Georgia Asian Times Jan 15-31, 2016

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com

Henry “Hank” Aaron conferred Japan’s Order of Rising Sun

January 15-31, 2016

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January 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

NEW CARD!

Effective

January 9, 2016 MARTA converts to a more secure Breeze Card and the Breeze Ticket returns.

Breeze Card Changes for Regular Fare Customers The cost of new silver Breeze Card will be $2 and will be valid for 3 years.

SILVER CARDS will be available for FREE with card registration at the RideStores January 2016!* (Mon. the 11th – Fri. the 29th, weekdays only)

*BLUE CARDS will no longer be usable after July 9th, 2017 *Breeze Tickets Return! The cost of the Breeze Ticket will be $1

Questions? Visit www.itsmarta.com or 404-848-5000.

Information regarding company, school, or university issued cards will be provided at a later date by your company or school.

Georgia Asian Times January 15-31, 2016

Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho Photographer: Ben Hioe, Kat Merto

Tel: 678-971-9388 Advertising: gat@gasiantimes.com Editorial: info@gasiantimes.com URL: www.gasiantimes.com Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4502 Suwanee GA 30024 Copyright Georgia Asian Times 2004-2015

All Rights Reserved: including those to reproduce this printing or parts thereof in any form without permission in writing from Georgia Asian Times. Established in 2004, the Georgia Asian Times is published by Asiamax Inc. All facts, opinions, and statements appearing within this publication are those of writers and editors themseleves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions, endorsements by Georgia Asian Times or its officers.

Georgia Asian Times assumes no responsibility for damages from the use of information contained in this publication or the reply to any advertisement. The Publisher will not be liable for any error in advertising to greater extent than the cost of space occupied by the error and will only be made for a single publication date.

The Publisher reserves the right to reject any ad or articles submitted for publication that may not be in good taste for a free publication.

GAT Calendar of Events 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.

CBAA 23rd Chinese New Year Gala Date: Sunday, Jan 17, 2016 Time: 3:00 pm Venue: Woodruffs Art Center Admission: $50, $40, $30, $20, $10 For more info: charley@frontech.com, 678-612-3405 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Organized by Gwinnett Coalition of Health & Human Services, Volunteer Gwinnett, Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute.

Date: January 18, 2016 Time: 9:00 am - 12 Noon Venue: Harbins Park, 2995 Luke Edwards Road in Dacula Volunteers can sign up as individual or groups.

For more info: www.volunteergwinnett.net 2016 NACA Chinese New Year Fundraising Dinner Date: Saturday, February 6, 2016 Time: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Venue: Canton House, 4825 Buford Highway Admission: $40 member, $80

non-member, $2000 Corporate For more info: xiaogengdeng@gmail. com “Tet” Lunar New Year-Honoring the Past, Moving towards the Future!

Organized by Vietnamese American Community of Georgia Date: Feb 7, 2016 Time: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm Venue: KAAGA Culture Center, 5900 Brook Hollow Parkway, Norcross GA 30071 For more info: www.vac-ga.org GAPABA’s 2016 Lunar New Year Banquet Date: Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 Time: 6:30 pm Venue: Oriental Pearl Restaurant, 5399 New Peachtree Rd. Chamblee, GA 30341 Admission: $20 members; $40 non-members For more info: www.gapaba.org

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January 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS

19-hour SWAT standoff ended with death to Vietnamese man and 2-year old son Buford, January 6, 2016 — Gwinnett Police confirmed that Thy Anh Ho and his 2-year old son that he held hostage have died tragically after a 19-hour armed standoff at Beyers Landing subdivision.

Thy Ho, 43 shot himself and his son Philip Nguyen died from gunshot would inflicted by Ho. Ho and the boy was rushed to hospitals around 4:30 pm with life threatening injuries.

The boy was flown by helicopter to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta where he later died of his injuries.

As SWAT members entered the master bedroom, the suspect shot himself, according to Cpl. Michele Pihera, Gwinnett County Police spokesperson.

The incident began with an argument between the man and his girl-

friend, parents of the baby, before the woman’s teenage son from a previous relationship dialed 911 late Tuesday night, Cpl. Pihera said.

Police said the son said Ho was threatening to shoot everyone in the home and then commit suicide. But the son and his mother were released soon after the incident began.

During the standoff, the subdivision was blocked off and people residing in the neighborhood were urged to take shelter in their homes, keeping away from doors and windows, police said.

Henry “Hank” Aaron conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by Government of Japan Buckhead, January 14, 2016 — Legendary Atlanta Braves Henry “Hank” Aaron was conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by Japanese Government at the official residence of the Consul General Takashi Shinozuka.

Mr. Aaron was recognized for his work as co-founder and honorary Director of World Children’s Baseball Fair in Japan. Aaron co-founded the World Children’s Baseball Fair with Japanese baseball legend Mr. Sadaharu Oh in 1989.

Children, boys and girls 10 to 11 years old, take part in an annual summer Baseball Clinics run by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and participate in intercultural activities aimed at improving international understanding. The emphasis is on learning and having fun, not competition.

Mr. Sadaharu Oh delivered a video greetings message at the award presentation ceremony.

“Hank Aaron promoted friendship between U.S. and Japan through baseball. His accomplishments and legacy will always be cherished and remembered by the people of Japan and America,” said U.S. Congressman David Scott who delivered a congratulatory remark at the award presentation.

Hank Aaron is amongst 39 non-Japanese to be conferred the award by Emperor of Japan for Autumn 2015.

“I am honored to present this award to Mr. Hank Aaron,” said Consul General Takashi Shinozuka who recently started his role as the new Consul General in early January 2016.

A congratulatory toast was led by Derek Schiller, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Atlanta Braves with invited guests at the reception.

Georgia Asian Times January 15-31, 2016

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January 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

BUSINESS

Disney to open Shanghai theme park in June Los Angeles, January 13, 2016 - Disney’s long-awaited theme park in China’s commercial hub Shanghai, its first on the mainland, will open on June 16, the company announced Tuesday.

The $5.5 billion facility, originally slated to open last year, will feature everything from an Enchanted Storybook Castle — the tallest in any Disney park — to a “Toy Story”-themed hotel and a theater with a Chinese-language production of the Broadway hit “The Lion King.”

But Walt Disney Co. also says the park will reflect China’s own culture — something Chinese officials sought to ensure before permitting the icon of US entertainment to enter the country.

