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Have you seen this powerful film? I intend to get my hands on it in the next few days, and will surely update with my thoughts and experiences.

Watch the preview clip below:

Building a Better Teacher

Source: NY Times - "On a Winter day five years ago, Doug Lemov realized he had a problem. After a successful career as a teacher, a principal and a charter-school founder, he was working as a consultant, hired by troubled schools eager — desperate, in some cases — for Lemov to tell them what to do to get better. There was no shortage of prescriptions at the time for how to cure the poor performance that plagued so many American schools. Proponents of No Child Left Behind saw standardized testing as a solution. President Bush also championed a billion-dollar program to encourage schools to adopt reading curriculums with an emphasis on phonics. Others argued for smaller classes or more parental involvement or more state financing.

Lemov himself pushed for data-driven programs that would diagnose individual students’ strengths and weaknesses. But as he went from school to school that winter, he was getting the sinking feeling that there was something deeper he wasn’t reaching. On that particular day, he made a depressing visit to a school in Syracuse, N.Y., that was like so many he’d seen before: “a dispiriting exercise in good people failing,” as he described it to me recently. Sometimes Lemov could diagnose problems as soon as he walked in the door. But not here. Student test scores had dipped so low that administrators worried the state might close down the school. But the teachers seemed to care about their students. They sat down with them on the floor to read and picked activities that should have engaged them. The classes were small. The school had rigorous academic standards and state-of-the-art curriculums and used a software program to analyze test results for each student, pinpointing which skills she still needed to work on.

But when it came to actual teaching, the daily task of getting students to learn, the school floundered. Students disobeyed teachers’ instructions, and class discussions veered away from the lesson plans. In one class Lemov observed, the teacher spent several minutes debating a student about why he didn’t have a pencil. Another divided her students into two groups to practice multiplication together, only to watch them turn to the more interesting work of chatting. A single quiet student soldiered on with the problems. As Lemov drove from Syracuse back to his home in Albany, he tried to figure out what he could do to help. He knew how to advise schools to adopt a better curriculum or raise standards or develop better communication channels between teachers and principals. But he realized that he had no clue how to advise schools about their main event: how to teach.

Around the country, education researchers were beginning to address similar questions. The testing mandates in No Child Left Behind had generated a sea of data, and researchers were now able to parse student achievement in ways they never had before. A new generation of economists devised statistical methods to measure the “value added” to a student’s performance by almost every factor imaginable: class size versus per-pupil funding versus curriculum. When researchers ran the numbers in dozens of different studies, every factor under a school’s control produced just a tiny impact, except for one: which teacher the student had been assigned to. Some teachers could regularly lift their students’ test scores above the average for children of the same race, class and ability level. Others’ students left with below-average results year after year. William Sanders, a statistician studying Tennessee teachers with a colleague, found that a student with a weak teacher for three straight years would score, on average, 50 percentile points behind a similar student with a strong teacher for those years. Teachers working in the same building, teaching the same grade, produced very different outcomes. And the gaps were huge. Eric Hanushek, a Stanford economist, found that while the top 5 percent of teachers were able to impart a year and a half’s worth of learning to students in one school year, as judged by standardized tests, the weakest 5 percent advanced their students only half a year of material each year.

This record encouraged a belief in some people that good teaching must be purely instinctive, a kind of magic performed by born superstars. As Jane Hannaway, the director of the Education Policy Center at the Urban Institute and a former teacher, put it to me, successful teaching depends in part on a certain inimitable “voodoo.” You either have it or you don’t. “I think that there is an innate drive or innate ability for teaching,” Sylvia Gist, the dean of the college of education at Chicago State University, said when I visited her campus last year..." Continue reading at NY Times.

Japan Dolphin Hunt Town Shrugs off 'Cove' Oscar

Source: Yahoo (TAIJI, Japan) – The gala crowd in Los Angeles cheered as "The Cove" won the best documentary Oscar with its grisly portrayal of dolphin hunting. Half a world away, residents of the small Japanese village shown in the film abhorred the attention and said it won't end their centuries-old tradition.

In Taiji on the rocky coast of southwest Japan, residents gathered in whale eateries with names like "Tail" and rolled their eyes Monday when told of Oscar laurels for the film, which they see as yet another biased foreign take on their culture.

The village of 3,500 people has been hunting dolphins and whales since the early 1600s. It calls itself "Whale Town" and has a massive pair of whale statues looming over the main road. "The Cove" refers to Taiji and its dolphin fishing as "a little town with a really big secret," but local councilman Hisato Ryono said there is nothing to hide.

"Everyone around here knows about it. The water nearby turns red during the hunt. The actual killing is done in a concealed area because it is unpleasant to look at, as is true of killing cows or pigs or any other animal," said Ryono, who says he was tricked into appearing in the film.

"This is a close-knit group of fishermen. The more they feel squeezed, the more they will close off to outsiders. They won't stop this hunt because of such pressure," Ryono said.

The Japanese government allows about 19,000 dolphins to be killed each year. Taiji hunts about 2,000 dolphins every year for meat — less than other places — but is singled out in part because of its "oikomi" method of herding and killing them near the shore.

Dolphins, in addition to being food, are also recognized in Taiji as crowd pleasers with their playful natures, leading to odd contrasts. Taiji fishermen capture some to sell to aquariums, and the area is dotted with ocean cages offering dolphin bonding sessions. "Dolphin Base" charges 2,000 yen ($22) for a 20-minute session less than half a mile from the cove where hundreds of the animals are stabbed and dragged ashore in the annual hunt.

Like most residents of Taiji, the dolphin trainers repeatedly avoided talking to a foreign reporter — one young woman ran away when asked her opinion. At the nearby Dolphin Resort, a modern hotel complex with its own dolphin pool, manager Kiyo Ikeda agreed to be interviewed, as long as there were no questions about dolphins.

"We really don't get many foreign guests at this hotel," she said.

Many Taiji residents said they would no longer speak to foreign visitors on the record, after years of what they felt were one-sided articles and gory pictures shown out of context.

After the movie won, the town government issued a short news release.

