Are the 1940 Census Records a real threat to privacy?

The 1940 Census records have finally been released to the public. Historians, sociologist, genealogist are already busy browsing through these records – and you should take a look at them too. You can easily look for your last name and find your ancestors. Do you know what your family was doing in 1940? You might learn a lot about your past.

There is a 72 year confidentiality clause on this type of records, which expired yesterday for the 1940 census. This means anyone can have access to these records for free. Some people are worried that personal information will be released, since a lot of elderly citizens would have their birth documented in these records.

What are the risks of someone stealing your identity by using the 1940 Census records? Slim to none. These records to not display any sensitive information such as birthdays or social security numbers. However, the American Civil Liberties Union is opposed to the release of census data; it is considered as a violation of someone's right to privacy.

I understand there is a privacy concern since anyone would have access to addresses and know the income of your family. It would be easy to conduct a quick background check on someone to find out where they come from. But these records are also very valuable to researchers who can use them to determine trends and document life in the 1940s, a cornerstone era of modern American history. It might be hard for living people to accept that their lives are part of our history, but these records are actually helpful to a society in need of a roots.

Autism Awareness Day aims at sensibilizing people about autism

Today is Autism Awareness Day and different organizations are taking action to educate people about autism. What do you know about autism? There are a few simple things you need to pay attention to in order to recognize autism. Keep in mind that only a doctor is qualified to diagnose a child with autism and that this condition makes the child unique, not ill.

It is hard to diagnose autism before a child is three years old, but certain signs are usually linked to autism. Does the child smiles back when the parents are smiling? An autistic child might have a hard time recognizing facial expressions and imitating them. Paying attention to the environment is also difficult: autistic children do not respond to stimuli such as their names, touch or eye contact. If a child seems isolated and unresponsive, this could be a sign of autism.

A child with autism does not reach out to others. If a child is not making any efforts to communicate with the caregivers or with other children, there could be an issue. Motor development is also affected; a child with autism is going to acquire certain motor skills more slowly than others and sometimes engage in unusual or repetitive movements.

If you notice this kind of behavior in a child, do not get alarmed. The best thing to do is to go to a doctor to get the opinion of a professional. These symptoms can be caused by other things, or might the sign of an independent child.

Wrestlemania 28 comes to an end

The 28^th edition of the Wrestlemania event is over and it is time to over the results of this competition. Let's go over the most memorable fights and moments of this season.

The Undertaker against HHH in a cage fight was probably the best match of the season. The Undertaker won after a stunning display of skills and strength. His final pilediver was perfectly executed, and HHH did not stand a chance once he let the Undertaker get in position for this devastating move. Let's hope he will learn from his mistake and develop a better strategy next time.

The Rock's victory over Cena got a lot of attention, probably because the Rock brought part of his movie audience to the ring. Even though he is not a very good actor, the Rock knows how to fight. He won against Cena with a trademark 'Rockbottom' move.

And Sheamus won the title in a match that lasted only 18 seconds. Daniel Bryan proved to be no match for him after he was wiped out by a devastating Brogue kick. The title is well-deserved in my opinion. There should actually be some very exciting matches in the future if anyone is foolish enough to challenge Sheamus for the title.

In the end, Wrestlemania 28 was a pretty good season. The outcome was more or less expected, except for a large number of Daniel Bryan fans who thought he had a chance at the title. I think a lot of fighters have learned their lesson and need to develop better strategies to avoid simple mistakes: the next season should be interesting.

Santorum uses classic Amityville Horror techniques to scare voters

The presidential campaign gets ugly as Rick Santorum releases a video depicting a horrific 'Obamaville'. The video makes references to horror classics such as Amityville Horror, Twilight Zone episodes and some old Alfred Hitchcock movie. The video is pretty good and rather humorous, but is it a legitimate way to gain votes?

The video is filled with cliches from horror movies. The American public is used to these cliches: movie makers know this and will create movies that are considered frightening solely because they use these techniques. There is nothing scary about these movie techniques, but the public has integrated them and learned what a scary movie should look like.

Santorum is obviously taking advantage of these codes to manipulate his audience. We have been exposed to this code so many times that we are conditioned to feel scared when the camera moves in a particular way or when the music sounds eerie.

