Bridging Both Worlds - Page 13
Message from the Publishers The time has come to take a foothold in Asia
T
iming is everything. The world’s eyes have been on Asia for some time, but the visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia have increased that focus. At the same time, momentum worldwide is for technological change. America has always been considered the land of opportunity because of its freedom to innovate. As a publication, we have been quick to celebrate that by changing our delivery from newspaper to magazine, print to digital, local to global. ASIA, The Journal of Culture & Commerce, for close to 14 years has been providing insight into Asian achievement. Since last year, we have focused more on business, new technology, and the opportunities here and abroad. We cherish the wisdom and experience of both worlds to make life better for all. Our exploration of opportunity inspired us to expand our delivery to Asia, beginning with Thailand. Each month, we will share opportunity in the U.S. to inspire others in Thailand and eventually, Taiwan, South Korea and elsewhere in the region. In addition, we have tailored our BOOST-STEM program to include youngsters and parents from Asia to share in the program here. In this issue, we have devoted six pages of space to that program to familiarize those here and abroad who may want to be part of this unique opportunity in the future.
The thrust of our BOOST-STEM program and our coverage since last year has been what ASIA cofounder Roz Carmen calls BOOST-IE, which stands for Business, Opportunity, Organized cultural awareness, Science and Technology for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This initiative is the basis of a program educating youngsters in preparing them for careers and leadership in science and business, to be conducted in a series of workshops at Alliant International University and Cal State San Marcos, in San Diego County, in the summer of next year. We will begin recruiting students for that program soon. Together with our partners in Thailand, we hope to shape what we are doing to bring the wisdom of both worlds together. We will continue to report on achievement, innovation and creativity not only in the U.S., however, but also in Thailand and, eventually, in Taiwan and South Korea, as we expand our global outreach and audience. New discoveries are happening fast, but nowhere are they happening as fast as in America. Establishing this groundwork in Thailand and elsewhere in Asia, and in English, can pave the way for truly linking both worlds. - Rosalynn Carmen and Len Novarro Publishers ASIA, The Journal of Culture & Commerce
Published by Asia Media America /619-683-7822/ editorial@asiamediainc.com Associate Editor: Jane Dann/ Correspondents: Gloria Tierney, Binh Tran November, 2012
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Vol. 11, Issue No. 11 - November, 2012
PRESIDENT MAKES GOOD HIS PROMISE: Barack Obama said he would be the “Asia President,” and he honored his promise by making his first trip after reelection to affirm his commitment to Thailand, prod Myanmar and assert the U.S. into the ASEAN summit. Page 13
She Makes History: Tammy Duckworth survives a vicious campaign to become the first person of Thai descent to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Page 11 BOOST: Business: While the naysayers say otherwise, solar is good business, say the experts. Pages 24-25
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BOOST: Opportunity: The green economy is making money. Page 26
BOOST: Organization: India captures the imagination of this author, who makes a case for cultural understanding. Page 27 BOOST: Science & Technology: In a case of “Silent Running,” deforestation may be killing us in the long run. Page 28
BOOST: Innnovation: Manufacturing is the key to middle class jobs Page 29
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BOOST: Entrepreneurship: Tackle change by not sitting still. Take the well-traveled road. Page 30
Wayne’s World: The top ten ways to get attention. Page 38 Family Matters: Ray Wong has a dilemma - a dog or horse for Christmas. Page 39
Travel: Move over Thailand, Bhutan is making a bid to be called “land of smiles.” Page 50
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BOOST-ing the next generation
“The low participation of women and minorities in engineering… has attracted attention not only because of the needs of a modern, technology-driven economy, but also because it calls into question issues of social justice, gender equity, and diversification of the profession. (Women are) “the greatest potential source of new engineering talent.” -- Who’s Persisting in Engineering?, a study of matriculating engineering students
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“We believe programs to create gender equity in STEM benefit by collaborative projects and by organizations and institutions that collectively apply tools to evaluate impact. In a broader sense, BOOST-STEM is the beginning pipeline to satisfy the future needs of industry, business and research in America.” -- Rosalynn Carmen, president of the Asian Heritage Society
What is BOOST-STEM? BOOST-STEM is a collaboration among the Asian Heritage Society, the U.S. Navy, Alliant International University, Cal State San Marcos and other academic and business partners to inspire and encourage underserved female middle school students of Asian and Hispanic descent to combine the innovative skills of an entrepreneur with an appreciation of science and technology. The purpose of the program, supported by San Diego Gas and Electric Company, Time Warner Cable and the community relations department of Barona Resort and Casino, is to prepare young girls for future careers in the rapidly changing technological and global landscape as innovators in science and research and as corporate leaders.
What is BOOST? BOOST is an acronym that stands for Business, Opportunity, Organized global outlook, Science and Technology and is part of a broader initiative BOOST-IE that also places a strong emphasis on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This initiative, as applied to the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, is the essence of BOOST-STEM.
What is the BOOSTSTEM pilot program? The BOOST-STEM pilot, launched in June 2012 at Montgomery Middle School, is a stepping stone to an expanded four-day “boot camp� or series of workshops. The half-day program introduces the concept of BOOST to students, after which they decide whether they want to continue a fourday immersion program at Alliant International University (south San Diego County) or Cal State San Marcos (north San Diego County, Temecula and Riverside) ASIA 5
Alliant International University campus
What is the BOOST-STEM “boot camp� or workshop? This is a four-day program in a university setting that expands upon the pilot program and includes / Mentor modeling through interviews / Mentorship sharing of background and experience / Cube dimensional learning - project application in which students examine a scientific idea in all aspects and make it marketable / Examination of what it takes to succeed in business and what areas of scientific research are the most practical or will be the most profitable / The essence of communication and how to master it / How innovation and creativity in STEM can be applied in a global business setting to gain a competitive edge in the future / Mastering the 4-most skills: analytical reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, communication of ideas / Field trips to Navy installations and high-tech businesses to witness activity taking place in real time
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Cal State San Marcos campus
Who are the instructors? Rather than lectures, students receive background on a variety of subjects from the business schools of Alliant and Cal State and the firsthand examples of success from Asian Heritage Society mentors in business, science, research and engineering
What are the program goals? / To inspire young girls to enter careers in science and technology / To train and educate young girls how to assume roles of leadership in corporations / To encourage young girls to consider entrepreneurship as a career goal / To evaluate student projects and award scholarships to the best ideas / To encourage girls to combine business and science as a career path
Why the focus on Asian and Hispanic females? /Asian and Hispanic females lag behind males in entering STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) high school programs and college career tracks. / When Title IX took effect in 1972, only 2 percent of major CEO positions were held by females. Forty-one years later, that figure is only 3.8 percent. Less than 2 percent are held by Asian and Hispanic females. / Asian and Hispanic females are the smallest ethnic groups entering the STEM college track in engineering, yet have the highest rates of completion / The National Girls Collaborative Project attributes waning interest in females to lack of mentorship and failure to sustain gender equity through programs that combine projects, organizations , institutions and tools in a true collaborative process.
What is being said Tom Torlakson, California) Superintendent of Public Instruction: “As a science teacher, I am very pleased to see that the Asian Heritage Society’s leadership and mentorship program BOOSTSTEM … This partnership has the ambitious and commendable goal of increasing the number of underserved female students in STEM subjects.” Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations: This program “exemplifies the great strides your organization has made in enriching our society by promoting equal access to resources and educational opportunities for everyone, especially the next generation of achievers.” Congresswoman Susan B. Davis: “I admire organizations like yours that put ideas into action and consistently celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and support the growth of the U.S. economy.”
May parents participate? Absolutely. Parents of enrolled students are encouraged to undergo a one-day program so they may engage in a support capacity in which they will understand STEM and its importance, the meaning and role of BOOST-IE, how to become involved and play a cheerleader role in their children’s progress as they recognize the importance of reading and communicating in English and recognize STEM in everyday life. Upon completion of the program, they will be awarded a PPA* certificate. *Parent Participation Award
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The Asian Heritage Society The Asian Heritage Society, founded in 2005, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Asian Americans and helping to develop tomorrow’s leaders by advancing the prospects of the next generation. The AHS promotes understanding between cultures, recognizes the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans through the annual Asian Heritage Awards, now in its ninth year, and encourages community participation among our youth through mentorship and other programs such as BOOST-STEM. The Society has produced health forums with Kaiser Permanente, seminars to encourage young people to become involved in the political process, and the first of its kind career conference, in partnership with Alliant International University, focusing on global change. In the past, the Society, along with Asia Media Inc., produced a weekly interview radio show “Asia Talk Radio,” which was rebroadcast throughout Asia. The Society and the Asian Heritage Awards has received numerous local and state honors, U.S. congressional recognition and has been twice cited by the San Diego Press Club for its outstanding public service. The Asian Heritage Society has chosen to partner with Alliant International University and Cal State San Marcos because of a shared global vision and belief that the accumulation of knowledge is threefold: innovative, designed to serve diverse cultures and that its outcome a practical integration of theory and practice. The BOOST-STEM program shares that vision and serves as a career pipeline for the youth of today to engage the global technological changes of tomorrow is seen as the beginning of a centrifugal force to help restore American greatness and link the U.S., Asia and the Hispanic community to resolve issues and changes of mutual interest.
