Search Results for: Smithsonian

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – A Great Sequel!

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I was among the moviegoers that saw Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian on Memorial Day, its opening weekend. I usually don’t like sequels, but made an exception to see this one since my four year old son had been asking since seeing the “Fire Powa” commercial. Will loved the first one, so I figured he would like this one and I was right. This sequel follows former museum night watchman Larry Daley (Ben Stiller). The reason he is a former night watchman is his invention business has taken off. However, his “friends” at the museum need him. … Continue reading →

Stephen Colbert is Hanging at the Smithsonian

Well, a portrait of him is anyway. And the sight is shocking museum patrons all the same. Think about it… you are strolling through the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington near the “America’s Presidents” exhibit and right between the entrances for the men’s and women’s bathrooms is a gigantic portrait of the fake TV pundit standing near a fireplace. Who wouldn’t be caught off guard? The joke—-and it is a joke according to museum officials—-is supposedly on everyone who thinks Stephen Colbert has become a permanent resident of the prestigious museum. The portrait of the Comedy Central host … Continue reading →

The Smithsonian in Your Classroom!

Take a look at some of the fabulous resources awaiting you at the Smithsonian! No, you don’t have to live in the Washington DC area – although if you do, they are happy to help you arrange a visit or a field trip. They have a great resource online for students, families, and teachers. Homeschool parents, heads up! Important lesson plan resource! Classroom teachers, there are more than lesson plans here – there is professional development and curriculum integration as well. At www.smithsonianeducation.org, you will find lesson plans for all ages. Teachers will find information of Teachers night, scheduled last … Continue reading →

Growing Up Surrounded by Books Increases Adult Literacy

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How many books are in your home? A study found that immersing children in book-oriented environments benefits their later educational achievement, attainment, and occupational standing. Do your children have access to plenty of books at home? The study is titled: “Scholarly culture: How books in adolescence enhance adult literacy, numeracy and technology skills in 31 societies.” It was published in Social Science Research. It was led by Joanna Sikora of the Australian National University. The findings of the study indicate that the size of a home library equips youth with life-long tastes, skills, and knowledge. Whey these youths grow up to … Continue reading →

Killer Cats on the Loose

One of the most popular news stories to break last week was a new estimation of the deaths attributed to domesticated house cats.  We’re not talking people deaths, but the deaths of small birds and mammals; that might seem insignificant, but the number is in the billions.  Researchers from the Smithsonian and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that although the worst offenders are feral and stray cats, one in three domesticated cats also kills animals in its neighborhood.  Those cats average two kills a week. When it’s well-fed, domesticated cats doing the killing, they’re not usually keeping these … Continue reading →

Get More Bang for Your Vacation Buck

Old Man Winter is unleashing a cruel smackdown on the Upper Midwest. If daytime high temperatures in the single digits don’t make you want to book a tropical escape, then northern Wisconsin may be the perfect place for you to call home. For the rest of the rest of us, the thought of luxuriating in a climate that doesn’t call for 17 layers of clothes is much more appealing. Fortunately, there are warm weather vacation destinations that don’t require going into debt to visit.  For example, sunny San Diego, California, is providing visitors with multiple opportunities to get more bang … Continue reading →

Can You Afford a Winter Getaway?

You certainly can if you hit the road in the next three weeks. From popular newspapers to morning news shows, travel experts are popping up just about everywhere today hammering home the latest and greatest industry catchphrase:  “dead zone.” A travel “dead zone” is defined as the weekend after Thanksgiving until roughly the week prior to Christmas.  It’s a time when most people have little incentive to travel far from home.  Consequently, hotels, rental car companies, cruise operators and commercial airlines offer a slew of travel bargains in order to remain profitable between the two busiest holidays of the season. … Continue reading →

Service Dogs for Veterans

Training future service dogs Last month my mom sent me an interesting article from Smithsonian Magazine that she thought would make a good topic for the Pets blog (thanks Mom!) It was about the growing movement to provide service dogs to combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. I’ve written before about two topics very close to this one: rescue organizations dedicated to providing dogs to veterans, and military dogs developing PTSD. Now the two are combined. The dogs provided by Pets for Patriots aren’t necessarily service dogs, though they do deliver a wonderful service for veterans. In this case, more … Continue reading →

Phyllis Diller Dead at 95

The world lost a truly iconic comedian yesterday. Phyllis Diller died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Los Angeles yesterday at the age of 95. (This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0) Diller was a pioneer for women comedians. She set the way for all of today’s female comedians, even Joan Rivers, who Diller called her protege. Rivers paid homage to Diller yesterday saying that Diller was the first to compete with male comedians and taught her something important – to be “very simple.” Much of Diller’s comedy centered on home life – something many … Continue reading →

Quelling Irrational Romantic Expectations

I have a secret shame: sometimes I expect or want traditional fluffy romance from Jonathan. Yes, it’s a shocker, given how often I soap box against it. The thing is I shouldn’t be ashamed of these occasional urges. The mature response would be that, although most of the time it’s not something I consider necessary or even want, if I believe it’s valid for other people (which I do) I should have no problem accepting that it’s O.K. when I want it, too. I would feel that way if it wasn’t for the form in which these desires for traditional … Continue reading →