Voice of Asia E Paper December 11 2015

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Vol. 28 No. 50 Friday, December 11, 2015 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Pratham Luncheon raises $170,000 for Women Entrepreneurs

by Shobana Muratee

they crave - an education.”

S

Pratham is globally acclaimed as the charitable organization that has delivered high quality education and ‘broken the shackles of illiteracy for 40 million children’ in India. “Read India, vocational training and opening schools for girls has empowered and unleashed the potential of children, young adults and women,” Dr. Marie Goradia, President, Pratham Houston stated in her welcome address.

ome talk the talk, some others walk the walk. Dr. Sandeep Shah ran 101.6 miles and completed the Ultramarathon, the Tahoe Rim Trail raising over $21thousand in support of Pratham’s drive to empower women entrepreneurs in India.

Even for a seasoned endurance athlete like Dr. Shah, it was a herculean task to finish in less than 35 hours. “It was my ultimate test of both body and mind,” Dr. Shah said in his keynote address at the Pratham Holiday Luncheon on Friday, December 4, 2015 at the Junior League of Houston.

As Dr. Shah took us through his arduous trail, it was an experience unlike anything before: like we were with him, goading him when he slowed down, rooting for him to finish. By the time he was done, it was apparent what the bigger picture truly was - The children of Pratham.

“You see, this race was not just about what I could force my body to do. It was not just about a long trek through the mountains. It was a vehicle for Pratham, a means to give to these children something we know

The Holiday Luncheon and Fashion Show Pratham raised a total of $170,000 and was hosted in support of Pratham’s fairly new and novel ‘Beauty Entrepreneurship Program’ initiated in 2012. Pratham has since supported 533 women entrepreneurs in their beauty training, and providing loans for setting up beauty salons. Between January to June 2015, 48 entrepreneurs have started parlors in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgargh and Telangana. The monetary supVijay Goradia, Founder, Pratham USA, Chitra Divakaruni, Dr. Marie Goradia, President, Pratham Houston, Murthy Divakaruni, Stephanie Donaho, Anne Mendelsohn. Front row: Anil Shah, Past President, Pratham Houston, Purnima Shah, Dr. Sandeep Shah, Keynote Speaker. Photo Credits: Deborah Wallace, Barfield Photography.

Continued on page 8

Governor Abbott’s appoints Sonal Bhuchar, seven others to OneStar National Service Commission

Asian Senior Holiday Luncheon

Ronnie Hagerty named Chairman

named Lisa Lucero as Vice Chairman.

Governor Abbott additionally appointed Sonal Bhuchar, Laura Dixon, Roger O’Dell, and reappointed Kirk Beckert for terms set to expire on March 15, 2018. He also appointed Annette Juba and Kate Williamson for terms set to expire on March 15, 2016, and James Senegal for a term set to expire on March 15, 2017. The OneStar National Service Commission Board promotes volunteerism in Texas and oversees the administration of the AmeriCorps programs for the state.

Sonal Bhuchar

A

USTIN - Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed and named Ronnie Hagerty as Chairman of the OneStar National Service Commission for a term set to expire on March 15, 2018. He also

Sonal Bhuchar of Sugar Land is a self-employed physical therapist at Therapeutic Concepts and office manager at Sugar Land Med-Ped Clinic.

She currently serves in leadership positions as a board member for Child Advocates of Fort Bend, chairman for the Literacy Council of Fort Bend, board member for Fort Bend Cares and board member for the City of Sugar Land PARCS. Bhuchar has formerly served as a board of trustee and board president for the Fort Bend Independent School District.

The 16th Annual Asian Senior Holiday Luncheon at Ocean Palace brings together over 800 Asian American Seniors from all over Houston for celebrations and festivities during the holiday season.

H

OUSTON - The 16th Annual Asian Senior Holiday Luncheon held on December 4, 2015 was a great success with over 800 senior citizens participating in the event. The event was organized by the Asian Senior Coalition with the Asian American Health Coalition dba HOPE Clinic as the special host for 2015. Seniors from various communities and ethnicities are given the opportunity to come together and enjoy a meal with one another as they mingle and meet other seniors from all over the Houston area. Seniors were entertained by the beautiful cultural performances, such as traditional Vietnamese fan dancing, modern Chinese dancing, Filipino traditional songs, and even Korean line dancing! This event is a wonderful time for seniors to build community and learn about new cultures in the community around them.

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by Robert Barnes Dec.9, The Washington Post

T

he Supreme Court on Wednesday once again displayed its deep divide over when race can be considered in college admission decisions, in a contentious hour and a half of oral arguments about a limited race-conscious plan used by the University of Texas at Austin.

There seemed little doubt that the decision would come down to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

He has never voted to uphold an affirmative action program but seemed less convinced than the court’s other conservatives that he had all the information needed to pass judgment on UT’s program.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., for instance, questioned whether the small benefit that the university derived was worth “the extraordinary power to consider race.� He noted that when the court approved the use of race in limited circumstances, it said “that we did not expect these sort of programs to be around in 25 years, and that was 12 years ago.� “Are we going to hit the deadline?� Roberts continued Justice Antonin Scalia questioned the benefit of trying to include more minority students at the nation’s selective universities. “Really competent blacks� would win admission without special considerations, he said. “There are those who contend that it does not benefit African Americans to — to get them into the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, a less — a slower-track school where they do well,� he said.

Some academicians call such a theory “mismatch� and Scalia noted an amicus brief in the case that said most black scientists do not come from the most highly selective schools. “They come from lesser schools where they do not feel that they’re — that they’re being pushed ahead in — in classes that are too — too fast for them,� Scalia said.

Gregory G. Garre, a former Bush administration solicitor general who represented UT, said the Supreme Court had already rejected such a view. “Frankly, I don’t think the solution to the problems with student body diversity can be to set up a system in which not only are minorities going to separate schools, they’re going to inferior schools,� Garre said.

The liberal justices defended the university’s program as the least-intrusive use of race in its goal of creating a diverse stu-

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

Supreme Court seems divided over University of Texas raceconscious admissions dent body that created a better learning environment for all.

The Supreme Court in the past has decided that the use of race as one factor of a “holistic review� of an applicant is acceptable. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that if UT’s limited use of race did not pass muster, she doubted whether “any holistic review [will] ever survive.�

Justice Stephen G. Breyer said the challengers were trying to “kill affirmative action through a death by a thousand cuts.�

All of those signs pointed to Kennedy, who wrote the opinion two years ago when the Abigail Fisher, the plaintiff in Fisher v. Texas, speaks outside the U.S. court voted 7 to 1 to Supreme Court in Washington December 9, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin send the UT case back to Lamarque a lower court. It told the lower court to apply the kind of rigorous evalunarrowly tailored to meet the The Supreme Court since ation that must accompany any university’s compelling interest 1978 has recognized that progovernment action that consid- in achieving diversity. moting diversity on the nation’s ers race.

Lawyers opposed to affirma- campuses allows universities to “Strict scrutiny imposes on tive action and representing give some consideration to an the university the ultimate bur- Abigail Fisher, a white woman applicant’s race, which normalden of demonstrating, before who was denied admission to ly would be unconstitutional. turning to racial classifications, UT and filed suit in 2008, said In Grutter v. Bollinger, a dithat available, workable race- the lower court had ignored the vided court approved in 2003 a neutral alternatives do not suf- Supreme Court’s instructions. limited use of race by the Unifice,� Kennedy wrote in 2013.

Fisher is represented by a tiny versity of Michigan Law School [Supreme Court sends back institute, the Project on Fair Rep- to achieve a “critical mass� of to lower courts UT admissions resentation, whose influence at diversity that benefits all stucase] the Supreme Court is great. On dents.

Tuesday, the justices considered But the court’s composiKennedy suggested that per- a challenge to Texas’s redistricthaps the court still did not have ing plan to determine the mean- tion has changed considerably enough facts about how the uni- ing of “one person, one vote,� since that 2003 decision. Most versity’s program worked and another project initiated by PFR significantly, the 5-to-4 Grutter decision was written by Justice wondered whether there should Director Edward Blum.

Sandra Day O’Connor. She has be a trial at the district court level, which has not happened.

Blum’s battle with the Uni- been replaced by Justice Samuel But later, Kennedy seemed to versity of Texas goes back A. Alito Jr., who opposes racethink a trial would produce no years. UT has a unique system. specific government policies. new evidence.

It admits about 75 percent of its After the Grutter decision, a freshmen based on their gradu“We’re just arguing the same ation rankings from Texas high number of states dropped the case,� Kennedy said. “It’s as if schools, the “Top Ten� program. use of race and in some cases nothing had happened.�

Because many of the state’s high amended their constitutions to schools are dominated by one forbid such considerations.

The court’s 2013 judgment race or ethnicity, that has creThe Fisher case was heard by left in place the court’s past rul- ated a diverse applicant pool. only eight justices. As she has ings that race can sometimes be considered when universities For the remaining slots, it done in previous cases involvare trying to assemble a diverse uses a “holistic� evaluation of ing the issue, Justice Elena Kastudent body, which they say applicants that includes race as gan recused herself, presumably because of work done when she creates a richer learning envi- one of many factors. was President Obama’s solicitor ronment and benefits minority and majority students alike.

Fisher did not make the cut- general. off for automatic admission and The case is Fisher v. UniverUpon reconsideration, a panel contends the attempts to boost of the U.S. Court of Appeals the number of African Ameri- sity of Texas at Austin. for the 5th Circuit once again can and Hispanic students cost Robert Barnes has been a upheld the UT program. In a her a spot. (The university says 2-to-1 vote, the panel concluded she would not have made the cut Washington Post reporter and for a second time that the uni- regardless.) She subsequently editor since 1987. He has covversity’s limited consideration graduated from Louisiana State ered the Supreme Court since November 2006. of race was “necessary� and University.

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Tulsi Vivah celebrations at the Temple of Ma Gayatri

K

ATY, TX - The temple of Ma Gayatri and the Gayatri Consciousness Center located in Katy, Texas held it’s very first Tulsi Vivah – the marriage ceremony of Lord Shri Krishna with everyone’s beloved plant Tulsi.

The grand celebrations took place over a period of two days, on November 21st and 22nd.

both sponsored by Smt. Urmilaben and Shri Ashokbhai Patel, Manglik prasango, from Krishna paksh-Krishna’s side were sponsored by Smt. Beenaben and Shri Harsahdbhai Patel and Vivah sponsors from the Kanya paksh- that is from Tulsi’s side were Smt. Hansaben patel and Shri Harshadbhai Patel(Anand).

The first day’s event held mehndi ceremony which was attended by very enthusiastic ladies who patiently got

We are very thankful and grateful to our sponsors for coming forward and making such a great event possible

Divine wedding of Shri Krishna and Tulasi.

Ladies show off their mehndi (henna) designed hands done as part of wedding ceremony.

their hands decorated with beautiful mehndi designs by some very talented volunteers.

Amongst the mehndi volunteers were Shreya Shah, Vandana Agarwal, Anamika Kale, Komal Patel and several more.

Shreya Shah filled the mandir hall with some beautiful melodious marriage songs.

The mehndi was followed by a delicious dinner Prasad.

After prasad , the devotees en-

joyed dandia raas and garba with live music! The heartwarming melodious songs were sung by Ruchira Shah, Hemantbhai Bhavsar and team. On the keyboard was Renison Macwan and dholi Rakeshbhai Khatri rocked the stage with the beat of his drums. The devotees enjoyed the raas and garbas till midnight and closed the night in anticipation of the next day’s

events.

Sunday morning witnessed the ‘manglik prasango’ of Ganesh puja, Grah Shanti, and Mandap Murhut. The ceremonies were performed

by Manharbhai Patel along with Sangitaben Tailor and Prabhben Barvalia. The vivah ceremonies began soon after the lunch Prasad. A festive baraat commenced from the entrance of the temple complex

Ma Gayatri, temple in Katy where Tulsi Vivah was celebrated.

Devotees performing the ceremony

and the baraatis danced to the beat of the drum, in front of the palakhi carrying Lord Shri Krishna dressed in His best marriage outfit suitable for a groom!

Lord Krishna was well received by the devotees from Tulsi side and the marriage ceremonies began with Tulsi dressed like a beautiful dulhan in her yellow silk garments.

The two hour vivah ceremony concluded in a special dance performance by the children of Bal Sanskar Shalaa.

This whole event of Tulsi Vivah was made possible by the generous donations and contributions from some very valuable sponsors and supporters.

