Voice of Asia e paper October 14 2016 by VoiceOf Asia

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VOICE OF ASIA 28years yearsof ofdedicated dedicatedservice serviceto tothe thecommunity community 29

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Vol. 29 No. 41 Friday, October 14, 2016 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

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FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

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29 28years yearsofofdedicated dedicatedservice servicetotothe thecommunity community

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

CMS Part D 2017 Standard Benefit Model Plan Feature Highlights Read on Page 16 or Call 832-806-1000

Vol. 29 No. 41 Friday, October 14, 2016 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

IACF 2016 Fundraiser A Phenomenal Success!

INTRODUCING

Our New Section

FORT BEND VIEW

by Shobana Muratee

As we join the Amazing Fort Bend County The fastest growing county in Texas Serving its 20% Asian population

TAFFORD, TX - A new high was reached by the IndoAmerican Charity Foundation (IACF) this year with its sold-out gala on Friday, September 30 at the Stafford Center, when they bagged Memorial Hermann-TMC as their lead corporate sponsor and raised a whopping $150,000 plus! Robin Beltran, Mistress of Ceremonies and journalist, looked stunning in her scarlet red, off-shoulder flowing gown as she took center stage to begin the gala by inviting Event Chairs Anant and Girija Patel, owners of Karat 22, and Brian Dean, Lotus Sponsor,

to light the traditional lamps. They were then joined by IACF president Nanda Vura. Mr. Vura welcomed over 500 guests with a note of assurance on their safety, especially health-wise, hinting at a large representation of physicians in the hall. VIPs Brain Dean, CEO, Memorial Hermann-TMC and William Clayton, SVP, Reliant Energy were recognized along with elected officials Ken Mathew, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Stafford, John Healey, DA, Fort Bend County, Harish Jajoo, Councilman, City of Sugar Land, and Jim Rice, Fort Bend ISD Trustee. Continued on page 8

Keynote Speaker Brian Dean lighting the lamp as Gala Chairs Anant and Girija Patel and IACF president Nanda Vura join in. Photo credit: Roy Photography

Asian American Civic Engagement

Sixteen outstanding individuals recognized by IACF as ‘Friends of Charity’ on their gala night. Two honorees not in pic.

Image credit: Asia Society. AsianAmericanCivilRights.org

In collaboration with Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) and OCA-Greater Houston

Asian Americans are now the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. Through civic engagement, this trend could shape American politics and society in powerful ways in the coming decades. This population has a diverse spectrum of youth engagement, ranking as both the ethnic group least likely to engage in politics and most likely to donate to charitable causes according to a 2010 study by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. The Asian American and Pacific Islander electorate will also double by 2040 to over 12 million eligible voters, thus it is becoming increasingly important for candidates to understand issues salient to the community. Join panelists Christine Chen, Executive Director of APIAVote, Vinh Ho, Managing Attorney for the Civil Practice Clinics at Houston College of Law, and Mustafa Tameez, Founder and Managing Director of Outreach Strategists LLC, as they explore the benefits of and avenues for the social empowerment of Asian Americans. KTRK-TV Channel 13’s Miya Shay will moderate the program.

Akshaya Patra 2016 Benefit Gala in Houston Raises $150,000 Serving 1.6 million children daily in over 11, 500 schools across 10 states in India

Read Report On Page 5

Manisha C Gandhi, Regional Director of Development, Akshaya Patra USA with Keynote Speaker Chef Sanjeev Kappor (center) and guest. Photo credit to Navin Mediwala

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

VOICE OF ASIA 4

Presidential Choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton:

VOICE OF ASIA Publisher: Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Austin Correspondent: Print & Media Marketing: Marketing: Office Manager:

Koshy Thomas Sherly Philip Shobana Muratee Sherine Thomas Jacob David Susan Pothanikat Priyan Mathew

VoiceofAsiaOnline.com

A Dilemma for Voters and American Democracy national leadership. However, such rhetoric is casing doubt about the continuation of this tradition. Dr. Chandra K. Mittal, by Chandra K. Mittal, Ph.D.

Columnists: Legal: Richard M. Alderman Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Research: Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Health Insurance: Sudhir Mathuria Astrology: Hardik Vyas

Editor Online:

Shobana Muratee

All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher. Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol.com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@ voiceofasiagroup.com

Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $30 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074

It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. Although paid advertisements may appear in Voice of Asia Group Publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, the Voice of Asia Group does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement.

he quality and contents of the Second Presidential debate on October 9, 2016 between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were a stark reminder of the degeneration of American political process. If it was not for the venue of the event, one could easily mistake it for a political debate in a banana republic somewhere in the Third-world lacking decency, civility and sophistication of public life. Such was the scene at Washington University in St. Louis during the Presidential debate. The candidates denigrated and insulted each other at personal level to express their as hatred. The Republican nominee Donald Trump even threatened his opponent with imprisonment if he were elected US President. This was patently uncivilized rhetoric and unprecedented in the proud history of American politics. For more than two centuries, America has had an exemplary tradition of a peaceful transition and transfer of power with each change of by Dan K. Thomasson, Tribune News Service

his is the time of year when you wake up and discover the alma mater you cherish and support isn’t even in the fourth tier of some expert’s widely publicized idea of the best colleges in the nation. Just when you — having steadily contributed to the institution’s welfare since your own graduation, even when you couldn’t afford it — were planning to send your kid there for a gazillion dollars a year, some bozo or group of bozos comes along and tells you East Blah U. ranks 450th out of 500 in the business of higher education. But don’t worry, the bozos assure the youngsters considering your school: No one in the greasy burger chain training program will ask about grades _ just whether you have a degree.

Nothing in the history of American democracy compares with what the 2016 Presidential election is witnessing where there is so much polarization, and the nominees of the two major political parties suffer from very high unfavorable ratings among the voters. It is a scary to imagine that either of them with such low level of public support will become US President and will lead the free world with responsibility and obligations towards the interconnected and interdependent world. While the reasons for this US political anomaly may not be readily fathomable, but it is a sure sign of degeneration of American democratic processes that have resulted in the nominations of the two most unfavorable candidates. This is despite the wisdom, scholarship, and the virtues that exist in the United States and its social institutions as all these attributes appear to have rendered irrelevant in the 2016 election cycle. One truly wonders if US democracy with all its goodness has matured to a level beyond which it can only decay and

And that school’s development office, the one that occupies a converted barn last remodeled in 1930? That team can kiss its $10 million campaign for a proper administration building goodbye.

who thought the place they’ve

least get mentioned as one of Name: __________________________________________ the top schools in the southwest The Most Comprehensive Health Magazine corner of lower Missouri for families Address: Empowering ________________________________________ studying physical education — Call 713-774-5140 People live longer and better lives with proper healthcare seeZip:___________ their school drop 10 spots. New______________ Technologies are making it more State:___________ easier City:

Over the years, those compiling these measuring sticks have been nothing if not consistent. The top 50 or so — the top 10, especially — never seems to change. The schools are juggled around a bit but re-

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degenerate due to social and political entropy of the system. The logical and ration does not seem to matter and has been replaced by irrational populism without any substance, which is dominating the contemporary American politics. The Presidential Primary elections proved this. Ironically, the voters in favor of less experienced and unaccomplished figures ignored the candidates with years of experience in the elected offices and long record of public service. The Republican nominee Donald Trump is an accomplished businessperson, but he has never held any elected public office at any level of government. Nor has he served in public sector. This is likely to limit his effectiveness in successfully executing the office of the US presidency. United States is a constitutional democracy involving multiple layers of governing institutions and its functioning is intricate and complicated. This requires a leader to have government experience. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton having served as Senator in the United States Congress and Secretary of States does have legislative and executive experience in the national government but suffers

from lack of public trust. Over the years, she has been associated with several wrongdoings in the public arena but has been always evaded answering public concerns or clarifying these to the public including her use of the private e-mail system as Secretary of State to conduct official business involving state secrets. This entire matter was investigated by the FBI, which found her “extremely careless” and even questioned her judgement. All these developments are unsettling and unpalatable to most American voters who face the prospect of one of these “undesirables” becoming the next US President. They find themselves between the rock and the hard place without any recourse at this stage. In the end, they will accept and honor the verdict of democracy as it has for more than two centuries, and go about their lives content with the words of French philosopher Joseph de Maistre “In a democracy people get the leaders they deserve”. Dr. Chandra Mittal is Professor at Houston Community College and Co-Founder of Indo-American Association (IAA). Contact: drckmittal@ yahoo.com: Twitter: @drchandramittal

The folly of college rankings

This is the time of the year when The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, and other analyzers of modern higher education insult entire states by telling them the namesake university they so proudly point to as on the cutting edge of research and preparing young men and women for great things — and on which their taxpayers have spent tens of billions of dollars over 200 years — isn’t even in the top 100 of the best. Who cares how many Nobel laureates are hanging around, or how many distinguished alumni are being quoted around the globe? How much does the average graduate earn?

VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

main predictable, with the Ivy League and East Coast heavily represented and an exception here or there. Where the Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford et al fall depends on the criteria used, but if one drops, it never drops very far. Forty percent of The Wall Street Journal’s ranking is based on “outcome” — mainly how much one earns. If you don’t have an engineering school, the chances of your doing well seem to be slim. Purdue University, one of the country’s great engineering schools, for instance, places 37th, while its state neighbor, Indiana University, which has a much longer history of liberal academic achievement but no engineering, ranks 128th. The outcome for a Purdue grad is $53,000 annually, and for someone who graduated from Indiana, $45,000, according to the Journal. Graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology can expect to earn $90,400 a year, according to the Journal’s figures. MIT ranks second overall behind Stanford, where

grads will average less income, $83,400, but enjoy stronger resources, engagement and environment. What does this all mean? Really, very little. Americans love lists, particularly those describing the best this and that. Those who compile lists love them too — for they money they make. Without its annual college rankings, it’s doubtful U.S. News, once a respected news magazine, would continue to exist, which it does only in name now. The truth is that one can receive a quite good undergraduate education at most of the colleges and universities listed in the increasingly ubiquitous rankings. Those who run these institutions should quit worrying about the artificial pecking orders and so should parents, who ought to be more concerned with what fits their offspring best and what they can afford. Dan Thomasson is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service and a former vice president of Scripps Howard Newspapers.

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C OMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Second Front Page

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Akshaya Patra 2016 Benefit Gala in Houston Raises $150,000 by Shobana Muratee

UGAR LAND - Akshaya Patra, an exemplary non-profit that celebrates the serving of 2 billion meals, stands as the undisputed global leader and role model as a mid-day meal provider. On Friday, October 7th Akshaya Patra’s Houston Benefit Gala was held at the Sugar Land Marriot Hotel and raised $150,000. Consul General of India, Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray in his message said that the concept of “Akshaya Patra is in the Indian psyche, and apart from hunger Akshaya Patra has multiple meanings.” India has experience hunger and as history has it, The Bengal Famine of 1943 when approximately three million people died. “In the late 1960s India was short of food and we survived on food shipments from the United States,” he said, “That was 20 years after the Bengal famine,” he went on the say how such colonial experiences defines India as a nation and has taught the importance of food. Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor gave a fitting tribute to Akshaya Patra in his keynote address when he said that organizations like the Akshaya Patra would help raise many celebrities like him. Chef Kapoor recounted his own experiences as a child when he chose to go to a government school close to his house with monthly fee was just five rupees, it was his way of helping his parents. “Kids want to support when they see their family in distress,” he said. And throughout his career he made choices that would lessen the financial burden of his par-

Consul General of India, Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray delivering his message at the gala . Photo (s) credit to Navin Mediwala. ents. Akshaya Patra could be a way out for many children aspiring to become great one day. Chef Kapoor said, to his chagrin, in the “World History of Food’, the only references he found on India were in the mention of its famines.

in being instrumental for this noble cause. Houston’s raised funds will provide meals for 10,000 children for an entire year! Chef Kapoor and Omi Vaidya were truly amazing, we were lucky to have them here,” Gandhi said.

