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British dramas, mostly from BBC America, have become gold mines of binge viewing for American TV fans seeking a deep dive into compelling series. Gillian Anderson's The Fall, David Tennant's Broadchurch and Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock are just a few of the series which offer hours of escape.

Here's an example of off-beat stories from United Press International: Germany dropped the longest word in its language. Maker's Mark had plans to lower the alcohol content in its whiskey. And a Canadian dentist bought John Lennon's tooth at auction, hoping to use it to clone the Beatle.

For millions of Americans, Dec. 23 is the last day to sign up for individual health plans to be assured of coverage Jan 1. That's the case in all 36 states that use the federal website healthcare-dot-gov.

In addition to Breaking Bad, critic David Bianculli recommends some rare television treats from the '60s and '70s that are now available on DVD. They include Here's Edie: The Edie Adams Television Collection, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, The Rutles: Anthology and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

Many students prepare for the SAT by drilling themselves on esoteric, arcane and recondite words — like esoteric, arcane and recondite. Linguist Geoff Nunberg doesn't discourage these efforts, but he does have a word of caution: memorizing a definition is hardly the same as learning a new word.

The top digital network for gamers — a mostly young, male crowd — is eyeing a broader audience of geeks and nerds who enjoy TV, music and movies. But on the road from user-generated content to corporate enterprise, Machinima has hit a few speed bumps.

In 2013, "you really feel as if directors are taking chances in their storytelling," says film critic David Edelstein. He loved the movie Her, and says the biggest surprises of the year were All Is Lost and Much Ado About Nothing. He also explains why 12 Years a Slave didn't make his top 10.

The ongoing war within the Republican Party pits the old-line forces of the establishment against the rising Tea Party populists, and while Democrats have seemed more united in recent years, they have schisms brewing between factions as well. Who manages these dynamics better may decide many of the close statewide races of 2014.