Ray Liotta, the actor known for his roles in “Field of Dreams” and the Martin Scorsese mob classic “Goodfellas,” has died. He was 67.
“Ray was working on a project in the Dominican Republic called ‘Dangerous Waters’ when he passed. He passed in his sleep. He is survived by his daughter, Karsen, and his fiancée, Jacy Nittolo,” his publicist Jennifer Allen told CNN.
Liotta’s many film and television credits include “John Q,” “Blow,” “Operation Dumbo Drop,” “Hannibal,” “Wild Hogs” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
More recently, Liotta narrated the TV docuseries “The Making of the Mob” and starred in “The Many Saints of Newark,” the prequel film to the hit television mob series “The Sopranos.”
He played plenty of tough guys, but that was not Liotta’s true persona.
How, after the critical and commercial success of Goodfellas, did the industry fail to make Liotta a successful leading man? In interviews, he seemed to suggest he’d gotten in his own way, passing up some good roles in an understandable effort to avoid typecasting. And though he was strikingly handsome, he didn’t have the kind of generic beauty Hollywood looks for (especially during Liotta’s generation) in a hero.
Whether it’s a quick regional trip or an international long-haul, stepping off a plane always feels like an incredible relief. Once you’ve collected your bags and made your way back up the jetway, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of your new destination or the routine of settling back in at home. But according to flight attendants, there’s one thing that should always be on your post-arrival to-do list.
Note: I was thinking like saying a prayer or shaking the pilot’s hand, but read on and you will find out what this flight attendant suggests.
Get some sunlight and spend time in a green space outdoors after you land.
Once you arrive at your destination and settle in, your first instinct may be to grab your camera see the sights. On the other hand, you could also feel exhausted, groggy, and desperate for a cup of coffee. Instead of lying down for a nap, try spending time outdoors to refresh your senses and shake off the effects of hours spent inside a confined space, flight attendants tell lifestyle website The Travel.
If you’re staying in a city, your hotel’s rooftop, balcony, or outdoor patio can provide the fresh air you need to clear your head. But if you’re feeling up for it, a brisk walk to a nearby beach or park can reinvigorate your body—and allow you to soak up some much-needed vitamin D from the sunshine.
Exposure to natural sunlight can help you overcome any jet lag and feel more alert.
If you’ve spent enough time traveling to need some outdoor refreshment, there’s also a good chance your trip has caused you to change time zones. Adjusting your internal clock when you land—or even just making yourself feel more alert—can be a lot easier if you spend some time outdoors in the sun at your destination to help shift your body’s circadian rhythm (the scientific term for natural sleep cycles).
The origins of the prank-lovers’ favorite holiday are murky. In fact, it’s possible that the entire concept of April Fools’ Day is itself a prank. Or is it?
The origin of April Fools’ Day is debated, but its history covers centuries of April Fools’ pranks. Including family high jinks (like pranks to play on your parents or your kids) to office pranks and April Fools’ jokes at everyone’s expense. Your pranking ambitions might be a little more modest, but what gave rise to those ambitions in the first place? When is April Fools’ Day? Also, why do we collectively try to pull a fast one on this day? Let’s look into the origin of April Fools’ Day.
What is April Fools’ Day?
April Fools’ Day is an annual holiday that consists of practical jokes, pranks, and hoaxes. Pranksters often unmask their joke by yelling a loud and proud, “April Fools’!” at their victim. This custom has been observed for hundreds of years, but more on that later.
When is April Fools’ Day?
April Fools’ Day always occurs on the first of April. In 1561, a Flemish poet wrote some comical verse about a nobleman who sends his servant back and forth on ludicrous errands in preparation for a wedding feast (the poem’s title roughly translates to “Refrain on errand-day / which is the first of April”). The first mention of April Fools’ Day in Britain was in 1686, when biographer John Aubrey described April 1st as a “Fooles holy day.”
