Topic Reading-Vol.2066-12/7/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Voyager 1 spacecraft thrusters fired up for first time since 1980

The mission was given forty years ago. The spacecraft is now flying in interstellar space off our solar system about 20 billion kilometers away from earth and is still reporting daily. When Voyager 1 spacecraft was needed to adjust the angle to point its antenna towards earth, NASA, the creator, and operator of the spacecraft gave an order to fire up the thrusters that had not been used for the last 37 years. There is no doubt that it was the longest-distance order human being had placed in history. Fortunately, the order reached the spacecraft and was executed properly. Can you imagine how grateful the NASA staff were when they confirmed signal from the spacecraft?

Though the primary mission of Voyager 1 will end in a few years, it’ll still keep flying towards the constellation Ursa Minor. It may be picked up by someone along the way, or come back to earth to complete its mission like was shown in Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Enjoy reading and thinking if this spacecraft will ever be passed by another human-made spacecraft.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/01/us/voyager-1-thrusters-fired-first-time-since-1980/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2065-12/6/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Designer tweaks famous logos to use less ink

Effects of changing logo designs on the environment. Just a minor design change to a big brand logo could provide substantial savings to both the brand and the environment. Why? It’s the amount of ink used to print the logo. Though very little ink is used to print a logo on disposable items like a coffee cup or take-away bag, the number of such items used daily is quite a lot around the world. In fact, there are over 36,000 MacDonald’s restaurants and 25,000 Starbucks coffee shops worldwide. How many cups and bags with their logos on are being used and thrown out daily, monthly, and yearly?

Little savings add up. For example, draw lines instead of painting a solid color. Use the space more efficiently to save money and the planet.

Enjoy reading the text and seeing the eco-friendlier logos.

http://edition.cnn.com/style/article/ecobranding-less-ink/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2064-12/5/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Russian TV defends men over sex pest claims

There has been extensive media focus on sexual harassment claims in the U.S. Those who have been accused are celebrities like a movie producer, actors, and politicians. Some of them choose to admit their inappropriate conducts they did long ago before being publicized by the victim or others.

While most of the western media are paid by sponsors, they need to present what more people are interested to see or hear. Meanwhile, to keep the medium’s integrity, they are required to be neutral and sensitive to equality issues such as gender, race, and religion.

On the contrary, Russian media that are being embraced by the administration don’t seem to be limited as to what and how to speak about such delicate matters. They’ve recently presented conservative, traditional views on women without consideration of such social contexts and even made fool of American media and public on sexual harassment issues.

Interestingly, while most Russians expect women to play traditional roles, there are some fields that Russian women have higher representation than other countries.

Enjoy reading and think which media represent

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42155298

Topic Reading-Vol.2063-12/4/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Indian surgeons remove 263 coins, 100 nails from man's stomach

A man in India went to the doctor for a stomach pain. The doctor was surprised to find that there were things quite unusual in his stomach. When they were removed from the stomach after an intensive surgery, the doctors found nearly 12 pounds of metal objects, including nut bolts, chains, 263 coins and around 100 nails.

How could a man have held that many harmful metal objects in one’s stomach? Were they in the food he had eaten? Was he forced to swallow them?

Whatever the reason might have been, it must have been very heavy and noisy to carry that much metal objects in his stomach. Also, the man was quite lucky not to have suffered any serious infections or cuts.

He no longer needs to bear such burden at least until he swallows foreign objects again.

Enjoy reading and learn how important mental health is to physical health.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/29/health/surgeons-remove-coins-nails-from-mans-stomach-india/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2062-12/3/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Dictionary.com names 'complicit' its word of the year for 2017

Another unpleasant year they seem to have had in the USA. After xenophobia, meaning extreme dislike or fear of foreigners, their customs or religions, in 2016, the word “complicit” was chosen as the word of the year. Its noun form, complicity, maybe a little more popular than complicit, an adjective, but neither word is used popularly by many.

Complicity means being involved with others in an illegal or unethical activity. Synonyms are involvement, conspiracy or collaboration.

Complicit is an adjective, and it means associated with, involved in, or knowing about such activity.

Why was this word chosen? It seems that both xenophobia and complicit implicate the current public sentiment in America associated with the incumbent President.

Enjoy reading and thinking if you’d like to add this word to your vocabulary bank.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/27/world/complicit-dictionary-word-year-2017-trnd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2061-12/2/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Dodging taxes isn't the only reason the rich stash cash offshore

Those who don’t have saving male their best to make their living and save a little if they can.

Those who have some saving opt to grow it by investing in stocks and real estates.

Those who have too much money try to protect their wealth from being taxed or stolen. One of their preferred options is to move the money off-shore where there is no or little tax or disclosure is required. Such places are called offshore tax havens like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and Switzerland.

One question is why they do so, to avoid taxes, ensure safety or keep confidentiality.

Another is who such wealthy people are.

Enjoy reading and learning what motivates the super-rich to go offshore.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/27/news/economy/offshore-accounts-taxes/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2060-12/1/2017

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China should push 'toilet revolution': Xi

For hygiene, populism, pride or tourism, whatever the motives are, it seems like a good move to have cleaner toilets in China.

There was the Cultural Revolution initiated by Mao Zedong about half a century ago in China. And Xi Jinping was one of them who were sent to a rural village to engage in farming. There he endured the rural standards then, such as innutritious meals, unhygienic toilets, and uninterrupted hard labor. He might have felt that improving hygiene is more essential than destructing traditional cultures for people and the country.

Hygienic reform in tourism spots to public places and facilities, and then rural communities. That sounds like the economic growth path the country has been taking since Deng Xiaoping made his Southern Tour a quarter-century ago.

Since everyone uses toilets at least several times a day, they may remember who provided better toilets for long. It may be more effective and lasting than distributing and having people repeat quotations.

As the world two most-populated countries, India and China, are upgrading and installing cleaner toilets, the world is expected to become more hygienic in the next few years.

Enjoy reading and thinking what the priorities are to make people happier.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-11/27/content_35053919.htm