Omi Vaidya, Indian America and Bollywood’s comic celebrity, known for his role in the hit film 3 Idiots, was the Master of Ceremonies. He kept the audience entertained with his signature style of Anglicized Hindi. Vaidya introduced Manisha Gandhi, Regional Director of Development, Akshaya Patra USA and TV Asia Correspondent who welcomed a gathering of over 350 guests. “I want to thank all the donors, sponsors, media and volunteers sincerely. I am also honored

Akshaya Patra ‘s Host Committee: Surinder and Lalita Trehan, Dr. Vivek and Madhavi Kavadi, Bimla and Swatantra Jain, Mani and Anuradha Subramanian, Amit and Arpita Bhandari, Bal and Rita Sareen, Raman and Savita Das were recognized on the occasion. Emily Rosenbaum, Akshaya Patra’s CEO gave a detailed slide presentation as she spoke about the organizations achievements to date. Later, a live auction sponsored by Karat 22, Sehgal Diamonds, Cox and

Akshaya Patra, Board members with celebrity guests Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Omi Vaidya

Akshaya Patra’s host committee members Surinder and Lalita Trehan with Manisha Gandhi, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Emily Rosenbaum.

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YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

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Delay in medical billing may affect patient’s liability Q. How long can a hospital facility wait to bill you for services and you still be legally responsible for paying that bill? My daughter was in the hospital thirteen months ago and we paid everything they billed us for. We thought we were done. Now we get a surprise bill long after services were rendered. Are we still required by law to pay? And if so how long can they wait to bill us and we still legally must pay? A. It is not too late to bill, and the bill is still owed. Under Texas law anyone you owe money, including a hospital, to can collect on such debts for four years. There is a law, however, that protects you if the hospital waited too long and it affects your insurance. Under the law a health care provider must “bill a patient or other responsible person for services provided to the patient not later than the first day of the 11th month after the date the services are provided.” And that’s the longest they can wait to bill. In some cases they must bill even sooner, by “the date required under any contract between the health care service provider and the issuer of the health benefit plan.” For example, if a health care provider were a participating provider in a health insurance plan that,

by contract, requires them to bill the insurance company within six months, then they would have to bill within that time frame. So what happens if a health care provider, such as a hospital, waits too long to bill? You still may owe the bill, but possibly not the full amount. The Texas law says that providers who violate this law “may not recover from the patient any amount that the patient would have been entitled to receive as payment or reimbursement under a health benefit plan or that the patient would not otherwise have been obligated to pay had the provider complied…” Essentially, you will only have to pay what you would have had to pay had the bill been submitted on time. The bottom line is that you still owe the hospital bill. But if because of the hospital’s delay in billing you insurance no longer covers the incident, you are released from liability to the extent your insurance company would have paid. Q. My father recently passed away. In his will he left me his home. He owned the home for more than thirty years, and owned it before he married for the second time. Now his wife, my stepmom, says she has the right to live in the house and I cannot sell it. Is she right? A. Your stepmother is correct. As you seem to under-

stand, the house was your father’s separate property and he has the right to will that property to whomever he wants. His wife has no ownership interest in the house. Because your father left the house to you in his will, you own the property. Your right to use or sell the property, however, is subject to your stepmother’s “homestead right” to stay in the house as long as she lives. The only way you will be able to sell the property is to get your step-mom to agree to move. Perhaps you can “buy out” her interest. Q. My aunt raised me since I was born. I always considered her my mother, and even called her mom. She recently died without a will and her son says he inherits all her property. Her husband died several years ago. I know she would have wanted me to have half her property. What are my legal rights? A. Unless your aunt adopted you or had a will naming you as a beneficiary, you have no legal right to share in her estate. Even though she treated you like a son, the law says that without a will her property goes to her son. Do you want to know more about your legal rights? Visit my webpage, www.peopleslawyer.net

Q: What is the purpose of an Affidavit of Support? A: The Affidavit of Support is a contract between the petitioning family member who is sponsoring the immigrant and the United States Government whereby the sponsoring family member undertakes and promises to provide financial support to the immigrant so that he or she does not become a public charge and be without financial assistance. In addition, the sponsor undertakes to reimburse the US Government if the intending immigrant has utilized any need based public benefits. Q: My mother is applying for permanent residence. As her Petitioner, which form do I have to use for the Affidavit of Support? A: You can use the short form Affidavit of Support known as Form I-864 EZ if you, the Petitioner will be the only sponsor, the immigrant sponsored is the only one in the underlying petition and you are depending only upon your income from employment to satisfy the requirements under the affidavit of support. If you need a joint sponsor as your income is insufficient or you are relying on other sources of income in addition to income from your employment and there are several intending immigrants, then you must use Form I-864 Affidavit of Support. Q: My father has worked in the US for many years and accumulated more than 10 years of Social Security. Do I, the Petitioner still need to provide an affidavit of support for him for his permanent residence application?

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Q: My income alone is not enough to satisfy the affidavit of support requirements but if I add my husband’s income, it satisfies the requirement. We both file joint tax returns every year. Please can you give me information how to do the affidavit of support to include his income? A: In the Form I-864, you will include information that you are including the income of your household member, specifically, your spouse. To be a household member,

A: In addition to income and salary in order to meet the requirements under the affidavit of support, you can use assets such as real estate, saving account funds, stock and bonds which are readily available (readily convertible to cash within one year without creating financial loss or hardship). The assets can either be yours, your household member’s or that of the intending immigrant. United States Citizens who are sponsoring their spouse or minor children (under 18 years old) can divide the value of their assets by three rather than five, to make up the deficiency in the income. For example, if the Poverty Guidelines list the amount for the affidavit of support as $19,662 and your salary is only $15,662, you must show 3 x $4000 =$12,000 in assets.

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Q: What documents do I need to include with the I-864 Affidavit of Support?

your spouse must be at least 18 years old and his income must be the result of lawful employment or derived from lawful sources. You will both sign Form I-864A Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member and submit it with the I-864 and all supporting documents.

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Harry Patel

Guidelines. This can be found under Form I-864P at www. uscis.gov, under ‘Forms”. The I-864P lists the respective amounts based on the number of people in the sponsor’s household and the number of family members immigrating. You must be able to show that your income or assets are at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines level for the appropriate size of household members and the intending immigrant(s). For sponsors on active duty in the Armed Forces who are petitioning for their spouse or child under 21 years old, their income or assets must be at least 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. To illustrate this, for a Petitioner (not on active duty in the Armed Forces) who has a spouse and one dependent child in his or her household and the intending immigrant is his father, the calculation will be like this – look at Form I-864P for 2016 HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support. Assuming you do not live in Alaska or Hawaii, you will look at the top half of the I-864P covering the 48 contiguous states. Look under the column marked 125% of HHS Poverty Guidelines (for all other sponsors). Here, the income to meet the affidavit of support requirements for say 2 persons ie. 1 household member and 1 intending immigrant will be $20,025.00.

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

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VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

FORT BEND VIEW Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

A unique partnership Fort Bend ISD and Methodist Sugar Land Hospital save young lives In the first few weeks of the 2016 high school football season, three local players were saved from life-threatening medical issues – thanks to quick responses from highly skilled athletic trainers provided through a unique partnership between Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and Fort Bend Independent School District

M.J. Schultz, Amanda Jagielo and Nader Ayub, D.O (Photo courtesy: HMSLH)

UGAR LAND - In the first few weeks of the 2016 high school football season, three local playerswere saved from life-threatening medical issues – thanks to quick responses from highly skilled athletic trainers provided through a unique partnership between Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and Fort Bend Independent School District. The program – now in its third year – places athletic trainers at each of Fort Bend ISD’s 11 high schools throughout the school year. The athletic trainers are part of the hospital’s athletic training residency programand serve the schools as assistant athletic trainers, working with all teams and supporting the head athletic trainer’s work with varsity squads. “Our athletic trainers bring a tremendous benefit to the campuses,” said Bill Wissen, athletic training outreach manager for the hospital and Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. “These are schools with large athletic programs, and in football, many have well over 200 participants. Our partnership with Fort Bend ISD enables us to provide the needed support for student-athletes without requiring additional funding from the school district.” There when needed After an August scrimmage at Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, a varsity player complained to assistant athletic trainer Amanda Jagielo about abdominal pain. An examination convinced Jagielo that the player had a possible ruptured spleen, and she had his parents take him to the emergency room at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, where his injury was confirmed and life-saving treatment was performed. After Ridge Point JV’s first regular season game, another player told Jagielo that he was experiencing “sharp neck pain.” She conducted a concussion exam and sent for the player’s father. By the time the athlete’s dad reached the field house, Jagielo had recognized a rapid decline in the player’s condition, and she suspected an epidural hematoma, or bleed-

ing in the brain. The player was immediately sent to the emergency room at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, and a CT scan confirmed the hemorrhage. He was stabilized and transferred to Texas Children’s Hospital, where pediatric neurologists were able to stop the bleeding without surgery. “Those are the ones that really scare you, because they can be easy to miss, and if the player goes home and goes to sleep, it can be fatal,” said Wissen. “Amanda’s training and skill made all the difference because she diagnosed his condition right away and, ultimately, saved his life.” On the first day of football practice, a 14-year-old freshman at Bush High School in Richmond went into cardiac arrestjust outside of the locker room. Fortunately, M.J. Schultz – the school’s assistant athletic trainer and a resident in Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s athletic training residency program – was on-site. Schultz immediately ran to the player, and saw that he had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. He cleared the player’s airway and began CPR while one of the coaches brought over the emergency defibrillator. It took three shocks to revive the player, whowas later transported by air ambulance and underwent surgery to implant a pacemaker. “There is absolutely no doubt that the outcome would have been different if M.J. had not been there, with his training and ability to react calmly and professionally,” said Wissen. “The pediatric cardiologist who implanted the pacemaker told us that M.J. had given the teenager‘a second chance at life.’” Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is one of just five institutions in the country with an athletic training residency program that is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). In addition to being the official health care partner for Fort Bend ISD athletics – and more than 70 other schools throughout the region through its outreach ef-

forts – the hospital is making tremendous strides in raising the level of care available at the high school level by educating the next generation of athletic trainers with the highest standards. “More and more school districts are realizing that having proper coverage by skilled athletic trainers can save lives,” said Marie Charpentier, who coordinates the sports physical therapy and athletic training residency programs at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “Many school districts just don’t have enough athletic trainers on staff to handle the demands, and there is a real need for individuals with the highest level of training. Rural schools, especially, are clamoring for help. We’re involved across the region, and our graduates are in high demand.” Complete care for young athletes In addition to its on-campus staffing and outreach program, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital also has two fullservice, high-tech emergency rooms that can provide complete diagnoses and treatment for local athletes, at the hospital itself and the Houston Methodist Emergency Care Center in Sienna Plantation. Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is also a leader in a new medical specialty known as primary care sports medicine. David Braunreiter, M.D., and Nader Ayub, D.O., of Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, provide young athletes with a unique blend of services that are tailoredto active pre-teens and teenagers. “Student athletes need a primary care physician who understands the commitment they have to their sport along with staying healthy and active,” saidAyub. “A common story we hear is when an athlete suffers a minor injury, and his or her pediatrician says ‘no activity for a month.’ That’s just not possible for someone in the middle of a season. We help student-athletes successfully manage both injuries and chronic conditions, such as asthma or allergies, so they can return to action as soon as it is medically safe.”

