Sabtu, 3 Ogos 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Japanese rocket takes supplies, robot to space station

Posted:

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) - Japan launched a cargo-carrying rocket Sunday loaded with supplies for the crew of the International Space Station, along with a small robot meant as a companion for one of the country's astronauts.

The H-2B rocket blasted off from the southern island of Tanegashima at 04:48 am local time (1948 GMT Saturday), images broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) showed.

"The HTV4 module has separated from the rocket as scheduled and continues its journey to the ISS," a JAXA spokesman said during the broadcast streamed over the Internet.

"Information on its progress will be given later, as and when," he added of the module which is due to dock at the station on August 9.

The unmanned rocket carried a cargo transporter filled with drinking water, food, clothing and work supplies for the six permanent ISS crew.

The annual mission, which has previously been completed by countries including the United States and Russia, will also pick up waste from the space centre.

"The H-2A and H-2B rockets have been successfully launched total 20 times in a row," said Yoichi Kujirai, chief of the aerospace division at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which carried out the project.

"We would like to sell this technology to Asia and the Middle East," he said, as quoted by Jiji Press.

A small talking robot accompanied Sunday's mission. The android is designed to act as a chatting companion for astronaut Koichi Wakata, who is set to arrive at the space station later this year.

Standing at just 34 centimetres (13.4 inches) tall and weighing about one kilogram (2.2 pounds), Kirobo is programmed to communicate in Japanese and keep records of its conversations with Wakata, who is the first Japanese astronaut to command the ISS.

The robot's creator Tomotaka Takahashi and his team posted photos taken near the launch pad on Twitter.
"The launch was so beautiful and breath-taking," they said in a tweet. "Thank you everyone for watching our project so warmly."

The black-and-white humanoid robot, wearing bright red boots, displayed its communication skills in June:
 "This may look a small step, but it will be a big stride as a robot," Kirobo told reporters.

"Kirobo will remember Mr Wakata's face so it can recognise him when they reunite up in space," Takahashi had told AFP.

"He will be the first robot to visit the space station."

The robot, which has a wide range of physical motion, will also play a role in some missions, relaying messages from the control room to the astronaut.

Sending the android to space is part of a study aimed at seeing how a non-human companion can provide emotional support for people isolated over long periods.

Back on earth, twin robot Mirata will be on the lookout for any problems encountered by its electronic counterpart, which was inspired by the legendary animation character Astro Boy.

In January, Japan launched two satellites from Tanegashima to strengthen its surveillance capabilities, including keeping a close eye on North Korea after it vowed to launch another nuclear test.

One of them was a radar-equipped unit to complete a system of surveillance satellites that would allow Tokyo to monitor any place in the world at least once a day.

The other was a demonstration satellite to collect data for research and development.

Home makeovers help needy students

Posted:

TO GET ahead at school, children need somewhere clean and safe to do their homework.

The trouble is many lack even this basic amenity.

To combat the problem, a new online initiative has been set up that posts pictures of dirty or badly lit study areas in needy households.

The public can then pick which household they wish to donate their money or time to in order to help provide home furnishings such as tables or shelves.

And when the makeover is complete, a set of "before and after" photographs are posted so contributors can see how much of a difference they have made.

The first-of-its-kind project, which does not reveal the families' identities or addresses, was launched last month by the Student Advisory Centre.

"By comparing the before and after pictures, donors can see for themselves where their money or labour went," said the youth charity's director, Trevor Xie, 32.

"This also helps others to choose which house they would like to help out with."

The centre started its Home Improvement Programme last year after seeing how hard it is for families to break out of poverty without a conducive environment for youngsters to study or live in.

For example, it brought in a set of bunk beds for Sim Ai Song's two children, aged seven and 10, after finding out that the springs of their old mattress were poking through its thin threads.

"We tried to flip the old mattress over so that they could sleep on the other side, but they couldn't," said Sim, a 54-year-old cleaner. "They sleep sounder now."

The makeovers leave pupils better equipped for class and can prevent them from wandering around the neighbourhood. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Saving A-bomb memories

Posted:

As atomic bomb survivors continue to age, their children are making efforts to preserve memories of their experiences and pass them on to future generations.

TOKYO: In April, an organisation of children of atomic bomb survivors was established in Tokyo.

Michio Yoshida, 55, a freelance writer who heads the secretariat of the organisation, Tokyo Hibaku Nisei no Kai, has interviewed survivors and is sharing the results of his work at an exhibition to mark the anniversaries of the August 1945 bombings. The exhibition, held at the observatory of the Tokyo metropolitan government office building, opened on Wednesday.

Yoshida's father, Kazuto, 81, survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on Aug 9, 1945, when he was 13. He was on a road about 3km from ground zero, and he was blown off it by the blast, injuring his lower back. However, he was left with no scars and did not experience any aftereffects of radiation.

For a long time, the father and son refrained from talking about the experience. "I thought it would be difficult for my son to understand my experience as he is among the generations who know nothing about the war," Kazuto said.

"I didn't feel it was necessary to ask my father about the atomic bombing, as he remained healthy," Michio said.

However, Michio changed his mind in 2004 when he watched a movie depicting a woman who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which had been casually recommended by his father. In the movie, she intentionally kept herself from having a happy life, as she suffered from guilt over surviving while so many people around her died.

The movie, Chichi to Kuraseba, was based on a play of the same title, written by Hishashi Inoue. The play is also known as The Face of Jizo in English.

Michio said he shed tears while watching how the woman continued to suffer even after the war.

Kazuto himself has suffered survivor's guilt. On the day of the atomic bombing, he was in a long line at Nagasaki Station to buy a ticket for a trip the next day. Then air-raid sirens suddenly screamed. Kazuto deliberately waited to enter an air-raid shelter later than others so he could get out quickly after the sirens stopped. When the alarm was lifted, he jumped out of the shelter, bought his ticket and left the station.

Soon after that, the atomic bomb was dropped and Nagasaki Station was destroyed. "Maybe someone else died because I bought a ticket earlier than I was meant to," Kazuto said.

In 2005, 60 years after the atomic bombing, Michio finally asked his father to talk about his experience. They went for a walk in Nagasaki together, and Kazuto took his son to an alley, which was roughly where he was during the atomic bombing.

Michio wrote down his father's tale in a booklet titled Kan-chan no Natsuyasumi (Little Kan's summer vacation). He gave copies of it to about 5,000 people.

Tokyo Hibaku Nisei no Kai has about 50 members who are children or grandchildren of atomic bomb survivors.

