And the Oscar goes to… B


y the time this Lifestyles is in your hands, the Acad- emy Awards for this year will be history. But lately I have been doing a lot of research on them, and in fact it has proven to be a life lesson as well as a foray into the world of movies. Sometimes one has to lose to win. Win-


ning is always nice but sometimes losing can be a lot more instructive to us as we go along. Losing teaches us to try harder, do better and be smarter.


A recent topic for my radio show for CJNU was all about the songs that had NOT won the Oscar. As I went along with my research, I was amazed at the myriad of titles that were not in the win- ners’ circle and yet have become musical standards in our lives. Composers and lyricists as diverse as Cole Porter, the Ger- shwins, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and Jerome Kern have had songs in that category, and have been left out of the running. The lesson is that we can be at the top of our game and yet not win.


Jim Pappas


happens to be one of the boldest performances by a wom- an in a difficult role.


There are, too, some that have won that have fallen on deaf ears and have never been heard from again. Remem- ber, it’s just a panel of people that chose them.


As I continued my research I fell upon some other so-called “losers” and I was shocked to read about some of the actors that had been nominated for Oscars but never won; fine actors all, and even though they didn’t win an Oscar, what they did win was pure admiration for their work over the years. Amazing talents such as Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Greta Garbo, Fred Astaire, Myrna Loy, Robert Redford, Barbara Stanwyck, Montgomery Clift, Pe- ter Sellers, Glenn Close, Rosalind Russell and many, many more have been nominat- ed and yet never won. Did that deter any of them from giving memorable appear- ances in movies? Not as far as I am con-


Many of the songs that did not win are in the pantheon of what is called “The Great American Songbook”. Such diverse titles as Cheek to Cheek, The Man That Got Away, Something’s Gotta Give, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Blues in the Night, I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo, Pennies from Heav- en, Love Letters, The Trolley Song, Dearly Beloved and My Foolish Heart are just a few of the “losers”. And there are dozens more.


But these songs captured the imagination of the listen- ing public, and public opinion carried them to the success and the durability that they have enjoyed all these years.


cerned. Some of these actors are among the best we have ever seen on the screen over the years. They were losers who are true winners in every way. While I was at my research I also discovered some ineq- uities in the system, too. Remember that these are merely my opinions:


In 1936 and 1937, an actress called Luise Rainer won


both years for The Great Ziegfield and The Good Earth respectively. To watch her performances now is almost cringe-worthy. She is all fluttering eyelashes and small movements of the head. In fact in 1936, she beat Car- ole Lombard in My Man Godfrey, surely one of the sub- tlest comic performances ever given on the screen and, in 1937, she beat Barbara Stanwyck in Stella Dallas, which


The lions and lambs of March M


Helen Harper


arch is the month that tests hardy Manitobans.


For the most part we laugh at whatever the outcome of Ground Hog Day tells us. Life on the prairies is not won by rodents but by resistant souls who turn their faces to the warmth of the spring sun on a bright and lovely day.


I have lived through wintry weather in the guise of a fierce lion when it started this


month of March, only to end it as a lion as well. I have held my breath when snow was melting with the gentleness of a lamb, only to be blasted back by a spring storm in April.


Why do we live here? Because it’s home. We don’t proudly display “Friendly Mani- toba” on our licence plates for nothing. We are truly a friendly, diverse lot.


March is the perfect time to embrace all that our province has to offer. Manitoba is the test ground for new restaurants be- cause we are a culinary-savvy bunch. Spring


xciting new research has helped thousands of people improve their sleep quality, reduce their depen- dence on dangerous drugs, and restore the important phases of sleep that are critical to mental and phys- ical health.


Over 40 years of research has shown that our expo- sure to blue light interferes with our ability to get the sleep we need. We're all familiar with how bright white sunlight turns to or- ange and red as it sets. This is because the blue wave- lengths are scattered by the atmosphere when the sun is setting. We've been pro- grammed for thousands of


Nathan Zassman Natural Health


years by nature to recognize this red light from the sun in the evening. The electric light bulb has only been part of our en- vironment for the past 100 years or so. It's now part of our daily routine to be artificially exposed to white 'day' light at night.


White light is composed of relatively equal quantities of red, green, and blue. Scientists have proven that the blue por- tion shuts off melatonin production, so you can boost production by blocking blue light (or all light) from your eyes. Blue Light = Serotonin = Good Mood


Blue light stimulates serotonin, the "feel-good" neurotransmitter associated with mood balance. Low levels of sero- tonin are associated with depression, so


March 2017


you want to soak up as much regular white light during the day as possible to maximize serotonin levels. A recent study found that those who worked in offices with win- dows received 173% more light during working hours and slept an average of 46 minutes more each night. Those with windows were more active and had higher energy levels, while work- ers without windows re- ported more physical prob- lems, lower vitality, and problems sleeping. No Blue Light = Melatonin = Sleep Melatonin is the magic hormone that our body produces that is critical to


In 1939, when David O. Selznick was making Gone with the Wind, there was a public insistence that Clark Gable should play Rhett Butler, the anti-hero of the piece. It is indeed a full-on, gutsy performance of an alpha male, in the best possible sense of the word. Gable unbelievably lost the Oscar to Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr Chips, a perfor- mance that now appears twee and repressed. Gable was robbed and lost.


