Voice of Asia July 04, 2014 by VoiceOf Asia

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nderstanding Long Term Care - Read on Page 18 Or Call: 713771-2900.

Vol. 27 No. 27 Friday, July 4, 2014 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

AAPI Gala and 32nd Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX CMEs, Fashion Show, Awards and Live Concerts

Greater Houston Rath Yatra - A New Tradition In The Bayou City

Nina Davuluri leading the fashion parade during AAPI convention in San Antonio, TX

The Executive Council members under Dr. Shah’s leadership. Report on Page 10.

Devotees walk ahead of the chariots (Rath) during the procession (Yatra) at Discovery Green, downtown. Photos by Nilo Aranzamendez, and Sukesh.

Harris County DA Launches Multi-Agency No Refusal Initiative Ahead of July 4th Weekend

OUSTON - That Lord Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is carried on his Divine Journey, or Yatra, on a massive Chariot, or Rath, every year since ancient times in the city of Puri, is the origin of the English word Juggernaut, or unstoppable force. Indeed, despite hourly brisk showers, the 3 massive wooden chariots, crafted by SKAI Foundation and hand pulled by hundreds of devotees from all corners of Texas, seemed unstoppable as they journeyed through 10 Downtown Houston city blocks, “just as they go through the Downtown streets of Puri,” insisted

SKAI Founder Dr.Surya Sahoo. His motivation as the driving force for the Greater Houston Rath Yatra at Discovery Green stems from his wife’s miraculous complete recovery from a paralyzing stroke…a recovery that happened only after Kabita Sahoo climbed on the Jagannath Puri Rath. Sons Amlan and Ishan also share their parents’ devotion to the Rath Yatra, alongside thousands of Houstonians who sang, danced, and pulled the chariot ropes to receive Divine Blessings. Lord Jagannath is considered a form of Vishnu, or of his Avatar

Krishna, and is worshipped in a triad with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. Every year on Ashad Shukla Dwitiya, they come out of Shree Mandira and travel to their aunt’s place on 3 massive chariots, one for each of the deities. Hence the 3 chariots in the Greater Houston Rath Yatra. Mahamahopadhyay Dr. Bishnupada Goswami, Head Priest, Houston Durga Bari Society, Sri SriKiran Narayanam from India Cultural Center and Temple, Memphis, Tennessee and Sri Kamala Mukha Prabhu from ISKCON led the pre-event Continued on Page 3

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L-R: Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson , Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and Assistant District Attorney and Chief of Vehicular Crimes Section Alison Bainbridge. Photo by Jacob David, VOA.

OUSTON - Houston law enforcement ofﬁcers gathered together at the Sam Houston Park for a press conference on July 2nd in Downtown where Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson announced a multi-agency no refusal initiative for the July 4th weekend. The District Attorney’s ofﬁce will have

extra prosecutors on duty to assist law enforcement agencies in ﬁling cases on arrested intoxicated drivers throughout the holiday weekend. Under the no refusal law, a search warrant will be issued to draw the blood of any suspected intoxicated driver who refuses a Breathalyzer or to give a blood sample. The no refusal initiative

will begin on the evening of Thursday, July 3rd and last through the morning of Sunday, July 6th. Mayor Parker and the District Attorney are taking a joint effort to promote a safe July 4th holiday weekend in Harris County through this initiative to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road and ultimately save lives.

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VOICE OF ASIA 2

OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

he heat is on at the Internal Revenue Service. Everyone is feeling it. Congressional committee chairmen — all Republicans, of course — are competing to be ﬁrst to get to the bottom of the agency’s scandals. The tax man has targeted conservatives and illegally leaked information that was used to smear a presidential candidate, and then the agency conveniently “lost” the relevant emails.

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Prudence and common sense suggest that now is not the time to defy a federal court order. In this administration, however, prudence is AWOL and good sense is scarce. “No” means “yes.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was clear indeed when it concluded earlier this year that the IRS has no legal authority to regulate kitchen-table tax preparers. The agency implausibly insisted that a Civil War-era law about horses gave it the right to impose a licensing regime on small entrepreneurs. The appeals court scorched the IRS for this “expansive, atextual and ahistorical” reading of the law. Undaunted, the IRS has repackaged the scheme as a “voluntary” program that regulates the same people the court said the agency has no power to regulate. With straight face, the IRS administrators refer to the income tax as “voluntary,” too. We urge one and all not to take the IRS literally on this occasion. John Koskinen, the embattled commissioner of the IRS, calls the renewed scheme an “effort to improve service to taxpayers.” The entrepreneurs who would be affected, as represented by American Institute of Certiﬁed Public Accountants, call it a backdoor attack on their livelihood. “The proposed program would contravene the results, reasoning and judicial concerns underlying the court’s opinion in Loving [v. IRS],” the group’s chairman, William Balhoff, wrote last week to Mr. Koskinen. “The proposed program is therefore an impermissible end-run around binding precedent and presents litigation risks for the IRS.” The danger for the IRS is that the courts have seen

More lawlessness at the IRS The tax man thumbs his nose at the courts to pursue Mom and Pop

Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen testiﬁes under subpoena before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers continue their probe of whether tea party groups were improperly targeted for increased scrutiny by the IRS, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, June 23, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite). FILE Photo by: J. Scott Applewhite

through similar efforts to disguise agency pronouncements as voluntary. When agency dictates are “binding as a practical matter,” they are subject to all the same legal requirements as a formal rule — something that has already been struck down. A lot of money is at stake. Americans spend about $9 billion each year to hire

someone to fill out tax forms that grow ever more confusing and complicated. Major tax-preparation firms, such as H&R Block, are itching for licensing as a barrier to the kitchen-table competitors who can’t afford the time and money to obtain IRS certification for something they do on the side for a few weeks out of the year. If the IRS wants to im-

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pose rules on tax preparers, it must go to Congress and ask, politely, for a law granting it the authority to do so. President Obama and his men are an impatient lot. They would rather skip the law and do what they want. The IRS may need new lawyers, who could tell the tax men that when a judge says “no,” he means no. Source: The Washington Times

C OMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 3

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

Second Front Page

Friday, July 4, 2014

Page 3

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Greater Houston Rath Yatra - A New Tradition In The Bayou City

Pooja, Samuhik Aarti, and the Pahandi ritual of carrying the deities to the Chariots. Sarvabhauma Prabhu Ji, the most senior disciple of ISKCON’s Srila Gurudev, played the role of King, who humbly sweeps the path before the entire procession, showing that all are equal before the Lord. Hailing from ISKCON Centers in the Latin Americas, Chief Guest H.H. Bhakti Sundar Goswami Maharaj Ji, Syrian born and initiated by ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada, gave a brief pravachan on the meaning of the ritual, and then whole heartedly danced with the devotees throughout the procession, propagating the general feeling of devotional celebration.

soul-stirring bhajans accompanied by Violin & Mardanga Drums. The last hour culminated with a heart-stopping open air dandia raas by Nishi Munshi, and the Heartbeats Band, featuring Nadeem on keyboard, Amir on Drums, and Rishabh Nayak on Dhol. Thakkar said, “It was a completely different program from the bang on Bollywood I produce for Holi or Diwali, but I liked the fast paced yet devotional programming we put together…but the audience packed the breezy Discovery Green grounds during the rare-inHouston open air dandia raas… it was amazing!”

The Chariot Parade ended with a Maha Arti sung by Nishi Munshi of LA, followed by a variety of popular bhajans. The LED illuminated stage, managed adroitly by Emcee Sunil Thakkar of Masala Radio, featured non-stop variety stage entertainment that began with Tablatronics, and modern presentation of Devotional House and Bollywood Beats by DJ Nish with classic Tabla by Rishabh Nayak.

Dance performances at the Discovery green Photos by Nilo Aranzamendez, and Sukesh. Meedu

Festival goers enjoyed nonstop activities at every corner of the Greater Houston Rath Yatra, including the 30’ train moonwalk combo, water play fountains, balloon artist, Henna art-

Tel: 713-774-5140 ist, Indian clothing and jewelry bazaar, and ZeeTV’s Wheel of Fortune. Tara Energy provided several thousand free water bottles, especially to those returning from the parade. Mercedes Benz provided some eye candy with the display of its latest GL350. ISKCON provided delightful fusion peanbut butter barﬁ prasad, while Banke Bihari Parivar offered thirst-quenching chaas (salty yoghurt drink) and panda prasad. Crowds ﬂocked to the chat patta chaat varieties by Madhuran Mirch Masala, spicy sabjis and biryanis of Hydrabad House, and ISKCON’s Nila Madhava’s with its traditional samosas & papdi chaat, and the not-so-traditional chocolate covered strawberries! For more info call Masala Radio 281-277-6874. SKAI Foundation (Surya-Kabita-AmlanIshan) is constructing the CHAR DHAM TEMPLE slated to open with grand celebration in 2015. Masala Radio, who managed and marketed the Greater Houston Rath Yatra event, is reachable at www.masalaradio.com or 281-277-6874.

Photography,

Infused throughout the evening were classical devotional dance performances, such as by the illustrious Ms. Jyostna Sahoo of Odisha, Houston’s Supriya Trilok of the Avantica Academy of Odissi Dance, Bharatha Darshana School of Indian Classical Dance And Music; and a deftly coordinated group from Kalaangan School of Odissi. The sweetly dramatic eye expressions and crisp movements of Krishnaya, the youngest Caucasian member of Bharatha Darshana, stole hearts as she was invited by emcee Thakkar to give a few impromptu dance lessons to children from the audience. Karnamrita Devi Dasi from New York completed the devotional portion of the stage show with

Event promoters: The Masala Radio team

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FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT CITIZENSHIP

Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

The IRS can garnish Social Security benefits . I owe money for back taxes. I have been told that the IRS may collect by garnishing my Social Security benefits. Is this true? I really need this money to live. A. As a general rule, Social Security benefits are “exempt” and protected from your credits. For example, if your bank or credit card company sues you they could not take any of your benefits. The IRS, on the other hand, has greater collection rights than any other creditor. As a general rule, under the Federal Payment Levy Program (FPLP) the IRS takes 15% of your benefits, provided you received more then $750 a month. The IRS does, however, have the right to take more. Before your benefits are garnished you will receive notice from the IRS. The best way to protect against a garnishment is to contact them and work out a payment arrangement. For more information, visit the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov, and search “social security and FPLP.” Q. How much notice am I entitled to before I am fired? I showed up for work this morning and was told it was my last day. Am I entitled to two week’s notice? This doesn’t seem fair. A. As a legal matter, you are not entitled to any prior notice. Unless you have an employment contract or union agreement that says otherwise, you may be fired with no prior notice. Your employer may not have treated you fairly, but from a legal standpoint, it had the right to do what it did. Q. I sell t-shirts. Can I make a freehand copy of cartoon characters out of the newspaper and use it on a design? Someone told me this was illegal. A. What you were told is true. Federal copyright law protects the owner of the cartoon character. This means that you do not have the right to reproduce the character without permission. It doesn’t matter whether you make the copy freehand or with the assistance of a machine. You are still “copying” it. Q. I can no longer afford my car payments. I called the finance company and told them that I was going to return the car. They told me the law has changed and that I can no longer just return the car and call it even. They said they would sell the car and that I would owe the difference between what I owe and how much they receive for the car. When did this law change? A. The law has not change. The law has never been that you may return a car and call it even. When you return the car to the person to whom you owe money, that person may either keep the car and call it even or sell the car and apply the proceeds to the debt. For example, assume you owe $7,000 on your car note when you returned the car. The lender may call it even or, more likely, sell the car. If the car were sold $4,000, you would owe the difference between $7,000 and $4,000, or $3,000. The lender may collect this $3,000 “deficiency” in the same manner as any other debt. You also may owe any additional costs incurred in selling the car. Before you simply return the car, talk with the lender and see if you can work out a payment plan you can live with. Working things out is in everyone’s best interest. Q. What is a Power of Attorney for Health Care? How do I get one? A. A Medical Power of Attorney for Health Care is the document that allows you to designate another person to make medical decisions regarding your health care in the event you are unable to do so. For a free copy of a Medical Power of Attorney for Health Care and the instructions for completing it, visit the “Legal Topics” section on my website below.

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Q: My son just turned 18 years of age. He has been a permanent resident for the last 6 years. What is the age requirement to ﬁle for citizenship himself?

Generally, the applicant must be at least 18 years of age to ﬁle for citizenship himself.

How do children become US citizens?

