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Few people today remember E.T.A. Hoffmann, but most everyone is familiar with his most famous creation: The Nutcracker. NPR's Robert Siegel traces the history of everyone's favorite Christmas ballet all the way back to its much darker original version.

Guest host John Donvan reads listener comments from past shows about witnessing tragic events, adoption in the Internet age and how to fill time while you wait.

The Keystone pipeline is supposed to carry tar sands oil from Canada to Texas — a route that runs right through David Daniel's land. To try to save his woods from bulldozers, Daniel built tree houses 80 feet in the air and protesters climbed up into them.

At the Cain and Abel School for Prophets, students learn to interpret dreams and divination. Rabbi Shmuel Fortman Hapartzi, the Tel Aviv school's founder, says everyone in his class, himself included, is in the beginning stages of reaching enlightenment. But critics say Fortman is trying to profit from the prophet business.

In Newtown, Conn., Christmas is very different this year, a little more than a week after the shooting at an elementary school. Eight families that attend St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church lost children to the tragedy. Parishioners came to Christmas masses there seeking solace, and priests gave a message of hope and comfort.

It turns out Rudolph wasn't the only reindeer with a bright red nose. All reindeer have red noses, and a new study in the British Medical Journal explains why. Their noses are packed with lots of blood vessels to warm cold air on the way in and soak up heat from their breath as they breathe out.

Ann Powers picks her favorite chart-topping, radio-dominating songs of 2012.

Rye was all but pushed off the market by sweeter, corn-based bourbon after Prohibition, but it might be coming back, no illegal still required. Bartenders from coast to coast seem to prefer its intense flavor for their cocktail creations.

It was a busy year for federal authorities pursuing insider trading cases, such as the one against hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam. Investigators say that success comes largely from their decision to attack insider trading the way they take down the Mafia and drug cartels — with wiretaps, informants and cooperators.

When food passes its sell-by date, it's swept from the supermarket shelf. But that doesn't mean it's unsafe. Some items, like canned foods, can even last years or decades after their expiration date.