Roberta McReynolds writes: Unless I want to keep watching whatever the cat selects, I’m really going to have to figure out all this technology one of these days. I’m helpless when it comes to resetting things after Ishi has played with them. I’ve yet to find a chapter in the instruction manual that covers troubleshooting programming errors generated by a cat.
Author: SeniorWomenWeb
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The Young Vermeer; The Revenge of a Forger and Shopping at the Museum
The Young Vermeer
For this presentation, the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in the Netherlands has brought together Vermeer’s early work: one painting from Edinburgh, one from Dresden and one from the Mauritshuis itself. These early works are quite different from the richly decorated interiors with attractive women you might expect from Vermeer. Instead they depict a mythological subject, a story from the Bible and a brothel scene, and they are all surprisingly large. Nonetheless, they all reveal the master’s hand and the seeds of his later style. They also show a young Vermeer already captivated by tranquillity and light, qualities that would later make him world-famous.Vermeer’s Early Years
Vermeer was born in Delft in 1632. His father ran the Mechelen Inn on the Grote Markt and supplemented his income dealing in art. It is not known with whom Vermeer studied painting. No documents on the matter have yet come to light and Vermeer’s early work does not bear the hallmarks of any one artist in particular.In 1653 the young Vermeer registered as a master-painter at the local guild. He began his career producing history paintings: scenes from the Bible and classical mythology. According to 17th-century academic theory, this was the highest form of painting. A history painter had to first absorb a story and then use his imagination, while a painter of still-lifes, for example, ‘only’ had to imitate the real world.
The elevated status was likely to be another reason Vermeer chose to become a history painter. It seems, however, that other subjects held more appeal for him: he eventually switched to scenes of everyday life, which were probably also in greater demand.
The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in the Netherlands presents Van Meegeren’s Fake Vermeers, an exhibition of the famous forgeries of Han van Meegeren. Van Meegeren craftily exploited art historians’ desire to discover early works by Johannes Vermeer. During a famous court case in which Van Meegeren was accused of Nazi collaboration, he admitted that he had forged old master paintings, including several Vermeers. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen had acquired one of the fake Vermeer from Van Meegeren. The exhibition explores Van Meegeren’s technique, his masterpieces and his downfall.
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A Federal Reserve Governor Examines Financial Myths Concerning Women and Money
A Federal Reserve Bank Governor, Elizabeth A. Duke, delivered a talk at the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Delaware Valley Financially Hers Program. Part of that talk follows:
Financial Myths Concerning Women and Money
Now that I have shared the reasons I believe financial education is so important for women, let me talk about some common myths about women and money. -
Out of the Shadows; Understanding and Meeting the Needs of LGBT Elders
The Center for American Progress (with the American Society on Aging, and the National Senior Citizens Law Center), has released a new report, Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults (pdf), and part of the release regarding the report follows:
Older LGBT Americans have been largely invisible until very recently. Yet they make up a significant and growing share of the LGBT and over 65 populations. LGBT elders are gaining visibility with the aging of LGBT Baby Boomers, who are the first generation of LGBT people to have lived openly gay or transgender lives in large numbers.
These individuals confront all the same challenges of people who age. But they also face unique barriers and inequalities that stem from the effects of social stigmas and prejudice, their reliance on informal “families of choice” for care and support, and inequitable laws and programs that treat LGBT elders unequally. These barriers can prevent LGBT elders from achieving three key elements of successful aging: financial security, good health and health care, and social support and community engagement.
That’s why Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Elders and theMovement Advancement Project recently released “Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults” in partnership with the Center for American Progress, the American Society on Aging, and the National Senior Citizens Law Center, which provides an overview of LGBT elders’ unique needs and the policy and regulatory changes that are needed to adequately address them.
Challenges for LGBT elders
The report outlines three unique circumstances that make successful aging more difficult for LGBT elders than for their heterosexual counterparts:
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Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States; FDA Should Set Standards for Salt Added to Processed Foods and Prepared Meals
Reducing Americans’ excessive sodium consumption requires establishing new federal standards for the amount of salt that food manufacturers, restaurants, and food service companies can add to their products, says a new report by the Institute of Medicine.Because the vast majority of people’s sodium intake comes from salt that companies put in prepared meals and processed foods, this regulatory strategy would make it easier for consumers to eat lower, healthier amounts of salt, said the committee that wrote the report.
The US Food and Drug Administration should gradually step down the maximum amount of salt that can be added to foods, beverages, and meals through a series of incremental reductions.The goal is not to ban salt, but rather to bring the amount of sodium in the average American’s diet below levels associated with the risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke, and to do so in a gradual way that will assure that food remains flavorful to the consumer, the committee said.
Regulatory action is necessary because four decades of public education campaigns about the dangers of excess salt and voluntary sodium cutting efforts by the food industry have generally failed to make a dent in Americans’ intakes, the committee said.
The industry’s voluntary efforts have fallen short because of lack of a level playing field for all products.Companies have feared losing customers who could switch to competing products or brands with higher salt content.Also, salt is so widespread and present in such large amounts in grocery store and menu items — including many foods and drinks that people do not think of as salty — that it is difficult for people who want to reduce their sodium intake to succeed.
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Public Policy Issues Raised by the Report of the Lehman Bankruptcy Examiner
We realize that the House Financial Services Committee Hearing which took place on April 20th, and was recorded, represents a lengthy webcast. However viewing the webcast is well worth your time and can be viewed in small bites. Unfortunately, a printed transcript — even five days later — is not available. Click Here To View Archived Webcast (see on next page the testimony details and appropriate links).
For instance, what follows is the statement of Rep. Jackie Speier from the 12th California District:
“More than 18 months have passed since Lehman Brothers collapsed. But the repercussions of its failed — and possibly criminal — leadership continue. As was detailed by my colleagues on the first panel, state and local governments across the country who invested taxpayer dollars in supposedly safe Lehman investments have had to cancel important projects, layoff employees and make other drastic service cuts to make up for their losses.”