Sunday Magazine

Sunday February 15, 2015

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Finding El Dorado Local photographer captures his golden moments Page 3

A Journey Down Memory Lane Page 7

2 Times Sunday Magazine

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Feature

O

ne of the priceless publications available to the public for reading and research purposes is “Views in the Interior of Guiana” by Sir Robert Schomburgk. The book contains a series of views of the interior of British Guiana by Charles Bentley, executed as illustrations for Schomburgk's

sentations of the interior, rescued Guiana from relative obscurity to one of relative importance in the minds of the colonialists”.

He went on to say that the selected “twelve views” seem to empower the viewer and transport them to the magnificent, lush tropical landscape. The minister added that the book allows 'Pirara and Lake Amucu - The site of El Dorado' as shown in the reprint

Sir Robert Schomburgk

work in the region.

When the book was first published in 1840 by Ackerman and Company, it was regarded as a “technologically advanced work because it combined intaglio, woodblock and innovations in colour lithography”.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony stated in the book’s foreword that the “powerful pictorial repre-

readers to get a clear visual sense of these landmark sites, their geographical coordinates and position on the map.

Sir Robert Schomburgk

“Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk was a man ahead of his times; he was in a sense a global citizen. His work as an explorer, surveyor, cartographer, botanist and the meticulous doc-

One of the illustrations, this one of Roraima, found in the book

umentation of his scientific findings in various scholarly books and journals has certainly extended his academic influence to many parts of the world. I would like to acknowledge his tangible contributions to my country. I strongly believe that one way for people to understand his contributions is for them to have access to his publication and writings. The republication of ‘Twelve Views’ is one step to unlock his great legacy,” Minister Anthony noted in the book’s foreword.

Additionally, Dr Ernest Martens, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, gave a brief background to Schomburgk, stating that the explorer was born June 5, 1804. Martens said as a child, Schomburgk showed great interest in nature, growing plants, especially orchids, in his parents’ garden. Since his family wanted him to go into business, he was apprenticed to a merchant and later worked for his uncle, a merchant in Leipzig, Germany, who encouraged Schomburgk’s interest in natural sciences and botany. In Leipzig, Schomburgk was able to take tuition in botany from a university professor and

attend lectures.

In 1828 Schomburgk supervised the transport of sheep to Virginia in the United States, where he started an unsuccessful business as a tobacco farmer. A year later he left for St Thomas, only to lose most of his belongings in a fire.

that he was asked to lead an expedition to explore British Guiana.

British Guiana Expeditions

On his first expedition to British Guiana from 1835 to 1839, Schomburgk was able to trace the Essequibo River to its source. For his ser-

Amerindian population.

He was knighted by Queen Victoria for the invaluable work he accomplished throughout his career in natural sciences and botany.

The exciting, colourfully illustrated “Views in the Interior of Guiana”

'Pure-Piapa. A remarkable Basaltic Column in Guiana'

This finally persuaded him to end his business career and pursue his interest in botany and natural science.

Martens revealed that while travelling in the Virgin Islands, Schomburgk visited Anegada, at the time of the notorious shipwrecks.

After watching a Spanish vessel sink along with its cargo of slaves chained up in the hold, Schomburgk resolved to stay and survey the island at his own expense.

There he found the existing maps to be incorrect, and in 1831, after months of hard work, submitted a new map together with a description of the island and its surrounding sea currents, to the Royal Geographical Society in London. This became the turning point of Schomburgk’s career.

His report made such a favourable impression on the Society and the Admiralty

vices to geography, zoology and botany he was granted the Royal Geographical Society’s highest award, and the King of Prussia decorated him with the Order of the Red Eagle.

On his second trip to British Guiana, Martens stated that Schomburgk travelled up major rivers and covered close to 3000 miles in a wide circuit encompassing Venezuela and Brazil. Martens added that the maps Schomburgk produced apparently left little more to be discovered and played a major role in helping an international tribunal adjudicate on a border dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela in 1899.

In addition to vastly extending our knowledge of Guyana’s flora and fauna, many species of which he described for the first time, Schomburgk was a champion of the rights of the

is a 2013 reprint by the Guyana Heritage Society.

The three original copies of the book used in the preparation of the reprint were provided by the National Archives, a private owner in Georgetown, and University of Adelaide, Special Collections, Bar Smith Library, Adelaide, South Australia.

Locally, we have many underutilized institutions that can provide invaluable research material for students, not just for those at university level, but for secondary schools.

The National Archives of Guyana, located on Homestretch Avenue next to the National Cultural Centre, is one such institution.

For more information on the book, call National Archives on 226-3852.

(Landscape photos taken from “Views in the Interior of Guiana” 2013 reprint)

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine

3

Times Feature

Finding El Dorado I

Local photographer captures his golden moments

f you don’t have the time or can’t afford to explore the ends of Guyana, then until you can get out there to have your own adventures maybe you can gaze at photographs from one of Guyana’s great pioneer photographers, Michael C. Lam. Lam shared with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine some of his remarkable photos snapped during a past Pakaraima Mountain Safari trip. Through his lens he captures the serenity and simple beauty of villages, some unknown or lesser known, found in the Pakaraima area.

Chatting with this publication, Lam noted that if you are following the path of the annual Pakaraima Mountain Safari, the first village you encounter off the main Lethem trail, Region Nine, is Karasabai.

“It is comparatively modern, with a fair amount of concrete buildings, although what we as travellers saw, is probably considered the cen-

tre of the village. The actual village is spread out in traditional Amerindian fashion, your closest neighbour being some distance away – no shouting across the fence asking for sugar. As with all villages in the Pakaraimas, it is nestled in lower areas, with mountainous regions seen in the ‘distance’; these make for beautiful sunsets and sunrises, as well as picturesque scenes during the rest of the day,” Lam described.

The photographer recounted that further into the Pakaraimas, two of the nearer villages on the route are Tipiru and Rukumotu, both more traditional villages but still with some more modern buildings. Rukumotu is higher up, as far as altitude goes, than Tipiru.

“One thing I can say about all three villages mentioned is that the people are friendly; although the amount of traffic has increased through their villages, some of their

Cool evening in Karasabai

Windmill and overhead tank illustrate daily life at Karasabai

traditional approach to living has remained, and I hope it either stays that way or even switches back to more traditional ways or much of their language and custom could be lost,” Lam disclosed.

As someone who was born and raised on the coast, Lam said it was an indescribable feeling of wonder to leave the rainforest and see the vast expanse of the Rupununi savannahs.

“Even more indescribable was the feeling upon seeing the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains. It is almost as if a burden has been lifted off of your chest; the air smells cleaner, and everything feels lighter. Waking up to see the tops of the mountains covered in mist makes you want to just lie there and enjoy it.

If you ever get the chance to leave our beautiful coastland for a trip to the interior, you will find an even more beautiful Guyana... you will find El Dorado,” he declared.

Lam’s advice, if you ever

Breathtaking view of Tipiru's landscape

get to visit these villages, is to be generous, respectful and offer a smile, because the smiles of the villagers

Residents and tourists assemble at Tipiru Community Shop

Humble church in Rukumotu

disarmed him and so yours could do the same to the villagers.

For more photos on

Lam’s travels visit www.

TheMichaelLamCollection. com (Cover photo - Scenic view of a section of Karasabai)

4

Times Sunday Magazine

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Feature

Building in the Context of Climate Change

By Lennox J Hernandez

I

n September 2010, there were reports of a “death ray” from the walls of a Las Vegas hotel in the USA that burned residents sitting near the swimming pool area.

Having used a special glass to reflect the sun’s rays to reduce heat entering the hotel, the hotel owners then applied a film to the surface of the glass that stopped 70 per cent of the rays being reflected. Applying the film shows that the problem of using that special glass was recognized, but the curvature of the wall (the design) focused the remaining reflected rays, creating hot spots in the outdoor environment.

This example is indicative of the future, unless building designers adopt a climatic design approach.

In Guyana, we hear and read much about climate change and global warming, as well as how they will affect the environment generally.

However, the way we design our build-

Lethem building design shows no protection to windows, along with walls of glass.

ings and urban environments is not getting the attention it deserves for meeting these effects of climate change and global warming.

Historically, designers and builders followed the traditional building and

settlement patterns of a region, together with relying on their own experience, for their building and urban design solutions. With the rapid growth of humankind and technology, new materials and building circumstances are continual-

Georgetown shopping centre (before completion)shows a dramatic glass wall construction.

ly evolving, along with new and untried design solutions. In addition, in recent times, the ease with which populations become aware of worlds beyond their traditional boundaries, allows them to visually experience and desire these new materials and designs.

Human nature, one may say, but in the context of building and the urban environment, these new materials and attractive designs may be unsuitable to local needs and situations.

Still, in an effort to appear modern and advanced, individuals in some developing countries (including Guyana) have been importing building designs and urban patterns, relying less on designing with their own climate in mind.

Human settlement environments are climatebased essentials to our life.

Why then are we careless in building and urban environment design? Now, with climate change and global warming in contemporary times, this carelessness is tantamount to environmental suicide.Today I am highlighting three exam-

Georgetown 1960s building illustrates whole wall sun shading

ples of this “environmental suicide” in Georgetown.

