CNN.com: Audiences experience ‘Avatar’ blues

James Cameron’s completely immersive spectacle “Avatar” may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.
…
“One can say my depression was twofold: I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place, but I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted to escape reality,” Hill said.
…
Within the fan community, suggestions for battling feelings of
depression after seeing the movie include things like playing “Avatar”
video games or downloading the movie soundtrack in addition to
encouraging members to relate to other people outside the virtual realm
and to seek out positive and constructive activities.

Otherwise known a getting a life.  Depression is real, but if it’s not Avatar getting you depressed, then it’s going to be something else. Maybe we need a warning that “this movie may cause you to think a little” or “may cause emotional reactions”.

I saw Avatar and enjoyed it.  It’s an entertaining film and a technical accomplishment, but the world of Pandora is not a virtual world anymore than the world of Harry Potter.  Yes, there’s a message to the movie- the best movies are those that make you think a little.  But, if you can’t handle the idea that Cameron’s putting forth, that humanity needs to stop using the Earth up at an unsustainable rate for its resources, then you’re not paying attention to the world around you.  It’s going on right now.

NYTimes.com: Health Care’s Biggest Hypocrite — Or Hero

The sad thing about the broken state of our politics is that good solutions, once they get branded by one party or the other, are quickly dismissed by the rabid partisans who drive early election cycles and dominate the airwaves.

I’m in the process of upgrading the site’s blog software to Movable Type 5.01 so some things might be broken while other things might seem strange (like the rooster picture at the top of the page).

The view from the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

Watched one of my favorite shows, Good Eats on the Food Network last night and the newly svelte host, Alton Brown described how he lost 45 pounds by eating certain foods and cutting out others. 

Daily
– Fruits
– Whole Grains
– Leafy Greens
– Nuts
– Carrots
– Green Tea

3X Weekly
– Oily Fish
– Yogurt
– Broccoli
– Sweet Potato
– Avocado

1X Weekly
– Red meat
– Pasta
– Dessert
– Alcohol

0X Weekly
– Fast Food
– Soda
– Processed meals
– Canned soup
– “Diet” anything

NYTimes.com: Giant Tuna Fetches $177,000 at Japanese Auction

A giant bluefin tuna fetched 16.3 million yen ($177,000) in an auction Tuesday at the world’s largest wholesale fish market in Japan.

The 513-pound (233-kilogram) fish was the priciest since 2001 when a 440-pound (200 kilogram) tuna sold for a record 20.2 million yen ($220,000) at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market.

You kind of get the idea why Bluefin Tuna are being fished to the point of extinction.

From CNN.com: Debt-hit Dubai opens world’s tallest tower

The telescopic shape is also presents problems of a more practical nature Krane says.
“The upper 30 or 40 floors are so tiny that they’re useless, so they can’t use them for anything else apart from storage. They’ve built a small, not so useful storage warehouse half a mile in the sky,” he said.

From NYTimes.com: Company’s Record on Beef Treatment Questioned

The company, Beef Products Inc., had been looking to expand into the hamburger business with a product made from beef that included fatty trimmings the industry once relegated to pet food and cooking oil. The trimmings were particularly susceptible to contamination, but a study commissioned by the company showed that the ammonia process would kill E. coli as well as salmonella.
…
With the U.S.D.A.’s stamp of approval, the company’s processed beef has become a mainstay in America’s hamburgers. McDonald’s, Burger King and other fast-food giants use it as a component in ground beef, as do grocery chains. The federal school lunch program used an estimated 5.5 million pounds of the processed beef last year alone.

Using ammonia in beef sounds bad enough, but the article goes on to say that it might not be as effective as the FDA thought it might be.  I’m beginning to wonder if you can ever trust what is in ground beef.

CNN.com: Knighthood for Patrick Stewart? Queen says make it so

Sir Patrick Stewart.