You think you can spare a minute or two of your time to learn something more about our home planet? Because this podcast that I’d like to feature today has some pretty interesting factoids and stories about mother earth that I think we ought to know about so that we might be able to appreciate it more and not take it for granted.
With Minute Earth podcast, you get to find out about some pretty fascinating stuff about the things around you, and perhaps even learn something that you weren’t taught about in school. Know the answers to questions that ran through your mind as a kid that you never even had till now. I bet that even now that you’re an adult, you still don’t know that there’s a limit to how high a mountain can be and why. Seriously, you don’t even have to be someone who’s into natural science to find Minute Earth’s 1 to 2-minute videos interesting.
(Hmm, I wonder what it would be like if TV commercials were about scientific stuff… would it be more appreciated? Would it be enough to prevent or at least minimize the dumbing down of society? ;P)
You can also check out Minute Earth’s episode list on YouTube. In this featured episode, find out why the Earth have deserts and rainforests.
When you talk about hottest women in Hollywood, it’s definitely the most appealing topic to men as well as teens. Creating a list is such a difficult task as there are a lot to choose from, to newly introduced actresses to the more popular A-listers. Here is a list of 5 who has been active in 2013.
5. Megan Fox
The former Transformers actress has captured the fascination of most men. Her charming approach and beauty just made everyone mesmerized. She’s one of the most in-demand actresses around, appearing in magazines like FHM as well clothing ads.
4. Penelope Cruz
This Latina beauty has this innocent charm that made her one of the most successful actresses. Her career was already good but started to skyrocket furthermore after the huge success of Pirates of the Caribbean.
3. Jessica Alba
One of the most prominent names in Hollywood, Jessica has appeared in various films and holds the ‘Pretty girl of Hollywood’ title.
2. Bar Refaeli
Bar Refaeli has made a name after appearing in different advertisements, front cover in magazines and other modeling stints and it got the attention of Hollywood A-lister actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
1. Olivia Wilde
Olivia has this sizzling beauty that captures every guy’s dream girl. She has appeared in different television and film productions that include The O.C. House, Tron: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.
The much-anticipated sequel of one of the most beloved sci-fi series has hit it off with a new villain and more action-packed scenes. Star Trek Into Darkness probably is one of the summer’s biggest films to watch and should satisfy the fans out there.
The plot features the Enterprise team pitting up against an intergalactic terrorist who has waged war for mysterious reasons. The actors who played James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) did pretty well at reincarnating the characters popularized by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy so this is very much like the old Star Trek in this respect.
Compared to the classic Star Trek shows, this one has more violence and action scenes, resulting in one enjoyable ride.
Does it disappoint? Well for someone who is a big fan and wanted to see some changes, it might, but if you’re like me who’s not a Trekkie, you’ll be fascinated.
[Editor's note: When Benedict Cumberbatch launched into his villainous monologue, all the women in the audience simultaneously got pregnant. That scene alone is worth it. - Carmela]
Now I’m fairly certain that a lot of you have already just had about enough of vampire movies, and I won’t blame you (rather I blame the hype the media that the genre got all because of one particular movie/franchise), but just allow me to present to you this short list of our favorite widescreen nocturnal bloodsuckers that I think you ought to check out just in case you still haven’t.
I initially thought about naming this list ‘The 5 Best Vampire Movies’ but I thought that I’m only gonna open myself up to a slew of violent reactions (*cough* Twi-hards *cough*) so I decided that I’ll just use the word ‘Recommended’ instead. Anyway, let’s start.
Interview with the Vampire: Vampire Chronicles [1994] – If you were born in the 80s (c’mon, don’t be ashamed of your age) then chances are you’d name this one as the best vampire movie of your generation. Dare I even go as far as to say that this is probably the Twilight of your – fine, our – generation because of the fact that the main cast – just like Twilight – is made up of a couple of actors whose names make the girls go screaming.
Thirst (Bakjwi) [2009] – This second one happens to be a personal favorite of mine. It’s from Korea and is directed by acclaimed director Chan-wook Park, the guy who also directed Oldboy, which is a movie that Spike Lee is now trying to remake. It’s a story about a priest who got infected with vampirism and how his peaceful life as a bloodsucker was turned upside down after he turned a woman into a vampire like him. The movie starts off slow as it tells you how the protagonist became a vampire but things pick up soon enough, eventually once he meets the female lead. (Turn on ‘annotations’ to activate subtitles).
Let the Right One In [2008] – You probably already heard of this one (or even seen it) after it was remade for US audience by Matt Reeves and renamed as Let Me In, which stars Chloe Moretz. I personally recommend that you watch the original Swedish film over the US version.
Nosferatu [1922] – It may sound clichéd but nothing beats the original. A lot of young moviegoers would have a hard time trying to grasp why this is considered as a cinematic masterpiece, but that surely isn’t enough to take the title away from Nosferatu as the best vampire movie ever created.
Two titles that didn’t make the list but certainly deserve special mention are Fright Night [1985] and Dracula [1931].
Who says that learning history is boring? It isn’t, and it doesn’t have to be, especially if it’ll only take you about five minutes or so to get started.
Yes, it can be done, as you’ll soon find out once you listen to Michael Rank’s History In Five Minutes Podcast! Learn about the lives of various leaders and rulers, both the ruthless and the charismatic, and find out what they did that earned them their worldwide reputation; from Genghis Khan to Vlad Dracul. Also, find out what major events like the Plague and the Crusades shaped how we have evolved as a society.
