week4-'Still Alice' raises profile of early onset Alzheimer's

March 13, 2015 

Updated 2:42 p.m.

In the weeks following the Academy Awards, it’s not uncommon for little-known movies to get an “Oscars boost,” especially when they are honored in high profile categories.

This year, one movie that has received a great deal of post-Oscars interest is “Still Alice,” thanks to Julianne Moore winning Best Actress for her work in the film. Moore portrays Alice Howland, a 50-year-old Harvard linguistics professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Films that depict characters living with Alzheimer’s are nothing new, as fans of 2004’s “The Notebook” can attest.

What sets “Still Alice” apart is that the protagonist is among the estimated 200,000 Americans diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s – meaning, Alzheimer’s disease that is diagnosed in people younger than 65.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, early onset affects only 5 percent of the more than 5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s; the association states that many people with early onset are in their 40s and 50s like Moore’s character in the film. Because these are not people who fit the traditional profile of an Alzheimer’s patient, it may be harder for their families to access the right intervention and care options. That’s a problem that must be addressed.

People in their 40s and 50s have careers, and some are still raising children; more commonly, their children are young adults. As a staff member at a local memory care community, Villagio at Capriana in Brea, I am incredibly familiar with the plight of families who have a loved one living with Alzheimer’s.

However, our residents are primarily over age 65; their careers are behind them and their children are grown. Many were even able to get acquainted with their grandchildren before their symptoms became severe. For the families of early onset Alzheimer’s patients, the reality is very different.

Like Alice Howland in the film, a person with early onset Alzheimer’s disease may be forced to resign from employment years earlier than they had planned to. This may cause an undue financial burden on the family.

The career may be maintained for a time after the diagnosis, but that is certainly not without its challenges. As for family life, children gradually become caregivers at an age when they may have burgeoning careers of their own – unless they are younger, in which case the stress of caring for a parent can interfere with academic careers, social lives and extracurricular activities. Clearly, the families of early onset Alzheimer’s patients are in need of more resources, better advocacy and heightened awareness.

Think about it: If a 45-year-old woman with a demanding career tells her physician she is experiencing memory loss, having trouble concentrating and feels depressed or isolated, there’s a chance she may not be taken seriously right away. In one conversation that addressed the importance of the movie “Still Alice,” a woman living with early onset Alzheimer’s stated it was likely she had been suffering from the disease for seven years before it was diagnosed.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/alzheimer-654152-onset-early.html

Structure of the lead:

What- it’s not uncommon for little-known movies to get an “Oscars boost

Where- not given

When- In the weeks following the Academy Awards

How-not given

Why- not given

Who- the movie, still Alice

Keywords:

1.     onset 開始 著手

2.     protagonist 主角

week3

Uber Says Goodbye to Japan After Government Ruling

Ma Jie, Bloomberg

Mar 07, 2015 10:00 pm

Uber, whose taxi-hailing app faces regulatory challenges globally, shut down a ride- sharing trial in southwestern Japan after the government called it illegal.

Uber yesterday halted operation of Everyone’s Uber, a program that let users in Fukuoka city share rides, Evelyn Tay, a Singapore-based spokeswoman for the company, said in an e- mailed statement today. Uber will consult the Transport Ministry on ways to structure the program to meet official requirements, she said.

The move is a fresh blow to San Francisco-based Uber, whose ride-sharing functions are under scrutiny in cities from Paris to Seoul. Until now, the company avoided regulatory obstacles in Japan by working with taxi and hire-car operators in Tokyo. The Fukuoka program marked its first expansion outside Japan’s capital, where local taxi firms are pressuring Uber with their own apps.

Customers of the pilot program received free rides, while Uber paid drivers a fee for participating as it collected traffic and usage data. The service was illegal because it let drivers without taxi licenses profit by providing transport, ministry official Hidetaka Sakai said this week.

Uber has said it will revise the compensation model and continue to negotiate with authorities.

