All Arts & Culture
Celebrating baby's first birthday: Who's the party for anyway?The Internet offers a wealth of birthday party themes, craft ideas, and elaborate treats to mark babies' first birthdays, and designed to impress family and friends. Do babies really need or appreciate all that fuss?
Learn to teach an old dog new tricksVeteran dog trainer Babette Haggerty unleashes her trade secrets for training onscreen pooches in her new book, 'The Best Dog Tricks on the Planet.' She maintains that any pup, from the family pet to movie stars can in fact learn new tricks.
Ginger cranberry sconesThese scones can be made in the food processor, and come out moist and sturdy. Use the dough as a template and add your choice of dried fruit and spices.
Top Picks: 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' on DVD and Blu-ray, an opportunity to save a turkey, and morePBS airs the films 'Indian Relay' and 'Young Lakota' to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, Oliver Stone's 'JFK' arrives on Blu-ray with new features and footage, and more top picks.
Lamb with celery and cuminSaut茅ed and quickly braised with whole cumin seeds, garlic, lemon juice and crushed red pepper flakes, normally mild-mannered celery upstages the supposed star of this dish, ground lamb.
Lululemon controversy stokes already toxic media cultureLululemon Athletica founder issued an apology to workers for fallout from his putting his foot in his mouth on Bloomberg TV this month. However, his comment that women whose thighs rub together "don't work" for Lululemon pants damages more than the company's reputation.
Ben Affleck will reportedly star in and direct geopolitical thriller set in AfricaBen Affleck's newest project is reportedly an Africa-set thriller in which he will direct and star. Ben Affleck is also starring in the film adaptation of 'Gone Girl' and will play Batman in an upcoming movie.
Multitasking: What a professor knows that students don鈥檛Multitasking: Students who've grown up with digital technologies often consider themselves masters of the art. But research shows that a distracted mind incurs "switching costs." Colleges should add multitasking to the responsible drinking and safe sex courses required of incoming students.聽
The case for saving cursive writingCursive writing may not have made the cut for the new Common Core educational standards, however at least seven states are fighting to keep cursive writing instruction.
Pumpkin gingersnap bars with gingered cream cheese toppingThese seasonally perfect pumpkin bars pair a spicy gingersnap cookie crust with a layer of luscious baked pumpkin custard.- Finally, kosher fast food at University of Illinois basketball gamesMost college sports stadiums don't sell kosher food. But the University of Illinois聽 State Farm Center now has a stand that sells kosher hot dogs, candy, and drinks.
College applications: Teens on social media can tank their college oddsAn increasing number of college admissions officers are turning to applicants' social media accounts for insights into the character of prospective students, adding new tension to the existing pressure-cooker process of applying for college.
'Maleficent' trailer shows Angelina Jolie as the 'Sleeping Beauty' villain'Maleficent' shows another side of the 'Sleeping Beauty' fairy tale, focusing on the fairy often thought of as evil. 'Maleficent' also stars Elle Fanning and Ella Purnell.
Lululemon yoga pant controversy: Namaste turns nastyLululemon Athletica founder Chip Wilson raises women's hackles by blaming women's bodies for the shortcomings of some Lululemon yoga pants. Apparently, Mr. Wilson never learned the cardinal rule - never blame mommy's thighs for anything, ever.
Stevie Nicks will guest star on 'American Horror Story'Stevie Nicks will appear on a future episode of the FX series. Stevie Nicks' appearance was announced via 'Horror' creator Ryan Murphy's Twitter account.
Miss Teen USA sextortion case: Hacker pleads guiltyMiss Teen USA sextortion case: A 19-year-old man has pled guilty to hacking into several young women's computers, including Miss Teen USA, taking photographs of them without their knowledge, then threatening to post those photos online if the women did not send him more nude photographs.- Verbal EnergyKicking the can down the roadDuring a brief lull between federal financial crises, a look at the vocabulary of playing for time.
The staggering price of birth in AmericaExpecting parents preparing for the arrival of a new baby may be shocked to learn that giving birth comes with a staggering price tag ranging from $20,000 to $100,000.聽
New batsuit buzz: Does the costume make the hero?New batsuit: Comic guru Kevin Smith may think the new batsuit is 'awesome,' but some of the masked bat's youngest fans aren't convinced that it's the costume that makes the hero so super.
Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt star in 'The LEGO Movie' 鈥� check out the trailerElizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, and other stars lend their voices for the film 'The LEGO Movie.' Elizabeth Banks is also starring in the new movie 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.'
