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By Epoch Times

Since Xi Jinping entered office, 55 senior level cadres in the CCP have been arrested.

Their one commonality: they were all loyal to Jiang Zemin.

Zhou Yongkang

Li Dongsheng

Xu Caihou

Chairman of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee

Deputy director of the Public Security Bureau

Deputy vice chairman of the Central Military Commission

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quote of the week

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.

The New Paper Big Walk 2014 was held on 30 November. It was the first mass walk on the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, with more than 18,000 people participated in the event. The Singapore Falun Buddha Society, formally registered with the Registrar of Societies under the Ministry of Home Affairs on 19 July 1996, was seen in the photo.

Mark Twain (1835–1910), American author and humorist

e believe that the media has a social responsibility to inform and facilitate social harmony and progress. In 2000, our media was started by overseas Chinese in the United States to provide truthful news coverage of events in China, where previously only propaganda and censorship existed.

We also want to revive traditional cultures that have inculcated universally good

A FREE CHINA

185,765,524 people have renounced the Chinese Communist Party.

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OUR STORY values that form the fabric of a harmonious society. While technological and economic developments propel a country forward, good values in people make a home out of a country.

Our first edition was in Chinese.

The English edition followed in 2003. We now publish in 35 countries and 21 languages with our headquarters in Manhattan, New York.

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This is Singapore

‘Amazing Grace’ with Violinist Kam Ning Photo Courtesy of kam ning

By Li Yen Epoch Times Staff An artistic director and conductor of the Het Kamerorkest orchestra in Brugge, Belgium, world-renowned violinist Kam Ning was honoured by the National Arts Council of Singapore with the Young Artist Award at age 25, and was described by the Straits Times to be “Singapore’s most exciting violinist”.

Born into a musical family, Kam started learning the violin at age six from her father, Kam Kee Yong, who is a Cultural Medallion recipient and composer.

“I still remember my father... rehearsing his orchestra in our living room and the constant sound of strings must have infected me before I knew it,” exclaims the London-based violinist.

A mother of a one-year-old baby, Kam enrolled in the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in Britain at the age of 11, and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, in 1993. She then received her Master of Music Degree and an Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Kam was a First Prize winner at the Folkestone Menuhin International Violin Competition in 1991, a prizewinner at the Third International Pablo Sarasate Violin Competition in 1995, and a finalist in the 2000 Henryk Szeryng Career Awards. She gained international fame after winning Second Prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Belgium in 2001.

“When someone likes doing something, that person naturally gets rather good at that thing,” shares the petite lady.

Kam’s first CD released in 1997 features the works of Enesco, Sarasate, and her father, Kam Kee Yong.

“Music certainly is a way of telling stories and when we use it to tell good stories, encouraging stories... there has never been a more desperate chapter in the history of mankind where we need to hear such stories through music,” says the 39-year-old, who has been the Ambassador for International China Concern since April 2012.

When did your love for music start? Why did you choose the violin, and when did you realise you want to be a violinist?

I was born into a musical family and was surrounded by music from the womb. I still remember my father, Kam Kee Yong, rehearsing his orchestra in our living room (a very large living room!) and the constant sound of strings must have infected me before I knew it.

My father decided to let me have a go at the violin when I was about six and found in me someone who wanted to sound good immediately and got rather frustrated when I didn’t! Everyone who has ever played the violin will know that all those jokes about sounding like a swung cat in the beginning are true.

Anyway, he persevered in teaching me and I loved it (not necessarily the practising part but certainly the playing part!). I think it normally follows that when someone likes doing something, that person naturally gets rather good at that thing, don’t you think?

In your opinion, why do you think music is important for mankind?

I think that music is such an incredible thing in that it can be used to change a person. It is like a language that can be used for good or evil. I think that the number of people involved in, say, music therapy says it all.

Music is a gift from God and it is such an avenue in which

Singapore’s most exciting violinist, Kam Ning.

God can be glorified. Music certainly is a way of telling stories and when we use it to tell good stories, encouraging stories, God-stories, well, there has never been a more desperate chapter in the history of mankind where we need to hear such stories through music.

You are an artistic director and conductor of the Het Kamerorkest orchestra in Brugge, Belgium. Tell us about it.

I’m just about to begin my 4th season with Het Kamerorkest Brugge and I have thoroughly enjoyed this extremely challenging role. Violinists have the special privilege not only of being soloists with orchestras and playing in smaller groups as chamber musicians, but we can also lead and direct an orchestra from the lead violin position without a conductor. In all my different musician roles, I find this to be, by far, the most challenging and ultimately rewarding thing I have ever done.

As a director of an orchestra, one has to play and “conduct” from the violin, like in a string quartet in some respect, except now the string quartet has been multiplied many times over. This role also means that I direct the entire rehearsal as a conductor would and I have the responsibility of shaping each piece on the programme. And in any role where one is a leader, I have to also learn how to be the best psychiatrist I can be to a group of people who are supposed to take directions from me! Now, THAT is the biggest challenge of all.

One has to be tough and extremely demanding, while being encouraging at the same time. One has to get people to believe that they can play better than they’ve ever dreamed of. Take that. It certainly builds character!

Tell us more about your own arrangement of John Newton’s ‘Amazing Grace’.

My arrangement of Newton’s ‘Amazing Grace’ is probably my favourite encore to play at any given concert. I can say that because it is such a recognisable tune and people seem to enjoy it!

This arrangement [had] gone through a couple of transformations before I actually put it all down on paper and pub-

lished it. I was first asked back in 2005 or so to play something at my parents’ church in Canada. After some thought, I decided to do a theme and variations on something that I knew every church member would know.

I then started to play that arrangement outside of church and it is the final version that I performed at the President’s Command Performance in 2009 that made it to publication.

I know that this particular piece brings the presence of God to a listener which is such a fantastic thing when it happens.

Many Singaporeans feel that there is no future in doing classical music. Do you think this is true?

Obviously I don’t! It’s all up to what you’re gifted in and what you are passionate about. I believe that if God gives you a talent, then He can give you the career for it. The real question in any vocation is whether you are gifted for it and how determined and passionate you are about seeing it through. I know that many young Singaporeans learn an instrument from a young age (much to my delight!), which is terrific. There is no better way to discover that you have a talent for something than having a good go at it. After all, that’s how I started!

Since April 2012, you are the Ambassador for International China Concern, a Christian charity that cares for the abandoned and disabled in China. Tell us what it means to you to participate in this charity.

In this day and age, it is so easy to do charity work. There is such a sea of misery in this world that you can close your eyes, point in any direction and find a whole generation of people in dire need of your help! Many of us have much more than we need.

This interview was conducted via email.

This Is Singapore is a fortnightly feature that delves into the life of an inspiring and talented individual in Singapore. Read all our interviews here: http://bit.do/thisissingapore

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Taiwanese singer Chang Chen Yue

Japanese band Weaver

The Biggest Asian Music Festival Photos by Sun Mingguo/Epoch Times

Singer Olivia Ong

December 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times Staff

Local songstress Olivia Ong mesmerised the audience with her beautiful rendition of the song ‘Assimilation’ at the Skechers Sundown Festival on November 22 at Marina Promenade.

She was joined by 15 other big names in Asia, which include Taiwanese singersongwriter Chang Chen Yue, Japanese band Weaver, Korea boy group Cross Gene, Hong Kong TVB actress-singer Kate Tsui, Thai band Big Ass, Malaysian upcoming superstar Shila Amzah, and Indonesia’s female group S.O.S amongst others at Asia’s biggest music festival.

Malaysia’s Shila Amzah captivated the 8,000 attendees with a medley of English, Mandarin and Malay ballads, whilst Singaporean rapper ShiGGa Shay amused the concert-goers with his Hokkien-English rap ‘Limpeh’ and ‘Lion City Kia’.

Japanese band Weaver’s rendition of Singapore’s popular National Day song ‘Home’ caught the local audience by surprise while the catchy Bollywood tunes performed by India’s Kanika Kapoor’s

Singapore rapper ShiGGa Shay

Jugni Ji got the crowds grooving to the beat.

The show’s finale featured Taiwanese Chang Chen Yue, who delivered breezy tunes like ‘Used Guitar’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘The First Experience of Love’. At the press conference on November 21, the laidback singer revealed that his last album ‘I Am Ayal Komod’ (2013) was so far the closest to his heart.

Apart from the six-hour non-stop music, the festival also offered popular treats from the 11 countries in Asia, which include ‘Halo-Halo’ dessert from Philippines, ‘Wadai’ - a delicious snack from India, exotic Mongolian Kebabs from China, Bulgogi from Korea and many more.

Sundown Festival is an iconic annual event that celebrates Asian music and culture with the aim to unite and bridge the diversity of Asian countries.

Director of Red Spade Events and event organiser, Mr Kelvin Goh, commented, “With so many artistes coming from all around the region, Skechers Sundown Festival is truly honoured to have many music powerhouses performing in one event.”

Actress-singer Kate Tsui

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Kazakhstan, the Investment Powerhouse of Central Asia Michael Gottschalk/Photothek via Getty Images

Epoch Times Staff On December 16, Kazakhstan will be celebrating 23 years of independence. Since the energy-rich country left the Soviet Union in 1991, it has transformed itself from a nomadic-nation into Central Asia’s economic powerhouse and a global supplier of mineral commodities.

According to the Kazakhstan investment attractiveness survey, conducted by Ernst & Young in 2010, Kazakhstan was rated in the top three most attractive CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) investment locations by 32% of investors surveyed.

Today, Kazakhstan is the 6th largest country in terms of mineral resources. It is also the world’s largest producer of uranium, with 70 percent of its economy powered by its natural resources, such as hydrocarbon, oil and natural gas.

Under the leadership of its president and national hero, Nursultan Nazarbayev, per capita GDP has grown more than tenfold since the mid-nineties, unemployment rate stayed low by regional standards, and the country enjoys rapid economic growth.

Attracting Foreign Investments Nazarbayev, nevertheless, saw the need to diversify its economy away from the over dependence on extractive industries and the price fluctuations of commodities on world markets. Shortly after, his administration began introducing tax and customs regimes to woo foreign investors – through tax exemptions and legislative protection for foreign investment.

The authority was also quick

Kaznex Invest, an export and investment agency under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, has partnered Singapore’s Jurong Consultants to develop, promote and manage Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in Kazakhstan.

Green Boulevards with Bajterek Tower in Astana, on November 10, 2014 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

to launch large scale joint projects in non-extractive industry sectors with investors from the USA, Germany, France, Japan, Turkey and South Korea.

Ease of Doing Business According to data released by Kazakhstan 2050, the country received a Gross Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of $12.4 billion in H1 2014, making its total FDI of over $220 billion since independence.

To further boost investment climate, Kazakhstan sets its sight on being the top 50 countries rated by the World Bank in its ‘Ease of Doing Business’ Index it currently ranks 77 out of 189 economies, ahead of Vietnam (78), China (90) and the Philippines (95).

Likewise, on the ‘2014 Index of Economic Freedom’, Kazakh-

stan ranks 67 out of 178 economies by registering improvements in investment, business and monetary freedom.

Today, Kazakhstan has welcomed some 15,000 companies with foreign capital, including 270 Fortune-500 companies, such as Chevron, Microsoft, Siemens, Carrefour and The CocaCola Company. More recently, Malaysia has reportedly invested $1.75 billion in cattle projects in Southern Kazakhstan, while global foodservice retailer McDonald’s will be opening its first restaurant in the country in the H2 2015.

Special Economic Zones To boost investors’ confidence, Kaznex Invest, an export and investment agency under the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies has partnered

Singapore’s Jurong Consultants (a division of state-owned JTC) to develop, promote and manage Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan’s SEZ, like Singapore’s industrial parks, such as Biopolis, One North and the city state’s renowned projects in Shanghai, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will primarily serve to intensify entrepreneurial activities and production capacities of the country.

Each of the 10 SEZ serves a dedicated industry, namely: ITInnovations and Instrument making; Chemistry; Textile; Metal working and Instrument making; Metallurgy, Metal Processing; Petrochemistry; Tourism; Construction; and Trade and Logistic.

The government has recently slashed tax and red tape to at-

tract investors. These include the exemptions from corporate and land taxes for 10 years (to enter into force on January 1, 2015) for investments outside the oil industry, and exemptions from property taxes for eight years (to enter into force on January 1, 2015). Visa requirements were also waived for foreign businessmen that have invested steadily in Kazakhstan.

Would Kazakhstan, with its business-friendly policies and SEZ, succeed in diversifying its economy? Only time will tell, though one thing is certain. No other man could sum it as concisely as Nazarbayev did at the 26th Plenary Session of the Foreign Investors’ Council: “You remain committed to your business in Kazakhstan and your desire to work with us is highly appreciated.”

Viber Launched Public Chats, a New Concept of Social Entertainment Epoch Times Staff Viber’s Public Chats, a new feature that allows users to follow live discussions between celebrities and personalities, has been launched last month. According to the company, Public Chats offers users a new kind of social experience: tapping into live conversations as they happen. Users can follow these chats using their mobile devices and invite friends

to follow the chats that interest them. Like any modern instant messaging platform, the chats are multi-media and can include text, photos, audio, videos, etc.

The most popular chats will be shown on the home screen of Viber’s Public Chats section.

Users can also search for other public chats or use a customised URL to access a specific chat.

During the launch event for the new feature in Singapore, Viber featured several local partners

including non-profit group Project Happy Feet, NUS Business School, local pop band Tricks & Cider, lifestyle guide Great New Places, online tech media e27, online running magazine RunSociety, local online grocer RedMart, consumer tech blog Twenty First Tech and Singapore comedian Fuzz.

According to Terence Quek, cofounder of Project Happy Feet, “The success of Project Happy Feet depends a lot on open com-

munication among volunteers, partners and the public. Viber’s Public Chats gives us the ability to share openly the thought processes of the core volunteers, and to generate awareness for our cause and the millions of Viber users worldwide.”

“The release of Public Chats on Viber allows people to interact in a new way, listening in on live discussions and staying upto-date with exclusive content from the people and subjects

that matter to them most,” said Talmon Marco, Viber CEO. “We are launching this concept with a great line-up of celebrities and personalities all over the world.

They are opening up their conversations on Viber, and we’re sure our users will love the ‘flyon-the-wall’ experience this delivers.”

Quotes and materials for this article are from Viber’s press release.

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Hwa Qiao Tribute

Chek Jawa Batik

Colonial Batik

Arbutus Singapore Heritage Commemorative Timepieces by Elmo Chung

E

lmo Chung is a selftaught seashell artist from Hong Kong, who is currently based in Tai O, a quiet fishing town located on the western side of Lantau Island.

Chung fell in love with the tranquil town of Tai O in 2011, due to its close proximity to nature and the sea and its surrounding traditional fishing stilt houses. She then resigned from her job as a manicurist and beautician in the city and moved to Tai O. In 2012, the 25-year-old painted on her first seashell as a Valentine’s Day gift for her boyfriend Benny. With encouragement from Benny to continue painting and making accessories from seashells, she started her own brand SheSawSeashells. The beautiful and tiny seashells that constitute the art pieces are collected from Tai O, and through these small treasures, she hopes that people will imbue the peacefulness of this picturesque fishing village.

Beside miniature seashells, you can also catch a glimpse of Chung’s beautiful artwork on watch dials.

Crystal Time, a watch distributor for Arbutus watches, proudly presents watch dials individually hand-painted by Elmo Chung for its Arbutus “Singapore Heritage” Commemorative Timepiece

All Photos Courtesy of Crystal Time

collection, which are created to commemorate Singapore’s 50th year of independence in 2015.

