Author: Martin D'Anjou

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Notre-Dame the must-see landmark of Paris

Among the most beautiful places to visit in Paris, one cathedral consistently tops the list for tourists.

The Office of Tourism and Congress of Paris revealed this week that more than 71 million tourists have visited 63 sites in the French capital – with the most popular landmark being Notre-Dame.

Notre-Dame de Paris and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre are by far the favorite and most visited sites, with respective estimates of 13.65 million and 10.5 million visitors in 2010. Behind them are the Louvre Museum (8.4 million visitors) and the Eiffel Tower (6.6 million).

Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris commenced in 1163 on the Ile de la Cité. The structure has long been revered as a veritable wonder of neo-Gothic art and is widely considered a stellar example of French Gothic architecture throughout Europe.

The cathedral’s ornate facade, flying buttresses and majestic galleries have been immortalized in countless works of art, fiction and film.

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Uncategorized

Is your pillow a breeding ground for bacteria?

A study by the National Health Service Trust at St. Bartholomew hospital in London revealed that bacteria found in pillows can cause serious health problems, reports the Daily Mail.

Researchers sounded the alarm regarding the cleanliness of pillows, after a study at British hospitals found some alarming levels of bacteria. They are now looking at using special bacteria-resistant pillows.

According their findings, they believe one third of the volume of the average household pillow could consist of bugs, dead skin, and dust mites, dead or alive, and their feces.

When you picture an overheated or stuffy bedroom and a supply of warm body heat, a pillow is a great incubator for bacteria.

Changing the pillowcase is not sufficient protection against bacteria. In reality, the fresh-smelling fabric does not protect one from germs. Experts recommend washing both synthetic and down pillows in the washing machine every one to three months.

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Uncategorized

City living linked to increased stress and anxiety

City-dwellers are at increased risk for mood and mental disorders like anxiety and schizophrenia, but for the first time, using MRIs, scientists have uncovered notable differences in brain activity, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.

"Previous findings have shown that the risk for anxiety disorders is 21 percent higher for people from the city, who also have a 39 percent increase for mood disorders," explained study author Jens Pruessner.

"In addition, the incidence for schizophrenia is almost doubled for individuals who are born and brought up in cities."

To discover why city residents have more mental health problems than those from rural areas, German researchers at the Central Institute of Mental Health used MRI technology to study the brain activity of healthy volunteers.

They found volunteers who currently lived in the city showed more stress response in the amygdala – the part of the brain that regulates emotions and moods – when compared to those from the country. Individuals who had grown up in the city had more activity in the cingulate cortex – the region that regulates stress.

"These findings suggest that different brain regions are sensitive to the experience of city living during different times across the lifespan," concluded Pruessner.

Researchers hope that further research can clarify the link between these changes in brain chemistry and the prevalence of mood disorders in city-dwellers.

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Uncategorized

Potato chips at top of list for weight gain

Potato chips could be the worst food associated with weight gain, according to a recent joint study by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Schools of Medicine and Public Health.

The study, published online today (June 23) in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that nearly half of the average weight gain over a four year period can be attributed to eating more potato chips over time.

Other foods near the top of the list included potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, red meat, and processed meats.

As to be expected, foods most associated with weight loss included yogurt, nuts, fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.

The analysis reviewed data from more than 120,000 men and women, with an average weight gain of 3.35 lb during each four year period, adding up to 16.8 lb over 20 years.

Researchers claim that there is no magic formula for weight loss. A single ingredient cannot fix everything, but calories do make a difference, and healthy eating combined with regular exercise is the best guarantee of weight loss.

It was noted that other lifestyle habits played a role in long-term weight gain, including daily alcohol consumption, having recently quit smoking, and television watching.

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Cinéma

Men in Black III facing delays, script problems

The New York City film shoot of Men in Black III, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, is experiencing delays including script problems and a demanding star, reports The Wrap.

A source at Sony said that there is tension on the set, due to the complexities of shooting a big budget film in New York City.

Last week, rumors of productions problems surfaced when one of its stars, Will Smith, left the set and returned to his home in Los Angeles for two days.

The same source, said Smith was throwing his weight around – causing leaks from the set about the actor’s demanding behavior. For example, Smith improvised dialogue for a telephone conversation, forcing scenes to be reshot, in order to properly link the two sides of the conversation.

The star’s mammoth $9,000-a-month 53-foot trailer was also fodder for the tabloids, with the New York Post noting, “the monstrosity was choking business revenues and filling the streets with exhaust fumes. …”

“Now the ‘I Am Legend’ actor will have to trek to the trailer to get his makeup done, confer with his personal writers and lounge in his marble-floored, 100-inch-screen film room – or walk less than a mile to his own $25,000-a-month Bond Street apartment.”

With the budget now estimated at about $215 million – more than twice the cost of Men in Black II – director Barry Sonnenfeld’s film has faced numerous delays since the start of shooting, adding a number of months to the production schedule.

Despite the rumors, Sony is denies any unusual problems beyond those typical of a big budget production in NYC, and confirms Men in Black III will arrive in theaters as scheduled, on May 25, 2012.