Firstly, the commercial areas of Georgetown are fast becoming jungles of concrete and tarmac. Building owners have a passion for covering a site completely: the building surrounded by concrete paving. Trees and vegetation, which protect the environment, are seen as nuisances, incapable of adding to the owners’ economic growth. Consequently, our urban environments see increasing areas of concrete and tarmac, less grass and trees, little street shading, and particularly important, rapidly decreasing rainwater catchment areas (drains). There is also the tendency to remove trees and drains to create parking lots; the example at the northern end of East Street is an inhumane act on the city of Georgetown in this era of climate change and global warming.

Secondly, we are no longer protecting our walls and windows from direct sunlight. Rather, we are encouraging heat to enter our buildings. For example, the colonial Demerara window, or other forms of shading are little seen on contemporary buildings, while we are endearing a cold climate building solution: the bay window and its “cousin,” the oriel. The bay window and the oriel are used to bring more light (sunlight) into a building in colder climates – in our context, this means a hotter building interior.

With windows unprotected and no jalousies being used, our building interiors will become much hotter. Many of our buildings of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, employ sun protection of various sorts, and so too, do some buildings of the 1980s and 1990s. Unfortunately, the vast majority of our recent buildings have moved away

from tradition and climatic design.

Thirdly, there is the widespread use of glass in the commercial areas of Georgetown, our capital city, which is quickly changing its skyline with a scale of glass buildings that can only be described as a crystal orgy. In cold climates, glass buildings (greenhouses) are popular for growing plants in winter, because of the material’s peculiar property – it allows sunlight to enter the building, but does not allow the resultant heat generated to travel back through the glass. Hence, there is a continuous build up of heat, allowing plants to grow within during the winter.

Imagine what happens in Guyana to a building with large areas of glass walls. A special type of glass to counter the material’s selective transparency property is heat-reflecting glass,as used in the Las Vegas hotel example described earlier, but this only reflects the heat to the outside environment.

When large areas of this glass are used, the heat will be felt as one walks by the building.In the case of the Las Vegas building, the curvature focussed the heat to a small area, with enough intensity to burn the skin. Another more recent example was in 2013, in London, England.

Interested readers may wish to see this link: http:// www.cnn.com/2013/09/03/ world/europe/uk-londonbuilding-melts-car/ Guyana has a warmhumid climate, where high humidity and high solar radiation can bring about very uncomfortable indoor conditions.Buildings under our sky must be designed and constructed with our climate foremost in mind, especially now in the context of climate change and global warming.

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 5

Times Women

Evie Gurchuran is a wife and mother but finds time to enjoy running her own businesses lieves in you and works with you to achieve your goals is amazing, that person being your life partner makes it even better. I am thankful that I can be a business woman all day and come home and be a mom and wife.

When I get home, I serve my husband his dinner, put my daughter to bed and deal with anything in the home

F

a supportive family in our moms and aunt, as well as my brothers and sisters, who are always there when I call, makes it enjoyable,” she disclosed.

Evie’s advice for women is to be passionate, set realistic goals, remain frugal, and never stop learning. She said to own your own business you need to believe in what you

to improve on and learn new things. The most important advice is to never stop learning. If you’re a professional, upgrade in your discipline.

If you never stepped foot in a classroom, read every book and watch every YouTube video you can. We live in the information age, and there is no excuse for not being the best at your discipline, gain-

do; that what you do makes a difference, and that you are the best at what you do.

“We are pro-education employers, and constantly pay for and send our employees to workshops and classes

ing fresh perspectives. It fuels your passion and increases your self-worth. Being knowledgeable is the best investment you can make in your business,” Evie declared.

Evie in her office

acing challenges headon to become a successful young entrepreneur, a fitting role model when it comes to being a determined woman who wants to fulfil her dreams, Evie Gurchuran is blazing the local business trail.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Evie recalled that she completed her secondary education at Mae’s Schools where she gained eight subjects. She then went on to CAPE at Queen’s College where she wrote and passed 10 papers. Subsequently, she attended the University of Guyana and completed the first year in English and Spanish, but due to her father’s ill health, she was unable to continue as she had to help with the family business. However, Evie continued evening classes at School of the Nations where she obtained a Diploma in Business Administration with merits in Marketing and Communications.

“The reason I chose a career in business is because I grew up with parents who are business owners and that set my path. My father taught my siblings and me everything he knew. I still remember when I was six years old he would call me into his office to help him count the money and prepare

envelopes to pay employees.

Also I love creative freedom.

I worked with companies before, and all the approvals I had to get before running a campaign or publishing artwork made me want to answer to myself only – I guess I’m a rebel like that,” she said.

When Evie decided to start her own company, she had no employees or any fancy equipment. Starting with a printer and laptop that her parents bought for her, she began contacting as many persons and companies as she could, to advertise her work.

“The first set of work came from people I know, some family, some friends, and eventually I was being referred to others and I began to get a steady flow of jobs. Eventually I combined efforts with my now husband Miguel Gurchuran, and we began operating from our home in Kingston, Georgetown, with a laser printer that we took on hire purchase,” she reminisced.

In June 2008, EMTEC, Evie’s and her husband’s business, was officially registered. But it really took off in 2011 when they decided to leave their jobs and dedicate their time to building their business.

“We invested in equipment to do fabric printing,

and became the first company to introduce the method and technology that we still use today, to Guyana. We were one of the first companies locally, to offer online advertising through various outlets such as Facebook and Google. We have since grown in services and have expanded to our new property in Duncan Street. We went from just the two of us to 20 employees in the space of one year, and have diversified into other businesses, namely Kanhai’s Centre, Java Coffee Bar and Evolve Mobile Technologies,” Evie noted.

Java Coffee Bar continues to be a success since its launch because of its offerings of delectable snacks, beverages and meals at affordable prices. Evie called it their “baby”. Java, Evie explained, is synonymous with coffee and a widely known programming language, and actually describes her and Miguel – Evie being a coffee lover and Miguel being tech savvy. The couple are also trained baristas and plan to start roasting their own coffee in Guyana.

Evie credits unending hours, dedication, a dynamic team of employees and a husband that believes in her dreams, for being a successful entrepreneur.

“Having someone that be-

Evie and her husband Miguel

that needs attention. I wake up at 3am or 6am – all depends on my daughter – and spend all the time until I have to go to work with her.

But when I put on my suit, it’s time for business. Having

6 Times Sunday Magazine

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Book World

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

For the Love of Books Part 1

By Petamber Persaud

V

alentine’s is still in the air and is still volatile: arrows boomeranging. The occasion has evolved into various meanings and values to each person. The arrow of commercialism has pushed, and continues to push, the frontiers of valentine. It is common now to express your love to anyone – to friends, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, grandparents, grandchildren, other relationships, and to other members of the family, including the in-laws. It is also common now to exchange gifts to buttress the thought, or as a token of that love, gifts of various moods and suitability. The colour red plays a significant role in this affair. The red rose is by far the most appropriate gift extended to females, followed by exchange of (Valentine) cards in general.

There are endless musings on the red rose. Here is one story upon which to propel this article: Many years ago, on a certain day, to the people of Catalonia in the northeastern corner of Spain, a rose was offered with each book sold.

Another version of the story has it that the rose and the book signify the celebration of love and culture. Would that on this St Valentine’s Day we gave the gift of reading to everyone, especially young adults, reigniting the cul-

Ian McDonald

Elly Niland

Cyril Dabydeen

ture of reading.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here are some episodes of lives portraying the love for books and the love for reading.

(Extract from an interview with Cyril Dabydeen, Guyana.

Aug 2007) I used to read voraciously while living in Berbice, not only the Guyanese and other Caribbean authors like Martin Carter, Wilson Harris, George Lamming and Sam Selvon, but also the British and Americanones like Eliot, Auden, Dylan Thomas, and those from India and Africa also like Tagore and Chinua Achebe.

I would spend long hours in the British Council Library and the New Amsterdam Public Library;

once or twice a week: I would ride my Raleigh bicycle about four miles from Canje Rose Hall to be there.

(Extract of interview with Elly Niland, Georgetown, Guyana.

Aug 2007) I love 19th century literature above all else. I love Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” 45 years ago and still love it now. Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” and “Jude theObscure” andhis poem “The Going”, Seamus Heaney, Sylvia Plath, Walcott’s “Love after love”, Agard’s “Half Caste”, Grace Nichols’ “I is a long Memoried Woman”.

What a Guyanese woman! I’d like to walk in her path.There’s a lot we can learn from the work of

that wonderful woman.

(Extract of interview with Godfrey Chin, Guyana, 2011) Let me start at the beginning of the forties when Classics Illustrated was very popular.

What they did there on a 52-page colour, they started to give us the great classics. I can remember “The Three Musketeers”, then the “Adventures of Robin Hood”, “Treasure Island”, “Westward Ho”. So what that meant in the days when there was no television, just radio, we … could buy a comic book for twelve cents and have in pictorial form the story of the classics. It was not only the story done especially for us but at the back was the story of the authors Dumas, Stevenson; and there you

could read how they were inspired to write these stories.

(Extract of interview with Ian McDonald, June 2010) Since I was a young boy of nine and ten I use to read avidly and at school my favourite subject was literature and here too I continue to read. As I continue to read, I found I also wanted to write which is a natural transition from reading to writing. …

One of the things when you read, when you read something that impresses you, automatically your mind tries to assess and analyse why this is making such an impression.