ADVISERS AND MENTORS Air Force Col. Mylene Huynh Bernie Rhinerson, chief of staff the San Diego Unified School district Dr. Binh Tran Dr. Estela Matriano, professor of education Alliant International University Dr. Helen Chen, vice president Ambryx Biotechnology Dr. Lilly Cheng, president and founder the Confucius Institute of San Diego State University Dr. Otto Lee, vice chancellor San Diego Community College District Dr. Peter Yu Dr. Shu Chien, chair UCSD Department of Engineering and recipient of Presidential Medal of Science Dr. Tarun Bhatia, Vice President Alliant International University Jaye Van Kirk, professor of psychology Mesa College Kathy David. president IT Tech Pros Larry Bock, founder of the USA Science and Engineering Festival Navy Capt. Cynthia Macri, assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations Navy Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Tran Roxanne Girard, partner Ito Girard and Associates Sarah Villareal, associate dean extended learning Cal State San Marcos U.S. Rep. Susan Davis
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SELECT OPPORTUNITIES I am interested in (check one or more): [ [ [ [
] I want to enroll in the BOOST-STEM program ] I want to attend the half-day BOOST-STEM introductory program ] I want to be a BOOST-STEM parent ] I want to financially support BOOST-STEM [ ] BOOST-STEM program Legacy partner: $5,000 [ ] BOOST-STEM Leadership supporter: $2,500 [ ] Scholarship Fund: $1,500 [ ] Foreign student sponsor: $1,000 [ ] Parent program sponsor: $500 [ ] BOOST-er: $100-$499 [ ] Any Donation to support the Asian Heritage Society’s work with BOOST-STEM and the annual Asian Heritage Awards [ ] I want to volunteer [ ] I want more information SPECIAL GIVING [ ] I want to include the Asian Heritage Society and BOOST-STEM in my estate plans. [ ] I would like more information on charitable gift plans, i.e. bequests, annuities, remainder trusts etc. [ ] My company will match my gift. / My form is enclosed Name____________________________ Address_______________________________________ City______________State______Zip Code___________ Telephone___________E-mail_____________________ Company______________________________________ Business Address________________________________ City______________State______Zip Code___________ Business Telephone______________________________ Business E-mail_________________________________ To learn more about giving opportunities to the Asian Heritage Society and/or the BOOST-STEM program, call Julia Cheng at 858.505.8889 or toll free at 888.816.6688, or email Julia@juliacheng.org Give our young people a head start on the future. Insure they have the resources to meet the technological and global changes that lay ahead. *The BOOST-STEM program is administered by the Asian Heritage Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.
By KEVIN SANADA NEW AMERICA MEDIA Washington, DC - Asian Americans voted for President Barack Obama in enormous numbers this election, according to the Asian American Election Eve Poll, a joint project of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) and Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). While only 41 percent identify as Democrats, Asian American voters broke for Barack Obama by a huge margin, with 72 percent voting for the President and 26 percent for Mitt Romney. In Congressional races, 73 percent of Asian American voters backed Democratic candidates, while 27 percent backed Republicans. National CAPACD found that 51 percent of Asian American voters were not asked by any campaign, political party or community organization to vote or to register to vote. “Mitt Romney had room to win the overlooked Asian American community,” said
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OBAMA BREATHROUGH
Asian American bloc was ignored Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director of National CAPACD. “While Barack Obama’s narrative attracted Asian American voters, Mitt Romney missed an enormous opportunity to offer a direct appeal to this group.” “Community organizations’ efforts are especially critical in getting Asian Americans to the polls when traditional party vehicles ignore this demographic,” said Hasegawa. “National CAPACD supported 25 groups in 14 states over the election season to help educate Asian American and Pacific Islander voters and get them to the polls on Election Day.” The Asian American Election Eve Poll surveyed 800 Asian Americans over the preelection weekend. “Asian Americans lost 54 percent of their wealth between 2005 and 2009, mostly
due to the foreclosure crisis,” said Hasegawa. “Therefore, it is no surprise that Asian American voters name the economy as their number one issue of concern or that they believe that government has a responsibility to help lowincome households.” Asian American voters also overwhelmingly named the economy as their top priority, and supported an expansion of the federal government’s program to help low-income people pay rent. Asian American voters are not fully decided on how to reduce the deficit. 26% of Asian American voters favor increasingly taxes on the wealthy in order to reduce the deficit, while 45% would like to combine these tax hikes with spending cuts — but a strong 71% do not think spending cuts alone will solve
the budget deficit. In California, 73% of Asian Americans voted in favor of Proposition 30, a temporary tax on the wealthy to help fund education and public safety. Asian Americans likely sided with Barack Obama in part due to his healthcare platform — 60% responded that the government should ensure access to health insurance. Yet while jobs, housing and healthcare were critical issues for Asian American voters, they were also drawn to Barack Obama over Mitt Romney for a less tangible reason — while 47% felt the President “truly cares about them,” only 14% said Mitt Romney did. “The results of the poll show that Asian Americans remain a persuadable voting bloc that has yet to be fully engaged by either party” said Congresswoman Judy Chu, Chair for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “As we shift from the election to finishing our business in this lame duck session, this poll gives policymakers a better understanding of how Asian Americans view policy.
Tammy Duckworth takes reins as first Thai woman elected to U.S. Congress It was one of the most hotly contested, most expensive and close-watched congressional races in the nation, and the negative ads were flying. “They were horrible, and they are why we do not need super PACs in politics. i have opposed to them on both sides. They all need to go. They drown out the voices of the individual person, the individual voter and that’s the most important voice,” said Tammy Duckworth, the first person of Thai descent to be elected to the U.S. Congress. In a hard-fought 8th District contest in Illinois, Duckworth defeated Joe Walsh, whose campaign was inundated with negative ads. “If it was just redistricting we wouldn’t be here because we were outspent by 3-1. We made up for it and won this race with all the volunteers who came in every day after work on weekends, nights and just worked really, really hard to get us across the finish line,” she said. Despite the Walsh campaign attacks. Duckworth said he was gracious in defeat. “He congratulated me and offered to let his office work with ours, and I look forward to doing that. That’s what we need, more bipartisanship and people willing to work with each other,” she said. According to her website, in 2003, Tammy Duckworth was working on a project for Rotary International to provide
wheelchairs for the disabled in developing countries including Iraq. As a Captain in the National Guard, she was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployed in 2004. As a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, she was one of the first women to fly combat missions in Iraq until November 12th, 2004 when her helicopter was hit by an RPG. Tammy lost both legs and part of the use of her right arm in the explosion, and was awarded the Purple Heart for her combat injuries. During her recovery at Walter Reed, Tammy was one of the highestranking amputees and became an advocate for her fellow soldiers. Her leadership was recognized when she was asked to testify before Congress and recruited to run for the House of Representatives. After losing a close race, Tammy continued to serve as a Major in the National Guard and became Director of Illinois’ Department of Veterans’ Affairs. There, she implemented many first in the nation programs to address Post Traumatic Stress, improve traumatic brain injury screening and reduce homelessness among Vets. In 2009, Tammy was tapped by President Obama to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs where she sought to improve the
ADVERTISEMENT Community Health Group, a non-profit locally based multicultural health plan, has more meaningful careers that enable you to give back good health to your community! We invite you to apply for the position of Community Service Representative. Ideal candidate will provide information on CHG’s various lines of business by conducting presentations and outreach to potential members, and community based organizations. Will also organize and participate in community health fairs and other events. Some evenings and weekends required. Requirements include 1 year experience in either sales, community outreach or promotion of Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and Medicare, familiar with community social service organizations and groups, must be self-directed and able to recognize and capitalize on opportunities to promote CHG. Candidate must be fluent in English and Vietnamese. Bachelor’s degree preferred. For consideration, please send resume to: Community Health Group, Human Resources Department, 740 Bay Boulevard, Chula Vista, CA 91910; e-mail to hr@chgsd.com; fax to (619) 476-3819.
