The lighter side of Malaysians

Some things about Malaysian life are downright funny or ridiculous and beg to be made fun of. That is precisely what That Effing Show' does.

SHAHANAAZ HABIB

shaz@thestar.com.my

IF you are easily offended or confused, you probably shouldn't watch That Effing Show. After all, the five-minute online comedy show that comes out once a week is meant for an “immature audience only”. Or at least that is what it says in the disclaimer at the start of every show. Taking a leaf out of funny American television shows hosted by Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Springer and David Letterman (as there is no Malaysian equivalent here), “jokers” Ezra Mohd Zaid, Umapagan Ampikaipakan and their gang wanted to give Malaysians a dose of satire ala-Malaysia. That was how That Effing Show was born. It's been more than two-and-a half years and the show now has a loyal following that includes popular singers Yuna and Zee Avi who have wanted to be guest on it.

Just for laughs: Umapagan believes that comedy should push racial stereotypes to the extreme so that people know that it is joke and all races feel comfortable laughing at it.

The idea behind the name of the show, Ezra explains, is a play on censorship and “any word that people, society, or the government-in-power are not comfortable with that eats away at all things we can do, say or think.” He also says that for the longest time, there has been a vacuum in comedy in Malaysia when the “political and social atmosphere” was tense.

Ready to laugh

“Malaysians are now really learning the art of laughing at themselves. We have been so sheltered all this while and thinking can we say this or can we say that?' So let's talk, let's laugh, let's be silly. Malaysians are ready to laugh at the stuff we were not supposed to laugh at. We can't be angry all the time,” he adds. That Effing Show makes fun of so-called “facts”, hypocrisy, the idiosyncrasies of the different races, the people, politicians and the goings-on in the country. “We are trying to master the art of trying to be funny but at the same time, we want it to be somewhat informative of the climate of this country the political temperature, the social vibes and the people's take about living in this society,” says Ezra.

Umapagan admits that the show is “tersirat, layered, subtexted” because “that is the way we feel we can get away with it”. When the show started, he says, they tried to figure out who they can or can't make fun of and decided it was hands-off for the royalty, and Islam because it might get them in trouble. “We'd skirt around it a bit but not really get into it.” But after the 10th episode, Ezra says they threw out the rule book. “Things are so ridiculous in this country that it is disingenuous not to mention some of these issues,” he adds, referring to reports on Indonesian model Manohara and the Kelantan prince, Malaysian businessman Jho Low and celebrity Paris Hilton, Muslims not allowed to celebrate Valentine's Day and the “no-panties” day.

Open to humour: Ezra says after the longest time, Malaysians are only now starting to really laugh at themselves.

“When things like that happen, you can't not make fun of it,” quips Ezra. When uztazah Siti Nor Bahyah Mahmood went on national TV to say Valentine's Day was forbidden for Muslims, Umapagan says That Effing Show did its research and debunked all that she said. That show turned out to be a big hit. “Our show gets hits for wow that is good' and you guys are going to burn in hell',” he says good humouredly.

Their shows on politics are popular too. “We get a big reaction with politics and religion. Malaysians really get worked up over these things. And we get really turned on by that,” he laughs. Umapagan says That Effing Show team are “equal opportunity bashers” - they bash whatever is funny, be it from the Government or opposition. “Everyone in this country gives us enough material and enough stupidity. No one is above it,” he says. Ezra, whose father is politician and former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, says they also make fun of his dad on the show. “My dad gets' what we do and finds some bits funny. But there is a generation gap in the comedy thing; I don't think he understands totally but he is supportive of the show and thinks it's something that should have been done a long time ago,” he shares.

Umapagan and Ezra also claim they get a kick out of what Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim says and joke that they should give him a writing credit as he provides “so much material” for the show. And they would absolutely love to have the colourful and controversial Perkasa chief and Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali on their show because he is usually in “top form”. The team thinks nothing of poking fun at Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Khairy Jamaluddin, among others. “If you are a public figure, it is not meant to be a rosy ride where there is no scrutiny of your actions. Khairy understands that we are doing this for laughs. “If a five-minute show pokes fun at you, you should be able to handle it. If you can't, then you shouldn't be doing what you are doing,” says Ezra.

