Thursday, June 30, 2016

Stan Larkin Had No Heart (physically not love wise)

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

The Grass Is No Greener

The Midrash (Kohelet 11:13) relates the metaphor of a free bird who envies the food of a caged bird. The caged bird replies, "You see my food, but you do not see my captivity."

In what ways might your envy of others be similar to this?

There are many benifits to what seems to be bad things that happen and then turn out better. For two months I have been disappointed that a new place that I thought was perfect for me was denied to me. Now it seems I might just get it and a slightly lower price. G-d works in mysterious wasys. I don't want to count my chickens before they are hatched.

 

Love Yehuda Lave

Two sides to the gun Control issue--quick point made in 60 seconds

https://www.facebook.com/george.johnsen.3/videos/10153968413293938/

Stan Larkin Had No Heart

 Rationalist Judaism: Stan Larkin Had No Heart

 

Posted: 19 Jun 2016 07:09 AM PDT

The most extraordinary story was in the news recently. Stan Larkin of Michigan, age 25, has led a fairly normal life - except that for nearly two years, he didn't have a heart in his body. Last month, he finally received a heart from a donor. But for over a year and half before that, he had no human heart at all! Instead, he had a pump, connected to a machine that he carried around in a backpack, which circulated his blood.

The entire story is amazing. It also powerfully illustrates why brain death should be rated as death - with the consequence that the organs of people who are brain dead should be used to save the lives of other people.

Stan Larkin's story shows that the heart, as incredible an organ as it is, has nothing to do with housing our identity or our soul. It's just a sophisticated blood pump - nothing more, nothing less. When Stan didn't have a heart, just a machine in a backpack, he was no less of a person. And when he received the donor's heart, he didn't "become" the donor.

Due to the wonders of modern technology, enabling scenarios that never occurred before in history (and are thus not addressed in halachic sources), the same thing could happen with pretty much any of the body's organs. You can switch them out for artificial replacements, or you can transplant them from other people. It's amazing medical technology, but it has absolutely no consequences for their identity or their soul.

Except for the brain! You can't replace the brain with a machine. And you can't currently transplant one from someone else - but when technology eventually makes this possible (as it presumably will), there will most certainly be crucial consequences for the person's identity and soul. If, a hundred years from now, Stan Larkin Junior loses his brain, and has it replaced by that of a donor, then Stan Larkin Junior has ceased to exist, and the donor has taken over his body. The only way that Stan Larkin Junior can remain existing without a brain is if by then it is somehow possible to download the "software" of the brain onto a computer (which seems highly unlikely).

It's clear that a person's identity and soul is fundamentally rooted in his brain, not in his heart or any other organ. The heart is no more significant than any other organ. It can be replaced by a machine in a backpack. It's only the brain that is crucial to personhood. When the brain is no longer present, the person has passed on. And this gives us a unique opportunity to use their organs to save the lives of several people.

If you haven't yet signed up to be an organ donor, please do so today, at www.hods.org.

Israeli innovation could save countless stab victims via @ArutzSheva_En

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/209371#.VubNRID6ZHg.gmail

My Mother the Zona

UK Israel-basher Livingstone wonders if he has Jewish roots |

Ex-London mayor, suspended by Labour for insisting Hitler supported Zionism, says he felt completely at home when he visited a kibbutz

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone, recently suspended from the UK Labour Party after claiming that Adolf Hitler supported Zionism and a series of alleged anti-Semitic remarks, discussed the possibility he has Jewish roots.

In an interview with the Jewish Chronicle, Livingstone, who also said last month that the creation of Israel was wrong and a catastrophe, mused on whether he has Jewish ancestors on his mother's side.

 
The former mayor cited the late Lord Greville Janner, a Labour MP and later member of the House of Lords, as a Jewish friend. "Greville Janner used to drive me home from the House of Commons at night. We would chat away about the Middle East. He would speculate about whether or not I was Jewish because my grandmother's name was Zona," Livingstone said in the interview published Thursday. (Zona is not a common Jewish name, being the Hebrew word for whore and a commonly used slur.)

"I have lots of Jewish friends and I always have. I have had members of the Board of Deputies (the British Jewish leadership body) round for parties. When I went to Israel and stopped by a kibbutz, I felt completely at home there. Everyone was a leftie like me," Livingstone told the JC.