Fort Bend County Auction set for October 22nd EEDVILLE - On October 22, Fort Bend County will hold an auction at their Surplus Property Warehouse, 9110 Long Street, Needville, Texas 77461.

Featured item to be auctioned to the highest bidder include: Trucks, Cars, SUVs, Forklifts, Tractors & Implements, Lawn Equipment, Auto Parts, Large Quantity Of Computer Equipment, Office Furniture, Office Machines, Seized Items, Caf-

eteria Items, Paddle Boats, Canoes & More. There is no buyer’s premium on any item. The online catalog is available by Friday, October 14 by visiting the link at fortbendcountytx.gov (under “Events” tab). There will be a preview on the Friday before the auction (10AM - 3PM) and on the day of auction 8AM 10AM.

All payment must be finalized the day of live auction. Cash accepted only with $500 cash deposit. Checks accepted only with Bank Letter Of Guarantee with a Statement Of Limits made out to Fort Bend County. Credit & Debit Card accepted with 3% Administration Charge. Sorry, no American Express cards accepted.

www.voiceofasiaonline.com

Leading chiropractor in Katy announces introduction of Disc Decompression Therapy ATY - Center of Gravity Chiro, one of the leading chiropractic providers in Katy Texas, is delighted to announce the success of their recently launched decompression therapy.

The therapy is a little more intensive than standard physical therapy, and can be the perfect solution for anyone trying to avoid spinal surgery. The company is owned by Dr. Robert Rocque and is constantly striving to find new techniques to assist their patients to avoid expensive and painful surgery, and the introduction of decompression therapy has already yielded very positive results. Not everyone with a back problem is suitable for this treatment, so if you are suffering, it may be worth visiting Dr. Rocque for a free complimentary consultation. “Decompression Therapy has always been a passion of mine, and I am so excited to be offering it in our Clinic,” said Dr. Rocque a leading Chiropractor in Katy. “In my opinion, surgery should always be the last option, and we should try everything available to avoid it. The thought of spinal surgery is understandably a frightening prospect to most people, which is why decompression therapy is the perfect solution. While there are no guarantees, I have achieved a great deal of success in the past, and in the time we have offered it in Katy we already see some positive results.” Center of Gravity Chiro is a

Photo courtesy Center of Gravity Chiro Chiropractor Clinic based in Katy Texas. They are a pioneering and innovative company constantly striving to offer new and exciting alternatives to surgery and pain relief for their patients. They offer a full range of treatments, including a full rehabilitation center, physical therapy and a full range of

chiropractic services. All their patients receive personal one on one care, in a calm and relaxing environment. If you are in need of their services, visit their website at centerofgravitychiro.com for more information or to book an appointment.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

IACF 2016 Fundraiser ...... Success!

William Clayton being honored by IACF past presidents: Leela Krishnamurthy (center) and Manmeet Lakhari (left).

Dr. Shushovan Guha, Robin Beltran and Dr. Vanitha Pothuri during the Teddy Bear Pledge Drive at the IACF gala.

Keynote Speaker, Brian Dean addressing the gathering at the IACF gala. Photo (s) credit: Roy Photography. Continued from Page 1 Giving an overview of IACF, he said, “We have expanded the core volunteer base by adding auxiliary committees, fostering partnerships with IDA (Indian Doctors Associations), IITAGH (IIT Alumni of Greater Houston), energized the organization by executing events like I WALK I CARE Scholarship and Funds Distribution event successfully, and empowered the brand IACF by effective outreach program to younger generation of volunteers , building a functional website and regular communication with our donor base and supporters through newsletters and press releases.” In his Keynote address, Mr. Dean spoke about the impact that Memorial Hermann had in the community and charities as IACF. “In 2015 we delivered over 24000 babies, made over 55,000 emergency visits, and our lifeline program flew over 3000 missions in Houston area to those who needed health care,” he stated. “Memorial Hermann is known for its high quality care. We are committed to delivery of highest quality products for the lowest cost. “Memorial Hermann continues to provide over $450m

a year in charity and uncompensated care for the citizens of Houston metropolitan area.” Their school-based program supports underprivileged kids in 70 schools in Houston area, “something that is consistence with the mission for the Charity that we are here tonight.” Lauding IACF’s efforts he said, “We appreciate the support and partnership with IACF as a trusted partner to Memorial Hermann.” With gala theme as “After the Monsoon, When Charity Blossoms” the IACF projected a kaleidoscopic view of the Charity’s vision and scope starting with recognizing ‘Friends of Charity’ and ‘Angels of Charity’. Sixteen outstanding individuals who have made a lasting impact on IACF with their valuable contributions were honored and inducted into IACF’s Hall of Fame. Honorees were: Keynote Speaker Brian Dean, Senior Vice President, CEO, Memorial Hermann-TMC, William Clayton, VP, Customer Care Operations, Reliant Executive Director, Swatantra Jain, Vinmar International and CFO Pratham USA, Farida Abjani, CEO, Shining NightContinued on Page 12

IACF’s ‘Angels of Charity’ Honoree Couples presented a delightful Fashion show at the IACF gala

IACF Board from Left to Right: Dr. Gopala Kovvali, Dr. Ajay Jain, Shobana Muratee, Dr. Rathna Kumar, Nanda Vura, Prem Cholia, Sreeni Nakirekanti, Mahesh Wadhwa, Dr. Purvi Parikh, Shweta Arora, Dr. Bela Thacker, Alpa Shah, Joseph Ellankil, Dr. Sushovan Guha and Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala. Not in pic: Dr. Vanitha Pothuri and Dr. Kamala Raghavan. Photo (s) by Roy Photography.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 9

Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh (HSS) celebration Universal Oneness Rakshabandhan with Stafford City Council

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

UH Sugar Land professor honored UGAR LAND - Monika Zarzycka, instructional associate professor with the University of Houston College of Technology Digital Media program, is one of 10 women honored as a Woman of Distinction at the Graph Expo & Print 2016 Annual Conference.

The annual award celebrates the achievements of women in the graphics communication industry and took place in ceremonies in Orlando, Florida. “It’s such a great honor to be recognized as one of the Women of Distinction among many great female leaders in the graphic communications industry who were chosen for this award,” Zarzycka said.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh volunteers tied rakhis to the Stafford Mayor Mr. Leonard Scarcella and other council members. (Photos courtesy HSS)

TAFFORD - Oct. 7, 2016 - Rakshabandhanis traditionally a festival symbolizing bond between brother and sister, and with this it stirs up one of the deepest and noblest emotions in the human.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) community extended this concept further on to the society as bonding with every individual like in family and emphasized that it is crucial

for making society as extended family, and hence celebrated Rakshabandhan as Universal Oneness Day. Madhav and Tanaji Shakha of Houston, Texas, USA enjoyed the honor of celebrating Rakshabandhan with council members and city officials of Stafford. In a well-coordinated mind and body efforts, HSS members on spree of spreading

noble thoughts across the cultures; decided to celebrate Rakshabandhan and tie Rakhi’s to public officials and council members in their area. Systematically, they were requested for appointment with brief note about the tradition of tying Rakhi and intent to celebrate the same with them. Stafford councilors responded positively and allocated their precious time for this event.

celebration in Indian sub-continent as cross-religion and cross faith bonding with lucid historical examples going back to Alexander’s time in India. Lateron rakhis were tied and cards were given to all the members and officials. Books on Yoga and Ayurveda, as ancient Hindu knowledge practiced worldwide even today,were gifted to Stafford Mayor Mr. Leonard Scarcella, and other council

Hon Mayor of Stafford invited HSS during their general meeting. Hon Mayor Mr. Leonard Scarcella and council Member Mr. Ken Mathew received and welcomed HSS members during Stafford cilty council general meeting.

Mama Fu’s coming to new Katy location

HSS member presented all the Hon members and public officials about HSS views in extending the family concept to entire society as family and need of Universal Oneness in today’s time. Mr Ken Mathew further informed regarding the tradition of Rakshabandhan

HSS volunteers joined the Stafford City Council for the event.

New James Avery Jewelry in Richmond ames Avery, a Texasbased family-owned jewelry retailer, announces the upcoming opening of its new store in Richmond, Texas at Shops at Bella Terra located at the northwest corner of Grand Parkway and Bellaire

Photo: University of Houston

Blvd. To celebrate the October opening, visitors of the new store may enter a drawing for a chance to win one of thirty James Avery gift cards valued at $50, $100, or $500.

ama Fu’s Asian House has leased 2,200 square feet in Katy’s Shoppes at ParkWest, 24600 Katy Freeway. Mama Fu’s brings the legendary flavors and varied tastes of Asia home. Fresh ingredients and rich combinations of flavors and spices provide unique dishes that are a world away from every day. Every dish at Mama Fu’s Asian House is prepared made-to-order with the highest quality ingredients and seasonings. From classic to innovative, Mama Fu’s chefs create memorable Asian dishes that keep our guests coming back. Experiencing Mama Fu’s is easy and convenient. Order online or call in for Takeout, Delivery or Curbside service. Our trademarked Flex-Casual® service

members. Mr Scarcella then thanked HSS for celebrating Rakshabadhan with entire city council and officials and much appreciated the efforts. It gave immense pleasure to HSS in introducing a meaningful festival, highly necessary in present scenario to entire Stafford region through city council.

style is time-saving during the day, but allows guests to enjoy a more relaxed experience at night. Healthy dining choices are easy and limitless with our made-to-order menu and specially prepared gluten-free and vegan options. Earlier this year there was an opening of a restaurant in Cy-Fair. Another location is already established in the Cinco Ranch area of Katy. Locations are numerous across Texas as well as restaurants in Florida and Arkansas, along with two locations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE. The headquarters is in Austin. Matt Parsons and Mark Raines of JLL represented the tenant. Stephen Tou of the Retail Connection represented the landlord, Parkwest Retail III.

VOICE OF ASIA 10

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

AADA Calls for Action and Awareness Commemorates 15th Year

Rashmi Sharma and Fort Bend DA John Healey

Sponsors at the AADA luncheon

To contact AADA, call 713-974-3743 (office), 713-339-8300 (help line). Sunny Sharma, Rashmi Sharma, Melissa Wilson and Shantha

Raghuthaman at the AADA luncheon. by Shobana Muratee OUSTON - ‘Enough is enough!’ was the general mood at the Asians Against Domestic Violence’s (AADA) 15th annual luncheon held at Junior League of Houston, where a young domestic abuse survivor gave a moving testimonial of her struggle and endurance over 17 years. Being regularly beaten by her abusive husband, she and her son still shuddering thinking of it, she expressed. The fund-raising luncheon was focused on promoting a safe environment and addressing domestic abuse through awareness, education and assistance.

