A Nineteen-Year-Old Professor

Reading at 8 months and completing college at age 10 was possible for New York-native Alia Sabur.  She went on to earn a PhD in materials science and engineering from Drexel University and then, in 2008, got a professorship at Seoul, South Korea's Konkuk University.  Alia credits her parents' support for her accomplishments.  And, possibly, Alia's elementary school administrators helped her go from the fourth grade straight to college.

Other gifted students aren't so fortunate because they go unnoticed.  Some become bored with the regular school curriculum and fail classes, while others are the targets of bullies.  Since politicians and educators focus on below-average students, their gifted peers don't receive much attention.  Remedial students do need help, but so do above-average students--to harness their talents, rather than hide them.

Experiments on Prayer

"Remember me in your prayers," is a common phrase.  Supplicating to a higher prayer is common in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, as well as Eastern religions.  In today's world of experiments, researchers have tried to conduct scientific research on prayer's effectiveness.  Yet, as Dr. Harold Koenig of Duke University points out, prayer is difficult to test.  No researcher can prevent an ill person, or her family and friends, from praying.  Also, no one can control God's choice to accept or reject the prayer.

Whle we can not conduct useful experiments on prayer, we see the power of prayer in our daily lives.  People on the verge of death regain their health, when prayer joins medical treatment.  And prayer helps relieve stress and fight depression.  Having a higher power on our side is comforting, something we realize when we pray.

A Race for Equality

Light-skinned human beings who owned dark-skinned people-a situation, difficult to believe, that was reality not too long ago in the United States.  "Race for Freedom: the Underground Railroad" depicts four slaves' struggle to reach Canada, where they can be free.  The 1994 film is a sharp contrast to modern society, where African-Americans have rights equal to the majority, at least in theory.

This film forces us to consider why African-Americans and other minorities still struggle for equality.  Perhaps, as minorities, we have not taken advantage of all our resources; some of us lack a college education, or even have a high school diploma.  Instead, a significant number of minorities have turned to drugs and despair.

While we might want to blame our problems on society or culture, the greatest responsibility comes from ourselves.  If we want equality, we need to channel our energy towards success.

Trailblazers for Afghan Women

Burnmark, sores from beatings, or a missing nose--the Afghan women at this secret shelter show signs of extreme abuse.  Women for Afghan Women (WAW) is a Queens, New York-based organization that runs this shelter, where females in danger of death can be safe.  WAW knows that education is crucial in preventing abuse because men, who are usually ignorant of Islamic law, may justify their behavior with religion.  The group runs a center to help Afghan families in Kabul, as well as one in Queens that focuses on women's literacy.  To find out more about WAW, or to donate funds, please see http://www.womenforafghanwomen.org/index.php.

They Cry-You Smile

Seeing homeless, crying children on tv can be a reason to smile.  No, you didn't read a mistake--the plight of thousands of Haitians, young and mature, reminds us that we have plenty of reasons to be grateful.  While we should help the earthquake-shattered victims, we also need to look at the big picture.  Our troubles are tiny in comparison, whether we are laid-off or dealing with less pay.  We must show our gratitude by smiling at friends, family, and anyone else we meet in our daily routine.  In this way, we can thrive and succeed.

"Read" a Book in Seconds

While you shouldn't judge a book just by its cover, you can make preliminary judgements based on reviews.  For ages, literary enthusiasts have enjoyed reading writers' opinions of books and I've joined this group by becoming a reviewer for http://www.bookideas.com/. I enjoy reading and reviewing books on different topics, such as ancient pottery, business, and politics.  And, while I can reprint my reviews in this blog, I won't, in case this audience isn't interested. But, if you'd like, you can go to the site and check my and other authors' reviews.  If you've written a book, you or your agent can contact the site owner about a possible critique-I mean, review.