For One More Day
Friday, 26 December 2014 posted at 05:17
For One More Day starts with a young sports reporter approaching former baseball player Chick Benetto. Chick's first words are, "Let me guess. You want to know why I tried to kill myself." From there the story of Chick's life is told in his voice, and the reader hears it as if he or she is the sports reporter sitting there listening to him. When Chick tries to commit suicide, he wakes up in a world between life and death where he gets to spend one more day with his mother, who dies 8 years earlier. Chick was supposed to be with his mother the day she died, and he still harbors guilt over the fact that he wasn't. The story moves back and forth between memories of Chick's childhood and adolescence, and the action taking place between Chick and his dead mother. Ultimately, it is a story of redemption and making peace with one's past. It is a story of love, family, mistakes and forgiveness.
Summary by: Nur QIstina Aneesa
Labels: Nur Qistina Aneesa
Rude Awakenings of A Jane Austen Addict
posted at 05:16
Laurie Viera Rigler's debut novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, was a hit with fans and critics, and a BookSense and Los Angeles Times bestseller. Its open-to-interpretation ending left readers begging for more-and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict delivers. While Confessions took twenty-first-century free spirit Courtney Stone into the social confines of Jane Austen's era, Rude Awakenings tells the parallel story of Jane Mansfield, a gentleman's daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in Courtney's overly wired and morally confused L.A. life.
For Jane, the modern world is not wholly disagreeable. Her apartment may be smaller than a dressing closet, but it is fitted up with lights that burn without candles, machines that wash bodies and clothes, and a glossy rectangle in which tiny people perform scenes from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Granted, if she wants to travel she may have to drive a formidable metal carriage, but she may do so without a chaperone. And oh, what places she goes! Public assemblies that pulsate with pounding music. Unbound hair and unrestricted clothing. The freedom to say what she wants when she wants-even to men without a proper introduction.
Jane relishes the privacy, independence, even the power to earn her own money. But how is she to fathom her employer's incomprehensible dictates about "syncing a BlackBerry" and "rolling a call"? Even more bewildering are the memories that are not her own. And the friend named Wes, who is as attractive and confusing to Jane as the man who broke her heart back home. It's enough to make her wonder if she would be better off in her own time, where at least the rules are clear-that is, if returning is even an option.
Summary by: Nur Qistina Aneesa
Labels: Nur Qistina Aneesa
Tips to Manage Stress
posted at 05:13
If you're feeling overwhelmed by a stressful situation, try taking a break and listening to relaxing classical music. Playing calm music has a positive effect on the brain and body, can lower blood pressure, and reduce cortisol, a hormone linked to stress You can also take a break to call a friend and talk about your problems. Good relationships with friends and loved ones are important to any healthy lifestyle, and there's no time that this is more evident than when you're under a lot of stress. A reassuring voice, even for a minute, can put everything in perspective. Talking calmly to yourself can be the next best thing. Don’t worry about seeming crazy—just tell yourself why you're stressed out, what you have to do to complete the task at hand, and most importantly, that everything will be OK. Stress levels and a proper diet are closely related. Unfortunately, it’s when we have the most work that we forget to eat well and resort to using sugary, fatty snack foods as a pick-me-up. Try to avoid the vending machine and plan ahead. Fruits and vegetables are always good, and fish with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the symptoms of stress.
Laughter releases endorphins that improve mood and decrease levels of the stress-causing hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Laughing tricks your nervous system into making you happy. However, bursting into a fit of giggles at your desk may not be the most appropriate way to deal with stress. Green tea may be helpful too. It has less than half the caffeine of coffee and contains healthy antioxidants, as well as theanine, an amino acid that has a calming and soothing effect on the nervous system. Exercise doesn't necessarily mean power lifting at the gym or training for a marathon. A short walk around the office or simply standing up to stretch during a break at work can offer immediate relief in a stressful situation. Getting your blood moving releases endorphins and can improve your mood almost instantaneously. Lack of sleep is also a key cause of stress. This vicious cycle causes the brain and body to get out of whack and only gets worse with time. Make it a point to get the doctor-recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. Turn the TV off earlier, manage your time, and do your best to get into bed.
Summary by: Nur Qistina Aneesa
Labels: Nur Qistina Aneesa
Peshawar Attack in Pakistan
posted at 05:02
The Taliban gunmen who stormed a school in Pakistan killing 148 people, including 132 children, have been identified by the militant group.
The Pakistani Taliban released the pictures as they issued a statement claiming the attack was justified because the Pakistani army had long been killing innocent children and families of their fighters.
Pakistani Taliban spokesman Mohammad Khurasani also vowed more attacks as he warned civilians to detach themselves from all military institutions.
The walls were riddled with bullet holes, an auditorium floor that was covered in blood and a burnt out office.
Taliban gunmen broke into the school before opening fire and killing 132 children, and wounding another 121 along with three staff, in the bloodiest massacre in the country for a number of years.
Maj Gen Bajwa said the attackers made their way into the main auditorium and started shooting randomly at the students, who had gathered for an event.
Students were shot by the gunmen as they tried to flee. Around 100 bodies were later recovered from the auditorium alone, Maj Gen Bajwa said.
There have also been reports that some of the female teachers were burned alive during the attack.
Army commandos fought the Taliban throughout the day until the school was cleared and all the attackers were reported to have been killed, eight hours after the siege had started.
Wounded children taken to hospital told Reuters news agency how most of the victims were killed when gunmen, wearing explosive strapped to their bodies, started to fire indiscriminately on students and their teachers.
Shahrukh Khan, 15, who was shot in both legs but survived by hiding under a bench, said: "One of my teachers was crying, she was shot in the hand and she was crying in pain,"
"One terrorist then walked up to her and started shooting her until she stopped making any sound. All around me were my friends lying injured and dead."
The Pakistani Taliban, which is fighting to topple the government and set up an Islamic state, immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
"We selected the army's school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and females," said Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani. "We want them to feel the pain."
A three-day mourning period has been declared by the government as funerals started to be held for the victims.
Summary by: Nur Qistina Aneesa
Labels: Nur Qistina Aneesa