Rashmi Sharma, President AADA, got the attention of the audience when she opened her welcome remarks with Helen Keller ‘s famous quote “I am only one, but still I am one…”. In her own words, Sharma said, “Together we can make a difference, one life at a time.” Sharma, who has been with the organization long enough, strongly believes in AADA’s legacy. She recognized Fort Bend DA John Healey, Nancy Olson, wife of Congressman Pete Olson, Fort Bend County Commissioner, Andy Meyers, County Treasurer Jeff Council, Sugar Land City Councilmember. Amy Mitchell, Harris County Clerk Chris Daniels, Fort Bend County Clerk Laura Richards, Voice of Asia Editor Shobana Muratee and Melissa Wilson of Fox 26 who served as the Mistress of Ceremonies, and the sponsors. Stalls imparted a sense of action in the hall while the Dance of Asian America was breathtaking, elegant and entertaining. Jeff Council stepped up as auctioneer and there was also a silent auction as part of the event. AADA’s founder member and past president, Shantha Raguthaman created a painting depicting being “free like the butterfly”, which was printed on the cover of program booklet. It was dedicated to all women who had tremendous courage and strength to become independent and free of domestic abuse. AADA was founded in 2001 by four women who were heavily involved in volunteer social work: Shantha Raghuthaman, Salma Siddiqi, and Rehana Sarwar and Swapna Chaudhary. Their volunteer experiences were the driving forces behind the formation of AADA AADA brings awareness to Domestic Abuse in the community and serves as a reminder to all women that they do not have to suffer in silence and that there are organizations like AADA that will help them. To contact AADA, call 713-974-3743 (office), 713339-8300 (help line).

VOICE OF ASIA 11

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Purple Ribbons In October? IACF 2016 Fundraiser .... Continued from Page 8 ingale, Dr. Venugopal Menon, Pediatrics, Allergy, Asthma & Immunology specialist, Mike and Judy Schmid, owners, McDonald’s restaurants, Drs. Surya and Manjula Raghutu, Ace Pain Management Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Dr. Kokila Parikh, MD, Ob-Gyn, PV Patel, Director, Nuclear Medicine, Stephanie Madrid, District CEO, Kindred Healthcare, Ramesh Anand, president, Tysons Pals Rescue, Nizar Ali, Fuel Maxx, owner, Dr. Peri Vaduganathan, Cardiologist and Sajid Khan, owner of Curve Hospitality, Inc.

Rashmi Sharma, AADA president (kneeling rt) with her team of volunteers in Sugar Land.

UGAR LAND - We all know October as Breast Cancer Awareness month. Did you know that October is also Domestic Abuse Awareness month? Asians Against Domestic Abuse ( AADA), a non profit organization that is celebrating its 15th year is bringing awareness to Domestic Abuse during October Sugar Land by tying purple ribbons around trees in Sugar Land. Sugar Land being a very diverse community was the place they chose as the organization serves many women from countries in Asia who have been subjected to domestic abuse. Cultural, religious and language barriers prevent some of these women from seeking help and it becomes a closely regarded secret. Often times the women remain in the abusive relationship because of family pressure, financial reasons, the fear of being alone, or not knowing that there is help available to them. AADA helps women by providing the necessary tools that they need to become independent and free from abuse. The women they serve speak many different languages and come from all parts of Asia and the Middle East. AADA collaborates with many organizations in Fort Bend and in Houston . The purple ribbons were tied by volunteers from the National Honor Society at Dulles High School and other volunteers. It’s to bring awareness to Domestic Abuse in the community and serves as a reminder to all women that they do not have to suffer in silence and that there are organizations like AADA that will help them. To contact AADA 713 974 3743 (office), 713 339 8300 (help line)

HCC to help develop careerfocused student advising model HOUSTON [October 11, 2016] – Houston Community College (HCC) is among five higher education and institutional leaders in the country chosen to develop a new model of best-practice student advising tools called Purpose First. The two-year initiative, funded by a $1M grant from USA Funds® to Complete College America, will enable students to pursue their college goals with a stronger sense of purpose, increased motivation, and more confidence that the program they choose best matches their academic and personal strengths. “To ensure students get the most from their tuition dollars, they need to follow a more purposeful path through college and into rewarding careers, guided by real-time information about the needs of the labor market that students will enter following graduation,” said Carol D’Amico, USA Funds executive vice president, National Engagement and Philanthropy. Purpose First will combine career assessment and counseling, college return-on-investment data, and labor market information to assist college students in making more fully informed and deliberate choices of majors and careers. For information about programs and courses offered at HCC, visit hccs.edu.

National Honor Society at Dulles High School Volunteers of AADA tying purple ribbons in Sugar Land.

The Monsoon - Vibrant dance performance by students of Anjali School of Performing Arts.

‘Angels of Charity’ featured well-known philanthropic couples who are engaged in charity work supporting various charitable organizations local, national and international with their programs. In rich, vibrant colors, they walked the ramp with glamor and grace in a fashion show. Those honored included: Lalitha and Surinder Trehan, Drs. Manju and Harish Chandna, Becky and Ven Bothna, Asha and Pankaj Dhume, Mona and Subbu Neti, Shelby Pulverenti, Sangeeta and Dr. Arun Pasrija, Drs. Falguni and Bharat Gandhi, Drs. Malini and Suresh Kumar, Leena and Ash Shah. Dr. Vanitha Pothuri, IACF President–Elect, proposed a Vote of Thanks and recognized the sponsors, Board of Directors, Event Coordinator Judy Blake, DJ Zee, Charterer Madras Pavilion, Krishna Sounds, Mandap Creations for Decoration, Roy Photography and Video and others who made the event a big hit. She spoke of the organization’s vision and initiatives, which include one volunteer activity per month for a non-profit in order to get involved, “in a meaningful and socially impactful way,” she said. The Monsoon Dances by the students of Anjali School

‘Angels of Charity’ couple Asha and Pankaj Dhume on the catwalk at the IACF gala. of Performing Arts, choreographed by Dr. Ratna Kumar, Director were performed wonderfully enhancing the gala theme. The Teddy Bear Pledge Drive by Anu Bala, IACF past president and Dr. Nik Nikam was engaging, entertaining and more importantly rewarding! A silent auction was organized as part of the fundraiser

and the live auction was done Dr. Subodh Bhuchar with his usual fervor. On the occasion was also released a souvenir designed by Mahesh Malekar ,to mark the IACF’s 29 glorious years of service. IACF’s next major upcoming event is the Speaker Series from IIT/IDA partnership. Volunteers are always welcomed. For information on IACF visit www.iacfhouston.com

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Vol. 29 No. 41

Lifestyle VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 13

Section 2

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

India businessman pays $9 mln for Dubai number plate

ubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | - An Indian businessman has paid $9 million at auction to grab a singledigit car registration plate in Dubai, feeding a passion for “unique” number plates.

Tel: 713-774-5140

How to pay off your student loans faster

y the time most college grads make their first student loan payment, Ruchi Patel had already paid $3,600.

New York University. Her fast-track approach saved her thousands of dollars in interest over the life of her loans.

She finished paying back the $23,000 she borrowed in federal student loans within two years of graduating from

Most college students don’t realize they can make payments on their student loans before they graduate. Too many keep those annoying loans out of sight and out of mind until they absolutely must start making payments, usually six months after leaving school.

Balwinder Sahani, who owns a Dubai-based property management company, spent AED 33 million on the “D5” number plate, in an auction organised by the road authority, Gulf News daily reported Sunday. “I have collected 10 number plates so far and I am looking forward to having more. It’s a passion. This number will go to one of my Rolls-Royces,” he said. The daily said more than 300 bidders participated Saturday in the auction which is organised every two months. Eighty special num-

Balwinder Sahani (C) spent AED 33 million on the “D5” number plate in an auction organised by the road authority (AFP Photo/)

bers were on offer. Auctions for “unique” car plates have become a fashion in the glitzy United Arab

Emirates with auction organisers frequently netting millions of dollars.

Who wants to live forever? Forget it, study says by Mariëtte Le Roux ARIS, France | AFP | - No one might ever challenge the 122-year record of the longest-living person in documented history, said a study Wednesday which claimed to have found a “ceiling” to maximum human lifespan. Sifting through demographic data from more than 40 countries around the world, New York-based researchers found that an end to the long-running rise in maximum lifespan “has already been attained”, in the 1990s. The plateau was reached in about 1997 -- the year that Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment died at the unbeaten age of 122 years and 164 days. “The trend since then has been

According to researchers, life expectancy globally has risen almost continuously since the 19th century.Image by: Eva Katalin Kondoros/Istock.com via AFP Relax News

Jeanne Calment of France, celebrates her 120th birthday in February 1995 (AFP Photo/Boris Horvat)

for the oldest person in the world to be around 115 years old,” study coauthor Brandon Milholland of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine told AFP. This was despite average life expectancy continuing to increase as medical care, nutrition and living conditions improved. In other words, more people are living into old age these days, but exceptionally long-lived individuals were not getting quite as old as before.

“We predict this (trend) will remain stable for the foreseeable future,” said Milholland. “It is possible that someone might live slightly longer (than 115) but the odds of anybody in the world surviving to 125 in any given year is less than one in 10,000.” This could all be changed, of course, by a major medical or technological breakthrough -- the longsought elixir of life. “We can’t eliminate the possibility of a breakthrough that will fur-

ther extend lifespan, but it would have to be unlike anything seen before,” Milholland said. “The medical advances of the past few decades may have increased life expectancy and quality of life, but they have not done anything to increase the maximum lifespan.” - Natural limit Lifespan is the term used to describe how long an individual lives, while maximum lifespan is the age reached by the longest-lived member of a species. Life expectancy is the average duration of life that individuals in an age group can expect to have -- a measure of societal wellbeing. According to the researchers, life expectancy globally has risen almost continuously since the 19th century. Babies born in the United States today, for example, can expect to live to nearly 79 compared to 47 for Americans born in 1900. Since the 1970s, maxi-

mum life expectancy has also risen, but seems now to have reached a plateau. This suggests there may be a biological limit to human lifespan -despite the hope some people may hold out for finding the fountain of youth. “Our results strongly suggest that the maximum lifespan of humans is fixed and subject to natural constraints,” wrote the team. Milholland admitted having been “a little bit” disappointed by the findings. However, “as scientists, our duty is to the truth, even if it is not entirely pleasant,” he said. “I predict that those who seek immortality will still cling to the hope of some undiscovered technology that will allow us to exceed the limit we found. “In a sense, we have done them a favour; if they had placed their hopes on conventional medical advances, which we have found do not have an effect on lifespan, they would have been sorely disappointed.” Commenting on the study, Stuart Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois, Chicago, wrote in Nature it was a reminder that “humanity is approaching a natural limit to life”.

But Patel is different. During her sophomore year, she started putting whatever she could toward her student loans every few weeks. Sometimes it was as little as $40 or as much as $100. “At some point during one of my finance classes, the light bulb went off. I was going to be screwed by the interest if I didn’t start paying,” Patel said. The extra money came from parttime jobs she held during the school year and over the summer. She admits the small payments felt huge at the time, and sometimes took up as much as half of her paychecks. “My bank account wasn’t empty. But what I had wasn’t much,” she said. If she had taken the standard 10 years to repay her student loans, she would have paid more than $7,000 in interest alone over the life of the loan. Instead, she ended up paying about $3,000 in interest. Paying down the principal of your loans faster lowers the amount in interest you’ll pay over time, said Phil DeGisi, the Chief Marketing Officer at the online student loan refinance company CommonBond. Continued on page 16

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LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Open Mic Night at India House

n the eve of Oct 1st, India House and GlobalDesis jointly organized a very successful and entertaining Open Mic Night for Houston audience, a musical performance from GlobalDesis group. This was second Open Mic Night hosted at India House. This event saw some changes from the last one based on audience feedback. This time, all participants had to go through auditions and 10 selected performers were given a chance to sing on the stage. Top three performers were awarded by India House.

