South Korea: Too Much Activism?

South Korea: Too Much Activism?

The country's idealistic '386 generation' helped usher in democracy, but has bungled its political opportunity.

By B. J. Lee
Newsweek International
Nov. 27, 2006 issue - Song Young Gil and Won Hee Ryong epitomize South Korea's 386 generation—the dynamic group of activists who took it upon themselves to transform the country. They gained political power in their 30s, helped to usher in democracy in the '80s by ousting a military regime, and were born in the 60s. Like America's anti-Vietnam War generation, the 386ers demanded greater economic equality and more social justice.

Six years after being elected to the National Assembly, however, both Song and Won are frustrated. Not only because the idealistic goals of the 386ers have not been attained, but also because the movement itself has been humbled, having largely bungled its political opportunity. About 20 of President Roh Moo Hyun's top advisers are 386ers—and critics blame them for the divisive political climate in the country, and for a slowdown in economic growth. The Roh administration is deeply unpopular. "Our generation was good at fighting for democracy," says Song. "But we were poor at building something new." While Song belongs to the ruling Uri Party, a disillusioned Won has remained in the conservative Grand National Party.
As Korea's own "we generation," the 386ers were expected to make the country a better place to live. Their liberal dedication to the common good, demonstrated during their democratic struggles in the 1980s, were seen as rare assets in an age of selfish individualism. But the progressives haven't been able to translate lofty values into sound government policy. Inexperienced and often dogmatic, the 386ers have polarized Korea. Press Secretary Yang Jung Chul, for example, has waged a fierce battle with conservative publications critical of Roh. "The 386 generation took power too early," says Hahm Sung Deuk, a political scientist at Korea University. "They were not prepared to run a country."
Many of Roh's aides worked closely with him on labor and civic movements before his election in 2002. After he became president, they initiated a series of radical reforms designed to rapidly bridge the economic gap between the haves and have-nots by regulating large conglomerates and heavily taxing the wealthy. What's more, their sympathetic views toward North Korea created serious friction with Washington and other allies. The result has been dire: slower economic growth, a widening income gap and rocky relations with international allies—all of which troubles the public. Roh's approval rating recently dipped to 15 percent. Over the pasttwo years, his Uri Party has lost 40 out of 40 by-elections.
The 386 generation's fall was not totally unexpected. Reading Marx and taking part in anti-government demonstrations is one thing, but running a country—or a ministry—requires analytical training and pragmatic thinking, which many of Roh's policy gurus seem to lack. After watching the collapse of the Soviet Union and North Korea's famine in the '90s, some 386 leaders embraced capitalism. But the hardcore members remain more ideological than practical. Politically, they still embrace confrontation rather than dialogue. "For the core 386 members, you are either enemy or friend," says Hahm. "There is no neutral ground." Lawmaker Song now ruefully describes the 386ers as "a very unfortunate generation."
It's not fair to say that they've failed completely. South Korea has become a much more dynamic and creative society than it was, say, 20 years ago. The country is a leader in information technology, and its popular culture dominates Asia. Still, Won and others fret about how fragmented the movement has become. "Although we started as one generation with one common experience, we have since diversified into many different groups," says Won. Song says more mature and practical 386 members will gradually replace the dogmatic members as the former become the absolute majority in politics. "Our fight is not over yet," he says. "As we succeeded in the '80s, we can succeed again." But with the conservative Grand National Party favored to win next year's presidential election, the question is: Will they get another chance?

© 2006 Newsweek, Inc.

Can China Influence North Korea?

