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Sunday, December 15, 2013

Bahaya ‘slipped disc’


Sakit belakang badan, terutama pada bahagian tengkuk atau pinggang, adalah perkara biasa, lebih-lebih kepada individu yang aktif dan sibuk bekerja. Namun, ada juga sakit disebabkan masalah serius dan memerlukan rawatan lanjut atau pembedahan.
Tulang belakang manusia bukan tulang yang berterusan memanjang daripada leher ke pinggang, tetapi membabitkan tulang berbentuk kiub.
Tulang ini disusun bertingkat antara satu sama lain dan ada cakera lembut antaranya bertujuan menyerap tekanan antara tulang atas dan tulang di bawahnya.
Di bahagian belakang tulang belakang ini pula terletaknya saraf tunjang manusia.
Cakera ini melekat kuat pada tulang belakang.

Ia dipegang oleh ligamen pada tulang belakang supaya kekal pada kedudukannya.
Namun, ia boleh ‘bergerak’ atau terbonjol ke belakang dalam keadaan tertentu, seterusnya boleh menyebabkan saraf tunjang terhimpit dan mengakibatkan komplikasi yang tidak diingini.

Keadaan ini biasanya dipanggil ‘slipped disc’.
Keadaan slipped disc biasa berlaku pada usia 30 tahun hingga 40-an, terutama membabitkan golongan lelaki.
Kebanyakan kes berlaku pada tulang belakang di bahagian pinggang, selebihnya pada bahagian tengkuk.
Individu yang berisiko ialah mereka yang bekerja mengangkat benda berat, perlu duduk untuk jangka masa panjang, terlalu aktif pada usia muda atau yang pernah mengalami kecederaan atau kemalangan membabitkan tulang belakang.
Simptom awal masalah ini ialah sakit belakang yang biasanya dirawat sebagai sakit urat.

Namun, sakit ini berterusan dan menjadi lebih teruk walaupun ubat tahan sakit diambil.
Jika cakera ini tergelincir atau terbonjol jauh ke belakang, ia akan menyebabkan saraf tunjang terganggu.

Simptom seperti kebas pada anggota tangan atau kaki berlaku.

Cetusan rasa seperti renjatan elektrik dirasai daripada pinggang dan merebak ke betis.
Lebih teruk, cakera ini boleh terus menghimpit saraf tunjang dan menyebabkan komplikasi kekal seperti lumpuh, tidak berjaya mengawal pundi kencing, gagal mengawal saluran dubur serta boleh menyebabkan mati pucuk bagi lelaki.

Pemeriksaan klinikal boleh menentukan kemungkinan besar seseorang pesakit itu mengalami slipped disc atau tidak.

Ujian x-ray biasanya tidak dapat mengesahkan masalah ini kerana x-ray hanya dapat melihat tulang, bukan cakera itu.
Oleh itu, ujian terbaik ialah melakukan MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) pada bahagian tertentu tulang belakang.

Melalui ujian ini, cakera yang terbonjol dapat dilihat dan pakar boleh mengenal pasti sejauh mana saraf pesakit terhimpit oleh cakera itu.
Rawatan bagi pesakit yang mengalami slipped disc bergantung kepada simptom dan komplikasi pada saraf tunjang pesakit.

Hampir 80 peratus pesakit tidak perlukan pembedahan.
Ubat tahan sakit, korset tulang belakang dan fisioterapi adalah rawatan awal.

Suntikan turut diberi jika sakit tidak terkawal.

Jika komplikasi pada saraf berlaku, pembedahan tidak dapat dielakkan.
Selain rawatan, penjagaan mekanik badan sangat penting.

Ini untuk mengelak cakera berkenaan terbonjol lebih jauh dan mengakibatkan cacat kekal berlaku Pesakit juga perlu mengurangkan tekanan kepada bahagian tulang belakang dengan tidak mengangkat benda berat selain mengurangkan aktiviti lasak.
Senaman khas boleh dilakukan oleh pesakit bagi membantu mengurangkan rasa sakit dan mengurangkan risiko komplikasi.
Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2013/12/15
Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Penuntut UiTM maut, rakan cedera bergesel kereta


Klang: Seorang penuntut Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam maut manakala rakannya cedera selepas motosikal mereka bergesel dengan sebuah kereta di Jalan Meru, Batu 2, di sini, kelmarin.
Dalam kejadian jam 5.30 petang, penunggang Mohamad Azlan Daud, 22, mati di tempat kejadian manakala rakannya Mohammad Azrin Abd Samad, 22, cedera parah.
Mereka yang menaiki motosikal jenis Scrambler Nimota dalam perjalanan untuk menghantar Mohammad Azrin ke Klang Sentral.
Ketua Cawangan Trafik Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Klang Utara Asisten Superintendan Zawary Mahadi berkata, ketika kejadian, mangsa dikatakan cuba memotong sebuah kereta jenis Cherry dipandu seorang lelaki berusia 38 tahun.
“Bagaimanapun, ketika cuba memotong, motosikal ditungganginya bergesel dengan sisi kiri kereta itu lalu hilang kawalan,” katanya.

Menurutnya, mangsa kemudian melanggar belakang sebuah lori dipandu seorang lelaki 43 tahun yang kebetulan berada di depan lorong kiri laluan terbabit.

“Akibat rempuhan di belakang lori itu, mangsa cedera parah di leher dan dada serta mati di tempat kejadian, sementara rakannya cedera di perut dan kini menerima rawatan di Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR), di sini,” katanya.
Menurutnya, keterangan pemandu kereta dan lori sudah direkod dan siasatan dijalankan mengikut Seksyen 41(1) Akta Pengangkutan Jalan Raya, manakala mangsa yang meninggal dunia diserahkan kepada keluarganya untuk urusan pengebumian.
Sehubungan itu, orang ramai yang ada maklumat mengenai kejadian berkenaan diminta tampil membuat laporan di balai polis berhampiran bagi membantu siasatan.
Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2013/12/15
Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Friday, December 6, 2013

Mandela’s Death Leaves South Africa Without Its Moral Center

JOHANNESBURG — Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president and an enduring icon of the struggle against racial oppression, died on Thursday, the government announced, leaving the nation without its moral center at a time of growing dissatisfaction with the country’s leaders.

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Mandela as Dissident, Liberator and Statesman

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The Life and Legacy of Nelson Mandela: 1918-2013

INTERACTIVE FEATURE: Memories of MandelaVIDEO: President Obama Remembers Mandela

RelatedNelson Mandela, South Africa’s Liberator as Prisoner and President, Dies at 95 (December 6, 2013)

Related in OpinionOp-Ed Contributor: Mandela Taught a Continent to Forgive(December 6, 2013)Op-Ed Contributor: The Contradictions of Mandela(December 6, 2013)

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“Our nation has lost its greatest son,” President Jacob Zuma said in a televised address on Thursday night, adding that Mr. Mandela had died at 8:50 p.m. local time. “His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world. His humility, his compassion and his humanity earned him their love.”

