Hello!!!
How about bringing some ideas to help us improve our lives and the life of our planet. We know we cannot do a lot, but little things do help:)
Looking foward for your comments.
Cheers.
Wednesday
Sports
Hi. As we've been talking about sports in class, here it is the space for you to post info about sports you've chosen. I'll be waiting for your posts. Cheers.
Akira Kurosawa's films
Today I decided to post some informations about films directed by Akira Kurosawa. The reason is simple: he is one of the most important film directors ever!
His films are very beautiful, they tend to show how art can inspire our life (specially painting). They are all about psychology, philosophy and, of course, history (of Japan).
Other point is the discussion about sovereignty and ambition in Japan.
The list of films are below:
The seven samurai (his most emblematic film)
Ran
Dreams
Rhapsody in August
Kagemusha
Dersu Uzala
As always, I am posting a link to an youtube video. It is a part of the film Dreams: Kurosawa is trying to show a relation between Sigmund Freud, Van Gogh and you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fUhofutpXY
Enjoy!
Friday
6 MYTHS ABOUT ORGANICS
MYTH 1
Organic food is always better for the environment
Organics don’t contaminate soil and groundwater with pesticides and chemicals like regular farming does, but there’s a surprising downside. Since organic farming only about half as productive as conventional farming, it requires far more land to produce the same amount of food. Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues estimates that modern high-yield farming has saved 15 million square miles of wildlife habitat, and that if the world switched to organic farming we’d need to cut down 10 million square miles of forest. Less-productive farming could also lead to even less food for the world’s undermourished.
MYTH 2
It’s more nutritious
Many studies have showed the differences between organics and non-organics foods. One found more vitamin C in organic tomatoes than in conventional ones; another found more cancer-fighting flavonoids in organic corn and strawberries. But other studies haven’t found organics to have a nutritional edge. What makes the biggest difference in nutrients is how long produce sits on the shelf. Spinach, for instance, loses about half of its folate within a week.
MYTH 3
It tastes better
Nobody has been able to tell the difference except in one study of apples, where organics came out ahead. To get raspberries that raspberrier, buy produce that’s locally grown, is in season, and hasn’t been sitting on the shelf too long. Let’s face it: Nothing is at its best when it’s flown halfway around the world and waxed, then has to spend a week in the grocery store.
MYTH 4
You don’t have to be as careful about washing it
All produce, whether purchased from a grocery megachain or your local organic farm, is susceptible to nasty bacteria, such as E. coli. Soil and runoff water that’s contaminated with E. coli, particularly melons, lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, spinach, and green onions, since they grow close to the ground. Your best defense: Wash every-thing thoroughly under running water.
MYTH 5
You’re supporting small farms or eco-companies
General Mills owns the Cascadian Farms brand, Kraft owns Back to Nature and Boca Burger, and Kellogg’s owns Morning-star Farms, to name a few conglomerates basking in organics glow. And with such high demand, these giant companies are importing organic ingredients as cheaply as possible. Whole Foods sold roughly $ 1 billion in produce last year, only about 16 percent was locally grown. So with all the CO2 spent in transport, some organics have questionable eco-virtues.
MYTH 6
It’s better for you
Not if it’s organic chips, organic soda, or organic cookies. Cane sugar is still sugar and fried chips are still fried, no matter what kind of compost was or wasn’t heaped onto the potatoes.
Organic food is always better for the environment
Organics don’t contaminate soil and groundwater with pesticides and chemicals like regular farming does, but there’s a surprising downside. Since organic farming only about half as productive as conventional farming, it requires far more land to produce the same amount of food. Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues estimates that modern high-yield farming has saved 15 million square miles of wildlife habitat, and that if the world switched to organic farming we’d need to cut down 10 million square miles of forest. Less-productive farming could also lead to even less food for the world’s undermourished.
MYTH 2
It’s more nutritious
Many studies have showed the differences between organics and non-organics foods. One found more vitamin C in organic tomatoes than in conventional ones; another found more cancer-fighting flavonoids in organic corn and strawberries. But other studies haven’t found organics to have a nutritional edge. What makes the biggest difference in nutrients is how long produce sits on the shelf. Spinach, for instance, loses about half of its folate within a week.
MYTH 3
It tastes better
Nobody has been able to tell the difference except in one study of apples, where organics came out ahead. To get raspberries that raspberrier, buy produce that’s locally grown, is in season, and hasn’t been sitting on the shelf too long. Let’s face it: Nothing is at its best when it’s flown halfway around the world and waxed, then has to spend a week in the grocery store.
MYTH 4
You don’t have to be as careful about washing it
All produce, whether purchased from a grocery megachain or your local organic farm, is susceptible to nasty bacteria, such as E. coli. Soil and runoff water that’s contaminated with E. coli, particularly melons, lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, spinach, and green onions, since they grow close to the ground. Your best defense: Wash every-thing thoroughly under running water.
