ballooning federal budget. While tragedy struck from Joplin, Mo., to Utøya, Norway, there were against-the-odds triumphs, too, as Gabrielle Giffords returned to ILLUSTRATION

Washington and a water-lined memorial rose from the ashes of the World Trade towers. From the ﬁrst download of “Friday” to the ﬁnal airing of Friday Night Lights, it was a year worth remembering. So we’ll raise our glasses and, to quote Spinal Tap’s guitarist Nigel Tufnel, announce that this one goes to ’11. (Don’t recognize everybody on this page? Turn to page 16 to see who’s who.)

IMPORTANT FACTS

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WHAT A YEAR !

This Year’s

Burning

After all that debate, did it matter that Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. credit rating?

A: It didn’t. “That decision was an opinion expressed by a few people watching from the sideline about our country’s ability to repay its debts,” says esteemed Dartmouth College ﬁnance professor Kenneth R. French. “But the opinions of the enormous number of investors who buy

Questions 2011 was full of head-scratchers, so we asked experts

to weigh in on everything from extreme weather to Adele’s voice troubles to the next royal heir By Joe Kita

2011

U.S. bonds are much more important.” Despite the downgrade, investors do not seem to have lost faith yet in the U.S. government’s ability to make good on its debts. What’s more, the difference between AAA (extremely strong capacity to meet ﬁnancial commitments) and AA (very strong capacity) is slim. With AA+—the new rating given to the U.S. by S&P—it’s even slimmer. continued on page 13

By the Numbers From entertainment to the economy, some of the year’s most surprising stats

The earthquake on the East Coast surprised a lot of folks, as did the one in Oklahoma. What other unexpected places in the U.S. could get a shake-up?

A: In the next 50 years, the likelihood of strong quakes varies from very low (white, above) to moderate (blue, green, yellow) to high (orange, pink, red). Although the central and eastern U.S. is less geologically active than the West, its “old, cold bedrock” transmits vibrations over a much broader area. That’s why the 5.8-magnitude quake this August in central Virginia was felt from Alabama to Ontario. In addition, much of the infrastructure in central and eastern cities isn’t as earthquake resistant, so a major temblor near Boston would likely cause more damage than a comparably sized quake in the San Francisco area. ILLUSTRATIONS by Pablo Lobato

8,868 NUMBER OF TWEETS PER SECOND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING BEYONCÉ’S PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENT, A RECORD

’ December 18, 2011 • 9

ARICEPT PATIENT PACKAGE INSERT ARICEPT® (Air-eh-sept) (donepezil hydrochloride) tablets • Tablets: 5 mg, 10 mg, and 23 mg ARICEPT® ODT (Air-eh-sept oh-dee-tee) (donepezil hydrochloride) orally disintegrating tablets • ODT Tablets: 5 mg and 10 mg Read the Patient Information that comes with ARICEPT before the patient starts taking it and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This leaflet does not take the place of talking with the doctor about Alzheimer’s disease or treatment for it. If you have questions, ask the doctor or pharmacist. What is ARICEPT? ARICEPT comes as ARICEPT film-coated tablets in dosage strengths of 5 mg, 10 mg, and 23 mg, and as ARICEPT Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODT; 5 mg and 10 mg). Except where indicated, all the information about ARICEPT in this leaflet also applies to ARICEPT ODT. ARICEPT is a prescription medicine to treat mild, moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease. ARICEPT can help with mental function and with doing daily tasks. ARICEPT does not work the same in all people. Some people may: • Seem much better • Get better in small ways or stay the same • Get worse over time but slower than expected • Not change and then get worse as expected ARICEPT does not cure Alzheimer’s disease. All patients with Alzheimer’s disease get worse over time, even if they take ARICEPT. ARICEPT has not been approved as a treatment for any medical condition in children. Who should not take ARICEPT? The patient should not take ARICEPT if allergic to any of the ingredients in ARICEPT or to medicines that contain piperidines. Ask the patient’s doctor if you are not sure. See the end of this leaflet for a list of ingredients in ARICEPT. What should I tell the doctor before the patient takes ARICEPT? Tell the doctor about all the patient’s present or past health problems. Include: • Any heart problems including • Present pregnancy or plans to problems with irregular, slow, become pregnant. It is not known or fast heartbeats if ARICEPT can harm an unborn • Asthma or lung problems baby. • A seizure • Present breast-feeding. It is not • Stomach ulcers known if ARICEPT passes into • Difficulty passing urine breast milk. ARICEPT is not for • Liver or kidney problems women who are breast-feeding. • Trouble swallowing tablets Tell the doctor about all the medicines the patient takes, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. ARICEPT and other medicines may affect each other. Be particularly sure to tell the doctor if the patient takes aspirin or medicines called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). There are many NSAID medicines, both prescription and non-prescription. Ask the doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure if any of the patient’s medicines are NSAIDs. Taking NSAIDs and ARICEPT together may make the patient more likely to get stomach ulcers. ARICEPT taken with certain medicines used for anesthesia may cause side effects. Tell the responsible doctor or dentist that the patient takes ARICEPT before the patient has: • surgery • medical procedures • dental surgery or procedures. Know the medicines that the patient takes. Keep a list of all the patient’s medicines. Show it to the doctor or pharmacist before the patient starts a new medicine. How should the patient take ARICEPT? • Give ARICEPT exactly as prescribed by the doctor. Do not stop ARICEPT or change the dose yourself. Talk with the doctor first. • Give ARICEPT one time each day. ARICEPT can be taken with or without food. • ARICEPT 23 mg tablets should be swallowed whole without the tablets being split, crushed or chewed.

