Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia
www.gasiantimes.com December 1-15, 2012 Vol 9. No 22
Fiscal Cliff: Grid lock in Washington
Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2012
Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho Photographer: Ben Hioe Tel: 770.335.4593 Advertising: gat@gasiantimes.com Editorial: info@gasiantimes.com URL: www.gasiantimes.com
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GAT Calendar of Events (For latest & updated events, visit www.gasiantimes.com)
GAT welcome submission of announcement pertaining to community related events. Please email event, date, venue, and time to gat@gasiantimes.com. GAT does not guarantee insertion of event announcement and has the right to deny any posting.
Secret Careers in the CIA: Presentation, Panel Discussion & Career Fair Date: Tuesday Dec 4 Time: 6:00 -9:00pm Venue: UPS HQ, 55 Glenlakw Pkwy, Sandy Springs RSVP: christa.ernst@gmail.com Preparing for the Unimaginable Global Health and Security in Business By Ali S. Khan, MD, MPH US Asst Surgeon General & Dir Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Date: Wednesday, Dec 5 Time: 6:00 pm Venue: GSU Buckhead Center, 3348 Peachtree Road Cost: Council member $10 Regular $15 For more info: 404-413-7083
2013 Georgia Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting Dinner Date: Tuesday Jan 15 Time: 6:00 pm Venue: Georgia World Congress Center 2013 Eggs & Issues Breakfast Date: Wednesday Jan 16 Time: 7:00 am Venue: Georgia World Congress Center
2013 Symposium on Asia-USA Partnership Opportunities (SAUPO) Kennesaw State University - Asian Studies Program Date: Friday April 19, 2013 Venue: St.Regis Hotel For more info: www.kennesaw.edu/saupo/
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December 1-15, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
METRO ASIAN NEWS
4 US Ambassadors Optimistic on US-ASEAN relationship Decatur, November 28, 2012 – President Obama’s recent visit to Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia have highlighted the shifting American interest to the Asian Pacific region. ASEAN (in short for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a group of 10 nations members with a population of approximately 600 million people. U.S. Ambassadors to Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and the ASEAN delivered their insights on business and politics in the fast evolving region. Popular media have positioned the emerging American interest in the region was to counter the growing China’s political, business, and military influence in the region. “The word “pivot” has been wrongly misinterpreted term for the military and defense vis-a-vis to China. We would like to think of the word as a systemic way to deal with issues such as climate change, economies, education, health, human rights and a whole range of issues affecting the region,” said Ambassador David L. Carden, the first U.S. Ambassador to the ASEAN. “China is important to us and we want to be friendly to China. Also, we don’t want the countries in ASEAN to choose sides,” adds Ambassador Carden.
A highlight of the evening was the acknowledgment of Emory alumni Ambassador David I. Adelman, a 1989 law graduate of Emory Law School, delivering his perspective on the island republic’s important ties with the U.S. “Over the past decade, U.S. businesses have invested over $116 Billion in Singapore ranging from telecommunication, banking, insurance, IT, etc,” stressed Ambassador Adelman over the importance the republic to American business. Ambassador Paul W. Jones, US envoy to Malaysia shared his insights on the country’s business and strategic ties with the U.S. “Malaysia has always been an important partner in ensuring the security and safety of ships along the Straits of Malacca,” adds Ambassador Jones. Audience interest was high on the perspective shared by Ambassador Derek J. Mitchell, first U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar in 22 years. He has witnessed President Obama’s visit to Myanmar about 9 days ago. “The government leadership in Burma is open to a positive relationship with the U.S. Progress has been made and more hard work is ahead for the country,” said Ambassador Mitchell.
Global Innovation Award Honoring Indonesian Ambassador Decatur, November 30, 2012 - Emory University’s Goizueta Business School presented the Global Innovation Award to Dino Patti Djalal, Ambassador of Indonesia to USA at a dinner ceremony. Ambassador Djalal was honored for his innovative contribution and changing the diplomacy profile of emerging economy of Indonesia.
Over 100 guests including community leaders, senior academicians, business leaders, and local Indonesian leaders attended the event.
“Several countries in Asia have experienced successful and rapid economic growth in a relatively short time of one generation. This has brought increase “self” confidence and creative innovation to these economies,” said Ambassador Dino in his presentation entitled “The Rise of Emerging Power in the 21st Century.”
Past recipient of Global Innovation Award including Ted Turner, Gerald Grinstein, former CEO of Delta, Ralph de la Vega, CEO of ATT Mobility, and Professor Jagdish Sheth of Emory.
“U.S is extending a handshake and support in return for Burma’s unclenching their iron fist,” said Ambassador Mitchell.
“TPP is more about norms, standards, and rules for trade. It has never been about China,” said Ambassador Carden.
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade partnership spearheaded by the U.S., was high on the agenda of the Ambassadors. All of them agreed that TPP is not designed to curtailed China’s growing economic influence in the region.
The Ambassador’s panel discussion at Emory University was part of Halle Institute Speaker’s series.
The Global Innovation Award was presented by Professor Jeffrey Rosenweig, Director of the Global Perspectives Program at Goizueta Business School at Emory.
For more information, visit http://www.halleinstitute.emory.edu/
Georgia Asian Times
December 1-15, 2012
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BUSINESS
Samsung, Apple gain in US mobile market WASHINGTON, Nov 30, 2012 (AFP) - Samsung extended its lead as the top mobile phone maker in the US market and Apple moved into second place, an industry tracker said Friday. A survey by comScore showed that in the three-month period ending in October, South Korea’s Samsung was the top manufacturer with 26.3 percent market share, up from 25.6 percent in the prior period.
Helping to Protect Assets and the American Dream The thought of starting an insurance agency started in Lam Ngo’s mind in April 2011. It happened right after a charity fund raising event that he has helped organized in the Asian community. Being an entrepreneur, starting a business is nothing new to Lam. He has been in the real estate brokerage business since 1996. “I have helped many in the community obtain their American Dreams through home ownership,” said Lam. “My new venture allows me to help in other ways - to protect and enhance value of their assets,” adds Lam. His new State Farm insurance agency offers personal, auto, home, banking, and life insurance. Commercial and business insurance coverages are also available. Lam is focusing more of his time and energy on the State Farm insurance services. “My dealing with real estate brokerage is minimized on the daily basis and I have other business partners who will carry the ball forward,” declares Lam.
Lam will officially launch his new State Farm insurance agency located at Paragon Shopping Center at Satellite Boulevard on December 1. A brand new office designed to cater to a rising demand for insurance services within the community. Lam have much invested in the operation of the business. Being an active participant in the community and having served as President of Asian Pacific Council of Georgia (APAC Georgia) and as President of Vietnamese American Community of Georgia (VAC GA), Lam has developed extensive network of contacts and support. Despite the slow economy, he is rather optimistic and confident on the future of his new venture. “I believe in attentive service and value. With that in mind, I can offer competitive service to any customer who is shopping for insurance services,” said Ngo with a confident smile.
Lam Ngo State Farm Agency Tel (770) 256-1038
Apple, which sells only smart phones, moved into second place in the US market for the first time, with a 17.8 percent market share, up 1.5 percentage points. South Korean maker LG was third at 17.6 percent, followed by Motorola at 11 percent.
ing smartphone platform, with 53.6 percent of the market, up from 52.2 percent. Apple’s iOS platform for its iPhones remained in second place, and gained 0.9 points of market share to 34.3 percent, comScore said. BlackBerry maker Research in Motion saw its share slip further from 9.5 percent to 7.8 percent in the period. And Microsoft, which released its Windows Phone 8 platform in late October, saw its share dip to 3.2 percent from 3.6 percent. The survey found 121.3 million people in the US owned smart phones, or 51.9 percent of the mobile market.