Mehndi and Garba were

and to all our devotees who came and participated in the event, for their generous monitor contribution and to all the volunteers for their very valuable contribution.

Gayatri Consciousness Center and the Temple or Ma Gayatri, Lord Hanumanji and Shri Ganeshji, is located at 20914 Park Row in Katy, behind the Empowerment Church.

Geotechnical Engineering Expert in Houston Earns Fellow Status

R

aghu Dass, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, a consulting geotechnical engineer in Houston providing research, analysis, design, testing, construction, and professional services for civil engineering infrastructure, has been elevated to the status of Fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.

Raghu Dass

Since 1998, Dass has been providing testing and other professional services with expertise in deep foundations and testing for various

important infrastructure projects in Texas. Notable among them are expansions of Harris County and the Fort Bend County toll road systems, expansion of Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, oil and gas downstream/refinery projects, sports complexes such as Minute Maid Park, and many others. Besides these, he contributed to a concept study using coastal piles and berms for dry berthing of Battleship Texas, located off of Houston Ship Channel, in 2008. His research-and-

development works on deep foundations, friction materials, and geosynthetics have been published in national and international journals and conference proceedings.

Dass began his research work while working in the marine geotechnology group at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, for a concept study using model plate and pile anchors for deep-water platforms in the Indian Ocean, sponsored by the Oil and Gas Commission

of India. He continued research in the U.S., developing a load-test database for highway bridge foundations in the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, under the Federal Highway Administration, which was awarded Best Project in 1994.

He lends his support to the ASCE Houston Branch, the Foundation Performance Association, and professional nonprofit societies focused on improving the quality of life through community development initiatives. He helped

organize the First Houston Chariot Festival in 2008 for the inauguration of the India House Community Center in Houston.

Dass holds master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is a LEED accredited professional with the U.S. Green Building Council. Dass lives in Houston with his wife Arunima and children, Dev, Adi, and Ava. Source: ASCE News, December 2, 2015.

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FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

The People’s Lawyer

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by Sharlene Sharmila Richards, Immigration Lawyer:email at srichardslaw@aol.com

www.peopleslawyer.net Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION DOCUMENT (EAD) Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Each roommate is responsible for the full amount due a landlord Q. I am a recent graduate of the University of Houston, and was hoping to get your advice.

To make a long story short—my friend is trying to sell his flooded vehicle. The buyer offered around $16,000, which is about the right price if it was not flooded. The event of flooding has yet to make it to AutoCheck, which is why the price is near what it is worth in very good condition. What are the repercussions of selling this vehicle and not saying about whether it was in a flood?

A. It my opinion, not disclosing that the car was in a flood will violate the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. This is our state’s consumer protection law and it applies to all sellers, not just those in business. This law requires any seller disclose facts he knows will matter to the buyer. It sounds like your friend is aware that this information would matter to the buyer, and the law requires he disclose it. If he does not, he could be responsible for three times the buyer’s damages, plus attorney’s fees.

Q. My tenant failed to pay rent on May 1st. He advised me on May 12the he was voluntarily moving out. On May 16th he said he would finish moving everything out that day. We entered property approximately 48 hours later and found items he had left. Is the intent of the tenant to vacate the property enough to consider the personal property left after May 16th abandoned?

A. This one does not have a simple answer, and I would not rely on his “intent” to abandon the property. If you destroy the property and he did not abandon it, you could be liable for damages.

The easiest approach is to contact the tenant and ask if he has abandoned the property and if you have permission to remove it. If you cannot contact him, you can remove the property, then send him notice you have it and that you will keep it a reasonable time for him to claim it. Tell him that after that you will consider it abandoned. Another approach is to go ahead with an eviction and let the constable remove the property.

Q. There is a man that keeps calling me and says he is collecting a credit card company debt.

He has been harassing me over this ten-year-old debt. He said that I would be served an arrest warrant for fraud if I don’t take care of this problem. He even said that I would be served at my place of employment or my residence. Can he do this?

A. Based on what you say, it sounds like he is violating state and federal debt collection laws. Basically, these laws prohibit a debt collector from harassing you, or threatening an arrest. Texas law also requires a lawsuit be filed within four years, and threats to sue after that time period violate the same laws. To see what these laws say, take a look at the “Legal Topics—Debt Collection” section my website, www.peopleslawyer.net.

Next time he calls get a name, let him know you know about these laws, and demand he stop all further communication. Under federal law he may only contact you one more time after you tell him to stop.

Q. I have an eviction on my record from four years ago. I currently have two years of a good rental history and I am looking for a new place to live. However, I am being denied because of the past eviction. How long can apartment’s look back into your rental history?

A. Unfortunately, they can go back as long as they want. At some point, however, your current payment history should be more important than what you did in the past. I suggest you speak with the landlord when you first apply and explain your situation. Hopefully, you will find one that believes you have turned things around. Maybe save up and offer a larger security deposit.

Do you want to know more about your legal rights? Check out my website, www.peopleslawyer.net

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Q: What is an Employment Authorization Document (EAD)?

A: An employment authorization document (EAD) or work permit is a document that authorizes a foreign national to work in the United States for a designated period of time, usually one year. The document is in the form of a card the size of a State issued Driver License and contains personal information and a photo of the individual and will state the expiration date.

Q: I came to the United States as a tourist on a B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa. Is there any way I can apply for a work permit so that I can work here legally?

A: Just by being here as a tourist, you cannot just apply for a work permit. In order to obtain a work permit or the employment authorization document, there must be a basis for the work authorization. For example, if you filed an asylum application within one year of your arrival in the United States, you are eligible to file for work authorization. Similarly, if you marry a US Citizen and apply to adjust your status to that of a permanent resident, you can file for work authorization as well.

Q: My husband is a J-1 visa holder and I hold a J-2 visa. Do we need to apply for the EAD? A: Your husband will not need the EAD as he has the J-1 nonimmigrant Exchange Visitor visa. However, as a dependent J-2 visa holder, you must apply for work authorization before you can work in the United States. In your application for the EAD you have to show that your employment is not necessary to support the J-1 visa holder.

Q: My adjustment application is still pending and my EAD has already expired.

What do I have to do to obtain another employment authorization document?

A: You just simply apply for a renewal of your employment authorization.

In the Form I-765, check the box for ‘renewal of my previous employment authorization’ and include a copy of the previous EAD together with the application. You do not need to include a Filing

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A: You may call USCIS National Customer Service at toll free 1-800-375-5283 or 1-800-767-1833 (TDD for the deaf or hard of hearing) to request for them to expedite the processing of the application.

Be prepared to explain to USCIS the reason for the expedited request.

Q: My newly issued EAD was lost in the mail. I checked with USPS and they are unable to locate the card.

What can I do?

A: If you urgently need the EAD, you can do an Infopass appointment with your local USCIS Field Office.

They may be able to provide you with an Interim EAD or an EAD stamp in your passport.

Please take proof of your identity and the approval notice for the EAD. You can also apply for a replacement EAD using Form I-765 in the meantime.

Q: I am currently holding F-1 Student status. I wish to apply for EAD due to severe economic hardship. My father who was paying my tuition and living expenses suddenly suffered a stroke and as a result, my family’s finances have changed drastically. I need to find employment to support myself while at school. What is the process for this?

A: An F-1 student may apply for employment authorization based on severe economic hardship caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond his or her control. To apply, you have to have been in F-1 status for at least one full academic year, you are taking a full course load and are currently in good standing in the program; you must be able to show that you need employment to avoid severe economic hardship because of this unforeseen circumstance which is beyond your control and that this employment will not interfere with you studies. With the completed and signed Form I-765, you will need to provide the details of the unforeseen circumstances which were be-

Q: I have H-1B status and I will be filing my I-485 application to adjust my status to permanent resident together with the application for employment authorization. Will using the EAD affect my H-1B status?

A: If you use the EAD to work, you will be considered to no longer be in H-1B status but rather in I-485 pending status. This means that if your I-485 is denied, you will no longer have any status. It might make better sense to continue to use the H-1B for your employment until its expiry before you rely on the EAD under the pending adjustment in order to work.

Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case.

Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case.

Bio: Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration Lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court. If you require immigration advice or assistance, you may contact her at telephone number 713-623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

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yond your control and explain how this would cause you severe economic hardship together with all the necessary supporting documents, a newly generate SEVIS I-20 with the employment recommendation, your previous SEVIS I-20s, your I-94 and biographic page of your current passport, your F-1 visa or I-797 approval notice for F-1 status and your transcript (or unofficial transcript) together with the USCIS filing fee. Your International Advisor may be able to assist in ensuring that you have all the correct documents for the application.

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Are you ready to seek treatment for varicose veins?

Free varicose and spider vein seminar

Ulises Baltazar, M.D. SUGAR LAND— (December 2, 2015) — Varicose veins can be unsightly and may cause discomfort or pain. In some cases, they can even lead to serious health problems.

Understanding more about varicose veins can help you decide how to better deal with them. Ulises Baltazar, M.D., board-certified vascular surgeon with Houston Methodist Cardiovascular Surgery Associates, answers some commonly asked questions.

Q: What are varicose veins?

A: They are enlarged veins that may be blue, red or fleshcolored and occur most often in the legs. They may appear twisted and bulging and may be raised above the surface of the skin.

Q: What causes them?

A: Varicose veins may be caused by weak, damaged, deformed or missing valves in the veins. Your leg muscles push blood back to the heart against gravity. Normally, valves in your veins keep your blood flowing forward to return it to your heart. But if the valves aren’t working properly, blood can leak back into the veins and pool there.

When backed-up blood makes the veins bigger, they can become varicose.

Q: How common are they?

A: Varicose veins affect half

of people 50 years and older. They are more common among older people, people who are overweight or obese, those who sit or stand for long periods, and women.

Q: When should I see a health care provider about varicose veins?

A: You should seek treatment if varicose veins cause pain or aching; a vein is red, swollen, very tender or warm to the touch; the skin on your calf and ankle becomes thick and changes color, or has sores; a varicose vein begins to bleed; or your symptoms interfere with your daily activities.

Q: How are varicose veins treated?

A: Varicose veins are treated in the following ways: • Self-care— Getting regular exercise that uses the legs; eating a low-salt, high-fiber diet; maintaining a healthy weight; and elevating your legs when resting may help ease pain and keep varicose veins from getting worse.

• Compression stockings— Over-the-counter or prescription-strength compression stockings squeeze your legs, helping blood move more efficiently.

• Sclerotherapy— A doctor injects a solution into the veins that scars and closes them. In a few weeks, the veins should fade away, but additional treatments may be required. This procedure may be used for small or mediumsize varicose veins.

• Laser treatment— Very strong bursts of light are sent through the skin to the veins, making them slowly fade and disappear. This is usually only effective for small veins.

• Catheter-assisted procedures— A doctor threads

a tiny tube called a catheter into a vein, then uses either radiofrequency or laser energy (heat) at the tip of the catheter to close off and seal the vein as the catheter is removed.

This treatment is effective for large varicose veins.

• Ambulatory phlebectomy— This is another surgical procedure that involves removing veins through small incisions, but only the parts of the leg that will be pricked are numbed with anesthesia.

• Vein stripping— A long vein is surgically removed through small incisions; general anesthesia is often required. This procedure is usually reserved for very large veins.

You don’t have to live with the discomfort and embarrassment of varicose veins. For an appointment with Dr. Baltazar, call 281.240.8400.

FREE VEIN SEMINAR Join Dr. Ulises Baltazar on Thursday, January 28 at 6 p.m. for a free vein seminar at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s conference center. He will be speaking about the causes, symptoms, risk factors, treatments and prevention of varicose and spider veins. Registration required.

Register online at houstonmethodist. org/events or call 281.274.7500.

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

Akshaya Patra provides emergency food aid to flood survivors in Chennai ISO 22000:2005 compliant, which means they meet the standards of the International Food Safety Management System (FSMS). The International Organization for Standardization established the ISO 22000 certification to ensure the safety of the global food supply chain.

Meals prepared by Akshaya Patra for flood victims in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in South India.

Akshaya Patra is uniquely qualified

S

TONEHAM, MA– In response to the devastating floods in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the Akshaya Patra Foundation is providing hot fresh meals to families affected by the disaster. Since the end of October, Chennai has experienced the heaviest rains and flooding in 100 years. Over 269 people have been killed and 120,000 people have been rescued from rising floods waters.

Families remain without access to basic needs such as food, shelter or sanitation.

