Vision Times Newspaper VOL.52 DEC 31 ,2021

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VOL.052 DEC 31 , 2021 - JAN 6 , 2022

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Wishing all of our readers a

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Chinese Military Deploys Troops as Xi’an Outbreak Worsens : Getty Images

By Leo Timm and Juliet Wei Vision Times

By Ashok Ramprasad Vision Times

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round 150 medical staff from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air force have been dispatched to Xi’an, the northwestern Chinese city that has been in lockdown for more than a week due to what the government says are scores of COVID-19 infections.

According to a social media post Xi’an authorities imposed lockdowns on 90 neighborhoods.

Webo by the state-run People’s Daily, many of the personnel who arrived in Xi’an at 8 p.m. om Dec. 27 are “veterans” of previous biosafety crises, having “arm-wrestled the Grim Reaper” during the SARS pandemic of 2003 and the original COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan.

Video posted by Chinese Twitter users shows many personnel in heavy biochemical protective clothing in the streets of Xi’an, which is an industrial center home to around 13 million and one of China’s most ancient capitals.

Continued on A4 PLA air force medical personnel were deployed to Xi’an on Dec. 27, according to Chinese state media.

Pandemic Provided Catalyst for a Surge in Government Mass Surveillance: German NGO

“The Public Health Agency of Canada accessed location data from 33 million mobile devices to monitor people’s movement during lockdown,” The National Post Reported.

How to Prevent Inflation From Eroding Your Finances

Social Security Increase Swallowed Up By Inflation

By Todd Crawford Vision Times

By Jonathan Walker Vision Times

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n a report published in Dec. 2021 by AlgorithmWatch, a nonprofit organization based out of Germany, it has been revealed how automated decisionmaking (ADM) systems, driven by advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, were deployed by numerous governments across the globe to clandestinely track and monitor its populations.

In the report titled “Tracing the Tracers 2021 Report: Automating COVID Responses” AlgorithmWatch details how numerous countries including, Greece, and Poland, among others, “adopted with almost no transparency, no

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evidence of their efficacy, no adequate safeguards, and insufficient democratic debate,” ADM systems to track its populations citing public health concerns as justification.

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mericans are facing sticker shock when it comes to the prices of necessities like food, rent, gas, cars, and clothing. This has left consumers wondering how to prevent the rising prices from adversely impacting their savings and spending habits.

The first thing to keep in mind is that not all types of goods and services have been impacted equally by inflation. As such, it is important to know what categories have been affected the most so that you can cut back spending on those items.

There has been an overall price increase of groceries of 6.1 percent.

The rise in prices is mostly seen in animal-derived products. The price of beef has increased by 20.9 percent over the past 12 months compared with 9.2 percent for chicken and 4.6 percent for turkey.

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n October, the U.S. Social Security Administration declared a 5.9 percent increase in the checks received by beneficiaries beginning in Jan. 2022.

This is the biggest annual costof-living increase in the country in around 40 years. Despite this, many beneficiaries remain worried about their finances since the social security check increase is likely to be eaten up by the rising prices of goods and services.

There are over 64 million social security beneficiaries in the country who will see a rise in their monthly checks. For retired workers, the average monthly benefit ad.ny@visiontimes.com

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will move up to $1,657 from $1565, an increase of $92.

On average, payments for couples where both receive benefits will be $2,753; widowed mothers with two kids will get $1,553; workers with disabilities will receive $1,358; and disabled workers who have a spouse and children will get $2,383.

Continued on A2

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Social Security Increase Swallowed Up

By Inflation Continued from FRONT

Higher living prices

All these increases in social benefits come as inflation has skyrocketed in recent months. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) as measured by the labor department rose to 6.8 percent in November, the fastest pace it has risen since 1982. Since last November, gasoline prices rose by 58.1 percent; the overall energy prices are up by 33.3 percent.

“The biggest mistake people make with regard to their retirement asset is claiming it prior to turning 70 years old.

At that age, their monthly payments will be at their peak. ”

(Image: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

US Will Send 18 Officials to Upcoming Beijing Olympics Despite Diplomatic Boycott

By Alina Wang Vision Times

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n Dec. 28, the White House confirmed that the U.S. will be sending 18 officials to the upcoming Winter Olympics, which are scheduled to be held in Beijing in February 2022.

This comes after the Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the Games on Dec. 7 over the communist regime’s widespread human rights abuses.

A State Department spokesperson said on Dec. 28 that the purpose in sending the officials was to provide “consular and diplomatic security services” for American athletes, and did not constitute official or diplomatic representation.

The spokesperson further stated that the Biden administration’s position remained unchanged after China confirmed it had received visa applications from U.S. officials planning to visit Beijing during the Games.

The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed on Dec. 27 that they had received applications from several American officials who had applied for Chinese visas specifically to attend the Beijing Olympics.

“The Chinese side has received the visa applications from relevant US personnel,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing.

“Earlier, the US side, driven by political manipulation, directed and staged a farce of not send-

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We intend to provide consular and diplomatic security services to ensure our athletes, coaches, trainers and staff are secure and have access to the American citizen services that we provide to all US citizens overseas.

A State Department spokesperson

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Laurence Kotlikoff, an economics professor at Boston University

ing a diplomatic or official delegation to the Beijing Winter Olympics even though no invitation had been extended.”

“This sort of rhetoric is puzzling,” Zhao said.

However, Zhao confirmed that the Chinese government would process the visa applications “in accordance with international customary practice, relevant regulations, and the principle of reciprocity.”

Food prices have spiked by 6.1 percent during the year. According to the labor department, the 12-month rise in the prices of energy and food was the fastest increase in 13 years. The cost of used cars and trucks has increased by 31.4 percent.

Shelter costs rose by 3.8 percent over the year. For many retirees who depend on social security checks for their monthly expenses, the 5.9 percent boost may not be enough to maintain a decent standard of living.

‘Genocide Games’

Threats to retirement

The global sporting event has faced growing criticism and diplomatic boycotts by several countries in the West who have accused the Chinese government of large scale human rights violations.

Activists have called for a total boycott of the Games, dubbing it the “Genocide Games,” after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been accused of rampant genocide and ethnic cleansing targeting Uyghur Muslims and Tibetans.

The CCP has also severely persecuted religious believers, including Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and Christians around the country.

The U.S., U.K, Canada and Australia have all announced that they will not be sending any diplomatic or official representation to the Games. Traditionally, high-level delegations are sent to each Olympic games. For the Summer Olympics held in Tokyo this year, first lady Jill Biden embarked on her first international solo trip leading an American contingent, while second gentleman Doug Emhoff also led a delegation to the Paralympic Games in August.

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According to a recent poll by Allianz, 25 percent of Americans see inflation as the biggest threat to their retirement plans, a massive increase from last year when only 8 percent held such a view. Though social security was designed as supplementary to retirement income, the truth is that roughly four in ten older Americans rely on social security checks as their sole income. This puts a vast number of retirees at the mercy of rising prices.

Individuals who claim social security benefits before hitting their retirement age will see around a seven percent decrease in annual payment. Kotlikoff noted that only six percent of those who have retirement accounts wait to take out money until they hit the age of 70.

Social security benefits can be claimed at 62 years old. But waiting additional years to claim these benefits is crucial in this environment of high inflation. “You want a bigger share of your benefits protected against inflation, and that is what happens if you wait,” Kotlikoff said.

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Over 1,000 Flights Canceled Across US Due to Omicron and Bad Weather

By Ashok Ramprasad Vision Times

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ccording to FlightAware, which provides real-time flight data, more than 1,000 flights were canceled on Monday, Dec. 27. Since Dec. 24, over 4,000 flights into, from, or inside the U.S. have been canceled.

Chaotic situations

The problem was experienced throughout the industry, with Spirit, JetBlue, American Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines all blaming cancellations on the rising COVID-19 infections. As many pilots and other crew members fell sick, they were put in quarantine, thus affecting flight schedules. Alaska Airlines and SkyWest Airlines were impacted the most.

Together, both airlines saw more than 400 cancellations on Monday.

With the Omicron variant showing no signs of abating and bad weather in the Pacific Northwest, several U.S. airlines have been forced to either cancel or delay their flights leading to major disruptions during the holiday season.

(Image: REMKO DE WAAL/Getty Images)

A Spirit airlines flight is shown as cancelled on the flight information board at Miami International Airport on Dec. 28, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Image: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

SkyWest canceled 297 flights on Dec. 27, which accounted for roughly 12 percent of its total flights. “SkyWest teams are working to recover after weather impacting several hubs, as well as increased COVID cases and quarantines amongst crewmembers, have resulted in higher than normal flight cancels through the weekend and today…We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to resume normal operations as quickly as possible,” the company said to Fox Business.

Delta Air Lines, which was one of the hardest-hit carriers during the Christmas weekend with over 370 cancellations on Sunday, said

that winter weather and the Omicron variant will continue affecting its operations.

“Canceling a flight is always Delta’s last resort. The result is not only difficult for customers, but for our people who want nothing more than to take care of them – especially over the holidays. We sincerely apologize to everyone impacted,” John Laughter, Delta’s COO, said in a statement on Dec. 27.

Bad weather and technical issues

Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines, which is headquartered in Seattle, reported that cancellations

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were not driven by sick crews. The snowstorms in the Pacific Northwest led to nearly 250 flight cancellations on Sunday and more than 100 on Monday. Out of its more than 4,000 scheduled flights, United Airlines canceled 115 flights on Monday due to its staff calling in sick. Southwest Airlines saw 67 cancellations but none of them were related to COVID-19.

Apart from the weather and the spike in Omicron infections, there were also technical issues that led to cancellations. A “temporary third-party network system outage” prompted Sun Country Airlines to cancel all of its domestic flights before 8 a.m. Central Time on Monday.

In order to address the staffing issue, major airlines have requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to shorten the period of isolation for fully vaccinated employees who test positive for COVID-19 to five days from ten. However, the suggestion was opposed by the flight attendants’ union which insisted that the matter should be decided by “public health officials, not airlines.”