Other instances of actor versus actor that have caused questions over the years include: Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, in a cool existential performance, versus Paul Lukas in Watch on the Rhine, a plodding drama that is unwatchable today. Lukas won, though no one remembers him. Grace Kelly won for The Country Girl, a poor movie even in its time, versus Judy Garland in A Star is Born, a bravura performance in every aspect despite the fact that it is a musical, too.


Charlton Heston won for Ben Hur in his usual wooden manner, versus Jack Lemmon in one of the funniest comic performances ever put on the screen in Some Like it Hot, filled with nuance and incredible humanity. Joan Fontaine in Hitchcock’s Suspicion as a vapid, tremu- lous heroine over Bette Davis in The Little Foxes, a Regina Giddens movie filled with deceit and treachery for all time. So this goes to illustrate my point. Even though some of these performances lost the prize at the time, in the glass of time, they are all winners.


Sometimes, as with these examples, the aspect of step- ping back and re-evaluating makes for an upset of the bal- ance. Winning the trophy does not equate to longevity or success. In fact some of the examples I have cited in song and performance have proven my theory. Sometimes you have to lose to win.


Jim Pappas is a CJNU board member.


us are smiles, a friendly hello or “Can I help you?”


brings new ventures to the city and as the sidewalks’ snow melts we can walk off the yummy new food. The cultural variety of Winnipeg is outstanding to those who are new to town. We take our incredible sym- phony and world renowned ballet in stride. Theatre is everywhere, from the smallest venues to the sparkle of a main stage. Just sitting in a coffee shop in Osborne Village and people-watching can lift the spirit. For Manitobans winter is a word, not a condition. We live it, we plough through it and we don’t let it define us. What defines


So don’t give up and let the March she- nanigans of the lion and lamb get you down. I truly believe we do winter better than anyone on this planet.


Stand tall and be proud of our winter. It’s


the month to empty out those clothes you have been hoping to diet down to for the last five years, and donate them to Good- will Industries. Volunteer at the local soup kitchen or school. Smile at your neighbour. Remember spring is as always just around the corner.


Helen Harper is a staff writer and a volun- teer with Nostalgia Radio CJNU.


The "blue light" switch for improved sleep E


sleep. If you've tried taking melatonin as a supplement, you may have found it helpful, but some people experience side effects including drowsiness, headaches, irritability, nausea, and nightmares. Mel- atonin supplements do not function in the same way as when melatonin is pro- duced naturally in the body.


By shielding your eyes from blue light at night, your brain thinks you are watch- ing the sun set, or that you are already in darkness, so melatonin production starts and you begin to get sleepy. In addition to improved sleep, increasing melatonin levels has shown to lower risk of cancer by up to 60%, and cut the risk of type 2 diabetes in half. Glasses: There are various methods of eliminating blue light at night, but


an easy and affordable solution is a pair of specially-designed orange-coloured glasses, which absorb the critical blue wavelengths. Wearing the glasses for an hour or two before bed starts the flow of melatonin which can lead to deeper, more restful, and restorative sleep. Lighting: I recommend installing light bulbs designed to reduce the blue portion of light in bedroom lighting fix- tures and night table lamps. If you read in bed, innovative bulbs like Relax from MiracleLED are perfect for helping you wind down and fall asleep. Eye Shades: If you don't have blinds that shield your bedroom from all ambi- ent light, I recommend using eye shades. One of the most interesting new prod- ucts is the Illumy Sleep and Wake Mask, a comfortable pair of eye shades that emit red light to help you fall asleep with a simulated sunset, and gently wake you up in the morning with blue light. Software: Using a phone, tablet, or computer before bed can significantly affect sleep quality, as these screens pro- duce high levels of blue light. I recom- mend installing one of the free applica- tions that automatically adjust displays to reduce the disruptive blue light emis- sion. Twilight works on Android devices to turn down the blue in the evening. Download f.lux (justgetflux.com) for your laptop or desktop computer, the program does the rest. Celliant Fibre: Celliant fibre converts body heat into infrared energy, a wave- length outside the visible light spectrum, and emits it back into the body. Made of special minerals that provide benefits


even when covered by layers of fabric, a Celliant fibre mattress protector can increase oxygen levels which speed heal- ing. One recent study found that subjects sleeping on one fell asleep 15 minutes faster.


L-Tryptophan: L-tryptophan is the important amino acid that our body converts into serotonin and melatonin. Supplementing with L-tryptophan is important for many people, as blocking blue light may not be effective if there is a deficiency. I recommend Zenbev and RestBites, natural products developed by Dr. Craig Hudson that are high in L- tryptophan.


Recently a woman visited me to dis- cuss the sleeping problems her husband and father were having. Her father is 92 and in an assisted living home. For many years he had been taking a danger- ous sleep drug, but was still not getting quality sleep. Her husband had similar issues, but was not taking the drug. I recommended they both try the combi- nation of Zenbev, installing Relax bulbs in the bedroom, and wearing the orange glasses before bedtime. The next day she returned with her sister, a physician, to tell me that their father had slept through the night without waking up once for the first time in twenty years, and that her husband had experienced a similar result. There are many factors that can affect and improve sleep, but shielding your eyes from blue light and supplementing with L-tryptophan are easy and afford- able solutions.


Nathan Zassman is the owner and presi- dent of Aviva Natural Health Solutions.


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