Preserve the Unknown

My latest obsession: BBC's Human Planet. A documentary series geared to enlighten the developed world about how humans survive in the most intense places on earth. It's absolutely fascinating.

One section, however, could not be studied (and for good reason). Above is an arial image of one of the last uncontacted tribes in the world. Located in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest, the group of indigenous people have never EVER been exposed to the outside world. They only know their immediate surroundings.

Take a second and try to fathom that tribes like this exist. They have no idea about different races and places around the world. They remain untainted from outside influence and Jose Meirelles intends to keep it that way. Working for FUNAI, a government organization, he is fighting to preserve their way of life and make sure they remain uncontacted. The threat of illegal mining and logging poses to be his main problem in making sure he wins the fight.

Described as "the last free people on the planet", take a look at the video excerpt below to get a better understanding of the importance of preserving these tribes:



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Look Mom! No Hands!

On May 22, a fleet of self-driving cars drove on a public highway in Spain during normal traffic... A WORLD FIRST! Google's self-driving cars were equipped with safety systems including cameras, radar and laser sensors, enabling them to monitor the lead vehicle and other vehicles on the road. 


Those sitting in the driver's seat were asked to take their hands off the wheel and feet away from the pedals as the cars zoomed along at a speed of 85 km/h for 200 kilometers. 

"It is quite funny to see the passing vehicles. They are quite surprised seeing me not driving the car but reading a magazine," Wahlstrom, driver. 

Check out this video to see how a legally blind man has also been using these cars to help him gain more autonomy. What was once a figment of our imagination is now quickly turning into a reality. And I thought self-parking cars were mind-blowing! 


What are your thoughts? 

Kate Winslet: Too Sexy For 3D

As many people know, April 15th marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The well-loved film has recently been released in 3D in theaters but China thought Titanic3D might be a bit too intense and opted to censor parts. No, I am not talking about the scenes of the Titanic crashing or the ship flooding; I am referring to Kate Winslet's nude scenes.

To cut to the chase, the Chinese government elected to censor these parts of the movie because they feared that viewers would reach out and try to grab Kate's breasts due to the "realer than most" 3D experience and make the other people in the audience uncomfortable.

Here's the official statement that the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television released:

"Considering the vivid 3D effects, we fear that viewers may reach out their hands for a touch and thus interrupt other people’s viewing."

"To avoid potential conflicts between viewers and out of consideration of building a harmonious ethical social environment, we’ve decided to cut off the nudity scenes"

The scene that bares her breasts has now been replaced with a head-and-shoulders close up (similar to what is seen above). I think we need to give the men a little more credit. Yes, I can understand a sex scene being arousing (especially in 3D) BUT I doubt they would be reaching out to cop a feel. And if they did, I think I would find it to be more funny than offensive.

I will leave you with a comment from an angry and disappointed "Offbeat China" blogger:

"I waited 15 years to see 3D boobs, not 3D iceberg."

I'm sure his heart will go on...

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St. Lawrence Market: Nothing Better

Toronto's St. Lawrence Market was recently ranked by National Geographic as the world's best food market!

The complete list of National Geographic's top 10 food markets, ranked from the book Food Journeys of a Lifetime, is as follows:

1. St. Lawrence Market, Toronto
2. Union Square Greenmarket, New York City
3. Castries Market, St. Lucia
4. Ver-o-Peso, Belem, Brazil
5. Mercado Central, Santiago, Chile
6. Kreta Ayer Wet Market, Singapore
7. Kauppatori, Helsinki, Finland
8. La Vucciria, Palermo, Italy
9. Cours Saleya, Nice, France
10. Borough Market, London, England