A: It can happen in several ways: First, children born in the US are US Citizens unless they are the sons and daughters of foreign diplomats. Second, children born outside the US where one or both parents are US Citizens may acquire US Citizenship at birth provided that the US Citizen parent(s) has satisfied the requirements relating to residence and or physical presence in the US for certain time periods prior to the birth of the child. These requirements are established by law in effect at the time of the child’s birth. Third, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 provides that children under the age of 18 who were born outside the US may acquire citizenship automatically by derivation if they reside in the US as lawful permanent residents in the legal custody of a parent who is a citizen by birth or through naturalization. As such, upon the naturalization of a parent, these children including adopted children acquire their citizenship without needing a separate application and may apply directly for a US Passport. They may also choose to have proof of their citizenship status by filing Form N-600 for a Certificate of Citizenship. Fourth, those children of US Citizens who did not acquire their citizenship at birth abroad or derive it through the naturalization of their parents may obtain a certificate of citizenship upon application of the US Citizen parent if one parent is a US Citizen, the child is temporarily physically present in the US and was lawfully admitted in any status and is in status, under the age of 18 and has resided in the physical and legal custody of the US Citizen parent who has himself lived in the US for at least 5 years, two of which were after his or her 14th birthday. Q: I have been working abroad for most of the past 5 years since I became a permanent resident. I had re-entry permit so I did not have to worry about losing my permanent residence. Now, my employer does not require me to travel and wishes for me to be based here in Houston. Can I file for citizenship? A: In order to file for citizenship, you must demonstrate that in the past 5 years, you have not disrupted your continuous residence in the United States. Any absence between 6 months and one year raises a rebuttable presumption that continuous residence has been interrupted. You may rebut this presumption using evidence such as not terminating your US employment, filed your Federal taxes for that year you were absent, retained your home in the US and that your family ties were here in the US etc. However, if there is an absence of one year or more, it shall disrupt your continuous residence for naturalization purposes even though you had a re-entry permit. There are statutory exemptions from disqualification for a one year continuous residence: an employee who has worked abroad for the US Government or for a US firm engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce or for a public international entity for which the US is a member and who has obtained approval to preserve their residency by filing Form N-470 and has one year of physical presence in the US as a permanent resident is exempt from the one year or more absence disqualification. In addition to the requirement for continuous residence, an applicant for citizenship must meet the physical presence requirement: he or she must be physically present in the US for at least one half of the 5 years or one half of the three years if the applicant is the spouse of a US Citizen. Lastly, the applicant must have resided for at least three months in the state where the application is filed. In your case, if you have not been physically present in the US for at least half of the 5 years, your application will be denied as you are not eligible to file. In addition to that, if any of your trips abroad have exceeded one year, then you have broken your continuous residence unless you are exempt from the rule and have filed your N-470 to preserve your residency. Q: My citizenship application is currently pending. I was arrested about 2 months ago for an offence and my criminal court case is still pending. I have been scheduled for my naturalization interview next month. I believe the charge against me will be dismissed but I think this will happen only after my interview has taken place. What happens to my citizenship case? A: When you attend the interview, you are advised to inform the adjudicator that you were arrested two months ago and that your criminal case is still pending. Since you feel your criminal case will only be resolved or dismissed after your interview, you may request the adjudicator to grant a continuance on your citizenship case. The policy is that that USCIS has to issue a decision on your citizenship case within 120 days of the initial naturalization interview. As such, USCIS may permit a period of 30 days for you to provide evidence of the dismissal of the charge against you. If you think your case will take longer than 30 days to resolve, it might be possible to request USCIS for a reasonable continuance in order for you to resolve your criminal case. Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case. Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case. Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. 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VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

VOICE OFASIA

4th of July Supplement Friday, July 4, 2014

Page 5

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Publisher’s 4th of July Message

Koshy Thomas, Publisher, VOA

s we celebrate our country’s Independence Day this 4th of July, it would behoove us to remember President John F. Kennedy’s charge to us: ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

United States via Ellis Island. Mr. Saund was elected to the United States House of Representatives from California’s 29th Congressional District in 1957. He was reelected twice and served until 1963. He died in 1973 from complications related to a severe stroke.

us who is willing to work hard and persevere.

How was Congressman Saund able to be elected at a time when the number of Indians in the United States was almost negligible?

It is disconcerting fact that whenever any country faces hard economic issues or economic setbacks, the successful ethnic minority communities become soft targets. The surest way to not become a statistic or a target is to never be seen as the “other.” When we reach out to the hungry, disabled, homeless and helpless who are looking for help, and become a part of the solution, we will never be considered outsiders. When our very lives become a mark of service, no one will dare question our motives, our patriotism or our authenticity.

The answer may not be complicated and may not need political pundits to run voter polls. A heart for selﬂess service transcends race, religion, gender, class and every other barrier that we choose to impose upon each other. Congressman Saund had that kind of heart. Our history does not stop with Congressman Saund.

Perhaps President Kennedy had the foresight to see that the dark side of becoming a prosperous country, one in which our futures are limited only by our own vision, is that we can become self absorbed.

In 1992 another milestone in our history happened when President Bush appointed Dr. Joy Cherian as the Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Current Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas, was the Chairman immediately prior to Dr. Cherian’s appointment to the post.

In the midst of abundance, it is easy to become complacent with living the good life, having all of our needs and extravagances being met, without giving any thought to how we can be of service to others. Speciﬁcally, we should reﬂect on how we are serving and giving back to our country.

Unlike the days of Congressman Saund, the current number of Indian Americans in the United States numbers almost 4 million. We have made great strides. We have 2 elected governors, at least one congressman, and numerous state representatives, state senators, city council members, as well as numerous appointed positions.

One way to measure how successful we are in this area is to look back at the accomplishments of other Indian Americans; those who have sacriﬁced and lived a life of service to our country.

Our ability to assimilate and seamlessly become a part of the fabric of our country demonstrates, in large measure, the strength of the constitution. In our country, you do not have to have a rich uncle to get your admission to colleges or to be selected to the position of CEO’s and CFO’s. These are all within the reach of any one of

Dalip Singh Saund was a Sikh from Punjab who immigrated to the

Tel: 713-774-5140

Houston’s Mayor Hon. Annise Parker’s Message

It has been the courageous sacriﬁces and pioneering spirit of the Saunds and the Cherians that have allowed us the privilege to be a part of the inside track. However, staying on this track is not a guarantee.

Let us find our modern day Dalip Sing Saund and Joy Cherian and help them to lead us. Let us not pull each other down in the name of communal or political differences. Can we stage another candidate for congress from any of the congressional districts around us? Can we find a candidate for Houston City Council? Absolutely. However, it all rests on one question: can we tolerate another name, another religion or another region? Let us not be silent watchers of our own future. Let us become informed and engaged in the issues affecting our communities. Knowledge is most useful weapon to fight for or against any of the issues that we might confront. We can look to Congressman Saund as a barometer of how to measure our own vision, mission, philosophy, attitude, humanity and values. Happy Independence Day!

“

As the hot dogs sizzle on the grill and the ﬁreworks light up the sky, I urge Houstonians not to forget the real reason for the July 4th holiday. It is our nation’s Independence Day - the day we celebrate that we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. We should all pause during our celebrations to reﬂect on the many lives lost preserving the freedoms that we often take for granted.” - Mayor Annise Parker.

Happy July 4th

Happy July 4th Dear Neighbors and Friends, As a Texan and an American, I’m proud to celebrate this 4th of July in the Lone Star State. Happy Independence Day.

– Nandita Berry, 109th Texas Secretary of State

Neeta Sane “The future of our kids and our future generations depend on the sustainability and growth of our adopted home, the United States of America; the country that has blessed many immigrants like us with valuable opportunities and livelihoods regardless of our backgrounds and heritages we belonged to.

Happy July 4th

It is now high time that all of us stand together for this wonderful country that has sustained us and provided us with the luxuries of quality life for not only our generation but for many more generations to come. Let us participate in the civic and electoral duties for the betterment of our society that we are part of today. Let us celebrate the independence day of the United States of America on the 4th of July by standing united for the future of this country and the future of our children and grandchildren!

Let us Celebrate 4th of July: America’s Independence Day with the same zeal, spirit and gusto as we celebrate the 15th of August, India’s Independence Day. Wish you all a Happy July 4th. - Raj & Kanwal Bhalla.

Thanks,

Neeta Chair, HCC Board of Trustees Trustee, HCC District VII

Wish you all a Happy 4th of July!

Col. Raj Bhalla

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

4th of July Supplement

Happy July 4th

Happy July 4th Dr. Krishna Dronamraju

“Wishing my fellow Indian Americans a Happy 4th of July! On this Independence Day, let us remember the sacriﬁce of our heroes, who gave us freedom, liberty and independence to celebrate.”

and

The Foundation for Genetic Research extend hearty good wishes to the community for the July 4th celebration Website: www.geneticresearch.us.com

Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala

Email:kdronamraj@aol.com

Happy July 4th

“I wish you and this nation a Happy Independence Day with a true national spirit of courage, integrity, sacriﬁce, independence, and liberty.” - Sherly Thomas Philip, Attorney at Law Lam, Lyn & Philip, P.C. 713-981-0900 • sphilip@llppc-law.com

Happy July 4th

Happy July 4th We cannot and will not forget the sacriﬁce made by the millions of brave souls who died for the freedom of this nation. This is the right time for us to salute them and wish this great nation a Happy 4th of July! Robin Elackatt Mayor, Pro Tem, Missouri City, Texas

Happy July 4th “America for you and me, the land of Equal Opportunity!!!!”

• Front row ( L to R) Lakshmi Naik, Dr. Mangala Prasad, Kanchan Kabad, Neeta Pahwa, Dr. Julie Rani Nangia • Second row (L to R) Dr. Sewa S. Legha, Dr. Snehal Desai, Sarvesh Bhavaraju, Dr. V.K. Dorai

IACAN wishes everyone a Happy July 4th IACAN is a cancer resource network that educates and supports the Indian American community. The Indian American Cancer Network is designed to provide a diverse network of resources that will address the psychosocial and the cultural needs of the community. For more information, visit us online:

iacannetwork@gmail.com • Ph: 713 370-3489 www.iacannetwork.org

Harry Patel EA CFE ATP-TAX

Certiﬁed Fraud Examiner I.R.S. Enrolled Agent U. S. Federal Tax Practitioner-ASTPS Member Ph (713) 541-4777 Fax (713) 541-9977 HarryTax@aol.com www.hpps.com or www.IRS-Tax.Pro

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

4th of July Supplement

Happy July 4th

K.P George

FortBend ISD Board of Trustees 2427 FM 1092 Road, Missouri City, TX 77459

“As an American of Indian origin, I thank God for the opportunity to live in the United States of America. I salute the great minds of the Founding Fathers and the enormous sacriﬁces that men and women made for this country in order for us to have this great privilege. Let’s all work together to make America an even better place for the generations to come.” www.kpgeorge.com

Facebook ID: KP George Direct: (713) 589-2256

Happy July 4th “In the true spirit of democracy and as a proud Indian American, I wish Happy 4th of July to the communities which have embraced us all. We are proud to be the citizens of the United States of America where hard work and dreams translate to results and achievements.”

Swapan Dhairyawan, Managing Partner

MD & Associates LLP, CPAs South 713-774-6533 • North 281-251-2205 www.mdassociatescpas.com

Happy July 4th

Happy July 4th Dear Neighbors and Friends,

Wishing you and your family a very special and happy 4th of July.

“On behalf of India Culture Center, I wish you and this nation a Happy Independence Day with a true national spirit of courage, integrity, sacriﬁce, liberty and independence. Happy 4th of July.”

Charlie Patel ICC President

As we celebrate this patriotic holiday by spending time with family and friends at cookouts and watching the fireworks, it is important that we reflect upon the sacrifices of brave men and women in uniform, past and present, protecting Harish Jajoo our country every single day so that we can enjoy the freedom. We are thankful for the blessings of Councilman, City of our great country. Sugar Land, District 4

Harish Jajoo

Happy July 4th

Dr. Thomas Abraham Himesh Gandhi

Sugar Land City Councilman “Let’s unite and wish our country and all its citizens peace and prosperity among the nations, let the sparkle of Independence remain in our nation forever.” Wish you a Happy 4th of July!

President, iRap, Inc., Founder President, GOPIO International and Executive Trustee, GOPIO Foundation National Coordinator, The Indus Nanotechnology Association (TINA)

“America is a nation that makes me proud. It is a nation where the spirit of pride, greatness and honor thrives in every living soul.”

Wishing you all a Happy 4th of July!

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

4th of July Supplement

Happy July 4th

“Wishing everyone a Happy July 4th, God bless the United States of America, this great nation we live in.” - Jacob Easo.

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Happy July 4th There’s no limit to what free men and free women in a free market with free enterprise can accomplish when people are free to follow their dream.” - Jack Kemp ‘Happy Independence day!’ Best Wishes from

Houston Fostering Entrepreneurship through Mentoring, Networking, and Education.

TiE-Houston Charter Members Barone, Mike Bhaskaran, Vish Burke, Brad Campbell, Kyle Cheema, Sangeeta Chelapurath, Rajesh Curcio, David Day, JB Fakrhuddin, Sabir Farid, Kemal Flichy, Philippe Galindo, Lisette Garaiza, Juliana

Gilani, Aziz Gir, Roopa Glick, William Goradia, Vijay Gupta, Ashish Haroon, Sammy Hinojosa, Mia Holthouse, Michael Iyer, Gary Iyer, Shri Javed, Shahid Joseph, Roy Kabad, Jay

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Karnani, Jiten Khan, Ahmad Khan, Badar Khandelwal, Gaurav Kumar, Senthil Landsbaum, John Mahajan, Arjun Malhautra, Sharad Mani, Ravi Martin, Hall McTopy, Sabrina Menon, Prasad Munshi, Imtiaz

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Happy July 4th “Wishing all VOICE OF ASIA Readers a Happy Independence Day” Best Wishes from Indian American Friendship Council

www.iafcusa.org

Please Support Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza in Irving, TX to be inaugurated on October 2, 2014. For more information - www.mgmnt.org Dr. Prasad Thotakura

Chairman - Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC) TX State & Board of Directors

Visit us online: www.iafcusa.org

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

4th of July Supplement

Happy July 4th

“As we celebrate Independence Day, please remember what this holiday really celebrates. Superficially, we celebrate the overthrow of British rule by the American colonists. In a broader sense though, it is a celebration of the many freedoms that arose from the American Revolution. We have the freedom to open businesses in any field we want, regardless of our family’s traditional occupation. We have the freedom to pursue an education in any discipline we desire. We have the freedom to live where we want, based solely on our budget. However, our most important freedom is the freedom to elect our leaders, national or local, while only being accountable to our conscience. We vote without worry of bullets flying over our heads. We vote without fear of attacks from thugs and warlords. Succumbing to the cynicism of money-running-politics is common, but the truth is if we all exercised our right to vote, there is not enough money for the influence peddlers to continue their immense power. We have the ability to change our leaders peacefully and often, and it is our duty to make sure we use this power to ensure that our representatives are responsive to us and not to the moneyed few. Voting is a responsibility that safeguards all of our freedoms. You are not just celebrating American independence this week, you are celebrating YOUR freedom, and you have the honor and duty of celebrating it at every election, not just on the 4th of July.”