Even though the movie is well done andthere is obviously a good campaign director behind it (JohnBrabender), it is a very cheap shot. The video depicts a future where Obama has been re-elected. Gas prices have skyrocketed, small businesses are closing down and people have to wait for weeks before seeing a doctor. Is it an accurate depiction of what will happen if Obama get re-elected? Only time will tell.

We are now waiting for the response from the Democrat party. Let's hope they will have something intelligent to say about this instead of responding with a similar video in an effort to manipulate the voters in a different direction.

How to plan a good April Fools prank

What makes a good April Fool's prank? The perfect prank is a combination of originality and humor and should be unexpected. It is best to plan your prank early in the day: if your victim has not been exposed to any other pranks yet, they have probably not realized it is the first of April yet.

Keep in mind that a good prank should always be in good taste. It is not acceptable to hurt someone physically or emotionally. Make sure nothing could go wrong with your prank: accidents happen, especially if you have never tried this prank before. You should probably test your prank first if you have any reason to believe someone could get hurt if something went wrong. You can avoid to hurt your victim emotionally by not humiliating them publicly and by avoiding any kind of offensive prank.

Ask yourself how well you know your victim. A close friend probably understands your sense of humor and appreciates it, but your other acquaintances might not.

Get other people to help you with your prank. This makes the whole April Fool's tradition more fun and this is also a good way of planning the best prank possible. You will also have more possibilities with a team helping you.

Should you record your prank? Watching the video again with your friends could be a lot of fun, but do not share the video online or with others without the permission of the victim of your prank. Remember that you have no way of knowing how popular your video will get once you post it online.

Autism Speaks launches Autism Awareness Month

Have you noticed any blue lights on your neighbor's porches lately? These lights are part of a campaign organized by Autism Speaks for the Autism Awareness Month. The main goal behind this campaign is to educate people about autism. Thisoften misunderstood condition affects 1 in 88 children. This number is increasing, not because more children have autism but because people are more aware of this condition and more children are diagnosed and helped.

Why is it important to know about autism? Autism does not seem to be related to genetics: anyone could have a child with autism. Parents need to know about this condition and its symptom to be able to recognize them in their children. You might think that autism would be easy to recognize, but there are different forms of autism. A mild autism might be interpreted as shyness and a child who needs support and supervision will not get the kind of attention needed if no one is able to recognize the symptoms.

Educating people is also a way of fostering acceptance and understanding. There are still a lot of ignorant reactions from people who see children with autism and recognize the symptoms as a form of retardation. This kind of reaction is extremely hurtful for the children and their families.

If there is one thing you should learn during Autism Awareness Month is that there is nothing wrong with autistic children. They function differently and you should think of them a unique individuals, not as children with a medical condition.

Are the 2012 Kids Choice Awards a safe program for your children?

What are the Kids Choice Awards? Apparently, a series of awards are given to performers depending on how popular their work is with children. The whole thing is sponsored by Nickelodeon and the network is of course strongly influenced the votes. A quick look at the nominees is absolutely heart-breaking. The movie category gave children the choice between Harry Potter, the Muppets, the Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Where is Scorsese's Hugo? Where are the other good movies of the year? I cannot believe these four movies are representative of what children enjoyed last year. The musical category is even worse: we find LFMAO, Justin Bieber, Usher, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and the Black Eyed Peas among other. I see pop music, country music and rap. Doesn't anyone listen to rock n roll, blues or jazz anymore?

The worst award nomination was probably Kristen Stewart, who won the best actress award. The competition was not very tough, but even children should be able to tell she has no acting skills. Nickelodeon is teaching children that awards should go to actors who stared in a popular movie, not to actors who gave a quality performance.

The 2012 Kids Choice Awards is not an occasion to let children decide what they like and reward their favorite performers; it is an occasion for Nickelodeon to influence the children and tell them which movies they should be watching and which CD they should buy. Think twice before you let your children watch this program, unless you do not want to encourage them to develop their own tastes and identity.

A new Total Recall movie is on the way

A new Total Recall movie is about to come out, but was it really a necessary remake? Perhaps few people remember the 1990 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. I remember the original movie had some unsettling visuals, including freakish aliens, a man getting his arms cut off by an elevator and a close up of Schwarzenegger's face as the broken visor of his spacesuit exposes him to the absence of atmosphere on Mars. Will the new movie be just as fun and gritty?

