Voice of Asia Nov 29 2013 by VoiceOf Asia

OP-ED/OPINIONS/VIEWS

VOICE OF ASIA 2

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FACTS ON FILE - The origins of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) date back to 1862 during the Civil War, when President Lincoln and Congress created the position of commissioner of Internal Revenue and enacted an income tax to cover war costs. - The income tax was repealed 10 years later, and the government did without this revenue source until Congress revived it in 1894. That lasted until the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional just one year later. - The constitutionality question was resolved in 1913. The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states “Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived....” - Of the 144 million or so individual income tax returns filed last year, 77 percent were filed electronically. That’s up from only 31 percent a decade ago. - In 1913, Wyoming ratified the 16th Amendment, providing the three-quarter majority of states necessary to amend the Constitution. The 16th Amendment gave Congress the authority to enact an income tax. That same year, the first Form 1040 appeared after Congress levied a 1 percent tax on net personal incomes above $3,000 with a 6 percent surtax on incomes of more than $500,000.

Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $30 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074 It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or conﬁrmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. - The Publisher

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avid beats Goliath so rarely that the smart money is always on Goliath, and the tax collector always wins. But not quite always. Two Michigan businessmen have beaten the Internal Revenue Service at its own game. After a wave of bad publicity — and a lawsuit by the Institute for Justice — the IRS agency beat a retreat from using civil forfeiture to seize $70,000 by arbitrarily calling it “suspicious.” It agreed to return the money last week. That relieves Mark Zaniewski, proprietor of a Metro Marathon gasoline station near Detroit. Mr. Zaniewski, who owns several gasoline stations and convenience stores, is familiar with masked thieves who hit stores like his, but the IRS robbers wore only IRS badges. The ofﬁcers alleged no crimes. The government asserted only that the way the stores and stations collect and deposit considerable cash over the day looked “suspicious.” With his capital tied up by the IRS for more than seven months, Mr. Zaniewiski struggled to keep his business alive. He begged and borrowed money from members of his family to pay for weekly gasoline deliveries. The IRS even took some of the borrowed money, forcing him to close his stations for two weeks. Civil-forfeiture procedures allow mere suspicion to justify such mis-

uts to the U.S. food stamp program will mean 1.9 billion fewer meals for hungry Americans in 2014. That’s more than half the number of meals the country’s food banks already are expected to serve. If House Republicans succeed in cutting $40 billion more from the program over the next decade, another 1.5 billion meals will be wiped out. Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program thinned the monthly food budgets for 47 million Americans. Many will ask a local food pantry to help fill the gap. At the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, calls for help are up 50 percent this month. Further SNAP cuts will overwhelm the nonprofit food banks. Charity can’t be a longterm replacement for government safety nets. In New Jersey, cuts totaled $90 million a year and reduced monthly allowances for 873,000 people — 10 percent of the state, the vast majority being children, elderly or the working poor. “We can’t make up the slack for that,” says Diane Riley, the Community FoodBank’s advocacy director. Food banks are built to help solve temporary emergency hardships such as job loss or illness. Should they be expected to fill in when the government decides to save money by letting people go hungry?

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Beating the IRS America’s ‘most notorious bank robber’ gets a lesson in the law not apply. Moreover, police and other law enforcement agencies are offered a cut of whatever proceeds the IRS takes, which makes law-abiding businesses tempting targets. Jesse James and his boys, Willie Sutton, and Bonnie and Clyde never had it as good as this. Terry Dehko, owner of Schott’s Supermarket in Fraser, Mich., was trapped in this system when the IRS helped itself to $100,000 from the store’s America’s most notorious bank robber gets a bank account. lesson in the law Under provisions of the Patriot Act, IRS agents were enabled to chief. Under the rules of civil look through the ledgers for procedure, an accused is pre- evidence of money laundersumed guilty and must prove ing. The IRS found “no violahis innocence. These are rules tions,” but nine months later, directly opposite from criminal the IRS used a secret warrant procedures, where the accused to empty the bank account beis presumed innocent until cause it found frequent cash proved guilty. onstitutional deposits of less than $10,000. rights, such as the right to due As Mr. Dehko explained in an process and a speedy trial, do

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Like many other small businesses, my store’s insurance policy specifically limits coverage for cash losses to $10,000.” Hours after a lawsuit was filed in the Michigan cases, the IRS cut its losses and dropped th proceedings against Messrs. Dehko and Zaniewski. The Institute for Justice, however, it not backing down, and says it will push the federal courts to recognize the right to a prompt hearing when the government uses civil procedures to take property. We wish the institute well, but the courts can’t always be trusted to do the right thing. Congress must step up to recognize that property should be seized only after someone has been convicted of a crime. The rules should be revised so that no man or agency benefits from taking the property of others. Otherwise, the government is little different from the masked men who rob gasoline stations and grocery stores. (Source: Washington Post)

Charity can’t pick up the food stamp slack Republicans, a bulging SNAP is evidence of waste and fraud. What they’re missing is that food stamps are a big part of the economic recovery.

fall short, they’ve been able to turn to their local food banks. Increasingly, nonproﬁts are ﬁlling the monthly gaps after un-

or the Senate’s more modest $4 billion over 10 years. In either case, they’re voting for people to go hungry. If Washington

SNAP is a near-perfect economic stimulus. Every dollar is spent in local communities, boosting growth and jobs for grocers, shop owners, farmers and other food producers. For recipients, food stamps help prevent crime and deeper poverty. Well-fed children perform better in school, increasing future earning power. At work, productivity suffers when employees are hungry. To make up for SNAP’s worst-case cuts, food banks would have to double their resources. Yes, donors are more generous around Thanksgiving and the December holidays — but not by double. What happens come January? Charities aren’t immune to cutbacks, either: The federal government donates fewer farm goods to food banks than it has in the past.

This month’s cut was the result of Congress failing to extend a 2009 stimulus plan that had expanded SNAP benefits. More reductions are expected; the Senate has also proposed cuts, though less drastic. House Republicans say cutting food stamps will reduce the federal deficit. They say SNAP’s skyrocketing enrollment proves there’s fat to be cut: That’s why they would force as many as 6 million people off food assistance, and slash benefits for those who are left. They’re right about the numbers: Before the Great Recession, in 2006, more than 26 million Americans collected SNAP benefits. By 2010, it was more than 40 million. Food banks saw a similar trend: They served 25 million people in 2006, and 37 million by 2010. With so many people out of work and wages falling, it’s no surprise that demand for food stamps goes up. In the eyes of

When families’ food budgets

The shelves are often full at the nation’s food banks in the weeks leading to Thanksgiving. But cuts to the federal food stamp program are placing a greater burden on charity organizations. Photo:Ashley Peskoe/NJ.com employment checks and food stamps run out. It’s an unsustainable demand. Congress is still debating whether to cut SNAP by the $40 billion approved in the House,

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op-ed column in these pages in September, “My clerks routinely deposited cash earned at Schott’s at a bank right across the street. It’s never a good idea to risk letting too much money accumulate on-site.

VOICE OF ASIA 3

COMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Second Front Page

Friday, November 29, 2013

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

‘Swami Selvam Siddhar’ detained in federal custody Annamalai Annamalai, commonly known as “Doctor Commander Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar,” has been detained by federal authorities following a criminal indictment ﬁled in U.S. Dis-

Orthodox Diocese of SouthWest America relocates by Jacob David

money laundering and obstruction of justice. In addition an “immigration detainer” has also been ﬁled against him, subject to deportation if convicted of the charges.

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EASLEY, TX - The Diocese of South-West America for Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has successfully relocated to Beasley, Texas. The Bishop, His Grace Alexios Mar Eusebius Diocesan Metropolitan has approved the move which includes the purchase of a home with hundred acres of land to start various projects to beneﬁt the Orthodox community and programs to beneﬁt

2009. The Bishop, His Grace Alexios Mar Eusebius Diocesan Metropolitan took charge of the Diocese on June 1st, 2009. “My primary concern for the last four years has been to spiritually empower the members of all the parishes in our Diocese. I have been traveling far and wide to make sure every family member is heard and issues addressed. There is a lot of work remaining that needs to be done. Starting the Diocesan center here will help us address several concerns our parishes have been having.” he said in a

Mr. Annamali as he appeared in his advertisements for consultations and healings. ton area following an indictment by a Grand Jury in Atlanta earlier this month. Kumar Chinnathambi is a co-defendent in the case.

trict Court for the Northern District of Georgia located in Atlanta. Annamalai’s current residency is listed as Baytown, Texas. Mr. Annamalai is charged with conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud,

U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy, after a detention hearing in Houston on Nov. 18 denied any bail to Annamalai because, as she wrote, “there is a serious risk that the defendant will not appear.” Annamalai was arrested in the Hous-

Inc.

Charges state that Annamalai and Chinnathambi conspired to fraudulently conceal property belonging to the Hindu Temple and Community Center of Georgia,

Mr. Annmalai formed the Hindu Temple in 2005 and was its president. Mr. Chinnathambi was named the CEO of the organization ﬁve years ago, in 2008.