The survey showed Google’s Android system gained ground as the lead-
Samsung launches new Internetconnected camera SEOUL, Nov 29, 2012 (AFP) - Samsung Electronics Thursday launched a new Internet-connected camera in South Korea, as the electronics giant intensifies efforts to expand its dominance in the mobile phone market to other sectors.
It allows users to download apps aimed at polishing photos or videos, automatically share images stored in the camera with certain mobile devices located nearby, or to have the images automatically stored in a cloud-computing server.
The “Galaxy” camera, named after the Korean firm’s signature smartphone and tablet PC series, enables users to upload photos and videos directly to the Internet without having to hook it up to a computer.
Users have to subscribe to wireless plans to use the gadget, featuring a 4.8inch LCD touchscreen, a 21x optical lens and priced at about 750,000 won ($691) on the domestic market.
The camera, launched earlier this year in countries in Europe, North America and elsewhere in Asia, is not Samsung’s first Internet-connected camera. But the latest device -- powered by Google’s Android software like many key Samsung gadgets including Galaxy S smart phones or Galaxy Tab tablets -- operates more like a smartphone, the company said.
“The Galaxy Camera will open a new chapter of communications -- visual communications,” JK Shin, chief of Samsung’s mobile unit, said in a statement. Samsung -- the world’s top maker of smart phones and memory chips -- has recently been trying to strengthen its relatively small presence in the global digital camera industry dominated by Japanese giants like Nikon and Canon.
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December 1-15, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
LIFESTYLE Natural wine? Serve it to the tooth fairy, say skeptics
BORDEAUX, Dec 2, 2012 (AFP) - Natural wine? Who could possibly object? But according to some experts, the unregulated use of the term ‘natural’ is misleading gullible consumers as well as polarizing the wine trade. “These are all things that don’t exist - natural wines, the tooth fairy and Father Christmas,” says Robert Joseph, a wine trade veteran who is one of the most prominent naysayers. Natural wine does not exist as a legal category in the European Union, despite flourishing movements in Italy or France, the two biggest producers in the 27-nation bloc. “At present, the compound noun ‘vin naturel’ (natural wine) has no definition on the national level,” said Aubierge Mader, a spokeswoman for France’s fraud protection agency (DGCCRF). Yet hundreds of wines today are advertised and sold as ‘natural’, appealing to consumers on a variety of levels. “I think consumers also respond favorably to the image of ‘natural’ wines as being not just more authentic, healthy or artisanal but also being fun, easy-drinking and separate from the pretensions of the wine elites,” said David Lillie, owner of American retailer Chambers Street wines. Alice Feiring, author and de facto spokeswoman for the natural wine movement, describes the loosely organized group’s manifesto as “nothing added, nothing taken away.” Natural wine producers eschew synthetic chemicals and fertilizers, cul-
tivated yeasts, corrections for acidity and sugar, fining and filtering. Purists reject sulphur dioxide, widely used to control oxidation in the wine-making process. The wines range from pristine expressions of terroir to cloudy, smelly, off-color micro-bacterial disasters. “Yes, they’re a bit crazy sometimes and their flavors can be a bit challenging, but they are the sorts of wines that I like to pop the cork and drink,” said Dr Jamie Goode, author of “Authentic Wine”. “They’ve got personality.” Nor, supporters add, is there confusion on the part of the consumer. “In New York, the term is very well used and not at all confused,” said Arnold Waldstein, a New York business strategist. “It creates interest.” But critics lambast the ‘naturalistas’ - as they are known, on two fronts. First, the term ‘natural’ appears to undermine the integrity of wines not produced by naturalistas. “It’s almost like by using the term natural, there is a subtle implication that the people who are not in this club, who are not making natural wine are somehow unnatural and that’s a shame,” admitted Goode. “Even what we call industrial wine is still a pretty natural beverage.” What really irks authorities and winegrowers, including conventional and organic producers, is that the term
has no legal meaning, thus no accountability. “It’s meaningless nonsense,” says one DGCCRF official. “Organic wine has a definition. Natural -- we don’t know what that means, it’s too vague. It could mislead the consumer.” In theory, anyone advertising their wine as ‘natural’ must be able to justify the term. But first, one must avoid confusion with existing wines which are legally entitled to use the term ‘natural’ -- French fortified sweet wines (Vin Doux Naturel) for example. On the French website www.vinsnaturels.fr, 15 natural wine fairs are listed between now and April 2013. Shops from Paris to Hong Kong to Copenhagen are listed as selling natural wine. Last summer, Italian agricultural authorities descended upon Enoteca Bulzoni in Rome and fined owner Alessandro Bulzoni for selling ‘natural’ wine, which has no legal certification.
Winemakers are also rethinking how to speak to consumers without misleading them. “All of the honest winemakers, trying to make a minimum intervention wine, we still don’t know what to call our wine,” said Zeynep Arca Salliel, partner in Arcadia vineyards, in Thrace, Turkey. ‘Low-manipulation’ and ‘light-handed’ wines are entering the lexicon. “We call our style ‘light-handed winemaking’. We stay true to the grape,” said Salliel, who practices sustainable viticulture and uses gentle, gravity-led vinification. Feiring regards more regulation as inevitable but remains opposed to the idea. “That will open the door to ‘industrial’ natural, just as the EU organic wine rules have opened the door to industrial organic wines,” she argues.
Undeterred, Bulzoni paid the fine and continues to sell natural wine.
Goode echoes the theme. “People say we really need a strict definition of what natural wine is otherwise it’s meaningless,” he says.
But some retailers like Lillie, while fans of the high-quality producers, only half-jokingly referred to the products as “wines formerly known as natural.”
“Well, I disagree. I think that if we define natural wine, it kind of goes against the spirit of this really exciting, emerging movement.”
Georgia Asian Times
December 1-15, 2012
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EXECUTIVE PROFILE Making a Difference in the Community
Kim Hanh Dang President Vietnamese Community of Georgia By Andrian Putra
The Vietnam War have caused many Vietnamese to escape to US. When Saigon fall to the Communist in 1975, Kim Hanh was a law student at the University of Saigon. She was amongst millions who escaped the occupying forces and resettled in America.
Hanh went on to formed Horizon Real Estate Investment LLC and Georgia Real Estate Investment LLC as part of her investment business. Despite her business success, she is more passionate with issues relating to the Vietnamese community.
Upon resettling in US, Kim worked a mail clerk at Homestead Life Insurance and attended English classes at night. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Information Computer Science from Georgia Tech in 1981. She was also elected a the first President of Vietnamese Student body at the college. Her information computer science degree landed her jobs as a System Analyst at Southern Company, First Atlanta Bank, and at her alma mater Georgia Tech.
“My heart is always with the community. I will find time to volunteer and help out with various community and fund raising events,” said Hanh. From temple fund raising to Tet New Year celebration, Kim will carve out time from her busy schedule to volunteer. She also chairs the 2010 Census Bureau Vietnamese community complete count committee.
“I needed more time with my young family and started venturing into nail salon and restaurant business with my husband in 1992. We have opened several business in Georgia, Florida, Colorado, and California,” explains Hanh. By 2002, Hanh business acumen leads her into the booming real estate business. She gained her real estate license and won the Rookie of the Year Award for DeKalb County. Within two years, she was a member of the Million Dollar Club.
Her most rewarding accomplishment to date is the inauguration of the Vietnamese community center in February 2010. “It would not be possible without the help of so many supportive friends and business to make it happen. It is a rewarding experience.” The Vietnamese Community Center offers various activities including after-school programs for school children, Vietnamese language class, Asian youth leadership and tutoring program, Tai-Chi classes, English classes for seniors, and basic computer education.
Fun activities such as baking, beauty and nutrition, and ballroom classes are conducted at the center by volunteers. “I am so glad to see that the center is being utilized by many in the community. The center is always busy with weekend activities,” adds Hanh. The center is becoming a focal point for Vietnamese community to gather and network. A monthly pot luck meal is organized with the kind generous donations by Dr. Tong Huynh and Anna Flowers. “We celebrate birthdays of community members at the pot luck as we’ve a large birthday cake enough to feed everyone who attends!”