"There are different food traditions within Japan and around the world," the statement read. "It is important to respect and understand regional food cultures, which are based on traditions with long histories."

The documentary, directed by Louie Psihoyos, follows Ric O'Barry, a trainer for the 1960s "Flipper" TV series who says he became an activist because of a suicidal dolphin in his charge. The film team broke into a restricted area to set up cameras that captured the slaughter.

The Cove has not yet been released in Japan, but it will start showing here in June at 20 to 30 theaters nationwide. It was shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October, where viewers gave it mixed reviews.

Several Japanese who appear in the film, including Ryono the councilman, and Tetsuya Endo, an associate professor at Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, say they were lied to about its subject matter beforehand.

Endo, clearly angry when reached by telephone Monday, said he is considering legal action.

"I feel that they should have declined the award," he said.

Japanese government officials defended the fishermen's right to hunt dolphins and called the film unbalanced.

"There are some countries that eat cows, and there are other countries that eat whales or dolphins," said Yutaka Aoki, fisheries division director at the Foreign Ministry. "A film about slaughtering cows or pigs might also be unwelcome to workers in that industry."

'Alice in Wonderland' Tops the Opening of 'Avatar'

Source: LA Times - The Tim Burton film takes in $210.3 million worldwide, the biggest Winter premiere of all-time. Much of the take comes from showings in 3-D.

Disney ended up picking just the right moment to jump down the 3-D rabbit hole.

As "Avatar" comes to the end of a historic three-month run, Walt Disney Studios' "Alice in Wonderland" took most of the 3-D screens and opened to an eye-popping $210.3 million worldwide.

Much like director James Cameron's mega-hit, Tim Burton's adaptation of the classic tale, starring Johnny Depp, generated about 70% of its opening weekend business from theaters with 3-D screens. It easily beat the premiere of "Avatar" and set a record for the biggest winter opening, even accounting for ticket price inflation, selling a studio-estimated $116.3 million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada.

Overseas, it took in $94 million in 40 territories, also setting a record winter opening.

"After 'Avatar,' people were saying that they're ready for the next 3-D world and the first weekend in March was all of a sudden the right place to be to meet that desire," said Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross.

"Alice" played at about 220 more 3-D theaters than "Avatar," since exhibitors have added more capacity recently. As returns came in, it became clear that audiences generally preferred to see Disney's movie with the advanced technology, despite higher ticket prices.

"In theaters with multiple formats, we saw that the Imax 3-D sold out first, then regular 3-D, and then 2-D," said Disney distribution President Chuck Viane.

Though young women were most interested in "Alice," the picture's strong showing and sellouts at all times of day indicated that it had broad appeal. At midnight shows Thursday night, Viane said, the movie made $4 million, mainly from young adults. It generated $41 million in the U.S. and Canada on Friday largely from families with daughters early in the evening and from couples on dates later in the night. On Saturday, "Alice" grossed $44.3 million domestically, in large part due to families attending matinees.

3-D has accounted for an increasingly large percentage of ticket sales over the last three months for "Avatar" as it has marched past $2.6 billion. That will be very difficult for "Alice," however, because most 3-D screens will switch to DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" on March 26, a sign of the increasingly crowded marketplace for 3-D movies.

Word of mouth should be strong for "Alice," however, as audiences gave it an average grade of A-minus, according to market research firm CinemaScore, though reviews of the film were decidedly mixed. And with American students starting spring break next week, Disney will benefit from higher-than-average family attendance on weekdays.

The film's European opening was almost derailed when the studio, in an initiative championed by Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger, announced that "Alice" would be released on DVD just 12 weeks after it hit the big screen. Several theater chains, including two of the three biggest in Britain, threatened not to show the movie because of concerns the short window would hurt ticket sales. That led to a tense standoff that was resolved at the last minute.

Ultimately, "Alice" collected $16.8 million in Britain, by far the highest opening for a movie in March in the country. It also performed very well in Italy, Russia, Mexico and Australia.

"I'm just glad we had enough seats for everybody," said Viane.

Disney estimated that the countries where "Alice" opened last week would account for 60% of its international gross. The film has yet to premiere in several key territories including France, China, Japan and Brazil.

As often happens amid executive shake-ups in Hollywood, "Alice in Wonderland" is a gift of sorts left by former Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook, who was ousted in September. Though the team led by his replacement Ross handled the successful marketing push for the picture -- including an aggressive campaign on Facebook and a controversial ad covering the front of Friday's L.A. Times -- it was Cook and former production president Oren Aviv who approved the risky $200-million production.

"The Disney team has developed a lot of terrific movies, including my predecessors who developed and produced this movie," Ross said.

Onstage Drama and Backstage Delight at the Academy Awards

Source: USA Today - The best seat at the Oscars is backstage. USA TODAY was in the wings of the Kodak Theatre Sunday night, capturing off-the-cuff moments that followed the staged events.

One of the most emotional moments backstage came after screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher won for his adapted screenplay of Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire and Mo'Nique won supporting actress for playing the film's malevolent mother.

Known for her brassy and blunt comedy, Mo'Nique humbled the audience by thanking the academy for showing that the awards "can be about the performance, not the politics." And she thanked Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Oscar, for playing Mammy in 1939's Gone With the Wind. "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to so I would not have to."

Mo'Nique had been criticized by some Oscar pundits for not aggressively campaigning throughout awards season. It didn't seem to hurt her; she won almost every major prize before also taking home the Academy Award.

Waiting just behind her in the shadows was Fletcher, his Oscar demurely held at his side. Onstage, Fletcher said, "This is for everybody who works on a dream every day. Precious boys and girls everywhere."

One of the ABC pages came by and said, "Does anyone know where Geoffrey Fletcher is?" while looking directly at him. "Do you have eyes on Geoffrey Fletcher?"

Fletcher raised his Oscar into view and with a stunned look asked, "Me? Do you mean me?" But before he would let the page take him to the pressroom in the hotel next door, he wanted his moment with Mo'Nique. A long hug ensued. But it wasn't silent.

