A Grandmother by Any Other Name
Julia Sneden writes: The name Grandabbie was my own invention. Before she came to live with us, my mother’s mother lived next door to a lively band of six nieces and nephews who called her Aunt Abbie. One day I referred to my Grandmother as Aunt Abbie, whereat several of them pounced on me. "She’s not your aunt. You can’t call her Aunt Abbie," said another. I remember feeling crushed, but I don’t remember how I came up with the solution of combining Grandmother and Abbie into what was to become her label for life. She used to tell me: "All my life, I looked forward to being called Grandmother. It’s a beautiful word. But then," she would sigh, "I hadn’t reckoned with you."
ProPublica: A Buyer's Guide to Safer Communication
The good news is that as we understand more about how surveillance works, it helps the people who create and use secure tools to make better and more informed choices — even if that choice is simply not minding having their data collected. There are a lot of ways to talk to people securely on the internet, some are purpose-built to enhance your privacy and security. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s a place to start.
Shopping at Santa Monica's Museum of Art
Does Fluffy have dreams of grandeur? A cardboard cityscape scratcher can help her fulfill those dreams by allowing her to reenact her favorite 1950s horror film. From proper revolving door etiquette to learning how to tie a Windsor Knot The Gentleman's Deck will help men become a man of the 21st century. Four sets of blocks to play with: Hebrew, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. And a bird house like no other, the Sylvester Bird Box. A articulated elephant named Hattie performs.
The Gene Patent Decision Explained by the Supreme Court Blog: In Plain English
The exclusion of natural substances from eligibility for patents was the theory on which the Court relied Thursday in its unanimous ruling that a company cannot get a patent monopoly on the use and study of human genes that it isolates in the bloodstream, and them takes them out — without changing their natural character — for research. The Court said the company actually did not create anything at all, but simply extracted the genetic material from its location in human blood, and setting it apart for study.
Sargent's Watercolors: A Study in Sunlight
Val Castronovo writes: His debt to the Impressionists, his friend Monet in particular, is readily apparent in these sun-drenched, en plein air works that seek to capture particular moments in time. As the curators note, he was drawn to certain themes — "sun on stone, reclining figures tumbled together, patterns of light and shadow." White on white — light as it strikes a house, a sheet, a garment, a marble block or a balustrade.
New Report: Overdraft Practices On Checking Accounts Raise Serious Concerns for Consumers
"Consumers need to be able to anticipate and avoid unnecessary fees on their checking accounts. But we are concerned that some overdraft practices may increase consumer costs beyond reasonable expectations," said Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray. "What is marketed as overdraft protection can, in some instances, create greater risk of consumer harm."
Front-Line Heroes Subject to Budget Cuts: Wages for EMTs and Paramedics Vary Widely by State
A survey of Emergency Medical Services leaders in the 200 largest cities found 44 percent had cut services last year, according to the Journal of Emergency Medical Services. It found 28 percent of big-city EMS agencies had a hiring freeze or were not filling vacancies, some for the third consecutive year.
Elaine Soloway's Caregiving Series: Softie
I’ve done a lot of reading about Tommy’s condition and am relieved to learn he has not taken on another emotion that is sometimes linked to the illness: rage. If anything, he has become kinder (witness his charity), more sentimental (the tears), and softer. Because he can no longer speak, he doesn't send irritating comments to television commercials, obese strangers, or other innocent targets as I once complained about.
Five Ways Congress is Trying to Curb Rape in the Military
Under the military's criminal procedures, commanders have clemency powers, which means they can dismiss military court convictions "for any reason or no reason." The policy came under fire when Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin overturned a jury's ruling that Lt. Col. James Wilkerson, was guilty of aggravated sexual assault ... Under [Secy of Defense Chuck] Hagel's proposal, commanders could still reduce someone's sentence but would have to submit a reason in writing. [Democratic] Sens. Claire McCaskill and Barbara Boxer have called for similar changes. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., introduced a House bill that goes further, removing a commander's authority to overturn or reduce a judge's sentence.
Shopping for Father's Day: Blåkläder Workwear, Sun Protecting Hats, Folding Walking Stick Seats, A Numeric Conversion Apron and Recipe Divider Magnet
We're always asking, 'what do you need' for Father's Day? My husband named a few items, some whose maker you may not have heard of. Blåkläder Workwear offers a line of very durable work clothes, many with extra pockets for special purposes such as jeans with flap pockets at the knees to add knee pads. My husband bought their Roughneck Kangaroo black vest which, as the name suggests, has multiple utility pockets — or pouches — front and back providing lots of storage for tools and materials, as well as cell phone, keys and more. And don't forget the new sunscreen rules when he ventures out as well as perhaps a new hat.
Bernanke at Princeton: Don't Be Afraid To Let the Drama Play Out
Ben Bernanke speaks: "I am all for beauty, romance, and sexual attraction — where would Hollywood and Madison Avenue be without them? But while important, those are not the only things to look for in a partner. The two of you will have a long trip together, I hope, and you will need each other's support and sympathy more times than you can count. Speaking as somebody who has been happily married for 35 years, I can't imagine any choice more consequential for a lifelong journey than the choice of a traveling companion."
Medicare and Social Security: Changes Needed to Avoid Consequences Are More Urgent
If lawmakers take action sooner rather than later, more options and more time will be available to phase in changes so that the public has adequate time to prepare. Earlier action will also help elected officials minimize adverse impacts on vulnerable populations, including lower-income workers and people already dependent on program benefits.
Culture Watch Book Reviews: The Bookman's Tale and Rebels at the Bar; The Fascinating, Forgotten Stories of America’s First Women Lawyers
Reviewer Julia Sneden writes: The Bookman's Tale involves a blazing romance, a marriage followed by tragedy, a rare book mystery, and even a murder. If you like books, history, and mysteries involving old books, this is the story for you. Being reminded of the brave, intelligent, controversial women who broke through many barriers a good hundred years before the 1950's has been a fascinating experience and I have read Rebels at the Bar with profound gratitude.
Review: Kristin Nord Takes a Walkabout at Yale's Edwardian Opulence Exhibit
Ah, the Edwardians – with their sumptuous clothes and candelight dinners, their bone china, their silks, their gleaming silver. Merchant and Ivory and the BBC have made fortunes selling fanciful pastiches of this era to the viewing pubic, all the while touching lightly on a less seemly back story.
Edwardian Opulence at Yale: 'As If a Viennese Hussar Had Suddenly Burst Into an English Vicarage'
This is the first major international exhibition in more than a generation to survey visual and decorative arts in Britain during the reign of King Edward VII (1901–1910). The exhibition immerses visitors in the sumptuousness of British art and society immediately before World War I, while encouraging them to consider the multifaceted character of the era that fostered such material lavishness.
We're Not Energy-Vampires: A Personal Report Card
Roberta McReynolds writes: The Energy Index for our home was 834; we had used 39% less energy than similar homes, which our utility estimated saved us about $530 last year. This has made me even more conscious of turning off those light switches and making a glass of ice tea instead of turning on the air-conditioner this summer. The next time we meet, if you notice my blouse is a bit wrinkled, you’ll know it’s not because I’m lazy ... I’m just trying to get good grades on my next report card. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
