Creating, collecting, and sharing thoughts and ideas. And learning along the way.
Ann Arbor, Mich.; Cambridge, Mass.; and Berkeley, Calif., hold the top three places in On Numbers’ analysis of educational attainment in 269 communities with more than 100,000 residents:Seventy-two percent of all adults (25 or older) hold bachelor’s degrees in Ann Arbor, the home of the University of Michigan, and 43 percent also have advanced degrees. Both figures are the best in their respective categories among all major cities.
Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/23/2011Obama to pardon two national turkeys for Thanksgiving
It’s good to have friends in high places. Especially when you’re a turkey. On Thanksgiving.President Obama will use his executive authority Wednesday to pardon two 19-week-old, 45-pound turkeys a day before America’s annual feast. Liberty, chosen from among more than 100 candidates as the National Thanksgiving Turkey, and its alternate Peace, will be driven to Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, where they will be on display through Jan. 6, the White House announced.
The tradition of pardoning a turkey, and sparing it from being slaughtered, has murky origins, but it was formalized under President George H.W. Bush in 1989.
Obama will make the announcement in the Rose Garden, on the 64th anniversary of the national Thanksgiving presentation. After the holidays, the turkeys, which were raised in Willmar, Minn., will be moved to a custom enclosure at Mount Vernon’s livestock facility.
Two other turkeys are not so lucky. They were dressed and sent to the White House from Jaindl’s Turkey Farm in Orefield, Pa., and will be donated to a local food bank.
By David Nakamura | 06:00 AM ET, 11/23/2011
Mid-week mental health break.
Video shot during the recording of the song with the music composer Anirudh, Dhanush, Shruti Hassan, Aishwarya and Sound Engineer Sivakumar.
Cultural note: Kolaveri= Murderous rage
First in a series of spectacular sunset shots.
I suppose this is what you might call an action-comedy film: equal parts of both, yet lacking the essential je ne sais quoi to make the movie memorable. There’s big name actors like Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, and Alan Alda, and a Robin Hood theme to the story, but if I were to be kind more than clear, I’d say what the movie lacks in credibility of plot and heart, it makes up for in slick cinematography and special effects.
Plus, there’s always the thrill of seeing the New York City skyline, especially when you get views of it from a penthouse located on the Upper West Side. And as for the actors, well, if you like Ben Stiller, then there’s nothing not to like about this, because Mr. Stiller is in fine form throughout. As for Eddie Murphy, this is actually a throwback to the roles that he played prior to the immortality that came to him from playing Donkey in the Shrek series. And as for Alan Alda, the good-guy persona that he acquired through all the many years of playing the funny doctor on the M*A*S*H* series is a mere shadow of a remembrance.
And so, we have yet another attempt by Hollywood to cash in with the usual formula of big names and big city plots, but you win some, and you others you don’t. This happens to fall into that latter category, but then again, all is not lost if you can catch a matinee show or have a student-discount to check it out at the movies. If not, you’re best off waiting for the DVD release.