• ARICEPT ODT melts on the tongue. The patient should drink some water after the tablet melts. • If you miss giving the patient a dose of ARICEPT, just wait. Give only the next dose at the usual time. Do not give 2 doses at the same time. • If ARICEPT is missed for 7 days or more, talk with the doctor before starting again. • If the patient takes too much ARICEPT at one time, call the doctor or poison control center, or go to the emergency room right away. What are the possible side effects of ARICEPT? ARICEPT may cause the following serious side effects: • slow heartbeat and fainting. This happens more often in people with heart problems. Call the doctor right away if the patient faints while taking ARICEPT. • more stomach acid. This raises the chance of ulcers and bleeding, especially when taking ARICEPT 23 mg. The risk is higher for patients who had ulcers, or take aspirin or other NSAIDs. • worsening of lung problems in people with asthma or other lung disease. • seizures. • difficulty passing urine. Call the doctor right away if the patient has: • fainting. • bowel movements or stools that look like black tar. • heartburn or stomach pain that is • new or worse asthma or breathing new or won’t go away. • nausea or vomiting, blood in the problems. • seizures. vomit, dark vomit that looks like coffee grounds. • difﬁculty passing urine. The most common side effects of ARICEPT are: • nausea • muscle cramps • diarrhea • feeling tired • not sleeping well • not wanting to eat • vomiting These side effects may get better after the patient takes ARICEPT for a while. This is not a complete list of side effects with ARICEPT. For more information, ask the doctor or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. How should ARICEPT be stored ? Store ARICEPT at room temperature between 59° to 86°F (15° to 30°C). Keep ARICEPT and all medicines out of the reach of children. General information about ARICEPT Medicines are sometimes prescribed for conditions that are not mentioned in this Patient Information Leaflet. Do not use ARICEPT for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give ARICEPT to people other than the patient, even if they have the same symptoms as the patient, as it may harm them. This leaflet summarizes the most important information about ARICEPT. If you would like more information talk with the patient’s doctor. You can ask your pharmacist or doctor for information about ARICEPT that is written for health professionals. For more information, go to www.ARICEPT.com, or call 1-800-760-6029. What are the ingredients in ARICEPT? Active ingredient: donepezil hydrochloride Inactive ingredients: • ARICEPT 5 mg and 10 mg film-coated tablets: lactose monohydrate, cornstarch, microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and magnesium stearate. The film coating contains talc, polyethylene glycol, hypromellose, and titanium dioxide. Additionally, the 10 mg tablet contains yellow iron oxide (synthetic) as a coloring agent. • ARICEPT 23 mg film-coated tablets: ethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate and methacrylic acid copolymer, Type C. The reddish color film coating includes ferric oxide, hypromellose 2910, polyethylene glycol 8000, talc and titanium dioxide. • ARICEPT ODT 5 mg and 10 mg tablets: carrageenan, mannitol, colloidal silicon dioxide, and polyvinyl alcohol. The 10 mg tablet contains yellow iron oxide (synthetic) as a coloring agent.