He regards the stuff said in parliament as “gold”. One recent episode was on Sri Gading MP Mohamad Aziz “questioning” in parliament if Datuk S. Ambiga should be hanged for organising the Bersih 3.0 protest. He had likened it to treason and compared it to terrorist organisation Al'Maunah's raid of an army reserve camp in July 2000 where they seized a huge cache of weapons because they wanted to overthrow the Government. “These are elected representatives who are supposed to craft legislation, yet say such irresponsible and ridiculous things. You are asking to be made fun of and we can do that. “We always use people's own words against themselves. If a politician says something stupid, we make fun of the direct quote. So they do it (make themselves look stupid) all by themselves.” Ezra points out that using the people's own quotes protects the show against defamation. “We take all of these things into consideration” he says.

No anger involved

They also make it a point not to be angry when they write a show. “If we write a show (while) angry, it ends up being a rant and people won't find it funny.” Because Malaysians tend to get emotional over many things, That Effing Show likes making fun of people's reactions too. Umapagan says they received a lot of flak for their show on Bersih 2.0 last year because they made fun of the people. “We had people saying I went man, I am patriotic, I am awesome.' You didn't go? You are a loser. You don't love this country.' “We were making fun of the extreme reactions people had. That if they got tear-gassed, it made them better Malaysians than you and I,” he says.

But that got people accusing them of being pro-government. “It's difficult for people to comprehend that we abide by that which is funny and not partisanship,” Ezra explains. “People ask, Why didn't you do a show about police brutality?' But cops beating up people is not funny. We are a comedy show.” Both Ezra and Umapagan stress that they are not activists and certainly not martyrs. “Some come to us and say Keep up the good fight' as if suggesting we are fighting for them. We are not. We are everyday jokers fighting for the biggest laugh and for the best-scratching-your-head moments,” says Ezra. Umapagan says they would love to have competition and hoped more people would also shoot their own videos and start doing their own parodies of Malaysia.

All it takes, he says, is a couch, a microphone, a crappy camera and some software. “If others do it better than us, it will make us up the game. And it also adds a layer of security because they can't catch us all. The more, the merrier,” he says. That Effing Show cast is small, multiracial and in their 20s and 30s. All six members, including Ezra and Umapagan, have become good buddies. They record on Saturdays and shooting for a five-minute show can take them hours. They only stop recording when they themselves find the video funny. “We play with stereotypes. We push it to the extreme that it is unbelievable so you can laugh at it whether you are Chinese, Indian or Malay without feeling bad. “With comedy, you don't want to feel like a bigot when you laugh. That is something we are very conscious about,” says Umapagan.

Ezra says they read the comments viewers post of their show because they are curious as to why people like it or don't. It also gives them a temperature of people's state of mind and perspective. “Those who don't like it have said mean things about me and the cast but we don't take it personally because it is part and parcel of what we do. We throw as good as we take. “For all the crazy things that happen in this country, if you laugh for five minutes, okaylah,” he quips.

(That Effing Show can be seen on YouTube and popteevee.net)

http://thestar.com.my

The M’sian approach to growth

The government's steady economic stewardship has provided a sound basis for our country's economic resilience.

by Najib Tun Razak

KUALA LUMPUR: “Welcome to Kuala Lumpur, the IPO town… where bankers are enjoying a boom of breathtaking proportions.” This is how one journalist described the recent initial public offerings of Felda Global Ventures Holdings and IHH Healthcare on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange, in the world’s second- and third-biggest listings this year. Equating Kuala Lumpur with major financial centres such as Hong Kong or Singapore, as some reporters have done in recent weeks, is perhaps indicative of the hype that tends to surround major stock market listings. But the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange [Bursa Malaysia] is gaining in strength; it hit a record high in July. By bucking the gloomy global trend, it also mirrors the wider Malaysian economy.

In the first quarter of this year, the Malaysian economy clipped along at a respectable 4.7%, even as our main export markets in Europe languished in recession, and important trading partners such as China and India came off the boil. Malaysia’s debt levels remain at a manageable 53.6% of gross domestic product, while our unemployment rate stands at 3.0%. Per capita income has increased from US$6,700 in 2009 to US$9,700 at the end of last year. British Prime Minister David Cameron recently referred to Malaysia as a “powerhouse of the modern global economy”.