Odissi Academy performed on classical Odissi music and Ambica Agarwal performed with her young kids on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Maiya Yashodaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Judges of the evening Mr. Shah, Mrs. Neera Vipin and Sankalp adjudged Tanvi Sinha the winner, Debrupa Mukherjee as runners up and Nilesh as second runners up. Host for the evening was Col Vipin Kumar, Executive Director of India House who kept the audience engaged with his jokes and one liners. The whole event was conceptualized by Sankalp, Founder of GlobalDesis Musical Group.

After dinner during social hour, event started with performance by a young child, Tanvi Gupta followed by her sister Riya Gupta. There were some amazing performances from the audience on songs like Saiyaan, Dil Hoom Hoom Kare, Katiya Karun, Mai Tenu Samjhanwa etcâ&#x20AC;Ś. GlobalDesis members- Ravi Boddu, Padma Iyengar, Sankalp Srivastava and Maumita Chaudhury enthralled the audience with some melodious songs.

Top three performers were awarded by India House.

A big thank you to the sponsors of the event Discount Powers, Madras Pavilion and Deep Foods. India House and GlobalDesis are planning to take this event to a bigger level and hoping to see larger participation from Houston audience. For any queries related to the event contact India House at 713-929-1900 or Sankalp at 281-726-2063. Visit www.indiahouseinc.org for details of the programs and services being offered by India House.

To add variety, dance performances were included this time.

A view of the audience at the Open Mic Night.

Odissi Academy performed.

Happy family linked with leisure time at home The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest tourist attraction?

in a new location, less â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;brain powerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is available to focus on the family relationships,

ACO (AFP) - Family fun often means new activities and destinations but a new study suggests leisure time spent at home in familiar pastimes may be a better route to happiness.

While research results suggest that all quality time together contributes to satisfaction with family life, â&#x20AC;&#x153;all family leisure is not equal,â&#x20AC;? she said.

The lead author of a newly published study in the World Leisure Journal, Dr. Karen K. Melton, assistant professor of child and family studies at Baylor University talks causality:

The best predictor of happiness for families may be spending quality time together in familiar activities inside the home. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great news for families who have little time or few resources. Researchers performed the online research beginning with a sample of 1,502 individuals

That may be because when the brain is focused on processing new information, such as taking part in an unfamiliar activity with unfamiliar people

in 884 families in the United Kingdom. Each family unit taking part in the online research had at least one child between the ages of 11 and 15.

Participants answered questions about whether they took part in family leisure in the past year, and if so, what activities (from 16 categories) they did, how much time they spent doing them and how frequently they did so. Melton said that the catchy expression â&#x20AC;&#x153;The family that plays together, stays together!â&#x20AC;? carries two misconceptions: that all family leisure

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brings positive results and that all family activities are equal.

Family members also can express stress and conflict as well as pleasure during leisure time. The activities alone will not heal the scars of hurting families. Melton noted that some studies support the idea that eating together is one of the best predictors of functioning families, while watching TV is seen as ineffective for individual happiness. Melton warns, however, that each family is different and that a one-size-fits-all notion is often incorrect.

After skyrocketing to popularity following its opening in 2012, the Titanic Belfast attraction in Northern Ireland has continued to win over visitors from around the world. Its latest accolade comes from the World Travel Awards, which has put it on a shortlist of eight for the best travel attraction in the world.

HEALTH, SC & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Facebook launches intraoffice ‘Workplace’ network

ADVERTORIAL

CONSUMERS AND RETAILERS WARNED ABOUT COUNTERFEIT FOOD PRODUCTS FROM INDIA FLUSHING, NY – Because of a huge influx of unauthorized food and other products from India, US retailers and consumers alike are being warned to be especially vigilant when purchasing products from the country.

Vice President of EMEA at Facebook, speaks during an event to launch the social media company’s latest product “Workplace”, in central London on October 10, 2016. © AFP | Nicola Mendelsohn.

ONDON | AFP | 10/10/2016 - Social network giant Facebook on Monday launched new global product Workplace, a platform that it hopes will replace intranet, mailbox and other internal communication tools used by businesses worldwide. The platform allows employees to collaborate in real-time and is intended to compete with similar office communication products including Microsoft’s Yammer, Salesforce’s Chatter and Slack. The Silicon Valley company developed the concept, hitherto called “Facebook at Work”, two years ago in its London office and has since tested the product on 1,000 companies worldwide. It is the first Facebook product launched outside the United States. “We combined the things that already exist into a single tool that will allow employees to display a wall of information, like on their private profiles,” Julien Codorniou, director of Workplace, told AFP. Workplace was developed outside of the Facebook ecosystem and remains completely separate from the social network -- even using grey as the dominant colour, rather than Facebook’s distinct blue. It is accessible on a computer or phone without a Facebook account and employees can access the platform using their work email address. The service will only enable the transfer of intra-office data, which will remain fully owned

by the business. “We’ve brought the best of Facebook to the workplace -whether it’s basic infrastructure such as News Feed, or the ability to create and share in Groups or via chat, or useful features such as Live, Reactions, Search and Trending posts,” said the company. “This means you can chat with a colleague across the world in real time, host a virtual brainstorm in a Group, or follow along with your CEO’s presentation on Facebook Live.” Subscribers will pay between one to three euros ($1.10$3.30) per connected employee, depending on the size of the business, while NGOs and educational establishments will receive the service for free. “At the moment we have 1,000 companies that have already switched to Workplace before the worldwide launch, creating 100,000 groups,” said Codorniou. Early adopters include multinationals Danone and Booking. com, financial institutions such as the Royal Bank of Scotland and NGOs including Oxfam and Save the Children, said Facebook. Mobile-first businessDanone, which has seen 5,000 employees test the platform over 15 months, aims to move its workforce of 100,000 onto the service by the end of the first quarter next year, said company executive Francisco Camacho. For Camacho, the key benefit

is the mobile-first approach. “People are more mobile now, so when they have the platform in their hands, they are being able to connect with each other faster, to share ideas faster and react faster,” he told AFP. Craig Le Clair, an analyst at research company Forrester, said Facebook will need to shift cultural perceptions of the company in order for Workplace to be a success. “Facebook has never been about getting work done but quite the opposite. How do I enrich my life through better connection to friends and relatives,” he said. The top 5 countries using Workplace so far are Britain, France, India, Norway and the US. “There is a potential worldwide market of 2.5 billion employees, who have no similar product to choose from,” said Codorniou. “Our ambition is to connect the world, which has to happen through the world of business.”

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

sumers the highest quality of Indian ingredients and products available and assuring the company’s customers that its products receive US FDA approval. “It’s why we ensure all products sold by House of Spices have our name on it. Customers do not realize that flours and noodles sold by us versus what is sold by others are different. We work with the brands in India to make sure the formulas, labels and ingredients all meet the United States FDA standards, standards which are much higher than the Indian FSSIA,” said Amrapali Soni, VP of House of Spices.

More than half of all the snack products that were tested and then blocked from sale in the US in 2015 were from India, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. Last year more food products from India were rejected in the US than from any other country. Indian products also led the world in snack rejects in 2014.

According to the Wall Street Journal, problems with products that have been rejected from India “vary from packaging and labeling to alleged contamination.”

House of Spices India, Inc. (HOS), a distributor of quality Indian ingredients, snacks and sweets, is driving efforts to educate consumers and retailers alike to help reduce and eventually eliminate Illegal imports of products only meant for sale in India. House of Spices India, Inc. is the sole exclusive distributor for Nestlé India’s Maggi Noodles and ITC’s Aashirvaad Atta products in the US market. According to a Nestlé USA statement, the company said it can only guarantee “this level of quality when products are purchased from authorized distributors like House of Spices.” HOS also remains committed to bringing con-

Nestlé USA said, “the sale of any Nestlé-imported products that bypass Nestlé USA via our authorized distributors violates federal and state laws of the United States and may subject your company to financial liability.” ITC named HOS as is its “sole distributor” in the US, and said, “no other (distributor is) authorized and/or supplied by ITC for this brand for sales in the US.” Unfortunately, unscrupulous dealers and unlicensed third parties are legally distributing and exporting branded products without the knowledge and consent of authorized manufacturers—a practice known as a grey

market. ITC said, not only do these actions put consumers at risk; they also willfully and criminally prevent traceability of a particular batch should quality issues arise. To prevent counterfeiting efforts and reassure retailers, ITC packaging supplied in India now carries an indelible print that states, “Do not purchase package if punctured, torn or tampered and/or with stickers over areas containing statutory information. This package is NOT INTENDED FOR SALE OUTSIDE INDIA.” ITC said products are currently being tampered with via packaging and labeling, by either erasing the online printed batch numbers and production dates, and/or affixing stickers with fictitious information covering important labeling information to make it appear compliant with US labeling requirements. All the companies involved have promised that offending suppliers and retailers will face serious legal consequences and financial ramifications. Those interested can visit www.hosindia.com for information on the US FDAapproved items distributed by House of Spices India, Inc. Any additional questions or comments can be addressed by emailing customerservice@houseofspicesIndia.com.

It’s likely that Slack-style integrations, along with other bells and whistles like bots and the multitude of other features that have invaded Messenger, are likely to come down the line very soon, with the first of them making an appearance at Facebook’s F8 conference this coming spring. For now, the message to the market may be big enough: Facebook has become a de facto platform for billions of consumers globally to communicate with each other in the digital world.

Read these stories and more on Health & Tech Visit us online Visit: www. voiceofasiaonline.com

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Section 2

Young Life

Cypress Ranch High School Senior Paras Gupta scores a perfect 36 on ACT

YPRESS, TX - Paras Gupta, senior at Cypress Ranch High School, earned the highest possible ACT Composite score of 36. Nationally, while the actual number of students earning the top score varies from year to year, on average, less than one-tenth of 1% of students who take the ACT earns the top score. Among test takers in the high school graduating class of 2016, only 2,235 of Paras Gupta nearly 2.1 million students earned a composRanch Marching Band and is ite score of 36 on the ACT. the ‘Head Overall Marcher” in 2016-2017. Paras is also a National AP Scholar and has been named a He is passionate about helpNational Merit Semi-Finalist ing others and is exploring caby the National Merit Scholar- reer options where he will be ship Corporation but academ- able to contribute and make ics is not his only forte. Paras positive impacts to the people loves to play the Bassoon. He around him. Paras has carefulis First Chair Bassoon in the ly chosen extra curricular acCypress Ranch ‘Varsity Band’ tivities like the Red Cross club and has won Region and All at school since he believes in Area awards and recognition in their mission and wants to help 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th grades. further it at the high school and He is a leader in the Cypress college level.

