Scratching the Surface, Two Picassos Revealed

When Picasso painted "Women Ironing," he was only 22. It was 1904 and he was living in Paris trying to be a successful painter. Picasso is known for starting one painting and then mid way through, he would abandon it. For years, art historians have guessed that there is a painting underneath "Women Ironing." Images were even taken with an infrared camera in 1989, revealing a portrait of a man with a mustache. People do not know who the man is and whether or not it was painted by Picasso. Some believe that it is a portrait of Benet Soler, a Barcelona tailor and friend of Picasso. There is said to something next to the man, and some people think that it is a sewing machine which would support the Soler hypothesis. When the painting was transferred the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris in 1952, a thief broke in a tried to steal it by cutting it out of the frame. He was caught before he could steal it, but he caused substantial damage. The painting was fixed, but people started to notice more color seeping through the grey tones. When the painting was further inspected, people found the man standing next to an easel instead. The Picasso like brush strokes and his positioning makes people think that this is a self portrait instead. People are still in disagreement to who the mysterious man is. "Women Ironing" is currently located in the Guggenheim Museum.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/arts/design/under-a-picasso-painting-another-picasso-painting.html?ref=arts&_r=1&     

Kids Mistakenly Eating Laundry Pods

The CDC has recently released a new warning for parents concerning children mistaking laundry pods for candy. This past summer, during a 30-day period, there were more than 1,000 cases of poisoning from detergent among kids. Of those cases, more than 400 were connected to detergent pods. There was an average of 10 cases a day during May. More than 90% of the cases occur with children under the age of 6. These laundry pods are the most dangerous form of detergent poisoning. Kids have been rushed to the hospital due these laundry pods. The makers of Tide detergent are planning on making their detergent pod containers, which resemble a candy jar, childproof. However, the responsibility falls on the parents to keep detergent out of reach from their children.    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/laundry-detergent-pods-emerging-public-health-hazard-kids/story?id=17514676#.UIVhumdTBEM

The Younger "Lady with the Mystic Smile"

http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/09/26/14115751-younger-version-of-mona-lisa-to-be-presented?liteIn 1913 a painting was discovered in a manor house in the west of England. But this just wasn't any painting. This painting is said to be the first Mona Lisa. The girl in this picture is extremely similar to Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" except that she appears to be about 10 years younger. It is still undecided whether Leonardo copied this painting, or this unknown artist copied him. What is known is that the painting is on canvas, not Leonardo's medium of choice which was wood. Currently the "Mona Lisa" or "La Giaconda" is located in the Louvre. This newly discovered painting is located in a Swiss bank and is under extreme examination.   

Impressionism and Fashion Collide

Currently on display at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, is “Impressionism and Fashion”, just in time for Paris Fashion Week. This fascinating exhibit explores the relation between fashion today and the fashion in paintings from the late 19^th century. During this time, fashion became an expansive industry and also a form of leisure. This show is with collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago and is planned to come to the States next year. This display is showing the comparisons between fashion today and fashion from the 1800s. Throughout this show, there are paintings done by famous impressionists including Monet and Degas. Next to these paintings are modern clothing that represent the clothing that is displayed in the famous paintings. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/fashion/impressionism-and-fashion-at-the-musee-dorsay-in-paris-looks-at-impressionists-take-on-style.html?ref=style 

HOW did the tourist cross the road?

Be relaxed and self confident.
Look two ways or make eye contact with drivers.
Walk slowly with purpose.
Never step back.

These are the tips that tourist receive while visitng Vietnam. Instead of discussing resturants, the weather, and art museums, they discuss how to cross the street. The streets of Hanoi Vietnam which were once quiet, have become extremely busy due to the capitalist fervor."We were terroized the first day," one tourist said commenting on the busy streets. Many tourists are terrified of the busy streets and the constant honking. Even though the Vietnam's driving handbook says that drivers must yield to pedestrians, they almost never do. Most people don't even stop at red lights, unless a cop is present. There were 11,000 deaths, and four times that the amount of injuries, caused by car accidents in the past year. The biggest tip of all is to just use public transportation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/28/world/asia/hanoi-traffic-daunts-tourists.html?ref=world