“When it opens in June, Shanghai Disney resort will be a one-of-a-kind, world-class destination that is authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese,” Disney chairman and chief executive Robert Iger said in a statement.

“The resort reflects Disney’s legendary storytelling along with China’s rich culture, and showcases some of the most creative and innovative experiences we’ve ever created,” he said.

In 2005, Disney opened a theme park in Hong Kong, the former British colony that is now a special administrative region of China.

It also has parks in Tokyo, the US states of California and Florida and near the French capital Paris — where there was outrage over the prospect of American cultural invasion when it was first proposed, although Europeans later embraced it.

The idea for the Shanghai project was floated as far back as the late 1990s and current Chinese President Xi Jinping has said he backed the plan.

Last year, Xi told US business executives that he helped the venture

get under way when other officials were pushing for a more Chinese culture-based project.

Disney did not announce ticket prices, but said the launch would include a multi-day grand opening celebration.

“I voted yes for Disney,” he recounted, “because China needs a diverse-culture-based entertainment market.” The Shanghai park broke ground in 2011.

Users of China’s Twitter-like Weibo welcomed the announcement enthusiastically.

The park is a joint venture between Disney and China’s state-backed Shanghai Shendi Group, with the US firm owning a 70 percent stake in the management company that will run it.

The park is in Shanghai’s premier development zone of Pudong, not far from its international airport, and represents the city’s tourism future following the World Expo in 2010.

Chinese academics say it could contribute $3.3 billion to Shanghai’s economy every year and account for one percent of the city’s annual gross domestic product.

“I must go before the entire country reacts and rushes to go,” said one.

Disney has not publicly announced projections for attendance, but netizens expressed worries about overcrowding.

“Come to Shanghai Disney in June to watch the sea of people,” said another poster.

Georgia Asian Times January 15-31, 2016

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BUSINESS

China tycoon buys film studio Legendary Beijing, Jan 12 — Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group has bought US film studio Legendary Entertainment for about US$3.5 billion, turning its chairman into a Hollywood movie mogul as China’s richest man steps up a drive to diversify his business empire overseas.

the transaction, Legendary’s founder and chief executive officer Thomas Tull will continue to head up the movie maker.

At a news conference in Beijing today, Wanda chairman Wang Jianlin said he plans to package Legendary — behind hits such as “Jurassic World” — with existing movie production assets in China and sell shares in the merged operation in an initial public offering (IPO).

Founded in Dalian, a city on China’s northeast coast, and now based in Beijing, Wanda is already the world’s biggest operator of movie cinemas, having bought AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, North America’s second-largest cinema chain, for US$2.6 billion in 2012. It also owns Australian movie cinema company Hoyt’s Group, and Wanda Cinema Line Corp, the group’s domestically listed firm, is the biggest cinema operator in China.

The move makes Wanda the first Chinese firm to own a major Hollywood studio — a sign of the country’s growing power in the global movie world, industry watchers said.

The deal reflects the emergence of China as the next generation of Hollywood investors and represents a shift from Japan.” — Los Angeles M&A lawyer Dan Clivner

The executive gave no further details on the IPO plan, but said was acquiring Legendary Entertainment for both intellectual property reasons and the studio’s movies. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier this month a deal to secure a majority stake in Legendary had been agreed.

“The deal reflects the emergence of China as the next generation of Hollywood investors and represents a shift from Japan,” said Dan Clivner, co-managing partner and media M&A lawyer at Sidley Austin in Los Angeles.

“Wanda Cinema already has made tremendous development in China, but it isn’t enough,” said Wang, whose personal wealth is estimated by Forbes magazine to be about US$27 billion.

“Movies are global, and our company certainly wants to add our voice to the world film market.”

The deal is Wanda’s biggest overseas acquisition ever and comes as Wang accelerates a drive to diversify a giant with 2015 revenue of US$44 billion away from its core, but slowing, domestic property operations. With deals to buy into everything from financial services to Spanish football club Atletico Madrid, Wanda said yesterday revenue rose 19 per cent last year.

Under the deal announced today, Wanda said it will buy an unspecified majority stake in Legendary. As part of

Wang said that the Legendary’s intellectual property — with prospects for movie tie-in promotions — would add value to its motion picture and television production business. That would lead to greater opportunities for joint production, he said, while bolstering its tourism and cultural businesses also.

Hot ticket China’s booming movie industry, fueled by the country’s growing urban middle class, saw box office revenue increase 49 per cent last year and exceeded 40 billion yuan for the first time, according to data from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

In 2013, Wang, flanked by Hollywood A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole Kidman, broke ground on a 50 billion yuan “motion-picture city” project in the eastern

city of Qingdao, demonstrating his ambition to build China’s own version of Hollywood.

Attending the news conference in Beijing today, Legendary’s Tull told reporters that he would continue to run daily operations, and that Wang had been “insistent we run operations and continue to run things the way we always have”.

Founded in 2000, Legendary has made hits such as “The Dark Knight” and “Man of Steel”, as well as “The Hangover” film franchise.

Legendary generally provides half the financing for movies whose budgets can run up to US$200 million or more.

It also has an agreement with China Film Co, the largest and most influen-

tial film company in China, to co-produce movies.

Both Wang and Tull dismissed concerns that Wanda’s investment would lead to censorship or alter the content of its motion pictures.

“I’m a businessman,” said Wang. “I buy things to make money, so I don’t really think about government priorities. My main consideration is commercial interest.”

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January 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

PROFILE Japanese language at North Cobb High School and Agnes Scott College in Decatur. She later joint Elkins Pointe Middle School in Fulton County as a full-time Japanese teacher.

“I truly enjoy teaching and is inspired by my students who are keen in the subject. Also, the supportive parents provide me further encouragement,” said Miyuki with a smile.

Miyuki is instrumental with student exchange programs between her school and various schools in Japan.

She would chaperoned her students for 9-10 days in Japan.

Japanese teacher in Fulton County recognized for contribution by Japan’s Foreign Ministry On December 4th, 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan recognized four individuals from Georgia and North Carolina with the “Foreign Minister’s Commendations in Honor of the 70th Anniversary of the End of the War with the United States of America” for their outstanding achievements in promoting friendship between Japan and the United States of America.