(Extract of interview with Janice Shinebourne, Guyana, Feb 2013.) …at St Stanislaus, there was an English VSO called Brian Cotton … who formed a club wherein they would all contribute money with which he would buy popular paperback novels for them … encouraged them to read and to write…Bookers, which is Guyana Stores now, was the place to be when you were young, …there would be these carousels of paperbacks and we use to go and buy our snacks. And then we…would go and look at books. So it was a culture that valued books and we were all well-read; we were up to date with the latest classics….

(To be continued) Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 7

Times Heritage

“H

i s t o r i c Photographs of Guyana”, published by the National Trust of Guyana, takes you on a beautiful photographic journey into Guyana’s past.

The introductory page of the recently revised publication states: “given the vast collection of history recorded through photographs, the idea of producing an album of historic sceneries was conceived”.

Additionally, the introduction mentions that the publication “provides the reader with captioned images, each telling its own unique story... [and] targets the stories of our rural landscapes, urban landscapes, historic streets, and a glimpse of our transportation heritage. The imagery presented in this booklet offers a look into our past Robb Street, looking west circa 19th century, Georgetown

way of life and culture, some of which continues today”.

The album is an exciting journey down memory lane: time capsules of scenic Guyana. It features a limited collection of historical photographs, and includes images

Street scene in Corentyne, Berbice. Scenery showing a procession in the streets at No. 59 Village. Homes are constructed of timber, boards, shingles and thatch

Aerial view of New Amsterdam

Old Railway Terminus circa 1848

19th century view of Georgetown (Stabroek Market in set) from the Demerara River

from as bygone as the early 19th century.

The rural landscapes in the early 1900s, featured in the publication, include scenic photos of the Demerara River, Wismar, Plantation Farm, East Bank Demerara,

Plantation Houston, Plantation Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, Essequibo River and Corentyne in Berbice.

The urban landscapes showcase photos of Georgetown, Stabroek and Bourda markets; public buildings, Georgetown, Town Hall, hotels, buildings destroyed by fire in 1945, New Amsterdam, and New Amsterdam Market.

Breathtaking photos of the streets in Georgetown are artistically showcased in the publication, along with various means of transportation used in the late 1800s to mid 1900s.

“Join us in celebrating an appreciation for vintage Guyana. We encourage you to become avid collectors of our heritage through photographs. It is our sincere hope that this album will be cherished not just by the present but by our future generations as well,” National Trust of Guyana urged.

For more information on this publication, contact National Trust of Guyana on 225-5071.(Photos taken from NTG booklet, “Historic Photographs of Guyana”)

8 Times Sunday Magazine

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Travel & Tourism

T

he Turu Falls Trail is an adventurous hike that takes about two hours through a variety of beautiful forest

types.

The majestic mora, greenheart, purpleheart, corkwood trees are some of the prime tree species that can be seen on this trail, which also leads to a lovely white water creek and a small waterfall called the Turu Falls. There are also some natural pools that are lovely for a swim.

You can also experience an array of fauna, such as birds on this trail.

Turu Falls Nature Trail is one of the exciting tours that Iwokrama plans to offer to guests in the future.

To find out more about Iwokrama and the Turu Nature Trail, call 225-1504 or visit http://iwokramariverlodge.com, www.iwokrama.org or Iwokrama Canopy Walkway on Facebook. (Photos by Dr Raquel Thomas-Caesar)

Turu nature trail

Turu Falls pool

Dr Raquel Thomas-Caesar poses in front of a Corkwood tree (Photo by T Cudjoe)

Scenic creek laden with rocks found on the nature trail

White Water Creek

guyanatimesgy.com

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

Understanding

Asthma

By Zenica Dabichan

A

C

ontrary to popular opinion, the colour of the egg yolk does not indicate anything about the nutrition within the egg.

According to Parade magazine, the colour of the yolk comes from substances called carotenoids, and they depend on the diet of the hen. Brighter yolks have no more nutrients (or indicate more nutrition in the egg whites) than paler yolks. Although chicken feed does influence the nutritional value of birds and their eggs, poultry scientists say, yolk colour won't tell you anything.

However, consumers love colourful yolks, so some egg farmers feed their hens plenty of green plants, yellow corn, alfalfa and other plant material with xanthophylls pigment (a yelloworange hue) to produce a darker yellow-orange yolk. Diets of wheat or barley produce pale yellow yolks; hens fed white cornmeal produce almost colourless yolks.

Incidentally, Food & Nutrition Magazine states that brown eggs are no more nutritious than white eggs – the

breed of hen determines the difference in eggshell colour. Leghorn chickens lay white eggs while Orpington chickens lay brown eggs and Ameraucana produce blue eggs, for example.

The Michigan State University Extension notes that all eggs start out white in colour; those that are laid in shades other than white have pigments deposited on them as the eggs travel through the hen’s oviduct, which takes about 26 hrs. The shell is complete in about 20 hrs.

Chickens that lay brown tinted eggs deposit the pigment protoporphyrin on the eggs late in the process of forming the shell. The pigment therefore does not penetrate the interior of the egg, but tints only the surface of the egg, which is why brown eggs are white on the interior.

Ameraucana birds have the pigment oocyanin deposited on the egg as it travels through the oviduct. This pigment permeates the egg’s shell resulting in the interior and exterior of the egg being the same blue colour.

sthma (pronounced AZ-ma) is a longterm lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs.

People who have asthma have inflamed airways.

The inflammation makes the airways swollen and very sensitive. The airways tend to react strongly to certain inhaled substances.

When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This narrows the airways, causing less air to flow into the lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways might make more mucus than usual. Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid that can further narrow the airways.

What are the symptoms of asthma?

Asthma causes recurring periods of: • Wheezing- a whistling sound when you breathe.

• Chest tightness - this may feel like something is squeezing or sitting on your chest.

• Shortness of breathsome people who have asthma say they can't catch their breath or they feel out of breath.

• Coughing- often is worse at night or early in the morning, making it hard to sleep.

P

hysical inactivity is considered the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Globally, one in three adults is not active enough.

With many persons employed from 9 am-5pm in what are commonly called “desk jobs”, sedentary lifestyles are prevalent.

Speaking to spryliving. com, James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and author of “Move a Little, Lose a Lot”, noted, “Our bodies have evolved over millions of years to do one thing: move. As human beings, we evolved to stand upright. For thousands of generations, our environment demanded nearly constant physical activity.”

Staring at a computer screen and typing away at a keyboard are often the extent of physical activity for many persons today. Such inactivity becomes a concern for many health institutions such as the World Health Organization. WHO

When these symptoms get intense, it is called an asthma attack or asthma flare-up. Asthma can affect persons of any age but most commonly starts during childhood.

What causes asthma?

The exact cause of asthma isn't known.

Researchers think some genetic and environmental factors play a role in developing asthma, most often early in life. These factors include: • Parents who have asthma • Certain infections during childhood • An inherited tendency to develop allergies

What causes an asthma attack?

• Allergens from dust, animal fur, mould, and pollens from trees, grasses, and flowers • Irritants such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemicals or dust in the

bitual sitting wreaks havoc on our posture and spinal health, predisposing us to chronic neck and back pain.

A growing body of research has found that individuals who spend the majority of their day in a chair are more apt to die at an earlier age than those who sit less—even if those sitters exercise. When your muscles are immobile, circulation slows. This means you use less of your blood sugar and burn less fat, in turn increasing your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

“The human, simply put, was not designed to sit all day,” James A. Levine states in his essay “HealthChair Reform,” published in the journal Diabetes.

Get off your chair at work

believes that such inactivity could lead to major implications for the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the general health of the global population.

According to spryliving, studies show that excessive sitting has been linked to a host of health problems, including worsened mental health, a higher risk of heart disease, a

greater incidence of type 2 diabetes, and weight gain.

Too much chair time is also believed to lead to shorter lifespans—almost by as much as two years. Beyond cardiovascular issues, ha-

As long as you seize every opportunity to move more at work—and continue to aim for 30 minutes of daily physical activity such as hiking, running, biking or swimming—you’ll greatly slash your risk of

workplace.

• Medicines such as aspirin and Ibuprofen • Respiratory infections, such as colds • Physical activity, including exercise See your doctor if you or your child are experiencing the symptoms of asthma. The doctor will diagnose asthma based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and test results. Treatment of asthma includes lifestyle changes to avoid things that will cause an attack, medications that will prevent attacks or ease the symptoms of an attack.

These medications can either be in pill form or an inhaler. All persons with asthma should have an emergency plan to get to the hospital quickly in the event of a severe asthma attack. Most persons who have asthma can successfully manage their symptoms by taking the medications and learning how to use them correctly.

developing sitting-related health complications.

Get up and move more.

Take the stairs. Make a concerted effort to get up every hour, whether it’s to refill your water bottle, go to the bathroom, or simply take a quick “lap” around the office. Or, rather than firing off an email to your co-worker, walk over to her cubicle to deliver the message. If you have a long phone call, pace while talking.

Stretch. Get up periodically and touch your toes, shake your arms around, swivel your neck from side to side. You might look somewhat silly, but who cares? The mere act of stretching will increase blood circulation throughout the body for an instant jolt of energy.