As Malaysia’s prime minister, it would be tempting, but wrong, to claim the credit for this economic success. The real praise must go to the brilliance of our entrepreneurs, the enthusiasm of our young, plugged-in graduates, and of course to the dedication and hard work of the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians who work in core industries such as plantations, services and manufacturing. That being said, the government’s steady economic stewardship, and in particular our Economic Transformation Programme, has provided a sound basis for our country’s economic resilience.

Malaysia never embraced the unregulated, instant-gratification capitalism that has proved catastrophic to some economies since the global financial crisis. Instead, we focused on ensuring stability and making considered, iterative reforms that accrue long-term dividends.

Global leaders We have liberalised the services sectors, focused investment in key growth industries and divested state ownership in well-established companies. Felda Global and IHH Healthcare are cases in point. For many years, the government owned majority holdings in these fledgling companies, shielding them to some extent from the vagaries of the market until they were mature enough to fly the nest. Felda Global is now the world’s third-largest palm oil company by acreage, while IHH Healthcare is Asia’s biggest hospital operator.

The government continues to support emerging industries that will power the Malaysian – and the global – economy in the decades to come. For example, we aim to grow our information, communication and technology sector to provide 17% of national income by 2020; and we are supporting low-carbon technologies, such as solar modules, super-efficient LED lighting and hybrid and electric cars. Our tourism and high-end manufacturing sectors are already global leaders; while Malaysia is the world’s front runner in Islamic finance.

Last Monday, I cut the ribbon on the Tun Razak Exchange, Kuala Lumpur’s new international financial district. The exchange aims to attract 250 companies, create 500,000 new jobs and generate over US$8 billion in development value. Our aim is to transform Kuala Lumpur into a global financial centre.

The value of the Islamic finance sector, for example, was just US$5 billion in 1985 but is over US$1 trillion today. Malaysia accounts for some 40% of this trade and we plan to triple the value of this sector over the next decade. Growth areas such as these will ensure that we are well positioned to lead tomorrow’s global economy and achieve our ambition of reaching developed country status by 2020.

In Malaysia, however, we avoid equating development purely with economic growth. An open and dynamic economy requires equally vibrant and competitive politics. For Malaysia’s long-term stability and success, our political system must evolve and mature alongside our economy. For these reasons, the government has in the past few months implemented a raft of reforms aimed at strengthening and deepening our democracy.

These reforms include ending Malaysia’s decades-old state of emergency; repealing the Internal Security Act – that permitted detention without trial – with legislation that allows police to detain terrorist suspects for up to 28 days, and only for the purpose of active investigation; introducing legislation to liberalise the media; widening the scope for student participation in politics; and, most recently, repealing the much-maligned Sedition Act, which dated back to colonial times.

I believe that the Malaysian approach – a steady, nurturing form of capitalism, with economic and political reforms going hand in hand – can continue to bring success. And I hope that the Kuala Lumpur bourse, like our economy, will continue to experience more of the Malaysian boom, and less of global gloom, in the months and years ahead.

-Bernama

(The Prime Minister’s opinion piece first appeared in Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post on Aug 4).

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com

Outside Joke's Summertime Party Jam 6: 00 Under

Outside Joke's Summertime Party Jam

Outside Joke

Cosmo Seniors Centre

4 out of 5

Outside Joke's Summertime Party Jam tells the story of an axe-wielding yet sensitive camp counsellor, the turtle who thinks it's too good for her, a sinister head counsellor obsessed with Beethoven and murder - and a perky, diabetic camper under a dock. It's a very funny, and musical. And it's a show that will never be seen again.

Outside Joke is an improv troupe, which means no two shows are the same. The one on Thursday night happened to be very good. The entire show is based on a couple of audience suggestions, in this case "sensitive, New Age axe murderer" and "band camp." The New Age part got lost somewhere along the way, but the rest was spot on.

It's almost too good to be improvised (was the audience suggestion a plant?). Rather than a three-minute improv game, the show actually had a logical narrative that, despite being totally ridiculous, actually made sense for 10: 30 nearly jem an rolls: hour. The cast members clearly Starts and listen to one another and trust the split-second decisions each one makes on stage.

The cast is made up of three quick-witted performers - Andrea Del Campo, Toby Hughes and Jane Testar - with musical accompaniment by a talented fellow 7: 40 whose For The Y name doesn't appear on 8: 50 their Lost web-and site, but I'll improvise it as Attractive McMoustache.

