30 Forgotten National Geographic Photos

Wonderful...

Lovers in Paris, 1960.

National Geographic Found retrieves images from the Nat Geo archives, and showcases moments that have been lost and are just now being rediscovered, Kristine Mitchell reports on mymodernmet.com.

Some of these photos were never published, and others were run in the magazine many years ago and then forgotten. We have chosen some of our favorites, but if you want to see more amazing, forgotten shots, check out the National Geographic Found Tumblr page, Mitchell wrote: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/nat-geo-found-project

Photo: Thomas Nebbia/National Geographic.

Jamba Juice's Clever Response to Adele's Hilarious Prank

Yummy...

The one and only Swishy Chug.

Jamba Juice became the butt of a hilarious comedy sketch between Adele and Ellen DeGeneres last week, and now the juice company has come back with a joke of its own, Kendall Fisher reports on eonline.com.

One of the funnier lines in the sketch came when Adele claimed to have a similar juice place in London called Swishy Chug, which she said was some sort of beet and potato kind of mixed together, Fisher wrote.

See parts of the hilarious sketch again and the clever response from Jamba Juice: http://www.eonline.com/news/742475/jamba-juice-responds-to-adele-and-ellen-degeneres-hilarious-swishy-chug-prank

Photo; someecards.com.

Musical Moments: Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 21

Beautiful...

Salzburg, Austia, Mozart's birthplace.

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

Today's feature is Mozart's beautiful Piano Concerto No. 21:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I

Photo: Pinterest.  

Darien Real Estate Activity Surges

Weekly update...

Signs of spring.

Darien saw a surge in residential real estate activity in the week ending today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- 18 new listings of property for sale;

-- 12 price changes;

-- Seven accepted offers;

-- No properties going under contract, and

-- Four closings.

For more:

Exercise and Live Longer and Better

Good for you...

Needs work.

There’s no getting around the benefits of exercise. The evidence keeps piling up, David Brown report on washingtonpost.com.

Over the past two decades, research has shown that exercise reduces the risk of heart attack, helps control weight, decreases inflammation, lowers the risk of developing diabetes and certain cancers, increases the chances of survival after a heart attack, lifts mood, slows the decline of sexual performance and prolongs independent living in the very old, Brown wrote.

For more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/we-all-know-exercise-makes-you-live-longer-but-this-will-actually-get-you-off-the-couch/2016/02/22/833e0128-d0d5-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html

Photo: Pinterest.

A Quick Guide to New Facebook Reactions

New expressions...

New Facebook reactions available today.

Now you can do a whole lot more than "like" a Facebook post, Hope King reports on cnn.com.

Facebook introduced "Love," "Haha," "Wow," "Sad," and  "Angry" buttons today that people can click to respond to a post.

For a quick video on the new reactions:  http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/24/technology/facebook-reactions/index.html?iid=surge-story-summary

Photo: benderausencom/Google.

Learning New Skills Faster

Varied practice...

The secret is how to practice.

Learning a new skill doesn't depend so much on how much practice you do, Charlie Sorrel reports on fastcoexist.com.

The key is to subtly vary your training with changes that keep your brain learning, Sorrel writes.

For more: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3056223/the-secret-to-learning-new-skills-twice-as-fast
Photo: Pinterest.  

The World's Most Expensive Billionaire Homes

Lavish retreats...

Billion dollar home in Mumbai.

Billionaires have been trading multimillion-dollar real estate with tremendous zeal in recent years, slapping down record sums for trophy homes while quietly floating other properties in their portfolios through brokers in unofficial, off-market offerings, Morgan Brennan reports on forbes.com.

To see how the ultra-high-end market is faring and some of the most expensive houses in the world: http://www3.forbes.com/business/the-worlds-most-expensive-billionaire-homes/

Photo: india.com.  

Adele's "Crazy" Juice Bar Prank

Great fun...

What's in Jamba Juice?

Adele was on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Wednesday, and the two had some fun pranking employees at Jamba Juice, Sarah Epstein reports on today.com.

Adele was the one in the store, but Ellen told her what to say (and do), and of course, the whole thing was caught on camera.

For some great fun: http://www.buzzfeed.com/michaelblackmon/hello-its-me-jamba-juice#.psP2ndYqP

Photo: today.com.  

Musical Moments: Honoring Harper Lee and Umberto Eco

Two giants...

A beloved classic.

Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose: A great favorite.

This week marked the passing of two literary giants: Harper Lee and Umberto Eco.

