The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls among new 7 natural wonders Posted: 12 Nov 2011 01:25 AM PST  The poll organised by New7Wonders has attracted great interest, including Argentinean football star Lionel Messi who called on fans to pick his home country's Iguazu Falls. — AFP/Relaxnews pic The other four crowned the world's natural wonders are South Korea's Jeju Island, Indonesia's Komodo, the Philippines' Puerto Princesa Underground River and South Africa's Table Mountain, said the New7Wonders foundation, citing provisional results. Final results will be announced early 2012, said the Swiss foundation, warning there may yet be changes between the provisional winners and the final list. Sites that have failed to make the cut include Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, the Dead Sea and the US Grand Canyon. Residents of Jeju welcomed the announcement, with a 2,000-strong crowd bursting into cheers of "We made it", the Yonhap news agency reported. Jeju Govenor Woo Geun-Min said the listing would open "a new chapter" for the island's tourism industry. "This will greatly help attract tourists to Jeju, enhance investment and bolster awareness about Jeju's agricultural products," he told journalists. The island is renowned for its tangerines. The poll organised by Swiss foundation New7Wonders has attracted great interest, mobilising celebrities including Argentinean football star Lionel Messi calling on fans to pick his home country's Iguazu Falls. The results come after a long consultation process lasting from December 2007 to July 2009, when world citizens were asked to put forward sites which they deemed were natural wonders. More than a million votes were cast to trim the list of more than 440 contenders in over 220 countries down to a shortlist of 77. The group was then further cut to 28 finalists by a panel of experts. Anyone in the world was then able to vote for the final seven via telephone, text messages or Internet social networks. Founded in 2001 by filmmaker Bernard Weber in Zurich, the foundation New7Wonders is based on the same principle on which the seven ancient wonders of the world were established. That list of seven wonders was attributed to Philon of Byzantium in ancient Greece. New7Wonders said its aim is to create a global memory by garnering participation worldwide. But even as the natural wonders poll came to a close, the New7Wonders foundation has set its eyes on a new survey — the top seven cities of the world. Participating cities will be announced on January 1, 2012. — AFP/Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Dogs help US veterans cope with trauma of war Posted: 11 Nov 2011 06:52 PM PST  A US Navy SEAL Team 18 member handles a multi-purpose dog during a demonstration of combat skills at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida. — Reuters pic Jonas, a two-year-old dog, is trained to scan owner Ian Lord for signs of stress or anxiety and respond with licks, cuddles and demands for pats. Lord, a 25-year-old Air Force veteran in Norfolk, Virginia, credits his pet with helping him cope with the aftershocks of war. "He makes it a lot easier to recover from a trigger, like sounds of a helicopter overhead," Lord said. "The difference is, instead of getting wound up about it the rest of the day, it's like OK, go outside and throw a ball around, or just cuddle up to him a bit and kind of snap out of it." The number of veterans receiving post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs rose from 254,930 in 2006 to 408,167 in 2010. With 40,000 more US troops expected return home from Iraq at year's end, the number could grow. Psychotherapy and cognitive processing therapy, which includes education and awareness about symptoms, are the main treatment methods, according to deputy chief consultant for specialty mental health Sonja Batten. But other treatments also are being used, including yoga, acupuncture, meditation and psychological service dogs. The department doesn't know how many veterans are using service dogs as part of their treatment, and there is debate over whether the approach is beneficial. But a new study is underway to determine whether the dogs can help vets. It will aim to pair at least 200 dogs with veterans in Florida and Colorado. Carol Borden, executive director of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc. in Williston, Florida, one of the organizations taking part in the study, said dogs are specifically trained according to an individual's needs. "We talk to each veteran and find out exactly what their challenges are," she said. "There are multitudes of things we can teach the dogs to do, depending on each individual's circumstances." Lord saw four years of active duty and served in Iraq, Afghanistan and surrounding countries. He said he was diagnosed with PTSD after suffering "almost the stereotypical meltdown" in 2010, when a simulation-style training course stirred suppressed memories of getting shot at in Iraq. He was honourably discharged from the service. Jonas came into his life thanks to his wife medical student wife Megan, who had been training Jonas as a therapy dog for hospital patients. The couple noticed Jonas would start cuddling and licking Ian whenever he exhibited PTSD symptoms, such as anxiety, depression and sleeping problems. The dog's service is prescribed by Lord's psychiatrist, giving Jonas the same legal rights of entry to businesses and public spaces as guide dogs for the blind. "As soon as people hear he's a PTSD dog, the next thing out of their mouths is, 'Oh, thank you for your service, sir,'" Lord said. "They connect the dots pretty quickly." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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