Well-Lived Life: World's Oldest Living Person, 114, dies

Guiness Book of Records' Oldest Living Person has died.

Brazil's Maria Gomez Valentim died in the hospital on Sunday after suffering from pneumonia, which was later on complicated by an infection. She was 114 and only days away from her supposed to be 115th birthday on July 6.

Born on 1896, she was born in the time of Brazil's Old Republic (1889-1930) when women like her were barred from voting. She survived a military dictatorship and witnessed her country's rise to superpower status in South America.  

She had one son, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren. 

   

Long-Weekend Round-Up

TODAY, Canada celebrates (with the exception of Quebec) Victoria Day, which is a federal Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the last Monday on or before the 24th of May in honor of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday. 

FUN NOT-SO-FACT FACT. Speaking of royals, did you know that Princess Cinderella and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were originally lovers. In fact, they had an offspring who was named "MOZARELLA"! Amazing isn't it?   

BLACKHOLE Discovered. WARNING: Don't try this at home or anywhere ALONE!

Short Film 'The Black Hole' from PHOTOPLAY FILMS on Vimeo.

HAND WASHING. In Amsterdam, Catholic officials including the head of the Salesian religious order have distanced themselves and condemned a Dutch Salesian priest's endorsement of pedophilia and his involvement with a group of pedophiles campaigning for the abolition of the Dutch Government's ban on adult-child sex. READ MORE...

BEST DRESSED FOR CHARITY. Remember this nice lady (pictured below) from the woods who was turned away by security and Royal Wedding officials at Westminster Abbey when she showed up with the best and most creative fascinator (according to the Fashion Police!) in the world? Well, she's back. She's now filing official complaint against eBay and the organizers of the auction of Princess Beatrice's antler-like hat when she lost the bidding, which she claimed was rigged from the very start.  

The newly-hired Lady Gaga costume creative consultant.  

OKAY, okay. In the more serious topic, Princess Beatrice's famous silk bow hat made history over the what-was-supposed-to-be-the-end-of-the-world weekend when it was auctioned off on eBay and reached a whopping $131,648 as the final and winning bid. As long as it's for charity and goodwill, BRING ON the craziness.  

HIV SCARE. In the Land Down Under, Australian Defence (Yes, that's how they spell it.) officials are worried that there may be an unknown number of Australian soldiers who might have been exposed to blood-borne diseases like hepatitis or HIV in what appears to be a breach of medical protocols at the Australian Military's main hospital unit in the Middle East. READ MORE...

END OF HISTORY. One of my favorite social thinkers and intellectuals, Francis Fukuyama has just launched a new book, "Origins of a Political Order."  I agree with him that "Americans are not very good in nation-building."

   

SINGAPOREAN DARK WATER. In what seemed to be an incident that mirrored a horror movie, residents of an apartment complex drank and cooked with corpse-tainted yellowish and foamy water for days until officials discovered that the body of an Indonesian female worker was dumped in the building's water tank. READ MORE...

APOCALYPSE DELAYED. As much as I can, I'd like to stay away from making fun of the rapture believers who flushed their bank accounts, traveled to the West Coast from the East Coast, and many more bucket list to-do's gone awry. Why? Well, ask me later. Anyway, as usual, the now famous Taiwanese animators who did the Tiger Woods incident animation came up with their interpretation of the apocalypse not-so-scary scare. It's sickly funny and outrageously entertaining!     

WHAT'S IN THE NAME? What would you do if your town is named "Crap"? "Hi, I'm from Crap, New York." Or, "I'm going to Crap for the long weekend." Doesn't sound good, right? This is the story of a small town in Australia called "Speed." But wait, there's nothing wrong with speed, right? I think so too. However, the townfolks have gone increasingly worried of the many over speeding incidents in their town's rural roads. So, they've banded together with one unifying aim: change their Town's danger-inviting name. What do you think should be the new name? I suggest "Where Else." Where do you live? Where Else. Where are you going? Where Else.     

Rename Speed 'The Town of Speed' from PHOTOPLAY FILMS on Vimeo.

I want to leave your day on a high note. Watch this empowering video about heroines around the world.

Trailer - Women Are Heroes - English Version from SOCIAL ANIMALS on Vimeo.

Weekend Morning Juice: Mother's Day Celebration 101 by Athena the Pug

The first Mother's Day was celebrated by the Ewok-Wookies tribe in the remote jungle of Brazil's Amazon Basin. According to historians and anthropologists, the day of mothers came to be when the fathers and male elders of the tribe became suspicious of their women spending too much time in the jungle hunting and gathering food, which was their primary responsibility while the men stayed all day at home. They became extra curious because the women always came home extra happy. One woman blurted out their secret while talking loudly in her sleep and the fathers became suspicious so they deceived the mothers by giving them a day off. The men after extensive search and investigation found out that the women built a giant water slide near the falls. 

Not convinced? Okay, okay. That story came from my dog, which she said came from a chain letter Pee-Mail she got when sniffed the base of the electric post while out for a walk the other day. Don't worry, I warned her to check maybe her Pee-Mail got hacked. 

The real Mother's Day, actually, was first celebrated in different times in between the 1870s and 1880s. A usual gathering of mothers who lost their sons during the American Civil War was the inspiration and the kick-start of the holiday. Several years after, the U.S. Congress legislated the marking of the second Sunday of May, which was then officially proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson on the 9th of May 1914. 

Mother's Day is not just about gifts and material things. Its very essence is remembrance and gratitude. Spending quality time with your mother and saying "I love you" or "I'm sorry" or "Thank you" (or perhaps all) would be the best way to do it. 

Here's Athena the Pug's suggestion on how to celebrate Mother's Day with a BANG: 

1. As soon as your Mother wakes up, tell her how thankful you are for carrying you for 9 months. You started as an an egg so you might as well cook her a nice over-easy egg or the perfect omelet. 

2. Giver her baby slippers so that when she walks, it's all comfy and smooth. Or, if she feels crusty and moist, give her the bread slippers to walk on, which by the way is a good pair to your eggs. Ask her first if she wants it toasted or buttered or plain.

Pardon the hairy legs.

With butter or jam or cheese?

3. Since it's her day and you are too tired and busy preparing for the big Mother's Day celebration, ask her to hang your baby brother in the closet because it's her off day. 

4. Ask her if she wants her over-easy egg or omelet spicy. If she wants it extra spicy, put the whole chili.

5. Show her your first of many gifts. Your wonderful creation: a one-of-a-kind doormat.

6. Then show her your second gift: her old work photo you salvaged from the archives in the city library. She'll be very happy because she thinks all the old photographs from her old workplace are gone during the fire, which she accidentally started when she put a buttered bagel inside the toaster. 

Where's Mom here?

7. For dinner, tell your Mom you're bringing her to a special McDonald's branch where Ronald McDonald will be dressed in drag for a day. Oh, tell her their specialty! She'll love it!

8. Remember, your Mother is a dedicated and highly-respected environmentalist so tell her you've made a special arrangement with McDonald's to honor her with a special Mother's Best Hamburger.

9. Then finally, tell her that you love her and that she's best. 

10. Also, remind her to get your baby brother inside the closet. 

With much love and many wet kisses, 

Athena 

P.S. Update me what happens next. Gee! Can't wait for Father's Day!