VOICE OF ASIA 1
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
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Indian American couple’s death in apparent murdersuicide shocks community
US urges Pakistan to punish those behind Kashmir attack
W
ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 2/19/2019 - The United States threw its support behind India on Tuesday and pressed Pakistan to punish those behind a suicide attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian security personnel. "We have been in close communication with the government of India to express not only our condolences but our strong support for India as it confronts this terrorism," deputy State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters. "We urge Pakistan to fully cooperate with the investigation into the attack and to punish anyone responsible." Continued on Page 12
Indian Americans Sreenivas Nakirekanti and his wife Shanti were found dead Feb. 18 morning in their Sugar Land, Texas home. Police are investigating the case as a murder suicide. by Shobana Muratee
S
UGAR LAND, TX (February 18, 2019) – The news of the Indian American couple’s death in an apparent murdersuicide at their home in Sugar Land has left the community here in deep shock as friends and family are still looking for answers. On Monday morning, the police were called to the house in Sugar Land at 6 a.m. where they reported to have found
two bodies identified as Sreenivas Nakirekanti, 51, and his wife, 46-year-old Shanti Nakirekanti. They found the body of Shanti in the driveway of the home with a gunshot wound to her head. Her husband's body was found in the bedroom of the house with a gunshot wound in the chest and a small handgun nearby. A preliminary Continued on Page 2
Saudi prince agrees to step up anti-terror 'pressure' with India Read report on Page 10
The crown prince's trip comes amid anger in India over a deadly militant attack in Kashmir that New Delhi has blamed on Islamabad, a key Riyadh ally. AFP Photo.
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by Alyssa Ayres
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Editor Online: Shobana Muratee Marketing Director: Susan Pothanikat All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher. Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol.com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com. It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. Although paid advertisements may appear in Voice of Asia Group Publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, the Voice of Asia Group does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement.
suicide bomber drove a vehicle filled with explosives into an Indian paramilitary convoy in Pulwama, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, on February 14. The death toll is at least 40, making it the largest attack in Kashmir in three decades. A Pakistan-based terrorist group, Jaish-e-Muhammad, claimed responsibility through a video released shortly after. That this terrorist group, nominally banned, remains at large in Pakistan illustrates the limitations on US foreign policy tools. It also means the US should put even more pressure on Pakistan, after President Trump began his time in office taking a harder line. A year ago, the Trump administration suspended security assistance to Pakistan as punishment for the country's hosting of terrorist groups that attack Afghanistan. But Pakistan still allows internationally designated terrorists to operate openly and plot attacks on its neighbors, according to the US, India and independent experts. This spells bad news not only for India-Pakistan relations, already at a low and about to sink further, but also for security in South Asia more generally—especially with a negotiation process underway on the US presence in Afghanistan. The resurgence of the nearly two-decade-old Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) is frightening. The United States and the UN Security Council designated it as a terrorist organization in 2001. In December 2001 JeM attacked the Indian parliament and raised fears of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan. Its Pakistani leader, Maulana Masood Azhar, founded the group in 2000 after his release from Indian prison in a deal that included around 150 hostages in an Indian Airlines plane hijacked to Taliban-controlled Kandahar the previous year. (One of Mr. Azhar's fellow releasees, Ahmed Omar Saeed Shaikh, lured Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl to his murder in 2002.)
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By Chandra K. Mittal, Ph.D.
Continued from Page 1 investigation indicated that Sreenivas Nakirekanti shot and killed his wife Shanti, and then turned the gun on himself. The couple's 16-year-old daughter was home at the time of the shooting but was not injured. The couple’s 21-yearold son, a student at University of Texas, was not home at the time. "The two fatalities fit the scenario of a murder-suicide. This case is still under investigation," said the Sugar Land Police Department (SLDP) in a press statement. "There is no danger to residents and SLPD is not looking for any suspects," it added. The police also told friends who had received an email from Sreenivas Nakirekanti that day not to share the details of the message. Close friends and family have since been taking care of the two children and said that there has been an overwhelming outpour of support from the local Indian American community as well from all over the United States, and even from India. Dr. Ramesh Cheriviralla is among the close friends that have jumped into action taking care of children and final arrangements. He informed this reporter that Shanti’s sister and her husband have flown down with family to be with the couple’s children and to help
arrange the final services, to be held in Houston. Family members and relatives from out of town and overseas (India) will be flying in to attend the services. Dr. Cherivirala said that it was very comforting when Surender Adhana, the Deputy & Acting Consul General of India, in Houston assured them that he would be coordinating with the family to make it easier for the formalities. Sreenivas Nakirekanti was a director at an energy company in Houston and his wife was a computer programmer. Sreenivas was an active member of the Indian American community and was the founding member of Sri Vasavi Association of Houston (SVAH). He also served as the Treasurer for the Indo-American Charity Foundation (IACF) and was to head the organization this year. Friends informed this reporter that Shanti is survived by her parents and sister who lives in Detroit, Michigan, and Srinivas is survived by his parents and sister who lives in India. His parents are devastated as Srinivas’ brother had passed away in India just two years ago. Details of final services will be provided soon. Meanwhile prayers to provide strength to children and family to cope with their loss are appreciated and privacy of their personal matters is requested.
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A lesson from the Kashmir bombing: America needs to get tougher on Pakistan Kashmir attack: India says Pakistan had 'direct hand' in deadly convoy strike Kashmir attack: India says Pakistan had 'direct hand' in deadly convoy strike Pakistani authorities over the years have "cracked down" on Jaish-e-Muhammad by holding Azhar under house arrest at various times, only to release him later—revealing Pakistan's dubious commitment to seriously addressing extremist groups. The group has grown more active in recent years. India holds it responsible for attacking an air force base in Pathankot, India, in January 2016, and Pakistan arrested Azhar over the incident, though he was later released. Then, in September 2016, the group attacked an Indian Army base in Uri, in a remote part of Jammu and Kashmir, killing 19 soldiers. The Uri attack culminated a series of terrorist incidents and raised tensions significantly. It led Indian forces to mount a "surgical strike" across the Line of Control, the cease-fire line between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, to preempt yet another cross-border attack from Pakistan. India has suspended dialogue with Pakistan without clear action against these terrorist groups. What's more, with national elections looming in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces enormous pressure to at minimum respond as he did with Uri. He has already tweeted that a "befitting reply will be given" to the attackers. It has been hard for the United States to identify the right combination of policies that would compel Pakistan to act further against terrorists. The Obama administration, by the end of its time in office, began restricting security assistance and designated more terrorist entities and individuals in an
effort to get Pakistan to step up against the variety of terrorists operating on its soil. In 2016, after the Uri attack, US National Security Advisor Susan Rice condemned the violence and singled out Pakistan's responsibility to "take effective action" against JeM and other terrorist groups there. The Trump administration has taken a harder line on Pakistan—but the strategy has yet to pan out, and the administration would do well to go further. Within a year of taking office the Trump administration cut off security aid to Pakistan. On January 1, 2018, the president tweeted that Pakistan had given nothing but "lies and deceit" and was harboring terrorists despite receiving billions in US assistance. Days later, the administration suspended all security assistance to Pakistan, pending the country's "decisive action" against terrorist groups. Last June, an international group formed to coordinate on counter-terrorist financing and money laundering, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), placed Pakistan on a "gray list" and ordered it to "address its strategic counterterrorist financing-related deficiencies" if it wanted to remain part of international financial networks. Yet a year on, it's hard to argue that cutting off the security funding has been enough. Hafiz Saeed, a terrorist on numerous US and UN designation lists, continues to hold large public rallies about Kashmir in Pakistan, and even tried to register a political party last year. Terrorist-linked and other militant candidates ran for office in the country's national elections of July 2018. An investigative report from India last summer found that Jaish had vastly expanded
its headquarters facility. To put it mildly, none of this looks like decisive steps to rein in terror, as Pakistan claims. The Trump administration has further policy tools it could employ. Options include revoking Pakistan's Major NonNATO Ally status, banning specific individuals from travel to the US, refusing to support an International Monetary Fund bailout, blacklisting (not just graylisting) on the FATF or attempting once again to secure the individual designation of Jaish-e-Muhammad head Masood Azhar on UN Security Council sanctions lists. (China has blocked Security Council efforts in the past.) The Trump administration will also undoubtedly weigh the effect of applying greater pressure on Pakistan at a time it is trying to negotiate—with Pakistan's help—an end to the US presence in Afghanistan. But increasing pressure on Pakistan is the right thing to do now. Pakistan has refused to take responsible action against terrorists within its borders, failing its obligations under UN Security Council sanctions. Its refusal to do so is singularly damaging to regional security. Terrorist attacks have disrupted every attempt at peace between India and Pakistan, and Pakistan-based terrorists remain a threat to peace in Afghanistan. (Remember, it's the Taliban who negotiated the release of JeM founder Azhar back in 1999.) In this context, an exit from Afghanistan that doesn't risk decline into instability has to include sustained, verifiable action from Pakistan against terrorism. This is precisely why further pressure from Washington and other capitals on Pakistan is so important: The provocation originates there. To maintain peace in this crucial region, it should be stopped there. - CNN
Declaration of National Emergency on US-Mexican Border: An Ineffective Political Maneuver by Donald Trump to Pacify Conservatives
— The Publisher
Indian American couple’s death in apparent murder-suicide ......
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
W
hile there are no real limits to trickery and manipulation in the sport of politics, President Donald Trump reached a new crescendo in political theatrics last week with his declaration of National Emergency, albeit a naïve and risky one, while he accepted in toto the FY2019 Consolidated Appropriations Bill passed by both chambers of Congress with scarce funding for the signature item of the President, the Border Wall on the Southern US-Mexico Border. In essence, Trump signed the bill into law with one hand while covering his nose with the other and knowing well that conservative will not like his action. So, for both theatric and optic purpose Donald Trump coupled the Bill signing ritual with the declaration of National Emergency at the Southern border with Mexico. His demeanor appeared hesitant and lacked confidence as was apparent from his statement “I didn’t have to do it” but I will do it, which totally undercut his rational for the national emergency declaration. In addition, his uncharacteristic blabbering about the disapproval and foreseeable negative action by Congressional Democrats against his emergency declaration or court challenges that may lie ahead, etc. provided a clear clue that he feared a backlash from his conservative base, and might have entered in the “political risk zone” with his base for Election 2020. On their part, not to be run over by Democrats or moderate Republicans who supported the 2019 Appropriation Bill, the frustrated conservatives had a convulsive response to President Trump succumbing to the Democrat’s Congressional actions. They also feeling betrayed by their own man, US Senate Leader
Mitch McConnell, whom they blame for giving into the demands of the Democrats who are traditionally sympathetic to illegal immigrants from the US-Mexico border. Many of the influential conservative Talk Radio hosts such as Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh, etc. criticize President Trump’s decision to sign the bill that will fund several measures to make it more comfortable for the illegal immigrants, which, in their judgement will encourage more illegal immigration into the United States on the Southern border. Laura Ingraham tweeted [This bill is tantamount to an illegal immigration “stimulus” – de facto amnesty to any “sponsor” family member or “potential sponsor” of an unaccompanied minor. #ChainMigrationAmnesty] But prominent Republicans in the Senate like Senator Mitch MCConnell, Charles Grassley and others, having been cornered by the Democrats and specter of another Government shutdown, just could not take it anymore, and urged with President for signing the 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Bill along with national emergency declaration or some other type of executive action along with
would blunt whatever blowback the President receives from conservatives. Ironically, though, it was Mitch McConnell who, in the beginning, was urging President Donald Trump not to declare National Emergency as it would set a bad precedence which Democrats who could use the same in the future to ban guns or force climate-related rules by executive order. But, in the end, it turned out to be the political survival of the Republicans in the 2020n elections that forced Donald Trump action on the bill. In reality, however, the declaration of National Emergency on the Southern Border by President Trump has not at all pacified the Right or the Conservatives who are feeling totally betrayed by Donald Trump as was aptly reflected in a statement by the conservative columnist Ann Coulter to a radio show, “The only national emergency is that our President is an idiot”. Venting of such sentiments will certainly weigh in President’s future actions with his eyes on 2020 election. Thus, today President Trump stands between the “rock and a hard place” as he sees Democrats toppling his 2016 election promise to build the “beautiful Border Wall”
on the US-Mexico border as he used to say, and the Republicans who are unable to rescue him. Indeed dream of the wall may have just crashed beyond retrieval multiple challenges lie ahead. Before even US Congress takes up the disapproval bill against the National Emergency, several State governments have already filed lawsuits in Federal courts to prevent President from repurposing the Congress-approved funds. In the end, it is the victory of the US Constitution, where Congress’s “power of the purse” prevailed over the “will and whims” of the President. Regardless of the political party, Constitution is too sacred to be violated for the sake of any political interest or constituency. Today, it was Republican interest that got hurt, tomorrow it will be some Democrat’s preference that will not prevail. But finally, what will count is the supremacy of the US Constitution because without it, there will be no United States of America. So, let us celebrate it. Dr. Chandra Mittal is Professor at Houston Community College, Op-Ed Columnist, and Co-Founder of IndoAmerican Association (IAA)Houston. He can be reached at drckmittal@yahoo.com
VOICE OF ASIA 3
Section 1
Community Email: voiceasia@aol.com
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Tel: 713-774-5140
Local Houston business rais- Indian diaspora mourns the es money to rebuild home de- killing of 40 soldiers in India stroyed by Hurricane Harvey
H
OUSTON, February 2019 - The nonprofit organization Sewa International partnered with Elita Caldwell, the owner of the Friendswood, TX store The Funky Monkey, and her husband, Clay Caldwell, to raise money to rebuild the home of Cindy and (insert name), the owners of Linda’s Donuts. Cindy and (insert name)’s home was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, but due to lack of financial resourc- Elita Caldwell, the owner of the Friendswood, TX store The Funky Monkey and es they’ve been un- her husband, Clay Caldwell, with Sewa representatives able to rebuild it. To help their recovery process, The Caldwells and ful online fundraiser for the met Achalesh Amar, the Sewa Sewa initiated a Facebook funcause. Houston coordinator for disasdraiser campaign called “Love ter relief. Elita then decided for Linda’s Donuts.” In total that an online fundraiser would the campaign raised $16,190, “We always tell her that she be the best way she could help all to be used to help rebuild has the greatest donut holes get Cinday and (name) back the home of Cindy and (insert and she says, ‘it’s because I fill into their home. name). The money raised prothem with love,’ and that’s ex“One of the things that I just vides Cindy and (insert name) actly what it is. Their little doreally liked about (Sewa) was with the money they needed to nut shop doesn’t make enough contribute in order to receive to barely keep the lights on that it wasn’t necessarily a reliRed Cross funding that will and they work 16 to 18 hours a gious affiliation, it was literally cover the remainder of the reday just trying to keep it afloat people helping people. I underbuild expenses. and just couldn’t catch a break stand that it’s a Hindu organiat all, so this is the break that zation but that was one of the A longtime customer of things that I really just loved they needed,” said Elita. Linda’s Donuts, when Elita about this organization - it was learned about the situation of After talking to Cindy and about serving people on the Cindy and (insert name), she (name) about ways she could ground, right here,” said Elita. felt compelled to do whatever help, Elita learned about Sewa Sewa International USA is possible to help them. As the International and the workowner of the store The Funky ing it’s been doing to help a Hindu faith-based 501(c)(3) Monkey with a large online other families in the area that nonprofit organization. Lofollowing and with experience lost their homes during Hur- cal Houston projects include in Facebook marketing, Elita ricane Harvey. Through fur- disaster relief, education and felt she could run a successther communication, Elita family services. To learn more, visit: www.sewausa.org
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Rituals Performed: Sreemantham, Punyahavachanam, Namakaranam, Annaprashanam, Vidyarambham, Choulam, Upanayanam, Wedding, Sathya narayana puja, and all kind of Homas (Havans) and more. I can drive to your place. More than 30 years of experience as Priest in major temples including Sri Meenakshi Temple Pearland, TX. Can speak 5 languages (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English)
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by Manu Shah ndians around the globe mourned the killing of 40 CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawans in a deadly terror attack in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. A sports utility vehicle laden with a huge quantity of explosives targeted the convoy of 78 buses carrying about 2,500 soldiers from Jammu to Srinagar. A mixture of shock, outrage and sorrow prevailed in equal measure at the highest toll of security forces in any attack in the State Following the news, Hindus of Greater Houston reached out to all Hindu organizations and temples in Houston, The Woodlands, Pearland, Stafford and other cities to urge them to hold prayer meetings for the souls of those who had lost their lives, their devastated families and the speedy recovery of the wounded. While many temples held their prayer meetings on the weekend, others have planned for prayers during the week and the following week. In Stafford, Mayor Leonard Scarcella and other council members joined Indian Americans at the BAPS temple to pay homage. The Vedic prayers were led by Sadhu Shwet Munidas. For the past two days, the temple has been lit up with the colors of the Indian national flag. BAPS India has donated one crore rupees to the families of those who died and are injured, stated BAPS Public Relations volunteer Ashwin Dave. The Sri Meenakshi Temple Society held an Athma Shanthi Pooja on Sunday February 17th at the main temple. The Pooja was conducted by the priests of the temple at all the four main sanctums, followed
I
Acharya Suryanarayana Nanda recitng shlokas in Sanskrit by the recitation of Santhi Manthram, and observation of silence. MTS Chairperson Dr. Padmini Nathan addressed the group and Past Chairman Venugopal Menon offered a short account of the incident. An ex-captain and doctor in the Indian army, he could “relate to the tragedy from a personal perspective.” The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh’s seven shakhas in Houston also observed two minutes of silence followed by a brief explanation of the deadly attack, said HSS’s Executive Director Houston Chapter Arun Sharma. A special program with arati and simple dinner was organized by the Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir led by their priests Prakash Adhvaryu and Hardik Raval. Rajan Bhatia, administrator of the temple said $10,000 have been collected by the members of the temple to send to the families of the jawans who were killed.
Arya Samaj of Houston held the Shradhanjali program on Sunday, February 17th. Acharya Suryanarayana Nanda recited shlokas in Sanskrit and explained their meaning after which everyone observed a two minute silence. Joining others throughout the world, members of The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands held a moment of silence honoring the fallen ones, their families and loved ones. The moment of silence was held on Sunday, February 17, at the temple following the Siva Abhishekam according to Beth Kulkarni, one of the temple founders. Hindus of Greater Houston will join with India Culture Center and other organizations such as IAPAC, IMAGH, IACF, IACCGH, and India House for a special prayer meeting to pay tribute to the martyred soldiers. Everyone is requested to join in this "Shradhanjali" on Wednesday, Feb. 20th at 6:30-7:30 pm at India House, 8888 W Belfort Ave, Houston, TX 77031.