Chung’s hand-painted works for the Arbutus “Singapore Heritage” Commemorative timepieces are inspired by the Peranakan porcelain, traditional batik, the old architecture of Singapore, as well as the flora and fauna of Singapore. Each timepiece reflects Chung’s interpretation of Singapore’s rich heritage.

One of Chung’s most outstanding pieces in this collection is the “Chek Jawa Batik”, which features traditional batik and seashell motifs. This timepiece is a tribute to the Jade of Singapore—Chek Jawa, one of Singapore’s few remaining wetlands.

Elmo Chung

Colours of Hill Street

Vanda Miss Joaquim

Nyonya Shophouse

Straits of Peranakan

December 5 – 18, 2014

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Are We Facing Another Financial Crisis?

William West/AFP/Getty Images

By Steve Keen Kingston University Taken at face value, David Cameron’s warning last month about risks in the global economy sounds like it might be wonderfully prescient. Here’s the country’s economic chauffeur, carefully checking his instrument gauges, and sure enough, sees the same signs today that should have given us warning of the crisis of 2007-08. Time to apply the brakes.

There’s only one problem: the economic dashboard that Cameron relies upon did not warn of the crisis before it happened.

Instead, that dashboard advised Cameron and other leaders around the world that everything was looking rosy, and that going full throttle was entirely safe.

The OECD’s Economic Outlook, published in May 2007, stated that its “central forecast remains indeed quite benign” as it predicted “a strong and sustained recovery in Europe”. Some dashboard that turned out to be.

Motor Skills Politicians are fond of car analogies when talking about the economy, because they have actually driven cars, and they know how they work. Press the accelerator, you go faster; hit the brake, you slow down; the tachometer tells you whether the engine is flat out or idle; the fuel gauge tells you whether you need to call into a petrol station. Car controls work because they are designed by engineers who actually built the car in question, and the dashboard tells you all you need to know, with no serious omissions and no distracting false signals.

But the economic dashboard

that Cameron relies upon today was horribly wrong in 2007: the signals it focused upon – mainly the rate of unemployment (low and falling), the rate of inflation (low), the government deficit (heading towards a surplus), and the rate of interest (low but rising to cool the economy down) – gave absolutely no warning of the biggest economic crisis in a century.

This mainstream dashboard gave no warning of the crisis because it was built by economists whose theories have more in common with Alice in Wonderland than with engineering. And one Mad Hatter assumption their dashboard makes is that the level of private debt can be ignored.

Debt Wish If that sounds crazy to you, that’s because it is. Some influential economists argue that private debt has “no significant macroeconomic effects”, to quote Ben Bernanke. Only mavericks who follow the then-ignored but now famous American economist Hyman Minsky disagree, and regard the level and growth of private debt as vital economic indicators.

I am one of those mavericks, and the signs I saw back in 2005 led me to be one of the handful of economists who did warn of the crisis before it happened.

Since then, the American philanthropist Richard Vague – who made his fortune in banking – has examined all major economic crises since 1850, and concluded that the two key signs of an imminent crisis are private debt exceeding 1.5 times GDP and that ratio rising by 17 percentage points or more over five years.

Both those signals were clearly “flashing red” in 2007.

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron speaks during a press conference on the final day of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brisbane on Nov 16, 2014.

Signals, Noise Private debt in Britain rose from 135% of GDP in 2000 to 180% when the crisis began in August 2007 – a 45% rise in less than eight years. In the US, it rose from 125% to 160% – a 35% rise.

Both these levels and the rates of change were unsustainable: the growth in private debt had to stop, and when it did, I expected that the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression would follow – which is what actually happened.

So what are those reliable but neglected indicators telling us today? In the US, private debt fell from 1.7 times GDP in 2010 to 1.45 times in 2014. It has been rising since 2012 and was now growing at 5% of GDP per year in mid-2014, which is spurring economic growth – but the headroom for continued creditdriven growth is limited because the aggregate level is still so high.

We are nudging back closer to Vague’s danger zone.

In the UK, private debt peaked at more than twice GDP in 2010.

It has fallen to 170% today, but between 2012 and 2014 it rose – stimulating economic growth.

Now it is falling again – by as much as 5% of GDP a year. That implies that a credit contraction – however welcome it might be in stopping at least one warning light flashing – is likely to reduce British economic growth in the near future.

So Cameron is right to worry, but he is worrying about the wrong thing: panicking about a rising level of government debt, when at 91% of GDP, it is 80 percentage points below the level of private debt. If Cameron thinks reducing government spending when private credit is contracting is good economic policy, then he is ignoring the biggest car crash in economic history – the European Union, where government austerity turned the crisis into a second Great Depression.

The key indicator I use to anticipate where the economy is headed is the acceleration of private debt. Just as the rate of change of private debt indicates what’s going to happen to the level of economic activity, the acceleration of debt indi-

cates whether activity is likely to rise or fall. That indicator, which was trending up from mid-2010 until mid-2012, has been headed down ever since. Debt acceleration was strongly negative as of mid-2014, running at minus 10% of GDP. That, combined with Richard Vague’s indicator that crises occur when private debt exceeds 150% of GDP (tick at 170% in mid-2014) and has grown by 20 percentage points or more over five years (in fact it’s shrunk by 30 percentage points since 2010), points to stagnation rather than crisis being the likely outcome for the UK economy.

In this scenario, an attempt to pare government spending back could make the stagnation worse – just as it has done across the Channel.

All in all, I would recommend Cameron gets his economic dashboard fixed, or he risks steering the UK in the direction of Europe.

Steve Keen has received research funding from the Institute for New Economic Thinking (www. ineteconomics.org) and has consulted to the Governor’s Woods Foundation (www.govwoods. org). He is affiliated with IDEA Economics (www.ideaeconomics. org). This article was originally published on The Conversation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Epoch Times.

World Perspectives

10 December 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

The Other Six Percent of St Louis

After Ferguson Commission is announced, one woman questions why more diverse voices aren’t being heard PHOTOS BY Petr Svab/Epoch Times

I feel like I’ve been fighting for justice, but not just black justice but equality for everybody.

Corinne Char, lifelong St Louis resident About 40 protesters gathered around 9 p.m. in front of the police department building in Ferguson, MO, on Nov 19, 2014.

They were met with about thirty policemen, most in riot gear.

By Genevieve Belmaker Epoch Times Staff When Corinne Char, a 22-yearold lifelong St Louis resident, had the chance to help speak up against racism after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., she took it. Perhaps it is because she has a deep sense of right and wrong from her family’s history of her immigrant grandparents being forced to jettison their Chinese heritage to fit into American society. Or perhaps it is the moral compass that she, like many other teachers, actively cultivates when it comes to the sensitive issue of race relations in America.

Whatever it was, she joined the activists, protesters, and community members who started to call for a closer look at how nonwhites in America are so often left on the sidelines. Ironically, it was her own experience as an Asian-American that spurred involvement in the Ferguson protests that started in August.

“I left a job in August after I

was told some very racist things by the administration,” said Char last month in St Louis.

As an eighth-grade math teacher at the St Louis charter school Grand Centre Arts Academy, she was shocked when a motivational speaker employed a fake Asian accent and stereotypes as part of his programme.

Stunned “So many of the kids came up to us [teachers] after the assembly and asked, ‘So racism is okay if it’s about Asians?’” Char recalled. As stunned and confused as her students, she reached out to the administration to complain. The school administration’s response came as a complete shock.

“I was told that discussing racism would hurt our community.”

Char resigned not long after because of what she described as a lack of contrition from school administrators, and joined local groups working to change the status quo. She took part in prayer vigils, trained as a de-es-

calator with Veterans for Peace, and marched with other activists in the Ferguson October movement.

But it was not until a discussion with the Women’s Caucus that she realised that some people felt that it was a black and white issue—literally.

“I was told by someone at the Women’s Caucus that they didn’t trust the Asian businesses and Asian beauty salons in general because they were talking about them behind their back,” she said. “I didn’t really say anything then, but at the same time it was like, ‘seriously’?”

Though the Asian population in St Louis County is not huge, when taken into context with the larger picture of minorities, it is part of about six percent of the city. In fact, according to US Census Bureau statistics, in St Louis city, white residents make up about 46 percent of the population. The black population is nearly 48 percent. In St Louis County, the suburb that forms a crescent around the city and is home to the suburb of Fergu-

son, the population is 70 percent white and almost 24 percent black.

Invisible That leaves the “other” six percent in both areas ‘invisible’, including Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians.

For Char, she feels that that six percent has little to no voice when resolving racial issues on the table, as it is now.

“I think St Louis is just so racially tense between black and white that everyone else just gets forgotten,” she said, adding that she has even been told that other races in discussions about equality only serve to “muddy the waters”.

“We’re just invisible. Quite frankly if you’re not black and you’re not white, you’re invisible. It’s just absurd.”

Char particularly takes issue with the newly announced Ferguson Commission, which Gov. Jay Nixon appointed late last month. It has been broadly charged with tackling the delicate issues surrounding racism

in St Louis to find solutions and improvements to the system.

300 Applicants As one of the more than 300 people who applied to serve on the commission, Char is correct in pointing out that in the end its racial makeup almost fully reflects what she calls the city’s “binary” perspective on race. All 16 commission members are either black or white.

It includes Christian pastors, deacons, and reverends; business leaders; law enforcement officials; and educators. There are no Jews or Muslims. There are no Bosnians, although the city is home to 70,000 of them.

In fact, it is the largest population of Bosnians anywhere in the world outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

To Char, those voices matter in the future of the city just as much as black and white voices, and they should be heard.

“I feel like I’ve been fighting for justice, but not just black justice but equality for everybody.”

World Perspectives

Epoch Times

December 5 – 18, 2014 11

The bull of Wall Street

Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times

Here’s Why the Bull Market Still Has a Lot More Room to Run

By Peter Morici Although stocks are trading at record levels, the bull market could easily run equities up another 25 percent, even against the backdrop of slower economic growth abroad.

The sagging fortunes of other advanced economies are mostly caused by structural problems that are unlikely to abate—for instance, in the European Union, the rigidity imposed by a single currency; in Japan, the low birth rate; and in both places, the inflexible labour markets and business regulations.

Those situations compel the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan to keep interest rates low, and, to the extent that their charters and politicians permit, to purchase long-term government bonds and private securities.

That pushes European and Japanese private investors to seek alternatives in foreign markets, and the preferred venues are China and the United States where the economy and corporate profits are growing. The most likely targets are US multinationals and Chinese companies listed on

US and other foreign exchanges, because US-listed Chinese companies adhere to higher accounting standards, and their finances are more transparent than other Chinese companies.

The Bank of Japan and the Japanese Government Investment Pension Fund are flush with domestic securities and are purchasing domestic and foreign stocks directly, which is a profound development. With Japan’s population ageing, Japanese leaders are increasingly financing future retirement obligations, which cannot be carried by investment opportunities in Japan alone.

At the same time, digital technologies are permitting US and Chinese entrepreneurs to create competitive enterprises large and small—like Google and Uber— with much less capital and more quickly.

Little more than a decade ago, Google was launched with only US$25 million (S$32.6 million) in capital. Exploiting a novel search engine with off-the-shelf servers and the free Internet, it accomplished worldwide reach and a market capitalisation of US$23 billion (S$30 billion), a 900 percent increase, in just six

years.

Similarly, digital technologies permit established companies to improve existing products and create new consumer offerings at lower design costs and to use machinery and workers more efficiently through better supplychain management.

Although stocks are trading at record levels, the bull market could easily run equities up another 25 percent, even against the backdrop of slower economic growth abroad.

Consequently, big US companies require less capital to remain competitive and grow and are flush with billions in cash. Along with money managers, they bid up prices acquiring young companies, whose owners are looking to cash in on their initial success,

and continue to purchase back large blocks of their own stock.

Taken together, those forces have pushed stocks to record levels and pushed down yields on corporate and government debt.

The average rate of profits (annual profit margin minus dividends paid plus returned earnings divided by current share prices) for companies composing the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index is 5.2 percent, and that compares quite favourably with the 2.3 percent paid on 10-year Treasuries.

Investors remain cautious in that the Federal Reserve could push up interest rates on government bonds enough to dampen stock prices in 2015, but weak economic conditions in Europe and Japan—and geopolitical risks in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere—will likely constrain the Fed’s enthusiasm for higher long-term rates.

Also, bond prices would fall directly as interest rates rise; hence the downside risk of losing market value, posed by the Fed raising interest rates, is greater and more certain for bondholders than it is for stockholders.

The S&P 500 Index is trading at about 2050, with a price-to-

earnings ratio of 19.1. Factoring in expected profit growth over the next 12 months, that ratio falls to 16.9.

Over the past 25 years, the index’s P/E ratio has averaged 18.9, and when it first crossed the 1000 threshold in 1998, the ratio was about 25.

Assessed against alternative investments and history, and given how quickly and efficiently digital technologies permit entrepreneurs and established businesses to create wealth using investors’ cash, stocks are hardly overvalued.

A P/E ratio approaching 25 is a reasonable target, even as the Fed tightens monetary policy moderately in 2015. That would put the S&P index at above 2500.

Peter Morici, professor at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, is a recognised expert on economic policy and international economics.

Previously, he served as director of the Office of Economics at the US International Trade Commission.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Epoch Times.

World Perspectives

12 December 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

Traveling through Sweden to the tunes of (Part 1) Evert Taube statue at Stockholm’s City Hall.

www.prew.hu

By Ruth Carlson Special to The Epoch Times

M

ama Mia! Not since Greta Garbo disappeared from the movie screen, with the famous epitaph “I vant to be alone,” has Sweden captured so much of the world’s zeitgeist.

It started when Sweden invaded our shores with designer styles at discount prices at Ikea and H&M. Then came the Broadway musical “Mamma Mia,” featuring songs by the ’70s Swedish group ABBA, which became a major motion picture starring Meryl Streep.

The original ABBA band members have a museum in their honour which opened in 2009 in Sweden’s capital. Visitors are invited to dance, sing, and record songs in multimedia areas. With four levels, the museum features everything about “Sweden’s national band”, as locals refer to ABBA. There’s no need to visit the

Once you’ve visited Sweden’s capital...you’ll be back. museum to experience ABBA’s Sweden. Program your iPod and let the band’s greatest hits be your guide to discovering ecotourism, dance spots frequented by the royal family, and subtle Swedish style at hidden boutiques.

Residents speak English, since students must prove their proficiency before graduating from high school. It’s a manageable city, about the same size as San Francisco, and it has the highest density of galleries and museums in the world.

For up to date information, visit the official government websites. If you fly Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), you can watch

old ABBA videos online. SAS was one of the first airlines to introduce Internet access, and the plane’s chef will come by and converse with you regarding your meal preferences!

“I Have a Dream”

Sweet dreams aren’t guaranteed in Stockholm, but they’re more likely if you stay at the historic Radisson SAS Strand Hotel www.Calxibe.com

“Take a Chance on Me”

Everyone’s written down Paris and London, but Stockholm’s not usually on the top of bucket lists (places you must see before you die). Once you’ve visited Sweden’s capital, though, you’ll be back.

It’s got style without attitude, attractions without the crowds, and unspoiled natural beauty.

overlooking the harbour. Since the hotel is close to everything, you’re less likely to argue with your travelling partner about directions.