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Leadership, by example.
connected to success We applaud the Asian Heritage Society for celebrating the achievements of the distinguished honorees who have inspired and motivated so many people. As an active sponsor or personal and professional achievement, we believe in the power of leadership. And we proudly support those organizations who share our vision. Connect at sdge.com ©2012 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. All copyright and trademark rights reserved. 0812
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President Obama meets children of Thailand. Photo by AMPM Thailand
Commitment affirmed: President Obama in Southeast Asia Special to ASIA, The Journal of Culture & Commerce Affirming his administration’s renewed focus on Southeast Asia, President Barack Obama on Sunday told Thailand’s prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, that as America’s oldest ally in Thailand, their countries’ closeness is rooted in a “shared commitment to democracy, rule of law, universal human rights, open societies and a free market, which has bonded the people of the two nations closely together.” The President’s first stop Sunday on his trip to the region was Bangkok, where, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he visited the ailing king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, then shared results of bilateral talks with the prime minister, whose brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, was deposed five years ago. On Monday, the President arrived in Yangon, the capital of the country formerly known as Burma, where he met with President Thein Sein, a former member of the ruling junta, who has led reforms in the military dictatorship since he took office in March of last year. Obama also paid a house call to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest but is now a member of the nation’s parliament. The President’s next planned stop was Cambodia, where he planned to meet with leaders of ASEAN countries convening for a conference in the capital city of Phnom Penh. The trip marked Obama’s fifth in the last four years, affirming his goal of enhancing U.S. influence in the region. Obama began his Thailand trip with a visit to the Wat Pho Royal Monastery, a cultural icon in Bangkok, where he and Secretary Clinton walked around a golden statue of a sitting Buddha amid a display of spires, floral gardens and waterfalls. During a press conference, following his meeting with Prime Minister Shinawatra, President Obama reaffirmed his support for the continuing support of democracy in Thailand and Thailand’s cooperation on political, security, economic, technological and other issues. “What you are seeing here in Thailand is a democraticallyelected prime minister, who is committed to democracy, commit-
ted to rule of law, committed to freedom of speech and the press and assembly.” The President added: “But obviously what is true in Thailand, as is true in America, is that all citizen have to remain vigilant and there is always improvement to be made.” Both leaders highlighted the Thailand-United States Creative Partnership, which connects universities, businesses, and other innovation sectors in both countries as a prime example of forwardlooking cooperation between the two nations and a forum to expand new areas of cooperation. The Prime Minister stated that Thailand continues to welcome educational and people-to-people exchanges through various channels such as the Fulbright Scholarship Program and the Peace Corps, with the latter celebrating its 50th anniversary in Thailand this year. The two leaders also agreed that the upcoming 180th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations is a timely opportunity to reinvigorate the United States-Thailand partnership to truly realize its strategic potential. The following day, on his way from the airport, President Obama was greeted by enthusiastic crowds in the former capital, Yangon, then met with President Thein Sein, a former junta member who has spearheaded reforms since taking office in March 2011, and later opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. “I’ve shared with him (Thein Sein) the fact that I recognize this is just the first steps on what will be a long journey,” Obama told reporters after their talks. “But we think a process of democratic and economic reform here in Myanmar that has been begun by the president is one that can lead to incredible development opportunities,” he added. During the trip, the President was questioned on whether the trip to Burma/Myanmar was an endorsement of conditions there, but he said, “I’m not somebody who thinks that the United States should stand on the sidelines and not want to get his hands dirty when there’s an opportunity for us to encourage the better impulses inside a country.” President Obama closed out his Asian trip by attending the East Asia Summit of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in Phnom Penh.
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DREAM INSPIRE ACHIEVE
Help Time Warner Cable inspire the next generation of problem solvers by connecting young people to the wonders of science, technology, engineering and math.
Visit www.connectamillionminds.com to learn more.
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The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Insurance investigate and prosecute workers’ compensation fraud. The above anti-fraud posters are available, free of charge, to you to post in your work place. Help us deter workers’ compensation fraud.
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OFFICE OF
JESUS RODRIGUEZ
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO
330 West Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 531-4040 http://www.sandiegoda.com
BONNIE M. DUMANIS DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Public Safety Topics for Community Presentations and Media Interviews – 2012 1. District Attorney’s Office Mission & Responsibilities 2. Juvenile Justice & Criminal Court System 3. Anti-Bullying in Schools & Cyber-Bullying 4. Child Abduction & Child Abuse Prevention 5. Internet Crimes Against Children & Adolescents 6. Public Integrity Unit 7. Domestic Violence & Sex Crimes 8. Hate Crimes 9. Gang Prevention & Enforcement 10. Narcotics Prevention & Enforcement 11. Driving Under the Influence & Consequences 12. Social Host Law 13. Victim Assistance Program 14. Auto Insurance Fraud 15. Check Enforcement Program & Embezzlement 16. Identity Theft & Consumer Protection 17. Real Estate, Immigration & General Fraud 18. Worker’s Compensation, Employer & Employee Fraud The above presentations can be given to community groups or special events with some of them done in collaboration with your local law enforcement agency. For further details and to schedule a presentation or interview, please contact:
Jesse Navarro, Community Relations (619) 531-3053 Jesse.Navarro@sdcda.org
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SDG&E Energy Efficiency Programs| OVERVIEW
About SDG&E
Sample Programs
Energy Efficiency During the Holidays
About Energy Efficiency Programs
FOCUSC
SDG&E is committed to offering San Diego households and businesses a wide range of programs and services to save energy and money, while also helping the environment. Ranging from incentive programs, recommending energy-qualified products for rebates, or practical tips on how to save energy throughout the year, the community can take advantage of the many rewards and short- or long-term energy savings. WEBSITE www.sdge.com www.sdge.com/saveenergy
SDG&E understands that the holiday season can be expensive, and wants to offer practical steps which homeowners and businesses can take now that will save energy and money on their bills.
s Saving energy and money is a practice that can be implemented throughout the year, but the holiday season is the perfect time to be more aware of saving so that the new year will start off on a good note, and hopefully with a lower energy bill.
Energy Efficiency Programs include but are not limited to: • Rebates on products such as: attic and home insulation, efficient electric storage water heater, Energy Star-Qualified clothes washer, air conditioner, and dishwasher • Incentives for switching to more energy-efficient appliances and recycling • Energy- and money-saving practical tips
Saving money on your energy bill can be as easy as following a few practical steps
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.5 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 850,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility’s area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help our customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.
Connect with us on Twitter! Twitter.com/sdge @SDGE
For more information about SDG&E’s Energy Efficiency Programs, please contact: Tomas Urtasun 619-233-7778
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1.866.825.5426 1 .8 66 .U .A LL IA N T Alliant is an equal opportunity employer and educator. Alliant International University is a private nonprofit institution accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
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BUSINESS By Daniel B. Botkin
Solar is good business...