- George C. Thomas

Judge, Austin Municipal Court

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Wish you a Happy 4th of July!

Happy July 4th

Ken Mathew

City Council Member Stafford, Texas “As a proud citizen of America, I wish to salute my nation and those brave souls who lost their life in making this nation a great power among the other nations of this world. Allow me to take this opportunity and wish you and your family a very Happy 4th of July!”

Happy July 4th

Pratham Girls School, Rapar, Kutch Photo: Anil Shah

Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom - George Washington Carver

Pratham Houston Upcoming Events “As a proud citizen of America, I wish to salute my nation and the people who lost their life in making the nation a great power among the other nations of this world. Wishing you a very Happy 4th of July!” - Sam Kannappan

Friday, December 5, 2014: Pratham Houston Holiday Luncheon Saturday, April 25, 2015: Pratham Houston Annual Gala 2015 ************

713 774 9599 * info@prathamusa.org www.prathamusa.org Pratham USA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, aims to raise awareness about educational needs in India and mobilize resources in the US to support Pratham's critical work.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 10

AN ANTONIO, TX: (June 27th, 2014) Empowering women, cutting edge CMEs that offered insights into several healthcare and medical issues, focus on ways to actively participate in the nation’s legislative process, on ways to prevent diseases, while working with the government of India and voluntary agencies to effectively train physicians in India, fashion show, cultural programs, healthy living, honoring those who worked hard to make the convention a grand success, and networking and renewing of friendships and bonds were some of the highlights of the 32nd annual convention of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX on Friday, June 27th, 2014. “Deep from the heart of Texas, on behalf of the AAPI Executive Committee and the San Antonio Convention Team, I express my deep gratitude for your presence here at the 32nd AAPI Convention,” said Dr. Vijay Koli, the convention organizing committee chairman, during the Gala Dinner on Friday night. While honoring him and his dedicated team, Dr. Jayesh Shah, President of AAPI, said, “I am so fortunate to have Dr. Koli as the Chair of the Organizing Committee and the CoChairs, Drs. Anupama Gotimukula, Rajam Ramamurthy, Hormazd Sanjana and Aruna Venkatesh, and their spouses along with hundreds of volunteers, who have worked so hard for the past two years to meticulously plan and execute what we enjoy these days here in San Antonio.” In his powerful address, Dr. Prasad Srinivasan, a State Representative of the state of Connecticut, challenged his colleagues in the medical profession to be hardworking, dedicated to public cause, family-oriented and stay focused, which are keys to becoming state and national elected ofﬁcials. “We have the choice to be at the table or on the table. Given our heritage, we the Indian Americans belong at the table. Get actively involved in the affairs of the local community and that’s the path to larger role in the nation,” he said. After congratulating AAPI

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

AAPI Gala and 32nd Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX CMEs, Fashion Show, Awards and Live Concerts

Dr. Jayesh Shah, outgoing president seen giving his presidential address. Dignitaries including India’s Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, (seated 4th from left), incoming president Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar (3rd. from left) are seen seated on the dias. Photo by Shobana Muratee. for its visionary initiatives on healthcare issue, Dr. Robert Wah, president of American Medical Association stressed the importance of AMA- AAPI joint efforts in Advocacy. GM Vice President. Eric Peterson addressed the audience on how GM, which started its operations in India in 1920’s has evolved to be more culturally dynamic, incorporating the needs of the Indian society, Lance Tyler, Executive Director, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., addressed the audience on the Economic Impact of Managing Multiple CO Morbid Patient. Describing it to be a visionary initiative of Dr. Jayesh Shah, John Meiners referred to the 49 Resuscitation Centers that are functioning in India at this moment and said, “There are many more to come.” With an ever increasing need in reducing morbidity and mortality due to heart attacks and strokes, especially among Indians and Indian Americans, AAPI and the American Heart Association have undertaken several efforts under the chairmanship of Vemuri S. Murthy, MD, a veteran

AHA International Volunteer and National Faculty. During the Luncheon, AAPI honored also its 12 Regional Directors for their leadership and active contributions in carrying out the goals and mission of AAPI. Recognizing the importance of the three distinct initiatives AAPI has undertaken this year, AAPI went on to honor three of its own members for their contributions to make these happen. Dr. Vemuri Murthy was honored for his contributions in bringing AAPI and AHA to collaborate in their efforts in India, while Dr. Uma Koduri was honored for her initiative in starting the Be Fit Be Cool project in Oklahoma, which is now a national AAPI endeavor across several states in the US, and Dr. Gopal Batra was honored for his contributions in launching and leading AAPI’s Research Project, encouraging young physicians to be innovators in the medical world. Nina Davuluri, the ﬁrst ever Indian American to be crowned Miss USA was the keynote

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speaker at an inspiring Women’s Forum Session today. “We recognize the potential for women to develop our own leadership opportunities, especially during a unique time of signiﬁcant changes in the healthcare arena,” Dr. Ami Shah, AAPI’s national women’s committee chair, said in her introductory remarks. “Women have always worked behind the scenes, providing leadership as a daughter, sister, wife and mother along with their professions,” Dr. Rajam Ramamurthy pointed out. “Today, we see so many successful women playing several roles being entrepreneurs and politicians. We are gathered here today to empower all these wonderful women. It is time to embark on a new journey of equal opportunity and acceptance.” In her inspiring speech that was eloquently delivered to a packed audience, Nina Davuluri, the reigning Miss America recounted her own personal story of how she stayed focused and worked hard to achieve her childhood dream to win the coveted title, sometimes even when he

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family did not encourage her, Davuluri said, she now logs 20,000 miles per month as she travels the country to address an array of audiences about her platform: “Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Competency.” As part of her consciousness-raising efforts on behalf of diversity, Nina has launched a social media campaign to encourage constructive and civil dialogue on diversity issues. Through her social media channels, Davuluri has asked people to share “representative thoughts and stories about their experiences on how we as a nation can advance cultural awareness.” While she works in support of her own platform, Nina serves as the ofﬁcial National Goodwill Ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the national platform partner of the Miss America Organization. Nina initially became involved in competitions as a way to earn college tuition, she said. Nina hopes that her year of service as Miss America will encourage others to be proud of their own heritage while

also accepting every other culture around the world. Rajee Kumar, a young entrepreneur at the Forum, shared passionately with the audience her own personal story of how she has overcome odds by “thinking outside of the box” and staying positive always, and be grateful to God for what she has. “It’s very important to know that everything can be done, when grounded and staying focused. It’s not true that one responsibility has to come after another was done. You can play many roles at the same time.” And her advice to young mothers is: “Be a friend to your children and always have the connection and ﬁnd the time to listen to them.” Dr. Carmen Tafolla, another panelist delighted the audience with her recitals and enacting of her own brilliant writings, conveying the message that there is goodness in every individual only if one has the patience and motivation to identify them. Dr. Malathi Koli and Dr. Aruna Venkatesh were among those instrumental in organizing the Forum. Healthy Cooking by famed Sanjay Thumma, fashion parade by world famous designers and models led by Nina Davuluri, live musical night by Kumar Sanu and over 100 Exhibition Booths, Yoga, Zumba, Table Tennis and many other entertainments and networking for the young and the senior physicians were a delight to the nearly 1,500 participants who have come from across the nation to participate in the 32nd annual convention. About AAPI AAPI, an umbrella organization, representing 130 local chapters, specialty societies and alumni organizations, is the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States. For over 30 years, Indian physicians have made signiﬁcant contributions to health care in this country, not only practicing in inner cities, rural areas and peripheral communities but also at the top medical schools and other academic centers. Almost 10%-12% of medical students entering US schools are of Indian origin. For more details, please visit: www. aapiconvention.org and www.aapiusa.org

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 11

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

iEducateUSA Encourages Math and Science Education in Series of Summer Programs at Crockett Elementary

OUSTON (June , 2014) – This month, iEducateUSA, a nonproﬁt organization providing classroom tutors to support math and science programs in HISD elementary schools, celebrated its annual month of education at Crockett Elementary consisting of a 3-day science workshop and a 3-week summer camp that has just been completed. The two programs were designed to help elementary school students of all ages get excited about Science. The three-day Science workshop held June 2-4th, focused on a different topic each day through in-class discussions with subject matter experts and hands-on activities. This year’s workshop and summer camp focused on Earth and Space Science, Physical Science and Life Science in an effort to encourage students to pursue these subjects in school and in their future careers. The sum-

iEducateUSA board member and UHD professor Dr. Gulati asks an excited Workshop participant about his experience. mer camp held on June 9-26th also included a brand new class on computer programming to enhance student’s skills in computer literacy. The students

learned new software games and application through the Scratch programming language. The programs were supported

Elementary school students engage in a germination science experiment at iEducateUSA’s Science Workshop.

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by volunteers from the University of Houston Downtown, Schlumberger, Baylor College of Medicine, and NASA in addition to the dedicated teachers of Crockett E l e m e n t a r y. Schlumberger also exhibited their impressive science demo unit and donated books on “I want to be an Engineer” to each of the participating students.

On the last days of the programs the students participated in a poignant celebration, a computer workshop where students wrote letters to loved

ones, and a presentation from students about what they had learned. From the Hubble Telescope to double helixes to kinetic energy, each student demonstrated a renewed interest in math and science. All of this is a continuation of iEducateUSA’s powerful work at Crockett over the past year. The program identiﬁes motivated undergraduate students to work alongside HISD teachers as in-class tutors providing oneon-one support to struggling students. With the assistance of iEducateUSA’s dedicated tutors and volunteers, Crockett Elementary saw a dramatic improvement in both Math and Science test scores on standardized tests, including the widely scrutinized STAAR test. The school principal Ms Chavez reported a dramatic increase in the number of students meeting standard on the math portion of the STAAR test, moving the needle from 64% the previous

years in math to 94% in 2014. For more information about how you can partner with iEducateUSA to positively impact a child’s math and science education, visit the iEducateUSA website. About iEducateUSA iEducateUSA is a non-proﬁt organization which strives to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in Math and Science through improved elementary school education. iEducateUSA has been actively engaged in community outreach programs at Crockett Elementary School in Houston, Texas for a number of years and plans to expand to additional HISD schools for the 2014-2015 academic year. Website: org

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Students at Crockett elementary learn programming skills on Scratch at iEducateUSA’s Science Camp.

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

IITAGH Celebrates Bowling With Soccer by Pratish Kanani If Brazil wearing their yellow jerseys gets yellow cards, can we expect Chile wearing red jerseys to get red cards?” joked Sundy Srinivasan at the 9th Annual IIT Alumni of Greater Houston Bowling event held at Main Event in Stafford on Saturday, June 28.

“

Everyone in attendance got to enjoy watching Brazil advance over Chile to the round of 16 while also having a fun day bowling. The IIT Alumni of Greater Houston had a sold-out event with all 16 bowling lanes reserved. With over 100 people in attendance, IITAGH continued on its success from the IIT 2013 Conference. “We focus on three main areas,” said Pratish Kanani, President of IITAGH. “We help our members connect and have a number of events planned for that, we have events around professional development, and ﬁnally we have events that help us give back to our local community.” As Brazil battled Chile into overtime and then ﬁnally into penalty kicks, Partha Chatterjee shared, “I couldn’t have asked for a better Saturday. Brazil advanced and we got to experience a great game hanging out with friends just like we used to during our college days. Just fantastic!”

Aaggrim Sabharwal awards Partha Chatterjee the Craziest Soccer Fanatic Award

Left to Right: Subra Balakrishnan, Dhruba Ghose, Vivek Kishore, Puneet Agrawal, Kush Tandon, Partha Chatterjee, Mohit Mehta, Witty Bindra, Sundy Srinivasan.

others spent time bowling. Aaggrim Sabharwal, one of the event organizers, handled out prizes for the Most Stylish Bowler, the Craziest Soccer Fanatic, and the Best Bowler.

Pratish Kanani announced, “Like IITAGH on Facebook and connect to us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for upcoming events. Now let’s get back to the game. GO BRAZIL!”

IITAGH Bowling Registration Desk

Many of the women got to perfect their bowling technique and also support their favorite teams. From left to right, Lubeena Bindra, Anju Varadhachary, Premanjali Lahiri, Lipika Mehta, Meena Sundaram, and Ritika Agrawal. With a never-ending supply of food, and the game presented on big screens throughout the facility, the soccer crazies watched the game in the separate viewing room, while

The Women Enjoying the Day; From Left to Right: Lubeena Bindra, Anju Varadhachary, Premanjali Lahiri, Lipika Mehta, Meena Sundaram, and Ritika Agrawal.