The honorees included a chairman of a global corporation, a well-known former CNN anchor, and two dedicated educators. At the official residence of the Consul General of Japan, Consul General Kazuo Sunaga presented the recipients with their Certificates of Commendations along with commemorative gifts of pure silk furoshiki cloths.

Miyuki Johnson is a Japanese language teacher at Elkins Point Middle School in Fulton County, Georgia. She has contributed much to promoting

and expanding Japanese language education, encouraging not only students, but the whole community to take interest in Japanese culture through various educational and exchange activities.

“It’s feels so good to witness American students experiencing first-hand a different culture and language. The exchange program provide valuable first impression and it also help motivates me to try harder,” adds Miyuki.

Many of her students are interested in the Japanese pop-culture such as anime, manga, origamis, J-Pop, and fashion. “Today’s technology allows students to experience and follows the Japanese culture through the internet.”

In addition to exchange programs, she regularly exposes her students on various field trips around metro Atlanta. “A visit to the Japanese grocery store, restaurant, or a local Japanese company provide many interesting learning opportunities for these students.”

Miyuki’s contribution to promoting Japanese language education and culture was recognized with an award by the Japanese Foreign Ministry recently.

“I couldn’t believe it when I first heard the news. My parents are so proud when I told them of the news!” said Miyuki beamingly. Miyuki’s father was especially proud of her accomplishment as a Japanese language teacher.

The award has provided further aspiration to Miyuki’s role as an educator.

“I hope to continue to provide positive guidance to my students to be good citizens and to inspire them to achieve their goals in life,” said Miyuki.

In 2014, Miyuki received the “Teacher of the Year Award” from the Fulton County School System for her achievements, dedication, and commitment to excellence.

Miyuki originates from Niigata Prefecture and attended Gumaken College in Tokyo. From an early age, she was inspired to be a teacher by her father who was an educator and a school principal in Japan. Miyuki came to the U.S. and enrolled in the Masters of Education program at University of West Georgia in Carrollton from 1996 to 1998.

Upon graduation, she found herself teaching as a part-time instructor of

Photo: Ben Hioe, Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times January 15-31, 2016

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FEATURE

U.S. retails sales, industrial output data point to softer growth Washington DC, Jan 15, 2016 — US retail sales fell in December as unseasonably warm weather undercut purchases of winter apparel and cheaper petrol weighed on receipts at service stations, the latest indication that economic growth braked sharply in the fourth quarter.

The retail and industrial production reports joined weak data on construction, manufacturing and export growth that have suggested growth cooled significantly in the final three months of 2015.

The growth picture was further darkened by other data today showing industrial production weakened in December, dragged down by cutbacks in utilities and mining output.

The economy has been hammered by a strong dollar and sluggish global demand, which have undermined manufacturing and export-oriented industries. Business efforts to cut an inventory overhang and energy sector spending cuts have also been a drag.

“The economy was flat-out weak at the end of last year, and January’s financial market chaos does not bode well for a first quarter rebound,” said Chris Low, chief economist at FTN Financial in New York.

The Commerce Department said retail sales slipped 0.1 per cent after rising 0.4 per cent in November. For all of 2015, retail sales rose 2.1 per cent, the weakest reading since 2009, after rising 3.9 per cent in 2014.

Retail sales excluding automobiles, petrol, building materials and food services fell 0.3 per cent after advancing 0.5 per cent the prior month. These socalled core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product.

In a separate report, the Federal Reserve said industrial production fell 0.4 per cent in December, primarily as a result of cutbacks for utilities and mining, after declining 0.9 per cent in November. Utilities fell 2.0 per cent last month after dropping 5.0 per cent in November.

For the fourth quarter as a whole, industrial production fell at an annual rate of 3.4 per cent.

The weakness in utilities weak core retail sales could prompt economists to lower their fourth-quarter GDP estimates, which currently range between a 0.5 per cent and a 1.4 per cent annual rate. The economy grew at a 2 per cent pace in the third quarter.

Prices for US Treasury debt rose on the data, while US stocks started the session weaker. The dollar fell against the yen.

In another report the Labor Department said its producer price index slipped 0.2 per cent after increasing 0.3 per cent in November. In the 12 months through December, the PPI declined 1.0 per cent after falling 1.1 per cent in November. December marked the 11th straight 12-month decrease in the index.

Producer prices fell 1.0 per cent in 2015, the weakest since the series started in 2010, after rising 0.9 per cent in 2014.

Coming on the heels of a report yesterday showing a steep drop in import prices in December, weak producer prices suggest that an anticipated rise in inflation will probably fall short of the Fed’s 2 per cent target.

Inflation, which has been tamed by dollar strength, tepid wage growth and cheaper oil, is expected to rise this year as 2015’s weak figures fall out of the calculation. However, persistently low readings could limit the boost from the favorable so-called base effects.

The inflation outlook will likely determine the timing of further interest rate increases after the Fed last month raised its key overnight lending rate by 25 basis points to between 0.25 and 0.50 per cent, the first rate hike in nearly a decade.

Retail sales report showed auto sales were flat after rising the prior month.

Receipts at service stations fell 1.1 per cent after decreasing 1.3 per cent in November. Sales at clothing stores dropped 0.9 per cent. Receipts at electronics and appliance outlets fell further last month.

But there were pockets of strength.

Sales at online retailers and sporting goods and hobby stores rose. Receipts at building materials and garden equipment stores increased solidly, likely boosted by warm temperatures.

Furniture store sales rose last month.

— Reuters

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EVENT

January 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

Ceremony to honor Mr Henry “Hank” Aaron by Consulate General of Japan, Jan 14, 2016

U.S. Congressman David Scott delvering a congratulatory remark to Mr Hank Aaron at the award ceremony.

Consul General Takashi Shinozuka presenting Mr. Hank Aaron the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his contribution to the development of World Children’s Baseball Fair. The ceremony took place at the official residence of the Consulate General of Japan in Buckhead.

Japanese baseball legend Mr Sadaharu Oh, delivering a greeting message to Mr Hank Aaron via video broadcast.

Georgia Asian Times January 15-31, 2016

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Entertainment

Outrage as black actors absent from Oscars lineup Los Angeles, January 15, 2016 The glaring absence of black actors or directors among this year’s Oscar nominees has triggered an outpouring of criticism, setting social media abuzz as the list was unveiled on Thursday.

“Classic #OscarsSoWhite tho that Creed, with a black main character and director, only gets award nods for the white characters,” one tweet read.