It may sound trivial, but these little movements will add up, helping to increase blood flow, rev up your metabolism and ward off chair-induced muscle fatigue.

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

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Times Sunday Magazine 11

12 Times Sunday Magazine

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Hollywood

'After Earth' was the 'most painful failure' in Will Smith's career

W

ill Smith, who is gearing up for his new film "Focus" with Margot Robbie, opens up about his experience in 25 years of his acting career.

Smith who covers the front page of the latest edition of Esquire speaks in length regarding lessons he learned in life as well as his previous film "After Earth". Also starring his son Jaden Smith, the 2013 sci-fi collected US$60.5 million in the US. Calling the movie "a valuable lesson," Smith explains, "That was the most painful failure in my career.

'Wild Wild West' was less painful than 'After Earth' because my son was involved in 'After Earth' and I led him into it. That was ex-

cruciating."

"What I learned from that failure is how you win.

I got reinvigorated after the failure of 'After Earth'. I stopped working for a year and a half. I had to dive into why it was so important for me to have number-one movies. And I never would have looked at myself in that way," he continues.

Shortly after receiving news about the movie underperforming, Smith learned of more bad news.

"I get the box-office numbers on Monday and I was devastated for about twenty-four minutes, and then my phone rang and I found out my father had cancer. That put it in perspective -viciously.

And I went right downstairs

and got on the treadmill.

And I was on the treadmill for about 90 minutes," he shares.

Smith's view of life changed. "That Monday started the new phase of

my life, a new concept: Only love is going to fill that hole.

You can't win enough, you can't have enough money, you can't succeed enough.

There is not enough. The only thing that will ever satiate that existential thirst is love. And I just remember that day I made the shift from wanting to be a winner to wanting to have the most powerful, deep, and beautiful relationships I could possibly have," he explains.

Smith next can be seen alongside Robbie in drama "Focus" which is coming out in theaters Stateside on February 27. The pair will also be seen together in "Suicide Squad" which targets an August 5, 2016 release. (AceShowbiz)

Kim Kardashian comes under fire for dressing daughter in fur

K

im Kardashian is slammed by PETA for dressing daughter North West in fur. The E! reality star is spotted with her little girl attending a New York Fashion Week party for Kanye West's new Adidas sneakers. North wore a fox fur coat, Doc Martens, and black leggings, while her mother donned a pencil skirt and a black coat with fur collar.

"Kids are naturally drawn to animals and sympathetic to their plight, and there's no reason to think that North is any different," said PETA's senior vice president Lisa Lange. "If the fur coat that she's been dressed in is real, animals have suffered for vanity, something that we're sure neither North nor any little girl her age would support."

It's not the first time Kim dressed her daughter in fur.

In November, the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star posted online a picture of North wearing a black fur back.

It's not the first time either Kim is targeted by animal rights activist. Back in 2012, she was infamously flourbombed while wearing a fur coat at the launch party of her fragrance True Reflection in Los Angeles. PETA denied staging the attack but voiced their support for the culprit.

Although the Kardashians are known as fur lovers, Khloe Kardashian is an avid campaigner against animal abuse. She once posed naked for PETA, but later denounced the organization after learning that the person who dumped flour on her sister had ties with the group. (AceShowbiz)

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

P

rithviraj Sukumaran is an Indian actor, playback singer and producer best known for his work in Malayalam films. He has also acted in a number of Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. Prithviraj made his debut in “Nandanam” (2002) at the age of 19. His major films include “Stop Violence” (2002), “Vaasthavam” (2006), “Celluloid” (2013), “7th Day” (2014) and “Picket 43” (2015). Prithviraj won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor in 2006 for his performance in “Vaasthavam” and, in 2012, for “Ayalum Njanum Thammil” and “Celluloid”. “Indian Rupee”, coproduced by Prithviraj, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam in 2011. He is the youngest actor to receive the Kerala State Award for the Best Actor at the age of 24.

Prithviraj Sukumaran

14 Times Sunday Magazine

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Bollywood

Priyanka Chopra recording new music in LA

Aamir Khan: 'Films are an easy way to get publicity'

P

riyanka Chopra is back in the studio recording new music.

The actor-turned-singer is currently working with US producer Sam Spiegel in Los Angeles.

"Studio day!!! So much fun!! As always!

Making music is magical!! It never ceases to amaze me!! No some zzzzzzs," Chopra shared on Twitter.

Chopra is known to have collaborated with producers including RedOne, Sam Watters and The Chainsmokers on tracks for her long-awaited debut album.

After signing a talent deal with ABC in December, Chopra will be based in LA for the next three months.

Currently reading new scripts, Chopra said that ABC had given her "much homework". (Digital Spy)

Shah Rukh: 'I don't think I should be nominated for Happy New Year'

S

hah Rukh Khan has said he doesn't feel he deserved a Best Actor nomination for his performance in “Happy New Year”.

Khan, who starred in the Farah Khandirected movie with an ensemble cast that included Deepika Padukone and Abhishek Bachchan, missed out on a nomination at the Filmfare Awards.

According to Bollywood Life, he said: "I haven't acted well enough. I don't think I should be nominated. I did one film last year and since I have hosted two shows I know there are seven or rather seventy other people who are better than me.

"I don't think I should be nominated for acting, for ‘Happy New Year’. Yes, the film has done very well but as an actor I don't think I deserve to be nominated," he explained.

The actor added that he has no intention of boycotting awards, whether he is nominated or not, and is happy to attend if his other professional commitments allow him to do so.

"I have got awards early in my career and at a time when the various criteria did not exist. Right or wrong is not the question, but I have got them. I feel it would be unsporting of me to say that I will not go now because everybody gets it or because I don't

get it," he explained.

"So what I do is work around it. I go their professionally and personally my presence is there. Yes, but if professionally I have no time for it and personally I am not getting an award then like everybody else, I will think of doing something else and not go."

Aamir Khan and Salman Khan have both declined to attend awards shows.

In October 2014, Shah Rukh was presented with a Global Diversity Award at the House of Commons in London. (Digital Spy)

A

amir Khan has said that films are soft targets for publicity-hungry people.

His last movie “PK” was the focus of controversy, facing accusations of being antiHindu and offending religious sensibilities.

Vidya Balan ‘not desperate about work’

V

idya Balan has said that she didn't fall prey to the Bollywood casting couch because she was not desperate.

The National Award-winning actress said that she had a passion for acting but never allowed herself to be placed in a compromising situation.

She told IANS: "I'm very fortunate that I never came across anything like casting couch or exploitation. This was all because I was very passionate about acting, but not desperate about work.

"In all these years, nobody said any such thing that would hurt me. Most importantly, I didn't let anybody do anything wrong to me," she added.

Advising newcomers to safeguard themselves against the casting couch, the 37-year-old said: "It depends on you. Even if something like this (casting couch or exploi-

A

kshara Haasan has described the pressure of sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan for the first time.

The 23-year-old made her Bollywood debut in R. Balki's “Shamitabh”, in which she was cast alongside the veteran actor and

South Indian star Dhanush.

Describing her first scene with Bachchan, she told Hindustan Times: "In my first scene with him I had to look stern. However, my voice was quivering. But then, he made me comfortable.

"I fell in love with him af-

tation) has happened to you, then don't be harsh on yourselves.

"No role and no film is not the end of the world. It could be the beginning, but it is never the end."

Balan has won accolades for her bold performances in women-led films such as “Kahani” and the “Dirty Picture”. (IANS)

Ranbir Kapoor ‘not mature enough to understand philosophy of love’

F

or all the female attention he gets from both his co-stars and fans, here's one actor who says he is yet to be smitten. Love for him, says Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, is a concept he's yet to come to grip with.

"I am not mature enough to understand the philosophy of real love. That's because I have not been exposed to the cruelties of life," he says.

Ranbir was talking on the sidelines of the launch of “Ek Maheena Nazmon Ka” - an anthology of poems by lyricist Irshad Kamil.

After “Rockstar”, Ranbir will be teaming up with the hit pair of Irshad Kamil and Imtiaz Ali for “Tamasha”, which also stars Deepika Padukone. (Hindustan Times)

Akshara Haasan: 'I fell in love with Amitabh Bachchan'

ter watching ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. I thought 'he is one of the most successful actors and I cannot mess up.' That was the kind of pressure I put on myself.

His aura can be intimidating," she explained.

The actress, who is the daughter of South Indian star Kamal Haasan and actress Sarika, said she had no plans to follow in her parents' footsteps initially.

"To be honest, I had taken time to discover my calling and did different things like being an assistant director, a photographer and a dancer. I thought this was the right time to understand what acting was all about.

"So I went up to mum and told her 'it is time I act'," she explained. "Shamitabh happened with Balki sir spotting me outside an editing studio. But he didn't know who I was, and much later, he asked me if I was interested in working in his film." (Digital Spy)

According to IANS the actor told the 'Youth For Governance' event: "It is an unfortunate fact that nowadays, every film seems to have attracted some or the other controversy.

"There was a case of plagiarism filed against Rajkumar Hirani for ‘PK’. The person filing the case got his name on the front page, which is what he wanted. So, it has now become easy to get publicity," he explained.

The 49-year-old star has been the focus of controversy after publicly rebuking Karan Johar, Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh for participating in the AIB Knockout Roast.

