Should You Be Running Barefoot like Ethiopian Abebe Bikila?
WE LOVE YOU ABEBE BIKILA
By Amby Burfoot
As a teenager, I loved to run barefoot on the Connecticut beaches, splashing through the waves. A few years later, I often ran without shoes while training for the college cross-country season, completing workouts that were the hardest, fastest, most puke-able, and yet most enjoyable of my life.
Those are strange bedfellows: extreme effort and high pleasure. I have wondered if someone was spiking my Kool-Aid, a popular sports drink of the time. Then I close my eyes and recall how my friends and I snuck onto Shennecossett Golf Course as dusk descended. How we giddily removed our shoes, and felt the fairway underfoot. How we ran an undulating six-mile fartlek loop, sprinting and jogging, sprinting and jogging, the summer sweat cascading off our bodies. How we finished, not another gasp of oxygen in our lungs, and flopped onto the 14th green. The kinesthetic memories are fullblown, from the slight chill of the grass on my feet to the heaving chest and the light-headed dizziness of the effort. Was it the barefoot running that made the memory so vivid?
Famous runners had gone barefoot before us, of course. In 1960 Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila, the greatest Olympic marathoner of all time, won the first of his consecutive gold medals sans shoes in a world record 2:15:17. My high school coach, “Young John” J. Kelley, was the leading American finisher (19th, 2:24:58) in that 1960 Rome Olympic Marathon, and his descriptions of the torchlit race have always entranced me. Except the part about the stones.
“On the ancient Appian Way, we had to run on huge, rounded cobblestones that were completely unyielding,” Kelley says. “They had no ‘give’ at all. I remember that I was afraid of slamming down too hard on them, and I still can’t imagine how Bikila did it.”
While Bikila was making Olympic history, England’s Bruce Tulloh was running European record times from 1955 to 1967, almost always in bare feet. He ran 13:12 for three miles on grass, and 27:23 for six miles on cinders. Later, Tulloh taught in Africa, coached, wrote books, and ran solo across America (2,876 miles, albeit in shoes). At 68, his mind is as sharp as ever, and he is ever eager for a good barefoot jaunt. “I’ll be running on the beach at Devon this weekend,” he said in early summer. “The only reason that more people don’t run barefoot is that they’re afraid to be unconventional.”
That wouldn’t apply to either Charlie “Doc” Robbins or Zola Budd, both important contributors to barefoot running. Robbins, winner of two USA National Marathon Championships in the late 1940s, completed 50 straight Thanksgiving Day Road Races in Manchester, Connecticut, before calling it quits two years ago. Most Thanksgivings, Robbins went shoeless, though he would resort to a pair of socks if the temperature dipped below 20 degrees.
Budd set a track world record in January 1984 when, just 16, she ran 5000 meters in South Africa in 15:01.83, more than six seconds under Mary Decker’s existing record. (Too bad Budd is better known for her fateful collision with Decker in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic 3000 race. Decker was thrown horribly off-balance, and twisted and fell to the infield grass.)
Interest in barefoot running seemed to wane until 2001, when Michael Warburton, an Aussie physical therapist and 2:42 marathoner, published an online paper titled, simply, “Barefoot Running.” (You can view the paper at the sports science web site sportsci.org.) In his section on running economy, Warburton points out that the extra weight of shoes on your feet is much worse than a pound or two around your middle. Weight on your feet is subject to constant acceleration and deceleration (runners call these movements “strides”), which have a high energy cost. According to Warburton, research has shown that 100 grams of extra weight on your feet decreases your running economy by one percent. Simple math says that two 10-ounce shoes will make you more than five percent less efficient. That’s a big deal. When you add five percent to Paul Tergat’s marathon world record 2:04:55, he’s a 2:11 guy, which doesn’t net him enough for a warm bowl of ugali in the Kenyan highlands.
But we don’t think much about running economy when we buy a pair of new running shoes. First we want protection from harmful objects. And then we expect cushioning and/or motion control–the stuff of injury prevention. But this is where things get strange, because scientific studies have had a hard time proving that shoes represent a big step forward from the naked foot.