"Oh, baby! Oh, baby," Mo'Nique repeated again and again, as they clutched their Oscars at the other's back. "Look what we did!" As they pulled apart, they raised their Oscars and clinked their heads like Champagne glasses. "To you," Mo'Nique said. "To you, my baby."

As they walked down the corridor to the elevator that would take them to the pressroom, Robin Williams jumped in front of them to lighten the mood, making "swish, swish, swish" noises as he swept an invisible broom in front of her slow walk.

"It's curling, curling!" Williams said, finally getting Mo'Nique to laugh out loud.

A bridge for Bridges

Kate Winslet was a bulldozer for Oscar winner Jeff Bridges. The actress, a winner last year for The Reader, presented Bridges with his Crazy Heart trophy and pulled him backstage, waving aside stagehands and declaring Bridges needed the place "to say other stuff, to thank the people he didn't thank out there."

She was referring to the academy's thank-you cam, an Internet-only camera that records winners' voluminous lists of names of people who need to be mentioned but were left out onstage. It's meant to encourage winners to give more heartfelt speeches rather than read a litany of managers, agents, lawyers, friends and family.

"And here," Winslet said, thrusting the open envelope with his name into his hands, "don't lose this!"

Clearly, her take-charge attitude came from being a veteran.

Though he's had a long career, Bridges didn't seem to know what she was talking about. As he wandered about, clutching his trophy, he passed the thank-you cam and its team. He laughed and said, "I don't even know what a thank-you cam is."

Soon he was swarmed. Tim Robbins first, then Michelle Pfeiffer, his co-star from 1989's The Fabulous Baker Boys, who introduced him onstage, and whatever focus he had left was gone. But eventually he made his way back to the camera, and he had a lot on his mind. He even pulled up a chair and sat down for the long haul.

Sandra at sea

Sandra Bullock, after winning best actress for The Blind Side, came backstage clutching Sean Penn's arm. "Sean, what do I do now?" Penn, last year's best-actor winner for Milk, shrugged and said, "I don't know."

She could have used some of Winslet's mother-hen-like expertise. "Well, I don't know either," Bullock said.

Just then, the best-director category came up on the monitors, and they watched as the action unfolded live right behind them.

Well, Bullock watched. Penn made a quick exit, leaving the baffled actress unsure what came next. To her rescue came Forest Whitaker, the best-actor winner for The Last King of Scotland three years ago. He asked her what she wanted to do, the options being go back to her seat, go to the pressroom or just stay put.

Bullock's response: "I want a cheeseburger and french fries and a milkshake." Whitaker nodded. "Ahhh, a little In-N-Out tonight," he said, with an expression of someone who knows good, post-Oscar burger dining.

As Kathryn Bigelow accepted best director for The Hurt Locker, Bullock took a moment to peek into the envelope Penn had given her. "Oh, I better double-check the name," she joked. "Oh, good, it does say mine."

No sooner was Bigelow headed in their direction than Tom Hanks announced The Hurt Locker as best-picture winner.

"Ahhh! She's gotta go back," Whitaker said, laughing and clapping. Bigelow, the first woman to win the best-director award, is known for her tough, no-nonsense films. But after winning two of the top prizes for her movie about an bomb defuser in Iraq, she looked like her own mind had just detonated.

"I'm in such shock!" she said, walking off the stage with an Oscar in each hand. Passing her was Hanks, who summed up the feeling of the night.

"What a moment," he said with a laugh.

And with that, the 82nd Academy Awards came to an end.

But before the show...

Hollywood's biggest night got rolling with the same nervous hustle as a high school play, albeit cast with the most famous faces on the planet.

An hour before showtime, Oscar winner Javier Bardem (2007's No Country for Old Men) was the first celebrity floating around the empty corridors behind the elaborate Kodak Theatre stage.

But one by one, the stars made their escape from the red carpet, and soon Bardem was hanging out on the loading dock smoking corner alongside girlfriend and Oscar winner Penelope Cruz and The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner.

Just inside, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were secluded inside their dressing rooms, but one guest brought them out, Baldwin still in his street clothes and Martin with his tuxedo shirt untucked and unbuttoned.

That would be Williams, who at first lingered in the hallway, unsure whether to knock. "Is it all right to say a quick hello? I don't want to bother them," Williams said, sounding a little hoarse. He recently had heart surgery, and though his manic energy was more subdued than usual, he rallied for the two co-hosts of this year's Academy Awards.

When Baldwin, all smiles, greeted him, Williams said, "Let's do one of these," chest-bumping the much taller Baldwin. "Whoa!" Williams said, getting a faceful of Baldwin's burly chest.

Outside, with rain coming down in drizzles, foodie celeb Wolfgang Puck lifted spirits by handing out little chocolate Oscars to the crowd of fans.

Ripped from the hemlines

Backstage, there's always a last-second wardrobe emergency, and this year, Amanda Seyfried and Jennifer Lopez, each wearing Armani gowns of shimmering silk with the strength and density of bubble wrap, needed pit stops for hurried repairs to torn material.

The trouble: fragile fabric and long trains, in a tight space, with lots of people not looking where they're walking. Marc Anthony put a hand on Robert Downey Jr.'s shoulder to stop him from snagging Lopez's gown. "I need to be following along with orange traffic cones on the back," Anthony told the Iron Man.

Close encounters

Helen Mirren, Oscar winner for 2006's The Queen, was surprisingly hanging around with teen starlet Miley Cyrus. And when Cyrus stopped for a touch-up at the makeup table corner, the older actress pointed to the greenroom and yelled, "Miley, we are forging ahead in here!" And the Hannah Montanastar quickly followed after her.

Earlier, Mirren was having fun on the red carpet with The Last Station co-star Christopher Plummer. Both were nominated for their roles as Leo Tolstoy and his wife, Sofya. Of her companion, Mirren said, "It's fun to have a friend on the red carpet."

When asked who made his suit, Plummer said: "I did. I stayed up all night."

She chimed in, "I hemmed the trousers for him."

At this point backstage, the already cramped entryways started to fill up significantly, and even the biggest stars were being nudged and pushed along.