The Bishop, His Grace Alexios Mar Eusebius Diocesan Metropolitan addresses the press conference held at Beasley, Texas. (Photo: Priyan Mathew) the American society as a whole. The previous center was a home and less than 1.5 acres in Missouri City.

press conference yesterday, November 25, 2013. Houston, Texas is the main hub for the South-West American Dio-

The Orthodox Diocese of SouthWest America was formed on April 1st,

Continued on pg. 10

FIS interviews Neurosurgeon Dr. Randhir P. Sinha

Indians to even get an appointment with a CEO of a major corporation in town” he said.

“Get good education and get involved in main stream politics” was his message.

r. Randhir P. Sinha, a prominent Indian Neurosurgeon from the Clear Lake area was interviewed for the Indo-American Oral History Project by Foundation for Indian Studies. Dr. Sinha has been a Resident of Clear Lake since 1975 and became a prominent member of the Indian

American community in Houston. He was one of the founding members of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston during Consul General, Mr. Wangdi’s time and later became its President in 20042005. “Until the formation of the Chamber of Commerce, it was difﬁcult for

Dr. Randhir P. Sinha, a neurosurgeon of Clear Lake was interviewed by Anjaly Thakkar, a Berkeley educated teacher at the Kinkaid School. (Photo: Krishna Vavilala)

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Dr. Sinha was also a founding member of the IndoAmerican Political Action Committee. He entertained several

Congressmen at his home and tried to promote friendship between America and India. He takes pride in his attempts to influence the public policy of America towards India, particularly in the successfully concluded Nuclear agreement under Bush administration. Dr. Sinha, describes himself as socially liberal and fiscally conservative. He does not approve America’s current fiscal deficit which runs into several trillions of dollars. He questions: how can anyone spend more than their income? Even though he is a staunch Republican, he has friends on both sides of the aisle. He was a fundraiser Continued on pg. 10

VOICE OF ASIA 4

25th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

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A will deals only with property owned at the time of death Q. My father gave much of his property away right before he died. His will left everything to me. Do I have some right to the property he gave away? A. Probably not. A person has the right to dispose of his or her property in whatever way he or she feels is reasonable. A will deals only with what is left in the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estate after they die. Assuming that your father was mentally competent when he made the gifts, and was not tricked or defrauded, I see no basis for you to challenge them. It was his property and he had the right to do whatever he wanted with it. Q. I bought a Christmas present for our niece. I was not sure of the size, but I assumed if it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fit, she could exchange it or get a refund. My wife, however, does not believe that my niece will be entitled to a refund. Who is right? I thought you could always return a gift that you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want for a full refund. A. Actually, neither of you are correct; there is no set rule. Whenever you buy something, you enter into a contract with the store. Your right to return the item, and whether you are entitled to a refund, depends on the terms of your contract. In many cases a store gives customers notice of its return policy. For example, a store may post a sign or print something on the receipt. If you are aware of the policy when you buy the item, the policy determines your rights and the rights of the person to whom the gift is given. If the item is sold with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;store credit only,â&#x20AC;? or, â&#x20AC;&#x153;exchange only-- no returns,â&#x20AC;? you are not entitled to a refund. In fact, if the store posts a sign saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;all sales final, no returns or exchanges,â&#x20AC;? the person to whom you give the gift has no right to return or exchange it just because it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fit or she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like it. In some cases, however, nothing is said about the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return or exchange policy. In that case, the law implies a term consistent with what a reasonable person believes the term should be. In my opinion, most people believe that when you buy a gift, the person to whom it is given has the right to an exchange or refund if it doesnÂšt fit or he or she does not like it. Therefore, when nothing is said about returns, the implied term of the contract is that an item may be exchanged or returned for a full refund. The bottom line when buying a gift is to avoid problems in the future, by always asking about the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return policy. Q. My mother recently passed away. She died with no money. My brother and I had to pay her funeral expenses. Now the debt collectors are harassing my brother and me about her debts. Do we owe this money? What can we do to stop the letters and phone calls? A. When a person dies, his or her estate is responsible for paying any debts. If there are no assets in the estate, the bills are not paid. Relatives, such as a child, are not responsible for the bills, unless the relative had previously agreed to be responsible. For example, if you co-signed for your mother, you would still be responsible. Unless you or your brother had agreed to pay your motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bills, you have no obligation to pay, even if you paid the funeral expenses. In fact, the debt collectors are probably violating federal debt collection laws by asking you to pay. I suggest you let the collectors know that you do not owe the money and that you believe they are violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Demand in writing that they stop all further communication. My guess is that will resolve your problem. Do you want to know more about your legal rights? Visit my website, www.peopleslawyer.net

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Nisha Desai’s success reﬂective of deep Indo-US ties: Kerry

ASHINGTON: With Nisha Desai Biswal becoming US’ ﬁrst ever Indian-American point person for South Asia, Secretary of State John Kerry has said her success and that of others from the community is reﬂective of the deep ties his country has with India.

Biswal, the first Indian-American to become Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, was formally sworn in by Kerry. (Photo: PTI) Biswal, the first IndianAmerican to become Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, was formally sworn in by Kerry at an impressive ceremony held at the State Department which was attended by key officials of the Obama Administration including the White House Chief of Staff, Dennis McDonough. “Nisha’s experience and the success that so many IndianAmericans bring to the American table shows to everybody in the world the deep ties that we have between the US and India. “And I know that we’re going to unlock the enormous potential of stronger economic, security, and cultural ties between our countries,” Kerry said in his remarks. Describing Biswal as an woman with “incredible energy” and praising her focus and her enthusiasm for what she does, Kerry said, “Think about the message that we’re sending today, whichI am excited about: The story of a woman who left a small town in India at age 6 to come to America and now becomes one of the most important leaders in the

Department of State.” “It’s a great story; it’s the American story. It is proof of the power of the American journey. It helps capture how in every generation, immigrants revitalise America and renew us and help to remind us of our common roots and then go on to write the next chapter of American history,” he said. As the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Biswal would be Obama’s point person for entire South and Central Asia -- a region of the world, which Kerry said is home to two billion people and has a collective GDP of USD 2 trillion. “We are invested in that region’s prosperity for the long haul and in naming Nisha Biswal as the Assistant Secretary today, we show the strength of that commitment,” he said. Kerry said Biswal’s colleagues say that she is somebody who speaks softly and carries a big stick. “The truth is she doesn’t need to speak too loudly about so many of America’s strengths because whether it’s women’s rights or human rights or a belief in the power of education and equal opportunity, Nisha has lived every single one of those lessons,” he said. (PTI)

DIASPORA Top commerce nominee focusing on exports, FDI by Arun Madhavan Kumar

ASHINGTON: Indian American Arun Madhavan Kumar, nominee for a top US commerce department post, has said if confirmed, he will focus on increasing exports and the amount of FDI to create high-value jobs in the country. “As the assistant secretary for global markets, should I be confirmed, I would like to strengthen the focus on the markets offering the biggest opportunities for American products and services, and on orchestrating efforts to increase our market share in those markets,” Kumar said during his confirmation hearing yesterday. “I would make sure that my organisation fully embraces efforts to work with cities and communities across this great country to attract foreign direct investment to create high-value jobs,” Kumar said in his testimony before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee chaired by Senator John ‘Jay’ Rockefeller. Kerala-born Kumar, a member of the board of directors of the US India Business Council (USIBC), said he has been deeply engaged in the mission of promoting US exports to India. “In my new role, should I be confirmed, I will strive to ex-

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Indian-American chemist jailed in drug lab scandal

n Indian-American former chemist at a Massachusetts drug lab has been sentenced to prison for faking forensic test results, a scandal that has jeopardised thousands of convictions. Annie Dookhan pleaded guilty on Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court to all 27 counts against her related to the drug lab crisis. She was sentenced to three to five years in prison. Dookhan, 36, showed little emotion and spoke softly as she pleaded guilty. After accepting Dookhan’s plea, Judge Carol Ball sentenced her to three to five years in state prison in Framingham. ecute our national priorities of increasing exports as well as increasing the amount of foreign direct investment in our country and our communities, both with the express purpose of creating valuable jobs here in America,” he said. If confirmed by the Senate, Kumar will lead the commerce department’s newly organised global markets unit within the International Trade Administration. The job will be to promote exports by assisting American businesses access and penetrate foreign markets.

Dookhan’s falsiﬁcation of drug tests, in an attempt to look like a highly productive employee, prompted the release of hundreds of convicts, raised questions about thousands of cases, and forced the state to spend millions to address the problems. Ball, who found that Dookhan had entered her plea “freely, willingly, and voluntarily”, also sentenced Dookhan to two years of probation. Prosecutors had requested a ﬁve-to-seven-year sentence for Dookhan. Her defense attorney had argued for a maximum sentence of one year. Sentencing guidelines called He will also lead Select USA, US President Barack Obama’s new initiative to promote foreign direct investment. Responding to questions, Kumar said the expansion of free trade agreements has been a big priority for Obama. “The country has 20 such free trade agreements. I would support all efforts that the president makes to expand free trade, including supporting him and the secretary on efforts to advance the goals of expanding free trade and perhaps using TPA as a way to make that more effective,” he said.