To learn what’s going on inside the body, which, after all, is where we runners develop all our stress fractures, Achilles strains, and so forth, a medical team needs to take measurements from–ouch!–inside the body. I’ve actually seen this take place in a biomechanics lab, and it’s a blood sport. The combatants typically include a mad Ph.D. scientist and several grad students (a.k.a. the “volunteers”) desperate to finish their degree work. (“Sure, I’ll be happy to let you drill a metal accelerometer into my shin bone before my next treadmill run,” says a grad student.) The results of several of these intrusive experiments have shown little change in shock absorption or motion-control in shod versus unclad feet. This apparent difference seems hard to believe. All that foam padding and all those posts, bridges, and dual-density midsoles have to be doing something, right?
Of course they are; they’re deceiving the body. Here’s an explanation, based on your body’s proprioceptive abilities–that is, the way it can communicate up and down all pathways. When you run barefoot, your body precisely engages your vision, your brain, the soles of your feet, and all the muscles, bones, tendons, and supporting structures of your feet and legs. They leap to red alert, and give you a high degree of protection from the varied pressures and forces of running.
On the other hand, when you run in socks, shoes, inserts, midsoles and outsoles, your body’s proprioceptive system loses a lot of input. “This has been called ‘the perceptual illusion’ of running shoes,” says Warburton. “With shoes, your body switches off to a degree, and your reaction time decreases.” The way I see it, there’s a simple explanation for the high IQ of barefoot running: We descended from the trees to walk and run this planet’s surfaces six million years ago, and we’ve had time to get really, really good at it, from the soles of the feet to the top of the brain.
By now, you might be worried about your Reebok stock or your friends who work at the local running store. I wouldn’t sweat it too much, at least not to judge from the number of bare feet I saw at my last big road race (zero). Even though a guy named Ken Saxton is running a marathon a month this year (barefootrunning.org), I doubt his preference will take off the way instant messaging, low-carb diets, and The Apprentice have.
Besides, many podiatrists think it’s dangerous. “Most of my patients aren’t worldclass runners,” says foot doctor Stephen Pribut, DPM. “It wouldn’t make sense for them to risk getting twigs and glass in their feet. And I think some soft surfaces increase plantar fascia and Achilles problems. Of course, what doesn’t kill you might make you stronger.”
This a-little-medicine-is-good-for-you perspective is shared by a number of other podiatrists, physical therapists, and coaches. Their theory: Modern man does spend too much time in shoes, and this weakens many of the foot and leg structures. To correct this, you can walk barefoot around the house, do simple foot strengthening exercises, or run a few barefoot miles a week on safe, secure surfaces.
And then put your shoes back on before you hit the pavement. Even Abebe Bikila gave up his barefoot ways. Four years after winning in Rome, he wore Pumas in the Tokyo Olympic Marathon. He won again, despite having had an appendectomy 40 days earlier, and set a new world record, 2:12:11.2. Apparently, the shoes didn’t bother him at all.
Five Better Ways to Save Money
Today, most major banks only offer regular savings accounts with an interest rate between 0.01% and 0.05%. These banks include Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Citibank. These savings accounts are virtually earning customers no money. In addition, all of these banks charge customers a monthly service fee if they don’t keep a minimum balance.
Thankfully, there are better options out there. Several online banks are now offering great savings account interest rates, and it’s easy to open an account from your home computer. Just link your new account to your regular bank account and start saving money smartly today.
Listed below five online banks that are currently offering the best regular savings account interest rates:
- Discover Bank: Discover is offering a 0.9% interest rate on its online savings account. There is no monthly fee; however, there is a $500 minimum opening deposit.
- American Express Bank: This savings account will also earn you an interest rate of 0.09%. However, there is no minimum opening deposit, no minimum balance and no monthly fee.
- Ally Bank: This savings account offers a 0.84% interest rate with no minimum opening deposit and no monthly fees.
- First Internet Bank of Indiana: The Tomorrow’s Tycoons savings account offered by this bank requires a minimum opening deposit of $100, but there is no minimum daily balance or monthly fee. The interest rate for this account is 0.65%.
- Nationwide Bank: Nationwide offers a savings account with an interest rate of 0.40%. There is a minimum opening deposit of $50. Also, you must either keep a minimum daily balance of $300 or set up a reoccurring monthly deposit of at least $25. Otherwise, you will pay a $3.00 monthly fee.
To search and compare bank rates, use BankRate.com; a great online resource for all things finance and banking.
Nancy Johnson works in the health care field and owns the site http://www.medicalbillingdegree.org In her spare time, she enjoys writing guest blog posts on various topics of interest.
