Every week, we share with you our top posts and some of our favorite reads from across the Web. Get all of this—and more—directly in your inbox by signing up for our twice-weekly newsletter.

The truth we will admit: Our readers really enjoy being told that alcohol is healthy for them. They also are OK with our writers being stingy with soft drinks and talking to their kids about sex.

1. The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

2. Does Randomness Actually Exist?

3. Why Women Aren't Welcome on the Internet

4. Why I'm Not Sharing My Coke

5. What If We Admitted to Children That Sex Is Primarily About Pleasure?

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Plus, some fun picks from the Web. What we clicked on this week:

• Japanese kids bring gardening tools to the first day of school. Plus, other cool stuff schoolchildren do around the world, via the recently closed (sniff) ReadTapestry. Click below to see more.

• The Sri Lankan tradition of stilt fishing, while not as ancient as you might think, is challenged by increased tourism and tsunami damage. Wired has the story.