Pushed for more diversity

No sooner had the nominations been announced at a ceremony in Beverly Hills than the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite began trending on Twitter, as was the case last year.

DiCaprio has “no nerves” over Oscar London, Jan 15, 2016 — US actor Leonardo DiCaprio today claimed to feel no nerves at the prospect of claiming his first Oscar for his role in “The Revenant”, saying he had “done the work” and could do no more.

“This is an epic art film. So to have something not only do as good as it’s been doing in the box office, but to get having this movie recognised by our peers, it does feel amazing.”

“The one reassuring thing about all this award season stuff is that you have absolutely no control over the outcome,” he told BBC radio.

On his chances of winning, the 41-year-old said: “It’s all this crazy blur, because you’re so attached to the process of making a movie.

“You’ve done the work, I do not know why I should be nervous. While you’re on the set and you give everything, that’s all you can do,” he added, after film’s British premiere.

“I’m too attached to the movie to really understand or know what’s worthy of awards or not.”

The actor has been nominated four times for the Best Actor award but has never got his hands on the famous statuette.

“The Revenant” is an odyssey of survival and revenge in which DiCaprio ate raw buffalo liver, climbed snowy mountains and bathed in icy rivers as he played the legendary trapper Hugh Glass.

The film, directed by Alejandro Inarritu, is up for 12 Oscars, it was announced yesterday.

“It feels great, man. It really does,” DiCaprio said.

“There was more diversity in the 1936 Berlin Olympics,” tweeted one user, named Richard Hine, alongside a picture of African-American athletes at the games.

“The unbearable whiteness of being,” was another catchphrase repeated on Twitter.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who is black and who has pushed for more diversity in the Academy’s ranks since her election in 2013, acknowledged that more action was needed on that front.

“We have been actively bringing in more diversity into our membership… actions need to be taken to make sure the industry as a whole is more inclusive,” she said.

ThinkProgress, a liberal blog, echoed the sentiment of many who were surprised that black actors and filmmakers were shut out of the race.

But Tim Gray, awards editor for industry magazine Variety, said critics should perhaps look more towards the studios in denouncing the lack of diversity in Hollywood.

“Hollywood sure loves sequels: for the second year in a row, zero actors of color get Oscar nominations,” it said in an article on its website.

“The Academy people don’t vote by race or gender but it’s the studios that need to fix this by better reflecting the population,” said Gray.

DiCaprio is up against Bryan Cranston (“Dalton Trumbo”), Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”) and Matt Damon (“Alone on Mars”).

Among the actors who had been expected to be nominated were Idris Elba, who earned rave reviews for his role as an African warlord in “Beasts of No Nation,” Will Smith for the sports drama “Concussion,” and Michael B. Jordan for the “Rocky” sequel “Creed.”

Some 6,000 members of the Academy, all of them who work in the film industry, voted for the films, actors and directors that will be vying for an Oscar on February 28.

English actor Eddie Redmayne received his second consecutive nomination, for his interpretation of a transsexual pioneer in “The Danish Girl”.

The director of the critically-acclaimed “Straight Outta Compton,” a biopic about the rap group N.W.A, was also snubbed.

The Oscars will be awarded in Los Angeles on February 28.

Some were outraged that Sylvester Stallone — widely seen as a sentimental favorite — was nominated for best supporting actor for “Creed” instead of Jordan.

Tom Nunan, an academy-award producer and lecturer at the UCLA School of Theatre Film and Television, said change would only come once the Academy expanded its membership to include more minorities.

Stallone in the movie reprises his iconic role of boxer Rocky Balboa, for which he was nominated but failed to win an Oscar when the original “Rocky” came out in 1976.

“If you don’t expand the diversity of that membership — and by extension producers and directors who more fairly reflect society — you get this grotesque imbalance,” he said.

“The Revenant” was released in Britain today, after opening in the United States on January 8.

Comedian Chris Rock, who is black, is hosting the star-studded ceremony and many are predicting that he will have a “field day” poking fun at the allwhite lineup of actors nominated.

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January 15-31, 2016

Georgia Asian Times

LIFESTYLE mountains of vast, biodiverse Borneo island shared between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Their tattoos featured thick, black lines forming images inspired by nature, such as flowers, leaves and animals, that mark a person’s journey through life. Before head-hunting was banned, Dayaks also received tattoos on their hands if they decapitated an enemy.

While not as well known, other indigenous groups also have tattooing traditions, such as those in the eastern Maluku Islands and the central island of Sumba.

Indonesian tattooists revive tribal “hand tapping” tattoos Maguwoharjo, Jan 5, 2016 -- Men in tribal dress stand amid dense jungle on the Indonesian island of Java, their bodies covered in elaborate, traditional tattoos inspired by cultures in distant corners of the vast, tropical archipelago.

Many images on display at the recent tattoo festival that brought the men together were not applied with fast, modern machines, but using a centuries-old, tribal method that involves artists gently tapping a stick mounted with a needle on a subject’s skin.

The practice known as “hand-tapping” had almost faded out completely, as modernity overwhelmed Indonesia’s tribes and younger generations eschewed their ancestors’ ways, but tattoo artists have in recent years been driving a revival as more and more people seek to reconnect with the past.

“There is a growing trend now, there are more people who want to learn about traditional tattooing ? I am very happy about it,” said Herpianto Hendra, a tattoo artist who uses the ancient method and is a member of Borneo’s Dayak tribespeople.

“I am proud that my culture is being recognized.”

The body art ranges from flowers inspired by Dayak tattoos that mark the coming of age, to narrow, black lines running across the body, like those of indigenous peoples from a remote scattering of islands in western Indonesia.

The festival earlier this month in Maguwoharjo village in Java’s cultural heartland gathered people from across Indonesia and the world at the studio of celebrated Indonesian tattoo artist Durga, a leading figure in the revival.

Durga has championed tattoos from the western Mentawai islands, home to a semi-nomadic tribespeople famed for their body art and the practice of sharpening their teeth, which they believe makes them more beautiful.

Close links to nature Mentawai tattoos, generally long lines looping over the shoulders and chest and more elaborate patterns on feet and hands, were long part of local culture and signified the tribespeople’s close links to nature.

The other well known body art from Indonesia is found among the Dayaks, an array of semi-nomadic tribes who traditionally lived in the jungles and

But the tradition has been waning for decades, after Christian missionaries and the Indonesian government sought to discourage what they saw as outdated, tribal practices, and as younger tribespeople moved away from villages to rapidly growing cities in search of better jobs and education.