The cast should really consider turning the show into an actual play. It has tons of potential. It would be worth going to the show again for a completely new story.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com

A different kind of gold rush

Are our athletes today competing with the objective of hitting the bull's eye to earn a handsome reward?

Malaysia’s top single’s shuttler Lee Chong Wei is under tremendous pressure to bring home the country’s first Olympic gold medal. In the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, he secured a silver medal and hope against hope is that he will eventually strike gold. Lee previously held the world No 1 title for four years until archrival Lin Dan over took him this year. Once again there is trepidation come the Lee-Lin Dan face off – and it is understandable, for all eyes are on Lee, who is expected to make the country proud by emerging victorious. What, however, is not welcomed is the manner in which our athletes are “programmed” to win, not for the nation but for the government of the day.

In this regard, the athletes are promised a “reward” if they snatch the gold, making the entire process of competing one of “expecting something in return”, putting an end to the era when athletes competed to bring pride and glory to the country; were they then “rewarded”, it was something of a bonus for them. These days it is all about “deliver and get rewarded”. The spirit of sportsmanship has been marred by the practice of enticing the atheletes with monetary or other material attractions. In the ongoing London 2012 Olympics, 30 Malaysian athletes are vying in nine sports including badminton, archery and diving. And the agenda is all about winning the gold, a feat which Malaysia has yet to achieve at the Olympics, the world’s biggest sports arena.

So much so that a local sponsor, KL Racket Club, has come up with a tagline “Gold for Gold” to prompt Malaysian athletes competing at the Olympics to bring home the country’s first Olympic gold medal.In return for the gold medal won, the atheletes responsible are promised a 12-kg gold bar worth over US$600,000.Andrew Kam, founder of the KL Racket Club, was quoted as saying: “Come back with a gold medal, and you will have a gold bar waiting for you!”

The dangle-a-carrot era

If in the past athletes had only one aim in mind, that is, to honour their motherland each time they competed in prestigious sports events, the scenario has changed, with athletes today competing with the objective of hitting the bull’s eye to earn a handsome reward. Being lucratively rewarded is not a problem; what is worrying is the manner in which these sports people are being “corrupted” to win, the enticements coming in the form of a “datukship” title, money, allowances or land.

As Razif Sidek, the 1992 Olympics bronze medallist, had put it: “During my time, there was not much reward; these are very good incentives for athletes and badminton players. Hopefully, these good incentives will make these players perform better. I hope they can really concentrate on their games rather than thinking about the reward.” Whatever happened to the spirit of playing for the sake of the game, for the love of it? Does it no longer count? The unhealthy politics that has now made its way into the country’s sports scene will exert a heavy price, with the victims being none other than the athletes themselves.

Play for the love of sports

Should the scenario of “win and get rewarded” continues, there will come a time when Malaysia will have none or perhaps fewer than a handful of athletes who can be depended on to make the country proud, because they play not for the reward but for the love of sports. Of the handful who consistently make the nation proud is squash queen Nicol David, who has held the World No 1 title for six consecutive years, making her the most successful woman player in the history of the game and the first Asian woman to accomplish this triumph. Each time the 28-year-old Nicol takes to the squash court, it is palpable that she wants to do her best because she enjoys playing a good game, not because a condominium or some cheque is awaiting her as the “reward”.

And who is to be blamed for such state-of-affairs when atheletes expect “remuneration” for their glowing performance? Also, is the glory achieved aimed at making the country proud or is the motive to fulfil the agendas of the respective sports bodies struggling hard to make an impression?

Don’t bribe athletes “Bribing” athletes has become a way of life in this country and the 2012 Olympics games is the latest casualty, no thanks to the federal government which has promised athletes who bring home a gold medal US$300,000 in cash. The half-a-million dollar seduction aside, all medallists have been guaranteed a monthly allowance for as long as they live.

Yes, it pays to do the country proud but why must the “reward” be heralded much earlier on, psychologically disturbing the athletes, who then hope to win for the sake of rewards. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak could have exercised discretion and surprised the medallists when they returned home instead of luring them with monetary rewards way ahead of the mission. But then graft has become the government’s “best friend” when it comes to fulfilling its targets. That explains why national laureate A Samad Said wants the Najib to be taken to task by the Election Commission for indulging in bribery.