Akshaya Patra is working to provide up to 10,000 hot, fresh meals a day to survivors of the Chennai floods. Currently a team of 10-30 Akshaya Patra team members are preparing these meals from a wedding hall at a temple in Chennai.

Akshaya Patra is also looking into the feasibility of building a temporary aid kitchen like that set up in Bhaktapur, Nepal, to aid survivors of the two earthquakes that hit that region in the spring.

Packaged food is also being shipped from Akshaya Patra Bangalore. Akshaya Patra’s Bangalore kitchen is one of 22 mechanized kitchen facilities that provide daily school meals to more than 1.4 million children in government schools across India. Akshaya Patra’s

FLOOD. An Indian man carries gas canisters through floodwaters on a street in Chennai on December 4, 2015. Thousands of rescuers are racing to evacuate victims of the Tamil Nadu flooding, which has claimed nearly 300 lives since November 9. AFP PHOTO founders used their own knowledge of engineering to design immense mechanized kitchen facilities capable of preparing meals for 100,000 children or more every day. Akshaya Patra’s custom chapatti machines can bake 60,000 chapattis per hour and easy-tilt cauldrons can produce 1,200 liters of rice or sambar in just two hours.

These technological innovations optimize quality and minimize cost, time and labor to ensure that the meals prepared are safe, fresh, and nutritious. All of Akshaya Patra’s kitchens meet the highest standards of safety and efficiency, and eleven of Akshaya Patra’s kitchens have already been certified as FSMS

to provide aid relief after natural disasters. In 2012, Akshaya Patra prepared 50,000 meals for survivors of floods in the Bhatta Basti, Shastri Nagar, and Jahawar Nagar areas of Rajasthan.

Following the two earthquakes in Nepal, Akshaya Patra established in five days a temporary kitchen in Bhaktapur that prepared 10,000 meals an hour up to 100,000 meals a day to survivors of the earthquakes.

Concerned and compassionate individuals can help support Akshaya Patra’s efforts.

Donors in the United States can support Akshaya Patra’s Chennai Kitchen Fund at www.foodforeducation.org/campaign/ chennai

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FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

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FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

$13.4 million grant will help Indian-origin researcher to combat malnutrition in India lead US varsity’s cancer centre WASHINGTON, 3 Dec, 2015, PTI - An Indian-origin researcher has been appointed by a prestigious US varsity to lead its cancer-related research programmes.

Bhramar Mukherjee has been appointed by University of Michigan’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre as associate director for population science research and will oversee the Center’s research on cancer causes, prevention, care delivery and outcomes.

Mukherjee, whose research has focused on how the interaction between genes and the environment impacts cancer risk, is a John D Kalbfleisch Collegiate professor of biostatistics and professor of epidemiology Prabhu Pingali, center in blue shirt, and the TCi team meet with a women’s self-help group in India.

Photo credit: Bhaskar Mittra

Prabhu Pingali

by Matt Hayes, cunews@cornell.edu

A

Cornell University project to enhance access to nutritious food in India is set to grow thanks to a $13.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Funding to the Tata-Cornell Agriculture and Nutrition Initiative (TCi) will allow the project to scale up its work promoting a more nutrition-sensitive food system aimed at bolstering the diet of the rural poor, particularly for women and children.

The four-year grant establishes Technical Assistance and Research for Indian Nutrition and Agriculture (TARINA), a

consortium linking Cornell with university and nongovernmental organization partners. The TARINA project launched Dec. 1 with the goal to fund research and enact policy changes that enhance the availability and affordability of nutrient-rich food.

tion and technical capacity and experience of leading NGO partners BAIF and CARE.

Over the past 50 years, the Green Revolution in India has helped transform the subcontinent’s countryside into productive plots dedicated to the staple grains wheat, rice and maize.

But the conversion of diverse farmland into monoculture fields has come at the expense of micronutrientrich crops, leaving much of the rural population chronically malnourished despite growing abundance in their midst. TCi launched in 2013 as a research initiative to develop solutions in a country where childhood stunting and anemia in women threaten longterm health and development.

Prabhu Pingali, professor of applied economics and management and director of TCi, says the project has three core missions: to collect data and evidence that informs policy reform related to diet quality; to redesign agricultural projects with a focus on nutrition; and to help build capacity to make reforms possible.

Led by the TCi, TARINA links the evidence-generating capabilities of the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Emory University and Cornell with the implementa-

Pingali said the dilemma of Indian malnutrition isn’t about the amount of food grown but rather the diversity of available foods. The consortium plans to influence the design of ongoing and future agricultural proj-

The Tata Trusts, India’s leading philanthropy, will support the consortium through their convening power and influence with policymakers at the national and state levels.

The grant will also establish a Center of Excellence to be located in Delhi to serve in part as a data and information hub, as well as a source of technical expertise on nutrition sensitive food systems.

ects and policies with an eye on increasing the rural poor’s year-round access to an affordable food system replete with fresh fruit, vegetables, livestock products and pulses – the highprotein, micronutrient-dense legumes such as beans, peas and lentils essential to a predominantly vegetarian population.

“The push toward staple grains has inadvertently crowded out micronutrient-rich food,” says Pingali. “To enact meaningful reform it’s not just enough just to say, ‘let’s produce a more diverse diet.’ You need a behavioral change.”

That change centers in many ways on the role of women. In rural India, most homestead farms grow staple grains on two to four acres of land with labor largely supplied by women. In Indian culture it’s typical for men to dine first, leaving less desirable food to the women in a custom that reinforces malnourishment, according to Pingali.

The project aims to empower women by in part strengthening their access to leadership roles in producer groups and promoting labor saving techniques, such as mechanical rice-planting technologies that eliminate

at the university’s School of Public Health. She also serves as the associate chair for biostatistics.

“I am so impressed with Mukherjee. She is a stellar researcher in biostatistics, epidemiology and disparities. These are key issues for our Cancer Center to address. And I am thrilled to bring in Mukherjee to lead it,” said Ted Lawrence, Professor of Oncology and director of the varsity’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“As a biostatistician and epidemiologist, I can bring a lot to this role,” a university release quoted Mukherjee as saying.

Mukherjee, who grew up in Kolkata, joined the University

of Michigan faculty in 2006 also has worked on models to predict cancer risk among people with known genetic risk coming from high risk families.

“We live in a very data-driven world. There are tremendous opportunities, both within the University of Michigan and nationally around big data - using medical records and mining large datasets to manage patient outcomes and care,” she said.

Mukherjee plans to foster and facilitate cross-collaboration within the population sciences programme in the cancer centre and across various other units at the University of Michigan, something she has done frequently as a biostatistician.

Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam Dec 12, 2015 11 am Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple located at 10098 Synott Rd., Sugar Land TX 77498 will conduct Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam on December 12, 2015 at the temple.

The world is facing natural disasters: increasing health issues economic imbalance. Sri Vishnu Sahasranama is a powerful spiritual tool that can overcome any hurdles in life.

More info at eventleads@ashtalakshmi.org (281) 498.2344 E-Mail: info@ashtalakshmi.org the grueling labor needed to plant rice by hand.

Pingali says that Cornell provides an array of premier researchers and resources that will be critical to the success of the program. In addition to the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell’s Division of Nutritional Sciences, the School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Department of Animal Sciences

and the Department of Communication will provide expertise for this project.

Matt Hayes is managing editor and social media officer for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Source URL: http:// w w w. n e w s . c o r n e l l . e d u / stories/2015/12/134-milliongrant-will-help-combat-malnutrition-india

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VOICE OF ASIA 8

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

Pratham Luncheon raises $170,000 ....

Continued from page 1

port provided is recovered in the form of monthly installments to ensure the sustainability of the program, with 97% recovery rate as of January for those supported, it was reported.

According to the 10th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) conducted across government schools in India where 600,000 children were surveyed with the help of 30,000 volunteers.

Dr. Goradia spoke of an interesting eye-opener: “The village headman did not believe that 50% of 5th graders were at the 2nd grade level for reading and math, because every child in his village went to school. ‘My honor is at stake!

How did I not know Fashion show by Poshak and LUCHO with models from the Neal Hamill this!’ he exclaimed”. agency. Photo Credits: Deborah Wallace, Barfield Photography.

Pratham’s survey had made the “truth construction, automotive and making it possible. visible all over Inhealthcare fields to provide dia.”

The cost of educating a child training and even employDr. Goradia also narrated the through Pratham’s program ment opportunities to young story of Manoj, a happy-go- is incredibly low - just $25 adults. lucky nine year old and vic- for the whole year and 90% An exclusive fashion show tim of of child labor who was goes directly to its programs, picked up by Pratham staff Pratham claims. Many fac- featuring designer Sameera members and rescued. With- tors, apart from poverty, ig- Faridi’s styles under the in two months he was able norance, and social practices brand name Poshak, and to read and do simple math like child marriages are a hin- of designer Hector Villarwith the help of Pratham’s drance to education, which real (co-owner) of Lucho for learning tools. He went on is why Pratham is expanding men, was the highlight of the to complete high school, its scope of services over the Holiday Luncheon. The event went to college and wants years. Knowing that by 2020, was Chaired jointly by Sippy to join the army. Manoj is a the average age of Indians Kurana, Annu Naik and Sumanifest example of Pratham will be 29 - making it the san Boggio. Mistress of Cerand his story is the core of youngest nation in the world emonies, Rekha Muddaraj, Pratham’s force. “This year, - the program must be geared reporter and weekend anchor in collaboration with the state to educate and train the youth at KHOU 11 did a superb job governments, 7.7 million to become the workforce of of keeping the mood elevatchildren were given a chance the world. Pratham is already ed. Saks Fifth Avenue gave

by Pratham’s Read India pro- on that path. Pratham’s voca- a generous free make up for gram,” Dr. Goradia said as tional training program is a some of the guests and Lucho she thanked the supports for collaborative effort with cor- gave a $100 gift certificate porations in the hospitality, to commemorate its 25th an-

Annu Naik, Co-Chair, Asha Dhume, Susan Boggio, Co-Chair,Dr. Marie Goradia, President, Pratham Houston, Dr. Sippi Khurana, Co-Chair, Vikas Bahl, Pratham Director of Strategy & Development, Ash Shah, President Elect. Photo Credits: Deborah Wallace, Barfield Photography.

L to R: Past Presidents Anil Shah, Vijay Bhuchar, Swatantra Jain, CFO, Pratham USA & National Board member, Dr. Marie Goradia, President, Ash Shah, President elect. Photo Credits: Deborah Wallace, Barfield Photography.

also about receiving a valuable lesson of life and that’s

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FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

ASIE honor Engineers, Architects and Students

Sankara Eye Foundation to Host Second Annual Gala in Houston on Dec. 20, 2015

ASIE Class 2015 Recipients, Young Engineer of the Year, and Scholarship Recipients - Engineering Students with ASIE Members. Photo Credit - Navin Mediwala.

by Dinesh Shah, MBA, PE

A

A young boy being examined at the Sankara Eye Foundation

S

ankara Eye Foundation (SEF) is proud to announce it second annual gala in Houston, Texas on Dec 20, to raise funds for the two new eye care hospitals in Hyderabad and Indore.

Established in 1998, Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, has been working tirelessly for the past sixteen years with Sankara Eye Care Institutes in India to eradicate curable blindness.

Driven by the truly inspirational vision of “Vision 20/20 by the year 2020,” Sankara has established eight community hospitals throughout India. The ninth hospital construction in the state of Rajasthan will be starting soon. The next two hospitals will be in Hyderabad, Telangana and Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

on robust infrastructure and aggressive outreach programs have enabled over 3.6 million patient screenings and over 1.36 million free eye surgeries with a network of state of the art hospitals across India. SEF is today the largest totally free eye care provider in the world, performing about 150,000 free eye surgeries per year.

With over 300 volunteers in several cities including Houston, SEF’s mission is to strengthen and expand the infrastructure and outreach programs to all parts of India through its fundraising efforts.

America’s largest charity rating agency, Charity Navigator, has accorded SEF a prestigious four-star rating (out of four stars) for its accountability and transparency for three consecutive years, a feat achieved by only 12% of the charities in the United States.

dinner and multilingual musical entertainment by Swaramadhuri Group, the goal of the banquet is to raise SEF awareness in Houston while raising funds to support the construction of the two upcoming hospitals in Indore and Hyderabad. An anonymous donor will match all donations until December 31, 2015, up to $1 Million dollars for each of the two hospitals.