Ryan Reynolds, extending his hand to Steve Carell, got to say, "I'm a big ..." before they were pulled apart. He caught up to The Office actor and added: "Hey, let me finish the sentence. I'm a big fan, not just a big." Carell said he understood.

Before the curtain rises

The clock continued to tick until just a few moments before show time.

The main acting nominees began pouring out onto the stage for the opening introductions, a presentation of them all onstage as the curtain went up that was unique to this year.

In the midst of the March of the Nominees, Crazy Heart's Bridges caused another gown accident, planting his foot on the train of An Education star Carey Mulligan and yanking her to a halt. Luckily, no damage.

"Awww! Oh, no," Bridges said, putting his hand on his bearded cheeks in embarrassment. "Just when I thought I had perfected my ability to walk."

Directly behind him was Up in the Air's George Clooney, his rival for best actor.

Clooney put his hands on Bridges' shoulders as they walked and said, "All I know, Jeff, is if you lose tonight, you're in such (expletive)."

Winners overwhelmed

Christoph Waltz, supporting-actor winner for Inglourious Basterds, couldn't have been surprised by his victory since it had been predicted ever since the movie premiered last May at the Cannes Film Festival.

But when he came off stage after a characteristically modest speech, the Austrian actor, who before was little known outside of Germany, had an uncertain look on his face.

Carrying his Oscar, he walked with presenter Cruz, who won last year for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Both of their wins have parallels. Cruz's film also premiered at Cannes, but she was far more used to the role of "celebrity."

As she walked him backstage, Bardem came over to meet them, and Cruz said to the new Oscar winner, "Are you nervous?"

Waltz pursed his lips, thinking for a moment before answering. "Yes," he declared finally.

For another winner, it's also been a whirlwind few years.

Ryan Bingham, who won an Oscar — with T Bone Burnett— for The Weary Kind, the theme from Crazy Heart, said backstage, "Me and my band were living out of our Suburban four years ago." Director Scott Cooper "gave me a copy of the script and said, 'If you're inspired to write anything, let me know.'

"And here we are."

Why 'Avatar' lost: 5 theories

Source: The Week - [Finding humor in the 'analysis' of the 'politics' of academy voting, lol] Is Avatar too anti-American? Too computer-generated? Inside the biggest Oscars' upset in years Best Opinion:  LA Times, Hollywood Reporter, Telegraph, Gawker, SF Chronicle

This was the year the Academy expanded the number of Best Picture contenders to 10, largely to give more popular films a chance. Yet James Cameron's Avatar, history's biggest box-office performer, lost the top prize to The Hurt Locker, the lowest-grossing movie to win Best Picture in recent times. Here's five theories on why Avatar got left in the dust:

1. Actors hate computer graphics
Actors constitute the Academy's largest voting bloc, says Patrick Goldstein in the Los Angeles Times, and they're particularly "queasy about rewarding a special-effects driven film [like Avatar] that...did little to honor the actors' craft." The Academy, in general, still rejects "films largely created and sculpted in the computer," even "game-changing" blockbusters like Avatar.

2. Science fiction never wins Best Picture
Avatar is just the latest hit "doomed because it's sci-fi, a genre that has rarely been rewarded by Oscar," says Alex Ben Block in The Hollywood Reporter. Remember: Star Wars lost to Woody Allen's Annie Hall, and E.T. lost to Gandhi. Though The Hurt Locker managed to avoid Oscar's "Iraq War curse," Avatar couldn't "sidestep the science-fiction label."

3. Patriotism beat out anti-Americanism
Even though Hollywood is "overwhelmingly left-wing," it rejected the "overtly anti-American and anti-military" Avatar, says Nile Gardiner in The Daily Telegraph — uncharacteristically backing The Hurt Locker. This suggests that voters really considered it the better film. Hopefully Cameron will focus on a compelling storyline next time.

4. Hollywood is elitist and navel-gazing
Avatar would clearly have won a national popular vote, says Brian Moylan in Gawker. But "the Oscars are not about America, they are about Hollywood," and shoring up its ego. Like Sunday's Oscars telecast, Hollywood is a "complete self-referential mess."

5. The Hurt Locker is brilliant in ways Avatar is not
"The bottom line is that it's easier to make a movie with great special effects," says Zennie Abraham in the San Francisco Chronicle, "than a timely film with a good story." The Best Picture Oscar is supposed to go to the story that makes you think about the world around you, and The Hurt Locker, "in so many ways, was that movie." Avatar was not.

Gayatri Mantra

Deva Premal and Miten share the Gayatri Mantra.
More info: www.devapremalmiten.com Enjoy the clip below:

Winemaker Johnny Depp

Source: ecorazzi - In between jamming on the guitar, playing a pirate, or going mad with Alice in Wonderland, Johnny Depp prefers the quiet and solitude of his French getaway.

We previously wrote how the actor enjoys nothing more than watching his garden grow and playing with his wife and children — but in a new interview, he also reveals another love: wine.

“I have a secret desire to make wine. But I’ll keep it for myself before daring to sell it commercially. In the Var where I live, it’s very interesting. The region is notable for rose and it’s very good, though I prefer red myself.”

Should Depp decide to take the commercial plunge, he would be in good company, as evidenced in our Top 10 Celebrity Wineries gallery.

PEOPLE’s current Sexiest Man Alive also admits, “there are times when I don’t leave the property for three months at a time.”

“With Vanessa and the kids, we live in a sort of little village in the south and I have the impression of being in paradise,” he continues. “It’s a property of about 30 acres and you know what I do there — absolutely nothing.”

'Nip/Tuck' Series Finale Cuts Deep

Source: LAist - Tonight we sadly mark the end of one of the most over-the-top TV shows to ever make the screen: FX's "Nip/Tuck." Seven seasons of outrageous gore, near pornography, and twisted shenanigans have finally come to an end. MSN has a photo rundown and summary of some of the series' highlights but generally speaking, the show really hit its stride when plastic surgeons Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) moved their practice from South Beach to Los Angeles.