NRIs get online attention from AP gov’t

yderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a project to collect database of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from the state and to provide them some online services. The NRIs can now apply online for authentication of educational certiﬁcates and for attestation of other certiﬁcates/documents through the web portal www.apnri.ap.gov. in. This will provide a big re-

lief to those who had to stand in queues to get the work done at the NRI department in state secretariat. Minister in-charge of NRI Affairs D Sridhar Babu told reporters on Saturday that the applicant on the date of his preference may physically appear before the ofﬁcer concerned for authentication of the documents. The government has launched

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for a maximum sentence of three years for Dookhan, but Ball said in a ruling last month she wanted to impose a tougher sentence “given the magnitude of the harm she has done, considerations of general deterrence and, particularly, punishment.” Massachusetts officials identified more than 40,000 criminal cases affected by testing Dookhan did during the nine years she worked at the now-closed Hinton state lab. Michael O’Keefe, president of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, says prosecutors have sifted through hundreds of cases and close to 350 people have been released from prison. (PTI0. Recalling when he first landed at Boston’s Logan Airport on the Labor Day weekend in 1978, Kumar said he would not have dreamt that 35 years later he would be in front of the “august” Senate committee. Inspired by the accomplishments and eloquence of America’s historic leaders - Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Lincoln and moved by the words of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King. “If I seemed shell-shocked then, today I feel a sense of awe and honour to be here in this great city where many of those heroes influenced the trajectory of this great nation.” Kumar, who has worked with companies in North America, Europe and Asia, founded the US-India practice at leading professional services company KPMG to assist US companies with their entry into the Indian market and Indian companies with investing and operating in the US. (PTI)

a pilot project for management of information/application system of NRI affairs on migration proﬁling and to provide online services. This project covers ﬁve districts of Adilabad, Kadapa, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and West Godavari with headquarters in Hyderabad

seas Indians Affairs Ministry had desired that the state government create database of overseas Indians hailing from the state on migration/immigration proﬁling in order to address their issues more effectively. (Source: IANS)

The NRIs having valid visa for going abroad on study or employment can register by ﬁlling a form online. The government will issue a certiﬁcate 30 days after the submission of the form.

UAE-based NRIs prefer property in Mumbai, Bangalore: study

The user can have access to services offered by the NRI department and can also register his grievances. The department also proposed to link the website with the passport and Protector of Emigrants database, and the data so collected will be used for policy interventions and also for tracking the illegal migrants. A help desk will be established at the Hyderabad airport and with the data base with passport portal linkage, the illegal migrant can be identiﬁed. Sridhar Babu said the Over-

he city of dreams “Mumbai” yet again comes up as an undisputed winner and an all-time favorite amongst UAE-based NRIs for their real estate investments as 33.7 per cent voted for it , reveals a new survey conducted by organisers of the Indian Property Show, scheduled to be held on December 19- 21 at Dubai World Trade Center. Inching closer and grabbing 2nd spot is Bangalore with 22.60 per cent (up by 5 per cent from last time) preferring

to invest in coming 3-6months. Pune takes the 3rd place with 17.5 per cent, whereas Chennai at 16 per cent assumes 4th position and Delhi is at 5th position with only 8.6 per cent NRIs interested in investing in the capital city. While Navi Mumbai, Cochin and Gurgaon still remain popular, Hyderabad and Coimbatore lose out to Ahmadabad and Goa as hot destination cities for property purchase, said the survey, which was “The real estate s More than 17,500 NRIs across UAE participated. (PTI)

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India emerges most attractive investment destination

A N A LY S I S

Why Nepal rejected Maoists

EW DELHI - With relaxation in FDI norms to boost investor sentiments, India has emerged as the most attractive investment destination surpassing neighbouring China and the US, says a report. The global survey of leading consultancy ﬁrm EY has ranked India as the most attractive investment destination followed by Brazil and China at second and third positions, respectively. While Canada has cornered fourth spot, the US is placed at ﬁfth position. Other nations in the top ten are South Africa (6), Vietnam (7), Myanmar (8), Mexico (9) and Indonesia (10).

Voters in Nepal (19 November 2013) The voters have sent a clear message to the Maoists

epali voters woke up on Thursday to the ﬁnd that the Maoist party, dominant for a decade, may have been relegated to third place in this year’s general election. The fear now is that the Maoists will not go quietly, says Ishwar Rauniyar, from BBC Media Action in Kathmandu.

vote was fundamentally ﬂawed were not supported by international monitors, who declared the election a success. Some diehard Maoists have since called for a return to insurgency. Yet this should not detract from the high voter turnout in the election itself. People from all walks of life and all age groups queued up to cast their ballots. Some were in tracksuits as they had come straight from their morning walk.

When I switched on my television on election-day morning, I was surprised. There were pictures of long queues outside polling stations and they had only just opened.I dressed quickly to get out and see what was happening. Everywhere I came upon streams of voters walking through the thin morning light towards polling stations. Despite so many false starts with democracy, it was clear that Nepalese people were determined to vote yet again, hoping this time it will set them on the road to political stability.

time, proudly showing their voter ID cards. One determined elderly man also stressed the importance of exercising his rights as he waited his turn. But he added: “I am not sure they will manage to draft the constitution.” The previous Constituent Assembly was bitterly divided as it struggled for years to frame a new constitution following the end of the civil war. Nearly all those who voted seemed to be doing so out of genuinely held political convictions.

When people emerged The outcome of the 2013 after voting, vote appears to have taken some looked Prachanda by surprise “We have like they had come here so won the lottery as they happily that the right people won’t held up their inked ﬁngers as lose,” said one person from a proof that they had voted. group of younger voters. “We are going to use our Again most voters seemed to rights,” was the collective cry be optimistic about the future. of a small group of young men “I think [our] leaders might and women voting for the ﬁrst have learnt lessons from the

The early signs as votes are that the electorate has turned against the hard-line Maoists, who have dominated politics for years. Their protestations that the

Introducing

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Vol. 26 No. 24 Friday, June 14, 2013 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

HH Chinna Jeeyar Swa- Dr Devinder Bhatia appointed to miji initiates VT SEVA Texas Medical Board and Prajna in Houston

n Friday, June 7 at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, many gathered to celebrate two initiatives spearheaded by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji – VT SEVA and Prajna. The night began with an introduction to Prajna, a module-based program designed by Swamiji for the youth with the aim to inculcate the values extolled in the Vedic culture. The audience was amazed by the dedication and discipline of the Prajna students after listening to one of the

OUSTON: A prominent Indian American heart surgeon has been appointed to the leading medical regulatory body in the US state of Texas by Governor Rick Perry.

Houston-based Bhatia specialises in thoracic surgery, peripheral vascular disease, vascular surgery, cardiac surgery and cardiovascular disease in his practice.

Dr Devinder Bhatia has been appointed to the Texas Medical Board for a sixyear term along with seven others.

Bhatia graduated from the University of Arkansas and has a medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and completed his cardiothoracic and peripheral vascular surgery fellowships at Carolinas Medical Centre.

The Texas Medical Board is the state agency mandated to regulate the practice of medicine in Texas and consists of 12 physician members and seven public members appointed for a sixyear term by the Governor. HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji

Bhatia’s father immigrated to the US from India in 1962. The IACCGH and Indian American community congratulates Dr. Devinder Bhatia on his appointment to the Texas Medical Board.

Dr Devinder Bhatia

HCC Trustee Neeta Sane receives Greater Houston Service Award

OUSTON – To salute the volunteer service of outstanding individuals, Volunteer Houston proudly presented its 2013 Greater Houston Service Awards to individuals from all walks of life who are transforming Houston through their acts of service. The event was held at the Bayou City Events Center Wednesday, June 12 and highlighted the impact of unique volunteers who are making meaningful changes across Houston-area communities.

Prajna students with Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji and Prajna coordinators. Also seen is Dr. Renu Tamirisa, Prajna Coordinator students describe what he has learned in Prajna. This was followed by an astonishing performance by an 8 year old Prajna student in the Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam Avadhanam, in which an individual is able to recite any slokam upon command and identify the number of a slokam upon recitation. Following this was a presentation displaying the activities of VT SEVA or Volunteering Together for Service,

a 501(c)(3) secular non-proﬁt organization that seeks to provide access to quality education and health care on many fronts. The viewers were moved by the four main activities of VT SEVA that include providing education to underprivileged children by building schools in remote and tribal areas in India, providing education to visually-impaired children/youth (Nethra Vidyalaya Junior College,

AP, India), providing free healthcare services and early cancer detection screenings, and promoting environmental awareness and eco-friendly activities along with disaster relief to those affected by natural calamities (Gujarat earthquake relief, Haiti and Japan earthquake relief funds, Andhra ﬂood relief, Tsunami relief). Continued on Page 6

Houston Community College Trustee Neeta Sane is the ﬁrst HCC trustee to receive a Greater Houston Service Award for her service to HCC and the Greater Houston Area. “Volunteer service for the betterment of the society has been my passion and making a difference in the lives of others has always been and will continue to be my focus,” said Sane. To honor the award recipients and celebrate their volunteerism, several executives from corporations and non-

Neeta Sane proﬁts joined event presenters Melanie Lawson, KTRK Channel 13; Greg Hurst, KHOU Channel 11; Bill Balleza, KPRC Channel 2; and METRO’s Jerome Gray. Houston Community College commends the vision of Volunteer Houston in encouraging and supporting the community service that dramatically affects the lives and livelihoods of citizens of the Greater Houston Area.

