Thomas Kinkade , the “Painter of Light” whose collectible works were beloved by fans and bemoaned by critics, died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription tranquilizers, officials confirmed to the Associated Press. A combination of Valium and alcohol was the cause of the painter’s April 6 death , the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office said Tuesday. Read full article > >

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Thomas Kinkade’s death ruled an accidental overdose

Thomas Kinkade , the “Painter of Light” whose collectible works were beloved by fans and bemoaned by critics, died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription tranquilizers, officials confirmed to the Associated Press. A combination of Valium and alcohol was the cause of the painter’s April 6 death , the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office said Tuesday. Read full article > >

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Thomas Kinkade’s death ruled an accidental overdose

Artist Thomas Kinkade’s death last month was from an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium, according to the Santa Clara County, California, medical examiner.

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Overdose killed artist Thomas Kinkade, coroner says

Ray Isle ( @islewine on Twitter ) is Food & Wine's executive wine editor. We trust his every cork pop and decant – and the man can sniff out a bargain to boot. Take it away, Ray. The sun is out, the gentle breezes are blowing, the gardens and the fields are burgeoning with new green leaves, and so now is the time to eat them. As a fairly carnivorous person, I tend to feel that if I’m going to be eating a salad, I might as well have some wine with it, just to give the whole enterprise some sort of point. To that end, here are a few thoughts about pairing wines with salads. Green Salad with Vinaigrette This illustrates a basic pairing idea, which is that acidity likes acidity. Pour a low-acid white like a Chardonnay with a vinaigrette, and you won’t taste the wine at all; pour a tart, zingy white like a Sauvignon Blanc or an Albariño, and the vinegar in the dressing will actually bring out the fruitiness of the wine. Essentially, food trumps wine when it comes to taste, so the tartness of the dressing makes your mouth perceive the wine as less tart than it actually is.   Salads with Creamy Dressings Ah, ranch dressing. Actually invented on a dude ranch, you know – the Hidden Valley Ranch, near Santa Barbara. Then, in 1972, the brand was purchased by Clorox. Generally speaking, we don’t associate bleach with salad dressing, but there it is. Regardless, ranch dressing and others of its ilk are creamy, high in fat and modest when it comes to acidity. Oregon Chardonnays and Pinot Gris would both be excellent options; California Chardonnay, as long as it’s not so big and buttery that you ought to be pouring it on the salad itself, would also be good.   Frisée-Bacon Lardons-Egg I like to think of the French thought process behind this insanely good salad as something like this: “Sacre bleu! We take zee bacon and zee egg, and we put zem on top of the salad! Eet is like breakfast – with leaves!” Culinary geniuses, to be sure. But wine-wise, you’ve got egg (protein), bacon (protein, fat), bacon fat in the dressing (um, fat), a little tanginess and some greens. Think light red or a crisp rosé – a measure of tannins or acidity or both, and enough substance to go with a fairly filling salad. For an alternative, Champagne, which goes very well with eggs indeed.   Steak Salad I think the Tuscans have it right when it comes to the idea of steak and salad. Basically, take a big, beautiful steak (the classic bistecca fiorentina), grill it to perfection and slap it on top of a bunch of argula (which then wilts). Drizzle it with great olive oil. Sprinkle some sea salt on top. See? Steak + salad. Clearly, the thing to drink with a fine meal like this is a substantial Tuscan red: Chianti Classico Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. You’ll need those tannins to cut through the juiciness and fat of the meat. And the salad? Oh, right. It’s under the steak. Don’t worry about it. More from Food & Wine America's Healthiest Salads Best Steak in the U.S. Delicious Steak Recipes Fantastic Green Salads Spring Recipes

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What to sip with your salad

This week’s best travel bargains around the globe ● Take a last-minute trip to Santa Fe, N.M., and get 65 percent savings at the Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa. For May, a two-bedroom villa is $339 (plus $67 taxes and resort fee); usual rate is $969. The promo also includes a $100 daily resort credit and a bottle of wine and chocolate-covered strawberries at check-in. Info: 800-732-2240, www.bishopslodge.com . Read full article > >

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What’s the Deal? This week’s best travel bargains around the globe.

Authorities in the northern Mexican state of Sonora have arrested eight people accused of killing two boys and one woman as human sacrifices for Santa Muerte — the saint of death — officials said Friday.

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Officials: 3 killed in human sacrifices

In a move that has raised questions about the obligations of community colleges, Santa Monica College has said it will raise the tuition for the classes that students most need to get into.

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Community College to Charge More for Top Courses

The saddest story from Christmas keeps getting worse: Lomer Johnson, the man who played Santa Claus at Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store on Christmas Eve, died while apparently trying to save one of his granddaughters in the Connecticut house fire that killed five people. His body was found on the roof outside of a granddaughter’s bedroom; Johnson's wife and three granddaughters died in the blaze, while his daughter survived. The house has since been razed . Though there have been reports that the fire was caused by embers from a fireplace, the fire department still is not commenting on its cause except to say it wasn’t arson.

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Grandpa Tried to Save Kids From Fire

The gunman in Texas who murdered six people Christmas morning before killing himself was wearing a Santa suit during the rampage. Police still haven’t released any identities except to say the victims, who appear to be part of the same family, were aged 15 to 59 and that the shooter was one of the older men among the dead. The group had just opened presents when the shooting took place in the Dallas suburb of Grapevine, which the state Senate had recently named the “Christmas Capital of Texas.”

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Texas Gunman Wore Santa Suit

DENVER — Santa Claus set records Christmas Eve as he raced across the globe on his traditional holiday mission. Santa tracking volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado said they fielded about 102,000 telephone queries beginning early Saturday on his progress, breaking the previous mark of 80,000. Read full article > >

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NORAD Santa trackers have record holiday telling children about big man’s location

First lady Michelle Obama got into the Christmas spirit Saturday by helping field phone calls from excited children eagerly tracking Santa and his sleigh full of toys across the world.

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First lady helps track Santa

Santa didn’t get run over by his reindeer, but he appears to have had a dust-up with an F-104 jet during an elaborate Christmas display on Tom and Alice Blair’s farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The tableau in St. Michaels depicts the aftermath of a mid-air collision involving Santa’s sleigh full of toys and a Cold War-era Lockheed Starfighter from the fictitious St. Michaels Air National Guard and piloted by “Capt. Scrooge.” Read full article > >

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Santa’s sleigh, jet collide in Eastern Shore display

. THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, Google, you’ve spoiled us. Here, under one URL, you’ve gifted us with personalized Christmas cartoon video cards and calls. Read full article > >

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS GOOGLE DOODLE: ‘Jingle Bells’ logo rings in among the Best of 2011 [UPDATED]

A council’s plans for helping Santa if he crash lands is among the bizarre Freedom of Information requests to local authorities this year.

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Santa plan among council requests

Baby Jesus is keeping strange company. For the better part of 50 years, a creche and a Christmas tree were the only holiday displays on the Loudoun County Courthouse grounds. Then came the mannequin Luke Skywalker and signs celebrating the winter solstice. This month, a skeleton Santa Claus was mounted on a cross, intended by its creator to portray society’s obsession with consumerism. A pine stands adorned with tinsel — and atheist testimonials. (“I can be moral without religion,” one declares.) Read full article > >

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In Leesburg, holiday displays bring controversy and change