Binging on the Seven Seasons of the TV Series-Mad Men

 

Mad Men was listed as one of the Top Ten TV series of all Time, I agree!

The last couple of weeks I have binging on a couple of old award winning TV series. The latest series I am currently watching is Mad Men. In case you are not familiar or has not seen this TV series, here's a summary from Wikipedia.

Mad Men received widespread critical acclaim for its writing, acting, directing, visual style and historical authenticity; it won many awards, including 16 Emmys and five Golden Globes. The show was also the first basic cable series to receive the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning the award each year of its first four seasons (2008–2011). It is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time and as part of the early 21st century Golden Age of Television.

Mad Men is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fictional time frame runs from March 1960 to November 1970.

Mad Men begins at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, and continues at the new firm of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (later named Sterling Cooper & Partners) near the Time-Life Building at 1271 Sixth Avenue. According to the pilot episode, the phrase "Mad men" was a slang term coined in the 1950s by advertisers working on Madison Avenue to refer to themselves, "Mad" being short for "Madison" (in reality, the only documented use of the phrase from that time may have been in the late-1950s writings of James Kelly, an advertising executive and writer).

The series's main character is the charismatic advertising executive Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm), who is initially the talented creative director at Sterling Cooper. He is erratic and mysterious but is widely regarded throughout the advertising world as a genius; some of the most famous advertisement campaigns in history are shown to be his creations. Later, Don becomes a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce but begins a struggle as his highly calculated identity falls into a period of decline. The plot of the show tracks the people in his personal and professional lives. As the series progresses, it depicts the changing moods and social mores of the United States throughout the 1960s and early 1970s.

Personal Note: There were numerous memorable and iconic scenes in the epic novela depicting true historical events and social mores of the 60 and 70's. Two of the scenes depicted in the last 15 minutes of the Season 7 and the final episode that still lingers in my mind was the Esalen Experience and the TV coca cola commercial. The Esalen scenes and depiction reminds me of a closed and beloved relative. 

Here is the list of 10 other TV series similar to Mad Men. I have seen all of them except Fargo, The Wire and Peaky Blinder.

 https://www.cbr.com/best-shows-if-you-miss-mad-men/#fargo

 

My Bubblegram 3D Laser Photo Memento-How was it Made?

My Recent Purchase: A Bubblegram, Subsurface Laser Engraving or Vitrography
 

Recently I purchased a 3D Photo Laser Crystal memento from Favouritely.com as advertised in Face ( Photo above). I posted it in my FB page. I received several comments and I become curious how it is made. The following videos and article from Wikipedia is printed here for your information and reading pleasure

A bubblegram (also known as laser crystal, 3D crystal engraving or vitrography) is a solid block of glass or transparent plastic that has been exposed to laser beams to generate three-dimensional designs inside. The image is composed of many small points of fracture or other visible deformations and appears to float inside the block.

 

Description

Each point is created by a laser beam focused to high intensity at that location by a computer-controlled opto-mechanical system. A complex or highly detailed image occupying a 5 cm (2 inch) cubic volume typically requires the creation of tens of thousands of such points.

Bubblegram images may be created by intersecting laser beams in appropriately doped plastic to induce a chemical reaction via heat or photonic excitation, creating bubbles or nodes where the plastic has a different index of refraction.

Glass block bubblegrams of Russian origin entered international commerce as a novelty in the late 1990s, but high prices and the predominantly simple, inartistic subject matter severely limited market penetration. In the early 2000s, a much less expensive, more visually appealing and highly diverse array of Chinese-made bubblegram novelties achieved wide commercial success in the United States, to the extent of becoming a fad: representations of monuments, corporate symbols, religious imagery, mythical creatures and nature scenes appeared in gift shops.

There also exist companies which will take custom photographs of people, convert them to a heightmap, then render that as a bubblegram memento. 

This was the original photo:

 

 

 

The Top Five Best TV Series According to IMDB.com

I just finished binging on the 5 Seasons of Breaking Bad. I enjoyed it so much so I did some search in how the TV series is ranked and the nomination/awards it has received.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Bad

In some listing it is #1. In several other listings it was always ranked in the top ten. Here's a list of the top 5 TV series as listed my IMDB.com. I have watched the top 3 but not the last two. 