New York City might be where the freaks like to be free but Los Angeles is where they go to work and the proprietors of McNamara/Troy did their best to give them the best physical assets that money could buy. If you've ever attended a B-list red carpet event in this town, and we have, you get to see, up close and in real life, people who might have stepped right off the set of "Nip/Tuck". When the show made it to LA it became about LA, and despite being fanciful, there were elements of truth in every episode. The show also brilliantly recruited real-life plastic surgery disasters like Melanie Griffith to make the connection that much more realistic.

Over the years we saw great performances by Vanessa Redgrave, Anna Lynne McCord (see our vid with her at the Emmys), Joely Richardson (Redgrave's daughter in real life), as well as the entire regular ensemble. We happily note that both Richardson and Dylan Walsh will be seen very soon with Walsh cast as the lead of Michael Dinner's untitled CBS pilot, originally known as "ATF", and Richardson has been tapped for ABC's "The Whole Truth".

Best of luck to the cast and creators we hope to see more of them soon - and we're somewhat shocked that FX has no planned closing event for the series, which is somewhat shameful.

Tonight's highlights other than the "Nip/Tuck" finale include the return of G4's "Web Soup" with Chris Hardwick, Beverly D'Angelo on "Cougar Town", Oprah Winfrey's Oscar show, and Martin Sheen on Ferguson (who you know will be asking about Charlie).

The TV Junkie Plan: Tavis Smiley, "Web Soup", "Faces of America" (2nd half), "Modern Family", "Cougar Town", "Nip/Tuck", "Chelsea Lately", Letterman, Ferguso

Oh la la, Chocolat! How To Enjoy the Benefits of Raw Cacao

Source: Intent - The genus name of chocolate, Theobroma derives from the Greek theos, “god,” and “broma,” “food,” thus meaning “food of the gods.” The common name chocolate derives from an Aztec name for this plant, chócolatl. Cocoa was the “love tonic” of Montezuma II, who is reputed to have drunk some fifty cups daily before visiting his harem of six hundred women.

In 1502 the returning crew of Columbus brought cacao beans back to Europe, and in 1550 nuns came up with the idea of adding sugar and vanilla, leading to what we now regard as chocolate. During the 1800s, physicians recommended chocolate to boost libido, and to this day it is well known for its ability to inspire passion.

Cacao is considered aphrodisiac, antioxidant, cardiotonic, diuretic, emollient, laxative, nervous system stimulant, and nutritive. Cacao increases levels of serotonin and endorphins in the body. It gives a short-term boost in energy and, when consumed in its whole, raw from, is beneficial for the teeth, as it contains tannins that inhibit dental decay. It also contains phenylethylamine, a compound that is naturally occurring in the brain in trace amounts and is released when we are in love, peaking during orgasm. Cacao also contains theobromine, a compound that dilates the coronary artery, increasing blood flow to the heart.

Most commercial chocolates today, however, have a low cacao content and contain sugar and hydrogenated oil. It contains many constituents including Vitamin E, B complex vitamins, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, amino acids (arginine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyramine, tyrosine), phenylethylamine, anandamide, dopamine, serotonin, xanthines (caffeine, theobromine, trigonelline), flavonoids (epicatechin, catechin, procyanidins), essential oil, sucrose, glucose, mucilage, oleopalmitostearin, tannins, and natural sugars. In its natural form, chocolate is considered bitter, warm, dry, yang, governed by Mars and Uranus and corresponding to the element of Fire.

Raw cacao is one of my muses and how I get so many books written!

You can make this ice cream quicker than it takes to go out and buy it.

Almond Milk

Why settle for a product in an aseptic package that has a shelf life of three years? Choose vitality instead!

    * 1 cup almonds, soaked overnight
    * 1 quart water
    * 1 tablespoon raw honey or 2 dates, soaked 20 minutes

Rinse the nuts in a colander to remove enzyme inhibitors

Combine all ingredients in a blender and liquefy. Then strain through a sprout bag. Or a paint strainer bag (available at paint or hardware stores) Pulp can be saved to add to casseroles, cookies or other dishes.

Note: These same directions can be used for making cashew, hazelnut, pine nut, sesame, sunflower, walnut, or pumpkin seed milk.

Makes 1 quart.

Oh la la Chocolat! I Scream

* 1 quart almond milk (You can buy almond milk at natural food stores, but it will be pasteurized and create more packaging)
    * 1/2 cup pitted dates
    * 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
    * 1 banana

Place everything in the blender. Blend and chill for 1 hour. Place everything in an ice cream maker and process till frozen.

What do you love about chocolate?

Brigitte Mars, a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, is a nutritional consultant who has been working with Natural Medicine for over forty years. She teaches Herbal Medicine at Naropa University, Omega, Boulder College of Massage, and Bauman Holistic College of Nutrition and has a private practice. Brigitte is the author of twelve books, including The Sexual Herbal, The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine, Beauty by Nature, Addiction Free Naturally, Healing Herbal Teas, and Rawsome! Click here for more healthy living articles, raw food recipes, videos, workshops, books, and more at brigittemars.com.

Check out her international model yogini daughter, Rainbeau at www.rainbeaumars.com

Physical Hunger vs. Cravings

Source: Yahoo Health - I teach a 6-month class for my clients who are working toward having bariatric/weight-loss surgery. One of the topics I love to teach is how to tell the difference between physical hunger and psychological hunger, or cravings.

I'm sure all of you can list some signs of genuine physical hunger, including a rumbling stomach, irritability, headache, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. Our bodies are begging us to give them food (and, often, liquids) and yet we sometimes ignore the clues.

Physical hunger, however, is definitely not something you want to ignore because, among other things, it could cause your blood sugar to plummet dangerously. And if you're working on weight loss, going without food for too long could diminish your impulse control. In other words, if your desk starts looking tasty, it's going to be harder to control what you eat and how fast you eat it! Many times, if you wait until you're ravenous, you'll eat unhealthy foods just because they happen to be fast or right there in front of you.