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VOICE OF ASIA 13

LIFESTYLE

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Vol. 27

No. 27

Friday, July 4, 2014 Section 2

Page 13

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com Tel: 713-774-5140

The tricky issue of women’s surnames

Histrionic Personality Disorder among children can be tough on parents

he exact cause of histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is still unknown but the reasons for it could be both genetic and societal. Yogesh Pawar speaks to parents and psychiatrists to better understand the behavioural disorder The Jains had always thought their 10year-old daughter Niharika felt responsible for her barely one-year-old brother Manav. But the shock of what happened in April refuses to leave their minds. Niraj Jain, 38, remembers the day. “It was a Sunday and I was sleeping after lunch. My wife Madhu had stepped into the kitchen to tell the maid something, leaving Manav on the ﬂoor. Niharika was sitting a few feet away and playing with my phone when our son began crawling and reached the point where the drawing room is divided into two levels, and fell down. Madhu and the maid rushed in, but Niharika continued to be engrossed with the Barbie game on the phone,” recounts the Ghatkopar resident. Multiple visits to psychiatrists revealed the problem — histrionic personality disorder (HPD).

Changing your name for a woman should be entirely a matter of choice, not compulsion or expectation.

by Leher Kala ccording to a Government Resolution issued by the Women and Child Welfare Department (WCWD) recently, women in Maharashtra will now have the option of using either their fathers’ or husbands’ names in all ofﬁcial documents. Children can now mention names of both parents, or remove the father’s completely if they choose.

I guess it would be too much to expect the WCWD to consider that some women may prefer to drop both, their father’s and husband’s names, and choose a new, random one. It’s not a bad idea to create an option for that as well. The fact that the husband’s name is no longer a requirement should be celebrated, it was an aggravating reminder that the state believes wives are the property of husbands. Fifty years after the feminist movement took off in the West, we’re still grappling with the problem of married versus maiden names and pondering the eternal question: why choose? Changing your name for a woman should be entirely a matter of choice, not compulsion or expectation that it usually is in Indian families. It should be appreciated for being as much a romantic leap of faith as marriage. It’s not about

feminism but about something that’s been fundamental to your existence for over 20 years, your identity—-which you’re suddenly taking a huge chance on for no conceivable benefit, unless you’re marrying a Gandhi or Kennedy. I like short, swift names with little fuss. But I like convenience best and I couldn’t imagine going through the effort of changing my name on my passport, driving licence, credit cards and so on. In the same spirit, I have no objection to being called by my married name as well. Officially, according to law, we’re all supposed to conduct business and file taxes under one name only. The trend currently for newly married, educated women in India are three excruciatingly long, clumsy and unwieldy, sometimes-hyphenated names. Interestingly, in a survey conducted among American college students, only 10 per cent agreed that “a woman keeping her name was less committed to her marriage”, an unspoken view that I suspect holds prevalence in India. People don’t get how the rules have altered, if only subtly. Women are marrying later everywhere, after they’re well established in the working world. Often they’re making significant contributions to the family kitty, as well as carrying the additional responsibility of

bearing children. In our heads, if not in reality, our names carry some equity, especially if we’re already wellentrenched in a career, say, like journalism. And in the era of social media, it’s not just journalists who are worried about bylines. There’s your digital identity to consider as well. Imagine the painstaking task of changing an e-mail ID, Facebook and Twitter profile names. The stakes, once again, are loaded against women: in case of a divorce, you have to go through the mortifying torture of changing your name back again. In India, however, taking on a spouse’s name is not seen as retro or old fashioned but as a sign that you’re making more of an effort to be a couple. Even the most emancipated of men don’t wonder about this gender-biased tradition which has no real utility at all, other than a sense of family identity that can be created in so many other more significant ways. It’s the same reason people have extravagant weddings with flowery prose as vows —- it’s almost like the belief is if you do all that, it’s all it takes — and the marriage will work spectacularly. Giving up your own name is complicated at many levels, and unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a guarantee that everything will be alright.

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“She has had a tendency to throw ‘fits’ since she was very young. These tantrums (bawling in public, sitting down even on the road and flailing her legs) would happen when she didn’t have her way or we expressed disapproval. My husband and I thought she’s just a difficult child and she will get over it. But these ‘fits’ are still frequent,” says the distraught Madhu. A friend suggested they take Niharika to a child psychiatrist, who initially diagnosed her condition. Over many sessions, the psychiatrist found in her “a strong need to be the centre of attention and behaviour patterns to draw attention to herself, extremely beguiling behaviour, shallow expression of emotions, lack of empathy, overly dramatic behaviour and seeing relationships as more intimate than they really are.” Niharika is very loving, and extremely creative. She wants to be an artist when she grows up and is also gifted and prolific, far ahead of kids her age in drawing and painting. She has friends and is doing well in school. Not surprisingly, her parents were aghast with the diagnosis. They have since sought two more opinions. The diagnoses matched and they agreed to psychotherapy. This is seen as taboo among Indians so we are keeping it to ourselves, say the parents. What the Jains are going through is not unique, says leading psychiatrist Rajendra Barve. “Parents themselves need several sittings to deal with children who are difficult. I have met parents who have confided in me that they fear their child because of her or his tantrums. Such parents can be helped to break out of typical

response patterns that encourages the the child to continue being difﬁcult to have her or his way. Establishing that calm communication will get the child more dividends than a tantrum, but it may take a while to work.” According to him, the exact cause of HPD is unknown, but research suggests both learned and inherited factors have a role to play. “For example, the tendency for histrionic personality disorder to run in families suggests that a genetic susceptibility for the disorder might be inherited. However, the child of a parent with this disorder might simply be repeating learned behaviour s/he keeps seeing. Other factors include a lack of criticism or punishment as a child, positive reinforcement that is given only when a child completes certain approved behaviours, and unpredictable attention given to a child by her or his parent(s), all leading to confusion about what types of behaviour earn parental approval.” Personality disorders, Barve says, develop in relation to individual temperaments and psychological styles and ways children learn to cope with stress and anxiety while growing up. The Pune-based Prabhus should know about that. They got a distant aunt, who was living alone in Karwar, to stay with them. “I felt instead of the maid, it will be great that the children would have someone grandmotherly at home,” says Sandhya Prabhu, 35, a railway employee. “She was very sweet and took over the kitchen and we were eating long forgotten Gaud Saraswat Brahmin recipes. The children began reciting shlokas and I was very happy.” About three months later, the Prabhus took their children Mayur, 12, and Swati, 14, to a mall. “Swati was insisting on buying a really expensive designer top which was way over our budget. I tried to explain this to her when she just snapped at me, ‘If you can’t afford it why did you have children?’ I was shocked into silence. She’s generally so affable. Her father rebuked her for her behaviour and we came home,” recounts Sandhya. This was not the last or isolated episode. Swati’s repeated insolence began to shatter the peace of what was otherwise a typical quiet middle class household. Once when she spoke to her teacher terribly, the school sent for her parents and suggested they take her to a child psychiatrist. Sandhya remembers being bafﬂed when the psychiatrist asked her whether Swati had acquired new friends or was there someone new at home. “I found it strange because the only person new to our circumstances was the aunt and I saw her as a paragon of virtue.” Yet what the doctor said kept playing on Sandhya’s mind. (DNA).

LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Travel Notes

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

Destination Turkey

Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul

Bodrum Turkey

oday, let us take you holidaying to Turkey. Istanbul, with 14.1 million people is the largest city in Turkey is the country’s control seat of economic power, culture and displays rich history. Turkey has some of the world’s most important, ancient monuments. Istanbul is connected by the busiest of waterways, the Bosphorus Strait, 20 miles long and connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. This strait separates the continents of Europe and Asia. Cruising the breathtaking Strait of Bosphorus takes you past the Modern Art museum, its many centuries old Ottoman palaces, few fortresses, and villages on both sides backed with forested hills. Istanbul, the former capital, along with its famous historical sites is fast becoming a city where international designer shops, trendy restaurants, bars and beach clubs are open to entertain you. A trip to Istanbul will astound you as you see the architecture and Iznik tiles of the Blue Mosque, the mosaics of the Hagia Sophia – the church where the central dome of the basilica is an

province of Selcuk is the famous Basilica of St.John and the House of the Virgin Mary. Sirince is a rural area, just a 40 minute drive from the port of Kusadasi, with lush vine yards and olive groves.

seaside city with palm trees has a lot to offer with night life, its renovated water front, newly constructed hotels to house the tourists. The Grand traditional bazaar bears witness to a world of history.

Izmir, was formerly known as the port city of Smyrna. On March 28, 1930 Izmir became so, its internationally recognized name granted by the

Turkey is a country that has centuries old history, but it has also been quickly modernized thanks to the efforts of its Prime Minister Recep

Turkish Postal Service law. The third largest metropolitan in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara, this port city includes people who are Greeks, Armenians, Jews, French and the Italians. A

Tayyip Erdogan.

architectural marvel, supported by four great arches, a series of smaller semidomes and arcades. The tour includes the Topkapi palace, the Grand and Spice bazaars, a nostalgic tram ride through historical Beyoglu. The cable car ride to the peak of Holy Eyup on the Golden Horn offers some of the ﬁnest views of the city below. Bodrum is a peninsula district and sea town situated on the Aegean Sea in Southwestern Turkey. The 15th century built Bodrum Castle overlooks the harbor and the marina. The castle includes a Museum of Underwater Archaeology and hosts cultural festivals throughout the year. Bodrum leaves its tourists enchanted. Bodrum has miles of white sandy beaches, the villages painted in white sit pretty on the hill sides, surrounded by purple bougainvillea ﬂowers, and its favorite pastime is water sports. Bodrum has a quaint, romantic feel to it and mesmerizes all visitors. Many travel from Britain and Europe to relax on the sandy beaches or in hillside beach resorts which provide stunning views of the Türkbükü Harbor.

Dolmabahce-palace Kusadasi is a resort town on the Aegean coast. It has some of the main cultural, religious, and natural attractions in Turkey. The Roman city of Ephesus is nearby. Outside Ephesus, in the

Courtesy: Travel Guzs, Houston. For more details, Call: 713-893-0649 or 1-866-723-9393 or e-mail: contactus@travelguzs.com

AirAsia announces Japan comeback Airline loses Indian with e-commerce giant maestro’s ‘priceless’ instrument TOKYO - AirAsia’s feisty chief executive on Tuesday declared the low-cost airline back in Japan after its bitter split with ANA, but this time in an alliance with e-commerce giant Rakuten.

Amjad Ali Khan lodges complaint over missing sarod

ew Delhi: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s sarod, which he has been strumming for the last 45 years, has gone missing on a British Airways ﬂight while the iconic musician was returning to Delhi from London on Saturday night. The airline claimed that there have been “intermittent problems” with Heathrow Airport’s baggage system in Terminal 5 and that efforts were underway to resolve it.

“This is AirAsia Japan part two, and I am very excited. I hope there is no part three,” chief executive Tony Fernandes told a press conference. AirAsia entered the Japanese market in 2012 in a joint venture with major carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA).

The 68-year-old Padma Vibhushan sarod maestro had gone to London along with his wife Subhalaxmi for a performance at Dartington College to celebrate the life of Rabindranth Tagore on June 21 and returned on the night of June 28.

But the project ended in an acrimonious dispute over business practices last year. ANA subsequently inherited the business and rebranded it Vanilla Air. “Watch out, JAL, ANA, Peach and -- Vanilla,” Fernandes said, naming some of the major airlines in Japan.

AirAsia entered the Japanese market in 2012 in a joint venture with major carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA).

ing rights.

The rebooted AirAsia Japan will see Malaysia-based AirAsia, Asia’s biggest budget carrier, partner with Rakuten, along with an infrastructure fund, a cosmetics company and a sports gear retailer. AirAsia will have 49 percent of the venture and Rakuten will hold an 18 percent stake. However, in accordance with Japanese law which limits control by foreign entities, the Malaysia-based airline will hold just one-third of vot-

Details of its business plan, such as its ﬂight schedules and which airport it will use as its hub, are to be announced later, Fernandes said, adding the unit would begin ﬂying in early 2015. Fernandes was in combative mood Tuesday, making clear he was happy to take on the whole of Japan’s aviation establishment, including AirAsia’s former partner. “AirAsia is a unique company. We

have many ﬂavours, many different colours, many different ways of doing things,” he said in an apparent jab at the new name of the old company. Fernandes, who strode on stage to Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, said: “ANA were fantastic partners... but we were just different, different views of doing things, so we split.” The press conference ended with servings of ice cream in several ﬂavours -- but not vanilla.

