Category: Culture & Community

The Indic Studies Foundation plans a series of annual seminars and workshops to address this issue.

SF Bay area based Indic Studies Foundation has announced a series of annual seminars and workshops to address the issue of distorted history of India. Its president, Dr. Kosla Vepa, stated that "freedom is a natural desire among all humans, and India's history needs to be freed from its colonial past on the same footing as India's political freedom was attained sixty years ago."

Ghost stories and other tales of the supernatural have been part of folklore and literature for centuries, according to University of Massachusetts Amherst classics professor Debbie Felton, who collects and studies spooky tales from ancient Greece and Rome as well as more modern literary works.

These days, Halloween is all about good scary fun, but people have been thrilling to spooky tales as far back as ancient Greece and Rome, according to University of Massachusetts Amherst classics professor Debbie Felton, who studies the folklore of the supernatural.

Fresh strawberries and dry ice combine for a mysterious taste sensation.

Monsters and vampires won't be the only thing making your friends and family shiver with delight this Halloween. Carbonated strawberries will haunt the minds of your little ghosts and goblins and make your ghoulish gathering the talk of the neighborhood.

50% of females are homeowners vs. 45% of males; 11% of males are condo owners vs. 5% of females; 68% of females feel the right to civil unions extremely important, 59% of males do; 48% of females feel the right to serve in the military extremely important, 43% of males do; 12% of males read political blogs regularly, 9% of females do. The statistics quoted are from the 2006/2007 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census, an annual online survey that collects responses from thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people.

He's a magazine guy; she's into books. He goes to the theater and opera; she's more interested in sports and festivals. He's a Desperate Housewives fan; she would rather watch CSI.

Sound like they have nothing in common? Ah, but they do. They're both gay.

Celebrate World Animal Week year round.

From Michael Vick's indictment for dog fighting to Leona Helmsley naming a canine heir, the relationship between people and animals makes headlines. At the same time, millions of people who care about animals are quietly making a difference in their lives through the choices they make every day. In honor of World Animal Week, October 4 - 10, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) offers ten tips to make the world a better place for animals, and people, too!

When natural disaster strikes, people around the world are left wondering how they can help. On August 15th, an 8.0 earthquake hit Peru, devastating the country and leaving many without the bare necessities of survival. Robin Poirier, a Vancouver resident, had been planning her move to Lima for months before the disaster when she suddenly found herself in a unique position to help. Discover how one person made a difference, and how you can too.

When the devastating earthquake hit Peru on August 15th, destroying 85,000 homes and killing over 500 people, Robin Poirier, like much of the world, knew she wanted to help. She just wasn't sure how to do it.

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Some damage caused by August's earthquake in Peru.

Changes in the immune system may explain why social factors like loneliness are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, viral infections and cancer.

It’s already known that a person’s social environment can affect their health, with those who are socially isolated - that is, lonely - suffering from higher mortality than people who are not. Now, in the first study of its kind, published in the current issue of the journal Genome Biology, UCLA researchers have identified a distinct pattern of gene expression in immune cells from people who experience chronically high levels of loneliness. The findings suggest that feelings of social isolation are linked to alterations in the activity of genes that drive inflammation, the first response of the immune system. The study provides a molecular framework for understanding why social factors are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, viral infections and cancer.

Children of the Great Depression sought stability, those coming of age during World War II were stoic, duty-driven team players, and early Baby Boomers were hedonistic social activists. How will those coming of age around the time of the fall of the twin towers be affected by that event?

Charles D. Schewe, a marketing professor at the University of Massachusetts and well-known author on generational cohorts, says the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 jolted the nation and the people who were coming of age at that time, but it’s unclear whether these events mark a true watershed moment with the intense impact of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy or the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In 1966 The Byrds sang, "So you want to be a rock 'n' roll star." At the time, it sounded good. Reading this, however, gave us cause to wonder.

Rock and pop stars are more than twice as likely as the rest of the population to die an early death, and within a few years of becoming famous, reveals research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

While it may appear that conflict is an inevitable part of interaction between groups, research actually suggests that fighting, hating and contempt between groups is not a necessary part of human nature, according to an Ohio State University professor of psychology.

Shiite vs. Sunni. Red state vs. Blue state. Immigrant vs. native.

While it may appear that conflict is an inevitable part of interaction between groups, research actually suggests that fighting, hating and contempt between groups is not a necessary part of human nature, according to an Ohio State University professor of psychology.