Cravings or psychological hunger don't carry the telltale signs above; cravings can even go away if you suddenly get a call that distracts you or if you find something exciting to do. When you're having a craving, it could be the result of stress, lack of sleep, grief, boredom, or maybe something as straightforward as watching a brownie that's gushing chocolate being pulled apart on your TV screen.

So how do you to tell the difference between cravings and hunger if you're not sure? Try the "apple test." Would an apple satisfy your hunger or must you have the gooey brownie you just saw on TV? If your hunger is truly physical, chances are you'll go with the apple.

If you suspect your "hunger" is really just a craving, make a list of 5 things that you love to do with your hands or that can keep you engaged and distracted:

*Play computer games
* Use your Wii Fit®
* Give yourself a manicure/pedicure
* Knit or sew
* Jump rope
* Read a good book or magazine
* Play with your children
* Walk/play with your pet
* Go outside for a walk/run/jog/skip
* Grab your iPod and listen to music
* Insert your favorite activity here!

Next, choose one of these activities and tell yourself that you must continue doing it for 30 minutes before you can satisfy your craving. (Except maybe for jumping rope!) Thirty minutes later, chances are your cravings will have petered out. Keep this list handy and continue to add new suggestions to it.

Chilean Quake Shortened a Day by 1.26 microseconds, JPL Scientist Says

Source: LA Times - When an earthquake struck South America last weekend, the ground rumbled in Chile, the sea rose in the Pacific, and a day on Earth got shorter.

Not by much.

Earthlings ended up losing 1.26 millionth of a second of a day. You can’t sense it. Nor can your dog -- the one you insist senses approaching earthquakes -- feel it.

But while other experts charted the shift of tectonic plates and the swell of ocean waters wrought by the quake, geophysicist Richard Gross mathematically calculated the temblor’s disruption of the day. The thrust quake -- in which plates underground move vertically -- caused mass to move everywhere, according to Gross, and made the planet slightly denser.

“It got a bit more compact,” Gross said. With the Earth’s mass pulled a bit closer to its center, the planet rotates faster -- “just like a spinning skater brings her arms in closer to her body to rotate faster,” he said. When the planet rotates faster, the day shortens. Gross studies the Earth’s rotation and how it is affected by cataclysmic forces of nature.

“Anything that moves mass around on the Earth, I take a look at,” said Gross, who works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. And it takes a mega-earthquake to attract Gross’ attention.

The magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake didn’t even register on the scale of throwing off the Earth’s rotation. “I didn’t look at that earthquake,” Gross said.

“It takes something like the Chilean or Indonesian earthquake before I look at it.”

While the Chilean quake shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds -- the unit of time for millionths of a second -- the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that triggered the catastrophic Asian tsunami shaved 7 microseconds off the day, according to Gross’ calculations.

Of course, losing just 1.26 microseconds a day would take a couple of millenniums to add up to one single second of lost time. (2,174 years to be more precise.)

Gross suggests that it’s not worth tallying that way. “It takes a lot of these big earthquakes to add up to even a second,” he said. “The bigger changes are in the liquid core within the Earth.” Those changes can throw off a day by a whopping three or four milliseconds, he said. “Those are the things that cause us to have a leap second every year or so.”

Winds and ocean currents are other forces plying the Earth, changing its shape and the length of its day, according to Gross.

Far from evoking that textbook illustration of a smooth round ball of continents and blue oceans, Gross describes Earth as a planet of unevenly distributed mass wobbling as it rotates around its imperfectly balanced axis, its physique woefully pear-shaped. “It’s a bit fatter south of the equator,” he said.

“The Earth is not completely elastic. It’s kind of like putty,” he said. “If you have a sudden shock to it, it will continue to deform later in response to that shock.”

Gross only mathematically calculated these minute changes in day lengths. He is not sure it can be physically observed, even by sophisticated GPS equipment. “We have a network of receivers located globally,” he said. “I don’t think those GPS observations are going to be accurate enough. I’m going to look at the measurements, of course, but I would be surprised if I find anything.”

So why do the math at all? “For the most part, the Earth’s rotation changes all the time and doesn’t have much practical consequence except here at JPL,” Gross said. “We need to know this to navigate spacecraft to planets like Mars or Saturn.” Since JPL’s tracking stations for those craft are on Earth, “we need to know how Earth’s orientation is changing.”

Obama Takes Charge, Demands Vote on Health Care

Source: Yahoo – The end game at hand, President Barack Obama took command Wednesday of one final attempt by Democrats to enact bitterly contested health care legislation, calling for an "up or down vote" within weeks under rules denying Republicans the ability to kill the bill with mere talk.

Appearing before a White House audience of invited guests, many of them wearing white medical coats, Obama firmly rejected calls from Republicans to draft new legislation from scratch. "I don't see how another year of negotiations would help. Moreover, the insurance companies aren't starting over," the president said, referring to a recent round of announced premium increases affecting millions who purchase individual coverage.

While Obama said he wanted action within a few weeks, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., seemed to hint a final outcome could take far longer. "We remain committed to this effort and we'll use every option available to deliver meaningful reform this year," he said.

The results will affect nearly every American, mandating major changes in the ways they receive and pay for health care or leaving in place current systems that leave tens of millions with no coverage and many others dissatisfied with what they do get. With Republicans united in opposition, there is no certainty about the outcome in Congress — or even that Democrats will go along with changes Obama urged on Wednesday in what he described as a bipartisan gesture.

With polls showing voters unhappy and Democrats worried about this fall's elections, Obama also sought to cast the coming showdown in terms larger than health care, which is an enormously ambitious undertaking in its own right. "At stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem," he said.

Republicans dug in for another struggle on an issue that they agreed would echo into the fall campaign.

The Senate GOP leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said a decision by Democrats to invoke rules that bar filibusters would be "met with outrage" by the public. "This is really not an argument between Democrats and Republicans. It's an argument between Democrats and the American people," he said.

At its core, the legislation under discussion still is largely along the lines Obama has long sought and GOP critics attack as a government takeover of health care. It would extend coverage care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans while cracking down on insurance company practices such as denying policies on the basis of a pre-existing medical conditions.

