Author Archives: Annalise Poohachoff

Opinion – Top Gun: Maverick is one of the best movies ever

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*Warning: Light spoilers ahead*

Top Gun: Maverick is a masterpiece, and it might be one of the best movies ever. I will passionately argue with anybody about this. Everything that the original (and very iconic) Top Gun did, Top Gun: Maverick amplified it tenfold. From the corny romance to Maverick’s tendency to let his impulses run rampant and potentially cause a catastrophe, the most distinctive Top Gun characteristics are in full swing.

Despite the iconic Top Gun features being very evident, the classic touches were used in a very tasteful manner. The soundtrack added a nostalgic quality to the film, which appearance-wise looks vastly different from the original. Cinematography has come a long way since 1986.

Speaking of which, the modern film technology created an experience that was so immersive, it’s easy to forget that you’re sitting in a theatre. Coupling that with the moving D-Box theatre seats, you really do feel like you’re actually there.

On top of that, the new film features an assortment of aircrafts in its extraordinary flight scenes which contain minimal CGI usage. Every one of the planes is real and the actors are actually inside the planes, and the flight scenes were piloted by trained Navy pilots who carried out the aerial sequences.

But the new movie brought a new touch to the franchise that the Original Top Gun did not; the primary relationships in the movie were centred less around romance, and more centred around camaraderie. The new movie didn’t have as much focus on Maverick and his love interests as the original; the original Top Gun included some scenes between Maverick and Kelly McGillis’ Charlie that were borderline uncomfortable to watch. I almost felt like i was intruding.

Jennifer Connelly’s contribution to Maverick in her role as Penny was, first of all, not over-the-top to the point of being awkward, but it also gave enough space for the audience to see the other relationships in the film, like for example, between Maverick and Rooster. Maverick did an incredible job at illuminating the value of non-romantic relationships, such as the protective sibling-like friendship between Phoenix and Bob, or the turbulent rivalry (that is secretly full of mutual respect) between Rooster and Hangman, another tribute to the original Top Gun’s tension between Maverick and Iceman.

This movie was successful in having an intense emotional impact without resulting in a tragic death of a beloved character; while I do admit that Goose’s death in the original Top Gun was very necessary to the story, I was incredibly glad that the second movie didn’t end the same way.

Top Gun: Maverick has everything that a film would require to become a classic, as it hits all the key points in a way that the original movie, although iconic, doesn’t quite do. For that reason, I recommend that everyone watch (or re-watch) this movie, paying extra attention to the peripheral components that make this film a masterpiece.

Golf is one of the best things you can do for your health. Let me convince you

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Hi, I’m Annalise, and today I’m going to convince you of why taking up golf is one of the best things you can do for your health.

I’ll start with the physical benefits of the sport. The average golf course is approximately 6600 yards long, is equal to around 20,000 feet. It takes around 8000 steps to walk this distance, and when you factor in the lateral distance that you will walk along the way, you will effortlessly hit the 10,000 steps that you’re recommended to take daily. This low-intensity aerobic exercise has numerous benefits, including reduced fatigue and pain, better overall mood, and higher quality sleep. Statistics show that golfers live approximately 5 years longer on average.

Taking up this sport is also an excellent motivator to introduce mobility work into your exercise routine. Most of us begin feeling aches and pains after the age of 25, and lack of flexibility plays an enormous role in the pain that people have. When you take up golf, you will have a great reason to implement stretching and mobility work into your exercise routine, or your daily life. Increased flexibility means an increased range of motion in your swing, so the benefits of that will inspire you to be disciplined with your stretching routine.. Personally, taking up golf inspired me to integrate yoga into my life, and I now practice yoga three times a week.

You can find exercises all over the internet that will help you with your golf swing and will also benefit you immensely in the rest of your life.

 

The other benefit of golf, which cannot be understated, is the positive impact it has on your mental health. The stereotype of golf is that it’s endlessly frustrating and that by the end of your round you’ll be nothing more than a ball of rage and regret, which admittedly, is true. But any golfer will tell you that there’s a reason they keep coming back for more, and that’s because it just makes you feel so good.

To start, golf is associated with a significantly lower rate of anxiety and depression, due to the endorphins that are released during low-to-moderate intensity exercise. It also lowers cortisol levels, which in turn reduces stress.

Another significant mental health benefit of this sport is that it encourages connection. You normally golf in groups of 3-4, and these people can either be friends or total strangers that you get paired up with. And even though the idea of playing with strangers seems intimidating, everyone on a golf course is in high spirits because they’re just happy to be there.

And if you’re not very confident in your skills, don’t worry, nobody is. That’s the beautiful thing about golf; you never know what’s gonna happen. We’re all just happily struggling together.

 

Underdog Kentucky Derby winner Mage is on track to run in Preakness and pursue Triple Crown

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The unexpected victory of Mage at the 2023 Kentucky Derby last year has put him in the running for a Triple Crown this year. Mage won the 149th derby by a length last weekend on a sunny day in Louisville, Kentucky, where he outlasted Two Phil’s and Angel of Empire, who placed second and third, respectively.

Mage came from behind and charged into the lead as the horses were making their final turn around the track. Two Phil’s held the inside position, but Mage dug hard to stay in front down the final stretch. Mage, who ran out of the eighth post, is trained by Gustavo Delgado and jockeyed by Javier Castellano.