The purpose of the program, started jointly on Feb. 5 with the Kyushu Technology Licensing Organization, was to collect data to understand local transportation needs, Masami Takahashi, chief executive officer of Uber’s Japan unit, said in an interview last month.

Uber was able to “collect meaningful data for analysis that will shed light on transportation patterns in various areas (including underserved) of the city,” the company said today in a statement. “In the next phase, we will focus on better understanding specific transportation needs from the data collected.”

Uber’s presence in Tokyo is still small, partly due to increasing competition from apps introduced by local taxi operators and the city’s availability of 50,000 taxis — almost four times the number in New York.

http://skift.com/2015/03/07/uber-says-goodbye-to-japan-after-government-ruling/

Structure of the lead:

Who- Uber

What –shut down a ride- sharing trial

When- not given

Where- in Japan

How- not given

Why- the government called it illegal

Keywords:

1.      halt 禁止

2.      scrutiny 仔細檢查

                 

 week2-Lindt cafe to reopen in March with memorial to Sydney siege victims

The Lindt cafe in Martin Place - the scene of the Sydney siege in which a gunman and two hostages were killed - will reopen in March with a permanent memorial to the victims.Updated 12 Feb 2015, 4:36pm

The cafe, where lawyer Katrina Dawson and cafe manager Tori Johnson were killed after gunman Man Haron Monis took 18 hostages, has been boarded up since December.

The families of Ms Dawson and Mr Johnson welcomed news of the reopening and the new memorial.

"Although it will be difficult at first, we hope to be able in time to return to the Lindt cafe so that [Katrina's] children can continue to experience one of [her] great joys," said Ms Dawson's husband Paul Smith.

Mr Johnson's partner Thomas Zinn said he hoped to see Martin Place regain its status as an important social hub.

"[Tori] always had so much pleasure in making other people happy or [putting] a smile on their face," Mr Zinn said.

"We would like for people to return to Martin Place and smile again."

Lindt Australia chief executive officer Steve Loane said he did not expect all staff would want to return to work.

"The last few weeks have been like a rollercoaster [of] emotion for everybody, but they were really positive ... it's been amazing how strong they've been," Mr Loane said.

"Some of the team have indicated they do want to come back.

"But we've put no pressure on them and they can make their decisions closer to the date on how much involvement they want.

"And I'm sure there are some who will not want to come back to work."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-12/lindt-cafe-to-reopen-with-memorial-to-sydney-siege-victims/6089548

Structure of the lead :

Who- the Lindt cafe

What-will reopen with a permanent memorial to the victims

When- in March

How-not given

Where- Martin Place in Sydney

Why- not given

Keywords:

1.      siege 包圍 圍攻

2.      hostage 人質

week1-New York man dies after chokehold by police

By Deborah E. Bloom and Jareen Imam, CNN

Updated 2231 GMT (0631 HKT) December 8, 2014

Confronted by police trying to arrest him for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes, Eric Garner raised both hands in the air and, with passive defiance, told the officers not to touch him. Seconds later, a video shows the officer behind him grab the 350-pound man in a chokehold and pull him to the sidewalk, rolling him onto his stomach.

"I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Garner said repeatedly, his cries muffled into the pavement.

The video of the Thursday skirmish shows the Staten Island man lying on the ground motionless after the incident. An asthmatic, Garner was later declared dead at a nearby hospital, according to CNN affiliate WCBS. Police said he suffered a heart attack and died en route to the hospital.

"This is a terrible tragedy that occurred yesterday. A terrible tragedy that no family should have to experience," said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, calling the video of the incident "very troubling."

Police told WCBS that 43-year-old Garner, a father of six, had a lengthy criminal history and had been previously arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes in May.

Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who is seen on video choking Garner, was put on modified assignment and stripped of his shield and gun as the New York Police Department continues to investigate the incident, WCBS reported. The chokehold tactic is prohibited by the NYPD.

Two EMTs and two paramedics have been suspended without pay, Erika Hellstrom, vice president of development at Richmond University Medical Center, said in an e-mail.