The event will be attended by eminent personalities such as Dr. Ramani and Dr. Radha Ramani, SEF India Founders, and Mr. Murali Krishnamurthy, one of the SEF USA Founders.

Please visit www.giftofvision. org or contact the SEF Houston Team via email sefhouston@ giftofvision.org to receive more information about the banquet.

Contact: Dr. Rajender Aparasu 713-429-4520; Email: aparasu@giftofvision.org

merican Society of Indian Engineers (ASIE) and Architects organized a magnificent event at India House packed with about 200 people. Raj Basavaraju, ASIE President also acted as an emcee, started with welcome address and shared the information about ASIE and monthly technical events during 2015.

After the performances by Rice University students, the award ceremony commenced.

ASIE 2016 Young Engineer/ Architect of the Year Award was given to Ms. Sai Gowthami Asam. She works as Senior Structural Engineer at Versabar Inc. and also currently serving as ASIE Secretary.

Students Scholarships - Out of 33 Engineering and Architecture students, 8 were selected from U of H for the total of $11,000 scholarships.

Recipients for $1,000 each - Hardik Minocha, Masters in Subsea Eng.; Krishna Saladi, PhD in Environmental Eng.; Renu Khatri, Masters in Industrial Eng.; Nishant Sankhe, Masters in Architecture.

ate in Chemical Eng. Anu is ASIE Co-Chair for U of H Student Chapter. $2,000 each scholarship awarded to Akshay Deokar, MS in Subsea Eng.; Sonika Gahlawat, PhD in Mechanical Eng. “For the last several years, ASIE is recognizing Senior Indo-American professionals in Greater Houston Area, who contributed significantly to the Engineering and Architecture field,” Raj said. Four individuals were honored with induction into ASIE Class of 2015.

“They all share one common thing and that is their dedication to their disciplines. Their enthusiasm and commitment has resulted in decades of creativity and thousands of projects worldwide. They are true role models and inspiration for students and young professionals accelerating in their engineering or architectural careers.”

Harendra Bhatt, MEE, PE, a Mechanical and Electrical engineer from India pursued MEE at Delaware University.

He has design several plants including DuPont Chemical, Nuclear Power, Fossil Power, Petrochemical, Refineries, and O&G Offshore Platforms. He is currently employed at Worley Parsons.

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$1,500 each recipients - Sai Anudeep Reddy, Ph D in Civil Eng.; Anu George, undergradu-

Dr. Krishna Goparaju, Ph.D, PE Since 2008 he is serving as Geotechnical Program Manager with Harris County FCD. Prior to that he amassed onshore and offshore geotechnical project experience, R & D, construction supervision, and Environmental Site Assessments.

Dr. Sulekh Jain, Ph.D, PE, MBA with over 55 years of experience and after retirement from GE in 1998, he founded several consulting firms in metalworking process technology and management. He holds 9 Patents, published over 50 technical papers, and taught at Universities in India, UK, USA and Canada. He is a recipient of JAINA RATAN award.

Mahendra Vaishnav, M. Arch. has nearly 50 years of architectural design experience in large projects worldwide. He is Registered Architect in the State of Texas. He works with KBR since 1988 with a current position of Senior Lead Architect. He serves on the Building Committee of Chinmaya Mission Houston and has designed all buildings on their Campus.

The Hyderabad House catered the dinner, and served by U of H students. Paresh Bhatt and his music group made the holiday event memorable.

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VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

Houston Indian Fellowship Presents

Hamara Desi Christmas 2015 December 19th @ 6:00 PM VENUE: OLD STAFFORD CIVIC CENTER 1415 Constitution Ave., Stafford, TX 77477

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Hamara Desi Christmas Painting Competion!

Theme: December to Remember

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To register, and for details, please visit: http://www.hamaradesichristmas.com/cms/painting/ 1st Prize: TABLET | 2nd Prize: Gift Card Visit us online for a complete list of rules

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Vol. 28 No. 50

Lifestyle VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 11

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

Tel: 713-774-5140

Giant animals light up Vatican for environment show

mages of clouds, lions and butterflies -- alternating with polluted air and parched farmland -- were projected on the famous facade of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Tuesday night as global leaders try to thrash out a historic climate deal in Paris.

I

The light show, titled “Fiat Lux (Let There Be Light): Illuminating Our Common Home”, also coincided with the festive launch Tuesday of a special Catholic Jubilee Year on the theme of mercy.

Thousands of people thronged St Peter’s Square for the hourlong light show featuring the work of some of the world’s best photographers including Sebastiao Salgado of Brazil, Joel Sartore of the United States and Frenchman Yann Arthus Bertrand.

The images were accompanied not by music but by the sounds of nature such as stormy weather, birdsong and long stretches of silence.

The initiative, backed by the World Bank, aims to underscore the Catholic Church’s push for environmental protection.

Pope Francis, a fierce defender of the environment, warned leaders at the start of the two-week COP21 talks in Paris on November 30 that it was “now or never” for international leaders to seal a deal to slow global warming.

The Pope and the Panda Sartore’s colorful portrait of an endangered giant panda at Zoo Atlanta graced the front of the Vatican on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 during a “visual symphony” that raises awareness about the natural world. PHOTOGRAPH BY TIZIANA FABI, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Pope kicks off special Jubilee year of mercy

by Angus MACKINNON

V

ATICAN City- Uttering a centuries-old command, Pope Francis on Tuesday opened a “Holy Door” of St Peter’s basilica to kick off an extraordinary Jubilee year, while urging his Church to reach out to the modern world.

“This is the door of the Lord.

Open to me the gates of justice,” the Argentinian pontiff said before being helped up three marble steps to push the giant bronze doors open.

In a break with tradition that reflected Francis’s modernising instincts, the order to open the doors was delivered in Italian rather than Latin.

The 78-year-old then paused on the threshold of the Renaissance basilica for two minutes of silent prayer before walking inside in an act to be carried out by millions of pilgrims before the Jubilee - a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon - closes next November.

Francis was followed gingerly through the door by his frail predecessor, the now-retired Benedict XVI, 88, and by hundreds of cardinals, bishops and male and female members of religious orders.

Clutching a walking stick in his right hand and looking extremely pale, Benedict was helped into the basilica on the

arm of his assistant Georg Ganswein.

Amid heightened security following recent terror attacks around the world, the Vatican said 70,000 pilgrims had packed into St Peter’s Square and surrounding streets to watch Francis open the usually bricked-up portal of the Renaissance basilica.

Many had tears rolling down their cheeks or eyes clenched shut in prayer as Francis ordered the door open for the first time since the last Jubilee, in 2000.

Among them were Polish friends Teresa and Carolina, who were back in Rome after coming for John Paul II’s Ju-

Shorter stretch for Indian prisoners who pass yoga exam

Pope Francis opens a “Holy Door” at St Peter’s basilica to mark the start of the Jubilee Year of Mercy at the Vatican, on December 8, 2015 (AFP Photo/Vincenzo Pinto). bilee 15 years ago. “What will I change to mark the Jubilee? I think I’ll give some change to a homeless beggar that I usually ignore,” confided Teresa.

Francis used his homily to underline the significance of his decision to start the Jubilee on the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second Vatican Council, a gathering of bishops credited with a modernisation of the Church that Francis is attempting to emulate.

Tuesday also marked the 1,000th day of Francis’ pontificate.

For Francis’s predecessor, the German-born Joseph Ratzinger, Tuesday’s ceremony was a rare public outing.

Prisoners perform yoga exercises during a teaching session by yoga guru Swami Ramdev at the central jail in Amritsar, India, in 2006. Photograph: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images

M

UMBAI, India | AFP - Prison officers in western India have come up with a novel way for convicts to secure early release -- master some yoga poses and pass an exam, an official said Wednesday.

Inmates at Yerwada Central Jail in Maharashtra state can cut their sentences by up to three months if they impress wardens in the ancient Indian practice, said the prison chief responsible for the programme.

“There’s a written and physical exam and those who excel will be given remission with respect to their performance,” Bhushankumar Upadhyay, additional director general of the Maharashtra prison department told AFP. “We have started the written

tests and the practical examination will commence in January.

We are going to hold two exams a year and prisoners can get a maximum of three months early release,” he added.

Pune, near Mumbai, is the latest in a long line of yogic programmes to have started since India’s yoga-loving leader Narendra Modi was elected prime minister in May last year.

Upadhyay said the programme was aimed at improving their mental and physical wellbeing.

He has set up a ministry dedicated to promoting yoga and other traditional Indian treatments, and also started free yoga classes for his government’s three million bureaucrats and their families.

Prisoners have to answer questions such as “What is Yoga?” and “How does it help you?” as well as perform a series of complex moves.

“Yoga has been found to be very positive in harmonising our mental and physical energy.

It has played a great role in the formation of the soul,” added Upadhyay, giving away one of the answers.

The initiative at the prison in

Indian scholars believe yoga dates back 5,000 years, based on archaeological evidence of poses found inscribed on stones and references to Yogic teachings in the ancient Hindu scriptures of the Vedas.

Its popularity worldwide is at an all-time high and in June millions marked the first International Yoga Day.

The Emeritus Pope, as he is officially known, has lived in seclusion within the Vatican since retiring in 2013 as failing health left him incapable of running an institution beset by the clerical sex abuse scandal and internecine bickering in its upper echelons.

Tuesday’s celebrations were rounded off in the evening when images by some of the world’s greatest environmental photographers including Brazil’s

Sebastiao Salgado and Yann Arthus-Bertrand of France were projected onto the facade and dome of Saint Peter’s.

The giant, moving photos depicting environmental issues such as endangered species, desertification and overconsumption were an initiative linked to the ongoing COP21 global climate conference in Paris.

- Mercy not judgement -Francis called the Jubilee, which runs until November 20, 2016, with the express goal of changing the way the Church is perceived by the faithful, lapsed believers and the rest of the world.

“How much wrong we do to God and his grace when we speak of sins being punished by his judgement before we speak of their being forgiven by his mercy,” he said Tuesday.

“We have to put mercy before judgement... Let us set aside all fear and dread, for these do not befit men and women who are loved.”

In a surprise move reflecting that aim, Francis announced in September that for the duration of the Jubilee, priests would be given special dispensation to absolve women who have had

abortions.

In addition, some 800 priests around the world are to be designated “missionaries of mercy” tasked with encouraging higher levels of confession amongst believers.

Those involved have been selected for their ability to preach well, understand human frailty and ensure that the confessional is not experienced “like a torture chamber” as the pope has put it.

Francis’s push for a less judgemental, more understanding Church has encountered fierce resistance from traditionalists opposed to any relaxation of teaching on hot-button subjects such as homosexuality, divorce and unmarried cohabitation.

Traditionally, Catholics were expected to make a pilgrimage to Rome to benefit from the indulgences on offer to the faithful who pass through the Holy Doors during Jubilee years.

Francis has effectively done away with this custom by ordering cathedrals around the world to open their own Holy Doors.

That will happen on Sunday, when Francis himself opens the door at one of Rome’s major churches, St John Lateran.

LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

Your tablet screen is brought to you with the aid of ... carrots

by Romain FONSEGRIVES

D

ARMSTADT, Germany - This Christmas, as consumers around the world hope Santa will give them a smartphone, TV or tablet computer, few people know that the lowly carrot inspired the liquid crystals at the core of such hi-tech gadgets.

Merck claims it produces “more than 60 percent” of all liquid crystals sold worldwide, far ahead of Japanese rivals JNC and DIC and emerging competitors from China.

This Christmas, as consumers around the world hope Santa will give them a smartphone, TV or tablet computer, few people know that the lowly carrot inspired the liquid crystals at the core of such hi-tech gadgets. AFP PHOTO JOHN MACDOUGALL.

Music ‘streaming search engine’ to shut after copyright suit

N

EW YORK - Aurous, an upstart music site that described itself as a search engine for the growing field of streaming, agreed Wednesday to shut down after copyright suits from major labels.

Aurous, launched by 20-year-old Miami-based coder Andrew Sampson, allows users to search for music across all available online platforms and then click on links to listen (AFP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno). comment beyond the settlement.

In earlier court testimony, Sampson said he was unaware of copyright violations as Aurous had no control over users’ searches or power to remove material from third-party sites.

Streaming sites such as Spo-

tify, Deezer and Tidal -- which allow unlimited, on-demand music -- have grown rapidly in the past several years with many in the music industry seeing the services as the future.