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, suggested that a vaccine mandate for domestic travel would push more people to get vaccinated, thereby controlling the spread of the virus.

Bob Mann, an airline industry consultant, expects the chaos in the airlines to subside from Jan. 1, as a new schedule for staff would be implemented. He said to The Washington Post that it is difficult to determine by how much the troubles would ease as many airlines have not revealed the number of employees sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19.

There are also signs that airlines have learned from the chaotic situations which have occurred before.

Many airlines are now informing customers in advance and canceling flights proactively, to prevent the kind of disorderly scenes that were witnessed this summer and fall.

Up to 25% of Alexa Owners Lose Interest in the Device After Two Weeks: Amazon Documents

By Ashok Ramprasad Vision Times

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lexa, the intelligent voice assistant introduced by Amazon in 2014, has been dubbed as the company’s most popular invention to date. It quickly made its way into households and businesses. Today, almost everyone knows about smart assistants.

However, a recent report by Bloomberg revealed that the e-commerce giant is facing a hard time keeping consumers engaged with Alexa devices. According to internal documents obtained by the publication, in some years, 15 to 25 percent of users stop using the device within two weeks of buying them.

Amazon has big plans for Alexa.

The company wants to include more cameras and sensors into the devices that will enable them to distinguish different voices or identify which rooms users are in while talking.

Not useful in the long run

Amazon enjoyed tremendous success with its first Alexa device, the cylindrical Echo speaker. Consequently, Google, Apple, Facebook, and other companies launched their own versions as smart speakers were www.visiontimes.com

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viewed as the next big thing after smartphones.

Sales have never been an issue regarding Alexa. According to company estimates, 25 percent of U.S. households possessed at least one Alexa device. For Amazon Prime households, 27 percent own one.

The main intent of Amazon was to use Alexa as a medium to enhance the engagement of customers with the company’s other services, allowing it to profit in numerous ways. However, customers don’t find Alexa useful in the long run.

Most of the customers have been using the smart speaker for menial tasks such as setting timers while cooking, turning the lights on or off, and playing music. According to a planning document in 2019, Amazon employees noted that most new users discover half of all the features they are likely to use within just three hours of activating the device.

While many features are available on the Alexa devices, it’s just not viable to literally use all of them. In spite of Amazon contin-

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uing to add more features, users find it more annoying than useful most of the time.

Privacy issues

Additionally, one of the major concerns among customers is the breach of privacy. In 2019, reports emerged that thousands of workers were listening to and reviewing audio clips. There have also been some major bloopers like the device sending recordings of conversations to contact after mistaking a set of phrases as commands.

Devices that feature a display are found to be more popular among users. Seventy-four percent of users who have an Alexa device with a screen tend to use it weekly. For users of Echo and Echo Dot, both of which do not have a screen, the numbers fall to 66 percent and 56 percent, respectively.

Profit loss

In 2020, an internal analysis by Amazon found that the market for smart speakers had “passed its growth phase” and predicted the annual growth to only be 1.2 percent in the following years. ad.ny@visiontimes.com

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The company estimated that it would lose roughly $5 per Alexa device sold in 2021. Amazon expects a $2 per device profit by 2028. With user engagement waning and poor discoverability of new features, many are waiting to see how Amazon can achieve its goal.

In a statement to Bloomberg, Amazon disputed several of the metrics mentioned in the documents. The company insisted that these numbers were either incorrect or outdated.

“The assertion that Alexa growth is slowing is not accurate…The fact is that Alexa continues to grow— we see increases in customer usage, and Alexa is used in more households around the world than ever before,” Amazon spokesperson Kinley Pearsall said.

Avanced plans

Alexa’s market growth may be a result of it being featured in new product categories, such as earphones and cars. The question remains, can Alexa grow fast enough to start generating profits for the company?

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CHINA

A4 | DEC 31, 2021 - JAN 6, 2022

Chinese Military Deploys Troops as Xi’an Outbreak Worsens Continued from FRONT Hemorrhagic fever

Locals have questioned the official explanation for the outbreak and lockdown, as cases of hemorrhagic fever have been reported in the city. Hemorrhagic fever, a viral infection transmitted by rodents, is endemic to Xi’an.

On Dec. 23, Xi’an authorities imposed lockdowns on 90 neighborhoods after the detection of several cases. Video and photos taken in the city show thousands of residents lining up in the cold for hours to await nucleic acid testing.

Personnel in the streets of Xi’an wearing heavy biochemical protection. (Image: Screenshot/ Twitter)

Under China’s strict “zeroCOVID” policies, those living in locked down areas are not permitted to leave their homes without authorization, such as to buy groceries or to be tested.

On Dec. 27, the same day as the PLA medical personnel reached Xi’an, the government further restricted movement, rescinding a previous allowance for each household to make a grocery trip every other day. Now, everyone is required to stay in their homes.

Running out of food

Netizens have reported heavy police and medical presence in the major avenues of Xi’an in a state of quasi martial law. Those found outside without authorization were to be fined and their places of employment penalized as well.

“No one is allowed to go outside. The supermarket outside is closed, and the necessities supplying personnel who deliver water are not allowed to go out,” one Chinese user circumventing the “Great Firewall” posted on Twitter.

“Police patrols outside residential areas do not allow people to leave their buildings.” One video shows several people being pushed into a police vehicle.

In a situation that has occurred multiple times in Wuhan and other cities locked down by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities, residents have reported running out of food and other essential supplies due to the extremely short notice given.

Speaking with overseas Chinese-language broadcaster NTD Television, a Xi’an local Mr. Wang described “almost all the shopping malls on the street have been closed. Only the big supermarkets are left open.”

Wang noted the very high prices of goods in the stores still open, especially for vegetables.

“After the city was closed on the 23rd, because everyone was unprepared, the city was suddenly locked down in the middle of the night. We have no reserves at all. Then the vegetables are three times more expensive. The prices are sky-high and [produce] is hard to come by. Evewww.visiontimes.com

Chinese authorities claim slightly over 101,000 infections and less than 5,000 deaths nationwide, and hail its “zero COVID” policies as instrumental in winning a “people’s war” against the virus. ryone is panicking, we have no idea what’s going on.”

In a video posted on Dec. 29, people living in residential buildings can be heard shouting “Who has food at home? I'm starving to death.” A Twitter post the same day reported that the city was providing food handouts to those in lockdown.

Uncertainty

COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, has killed millions of people globally and caused tremendous economic loss.

Chinese authorities claim slightly over 101,000 infections and less than 5,000 deaths nationwide, and hail its “zero COVID” policies as instrumental in winning a “people’s war” against the virus.

Despite this, there is considerable doubt as to the veracity of these figures as well as the effectiveness of Beijing’s heavyhanded lockdown policies. The CCP claims that its policies and Chinese vaccines have brought COVID-19 under control, but the frequent outbreaks and heavyhanded measures brought to bear against low reported numbers of infections has brought considerable strain to the national economy, social life, and psychological health.

According to data released by the Chinese Health Commission, there were 151 new cases in Xi’an on Dec. 27, and 175 the next day. The Xi’an outbreak comes at the same time as similar outbreaks in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces of southeastern China, where more than 600,000 have been placed under some kind of lockdown, as well as the Inner Mongolia region to the north.

Despite the “zero-COVID” lockdowns, many factories have remained in operation. Xi'an is a major base for the auto, aviation, aerospace, and biotechnology industries. The local Samsung Electronics factory has declared emergency operations to ensure normal production.

Xi'an resident Mr. Zhou told NTD Television, "My wife works every day and is off on Saturdays and Sundays. She is riding in her colleague's car, so there is nothing she can do about it. Her company issued a certificate to her, so she has to go to work. If she does not go to work, they will say she is enagining in absenteeism.”

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China’s New AI ‘Prosecutor’ Can Charge People for Political Dissent

By Todd Crawford Vision Times

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hina’s largest district prosecution office, the Shanghai Pudong People’s Procuratorate, has developed and deployed an artificial intelligence (AI) that can file charges against suspects based only on a verbal description, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

According to its researchers the AI “prosecutor” boasts a 97 percent accuracy rate when levying charges however, mistakes can be made. A prosecutor from Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, raised concerns with SCMP stating, “Who will take responsibility when it happens? The prosecutor, the machine or the designer of the algorithm?”

The machine was trained by feeding it data from more than 17,000 cases that took place from 2015 to 2020. Currently it can charge people with eight of the

The system can replace prosecutors in the decisionmaking process to a certain extent.”

Professor Shi Yong, the project’s lead

Cutting edge applications of Artificial Intelligence are seen on display at the Artificial Intelligence Pavilion of Zhangjiang Future Park during a state organized media tour on June 18, 2021 in Shanghai, China. (Image: Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)

most common crimes in Shanghai including, fraud, credit card fraud, theft, dangerous driving, intentional injury, obstructing official duties, running a gambling operation and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”

The project’s lead, Professor Shi Yong, director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ big data and knowledge management laboratory told SCMP that the AI was developed and deployed in an attempt to reduce the courts prosecutors’ daily workload.

“The system can replace prosecutors in the decision-making process to a certain extent.”

Professor Shi Yong, the project’s lead Shi told SCMP that the existing AI tools have a limited role in the process and that “they do not participate in the decision-making process of filing charges and [suggesting] sentences.”

The AI works in tandem with another AI known as System 206 which is a tool that researchers say can evaluate “the strength of evidence, conditions for an arrest and how dangerous a suspect is considered to be to the public,” SCMP reported.

System 206, an AI assistive tech, was first deployed at trial in January 2019. The tech was utilized to assist in a robbery and murder case with supporters of the tech saying the AI eliminates human errors.

‘Picking quarrels’

Picking quarrels and provoking trouble is a common “catch all” charge levied primarily against dissenters against the state.

The vague charge of “picking quarrels”, according to Chinese law, involves people who willfully attack another person with bad circumstances, chasing, intercepting, or cursing another person, forcibly taking away, demanding, or willfully damaging or seizing public or private property or creating a disturbance in a public place causing serious disorder.

The AI prosecutor reportedly has the ability to navigate such broad charges and circumstances by analyzing verbal cues only.

