All posts tagged: interest

Bookish stars on marriage dangers & Sherlock star’s new love interest

Bookish stars on marriage dangers & Sherlock star’s new love interest

Published by Daniella Wilson

The second season of Mark Gatiss’s detective drama Bookish is finally almost here, with fans excited to see what’s next for Gabriel Book and the other characters on Archangel Lane. As well as the cases and period setting, one of the elements from season 1 which most grabbed people was the exploration of a lavender marriage, as Book, a secretly gay man, is in a marriage of convenience with his best friend Trottie, so he can keep his secret while she still engages in casual relationships. This time around, the series will be introducing a new character in the form of Colonel Winters, who is played by Gatiss’s Sherlock co-star Rupert Graves. Speaking with Radio Times, Trottie star Polly Walker teased that her character and Winters form a relationship in season 2, which leads her to question her arrangement with Book. “She goes for a seance and meets a guy there and keeps bumping into him and begins this friendship, and it develops into a relationship, as it were,” Walker said. “And it forces her …

Person of interest questioned in Tasia Fortune death

Person of interest questioned in Tasia Fortune death

Published by Sam Flores

A 29-year-old Black woman from Mississippi was found hanging from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson last week. The body was discovered Aug. 3 in the 500 block of Road of Remembrance, the Jackson Police Department said in a statement. The Hinds County Coroner’s Office identified the woman as Tasia Fortune. Police said the circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation. “This is an active and ongoing investigation,” the police department said. “We will provide updates as new details develop.” Terence Anderson, 65, who is said to be a person of interest in connection with Fortune’s death, was taken into custody on an unrelated weapons charge, NBC affiliate WLBT of Jackson reported. Anderson’s brother, Tony Anderson, confirmed the arrest to NBC News. He said Fortune and his brother have a 5-year-old son together and that the child lived with Terence. He also said he does not think his brother was involved in Fortune’s death. “Sometimes they’ll have a few occasions where they may get into it or whatever, but that was about it,” …

Why Baby Boomers Have a Keen Interest in Genealogy

Why Baby Boomers Have a Keen Interest in Genealogy

Published by Jenni Sidey

Genealogy is one of the top hobbies for older Americans, with 70 percent of Baby Boomers valuing this knowledge. According to the Pew Research Center, the generation of post-war babies in 1964 included around 72.5 million people, but is projected to be only around 1 million in 2062. Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 who are approaching or have reached retirement have curiosity and goals specific to this phase of their lives. These goals include leaving a legacy, understanding their roots, and preserving their family stories. The Erickson model of development described the eighth and final stage of life as “ego integrity versus despair.” Life review is an effective method to navigate these diametrically opposite polarities. New Orleans and Family Connections Growing up in New Orleans, we have always had close-knit families, and we were proud of our multiple ethnicities. I knew my maternal and paternal grandparents and spent quality time with them regularly. I learned from an early age about discrimination, segregation, and “separate but equal” from my daily environment, such as Catholic …

Designers set to spawn new interest in frog gardens

Designers set to spawn new interest in frog gardens

Published by Daniella Wilson

The first RHS flower show to be held in Norfolk will feature a garden celebrating frogs, tadpoles and all manner of amphibian life, lovingly known as ‘Pollywiggle’. Designed by multi-award-winning, Norfolk-based husband-and-wife duo Joe and Laura Carey,  founders of Carey Garden Design Studio, The RHS Pollywiggle Garden is packed with ideas on how gardeners can help create more spaces where water-loving wildlife can thrive in hot weather. Lush, naturalistic planting peppered with moisture-loving trees, grasses and perennials surround a beautifully formed pond, creating habitat for tadpoles, frogs, and newts while still maintaining a carefully curated aesthetic. A boardwalk leads visitors through areas of wet ground, demonstrating how water can be embraced as an asset in gardens. After the show, the garden will live on at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve, Norfolk, where it will become an interactive wildlife education garden. So, why are frogs important in our gardens? (Alamy/PA) “One of the best attributes of a frog is that they eat slugs, so they are really good at keeping a healthy balance of insects and slippery friends …

How to Be Open to Interest, Enjoyment, and Appreciation

How to Be Open to Interest, Enjoyment, and Appreciation

Published by Jenni Sidey

Consider which of the following you experience the most in an average day: Interest, curiosity, enjoyment, appreciation, compassion, love… Or: Resentment, anger, disdain, disgust, distraction, anxiety, obsessions, boredom…. The first series of emotions carries approach motivations; we want more of what stirs them. Approach motivations are incompatible with avoid motivations, in which we want less of something or someone. Approach motivations are the opposite of attack motivations, in which we perceive threats, usually to the ego. Whichever emotion we experience the most intensely and frequently becomes habit, the default emotional state. On autopilot, something unusual must happen to switch from avoid and attack to approach. Avoid and attack motivations usually win out because they don’t require an open mind and an open heart. When that is the case, we must deliberately open our hearts and minds. This takes more than slowing down to smell the roses. We must incorporate the scent of the roses into our routines. By the time we’re adults, most of our feelings are conditioned responses; we automatically feel the same way …