In a statement, Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick J. Lynch called Pantaleo's reassignment "a completely unwarranted, kneejerk reaction for political reasons." He said the move "effectively pre-judges this case and denies the officer the very benefit of a doubt that has long been part of the social contract that allows police officers to face the risks of this difficult and complex job."

On Saturday, Garner's friends and family rallied alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton in Upper Manhattan, demanding a full investigation into Garner's death, according to WCBS.

Garner's wife was set to speak at the rally but found herself too emotional, WCBS reported.

New York photographer Joel Graham was at Saturday's demonstration, which lasted for two hours. He shared his photographs with CNN iReport, and says he captured them while walking alongside protesters who traveled from New Brighton Church to the store where the chokehold incident took place.

"This crowd was composed of good, well-meaning people who understood that peace was the only option and were adamant that things remain calm over Eric's death. I have been to protests that have been violent, but this crowd reflected who Eric was," he said.

Graham, an area resident, had a familiar relationship with Garner. "I am an urban art photographer, and I will talk to everyone on the streets of New York City," he said, explaining that he would occasionally chat with Garner while taking photos near the Staten Island Ferry.

"I had empathy for Eric and how he must have felt trying to catch his breath, and sympathy for the family. This was a heartfelt emotional protest because everyone loved Eric," he said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/20/justice/ny-chokehold-death/

Structure of the lead:

Who- Eric Garner

When- not given

What- raised both hands in the air and, with passive defiance, told the officers not to touch him.

Where-not given

How- not given

Why-Confronted by police trying to arrest him for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes

Key words:

1.      chokehold 掐脖子

2.      paramedic 護理人員

WEEK7-What Is Hong Kong’s Occupy Central Movement?

By BBC, www.bbc.com
September 23rd, 2014

Many in Hong Kong are angered at the lack of fully democratic elections.

Tensions are high in Hong Kong amid a row about how the city’s leader should be elected.

Elections are due in 2017 – but the Chinese government has issued a ruling limiting who can stand as a candidate. Democracy campaigners are planning to occupy the city’s business district in protest – a move denounced by China. The BBC explains the movement.

What does Occupy Central want?

Occupy Central with Love and Peace, known as Occupy Central, is a civil disobedience movement proposed by democracy activists in Hong Kong.

The campaigners want political reform and democratic elections that meet international standards.

They are planning a non-violent occupation of the business district, Central, in response to the Chinese government’s ruling against open elections in 2017.

They have said they can mobilise 10,000 in the first phase of the sit-in.

The campaign takes its name from the US’s Occupy Wall Street movement against social inequality in 2011.

Hong Kong is under Chinese rule – can protests realistically make a difference?

A controversial national security law proposed by the government was dropped after large protests in 2003

Even the movement’s organisers admit that Occupy Central is highly unlikely to sway the Chinese government.

However, public protests play an important role in Hong Kong. Locals have free speech and the right to protest, but cannot directly elect their government. Many see taking to the streets as their way of forcing change.

Some demonstrations have succeeded. A controversial national security law known as Article 23 was proposed in 2002, but dropped after large protests. The government also backed down over “patriotic education” classes following rallies against the move.

Occupy Central’s demands, however, are more sensitive. Demanding full democracy would radically change how Hong Kong is governed, and Beijing would view it as a direct challenge to its own authority.

Structure of the lead:

Who-many people

When- not given

What- angered at the lack of fully democratic elections

Where-in Hong Kong

How-not given

Why-not given

Words:

1.      democratic election 普選

2.      mobilize  動員               

week-6-Scottish independence

Scottish independence: What is the referendum about?

Voters in Scotland cast ballots Thursday in a historic referendum on seceding from Britain.

A “yes” vote would end Scotland’s 300-year-old union with England and Wales, redrawing the map of the United Kingdom and raising difficult questions about the future of Scotland’s economy and its relationship with international partners such as the European Union and NATO.

But even if the “noes” have it, Scotland appears poised to extract more powers from the central government in London. In a bid to persuade Scots to stay in the fold, Britain's main political parties have pledged to turn over control of important tax and budgetary issues to the semiautonomous government in Edinburgh.

