Interesting recent tidbits in the LA Times:

* An article about an 82-year old holocaust survivor who was watching a documentary about the holocaust and found a long-lost friend from his years in a concentration camp. Both men lost their entire families and helped keep each other alive. How in the world does one survive such horror and brutality?

* The Japanese business community (Tokyo in particular) being urged by their Prime Minister to dress more casually (and cooler) during their intense summer seasons. My fiancee has spent a great deal of time in Tokyo and believes this idea will meet a lot of resistance by the population.

* The discovery of a new mummy in Egypt, said to be the "Most Beautiful Mummy". What if we all had our very own personalized, customized coffins when we died? What would yours look like?

* A follow-up story about the woman who recently faked her own kidnapping and ran away before she was supposed to get married. Her community wants her to apologize. I agree. I believe what people want more than anything is honesty and a willingness to take responsiblity for one’s own actions.

* An article about a new book by Peter Kramer entitled "Against Depression". His argument is that many people romanticize depression, believing it to be some kind of necessary debilitation for artistic genius, when really it is a very serious problem that the world would be better without. I have struggled with depression at various times of my life and so have a few of my close friends, and he’s right. It’s not romantic; it basically sucks.

* A few weeks ago I read a great article about women in Hollywood – how more women are leading more studios and producing more very successful films. I am such a film geek, but I’m not sure I would enjoy working in that industry. I’m almost afraid that if I learn too much about it and see too much of the negative side of it I will lose the passion I have for great films. I like that it still retains a bit of mystery to me.

* I also like reading advice columns to see how nuts some people truly are. (Do I do this to feel better about myself? So I can say, "I would NEVER do that! THEY are nuts and I am NOT!") Yesterday a pregnant woman wrote in distressed because her sister-in-law was insisting she be present at the birth, and the woman did not want her there. I was so relieved that the advice columnist advised her to stand her ground and insist on only having who she wants in the birthing room. I would never do that. That sister-in-law is nuts and I am not!