At the bottom of the page is a listing of the 100 greatest/popular TV series of time by BBC. I have watched 60 of the 100 in the list. How about you? Are you a TV series enthusiast? I will be glad to hear from you.       

1. Twin Peaks (1990–1991)

TV-MA | 47 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

8.8

Rate

An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.

Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook

Votes: 200,205

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Search on Amazon

2. Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

TV-MA | 49 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

9.5

Rate

A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.

Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt

Votes: 1,907,449

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Watch on Netflix

with subscription

3. Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

TV-MA | 57 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

9.2

Rate

Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.

Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey

Votes: 2,114,828

---

Watch on HBO Max

with Prime Video Channels

4. Jeeves and Wooster (1990–1993)

TV-PG | 55 min | Comedy

8.4

Rate

Bertram Wooster, a well-intentioned, wealthy layabout, has a habit of getting himself into trouble and it's up to his brilliant valet, Jeeves, to get him out.

Stars: Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Richard Dixon, Robert Daws

Votes: 12,635

---

Search on Amazon

5. Band of Brothers (2001)

TV-MA | 594 min | Drama, History, War

9.4

Rate

The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.

Stars: Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor

Votes: 472,998

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Watch on HBO Max

with Prime Video Channels

 

Here's the list of the 100 Greatest TV- series by BBC.com

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20211015-the-100-greatest-tv-series-of-the-21st-century

 

Meanwhile Here's an example to show that I am a ailurophile but not a Cynophilist

 

 

Enjoyed the Movie- TAR- Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress

 

Cate Blanchett won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in the movie Tar. I rented it last week (Amazon Prime Video). The first 15-20 minutes was boring, but I continued watching since I already paid $5.99  to watch it. As the movie progressed it become more interesting and provocative. The ending was a surprised to me as it was filmed in the Philippines with scenes of Manila and Tagalog conversations. I enjoyed the movie very much and it was worth the $5.99 rental fee I paid. Here's the last 10 minutes of the film that was a surprise to me.

"Lydia finds work conducting in the Philippines. Seeking a massage to ease her jet lag, she asks the hotel concierge for a recommendation. She is sent to a high-end brothel, where she is directed to select an escort from the "fishbowl," where numerous young women are seated in a chamber orchestra-like arrangement. One woman (#5) looks up into Lydia's eyes, her position the same as Olga's, and Lydia rushes outside to vomit. With her new orchestra, Lydia conducts the score for the video game series Monster Hunter in front of an audience of cosplayers".

Here's a summary from Wikipedia. For details visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A1r#Plot

Tár is a 2022 psychological drama film written and directed by Todd Field and starring Cate Blanchett. The film charts the downfall of fictional composer and conductor Lydia Tár. The supporting cast includes Nina Hoss, Noémie Merlant, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, and Mark Strong.

Tár premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in September 2022, where Blanchett won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. The film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 7, 2022, before a wide release on October 28, by Focus Features.

The film received acclaim from critics, who lauded Blanchett's performance, Field's direction and screenplay, and its cinematography, editing, and sound design. Tár is listed by many critics as one of the best films of 2022. The American Film Institute named it one of the top 10 films of the year, and it was named best film by the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the National Society of Film Critics, becoming the seventh film in history to win top honors from the critics' trifecta. At the 80th Golden Globe Awards in 2023, Blanchett won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, while the film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Screenplay. The film flopped at the box office, by January 2023 grossing $6.3 million against a combined production and marketing budget of $35 million. Here are two reviews that I agree 100%.

 

Tár is considered by many critics to be one of the best films of 2022. It was listed on the American Film Institute's top 10 films of the year, and was named best film by the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the National Society of Film Critics, becoming the seventh film in history to win top honors from the critics' trifecta. Tár was also named the best film of 2022 by Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, and IndieWire's annual poll of 165 critics worldwide.

I recommend this movie to all Movie Lovers of the World.  Tár is expected to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards, and Blanchett is considered a favorite for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

 

Have You Heard of Environmental Assessments for New Drugs and Biologics?

 

The latest Climate Change Calamities that has ravaged the State of California starting 3 weeks ago reminded me of an article I wrote about Environmental Assessments. Today may be the end of this atmospheric river this year, but I am sure this will happen again in the future.  Here's the article for your information.

