Cuisine. Culture. Commentary.
The “marriage plot” is a common literary [and now film] device wherein the storyline is developed around courtship rituals. Two people are perfect for each other only they can’t see it because a) there’s a love triangle (“27 Dresses”), b) religious/political differences (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) or c) other “insurmountable” obstacle (“Monster-in-Law”). In the end,…
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I’d heard wild salmon is better than farm raised, but the price of the farmed stuff has been too tough to resist. Now that I better understand, I may be changing up my fishy habits. It’s hard to imagine because it’s been raining a good bit on the east coast, but Cali is in major…
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Since these novels are true YA (that’s the Young Adult genre), I read all three in 3.5 days. I mean, I’m an almost-30-year-old reading stories meant for teens. Whatever, it’s still juicy fun. This is yet another series in the growing dystopian romance/female empowerment sub-category. It was described to me as Hunger Games meets The…
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Ever feel like you need to get something off your chest? Sometimes I’ve just gotta talk it out. That’s why I’ve decided to do a monthly feature called “Thoughts On…” At the beginning of the month, I’ll provide a prompt to stimulate discussion. The point is to get us to put our thoughts out there…
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Death is inescapable, but everybody deals with it differently. Here’s how it works for 5 different religions. Is a Selfie Museum diluting art or making it accessible in a new way? We’ve all heard you eat with your eyes first, but what about with your ears? A study shows sound could play a role in…
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If you’ve seen Rain Man, you’re familiar with the extremely rare Savant Syndrome, which affects a small portion of those with Asperger’s, on the autistic spectrum. Daniel Tammet is the real deal. In this memoir, he describes what was going through his mind as a child while he struggled with the anxiety of social interaction. He also describes…
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The Sinclairs are a perfectly WASPy family, which of course is never perfect behind closed doors. All of the blonde haired, blue eyed clan spends the summer on their private island, Beechwood, where each of the patriarch’s three daughters have their own home with their families. The eldest children from each of these families have…
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Hattie loves her children but rather than show that love with affection and sensitivity, she focuses on being a solid provider. She does what she has to do to make sure her 11 children (and one grandchild) are fed, healthy, and out of harm’s way. But whether it is her rough demeanor or the circumstance of…
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Ever feel like you need to get something off your chest? Sometimes I’ve just gotta talk it out. That’s why I’ve decided to do a monthly feature called “Thoughts On…” At the beginning of the month, I’ll provide a prompt to stimulate discussion. The point is to get us to put our thoughts out there…
Read More
We all have some grammar “rules” stuck in our brain. Here are a few that can be de-bunked…in certain circumstances. Mitochondrial disease can cause all sorts of difficulties if passed on to children. But did you know there is such a thing as mitochondrial DNA transfer, which would allow would-be mothers with unhealthy DNA to…
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