Check out the Old Town, the Royal Castle, and the food halls of Östermalms Saluhall with reindeer heads adorning the walls—all just a few blocks away.

Built for the 1912 Olympics, “… there’s lots of history in these walls,” says Charlotte Blum, general manager of the Strand.

For a view of City Hall, where the Nobel Prize ceremony is held, book the penthouse with a private terrace. At sunset, grab a seat at the sidewalk bar and watch the golden light reflect off the historic architecture opposite the quay as bicyclists whiz past in their suits, ties flying, after a day at the office—no doubt working on saving the planet.

“S.O.S” Gripsholm Castle (Swedish: Gripsholms Slott) is a castle in Sweden and is regarded as one of Sweden’s finest historical monuments.

Mother Earth may be in trouble, but it’s not Sweden’s fault.

Preserving natural resources

World Perspectives

Epoch Times

is a way of life here. It starts when you get off the plane in Stockholm and catch the Arlanda Express, an electricpowered train that is the fastest and cheapest way to reach the capital. Public transportation is provided by ferry, trains, and buses.

Maintained for 14 islands, Stockholm water is so clean you can actually swim in the harbour surrounding the city centre. A sleek stone sculpture with an environmental barometer indicates the water quality that day.

Just 45 minutes away, a chain of 24,000 islands presents an unspoiled paradise. Although 85 percent of the archipelago is private property, by law they’re open to everyone. You’re welcome to hike, bike, or camp as long as you clean up after yourself and don’t disturb the residents.

“Dancing Queen”

The vintage ABBA dance moves may look a little awkward on YouTube, but they’re all the rage at the groovy Café Opera.

Rumour has it that the Swedish prince hangs out at this hot spot.

en.wikipedia.org

Café Opera is a café and nightclub in Stockholm, Sweden in the Opera building and part of the Opera Cellar.

The building was built in the 1800s, and the ceiling is covered with baroque-style paintings of floating cherubs that watch over the models, actresses, socialites, waitresses, or whoever … dancing the night away barely attired in Sweden’s latest fashions.

“The Winner Takes It All”

The Nobel Prize honourees are feted in a reception room in Stockholm’s City Hall.

Resplendent with gold tile walls depicting Swedish history, the room was recreated on a Hollywood set for the hit movie “A Beautiful Mind”. Not

everyone has the privilege of being invited to the exclusive banquet, but anyone can order the same dinner in the City Hall Cellar.

Under beautiful arched ceilings, which are part of Sweden’s national heritage, you can choose from any of the Nobel Banquet menus served over the years.

“Knowing Me, Knowing You”

If you’re like us, you’ll do almost anything to avoid boring museum tours. Leave it to the Swedes to turn a ship into an interactive, fun museum and

December 5 – 18, 2014 13

one of the country’s top tourist sightseeing destinations.

The Vasa, a warship built in 1628, showed the world how wealthy and powerful Sweden had become. Unfortunately, the king had the ship loaded with gold and heavy wooden carved images that made the ship sink on its maiden voyage.

Resurrected from the sea 350 years later, the Vasa is beautifully preserved thanks to the area’s cold water.

“Money, Money, Money”

There are plenty of places to spend your hard-earned money, but for a guided tour to secret spots locals save for themselves, call Smart City Shopping.

There’s no pressure to spend, but Lotta Carlsen tempts you with places like the following.

Svenskt Tenn is an interior design store that only sells items made in Sweden. It’s also a nonprofit foundation that donates funds for gene therapy research, so you can buy beautiful gifts and give to charity at the same time!

The store features exclusive fabric designs by Josef Frank, a

Jewish artist who created pop art designs while hiding in New York from the Nazis during World War II. Recently the popular American chain store Anthropology advertised a chair made out of his unique, colourful fabric. Efra Attling is a jewellery designer Madonna favours.

Check out the elegant glasses with rings around or inside.

Check the stem. If the glass breaks, you won’t be crying over spilled champagne because you’ll have new jewellery—the perfect gift for klutzes like me.

SVEA, named after the original Swedish kingdom, has casual styles, like white pants for yacht parties you know you’ll be invited to if you buy the right outfit and sweatshirts with the threecornered crown on the front.

(Part 2 – To be continued in the next issue.)

Have an adventure to share?

Write to us at: feedback@ epochtimes.com.sg Attn: Travel Page

World Perspectives

14 December 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

China’s Currency Gains Global Reach Renminbi expanding as trade currency, but reserve status still far off

By Rahul Vaidyanath Epoch Times Staff China is tirelessly working to promote the use of its currency, the renminbi, across the globe.

It is making progress, even in North America.

Earlier last month, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper brokered a deal for his country to become the first trading centre for renminbi (also known as yuan) in North America.

During a visit by Chinese Communist Party head Xi Jinping to Australia, Sydney announced on Nov 17 that it would become the first Australian renminbi trading hub. And Frankfurt, designated as the first euro-area renminbi hub back on March 28, cleared its first transactions in the Chinese currency in mid-November, according to a report from Bloomberg.

China has made a lot of progress internationalising the renminbi since Hong Kong became the first city outside of China where local banks could accept renminbi deposits in 2004.

These renminbi trading hubs will facilitate more bilateral trade between China and its partners.

More bilateral trade and trading hubs in time zones of major international financial markets are necessary steps for the renminbi to become a reserve currency.

It is clear the Chinese authorities desire decreasing reliance on the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency. By internationalising their own currency, gaining wider acceptance in central bank reserve portfolios, China could then borrow more from international investors to fund public deficits.

ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

A Chinese clerk counts US dollars next to stacks of Chinese renminbi at a branch of the Bank of China in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China. Increasingly, other currencies including the Canadian dollar will be taking the US dollar’s place in exchange for renminbi.

Global Reach Joachim Nagel, a board member at Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, said in a speech in Frankfurt on Nov 17, “It is only a matter of time before the renminbi becomes an international reserve currency,” as reported by Bloomberg.

According to the Bank of International Settlements’ triennial survey of global foreign exchange markets, the renminbi had less than 0.1 percent share (ranking 35th) of foreign exchange market turnover in 2001.

As of 2013, it commanded a share of 2.2 percent (ranking ninth).

While that may not seem like much, in 2013, the renminbi sur-

passed the euro as the second most used currency in trade finance after the US dollar.

Capital Account The benefits for China’s trading partners are clear. For foreign firms doing business in China, the ability to avoid unnecessary transaction costs of going through the US dollar and gaining more favourable credit terms will spur further trade.

The trading hub will facilitate development of the range of financial products and services in the Chinese currency, which additionally aids the ability of foreign firms to do business in China.

Chinese regulators have granted Canadian and Australian financial institutions a quota of 50 billion renminbi through their Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) programme. It allows investors to purchase renminbi-denominated bonds or equities in China’s capital markets.

The steps taken also allow Chinese money to move out of China and migrate abroad, diversifying away from, for example, domestic real estate markets.

There is no question about China’s position as a major world trading powerhouse. It is the second largest economy in the world and the world’s biggest

exporter. What is striking is its limited integration into global capital markets, which was part and parcel of the Chinese regime’s reform policies.

However, truly international currencies are usually associated with large, liquid, and open financial markets. While China is expanding the reach of the renminbi in terms of a trading currency, it lags far behind Western markets in terms of liquidity, rule of law, and regulation.

If it manages to address these issues, the renminbi could really become a world reserve currency. If not, it will remain what it is now: a currency used for settling trades.

Epoch Times

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December 5 – 18, 2014

Asia & China Perspectives

www.TheEpochTimes.com

Xi Jinping Cleans House in

China Since Xi Jinping entered office, 55 senior level cadres in the Chinese Communist Party have been arrested. Their one commonality: they were all loyal to a previous president, Jiang Zemin.

By Matthew Robertson Epoch Times Staff For the last two years, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has been working relentlessly to dismantle the political network that had previously controlled China. That group’s power is now effectively broken— though observers are still waiting for the final nails in the coffin.

The fruits of this cleansing of the ranks were trumpeted by Xinhua after the Communist Party’s fourth plenary session in October.

The state news mouthpiece published a list of “55 ‘Big Tigers’ That Have Been Purged”. For observers of Chinese communist politics, it was no surprise that a large chunk of those men shared the same political patron: Jiang Zemin.

Jiang was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party from June 1989 to— well, that depends on whom you ask. Jiang relinquished his role as general secretary of the CCP in 2002, but did not relinquish control of the military for another year. For many years after that, he kept a well-appointed office in military headquarters.

But during his reign and afterward, he spun a spider web of personal ties and client relations across China

Greg Bowker/Getty Imag es

that carried well into the tenure of his successor, the bland leader Hu Jintao.

One of the most memorable and explicit demonstrations of Jiang’s enduring presence took place in October 2009, during the celebration of the People’s Republic of China’s National Day, a full seven years after he had completed his tenure as Party leader. He appeared on China Central Television just beside Hu Jintao, the Party boss, on the Tiananmen Square rostrum, while the rest of Politburo Standing Committee trailed behind. The following day, People’s Daily, the state mouthpiece, published equally large photos of the two men.

In a political system where the appearance of top Chinese leaders is carefully controlled and circumscribed, with camera and face time strictly apportioned according to rank, the 2009 incident showed clearly who was still the Party’s godfather.

Jiang gained this power in part through his Machiavellian handling of the 2002 leadership handover to Hu, and again in 2007—and to a lesser degree, even in 2012—when he made sure in the leadership

Epoch Times

Asia & China Perspectives

Stealing billions, tens of billions or even hundreds of billions—that I can’t understand. You won’t be able to spend all that money in a lifetime.

Zheng Yongnian, Chinese scholar transitions to stuff his own men into top spots. In 2007, he even went to the trouble of expanding by two seats the size of the Standing Committee, the Party’s nerve centre where the crucial decisions are made, and helpfully seating his own loyalists in them.

Prominent figures in this political constellation include Zhou Yongkang, the former security boss; Li Dongsheng, head of the 610 Office secret police force; Xu Caihou, top military brass; and Jiang Jiemin, who controlled energy interests. These are four of the 55 top officials Xinhua announced as being taken down. These men—and many others loyal to Jiang—exercised their influence in almost every corner of China’s state, Party, and economy.

The extraordinary, lingering, and baleful influence of the Jiang political network is only now being rooted out of China, and has been one of the key focuses of Xi Jinping’s much vaunted anti-corruption campaign.

But the group that Xi Jinping is deleting from Chinese politics is notable for other reasons that make the current power shift potentially so much more significant: the group being purged was corrupt in the extreme and, even by Chinese communist standards, highly violent.

Corruption As the investigations against key members of this group are carried out, and accounts leaked to select media outlets in China, observers have also been given an idea of the wealth they had accumulated.

“I just can’t understand the kind of corruption that we have seen in China in recent years,” writes Zheng Yongnian, a Chinese scholar whose writings align with many establishment views.

“If you are corrupt and steal hundreds of thousands or millions of renminbi, I can understand. You can use that money to live a better life. But stealing billions, tens of billions or even hundreds of billions—that I can’t understand. You won’t be able to spend all that money in a lifetime.”

It was precisely this level of logic-defying corruption that was often found

around Jiang’s cadres. Analysts for years have said that corruption, and connivance among those loyal to him, was a key way for Jiang to secure the loyalty and obedience of so many.

Unlike Mao Zedong or Deng Xiaoping before him, Jiang enjoyed none of the credibility or prestige of a revolutionary past. He had the Party leadership given to him quite unexpectedly

by Deng Xiaoping, at the height of the political crisis surrounding the Tiananmen Square student movement. Jiang had shown as the Party secretary of Shanghai a willingness to suppress the students. After the Tiananmen Square massacre, Jiang as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party hunted down the student dissidents.

After the Tiananmen crisis, many thought Jiang would be swapped out again by Deng within a few years. Not until Deng fell ill, in 1995, and then died, in 1997, did Jiang’s own political machinations really begin.

Jiang’s consolidation of power was helped by Zeng Qinghong, a backroom operator who got rich off the oil sector and already held significant power in his own right. He helped Jiang dole out positions in exchange for political backing—working to ensure that Jiang’s power would remain in the regime long after they both left their official posts.

This was done, for example, by carving up parts of key industries and allowing family groups to control them and extract economic rents. Zhou Yongkang and his family were in petroleum, Li Peng, an ally, had a hand in the electricity utilities, one of Jiang Zemin’s sons enjoyed a role in telecommunications, and so on.

The extreme levels of corruption that were allowed under the watch of Jiang has astonished and infuriated the Chinese public, as the details have been revealed during Xi Jinping’s campaign.

Xu Caihou, a former second-incommand of the Chinese military, for example, was found to have banknotes weighing a whole ton in the basement of his 2000-square-acre estate that was raided in March. Chinese media did not even give an estimate of the amount of money it represented. The haul also included jades, antiques, and gold. Gu Junshan, one of Xu’s own protégé’s, was found to have a pure gold statue of Mao Zedong when one of his villas was raided.

The extraordinary, lingering, and baleful influence of the Jiang political network is only now being rooted out of China.

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Corruption has also led to gross misrule. On Jiang’s watch, officials giving a free pass to industry have led to massive levels of environmental pollution unseen elsewhere in the world: skyrocketing cancer rates, the poisoning of China’s soil and water, and cities with unbreathable air.

The use of Jiang’s beefed up security apparatus has also been a key part of land and home seizures and demolitions across the country, as corrupt local officials collude with developers to evict people and then suppress the mass protests that result.

The state has stopped releasing information on the number of mass incidents—protests or riots involving more than 50 people—that occur each year.

In 2010, Beijing University professor Sun Liping—Xi Jinping’s thesis adviser—estimated 180,000 mass incidents occurred. That number is believed to be climbing, as China’s people grow more restless each year.

That restlessness is in part a widely held feeling that under Jiang Zemin, something fundamental went wrong in China’s society. In online chat rooms, people complain about a society in which people only care about individual gain – while morality and caring for others seem to have disappeared.

Jiang often used corruption to reward members of his faction who enthusiastically implemented his signature political campaign, the persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice. This security mobilisation relied on mass abductions, arbitrary imprisonments, and the torture—often in startlingly cruel ways—of millions of ordinary Chinese people.

Violence The old fashioned political campaign is a fundamental operating principle of the Chinese Communist Party, and the history of the regime is often understood in relation to the execution and aftermath of such campaigns. The purges of the 1950s, for example, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, were all signature campaigns of Mao Zedong, and his reign was focused obsessively on carrying out such movements.

Deng Xiaoping led a period of economic reform, which was driven by its own hard political logic as much as was any other mobilisation. He also presided over the massacre of students in Beijing on June 4, 1989. This campaign, and its fallout, defined his era.

But analysts of Chinese elite politics have frequently overlooked the role of the persecution of Falun Gong in defining Jiang’s political career.

The fateful decision to eliminate Falun Gong was made during April and May 1999, and became public on July 20 of the same year. Official statistics put the number of Falun Gong practitioners at 70 million, while Falun Gong sources say over 100 million Chinese had taken Continued on Page 18

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Epoch Times

Continued from Page 17

up the practice by 1999. In any case, the persecution targeted a massive portion of the population.

The campaign against Falun Gong is based on abducting adherents and attempting to force them to undergo ideological transformation—what in the 1950s the Communists called “thought reform”, or simply brainwashing. Thousands of deaths due to torture have been documented, although due to the difficulty of getting information out of China, the number documented is believed to be several times short of the actual number of deaths.

Researchers investigating the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners to supply China’s burgeoning transplantation industry have estimated that approximately 62,000 were killed in the years 2000– 2008. The harvesting of practitioner organs is believed to be ongoing, and so the death toll continues to climb.