During the past few years, China has been a major player in the six-party talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.
The conventional wisdom is that China is North Korea's staunchest ally and is Pyongyang's greatest source of support in the international community. Daniel Sneider, a China expert at Stanford University's Asia-Pacific Research Center, says the two countries have a long and close historical relationship. "It was the Chinese who intervened in 1950 to save North Korea from disappearing from the face of the earth at the hands of General MacArthur. And the Chinese were long-time allies of North Korea during the decades after that -- they were suppliers of military equipment, of aid. They were ideological allies," says Sneider.Economic and Historic Ties
The two countries also share a [1360 kilometer] border and there is a significant Korean minority population in northeast China. On the economic front, Beijing is Pyongyang's major supplier of food and energy. Daniel Pinkston, a Korea specialist at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, says Chinese companies conduct trade with North Korea on different levels."There are very large firms, kind of state-run enterprises that are doing the major trade in oil and grains. And then you have some intermediate or smaller firms - - and some very, very small family firms that put together these kinds of cross-border trade or 'suitcase' [i.e., small caliber] trade," says Pinkston. Despite these close economic and historical ties, experts say the relationship between China and North Korea is far from cordial. Jim Walsh is a security expert with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and he has traveled to North Korea on several occasions.
A bridge connecting the North Korean city of Shinuiju and the Chinese city of Dandong"When I was in North Korea, it was clear to me that the North Koreans have a love-hate relationship toward the Chinese. They feel an emotional and historical bond to China. It's a relationship born in history and blood. On the other hand, they see themselves as a little country surrounded by giants. So they are wary and suspicious," says Walsh. Daniel Sneider from Stanford University agrees. "If you talk to North Koreans about China, it doesn't take very long for them to express a fair amount of hostility, even contempt for the Chinese. Koreans in general -- and North Koreans -- they do not like being dictated to. These are very proud people, very nationalistic and they really bristle at the idea that they are, somehow or other, at the beck and call of the Chinese. They do look for opportunities, in some sense, to put their thumb in the Chinese eye, just to make it clear that they can't be pushed around," says Sneider.Korean Missile Launches
Sneider and others say the latest example of North Korea's attempt to show some independence from China is Pyongyang's recent test launching [July 4] of several ballistic missiles. Adam Segal, China expert with the Council on Foreign Relations, says most of them were of the short and medium-range variety, but one of them was a long-range ballistic missile known as the Taepodong-two that could -- theoretically -- hit the United States.
"The United States spent a lot of time focusing on the Taepodong-two. But all of the other missiles that were launched have a range that could include China. So clearly, there was a message to be sent to China and to South Korea and to Japan about North Korea and what it could do to the regional players," says Segal.
North Korea missile launch, July 4, 2006Experts say the launch was an embarrassment for China, because Beijing had publicly urged North Korea not to go ahead with the tests. Daniel Pinkston says the Chinese have also used their diplomatic skills by trying to revive the six-party talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program."And they have been urging, particularly urging the United States and North Korea to show more flexibility and return to the negotiating table - - and so this made things more difficult. It has given Japan reasons to expand its military capabilities and expand its missile defense program, which China is not happy with. So it does increase a number of complexities in the region that make China uncomfortable," says Pinkston. Analysts say Pyongyang's missile launches prompted China to vote for a United Nations resolution condemning the tests. But China agreed to the text only after an original draft was watered down.
China's Leverage Daniel Sneider says the Chinese have always opposed resolutions urging strong sanctions against Pyongyang because they fear such measures could de-stabilize the region."They are worried about the possibility of conflict triggered either by North Korea or the United States. And they want stability -- stability on their borders and to some degree, they want to preserve the regime that's in power in Pyongyang while they encourage it to reform. So all those goals are operating at the same time. And I think stability, in some sense, trumps everything," says Sneider.Experts agree that if there is a country that could prompt North Korea to resume negotiations on its nuclear weapons program, it is indeed China.But Sneider says Beijing's leverage over Pyongyang is limited. "I was in Beijing just a few weeks ago when the missile crisis had just begun. And I was talking to Chinese North Korea specialists, in particular. And they will always tell you, 'Look, you Americans overestimate our leverage.' We can't simply dictate to the North Koreans. The North Koreans do not listen to us in that way." But Sneider and other experts say China does still have some leverage, especially in the economic area. Analysts say the Chinese government must be trying to figure out how much pressure they can exert and how far they can go before they trigger instability in North Korea and potentially, an even worse crisis.

