Books show prodigies’ paths to prominence
There is no companion like a good book, and these recent titles are worth your time. They enlighten and entertain, impart knowledge and reveal new insights. Books that keep our attention focused and our minds engaged are to be treasured. June grads will soon realize that learning is a lifelong endeavor. But choosing your own material makes reading a truly joyful and life-enhancing... READ MORE
Experiencing life inside another’s head
The Father begins abruptly, right in the middle of an intense conversation. One moment you’re in your own world, a theatergoer out for an evening of entertainment, just settled into your seat at Studio Theatre’s Metheney Theatre.Boom! You’re in someone’s…no several peoples’… nightmare, even if it’s not immediately apparent... READ MORE
The last call for long-distance train trips?
Trump’s budget proposes to cut all funding for Amtrak long-distance trains. The administration isn’t happy with Amtrak’s ongoing losses, and long-distance trains face an uncertain future.So if you’re interested in a long rail trip, you don’t have to worry for this year, but the future will be much cloudier.Most scenic tripsFor most people, the main reason to... READ MORE
Student loan debt hobbling more older adults
Older Americans are shouldering far more of the nation’s debt than in years past.The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released numbers recently showing that the share of all household debt held by people aged 60 and older has almost doubled: from 12.6 percent in 2003, to 22.5 percent in 2016. That’s nearly $3 trillion!Mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and even... READ MORE
Never too late to learn public speaking
As a certified project manager and leadership development trainer, Amy Brener regularly gives public interviews. It’s something she used to dread, but not anymore — thanks to a decision she made back in 2008.At age 49, Brener joined Toastmasters International, a nonprofit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.... READ MORE
Free class teaches coding for beginners
Every computer has “genies” that will obey your commands. But you have to know how to give your command to the genie so it will do exactly what you instructed. Giving these instructions so that the computer will understand you is called coding A free mini-course in coding will be given at the Rockville Senior Center on Fridays, June 9, 16 and 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. each day. The... READ MORE
Shades of gray keeps it rockin’
Ken Hunter got hooked on playing guitar back in the fourth grade, when he and a classmate went on their first “tour” — to other classrooms to play and sing in Everly Brothers-type harmony. By age 10, they played on Falls Church-based WFAX radio. And even though as a kid Hunter was rejected from “Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour,” the Woodbridge, Va. resident is still playing... READ MORE
Sally Field returns to Broadway in drama
Sally Field had a chance to cross The Glass Menagerie off her bucket list 13 years ago. It didn’t take.The Emmy- and Oscar-winner is once again playing Amanda Wingfield, the fearsome Southern belle at the heart of the Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece. Field may have played her at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2004, and yet, here she is, playing her again on... READ MORE
The stars come out for Merriweather’s 50th
“Oddly enough, the older you get, the happier you get.” Paul Simon, who will be appearing at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 9, uttered those words, not yet set to music, during a recent interview with the BBC as he was entering his 75th year. A couple of years earlier, in his album You’re the One, he had this to sing about aging: The human race has walked the earth for... READ MORE
Cuba combines opposites in a time warp
Classic American cars abound in Cuba, where importing American-made goods was banned when Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Today, the meticulously maintained (though seat belt-free) Cadillacs, Fords and Buicks can be seen on streets in Havana and throughout the country. American tourists seem to enjoy taking a ride. Photo by JHVE Photo When Columbus landed in Cuba in 1492,... READ MORE