The new prosecutor AI is still in its infancy and has not yet been widely rolled out. However, after the reported success of System 206 Chinese citizens who find themselves at the mercy of the Chinese court system may find themselves at the mercy of a machine as well.

Image:Adobe Stock

China in a Deep Freeze;

70% of China’s Territory Experiencing a Cold Snap

By Lucy Crawford Vision Times

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et another cold snap is sweeping through most of China. Nearly 70 percent of the country has been covered in snow, with blizzards and icy roads in many areas, causing massive shutdowns of roads, rails, and airplanes and paralyzing traffic. Publicly listed companies have also been affected.

According to Chinese financial media, chnfund.com, as of Dec. 26, 18 major cities have set new lows for this winter. Shanghai, Hangzhou, Changsha, and other major cities fell into the freezing point for the first time in the second half of the year.

By Dec. 26, five highways and sixteen national and provincial roads in multiple provinces (Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Guizhou) were closed due to snowfall and road icing.

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China’s National Emergency Early Warning Information Release System showed that as of Dec. 27, 1,029 warnings were issued nationwide, including 517 for road ice, 137 for cold snaps, and 115 for snowstorms.

Another cold snap in China, leaving traffic paralyzed and damaging publicly traded companies. (Image: STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Publicly listed companies affected

On Dec. 26, Roshow Technology announced that due to blizzard and extreme weather in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the company’s solar power ad.ny@visiontimes.com

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plants had collapsed to varying degrees. At present, it’s working with the insurance department to verify property losses and claims.

According to the announcement, the company is taking measures to resume normal production and operation and is trying to minimize the adverse impact of the snowstorm. The specific amount of loss is still unknown but it’s expected to impact the company’s performance this year.

Previously, COFCO Sugar announced that due to extreme weather as a result of a La Niña, the economic loss of the company would reduce the net profit for the year by an estimated amount ranging from RMB180 million to RMB300 million. The loss ranges were calculated by considering direct loss, other contingent losses caused by the reduction of sugar production, cost increases, and the abnormal wear and tear of harvesting machines.

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A5

Cantopop Star Denise Ho, 6 Others Arrested by Hong Kong’s National Security Police

By Todd Crawford Vision Times

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antopop star Denise Ho was arrested in Hong Kong on Wednesday, with six others, for allegedly publishing seditious materials during her time as a director of the independent news provider Stand News.

The artist, who is also a Canadian citizen, was apprehended at her home while authorities raided the offices of Stand News and arrested three men and four women, between the ages of 34 and 73, shuttering the news outlet. Stand News was one of Hong Kong’s last pro-democracy media outlets.

Those arrested are accused of “conspiracy to publish seditious material” via their work with Stand News.

More than 200 police officers were reportedly sent to raid the publications offices.

Those arrested include the former and acting chief editors of Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen

“Denise Ho has been the most vocal and popular artist in Hong Kong who dares to oppose Beijing.”

Sunny Cheung, activist

and Patrick Lam. Board members Margaret Ng, Christine Fang, and Chow Tat-chi, were also detained, the BBC reported.

In a Facebook post Stand News stated that “Because of the situation, Stand News is ceasing operations immediately,” adding that, “This morning, the police arrested a number of senior and former senior staff of the company, [and] took many people away to assist in the investigation.”

“Denise Ho has been the most vocal and popular artist in Hong Kong who dares to oppose Beijing.” Sunny Cheung, activist Chief Secretary for Administration, John Lee said during a press conference on Wednesday in Hong Kong that “Anybody who attempts to make use of media work as a tool to pursue their political purpose or other interests [and] contravenes the law, particularly offences that endanger national security, they are the evil elements that damage press freedom.”

Ho has been a long-time contributor to the pro-democracy

Pro-democracy Hong Kong singer Denise Ho looks on after addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on July 8, 2019. (Image:FABRICE COFFRINI/ AFP via Getty Images)

movement in Hong Kong and has been arrested in the past for her involvement. She emerged as a defiant voice during the 2014 Umbrella Movement where she demanded wider democracy alongside thousands of other Hongkongers.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada Ho once testified in the U.S. Capitol concerning reports of police brutality dur-

Chinese Authorities Force Pregnant Schoolteacher Into Psychiatric Hospital for Social Media Posts

By Alina Wang Vision Times

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our months pregnant, 27-year-old Li Tiantian was only half-dressed when police dragged her out of her residence, and was barely able to bring her phone by hiding it in her underwear.

Li, who teaches elementary school in a rural county of southern China’s Hunan Province, was then threatened and sent to a psychiatric hospital for “mental problems” due to her online defense of recently terminated university lecturer Song Gengyi on Dec. 17.

“Find a way to save me!” Li wrote in a final text to another internet user, after describing her experience and worry for her unborn child as the police had said they would use injections to “cure” her.

Schoolteacher Li Tiantian, from a rural part of China's Hunan Province, was likely sent to a psychiatric hospital for expressing support for a fired college lecturer. (Image: via Radio Free Asia)

Li has not been seen or heard from since Dec. 19.

Standing up for a peer

Song Gengyi, who taught journalism at the Shanghai Zhendan Vocational College, caused a stir earlier by expressing skepticism at the official number of victims

in the infamous Nanjing Massacre — when Japanese soldiers commited widespread rape and murder in the then-capital of China.

Though the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that took over after World War II largely ignored Japanese atrocities for years, in recent decades it has maintained that 300,000 men, women, and children were killed in Nanjing when the Imperial Japanese Army took over the city in December 1937.

But Song disputed the certainty of that death toll, noting that there are a number of estimates ranging from tens of thousands to 500,000. She asked students to do their own research and draw their own conclusions about the atrocity.

A student attending Song’s lecture recorded her talking about

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The Communist Party often uses “mental illness” as a justification for the incarceration and torture of religious prisoners or those with undesirable political opinions.

ing protests in Hong Kong. She also served as a trustee for a now defunct humanitarian fund for arrested or injured protesters.

Due to Ho’s activism, in 2014, Ho was banned from performing on the mainland and many brands and other celebrities shunned her.

Ho is a Canadian citizen, her detention has the potential to further complicate Canada-China relations.

the Nanjing Massacre figures, but left out her mention of “500,000” and uploaded the video to social media. Song was accused of denying Japan’s wartime brutality and fired, causing further discussion on China’s Twitter-like Weibo about whether the lecturer deserved to lose her job.

On Dec. 17, Li Tiantian voiced support for Song, writing on Weibo Moments that “Song didn’t deny the violence during the Nanjing Massacre itself. … She just presented her individual viewpoint.”

Li added that there was nothing wrong with Song’s actions and argued that what should be considered questionable was the student reporting his teacher, authorities who manipulated the reporting, and intellectuals who stayed silent about the incident.

The Communist Party often uses “mental illness” as a justification for the incarceration and torture of religious prisoners or those with undesirable political opinions.

With reporting by Leo Timm

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A6 | DEC 31, 2021 - JAN 6, 2022

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Pandemic Provided Catalyst for Surges in Government Mass Surveillance: German NGO Continued from FRONT

Greece

In Greece, authorities utilized “simple SMS services to advanced data analytics tools and machine learning (ML) algorithms,” during two lockdown periods in 2020 and 2021.

During these times people were only authorized to leave their homes for specific reasons and were required to notify authorities if they left their homes by sending an SMS to 13033, a service run by the Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection.

More than 885 million SMSs were sent during the two lock down periods. The increased surveillance prompted the civil society organization, Homo Digitalis, to file a complaint against the Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection via the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (DPA).

The complainant asserted that “the SMS service was not in compliance with the GDPR,” and that inadequate information was provided as to how authorities were utilizing and protecting the personal data it was collecting, Greece also implemented an advanced machine learning (ML) algorithm dubbed “Eva.” Upon entering the country, travelers were required to complete a questionnaire which collected information such as the travelers name, age, and gender “as well as information about the

Greek university students clash with riot police during a demonstration against government plans to set up university police, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID19) pandemic on Feb. 10, 2021 in Athens, Greece. (Image: Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)

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Canada

Absent from AlgorithmWatch’s report, Canada’s public health agency admitted that it tracked 33 million mobile devices during a COVID-19 lockdown in the country without authorization from the users.

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travelers’ permanent country of residence and previously visited countries,” that was then fed into the Eva algorithm. Greek authorities justified the collection of data as a means to screen incoming travelers so that Greek authorities could assess whether the traveler should be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival.

The Hellenic Union of Computer Scientists raised concerns about the use of the algorithm. Eva was supplied to the Greek government pro bono by “a group of scientists who wanted to assist the Greek authorities.” The union argued that the adoption of Eva was not a result of “an open public procurement procedure… [and] without prior evaluation and no guarantee that it would be effective at an operational level.” Despite these concerns Greek authorities forged ahead with the untested technology.

Poland

“In Poland one of the first responses to the challenges of the pandemic was the use of technology,” the report reads.

Like other governments around the world, Poland implemented quarantine requirements for close contacts and people infected with www.visiontimes.com

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the COVID-19 virus. The government financed the development of applications to monitor people staying in quarantine as well as a tracking program “to control entrepreneurs who received government support because their ability to work was restricted…”

In the Polish city of Gdynia, authorities went as far as to implement a “city monitoring system that included rapid identification of large concentrations of people.”

The code was placed on Github (a popular code sharing platform) however following a test phase the monitoring function was abandoned.

Polish authorities also authorized the development of an app called

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the Home Quarantine app and made the installation and use of the app a “legal obligation for those who have to undergo quarantine.”

The use of the app was to unburden police officers who were tasked with checks on people quarantining at home.

Police in Northern Poland said that, “Every day police officers in the Pomeranian province have to supervise the course of quarantine of more than 24,000 people, which is a really demanding and time-consuming challenge.”

The app was plagued with problems resulting in the app receiving a one star rating on popular app depositories like the Google Play Store.

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Evidence is coming in from many sources, from countries around the world, that what was seen as a huge surveillance surge — post 9/11 — is now completely upstaged by pandemic surveillance.

