Coral reef rescue news

Coral reefs – key parts of the world's ecosystems – have been dying at alarming rates. Banning or restricting the use of certain types of fishing gear like spear guns, fish traps, and beach seine nets will help the world’s coral reefs and their fish populations survive, according to a joint study by international science and conservation groups. More here.

Scolding leads to guilty look

Click the headline for a study that applies to dogs, and surely some kids.

Yard full of pet threats

Click here for article about finding and ridding threats to pets in your yard.

Docs speak out about EDCs - BPA, phlatates, DDT, receipt paper

Receipt paper, hard plastic bottles, food can liners, baby bottles, plastic bags, drugs, many cosmetics...what do they have in common? These and other products contain compounds linked by hundreds of research studies to endocrine and reproductive system disruption. Last week, the Endocrine Society issued its first-ever statement confirming concerns about EDCs, or endocrine disruption chemicals (BPA or bisphenol A, phlatates and DDT, etc.) is evidence-based.

The concerns aren’t new. More than 15 years ago at the first World Wildlife Fund Wingspread Conference, expert scientists concluded “Many compounds introduced into the environment by human activity are capable of disrupting the endocrine system of animals, including fish, wildlife, and humans.” EDCs affect the hormones that control physical development.

And a decade ago, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was given a mandate to develop test protocols to screen for endocrine effects of chemicals.

Since then, hundreds of peer-reviewed studies have shown associations between EDC exposure and adverse impact in humans. During the same period, new manmade chemicals have been added to the synthetic scene, and scientists have expressed concern about EDCs’ potential role in the increasing occurrence of behavioral disorders, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Possible impacts on animals include early breast development in young women, breast and prostate cancer in humans, bird deaths, sex reversal and infertilify in fish, birth defects in amphibians, and high levels of anthropogenic (man-made) chemicals in polar bears, beluga whales, killer whales and Arctic foxes.

Skipping breakfast as diet-wrecker, declining testosterone effects among ENDO 09 topics

Robin will be writing for some other publications on some new study findings presented last week at ENDO 09, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society (endo-society.org). These include:

* The power of a healthy breakfast in taming cravings for diet-busting foods. Another study proves the health value of eating breakfast, but explains why a nutritious breakfast (fruits and some carbs) curb appetite throughout the day. Study participants who skipped breakfast displayed far greater activity in the brain's reward centers when shown high-calorie junk food than those participants who ate a healthy breakfast. So evidently skipping a meal predisposes people on a neurobiological level to go for diet-busting foods.

* Declining testosterone levels in men as they age has now been linked to weight gain and the cluster of health problems known as metabolic syndrome.

Small: The next big thing?

Really tiny houses ... Robin's subject in this Sunday's Eco Simple column for the Examiner newspapers. Click to access the DC edition or San Fran edition.

Poster art rocks: new Paper Jam exhib

Civilian Art Projects on 7th St. NW in D.C. opens its second exhibition of music-based posters. PAPER JAM: The Art and Grime of the East Coast Rock Poster. Can't get there in person? Click here for a virtual visit.

Stress-free vet visits? Handling cats and dogs better

Dr. Sophia Yin on the radio. Topic: Visiting vets, driving, giving pills and other handling other typically stressful situations with less, or no, stress using such techniques as counter-conditioning. Includes great, easy tips for calming frightened cats. Click to listen.

Art spots: Albuquerque

Art happenings in Albuquerque - check Robin's new piece in Daily Art News here.

Motivational posters don't...

Results from a recent University of Iowa study suggest that motivational posters and geegaws are de-motivators for people who are not naturally upbeat. Researchers suppose that these individuals are skeptical and question motives.

Myth busted: exercise beats calcium for bone health

Myth busted: drink milk, eat dairy products and take calcium supplements to improve bone health and prevent osteoporosis. Nope, writes Univ of NC health and wellness professor Amy Lanou in a new book co-written with Michael Castleman titled "Building Bone Vitality: A Revolutionary Plan to Prevent Bone Loss and Reverse Osteoporosis." d

The book shows why eating low-acid foods and taking daily walks are the most effective ways to prevent bone loss.
Recommendations: eat six to nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables and no more than one or two servings of high-protein foods. Why? Because protein is composed of amino acids. As the body digests high-protein foods, the blood becomes more acidic, leaching calcium from the bones. That can eventually cause osteoporosis, the authors say.