Livingstone told the Jewish paper he would go to court if Labour does not reinstate him.

"I find it bizarre that people who were suspended after me have already been reinstated; I am certain the reason my case is being dragged out is because next week is the closing deadline for nominations for Labour's National Executive Committee and I won't be allowed to stand unless I have been readmitted. It is the old Blairites trying to keep me off the NEC because I support Jeremy (Corbyn)" — the Labour leader.

"It's not really about anti-Semitism; it's just about undermining Jeremy because I am one of Jeremy's key supporters. All I want to focus on is Jeremy's economic policies. Jeremy and I have been campaigning side by side for 45 years," Livingstone said in reference to Corbyn, who was chosen as Labour's leader last year following the party's election defeat. Corbyn, a relentless critic of Israel, has called Hamas and Hezbollah his "friends."

According to a report in the Telegraph last month, Labour has recently suspended 50 members for racist and anti-Semitic views.

Livingstone rejected the view that his anti-Israel opinions are an indication of anti-Semitism. "It is an absolutely ridiculous thing to conflate anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel," he said. "I criticize David Cameron's government, that doesn't mean I'm anti-British."

Denying that he was "obsessed" with Nazi history, Livingstone said that he never read the Nazi party's manifesto or Hitler's Mein Kampf.

"I haven't read Karl Marx either," he said. "I have never seen the Nazi manifesto. If I would have seen it, I would have read it. I have a thousand books I am still waiting to read, that I am trying to find time to read. Now I am retired, I am catching up. If anyone actually wants to send me a copy of it…" he said.

Someone like you--Van Morrison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIrJK19dADI

 

This was the favorite song of my love between wifes. I will always love her and think of her often.

Have a told you lately that I love you-Van Morrison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFF1wJN75Z0

 

Also a great Van Morrison song

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

LA Dodgers sign the first Israeli player

Rabbi Yehuda Lave from Jerusalem
Plan Without Worrying

When a person worries about his future material needs, he assumes he will still be alive in that future moment. What guarantee does he have that he'll still be alive for any length of time?

If you assume you will still be alive, then you can also assume that you'll be able to meet your basic necessities. But only if you help G-d take care of yourself.

Take this advice with a large grain of salt. You still have to plan today for tomorrow. Right now I am trying to secure my rent future. What I spend today will certaintly affect tomorrow if I am alive. Of course if I die I won't have to pay rent, but if I don't, just like death and taxes I have to have some place to live.

Suppose you saw a person looking worried and you asked him, "My friend, why are you so full of anxiety?" How would you react if he replied, "Things are all right now, but I'm worried that in 10 years I might be missing something."

Actually, just as worrying about 10 years from now is fruitless, so too is worrying about what will be in one day from now. Planning is positive. Worrying is negative.

Only the present is before you. Use it properly.

Wish me blessings in securing my rent future.

Love Rabbi Yehuda Lave

The Los Angeles Dodgers have become the first Major League Baseball (MLB) team to sign an Israeli citizen to a contract.

Dean Kremer, a standout right-handed pitcher at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), was drafted earlier this month by the Dodgers in the 14th round. Last year, he made history by becoming the first Israeli drafted by an MLB team, the San Diego Padres, but he did not sign with that club.

Kremer, who was born in Stockton, Calif., to Israeli parents and has dual citizenship, said he has maintained deep Israeli roots his entire life.

"I was born here in the United States, but I go back and practically live [in Israel] for two months out of the year in the summer, so it's definitely home," Kremer told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in February.In 2013, Kremer played for the U.S. team at the Maccabiah Games in Israel, which eventually led to him being invited to join Israel's team for the 2014 European Championships. Kremer helped Israel advance from European Pool C to Pool B in 2015, and was named Most Valuable Player in the tournament in both 2014 and 2015.

Kremer said he also hopes to play for Israel's team for the World Baseball Classic qualifier in late September in Brooklyn.

By: JNS.org

The new Israeli helmet that will allow soldiers to see through walls


http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/the-new-israeli-helmet-that-will-allow-soldiers-to-see-through-walls/

The Stade Velodrome, the stadium in Marseilles where the match took place, is located near a Jewish district, whose residents regularly complain of verbal and physical intimidation at the hands of anti-Semites.