But the industry has also been aggressive in shutting down sites if they do not pay back royalties.

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At the first melting point, the substance melted into a cloudy liquid, and at the second the cloudiness suddenly disappeared, giving way to a clear transparent liquid, a new state of matter that was termed “liquid crystal”.

The liquid crystals used in today’s consumer electronics are not made from carrots but synthetically produced using a number of chemical products.

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It was the Austrian botanist Friedrich Reinitzer and the German physicist Otto Lehmann who discovered liquid crystals in 1888 when they were experimenting with the natural substances found in carrots and came across a strange phenomenon: some of the substances appeared to have not just one, but two different melting points.

But without any obvious commercial uses, liquid crystals were gradually all but forgotten. Until, that is, the 1960s, when scientists in the United States started experimenting with their use in screens.

But a court temporarily stopped the site within days of its launch after a joint lawsuit by the major record labels, which said that Aurous offered access to pirated material.

Aurous did not immediately

In one of Merck’s official publications, former scientists told of the difficulties they encountered in securing funding for research into liquid crystals.

Reinitzer and Lehmann asked Merck to validate their findings.

And Merck began producing the first liquid crystal solutions in 1904.

Sampson had described Aurous as a sort of search engine that could become a one-stop site for music fans, who could also import playlists from other platforms.

“We hope this sends a strong signal that unlicensed services cannot expect to build unlawful businesses on the backs of music creators,” Cary Sherman, chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America trade group, said in a statement.

“And around 80 percent of all fundamental research on liquid crystals is still done at Merck”, which also pioneered most of the innovations in the field, Stegemeyer told AFP.

- ‘What to do with it?’ -”This was very exciting academically at the time ... but the world didn’t know what to do with it,” said Mark Verrall, co-head of research and development at Merck.

Aurous, launched in October by 20-year-old Miami-based coder Andrew Sampson, allows users to search for music across all available online platforms and then click on links to listen.

In a settlement submitted to a federal court in Miami on Wednesday, Aurous agreed to shut down permanently and pay $3 million in damages to the labels.

Game Boy consoles later on, but remained niche products and far from lucrative.

The applications for liquid crystals include, say, the security holograms on banknotes, but by far the biggest are the high-definition screens that dominate today’s consumer electronics industry.

And the world’s leading supplier of liquid crystals is a German company, the world’s oldest chemicals and pharmaceuticals maker, Merck KGaA in the western city of Darmstadt.

“The millions of people who own a smartphone, a flat-screen television or a computer have no idea that these contain liq-

uid crystals,” said Horst Stegemeyer, scientist and author of several books on the subject.

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Grooveshark, an early streaming site that was also started by young entrepreneurs in Florida, shut down earlier this year after years of litigation.

Grooveshark, which claimed 30 million monthly users, allowed listeners to upload material to the site, even when copyrighted.

In recent years they have become a highly profitable business, thanks to booming demand for them, particular from screenmakers in Asia.

“A lot of people thought there wouldn’t be any application” for liquid crystals, said Inese Lowenstein, head of display materials at Merck.

They were used in pocket calculators and digital watches in the 1970s and then in Nintendo

- ‘LC Mafia’ -At the time, the handful of scientists working on research into liquid crystals were dubbed the “LC mafia” who felt as if they engaged in some sort of “bootleg topic, which initially had to be run under the counter,” said one employee.

It was perhaps Merck’s atypical shareholder structure that made possible the luxury of conducting such research.

The Merck family still holds around 70 percent of the group’s capital and “as a family-owned company, they could do want they wanted,” said Florian Cespedes, analyst at Societe Generale.

At the start of the 21st century, where cathode ray tube television sets died out to be replaced by flat screens, the company’s bet started to finally pay off.

All the more so with the arrival of smartphones and tablets and the trend towards ever larger screens.

Merck’s “performance materials” division, dominated by the liquid crystals business, accounts for around one fifth of group sales and a quarter of its profits.

Its strength helps to make up for the current weaknesses in the pharmaceuticals division, still Merck’s core business, but which has failed to produce a major new blockbuster drug in more than 10 years.

And the profits are used to finance research in another fastgrowing screen technology, OLED or organic light-emitting diode, which is currently used only in very high-end TV sets.

Merck “cannot afford to lose any ground” in this area, said Lowenstein.

In 2017, the first glass panes will be produced that can filter light using liquid crystals. But scientists insist the technology will not stop there.

“In five to 10 years, you’re going to watch your holographic TV and wonder how anybody could put up with their flat screen TV,” said R&D chief Verrall. AFP .

HEALTH, SC & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 13

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

‘River from the Sky’ brings life-changing water

Collecting the ‘sweet water’ 01:51

by Kathleen Toner, CNN, December 7, 2015.

R

ajasthan, India (CNN)The record-breaking drought in California has made the headlines. But in Rajasthan, the driest region of India, water scarcity is a way of life.

Women and children walk miles to get water and clean dishes with sand to conserve it. In recent years, the problem has escalated.

More than half of Rajasthan’s drinking water does not meet the World Health Organization’s standards due to high levels of fluoride and salt. In some villages, wells have dried up, leaving people dependent on water brought in by tankers.

For the last 12 years, Bhagwati Agrawal has been fighting this water crisis in his homeland.

After a successful career in the U.S. doing research and development at Fortune 500 companies, Agrawal used his experience to find a lasting solution. His nonprofit, Sustainable Innovations, created a rainwater harvesting system that now provides safe drinking water to more than 10,000 people.

“In many parts of the world, you never think of water. In other parts, you think of water day and night,” said Agrawal, 70. “My mission is to end water scarcity, not only in India, but globally.”

His system, called Aakash Ganga -Hindi for “River from the Sky” -- is a network of rooftops, gutters, pipes and underground reservoirs that collect

and store the monsoon rains, which fall from July to September. By saving this rainwater, Agrawal’s system provides clean, safe drinking water to six villages all year long.

No longer having to trek miles a day to fetch water enables women to become more economically productive.

Children, especially girls, are now able to attend school, boosting attendance rates. People also report fewer health problems and say their dairy cows are now giving twice as much milk.

All of this motivates Agrawal even more.

“The way I look at it, I’m 70 years old. I only have maybe 10 years left of active life,” he said. “Right now I’m like Usain Bolt, the sprinter. ... And I will run very fast to accomplish this mission.”

CNN talked with Agrawal about his work. Below is an edited version of their conversation.

Bhagwati Agrawal is a 2015 Top 10 CNN Hero. “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” aired on Saturday, December 12, 2015.on CNN. voir, built on the land given by the local government. This is for those people who live in homes with thatched roofs, which cannot collect rainwater. We also use that land for growing crops.

We sell the crops and use that money for the maintenance of the system.

CNN: How do cultural traditions play a role in your work?

Agrawal: When I started to work on this, I realized that rainwater harvesting is not simply collecting the water.

How are we going to ensure that the water is distributed fairly, to every segment of the society? So Aakash Ganga was designed to provide water to the whole community.

Agrawal: For the system to last, it needs to be embraced by the community. They need to be part of it. So we integrated their cultural traditions. For example, Jalwa Puja is a ceremony where mothers worship at the well when a child is born. We invite them to worship at the community reservoir, give them Indian sweets and ask them to help protect the water from contamination. They practice this in their neighborhood, and it becomes like marketing by word of mouth.

We collect the water from rooftops through gutters and pipes. One half is stored on the homeowner’s property, for their sole use. The second half of the water goes to a community reser-

We also use social bonds. The reservoirs are made of concrete, so you need a mason to build them. We etch the name of the mason or his grandfather on every reservoir, dedicating it to

CNN: How does your system gather the water, and how is it distributed?

them; in return, they reduce their fees.

Our aim was to recognize, as much as possible, the local people. It creates a feeling of ownership and then everyone takes pride in it.

CNN: You grew up in Rajasthan.

How did that experience influence you to address this issue?

Agrawal: Growing up, every morning I accompanied my mother to fetch water—a daily ritual. One day an elderly woman asked me to pull some buckets of water for her. I pretended as if I did not hear her. My mother noticed and asked me, “Do you know the difference between a stray animal and a human being? Every stray animal fills his or her tummy. It’s a human being that fills someone else’s tummy.”

That story stayed dormant in my mind till 2003. At that point, my company had (gone) bankrupt. I was thinking of starting a new venture and had a few friends over. We were talking about the water scarcity in India and the money we had donated. One of my friends banged the table pretty hard

(saying), “What difference will it make even if you were to give $100 million to India?” And there was total silence.

We realized that it may not make any difference. And that’s when the seed that my mom planted 60 years back sprouted all of a sudden, and I decided, “I’m going to find a sustainable solution for the drinking water.”

CNN: What do you imagine your mother would think of what you’ve achieved?

Agrawal: When I think of my mom, I become quite emotional. Here was a woman who was not educated, living in a small village, and so many times I simply marvel at her wisdom, her concern for fellow human beings. And believe me, that’s imprinted on my mind forever.

In the villages, when women come to me to say “thank you,” I feel proud that I kept my mother’s wishes.

Want to get involved? Check out the Sustainable Innovations website at siusa.org and see how to help.

‘Gene-edited’ cells must not be used for pregnancy: scientists

W

ASHINGTON Human cells or embryos that undergo a process of gene-editing must not be used to establish a pregnancy, an international scientific panel said Thursday, urging strict limits on the controversial research.

The statement by the organizing committee for the International Summit on Human Gene Editing was issued after three days of meetings in the US capital to discuss the promise and dangers of new geneediting techniques that make it possible to alter genetic traits and potentially end certain illnesses.

However, they stopped short of calling for a moratorium on the inexpensive and highly accurate technology, which is widely known as CRISPR/ Cas9.

Still, the risk of permanently altering human DNA or meddling with the process of human evolution poses significant ethical and health concerns,

wrote the group which included hundreds of scientists from 20 countries including Britain, China and the United States.

“Intensive basic and preclinical research is clearly needed and should proceed, subject to appropriate legal and ethical rules,” said the statement.

“It would be irresponsible to proceed with any clinical use of germline editing” unless safety issues are understood and “there is broad societal consensus about the appropriateness of the proposed application,” the group added.

“If, in the process of research, early human embryos or germline cells undergo gene editing, the modified cells should not be used to establish a pregnancy.”

The group warned that if genetic alterations were introduced into the human population, they “would be difficult to remove and would not remain within any single community

or country.”

They also raised the possibility that “permanent genetic ‘enhancements’ to subsets of the population could exacerbate social inequities or be used coercively.”

The group called for an ongoing international forum to guide the research in the coming years.

Ethical concerns about the process have mounted since the announcement in April by Chinese researchers that they had modified a defective gene in two non-viable human embryos.

According to Jacob Corn, scientific director of the Innovative Genomics Initiative, the group’s statement was “very responsible.”

The statement “is also forward-thinking enough to recognize that we may eventually be able to tackle such issues, though it may take a while.”

World’s first washable smartphone to debut in Japan

T

OKYO, Japan - Tired of those unsightly smudges and other dirt on your bacteria-laden smartphone?

A Japanese firm says it has the solution with what it describes the world’s first smartphone that can be washed with soap and water.

Waterproof smartphones have been on the market for a while. But telecom company KDDI says its new “Digno rafre” phone -- to be launched in Japan next week -- is the only one that can withstand a soapy bath.

“Our development team washed the smartphone more than 700 times to test its durability,” a company spokesman told AFP. An online commercial aimed at proving its credentials features a child dropping the phone onto a plate of food topped with ketchup.

His

mother

assures

her

Japanese telecom giant KDDI’s washable smartphone “Digno rafre” shocked family that those red globs are nothing to worry about as she soaps up the phone under a running tap.

The 21,600 yen ($175) gadget is mainly aimed at parents who want to keep their smartphones

clean for their small children, a KDDI spokesman said.

But he also cautioned that only certain types of foamy soap could be used on the device, which will only be sold in Japan for now.

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Section 2

Young Life

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Too much TV as a young adult may harm brain in mid-life: study

M

IAMI, | AFP | - Too much televisionwatching in young adulthood could lead to cognitive problems in mid-life, suggested a study Wednesday that tracked more than 3,000 people for 25 years.

The research tracked 3,247 adults, aged 18-30 when they enrolled in the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry.

Low levels of physical activity and lots of televisionwatching were linked to slower processing speed and worse executive function, the study found.

“Participants with the least active patterns of behavior (i.e., both low physical activity and high television viewing time) were the most likely to have

poor cognitive function,” said the study.