Martin French, associate professor of Concordia University

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DC

“The Public Health Agency of Canada accessed location data from 33 million mobile devices to monitor people’s movement during lockdown,” The National Post Reported.

Canada has a population of just over 38 million people.

A spokesperson for Canada’s health agency told the National Post that “due to the urgency of the pandemic, (PHAC) collected and used mobility data, such as cell-tower location data, throughout the COVID-19 response.”

The agency said it used the data to ascertain the effectiveness of public lockdown measures and to allow the Agency to “understand possible links between movement of populations within Canada and [the] spread of COVID-19.”

The Agency intends to track population movement in Canada for the next five years citing other public health issues such as “other infectious diseases, chronic disease prevention and mental health.”

Concerns raised

David Lyon, author of Pandemic Surveillance and former director of the Surveillance Studies Centre at Queen’s University, said in an email to the National Post, “I think that the Canadian public will find out about many other such unauthorized surveillance initiatives before the pandemic is over—and afterwards.”

Lyon urged the need for more information regarding “exactly what was done, what was achieved and whether or not it truly served the interest of Canadian citizens.”

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WORLD

VISION TIMES

DEC 31,2021 - JAN 6, 2022 |

By Jonathan Walker Vision Times

F

ast-food chain McDonald’s will now begin rationing French fries at all outlets in Japan due to a shortage of potato imports. It will affect 2900 stores in Japan and will be in effect between Dec. 25 and 30.

In a statement, McDonald’s claimed “large-scale flooding” near the Port of Vancouver in Canada and the COVID-19-triggered global supply crunch for delays in the supply of potatoes.

The restriction on the sale of French fries comes amidst the festive Christmas and New Year holidays. During this period, many Japanese eat out in large numbers at outlets like McDonald’s and KFC. The company is also securing potatoes through alternate measures, such as air freight. However, the fast-food chain admitted that ensuring “stable procurement” was proving to be a challenge.

“McDonald’s Japan will temporarily limit sales of Medium- and Large-sized French Fries as a proactive measure to ensure customers can continue to enjoy McDonald’s French Fries… Customers will still be able to order Small-sized French Fries at all of our restaurants. To date, there have been no breaks in supply,” the company told the BBC. In mid-November, the Canadian province of British Columbia was hammered by storms that caused damage to rail lines and roads around Vancouver.

This cut off Vancouver from the rest of the province for several days, which disrupted port activities. The Vancouver port is the third-largest in North America.

Potatoes from the United States account for roughly 70 percent of Japan’s overall potato imports.

“Whether from Idaho or Washington, every French fry a Tokyo resident pops in their mouth has spent weeks on refrigerated shipping containers known as

Potato Shortages:

McDonald’s Limits Sale of French Fries in Japan McDonald’s Japan will temporarily limit sales of Medium- and Large-sized French Fries as a proactive measure to ensure customers can continue to enjoy McDonald’s French Fries…

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A7

In a statement, McDonald’s claimed “large-scale flooding” near the Port of Vancouver in Canada and the COVID-19-triggered global supply crunch for delays in the supply of potatoes. reefers. When a reefer full of French fries arrives in Vancouver waiting for a ride to Japan, it needs to be plugged in. But with containers piling up at ports, space for even a regular sea can is hard to find,” according to Vancouver is Awesome. Moreover, there are only a small number of ships at sea that can plug in a refrigerated container, complicating the problem further.

As a result, the mid-November storm disrupted the supply chain to the extent that potato shipments from the Vancouver port to McDonald’s in Japan were affected.

According to Bloomberg, the two major freight railways that carry two-thirds of the cargo transported to the Vancouver port by land had fixed the damaged lines and had restarted operations.

Potato shortage in 2014

This isn’t the first time that McDonald’s Japan is facing a potato shortage. In Dec. 2014, the company faced a similar problem. A dispute had broken out between terminal operators and 20,000 dockworkers. Consequently, shipping lines at 29 ports along the U.S. west coast delayed the shipment of potatoes to the Asian nation.

McDonald’s had to sell small-sized French fries to its Japanese customers for some time. The company imported more than 1,000 tons of frozen fries via air freight to help the shortage at the time.

Last August, at its UK outlets, McDonald’s faced supply shortages of bottled drinks and shakes. One of the main reasons blamed for the supply crunch was the shortage of shipping truck drivers.

Food and Rent Unaffordable as 20 Percent Inflation Hits Turkey

By Jonathan Walker Vision Times

T

urkish citizens are reeling under the pressure of inflation and what many believe is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s incompetent way of dealing with the dilemma. Just a year ago, many citizens were living a life with normal wages. Now, the same people are struggling to make ends meet and are worried about future finances.

National currency loses half its value

According to Turkey’s official data, prices have risen by 21 percent during the last year. Since January, the lira, the country’s national currency, has lost 50 percent of its value. That has also contributed to making the prices of daily necessities expensive.

In many households, families have tried to adapt by eating less and have cut down their children’s allowances, for example.

A carton of eggs has jumped in price by 60 percent within a week at a store in the capital city of Istanbul. Red meat is now seen as a luxury item by many. In neighborhoods, people are lining up at government stores to buy cheap bread.

This has even affected bakery owners who are seeing fewer sales, forcing many towards closure. Rent prices have gone up and have taken a chunk from other essential expenses like food budgets.

In an interview with The New York Times, 33-year-old Bilal, who has a wife and three children, said that life was good until recently. Burdened with a car loan, mortgage, and the responsibility of having to feed the entire family, Bilal is now finding it difficult to mainwww.visiontimes.com

Women shop for bread at a market in Ankara on December 20, 2021 as Turkey's troubled lira took a nosedive after Turkish President cited Muslim teachings to justify not raising interest rates to stabilise the currency. (Image: ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

According to Turkey’s official data, prices have risen by 21 percent during the last year.

Since January, the lira, the country’s national currency, has lost 50 percent of its value.

tain a decent standard of life.

“Up until 2020, I can say life was beautiful… Yes, I had debts, but I could pay them… In the last seven to eight months, I really feel the economy is wearing me down,” Bilal told the media outlet. He refused to give his full name for fear of retaliation from the autocratic Turkish leader-

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ship that is known to put critics into jail.

Meanwhile, Erdogan has stuck to his economic policies. He insists that they are compliant with Islamic practices and has promised citizens that everything will soon be back to normal. In a recent televised address, the president announced that minimum wages across the country will be raised by 50 percent next year, the highest minimum wage in the nation in the last five decades.

“We are determined to put an end to the uncertainty that has arisen with the recent fluctuations in the exchange rate and the exorbitant price increases as soon as possible… We will determine the future of this nation together with its men and women, young and old, workers and employers,” Erdogan said.

Actual inflation rate much higher

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sistently complaining about his flawed policies. Some accuse the official rate of inflation as reported by the government, which is at 21 percent, to be inaccurate. Instead, the magnitude of the price increase is said to be much higher. According to a report by independent inflation research group ENAG, Turkey’s actual inflation rate is around 60 percent.

In an interview with Marketplace, Durmuş Yılmaz, who served as a Turkish central bank governor between 2006 and 2011, says that stimulating economic growth in the country requires two things.

“That is the price stability and the financial stability and the fair distribution of resources, and without doing this, I think the president is living in a different cosmos. Without achieving these necessary conditions, having a high rate of growth is not possible,” Yilmaz said.

Warning signs

International rating agencies have issued warnings about Turkey’s inflation. According to Moody’s, the country’s consumer price inflation (CPI) can exceed 25 percent in the coming months. By 2022 year-end, Moody’s predicts CPI to be at 17 to 18 percent.

Fitch revised its outlook on the country from “neutral” to “negative.” It forecasted the year-end inflation to be at 25 percent. Over the next two years, inflation is expected to average at 20 percent.

“Negative real rates, the absence of policy guidance, statements by government officials arguing for a weaker lira as part of an economic development strategy, and rising inflation and inflation expectations will maintain pressure on the currency,” Fitch ratings stated.

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A8 | DEC 31, 2021 - JAN 6, 2022

FINANCE

VISION TIMES

How to Prevent Inflation From Eroding Your Finances Continued from FRONT

I

PCE Inflation at Highest Level in 4 Decades

By Jonathan Walker Vision Times

C

onsumer spending accounts for around 70 percent of economic activity in the United States and is an important data point to assess the state of the economy.

According to figures reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the November PCE rose to 5.7 percent when compared to the same period last year, which is a faster pace of inflation growth than October’s 5.1 percent rise.

The November figure is also the highest PCE level since July 1982 when the gauge had registered a growth of 5.8 percent.

On a monthly basis, PCE price index rose by $104.7 billion or 0.6 percent while PCE excluding food and energy increased by 0.5 percent. Disposable Personal Income (DPI) was up by 0.4 per-

cent with an increase of $70.4 billion.

BEA attributed November’s personal income surge to increases in government social benefits and private sector employee compensation.

“The $104.7 billion increase in current-dollar PCE in November reflected an increase of $97.4 billion in spending for services and a $7.4 billion increase in spending for goods. The increase in services was widespread, led by housing and utilities. Within goods, an increase in nondurable goods (mainly gasoline and other energy goods) was partly offset by a decrease in durable goods (led by recreational goods and vehicles as well as motor vehicles and parts),” the bureau reported.

While the Biden administration blames inflation on COVID-19 and the resultant recession, many GOP lawmakers criticized Washington’s policies for rising prices. In a recent poll by Fox News, 46 percent of respondents blamed the Biden administration for “hurting” America’s ability to bring inflation under control. Around 42 percent fear that the president’s massive social spending plan will hurt the economy.

Shoppers visit the Dolphin Mall on December 21, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

Shoppers are seeing higher prices on many goods as the annual inflation rate in the US accelerated to 6.8% in November of 2021, the highest since June of 1982.

(Image: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

n order to lower grocery bills, you can stick to discount stores like Costco and Trader Joe’s and take advantage of the promotions to stock up your freezer and pantry. Credit cards that offer cash-back or reward points for grocery purchases can also help save money.