MYTH 5
You’re supporting small farms or eco-companies
General Mills owns the Cascadian Farms brand, Kraft owns Back to Nature and Boca Burger, and Kellogg’s owns Morning-star Farms, to name a few conglomerates basking in organics glow. And with such high demand, these giant companies are importing organic ingredients as cheaply as possible. Whole Foods sold roughly $ 1 billion in produce last year, only about 16 percent was locally grown. So with all the CO2 spent in transport, some organics have questionable eco-virtues.
MYTH 6
It’s better for you
Not if it’s organic chips, organic soda, or organic cookies. Cane sugar is still sugar and fried chips are still fried, no matter what kind of compost was or wasn’t heaped onto the potatoes.
Thursday
Tribute for a genius movie director
Today I remembered of Ingmar Bergman's films, so I decided to post a short biography and talk about his works:
Bergman was born in Sweden, in 1918. He is one of the best movie directors in the world. His works include psychology of childhood, philosophy of language and, sometimes, simply art. They are marked by the simplicity in filming, but with deep dialogues (always serious, but amazing). He tried to complete his career in United States, but it didn't work. He needed to be in Sweden to think about great stories. Here are some movies made during all his career:
THE SEVENTH SEAL (1956 - This film is specially about the death of God)
WILD STRAWBERRIES (1957 - Memories of an old scientist who is almost dying)
THE SILENCE (1963)
PERSONA (1966)
SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE (1973)
FANNY AND ALEXANDER (1982 - When he ended his career)
Therfore, I have also decided to post a link to an interview made after he moved to an island called FARÖ. He decided to live alone in a calm and silent place during elderly. Wonderful as well...
Here is the link: http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=sjGw9p--t7A
Please, wacth it and don't be afraid to comment. All I want with this is simply discussions. So, what do you think about this kind of life?
Friday
Money
Here is a link to a song made by Pink Floyd to the album: THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. As I've promissed, the link was posted so that we discuss the importance of having money. Please, watch it and, then, think!
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=4hkjkTe5kZE
Below is the lyrics:
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=4hkjkTe5kZE
Below is the lyrics:
"Money, get away.
Get a good job with more pay and you're okay.
Money, it's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team.
Money, get back.
I'm all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, it's a hit.
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit.
I'm in the high-fidelity first class travelling set
And I think I need a Lear jet.
Money, it's a crime.
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise it's no surprise that they're
giving none away.
"HuHuh! I was in the right!"
"Yes, absolutely in the right!"
"I certainly was in the right!"
"You was definitely in the right. That geezer was cruising for a bruising!"
"Yeah!"
"Why does anyone do anything?"
"I don't know, I was really drunk at the time!"
"I was just telling him, he couldn't get into number 2. He was asking
why he wasn't coming up on freely, after I was yelling and
screaming and telling him why he wasn't coming up on freely.
It came as a heavy blow, but we sorted the matter out."
Get a good job with more pay and you're okay.
Money, it's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team.
Money, get back.
I'm all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, it's a hit.
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit.
I'm in the high-fidelity first class travelling set
And I think I need a Lear jet.
Money, it's a crime.
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise it's no surprise that they're
giving none away.
"HuHuh! I was in the right!"
"Yes, absolutely in the right!"
"I certainly was in the right!"
"You was definitely in the right. That geezer was cruising for a bruising!"
"Yeah!"
"Why does anyone do anything?"
"I don't know, I was really drunk at the time!"
"I was just telling him, he couldn't get into number 2. He was asking
why he wasn't coming up on freely, after I was yelling and
screaming and telling him why he wasn't coming up on freely.
It came as a heavy blow, but we sorted the matter out."
Pink Floyd
Thursday
Father`s Day
Who came up with the idea of Father's Day?
Her name was Sonora Louise Smart Dodd and she lived in Spokane, Washington. Sonora was the oldest of six children raised by their father, William Jackson Smart, when their mother died during childbirth. Sonora honored and revered her father, and while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909, she determined there should also be a day to honor fathers.
Sonora gained local support and made her dream a reality one year later within her own city of Spokane, Washington. Sonora married John Bruce Dodd. She died March 22, 1978, several years after Father's Day became a permanent national observance.
In 1910 Sonora chose June 19th as the day to celebrate Father's Day because that was her father's birthday. With support from the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA, the first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane on June 19, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father's Day, but only in 1972 President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday in June.
Her name was Sonora Louise Smart Dodd and she lived in Spokane, Washington. Sonora was the oldest of six children raised by their father, William Jackson Smart, when their mother died during childbirth. Sonora honored and revered her father, and while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909, she determined there should also be a day to honor fathers.
Sonora gained local support and made her dream a reality one year later within her own city of Spokane, Washington. Sonora married John Bruce Dodd. She died March 22, 1978, several years after Father's Day became a permanent national observance.
In 1910 Sonora chose June 19th as the day to celebrate Father's Day because that was her father's birthday. With support from the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA, the first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane on June 19, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father's Day, but only in 1972 President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday in June.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)