Khan said the show was "emotionally and mentally violent" and did not find the use of bad language entertaining or funny.

(IANS)

Sanjay Dutt to face police probe

S

anjay Dutt is the subject of a probe by Maharashtra prison authorities, after the actor allegedly flouted rules by overstaying his leave by two days.

The report submitted by Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) Meeran Borwankar to the state Home department has also stated that there was lack of co-ordination between Mumbai Police and prison authorities, after Dutt applied for a 14-day extension of leave of furlough, citing health reasons.

Borwankar told PTI: "I submitted the probe report to the Home Department three days back. Dutt overstayed for two days in violation of rules. Anybody flouting norms will face action."

The actor was released from Pune's Yerwada jail in December last year on a 14day furlough and was supposed to return to the prison on January 8.

On December 27, he sought a 14-day extension of his furlough, but there was no official word on his application till the last day of his leave. However, he was refused the extension.

Dutt should have returned to jail while his application for leave extension was under consideration.

As a result, his remaining furlough days are likely to be slashed by ten days.

The 55-year-old actor is serving the remainder of his five-year jail term for possessing illegal firearms used during the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. (PTI)

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine

15

Times Trends

Trending Now

The Buzz is About Making Movies

Star of the week

LFF officials with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony (second from left) in 2014

T

he Loyola Documentary Film Festival (LFF) organised by the Catholic Media Initiatives, is once again inviting Guyanese amateurs and professionals living in Guyana, to produce and submit short documentaries for the competition, set to conclude in June 2015.

The now successful LFF project was first launched in December 2013 from the Catholic Community’s 2013 ‘Life is Good’ summer school in Media that saw the potential to develop the art of documentary and film making in young Guyanese.

At the 2014 event, the winning films were presented to a large and appreciative audience. The films looked at issues regarding domestic violence, intellectual property rights and agriculture as a sustained means of income generation.

The film festival aims to create awareness of current issues and to effect change through the bodies for policy change and development; allow filmmakers and corporations to actively highlight

the issues affecting the livelihood of Guyanese; and promote and develop the skills and expertise of Guyanese in film and documentary production.

The initial project was financially supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in aiding to develop the Guyanese talents in film production and pave the way for setting up a National Film School.

Alongside the ministry, there were sponsors who aided in making this venture a success.

The annual short documentary competition seeks to continue the development and growth among Guyanese amateurs and professionals and provide a platform locally to nurture and highlight these skills.

This film festival will pose tremendous opportunities for skills and promotion in film production. The winners earn airings both locally and internationally.

In addition, there are cash prizes, trophies and display certificates to be earned by the winners.

The first prize in each category is $200,000 and a Loyola Award and Certificate; second prize is $100,000 and a Loyola Award and Certificate; and third prize is a Loyola Award and Certificate.

Catholic Television will assist amateurs with film and editing services, if they require. Participants must however do research, script and production, and ensure the film meets the criteria guidelines of the LFF website. Amateurs do not necessarily have to have training, but documentaries should be properly composed and presented for qualifying.

The final viewing and award ceremony for the Loyola Film Festival 2015 will be held July 10, 2015 at the Theatre Guild.

For more information, contact coordinator Samanthani Singh on 6459792 or pcguyana@gmail. com or catmagguy@gmail. com.

Catholic Media Initiatives is a project of the Trustees for Roman Catholic Purposes.

Organisers and Minister Anthony with winners of LFF 2014

J

eduthun Harris knew from a very young age he wanted to be a musician – and doctor. As a child, he appreciated the power of music to heal the broken. Now, at 25, Harris has become an accomplished musician, playing the keyboard, drums and bass guitar. He is a member of the gospel band Dunamis, founded by the pastor of the RLIC Assemblies of God Church. For Harris, music is a way to “de-stress” and of “self-expression”. Through music, Harris hopes he succeeds in “presenting the gospel to all people, and provide entertainment that is top notch, pure and clean for people of all ages”. However, not only is Harris driven to heal with the soothing rhythms of his musical instruments, but also as a medical doctor. He currently practises in Grenada.

The musician and doctor credits time management for a balanced life.

He believes that “hard work and responsibility force an individual to develop time management abilities”. The young doctor’s advice to youths is to follow their dreams: “If your vision is easily attainable then get another vision that scares you. Respect your elders. This is something that I abide by. The bible says, ‘Honour the hoary head.’ Lastly, be confident enough to accomplish whatever challenges may face you, but humble enough to accept minor setbacks and go again.”

16 Times Sunday Magazine

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Art

A Figure of Transition The artist Emerson Samuels was a bridge between generations and worlds

"Self Portrait" (1959). Acrylic

"Portrait of E.R. Burrowes" (1967). Oil

"Invitation to the Dance" (1994)

E

merson Samuels was a bridge between generations and between the worlds of the gifted amateur artist in mid-twentieth century Guyana, daring to create art in his spare time and a living from these very pursuits.

As a tutor for almost 30 years at the Burrowes School of Art, he was a link between E.R. Burrowes and the contemporary students at the institution commemorating the Burrowes' name and legacy.

The days before higher education opportunities, let alone an education in the visual arts, saw an era of enthusiasts coming together and learning from each other in informal settings and gatherings, at evening and weekend classes, in school halls and homes. How difficult might it have been for the then young Samuels, eagerly copying from picture books that came into his hands, working in the drawing class at Golden Grove Methodist primary school, to imagine himself living the life of an artist in the days before he ventured from his home in Nabacalis Village, on the East Coast of Demerara, to Georgetown in

"Regent Street by Night" (c.1954). Oil

1943.

In an act of courage, Samuels showed the determination and dedication at the very young age of 15 that were to characterise his entire working life, in making the decision to seek his path as an artist in Georgetown.

He had been encouraged by the recognition he received from a Canadian pharmaceuticals company that sent him products after a portrait he had entered in their competition, which was advertised in the promotional magazine Dr Chase’s Almanac.

Consequently, he boldly sought employment at the British Guiana Lithographic Company.

Agnes Jones, administrator of the Burrowes School from 1985 to 1998, suitably described his instincts: “He (was) a self-educated artist since he sought to improve his artistic performance through contact with knowledgeable persons, through books and through any opportunity for self-advance-

ment.”

Samuels himself described his transition: “I journeyed to the capital city of Georgetown in the year 1943, during this time the second World War was still being fought. I was age 15. It was at the B.G. Lithographic Company where I came into contact with such Guyanese artists as Hubert Moshett, Vivian Antrobus, Reginald Phang and Sam Cummings.

After looking at the pencil drawings I made copied from an old moth-eaten book of the Boer War, which an old cousin of mine brought from abroad, they thought I showed some promise as an artist. I, however, did a period of apprenticeship in the Art Department.

Development was slow, for I was under professional tutelage. I was advised to draw from life. Indeed without any doubt, these were the great stalwarts of art in Guyana who influenced me.”

In 1961, Samuels won the Burnham Gold Medal,

"Prophesy" (1987). Oil

the first prize for painting, at an exhibition at the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society building on Church Street, for his painting “Patterns of Progress”. By this time he had begun what was to be a significant and lifelong aspect of his professional career, that of graphic designer and illustrator. He was, from 1961 until his retirement in 1983, employed with various government departments and ministries, producing educational and advertising material covering the work and projects of these agencies.

An artist of skill, versatility, honesty and meticulousness of purpose, Samuels in his career was important as a figure of transition between eras – the artist as a passionate amateur, but also as self-taught enthusiast, who nevertheless was dedicated to teaching the fundamentals in the tradition of the great teachers and generous artists from whom he had learnt so much.

Concerning his painting “Invitation to the Dance (1994)”, part of the National Collection at Castellani House, the book “Panorama: A Portrait of Guyana” explains: “Samuels creates a swirl of colour and movement which is quite appropriate to the subject of painting. There is no background or foreground – the figures and other areas of colour combine to make an almost abstract composition of life and movement. While the figures are painted in a realistic manner, the elongation of limbs shows the artist’s desire to express the dynamism of the dance.”

Samuels was born in 1928 and died in 2003. (Text and photos provided by Castellani House)

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 17

Times Tech

I

f a new report is accurate, Apple may be moving more towards “refinement” with iOS 9, rather than overwhelm with new features.

Mirroring the transition from OS X 10.5 Leopard to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, iOS 9 will put a large emphasis on “fixing bugs, maintaining stability, and boosting performance”, according to 9to5Mac. Much of the focus of iOS 9 would be ensuring that users that upgrade to the latest version of iOS would be greeted with an OS that is both fast and reliable on a day-to-day basis.

This latest report comes just weeks after Apple made efforts to re-

Tech BYTE

I

S

duce the amount of space required to install new iOS

updates. It also comes after growing criticism over

Ferrari Dominates Most Expensive Cars List

n the list of the 100 most expensive cars ever sold at auction, more than fifty of the top one hundred cars ever sold at auction are Ferraris – that's 51.96 per cent.

Analysis by the esteemed Historic Automobile Group International (HAGI), shows that at the very top of the list, Ferrari is even more dominant, with nine (90 per cent) of the top ten, 14 (70 per cent) of the top 20, and 30 (60 per cent) of the top 50.