Kim is currently serving in her second term as President of Vietnamese Community of Georgia (2012-2015) and Secretary for the newly formed Georgia Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce. Her day job as real estate broker with Atlanta Maxim Realty along with her civic engagement keeps her busy. “I enjoy working and giving back to the community. It is a feeling that you have make a difference in peoples life,” said Hanh with a smile.
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December 1-15, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
ARTS France’s Musée d’Orsay to open Shanghai exhibit
Chinese tycoon buys top Bordeaux wine estate A Chinese industrialist has completed the landmark purchase of Chateau BellefontBelcier, a leading estate in France’s prestigious Saint Emilion wine-making area, sources involved in the sale said Thursday. The property is the first of its rank -Grand Cru Classe (classified growth) -- to be acquired in what has been a wave of Chinese investment in the Bordeaux region. The new owner is a 45-year-old industrialist with assets in the iron sector who has already diversified into the wine importing business. He met the chateau’s employees on Friday and has since returned to China. Chinese investors have acquired around 30 lower-ranked properties in Bordeaux (the larger region that includes Saint Emilion) in the last two years and this year has seen China become the region’s biggest export market in terms of volume.
Shanghai, Nov 15, 2012 - France’s Musee d’Orsay will on Friday open a major exhibition of paintings from the 19th century at the new modern art museum in China’s commercial hub of Shanghai, museum officials said Wednesday. Many of the 87 paintings by artists in the French Naturalism movement, including works by Gustave Courbet and Jean-Francois Millet, are being shown in China for the first time, exhibition organisers told a news conference. “It’s a very large exhibition. We have sent large format paintings and we have sent very famous paintings by Courbet and Millet,” said Guy Cogeval, president of the Musee d’Orsay. “A lot of them are shown in China for the first time,” he said. Chinese media has put the value of the paintings in the exhibition at 185 million euros ($236 million), though officials declined to confirm that figure. Shanghai’s China Art Museum said the show, which was assembled in 11 months, will be the largest international exhibition hosted by the museum since it opened in October.
The China Art Museum is expecting 3,000 visitors a day for the exhibition, which runs more than three months to February next year, officials said. “There is a link between this exhibition and China today,” said Xavier Rey, a curator for the painting department of the Musee d’Orsay. Naturalist painting in the second half of the 19th century featured realistic depictions of everyday life, but it was also a reaction to tremendous social and industrial change, he said. One of the highlights of the exhibition is Millet’s “The Gleaners”, which depicts three women searching for wheat after the harvest. The China Art Museum is heavily weighted towards Chinese art, but one floor is devoted to foreign works on loan from foreign museums. The exhibition “Millet, Courbet and French Naturalism” will return to France next year in time for an October showing at the Musee d’Orsay, said Olivier Simmat, the museum’s head of international affairs.
So far, Chinese investment has not been controversial in a region with a long tradition of foreign ownership of wine estates.
role,” said a spokesman from Franck Lagorce Conseil, the agency which negotiated the deal. Without the classification, “the price would not have been the same.” Olivier said another 10 chateaux could be sold to Chinese buyers by the end of the year if bureaucratic obstacles can be overcome. “These are dossiers that are lagging. Since this past summer, there is manifestly a difficulty for the Chinese... to get their money out of China. So there are plenty of dossiers that are pushed back.” Chinese investors in Bordeaux are primarily industrialists with diverse business interests including real estate and tourism, according to Olivier. “They do business in everything,” said Olivier. “Some are already in the wine business, some are in the restaurant business. Sometimes they are just wine lovers who do it for their own pleasure and they buy a chateau in Bordeaux.”
In contrast, the acquisition by a Chinese buyer of Chateau Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy earlier this year triggered a major row, with local winemakers and far-right politicians claiming the country’s heritage was being sold.
Until now, Chinese investors have focused on relatively obscure chateaux in modest appellations, the properties frequently having languished on the market for some time with little chance of a bid-
“This is a first (for Bordeaux), we’ll see how people react,” said Herve Olivier, regional director of SAFER, the government agency that oversees rural land development.
For this reason, according to Olivier, Chinese investors have not put pressure on vineyard land prices.
Georges Haushalter, the president of the Bordeax Wine Council, does not expect a backlash. “We have the Japanese at Chateau Beychevelle and Chateau Lagrange and no one reacts against them,” he said. “They have done a very good job.” Bellefont-Belcier, which had been on the market for a number of years, has 13 hectares of vines and total land of 20 hectares. A source close to the transaction said the final price was between 1.5 and two million euros per hectare of vines. The sale had been in negotiation for a number of months, but the price was not finalised until after the announcement in September of a once-in-a-decade re-classification of Saint Emilion wines, which confirmed the estate’s Grand Cru status. “The classification played an enormous
ding war.
“They don’t make the prices shoot up like in Gevrey Chambertin,” he said. “Prices have remained stable.” The controversy in Burgundy was fuelled by the fact that Macau gambling executive Louis Ng outbid a group of local investors. Inflation in land prices is a sensitive issue because of the impact it has on inheritance tax and, as a consequence, the ability of families to pass vineyards down to the next generation. “Bordeaux vineyards have always been open to foreign investors,” Olivier underlined. “There have been trends - the English, Belgians, Americans, Japanese, insurance companies, banks, which have purchased chateaux. Today, it’s the Chinese. “What is different is that it’s in such short period. They’ve purchased 30 estates in two years. That’s something.”
Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2012
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FOCUS
Tough talk, no answers as US ‘fiscal cliff’ looms WASHINGTON, Dec 2, 2012 (AFP) - The White House won’t budge on tax hikes and Republicans call the president’s opening gambit ridiculous, but without a deal by the year’s end, the fragile US economy will plunge off the fiscal cliff. A sense of deja vu has gripped Washington as another budget wrangle reaches its denouement with both sides locked in a who-blinks-first death match and pundits warning of economic oblivion unless a deal is struck. In April 2011, there were less than two hours to go to avert a government shutdown when the same protagonists, Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner, struck a tentative budget deal. The hard-fought accord that eventually raised the debt ceiling later that summer came too late to prevent Standard & Poor’s from downgrading the credit rating of US government bonds for the first time in the country’s history. Despite international criticism then for playing a dangerously irresponsible game of chicken, both sides are at it again refusing to compromise and counting down the clock as financial disaster looms. The debt ceiling deal signed into law in August 2011 included a poison pill provision that would usher in across-the-board spending cuts unless Congress passed a $1.2 billion deficit reduction bill by the end of 2012. Combined with the expiry on December 31 of a raft of tax cuts, including reduced Bush-era rates for nearly all Americans and Obama’s two percent cut in payroll taxes, the risk of a new recession is very real. The point of the “fiscal cliff” provision was to force a fiercely divided Congress and White House to stop kicking the can down the road and get serious about tackling the $16.3 trillion public debt and arcane tax laws. Obama called in the tough-talking Timothy Geithner to be his pointman on
the crisis, hoping the outgoing Treasury secretary had enough respect on Capitol Hill and economic expertise to get the job done. But, if the Republican leadership is to be believed, things got off to a rocky start when Geithner got negotiations rolling on Thursday by laying out Obama’s initial offer. It called for nearly $1.6 trillion in new tax revenue over the next decade and $600 billion in spending cuts, including from programs Democrats cherish like Medicare, which covers health insurance for the elderly. “I was flabbergasted. I looked him and said, ‘You can’t be serious,’” Boehner told “Fox News Sunday.” “I’ve just never seen anything like it. You know, we’ve got seven weeks between election day and the end of the year. And three of those weeks have been wasted with this nonsense.” Republicans said the offer doubled the amount of revenue Obama had been asking for, included new stimulus spending to offset the spending cuts, and made no specific commitments to slash costly government welfare programs. They also balked at a provision that would see a permanent end to congressional control over federal borrowing limits, the issue that set this crisis in motion.