Observers at the time saw the political movement instigated by Jiang as a chance for him to force Party members to pledge allegiance to him personally and to build up his own power—despite there being little enthusiasm at the top of the Party for launching the violent persecution.

Security authorities around China, under the orders of Jiang Zemin, devised all manner of physical and mental torture, and applied them against Falun Gong practitioners in an attempt to force them to renounce their beliefs.

These methods include burning, shocking, hanging, sleep deprivation, and more, according to Minghui. org, a website that carries firsthand accounts of persecution from China.

Guards developed special names for torture techniques, like “hell trap”, “death board”, “corpse stretch”, and “roasting a whole sheep”, which involves tying the hands and feet of a victim to a rail high above the ground, so they are hung like an animal on a spit. The victim in that position is then often beaten. Minghui documents hundreds of detailed, cruel methods of torture deployed against Falun Gong.

Jiang Zemin’s people have been so deeply invested in this violent political campaign that they stood behind an attempt to wrest back the leader-

ship of the Party from the waiting hands of Xi Jinping.

Abortive Coup Bo Xilai, the fallen Politburo member who was a key ally and protégé of Jiang Zemin and the former security czar Zhou Yongkang, was at one point told, “You must show your toughness in handling Falun Gong … it will be your political capital,” according to the veteran China journalist Jiang Weiping.

He was quickly promoted through the ranks, all the while groomed by political masters Jiang and the grimfaced Zhou Yongkang. Zhou operated China’s entire security apparatus, growing it to a behemoth with a budget greater than the military, with no oversight.

Bo was intended to become the heir of the Jiang dynasty and unseat Xi Jinping from the leadership post, according to the political conspiracy hatched prior to the leadership transition in late 2012. People in the inner circles of the Party, who spoke to the Epoch Times in 2012, said the entire scheme was hatched as a way to ensure that the campaign against Falun Gong would continue, and that those who launched it would never be held accountable for the crimes committed in seeking to eliminate the practice.

That plot came to light in early 2012, and led to the purge of Bo in March by Xi’s predecessor Hu Jintao.

After Xi took the reins in November of that year, he began working to dismantle Jiang’s faction root and branch.

Xi Jinping’s need to respond to this attempt to destroy him has driven the extraordinary purge of highranking officials, according to political analysts. In normal circumstances, new leaders do not resort to such thorough punishments of factional opponents—but Xi was forced to respond decisively to an attempt to unseat him, lest he lose all standing in the fierce world of Chinese communist political power.

Final Blow

There is a widely held feeling that under Jiang Zemin, something fundamental went wrong in China’s society.

Xinhua’s helpful breakdown in October of the individuals purged and the posts they held was an announcement to the Party and the country at large that Xi Jinping’s campaign has succeeded. He is now firmly in control, and the Jiang faction has been displaced.

The officials in central level agencies listed by Xinhua are overwhelmingly aligned with the Jiang factional network, and those in provincial areas heavily feature members of the extended family, too.

While Xi has been eliminating the key parts of the Jiang network around the country, Chinese media has carried reports about other members of the old guard expressing support for Xi Jinping.

A recent report by People’s Daily is titled “Xi Jinping Values the ‘Old Cadres’”. The report contains a speech by Xi addressing retired Party cadres and leaders. He called retired cadres “precious treasures” and congratulated many for their service to the Party.

Of course, no one was surprised at the complete absence of one old Party leader from the event—Jiang Zemin.

While Jiang’s political network

enjoyed a wide geographic spread, its base was always known to be Shanghai. With the announcement this July that Shanghai would face a thorough corruption investigation, on top of the felling of 11 officials there in September, Xi may be doing to Jiang Zemin what he did before to Zhou Yongkang and Xu Caihou: investigate and remove those close to the target, before moving in for the final blow.

Asia & China Perspectives

Epoch Times

December 5 – 18, 2014

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Reasons Why Legoland 6 Malaysia Resort is Your Perfect Pre-Christmas Staycation All Photos Courtesy of LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort

Epoch Times Staff This Christmas holiday, why not make a trip down to the LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort?

This family holiday destination with more than 70 hands-on rides, slides, shows and attractions launches new and exciting Holiday Extravaganza.

Here are 6 reasons why LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort is your perfect pre-

Christmas staycation:

1.

Specially flown in from Europe, LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort presents a brand new festive show ‘When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney’ at the newly renovated air-conditioned LEGO City Stage.

An entertaining drama suitable for children and those who are ‘childrenat-heart’, this festive show tells the story of the Ginger Bread family. To convince little Ginger that Santa does exist, the toy

soldier and ballerina come alive as well as a piece of ... LEGO. At the end of the show, be prepared to get up from your seats and give Santa a ‘push’ to help him escape through the chimney!

2. This Christmas holiday, LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort proudly introduces a rectangular installation featuring 24 windows.

On each day of December leading up to Christmas, a lucky guest will have the chance to open a window and win the special prize hidden behind it.

3. Be dazzled by a 9-metre tall LEGO Christmas tree made from 427,695 LEGO DUPLO bricks and decorated with handbuilt LEGO ornaments, which will be lit up at the resort daily.

4.

Take a selfie with the LEGO Santa model, which is made from more than 250,000 LEGO bricks.

5. Immerse in the festive mood at LEGOLAND, with special festive treats happening everyday. Surprise treats around the park include Christmas carollers, mascot appearances and Christmasthemed LEGO building activities.

6. For those who are on a Christmas shopping spree, the retail outlets at the resort have much to offer. A range of LEGO Christmas items are available, such as advent calenders, LEGO baubles, Santa sleigh sets, holiday T-shirts and many more!

20 December 5 – 18, 2014

Asia & China Perspectives

Epoch Times

FOTOLIA

Why Beijing’s Interest in Offshore Tax Evasion Is Limited to Corrupt Officials

By He Qinglian Fifty-one countries signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement in Berlin on Oct 29 to fight offshore tax fraud and evasion. The agreement aims to put an end to banking secrecy by sharing tax-related information with member states.

Missing from the signatory list are the United States and China.

China’s absence seems somewhat strange given its global “fox hunt” for corrupt officials who have fled the country.

Hunting Foxes vs. Beating Tigers The United States has good reasons to stay out. With the enactment of its 2010 Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or FATCA, the United States has been pioneering the fight against tax evasion.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has played a leading role in the development and

negotiation of the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria commented that the United States has provided strong support in the process.

China, on the other hand, has made no comment on the Agreement and has not been mentioned by the OECD. Beijing’s indifference to the international anti-tax evasion campaign forms a sharp contrast to its highly propagandised effort to hunt down runaway officials.

Tax evasion is a serious federal felony in the United States. For the Chinese, however, hunting corrupt officials and recovering taxes are two very different things from an ethical perspective. The former targets corrupt officials who fled the country with illegally obtained assets, while the latter involves all wealthy Chinese who have transferred their wealth abroad.

Besides members of the red magnates, these wealthy people also include private business owners who have transferred

money abroad. Therefore, the capital affected by tax recovery efforts is not 100 percent illegal income.

However, the amount of money involved in corrupt official hunting and tax recovery is very different.

Between US$1 trillion and US$4 trillion in untraced assets have left the country (China) since 2000.

ICIJ Report Since the 1990s, 16,000 to 18,000 Communist Party cadres and government officials have fled China, taking with them 800 billion yuan (about S$170 billion at today’s exchange rate), according to Party mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency.

In a report published on Jan 21, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that nearly 22,000 offshore clients with addresses in mainland China and Hong Kong hold companies in tax havens.

(See “Leaked Records Reveal Offshore Holdings of China’s Elite”) Among them are relatives of the “red nobility”, the wealthy, and Chinese congress members, according to the report.

“By some estimates, between $1 trillion and $4 trillion in untraced assets have left the country since 2000,” the report stated.

Compared to the 800 billion yuan that corrupt Chinese officials took abroad, the US$1-4 trillion (S$1.3-5.2 trillion) is a much larger amount. Furthermore, quite a large portion of the US$1-4 trillion was obtained illegally.

Beijing is reluctant to cast the net to “catch the tigers” while enthusiastically “hunting foxes” globally, because the two campaigns target different groups.

“Fox Hunt” Targets Eloped Corrupt Officials The “fox hunt” is a campaign to hunt down officials and senior management of state-owned enterprises who have fled the country with embezzled or illegally obtained money.

China launched the campaign globally in July with much publicity. In a series of eight articles called “China’s Fight Against Runaway Corrupt Officials”, Party mouthpiece People.com. cn provided a comprehensive account of the global manhunt.

The latest news is that China agrees to follow the international practice of sharing the illicit assets with countries that help capture the fugitives and recover the money. In the meantime, although China has not yet signed extradition treaties with the United States, Canada, or Australia, these three countries have been collaborating with China in various ways to hunt down economic fugitives.

Continued on Page 22

Epoch Times

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December 5 – 18, 2014 21

Are You Entangled in Your

WEIGHT LOSS DILEMMA? In A Nutshell, Aimin’s Weight Loss Guiding Principle Consists of the Following Proven Methods: The use of acupuncture, Chinese medicine, mainly with ear pressure seed treatments

C

onsumers today are generally concerned about the myriads of over-the-counters weight loss products with uncertainties of any “side effects” in such fast weight loss products. Everyone wants to be on the safe side and lose weight safely and healthily, rather than fast weight loss but destructive to their health, with much hype on side effects like dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting and other adverse reactions to the body.

The Efficacy of TCM Methodologies

Natural Balance is everything in the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, the very reason why people get sick because the body’s balancing echanism is hampered, Hence, the main reason according to TCM theory for obesity is dysfunctional organs, which in Western medicine is known as Endocrine Disorders – an imbalance between hunger and satiety nerves, resulting in uneven absorption of nutrients. Hence the core mechanism for the modern concept of weight loss is basically to regulate the endocrine regulation system in our bodies as one of the most important factors in tackling overweight problems.

The use of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the comprehensive treatment of neurological and endocrine function in obese patients effectively adjusts and suppresses appetite in obese patients with hyperthyroidism, reduce food intakes, while inhibiting gastrointestinal digestion and absorption in patients with hyperthyroidism function, while promoting energy metabolism in the body to increase energy consump-

tion, thus improving the mobilisation of body fats and fat molecular breakdowns, to achieve their weight loss goals.

The Aimin Weight Loss Advantage

The Aimin Weight Loss Concept essentially pivots on the treatment approach of integrative medicine to the endocrine theory of Western medicine as a guide to acupuncture, Chinese medicine, ear pressure seeds and other methods of clinical therapies, and which involves the restructuring of one’s diet, moderate diet management, weight loss exercises, psychotherapy treatments and the corrective measures of bad lifestyle habits, as evident in one of Aimin’s unique ‘treatment of life’ psychotherapy, where a comprehensive treatment system is put in place according to the individual’s needs and lifestyle, so as to help achieve one’s most ideal weight loss goals. The best part of the Aimin Weight Loss therapy – you will not find any signs of fatigue in the weight loss process; no diarrhea, no anorexia, all stringently in line with World Health Organisation’s requirements in the treatment for obesity.

And with so many success stories from Aimin’s weight loss saga since 2001, they have hailed high safety and effectiveness in their weight loss process for many patients. They also prided themselves with the least chance of common weight loss rebounds amongst their patients due to the lasting effects of their consolidated weight loss treatments. The weight is effectively stabilised at a new level after a new “setpoint” weight with the body’s metabolism is established and achieved.

Structural adjustment of one’s diet and moderate dieting plan Effective weight loss exercise regime Psychological treatment and correction of adverse lifestyle habits

A PHENOMENAL SUCCESS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD! A GUINESS RECORD FOR BEST & FASTEST T WEIGHT LOSS PERSON

FROM 265KG TO 90KG IN 2 YEARS! S! “I was 1.79m tall and weighed 265kg when I was first admitted to the hospital. I was often teased at school because of my weight. And as a result, I stopped school altogether. Then I found out about Aimin in Tianjin, China, and sought help there. The hospital actually sent a doctor to my hometown in Harbin to assess my situation, which eventually led to a sponsorship of my treatment. The first day of treatment involves a thorough medical examination which resulted in many findings. Apart from being severely obese, I was also suffering from heart disease, acanthosis nigricans, erysipelas and fatty liver.

Following 30 days of treatment, my weight reduced to 216.8kg. On 3 April 2001, I weighed 128.9kg. On top that, the medical conditions

that I had showed signs of improvement. On my 1st anniversary since being admitted to hospital, I weighed 90kg. During the treatment, I learnt the importance of watching how much and what I eat and the benefits of regular exercise, and this is the reason why to date, my weight is still maintained at around 90kg.

Today Aimin Acupuncture & Weight Loss Centre has offered its services and weight loss efficacy to more Singaporeans since 2001 with two outlets in Somerset and Joo Chiat and a third opening in Jurong Point next year.”

Asia & China Perspectives

22 December 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

Why Beijing’s Interest in Offshore Tax Evasion Is Limited to Corrupt Officials STR/AFP PHOTO

Continued from Page 20 The majority of the runaway officials used to work in lucrative departments such as finance, state-owned monopoly enterprises, transportation, land management, construction, taxation, trade, and investment.

In the past, the number of captured fugitives was never disclosed. Now, however, China has provided official statistics for the first time: 6,694 defecting economic crime suspects were brought back to the country from 2008 to 2013 through extradition, repatriation, persuasion, and prosecution abroad.

The United States, Canada, and Australia are the defecting officials’ top choices since these traditional immigration targets provide good living conditions and high-quality education. It is said that “corrupt official neighbourhoods” and “corrupt official offspring villages” can be found in these countries.

So how high-ranking are these officials? A list of defecting corrupt officials in the seventh article of the People.com. cn series shows that the highest-ranking officials are Lu Wanli, former Director of Guizhou Province Transportation Department, and Yang Xiuzhu, former Vice Director of Zhejiang Province Construction Department.

In recent years, the Chinese government is said to have made a great effort to hunt down corrupt officials who have fled abroad. It has signed 107 judicial assistance agreements with 63 countries, including those under negotiation, and followed the international practice of sharing the recovered assets with the assisting countries (40 to 80 percent of the assets will be shared depending on the

U.S. dollar notes are counted next to stacks of Chinese 100 yuan (RMB) bank notes.

contribution of the country).

Beijing swore to “bring the corrupt officials to justice even if they fled to the corners of the earth”.

Tax Recovery a Gold Mine Although tax recovery is a gold mine, Beijing will not dig into it for reasons that cannot be mentioned.

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The reason tax recovery is so tricky for Beijing is that many of those who transfer assets abroad on a large scale are relatives and descendants of the red nobility.

I’d like to first explain the difference between the red nobility and senior officials. In pre-communist eras, “nobility” referred to relatives of the royal family and those who were granted nobility due to great achievements or contributions.

There is an old saying: “Official titles are to appoint the capable, and nobility titles are to reward contributions.” Official titles cannot be passed down to the officials’ children, while nobility titles can be inherited.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stated they would “smash the old world”, so they could not adopt the old “feudal system” they said they would crack down on. However, the CCP never attempted to restrain the privileges of the red nobility who “won the world” for Mao. Such privileges not only allow their children to easily become senior officials or officers, but also allow them to do business and take advantage of their parents’ political power.

Some red princelings argue that

most of the second-generation red officials lead an ordinary life without any privileges. This is true, but there are reasons behind it.