It’s clear that the habit of sending springtime rubes on a “fool’s errand” was rampant in Europe by the late 1600s. On April Fools’ Day in 1698, so many saps were tricked into schlepping to the Tower of London to watch the “washing of the lions” (a ceremony that didn’t exist) that the April 2 edition of a local newspaper had to debunk the hoax—and publicly mock the schmoes who fell for it.
What is the origin of April Fools’ Day?
There’s no question that April Fools’ Day is one of the most widely recognized non-religious holidays in the Western world. Children prank parents, coworkers prank coworkers, and yes, national news outlets still prank their readers. But why? What is the origin of April Fools’ Day, and how did it become an international phenomenon? The totally legit, not-pulling-your-leg answer to the origin of April Fools’ Day is: Nobody really knows. April Fools’ Day is apparently an ancient enough tradition that the earliest recorded mentions, including the following excerpt from a 1708 letter to Britain’s Apollo magazine, ask the same question we do: “Whence proceeds the custom of making April Fools?
April Fools’ Day history
Surely, one likely predecessor to the origin of April Fools’ Day is the Roman tradition of Hilaria. A spring festival held around March 25 in honor of the “first day of the year longer than the night” (to us, the vernal equinox, which typically falls on March 20). Festivities included games, processions, and masquerades, during which disguised commoners could imitate nobility to devious ends.
It’s hard to say whether this ancient revelry’s similarities to modern April Fools’ Day are legit or coincidence. Subsequently, the first recorded mentions of the holiday didn’t appear until several hundred years later.
Is April Fools’ Day celebrated worldwide?
While April Fools’ Day is technically considered a national holiday, many countries have adopted the idea of playing pranks on or around April 1st.
For example, France celebrates April Fools’ Day on April first by sticking a paper fish onto the backs of as many people as possible, while yelling “Poisson d’Avril!” This tends to be something children partake in more than adults.
In Greece, successfully tricking someone on this day is said to bring the prankster good luck for the entire year. In some parts of the country, rainfall on April 1st is said to have healing abilities.
While neither of these countries celebrates April Fools’ Day quite like the United States, they still have their own methods of tricking people.
Angel numbers are simply signs of alignment. Indeed, when we pay attention to them, they convey divine and spiritual messages from the Universe, that are transmitted by our guardian angels. The spiritual signification of these combinations reassures us that our guides are there for us, and also that we are not alone. Although each number has a slightly different meaning, they are all-powerful reminders that change is possible and that you have what it takes to turn things around for yourself. Let’s discover the meanings, and messages behind the angel numbers, and learn how they could benefit you.
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Which Angel numbers do you see, and what do they mean?
111 Angel number: You need to adopt a less intense approach to life and focus on your blessings.
222 Angel number: You must stay truthful and faithful to your personal beliefs.
333 Angel number: You need to learn to express yourself and attempt to talk about your feelings.
444 Angel number: You are at a crossroads in your life and should embrace spirituality.
555 Angel number: Personal growth or even physical change await you.
666 Angel number: You are currently stuck in the past and need to let go in order to move forward.
777 Angel number: Your Angels want to congratulate and encourage you.
888 Angel number: The universe is supportive of your life path and wants you to succeed.
808 Angel number: Your Angels are urging you to explore new talents.
818 Angel number: It’s time for you to push the boundaries and realize how strong you are.
999 Angel number: You are about to take a new turn in life because a chapter is coming to an end.
1155 Angel number: The higher powers urge you to use your personal freedom to become a better person.
1221 Angel number: You are capable of great things, so be optimistic and move forward.
1144 Angel number: If you want something, build up your courage and chase your dreams.
Our Angels send us repeating numbers that impart us with the wisdom and maturity necessary to realize our dreams, and discover our life purposes. The numbers each correspond to a certain phase or area of our lives, and their messages provide us with angelic guidance.
Angel numbers are specific to your life and your thoughts, which means they are all very different from each other. They are simply messages that help you through change, to make a decision, or even through a difficult phase. In fact, you can think of them as advice that heaven is giving you.