Bed sharing 'drains men's brains'

Bed sharing 'drains men's brains'

Bed sharing disturbed sleep qualitySharing a bed with someone could temporarily reduce your brain power - at least if you are a man - Austrian scientists suggest.
When men spend the night with a bed mate their sleep is disturbed, whether they make love or not, and this impairs their mental ability the next day.
The lack of sleep also increases a man's stress hormone levels.
According to the New Scientist study, women who share a bed fare better because they sleep more deeply.
Sleepless nights
Professor Gerhard Kloesch and colleagues at the University of Vienna studied eight unmarried, childless couples in their 20s.
Each couple was asked to spend 10 nights sleeping together and 10 apart while the scientists assessed their rest patterns with questionnaires and wrist activity monitors.
The next day the couples were asked to perform simple cognitive tests and had their stress hormone levels checked.
Sharing the bed space with someone who is making noises and who you have to fight with for the duvet is not sensible
Professor Neil Stanley, a sleep expert at the University of Surrey
Although the men reported they had slept better with a partner, they fared worse in the tests, with their results suggesting they actually had more disturbed sleep.
Both sexes had a more disturbed night's sleep when they shared their bed, Professor Kloesch told a meeting of the Forum of European Neuroscience.
But women apparently managed to sleep more deeply when they did eventually drop off, since they claimed to be more refreshed than their sleep time suggested.
Their stress hormone levels and mental scores did not suffer to the same extent as the men.
But the women still reported that they had the best sleep when they were alone in bed.
Bed sharing also affected dream recall. Women remembered more after sleeping alone and men recalled best after sex.
Separate beds
Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep expert at the University of Surrey, said: "It's not surprising that people are disturbed by sleeping together.
"Historically, we have never been meant to sleep in the same bed as each other. It is a bizarre thing to do.
"Sleep is the most selfish thing you can do and it's vital for good physical and mental health.
"Sharing the bed space with someone who is making noises and who you have to fight with for the duvet is not sensible.
"If you are happy sleeping together that's great, but if not there is no shame in separate beds."
He said there was a suggestion that women are pre-programmed to cope better with broken sleep.
"A lot of life events that women have disturb sleep - bringing up children, the menopause and even the menstrual cycle," he explained.
But Dr Stanley added people did get used to sharing a bed.
"If they have shared their bed with their partner for a long time they miss them and that will disturb sleep."

In the Eye of the Beholder

The canadian town of Clemesport, Nova Scotia, has had a controversy about on man's art. Dou Duckrel, a used clthing salesman, hung 400 neckties in a tree and called it art. His neighbors disagreed. They called it ugly, vulgar and unsightly. The ties. Hanging in the tree for over a year, became worm and tatterd. Finally, after receiving six anonymous complaints, the county warden ordered Duckrel to remove the ties. He called them dangerous. They could distract drivers and cause acidents. Art or not, road safety settled the controversy.

This is what I first saw when I glanced at a telephone pole on 31st and Hennepin in Uptown Minneapolis the other day. A nice street-art project, I thought. A simple intervention that reminds us to live a verdant life, to embrace lushness and welcome abundance--and even tear a piece off. Or something.
Of course, I was a little skeptical: is this an ad for a band or a day spa? Am I being suckered by a buzz marketing campaign, some scheme to be paid off, eventually, by an ad for malt liquor?
I went back, this time with plenty of time and a camera. Here’s what I found.
Not sure which interpretation I prefer.

The Incredible Machine

The human body is an incredible machine. Bow there is new CD-ROM computer program that will take you inside the human body. It's called Adam, the Inside Story. It was disigned for medical schools, but it's now availavle for Mac and Windows users at home. It took three and a half years to develop and displays 3,600 anatomical structures with specific examples, such as how food is swallowed and what happens when a bee stings. It's interactive too. Kids will love the 12-piece puzzle of the skull!

Hearing is Believing

California's Livermore Laboratory was once a center or nuclear-weapons research. Now it is turning to peaceful research. It's developing an urban navigation system that will give new freedom of movement to the seeing impaired. The system combines solar-powered "smart tags" attached to buildings and tiny transceicers carried by the user. The smart tags send a coded message to the transceiver, which carries the database of imformation. The user then hears the information on his tranceiver. The ststem will go international once manufacturers agree on universal codes.