The revival has been driven by a small group of contemporary tattoo artists, some who have learnt “hand-tapping” methods from local tribes and have put a modern twist on ancient designs ? increasingly popular among the young and hip living in Indonesian cities and abroad.

Lars Krutak, an American tattoo anthropologist, said people are drawn to ancient Indonesian designs as they are “unique, beautiful and deeply spiritual”.

“People living in big cities want to be rooted to something meaningful, especially if they plan to wear these tattoos on their bodies for the rest of their lives,” said Krutak, who has written an entry on Durga for the ”World Atlas of Tattoo”, which features 100 tattoo artists.

‘Defend traditional culture’ In the capital Jakarta, a small museum dedicated to indigenous body art has opened, housed in a ramshackle building filled with tribal paraphernalia and photos of tattooed indigenous people.

“Hand-tapping” regularly takes place at the museum, whose name “Bau Tanah” refers to the musty smell that emanates from the earth after heavy rains.

At a recent “hand-tapping” session, tattoo artist Ranu Khodir knelt down and applied the image of a dragon in Dayak style on the stomach of Saman, a motorbike taxi driver, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

An assistant stretched out Saman’s skin, as he stayed stoically silent as the tattoo was applied.

Khodir, who is not from an indigenous group but looks every bit like the tribesmen whose work he reveres, with a wild mane of jet-black hair and motifs of stars and flowers covering his back, used to do machine tattooing but switched to “hand-tapping” a few years ago.

“I want to defend traditional Indonesian culture,” he said.

There are downsides to the traditional methods ? it takes many more hours for a tattoo to be applied by “hand-tapping” than with a machine.

Still, the old methods have been adapted for the modern world, with tattoo artists nowadays using sterilized needles and a light anaesthetic to dull the pain. In the past in tribal areas, tattoos were applied with fish bones or long thorns.

Despite signs of a revival in some areas, experts warn that tattooing styles of tribes in more remote places could be forgotten.

“I fear this ancient traditional and artistic knowledge will soon be lost forever unless a concerted effort is made to record it immediately,” said Krutak.

Georgia Asian Times January 15-31, 2016

Page 13

SPORTS Aubameyang dethrones Toure as African Player of Year ABUJA, Jan 8, 2016 - Gabon and Borussia Dortmund star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Thursday upstaged favourite Yaya Toure to win a first African Player of the Year Award.

Illness not a concern for Federer before Aussie Open Brisbane, January 11, 2016 — Swiss great Roger Federer insisted he would be 100 per cent fit for the Australian Open despite suffering from a flu-like illness during the Brisbane International.

Federer, 34, lost in Sunday’s final of the season-opening tournament, going down 6-4, 6-4 to big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner was sick last week and asked for his first match to be postponed by 24 hours to give him another day to recover.

He said that while he had improved every day, there were some lingering effects.

However, he said he was not concerned about his fitness before the Australian Open and would be fully recovered in a few days.

“I’ve still got a cough and the throat is a bit weird,” he said.

“I’ve definitely got to make sure I get over it as quickly as possible.

“As long as I keep on playing and doing all that stuff it’s not going to go away faster, so I am going to rest up tomorrow.

“The good thing is the off-season was great. I have a base there, so I think within three, four days I should be back at 100 per cent if things progress normally.”

Federer would have been hoping to send a message to world number one Novak Djokovic, who humbled Rafael Nadal in the Doha final on Saturday and who was the dominant men’s player in 2015.

But he was slightly off his game in the final and Raonic took all his chances in what became a convincing victory.

“I definitely didn’t play my best, because when you play a big server first you focus on your own game, and then see what you can do on his game,” Federer said.

“Both sides were not really happening. I was struggling on the serve — quite inconsistent.

“And then from the baseline, my defense was never quite there throughout the week as well. I had better moments for sure, but today when it mattered I couldn’t rely on it very much.”

Federer said he was feeling off the pace in the final.

“You know, like one step too slow. I definitely felt tired in my legs throughout the week, so then you feel that in defense,” he said.

“When you feel it in the most important moments, every time I had a chance to create some better plays, you know, it just wouldn’t be happening.”

clinched two Coach of the Year Awards when he was in charge of Senegal in 2001 and 2002.

Ivory Coast were named Team of the Year.

In a vote of coaches and technical directors of Confederation of African Football (CAF) member-nations, Aubameyang tallied 143 points ahead of Manchester City and Ivory Coast star Toure, who scored 136 points and was bidding for a fifth successive award.

Swansea City and Ghana striker Andre Ayew was third on 112 points.

It was sweet revenge for Aubameyang after he lost the 2014 prize to Toure who scooped the prestigious individual accolade in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

The 26-year-old Gabon skipper was in outstanding form for German Bundesliga club Dortmund in the year under review.

He has also had his best start to a season since arriving from Saint-Etienne in 2013, scoring 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga games and 27 in all competitions.

That kind of form has seen him linked with a winter transfer window move away from the Bundesliga with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all linked with him.

Frenchman Herve Renard, who led the Ivory Coast to the 2015 African Cup of Nations, was named Coach of the Year.

This was his second such award after the 47-year-old also led Zambia to upset favourites Ivory Coast to lift a first-ever Nations Cup trophy in 2012 Compatriot Bruno Metsu has also

Other award winners included Cameroon’s Gaell Enganamouit (Women’s Player of the Year), TP Mazembe (Club of the Year), Nigeria Under-23 midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo (Most Promising Talent) and Nigeria’s Under-17 star Victor Osimhen (Youth Player of the Year).

Charles Kumi Gyamfi (Ghana) and Samuel Mbappe Leppe (Cameroon) were recognised as African Legends.

Gabon president Ali Bongo Ondimba paid tribute to Aubameyang who will be key to the country’s hopes of lifting the African Cup of Nations on home soil in 2017.

“The epitome of commitment and success at the highest level, this exceptional Gabonese demonstrated dazzling intuition and an attack of unparalleled velocity,” said the Gabon president in a statement.

“His genius is a major asset for the Panthers in preparation for the next African Cup of Nations.

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January 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS

Jordan Spieth cruises to win in Hawaii LOS ANGELES, Jan 11 — Jordan Spieth claimed his seventh USPGA Tour title yesterday, routing the field to win the Tournament of Champions and match Tiger Woods for the most career wins before the age of 23.

