Artist retires, rekindles dream
This past August, LeeNan Hayden Manzari was watching “Project Runway” — the long-running fashion design reality television show — when to her amazement, her painting of a flamenco dancer flashed on the screen. She’d submitted it online to the show’s Remake It Work contest, where fans of the show submit artwork inspired by the program. But she never thought it would... READ MORE
More risks stemming from hack of Equifax
Long after the Equifax breach was announced, people were still struggling to freeze their credit reports as credit bureau websites failed, lured people to look-alike products, or even redirected visitors to download malicious software. But that’s just the start of the gauntlet people may have to run to protect their financial lives. The Equifax hack exposed the names,... READ MORE
Mini-organs can help find best treatments
Els van der Heijden, who has cystic fibrosis, was finding it ever harder to breathe as her lungs filled with thick, sticky mucus. Despite taking more than a dozen pills and inhalers a day, the 53-year-old had to stop working and scale back doing the thing she loved best, horseback riding. Doctors saw no sense in trying an expensive new drug because it hasn’t been proven to work in... READ MORE
TV to protect our fragile world
From fly fishing in the hemlock-shaded tributaries of the Savage River in Garrett County, to exploring the marshes and woodlands of Dorchester County that Harriet Tubman traversed to lead slaves north, Mike English is an intrepid explorer of Maryland’s natural environment. His Maryland Public Television (MPT) show, “Outdoors Maryland,” has given viewers more than 700 vivid slices... READ MORE
Nonrefundable fares vs. trip insurance
If you look at the many consumer complaints about the travel industry, one issue clearly rises to the top: nonrefundability. In exchange for giving you a price break, airlines, hotels, car rental companies, tour operators and others make your payment nonrefundable. Airlines allow you to alter a nonrefundable ticket, but only after a very stiff change fee, and only by spending the... READ MORE
How to make a move as smooth as can be
Editor’s note: The following article is excerpted from the new book, Home Sweet Apartment: Getting Rightsized in Our Seventies, about how Daniel Carlson and his wife moved from their long-time house to an apartment. When we were younger, moving from one home to another was a fairly simple process: Pack belongings in old cardboard boxes from the A&P, rent a truck, line up friends... READ MORE
Assisted living for comfort, conversation
Lisa Cini is one of the nation’s foremost experts on making living spaces comfortable and functional for seniors. Through Mosaic Design Studio, her firm based in Columbus, Ohio, she has been designing assisted living facilities for 25 years. Cini is also a speaker on the subjects of design, aging and technology, and has written two books — The Future is Here: Senior Living... READ MORE
Series sparks thought and conversation
The newly founded Great Talk Maryland Series is hoping to bring people together throughout the state to discuss issues that matter to Marylanders and spark our curiosity. “Good old talk is still the ultimate art form and social engine that people crave,” said Great Talk President Eve Vogelstein. “The Great Talk Series will provide Maryland with a live forum to voice and exchange... READ MORE
Are your bonds lowering or raising risk?
Most retirees hold a mix of stocks and bonds, assuming that their bonds will not only generate income but also cushion the fall if stocks crash. But are your bonds really taming your portfolio’s risk — or amping it up? For much of the past two decades, bonds could be depended on to zig when stocks zag. But now, some analysts and money managers are warning that the correlation between ... READ MORE
Massive study seeks 1 million volunteers
In a quest to end cookie-cutter healthcare, U.S. researchers are getting ready to recruit more than 1 million people for an unprecedented study to learn how our genes, environments and lifestyles interact — and to finally customize ways to prevent and treat disease. Why does one sibling get sick but not another? Why does a drug cure one patient but only cause nasty side effects in the... READ MORE
