James Cameron is more than a filmmaker (“Avatar” and “Titanic”); he is also an explorer. Cameron plans to dive seven miles into the Pacific’s Mariana Trench in a “Deep sea Challenge” also sponsored by National Geographic and Rolex. We continue to explore the far reaches of this planet we call home. Read more in the James Cameron plans deep sea dive in Pacific story at Reuters.
Category Archives: NEWS
Chocolate good for the heart
We all know that chocolate is good for the heart when a loved one gives us some at Valentine’s Day, Easter, Christmas, or just because, but now clinical studies have shown that chocolate can actually help your heart. Chocolate reduce your blood pressure and lower insulin levels. The full Chocolate may be good for your heart: study story at Reuters cautions that the study was pulled from several clinical tests and does not state how much chocolate is good for us. Sign me up for the long-term testing.
Tsunami survivor quit job to be with family
Yuko Sugimoto, the Japanese woman in an iconic tsunami photo from last year, at that point did not even know her son was alive in the submerged school across the street. Almost a year later, Yuko has quit her job to spend more time with her son and husband even though they are renting an apartment and still paying on a 31-year mortgage on their home lost to the tsunami.
Perhaps we should enjoy our family more while we can.
Read the full Woman in iconic tsunami photo looks to future at Reuters.
Mona Lisa’s “twin” heading to the Louvre
A second painting of the Mona Lisa by one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s students is now on display at the Prado museum in Madrid, Spain and headed to the Louvre on March 13 to join the famous original. A “technical study” requested by the Louvre shed light on the twin previously believed a recent copy. During the study, experts learned of hidden mountains and other similarities to Da Vinci’s painting, leading them to believe Da Vinci’s student painted it. I wonder how many other works of art have been mistaken because the time was not taken to verify them. Read the full Madrid’s Prado puts Mona Lisa’s “twin” on display story at Reuters.
Test your will this Lent
Another Lent begins tomorrow, also known as Ash Wednesday, 40-days of fasting and prayer to match those spent by Jesus in the desert when Satan tempted him. By my count 40-days ends Palm Sunday, so Lent is really 47-days long as it continues through Holy Week ending Easter Sunday.
Catholics fast tomorrow, eating only one meal and do not eat meat on Fridays throughout the Lenten period. Many give up something minor like chocolate or another favorite food. One year I gave up media. I did not read the newspaper, news on the Internet, or magazines and I did not watch any TV. It was amazing the transformation that made in my life. Prior to that Lent, I always felt I had to keep up with the news. I had to know what was going on. I was an information junkie. It was a very difficult Lent, especially since my wife thought I went overboard and tried to tempt me with watching programs with her. I read books at the table in the other room so we could at least see each other.
That Lent was like a purification process. I realized I did not need the news in my life and I discovered that all the negative news was actually dragging down my mood. I felt uplifted without all the fear they “sell” in the news weighing me down each day. I stopped paying so much attention to it until I started this blog. Now I read the news regularly to find positive news to post. I have felt more edgy lately as the fear creeps back into my psyche from all the negative headlines. I am tempted to stop reading the news, but feel I am providing a valuable service for everyone, so I continue my mission.
This Lent I challenge you to take give up something more meaningful, more difficult this year, like smoking or any other bad habit. Or, if you are really up for the challenge, skip giving up something altogether and do good deeds each day of Lent instead. Your life will never be the same, but much better when you discover what you can do with a strong will. You can do anything.
Oriental Dreamworks films beginning 2016
Dreamworks has agreed to a joint venture with China Media Capital and Shanghai Media Group giving Dreamworks Animation more access to the growing Chinese movie appetite as shown by their $100 million ticket sales for Kung Fu Panda 2 last year. Relative Media and Legendary Entertainment are also moving into China. Learn more in the Dreamworks Animation heads to China story at Reuters.
Can numbers explain everything?
British scientists have created an equation that can predict the shape of any ponytail using the Rapunzel Number, a ratio that accounts for the effects of gravity on hair relative to its length. Seems unimportant, but these new statistics, which solve an issue that has puzzled mathematicians since Leonardo da Vinci about 500 years ago, should help the computer graphics and animation industries represent hair better. Someday we may not need real people in film. Learn more in the Rapunzel number helps scientists quantify ponytails story at Reuters.
Green tea keeps elderly spry
A Japanese study shows that drinking five cups of green tea each day can keep people over 65-years-old more agile. These same people were a third less likely to develop disabilities than those who drank less than one cup a day. I wonder if it is due to the green tea, the extra hydration or more exercise going to the bathroom so often? I am speaking from experience since I like green tea. Learn more in the Green tea drinkers show less disability with age: study story at Reuters.
Gronk Nation glad he is back
The Gronk Nation is glad that fourth brother Rob Gronkowski is cleared from his ankle injury to practice for the New England Patriots Super Bowl game this Sunday against the New York Giants. Read more in the Patriots get boost as Gronkowski returns to practice story at Reuters.
Madonna creating schools in Malawi
The singer Madonna’s charity called Raising Malawi is teaming up with buildOn to create ten new schools to teach 1,000 students each year in the east Africa country of Malawi. Madonna has a special place in her heart for Malawi having adopted two children from this AIDS ravaged country where over 500,000 children have been orphaned from the epidemic. It is great to see entertainers investing their money in great causes like this. In her spare time, Madonna will be singing during the Super Bowl halftime show this Sunday. You go girl!
Learn more in the Madonna plans 10 schools in Malawi with new partner story at Reuters.