The original short story by Philip K. Dick is a forgotten classic. Dick wrote a tremendous amount of short stories and a lot of them have been made into movies: Minority Report, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Blade Runner, Impostor, Screamers and Next. And yet none of these movies truly makes justice to Dick's genius ideas, which sometimes suffered from his rushed writing and his inability to develop them any further.

I would like to see a new Total Recall movie closely based on Dick's short story. His style is hard to transcribe on the screen, but I think Ridley Scott did a remarkable job with his Blade Runner. It seems like the new Total Recall has a decent budget: perhaps we will see sets and special effects closer to what Dick had in mind.

Even though the original Total Recall movie is not that great, I think it has a small following and a lot of people remember the fun parts of the movie, including Schwarzenegger's character. I think the new movie will be more inspired by the 1990 version than by the original short story because this is what most of the audience is expecting.

The best Google April Fools hoaxes

Google made the headlines yesterday with the release of an excellent April's fool hoax: an 8 bit versionof Google Maps. But there is more: Google released a series of hoaxesthis year. The funniest one is probably the YouTube collection: you can now have your favorite YouTube videos delivered to your door on DVDs. Google Street is going to use kangaroos to collect pictures of Australian roads. Google is going to launch a new NASCAR car, which would not be hard to believe unless the car was not a 'self-driving race car'. I would not be surprised if we actually see that happen twenty years from now.

Gmail is also updated with the Gmail Tap feature: the usual QWERTY keyword is replaced by two buttons, a dot and a dash so that users can write everything in morse code. A rather funny joke, but I'm afraid it will be lost on a lot of internet users who are too young to know what morse code is. Google is also interested in the food industry, with the energy bar 'Google Fiber'. Somehow this bar enhances your ability to surf the internet. The least funny hoax is probably the Chrome multi-task mode, which allows you to be more productive when you surf the internet.

Some of these announcements are funnier than others, but overall, Google is taking April's fool very seriously. These funny hoaxes are actually a great way of pushing real Google products. And this strategy works: I have not visited any other search engine today because Google knows how to keep me untertained.

Patti Smith to release a new LP: is it an April's fool joke?

After eight years of silence, Patti Smith is releasing a new LP. Announcing this on a 1^st April is probably not a good idea; I am still not sure if there is actually an LP. The announcement sounds serious, but what Smith has to say about certain songs is sort of alarming. Is this an April's fool joke or a legitimate announcement?

Smith apparently wrote a song dedicated to Amy Winehouse: why would Smith pay tribute to Winehouse? Saying a few words is fine, but is it really necessary to write an entire song? Winehouse's music is not even remotely in the same league as Smith's, and I doubt most Patti Smith fans really care about Amy Winehouse. Smith also wrote a song for Johnny Depp's birthday. This is what makes me think this announcement is a hoax, along with the fact that Smith has not released anything new in eight years. Writing a song for a friend's birthday is fine, as long as it is a private thing. Featuring this song on an LP is probably not a good idea.

We should know more about this new LP in a few days – I am kind of hoping the whole thing is an April's fool joke not subtle enough to be immediately understood. Stay tuned for more updates on Patti Smith's possible comeback with this new LP, no matter how strange her song selection is. After all, the music might be great in spite of the theme of the songs.

Did you try the Google Maps 8 Bit yet?

It is April's Fool time and Google released an original update for the occasion: an 8-bit version of oneof their famous feature, Google Maps. You can access this map by going to Google Maps and clicking on the 'try it now' link on the left of your page. You will then be redirected to a fully-functional 8-bit version of Google Maps. You can zoom in on your house or get directions for your next road trip. This new feature is humorously advertised a 'Google Maps on your NES' as a reference to the old 8-bit gaming system. Looking at the world in 8-bit is fun: familiar landscapes look like a map straight out of an old RPG.

This project is fun and original, and yet I cannot help feeling something disturbingly close to nostalgia. I miss 8-bit graphics, dial-up internet, black and white cell phone screens and game boys. Technology is evolving so fast we quickly forget about the products we desperately wanted and cherished because they are ridiculously out-dated only five years later.