Rx Only

ARICEPT® is a registered trademark of Eisai Co., Ltd. Manufactured and Marketed by Eisai Inc., Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 Marketed by Pfizer Inc, New York, NY 10017 © 2010 Eisai Inc. © PARADE Publications 2011. All rights reserved.

WHAT A YEAR !

from page 9

By the Numbers

280

How could the U.S. Postal Service—which is practically a monopoly—have lost more than $5 billion this year?

A: There’s a simple answer: email. More and more, we’re sending our correspondence electronically; that and a weak economy are at the root of postal service woes, says A. Lee Fritschler, professor of public policy at George Mason University and a former chairman of the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission. Although the U.S. Postal Service remains huge (168 billion pieces delivered annually), total mail volume has fallen 20 percent in the past four years, with a 6.6 percent drop in first-class deliveries this year alone. Compounding the situation? “As a government corporation, it’s handcuffed,” says Fritschler. “Congress won’t allow it to significantly adjust rates or reduce the number of delivery days without their approval.”

Tweets to Remember

THOUSAND NEW JOBS NEEDED EACH MONTH FOR FIVE YEARS TO GET US BACK TO PRE-RECESSION LEVELS Source: Economic Policy Institute

OF THE WORLD’S 10 TOP-GROSSING MOVIES THIS YEAR WERE SEQUELS

(including The Hangover Part II) Source: Box Ofﬁce Mojo, November 2011

@packers Rodgers takes another knee...the Packers have won Super Bowl XLV. @BarackObama Sending condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who lost loved ones in the earthquake & tsunamis. U.S. stands ready to help.

PHOTO: KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES

Why did it seem like my email service went down more often this year than usual?

A: It’s not your imagination—many email providers were plagued by major outages this year. Even the White House’s system crashed, forcing officials to actually talk to each other (albeit brieﬂy). According to Nathaniel Borenstein, a pioneer of electronic mail and the chief scientist at Mimecast, the sheer volume of email trafﬁc was a major factor. (Approximately 107 trillion emails are sent each year, 89 percent of them spam.) Unless demand starts leveling off, outages will continue. Visit us at PARADE.COM

500 THOUSAND VISITORS TO THE 9/11 MEMORIAL IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS

Source: National September 11 Memorial & Museum

What’s really wrong with Adele’s voice?

A: The 23-year-old chart-topping singer has said she’s suffering from a recurrent hemorrhage on her vocal cords. According to Dr. Gaelyn Garrett, medical director of the Vanderbilt Voice Center in Nashville, this condition is usually caused by friction on the vocal-fold tissues, leading to a rupture. Vigorous coughing, yelling, and, yes, singing can produce these ruptures. For most people, voice rest and/or therapy cures the problem, but for a performer like Adele, extra care is needed because ongoing hemorrhaging could alter the quality of her voice. She recently underwent surgery to seal the rupture; assuming it was successful, her voice should be unaffected.

Tweets to Remember @TheEllenShow I can’t believe this is the last Harry Potter movie. It’s the end of an era. Who knows, maybe someone will turn it into a book. @JonHuntsman To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.

December 18, 2011 • 13

WHAT A YEAR !

trillion

Which state sustained the greatest monetary damage this year from natural disasters?

A: As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas— including disasters. The state suffered nearly three times the weather-related costs as tornado-torn runner-up Alabama. Adam Smith, an applied climatologist with the National Climatic Data Center, says that Texas is perennially in Mother Nature’s crosshairs because of its size and geographic susceptibility to storms, drought, and wildﬁres, all three of which battered the state this year. For a list of the natural disasters that took the biggest toll nationwide in 2011, go to Parade.com/2011.

Student loan debt is estimated to be between $865 billion and $1 trillion and has now surpassed credit card debt

What would Prince William and Kate Middleton’s future child look like?

A: It’s far from certain; as pointed out by Mark D. Shriver, an associate professor at Penn State University who studies the genetics of facial features, there are “literally millions of possible appearances for the future children of any couple.” Nevertheless, here are Shriver’s best guesses as to what could be inherited.

500 million

Number of downloads of the hit game Angry Birds through October 2011

blond (since William was towheaded as a kid) or even red, a recessive trait seen with Will’s brother, Harry.