Verbal memory, however, did not appear to be affected by the amount of television time.

The study was led by Tina Hoang of the Northern California Institute for Research and Education at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco; and Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco.

According to Andrew Przybylski, an experimental psychologist at the University of

Oxford, who was not involved in the findings, the study contained shortcomings.

“First, these data rely entirely on a potentially problematic self-reported measure for television time,” he said in a statement.

Researchers also did not study participants’ cognitive function at the beginning of the study, in order to have a baseline for a comparison.

He also pointed out that “nearly one in three participants did not complete the study,”

further weakening the strength of the findings.

“Taken together, the work should provoke continued conversation about the nature of different forms of interactive media and underline the value of open science methodology including open datasets, preregistered analysis plans, and robust and open peer review process,” he said in a statement.

“Until these innovations are introduced into this research literature, we will be left scratching our heads at studies like this.”

Teens think Facebook uncool, but still use it

W

ASHINGTON, American teens think Facebook has definitely lost its cool factor, but use it as much as ever.

A survey released Monday

by Forrester Research found 78 percent of US teenagers use Facebook, a figure unchanged from last year.

That’s more than any other “social” site except the videosharing service YouTube, used

by 80 percent of teens.

The cool factor isn’t there for the leading social network, Forrester found: 65 percent of online users ages 12 to 17 say Facebook is cool, far less than services such as YouTube (80 percent), Snapchat (79 percent) and Facebook-owned Instagram (78 percent).

“Sure, young people don’t think Facebook is cool -- but that doesn’t mean they’ve

stopped using it,” the report said.

Forrester analysts said Facebook “generates more hyperusage than any other social site” adding that a third of teen Facebook users say they’re on the site “all the time,” far more than any other social site.

“Facebook is a key way for young people to keep in touch with friends,” they wrote.

The report said the billionplus member social network can be an important tool for marketers who want to connect with youth, but they need to finetune their approach with tools such as “social relationship marketing” to build brand awareness and loyalty.

The research firm surveyed 4,485 teens ages 12 to 17 in April 2015. The margin of error was estimated at 1.5 percentage points.

E-cigarettes contain dangerous ‘popcorn lung’ chemicals

by Jean-Louis SANTINI

T

hree in four e-cigarettes were found to use a flavored liquid that has been linked to severe respiratory disease, US researchers said Tuesday.

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat a nicotine-containing liquid, which is inhaled much like a cigarette.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, the devices are not regulated by US authorities, leading to concern among some experts that they may be harmful to health -- and that their candy and fruit flavors may appeal to youths and put them at risk of addiction.

For the study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, scientists at Harvard University tested flavors that may appeal to young people such as Cotton Candy, Fruit Squirts and Cupcake.

They found that 75 percent

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Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees approves targeted improvement plans for three campuses Plans include additional staff training and collaboration at Briargate Elementary, Ridgemont Elementary, and Christa McAuliffe Middle School

People who reported watching more than three hours of television per day as young adults were twice as likely to suffer from poor cognition down the road, compared to those who were more active and reported less screen time.

Scientists assessed cognitive function in the 25th year using three tests of mental processing speed, executive function and verbal memory.

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

of tested samples contained diacetyl, which when inhaled has been linked to the respiratory disease bronchiolitis obliterans -- sometimes called “popcorn lung” because over 10 years ago it was discovered in workers who inhaled artificial butter flavor in microwave popcorn processing facilities.

Of the 7,000 varieties of flavored e-cigarettes, researchers focused on testing 51 types “sold by leading brands for the presence of diacetyl, acetoin and 2,3-pentanedione, two related flavoring compounds that are listed as ‘high priority,’” because they may pose a respiratory hazard in the workplace, the study said.

In a lab testing environment, each e-cigarette was attached to a device that drew air through the e-cigarette for eight seconds at a time, with a resting period of 15 or 30 seconds, to mimic the action of a human smoker.

The air stream was analyzed, and at least one of the three

chemicals was detected in 47 of the 51 flavors tested, according to the report.

“Diacetyl was detected above the laboratory limit of detection in 39 of the flavors tested,” it said.

Acetoin was detected in 46 flavors, and 2,3-pentanedione was found in 23 of the flavors.

“Since most of the health concerns about e-cigarettes

have focused on nicotine, there is still much we do not know about e-cigarettes,” said study co-author David Christiani, a professor of environmental genetics.

“In addition to containing varying levels of the addictive substance nicotine, they also contain other cancer-causing chemicals, such as formaldehyde, and as our study shows, flavoring chemicals that can cause lung damage.”

Fort Bend ISD – The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees approved targeted improvement plans for three schools during a called meeting on December 7, 2015, reaffirming the District’s commitment to address students’ individual learning needs and the unique needs of each campus. State accountability systems required that the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees adopt Texas Accountability Intervention Systems (TAIS) improvement plans for Briargate Elementary, Ridgemont Elementary, and Christa McAuliffe Middle school, due to the schools designation of “Improvement Required” in the 2015 Accountability Ratings.

The plans adopted Monday night outline the District’s ongoing efforts to address campus needs and improve student achievement. District administrators worked closely with campus administrators throughout the development of the TAIS plans, using state accountability data and campus input to identify specific areas of improvement, as well as solutions that will ultimately improve student instruction.

The targeted improvement plans include additional training for staff and embedding professional learning communities into the school day so that teachers can efficiently collaborate and evaluate their teaching strategies. Each plan outlines interventions that will occur each quarter, with continued data monitoring and evaluation throughout the year.

“Our campuses have unique needs, so we know we need targeted instruction that goes way beyond a one-size-fitsall approach,” said Dr. Phillys Hill, Fort Bend ISD’s Chief Academic Officer.

“When data shows that our students are not performing at the standards expected by the state – and our community – it is imperative that we act with a sense of urgency to help our students succeed. It is not up to our students to improve.

It is up to us to improve systems.”

The targeted improvement plans will also provide deliberate school-wide positive behavior supports with a focus on relationship building between students, parents and community organizations. During the public hearing portion of the meeting, two McAuliffe parents addressed the board,

sharing personal testimony about how their children’s classrooms are impacted by other students’ behavior.

“We cannot deny the fact that student discipline is one of the largest challenges facing our students and educators,” said Fort Bend ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Charles Dupre.

“In order to see positive strides in student performance, we must also focus on the learning environment as a whole.”

In November, Fort Bend ISD district staff presented its initial plans to members of the Board of Trustees that offered an overview of obstacles, successes, and challenges of each school from a District perspective. To address Board requests for additional resources and supports at each campus, district administrators have gone beyond the TAIS requirements. Based on discussions with each campus principal, the District administration has authorized additional staffing and other specific requests for support believed to be vital to supporting an improved learning environment. Briargate Elementary, for example, has been authorized to hire a long-term substitute to serve as a temporary second assistant principal to assist with instructional leadership and discipline management, and Ridgemont Elementary has been authorized to hire an additional fourth-grade teacher to reduce class size at that grade level.

“Our struggling campuses must be given priority when it comes to their needs, whether it is staffing, instruction, or maintenance. We have every District department working collaboratively to help students, staff, and parents at these schools,” said Hill.

Improving student achievement is a continuous, yearlong effort for Fort Bend ISD. Hill explained that the District is constantly receiving and analyzing data to ensure all campuses are receiving the support and resources they need.

“To truly enable all students to reach their full potential, we must be able to identify needs before a campus is designated as “Improvement Required.”

We are always refining our systems to ensure continued progress.”

Police Chief McClelland Applauds At-Risk Teens for Completing TAPS Program

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ouston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland, Jr. today (Dec. 9) recognized 18 high school students who successfully completed the TAPS (Teen and Police Service Academy) curriculum aimed at empowering teens to build skills to make positive decisions in their daily lives.

The students received graduation certificates from Chief McClelland during the commencement ceremony at Lee High School in southwest Houston. Chief McClelland urged the teens to not set any limitations on themselves and to place a strong emphasis on education. “Always remem-

ber your education is the key to unlock the door of opportunity,” the Chief said.

Check out photos of the students receiving their certificates, along with the HPD officers and school leaders who helped mentor them, that are posted on the HPD flickr page.

In addition, two short videos of Chief McClelland’s comments on the TAPS program and its effect on how young people view law enforcement after going through the program are on the same HPD flickr page at https://www.flickr. com/photos/houstonpolice/ albums/72157662224695415

VOICE OF ASIA 15

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FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

Bollywood Masala

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Shiv Sena MLA asks Maharashtra govt Satyaji Ray’s son to to stop release of ‘Bajirao Mastani’ bring Feluda stories in one film

MUMBAI, Wednesday, 9 December 2015, PTI - A Shiv Sena MLA has asked the Maharashtra government to stop the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film “Bajirao Mastani”.

The film, starring Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone is scheduled to release on December 18.

Pratap Sarnaik, MLA from Thane district, in a memorandum submitted to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has urged him not to allow the release of the film till the contentious, controversial scenes in the film are not cut.

Sandip Ray, son of Satyajit Ray

“The film be first shown to the legislators and then only the permission be granted for its release,” Sarnaik said.

Kolkata, Dec 7 (PTI) Satyajit Ray’s iconic fictional sleuth Feluda will re-appear on the silver screen towards 2016 end as the maestro’s son Sandip is set to bring together two stories of the detective in a single feature film.

“Fadnavis in his remarks on the memorandum has asked the authorities to seek appropriate information and then take action accordingly,” an official from Chief Minister’s Office said.

The Sena legislator has alleged that lead actors in the film Ranbir Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra have extracted a heavy price for acting in the film.

He further alleged Sarnaik alleged that Bhansali has produced the film purely out of commercial considerations and has paid no attention to the Maratha history.

Sarnaik argued that the Bollywood flick is not only being released in Maharashtra, all over India, but also in foreign

The film will be produced

by Eros International Media, a Mumbai-based production house.

Poster of the film Bajirao Mastani starring Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone. countries.

“Hence those who are not aware of the deeds of Bajirao Peshwa, Maratha history and Marathi culture will be mislead into harbouring perverted notion. This will cause pain to the Maharashtrian community,” he said.

The MLA further said the heirs of Bajirao Peshwa (I) and

some social organisations have raised objections over the contents of the film and that there contentions have received no justice as yet.

“The ‘Pinga’ song picturised on queen Kashibai and Mastani and the ‘Vaat Lavli’ song in which Bajirao Peshwa (I) dances in ‘vulgar’ fashion holding his pony tail is not acceptable to the heart and mind of Mara-

thi legislators like me,” Sarnaik said.

The Sena leader demanded that until and unless no proper guidance and directions are not received from the heirs of Bajirao Peshwa (I) and historians, and the scenes that are causing pain to the Maharashtrian people are not deleted, till then permission for the release of the film should not be granted.

From Adele to Adeleshwari: ‘Hello’ gets the Carnatic treatment

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dele’s record-breaking album 25 has taken the world by storm. Her song ‘Hello’ in particular has inspired many covers— some faithful imitations, some hilarious gags.

sic based on classical melodies. “The objective of this project is to provide a fresh new take on Carnatic music by mixing it with elements of Electronic Dance Music,” says Raghavan on his YouTube page.

Mahesh Raghavan in India decided to give the song a Carnatic twist.

Raghavan’s YouTube project FLAIR creates short pieces of electronic mu-

Raghavan uses an app called Geo Synth to play the song on iPad using the sounds of a flute, tanpura and nadaswaram.

“Abir, who was accepted by the audience in the role of the famous fictional detective in ‘Badshahi Angti’, will be in the same role. He will be my sleuth from now on,” Sandip said.

“Abir fits the bill as a star with his young age, athletic build, height and intelligent face - all essential prerequisites which my father had visualised,” he said.

A spokesman of Eros, which made a string of box office hits in Hindi, including “Tanu Weds Manu Returns” and “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”, said, “We are happy to produce film on Feluda, who is a popular Bengali character immortalised in books and celluloid.”

The production house will be debuting in its first Bengali movie “Monchora” that has also been directed by Sandip and set to release this Christmas.

“Monchora”, a romantic drama, is an adaptation of a story

by Bengali author Saradindu Bandyopadhyay, Sandip said.

The films stars Abir and Raima Sen, with whom Sandip is working for the first time.

Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra Blessed with baby girl Adira Image credit: Mahesh Raghavan’s YouTube video

Sunny Leone’s ‘Mastizaade’

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UMBAI, Dec 7 (PTI) She had entered season five of “Bigg Boss” in 2011 and now Bollywood star Sunny Leone says she would love to promote her upcoming movie “Mastizaade” on the popular show.