Boehner, whose party controls one of the chambers through which any crisissolving bill must pass, dismissed the notion that Congress would give up powers to vote on future debt limit increases as “silliness.” “They must have forgotten Republicans continue to hold a majority in the House,” he said, adding bitterly: “The president’s idea of a negotiation is: roll over and do what I ask.” Budget negotiations go right to the heart of ideological differences between Democrats and Republicans on the size and scope of government. The biggest sticking point has been on tax rates for high-earners. Obama won re-election on a platform of raising taxes on individuals who make more than $200,000 per year and on families that rake in more than $250,000, as a way of raising extra revenue to tame the deficit. Republicans insist that raising taxes on the wealthy would hurt small business owners, slow economic growth and dampen job creation. “There’s not going to be an agreement without rates going up.
There’s not,” Geithner told CNN’s “State of the Union” program, saying the ball was in the Republicans’ court to propose a counter-offer to the Obama plan. Republicans say they are ready to extract more revenue from wealthy Americans, but want to do so by closing tax loopholes and limiting deductions rather than by raising income tax rates. Besides resisting tax hikes, Republicans want action to rein in ballooning spending on so-called “entitlement” programs like Medicare and Social Security. Geithner insisted that Social Security, which provides government funds to the elderly, the disabled, widows and the poor, should not be on the table in the current negotiations. “We’re prepared to, in a separate process, look at how to strengthen Social Security,” he told ABC’s “This Week” program. “But not as part of a process to reduce the other deficits the country faces.” Geithner said he believed the two sides were coming closer together, but it didn’t sound like it from listening to his Republican interlocutor. Asked for his opinion on the state of negotiations, Boehner replied: “Right now, I would say -- we’re nowhere, period. We’re nowhere.”
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December 1-15, 2012 E Georgia Asian Times
Events
Global innovation Awards Honoring Amb Dino Patti Djalal
Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2012
EVENTS
The Fulcrum of The Pivot: ASEAN at the Center of 21st century Global Business and Politics
Featuring US Ambassador to Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and ASEAN
L-R: Alexander Feldma, President US-ASEAN Business Council, Derek J. Mitchell, Amb to Myanmar, Paul W. Jones, Amb to Malaysia, David L. Carden, Amb to ASEAN, David I. Adelman, Amb to Singapore
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December 1-15, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
LIFESTYLE Whale worship a way of life for Vietnam fishermen by Tran Thi Minh Ha
LY SON ISLAND, Vietnam, Nov 22, 2012 (AFP) - At a colorful temple next to the turquoise sea off Ly Son Island, weather-beaten Vietnamese fishermen offer up their prayers to an unusual god -- “Ca Ong” or Mr Whale. Before setting sail on a month-long voyage, Nguyen Hoang Loi makes a pilgrimage to the ornately decorated Tan Temple, which houses the remains of two sacred giant whales. “Praying to the whale will help us if we encounter trouble at sea,” the 45-year-old said as he and his crew prepared to depart from Ly Son, an island of 21,500 people off the coast of central Vietnam. Up and down Vietnam’s 3,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) of coastline, fishing communities worship giant whales, which they view as their guardian angels -- a religious phenomenon of a type that experts say is unique to the country. “If fishermen encounter a sudden storm when fishing and don’t know where to shelter, then they pray to Mr Whale to help,” said Ly Son Island’s whale priest Tran Ngo Xuong. “The whale will appear beside their boat, helping them through the dangerous moments,” said Xuong, a 79year-old retired fisherman who now acts as a custodian at Tan Temple. After an elaborate prayer ceremony to appease the whale spirits, Xuong unseals two dimly lit rooms behind Tan Temple’s ornate altar piece, where the bones of two giant whales are stored. The whales -- which weighed between 50 and 70 tons when alive and were both more than 20 metres long
-- beached in separate incidents on Ly Son’s shores over 100 years ago, Xuong said. The creatures were so big that hundreds of people would normally have struggled to haul them in, but after many prayers and rituals, just a few dozen islanders managed to drag them ashore with the help of a favorable tide, he said. Beached whales are given traditional Vietnamese funerals -- they are buried for between five and 10 years, and then their bones are excavated and kept above ground. Whale oil is separated off and stored in huge ceramic containers to be used during ritual cleaning of the whale bones on their death anniversary.
‘A giant whale guided us back to shore’ Official media frequently report on stories of miraculous escapes by fishermen aided by whales, with Suc Khoe Doi Song, a newspaper under the Ministry of Health, most recently describing fisherman Dang Chau’s escape. Chau’s boat was heading back to shore after a long fishing trip when it was caught in a storm. Heavily overloaded with fish, the crew feared they would capsize. “Then a giant whale came, swimming in front of the boat and blocking the storm so that the crew could sail back to shore,” the report said. “The whale only swam back to sea when the fishermen got to safety. The fishermen were all so surprised, they
bowed their heads in prayer to the whale as he swam away,” it added. Unlike in other countries where whales are revered, in Vietnam the practice is based on specific incidents in the past where the giant mammals beached near local fishing communities, according to expert Sandra Lantz. The Ca Ong religion was, for this reason, “unique” to Vietnam, said Lantz, who authored a 2009 study on whale worship printed in the Swedish Science Press. The practice of traditional rituals such as whale worship is encouraged by communist authorities, which for decades discouraged all religious activities, before loosening restrictions in 2004. The majority religion, Buddhist, is now openly practiced, although vocal minority groups of all faiths routinely complain of official discrimination.
Whale worshiping festivals -- which celebrate the cetaceans and ask that the fishermen be blessed with bumper hauls and safe passage across the treacherous seas -- have been given the official seal of approval. A recent such event in southern Ba Ria Vung Tau was designated one of Vietnam’s “top 15 festivals” by authorities. Ly Son islanders hope the whales could help boost their own tourist arrivals, which currently stand at about 3,000 plus a year. The authorities plan to reassemble the skeletons and build a new temple to put them on display to attract visitors and make the community less dependent on fishing.
Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2012
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SPORTS
Formula One: Red Bull mum on ‘dirty tricks’ specifics SAO PAULO, Nov 26, 2012 (AFP) - Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull team on Monday declined to elaborate on references to rival teams’ “dirty tricks” after the 25-year-old broke records to become Formula One’s youngest triple world champion.
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19, 2012 (AFP) - A Malaysian football club has made a rare signing of an ex-English Premier League star by snapping up Dutch midfielder George Boateng, an official said Monday.
Team chief Christian Horner said he and his outfit accepted that F1 was a hard sport and that they had to face up to all the consequences of success. “It’s been a tough competition,” he said. “Formula One is a tough business and you’re up against some tough opponents. The fastest way to become unpopular is to have repeated success. “We’ve ignored what other teams are doing and have just focused on ourselves.” But Vettel was more forthcoming when asked to explain his immediate post-race comments about “dirty tricks” after finishing sixth in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday to secure his third consecutive title. “It was a very, very tough season for us, on track, off track -- a lot of ups and downs for everyone. But we always remained ourselves and kept doing it our way and that made the difference in the end,” he added. Asked to explain further, Vettel said: “It is unbelievable but the most important thing is that throughout the season we always kept believing in ourselves. “A lot of people tried to play dirty tricks but we did not get distracted by that and kept going our way and all the guys gave a big push right to the end. “I am not holy. I have my mistakes like everyone else has. But I was brought up to be honest and I also believe that was the reason why we succeeded.