Russian Style Relief

Life in Russia has never been easy, but in the last few years it has become downright dangerous. The transition to capitalism is producing a high level of stress and new ways of dealing with it. For example, there's paintballs, a war game for adults with guns that shoot paintballs, not bullets. At $200 for entrance and rental, it's very popular and profitable. For those who need a more drastic relief form stress, there's bungee jumping. It's the new fad that appeals to the nearly suicidal.

Preserving Traditions

In Atlanta, Georgia, there is a new trend at a very taditional Japanense school for the children of Japanese businessmen. What's changiing is the student body. About 20 percent of the students are Americans. Taking the opportunity for language immersion and an international education, they participate in everything - even the regular English classes. For the teachers the big challenge is keeping international harmony while maintaining a sense of competition to prepare the Japanese students for Japan's tough university entrance exams.

Canadian Ginseng

Canada, a rising producer of quality ginseng, has about 10 percent of the world market. Ginsengs has been produced in Ontario for about 100 years. Thirteen years ago, a farmer in British Columbia replaced two hectares of alfalfa with ginseng. Since then production has doubled and tripled. Long fabled for for strengthening the body, the memory and the immune system, ginseng also stimulates the economy. Dried ginseng fetches a staggering $100 per kilo, or ablut $34,000 a hectare, many times what alfalfa could generate.

Massage for Moms

Pregnancy may be beautiful, but it can also be a pain in the neck, the back and just about everywhere else. So mother-to-be are going for massages with licensed massage therapist avoids points that stimulate labor, but during labor they work those points hard. The goal of massage is to give berth without a lot of medical intervention. Skeptical hospital staff is being won over, as are the mothers.

Tools Library

Most libraries lend books to build the mind. But there's a library in Berkeley, California, that lends tools to build or repari almost anything. The tool library was set up in 1979 with a $30,000 federal grant, and is supported by local property taxes. The servive is free to help low-income familes improve theri homes, their property values and their lives. There are 2,500 tools available. If information on how to use the tools is needed, the library next door has all the how to do it books.

Big Habits Die Hard

China has the world's biggest tobacco habit : 220 million cartons of cigarette are sold every day. The country's 300 million smokers are growning by 300,000-400,000 a year. That's good news for the Chinese government, which profits form the stateowned tobacco monopoly. Tobacco, China's largest industry, produces revenues close to 5 billion U.S. dollars a year. Growing sales in China help offset declining sales at home,. With profit a clear motive, it's obvious why little is done to discourge the habit.

Going Strong in L.A

In Los Angeles, the ancient board game of Go is attracting hundreds of new players. Legend says Go was invented by a Chinese emperor 4,000 years ago, then spread all over the world. For 24 years the L.A. Go Club has been fostering American aficionados by offering group lessons and staying open 24 hours a day. Some players commit 10 to 15 hours a week studying and praticing this mental martial art. Its mine bais rules are easy to understand, but the variations and strategies take a lifetime to master.

Baby, Think It Over

An innovative form of birth contrl has been introduced into a San Diego high school. It's called Baby-Think-It-Over, a 10-pound life-like doll that the grils can take home for the weekend. Baby is programmed to cry at random about every four hours. The "mother" must "feed" Baby for 20 minutes to make it stop crying. The doll teaches teenage girls that caring gor a baby creates a total change of lifestyle. By the end of the weekend, Baby has proven its point:Having a baby isn't child's play.

The Tummy Tuck Comes to Russia

Cosmetic surgery has come to Russia and the benegits are two-fold. The first to benefit are Russian women. They are noted for their beauty, but it is short-lived. As they gain in years they also gain weight. Cosmetic surgery helps them regain that beauty fairly cheaply. A tummy tuck costs about $150. The second to benefit are the other less fortunate patients in the plastic surgery wards. Their lives depen on life-saving plastic surgery. These operations are financed by the cosmetic surgery.

