All posts by She Seeks Serene

My Journey of Reimagining Life, Love and Education

Top New Travel Videos: “The Beauty Of Guilin” In Southern China (2020)

Filmed and Edited by: Dennis Schmelz

It was a long dream of mine to visit this unique area around Guilin, Yangshou and Xingping in Asia. To be honest, it was on the very top of my bucket list. Now I finally made it to this picturesque landscape in the south of China and I should not be disappointed.

The Beauty of Guilin Southern China Travel Video Dennis Schmelz January 27 2020

The karst peaks of Southern China are one of my favorite landscapes. But also capturing the Kormorant fishing on Li river, as it used to be centuries ago, was a big highlight. It was an absolute pleasure to shoot with Mr. Huang Gao Hui, one of the famous fishermen in Xingping. I was able to document a tradition that is unfortunately dying out, like many others, due to the increase of tourism in our ever developing world. The fact is, this man now earns far more through tourism that he would have done catching and selling fish locally.

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Sleep Health: “The Neurology And Psychology Of Insomnia”

From a Psychology Today online article:

For those with insomnia, however, the stressor appears to be the lack of sleep, and the desire for sleep becomes a stressor in itself. In other words, the fixation on getting sleep leads to feelings of stress over not falling asleep, which begins a vicious loop. According to a model first proposed by Kales et al. in 1976, patients The Anatomy of Insomniacs infograpiccan develop a conditioned fear of not being able to sleep, which puts them in a state of hyperarousal when they attempt to fall asleep. This makes their inability to sleep a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Insomnia is the most common sleep condition in the world, with half of adults globally reporting occasional episodes. Chronic insomnia, though far less prevalent, affects as many as 10 to 15 percent of the adult population.

Though these sleep problems are extremely common, the neurobiological mechanisms behind insomnia are not entirely understood. Research suggests that emotional stressors do play an outsized role in contributing to sleep problems, and it is well documented that mood and anxiety disorders are common comorbidities with insomnia. This seems like common sense. Emotional arousal, whether due to a state of anxiety or because of intrusive thoughts, makes it difficult to relax, thereby inhibiting one’s ability to either initiate sleep or get back to sleep after waking.

To read more

Top Documentaries: “Honeyland” Is An “Oscar Game-Changer” (NY Times)

The film… “is nothing less than a found epic, a real-life environmental allegory and, not least, a stinging comedy about the age-old problem of inconsiderate neighbors.”

“Honeyland” is the first film to be nominated for best documentary and best international feature (the category formerly known as best foreign-language film). It follows Hatidze Muratova, a middle-aged beekeeper whose peaceful life in the North Macedonian countryside is disrupted when a chaotic family moves in next door.

The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year and came out on top with three awards, including the grand jury prize for documentary in the world cinema showcase.

From a New York Times online review

American Classics: “1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner Convertible”

The Ford Fairlane is an automobile model that was sold between 1955 and 1970 by Ford in North America. The name is derived from Henry Ford’s estate, Fair Lane, near Dearborn, Michigan.

1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner Convertible Rear View Classic Driver

For the 1955 model year the Fairlane name replaced the Crestline as Ford’s premier full-sized offering. Six different body styles were offered, including the Crown Victoria Skyliner with a tinted, transparent plastic roof, the regular Crown Victoria coupe with lots of stainless steel trim, a convertible Sunliner, the Victoria hardtop coupe, and traditional sedans. All featured the trademark stainless-steel “Fairlane stripe” on the side. Power options were a 223 cu in (3.7 L) straight-6 engine and a 272 cu in (4.5 L) V8. The 292 cu in (4.8 L) Y-block was offered as an option and was called the Thunderbird V-8.

More photos at Classic Driver

From Wikipedia

Upcoming Travel Books: “Always Italy” By Frances Mayes (March 2020)

Frances Mayes Always Italy Book March 2020From the colorful coastline of Cinque Terre and the quiet ports of the Aeolian Islands to the Renaissance architecture of Florence and the best pizza in Rome, every section features insider secrets and off-the-beaten-path recommendations (for example, a little restaurant in Piedmont known for its tajarin, a pasta that is the perfect bed for the region’s celebrated truffles).