Solar array in Bali
A persistent and common criticism of solar and wind energy is that they don’t pay their own way, but require government subsidies. Discounting one-time allocations under the now infamous bailout funds, the reality is just the opposite: fossil fuels, nuclear power, and crop biofuels have been getting larger federal subsidies than solar and wind. Most critics are unaware of this. For example, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney writes in his Energy Policy that “wind and solar power, two of the most ballyhooed forms of alternative fuel, remain sharply uncompetitive on their own with conventional resources such as oil and natural gas in most applications. Indeed, at current prices, these technologies make little sense for the consuming public but great sense only for the companies reaping profits from taxpayer subsidies.” Reason magazine has made a particular point of condemning solar
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and wind for the same reason. For example, Scott Shackford, an associate editor of Reason, wrote in August that “the Department of Defense announced it would open up 13 million acres of public land for renewable energy development. How much of that will require government subsidies of manufacturers to actually happen?” The amount spent on wind and solar is a pittance. The lion’s share of subsidy dollars actually goes to non-renewable energy. A study by the Environmental Law Institute, Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002—2008, shows that during that period traditional fossil fuels received $70.2 billion in federal subsidies, whereas corn ethanol received $16.8 billion, and “traditional renewables,” which include solar and wind received, $12.2 billion, 17% of the amount received by fossil fuels. A report by the Department of Energy’s own Energy Information Agency, Direct Federal Financial In-
terventions and Subsidies in Energy in Fiscal Year 2010, showed that in 2010 solar energy received $1.134 billion in federal subsidies; coal $1.358; natural gas and petroleum $2.820; nuclear $2.499; wind $4.986; and biofuels (mainly corn ethanol) $6.644. In short, fossil fuels and nuclear together received $6.677 billion in direct subsidies, while solar and wind together received $6.120 billion. In addition, there is a major difference in the way the direct federal subsidies help nonrenewables and renewables. According to the Environmental Law Institute, “Most of the largest subsidies to fossil fuels were written into the U.S. Tax Code as permanent provisions. By comparison, many subsidies for renewables are time-limited initiatives implemented through energy bills, with expiration dates that limit their usefulness to the renewables industry.” What’s been pointed out so far are direct subsidies, but there are many
...It does pay its way
Solar settlement in Freiburg, Germany
kinds of indirect subsidies — ways that producers of a specific kind of energy receive government benefits. For example, under the George W. Bush administration, the federal budget included $10-$11 billion a year to manage nuclear wastes, which no longer exists under the Obama administration. Funds to manage these wastes are an absolute necessity, but are not usually counted as subsidies. Considering what happened in 2011 in the Japanese Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, it is worthwhile to know that no private insurance company will insure a U.S. nuclear power plant. Who pays for any damages? We do, all of us taxpayers, because the federal government is the source of last resort for any compensation of major damages from nuclear power. As for fossil fuels, according to the Environmental Law Institute, in addition to direct subsidies, “The vast majority of subsidy dollars to fossil
fuels can be attributed to just a handful of tax breaks, such as the Foreign Tax Credit ($15.3 billion) and the Credit for Production of Nonconventional Fuels ($14.1 billion).” Corn-based ethanol receives a variety of indirect subsidies, such as a much lower cost of water to irrigate crops than we pay for domestic water use. When I was researching a report for the city of Los Angeles in the 1980s, that city was paying more than $300 an acre-foot for water. At the same time, the big agriculture companies were growing cotton, rice, alfalfa, and other heavily water-dependent crops at water costs of a few dollars an acre-foot. A recent USDA report states that “irrigation water costs for groundwater averaged $32 per acre and off-farm surface water about $41 per acre.” Meanwhile, the city of San Diego just announced that it will be buying all the water from a new desalinization
plant, at a cost of $2,042 to $2,290 per acre-foot, and that this is “more than twice what it pays to buy water from outside the region.” The bottom line is that solar and wind together get smaller direct federal subsidies than do fossil fuels and nuclear power, and that fossil-fuel subsidies are part of permanent tax code benefits, while solar and wind receive time-limited, mainly one-time grants or tax reliefs. Since solar and wind together receive lower direct subsidies than fossil fuel and nuclear power plants, the argument that solar and wind are only being used because of subsidies is false and empty. (Daniel B. Botkin, Ph.D., is the author of The Moon in the Nautilus Shell: Discordant Harmonies Reconsidered and Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara.)
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OPPORTUNITY
Green economy takes lead in U.S. job growth By Jonah Most, New America Media The overall jobs forecast may be improving only slowly—though it is improving— but the solar industry has shown consistently strong growth, despite the difficult economic times. In fact, job growth in the solar industry has far outpaced job growth across the economy overall. This month, the Solar Foundation released early findings from its National Solar Jobs Census 2012 showing that over the past 12 months, the U.S. solar industry added 13,872 new solar jobs—an increase of 13.2%. Over the same period, employment in the U.S. overall rose just 2.3 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Solar jobs tend to be high-skilled, highpaying jobs, and include installation, sales, marketing and software development. “The solar industry has grown at significantly higher rates than most other industries in the past several years, making it one of the foremost creators of new jobs in the United States,” said Andrea Luecke, executive director of the Solar Foundation. She adds that “these new solar industry jobs are sustainable, cannot be outsourced and play a critical role in our country’s economic recovery.” Solar’s success comes in part from policies at the federal level, particularly the solar investment tax credit. That tax credit allows businesses and homeowners to save 30% of the cost of new solar installations and is set
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to expire in 2016. “The most important thing is consistent tax incentive policy, and right now the solar industry has that through 2016,” Nat Kreamer, CEO of Clean Power Finance, which works with solar installers to access financing, told Reuters. Thus far, a stalemate in Washington over tax reform has kept the solar investment tax credit safe, but such credits are certain to be reexamined following the Nov. 6 election, regardless of who wins. “Comprehensive tax reform might open the book on everything,” Kreamer said, “which would create uncertainty in the solar
investment market. Uncertainty leads to slowdowns in the industry and that would be very unfortunate.” Another reason for solar’s success, according to the Solar Jobs Census, is lower solar energy prices—in part driven by cheaper Chinese solar panels. Prices are so low, in fact, that solar has nearly become competitive with fossil fuels. A September 2012 article in the Washington Post notes that: “When President Jimmy Carter installed a solar-powered water-heating system at the White House in the late 1970s, solar panels cost about $15 per watt of electricity generated, or about $50 in current dollars, according to GTM Research…Now they average about 84 cents a watt.” State incentives for solar have boosted the industry, too, as has the popularity of solar leasing, in which homeowners pay as little as zero down and a company installs and maintains the panels. The monthly payments are typically $10-$20 per month less than what customers would pay for their electric bill. “The solar energy industry is creating jobs in America when we need them most,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. “The rapid growth of jobs in the solar industry clearly demonstrates that smart policies, including the federal investment tax credit, are putting Americans back to work. In addition to jobs, these policies are driving down the cost of solar and providing a clean, reliable energy choice for millions of homeowners and businesses.”
ORGANIZED CULTURAL OUTREACH
A SACRED GEOGRAPHY, AN IMAGINED LANDSCAPE Understanding India is a key to many things THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK BY DIANA L. ECK
I began thinking about this book in the city of Banaras on the River Ganga in north India more than twenty-five years ago. I was then writing a book about that great city, a place I presumed to be the most important sacred city of India. Over the centuries, many visitors to Banaras, or Varanasi, have compared this city in sanctity and preeminence to Mecca, Jerusalem, and Rome, as the holiest center of Hindu pilgrimage. For example, in the 1860s, a British civil servant, Norman Macleod, wrote effusively, “Benares is to the Hindoos what Mecca is to the Mohammedans, and what Jerusalem was to the Jews of old. It is the ‘holy’ city of Hindostan. I have never seen anything approaching to it as a visible embodiment of religion; nor does anything like it exist on earth. “ The singling out of a center toward which an entire religious community turns in collective memory or in prayer made sense to Macleod, as it does for many who have been schooled in the habits of thought shaped by Western monotheistic consciousness. Even in India, there have been many who would agree on the central and supreme significance of Banaras, which Hindus also called Kashi, the Luminous, the City of Light. This is a powerful and ancient city, its dense maze of alleyways as dark as its riverfront is radiant. Its morning bathing rites facing the rising sun and its smoking cremation grounds right there along the riverfront are the heartbeat of a city that never fails to leave a lasting imprint on the visitor or pilgrim. I lived off and on for years in Banaras. Even as I investigated the legends and temples of this city, however, I began gradually to understand what most Hindus who visit the city already know-that Banaras does not stand alone as the great center of pilgrimage for Hindus, but is part of an extensive
network of pilgrimage places stretching throughout the length and breadth of India. The very names of the temples, the ghats, and the bathing tanks of the city are derived from this broader landscape, just as the names of Kashi and its great Shiva temple of Vishvanatha are to be found in pilgrimage places all over India. I began to realize that the entire land of India is a great network of pilgrimage places referential, inter-referential, ancient and modern, complex and ever-changing. As a whole, it constitute what would have to be called a “sacred geography,” as vast and complex as the whole of the subcontinent. In this wider network is pilgrimage, nothing, not even the great city of Banaras, stands alone, but rather everything is part of a living, storied, and intricately connected landscape. At fi rst, I resisted the complexities of this peripheral vision, still interested as I was In establishing what makes this one place special, different from the rest. It became clear to me, however, that I could understand Banaras only in the context of a much wider system of meanings in which significance is marked not by uniqueness, but by multiplicity, even in the great city of Kashi. Everything about the holy city seemed to be duplicated elsewhere, set amid a pattern of symbolic signification that made Banaras not unique, but inextricably part of a wider landscape shaped by the repetition and linking of its features. I began to realize that Kashi was not the center, but one of multiple centers in a fascinating and poly-centric landscape, linked with the tracks of pilgrimage. (In the next issue, Diana Eck shares her fascination and what she began to discover)
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Deforestation: Contributing more carbon dioxide than autos By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
By most accounts, deforestation in tropical rainforests adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than the sum total of cars and trucks on the world’s roads. According to the World Carfree Network (WCN), cars and trucks account for about 14 percent of global carbon emissions, while most analysts attribute upwards of 15 percent to deforestation. The reason that logging is so bad for the climate is that when trees are felled they release the carbon they are storing into the atmosphere, where it mingles with greenhouse gases from other sources and contributes to global warming accordingly. The upshot is that we should be doing as much to prevent deforestation as we are to increase fuel efficiency and reduce automobile usage. According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a leading green group, 32 million acres of tropical rainforest were cut down each year between 2000 and 2009—and the pace of deforestation is only increasing. “Unless we change the present system that rewards forest destruction, forest clearing will put another 200 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere in coming decades…,” says EDF.