Fruits and vegetables also contain some protein, but less than meat, dairy and eggs. And fruits and vegetables also contain a great deal of alkaline material, which neutralizes the acid. So the body does not have to draw calcium compounds out of bone.

Lanou and Castleman found that since 1975, 140 clinical trials have explored calcium's effects on osteoporotic fracture risk. Overall, the clinical trials dealing with fracture prevention run two-to-one against calcium, the authors noted. They found that the consensus of bone/exercise research shows that 30 to 60 minutes of daily walking is enough to build strong bones. So: Walk Every Day.

Biomimicry: Learning from nature's intelligent designs

The solutions to human challenges don't have to be expensive, toxic or out-of-reach. Check this new article on biomimicry.

‘Warrior Gene’ linked to joining gangs and using weapons

Boys who carry a variation of the gene Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), AKA the “warrior gene,” are more likely to join gangs, to be among the most violent members and to use weapons, according to a new study from Florida State University. More here.

Cuts and sneezes not backing up the ER

Masters student Andre Maddison won the 2009 Mythbusters Award for research indicating that non-urgent patients aren’t why emergency departments are so backed up. “Emergency department overcrowding is a national problem with potentially devastating effects,” he said. “It is rooted in insufficient physical and human resources and poor integration within and between hospitals.”

Pregnant? Watch those plastics

Newborn girls exposed in the womb to phthalates scored poorly on a standard behavior test. Phthalate metabolites found in the mothers' urine were associated with the girls' poor performance on tests of attention and alertness. This is the first study to link phthalates to neurological development effects in humans. Previous studies have linked phthalates to altered genital development, obesity, diabetes risk and poor sperm quality. Details here. And here's an interesting site all about bottled water.

Go BOINGO: Best WiFi for travelers

As a frequent traveler, I can tell you that all mobile/WiFi services are not created equal. The best I've found is Boingo. The service is even better than the name. Unlike T-Mobile, you can access it in places like Atlanta Hartsfield airport. $7.95 for mobile WiFi...$9.95 for laptop WiFi (what I use). Unlimited. Like roaming without fees. Hotspots in 100,000 places worldwide. Click here for Boingo details.

Free: National parks for 3 weekends

Just in time for vacation planning: Entrance fees at 147 national parks and monuments nationwide, including the Grand Canyon, will be waived June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16.

Sustainable town planning

On May 21, we attended a National Building Museum/American Planning Association symposium examining a century of city planning. Discussion snippets:

* Carolina Barco, Columbia’s Ambassador to the U.S., described Bogota’s evolution. In 1992, the city was overwhelmed by crime, traffic jams and other ills. Planners devised a multi-pronged solution including improved public transportation, better policing, an arms-for-food exchange, and building libraries next to parks and closing bars by 1 a.m. Bike commuting was encouraged and peak time license plates were issued, getting 40% of the cars off streets during rush hour.

* University of Michigan’s Robert Fishman resurrected a book about urban utopias. Projects included Yorkship Village’s elegant 1918 wartime emergency housing in Camden NJ and the Radburn NJ greenbelt town proposed four decades before Columbia, MD. Lessons learned: simple beats comprehensive and highways spawn sprawl; once the National System of Interstate Highways was approved, “the toothpaste was out of the tube.”

* University of Florida dean Chris Silver spoke about visions for new cities that would reverse overcrowding and underservice.

Weight loss study of the month

Overweight individuals who ate a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet high in plant-based proteins for four weeks lost weight and experienced improvements in blood cholesterol levels and other heart disease risk factors, according to a report in the June 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. A high-carbohydrate, low-fat vegetarian diet also resulted in weight loss but without the additional cardiovascular benefits.

Dog Tip: Check out Dr. Yin's site

Good source for dog care advice (besides yours truly). Dr. Sophia Yin wrote The Small Animal Veterinary Nerdbook, How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves, and Low Stress Handling, Restraint, and Behavior Modification in Cats and Dogs. Her studies have ranged from vocal communication in dogs to behavior modification in horses and giraffes. Check out her website.