The 22-year-old Texan fired a closing round of six-under 67, capping an incredible week of precision golf to win by eight strokes.

He finished at 30-under 262, becoming just the second player in history to hit that magic 30 number.

It may be his first USPGA Tour tournament of 2016, but Spieth has picked up right where he left off last year when he won two majors and five titles. He also finished runner-up at the PGA Championship and fourth at the British Open.

The reigning Masters and US Open champion is pleased with his start to the year.

“Very satisfied,” Spieth said. “I felt comfortable the whole week. It felt like it was a short three-week break over the holidays and just tried to continue exactly what we were doing last year.

“It worked this week and all parts of the game were firing.”

Fellow American Patrick Reed, the defending champion in the tournament open only to the prior season’s winners, ended up in sole possession of second place after making a final round charge.

He had four birdies on the front

nine at the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua. He finished with a four-under 69 to reach 22-under 270.

Brandt Snedeker (67), and Brooks Koepka (71) tied for third at 21-under, nine strokes back of Spieth.

Rickie Fowler shot a six-under 67 to finish alone in fifth.

Horton Smith, who won 14 times from 1928-30, holds all-time record for the most victories before the age of 23.

Spieth, who doesn’t turn 23 for another six months, says he is uncomfortable with comparisons to 14-time major champion Woods.

Zidane wants more of the same from hot shot Bale MADRID, Jan 10 — Zinedine Zidane has urged Gareth Bale to maintain his sensational form after the Welshman got the Frenchman’s reign as Real Madrid boss off to a flying start with a hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition of Deportivo la Coruna yesterday.

Madrid moved to within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona on Zidane’s bow in senior management at the Santiago Bernabeu as Bale registered his second hat-trick in four games in between Karim Benzema’s double.

“I am no where near him. I don’t think there is any reason to compare,” he said. “It is awfully early. What Tiger has done I can’t imagine ever being done again.

Bale now has 10 goals to his name in his last seven outings for Madrid and his display dismissed suggestions that he had been disappointed by Rafael Benitez’s unceremonious sacking after just seven months in the job earlier in the week.

“It is nice to be in that company anytime you can get into the company of some of the hall of fame players. It is certainly a goal I have had since I was a kid.”

However, Zidane focused on the former Spurs man’s defensive duties as well as his finishing in arguably Bale’s best run of form since joining Madrid three years ago.

Spieth finished with seven birdies and one bogey — at the par-three eighth — en route to collecting US$1.18 million in prize money.

“Gareth has to do the same as everyone else. When we don’t have the ball he has to defend, then when we have to he can open the game up and play on the wing,” said Zidane.

World number two Jason Day, who is playing for the first time in three months, shot an eight-under 65 to finish tied for 10th at 15-under.

British Open champ Zach Johnson tied for 21st after closing with a 67.

“That is what he did today. I am happy with his contribution. It isn’t easy to score three goals and we hope he continues like that.”

Zidane’s appointment as the club’s 11th coach in 12 years under club pres-

ident Florentino Perez was criticised in some quarters due to his lack of managerial experience.

Despite a legendary playing career, Zidane’s only previous coaching role was with Madrid’s feeder team Castilla in the Spanish third tier for the past 18 months.

However, his promotion to the top job at the Bernabeu has been a popular one with the club’s fans with Zidane fondly remembered from his five years as a player at the club, most notably scoring a sensational winning goal in the 2002 Champions League final.

And in stark contrast to Benitez’s final days in charge, there was an air of optimism around a packed Bernabeu as the fans braved the freezing January temperatures.

“Today is the start of a new challenge for me. It is an important role to be the coach here and I want to enjoy it,” added Zidane.

“I thank the fans, but they come to see the players and I think today they have been rewarded with the effort the team showed and the victory.

“The fans were behind the team right until the end, there was a good atmosphere but we need to continue.

“We need to think that this is just the first game and see what happens in the next one. Our idea is to play good football and win as many matches as possible.”

Georgia Asian Times January 15-31, 2016

Page 15

HEALTH Easiest diet to follow: Diet to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s Short for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, the MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets, and was developed by Martha Clare Morris and her colleagues at Rush University Medical Center, US. Mediterranean-DietBoth the Mediterranean and DASH diets have previously been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and dementia, with Morris and her colleagues using previous research to assess which foods and their nutrients have a positive, or negative effect on the brain.

In recent studies participants who followed the diet rigorously showed up to a 53% percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s, with those who didn’t follow the

diet strictly still showing around a 35% lower risk of the disease.

The diet may also slow cognitive decline among older adults even when they are not at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The diet consists of 15 dietary components, with ten “brain-healthy food groups” and five unhealthy groups.

To benefit from the cognitive-protecting effects of the diet the team advise the following guidelines: - Eat a green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable every day - Snack most days on nuts - Eat beans every other day - Eat poultry at least twice a week - Eat fish at least once a week - Enjoy a glass of wine a day - Eat berries at least twice a week

Berries are the only fruit specifically to be included in the MIND diet, with previous studies showing that strawberries have shown to have a positive effect on the cognitive function of the brain, and with Morris and her team believing blueberries to be one of the most powerful foods available for protecting the brain.

However to really increase your chance of improving cognitive health, the five unhealthy brain food groups, which include red meat, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food, must be limited. The team’s guidelines for the unhealthy food groups include restricting butter to less than 1 tablespoon a day, and less than one serving a week of sweets and pastries, whole fat cheese, and fried or fast food.

confirmed by other research teams through randomized trials, and across different populations of participants.

Now in its sixth year, the US News & World Report annual “Best Diets” looks at 35 different diets and ranks them in a variety of categories. Using sources that include medical journals and government reports, the team assess the effectiveness of each diet in promoting weight loss and protecting against various diseases, as well as how easy they are to follow and any possible health risks they may pose.

The MIND diet tied first place in the easiest diet to follow category and tied second place in best overall diet. It also tied third and fourth for best diet for healthy eating and best diet for diabetes respectively, and came fourth for best heart-healthy diet.

Morris does note however that the results of her study need to be

Sugar in Western diets can increase the risk of cancer, says new study fed a sucrose-enriched diet developing mammary tumors.

A new US study has found that the high levels of sugar in the typical Western diet could increase the risk and spread of breast cancer.