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VOICE OF ASIA 4
Special Prayers at Sri Meenakshi Temple to the Victims of Jammu Kashmir Pulwama district in India"
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Houston's Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir founder 'Mataji', passes away at 86
M
rs. Lakshmi Ben Thakkar, belovedly known as Mataji, passed away on Thursday, February 14th, 2019 at the age of 86, leaving behind several Houstonians at loss of a great personality. She was the founder and served as the Chairman of Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir in Houston, Texas, till her health started deteriorating a couple of years back.
Organizers Venugopal Menon, Padmini Nathanand Dr. Kamala adressing the gathering.
Indian Americans gathered at the temple o offer prayers for the fallen soldiers.
S
ri Meenakshi Temple organized an 'Athma Santhi Pooja' at 4 pm on Sunday, honoring and praying for the lost lives of the 44 CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) Indian Army personnel martyred in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on the 14th of February. The pooja was conducted by the priests at all the four main sanctums, followed by recitation of Santhi Manthram, and observation of silence to a gathering of about fifty people. Padmini Nathan spoke to the group expressing sadness and sympathy for the soldiers and their bereaving families. Venugopal Menon gave a brief elaboration on how the attack was carried out by an explosive-laden SUV that rammed into a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying about 2500 soldiers. In addition to
'Athma Santhi Pooja'being performed by the MTS priests the 44 who were killed scores of others were injured. It was estimated that there were 350 kgms of explosives in the truck that crashed into and was driven by a local Kashmiri, Adil Ahmad and according to
PTI, Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack. India government has sternly warned the perpetrators and assured to take the necessary action against the heinous massacre."
Harris County Flood Control District receives federal grant award letter for stormwater tunnel feasibility study
H
arris County Flood Control District has received an award letter from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) in connection with a $400,000 feasibility investigation of large-diameter, deep underground stormwater conveyance tunnels. Once Harris County Commissioners Court has accepted the $320,000 grant - to be matched by $80,000 in local funds provided through the 2018 Bond Program - the fourmonth investigation is expected to get underway in 2019. It will assess the potential for stormwater tunnels to help drain or increase the capacity of existing bayous and drainage channels in Harris County. The feasibility investigation will include a review of soil and groundwater conditions, as well as other geotechnical, geological and environmental assessments. Developing better cost information for tunnel construction in our area, based on these preliminary findings, will be part of this study. A feasibility study is an early step in the lifecycle of a flood damage reduction project. In the case of the Stormwater Tunnel Feasibility Study, the study would examine whether this technology is even possible in our area, which is characterized by soft soils and a high groundwater table. We will be
looking at our soil and water table conditions and compare those to the technology that exists in the tunnel construction industry to ensure there is a fit. If the use of tunnels is found to be feasible, future efforts could examine potential tunnel routes, complete hydraulic analyses to determine the required tunnel diameters, and determine proposed inlet and outlet shaft locations. In this concept, tunnels would collect stormwater at upstream locations along the bayous, convey the stormwater downstream via gravity in deep underground tunnels measuring 20 feet or more in diameter, and discharge the stormwater into the Houston Ship Channel at a safe location. The goal would be to significantly reduce flood risks in Harris County watersheds where tunnels could be constructed. The grant comes via an EDA grant program in connection with the 2017 Hurricane Harvey presidential Disaster Declaration. The grant could be submitted to Commissioners Court for authorization to accept as early as the February 26 meeting. While costly, tunnels have been employed to carry stormwater in other locations in
Texas and nationwide as an alternative to traditional stormwater conveyance improvement projects. Tunnels can utilize existing public rightsof-way - such as roadway corridors - and with relatively little disruption to developed urban areas, which helps to reduce cost. Cost per mile may vary widely - between roughly $40 million and $163 million per mile for projects in San Antonio, Dallas and Austin - depending on soil conditions and other factors. Tunnels typically are constructed using tunnel boring machines, at a depth of from 100 to 150 feet. The 2018 Bond Program includes a total of $20 million for preliminary engineering in connection with the tunnel concept. About The Harris County Flood Control District The Harris County Flood Control District provides flood damage reduction projects that work, with appropriate regard for community and natural values. With more than 1,500 bayous and creeks totaling approximately 2,500 miles in length, the Flood Control District accomplishes its mission by devising flood damage reduction plans, implementing the plans and maintaining the infrastructure. To learn more about the Flood Control District, visit www.hcfcd.org.
Many Houstonians know her for her kindness, giving nature and her magical charm in getting social service activities done in an effective manner. Born on October 6th, 1933 in Gujarat, India, Mataji came to the United States with her family in 1976. Despite her limited education, she was instrumental in building a strong family without sound financial foundation. Starting with a mere 2-3 Sai Baba devotees in 1995 , she spirited the construction of a massive temple in Sugar Land handling over 3000 devotees. She accomplished this mission, mainly through her unrelenting devotion, her commitment and support from several volunteers. Despite her age, she used to spend most of her daily time either at the Sai Baba Temple in Hillcroft Street (Houston), or attended some type of social service activity benefitting others. Her devotion to Baba was reflected in her kindness to the devotees and to all those who came attended the temple at any time. Although she was never aware of the word ‘women empowerment’, she helped numerous women through financial and emotional help to succeed in their lives. People
Lakshmi Ben Thakkar October 6th, 1933 - February 14th, 2019 all over the country, when they come to Houston and visited the Shirdi Sai Temple, add their meeting with Mataji to their bank of sweet memories. While spearheading the construction of Shirdi Sai Jalaram Temple, she has supported all religions and faiths by attending all their functions with full of heart. Whether it is a celebrity or an active Congressman, she was able to connect to anyone effortlessly with her smiling face, and active presence. Several devotees inspired by her, have actively started new devotional Sai centers after moving away from Houston. For many Houstonians, there was never a dull moment in their interactions with her. As a symbolic of her jovial nature and realized state, she used to say even in the last moments
of her life that “ After I die, you all should not cry. Instead, you should eat, drink and enjoy; but don’t forget to pray”. Her cheerfulness and jovial nature despite problems around her is inspiration to all of us and the new generations. Several hundred devotees, well-wishers attended the funeral service held last Sunday (February 17th, 2019) at the Sugar Land Mortuary to pay their homage. She is survived by her husband Bechardas Thakkar, two daughters, three sons, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. A special Bhajan in memory of Mataji is planned at Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir (13845 W Bellfort Blvd, Sugar Land, TX 77498) on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019 from 4-6 PM. This is open to public.
UH Pharmacy Professor to Visit Indonesia for Fulbright Program
U
niversity of Houston College of Pharmacy's Rajender R. Aparasu, Ph.D., FAPhA, Professor and Chair of the college's Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, has been selected by the Fulbright Specialist Program to assist a Jakarta, Indonesia-based university in enhancing its pharmacy curriculum and academic research programs. Aparasu will travel to the Southeast Asian nation for a six-week assignment beginning in August to advise Atma Jaya Catholic University's administrators and faculty members on a variety of issues related to scholarship and research development. Among Aparasu's planned activities include participating in workshops and group discussions on writing scientific/academic research papers, mentorship and professional development of faculty researchers. Aparasu is the college's first Fulbright Specialist. "I am excited to visit Indonesia and assist Atma Jaya's leadership and faculty in developing stateof-art pharmacy curricula
and improving their health research capabilities to reach the university's programmatic goals," Aparasu said. "I am glad that the Fulbright Specialist Program is providing this amazing opportunity to share my academic and research expertise while learning about pharmacy training, academia, and culture in Indonesia." Author of more Rajender R. Aparasu, Ph.D., FAPhA, than 100 journal articles and editor "This academic distincof two books on tion, which is highly research methods, research decoveted, will enhance sign and pharmaceutical literthe quality of faculty inature evaluation, Aparasu has ternational teaching and more than 20 years experience research. Faculty pursing in research and developing global educational outpharmacy curricula, courses reach contribute towards and assessment programs conour campus internationalsistent with contemporary and ization efforts and further evolving pharmacy practice solidifies our position as a and accreditation standards. top Tier One institution of "I am pleased to know that higher education." more of our faculty are takThe Fulbright Specialing advantage of the Fulbright ist Program is operated U.S. Scholar Program," said by the U.S. Department former Fulbright Awardee and of State's Bureau of EduUH Senior Vice President for cational and Cultural AfAcademic Affairs and Provost fairs. Paula Myrick Short, Ph.D.
Business
VOICE OF ASIA 5
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FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Tel: 713-774-5140
Asian agent’s success and AMA Group kick-off
Josie Lin, Re/Max United Owner / Senior Broker with Mike Summerlin, Director of RE/MAX Region office)
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osie Lin, owner of RE/ MAX United, made another momentum of her career in recent RE/MAX of Texas Statewide Convention. Among more than 5,000 RE/MAX affiliates in Texas, she’s been recognized as the Top Commercial Producer in Houston for 2 consecutive years and she’s among the Top 20 Texas Statewide Producer, ranking #8 in 2017 and #6 in 2018. It was not only her personal achievement, but also another momentum in Asian Community. In the press conference hosted on Monday, Feb. 18,
Mike Sumerlin, Director of RE/MAX of Texas recognized Josie’s achievement which is combining her efforts and branding leverage. Gene Feigelson, Broker of RE/ MAX United, has witnessed Josie’s exertions to grow RE/ MAX United in Chinatown in addition to Katy Asian Town. Both of them have been with RE/MAX of Texas for more than two decades and almost assure Josie should make history as the First Asian earned Top Commercial Producer in RE/MAX Houston. Nevertheless, besides production, RE/MAX United under Josie’s leadership has been
acknowledged as Miracle Office for four consecutive years. Camille Landry, Senior Children’s Miracle Network Specialist admired Josie’s commitment to encourage all her agent fellows to give back as miracle agents. Josie’s persistence and dedication help her earn a lot of awards in addition to RE/ MAX Lifetime Award that has brought up the influence of multicultural communities. She believes she was blessed to have opportunities to assist more immigrants to adapt and connect with American practice and make their “Ameri-
From left to right: Josie Lin (Re/Max United Owner / Senior Broker), Ginny Kim (AMA Founding Partners), Alex Au-Yeung (Phat Eatery Malaysian Restaurant Owner / Chef), Gene Feigelson (Re/ Max United Senior Broker), Camille Landry (Sr. Children's Miracle Network Specialist of Texas Children's Hospital ), Mike Summerlin (Director of RE/MAX Region office)
can Dream” come true! Through her endeavor to continue serving and building a bridge to let more people connect with the multicultural needs, she has founded a new entity called AsUnited Marketing Alliance Group (AMA Group) that provides a comprehensive platform to assist multicultural business and entrepreneurs connect and grow. The mission of this entity is to provide clients with valuable business opportunities, solutions, services, and support for entrepreneurs.
Katy Asian Town LunerFest is the Kick-off event for AMA Group which was successfully wrapped up last week and it was the first time an Asian plaza has had a consolidated promotion on site, not on designated festival site. The 3 weeks long lunar year celebration includes Taste of Asia Weeks, Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs Workshop, Taste of Asia Week, Get Spring Couplets, American Dream Seminar “Where to begin investing in real estate”, and Lion Dance performances. The LunarFest was organized and promoted in less than a month and grate-
fully booming up good traffics for the center. Likewise, consolidated promotion will be a on-going commitment for AMA Group to provide AMA’s members free marketing opportunities. AMA Group illustrates the expanding intention for Josie not to limit herself on one end but also integrate with other services providers and retail business owners to create Winning Circle! Luckily, she fells blessed that her vision attracts more companions to start up AMA Group to promote Asian sphere of influence.
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COMMUNITY
VOICE OF ASIA 6
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Houston Methodist Celebrates 100 Years Of Leading Medicine HOUSTON-(Feb. 20, 2019) – For the last 100 years, Houston Methodist’s legacy of medical innovation has attracted patients from around the world. What began in 1919 as The Methodist Hospital, a small 30-bed hospital near downtown Houston, is now a leading academic medical system in the Texas Medical Center and throughout the Greater Houston area. The Methodist Hospital started as a small hospital on Rosalie Street purchased to help the community through the Spanish flu epidemic. Today, it is a system with eight hospitals, more than 2,000 beds, 6,700 affiliated physicians and 24,000 employees. Leaders who made Houston Methodist what it is today include Dr. Oscar Norsworthy who founded the hospital and then later sold it to the United Methodist Church; Josie Roberts, who saved the hospital during the Great Depression and was instrumental in moving it to the TMC in 1951 and expanding it to 300 beds; Ella Fondren who served on the board for more than 30 years and whose family has been on the board for the past 100 years; John F. Bookout, a former chairman of the Board of Directors, who guided Houston Methodist through its transition into a leading academic medical center; and Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, the late heart care legend, who moved from Rosalie into the new TMC location and quickly transformed heart care around the world. “I cannot overstate what an incredible milestone this is for all of us,” said Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of
Houston Methodist. “It is a testament to the leaders, physicians, researchers, nurses and employees who have come before us. We were founded to serve the community and that remains our mission today. Houston Methodist is recognized nationally for unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation, and I know the next 100 years will bring the same commitment to our patients and to our community.” Houston Methodist is celebrating its first century with a series of commemorations throughout 2019. A video documentary and book chronicling the hospital system’s first 100 years will be released, and a special digital interactive wall, commemorating the hospital’s history and those who shaped it, is being installed in the new Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower. Supporting the wall are more than 6,000 pages of photos and documents that have been collected from local and national sources. Graphics are displayed across 24 screens,
totaling 58 feet. The year-long celebration includes a $500 million fundraising campaign and the Rendezvous of the Century Gala Nov. 14 at Minute Maid Park chaired by Ann and John Bookout and honorary chairs the family of President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush. “Houston Methodist holds a special place in our city’s history, and it holds a very special place in my heart,” said Houston Methodist Board of Directors Chair Greg Nelson. “We were founded as a faith-based hospital with a mission to treat every patient as a person of sacred worth and value. This belief has guided us as we’ve served the community for 100 years and will keep guiding us into the future.” For a complete list of events and media opportunities and a historical look at how Houston Methodist has led medicine for 100 years, please visit https:// centennial.houstonmethodist. org
Krishna Vavilala interviewed in StoryCorps' new Initiative "One small step"
L-R :Krishna Vavilala,Founder-Chair of Foundation for India Studies, John Baucum,Sales Executive of LandWorks Inc., StoryCorps Facilitator, Jhaleh Akhavan; HPL's International Manger, Helen Chou, and Interview Facilitator, Dupe Oyebolu
H
OUSTON - On Houston Public Library's recommendation, Mr.Krishna Vavilala was invited to participate in StoryCorps' new initiative called, "One Small Step". The interview took place in HPL's Gregory School building. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind,and millions listen to their broadcasts at storycorps. org and on NPR's morning edition. Each conversation is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Washington DC. StoryCorps is interviewing people of different political view points to record conversations with each other as human beings and remember our common humanity. The conversations are not meant to be debates over particular beliefs,but a chance to share stories of life experi-
ences that have shaped your political beliefs,and listen to those of your conversation partner. Your willingness to get to know each other and reduce isolation that some are feeling in our country today. StoryCorps is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record,share,and preserve the stories of our lives. Since its inception, tens of thousands of everyday people have shared life stories with family and friends through StoryCorps. If we take the time to listen,we will find wisdom in the lives and stories of the people all around us.... the ordinary people who in their day-to-day acts of kindness,courage,and
humanity,embody the true spirit of our nation. Dave Isay,Founder and President of Story Corps said: "we at StoryCorps see clearly that our mission is more important now than ever before. Over the past 14 years StoryCorps has perfected a simple method for helping people more connected and less alone; for decreasing fear of the other; for reminding us all of the inherent worth of every person and every story. But that work is just beginning....". Foundation for India Studies(FIS) who have already completed sixty Oral Histories of Houston's Indo-American community is thankful to the StoryCorps organization for being given the opportunity to participate in the One Small Step project.
For more ommunity stories Visit us online - voiceofasia.news
COMMUNITY
VOICE OF ASIA 7
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Texas State Capitol celebrated Indian American Culture organized by BAPS
BAPS members from across Texas met with State Representatives. Seen here at the capitol.
BAPS members presenting a memento to Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott
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he celebration of Indian American culture in Austin, TX was kicked offby the governor of Texas, GregAbbott, and members of a leadingHindu organization, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) at the Texas State Capital on February 6, 2019. Governor Abbottspent time meeting with members of BAPS, recognizing the community service and contributions of the Indian American community.
BAPS organizes prayer servicesgloballyfor pulwama attack victims
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s thousands of mourners attended funerals across India this week for the paramilitary personnel who lost their lives to terrorism in Pulwama (Kashmir, India), His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj offered his deepest sympathy and prayers. As spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Mahant Swami Maharaj, on Thursday, prayed for peace for departed and a full recovery of those who were injured. All BAPS mandirs globally as well as the 100 BAPS mandirs across North America held special prayer services. Together they prayed for strength and solace for the families of all those effected by this tragedy. “It was an honor to be part of the prayers at BAPS tonight to mourn those that were murdered in the terror attack in Kashmir. Terror against any is terror against us all,” said Jeff Spivey, Chief of Irving Police Department from Irving, TX. Echoing the sentiments of other well-wishers, Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, from Orlando, FL said: “The 44 CRPF personnel who lost their lives each have families and communities who are feeling their absence. As an Indian-American, I feel part of their community and am here to pray for calm in their hearts which we know are hurting.” The attack on February 14, 2019 has sparked peaceful vigils across India and the world, and BAPS joins in prayer for the families of India’s servicemen and for unity and peace. BAPS as an organization and its followers have also pledged financial support of 10 million rupees for the relief fund to support the victims and their family members on the road to recovery.
In his remarks, Governor Abbott thanked BAPS and its volunteers for supporting their communities throughout Texas, and for participating in efforts that enrich communities throughout the state. A resolutionwas readrecognizing BAPS and its Hindu places of worship in Texas along with the many contributions by Indian Americans in local communities across the state during the 86thLegislative Regular Ses-
sion.Thereafter,BAPS members also had the opportunity to meet with David Whitley, Texas Secretary of State, as well as Glenn Hegar, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to discuss the importance of communication between all members of society. Throughout the day, BAPS members from across Texas met with State Representatives, Senators, and respective staff membersto share background on the Hindu faith and on the Indian American com-
munity’s history and growth. The meetings also gave an opportunity forBAPS volunteersto learn fromtheir government representatives. “It is always so great to have people from the districtto come and talk about wonderful charitable and humanitarian work that BAPS is doing. I am inspired and honored tobe a part of this community,”said Julie Johnson, Texas State Representative, District 115.
of Texan and Indian American culture work in harmony to further enrich the diversity of Texas. The evening showcased a myriad of spiritual, economic and cultural contributions that Indian Americans have made to the Lone Star State. Glenn Hegar remarked, BAPS’s contributions to the community range from local service to educating each generation living in America about Hindu culture and tradition.
