Human Interest

Tribute: Looking at Van Gogh – 125 Years Later

Vincent van Gogh, the most mythologized of Impressionists, died 125 years ago, on July 29, 1890. And he is the subject of two ongoing exhibitions recently reviewed by New York Times critics. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art is “Van Gogh: Irises and Roses,” which [continue reading].

Editorial: To All My Wonderful Readers

A Congolese refugee child displaced by fighting between the Congo army and rebel group Allied Democratic Forces. (Photo: Reuters/ James Akena).

Thank you for the lovely, encouraging comments. It truly is an inspiration to know people seek answers to questions that many are afraid to ask, or do not know whom to ask when it comes to the refugee situation in the middle east, Africa, and other war-torn countries. I have [continue reading].

Canada: Beached Baby Orca Freed After Dramatic Rescue

stranded orca beached on Vancouver Island, Canada

Crying, beached orca freed to cheers after dramatic nine-hour rescue in northern B.C. When a young orca whale was stranded on some jagged rocks on B.C.’s North Coast cried out in pain, Janie Hermann felt sorrow run through her whole body. “It was so heartbreaking,” she [continue reading].

Odd News: Teen Falls Off Cliff, Bitten By Snake, Survives

He fell 100 feet off this seaside cliff. Then was bitten by a venomous snake. As the tide rushed in. While his mother sat at home nearby, wondering why a rescue helicopter was flying overhead. The string of misfortune may make Brock Leach the unluckiest 14-year-old in [continue reading].

Tribute: Amy Jade Winehouse 1983 – 2011

She signed her first record deal as a jazz vocalist, and her music later blossomed into an eclectic mix of jazz, pop, soul and R&B. Winehouse won five Grammy Awards for her 2006 album Back to Black, and earned acclaim for songs like "Rehab," "Back to Black" and "Valerie." Winehouse died tragically on July 23, 2011, at the age of 27, from accidental alcohol poisoning.

Four years ago today the world lost Amy Winehouse. Born in London, England, on September 14, 1983, Amy Winehouse broke into the music business when, at age 16, a classmate passed on her demo tape. She signed her first record deal as a jazz vocalist, and her music later [continue reading].

World: Natural Disasters Displaced 19 Million In 2014

Natural disasters forced more than 19 million people from their homes in 2014, mostly the result of typhoons, flooding and other weather-related events that are becoming more intense and more frequent, a leading European aid agency said Monday. Close to 90 percent of the 19.3 [continue reading].