A new "insurance exchange" would be created in which private companies could sell policies to consumers under terms fixed by the federal government. Much of the cost of the legislation, nearly $1 trillion over a decade, would be financed by cuts in future Medicare payments to hospitals and other providers and higher payroll taxes on individuals earning more than $200,000 and couples over $250,000.

The president's appearance marked a presumably final pivot point in a long, uphill effort by Obama and other Democrats to enact far-reaching changes to the health care system — and with his own administration at an important crossroads. Eager to turn attention to efforts to stimulate the economy and create jobs, the president is seeking a victory on health care that can also give him a boost on other priority legislation.

At the same time, a defeat could damage Obama's ability to help fellow Democrats heading into the fall campaign. Failure on health care could well lead to a shake-up of the president's White House team, which has received criticism recently from Democratic lawmakers.

After nearly a year of struggle, the House and Senate passed separate bills late last year, and appeared on course for approving a final compromise version early in 2010. But those efforts were abruptly abandoned when Republicans unexpectedly won a special election in Massachusetts. Sen. Scott Brown's victory gave the GOP an ability they had lacked, the strength to sustain a filibuster, a form of opposition that requires supporters of a bill to post 60 Senate votes in order to cut off debate and force a final decision.

Democrats went into something of a political fetal position, and have begun to stir in recent days only as Obama asserted his determination with a bipartisan summit followed by a revised set of proposals.

Obama said the use of rules that deny the minority the right to a filibuster had been used numerous times in recent years, including on passage of welfare reform legislation in the 1990s and twice when President George W. Bush pushed tax cuts to passage. Health care "deserves the same kind of up or down vote" as those earlier measures, he said.

Under the rather complicated approach under discussion, the House would be asked to approve the bill that passed the Senate late last year, despite objections by many members of the rank and file to several provisions. Simultaneously, both houses would also vote for a companion measure whose purpose would be to make changes in the first bill sought by either House Democrats or the White House.

Obama said he was exploring GOP proposals for cracking down on fraudulent medical charges, revamping ways to resolve malpractice disputes, boosting doctors' Medicaid reimbursements and offering tax incentives to curb unnecessary patient visits to doctors.

The ideas include an experiment that would establish special courts in which judges with medical expertise would decide malpractice allegations. The idea has been criticized by the Center for Justice & Democracy, a consumer group that prefers the current system of awarding damages. It said health courts would be "anti-patient."

The White House and Democratic leaders said they hoped that Obama's maneuvering would at least win the votes of wavering conservative and moderates in their own party, even if it didn't entice Republicans.

But there was no guarantee of success, despite Obama's vow to do everything in his power to succeed — and a White House announcement that he would travel to Pennsylvania and Missouri next week to campaign for the legislation.

The Call of Wairua

Ironically, I watched the film Whale Rider for the very first time just a few months back, prior to knowing I would soon find myself in the very same village the story takes place in. Like most people who have seen the film, I was deeply moved by Pai, the heroic protagonist of the story, as well as the culture and traditions of the Maori people of New Zealand. I instantly experienced a deep and sensitive connection with the Maori without knowing anything about them or their history. Not long after enjoying Whale Rider, I experienced Avatar and witnessed glimpses into an ancient-progressive way of living on our planet which I was finally able to describe in the article entitled Coreservation. I knew that by sharing what I envisioned with my friends and community, more clues and further direction would be offered to me, both through personal insights, recommended books to read, people to meet, etc.

At the time, I was certainly aware that I was being shown something and/or led somewhere, but I didn't know exactly why or where. Still, I had an unshakable trust that more and more would unfold as I was open to accepting it.

And then I was invited to travel with my father to New Zealand. I only had three days to decide if I could join him on the trip, and believe it or not, the decision at first was not an easy one, for various reasons. However, at the right time, my heart confirmed the decision to accept the invitation. As soon as I became clear on going, my curiosity, excitement and sense of purpose began to get the best of me.

We flew into Auckland direct from LAX and immediately took a transfer flight to Queenstown in the south end of New Zealand's beautiful South Island. However, before catching the 90 minute transfer flight, I exited the airport for a few minutes to take my first few breathes of air on the North Island. It was extraordinarily familiar, comfortable and fulfilling in a way that was difficult to describe.

After about a week of exploration, including many of the popular sightseeing destinations in the open and vast South Island, we crossed back over to the North Island by way of a three hour ferry to the Capital city of Wellington. Once again and immediately, the strong familiar pull stirred within me.

As we continued North, I was able to begin engaging with a higher frequency of locals (70% of New Zealand's population is in the North Island). Intuitively, I knew that the details relating to my personal journey would be revealed to me as soon as I had the opportunity to interact with the people of the land, both the newcomers as well as the direct descendants of the native peoples.

Eight days into the journey, my Father and I experienced a miracle. Upon arriving late in the afternoon to the touristic lake town of Rotorua, a local angel advised us (in pure synchronicity) to get in the car and drive 12 km back out of town to visit three neighboring lakes which we might have otherwise passed by on our trip. We figured we could catch a nice sunset, so we immediately got in the car and went. In just a couple of minutes outside of the busy town, I noticed that we were the only people on the road, winding through bright fluorescent ferns on either side of us! We stopped at the first and second lakes and took some shots. I recall hearing my dad say "unbelievable" about a thousand times while I kept repeating "dad, I have never, ever seen anything like this, anywhere in the world." We pulled up to the third lake which was glowing down below us (image shown above). I was knocked back by the energy, it was loud, pure, moving in waves. It was pulling on my core. The familiar feeling I felt in the air from the second I set foot in New Zealand, was magnified exponentially. I was in a trance. We drove down to the foot of the lake and took more pictures. Upon leaving, I felt so grateful to the angel who pointed the way to our experience that I mentioned to my dad that I wanted to go back and thank her again, and tell her about the beauty we had just experienced. We drove back to where she worked, but she had already been let off for the day. I told another employee to make sure she mentioned that we wanted to thank her again. She assured us that she would be happy to know that we enjoyed our experience...

