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).
Today, the term “blazer” and “sport coat” are often used interchangeably, but historically there’s a difference. Let’s first discuss what separates a blazer from a sport coat.
Blazer vs Sport Coat
A sport coat is inherently more casual than a blazer, making it the least formal of the 3 jacket types. They are typically made of visibly textured fabrics like tweed or corduroy, while a blazer can be made of those fabrics as well.
Another distinguishing feature of a sport coat is its bolder patterns and colors, but a blazer can be bold and in a variety of colors too. Historically speaking, the sport coat was worn during “sporting” activities, hence the name. But since there’s little actual difference between the two, I just naturally default to saying blazer.
Blazer vs Suit Jacket
A suit jacket should always be worn with the pants that it was meant to be paired with, as it’s a mistake to wear a suit jacket with chinos or jeans. A blazer can be worn as a separate, but not a suit jacket. And a blazer can also be worn with denim or chinos, but a suit jacket should not.
The suit jacket is dressier than a blazer and is made of finer woolen fabric, whereas the blazer is often made heavier weighted fabrics. One final differentiator is that traditionally, the navy blue blazer has gold buttons, while suit jacket does not.
The bottom line: Blazers/sport coats are more versatile than a suit jacket. Don’t make the mistake of wearing a suit jacket as a separate.
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?
NORA CAROL PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES
The origin of April Fools’ Day is debated, but its history covers centuries of April Fools’ pranks, from 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 2022? And 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 2022?
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
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, as 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? (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
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.”
We greet the first day of the new season with the spring equinox, but what is it, exactly? And why does the first day of spring change? We explain.
When Is The First Day Of Spring In 2022?
The first day of spring will occur on Sunday, March 20, 2022, at 11:33 a.m. ET. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this is marked by the arrival of the Vernal (Spring) Equinox.
Traditionally, we celebrate the first day of spring on March 21, but astronomers and calendar manufacturers alike now say that the spring season starts on March 20th, in all time zones in North America. In 2020, spring fell on March 19th, the earliest first day of spring in 124 years!
Regardless of what the weather is doing outside, spring equinox marks the official start of the spring season.
What Does Vernal Equinox Mean?
Vernal translates to “new” and “fresh,” and equinox derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night).
So, what does that mean? Essentially, our hours of daylight—the period of time each day between sunrise and sunset—have been growing slightly longer each day since the winter solstice in December, which is the shortest day of the year (at least in terms of light).
Even though we know that after December 21st, the days start getting steadily longer, we still see more darkness than light over the course of a day in those three months leading up to spring. The vernal equinox marks the turning point when daylight begins to win out over darkness.
At this moment, the direct rays of the Sun are shining down on the equator producing the effect of equal day and night (give or take a few minutes, see below). After the vernal equinox, the direct rays of the Sun migrate north of the Equator (with hours of daylight steadily growing longer) until they finally arrive at the Tropic of the Cancer (latitude 23.5 degrees north).
The migration of the Sun’s direct rays comes to a halt on that day; this is as far north as they will go. We call this the summer solstice (solstice is a suspension of the migration of the Sun’s direct rays). It is the longest day of the year in terms of hours of daylight.
After the summer solstice, the direct rays proceed to head south and the days begin to grow shorter. It will take another three months, until the autumnal equinox for the periods of daylight and darkness to reach equilibrium once again.
The rays ultimately reach the Tropic of Capricorn (latitude 23.5 degrees south) on the day of the winter solstice and the whole cycle begins again!
Length Of Day Vs. Night
A question revolving around the vernal equinox concerns the length of day versus night. We have been taught that on the first days of spring and autumn, the day and night are equal to exactly 12 hours all over the world.
Yet, if you check the calendar pages in our Almanac, you will find that this is not so. In fact, our tables tell you that on the days of the spring and fall equinox, the length of daylight is actually longer than darkness by several minutes.
The reason this happens can be attributed to our atmosphere. If Earth was a planet that did not have an atmosphere, then yes, on the equinox days the length of the day and night would be exactly even.
