THE MARK Twain we learned about in school is a less than inspiring figure: Twain, the children’s author of riverside idylls; Twain, the bitter misanthrope who lashed out at society because of his personal failures; Twain, the racist who grew up in a slaveholding family. Most famously, there is Mark Twain, father of American Literature–the figure consciously created by the American literary establishment in the 1940s and 1950s. This Twain is a powerful symbol of the American dream, the spirit of the frontier and westward expansion–he is a nationalist hero. Yet Twain was one of the most forthright critics of American ruling-class ideology at the turn of the 20th century.…

Margaret Mead, (born December 16, 1901, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died November 15, 1978, New York, New York), American anthropologist whose great fame owed as much to the force of her personality and her outspokenness as it did to the quality of her scientific work. Mead entered DePauw University in 1919 and transferred to Barnard College a year later. She graduated from Barnard in 1923 and entered the graduate school of Columbia University, where she studied with and was greatly influenced by anthropologists Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict (a lifelong friend). Mead received an M.A. in 1924 and a Ph.D. in 1929. In 1925, during the first of her many field trips…

An 89-year-old woman who baked dozens of pies for the elderly and vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic has been baking hundreds more to help feed hungry children this UK school half-term. Flo Osbourne, 89, makes hundreds of pies to help feed hungry childrenA rather special baker has rallied to footballer Marcus Rashford‘s calls and baked hundreds of pies to help feed hungry children this half term. Great-great-grandmother Flo Osborne, 89, has been making pies for Harwich residents since April – and sometimes bakes as many as 20 a day. Flo wakes up at the crack of dawn to start baking in her tiny kitchen in Dovercourt, near harwich, Essex, where…

Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo did something that stunned the world during the 2010 Zheng-Kai Marathon when she witnessed a disabled competitor struggling to drink water who was a double amputee.Instead of seeing her moment to run ahead of this struggling athelete, she ran along side of him from the 6.2 mile mark to the 23 mile mark (10km mark to the 38km mark), helping him drink water at all of the watering stations. The aide that she so compassionately provided her fellow competitor slowed her run time down and caused her to lose her first place position and place 2nd in the race — costing her the win and the $10,000…

Freddie Mercury might be one of the most talented vocalists of all time—but he’s also a fashion icon of unparalleled status. The lead singer of Queen, who was born on September 5th 1946 with the given name Farrokh Bulsara, once famously said: “I dress to kill, but tastefully.”In addition to being the mastermind of the Queen’s over-the-top stage costumes, the singer, who died at the age of 45, also designed the band’s iconic logo and many of their album covers. But in terms of his own personal taste, Mercury was known for gravitating towards unapologetically flamboyant styles. That resulted in countless getups made of spandex and sparkles, leather and fur,…

Sometime in the late 40s, before either man was famous, Frank Sinatra appeared in a theater in New York. After his show he went to Harlem to see the Will Maston Trio led by a young Sammy Davis Jr. Frank was blown away by Sammy’s talent and after the show he asked Sammy to come see his show. A week goes by. No Sammy. Sinatra went back to Harlem to see the Will Maston Trio again and asked. Sammy why he didn’t show. Sammy said he was there but they wouldn’t let him in. Frank stormed back to the theater, tore up his contract in front of them, and never…

Linda Rodin, the founder of the beauty line Rodin Olio Lusso and a frequent model (she’s appeared in J.Crew and the Row lookbooks) known for her signature bright lipstick, is someone we look up to when it comes to aging gracefully—and creating a home that is 100 percent personal. In her 60s, Rodin is more popular than ever, and her New York apartment, which she shares with her adorable poodle, Winky, looks to be the perfect retreat from her busy schedule. The space is positively packed with greenery, ornate antiques, and eye-catching art; this is not a clean, minimalist space but one brimming with personality and life. 1 The beautiful,…

I came across this delightful life advice on Facebook. Unfortunately I don’t know who the author is and therefore can’t credit him/her appropriately; but its nevertheless worth a read Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.Words that soak into your ears are whispered… not yelled.Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.You cannot unsay a cruel word.Every path has a…

1 TODAY I ADOPTED A HUMANIt broke my heart to see him so alone and confused. And suddenly I managed to make his teary eyes meet mine. I don’t like the smell of sad. I wanted so badly to jump on him. He spoke to me tenderly and I knew, I had to rescue him! That human needed me. So I barked with all my might, followed him for blocks and blocks. I got closer, I could smell his hands. The human smiled for an instant and when he took me in his arms, I began to feel his cold heart warm. I got close to his cheeks and felt…