Mr Zuma called Mr. Mandela’s death “the moment of our deepest sorrow,” and said that South Africa’s thoughts were now with the former president’s family. “They have sacrificed much and endured much so that our people could be free,” he said.

Mr. Mandela spent 27 years in prison after being convicted of treason by the white minority government, only to forge a peaceful end to white rule by negotiating with his captors after his release in 1990. He led the African National Congress, long a banned liberation movement, to a resounding electoral victory in 1994, the first fully democratic election in the country’s history.

Mr. Mandela, who was 95, served just one term as South Africa’s president and had not been seen in public since 2010, when the nation hosted the soccer World Cup. But his decades in prison and his insistence on forgiveness over vengeance made him a potent symbol of the struggle to end this country’s brutally codified system of racial domination, and of the power of peaceful resolution in even the most intractable conflicts.

Years after he retreated from public life, his name still resonated as an emblem of his effort to transcend decades of racial division and create what South Africans called a Rainbow Nation.

“His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that everyone should aspire to,” a grim-faced President Obama said Thursday evening, describing Mr. Mandela as an “influential, courageous and profoundly good” man who inspired millions -- including himself -- to a spirit of reconciliation.

Mr. Mandela and Mr. Obama both served as the first black leaders of their nations and both men won the Nobel Peace Prize. But the American president has regularly shied away from comparisons, often noting that his own sacrifices would never compare to the ones that Mr. Mandela endured.

Mr. Obama said that the world would “not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again,” and he noted that the former South African president had once said that he was “not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

Mr. Mandela’s death comes during a period of deep unease and painful self-examination for South Africa.

In the past year and a half, the country has faced perhaps its most serious unrest since the end of apartheid, provoked by a wave of wildcat strikes by angry miners, a deadly response on the part of the police, a messy leadership struggle within the A.N.C. and the deepening fissures between South Africa’s rulers and its impoverished masses.

Scandals over corruption involving senior members of the party have fed a broader perception that Mr. Mandela’s near saintly legacy from the years of struggle has been eroded by a more recent scramble for self-enrichment among a newer elite.

After spending decades in penurious exile, many political figures returned to find themselves at the center of a grab for power and money. Mr. Zuma himself was charged with corruption before rising to the presidency in 2009, though the charges were dropped on largely technical grounds. He has faced renewed scrutiny in the past year over $27 million spent in renovations to his house in rural Zululand.

Graphic cellphone videos of police officers abusing people they have detained have further fueled anger at a government seen increasingly out of touch with the lives of ordinary South Africans.

Mr. Mandela served as president from 1994 to 1999, stepping aside to allow his deputy, Thabo Mbeki, to run and take the reins. Mr. Mandela spent his early retirement years focused on charitable causes for children and later speaking out about AIDS, which has killed millions of Africans, including his son Makgatho, who died in 2005.

Mr. Mandela retreated from public life in 2004 at the age of 85, largely withdrawing to his homes in the upscale Johannesburg suburb of Houghton and his ancestral village in the Eastern Cape, Qunu.

Michael D. Shear contributed reporting from Washington.



Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Sekat tanda awal penuaan

Seronoknya jika memiliki kulit halus dan bebas cela, di samping tidak perlu mengikut rejim kecantikan yang leceh hingga terpaksa mengambil masa lama.

Tapi, jika diabaikan, kulit pada wajah pula jadi mangsa kerana tiada sistem pertahanan lengkap.

Bagi masyarakat moden hari ini, aspek kecantikan dan keremajaan diri mula menjadi dua elemen utama yang sentiasa diberi perhatian. Malah, wajah yang kekal muda remaja dan bebas cela turut dijadikan tanda aras kepada kecantikan ideal, lalu majoriti tidak henti-henti mencari cara terbaik mengekalkannya serta berusaha ‘memadam’ garisan halus penuaan.

Idea menggunakan satu produk saja mungkin tidak lagi relevan dengan keadaan kulit hari ini yang sentiasa terdedah dengan pencemaran alam, tekanan dan pelbagai faktor lain.


Dermalogica, bagaimanapun berusaha mengurangkan bebanan itu menerusi serum multivitamin yang menyatukan retinoid A dengan teknologi hydroxypinacoloneRetinoate (HPR) bagi membantu menyekat tanda awal penuaan.


Rejim penjagaan wajah harian bagaimanapun tidak boleh diabaikan dan serum ini hadir sebagai langkah mudah serta inovatif untuk kesihatan kulit.

Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2013/12/05



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Spa khas untuk Muslimah

Oleh Rosmaliana Aida Mohd Adnan

Memahami keperluan serta kesukaran Muslimah mendapatkan rawatan di spa antara sebab yang mendorong Zamzana Mohd Arifin menceburi dunia perniagaan spa.

Malah, dia mengakui agak terkilan apabila mendapatkan perkhidmatan di pusat kecantikan kerana ramai pengusaha tidak begitu menjaga batas aurat yang disyariatkan.

Ketika bekerja di institusi kewangan dulu, sekurang-kurangnya sekali sebulan dia mengunjungi spa untuk berurut dan mendapatkan rawatan wajah. Baginya ia antara cara mengurangkan ketegangan selepas penat bekerja namun agak sukar mendapatkan spa yang menjaga batas aurat Muslimah sebaiknya.

Ketidakselesaan itu me­nyebabkannya nekad menubuhkan spa berkonsep Muslimah, Suri Permai Spa di Platinum Walk, Setapak, Taman Danau Kota, Kuala Lumpur.


“Saya mula mengusahakan perniagaan berasaskan perkhidmatan kecantikan ini sejak 2010 dan ia disediakan khusus untuk Muslimah yang tercari-cari pakej terbaik untuk memanjakan diri.


“Di sini kami menjaga aurat pelanggan sebaik mungkin agar mereka boleh berehat dan melapangkan fikiran,” katanya.

Spa itu bukan hanya menyediakan rawatan badan dan wajah tetapi juga untuk rambut dan kulit kepala termasuk menggunting rambut.

Boleh dikatakan perkhidmatan disediakan merangkumi keseluruhan penjagaan kecantikan diri dari hujung rambut hingga ke hujung kaki.

Produk untuk rawatan wajah di spanya berasaskan sel stem dan kolagen yang memberikan keberkesanan dua dalam satu pada kulit wajah. Untuk badan pula disediakan perkhidmatan urutan, lulur, masker badan, pelunturan dan
antiselulit.

Bagi memberikan kelainan, lulur dan masker badan dihasilkan sendiri
dengan menambah elemen moden ke dalam bahan tradisional.