Where you are likely to see angel numbers
Unfortunately, the spiritual significance of these master numbers is often ignored because we are simply too busy to analyze the meanings. Angel numbers can appear in many places, and there is no rule to that. However, it is generally thought that certain mediums favor their appearance, such as;
Digital clocks: Angel numbers are even more obvious when the number combination also includes the date.
License plates
Phone numbers
The world is full of numbers that allow angels to express themselves, just keep an eye out for various manifestations of the divine.
Article by Astrofame
Source: Angel Numbers: Unravel Their Hidden Messages For Spiritual Guidance (msn.com)
Let’s be honest, when Australians put their heads on the pillow on Tuesday night, nobody outside Ash Barty’s inner circle could have guessed she was going to announce her retirement less than 24 hours later.
The three-time grand slam champion shocked the world by quitting at just 25 and tennis fans around the globe will be asking themselves: “What signs did we miss?”
Is this the roar that said it all?
In all likelihood it was impossible to tell Barty was inching towards the exit but looking back, perhaps there were some clues the end was coming sooner than we thought.
In a video posted to social media on Wednesday revealing she was retiring, where Barty spoke to former doubles partner and best mate Casey Dellacqua, the world No. 1 revealed winning Wimbledon last year and then the Australian Open in January knocked off the two achievements she craved most in tennis.
“To be able to win Wimbledon, which was my dream — the one, true dream I wanted in tennis — that really changed my perspective. I just had that gut feeling after Wimbledon and had spoken to my team quite a lot about it,” Barty said.
“There was just a little part of me that wasn’t quite satisfied, wasn’t quite fulfilled. And then came the challenge of the Australian Open.
“That for me just feels like the perfect way — my perfect way — to celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been.”
Barty is known for being a cool, calm assassin on court. But her Wimbledon victory opened our eyes to an emotional outpouring rarely seen from the classy Queenslander.
First, she hopped into the stands and fell into fiancé Garry Kissick’s arms in an emotional moment that made fans melt.
After receiving her winner’s plate and mixing with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Barty looked to have recovered from the shock of achieving a childhood dream, but she soon broke down again as TV cameras caught her sobbing in the corridors of Wimbledon.
The Aussie champion again buried her head in Kissick’s chest and wept, as he held his better half close. It was the behind-the-scenes moment that said it all about what Barty cherished most.
Barty hinted talk of retirement emerged after her historic victory at the All England club. The emotional release suggested she had conquered her Everest — and really, what’s left to do after climbing the highest mountain?
That was the question going through Barty’s head but the allure of becoming the first local woman to win the Australian Open in 44 years was strong enough to keep her in the game for a final tilt at Melbourne Park.
“There was just a little part of me that wasn’t quite satisfied, wasn’t quite fulfilled. And then came the challenge of the Australian Open,” she said.
After match point in the decider against Danielle Collins, Barty let out an almighty roar. Again, just like Wimbledon, it was an emotion we’ve hardly ever seen from the superstar.
She admitted herself she wasn’t sure where the guttural scream came from, acknowledging it was unusual and out of character. But clearly, a grand slam title on home soil — won in front of her icon Evonne Goolagong Cawley — is enough to make people act in ways they would never expect.
Was it a sign that everything Barty ever wanted to achieve in tennis had been ticked off? The ecstasy of a job complete?
In her retirement announcement, Barty said she wants to “chase after some other dreams that I’ve always wanted to do”. It was a similar sentiment to what she spoke about after winning the Australian Open.
Although Barty’s retirement is obviously a huge shock, she never struck you as a player in the Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal mould, who would continue until at least their mid-to-late late 30s.
She’d already walked away from tennis once after falling out of love with the sport, opting to play professional cricket instead. But a friendly hit with Dellacqua one day convinced her to come back and have another crack.
“Now I think it’s important that I get to enjoy the next phase of my life as Ash Barty the person and not Ash Barty the athlete.
“It was hard but it’s right and I know that brought me lots of comfort knowing that this is right for me.”
