lifestyles
Should we let wunderkinds drop out of high school?
NEW YORK (AP) — Thomas Sohmers, 17, of Hudson, Mass., has been working at a research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since he was 13, developing projects ranging from augmented reality eyewear to laser communications systems. This spring, his mom, Penny Mills, let …
Stax’s past influences future musicians in Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — One by one the teenage singers practice the opening lines to “Boogie Wonderland,” a disco-funk hit from an era before they were born, as dancers work on hip-swinging moves that require perfect choreography. In another room, young musicians play the same …
Asparagus: A luxury of spring
Asparagus is spring’s most luxurious vegetable. It was once cultivated for medicinal purposes as a natural remedy for blood cleansing and diuretic properties. During the Renaissance, asparagus was also promoted as an aphrodisiac and banned from the tables of most nunneries. Pencil thin or thick …
Saving for a rainy day can wait for teen
Dr. Wallace: I’m a 15-year-old young lady. I’m very active in school, and I get very good grades. I’m very thankful that my parents give me an allowance of $15 a week, and I do all of my assigned chores faithfully. But, now comes my …
Out of the shadows: How ‘Smokey Joe’s Cafe’ dancer picks a partner
On this night, the woman plucked from the audience for a “Loving You” slow dance is a 70-year-old from Munster, who says the songs take her back to high school homecoming.
UN promotes adding insects to diets
ROME (AP) — The U.N. has new weapons to fight hunger, boost nutrition and reduce pollution, and they might be crawling or flying near you right now: edible insects. The Food and Agriculture Organization on Monday hailed the likes of grasshoppers, ants and other members …
More than just a mother, now she’s your ‘friend’
Josh Knoller, a young professional in New York City, spent years refusing his mother’s “Friend Request” on Facebook before, eventually, “caving in.” Today they have an agreement: she’ll try not to make embarrassing comments, and he can delete them if she does. “We actually got …
A classic cocktail worthy of Gatsby
It isn’t the ill-fated love between the fabulously rich Jay Gatsby and the beautiful, but conflicted Daisy Buchanan that whets readers’ palates. It’s everything else manifested in what is now known as the great American novel: a carefully painted portrait of America during the Jazz …
Cooking with homegrown rhubarb
Rhubarb is as hardy as a weed. If you are growing rhubarb in your backyard right now, it is probably making its presence known. It is a very beautiful garden plant, with huge extravagant, lush green leaves and pink or red stalks. Rhubarb is an …
A case of mistaken shih tzu identity
Dear Ollie: I am a black and white shih tzu like you and I have a strange story to tell. My owners and I just moved from Valparaiso to a new neighborhood in Union Township. Ruby, the cocker spaniel and I were very excited to …
Fitzgerald’s Hollywood ending followed sad death
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Has-beens in Hollywood usually stay that way. Yet one writer who died there nearly forgotten 73 years ago had one of the most remarkable posthumous revivals in literary history. F. Scott Fitzgerald is back on the big-screen with Leonardo DiCaprio and …
Everyone could use a superhero in their life
I was never big into superheroes and comic books when I was little. My mother was not thrilled with comic books so they tended to be few and far between and always seemed to “disappear” quite quickly. I do remember being intrigued with Wonder Woman. …
Discovery of 3 women recalls past abduction cases
The discovery of three women in a Cleveland home who all had gone missing separately about a decade ago brings to mind cases of abductions elsewhere. A list of some prominent cases: JAYCEE DUGARD Dugard was abducted in June 1991 on her way to school …
Plan a healthy meal for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day brings back fond memories. Once my three brothers and I tried to prepare the meal for Mom—back before taking mothers out to eat became so fashionable. I think it ended up being more of a mess than a meal. I remember attempting making …
Make an edible gift for mom with fig preserves
If celebrating Mother’s Day has reached the point where drugstore bouquets and diner breakfasts constitute a fairly recognizable pattern, then it could be time to bring back the spark to the holiday—for you and for mom. Visions of Mother’s Day celebrations dance in our heads …
Bogart film festival kicks off in Florida Keys
KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) — Several thousand fans of Humphrey Bogart are in the Florida Keys through Sunday to celebrate the legendary actor’s cinematic accomplishments.