At the exhibition about the atomic bombings, held by the Tokyo Federation of A-Bomb Sufferers Organisations (Toyukai), Michio displays interviews with atomic bomb survivors along with pictures by a photographer who is also a child of a survivor. The interviews and photos are displayed on nine panels at the exhibition.

People with at least one parent who survived an atomic bombing are called hibaku nisei (second-generation atomic bomb survivors). They are estimated to number 300,000 to 500,000, but few details are known about them.

Many complain of poor health, and thus the Radiation Effects Research Foundation is conducting research on them to determine whether they suffer from genetic damage.

There are at least 19 organisations of children of atomic bomb survivors across the nation, including in Nagasaki and Kyoto.

Sixty-three per cent of atomic bomb survivors said they had not sufficiently conveyed their experiences to their children or have refrained from sharing them at all, according to a survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun and the Institute for Peace Science Hiroshima University.

The survey was conducted from April to July, ahead of the 68th anniversary of atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With the support of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organisations and other relevant parties, the survey covered 2,220 atomic bomb survivors whose average age was 79.6. The survey's findings were analysed by Megu Otaki, a professor at Hiroshima University's Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine.

Asked "Have you conveyed your atomic bomb experiences to your children?", 37% of respondents said they had conveyed them "sufficiently," while 55% chose the answer "a little" and 8% said they had not conveyed their experiences at all.

When those who said they had not shared their experiences sufficiently were asked why they had not done so, the answer "I have never been asked" accounted for 55%, the largest share.

This was followed by "I don't want to remember the painful experiences" by 39%, "I have few opportunities to talk about it because my children live a long way off" by 38% and "I don't think my experiences would be understood" by 37%. Multiple answers were allowed for this question.

Some respondents who chose not to tell their children about their experiences said they did not want their children to worry about their health, or they feared prejudice.

The survey also asked respondents whether they plan to share their experiences with their children in the future. Forty percent of respondents chose "yes", suggesting they wanted to pass their experiences on to future generations as much as possible.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates


Strong quake shakes northern Japan

Posted:


TOKYO (AFP) - A 6.0 earthquake shook northern Japan on Sunday but there was no risk of a tsunami, the meteorological agency said.

The focus of the quake, which took place at 12:29 pm (0329 GMT) was in the Pacific off Miyagi prefecture, the area devastated by a 9.0 quake in March 2011.

Thousands rally to support embattled Tunisia government

Posted:

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Tunisians came out in a show of force for the country's Islamist-led government on Saturday, in one of the largest demonstrations since the 2011 revolution.

Supporters of the ruling Ennahda party crowded into Kasbah Square next to the prime minister's office in the capital, Tunis. Ennahda officials said more than 150,000 attended. Fireworks flashed overhead and red Tunisian flags fluttered over a sea of demonstrators.

"No to coups, yes to elections," the crowd shouted, in a reference to the army-backed ouster of Egypt's elected Islamist president last month.

The secular opposition is stepping up efforts to oust the transition government in the North African country. At the same time, security forces are struggling to fight off a spike in attacks by radical Islamist militants, whom the moderate Islamist Ennahda has condemned as terrorists.

The country, once considered a model among fledgling "Arab Spring" democracies, is facing its worst crisis since Tunisians toppled autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and set off a wave of uprisings across the region.

The opposition, angered by the assassination of two of its figures and emboldened by the backlash against deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, has been protesting daily.

Across the capital, around 10,000 opposition protesters rallied against the government. They vowed a mass march on Sunday and an even bigger rally on Wednesday to mark the death of politician Chokri Belaid, who was gunned down six months ago.

'COUNTER-REVOLUTION WILL NOT SUCCEED'

Ennahda party chief Rachid Ghannouchi joined the throngs of demonstrators at the pro-government rally and gave a defiant speech to wild cheers from the crowd.

"Tunisia is a candle whose revolution lit up the world but now they (the opposition) want to put it out by trying to set off a coup," Ghannouchi said.

"The counter-revolution will not succeed."

Kasbah Square was the site of major rallies in the days after Ben Ali was toppled in which demonstrators demanded a transitional Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution.

That assembly - which the opposition is demanding be dissolved - is eight months late delivering the draft but says it is only weeks away from finishing the job.

Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Ali Larayedh appealed to demonstrators on both sides for calm.

"Tunisia is in need of national unity. ... I call for calm so the army and security forces can combat terrorism and not waste efforts on protests," Larayedh told a news conference.

Tunisian forces launched air and artillery strikes on Friday to try to rout militants who killed eight soldiers this week in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in decades.

Over the past week, a roadside explosive device and a car bomb targeted security forces in Tunis, the first such attacks to hit the capital. No one was hurt.

The Interior Ministry said on Saturday that security forces foiled a plot a day earlier to assassinate a prominent politician in the coastal town of Sousse, a week after assailants killed leftist politician Mohamed Brahmi in Tunis.

The ministry said two "dangerous terrorists" were arrested for suspected involvement in the attempt. A third was still on the run after trading machine-gun fire with security forces.

'CRYING FOR MY COUNTRY'

At the opposition protests, demonstrators shouted, "After the bloodshed, the Ennahda gang has lost its legitimacy."

Ordinary Tunisians who say the economy and security situation is deteriorating and the government has not done enough have joined in daily protests this week led by the secular opposition.

The opposition insists their demands for the government's downfall are legitimate because they reflect what the people want.

But in Kasbah Square, demonstrators invigorated by the largest protest this week say they are still the majority.

"Look at the popular will, its right here now," said Adel Munir, an unemployed 28-year-old. "Yes there are a lot of problems but we had an election. This is democracy."

Planned talks on the political and security crisis on Saturday failed to produce results, as the main opposition groups declined to attend.

Instead, both sides have held their ground: Ennahda refuses to remove the prime minister and calls the Constituent Assembly a "red line." The opposition says both the assembly and the government must be dissolved.

"I'm crying for my country," said Seif Benomar, a bank employee who attended the opposition rally but said he felt disillusioned by the ongoing street protests.

"Will this show of force help those who are out of work and will it stop the rise in prices? This is serving the interests of politicians and the people are just the fuel."

(Editing by Peter Cooney and Mohammad Zargham)

White House holds high-level meeting over security threat

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's top national security advisers held a meeting on Saturday to discuss "a potential threat occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula," the White House said.