Angels and demons: Inhumane humans

Sad stories this week: someone set a gentle pit bull on fire (article here); someone else horribly beat another innocent dog. Speak up for the voiceless. Please watch the video in the linked article, and most of all, please care.

Animals feel regret

Yep, just as we figured...article in today's New York Times.

Ecotouring along Florida's Hidden Coast

Ecotouring along Florida's Hidden Coast - Robin's Eco Simple column in the Sunday Examiner - June 1 issue coast to coast. Click here for the DC edition ... and here for the full version in the San Francisco Examiner.

The father of all still life paintings

Our new piece on the fabulous traveling Luis Melendez exhibition...now at the National Gallery of Art in D.C. Click links to various DC/MD/Virginia and online editions of Friday's Examiner. here or here.

Young whale fatally hit by ship

Hit by a ship, this 41-foot juvenile whale washed up on Delaware National Seashore just north of Ocean City Md. Article in today's Washington Post.

Fighting fleas without toxins

Click here for a guide about alternative, effective ways to control fleas and ticks without toxic products.

Flea control products alert

New article here in the Wall Street Journal about troubling reports about flea control products.

Nano-size seahorse and other species revealed

Arizona State University's International Institute for Species Exploration just released a list of newly identified species worldwide. On the list: a pea-sized seahorse, caffeine-free coffee, bacteria that live in hairspray, a snake 4 inches long, a 22.3 inch Malaysia insect, a fossil of the oldest known live-bearing vertebrate, a snail whose shell twists around four axes, a palm that flowers itself to death (ouch), a ghost slug, and a deep blue damselfish. Shown here: the tiny seahorse. More here.

Dogs have soul

Researcher Marc Bekoff has documented rich evidence of observable emotional and ethical behavior of dogs. Such as:

* Dogs have a sense of fair play. They dislike cheaters. They experience joy in play. They delight in friends. Big dogs handicap themselves in games with little dogs.

* Dogs get jealous when a rival gets more or better treats or treatment. They are resentful, unnerved or saddened by unfair behavior. They are made anxious by suspense. They get afraid.

* They are embarrassed when they mess up or do something clumsy. They feel remorse or regret when they do something wrong. They seek justice. They remember the bad things done to them, but sometimes choose to forgive.

For more, check the report here.

Duckling rescue

DC firefighters rescue ducklings from storm drain - story here.

Disaster prep for pet folks - new video

Kansas State University veterinarian Susan Nelson tells you how to evacuate pets in an emergency. Click here for a 4-minute clip worth watching before disaster strikes your area. And a related tip from Heloise: make an emergency pet carrier by tying 2 plastic laundry baskets together.

Dog bite prevention week

Click the post title for the article.

Knoxville: Recycling resources, renewing a city

From rubble to riches: Knoxville artist recycles race car wreckage into sculptures...while creative citizens revitalize their community. Check Robin's latest Eco Simple column in the Sunday Examiner editions nationwide. Click here for the San Francisco edition.

City declares a weekly vegetarian day

The city of Ghent in Belgium has declared every Thursday a vegetarian day in an attempt to fight climate change. Details here.

How to green your diet

Robin's new article in the May 2009 edition of The Village Green...on page 7.

Get up! Sitting is hazardous to your health

More proof that moving around will give you more good years. Watch for my HyperActive Traveler reports in the coming weeks.

Can disco save the honeybees?

Sleep can help shed pounds

Sleep is critical to maintaining a healthy body weight, according to new research being presented this week at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego. BM) is linked to length and quality of sleep. Researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center analyzed the sleep, activity and energy expenditures of volunteer in a heart-health program [W]e found that short sleepers tended to have a higher BMI, 28.3 kg/m2, compared to long sleepers, who had an average BMI of 24.5. Short sleepers also had lower sleep efficiency, experienced as greater difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep,” said Arn Eliasson, M.D.

Got stuff?

I first reported on this cool animated video after its initial release. Now read about it again in this New York Times piece.

Teaching your dog to WAIT

Don't reward pushy or rude behavior when training or anytime you're with your dog. Instead of granting the attention or favor your dog seeks - unless he's trying to alert you that "I have to relieve myself!" - say "Oops!" and ask for a "Sit."

"Wait" is a very useful cue, and here's how to teach it to your dog. Click for this new Dog Tip.