The cost of a home or rent is another notable expense. As many people looked for homes in the suburbs or moved back into cities, the demand for houses soared. With a limited supply of homes available for sale, there has been a nearly 20 percent increase in prices since September 2020, year-over-year.

Unlike renting, homeowners do not face the issue of a landlord imposing higher prices on them.

According to an Apartment List report, since January 2021, the national average cost of rent has climbed above 17 percent. Therefore, it might be a good time to buy.

By obtaining a fixed-interest mortgage loan, you only need to make fixed monthly payments irrespective of the change in interest rates.

ECI dropped to -33

The results of a poll conducted by Gallup published on Dec. 22 reveals that the Economic Confidence Index (ECI) is at -33, similar to the levels it was at in April last year when worries about the COVID-19 pandemic stressed out the economy.

“With inflation in the U.S. at its highest point since 1982, Americans’ confidence in the economy has dropped to where it was in April 2020, when nationwide shutdowns brought on by the COVID19 pandemic plunged the nation into a recession… Satisfaction with the country’s direction is lower than it has been since President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January,” according to Gallup.

The Fed, which used to refer to the current inflation as “transitory” has stopped using the term and has indicated that it might raise interest rates at least three times in 2022 to combat inflation and keep prices in check.

Meanwhile, Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers warned in an interview with Bloomberg that surging inflation could eventually result in recession.

He criticized the U.S. central bank for being too late to notice the dangers of inflation. The steps being taken by the Fed right now to cool down inflation could end up pushing down the economy, he said.

“If I thought we could sustainably run the economy in a red-hot way, that would be a wonderful thing, but the consequence – and this is the excruciating lesson we learned in the 1970s – of an overheating economy is not merely elevated inflation, but constantly rising inflation… That’s why my fear is that we are already reaching a point where it will be challenging to reduce inflation without giving rise to recession,” Summers stated.

“If you were looking to buy a house, it would be great to be able to lock in a 30 year fixed rate mortgage at these low interest rates because rates are going to go up.”

Barbara Ginty, certified financial planner (CFP)

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Those who are planning to buy a new or used car should consider putting off the idea for now. The prices of new and used cars have risen 11.1 percent and 31.4 percent over the past year, respectively. As demand for automobiles bounced back this year. Manufacturers couldn’t keep abreast due to supply chain issues like chip shortages. With prices of new cars shooting up, buyers turned to used cars, which also increased.

Those who really need a car should undertake a thorough investigation and exercise caution.

To know what price one should be paying for a car of a certain year, model, or make, sites like Car Gurus, Edmunds, and Kelley Blue Book can help. For used cars, buying from a franchised car dealer that sells certified pre-owned vehicles would be the safest.

Another alternative would be to rent or lease a car until the prices fall again. Financial planner Chris Diodato to Fortune said if you already have a car lease that will run out in a few months, consider buying out the lease rather than investing in a new lease or car.

This is also the right time to consider your overall spending. You can lower expenditures by getting rid of unused subscriptions. During the holidays, people tend to indulge in impulsive buying. So, keep track of how and where you’re spending your money and avoid such purchases.

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FEATURE

VISION TIMES

By Jim Giragosian

T

iny Tang steps up to the microphone at a meeting of county supervisors in rural Virginia and tells local government leaders how fortunate she feels to address them. “I could never do this in China,” she says.

If this native of China, now an American citizen and Virginia resident, returned to China today, she would likely be arrested as soon as she got off the plane. Tang is an adherent of Falun Gong, a holistic spiritual practice that uses gentle exercise and meditation to support the inner work of “selfcultivation” or character development.

Falun Gong was introduced in China in 1992, when a revival of traditional qigong energy exercises was sweeping the country. What made Falun Gong different was its emphasis on individual morality as the foundation of physical, mental, and spiritual health. By aligning oneself with the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, practitioners could return to their “true selves” and achieve enlightenment. Falun Gong quickly became the most popular form of qigong in China. According to official estimates by the Chinese regime, Falun Gong had between 70 and 100 million practitioners.

Because of Falun Gong’s immense popularity and its emphasis on spirituality, however, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) became increasingly wary of the practice and considered it a threat. The head of the CCP finally outlawed Falun Gong in July 1999 and began a brutal persecution of its adherents, which continues to this day. Practitioners are routinely arrested, imprisoned, sentenced to forced

DEC 31,2021 - JAN 6, 2022 |

dom, and there are several congressional resolutions in process,” Tang says. “Even the UN Commission on Human Rights acknowledges the practice, but it is underreported in the US media. They know that China will deny their markets to media companies that provide ‘unfavorable reporting.’ At the same time, the Chinese regime has the most extensive influence operation in the world.”

Telling an Untold Truth in Virginia

Grassroots support

So while media companies stayed silent and Congress kept the issue on the backburner, Tang decided to take her case to local governments in Virginia, starting in her own county of Fairfax, a suburb in Washington, D.C. She soon began visiting counties, towns, and cities throughout the commonwealth. “You are the level of government that is closest to the people,” Tang tells them. “I can speak out as an individual citizen, but I am asking you to join your voices with mine, because our voices are louder together.”

She makes a simple request to each locality: “Please pass a resolution warning your residents of the dangers of traveling to China for an organ transplant because of the practice of forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience.”

Local leaders, accustomed to concerns about taxes, road congestion, or zoning, are suddenly confronted with the possibility that residents who need an organ transplant may unwittingly assist in the murder of innocent people in China. It is a sobering and shocking revelation, prompting some localities to invite Tang to make a formal presentation. Others conducted their own research to learn about organ harvesting in greater depth.

Representatives of Falun Gong practitioners speak at the hearing ,Tiny Tang

Tiny Tang makes a simple request to each locality:

Please pass a resolution warning your residents of the dangers of traveling to China for an organ transplant because of the practice of forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience.

Representatives of Falun Gong practitioners speak at the hearing ,Tiny Tang. (Image:Screenshot)

labor, tortured, killed, or “disappeared.”

Shortly after the persecution of Falun Gong began, Chinese hospitals began advertising incredibly short wait times for organ transplants, including hearts, lungs, livers, kidneys, and corneas.

“Chinese hospitals actually offer the option to schedule a transplant in advance,” Tang says. “In one case, a hospital obtained eight kidneys for a single patient because the first seven were not suitable.” Here in the US, on the other hand, the average wait time for a single matching kidney is three to five years.

How was China able to provide so many matches in such a short time?

Wang Chunyan(R) stood in the conference hall of the Spotsylvania County government in Virginia on March 2021, 3. (Image:Screenshot)

Unwilling donors

Reports soon emerged from Chinese prisons that Falun Gong practitioners, along with other prisoners of conscience, were being singled out to receive mysterious medical exams: blood tests, x-rays, and sonograms—the same type of tests that are used to determine organ compatibility.

U.S. State Department reports and investigations by independent journalists and human rights organizations pointed to the same conclusion: the Chinese regime was creating a database of organs from living prisoners of conscience so that they could be harvested and offered for transplant on demand.

After Tang had emigrated to the U.S., her mother was arrested several times for telling people about Falun Gong. Tang’s father soon suffered a stroke, unable to endure the pressure of seeing his wife harassed and detained by police. With his wife in prison, he had no one to care for him, and he soon died. Under threat of

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On January 27, 2021, the Frederick County Board of Supervisors (FCSB) passed a resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s killing of prisoners of conscience for organs. (Image:Screenshot from video of County Board meeting)

imprisonment herself, Tang was not able to return to China for his funeral.

Other practitioners of Falun Gong in Virginia have their own disturbing stories of survival. Chunyan Wang, who also lives in Virginia, tells how her husband was killed by police as he tried to protect her. She spent seven years in prison, working at forced labor for up to 18 hours a day, making items that were exported for sale in the US and Europe. She too was subjected to mysterious medical testing.

Twenty of her fellow practitioners were

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killed by Chinese authorities. She considers herself fortunate to have escaped China with her life.

Tang, along with small groups of other Falun Gong practitioners, have brought these stories to various levels of the US government along with the US media, but the practice of organ harvesting in China remains, for the most part, unknown to the American public.

“Organ harvesting in China is mentioned in the State Department’s annual report on International Religious Free-

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A9

DC

The results have been encouraging. In 2021 alone, 24 county, town, and city governments in Virginia have passed resolutions to alert residents of the Chinese regime’s persecution of Falun Gong, and to warn residents of the dangers of traveling to China for a transplant because of the practice of forced organ harvesting.

Not every visit has been successful.

Some counties have told Tang that getting involved in international matters is outside their purview. “But I am not asking them to conduct foreign policy,” Tang responds. “I am asking them to alert their residents about something that may directly impact them or a member of their families.”

Madison County was reluctant to specify China in its resolution and condemned organ harvesting wherever it may occur.

Tang says, “It’s great that they can condemn organ harvesting, but how does it help their residents if the county doesn’t tell them where it is taking place?”

Most localities, however, have been supportive. An official in Fluvanna County said, “A fire starts by a spark ... and you are a spark in this country, and you must keep that up. … It's wonderful and it's necessary that you expose [the Chinese regime] for what they're doing.”

Tang remains optimistic. She tells local governments, “It is my belief that ‘good will be rewarded with good,’ and that your courageous action will be a ‘light shining in the darkness.’ May peace and prosperity be the fruits of your compassion.”

Jim Giragosian, PhD, is a human rights activist in Virginia.

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LOCAL

A10 | DEC 31, 2021 - JAN 6, 2022

VISION TIMES

Spring Forward Into a New Career

Adobe Stock

at the Medical Training Institute of New York This article is sponsored by the Medical Training Institute of New York

T

he Medical Training Institute of New York (MTI) offers health care continuing medical education courses. It specializes in helping non-medically trained staff to understand medical terminology, whether encountered through doctors’ reports, prescriptions, or investigation results, and prepare for certification tests.

Pharmacy Technician,

Student course specialist Cindy Keitz explains that most students can get a certificate in as little as 6 weeks-6 months.

It depends on the particular course the student is attending and the class schedule. MTI offers internships where and when applicable so students can gain hands-on experience in their chosen field while looking for employment.

Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA),

MTI offers 13 courses for the spring, including: Most courses take place in the morning from 9 am to 2 pm, some from 2 pm to 6 pm, and there are even evening and weekend courses.

The only prerequisite to qualify for a certificate program is to have a GED or a high school diploma.

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Pharmacy Technician, Clinical Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Dental Assistant, Medical Assistant, Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), Certified Nurse Assistant (Advanced), Patient Care Technician, EKG/Phlebotomy Technician (combination), EKG Technician, Phlebotomy Technician, Dialysis Technician, and Home Health Care/Aide.

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Clinical Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Dental Assistant, Medical Assistant,

Certified Nurse Assistant (Advanced), Patient Care Technician, EKG/Phlebotomy Technician (combination), EKG Technician, Phlebotomy Technician,

Furthermore, there are three levels of Pharmacy certification: Pharmacy Technician I (Entry-level), Pharmacy Technician II (Sterile Compounds), and Advanced-level Pharmacy Technician III; a selection that most other schools do not offer.

MTI has opened a brand new facility in midtown Manhattan (near Grand Central Station) with state-of-the-art USP 797 clean room and compounding laboratories,” Keitz said. But, she added, “because of COVID19, we’re starting with hybrid courses online and in-classrooms for labs.”

Courses will start this winter according to Keitz. “Most courses take place in the morning from 9 am to 2 pm, some from 2 pm to 6 pm, and there are even evening and weekend courses.”

The courses usually take a few months. “The idea is that usually in a few months to a year you’ll have a new/improved career so that you can enhance your income potential and future for your family,” said Keitz.

Dialysis Technician, and Home Health Care/Aide.

“We also provide our students with interview training and career counseling/placement,” said Keitz.

With tuition ranging from $600 to $5,000 per course, and the possibility of paying with a credit card or applying for a payment plan, students can start their course with only a few hundred dollars.

“They can pay a couple of hundred dollars every two weeks on a payment plan or we also offer access to private educational loans,” Keitz said.

The only prerequisite to qualify for a certificate program is to have a GED or a high school diploma.

There is room for growth and career enhancement with the many certificate courses at MTI. For example, the Dental Assistant course is the perfect gateway for a student to prepare for and pass the certificate exam, find a paying job as a Dental Assistant and then take a certificate course in Medical Billing & Coding or Clinical Medical Assistant. Many dental offices are looking for employees who are qualified to handle both front office and patient care services.

For more information, please go to their website at: www.mtiofnewyork.com or contact : Medical Training Institute of New York Manhattan Location / Campus Address: 211 East 43rd Street, 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10017 (near Grand Central Terminal) Phone : 212-204-8577 Email : info@mtiofnewyork.com

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FEATURE

VISION TIMES

DEC 31,2021 - JAN 6, 2022 |

A11

(Image: The National Palace Museum)

The

Commoner Who Became a Legendary Chinese

Emperor

Have you heard of Qin Shi Huang, the emperor who united China? How about Kublai Khan, the mighty Mongolian warrior who invaded China and established the Yuan Dynasty? Or perhaps the Qing emperor Kang Xi, the great patron of the arts?

By Tea with Erping

E

ach of these powerful men advanced Chinese civilization in a different period of history, and each came from a ruling family of noble clans, as per China’s dynastic tradition which lasted for thousands of years until the early 20th century.

The great emperor I want to introduce today is a man who lived many centuries earlier, between 2334 and 2234 B.C. He was born with the name Shun (舜). Shun would become known as one of China’s five legendary sage kings. The great historian, Sima Qian, wrote about him in Shiji, or Records of the Grand Historian, so his story is one that future Chinese emperors, like Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Dynasty, Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty, and Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty would all have known.

But Shun began life as a poor peasant.

How did this very ordinary person come to rule all of China?

As a child, Shun lived on a farm with his father, stepmother, and half-brother. In fact, his whole family couldn’t stand their eldest son. They even tried to kill him unsuccessfully on multiple occasions. But despite his abusive family, Shun never stopped being filial to both his parents and was always caring towards his younger half-brother.

He would happily do anything they asked of him. It was said that the family couldn’t kill Shun when they wanted to, yet when they needed him, he was always around.

Shun was an extraordinary person even from a young age. When he was 17, he was driven out of the house and became homeless, so he made a living as a laborer. In fact, wherever he traveled, he proved diligent and resourceful. People liked and respected him. Shun first became an apprentice in a village by the Yellow River that produced pottery. Within a year, he helped improve the standard of pottery for the whole village, and won the admiration of his competitors. The village grew into a thriving city within a few years.

Shun then traveled to a mountain village to farm. Other farms wanted to offer him land. He decided to share the land with others so the whole community could grow crops. At lake Zhe, Shun became a skilled fisher and he quickly learned where the best fishing parts of the river were. But he would always leave those to others, and never took the best spot for himself.

After Shun joined them, the intense infighting among the fishermen stopped.

Miles away, in the capital Pingyang, which would become modern-day Shanxi Province, Emperor Yao, a wise and benevolent ruler, was looking for a successor. He had nine sons, but realized that none of them had the virtue to inherit his throne. So he sent out his ministers to find a worthy candidate who had what it would take to become the next ruler.

Yao’s ministers recommended Shun. After Shun was brought to court, Emperor Yao decided to test him. He let Shun marry his two daughters. Along with a house and dowry, he gave him a district to govern. www.visiontimes.com

Emperor Yao, a wise and benevolent ruler, was looking for a successor. So he sent out his ministers to find a worthy candidate who had what it would take to become the next ruler .

Shun (舜)

A Qing-dynasty depiction of E Huang and Nü Ying, daughters of Emperor Yao who married Shun.

Some legends identify them as goddesses of the Xiang River in today’s Hunan Province, which may have played some role in their testing of Shun’s ability.

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This may sound strange today, but polygamy was normal practice at that time. At 30 years old, you might think Shun had hit the jackpot, but instead of riding off into the sunset to live the good life, he continued to work in the field every day and even convinced the two princesses to join him in living a humble life in the countryside.

Shun’s own family saw his success and became enraged. His half-brother lured him into a barn and tried to burn him alive. On another occasion, Shun’s stepmother asked him to dig a new well for the family, and tried to use it as a trap to bury him alive. But Shun survived, and yet never tried to blame or punish them. Not surprisingly, among the 24 most celebrated Chinese in terms of filial piety, Shun ranks number one.

Towards the end of Emperor Yao’s reign, Sun assumed the role of acting emperor at 50 years old. After three years, he quietly left for home so that Danzhu, Emperor Yao’s son, could govern the country.

But the public demanded Shun to continue taking care of the state affairs. So at 61, he officially became emperor, and arranged compassionately for 39 years.

Do you know why I find the story so interesting? Some ancient rulers in the West also began their lives as peasants. there was Diocletian of Rome, who rose through the ranks of the military and Basil I, the Byzantine emperor who took power through a violent coup.

But Shun’s story is different. It makes me wonder, what makes a good emperor?

Shun’s life shows us the five fundamental relationships in Confucian philosophy: those between ruler and subject, father and son, elder brother and younger brother, husband and wife, friend and friend.

The Chinese philosopher Mencius said: “The great Shun had a still greater delight in what was good. He regarded virtue as the common property of the people.”

In imperial China, people believed the right to rule was granted by Heaven, and that Heaven selected the ruler for his virtue. Mencius commented on Shun’s reign: “The sovereign can present a man to Heaven, but he cannot make Heaven give that man the throne. Yao presented Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him. He presented him to the people, and the people accepted him. Therefore, I say heaven doesn’t speak. It simply indicated its will by his personal conNY

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duct and the conduct of affairs.”

Sima Qian wrote in Records of the Grand Historian that “civilization and kindness in the world started with Shun.”

Before Shun’s death, instead of having his own children take over the seat of power, he passed his throne to Yu, who was famed for controlling the notorious floods of the Yellow River. He later founded the Xia Dynasty.

Shun was a great man and a great emperor, but actually he wasn’t the only Chinese emperor who came from a humble background. There was also Liu Bang, who founded the Han Dynasty, and Zhu Yuanzhang, who founded the Ming Dynasty — both through armed rebellion against the previous dynasties. But neither of them matched Shun in terms of virtue or filial piety.

At the end of the day, Shun is known for his rule of virtue. In the words of Confucius, Shun was a sage of virtue, and thereby an esteemed Son of Heaven. For centuries, the rule of virtue that started with Shun was a timeless golden standard for all emperors and rulers in China, until 1949 when the foreign communist ideology took over the Middle Kingdom.

Historians know that some 80 million innocent lives were lost under the past 70 years of communist rule — more than the victims from both World War I and World War II put together. According to Freedom House, an independent human rights NGO, China ranks among the worst most closed societies in its 2021 “Freedom in the World” report.

In this digital age Chinese people sadly don’t have access to international media outlets and social media platforms. In Western media, we have learned about horrific abuses such as the genocide in Xinjiang, forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners, demolitions of Christian churches, imprisonment of human rights lawyers, and outspoken reporters.

As Confucius said, “Study the past if you would divine the future.” Many Chinese hope that the time for returning to the rule of virtue and to our cultural heritage is long overdue.

It’s widely believed that the open society in Taiwan where traditional culture flourished along with a vibrant democracy should be a successful model for mainland China. Speaking of Taiwan, it’s time for tea break and now I’m going to enjoy my high mountain tea from the treasured island.

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A12 | DEC 31, 2021 - JAN 6, 2022

CULTURE

VISION TIMES (Image: Public domain)

Frankincense and myrrh not only have a rich cultural tradition and a wide range of uses from incense to skin care to traditional medicine.

The Adoration of the Three Kings,Girolamo da Santacroce (Italian, 1480/1485-1556)

Adoration of the Magi,Peter Paul Rubens,1624

The Rich Tradition of Frankincense and Myrrh

Hugo van der Goes, Monforte Altarpiece, C.1470

History

Herbal knowledge of frankincense and myrrh dates back to an Egyptian medical papyrus, the Papyrus Ebers, of 1550 BC. They became standard gifts, along with gold, to honor kings and deities; with frankincense being offered as a perfume or incense, and myrrh as an anointing oil.