@KBergCBS BREAKING: Tentative agreement reached, according to one of the negotiators. #NBA #lockout

POTENTIAL FOR BALDNESS: A son could inherit Will’s thinning locks, but Kate’s father appears to have a full head of hair, so a bald heir is unlikely.

Now that the space shuttle program has ended after 40 years, was all that expense really worth it?

EYE COLOR: Most likely green or hazel

HEIGHT: Kate and William are both tall—she’s 5-foot-10 and he’s 6-foot-3. A boy is likely to top 6-foot-2, and a girl would probably stand 5-foot-8.

Tweets to Remember @whitehouse As of 12:01 am, the repeal of the discriminatory law known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ ﬁnally & formally takes effect. #DADT

HAIR COLOR: Likely brown like Kate’s, but possibly

(like Kate’s). But if Kate carries a copy of the recessive blue-eyed gene, the child’s eyes could be blue (like William’s).

Residents of Bastrop, Tex., survey damage from September’s wildfires.

Who tied Michael Jackson’s record this year for the most No. 1 singles off one album? How many days did the Bronx Zoo cobra go missing? And what were the most tweeted topics of the year? Visit Parade .com/2011 for more fun farewells to 2011.

A: Whether the $200 billion price was money well spent is “really in the eye of the beholder,” says Roger Pielke Jr., a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado. But consider this: NASA’s latest chapter brought diverse nations such as Russia, Japan, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia to the space station. It furthered space exploration and inspired wonder with the launch of the Hubble Telescope. It provided spin-off technologies for computers (video stabilization software), defense (a land mine removal device), health (artificial heart pumps), and even NASCAR (driver heat-protection systems). And it boosted our national pride.

PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: PETER MACDIARMID/GETTY IMAGES; ISTOCKPHOTO; ERIC SCHLEGEL/GETTY IMAGES. OPPOSITE: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

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14 • December 18, 2011

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WHAT A YEAR !

Quiz Year End

By Hilary Sterne

How much do you remember about the year that was? Test your knowledge with our quiz—no Googling allowed!

What milestone is estimated to have occurred on Oct. 31? (a) The 50th major earthquake of the year struck (b) The world’s population reached 7 billion (c) Oprah became the richest person ever (d) Facebook signed up its one billionth user

What fruit caused the deaths of 29 people this past fall? (a) Grapes (b) Bananas (c) Cantaloupes (d) Strawberries

What iconic doll turned 50 in 2011? (a) Kirsten, an original American Girl doll (b) The Cabbage Patch Kid (c) Barbie (d) Ken, Barbie’s boyfriend

Which lasted longest: (a) The ﬁnal Atlantis space shuttle mission (b) The NBC series The Playboy Club (c) Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kris Humphries (d) The NFL lockout

What event happened in Pine Valley, Pa.? (a) Joe Paterno was ﬁred as head coach of the Nittany Lions (b) The Susquehanna River overﬂowed its banks (c) More than 41 years of drama came to an end

What rock band announced they were calling it quits after 31 years? (a) Bon Jovi (b) Sonic Youth (c) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (d) R.E.M.

During the Nov. 9 Republican debate, candidate Rick Perry said he would eliminate three government agencies— but was able to recall only two of them. Which one did he forget? (a) The Department of Health and Human Services (b) The Department of Labor (c) The Treasury Department (d) The Department of Energy

In January, Canadian 10-year-old Kathryn Gray became the

In October, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. All of these are his words, but which were his last? (a) “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” (b) “[I] want to put a ding in the universe.” (c) “Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow.” (d) “Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful … that’s what matters to me.” Keep on guessing! Get the rest of the quiz at Parade.com/2011.

ANSWERS:

18 17

72 days before she ﬁled for divorce.

1. (D)

2. (B)

3. (C) The cantaloupes were contaminated with listeria, a type of bacteria.

5. (C) Pine Valley was the ﬁctional town in the daytime serial All My Children, which broadcast its 10,712th and ﬁnal episode in September.