The first reason is that there are differentiations among the “second red generation”. It is an unspoken rule that only the original generals in Mao’s era or the department heads in the 1950s or earlier qualify as “red nobility” who enjoy privileges above the law. Most of the second red generation do not belong to this group, so their privileges are limited.

The second reason is that not all red princelings have the ability to do business.

It has been proven by sources inside and outside China that a large portion of the wealthy class in China are from red nobility families. In a series of articles published in 2010, People’s Forum, a magazine published by the People’s Daily, publicly admitted for the first time that the majority of China’s nouveau riche are the “red families”.

The articles also pointed out that the red families have a high starting point and easy access to social resources due to their political and capital advantages. Most red families do business

Asia & China Perspectives

Epoch Times

in industries that require government approval, such as trade, infrastructure, and energy. Real estate is another favourite business of this group.

The red family members, not being very rich, worry about the security of the mammoth assets in China, so they transfer their money overseas through various channels. According to the ICIJ report, over 100 researchers searched the list of 37,000 Chinese offshore company holders looking for “public figures”: Politburo members, military commanders, mayors of large cities, billionaires listed in Forbes and Hurun’s

rankings of the mega-wealthy, and socalled princelings (relatives of the current leadership or former Communist Party elders).

The team identified family members of at least five current and former members of the Politburo (China’s top leadership group consisting of 7 to 9 members) who hold offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands and the Cook Islands. Among them are Deng Xiaoping’s son-in-law Wu Jianchang, a former prime minister’s daughter Li Xiaolin, Wen Jiabao’s son Wen Yunson and son-in-law Liu Chunhang, Xi Jinping’s

December 5 – 18, 2014 23

brother-in-law Deng Jiagui, and Hu Jintao’s nephew Hu Yishi, to name a few.

The report exposed the CCP interest group’s true nature as thieves, and it greatly undermined the CCP’s legitimacy. Therefore, the CCP continues to ignore this report.

Of the 800 billion yuan that corrupt officials took abroad, over 10 billion was recovered over the past 15 years.

However, even if the rest is fully recovered, the amount is not comparable to the tax on the US$1-4 trillion in assets transferred abroad.

Even a primary school student can

tell which is more important. Yet the Chinese government has no interest in the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement, but focuses only on hunting down the corrupt officials abroad.

Such an obvious problem is entirely due to the different target groups of the corrupt official hunt and tax recovery.

In other words, it is a case of “identity discrimination”, as I pointed out earlier when commenting on Beijing’s anticorruption campaigns.

Originally published in Voice of America.

NINE COMMENTARIES

China’s apparent economic development in the past 20 years has been the central theme of CCP’s political rhetoric.

The CCP claims such economic progress as its own achievement, but in reality, such progress is only achieved by lifting economic fetters that were imposed by the CCP in the first place.

In comparison with China’s economic disaster in 1980, China’s current economic growth is only possible because of its failures in the past, it is still a long way from where it should have been had China been allowed to progress in the 20th century.

However, while the CCP is not adept at public policy, it is exceptional at propaganda.

When Mao Zedong, the founder of CCP passed away, people wept before his portrait, crying “What can we do without Chairman Mao?” They need not do anything for they were already at the absolute rock bottom in the history of China.

Fred McMahon, Vice President of International Policy Research and the Director of Centre for Trade and Globalization Studies at The Fraser Institute. He currently coordinates the Economic Freedom Network, a global alliance of 86 think tanks around the world.

Adapted from Commentary 9, On the Unscrupulous Nature of Chinese Communist Party

Emperor Qian Long

In comparison with China’s economic disasster in 1980, China’s current economic growth is only possible because of its failures in the past, it is still a long way from where it should have been had China been allowed to progress in the 20th century.

Qing Dynasty 1799

33%

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen

Kuo Min Tang

CCP took over

1911 1949

China’s share

Imagine a country that makes abysmal public policy decisions, as China did under Mao. Its policies are so horrid that the economy cannot grow beyond a per capita income of $1,000 a year. Then it moves from having abysmal to bad policies which produce an income of about $10,000 per capita. This is what happened to China. It moved from abysmal to bad policy, and that generated new growth, creating the impression of an economic miracle.

Post WWII

Mao Zedong

1980

China’s “Economic Miracle”

Xi Jinping

2010

2%

10%

World GDP

China’s Lowest GDP

9.5% 5.7% figures from Angus Madison project & IMF World Economic Outlook database / illustration by epoch times

185,765,524

people have renounced the CCP as of December 3, 2014.

Quitting the Chinese Communist Party www.NineCommentaries.com

Thousands of Chinese people are quitting the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliate organisations every day through a special website established by The Epoch Times. Others are quitting by calling an international hotline, posting statements

on public walls and poles, or writing on banknotes.

Read the full “Nine Commentaries” book, as well as recent statements from Chinese people who have quit the Party, at www.theepochtimes.com

It was famously said that Communist regimes turned mass crime into a full blown system of government. Each of them has received its just verdict in history – all but the Communist Party of China which has persisted to this day.

The “Nine Commentaries” is an award winning editorial series that offers a vivid and perceptive account of the CCP from its inception to the present. By unmasking its perversion, Nine Commentaries seek to recall the Chinese people and the world from the slumber of ignorance and inaction.

Thus far, the series first published in November 2004 has led more than 170 million Chinese to renounce the CCP and its affiliations, trailblazing a massive yet peaceful movement for China’s transformation and change.

Read more of this groundbreaking editorial series at: http://goo.gl/yQ2Jox

24 December 5 – 18, 2014

Asia & China Perspectives

Epoch Times

Sarawak: Where Business Meets

Adventure

Epoch Times Staff Sarawak, one of the two Malaysian states in the exotic Borneo Island, is known internationally for its wildlife diversity, ancient rainforest and adventure tourism.

Over the years, it is slowly gaining traction as a MICE destination, with high incentives offered by the state government and increasing corporate social responsibility efforts by participating multinational corporations.

In a land graced by the iconic great ape orang-utan, as well as some of the rarest wildlife species and habitats such as the Proboscis monkeys, Hornbills and the Rafflesia (the world’s largest flower), the Sarawak State Government is quick to partner environmentalists in retaining the state’s ecological marvel.

Sarawak Convention Bureau In 2006, the state set up the Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) in capital Kuching, and positioned itself as an inimitable MICE destination – one with a strong mission to synergise business with wildlife conservation and humanitarian efforts.

Not surprisingly, SCB core values resonate with global organisations that believe in making a positive impact on people and the world.

Over the years, as Kuching transforms itself into a charming multicultural city that hosts some of the friendliest people on earth, with a plethora of international hotels and high-end business-friendly facilities, SCB has also (in 2013) recorded 57 convention bid wins representing 21,277 delegates, and 71,798 delegate days, which contributed an estimated direct delegate expenditure of RM41.6 million (S$16 million) to Sarawak.

In addition to wildlife conservation championed by the state, SCB has its exclusive corporate incentive programmes that highlight the adventurous side of Borneo, namely Tribal Quest and Borneo Quest.

To experience the Sarawak culture, business delegates get to visit the Sarawak Cultural Village which features traditional longhouses of different tribal origins. For the bolder and more adventurous, they have the opportunity to kayak through the rainforest into the deep end of Borneo or experience an intimate encounter with different subspecies of Sarawak’s rare orang-utans.

Giving Back to the Local Community SCB also has a dedicated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for organisations who wish to give back to the disadvantaged in Sarawak during

Heart2heart with Orangutan participants with their adoption certification.

their time there.

Delegates can opt to partake in its ‘Habitat for Humanity’ project, where they work hand-in-hand with the natives in longhouse communities or remote villages to construct facilities such as medical clinics, schools or bridges.

In return, the organisations will learn about paddy planting and fishing with bamboo traps, or create their special piece of local art-and-craft and participate in local traditional music, games and dance.

“CSR is a commitment that works best when it comes from the heart,” said SCB Managing Director Mr Mike Cannon.

“Having goals and visions that go

WONCA - Delegates at WONCA 2014

Kuching city along the banks of Sarawak River

Sarawak is an excellent destination option for an ‘adventure’ incentive.

Lauren Hayward, Forum Group Events Australia beyond products and profits by actively participating in social responsibility programmes portrays a friendlier image to clients and the general public.

“We encourage your organisation to put in the time and effort required to reap lasting and meaningful rewards in socially responsible activities. Look at CSR as a win-win situation: a win for your organisation, and a win for the communities you help,” he said.

Here is a glance at SCB’s CSR programmes:

• HEART TO HEART WITH ORANG-UTANS

Delegates get down and dirty with the most popular icon of Sarawak - the orangutan. Try helping the orangutan keepers at Matang Wildlife Centre for a day, and be one of the unsung heroes who sacrifice time and effort to bring these near extinct creatures back to Borneo’s forests.

• SWIFTLET CONSERVATION PROGRAMME This

programme

helps

to

create

awareness on the almost extinct swiftlet birds due to over-harvesting of their nests which have been part of the Sarawakian culture for centuries. This educational programme showcases sustainable swiftlet management and conservation in Sarawak. Hike through the limestone forest to learn about the history of bird’s nest trading and industry and its production process while exploring the caves and meeting the locals. It will be a memorable experience packed with adventure.

The benefits are remarkable, as shared by some of the participants: “Fantastic, memorable and touches my soul”- Dr Caroline Hong (CEO, SME Association of Australia) “The experience was invaluable and an eye opener”- Ms Lisa Wong (Malaysian TV Host) “Very privileged to be up close and personal with these amazing creatures and understand more about the orangutans” (Anthony Vallario, Business Events TV Australia) “H2H was a really nice way to give something back and feel empowered; I could have spent hours watching the orang-utans. Having seen the hard work that goes into caring for the orang-utans, I was proud to have adopted little Baka and give back to a great cause.” (Harry Whelan, Optus Australia) “The CSR project with the orangutans was incredible! Such an experience and was definitely a highlight of my trip. I really enjoyed it. ... Sarawak is an excellent destination option for an ‘adventure’ incentive”. (Lauren Hayward, Forum Group Events Australia)

December 5 – 18, 2014 25

Technology & Science

www.TheEpochTimes.com

What Is the

DNA of Your Mind?

By Dr Riza Berkan The universe is full of mysteries that challenge our current knowledge. In “Beyond Science” Epoch Times collects stories about these strange phenomena to stimulate the imagination and open up previously undreamed of possibilities. Are they true? You decide.

Your DNA determines everything about you: eye colour, height, body shape, skin type, etc. But it does not determine one thing about you—your mind.

At birth, the human brain is nothing but an empty storage tank with 30 billion neurons in it. In contrast to your wonderfully choreographed body, with details from toe nails to hair thickness, there is nothing special about this most important vital organ. The brain needs to be filled. It is a process. The process of learning and maturing via various life experiences results in the final description of who you are, and yet it continues to change in time with increasingly smaller amounts and at a slower pace.

Artificial intelligence project exClone wants to map the DNA of your Mind (DNAM).

Although the terminology sounds original, DNAM is actually not a new concept. For example, tracking and profil-

ing Facebook users based on their “likes” is a rudimentary form of DNAM. Such a thing is perceived by some as a dark enterprise nowadays, due to privacy concerns.

When we depart from this present gloomy picture, and imagine what can happen in the future, the meaning of DNAM changes drastically. If DNA cloning ensures the eternal continuation of your body, then DNAM may ensure the immortality of your mind in a peculiar and exciting manner.

The truthfulness of this statement very much depends on how DNAM will evolve from being just a commercial “profile” to something much more spectacular.

Psychological studies have several, somewhat debatable, human personality theories.

Creating a model for DNAM must use something like the Raymond Cattell’s 16 Personality Factors. Marking them on a scale of 1 to 10 (either by measurements or self-determination) shows your behaviour, such as reasoning, emotional stability, sensitivity, and other factors. Mathematically speaking, if we had Steve Jobs’ blue chart, there could be another 20 million people out there with similar charts. As a result, psychological profiling is never unique enough to claim your DNAM. This classical approach omits the role of a second important

element of knowledge, which we call “expertise”. In the same scale of 1 to 10, now we can mark the level of knowledge in various fields. This list could be as long as it needs to be depending on each person.

The expertise can be anything ranging from how to boil an egg to how to launch a nuclear missile. The blue chart combined with the green chart could potentially depict a unique DNAM for Steve Jobs or anyone else.

The exClone project has undertaken the digital cloning of human expertise. To make exClones useful to society, the main emphasis is given to the expertise part (the green chart). To ensure their organic potential, exClones continue to learn, following the personality traits of their creators (following the blue charts) by means of social conversations and Internet sources. The project is significant in its comprehensive attempt to model deep artificial intelligence.

The uniqueness of the green chart lies in its identification and prioritisation of knowledge. For example, between two dentists who went to the same school, it would be impossible to produce equal expertise in real life. Each would have a different clinical experience over time. This unique experience, combined with the personality traits (blue chart), is what makes up the final

At birth, the human brain is nothing but an empty storage tank with 30 billion neurons in it.

DNAM may ensure the immortality of your mind.

The exClone project has undertaken the digital cloning of human expertise.

www.karmajello.com

definition of our minds and DNAM in this exClone model.

Of course, some may say that distilling the definition of the mind down to a number of personality traits and experiences may not capture the essence of the human mind, albeit it could be useful in a practical sense in developing artificial intelligence.

Should the computers we create have personalities and knowledge prioritisation? The short answer is “absolutely, yes”. Differences fill all the gaps and avoid common blind spots.

That is the power of group thinking and a cornerstone of human civilisation. The future of computerised human societies will be more successful with human-like variety as opposed to a single, “can do all”, generic computer model.

Dr Riza Berkan is a physicist and an artificial intelligence export. He is founder of the exClone project and its principal scientist.

Technology & Science

26 December 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

5 of the Best Call Forwarder Apps for Android

By Mahesh Makvana Epoch Times Staff If you frequently switch SIM cards on your phone, you should consider using a call forwarder app. What a call forwarder app does is forward all the calls from your old device to the new one.

So whether you have changed your phone number or the phone itself with a new SIM card, you will still receive calls that were for your old number.

While there may be a number of apps that help you forward calls on an Android phone, we have chosen some of the best ones for you:

you forward calls on your device in the most simple way. You just need to download and install the app on your device, do a bit of configuration, and you are good to go.

The app features a widget that lets you quickly enable and disable the forwarding, saving you from the hassle of launching the app and tapping a few times here and there. It comes preloaded with profiles for some of the major carriers in the US, the UK, and Canada, and also lets you create your own profiles.

The app will set you back US$0.99 (S$1.29) and is available at the Google Play store.

instance, it lets you forward calls when you are at your office and disables forwarding when you reach home.

Another interesting feature is it enables the forwarding when your battery is low, so that you can still talk to your loved ones on your other phone. It is really easy to configure the app and you will be done in no time.

The app is available for free at the Google Play store.

3. Remote Call Divert

2. Forward My Calls

1. Simple Call Forwarding

As the name suggests, the Simple Call Forwarding app lets

The Forward My Calls app uses an intelligent algorithm to determine when to and when not to forward your calls. For

If you tend to forget your phone at home, the Remote Call Divert app can be a lifesaver for you. It lets you divert phone calls by just sending a text to your phone. If you forget to bring your phone with you, just send a text to it using another phone, and all

High-Tech Material Cools Buildings

by Sending Heat Into Space

By Jessica Berman VOA News Researchers have invented a material that can draw heat out of buildings and send it, along with the sun’s radiating warmth, into the coldness of outer space.

