Life News (Popular Culture)

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A Tolkien Expert offers a few choice words about Director Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

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A professor who shares J.R.R. Tolkien's scholarly expertise comments on the "The Lord of the Rings" movies.

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Every time you hear the song "I'll Be Home For Christmas" - one of the most beloved holiday songs of all time - St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, benefits, through an unusual gift made to the school by one of the song's composers.

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Experts can talk about a variety of holiday-related issues such as Kwanzaa, dealing with grief and retail sales projections.

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Drivers who find themselves at a standstill on the interstate this week can thank a nineteenth-century women's magazine editor for creating the Thanksgiving tradition that compels us all to return to our family roots at the same time.

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Moviegoers thirsting for epic, holiday blockbusters will not be disappointed this winter as many of the big studios trot out their Oscar contenders.

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"˜Tis the season of holiday traditions, although a professor would argue that many of them are actually myths.

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"Between Thanksgiving and New Year's, hiring is almost at a standstill, but there are many things you can do through November and December to prepare for a fresh start on January 1," says director of Temple University's Career Development Services.

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Maybe tofu turkey won't do for Grandpa or Aunt Mary, but, as more and more people eschew eating meat for moral or health reasons, family cooks are apt to think even more carefully about what they serve on their holiday tables. That's a trend away from how humans have historically eaten, says a food psychologist.

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Regardless of whether or not they were alive at the time of his presidency, most people "know" or "remember" John F. Kennedy through visual images, says a professor.

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Historian available to speak about CBS Television's decision to scrap broadcast of "The Reagans." Author of Reel History: In Defense of Hollywood (2002) and Oliver Stone's USA: Film, History and Controversy (2000).

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The Scott Peterson case, democratic presidential candidates, the handling of the conflict in Iraq"”all are part of a news cycle that saturates daily life with a constant barrage of images and messages. In her book, an anthropologist analyzes a variety of ways in which people incorporate the media into their everyday lives.

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April showers might bring May flowers, but so does fall planting, says the director of the Landscape Arboretum at Temple Ambler. Now through the end of November is the time to start planning for "the glorious colors of spring" in your garden, says Cohen.

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Rather than having to travel to Ithaca, N.Y. to study historic clothing or Indonesian batiks, designers and researchers now can use the online database of the Cornell University Costume and Textile Collection. It has more than 5,000 records online, and it's growing daily.

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P.M. Forni, co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project, offers suggestions for civil behavior during the winter holidays, when a never-ending series of office parties, family gatherings and social events put our manners and civility to the test.

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Is Maryland haunted? With Halloween right around the corner, that question is being asked by more than just a few on campus - just ask some of our experts. Or take the tour below yourself - and see what you think!

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It's that time of year. Consumers are writing their lists, checking them twice and giving all kinds of things to both the naughty and nice. So says a religious studies faculty member and author of a new book, which explores the history and changes of American culture and its religious obsession with consuming.

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Just in time for Hallowe'en, there were some frightening thesis topics that earned students degrees at this fall's convocation ceremonies at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.

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The Johns Hopkins Science Review, a pioneering educational television program that was a surprise hit in the 1950s, is returning to television for the first time in 43 years later this month, when four of the original episodes will air in successive weeks.

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The Purdue University experts listed below can talk about pop culture topics such as "The Matrix" and the new Joan of Arc television series.

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Forty years after the assassination of President Kennedy, an art professor explores famous images of Kennedy and their connections to American culture. "The Kennedy images derive their power from their ability to activate latent memories of other powerful images in the histories of art and popular culture."

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"Hollywood's Stephen King" is the first detailed analysis of how Hollywood has interpreted--and misinterpreted--the horror-master's fiction. Includes a revealing interview with King and examines what cinematic and public fascination with his work reveals about contemporary American culture.

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Adults can make Halloween less bewitching for youngsters by taking simple precautions, says a safety expert.

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Experts are available to provide information and background on a variety of issues. Story ideas include: 1) Apartment complexes using Halloween to retain tenants; 2) Be choosy when selecting an energy bar; 3) Make workplace fun to keep employees from leaving

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Black cats are hallmarks of the playfully spooky modern celebration of Halloween. But they weren't always associated with wholesome autumn fright. Black cats and other creepy creatures were once seen as harbingers of death and disaster.

