Week 16

Hospital official: James Gandolfini probably died of a heart attack

CNN News
By Ben Brumfield and Livia Borghese
June 20, 2013
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/20/showbiz/gandolfini-main/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Summary:

According to the head of a Rome hospital's emergency department, James Gandolfini probably died of a heart attack. He was traveling in Rome, where he was on vacation and was scheduled to attend the Taormina Film Fest. Though ambulance staff tried to resuscitate him at the hotel, he was already dead when he arrived at the emergency room.

Opinion:

He was known as the actor with a great talent. Importantly, he treated everyone, no matter their title or position, with equal respect. I was so sad because he was a newly married and had a son. The son is too young to be fatherless. I understand how sorrowful and depressing it is to lose someone whom one loves. I feel sorry for his family and pray for them to forget bad things and to have strength to cope with the difficulties.

Week 15

North Korea Postpones Talks With South

The Wall Street Journal
By Jeyup S. Kwaak
June 11, 2013
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324634304578539022876105896.html

Summary:

Few days ago, North Korea surprisingly offered of talks with South, aiming at normalizing commercial projects and potentially reopening the jointly run Kaesung industrial zone. However, North Korea withdrew from talks for Wednesday. An official statement from the Communist North says its neighbor never intended the talks to occur and sought obstacles to cancel the dialogue.

Opinion:

I hoped that talks would help to relieve tensions between two countries; but it did not happen. If North Korea has an open mind to have a conversation, it would benefit North Korea both politically and economically. As I learned in Economics class, transitional countries, changing an economic system from a command economy to a market economy, benefit from the global economy and develop. I hope there will be another opportunity for a conversation.