Sometimes I wonder if I will sit down with my grandchildren and tell them what it was like to play video games on a 2D TV or how we had to use cords to go on the internet – and above all, I wonder if they will believe me.

New technologies are evolving so fast but we are still human beings and live slowly. Did we create a world too fast for us? I think 8-bit designs making me feel nostalgic is a problem: I belong to a generation known as the Millenniums and most of my memories are linked to products of a consumerist society.

Is attending the University Of Louisville a good choice?

The University of Louisville is getting a lot of attention as its basketball team is playing against Kansas in the March Madness tournament. If Louisville wins the competition, a large number of students will decide to enroll in this university, not realizing that winning a basketball competition has nothing to do with academics.

A university could spend millions on their basketball team and still be unable to provide quality accommodation for the students, hire qualified professors or buy equipment necessary to certain technical classes. And yet a lot of high school students will send out applications to Louisville because the university gained a good reputation through athletics. Marketing departments are aware of this and know sports should be an important part of their strategy. Students are encouraged to identify with the winning team, even though they are not going to attend a single game throughout the season.

Is identifying with your university a necessity? School pride can be fun and feeling like you belong is necessary in order to adapt to this new environment, which is sometimes a radical change, especially for young students out of high school. But you do not need to go to a prestigious university to feelthat way.

Students who want to attend Louisville University after watching the March Madness games need to realize they are not going to get involved in athletics and will get the exact same education and experience at a more affordable school. Actually, Louisville would not even be a good choice for a student interested in a degree Louisville is not offering or not funding properly.

Mirror Mirror: a new take on the Snow White myth

A new take on the Snow White fairy tales came out in the theaters today: Mirror Mirror. So far film critics seem a little disappointed with the movie. The acting isnot that great and director Tarsem Singh's style does not do justiceto the traditional fairy tale. The main interest of the movie is that it offers an original spin on the old fairy tale: the queen is telling the story and turns Snow White into the evil one. The audience is disappointed because everyone wants an evil queen: this is what Snow White is all about. We are supposed to identify with the beautiful young woman who is tyrannized by her jealous stepmother, whether we are watching the candy-coated Disney version or reading the original gritty story.

Why isn't this movie working? Because there is not only stories to tell, but a way of telling them. Snow White is a cultural landmark because we can relate to the story. From a psychoanalytical point of view, Snow White reflects mother-daughter relationships and coming of age, things we all know about even if we have no extensive knowledge of psychoanalysis. Disney turned Snow White into a 'princess', a character little girls want to identify with. I agree that the Disney version is filled with old-fashioned and patriarchal values I would not want to expose a child to, but I cannot deny it is a cultural landmark.

Mirror Mirror fails because it approaches a myth from an unfamiliar angle. We care about Snow White because we know the story and relate to it on different levels: it is a part of our childhood memories, of bonding with our own children and we probably relate to it on an unconscious level too. This new version is not a recognizable myth and does not have an audience because Snow White is not something we want a new take on, it is a myth that needs to be left untouched to conserve its a meaning, both on a personal and cultural level.

Easy Passover Recipes: sweet matzoh in under five minutes

Passover is coming soon and the Jewish community is planning on celebrating with delicious recipes. Whether you are Jewish or not, Passover is a great occasion to get your family together over a good meal. There are many different traditional or original recipes you could try; as long as you select something that corresponds to your skills. Here are a few easy matzoh recipes you can prepare in under five minutes.

Mix three eggs with cinnamon and sugar. Pour some matzoh mix in a large skillet along with your eggs. Cook until golden brown and flip it. Top your matzoh with bananas, yogurts, berries, pieces of chocolates or anything you like!

Melt a few pieces of chocolate in your microwave. Take a few pieces of matzoh, soak them in wine or grapefruit juice for a few seconds to add some flavor before you cover them in melted chocolate. Place your chocolate-coated matzohs in the fridge and serve when cold.

Cut a few apples into thin slices and place them in an oven pan. Pour matzoh mix, sugar and cinnamon on top. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees and enjoy this delicious Passover crumble.

These three recipes are incredibly quick and easy: have your children help you prepare them. All the ingredients are easy to find, but you should probably plan your Passover in advance. Remember what this holiday is about and celebrate it with your family: think of these recipes as a way of helping you out while you are busy with a job and with a lot of things to prepare at home, not as a way of cheapening this tradition.