In the evening, BAPS volunteers hosted an event centered on the theme of Sampor unity, a message inspired by the current spiritual leader of BAPS, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj. The event highlighted how the diversity
Matt Shaheen, Texas House of Representatives, District 66, recognized the community work and events that BAPS carriesout annually. “BAPS has agreat history of community servicededicated to peace
and harmony.BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for society, families,and individuals, and is making a positive impact in Texas.” The program also touched on the unique role of BAPS mandirs, which provide a platform for India’s rich culture and heritage. Meghal Bhatt from Pearlandstated, “A traditional stone carved mandir like the one in Stafford, Texas enables me to share the traditions, festivals, and diverse culture of India with my friends and colleagues.” These places of worship not only provide a base for spirituality but also a place to become better citizens of tomorrow.
VOICE OF ASIA 8
TAXES & PERSONAL FINANCE
Writing a simple 'Wealth Mission Statement' changed my financial life. Here are 3 steps to creating your own by Adeola Omole
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ne simple statement changed my financial life.
Many people say they want to be rich. I was one of them. However, I was saddled with debt and faced a common dilemma—I didn’t have a clue where to begin. That’s when I created a phrase that transformed my life from potential financial ruin to one of financial riches. When I began my financial journey I called it my Debt Motivation Statement. However, as soon as I paid off all my consumer debt and my mortgage, it transformed into a Wealth Motivation Statement. Creating a Wealth Motivation Statement allowed me to stay on course and pay off over $70,000 of consumer debt in less than three years. It also encouraged me to pay off over $320,000 owed on my home in 12 years, and it helped my husband and I go from a negative six-figure net worth to a sevenfigure net worth. If you don’t like your current financial situation, you have the power to change it. As a wealth coach and author of 7 Steps to Get Out of Debt and Build Wealth, I’ve coached clients into their own successes using these same tactics. Here’s how I did it—and how you can, too. Start with your ‘why’ When you begin to move toward financial independence you need to determine why you’re embarking on that journey. If you are heavily in debt, ask yourself this question: “Why have I decided to get out of debt?” If you are debt-free and want to amass life-changing wealth, ask yourself: “Why have I decided to build wealth?” When I pose this question to my clients I advise them to focus on something they absolutely love. Their answers can range from having the option of quitting their day job so they can work at their dream job; being able to spend more time with their growing family by becoming a full-time stay-at-home parent; turning their hobby into a full-fledged business; having the financial means to travel anywhere in the
“The beauty of success, whether it’s finding the girl of your dreams, the right job or financial success, is that it doesn’t matter how many times you have failed — you only have to be right once.” - Mark Cuban world; buying their first home or their dream home; or attaining financial independence so they can choose to follow their life’s passion. Refine your statement and think about the big picture. Once you have figured out your “why,” ask yourself these additional questions: — What hobby or activity do I participate in that absolutely charges me up, and results in me losing track of time whenever I pursue it? — What one thing do I want to pursue in my life, and would pursue if there were no obstacles in my way? — What legacy do I want to leave? — What do I want out of life? — What kind of lifestyle do I want to live? These are tough questions, but the answers can help you redirect the energy you’re spending worrying over your debt into activities that give you energy to pay off your debt. Real wealth is not just about having money, but is also about having the option to do the things you enjoy. I call this “Spend Passion Cut Junk”— spend time and money on your passion, and cut out the junk. Maybe your passion includes investing in appreciating assets, such as blue-chip stocks, and maybe your junk entails spending money on depreciating assets such as vehicles. This will vary for everyone. Find ways to spend more money on your passion, and less money on your junk. Finalize your statement. Here are some concrete steps
you can execute immediately to solidify your Wealth Motivation Statement: Write down the things in your life that motivate you, and things that describe why you are embarking on the journey to financial independence. Narrow the list to the top five most important items. Cut the list again to your top two most important items. Next, ask yourself, “What one thing do I need in order to be fulfilled?” and select that one motivator from your list. Now that you have narrowed your list to the one thing that motivates you, this will form the basis of your Wealth Motivation Statement. Here is an example of a Wealth Motivation Statement: “I will pay off my debt and attain financial independence so I can pursue my passion in the creative arts, which includes creating music and paintings.” Determining your statement will help you pinpoint what energizes and motivates you, and gets you in the right mindset to achieve your goals. It requires you to find the one thing you want in your life that you are willing to make huge sacrifices for in order to attain. My own statement included “being completely debt free and attaining financial freedom so I would never have to rely on a creditor or employer for my financial future.” Create a daily reminder. Write your statement on a Post-It note and stick it in a high-traffic location in your home. Make sure to read the note each time you walk by. If you want to take this strategy one step further—as I did— you can create a vision board that acts as a visual reminder of why you are pursuing your goal of financial independence. Include photos of the items that remind you why you are seeking a richer life. Maybe they’re photos of exotic travel locations, a new home, or whatever gets you focused on your future. I credit this simple statement for making me rich, and for allowing me to live the life I have always wanted to live. Grab a pen and paper, and start creating a richer version of yourself. - Money.com
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
4 Overlooked tax deductions that could save you big bucks Tax filing time is fast approaching, and at this time of year it's important to keep in mind all of the tax deductions that can help improve your bottom line. by Joel Baglole
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ax season is upon us again, and with it comes a raft of deductions that can save you money and pump up any refund you may get from the Internal Revenue Service. American tax filers claim, on average, just over $5,000 each in deductions every year, according to the Tax Policy Center. But tax experts say we're leaving money on the table, because there are many widely applicable deductions that people fail to claim. Here are four tax deductions you should be aware of when filing your return this spring. 1. Student loan interest Student loans can be a sizable expense for families. The good news is that you can claim up to $2,500 in interest paid on qualified student loans for a university, college, or vocational school education. This deduction is available to you if you're paying interest on a student loan for yourself, your spouse, or a dependent child. To claim this deduction, you must be legally obligated to repay the loan and be making payments on it. In cases where a student and their parents are both legally obligated to repay a loan, the deduction should be claimed by whoever makes the payments. Student loan interest is an "above the line" deduction that you can claim without itemizing, as it is located in the adjusted gross income (AGI) section of Form 1040. Keep in mind, though, that the $2,500 you can deduct gets gradually phased out as your income grows once you're out of school. The phase-out begins when you start earning $60,000 as an individual or $125,000 as a married couple filing jointly. 2. Mortgage interest Millions of Americans have mortgages, but relatively few choose to deduct their interest payments from their taxable income. And many have a good reason not to: This tax break requires you to itemize your deductions, which prevents you from claiming the standard deduction. And since recent tax reform nearly doubled the standard deduction, most taxpayers are better off claiming
Image courtesy of Yastremska
that instead of itemizing.
$128,400 of earnings.
But if you have a sizable mortgage and other major expenses that you can deduct "below the line," then you should consider taking this tax break. Mortgage interest is tax-deductible if the mortgage is for your primary residence or a second home that you don't rent out. Your home must also serve as collateral for the mortgage so that if you fail to make payments, the bank can foreclose on you.
Fortunately, you can deduct a portion of this amount when you file your tax return. You can claim 50% of what you pay in self-employment tax as an income tax deduction. A $2,000 self-employment tax payment, for example, reduces your taxable income by $1,000. If you're in the 25% tax bracket, you would likely save $250 in income taxes. This deduction is an adjustment to income claimed on Form 1040, and it's available whether or not you itemize your deductions.
If you've refinanced your mortgage and paid "points," you may be able to deduct those as well. Points are essentially prepaid interest on a mortgage; people pay them up front to get a lower interest rate during the loan repayment period. One point typically equals 1% of the loan amount. Points paid as part of a mortgage refinance usually have to be deducted over the life of the loan, rather than all at once. If you refinanced to a 10-year mortgage, for example, then you'd deduct a portion of the points each year for the duration of the 10-year loan. 3. Social security tax paid by the self-employed If you're self-employed, you're eligible for a deduction on a portion of the Social Security tax you pay. Every worker must pay Social Security taxes, and if you're selfemployed, you need to make these payments yourself, as you don't have an employer to do it for you. For 2018, employees and employers each paid a 6.2% Social Security tax on up to $128,400 of the worker's earnings. But if you were self-employed, you had to pay both the employer's and the employee's share, which amounts to 12.4% on up to
4. Professional dues and licensing fees While the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated this deduction starting in 2018, you can still claim professional dues and licensing fees incurred prior to last year. And that's good news for people required to pay membership dues or fees required to remain licensed or accredited. This includes everyone from organized laborers paying union membership dues to doctors who pay fees to take licensing exams and remain certified in their area of specialization. Many, though not all, union dues and professional fees are deducted directly from paychecks and appear on T4 slips. However, if you have paid other dues or fees to a union or professional organization, they can be deducted from your taxes up to and including 2017. Many insurance premiums can also be deducted. The costs associated with passing a certification or licensing exam often qualify as a "tuition expense" in the eyes of the IRS. Be aware, though, that if your employer has reimbursed you for these dues and fees, then they will not be eligible. - Motley Fool
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DIASPORA
VOICE OF ASIA 9
Pulwama- a tipping point in Indian's Foreign Policy? by Dr. Anjali Kanojia, Ph.D.
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s the diaspora woke up on Valentine's day, most received good morning text messages with flowers, heart photos and emojis while many of us also had news awaiting on our phones about the brutal attack against the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Pulwama. The immediate response to such depraved inhumanity imposed by Islamic terrorists on Indian soil warrants our sympathy and financial help for the forty souls who lost their lives without a real chance to fight. But, most of us remain shocked and exceedingly perplexed about long-term strategies towards Islamist terrorism and the deteriorating state of Pakistan. Solutions covered in the media and within public opinion range from diplomacy to declaration of war on the same groups which have been responsible for multiple attacks on India. Further solutions include: increasing dialogue and engagement with Pakistan, Islamic terrorists, or a combination of the two, engaging the international community to isolate Pakistan via sanctions and re-examining aid, engaging China in order to weaken Pakistan-China ties, immediate strikes on those responsible to seek revenge, a planned surgical strike to isolate and weaken those responsible, empowering separatist movements within Pakistan to further weaken the state machinery and governance highlighting the plight of minorities in the provinces and exposing the day-to-day hardships faced by them including but not limited to kidnapping of minority, including Hindu children and women, forced conversions, love jihad, and brutal murders, and longterm strategies such as engaging and empowering NonGovernmental Organizations NGOs on the ground to do exactly the type of work which has been occurring in India. Lastly, a strategy from outside the government involves use of social media to expose the realities on the ground, including education through facts, historical accounts, and statistically valid data to counter alternative facts and false narratives which have been increasingly prominent in all sectors of society, including academia. Let us examine the feasibility of some of the strategies. Dialogue and diplomacy are the pillars of democracy and international relations. However, what is the value of diplomacy for nations which are religious republics or those who are communist in nature? Should India utilize instruments understood by the nation with which she's trying to build bridges with, or continue to use democratic tools which seem to have little to no effect throughout history, at least during her post-independence period? How does India efficiently deal with the growing threat of the IslamicCommunist nexus within her soil and outside her borders? Active international engagement with hostile nations ought to be continues in nature, not just reactive after experienced setbacks. This will require a larger budget toward growing India’s diplomatic corps as well as active lobbying by the Indian diaspora in respective nations. The United Nations too needs lobbying from the Indian angle given China usually sides with Pakistan and against India. If we look at increasing India’s pressure on Pakistan internationally, most likely the aid going to Pakistan will slowly dwindle, allowing non-governmental actors such as NGOs to step in and provide help and stability to those who have been marginalized by society. This may not occur overnight but the strategy might work. As far as strikes and retaliation is concerned, the common public is rarely aware of such moves until after they've occurred. However, the unity of the Indian public opinion including the diaspora seems to indicate that such a strike orchestrated by the Government of India would be more than welcomed. Use of social
media to show the reality in Kashmir, and education of the people on the history of Kashmir, such as the exodus of Hindu Pandits and miscalculations and bad policymaking post-Independence, might prove worthwhile in the age of hyper-liberalization regarding situations and circumstance. In the short-run, better planning and coordination are warranted in moving large convoys, and petitioning for better protection such as body armor, vehicles and tanks to be included in the budget is important as well. The Government of India has big objectives to accomplish with her neighbors, such as strengthening relations with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal is crucial; maintaining dialogue with Iran and influence over the Maldives, contributing towards stability in Afghanistan too is a must. The need for a strong diplomatic core is important now more than ever. History and Political Science research has shown that the public rallies behind the flag in moments of turmoil such national upheaval. In this case, it would mean that the citizens of India would be more supportive of Prime Minister Modi and trust his judgement regarding Pulwama. The incumbent therefore, has an advantage when national security is under attack. Stability in government and the unwavering support of whichever party or
entity is at the Center is usually preferred by the public in comparison to unnecessary political swaps during times of crisis. Many of us remember our differences with U.S. President George Bush (43rd President), but the traumatic events during 9/11 served as a tipping point in his presidency, united everyone behind his agenda, including the war in Afghanistan and then fighting in Iraq. Though the public may forget the emotions, despair and loss felt on February 14, 2019 and onward, this extremely sad and violent attack on the CRPF may help keep the Modi government in power during upcoming elections in May 2019. Also, this event may allow a usually cautious India to actively take an aggressive stance against terrorism, and not simply the usual reactive approach. Families who lost members in the attack stated that they are proud of the family member's life which was lost and though they are devastated, have no regrets; this shows their pride in service to the country and resilience against evil forces. Many of us who have looked upon this tragedy have further firmed up our belief that the code of dharma, or righteous conduct will prevail and that the laws of karma will spare no one. Anjali Kanojia, Ph.D. is a Political Scientist and views expressed here are her own.
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
1929-2019: Gina Lalli, Austin advocate for Indian dance, has died
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USTIN, Feb 16, 2019 - Gina Lalli, who advocated South Asian dance and other art forms in Austin for decades, died of complications from pneumonia Saturday morning at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas. She was 89. A performer, teacher and mentor, Lalli was born and grew up in Binghamton, N.Y. She studied acting at the City College of New York and the New School. After becoming interested in northern and southern Indian dance, she studied those theatrical forms during three extended visits — for a total of 38 months — to the subcontinent starting in 1955. Although she suffered from many maladies, she had planned a performance for October 2018. “Gina Lalli is perhaps the single most important factor for Austinites’ familiarity with Indian dance,” Anuradha Naimpally, also active in the local dance scene for decades, wrote in 1998. Lalli “trained in India with Bharata Natyam and Kathak teachers (and) was one of the first professional dancers of an Indian style to settle in Austin.” Since her arrival in 1971, Lalli had given countless solo dance concerts. She wrote plays for the Bastrop Opera House and performed with Zach Theatre as well as Sally Jacques’ and José Bustamante’s dance troupes. She also appeared in sev-
Ms. Lalli, orginally from New York state, taught, performed, and promoted Indian classical dance in Austin for almost 50 years. eral films, including the cult classic “Slacker.” In 2003, Lalli was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame. “My life has been blessed to know Gina Lalli and to be graced by the gifts of her love, wisdom, encouragement and support,” longtime Austin dance leader Andrea Ariel wrote Saturday on Facebook. “I send you love and light as you dance with all the great dancing spirits in the beyond. You will always be remembered and forever loved.” Lalli served on the Austin Arts Commission’s panels of expert artists for seven years, earning recognition from the Austin City Council as Volunteer of the Year. Petite with striking features that stood out in a crowd, Lalli could be seen at all sorts of arts events. For almost 50 years, she was a promoter of Austin and its grassroots culture.
“I spent 10 days here, and I had wonderful experiences,” Lalli told the AmericanStatesman in 1990 about her arrival in 1971. “I gave a performance at the YWCA and something extraordinary happened. "The last dance I did was in the North Indian style. It was a dance about the sky god Indra sending a great rainstorm because he was angry at Krishna, and you demonstrate a lot of rain in the dance — there is a lot of fast footwork to show thunder and lightning, and at the very end of that dance there was a big crack of thunder and a downpour. "People in the audience came up and told me that it had ended a long drought. So I was very impressed with Austin, Texas.” Members of the dance community are planning a memorial service to be announced for the spring. - Austin360
SOUTH ASIA
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FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Fire kills 56 in Bangladesh capital: official the highly-combustible stores of chemicals, body sprays and plastic granules erupted in flames. Bangladesh's fire service chief Ali Ahmed said the death toll was expected to rise "The number of bodies may increase. The search is still going on," he told AFP. Ahmed said the blaze at Chawkbazar in the old part of Dhaka might have originated from a gas cylinder before quickly spreading through a building where chemicals were stored. The flames raced through four adjoining buildings, which were also used as chemical warehouses. A view of a scene of a fire that broke out at a chemical warehouse in Dhaka, Bangladesh February 20, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain by Shafiqul ALAM
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HAKA, Bangladesh | AFP | Thursday 2/20/2019 - At least 56 people have died in
a huge fire that tore through apartment buildings also used as chemical warehouses in an old part of the Bangladeshi capital, a fire official said
Thursday. Dozens of people were trapped in the buildings, unable to escape onto narrow streets clogged with traffic, as
"There was a traffic jam when the fire broke out. It spread so quickly that people could not escape," he said, describing a part of town where the streets are very narrow and the residential buildings stand inches apart. Witnesses said members of a bridal party in a nearby com-
Saudi prince agrees to step up antiterror 'pressure' with India by Abhaya Srivastava and Ruchika Chitravanshi
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EW DELHI, India | AFP | 2/20/2019 Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian leader Narendra Modi vowed Wednesday to increase pressure on countries that fuel terrorism.
Prince Mohammed, who arrived in Delhi from Pakistan where he had offered to help the neighbours ease tensions, responded that "terrorism and extremism is a common concern for India and Saudi Arabia". The prince, whose country accuses Iran of backing militant strikes, added: "I want to state that we are ready to cooperate with India in every way, including through intelligence sharing." He said India and all "neighbouring countries must work together". The crown prince, on his first major tour since the storm erupted over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October, also signed joint accords on industry and culture, but announced no major deals. - Energy and investment In Pakistan, the Saudi prince announced $20 billion of investment for the Muslim country. Modi has faced increasing pressure to take action over the Kashmir attack claimed by
"The victims included passersby, some people who were eating food at a restaurants and some members of the bridal party," he said. Another fire official told reporters the blaze, which began around 10.40pm (16:40 GMT) on Wednesday, has been "confined" but not yet doused despite the efforts of more than 200 firefighters. "It will take time. This is not like any other fire," he said, adding the inferno became so devastating due to the "highly combustible" chemicals stored there. Television images showed firefighters climbing ladders to try to spray water on one of the buildings where the fire has largely been contained.