By: The Algemeiner

French police are investigating a group of Hungarian soccer fans who were caught on camera performing the Nazi salute during their team's Euro 2016 match against Iceland on Saturday, the UK's Daily Mail reported.

The fans in question, believed by police to be far-Right "ultras" (soccer enthusiasts whose fanaticism about the game often erupts into violence), were wearing identical black shirts with the word "Magyarország" (Hungary) in white letters, as they made the Hitlerian gesture, en masse, in the direction of the competing team.

The incident, a police source said, "could lead to prosecutions under anti-racism laws, and legislation aimed at combating anti-Semitism."

According to the Daily Mail, the Stade Velodrome, the stadium in Marseilles where the match took place, is located near a Jewish district, whose residents regularly complain of verbal and physical intimidation at the hands of anti-Semites.

The Hungarian fans under investigation were seen climbing over segregation walls after the match and brawling with stewards.

Riot police from the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (Republican Security Companies) and plain-clothed officers intervened to restore order, the Daily Mail reported.

This is only one of many violent incidents that have occurred since the opening of the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe on June 10, which is scheduled to continue until July 10.

England fans have been arrested for clashes on the streets of Marseille, and Russian and Ireland supporters were also caught fighting in the streets of Nice. Ukraine and Germany fans were also caught battling outside a bar in Lille last week.

A new survey – conducted by the Median Opinion and Market Research Institute on behalf of the watchdog group the Action and Protection Foundation — a full third of all Hungarians hold anti-Semitic views, a phenomenon that jibes with "general xenophobic attitudes found to be rampant in Hungarian society."

In addition, the third largest political party in Hungary is the far-Right Jobbik, which won 20% of the parliamentary votes in the 2014 election. Jobbik is quickly growing in popularity across Hungary, and party leaders have spoken out against what they call "Zionist Israel's efforts to dominate Hungary and the world."

This article originally appeared on the Daily Mail.

Tel Aviv is moving ahead with plans for its own car- sharing service, city officials said this week.
On Monday the city council voted to allocate 100 million shekels ($26 million).
The city is working in partnership with the private hourly car rental service Car2Go, although they have not yet signed a contract.
The plan is to launch the service by the second half of 2017, with 260 small cars.
Car2Go has 200 vehicles in Tel Aviv, scattered around the city. Members pay an annual fee for the smart card that opens the vehicle, in addition to the hourly or daily rate and mileage.
Reservations can be made at any time online, for a vehicle that may be closer to their home than the nearest available street parking. After use, the member returns the car to its parking space.
Israeli Tourist video from 1966
(caution a lot of bikinis in video for tourists)
The spies weren't the only "Tourists"

http://goo.gl/hZdz6i

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday approved government backing for a bill that will grant exemptions to the elderly from standing in line.

Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel proposed the measure with the intention of easing the physical burden of standing in line for senior citizens.

"Giving priority and an exemption from standing in line to citizens over 80 years old is something that we must do as a society even without a law, but I have no doubt that thanks to the legislation this will turn into a social norm that will make the law redundant in the future," Gamliel said after the vote.



Presently, only certain institutions exempt the elderly from standing in line, and there is no law granting this right.

The law would apply to post offices, banks, movie theaters, cultural theaters, stadiums, national parks and supermarkets. And the social equality minister could add additional places where the law would take effect.

"In Israel there is no person who doesn't come across the shameful phenomenon in which senior citizens are forced to stand in long lines to receive services in public places," Gamliel said.


Treating elders well is a pillar of a "healthy and tolerant society that knows how to respect and cherish its older citizens," and this bill reflects "the minimum that we can do for them," she said.

The Tzohar NGO, which promotes Jewish identity in Israel, welcomed the decision and said it fell in line with Jewish values.

"The Jewish identity of the State of Israel is characterized by the adoption of commandments of the Torah between man and his fellow man. The bill regarding preferential treatment for the elderly is in accordance with the commandment of the Torah and Jewish ethics 'Respect the elderly.' It would be preferable to have a society where this behavior is obvious, but if this is not the case – it's good that the law will require it," Rabbi Yuval Cherlow said.