Ferrari also holds the record for the most expensive car ever sold at auction: on August 14, 2014 a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO sold at Bonham's Quail Auction for $34,650,000.

The 2014 sale of the GTO returned the automotive auction record to Ferrari on the 26th anniversary of the death of "Il Commendatore" (Enzo Ferrari), a figure whose

Tech BYTE

there has been some degradation in performance/ reliability, and a general slowness to fix existing issues.

The launch of iOS 9 is not yet known, though many expect the unveiling at the Worldwide

cars now dominate the rare car market more than they have dominated motorsport over the last eight decades.

Ferrari also holds the first three spots on the highest price paid for a car at private sale, with the outright most expensive car ever sold being the private sale of another GTO for US$52 million in 2013.

Mercedes-Benz is second with ten cars (10

per cent) in the top 100.

According to gizmag.com, if the world's most desirable automobiles could be ascribed a value, MercedesBenz would have a lot more cars than ten in the top 100 of such a listing.

That's mainly because the company has either kept or procured the actual cars that performed the prodigious feats that helped sculpt its global reputation.

Introducing the Feline One Swiss streetfighter

wiss designer Yacouba Galle is trying to launch an ambitious motorcycle project for 2016. The Feline One is an 801cc, 3-cylinder, 170 horsepower bespoke streetfighter that uses exotic materials and what gizmag. com calls a very strange looking twin-shock antidive front end suspension setup.

Want one? Starting at US$280,000, it had better be worth it.

The FELINE is conceived as a bespoke, hightech streetfighter. Only 50 would be built, with the first slated to roll off the production line in early 2016. It’s presented in several different colours

the years that as Apple piled on more features,

Tech news

Senator quizzes Samsung, LG on smart TV privacy

U

The Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta owned by Formula One driver Jo Schlesser sold for $38,115,000 (US$34,650,000 plus buyers' premium).

The FELINE ONE

including black and gold, bronze, red and black and red.

Scant detail is available, but aesthetics are its designer's strong point; from the hooked-under taillight to the intricate watch-

like headlight details and the futuristic dash, complete with tire temperature gauges and lean angle readouts, it’s a thing of beauty.

Only its buyers and time will tell about the rest.

Developers Conference (WWDC) 2015 in June, followed by a full launch alongside the iPhone 6c/ iPhone 6s/iPhone 7 in September. It's also possible that Apple staff is already publicly testing prototype builds of iOS 9.

.S. Senator Al Franken is investigating the privacy policies of LG and Samsung Electronics for the voice recognition technologies they use in their Smart TVs. The move follows reports that Samsung Smart TVs collect data from voice communications and shares them with a third party.

In letters Wednesday to Samsung's North America CEO Gregory Lee and LG's U.S. President William Cho, the Democrat from Minnesota asked whether it was necessary for the companies to collect personal communications

Tech news

Y

in order to operate the voice recognition feature.

He also queried the possibility of the data being extracted before transmission to the third party.

Samsung has so far been the only one to immediately respond to the senator’s questions, saying in an email it "supports Senator Franken's commitment to consumer privacy and we appreciate the opportunity to respond to his inquiries regarding the voice recognition feature on our Smart TVs." Samsung's privacy policy for its Smart TV came under criticism as it cautioned customers

to "please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition."

In the wake of the controversy, Samsung said this week the TV would collect interactive voice commands only when the user makes "a specific search request to the Smart TV by clicking the activation button either on the remote control or on your screen and speaking into the microphone on the remote control."

There is also an option to disable voice recognition.

Facebook makes you eternal

our Facebook account that is. A new feature from massive free-content ad platform Facebook allows users to bequeath control of their accounts to loved ones when they die. It tries to tread the line between handing over full control and helping those who have lost someone use their memories and contacts to grieve.

For some time Facebook has had a “Memorialization” option which locks the account of a deceased person and stops the person from popping up in others' timelines.

The new legacy feature, rolling out soon in the US with other countries to fol-

low, allows Facebook users to specify who should have limited control in the event of the user dying. One name can be selected from the account's security settings and optionally sends a message to the chosen contact.

People “inheriting” a dead person's Facebook account will be able to write a post to display at the top of the “memorialized” timeline. Facebook thinks this could be used, for example, to announce a memorial service or share a special message. They will also be able to respond to new friend requests from family members and friends and to update the deceased's profile picture and cover photo. The word

“remembering” appears above the name of the person who has died.

Experts urge users to give it a long thought before choosing who will be the contact to represent them post-mortem.

In 2013, the Pew Research Centre had already thought about and asked what happens with the social media accounts after the user dies. The question is quite important, considering that the average internet user has 25 online accounts, starting with email to all sorts of social media profiles and ending with important bank accounts. This information is provided by Microsoft in a study from 2007.

18 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Peking duck

Style Your Coffee Table Like a Pro

Chic, stylish ideas for your coffee table so it looks like the perfect model for design magazines

Ingredients: One 5 to 6 lb duck 8 cups water 1 slice ginger 1 scallion, cut into halves 3 tbsps honey

1 tbsp white vinegar 1 tbsp sherry 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tbsps water Scallions for garnish

Method: Clean duck. Wipe dry and tie string around neck.

Hang duck in cool, windy place 4 hours. (Another option is to dry the duck with a fan blowing on it.)

Fill large wok with water. Bring to boil. Add ginger, scallion, honey, vinegar, and sherry. Bring to boil. Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir constantly.

Place duck in large strainer above larger bowl. Scoop boiling mixture all over duck for about 10 minutes.

Hang duck again in cool, windy place for 6 hours until thoroughly dry.

Place duck breast side up on a greased rack in oven preheated to 350 degrees.

Set a pan filled with 2 inches of water in bottom of oven. (This is for drippings).

Roast 30 minutes.

Turn duck and roast 30 minutes more. Turn breast side up again. Roast 10 minutes more.

Use sharp knife to cut off crispy skin. Garnish and serve meat and skin immediately on a pre-warmed dish.

Serves 4 to 6.

Layer with a tray. Large coffee tables don't feel as huge since the tray breaks up the table surface.

Display a favourite collection. From boxes to books to art finds, displaying your collection on the coffee table makes a great conversation starter as well.

GREATEST KITCHEN TIPS Lend Mediterranean flair to your next batch of spaghetti with meat sauce by browning the meat with Âź-teaspoon ground cinnamon; or simmer the sauce with one cinnamon stick.

In place of sour cream or butter in your standard mashed potato recipe, use an equal amount of softened cream cheese.

The flavour is less tart than sour cream, the taste is more than the butter, and the texture is full and velvety.

HOME HELP

An oversized lantern is a favourite with designers, and with good reason; it looks amazing and can instantly create mood lighting.

Put crushed bay leaves under the kitchen sink or at the bottom of doors and windows to deter cockroaches. Alternatively, mop the kitchen and bathroom floors with a homemade bay leaf and water solution.

There is no absolute rule that says your living room must have a sofa. It’s just as acceptable to use a group of armchairs instead.

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine19

Family Times

The Rocket Book

PARENTING

By Peter Newell (Continued from Feb 1)

W

hether you refer them to a driving school or teach them yourself, parents play an important role in helping teens practice their driving skills and develop confidence behind the wheel.

Before your first driving session with your teen, sit down together and discuss the significance and responsibility of driving a vehicle. Explain what to expect when driving. Show your son or daughter where the spare tire, lug wrench, and other equipment is kept and how to use it. Make sure all the legal requirements for novice driving are met.

When it comes to driving, experience is an important teacher. The more time young drivers spend building a variety of skills in different road and weather conditions, the more calm and confident they will feel, and the better they'll be able to react to challenging situations.

An empty parking lot is an ideal place for teens topractice the basics of moving in drive and reverse.

On quiet back roads, where there's little traffic, teens can learn basic manoeuvring like turns, maintaining a steady speed, braking and such.

Once teens have mas-

tered those basic skills, they should get some practice driving on bigger, busier roads and highways. There they can practice changing lanes, merging into traffic and driving at appropriate speeds.

They should also learn defensive driving means actively watching for potential problems — like expecting that other drivers might do something that will put road users at great risk.

Once comfortable with these skills, have your teen practice driving in different conditions such as nighttime driving, driving at dusk and dawn, in rain and at construction/roadworkzones to practice driving in congested traffic.

When a mistake happens, have your teen pull over, if possible, so you can talk calmly about what went wrong and how to avoid repeats.

In any sport, a person can't learn to do everything all at once, and the same goes for driving skills.

Remember that it can be hard for new drivers to process multiple things at once while trying to drive so it's important to be patient.

Soon enough, your teen should be ready for his or her all-important driver’s license test.

JOKES Teacher: "Kids, what does the chicken give you?"

Students: "Meat!"

Teacher: "Very good! Now what does the pig give you?"

Students: "Bacon!"

Teacher: "Great! And what does the cow give you?"

Little Johnny: "Homework!"

A teacher asked her students to use the word "beans" in a sentence.

"My father grows beans," said one girl.

"My mother cooks beans," said a boy.

A third student spoke up, "We are all human beans."

A policeman pulls a man over for speeding and asks him to get out of the car.

After looking the man over the policeman says, "Sir, I couldn't help but notice your eyes are bloodshot.

Have you been drinking?"

The man gets indignant and says, "Officer, I couldn't help but notice your eyes are glazed. Have you been eating doughnuts?"