IRS Reminds Parents of Ten Tax Benefits
IRS Reminds Parents of Ten Tax Benefits
Your kids can be helpful at tax time. That doesn’t mean they’ll sort your tax receipts or refill your coffee, but those charming children may help you qualify for some valuable tax benefits. Here are 10 things the IRS wants parents to consider when filing their taxes this year.
1. Dependents In most cases, a child can be claimed as a dependent in the year they were born. For more information see IRS Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.
2. Child Tax Credit You may be able to take this credit for each of your children under age 17. If you do not benefit from the full amount of the Child Tax Credit, you may be eligible for the Additional Child Tax Credit. For more information see IRS Publication 972, Child Tax Credit.
3. Child and Dependent Care Credit You may be able to claim this credit if you pay someone to care for your child or children under age 13 so that you can work or look for work. See IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses.
4. Earned Income Tax Credit The EITC is a tax benefit for certain people who work and have earned income from wages, self-employment or farming. EITC reduces the amount of tax you owe and may also give you a refund. IRS Publication 596, Earned Income Credit, has more details.
5. Adoption Credit You may be able to take a tax credit for qualifying expenses paid to adopt an eligible child. If you claim the adoption credit, you must file a paper tax return with required adoption-related documents. For details, see the instructions for IRS Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses.
6. Children with earned income If your child has income earned from working, they may be required to file a tax return. For more information, see IRS Publication 501.
7. Children with investment income Under certain circumstances a child’s investment income may be taxed at their parent’s tax rate. For more information, see IRS Publication 929, Tax Rules for Children and Dependents.
8. Higher education credits Education tax credits can help offset the costs of higher education. The American Opportunity and the Lifetime Learning Credits are education credits that can reduce your federal income tax dollar-for-dollar. See IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, for details.
9. Student loan interest You may be able to deduct interest paid on a qualified student loan, even if you do not itemize your deductions. For more information, see IRS Publication 970.
10. Self-employed health insurance deduction If you were self-employed and paid for health insurance, you may be able to deduct any premiums you paid for coverage for any child of yours who was under age 27 at the end of the year, even if the child was not your dependent. For more information, see the IRS website.
Forms and publications on these topics are available at www.irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Ethiopian girls fight child marriages
By Will Ross BBC News,
“I wanted to get an education but my
parents were determined to marry me off,” says Himanot Yehewala, an Ethiopian
girl who was married five years ago at the age of 13.
“I tried to run away but my mother said she would kill herself if I did not
marry him.”
“I was not mature physically or emotionally so it was not easy for me to go
and sleep with my husband.”
She had never met her bridegroom, 18-year-old Gedefaw Mengistu, before their
wedding day.
“Start Quote
In one case the husband was eight and the supposed wife was
seven. I mean you want to say it’s abominable”
End Quote Desmond Tutu
Archbishop emeritus
“I knew she was too young. I was in grade five but my
father died and I was forced to stop school, get married and keep the family
going,” Mr Gedefaw told the BBC.
The couple live in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region – an impoverished rural farming
area where half of all girls are married before they turn 15.
“It’s quite shattering to have met people who were married off,” Archbishop
Desmond Tutu told the BBC on a visit to the area.
“In one case the husband was eight and the supposed wife was seven. I mean
you want to say it’s abominable,” he said.
The South African Nobel Peace Prize winner may have recently announced his
retirement from public life but he is out fighting injustice again as one of the
Elders – the group of eminent global leaders brought together by South Africa’s
former President Nelson Mandela.
“I wasn’t aware of the extent of the problem – and it is just fantastic that
things are taking a turn for the better and incredibly so,” he said.
The archbishop was referring to the impact of government-led programmes in
several dozen villages in the region which focus on delaying marriage.
Fear of abduction
“Start Quote
When I finish my high school I will join university; I’ll
complete my BA degree and get a job and help my family. Then if my partner has a
degree too then I will marry him”
End
Quote Abay Asnakew, 12
In this impoverished area where people live off the
land, the lure of a bride price causes many families to push for early weddings.
But there is another reason.
“Fear of abduction is also a
factor,” said Alemseged Weldegerima from the Ethiopian government’s Bureau
of Women, Children and Youth Affairs.
“We will try to stop abduction, not by using the police, but by increasing
the awareness of the people.”
Beside a small eucalyptus plantation Archbishop Tutu was sharing a low wooden
bench with two Elders who have broken the mould; the first woman to be president
of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and the former prime minister of Norway, and ex-head
of the World Health Organization, Gro Brundtland.