Deforestation in tropical rainforests -- from logging, coffee growing, meat and milk production and other economic activities -- adds more CO2 to the atmosphere than the sum total of cars and trucks on the world’s roads. iStockPhoto/Thinkstock
“Any realistic plan to reduce global warming pollution sufficiently—and in time—to avoid dangerous consequences must rely in part on preserving tropical forests,” reports EDF. But it’s hard to convince the poor residents of the Amazon basin and other tropical regions of the world to stop cutting down trees when the forests are still worth more dead than alive. “Conservation costs money, while profits from timber, charcoal, pasture and cropland drive people to cut down forests,” adds EDF. Exacerbating global warming isn’t the only negative impact of tropical deforestation. It also wipes out biodiversity: More than half of the world’s plant and animal species live in tropical rainforests. One way some tropical countries are reducing deforestation is through participation in the United Nations’ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) program. REDD essentially works to establish incentives for the people who care for the forest to manage it sustainably while still being able to benefit economically. Examples include using less land (and therefore cutting fewer trees) for activities such as coffee growing and meat and milk production. Participating nations can then accrue and sell carbon pollution credits when they can prove they have lowered deforestation below a baseline. The REDD program has channeled over $117 million in direct financial aid and educational support into national deforestation reduction efforts in 44 developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America since its 2008 inception.
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Brazil is among the countries embracing REDD among other efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Thanks to the program, Brazil has slowed deforestation within its borders by 40 percent since 2008 and is on track to achieve an 80 percent reduction by 2020.
INNOVATION U.S. manufacturing leadership is key to middle-class prosperity By East-West Wire HONOLULU -- With job creation remaining the key issue in the U.S. presidential election, international economist Dieter Ernst says a question that is being hotly debated within U.S. industry and government is: How can America regain its leadership in industrial manufacturing and innovation, as new technologies continuously transform industries, and competitors across the globe are upgrading their innovation capabilities? “There is no doubt that America needs a manufacturing renaissance in order to maintain a robust middle class,” says Ernst, a senior research fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu who specializes in the economics of innovation. “Betting America’s future on services and innovation alone does not provide a gateway to prosperity.” Ernst says that the U.S. faces three critical challenges in ensuring that America remains, as President Obama has put it, “a nation that ‘invents it here and manufactures it here.’” These are: 1. A significant erosion of international competitiveness. The U.S. is losing ground in the production and trade of advanced technology products, Ernst notes – including those resulting from U.S. inventions and innovation – and in manufacturing-associated research and development. 2. An industrial employment crisis that is reflected in a large and persistent deficit in the total number of jobs being created, an insufficient level of high-quality jobs, and a serious shortage of specialized skills needed to staff advanced manufacturing or service operations. As a result, Ernst says, income inequality has risen to a level not seen since the Great Depression. 3. A lack of sufficient investment in long-term innovation infrastructure such as research, higher education and especially vocational training through community colleges. One side of the argument, Ernst says, is that markets will provide adequate responses to these challenges, and that the government should get out of the way to facilitate those market-led transformations. But for market forces to reclaim manufacturing jobs that have gone overseas in recent decades, he asserts, would require a U.S “race to the bottom” in wages and regulations, and even that would still be unlikely to solve America’s offshoring problems. More promising in terms of job creation, he says, is the recent
domestic boom in natural gas and other new energy development, with the U.S. now exporting more energy than it imports for the first time in many decades. “The boom in gas and unconventional oil extraction may generate a significant number of new jobs,” Ernst says, “especially since it reduces one of the main cost factors for petrochemical products such as plastic, which could accelerate investment in a broad range of domestic industries. But for this to happen, appropriate support policies would need to be in place, as well as smart regulations to ensure environmental protection.” On the other side of the manufacturing argument is the Obama administration’s “advanced manufacturing” strategy, which seeks public-private partnerships to fundamentally transform the current industrial development model. Last year, Obama launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, or AMP, a private-sectorled national effort that brings together industry, universities and the federal government to “further the development of emerging technologies that will create high quality manufacturing jobs and enhance U.S. global competitiveness.” The AMP strategy, Ernst says, is based on three core propositions: 1. That public-private partnerships are needed to rebuild America’s “industrial commons” – the shared pool of infrastructure resources, expertise and skilled labor that enables high-tech industries to flourish in a given place; 2. That a “high road strategy” is needed to create a well-trained, well-paid, continuously improving workforce as a critical prerequisite for upgrading industry through innovation; and 3. That America’s core competitive advantage is a superior capacity to use transformative technologies to provide packaged solutions through integrated manufacturing, services, and innovation.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Don’t go along with change; change it By Gregory Downing First of Two Parts Lecanto, Florida — November 6 has come and gone, and there’s a lot of anxiety around what happens next. This is true of any election. Many people are wondering, What will Obama’s reelection mean for job creation, Social Security, healthcare, college tuition, and other hot-button issues? Given the shaky state of the economy, some angst is unavoidable. But Greg Downing says it’s absurd to think that whoever occupies the White House for the next four years will seal your fate and make or break your future. “They” can’t save you. Only you can save you. “Never has the phrase ‘If it’s to be, it’s up to me’ been more appropriate,” asserts Downing, author of Entrepreneur Unleashed: Wealth to Stand the Test of Time (Legacy Unleashed Press, 2012, ISBN: 978-1-938047-06-0, $29.95, www.GregoryDowning.com) as well as an upcoming book on providing a financial legacy for kids. “The blunt truth is that no American can afford to wait on salvation from any politician—or, for that matter, any employer or any teacher in any traditional school. “The old formula that allowed people to build a comfy middle-class life is gone,” he adds. “Instead of obsessing over what you can’t control—like who’s in the Oval Office, for instance—it’s time to focus on what you can control. It’s time to make an about-face and learn how to think about work and wealth in a whole new way.” Downing is referring to entrepreneurship. He knows firsthand how dramatically it can transform your life. Once a car dealership manager working grueling 80-hour weeks, he is now a millionaire many times over who takes four months of vacation a year. He made his wealth as a real estate investment business owner and motivational speaker, and he says regardless of the field you choose, entrepreneurship is the only logical path to financial freedom in a global economy where half of all college grads are moving back home jobless and saddled with debt. First, let’s be clear: The entrepreneurship he espouses is NOT the “open your own restaurant and bust your butt working there seven days a week” variety. Rather, it centers on generating multiple streams of income (earned, passive, and portfolio) so that the money you make is not directly connected to the time you spend. (“Time is more valuable than money” is one of Downing’s favorite mantras.)