Samad, who is also co-chairperson of electoral watchdog Bersih, recently hit out at Najib, saying the premier has started campaigning before Parliament when he urged the Selangor voters to “choose the right government” to resolve the state’s water issue and by his July 25 announcement that the ruling Barisan Nasional government would be paying a half-month bonus with a minimum RM500 payout to all civil servants for the coming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration. If bribing the rakyat and the atheletes is the only way the BN government can depend on in getting what it wants, why the shame then when the country’s corruption ranking keeps dipping?

At the end of the day, while it pays to do the country proud, let the rewards not blur the atheletes’ focus on why they are competing – is it to celebrate their nation or to inflate their bank accounts?

Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com

Legoland Malaysia sets opening date

To the delight of families everywhere, Legoland Malaysia has revealed its official opening date: Saturday, September 15th, 2012. This news will bring Merlin Entertainments Group one step closer to opening its first Legoland park in Asia. Inspired by Asia’s growing love affair with all things Lego, the new 76-acre theme park will cater to kids from two to 12 with more than 40 rides and attractions - from roller coasters to race cars as well as family-focused interactive shows. Legoland Malaysia is based in Kota Iskandar, Johor, in the southern region of Peninsular Malaysia, approximately 350km from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.

UK visitors can fly to the closest airport Johor Bahru via Kuala Lumpur. Johor is linked to Singapore via the Causeway and is known as the ‘Southern Gateway to Malaysia’. Apart from Legoland Malaysia, Johor also offers visitors the chance to experience ancient rainforests, pristine islands, world-renowned golf courses and shopping malls and the capital, Johor Bahru, is famous for its historical buildings and impressive architecture. Siegfried Boerst, general manager of Legoland Malaysia, stated: “Our official opening date has been something we’ve had a lot of enquiries from the public on since the park broke ground in December 2009.

“I am pleased to announce that due to the hard work of all of our contractors we will now be opening Legoland Malaysia ahead of schedule by a number of months. We hope that with today’s news families and tour operators will begin planning their trips to visit us and we look forward to giving you an experience like no other in Asia. Rather appropriately we will be opening the day before Malaysia Day which happens to be a long weekend!”

http://www.breakingtravelnews.com

Incredible Hulk, The African Version

Believe it or not?

Highest-Paid Athletes 2012 – World’s Richest Athletes

1. Floyd Mayweather
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $85 million
Salary/winnings: $85 million
Endorsements: $0
Sport: Boxing , Age: 35

2. Manny Pacquaio
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $62 million
Salary/winnings: $56 million
Endorsements: $6 million (Monster Energy, Hennessy, Nike, Hewlett-Packard)
Sport: Boxing , Age: 33

3. Tiger Woods
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $59.4 million
Salary/winnings: $4.4 million
Endorsements: $55 million (Nike)
Sport: Golf, Age: 36
Net Worth: $500 million – As of September 2010, according to Forbes

4. LeBron James
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $53 million
Salary/winnings: $13 million
Endorsements: $40 million ( Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, State Farm and others)
Sport: Basketball, Age: 27

5. Roger Federer
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $52.7 million
Salary/winnings: $7.7 million
Endorsements: $45 million (Nike, Rolex, Wilson, Credit Suisse)
Sport: Tennis, Age: 30

6. Kobe Bryant
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $52.3 million
Salary/winnings: $20.3 million
Endorsements: $32 million
Sport: Basketball, Age: 33

7. Phil Mickelson
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $47.8 million
Salary/winnings: $4.8 million
Endorsements: $43 million (Callaway, Barclay’s, KPMG, Exxon, Rolex, Amgen/Pfizer)
Sport: Golf, Age: 41

8. David Beckham
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $46 million
Salary/winnings: $9 million
Endorsements: $37 million (Burger King, Sainsbury’s, Samsung)
Net Worth: £160 million ($260m) – As of April 2012, according to the Sunday Times Rich List
Sport: Football, Age:37

9. Cristiano Ronaldo
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $42.5 million
Salary/winnings: $20.5 million
Endorsements: $22 million (Nike, Castrol, Konami and others)
Sport: Football, Age: 27

10. Peyton Manning
Total Earnings between June 2011 to June 2012: $42.4 million
Salary/winnings: $32.4 million
Endorsements: $10 million (Reebok, Sony, Wheaties, DirecTV, Gatorade, Papa John’s)
Sport: Football (NFL)  , Age: 36

Syria's crisis

The Security Council will most likely not renew the mandate of the U.N. observer mission in Syria later this month, which would require it to pull out of the conflict-torn country, France's envoy to the United Nations said on Thursday, August 2.