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Musique

Katy Perry sets record with full year of top 10 hits

Pop star Katy Perry made history this week as she became the first artist in history to spend an entire year – 52 consecutive weeks – on the Billboard Hot 100 top ten music chart.

One year ago, Perry’s California Gurls debuted at number two on May 29, 2010. Her breakthrough single would go on to take the number one spot and keep it for six consecutive weeks, remaining in the top ten for a total of 12 weeks.

By the time California Gurls fell below tenth place, Perry’s next single, Teenage Dream, had jumped from 20th to seventh and eventually went on to number one.

The very week that Teenage Dream dropped to number 12, Firework swooped in to save the day, rising to tenth place on November 20, 2010. By January 8, 2011, Firework was in first place, where it would remain for four straight weeks.

When E.T. rose to number eight on March 12, it took the torch from Firework and has been running with it ever since. After spending the past five weeks at number one, E.T. finally dropped to second on the May 21 chart.

Before Perry, Ace of Base held the record for longest consecutive period in the top ten with 48 straight weeks of top ten hits. Santana follows with 42 weeks and Mariah Carey in fourth at 41 straight weeks.

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Musique

Women Who Rock exhibit opens at Hall of Fame

Today (May 13), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland launches a major exhibit entitled Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power, devoted to women and their contributions to the world of rock music over the years.

The exhibit will feature artefacts, videos, and listening stations featuring women who made it big in a male-dominated profession.

The idea for the exhibit finally became reality after Cindy Lauper visited last year and watched a film about the roots of rock. The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun hitmaker felt the movie was too male-dominated and wondered where the female artists were.

Rock is indeed a man’s world. Nine percent of museum inductees are women, reflecting the rock industry and its macho culture.

Since rock was "invented by men to get girls," as Heart member Ann Wilson puts it, female artists struggled to find their place in the industry.

Talking about the intense pressure for female artists to play up their sexuality, singer-songwriter Liz Phair noted, "There was a moment when the cool girls were kicking ass and taking names. And right now it’s the hot girl. I’m happy, personally, as long as our numbers are up."

Organized chronologically, from the 1920s Suffragettes to Juke-Joint Mamas up to the present day Ladies First: The ‘90s and the New Millenium, more than 60 female artists will be featured. From Billie Holiday and Brenda Lee, to Patti Smith, Joan Jett, Madonna, and Lady Gaga, the exhibit, which runs until February 26, 2012, pays tribute to a diverse roster of artists across many musical genres.

 

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Night at the museum – in Europe

Museums across Europe will be staying open late into the night tomorrow (May 14) for the seventh annual Nuit des musées (Museum Night).

During the annual Nuit, participating institutions will offer free admission after 6 p.m. and remain open until after midnight.

Each museum hosts special events for the evening, including unique tours and shows such as artist appearances, lantern-lit tours, concerts and readings.

Nearly 3,000 museums across 40 European countries are slated to take part this year, including 1,400 institutions in France, 400 in Italy, 170 in Belgium, 120 in Poland and 100 in the U.K.

In Paris alone, 192 museums and galleries will remain open late into the night, including the Musée du Louvre, Rodin Museum, Centre Georges Pompidou/Museum of Modern Art,  Musée d’Orsay, City of Science and Industry, Carnavalet Museum and National Archives.

Event organizers have designed a dedicated La Nuit des musées 2011 iPhone app to help visitors navigate the after-dark event. The app can be downloaded for free through iTunes.

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Ottawa museum shows you how to live in outer space

For those who have ever wondered what it’s like to be an astronaut, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa has opened a new exhibit, Living in Space.

The modular, interactive exhibit offers hands-on demonstrations of what life is like aboard the International Space Station. Visitors will learn how astronauts on board entertain themselves and manage daily tasks like personal hygiene, sleeping and exercise. An interactive dining table also lets guests experience what it is like to eat in the weightlessness of space.

The exhibit "incorporates multimedia with various objects, replicas and components used daily by astronauts during a mission to present the technical, psychological and physical challenges of life in space," explains the museum website.

"This exhibit is all about scientific curiosity. It’s asking that question, ‘how do you live in space; what happens to your body in space?’" explained Canadian astronaut Dave Williams.

Williams – who spent time on board the space shuttle Endeavor in 2007 – was one of several astronauts on hand for the exhibit’s launch yesterday (May 12).

Categories
Nouvelles quotidiennes

Plan the same vacation as Wills and Kate

Yesterday (May 12), the exact honeymoon destination of popular royal couple, Prince William and his new bride Kate Middleton, was revealed by French magazine L’Express.

The newlyweds chose to spend their honeymoon on a small, secluded island in the Seychelles, at a private resort on North Island.

A 30-minutes flight north of Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean, North Island welcomes wealthy tourists to its 11 private villas.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are staying in bungalow 11, the most isolated – and expensive – on the resort.

Once the reservation was made by Buckingham Palace, the owner of the property closed the lease of other bungalows, to prevent curious people from disturbing the royal honeymooners, according to the French magazine.

For interested travelers, it costs $4,600 per person, per day, to sleep in the same bed as Prince William and Kate Middleton – a price fit for a king – or queen.