Spa terbabit turut me­nyediakan pakej rawatan untuk bakal raja sehari, rawatan urut untuk ibu selepas bersalin di samping rawatan spa untuk kanak-kanak mengikut kesesuaian usia.

“Pakej untuk si cilik ini membolehkan kaum ibu yang berkunjung ke spa mendapatkan rawatan de­ngan lebih selesa dan tenang,” katanya.

Untuk mendapatkan maklumat lanjut, layari laman www.suripermai.com.



Bersihkan wajah menggunakan pembersih selama dua minit. Kemudian cuci dengan air bersih.
Gunakan gel pupur yang berfungsi membuang kotoran atau sel mati atas permukaan kulit wajah. Gunakan gerakan membulat untuk menyental kulit secara lembut.
Sapukan multivitamin pada bahagian bermasalah pada wajah sebelum stim wajah selama 10 hingga 15 minit untuk membuka liang pori.
Mulakan proses peng­ekstrakan untuk menghilangkan bintik hitam dan putih pada wajah.
Sapukan krim pemutih dan gel rawatan wajah diikuti masker stem sel untuk kesan anjal selama 10 minit. Kemudian sapukan penyegar untuk menutup kembali liang pori wajah dan disudahi dengan pelembap serta krim SPF untuk perlindungan menyeluruh.

Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2013/11/28



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Kulit cantik ketika bercuti

Oleh Nor Faizah Mohamed

Merancang percutian tidak sesukar menyediakan segala persiapan dan kelengkapan bercuti. Bagi yang tidak kisah dengan penjagaan serta penampilan diri, beberapa kemeja-T bersama sebatang berus gigi, ubat gigi, sikat dan sabun mungkin sudah memadai.

Tapi, bagi majoriti wanita, kalau boleh semua keleng­kapan penjagaan diri hendak dibawa sama meskipun sedar ruang bagasi terhad.

Di sini timbulnya masalah untuk memilih produk penjagaan diri yang benar-benar penting untuk dibawa bagi mengelakkan kesan buruk pada tubuh selepas bercuti.

Set penjagaan wajah mesti ada dalam senarai, di samping barangan pelbagai guna yang dapat menjimat­kan ruang penyimpanan.


Bio-Oil antara produk pelbagai guna yang boleh dipertimbangkan kerana selain mudah dibawa, ia mampu memenuhi keperluan kulit dan tubuh.


Formulasi khas ­dengan gabungan minyak pati tumbuh-tumbuhan dan vitamin banyak membantu mereka yang mengalami masalah parut serta kesan regangan kulit.

Produk ini juga dirumus daripada bahan selamat untuk kulit sensitif. Ia menggandingkan manfaat vitamin A dan E serta ­bahan aktif ­teknologi terkini iaitu mi­nyak purcelin yang berperanan mengubah tahap sedia ada atau sekata produk hingga menjadikannya ­ringan dan tidak melekit.

Semua bahan ini berupaya membantu penampilan ton kulit supaya lebih sekata dan lembap, malah sesuai untuk semua jenis kulit.

Kala bercuti terutama di pantai, kesan pancaran matahari boleh mengakibatkan penyahhidratan dan penuaan pramatang. Walaupun ramai yang ­inginkan warna kulit yang keperangan ketika bercuti di pantai, pendedahan yang terlalu banyak kepada cahaya matahari ketika berjemur boleh mengakibatkan selaran matahari dan beberapa masalah kulit lain.

Bahan semula jadi lain dalam Bio-Oil seperti mi­nyak lavender dan kamomil membantu meredakan kulit yang mengalami selaran matahari manakala mi­nyak kalendula membantu kulit untuk pulih serta merangsang pertumbuhan sel kulit baru.

Selain itu, ia terbukti secara klinikal untuk melawan kesan penuaan sinaran ultraungu pada kulit, lalu mengurangkan risiko penuaan pramatang.

Andai percutian musim sejuk jadi pilihan, kekura­ngan lembapan di kawasan terbabit boleh me­nyebabkan kulit mengalami kekeringan dek kurangnya lembapan semula jadi.

Keadaan bibir pecah, kulit kering dan gatal antara kesan yang dialami jika tidak mempersiapkan diri dengan pelembap berprestasi tinggi.

Justeru, vitamin E membantu untuk meningkatkan kandungan lembapan, sekali gus memberikan keselesaan dan penampilan kulit yang lebih baik.




Kulit kusam dan garisan halus lebih jelas kelihatan apabila kulit mengalami kekeringan dalam cuaca yang panas dan sejuk. Pastikan wajah sentiasa lembap dengan sebaiknya sebelum menggunakan bedak asas untuk meningkatkan tekstur kulit.

Lembapkan tubuh dengan produk ini dari hujung rambut hingga ke hujung kaki. Ia mengisi semula minyak semula jadi kulit yang hilang akibat cuaca ekstrem atau mandi terlalu kerap serta kesan pengeringan akibat suhu panas serta perubahan ­cuaca.

Kekalkan bibir yang lembut, anjal dan lembap dengan menyapu produk ini terutama ketika cuaca kering bagi mengelakkan bibir pecah.

Jika mengalami masalah rambut kusut, sapukan ia pada rambut bagi melembut dan mengurang­kan kesan menggerbang, selain melembapkan hujung rambut yang kering.

Tambah beberapa titis dalam air mandian yang hangat untuk membantu menenangkan diri selepas menjalani hari yang panjang. Ia membantu membekalkan lapisan perlindungan lembapan kepada kulit hingga keesokan harinya.

Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2013/12/05



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Rawat rambut gugur

Bukan perkara luar biasa apabila kita mengalami keguguran rambut setiap hari. Ia juga normal bagi individu kehilangan sekurang-kurangnya 70 helai rambut sehari.

Namun, jika helaian yang gugur lebih banyak berbanding hari biasa, sudah tiba masanya kita memberi perhatian khusus supaya dapat mengelakkan masalah botak.

Ada beberapa cara untuk mengurangkan masalah itu meskipun ia berkaitan aspek genetik dan lazimnya ia ba-nyak bersangkutpaut dengan apa yang kita lakukan setiap hari.



Ungkapan ‘anda adalah apa yang anda makan’ juga boleh diguna pakai untuk kesihatan rambut anda.

“Rambut dan masalah kulit kepala boleh timbul sama ada kekurangan atau terlebih nutrien dalam diet kita.

“Sel rambut memerlukan diet seimbang mengandungi protein, karbohidrat kom-pleks, vitamin serta mineral untuk membantunya berfungsi pada tahap terbaik,” kata pakar trikologi di Klinik Philip Kingsley, New York, Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips.

Selain itu, elakkan penurunan berat badan keterlaluan - satu lagi punca biasa kehilangan rambut.




