Monthly Archives : February 2015
3 Things You Didn’t Know About The 2015 Oscars
Feb 26, 2015
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This year’s Oscar Award show was definitely the pinnacle of many water cooler conversations. Whether you vote for the winners of Best Actor and Actress or share the heartbreak over your pick for Best Picture, Birdman, versus American Sniper or Selma, there are several facts about the Oscar Awards’ sponsor, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, that little of its 36 Million viewers are aware. We, at the Good News Notebook, would like to share a few interesting facts that all can agree are winners!
1. Don’t for the SCIENCE of Motion Pictures in its name.
Most know the foundation by the nomenclature, “The Academy.” Beside the Oscars, the “Academy” also honors key industry players with the Sci-Tech Award annually. The Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards honor the men, women and companies whose discoveries and innovations have contributed in significant and lasting ways to motion pictures. Honorees are celebrated at a formal dinner held two weeks prior to the Oscar ceremony. The Sci-Tech Awards presentation has become a highlight of the Academy Awards season.
According to their website, First presented at the 4th Academy Awards ceremony in November 1931, Scientific & Technical Awards are conferred in recognition of original developments that result in significant improvements in motion picture production and exhibition. Scientific and technical achievement is awarded on three levels: Technical Achievement Award (certificate), Scientific and Engineering Award (bronze tablet) and Academy Award of Merit (Oscar statuette).
2. The Academy offers Grant Opportunities.
In 2013, the “Academy” distributed $325,000 to 27 film-related nonprofit organizations through its Education Grants Program. The Educational Grants Program provides support to institutions and other nonprofit organizations that help aspiring filmmakers gain the skills and knowledge they need to make theatrical motion pictures.
Moreover, for all of our Film Festival fans, the “Academy’s” Film Festival Grants program has awarded over $5.7 million to film festivals since 1999. Grants totaling $450,000 were granted to 30 U.S. film festivals in 2011. While the grants are awarded for a variety of programs, film festivals are encouraged to submit proposals that make festival events more accessible to the general public, provide greater access to minority and less visible filmmakers, and help strengthen the connection between the filmmaker and the public.
3. The “Academy” operates the world famous Margaret Herrick Library.
Margaret Herrick was the Academy librarian from 1936 to 1943, and served as the Academy’s executive director from 1945 to 1971. It was Herrick who laid the foundation for what is now considered to be one of the world’s finest film-related libraries. And it was Herrick who expanded the Academy’s activities into several key non-Awards areas, negotiated the Academy’s first television broadcast and oversaw the transformation of the annual Oscar ceremony into a major televised event.
The Margaret Herrick Library is a world-renowned, non-circulating reference and research collection devoted to the history and development of the motion picture as an art form and as an industry. Established in 1928, a year after the Academy was founded, the library moved to its current Beverly Hills location in 1991.
For more information, please visit the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences website, www.oscars.org. Enjoy.
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SPICY FOODS: Calm Your Tongue with These!
Feb 20, 2015
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If you like to add extra jalapeños to your hot dog, habanero peppers to your tacos, and some Sriracha to just about everything you eat, you’ve most likely felt like your mouth was on fire. These intense burning sensations can last from minutes to hours, leaving you with no choice but to gulp pitchers of water — only for them to return with a vengeance. Spicy foods get their steamy, red hot intensity from capsaicin and can only be neutralized with certain things. To stop feeling the burn, don’t drink water, but instead opt for these five remedies to cool off your tongue from the spicy foods we love to hate and hate to love.
1. Drink a glass of milk
When it comes to relief from spicy foods, dairy, especially plain-old milk, does your hot mouth some good. This popular antidote dates back to about 8,000 years ago when Central and South Americans began to add hot chilis to their food, leaving people searching for ways to cool a burning tongue. Casein, the protein in milk, according to the American Chemical Society, helps break the bonds capsaicin forms on nerve receptors. This may help explain why cultures that use a lot of spices in their food usually include dairy in their recipes to offset the effects of capsaicin, such as in Indian and Mexican cuisine.
2. Drink alcohol
Now, beer and cocktail lovers, before you start to order your drink of choice with your side of spice, alcohol can only temporarily help alleviate the burn. MythBusters, a television show on the Discovery Channel, put viewer-recommended cures to the test and sought to examine if alcohol could tame the effects of spicy food in the mouth. They found a few gulps of beer offer brief relief because oil and water don’t mix, and can spread the oily capsaicin rather than reduce its effect entirely. “Truth is, you might have to drink 10 ounces of 70-proof tequila to dissolve 1 ounce of concentrated capsaicin compound,” according to MythBusters. Remember to drink responsibly.
3. Take a teaspoon of sugar
Those with a sweet and spicy tooth can rejoice at the fact that sugar can actually help neutralize the heat from a spicy dish. The heat in chili peppers is based on the amount of sugar needed to neutralize the heat, says IndiaCurry.com, and this is known as the Scoville Heat Unit. Granulated sugar and honey will reduce the heat. The sugar absorbs the spicy oil and will provide a different taste.