When asked if she will be going back to the show to promote her movie, Leone told PTI, “I hope so, really. I hope that we do promotions there.”

December 9, 2015: Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra have been blessed with a baby girl today. Adira, a healthy and fiesty daughter was born at Breach Candy Hospital this morning.

‘I would like to thank all my well wishers and fans’, Rani said, ‘Today life has given us God’s greatest gift with Adira.

We thank fans our friends and well wishers for their unconditional support and blessings.

With joy we begin this new chapter in our lives.’

Rani Mukerjee.

This year, Leone was seen in a special appearance opposite Akshay Kumar in “Singh is Bliing” which marked her first outing with an A-list actor.

but Leone says, “Singh is Bliing” was like a test to see if that inhibition still persists.

ful that he (Akshay) asked me to do that tiny little appearance.

It was great.

Earlier, there were reports that some actors were apprehensive working opposite her

“I think that was like a test or something. But it was really nice. I was so happy and thank-

“I don’t know about closing the bridge, may be. I hope so.

Lets see what happens.

the zone where everybody thinks of me as. But the other two movies that are coming out, ‘One Night Stand’ and ‘Baimaan Love’, they still have sex appeal. But are in a different zone,” she said.

After her reality TV show stint Leone went on to make debut in 2012 with erotic thriller “Jism 2”.

The 34-year-old actress was seen in mostly erotic thrillers like “Ragini MMS 2” and “Ek Paheeli Leela”, but now she thinks filmmakers will consider her for movies of different genres.

“I think with each filmmaker something different will come.

I think I am still fairly new to acting and this whole world (of films). So I think with time, things will change.

Sandip, whose first Feluda feature film for the big screen was “Bombaier Bombete”, said that he planned to show one Feluda story in each half.

Sandip said that he had thought about Abir long before he debuted as an actor in the role of another popular Bengali fictional detective (Byomkesh) in a film by a fellow director.

Sunny Leone “Now I am doing ‘Mas- tizaade’ which falls right into

YouTube ScreenGrab

VOICE OF ASIA 16

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

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Prostate cancer therapy linked to Alzheimer’s risk

One third of young doctors are depressed: US study

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ASHINGTON, | AFP | 12/8/2015 Nearly one third of young doctors in training suffer from depression, according to a US study Tuesday that warned the phenomenon may have negative effects on health care.

The analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association included more than 17,000 physicians in training, going back as far as 1963.

Led by Douglas Mata, a doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, the research involved a systematic review and metaanalysis of 54 studies involving 17,560 physicians.

One third of young doctors are depressed: US study

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ASHINGTON, | AFP | Men taking a treatment for prostate cancer known as androgen deprivation therapy may be almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than men not taking ADT, a study has found.

While the research in the December 7 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology stopped short of showing any definitive cause-and-effect between ADT and Alzheimer’s, scientists said the association raises concern and merits further study.

“We wanted to contribute to the discussion regarding the relative risks and benefits of ADT, and no one had yet looked at the association between ADT and Alzheimer’s disease,” said lead author Kevin Nead, a doctor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Based on the results of our study, an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease is a potential adverse effect of ADT, but further research is needed before considering changes to clinical practice.”

The findings are based on two large sets of medical records, covering about five million patients, of whom 16,888 received a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Some 2,400 of the prostate cancer patients had received ADT, and had the necessary follow-up records for the data analysis, the study said.

Researchers compared the ADT patients with a control group of non-ADT prostate cancer patients, and found that the ADT group had significantly more Alzheimer’s diagnoses in the years following the initiation of androgen-lowering therapy.

“By the most sophisticated measure, members of the ADT group were about 88 percent more likely to get Alzheimer’s during the follow-up period,” said the study.

The longer patients took ADT, the greater their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

About a half million men in the United States take ADT, a therapy that suppresses production of the male hormones known as androgens, which can play a key role in stimulating prostate cell growth.

Side-effects of reducing androgen activity can include low testosterone levels, impotence, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and depression.

Previous studies have suggested that low levels of the hormone testosterone may weaken the aging brain’s resistance to Alzheimer’s.

Maternal hormonal imbalance linked to child autism

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TOCKHOLM, Sweden | AFP | 12/8/2015 - Children born to mothers with a hormonal imbalance run a much higher risk of developing autism, according to a new study released by Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet on Tuesday.

The findings, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, link an imbalance called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

ASD represents a range of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

“We found that a maternal diagnosis of PCOS increased the risk of ASD in the offspring by 59 percent”, said Kyriaki Kosidou, lead researcher at Karolinska’s Department of Public Health Sciences.

The causes are not entirely clear, but evidence suggests that exposure to certain sex hormones early in life -- from mothers with PCOS who are producing excessive amounts of androgens -- can play a role in the development of autism in children.

“The risk was further increased among mothers with both PCOS and obesity,” Kosidou said in the press release.

Between 5 and 15 percent of women of child-bearing age are affected by PCOS. The researchers conducted a population-based nationwide study of all children born in

Sweden from 1984 to 2007.

They identified around 24,000 ASD cases.

ASD is about four times more common in boys than girls, but there were no observed differences in risks between boys and girls in the study.

The mechanisms that explain the link between maternal PCOS and ASD in the children were

not fully explored in this epidemiological study.

Further studies are necessary to fully explain the findings, according to researchers.

“It is too early to make specific recommendations to clinicians in terms of care for pregnant women with PCOS”, said Renee Gardner, senior investigator on the study.

By reviewing previously published studies that had information on the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among resident physicians, researchers found that the overall prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms was 29 percent -- or nearly 5,000 of the 17,560 individuals studied.

Resident training is a period of high stress and little sleep for many young doctors.

Previous research has found that resident physicians experience higher rates of depression than the general public, though a precise estimate of just how common it is among young doctors has been elusive until now.

Studies have also shown that resident depression can be linked to poor-quality patient care and increased medical errors.

“Because the development of depression has been linked to a higher risk of future depressive episodes and greater longterm morbidity, these findings may affect the long-term health of resident doctors,” said the study.

“Depression among residents may also affect patients, given established associations between physician depression and lower-quality care.”

The study authors said more research is needed to identify ways to prevent and treat depression during graduate medical education.

Doctors set for first penis implant in US Washington, AFP | 12/7/2015 - Johns Hopkins University doctors are preparing for what would be the first US penis transplant, a procedure that could potentially help hundreds of wounded veterans.

A Johns Hopkins spokeswoman confirmed a New York Times report that the first such operation was planned for a soldier who suffered genital injuries in a bomb blast in Afghanistan.

The 12-hour operation would involve the stitching together of nerves and blood vessels and could restore urinary function and over time, the ability to have sex.

Because the procedure would restore only the penis and not the testes, the patient would not be able to have biological children, according to the report.

According to the Times, more than 1,367 soldiers suffered injury to their genitals between 2001 and 2013 in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Last Few Days Remaining for 2016 Medicare Open Enrollment Last few days remaining for 2016 Medicare Enrollment. If you have not done anything it may become too late. Don’t be left out.

To-day we will explore What Medicare covers for Home Health Care: If you’re eligible for Medicare-covered home health care (see page 5), Medicare covers the following services if they’re reasonable and necessary for the treatment of your illness or injury: ■ Skilled nursing care. Skilled nursing services are covered when they’re given on a parttime or intermittent basis. In order for skilled nursing care to be covered by the Medicare home health benefit, your care must be necessary and ordered by your doctor for your specific condition. You must not need full time nursing care and you must be homebound.

See page 5. Skilled nursing services are given by either a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN).

If you get services from a LPN, your care will be supervised by a RN. Home health nurses provide direct care and teach you and your caregivers about your care. They also manage, observe, and evaluate your care. Examples of skilled nursing care include: giving IV drugs, shots, or tube feedings; changing dressings; and teaching about prescription drugs or diabetes care.

Any service that could be done safely by a non-medical person (or by yourself) without the supervision of a nurse, isn’t skilled nursing care.

Home health aide services may be covered when given on a part-time or intermittent basis if needed as support services for skilled nursing care. Home health aide services must be part of the care for your illness or injury.

Medicare doesn’t cover home health aide services unless you’re also getting skilled care such as nursing care or other physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speechlanguage pathology services from the home health agency.

■ Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speechlanguage pathology services.

Medicare uses the following criteria to assess whether these therapy services are reasonable and necessary in the home setting: 1. The therapy services must be a specific, safe, and effective treatment for your condition.

2. The therapy services must be complex or your condition must require services that can safely and effectively be performed only by qualified therapists.

3. One of the three following conditions must exist: ■ It’s expected that your condition

Sudhir Mathuria Contact: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com will improve in a reasonable and generally-predictable period of time. ■ Your condition requires a skilled therapist to safely and effectively establish a maintenance program. ■ Your condition requires a skilled therapist to safely and effectively perform maintenance therapy. 4.

The amount, frequency, and duration of the services must be reasonable. ■ Medical social services. These services are covered when given under the direction of a doctor to help you with social and emotional concerns related to your illness. This might include counseling or help finding resources in your community.

■ Medical supplies. Supplies, like wound dressings, are covered when they are ordered as part of your care.

Durable medical equipment, when ordered by a doctor, is paid separately by Medicare.

This equipment must meet certain criteria to be covered.

Medicare usually pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for certain pieces of medical equipment, such as a wheelchair or walker.

If your home health agency doesn’t supply durable medical equipment directly, the home health agency staff will usually arrange for a home equipment supplier to bring the items you need to your home. Note: Before your home health care begins, the home health agency should tell you how much of your bill Medicare will pay. The agency should also tell you if any items or services they give you aren’t covered by Medicare, and how much you will have to pay for them.

This should be explained by both talking with you and in writing.

Last few days remaining for 2016 Medicare Enrollment. If you have not done anything it may become too late. Contact Sudhir Mathuria @ 713-771-2900 for last minute guidance.

Although the procedure is not required to save a life, doctors and Pentagon officials told the newspaper they believe it is worthwhile to deal with the psychological trauma suffered by the soldiers.

The university has been authorized to perform 60 of the experimental surgeries, with organs coming from deceased males whose families have given permission.

Earlier this year, a South African man received the world’s first successful penis transplant and reported later he was to become a father.

“We are a caregiver information and advocacy website that all Texans could use” • SENIORS FOCUSED WEBSITE Brian Mertz • TXCSS RESOURCE DIRECTORY CEO • UPCOMING CAREGIVER EVENTS • ADVERTISE IN OUR RESOURCE DIRECTORY

support@texascaregiversupport.com

There was nothing preventing the South African patient from having children because his testicles, where sperm is produced, were not affected.

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US bill would have tech firms Gold falls from 3-week report terrorist activity high as US jobs data

boosts dollar

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ONDON, Reuters | 7 Dec, 2015 - Gold fell on Monday from a three-week high, after the dollar was lifted by Friday’s upbeat US jobs data that reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next week.

A short-covering rally initially swept the metal higher after the data, which at first failed to significantly lift the US currency. Gold ended Friday up 2.3 per cent, its biggest one-day advance since January, but failed to hold those gains.

book post.

Spot gold was down 0.9 per cent at $1,077.11 an ounce at 1450 GMT, while US gold futures for February delivery were down $7.70 an ounce at $1,076.20. On Friday, it touched its highest since Nov. 16 at $1,088.70.

“We’re in a new age where terrorist groups like ISIL are using social media to reinvent how they recruit and plot attacks,” Feinstein said, using an alternate acronym for IS.

Typically, robust US data would send gold lower, as it would support the case for a rate increase, lifting the opportunity cost of holding nonyielding assets such as bullion.

“That information can be the key to identifying and stopping terrorist recruitment or a terrorist attack.”

Gold prices have fallen 8.5 per cent so far this year, largely on the back of expectations that US interest rates are set to rise for the first time in nearly a decade. The focus remains very much on next week’s US central bank meeting.

Under the proposed law companies would not be required “to monitor customers or undertake any additional action” but merely responsible for reporting any observed terrorist activity. © AFP/File.

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AN FRANCISCO, | AFP | Wednesday 12/9/2015 - Two US senators introduced a bill Tuesday that would compel tech companies, particularly social media firms like Facebook and Twitter, to warn law enforcement when they detect terrorist activity on their platforms.