"This afternoon, National Security Advisor (Susan) Rice chaired a meeting with the Principals Committee to further review the situation and follow-up actions," the White House said in a statement, referring to the advisers group.

"The president has received frequent briefings over the last week on all aspects of the potential threat and our preparedness measures," it said.

Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel were among those who attended the meeting, the White House said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Nation

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The Star Online: Nation


Eight shootings in as many days

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: The country has seen a worrying increase in the number of shootings recently. Here is a list of the most recent shooting incidents that have happened around the country.

Saturday, Aug 3

Kajang: A man who was released from prison last month, Balamurali Balakrishnan, was shot four times while napping at his home. He died at the scene.

Friday, Aug 2

The gunshot wound on Wong's shoulder

Pandan Indah: Gold dealer Wong Foo Yui was shot in the shoulder while waiting in his car for the traffic light to change, but he managed to escape from the shooter.

Wednesday, July 31

Parit Buntar: Former EO detainee N. Jeevandran, 26, who was wanted by police over four criminal cases was shot dead at the intersection of Jalan Permai Utama near the District Education Office. The victim, from Taman Seri Semarak, was shot at close range by a suspect who fled.

Tuesday, July 30

Mentakab: Several shots were fired into the house and a car belonging to a businessman. At least five empty 9mm casings were recovered at the crime scene. The back window of the car was shattered with three bullet holes while at least two other shots hit the porch area and the exterior wall.

Monday, July 29

Bukit Mertajam: G. Santhanasamy, 30, from Kulim, Kedah, was injured in the legs when he was shot at while waiting at a traffic light junction along Jalan Mengkuang.

AmBank founder Hussain shot

Police investigating the scene of Najadi's murder.

Kuala Lumpur: Founder of Arab-Malaysian Development Bank, Hussain Ahmad Najadi, 75, was shot dead in the parking area at Lorong Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur. His wife was injured. He was walking to his car with his wife when the armed sneaked up behind him fired several shots towards him, killing him on the spot.

Sunday, July 28

Ipoh: Jasrafveenderjeet Singh, 25, died due to a gunshot wound in the neck, while other two victims, aged 28 and 55, were hurt and needed treatment at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB). It is understood the victims were drinking at a restaurant near the Kampung Simee when they were shot.

Saturday, July 27

Jempol: Chairman of crime watchdog MyWatch, Sri Sanjeevan Ramakrishan, was shot while sitting in his car with a friend in Bahau. He has since been sent to the Serdang Hospital but the bullet has yet to be extracted.

The days before

July 26: Temerloh: A lorry driver from Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan (PPK) Temerloh was wounded in the arm after being shot while on the way to Jerantut. The man was sent to Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah to be treated.

July 18: Kulim: A gunman fired nine bullets, killing a 45-year-old teacher at a traffic light junction at Simpang Empat Keladi .

July 15: Kampar: A 51-year-old man and his son were shot after breaking fast in an armed robbery at Taman Sejahtera. The man and his 13-year-old son were critically injured after being hit by shots fired by one of two robbers who broke into their home. The victim was hit in the abdomen while his son suffered injuries in the right thigh.

July 12: George Town: A four-year-old boy was injured in the forehead and left leg when a gunman opened fire at him and his car repossessor father in front of their home in Bukit Jambul.

July 8: Bachok: Student affairs senior assistant Hashim Mat Zain, 43 was gunned down in a gangland-style killing while leaving his school in Tawang near Bachok, Kelantan.

July 5: Pasir Mas: Teacher Mat Zaki Hashim, 35, sustained serious injuries after being shot in the neck in Kampung Kubang Panjang. His car was believed to have stalled on the road before he was shot by unknown assailants.

June 15: Putrajaya: Royal Malaysian Customs deputy director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim, 58 was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle at a traffic junction in Putrajaya.

June 14: Kuala Kurau: A businessman, Lim Kong Hai, 52 was seriously injured after being shot in the abdomen by robbers near the Kuala Kurau bus station. However, he died of a heart attack two weeks later, just as he was about to be discharged.

June 6: Muar: Tan Chai Heng, 51, with gunshot wounds on his face was found lying in a park, about 30 meters from his house. Based on the injuries under his right eye, the victim was believed to have been shot with a pistol from close range. His body was found by a neighbour.

June 4: Taiping: Garage owner Govindaraju @ Murthy, 36 died while his friend A. Manivannan, was injured after being shot at a restaurant in Taman Kota Jaya. A gunman was believed to have fired three shots at them.

May 29: Kuala Lumpur: A businessman survived despite being shot at seven times by two men on a motorcycle in Bandar Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh.

May 12: Butterworth: Two men, S. Kannan, 37 and G.Suresh, 28, were killed while two others were seriously injured after being shot at while stopping at a traffic light junction of Bukit Tambun. The attack is believed to be related to their businesses. The four had come from Malacca to attend their friend's wedding.

May 11: Seremban: Two men, Chalidass, 29 and G.Surentharan, 31, died and their two friends were shot at close range their four-wheel-drive stopped at a traffic light intersection here.

May 12: Cheras: Police volunteers N.Saravanan and his friend Tamil Selvam were both injured when shot after an argument.

May 11: Lunas: Shop assistant Thangaraja, 31, was found dead in his car with 10 gunshot wounds at an intersection near Taman Kucai in Lunas.

May 9: Alor Setar: Tow truck operator M. Nagenthiran, 30, died from three gunshots near his flat at Taman Setia Jaya. One gunshot wound was found on his head and another two on his back.

May 8: Tangkak: Engineer Muthu Pillai, 41, was found dead with three gunshot wounds in an oil palm plantation.

April 30: Taiping: A pillion rider fired at a man in the compound of his home in Simpang but missed. The men rode up to the house of the 26-year-old victim and called out his name before firing.

April 25: Seremban: N. Ragunathan, 39, was shot dead in his car after he had apparently conducted a transaction at the Road Transport Department (JPJ) office along Jalan Seremban-Tampin. He was alone in his Proton Perdana when two men rode up alongside his car outside the JPJ office.

April 26: Cheras: R. Karikaalan, 29, died on the way to hospital after hit by two of the 10 shots that were fired by two men on a motorcycle while his 60-year-old mother was wounded in the right arm.

April 25: Tampin: A runner for the Road Transport Department, N. Ragunathan ,39, was shot dead in his car by one of two people on a motorcycle.

April 16: Taiping: K Muthazagen, 47, was killed when bullets fired from close range penetrated his head. During the incident, the victim was eating alone at a restaurant in the area without realising the presence of the suspect.

