Nearly five months after he almost died in a plane crash on San Juan Island, author Richard Bach has returned to what he knows best ― the inspirational tale of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.The 76-year-old author and longtime pilot is recovering at his Orcas Island home after spending four months in a Seattle hospital with massive brain, chest and spine injuries. Bach says his recovery includes rediscovering simple pleasures, like walking and talking with ease and carving the Christmas turkey.He c

The LaughterhouseBy Paul Cleave(Atria)“The Laughterhouse,” the sixth novel by New Zealand crime writer Paul Cleave, offers a disgraced cop at economic loose ends, a multiple murderer who dispatches his victims in extravagant ways, and chapters narrated from inside the killer’s head.That’s not the freshest recipe in the crime fiction cookbook, but “The Laughterhouse” nonetheless held my attention. Its story is, a back-cover blurb tells me, one of revenge, survival, and impossible choices, and tha

SuspectBy Robert Crais(Putnam Adult)Taking a break from his perennial characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, Robert Crais delivers a poignant, thrilling story about recovery, trust and how bonding with another living being can make us better people.“Suspect” also is the story of a man and a dog whose tentative attempts to make a connection with each other will save their lives, both emotionally and physically.The man in this case is LAPD officer Scott James, who was severely wounded and traumati

COLUMBIA, Missouri (AP) ― Authorities announced Wednesday that they know who killed a University of Missouri professor in a campus parking garage eight years ago, but that they may never be able to explain the vicious attack because the suspect committed suicide last summer. Campus police said at a hastily arranged news conference that two people recently implicated Timothy Aaron Hoag in the Jan. 7, 2005, stabbing death of 72-year-old Jeong Hyok Im, whose body was stuffed into the trunk of his c

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) ― South African mining billionaire Patrice Motsepe announced Wednesday he would give half his family’s fortune to charity, becoming the first African to match a pledge made by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.The Soweto-born tycoon, worth an estimated $2.7 billion (2 billion euros), announced he would join the Giving Pledge, which challenges the world’s wealthiest to give at least 50 percent of their fortune to charity.“The need and challenges are great,” Motsepe said in a statem

Actress Lee Si-young joined the Incheon City boxing team Thursday, taking the first step towards her goal of competing in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. The 31-year-old was presented with a membership certificate, a uniform and gloves by Incheon Mayor Song Young-gil at the team initiation ceremony at Incheon Metropolitan Government Thursday.  Lee’s appearance bore little resemblance to her glamorous image as a film star. She appeared at the ceremony without makeup, wearing a sweatshirt and pants,

Younger and older U.S. adults show less empathy, but middle-aged adults report more empathy, with women in their 50s the most empathy, researchers say. Sara Konrath, Ed O‘Brien and Linda Hagen all of the University of Michigan, Daniel Gruhn at North Carolina State University analyzed data on 75,000 U.S. adults from three separate large samples of American adults, two from the nationally representative General Social Survey.“Overall, late middle-aged adults were higher in both of the aspects of e

The Upo Wetlands are currently on the Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The enlistment acknowledges Upo’s contribution to the local biodiversity as being a site of natural conservation. It is now one of the most visited spots for ecotourism. The listing as a World Heritage Site is therefore supported by many Koreans. The wetlands have played an important role, both naturally and culturally. Alongside hosting local biodiversity, they connect people with nature. Upo is a source of na

UNESCO World Heritage candidate site shows raw nature

1. A harasser approaches a woman from the front as shown in Picture 1, leaving very little or no personal space.There are two ways of getting out of this tight situation. One is the silent approach without drawing attention from nearby people, and the other is to aggressively stand against the opponent causing commotion.Here is how to actively fend off harassers on public transport.2. Take a step away from the opponent. Bend both arms to bring both hands toward your chest and block the opponent

The number of people in Korea suffering from hair loss has now reached 10 million. Recently, it’s not only because of genetic reasons, but also due to environmental factors such as excessive stress, drinking, smoking and irregular eating habits.A growing number of hair loss patients are in their 20s and 30s, and most of them have difficulties in their social life.The most common way to prevent or treat hair loss is by taking drugs such as finasteride and minoxidil. But patients with genetic caus

Multicultural home-health agency meets the need for culturally appropriate care for aging immigrants