If so, expect to pay as much as double the normal fine in some states, thanks in part to targeted efforts by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

FORBES: The Most Expensive States For Speeding Tickets 2007

Creed listened to her heart, which had a normal rhythm, and to her lungs, hearing the fine crackles of her pulmonary fibrosis but also a new wheeze.

NEWYORKER: Letting Go

Such schemes are fine in normal times, but do not do much to reassure people that their deposits won't be repaid in a different currency (or that their money will be safe if their own government cannot stand behind the scheme).

ECONOMIST: Preventing a big European bank run

The study compared mice fed a high-fat diet with those fed a normal, healthy diet, and exposed some members of both groups daily to fine particulate matter, controlling for all other factors.

FORBES: Two New Reasons to Worry about Air Pollution: Obesity and Diabetes

Apparently in a study done by the Deafness Research UK in conjunction with Dr. Brad Backus of University College London, 14 out of 15 toys tested produced noise levels above the recommended safety limit when held close to the ear. 8 of the 15 were just fine during normal use, but the three worst offenders -- a machine gun, a tommy gun and a cap gun -- are on the "avoid" list.

ENGADGET: Christmas toy noises are/aren't dangerous

Which is fine because, really, such considerations don't politely lend themselves to normal conversation.

CNN: Apparently This Matters: Giant elephant bird egg

If your levels are normal, taking 2, 000 IU every other day or every third day would be fine, according to Dr. Bess Dawson-Hughes, senior scientist and director of the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA HNRCA at Tufts University.

CNN: How much vitamin D do I need?