Sightings

Tam Gray writes: Usually, after a professional makeup session, I'd run back home or to the ladies room to remove a large portion of what had been applied. Shockingly, Maia didn't even take my elbow and try to steer me to those products that would be 'for me only' at a 'special price,' perhaps expecting that I would splurge on a specific brand of cosmetics. I went back to the office feeling quite pleased with the way I looked: fresher and rested. "There are many reasonably priced products made for different skin types that will give the older woman a clean, healthy appearance and a natural, radiant look."   more »

Santa Fe, New Mexico, a remote town of about 70,000 that became the darling of urban expats in the early parts of the last century, thanks to its beautiful mountain vistas and pueblo-style architecture. Artists and nuclear scientists alike came and decided they never wanted to leave. Today, Santa Fe is a foodie haven, home to a world-class opera, a booming arts scene and quirky shops. Other exurban outposts looking to establish themselves could learn from this "Santa Fe effect," Garreau said. "You've got to give them a reason to stay."  more »

Reviewed by Serena Nanda: Wadjda is the story of a quietly but ingeniously, rebellious ll year old girl in Saudi Arabia, determined to buy and ride a bicycle. In Hold Tight, Don't Let Go, Magdalie makes one unsuccessful effort after another to survive after the Haiti earthquake, particularly after her decision to refuse to sink to selling sex. Malala recounts her experiences as she and her father fight the Taliban for the right of girls to go to school in Pakistan. Hawaii, The Lost Kingdom, introduces us to Hawaii’s last queen, Lili’ukalani, not widely known to Americans, perhaps because her fight for independence was ultimately unsuccessful.   more »

Just a weeks' worth of training can improve vision in older adults, according to new research in the journal Psychological Science. The findings show that training boosted older adults' sensitivity to contrast and also their ability to see things clearly at close distances. While some age-related declines in vision can be traced to the eye itself, research suggests that decline in other aspects of vision are the result of changes in brain function. more »