Category Archives: Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships

Arts & Humanities, Books & Reading, Love & Relationships, Memories & History

1922: the year that made modernism – New Statesman | UK edition

Ulysses, “The Waste Land”, Jacob’s Room: a year of radical experiments changed the course of literature.

By John Mullan

University at Buffalo Libraries/Album

In the spring 1922 issue of the avant-garde American literary journal Little Review, Ezra Pound published a calendar for a modern era. The months were renamed after Greek and Roman deities, under the heading “Year 1 p.s.U”. Readers in tune with literary innovations knew that those letters stood for “post scriptum Ulysses”, or “after the writing of Ulysses”.

With the publication of James Joyce’s novel in February 1922, on the author’s 40th birthday, a new age had begun. Pound (his most famous slogan: “Make It New”) was a great one for announcing, or demanding, literary revolutions; this time history would vindicate him.

A century on, 1922 still looks like the year literature changed, when modernism came into its own. It was the year not only of Ulysses, but also “The Waste Land”, by the 34-year-old TS Eliot, first published in October. The great novel of modernism was followed by its greatest single poem. These would be enough to mark 1922 as a watershed. But in this year too, Virginia Woolf, the same age as Joyce, published Jacob’s Room, her first radically experimental novel, and began writing Mrs Dalloway.

Pound, who was living in Paris, was embarking on his magnum opus, “The Cantos”. It was he who creatively edited the early drafts of “The Waste Land”, telling Eliot what to cut from the copious first drafts of the poem. Thus Eliot’s dedication of the poem to him, quoting Dante: “Il miglior fabbro” (“the better maker”).

Source: 1922: the year that made modernism – New Statesman

Current Affairs, Love & Relationships, Science & Health

Yes, those tiny dogs descended from wolves | NBC News

Domestic dogs come in more sizes than any other mammal species. Now, researchers say a genetic mutation that emerged in wolves before they were domesticated is responsible.

While humans have several hundred genes that regulate body size, domestic dogs have just 20 body-size genes.Surapol Manee / Getty Images/ EyeEm

On appearances alone, it may be hard to believe dogs like fluffy Pomeranians or spritely Chihuahuas really are descended from wolves.

But new research both illuminates and solidifies this relationship, while providing a new explanation as to why owners are even able to pick teacup poodles and short-snouted Shih Tzus out of the pack.

Domestic dogs come in more sizes than any other mammal species on Earth. This is a result of human preference and selective breeding — but this wide range of sizes is foundationally possible because of a newly discovered genetic mutation.

This mutation corresponds to small body size and it emerged in wolves before they were domesticated.

Source: Yes, those tiny dogs descended from wolves

Film & Movies, Love & Relationships, Memories & History, Pleasures, Television

Why ‘Frasier’ Is Peak Comfort Television – The Atlantic

Frasier is a time capsule of its era—and yet, has aged remarkably well.

By Kevin Townsend, Megan Garber, Sophie Gilbert, and Spencer Kornhaber, January 21, 2022

Gale M. Adler / NBC / Getty / Charlie Le Maignan / The Atlantic

Over the past two years of the pandemic, old, reliable shows with new lives on streaming platforms have been a mainstay for audiences. (Who wants new plotlines when headlines about COVID-19 variants offer enough of that already?)

And the deepest well for comfort watches may be the ’90s sitcom. Friends, Seinfeld, and the rest of “Must See TV” add up to hundreds of hours of cheery sets filled with familiar faces.

Of these shows, Frasier may be the strangest—as well as the most rewatchable.

The sitcom topped ratings charts and won 37 Emmys in its 11-year run, but the fact that, over the course of a decade, one of the most popular shows in America followed two opera-loving snobs playfully sniping at each other still seems like something of a marvel.

Source: Why ‘Frasier’ Is Peak Comfort Television – The Atlantic

Love & Relationships, Science & Health

Who’s a clever dog? Scientists study secrets of canine cognition | Dogs | The Guardian

Dogs can figure out some things that even chimps can’t. Our science correspondent puts her puppy retriever to the test

By Nicola Davis, Mon 17 Jan 2022 02.00 EST

Studying the skills of dogs such as six-month-old Calisto can help shed light on which parts of communication are unique to humans. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian

It’s a cold winter’s day, and I’m standing in a room watching my dog stare fixedly at two flower pots.

