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Matt Damon Would Like Your Good Will Hunting Reviews Now

Molly — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:00:00 PDT

Matt Damon was showing off his legs and very blonde hair, we're still getting used to, on the set of The Human Factor in South Africa over the weekend. This might not be his dreamiest look, but the film has the kind of subject matter - Nelson Mandela's life - that could land him at next year's Oscars. He won his statue in 1997 though Damon thinks that we should let films prove their place in history before giving them awards. He spoke to Parade:

On the Oscars: I think that the best way to judge movies is, like, 10 years after they're released. I think they should actually do the awards that way. I think they should have done the Academy Awards this year for movies from 1998. I think it's better to look at a movie and then step back and look at it again. I don't think - that the awards necessarily get it right. I think they get it wrong more often than they get it right.
On playing Bourne again: We're working on it. This time it would be from an original script rather than a book by Robert Ludlum. But the director, Paul Greengrass, is busy and I am too, so we'll see what happens. . . . Listen, when I did the first movie, I was 29 years old. I am 37 now, and after a tough fighting scene, the next day you wake up and feel your body more. That's just the way it is.
On how he's changed: I'm probably a lot more boring than I used to be and more tired at night. You can't fake it. It's like when it's bedtime, it's bedtime. I go to bed earlier and I get up earlier. I think being a parent changes everything about you in really little ways and in ways that you don't really understand unless you have kids. It's kind of like describing a guitar chord -- it's not really a simple thing to do.

Considering he's hard at work in South Africa at the moment and was in Morocco just a few months ago, his life is far from boring.

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Matt Damon Keeps It Sporty in South Africa

PopSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:45:00 PDT

Matt Damon was spotted in South Africa yesterday, sporting a warm-up suit and some very blonde hair. He's been busy filming The Human Factor, and got into character as famous rugby caption Francois Pienaar. Matt's been staying active for his newest role, and while we're not sure how we feel about the lighter locks, it's still an upgrade from his look in The Informant.

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Buzz News Roundup, 9/26

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:37:31 PDT

"Nashville" is the first new series to be yanked from the TV schedule this fall, writes Zap2it, though Fox claims it will be rescheduled down the line.
Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon are looking to finance The Human Factor, the Nelson Mandela film starring Morgan Freeman as Mandela, writes ComingSoon. Eastwood would also direct the film and Damon might star in it alongside Freeman.
Reba McEntire is enjoying the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for the first time ever with her album Reba Duets, Billboard reports. She beat out both Kanye and 50 Cent.
Set your TiVos for Bravo's mini-marathon of six "30 Rock" episodes on Sunday afternoon! The Futon Critic has the details.
According to Variety, The Nielsen Company is looking to launch an "online social network" where TV enthusiasts can discuss what they think is working and not working - with studios and networks listening in.
Bright Eyes has been working hard to prepare for the concert this weekend in which he'll play with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, writes Billboard.
"Nip/Tuck" creator Ryan Murphy has a new show headed for Fox, Zap2it reports, while the Hollywood Reporter says the network also has two cop series in the works.
Meanwhile, over at NBC, a new reality show called "My Dad is Better Than Your Dad" will soon be in the lineup, and all the details are at the Futon Critic.
Kevin James will write, produce and star in a comedy titled Mall Cop, writes Hollywood Reporter.
Jay-Z's Rocawear brand is among the bidders for naming rights to the New Jersey Nets' arena, the Associated Press reports.
And finally: Remember that whole thing where Apple claimed it wouldn't sell new NBC shows on iTunes? Curiously, "Chuck" and "Journeyman" are available there now anyway.

Photo courtesy of Fox

Morgan Freeman to Play Nelson Mandela

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:13:18 PDT

Crazy interesting news:
Morgan Freeman will portray former South African President Nelson Mandela in The Human Factor, a drama based on an upcoming book titled The Human Factor: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed the World.

According to the article...
"Pic is set after the fall of apartheid, when South Africa was host to the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Mandela was in his first term as South African president, and he used the event as a way to end decades of mistrust and hatred between whites and blacks."