“If companies become aware of terrorist activity such as attack planning, recruitment or distribution of terrorist material, they must report that information to law enforcement,” a statement put out by Democrat Dianne Feinstein’s office said.

The law, proposed by Feinstein and Republican Richard Burr, is based on similar legislation already used to fight online child pornography.

The statement emphasized

that companies would not be required “to monitor customers or undertake any additional action” but were merely responsible for reporting any observed activity.

Feinstein tweeted that “the bill does not criminalize free speech. It requires warning of potential terrorist behavior.”

The proposed measure comes less than a week after two shooters, Syed Farook, 28, and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik, went on a rampage in San Bernardino, California killing 14 people and injuring 21 more.

Top security officials believe the pair had been radicalized, with investigators probing reports the 29-year-old Malik had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a Face-

SIIA, a software company association, believes the legislation

Getty Images “Most people have been looking at the potential for a rate hike in the US and pretty much that alone, ignoring all other news,” Simon Weeks, head of precious metals at the Bank of Nova Scotia, said, adding: “There must have been people who were caught short on Friday.”

Hedge funds and money managers raised their net short position in COMEX gold futures and options to 17,949 contracts in the week to Dec. 1, according to US Commodity Futures Trading Commission data on Friday.

With US interest rates set to rise, the wider environment remains unfriendly for gold, analysts said.

“Against the backdrop of sound growth, higher interest

rates and muted inflation, gold should remain out of favour among investors,” Julius Baer said in a note on Monday. “We remain bearish and lower our 12-month price target to $1,000 per ounce.”

More supportively, central bank data from China on Monday, which according to Reuters calculations showed the country probably added nearly 21 tonnes of gold to its reserves in November, also pointed towards some support for the metal.

Silver was down 1 per cent at $14.41 an ounce, platinum was down 1 per cent at $870.20 an ounce, and palladium was down 1.6 per cent at $554.61 an ounce.

Platinum rallied 4.3 per cent on Friday, its biggest one-day rise in five years.

New Design Contest Issues Challenge for Tackling America’s Future Housing Needs AARP Foundation Prize Expands to Include 2016 Aging in Place $50K Challenge for Startups Developing Housing Solutions

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ASHINGTON, D.C., December 8, 2015 – AARP and AARP Foundation today announced two award competitions during the Future of Housing Summit, a new initiative designed to bring awareness to and find innovative solutions for the housing challenges that people are experiencing across the United States. The competitions are focused on addressing America’s housing affordability and accessibility needs, particularly for people 50-plus, over the next few decades.

AARP, AARP Foundation, Home Matters® and Wells Fargo Housing Foundation are announcing a new nationwide design challenge entitled Redefining Home: Home Today, Home Tomorrow. The competition is designed to challenge architects to address the future housing needs for millions of Americans -- growing-inplace.

In addition, AARP Foundation Prize is expanding to include the 2016 Aging in Place $50k Challenge for startups which will award $50,000 to an innovative startup devel-

oping solutions that can help low-income individuals 50plus continue living safely, independently and comfortably in their homes.

“We know that the vast majority of people want to remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation president.

“More than 19 million lowincome 50-plus households struggle with unaffordable or inadequate housing and inadequate housing and we must act now to implement innovative housing solutions. These design competitions, with broad outreach, including startups and architects, fuel solutions that will help address our nation’s housing needs.”

The Re-defining Home: Home Today, Home Tomorrow contest challenges architects to create new standards in housing design so people can stay in their home throughout a variety of life stages. The goal of the design challenge is to generate universal design elements and build an attractive, adaptable and affordable home of the future that speaks to and showcases livability, by

promoting both aestheticallyand functionally-appealing designs for better living.

Monetary awards will be given to three juried winning entries. More, the first place, winning design will be incorporated into a real-life home and publically unveiled to provide an experiential learning opportunity for the general public. The Home will also be offered to a growing family. Architects and designers can register today at homemattersamerica.com/ design/2016challenge and submissions will open on January 20th.

For the 2016 Aging in Place $50K Challenge, AARP Foundation is soliciting proposals from startups developing solutions that can help low-income individuals 50-plus continue living safely, independently and comfortably in functional and affordable homes as they age. Applications are being accepted through May 2, 2016 and the winner will be announced in July 2016. Entrepreneurs can visit aarp.org/ aarp-foundation/our-work/ aarp-foundation-prize to complete the application.

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HOROSCOPE

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Your Horoscope for the Week of December 11, 2015 READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE

by Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

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Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April A change of scenery, which can be positive for you. You will soon realize is that if you are not happy in some aspect of your life, you will need to make some significant changes. Friends may seek some guidance in your area of expertise. Your counsel will prove to be very lucrative. Giving of yourself in this generous manner will prove that your motives are genuine. Your fuse is a bit short early this week but it appears mostly you have some ‘adjusting’ to do, compromising or ‘accepting’ possibly with/from spouse/siblings.

You are being at the right place at the right time. Your ideas will fit in well with your peers. Enjoy the hum of community activities. Your aura will lead you to those who will help you find answers. All your hard work will be noted by those in authority. Your interest in improving your lifestyle will help you to make some dreams come true. Free yourself from any negative energy. Expect to do ‘a lot of work’ make several trips/errands and accomplish ‘more than you set out to’ and your week will ‘start right’.

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May The possibility you might have some difficulty in situations which require you to rely on others resources. Your sensitive side will help you to recognize how judgmental people can be. Your urge to decorate and beautify your immediate surroundings is a great way to express your creativity. Look past the immediate to find some old treasures to exhibit your style. Family unity and more fun is likely as plans for events, gatherings, celebrations and mini-vacations are likely.

You are feeling as if your head is about to burst. Focus on the tasks at hand and you will soon have a deeper understanding of what to do. Don’t be surprised by others reaction to your success. Good relationships can bring out your true self. Your energy level will soar high. All victims may not always be innocent. Be wary of those who try to hide their true nature. You may have to ‘dash someone’s hopes’ this week in career too!

Sagittarius (BH,F,DH,TH) 22 Nov to 21 Dec

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June You are feeling very sensitive, even vulnerable. It may be time to think about a little rest and relaxation. You can be imaginative but you need to rejuvenate yourself first.

Also, you may want to take an opportunity to learn new ways to increase your income.

Be sure to check everything thoroughly. Someone may be trying to confuse you. Emotions take over and tend to color decisions; stall if/when in doubt, especially if discipline or spending is involved. And cooperation grinds to a halt, especially with authority figures, parents, elders.

Your patience and understanding will enable you to grow greatly as a person. You may find a new interest to lead, in your field. You should branch yourself out to reach a larger audience. You’ll feel empowered to reach many goals. The nature of your studies will depend on your personal interests. Whatever you decide to pursue, you’ll do so with great intensity. You love a good juggling act and you don’t even mind having to be responsible for a lot of ‘things under your wings’ but ungrateful attitudes and interference from in-laws, siblings.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July A need to work a little harder to find a compromise that pleases everyone. Take the time necessary to research some fascinating adventures far away from home. You may need to slow down your hectic pace to enjoy the company of friends & family. You really won’t have to push your ideas too hard to find mutual agreements. Your mood swings somewhat dramatically before you stabilize and adjust, especially.

Your concentration and focus which is very strong. You may become so engrossed in your investigation that you won’t be able to do anything else until you find the information that you seek. You’ll find you can be very effective right now. You may find yourself in the position to rally others to your point of view. You’ll also be able to communicate with great conviction. Your practical side has you addressing needs by ‘interviewing’ members to get their insights, takes and requests.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 Feb

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August The realization you will be able to find new way to share your daily duties and activities with loved ones. You always love a happy ending and this story should prove to be a real winner. You may need to push your positive influence forward to those in authority. Your original proposal may start to fade but you can retain the essence of it by promoting your true values. You may be or ‘feel’ somewhat ‘out of sorts’, but that would be typical for a hefty cross section; just rest, eat well and blow past it as fast as you can.

Highlighted by games or contests that will provide you with an extra burst of energy.

Excitement will reign, as your romantic urges will also run high. You could actively pursue the one you desire. Your desire for harmony and beautiful surroundings is stronger than usual. You’re more inclined to use your charm and persuasion than a more direct method to achieve your goals. You show high rates of consideration you ‘pour out’ but may not get in return, your stars say ‘zip your lip’ at this time and correct them later.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September You being yourself, as unique as you are, is what makes you a real treasure. You will feel empowered once you understand that. You will be able to trust others ability to help you find answers. Try hard to streamline your tasks to create more leisure time in the immediate future. Your perceptive touch will help find the best result by keeping your interest strong in others activities. Big changes, long talks, hefty spending and serious upgrades are any/all likely this week.

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A spontaneous inspiration may prove to be very beneficial to your life. You may have an opportunity to directly pitch your ideas and beliefs to those who can make things happen. Your mood to socialize is high. Your intellectual curiosity and mental restlessness may flicker from one scene to another. You are more than ready to commit to a relationship. Several decisions and some hefty ‘back and forth’ change ups are likely to be ‘put in place’.

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CLASSIFIEDS

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Special Projects Producer KTRK-TV, the ABC owned station located in Houston, TX is looking for a multimedia producer who can execute all aspects of the broadcast and digital story-telling process. Will be expected to come up with original content daily for broadcast and digital platforms. Must be comfortable juggling multiple projects at once and managing various crews.

Needs to be a strong researcher, writer, field producer, communicator and leader. Responsibilities will include working on a variety of news, programming, and digital projects. Qualified candidates must have at least 5 years television broadcast writing experience and must be creative self-starters. To be considered interested candidates must apply online at disneycareers.com, ref job #330390BR. Please upload a cover letter, resume and list of references. Equal Opportunity Employer – Female/ Minority/ Veteran/ Disability/ Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity.

No Telephone Calls Please.

Temp News/ Special Projects Producer

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015

Houston Community College Request for Qualification Architectural and Engineering Services Pool Project No. 16-15

Houston Community College Request for Proposals (RFP) Arbitrage Rebate Compliance Services Project No. 16-17

Houston Community College Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Real Estate Broker & Consulting Services Project No. 16-19

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs. edu/district/departments/procurement.

Sealed qualifications will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11A06, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Thursday, January 28, 2016.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs. edu/district/departments/procurement.

Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11A06, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Wednesday, January 6, 2016.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs. edu/district/departments/procurement.

Sealed qualifications will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11A06, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Thursday, January 7, 2016.

KTRK-TV, the ABC owned station located in Houston, TX is looking for a temporary multimedia producer who can execute all aspects of the broadcast and digital story-telling process. Will be expected to come up with original content daily for broadcast and digital platforms. Must be comfortable juggling multiple projects at once and managing various crews. Needs to be a strong researcher, writer, field producer, communicator and leader. Responsibilities will include working on a variety of news, programming, and digital projects. Qualified candidates must have at least 5 years television broadcast writing experience and must be creative self-starters. To be considered interested candidates must apply online at disneycareers.com, ref job #331225BR. Please upload a cover letter, resume and list of references. Equal Opportunity Employer – Female/ Minority/ Veteran/ Disability/ Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity. No Telephone Calls Please.

Restaurants For Sale • Indian Restaurant in Katy:

Established Indian Restaurant since 2005 in Katy with great clientele and good business opportunity. Owner retiring after many years in the restaurant business. Has liquor license too. Catering and partyorders throughout the year.

• Halal Gyro/Sandwich Shop in Mall Food Court

Running business for owner operator. Easy operation, No cooking and Mall hours.

Contact: Ron Aga 832-423-6973

Eduthings, LLC is bidding on Project #15-11-03, Career and Technical Education for the Houston Independent School District. We are looking for possible M/WBE subcontractors to provide the following products or services: 1. Software Training/Implementation 2. Software Development If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact sam@eduthings.com by December 11, 2015.

Amazing facts from all over the WORLD!

• Elvis’s middle name was Aron.

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• There is no such thing as a naturally blue food.

• Coca-Cola originally contained cocaine.

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Autonomy n. Self-government.

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Botany n. The science that treats of plants.

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1234 Main st, Houston, TX 77074 MLS #: 1234567890 | Year Built: 2006 3 Bed / 2 Bath / 2 Car / 1757 sq.ft Agent Name: John xxxxxxxx Phone: 123-456-7890 Open House: xx/xx/2013 4 - 6 pm

Congenial adj. Having kindred character or tastes.

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Defraud v. To deprive of something dishonestly.

Dissolve v. To liquefy or soften, as by heat or moisture.

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VOICE OF ASIA 20

FRIDAY, December 11, 2015