4. Eat some milk chocolate
Need another reason to eat more chocolate? A chocolate bar may come in handy when it comes to reducing that burning, tingling sensation in your mouth. The high fat content in chocolate will help remove some of the capsaicin from the mouth since it is more soluble in fat than water-based solutions. Milk chocolate will provide more benefit than dark chocolate because it has a higher fat and casein content, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, therefore, providing better relief.
5. Chew on a slice of bread
At the dinner table, a basket of bread is usually within one’s reach. A slice of bread can provide relief to your burning mouth by soaking up the oily capsaicin that is making your mouth burn. Rice can also provide the same effect as bread, but it may soak up less oil due to its grain texture.
Next time you’re thinking of adding some spice to your palate, be sure to have some of these best hot mouth remedies by your side, to feel the burn and cool it off instantly.
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How To Wash Your Virgin Hair Extensions
Feb 19, 2015
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You should always co-wash condition your virgin hair extensions prior to installing. DO NOT use shampoo. Use conditioner only.
Shampoos are only meant to clean the hair. It does not condition or soften the hair. It is only meant to clean the hair by removing dirt and oil build up from the scalp so that hair follicles can grow healthy. The excessive use of shampoo can actually cause your hair to dry, harden and frizz up which will lead to breakage and shedding. Conditioner’s (co-wash) work best because it hydrates and moisturizes the hair. It will also give your hair more definition and volume.
Follow these steps when co-washing your virgin hair extensions:
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Wet the hair first.
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Apply a generous amount of conditioner.
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Use a wide tooth comb to distribute conditioner evenly through the hair. Always comb from the bottom to the top. (Allow the conditioner to sit in your hair for 15- 30 minutes)
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Rinse using cool water.
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After washing, pat your hair dry with a towel.
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Allow your hair to air dry (do not roll or rub hair into the towel that will cause your hair to frizz).
Follow These Steps When Washing With Shampoo & Conditioner:
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Wet the hair first.
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Apply conditioner.
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Use a wide tooth comb to distribute conditioner evenly through the hair. Always comb from the bottom to the top.
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Rinse using cool to lukewarm water.
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Apply shampoo (if the hair is really dirty full of products apply a generous amount of shampoo).
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Rinse using cool to lukewarm water.
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Condition again (Apply a generous amount of conditioner).
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Use a wide tooth comb to distribute conditioner evenly through the hair. Always comb from the bottom to the top. (Allow the conditioner to sit in the hair for 15 to 30 minutes).
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Rinse using cool to lukewarm water.
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After washing, pat your hair dry with a towel.
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Allow your hair to air dry (do not roll or rub hair into the towel that will cause your hair to frizz).
*Shampoo tends to make the hair dry and that can lead to tangling and shedding. Conditioning the hair as the first step is to prevent that. Conditioning the hair again after you use shampoo is to retain a good moisture back into the hair*
*Remember that maintaining your virgin hair extensions look and texture all has to do with your own personal maintenance and how the hair is cared for and treated before, during, and after installation*
Other Tips:
*Do not scrounge up the hair in your hands while washing. This is considered as rough treatment*
*Condition your hair 2- 3 times a week or has you see fit*
*Shampoo at least once every 2-3 weeks*
Sonya Of Champion Hair Extensions
Website: www.championhairextensions.mayvenn.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/C_H_Extensions
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ChampionHairExtensions
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11 Ideas To Spend Your Income Tax Refund
Feb 13, 2015
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So, you just received your annual windfall via the IRS. Yes, it’s refund time again for millions of American families. If you did not get your billions back this year, don’t worry. A few thousand is just right when you need some extra cash in your pockets.
However, here are a few helpful tips to consider when your refund is finally deposited into your account or you have your Treasury Check in hand:
WHAT TO DO WITH MY 2015 REFUND
1. Savings
Put over half of your refund in a saving account; the more you save, the better the return.
2. Pay Off Credit-Card Debt
Depending on how much your refund is, try to pay off at least one credit card. If your debt is more than your refund, pay at least 10% more than the required amount.
3. Rebuild Your Emergency Fund
This is the time to start building that raining day fund back up.
4. Buy Stock
Invest some of your refund into some stock, your return may be greater than your next tax refund.
5. Build Your College Savings
Plan on going to college, start saving now.
6. Pay Up On Your Student Loan
That student will not disappear, pay a large some each year in addition to regular payments and watch has fast that loan decreases.
7. Car Loan
Pay at least one extra car note up, it saves on the back end.
8. Pay Up On A Couple Of Bills
If you are not caught up on your regular bills, go ahead and caught up on them now. If you are, pay ahead on a few.
9. Invest in Your Home
Need new carpet, refrigerator, stove, etc. now is the time to find great deals and improve on your home.
10. Take a class
There is nothing better than learning something new, it’s allows great to invest in yourself.
11. Start a Business
Waiting to start a business, let’s get rolling. Begin with the paper work, trade name, business license, LLC formation, business bank account, and you’re ready to GO!