They listened to young unmarried girls with big dreams, as well as women who
had no chance of getting an education after being married off at a young
age.
Abay Asnakew is 12 and she has her life all mapped out.
“When I finish my high school I will join university; I’ll complete my BA
degree and get a job and help my family. Then if my partner has a degree too
then I will marry him,” she says.
“So what job do you want to do?” I asked.
“Prime minister,” she replied without hesitation. Look out Meles Zenawi!
Abay has joined a girls’ club known as Berhane Hewan – Amharic for “Light for
Eve”.
She has learnt about issues which have prepared her to resist early marriage;
personal health, HIV/Aids, and the medical complications associated with giving
birth at a young age, like fistula.
The Elders heard from girlshoping to avoid early marriage and some who had left school to marry
Female circumcision is also discussed and in the 36 villages where the clubs
have been set up, I am told fewer girls are now getting cut.
Beside the road several boys are playing table football. They seem to welcome
the idea of delaying marriage.
“You can’t afford to run a family when you’re too young,” said 20-year-old
Tazab, who has no plans to wed any time soon.
“Also it’s bad for a girl’s health to have children too early,” he
says.
‘Undervalued’
In a rectangular mud-walled building which serves as a meeting hall and
classroom for the Berhane Hewan participants, I met 15-year-old Serkaddis
Assefa.
“Start Quote
I still feel bad when I think about my friends who now have
jobs and have reached different positions”
End Quote Enguday Assefa
Married at 15
“Because of the Berhane Hewan programme I know about the
issue of early marriage. If I hadn’t joined, I might have been married off
already,” she said.
Sitting alongside was her mother, Enguday Assefa, whose forth child was fast
asleep on her back.
Around Ms Enguday’s neck was part of her dowry payment; a coin bearing the
face of Ethiopia’s last emperor, Haile Selassie, and another of Queen Taitu,
wife of the monarch Menelik II who died in 1913.
“I still feel bad when I think about my friends who now have jobs and have
reached different positions,” said Ms Enguday, who was forced to quit school and
was already married with a child by the age of 15.
For the Elders, the behavioural change which has only happened in the last
five years is worth celebrating.
“When Nelson Mandela brought us together at our first planning meeting he did
say to us: ‘Be bold, talk to those whom others won’t talk to, be on the side of
the most deprived, the most isolated, the most undervalued in society,’” recalls
Mrs Robinson.
“And in many ways those young girls, brides and mothers are very undervalued
by their community and have very little sense of self-worth so the issue of
child marriage, as far as I’m concerned, is a very good way of having an entry
point into the effect of poverty.
“The effect of a lack of equality within communities, the effect of harmful
traditional practices on the community – the effect of all the things that the
Elders should be championing.”
Berhane Hewan started off with 700 girls and at its peak reached around
12,000 – just a small fraction of the vulnerable population.
While considered to be a successful initiative, the programme will need to be
scaled up significantly to make a major difference in Ethiopia.
For the first time the girls here are starting to shape their own
destinies.
The hope among the Elders is that lessons from Ethiopia’s Amhara Region can
be applied to other parts of the world where child marriage is common, like
India.
The new food plate
The Atlantic reports that the food industry took issue with the original foodpyramid because it established food hierarchies, while many nutritionists complained that it encouraged people to eat too many grains.
The 2005 pyramid, which was meant to address those issues, also received its fair share of criticism. The Atlantic says it was just too difficult for people to understand, describing it as “hopelessly complicated” and “impossible to teach.”
But thus far, the buzz for the new plate image has been far more positive.
“With the old pyramids, it was very hard to translate the recommendations into what you should eat,” said Dr. Margo Wootan of the Center for Science In The Public Interest. “This is very straightforward. It takes a lot of the guesswork out.”
Toby Smithson, R.D., a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association agrees.
“It’s such a recognizable image,” she said. “Everybody has seen a plate, used a plate. It’s much easier to visualize when it’s something we use on a daily basis.”
Smithson added that the plate is an improvement because it’s easy for non-readers to understand, which means young kids can learn the message early on and carry it with them throughout their lives. She also likes that the new image and accompanying Choose My Plate campaign put an emphasis on the positive.
“I like that message and that word choice,” she said. “It’s about choosing the right things, not so much about avoiding.”
