African Prints More Sophisticated, Subtle In 2011

In 2011, a number of major design houses used African prints and motifs, including Michael Kors, Burberry and Oscar de la Renta. Style writer Robin Givhan singles out designer Haider Ackermann. A Colombian by birth, he brings a cross-cultural sensibility to his designs. After being adopted by French parents, Ackermann studied in Belgium and lived [...]

An ‘Iron Lady,’ In A Portrait With No Brass At All

Even those hardy souls who endured Mamma Mia! — and who therefore have reason to fear director Phyllida Lloyd’s magnificent incompetence — are likely to be shocked by the sheer awfulness of The Iron Lady. While the film’s publicity machine does its best to distract us with extravagant praise for yet another of Meryl Streep’s [...]

Debunked Science: Studies Take Heat In 2011

2011 may go down as the year of the retraction in the scientific world. Among the highly publicized discoveries that got debunked this year: a genetic basis for longevity; a new form of life; an explanation for autism; and a link between a virus and chronic fatigue syndrome. All of these non-discoveries have something in [...]

In Sales, Android Has Upper Hand On The iPhone

Apple’s iPhones may seem more cool, but the Google-backed Android phones are much more popular in the United States. In 2011, Android’s U.S. market share was 53 percent, compared to 29 percent for the iPhone, according to the research group NPD. And those Android phones are everywhere, even in foodtrucks. Kristi Whitfield owns Curbside Cupcake, [...]

Terrorists Struggle To Gain Recruits On The Web

Terrorist groups seemed to be all over the Web in 2011. There were al-Qaida videos on YouTube, Facebook pages by Islamic militants in Somalia, and webzines – like Inspire magazine – produced by al-Qaida affiliates in Yemen. If there were an award for the best known terrorist music recording in the past couple of years, [...]

Avastin Falls Short In Treatment Of Ovarian Cancer

Cancer-fighter Avastin just came up short as a treatment for ovarian tumors. Two studies found that the drug, which blocks the formation of new blood vessels, didn’t extend the lives of patients with ovarian cancer. Avastin did slow the progression of the cancers a little bit. But the patients getting Avastin as part of treatment [...]

At Romney Rally, Iowa’s Moderate GOP ‘Silent Majority’ Voters Start Talking

Another strong turnout this morning for Mitt Romney at a restaurant in Cedar Falls, though the small place wasn’t quite as packed as yesterday’s breakfast stop in Muscatine. Romney spent a lot of time shaking hands and posing for pictures with customers, supporters and restaurant staff, after he spoke for about 20 minutes. He usually [...]

Learning ‘Sri Lankan Home Cooking’ A Family Affair

A child of Sri Lankan immigrants, music journalist S.H. “Skiz” Fernando, Jr. grew up eating Sri Lankan food regularly. But he didn’t master the art of the cuisine until he moved to his family’s homeland and enlisted the expertise of his four aunts. For one year, Fernando spent his mornings scouring local markets for the [...]

‘A Separation’: In Tehran, Houses And Hearts Divided

The opening moments of A Separation lay out the story you’d expect to see in a film about a wife who is leaving her husband: Simin (Leila Hatami) and her bank-clerk spouse, Nader (Peyman Moadi), are explaining heatedly to a judge why they want a separation. Or actually, why they don’t want it. She brandishes [...]

Gas Pains? U.S. Diesel, Gas Exports Surpass Imports

For the first time in more than six decades, the United States is exporting more gasoline and diesel than it imports. To be clear, we’re talking about finished petroleum products, not crude oil. The U.S. still imports about half the crude it consumes. Refineries are touting this new export statistic — after all, gasoline and [...]