Mage’s win was following the withdrawal of Forte, the previously anticipated champion, due to a bruised foot the morning of the race. Forte is a descendant of the legendary racehorse Secretariat, whose 50th anniversary of his Triple Crown sweep in 1973 is being celebrated this year. Secretariat’s iconic runs 50 years ago are being honoured in exhibits in the Triple Crown cities of Louisville, Baltimore and Elmont.

Triple Crown, in American horse racing, is a Championship attributed to a three-year-old Thoroughbred that in a single season wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. It has long been considered one of the most coveted and prestigious achievements in all of sports, but with the sharp decline of horse racing’s popularity by the beginning of the 21st century, the Triple Crown became less prestigious in the eyes of the general sporting public.

The disenchantment with the sport has increased in the recent years due to the publicity around the deaths of horses. This year seven horses died at the Derby, some on the track during races or training, and others from euthanasia following serious injuries. Incidents like this raise questions about the welfare of the animals, and the ethics of the sport itself. Horse racing is trying its best to redeem its image, and preserve the welfare of its horses, with the recent reforms to antidoping and medication rules.

After being scratched from the Kentucky Derby, Forte was placed by Kentucky racing officials on a mandatory 14-day veterinary list that may require the colt to pass a soundness test in Maryland in order to race in the Preakness. We hope to see Forte recovering and doing well, but on the other hand, his absence from the Preakness may increase Mage’s chances of winning a Triple Crown sweep.

AT&T Byron Nelson opening round: Noh overcomes broken driver and shoots 11-under 60

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This morning was the opening round of this year’s AT&T Byron Nelson Golf Tournament at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. In the opening round, South Korea’s Seung-yul Noh overcame an equipment malfunction and went low with a 60, 11-below the course par 71.

Noh noticed partway through the round that his driver was misbehaving. After an errant tee shot at the par-4 12th, a well planned draw that ended up landing well right of the fairway, Noh closely examined his driver head and noticed a crack.

He was not allowed to replace the club at the time. Under Model Local Rule G-9, a club is not replaceable solely because of a crack. “There needed to be some more subsequent damage other than just a hairline crack,” Chief Referee John Mutch said.

That came on the par-4 13th, So Noh continued playing with his cracked driver. Noh then hit the driver significantly left on the par-4 13th, and then took a provisional, which went even further left. From there, he conferred with Mutch, who determined “significant damage” occurred, finally allowing Noh to take the driver out of play.

Noh wrapped up the round with 11-under 60, which was enough to tie the course record and set his own personal best round on the PGA TOUR.

The esteemed PGA Tour event, which was named after legendary golfer Byron Nelson, has been running since the year 1944. It is also one of only two PGA tour events which are named after legendary PGA professionals, the other being the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Scottie Scheffler, who is currently the second-rated golfer in the world and was last year’s winner of the Masters Tournament, went into the tournament vying for a world-number-one ranking.

Scheffler was rated as the expert’s favourite going into the tournament, but he appears to have faded from the experts’ picks at during the opening round. SportsLine expert Sia Nejad has faded him slightly and is now banking on somebody else as this year’s champion. The Dallas resident and former University of Texas star could still assume the World No.1 position, so he will have some motivation to win; but his past two showings since the RBC Heritage event have been some of his worst showings of the year so far.

The second expert pick for the tournament was USA’s Jordan Spieth, but unfortunately he had to withdraw from the tournament with a wrist injury. That means that the next in line for second-favourite is England’s Tyrell Hatton, who recently had a remarkable showing at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina, finishing in a tie for 3rd place.

The event will be running through Sunday, May 14th.

 

B.C. hot weather raising concerns about flooding, but heat dome is not expected

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We’re expected to see unseasonably hot weather coming up across British Columbia starting tomorrow (Friday, May 12, 2023).

It is reported that the daytime highs across the province will rise into the low-to-mid 30s around the central and southern Interior, while the northern regions of the province are expected to reach the high 20s, both of which are between 10 and 15 degrees above the seasonal average.

Some outlets are reporting forecasted temperatures of 30 to 35 degrees near the southern coast of BC. The upcoming weather is expected to break former record highs for seasonal records.

This sharp temperature spike is raising concerns about whether the hot weather could facilitate natural disasters, such as flooding and wildfires.

The snow buildup that accumulates during the winter is an important factor in preventing fires, and experts are worried that these temperatures will rapidly melt the snowpack and make the province more vulnerable to wildfires.

“Snow will melt very rapidly in this kind of heat and the fine fuels will dry rapidly around the province that aren’t covered in snow,” Global BC meteorologist Kristi Gordon said.

The 2021 heat dome contributed to wildfires across the province.

While the upcoming weather is unseasonably warm, B.C. Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma wants to assure people that we are not in danger of a resurgence heat dome, like the one that we experienced in June 2021 which killed hundreds of people across the province.

A heat dome is something that occurs when a high-pressure system traps heat near the surface of the earth, and then gets held in place for extended periods of time by a blocked jet stream. One of the defining characteristics of a heat dome, in contrast to a standard heatwave, is that the temperatures remain abnormally high throughout the evening.

 

Despite the fact that we’re not expected to reach the same extreme temperatures as in the previous years, hot weather can still pose a risk to human health and welfare.

Particularly vulnerable individuals include elderly citizens and people with pre-existing medical complications. British Columbians are encouraged to reach out to and check up on their neighbours and members of their community during the hot weather.

Many houses in the lower mainland were built around the year 1970 and are not equipped with air conditioning equipment. With extreme temperatures becoming more and more common during the spring and summer months, you may want to consider purchasing air conditioning equipment, especially if you are a medically vulnerable individual.