Aubrey O Day cried on TV: she is human after all

Aubrey O'Day got a lot of attention after she shed a few tears on Celebrity Apprentice. Apparently, Trump decided to donate money to her charity and she had a strong emotional reaction – someone else made a comment about how her fake lasheswould fall if she cried.

We have an interesting theme here, with the fake eyelashes and the tears. Even if this comment is funny, it is also hurtful and very embarrassing. Crying is a normal human reaction to a lot of different situations we all encounter on a regular basis, and yet it is not acceptable to do it on TV. Crying does not correspond to the image of perfection people like O'Day are trying to establish by wearing fake eyelashes, design clothes and appearing on shows like Celebrity Apprentice.

Fame, success and popularity are granted to people who transcend human characteristics and look as close to perfect as possible. What the public see is perfect, but this perfection is achieved after hours in the make-up room, carefully placed lights, and a lot of editing. We all want to look like these people: we buy make up, get our hair done, and read weight loss or fashion tips based on their secret methods.

And yet we want to see our models cry – because we know we cannot look like them, we are still too human. We see them cry, and we realize they are just like us, still human under this coat of makeup and behind these white teeth.

I think we should not make fun of Aubrey O'Day for crying nor want to watch the video. We should show respect and remember she is human in spite of her appearance 

Jerry Lee Lewis marries his cousin - again

Jerry Lee Lewis made the headlines when he married his younger cousin back in the 1950s – he is getting attention again as his 7^th wife turns out to be his cousin's ex-wife. You might be wondering how many cousins Lewis has,but Lewis' new wife, Judith, used to be married to Rusty. Rusty is the older brother of Myra, Lewis' third wife who married him when she was 13. Are you still with us? At least Judith has no DNA in common with Lewis, which makes the whole thing slightly less disturbing.

Marrying people you are related to on different levels is disturbing, but remember that Lewis is from a time and place where that sort of things were perfectly acceptable. We find it disturbing because this is not what Hollywood is exposing us to, but marrying your cousin is legal in more states than same sex marriage is allowed.

It also makes sense that Lewis would want to marry within a close circle of people he can trust. He used to be a wild character and got in a lot of trouble in his youth: it is probably best if he stays among people who really care about his best interest. Besides, he is still making a decent income with his music: marrying someone he has known for years is the guarantee that this person is not after the money.

And in the end, does it really matter who Jerry Lee Lewis is getting married to? Marrying his 13 year old cousin was such a big deal because the girl was so young and Lewis was a huge star, but things are different know. The latest popular song he did was 'Pink Cadillac' in 2007, but didn't really hear anything new since then, and 'Pink Cadillac' was a surprising success after years of silence.

Katie Couric changes sides in the battle of the networks

Katie Couric jumps from one network to the other as a test of popularity: she is going to host 'Good Morning America' for a week, a show she once was in competition with back when she was hosting NBC's 'Today'. ABC wants to put her through this test before her talk show goes on syndication next fall. Will you watch Katie Couric on 'Good Morning America'?

I think the 'Today' fans will be disappointed to see Couric hosting the show they missed every day because they were dedicated to NBC. Fans have chosen to their favorite show and made it a part of their day – networks could at least show a little respect by not questioning these choices.

Does Couric really has a chance? On Monday, 'Good Morning America' will have exciting guests, movie director James Cameron and governor Nikki Haley while Couric will interview Camille Grammer, Eva Longoria and Rascal Flatts: these names are obviously harder to recognize.

CBS is approaching this battle of the networks with heavy artillery: the Monday edition of 'This Morning' will feature Oprah Winfrey. Couric is good, but she is no match for Winfrey.

Which network will you watching? Aren't these shows too similar anyway? I honestly can't tell the difference between 'Today' or 'Good Morning America' or any other similar morning show. It is obviously too early to discuss important news and to have interesting guests come to the studio. The audience is stuck at home with nothing to do: the time is perfect to get them interested in the other shows of the network by interviewing stars from these shows and to tell them what to buy in what is presented as a modern and exciting lifestyle. Does it matter if Couric is on ABC instead of NBC? She will be doing the exact same thing anyway.

