Colorado Fires Delcared Disaster/Obamacare

President Obama has declared the continuing Colorado fires, which have displace tens of thousands from their homes, a disaster. With this declaration, the state now has access to the federal government funds to help fight the fires.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, informally known as Obamacare, has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Obama states, “This is a victory for the people.” Some benefits include lower drug costs for seniors as well as denying insurers the option to deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions. It also provides free preventative care in certain cases and issues credits to those who can’t afford their health insurance premiums. Romney has stated that if elected president, he will repeal Obamacare because of the economic impact it will have by raising taxes and taking away funds for medicare while adding to the national debt. Obamacare has its ups and downs like any act and everyone has their own opinions so who knows if it is what’s best for the country? What do you think about Obamacare? Read more about it here.

Saudi Women in the Olympics/Witches in Zimbabwe

Saudi Arabia will let its female athletes compete in the Olympics for the first time this year. The Saudi embassy in London said, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wishes to reaffirm its support for the sublime meanings reflected by Olympic Games and the cherished values of excellence, friendship and respect that they represent.” Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei were the only three countries that did not allow women to compete in the Olympics, but all three of them have reversed their policies this year! This is surprising since much of public life in Saudi Arabia is separated by gender. To read more, click here.

In odd news, two women claiming to be witches will undergo medical and psychiatric tests to see if they really are witches. The two were arrested earlier this month after they were found naked in the town of Chinhoyi. The two claim that they flew in on a magical, grain-threshing basket which ditched them in Chinhoyi. The two are charged under witchcraft laws carrying the penalty of a fine. To learn more, click here.

 

Nora Ephron Dies at 71

Nora Ephron, a famous screenwriter and director, died last night surrounded by relatives at a New York hospital, where she was undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. Most of her films were romantic comedies that featured strong women which took her to the top of the ranks in an industry mostly dominated by men. Her films included box office hits such as “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” She also wrote “Julie & Julia” which earned Meryl Streep a best actress Oscar nomination in 2010. She always used comedy in her works because she was a big believer that there was alway something funny to be found in even the worst things that happen to you. It’s sad to see such a great and talented woman leave the hollywood industry. Read more about Nora here.

A Stalking App?

On Monday, Facebook quietly unveiled a new feature designed to let people see which Facebook users are nearby at any given time. They took the app down from the internet today though. It is called “Friends Nearby” and it was available through Facebook’s mobile apps and website. Once Facebook users opt into the app, they can see their Facebook friends (who have also opted in) who are in their area through the mobile tracking device. This app sounds cool at first, but it can have some potential harmful effects for people if someone is actually stalking them. It’s not a terrible idea; I just don’t think the world is ready for an app like this yet. What do you think? Read more about the stalking app here.

Wimbledon 2012

Today is day one of the Wimbledon, a world-wide watched tennis championship held in London. The Wimbledon is one of the oldest and grandest tennis events in the world. The best part about the Wimbledon is that they still hold themselves to the same traditions and standards that they did 50 plus years ago. In todays continuing growing culture, this is a feat. The traditions of regimented ball boys, pots of strawberries and cream, lines of well-mannered fans politely queuing for their tickets, and players bowing or curtsying if the Queen is attendance in the Royal Box are still seen today. The event is a chance for Britain to shine as the estimated 500 million people all over the world watch.

You can read about the history of Wimbledon here.

Looking for live coverage and updates on the players and the matches? Check out the Wimbledon’s official website.

Weekend Events

Boston Life has a weekend full of events! To kick off the summer, Boston Life is throwing a party tonight at 7:30pm. The party is also an opportunity to say goodbye to Nick and Kerry, who are leaving at the end of next week. Their co-op is ending so they will be moving on to classes next semester and will not be returning to Boston Life, and new interns will take their place! It’s going to be a fun night of drinking, trivia, and games, so come on out and join us!

On Saturday, Boston Life will have a soccer game at 5:30pm. Students and staff will meet behind Harvard Stadium at 65 North Harvard St in Allston, MA. It’s located across the street from Harvard Business School. Make sure to meet us in front of the gate! No cleats are necessary, it’s just a game for fun!

Monsters University

 

We all remember Monsters, Inc. as being one of the best Pixar movies ever made, right? Well, good news! Pixar and Disney have plans to release Monsters University, a prequel to Monster’s Inc., in 2013! Monsters University is about the lives of Mike and Sully (the two main characters from Monster’s Inc.) while they are in college.  They recently released teaser trailers and it looks as though this movie will be just as good as the first. Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi are all returning to lend their voices to the film.

I’m pretty excited for this movie, you guys. What do you all think? Click here to see the trailer and read more about the movie!

Hot Hot Hot

Today is the first REALLY hot day since last summer. The high is supposed to be 94 degrees and sunny. The forecast for the rest of the week looks very similar too. (Summer must be on its way!) To beat the heat, make sure to drink a lot of water so you stay hydrated and remember to wear sunblock if you’re going to be out in the sun. Sunblock is very important and many people forget it, so make sure you don’t get burned!

For the week’s weather, click here.

Need tips for staying cool in the heat? Read about them here!

Mike Tyson headed for…Broadway?

Apparently Mike Tyson is headed for Broadway in a one man show entitled “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” which will be directed by Spike Lee.  The show will be based off  stories of his life that made headlines and “untold stories” that few people know. It was written by his wife, Kiki Tyson, and according to Lee, Tyson is “a great story teller.” The 90 minute show is scheduled to run from July 31st through August 5th at the Longacre Theatre.

What do you guys think about this? He certainly has an interesting life to say the least. To learn more about this, click here. 

Paul McCartney’s 70th Birthday

Paul McCartney, one of the founding members of the Beatles, turns 70 years old today. He is considered to be the “most successful composer and recording artist of all time.” You can read all about Paul’s personal life and his extremely successful musical career here. In his 70 years he certainly did a lot, and was even an influence in the world of music. Do you think you can achieve as much as Sir McCartney?