Malaysian club signs Dutchman Boateng
“We stepped up our game in the second half of the season, which allowed us to come back in this championship. I have to thank all the team because there is no-one in our team more important than the next person. “We are all a group and fighting next to each other and not against each other. I am very proud of that. It is unbelievable. “And, for me, it is always most important that you are happy with what you see in the mirror. You are honest with yourself because what is the point in trying to fake something else? “You are always the first one to know if you are cheating yourself. In that way, I think people tried everything -- inside the lines, outside the lines -- to beat us. “The amount of questions we had to deal with, stuff we had to deal with throughout the season, did not make our life easier but the key was to remain ourselves and that made the difference.”
The Titans, based in the eastern state of Terengganu, sealed the deal with the 37-year-old former Middlesbrough captain ahead of next year’s campaign, said Rozi Mamat, youth and sports minister for the state, which funds the club. Rozi said the signing was part of an overhaul of the team aimed at challenging for honors on the international stage. “Signing players like Boateng, who are of international calibre, is in line with our long-term plan to compete not just in Malaysia but at the Asian level,” he said. New coach Peter Butler was quoted by local newspapers that the former Dutch international would “be very influential in the middle of the park”. Butler himself recently ran into controversy when he was sacked as coach from another Terengganu team for criticizing players for breaking curfew and accusing his goalkeeper of match-fixing. The goalkeeper has been cleared. Boateng, whose last club was English
Championship side Nottingham Forest, denied the move was a “last payday” or “vacation”. “I have my good name and reputation to think of and after playing against the best of midfielders, such as Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane, I have no fear whatsoever,” the New Straits Times quoted him as saying. Boateng, who has also played for Feyenoord, Coventry and Aston Villa, is the second high-profile signing by a Malaysian side in two weeks after southern Johor state captured Spanish striker Daniel Guiza, La Liga’s topscorer in 2008. Rozi also confirmed that The Titans have been working since October to bring in Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler, 37, with “negotiations still ongoing”. Fowler, who is the English Premier League’s fourth-highest goalscorer of all time with 162 goals, left British football in 2009 and spent the last three years playing in Australia and Thailand. If the deal goes through, he will follow in the footsteps of other former England internationals such as Tony Cottee and David Rocastle who graced the Malaysian league in the 1990s.
Vettel and Horner are thought to be referring to the frequent technical rows about possible rule infringements in the first half of the season and persistent rumours that the champion was poised to sign for Ferrari.
mired in a public argument about any of the issues.
in Japan only to reprimand Vettel for impeding him during qualifying.
Instead, he said he wanted to focus on what the team could control.
German driver Vettel, who has a contract until 2014, denied claims above a move to Ferrari and reaffirmed his commitment to Red Bull, adding that he did not want to get
Ferrari also declined to respond, although Fernando Alonso had said he felt that one of the key moments that cost him his third drivers’ title win was the decision by race stewards
Team chief Stefano Domenicali said: “I see things from a different angle. I don’t want to follow that. For me, it is clear we raced 18 races out of 20 and we were second by three points. That hurts. Other things are not really interesting.”
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December 1-15, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
SPORTS Figure skating: Japan win raises roof in tsunami morgue RIFU, Japan, Nov 26, 2012 (AFP) - Local schoolboy Yuzuru Hanyu’s emotional figure skating victory in an arena pressed into service as a morgue after the Japanese tsunami was a tonic for an area struggling to get back on its feet. Sport is being used as part of the healing process in the region of northeast Japan devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck in March 2011, destroying whole communities and leaving more than 18,000 people dead.
The Japan Skating Federation said it picked the region for the NHK Trophy to “send a message about our recovery, in response to support from around the world.” “Thank you from Tohoku, Japan,” read a message projected in several languages onto the ice, referring to the region battered by the disaster, as medallists skated at a gala exhibition on Sunday. The success in the men’s competition the previous day of Hanyu, a 17-year-old high school student from the adjoining city of Sendai, brought welcome cheer to the home fans. “Hanyu is helping us stay strong,” said Yukiko Yonezawa, selling fried noodles at a stall outside the venue. Hanyu, whose home and local skating rink were damaged in last year’s disaster, was ecstatic after his second career Grand Prix victory, stroking the ice and admitting: “I talked to the rink, saying ‘I thank you very much’.” The 2010 world junior champion broke his own world short-program record on Friday and topped Saturday’s free skate, refusing to be put off even by two moderate earthquakes that brought back dark memories.
There is more sporting action planned, with Japanese London Olympic medallists including female wrestling champion Hitomi Obara set to parade in downtown Sendai this coming weekend.
And on December 26 a charity football match involving J-League stars and Europe-based Japanese players will be staged in the city.
Badminton: Lee loses in Hong Kong, China clean sweep
The NHK Trophy, a Grand Prix event staged at the 7,000-seat Sekisui Heim Super Arena, is the latest in a list of sporting fixtures brought to the area, including under-20 women’s football world cup matches and an international triathlon. The arena itself has already been used for concerts and other sports events, including the national handball championships in July, after it was refurbished and blessed by a Shinto priest when its emergency mission ended.
because the radiation that leaked from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant means it is still unsafe to return.
American ice dancing pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who won the ice dance title, were also caught up in the emotion of the occasion. “I think one of the most beautiful things about ice dance is that it can really move you emotionally,” said Davis.
Hong Kong, Nov 25, 2011 (AFP) - China’s Chen Long put on a display of explosive athleticism to beat Malaysian world number one Lee Chong Wei in the final of the Hong Kong Open Sunday, as Chinese players stormed to a clean sweep. With thousands of spectators cheering him on, second-seeded Chen won 21-19, 2117 against the Olympic silver medallist, who was the tournament’s top seed but ended the men’s singles final looking exhausted.
“So it’s an honor for us to be able to perform for the audience and hopefully lift their spirits in some sort of way.”
“I didn’t think that I would win, but I thought I had the ability to beat him so the results are pretty good,” said Chen, who was fresh from victory last week in the China Open.
The 2011 world champions have spent the past two summers doing shows in Japan and one was “always dedicated to the victims of the tsunami,” said Davis.
But the result was a bitter disappointment for Lee, who had defeated Chen in the semi-finals of the London Olympics in August.
For three months following the tsunami, the arena used for the NHK Trophy served as a mortuary, one of many public buildings pressed into action as regular facilities were overwhelmed.
“I just come in and try, and enjoy the Hong Kong Open... I got to the finals, which is good,” said a tired-looking Lee, who is seven years older than 23-year-old Chen.
About 1,000 bodies were examined by coroners and seen by bereaved families at the arena, which lies on high ground just five miles (eight kilometers) from the coast where a wall of water swept ashore, crushing whole communities.
“These past few days, I don’t feel that well after competing,” he said, adding that he would rest for a while after the tournament. It was a triumphant night for China, who won in every category of the tournament.
Despite efforts to get the area back on its feet, the devastation in Tohoku is still starkly apparent and a huge stretch of shoreline bears testimony to Japan’s worst post-war calamity.
In the women’s doubles, controversial Chinese pair Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli lost to compatriots Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei, 22-20, 14-21, 21-17, in a spirited contest which lasted for one hour and 13 minutes.
Hundreds of thousands of people remain effectively homeless, either because their communities have not yet been rebuilt or
Spectators loudly cheered on the players during the closely-fought match, with
games sometimes lasting more than 10 rallies. “I feel today, the both of us, we are feeling a bit tired, and I have some injuries”, Yu said, adding that it affected her ability to run during the game. Yu and Wang were were among eight players disqualified from the London Olympics for attempting to drop roundrobin games in a bid to secure a favourable quarter-final draw. Yu said she would retire shortly after being disqualified, but resumed playing at the China Open, which she and Wang won last Sunday, after being cleared by sporting authorities. Yu on Tuesday denied she still planned to quit. In the women’s singles finals, Li Xuerui of China beat fellow countrywoman and world number one Wang Yihan 21-12, 11-3. Wang left the game early due to an injury. In the mixed doubles, China’s Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei beat compatriots Xu Chen and Ma Jin 21-17, 21-17. There was further disappointment for Malaysia when Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong lost to Chinese duo Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng 21-16, 21-17 in the men’s doubles finals.
Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2012
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HEALTH US sees dramatic rise in diabetes rates: study WASHINGTON, Nov 15, 2012 (AFP) - The United States saw a dramatic rise in the number of adults suffering from diabetes between 1995 and 2010, according to official statistics released Thursday. The prevalence of the disease increased by at least 50 percent in 42 of the country’s 50 states. In 18 of those, the rate at least doubled, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Regionally, we saw the largest increase in diagnosed diabetes prevalence in the South, followed by the West, Midwest, and Northeast,” said Linda Geiss, lead author of the report. The states that saw the highest rise in cases included Oklahoma (226 percent), Kentucky (158 percent), Georgia (145 percent), Alabama (140 percent) and Washington (135 percent). In 1995, only three states along with the District of Columbia -- home of the nation’s capital, Washington -- and Puerto Rico had a diagnosed diabetes prevalence of at least six percent. But by 2010, all 50 US states recorded a prevalence of more than six percent, said Ann Albright, who heads the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. “These rates will continue to increase until effective interventions and policies are implemented to prevent both diabetes and obesity,” she said in a statement. More than a third of American adults are obese. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90-95 percent of all diabetes cases in the United States, could be prevented by making lifestyle changes, the statement said. The CDC, together with its partners, is working on initiatives to prevent type 2 diabetes and minimize complications in those already diagnosed with the disease. The study used data from an annual telephone survey of health behaviors and conditions of US adults aged 18 and older.
A soft drink a day raises prostate cancer risk: study STOCKHOLM, Nov 26, 2012 (AFP) - Men who drink one normal-sized soft drink per day are at greater risk of getting more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, according to a Swedish study released Monday. “Among the men who drank a lot of soft drinks or other drinks with added sugar, we saw an increased risk of prostate cancer of around 40 percent,” said Isabel Drake, a PhD student at Lund University. The study, to be published in the upcoming edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, followed over 8,000 men aged 45 to 73 for an average of 15 years. Those who drank one 330-millilitre (11-fluid-ounce) soft drink a day were 40 percent more likely to develop more serious forms of prostate cancer that required treatment.
While further research was needed before dietary guidelines could be changed, there are already plenty of reasons a person should cut back on soft-drink consumption, she noted. The men in the study had to undergo regular medical examinations and kept a journal of their food and drink intake. The cancer was discovered after the men showed symptoms of the disease, and not through the screening process known as Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA). Those who ate a diet heavy on rice and pasta increased their risk of getting milder forms of prostate cancer, which often required no treatment, by 31 percent, while a high intake of sugary breakfast cereals raised the incidence of milder forms of the cancer to 38 percent, Drake said.
Previous studies have shown that Chinese and Japanese immigrants in the US develop prostate cancer more often than peers in their home countries. Further research on how genes respond to different diets would make it possible to “tailor food and drink guidelines for certain high-risk groups,” Drake said.
Most HIV-positive US youth don’t know they’re sick: study CHICAGO, Nov 27, 2012 (AFP) - More than a quarter of new HIV infections in the United States strike young people aged 13 to 24 and 60 percent of those don’t know they’re sick, health officials said Tuesday.
the virus, and learn their HIV status.” The CDC estimates that about 50,000 people are infected with HIV each year in the United States and that youth make up seven percent of the 1.1 million Americans living with HIV.
An estimated 12,200 youth were infected with HIV in 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a new study. Young gay and bisexual men and African American youths were hit hardest, and the study found a variety of reasons for risky behavior that increases the risk of contracting the virus. Only 13 percent of high school students and 35 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds have been checked for HIV despite recommendations for routine testing. The failure to test has contributed to the fact that young people are far less likely to get and stay in treatment programs that
Nearly 60 percent of new infections among youth occur in American Americans, while 20 percent are among Hispanic youth and 20 percent among white youth. African Americans make up just 12.6 percent of the overall population. can keep the virus in check, help them stay healthy and reduce the risk of further transmission, according to the CDC. “That so many young people become infected with HIV each year is a preventable tragedy,” CDC Director Thomas Frieden said in a statement. “All young people can protect their health, avoid contracting and transmitting
Young men were also disproportionately affected, representing 83 percent of those infected. This was primarily because of sharply higher rates among gay and bisexual males who were less likely to use condoms, and more likely to have multiple partners and drink alcohol or do drugs prior to having sex.
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December 1-15, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
Misc Asia Hong Kong dads to get paternity leave for 1st time Hong Kong, Nov 26, 2012 (AFP) - Hong Kong fathers will be given three days’ paternity leave for the first time despite objections from employers after officials agreed to start drafting new laws Monday.
In the absence of any statutory parental leave allowances, most working fathers in Hong Kong are forced to cobble together holidays and sick-leave if they want to spend time with their newborns.
While mothers in the Asian financial hub are allowed 10 weeks away from work and fathers in the civil service are given five days, up until now there has been no provision for paternity leave for fathers in the private sector.
But employers have fought against the plans for leave, saying it will raise labour costs and place them under an unnecessary burden. And the Federation of Hong Kong Industries has linked the provision of paternity leave in Europe to the continent’s debt crisis.
But Labour Minister Matthew Cheung said the labour advisory board, which is made up of employer and employee representatives, has given the go-ahead for a three-day statutory leave period. “I think this is a very good start. This is in line with the government’s objective of promoting family-friendly employment practice,” Cheung told reporters without giving a time frame for when the draft bill will be ready.
Other regions enjoy substantially greater parental benefits than in Hong Kong. In Britain, for example, mothers can take a maximum of 52 weeks leave while fathers are entitled to two weeks, with ministers recently putting forward plans for an even more generous system.
Sri Lanka worries about overweight monks COLOMBO, Nov 27, 2012 (AFP) - Sri Lanka’s health ministry announced plans on Tuesday to draw up new guidelines for donating food to the country’s venerated Buddhist monks amid concerns about their weight and health. The ministry said the faithful, who offer alms as a religious tradition, tended to give food that was too high in fat and sugar and monks were developing preventable health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. “The Medical Research Institute has been asked to prepare menus that could be used for alms givings,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the new guidelines would be issued next month. “The food that is offered is tasty and very rich and it causes immense health problems for monks,” it said.
20 million people. Offering food to monks is believed to bring good luck in this life as well as in the next. Buddhists who believe in reincarnation also offer food to monks in a bid to transfer good karma or fortune to departed loved ones. The offering of breakfast or lunch requires much preparation and temples are usually overbooked. Devotees must sometimes wait for a year to get a slot in the alms calendar of a temple. While monks in urban areas have no shortage of alms, several temples in remote areas have closed down due to a lack of support from impoverished villagers. The health ministry said it was also setting aside separate wards in every state hospital to treat Buddhist monks as well as other clergy.
There are over 40,000 monks in Sri Lanka, where Buddhism is the religion of the majority of the nation’s
China mouthpiece falls for ‘sexiest’ Kim SHANGHAI, Nov 27, 2012 (AFP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been named 2012’s “Sexiest Man Alive”, China’s Communist Party newspaper proclaimed Tuesday after treating a spoof award by satirical US website The Onion as genuine. The People’s Daily website published two paragraphs lifted word-for-word from The Onion, along with a photo gallery of 55 images of Kim, who took over as the North’s leader after his father Kim Jong-Il died last December. The newspaper, known for keeping to the Communist Party line, described the organisation awarding the title as “US website The Onion”, but made no mention of satire and published the report in both English and Chinese as world news.
“With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyangbred heartthrob is every woman’s
dream come true,” The Onion said in its original report, quoted by the People’s Daily.
Pyongyang’s reliance on Beijing has increased as international sanctions over its missile and nuclear programs have strangled its ability to secure international credit and foreign trade.
“Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper’s editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile.”
The People’s Daily cited The Onion’s supposed style and entertainment editor “Marissa Blake-Zweiber” as saying of Kim: “He has that rare ability to somehow be completely adorable and completely macho at the same time.”
China is North Korea’s sole major ally and economic lifeline, providing it major food and fuel aid.
Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2012
Misc Asia Singaporeans react to ‘emotionless’ tag SINGAPORE, Nov 23, 2012 (AFP) Singaporeans have reacted to a survey depicting them as the world’s most emotionless people with many saying the city state’s competitive culture leaves them no room for feelings. “Singaporeans are the least likely in the world to report experiencing emotions of any kind on a daily basis,” US-based pollster Gallup said in a report on a three-year study conducted in more than 150 countries. The Philippines came out as the most emotional society in the world, with Latin American countries dominating the top of the list. Media in Singapore, one of the world’s wealthiest and most stable societies, gave prominent coverage to the report, setting off some strong reactions. “Where got time to laugh? Wake up, must fight for place on trains, lunch time, must fight for place to sit down and eat, go home must fight for place on trains,” Edward Alexzandra Peters wrote on Facebook. Kok Leong commented on Yahoo! Singapore: “It’s so stressful to be living in Singapore. Our mind is all about $$$ - how to survive, how to raise fam-
ily, tax, etc. Nothing is free here.” Another commentator wrote on Yahoo: “We have everything, and yet we have nothing. No one in this country actually lives life to the fullest; we merely exist. To our government, we are nothing more than a statistic.”
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Words of Wisdom Listen to the melody not to the voice, listen to the words, not to the melody, understand the meaning not the words. Bhutanese Proverb Even the son of the foolish can be a sage ; even the son of a poor man can be rich. Do not be contemptuous of anyone. Burmese Proverb Anthills are formed from particles of dust; raindrops when collected can fill a big pot. Burmese Proverb
“How can Singaporeans be the most emotionless in the world when they complain the most every day? I’m baffled,” said a post by Melody on Twitter.
Do not rely upon the notion that those who are rich need not exert effort or those who have fallen need not push themselves up. Cambodian Proverb
Gallup said it surveyed about 1,000 respondents 15 years old and above in each country annually between 2009 and 2011. They were asked if they felt five positive and five negative emotions the previous day.
To attract good fortune, spend a new coin on an old friend, share an old pleasure with a new friend, and lift up the heart of a true friend by writing his name on the wings of a dragon. Chinese Proverb
The negative feelings were anger, stress, sadness, physical pain, and worry, while the positive emotions were feeling well-rested, being treated with respect, enjoyment, smiling and laughing a lot, and learning or doing something interesting. Only 36 percent of Singaporeans said they felt any of the emotions, Gallup said.
It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive disenchanted. Japanese Proverb Your habits from when you were 3 years old last until you are 80. Korean Proverb Something bad may happen now, but it will be a good thing in the future. Korean Proverb Gold in chest, buffaloes in fence. Malay Proverb A worm who wants to be a dragon. Malay Proverb It is easier to catch an escaped horse than to take back an escaped word. Mongolian Proverb
When in the town where people wink, you must also wink. Thai Proverb
The most difficult to rouse from sleep is the man who pretends to be asleep. Filipino Proverb
If you play with dogs, they’ll lick your mouth. Thai Proverb
There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. Indian Proverb
Imagination cures the chaos in the heart. Tibetan Proverb
They who give, have all things; they who withhold, have nothing. Indian Proverb
The highest art is the art of living an ordinary life in an extraordinary manner. Tibetan Proverb
A person, who no matter how desperate the situation, gives others hope, is a true leader. Japanese Proverb
The virtues defeat the outward beauty. Vietnamese Proverb
Philippines says 146 Marcos paintings missing MANILA, Nov 27, 2012 (AFP) - More than 140 paintings by Picasso, Van Gogh and other masters which were bought with stolen funds by former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos remain missing, the government said Tuesday. Marcos distributed his priceless collection of at least 300 artworks to cronies when his regime crumbled in 1986. Only about half have been recovered by Manila, said Andres Bautista, head of the Presidential Commission on Good Government. “The Marcoses were art aficionados and they spent millions of dollars buying up these paintings,” said Bautista.
The 146 paintings by Picasso, Van Gogh and other masters like Renoir, Rembrandt and Cezanne “could be anywhere,” he added. The government commission was formed in 1986 to recover Marcos’s embezzled fortune believed to be worth up to 10 billion dollars, after a bloodless popular revolt ended his 20-year rule and forced him into US exile. The ex-president died in Hawaii in 1989. The Philippine government drew up the list of missing paintings from art
gallery receipts and shipment records left behind by the Marcos family, Bautista said. Vilma Bautista, the former personal secretary to Marcos’s widow Imelda, and Vilma Bautista’s two nephews were indicted in New York last week over an alleged conspiracy to sell a Monet that had belonged to the first lady. The Monet, “Le Bassin aux Nympheas”, and three other paintings seized by US authorities from Bautista were on the Philippines’ missing list, said commissioner Bautista, who is not related to the suspects.
The three suspects sold the Monet to an art gallery in London for $32 million, according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office. The Philippine commission’s Bautista said he had met the New York prosecutors to ask for the return of the four paintings to Manila. “Now, whether we bring them back here to be exhibited, or we sell them there and remit the proceeds to the national treasury would be up to President Benigno Aquino,” he said.
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December 1-15, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
TECH US opens holiday sales with 30% Cyber Monday gain WASHINGTON, Nov 27, 2012 - US online shoppers clicked their way to a new record for “Cyber Monday,” boosting sales by 30.3 percent for the traditional start for Internet holiday shopping, a survey showed Tuesday. IBM said its cloud-based digital analytics platform showed Monday was “the biggest spending day ever” for US online consumers. “Cyber Monday was not only the pinnacle of the Thanksgiving shopping weekend but when the cash register closed it officially became the biggest online shopping day ever,” said Jay Henderson of IBM Smarter Commerce. “Retailers that adopted a smarter marketing approach to commerce were able to adjust to the shifting shopping habits of their customers, whether instore, online or via their mobile device of choice, and fully benefit from this day and the entire holiday weekend.”
Around 10 percent of consumers made purchases on a mobile device, according to IBM, with the iPhone the most popular one. IBM offered no specific figure for sales but the research firm comScore has predicted retailers would take in $1.5 billion for the day, a jump of 20 percent. The hot Monday sales came after surveys showed heavy online spending for “Black Friday,” the day after the US Thanksgiving holiday.
“There is a rumor circulating that Facebook is making a change related to ownership of users’ information or the content they post to the site,” Facebook said in a “fact check” notice on its website Monday. “This is false. Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. They control how that content and information is shared. That is our policy, and it always has been.” The notice came after the copyright notice went viral -- suggesting that a posted statement was needed to protect copyrights on Facebook. The
LOS ANGELES, Nov 27, 2012 General Motors said Tuesday it will integrate Apple’s voice-activated software Siri in some of its cars next year to allow iPhone users to perform hands-free tasks. GM announced at the Los Angeles International Auto Show it will use the Siri intelligent assistant in the Chevrolet Spark and Sonic LTZ and RS.
Online shoppers spent a record of $1.042 billion on Friday, surpassing last year’s Black Friday haul by 26 percent, according to comScore.
“Through the cars’ standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, customers with a compatible iPhone running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel,” GM said in a statement.
A total of 57.3 million Americans visited online retail sites on Black Friday, representing an increase of 18 percent versus a year ago, the firm said.
“To further minimize distraction, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with an eyes-free mode that enables users to interact with their
Facebook nixes rumors on copyright shift SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 27, 2012 - Facebook is telling its users to ignore rumors spreading on the social network that they need to post a statement to protect their copyrights of their comments and other materials.
