Walter Cronkite was the best teacher I ever had. As a young journalist and broadcaster, I was very fortunate to secure an interview with him. He advised the following:
1. Educate Yourself - Don’t buy into seven-second soundbites.
2. Speak Up and Speak Out - It’s our right to be heard in America.
3. Don’t Stereotype - Learn to listen and perceive from your heart.
4. Be Proactive - Know you can make a difference!
We are at another crossroad, where choices must be made and our actions must be potent. Sometimes we don’t see the whole picture and can lose sight of the goal. Becoming disheartened will lead to apathy, so know your voice matters, your votes count, your tweets influence and your Facebook page can inform, educate and uplift others.
It is also important to remember that we, human beings, influence others around us everyday, all the time.
Positive emotions and happy thoughts permeate the restaurants, homes, stores, card rooms, theaters and malls, and so do negative ones. If you really want to make a difference in the world, smile and find what’s shining brightly within you so you can emanate your beautiful brilliant light into the world. And then, be proactive in acting on your good wishes for our beautiful earth – be heard!
Now onto matters of our blue planet….
The following information was drawn from an IMAX press release about a new nature-themed film.
“Los Angeles, CA - August 2, 2018 – IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that the Kristen Bell-narrated IMAX® documentary adventure ‘Pandas,’ a heartwarming global story about reintroducing captive-born pandas to the wild, was released in limited IMAX® and IMAX® 3D theaters on April 18, 2018, with a commercial expansion starting August 17, 2018. The film is rated G.
“’We are so proud of this movie and how audiences have embraced the importance of protecting and providing for these endangered creatures,’ said writer/producer Drew Fellman, who also co-directed the film with David Douglas. ‘We hope that the wider release of ‘Pandas’ will provide a greater emphasis on the work that is being done in China and help create ongoing awareness of the exciting new programs in place for panda conservation.’
“’Pandas’ takes audiences on a remarkable journey to China, immersing them in an adventure starring the adorable, beloved species – Giant Pandas. Go behind the scenes with IMAX into a rarely seen world of captive-born pandas and meet a young cub named Qian Qian, the delightful, bamboo-loving star, as she prepares to go wild.”
I searched the internet for reviews of “Pandas,” and found this from Owen Gleiberman of Variety Magazine quite interesting: “Pandas seem to be crying out for our affection, and for our protection too. And these days, they really need it. Squeezed out of their natural habitat (the overdevelopment of Chinese forests has pushed them further and further up into the mountains), crucially lacking in genetic diversity, pandas, as a species, are now struggling to find their biological place in the future.”
The IMAX press release further states, “At Chengdu Panda Base in China, scientists are taking the captive breeding program to the next level and preparing captive-born cubs for the wild. This film follows one such researcher, whose passion leads her to initiate a new technique inspired by a black bear rehabilitator in rural New Hampshire. What starts as a cross-cultural collaboration becomes a life-changing journey for one special panda named Qian Qian.
“The film, captured with IMAX® cameras, follows Qian Qian on an exciting new adventure into the mountains of Sichuan as she experiences nature for the first time and discovers her wild side.”
As September rolls around, and the heat of summer lingers on, take your happy, wild self to the IMAX movies and celebrate those who care to ensure our land, our animals and our species both thrive and survive.
For those celebrating the Jewish New Year, Shanah Tovah - A Good Year 5779!
In Light and Love, Liz