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FRIDAY, June 14, 2013

OUSTON: A prominent Indian American heart surgeon has been appointed to the leading medical regulatory body in the US state of Texas by Governor Rick Perry.

Houston-based Bhatia specialises in thoracic surgery, peripheral vascular disease, vascular surgery, cardiac surgery and cardiovascular disease in his practice.

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Dr Devinder Bhatia has been appointed to the Texas Medical Board for a sixyear term along with seven others.

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Bhatia’s father immigrated to the US from India in 1962. The IACCGH and Indian American community congratulates Dr. Devinder Bhatia on his appointment to the Texas Medical Board.

Prajna students with Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji and Prajna coordinators. Also seen is Dr. Renu Tamirisa, Prajna Coordinator

Following this was a presentation displaying the activities of VT SEVA or Volunteering Together for Service,

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Neeta Sane proﬁts joined event presenters Melanie Lawson, KTRK Channel 13; Greg Hurst, KHOU Channel 11; Bill Balleza, KPRC Channel 2; and METRO’s Jerome Gray.

OUSTON: A prominent Indian American heart surgeon has been appointed to the leading medical regulatory body in the US state of Texas by Governor Rick Perry.

Houston-based Bhatia specialises in thoracic surgery, peripheral vascular disease, vascular surgery, cardiac surgery and cardiovascular disease in his practice.

Dr Devinder Bhatia has been appointed to the Texas Medical Board for a sixyear term along with seven others.

Southwest OB / GYN is pleased to announce an addition

Mouthwatering savings

Every year, nearly 400,000 young Nepalese leave to work in the Gulf and Malaysia. But as results come in, it seems people have decided to call time on the Maoists. The main Maoist faction, the Uniﬁed Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), is languishing in third place. Its leader, former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda, is on course for defeat. His calls for vote-counting to be stopped have been greeted with widespread disgust.

Supriya Ramanathan, M.D., F.A.A.P. th

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But it seems as if the former guerrillas are not going quietly, threatening to boycott the constituent assembly if the count is not reviewed. They have denounced former US President Jimmy Carter, who has been monitoring the voting, for declaring the election a success. Nepal’s neighbour India has been trying to stop things unravelling, sending its ambassador to meet Prachanda. Even if they have lost popular support, the Maoists can still cause trouble for the constitution-drafting process that is now supposed to happen. (AFP)

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“The Maoist leaders should accept the reality,” said an indignant taxi driver. “They are trying anything because they are losing.”

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“After two years, European countries (UK and Germany) have made a comeback on the potential investment destinations list for Indian companies,” it added. (PTI).

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There have been ﬁve prime ministers over the past ﬁve years and Nepal has remained one of the world’s poorest countries.

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collapsed.

On the oter hand, the report said that Indian corporate entities have started looking at developed markets for making acquisitions.

To schedule your appointment.

Bhatia’s father immigrated to the US from India in 1962. The IACCGH and Indian American community congratulates Dr. Devinder Bhatia on his appointment to the Texas Medical Board.

With respect to India, sectors with the highest level of anticipated deal-making in-

Amit Khandelwal, who is National Leader & Partner (Transaction Advisory Services) at EY, said the investor outlook for India remains positive, despite the challenges the country’s economy has faced in the recent past.

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HCC Trustee Neeta Sane receives Greater Houston Service Award

Houston Community College commends the vision of Volunteer Houston in encouraging and supporting the community service that dramatically affects the lives and livelihoods of citizens of the Greater Houston Area.

There also appears to be a widely held perception that the Maoist guerrillas-turned-politicians have been a disappointment in ofﬁce. They broke into factions as hopes of drawing up a new constitution repeatedly

The findings are a part of EY’s latest Capital Confidence Barometer report, based on a survey of about 1,600 senior executives from large companies across 70 countries. It aims to gauge corporate confidence in the economic outlook and understand boardroom priorities, among others.

FRIDAY, June 14, 2013

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Bad memories of more than a decade of war and 16,000 deaths during the Maoist insurgency are still very fresh.

When it comes to investments, the US, France and Japan have emerged as “top three investors likely to invest in India”.

In order to participate, please call

HH Chinna Jeeyar Swa- Dr Devinder Bhatia appointed to miji initiates VT SEVA Texas Medical Board and Prajna in Houston n Friday, June 7 at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, many gathered to celebrate two initiatives spearheaded by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji – VT SEVA and Prajna. The night began with an introduction to Prajna, a module-based program designed by Swamiji for the youth with the aim to inculcate the values extolled in the Vedic culture. The audience was amazed by the dedication and discipline of the Prajna students after listening to one of the

Perhaps people were being careful not to signal their intentions, following a series of strikes by a breakaway faction of Maoists who wanted to stop the election from going ahead.

“This has created a large opportunity for foreign players vying for a greater role in the Indian market,” it added.

“Indian companies also reﬂect a concerted focus on job creation as well as optimising operations to deliver cost reduction,” the report said.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 10, 2013 3 PM - 6 PM

Vol. 26 No. 24 Friday, June 14, 2013 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com Dr Devinder Bhatia

HCC Trustee Neeta Sane receives Greater Houston Service Award

students describe what he has learned in Prajna. This was followed by an astonishing performance by an 8 year old Prajna student in the Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam Avadhanam, in which an individual is able to recite any slokam upon command and identify the number of a slokam upon recitation.

VOICE OF ASIA 1

The 70% turnout on the day was far greater than anyone expected. It was a surprise because the mood across the country in the run-up to the vote appeared apathetic.

About 38 percent of the respondents felt that M&A volumes in India are expected to improve over the next 12 months.

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HH Chinna Jeeyar Swa- Dr Devinder Bhatia appointed to miji initiates VT SEVA Texas Medical Board and Prajna in Houston

past,” said Sushil Dhungel, 65, a Kathmandu resident.

According to the global consultancy ﬁrm, due to the present macro-economic pressures and heavy debt pile, several Indian companies are looking to divest non-core businesses.

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In August, the government announced relaxation in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

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“With sharp currency depreciation and opening up of FDI in various sectors, India has become an attractive destination for foreign investors,” EY, earlier known as Ernst & Young, said.

norms in many sectors, including multi-brand retail and telecom.

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U.S. ofﬁcials ‘doing everything we can’ to persuade North Korea to release Americans by Julia Sulek ALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - As the family of 85-year-old Korean War veteran Merrill Newman prays he is safe, U.S. government ofﬁcials are “doing everything we can to convince North Korea” to release the Palo Alto man, who has been in custody for a month, as well as a second American held for more than a year, U.S. Special envoy Glyn Davies said Monday.

“It remains a matter of some wonderment that they haven’t understood that if, as they say, they want a better relationship with the United States, one thing they could do is release these Americans and answer our calls to take seriously our concerns about the fate of those being held there,” said Davies, the special representative for North Korea policy who is on a diplomatic mission through Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul. At each stop, he said during a news brieﬁng in Tokyo, he has raised the issue of the captive Americans, including missionary Kenneth Bae. He declined to specify the measures he’s taking to encourage the release but said, “I will use this occasion to once

again call on North Korea to make the right decision and to respect our concerns and

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Ancient shrine uncovered

military service during the Korean War in the early 1950s, an interview that Newman found unnerving, his son, Jeffery Newman, has said. No explanation for his detention has been given, and only last week did the North Koreans acknowledge they have Newman in custody.

Merrill Newman earlier this year. let American citizens who are there go free.” Newman, a retired finance executive who fought as an infantry officer during the Korean War, was taken into custody Oct. 26 by a Korean official while he sat on an Air Koryo flight in Pyongyang, ready to take off with a traveling companion to head home to California. Newman had just finished a 10-day sightseeing trip through the country, which he had wanted to revisit for decades. The night before he was set to leave, North Korean officials questioned Newman about his

In a statement released Monday by Newman’s wife, Lee, who lives at the Channing House retirement complex in Palo Alto, she implored North Korean officials to “quickly confirm that he is being looked after, is in good health, and that he has received his medication” for his heart condition. “We also hope that it will be possible to resolve this misunderstanding so that he can quickly rejoin his family.” Newman’s detention comes at a tense time between the U.S. and North Korea, which continues to defy international demands that the country stop its nuclear weapons program. The U.S. has no official diplomatic relations with North Korea and has reached out to Sweden to help facilitate a release. “It is very important to us that this be resolved,” Davies said. (Source/Photo: Mercury News)

Archelogists direct excavations within the Maya Devi Temple in Nepal. They uncovered a series of ancient temples; the oldest, they say, is from the sixth century B.C. (Photo: National Geographic)

China to launch ﬁrst moon mission by Sophie Brown

hina is launching its ﬁrst lunar probe in early December, staterun Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday, just over a decade after the country ﬁrst sent an astronaut into space.

