The Mighty Canadian Dollar

The bandwagon continues to get filled

hollywoodscoop.com

THE buzz on the Canadian vs. US dollar continues to grow. Model Giselle Bündchen has announced that she would prefer to sign contracts in any currency other than USD$--even CAD$! Times certainly have changed.

Giselle is estimated to be the world's highest paid model by Forbes magazine.

Source: MSN Sympatico Entertainment

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"A PEN IN ANOTHER CITY"

Another point on the scoreboard for Canadian accomplishments is made.

NOT only has she already achieved much fame from her writing works--which include novels and poetry--Margaret Atwood of Ottawa, Ontario, has created a marriage between the world of writing with technology. Atwood's LongPen technology has eliminated time and travel by allowing an author to attend book signings through cyberspace. Baffled? Let me explain. The LongPen is comprised of the use of a computer, a screen, an electronic writing tablet, a webcam, a mic, and a mechanical arm equipped with a real ink pen. At one end, the author can speak to, and see, his or her fan, and vice versa occurs on the other side. The author can then write a message or autorgraph on the writing tablet, and the mechanical arm (which is on location of the fan's side of the connection) will transmit exactly what was written, using a real ink pen!

This technology allows anyone to meet with anyone else for signings (not just for book authors--think hollywood and sports celebs as well) from the comfort of the signer's own home, eliminating the need for travel. Marketers of the LongPen boasts that this be a "Green" solution, reducing greenhouse gases from less plane travel. The LongPen technology also allows for more signings to occur in more locations, all in less time.

The most recent media coverage of the use of the LongPen was on Monday night at The World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto, where Conrad Black was able to attend his book signing for "The Invincable Quest: the Life of Richard Milhous Nixon" from the comfort of his Florida home. If you would like to read media coverage of this event, visit CTV.ca Black uses Atwood's LongPen at virtual book signing.


Margaret Atwood demonstrates how the LongPen works.




See more of the LongPen in action.






For more information about Margaret Atwood, visit http://www.randomhouse.com/features/atwood/author.html
For the LongPen official website, visit http://www.longpen.com/index.html

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GORE SAVES BUSH

Saying 'thanks' on behalf of Mother Nature



VICE president for 8 years, Emmy and Oscar award-winner, and now a prestigious recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize, Al Gore will be sharing his gold, $1.5 million, and award diploma with United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It's people like Gore who are such commendable figures in today's society, putting his political status to good use, and showing the world that his environmentalist position is one that he takes seriously.

Nobel committee chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes speaks of Gore's work--"He became aware at an early stage of the climatic challenges the world is facing. His strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change. He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted."

Source: MTV.ca News

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IT JUST GOES TO SHOW...

LOS ANGELES--Bobby Brown (of musical fame; Whitney Houston's former husband), at the age of 38, has had a heart attack. The singer suffered mild cardiac arrest this past Tuesday night, and it has been said that this incident was attributed to stress and poor diet. Brown has already been released from the hospital and is said to be recovering well. He thanked his fans for their continual support, and announced that he will continue to perform in Los Angeles this Saturday.

This just goes to show that, even with all the wealth and power one may possess, if you deprive your body of what it needs, there will be consequences.

Nutrition may be an educational past for me, but even in my present, its knowledge still resonates.

Source: Associated Press

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