The new food plate image reflects the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which promote measures like switching to fat-free or low-fat milk and opting for water over sugary drinks. The guidelines also recommend making sure that half your plate is filled with fruits and veggies — a recommendation that Wootan said is one of the major points highlighted by the new graphic.
She cautioned, however, that people should be aware of the size of their plates when trying to model their meals after the image.
“You can’t fill up a platter,” she said. “People should be paying attention to the different food groups, but they should also be watching their serving sizes. They should eat off an eight or nine-inch plate, like people did in the old days, before we had such an obesity problem.”
Bring the last Fugitive to justice-A Call to Human rights now
by Getachew Teklu
Mengistu Haile Mariam is (as in still alive) a politician who presided over Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991. The way he got into power was by smothering the previous president Haile Selassie although he has denied those rumors. His biggest claim to fame is the Ethiopian Red Terror which was a campaign of repression led by the Derg (communist militia in Ethiopia). In his introductory speech Mengitsu yelled, “Death to counter revolutionaries! Death to the EPRP!” Then he took three bottles filled with blood and threw them to the ground. It was an auspicious beginning to say the least. Thousands were killed and found dead on the streets in the years that followed. Much of the murdering can be attributed to the friendly neighborhood watch their known as “Kebeles”. As if killing innocents wasn’t enough they would then charge the family a tax to return the dead body to them. The tax was aptly named “the wasted bullet”! Are you serious Mengitsu? However there was an even more gruesome fate of being left on the street where wild hyenas would fight over the dead. The campaign has been described as one of the worst mass murders ever in Africa in the 21st century.
Mengistu Haile Mariam, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Ethiopian Army, led a coup which ousted Emperor Haile Selassie from power in 1974. Mengistu took control of the government and served as its Communist head of state in Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991. He formally assumed power as chair of the Worker’s Party, head of state and Derg (military junta) chairman in 1977. In fact Mengistu had wielded behind-the-scenes power since the coup of 1974.
Opposition against Mengistu’s regime emerged with a rebellion against the new government between 1977 and 1978. The government suppressed the rebellion and in the process generated thousands of casualties, estimated at 100,000 killed or disappeared. In response the anti-Mengistu Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) launched a guerilla struggle that would last until the overthrow of Mengistu’s regime in 1991.
On September 10, 1987, Mengistu became a civilian president under a new constitution, and the country was renamed the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Mengistu’s government was faced with enormous difficulties throughout the 1980s in the form of droughts, widespread famine (notably the Ethiopian famine of 1984-1985), and insurrections, particularly in the northern regions of Tigre and Eritrea. In 1989, the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front merged with other ethnically based opposition movements to form the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). In May 1991, EPRDF forces advanced on Addis Ababa. The EPRDF forces successful toppling of the Mengistu government coincided with the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union. The new Russian government ended aid to Ethiopia.
Mengistu fled the country with 50 family and Derg members and was granted asylum in Zimbabwe as an official “guest” of Robert Mugabe, the president of that country. Mengistu left behind almost the entire membership of the original Derg and the Workers Party of Ethiopia (WPE) leadership, which was promptly arrested and put on trial upon the assumption of power by the EPRDF. Mengistu still
resides in Zimbabwe, despite attempts by Ethiopia to extradite him to face trial. Several former members of the Derg have been sentenced to death in absentia by the new regime. The trial against Mengistu started in 1994, and in January 2007 he was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide. He remains in exile in Zimbabwe. This war criminal military junta killed more than half a million Ethiopians. Bring him to justice to close this case. Here is a partial list of Ethiopians who sacrifices their life, and murdered by this criminal military junta: http://www.dergu.shutterfly.com/
Driving lesson for the blue devil of Ethiopia
1: Don’t Drive Drunk
More than 30 percent of all auto accident fatalities in the Ethiopia involve drivers impaired by alcohol and Chat. These accidents led to more than 800 deaths in 2010 alone Most of those deaths could’ve been avoided if the drivers involved simply hadn’t gotten behind the wheel while drunk Alcohol. Causes a number of impairments that lead to car accidents. Even at low blood-alcohol levels, intoxication reduces reaction time and coordination and lowers inhibitions, which can cause drivers to make foolish choices. At higher levels, alcohol causes blurred or double vision and even loss of consciousness. Drunk driving isn’t just a terrible idea — it’s a crime. In the U.S, getting caught behind the wheel with blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or higher will probably earn you a trip to jail but not in Ethiopia. It’s easy to avoid driving drunk. If you’ve been drinking, don’t drive your taxi/cab.