The Chang’e-3 probe -which will blast off from a Long March 3B rocket in Sichuan province located in southwest China -- is expected to land on the moon’s surface in mid-December, a spokesman for the China’s State Administration of Science, Technology

and Industry for National Defence told Xinhua. The unmanned mission marks China’s ﬁrst attempt at a softlanding on the lunar surface and the ﬁrst soft-landing on the moon since the Soviet Luna 24 probe in 1976. (CNN)

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Diocese

part of their lives in dignity and comfort. We are still charting plans as to how this will all come about. We are not all about business, but we will be wise stewards of this gift that God has blessed us with, this hundred acre land and house, which will be used to strengthen the parishes in our community.”

Continued from pg. 3

ocese. The other branch of the Diocese is the North-East center covering major cities like New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and twelve other states including some states in Canada.

The Bishop also said that the Diocese “would like to start a Community Farm to help local families get daily fresh produce, ﬁsh, and meat. We also plan to start a monastery and a con-

The South-West Diocese overlooks and organizes the functioning of parishes in thirty-eight states in America and three provinces making it the largest Diocese in the United States to date. There are over ﬁfty-ﬁve churches under the care of the South-West Diocese with over 3000 families. These families have churches to attend in twenty states. The Bishop sees the large number of families as a welcome challenge to deal with.

help spread the gospel, we have already started an Orthodox church with an American ﬂavor. Such a model and functioning church is the St James Mission Church in Dallas. We have over thirty trainees in the pastoral line. The Diocesan center will also open its doors to people who want to use the place for yearly vacations to help relax and rejuvenate their faith. Plans to implement an Ayurveda medicinal treatment center with deep tissue massages are another aspect to help the parish members live a healthy life.

The Diocese plans to give top priority to the upcoming generation, who are between 13 – 25 years of age. “Many children find their own partners for a marriage or get misled during these crucial years. The youth of today are highly The Diocese influenced by the has purchased a internet, movies, 7,300 sq.ft home and friendships. along with the We would like to hundred acres to educate our youth be the main resito make the right dence of the Bish- The Diocese has purchased a 7,300 sq.ft home along with the hundred acres choices at every to be the main residence of the Bishop and his team. (Photo: Priyan Mathew) op and his team stage of life. We of assisting pasplan to open a contors. Fr. Varghese vent which will help women join a ference center to teach this younger Thomas, a.k.a Santhosh Achen is the sisterhood, who are willing to dedigeneration the sanctity of marriage. current assisting pastor for the Bishop. cate their lives to the service of God Family life is a big institution that has The home will be called Urshalem, the and the works of the Diocese. All the been established by God. We want our Syrian, Aramaic word for the Heaven- earlier churches, be they Egyptian, youngsters to realize this. The center ly Jerusalem, means the City of peace. Greek Syrian Orthodox dioceses grew will be responsible for imparting valuIt will serve as the center to overlook rapidly through the starting of monable teaching that our young people and organize all aspects of the Dio- asteries and convents. We will also can use for their entire life. We will cese. “Our mission is to impart peace have a counseling center as we notice include premarital counseling as we through right Christian education.” divorce rates increasing in our comwant to see more successful families, The home has six bedrooms and ac- munity. Families who are facing mariand successful marriages. That will be companying bathrooms, a separate tal problems can come and stay here the goal of our center for the youth.” hall with 300 seating capacity, a one in wood log cabins that will have two The Bishop also thinks that edubedroom apartment above the hall, bedrooms and a small kitchen to cook cating parents to bridge the generation and a two bedroom guest house. meals. They can attend daily marital gap and cultural gap they face between With regard to the plans for the counseling and the center for prayer them and their children is a good idea hundred acres purchased, the Diocese and relaxation for a week.” that must be implemented to help parhas ambitious plans. “The Diocesan To help expand the Diocese and ents understand their children better initiative is to first start a chapel and increase churches all over America, which would result in stronger famila museum on campus. The museum the Bishop said, “I realize our plans ial bonds. will help educate the youngsters the are ambitious. Our parishes in eighThe Bishop and his Diocesan tradition and culture of the Syrian Or- teen states meet at homes and don’t thodox faith that we uphold. Our next have churches. Our goal is to change team plan to hold a Thanksgiving Serstep is to start an Orthodox Village to that. All the plans for projects we have vice On Saturday November, 30th, help take care of the aging Senior citi- for the Diocese here will take us about 2013 at the ‘Urshalem’ Indian Orthozens. We have deep communal feeling ten or fifteen years to complete. But dox Christian Center located at 3101 and immense respect for their contri- we will be completing them in stages. Hopkins Rd, Beasley, Texas 77417. bution to our earlier church way back These projects will help members of Holy Qurbana (service) starts at 8.00 in the 70’s. Our Diocese will provide our own parishes, plus the natives who AM, followed by house blessing, this as a service to honor our Senior live here in America. We plan to open benediction & lunch afterward. All are citizens so that they can live the last a Seminary to train future priests. To invited.

Dr. Sinha

Vaishal, Sahasra, Revati, and Anisa. Dr. Sinha and his wife Meena support many community organizations like Pratham and Meenakshi Temple etc.

Continued from pg. 3 for the Republican party.

Dr. Sinha’s daughter, Anjaly Thakkar learnt both ballet and Bharat Natyam and later co-founded the “Urban India Beat” an Indo-American fusion dance company.

Being members of the South Shore Harbour Country Club, both Dr. Sinha and his wife Meena have many astronaut friends in the Clear Lake area. They both are avid tennis players and routinely interact with main stream Americans. Having retired after 37 years of medical practice, Dr. Sinha has now more time to play golf and Bridge, in addition to spending quality time with his son Samir and daughter Anjaly and his grandchildren Lakshmi,

Dr. Sinha and wife, Meena had not experienced any sort of discrimination in all these years in America. Asked for his advice to next generation Indians, his message is to get a good edu-

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cation and get involved in main stream politics. Dr.Sinha’s video interview will be digitized and permanently archived along with its transcription in the IndoAmerican Oral History collection of the Houston Public Library. The Indo-American Oral History project, a Legacy Project for Houston’s IndoAmerican community is an undertaking of the Foundation for India Studies. For participation in the project, please contact the Founder-Chairman, Mr. Krishna Vavilala by email: KVAVILALA1@ GMAIL.COM.

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Japan’s government predicts internet fasting camps will cure addicted teens by Sara Roncero-Menendez

group of teenagers plays basketball outside. Kids participate in various team-building games. Young adults of all ages sit around a table for a meal, talking and laughing. But notice anything missing? None has a cellphone or webconnected device. That’s what the Japanese government hopes its Internet fasting camps will look like in 2014. The Japanese Ministry of Education is devising ways to ﬁght Internet addiction in adolescents. The ministry plans to open Internet fasting camps in the coming ﬁscal year to help students

Internet addiction is a global issue, but it is particularly tricky for Japan. Much of Japanese culture values conformity, while emerging online communities celebrate uniqueness Much of Japanese culture values conformity, while emerging online communities celebrate uniqueness, leaving many of its youths caught in the middle. This, in conjunction with cultural difficulties discussing personal issues, especially mental illness, makes the disorder a particularly difficult issue to tackle. “I feel [they] have conflicting interests that comes from the tension between traditional cultural values and the rise of individualism in Japanese society,” Japanese international economic student Kaz Aoyama says, “They want to attain fame, but they want to keep their online persona separate from their real-life selves. They’re taught not to stand out too much, but they have this desire to do exactly that.”

Japan’s relationship to the Internet is a complex one. The country is one of the world’s most prominent tech hubs and fosters a booming mobile Teens on a train, Tokyo. (Image: Flickr, specialoperations) culture. The majority of Japanese learn to live away from their laptops teens and young adults with celland cellphones. phones use them to access the web. “We estimate this affects around They are active on Twitter and use 518,000 children at middle and high their devices for communication and schools across Japan, but that figure mobile gaming. is rising and there could be far more There’s no way of knowing how efcases, because we don’t know about fective the camps will be until they them all,” Akifumi Sekine, a represen- are open to students, but simply talktative of the ministry, told The Daily ing about the issue publicly may help Telegraph in August. change attitudes around this very real The statistic is based on a Nihon problem. University study released in August, Japan isn’t the only country that will which concluded 8.1% of 100,000 have Internet fasting camps. China Japanese school children surveyed has tried a similar program, though were addicted to the Internet. it’s reportedly more rigorous than the The Diagnostic and Statistical Man- planned for Japan. ual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition In the U.S. several Internet addiction defines one facet of the condition: programs are aimed at children, teens Internet Gaming Disorder. But fur- and adults; The Bradford Regional ther research is needed to determine Medical Center in Pennsylvania ofwhether Internet addiction is a mental fers a rehabilitation program, as does health condition or just a symptom of reSTART, a program in Washington. other underlying issues. South Korea, where 98% of houseMark Griffiths, Ph.D., says it pres- holds had broadband Internet in 2012, ents typical symptoms of addiction, also has a comprehensive Internet adincluding a “buzz” from being on- diction program. line, and allowing online activities to And South Korean programs encourinterfere offline activities at work or age outdoor activity and team-buildschool. In some cases, the addiction ing away from the digital lifestyle, can cause sleep issues, such waking the model which Japan is looking to up in the middle of the night. adopt. (Source: Mashable)