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

by Akhila Mamandur

Saturday morning, Mr. Chase Untermeyer, suits, ties, dresses, and a room full of young, ambitious high school students. What more is needed to describe the intriguing, yet professional environment that is created to foster these young teenagers’ future careers?

n September 24th, 57 high school juniors and seniors of YLDP (Youth Leadership Development Program of Houston) gathered to listen to the honorable Chase Untermeyer, a former U.S. ambassador during the George W. Bush administration. He vividly described his experience, on how he got himself to the successful position in which he is in today — and while he reminisced about his past, what the students liked

Tel: 713-774-5140

“Chasing” dreams with Chase Untermeyer little souls that need some guidance on how to attack this next, grandiose phase in their lives— and Mr. Chase Untermeyer provided them with just that. He went on and described how all it took to reach the turning point in his life was being actively involved in his community. He started off small, and ended up bigger than he ever imagined to be. This was just the type of encouragement and motivation these kids needed to hear. As busy adolescents, with a lot on their minds, teenagers are prone to questioning the reason for everything: “How does help me?”

volunteering

“What about all my other activities?”

Mr. Chase Untermeyer

Pay off student loan fast Continued from page 13 Chipping away just $75 a month will save you $694 in interest by the time you graduate and most students are only starting to pay off their debt, according to a calculation from CommonBond. (That assumes you borrowed $10,000 with a 7% interest rate for freshman year.) “Try to chip away as much as possible while you’re in

school. Those tiny payments -however small -- really do add up,” Patel said. Although she was able to pay down her own loans so quickly, it was a small victory for Patel. Here parents also borrowed loans to cover the rest of her tuition. Now that she’s finished her own payments, she’s transferred those federal Parent Plus loans into her name,

YLDP batch of 2016 with Chase Untermeyer, at India House. best was that he started from the day he was born. This is exactly what teenagers, normally confused on how to proceed with their near futures, need when they listen to speakers. They are college-bound, yet confused

With such ease, Mr. Chase Untermeyer was able to provide one simple answer to all of our questions: it is vital to start from the bottom to reach the top. As leaders in our schools, communities, and fu-

ture leaders in our respective fields of work, we were able to gain some clarity on how the work we do today, so many years from the apex of our successful professional careers, will aid in gaining knowledge

and experience on work ethic involved in working with others, and more importantly, achieving confidence in our abilities to communicate effectively and carry out duties without hesitation.

which currently total about $135,000.

or living somewhere I’d need a car, or getting up and moving to another city,” she said.

of debt, it’s helpful to find as many ways as possible to pay back your loans faster.

“I can’t really think about buying an apartment or house,

When it comes to that kind

1. Pay down the principal 2. Know which loans you should make prepayments on. 3. Live at home. 4. Refinance.

Here are four tips:

VOICE OF ASIA 17

Section 2

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Bollywood Masala

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Durga Puja fever hits Bollywood Sushmita Sen looked resplendent in a purple anarkali draped with a golden dupatta. Her daughters Renee and Alisah joined the former Miss Universe to seek Maa Durga’s blessings. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan with daughter Shweta Nanda and Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with their daughter Aaradhya, were seen at the math in Khar, which they have been visiting for years. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan with daughter Shweta Nanda and Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with their daughter Aaradhya.

UMBAI - Brightly coloured Pandals, echoes of Dhaak and amazing delicacies, well thats how people across nation celebrate Durga Puja. Nothing in this season seems to match the energy of ‘disco dandiya nights’ which has given festivities a modern and flamboyant spin. While some biggies enjoy promoting their movies during festive season, some went out to simply seek goddess Durga’s blessings with family. Have a look on our celebrities dressed in traditional finery going about celebrating the festive season. Over the weekend, Ranbir Kapoor joined filmmaker Ayan Mukerji at his family’s puja pandal

in Juhu. The actor arrived with his aunt Rima Jain and shared the prasad with her. Govinda visited the Times Of India Lokhandwala Alia Bhatt joined the puja. Durgotsav 2016 and performed to a medley of his hit numbers. Over the weekend, Ranbir Kapoor joined filmmaker Ayan Mukerji at his family’s puja pandal in Juhu. The actor arrived with his aunt Rima Jain and shared the prasad with her. Govinda visited the Times Of India Lokhandwala Durgotsav 2016 and performed to a medley of his hit numbers.

Ex-007 Brosnan shakes and stirs with Indian pan ad

Abhishek lost his cool on the shutterbugs for hovering around his little girl, trying to get a picture of her. Bollywood sure believes in eat, pray, and dance.

Tel: 713-774-5140

Former actress Sreelatha Menon dies

ERALA Former Malayalam actress Sreelatha Menon, suffering from a rare bone disease for long, passed away here on Friday night, her family said. The 51-year-old -known for films like Perumthachan and Kauthuka -- breathed her last at the state-run Medical College Hospital, where she was Sreelatha Menon, 51. being treated. Her husband passed away a few years back. The then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in 2012 extended to her financial assistance and treatment after knowing about her medical condition surfaced. The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes also chipped in.

A former Miss Trivandrum (1985), she acted in more than 20 films and over 200 TV serials. She is survived by her three children.

Bollywood mourns the death of businesswoman and philanthropist Parmeshwar Godrej

UMBAI - Businesswoman and philanthropist Parmeshwar Godrej, wife of industrialist Adi Godrej, died at the age of 70, last night in a Mumbai hospital after prolonged illness. Parmeshwar Godrej, who stood for many social causes, was suffering from lung illness and has been cremated. One of her biggest initiatives in philanthropy was to combat AIDS through the launch of the ‘Heroes Project’ in 2004. For the same she joined hands with legendary Hollywood actor Richard Gere, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative. Parmeshwar and Adi Godrej married in 1965, and have three children -- daughters Nisa Godrej and Tanya Dubash.

Referred to as the style icon, Parmeshwer also had her tryst with Bollywood. She had designed clothes for actress Hema Malini on the insistence of director friend

Feroze Khan for a film in 1975. She also teamed up with acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur to launch a production house called Starlight in 2000.

Pierce Brosnan attends the LA Premiere of “No Escape” held at Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, in Los Angeles. (AP)

EW DELHI - Former 007 star Pierce Brosnan sparked ridicule on social media Friday by starring in a new James Bond-style spoof commercial for an Indian mouth freshener that left fans shaken and stirred.

But instead of concealing a Walter PKK within his immaculately-tailored tuxedo, Brosnan was revealed to be carrying a can of pan masala -- a mixture of betel nut and spices that leaves lurid red stains on the mouth after being chewed or when it is spat out.

In adverts for Indian TV channels, newspapers and billboards, the now bearded Brosnan cut a familiar pose as he grappled with villains, flirted with beautiful women and took a spin in a high-end sports car.

“Class never goes out of style,” the 63-year-old Irish actor says at end of the commercial for the Pan Bahar brand. The new ad triggered a flurry of jokes, sarcastic comments and photoshopped images of

Brosnan on social media, with his lips stained red or his head superimposed onto the torso of a tobacconist clad in a grubby singlet. “How desperate is #PierceBrosnan for money”, wrote one Twitter user, Aseem Chhabra. Pan masala is mixture of areca nut, pastes, spices and sometimes tobacco meant to refresh palates and aid digestion, but the makers of Pan Bahar say their product is free of nicotine.

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FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING VOICE OF ASIA

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

WHO: Sugar not only makes you fat, it may make you sick

CMS Part D 2017 Standard Benefit Model Plan Feature Highlights

The WHO has already published nutritional advice saying that nobody needs sugar in their diet. and salt “appears promising”, it adds, because there is evidence that higher prices reduce consumption.

ll countries are being urged to consider introducing a sugary drinks tax by the World Health Organisation as an effective way of curbing the soaring obesity rate, especially in children. The WHO’s advice comes as more and more countries are considering fiscal measures to dissuade people from buying the large quantities of colas, lemonades and other sugary soft drinks that have been identified as a major cause of the global overweight and obesity crisis. It will strengthen the hand of campaigners in countries such as Colombia, where the drinks industry has succeeded in having an anti-sugar broadcast banned. A report from the WHO says that a tax of 20% or more results in a drop in sales and consumption of sugary drinks. People consume fewer “free sugars” such as fructose and glucose, take in fewer calories and reduce their risk of tooth decay. “Consumption of free sugars, including products like sugary drinks, is a major factor in the global increase of people suffering from obesity and diabetes,” said Dr Douglas Bettcher, director of the WHO’s department for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

energy needs, preferably 5%. The UK government’s scientific advisory committee on nutrition and health echoed that advice, which led to the decision to introduce a sugary drinks tax in the UK, although not until 2018. Other countries, including the Philippines and South Africa, are now looking at introducing similar measures. Mexico’s 10% tax on sugary drinks appears to have successfully reduced sales and consumption. The government is being urged by campaigners to double the tax.

“If governments tax products like sugary drinks, they can reduce suffering and save lives. They can also cut healthcare costs and increase revenues to invest in health services.”

The WHO says a tax has most impact on the young, those on low incomes and others who consume a lot of sugary drinks and will have the greatest positive effect on the health of those groups.

The WHO has already published nutritional advice saying nobody actually needs sugar in their diet. Its guidance says we should restrict our intake of free sugars to a maximum of 10% of our

Other fiscal measures that work include subsidising fresh fruit and vegetable prices by 10-30%, it says. Taxing food and other drinks that are high in saturated fats, trans fats, free sugars

Mylan to pay $465 mn over EpiPen overcharges to Medicaid

EW YORK | AFP - Mylan will pay $465 million to resolve accusations from some regulators that it overbilled the federal Medicaid program for the EpiPen allergy medication, the drugmaker announced Friday. The settlement with the Department of Justice and some other regulators resolves questions about Mylan’s classification of EpiPen as a generic drug, the drugmaker said. Mylan said it did not admit fault in the agreement. Federal health care regulators have said the misclassification contributed to a swelling of payments to Mylan, which nearly monopolizes the market for the allergy injectors, for EpiPen under federal health care programs. Had EpiPen been correctly classified, Mylan would have been forced to pay higher rebates to federal and state officials, officials with the US Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have said. Mylan, which has been under strong attack from politicians and the public for jacking up the price of EpiPens -essential for severe allergy sufferers to block life-threatening attacks -- touted the settlement. “This agreement is another important step in Mylan’s efforts to move

forward and bring resolution to all EpiPen Auto-Injector related matters,” said Mylan chief executive Heather Bresch. Despite news of the settlement, Mylan alluded to a fresh federal investigation in an SEC filing, saying it had received a document request Friday from enforcement officials “seeking communications with the CMS and documents concerning Mylan products sold and related to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, and any related complaint.” “Mylan intends to fully cooperate with the SEC’s investigation,” it added. A CMS official declined substantive comment on the settlement. “Today, through an SEC filing, Mylan Pharmaceutical announced that it has come to an agreement in principle with the federal government over a dispute over the misclassification of Epipen in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program,” a CMS spokesperson said. “We have no further comment at this time.” A Justice Department spokeswoman declined comment, adding, “the Justice Department does not confirm or deny the existence of an investiga-

Battle lines are being drawn in Colombia, where a consumer movement is pressing the case for a sugary drinks tax and the industry is fighting back. Sales of sugary drinks have been increasing faster in Colombia, where half the adult population and 17% of children are overweight or obese, than any other Latin American country. Last month, the Asociación Educar Consumidores – the consumer organisation which, like its Mexican equivalent, has backing from Bloomberg Philanthropies in the US – produced an educational video to be broadcast on television, warning that drinking too many sugary drinks can lead to diabetes and other diseases. “A growing number of cities and countries – including Mexico – are showing that taxes on sugary drinks are effective at driving down consumption. The World Health Organisation report released today can help these effective policies spread to more places around the world, and that will help save many lives.” (The Guardian). tion.” Mylan has been under fire since August over the soaring price of the lifesaving EpiPen injectors, for which it faces virtually no competition in the market. A pack of two of the devices soared to more than $600 from less than $100 in 2007, when Mylan bought the rights to the technology. Mylan in August boosted patient assistance programs to help defray costs for EpiPen, eliminating immediate out-of-pocket costs for the uninsured and under-insured. Bresch endured a bruising hearing on Capitol Hill last month where she was pressed on swelling compensation for executives at the company that was tied in part to the rising income from EpiPen sales. Bresch defended the company’s pricing, saying some of the higher cost was due to payments to insurers and others in the health care industry. However, the company was forced to back off a claim that a twopack of EpiPens yielded a profit of just $100 after it emerged that the figure deducted for an unrealistically high amount of taxes. Mylan shares rose 8.5 percent in after-hours trade.