Tahap tekanan yang tinggi boleh meningkatkan risiko penyakit termasuk beberapa masalah pada tubuh antara-nya keguguran rambut.

Justeru, penting untuk merehatkan fikiran seketika dan menjauhkan diri daripada tekanan. Banyak cara boleh dilakukan untuk meningkat-kan mood dan emosi antaranya bersenam, bercuti, menikmati kopi bersama teman atau membeli-belah.

Lakukan perkara yang menggembirakan sekurang-kurangnya sekali sehari bagi mengurangkan kesan tekanan.




“Membasuh rambut secara kerap menggalakkan kelemumur dan kajian mendapati kelemumur boleh menyebab-kan keguguran rambut.

“Jika mengalami kelemumur atau kegatalan kulit kepala, gunakan syampu dan perapi khusus bagi menyingkirkannya,” kata Elizabeth.

Sesekali boleh juga cuba lakukan rawatan spa sendiri di rumah dengan campuran air bunga raya, bunga mawar dan minyak kelapa.




Vitamin bukan saja baik untuk kesihatan dalaman tubuh, tapi turut mempengaruhi keadaan rambut serta kulit kepala.

Vitamin seperti kalsium, zink, protein soya, zat besi dan vitamin D, B12 serta B6 boleh ditambah dalam diet harian.

“Mungkin awalnya remeh, tapi lama-kelamaan anda akan lihat hasilnya,” kata Elizabeth.




Jika masalah keguguran rambut ini berlaku dalam kalangan ahli keluarga, lebih baik berjumpa pakar.

Ujian darah yang ringkas dapat menentukan punca ia berlaku dan pakar meneliti serta membantu merancang kaedah paling berkesan untuk mengatasinya.

Artikel ini disiarkan pada : 2013/12/05



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Diligent Asian students dominate global exam

BEIJING (AP) — As a ninth-grader, Shanghai's Li Sixin spent more than three hours on homework a night and took tutorials in math, physics and chemistry on the weekends. When she was tapped to take an exam last year given to half a million students around the world, Li breezed through it.

"I felt the test was just easy," said Li, who was a student at Shanghai Wenlai Middle School at the time and now attends high school. "The science part was harder... but I can handle that."

Those long hours focused on schoolwork — and a heavy emphasis on test-taking skills — help explain why young students like Li in China's financial hub once again dominated an international test to 15-year-olds called the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, coordinated by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD.

Students from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan — all from Asia — were right behind.

Students in the wealthy city of Shanghai, where affluent families can afford to pay for tutors, are not representative of China overall, although they are ranked as a group alongside national averages for countries such as the United States and Japan. Still, they are indicative of education trends in China and elsewhere in Asia — societies where test results determine entrance into prestigious universities and often one's eventual career path.


Shanghai scored an average of 613 on math, as compared with the nearest rival Singapore with 573, and the global average of 494. Hong Kong ranked third in math, scoring 561, while Japan was ranked seventh and scored 536. The test is given every three years.

The results have led to hand-wringing elsewhere, including in the United States, where students failed to rank in the top 20 in any category. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called the results a "picture of educational stagnation."

In China, educators say hard work is a key to their students' impressive showing.

"They listen carefully in the class and do the homework," said Bai Bing, the headmaster of Li's school, where about 40 students were chosen to take the global test. "They respect the teachers, and do exactly the assignments that teachers ask them to do."

"And it is a tradition that the Asians pay more attention to mathematics," Bai said

In Hong Kong, 16-year-old Rosita Or said extra tutorials can extend her school days to 8 p.m. — but she does credit them with improving her math grades in school.

"Everyone is taking them — my friends, other students are taking the tutorial class. If I do not take this tutorial class, I feel like I have missed something," Or said.

Still, Chinese educational experts are taking a more somber view in the face of the stellar achievements by their students, saying the results are at most partial and covering up shortcomings in creating well-rounded, critical thinking individuals.

"This should not be considered a pride for us, because overall it still measures one's test-taking ability. You can have the best answer for a theoretical model, but can you build a factory on a test paper?" asked Xiong Bingqi, a Shanghai-based scholar on education.

"The biggest criticism is that China's education has sacrificed everything else for test scores, such as life skills, character building, mental health, and physical health," Xiong said.


Even the party-run People's Daily noted the burden on Shanghai students. "While many countries have been urged to increase more study time and more homework for their students, Shanghai clearly needs some alleviation," the editorial reads.

Japan's education minister, Hakubun Shimomura, pointed to the test results as evidence of success in reforms aimed at reducing class sizes — despite continued criticism of the pressure-filled university entrance examination system. Many Japanese students also attend cram schools to get an extra edge.

"Asian countries do better than European and American schools because we are 'examination hell' countries," said Koji Kato, a professor emeritus of education at Tokyo's Sophia University. "There is more pressure to teach to the test. In my experience in working with teachers the situation is becoming worse and worse."

In China, where educational inequity is deeply entrenched, Shanghai has become an oasis of high standards and generous government support. The city invests four times the national average per student.

"Shanghai is an exception, and it is by no means representative of China," said Jiang Xueqin, deputy principal at the High School Attached to Tsinghua University in Beijing. "It's an international city where its residents pay great attention to education and where there are many universities."


Affluent Shanghai parents annually spend an average of 6,000 yuan ($1,000) on English and math tutors and 9,600 yuan ($1,600) on weekend lessons, Jiang has written.

Ironically, many Chinese parents — especially those with means and bemoaning the pressure their children must endure in local schools — are increasingly sending their children overseas for what they consider a more well-rounded education.

In an analysis by the Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences, it said Shanghai students ranked the first globally in time spent on homework. On average, they spent 13.8 hours on school-assigned homework every week, far above the international average of seven hours.

Zhang Minxuan, president of Shanghai Normal University, said homework is crucial to one's learning, although its effectiveness plateaus after 11 hours per week, according to Shanghai Education News, a web site by the Shanghai Education Commission. Zhang, who oversaw the PISA administration in Shanghai, said PISA does not measure students' social abilities, physical health and aesthetics, and he cautioned against extrapolating to the rest of the country.

"Shanghai is one of the most prosperous Chinese cities and one of the cities with balanced education. Shanghai students' top placement in PISA is no proof of equal development of education in China," he said, as reported by Shanghai Education News. "With no denying, China's education still has a long way to go."


___

Associated Press Writers Elaine Kurtenbach in Tokyo, Kelvin K. Chan in Hong Kong and researcher Fu Ting in Beijing contributed to this report.



Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Nigeria frees 16 girls, women in 'baby factory' raid

Lagos (AFP) - Nigerian police said on Wednesday that they raided a home and freed 16 pregnant girls and young women allegedly being forced to have babies to be sold.

"We carried out a raid on a residence in Owerri following an intelligence report and rescued 16 expectant mothers," Imo State police spokeswoman Joy Elomoko told AFP.