The revolutionary product, which can cool buildings even on hot days, can be fashioned into ultrathin, multilayered sheets that could be installed on a roof like solar panels. But instead of turning sunlight into energy, the sheets turn heat into invisible light and beam it away as infrared radiation.

Stanford University electrical engineering professor Shanhui Fan said the panels — which include a layer of material similar to what is found in sand — act like a kind of high-tech mirror, both siphoning heat out of the buildings and reflecting the sun’s rays, sending both 100 kilometres up into the coldness of space.

No Electricity Needed “It’s a structure that cools itself without electricity input, even under the sun,” Fan said. “So, what it does is basically radiate heat to outer space and also reflect the sunlight so it [the building] doesn’t get heated up by the sun. And the net result is you get something that if you put on the roof, you have a temperature below ambient air temperature by a significant amount.”

The panels, which are cool to the touch even in the sun, can reduce indoor temperatures to nearly 5 degrees Celsius below the temperature outside. And when the heat is sent into space, it is transmitted at a frequency that allows it to pass through the atmosphere without warming the air. It’s almost, Fan said, like having a window into space.

He said one possible use for the panels would be in buildings with no access to electricity or air conditioning in developing countries.

the calls to the phone at home will be forwarded to the number specified by you.

The app does not cost a cent, and you can get it from the Google Play store.

remote texting.

You can get the app for free from the Google Play store.

5. Call Forwarding

4. SMS Call Forward/Divert

A new feature that SMS Call Forward/Divert brings to the table is the forwarding of text messages. Besides regular call forwarding, the app lets you divert your text messages as well. Since the app supports remote activation, you can just send a text message to your device with this app installed and the forwarding will be automatically activated.

There are a number of commands that you can issue to enable or disable various services on your device using

Do you want to enable call forwarding only when your device is out of reach? If so, Call Forwarding can help you do that. The app lets you activate or deactivate forwarding whenever a specified action occurs, for example, when you go out of reach.

It has a nice clutter-free interface that makes using the app more simple for you.

If you are unsure whether the forwarding is active or not, you can tap the Status button and it should tell you.

You can give the app a shot for free at the Google Play store.

Republished with permission from MakeTechEasier.

Fan Lab/Standford Engineering (Courtesy Image)

“In areas where one is off-grid, this actually gave a ... significant potential benefit for storing medicine or food,” Fan said. “In many of these situations, being able to reduce the temperature is important. And this would be a way to do it.”

Cooling Spray The Stanford researchers, who described the technology on a small scale in the journal Nature, said the main challenge is engineering actual cooling systems using the high-tech panels.

One possibility is formulating a cooling spray that could be applied to existing solid structures. They believe the technology could be scaled up in the next three to five years.

Researchers note that as much as 15 percent of the energy used in the United States is spent powering air-conditioning systems. That is money that could be saved in the long run after the initial cost of outfitting buildings with the cooling material.

This illustration shows a coated panel reflecting incoming sunlight (yellow area) that would otherwise heat the building. It then sends heat from inside the structure into space as infrared radiation (reddish rays).

Technology & Science

Epoch Times

December 5 – 18, 2014 27

Study: People Ignore Online Computer Security Warnings

By Jessica Berman VOA News How many times have you been at your computer and seen a message flash across the screen warning that the site you are about to visit could be a threat to your security?

A trio of researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah wanted to dig deeper into the psychology of people who ignore those messages — which is many of us a lot of the time.

Many people, they say, claim to care about computer security but behave in ways that put themselves at risk for getting viruses and other unwanted computer intrusions. Their new study aims to find out what goes on in the minds of these users.

According to BYU neuroscientist Brock Kirwan, online security often depends on people heeding the warning messages.

“The weakest part of your security chain is the users themselves,” he said. “So your computer is fairly secure. But if you can get people to engage in insecure computing behaviours, to get people to open up the attachment to the email or to enable macros or something like that, it’s pretty easy to gain access to their computer in that case. So, knowing who’s going to engage in these risky behaviours could help you to design systems that sort of circumvent these things.”

The researchers designed an experiment involving a group of students who used their own laptops. The students played a game in which they were asked

to identify whether they thought images of the superhero Batman were animated or photographed.

Throughout the experiment, warning signs popped up from time to time on their screens suggesting there were malware issues with the Batman site.

If the students ignored enough of the warnings, they were “hacked” — a message from an “Algerian hacker” with a laughing skull and crossbones and a ten-second timer came on the screen with the words “Say goodbye to your computer”.

Anthony Vance, a professor of information systems at BYU, has an explanation.

“Because with the countdown timer, they only had a few seconds to make a decision,” Vance said. “Some people yanked out the network cable. Some people

Getty Images

slammed the laptop lid shut. So they were definitely concerned about the data.”

Fortunately, none of the hacking messages was genuine. But the students’ behaviour — ignoring the messages — was counter to previous responses by the students that they cared about computer security.

Repeatedly seeing the security warnings caused the subjects to begin to ignore them, something called “habituation”, according to Vance.

“If users just dismiss the warnings without thinking, then that’s a big problem,” he said. “So, we’re looking at how

to change things up, how to keep the warning messages fresh in appearance so that the brain accords attention at the time that it sees the message.”

The findings were published in the Journal for the Association for Information Systems. The Brigham Young University investigators say computer makers in Silicon Valley are interested in their work.

They are planning future experiments using high tech brain imaging, called fMRI, and tracking computer mouse movements to also try to predict how we respond to computer security.

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28 december 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

INSPIRE ME!

Having a Bad Day? A Positive Mindset Starts With These 4 Simple Steps all photos from Shutterstock

Negative thoughts will affect our actions and perspective.

For example: at work, your colleague gets noticed and praised, meanwhile you get overlooked. As a result, you feel resentment and anger toward your colleague, thinking he or she isn’t worthy and you deserve to be rewarded for your work as well. You try to make yourself feel better by focusing on the other person’s weaknesses. But how does this really help you improve your mood? It doesn’t.

So what can you do to change the way you feel about a situation that is bothering you and attain a positive state of mind?

By Tatiana Tobar-Darzi Epoch Times

T

here have been times when I was unhappy with my life for no certain reason. I looked to external factors to fill the void, only to realise that no other person or thing could fill that gap. So I started thinking, ‘What can I do to maintain happiness throughout my daily living?’ I came up with a practical solution: positive thinking.

But it’s easier said than done, because positive thinking requires practice and a balance of emotions.

Here are some steps you can take to improve your outlook and emotions:

1. Emotional Thinking

Let’s say you’re driving, and someone cuts you off, you come home angry, slam the door, scoff at your spouse or pet, because you’re now in a bad mood. Think about it, you’re basically letting this negative state of mind control the outcome of the rest of your day.

Don’t do it! Don’t dwell on it. Take a step back, breathe, forgive, and let that moment go.

Negative things happen to us all the time.

Don’t give up when things get tough; only by constantly practicing positive thinking you can achieve a more optimistic view of life.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

2. Injured Pride

Geography Guru Epoch Times

TM

“Growing your geography knowledge”

Quiz #1 PLACING IN CONTEXT:

Of the nations listed below, two of them are in each of the continents of North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Which is where?

Andorra

Guyana

Malawi

Belize

Jamaica

Paraguay

Bhutan

Lesotho

San Marino

Yemen

Read The Epoch Times next week for the answer!

If at work someone gives you constructive criticism but you are too stubborn to see past your pride, then you will never allow your mind to be open to the suggestions of others. Especially when you view the other person in a lesser light. Maybe they’re your subordinate, maybe they haven’t performed that well, but try to push your pride aside and reanalyse things. Is there indeed something you can improve on and therefore benefit the greater cause? By setting aside your pride, you will allow yourself to see things more clearly. Pride is a negative emotion and it won’t get you far in life.

3. Avoiding Jealousy

If a co-worker gets a bonus for outstanding job performance and you think that this person didn’t deserve it, then you

In order to avoid being jealous you have to confront your thoughts. Be honest with yourself—will jealously change the situation? Will it make you better than your co-worker?

Richer? Smarter?

Once you come to terms with the situation, you will be more than glad to go to your co-worker and sincerely congratulate him or her for the achievement. And by doing this, you will reinforce your positive thinking, and create a better work environment. (And maybe, if your boss sees this, you will get a bonus next time. Wink!)

immediately think about the coworker’s weaknesses. You think that you’re more deserving of the bonus, because you’ve been doing over-time or you’re more skilled and knowledgeable. But there may be a specific criteria that isn’t as apparent. Your boss might know something that you’re not aware of, and have reasons for making the decision.

After all, he is your boss.

By constantly practicing positive thinking, you will feel more emotionally balanced. You will have fewer frustrations, feelings of anger, resentment or jealousy, and you will be able to catch that negative thought before it starts to control your life.

Don’t give up when things get tough; only by constantly practicing positive thinking you can achieve a more optimistic view of life. Just know that only you can control how you see the world, it doesn’t matter what the conflict may be, what matters is how you handle the situation.

Dear Readers, do you have an article to contribute?

Epoch Times welcomes your contributions.

Do send in your articles to feedback@epochtimes. com.sg!

Dear Reader

Epoch Times

December 5 – 18, 2014 29

Entries for Epoch Times Snap & Review:

Singapore Yummy Food Instagram Contest @juneleety

Business is so good at this Hai Di Lao second branch! Reservation is strongly recommended. I was lucky to get a table quickly. If possible, i prefer the yuan yang pot! I liked the seafood broth. Goes well with the mala soup base when mixed together! Service is pretty good and it was an enjoyable dinner. Spent $70 for 2 pax based on what we have ordered!

@michshawnelle

This is the comfort food that I can never get tired of. Kaya butter toast with either kopi-o koso or teh-c bing or dip into the half boiled egg mmmm~ this’s the flavour of my southeast Asia’s balmy summer night.

@poon

Eggs Benedict at PODI served 2 ways, smoked salmon, avocado, smoked ham and house spinach hollandaise. Recommended especially for cheese lovers, looking at the photo will make you drooling and hungry! Haha!

@juneleety

I can have Thai food ANYTIME and I love it. I am glad to see a Nakhon Kitchen at Ang Mo Kio because it’s so convenient for me even from work! Tom Yum Noodle Soup is a great choice for me. Great combination of everything i like—tom yum soup + noodle!

Soup broth is quite shiok with a good mix of spiciness & sourish taste. Fresh ingredients too. Very shiok lunch!

How to participate 1) Snap a photo of a Singaporean dish of your choice, and write a short review of 20 words or more!

2) Follow #EpochTimesSingapore. Share the photo on Instagram and tag #EpochTimesSingapore with your review.

3) The entry with the most ‘Likes’ wins $150!

Each reader is entitled to submit a maximum of four food snapshots. Consolation Prizes will be given to ALL participants! Send in your entries today! Contest ends on 31 December 2014.

@poon

Wonderful banana cake—warm texture when served, not too sweet, healthy for all, made my day! at Kith - Quayside Isle - Sentosa Cove, awesome views and atmosphere, indeed great!

We Wish to Hear from You We at the Epoch Times welcome your comments and feedback on the content we run, as well as news and issues you can share with us that we may follow up with in our next issue. Do send your thoughts to feedback@epochtimes.com.sg

30 DECemBER 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

Positive Living

What Makes

Blueberries so Healthy?

By Miriam Levin www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

B

lueberries are perennial flowering plants of the Ericaceous family known as Vaccinium Cyanococcus. The flower itself is typically bell shaped and can be white, pale pink, or red. The fruit is a deep velvety purple with a fleshy characteristic.

Blueberries are sweet and juicy and can be used in a wide variety of recipes from jams, sauces, and smoothies to cakes, baked goods, and other pastries. Aside from the tasty recipes that can come together using blueberries, they are medicinal in terms having antibacterial and antiviral qualities. This succulent fruit packs quite the nutritional punch with its panel of plant nutrients.

Potent Concentrations of Antioxidants Did you know that blueberries contain high concentrations of antioxidants, which help your body fight free radicals that kill your cells and accelerate aging? In fact, consumption of this natural medicine may even help protect your heart and brain health. Blueberries possess the highest antioxidant capacity, bar none, when compared to other fruit, veggies, and spices according to the world’s healthiest foods website. Eat them raw and optimise your health by giving the body the nutrients it needs to combat free radicals that damage our cellular structures right down to the DNA. In fact, according to PreventDisease.com, 300 grams of blueberries puts up a strong fight against DNA damage to blood cells resulting from oxidative stress. Consuming blueberries on a regular basis may just help one bypass the rising risk of cardiovascular and other degenerative diseases.

Loaded With Phytochemical Anthocyanin The phytochemical, anthocyanin, is present in substantial levels in blueberries and is responsible for its healing qualities involving inflammation reduction, blood pressure reduction, and the overall rise of health and longevity when consumed often.

Due to the antioxidant properties of anthocyanins, good vision can be maintained and even reserved by preventing or slowing down visual loss and other age related eye problems.

Rich in Other Vitamins and Antioxidants, Too Anthocyanin is just one of the potent antioxidants found in blueberries. You will be surprised to learn that consuming blueberries will raise your levels of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, copper, phosphorous, selenium, zinc, and iron.

These antioxidants make the blueberry the go to for a quick nutritious snack promoting health and wellbeing. The copper, for example, helps build immunity by fighting bacteria and it’s required for the production of red blood cells; the zinc and iron will raise haemoglobin and oxygen in the blood to strengthen immunity.

Excellent Nutrients for Brain Health With all the a nt i ox i d a nt s present in blueberries, neurological disorders can be prevented and healed as the degeneration neurons and brain cells are restored to health along with the central nervous system. Adequate intake of antioxidants such as those found in blueberries can benefit Alzheimer’s sufferers because they heal deteriorating brain cells and tissues. This can work toward keeping the memory focused and sharp.

Effective Nourishment for Heart Health There are several factors that make blueberries terrific for heart health including the high fibre content along with the high level of antioxidants found in the fruit.

These factors help blueberries dissolve bad cholesterol and strengthen cardiac muscles.

Continued on the next page...

SHUTTERSTOCK

Epoch Times

Positive Living

Continued from Page 30 Works Toward Healthy Digestion The fibre content in blueberries, if consumed by the handful, will help keep constipation at bay, while the vitamins, minerals, and acids help correct digestive difficulties. One such vitamin is the B-complex group with folates, pantothenic acid, niacin pyridoxine, riboflavin, and folic acid.

Together these allow the body to metabolise carbs, protein, and fats, ultimately promoting healthy digestion.

Stay trim snacking on blueberries, as they are quite low in calories.

Just under a half a cup of blueberries is only 57 calories.

Low in Calories Stay trim snacking on blueberries, as they are quite low in calories. Just under a half a cup of blueberries is only 57 calories. This is a much more health conscious choice then a processed food snack or baked good which does not offer much in terms of nutrients.

maximise flavours and nutrition while minimising your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals, and preservatives. In the case of blueberries, it’s best to use the organic varieties as the conventional are high in pesticides according to the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list.

Still Potent When Frozen Studies have shown that there isn’t any damage to the antioxidant content when blueberries are frozen. When frozen for 36 months, researchers learned that the overall power of the antioxidant was not lost; this is fantastic news for those who may have difficulty getting their hands on fresh blueberries and typically buy them frozen.