MK Rachel Azaria said that women in the advanced stages of pregnancy and mothers with young babies should also be covered by the legislation.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

I Believe I Can Fly, I Believe i Can Touch The Sky!

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

Be a Solution-Seeker

Become a solution-seeker. When a problem arises, ask yourself, "What solution can I think of?" When a situation isn't to your liking, ask yourself, "What solution can I think of?" Whenever something is bothering you, ask yourself, "What solution can I think of?" Unhappy people become distraught, upset, frustrated, or angry when unpleasant things happen. They speak to themselves and to others in ways that increase the amount of time they will feel emotional distress. Happy people use their intelligence and memory to think of potential solutions. At times solutions might be easy to find if you just ask yourself, "What solution can I think of?" If a solution isn't easy to find, brainstorm in your own mind or with others

I especially like to ask others to help. Thank you to my readers, my help mates.

Love Yehuda Lave

I Believe I Can Fly, I Believe i Can Touch The Sky!

https://www.facebook.com/ideas.life/videos/1031789070241801/

 

Herzog signed secret agreement to divide Jerusalem Zionist Union leader also accepted 'right of return' for Palestinian Arabs into Israel, surrender of Judea and Samaria.

Isaac Herzog meets with Mahmoud Abbas Flash90

Opposition leader and Zionist Union chief Isaac Herzog agreed to far reaching concessions on the eve of the 2015 election, a report by Channel 10 on Sunday revealed.

Herzog, who prior to the election was seen as a viable candidate for Prime Minister, signed a secret letter of understanding with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, agreeing to a number of long-standing Arab demands.

Among the subjects covered in the letter are the division of Jerusalem, the future disposition of Judea and Samaria, and the so-called "right of return" for Arabs who left the country in 1948.

According to the agreement, Herzog conceded all of Judea and Samaria and accepted the partition of Jerusalem, surrendering portions of the capital to a new Palestinian state.

In addition, Herzog agreed to accept Palestinian "refugees" into Israel under the framework of a "right of return".

Some technical details were included in the document, including a unique arrangement for Jerusalem, which would be the shared capital of both states and under split sovereignty, yet would be managed by a single municipality.

Even the Old City itself would be divided under the framework agreed upon in the Herzog-Abbas letter, with the Western Wall kept under Israeli control, while the Temple Mount would be placed under international control.

In exchange for Herzog's concessions, Abbas accepted a "symbolic" Israeli presence in the strategically critical Jordan Valley region along Israel's eastern border.

The agreement also dealt with anti-terror operations following the establishment of a Palestinian state. According to the document, a joint security 'mechanism' bringing together Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian forces would be charged with fighting terror.

Herzog responded to the revelation on Sunday, saying "In my contacts with the Palestinian Authority chief during 2014 I made efforts with the goal of reaching an understanding that would have prevented the wave of terror which I saw coming; [efforts] just like the work I am doing now to prevent this radical right-wing government's abandonment of the regional conference plan from bringing upon us a new war."

Best buddies--this would have been result of Herzog election

Pedal-powered roller coaster in Japan

https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsBrainy/videos/1749223235358882/

King of Fruits

The Durian's edible flesh emits a distinctive odour that is strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as having a pleasantly sweet fragrance; others find the aroma overpowering and revolting. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as rotten onions, turpentine, and raw sewage. The persistence of its odour, which may linger for several days, has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia.

Top imam says beating wives is the only way to control them

Council of Islamic Ideology chairman Muhammad Khan Sherani speaks to journalists in Islamabad. Photo: Getty Images

A leading Pakistani cleric has provided male followers with a step-by-step guide to controlling their women – with a "light beating" suggested at the end of the process for problem wives.

Muhammad Khan Sherani, chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology in Pakistan, offered a weirdly archaic model to men because: "When we draft a bill concerning women we have to consider all possible solutions."

Sherani is proposing a law that would allow husbands to beat their wives. The mullah originally made these statements last month before he doubled down and affirmed them to the BBC in an interview that aired on Thursday:


"If a woman does not fulfill her responsibilities in marriage first you advise her."
"If that doesn't work then you consult her relatives."
"If that doesn't work then you desert her in bed and if all of this doesn't work then light beating is allowed."