2: Don’t Speed
The old public service campaign so succinctly put it, “Speed kills.” Research has shown that for every mile per hour you drive the likelihood of your being in an accident increases by four to five percent at higher speeds, the risk increases much more quickly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains the consequences of fast driving quite simply: “Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes in Ethiopia. The economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated by NHTSA to be $40.4 billion per year. In 2008, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 11,674 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes”
For your average drive across town, driving even 10 mph faster is only going to save you a few minutes — while increasing your crash risk by as much as 50 percent. Even on long trips, the time you’ll save is inconsequential compared to the risks associated with speeding. Take your time and obey posted speed limits.
3: Avoid Distractions
Many states in the U.S. have passed laws that ban the use of cell phones while driving. The reason is the number of deaths attributed to this seemingly harmless activity: 2,600 deaths nationwide every year, by some estimates In fact, those numbers may actually be too low, due to the continued rise cell phone use behind the wheel. If you think that talking and texting while driving isn’t a big deal, consider this: One researcher compared the reaction time of a 20-year-old driver talking on a cell phone to that of a 70-year-old driver. What’s more, working a cell phone behind the wheel can delay reaction times by as much as 20 percent. It isn’t just cell phones that cause distractions, however. Eating, chewing chat, loud music, fiddling with electronic devices or interacting with passengers also diverts a driver’s attention in potentially deadly ways. Perhaps the best advice on driving distractions came from rocker Jim Morrison: “Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel.”
4: Don’t Drive Drowsy
A study conducted by researchers at Virginia Tech reported that 20 percent of all accidents have sleepiness as a contributing factor if a driver is tired enough to actually fall asleep while driving, the results are predictable. Even on a relatively straight highway, a sleeping driver will eventually drift off the road. Trees, utility poles, ravines and bridge abutments turn this into a deadly scenario — and that doesn’t even take other cars into account. You might think a few yawns are nothing to worry about, but just being a little drowsy is enough to increase your risk of getting in an accident. Responses can range from dozing off for a few seconds at a time to simply “zoning out” and losing all focus on the road. At highway speeds, one or two seconds of inattention can lead to disaster. The solution is simple: Get a better night’s sleep! Make sure you get a solid eight hours of sleep, not just on the night before a long drive, but on a regular basis. Failure to get enough sleep every night builds a sleep deficit that can leave you drowsy and unable to focus. If you’re driving and feel the least bit groggy, take action immediately. Don’t think you’ll get any kind of warning before you fall asleep, or that you can fight it off. People can move from drowsy to sound asleep without warning. If this happens to you, find a rest area where you can catch a few hours of sleep or take a break until you’re feeling more alert.
5: Wear Your Seat Belt
Seat belts save lives. Worn properly, they prevent you from being thrown around the inside of a crashing vehicle or, worse, thrown through the windshield and flung completely out of the vehicle. NHTSA statistics reveal that more than half of all accident fatalities were people who weren’t using seat belts. The numbers are much scarier for young drivers and passengers: Everyone has heard horror stories about people who were killed in bizarre freak accidents in which they’d have lived if only they hadn’t been wearing a seat belt. Even if these stories are true — many of them are exaggerations or urban legends — they’re also anomalies. In the overwhelming majority of car crashes, you have a greater chance of surviving if you’re wearing a seat belt. Even a low-speed crash can send an unbelted person careening into the dashboard or side window, resulting in severe head injuries or broken bones. At higher speeds, the possible fates of the unbelted occupant are gruesome: severe lacerations from being propelled through the windshield; struck by other cars because you landed on the road; slammed into a tree or a house at 50 mph. Sound scary? Then buckle up.
6: Be Extra Careful in Bad Weather
If you’re driving through fog, heavy rain, a road constriction or storm, be extra cautious. Take all of the other tips presented here and make full use of them: Drive below the speed limit if necessary, maintain extra space between you and the car ahead, and be especially careful around curves. If you’re driving through weather conditions you don’t know well, consider delegating driving duties to someone who does, if possible. If the weather worsens, just find a safe place to wait out the storm. If you’re experiencing bad visibility, either from fog or rain, and you end up off the side of the road (intentionally or otherwise), turn off your lights. Drivers who can’t see the road will be looking for other cars to follow along the highway. When they see your lights, they’ll drive toward you and may not realize you’re not moving in time to avoid a collision.