April 14: Seremban: Tan Kok Soon, 56, was shot at close range while having dinner with his family at a restaurant in Oakland Commercial Centre.

April 12: Seremban: James John, 45, was shot dead in his car at traffic lights around Taman Sri Labu by two men on a motorcycle.

Health Ministry: Only 'Nutricia Karicare' product possibly contaminated by botulism

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has identified 'Nutricia Karicare follow-on formula products for children from 6 months old' as the sole product that is possibly contaminated with bacteria that could lead to botulism.

As a precautionary measure, all imports of this product will undergo a "hold, test and release" inspection effective immediately.

This is following the latest information obtained from New Zealand's Primary Industries Ministry through the High Commission here that only one product is suspected to contain the whey protein concentrate (WPC) which is the source of the contamination.

In a statement Saturday, the Ministry said it was verifying whether the product is available in the Malaysian market.

"As a precautionary measure, parents and guardians who use the product are advised to not use it and to replace it with another brand for the time being," said Noraini Othman, the Ministry's Food Quality and Safety Division senior director in the statement.

The Ministry has taken into account the alert from the International Food Safety Authorities Network (Infosan) under the World Health Organisation about the WPC manufactured by Fonterra from New Zealand.

The WPC is used as an ingredient in baby formula, growing-up milk powder and sports drinks.

There have been no food safety incidents reported on this particular product as of now.

The Ministry, she added, was also working closely with the New Zealand High Commission here and will issue updates on the latest developments.

"We hope with this explanation, the public need not worry because food safety monitoring and enforcement is always carried out to ensure the safety of consumers are always guaranteed," she said.

She added that if consumers felt wary of the safety status of a food product in the market, they can inform the Health Ministry through the nearest district health office or state health department, or go to the website at fsq.moh.gov.my.

7,000 heads of cattle from Australia to fulfil Aidilfitri demand

Posted:

PORT KLANG: Seven thousand heads of cattle would be brought in from Australia through the South Port here to cater for Aidilfitri this year.

Veterinary Services director-general Datuk Dr Abd Aziz Jamaluddin said cattle weighing between 350kg and 500kg each, would yield about 30,000 metric tonnes of meat.

Presently,  only one company, Syarikat Ternakan Kamran Sdn Bhd, had obtained import approval from the Australian government which imposed a restriction on importers to ensure all livestock from the country complied with the animal welfare standards under the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance Scheme.

"We want to ensure that the meat supply is sufficient and can be sold at a reasonable price, for instance, at the ceiling price of RM24 per kilogram," he told reporters here Saturday.

He said 14,000 cattle was the population's average demand for the festive season this year.

"We usually import between 10,000 to 12,000 heads from Thailand for the festive season but this time because of a decrease in supply we can only bring in about 6,000 or 50%, which would produce about 2,000 to 2,200 metric tonnes of meat," he said, adding, local supply would meet the demand balance.

Dr Abd Aziz said to ensure adequate supply in future the department would import cattle from Myanmar, Sudan, Somalia and Brazil.

Meanwhile, Ternakan Kamran director Raghu Loganathan Pillay said the company possessed 22 feedlots endorsed by the Australian government and three livestock farms in Bidor, Perak, Air Hitam, Johor and Perlis. - Bernama
Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion


Washington on Broadway

Posted:

Denzel Washington is returning to Broadway in Raisin In The Sun.

Denzel Washington is headed back to Broadway in a revival of A Raisin In The Sun, his publicist told TheWrap.

The Oscar-winning actor will play the lead role of Walter Younger and the play is scheduled to debut in spring of 2014.

Lorraine Hansberry's acclaimed drama revolves African-American family's struggles to determine what to do with US$10,000 in insurance money. In the play, Walter hopes to use the money to invest in a liquor store, while his mother would prefer he use it for his sister's education.

The last time Washington took the stage he earned a Tony Award for his performance in 2010's Fences.

The Los Angeles Times reports that A Raisin In The Sun will likely reunite the actor with Fences director Kenny Leon and producer Scott Rudin.

Younger is a showy part, but at 60, Washington is older than most of the actors who have played the role. Although he certainly does not look his age, both Sidney Poitier and Sean "Diddy" Combs were nearly three decades younger than Washington when they played the part. Media reports of his involvement surfaced following his appearance at the 2 Guns premiere in New York earlier this week. — Reuters

West End debut for Grint

Posted:

Rupert Grint set to make stage debut as a drug addict in a play called Mojo.

Rupert Grint is shaking up his image as the sweet and lovable sidekick to a certain boy wizard. The Harry Potter star will make his stage debut, playing a drug-addicted gangster in a West End revival of Jez Butterworth's Mojo.

He will co-star with Ben Whishaw, the intense star of BBC's The Hour and Jane Campion's Bright Star, and Brendan Coyle, better known as the loyal valet Mr Bates on Downton Abbey.

First produced to great acclaim in 1995, Mojo is a darkly comic tale set in Soho during 1958. It centres on a fight for control of a popular night club and overflows with unsavoury underworld characters.

Mojo will begin previews at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London on Oct 26, 2013. Ian Rickson, who directed the first production of the play, will perform similar duties this time around.

Butterworth has been a staple of the London theatre scene for nearly two decades and recently scored a major triumph stateside with the Tony-winning Jerusalem. Since playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, Grint has taken roles in edgier fare like The Necessary Death Of Charlie Countryman and CBGB. — Reuters

Comfort zone

Posted:

Lapar Lab explores the relationship between people and space in its latest mixed bill.

SPACE. The nothingness that separates the earth from the moon, the sky from the land, a human being from another human being and a word from a word. We don't see it, we can't feel it, but its significance in the grander scale of things cannot be refuted.

Imagine reading a novel with no space between the words. It will give birth to gibberish. Or imagine people living with no space to separate them from one another. Life would be an asphyxiating journey or perhaps even torture.

But sometimes space or separation can also allude to loneliness, failure, divorce ... death.

What is space, then? And how does it affect our lives?

This very philosophical dilemma is the crux of the latest contemporary dance performance by Lapar Lab, aptly named Space Bar, a tribute to the longest key on the keyboard that separates words. The mixed bill comprises two dance pieces, Safe Distance and Belonging.

Helmed by choreographers Leng Poh Gee and Mak Foong Ming, both the pieces will explore the relationship between people and their immediate environment and how close and intimate and how defensive things can get, in relation to space. The initial idea was sparked, as shared by Leng in a recent e-mail interview, when the inactivity and dormancy of Lapar Lab began to prod him.