Previous studies have already looked at how sugar can play a role in the development of cancer.

However, according to the team of researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre, this is the first study to look at the direct effect of sugar consumption on the development of breast cancer and the specific mechanisms involved using breast cancer animal models.

In the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, the breast cancer animal models were mice that had been genetically modified for breast cancer research, before being random-

ly placed into 4 different groups. Each group was then fed a different diet with varying levels of sugar until the mice reached 6 months of age.

At six months, the results showed that a diet with a level of sugar similar to that in the typical Western diet led to an increase in the growth of tumors and the spread of cancer to the lungs when compared to a non-sugar starch diet, with 50 to 58% of mice who were

Looking at the mechanisms that may be involved in the growth and spread of tumors in the mice on the sugar diets, the team believe that sugar increases the enzyme known as 12-LOX and the fatty acid known as 12-HETE in breast cancer cells, which could both be factors in the growth and spread of breast cancer and warrant further investigation.

The results also found that fructose, found in table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, a common ingredient throughout the US food system, was a particular risk factor in increasing 12-HETE production in breast tumors and contributing to the spread of the disease to the lungs.

The team believes that identifying the risk factors for breast cancer is a public health priority, and advised a diet lower in sugar, especially as sugar consumption in the US is on the increase, with sugar already being identified as a factor in the development of other health problems such as heart disease and obesity.

The findings were published online in the journal Cancer Research.

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January 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia

ISIS militants attack Jakarta in first strike at Indonesia Jakarta, January 14, 2016 — Indonesia blamed Islamic State for an attack by suicide bombers and gunmen in the heart of Jakarta on Thursday that brought the radical group’s violence to the world’s most populous Muslim country for the first time.

Just seven people were killed despite multiple blasts and a gunfight, and five of them were the attackers themselves, but the brazenness of their siege suggested a new brand of militancy in a country where low-level strikes on police are common.

It took security forces about three hours to end the attack near a Starbucks cafe and Sarinah’s, Jakarta’s oldest department store, after a team of at least seven militants traded gunfire with police and blew themselves up.

An Indonesian and a Canadian were killed in the attack and 20 people, including a Dutchman who works for the United Nations Environment Program, were wounded.

Two of the militants were taken alive, police said.

“Islamic State fighters carried out

an armed attack this morning targeting foreign nationals and the security forces charged with protecting them in the Indonesian capital,” Aamaaq news agency, which is allied to the group, said on its Telegram channel.

Jakarta’s police chief told reporters: “ISIS is behind this attack definitely,” using a common acronym for Islamic State, and he named an Indonesian militant called Bahrun Naim as the man responsible for plotting it.

Police believe Naim is in the Syrian city of Raqqa.

The drama played out on the streets and on television screens, with at least six explosions and a gunfight in a movie theater. But the low death toll pointed to the involvement of local militants whose weapons were rudimentary, experts said.

ARMORED CARS, HELICOPTERS “The Starbucks cafe windows are blown out. I see three dead people on the road. There has been a lull in the shooting but someone is on the roof of the building and police are aiming their guns at him,” Reuters photog-

rapher Darren Whiteside said as the attack unfolded.

Mumbai seven years ago and in Paris last November.

Police responded in force within minutes. Black armored cars screeched to a halt in front of the Starbucks and sniper teams were deployed around the neighborhood as helicopters buzzed overhead.

Australian Attorney-General George Brandis, who was in Jakarta recently to bolster security coordination, told the Australian newspaper he had “no doubt” Islamic State was seeking to establish a “distant caliphate” in Indonesia.

Jakarta police chief Tito Karnavian said one man entered the Starbucks cafe and blew himself up, wounding several inside.

As people poured out of the cafe, two waiting gunmen opened fire on them. At the same time, two militants attacked a police traffic post nearby, using what he described as hand grenade-like bombs.

After the militants had been overcome, a body still lay on the street, a shoe nearby among the debris. The city center’s notoriously jammed roads were largely deserted.

Indonesia has seen attacks by Islamist militants before, but a coordinated assault by a team of suicide bombers and gunmen is unprecedented and has echoes of the sieges seen in

The last major militant attacks in Jakarta were in July 2009, with bombs at the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels.

The country had been on edge for weeks over the threat posed by Islamist militants.

Counter-terrorism police had rounded up about 20 people with suspected links to Islamic State, whose battle lines in Syria and Iraq have included nationals from several Asian countries.

- Reuters

Georgia Asian Times January 15-31, 2016

Page 17

Misc Asia Thousands of Hong Kong protesters call for release of missing booksellers Hong Kong, Jan 10 — Thousands of protesters marched through central Hong Kong today, demanding the release of five missing booksellers who are feared to have been detained by authorities in mainland China.

The five are from Hong Kong’s Mighty Current publishing house known for books critical of Beijing.

Thai skin whitening ad provokes race storm Bangkok, January 8, 2016 -- A Thai advert for skin lightening pills with the tagline “white makes you a winner” has caused an outcry on social media, in the latest marketing ploy tapping into the kingdom’s obsession with skin color.

The advertisement for the ‘snowz’ supplement pills, uploaded to YouTube and Facebook by Thai company Seoul Secret over the last two days, features a veteran Thai celebrity attributing her professional success to her pale complexion.

“It’s not easy to stay at this point for a long time,” the 35-year-old model and actress, Cris Horwang, says in the video.

The video has received more than 100,000 views on YouTube, as well as enquiries on the company’s Facebook page about how to order the product.

The latest to vanish is Lee Bo, 65, last seen in Hong Kong on December 30.

Three others earlier went missing in southern China and one in Thailand.

But other social media sites drew posts railing against the advert for being racially offensive and reinforcing the country’s narrow beauty ideals.

Pro-democracy lawmakers, activists and some residents believe Lee was kidnapped in Hong Kong by mainland authorities. They accuse China of trampling on the “One Country, Two Systems” agreement under which Hong Kong has been governed since its return by Britain in 1997.

“It indicates that dark skin people are losers, and this is clearly racist,” a Thai commenter named Tammaijang wrote on the web forum Pantip.

Another post said: “Having dark skin can be beautiful — without being ashamed as well.”

“If I stopped taking care of my body and white complexion, all that I have invested will be gone.”

Seoul Secret could not be immediately reached for comment, but the comment section below the Youtube video was disabled Friday morning.