Musical Memories features music from movies made of two of their most famous works:  

To Kill a Mocking Bird: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t98LWNwUhI

and

The Name of the Rose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-yYJgpQ-CE

Photos: Pinterest.  

Darien Finishes Busy Real Estate Week

Weekly update...

Darien's Pear Tree Point Beach in winter.

Darien finished a busy residential real estate week today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Eight new listings of property for sale;

-- Six price changes;

-- Six accepted offers;

-- One property going under contract, and

-- Three closings.

For more: 

To Do: Review Facebook's Privacy Notification

Privacy checkup...

Review your choices.

Facebook is rolling out a notification to smartphone users that you shouldn't miss, Damon Beres reports on huffingtonpost.com.

Here's how it works. You might see a little blue dinosaur at the top of your News Feed that suggests you run the checkup, Beres wrote.

For more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/facebook-privacy-checkup_us_56c2538ee4b0b40245c7989a

Photo: huffingtonpost.com. 

See Live TV Views of Expecting Eagles in DC

Busy nesters...

Mr. President and The First Lady are back in Washington.

Two Bald Eagles are back in the nation's capital, and they're expecting again, according to eagles.org.

The First Lady laid two eggs this month, which are expected to hatch in about 35 days.

Watch the pair live with the help of two high definition TV cameras as they incubate their eggs: http://www.eagles.org/dceaglecam/

Photo: eagles.org.  

Your iPhone's Final Resting Place

After the last call...

iPhones heading for recycling.

At the end of their useful lives, many iPhones face the crusher, Tim Culpan reports on bloomberg.com.

At a dedicated factory with 24-hour security in an undisclosed location in Hong Kong, iPhones are being carefully and meticulously destroyed, he writes.

For all that happens at the end of an iPhone's life:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-02-16/where-your-iphone-goes-to-die

Photo: bloomberg.com.  

What You Need to Know About the Zika Virus

Spreading virus...

Mosquito biting someone's finger.

The Zika virus, carried by mosquitos and spreading across the Americas, is the subject of a new video by bloomberg.com.

For what you need to know about Zika and how officials are trying to stop it: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-02-11/zika-virus-what-you-need-to-know-in-two-minutes

Photo: Pinterest.

Adele Stars in Photobombing and Carpool Karaoke

Hilarious...

Ooo, Sounds like fun.

Join Adele, a very funny lady with a wonderful sense of humor, for some laughs to start your new week.

See her having a grand time photobombing fans at a live concert in London:  http://time.com/4220563/adele-photobomb-live-in-london-graham-norton/?xid=time_socialflow_twitter

And doing some hilarious carpool karaoke around London with James Corden:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nck6BZga7TQ

Adele and James Corden.

Photos: Google.

Musical Moments: Roberta Flack Classics

Two Valentines...

Roberta Flack

Musical Moments features two Roberta Flack classics for Valentine's Day --

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and 

Killing me Softly With His Song.

First Time:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id_UYLPSn6U

Killing Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpNdMIAnKko

Happy Valentine's Day.

Photo: Jack Robinson, Pinterest.

Darien Marks Active Real Estate Week

Weekly update...

Central Park in winter.

Darien marked an active residential real market in the week ending today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Eleven new listings of property for sale;

-- Four price changes;

-- Seven accepted offers;

-- Two properties going under contract, and

-- Three closing.

For more: 

Why Marshal Zhukov Insisted on Clear Coke

Clandestine cola...

Ike to Zhukov: Those are some of our guys enjoying a Coca-Cola pause that refreshes. Want to try a Coke?  You'd probably really like it.

Here's a fun historical footnote: How Ike introduced Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov to Coca-Cola and Truman came to the marshal's rescue when his clear Coke supply ran out.

For more on the clandestine cola and vodka look-alike for the marshal: http://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/clear-coke

Coke has been popular for years in Russia. Here's a street ad in Moscow.

Photos: Google, Pinterest.  

New Film: Our Majestic National Parks

Striking beauty...

The Grand Canyon in winter.

National Parks Adventure -- a new IMAX film marking the National Park Service's 2016 centennial -- explores America's most majestic terrain.

For a preview, slide show and more from cnn.com:  http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/10/travel/national-parks-imax/index.html

The Grand Tetons in fall.

Yosemite in autumn.

Photos: Pinterest, Tumblr.  

The Most Common and Worst Passwords

Terrible...

Brilliant.

Our passwords are bad, and we should feel bad about it: Every year,SplashData releases a list of the most popular passwords discovered in data breaches released online over the past 12 months. And this year, "123456" and "password" topped this list, Andrea Anderson reports on washingtonpost.com.