This lush guide, featuring more than 350 glorious photographs from National Geographic, showcases the best Italy has to offer from the perspective of two women who have spent their lives reveling in its unique joys. In these illuminating pages, Frances Mayes, the author of Under the Tuscan Sun and many other bestsellers, and New York Times travel writer Ondine Cohane reveal an Italy that only the locals know, filled with top destinations and unforgettable travel experiences in every region.

Here are the best places to stay, eat, and tour, paired with the rich history of each city, hillside town, and unique terrain. Along the way, you’ll make stops at the country’s hidden gems–art galleries, local restaurants, little-known hiking trails, spas, and premier spots for R&R. Inspiring and utterly unique, this vivid treasury is a must-have for anyone who wants to experience the best of Italy.

Read more or purchase

Top Political Podcasts: Strengths & Weaknesses Of Top Five Candidates Before Iowa Caucuses

Monocle 24 The Foreign Desk logoAs the US Democratic party takes steps towards choosing who will attempt to win the presidency, Andrew Mueller discusses the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses and asks if they are up to the job.

Andrew is joined by Kara Voght, Asma Khalid, Jacob Parakilas, Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Williams and Brian Klaas.

Video Profiles: 69-Year Old Singer Huey Lewis Talks About Hearing Loss (CBS)

Huey Lewis and the News are in the mood to celebrate, joking about their age as they prepare for the release of what is almost certainly their last album, titled “Weather.” At 69, Lewis, who has performed in bands for most of his life, had no intention of slowing down, but his diagnosis of Meniere’s Disease – a hearing disorder which has affected his voice – has made the decision for him. John Blackstone reports.

Medical Podcasts: The Time Physicians Spend On Patient’s Electronic Health Records (NEJM)

New England Journal of Medicine Podcast logoListen to a chat with Julia Adler-Milstein, the author of an editorial that comments on a recent Annals of Internal Medicine study detailing the amount of time clinicians typically spend hunched over their EHRs during a patient visit.

Why aren’t you able to navigate your electronic health record (EHR) as easily as you can find a recipe on, say, Google?

And, what about those requirements for documenting everything?

Links:

Annals of Internal Medicine editorial

Annals paper on the time clinicians spend

Running time: 17 minutes

Top New Travel Videos: “Be In Lisbon” By Alex Soloviev

Filmed and Edited by: Alex Soloviev

Be In Lisbon Travel Short Film Video by Alex Soloviev January 26 2020

Another chapter about charming and vibrant capital of Portugal. Relaxed vibe of Lisbon, which is something you may don’t get in many other capital cities, makes you back there. Walk around, take the tram and be ready to find beauty in every corner. This is Lisboa.

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New Exhibitions: Painter Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) – The Forum Gallery NYC

Photo of Andrew Wyeth by Peter Ralston In the Studio Courtesy of Ralston Gallery
Photo of Andrew Wyeth by Peter Ralston In the Studio Courtesy of Ralston Gallery

Forum Gallery, New York, presents an exhibition of works by Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), who set the standard for American figurative art in the second half of the Twentieth Century. Working in pencil, watercolor, egg tempera and his much-beloved personal medium of drybrush, Wyeth, throughout his life, was a resolute champion of the universal life force of each person he chose to paint, and of the unique, difficult, ever-changing rural American world in which he chose to live. His art was controversial as it was popular, and he remains one of very few living artists to be celebrated by important single-person exhibitions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (1976) and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (1987).

Firewood Study for Groundhog Day 1959 Andrew Wyeth
Firewood Study for Groundhog Day 1959 Andrew Wyeth (The Forum Gallery NYC)

“Andrew Wyeth: Five Decades” at Forum Gallery features paintings dated from 1940 through 1994, including landscapes that imply personal struggle and portray great beauty; and provocative figurative works, including examples from The Helga Pictures.

Forum Gallery NYC LogoWebsite