Here are the highlights for the CMS defined Standard Benefit Plan changes from 2016 to 2017. The chart below shows the Standard Benefit design changes for plan years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. This “Standard Benefit Plan” is the minimum allowable plan to be offered. • Initial Deductible: will be increased by $40 to $400 in 2017. • Initial Coverage Limit: will increase from $3,310 in 2016 to $3,700 in 2017. • Out-of-Pocket Threshold: will increase from $4,850 in 2016 to $4,950 in 2017. • Coverage Gap (donut hole): begins once you reach your Medicare Part D plan’s initial coverage limit ($3,700 in 2017) and ends when you spend a total of $4,950 in 2017. In 2017, Part D enrollees will receive a 60% discount on the total cost of theirbrand-name drugs purchased while in the donut hole. The 50% discount paid by the brandname drug manufacturer will apply to getting out of the donut hole, however the additional 10% paid by your Medicare Part D plan will not count toward your TrOOP. For example: if you reach the donut hole and purchase a brandname medication with a retail cost of $100, you will pay $40 for the medication, and receive $90 credit toward meeting your 2017 total outof-pocket spending limit. Enrollees will pay a maximum of 51% co-pay on generic drugs purchased while in the coverage gap (a 49% discount). For example: If you reach the 2017 Donut Hole, and your generic medication has a retail cost of $100, you will pay $51. The $51 that you spend will count toward your TrOOP. • Minimum Cost-sharing in the Catastrophic Coverage Portion of the Benefit**: will increase to greater of 5% or $3.30 for generic or preferred drug that is a multi-source drug and the greater of 5% or $8.25 for all other drugs in 2017. • Maximum Co-payments below the Out-of-Pocket Threshold for certain Low Income Full Subsidy Eligible Enrollees: will increase to $3.30 for generic or preferred drug that is a multi-source drug and $8.25 for all other drugs in 2017. A few notes to help with the understanding of the 2017 Medicare Part D Plan chart above. • Plan Name: This is the official plan name from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6776 Southwest Freeway Suite # 178 Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com ible, however the premium may be higher. • Save on drug cost • If you meet certain income and resource limits, you may qualify for Extra Help from Medicare to pay the costs of Medicare prescription drug coverage. • In 2016, costs are no more than $2.95 for each generic/$7.40 for each brand-name covered drug. • Other people pay only a portion of their Medicare drug plan premiums and deductibles based on their income level. * In 2016, you may qualify if you have up to $17,820 in yearly income ($24,030 for a married couple) and up to $13,640 in resources ($27,250 for a married couple). • If you don’t qualify for Extra Help, your state may have programs that can help pay your prescription drug costs. Contact your Medicaid office or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for more information. Remember, you can reapply for Extra Help at any time if your income and resources change. Countable resources include: • Money in a checking or savings account • Stocks • Bonds Countable resources don’t include: • Your home • One car • Burial plot • Up to $1,500 for burial expenses if you have put that money aside • Furniture

• Plan ID: This is the unique id for this particular plan.

• Other household and personal items

• Deductible: This is the $400 deductible that was presented in the CMS Standard Plan. Many provider’s plans do not have a deduct-

To plan and select 2017 plan contact Sudhir Mathuria @ 713-771-2900.

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NTT DoCoMo sues Tatas in US court Will honour contract as per Indian laws, say Tatas by Dev Chatterjee UMBAI (PTI) Opening yet another battle front against the Tatas, Japanese telecom major NTT DoCoMo has sued Tata Sons, the group holding firm, in an American court, seeking $1.2 billion in damages that it had won in the London Court of Arbitration in June this year for exiting the loss-making joint venture Tata Teleservices.

The suit has been filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. “The decision of the LCIA (London Court of International Arbitration) that Tata has breached its commercial agreement and owes DoCoMo $1.2 billion in damages is enforceable in any country which is a signatory to the New York Convention, including the United States. Un-

til DoCoMo receives the full amount due, it will continue to seek enforcement globally,” a DoCoMo statement said. Earlier, the Japanese company had warned that it would get courts across the world to attach Tata Sons’ properties to make sure the Tatas pay the exit price that was decided when it invested in the wireless telecom venture in 2009. With a new legal battle in hand, the Tatas are now fighting DoCoMo in the New York court, London Commercial Court and in the Delhi High Court. “Tata Sons has from the outset emphasised its commitment to honouring its contractual obligations to DoCoMo, in accordance with the applicable law. Tata Sons maintains the same position with respect to the award. However, performance of the award requires the approval of the Reserve Bank

of India, which to date has been denied on the basis of pre-existing regulations that are fully in the knowledge of DoCoMo,” said a Tata spokesman. Explaining the company was not authorised to proceed with payment “by the relevant Indian legal authority”, the spokesman said, “Tata Sons has been advised that enforcement of the award would be contrary to Indian law and public policy.” Further, the spokesperson said: “Tata Sons is resisting enforcement in India and will resist enforcement in any other jurisdiction DoCoMo files for enforcement. It bears emphasis that Tata Sons has already placed the full amount awarded to DoCoMo in the arbitration — $1.17 billion in cash — with the High Court of Delhi, where DoCoMo has previously filed for enforcement of the arbitral award and the entire issue is

pending adjudication.” The tussle between the two relates to DoCoMo’s exit price from Tata Teleservices under which the Tatas were to buy out DoCoMo’s 26.5 per cent stake at minimum of 50 per cent of its 2009 acquisition price. But a change in foreign exchange law in 2013 barred any predetermined valuation of shares, blocking the buyback. When DoCoMo moved the London Commercial Court to enforce the award in July, the Tatas had said DoCoMo can not attach Tata properties as Tata Sons is a minority shareholder in Tata Steel and Tata Motors-JLR that have operations in the UK and United States. But the Tata Sons would be walking on thin ice as it owns 74 per cent stake in Tata Consultancy Services that earns 55 per cent of its revenues, or Rs 58,000 crore, from North America. The group company Indian Hotels also owns marquee hotel properties like The Pierre in New York and Campton Place in San Francisco in the United States, and Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover earns almost 16 per cent of its revenues from North America.

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Tel: 713-774-5140

Amblin Partners joins Alibaba to produce, fund Hollywood films EJING (PTI) - In a significant move, Amblin Partners, an American content provider founded by noted Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, on Sunday signed a strategic alliance with China’s Alibaba group to co-produce and finance films for global and Chinese film markets.

The two entered into a comprehensive strategic partnership to co-produce and finance films for global and Chinese audiences, as well as collaborate on the marketing, distribution and merchandising of Amblin Partners films in China, which has emerged as the world’s largest consumer market, a statement issued by Alibaba group here said.

Under the terms of the partnership, Alibaba Pictures will acquire a minority equity stake in Amblin Partners and an Alibaba Pictures representative will join Amblin Partners’ board of directors. The agreement is signed at a ceremony attended by Spielberg, Chairman of Amblin Partners and Jack Ma, head of the multi-billion dollar Chinese e-commerce firm. “We are proud and excited that such a valued company as Alibaba Pictures is joining with our other highly-respected partners, Reliance Entertainment, Participant Media and Entertainment One, in building our growth and strengthening our company even further,” Spielberg said.

What would Alfred Nobel say about prize for finance? by Hugues HONORÉ STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN | AFP - The Nobel prize in economics, to be announced Monday, has increasingly honoured research in the field of finance -- a subject which, observers note, is far from founder Alfred Nobel’s philanthropic ideals. The economics prize has always been set apart from the other Nobel awards, and the subject of much controversy: unlike the other awards, which were created in Nobel’s 1895 will, the “Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel” was devised by the Swedish central bank in 1968 to mark its tricentenary. “Alfred Nobel himself, a prolific inventor and businessman of genius, would not have created a prize for economics,” according to economists Avner Offer and Gabriel Soderberg in their book “The Nobel Factor”, which came out in September. “He wrote in a letter that he ‘hated business with all (his) heart’, and he considered himself a social democrat.” Nobel seemed wary of finance. He kept his distance from lenders, who had given his father Immanuel a hard time, and feared the hazards of the financial markets. In his last will and testament, he asked executors to invest his fortune in “safe securities”. But the Nobel prize jury has of late shown its growing ap-

preciation for the field: while none of the laureates in the first two decades of the prize’s existence conducted research in finance, eight have since been honoured: three in 1990, two in 1997 and three in 2013.

Despite his criticism, McGoun is quick to acknowledge the academic and intellectual achievement of financial researchers crowned with a Nobel.

Wells Fargo lays out strategy to move past scandal

That is more laureates than in the field of microeconomics (five laureates since 1969), or labour economics (three), and the same number as the field of econometrics. Only macroeconomics has fared better, with nine laureates to date. This year, the Nobel judges could tap Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig for their work on financial panic models, or Robert Townsend for his work on risk and insurance in developing economies. - Financial economics a ‘failure’ -Most of the mathematicians who have won a Nobel prize can be found among financial economists -- yet their equations and models would probably not have impressed Alfred Nobel. “He was a man of science, a passionate reader with literary ambitions, and with a sincere interest in the field of peace. I don’t think he was particularly interested in either mathematics or financial issues,” insists Bengt Fredrikson, who has written a biography of Nobel. While the prizewinning financial research may appear to be as rigorous, some argue that it has not acquired the same

“The finance winners of the Nobel award in economics do deserve recognition for their creative intellectual accomplishments, regardless of whether they’re eventually refuted,” he said.

Hour-long call Monday with 500 senior executives says situation to worsen before improving by Emily Glazer In his last will, Alfred Nobel had asked executors to invest his fortune in “safe securities”. status as the science disciplines that Nobel himself chose to honour -- medicine, physics and chemistry. “It appears more ‘scientific’, at least from a physical sciences standpoint, than it really is,” suggests Skip McGoun, a finance professor at Bucknell University in Lewisburg in the United States. In a 2003 article, he was even more damning. “By the traditionally rigorous standards of the natural sciences, financial economics has been a failure. It simply cannot predict anything with equivalent accuracy or reliability,” he said.

A case in point: two economists who won the prize in 1997, Myron Scholes and Robert Merton, also made a name for themselves for helping devise an investment strategy for Long-Term Capital Management, a hugely successful hedge fund... until it went belly-up. But for Xavier De Scheemaekere, professor at Universite Libre in Brussels, the entire field of economics, and not just finance, could then be questioned as Nobel-worthy. “If economics has its place amongst the Nobels, finance does too,” he said, noting that, contrary to the natural sciences, in those fields “there is no verifiability.”