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He and his wife were travelling first class on British Airways flight (BA-143) on their return journey from London. “But when we arrived at Delhi airport on June 28, I could not find my priceless sarod. We waited there for 4-5 hours while airline people tried to trace the instrument. But they were not able to trace it, and they said most likely it would come by the next flight,” Khan told PTI. “But now its more than 48 hours and still I am waiting for some news. How can such a big airline be so irresponsible,” Khan said. Khan later posted on his Facebook page, “After damaging my Sarod in 1997, British Airways now misplaces

my Sarod. 48 hours and I still wait anxiously for some news. Still not traced!!! When contacted, British Airways said, “There have been intermittent problems with Heathrow Airport’s baggage system in Terminal 5. We are working round-the-clock to make sure we reunite all of our customers with their baggage as quickly as possible”. “This process has taken longer than anticipated and we apologise for the inconvenience caused,” an airline spokesperson said. A furious Khan said he has lodged a complaint with the airlines and made it clear that he does not want any compensation. “I want the airlines to trace my sarod and give it back to me as it is priceless and I don’t want any compensation,” said Khan. The maestro said that he had told the airlines in London “to handle it (sarod) with care as it is my life, but now this has happened.” “Being an artist, I communicate through my sarod, which was with me for the last 45 years, but if it is lost now, then how will I communicate,” he asked. Khan had got his sarod specially packed at London as per the procedure required for packaging of such precious instruments, before being sent as check-in luggage with due instructions

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VOICE OF ASIA 15

Friday, July 4, 2014

Young Life Section 2

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FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

Tel: 713-774-5140

Pakistani education advo- HCC Southwest and HISD cate wins Liberty Medal Partner to Help At-Risk High School Students Succeed

OUSTON, (June 27, 2014-) - Houston Community College Southwest and Houston Independent School District are teaming up with a common goal: to identify at-risk students who are disengaged and disconnected from their comprehensive high school - and help them stay in school to earn their high school diploma. The partnership allows for these at-risk students to not only secure high school degrees, but seamlessly transition to higher education.

Pakistani school pupil and education activist Malala Yousafzai meets with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, right, outside the prime minister’s residence in Oslo Saturday June 14, 2014. (AP Photo: Vegard Grott / NTB scanpix/Pool).

HILADELPHIA (AP) — A Pakistani girl who survived being shot by the Taliban because she advocated education for girls has won the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Malala Yousafzai was just 15 when she was shot in the head while returning from school in Mingora, Pakistan, in October 2012. She had angered the fundamentalist Muslim group by writing about life under the Taliban for the BBC, and arguing that girls should be allowed to pursue an education. “It’s an honor to be awarded the Liberty Medal,” Yousafzai, now 17, said Sunday. “I accept this award on behalf of all the children around the world who are

struggling to get an education.” The medal has been awarded annually since 1989, when Polish Solidarity founder Lech Walesa received it ﬁrst. Since then, recipients have included Muhammad Ali, former President Jimmy Carter, and, last year, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Yousafzai will receive the award at a ceremony at the center on Oct. 21. After surviving the attack, Yousafzai continued to be an outspoken advocate on education, prompting Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, to petition the agency to recommit to a goal of universal primary education for children around the world. The petition gained more

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than 3 million signatures and helped lead Pakistan to pass a Right to Education bill, a first in that country. “Malala’s courageous fight for equality and liberty from tyranny is evidence that a passionate, committed leader, regardless of age, has the power to ignite a movement for reform,” said Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the chairman of the National Constitution Center. “Every day, around the world, individuals like Ms. Yousafzai are being threatened for asserting the same fundamental rights of speech and religious conscience that are inherent in all people,” said Jeffrey Rosen, the center’s president and chief executive officer. “Yet she is undeterred in her quest. She is an inspiring voice for liberty across the globe.”

The remarkable, new partnership school, called Middle College High School at HCC Gulfton and located at 5407 Gulfton Ave., is the ﬁrst of its kind in the Houston area. The success of the effort lies in providing at-risk students a structured, personalized educational setting, while removing the obstacles to their success through ﬂexible schedules and accelerated programs. Data suggests that these young Houstonians want to graduate from high school, but normally cannot spend

an entire day in a traditional classroom. These students are often working to help support their siblings and families, or in some cases, even have children of their own to support. “The chances of these children making it into higher education from a regular school setting are slim,” stated Betty Fortune, Executive Dean of Instruction and Student Services at HCC Southwest. “Middle College High School at HCC Gulfton provides a golden opportunity to help them transition to higher education for degrees and certiﬁcations - and a brighter future. HCC Southwest is very proud to play a role in it.” “We are pleased to see this partnership between HCC Southwest and HISD go forward. It will have a positive impact on the future of Houston’s children as well as the future of Houston itself,” stated Mike Laster, Houston City Council Member District J. The accelerated programs at Middle College High School at HCC Gulfton include reading, math and science courses

and will allow students to not only secure their high school diplomas, but also earn college credits. The program will launch in the fall of 2014. “This is a generation of kids who need a lot of guidance and support, and need it desperately,” stated Diana Del Pilar, Principal of Middle College High School at HCC Gulfton. “Many of these children really want to graduate from high school and go to college but there are hurdles to overcome. Now we are giving them a ﬁghting chance.” About HCC HCC is one of the country’s largest singly accredited, open-admission, community colleges offering associate degrees, certiﬁcates, workforce training and lifelong learning opportunities for 70,000 students each semester. HCC is composed of six colleges that serve the greater Houston area’s diverse communities by preparing individuals to live and work in today’s increasingly international and technological society. To learn more go to hccs.edu

Lori Craig named New Principal of Sugar Mill Elementary School

ort Bend ISD - Lori Craig has been named the new principal of Sugar Mill Elementary School. Most recently, Craig served as principal of FBISD’s Armstrong Elementary School, which she opened in 2011. Prior to that role, she served as an assistant principal, a summer school principal and summer school

facilitator. “Lori is a dedicated leader who already has strong connections to the Sugar Mill community,” said Dr. Phillys Hill, Associate Superintendent. “Students, staff members, and parents will enjoy working with her to ensure that Sugar Mill students reach their full potential.”

Craig began her education career twelve years ago after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Reading Specialization) from Texas State University. She received her Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from the University of Houston.

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Friday, July 4, 2014

BOLLYWOOD MASALA Section 2 Page 16

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

Tel: 713-774-5140

Dynamic duo Vishal -Shekar perform Live at AAPI 32nd Convention in San Antonio, Texas by Shobana Muratee

he Live Concert of Bollywood’s music moguls Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, popularly know as Vishal-Shekar were a refreshing welcome at the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Gala and conclusion of its 5-day Convention held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, June 28th, 2014. The duo was accompanied by singing sensation Neeti Mohan of the Maiya Maiya fame. With the captive audience of over 1200 physicians and their families from all over the United States, Vishal Shekar had everyone, young and old, dancing to high energy songs from the latest hits Gunday, Chennai Express and later trailing off to Bollywood’s older super hits like Khaike pan bana raswala.

Vishal Dadlani and Neeti Mohan at the AAPI Live Concert in San Antonio. Photos by Shobana M

Neeti Mohan was looking stunning in a black ﬂowing and connected well with the audience as she sang some of her hits. She welcomed Vishal Shekar with the latest Maiya Maiya Neeti Mohan hit‘Tune mari entriyaan’ and was joined in clude Jhankaar Beats, Dus, Bluffmaster, Om Shanti chorus by the crowd. Om, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Dostana, Chintakayala Vishal and Shekar have worked in Hindi, Ravi, Anjaana Anjaani, Ra.One, Student Of The Year, Telugu and Marathi ﬁlms. Their works in- and Chennai Express.

Bollywood scion invests in Hollywood future lucky to get the success they enjoy, and I will always be looked upon as the third Chopra in a way,” the 41year-old told AFP in Mumbai, India’s entertainment capital where he was born. “I wanted to do something challenging and be a part of ﬁlmmaking because that is all I know.” Uday Chopra. – Photo by AFP

by Udita Jhunjhunwala

UMBAI, - The scion of a Bollywood ﬁlmmaking dynasty is forging a career in Hollywood in a bid to emerge from the shadows of his legendary father -- and challenge common stereotypes of India. Uday Chopra, younger son of the late Hindi ﬁlm director Yash Chopra, set up a subsidiary of his father’s production house in Los Angeles and this year appeared on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet alongside Nicole Kidman.

His three-year-old company Yash Raj Films (YRF) Entertainment co-produced the recent “Grace of Monaco” starring Kidman, upcoming Jason Bateman comedy “The Longest Week” and is ﬁnalising the script of “Seducing Ingrid Bergman”. The job has made Chopra one of only a handful of Indians in Hollywood, where he hopes to match the success of his father and award-winning ﬁlmmaker brother, Aditya Chopra, back home. “I know that even in my greatest success I would be

His father, who died in 2012, was best known for his romantic and emotional ﬁlms in a stellar Bollywood career that spanned decades. Uday has also acted in Bollywood and is best known for his role as police sidekick Ali in the hit Indian franchise “Dhoom” -- and he wants to invest in commercial hits in Hollywood rather than festival features. “When I ﬁrst went to LA, the idea was to do romantic comedies because that’s a genre we have done successfully in India,” he said. “I thought I would convert

some of my Hindi material to English but I soon realised that comedies are in the space of the big studios, which means big budgets and big stars.” Chopra then opened up to new possibilities, and one of his upcoming projects is “a female-centric thriller based in India”. “It’s a completely American movie but with India as a backdrop. I can leverage my strength in India as a line producer,” he said. He wants the ﬁlm to portray India “in a dark and gritty way” and challenge typical perceptions of the country. “People in the West think ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is a Bollywood ﬁlm and they have that one image of India -- dirty and crazy,” he added, referring to the Oscar-winner directed by Britain’s Danny Boyle. - From Bollywood to Hollywood While Bollywood has often been accused of ripping off plotlines from Hollywood, India has a limited presence in the US industry, where Ashok

Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment and Anil Ambani’s Reliance Entertainment are the best-known production companies. The latter has invested in Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks Studios to produce ﬁlms such as “Lincoln”, “The Help” and “War Horse”. Chopra said Hollywood players often assumed he was as rich as Reliance and would therefore “throw money at them and they can go ahead and make their movie. “Or they think you are this Indian guy coming to Hollywood to throw big parties, make some statements and then never return. I don’t ﬁt into either one of those categories,” he said. Chopra, who divides his time between America, India and elsewhere, says he nevertheless enjoys the anonymity he gets in Los Angeles. “One day I should shave my head bald, wear all white and go to a meeting and say this is how we are in India. They would probably think I am so exotic and would want to work with me.”

The reviews of “Grace of Monaco”, the opening film at Cannes, have been far from complimentary, describing it as “airless”, “fantastically silly” and even a “fire risk”. Chopra admits that the criticism hit him hard and has affected the movie’s success. “Maybe Cannes was the wrong platform for a fairytale film with a happy ending,” he said. “We are independent producers, but the content we are creating is more mainstream and commercial in nature, to make money to engage a larger audience.” For now, Chopra wants to keep investing in international films, but the long-term plan is to wholly produce and generate his own Hollywood stories under the YRF Entertainment banner. He says if his budget runs out he will head back to India -- but he is hopeful that America’s Tinseltown will be the place he makes his mark. “Hopefully by next year things will turn around, and if that happens I will be there forever.”

Ek Villain review Star Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Remo Fernandes Director: Mohit Suri There’s one in every love story, says the tagline of Ek Villain, and the ﬁlm strains every sinew to justify it. The three main characters — Guru the loveless orphan grown into a gun-toting goon, Aisha the pretty girl busy ticking off items from a to-do list, and Rakesh the smarting-under-daily-humiliations-working-stiff — ricochet off each other, resulting in a ﬁlm doused in schmaltzy romance and creepy violence. Mohit Suri has a gift for vivid characterisation, even if some things are underlined a tad too much. He also does a good job with weaving high-octane moments around his characters. So

you don’t really twig on to the plot’s hokeyness to begin with, as Guru (Malhotra) encounters the sprightly chatterbox Aisha (Kapoor), and the grimness dissolves into softness, and as Rakesh (Deshmukh) becomes increasingly aware of his oppressed state from one day to another. Then begin a spate of killings, and a race to the bloody ﬁnish. But soon you start noticing the wooliness of the story, which has more than a passing resemblance to a Korean cult slasher ﬁlm, as it weaves confusedly back and forth in time, from the singing lovers to the ghastly murders. The tone becomes inconsistent. Ek Villain’s swinging between drama and melodrama is its weakness: the portions I bought into kept me engrossed, and then

Proof

I was back in those in which I couldn’t suspend disbelief. A cop says: “Usne usi jagaah panaah li hai jahaan usne gunaah kiya”: at a mushaira, even a policeman can turn poetic, but alliterating, in the heat of the moment, panaah and gunaah? This was fine for the ’80s Bollywood, when dialogue writers lavished couplets upon cops and robbers and lovers, when heroes slowed down their punches for villains to recite their pun-laden lines for our enjoyment. But now the device smacks of artifice. And it takes away from the performances in this film: apart from the leads, there is a lecher (KRK) firing off tips on how to “keep wives in control”. He is effective enough for you to want to keep him away from all women.

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VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

Screen Asia: Asian Ameri- India hails rocket ‘cheapcan Family Film Festival er than Hollywood film Gravity’ Curated by Liz Shepherd, Northwest Film Forum

A tale of two friends, both recently moved to the United States, and how they bond with each other as they learn about their new home. Ellie is a young girl from Israel and waits for letters from her best friend as she deals with homesickness and difﬁculties learning English. Thuy is a Vietnamese refugee around Ellie’s age facing rejection at school and lacking a sense of belonging in a new country. These two girls form an inseparable bond as they navigate the challenges of early adolescence. Based on director Ela Thier’s own journey of immigration and assimilation, this ﬁlm represents a coming-of-age story and the connection that two friends can make in new surroundings. Recommended for ages 9 and older.

tale of two friends, both recently moved to the United States, and how they bond with each other as they learn about their new home. Ellie is a young girl

from Israel and waits for letters from her best friend as she deals with homesickness and difﬁculties learning English. Thuy is a Vietnamese refugee around Ellie’s age facing rejection at school and lacking a sense of belonging in a new country. These two girls form an inseparable bond as they navigate the challenges of early adolescence. Based on director Ela Thier’s own journey of immigration and assimilation,

India’s domestically-produced Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) blasted off Monday morning from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, carrying satellites from France, Germany, Canada and Singapore. “India has the potential to be the launch service provider of the world and must work towards this goal,” Modi said from the site one month after coming to power at the head of a right-wing government.