"The girls were between 14 and 19 years old and in different stages of pregnancy."

The male owner of the home, who was arrested, had registered it as a non-governmental organisation promoting women's and children's issues, Elomoko added.

An unlicensed automatic pump action shotgun was also recovered during the raid.

Elomoko said the rescued women and girls told officers that they were each offered 100,000 naira (632 dollars, 466 euros) to sell their babies after delivery.

An investigation was also under way over a case of a missing baby from the illegal home.

"We found out that the suspect could not explain the whereabouts of a baby that was recently delivered in the home," the spokeswoman said.

"We are suspecting that the baby might have been sold for (black magic) rituals," she said, adding that the suspect would be taken to court after police investigation.

Nigerian security agents have uncovered a series of alleged baby factories in recent years, notably in the southeastern part of the country.

Last month, six pregnant teenage girls were freed in a raid on an illegal clinic in the oil city of Port Harcourt.

Human trafficking is widespread in west Africa, where children are bought from their families to work in plantations, mines and factories or as domestic help.

Others are sold into prostitution, and less commonly they are tortured or sacrificed in black magic rituals.



Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Mugger apologizes to victim on Facebook — 35 years later

Here's a heartwarming tale of forgiveness via Facebook, just in time for the holiday season.

A man who mugged a stranger outside New York's American Museum of Natural History in the late 1970s has apologized to his victim after accidentally finding him on Facebook — 35 years later.

Last month, Michael Goodman, 53, was browsing a Facebook post about the closing of H&H Bagels, a popular New York City bagel chain, when he saw Claude Soffel, his mugging victim, among the commenters. Goodman, who now lives in Hilo, Hawaii, decided to publicly apologize — in the comments section.

"You may not remember this," Goodman wrote on Nov. 19, "but a long, long time ago I walked up the steps of The Museum of Natural History one afternoon, trying to look like a tough guy.

“I have never forgotten the incident or your name (it has sort of haunted me a bit throughout my life) [and] then here I am … reading about my favorite bagel store in the world closing down, and [whose] name do I see but yours,” he continued. “Finally I can say — I’M VERY SORRY that you had to go through that crap that day long ago. I wish it had never happened but it did."

Soffel, now a 52-year-old life coach in Sag Harbor, N.Y., wrote back accepting Goodman's apology.

“Clearly you’re a ‘bigger man’ today,” Soffel replied. “Memory is a funny thing. I recognize your name now as well. Any man who draws a line for himself [and says] ‘Today I step forward for myself, my family, and humanity’ is a hero to me. So let us now, jointly, put this in its proper place, behind us.”

Goodman and Soffel did not immediately return requests for comment.

But Goodman told the New York Post that he mugged Soffel to "impress a classmate who didn’t believe I was in a graffiti gang."

“I went up to him and said, ‘Where’s your bus pass?’ The cops immediately pulled out badges and arrested me,” Goodman recalled. “I told this story throughout my life. I felt so bad about it.”

Goodman said he was sentenced to three weeks of community service, but never had a chance to apologize to Soffel — until now.

“A very large weight has been lifted off my shoulder,” he said. “I feel peace and dare I say joy. I’m even happier this is bringing joy to other people.”



Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Toy Time: What makes a toy memorable? By Emanuella Grinberg, CNN

Editor's note: What's your favorite childhood toy? Share your memories in the comments or on CNN Living's Facebook page

(CNN) -- Most of us have a favorite toy from childhood that still has the power to make us smile, whether it's a Barbie doll, a Micro Machine or the board game Operation.

What makes them memorable is the subject of a new book, "Toy Time! From Hula Hoops to He-Man to Hungry Hungry Hippos," a collection of some of the most beloved toys of the 20th century.

Author Christopher Byrne crowd-sourced the collection from readers of the popular website TimetoPlayMag.com and came up with more than 100 beloved toys. Some, like the rampaging dinosaur King Zor (1962), have faded from the cultural landscape, while others, like View-Master and Nok Hockey (which both hit the mass market in the 1940s), have been passed down through generations.

The book includes not just the most popular choices, such as Big Wheels and the Etch a Sketch, but also those that prompted the most compelling memories, serving as "a catalyst for the imagination," Byrne said. Most of our favorite toys came into our lives when we were developing our identity and figuring out the world, he said.

The toys that stick with us are those that allowed us to explore new worlds and create experiences.

Don't miss out on the conversation we're having at CNN Living. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest stories and tell us what's influencing your life.

"Ultimately, play is something that happens in the imagination," said Byrne, content director of TimetoPlayMag.com. "What makes each Barbie doll unique is how a little girl creates and projects her sense of self and her fantasies onto that piece of plastic."

Other toys create strong memories simply because of their nostalgic appeal.

"Some, just by looking at them, reflect the design sensibility of the time, becoming almost works of art," he said. "We identify with them in the cultural context of their time."

So, how can you tell if a toy will be a hit for your child? When it comes to gift-giving for children, the most important rule of thumb is to know who you're shopping for, Byrne said.

"The hot toys are only hot if they're hot for your child," he said. "The toys that become memorable are the ones that connect with our interests."



Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Paul Walker death investigation: Police rule out second vehicle, focus on speed

Santa Clarita, California (CNN) -- Investigators have been unable to find evidence of a second car in the accident that killed popular "Fast & Furious" actor Paul Walker on Saturday, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman said Monday.

The probe now centers on the speed of the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, driven by Walker's racing team partner, the spokesman told CNN.

Earlier, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Cohen told CNN that authorities received a phone call tip Sunday suggesting that another car was at the scene when the Porsche slammed into a light pole and burst into flames.

But investigators have since ruled out the presence of a second vehicle, a spokesman said Monday afternoon.

Actor Paul Walker dies

Witness: Walker was not drag racing

View scene of Walker's deadly car crash

Jim Torp, a car enthusiast who was at the charity event that Walker attended before the wreck, said he doubted drag racing was involved. Walker was smiling as he got into the Porsche minutes earlier.

Torp thought he heard a blast in the distance before the car slammed into a light pole, he said.

"What the first explosion was, I don't know if their tire blew up, because it sounded like a tire blew on the car," Torp told CNN Monday.

Tire skid marks on the asphalt near the crash site, which indicate a car was doing doughnut spins, also are being looked at, Cohen said. It has not been concluded that they are related to the Walker wreck, he said. The street has a reputation for fast drivers, which spurred a crackdown by deputies two years ago, he said.

Torp told CNN that he looked closely at the skid marks and concluded they were left by a car with smaller tires.

Walker and Roger Rodas, who was believed to be driving, died in the wreck on Hercules Street, a wide business park road, in the community of Valencia inside the city of Santa Clarita, about 30 miles north of Hollywood, according to Walker's publicist and CNN affiliate KCAL.