More immigrants are living in the United States than in any other country. Nearly 45 million people who live in the U.S. were born in other countries, according to the Census Bureau. This accounts for one-fifth of the world’s immigrants, based on U.N. data.
Immigrants constitute 13.7% of the U.S. population. This number has been increasing since 1965, when amendments made to the Immigration and Nationality Act were largely replaced with a more neutral system that gives preference to family reunification and the nation’s labor needs.
Since then, the immigrant population in the country has more than quadrupled. Along with increasing the flow of immigration, the amendments also led to a shift away from Eurocentric immigration toward Asian, Caribbean, and Latin American countries.
Here are the top 6 of 25 countries studied:
6. Vietnam
> US immigrants born in Vietnam, 2019: 1,383,779 (3.08% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in Vietnam as of 1990: 543,262 (2.75% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in Vietnam as of 1960: No data > Vietnam GNI per capita, 2020: $8,150 – #69 lowest of 193 countries
5. El Salvador
> US immigrants born in El Salvador, 2019: 1,412,101 (3.14% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in El Salvador as of 1990: 465,433 (2.35% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in El Salvador as of 1960: 6,310 (0.06% of all foreign-born) > El Salvador GNI per capita, 2020: $7,970 – #68 lowest of 193 countries
4. Philippines
> US immigrants born in Philippines, 2019: 2,045,248 (4.55% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in Philippines as of 1990: 912,674 (4.62% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in Philippines as of 1960: 104,843 (1.08% of all foreign-born) > Philippines GNI per capita, 2020: $9,030 – #73 lowest of 193 countries
3. China
> US immigrants born in China, 2019: 2,250,230 (5.01% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in China as of 1990: 529,837 (2.68% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in China (includes Taiwan) of 1960: 99,735 (1.02% of all foreign-born) > China GNI per capita, 2020: $17,080 – #77 highest of 193 countries
2. India
> US immigrants born in India, 2019: 2,688,075 (5.98% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in India as of 1990: 450,406 (2.28% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in India as of 1960: 12,296 (0.13% of all foreign-born) > India GNI per capita, 2020: $6,440 – #60 lowest of 193 countries
1. Mexico
> US immigrants born in Mexico, 2019: 10,931,939 (24.33% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in Mexico as of 1990: 4,298,014 (21.74% of all foreign-born) > US immigrants born in Mexico as of 1960: 575,902 (5.91% of all foreign-born) > Mexico GNI per capita, 2020: $18,150 – #74 highest of 193 countries
Over 10 million people who were born in Mexico were living in the U.S. in 2019, accounting for 24.3% of all immigrants. People born in China and India each accounted for over 5% of the immigrant population.
The data shows that although a large number of U.S. immigrants hail from European countries, including the U.K., Germany, Poland, and Russia, immigration from these countries has declined in the last 60 years. Meanwhile, immigration from certain Latin America, Asian, and Caribbean countries has increased significantly.
The animal kingdom is filled with ferocious, highly territorial animals that are better off left alone. But nature also counts with some even-tempered animals that more easily adapt to human presence. A group of scientists have attempted to study the temperament of animals to determine which ones are friendlier toward humans by assigning various scores. The study published in the journal of Frontiers in Veterinary Science excludes dogs, cats, and farm animals since they have been completely domesticated. Those that rank above 0 are said to be best suited as human companions.
5. Asian palm civet
Score: 1.4
Native to South and Southeast Asia, this mammal prefers to lead a solitary lifestyle.
4. Llama
Score: 2.3
This domesticated South American animal has been widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era.
3. Tammar wallaby
Score: 4.2
This small wallaby likes to socialize, feed, and mate in groups.
2. Agile wallaby
Score: 4.7
This wallaby prefers a solitary lifestyle but often adapts to life in groups.
1. Sika deer
Score: 5.1
Also known as spotted deer or Japanese deer, these cute lil’ faces top the list of best human companions.