"We have been 'sleeping' for at least one year, doing nothing, since our last production in 2011. And the main reason why we haven't been able to do anything was because most of us found jobs elsewhere. We were separated geographically and temporarily.

"That period for me was like a blank space and that was the spark of the initial idea. After much brainstorming, we decided to use the spacebar as the theme, since its function is to separate the words for them to make sense and have meaning. We then realised the significance of separation and disconnection for relationships," Leng reasoned.

Both Belonging, choreographed by Leng, and Safe Distance, choreographed by Mak, explore two different issues, vis-à-vis space but the creative process to mould the different stories involved both choreographers and dancers alike.

Once the direction of each piece was finalised, they went through the process of throwing in ideas based on their everyday lives, from injuries, rushing to work and even the rehearsals itself.

Mak said for Safe Distance, they shared their "own stories pertaining to the issues of interpersonal relationships. The emotion behind each story became an important element for me to create movements and the emotions finally became the motive of the whole dance."

Speaking about her piece, Mak opined that in our interpersonal relationships, we always keep a safe distance. This keeps the bond calm and harmonious. However, once we depart from the safe distance or step out from the comfort zone, conflicts may arise.

"After the conflict, what is the attitude that one will choose toward the other? Is it possible to return to how things were? This is the question I wish to ask the audience."

Echoing Mak, dancer Chow Yong Shuang said, "we are trying to bring out the message that in every relationship, there must not be an absolute intimacy. We human beings are meant to live in groups, but we definitely need to keep some things very personal to ourselves."

Chow went on to say that compared to Safe Distance, Belonging is not such a narrative piece and this endows it with many interpretations. Within it are different chapters and sub-themes with elements like familiar old folk songs, love, worship, contentment and the issues in our country.

"Basically, this piece is a big topic – life," Chow asserted.

But besides the differing narratives, what else makes the two pieces unique and different from each other? Leng shared it had to do with the triggers used to create the movements. He said that in itself engendered different vocabularies for Safe Distance and Belonging.

"Safe Distance utilises daily movements, utilitarian gestures and domestic actions like the pulling of the shirt for instance which can be used as a gesture for anger. So, what has happened is that these daily movements were used to initiate new dance vocabularies and then they were distorted and stylised and some were transformed into pictorial images selected by the choreographer," explained Leng.

Conversely, words, instead of actions, were the trigger for Belonging.

"Keywords such as pray, separation, love and certain lyrics from selected popular songs were used to derive the movements. We played some games and interactive activities to find possible movements," added Leng.

Sub-themes and dance vocabularies may set them apart, but at the end of it all, both Safe Distance and Belonging, seek to explore the relationship between space and people. Without us knowing it, space plays a crucial role in our lives to keep things in order, though sometimes, it causes pain and misery. But that's how life is.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: Central

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The Star Online: Metro: Central


Bus tickets to Malaysia sold out

Posted:

THOSE hoping to take a coach to Malaysia next weekend but have yet to buy their tickets might have to change their plans.

Many coach companies have sold all seats, given that Hari Raya Aidilfitri and National Day fall on Thursday and Friday respectively to make an extra long weekend.

First Coach, Golden Coach, Aeroline and Causeway Link Express all reported that bus trips from Singapore to popular Malaysian destinations such as Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh are fully booked on Aug 7 and 8.

Meanwhile, Grassland Express & Tours and StarMart Express Air Asia Liner are also sold out for Aug 7, and have only the less popular night tickets left for the next day. Tickets are still available for Aug 9.

Coming back in time for the work week might also be tricky, as return trips for Aug11 have all been snapped up. Those for Aug 12 are quickly running out.

Coach companies attribute the spike in ticket sales to the fortuitous timing of the back-to-back public holidays.

"Singaporeans are all kiasu because of the long weekend," quipped Grassland Express & Tours ticket agent Stanford Ee, 65.

"We are very crowded, just like Chinese New Year."

Said Aeroline customer service officer Nashira Ersham, 25: "Many even called a couple of months earlier to check for tickets."

Most bus operators sold all their tickets as early as a month ago. To deal with the demand, several added more bus trips at a higher price.

According to a StarMart Express Air Asia Liner ticket agent, it will dispatch about twice as many buses for its Thursday evening trips to Kuala Lumpur.

These rides will, however, cost S$60 (RM150) instead of the usual S$30 (RM75).

While many are flocking to Malaysia next week, others like National University of Singapore student Alexis Ng prefer to skip the crowd.

"I'm not going this time because I want to avoid the jam," said the 23-year-old, who regularly visits her relatives in Penang.

"Besides, I usually prefer to fly because it's safer and more convenient." — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Former minister fined for drink driving

Posted:

FORMER minister of state Chan Soo Sen said raising a toast at a charity event led to him being fined S$2,000 (RM5,100) and banned from driving for a year.

After admitting to drink driving, the 56-year-old said he had made the "careless" mistake of not getting someone to drive him home from the event where he had been drinking red wine with its organisers.

A father of two, Chan was a People's Action Party MP from 1996 to 2011 and had been a minister of state three times.

The traffic court heard yesterday that he had been travelling along Cantonment Road towards Outram Road when he was stopped at a police roadblock just before midnight on July 13.

An officer noticed that he "smelt strongly of alcohol" and he admitted to having had drinks. He failed a breathalyser test and was arrested. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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Bus tickets to Malaysia sold out

Posted:

THOSE hoping to take a coach to Malaysia next weekend but have yet to buy their tickets might have to change their plans.

Many coach companies have sold all seats, given that Hari Raya Aidilfitri and National Day fall on Thursday and Friday respectively to make an extra long weekend.

First Coach, Golden Coach, Aeroline and Causeway Link Express all reported that bus trips from Singapore to popular Malaysian destinations such as Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh are fully booked on Aug 7 and 8.

Meanwhile, Grassland Express & Tours and StarMart Express Air Asia Liner are also sold out for Aug 7, and have only the less popular night tickets left for the next day. Tickets are still available for Aug 9.

Coming back in time for the work week might also be tricky, as return trips for Aug11 have all been snapped up. Those for Aug 12 are quickly running out.

Coach companies attribute the spike in ticket sales to the fortuitous timing of the back-to-back public holidays.

"Singaporeans are all kiasu because of the long weekend," quipped Grassland Express & Tours ticket agent Stanford Ee, 65.

"We are very crowded, just like Chinese New Year."