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Man Who Walks 21 Miles To Work Given $280,000 For A Car
Feb 4, 2015
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We love a touching story of giving at the GoodNews Notebook. This is the perfect way to kick off February, a month of love and caring. Recently, according to the Detroit Free Press, we discovered a story about James Robertson, a Detroit man who commutes about 21 miles a day on foot to and from work has spurred reaction from across the nation, including social media fundraisers that have netted more than $280,000. (UPDATED 2/4/15) But, our focus is not only on James, but the young student from Wayne State University who took action. How many times have we seen friends and family in need? How often do we fail to take action in one way or another? Therefore, we would like to extend the GoodNews Honor Award to Mr. Evan Leedy for going that extra mile for Mr. James Robertson. Evan’s GoodDeeds shows that you can IMPACT someone’s world in only 3 days.
Evan Leedy, 19, of Macomb Township, a WSU student studying computer science, said he was struck by the article and by the sudden torrent of people commenting online, many of them asking how they could help Robertson. Leedy said he decided to act.
“I just used my phone. I created the go-funding site and within an hour we had $2,000,” he said.
“I set the goal at the beginning of $5,000. Right now my page has more than $30,000” as of 6 p.m. Sunday, Leedy said. As of February 4th, GNN has learned that the donations have continued to stream in at over $280,000. If you would like to donate, then simply go to http://www.gofundme.com/l7girc.
ABOUT JAMES THE WALKER
The concerned by Leedy started because buses don’t cover the full distance between James Robertson’s home in Detroit and his job in Rochester Hills, he walks a little more than seven miles headed to work and about 13 miles home, five days a week. His story — told by Bill Laitner in Sunday’s Detroit Free Press — has inspired hundreds to offer money to buy him a car, pay his insurance and professional help in managing the donations.
Robertson said Sunday he was flattered by the attention he’d gotten for his arduous commutes after the Free Press published a front-page story about him — and amazed that complete strangers would respond so generously, some by offering to buy him a new car and others offering to give him one.
According to the Huffington Post, Robertson’s work ethic and spirit are truly inspiring. Robertson doesn’t complain and he manages to have perfect attendance at work.
“I set our attendance standard by this man,” Todd Wilson, the plant manager at Schain Mold & Engineering, told the Detroit Free Press. “I say, if this man can get here, walking all those miles through snow and rain, well I’ll tell you, I have people in Pontiac 10 minutes away and they say they can’t get here — bull!”
“I do it with no excuses,” Robertson told CBS News. “If you want something, you’ve gotta go out and get it … You better go ahead and do it because your girlfriend don’t want to hear it, your coworkers don’t want to hear it and you got to get up and do it again the next day.”
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Severe Winter Weather Checklists
Feb 2, 2015
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ARE YOU READY?
Prepare for extremely cold weather every winter—it’s always a possibility. There are steps you can take in advance for greater wintertime safety in your home. Although periods of extreme cold cannot always be predicted far in advance, weather forecasts can sometimes provide you with several days’ notice. Listen to weather forecasts regularly and check your emergency supplies whenever a period of extreme cold is predicted.
FOR YOUR HOME
Insulate walls and attic.
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
Insulate any water lines that run along outer walls. This will make water less likely to freeze.
Service snow-removal equipment.
Have chimney and flue inspected.
Install easy-to-read outdoor thermometer.
Repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on your home or other structure during a storm.
Communication
Cell phone
Portable charger, and extra batteries
Heating
Extra blankets
Sleeping bags
Winter coats
Hats
Socks
Gloves
Fireplace with plenty of dry firewood or a gas log fireplace
Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters
Safety
Chemical fire extinguisher
Smoke alarm in working order (Check prior to winter storm season and change batteries, if needed.)
Carbon monoxide detector (Check prior to winter storm season and change batteries, if needed.)
First-aid kit
Rock-salt to melt ice on walkways
Supply of cat litter or bag of sand to add traction on walkways
Lighting
Battery-powered flashlights or lanterns
Candles
Glow Sticks
Food
Drinking water
- Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
- Keep the indoor temperature warm.
- Allow more heated air near pipes. Open kitchen cabinet doors under the kitchen sink.
- If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
- If you cannot thaw your pipes, or if the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
- Fill the bathtub or have bottled water on hand.
- In an emergency, if no other water is available, snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow
Canned/no-cook food (bread, crackers, dried fruits)
Non-electric can opener
Baby food and formula (if baby in the household)
Prescription drugs and other medicine
Car and Emergency Checklist
Minimize travel, but if travel is necessary, keep the following in your vehicle:
- Cell phone, portable charger, and extra batteries
- Shovel
- Windshield scraper
- Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Water
- Snack food
- Extra hats, coats, and mittens
- Blankets
- Chains or rope
- Tire chains
- Canned compressed air with sealant for emergency tire repair
- Road salt and sand
- Booster cables
- Emergency flares
- Bright colored flag or help signs
- First aid kit
- Tool kit
- Road maps
- Compass
- Waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water
- Paper towels
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