I believe most of my readers in this blog have not heard of environmental assessments requirement for new drugs and biologics applications submitted to the FDA. At that time, part of my job as a Review Chemist is to evaluate the adequacy of the Environmental Assessment (EA) report submitted by an applicant for new drug application. An EA is a concise public document that evaluates the potential risk for the drug or feed additive to cause significant environmental impacts. Using fate, exposure, and effects data, the EA focuses on relevant environmental issues relating to the use and disposal of drugs or feed additives (21 CFR 25.40).

Here's a summary of the guidance published for the information of the public and the pharmaceutical industry, published July, 1998. I hope you are curious enough that you will read it.  

GUIDANCE FOR INDUSTRY Environmental Assessment of Human Drug and Biologics Applications

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires all Federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of their actions and to ensure that the interested and affected public is informed of environmental analyses. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is required under NEPA to consider the environmental impacts of approving drug and biologics applications as an integral part of its regulatory process. 

FDA's regulations in 21 CFR part 25 specify that environmental assessments (EAs) must be submitted as part of certain new drug applications (NDAs), abbreviated applications, applications for marketing approval of a biologic product, supplements to such applications, investigational new drug applications (INDs) and for various other actions (see 21 CFR 25.20), unless the action qualifies for categorical exclusion.

Under the President's reinventing government (REGO) initiatives, announced in April 1995, FDA reevaluated and revised its environmental regulations to reduce the number of EAs required to be submitted by industry and, consequently, the number of findings of no significant impact(FONSIs) prepared by the Agency under NEPA. FDA issued for public comment a notice of proposed rule making on April 3, 1996 (61 FR 14922) (republished May 1, 1996 (61 FR 19476)),that proposed additional categorical exclusions for those actions that have been identified as normally not having a significant effect, individually or cumulatively, on the quality of the human environment.  

The final rule was published on July 29, 1997 (62 FR 40569), and became effective August 28, 1997. All applications or petitions requesting Agency action (e.g., NDAs, abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs),INDs, biologics license applications (BLAs), supplements to such applications) must be accompanied by either an EA or a claim of categorical exclusion.Failure to provide (1) a claim of categorical exclusion or (2) an adequate EA, is sufficient grounds for refusing to file or approve the application (21 CFR 314.101(d)(4), 601.2(a) and (c), and 25.15(a)). An EA that is adequate for filing is one that addresses the relevant environmental issues. 

An EA adequate for approval is one that contains sufficient information to enable the Agency to determine whether the proposed action may affect significantly the quality of the human environment. This guidance provides information on when an EA should be submitted; it also makes recommendations on how to prepare EAs for submission of drug or biologics applications to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).

This guidance has been prepared under the direction of the Chemistry Manufacturing Controls Coordinating  Committee, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the Food and Drug Administration. This guidance represents the Agency's current thinking on environmental assessments. It does not create or confer any rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. An alternative approach may be used if such approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statute, regulations, or both.

For Details read:

  https://www.fda.gov/media/70809/download

Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my collection:

 

 

My Recent Collection of Digital Water Color Portraits

So much news this week here in California. The floods, power outage, uprooted trees, snow in the Sierras and 18 died related to the bad weather are national headlines on CNN. But today we are dry and sunny, but more rains expected this weekend. Lucky my neighborhood had only 2 days of  3 hours power outage and one uprooted tree and no flooding. To brighten my spirit, I compiled a collection of my recent purchased of digital water color portraits from several companies in Face Book. The two that I like are from mapleinspirations.com and from designmemories.com. The portraits are as follows:   

Water Color Portrait-requesting changing red sweater and non-white shirt to white 

The Original Photograph-taken by Carenna with her cell phone, Christmas Eve Diner en Blanc Party, 2022

There are several companies in FaceBook advertising the same service- copying digitally your photograph to look a painting. You could choose several styles of painting such as watercolor, oil, acrylic etc...I have also ordered a water color portrait from paintus.com. Giftsshack.com and mapleinspirations.com are other companies doing similar service as designmemories.com.