A police inspector at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital said at least 45 people were injured, including four people whose conditions were critical. Hundreds of people rushed to the hospital to look for their missing relatives. Sohag Hossain, one of the injured, told the Daily Star that he and two of his friends, were working at a plastic factory in one of the buildings at the time of the fire. Suddenly, they heard a huge noise. They tried to flee but could not escape the fire. A similar fire in 2010 in an old Dhaka building, which was also used as a chemical warehouse, killed more than 120 people in one of the worst fire tragedies in Dhaka. After that fire, Dhaka city authorities launched a crackdown on chemical warehouses in residential areas, but in recent years the drive ground to a total halt.
Bangladesh says IS teen not eligible for citizenship
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HAKA, Bangladesh | AFP 2/20/2019 A British teen who joined the Islamic State group has no claim to Bangladeshi nationality, Dhaka's foreign ministry said Wednesday, after the UK government decided to revoke her citizenship.
The Home Office reportedly believed that Begum was entitled to claim citizenship in Bangladesh -- a claim disputed
Modi did not mention Pakistan -- a key Saudi ally -- as he again blasted the "barbaric attack" in Kashmir last week that left at least 40 paramilitaries dead.
"It is extremely important to eliminate the terror infrastructure and stop support to terrorists and their supporters."
Deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ibrahim Khan said at least two cars and 10 cycle rickshaws were burned in the fire.
Shamima Begum, who travelled to Syria in 2015 and now wants to return to Britain after giving birth in a refugee camp in Syria last week, was stripped of her UK citizenship on Tuesday.
The promise came as fallout from a suicide bomb attack that India has blamed on Pakistan overshadowed the latest leg of the crown prince's tour aiming to boost his country's image.
"To tackle this menace effectively, we agreed that there is a need to increase all possible pressure on countries supporting terrorism in any way," Modi said after talks with the crown prince.
munity centre were also caught in the fire and many of them were injured.
by the South Asian country. "Bangladesh asserts that Ms. Shamima Begum is not a Bangladeshi citizen. She is a British citizen by birth and has never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "It may also be mentioned that she never visited Bangladesh in the past despite her parental lineage. So, there is no question of her being allowed to enter into Bangladesh," it added. Tasnime Akunjee, a lawyer for Begum's family, earlier said the teen was born in Britain and had never had a Bangladeshi passport.
Court orders India’s tycoon to pay debt or go to jail Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in India as part of an Asia tour aimed at boosting his country's image. Saudi Arabia is one of India's key crude suppliers, along with Iran and Iraq (AFP Photo/MONEY SHARMA) (AFP Photo/PRAKASH SINGH) Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Islamabad, which banned JeM in 2002, has denied any role. The Saudi delegation had wanted the Delhi leg of the crown prince tour to be devoted to bolstering its oil supplies to India. Saudi Arabia is one of India's key crude suppliers, along with Iran and Iraq. Since taking office in 2014, Modi has also sought to attract Saudi investment in trade, infrastructure and defence. Twoway trade was worth $27.5 billion last year. After his meeting with the Indian premier, Salman said the kingdom saw investment opportunities "in various fields (in India) to exceed $100 billion". Prime Minister Modi "welcomed the announcement of (the) crown prince to invest $100 billion in India in a range of areas like energy, refining, petrochemicals, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, etc.," T.S. Thirumurthy, secretary for economic relations at the Indian foreign ministry, told journalists in New Delhi.
"This is a clear reflection of the confidence of Saudi Arabia in the vibrancy of the Indian economy and tremendous opportunities available in India for investment."
bear hug at the airport on Tuesday, said Saudi Arabia has invested nearly $44 billion dollars in India since the Indian leader's visit to the kingdom in 2016.
Thirumurthy said no time frame had been identified for these investments.
Prince Mohammed was expected to go on to China later Wednesday.
"Economic power is shifting from West to East and India will be (the) second-largest economy ahead of the United States, which is a big opportunity for us," Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil company, told a Delhi investment conference on Wednesday.
India's opposition Congress party meanwhile criticised Modi for welcoming the crown prince "with such abundance only hours after he promised billions to Pakistan" while Indians were in grief over the Kashmir attack.
Aramco signed an accord in April last year with Indian investors on a $44-billion petrochemical project in western India. Nasser, a member of the crown prince's delegation, said his firm was in talks with other Indian firms as well. "We are not limited to that investment (refinery), which is the mega refinery... we are looking at other opportunities," Nasser added, according to the Press Trust of India. The crown prince, who was greeted with a traditional Modi
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FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
'Paradise on Earth': Ghost of Crunch time as high-level US-China trade talks resume N.Korea propaganda still haunts by Harumi OZAWA
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IIGATA, Japan | AFP | Thursday 2/20/2019 - Harunori Kojima still remembers the hot tears of joy that warmed his face against the sleet as two Soviet ships set sail in December 1959 from Japan's Niigata port. Destination: North Korea, which lured nearly 100,000 Koreans from Japan with fantastical propaganda promising returnees a "Paradise on Earth."
Chinese trade envoy Liu He smiles during talks in Washington in January by Douglas Gillison
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ASHINGTON, | AFP | 2/20/2019 - With eight days left in their trade truce, top US and Chinese officials were due Thursday to return to the daunting task of bridging a chasm between the world's two largest economies. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed the talks with Beijing are going "very well," but concrete signs of progress have not been apparent in the three months since the two sides agreed to pause their trade war. Analysts say the distance separating Washington and Beijing and the short time remaining before the March 1 deadline make it likely the outcome would feature banner announcements but would fall short of Trump's most far-reaching goals. "I think the consensus of people that have been following this thing is that they're not making nearly as much progress as the president tweets that they've been making," said William Reinsch, a former US trade official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Chinese trade envoy Liu He will lead Beijing's delegation in meetings with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and other American officials Thursday and Friday as they work to head off an escalation of US tariffs. This fourth round of negotiations follow two days of preliminary talks at the deputy level. Trump this week said a March 1 deadline to reach a deal was in fact "not a magical date," raising hopes that he could delay the plan to more than double duties on $200 billion in Chinese goods. China's party-owned Global Times late Tuesday warned raising US tariffs would amount to "a catastrophic strike" on global stock markets, which have been buffeted for months by the uncertainty and the prospects for slower global growth. Since July, Washington and Beijing have hit each other with tariffs on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, weighing on the manufacturing sectors in both countries. Washington has demanded that Beijing reverse much of its industrial policy, charging that China has sought global dominance through the alleged theft of American technology, massive subsidies and the promotion mammoth state-owned enterprises. US officials have stressed that any agreement must have teeth to ensure that China keeps its promises. - When Trump can claim 'victory!' Demands for structural changes likely will be far harder to resolve than complaints about the soaring US-China trade imbalance, which has hit record heights since Trump took office. Trump has said the ultimate bargain will be struck at a meeting with China's President Xi Jinping. Reinsch told AFP the two sides were likely to strike some kind of bargain. "I'm sure they'll come up with something that will be more than cosmetic but less than we're asking," he said. "It'll probably in the area of intellectual property theft and more open investment in China because they're the things that benefit them as well as benefit us." But other changes -- such as subjecting China's state-owned
enterprises to free-market principles -- could weaken the communist party's hold on power, making Chinese officials very reluctant to budge, he added. Meanwhile, China's economy has begun slowing sharply as well, eroding prospects for global growth this year. Japan reported Tuesday that Chinabound exports had dived 17.4 percent last month, the biggest drop in three years as demand there tumbled. But research by the Institute for International Finance, the impact of punitive US tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods has been partly offset by last year's six percent depreciation of the currency. While that softened much of the blow China's exports and on the US consumer, IIF chief economist Robin Brooks told AFP it has hit the bottom line of Chinese companies. Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a former US trade official now at
the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said he expected China to make a mega-bucks offer to buy more American exports -- and possibly even unilaterally remove tariffs on US goods. "I'm thinking there'll be an eye-catching announcement as to how much China will buy in the next year or so that will enable Trump to say 'victory! victory!'" he told AFP. But should the agreement fail to hold -- causing Washington to impose more tariffs while accusing Beijing of backsliding -- that could pose prove embarrassing for the Americans, he said. "The question is a year from now, as we're going into the election cycle, how a renewal of testy trade relations with China will play politically and in the markets," Hufbauer said. "I don't think you want to go into an election with a downer stock market."
Nine countries at UN seek to override China to raise Myanmar
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NITED NATIONS, United States | AFP | 2/20/2019 - The United States, France, Britain and six other countries on the UN Security Council have called for a meeting on Myanmar that is expected to face opposition from China, diplomats said Wednesday. The meeting requested for next week would be to hear a report from UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener who last month paid a 12-day visit to Myanmar to discuss the plight of Rohingya refugees. Around 740,000 Muslim Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh after they were driven out of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state during a military campaign in 2017 that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar has agreed to take back some of the refugees in a deal reached with Bangladesh, but the United Nations insists that the safety of the Rohingya be a condition for their return. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized as "too slow" Myanmar's efforts to address the Rohingya crisis and described the lack of progress as a source of "enormous frustration." Schraner Burgener, a Swiss diplomat, has made four visits to Myanmar since her appointment in April but appears to have returned empty-handed each time. Belgium, Germany, Poland, Kuwait, Peru and the Dominican Republic joined the three veto-holding powers to push the council to turn its attention to Myanmar. Diplomats said China was expected to raise objections but it remained unclear whether it would seek to block the meeting with a procedural vote. Nine votes are required in the 15-member council to hold a meeting, and vetoes do not apply. The Chinese mission at the United Nations did not respond to a request from AFP for comment. In October, China failed to win enough support at the council to block a report from the head of UN fact-finding mission in Myanmar.
China, which has close ties with Myanmar's military, has argued that the crisis in Rakhine is linked to poverty and has opposed any step to put pressure on the authorities.
Now 88, Kojima recalls how a brass band parped out patriotic tunes lauding then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung as some 1,000 people boarded the ships for a new life. They were part of a grand repatriation programme that continued on and off until 1984, carried out by the Red Cross Societies in Japan and North Korea and paid for by Pyongyang. In all, 93,340 people -- mainly Koreans but also Japanese spouses -- enthusiastically moved to North Korea, blissfully unaware it was a land of no return. Initially reluctant, the Japanese government also backed the scheme, with media touting it as a humanitarian campaign for Koreans struggling to build a life in Japan. But Kojima, who was a communist at the time and helped oversee the repatriation, never went to North Korea himself and now looks back on the scheme with bitterness. "I was actively involved in the project, believing it was something positive. But as a result, I led people into Hell," he told AFP. During Tokyo's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, millions of Koreans moved to Japan, either voluntarily or against their will. When Japan surrendered, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Koreans remained, reluctant to return to their devastated homeland. They were stripped of their Japanese nationality and became stateless. According to journalist and
This poster calls for an easing of tension to counter "the danger of war" expert Yoshiaki Kikuchi, Kim's North -- economically better off than the South after the 1950-53 Korean war -- wanted to use the mass repatriation to emphasise Socialism's "superiority" over the US-puppet South.
ist state and then proudly go home after the North and South were unified," she said.
Most Koreans in Japan hailed from south of the 38th parallel but then South Korean President Syngman Rhee cut them adrift and former colonial ruler Japan offered no help to alleviate their poverty and discrimination.
The agents promised her "at least a three-month supply of rice" and that "a furnished house and beds" would be waiting for her.
For these reasons, many believed propaganda films portraying an idyllic life in North Korea and submitted to the agents of the General Association of Korean Residents or Chongryon -- the de facto embassy of the North in Japan -- as they went door-to-door. - Starving to death But the reality in "Paradise" was a far cry from the propaganda. Eiko Kawasaki, now 76, was shocked to see the locals gathered to welcome them in the northeastern port of Chongjin. "The way the local people looked was heartbreaking. Both the men and the women had lifeless faces with darkened, dry skin. All wearing the same humble working clothes," Kawasaki recalled. She was 17 and had travelled alone, with her family set to follow, convinced by Chongryon propaganda. "They would say North Korea was a wonderful country where we could help build the Social-
"They would encourage us to go, saying we were disgraced and bullied (in Japan), unable to get decent jobs."
The reality was starvation and famine. But even though people were hungry, "no one protested," Kawasaki said, adding: "No one even questioned for what cause they were starving." She tried to hint to her family not to come in letters, hoping to fool censors who immediately imprisoned and often "purged" anyone who complained. It took her 10 years -- and 18 months hiding in China -- but Kawasaki eventually escaped back to Japan. - 'National kidnapping' Manabu Ishikawa, 60, once known as Lee Jay Hak, recalls living off scraps of grain at poultry farms that were considered unfit even for animals. He has never been able to erase the memory of a small girl, maybe nine or 10, dying of starvation on the street. "She was actually smiling... with relief, clutching a piece of bread in her hand," he said. Ishikawa fled to China in 2001 -- his wife and two sons followed later -- but many more were not so fortunate.
US/WORLD
VOICE OF ASIA 12
Sharks reel in fans in Eastern Mediterranean winter waters
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Man arrested for punching, pouring coffee on Sikh 7-Eleven clerk — because he thought the man was Muslim by Lauren Holter
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ACRAMENTO, California, Feb. 18, 2019 - A California man was charged with a hate crime after allegedly punching and throwing hot coffee on a Sikh 7-Eleven employee. Surveillance footage shows the man, identified as John Crain, attacking the clerk near the store’s exit early Wednesday. The employee told the Marysville Police Department that Crain had tried to leave without paying for his coffee, the Sacramento Bee reports. Crain later admitted to assaulting the clerk and told the police that he hates Muslims, according to the Bee. Local
Every winter, as sea temperatures drop, sharks seeking warmer waters head to a northern Israeli shore, drawing enthusiasts hoping for a glimpse of the predators
by Jonah Mandel Hadera, SRAEL | AFP | Thursday 2/20/2019 - The wind was blowing, clouds blocked the sun and the sea was choppy and cold, but Hagai Mayer and his two friends didn't care. They wanted to see the sharks. Every winter, as sea temperatures drop, sharks seeking warmer waters head to a northern Israeli shore, drawing enthusiasts who take the plunge in hopes of catching a glimpse of the enigmatic predators. Dozens of sandbar and dusky sharks, which can reach up to three metres (10 feet) in length, converge by the bubbly stream of seawater used to cool the turbines of a power station near Hadera that is discharged back into the Mediterranean. The site has become a magnet not only for sharks but also for researchers and people like Mayer, a resident of the nearby kibbutz Nahsholim, who on a cold February morning was preparing to go snorkeling. "We're here to visit the sharks, we've been doing so for the past few years, whenever we have an opportunity," he said. Seeing the large animals underwater in a natural habitat is "an adrenaline rush you can't even describe", he said. "To me, encounters with wild animals in nature is the highest level of excitement, certainly with impressive animals like these," he added. - 'No reason to fear' Scientists are not entirely
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US urges Pakistan to punish those behind Kashmir attack Continued from Page 1 Palladino said that the United States has been in contact with both countries since the February 14 attack, which was claimed by the Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed. "We call on all countries to uphold their responsibilities pursuant to the United Nations Security Council resolutions to deny safe haven and support for terrorists," Palladino said. India earlier called on Pakistan to take "credible and visible action" against the perpetrators of the attack, rejecting Prime Minister Imran Khan's offer to investigate any evidence offered by New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced pressure from his Hindu nationalist base to respond forcefully to the attack, which comes weeks before he is expected to call general elections. The United States has a fastgrowing relationship with India on areas from defense to trade. After years of seeking some balance in its ties between the nuclear-armed powers, the United States under President Donald Trump has taken a hard line on Pakistan, cutting off aid over Islamabad's associations with extremists active in Afghanistan.
sure what draws the sharks to the small area below the four looming chimneys of the Hadera power plant, but it's clear to them that "it has something to do with the sea temperature", said Adi Barash. The PhD student, researching sharks at Haifa University's Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, said the Hadera phenomenon, which exists to a lesser extent off smaller power plants in southern Israel, is not known to occur elsewhere in the world. Sharks, according to Barash, have an unjustifiably bad reputation that is costing them their lives. "The movie 'Jaws' created a very significant change in peo-
ple's perception," promoting a "primordial fear that encourages mass killings of sharks, totally disproportionate to the danger they pose," she said. "A shark is not dangerous, there's no reason to fear it," Barash went on, noting that more people die by slipping in the shower than from sharks. "Of course you need to treat it with respect, it's a wild animal and a predator, but not dangerous to people." There have not been any recorded incidents of sharks attacking people off Israel's Mediterranean coast for decades. - Getting up close While sharks have been vis-
news station CBS13 confirmed that the clerk was actually Sikh, not Muslim. Police said he was injured by the hot coffee and had a contusion on his face. Crain was arrested on Wednesday after police responded to reports of another assault in the area and found Crain, who they said matched the description from the earlier assault. Crain was booked into Yuba County Jail on charges of theft, assault and a hate crime. Yahoo Lifestyle has reached out to the Marysville Police Department for comment. Local Sikh and Muslim organizations condemned the
attack in a Friday press release. “We condemn this attack on an individual because of his faith,” said Saad Sweilem, civil rights attorney for the Sacramento Valley office of the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations. “This hate crime represents yet another attack on our Sikh brothers and sisters fueled by Islamophobia and those emboldened by this administration’s xenophobic policies and sentiments. We welcome the hate crime charges and encourage law enforcement to continue to take these clear incidents of bias seriously.” - Yahoo! News
US sanctions Indian man, parents in alleged drug ring
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ASHINGTON | AFP | Wednesday 2/20/2019 - US authorities imposed sanctions Wednesday on an iting Hadera for at least 20 years, their number has been on the rise due to the increase in the size of the power plant and enforcement of legislation protecting them. Ran Golan, whose diving club "Out of the Blu" specialises in guiding people at the Hadera site, said that sunny winter weekends draw hundreds of people diving, swimming, snorkeling, boating or just observing the sharks from the nearby shore.
Indian man and his parents for their roles in an alleged global smuggling network for heroin, opioids and other drugs. The US Treasury Department said Jasmeet Hakimzada, who lives in the United Arab Emirates, is a "significant foreign narcotics trafficker" who since 2008 has laundered hundreds of millions of dollars. "Hakimzada's global drug trafficking and money laundering network has been involved in smuggling heroin and synthetic opioids around the world," Sigal Mandelker, the Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and finan-
cial intelligence, said in a statement. "This action is a result of years of effort with our US and foreign partners." Treasury designated Hakimzada's parents, who also live in the UAE, as traffickers, describing the father as his "primary" trafficking and laundering partner and the mother as an officer for two front companies in India. Hakimzada has allegedly smuggled heroin, cocaine, ephedrine, ketamine and synthetic opioids into the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, Treasury said.
