Topic Reading-Vol.1913-7/7/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Mindful eating: 'Suddenly, you have power over food'

There are many ways to control weight. Some are initially effective but often end up falling into yo-yo effect, the cyclical loss and gain of weight, like the up-down motion of a yo-yo. Though it may sound like the difference in medical treatment between Western and Oriental, which is more essential to be in a good weight range, mind control or weight control?

There is a new Western-Oriental hybrid-kind of idea to control weight, called mindful eating. You may wonder what mindful or mindfulness means. It basically means to maintain a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, as well as the surrounding environment.

Sounds like Zen meditation? Well, there don’t seem to be so many zen practitioners who need serious weight control, do they?

Enjoy reading, and try asking yourself during your next meal if you’re eating because you’re still hungry. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/14/health/mindful-eating-lose-weight-hospital-profile/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.1912-7/6/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Most US women won't dine alone with opposite sex, survey suggests

US Vice-President Mike Pence says he isn’t going to dine alone with a woman who is not his wife. Do you think he is too old-fashioned or right about marital commitment?

To find out what people really think about this controversial topic, the New York Times conducted a poll among 3,500 people. It revealed that quite a few number of respondents agreed that a married person shouldn’t have a meal or drink alone with a non-family person of the opposite sex. It also found that the responses vary widely by gender, education, political stance, and religion. For example, people who are college educated or have liberal views seem to think it’s ok to have a one-on-one occasion.

Enjoy reading and thinking if everything can be determined by the gender or marital status.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40473553

Topic Reading-Vol.1911-7/5/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Volvo's driverless cars 'confused' by kangaroos

Hands Off the Wheel. Self-driving cars are on the way not only in tech-savvy Silicon Valley or over-congested Beijing but also the Outback in Australia. Each market seems to require distinct challenges for the driving computer of such vehicles. On a busy highway, there are many cars around you that may change the speed, lane or direction at any moment. In a residential area or on a busy downtown street, there are kids and bicycles that could suddenly make an unpredictable move or appearance. And on a rural road, there are wild animals that run or jump across the street suddenly. Cars drive by themselves need to be able to detect such moves and react without delay.

In Australia, of the 20,000 or so animal collisions each year, and around 16,000, or 80%, of such animal-caused accidents involved kangaroos. The problem is that kangaroos apparently make quite different moves from other large animals, so that the latest Large Animal Detection system is fooled by their distinctive jumping and landing.

Enjoy reading and thinking what your course of action would be when you saw a kangaroo by the roadside.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40416606

Topic Reading-Vol.1910-7/4/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How do Navy ships operate?

Accidents happen no matter how well you are trained or how careful you are. That’s why it’s accident, not incident. So then, it’s the matter of how well you manage the damage and situation caused by an unpredicted occurrence. That is when how well you are trained matters.

On June 17^th, a US Aegis destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, was hit by a container ship off the coast of Japan and suffered substantial damage and casualties. How did such a collision occur? Since an Aegis destroyer is well equipped with state-of-art radar, detection and navigation systems, the Fitzgerald must have known what was coming to her course. And of course, she must have had watch team on duty at all time.

Enjoy reading and learning how an US warship is operated in the sea. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/18/politics/how-do-navy-ships-operate/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.1909-7/3/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Canada 150: Huge crowd celebrate nation's anniversary

Every year on July 1^st, Canada celebrates its birthday as Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada). But this year is special as it’s the 150^th anniversary that enacted the Constitution Act in 1867, which united the three separate British colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single country. Probably known to more people around the world, it’s neighboring country, the United States of America, celebrates its 91-year-older birthday just three days later on the 4^th of July every year.

This milestone anniversary was celebrated in all over the country by many, but not all. There are as many as 1.4 million indigenous people, such as First Nations, Inuit and Métis, whose ancestors were displaced, segregated or assimilated by the European settlers. Though the government has been trying to reconcile the past mistakes, such a history of oppression doesn’t seem to be forgotten in just a century or two.

At any rate, the last 150 years were quite eventful; the second industrial revolution, two world wars and the cold war, and full-independence from the UK in 1982. What will the next 150 years be like in Canada?

Enjoy reading and thinking what the next 150 years will be like in your country.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40468161

Topic Reading-Vol.1908-7/2/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Is India descending into mob rule?

Silenced, ignored or even supported. That’s what seems to be the case in India when it comes to lynching beef eaters or handlers regardless of the age especially in BJP-ruled states like Haryana where a 15-year-old Muslim boy was brutally assaulted and killed on the train by 20 or so mobs. His three other brothers who were on board the train with him were also attacked by knives and wounded because they ate beef (though not on the train).

In Hinduism, the cow is thought to be sacred, respected and honored in society, and its meat is not eaten by most Hindus, which makes up about 80% of India’s population. On the contrary, pork is the meat that should never be touched or eaten for Muslims because it is regarded as impure.

The problem is that even some lawmakers think and even publicly say that lynching or hate crimes are not new to their country and that they should not be over-stated or over-reported by media.

Is India the largest not only democratic but also mobocratic nation?

Enjoy reading and learning about this India’s underlying social problem.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-40402021

Topic Reading-Vol.1907-7/1/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Baboon troops clash in epic battle

Baboon troops usually live in a hierarchical group. The size of the group varies from 50 up to 250, depending on specific circumstances, especially species and time of year. They mainly eat plants but they also eat grasshoppers, ants, and sometimes small gazelles and chickens. In order to find food, they walk as long as 10 kilometers in their territory every day.

That was when these troops of baboon encountered other intruding troops. They needed to protect their own turf and females from the enemy. There didn’t seem to be any room for peaceful interaction or negotiation but to fight. The monkeys have sharp canines mainly to protect themselves or attack other animals, including the members of their own group, enemies of the same species and preys such as gazelles. The battle looks quite fierce and bloody.

Enjoy watching this amazing video to learn what the life of baboons is like.

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170627-baboon-troops-clash-in-epic-battle