Turkish fashion designer Ece Ege

Turkey is an exotic country. It is a country with many sides and you have to be prepared to deal with all of them. If not, you may be shocked and feel like running away. Of course, like India, Turkey is all about color and patterns and that is what Turkish designer Ece ("c" is pronouned as "h") Ege. While she studied fashion design in France, now she has moved to Turkey to be inspired by local designs and colors but still sells large to a European and Japanese clientele. Watch her interview.

Live Free Or Die Hard Movie

I did a review of the movie Live Free or Die Hard but if you want to get a second opinion, here is an excellent review by Greg Moody of CBS. Overall, he likes it as I do, though he does make more fun of Bruce Willis for his mature age and the fact that someone that old should not be in an action flick. Aha. In my opinion, age shouldn't matter. Young people can be bad actors and old people can be great actors. The review also includes some action packed clips from the film.

Japanese fans of Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a global phenomenon and it is not limited to people of a specific age. Lorena and I must admit that due to time constraints we have not read any of the books but have watched all the movies. And the mania for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has just begun. At the premiere in Japan, the cast was in Tokyo and while looking at the pictures what caught my attention was the role play by Japanese fans. Lorena and I, in our trips to Shibuya and Harajuku, found that the Japanese are the masters of role play and the photos below show how good they are.

How to eat less?

It is human nature to eat whatever is in front of us. We do not like to waste food, and if we are eating at someone else's home, we might think that by not finishing our food on the plate, we might be indirectly telling the host that the food was not delicious. Then the worst offenders in making people eat more are the restaurants. The serving sizes keep growing each year and are much larger than they were in the past. (Related: How to eat healthy)

So how can you lose weight?

The arithmetic is simple. Fewer calories. That can be accomplished by eating less and by burning more through exercise. While one study found that just eating fewer calories is as effective as both diet and exercise, it makes perfect sense to also exercise, since working out has other benefits too.

A new study finds that if you measure your portion size and eat in plates that don't hold a lot of food, you will consume fewer calories and lose weight.

Live Free Or Die Hard movie review

If you like action movies, the kind of action that James Bond and Harrison Ford provide, then you will love "Live Free Or Die Hard," the latest in the Die Hard series. And it doesn't matter how old Bruce Willis is, he can still act like an action hero and he delivers in this one too.

The movie is very timely in the sense that terrorism is the central theme. The United States is attacked by terrorists, who as expected, are able to defeat all the defenses that we have. But smart people don't become terrorists; only idiots do. And that smarty pants is John McClane (played byt Bruce Willis), who is able to identify the weakness in their plot and defeat them. The rest of the crew does not include any A-listers but they deliver good performances, particularly Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Maggie Q, and Cliff Curtis.

Here is a video with clips from the movie and a short interview with Bruce Willis.

How to recycle newspapers and create a work of art?

It is easy to criticize everyone on the planet for not doing enough to fight global warming. The best way to help the environment is not to criticize others but to do our little part. For instance, a group of women in The Philippines have taken the newspapers that we all throw away and turned them into handbags for women. They actually look much prettier than I expected and from my background as a pulp and paper technologist, I can assure that newsprint paper is much stronger than you would expect, even if you get caught in the rain. In any case, make sure that you bring an umbrella when you go out on a rainy day. And here is another interesting handbag design.

How to prevent heart diseases?

Can you believe that every minute, three Americans die due to heart diseases. Much has to to do with our unhealthy lifestyles that include eating high-calorie meals and none to minimal exercise. Two out of three Americans are also above their desired weight range and that is also a major reason for other diseases like diabetes.

So what can be done to change the situation?

1. If you are eating unhealthy and do not exercise, then, give your diet a makeover and add a workout to your daily routine.
2. If you have always led an unhealthy lifestyle, make the changes, but talk to your doctor so that you can be monitored more closely and you can start treatment before a heart attack or stroke comes after you.

Watch this video that shows you how doctors can diagnose heart problems way ahead of time and take action to stop them.

Importance of regular medical checkups

I have been lucky (and diligent) enough to be in fit (Related: How to be fit) by eating right (Related: How to eat right?) and working out regularly. Just to make Lorena happy, I also take over-the-counter mineral supplements and vitamins, since I am not convinced that they do any good and if we need them in the first place. That does not mean that I can avoid a visit to the doctor altogether. It appears that even if we look and feel good, it does not mean that everything is alright. Simple tests can uncover most complications. Read the news report below to find out how regular medical checkups are a must. If you haven't gone to the doctor please do; and if a loved one hasn't, please forward this article to him/her.

Goldfinger movie review

Several months ago I had watched a documentary on the The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky. By interviewing a few ex-employees and with the use of very limited publicly available information, the producers had tried to put together a story about the operations and the security there. However, I am sure that like the movie Air Force One, they must have gotten it only partly right. No visitors are permitted in the building. The documentary said that only once did a few members of Congress and media personnel were allowed to go in. No one from this movie team ever stepped inside Fort Knox or even its vicinity (actually that part of the film was not even shot in the US).

Of course, one of the things that I remember from the documentary was the narrator saying that apart from being part of the plots in books and movies, the most remarkable movie that was based on penetrating the Fort Knox security was the "Goldfinger." So when the opportunity came to watch the movie - of course I am a 007 fan (Casino Royale) - I grabbed it. The movie is old and you can see all the attributes of a retro movie.

The plot is simple. The Chinese Government wants to destabilize the American economy by destroying the gold that is stored there (according to US Mint, some 150 million ounces of gold is held there and is valued at $6 billion). The person they use for their plot - Operation Grand Slam - is Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe). He is a gold smuggler and surmises that when the US will not be able to use its gold, the value of his gold will skyrocket. Of course, in typical James Bond (played by Sean Connery) fashion, the plot is foiled. Very entertaining movie. Strongly recommended. You may also enjoy the soundtrack - it has been a big hit.

Shrek The Third movie review

Since we had watched both Shrek and Shrek 2, it was very obvious that we would end up in a theater to watch Shrek the Third. Like other animation movies, Shrek 3 is a fun movie to watch with your family. It is also pretty obvious from the plot that all the fans will now await the arrival of next in series.

This is how the plot develops. Shrek is destined to be the king of Far Far Away but that is not what he wants. He wants to go where he thinks he belongs: the swamp. When King Harold had died he had also mentioned the name of Arthur Pendragon, the nephew. No surprise then that Shrek sets out to find him so that he can take over as the new ruler. In the meantime, Prince Charming sees a window of opportunity to take over the kingdom.

When Shrek and Arthur arrive in Far Far Away, they realize that the kingdom is in chaos, the royal family is in prison, and Prince Charming wants to kill them all. In the end the movie, of course, ends on a happy note, particularly, with Fiona and Shrek becoming parents and returning to their swamp.

Here is also a video clip of Cameron Diaz (voice of Fiona) and Antonio Banderas (as the naughty cat Puss in Boots) discussing their roles in the movie.