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VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

LIFESTYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 13

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Vol. 26

No. 48

Friday, November 29, 2013

Section 2

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A Bridge Over Time: A Kochi Odyssey

By Priyadershini S.

midst the wealth of precious heritage in Fort Kochi , a non-descript Rose Lane bears one of the most curious vestiges of the past, an air bridge between two heritage hotels — the brick red Koder House and the newly revamped Spice Fort. Currently not functional, the bridge was once a lively passage between the two houses that belonged to the prominent Koder family of paradesi Jews. Queenie Hallegua, daughter of Sadu Koder who has been part of the living history of the Koder houses says, “My grandfather bought the house from its Portuguese owner sometime in the earlier 20th century, roughly 1910-15. It was then demolished and the present Koder House was built by a gentleman named Cohen. The bridge was built around the same time.” Overarching Rose Lane, and connecting the top floors of the two Koder Houses, the bridge had a prototype at Santa Cruz High School, recalls Antony Thommen who has recently brought out the book Fort Cochin, The Heritage city of Cochin — Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow on the rich history of the area. He says that the style of the two bridges was identical. “The school bridge connected the laboratory and the headmaster’s office. It was brought down sometime in the seventies when it became too dangerous for use. This bridge is now one of its kinds.” The approximately century-old bridge is built on an iron rail track fitted with wooden planks. An ornate grill makes for the railing. Prakash Burleigh, a family friend of the Koder’s and nephew of K.J. Herschel who was Municipal Chairman of Fort Cochin for 23 years, remembers his uncle talk about the requirement of a building permit for the bridge. His wife Pearly recalls going across the bridge from the pantry and work areas of the Koder House on Tower Road to enter into a party hall on the house on Princess Street. “For sometime, before he moved to Jew Street in Mattancherry, Elias Koder, brother of Sadu, used to live on the top floor. Below was the famous S. Koder store that old timers will fondly recall.” “It used to sell interesting merchandise. I used to go there for stationary and rosary items,” says Antony adding

A view of the air bridge at Rose Lane in the 1920s

that a textile shop by the name of ‘Alexander Brothers’ existed in the adjacent house in the early ﬁfties. While the bridge had the footfall of the family and friends of the Koders, the Rose Lane below was witness to quotidian activities. Antony says his research shows that the Portuguese had built eight broad roads which were intersected by narrow lanes. K.J. Sohan, former mayor and a history buff from the area, adds that Rose Lane, as against the more prominent Princess and Rose Streets on either side, was a service lane. “The lanes were narrower than the streets, which were the main roads. A lot of scavenging activities went on during the colonial times. These side lanes were used for that, and by the bevy of staff of the sahips.” Clement Abraham, a retired professor of English from Aquinas College, who lives in the house neighbouring Koder House, remembers the inebriated merrymaking at a bar at the end of the lane. “The bar used to open early and sometimes the morning began with drunken brawls.” His corner house, earlier called kachoda veedu (business house), today is

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er small shop…like a line of shops,” he recalls. A butler of an English manager of Peirce Leslie Company also used to stay in a small house in Rose Lane. It was demolished later and now a hotel has come up there, he says. In the recent past, after the two Koder houses became independent hotels, the bridge remains accessible only to Koder House Hotel. In 2008 it was used by artist Charmi Gada Shah to hold an exhibition. Interestingly, she painted on the wall at the end of the bridge, a door that opened into its imaginary past. Currently it is used by the hotel spa for sunning; an armchair lounges lazily on it. Today, Rose lane continues to be a service lane for the elegant heritage hotels that have morphed out of the bungalows of yore. The Old Harbour Hotel, Koder House Hotel, Spice Fort, the revamped XL Bar and Chariots eatery all have their side or back entrances on to Rose Lane. Provisions are brought through these humble backdoors; and the staff uses it too, but its activities are no match for the life on the high streets that ﬂank it. It remains a sideshow, a bit forgotten, a bit unsung, except for the quaint little bridge that connects time and lives that cross over and under it. (Source: The Hindu)

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Friday, November 29, 2013

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Cambridge student seeks tutor to pay $78,000 for just 16 weeks work Alongside the salary, the Cambridge student, from Switzerland, is offering all expenses paid trips to Zurich and free accommodation Cambridge.

by Hayley Dixon

wealthy foreign student at Cambridge is offering a private tutor £48,000 ($78,000) for just 16 weeks work.

“The Tutor must devise and implement a full timetable which ensures a thorough understanding of all of the material in the entire syllabi of

The successful candidate will not only have to help the Swiss national pass his exams, they will also be expected socialise with him and accompany him on all-expenses paid trips to Zurich, and can move in with him if they wish.

(and the Tutor!) would both beneﬁt from the opportunity to unwind through a sport such as rowing, or regular trips to the gym, cultural excursions are encouraged though by no means necessary.”

as third best university on the world, he requires help with time management, organisational skills, memory skills, exam techniques, reading strategies, structuring revision summaries and essay-writing,

The 20-year-old failed his first year and must now pass resits to carry on studying Natural Sciences at the university, so has advertised for a Cambridge graduate to coach him. He is willing to pay the right candidate £100-an-hour for the one-off fixed-term contract. Applicants must have an “excellent degree” from Cambridge and possess “superb” scientific knowledge, his job advert states. They must also be a nonsmoker who leads “a physically active lifestyle” and is “healthy and fit”.

The Swiss student failed his ﬁrst year at Cambridge University, but is hoping to fair better in with some well-compensated tutoring. (Photo: Alamy)

The live-in tutor will be required to work six hours a day, ﬁve days a week for 16 weeks to help the student, who has ADHD and dyspraxia.

both target subjects, allows for constant revision of the material covered, and includes thorough exam preparation through regular mock tests and exam questions.

Successful candidates are also expected to socialise with the student – and help him integrate into student life. They will be get an en suite guest room available in the student’s Cambridge accommodation complete with parking space and may be expected to travel with the student on expenses-paid trips to Zurich. The advert asks for an “excellent tutor and at the same time an “inspiring mentor” who boasts a “sunny disposition.” It was posted on Tutors International on Wednesday, but manager Victoria Gibbs told the student newspaper the Tab it was too soon to expect any applications. The ad reads: “He or she should be engaging, have a good sense of humour and a sunny disposition. “Naturally, he or she is expected to be an excellent tutor and at the same time an inspiring mentor for the positive as well as progressive development of the student’s career in

Ms Gibbs said: “This was one of the more niche jobs we have had.”

“In addition to the academic work, it would be helpful if the Tutor shared some of the student’s interests.

The student, who speaks six languages, is described “polite” and “friendly” who will prove “a pleasure for a capable educator to work with” because of his “natural intelligence.”

“This is a demanding role, and it is anticipated that he

Despite winning a place at Cambridge, which is ranked

proofreading, and managing his attention and focus. The post is the second unusual job advert on Tutors International’s website. An Arab businessman in his 30s offered £122 000-a-year to a tutor to turn him into an English speaking, piano playing, opera loving student worthy of a place at Oxford University. (Source: The Telegraph)

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Tel: 713-774-5140

Student denied certiﬁcate to study law moves court by Shibu Thomas

UMBAI: A Worli student who passed out of the US Embassy’s American School of Bombay has moved the Bombay high court to challenge the University of Mumbai’s decision to refuse to issue him an eligibility certiﬁcate to study law. The varsity has said that only non-Indians can study at the Embassy’s school and the student did not have a no-obection certificate (NOC) from the Union Ministry of External Affairs.

and 58% are third-country nationals.

Zahan Yusuf, a resident of Jahaz Mahal Bungalow at Worli, had passed his International Baccalaureate exams (Class 12) in 2006 from ASB. He completed his Bachelor in Management Studies from Jai Hind College based on a provisional eligibility certificate. In 2012, Yusuf was admitted to the five-year law course at D Y Patil Law College. The University of Mumbai, however, refused to issue Yusuf an eligibility or migration certifiA d v o cate required cate Dinyar to pursue a Madon on course if one Thursday hasn’t passed m e n t i o n e d The varsity has said that only the qualifythe matter non-Indians can study at the ing exam before a divi- Embassy’s school. from the sion bench of state board. Justice V M The univerKanade and Justice M S Sonak. The bench sity pointed out that one of the has scheduled the case for hear- terms in 1988 set by the MEA ing on November 27. Advocate was that ASB would not admit Rui Rodrigues is representing Indian students. As an Indian, he was not eligible to study at the university. The ASB, located in Bandra- the school unless he had a noKurla Complex, was set up in objection certificate from the 1988 and as per its website, en- MEA, the university said. rolls around 750 students annually to its various classes from primary school through Grade 12. The students come from 50 different nationalities—30% are American, 12% are Indian

According to Yusuf’s petition, the MEA had relaxed the condition in 2000, when it transferred the responsibility for the NOC to the school. (Source: TNN)

Fourth student suspended in university hate crime case

AN JOSE, Calif. - A fourth student has been suspended in connection with an incident at San Jose State University involving alleged hate crimes against a black student.

necessary,” SJSU Chancellor Timothy White said in a statement Friday. “President Qayoumi has already reached out to African-American leaders in the Bay Area for their counsel and assistance.