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“A single paycheck, even two paychecks added together, is no longer enough to allow a family to live comfortably and provide for the future,” he states. “If you’re lucky enough to get a good job—and that’s a big if—you might be able to scrape by, but you’ll work yourself into an early grave. And, of course, if the job goes away, the money stops. It’s no way to live—and it’s no way to teach your children to live.” Anyone can make the leap to entrepreneurship, and, sub-
sequently, financial freedom, insists Downing. Sure, you may have to learn new practical skills—but mostly it’s a matter of changing your mindset. Once you break free of what he calls “middle-class programming,” half the battle is won. Here are some of his insights on how to do it: Commit to changing your life—and don’t break that commitment. Most of us do keep our word to others, or at least try to. And of course being trustworthy is critical to your success. (How else will we find investors and get return customers and referrals?) But what about the promises and pacts you make with yourself? Downing says most people are far more likely to break agreements with themselves than they are with others. Yet since becoming an entrepreneur requires a dramatic change in both mindset and habits, you won’t get far if you keep letting yourself off the hook. “It’s easy to justify breaking an agreement with yourself because no one will ever know,” he points out. “Sometimes we even do it unconsciously. But make no mistake: Your private decision has consequences for both your future and your family’s future. “Breaking any kind of commitment—even those that may seem insignificant—hurts us because our subconscious gets accustomed to our ‘crying wolf,’” he adds. “Then, when we want to make a big change in our lives, our subconscious simply doesn’t believe us. It will actually work against our success. So when you don’t do what you say you are going to do, you are actually giving yourself permission to falter, to quit, and to fail.” Take action now. Don’t wait. I’d like to build my wealth. I want to start my own business. It would be great to be in firm control of my financial future. These are nice, positive thoughts, but when they’re not paired with action, they are nothing but daydreams. Only action—not plans, not goals, and not ambition—gets results. Every day that you don’t take a concrete step forward is another day of the status quo, another day of accepting a mediocre, hum-drum life. Downing teaches his students to take action toward their dreams each and every day. Even if it’s an imperfect action— even if it’s later revealed to be an out-and-out mistake—it’s still better than letting fear keep you stuck in an unsatisfying life. “Life rewards action,” he asserts. “And yet, most people just keep going through their daily motions, procrastinating, thinking their ideas to death, and never moving forward on them. Every morning, ask yourself, What action can I take today to move toward my dream of financial independence and selfreliance? Then do it, for your own sake and for the sake of your family. Otherwise, one day you’ll look back at your life and realize that while you had good intentions, you did not create results.” (Next: Break free from programming)
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Improving financial literacy, here and abroad Would you be surprised to learn that parents in many poorer countries often spend considerably more time talking with their children about money management than in wealthier countries like the United States? I was. That’s just one interesting nugget revealed at the sixth annual Financial Literacy and Education Summit recently hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Visa Inc. Renowned U.S. and international financial experts tackled the theme, “International Solutions to Improving Financial Literacy,” sharing successes and challenges faced in their own countries, as well as presenting new research that explores ways that financial knowledge and behavior can be improved. Janet Bodner, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, shared findings from the 2012 Global Financial Barometer, a new study cosponsored by Kiplinger’s and Visa. Some global 25,500 participants were asked about their personal financial habits and opinions. Assessing that data, the Barometer ranked the financial literacy levels of people in 28 countries. Among the more interesting findings: • Brazil topped the list as having the most financially literate people, followed by Mexico, Australia, the U.S. and Canada. • 68 percent of survey respondents had fewer than three months’ worth of emergency reserves to fund basic needs during an unexpected financial event like job loss. • 25 percent of high-income respondents had less than three months of living expenses in savings. In the U.S., for example, the average person had only 2.9 months of expenses saved. • Mexico and Brazil topped the list of places that parents talk to their kids ages 5 to 17 about money most often, with Mexicans talking to their kids at least 41.7 days a year and Brazilians 38.1. American families were in the middle of the pack at about 25.8 days out of the year. • When asked at what age governments should require schools to teach financial literacy, U.S. respondents ranked near the bottom at 11.9 years. By comparison, more than half of Brazilians surveyed believe such education should begin before age 9.
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Your Money Matters by Jason Alderman
• In over half the countries, a majority believe that teens and young adults do not understand financial basics, such as budgeting, savings, debt and spending responsibly. Bodner noted that these results add to our body of knowledge about financial literacy. “You first have to identify what the problems are in your particular country, city or school, and then determine what is effective in handling those situations,” she said. A more detailed summary of the Barometer’s key findings can be found at www. practicalmoneyskills.com/barometer. William Walstad, an Economics professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, presented another interesting study which showed that people
who scored poorly on a financial literacy test but were confident in their money-management abilities exhibited similar abilities to manage credit cards as did those with stronger test skills; while those who had high test scores but lacked confidence displayed much more negative credit behavior. Walstad said these findings suggest that building confidence has a strong role to play in financial education. Bottom line: The panelists agreed that all of the countries represented share many of the same challenges for boosting financial literacy including gaining wide access for programs to be tested, evaluating their results, and the fact that each has very diverse populations with different needs at different periods in their lives. To watch a free webcast of the Summit, visit www.practicalmoneyskills.com. ________________________________________ (Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney.)
by Betty Guy-Wills
The Feminine Side Of Power Sitting there smiling and poised one would mistake Dr. Stephany Yarbrough for a super model or an actress, not an author with such vivid insight as projected in her book, The Feminine Light- The Tao Te Ching. Tao TE Ching is 81 Chinese verses translated about healing and self love for inspiring women. This is a must read for men and women who want to know about their power of being. It has Dr. Stephany been suggested for couples to read Yarbrough the verses out loud to each other and experience greater intimacy. Stephany entices everyone to join her through her passionate prose of The Feminine Light, like the notes of a lovely melody. Speaking of melodies, she is the daughter of famed folk singer Glenn Yarbrough of the Limelighters, and solo singing the score to the Steve McQueen film”Baby,The Rain Must Fall” and the voice of Hobbit. She holds a Ph.D.,91 from the Union Institute and University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and is the founder of the Institute of Women’s Enlightenment. In November, on the International Day for Tolerance, Dr. Stephany Yarbrough spoke of solutions with 36 panelists at the Institute of Women’s Enlightenment’s “The Feminine Light in the Middle East Symposium.” She is actively seeking support in the infrastructure building and investment funding of the Institute for its educational mission and also welcomes volunteers to aid her with this project. More of her accomplishments include lecturing at the American Institute of Medical Education and at the Personal Construct Psychology Institute, London. Stephany’s beauty is enhanced by proper body maintenance. She takes vitamins and minerals daily. Her favorite breakfast is a green drink ,an egg white omelet with earl grey tea and lunch and dinners include proteins of either fish, meat or dairy with fresh veggies and fruit for dessert. She loves the taste of dried seaweed to snack on in between meals. Her flawless complexion is complemented by a hot to cold shower, an ice cube face massage, a vitamin loaded moisturizer plus an essential fatty acid moisture for the face and finishing with a light liquid foundation and a sheer lip color. Being so busy from sun rise to sunset, her regimented work outs are Nia dancing,tennis,swimming along with yoga as often as her time permits. Her book, The Feminine Light is promoted via radio
and personal interviews, book signings, speaking engagements ,seminars, PLUS promoting I-WE-The Institute of Women’s Enlightenment. I-Building Self Esteem, WE-Building relationships that honor women and empower men, THE WORLD-Building leadership toward unions of joy and peace. The Feminine Light successfully blends the wisdom of the Eastern culture with the modern upscale beat of the West .This book belongs on your coffee table, nightstand ,desk, etc. to be read over and over again for the sheer pleasure of it. The book is available on Amazon. Barnes and Noble, Kindle and FeminineLight.Com
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FINDING CLARITY: Control your environment and what you place in it Feng Shui by Alice Inoue Many of us are interested in how environmental energy affects our lives. I’d like to offer some clarity on what feng shui says about colors, mirrors, water, relationships and gifts, by answering the questions I am most often asked: Q: I thought putting a mirror at the entrance of a home was good feng shui, but someone told me that by doing so, you send all the good energy back out. What is correct? A: Use common sense when it comes to mirror placement at the entrance. If you stand at the door looking in, what do you see in the mirror? If it reflects something beautiful that draws you in, it will draw that same beautiful energy into your home. If it reflects something neutral, negative, or of no interest (such as the nosy neighbor’s front door), place something like a piece of artwork that you love in the mirror’s path to draw in more favorable energy. Q: I am so confused as to what color to paint the rooms in my house. Every book says something different. Is there a simple way to choose the “right” color? A: When in doubt, choose colors you see in nature: the browns of the earth, the greens of the trees, the vibrancy of the flowers, the peacefulness of the blue sky and the warm golden glow of the sun. How does that make you feel? When your interior colors reflect those of nature, you bring nature’s life force into your home. Avoid colors that are “artificial” or
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that you wouldn’t find in nature. You will never go wrong using earth tones as your base color and vibrant floral shades as accents. Q: I know water fountains are good feng shui, but I also heard that placing them in certain places is inadvisable. How do I know where to put the fountain to enhance my homes energy? A: Placing fountains
around the entrance is excellent. Fountains with a directed water flow should face into the home to mirror your movement as you enter. It is also acceptable to place fountains anywhere along the left wall of a home or room or in the far left corner (as you are standing at the door facing in). Avoid large fountains in the bedroom. Too much water there can disrupt emotions. Q: I am looking for a partner to share my life with. What is the best way to attract someone using feng shui? A: Different areas of the home correlate to various areas of your life. Your bedroom and the far right corner of your home (as you stand at your front door facing in) relate to relationships. The number two represents relationships, so pairs of things are favorable in those areas, but do not go overboard. Make sure that you
have just a few items that represent the relationship energy you want to create. Creating the physical space for a partner helps to align the energy for that person to enter your life. Likewise, make sure to remove from plain view any items associated with past relationships. They could energetically be holding you in the past. Q: What are some good feng shui gifts to give? Can you give me some ideas that would be appropriate for most occasions? A: Plants are universally feng shuipositive items. In your home, these small pieces of nature create fresh air and fill the space with healthy energy. Look for plants that are full, lush, and vibrant. Books represent wisdom and knowledge. Giving the gift of a book is a wonderful way to open someone’s mind to something new and exciting. Fruit or sweets, such as fruit baskets, chocolates, and the like, symbolize wishes for a full, sweet, and abundant life. For couples, anything in pairs symbolizes a strengthening of the union, so give two of something: pictures, lamps, candles, figurines, etc. The key to giving a feng shuipositive gift is the intention and the symbolism. Try not to get so caught up in picking the right color, shape, and size that choosing a gift becomes difficult. Go with overall meaning. (Alice Inoue is a life guide that uses the modalities of feng shui, astrology and spirituality in her work. Her offerings include award-winning, mind-body-spirit themed books, as well as a series of feng shui instructional DVD’s. For more information visit www.aliceinspired.com.)
