This video tells a true story of two men and a lion, which they named Christian. John Rendall and Anthony Bourke had raised Christian from when he was a cub; however, Christian grew too big to keep in London where Rendall and Bourke lived. This brought them to the heart-wrenching decision to release him to an African reserve. Wondering whether or not Christian would take notice to them, remembering the men that took care of him for so long, they call out his name. To see what happens next, click on the video shown in this post.

Reporter Jenny Park

The Solidoodle 2 released in late April doesn’t sound like much but for $499 it gives consumers a chance to turn designs on a computer into physical objects.  This printer is just one of several products that have become available for consumers to “print” objects.  The Solidoodle 2 allows objects up to 6”x6”x6” to be printed.  In comparison to two of competition’s printers, the MakerBot Replicator and 3D Systems Cube, $1,999 and $1,299 respectively it comes off as a great deal.  However if this is a bit out of your budget there are also websites like shapeways.com which allow people to post designs in their shop which consumers can then order in a myriad of different materials.  So whether its fantastic shapes or a castle don’t hesitate to turn your dreams into real objects.

Reporter Kara Nitta 

Two weeks ago on May 5, we witnessed the “Supermoon” when the moon reached the closest point to Earth on its elliptical orbit. That’s not all for the 2012 solar phenomena; this Sunday, May 20, there will be a solar eclipse, in which the sun’s edges will be visible behind the moon, similar to a ring of fire in the sky – don’t forget your solar glasses! The eclipse will not, however, be visible to the Eastern coast.

On top of the eclipse, Venus will align between the earth and the sun on June 5. A small figure will appear on the sun. It may not seem like much, but Venus isn’t predicted to cross our path until December of 2117.

Even more to come, the Perseids, which always consist of colorful meteors, will be visible later this year in August.

Reporter Reagan Paz

Marvel’s The Avengers

TNT knows drama

If you’re thinking about adding some spice to your life cancel that bungee jumping excursion, because there is now an app for that. Well, not quite. TNT’s latest commercial for their slogan, “We know drama.” incorporates a drama button instead. Though a drama button may not be the most practical way to add drama to your life, TNT’s commercial is a pretty good alternative.

Copy and Online Manager Cyanne Ito

In Roseland, one of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods, Diane Latiker has opened up her living room as a second home for troubled teens. In the safety of her home, teens can study, make friends, and get away from everyday gang violence. Since 2003 she has offered tutor sessions, free food and even took kids on fun outings, like ice skating. It is here where Latiker hopes to change the lives of teen gangsters and help them achieve their dreams. She calls her project “Kids Off the Block.”    

Latiker’s doors are open 24/7 to anyone regardless of their past. Though most clients of “Kids Off the Block” belong to gangs there have been little to no violent incidents in her program. “We’ve had six gangs in my living room at one time. … But that was the safe place. And you know what? They respected that,” said Latiker in a CNN news report.

Latiker’s courageous efforts to stop violence has gotten her nominated to be a CNN Hero. To see the full story go to http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/04/07/cnnheroes.latiker.roseland.youth/index.html

Reporter Nathan Park

Born in California, but a Haleiwa native, Clark Little, initially made a name for himself as a surfer.  He would fearlessly attack the violent shore break of the North Shore’s Waimea Bay and emerge in one piece.  It wasn’t until 2007 that he discovered his talent and passion for taking stunning ocean photographs.  His pictures display an entirely unique view of these dangerous waves from a surfers perspective.

            One of his most shocking images is “Lifesaver,” which portrays the invigorating magnificence a surfer feels as he or she rides toward the small circle of light at the end of the tunnel that is the wave crashes over them.  Some other photos also include “King Kamehameha”, “Floodlight” and “Glitter,” all of which depict the perfect curve of a wave and the reflection of the setting sun against the water, each picture with its own unique view of the wave. 

            His work has been acknowledged by professional photographers all over the globe and his work has been displayed in museums all over the planet from the Smithsonian to Japan.  He has two galleries in Haleiwa, Oahu and Laguna Beach, California.  Be sure to check out some of his breathtakingly beautiful photographs at his website http://www.clarklittlephotography.com.

Reporter Kim Yamaguchi

Berndnaut Smilde: The man who makes clouds

Man has always dreamed of taking to the skies, but Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde has managed to bring the skies to us. In a series of art installations conducted in Belgium and the Netherlands early this year titled “Nimbus,” Smilde managed to create clouds in empty rooms, transient “sculptures” which, though fleeting, captivated viewers with a rare indoor glimpse of the heavens. “The idea I had was going to be an ephemeral work. It would only exist as a photo,” Smilde said, “With every shoot we had to make a new cloud and keep in account approximately the same lighting and position to create the illusion of physically walking through the space.” With carefully controlled humidity and lighting conditions and a light puff of smoke, Smilde was able to create the illusion of a cloud drifting through the space for mere moments before it dissipated, much like a time-lapse of normal clouds. Photos of Smilde’s various “Nimbus” installations can be seen on his website, www.berndnaut.nl, as well as images of his numerous other works.

Copy Manager Ramil Lorenzo Gonzalez

(Source: designboom.com)

Disco Queen leaves a 70s legacy

Since the mid-‘70s, fans “Love to Love You Baby” as in, love Donna Summer. Summer, who suffered from cancer, died yesterday at the age of 63. Even though Summer is known as the ‘disco queen’ for her disco albums after “Bad Girls” she’s also know for her Grammy awards in R&B, rock, inspirational, dance, and the few musicals she performed in after moving to Germany. The death of Donna Summer would be the second death of a widely known vocalist this year after Whitney Hudson. 

Reporter Jessica Fontenot

(Source: CNN)

A historic announcement: Obama endorses same-sex marriage

President Barack Obama has continued his streak of firsts this past Wednesday, May 9, when he officially announced his support of same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting president to do so. This announcement comes at the heels of Vice President Joe Biden’s own interview on May 6 in which he openly declared his personal belief in marriage equality. Obama, who had initially said his views on the matter were still “evolving,” claimed his new stance is rooted in the biblical “Golden Rule,” saying, “In the end, the values that I care most deeply about and (First Lady Michelle Obama) cares most deeply about is how we treat other people.”

Unsurprisingly, his announcement was met with polarized responses. Many well-known figures expressed their support of his announcement, ranging from satirists like Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart to LGBT celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Neil Patrick Harris. Republicans like Bristol Palin and Mitt Romney, on the other hand, opposed the idea in favor of right-wing traditional marriage views. Some have accused Obama of merely using the LGBT population for votes, yet others argue that such a public viewpoint would alienate a large conservative population and that this announcement was more of a risk than a ruse. No matter Obama’s reason, the country won’t find out whether this stance will help or hurt him in the long run until the elections later this year.

Copy Manager Ramil Lorenzo Gonzalez

(Source: The New York Times)

Taking control of your senses, electronically

Many people have asked the question “What do blind people dream of?” For Robin Millar, the answer is dreaming everything in color after 25 years of having his dreams in black and white. Millar is a patient of both the Oxford Eye Hospital and King’s College Hospital in London, where he has undergone a clinical trial to restore his vision after having lost it due to retinitis pigmentosa. Through his clinical trial and a surgery that placed a “wafer-thin, 3mm square microelectronic chip” in Millars eyes that replaces the function of the rods and cones, Millar is now able to make out flashes of light and silhouettes of objects nearby. Even though this development has given patients like Millar part of his vision back, he is only able to distinguish colors in his dreams.

Reporter Jessica Fontenot

(Source: BBC)