Standing in front of his enormous, custom-made meat smoker, Jack Timmons is a happy man. He’s a lanky guy who speaks with a gentle Dallas drawl; his family back in Texas, he says, is the kind that always offers a person a drink or a sandwich when they walk in. He loves parties, and he’s throwing one five days a week at his roadhouse on Airport Way. It’s called Jack’s BBQ.Timmons worked at Microsoft for 12 1/2 years ― in IT, in operations, in marketing and in business development. After leaving i

From art, fashion and technology, crossover collaboration inspires new creations

A state-run health research institute said it has found that Korean men in their 60s and women in their 40s were most vulnerable to alcohol-induced mental conditions including dementia and alcoholic hallucinosis among all Koreans.The number of Koreans who sought medical help for the condition has increased from 2008 to 2012, from 63,821 to 75,925. The total cost spent to treat the condition increased from 136.3 billion won ($124.5 million) in 2008 to 217.5 billion won in 2012.According to Dr. Le

Heart attack has been the No. 1 killer in the world for the last decade and deaths from the disease are still on the rise. As the human heart works continuously during one’s lifetime, a healthy coronary artery, which supplies it with blood, is vital for a healthy heart. As people age, the arterial wall gradually thickens and hardens, which is called atherosclerosis. Enlarged atherosclerotic plaque can become unstable and rupture suddenly. A blood clot is formed in ruptured plaque within minutes

If the trend holds, there soon will be a shelf of books explaining why the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan was a misadventure or worse.Into that crowded field comes Graeme Smith’s “The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan.” But even among tomes of pessimism and clear-eyed hindsight, Smith’s book seems destined to be a standout: a compelling, self-revealing account of a reporter coming to grips with a big story and his own feelings of shock and disappointment.Smith, a Canadian, is an anom

White PlagueBy James Abel (Berkley)James Abel’s new thriller, “White Plague,” combines elements from “The Hunt for Red October” and the cutting-edge science from the best of Michael Crichton to send chills down the reader’s spine. Marine doctor Joe Rush is sent into action when times are desperate. Besides being a top-ranked physician, he can also lead a team into potentially hostile and lethal situations involving bioweapons. He’s earned the nickname “Killer Joe,” thanks to an earlier, still cl

The Season of MigrationBy Nellie Hermann (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)When Vincent van Gogh steps off the train in the coal-mining region of Belgium known as the Borinage, his artist’s eye is immediately captivated by his surroundings.Van Gogh has not come to paint the region but to save souls. Before he was an artist, he was a minister, sent to bring comfort to the poor, hungry and desperate families who slaved in mines to warm the rest of Europe. His experiences destroyed his faith and led to th

A Pleasure and a CallingBy Phil Hogan (Picador)William Heming is the proverbial quiet man, nondescript, keeping to himself, mastering “the skill of being likable, but not memorable.” Yet Heming seethes with self-righteous contempt for others and a propensity for vengeance and violence that erupts when he feels threatened, or just irritated.His employees and clients believe the seemingly unobtrusive Heming leads a boring life, but nothing could be further from the truth in Phil Hogan’s fascinatin

The symptoms were grim: advanced age, crumbling physical condition, broken spine. The operation would last several hours and require meticulous care. But recovery was likely, and the procedure would cost only $100.The patient was a 90-year-old family Bible in need of major restoration.“I always tell people that I compare book restoration with face-lifts,” said Bruce Kavin, one of three siblings who run Kater-Crafts Bookbinders. “Generally speaking, the less you do, the better.”The Pico Rivera co

River of No ReturnBy David Riley Bertsch (Scribner)Vivid scenery and a likable protagonist mark the second book in a series by David Riley Bertsch. In “River of No Return,” Wyoming fishing guide Jake Trent, a former Department of Justice operative with a violent past that has left him emotionally scarred, must deal with a vixen who tries to lure him back to Washington, with the kidnapping of his friend’s girlfriend and with a nefarious population-control plot.The cast of characters also includes

BOSTON (AP) ― Boston residents in the newly formed United States valued a robust press as much as their history and currency if the contents of a time capsule dating back to a decade after the Revolutionary War are any guide. When conservators at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston gingerly removed items from the box Tuesday, they found five tightly folded newspapers, a medal depicting George Washington, a silver plaque, two dozen coins, including one dating to 1655, and the seal of the Commonwealth

Louvre MuseumPARIS (AFP) ― The famous Louvre in France received 9.3 million visitors last year, retaining its title as the most-visited museum in the world, the Paris attraction announced Tuesday.Foreign visitors represented 70 percent of ticket sales, with Americans, Chinese, Italians, Britons and Brazilians visiting in strong numbers over 2014, the Louvre said in a statement.The total number of tourists who came in to admire works of art and antiquities including Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, was up 1

NEW YORK (AP) ― Sting will be going down with his ship.Producer Jeffrey Seller said Tuesday that the Grammy Award-winning songwriter’s Broadway musical “The Last Ship” will close when his stint in the show ends Jan. 24 at the Neil Simon Theatre.Sting, who wrote the songs, jumped into the musical in early December, playing a shipyard foreman that had been portrayed by Jimmy Nail. While that improved sales, they didn’t skyrocket and the future looked bleak without him.“We made the musical we wante