Sherani told the BBC that without the beating option, husbands would be powerless to change their wives' behavior.

"Then you tell me, what is the solution to this issue?," he asked.

"If a woman doesn't respond to advice, doesn't listen to her relatives after all you've used all the options what should be done?"

Women, living here in the 21st century, fought back with devastating snark, unleashing the Twitter hashtag #TryBeatingMeLighty.

As writer/blogger @YumnaMustafaH put it: "#TryBeatingMeLightly and I'll make sure you get poisoned slightly."

Sherani's panel advises the Pakistani legislature but has no official hand in passing laws.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Barkat: Helen Mirren an inspiration to millions--I saw her live at the Jerusalem Cinematheque

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

Self-Confidence to Ask Questions

People with higher levels of self-confidence feel comfortable asking questions. People with lower levels of self-confidence might feel that they don't have a right to ask questions. They might worry that the person they ask might be critical of them for asking. Or they might worry about appearing deficient for not knowing the answers.

If a lack of self-confidence ever prevents you from asking a pertinent question, ask yourself, "If I had greater self-confidence, what would I ask right now?"

Then, even if you feel a bit uncomfortable about asking, realize you can speak up and ask. Once you do, you will have a breakthrough. You will have proven to yourself that feeling uncomfortable about asking a question doesn't need to stop you from asking.

Love Yehuda Lave

Cancer breakthrough as scientists discover new ways of blocking potentially lethal tumours spreading around the body

Scientists find new ways of blocking lethal tumours spreading

'Free floating' cancer cells are able to survive because of surface proteins that normally keep tumours anchored to one place, scientists from Queen Mary University of London found.

Read the full story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3655880/Cancer-breakthrough-scientists-discover-new-ways-blocking-potentially-lethal-tumours-spreading-body.html

23 June 2016

Lab-grown bones made from FAT used to repair jaws of pigs - and they could help reconstruct features of accident victims

Bones grown from FAT could help reconstruct faces of accident victims 

Biomedical engineers at Columbia University In New York, grew new bone (pictured) in the laboratory from stem cells taken from fat before it was implanted into the jaws of 14 pigs, to repair damage.

Read the full story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3656546/Saving-face-Facial-bones-grown-FAT-used-repair-jaws-pigs-help-reconstruct-features-accident-victims.html

23 June 2016

Barkat: Helen Mirren an inspiration to millions

Oscar-winning British actress Dame Helen Mirren, who is in Israel to emcee the 2016 Genesis Prize ceremony honoring Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman, was herself honored on Wednesday by Mayor Nir Barkat with the inaugural Jerusalem of Gold Award for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities.

Mirren received the citation for her "contributions to society and for the inspiration she brings to millions of people around the world."

"Helen Mirren is a symbol of status and unprecedented artistic success serving as an inspiration to millions around the world," Barkat said at the ceremony in Jerusalem's city hall.
"Mirren has enlisted her success and fame in order to make the world a better place and the city of Jerusalem is honored and happy to award her the Jerusalem of Gold medal for her work," he said.

The award recognizes artists and intellectuals who have made a significant contribution to society through their work and actions.

"It is an indescribable pleasure to be your guest of honor in Jerusalem and an incredible honor to be the first to receive the Jerusalem of Gold medal," Mirren said.

 

"Exceptional films need extraordinary actors, screenwriters, producers, and directors.

As such, everyone must have a place from which to draw inspiration. The breathtaking scenery of Jerusalem makes it without a doubt one of the most inspiring places in the entire world," she added.

Prior to the ceremony, Barkat accompanied Mirren on a tour of the Old City, beginning with the City of David National Park and concluding by the Western Wall.

"It's just the most extraordinary, moving and powerful experience to be here, to look at the incredible work that's been done to reveal these histories.

 


I've always believed in history," said Mirren. "I think that we have to remember what happened in the past always as it informs our future and it certainly informs our present.

"I'm a great believer in that.

To be in this situation where you see the past being revealed before your eyes is the most extraordinary, passionate and moving experience."

Mirren and Perlman spent the day prior to the award ceremony visiting and meeting with members of the press at the Jerusalem Press Club, as well as with Israeli dignitaries, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Knesset also held a special event Wednesday evening in honor of Perlman in the presence of Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky, Genesis Prize chairman Stan Polovets, and representatives of organizations working for the inclusion of disabled people.