You’d be surprised at how much information you can get just from listening to Rank’s 5-minute narratives. He presents his material in such a way that is bound to make you feel like you’d want to explore deeper into the subject matter. If he has already covered a particular subject that you’re currently doing a homework or a project on, then you’re in luck, ‘coz his podcast is perfect to help you get started with more than just a gist.
In this featured episode, Rank talks about the first President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, which he describes as influential as Jefferson, Washington, and Franklin combined. What did he do to make such an indelible mark on history? Well, hit the play button and find out.
You can also check out what he has covered so far by visiting his official website.
The Mickey Miles podcast is hosted by Mike Scopa and Michelle Scribner-MacLean which is focused on runDisney. If you’re into running, then you’ve got to tune in to this podcast because there are many things to learn in each episode.
Episode 66 is a recap of what happened at the Expedition Everest Challenge, and about what the hosts experienced in the event. The current race was family-oriented, unlike the earlier versions of 5K, and presented its own unique challenges and perks as it was more of a laid-back event compared to the previous marathons.
Probably the most difficult thing about being in the creative field is that you’re expected to have fresh ideas almost constantly and provide them at a moment’s notice,, which of course almost impossible. Todd Henry’s podcast called The Accidental Creative will try to fix that and minimize that kind of situation as it gives you some helpful tips and information on how to thrive in this create-on-demand world.
Listen in and join Todd as he interviews various artists and leaders in the field such as Seth Godin, David Allen, Steve Pressfield. In each episode they address problems that people in the creative field encounter in their line work, particularly when it comes to productivity. Find out what their secrets are to stay ‘creatively engaged’ as they share ideas and practical ways for you to become prolific, brilliant, and healthy in both your life and work.
In his last episode, Todd talks about setting artificial limits when it comes to your goals. You can find the complete list of episode in iTunes.
The most anticipated season, summer, is here. Why? It’s because of the films that will be shown this time. This year, we are thrilled to see so many notable flicks that we’ve been looking forward to watch.
Here are some of the movies (best and worst) to watch.
The Great Gatsby (May 10)
An all-star cast and an all-star movie soundtrack have transformed a boring old-school novel into one of the hottest films of this season. Baz Luhrmann’s theatrical direction also makes for a grand visual feast on screen.
Star Trek: Into Darkness (May 15)
One of the most popular sci-fi series of all time, Star Trek,‘s reboot has received good reviews, and the latest installment could be another hit. But critics may not like how Abrams handled the plot as well as the action scenes.
The Hangover Part III (May 24)
Expect more hilarious misadventures with the gang, though hopefully this installment would bring us something fresh as compared to the first two movies.
Fast and Furious 6 (May 24)
It seems like this series will never end. As long as it keeps racking up at the box office, there would definitely be another installment of Fast and Furious.
Man of Steel (June 24)
This could be the most anticipated film of all the films to be released this summer. We have a new Superman/Clark Kent in James Cavill! Although it’s a new reboot, hopefully this will do justice this time to one of the most influential superheroes of all time as the first remake flopped.
Monsters University (June 21)
It’s the prequel of Monsters Inc., which is said to be the worst Pixar movie to date. This time around, let’s see if it will bounce back as one of the best.
The Lone Ranger (July 5)
It’s good to see Lone Ranger on the big screen because its popularity has long since faded. Newcomer Armie Hamer plays the role of the masked man, and with Johnny Depp in the cast, we might be up for a lot of laughs.
R.I.P.D. (July 12)
In this M.I.B. meets Ghost Rider meets Ghostbusters adventure, Ryan Reynolds plays a cop who gets murdered and joins a police department in the afterlife that hunts down criminals. Jeff Bridges also stars here.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) Podcast is a show recorded at the gallery that features artists, curators, writers, exhibitors and explores how art shapes and inspires everyone.
Art is one of the things that helps us in relieving stress and this podcast helps enlighten us further about its disciplines.
The featured episode discusses Czech photographer Josef Sudek’s different works. Sudek is regarded as one of the most respected and legendary photographers from the 20th century. Spanning his career for over 60 years, he is popularly known for his photograph works of Prague and his unique take on everyday subjects.
The image above was one of Sudek’s works titled The Window of My Studio, 1940-1954.
Listen to the episode via this link. You can also find other equally interesting podcast topics in the iPodder Podcast Directory, or other topics you want to include in your own podcast in other directories such as usukdir.com.
Even with all of the colorful and funny cartoon shows on cable, nothing is still quite like listening to a good old-fashioned story. Especially if it’s one that provides more than just pure entertainment for the kids, just like today’s featured podcast Mayor of Storyville with Kenny Haas. In his program, Kenny inspires his young audience to explore their creativity through stories, whether it’s writing, drawing, singing, and other talents. The show’s basically a two-in-one package; not only do the children get to enjoy a good story but they also have a source of inspiration.
Dressed in his signature light-blue dress shirt, tie, and suspenders, Kenny acts as the Mayor of Storyville who goes around visiting elementary schools and telling K-5th grade students wonderful stories with interesting characters. But it’s not just the kids that get to be entertained; even parents enjoy the tales as Kenny sometimes throws in a little reference to something that adults can relate to. Like in this featured episode shown below, where Kenny does a great impression of Christopher Walken and Thurston Howell III, which the kids aren’t likely to catch but the parents and teachers who are listening surely will.
Aside from its iTunes channel, also be sure to check out the audio romp of Mayor of Storyville: Now This is Fun that contains 42 minutes of songs and stories featured from various episodes of the show.