Morgan Freeman is amazing:
Apparently, Freeman has traveled to South Africa to discuss the project with Mandela. "'I have known Nelson Mandela personally for quite some time, and am continually in awe of his enormous presence in the world,' Freeman said. 'The opportunity to portray him in this film is a great honor.'"

Source and source

Who's to Blame For Childhood Obesity? Mom and Dad!

Natasha Dantzig — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:37:08 PST

Equal opportunity blame game! Moms tend to get disproportionately blamed when things with their children take a less than ideal turn. Whether it's trouble in school, difficulty making friends, or physical or mental health issues, it's the mamas who - according to most popular conceptions - bear the brunt of the responsibility. Which is why it's somewhat of a relief to see a study out this month declaring that fathers have a part to play in the childhood obesity epidemic. The study, recently published in the the International Journal of Obesity found that children living in households where the father works an irregular schedule - a phenomenon that's becoming more and more common - are more likely to become obese or overweight.

Lest the daddies get too nervous, there's another new study that places the blame right back on mama: based on data from a new study done by the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, researchers from Ohio State University published an article in Pediatrics linking the quality of the early mother/child relationship with the child's risk of becoming obese as a teenager. The study claims that children who had a less than optimal relationship with their mother in early childhood were twice as likely to become obese; However, as researchers took into account other known factors related to the epidemic such as maternal education and household income, the findings were less conclusive, leaving parents with just as many questions and concerns as they had before.

Is one parent more to blame than the other?

How to Get Your Metabolism Moving

Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:03:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

Does your metabolism grind to a halt after 35? Can certain foods rev it up? Answers ahead — and they're good.
By Paige Greenfield

Here's something to feel good about: your body is a calorie-burning machine. You'll even torch a few while reading this article. The point is, every single thing you do — from breathing to eating to sleeping — uses energy. The number of calories it would take just to lie in bed all day is called your resting metabolic rate. And just like your curly hair or warm personality, yours is unique.

"There are so many factors that determine your metabolic rate," says Janet Rankin, PhD, professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise at Virginia Tech. Among them: your height and weight (bigger people burn more calories), your gender (women have slower metabolisms than men), your age (your metabolic rate declines as you get older), how much muscle or fat you have (muscle burns more calories than fat does), and your DNA.

Health.com: Little Ways to Lose Big Pounds

Although you can't rewire your double helix or switch back the clock, there's still plenty you can do to be a fast burner, Rankin says. All you need to do is remember these four research-backed truths.

Cardio Revs Your Metabolism For Hours Afterward
Resistance training often hogs the metab-boosting spotlight. It's no wonder, since a pound of muscle at rest fries three times as many calories as a pound of fat. However, cardio is every bit as crucial for keeping your metabolism humming.

New research explains why: In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, people pedaled a stationary bike as hard as they could for 47 minutes.
The finding: They slashed 190 calories above their resting metabolic rate for 14 hours after their workout. Add that to the 519 calories, on average, the cyclists scorched from the workout itself, and that's one heck of a sweat session.

"If you do just two to three vigorous bouts of exercise per week for 45 minutes, you could lose a pound of fat every two weeks from the combination of calories expended during exercise plus what you burn afterward," says study author David Nieman, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Appalachian State University.

So how can you tell if you're pushing hard enough? Any sweat-inducing activity you can sustain for 45 minutes will do the trick.

More useful tips after the break.

The Truth About the Health Benefits of Tea

Health — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:13:17 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

Tea - does it really fight cancer? Lower cholesterol? We filter the research to find out which health claims actually hold water.
By Kate Lowenstein

The way scientific studies and health gurus alike have touted the perks of tea over the past few years, you'd think the stuff was some kind of all-powerful magical elixir. Improving heart health, reducing cancer risk, warding off dementia and diabetes - there's barely a health benefit that hasn't been credited to tea. It's true that the brew has disease-fighting antioxidants, and, as far as anyone can tell, should be great for us.

"The science is certainly promising," says David L. Katz, MD, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "But the hype goes beyond it and tends to make promises which the science can't yet deliver." (No, tea probably will not cure depression, eliminate allergies, or boost your fertility!) We talked to the experts and weighed the studies to separate the truth from the hype.