The autopsies on the remains taken from the wreckage are scheduled for Tuesday, according to Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County coroner's office. Investigators are still waiting for dental X-rays for each man to help in making the official identifications, Corral said.

Walker and other stars who died during production

Stunned fans, a grieving father

Stunned by Walker's untimely death, fans, friends and family remembered what he meant to them and what he did for them.

His father remembered him as a loving son who wanted to take a hiatus from acting. A fellow actor said he had just celebrated Walker's 40th birthday. And a U.S. military veteran will forever be grateful for a touching act of generosity.

Day and night Sunday, legions of fans gathered near the charred roadside where Walker died.

Tyrese Gibson, Walker's co-star in several "Fast & Furious" movies, broke down as he laid a yellow flower at the site.

"My heart is hurting so bad no one can make me believe this is real," the singer and actor posted on Instagram. He also shared the duo'slast text exchange.

Paul Walker Sr. choked back tears as he remembered his son.

"His heart was so big," he told CNN affiliate KCAL. "I was proud of him every day of his life."

The actor told his father that he wanted to take a hiatus from acting to spend more time with his 15-year-old daughter, Meadow, the elder Walker said. "And then boom, he got another movie. He would say, 'I don't know what to do.'"

He said the actor's siblings are having an especially hard time grappling with the death.

"I'm just ... glad that every time I saw him, I told him I loved him," the father said. "And he would say the same thing to me."

Remarkable generosity

Tales of Walker's philanthropy are not new. CNN confirmed one story from a decade ago when Walker noticed a young U.S. soldier shopping with his fiancee for a wedding ring in a Santa Barbara jewelry store.

"The groom was just back from duty in Iraq, and he was going to be deployed again soon and wanted to buy a wedding ring, but he said he just could not afford it," saleswoman Irene King told CNN. "I don't think the soldier realized how expensive those rings are, about $10,000."

The couple apparently did not know who Walker was, King said.

"Walker called the manager over and said, 'Put that girl's ring on my tab,'" she said. "Walker left all his billing info, and it was a done deal. The couple was stunned. She was thrilled and could not believe someone did this."

King called it "the most generous thing I have ever seen."

Future of franchise

At the time of his death, he was working on the seventh film of the franchise, due out next year.

It's unclear how the film's production might proceed. When Oliver Reed died in the middle of the production of "Gladiator," the rest of his scenes included a digitally-produced image of his face on another actor's body, Tom O'Neil, editor of the show business website Goldderby.com, told CNN.

In some cases, other actors have filled in for co-stars who have passed away.

"We don't know what they'll do here, or even if they'll just say, "It may be tasteless to proceed at all because we can't be showing Paul Walker in a speeding car, defying death in a movie that ended up being the way he died,'" O'Neil said.

Questionable speed

Racing or not, speed was a factor in the crash, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said. A 45 mph speed limit sign was attached to the light pole knocked down by the Porsche.

The car, which sold for $450,000 when new, is a notoriously difficult vehicle to handle, even for professional drivers, according to Autoweek magazine. A top driver called it "scary," the magazine reported Sunday. It is powered by a V-10, 610-hp engine.

How will film go on after Walker's death?

Paul Walker killed in car crash

The wreck took place about 3:30 p.m. just a few hundred yards from the shop owned by Rodas. Both men had attended a holiday toy drive for Walker's charity, Reach Out Worldwide, hosted at the shop Saturday afternoon.

Antonio Holmes told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal newspaper that he was at the charity event when Walker and Rodas left for a ride in the Porsche.

"We all heard from our location," Holmes told the Signal. "It's a little difficult to know what it was. Someone called it in and said it was a vehicle fire. We all ran around and jumped in cars and grabbed fire extinguishers and immediately went to the vehicle. It was engulfed in flames. There was nothing. They were trapped. Employees, friends of the shop. We tried. We tried. We went through fire extinguishers."

A crowd of grieving fans, curious onlookers and media surrounded the crash site for hours, watching as investigators and firefighters worked to extract the bodies from the wreckage.

Walker and Rodas had planned Saturday as a day to help survivors of victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The car shop website invited customers to a "Charity Toy Drive & Automotive Social Gathering."

"During the holiday season, many economically disadvantaged children from around the world are faced with the same dilemma year after year; the lacking of joy and cheer," the invitation read. "Our goal here is to be able to provide aid to these less fortunate children in hopes of helping them grow up to become confident, responsible and productive young adults."

Walker's charity is described as "a network of professionals with first responder skill-sets who augment local expertise when natural disasters strike in order to accelerate relief efforts."

Hollywood left stunned by Walker's death

Box office success

Walker's career began on the small screen, first with a commercial for Pampers when he was 2, and then with parts in shows such as "Highway to Heaven" and "Touched by an Angel."

Photos: People we lost in 2013

His first few movie roles were as supporting characters in teen flicks, most notably in "Varsity Blues." But his career really took off when he was cast as undercover cop Brian O'Conner infiltrating a street-racing gang in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious."

The box-office success of the surprise summer hit yielded numerous sequels. And along with Vin Diesel, Walker was one of the franchise stalwarts.

Walker wasn't just a car enthusiast on the silver screen; off screen, the actor competed in the Redline Time Attack racing series.

On his verified Twitter account, Walker described himself as an "outdoorsman, ocean addict, adrenaline junkie ... and I do some acting on the side."

Walker also is the star of "Hours," an independent film scheduled to be released December 13 about a father struggling to keep his newborn infant alive in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

People we lost in 2013

CNN's Alan Duke reported from Santa Clarita, and Holly Yan from Atlanta.



Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Monday, December 2, 2013

U.S. 'deeply concerned' about citizens held in North Korea, including Newman

(CNN) -- The U.S. government pleaded Saturday for North Korean authorities to release 85-year-old Merrill Newman, with a spokeswoman saying officials are "deeply concerned" about him and another American being held in the isolated East Asian nation.

"Given Mr. Newman's advanced age and health conditions, we urge (North Korea) to release Mr. Newman so he may return home and reunite with his family," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

Washington's plea came on the day North Korean state media released print stories and video showing what they called Newman's "apology." University of California, Berkeley professor Steven Weber characterized it as "highly scripted political theater."

So how did an elderly retired financial consultant and Korean War veteran become the central figure in an international dispute? Why is there such animosity still tied to a conflict, the Korean War, that ended six decades ago? And why is this all unfolding now?

Weber, a former consultant to the U.S. Commission on National Security, has a theory: "They are trying to get the Western media to pay attention."

With the notable exception of its longtime ally China, North Korea is in many ways a pariah state bogged down by what many view as decades of repressive leadership. At the same time, the communist nation has had difficulties getting enough energy to power their country and food for their people.