The model’s skin then turns black, prompting an envious look at a second model with light skin who appears by her side smiling.

A prominent Thai culture blogger called Kaewmala on her thaiwomantalks.com website speculated that the advert aimed to provoke.

“A newcomer will replace me and turn me into a dark star,” Cris says, using a Thai idiom to refer to her fame fading.

“I don’t think the ad agency made this ad out of ignorance,” she said.

Whitening creams and pills are wildly popular in Thailand, where a pale complexion is upheld as the standard of beauty in the media and among many Thais.

Their disappearance has fuelled fears that freedoms in the semi-autonomous Chinese city are being eroded. The US State Department and European Union have expressed concern.

“They haven’t been living on the moon, I’m certain they knew it would be controversial… It was most likely a calculated strategy, which in my view makes it even more objectionable.”

While there has been a growing

This is intended to preserve Hong Kong’s freedoms and way of life for 50 years. Chinese law enforcers have no right to operate in the city.

“We demand the Chinese government immediately explain the situation of the five and release them,” Richard Tsoi, an organiser of the march, told protesters through loudspeakers before

awareness about racism among Thais in recent years, those views have yet to be reflected in a media which still readily equates dark skin with “low class”, she added.

In 2013, public criticism led the US firm Dunkin’ Donuts to pull an advertisement in Thailand that featured a woman in “black-face” makeup promoting a new charcoal-flavoured donut.

the rally started at the city government’s headquarters.

“No to political kidnap!” demonstrators shouted, holding up banners reading “Where are they?” as they marched towards China’s representative office in Western district.

Organisers said 6,000 people took part. There was no immediate police estimate.

The US State Department said Friday it was “disturbed” by the reports of disappearances, while the European Union described the lack of information as “extremely worrying”.

The issue has sent shockwaves across Hong Kong as fears grow that Chinese control is tightening.

“We are here to march for freedom and security for the people of Hong Kong,” lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan told reporters.

“This is a political kidnap... One Country, Two Systems has been damaged.”

In 2014 tens of thousands of protesters brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill for more than two months after Beijing imposed restrictions on planned democratic elections for the city’s next leader.

But the protests failed to force any concessions from the authorities.

Thai adverts for “Black Herbal” toothpaste, as well as other cosmetic brands, have come under fire in recent years for causing racial offence.

Page 18

January 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

TECH Waxing nostalgic over vinyl records at CES Las Vegas, Jan 10 — Turntables turned heads as a renewed love of oldtime vinyl records struck a chord at the famously futuristic Consumer Electronics Show.

Sony, Panasonic, Victrola, and Audio-Technica were among the companies showing off turntables boasting digital age spins such as high-resolution audio or wirelessly connecting to speakers.

Toto’s self-cleaning toilet makes splash in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Jan 9 — The demo hightech toilets from Japan are unabashedly right in the middle of the floor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

While the toilets are not functioning ones, manufacturer Toto is keen to show how its “intelligent” washlet system can be good for the environment and improve people’s experience in the bathroom.

How smart is the toilet?

“You walk up to it and it opens up, and when you leave it closes and flushes automatically,” Toto spokeswoman Lenora Campos said.

That means it can go for a year without cleaning, avoiding the use of environmentally harmful chemicals, Toto says.

None of this is new to many Japanese or visitors to the country — Campos said about 70 per cent of Japanese homes use this kind of washlet system, but that the idea is gaining ground in other countries.

Toto has been selling the Neorest model in the US and Europe and at in Las Vegas introduced a newer version — a wall-hung toilet which takes up less space with its tank and drain in the wall, and is even more water-efficient.

It also eliminates the need for toilet paper.

This new model is being introduced in Europe this year with plans for the US market in 2017.

“It scans and delivers warm aerated water” to the user, she said. “It washes and then dries you. We can be clean without paper products.”

One thing that may be hard to digest for users is the price: a list price of US$10,000 for the original Neorest, and possibly more for the new model.

After usage, the toilet cleans and sanitizes itself with electrolyzed water.

And because of its coating of titanium dioxide and zirconium, nothing sticks to the bowl.

Toto USA president William Strang said its customers are the best promoters of the intelligent toilet.

“Once they test-drive this, they don’t want to go back,” he said.

Turntable makers at CES, which wraps in Las Vegas yesterday, told of vinyl records being all the rage after years of digital tunes dominating the music industry.

Sony Electronics president Mike Fasulo said at the show that vinyl records were “on fire” and that the Japanese entertainment giant’s music arm was working hard to keep up with demand.

A Victrola booth on the CES show floor was packed with a wide array of turntables that combined modern features with vintage designs.

Victrola turntables date back more than a century, and the brand was bought recently by Innovative Technology which has offices in the US and Hong Kong.

Listeners may admire album cover art or ponder lyrics printed on the back or on record sleeves.

Records also call for listeners to get involved by flipping them over.

“You are sitting there actually enjoying the music,” Moncada said of opting for vinyl records.

“You have a connection with it in a sense; that is something a lot of us are starting to realise again.”

In addition, many audiophiles appreciate the sound of music on vinyl, grainy edges and all.

Vintage meets modern Turntables have been hot sellers for Los Angeles-based Boytone, which even has a model with a cassette tape player.

An array of turntables found at CES were built into carry cases to go mobile in designs reminiscent of decades past.

Despite vintage looks, new model turn tables boasted features such as Bluetooth connections to speakers of headphones, or being able to plug into computers so music on records could be “ripped,” or copied, into digital files.

Connecting with music “There is something retro about vinyl that inspires the nostalgia in all of us,” said Guillermo Moncada of Innovative at the Victrola booth.

“We grew up with our parents vinyl collections, and our millennial generation is now collecting them as well,” the 29-year-old continued.

“We have a personal relationship with vinyl as opposed to an MP3 file.”

While digital music from mobile devices or streamed online might slipped into the background for people, vinyl tends to be more tactile and interactive.

“It allows you to keep your turntable and vinyl in one room while enjoying your records virtually anywhere in the house,” Crystal Griffith of Audio-Technica said of wireless capabilities in a freshly-unveiled model.

A new Sony turntable included the ability to automatically convert analogue music from records into digital format for listening on other devices.

“Our new PS-HX500 turntable serves as an important bridge that connects the growing number of vinyl record collectors to the convenience and sound quality afforded by hi-res audio,” Yamato Tanikawa of Sony Electronics said in a release.