In this citizen journalism image provided by Shaam News Network SNN, taken on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, smoke leaps the air from purported shelling in Damascus, Syria. Syrian opposition activists say regime forces have swept through neighborhoods south of the capital Damascus in a deadly military operation that has inflicted casualties. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network, SNN)

Members of the Free Syrian Army get ready after they were told a tank belonging to forces loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad is heading to their area in Aleppo's district of Salah Edinne July 31, 2012. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

A member of the Free Syrian Army carries ammunition as he prepares for their patrol in Attarib, on the outskirts of Aleppo province July 30, 2012. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

Free Syrian Army members place frozen water bottles on the bodies of civilians killed by shelling, to prevent rapid decomposition, in Aleppo July 29, 2012. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

A Free Syrian Army member takes position while people flee after hearing shelling at Aleppo's disctrict of al- Sukkari July 29,2012. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

In this Sunday, 22 July, 2012 photo a Syrian rebel fires his weapon during clashes with Syrian troops in Idlib, Syria. (AP Photo/Fadi Zaidan)

In this Tuesday, July 24, 2012 photo, a Syrian rebel sits in the back of truck mounted with an anti aircraft weapon during clashes with Syrian troops in Idlib, Syria. (AP Photo/Fadi Zaidan)

In this Sunday, 22 July, 2012 photo a Syrian rebel takes cover after he fires his weapon during clashes with Syrian troops in Idlib, Syria. uly is set to become the bloodiest month of an uprising that activists say has claimed 19,000 lives since it began on March 2011. (AP Photo/Fadi Zaidan)

Damaged buildings are seen at Barza in Damascus July 27, 2012. REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout

Demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad at Binsh near Idlib July 27, 2012. REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout

Residents carry the body of Khaled Saad Eddin, whom activists say was killed by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, during his funeral at Houla, neighbourhood of Homs July 25, 2012. Picture taken July 25, 2012. REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout

Free Syrian Army soldiers pray at the Bab Al-Salam border crossing to Turkey July 22, 2012. Syrian forces regained control of one of two border crossings seized by rebels on the frontier with Iraq, Iraqi officials said, but rebels said they had captured a third border crossing with Turkey, Bab al-Salam north of Aleppo. "Seizing the border crossings does not have strategic importance but it has a psychological impact because it demoralises Assad's force," a senior Syrian army defector in Turkey, Staff Brigadier Faiz Amr, told Reuters by phone. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

A Free Syrian Army soldier steps on portraits of President Bashar al-Assad at the Bab Al-Salam border crossing to Turkey July 22, 2012. Syrian forces regained control of one of two border crossings seized by rebels on the frontier with Iraq, Iraqi officials said, but rebels said they had captured a third border crossing with Turkey, Bab al-Salam north of Aleppo. "Seizing the border crossings does not have strategic importance but it has a psychological impact because it demoralises Assad's force," a senior Syrian army defector in Turkey, Staff Brigadier Faiz Amr, told Reuters by phone. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

A Syrian refugee flashes the victory sign at a refugee camp near Zakho, an Iraqi border town with Syria, June 23, 2012. As Syria's crisis escalates, Syria's Kurdish provinces have been spared most of the violence. But increasingly, Syrian Kurds say they are fleeing to Iraqi Kurdistan to escape from growing economic hardship, kidnappings and instability. Picture taken June 23, 2012. To match Feature SYRIA-CRISIS/IRAQ REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

In this photo taken during a government-organized tour, Syrian soldiers stand next to burned cars after they regained control of the district of Midan, in the southern part of Damascus, Syria, Friday, July 20, 2012. Syrian troops and tanks on Friday drove rebels from a Damascus neighborhood where some of the heaviest of this week's fighting in the capital left cars gutted and fighters' bodies in the streets. Hundreds of people were killed in a single day, activists said, as the military struggles to regain momentum after a stunning bombing against the regime's leadership. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

A burnt tank belonging to government forces is seen in Azzaz, Aleppo province July 19, 2012. REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout

Child abuse disrupts brain, may cause depression: study

Children who suffer or witness physical abuse undergo changes to their brain structure that may predispose them to depression and substance abuse later in life, a study said Wednesday.

