The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Olympics: Russia unveils sleek Sochi Games torch Posted: 14 Jan 2013 07:37 AM PST MOSCOW, jan 14 — Russia today unveiled a sleek silver-and-black torch to be used for the traditional relay leading up to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.  Prominent Russian ice dancer and Olympic silver medalist Ilia Averbukh poses with the newly unveiled Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch in Moscow on January 14, 2013. — AFP pic "Our team was working based on the ideology of the Firebird," designer Vladimir Pirozhkov told Russian state television. It stands for the "luck and happiness that we are all after," Pirozhkov said. The Firebird is a mystical creature in Russian folk tales that has magic powers and assists a famous prince. Organisers said the matt silver in the torch design represented ice while the red stood for the fire kindling in the mountains that surround the holiday resort. Russia's sports-mad President Vladimir Putin secured the palm-tree-lined city the unlikely title of Winter Olympic capital after putting up a firm defence of its candidacy while prime minister in 2007. The city has since been transformed through a US$19 billion (RM57 billion) investment programme that has seen new roads built and stadiums erected from scratch. But economists question the long-term benefits of the project while environmentalists worry about the damage done to local wildlife and nature reserves. The torch relay will begin on October 7 in Greece and stretch more than 65,000 kilometres (40,000 miles) as it winds its way past former Winter Olympic Games capitals on its way to the Black Sea. The Games themselves begin on February 7, 2014 although Russia — after initially mulling the option of even sending the torch to the International Space Station — has still not released the relay's exact itinerary. The propane gas torch weighs 1.8kg (4.0 pounds) and will produce "a very bright, beautiful flame of bright orange-red," designer Pirozhkov said. Each member of the Olympic relay ceremony gets to keep the torch as a momento of the Sochi Games. Some 14,000 torches will be produced in all. — AFP/Relaxnews |
| Five ways to protect yourself from getting sick at work Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:41 AM PST  If your colleagues are sick, take steps this flu season to ensure you stay healthy. — AFP pic A recent online survey by Cintas Corporation found that 84 per cent of employed adults in the US admit to having gone to work while sick. What's worse is that almost half of them never warned their co-workers about their illness, making it easier to spread a bug around. But with most cold and flu bugs lingering as long as 10 days, many employees — except those who can work from home — aren't left with much choice but to return to work before their system is clear. Plus the study revealed that 65 per cent of employees feel it is only necessary to stay home between one and three days with the flu, when experts say the flu virus can be contagious for one day before symptoms develop and up to seven days after becoming sick. Still, there are ways to help protect yourself, and these tips offer a good place to start. 1. Beware of common items. Germ hotspots include sink faucet handles in the break room, microwave door handles, and your office keyboard. Wash your hands after touching common items like the refrigerator, microwave, door handles, and faucets, said Cheryl Luptowski, public information officer at NSF International, according to Working Mother. 2. Wash your hands. It's worth repeating: wash your hands after lunch, after meetings, after using shared office equipment, and after shaking hands with people, Luptowski adds. Use warm water and soap and lather up for at least 20 seconds, advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 3. Disinfect the objects you touch. Once a week, wipe down your keyboard, mouse, phone, and even the outside of your reusable water bottle, advises blog FitSugar. 4. Stay hydrated. Staying well hydrated can help your immune system do its job, as does getting adequate sleep and reducing stress, adds Luptowski. Keep a bottle or glass of water at your desk. Other option: drink herbal teas. 5. Don't touch your face. This is a hard one, but avoid touching your face, rubbing your eyes, and biting your nails — ever — to avoid giving germs direct access to your body. If you have to, wash your hands before doing so, advises Luptowski. — AFP/Relaxnews |
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