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a top ten list of reasons why I think the rutabaga is the sexiest fruit known to man. As long as it’s written down, I will garner the respect of fellow rutabaga aficionados and the community at large.
Top ten ways to get someone’s attention
On the other hand, try standing at a busy street corner and loudly proclaim your love for the rutabaga and see how long it takes for a turnip truck to take you away. (See how I cleverly slipped in the turnip reference in that last line? I’m really getting to the root of the issue now. OK, OK, I’ll stop). Rule #3: If you’ve put together a list and it’s on paper, you must be a professional.
And there you have it – I’ve gotten your attention. It’s as simple as that. If you want attention, jot down a top five or top ten list and the world is yours. Don’t believe me? Here are five reasons why I know I’m right. See! I did it again! It works every time. Of course, with everything in life, there are rules. Rule #1: (and this is a real list this time): Good lists come in multiples of five (or maybe three).
Wayne’s World by Wayne Chan
You can have a top five list. You can also have a top ten list. You can even have a top 20 list. What you can’t have is a top nine list or any other number that isn’t a multiple of five. And yes, I know…the number three is an exception. If you come up with a “Top Nine” list, you’ve lost all credibility. Some people will think, “What? You couldn’t come up with one more for your list? “ Others will say that you’re redundant or superfluous for coming up with anything more than your five proper, honest to goodness, standard issue bullet points. Everyone knows that all good ideas come in multiples of five. Any deviation from that is completely unacceptable. I believe the Supreme Court ruled on that a few years ago. Rule #2: A Good List Is Nothing If It Isn’t Written Down It doesn’t matter what your list is about, so long as it is in written form. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous the topic is – I can come up with
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I’m sure anyone who spends any time online has experienced this phenomenon. You come across an interesting top ten list and you read through it. It never occurs to you to question whether the person writing the top ten list is actually qualified enough to write the list in the first place. For some reason, we all read these lists and kind of take for granted that whoever is writing it, must be qualified to write it or it wouldn’t have gotten published. Case in point – I came across a list online today entitled, “Top Ten Reasons Why We’re Dumped”. Now, truth be told, I haven’t read the list yet. But even still, let’s just think about this a minute. If it turns out that the author of this list has been dumped so many times that they have decided to catalog all the ways that they’ve been dumped. The question begs to be asked, if you’ve been dumped that many times, aren’t you the last person I should be getting advice from in order not to get dumped? Whatever you’re doing, it doesn’t seem to be working. I’ve been married for nearly 21 years and as far as I can tell, I haven’t been dumped. By that standard, I could easily write a list called, “Top Ten Reasons Why I Haven’t Been Dumped Yet”. Remember - the “Instant Credibility” factor only works in print or if you happen to be David Letterman. At cocktail parties, I’ve tried to explain to anyone who will listen about my “Top 20 Ways of Keeping My Male Model Looks Intact Into My Forties”, but everyone always leaves me before I get to number 12. So those are my Top Three Rules to Writing Top Ten Lists. I have a really good fourth rule but I’m no rule breaker.
A canine conundrum: To gift or not to gift Our 8-year-old daughter, Kristie, called a special meetNone of these are “real” though and Kristie has become ing. As my wife, Quyen, and I sat at the dining table, and determined to own either a horse or a dog. Quyen and I have our 11-year-old son, Kevin, looked on from the family tried to deter our daughter from thinking about four-legged room couch. Kristie peered first at me, then at Quyen. pets by plying her with goldfish. Yes, we have two of them Our daughter spoke as if she had been rehearsing for a swimming in a rock-bottomed circular tank atop our kitchen campaign speech. “Daddy, Mommy, you know that I have counter, and Kristie takes great delight in watching them a special birthday coming up.” swim, but she’s not satisfied. She paused as if to let the full weight of her words A horse is out of the question because nobody in our really sink in. Quyen and I looked at each other to silently Family Matters family knows the first thing about how to maintain one, and acknowledge the fact that Kristie did indeed have a by Ray Wong I have brought up the consequences of dog ownership by birthday coming up in just a little over six months before constantly mentioning the movie, Marley and Me, but Kristie turning our attention back to our daughter. counters that it’s only a movie. When Quyen and I say that a dog is a “For my special birthday, I really want to wish for a horse or a dog.” huge responsibility, Kristie points to how well she’s been doing on all This has been a recurring request for over two years. Kristie’s room her homework assignments – doesn’t that show her level of responsibilis filled with stuffed animals, six of which are of the canine variety: a ity to take care of a dog or horse? pudgy cocker spaniel that could benefit from a good crash diet, a pink Quyen and I have pitched every argument we can think of against poodle with black bows tied around its fluffy ears and a collared heart adopting a dog: they attract fleas, Kevin is allergic to pet hair (cat), the inscribed with the words “I LOVE YOU,” a boxer pup flashing a tiny yuckiness of cleaning up the poop, the fact that animals get sick and pink tongue at the world, a black-faced pug gripping a rope in its mouth, need to go to the vet, but Kristie remains steadfast. So as our daughter a golden retriever puppy whose expression says, “Please come play with prepares for her ninth birthday, Quyen and I have six months to come me,” and a teddy-bear-sized Snoopy. up with another plan. Does anybody know if they’re doing a sequel to She also has pictures of carousel horses hanging on her bedroom Marley and Me? walls, a unicorn Pillow Pet, two Barbie horses -- one of which is battery Family quote: “I’m depressed, and it means you don’t feel you’re operated and can trot with Barbie on its back, and a child-sized toy pony having any fun, and you’re alone, and you feel cold in the heart because that Kristie can ride in the family room. Mommy won’t let me sleep in her bed.” – Kristie.
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exhibitionsPREVIEW TWO NEW EXHIBITIONS FEATURING CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE ART WILL BE ON VIEW STARTING JUNE 2, 2012 UNTIL JANUARY 19, 2013 In June, Mingei will premiere paired exhibitions that celebrate the private collections of two important San Diego-based collectors. Both shows will feature objects of use from different eras, regions and artists of Japan.
This exhibition explores the evolution of contemporary Japanese ceramics through the work of many artists and a variety of forms, from tea bowls and noodle cups to stunning vases and robust platters. Strong and sculptural, these ceramic pieces also reveal an earthy beauty through abstract forms, soft colors and pools of glaze. These organic objects come from kilns throughout the regions of Japan, and their clear connection to nature will be enhanced with large scale photographs of Japanese landscapes and natural elements.
This exhibition features prints by two Japanese artists: Yoshitoshi Mori (1898-1992) and Masaaki Tanaka (b. 1947). Both graphic and figurative, they depict cultural festivals, scenes from daily life and archetypal characters such as warriors and actors. Created with stencils, woodblocks and silk screens, the prints will be displayed alongside a selection of beautiful mingei – objects of use – from the Museum’s permanent collection, including a diverse range of historical and contemporary objects: pottery, kimono and other textiles, lacquer, metal, baskets and toys.
ROBERT YELLIN LECTURE SERIES Also in June, join us for two lectures, in conjunction with Nature, Tradition and Innovation, with Japanese pottery specialist Robert Yellin. A resident of Japan, Yellin writes regularly on twentieth century and contemporary Japanese ceramics.
MEDIA CONTACTS JESSICA HANSON YORK
JOHANNA SARETZKI
(619) 704-7510
(619) 704-7506
jyork@mingei.org
jsaretzki@mingei.org
ABOUT MINGEI INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM Located in San Diego’s Balboa Park, Mingei International Museum collects, preserves and exhibits folk art, craft and design from all eras and cultures of the world. A non-profit in-stitution funded by admission, individuals, and community support, the Museum offers in-spiring exhibitions and diverse educational programs to more Bottom left, Masaaki Tanaka, Hand-carrying Fireworks Festival, 1981, silkscreen print. Collection of Maurice Kawashima. Top right, Shugo Takauichi, Oribe Ware Tray, 20th century, stoneware. Collection of Gordon Brodfuehrer. Photos by Ken Kondo.
