I want to fly like an eagle

Movie: Eddie the Eagle. I remember some things about British ski jumper "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards from the 1988 Winter Olympics. How happy the sport made him despite his placing last. There was controversy as to whether or not he should be allowed to compete at all since he wasn't proficient at the sport. At the time, he did what he needed to do to qualify (the rules have since been changed so a lesser skilled competitor would not be allowed at the Olympics) and he loved the sport. His excitement at breaking the British ski jumping record is something everyone watching must remember. At the time, as it still does, the controversy seemed unfair and I thought and think anyone saying he shouldn't have been allowed to compete should just once (much less 60 times a day as  Eddie was) have to jump the 70 meter. It took enormous courage and strength and that's what the Olympics should be about, not just who can win gold. The movie takes some license with conversations but not with the competitions nor Eddie's spirit. Good for him and good for everyone involved with the film for winning our hearts.

Floating on a sea of love

If you're looking for a new and exciting place to call home (and who isn't) and you have several million to spare, look into the stunning Floating Seahorse villas. Built on a man-made archipelago two miles off Dubai's coast, the Signature Edition home has 4,000 square feet on three levels of everything you could want, like wi-fi, televisions, and a butler service, whatever that entails. The lower underwater/submerged level has a master bedroom and bathroom with floor to ceiling windows that give you perfect views of marine life swimming around artificial coral gardens. The second level has a kitchen, dining area, a sundeck and pool. The upper level features a glass bottom Jacuzzi. By 2018 there should be 125 or more villas, perhaps depending on the demand. Get yours while there's time. Apparently the first 42 are already sold out.

Work, work, work harder You say

Movie: Joy. Somewhat based on the life and work of Joy Mangano, the creator of the Miracle Mop although the movie does not call it that. An engaging film about how she came up with the idea, found financing for it and tried to market it. At first she didn't succeed and the try, try again ending to that phrase is what made her successful in the long run. Isabella Rosellini was wonderful as her father's girlfriend. It seemed very true to life how family members like her father (Robert De Niro) would be giving her negative advice, like, it's never going to work, you should give up, you tried but failed so file bankruptcy. I think we all learned how important it is to follow your instincts and stick by what you believe in. Nice to see Dascha Polanco released and out of the orange and/or khaki. I wondered why the Joan  Rivers impersonator was so spot on until seeing in the ending credits that Melissa Rivers played her. Marvelous.

The queen of my highway

While watching wonderfully humorous travel writer Tony James Slater's video experiences on his and Roo's driving the electric Twizy car, and laughing along with them, I decided to look into this unique car. Made by Renault and manufactured in Spain, Twizy is powered by a litium-ion battery pack, located underneath the front seat. Due to its ultra-compact small size (under 8 feet in length, about 3 feet in width and a height of just under 5 feet) it seats two people, one driver and one somewhat folded up and flexible passenger in the back seat and is classified in Europe as a "heavy quadricycle." Whatever that is. A vehicle with limited speed, I guess. The Twizy averages 30 to 40 mph.

There are three models, costing somewhere between seven and nine thousand euros, not including the battery pack. That's a separate monthly fee to lease (around 50 euros), but does include roadside assistance and a battery replacement, should you need one. In some models the door are optional. Others have no windows so dress according to the weather. It takes about three hours to charge the battery. It's scheduled to be released on the Canadian market soon. No word on the U.S. It looks like a blast to drive.