11 10

6. (D)

9 8

12. Prince William 13. Kate Middleton 14. Adele 15. Kristen Stewart 16. Robert Pattinson 17. Barack Obama 18. John Boehner 19. Mitt Romney

7. (B)

7 6

1. Lady Gaga 2. Charlie Sheen 3. Oprah Winfrey 4. Jennifer Lopez 5. Steven Tyler 6. Donald Trump 7. Rory McIlroy 8. Daniel Radcliffe 9. Kim Kardashian 10. Herman Cain 11. Albert Pujols

8. (D)

9. (C)

4. (D) The NFL lockout continued for 136 days; the shuttle mission was completed in 12 days; the last episode of The Playboy Club aired 15 days after the series debuted; and Kim and Kris were wed

Personalities of 2011

4 2

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: RICHARD ELLIS/GETTY IMAGES; JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES; ISTOCK (4); MARK LENNIHAN/AP IMAGES; KRISTA KENNELL/SIPA PRESS/AP IMAGES; MIGUEL VILLAGRAN/GETTY IMAGES; AP IMAGES

2011

youngest y person to do what? w (a) (a Graduate from college (b) (b Discover a supernova (c) (c Sail around the world

16 • December 18, 2011

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Year of Pain, Year of Triumph The coauthor of their new book shares why, despite everything, Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly have reason to celebrate this season brain. injured. Pain.” It was April, three months after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, and she was attempting to describe her new life to me. As she sat outside a friend’s home in Houston, her husband, Mark Kelly, was beside her, caressing her arm. It was the ﬁrst time I had been with the two of them together, and I couldn’t help noticing their easy affection. At one point I asked, “Gabby, do you realize how much Mark loves you?” She paused to ﬁnd the words. “Awful. Scared. Certain. Certain.” “Certain of what?” Mark asked. “Of how much I love you?” This time, Gabby did not hesitate. “Yes. Yes.” I was meeting with the couple because they’d asked me to help them write their memoir, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope. And as I’ve gotten to know them, I’ve been struck again and again by the romance and love in their relationship. On Nov. 10, their fourth wedding anniversary, Mark surprised Gabby, a music lover, by inviting a cellist from the Houston Symphony to serenade them at their home. As they enjoyed Bach over their 18 • December 18, 2011

steak dinner, Mark told his wife that the musician had suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2009—and had recovered. Gabby had a surprise for Mark, too. She gave him a card that she’d painstakingly written with her left hand. (Her right hand, her dominant one, remains mostly paralyzed.) While her message is private, Mark tells me, “It meant more than any gift.” When 2011 began, the two were expecting a transformative year— they’d been seeing a fertility specialist and hoped to have a baby by Christmas. This is far from SOUL MATES

Above, Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly in a favorite photo from this summer. “Therapy is her only way back,” he says, “and she knows it.”

When you’re with them, you can’t help wondering: Could I rise to the challenge? the holiday season they’d dreamed about, but they will still celebrate. Gabby will light Hanukkah candles, Mark will pass out Christmas gifts, and they’ll reﬂect on their losses and their reasons to be grateful. “You don’t get the life you planned,” Mark says. “That’s what Gabby and I have learned. When things look bad, the only answer is to ﬁnd a path through it. What other choice do you have?” Now retired from NASA’s astronaut corps, Mark is dedicating himself to his wife’s recovery. She spends

40 hours a week in four kinds of therapy: physical, speech, occupational, and music. Her speech and mobility are steadily improving, her listening comprehension is back to 100 percent, and her reading comprehension is close behind. Progress is important because Gabby would like to return to Congress (she must make a decision by the end of May). “Therapy is her only way back,” Mark says, “and she knows it.” When you’re with the couple, you can’t help but ask yourself: Could I rise to the challenge? Many of us, myself included, would say no. When I say this to Mark, he is reassuring. “Patience didn’t come naturally to me,” he admits. What helped him was thinking of how patient Gabby had always been with people before the shooting. His loving memories of her showed him the way. Mark and Gabby don’t see themselves as heroes or saints. They have bad moments, days when Gabby says, “Down in the dumps.” But they believe the qualities that sustain them are in all of us. We can all be more patient, resist self-pity, and embrace hope. At a time when uncertainty and discord are clouding the horizon, Gabby and Mark help remind us: Together we can ﬁnd a path through. At my ﬁrst meeting with Gabby, she told me what her goal was: “Work brain better.” Then, in an effort to explain the turn her life had taken, she said, “Scared soul.” Mark, her soul mate, put his hand on her shoulder, and she turned to smile at him. They knew that as a team, they would keep moving forward.

PHOTO: P.K. WEIS/SOUTHWESTPHOTOBANK.COM

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HappyHolidays

from PARADE!

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