Use certified organic ingredients to

Blueberry Recipes Blueberry Banana Smoothie/ Frozen Ice This recipe uses 1.5 cups of frozen blueberries, 1 frozen banana, ½ cup of Strauss Organic vanilla yogurt, 2 cups water and 1 cup of crushed ice. Combine ingredients in your blender to desired consistency, then enjoy a frozen treat that is packed with antioxidants and nutrients. This same recipe can be

used to make blueberry banana frozen ice by pouring into ice cube tray and freezing.

Blueberry Banana Muffins This recipe calls for 1¾ cups of flour.

I like to use a combination of almond, amaranth, and quinoa flour in equal portions. This is then combined with ¼ cup of whole oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ cup coconut oil, 3 ripe bananas, 1/3 cup of coconut sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup of almond milk, a dash of vanilla extract ad 1 ½ cup of frozen blueberries. Combine ingredients, bake for 30 minutes on 375.

December 5 – 18, 2014 33

Blueberry Jam Boil 3 cups of blueberries with some maple syrup. Mash the blueberries and boil down to your favourite texture, about 15 minutes. Stir often so that it does not stick. Once you have achieved your desired consistency, remove from heat, let cool, and add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. This can be spread on muffins, toast, tarts, cookies, and more.

fotolia

Blueberry Flaxseed Pancakes For this dish, combine 2 well beaten eggs with 1 cup of buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 stick of melted butter, 1 cup of your choice of gluten free flour such as brown rice flour and or quinoa and amaranth flour, ¼ cup of ground flax seeds, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/3 cup of honey, 2 cups of blueberries, 3 mashed up bananas and a nice pinch of cinnamon.

Blueberry Parfait Layer your favourite oatmeal and yogurt with fresh or frozen blueberries.

Top with hemp, chia, or sunflower seeds, drizzle with honey and dig in!

Blueberry Parfait

Positive Living

32 december 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

Sarah Le/Epoch Times

Boy Raises Nearly $1 million for Friend

By Sarah Le Epoch Times Staff

L

OS ANGELES—A loyal child created a near miracle when he learned of his friend’s rare medical condition. He raised more money for research into the disease than has ever been raised before.

Dylan Siegel, nine, and Jonah Pournazarian go back a long way— more than half their lifetimes, back in preschool. For Jonah, who has just turned nine, it was not easy to have survived for this long.

Jonah has a rare liver condition called Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD), type 1b. It means if his blood sugar is not strictly regulated through frequent small meals, he could die.

“It’s really hard when your child’s blood sugar drops, and you’re always afraid that he could have a seizure, go into a coma, and die if you don’t get to feed him on time,” said Jonah’s mother, Lora Pournazarian.

Since the disease is so rare, research opportunities are slim and to top it off, there is no cure.

Jonah Pournazarian (L) and Dylan Siegel (R) of Los Angeles have been best friends since preschool. Dylan did something extraordinary to help Jonah, who is living with a rare and life-threatening illness.

“(Someday) when they get a cure, they’re going to have a big, big disco party,” Jonah said.

Dylan said he remembered how he felt at age 6 when his mother told him about Jonah’s disease: “I’m like … ‘This is so horrible, I want to help.’”

Dylan’s first thought was to donate $100 from his bank account for medical research into GSD. Then he considered a more ambitious bake sale or lemonade stand. But Dylan decided to do something much bigger.

“I’ll only get five or two dollars” he said of holding a bake sale.

“So then I wrote a book called ‘Chocolate Bar.’ Then I could raise more money and could sell it for $20.”

The Biggest Chocolate Bar He wrote and illustrated a 16-page book called “Chocolate Bar” the day after learning of Jonah’s illness. “Chocolate bar” is a phrase that means “awesome,” according to Dylan, and his book is about everything he thinks is “so chocolate bar,” like Disneyland and going to the beach. He said helping his friends is “the biggest chocolate Eight-yearbar.” old Dylan He asked his parents, “‘Can Siegel’s book you go make copies?’” said his “Chocolate mother, Debra Siegel. They did.

Bar” and a The first time he offered the chocolate book for sale was at a school bar donated event. Dylan sold all 200 copies

by Whole Foods Mar- of his book plus 100 customwrapped chocolate bars, donated ket in Los Angeles on by Whole Foods Market. He raised over $5,000.

Nov. 14.

The altruistic and entrepreneurial young man

announced, “‘I want to make a million dollars.’ We thought that was kind of crazy, but now we’re almost there,” Siegel said.

The book has sold over 20,000 copies in 60 countries and all 50 states. The two boys’ families are also selling actual chocolate bars, also donated by Whole Foods Market, as well as T-shirts and wristbands at ChocolateBarBook.com.

Over $900,000 They have made well over $900,000, according to Dylan’s father, David Siegel. He wrote in an email that Dylan has written a new book with a top-secret title.

But the first book has done well.

“We are almost at 1 million and your audience can give and get us there. For context, if 0.00005 per cent of your audience bought a book— we would surpass Dylan’s goal!”

Jonah’s mother described caring for him: “We live by the clock. Everything we do is based on times. Everything he eats has to be measured. Everything about him has to be exactly on

time and completely monitored.

We can’t be off-track.

“He gets nine feedings throughout the day until 10 p.m., then two to three alarms every night.” Jonah is often ill and misses a lot of school. His parents try to give him the most normal life possible.

Dr. David Weinstein, a professor and director of the GSD programme at the University of Florida, is one of the few doctors who specialise in GSD. People from around the world, including Jonah, come to visit Weinstein’s lab, and he’s using the donated money from the book to fund studies to find a cure. He praised Dylan’s effort.

“He’s raised more money for this disease than all the medical foundations and all the grants combined. Ever,” Weinstein told ABC News.

Jonah is optimistic. “I hope this book accomplishes finding a cure for my disease and for lots of other diseases, so people with diseases can all be cured, and there’s no more disease,” he said.

Epoch Times

Positive Living

December 5 – 18, 2014 33

Decorate Like a Pro for the Holidays

By Canadian Home Trends

Holiday Theme— Traditional

Designed by: Heather Segreti of Segreti Design The goal: Creating synergy between outdoor and indoor holiday décor.

The look created: I wanted to ensure that the outdoor decorative urns that flank the homeowner’s front entrance would closely resemble the tree in her family room. I achieved this by purchasing additional decorative ornaments and carrying the same theme and colour palette from the front exterior entrance to the indoors. The urns at the front door are filled with faux topiary that resemble a boxwood plant. I paired this with live greenery that is placed into the soil at the base of the planter. I then secured the decorative ornaments in place by

attaching wire to the ornaments and to the boxwood tree frame.

Tip: Always keep in mind that the impression you create at the door should continue as your guests enter your home. This gold and cream décor theme worked well for the homeowner. She adored the decorative stockings for her three lovely girls over the mantel that act as more of a conversation piece than anything else.

Styling secret: If you have silver and grey tones as part of your colour palette, then keep your décor “silver and grey.” It will look fantastic with accents of polished chrome and glass.

Source guide: • Stockings: Pier 1 Imports • Christmas tree: Sheridan Nurseries • Christmas decorations: Floridus Design Images • Accessories: Global Views;

Arteriors; Chapters; Imports Canada

Holiday Theme—Modern

Designed by: Michelle Pollock and Brenda Brix of AMR Design The goal: Putting a modern twist on a traditional holiday colour scheme.

The look created: The designers came up with this look by taking traditional holiday themes and giving them a modern twist. They also used typography and colour blocking. The usual holiday colour scheme of red, white, and green was made modern with hues such as lime green and bright red, as opposed to the deeper, traditional shades.

Styling secret: When you are thinking about decorating, what says “holiday” to you? Answer that and you’ll have a springboard for inspiration throughout your home.

Decorative stockings hanging from the mantel are fun and great conversation pieces.

Source guide: • 12-foot (3.6m) tree: Canadian Tire • Round pearl mirror: HomeSense • Dubois wall mirror; Spin vases and candle holders; Doulder flatware; Harper dinnerware; Tour wine glasses; Tilt vase: Crate and Barrel • Dining chair slip covers: Ikea • Stag head treetopper: HomeSense

• Planters arranged Hypnotic Bloom

by:

Canadian Home Trends Magazine gives you a personal tour of the most stunning homes and condos.

In each issue, you are given the tools to recreate designer spaces you’ve always dreamt of having at home, in-depth renovation and design advice, and the best places to shop.

To subscribe, visit www.

CanadianHomeTrends.com

34 december 5 – 18, 2014

Daddy

Epoch Times

are we

By David Wu | Epoch Times Staff

W

Rich?

hen a child asks, “Dad, are we rich?” the typical American dad will reply, “I am, but you are not. I earned my money through hard work. When you grow up, you can also do the same.”

The child who hears this will be motivated to work hard, and he will develop expectations in life. He, too, will be motivated to attain the wealth that his father did through hard work. In this way, the American dad not only imparts material wealth to his child, but he also imparts spiritual wealth, which is a much more important resource for the child’s future.

On the other hand, when the Chinese dad is asked the same question, he will usually reply, “Our family is wealthy, and all our money will be yours one day.”

Receiving such a response, the child will think that his father is a rich man, and his father’s money is his own. He will likely be less motivated to work hard as he thinks he is already rich. In this case, the Chinese dad only gives his child material wealth.

Teaching your child financial responsibility and independence is one of the most useful lifeskills you can impart to them. Here are a few pointers on how to do so:

Continued on the next page

123rf

Epoch Times

Positive Living

December 5 – 18, 2014 35 123rf

Teaching your child financial responsibility and independence from a young age is one of the most useful lifeskills you can impart to them.

Continued from Page 32

Don’t Hesitate to Discuss Money Matters With Your Child

A new joint study by North Carolina State University and the University of Texas reveals that, even from a young age, children pay close attention to the subject of money.

Children also frequently report that a family’s financial situation, such as the parents’ income, investments and debts, are often taboo topics in their conversations with parents.

Professor Lynsey Romo, lead author for the study, suggests that parents should try discuss such topics with their children, to ensure that their child does not develop misunderstandings about managing finances.

Prof. Romo said, “If parents aren’t talking with their kids about subjects like family finances or debt, the kids are drawing their own conclusions—which may not be accurate.”

Doing so also helps children to develop a healthy outlook on finances in life.

Don’t Make Your Child Feel Entitled, No Matter How Rich You Are

There is a Chinese belief that “No matter how poor you are, you should not impoverish your children”.

On the other hand, the general

Western belief is that “No matter how rich you are, you should not make your child feel rich”.

Many wealthy people recognise that, when a child develops a sense of financial superiority over others, it ultimately does more harm than good to him.

These wealthy parents will tightly control the amount of pocket money that their children receive, and encourage their children to make money on their own.

In this way, the child will understand that money is not easy to come by. He will also learn that meaningful wealth can only be found through one’s own efforts—a learning process that may be more valuable than the wealth itself.

There is a popular Chinese article online titled, “The Best Way to Love is Not to Love— Reflecting on Our Education Philosophy”.

The article recounts the following story: “I know a man in Hamburg, Germany who is rich in the truest sense. Since his father’s generation, his family has not needed to work, as the family’s assets generate sufficient income.

“When he was 18, his millionaire father gave him a small sum of money to travel around Europe. It was so small that he could only afford to spend today’s equivalent of 2.5 Euros (S$4) per day, which even then

An education on finance is crucial as not only does it teach children financial skills, it is also an education on character and responsibility. was considered a very meagre sum. Some days, he could only afford to eat burnt bread and drink tap water. He slept in hostels, stranger’s living rooms, stables and on the streets.

“When he returned 40 days later, his family held a big party for him, with flowers and an endless flow of champagne and gourmet food. But he couldn’t help feeling sour about the fact that the money for one glass of champagne here would have bought him a satisfying meal during his travels.

“He told his father what he thought, with a trace of accusation in his words. But his father replied, ‘Son, I am spending my own money. And

you are spending my money.’

“The son then realised his father had just given him the most important lesson in his life— when a man reaches adulthood at 18, the money he receives from his parents are gifts. He should be thankful regardless of how much he receives, and he should cherish every cent.”

Rock star Sting has a net worth of 180 million pounds (S$370 million), but he announced in June that he is donating his entire estate to charity after his death, leaving none to his six adult children. According to him, “They have to work.”

Bill and Melinda Gates have donated more than US$28 billion to charity. Yet they have been extremely “stingy” with their children. Gates once publicly said that he would not leave much to his children as he doesn’t think “that amount of money would be good for them”.

Teach a Man to Fish There is a well known idiom, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

If a parent truly loves his children, he would teach them the skills to live independently, even if the learning process can be tough. If all that a parent gives to his children is money, his children are likely to simply spend it on enjoying themselves, and eventually exhaust all of it.

FInancial Education Teaches Children to be Responsible

Data shows that 54% of U.S. teenagers do not have pocket money and the older they get, the less likely they will receive pocket money.

The average household income of a British family is more than ten times that of an average Chinese family. Yet, in the UK, there are over half a million newspaper delivery boys, many of whom come from rich families.

From their job, they learn to endure hardship and that money is earned through hard work.

Receiving tough training from a young age, these children grow up to be independent, calm and composed. They are able to live harmoniously with others and they have the courage and confidence to confront difficulties.

There is a Japanese saying: “Besides the sun and air from Mother Nature, everything else must be earned through hard work.”

Many Japanese parents give their children a fixed allowance, and teach them to spend it wisely.

Such lessons are crucial as not only does it teach children financial skills, it is also an education on character and responsibility.

French philosopher JeanJacques Rousseau once said, “Do you know the most likely way to make your children unhappy?

By giving them everything they want.” Certainly food for thought!

Positive Living

36 december 5 – 18, 2014

过无闻闻若唯见见彼凡 能心誉过衣德人人 说道 改非恐怒服学恶善长字

归名闻闻若唯即即此重 于为过誉饮才内思说且 无错欣乐食艺省齐短舒

倘有直损不不有纵不勿 掩心谅友如如则去 关急 饰非士来人人改远己疾

增 名渐益 勿 当无以 莫 勿 一为相友生 自加渐 闲模 辜恶亲却戚砺警跻管糊

事见 非未 宜真

勿勿 轻轻 诺言

苟知 轻未 诺的

进勿 退轻 错传

奸话 巧说 语多

秽不 污如 词少

市惟 井其 气是

切勿 戒佞 之巧

凡 出 言

信 为 先

诈 与 妄

奚 可 焉

信

Epoch Times

弟 子 規

*

* According to Dizi Gui, “when still unsure of what you saw, do not say it. When still unsure of what you know, don’t spread it. If asked to do something that is inappropriate or bad, don’t agree to it. If you do so, you will be wrong no matter whether you keep your promise or back out from it.” lessons from dizi gui

The Truth About Gossip and Light Promises

By Jade Pearce Epoch Times Staff

Dizi Gui (Standards for Being a Good Student and Child) is an ancient Chinese text for children that teaches moral values and proper etiquette. It was written during the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) by Li Yuxiu.

Beneath the conservative, “old-school” verbose of this ancient classic, one can still find gems of wisdom that remain surprisingly relevant to our modern society. A new lesson is covered in each issue.

Gossiping is something that many of us do casually—we gleefully exchange rumours that we’ve heard about so-

and-so or such-and-such. And sometimes, these rumours can spread like wildfire.

But have you ever been gossiped about, and even on things that weren’t true? Either way, it’s an unpleasant and upsetting experience.

In Chapter 4 of Dizi Gui, we are taught that “when still unsure of what you saw, do not say it. When still unsure of what you know, don’t spread it.”

A true gentleman or lady exercises caution and responsibility in the things he or she says.

Repeating rumours and halftruths can cause a lot of hurt and pain to others, especially if those said things didn’t even happen in the first place.

