WatchMojo recently filmed an interview with famed photographer and documentary film director Louie Psihoyos about his recent endeavor, The Cove. This film documents a horrible dolphin slaughter which takes places in a remote area of Japan, and claims the lives of over 23 thousand of the mammals annually. You can learn more in our video:
The film’s hero is Ric O’Barry, who used to train the dolphins that played Flipper. He has been trying to raise awareness about this issue, and finally with The Cove, his cause has gained traction. So much so that he has now reported that the dolphin slaughter in Japan has been suspended. Traditionally, the practice starts up on 1 September every year, and when O’Barry returned to the scene of the crime, it was empty. Read more…
Hey, all you smug skinny people, guess what? A new study has found that the people who are most likely to live longest are… drum roll please… People who are carrying a few extra pounds.As we know, extreme obesity or being underweight is unhealthy. This study is the first to realize that people of a “normal” weight are not the luckiest. This does not mean that people of a normal weight should add extra weight.
It was found that underweight people are 70 per cent more likely to die than normal weight, extremely obese people 36 per cent more likely. Overweight individuals, however, are 17 per cent LESS likely to die. Read more…
Khadijah Williams grew up with her mother and younger sister, moving in and out of homeless shelters in the Los Angeles area for most of her childhood. She attended 12 schools in 12 years, but somehow managed to show that she was a gifted student. She worked through typical problems that people on the street have to deal with – pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers – and used that experience to learn how to keep good habits and find mentors. After her mother and sister disappeared from the homeless shelter one night, Khadijah went to stay with the Londons for the rest of her 12th grade year. They pushed her to apply to Harvard, and finally she was accepted. Read more…
The latest setback for Boeing Co. in the company’s effort to roll out their long-anticipated 787 jetliner has hit: they’ve yet again had to delay their first test flight of the new aircraft. The company says they need to reinforce certain areas of the plane – so, to be honest, waiting does seem like the best plan. However, shockingly, Boeing stocks dropped over 4 dollars midday. This is the latest knock to the company that has been struggling through the recession.
The 787 is built for fuel efficiency and is said to be the next generation of aircraft. It was originally supposed to be launched in 2007. Read more…
According to restaurant chain El Pollo Loco, the marinade for KFC’s new grilled chicken contains beef. Well, actually beef products. El Pollo Loco is planning to play up this fact in a new advertising campaign. The company feels the use of beef products in chicken is “wrong.”
KFC has not hidden that they use these beef products in their new grilled chicken; the information is available on their website, if you’re willing to look for it. It’s found on page 14 of a 37 page document online. I have to assume, though, if you’re eating at KFC, you don’t really care about the nutritional value. However, the grilled chicken was recently added to their menu as a “healthy choice.” Read more…
With people being fired left and right due to the economy, more and more people are beginning to take advantage of their new-found free time. They accept the fact they may not find work right away after their dismissal. And this time in between jobs is now being called “Funemployment.” Granted, the people who are most able to indulge in this practice have some savings in the bank. But funemployment basically involves sleeping in, reading, and doing whatever you want.
The practice of funemployment has helped to give the generation of newly-unemployed twenty- and thirtysomethings a better outlook on things, and has even helped paint an upbeat picture. Instead of this generation being a lost one, these young people are now being given the opportunity to reconsider the profession they entered to see if it’s what they actually want to do. Read more…
Without being too ethnocentric, there are some foods in different cultures - in fact there are some foods in our own culture - that just sound disgusting. Here is a list of some of the worst offenders:
Escamoles: Mexico - Eggs from a venomous ant that are often eaten in tacos.
Casu Marzu: Sardinia, Italy - All you need to know is that by the time the cheese is ready to eat, it will have tousands of maggots in it.
Lutefisk: Norway - Codfish that has been soaked in lye for two days.
Baby Mice Wine: Korea - Live mice are put in a bottle of rice wine and left to ferment.
Pacha: Iraq - Boiled sheep’s head.
Balut: The Philippines - A nearly grown duck fetus to be eaten in the egg.
Tarantula: Cambodia - Yup, the giant, hairy spiders.