GM cars to use Apple voice assistant Siri
hoax had been around in the past but resurfaced after Facebook announced changes to its privacy policies last week. Users began repeating these posts, which stated, “In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, professional photos and videos, etc... This will place them under protection of copyright laws.” Warnings about the so-called “chain letter hoax” were issued as far back as June from the security firm Sophos and others. And noted technology blogger Robert Scoble poured scorn Monday on those falling for the trick, saying on his Facebook page: “If you are posting about copyright on Facebook and you haven’t done your research you are an idiot.”
iPhone using nothing more than their voice while keeping the device’s screen from lighting up.” Drivers will be able to use the system to make hands-free calls, play songs in the iTunes library, or switch music sources from radio to iPod mode. They may also listen to, compose and send messages to people in their contact list. Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director for small cars, said, “Safe, easy, reliable and portable connectivity is a top priority for our customers, and Siri complements MyLink’s existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience.” Apple announced earlier this year it was working with car makers to build Siri artificial intelligence technology into voice control systems in automobiles.
Indian inventor wins cash to develop Braille phone NEW DELHI, Nov 27, 2012 (AFP) - A 29-year-old Indian inventor on Tuesday won $50,000 to help him make a new low-cost mobile phone for the blind that uses a Braille display. Sumit Dagar, an industrial designer from New Delhi, beat thousands to win the money from watch company Rolex, which announced the five winners of its Awards for Enterprise scheme. Dagar is developing a phone with a display panel of tiny bumps that can be varied in height independently to form characters in Braille, a system of reading for blind people invented by a Frenchman in 1824. “In design, there is a certain negligence for minority groups as compared with the majority,” said Dagar, explaining why he had decided to take on the challenge.
“Design is something that bridges the gap between users and technology,” he added. He said the first prototype using a Braille screen that can display text messages and names would be ready in the next six months, with a “smartphone” incorporating maps and GPS technology part of his future plans. The prototype is “the phone of the 1990s. It’s just that the display is in Braille,” he explained. Phones that convert text into speech are already available for the estimated 285 million people worldwide who are blind or visually impaired, and Dagar faces competition from other designers vying to integrate Braille technology.
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December 1-15, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
December Horoscope Dragon (2012 2000 1988 1976 1964 1952 1940 1928 1916 1904) Nobody could argue that your greatest strengths are your intellect and your ability to assess the facts in situations that perplex others. These situations you are facing require that you rely almost entirely on your intuition. Initially, you may find this bewildering, but you would not just be gathering information about the circumstances in question, you will be reconnecting with your instincts. This will come in particularly handy when certain arrangements become unlocked and you will find ways to deal with others’ anxieties and practical matters. Snake (2001 1989 1977 1965 1953 1941 1929 1917 1905) You are in a remarkable period of your life. Certain things may be going fantastically well. Still, it is essential you recognize that just because some areas of your life are falling into place like magic, not everything will proceed as smoothly. In fact, some developments will seem almost ill-fated, demand considerable time and attention and still be remarkably frustrating. Difficult as these may be, those that are most troublesome are helping to break up restrictive patterns although you may not necessarily realize it. So when the heavy-handed attitude of others or unfair developments change everything, take a deep breath and consider whether in the long run, you are well out of these arrangements. Horse (2002 1990 1978 1966 1954 1942 1930 1918 1906) Thrilling ideas or offers are one thing. Now after a lengthy and demanding period, those that arose helped to restore your faith in life. Exciting as they may be, they are bound to cause disruption and this is exactly what you are facing. You worry that, in making the changes necessary to take advantage of these opportunities, you will inevitably upset somebody. The problem is that you have excluded others from the process of devising solutions. So get them involved. Perhaps you have numerous issues to iron out before you can address the future, but once you are discussing plans, you realize others already know what is up and are eager to assist. Goat (2003 1991 1979 1967 1955 1943 1931 1919 1907) Practicality is the key to your thinking and shapes the very conversation, so when others are expressing their feelings about recent intriguing encounters, you cannot help but point out certain worrying issues. While these, must be dealt with, they are not as important as you insist they are. The problem is; you are equally excited by their advances but too afraid to admit it for fear you will be let down. It is as if being negative will shield you from disappointment. It may, but it also keeps you from savoring the anticipation of what will probably be a thrilling new cycle of your life.
Monkey (2004 1992 1980 1968 1956 1944 1932 1920 1908) Ordinarily you are adept at spotting and steering clear of others’ complicated health and family dramas. However, because you have some involvement with the individuals or situations in question, you could easily get drawn in. Declare upfront openly, express your concerns diplomatically and then absent yourself. This ensures that when complications become grave, at least you will be clear of the scenario. But your conscience will tell you otherwise. If you decided you wanted to help out, only do so within your capability and make no promises that you cannot keep.
Rooster (2005 1993 1981 1969 1957 1945 1933 1921 1909) Nobody has to tell you to plan ahead. No doubt, you sometimes feel you could have organized things better. Then you will discuss others’ plans and realize how little thought they give to what they are doing. However, in certain matters, you are discovering you will need to be just as flexible and watch and learn. You rely on your instincts a great deal, although you are often unaware of it. When you are making decisions that involve others, some of whom will want practical back-up for your plans. This may astonish you and make it clear why others take so long to get things done.
Dog (2006 1994 1982 1970 1958 1946 1934 1922 1910) Generally, making long-term financial plans is considered wise. However life at present requires a very different strategy. While planning will still be useful, with your own life and the society around you in transition, even the simplest of arrangements must be regarded as tentative. Undertaking major financial changes is tempting but you know it would only complicate your life or career. While you are right that these are in the air, the variety of change you are longing for is unlikely to occur for a while. Until then eliminate activities that devour your time for little return.
Pig (2007 1995 1983 1971 1959 1947 1935 1923 1911) While you were happy to put others’ financial needs first, you are feeling drained and in some cases, unappreciated. This month’s events compensate you for both those feelings and your efforts. The payback comes in the form of a return on your investments, financially or via intriguing offers. However this is not just about practicalities. The heart-warming gesture of certain individuals restores your faith in life and quite possibly in true love.
Rat (2008 1996 1984 1972 1960 1948 1936 1924 1912) You have been a loyal friend, delving into issues that either you have discussed endless times or listened to while they complained. However this upheaval triggered by third parties’ interference indirectly influenced you as well. Enough that you need to invest quality time in talking through various issues. Just remember that there is no quick fix by trying short cuts. Avoid it at all costs otherwise the consequence could be even direr than you imagine.
Ox (2009 1997 1985 1973 1961 1949 1937 1925 1913) Ideas of financial offers may be appealing, but simply do not fit into your present arrangements or future plans. However with so much in transition, what does not work now could do so in the near future. Similarly, should once profitable arrangements come to an end, they are freeing you to say yes to alternative offers. Hence watch the space and do not simply disregard alternative schemes from the outset. As long as you do not make hasty decisions, you should escape unharmed financially.
Tiger (2010 1998 1986 1974 1962 1950 1938 1926 1914) When you are in an upbeat mood, you are superb at avoiding battles with loved ones, family members or partners. Yet when your confidence has been shaken, you can be intimidated by the same situation, which seems to be the case this month. Withdraw quietly, and long enough to restore your emotional balance. However you do not necessarily have to show them outwardly, which will be a challenge. The less they know the better for everybody involved.
Rabbit (2011 1999 1987 1975 1963 1951 1939 1927 1915 1903) Every once in a while, you need to take a break from worrying about others and put your own interest first. This is such a moment, while others are facing numerous unsettled health issues, they will survive. Certain personal matters have been waiting far too long. Now is the time to consider your own priority over them. To those who are persistent, there are no problems, merely challenge. By approaching the obstacles you are facing, not only are you likely to overcome them but with surprising swiftness.
Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2012
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