However, our atmosphere acts like a lens and refracts (bends) its light above the edge of the horizon. Put in another way, when you watch the Sun either coming up above the horizon at sunrise, or going down below the horizon at sunset, you are looking at an illusion — the Sun is not really there, but already below the horizon.
As a result, we actually end up seeing the Sun for a few minutes before its disc actually rises and for a few minutes after it has actually set. Thus, thanks to atmospheric refraction, the length of daylight on any given day is increased by approximately six or seven minutes.
Is Spring Getting Shorter?
The current seasonal lengths for the Northern Hemisphere are (approximately):
Summer — 93.641 days
Autumn — 89.834 days
Winter — 88.994 days
Spring — 92.771 days
As you can see, the warm seasons, spring and summer, combined are 7.584 days longer than the colder seasons, fall and winter (good news for warm weather admirers!).
However, spring is currently being reduced by approximately one minute per year and winter by about one-half a minute per year. Summer is gaining the minute lost from spring, and autumn is gaining the half a minute lost from winter.
Winter is the shortest astronomical season, and with its seasonal duration continuing to decrease, it is expected to attain its minimum value — 88.71 days — by about the year 3500.
Article by the editors of Farmers’ Almanac – Weather, Gardening, Fishing, Full Moons (farmersalmanac.com)
If you’ve already received two doses of a Moderna or Pfizer COVID vaccine, plus a booster, you may be wondering if you’ll need to get a fourth shot – especially in light of the recent news of rising case counts in Europe. Vaccine makers already seem to be preparing for the need for a second COVID booster: Moderna is asking the FDA to approve the additional dose for all adults, and Pfizer has asked the federal agency to authorize another shot for adults ages 65 and up, notes Vivek Cherian, MD, an internal medicine physician based in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently recommending that certain teens and adults go ahead and get a second booster. But some experts are stressing that we can’t yet say for sure whether a fourth dose will be necessary for everyone. This is what you need to know.
The CDC already recommends a fourth dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccine for people over the age of 12 who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, including those with cancer, primary or acquired immune deficiency, or those on immune-suppressive medications. (For moderately to severely immunocompromised people ages 18 and up who received a J&J vaccine initially, the CDC also recommends a booster – but that would be their third shot.) While there were some early reports of pharmacists turning away immunocompromised people requesting a second booster, Kaiser Health News reports that the CDC spoke to pharmacists to reinforce their recommendations.
The health agency hasn’t yet given the go-ahead for additional boosters for other preteens, teens, and adults, or for children ages 5 to 11 who are immunocompromised. The first three shots still offer very good protection against severe disease, hospitalizations, and death, Dr. Cherian explains. The FDA and CDC will review data to determine if and when a fourth vaccine is needed for people in other groups, he says. Some early studies, including one published by The New England Journal of Medicine, show that the fourth vaccine is “somewhat efficacious” against symptomatic disease. But in general, more research is needed to determine how effective and long-lasting fourth doses will be, The New York Times reports.
When Should We Get the Fourth COVID Vaccine?
Immunocompromised people within the eligible age ranges should get their fourth shot at least three months after receiving their third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the CDC guidelines state. For people in this group who received the J&J vaccine initially and then a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the CDC recommends that the additional Pfizer or Moderna booster should come at least two months following their second dose. For now, everyone outside of these groups should make sure they’re vaccinated (and boosted, once they’re eligible for it), and should stay tuned for updates about the necessity of fourth doses.
Will the Fourth COVID Vaccine Protect Against New Variants Like Deltacron?
This is still unknown. So far, the CDC states that “current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the omicron variant. We don’t yet know how effective the vaccines will be against new variants [like deltacron] that might arise.” The CDC plans to monitor the efficacy of vaccines on variants, to see “how well COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions.”
Is It Too Late to Get a COVID Vaccine?