Just like last year. And the year before that, she added.

For more, including a list of the worst for 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/01/19/people-are-still-using-these-terrible-passwords/

Photo: Pinterest.

New Study: Social Media Reinforces Bias

Confirming beliefs...

People have been writing misleading stuff on walls for thousands of years.

Why does misinformation spread so quickly on the social media? Why doesn’t it get corrected? When the truth is so easy to find, why do people accept falsehoods?

A new study focusing on Facebook users provides strong evidence that the explanation is confirmation bias: people’s tendency to seek out information that confirms their beliefs, and to ignore contrary information, Cass Sustein reports on bloomberg.com.

For more: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2016-01-08/how-facebook-makes-us-dumber

Photo: Pinterest.

Super Bowl 50: Clever Commercials

Game on...

Wow! We need a Rogue winter warrior...right now!

Super Bowl 50 offers a host of clever Super Bowl commercials; for instance:

-- Nissan Rogue: Winter warrior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BcdfMyf5s

-- The Bud Light Party: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JohgwbpQuy8

-- Hyundai: Ryanville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih4VYnbm6Sw

-- Budweiser: Helen Mirren: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb2VXVmUga4

-- Amazon Echo: Brainstorm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LnSky0bHUs

-- Super Bowl 50: Super Bowl Babies, Seal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KqekigARfE

-- LG: Man from the future: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzLfPx-8OuM

-- Death Wish Coffee: Storm's a-Brewin':  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_3H_Y5QUWw

For the story behind the first Super Bowl: http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story-super-bowl/story?id=36689661

Photo: Tumblr.

Musical Moments, Whitney Houston's Star Spangled Banner

Marvelous..

Whitney Houston and her marvelous national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl.

Tomorrow's Super Bowl game will follow tradition and start with the national anthem.

Twenty five years ago, Whitney Houston made music history with her extraordinary Star Spangled Banner at the 1991 Super Bowl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lCmBvYMRs

For more about Houston and her remarkable music:  http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/anthem-of-freedom-how-whitney-houston-remade-the-star-spangled-banner

Photo: newyorker.com.

Darien Sees Real Estate Uptick

Weekly update...

After the storm today.

Darien saw an uptick in residential real estate activity in the week ending today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Fifteen new listings of property for sale;

-- One price change;

-- Eight accepted offers;

-- Three properties going under contract, and

-- Two closings.

For more: 

Buy a TV Like a Super Bowl Champ

Best choice...

Getting into the game.

Geoffrey Fowler has a wonderful lead for his entertaining and informative story and video on wsj.com about buying a TV like a Super Bowl champ: To score at your Super Bowl party, great guacamole can't make up for lousy TV, he said. 

For more, including a video you won't want to miss: http://www.wsj.com/video/finding-the-best-tv-deal-for-super-bowl-50/119A2F54-50E6-4C19-B13D-E0A4B1A99073.html

Photo: Tumblr.  

Astronomers Discover Huge New Solar System

Far, far away...

Lonely planet in huge solar system.

A massive planet thought to have been free floating in space is actually in a colossal orbit around a star 1 trillion kilometers away, James Griffiths reports on cnn.com.

That's according to a team of astronomers in the UK, U.S. and Australia, who revealed last week that snappily-named planet 2MASS J2126 is in an orbit around its star 7,000-times the size of Earth's orbit around the sun. 

For more, including a fascinating video:  http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/27/world/lonely-planet-largest-solar-system/

Photo: cnn.com.

The MOMA Cookbook: Famous Artists' Vintage Recipes

Tasty...

Salvador Dali and a great meal.

Enjoy fine food?

Maria Popova offers fascinating insights into favorite dishes and recipes of some well known artists on brainpickings.org.

In 1977, Popova reports, Madeleine Conway and Nancy Kirk collaborated with New York's MoMa on The Museum of Modern Art Artists' Cookbook -- a compendium of favorite recipes and reflections on food by such prominent artists as Salvador Dali, Louise Bourgeois, Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning.

More more: https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/01/29/museum-of-modern-art-cookbook/

Photo: brainpickings.org.  

New Video: Shooting New York From Above

Aerial portrait...

 Manhattan.

Known for enormous images of deserts, geographic features and mass animal migrations, George Steinmetz is the leading aerial photographer of his time. Now he has turned his lens on New York, bbc.com reports.

Steinmetz describes trying to capture on film New York's building boom, how one man's ceiling is another man's floor and more in making what he calls a portrait of the city in a new video.

For the short, fascinating video: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35435770

Photo: George Steinmetz, Pinterest.