Still from feature film Foreign Letters. This engaging family event — focusing on the best in Asian children’s cinema — includes pan-Asian film shorts, an interactive workshop, and a full-length feature film about cross-cultural friendship.

BANGALORE, June 30, 2014 (AFP) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed India’s low-cost space technology on Monday, saying a rocket which launched four foreign satellites into orbit had cost less to make than the Hollywood ﬁlm “Gravity.”

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revenues totalled $2.2 billion in 2012, according to the US Satellite Industry Association, and India is keen to expand its modest share of this market as a low-cost provider.

The total cost at 4.5 billion rupees ($73 million) was less than a sixth of the $455 million earmarked for a Mars probe launched shortly afterwards by US space agency NASA.

“I have heard about the ﬁlm Gravity. I am told the cost of sending an Indian rocket to space is less than the money invested in making the Hollywood movie,” Modi added.

Experts say the secret is India’s ability to copy and adapt existing space technology for its own needs, and the abundance of highly-skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts’ wages.

The budget of the BritishAmerican 3D sci-ﬁ thriller, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, was about $100 million, according to industry website IMDb. Last year, India launched a bid to become the ﬁrst Asian nation to reach Mars with a mission whose price tag was the envy of space programmes world-wide.

Modi said the country must be proud of its space programme, developed in the face of “great international pressure and hurdles”. Western sanctions on India after the nation staged a nuclear weapons test in 1974 gave a major thrust to the space programme because New Delhi needed to develop its own missile technology.

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Indian celebrities take to Twitter to express support for LGBTI community by Dipti Nagpaul Mumbai-Indian celebrities, especially from the film fraternity, have generally remained neutral on controversial issues in the past. However, recently there have been several instances when they have chosen to publicly voice their support for causes they believe in. Recently, in separate instances, Indian celebrities have backed the fight of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community for their rights. A few days ago, Mumbai-based Humsafar Trust, an organisation that promotes LGBTI rights, started a petition against Section 377 on the website change.org. In a bid to reach out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NGO is seeking one lakh signatures to strengthen their argument against Section 377, which criminalises gay sex between consenting adults. In order to lend support to the cause, film celebrities, directors Onir and Reema Kagti, and editor Namrata Rao have been appealing their Twitter followers to become signatories. Kagti, known for her 2012 film Talaash and also as the co-writer

on Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, on Thursday took to Twitter to urge her friends from the industry to sign the petition. A vocal supporter of the LGBTI rights, she posted the link to the petition on the timelines of several ﬁlm personalities, including Shabana Azmi, Farhan Akhtar, Aamir Khan, Vishal Dadlani, Rajkummar Rao, among others. “1,500 species exhibit homosexuality, only 1 exhibits homophobia (sic). Be the solution, not the problem,” read her tweet addressed to author Chetan Bhagat. Apart from asking them to sign the petition, she has been requesting them to retweet or share the link. Several celebrities have complied, including actors Alia Bhatt, Boman Irani and Rajat Kapoor, singer Ankur Tewari and director Rohan Sippy. The total number of signees at the moment stands at 4,275. “I found this petition online a few days ago and realised that only 3,000 people have signed it up till now. decided that I’ll dedicate a few hours of my free time to make people aware of this petition and urge them to become signatories.

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 18

Friday, July 4, 2014

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JPMorgan chief Dimon has cancer, set for treatment

“India needs more doctors now more than ever before. Building healthy lives would enable us realise the demographic dividend that is promised from having a youthful population,” he said in a statement on the eve of National Doctors’ Day.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon testifying during a US House Financial Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC (ﬁle photo) (AFP Photo/Saul Loeb)

“The good news is that the prognosis from my doctors is excellent, the cancer was caught quickly, and my condition is curable,” Dimon, 58, said in a letter to employees and shareholders. The cancer is limited to the original site and adjacent

lymph nodes on the right side of his neck, Dimon added.

briefed and is totally supportive,” Dimon stressed.

“Importantly, there is no evidence of cancer elsewhere in my body,” he said, adding that he expects to start treatment soon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York, an 8-week process.

He is not the ﬁrst CEO to face cancer while staying at work. AIG’s Robert Benmosche, 69, did the same in 2010.

“I have been advised that I will be able to continue to be actively involved in our business, and we will continue to run the company as normal. Our Board has been fully

JPMorgan’s disappointing first quarter this year followed a 2013 marred by huge legal settlements over JPMorgan’s mortgage practices prior to the 2008 financial crisis, a major trading scandal in the bank’s London office and other controversies

Excessive drinking causes 1 in 10 adult deaths: US WASHINGTON, June 26, 2014 (AFP) - Excessive alcohol consumption causes one in 10 deaths among US adults, whether because of accidents or medical conditions that arise from long-term drinking, research showed Thursday.

from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

and heart disease,” said the study. Others were “from drinking too much in a short period of time, such as violence, alcohol poisoning, and motor vehicle crashes.”

Each year, alcohol-related deaths cost the US economy $224 billion, mainly in lost productivity, said a report

The report in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease said 10 percent of deaths of people aged 20-64 -- a total of 88,000 deaths per year -- are linked to excessive alcohol. “These deaths were due to health effects from drinking too much over time, such as breast cancer, liver disease,

Men were more likely to die from alcohol than women, with 70 percent of the drinking deaths occurring among men.

The dictum that “prevention is better than cure” will be his guiding force, Vardhan said, adding that it will be his duty to lower the country’s disease burden by promoting healthy lifestyle which includes consuming wholesome food and exercising. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed me to effect complete transformation of our health sector through research, innovation and the latest technology,” he said. He also asked the medical community to introspect, saying the image of the doctor has somewhat fallen in the public perception. “New positivity need to be injected in our attitude to correct this, as, it is not desirable to have a country without faith in its doctors....So, let us treat this Doctors’ Day as a day for renewing our pledge,” Vardhan said. (Source: PTI). Drinking too much is deﬁned differently for men and women, according to the CDC. Binge dinking is considered four or more drinks at an occasion for women, and ﬁve or more for men. Heavy drinking is considered eight or more drinks per week for women, and 15 or more drinks a week for men.

City of Houston, Regional Agencies Host Seminar on Accessibility Issues in Emergency Response

OUSTON As part of its ongoing mission to prepare Houston for disasters, and ensure equal access to disaster services, the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management will join the Houston Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Initiative (RCPI), and Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC) in hosting a seminar on accessibility in emergency response. The event will bring together subject matter experts, emergency managers and first response organizations from across the greater Houston region to discuss the unique needs of individuals with functional or access needs. “The needs of our City are incredibly diverse,”said Rick Flanagan, Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Houston, “Our planning has to include the whole community, and events like these help us find out where the gaps in our planning lie, so we can correct them before the next big disaster.” Participants will hear from experts from various groups in areas such as medical equipment requirements, service animals, effective communication, and many others. As part of an ongoing national strategy for ensuring inclusion of the disability community during the emergency planning phase, this event will highlight strategies and best practices to include in emergency response plans and protocols. “Our region is already seen as a leader in finding creative solutions to ensure equal access and availability to resources for individuals with disabili-

ties,” said Melanie Bartis, program coordinator for the Houston UASI, “This event only underlines what emergency management and public safety officials throughout the greater Houston area are doing to help us improve.” The event takes place Wednesday, July 2 from 8am - 12:30pm at the West Gray Multi-Service Center in Montrose. Information on the event, as well as materials from the presentations will be made available at houstonuasi.com. About OEM The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is the primary coordinating agency for disaster planning and response in the nation’s fourth-largest city. OEM serves Houstonians by conducting programs and activities for City residents and departments to help them prepare for, respond to and recover from the effects of natural and man-made disasters. (houstonoem.org) About RCPI The Houston Regional Catastrophic Planning Initiative (RCPI) is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funded initiative intended to ensure that plans are in place for a truly catastrophic incident. This program has three main priorities; fix shortcomings in existing emergency plans, build a regional planning process and planning community, and link operational and capabilitiesbased planning for resource allocation. This program supports the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region, comprised of 13 counties and

167 municipalities. About Houston UASI The Houston Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) is a collaborative of multiple local governments funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that is engaged in a multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional partnership to improve local capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to and recover from human-caused incidents. Participating jurisdictions and organizations include The Cities of Houston & Pasadena, Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria and Galveston Counties, the Port of Houston and METRO. For more information, visit HoustonUASI. com.

for its stakeholders. SETRAC prepares our nine county regions for manmade or natural emergencies, disasters and mass casualty events. Likewise, our Trauma, Stroke, Cardiac and Pediatric committees work to establish standards of care and protocols for consideration/adoption by area hospitals, EMS agencies, and other providers. As a coalition, we foster collaboration to educate our communities, and to collectively deliver appropriate care with appropriately trained providers.

The primary function of the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council is to provide stakeholder support through planning, facilitation, operations and the provision of technical assistance to the region for Preparedness, Trauma, Injury Prevention, Stroke, Cardiac and Pediatric services. SETRAC is the administrator of federal and state grant money

which public programs pay for long-term care services. It is important to clearly understand what is and isn’t covered. Medicare:  Only pays for long-term care if you require skilled services or rehabilitative care:  In a nursing home for a maximum of 100 days, however, the average Medicare covered stay is much shorter (22 days).  At home if you are also receiving skilled home health or other skilled in-home services. Generally, long-term care services are provided only for a short period of  Does not pay for non-skilled assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL), which make up the majority of long-term care services  You will have to pay for long-term care services that are not covered by a public or private insurance program Medicaid:  Does pay for the largest share of long-term care services, but to qualify, your income must be below a certain level and you must meet minimum state eligibility requirements  Such requirements are based on the amount of assistance you need with ADL  Other federal programs such as the Older Americans Act and the Department of Veterans Affairs pay for long-term care services, but only for speciﬁc populations and in certain circumstances Health Insurance:  Most employer-sponsored or private health insurance, including health insurance plans, cover only the same kinds of limited services as Medicare  If they do cover longterm care, it is typically only for skilled, short-term, medically necessary care There are an increasing number of private payment options including:  Long-term care insurance  Reverse mortgages  Life insurance options  Annuities People with certain conditions may not qualify for long-term care insurance. Since standards vary between different insurance companies, if one company denies you, it is possible that another company will accept you. Common reasons why you might not be able to buy long-term care insurance include:  You currently use longterm care services  You already need help with Activities of Daily Living (ADL)  You have AIDS or AIDSRelated Complex (ARC)  You have Alzheimer’s Disease or any form of dementia or cognitive dysfunction

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 You have a progressive neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s Disease  You had a stroke within the past year to two years or a history of strokes  You have metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread beyond its original site) Insurance companies also consider other health conditions when determining your eligibility. If you buy your long-term care insurance before you develop one of the health conditions listed above, then your policy will cover the care you need for that condition. Before You Buy You should consider a number of things before purchasing LTC insurance:  Don’t buy more insurance than you think you may need. You may have enough income to pay a portion of your care costs and you may only need a small policy for the remainder. You also may have family members willing and able to supplement your care needs  Don’t buy too little insurance. That will only delay the use of your own assets or income to pay for care. Think about how you feel about having care costs that are not covered. While you can usually decrease your coverage, it is more difficult to increase coverage, especially if your health has declined  Look carefully at each policy. There is no “one-sizefits-all” policy  If you choose a policy that only pays for room and board in a facility, plan for other expenses, such as supplies, medications, linens, and other items and services that your policy may not cover  It costs less to buy coverage when you are younger. The average age of people buying long-term care insurance today is about 60. The average age of those purchasing policies offered at work is about 50  Make sure that you can afford the long-term care insurance policy over time, as your monthly income may change  Consider asset based long term care policy.  Research and consider different options and talk with a professional before finalizing your decision. For professional help to plan for your Long Term care. Medicare or retirement benefits contact 713-771-2900.

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About SETRAC The SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC) (setrac.org) was organized under the authority of the Texas Department of Health which was instructed by the 1989 Omnibus Rural Health Care Rescue Act. SETRAC is one of 22 Regional Advisory Councils (RAC) currently functioning within the State of Texas. SETRAC is a 501(C3) non-proﬁt, tax-exempt organization.

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India needs Understanding Long more doctors Term Care than ever Who Pays For Long Care? before: Harsh Term The facts may surprise you. Vardhan Consumer surveys reveal common misunderstandings about New Delhi: Noting that doctor-to-population ratio in the country is much less than the standard prescribed by the WHO, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said India needs more doctors now than ever before.

New York (AFP) - Jamie Dimon, the chief executive at JPMorgan Chase, announced Tuesday that he has throat cancer and will remain on the job as he seeks treatment.