I’m about to get an answer to a burning question: is my puppy a clever girl?

Dogs have been our companions for millennia, domesticated sometime between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago. And the bond endures: according to the latest figures from the Pet Food Manufacturers Association 33% of households in the UK have a dog.

But as well as fulfilling roles from Covid detection to lovable family rogue, scientists investigating how dogs think, express themselves and communicate with humans say dogs can also teach us about ourselves.

And so I am here at the dog cognition centre at the University of Portsmouth with Calisto, the flat-coated retriever, and a pocket full of frankfurter sausage to find out how.

Editor’s Note: Read more, see link below for original item…

Source: Who’s a clever dog? Scientists study secrets of canine cognition | Dogs | The Guardian

Current Affairs, Food & Drink, Games, Love & Relationships

Simple and Effective Ways to Set a Great Example for Your Kids | Guest Post

Photo via Pexels

Simple and Effective Ways to Set a Great Example for Your Kid

By Cheryl Conklin, Guest Blogger

Biography: Cheryl Conklin created Wellness Central from her desire to share various resources and her thoughts on wellness. Apart from blogging, she enjoys traveling and going on endless adventures, and writing about her experiences at the end of the day.

As a parent, your actions can leave a lasting mark on your children. Setting a good example for your kids is essential for encouraging the development of good habits that will stick with them for years to come! Whether you’re dealing with toddlers and teens, raising great kids starts with your own behaviors. Here are some easy ways to mold your kids into incredible little people by adjusting your own habits, presented below by DrWeb’s Domain.

Take Steps Towards Self-Improvement

Show your kids how to become the best versions of themselves by identifying your own strengths and chasing your goals

  • Consider going back to school to pursue a career path that you’re passionate about.
  • Spend your spare time learning a new skill or hobby.

Model Healthy Behaviors

Children love to mirror the behaviors of their parents. If you want your kids to exercise, eat healthy foods, read and avoid bad habits, try to model these behaviors yourself.

  • Demonstrate responsible decisions around substance use to help your kids develop a healthy relationship with alcohol.
  • Make physical activity a priority in your life, and your kids will be more inclined to exercise too!
  • Show your kids that you enjoy healthy foods and all the feel-good benefits that come with healthy eating.
  • To encourage a love of reading, let your children see you reading, and make a point to visit the library together often.
  • Bring your kids grocery shopping and show them how you make healthy food choices.

Be Kind to Yourself and Others

Treat other people—and yourself—with kindness and respect to raise polite kids with great self-esteem

  • Practicing positive self-talk can help your children develop their self-esteem.
  • Try not to take yourself too seriously. Don’t be afraid to laugh at your mistakes!
  • Be mindful of the way you interact with others to show your kids that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
  • Do something for the common good, like volunteering your time at a local charity.

Being a great parent is not just about the lessons you teach your kids, but about the habits and behaviors that you display every day. Your kids will mirror your actions, for better or for worse. Encourage your little ones to grow into well-adjusted adults by adopting the habits you want them to pick up!

Current Affairs, Love & Relationships, Memories & History, Religion & Spirit, Science & Health

How grief and loss affect your brain, and why it takes time to adapt : Shots – Health News : NPR

By Berly McCoy, December 20, 20212:55 PM ET

Grief is tied to all sorts of different brain functions, says researcher and author Mary-Frances O’Connor. That can range from being able to recall memories to taking the perspective of another person, to even things like regulating our heart rate and the experience of pain and suffering.
Adam Lister/Getty Images

Holidays are never quite the same after someone we love dies.

Even small aspects of a birthday or a Christmas celebration — an empty seat at the dinner table, one less gift to buy or make — can serve as jarring reminders of how our lives have been forever changed.

Although these realizations are hard to face, clinical psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor says we shouldn’t avoid them or try to hide our feelings. “Grief is a universal experience,” she notes, “and when we can connect, it is better.”

O’Connor, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, studies what happens in our brains when we experience grief.

She says grieving is a form of learning — one that teaches us how to be in the world without someone we love in it. “The background is running all the time for people who are grieving, thinking about new habits and how they interact now.”

Source: How grief and loss affect your brain, and why it takes time to adapt : Shots – Health News : NPR