Sarcastic classics

If you're going to unleash a sharp tongue, learn from those possessing wit.

Neurotic guys rock

Conscientious and even neurotic folks are good for their partners' health, suggests results of a large-scale study of “compensatory conscientiousness effect” reported this month in Psychological Science.

“Highly conscientious people are more organized and responsible and tend to follow through with their obligations, to be more impulse controlled and to follow rules,” said University of Illinois psychology professor Brent Roberts, who led the study.

Past studies have shown that conscientious people are more likely to exercise, eat nutritious foods and adhere to vitamin or drug regimens, and are less likely to smoke, abuse drugs or take unwarranted risks. They also tend to have more stable relationships than people with low conscientiousness. Those on the neurotic side, though, tended to report poorer health and less satisfying relationships. In contrast, this new study examines how one’s personality can influence the health of another.

“There’s been kind of an individualistic bias in personality research,” Roberts said. “But human beings are not islands. We are an incredibly interdependent species.” His team studied data from the Health and Retirement Study, for which about 2,000 U.S. couples rated their own levels of neuroticism and conscientiousness and to answer questions about the quality of their health. Participants also reported whether or not a health problem limited their ability to engage in a range of activities such as jogging one block, climbing a flight of stairs, shopping, dressing or bathing.

Both men and women benefit from being paired with a conscientious mate, and women had additional health benefits when their mates were also neurotic. Alas, men paired with neurotic women did not get the same health boost.

Watch what your kids watch

A Children's Hospital Boston study suggests that children who view adult-targeted TV may become sexually active earlier in life. For every hour children ages 6- to 8-years-old watched adult content, their chances of having sex during early adolescence increased by 33%,

The study consisted of 365 males and 389 females, who were tracked during 2 stages: first during childhood, and again 5 years later when 12- to 18-years-old. At each stage, the television programs and movies and the time spent watching them were logged. "Television and movies are among the leading sources of information about sex and relationships for adolescents," says Hernan Delgado, MD, lead author of the study presented yesterday at a Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Baltimore.

(Photo from http://www.tvhistory.tv)

Genius: It takes practice

If genius does not arise from some divine spark or genetic gift, then what's the secret?

CDC confirms factory farm-flu link

Factory farming and long-distance live animal transport apparently led to the emergence of the ancestors of the current swine flu threat. A preliminary analysis of the H1N1 swine flu virus isolated from human cases in California and Texas reveals that six of the eight viral gene segments arose from North American swine flu strains circulating since 1998, when a new strain was first identified on a factory farm in .... For a thoroughly researched, annotated report including interviews with a veterinary expert, click here.

Bright green ideas

Rattled by the economy, many businesses have put green initiatives on the back-burner. But others found that eco-friendly choices are win-win.... Check out my latest Eco Simple column in the Sunday Examiner newspapers nationwide. This is the San Francisco edition.

Knoxville art: Portraits of the homeless

During a recent visit to Knoxville, I filled my journal with the stories of a dozen or so folks revitalizing the city’s core as a walkable arts district that retains its downhome roots. Just as interesting were the rootless Knoxvillians encountered through the photographs of David Habercom.

In the process of moving his studio from the Emporium Center for Arts & Culture downtown... Click here for the full article published this May in Art News.

Tech Tip: Easy conversion of those ol' video and audio tapes

Honestech picked up a 2009 Consumer Electronics Show Honoree Award for its New Audio Recorder 2.0 Deluxe ($79.99). With just a few clicks you can convert LPs and cassettes into digital formats including MPS and CDs.  The company also makes VHS to DVD converter kits to easily transfer videotapes and digital camera video to DVD. Unfortunately, there’s no Mac version yet.

Religious view on animal care and exploitation

Sensible true believer on human treatment of God's creatures; reminder that Jesus was a proponent of peace and decent treatment of others, not violence.

Brain soundtrack: personal power music?

Every brain has a soundtrack. When that soundtrack is recorded and played back, it may sharpen a person’s reflexes during a crisis, and calm nerves afterward.

To explore how music could be used to help during emergencies, the Department of Homeland Security is studying a form of neurotraining called "Brain Music" that adapts music created from listeners' own brain waves to help them cope with insomnia, fatigue, and headaches stemming from stress. The idea: use the frequency, amplitude and duration of musical sounds to get their brain to relax.