In biblical times, the Three Kings presented Christ with these gifts, and in the Old Testament, Moses instructed priests to use Frankincense in the Holy of Holies inside the Ark of the Covenant according to the Jewish tradition.

Frankincense is referred to as the “King of Royal Oils” or “Olibanum.” One may describe its fragrance as the essence of the tree combined into a subtle earthy sweet-smelling nectar.

By Simone Jonker

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rankincense and myrrh, at one time considered as valuable as gold, are still highly popular today in the form of incense and essential oils. These twin aromatic resins are harvested from the spindly Boswellia trees and Commiphora trees of the Burseraceae, or incense, family.

When their bark is cut, incense trees release a fragrant sap which drips down the trunk of the tree, and is collected later after it hardens into drops of resin. (Image: Tribes of the World via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0)

Harvest

Harvesting the sap from incense trees requires splitting of the bark. The tree “weeps” its gummy-tears which flow down the bark. Over the next weeks, the resin solidifies and forms amber, brownish red, white, or even green colored resin which is then collected.

There are five main species in the genus Boswellia which produce resin, yielding a variety of frankincense which are further separated into grades of quality. The milky oleogum is harvested by hand from the bark of the flowering tree after the bark is cut to make the sap flow. While Southern Arabia, Ethiopia, Sudan, and other central African nations all harvest frankincense, Somalia provides close to 82 percent of the world’s frankincense.

While there are approximately 200 species of the genus Commiphora, myrrha is the primary species in the production of myrrh. The myrrh tree produces a milky or watery sap from its papery bark, (also purposefully cut) which forms a fragrant resin called gugal. While this tree is widespread over much of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Somalia, and eastern Ethiopia, it is most commonly found in northern India.

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CULTURE

VISION TIMES Adoration of the Magi, Gentile da Fabriano, 1423

DEC 31,2021 - JAN 6, 2022 |

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In biblical times, the Three Kings presented Christ with these gifts, and in the Old Testament, Moses instructed priests to use Frankincense in the Holy of Holies inside the Ark of the Covenant according to the Jewish tradition.

(Image: Public domain)

Uses

Egyptian physicians were among the first to utilize frankincense as a natural medication to cure tumors, inflammatory diseases, and to treat asthma. Hatshepsut, the Egyptian Queen of the 18th Dynasty, crushed burned frankincense into kohl eyeliner. It was also used, along with myrrh, in embalming mummies. Egyptians imported copious amounts of Frankincense around 3000 BC.

Myrrh has a sweet, soft, and warm fragrance and can be burned as incense to reduce airborne bacteria and to repel insects. TMC classifies myrrh as bitter and spicy. As a “bloodmoving” medicinal, myrrh (mò yào 沒藥) was used to heal wounds, alleviate pain and swelling, and manage menstrual pain.

In addition to its inherent antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antiviral, antispasIn Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), modic, antiparasitic, and antifungal properFrankincense (乳香Ruxiang) is said to move qi, ties, myrrh has also been used to treat eczema, and is used to cure arthritis and even leprosy. athlete’s foot, and minor skin irritation.

The boswellic acid found in frankincense has strong antibacterial properties, useful in main- Medicinally, frankincense and myrrh are taining oral health. It is also highly prized for safe for both internal and external applicaits fragrance, and is commonly used as incense tions. Their combined properties appear to be and to scent soaps, lotions, and beauty prodextraordinarily potent. One study suggested ucts. that, combined with other essential oils, myrrh was “even better at killing the ‘persister’ forms The most therapeutic form of frankincense in of Lyme bacteria than standard Lyme antibithe world is the Sacred Frankincense from the otics.” bark of the boswellia sacra tree. Its white or green resin is known as Royal Hojari Frankincense. Collected high in the mountains of Oman, it is considered the purest type of frankincense and is said to be conducive to meditation and prayer.

Some incense trees are becoming endangered due to overexploitation.

Trade

The Frankincense trade in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa existed for over 5,000 years. Myrrh was a commodity along the “Incense Route” also known by many as “The Golden Road.” Arab desert caravans were the main carriers of frankincense and myrrh to and from South Arabia.

With a growing demand for frankincense, it quickly became one of the world’s most sought-after trade commodities.

Today China is the world’s largest market for frankincense and myrrh, where they are largely prescribed as medicinal treatments, often combined with other herbs and flowers.

F rankincense and myrrh are valuable resins, prized not only for their fragrance, but also as medicinals.

(Image: Adobe Stock)

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The market for essential oils has exploded in recent years, with the industry already valued at more than more than $7 billion in 2018, it is anticipated to quadruple by 2026.

Overharvest dangers

Incense trees in Northern Africa, India, Oman, and Yemen have progressively come under growing strain, owing primarily to overexploitation for their sweet-smelling resin.

Overharvesting trees is prohibited by xeer (ancient law) in Somaliland. According to Anjanette DeCarlo, an ecologist and the director of the Save Frankincense initiative, the trees should be stripped no more than 12 times a year.

Some of Oman’s frankincense trees are legally protected under a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boswellia sacra, one of the prime frankincense species, has been designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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WISDOM

A14 | DEC 31, 2021 - JAN 6, 2022

VISION TIMES (Image: AdobeStocks)

By Ila Bonczek

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good book that stands the test of time does so for a reason. Classic literature offers so much more than just several hours of entertainment. The best books help us to understand humanity, give us insight into other people’s flaws, as well as our own, and inspire us to live morally and courageously, and to treat others with dignity and kindness; universal values which don’t change with time.

In addition, unlike many of our fastpaced, emotionally stimulating novels of today, classics use complex language and sentence structure that not only transports us more thoroughly into the lives of their characters, but also makes us exercise our brains and focus. They frequently address issues of the times, both philosophically and politically, which can be remarkably relevant to current events.

Enhance your communication and social skills Communication is key in so much of our daily lives, and poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and failed relations. Reading the classics is a natural way to improve communication skills, as the characters’ conversations are often excellent examples of fine dialogue. Their clearly articulated feelings and wishes show us the potential for improvement in our own use of words.

The mature and rational way that problems are resolved in the classics, or even the feuds that result over miscommunication both give us guidance in how to con-

duct ourselves with others. Honorable and kind interactions always prove to be more successful than offensive and angry words.

Studies have shown that readers of quality fiction have greater social cognition.

Reading the classics helps us relate to others. We come to recognize a wide range of thoughts and feelings exhibited in their varied and colorful characters, resulting in the essential quality of empathy. A person who is empathetic is easy to get along with, kind, and patient. It is a quality that serves to improve all our relationships as well as our role in society.

George Eliot’s Adam Bede

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Improve your intellect While the length of some classics may appear daunting, the content is captivating, and each of those pages is filled with valuable learning material. You’ll encounter new words to add to your vocabulary, which will bring better comprehension of more complicated reading material.

Reading material that takes more attention and more time also increases your attention span. Jenny Phillips, a mother disappointed in her own children’s reading material, founded ‘The Good and the Beautiful,’ a valuable resource for parents seeking wholesome and enriching classics

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Adam Bede

for children. In her video How Books Have Changed, she compared the first five sentences of best selling classics from 1877, with best sellers in 2019.

While the classics were rich in figurative language, broad in vocabulary, and boasted a complex sentence structure, exceeding 20 to 30 words per sentence; the modern best sellers lacked all of the above, with the first five sentences in total using only 20 to 30 words. In a sense, our modern literature has been “dumbed down.”

Fortunately, we still have many classics that can stimulate our intellect; we just need to pick them up.

George Eliot

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Broaden your horizons Classics naturally stem from an earlier time period, and many were written in a foreign language; they give us rich context to another culture. Fine details of scenery and customs that you might miss even if you were there, are layed out on a page for you to savor and devour. Chinese classics like Wu Cheng’en’s Journey to the West and Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms sweep us into the powerful myths of ancient and exotic China.

Simply because of their age, the classics give a valuable vignette of history in a manner that is easy-to-digest. Just following the characters’ daily lives and chal-

lenges in fine and beautiful language can plant a picture of the past like no other format. Novels like Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Maddening Crowd, and George Elliot’s Adam Bede bring the trials of rural Old England to life with exquisite charm and poignancy.

Thinking and discussions at various levels of society from the past can also give us insight into the social issues of today.

Books like Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot are set in times of social unrest, and provide important background regarding class struggles and the emergence of Communism.

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Discover your inner fortitude, faith, and faults Sometimes it’s easier to see yourself in others. While television’s and films’ visual portrayal of characters can be strong and memorable, descriptive writing allows us to reflect more deeply on specific character traits, and consider how they are viewed by others.

Charles Dickens and Jane Austin, in particular, had a talent for poking fun at the absurdities in their flawed characters.

Finding any of those traits in ourselves would certainly prompt us to be more mindful of our own words and actions.

Characters overcoming hardships, on the other hand, can be inspiring and motivational. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, the protagonists face an overwhelming societal wrong, yet cling to their moral beliefs to do what is right; reminding us how important it is for one to maintain his moral compass in the face of evil, regardless of the outcome.

Works like Nathanial Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, and Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles feature main characters www.visiontimes.com

who face their inner turmoil with incredible forbearance, recalling the importance of a strong mind, even if the body is weak.

Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace may be the longest and strongest piece of literature you would ever care to read. With a wide array of complicated characters and several interrelated plots, faith and spiritual enlightenment are among the many weighty topics addressed. Selfishness, indulgence, doubt, and fear are all overcome, as the characters find courage, faith, and unconditional love. Aside from a largely accurate historical account of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia, War and Peace offers a rich and satisfying taste of Russian culture and beliefs.

Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is the quintessential selfless character. Facing one hardship after another in her youth, always striving to be better, and finally finding true happiness in love, Jane relinquishes everything because of her moral beliefs. Bitter sweet is her reward, but she does not regret her actions.

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Wholesome entertainment for your children Books like Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis, and other classic children’s stories are better choices than much of today’s literature meant for kids. They build a moral standard, rather than degrade it, guiding our youth to become upstanding, respectful and hardworking adults.