7: Don’t Follow Too Closely
Safe driving guidelines advise drivers to keep a safe distance between themselves and the car ahead. Drivers need enough time to react if that car makes a sudden turn or stop. It can be too difficult to estimate the recommended distances while driving and the exact distance would have to be adjusted for speed, so most experts recommend a “three-second rule.” The three-second rule is simple. Find a stationary object on the side of the road. When the car ahead of you passes it, start counting seconds. At least three seconds should pass before your car passes the same object. Once you have some driving experience and have practiced keeping this minimum distance, you’ll develop an instinct for it and know how close to follow without having to count. However, even experienced drivers should count off the three-second rule now and then to make sure. At night or in inclement weather, double the recommended time to six seconds. In Ethiopia, Taxi drivers drive pumper to pumper until accident happens
8: Watch Out for the Other Guy
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how safely you drive. You could be driving the speed limit and obeying all traffic rules and someone else can crash into you. One good rule of thumb to use is, “Assume everyone else on the road is an idiot.” In other words, be prepared for unpredictable lane changes, sudden stops, unsignaled turns, swerving, tailgating and every other bad driving behavior imaginable. Chances are, you’ll eventually encounter someone like this — and it pays to be ready when you do. It’s impossible to list all the possible things another driver might do, but there are a few common examples. If you’re pulling out of a driveway into traffic and an oncoming car has its turn signal on, don’t assume it’s actually turning. You might pull out only to find that turn signal has been blinking. If you’re approaching an intersection where you have the right of way, and another approaching car has the stop sign, don’t assume it will actually stop. As you approach, take your foot off the gas and be prepared to break. Of course, being prepared requires awareness, so make sure you check your mirrors and keep an eye on side streets so you’ll know which other cars are around you and how they’re driving. Don’t focus only on the road in front of your car — look ahead so you can see what’s happening 50 to 100 yards (46 to 91 meters) up the road.
9: Practice Defensive Driving
This tip is pretty simple to understand if we just put the proverbial shoe on the other foot. Remember that one time when that jerk came flying down the street out of nowhere, totally cut you off and almost caused a huge accident? Don’t be that jerk. Aggressive driving is hard to quantify, but it definitely increases the risk of accidents. Studies show that young male drivers are more likely to drive aggressively. An aggressive driver does more than just violate the tips in this article — they may intentionally aggravate other drivers, initiate conflict, use rude gestures or language, tailgate or impede other cars, or flash their headlights out of frustration. These behaviors aren’t just annoying, they’re dangerous. Defensive driving incorporates the other tips shown here, such as maintaining a safe distance and not speeding, but remaining calm in the face of frustrating traffic issues is another major part of the concept. Accept small delays, such as staying in line behind a slower car instead of abruptly changing lanes. Yield to other cars, even if you technically have the right of way. Defensive driving is not only safer, it can save you money. Many insurance companies offer discounts to drivers who complete defensive driving courses.
10: Keep Your Vehicle Safe
Regular tune-ups will keep you and your car safe out on the road. This is not a common practice in Ethiopia. Vehicle maintenance isn’t just an important way to extent your car’s life — it’s a major safety issue. Many maintenance issues are addressed by your government mandated vehicle inspections. If your car is unsafe, the inspecting mechanic will let you know what you need to do to fix it. However, there could be a year or more between inspections, so Taxi drivers need to be aware of any potential safety issues and get them repaired before they lead to an accident. One of the most common maintenance problems that can lead to a crash is improper tire pressure. Uneven tire pressure, or pressure that is too high or low, can impact performance or lead to a blowout — especially in high-performance cars. You can buy a cheap pressure gauge at any auto parts store and check the pressure against the recommendation in your owner’s manual. While you’re at it, you might want to rotate your tires to promote even wear and consistent performance. Another key area is the car’s brakes. If you notice some “softness” in the brake pedal, or feel a vibration when the brakes are applied, get them checked out by a professional mechanic. The brakes could be wearing out or you could have a problem with the car’s hydraulic system. Finally, respect pedestrians on the road, and respect the law. Understand what the sign means. Take full responsibility for your action. Participate to save life, not to destroy.
Renting a read from ‘newspaper landlords’
By Robyn Curnow, CNN
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (CNN) – Garum Tesfaye is one of Addis Ababa’s “newspaper landlords,” a group of entrepreneurs in the Ethiopian capital who rent out papers to people too poor to buy them.