University President Mohammed Qayoumi announced the suspension Friday evening but did not name the suspended student.

Criminal arrest warrants have been issued for three white students — Logan Beaschler and Collin Warren, both 18, and 19-year-old Joseph Bomgardner — who face misdemeanor hate crime and battery charges after being accused of harassing their

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black roommate after they moved into a four-bedroom dormitory suite in August. According to a police report, they outﬁtted their dormitory suite with a Confederate ﬂag, barricaded the victim in his room, and placed a Ushaped bicycle lock around his neck and claimed they lost the key. The victim hasn’t been named at his parents’ request. The San Jose Mercury News reported that one of the

suspects, Beaschler, turned himself in Thursday and that the others were expected to surrender this week.

diversity and tolerance; and a review of the university’s practices related to students’ well-being.

Qayoumi also announced that a productive meeting Friday morning with the Rev. Jethroe Moore, president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley Chapter of the NAACP.

“Our goal is including racebased misconduct in existing zero-tolerance student conduct policies,” Qayoumi said, adding that he had asked for a report on the policies by Dec. 15 and would share the results publicly.

He is taking a number of steps in response to the allegations, including: hosting a campus forum in December to discuss racial intolerance at SJSU; offering a lecture series next spring on

Qayoumi and Moore will hold a press conference on the campus at noon Monday to discuss the pending criminal charges. (AP)

VOICE OF ASIA 15

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

VOICE OF ASIA 16

BOLLYWOOD MASALA

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Friday, November 29, 2013

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

I take my son’s feedback seriously, says Jayaram

espite his stardom, actor Jayaram still loves to be one among the crowd. His penchant for temples, elephants and festivals still keeps him young at heart. The actor, who has a handful of contrasting roles in his kitty, speaks to us about friendship, family, son Kalidasan’s ﬁlm entry and his future projects.

Hrithik, who is basking in the success of his superhero ﬂick ‘Krrish 3’, has decided to take some time off before he starts shooting for his upcoming ﬁlms.

“I am confident that your love and prayers will heal me completely. I wish everyone a great end to 2013 and a fabulous start to 2014,” he said. “I have always felt that wherever I go, people consider me as one among them more than a film star” (Photo: Stardust) mance. Malayalam film industry is going through an exciting phase with a lot of experimental films reaping success at the box office. Your take on that. The change brought in by time is everywhere. I have felt that when native elements are part of a Malayalam film, its receptivity increases as people connect with them well. The current crop of actors is talented too. Gaining a foothold in Malayalam is difficult without talent. How do you still nurture your passion for chenda despite your hectic film schedule? Has being a celebrity ever been a problem for you while performing in public? I am happy to have become a professional chenda player. It’s not always possible to practise chenda, especially while staying in hotels. But when there is a performance, I practise in

the mornings for about 25 days prior to that. Recently, while shooting for Shaji Kailas’ film, he had to keep a pile of cotton ready with him as his room was next to mine. He did not want my chenda practise to disturb him from sleep. I have always felt that wherever I go, people consider me as one among them more than a film star. Therefore, crowds have never been a problem for me. So while performing or even watching a temple procession or festival, I like to be with the crowd. What’s next? My role in Shaji N Karun’s Swapaanam is close to my heart, as I play a chenda artist in the film. I play a family man in Sugeeth’s Onnum Mindathe. I have also signed up for Akku Akbar’sUlsaha Committee, a comedy film, and Shajoon Karyal’s Sir C P, another family entertainer. (TNN)

5 fictional Bollywood towns that have great tourism potential By Charu Thakur irectors such as Yash Chopra inhabited the Swiss Alps for the backdrop of some of his most memorable Bollywood ﬁlms.

The actor was suffering from subdural hematoma caused in

the brain as a result of a head injury he suffered while performing stunts for ‘Bang Bang’ earlier this year. He successfully underwent a brain surgery in July this year to remove a clot. (TNN)

“I will be taking some time off to recover completely from the recurring headaches that have resurfaced in the last couple of weeks,” Hrithik said.

There were reports that your son Kalidasan will feature in an upcoming ﬁlm.

In the film industry, the first thing you have to learn is to say no and it is extremely important too. Having said that, I am a person who gives great value to relationships. Just because a friend’s film did not do well, it is difficult for me to turn down offers to work with him. I don’t believe in taking up offers just based on box office perfor-

In ‘Bang Bang’, Hrithik will be seen opposite Katrina Kaif and for ‘Shuddhi’, he is teaming up with Kareena Kapoor Khan after a long time.

“I am extremely overwhelmed by the tremendous support and love extended by everyone to ‘Krrish 3’. Before I get ready to resume the shooting of my next, ‘Bang Bang’, in early January 2014 and later ‘Shuddhi’, as both are physically demanding,

Well, every artist has his strengths and weaknesses. I am quite aware of what I can take up and what I cannot. But I work hard to be versatile and entertain all within these limits. In all of my upcoming ﬁlms, my characters are quite different —while some of them might appeal to the younger generation, a few others are family entertainers. The themes too are unique in their own way. To sum up, more than bringing in a total makeover, I believe in reinventing myself while doing each character.

Kalidasan is pursuing his final year graduation in Chennai. I don’t feel it is time for him to enter films. Even now when people meet me, they ask ‘How is Kannan doing?’ as if he is still a little boy. It is then that they see the well-built, tall man standing next to me. He is 19 years old. Though there are offers coming his way, I want him to finish his studies first before entering films. He will feature in an ad film soon. Kalidasan is my biggest critic. He belongs to a generation that has a lot of exposure and awareness, and I take his feedback quite seriously. A few of your recent releases did not fare well at the box office. Do you sign films for the sake of friendship?

Need time to recover from recurring headaches - Hrithik

ctor Hrithik Roshan, who underwent a brain surgery some months back, says he will take time to recover from recurring headaches that have resurfaced.

You have done a variety of roles in your decades-long career. How do you keep reinventing yourself?

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But new age directors are more interested in setting up their stories and characters in small towns. Some of them take creative liberty to come up with ﬁctional towns that have their own geographical fences and

cultures. Be it the colourful town of Ranjhaar in ‘Ram-Leela’ or Almore in ‘Ishaqzaade’, these towns have a distinct character in the ﬁlm. Here are 5 ﬁctional

Bollywood towns that have great tourism potential. Jhumli: It’s the most inaccessible village on the border of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. From taking a train to a bumpy bus ride to getting nearly crushed in a packed auto to crossing a rope bridge, reaching the terrain of Jhumli isn’t a cake walk. It’s a sleepy village with a bunch of oldies who can’t help but stare at the ‘shehari babu’. A village where people refuse to build a bridge due to ‘sharaads’. Ranjhaar: Set in the heart of Rann of Kutch, Ranjhaar comes across as a colourful town divided by the enmity between Rajadi and Sanera clans. It’s a town where more than vegetables, it’s the guns that sell in the market and as petty as an act of relieving oneself can trigger a battle between the two sides - a place where people aim guns and take shots at each other just for fun. But it’s also a town where lovers romance passionately, where they dare to take risks and cross sides to meet each other. It’s a colourful town which celebrates every festival with fervour, dance and music. Mandola: A village named after the family of a wealthy businessman, Mandola comes across as a bizarre village where people travel in limousines and quote Karl Marx. It’s a village where a man after getting drunk begins to hallucinate about a pink buffalo who is also the mascot of the liquor brand. But more interestingly,

“I will be taking some time off to recover completely from the recurring headaches that have resurfaced in the last couple of weeks” (Photo: Stardust)

you ﬁnd a bunch of foreign educated young brigade who don’t miss a chance to quote Shakespeare in their day-today conversations. Almore: Set somewhere in Uttar Pradesh, Almore is a small town where politics and honour takes precedence over love and romance. It’s a town where a boy tries to take his revenge from a girl by tricking her into falling in love with him. It’s a town where lovers who are on a run from their families take refuge in

a brothel and where parents don’t blink an eye before killing their children for honour. Paglaapur: It’s the most bizarre village which is nowhere to be found on the map. The inhabitants are a mix of people who either speak in gibberish or act like a lamp post. But interestingly, the village people are still living in the World War II era and cut off from the rest of the world. It’s a village that even aliens can’t resist and come visit the inhabitants. (Source: IBN-Live)

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 18

Friday, November 29, 2013

Section 2

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What The 1960s Got Right About Health, Happiness And Well-Being by Carolyn Gregoire

hen we think about the 60s, we might conjure up a decade when chain-smoking and twomartini lunches were still in vogue. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, we may think of a time deﬁned by acid-dropping, free-loving counterculture. But however you look at it, the decade of the cultural revolution was a time when our ideas about health, wellness and happiness were radically changing.

tion of getting back to nature as a way to reconnect with the self and with one’s inner truth. Hippies of the 1960s spent time in nature, ﬁnding their own “Walden” spaces to reconnect with themselves through the power of nature. “We need the tonic of wildness,” Thoreau wrote in Walden. “At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be

rise of the “spiritual but not religious” faith designation and the New Age movement. Spirituality (which has been linked with mental health benefits, in addition to the known health benefits of having faith) blossomed during this time, and gained further cultural traction as the New Age crystallized in the 1970s. Take a holistic approach to health. The 1960s saw a grassroots revival of holistic health and natural medicine, as mindbody practices including meditation and yoga began to gain traction. Food co-ops also started to reappear at this time, filling the demand for healthy, fresh foods. Many Americans, for the first time, started factoring diet, lifestyle and emotions into the health equation. We now know that lifestyle factors can play an enormous role in influencing health outcomes, in addition to more traditional treatments. Go on a retreat.