Early the next morning, we went into town for a light breakfast before getting back on the road. As I entered the cafe, the local messenger happened to be having a coffee at the exact place we walked into, prior to starting her work day on the other side of town. I couldn't believe it! I got to thank her in person before she even got to work to hear about it from a co-worker!

Before leaving the coffee shop, and out of joy for the magical way the world works, I posted the following as my status on Facebook:

When we practice acknowledging and engaging with others everywhere we go every single day, we open ourselves to all the forces seeking to guide us! when we meet people with humility and loving kindness they too will be more open to delivering you the message that they may or may not have been aware they were to do! 

I made the case to visit the lakes one more time before continuing on with our planned itinerary for the day. Twenty minutes later, we arrived once again to the magical Lake Tarawera with the intention of shooting a few more pictures of her surroundings before getting out of town. We walked around one side of the peace-filled shore, while soaking up her powerful vibes. On our way out, my dad popped his head into what seemed to be a little cafe on the lake, most likely catering to visitors who find their way over. We were met by Tongi, a very warm middle-aged Maori woman with a short hairdo, and Aria, Tongi's two year old granddaughter with piercing brown eyes (who may very well have been the light child who came to me in a dream two weeks prior, while still in LA). Getting caught up in an ongoing dialogue, Tongi invited us to sit down at the table. She told us about her growing up on that very lake before moving away and coming back many years later, never to leave again. She mentioned a few details about the lake and pointed out the large powerboat her family allows visitors to use, which was tied to the dock extending out into the water. I told Tongi about our experience the night before as well as the connection I felt to the north island of New Zealand, and especially to the lake. Looking into my eyes, as if to clarify my sincerity, she smiled with a slight nod of her head. "What is it?" I asked impatiently. "Wairua" she replied. "The spirit, the spirituality of the land. You feel it, you recognize it." I had goosebumps, and I could feel that the air shifted ever so slightly. Literally, wairua means "two waters." According to the Maori Dictionary, wairua is "spirit, soul, quintessence - spirit of a person which exists beyond death. To some, the wairua resides in the heart or mind of someone while others believe it is part of the whole person and is not located at any particular part of the body."

Tongi proceeded to tell us a bit about the history of the lake and the legend of the phantom canoe. Lake Tarawera was substantially affected by the eruption of Mount Tarawera on June 10, 1886. The eruption killed over 150 people, and buried the Maori village of Te Wairoa on the southwest shore of the lake. Just 11 days before the eruption, a local guide took a boat full of tourists to see the now non-existent wonder known as the Pink and White Terraces. Upon their return, each and every tourist saw what appeared to be a war canoe approach their boat, only to disappear in the mist half a mile away from them. Nobody around the lake owned such a war canoe, and nothing like it had been seen on the lake for many years. Though skeptics maintained that it was a freak reflection seen on the mist, tribal elders at Te Wairoa claimed that it was a waka wairua (spirit canoe) and was a portent of doom. The Chief Elder predicted that something terrible was about to happen, and it did.

I could feel the air shift just a little bit more. Tongi stood up to tell her assistant in the kitchen that she would be back in fifteen minutes to drive my dad and I somewhere to see something special. She picked up her keys, and as soon as she swung back around towards us, I witnessed her face go blank as she put her hand to her mouth and shouted out "oh my God!" The boat, which we all had just confirmed was tied up near the shore only a few short minutes before, was 200 yards out, sitting still in the middle of the lake, nobody was on board. Her assistant in the back, which may have been her daughter, expressed an even louder cry of disbelief. She knew the boat was securely tied up because she was the one who tied it down over twenty-four hours beforehand.  We soon noticed that the rope ties were hanging in tact on the dock, so it wasn't even as if the ropes snapped all of a sudden and the boat rapidly drifted out. I was buzzing. My dad and I shared thoughts through our exchanged glance. After making a few calls, a friend of Tongi's arrived to tow in another boat in order to fetch the one that got away.

We felt that it was time for us to go even if we had to miss the sacred place Tongi was going to drive us to. She recommended that before we left, we must walk up the shore, opposite the way we walked earlier, to visit the historical paintings of her ancestors on the under belly of a large rock which was covered by the tide for many years as well as to experience the surrounding natural gardens. We agreed to check it out, we exchanged our contact information and embraced in gratitude for our connection and already being able to openly share in the mystical.

After visiting the sacred paintings, my dad and I went through the gardens and I mentioned to him that I felt that I needed to meditate for ten minutes or so. I sat at the edge of the lake, closed my eyes and opened my spirit to the loud familiar forces in and around the lake (only tonight did I find out that my dad snapped a pic of me before heading back to the car). I didn't think about anything throughout my meditation until just before I was ready to come up. Internally I said, "thank you God for this trip, these moments, especially these experiences with my father. Please give me some kind of confirmation that everything we just experienced was in order and from the best of You." I slowly opened my eyes, looking forward across the water. Within seconds, and just five feet in front of me, a beautiful fish leaped out of the water, arcing a few feet up and over.

I went back to thank Tongi for pointing me to the experience. She smiled and mentioned, forever you have family here at Tarawera.

Grandpa Carrey

Source: PopEater - Jim Carrey has a new place to try out his comic material -- the nursery. The 47-year-old actor is now a grandfather.

Carrey's daughter Jane, 22, gave birth to her first baby -- a son named Jackson Riley Santana -- early Friday morning, according to a media release.

The child was born in an unnamed Los Angeles hospital weighing 7 pounds and 11 ounces.

Besides the first name of "Jackson" the boy will have some serious musical advantages Jane is a singer-songwriter for the alt-rock The Jane Carrey Band and the father is Alex Santana, the lead singer of the metal band Blood Money. The two were married in November.

Carrey has expressed delight about the new development. His website features this tidbit in the biography section.

"He eagerly awaits the next role of his life...Grandpa."

He later twittered a photo of his new grandson. "Jackson Riley Santana, My Grandson, Born today! This is what 7lbs.11oz. of Calfornia dynomite looks like!" he wrote.