(So, um, not sure how this plays out in Omaha, but I think not including cats and dogs really taints this article. The fact that I was also hoping for a pony doubles down on my disappointment.) (OK, so rope yourself a wallaby instead)
If you’ve ever completed an interior redecorating project, perhaps you’ve considered feng shui—the ancient Chinese practice of creating flow and balance in the home. This traditional practice encourages decluttering and organizing items in a way that brings positive energy to the space you’re designing. It also welcomes the addition of figurines that bring good fortune, like dragons, Mandarin ducks, or elephants.
CAVAN IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
Why have an elephant near the door?
In many cultures, an elephant symbolizes good luck, power, wisdom, and fertility. And because feng shui is intentional about the placement of items in of the home, decorating goes beyond surface-level style.
Elephant figurines placed inside the front door, near the home’s entrance, have two meanings:
An elephant statue in the foyer facing away from the door brings luck into the home.
An elephant facing toward the door protects the house. It guards your home against all sorts of negative energy.
Though placed with intention, elephant statues make great decor as well. You can find them in a variety of materials, though brass is the most popular.
Where else are elephants meaningful?
Keep in mind, the entryway of your home isn’t the only spot for an elephant statue. According to Housing.com, elephant figurines can be placed in other areas of the house for similar good fortune.
In the office. Here, the elephant statue meaning translates to wisdom and power and is meant to energize the workspace. Place a statue near your office door or keep a picture on the wall.
In the family room. Elephants in a family room or play space for children strengthen bonds between family members.
In a bedroom. Elephant decor in a bedroom emphasizes love and faithfulness. In a child’s room, the placement of an elephant represents knowledge and will bring academic success.
Accidental discoveries are not uncommon in the world of scientific investigation. Many useful substances, including Teflon and Scotchgard, were invented by chemists who were attempting to create something for an altogether unrelated application. (The chemist who invented Scotchgard was a woman).
Biochemist and science fiction author Isaac Asimov once said that “the most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny.'” “That’s funny” is exactly what microbiologist Alexander Fleming said when he found that Penicillium mold had contaminated a petri dish and destroyed the bacteria he was experimenting with. His lab accident led to the discovery of penicillin – the world’s first broadly effective antibiotic.
24/7 Tempo has compiled 31 accidental discoveries that changed the world by reviewing sources including History, Reader’s Digest, and Business Insider. In some cases, an initial accidental discovery by one person led to a later invention by another. Only the initial discovery is recounted.
While a few are folk accounts of early discoveries, the majority are inventions and discoveries made by scientists, engineers, doctors, and hobby inventors who were following one path when they stumbled upon another.
Many serendipitous discoveries have revolutionized the pharmaceutical and medical fields, while others have influenced the worlds of fashion, cosmetics, home appliances, and children’s toys
Before Jesuit priests introduced the malaria treatment quinine to Europe in the 17th century, they learned of its properties from indigenous Andean peoples. According to Andean legend, a man delirious with malaria was lost in the rainforest and drank bitter-tasting water from a puddle under some quina-quina (cinchona) trees. The tree had been previously considered to be poisonous, but the man’s fever soon abated, and his people began using the tree bark to treat fevers. Andean people likely taught it to Jesuit priests.
According to folk accounts, brandy was invented when a Dutch ship captain, who wanted to ship higher quantities of wine, decided to concentrate wine by removing the water before transport. Although his intention was to water it down again at his destination port, he liked the concentrated wine so much that he kept it that way, calling it brandewijn, meaning “burnt wine.”
Although the psychoactive properties of nitrous oxide were discovered in the 1770s, the gas was almost exclusively used as a party drug amongst the British elite until the next century. In 1844, a dentist named Horace Wells attended a demonstration on the effects of the gas and noticed something interesting: a man who had bruised his legs while jumping around under the influence of nitrous had no idea that he’d hurt himself and had felt no pain. Wells began using the drug in his dental practice, only after experimenting on himself by inhaling nitrous and having his own tooth pulled.