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Transamerica opens Houston-Metro office in Sugar Land by Shobana Muratee
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UGAR LAND, TX – On February 14, Transamerica Agency Network opened its Houston Metro office in Sugar Land location on One Sugar Creek Center Boulevard, Suite 440, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Red was the color of the day with the office decorated with red balloons, hearts everywhere to tie in with the spirit of Valentine’s Day. The event started at 2 PM with the ribbon cutting ceremo-ny, led by James “Wade” Hampton, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of Transamerica Agency Network, and Abha Dwivedi, Houston Metro Managing Director. They were joined by a host of Agents both from the community: Padma Sharma, Malti Kumar, Rukhsana Lakhani, Natver Patel and from other Asian communities that made the team a great collaboration of multi-cultural diversity. The was followed cake cutting and a short tour of the office, cake cutting. Over 250 guests and friends from the building enjoyed the re-freshments: the chocolate fountain with strawberries, cookies, fruits and chocolates. The grand opening and open house also showcased what Transamerica Agency Network offers: Pro-
James “Wade” Hampton, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of Transamerica Agency Network, and Abha Dwivedi, Houston Metro Managing Director. Photos by Shobana Muratee. tection for the Future/Financial Services, Business continuation Planning, Employee bene-fits plans, Index Universal Life Insurance with or without living benefits, Whole Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance also with or without living benefits, Life Insurance with Optional Long Term Care Rider, Medicare supplement plans and Retirement Strategies. Abha Dwivedi, is a people’s person with a professional track record for her services in the
community. For professional financial advice she can reached at 281.650.3229 or 832.831.6159. Please check her website on sulekha.com or tanconnects.com/abha. You may also send her an email at abha.dwivedi@transamericanetwork.com for any questions or inquiries. Transamerica Agency Network is also hiring, you can contact her if, looking for professional opportunity to join Transamerica Agency Network.
Fort Bend County Judge KP George kicks off 2nd Countywide Listening Tour in Pct. 3 at Parkway Fellowship Church on February 28, 2019
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ORT BEND COUNTYFort Bend County Judge KP George is excited to announce that he will be hosting the second in a series of county-wide meetings dubbed the Listening Tour to engage Fort Bend County residents in constructive dialogue about Fort Bend County services and hear their concerns. The first of the series was held on January 31, 2019 at the University of Houston – Sugar Land. The second meeting will be held at Parkway Fellowship
Church located at 27043 FM 1093 RD., Richmond, Texas 77406 beginning at 6:15 p.m. in partnership with Pct. 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, Pct. 3 Constable Wayne Thompson, and Pct. 3 Justice of the Peace Kelly Crow. “This is a great opportunity for Fort Bend County residents to attend, listen and ask questions about what is happening in our county, I understand that not everyone can attend our regular commissioners court meetings where county busi-
ness is discussed and I want to bring county government closer to the community and gain insight from county residents.” stated Fort Bend County Judge KP George. Representatives from Animal Services, Road & Bridge, Human Resources, Parks, Clinical Health, Drainage, Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Health & Human Services, Pct. 3 Constable Office, Environmental Health, Engineering, and other departments are also expected to be in attendance.
Public meeting for 7th Street drainage project set for feb. 25
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UGAR LAND – The city of Sugar Land is hosting an informational public meeting to share plans for drainage improvements in The Hill and the Sugar Mill subdivisions. The meeting is scheduled for Feb. 25, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Sugar Land Middle School, 321 7th Street. City engineers will present plans and schedules for drainage improvements along 7th Street, Muirwood Lane and Woodlake Circle, including a
new drainage relief line across City Park that will discharge into an existing drainage channel. Plans include pavement reconstruction along 7th street between Woodlake Circle and City Park. The project is intended to improve the capacity of storm sewers and reduce street ponding during heavy rainfall. The project is scheduled to begin in May to minimize interference with school activities and is intended to ensure Sugar Land remains safer than ever before,
Ribbon cutting ceremony at the opening of their new office in Sugar Land
an accomplishment based on years of investments in drainage infrastructure. Drainage improvements implemented in nearby areas protected residents from historic amounts of rainfall during Harvey. Staff continues to evaluate areas throughout the city to ensure the city remains prepared for future storms. For more information, please visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/CIPStoryMap. For questions, call 281-275-2780 or email cityengineer@sugarlandtx.gov.
Transamerica Agency Network team.
VOICE OF ASIA 14
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2
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‘Alita: Battle Angel’ banks on foreign audiences to save it from box office disaster by Rebecca Rubin
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OLLYWOOD - “Alita: Battle Angel” beat expectations with its $27 million debut at the domestic box office, but Fox’s cyberpunk fantasy adventure has a long road to travel before it can claim victory. When it comes to achieving profitability, the CGI-spectacular may never arrive at that particular destination. With a production budget hovering at $170 million (Fox says tax incentives lowered costs that were once north of $200 million) and tens of millions more in marketing and distribution costs, executives at rival studios estimate “Alita: Battle Angel” will need to gross roughly $500 million globally to get out of the red. Insiders at Fox say the break-even number is closer to $350 million. It’s too early to completely write off the film. But even though the movie has made $130 million worldwide so far, it’s unlikely that “Alita” will reach those box office heights. When you swing for the fences in the sci-fi genre, it doesn’t come cheap,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a box office analyst with Comscore. “It’s tougher to get North American audiences behind those films” when they’re not sequels or well-known properties. Heading into the weekend, independent tracking services suggested that “Alita: Battle Angel” would earn $22 million over the weekend and $30 million during its first five days of release. Insiders at Fox attribute the film’s better-than-expected start in North America due to its President’s Day weekend release date. The studio initially intended to open the movie during last year’s Christmas period, but instead
From left: Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Atif Aslam
Pulwama attack: Blanket ban on Pak artistes in Bollywood
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EW DELHI, PTI - In the wake of Pulwama terror attack, All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has announced a blanket ban on Pakistani actors and artists working in the Indian film industry. Graphic courtesy 21 Century Fox opted to wait for a less crowded time at multiplexes. It was a smart move, considering “Alita: Battle Angel” might have gotten lost in the shuffle as moviegoers flocked to “Aquaman” “Mary Poppins Returns,” and “Bumblebee” over the busy holiday season. But while “Alita” now has a little breathing room in the U.S., it faces an even more challenging market overseas. It has yet to debut in China and Japan, two markets expected to bring back huge returns. Before Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation can become a success in those territories, it will have to overcome an exceptionally crowded marketplace. Unlike in North America, where ticket sales are down almost 20% from last year and there
Nahnatchka Khan moves overall deal from Fox to Universal
has yet to be a clear hit, the box office in Asia is thriving. China’s sci-fi epic “The Wandering Earth” has generated a massive $606 million and counting, while the Chinese New Year has also seen local titles like “Crazy Alien” and “Pegasus” resonate in a big way. Recent Hollywood blockbusters like “Venom” and “Aquaman,” on the other hand, arrived at a time when foreign theaters weren’t quite as booming. While producer James Cameron was no doubt hoping for his passion project to become a global hit, “Alita: Battle Angel” is now banking on its foreign appeal to turn a profit. Since it’s based on Yukito Kishiro’s popular manga graphic novel, it’s no surprise that Rosa Salazar’s cyborg heroine has generated bigger business overseas, with ticket sales amounting to over $94 million to date. A lot riding on China and Japan to cover any potential lost ground. - Variety
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From teaching consent to the nation through Pink to explaining women are no less than men in Baby and Naam Shabana, Taapsee Pannu has always impressed as an actress.
The ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ creator had spent more than a decade at 20th Century Fox TV.
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he creator has signed an exclusive four-year overall deal with Universal Television said to be worth in the eight-figure range. The deal will see Khan leave 20th Century Fox Television, her home of more than a decade, to create and produce new projects for the NBCUniversal-owned studio. During her decade-plus at 20th TV, Khan created and exec produced ABC’s Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23 and created the Disneyowned network’s critically praised but perennial bubble comedy Fresh Off the Boat. Khan most recently completed post-production on her feature film directorial debut, Always Be My Maybe, starring Ali Wong and Randall Park. The Netflix original is due in the summer. “Natch is a singular voice with a proven track record of success and versatility. She’s a highly sought-after writer, director, producer whose work reflects a deep commitment to the
representation of women and diverse communities. We couldn’t ask for a better collaborator,” Universal TV president Pearlena Igbokwe said. The Universal TV deal arrives a year after ABC passed on Khan’s genderflipped reboot of The Greatest American Hero. The comedy — which would have featured network TV’s first “brown female superhero” — had been considered a frontrunner to go to series after casting New Girl grad Hannah Simone, who had been the most sought-after actress last season. Sources told THR that the comedy felt “off-brand” for the Disney-owned network and ABC instead picked up Tim Doyle’s comedy about an Irish-Catholic family in the 1970s. Khan gives Universal TV a top comedy showrunner at a time when the studio is tasked with supplying content to its broadcast sibling and other networks, cable, and streaming . - Hollywood Reporter
But do you know the actress is also an entrepreneur? Apart from her full-time acting job in the India film industry, Pannu is the founder of The Wedding Factor and the Owner of Pune Pistons (Badminton Team). Discussing what prompted her to take up entrepreneurship, Pannu in conversation with Entrepreneur India shared that acting was never her plan in life but entrepreneurship was.
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The statement added that despite the official ban if any organisation wants to work with Pakistani artists, the AICWA will take strict action against them. “All Indian Cine Workers Association strongly condemns brutal terrorist attack on our soldiers at Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. AICWA stands with nation in confronting such terror and inhumanity. Were officially announcing a total ban on Pakistani Actors and Artists working in Film Industry. Still if any organisation insist on working with Pakistani Artists will be banned by AICWA and a strong action will be taken against them. Nation comes first, we stand with our nation, the notice read. Earlier in the day, actor Ajay Devgn also announced that his upcoming film
The terror attack has been strongly condemned by Bollywood personalities including Priyanka Chopra, Ajay Devgn, Shahid Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, Shankar Mahadevan, Rishi Kapoor who expressed anger and grief through social media. Many Bollywood personalities including Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar extended financial assistance to the martyrs’ families. Bollywood also observed a black day on Sunday, in order to pay tribute to those killed in action. No work was done between 2 pm and 4 pm yesterday. A prayer session was also held for the brave hearts. Kangana Ranaut cancelled the success party of her film ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’. Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar put down the invitation sent by Karachi Art Council for a program on poet Kaifi Azmi in Pakistan. Forty CRPF personnel were killed on Thursday after a suicide bomber rammed a car laden with explosives into a convoy in Awantipora area of Pulwama in Kashmir.
Tapsee Pannu mades Entreprenuer’s ‘35Under35’ ntrepreneur’s 35U35 list included some path-breaking names from the field of entrepreneurship and Indian Actress Taapsee Pannu made it to the list for enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to have an online presence.
Nahnatchka Khan (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)
The AICWA issued a statement condemning the attack that killed around 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama on Thursday.
‘Total Dhamaal’ will not be released in Pakistan. The cast and crew of the film also donated Rs. 50 lakh to the families of the soldiers.
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years, I thought it would be nice to diversify which help me grow beyond an actor. One of my friends Farah, who was a professional wedding planner along with my sister, who loves organizing events – it just hit me that it good to invest (in The Wedding Factory) and I don’t have to be physically present the entire time.” - Entreprenuer
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FASHION & LIFESTYLE
VOICE OF ASIA 15
Section 2
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Fashion mourns death of ‘Kaiser’ Karl Lagerfeld
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he fashion world was plunged into mourning on Tuesday by the death of legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld, the rapier-witted dandy who ruled over the industry for half a century. Chanel, the iconic French fashion house he led for nearly four decades, confirmed his passing at the age of 85, prompting an unprecedented outpouring of emotion from designers and celebrities.
transform his sketches into glittering reality. In a statement on Tuesday, Chanel said Lagerfeld was “an extraordinary creative individual... a prolific creative mind with endless imagination”. - ‘Incredible talent’ His longtime muse, Ines de La Fressange, one of the world’s first super-
“We will never forget your incredible talent and endless inspiration. We were always learning from you.” Bernard Arnault, the most powerful man in fashion and owner of the luxury giant LVMH, said he was “infinitely saddened” by the loss of a “very dear friend” and a “creative genius”. “Fashion and culture have lost a major inspiration. He contributed to
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
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Kunal Rawal at Lakmé Fashion Week summer/resort 2019
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ollywood’s favourite menswear designer, Kunal Rawal’s summer resort show at Lakme Fashion Week was a huge hit. With classic colour combinations and layered silhouettes, Kunal proved that he is the master of layering. The designer is popular for giving a spin to Indianwear in the most unique way possible. Kunal Rawal’s SS’19 show in collaboration with Boat featured models sashaying down the runway sporting Boat earphones and headphones, giving the collection an edgy twist. Aditya Roy Kapur turned into Kunal Rawal’s muse as he graced the runway as the showstopper with his enigmatic persona. The show particularly featured a major fashion trend: Layering. Here are two outfits from Kunal Rawal’s LFW SS’19 show that prove he is the master of layering.
Speculation about the state of health of the man they called the “Kaiser” had been rife since he missed Chanel’s Paris haute couture week show last month, with the brand saying he “was tired”. Lagerfeld left many younger creators in the dust well into his 80s, turning out collections season after season for Fendi and his own label, as well as Chanel. With his powdered white pony tail, black sunglasses and starched highcollared white shirts, Lagerfeld was as instantly recognisable as his celebrity clients. Lagerfeld’s friend, supermodel Linda Evangelista, said she was heartbroken, calling him the “great love of my life”. - Creative stamina In recent years the prolific German had visibly weakened, even if his extraordinary creative stamina showed little sign of flagging on the catwalk for the three brands he led. Friends had always said that the creator would die with a pencil in his hand, and just last week his own fashion line Karl Lagerfeld was still announcing new design collaborations. Chanel said the reins of the $20-billion empire had been handed to Lagerfeld’s right-hand woman, his head of studio Virginie Viard. The designer invited Viard on to the podium with him at the end of two Chanel shows last year to acknowledge how much he relied on a woman he called “my right and left hand” to
German designer Karl Lagerfeld had led Chanel since 1983. (File Photo) models, told AFP that he “never rested on his laurels, never doing the same thing twice.
making Paris the fashion capital of the world,” the billionaire said.
“I saw him draw surrounded by 15 people. He was the opposite of the great couturier who had to suffer to create. He did nothing but work yet he refused to make it look like work,” she added.
US First Lady Melania Trump, a former model, paid tribute to Lagerfeld on Twitter, saying “today the world lost a creative genius”.
Italian designer Donatella Versace led the tributes among fashion’s leading players as news of Lagerfeld’s death broke. “Karl, your genius touched the lives of so many, especially Gianni and I,” she wrote on Instagram, referring to her murdered brother who founded her brand.
- Acid tongue -
The singer and former French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who had worked as a model for Lagerfeld, wrote a touching tribute to her former mentor on Instagram. “Thank you for bringing beauty and lightness in our world, so much colour in the darkness, so much wit in our dull days... The whole world and I will miss you.” - AFP News
6 habits parents need to give up for their child Do you have any of these bad habits? Your children can easily pick up these, which might eventually affect their physical and mental well-being.
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t is no secret how quickly children pick up habits from their parents. And that’s all the more reason why parents need to set a good example to inculcate good values in their kids and ensure a healthy upbringing. So, here are some bad habits that you can consider curbing. Gossiping You’re living in a bubble if you believe children don’t pay attention when parents gossip about what happened with their neighbour, a friend or even their child’s classmate’s family. Children go on to follow the same practice among friends in school. And school gossip is nothing short of bullying when used as a tool to isolate or intimidate another person. Fighting Every child deserves to grow up in a positive, happy and healthy environment. Not only do domestic disputes disturb the harmony at home, but also affect the child directly, making him or her feel vulnerable and insecure. It can have a serious impact on the child’s mental health. Comparison over superficial things Remember how Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar, who play parents in the movie Hindi Medium, try to appropriate the habits of a posh society they move into to appear ‘classy’? Parents need to abstain from unnecessary comparison with peers to boast about their superiority in everything, from the car they own to the destination they holiday in. When peer pressure begins at home, children naturally inculcate the habit, which influences their choices later on. Next time your child throws tantrums for buying an expensive dress, you might want to
Children pick up habits from parents. (Source: Getty Images) look back to get to the root of the parenting problem. Competition In the latest session of Pariksha Pe Charcha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pointed out how parents tend to carry their child’s “report card as their visiting card” at social gatherings. And that’s why they put more pressure on their kids. Competition is not bad but only when it is healthy. Parents need to accept failure and teach the same to their children. Too much time on the phone A study published in the journal Child Development in 2017 revealed that parents’ excessive use of smartphones can impact their responsiveness, leading to less than ideal inter-
actions between the two. If parents remain glued to mobile screens, how can they ask children to stay away from the same? And we all know the effects on excess screen time on a child’s health. Emotional eating Many adults resort to emotional eating each time they are stressed. And we tend to do the same with children too. A 2018 study, conducted by University College London, inferred that children also pick up emotional eating largely due to parents who give children food to make them feel better. According to the study, emotional eating can increase the risk of obesity and eating disorders in children. - Indian Express
Photos © Viral Bhayani Leave it onto Kunal Rawal to show you how to master the art of layering Indianwear like a boss. - Vogue.in
VOICE OF ASIA 16
Section 2
Young Life
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Nurturing youth leadership skills at home
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Tel: 713-774-5140
Rohan Bhat earns Boy Scout Eagle Rank
Family meetings play an important role in cultivating young leaders. by Marilyn Price-Mitchell Ph.D.
