And so, instead of being confronted with a sudden crisis that prompts real change, South Africa appears to be drifting - sustained by an expanding middle class and buoyant local economy - while the water in the pot keeps getting steadily hotter.

BBC: Zuma's missed opportunity to sell South Africa

Even better, while the beans simmered in a pot for most of the afternoon, a hard-working woman like my great-granny could get back to washing clothes, canning, gardening and looking after the children.

NPR: Beans and Cornbread: Feeding Souls a Mile Deep

While the pot boiled in Washington, the FBI's probe in New Mexico was going nowhere in 1998.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | The Long Way Home

Back in Allendale, the malty concoction bubbled away in a pot, while Pastor Bistayi gave a 10-minute rundown on Christian beer history from St.

WSJ: A Lot of Church Folk Are Asking: 'What Would Jesus Brew?'

During dinner late one night, while Mr. Toba relaxed over a Japanese hot pot and local liquor, Taiga stomped around the house in basketball warm-ups and two pairs of eyeglasses one for his eyes and a pair of dark sunglasses perched on his forehead, because he thought they were cool.

WSJ: Ruin and Rebirth: After Disaster, Japanese Mayor Plants Seeds for City's Rebirth

At its core, the program believes in creating a melting pot of individuals with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives while also maintaining a context of openness that doesn't shy away from experimentation and failure.

CNN: Entrepreneurs take to the seas for inspiration

In Mongolia, mutton is barbecued in a pot with heated stones and then cooked over an open fire for the dish khorkhog, while whole marmot or goat is stuffed with heated stones and cooked over a fire for boodog.

BBC: The geography of American barbecue