Said Aeroline customer service officer Nashira Ersham, 25: "Many even called a couple of months earlier to check for tickets."

Most bus operators sold all their tickets as early as a month ago. To deal with the demand, several added more bus trips at a higher price.

According to a StarMart Express Air Asia Liner ticket agent, it will dispatch about twice as many buses for its Thursday evening trips to Kuala Lumpur.

These rides will, however, cost S$60 (RM150) instead of the usual S$30 (RM75).

While many are flocking to Malaysia next week, others like National University of Singapore student Alexis Ng prefer to skip the crowd.

"I'm not going this time because I want to avoid the jam," said the 23-year-old, who regularly visits her relatives in Penang.

"Besides, I usually prefer to fly because it's safer and more convenient." — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Former minister fined for drink driving

Posted:

FORMER minister of state Chan Soo Sen said raising a toast at a charity event led to him being fined S$2,000 (RM5,100) and banned from driving for a year.

After admitting to drink driving, the 56-year-old said he had made the "careless" mistake of not getting someone to drive him home from the event where he had been drinking red wine with its organisers.

A father of two, Chan was a People's Action Party MP from 1996 to 2011 and had been a minister of state three times.

The traffic court heard yesterday that he had been travelling along Cantonment Road towards Outram Road when he was stopped at a police roadblock just before midnight on July 13.

An officer noticed that he "smelt strongly of alcohol" and he admitted to having had drinks. He failed a breathalyser test and was arrested. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Hun Sen vows to lead government

Posted:

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia's strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen vowed to establish a government under his leadership despite allegations by the opposition party of massive electoral fraud.

Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) on Sunday claimed it had secured an estimated 68 of the 123 lower house seats, shading the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) which won 55.

The CNRP rejected the results, citing widespread voting irregularities, and vowed to press for nationwide protests unless an independent probe is launched.

According to the Cambodian constitution the kingdom's National Assembly must have "at least 120 members" and hold its first session within 60 days of the election, leaving the CPP well short by its own reckoning of the seats if the opposition chose to boycott parliament.

But in a defiant radio address yesterday the premier said his party has an "absolute majority" and will "proceed to set up the leadership of the parliament and government. They will not wait for you (the opposition)".

"There will be no stalemate... I am the Prime Minister. I will continue to be the Prime Minister," he added.

"The law does not specify how many lawmakers are needed for the first meeting."

He also urged the CNRP to join talks over participating in the next parliament.

The first parliament meeting will be convened by late September.

The CNRP has already called for a United Nations-backed investigation into allegations that 1.25 million legitimate voters were culled from the electoral roll, while more than one million "ghost names" and a further 200,000 duplicated names were added to the list.

Rainsy has said his party had in fact won a majority of 63 seats and repeated a vow to prevent the CPP "stealing victory".

In a statement, the opposition said its leader Sam Rainsy will announce the "CNRP's stand related to election results" on Tuesday.

Hun Sen, 60, a former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected from the murderous regime, has vowed to rule until he is 74.

He oversaw Cambodia's transformation from a nation devastated by the "Killing Fields" genocidal era in the late 1970s to become one of South-East Asia's most vibrant economies.

The premier – who has been in power for 28 years – is regularly accused of ignoring human rights and muzzling political freedoms. — AFP

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Music


Flying free

Posted:

Gary Chaw Ge invited Star2 into his home, where we discovered just how much the so-called 'bad boy of music' has grown up.

THE first thing you see when you step into Gary Chaw Ge's home in Kuala Lumpur is a HUGE black horse statue-cum-lamp standing right in the middle of his living room.

"You know why I bought it?" the Sabah-born, Taiwan-based singer-songwriter asked upon seeing the quizzical look on my face. "Because people used to call me hei ma ("dark horse" in Mandarin), so I decided that I should get one for real!"

Chaw, who will be kicking off his nationwide Gary Chaw Sensationally Live Tour Malaysia 2013 on Sept 14, has certainly been a dark horse throughout his music career. Since the beginning he has always been considered one of the most enigmatic of all the Malaysian artistes currently based in Taiwan, with a reputation for being something of a rebel and troublemaker.

The first time I met Chaw in 2006, he was a sullen, slightly awkward 27-year-old singer who had just released his first Taiwanese album Blue. Within these past seven years, his life has been a series of improbable highs and desperate lows, and I could immediately sense that the Gary Chaw I was interviewing this time around was not the Gary Chaw I met back then.

"What have I been doing these past seven years? I've been busy growing up! I got married and had two kids," he said proudly (Chaw has a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter with his wife, make-up artist Wu Su-ling).

In a more sombre tone, he added that the past seven years had not been easy for him despite his success. "I'm the only Malaysian artiste who was ever awarded the best male singer in Taiwan, and I got that on the second album. That was way too fast for me," rued Chaw, who was named best Mandarin male singer at the 2008 Golden Melody Awards.

Considering how hard he had to struggle to even get his first album out, you'd think he would have felt entitled to that early success. "Not really. I was just glad I had the chance to release an album, and then everything came so fast I didn't have time to digest it all ...

"When I got the award, I was actually depressed at the time. That depression started a long time ago. I felt useless and (felt like) a burden to my family ... and I had nothing to lose. So I took the risk of leaving Malaysia because I felt I had nothing left here," he said.

"I went to Taiwan and it was tough for the first couple of years. I didn't even have enough money to eat. I slept in the studio on sofas for a year and a half before I managed to sell one song, and finally had money to rent a place."

Gary Chaw at home, with his black horse lamp in the middle of his living room.

Chaw at home, with his black horse lamp in the middle of his living room.

It didn't help that Chaw had to put up with the indignity of being considered "too ugly" to be a proper artiste and enduring rejection after rejection by record labels until Rock Records finally signed him in 2003, and eventually released his debut album Blue in 2006.

Still, that didn't cure Chaw of his depression. If anything, becoming an artiste just made it worse. He got a reputation for being a rebellious bad boy, and for getting violently drunk, infamously getting arrested after a drunken brawl with Hong Kong singer Justin Lo in 2009.

When I bring up the incident, Chaw winced visibly. "Everything, the good, the bad, the highs and lows were all squashed into that one period of time. Got into trouble in Hong Kong, had to go to court, got arrested ..." he said with a sigh. "I was almost an alcoholic – and I can admit that now. At that time, it was almost as if I HAD to drink, it's not that I love alcohol, it's just that I didn't like being sober."

It also didn't help that when Chaw's wife got pregnant in Malaysia, he could not tell anyone about it at the time.