The Havana Hat Trick

'Hat trick' used to be a sports term. Now there is the 'Havana Hat Trick' - a creatve way to bend the arilines' baggage weight limits on flights going to Cuba. The trade embargo makes life in Cuba hard, and the people need everything. Their American relatives are willing to help, which includes wearing several layers of clthes, carrying towels in jacket sleeves, stuffing a teddy bear with underwear or even wearing a rice cooker as a hat. The passengers looks eccentric and gaudy but the 'hat trick' does the job.

The Vanishing Koala

Australia is fast losing one of its best loved symbols, the koala. While millions of these shy, sleepy-looking animals used to inhabit the wilds of east Australia, there may be only 100,000 left. Koalas have been protected from hunting for seventy years but they haven't been protected from the expanding human population. Australia's ethos of clearing the untamed land has decimated the koals's favorite gum tree. Bush fires earlier this year further devastated the population. Wihtout effective action now, wild koalas will have vanished by the year 2010.

Wheelcharis for the Outdoors

John Castelano, a California enginner, is putting wheelcahirs into the great outdoors. His off-road wheelchairs for the disabled can go on the beach or race down mountainsides. One was even pulled behind a mule 18,000 feet up in to Tibetan Himalayas. Castelano takes 56 different measurements to custom-build each chair. With handlebars and disc brakes, they track like a car. Taking one down a mountainside is not without risks, and spills can happen. But for some, the adventure is worth the risks.

American Tea Party

Tea is staging a revolution in America. More and more people are drinking tea at break time. Most of the new comsumption is herbal tea, which is caffeine free. Even regular black teas like Earl Gray have only a third of the caffeine that coffe has. Leading the revolution is Celestial Seasonings, which has been selling herb teas for 20 years. They now sell 40 flavors and are testing new flavors every day. The newest hor seller is flavored ice tea, which is replacing hor tea as well as coffee.

From Sao Paulo to the World

A little girl is at the center of a multi-million dollar empire in Brazil. She's Monika, a bucktoothed cartoon character whose slef-reliance has inspired little girls for 30years. Her crator, Moudisio da souza, has turned her popularity into a $250 million-a-year business. His magazines sell 25 million copies a year, a Monika theme park attracts 150,000 children each month, and licenses have been snapped up for 3,500 products. Now da Souza feels that Monika is ready to go international. She has that kind of appeal.

Snapshots from the Homeless

A Hunter College student took a unusual angle on studying homeless, he gave them cameras so they could take pictures of themselves. It was a chance for sel expression. They photographed themselves, their friends, their homes and tourists. Each person was given $5 when they took the disposable camera and $10 when they rerurned it. Of the 23 cameras given out, 15 were returned. The results were displayed at Hunters College, and the photographers received enlargemets of their favorite photo.

Motherhood is Tough Job.

In California, a minor incident has stirred up a hornet's nest. When Lockerin registered to run for Congress, the law stated that she could not include being a mother or her list of jobs. Now she has started a campaign to change the law and give motherhood legal recognition as a job. Motherhood is a tough job, she says, and estimates it would cost $68,000 a year if professionals were hired to repace a mother. Ms. Lockerin wants motherhood to get the social benefits and respect is deserves.

Getting the Smell Out

No one likes to talk about bad breath, but it can be a serious medical and socail problem. People avoid being close to someone with bad breath. To attack this antisocial problem, a dentist in Missouri has opened a clinic to diagonose and treat bad breath. With specail equipment, he can pinpoint the cause. He says a dirty tongue or infected sinuses or tonsils are leading causes. He recommends brushing the tongue every day to remove plaque and bacteria. There's more to getting at bad breath than mouthwash.

Innovative CAre for Pets

In Edmonton, Canada, a chiropractor and a veterinarian have teamed up to provide drugfree alternative health care for pets. One day a week, the chiropractor adjusts animals' spines to give them pain-relieving tune-ups. The veterianarian gives pets acupuncutne treatment. The pets and their owners are very happy with the innovative treatment. Professionals, however, aren't happy because, they caution, there are no standards for such treatment. So far, the techniques must be acquired in the U.S. as there are no schools teaching them in Canada.