Being careful with one’s words also extends to making promises—we should not make

them lightly. As mentioned in Dizi Gui, “If asked to do something that is inappropriate or bad, I must not agree to it. If I do so, I will be wrong no matter whether I keep the promise or back out from it.”

Here are some stories from ancient China of gentlemen who were cautious in their words: Zhi Buyi Nips a Rumour in the Bud Zhi Buyi (直不疑), whose name literally translates as “straight (or righteous) without a doubt”, was an official of the Former Han period. He was a keen learner and an honest, loyal man, abhorring fame and greed.

Zhi Buyi was subsequently promoted by the court to the Fotolia

Have you ever been gossiped about, and even on things that weren’t true?

A true gentleman always exercises caution and responsibility in the things he says and the promises he makes. position of a high official. This made some people jealous of him, and they started spreading rumours about him: “Although Zhi Buyi is clean-looking on the outside, his conduct is actually really terrible, and he has had inappropriate relations with his brother’s wife.”

This rumour spread from one person to the next, and very soon almost everyone had heard about it.

The rumour eventually reached Zhi Buyi’s ears, who then said, “These people are full of poppycock. I don’t even have a brother in the first place!” This eventually put the rumour to rest.

This story illustrates that when we hear about a rumour and if there is no basis for it, we shouldn’t believe it too quickly or start spreading it around so glibly. Otherwise, we will be responsible for propagating a lot of damage and harm.

Being Loyal to One’s Promises During the Han Dynasty in ancient China, there was a man named Zhao Rou (赵柔) who was famous for his extensive knowledge and high moral character.

One day, Zhao Rou and his son went to the market to sell a plow. A man expressed interest in buying it, and after some bargaining they agreed on the price of 20 rolls of silk (silk rolls were the currency used during the Han Dynasty). The man then went off to get the required payment of silk.

Moments after he had left, a merchant came along. He immediately recognised that the plow was of good quality and actually worth much more, and he offered to pay 30 rolls of silk for it.

Zhao Rou’s son wanted to sell the plow to the merchant instead, but Zhao Rou said, “When a man gives his word, he must stay true to it.

How can you give up your trustworthiness in exchange for some extra profit?”

The first buyer subsequently returned, and Zhao Rou and his son sold their plow to him.

Some people would have thought that what Zhao Rou did was foolish. But Zhao Rou taught us a good lesson: a little extra profit lasts for a while, but trustworthiness lasts for a person’s lifetime.

As such, a true gentleman is always responsible and cautious about the things he says and the promises he makes.

Christmas Recipes

Epoch Times

5 Christmas

Cookie Recipes

December 5 – 18, 2014 37

Traditional Favourites and New Ones Too Shutterstock

Creacart/ Getty Images

5. Christmas Biscotti

By Susan Hallett

Gluten-Free Chocolate Shortbread.

4. Gluten-Free Chocolate Shortbread

By Susan Hallett

Shortbread cookies.

1. Easy Shortbread

By Tara MacIsaac Epoch Times Staff

A good ol’ classic. Icing optional!

• 2 cups of butter, softened • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract • 4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 cup white sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). With an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar (soften the butter first, or make sure it’s at room temperature).

Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour and mix well. Roll the dough and use cookie cutters to make shapes as desired. Bake

2. Toffee Bars

By Maureen Zebian Epoch Times Staff A chocolatey, nutty bar.

• 1/2 cup butter • 1/2 cup margarine • 1 cup packed brown sugar • 1 egg yolk • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Beat butter and margarine, add sugar, and beat till fluffy. Add

for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool at room temperature.

For a different touch, instead of 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, use one teaspoon of vanilla extract and one teaspoon of almond extract, and add 1 1/2 cups of small diced pecans.

egg yolk and vanilla; beat well.

Gradually add flour to mixture, constantly mixing.

Press evenly into an ungreased 15x10x1-inch cookie sheet. Bake for 15–18 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate morsels over the top.

When chocolate is softened, spread it evenly with a rubber spatula.

Top with chopped nuts. Cut bars while warm into 2×2inch squares.

Lew Robertson/ Getty Images

Toffee Bars.

Try chocolate shortbread variant with gluten-free flour.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature • 1/2 cup sugar • 2 ounces semisweet chocolate • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1 cup rice flour • 2/3 cup whole bean flour • 1/3 cup cornstarch • 1/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Melt chocolate in microwave and stir it in. Combine flours in a separate bowl, then add cocoa. Add to butter mixture in three additions and stir until a soft dough forms. Refrigerate for approximately an hour.

Form dough into 1-inch balls, placing them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten dough with tines of a fork, pressing to approximately a 1/4inch thickness. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool completely on a rack, and store in a wax paper-lined cookie tin. These cookies freeze well.

Perfect for dunking into coffee, hot cocoa, or vin santo (a Tuscan dessert wine). Makes 24 pieces • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon crushed aniseed • 1/4 cup candied cranberries • 1/4 cup pine nuts • 2 eggs • 1/3 cup white sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1 egg white, beaten for glaze • 1 teaspoon white sugar for sprinkling Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Grease a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and aniseed. Add cranberries and pine nuts. In another smaller bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.

Flour your hands and transfer dough to a clean floured surface.

Shape into two logs and place on a greased pan. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake until golden, approximately 15 to 17 minutes.

Remove logs from oven, cool slightly and then transfer to a cutting board. Lower oven temperature to 275F. Cut logs into 1/2-inch slices. Stand slices in an upright position and continue baking for approximately 35 minutes more or until biscotti is completely dry. Cool on rack.

Susan Hallett is an award-winning writer and editor who has written for The Beaver, The Globe & Mail, Wine Tidings and Doctor’s Review among many others. Email: hallett_ susan@hotmail.com Daniel Bendjy/Getty Images

Rachel Husband/ Getty Images

Holiday Tahini Cookies.

3. Holiday Tahini Cookies

By Susan Hallett These cookies have an earthy, nutty taste with sesame seed butter, nuts, cinnamon, raisins, and oatmeal.

• 1/2 cup honey • 6 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed butter) • 1/4 cup walnuts or hazel nuts, chopped • 1/4 cup raisins

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon • 1 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Mix honey with the tahini.

Add the nuts and raisins. Stir cinnamon into the oatmeal, mix well, and add to honey mixture.

Drop by small spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake approximately 10 minutes or until edges are brown.

Christmas Biscotti.

Positive Living

38 december 5 – 18, 2014

Epoch Times

Empowering Lives Through Art, Saving Lives Through Art

C

ould art save lives?

In 2007, when I was managing my parents’ art gallery, I was approached by Fang Li Hui, a thenunknown professional artist who was just starting out. He had just moved to Singapore to start a family, and was searching for potential art buyers.

Out of compassion to support his new life here, I commissioned him to paint a few oil paintings. He completed the paintings within a few weeks, and I was very satisfied with the quality of his artwork. I paid him about $500 for his hard work. He was thankful for the money, which supported his family for the time being.

Interestingly, about five years later, I am now indebted to Mr Vincent Ho, the Executive Director of Bioresonance Therapy (BRT), for his compassion in trading in a piece of the artwork which I had previously commissioned Fang to paint.

The painting saved my wife and I more than S$5000 in medical treatment for the both of us. Without

Howard’s mother Mdm Chiang Yit Cheng (R) with Singaporean artist Liu Kang (L). The calligraphy "Kindness" written by Liu Kang was specially donated by Da Tang Fine Arts.

the option of trading the piece of artwork for our medical treatment fees, I would not have been able to afford it. “Appreciate Art, Art Appreciates.”

Thanks to the foresight and generosity of my parents, Johnny Yu and Chiang Yit Cheng, our galleries have made significant contributions to charity through

art exhibitions and live auctions at gala dinners since 2011.

Most art lovers are very willing to purchase art pieces for charitable cause. Not only does this allow them to help the needy, they also gain a piece of unique artwork that can sometimes be a rare heritage piece, especially if the original artists have passed on.

My most memorable life experience thus far has been hosting my first art exhibition, when I first opened my art gallery in May 2013. It was a charity art exhibition to aid 200 needy pupils from my former alma mater, Dunearn Secondary School.

Though the amount raised was not very high (about S$12,000), ultimately it is the heart that matters.

An effective charity art event needs to generate considerable public awareness and be targeted at the right group of supporters.

Of worthy note was the first World Vision Gala Dinner held in Singapore on 8 October 2014, in which a heritage piece of calligraphy donated by our gallery began with a bid price of S$6,000, and was eventually sold at S$11,800.

Through the sale of table seats, outright donations, and auction items, more than S$500,000 nett profit was raised for the World Vision Fund, which supports micro-financing in third-world countries.

Another posthumous art event in honour of Mdm Sun Yee raised S$49,000 for St. Luke’s Hospital earlier this year. It was a great success. Without close collaboration between the donors, organizers, and beneficiaries, great artwork and valuable financial resources can easily be wasted.

May the giving spirit of Christmas spur us on to do our little part for charity.

Da Tang Fine Arts strongly supports charities through fine arts exhibitions and charity gala events. Do contact us if you would like to collaborate to raise funds, be it on small or big scale. It is the heart that matters most.

Contact details: 1 Coleman Street, #B1-31, The Adelphi. Singapore 179803 www.datangfinearts.com +65 82685299 / +65 67383268

Shen Yun 2015 World Tour

www.shenyunperformingarts.org

UNITED STATES

EUROPE

DEC 26 – 28 FT. LAUDERDALE (FL)

JAN 30 - FEB 1 BALTIMORE (MD)

MAR 3 – 4 APPLETON (WI)

FEB 26 – 28 GENEVA (CH)

MAR 28 – 29 Birmingham (GB)

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FEB 3 – 4 CHARLESTON (WV)

MAR 6 – 8 DENVER (CO)

MAR 10 – 11 VIENNA (AT)

MAR 31 - APR1 Salford (GB)

DEC 28 - JAN 7 HOUSTON (TX)

FEB 3 – 4 THOUSAND OAKS (CA)

MAR 6 – 8 CHICAGO (IL)

MAR 13 - APR 16 GERMANY (DE)

MAR 31 - APR 1 SALFORD (GB)

DEC 29 SARASOTA (FL)

FEB 5 – 15 MICHIGAN

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MAR 13 – 15 Frankfurt (DE)

APR 4 – 7 STOCKHOLM (SE)

DEC 30 GAINESVILLE (FL)

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APR 14 – 16 Baden-Baden (DE)

APR 10 – 12 PARIS (FR)

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MAR 13 MEMPHIS (TN)

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APR 21 SALZBURG (AT)

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CANADA

JAN 9 – 11 DALLAS (TX)

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AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

ASIA MAR 12 – 15 TAINAN (TW)

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APR 18 – 21 Tokyo (JP)

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APR 18 – 21 TOKYO (JP)

“Mesmerizing! Reclaiming the divinely inspired cultural heritage of China!”

Donna Karan, creator of DKNY

Buy Ticket

Da Tang Fine Arts

By Howard Yu For The Epoch Times

Epoch Times

Positive Living

The Ancient Origins of High Heels Once an Essential Accessory for Men

By Dhwty Ancient-Origins.net

Louis XIV wearing his trademark heels in a 1701 portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud.

Epoch Times Published in 35 countries and 21 languages.

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE EDITIONS UNITED STATES San Francisco 650-336-1170 sfbay@epochtimes.com

H

igh heel shoes are a form of footwear worn almost exclusively by women today. Yet, the history of high heels shows us that this was not always the case. On the contrary, high heels were, at various points of time in history, worn by men as well. In addition, whilst high heels are worn today for aesthetic purposes, it has not always been so in the past, as it served practical purposes at times.

Whilst it is unclear when high heels were first invented, it seems that they were used by ancient Greek actors. The “kothorni” was a form of footwear worn from at least 200 B.C., which raised from the ground by wooden cork soles that measured between 3 and 4 inches (8 to 10 centimetres).

It is said that the height of the shoes served to differentiate the social class and importance of the various characters that were being portrayed on the stage. Thus, this form of raised footwear served neither a practical nor aesthetic purpose, as it was a piece of garment worn exclusively by members of a certain profession, theatre performers in this instance, when they were at work.

The next appearance of high heels can be traced to the Middle Ages in Europe. During this period, both men and women wore a kind of footwear known as pattens. The streets of many Medieval European cities were

December 5 – 18, 2014 39

Los Angeles 888-853-4774 scal@epochtimes.com Dallas 214-682-7788 dallas@epochtimes.com New York 212-239-2808 advertisenow@epochtimes.com Washington, D.C. 202-341-9011 et.dc@epochtimes.com CANADA Alberta +1-780-428-8657 calgary.ca@epochtimes.com edmonton.ca@epochtimes.com “The Vision of Saint Eustace”, Pisanello, 1438–1442. Rider wearing high heels.

muddy and filthy, whilst the footwear of that period were made of fragile and expensive material. Thus, to avoid ruining these garments, both men and women wore pattens, which were overshoes that elevated the foot above the ground.

Whilst the patten was used mainly for practical purposes, another type of European footwear served both a practical and symbolic function. The chopine was a type of footwear related to the patten, and was popular amongst the upper classed women of Venetian society during the 15th to 17th centuries. It is said that the higher the chopines, the higher the status of the wearer, with some examples of this footwear reaching a height of 20 inches (50 centimetres). As one may guess, it was not exactly the most practical sort of footwear to be walking around in. This meant that the women who wore the chopine required servants to help them maintain their balance. Perhaps the display of wealth and status was not only displayed through the height of the chopine, but also by the fact that servants were needed just to assist a wealthy woman in the act of walking.

Whilst the patten and chopine both raised the wearer’s feet above the ground, they bore greater resemblance to platform shoes than high heels. To find footwear that is more similar

It has been claimed that the European aristocrats who saw the Persian high heels quickly adopted it as it was a symbol of masculinity. to today’s high heels, one has to leave the streets of Medieval Europe and travel eastwards to Persia. It is unknown exactly when high heels were used in the East, but an image of a horse rider on a Persian ceramic bowl suggests that it was worn since at least from the 9th century A.D. High heels were used by Persian cavalrymen as they were highly effective at keeping the wearer’s feet in the stirrups. At the end of the 16th century and at the beginning of the next, diplomats were sent by the Persian Shah, Abbas I, to Europe to seek alliances against a common enemy, the Ottoman Turks. It has been claimed that the European aristocrats who saw the Persian high heels quickly adopted it as it was a symbol of masculinity, apart from its practical use for

horseback riding, and as a status symbol.

By the 17th century, women were also wearing the high heel, as there was supposedly a craze in adopting male fashion for women. Whether this may be interpreted as merely a fashion craze or as a conscious effort on the part of women to appropriate male power and achieve equality is an entirely different matter to consider. Regardless, the male obsession with high heels would cease by the 18th century. The Enlightenment not only brought a change in the way men thought, but also in the way men dressed.

Man as a “rational” being was reflected in his dour clothing.

Thus, high heels, makeup, and extravagant clothing, which were deemed irrational, were abandoned.

Interestingly, women also eventually stopped using high heels, as they were undoubtedly an impractical form of footwear.

This was not to be for long, however, as high heels made a comeback as early as the middle of the 19th century. Among the first people who embraced the invention of photography were pornographers. Models in photo shoots were apparently dressed in nothing but a “modern” (according to the standards of the day) form of high heels. This may be the beginning of the association of high heels with female sexuality. The rest, as they say, is history.

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40 December 5 – 18, 2014

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