Psychological factors predict women’s interest in violent erotica

Psychological factors predict women’s interest in violent erotica

Published by José Betancourt

A recent study investigating women’s sexual responses to different types of written pornography found that personal attitudes, rather than evolutionary reproductive traits, best predict arousal from aggressive content. Women who reported prior exposure to violent sexual media and held stronger beliefs in societal myths about sexual assault experienced higher arousal from nonconsensual narratives. The research, published in The Journal of Sex Research, highlights how media consumption habits and social conditioning shape sexual preferences. The demand for written erotica and romance novels is driven overwhelmingly by a female audience. Within this market, genres that feature dark, coercive, or violent themes are highly popular. In video-based formats, usage statistics also show that while women consume less pornography overall than men, those who do watch it display a notable interest in themes involving dominance, submission, and aggressive behavior. These preferences challenge historical evolutionary psychology models. Traditional theories suggest that women generally adopt long-term mating strategies, prioritizing traits like nurturing and reliability in partners. The attraction to narratives depicting sexual misconduct or assault seems to contradict these evolutionary models, …

Tulsi Gabbard’s conflict of interest — and hypocrisy

Tulsi Gabbard’s conflict of interest — and hypocrisy

Published by Sam Flores

Tulsi Gabbard used to champion whistleblowers. As a member of Congress, she believed leaks were a necessary tool in revealing illegal actions taken by the government, and took principled, controversial stands opposing the prosecution of Julian Assange and supporting the pardon of my client Edward Snowden. But Gabbard’s principles went out the door when she joined Donald Trump’s administration as director of national intelligence. She helped lead an anti-leak hysteria that is taking over the federal government. And now, someone is blowing the whistle on her. Because of Gabbard’s past support of whistleblowers, increased public profile as DNI and ongoing rumors concerning the state of her relationship with Trump, which has appeared to be in constant flux, this case has attracted substantial media attention since it was first revealed by the Wall Street Journal on Feb. 2. The story has many layers, and the media has missed several key points involving Gabbard’s conflict of interest and how the whistleblower system has been an abject failure. “Exquisitely” classified As an attorney who represented Thomas Drake, one …

PayPal Shares Jump On Report Of Takeover Interest

PayPal Shares Jump On Report Of Takeover Interest

Published by Jenni Sidey

PayPal shares were briefly halted due to volatility and are now up 9% after a Bloomberg report said the digital payments firm is attracting takeover interest from potential buyers, as the stock slid to a decade low. The report, based on unnamed sources, has not been confirmed by PayPal. Interest in a PayPal takeover is in the early stages, according to people familiar with the matter. They say the company has met with banks amid unsolicited interest from suitors. The sources described one of the suitors as a “large rival” looking to purchase the entire digital payments firm, while others are only interested in certain PayPal assets. Before the news hit, PayPal shares in New York were at 2017 lows (with a market capitalization of around $37 billion) and down more than 85% from the 2021 high of $291.48. Year to date, shares are down 30%. Wall Street analysts are largely neutral on the stock, with 12 “Buys,” 31 “Holds,” and six “Sells.” The average 12-month price target is $50.08.  PayPal was one of the …

Men who think they are attractive are more likely to infer sexual interest from women

Men who think they are attractive are more likely to infer sexual interest from women

Published by José Betancourt

A study of heterosexual men found that they perceive stronger sexual intent in women’s behavior when they (participating men) feel stronger sexual arousal. They tended to report greater sexual arousal when shown a picture of an attractive woman than when the woman was unattractive. The paper was published in Behavioral Sciences. Men sometimes infer sexual interest from women’s behavior even when no sexual intention is present. This is called sexual overperception. On the other hand, women tend to underperceive men’s interest in long-term commitments. In part, these situations occur because both men and women tend to rely on ambiguous social cues to infer the other party’s intentions. However, costs associated with making a mistake in judging sexual intent differ by gender. Error management theory suggests that gender differences in perceptions appear because men and women strongly guard against costly mating mistakes. For men, this usually means making sure that an opportunity for sex is not missed. For women, this means avoiding a situation where they would have a child with a man who will not …

‘For years, I limited myself to practicing the whirling dervish dance, trying to convince myself that Islam did not interest me’

‘For years, I limited myself to practicing the whirling dervish dance, trying to convince myself that Islam did not interest me’

Published by Sam Flores

Annika on her prayer rug with her misbaha (Muslim prayer beads), Pluvigner, France, November 21, 2025. ALINE DESCHAMPS FOR LE MONDE  “I have been searching for truth for a long time. I grew up in a Protestant family, but although I was baptized and confirmed, the Lutheran churches, which are very austere, never really touched me. Like many Norwegians, I found God more in nature than in church. Deep inside, I felt unease, a sense of lack and a calling toward a more mystical existence. I was searching for true freedom. When I was a young adult, this search led me to transpersonal therapy. I started practicing yoga and meditation. As it happened, my psychotherapist was also a spiritual guide. He had previously been a Zen Buddhist monk, and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the teachings of that tradition. At the time, I was on a spiritual journey without any particular attachment: I drew inspiration from what spoke to me in different religious currents, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Tantra. One day in 2001, during a …