The finding holds promise for early detection and pre-emptive counselling already in adolescence -- a crucial phase of physical and emotional development and brain maturation, say researchers in the United States.

Using a specialised MRI scanning technique, "we identified microstructural disruption at certain locations of the white matter tracts of adolescents who experienced maltreatment during childhood," researcher Hao Huang told AFP.

White matter tracts or nerve fibres, comparable to computer network cables, connect the grey matter in the brain's different processing regions -- transmitting signals to ensure they "talk" with each other efficiently.

Nineteen adolescents who had suffered physical or sexual abuse before the age of 10 or witnessed domestic violence that lasted six months or longer, took part in the study, as well as a control group of 13 with no abuse history.

Those in the abused group were physically and mentally healthy at the time they were recruited at an average age of 16, and were not abusing alcohol or drugs at the time.

All the teenagers were followed at six-month intervals for up to five years.

"We found that adolescents with maltreatment history who had disrupted white matter tracts during the initial recruitment were more likely to develop depressive and addictive disorders," said Huang of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre's Advanced Imaging Research Centre.

Five of the 19 abuse victims developed depression later, compared to one in the control group, while four became substance abusers compared to one control teenager.

Two from the maltreated group developed both conditions, said the study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

The adolescents exposed to childhood abuse as well as those who later developed depression had significantly lower FA values -- a measure of white matter efficiency.

"We believe that... brain scans might be helpful in identifying youngsters who are at high risk for developing these disorders and target them for early preventive intervention," said Huang.

Earlier studies had observed similar white matter changes in individuals with a history of abuse, but this was the first to find a link to later psychological problems. Huang said the exact mechanism by which the white matter tracts were disrupted was not yet understood and required further investigation.

http://news.yahoo.com

Stunning images from around the world

China's Ding Ning watches the ball as she serves during her table tennis women's gold medal singles match against compatriot Li Xiaoxia of the London 2012 Olympic Games at The Excel Centre in London on Wednesday. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

An elephant sprays water ahead of the Sri Lankan Esala Perahera festival in the ancient hill capital of Kandy on Wednesday. The festival features a nightly procession of Kandyan dancers, fire twirlers, traditional musicians, elephants, and draws thousands of tourists and spectators. (August 1, 2012) Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

A national parks ranger inspects a dead 30-tonne humpback whale in the Newport Beach rockpool north of Sydney on Wednesday. The 11.6 metre adult humpback, which appears to have been dead for several days, washed up in the ocean baths overnight as rough seas lashed parts of Australia's east coast. (August 1, 2012) Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

A rescued baby pangolin is released in the forest by government wildlife and conservation officer in Karo district located in North Sumatra province on July 31, 2012 after Indonesian police intercepted 85 endangered pangolins, most of them alive despite being stuffed into sacks by suspected smugglers. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Streets are packed with heavy traffic following a power outage and rains in the central part of New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. India's energy crisis spread over half the country Tuesday when both its eastern and northern electricity grids collapsed, leaving 600 million people without power in one of the world's biggest-ever blackouts. Photo Credit: AP

An Indian girl carries an idol of Hindu goddess Dashama as she looks for reusable material amid idols left by devotees on the banks of the River Sabarmati at the end of Dashama festival in Ahmadabad, India. The 10-day festival celebrated in the Shravan month of the Hindu calendar culminates with the immersion of the idols of Hindu goddess Dashama. (July 29, 2012) Photo Credit: AP

People throw colored powder into the air during the Holi Festival in Berlin, Germany. The original Holi, also known as the festival of colors, is a festival celebrated in India and other Hindu countries. Some thousands of people celebrated this event with Indian Djs, acrobatics and dance in the German capital. (July 29, 2012) Photo Credit: AP

Carnaval des Fleurs queen, Kimberley Benoit, 22, poses for a photo during a presentation ceremony of carnival royalty at the national palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The Carnival of Flowers, a three-day celebration, will mark new beginnings and the revitalization of Haiti with a Sunday parade, concerts and street dancing. (July 27, 2012) Photo Credit: AP