In her comparison of classics versus modern literature, Jenny Phillips charted the reduction of moral lessons in books from 1810 to 1950. In 150 years of literature, the number of pages out of 25 that emphasized a moral lesson dropped from 16.1 to .6. Today’s popular books often focus on humor that is unkind or disrespectful to others, while the classics give 212-730-6963

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valuable life lessons.

Wholesome and ethical literature for our children can help them resist the myriad of temptations in this increasingly ego-centric world; teaching them to be responsible to themselves and others, and to follow their consciences, rather than their whims. For Jenny’s recommended reading, spanning all ages of young readers, visit her Good and Beautiful website.

The best thing about the classics is that they never get “old.” You can read them again and again, finding new details and richer meaning with each read. So pick up a classic today, even if you have read it already; it is worthy of your time and will bring benefits beyond what you imagine.

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WELLNESS

VISION TIMES

DEC 31,2021 - JAN 6, 2022 |

A15

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Turmeric the Golden Superfood That Can Be Grown at Home

By Ila Bonczek

I

f you are unclear about herbs and spices, the thing to remember is that herbs generally come from the herbaceous (leafy green) part of plants, while spices come from nearly all the other parts.

Turmeric has been used as a cooking spice for thousands of years. Cooking pots dating back 2,500 years ago have been discovered with the residue of turmeric, ginger, and garlic.

Turmeric’s medicinal value has also long been recognized by Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine. With increasing interest in natural medicines, the spice has recently gained wide popularity.

More and more people are seeing the advantage of natural products in that they are not only effective, but also safe, as therapeutic doses are far below the toxic levels found in chemical medicinals.

Curcuma zanthorrhiza, Javanese or ‘false’ turmeric, is another indigenous species of the same genus which should not be confused with this species. Also growing in Indonesia and Malaysia, it is a much larger plant and has different properties.

Why Grow Turmeric ?

Besides the obvious fact that plants are a joy to cultivate and care for, and can be quiet companions while still making a bold statement, there are still further reasons to grow turmeric. Although www.visiontimes.com

the spice is readily available in dry form, the fresh root will lend a stronger flavor to your cooking, and also enhance its many health benefits, which we will briefly enumerate here.

The compound curcumin found in turmeric is responsible for both the vibrant yellow color, and the spice’s powerful medicinal properties.

Curcumin is a well-known antiinflammatory. While inflammation can be a good sign that your body is fighting off an infection, when it becomes chronic it has a negative impact on other health concerns. Consuming turmeric can therefore be beneficial in alleviating painful inflammation and also in the treatment of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and arthritis, where inflammation is undesirable.

One of the most powerful antioxidants, curcumin works on the molecular level to kill various cancer cells and reduce the growth and spread of tumors. It is also known to boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the brain, stimulating the growth of neurons and thereby reducing degenerative brain functions. This may contribute to its usefulness in treating Alzheimer’s, and also depression. One study suggested that curcumin performed as well as Prozac in treating depression.

A valuable tissue healer, it is also effective in treating inflammatory bowel disease and cancers of the colon, stomach, lung, breast, and skin. According to Ayurvedic medicine, inhaling the smoke

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Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a member of the Ginger (Zingiberaceae) family of plants, which produce a flavorful rhizome that grows underground. Grown in southern India, this flowering plant is also called Indian Saffron, and the spice is consumed in large quantities by the Indian nation, being used generously in Indian curries.

of burning turmeric will alleviate congestion and may help heal wounds and bruises. Acute skin conditions like chickenpox and shingles respond well to turmeric paste.

How to Grow Turmeric

Turmeric is a broad-leaf shrub that will grow to a height of about three feet. While the tropical plant does best in USDA planting zones 8 and above, it can also be grown indoors in cooler areas as long as you have ample space by a sunny window.

Harvesting turmeric should be done when the stems and leaves begin to wither and brown.

The easiest way to start new plants is from rhizome cuttings.

Allow two to three buds per cutting, and lay the pieces flat on a bed of about two inches of soil.

Add enough soil to cover the cuttings, water, and cover the container with a clear lid or place the whole thing in a plastic bag. This will create a greenhouse effect, and keep your nursery uniformly

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moist. Place the container in a sunny window or another warm place, as insufficient heat can cause the cuttings to rot.

Shoots should sprout from the buds in approximately three weeks. If you live in a warm climate, you can plant your sprouted turmeric out in a sunny area of your garden as soon as the nights are no longer cool. Partial shade at midday is preferable, as the plants do not like intense sun.

If you live in a cooler climate, you will need to keep your plants in a container indoors, and move them outside only after all danger of frost has passed. Planting containers should be broad and fairly shallow, no more than 8 inches deep, as most of the growing takes place near the surface. Fill the planter with rich potting soil, and place the sprouted rhizome pieces horizontally (with sprouts facing up) in shallow holes, about one and a half inches deep. Water well, but allow the soil to dry in between waterings.

If growing indoors, you will want to avoid the problem of fungus gnats or other insects breeding in your soil. Sprinkling diatomaceous earth on the surface is a safe and simple preventative measure against this.

Harvest and Enjoy

During the next several months, you should see quick growth into a bushy plant which will produce spiky flower stalks. Seven to ten months after planting, the leaves and stem will begin to brown and ad.ny@visiontimes.com

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wither. At this time, all the energy is focused in the root, or rhizome, and you should harvest your turmeric.

If your turmeric is planted in the ground, use a digging fork to loosen the soil around the perimeter and slowly work your way inward, carefully lifting the roots out as you see them. If they are in pots, rather than digging, and risking potential damage to your crop, dump the whole container out, gently, on the ground.

Shake off any loose soil and snip off the dying plant mass, leaving just under an inch of stem to form a sealing scar.

Wash your crop and allow it to dry before storing. At room temperature turmeric will stay fresh for a few weeks. If kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator they will last up to six months. Now you can begin your adventures in using fresh turmeric.

After peeling, the rhizomes can be grated and used to enhance many dishes. Rice, lentils, eggs, chicken, and most vegetables are well suited to this spice. It is worth noting that Curcumin on its own is difficult to absorb. To get the full benefits of this compound, turmeric should be consumed with both black pepper, and fat…

Thus the rich spicy Indian curries.

Sliced, fresh turmeric can also be used in soups and herbal teas.

Experimenting with your harvest will bring an additional benefit, the joy of discovery!

Don’t forget to save some nice, sound rhizomes to start next year’s plants.

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LIFESTYLE

A16 | DEC 31, 2021 - JAN 6, 2022

VISION TIMES

Understanding Aromatherapy:

Why

Smells

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Mood, and More

By Ila Bonczek

Many people may see aromatherapy as a mystical practice with little scientific basis. In fact, the use of aromatic plants dates back to antiquity, and is frequently mentioned in spiritual texts. People have been researching the practice scientifically for nearly two centuries, and it is now considered a branch of medicine.

W

hile it may make sense on an intuitive level that scents can be uplifting and healing, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly why this is true. A brief look at the history of aromatherapy and the scientific studies that ensued will help shed some light on the subject.

History of aromatherapy

Although aromatherapy only recently became recognized as a full-fledged branch of medicine, the practice of using aromatics goes back as far as 3500 BC. Several old world countries have employed plants and their extracts in medicine, religious rituals, and perfumery for thousands of years.

A French perfume maker sparked interest in essential oils in 1830, which quickly led to scientific studies measuring their medicinal properties.

By 1887, Charles Chamberland, an assistant to Louis Pasteur, was studying the antiseptic properties of aromatic essential oils like oregano, clove and cinnamon for the treatment of Anthrax, a rare but serious bacterial disease.

René-Maurice Gattefossé, a chemical engineer from Lyon, published many studies on what he termed “aromatherapy” after recovering from severe burns resulting from a lab incident through treatment with pure lavender oil in 1910.

Aromatic oils from India, 48 samples, Great Exhibition in London, 1851, on display in the Technical Museum, Stockholm, Sweden.

(Image: Daderot via Wikimedia Commons Public domain)

In 1929, French pharmacist Sévelinge discovered the antibacterial properties of certain aromatics, and by the 1950s they were being used to treat injured soldiers. Today’s classification considering plants’ unique chemical compounds was brought about by Pierre Franchomme in 1975. The pharmacologist/aromatologist introduced the idea “chemotype” as a way of identifying plants according to their chemical properties.

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Aromatherapy not only works through inhalation, but also absorption.

Lotions, body washes, massage oils, and the like can introduce essential oils into your skin.

Aromatherapy today

Aromatherapy has been viewed as both an art and a science, according to Healthline. For thousands of years, humankind has been using aromatherapy through resins, balms and essential oils for religious and medical purposes. It is said to heal the body, mind and spirit. The National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) describes the art as “the therapeutic application or the medicinal use of aromatic substances (essential oils) for holistic healing.”

Essential oils, as defined by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in 1997, are products “obtained from vegetable raw material, either by distillation with water or steam, or from the epicarp of citrus fruits by a mechanical process, or by dry distillation.”

Studies have shown that aromatherapy can help manage pain, improve sleep quality and digestion, reduce stress or anxieties, soothe aching joints and headaches or migraines, lessen the side effects of chemotherapy, fight bacteria or viruses, and boost immunity.

Conditions reported to be healable through aromatherapy include asthma, insomnia, fatigue, depression, inflammation, menstrual issues, and cancer. Aromatherapy may also provide relief in some cases of psoriasis, but should be used under the advice of a health professional.

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How aromatherapy works

While antibacterial, antiseptic, and other medicinal properties can be measured scientifically, the issue of aroma is a bit more mysterious. It appears that scents may affect individuals differently, depending on how they were first exposed to them. According to Harvard professor Venkatesh Murthy, smell and memory are inseparably linked due to the brain’s anatomy.

When we breathe in aromatic odors, the molecules are picked up by olfactory cells, which are designed with tiny hairs that can specifically detect a particular smell. The messages then travel up the limbic system, the part of the brain connected to emotion and associative learning. In fact, our sense of smell is the only one of our five senses that is linked with emotion. For this reason, different smells conjure up different feelings for each individual.

To Be Continued

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