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FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

Indian scientist wins recognition at ‘NRI’s digital TV start-up illegal’ science symposium in Germany by Ch Sushil Rao,TNN HYDERABAD: A research scholar from Suryapet in Nalgonda district of Telangana state, Shashi Ravi Suman Rudrangi, who is pursuing Ph D at the Medway Centre for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom was awarded the ‘Best Poster Award’ at the prestigious ‘17 thInternational Cyclodextrin Symposium (ICS17)’, held at Saarbrucken, Germany recently. Shashi Ravi Suman Rudrangi presented his research entitled

‘Preparation of econazolecyclodextrin complexes using a single-step, organic solventfree supercritical ﬂuid process’, at the prestigious ICS17 between 29-31 May, 2014. He was also awarded ‘The Gordon J. Tiddy Travel Bursary’ from The Formulation Science and Technology Group (FSTG) of the Royal society of Chemistry to attend and present his research at the conference. As many as200 scientists from all over the world attended the conference while 140 researchers have presented their work at the conference. Shashi

who was born and brought-up in Suryapet, Nalgonda district did his schooling there and pursued Bachelor of Pharmacy in 2008 from Kakatiya University, Warangal with a distinction. Shashi is working on a project of great scientiﬁc and industrial importance. Most of the drugs available in the market are very poorly soluble in water. Shashi’s work focuses on enhancing the solubility of drug molecules, with the express goal of increasing the bioavailability, and therefore efﬁciency of drug compounds. Shashi is developing combinations of in-

teresting sugar-like molecules (cyclodextrins) and antifungal drugs by using green and sustainable techniques This is a project of global importance and is supervised by Prof. Steve Wicks, who was Vice President of Pharmaceutical Development Science and Technology at world’s pharma giant Pﬁzer prior to joining the University of Greenwich. “I want to become a worldclass pharmaceutical scientist and discover drugs with less side-effects and make them available to the globe at affordable prices.” Shashi says.

Facebook admits ‘terrible’ communication gaffe on study by Penelope MACRAE

contagion”.

berg said.

EW DELHI, July 2, 2014 (AFP) - Facebook communicated “terribly” about a controversial study in which it secretly manipulated users’ feelings, the social network’s chief operating ofﬁcer Sheryl Sandberg admitted Wednesday.

The research, published last month, has prompted online anger and questions about the ethics of the week-long study, and put the world’s most popular networking site on the defensive.

In the study, Facebook placed positive or negative posts in users’ feeds to gauge how this affected their mood -- without their explicit consent or knowledge.

Sandberg’s comments came as British authorities said they would question Facebook over the experiment to see whether it broke privacy laws.

Sandberg is in India to promote her gender equality book “Lean In”, meet business people and political leaders and scout for new business opportunities.

The research was an experiment as part of product testing, Sandberg told a women’s business seminar in New Delhi when asked whether the study was ethical. “This was communicated terribly and for that communication we have apologised,” she said. “We communicated really badly on this subject,” she said, before adding: “We take privacy at Facebook really seriously.” Facebook clandestinely altered the emotional content of feeds of nearly 700,000 users, giving some sadder news and others happier news in the 2012 study aimed at better understanding “emotional

- ‘Endless opportunity’ in India -

The Facebook executive declined to speak to reporters asking further questions about the study. Britain’s independent data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Ofﬁce, is liaising with the Irish data protection authority and seeking “to learn more about the circumstances” of the study, a spokesman said. Facebook’s European headquarters are based in the Irish capital Dublin, meaning EU laws, not US ones, apply to its operations there. “We work very closely with the regulators all over the world ... we are fully compliant (with regulations),” Sand-

The results indicate “emotions expressed by others on Facebook inﬂuence our own emotions, constituting experimental evidence for massive-scale contagion via social networks”, researchers concluded, and noted emotion was relevant to human health. The psychological experiment has stoked worries over the mood-altering capacities of the site, which has 1.2 billion users. Critics say research on people is normally governed by strict ethical regulations. In a statement earlier in the week, Facebook said the study was consistent with its blanket Data Use Policy, to which all users agree. It said it does research to make its content “as relevant and engaging as possible”. But some users have criticised the experiment, describing it as “creepy”, “evil”, and “super disturbing”. Sandberg said that India --

which has over 100 million Facebook users, the most after the US -- is poised to become the site’s largest market. Local media reported she would meet Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who used social media extensively in his recent election campaign and has 18 million fans on Facebook. “There are a billion people in India who haven’t connected,” said Sandberg, 44, whose Facebook stake helped make her one of the world’s youngest billionaires. Sandberg, who worked in India in the early 1990s on a World Bank leprosy project, called the country an “endless opportunity”. The executive, whose proﬁle has been raised by best-seller “Lean In”, brushed aside questions about whether she might run for political ofﬁce. “I’m doing all the ‘leaning in’ I can,” she said. But she added with just 18 women heading countries, it is vital for more women to succeed in politics. “We are actually cheating our economic potential, as we are not using the full power of the population,” she said.

Chidanand Rajghatta,TNN | Jun 26, 2014, 07.05 AM IST WASHINGTON: In a landmark ruling with profound consequences for newer media technology, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the start-up streaming service Aereo, founded by IndianAmerican tech entrepreneur Chet Kanojia, was violating copyright laws by capturing signals mid-air with its thumbsized antennas and delivering them to subscribers for a fee. The 6-3 decision by the Apex Court came as a massive relief for the established legacy broadcasting giants such as ABC, CBS, and NBC, even as it crushed the hopes of Kanojia’s two-year old startup. Aereo had argued that its breakthrough technology using an antenna the size of a postage stamp to capture TV signals from airwaves and directing them to laptops, tablets, and smartphones, helped customers get programming for as little as $8, compared to the $80 plus that people currently pay for cable services. What it was enabling with its miniature antenna was essentially what has been permitted since the time of the traditional rabbit-ear antenna i.e. watch free broadcast delivered over public airwaves, and it did not amount to stealing, Aereo contended. But America’s Big Broadcast, with its revenue stream threatened by the upstart and its nifty new technology, banded together to convince the court that Aero was ‘’not simply an equipment provider’’ that it claimed to be but is in fact like a cable system in the way it transmitted copyrighted content. ‘’Insofar as there are difference, those differences concern not the nature of the service that Aereo provides so much as the technological manner in which it provides the service,’’ Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the majority. Big Broadcast was thrilled with the ruling. ‘’We’re gratiﬁed the Court upheld important Copyright principles that help ensure that the high-quality

creative content consumers expect and demand is protected and incentivized,’’ Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, said in a statement. But Kanojia said the ruling was a ‘’massive setback’’ for consumers and ‘’sends a chilling message to the technology industry.’’ ‘’We are disappointed in the outcome, but our work is not done. We will continue to fight for our consumers and fight to create innovative technologies that have a meaningful and positive impact on our world,’’ Kanojia’s statement said, without specifying how the company would go about it. A Bhopal native who lived through the Union Carbide disaster in 1984 (He was lucky to live ‘’upwind’’ he said in one interview), Kanojia got an engineering degree from the National Institute of Technology before coming to the US, where he graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in mechanical engineering — not exactly the IIT-Stanford pedigree that is the hallmark of many Indian successes in the US. But academic lineage hardly seems to matter to a man who holds more than 14 patents in fields ranging from robotics to data, whose very first company, Navic Networks, an industry leader in advanced television advertising, was acquired by Microsoft in 2008 for a reported $250 million. The story goes that two years ago when Kanojia first started Aereo, he visited the offices of the four big broadcast television networks to tell them about his plan to up-end their business with his new technology with a view of striking a deal. Their response: We’ll see you in court. Although the lower courts backed Aereo and the 43-year old Indian disrupter seemed ready to topple a legacy business, which he sees as predatory and having feasted on the system since the 1970s, theUS Supreme Court balked at what his breakthrough technology was doing.

Google buys Songza music curation service for $39 million, iOS app included Pocket-lint/ Rik Henderson - Google buys Songza music curation service for $39 million, iOS app included

oogle has acquired

Songza for a reported $39 million. The music curation service offers ad-supported playlists of tunes chosen around topical themes and while Google does not plan to change it in the immediate future, it is thought that Google Play Mu-

IBM’s Watson app whips up Big Data in the kitchen

sic could beneﬁt from its experience in the ﬁeld. “We’re thrilled to announce that we’re becoming part of Google,” Songza said on its blog site. “We can’t think of a better company to join in our quest to provide the perfect sound-

track for everything you do. No immediate changes to Songza are planned, other than making it faster, smarter, and even more fun to use.” The Songza service is only available in the US at present, but with the Google acquisition and that company’s

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ASHINGTON, June 30, 2014 (AFP) - Putting a chef’s hat on its Watson supercomputer, IBM and the magazine Bon Appetit unveiled a new initiative Monday that seeks to use Big Data for gastronomy.

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A new app unveiled in test version called “Chef Watson with Bon Appetit” aims at helping cooks “draw on Watson’s advanced cognitive capabilities to create entirely new recipes and gastronomic combinations that have previously never been conceived,” IBM said. IBM’s Watson supercomputer, powered by IBM POWER7, can answer questions posed in natural language over a nearly unlimited range of knowledge. Picture: IBM

The kitchen becomes the new proving ground for Watson, which has been working on ﬁghting cancer and other medical applications, after a successful challenge on the TV game show “Jeopardy.”

with people and information, in a far more intuitive way,” Rhodin said in a statement.

The new app is part of the Chef Watson program introduced this year by IBM and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Bon Appetit, which tested some recipes using Chef Watson, offered a few examples of the recipes cooked up with the help of the supercomputer.

Mike Rhodin, senior vice president at IBM Watson Group said the goal “is to help people discover the potential of cognitive computing systems.”

These include cabbage-tamarind cole slaw with fried onions, fennel-spiced ribs with apple-mustard barbecue sauce, and grilled corn and nectarine salad with chili powder, coriander, basil and cumin.

“These systems can understand vast amounts of data, compounds, and formulas as well as learn from interactions

worldwide music licences, perhaps it plans to expand the technologies and curation methods used to the UK and other corners of the globe. As part of the deal, Google will take ownership over the Songza apps for Android and, yes, iPhone and iPad.

For dessert, Watson offered up a berry cobbler with lemon

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zest, sour cream, buttermilk and the unusual addition of marjoram, which according to the magazine was among the favorites of testers.

“At Bon Appetit, we were curious to see what Watson could discover that was never previously considered, helping unlock a chef’s creativity,” said editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport.

“We see the intersection of technology and food sparking new thinking and creativity not only in our own test kitchen, but in our reader’s homes as well.”

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Propel National Rollout U.S. judge dismisses two counts in Rengan RajaratAdded Value Opportunities nam insider case

How Do You Know Which Credit Card is Right for You?

here are hundreds of credit cards available to consumers. From rewards cards to secure cards, credit card companies design cards that fit the consumer’s specific need. Just recently, Wells Fargo and American Express launched two new credit cards: Wells Fargo Propel World American Express® Card and the Wells Fargo Propel 365 American Express® Card. The new cards are designed to give customers the ability to maximize everyday spending and earn rewards faster. The cards also provide rich benefits like enhanced protection for shopping and traveling. These two cards were designed to help customers succeed financially with compelling offerings such as receiving additional bonuses for a Wells Fargo relationship. This means that Wells Fargo customers can earn an extra 10, 25 or 50 percent in reward points for maintaining a qualified Wells Fargo checking or savings account or a PMA® package. Like Propel 365 and Propel World, there are may be other credit cards that offer great rewards to fit the consumer needs. However, out of those hundreds of cards, how do you know which one is right for you? Beverly Anderson, head of Wells Fargo’s Consumer Financial Services group, points that the first step is to know your credit goals and what you want the credit card to do for you. For example, are you looking to earn more rewards points for the money you spend or simply looking to establish or build credit? “Credit cards, when used responsibly, can be a useful tool to build and manage

credit,” explained Anderson. “They can also maximize an individual’s everyday spending through rewards programs as well as offering additional services and protections.”

To make the most out of a credit card, it’s important to find a card that matches your lifestyle as well as your spending habits. A study conducted by the Credit Counseling Professionals conducted revealed that the majority of American use credit cards to make everyday purchases such as gas, meals and groceries. If you’re among those who use a credit card for everyday spending, then why not select a card that rewards you for the purchases you’re already making? Similarly, consumers who travel often may benefit most from a card with travel-oriented perks. Some travel cards may offer great benefits for people who love to explore the world such as no foreign conversion fees, chip technology for additional protection against fraud, and accelerated rewards points on travel related purchases. Knowing which credit card is right for you can be very rewarding. When you select a card that matches your style, you can then begin to maximize its benefits. Wells Fargo offers these four key steps to making the most out your card: • Know your spending habits: before your open a new credit card, make sure you know what your spending habits are. You will find that the best rewards are those that match your personal preference and lifestyle. For example, if you don’t use your credit card often, seek out a rewards program that offers a variety of redemption options at lower price points. • Review your rewards agreement: understand how you can earn and redeem rewards. Does your credit card reward you extra for specific

types of purchases? Can you take advantage of discounts at certain merchants? Knowing this information can help you make the most out of your purchases and spend money responsibly. • Choose a credit card with accelerated earnings: after you review your rewards agreement, select a card that offer accelerated earnings on the purchases you make most often. For example, some credit cards offer triple and double points for gas and meal purchases. • Take advantage of the rewards you already have: review your rewards balance. If you have been using a credit card that matches your spending habits, then chances are you may have accumulated enough points to redeem for merchandise items or travel related expenses. And, if you are a Wells Fargo customer, you can also use your rewards to pay down debt or build savings.

In addition to offering compelling rewards for the purchases you already make, there are also other benefits that can often be overlooked. These may include 24/7 concierge service that can be used anywhere from planning a trip to simply making dinner reservations. Phone, retail and travel protections are other benefits that some cards may offer, but are often ignored. However, it’s important to note that credit cards that offer more features may often have a higher annual fee, while other more basic cards may have lower to no annual fees. “Sometimes what makes a great credit card is not just one thing, but the combination of many factors,” shared Anderson. “As such, consumers should always look for a card that matches their financial goals and needs.”