From Resistance to Acceptance

On the island of Guam, Japanese have learned to be flexible about their rice. Guam is an American territory, and in retaliation for Japan's strict ban on imported rice, it is illegal to import Japanese rice. Twenty-five years ago, the chef at Guam's first sushi bar flew in Japanese rice illegally until a typhoon stopped a shipment and forced him experiment. He found American rice quite acceptable, as did his customers. California rice is now so popular tourists can take home a souvenir bag for just $5.

Grave Robbers

A worldwide demand for antiquities is causing archeologists to worry. In Jordan, local farmers are earning a little extra money by robbing ancient graves of common people form the Byzantine and Bronze ages. They find bits of pottery, buckes and buttons which might net them a few dollars. Later these items will be sold in auction houses for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Archeologists claim this black market is destroying the past. When archeologists dig, they record information about their finds but grave robbers record nothing.

KoKo's Romance

When Koko, a 22-year-old gorilla, wanted to start a faily, she simply told her handlers. Koko comuunicates with American sign language and understands 2,000 spoken English words. The first mate she chose through video dating was Bongo, from the Rome Zoo, but his keepers would not let him leave. Her next choice was Endume. Their romance is progressing nicely, but there's a problem here too. A developer may start cutting timber on the property just 100 meters from koko's house. The noise could spoil all the carefully laid plans.

The Family Bed

The parents' bed is often a safe haven for children with bad dreams. Regularly sharing the parents' bed, however, has been discouraged in Western culture for about 100 years. Sleeping alone is though to buld independence and slf-reliance. Advocates of the family bed say sleep sharing is a pleasure and promotes family bonds. Chilren like the comfort and security. Whith the number of cases of child abuse, sleep sharing is not publicly discussed. Psychologists say the family bed is fairly uncommon, and even advocates say it is not or everyone.

Cigar Collectors

Cigras, especially pre-Castro Havanas, have become valuable collectors' items. In the U.S. they are techinically unavailable because of the 30-year embargo against Cuba, but in Britain, sales are up 25 to 40 pecent over the past 18months. Cigar aficionados appereciate their rich spicy flaver. Old cigars are prized for their rarity as well as flaver. The oldest existing cigars are probably those made for the Great London Exhibition of 1851. But in time even these rarities, in the hands of connoisseurs, will go up in smoke.

New Sports Kick

The lates sprts kick in the U.S. is soccer. Among kids it is now more popular than nay team sport except basketball. Three out of every four soccer players in the U.S. are under 18. In Coral Springs, Florida, there are 3,400 kids and 500 coaches in the league. Kids love soccer because everyone can participate and everyone gets kick the ball. Parents like the game because both boys and girls enjoy it, there is less risk of injuries, and the kids can run off their excess energy.

Relief for Guam's Tourism

Last year Guam's tourist economy was hit by a devastating earthquake and the recession in Japan, its main source of tourists. Relief is coming, however, from a new source: Korean newlyweds. Since 1985 Koreans have been going to guam to heneymoon. Increasingly they go for a complete wedding package. For Koreans, weddings are once in a lifetime-and they spare no expense. The everage cost is $25,000, making weddings on Guam considerbly cheaper but auguring a serious tourist defecit for Korea.

Baghdad's New Tower

There is new pencil-thin tower rising high above Baghdad's skyline. It is the 70-story Saddam Hussein Tower, which is being built on the site of an earlier project leveiled during the allied bombing. Work hasn't stopped on it since Saddam ordered its construction two years ago. It is hailed as a tower of deficance: proof that Iraqis hae the will to overcome their difficulties. When it is finished at the end of the year, it will be topped by a communications mast and a grand restaurant.