Who are the Lottery Winners?

Three lucky winners ended up sharing the record-breaking $656 million Mega Millions jackpot. The winnersare from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland – each of them should receive about $100 millions after taxes, which is still more than enough to live comfortably. Winners have the choice between cashing out this amount or receiving a yearly payment for the next twenty-six years.

The identity of the winners is still a secret: these people need time to figure out what to do with their money, go on a spending spree and open up a few bank accounts.

What is best between the cash out option and the yearly installments? A huge percentage of the money goes toward taxes in both cases, but paying taxes on the yearly installments is slightly more expensive on the long run. However, yearly installments make it easier for the winner to manage the money and maintain a comfortable lifestyle. But what happens when thepayments stop? Most winners will spend the totality of their yearly installments to make house and car payments and not invest the remaining money in anything. After twenty-six years, these people will have a lot of valuable possessions but no real plan for the rest of their lives.

Cashing out a huge sum of money is incredibly exciting and could lead to unbelievable spending sprees. If a winner had enough sense not to spend most of their money on useless things, they could actually create a solid portfolio of investments to support themselves for the rest of their lives. This sounds like a much better option if the winner knows how to manage money or finds a trustworthy financial adviser.

We are still waiting for the Winning Lottery Numbers

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently estimated at $640 million. It seems like every American went crazy after the jackpot was not won last Tuesday and bought a few lottery tickets. A multitude of articles on lottery and gambling habits are appearing on the internet. Experts are claiming that buying lotterytickets is a waste of money and that the odds of actually winning anything are ridiculously low – but the $640 million jackpot is too much of a draw for everyone. Millions of people will probably be very disappointed before the day is over, unless no one wins the jackpot.

This frenzy makes me wonder, how could no one win the jackpot a couple of weeks in a row? Are lottery numbers really picked at random, or is the system rigged? If the system is rigged, the company behind Mega Millions found an excellent way to make a couple of millions every hour: let the jackpot grow and sit back as everybody rushes to the nearest gas station or convenience store to buy tickets.

We are probably going to hear a lot of more about Mega Millions after tonight, especially if who would instantly become the luckiest person on Earth wins it. Apparently, plans have been made to keep the identity of the winner a secret, at least for a few days. I hope the winner will be properly advised on what to do with the money and how to protect themselves. Stay tuned for more updates on Mega Millions after the drawing, and good luck to you!

The Giver vs. The Hunger Games

Lois Lowry’s classic young adult novel The Giver makes its apparition on the theater stage and is compared to The Hunger Games. How dare you?

Set in a dystopian society, The Giver narrates the coming of age of Josh and his realization that individuals are happier when they are free to make their own decisions and assert their uniqueness. I believe this is an important message young people should be aware of. The Hunger Games also has a valuable message, but the Hollywood production somewhat endangers the original message of the book by instantaneously turning young people into stars and perhaps by being misinterpreted as a sort of Battle Royal in some cases.

Both books are interesting reads, but the Hunger Games movie cannot be compared to the Giver theatrical production. First of all, the budgets are worlds apart. And second of all, the audience and the goals are very different too. The Giver is probably not as entertaining as a major Hollywood production because the accent is put on the content, not on the form. The Hunger Games is all about action, adventure, excitement and sometimes comedy. This is the perfect formula to attract teenagers. This is a box office movie with a future in DVD, Blue Ray and on Netflix. Young people are writing about the movie on Facebook and are anticipating the sequel.

Who actually goes to the theater to see The Giver? Not teenagers. The audience will probably mostly be fans of the book or parents taking their children to see a play.

Is Zimmerman lying about being assaulted?

 A new controversy sparks in the Martin case as a video of Zimmerman in handcuffs is released. Zimmerman claimed to have shot Martin in self-defense after being brutally assaulted – yet the video apparently does not show enough damages to his face. A former co-worker of Zimmerman also spoke against him and denounced his violent behavior that eventually lead to Zimmerman losing his security guard job back in 2005. Is this element relevant to the case? Zimmerman had anger issues seven years ago – does this mean he should be denied the right to defend himself?

Zimmerman’s brother answered to these accusations by saying that Zimmerman’s nose is obviously broken and swollen on the video of his arrest. It would make sense that his own brother is trying to support Zimmerman as much as possible.