As part of the evening, Perlman met with disabled people working in the Knesset.

Prior to the event, Edelstein said, "It is a great honor to host maestro Yitzhak Perlman, the Genesis Prize laureate. The event will focus on the integration of disabled persons in all aspects of life and will shine a very important light on this issue, which the Knesset has been advancing for a number of years."

Perlman is the third recipient of the prestigious $1 million Genesis Prize, dubbed the "Jewish Nobel Prize," which recognizes people who have "attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields, and who inspire others through their engagement and dedication to the Jewish community and/or the State of Israel."

He will be awarded the prize for his "exceptional contributions as a musician, teacher, advocate for individuals with disabilities, dedication to Jewish values and the State of Israel."

See a video of her visiting the old city:

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Barkat-Helen-Mirren-an-inspiration-to-millions-457521

 

 

 

Before a packed Cinemateque audience, Oscar-winning British actress Helen Mirren dishes on her varied career, British politics and her upcoming performance in 'The Fast and the Furious

Dame Helen Mirren is the only actress in the world who could who could discuss the complexity of performing Shakespeare on film, her portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II on stage and on screen, and her excitement at appearing in the next installment of The Fast and the Furious series.

Mirren, who was in Israel to emcee the presentation of the Genesis Award to violinist, educator and human rights activist Itzhak Perlman, spoke about these and other topics in an appearance at the Jerusalem Cinematheque Wednesday night. She received a standing ovation at the packed auditorium.

The Genesis Prize, dubbed the "Jewish Nobel," was awarded on Thursday night in Jerusalem.

 


One of the greatest and most beautiful actresses of all time, Mirren spoke with wit, self deprecation and fierce intelligence about her extremely varied career. She has played everything, including the classics (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet), comedy (Arthur, Calendar Girls), noir (The Long Good Friday), drama (The Woman in Gold, in which she portrayed a woman trying to get back artwork the Nazis stole from her family), superior police procedurals (the Prime Suspect television series), and action movies (Eye in the Sky, the Red movies). She won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the The Queen, and a Tony for her portrayal of the monarch in the 2015 play The Audience, two high points in a career filled with awards and acclaim.

Her appearance at the Cinematheque, where she was interviewed by director Benjamin Freidenberg, was the culmination of a retrospective of her work presented there.

Mirren,70, said that she was happy to be a part of the Genesis Prize ceremony because it gave her an opportunity "to appreciate and say thank you" to Perlman. She also said she was pleased to that the prize gave her a chance "to come back to Israel. I've only come here twice but every time I've come, I've wanted to come back."

 

Mirren was in Israel first as a kibbutz volunteer in the Sixties. She also visited the country when she played a Mossad agent in The Debt, a 2010 remake of a 2007 Israeli film of the same name. The Debt, directed by John Madden, was like "manna from heaven. Scripts like that and roles like that don't come along that often." She was full of praise for Gila Almagor, the actress who played her role in the original film, calling Almagor's performance "a brilliant piece of work."

Mirren did not discuss the political situation here, although she spoke out against cultural boycotts of Israel when receiving the Career Achievement Award at the Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles last year.

However, she did delve briefly into British politics when she spoke about her roles in two films about the conflict in Northern Ireland: Cal, a film for which she won the Best Actress Award at Cannes, and Some Mother's Son, where she played the mother of an IRA member in a prison.

She said she agreed to make Some Mother's Son when it seemed that a peace accord had been reached between the British and the IRA, but that just around the time of the film's release, "another bomb went off and the peace collapsed, and here I was in a film humanizing" the IRA. While promoting the film, she recalled, "I got the toughest questions in southern Ireland."

In the wide-ranging interview, the actress, whose father was a Russian immigrant to Britain (he anglicized his name to Mirren), discussed how she got into acting.

"I didn't go to drama school," she said, because her family did not have the money to send her, although she always knew that she "wanted to be a great theater actress."

Mirren said she trained to be a teacher for three years, then performed in a youth theater group, the performances of which were reviewed by national critics.

