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Gertrude Stein, American writer and literary pioneer, was born in 1874 to educated German-Jewish parents. Yet, as her short Roman senator hairstyle would later reflect, Stein stood out from the other women of her era. While studying at Radcliffe College, she was saucy enough to tell famed psychologist William James, her professor at the time, that she simply didn't feel like taking his final exam. She then attended Johns Hopkins before forsaking her medical degree to instead move to Paris. There, her flat at 27 Rue de Fleurus, which she shared with her life partner, Alice B. Toklas, hosted the likes of Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Thornton Wilder, and Ernest Hemingway. Besides her high-profile friends, Ms. Stein was known for her own works like The Making of Americans, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, and Stanzas in Meditation and Other Poems. She died on July 29, 1946, having survived both the German occupation of France in World War II and the persecution of sexual minorities.



Some actual stock footage after the jump... Continue reading "Happy Birthday Gertrude Stein!" »

It seems like something out of science fiction. Large, kite-shaped airships floating over cities and oceans, casting shadows below. While the image may call to mind scenes from ABC's V, the concept of a floating cruise, when thought about, seems rather obvious and practical. After recently watching Disney's Up, my friends and I couldn't help think about the lavishness of a transatlantic crossing in an airship (granted, if the technology has improved since the Hindenburg). Flying high in the sky, with room to walk around and relax. These floating hotels, may just usher in a new era in luxury accommodations and transportation.

The towers will be filled with 330,000 cubic meters of hydrogen gas and capable of lifting 396 tonnes. Passengers will have large accommodations featuring apartments, lounges, bars, glass floors, and spas.

Nick Talbot, design director at Seymourpowell, said: "The Aircruise concept questions whether the future of luxury travel should be based around space-constrained, resource-hungry, and all too often stressful airline travel." [CNN]

At the Taiaroa Head, the only mainland albatross breeding colony in the world, located on the South Island’s Otago Peninsula two female Albatrosses are now proud lesbian parents.

The two females had lived with another male bird, but the male disappeared after impregnating one of the females (typical).

Lyndon Perriman, a ranger with New Zealand's Department of Conservation, said that the royal albatross females would raise their chick exactly the same as any male-female pair would. It took a lot of bonding for the two to successfully bring the little chick into the world, lots of taking turns sitting on the egg. For the next six month the proud mamas will take turns alternately guarding and feeding the chick. [Telegraph]

If you're interested in exploring more of New Zealand and want to see albatrosses in their native habitat, read our recent feature, Cruising New Zealand and Australia.

“Think big and live large at creating change in Dallas.” What better state to host the 22nd National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change? Organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, this conference is the pre-eminent political, leadership, and skills-building conference for the LGBT social justice movement. The goal is to build the movement from the ground up. Over 2,000 people will head to the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in downtown beginning today through February 7. There are loads of interesting and important events going on. Check out some of the special speakers below.