"I couldn't even tell anyone I was getting married ... I was caught getting married! Even my company didn't know I got married," he recalled. "It's not like I kept it a secret, I just didn't tell anyone because my wife didn't want me to. So when the news came out I was actually happy because I didn't have to hide anymore."

He certainly looks a lot happier and relaxed now than he did in 2006. His new role as a family man has changed his perspective on life. "When I had my first child. I realised that NOTHING is more important than this little baby in my hand," he said firmly. "No awards, fame or fortune is more important than that boy in my hands ... and my daughter confirmed that. There must be a reason I work hard, and now, I know it's because of my family."

These days, even his music has taken a different turn, with Chaw finally getting to do something he always wanted to do – play in a band. In 2011, Chaw roped in session musicians Musa's Trio (comprising pianist Martin "Musa" Musaubach, bassist Lautaro "LuKa" Bellucca and percussionist Adriano Moreira) to record the Project Sensation 1: Jazz album, and they have been playing together since then.

According to Chaw, the idea of forming a band is something he has always wanted to do. "I've always wanted to be in a band where I could play some jazz, and sing the songs I was influenced by when I was a kid, and do it the way I want to do it."

As for the upcoming tour, Chaw will continue to draw inspiration from Project Sensation's free-spirited and casual ideals, and try to make each performance a unique one.

He is also taking a different approach this time around – the tour will take him all over Malaysia for medium- and small-scale shows that will be almost like a full-fledged concerts, but much more intimate and music-oriented.

"Most Chinese artistes, like me before, just do it in Bukit Jalil, but never go somewhere else like Kuching, Penang or Johor for a concert. I never understand that ... why force the fans to come down to KL to see us?" he said. "For this year's tour, I want to do something new – I don't want the fans to come to KL, I'm going to go TO them!"

Organised by GS Group, the Gary Chaw Sensationally Live Tour Malaysia 2013 will kick off on Sept 14, 8pm, at Menara PGRM in Kuala Lumpur. Tickets are priced at RM368, RM248, RM188 and RM98. The prices stated do not include the RM3 handling charge.

Tickets can be purchased via any Ticket-Charge outlets. For more information call 03-9222 8811 or visit www.ticketcharge.com.my.

Chen's inner self

Posted:

Taiwanese artiste Michelle Chen's debut album is her pet project, which takes listeners into her private realm.

TAIWANESE starlet Michelle Chen Yan Xi is quite the contrary to her perceived public persona. Chen's charming smile and cutesy girl-next-door demeanour often endears her to many, but beyond her gentle disposition lies someone who is no pushover and clearly knows what she wants to achieve.

With gutsy determination and perseverance, the 30-year-old took to writing her own songs during her initial years in showbiz. Now, almost six years later, Chen has released her first studio album, which she had written mostly by herself, a dream come true for the actress who's aspired for a singing career.

Chen, who rose to fame as the sweet-faced schoolgirl in the 2011 Taiwanese sleeper-hit You Are The Apple Of My Eye – a role which had gained her a Best Actress nomination at the 48th Golden Horse Awards in 2011 – says she never forgot her singing ambition and love for music, even though she'd been immersed in acting for the last six years.

The album, Me, Myself And I, is a play on sarcasm about being alone, and offers a peek at her baring her soul.

It contains 10 tracks, five of which are self-penned and the rest co-composed with friends.

"Every song tells a story about my life, my experiences, and thoughts on love and family relationships, which I feel will help people know the real Michelle Chen," said the porcelain-skinned actor/singer during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. It was her first time in Malaysia meeting fans as part of her promo tour, presented by Universal Music Malaysia.

"I started writing after returning from the United States (for studies) in 2008, but I was new then and no one would compose songs for me.

"The music industry was lagging somewhat at that point, so I was advised to give acting a try, just to get a breakthrough, though it wasn't my first love," she added in her decent, almost fluid English learnt from her university days abroad.

So, what's the real Michelle Chen like in person?

By her own admission, she's a positive person, but she's also quick to admit that she is quite the walking contradiction.

"I am sensitive yet rationale at the same time. Sensitive, because I consider myself to be emotional about love, and feelings of others and my own, but sensibility creeps in when I know that I put work above everything else."

While she may be sensitive about her musical endeavours, Chen says she is usually not so when it comes to scrutiny of her acting performances.

"With this album, I might be sensitive with comments, good or bad. That's because this is something I really care about and it was to prove to myself that I could to do it.

"I find it important to absorb feedback, so that I can improve on my flaws, and turn them into positive energy to channel into my next album," she philosophised.

The graduate from the University of Southern Carolina, who majored in marketing and minored in fine arts, says both acting and singing are two very different mediums: acting calls for her to be in the shoes of a scripted character while singing allows her to sometimes share personal stories with her voice.

"Singing is still new to me. I never expected the kind of attention paid to my singing, but I guess my songwriting and composition gave people something to talk about.

"The feeling is strange now that my album is out, because I've wanted to do this for so long. But I'm happy I managed to release this before turning 30."

On the album's direction, she said it is essentially pop, but differs from the typical Chinese pop that fills the airwaves. Western influences abound, with edgy nuances to the songs, some of which are in English.

Media members were also quick to zoom in on her love life.

Flashing her winsome smile, she coyly answered that she will leave things to fate but feels that it is important for two people in a relationship to be happy.

To relax, she goes for dinners with friends and family, and enjoys a spot of karaoke. As for her musical "skills," they are limited, as she can only play a bit of guitar and piano.

Any musings on her life now that she's hit 30?

For one, Chen wishes that she will have more control over her life and learn to live it at a slower pace.

"This is not my preferred lifestyle; I'd like to find a better balance between work and personal life. Hopefully, people can relate to the warm feelings and hopeful endings that my songs evoke, which is to continuously stay positive even if you are at a loss," she concluded.

Michelle Chen's Me, Myself and I is available at CD Rama and Speedy outlets nationwide. For enquiries, call 03-7958 7433.

Stronger Heart beat

Posted:

Rock legends Ann and Nancy Wilson stand the test of time.

The Seattle-bred band Heart is a classic-rock legend with its music still in regular rotation, pioneer status among women in rock and membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

But the band, led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson (ages 63 and 59 respectively), isn't just riding the coattails of a catalogue of hits that began with 1970s rock staples such as Barracuda, Magic Man, Crazy On You, Dog & Butterfly and Straight On. Nor is Heart content to rely on slick, chart-topping, 1980s arena power ballads such as These Dreams, What About Love and Alone. But after spending a sizable portion of the 1990s and much of the 2000s with side projects such as the acoustic-driven Lovemongers, Heart has so far kept the 2010s action-packed.