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eveloping youth leadership skills during middle and high school most often makes us think of after-school group activities and special programs designed to train emerging young leaders. But parents can also foster leadership in their children at home by using a simple tool—the family meeting. The concept of the family meeting has been popular for several decades and is often recommended by psychologists and family therapists to build positive relationships. Regular weekly meetings are a formal opportunity for families to discuss important issues, plan, problem solve, and have fun together. Much has been written about the benefits of family meetings, how to develop a family meeting agenda, and habits that make family meetings successful. If you have never held family meetings or would like to learn more about them, read “Family Meetings Can Be Fun, Productive, and Meaningful.” This article looks at family meeting through a new lens—with a focus on youth leadership development. It’s a topic not often associated with family meetings. But there is good evidence that children can learn core leadership skills in their home environments by taking a lead role in family meetings. - Youth Leadership Begins with Practice As children transition into and through adolescence, they need to practice skills that will teach them how to exercise positive influence over themselves and others. These skills do not come naturally to many children because they have not been in situations where leadership skills are easily developed. In fact, to become comfortable as a leader, it is helpful to learn and practice new skills in a safe, nurturing environment. What are youth leadership skills? How can they be nurtured by families? You will find many listings of youth leadership skills. Here, we’ll focus on the skills that parents can best nurture at home within the structure of family meetings. These meetings provide a formal opportunity for kids to learn and practice. Youth leadership skills include: Decision-making Goal setting Problem-solving Relationship-building Communicating Listening Self-awareness Empathy - How Family Meetings Can Inspire Youth Leadership Family meetings are built around agendas, much like after-school clubs, organiza-
Photo: Dollarphotoclub
tions, or business meetings. When parents decide to start regular meetings with children, there is a certain amount of ongoing preparation required, like learning what agenda topics work best, experimenting with new ideas, adapting to change, facilitating problem-solving, etc. Like most groups that seek consensus and strive to work together, family meetings can be messy. At first, parents are the role models. They show children a way of learning together that is not always perfect. They learn from mistakes. They make sure everyone has a voice in problem-solving and decisionmaking. They are the major cheerleaders for making family meetings work! Once family meetings because a mainstay in your household, leadership should shift. Elementary-school-age children can contribute to leading different parts of the agenda, like creating a meeting opening, picking a topic for discovery time, or planning the fun family activity. As children mature into middle and high school, giving them more responsibility in leading family meetings continues to build youth leadership skills. - Youth Leadership Requires the Ability to Set and Achieve Goals Planning and goal-setting are important aspects of family meetings. They are opportunities for families to plan trips and outings together, organize family service projects, manage chores, learn to budget, etc. We know from research, that goal setters often become peak performers. Goal setting is a skill that is highly associated with those who excel in school, work, and life. Research has uncovered many key aspects of goal setting theory and its link to success (Kleingeld, et al, 2011). Setting goals is linked with self-confidence, motivation, and autonomy (Locke & Lathan, 2006). One study showed when people wrote down their goals, they were 33% more successful in achieving them than those who formulated outcomes in their heads.
Family meetings not only give children a voice in goalsetting but also the ability to play an active role with keeping minutes and tracking goals. These are tasks that are easily shared with children as they mature into their teen years. Children who learn to set and achieve goals with their families become intimately familiar with the process. They understand that achievement takes perseverance and determination. They learn that problems and challenges arise along the path to success that must be overcome. They acquire the ability to work with others and communicate clearly. Instead of expecting parents to have the answers or make all of the decisions, they begin to see themselves as part of creating solutions that work for everyone.
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he risk of having a heart attack appears to be rising among young women, according to a new study, and researchers are trying to figure out why. When analyzed across fiveyear intervals, the overall proportion of heart attack-related hospital admissions in the United States attributable to young patients, ages 35 to 54, steadily climbed from 27% in 1995-99 to 32% in 2010-14, with the largest increase observed in young women, according to the study, published recently in the journal Circula-
tion. During those periods, there was a rise in these admissions from 21% to 31% among young women, compared with 30% to 33% among young men, the study showed. “The takeaway message is that an increasing percentage of heart attacks is occurring among younger patients, even though our population is aging, and the biggest increase seems to be among young women,” said Melissa Caughey, senior author of the study and a research instructor in the Division of Cardiology at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine at Chapel
For his Eagle Project, Rohan worked with his former middle school band director Ms Tammy Disharoon to come up with a design that would accommodate their percussion equipment that did not have any storage space. After receiving necessary approvals, Rohan finalized on a 5.5 feet high and 7.5 feet wide shelving unit design with 6 compartments with varying dimensions to ensure all school’s equipment was able to be stored conveniently. Rohan had raised money in his scout account by participating in Flags Across America program for his troop and used this to fund his Eagle Project. With the help of the volunteers from Troop 230, he organized and led the work activities for the construction of the shelving unit. With the assistance of Band Director Mr. Donnie Artley, he delivered the unit at Tays Jr High School on 4th May 2018, and they have put it to good use.
- Problem-Solving and Consensus-Building: A Vital Skill for Youth Leaders -
Upon being awarded the Eagle Scout rank, Rohan has successfully earned 37 merit badges, Gold, Silver and Bronze Eagle Palms, Conservation award, completed NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training), Order of Arrow, 1-mile swim, Nova award (Design to Crunch, Design to Shoot) and countless weekend camp-outs.
Youth leadership outside of the home requires children to solve problems by building consensus among groups of people. These are some of the most important skills required to successfully lead community engagement and service efforts as well as after-school clubs and organizations.
Rohan is 16 years old and in 11th grade at Tompkins High School, where he actively participates in band activities like marching, concert and jazz band. His plans are to continue in his college studies in health field.
Not surprisingly, problemsolving within families is challenging, just as it is in the world beyond families. Since problem-solving is almost always part of the agenda of family meetings, it presents a unique opportunity to give your teenager some experience in facilitating this process with other family members. Of course, before they jump in, they’ll need some guidance, role modeling, and your assurance that failure is an acceptable option because that’s how we learn. Parents must be there to support their teens, ready to show understanding and love.
College grads expect to earn $60,000 in their first job—here’s how much they actually make
Teens who learn to handle various parts of the family meeting agenda become confident in their abilities to perform similar tasks outside of home. In the process, they learn other valuable skills, like how to listen to others, build consensus, put themselves in other people’s shoes.
But a recent survey from LendEdu highlights how some of graduates’ expectations are not being met.
- Psychology Today
Heart attacks are on the rise among young women by Jacqueline Howard and Michael Nedelman
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n October 10, 2018, Rohan Bhat, son of Ayshwarya and Chetan Bhat of KatyTexas, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout - Scouting’s highest rank. Rohan is a member of BSA Troop 230 within Sam Houston Area Council. The boy-led troop is chartered with St Peters’ United Methodist church and they meet regularly at the Deren-Huff Scout House on Monday evenings.
Hill. A heart attack, or acute myocardial infarction, occurs when a part of the heart doesn’t receive enough blood. Each year, about 790,000 Americans have a heart attack, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart attacks most often occur as a result of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Globally, 85% of all cardiovascular disease-related deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, according to the World Health Organization. Continued on page 17
by Abigail Hess
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ach year, enthusiastic university commencement speakers tell students that the hard work they did in college will pay off if they simply continue to persevere.
LendEdu analyzed a College Pulse survey of 7,000 college students from nearly 1,000 colleges and universities and found that students, on average, expect to earn $60,000 in their first job out of college. Most will earn closer to $50,000. PayScale estimates the typical graduate with zero to five years experience makes $48,400. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) calculates that the preliminary average starting salary for graduates from the class of 2018 is about $50,004. NACE data also indicates that college graduate starting salaries have recently seen a subtle dip. The organization estimates that the starting salaries of the class of 2018 were actually 2 percent lower than the average starting of the class of 2017 ($51,022). Despite this statistic, there are many good reasons for college graduates to be optimistic. Wages are finally beginning to budge after years of sluggish growth and recent figures from NACE indicate that employers plan to hire 16.6 percent more members of the Class of 2019
Photo: @vegasmike via Twenty20
than the previous year’s graduating class. That’s the biggest increase among recent graduates since 2007. “If you’re graduating from college now, you’ve timed it perfectly,” Brian Kropp, vice president at research firm Gartner tells CNBC Make It. “It’s hard to think of a better labor market that you could go into.” Historically low unemployment rates are forcing companies to hire more recent graduates. The unemployment rate for all U.S. workers is roughly 3.9 percent, but the unemployment for college educated workers is just 2.1 percent. Kropp says this dynamic gives recent graduates considerable leverage when interviewing for jobs and negotiating for starting salary. “The reality is, most companies will not hit goals in terms of the number of campus hires they want to hire this year,” explains Kropp. “What that means is as a campus hire, you have the ability to shop offers more than ever before.”
He continues, “A lot of companies will come in and say ‘This is the standard offer for new campus hires, associates, analysts,’ whatever it may be. But given how competitive the market is, they actually have a lot more flexibility in terms of signing bonus, in terms of bonus potential and so on.” Additionally, research suggests college still pays off in the long run. In 2018, college graduates earned weekly wages that were 80 percent higher than those of high school graduates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that Americans with a bachelor’s degree have median weekly earnings of $1,173, compared to just $712 a week for those who have a high school diploma. The United States Social Security Administration calculates that men with bachelor’s degrees earn roughly $900,000 more over the course of their lifetime than high school graduates, and women with bachelor’s degrees earn $630,000 more. - CNBC
VOICE OF ASIA 17
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
February is American Heart Month
February is Spay/ Neuter Awareness Month
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What is a Short-Term Care Insurance Policy?
Fountain of youth? Study finds new anti-ageing compound in plant
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OKYO, Japan | AFP | Tuesday 2/19/2019 - In Japan, the slightly bitter leaves of the Ashitaba plant have long been considered healthy, and a new study has found the traditional belief may have good scientific grounds.
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eople who can’t qualify for -- or can’t afford -- long-termcare insurance are increasingly turning to short-term-care policies, which offer benefits for up to one year.
A natural substance in the plant appears to induce a key process that helps remove the “cellular garbage” that can build up as cells age and cause a range of diseases and disorders. “It is always nice to find a scientific rationale for traditional medical folk tales,” said Frank Madeo, a professor at the University of Graz’s Institute of Molecular Biosciences, in Austria. Madeo, who helped lead the research, said the substance known as 4,4’-dimethoxychalcone or DMC, which occurs naturally in Ashitaba plants, induces a process called autophagy. “This is a cleansing and recycling process,” he told AFP. It removes “superfluous material, especially cellular garbage like aggregated proteins.” That “cleaning” process is key to sustained good health as the body ages. When cells fail to promptly and efficiently remove damaged parts, they can build up and that can lead to diseases including cancer. There are already a handful of compounds known to scientists that work to stimulate the cleaning process. Fasting also appears to naturally encourage cells to undertake spring cleaning. But in a bid to expand the field of compounds able to protect cells and turn back the hands of time, the team of researchers turned to a class of substances called flavonoids. Many flavonoids have already been shown to have a range of beneficial effects, ranging from anti-inflammatory properties to protecting against brain degeneration and cancer. The team reasoned that they might find flavonoids that could also help prevent destructive ageing in cells. They screened 180 compounds representing various subcategories of flavonoids, looking for candidates that might have the natural ability to “counteract age-related cell demise.”
Ashitaba plants are finding success under the care of growers in Japan. (AFP Photo) better than some existing compounds prized for their cell-protective capacity like resveratrol, which occurs in grape skin, among other places. The team then tested DMC’s effect on cells in both worms and fruit flies -- common test subjects in medical research. “Remarkably, chronic DMC treatment... prolonged the median lifespan of both model organisms by approximately 20 percent,” the study published Wednesday in the Nature Communications journal says. Additional tests showed the compound helped protect cells in mice hearts through the autophagy process, and even protected against a kind of liver damage caused by ethanol in-
toxication. The team also tested DMC’s effect on several types of human cells and found that there too the substance worked to slow ageing. “The experiments indicate that the effects of DMC might be transferable to humans, although we have to be cautious and wait for real clinical trials,” said Madeo. The research is still in the early stages and Madeo said next steps will include testing whether the positive effects of DMC in mice hearts extend more broadly to protect mice against ageing and age-related diseases. “Eventually, clinical trials on humans are needed,” he added.
Ashitaba is a large herb that grows primarily in the central region of Japan. Its root, leaf, and stem are used to make medicine. Ashitaba is used for “heartburn” (gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD), stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout, constipation, and hay fever. It is also used for cancer, smallpox, fluid retention, blood clots, and food poisoning. Women use it to increase the flow of breast milk. The fresh leaves and dried powder are used as food.
After initial screening, they settled on DMC and started by testing how the substance affected yeast cells. They discovered it was indeed helping to protect the yeast cells from the effects of ageing, and that the substance performed as well or even
Heart attacks are on the rise among young women - Heart attack risk factors The new study involved data on 28,732 hospitalizations for heart attack in patients 35 to 74 between 1995 and 2014. The data came from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, or ARIC, and the hospitalizations were in four communities: Forsyth County, North Carolina; Washington County, Maryland; Jackson, Mississippi; and eight northwest suburbs of Minneapolis. The researchers took a close look at young patients, ages 35 to 54, who made up 30% of the hospitalizations. Within that group, the annual incidence of heart attack hospitalizations decreased from 1995 to 2014 among young men, but an increase was ob-
served among young women, the researchers found. “When we looked at the incidence -meaning the number of patients who had a heart attack each year, divided by the total population of patients in the group -- we saw that there was actually a decrease in incidence among young men, and that sort of paralleled with what we see in the older populations, but we saw there’s a slight increase for the young women,” Caughey said. “That was surprising, because it’s going against the other trends in other demographic groups,” she said. “There have been previous studies from the same ARIC surveillance that have shown a decline, and they were predominantly older populations or older patients. ... The national trends are also showing the same thing, that there’s a decline in the incidence of heart attack.”
Compared with young men in the study, the young women were more likely to have medical insurance and a history of hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and stroke, the researchers found. The young women also were more often black and less likely to be smokers. The study, which was published online in November, had some limitations, including that it involved data from only four communities. More research is needed to determine whether similar trends would emerge nationwide. Additionally, the data was limited to medical records and did not include information relating to obesity, a known risk factor for heart attack. “The initial thing I thought when I saw the high rate
Short-term-care policies, offered by carriers such as Med America, Kemper and Equitable Life & Casualty, have been around for years but are gaining renewed attention as long-term-care insurance premiums have climbed sharply in recent years. And wealthier consumers who apply for long-termcare coverage are often declined for age or health reasons. Short-term-care insurance is your plan B option. While longterm-care insurance is your best bet if you can afford it and meet the health qualifications, However some insurance is better than no insurance. But some in the industry are more skeptical that short-termcare policies offer real value to consumers. If you can afford to pay short-term-care insurance premiums, you may well be able to afford care in the short term without bothering with insurance. A 64-year-old, for example, can get a policy that will pay a $120 daily benefit for 100 days for an annual premium of $312, (Premium varies by geographic location and the company.) If he pays premiums for 20 years before making a claim, he has paid $6,240 for a maximum of $12,000 worth of benefits. Some short-term-care policies offer even lower benefits of $50 per day -just a fraction of a facility’s cost.
- Cell-protective capacity -
Continued from page 16
Short-term-care policies have lower premiums and less underwriting standards than long-termcare policies, making them more accessible to people with health problems. But patients who end up needing extended care will find that these policies are limited since it is short term care. And shortterm-care policies may not cover all the levels of care that a longterm policy would cover. Some short-term policies only cover home care, while others will only pay for care in a facility.
Older consumers should also remember that Medicare often picks up some of the bill for short-term care. If you need rehabilitation in a nursing home following a hospital stay of at least three days, Medicare may cover most of the costs for up to 100 days. Coverage of Last Resort Many people who want to purchase some form of coverage may find short-term care is their only
of diabetes in the women was, ‘what about obesity?’ And the study didn’t have information on whether or not these women were obese,” said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, cardiologist and medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Health in New York, who was not involved in the study.
Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900
option. Those who are declined long-term-care coverage as a result of conditions such as arthritis or diabetes, for example, may be eligible for short-term-care insurance. Although it’s difficult to make direct cost comparisons between short- and long-term-care coverage, given their varying benefits, for example of how much older couples might expect to pay for each type of policy. A 60-year-old couple can get a short-term-care policy that provides $150 in daily benefits for up to 360 days, with a 30-day elimination period, for $1,235 annually. (The elimination period is the number of days between the time you become eligible for benefits and when the insurer starts paying.) The couple would pay $2,170 a year for a long-termcare policy that provides the same daily benefit for up to three years, with a 90-day elimination period. A benefit for single women: Unlike traditional long-term-care insurance, which often charges single women 20% to 40% more than single men, short-term-care insurance offers unisex pricing. Short-term-care policies also require you to jump fewer hurdles before collecting benefits. For example, long-term-care policies generally won’t pay benefits unless your doctor certifies that for at least 90 days you’re going to need help with at least two “activities of daily living,” such as bathing and dressing. Short-term-care policies typically don’t have the 90-day requirement. To plan for Short Term Care or Long Term Care Insurance and for choosing Medicare Plans contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900.
Such risk factors -- including Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure -may help explain why there has been a rise in heart attacks among young women, but more research is needed to really pinpoint what could be driving this rise, Goldberg added. - CNN
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DIET & EXERCISE
VOICE OF ASIA 18
How many push-ups you can do might be linked to your risk of cardiovascular disease
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Chinese food producer says swine fever found in dumplings
China is the world’s biggest consumer and producer of pork. (© AFP PHOTO/ Frederic J. Brown)
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New research has found a link between being able to do more push-ups and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. (Photo © BraunS/Istock.com)
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ew international research has found that men who are able to do more than 40 push-ups may have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its related health conditions. Carried out by researchers from the USA, Cyprus, and Italy, the new study looked at data collected from 1,104 active male firefighters between 2000 and 2010. The average age of the participants was 39.6 and the average body mass index (BMI) was 28.7, with a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 classed as overweight. At the start of the study the researchers assessed the participants’ push-up capacity as well as their fitness, using the submaximal treadmill exercise tolerance test. Participants also completed annual
physical examinations and health and medical questionnaires. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, showed that participants who were able to complete more than 40 push-ups had a 96 percent reduced risk of CVD and related outcomes -- including coronary artery disease and heart failure -- during the 10 year follow-up than those who were able to do less than 10 push-ups at the start of the study. Push-up capacity was also more strongly associated with a lower risk of CVD cardiovascular disease than was aerobic fitness, as measured by a submaximal treadmill exercise test. This is the first known study to look at a link between push-up capacity and cardiovascular disease outcomes later in life, although the researchers
India hosts first ‘yoga on a pole’ world championships
note that as the study only included middle-aged, active men, the results may not be generalizable to women, men of other ages or individuals who are less active, and further research in diverse populations is needed. However, they also added that as physical health assessments can often be expensive and time-consuming to use during routine exams, such as treadmill tests, the findings suggest that push-up capacity could be a nocost, fast, and simple measure for evaluating functional capacity and cardiovascular disease risk. Senior author Stefanos Kales also added that, “This study emphasizes the importance of physical fitness on health, and why clinicians should assess fitness during clinical encounters.” - Relaxnews
HANGHAI, China - A major Chinese food producer said Monday that traces of the African swine fever virus had been found in its frozen dumplings. China, the world’s biggest consumer and producer of pork, has struggled to contain an outbreak of the virus since the first cases were detected last August. Officials have said hundreds of thousands of pigs were culled in a bid to stop its spread -- an effort that has also seen restrictions placed on moving pigs from affected areas.
Contaminated pork dumplings were detected, leading to a pig culling in China. (Photo: iStock)
Sanquan Food, based in central Henan province, issued a public statement confirming media reports published in recent days that contaminated pork dumplings were detected in two provinces that do not share a border.
African swine fever is not harmful to humans but can be fatal to pigs, raising fears for the country’s giant pork industry.
The company said suspect batches of dumplings had reached grocery stores, but that it was sealing affected products and cooperating with authorities. The statement did not mention a broader recall. Unconfirmed Chinese media reports have said that products manufactured by several other companies also con-
tained traces of the virus.