Divorce in Chille

Women's rights activists in Chile say it is time to legalize divorce. Chille is one of the few countries in world where divorce is still not legal because the influential Catholic Church has alwas strongly opposed it. Currently, couples exercise a judical fiction to separate:if one party declares they gave an in correct address when they got married, the marrige is declared illegal. Some fear poor people will suffer with legalization because they will not be able to afford expensive lawyers. They will probably continue with the current practice.

Earthquake Entrepreneurs

Some creative entrepreneurs found a gold mine in the wake of the Los Angeles earthquake. Baby Janne of Hollywood is a store specializing in Hollywood memorabilia. It has been selling broken bits of the stars' homes. Some of it they picked from the garbage, and some was donated by the celebrities theselves. Diehard fans happily pay prices from $1o to $500 to own a piece of something a star once owned. This unusual product also has an unusual benefit. Half the proceeds are donated to the charity of the buyer's choice.

Beautifying Saipan

On the Pacific island of Saipan, environmentalism and business are finding that working hand in hand may be the answer. Just 20 years ago, people were snorkeling, swimming and fishing in the waters off Smiley Cove, a 2nd World War naval base. Now it's too polluted for recreation. Through the Marine Revitalization Project, local businessman Tony Pelogrino wants to clean up this once pristine area and build a 76-boat docking facility. The project will improve the environment, boost the economy and provide a beautiful recreation area for local people.

Tregedy in China

The posting Taiwanese businessmen in China is causing some unexpected problems with sometimes tragic results. Businessmen are often stationed in China without their families for two to three years. When loneliness sets in, it si easy for them to take on a mistress. Many modern Taiwanese wives are rejecting this old Chinese custom. One enraged wife, in fact, murdered her husband's mistress and the two children. For most men, keeping two familes is simply a source of endless strife because no man can keep two wives happy.

Pregnant Women at Risk

For pregnant women, modest execise may be good, but a study from the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley says standing for long hours may not be. Women with a history of miscarrige who stand for more than seven hours a day have a 2-3 fold greater risk of miscarrige. At greatest risk are nurese, bank tellers, and factory workers. The sutdy recommends frequenr rest breaks. No connection was found between miscarriages and lifting weights. Future studies will focus on the effect of workplace stress on pregnancy.

US Dollar Coins (In the past)

Congress may soon pass a law to replace the dollar bill with a coin for the simple reason that the bills are too expensive to process. On a typical day buses in Washington D.C. collect over 150,000 dollar bills They are all sorted by hand at an annual cost of $1 millon. The Fedral Reserve could save $395 million a year by replacing the bills with coins. Canada, France and Britain have have already made the switch, but the American public still opposes the change by seven to one.

The Past Preseved

Every year a group of japanese-Americans gathers at Terminal Island, California to recall the past. Once called Fish Harbor, the island was a bustling community built around a fishing fleet and close family ties. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, American authorities forcibly ecacuated the residents to camps surrounded with barbed wire fences. During that painful experience, the village of Fish Harbor was repaced by whafside industies. The original community may have diappeared, but Fish Harbor lives on in the memories of present-day Terminal Islanders.

The sinking Maldives

A vacation paradise of breathtaking beauty is disappeararing into the sea. Off the Indian subcontinent lies the island nation of Maldives, a chain of more than 1,000 little coral islands-some just big enough for a solitary resort. A midst this beauty is a growning concern that the rising sea level threatens these low-lying islands with extinction. Already floods are a problem on some islands. The government, blaming global warming and the thining ozone layer, has launched a research vessel to study the situation and ease worries

Going Back to university

A growing mumber of older women are going back to university. Nationwide, one-sixth of all university students are 35 years and older. The majority of these older students are women. After their childern are grown up or after a divorce, older women want to qualify for better job. The first step is often very frightening; they have to balance family life and jobs with school work. But they are proving they can keep up and compete with younger students, and that going back to university is doable.

Fireworks Ban in China

Authorities in China are trying to enforce a ban on hte private use of firework. Fireworks are a time-honored tradition, but they cause serius air pollution, fires and casualities every year. Beijing is the third Chiness city to ban fireworks. Previous attempts to control them since 1987 failed as the general public ignored the rule. "Spring Festival" is a spectacle of light and sound but is also the busiest time for fire departments and hospitals. A recent poll showed that 84.6 percent of the people were in favor of the ban.

