
Ansel Adams: Photography as a Force of Nature
Photographer Ansel Adams always looked forward to 5 pm. Two events occurred at that hour: Adams closed down the darkroom for the day, and his wife, Virginia, opened up the family bar at their home in Carmel, California. According to his longtime assistant and biographer, Mary Street-Alinder, it was an open bar for all comers. […]
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Agatha Christie and the Case of the Snazzy Zipper
It was the zipper on her black handbag that blew Agatha Christie’s cover. Rosie Asher, a chambermaid at the opulent Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, had only seen zippers on bags in fashion magazines, never one in person. It was just too chic an accessory even for the celebrated clientele at the Hydro. Asher’s […]
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Expert Advice on Using A Public Restroom
For many people, the cardinal rule of behavior regarding the use of public restrooms is: avoid them at all costs. Recent surveys suggest 65-70 percent of Americans will not use public facilities unless it is an absolute necessity. “Basically, everybody is fearful of public restrooms,” Lisa Bernstein, MD, of Emory University said. Her colleague, Charles […]
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Jonathan, the 190-Year Old Tortoise Teaches Us About Aging
Meet Jonathan, a giant tortoise, the world’s oldest living land animal. He was hatched in 1832 which makes him 190 years old – Andrew Jackson was in the White House and the first shot of the Civil War was still 19 years away. Jonathan’s age has recently made him a celebrity: when Guinness World Records […]
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“Regular Guy” Sandy Koufax Honored with Dodger Stadium Statue
Sandy Koufax, the best left-handed pitcher in major league baseball’s modern era, is a fanatically private man. He has been described as reclusive, guarded, withdrawn behind a wall of amiability. Those descriptions come from the small circle who know him well. In the summer of 1966, his mother, Evelyn, found out Koufax was publishing an […]
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