W

here did the rocket go after the janitor’s kid set it off from the basement through to the fifteenth flat…?

SIXTEENTH FLAT

Doc Danby was a stupid guy, So, lest he sleep too late, He placed a tattoo clock near by To waken him at eight.

it!

But, ah! the rocket smote that clock And smashed its way clean through "You have a fine alarm," said Doc, "But, say, you overdo it!"

SEVENTEENTH FLAT A penny-liner, Abram Stout, Was writing a description.

"The flame shot up," he pounded out-Then threw a mild conniption.

For through his Flemington there shied A rocket, hot and mystic.

"I didn't mean to be," he cried, "So deuced realistic!"

EIGHTEENTH FLAT Gus Gummer long had set his head Upon some strange invention.

"Be careful, Gus," his good wife said; "It might explode. I mention--" Just then the pesky rocket flared And wrecked that Yankee notion.

"I feared as much!" his wife declared; Then fainted from emotion.

NINETEENTH FLAT While Burt was on his hobby-horse

And riding it like mad, The rocket on its fiery course Upset the startled lad.

The frightened pony plunged a lot, Like Fury playing tag.

"Whoa, Spot!" said Burt. "Who would have thought You such a fiery nag!"

TWENTIETH FLAT A taxidermist plied his trade Upon a walrus' head.

It really made him quite afraid To meet its stare so dread.

When suddenly the rocket, bright, Flared up and then was off!

"Oh, Minnie," cried the man in fright, "Just hear that walrus cough!"

TOP FLAT Oh, it was just a splendid flight-That rocket's wild career!

But to an end it came, all right, As you shall straightway hear.

It plunged into a can of cream That Billy Bunk was freezing, And froze quite stiff, as it would seem, And so subsided, wheezing.

THE END

B y G rammar G

L

et’s look at fun terms and labels of those sometimes weird and quirky ways we can all manipulate our English language.

CONTAINERS and KANGAROOS Some words, called container words, have other words contained within them.

What we do to findthese words is known as word deletion since we delete the word inside, leaving the outer word.

Let’s look at a few examples: The container word eyesight has two words within – yes in side eight A hillbilly family's only son saves (EyesIGHT).

Try up money to go to college. After feather: the inside about three years, he comes back fear (FEAtheR), cenhome. timetre: time incenThey are sitting around the dinner tre (CENtimeTRE) table, when the dad says, ''Well son, or changeless: angel insidechess you done gone to college, so you (CHangelESS). must be perty smart. Why don't you Container words speak some math fer' us?'' can be found in faThe son says, ''Ok, Pa, I know Pi miliar short phrasR squared.'' es or labels as well.

After a moment, the dad says, The well-known ''Why son, they ain't teached ya drink Canada Dry, nothin'! Pie are round, cornbread for instance, conare square.'' tains dad inside caEvery ten years, the monks in the nary (CANAdaDRY).

They can also inmonastery are allowed to break their clude multiple words: vow of silence to speak two words.

Foreshadowing:had, Ten years go by and it’s one sow, rein and fog monk’s first chance. He thinks for a (foresHADowing, second before saying, “Food bad.” foreShadOWing, Ten years later, he says, “Bed foREshadowINg and hard.”

FOreshadowinG).

It’s the big day, a decade later. He Foreshadowing congives the head monk a long stare and tains what is known says, “I quit.” as nested words: had “I’m not surprised,” the head inside sow inside rein monk says. “You’ve been complaining inside fog.

Yes, it could get ever since you got here.” more complicated.

Like when sentences are used to provide clues in container word puzzles like this one: Hospital residents make knots in trousers (8);Answer – 8 letters: PATIENTS (hospital residents) is the word TIE (knots) inside PANTS (trousers). (PAtieNTS) Then there are kangaroo words.

Kangaroo words are words that contain their own synonym(word of similar meaning) within themselves. Some call these new words “joeys” (baby kangaroos). How did these names happen? Well, since kangaroos carry their babies (smaller forms of themselves) somewhat within themselves, the names kangaroo and joey came about.

Here are a few of the many examples of kangaroos and their joeys in the English language: prematurely/early (prEmAtuReLY), indolent/idle (InDoLEnt), curtail/cut (CUrTail), evacuate/vacate (eVACuATE), respite/rest (RESpiTe) and destruction/ruin (destRUctIoN).

Some kangaroo words can have more than one joey as well. The

word feasted contains fed/ eat / ate (FEasteD, fEAsTed and feAsTEd) and perambulate contains the joeys ramble/ amble (peRAMbuLatE, perAMBuLatE).

One debate about a kangaroo and joey pair is what qualifies as one. Some grammarians believe that a joey has to have its letters in order within the kangaroo word (observe/see) and that if all its letters are next to each other it is not a kangaroo and joey pair (crude/ rude). Others however, see the latter as also being a kangaroo and joey pair.

Bonus info: somewords contain their antonyms (opposites) within; but there is yet no common term for these kinds of words –like animosity/amity and courteous/curt.

Then there is fabrication, which contains both synonym and antonym: fact/fiction; and feast, which contains eat/fast.

Now try finding some container and kangaroo words (with their joeys). See page 23 for some examples.

20 Times Sunday Magazine

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

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Times Sunday Puzzle

Insert one word in each pair to link the two words together. The end of the first word is the beginning of the second.

1. Short __ __ __ __ Light 2. Arch __ __ __ Station 3. Dill __ __ __ __ __ __ Barrel 4. Corn __ __ __ __ __ Box 5. Bar __ __ __ __ __ Pigeon see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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Times Sunday Magazine 21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is the smallest member of the hyena family and is a specialised hunter. Aardwolves are insectivores: while at dusk and at night other hyena species hunt or scavenge for meat, aardvarks feed almost exclusively on termites.

An adaptation for its prey, its long tongue is covered in sticky saliva. A single aardwolf is said to be able to consume up to 300,000 termites in one night. Aardvarks may sometimes also eat maggots and grub.

Aardwolves inhabit open, grassy plains from southern Egypt to central Tanzania in northeast Africa. They also populate southern Africa, ranging from Angola east to Zambia and south to South Africa.

Aardwolf means “earth wolf� in Afrikaans.

FOOD WORD SCRAMBLE Unscramble the words to find out what foods to eat.

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

please see solution on page 23

SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 23

Colouring Fun

Help the boy find his way to church for Ash Wednesday service

22 Times Sunday Magazine

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FEBRUARY 15, 2015 Women, children and immigrants are particularly vulnerable to slavery.

Sometimes entire families are forced to work without pay as a way to pay off debts. This is known as bonded labor.

Despite being illegal, human trafficking is still a billion-dollar enterprise.

SLAVERY

By Laurie Triefeldt

Human bondage through the ages A slave is a person who is owned by another. Slaves have no rights or freedoms — they are property. People throughout world history have used slaves to work the land and build their cities. Ancient slavery could happen to anyone, prince or pauper, and it was considered a fact of life in many cultures. It didn’t matter what color you were — you could be born or sold into slavery or captured in war. Slavery has a long, despicable history, and it can still be found in many countries around the world.

Ancient Lands

Native Americans

In ancient Egypt, slaves were not needed in the fields because Egypt had many peasants to tend the land. Slaves usually belonged to the pharaoh or other rulers.

Three thousand years ago, the ancient Greeks were mostly farmers, and their slaves were part of a shared family system of labor. But as the Greek empire grew, the slave trade grew with it.

Rome grew rich on the profits of war and the slave trade that went with it. Entire towns were taken and enslaved. People from all walks of life and lands far and wide were taken to Rome to be sold. Children were also enslaved. Some slaves had been captured in war or sold to pay debts; still others were kidnapped and sold to slave traders. A Roman nobleman might own as many as 20,000 human beings.

The Americas had slavery before the Europeans arrived. The Aztecs and Mayans of Central America enslaved criminals and prisoners of war. Many North American tribes took people captured in war raids as slaves.

The Hebrews When the Hebrews, or Israelites, moved to the Nile Delta 4,000 years ago, they prospered until Egypt enslaved all foreigners. The Israelites were kept as slaves for hundreds of years until Moses led them out of Egypt.

Although they had felt the evils of slavery themselves, the ancient Hebrews also kept slaves. Landowners, merchants and bankers owned slaves who were victims of debt, captured in war or purchased from traders.

China The Far East was also home to slavery. There were so many poor people in China that peasants would sell themselves or their children into slavery. Criminals became slaves of the state, and land barons enslaved farmers.

Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks developed a different kind of slavery during the Middle Ages. They created an elite slave hierarchy, where it was possible for slaves to achieve great power and influence. The Ottoman system of slavery allowed slaves important positions in the army, in government and in the sultan’s harem.

SOURCES: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc.; http://www.antislavery.org; http://www.state.gov; https://www.freetheslaves.net; CNN; http://www.history. com; www.historyworld.net

Sultan Osman 1258 - 1326 The word Ottoman is derived from Osman, founder and first sultan of the empire.

The 20th century In the 1920s and ’30s, the Soviet Union sent millions of innocent people to prison camps, where they were forced into labor. These camps were operated until 1953, when the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin died.