Yellen sees little threat to financial stability by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer

ASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Wednesday that she doesn’t see a need for the Fed to start raising interest rates to defuse the risk that extremely low rates could destabilize the financial system. Yellen said she does see “pockets” of increased risk-taking. But she said those threats could be addressed through greater use of regulatory tools. Many of those tools, such as higher capital standards for banks, were put in place after the 2008 financial crisis, which triggered the Great Recession. In her remarks at a conference sponsored by the International Monetary Fund, Yellen disputed criticism that the Fed had contributed to the 2008 crisis by keeping rates too low earlier in the decade. Yellen acknowledged that financial stability risks “escalated to a dangerous level in the mid-2000s” and that policy-makers overlooked the

Rengan Rajaratnam exits the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Lower Manhattan June 17, 2014. Photo Credit: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid by Nate Raymond

EW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday dismissed two securities fraud counts against Rengan Rajaratnam, the younger brother of Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam, in a surprise development in the federal criminal insider trading case. Rengan Rajaratnam still faces a criminal count of conspiracy, but U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald at a hearing in Manhattan dismissed other counts related to improper trading in technology company Clearwire Corp.

Rajaratnam’s lawyer, Daniel Gitner, argued Tuesday for the judge to also dismiss that remaining count. Buchwald adjourned without ruling, though she indicated she would likely send that count to the jury. Gitner and a spokesman for Bharara declined comment. Prosecutors had accused Rajaratnam of conspiring with his older brother to trade on inside information about technology companies Clearwire Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc in 2008.

“I ﬁnd a reasonable jury could not so ﬁnd,” she said.

Prosecutors contended that a tip to Raj Rajaratnam in March 2008 - that Intel was planning to invest $1 billion (£583.1 million) in Clearwire - helped Galleon reap $700,000 and Rengan to earn $100,000.

The decision came shortly after prosecutors rested in presenting evidence in the latest in a string of insider trading cases pursued by Manhattan U.S. Attorney

The government said the tip

as a last resort,” Dana Saporta, an economist at Credit Suisse, said in a research note. Yellen speciﬁcally mentioned that demand for a certain type of corporate bond commonly called junk bonds is rising. She said this suggests that investors are buying those bonds in a “reach for yield” without properly assessing the risks of possible defaults. But Yellen said regulators had the tools to address rising risks in speciﬁc areas.

She said the government has made progress since then in closing the regulatory gaps that allowed the ﬁnancial crisis to erupt.

In her speech, Yellen said she didn’t see dangerous excesses in the ﬁnancial system. She said that there were isolated areas of increased risk taking but that those could be dealt with

The decision, which is not appealable, spared Rajaratnam from the most serious charges he faced. Each carried a maximum term of 20 years in prison, compared with the ﬁve years he faces on the conspiracy count.

Buchwald said the issue was whether Rengan Rajaratnam traded on inside information about Clearwire knowing the tipper breached his duties to keep it secret and in exchange for a personal beneﬁt.

vulnerabilities in the financial system that would make the subsequent decline in home prices so destabilizing. She included herself in this group of policymakers. “Policymakers failed to anticipate that the reversal of the house price bubble would trigger the most significant financial crisis in the United States since the Great Depression,” Yellen said.

Yellen spoke one day after the Dow Jones industrial average set a record for the stock market. Some critics of Fed policies have warned that the central bank could be setting the stage for another dangerous bubble by keeping rates so low for so long.

Preet Bharara.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde, center, walks with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, left, and former International Monetary Fund Managing Director Michel Camdessus, as they arrive for a lecture series at the IMF in Washington, Wednesday, July 2, 2014. Yellen said she doesn’t see a need for the Fed to start raising interest rates to address the risk that extremely low rates could destabilize the ﬁnancial system. Photo: Susan Walsh, AP through regulatory changes rather than by raising rates. “Fed Chair Janet Yellen does

not sound like she is inclined to use monetary policy to lean against potential excesses in the ﬁnancial markets except

In a discussion after her speech with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, Yellen said that she viewed regulatory efforts as the “main line of defense” to deal with threats to the stability of the ﬁnancial system. She said regulators in the United States and around the globe were focusing on tightening standards in such areas as requiring increased levels of capital that banks must hold to cushion against future shocks. Yellen said she had not taken the Fed’s control over interest rates totally off the table as a

came from Rajiv Goel, then an Intel Corp executive and friend of Raj Rajaratnam, who testiﬁed in Rengan’s trial on June 24. Goel pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges stemming from the scheme and received two years’ probation. Raj Rajaratnam had helped Goel ﬁnancially, earning his friend $700,000 to $800,000 trading in his personal account at his request. Raj Rajaratnam also lent him $100,000 in 2005 in connection with a home purchase and gave him $500,000 to help keep a family property in Bombay. But on Tuesday, Gitner argued no evidence had been presented to establish that Rengan Rajaratnam knew who Goel was, let alone that he was receiving anything from supplying tips to his brother, a position adopted by Buchwald. “There is no evidence in the record that Raj ever shared the name Goel with Rengan,” Buchwald said before making her ruling. The case is U.S. v. Rajaratnam, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 1300211.

tool to deal with ﬁnancial stability issues but that it was important to recognize the limitations interest-rate policies had. She said that there were a number of areas that regulators were monitoring such as the growth of the so-called shadow banking system. In 2007 and 2008, risk-taking in a corner of shadow banking known as subprime mortgages spread to other areas of the system and eventually pushed the country into the worst recession since the Great Depression. The Fed and other bank regulators have developed “a very active monitoring system to try to be on the lookout for the next crisis,” Yellen said. Her comments Wednesday were in line with remarks she made at a news conference after the Fed’s June 17-18 meeting. She made clear then that the U.S. economy still needs help from the Fed’s low rates and that she saw no need to start boosting them now. Most analysts think the Fed won’t start raising its benchmark shortterm rate before mid-2015.

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

Your Horoscope for the Week of July 4, 2014 by Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Like Always, relatively small matter that you would normally pass off as “things happen”. But this one will send you to the edge. One cause may be a recent, rather impractical move on the part of your mate or partner. Though you may be tempted to pick up the phone and tell them off, you are likely to be far too busy to start World War III. Save your venting for a quieter time, when you could let the state of your checkbook tell the story. You must admit, however, that their intention was in both your interests, so don’t stay mad.

Lead yourself by your extreme sensitivity to whatever environment you ﬁnd yourself in. As you pick up the vibes, be sure to separate what’s real from what is simply your imagination. What is deﬁnitely true, is that your mate is eager to see you and should be in an excellent frame of mind. Give him or her your best, too. Don’t harp on small things. Isn’t it great to feel totally at ease? Your work should go well, but soon, you will be ready for a change of pace.

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

Scorpio (N,Y)23 Oct to 21 Nov

The strategic alliance with someone who may ﬁgure big in your future success. It may be a new romantic relationship, or perhaps it is business progress that is at issue. Whatever your situation, put some feeling into the encounter to show that this is not just another meeting. Be sure to follow up, whether the issue is personal or professional. You’ll be glad you did. You are intensely curious about something. You may have heard rumors & now is the time to check them out.

You will be able to get success by magnetism of your personality. Alone it could be a force to be reckoned with, however you’ll be sharp in the job arena. A long hoped for raise could come through, or at least an acknowledgement by a boss or other higher-up that you are worth more. You are also in a mood to improvise. Your spur-of-the-moment creations really ﬁll the bill. You’ll feel like celebrating. Open your wallet and treat yourself to something sumptuous.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June A bit of a conﬂict over your various responsibilities. A big project at work could keep you working after hours and your mate may not be too pleased at a break in the normal schedule. Perhaps they may not be as adaptable as you are. Smooth things out, try not to talk about money concerns, if possible. Better days are ahead. You are sharp as a tack, but try not to be too sharp. Watch what you say to co-workers, because you may offend someone.

A feeling of having to let go of something or someone. It will be clear to you, however, that the usefulness or viability of what you give up, has gone. You’ll be in the mood for romance, with someone new, someone old, or with that very special person who is always there for you. No tears or regrets, just be glad that whatever it was is now over. Because you are in overdrive, an emotional explosion could be a decisive and constructive action on a long-term work project that you are now determined to bring to a head and complete.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Your mood, which is as stable as the Lake Water. You may ﬁnd it very difﬁcult to concentrate. Changes may be afoot on the home scene. Do your best to stay on an even course, plan to spend some time unwinding. In this situation, the best way to nurture yourself is to nurture others. You will be able to speak tenderly. Sharp words should not be exchanged. Someone, possibly an older relative, could express discontent with how they perceive you are handling your affairs, it’s not polite, but you may be inclined to say, “It’s none of your business”.

Feel conﬁdent about your public or professional image. Though your ambition may be keen, others could be in the same frame of mind as you. If an obvious power play on someone’s part disturbs you, act as if it has nothing to do with you. It doesn’t, really. The problem is that you may have seen it coming, and now that it has come to a head, you ﬁnd yourself annoyed. Just keep moving steadily along. Do not push for any unscheduled meetings or conversations.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August A time to renovate, remodel or just redecorate. Make the atmosphere more pleasant for entertaining family and friends. You could experience a special emotional fulfillment from cooperation on the job. Your optimism is justified as some projects involving property bring great financial success. Be sure you don’t put a rotten apple in the barrel, however, just because you don’t know your own power. Screen other investors carefully and put a high value on your own abilities.

You will be getting geared up to plunge into a new project. You could quickly get all the background information you need. If it isn’t work that occupies you, it may be a hunt for bargains in the house and property market. You may have a dream place in mind, but you are not going to ﬁnd it without putting in some long hours of research. You may be a bit anxious about the thought of a big move, remembering past experiences. With plenty of lead-time and advance planning, it needn’t be the chore it appears to be right now.

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

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Someone or something puzzling you. It’s not easy to put anything over on you, but someone may try to do just that. It may come in the form of a secret about someone close to you. You could be a little bit gullible now, don’t necessarily believe what you hear. After all, who knows them better than you do? You may decide to have less to do with the person who tried put something over on you. You’ll be able to grin and bear it, whatever it turns out to be. At times, you may feel like it’s all work and no rewards.

Use your ambition & your honest approach. You are full of ideas, not to mention vim and vigor. You may surprise everyone by becoming a bit of a chatterbox. Try to conﬁne what you say to the work at hand. Not everyone has to know your personal business. You may be called on to supervise some people. If you are not used to being the boss, you could learn much through this experience. One cardinal rule is not to expect of anyone else what you would not expect of yourself.

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VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

VOICE OF ASIA 23

CLASSIFIEDS

FRIDAY, July 4, 2014

HINDI PRARTHANA

Content Producer KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a CONTENT PRODUCER for digital and broadcast platforms. The perfect candidate must be a strong writer with signiﬁcant digital experience. Additionally the candidate selected must have the ability to multitask and have excellent news judgment. This position will be responsible for various tasks leading up to daily broadcasts and will be responsible for generating, developing and publishing content to various digital platforms. We are looking for someone with great journalistic instincts and social media know-how. (Strong internal candidate) All interested applicants must apply online at www.disneycareers.com, Job Req #199665BR. Please upload a cover letter, and resume. No phone calls please. Equal Opportunity Employer – Female/ Minority/ Veteran/ Disability.

Community Affairs Intern KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a paid COMMUNITY AFFAIRS INTERNSHIP for the upcoming semester. Internships are available to currently enrolled undergraduate college students in their junior or senior year pursuing careers in the television/media field and must receive college credit for the internship. The internship program is designed to provide students with an on-site educational experience that complements their academic studies. Interns will have an opportunity to observe and participate in the daily work and operations of a major market, television station. As an intern you will attend help in the production of community affairs shows, including scheduling of guests, help gathering and editing video, assist with community drives, forums and outreach. Each area requires significant planning, scheduling and execution. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and supply written verification of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship. Additionally, applicants must be able to work at least one day per week and the hours may vary depending on scheduling and may include some weekend and early morning and evening hours. All interested applicants must apply online at www. disneycareers.com, Job Req #199065BR. Please upload a cover letter, your resume outlining other internships, degrees earned, work experience, related clubs and organizations, current major course of study, expected graduation date and extracurricular activities. No phone calls please. Equal Opportunity Employer – Female/ Minority/ Veteran/ Disability.

News Intern KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a paid NEWS INTERNSHIP for the upcoming semester. Internships are available to undergrads currently enrolled college students in their junior or senior year pursuing careers in the television/media field and must receive college credit for the internship. The internship program is designed to provide students with an on-site educational experience that complements their academic studies. Interns will have an opportunity to observe and participate in the daily work and operations of a major market, television station. As an intern you will attend production meetings, assist the assignment desk, research news topics, view and log tapes, transcribe interviews and edit video along with other duties. Interns also will also have an opportunity to, on occasion, travel with reporters and field crews for stories and live remotes. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and supply written verification of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship. Additionally, applicants must be able to work at least one day per week and the hours may vary depending on scheduling and will include some weekend and early morning and evening hours. All interested applicants must apply online at www.disneycareers.com, Job Req 199060BR. Please upload a cover letter, your resume outlining other internships, degrees earned, work experience, related clubs and organizations, current major course of study, expected graduation date and extracurricular activities. No phone calls please. Equal Opportunity Employer – Female/ Minority/ Veteran/ Disability.

Do you need PRAYER? Do you need a MIRACLE in your life? Can we pray for the CHILDLESS couple?

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