But the media reports prompted anger online from Chinese consumers who vented over the latest in a recurring series of product scandals, despite repeated government promises to ensure safety. Sanquan Food’s share price dropped as much as 2.25 percent in Monday morning trading on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. - AFP
A diet for fast weight loss is a pipe dream. So why do we all keep buying in? Many of us want to lose weight without making permanent changes, because we view thinness instead of health as a success. by Erika Nicole Kendall
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Indian gymnast performs at the Mallakhamb World Championships or ‘yoga on a pole’ competition in Mumbai, 2019. (Photo © Punit Paranjpe / AFP)
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UMBAI | AFP - Wearing only underpants, Pavel Kalina twists his body up a wooden pole before performing a handstand at the top in the first world championships of an ancient Indian sport.
On day one of the event -- held in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park -- men, mostly in swimming trunks, and women, mostly in leotards, wowed a crowd of several hundred with gravity defying moves.
The 55-year-old from the Czech Republic practises Mallakhamb, a gymnastics-like discipline that originated in western India in the 12th century and is often described as “yoga on a pole”.
Onlookers clapped and cheered as a competitor from Spain stretched out on his front like Superman on the top of the pole, which had a circumference of just 35 centimetres (14 inches).
“I do it because I’m a crazy man,” Kalina tells AFP, struggling to catch his breath after two minutes performing poses on the pillar, which is covered in castor oil to stop friction burns. “To be honest it is like torture but I have to do it because I need to spend my energy,” adds the former gymnast who took up Mallakhamb ten years ago. Kalina was among some 100 competitors from 15 different countries taking part in the Mallakhamb World Championships in Mumbai over the weekend. The sport, first mentioned in Indian texts in 1135, is popular in western Maharashtra state -- of which Mumbai is the capital -- but is little known outside India. “Malla means wrestler and khamb means pole,” explains Uday Deshpande, the organiser of the event and India’s most renowned Mallakhamb practitioner. “The pole is eight and a half feet (2.6 metres) in height. It is smooth, well polished and tapered at the top. Different acrobatic exercises and yogic postures are performed on it. It “is there in the absence of your partner and you are wrestling against it,” he adds.
- ‘Courage’ -
A participant from England gave a Usain Bolt-like salute from the summit while Kalina sat in a meditative position with the palms of his hands facing skywards. Faezeh Jalali, wearing a headscarf, represented Iran in the rope category which saw participants perform stunts up and down a rope that hung 15 feet in the air. “You feel a real achievement and you build strength and flexibility. It’s amazing what the human body can do,” Jalali, 39, told AFP. Competitors from France, Germany, Malaysia and Vietnam also took part. Deshpande, 65, says Mallakhamb helps people mentally as well. “When you perform yoga on the ground you get lots of benefits -- meditation, breathing, concentration. “When you perform yoga at eight feet high you get the same benefits but you also develop your confidence, your courage,” he tells AFP. Deshpande organised the championships to promote Mallakhamb globally and dreams that one day it will appear at the Asian Games and then even the Olympics. “We want to spread this traditional Indian culture abroad,” he said.
here will always be someone ready to profit off the desperation of consumers, and that is precisely what any given get-thin-fast scheme intends to do. Whether it is a bottle of caffeine pills masquerading as fat burners, a series of drinks masquerading as a “detoxification system” or a multi-level marketing system so egregious that the FTC had to step in and levy fines against its creator, there is always someone looking to convince a person with a weight loss goal that there is an “easy” way to do it, and — for a load of cash, of course — they’ll show you how. The scams are alluring because they’re promising something that can rarely be accomplished in real life: Weight loss with minimal effort. It’s difficult to accept the truth because, to our eyes, the weight gain happened with minimal effort — a pound here, a pound there. Combined with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and a slowly decreasing metabolism that accompanies getting older, there is a sense that it should “fall off” as effortlessly as it came on. This sense that weight loss should be effortless is magnified by persistent social obsession with thinness. Not only do we, as a culture, give unearned privileges and benefits to people simply because they are thin, but we also treat being overweight as a personal failure. A larger sized body is treated like its own scarlet letter. Get-thin-quick schemes, which often manage to be excessively expensive as well as requiring extreme degrees of deprivation and unsustainable amounts of exercise, then seem like a way to rid ourselves of the vestiges of our sins and suffer for having committed them. There is this notion that remarkable results can be had, and that perhaps what’s wrong with us is that we haven’t gone far enough to get them. What starts out as, at best, a search for the right answers to a healthy lifestyle turns into a desperate feeling of being willing to do anything to just lose the weight. Maybe we do need to “suffer,” we think. Maybe we do need to go to remarkable lengths in order to achieve that success of “thinness.” Perhaps we just need to give up chewable food for four weeks in order to see the results we crave. For too many of us, after all, that’s what we did the last time we were able to make the scale move, and never mind the fact that we gained all that weight back immediately afterwards.
Graphic: solar22 / Getty Images/iStock
That’s what’s most troubling about the fever pitch of weight loss dogma — and I say this as a personal trainer and nutritionist who has had a weight loss journey of my own: The people who find themselves gravitating to these get-thin fast schemes were often in the same situation before, several times over. The yo-yo dieting cycle, encouraged by the media and exacerbated by people’s lack of knowledge of what a healthy diet is, results in people losing a few pounds, slowly gaining it back plus a few more pounds, and then feeling an increased pull to lose even more next time. But with each swing, they feel as if they must do more than they did before to lose slightly more weight and really keep it off.
then eats mostly vegetables for a week is bound to experience a drop on the scale.
That is where the desperation, and the pull of the get-thin-quick scam comes in.
We have to change the way we talk about weight and fitness in this country. The gym is important — not merely because it can produce weight loss, but because it helps to preserve one’s quality of life. Proper nutrition is important — not because of its ability to produce weight loss, but because heart health is essential to longevity, and can be negatively impacted if we aren’t careful. And yes, weight loss can happen if we change what we eat and regularly exercise, but only if we engage in it consistently as a proactive act of self-care, not in reaction to feelings of pressure after a series or lifetime of indulgences.
But many of the “lose 7 pounds in 7 days!” quotes we see on the covers of magazines aren’t entirely accurate, realistic, or feasible for the everyday person — much like most of our discourse around weight loss. The diets contained in those pages can produce several-pound losses on the scale, but it’s not because of something magical that took place within those seven days: Many of those diets are simply high-fiber powerhouses, offering much-needed support to people who frequently need help being “regular” after long periods of eating highcarbohydrate diets rich in processed foods instead of vegetables. Anyone who hasn’t had a bowel movement in several days — which can happen to people who eat a lot of meat and potatoes and not a lot of salads — who
It’s the exact same story for the diuretic tummy teas that are flooding social media, the detoxes that promise you a “slimmer waist” or anything else that simply encourages you to evacuate your bowels. The trouble is our tendency to see weight loss as a goal unto itself, instead of understanding that the goal is to define healthy living in a sustainable way that helps us avoid the yo-yo dieting cycle. We can’t keep treating a diet as simply something to take on in pursuit of a weight loss goal, to be ditched when we get there.
We have to stop viewing diet and exercise as a punishment for our prior comfort, and start seeing them as a way of achieving comfort in the longterm. Not only do our bodies suffer from this, but so do our psyches... and our wallets. - NBC News
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
VOICE OF ASIA 19
Never-before-seen photos as astronauts plunge US flag into lunar surface, rocket launches by Charlie Parker
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stonishing never-before-seen photographs of the first moon landing show astronauts blasting off into space and plunging the US flag into the lunar surface. Pictures of the incredible 1969 launch and landing of the Apollo 11 spaceship have shed new light on one
goal.” If those landings are successful, it would set a record: the most soft lunar landings in a single year, surpassing 1966 and 1972, which each saw three vehicles touch down. (At the beginning of the Space Age, many spacecraft ended up crashing into the moon.)
Amazon invests in electric vehicle startup Rivian
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AN FRANCISCO, California | AFP - Electric vehicle startup Rivian on Friday announced a $700 million investment round led by Amazon, which recently pumped money into a young self-driving car technology firm. Details of Amazon’s stake in USbased Rivian were not disclosed, but the company said it will remain independent. The potential Tesla rival late last year unveiled an electric pickup truck and an electric sport utility vehicle at an auto show in Los Angeles. The vehicles were to be manufactured at the startup’s plant in Illinois, with deliveries to customers expected to begin late in 2020. “We’re inspired by Rivian’s vision for the future of electric transportation,” Amazon worldwide consumer chief Jeff Wilke said in a release. “We’re thrilled to invest in such an innovative company.”
A rare perspective show’s astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin plunging a US flag into the lunar surface, never before released to the public before. (Photo: Mediadrumimages/NASA/University Press Of Florida)
Rivian founder and chief executive RJ Scaringe referred to the investment round as an important milestone for the startup on a road to “sustainable mobility.”
stakes contest among countries, especially with China. Yet, unlike the Apollo era, this Space Age is being driven by a third factor: Greed. A growing number of corporations are benefiting from new technologies and wealthy backers chasing an unproven dream that a lucrative business can be built on the moon and deep space by extracting the metals and resources on the surface on the moon.
Spectators wave an American flag as Apollo 11 begins its journey to the moon in 1969. (Photo: Mediadrumimages/NASA/University Press Of Florida) of mankind’s greatest achievements. The shots include a determined Neil Armstrong undergoing desert training with parachute chords draped around his neck and Buzz Aldrin in his iconic spacesuit during one of the final tests before blast off. Later this year – the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo moon landing – two more moon missions are planned, one by India and another, by China. On Thursday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the space agency intends to partner with the private sector to land an American spacecraft on the moon as early as this year. “It’s important we get back to the moon as fast as possible,” he told reporters. “We’re going to take shots on
The Trump administration has said a return to the moon is a top priority. And NASA this month announced a plan to develop spacecraft capable of bringing humans to the lunar surface by 2028. That’s a key step, NASA says, in building a permanent presence on and near the moon. “This time, we go to the moon, we’re actually going to stay,” Bridenstine said. “We’re not going to leave flags and footprints, and then come home, to not go back for another 50 years.” Like the Cold War-era Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union, the new lunar activity is fueled by national pride and a quest for scientific discovery in a high-
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Though the prospect of a self-sustaining lunar-mining economy may be little more than a chimera, the moon is drawing investors and explorers the way the promise of the American West once did. As a result, several lunarprospecting companies have emerged with plans to fly spacecraft to the moon in the coming years. They are attracted by “the gleam of the gold prospector going out to San Francisco in [1849],” said Ellen Stofan, the director of the National Air and Space Museum. “Is there an actual economic motive for going? Which has brought in a new wave of companies. There’s all this talk of a new space economy.” Still, she is skeptical it is happening any time soon. “Is there a profit motive yet?” Stofan said. “I would argue there’s probably not one. But I would argue that there is going to be someday. But is that someday in 20 years? Is it in 50 years?” - The Sun/Washington Post
Huawei’s founder denies presence of ‘backdoors’ for spying
Startup company was set to launch upscale, off-road-ready R1T truck and R1S SUV in 2020. (Photo courtesy Rivan Rivian has a team of more than 750 people and development centers in the US and England, according to the startup. Its vehicles use the company’s “flexible skateboard platform” and will be produced at its manufacturing plant in Illinois, according to the release.
Aurora is developing the technology for autonomous vehicles, but leaving the making of cars to other companies and said in a blog post it wants to work alongside, rather than compete with, leading automakers.
Amazon earlier this month said it was investing in Aurora Innovation, a self-driving car technology startup
Aurora is led by Chris Urmson, former head of the Google self-driving car initiative.
Researchers keeps wraps on automatic text generator to prevent misuse
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ASHINGTON | AFP Researchers this week announced they had developed an automatic text generator using artificial intelligence which is very good -- so good, it is keeping details private for now.
dangerous.
That software developed by OpenAI could be used to generate news stories, product reviews and other kinds of writing which may be more realistic than anything developed before by computer.
In one example, the program was fed one paragraph about “a herd of unicorns living in a remote, previously unexplored valley, in the Andes Mountains” and wrote a 300-word news story about it.
OpenAI, a research center backed by Tesla’s Elon Musk, Amazon and Microsoft, said the new software “achieves state-of-the-art performance on many language modeling benchmarks,” including summarization and translating. But it will not be releasing the program to the public. “Due to our concerns about malicious applications of the technology, we are not releasing the trained model,” the OpenAI researchers said in a blog post Thursday. The news suggested a potential breakthrough in efforts to develop computer-generated text which may be believable, but also potentially
lowly but surely, spinning discs are dying out, and Samsung just put another nail in their coffin. The company told Forbes that it’s done producing 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players — and CNET was able to confirm that Samsung is halting production on at least some of its 1080p Blu-ray players as well.
Saying defiantly the world cannot do without Huawei and its “more advanced” technology, Ren Zhengfei again dismissed the possibility there could be a way to use the technology without his knowledge.
“The public at large will need to become more skeptical of text they find online, just as the ‘deepfakes’ phenomenon calls for more skepticism about images,” the researchers wrote, referring to AI-manipulated videos, which have been on the rise. The researchers said their model called GPT-2 “outperforms other language models” trained on tasks such as Wikipedia entries, news, or books without needing any specific training. The OpenAI news is the latest showing how computers have gained in language ability, and follows a strong performance from IBM’s Project Debater in a public competition with a professional debate champion.
The beginning of the end for physical discs?
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The researchers said there were numerous ways the program could be used for nefarious purposes, including to generate fake news articles, impersonating others online, and automating fake content on social media.
Samsung quits making new Blu-ray players by Sean Hollister
EIJING, China | AFP | 2/19/2019 - The founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has hit back at US efforts to blacklist the company and denied there are any “backdoors” in its technology to spy for Beijing.
founded by former Google, Tesla and Uber executives.
“Some devices, such as DVD/Bluray players, are in the declining phase of their product life cycle as streaming devices gain prominence,” reads Nielsen’s Q2 2018 report, adding that only 66 percent of TV watching households have one now, compared to 72 percent the year before. Nielsen also says the average US adult spends just 5 minutes a day — by far the least
“It is not possible. Because across our entire organization, we’ve stressed once and again that we will never do that,” he said in an interview with CBS on Tuesday. “If we did have that, with America’s advanced technology, they would found that already. So that proves we do not have it.” He pledged he would shutter the firm rather than spy for Beijing. “Our company will never undertake any spying activities. If we have any such actions, then I’ll shut the company down,” he told the BBC in a separate interview. But Ren, 74, also denounced as “politically motivated” the December arrest of his daughter, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is accused of violating US sanctions against Iran and faces an extradition hearing in Canada next month. “We object to this,” he said. “But now that we’ve gone down this path, we’ll let the courts settle it.” However, he remained defiant in the face of US pressure. “There’s no way the US can crush us,” he said in the BBC interview. “The world cannot leave us because we are more advanced.” The normally media-shy Huawei founder has been forced to step into
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei says the world can’t do without the Chinese telecoms company | © AFP/File | Mohd RASFAN
the limelight in recent months as the company has come under increasing pressure over espionage concerns and the US-led campaign to persuade other countries to ban its technology. Last year, security concerns prompted Australia to ban Huawei equipment from its future 5G network. New Zealand has also blocked its largest telecom carrier from using Huawei technology for the next generation network, while the Czech Republic has reportedly excluded it from a 20-million-euro ($22 million) tender to build a tax portal. The US also has charged Huawei with stealing trade secrets, saying it offered rewards to employees for stealing technology from rivals. Ren shrugged off the growing pressure. “If the lights go out in the West, the East will still shine,” he said. “Ameri-
ca doesn’t represent the world.” “Even if they persuade more countries not to use us temporarily, we can always downsize and become smaller.” - Pushback Signs that US efforts to convince its allies to shun Huawei technology could fall through are growing. British intelligence concluded that security risks posed by using Huawei’s 5G equipment can be managed, The Financial Times reported on Monday. “Other nations can make the argument that if the British are confident of mitigation against national security threats then they can also reassure their publics and the US administration that they are acting in a prudent manner to allow their telecommunications service providers to use Chinese components,” an unnamed source told the newspaper.
“Samsung will no longer introduce new Blu-ray or 4K Blu-ray player models in the US market,” a Samsung spokesperson told CNET. Technically, there’s still the possibility that Samsung may continue to produce its existing Blu-ray players for months or years to come — the company still has quite a few models on sale — or introduce new ones in specific countries outside the US. We’ve asked Samsung to clarify. But practically speaking, Samsung may have just announced that it’s quitting the Blu-ray business, like Oppo did last April. Even though Samsung was gung-ho enough about 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays to beat every other company to the punch with the first player in 2016, it’s not all that surprising that Samsung might bow out early now. Discs are on the decline, with research company Nielsen recently using Blu-ray and DVD players as the example of a technology that’s on its way out.
of any screen activity — using a Bluray or DVD player. And streaming services have stepped up in a big way too, especially by making 4K streams less expensive. Apple and Google both sell 4K movies for the same price as 1080p HD now, and will upgrade your HD movies to 4K for free. Amazon notably dropped its prices as well. Plus, an excellent 4K streaming device has never been cheaper than it is now. You could definitely argue that discs are still the best experience, with the best picture and audio quality. I prefer popping in a Blu-ray myself. But between the rise of streaming and the fact that 4K movies aren’t always actually 4K but often mastered at lower resolutions, they may just not be compelling enough as a business anymore. - The Verge
TRAVEL & LEISURE
VOICE OF ASIA 20
‘Important to make classical music popular among youth’ by Shuchita Jha
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ravel lovers are usually up for just about any adventure that comes their way. But one tour company is hoping to take that “up for anything” attitude one step further by giving away a trip around the world filled with surprises and one major catch: The winner will have to travel with a total stranger.
How important is it to listen to other artistes in order to learn music?
Due to phone videos, the new generation has lost patience. Does it affect classical music? Yes, this is absolutely true that today people do not have patience, not just for music, but for most things. If a musician uploads videos of different lengths, the viewers on the internet will select the shortest one first and if they like it, move to the longer one. Earlier, singers used to sing one raga for 45 minutes to an hour, showing the audience how a raga can be played in a number of ways and the work they had put into the raga. So, classical musicians also have to put their best in those five to seven minute videos or audios. But, it definitely deters the quality of music. Is the youth really not connecting with classical music, or is it just a myth?
You can travel the world for free — if you’re willing to do it with a stranger by Stacey Leasca
HOPAL - In an exclusive interview, Grammy Award-winning Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, the exponent of mohan veena spoke about how he is more of a guru to his son before being a father. He also said that budding musicians need to be more disciplined in their riyaz in order to excel in Indian classical music.
If you have to give a 10-minute speech, you’ll have to read 10 to 15 books to acquire knowledge about the subject. Similarly, the more you listen to other artistes, the more knowledge you gain about different aspects of ragas and how each artiste plays it in his or her own unique way.
