Big Miracle
This real-life whale rescue story is inspiring, though perhaps too cute for its own good.
It’s funny the things that bring warring parties together. In October 1988, it was a family of three whales—a dad, mom, and baby—who found themselves trapped off the coast of Barrow, Alaska, by the early arrival of ice around the Arctic Circle. The trio, who became known as Fred, Wilma, and Bamm-Bamm, was separated from the ocean by too many miles of unbroken ice—not enough to let these giant mammals breathe along the way to freedom. … continue reading.
The Politics of Breast Cancer
The eruption of controversy around the Komen Foundation’s decision to not renew its funding of Planned Parenthood and their stunning reversal (or was it?) has reinforced two truths: the culture war is a long way from over, and it is hardly a one-sided affair. … continue reading.
5 Major Health Threats That Your Dentist Can Predict
When you look in your mouth you may see teeth that need whitening, but a dentist may see signs of heart disease. A study published in the Journal of Dental Research found that many dental problems can be signs of serious health complications. University of Washington School of Dentistry professor Philippe P. Hujoel, DDS, PhD, says the sugar and carbohydrates in food, known as “fermentable carbohydrates,” are to blame. Found in sugary drinks, snack foods like potato chips, and simple grains like white bread and corn, these carbs are fermented by bacteria in your mouth, which produces the acids that cause tooth decay. “Those dental diseases are a marker for an unhealthy diet, and an unhealthy diet may predict future health complications,” Dr. Hujoel notes. … continue reading.
Research: Rich God, Poor God
New studies are examining the relationship between religious attitudes and economic inequality.
Mississippi Personhood Initiative Defeated
Voters in Mississippi on Tuesday rejected a state constitutional amendment defining the unborn as persons, but pro-life observers expect the similar amendments to show up on many state ballots next November. Not all pro-life advocates supported the effort, reigniting the debate over the best ways to pursue pro-life legislation at the state level.
Mississippi’s proposed amendment would have defined “person” as “every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.” … continue reading.
Jets forward Rick Rhypien, 27, found dead in Alberta home
Another hockey player gone too soon: Rick Rypien(notes),who played parts of six seasons as a forward with the Vancouver Canucks, was found dead in his Alberta home on Monday.
News 1130 in Vancouver reported late Monday that Rypien took his own life (the original story is here) but later changed that language to a “non-suspicious, sudden death.”
From The Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle, who broke the news:
Former Vancouver Canucks tough guy Rick Rypien was found dead by a family member on Monday in Crowsnest Pass, Alta.
Rypien, who signed with the Winnipeg Jets in July, had missed most of last season because of a leave of absence from the Canucks for personal issues.
Local RCMP told The Globe and Mail on Monday night that the death was not suspicious.
The report was confirmed by TSN. His death comes three months after the passing of New York Rangersfighter Derek Boogaard(notes) at 28, from what medical examiners ruled was an “accidental mixture of alcohol and oxycodone.”
Known primarily for his role as a fighter and physical presence in the lineup, Rypien amassed 226 penalty minutes in 119 NHL games. He was 27, and had signed with the Winnipeg Jets last month after a controversial season with the Canucks. … continue reading.
10 New Earthly Wonders
UNESCO has just unveiled the newest members of their World Heritage List, which celebrates notable natural and cultural sites around the globe. To be considered for inclusion, a place has to meet at least one of ten criteria, which range from “representing a masterpiece of human creative genius” to being an area of “exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.” The Class of 2011 includes prime examples of all, including the world’s top flamingo foraging site, elaborate Persian gardens, and the legendary stomping ground of Lawrence of Arabia. Here are 10 sites that made the cut.
Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon
Transformers 2 was one of the worst reviewed movies of 2009 (so bad some critics are taking a pass on Transformers 3 altogether), but also one of the top grossing movies not just in that year, but in history, setting a handful of box office records. Clearly, an action movie doesn’t always need a cogent plot to get some, well, action. But! For those moviegoers who like a little sense to go along with the spectacle, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon is a rollicking recovery for the series, a trilogy best enjoyed as a kind of live-action cartoon for adults.
What You Don’t Know about Obama’s Mama
In a culture of “helicopter parenting,” in which mothers are tempted to manage every moment of their children’s lives to ensure future success, it’s peculiar that no one seemed interested in Barack Obama’s mother when his political career began to skyrocket. Maybe the anomaly of his absentee, Kenyan father was so enticing that no one gave much thought to the oddly named Stanley Ann Dunham. No one, that is, except Janny Scott.
In 2008, Scott left her job as a New York Times reporter to research the life of then Senator Obama’s late mother. She interviewed hundreds of Dunham’s family members, colleagues, and friends. She traveled all over the world, tracing her subject’s journeys. Scott’s meticulous research shows; hers is an absorbing book that details Dunham’s rich, disordered life.
Having read Scott’s book, the fact that Dunham has been summarized — perhaps most often by the president himself — as “a white woman from Kansas” seems comically hollow. It was with much more care that Scott chose the title A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother for her biography. Scott said that if she had used the adjective unconventional in the title, “some people would have thought it was a pejorative. Others would have thought it was high praise.”
“Singular,” she wrote, “is neutral. But there’s no mistaking its meaning: This person was remarkable, one of a kind.”
A family friend of the Dunhams described the milieu in which Dunham grew up as a “Leave it to Beaver . . . kind of society.” Indeed, Dunham gave birth to the son who would be known as “Barry” when Leave it to Beaver was still on the air. (She stopped using her unusual first name after high school.)
Ancient world dictionary finished — after 90 years
CHICAGO – It was a monumental project with modest beginnings: a small group of scholars and some index cards. The plan was to explore a long-dead language that would reveal an ancient world of chariots and concubines, royal decrees and diaries — and omens that came from the heavens and sheep livers.
The year: 1921. The place: The University of Chicago. The project: Assembling an Assyrian dictionary based on words recorded on clay or stone tablets unearthed from ruins in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, written in a language that hadn’t been uttered for more than 2,000 years. The scholars knew the project would take a long time. No one quite expected how very long.