Kopi Luwak Coffee: Asia - The most expensive coffee in the world, the beans have been eaten and passed by the Asian Palm Civet. The beans are retrieved from the animal’s droppings.
Beef Tripe: global - A butchered cow’s guts.
Monkey brains: China - Self explanatory, but some people like to eat the brains live while the monkey’s head is held still.
Sago Worms: New Guinea - Grubs that can be eaten raw or cooked and apparently taste like bacon.
Durian Fruit: Southeast Asia - A thorn-covered fruit.
Bangkok’s US Embassy has announced that actor David Carradine has been found dead in his hotel room. Details have not been released.
Carradine, 72, was filming a movie in the Thai capital. He was featured in the 1970s TV series Kung Fu, as well as Kill Bill, Kill Zone, Dangerous Curves and Brothers in Arms. Read more…
The race is on for searchers to locate the black boxes from Air France flight 447, as their locator beacons are only active for 30 days. However, preliminary evidence has been released by the airline which shows that, in the minutes leading up to the crash, two key computers malfunctioned and the plane was not flying at its ideal speed.
The data provides a chronology, albeit cryptic, of what happened in the minutes before the plane’s failure.
3am (BST) – The pilot reports hitting tropical turbulence, data says the plane had passed through “tall, dense cumulonimbus thunderclouds.”
Apparently at this stage, the plane’s speed was “erroneous.” Every plane has an ideal speed at which to travel through difficult weather, and AF 447 was not traveling at that speed – it is unknown at this point, however, if the plane was traveling too fast or too slowly.
3:10am – Pilot is presented with a series of error messages in the four minutes leading up to the disaster.
The auto-pilot system was disconnected, either by the pilot or automatically. (Auto-pilot shut down when the system is faced with a serious error.)
It is possible the pilot disconnected the system to try to manually avoid a dangerous cloud zone – at this high altitude, this maneuver is extremely dangerous.
At this same time, another emergency backup system switched on – this system allows the plane to keep flying using minimum power, but reduces stability.
3:12am – Two vital computers, which provide information on altitude, speed and flight direction, stopping working correctly.
3:13am – Electricity breakdowns in two principal and auxiliary flight computers.
3:14am – Final message: “cabin in vertical speed,” which suggests a sudden loss of cabin pressure. It is unclear whether this loss of pressure was because the plane broke apart in midair, or if the loss of pressure caused the plane to break apart. (The theory that the break broke apart in the air is lent credence by a Spanish pilot who was in the area who claims to have seen an “intense white flash” in the air.)
Sources close to the investigation argue that some of the details in the chronology are false, namely the fact that the computers providing info on altitude, etc, malfunctioned.
Searchers are continuing to scour the area for debris, and more information on what happened. Read more…
Today, the game has sold 125 million copies. Tetris was created at the height of the Cold War in 1984. And, where most companies are spending millions of dollars developing new games, Tetris is a title that has stayed around for 25 years as a worldwide sensation. The game’s creator, Alexey Pajitnov, credits the game’s success because it is considered “easy to play but hard to master,” and it does not involve violence or other bad behavior. Electronic Arts, who holds the exclusive license on mobile devices for Tetris, hopes to see the franchise continue to grow. Read more…
Saunas have been known to provide some great health benefits. Partaking in the heat can help with arthritis, asthma, chronic fatigue, and can flush toxins from your body. Some studies have even found that sauna use can decrease your blood pressure, despite the fact that your heart rate jumps from an average of 100 beats per minute to 160. (This is with normal usage, which is about twenty minutes.) However, it can also be dangerous. Don’t consume alcohol in a sauna, and try to avoid going in if you have recently had an alcoholic beverage. Dehydration can be a real issue here, so no matter what you’ve been doing, make sure you rehydrate afterward with two to four glasses of cool water.And men, beware: sperm motility and quality can be affected directly after a sauna visit. So if you’re trying to become a dad, maybe you should avoid the steam. Read more…
It was over four decades ago that the Beatles were at the top of their game. But, for some reason, their music transcends generations. And with the advent of The Beatles’ Rock Band, a whole new generation will likely be introduced to their music. Check out these real-world locations that were frequented by or connected to the Beatles:
Cavern Club, Liverpool - a replica of the club where the Fab Four played over 300 gigs, built from the bricks of the original building.