Scientists record the brain music, then convert it into two 2- to 6-minute musical compositions designed to trigger the body's natural responses. The compositions trigger either relaxation – for reduced stress and improved sleep –and alertness, for improved concentration and decision-making. Each track is performed on a single instrument, usually a piano. The relaxation track may sound like a melodic, subdued Chopin sonata, while the alertness track is more like Mozart. Listen to an alert track here.

Each person is then given a set listening schedule. A group of firefighters will be the first emergency responders studied in this project. Since most of us won't have access to brain music recordingings, consider this prescription from Cervantes: "He who sings scares away his woes."

Dog-proof fences? Check out Bark

For Robin's latest article in The BARK (March/April 2009 issue), click here.

Another more detailed article about fences and dogs is found here

New Farm Sanctuary Virtual Experience

Farm Sanctuary just posted a new and insightful Virtual Experience on its website, which uses uses new technology to help you virtually visit a factory farm and the nonprofit's sanctuary. It's a sensitive presentation of the realities of how turkeys and other farmed animals are treated and transported. The Sanctuary presentation helps show that there are caring people, and that caring people can make a difference. Click here.

Pacific Ocean garbage swirl twice now the size of France

Click the here to find out more about this mass of manmade trash polluting and killing life in the Pacific.

Plastic is absolutely ubiquitous, forming the most basic infrastructure of modern consumer society Photo by Brett Ryder

Manhattan glam on a recession budget

I reveal secrets to doing Manhattan in style on a recession budget here in an online travel magazine.

Acupressure effective for post-surgical nausea

Stimulating the Pericardium (P6) point in the wrist prevents nausea and vomiting, report researchers in the current issue of The Cochrane Library. Some 80 percent of people who have surgery complain of nausea and vomiting afterwards. The cost and side effects of anti-nausea medications have spurred interest in simpler and noninvasive alternatives.

Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine treatment going back 2,000 years, involves penetrating the skin with thin, metallic needles at defined points. Acupressure involves wearing a wristband that presses down on the P6 point, which I’ve personally found effective in preventing motion sickness on jags and boats.

What shade of green are you?

"What Shade of Green are You?", "The Game of Green," bulb evolution...links to Robin's Eco Simple column and some of her other Earth Day articles appearing this weekend in various editions of the Examiner newspapers nationwide. Here's a piece from the San Francisco edition and another in the Washington, DC edition.

Shaping good behavior - new Dog Tip

Shaping desired behavior involves breaking a behavior into small steps, taught one at a time with positive reinforcement.
Here's an example ... click here for this Dog Tipsheet.

Blog Appeal: blogging for business

Robin's cover story in the new April 2009 issue of HSMAI MR, the international hospitality journal. If you'd like a PDF, let me know. Here are links to the pages:
Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, and cover

The best medicine is cheap

“There is ever-increasing evidence that a higher consumption of Brassica vegetables may reduce the risk of several types of cancer,” according to researcher Robert Verpoorte. Vegetables in the Brassica family include broccoli, cabbage, kale and brussels sprouts. They're packed with disease-fighting phytochemicals as well as vitamins, minerals and fiber, according to a report presented in the latest edition of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, a peer-reviewed journal of the Institute of Food Technologists.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Shop Cruelty-Free: New pocket guide

Newly updated pocket-size Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide. Free from NAVS at this webpage

Frogland Wants a King: Trippy 1922 flick

Stop-action animation by Ladislaw Starewich. 1922. Moral: be careful what you wish for.

Can’t hide B.O.

Research now proves what we already knew: it’s tougher to mask armpit odor from women. “It is quite difficult to block a woman’s awareness of body odor. In contrast, it seems rather easy to do so in men,” said Charles J. Wysocki, PhD, a behavioral neuroscientist at Monell. Evidently, females are more attuned to biologically relevant information in sweat when they are choosing a mate. (Image courtesy of FreeImages.co.uk)

Swashbucklin' Eco Warrior saving the high seas

Slobby Somali pirates don't hold a candle to swashbuckling eco warrior David de Rothschild, who's sailing by plastic boat to the humongous garbage patch aswirl in Pacific Ocean currents. And all the single ladies, this hunky banking heir has been dubbed a most eligible bachelor too. Click here

Broccoli sprout power

A pilot study suggests that eating two and a half ounces of broccoli sprouts daily for two months helps protect against the stomach bug H. pylori that causes gastritis, ulcers and even stomach cancer.

