Sightings

Joan L. Cannon reviews: A Marriage of Opposites provides nuanced, layered, sensual images of a time and of people completely out of ordinary 21st Century experience. Hoffman's rich language combined with the eye of a visual as well as a verbal artist make for a uniquely vivid read. Color, temperature, atmosphere cling to a reader like a special scent long after the last page is turned. more »

"There is a real necessity to bridge the gap between civilians and those who have served in the military. It is our hope that the film will encourage a candid discussion in communities across the country, and create understanding and awareness of the sacrifices involved in military service," says Ric Burns, director of the film. more »

Partners who become romantically involved soon after meeting tend to be more similar in physical attractiveness than partners who get together after knowing each other for a while. The level of match on attractiveness was not associated with relationship satisfaction for either men or women in a study. Both friends-first and stranger-first relationships seem approximately equally happy years later.  more »

Stanford professor Kronengold says five decades of music makes the Bond canon "an interesting target for humanistic inquiry." He says the odd allure of the Bond music is that it maintains an underlying sameness "in an age when everything is changing faster than you can imagine." (That and stars such as Daniel Craig and Sean Connery, also known for their allure.) more »