Abbey Road Crossing, London - the location of the crosswalk where the Abbey Road album cover was photographed.
The Royal Albert Hall, London - The Beatles played this venue numerous times, once even sharing the stage with the Rolling Stones.
Hamburg, Germany - The early Beatles honed their craft in this city.
Amsterdam Hilton, the Netherlands - The location of John Lennon’s and Yoko Ono’s first Be-In for Peace.
Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, Montreal - The location of John and Yoko’s next Bed-In, and where the song, “Give Peace a Chance,” was recorded.
Strawberry Fields, Central Park, New York - A memorial to John Lennon.
Candlestick Park, San Francisco - August 29th, 1969 was the Beatles’ next-to-last concert at Candlestick Park.
Rishikesh, India - After a week long meditation course with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Wales, the boys followed him to his ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Savile Row/Apple Studios, London - Location of the Beatles’ final rooftop performance.
Learn more about John and Yoko’s Montreal Bed-In for Peace in this video:
Regional cuisine is a great way to get a feel for the culture of the location to which you are traveling. And what’s the best part of the meal? Dessert. Check out this list of foreign desserts you shouldn’t skip while traveling:
Baklava (Turkey and nearby) – Made from phyllo dough that has been brushed with butter, this flaky dessert is also soaked with honey.
Alfajores (Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, other Latin American countries, via Spain) – Cookies reminiscent of shortbread or cake sandwiched with dulce de leche (milk caramel). Sometimes coated with meringue, white or dark chocolate, or covered with shredded coconut.
Semla (Sweden and similar in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Estonia) – A seasonal dessert available between Christmas and Easter, these bun-like pastries have their insides hollowed and filled with milk and almond paste and topped with whipped cream.
Sfogliatelle/Cannoli (Italy) – Sfogliatelle is a pastry shaped like a clam, stuffed with cream or ricotta filling that can be infused with orange or lemon flavor.
Taiyaki (Japan) – Kind of like a fish-shaped waffle, and filled with a sweet red bean paste.
Churros (Latin America, Spain) – Loops with a crunchy texture, topped with confectioners’ sugar and served with thick hot chocolate, in which you are to dunk the churros.
Sopaipillas/Picarones (Chile, Peru) – Fried dough that you dip in a solid brown sugar derived from sugar cane.
Galub Jamun (South East Asia) – Little balls of dough made of a flour and condensed milk mixture, that has been fried and dipped in a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom, rosewater or saffron.
Koeksisters (South Africa via Cape Malay) – Fried and dunked in a cold simple syrup to avoid them getting mushy.
Tres Leches Cake (Mexico, other countries in Central and South America) – Condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream are the “tres leches” in this cake.
Suspiro Limeño (Peru) - Evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and sugar make a pudding, which is then topped with meringue.
Sernik (Poland) – The Polish version of a cheesecake.
Tangyuan/ Yuanxiao (China, Taiwan) – Balls of dough made from rice flour and hot water, and filled with sesame paste, adzuki bean paste or other sweet fillings.
Brigadeiro (Brazil) – Balls of fudgey caramel, rolled in chocolate sprinkles.
Khao Niaw Ma Muang [mango and sticky rice] (Thailand) – Rice is cooked in coconut milk and served with fresh mango.
Heart disease and strokes can be avoided simply by taking this natural supplement, made from tomatoes, it is said. The important ingredient is lycopene, which blocks bad cholesterol from clogging the arteries. This ingredient can be found in tomatoes; however in its natural form it is not well digested. More trials are necessary to see verify how effective the pill is. Read more…
An Air France overnight flight from Paris to Rio de Janeiro has disappeared off radar, and is presumed crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. 228 people were on-board the Airbus 330. The plane was last heard from when it encountered severe turbulence and thunderstorms, when it reported some electrical faults and loss of cabin pressure.
It is unusual for a modern airliner to disappear over open ocean without notification, although there is no evidence of hijacking or terrorism. Read more…
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