Largely shut itself off from the rest of the world, its leaders and state media often use saber-rattling rhetoric to unite citizens against what Weber described as "nasty outsiders" -- which, not coincidentally, are chiefly South Korea and the United States, just as during the Korean War.

N. Korea says detained American apologizes

Was American mistakenly detained?

IAEA: N Korea may be restarting reactor

American detainee's condition unknown

The discord in recent years has centered mostly on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, with the international community taking punitive measures such as economic sanctions to hold Pyongyang in check.

North Korea hasn't been alone. Iran, too, has long been an international target because of its nuclear program, though that landscape has changed with the recent diplomatic accord.

That fact may not be lost on Pyongyang, said Weber, who surmised North Korea may be particularly eager to get the world's focus and, ideally, concessions in the process.

Added Weber: "If the Iran thing gets settled peacefully, then guess who's left?"

Wife, son beg for his release

Elderly man not only American detained

Newman is not the only American being detained in North Korea. In her statement, Hayden also asked for the release of Kenneth Bae, who was arrested in November 2012 in North Korea.

Last May, Bae was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor after North Korea's government found him guilty of "hostile acts" and attempts to topple the government.

"We are thankful that the White House has advocated for the release of both Mr. Newman and my brother, Kenneth Bae," said Terri Chung, Bae's sister. "It has been a devastating experience for my brother and my family, so we pray every day for his release. Now we're including Mr. Newman in our prayers. We cannot forget about these two men. For every action that the US government takes toward his release, we are thankful."

In the statement, Chung said Bae suffers from chronic health conditions that require doctors' care.

Other detained Americans

Unique case

Newman's age, and the circumstances surrounding his detention, are unique.

According to his family, the Palo Alto, California, resident had gone on a 10-day organized private tour of North Korea in October. From phone calls and postcards he sent, the trip was going well and there was no indication of any kind of problem, son Jeff Newman said.

The day before he was to leave, "one or two Korean authorities" met with Newman and his tour guide, the son added. They talked about Newman's service record, which left "my dad ... a bit bothered," according to Jeff Newman.

Then, just minutes before his Beijing-bound plane was set to depart Pyongyang in late October, he was taken off the aircraft by North Korean authorities.

Newman's weeks-long detention is complicated by the fact that, according to his son Jeff, he suffers from a heart condition.

Sweden's ambassador to North Korea visited Newman on Saturday where he is being held at Pyongyang's Yanggakdo Hotel and delivered his medication, his family said.

"As a result of the visit, we know that Merrill is in good health," the family added. "Merrill reports that he is being well treated and that the food is good."

The Newmans went on to thank the ambassador and "express appreciation for the cooperation of the DPRK government in allowing the visit to take place."

"We are asking that the DPRK authorities take into account his health and his age and, as an act of humanitarian compassion, allow him to depart immediately for home," the family said. "All of us want this ordeal to end and for the 85-year-old head of our extended family to be with us once more."

Reported apology: 'I have been guilty of big crimes'

Until Saturday, the North Korean government hadn't said why it held Newman.

American accused of spying issues 'apology'

The explanation came in the form of a published apology from Newman, as well as accompanying images of him thumbprinting his handwritten note and talking about his experiences.

Atop the first of the four pages is the word "apology," according to video released by North Korea. The end of the last page is dated November 9 -- indicating Newman made his reported admission more than 20 days ago. Why might Pyongyang have waited 21 days, then, to make the admission public? That's another one of the mysteries surrounding this case.

In the note, Newman talked about his having advised the Kuwol Unit, part of the "intelligence bureau" fighting against Pyongyang in the Korean War. He detailed how he commanded troops to collect "information" and wage various deadly attacks.

"After I killed so many civilians and (North Korean) soldiers and destroyed strategic objects in the DPRK during the Korean War, I committed indelible offensive acts against the DPRK government and Korean people," Newman said, according to the "apology" reported by KCNA.

The reported message also touches on his return 60 years later to North Korea, admitting that he "shamelessly ... had a plan to meet any surviving soldiers and pray for the souls of the dead soldiers."

"I have been guilty of big crimes against the DPRK government and the Korean people again," Newman adds in the "apology."

His statement ends: "If I go back to (the) USA, I will tell the true features of the DPRK and the life the Korean people are leading."

In addition to this statement, KCNA ran a story alleging Newman came to North Korea with a tourist group in October and afterward "perpetrated acts of infringing upon the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK and slandering its socialist system."

This story claimed that Newman tried to "look for spies and terrorists who conducted espionage and subversive activities against the DPRK."

Investigators determined that, as a member of the U.S. military, he "masterminded espionage and subversive activities ... and, in this course, he was involved in the killings of service personnel of the Korean People's Army and innocent civilians."

"The investigation clearly proved Newman's hostile acts against the DPRK, and they were backed by evidence," the KCNA story added. "He admitted all his crimes."

Is American man a bargaining chip?

Newman's fate, North Korea's thinking unclear

Just five days ago, his wife, Lee, said she hoped he would be home for Thanksgiving.

"We need to have Merrill back at the head of the table for the holidays," Lee Newman told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "And we ask -- respectfully -- for them to release him and let him come home."

One day before Thanksgiving, Rep. Charlie Rangel -- who himself was wounded fighting in the Korean War -- released a letter urging North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "to release him immediately." Noting Newman's medical issues, the New York Democrat implored Kim to "have the heart to reunite him with his loved ones and those who can provide proper care."

Rangel also reflected on the 1950s war, as well as the current state of affairs between the key players.

"I believe that Mr. Newman, like myself and others who have fought during the Korean War six decades ago, wants to see a united Korea in our lifetime," wrote the congressman. "While progress has been slow on the political front, I am confident it can be advanced on humanitarian grounds."

So will there be fresh movement in Newman's case? Will his reported apology pave the way for his release or will it be followed, like Bae, with a lengthy prison sentence?

As of Saturday, nobody -- at least nobody outside of North Korea -- seems to know.

As Weber, the Berkeley professor said: "When it comes to North Korea, nobody knows very much."

CNN's Chelsea J. Carter, Ashley Killough and Nancy Baker contributed to this report.



Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Paul Walker Hosted Charity Event For Philippines Typhoon Victims Before Fatal Accident

Paul Walker was doing good and giving back on the day of his tragic death on Saturday, Nov. 30. Hours before he and an unidentified man lost their lives in a single car collision and explosion, the 40-year-old actor was co-hosting a charity event for Philippines Typhoon victims in Santa Clarita, Calif. through his non-profit organization, Reach Out Worldwide.


In 2010, ROWW was created as a disaster relief organization to help victims from the Haiti earthquake in January 2010. After taking a trip there, Walker returned and according to the site, "contacted a group of his friends to assist him in forming ROWW with the purpose of filling this unmet need" of skilled resources. Since then, the organization has helped victims of the Oklahoma City tornado in June, and other victims from natural disasters.