There is no bad guy or good guy in this case – there is not use in making Martin appear as an innocent teen and in turning Zimmerman into a blood-thirsty racist murderer. Obviously, the two men fought and Zimmerman shot to end the fight. Martin threatened to kill Zimmerman according to a witness, and Zimmerman was following Martin in spite of the police force’s advice, according to the recording of his 911 call prior to the shooting. They both committed mistakes and displayed violent behavior.

Do you think this new material proves that Zimmerman is guilty? Should he be charged although there is no evidence against his self-defense claims? I think this case has gone way too far in term of racial interpretations and that the two protagonists are yet to be accurately portrayed in the media.

The Mega Millions frenzy continues...

No one won the Mega Millions jackpot last Tuesday and more people keep buying tickets before today’s draw. The jackpot has now reached $540 million, an absolute record. What would you do with that kind of money? I think most people are having a hard time realizing how much money this jackpot represents.

Yesterday, 1.3 million tickets were being sold per hour in New York. This jackpot has sparked a real frenzy over the game, but what are your chances of actually winning this jackpot? An American household spends about $500 every year on these games, which is a huge amount considering this is not a good investment. For about $500 dollars, most households could invest in a good insurance policy or even place their money in stocks or bonds. If a household decided to save up for a few years, larger investments would be possible.

Buying a lottery ticket is fun and the expense does not seem very important. But if you started saving the money you usually spend on these games and place in a jar, you could have a nice bundle by the end of the year. Do not think of putting this money aside as missing out on a possible jackpot; you could play ten lotteries every single day for the rest of your life and never win anything.  This is how bad the odds are. Do the smart thing and save up your money, even though I agree it is hard not to spend a couple of dollars and daydream about these $540 million.  

Bohemian Rhapsody and drunk driving

Robert Wilkinson became an internet sensation after posting a hilarious video of himself singing Queen’s classic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in the back of a Canadian police car. Wilkinson was arrested for drunk driving in Edson, Alberta and was shown the video documenting his intoxicated state when he questioned the charge. The video quickly became a sensation on the internet; it is hilarious but Wilkinson is actually doing a good job, both with the lyrics and the instrumental parts of the song.

Wilkinson uploaded other videos of himself on the internet, but none of them were as funny as his interpretation of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Even though this incident is hilarious, it also raises concern about drunk driving; this man was intoxicated enough to sing in the back of a police vehicle and not remember it until he was shown the video.

The main problem with drunk driving is that everyone agrees it is stupid – and yet everyone thinks they are able to stay focused and drive even though they are drunk. Drinking slows down reflexes and impairs judgment: there is no way you should be driving after even a glass of alcohol, even if you feel like you still have all your reflexes. And if you are drunk enough to sing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, I hope your friends would be kind enough to take your car keys away from you.

The best way to avoid drunk driving is to make plans in advance. Find someone who can give you a ride or crash on your friend’s couch instead of planning on driving home.

Jennie Garth's divorce and the end of the nuclear family

Jennie Garth is apparently getting divorced from her husband Peter Facinelli. Who are these people? Jennie Garth starred in Beverly Hills 90210 and later appeared on Dancing with the Stars in a desperate attempt to come back under the limelight. Facinelli starred in the Twilight movies. This couple has been together for 11 years and has three children; their divorce is getting a lot of attention from the press right now.

And yet, these people are nobodies. Jenny Garth’s name was probably familiar to everyone when Beverly Hills 90210 was still running, but why is her divorce getting so much attention today? Perhaps seeing her on Dancing with the Stars recently made people realize how well she had aged and how happy she was in her relationship while Facinelli clapped and supported her throughout her performances. Was this only an illusion? And why do we care so much if this couple is getting a divorce?

I think seeing people consider happy and successful get divorces and fail at keeping their families together makes us feel better about our own families. No matter how hard we try, it is always hard to communicate with each other, forget about our arguments and find things we can all enjoy together. The number of single parents is increasing and most people get married more than once. Are traditional family values a thing of the past? We are having a hard time accepting that the nuclear family is no longer the norm and blame ourselves for failing to reproduce the models established by previous generations. Watching successful people fail too is only a small consolation.