"It was a great stroke of luck, which I didn't realize at the time," she said. "I got amazing reviews and I left college immediately."

The teaching profession's loss turned out to be the audience's gain. Reminiscing about her first big movie role, in the steamy 1969 Age of Consent, in which she played the sexy young muse to an aging painter (James Mason) in the South Seas, she said she was thrilled to appear in a movie directed by Michael Powell (The Red Shoes), but that "It wasn't his best film."

She treated to the audience to a funny story about her arrival in Hawaii dressed in her best starlet leather miniskirt, with no one to meet her at the airport.

Talking about some of her BBC television roles that followed, among them many classics, she revealed that "they recorded over the tapes, they are lost, that precious canon of work," and that only a few videos survive.

Inspired by Monica Vitti in Antonioni's L'Avventura ("She made me realize what film acting could be") and the films of Anna Magnani ("I watch her films again and again to refresh myself"), she began a stellar film career.

As she spoke, it became clear how much she has been a creative partner in many of her roles, including those she made with the acclaimed directors Peter Greenaway (for whom she starred in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover) and Robert Altman (Gosford Park). Of Greenaway, she said, "He sees his films as fine art, pure art."

Altman "understood technique so profoundly, he threw the technique out" and took Mirren's bold suggestion to cut a scene she considered extraneous, and to add another one later on. "It was because of that scene that I got an Oscar nomination" for her role in the film, she said.

The film for which she won her Best Actress Oscar, Stephen Frears' The Queen, was daunting because of the queen is such a wellknown figure and because "the Brits have such a love-hate relationship with her."

What helped alleviate her panic was her realization that "you're just doing a portrait of her... It's me as an artist, it's not her... It was liberating."

Among Mirren's upcoming projects is her role in Fast and Furious 8, the latest installment in the action franchise. "I'm a great admirer of Vin Diesel," said Mirren, with her trademark blend of joie de vivre, humor and grace. "I'm sure it will be great fun.

life after death? Thousands of genes are seen coming to life TWO DAYS after animals die

Genes switch on after death, with hundreds becoming active days after

Researchers at the University of Washington turned to two model lab animals, and found evidence of activity in 1,063 genes after death, which has implications for humans.

Read the full story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3654014/Is-life-death-1-000-genes-switch-animals-die-hundreds-active-days-after.html

22 June 2016

How coffee could be your liver's saviour: Drink shown to protect against a host of deadly diseases Inbox x

Now drinking coffee can protect against most liver diseases

The British Liver Trust today adds to the growing weight of evidence around the health benefits of drinking coffee, publishing an 83-page report summarising all existing research on the subject.

Read the full story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3653618/Now-drinking-coffee-protect-against-liver-diseases-Molecule-contained-caffeine-thought-slow-growth-tissues-damage-organ.html

22 June 2016

Mobile phones used by hospital staff 'harbour viruses that cause stomach upsets and lung infections' Inbox x

Mobile phones used by hospital staff found to harbour viruses

Swabs revealed evidence of viruses on 38.5 per cent of devices.The discovery, made in France, raises concerns about hygiene in hospital wards housing vulnerable patients - especially children.

Read the full story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3652375/Mobile-phones-used-hospital-staff-harbour-viruses-cause-stomach-upsets-lung-infections.html

21 June 2016

a little humor

 As you slide Down the Banister of Life In 2016 --   Remember:

 

1..Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert have written an impressive new book.
It's called ...'Ministers do more than Lay People'


2..Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary. 

 

3..The difference between the Pope and your boss, the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.


4..My mind works like lightning, one brilliant flash and it is gone. 

 

5..The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.


6..I hate sex in the movies. Tried it once. The seat folded up, the drink spilled and that ice, well, it really chilled the mood. 

 

7..It used to be only death and taxes.   Now, of course, there's shipping and handling, too.


 

8..A husband is someone who, after taking the trash out, gives the impression that he just cleaned the whole house. 

 

9..My next house will have no kitchen - just vending machines and a large trash can.


10.. Definition of a teenager?  God's punishment...for enjoying sex.


 

Thought for the day: Be who you are and say what you  feel... because those that matter..don't mind...and those that mind... don't matter!


 


 

 And as you slide down that Banister of Life

you should pray that all the splinters are

pointed the other way...