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Experts talk about Halloween-related topics, including the history of the holiday and if violent images on TV makes it harder to scare people.

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One of humankind's oldest pursuits is put under scrutiny in a new book that attempts to explain just why we shop.

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During the Cold War, the United States stepped onto the world stage as an artistic force, producing what was recognized for the first time as a bona fide national culture. At the same time, a period of unprecedented persecution began for homosexuals in America.

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For many youngsters, Halloween is a time to gobble down as much candy as possible. But, it also can be an opportunity to teach children about healthy eating, says a registered dietitian.

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A musical project initiated three years ago as a whimsical classroom exercise by two Davidson College students will hit the stage October 22-26, 2003, as the world premier of "Frankenstein: The Rock Opera." The young collaborators have completed a thirty-six song rock opera absolutely true to the plot of Mary Shelley's 1818 horror novel.

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A first-ever consumer behavoir study of fantasy league sports participants reveals that more than 15 million people invest significant amounts of time and money to manage their "teams." Participation in fantasy sports is growing by 10 percent annually, thanks in large part to the Internet.

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Students facing digital dilemmas such as whether to download pirated music and movies are debating some of the ethical and legal issues in a Mississippi State University class.

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This Saturday, September 6, the University of Michigan College of Engineering kicks off its 150th Anniversary with a halftime extravaganza at the Houston-Michigan football game.

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Ball State University experts are available to provide information and background on a variety of issues. Story ideas include: 1) Taming Halloween sugar monsters; 2) Ghosts are chasing Santa Claus in stores; 3) Rituals date back thousands of years

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Older adults may be more inclined to use resistance training equipment if they don't have to spend much time in the gym.

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So far Arnold Schwarzenegger has approached the Oct. 7, 2003 gubernatorial recall election in California by avoiding issues and scattering one-line sound bites, an ability he made famous through his tough-guy acting roles. This strategy should win him the election, says a polling professor.

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Involve your child in making his school lunch so he'll be less likely to trade it away, says a dietitian.

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Back to School Story Ideas from Saint Louis University: 1) Getting back into the swing of things; 2) Starting a new school; 3) Kid-pleasing lunches; 4) School phobia; 5) The battle of the school-age bulge

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As more Americans continue to lose interest in conventional channels of political expression, the road to political office is more likely to wind its way through the Hollywood Walk of Fame. An expert in public opinion says Americans are becoming less committed to political parties.

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The media frenzy surrounding NBA star Kobe Bryant's sexual assault case is nothing new.

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Magazine lovers, rejoice! Print is not dead, and it's not going to die. So says "Mister Magazine," Samir Husni, professor of journalism.

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Sales of clown fish have sky rocketed this summer but if keeping a tank, consumers need to be aware of the complexities of buying and raising such fish. A university biology professor has been studying the behavior of clown fish and their spawning.

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These University of Maryland experts can help with your covereage of Bob Hope and his legacy.

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This September 24 at 11 am, the University of Maryland will dedicate a very special statue to honor beloved alumni Jim Henson and one of his best known creations - Kermit. The on-line media kit is now available and includes background, photos, contact information and more.

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For a few weeks this month, Purdue University will amass a collection of wines rivaling the inventories of some of the country's top restaurants and wine shops. The wines, some coming from as far as New Zealand and Hungary, will compete in the 12th annual Indy International Wine Competition July 24-26 at the Indiana State Fair Exposition Hall in Indianapolis.

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Week-long fantasy camp for jazz players proves jazz is alive and well in Eastern Pennsylvania.

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The writer Damon Runyon captured New York City's colorful lowlifes so indelibly that his legacy lives on in such TV programs as "NYPD Blue" and "The Sopranos," says Cornell Professor Daniel Schwarz in his book.

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A Ball State University professor's quirky poem about a woman's cremated remains being mistaken for cocaine will soon be seen on the big screen.

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A URI turf expert just returned from a week-long visit to Greece to advise organizers working with the Olympic Committee and its building contractors about grass varieties, soil conditions, fertilizers and environmental considerations for the playing fields.

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Maryland's graduating classes of 1998 and 1999 made a special gift to their university -- a statue of beloved alumnus Jim Henson and his wonderful Kermit along with a garden for them to sit in. The University is planning a weeklong series of events surrounding the dedication of the statue.