Following a six-year recording break, the band released Red Velvet Car in 2010, earning its first Billboard Top 10 album in 20 years, along with the DVD Night At Sky Church. Heart hit the road for a yearlong tour of the United States and Canada, and followed that up with a successful co-headlining jaunt with Def Leppard in the summer of 2011.

The band continued its revitalisation in 2012 with a box set of hits, live cuts and demos called Strange Euphoria, and the Wilson sisters' bestselling memoir, Kicking And Dreaming: A Story Of Heart, Soul, And Rock And Roll, co-written with Charles R. Cross. The book follows the sisters from their childhood through the 1970s, when they spent considerable energy fending off the advances of famous and infamous suitors, and answering endless stupid questions about their ability to be women who rock; and in the 1980s, when they succumbed to the pressure to be sexy, cleavage-bearing hit makers, which brought them their biggest commercial if not creative success.

"Preparing our book made me realise how many deep challenges we have faced over the years," Ann Wilson said by e-mail from the tour, where preserving her voice is paramount. "And that, in almost all cases, I would do things no differently."

Last fall, Heart released its 14th studio album, the rocking Fanatic, which made the Billboard Top 25 and peaked at No 12 on rock albums chart. Heart wrapped up a superb 2012 by going viral. During the annual televised Kennedy Centers Honors ceremony, the band performed Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven, complete with strings, a choir and tour mate Jason Bonham on drums. The performance not only drew a standing ovation from the crowd and the band's surviving members, but has garnered more than six million hits on YouTube.

Also in 2012, Heart was chosen for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honour that many fans believed should have been bestowed closer to the band's first year of eligibility back in 2001, but Ann Wilson feels otherwise.

"It was a great honour to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," Ann said. "I personally felt the timing was perfect. I think our true eligibility had a lot to do with our latter-day albums, Red Velvet Car and Fanatic. Certainly the work of the '80s had little to do with us as artistes. I was greatly thrilled and pleased it happened when it did."

Ann, who mentioned the Moody Blues as another band long overdue for induction, is clearly proud of Heart's recent musical activity. Fanatic, made with co-producer Ben Mink, is a rock record with Ann still in control of her big voice, and her harmonies with Nancy still ring clear. The songs, all co-written by the Wilson sisters, mix tough mid-tempo rock riffage in tunes such as the title track and Dear Old America, with the folk influences that marked their early albums on Walkin' Good, a duet between Nancy Wilson and Sarah McLachlan.

Rock may not be the dominant force in mainstream pop music that it was back when the Wilson sisters were threatening to go Crazy On You. Other genres including hip-hop, EDM, dance music, indie folk and the increasing hybridisation of styles are what's being hyped and downloaded.

Add the fact that seemingly anyone with a decent laptop, a few choice pieces of software and a little bit of talent can quickly become a buzzed-about "artiste" before ever playing a show, and the current music landscape may seem a bit scattered for folks who grew up in the major-label era. But Ann said having rock not be at the top of the pop heap could be the best thing for it.

"I believe that rock is at its most vital when it does not rule the mainstream. Rock is at its most vital in rebellion," she said.

As for the democratisation of music brought on in part by the Internet and affordable music-making software, Ann is a bit less sanguine: "When everyone is an 'artiste' then no one is a particularly good artiste. While the democratisation of the process does put a guitar or paintbrush in the hand of every man, it takes the uniqueness out of the form, and nothing is special."

She continued: "From a music business aspect, the live performance is more important than ever. That is good because not just anyone can succeed in the reality of live art." – Akron Beacon Journal/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health

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The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health


Teeth of truth: researchers study mouth-mounted health sensor

Posted:

Imagine a tooth-mounted sensor that will spill the beans to doctors and dentists if a patient is being less than honest regarding eating, smoking or drinking.

Researchers have developed a mouth-worn sensor that can detect if a patent has been drinking, smoking or coughing.

It used to be that loose lips sank ships but, if a group of researchers from the National Taiwan University have their way, the expression will soon have to be modified to cover loose dentures too.

The five-strong team at the university's departments of computer science and information engineering and electrical engineering have published a paper detailing their development of a tooth-mounted sensor that will spill the beans to doctors and dentists if a patient is being less than honest regarding eating, smoking or drinking.

The device, which measures a mere 4.5mm x 10mm, yet still has space for an accelerometer (just like the one inside a smartphone that automatically rotates the screen from portrait to landscape and enables tilt-to-play gaming) that can accurately tell the difference between drinking, speaking, chewing, smoking and coughing.

In laboratory testing with eight participants, it achieved 93.8% accuracy.

Though impressive, the research was conducted as a small feasibility study and there are still a number of hurdles to overcome before the sensor becomes a reality.

The first and most critical is power source. The team envisage building the senor into false teeth that need to be removed on a daily basis for cleaning and which, like a smartphone, could also be docked and put on charge overnight to top up the battery and to transfer the collected data.

Real-time data collection and dissemination would require a version of Bluetooth that is compatible with use inside the body.

Also, while it can identify chewing, because the sensor is in a sealed unit, it is unable to recognise what the wearer is chewing or how many calories it contains.

Still, this early breakthrough has the researchers excited about the future direction of their study as the paper concludes: "Because the mouth is an opening into human health, this oral sensory system has the potential to enhance ... oral-related healthcare monitoring applications such as dietary tracking."

As such, the next version of the sensor will feature wireless communication capabilities and a rechargeable battery, but there's still some way to go before it becomes a standard dental procedure akin to a scrape and polish.

However, it is yet another example of how mobile technology, and in particular wearable devices and sensors, are changing the way we live and the positive impact that they could have on healthcare.

In a white paper published on July 26, Mobiquity detailed how smartphones are already changing behaviour for the better and could be the key to helping consumers adapt their lifestyles, break old, bad habits and improve their health, while a number of tech experts, including Gary Clayton, chief creative officer at voice recognition firm Nuance, believe that ingested sensors that stream data to mobile devices for medical analysis are well on their way to becoming a reality.

During a discussion on the future of wearable technology at VentureBeat MobileBeat on July 10, he said: "My daughter is getting a PhD in biomedical engineering, and they are floating the idea that wearables will be inside us in the next five to 10 years." – AFP Relaxnews

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