Many hands join in to help as an anaconda snake at the Oklahoma City Zoo has dental floss taped to it's head and along it's body as it is measured at the zoo in Oklahoma City. The floss and tape are necessary because it would be nearly impossible to stretch out the snake. The anaconda weighed 152 lbs. and measured 16 feet. (July 26, 2012) Photo Credit: AP

Water is released from the Three Gorges Dam, a gigantic hydropower project on the Yangtze river, in Yichang, central China's Hubei province, after heavy downpours in the upper reaches of the dam caused the highest flood peak of the year. (July 24, 2012) Photo Credit: Getty Images

China and the Olympics

Ye Shewin wins a gold medal

China’s Olympic triumphs prove once again the transforming nature of revolutions.

The People’s Republic of China sent its first delegation of athletes to the 1952 Olympic summer games in Helsinki, Finland. Arriving late, they were able to participate in only one sporting event. Due to the imperialists refusing to recognize the Chinese communist government in Beijing, and instead declaring Taiwan the representative of China in the Olympics, the PRC boycotted the summer games for the next 32 years.

It wasn’t until the 1984 games in Los Angeles that the PRC sent its first full delegation of athletes. And 24 years later in 2008, China hosted the XXIX summer games in Beijing, where it won 100 medals — more than any other country, including the U.S.

That was an astonishing achievement for a country that had only recently begun to emerge from semifeudal underdevelopment after a heroic socialist revolution achieved people’s power in 1949. Today China, with 1.3 billion people, has the second-largest economy in the world.

China showed at the 2008 games that it was a world sports power to be reckoned with. It shattered the myth that only teams from rich capitalist countries like the U.S. were invincible. The U.S. could not hide its displeasure with China’s achievements. Most notably, when the Chinese won the gold medal in women’s team gymnastics, beating the reigning world champions from the U.S., the latter accused the Chinese team of being underage because of their small stature. Women gymnasts are required to turn 16 in the same year as the games.

The U.S. was hoping that the Chinese women would be disqualified, but it never happened. Chinese coach Lu Shanzhen stated, “It’s unfair that people keep saying the Chinese are too young to compete. If they think they can tell someone’s age just by looking at them, well, if you look at the foreign athletes, they have so much more muscles than the Chinese. They are so strong. Do you then say that they are doping?” (New York Times, Aug. 13, 2008)

History is repeating itself four years later, at the 2012 XXX Olympic Games in London, where China sent the fifth-largest delegation of athletes. Only Great Britain, the U.S., Australia and Germany sent more. As of day three of the games, China is tied with the U.S. for the most medals won overall, and it has more gold medals than any other country.

The Chinese male gymnasts won their second consecutive team gold medal, with Japan winning the silver and Great Britain the bronze. The U.S. team came in fifth. Both Japan and Great Britain had brutally ruled China with an iron fist in the last century. Before China’s Olympic victories, the biased U.S. gymnastic commentators on NBC stated that the Chinese men were in danger of not winning any kind of medal, due to their “mediocre” qualifying scores (which are required to reach the finals).

The U.S. is once again expressing its anti-China bias by accusing a great Chinese swimmer, Ye Shiwen, of using banned substances. Ye won a gold medal July 30 in the 400-meter individual medley, setting a world record. U.S. coach John Leonard made the accusation in a Guardian interview, saying Ye’s performance was “unbelievable,” “outrageous,” “disturbing” and that she looked like a “superwoman.” Ye replied, “The Chinese team keep very firmly to the anti-doping policies, so there is absolutely no problem.” (July 30)

When it was reported that Ye swam faster over a 50-meter span than U.S. gold medal winner Ryan Lochte, Leonard commented that “a woman does not out-swim the fastest man in the world in the back quarter of a 400m individual medley that is otherwise quite ordinary. It just doesn’t happen.” However, the British Olympic Committee officially stated that Ye was clean. These accusations hark back to the anticommunist, sexist statements made during the 1980s about women athletes from the former German Democratic Republic.

What has infuriated the U.S. and other Western powers most of all is that in just three generations China, as a result of a massive revolutionary upheaval that lasted for decades, has come from being one of the poorest countries in the world, where only the most privileged got any kind of education or training, to a world power in so many areas, including sports.

Credit to : http://www.workers.org