Eating a daily dose of broccoli sprouts reduced by more than 40 percent the level of HpSA, a highly specific measure of the presence of components of H. pylori. “[W]e identified a food that, if eaten regularly, might potentially have an effect on the cause of a lot of gastric problems and perhaps even ultimately help prevent stomach cancer,” says Jed W. Fahey, paper author/nutritional biochemist at the Johns Hopkins Cancer Chemoprotection Center. Co-researcher Paul Talalay (pictured with sprouts) is a pioneer in the healing foods movement who is such a believer that he patented a variety of broccoli sprouts.

Their previous studies suggested sulforaphane, a naturally occurring biochemical, is a potent antibiotic. Broccoli sprouts have a much higher concentration of sulforaphane than mature heads. Sulforaphane appears to trigger cells in the body to produce enzymes that protect against oxygen radicals, DNA-damaging chemicals, and inflammation.

Chop Shop worth watching

Great film shares lessons from the street, and worth watching it a second time with the filmmaker commentary. Some of the actors aren't actors by trade; they live/work on the streets. Excellent indie production made on location in Queens. Be sure to get the Ramin Bahrani production, not the sexploitation flick with the same title.

Cool idea for dog and film lovers

Award-winning filmmaker Rebecca Rodriguez isn't letting the flood of kudos for Coming Up Easy, her recent look at domestic violence, keep her from working on her new project, Good Dogs. To raise money for the film and raise awareness about the plight of homeless animals, she has come up with this novel idea. Check out her Good Dog effort here

Like a fine rind...

You know that white membrane between the rind and pulp of oranges, grapefruits and other citrus? Researchers recently confirmed it's good for you.

New York, New York - Gone ARTtistic

Robin's New York art romp piece in Art-tistics, an online publication for collectors, gallerists and others in the creative class. Click here

Image: Mural painted by SoHo artists for the New Yorker Hotel.

President's dog choice matters

If the Obamas choose a designer dog, more unethical breeders and puppy mills will cash in. Good Newsweek article on doing animals wrong. Click here

Perils of shopping while happy

A new study shows that happy consumers are likely to overlook their suspicions about sales pitches. The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Business study findings will appear July in Elsevier’s Journal of Consumer Psychology. The researchers exposed consumers to humorous or happy situations before surveying their responses to persuasive sales offers.

Add Flax to the Grocery List

More reasons to buy flax seeds (ground 'em up and sprinkle on salads) and flax seed oil. New research offers evidence that including flax in the diet may help prevent colorectal tumors or keep tumors from growing as quickly when they do form. The new South Dakota State University research results were published February in the peer-reviewed international journal Nutrition and Cancer.

Soap Smuggling - Everyday Eco-villians

Commonfolk smuggle soap across state borders to feed phospate addiction - details here

Foul Air Leads to Infertility?

Pollution may hit below the belt - details here

The Face on Your Plate

"Collective denial has been our modus operandi." Thoughtful WaPo book reviews on the prevailing "don't ask-don't tell" food culture sheds light on food that's bad for the eater as well as the eaten. Click here

Event Waste Rescue

Robin's April 5 Eco Simple column in the Examiner newspapers nationwide. The topic: Event Waste Rescue. Access the San Francisco edition by clicking the title above. SF edition: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=26&refresh=Zi5120yC1xN9&EID=9cd40f00-2f82-4181-a1be-e8d116e7a820&skip=
DC edition: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=42&refresh=7Ee1x0Z6Y31c&EID=9255354b-66ba-45f4-a509-5b3df379753c&skip=

Artful Spring Break in NYC

Click the title for Robin's April 3 article in Lenny Campello's Art News.

Image: Future New York, The City of Skyscrapers, 1910s. One of the postcards on view at the Met. Artist unknown. Photomechanical reproduction. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Walker Evans Archive.

Soy when young helps cut disease risk

Asian-American women who ate higher amounts of soy during childhood had a 58% reduced risk of breast cancer, according to a new study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Check this site for tasty recipes and soy health facts http://www.soyfoods.org