Surrounded by worn-out copies of old newspapers, stacks of gossip magazines and the crisp print of the latest news, Tesfaye sits attentively, checking his watch every now and then.
Near him, a pedestrian bridge provides shelter from the sun to dozens of avid readers who quickly, albeit meticulously, get their dose of the latest news.
For 20 to 30 minutes, these readers can get their hands on a newspaper for a fraction of the price of having to buy it. If they keep the paper longer than their allotted rental time, they have to pay extra.
A newspaper in Addis Ababa costs about six birr (35 U.S. cents) to buy. In contrast, it costs only 50 Ethiopian cents (less than one U.S. cent) to rent one.
“If 20 readers read this single paper at the rate of 50 cents, I will make 10 birr (about 60 U.S. cents),” says Tesfaye, whose business serves a regular customer base that visits his makeshift roadside shop each day.
Most of the readers focus on vacancies rather than regular news.
“Most of the readers focus on vacancies rather than regular news,” Tesfaye says.
Among his customers are unemployed university graduates who tend to rent several publications a day as they desperately hunt for work.
To set up shop, all newspaper landlords need is a shady street-side location and start-up capital for a stash of newspapers and magazines.
Tesfaye says that 30 to 40 people will read a single paper. At the end of the day, the well-thumbed publications can be sold on.
“After a newspaper passes its deadline we will sell it to shops who can use it as packaging for items that they sell,” says Tesfaye, who says he uses the earnings from his business to support his three siblings.
But Ethiopia’s newspaper rental industry — although a vital lifeline for people such as Tesfaye — is also putting pressure on the profits of the country’s private newspaper owners.
With about 83 million people, Ethiopia has the second largest population in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, the east African country boasts just 24 newspapers, among the fewest on the continent.
Dawit Kebede is the owner of Awramba Times, a weekly Amharic newspaper which is one of Ethiopia’s last remaining independent publications.
“For the reading habits it is good,” he says of the rental industry, but he quickly adds: “For the publisher it is nothing. If we calculate in terms of income, the publisher gets nothing from such rentals.”
For Kebede, every newspaper that’s rented instead of being sold is a further challenge for those few trying to survive in the tough Ethiopian media environment, which is dominated by state-owned publications.
But newspaper landlords such as Tesfaye have other issues to worry about. The biggest threat to their small enterprises is not political propaganda but petty thieves.
“There are some readers who ask for papers to read and vanish immediately so we have to turn our neck from the left to the right to check if things are alright,” says Tesfaye.
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5 Best Ethiopian Drama Films
These 5 best Ethiopian drama films come up as a flower that struggles to blossom under concrete. The film industry in Ethiopia is seriously underfunded, unequipped and rarely trained. However, the driving need to create art, to question and examine tough issues still shines through in the Ethiopian film industry. Ethiopia has still managed to put out award winning films by visionary directors as you will see with these five best Ethiopian drama films.
- “Teza” is one of the best Ethiopian drama films directed by Haile Gerima. The film takes place in the 1970′s while Ethiopia is under a Marxist regime. A young post graduate is returning from W. Germany. He stumbles across a murder, and ends up the enemy of some revolutionaries. He eventually manages an escape back to W. Germany where he spends the rest of his life until the fall of Communism. It was an award winner at the PanAfrican Film and Television Festival.
- “The Father” has won awards throughout Africa by showing the “Red Terror” that took place in Ethiopia more than 30 years ago. It is directed by Ermias Woldeamlack, and it deals with the horror of a time that most Ethiopians have not addressed.
- “Tumult” was entirely funded by grants from the American Film Institute and The National Endowment for the Arts. It takes place in the 1960′s, and follows a failed coup d’etat against Emperor Haile Selassie. Yoseph is the main character, and is going to try to bring Western style government to Ethiopia by overthrowing Selassie.
- “Blood is not Fresh Water” is directed by Theo Eshetu. It is told from the perspective of the director’s grandfather, a noted historian. It examines Ethiopia’s origins while the story timeline travels backwards. It goes from present day Ethiopia, to its colonial times, and even further to “Lucy”.
- “Dead Weight” deals with the diaspora of the “Red Terror” after Emperor Selassie was deposed. It’s directed by Yemane Demissie. It covers the aspect of these times from the viewpoint of the Ethiopian diaspora. The ones who fled, mostly to America, to escape the horrors. What is interesting is the way these characters are still confronted with their past. Several characters run into their previous jailors and torturers now living in the U.S.