The Limits of Human Endurance

One man in Italy has tested the limits of human endurance in isolaiton. On Dec. 7,1992 Maurizio Montalbini began a year-long stay underground in scientifically designed capsules. Scientists carefully planned and monitored his life to gather information about human behaivior under extreme conditions. He lost all track of time; two days seemed like one. He cycled 2 miles a day and read 180 books. He lost 21 kilos because he lived mostly on vitamins. When he came out he received a hero's welcome-but said he wouldn't do it again.

Leech Therapy

Doctors are using blood suckers, or the common leech, to help save limbs. Following radical surgery to fingers and toes, normal blood circulation must return within 48 hours or there is a risk of amputation. Leeches stimulate circulation by draining excess blood and reducing a condition caalled blood congestion which can cause that part to die. Nurses apply the leeches like bangages. Once the leeches fill up with blood they fall off and are replaced by new ones. Animal rights activists are upset because the old leeches are destroyed.

Fortue telling for money

Police in Battle Creek, Michigan, have started to enforce an old city ordinance and a 1913 state law prohibiting people from making predictions for money. They recently raided a restaurant where an astrologer and a psychic work. The general public does not seem to support the crackdown. but City Attorney Clive Robinson says he wants to protect people from being tricked. The issue will be taken up in the Michigan State Legislature. Representative Dick Allen says this old law should be withdrawn since even creating the annual state budget means making predictiions.

I think that fortune-telling not happening would be a cheating someone but it no needs to ban in law.

Cocking with Cactus

Delicate but dangerous, cactus is also good to eat. The leaves or pads, are cooked as a vegetable and the fruit, or tuna, is sweet. Nobolitios are a popular breakfast special in Mexican restaurants. Thin slices of cooked cactus with poached eggs and salsa is a Mexican tradition. Cactus with poached eggs and salsa is a Mexican tradition. Cactus has been eaten since before the arrival of the Spaniards but is just now entering regular markets. No firm nutritional profile is yet available for this delicacy. And the taste? Some say it's like green beans, but others insist that it has its own unique taste.

Racism by the Book

South African laws reserving holiday resorts for whites were scrapped a few years ago, but there are still many places that practice apartheid. The Pearly Beach Resort is one of over a dozen whites-only places listed in the 1993/94 Guide to Holiday Cottages put out by one of South Africa's biggest publishers. The Minister of Tourism was shoked to hear about the whites-only advertisements-Bhadra Ranchod is the first onowhite in South Africa to hold a Cabinet post. The publishers say the racist ads will be excluded form the next edition.

Empty Calories, Empty Rules

A new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows only one percent of USDA's school-lunch programs meet its own dietary goals The nutritional deficiencies of school lunch programs were first exposed over a decade ago. Even so, the Agriculture Department is holding hearing to gather even more information about school lunches before taking any major steps to enforce its guidelines. Meanwhile, every school day 25 million U.S. children are eating lunches too high in fat, saturated fat and sodium.

"Fare" Trade in China

In Beijing, taxi servive used to be for foreigners and out-of-towners here on business. But now things have changed-ordinary people are taking taxis occasionally for work or on outings. In the past year, the number of taxis has tripled. Beijing now has nearly 60,000 taxis, half of which are yellow minibuses. At less than half the price of the more luxurious cars, these minibuses are now affordable to average people, who enjoy the conveniance despite problems with some drivers overcharging or refusing to take certain passengers.

Dating Hot Spot

The video arcade frequently found in shopping mail, has become a magnet for America's young people:a social outlet, a place to meet girls and guys. It's the place where you can meet the guy you're sweet on, he acts cool, and you giggle, an inexpensive and stress-free date that Mom and Dad have no problem with. Part of it is the atmosphere. Most arcades are clean, well lit and supervised. The dark, smoky images is mostly a thing of the past. The bottom line ofr young America: fun and friends.