You could order as a poster also, framed or unframed. The price will depend on the size and framing. It is not cheap. For example I paid $149 for the water color portrait with framing above, 18" x 24".  The smallest size 8" X 12" unframed varies from $49 to $69 with 2 persons in the photo. Additional charges will be charge for additional faces in the photograph submitted.  

I am very pleased with the product done ( above) my mapleinspirations.com

I have also ordered from designmemories.com The product is also good as follows:

 

However, another company paintus,com product is not as good as the two companies above.

The eyes of Macrine looked really artificial- the original photo is low resolution also.  The yellow outfits is not copied perfectly.  

The original photo-Golden Wedding Anniversary Party, Chateau Du Mer Hall, 2007

The above three water color portraits are from designmemories.com

Here's my order from Epicpaint that is Poor.

The final frame photo from mapleinspirations arrived yesterday. It is now displayed in the family room.

  Diner en Blanc Christmas Eve Party, 2022, The David B Katague Clan

 

 

Proper Hydration Could Prolong Your Life

I was watching the news the other day. One of the items mentioned that hydration  (adequate of water in your diet) can prolong your life, because adults who are not sufficiently hydrated may age faster and face a higher risks of chronic diseases. I was interested on the topic so I did some search. Here's a brief summary of the latest information on the subject.  

"Adults who aren't sufficiently hydrated may age faster, face a higher risk of chronic diseases and be more likely to die younger than those who stay well-hydrated, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health.

The results, published Monday (Jan 2,2023) are based on data collected over 25 years from more than 11,000 adults in the U.S. The participants attended their first medical visits at ages 45 to 66, then returned for follow-ups through at ages 70 to 90.

The researchers looked at levels of sodium in the participants' blood as a proxy for hydration, because higher concentrations are a sign that they most likely weren't consuming enough fluids. The researchers found that the participants with high blood-sodium levels aged faster physiologically than those with lower levels, which was reflected in health markers associated with aging, like high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

Staying hydrated does have known health benefits. It can help people ward off joint pain and maintain normal body temperature, and it can prevent constipation or kidney stones, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Asher Rosinger, the director of the Water, Health and Nutrition Lab at Penn State College of Health and Human Development, said it’s more likely that chronic dehydration speeds the aging process than that good hydration could help slow it down.

Proper hydration “will ensure kidneys work properly and extra stress isn’t placed on the body physiologically," he said in an email.

If a person isn’t drinking enough water and consumes sugar-sweetened beverages instead, Rosinger added, the risk of cognitive issues, urinary tract infections, kidney stones and kidney injury goes up.

The National Academies of Medicine recommends six to nine 8-ounce cups of fluid per day for women and eight to 12 for men. Dmitrieva said those recommendations are ideal for an average person, and Rosner also found the guidelines reasonable. But both experts noted that people have different hydration needs based on their activity levels and the environment outside".

For details read the following sites:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/poor-hydration-linked-early-aging-chronic-disease-study-rcna63741 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/02/health/hydration-disease-aging-death-risk-study-wellness/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/27/health/benefits-of-water-and-fluids/index.html 

Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my collection:

 

 

Obesity and the Brain-A 60 Minute TV Feature on January 1, 2023

I was watching 60 Minutes on CBS last night. It featured on the topic on Obesity and the Brain.  I was so intrigued and inspired of the TV presentation that I immediately google search on the above topic. One article mentioned that there are more than 400 articles on Obesity and the Brain published during the last 5 years. However, most medical insurance will not cover drugs for the treatment of obesity. There is now an FDA approved drug for chronic weight management, but super expensive and only the rich can afford.

On June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy (semaglutide) injection (2.4 mg once weekly) for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition (such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol), for use in addition to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. This under-the-skin injection is the first approved drug for chronic weight management in adults with general obesity or overweight since 2014. The drug is indicated for chronic weight management in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 or greater who have at least one weight-related ailment or in patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater.

The 60 Minutes TV show mentioned that in Connecticut beginning January 1, 2023, drugs used to manage obesity will now be covered by the state medical insurance system.
 

Here are two links to read on the subject of obesity, weight management and the effects on brain function and health for your reading pleasure and information. 

https://integrisok.com/resources/on-your-health/2022/september/obesity-and-brain-function 

https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/how-obesity-affects-the-brain