Woman of Note and Her Gallery: Marianne North
Marianne was rare among women of this period – travelling unaccompanied and visiting areas virtually unknown to many Europeans. Marianne North was at her happiest when discovering plants and painting and she spent nearly all her time abroad in the wild, surrounded by the habitats and plants she longed to capture in oil paint
PBS Cooks Up Kings of Pastry
France’s oldest and most prestigious pastry competition, the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, an epic three-day test of passion, perseverance, artistry, and technical skill is on view. The blue, white and red striped collar worn on the jackets of the winners is a dream and an obsession.
VA Health Care: Actions Needed to Prevent Sexual Assaults and Other Safety Incidents
GAO found that many of the nearly 300 sexual assault incidents reported to the VA police were not reported to VA leadership officials and the VA OIG. GAO found significant weaknesses in the implementation of these physical security precautions ... including poor monitoring of surveillance cameras, alarm system malfunctions, and the failure of alarms ...
Bernanke: Facing Significant Headwinds
The housing sector typically plays an important role in economic recoveries; the depressed state of housing in the United States is a big reason that the current recovery is less vigorous than we would like... Overall inflation measures reflect these [commodity] price increases: ... over the six months through April, the price index for personal consumption expenditures has risen at an annual rate of about 3-1/2 percent, compared with an average of less than 1 percent over the preceding two years.
Aphoristic Idiocy
You may try with all your might to keep that particular shade of blonde, to stay au courante with fads and the media, to indulge in plastic surgery, to wear trendy clothes and an uplifting bra, to find a terrific hair stylist or wig, but your hands and neck and crow’s feet will always give you away, and you’ll wind up looking like what you are: a sad case of trying to stay too long at the fair.
Amnesty International Protests Egypt's Abusive Attitudes Towards Women
When army officers violently cleared Tahrir Square on 9 March 18 women were detained, beaten, given electric shocks, of which 17 were then subjected to strip searches, forced to submit to 'virginity tests' and threatened with prostitution charges.
A Single Word Given to Describe the GOP Field: "Unimpressed"
The emerging Republican presidential field draws tepid ratings. Just a quarter of voters (25%) have an excellent or good impression of the possible GOP candidates. Most who have heard of Palin and Gingrich say there is no chance they would vote for them (63% each. About as many (60%) say there is no chance they would support Paul.
Does Retirement and Marital Status Make a Difference in How Men and Women Help Others?
More single men and women (who were widowed, divorced, or had never married) provided assistance to friends, neighbors, and co-workers than men and women who were still in first marriages or had remarried.
CultureWatch Reviews: Founding Gardeners, The Map of True Places and the Doc Martin DVD Collection
Don’t let the noted extra pages of notes and bibliography put you off Founding Gardeners, a remarkable book. Neither dull nor pedantic, nor beyond the grasp of anyone who likes history or loves growing things. The Map of True Places is a real psychological novel, dealing with layers of each personality and enough mystery to keep it moving with plenty of impetus. DVD Set: The reviewer admits they're watching the Doc Martin complete series for the third time, something the title character (an esteemed but rude doctor) would not admire, no doubt.
Peter Rabbit's Relatives
Peter Rabbit’s RelativesI thought I had it made. I bought a flat of organic broccoli plants and left it out back before planting the veggies in the side garden. My husband kindly watered it each morning and the leaves were flourishing. I was somewhat…
Fact Check Examines Playing Politics With Gasoline Prices
Both parties make questionable claims about gasoline, oil. Democrats and Republicans disagree on energy policy, but this they share: Both shade the facts on the complex issue for political advantage.
The Asset Cost of Poor Health
The results of a new study indicate that the asset cost of poor health may be substantially greater than most estimates of out-of-pocket medical spending. Poor health may result in reduced earnings near the end of an individual’s work life, or may trigger expenses associated with home renovation, relocation, or the hiring of various service providers.
A Daunting Topic by Elizabeth Duke: How to Improve Consumers' Financial Education
"If our schools can't spare the resources to provide financial literacy as a subject unto itself, I believe that the concepts required for sound financial decisionmaking should ... be incorporated into existing subject areas. Math problems can involve consumer financial calculations. Social studies classes can help students understand the real world financial issues and decisions they will face as young adults"
And Now A Word From Our Sponsor
Do you want to ride around in a vehicle proclaiming the soothing benefits of Preparation H? Before you say no, find out how much they’ll shell out to you. You may change your mind. What’s next? Ads covering your home ... painted on your kids’ backpacks ... broadcast in your Voicemail greeting?
The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900 at the V&A
The exhibition traces its development from the romantic bohemianism of a small avant-garde circle in the 1860s to a cultural phenomenon, concluding with the final Decadent phase at the end of the 19th century.
Financially Fragile Households: Can You Come Up With Funds Needed to Cope?
These findings show that while economic theories have emphasized the importance of precautionary assets to shield against shocks and sociologists have emphasized the importance of family or friends, in fact, both play a role in how individuals plan to cope with a financial shock. The highest levels of coping capacity? Canada
Dress Sculptures: Art Into Fashion; Roberto Capucci
Capucci frequently finds inspiration in nature, sculpture and architecture. He considers his dresses to be 'habitats' and thus does not restrict his work to the shape of a woman’s body.
Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse
There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.
Book Review of The Flavor Bible, Listed as One of the Ten Best Cookbooks in the World
The Flavor Bible will encourage you to think creatively and openly and inspire you to get into the kitchen. And it’s fun to browse through. Both the home and the professional chef will enjoy exploring its pages and playing with its many suggestions.
Is College Worth It? Pew's Social and Demographic Trends Examines That Financially Fraught Question
A majority of Americans (57%) say the higher education system in the US fails to provide students with good value for the money they and their families spend. A larger majority (75%) says college is too expensive to afford. An overwhelming majority of college graduates (86%) say that college has been a good investment for them personally.
The Ultimate Surrealist Object: Two People Inescapably Drawn to Each Other
At the center of modern art history is a love story between two artists who could not live with or without each other. The Peabody Essex Museum presents Man Ray | Lee Miller, Partners in Surrealism
On Argentina, Malbec and a Good-Value Argentinian Producer
On Argentina, Malbec and a Good-Value Argentinian Producer Argentina’s wines have been doing phenomenally well in the US. According to Nielsen market researchers, at a time when sales of wines from most countries have been shrinking, wines from Arge…
Seafood Safety: FDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Imported Seafood
About half of the seafood imported into the US comes from farmed fish (aquaculture). Fish grown in confined aquacultured areas can have bacterial infections, which may require farmers to use drugs like antibiotics
Television, Music and Playwrighting: "Women Today Don't Go Away"
Maureen Dowd's NY Times column said it all about the upcoming television season quoting a TV producer. "All the big, corporate men saw Christina Hendricks play the bombshell secretary on Mad Men and fell in love. It’s a hot fudge sundae for men: a time when women were not allowed to get uppity or make demands"
I Forgot to Pack Snowshoes
The Amtrak dispatcher declared that our trip was cancelled. A couple people begged the driver to open the doors and let the braver souls make a break for it on foot. As tempting as the prospect seemed, I failed to pack a pair of snowshoes or a team of sled dogs, so it was probably for the best that the temptation was never really an option
