Preface
How did everyone spend the past month?
The weather in New York has been quite unpredictable, with fluctuations between cold and warm temperatures. However, there were some weekends with pleasant weather, making it enjoyable to visit places like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see the cherry blossoms.
Although the botanical garden still had a wintery appearance and wasn’t particularly vibrant, I was satisfied with being able to observe the cherry blossoms and various other flora and fauna!
I’ve included some photos in the postscript so if you’d like, please take a look!
Now, let’s move on to this month’s trees!
News
Solar Eclipse
On April 8th, a total solar eclipse was observable in the United States!
I observed it from the high-rise building called Edge in Hudson Yards, and as the eclipse began, it became slightly colder and the sky darkened.
Macy’s Flower Show
The Macy’s Flower Show, held annually during the spring season, took place this year from March 24th to April 7th.
“Godzilla 1.0” and “The Boy and the Heron” Won Academy Awards!
On March 11th, the 96th Academy Awards were announced in the United States, and “Godzilla 1.0” directed by Takashi Yamazaki won the Visual Effects Award, while “The Boy and the Heron” directed by Hayao Miyazaki won the Animated Feature Film Award.
I watched both films in theaters, and they were both excellent, so I am genuinely delighted as a Japanese person with their wins!
Especially “Godzilla 1.0,” I remember being moved by the quality of the story, despite going to see it as just a monster movie without any prior information.
While “The Boy and the Heron” received mixed reviews in Japan, for me, the portrayal of the relationship between the stepmother and the child was well done, and I was also moved by it.
For those who have not seen these films yet, I highly recommend taking this opportunity to watch them!
Trader Joe’s Tote Bags Are Popular and Prices Are Soaring.
Trader Joe’s, an American supermarket chain primarily known for its organic food products, has seen a surge in popularity for its canvas tote bags sold at its stores. These bags are reportedly being traded on auction sites for nearly 200 times their retail price of $2.99.
While Trader Joe’s bags have been popular in Japan for some time, their popularity has been on the rise in the United States, sparked in part by TikTok videos.
As someone who has been using Trader Joe’s tote bags for a while, I personally enjoy using the variety of patterned bags they offer. In fact, I recently purchased one of their new designs that just came out! Am I the only one who prefers this type of variety?
Advancements in Brain Chips
In January of this year, Neuralink, a company Elon Musk co-founded, conducted the world’s first brain chip implant surgery.
This time, it has been reported that the first recipient of the brain chip implantation successfully moved a mouse and played chess using only their thoughts.
These actions included moving the cursor, clicking, and dragging, indicating gradual progress in brain chip research.
The product name for the brain chip is “Telepathy.”
It has been announced that the development will continue to support people with physical disabilities, but the technology has various other potential applications, which is both scary and exciting.
Improving Running Speed through Self-suggestion?
According to a study conducted by the sports science research team at the University of Essex in the UK, practicing a certain mental technique led to a 3% increase in running speed. Specifically, participants reported immediate improvements when engaging in self-suggestions, imagining themselves as Ferraris or jet planes. Next time you have a sports event or competition, be sure to give it a try!
Mystery Tours by Airplane
On February 12th, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) seems to have launched a service offering mystery tours by airplane.
The first event was scheduled from April 5th to April 8th, 2024, where participants will board at Copenhagen Airport. However, they will not be informed of the destination until they actually arrive.
For foreigners, traveling across countries can be challenging due to visa issues and other hurdles. However, if such mystery tour services were introduced within the United States, I would definitely be interested in participating!
Pick-up
I’ll take a break from this month’s tree pick-up.
Gadget/Lifehacks
The Breakthroughs of OpenAI
OpenAI, known for ChatGPT, has been expanding its services across various domains recently. For instance, their newly announced video creation tool, “Sora,” allows users to generate high-quality videos simply by inputting text.
There are plenty of videos created using Sora available for viewing, so be sure to check them out and enjoy!
Additionally, OpenAI is currently developing “Voice Engine,” which learns and analyzes your voice to create a clone that speaks just like you.
OpenAI is touting Voice Engine’s potential as limitless. For example, it could be used to have a clone read storybooks to children in your voice or for training presentations.
What’s remarkable is that even if the language it learns is Japanese, it can autonomously speak other languages in your voice.
While it’s an impressive technology, there are concerns about its potential misuse for crimes and other nefarious purposes, so it’s important for adequate safeguards to be in place before its public release.
Personal Finance
Following last month, AI-related stocks continue to dominate the market. What stocks are you holding in your portfolio?
Here are the realized gains/losses for individual stocks this time:
- NVDA: (7.02)%
- SMCI: 43.10%
- ALAR: 7.64%
NVDA’s purchase timing ended up being late, and its price remained flat or slightly downward, although there was still potential for growth. Therefore, I decided to swap it out for ALAR.
Concerning ALAR, its performance would typically give me pause before buying, but I felt reluctant to leave the freed-up funds from NVDA idle. Additionally, given ALAR’s strong RSC, I ultimately made the decision to buy it. However, I recognized the need to monitor its price movements more closely than other stocks. As expected, its price movements exceeded my tolerance level, so I decided to swap it out for LWAY, which has better performance.
Furthermore, since SMCI was also struggling to grow, I decided to sell it.
Here are the stocks currently in my portfolio:
Shop/Restaurant
Nonna Dora’s
The featured restaurant this time is an Italian restaurant called Nonna Dora’s.
While Manhattan boasts numerous Italian restaurants, this one stands out for its friendly atmosphere.
Located near my home, which is a major plus, what really makes this place memorable is its iconic grandmother.
During my visit, I ordered Malloreddus pasta. Not only was the sauce delicious, but the texture of the pasta itself was delightfully chewy, making it a very satisfying dish!
For dessert, I tried gelato topped with espresso, which was also delicious!
I later learned that their signature dish is Orecchiette, a pasta made with rabbit meat, so I definitely want to give that a try next time!
Nonna Dora's 606 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10016 Mon 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM Tue-Thu 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM Fri 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM Sat 3:00 PM - 10:00 PM Sun 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Postscript
I hope you enjoyed this month’s topic!
With the arrival of spring, it’s a wonderful idea to enjoy outdoor activities. Refreshing yourself in nature can have positive effects on both your mind and body. I recommend venturing outside for new experiences and adventures. There are surely fantastic experiences waiting for you out there!
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