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (File photo) gestures and ‘waah waahs’ that makes the performer happy.
What efforts are needed to promote classical music?
What is your equation with your son Salil, as a guru and a father?
I think the corporate circles, especially multi-millionaires should also contribute to music instead of investing only in cricket. Media should also give classical musicians good coverage instead of just concentrating on Hollywood, Bollywood and sports. It is important to popularize it to increase its reach and attract youngsters.
I consider myself to be his guru before being his father. He is pretty disciplined with me during his riyaz sessions. A guru’s priority is his or her disciple’s growth, even if the disciple starts disliking him. I want the best for him and I do not treat him any different from other students of mine.
- Times of India
You could be an influencer for Sephora
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f you’ve ever dreamed of combining your love of Instagram with your love of Sephora, you’re seriously in luck. As of February 13th, the beauty retail giant is launching #SephoraSquad, a program that allows anyone to apply to become one of its influencers.
the process is totally easy. You just connect your Instagram account, fill out a quick application, and ask your followers to send in testimonials. This just means that your followers will vouch for you on a unique website that Sephora will create for you. The brand will then
TourRadar, the world’s largest online travel agency for multi-day tours, is seeking two complete strangers ready and willing to travel together on the trip of a lifetime as part of its Tour the World campaign. Together, two willing participants who have never met before will travel across the globe and experience multi-day tours in five different countries across five different continents while sharing the journey on social media. “Multi-day touring is the easiest way possible for any traveler to experience the world in a relatively short amount of time,” TourRadar’s chief marketing officer Michael Potscher said in a statement. “Through our Tour the World campaign, we are creating the ultimate trip of a lifetime for two strangers that will inspire others to engage in life-enriching experiences through multi-day touring.” A professional film crew will
By Laurie Garrison he best tip international travelers share is to be prepared. It’s even more imperative when dealing with the long distances, major jet lag and unfamiliar cultures and government processes involved with international travel.
How will you compare the response to Indian classical music in India and abroad?
Below are nine main areas to consider when preparing for your international trip.
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Photo: Getty Images
The application is open to people with all sorts of Instagram followings, so don’t fret—you don’t have to have thousands of followers to be part of the #SephoraSquad. You can apply at sephorasquad.com starting now, and
go through applications and select the newest members of the squad. If you’re chosen, you’ll work with the brand to promote different product launches, events, and campaigns throughout the year. “It’s always been Sephora’s goal to cultivate an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome,” reads a statement from the brand. “So, it’s natural that in building their first large-scale influencer program they wanted to make sure their collaborators are inclusive of all their wonderful clients. The #SephoraSquad is an amplification of the community of voices, perspectives and experiences. A reflection of Sephora’s own clients, their Beauty Insider Community and the beauty and wellness community as a whole.”
Photo: Instagram/tourradar
follow the two winners and their worldwide adventures to create content for TourRadar’s social media and marketing channels as well. Beyond not knowing each other, the two chosen participants will also have no idea where they are going until their flights are booked. All they will know, TourRadar said, is that they will be traveling to five different continents and the trip will take approximately 50 to 60 days to complete. All air-
fare, accommodations, expenses, and meals will be covered. To be considered for this epic journey, would-be travelers need to submit a two-minutelong video explaining why they should be chosen for the Tour the World experience by March 24th. Winners will be announced in April and the experience will begin in May. So, if you’re not afraid of stranger danger and you’re up for anything, now is most certainly your time to shine.
The definitive international business travel checklist
Yes, it is true as many students don’t even recognize most renowned artistes. But many organizations are doing a great job in promoting classical music among the youths. They invite artistes to perform in colleges and other institutions so that youngsters get exposure.
In the US and European countries, organizations take a lot of pain to make proper arrangements for the audience as well as performers. The audience is also more disciplined. They listen in pin-drop silence and only show their appreciation when the performance is over. But, then here the audience appreciates with hand
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Carry-on luggage limitations – Find out in advance about the size and weight restrictions of carry-on bags as this varies by airline and between domestic and international travel. You don’t want to get to the airport and find your carry-on bag will have to be checked. Travel documents – In addition to your plane ticket and driver’s license, for international travel, you’ll need your passport and perhaps a travel visa. You’ll also want information on your accommodations readily available. To simplify the process at international airports and hotels, have a printed copy of all your documents. This will allow you to travel smoothly even if you run into electronic complications. Travel comfort – Include travel pillows, noise-canceling headphones, antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer, along with toiletries. A travel pillow
can help you overcome the havoc dealt to your sleep schedule, but find one that can be compressed so it doesn’t take up a lot of space in your carry-on bag. Using ear buds for eight or more hours can be painful, so noise-canceling headphones will not only save your ears, but also drown out noisy distractions. Once again, consider how much space they’ll use in your carry-on. Wipes and sanitizer are a must to stay clean and fresh during a long flight without making multiple trips to the plane’s bathroom. Upon landing, with a few basic toiletries, you can freshen up in preparation for making your way through customs. Snacks and water – Include your own snacks and an empty water bottle. Once you get through security, you can fill up your water bottle at the airport. It’s important to stay hydrated on a long flight and with your own water bottle, you can drink at your convenience. You may even want to add some electrolyte tablets to help prevent dehydration headaches. You can take your own snacks on the plane as long as you don’t try to take them through customs. This is particularly helpful if you’re trying to eat on a set schedule. Electronic power packs and cables – Whether you’re using a phone or tablet, you don’t
want to run out of power on a long flight. Many planes have USB ports, so if you pack your cables, you can stay powered while you use your device. If they don’t, you can use your portable power pack to get through the flight. Just be sure to recharge it when you get settled in at your hotel. TSA-approved locks – You can use these on both your checked and carry-on bags. They can give you the peace of mind that your contents are secure, but TSA can still access your bag if needed. Lightweight travel jacket with multiple zippered pockets – Whether you want to stay warm on the plane or keep your devices and other belongings handy, a zippered jacket can serve both purposes. Work material – If you want to work on the plane, have a copy of all the documents you need on the hard drive of your computer, tablet or phone. This way, you can work even if you can’t access the cloud during your flight. Reading material – Whether you’re old school and like a physical book or magazine, or prefer reading from your electronic device, have a variety of things to read to help you pass the time. - Biz Journal
According to the site, Sephora says it values “unique, unfiltered, sorry-not-sorry storytellers, no matter the number of An influencer is an individual who has the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of his/her authority, knowledge, position or relationship with his/her audience. An individual who has a following in a particular niche, which they actively engage with. The size of the following depends on the size of the niche. It is important to note that these individuals are not simply marketing tools, but rather social relationship assets with which brands can collaborate to achieve their marketing objectives. Over the last decade we have seen social media grow rapidly in importance. According to the August 2017 Global Digital Statshot from We Are Social and Hootsuite, 3.028 Billion people actively use social media - that’s 40% of the world’s population. Inevitably these people look up to influencers in social media to guide them with their decision making. If this sounds right up your alley, head over to sephorasquad. com to apply now!
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Week of February 22, 2019 21 March to 20 April You might become aware that something needs to be done as the week gathers pace, and this can lead to a decision to do whatever is necessary to bring it to an end. Hoping for the best is no longer an option.
21 April to 20 May Have you been taking too conservative of an approach to finding love? You aren’t one to rush into things, but isn’t there a happy middle ground? Waiting too long to make your move brings its own set of problems.
21 May to 20 June This is a great week for careful analysis, reorganization, and improving your technology. Midweek could bring ongoing stress to a point of crisis. There is nothing wrong with telling a superior if you can’t ignore a certain behavior.
21 June to 22 July You now have news about better job opportunities and ideas on how to make more per hour. That would make life easier, yes? You have lots of support to do this, too. An emphasis on karma and past lives reveals a new skill.
23 July to 22 August You could be feeling vulnerable to the moods and illnesses of other people. You may sense someone else’s headache but not your own, so you need plenty of space and time to be alone to recharge your batteries.Take frequent short breaks and get away by yourself; you should manage just fine.
23 August to 22 Sept Have you been making all your romantic decisions on your own? Listening to other people’s advice can be helpful, but in the end you should reach your own conclusions. Don’t let anyone else control your love life! Things get shaken up over the weekend.
astrology.com
23 September to 22 Oct Are you looking for a short-term lover or a long-term partner? Either answer is okay, Libra, but it helps to know what you want before you search for it. If you’re feeling excess energy later in the week, use it to your advantage.
23 October to 21 Nov This is a positive week to share what you can do. Any sort of public event will show you at your best. An emotionally receptive energy will soften your usually strong-willed nature.Aa longstanding issue between you and a co-worker gets resolved.
22 November to 21 Dec Once in a while you need to go off the rails when it comes to money, and this week provides that opportunity. Nonconformity meets romance, kids, and fun, making it a great time for a spontaneous trip or gathering. Don’t break the bank.
22 December to 20 Jan Your home seems to be a place of restlessness and change, but it needs to be your sanctuary. It’s worth taking any steps you can to transform at least part of it into a place of refuge. You need to do this for your health and peace of mind.
21 January to 19 Feb Powerful feelings related to past issues could show up this week. If so, the present influences are encouraging you not to ignore them but to process through them. You might find that moving your body by getting involved in sports, hiking, jogging, or even a good walk can transmute them.
20 February to 20 Mar When you act reserved, it isn’t a game. A potential date might think you’re playing hard to get, but you’re quite shy around new people. Open up slowly. There’s no reason to put yourself in the position of feeling uncomfortable. Jealousy is a result of insecurity over the weekend.
ACROSS 1. “Formerly,” formerly 5. *Steven Tyler to Liv 8. *”Ebony ____ Ivory” 11. Shakespeare king 12. Depression drifter 13. *One with lonely heart 15. Epiphany guests 16. Sir Mix-____-____ 17. *”Free Fallin” performer 18. *”This is what it sounds like when ____ ____” 20. Day before, pl. 21. Scandinavian fjord, e.g. 22. *”Sweet dreams ____ made of ...” 23. *”Clock strikes up the hour and the sun begins ____ ____” 26. Iceman to cinema 30. Time frame 31. Maximum 34. Greek liqueur 35. Escape 37. Black and white sea bird 38. Razor sharpener 39. Antonym of all 40. Starting time 42. Chowed down 43. Like geometric reasoning 45. Styled with salon goo 47. Decompose 48. Past participle of bear 50. Duck-like black bird 52. *A-ha’s hit 55. Folium, plural 56. Argonauts’ propellers 57. Container weight 59. Apartments, e.g. 60. Black-eyed legumes 61. Author Murdoch 62. Opposite of paleo 63. Checked at bar, pl. 64. Catholic fasting period
DOWN 1. “Slippery” tree 2. Done between the lines 3. Kind of palm 4. Alex Trebek’s forte 5. Big name in fashion 6. Terminate, as in mission 7. Half-rotten 8. Pot contribution 9. In proximity to the Knicks 10. *Def Leppard album, “High ‘n’ ____” 12. Pork meatloaf 13. Phantom’s favorite genre? 14. *”We’ve got to hold on to what ____ ____” 19. Provide with ability 22. *”Goody Two Shoes” singer, Adam ____ 23. “Tiger Beat” audience 24. Lowest deck 25. Flora’s partner 26. Says “what?” 27. Beyond suburban 28. Nitrogen, in the olden days 29. Bicycle with a motor 32. Stake driver 33. *Swing ____ Sister 36. *”Just a city boy born and raised in South ____” 38. Dictation taker 40. Quaker Man’s cereal 41. Emerge 44. Itsy-bitsy bits 46. Dal staple 48. Talked like a sheep 49. Ladies’ fingers 50. Orange traffic controller 51. Spaghetti aglio and ____ 52. Serengeti antelope 53. Foal’s mother 54. “Joannie Loves Chachi” actress 55. *”Oh girls just want to have ____” 58. NYC time
SOLUTION: 80s MUSIC page 23
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CLASSIFIEDS
Job Posting – Digital Producer – Part Time KTRK-TV is looking for a part time digital producer who can do it all to be part of the team leading the charge to take our digital efforts to the next level. The ideal candidate will have three years’ experience working in major market televisionor print news internet operation, strong writing skills, the ability to edit video and workingexperience with Photoshop. Additionally have proven social media expertise and must be flexible with work schedule, which may vary depending on station needs and projects.Candidate must be able to handle many projects simultaneously. Candidate must be a self-starter and have a ‘Do It Now’ mentality to excel in our fast-paced environment. We are a 24/7 news operation, so digital producers must be willing to work any day or shift, as needed. To be considered interested applicants must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Please reference Job Requisition # 636698BR. Equal Opportunity Employer –Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/ Gender IdentityNo Telephone Calls Please
FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
When you find some time, READ!
Job Posting – Creative Director KTRK-TV, the ABC/Walt Disney Company owned station located in Houston, TX is looking for a handson innovative, forward thinking Creative Director who has the creativity, leadership, and strategic marketing skills to generate multiplatform brand building in both audience and revenue growth in a highly competitive market. Responsibilities and Requirements: • Conceptualize, Create and Optimize compelling multiplatform station image, news, locallyproduced/community programming and marketing campaigns, topical promotions and “own the moment” opportunities • Lead and supervise a creative team in execution of multiplatform content creation and promotion, including but not limited to training, implementing best practices, and on-going performance appraisals and feedback • On-air planning strategies including managing and maximizing station’s promotional inventory in order to drive viewership and other business goals • Assist in overseeing the station’s brand and overall look. Help serve as the collaborative architect and voice for all touchpoints between the station and its audiences • Must possess strong writing skills and a master at broadcast, digital & social promotion with the ability to execute all elements personally when necessary • Minimum 8 years in television/news promotion and audience development, including minimum of 3 years in a supervisory role • Must be a bold, creative thinker with strong writing and visual skills that can capture users’ attention on every platform • Experience translating broadcast designs/concepts to interactive digital and social media campaigns as well as experience optimizing live on-site station community events. Must stay abreast of cutting edge tools, techniques and promotion/marketing trends • Hands-on experience in marketing and optimizing content on both linear and non-linear platforms • Experience working with local research teams, corporate research staff and 3rd party vendors to garner audience insights and translate those into effective, measurable marketing strategies • Must be an organized planner, capable of both operating with a sense of urgency in the present while constantly looking months ahead to bring organization, order and planning to the audience development team • Understands this is a 24-7 business and has the desire and ability to work with a sense of urgency within a deadline oriented fast paced team environment • Must be a strong media planner and buyer who understands co-op spending and can build strong partnerships with network, syndication and other 3rd parties • Excellent Communication Skills and a get-it-done attitude that persists regardless of obstacles. To be considered interested applicants must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Please reference Job Requisition # 636675BR Equal Opportunity Employer –Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
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FRIDAY, February 22, 2019
Home&Real Estate My House: Actress Jamie Chung’s effortlessly cool Atlanta loft
Industrial real estate demand keeps building in US Gulf
by Jen Woo
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ou may remember Jamie Chung from her days starting out in The Real World, or recognize her from any one of the movies she’s been in including Sorority Row, Sucker Punch, and The Hangover Part II. To launch her career, she went from taking acting classes after college to being an extra on the set of Entourage and Rush Hour 3. “From there I starting booking one liners, to being a weekly hire, to becoming a series regular,” says Chung. “It was all hard work the traditional way.”
The overall industrial vacancy rate in Houston stood at 5 percent in the final quarter of 2018, the lowest level in two years. (Photo: Shutterstock) by Bill Mongelluma
demand for warehouse, logistics, and manufacturing space in the Houston region, CBRE indicated. Asking rent for industrial real estate averaged $7.44 per square foot.
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lready low vacancy rates for warehouse and distribution space in the Gulf Coast region are projected to edge even lower this year. Growing imports of consumer products and manufacturing inputs moving through the ports of Houston, New Orleans, and Mobile, as well as ecommerce fulfillment will fuel demand.
Houston continues to dominate the petrochemical sector, not only in the Gulf, but nationwide, which is resulting in expansion of manufacturing, packing, and logistics development for the entire sector, with resins coming on especially strong. Gold said the resins industry “hit the pause button” in its development plans because of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, but facilities that had been delayed started coming online last year; even the US-China trade war and China’s tariffs on petrochemicals failed to sidetrack expansion plans. Growing polyethylene exports to Europe are picking up some of the slack, Gold said.
“The Port of Houston saw this coming a number of years ago in petrochemicals, and they’ve had good business plans in place for infrastructure,” said Billy Gold, senior vice president of industrial and logistics at CBRE. Strong demand in Houston Houston’s overall industrial vacancy rate in the final quarter of 2018 was 5 percent, “with no sign of slowing down,” CBRE stated in its fourth-quarter 2018 report on the Houston market. The last time vacancy rates for warehouses, distribution centers, and other industrial properties were at 5 percent was in the fourth quarter of 2016, the report stated. A new high of 16.3 million square feet of industrial project starts throughout 2018 reflects the strong
Needless to say, Chung, who is now preparing for an action movie in Dubai, is a jet-setter, going where the job takes her. Her most recent role led her to Atlanta, Georgia, where she’s filming the second season of the Fox series, The Gifted. It’s also where she and her husband, Bryan Greenberg, decided to purchase a new home in a historic cotton factory in the midtown district. The two-bed, two-bath condo has been Chung’s home for just under a year (her third—she also has one in the hills and is currently renovating another in Fort Greene, Brooklyn). She was drawn to the 21-foot ceilings and exposed brick—and the fact that it was move-in ready, as the previous owner was an architect. With large,
Actress Jamie Chung invites us to her new loft in a historic cotton factory in Atlanta, which, with the help of Decorist, has become a bohemian-inspired haven.
Chung is nestled in her Safavieh Elicia velvet, midcentury-inspired accent chair from Bed, Bath & Beyond. industrial picture windows, a neutral palette with concrete floors, and a spiral staircase, it was the perfect canvas for her to lay out her “polished, California boho-chic” dreams. Chung worked with Decorist to de-
The explosion in resins production, fueled by low-cost shale gas, is benefiting all of the Gulf ports, which handle 56.8 percent of US resins exports, according to PIERS, a sister company of JOC.com within IHS Markit. Houston handles 41.4 percent of the resins exports. - Joc.com
sign a space for gathering with friends and throwing parties. The open living space was transformed into an entertainer’s delight, with strategically placed seating separating the dining and living areas. Using the service allowed her to quickly piece together a home without having to take away from her busy schedule. She selected designer Jessica McCarthy, uploaded photos of her space with measurements, described her vision, and voila—she received a 3D mockup of the space with new furniture from partner Bed Bath & Beyond and links to purchase. “I honestly only picked out the dining room table and sent over a photo of a velvet chair, and Jessica did the rest!” For the final touch, Chung selected framed prints from Artfully Walls to adorn the space, and her new house became a home. - Dwell.com
Chung’s dining room
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