The colonies When Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in 1492, he also created a new market for slaves. The colonies needed manpower. The Portuguese imported many slaves from Africa to work in Brazilian sugar plantations. In the 17th century, the English, French, Swedish, Dutch and Danish colonies wanted in on the huge profits being made and began using slaves as well.

Going underground The Underground Railroad was not really a railroad, but a secret path to freedom in the form of hiding places and people called “conductors,” who helped escaped slaves find their way to freedom in the Northern states and Canada. It is estimated that more than 75,000 people escaped using the Underground Railroad in the 50 years before the Civil War.

The Civil War The Civil War began in 1861, when the slaveholding Southern states decided to leave the Union.

Slavery was to be an important issue in the Civil War. President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, freeing all slaves living in states that were not part of the Union.

In the years following the Civil War, Congress passed three amendments to the Constitution. The 13th Amendment banned slavery, the 14th protected the rights of blacks as citizens, and the 15th gave blacks the right to vote.

Handbill advertising a slave auction in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1769

Slavery today Slavery continues today, usually in parts of the world where extreme poverty exists, but it can be found in wealthy countries, too.

Africa

Forced labor is a modern form of slavery. People are forced to work in agriculture, as domestics in homes, or in factories and sweatshops. The United Nations monitors reports of slavery, but it rarely interferes in countries where these forms of slavery are allowed by the government.

Many slaves were taken from this region.

It is estimated that there are 21 million to 36 million people enslaved today. Modern slavery generates many billions of dollars every year.

Can you imagine?

As many as 20 million Africans were brought to the Americas by ship. Many slaves committed suicide or died of disease before the journey ended.

Like us on Facebook — www.facebook.com/worldofwonder2014 © 2015 Triefeldt Studios, Inc. Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

During World War II, Adolf Hitler forced millions of people, mostly Jews, to work in his labor camps.

Prisoners from throughout Europe were enslaved, and when they died, they were replaced with more slaves.

Can you imagine life as a slave? How would you feel if you were forced to work with only the bare minimum for food, clothing and shelter? You would not be allowed to learn to read or write.

If you got sick, no doctor would be called. Your parents or siblings might be sold far away and you would never see them again. Your owner could punish you as often and as severely as he liked. You could be whipped for dropping a dish and tortured if you tried to run away. Can you imagine having no rights or freedoms, being treated like a beast of burden and not a human being?

To understand how wrong slavery is, you only have to imagine it happening to you.

Abraham Lincoln 1809 - 1865 16th president of the United States

Slave boy in Zanzibar

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Times Sunday Magazine 23

World Times

The Philonoist

Cosmic Deliveries

Q: Why does Earth have gold?

A new study of Earth’s oldest rocks supports the theory that meteors delivered gold and other metals to earth, when the planet was forming, about 3.9 billion years ago.

As the planet cooled, the gold sank, like other denser material and iron-loving elements, into the ball of magma that is the earth’s core.

It is thought that the gold in the Earth’s core today would cover the entire planet with a 12-ft thick layer.

Nevertheless, there is gold on the planet’s mantle and crust.

This surface layer, the study says, is from a “firestorm of meteors called the terminal bombardment” that added a coating of the material to earth’s surface some 650 million years after Earth formed.

Scientists say Earth’s surface was hit by about 20 billion billion tons of asteroidal material, which has provided us with most of what we refer to as precious metals, used for industrial and economic purposes today.

The history of Pancake Day

K

nown as Shrove Tuesday but dubbed Pancake Day in the UK and other countries like Guyana, the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday is a traditional Christian feast day.

Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - is usually a time of fasting.

Traditionally on Shrove Tuesday, a bell would be rung to call people to confession. After confession, worshippers were "shriven" (absolved from their sins). The bell, still rung today, came to be called the “Pancake Bell”.

Shrove Tuesday is the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast, and pancakes became the perfect way of using up these ingredients. The ingredients for pancakes can be seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year: Eggs signify Creation; Flour: The staff of life; Salt:

The most famous pancake race is in Olney. A pancake race begun recently in Liberal, Kansas in USA has been linked with Olney’s.

Gras (Fat Tuesday) celebrations in the USA, Carnival Tuesday in Trinidad, and Brazil Carnival are all last

race down streets tossing pancakes. The object of the race is to get to the finish line first, while flipping a

Word Scramble Answers 1. CARROT 6. APPLE 2. PIE 7. BREAD

3. FRUIT 8. VEGETABLE 4. BACON 9. CANDY

5. CHEESE 10. RICE

Brain Teaser Answer 1. Stop 2. Way

3. Pickle 4. Bread

5. Stool

Answers to Wordplay Borderland: order inside bland (BorderLAND), Painfully: in and full inside pay (paINfully, painFULLy, PAinfullY), False alarm: sea in all inside farm (falSE Alarm, fALse aLarm, False alARM), Regulate/rule (RegULatE), Container/ can/tin (ContAiNer/ conTaINer), Enjoy/joy (enJOY – If you accept this qualifies as a kangaroo and joey pair) The Atherstone Ball Game or Shrovetide Game. Most stores board up for the rough event.

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

Wholesomeness, and Milk signifies Purity.

Pancake Day activities

Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday and Pancake Day all refer to the day before Lent. For many Christians, Mardi

CROSSWORD

opportunities to revel before the fasting and solemnity of Lent.

In the UK, pancake races form an important part of Shrove Tuesday celebrations. There are organised races where people in aprons and hats or scarves

cooked pancake in a frying pan as you run.

According to tradition, in 1445 a woman of Olney in Buckinghamshire, England heard the shriving bell while she was making pancakes and ran to the church in her apron, still clutching

her frying pan.

Many towns throughout England once held Shrove Tuesday football ('Mob Football') games dating as far back as the 12th century. The practice mostly died out with the passing of the 1835 Highways Act, which banned the playing of football on public highways.

However, a number of towns have managed to maintain the tradition to the present day.

The Atherstone Ball Game in Atherstone, Warwickshire is one of the oldest Shrove Tuesday traditions in the UK: the game has taken place every single Shrove Tuesday for 805 years.

The rules of the oftenbruising sport state that the ball must be kicked up and down a street for a certain period, after which players can then try to keep hold of it while running through sections of the town. The person holding the ball at the end of the game is the winner.

Pancake Day this year falls on Tuesday, Feb 17.

Since the date of Easter changes each year, so does the date for Shrove Tuesday.

Sunken City Emerges from River I nside the Jaguari reservoir in Igarata, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, the city of Igarata, flooded in 1969 for a dam on the Jaguari River, has begun to emerge from the waters as drought bites deeper into the state.

The Jaguari River has reportedly dried up some 100 feet below its previous levels. Now, trees, buildings and even benches have appeared out of the waters. Local Brazil media say the place is still recognisable despite the almost 50-year passing of time. Its school, a church as well as the main street are some

A former resident of the old city of Igarata in a boat next to part of the walls of the old school inside the Jaguari reservoir in Igarata, Sao Paulo State

of the structures being revealed.

Past residents have returned to look once more at their former city, while

tourists take pictures of the phenomenon.

The Brazilian city of San Paulo is South America’s most populous city and is

being slowly strangled by the severe drought as reservoirs like the Jaguari are drying up throughout the region.

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Fun Times

Archie

ARIES

You have the skills you (March 21- need to get ahead. Don’t let a April 19) negative remark spur doubt about your abilities. Listen to your intuition and ignore anyone who tries to make you feel bad.

TAURUS Someone’s tendency to be (April 20- jealous must not be allowed to May 20) influence your way of thinking.

You can win the support you are looking for if you base your decisions on what you know.

GEMINI If you try to move too (May 21- quickly, mistakes will occur.

June 20) You can meet your deadlines if you focus on what needs to be done. Love or money woes will distract you.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Health issues will hold you back. Overwork and lack of sleep will wreak havoc on your well-being. Sort out emotional issues that are causing you stress and deal with them.

LEO The inspiration you gain (July 23- from a talk or trip will be Aug. 22) worth your while. Your enthusiasm may overwhelm some of your peers, but don’t let that stop you.

Dilbert

Talk to someone who inVIRGO spires your imagination.

(Aug. 23Discussing shared interests Sept. 22) will motivate you to begin a new adventure. Don’t rule out forming a work-related partnership.

LIBRA Problems at home are (Sept. 23- likely to continue, whether Oct. 23) you are there or not. Distance yourself from discord and have some fun, and it will help you decide how to deal with personal issues.

Peanuts

A residential move will SCORPIO spark your imagination. New (Oct. 24Nov. 22) living arrangements will benefit you in more ways than one. Personal improvements will boost your self-esteem and confidence.

SAGITTARIUS You will find it difficult to (Nov. 23- get along with others. Don’t Dec. 21) make promises that you don’t want to keep. Find an activity that you can do alone, and avoid a confrontation.

Calvin and Hobbes

CAPRICORN Spend time enjoying the (Dec. 22- people and events you love Jan. 19) the most. Your hard work has earned you a break. All work and no play will not help you be productive.

AQUARIUS Don’t run from your prob(Jan. 20- lems. Opposition will surface Feb. 19) if you pretend that nothing is wrong. Face the truth and do what needs to be done to protect your reputation.

PISCES Love is highlighted. You (Feb. 20- will be given a chance to bring March 20) greater security to your personal or professional future.

Be ready to make a quick decision if you want to benefit financially.