Wells Fargo & Co.’s top brass laid out the bank’s strategy to move past its sales-tactics scandal on an hour-long call Monday with around 500 senior executives, according to a recording of the call reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The executives said growth in new retail banking business likely would be down due to the scandal. But they added that efforts by some states to penalize the bank by suspending parts of their business weren’t having much effect. The call was led by Chief Executive John Stumpf, along with President and Chief Operating Officer Timothy Sloan, and foreshadowed some of what the bank expects to share with investors during its earnings report this Friday. The executives said the situation would get harder for the San

Francisco-based bank before it gets better. “To say the last month has been difficult is an understatement,” Mr. Sloan said on the Monday call. “It’s going to be harder for a while, and we get that.” Wells Fargo paid a $185 million settlement with regulators and a city official about a month ago. It has since faced public outrage, two congressional hearings and a raft of federal and state inquiries, including by the Justice Department. Mr. Stumpf, who the board said last month forfeited $41 million in pay related to the issues, said he visited a number of branches late last week and “clearly this has not helped.” He said the net new business in the retail bank “will be down for a while; there’s just no question about that.” (Wall Street Journal)

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 20

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Indian Delegation Visits US to Study Good Governance

Indian delegation in US will be visiting Boston, New York, Washington DC, Durham and Atlanta. 25-member delegation the government. The program is organized from India is visiting They intend to observe best by Vision India Foundation, a the United States for practices in American gov- non-profit institute which ena two-week program to under- ernance and how can some gages youth in nation-building stand governance in the coun- learnings be adapted for India. activities. try. The delegates are young Some areas of interest are local They are covering Boston, professionals and university governance, use of technology, New York, Washington DC, students in India, many of politics and campaigning, pubDurham and Atlanta during the whom are working closely with lic services etc. program.

IACCGH hosts former IAS Officer and Entrepreneur C Balagopal what this means for business in Kerala going forward. There will also be a book Reading by him on Saturday, October 15 from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Barnes & Noble 16535 Southwest Freeway Sugar Land, TX 77479.

Justice Hegde’s inspiring talk on humanism and struggle against corruption by Bhamy V. Shenoy, Former President of India Culture Center of Houston.

C Balagopal

had the pleasure of hearing an inspiring talk by Justice Santosh Hegde during an event September 29 at India House in Houston organized by the Foundation for India Studies. By the end of his talk about his struggle against corruption and the great need for humanism, everyone present must have felt, as I did, the urge to become involved in fighting the menace of corruption despite our distance from India. During his five years as a Lokayukta (anticorruption ombudsman) and helping more than 28,000 people receive justice, Justice Hegde witnessed a great deal of deeply rooted corruption. Since his retirement, he has given talks at about 850 schools and colleges.

Justice Santosh Hegde as he spoke about the greedy doctor who received his education with the assistance of society, is paid an attractive salary, and has an opportunity to serve society by performing a surgery. But he refused to do so. This doctor is a human being, but does he have any shred of humanism? Justice Hegde urged all of us to shun greed and try to serve humanity.

He shared a number of examples. In one case, an exasperated old woman with a deaf grandson complained to Justice Hegde about a bribery problem. Her postman would not turn over her money order unless she paid him Rs. 25. The woman’s only source of income was her Rs. 250 per month pension. Justice Hegde informed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). However, Hegde had to ask a policeman to intercede on behalf of the old woman. The CBI response was that Rs. 25 was too small an amount for them to be concerned about.

He described in some detail how he exposed three chief ministers and several other high-ranking authorities in the Bellary mining corruption scam. While illegal exporters earned more than $100 per ton, government got less than one dollar per ton! Fifty trucks carrying iron ore managed to reach an export port without producing the five legally mandated permits. However there was no trace of the ore at the port. When port authorities were asked what happened to the iron ore, the explanation given was that waves came and washed it all out to sea!

Relatives of a young girl killed in an accident called Justice Hegde for help after waiting three days for her body to be released after a postmortem in a government hospital. Delays of this kind are common, and bribing for the release of the dead body is standard procedure in government hospitals. The justice found three doctors on duty in the particular hospital department. Hearing that a Lokayuka had come to speak with them, two of the doctors immediately went on leave. The third said he was too busy helping a really sick patient. Finally due to Justice Hegde’s intervention, the young girl’s body was released without paying any bribe.

When an honest officer working under the Lokayukta filed a complaint against the guilty, he was suspended by the minister. When Justice Hegde took up the matter with the government, he was told that nothing could be done to reinstate the officer. Hegde resigned in frustration and protest. In order to save the BJP government from embarrassment and public wrath, L. K. Advani, a family friend convinced him to take back the resignation and assured him that the suspended officer will be reinstated. Justice Hegde did so readily because he intended to submit an 11,000 page-report exposing high-level corruption. When the media then reported that Hegde had been offered a parliament seat, he gave a press statement that should he contest, voters should beat him instead of voting for him!

The poor parents of a little girl without a rectum sought help from Justice Hegde after a doctor in a government hospital refused to perform the needed surgery unless he was paid. Justice Hegde took the child to Manipal Hospital for the surgery. He offered this moving example to illustrate how we must all help others when we can. He was happy to see the girl after four years when her parents brought her to his office. Justice Hegde’s concept of humanism was touching and difficult to put into words here

The Q & A session was interesting and illuminating. Justice Hegde agreed that even the judiciary department is corrupt, though less so than the legislative and executive branches. His criticism extended equally to the fourth pillar of democracy, the media. Justice Hegde said he feels optimistic that despite the present rampant corruption and

lack of moral values, India will overcome these problems and become a prosperous country in the next twenty-five years. Hegde concluded by reiterating that we as a society should inculcate humanism, shun those with ill-gotten wealth, start teaching moral values in schools, and look for opportunities to serve society.

ACCGH is hosting a Power Lunch on Thursday Octiber 13 by former IAS Officer and Entrepreneur C Balagopal’s who will be speaking on perceptions about Kerala as a place to do business His talk will cover the facts about KERALA today with stories of companies that have thrived in Kerala explaining has accounted for their success. His talk will cover the startup Eco system that is being put in place in Kerala and the results so far, and

“The View From Kollam” is the second book written by C Balagopal, an IAS officer turned entrepreneur, who built his small startup into the world’s biggest maker of hitech blood collection sets for use in modern blood transfusion services. The first book “On a Clear Day You Can See India” was an anecdotal account of his experiences as a young IAS officer in Manipur, in India’s North East, when he explores questions of identity and nationhood that are relevant in today’s rapidly changing world. In his second book, Balagopal examines the relevance of district administration in bringing good gover-

nance to a huge and diverse country. C Balagopal was the founding Managing Director Of Terumo Penpol Limited. Selected to Indian Administrative Service in 1977 in 1983 he resigned to promote Peninsula Polymers Limited (PENPOL) to make innovative bio-medial devices in India using indigenous technology. In 1999 PENPOL entered into a Joint Venture with TERUMO CORPORATION, Japan a world leader in high-tech medical products. The Blood Bag factory of Terumo Penpol Ltd (TPL) is now the biggest of its kind in Asia outside Japan, employing 1000 skilled persons. After selling his company to Terumo Corp about four years ago, Balagopal invests in startups and supports them through mentoring programs as well. He is on the technical committees of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for a Medical Sciences & Technology and member of various government committees.

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

Your Horoscope for the Week of October 14, 2016 READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE

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

ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Care full approach is advised for your health, mental & physical both. Don’t loose your patience. Outspoken wordings or careless remark could get you into trouble with others, so watch what you say. Involvement in Sports activities will give you cheers & happiness, but proper care should be taken during sports for not getting injury. Do not borrow money to someone this week, as it may not come back. New Ideas related to your work will keep you extra busy during weekdays.

Some blessings will work for you. Many opportunities will be visible on horizon, it will be time to choose from many favorable options. Objectivity is needed for you to make the best decision. The better choice should become very clear to you. Much to your surprise, your efforts will be rewarded. Realize your potential. Think Big. Take action. Confrontation with spouse should be avoided or it will drain your positive energy, try to create loving atmosphere at home.

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Sudden monetary benefit will be visible that will add to your self confidence. Luck will favor you but if you are dealing with property, you may have to face some delays. Your mother will demand your attention either due to health or emotions. Weekend will be planned with family gathering & emotional feelings. New partnership offer should be avoided at this time, as it may not be fruitful. Driving will demand some precautions, speeding should be avoided.

Avoid difficulties, by being more open with your gentleness. Investigate new possibilities in matters of business & trade. Look past the present & you’ll be able to visualize future prospects. Express your true feelings, if you deal with little problems, they won’t compound. Set your goals & focus on them full force. Dispute with bother may arise but with proper communication & care it will be avoided.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Your intuitive insights will be favorable to others, more than you self. A nonstop flow oIt will be time to stop thinking & take actions in practical way. You will be thinking positive, to take care of your siblings & family members but thinking too much will give you only stress, so stop thinking too much. Talk in smart way with children about their education or else it may create wrong message. Differences with partner or collogue will arise but just ignore it for few days & it will be back to normal.

Use your creative plans to make changes in your professional life. If you want to make long term plans, make sure you share them with those who will be affected. They’ll appreciate your consideration. Ask direct questions if you have any doubts. Give yourself some room to breathe. Don’t commit to too many new projects. Time limits will deter you from success. Focus on your priorities. Don’t allow your emotions to make decisions for you.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July You will analyze your relations with friends as there will be reshuffling in your friends list. Support & cooperation with friends will be there. Weekend will be passed with get to gather of friends. Your children will be more inclined towards sports & will get recognition in sports & cultural activities. There will be need to show some emotions towards your spouse, as you became lazy to show your emotions from past few days.

You will be highly occupied in your routine work. Proper care for your eyes should be taken or it may lead to eye infection or severe headache. Be careful while doing conversation with your friends or you may lose any of your friend. Dealing in business or work will be fruitful, you will develop new contacts. Your spouse will get success in his/her professional life that will bring new zeal of positivity in your home.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August Financial position will be very good but don’t rush to do quick investment, take time & do your home work before doing important investments. Property related work will be finished in timely manner & will bring success. As always work related travel will be beneficial for you. Recent personal changes in your lifestyle could prove to be a positive influence on others. You may be pleasantly surprised with other’s observations.

Work related problems will not get solved easily, small things will create delay. You need to keep all your work highly organized for the smooth flow at your work. Be fair to all concerned when negotiating or settling contracts, trading terms. Late night outside eating should be avoided or it may lead to upset stomach. Festive season is a good time to spend quality time with loved ones, but you must start planning your future. Your path will cross with someone who will show you simple ways to increase your potential income.

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

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September You will take brave steps necessary to feel happier in your life. You will be firm in your decisions. Some unexpected expenses will arise but you will overcome it. Legal confrontation should be avoided, An act of kindness or gesture of caring can melt the resistance and get you what you want. Unpredictable events may disrupt your progress greatly. Make plans, follow through & put your power behind your presence. When dealing with peers, be yourself & you’ll draw energy from deep inside.

Week will start with mixed note. Health should be taken care of. Swimming should be avoided. You hard work will not be rewarding but still you will be focused in your work punctually. Parents health will demand your time & attention. Friends will consult you for your advice & suggestions but be careful & follow limits so that by helping others don’t bring problems to your own life

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FRIDAY, October 14, 2016

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Houston Community College Request for QualiďŹ cations/ Proposals (RFQ/RFP) Oracle SuperCluster Project No. RFP 17-20 Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Friday, October 21, 2016. Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs.edu/ procurement.

VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, October 14, 2016