Health.com: Drink This Tea to Lose That Belly

Why tea is so hot
First, a definition: When scientists talk about tea, they mean black, green, white, or oolong teas - all of which are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal brews, like chamomile and peppermint, are not technically considered tea; they're infusions of other plants with different nutritional characteristics. If you're not sure what kind you're drinking, check the ingredients for the word "tea."

Keep reading to learn even more about tea.

Want to Be on Top (Of the World)? NASA Searches For Next Astronauts

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:02:51 PST

Ready for a new career with an office view seen by few humans? Start knocking on NASA's door, as the space agency posted an open call for applications looking for the next wave of astronauts to support the International Space Station and future deep space missions.

Of course, not just anyone can be an astronaut, only 330 people have been selected as NASA astronauts since the first team in 1959 called the "Original Seven." The list of NASA basic requirements for the Astronaut Candidate Program is specific. Candidates must have:

US citizenship
Height between 62 and 72-inches, as well as a resting blood pressure not to exceed 140/90.
20/20 vision, though corrective eye surgeries like LASIK are allowed.
Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. Despite the space flight factor, aviation degrees do not qualify.
Three years of relevant professional experience or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in a jet aircraft.

Acceptance in to the Astronaut Candidate Program doesn't even guarantee you'll see space time. The final selection is dependent on the completion of training including Space Station systems, robotics skills training, learning Russian, and aircraft flight readiness. Astronaut candidates earn between $64,000-141,000 per year.

Should you meet the basic requirements and have always dreamed of exploring the final frontier, get started on the application immediately! From the time the job posting closes on Jan. 27, 2012 candidates can expect over a year long hiring process including extensive interviews and medical examinations. Watch NASA's astronaut recruiting video, which even showcases the inevitable human exploration of Mars.

5 Steps to Feng Shui Your Office

Emily Co — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:34:16 PDT

There is a growing trend of businesses seeking feng shui consult and home buyers seriously taking feng shui factors like the unit number of the residence into consideration before purchasing. The New York Times reports an increasing number of real estate brokers who are coming to realize the importance of feng shui to their clients. I found this so fascinating that I decided to ask Marina Lighthouse, a successful feng shui consultant, to see what SavvySugar readers can do to improve their feng shui on a smaller scale.

Add a plant: “Having a plant around you will promote and support life force or chi, just as long as it’s not spiky. Spiky plants look like swords so when you subconsciously walk by them, our natural reaction as human beings is to step back.”
Evaluate past energy: “The predecessor chi or the energy of the environment is very important. For example, if you're going to take the desk of someone that just got fired, you definitely need to adjust the feng shui of that area or you could get fired because that’s the energy of the spot."
See what's behind you: "To put your mind or psyche at ease, put a mirror [in front of you] so you can see whatever is going on behind you." For example, if your desk is facing the wall, consider hanging a small mirror on the wall to be able to see what's happening in the background.

For more tips, read after the jump.

Ask the Diet Doctor: The Best Post-Workout Snack

Shape — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:11:23 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: I'm starving after my workout! What can I do to stop that or to avoid canceling out the calories I just burned?

-Regina, Facebook

A: It may seem a little counterintuitive, but immediately after your workout is the best time of day to eat, so even if you're not starving, you should still eat something.

The good news is that you can't cancel out the calories you just burned during your workout. Weight loss and the human body don't work like that. When you're working out, your body burns fat to be used as energy. If you eat right after your workout, those calories won't be used to replace the burned body fat. Your body only stores food as body fat when it doesn’t have anything else to do with the extra calories you eat. After your workout, your body needs to start restoring and repairing itself from your training session. In other words, it needs calories.

The calories you eat after your workout will be used to replace energy stores in your muscles that got used up during your training session. Your body also uses any protein you eat to build and repair your muscles that were broken down as a result of you pushing them to their limits.

Eating immediately after you finish a workout is beneficial for many reasons. Your body will automatically use the calories you eat for good (repair and recovery) and not bad (fat storage). In fact, research shows that your body's ability to refill muscle energy stores decreases by 50 percent if you wait to eat just two hours after your workout compared to eating right away. Eating after your workout may also increase your body’s insulin sensitivity or its ability to use carbohydrates - an important factor for weight loss and health for the following 24 hours.

Find out which foods you should eat post-workout after the break!