The data is clear: COVID vaccines can help keep you from getting COVID, or spreading it; they also greatly reduce the risk of dying or having to be hospitalized due to the virus. If you have not yet been vaccinated, it’s not too late. And even as mask mandates lift across the US, continue to be cautious with masking and distancing in crowded or poorly ventilated places.
Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the fifth year running, in an annual UN-sponsored index that again ranked Afghanistan as the unhappiest, followed closely by Lebanon.
Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania recorded the biggest boosts in wellbeing. The largest falls in the World Happiness table, released on Friday, came in Lebanon, Venezuela and Afghanistan.
Lebanon, which is facing economic meltdown, fell to second from last on the index of 146 nations, just below Zimbabwe.
War-traumatized Afghanistan, already at the bottom of the table, has seen its humanitarian crisis deepen since the Taliban took power again last August.
UNICEF estimates one million children under five could die of hunger there this winter if they’re not aided.
“This (index) presents a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims,” co-author Jan-Emmanuel De Neve said.
The World Happiness Report, now in its 10th year, is based on people’s own assessment of their happiness, as well as economic and social data.
It assigns a happiness score on a scale of zero to 10, based on an average of data over a three-year period. This latest edition was completed before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Northern Europeans once again dominated the top spots — with the Danes second behind the Finns, followed by the Icelandic, the Swiss and the Dutch.
The United States rose three places to 16th, one ahead of Britain, while France climbed to 20th, its highest ranking yet.
As well as a personal sense of wellbeing, based on Gallup polls in each country, the happiness score takes account of GDP, social support, personal freedom and levels of corruption.
This year the authors also used data from social media to compare people’s emotions before and after the Covid-19 pandemic. They found “strong increases in anxiety and sadness” in 18 countries but a fall in feelings of anger.
“The lesson of the World Happiness Report over the years is that social support, generosity to one another and honesty in government are crucial for wellbeing,” report co-author Jeffrey Sachs wrote.
“World leaders should take heed.”
The report raised some eyebrows when it first placed Finland at the top of its listings in 2018.
Many of the Nordic country’s 5.5 million people describe themselves as taciturn and prone to melancholy and admit to eyeing public displays of joyfulness with suspicion.
But the country of vast forests and lakes is also known for its well-functioning public services, ubiquitous saunas, widespread trust in authority and low levels of crime and inequality.
TV channel, live stream, start time and qualified teams
The Champions League has reached the quarter-final stage as the giants of European football compete for glory at the business end of the competition.
The lineup for the last eight is now known after Liverpool’s aggregate win over Inter Milan and romps home for both Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Real Madrid produced a comeback for the ages as Karim Benzema hit a late hat-trick to down Paris Saint-Germain.
Manchester United lost to Atletico Madrid after a Renan Lodi goal at Old Trafford while Benfica claimed a big win at Ajax.
Chelsea then held off a Lille fightback on Wednesday while Villarreal upset Juventus in Turin to complete the quarter-final set.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Champions League quarter-final draw…
Champions League quarter-final draw date, start time and venue
The draw is scheduled for 11am GMT on Friday, March 18, 2022. It will take place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
As well as the quarter-final draw, teams will also be drawn in a path for the semi-finals, meaning this will be the final draw of this season’s competition.
Champions League quarter-final draw qualified teams
Liverpool
Bayern Munich
Real Madrid
Manchester City
Atletico Madrid
Benfica
Villarreal
Chelsea
The quarter and semi-final draws are open, meaning teams from the same country can face one another, and there are no seedings, so home and away legs will be determined by the order the teams are drawn.
Where to watch the Champions League quarter-final draw
TV channel: Friday’s draw will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2, with coverage beginning at 10:45am.
Live stream: The Uefa website and BT Sport website will also stream the draw online.
Live blog: You will also be able to keep up with the draw via Standard Sport’s live blog.
When will the Champions League quarter-final ties take place?
The matches will take place on April 5/6 and 12/13, with the semi-finals then set for April 26/27 and May 3/4.
The Stade de France in Paris hosts the final, on May 28.