After attending the toy drive Saturday, titled "Winter Drive," Walker went for a drive in a red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, which belonged to a friend, TMZ reports.The Fast and the Furious  was the passenger when his friend lost control and slammed the vehicle into a tree.

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station confirmed to Us Weekly in a statement that there were two fatalities in the traffic collision at approximately 3:30 p.m. The Los Angeles County Fire Department extinguished the fiery fire, but the victims were dead at the scene.

Hours before the crash, Walker took what would be one of his last photos with an entrepreneur, Bill Townsend. Shortly after the tragic news broke, Townsend shared the picture and a message on his Facebook page.


"I was just with him no more than 2 or 3 hours ago. Talking cars, he was so happy seeing all his friends get together to look at the cars," he wrote. "I hope it wasn't him in the wreck, but if it was, he would have passed doing something he loved, which is driving cars. The world lost an angel in Paul. He dedicated so much of his life to helping disadvantaged kids and people who are in need, with his charity recently assisting those in the tornadoes in the Midwest and the trauma in the Philippines."

He added: "Just today we had hundreds of toys donated for kids, all apart of Paul's charity. If this sad news indeed true I’m going to do whatever I can to keep Paul's goals for the charity alive."

In the photo, Walker had his hands in his pocket as he wore a black t-shirt, sunglasses, and donned some scruff. Walker had been gearing up the past few months to reprise his role as Brian O'Conner in Fast and the Furious 7, which is set for a 2014 release date.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Paul Walker Hosted Charity Event For Philippines Typhoon Victims Before Fatal Accident



Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^

Chopsticks and soup spoons the inspiration behind China's space tools

(CNN) -- It's the stuff of urban legend that NASA in the 1960s spent hundreds of thousands developing a ballpoint pen that could operate in zero gravity while the cash-strapped Soviet space program resorted to a cheaper and more elegant solution -- the pencil.

As with most urban legends, the truth is slightly more complicated - NASA was justifiably nervous about allowing astronauts crumbly and combustible objects such as pencils after the fatal Apollo 1 fire in 1967 -- but it illustrates the important role culture plays in developing space missions.

China -- the latest player on the deep space block -- is no exception.

At Hong Kong's Polytechnic University, Professor Yung Kai-leung, the associate head of the department of industrial and systems engineering, has designed high-precision space tools mimicking chopsticks and Chinese ceramic soup spoons.

With space programs and technology often shrouded in secrecy, it's not surprising that Professor Yung has had to find unique solutions to the technical problems of operating in an environment as hostile as the moon.

Teaching class from a space lab

Watch Chinese rocket blastoff

China unveils new space mission

Timeline: China's race into space

"Our technology is different," Professor Yung told CNN. "There's nothing in our engineering where we can make use of another's design."

He said that the complexity of space missions is such that each one is like a fingerprint -- no two are the same -- and the engineering must respond to a unique set of problems.

"When you are talking about a space mission, you have to consider all the eventual possibilities, so all our designs have a number of alternatives -- if one part doesn't work then another part can replace it."

For the European Space Agency's Mars Express Missionhe designed the Mars Rock Corer which drills the sample and then, by simply reversing the mechanism, picks up the core like a pair of chopsticks. His digger based on a Chinese soup spoon has the heat-resistant qualities of ceramics and the ability to operate in a deep hole in much the same way that a Chinese soup spoon operates better in a rice bowl than a flat metal Western spoon.

He's currently working on a camera pointing system that will track the descent and operation of the working robot on the Chinese moon mission aboard Chang'e 3.

As with all equipment on moon missions, it must meet a stringent series of tests. Not only must it be able to operate in extreme temperatures and in a vacuum, it must offer the greatest strength and versatility for the least payload and have the ability to fix problems if something goes wrong.

With the moon 380,000 kilometers away, Yung says there's little margin for error.

"It's such a long way away," says Yung, laughing. "If you look at the NASA missions they often put down two landers at the same time, just to minimize the risk.

"Quality control is very stringent in the Chinese missions -- I think that this has been the problem that has plagued the Russian missions recently.

"Millions of things can go wrong and one small thing can affect the whole mission. On the Russian missions it was the integrated circuits -- there are thousands of electronic components on a space mission. You only need one of them to go wrong to go off course."

Super secret base fuels China's space ambitions

In the 1960s, more than one-third of the missions failed, he said. While the odds have improved since then -- and the Chinese have the luxury of learning from the mistakes of the space pioneers at NASA and the Russian programs -- he said launch time is always especially tense for the designers and engineers in Hong Kong.

"Say with communications, for instance, it's very simple -- if the antenna is not pointing towards earth you won't get a signal," he said. "You have to take into consideration factors you couldn't possibly imagine."

You have to take into considerations factors you couldn't possibly imagine
Professor Yung Kai-leung

Yung's team even have to gauge the minute amount of vapor released by the metals used in the instruments to make sure that, not only do the gases not contaminate the moon samples, they don't mask the work of other delicate instruments on the mission.

Essential to this work is what he calls "space qualifications"; the experience that allows you to anticipate various problems and overcome them. His space qualifications have led him to develop unique precision instruments such as a grinder that not only pulverizes samples of space rock, but sieves them too -- all in zero gravity and all in a vacuum.

"This was a difficult problem to resolve -- normally you need gravity to sieve anything," he said, explaining that the machine packed the sample into a puck before forcing it through the sieve.

While luck sometimes plays a role amid the nail-biting uncertainties involved in a space mission, Yung admits that money often maximizes the luck needed for a lunar landing. China's estimated space budget is around US$2bn a year -- not even a tenth of the budget that NASA receives.

Given these restraints, he says the Chinese program has a very exacting space culture but is in no hurry, preferring to chase quality rather than simply notch up runs on the board.

"The Chinese want to see very clear results," he said, adding that, having worked with the Russian and European space programs, China's space program offered an interesting point of comparison.

"I've collaborated with the Europeans, with the Russians and with the Chinese and all of them have different cultures," Yung said. "The Europeans discuss things for a long time and there are a lot of changes because there are different nations involved and they have different ideas and it slows things down even to the point of not taking off at all.

"The Russians think they have a lot of experience but a lot of this experience is now dated. I think they have to realize that," he said. "The Americans have too many vested interests with commerce in space exploration."

As for the moon, he said there was still much work to be done in examining samples, in particular the remote possibility that deposits of helium-3 -- believed to be in greater concentration on the moon -- could one day power nuclear fusion power plants on earth.

Chinese scientists are also anxiously awaiting their very own fresh samples of moon rock.

"I think from all the NASA missions to the moon, China has just one gram of moon dust to study," he told CNN.




Terima Kasih Sudi Baca. ^.^