More than 4.2 million people – 97% of the eligible electorate, including for the first time 16- and 17-year-olds -- registered to vote. The referendum will be decided by a simple majority. Turnout is expected to be high, and polls show the outcome too close to call heading into the vote.

Why are Scots voting on independence?

Support for what was long regarded as the dream of a romantic fringe has been growing in recent years, receiving a boost in 2010 with the election of a Conservative-led government in London that did not prove popular in Scotland.

The following year, the Scottish Nationalist Party, whose main goal is independence, won a majority in the Scottish Parliament. Party leader Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first minister, immediately declared his intention to call a referendum on the issue.

With opinion polls giving the pro-union side a consistent majority, the British government agreed to recognize the plebiscite, no doubt hoping that a “no” vote would kill off the issue.

http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-scotland-independence-questions-20140917-story.html

structure of the lead:

who- Voters

when- on Thursday

why- not given

what- cast ballots in a historic referendum on seceding from Britain.

where- in Scotland

how- not given

keywords:

1.     referendum 公投

2.     ballot投票用紙，選票

3.     turnout 結果

WEEK5-Police Lied: Michael Brown Was Killed 148 Feet Away From Darren Wilson's SUV

Distance is essential to the defense and how Wilson must demonstrate that he reasonably feared for his safety.

For 104 days,  the police have lied and said Michael Brown was killed 35 feet away from Darren Wilson's SUV. It was actually 148 feet.

This distance is essential to the defense and how Darren Wilson must demonstrate that he " reasonably feared for his safety." At the point in which Brown ran half a football field away, how reasonable is it for an armed officer to fear anyone?

Our starting point, which is 17 feet behind the driver's side window of Wilson's SUV, is this yellow fire hydrant next to the storm drain.

So: 131 feet, 1 inch (distance between the fire hydrant and where Mike Brown died), + 17 feet (distance between the fire hydrant and the driver's side door of Darren Wilson's SUV) = 148 feet.

The St. Louis-area police have continued to advance this lie for over 104 days since Mike Brown was killed on Canfield Drive on the afternoon of August 9 in Ferguson, Missouri. Here we will methodically expose this lie and examine just why it's so important.

On this past Monday, Gov. Jay Nixon  declared a state of emergency in Missouri in anticipation of some level of unrest regarding a decision from the grand jury in the Darren Wilson case. Covering this decision, and the case in general, CNN authoritatively states that Mike Brown was found 35 feet away from Darren Wilson's SUV.

Where the Lie Began

On Aug. 10, 2014, St. Louis County Police Chief John Belmar held his first press conference on the shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson of the nearby Ferguson Police Department. His force had been called in to take over the investigation for the much smaller local department. The shooting had occurred less than 24 hours earlier, and the tensions on the ground in Ferguson were already red hot and boiling over.

Six different witnesses on the scene claimed that Brown was shot at repeatedly from behind before he turned around, faced Wilson, verbally surrendered, and put his hands in the air. Wilson,  having already shot at Brown at least six times while he fled, then fired off a barrage of four quick shots at the surrendered Brown he was looking at face to face, killing him on the spot. The shooting and the aftermath that evening infuriated residents as never before, and the anger spread rapidly across St. Louis and to the nation.

At that time, when the chief said the "entire scene" was just 35 feet in distance from the "car door to the shooting," every observer accepted it as a negligible fact and thought little about it, instead zeroing in on why Wilson stopped Brown in the first place and why a police officer would shoot a young man who was surrendering with his hands up.

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/video-police-lied-mike-brown-was-killed-148-feet-away-darren-wilsons-suv

structure of the lead:

who- Police

when- not given

why- Michael Brown Was Killed 148 Feet Away From Darren Wilson's SUV

what- Lied

where- not given

how- not given

keywords:

1.infuriate  使大怒，觸怒

2.negligible  可以忽略的；無關緊要的；微不足道的