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than 100,000 visitors a year. Institutional support for Mingei International Museum is provided by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture. www.mingei.org
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It’s what’s inside that counts.
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Visitor Center Open Daily 10 am - 5 pm • 760-798-1765. Directions: From the 5 Freeway exit La Costa Ave. heading east past El Camino Real. Turn left on Rancho Santa Fe, then right on San Elijo Road. San Elijo Hills reserves the right to change prices, plans, features or amenities without prior notice or obligation. All residents automatically become members of the San Elijo Hills Master Association. Model does not reflect racial preference. Square footages are approximate.
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Dr. Nayna Patel and surrogates at the Akanksha Infertility Clinic in Anand, India
The true cost of outsourcing pregnancies to India By Fred Silberberg (First of two parts) Since formally legalizing commercial surrogacy in 2002, India has become one of the world’s most popular destinations for intended parents seeking to welcome a child into their families that is biologically their own. Cheap costs, a lax regulatory environment, relatively advanced private healthcare facilities, and an overwhelming number of women willing to serve as surrogates have combined to spur the development of a vast and still-growing commercial surrogacy industry in the country. While there are no official statistics which precisely measure the scale of India’s “fertility tourism” industry, even conservative estimates indicate a commercial surrogacy market to the tune of $2.3 billion annually, with at least 25,000 children born through surrogacy each year. At first glance, the prospect of conceiving a child through surrogacy in India might prove intriguing to intended parents, particularly to those in the U.S. Even at the highest end of the spectrum, a surrogate’s compensation almost never exceeds $10,000 in India, which amounts to barely half of the absolute minimum parents can expect to pay
to a surrogate in the U.S. Factor in India’s lower medical fees and the entire surrogacy process often costs intended parents roughly one half of what they’d be likely to spend in the U.S. But, if we look a bit further, the disconcerting truths behind India’s booming surrogacy industry begin to emerge. Given the size of the industry and seemingly incessant demand from intended parents around the globe, it comes as no surprise that surrogacy in India has attracted the attention of business interests seeking to generate a substantial profit from the production of a child. Indeed, surrogacy has become something of a commercial institution in India, with a blossoming of “baby factories” throughout the country, as they’ve come to be termed, which bring a cold, business-like approach to the birth of a new child. Very often, a surrogacy arrangement in India enlists the service of a nearly destitute woman, who is drawn to a compensation sum which might be three times that of her annual wages. As part of the legal agreement, the surrogate might take on incredible risks, releasing intended parents and the team of professionals involved in surrogacy’s process from all medical and financial liabilities associated with the pregnancy.
Worse yet, due to the socioeconomic circumstances of most Indian women who serve as surrogates, they lack the education to fully understand the manipulative agreements to which they’re committing. Once an agreement has been reached, a surrogate in India is then routinely exposed to dangerous medical malpractices, even at well-run clinics. Award-winning writer Kishwar Desai conducted an equally eye-opening and heartwrenching investigation into these tactics and their consequences. In a May 2012 article, she recounted her findings that Indian surrogates will often undergo an implantation of more than four embryos in their wombs to ensure a pregnancy, be subject to controversial fetal reduction techniques, and a have caesarean section to deliver the child not when her body has naturally signaled the appropriate time for birth, but instead on a timeline agreeable to the intended parents’ travel schedule. The primary enabler of such malpractices is India’s stark lack of regulation. The only ground-level oversight comes in the form of voluntary guidelines.
(Next: Tougher guidelines; and tougher to follow)
Bhutan
Wealth of country measured by Gross National Happiness Index
While some countries are famous for their exports and others for their mammoth monuments, the Himalayan Kingdom-turned-democracy of Bhutan is best known for its smiles. The 100-year-old royal family has, for many decades and now famously, measured the success of the tiny country – which is half the size of Scotland and nestled between the two giants of India and China – by the Gross National Happiness Index rather than the Gross National Product. Meaning how content the people are is more important to them than how much money they can make – begging the question: ‘When can we move there?’ Dubbed The Land Of The Thunder Dragon by its people, and ‘The World’s Last Shangri-La’ by its aficionados, Bhutan, which has been inhabited by humans for four millennia, is a place like no other. Plastic bags and cigarettes are illegal, Bhutanese people are legally required to wear their national dress, people snack on raw chillies like we do on crisps, TV was banned until 1999 and life is still very similar to how it was hundreds of years ago. As it’s such a unique place
that any Tom, Dick or Harry can’t just book a package bus tour and leave their litter strewn around the beautiful mountainous and evergreen countryside. Oh no, in order to preserve the unique scenery and spiritual calm of the country, visitors to the kingdom have to wire transfer around Dh700 per day that they plan to visit before their visa is even granted. But once in Bhutan, this fee covers all meals, internal transport and trekking arrangements, an obligatory guide (no exceptions!) and basic accommodation (there are luxury resorts that require an extra fee). And while this may all seem like a bit of a hassle, we say go now. Why? Because three regional airports are currently being built and new parts of the country are opening up to tourism, so Bhutan may well be a shadow of its former quirky self a mere decade from now. The most famous image of Bhutan is of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, or Taktshang Goemba, a 320-year-old place of pilgrimage that clings precariously to an almost-vertical, 3,200 metre-high
cliff. Just 10 kilometres away from the city of Paro (which is where you fly into), legend has it that the man credited with bringing Buddhism to Bhutan, Padmasambhava, flew to the sacred cliff where the monastery is perched, on the back of a tigress (hence the name) in the Eighth century. He then meditated there for three months, three weeks, three days and three hours. And while you won’t need to find a mythical flying creature to visit the cloud-shrouded building, it does require a three hour – and very steep – hike. But when that ascent is accompanied by sights of blue pine forests and the sound of gurgling mountain streams, it’s not such a chore. Make sure to stop for tea and biscuits on the way up and lunch on the way down at the Tiger’s Nest Cafeteria, which is about an hour into the journey and serves a buffet of purely vegetarian food (you’ll deserve the potatoes with cheese after your 1,600-step climb). The world’s only capital city without traffic lights – white-gloved policemen direct cars – Thimphu
(which has been the capital since 1961) is a must on any Bhutan itinerary. The city of around 80,000 people is approached via one winding, single-lane access road, and its beautifully green centre is home to parks, a dragon-adorned open air theatre with a craft market and a swag of shops, small hotels and bars and restaurants. While there you can wander up the hill to Buddha Point, where a large golden statue looms over the city (head up on a clear day for beautiful views of the Paro Valley and the city nestled within it). Or you can take a three-hour drive to the beautiful rice fields around Punakha, which was the capital until it was replaced by Thimphu. Also make sure to stop by the National Textile Museum in Thimphu to see how the traditional cloths the Bhutanese wear are made, and even pick some up for yourself. After all this activity, you should give yourself time to just soak up the city and observe the happily slow pace its citizens – and in fact most Bhutanese – live at. We could learn a thing or two from them…
ASIAN HERITAGE AWARDS 2012
A Celebration of Achievement SAN DIEGO, CA SEPTEMBER 15, 2012 It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Ninth Annual Asian Heritage Awards, celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander achievement. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for this honor to your gracious hosts, Rosalynn Carmen and Leonard Novarro, and also my congratulations to California State Controller John Chiang, the recipient of this year’s Special Recognition Award. As a science teacher, I am very pleased to see that the Asian Heritage Society’s leadership and mentorship program BOOST-STEM would be the focus of this evening’s awards celebration. This partnership has the ambitious and commendable goal of increasing the number of underserved female students in STEM subjects. STEM education plays an absolutely critical role in the future of our young people and in future of California. It is a key component of what my Blueprint for Great schools calls 21st Century Learning, which means changing where children learn, what they learn, and the tools we use to teach them. Our state has fallen to 45th in the nation in the number of recent bachelor degrees awarded in science and engineering as a proportion of our workforce. And keep in mind that 15 of the 20 fastest-growing jobs are in the STEM fields. We’re making STEM a key focus at the Department of Education, where I have created a new STEM Curriculum and Coordination Office and formed a new STEM Integrated Action Team to coordinate all STEM activities across the department. Your concern and interest in such an essential mission is enthusiastically welcomed. I applaud your efforts. This is an important mission if we want our students – both male and female – to succeed, and not just to succeed, but to lead the way again. That’s a future we have to believe in, even in this time of economic crisis. Sincerely,
Tom Torlakson