Research shows that reading a book may lower stress levels, improve sleep quality, keep your brain sharp and ward off Alzheimer’s. (File Photo) In some ways, the spirit of the 1960s counterculture has made a resurgence today: We’ve arguably returned to a time when many are questioning the value of ourrelentless pursuit of “success” (and the stress that comes along with it), asking whether our hard-driving lifestyles are causing us to miss out on some of the important things in life. Interest in yoga, meditation and Eastern spirituality -- which were all originally popularized in the West during the 60s -- have also peaked in recent years, becoming ingrained in our cultural lexicon and American lifestyles. Here are 10 tips from the 1960s on living well. Meditate. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi brought Transcendental Meditation (TM) -- a type of mindfulness practice that uses the repetition of a mantra to clear the mind and promote relaxation -- to the U.S. in the late 1960s, and it spread like wildﬁre. The Beatles became followers of the Maharishi, spent time at his ashram in Rishikesh, India, and played an instrumental role in the popularization of the practice in the West. And it works: TM has been associated with lower stress levels, improved academic performance, lower blood pressure, and reduced depression, among other physical and mental health beneﬁts. Get back to nature. The counterculture moment revived many ideas from Transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, particularly the no-

indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” Read books. Pre-Internet and cell phones, and just as the TV was starting to make its way into American homes, sitting down with a good book was still a favorite pastime. Today, with constant digital distraction vying for our attention, it’s certainly more difficult to find the time (and focus) to read at length. Nearly one in three Americans haven’t read a book in the past year, according to a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll, whereas 25 percent of individuals in a 1964-1984 literacy poll said that they had read a book in the past day. Research has shown that reading a book (on paper, not on your iPad) may lower stress levels, improve sleep quality, keep your brain sharp and ward off Alzheimer’s. Bring music into your life. Music was a huge part of the cultural revolution, and many of the values of the time were expressed through songs. Not only did music bring people together (ever seen photos of Woodstock?), but it also may have paid off with health benefits. Playing and listening to music could lower stress levels, ease anxiety and boost heart health. Tune in to your spiritual side. The cultural revolution called into question the dogma of organized religion, and instead advocated a free-thinking, inward-facing spirituality. The famous 1966 “Is God Dead?” TIME magazine cover affirmed the decline of religion and the

Some of the most popular spiritual retreat centers in the country today were founded in the 1960s, a respite for those looking to escape the city to find peace, balance and likeminded individuals. The Esalen Institute in Big Sur, Calif., opened its doors in 1962 as a “birthplace of the human potential movement,” while the Kripalu Center For Yoga And Health was created out of the Yoga Society of Pennsylvania, founded in 1966. Eat dinner with your family. Even after the television set worked its way into American homes in the early 1960s, tech-free family dinners were a nightly social custom in homes across America. “One of the most important and memorable part of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s was my mother’s requirement that we eat our meals together,” historian Carl Hoffman wrote on his blog. Choose meaning over money. Man’s Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl’s often-cited meditation on the meaning of life became one of a handful of books that defined the decade. As Frankl wrote, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” The 1960s cultural revolution was, at its core, a break from traditional ways of life and notions of success, allowing people to pursue unconventional lifestyles that placed a higher value on love and individual freedom. Science now tells us that pursuing lives of meaning might actually help us live longer. Recent research has shown that having a sense of purpose not only makes us happier, but could also make us healthier. (Source: Huffingtonpost.com)

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Healthy living: 5 foods you should never eat and 10 you should by Shruti Saxena

inter is a time when one tends to feel a bit lethargic and weight gain is certainly a concern that troubles all of us. Here are ﬁve foods that you should skip and say yes to a healthy life. Fried foods: Avoid eating fried foods as they have almost zero-nutritional value and are loaded with fats and calories. Sugar: Consuming sugar in large amounts is dangerous for our health as excessive consumption may lead to obesity and other diseases and increase cholesterol. White bread: It is bad for one’s health as it cannot be quickly converted into glucose. So it is advised to go a bit slow on white bread. Frozen food: It is always feasible to have fresh food rather than consuming frozen food or canned food as they are high in sodium content. Soda: Consumption of diet and regular sodas on regular basis is not good for health as it can lead to obesity, kidney damage and high blood pressure.

10 foods you should eat: 1. Sweet potatoes. They’re loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. 2. 100% whole grain bread contains many more vitamins and minerals than its white counterpart. 3. Broccoli comes packed with vitamin C, carotenoids and folic acid. 4. Watermelon makes an excellent source of vitamin C and carotenoids. 5. Beans win the inexpensive, low fat, high protein award. Plus they contain lots of iron, folic acid and fiber. 6. Cantaloupe supplies all the daily requirements of vitamin A and C in just a quarter slice. 7. Spinach and kale provide calcium, fiber, carotenoids, and vitamin C. 8. Oranges contain vitamin C, plus abundant folic acid, potassium and fiber. 9. Oatmeal provides soluble fiber that helps lower bad cholesterol while improving good cholesterol. 10. 1% milk ranks as an excellent source of protein, with little or no artery-clogging fat or cholesterol. (Source: Zee Media Bureau)

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HEALTH, SC & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Meet the dino which terrorised Tyrannosaurs

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Cutting health care costs with ‘Concierge Medicine’ by Robert Pearl, M.D.

of a difference in cost.

s a nation, we spent $2.8 trillion on health care in 2012. That’s 18 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), making our nation’s health care system the ﬁfth-largest economy in the world. That’s more than the entire economy of France. In fact, that’s more than 95 percent of what all countries spend in a year on everything from food and clothes to infrastructure.

The concept of “tertiary prevention” is to intervene in ways that avoid the large costs of the future. And to do that, we need to focus on the high-use population that has the highest probability for improved outcomes. These are the patients with major chronic illnesses who haven’t yet experienced the worst of the complications. Take patients with diabetes: In the early and middle stages of their disease, they require more care than the average patient. But it’s not until their disease progresses that they generate the highest expenses. Caring for someone with diabetes is expensive. But those costs rise dramatically when major complications arise – kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, or the need for lower leg amputation.

Dr. Ezekiel “Zeke” Emanuel – an oncologist by training, a former White House adviser and current professor at the University of Pennsylvania – discussed these staggering statistics during a recent presentation on “The Future of Health Care” in Oakland, Calif. Finding a new approach to an old health care problem A handout photo from EurekAlert! shows an illustration of a Siats meekerorum. (AFP Photo)

alaeontologists on Friday announced they had uncovered the remains of one of the greatest land predators ever -- a nine-metre (30-foot) four-tonne dinosaur that stalked the planet 100 million years ago. The newly-discovered species has been called Siats meekerorum, whose ﬁrst name honours a cannibalistic monster in the mythology of the Native American Ute people. A giant meat-eater, the dino lorded it even over the tyrannosaurs of the time, the scientists said. It would take another 30 million years or so before the eighttonne Tyrannosaurus rex emerged to take the title of apex killer in present-day North America. “This dinosaur was a colossal predator, second only to the great T. rex and perhaps Acrocanthosaurus in the North American fossil record,” said Lindsay Zanno, of North Carolina’s State University and Museum of Natural Sciences.

The fossilised remains were spotted sticking out from a rocky slope in the Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah in 2008. It took two years for the scattered bones to be fully teased from the rocks and cleaned, and another couple of years to analyse them. “It’s been 63 years since a predator of this size has been named from North America,” said Zanno in a press release. “You can’t imagine how thrilled we were to see the bones of this behemoth poking out of the hillside.” Siats -- pronounced “see-atch” -- belongs to the so-called carchardontosaurian group of theropods, or mighty two-footed carnivores. The sediment in which the bones were deposited has been dated to around 98 mil years old. The monster ﬁlls a 30-millionyear blank spot in the fossil record of North American predatory dinosaurs.(AFP).

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Dr. Emanuel pointed out that health care behaves like a luxury good. In every country, as GDP per capita rises, the demand for luxury goods increases. Medical care follows this same pattern. In the U.S., we have the highest GDP in the world and, as this model predicts, the highest total health care spend. What’s unexpected is that we spend at a rate of more than two standard deviations higher than the economic model would predict. That’s an extra half-trillion dollars each year. We have little to show for these added dollars. Compared to the other members of the G20, our health outcomes – from life expectancy to infant mortality – are average at best. Of course, a variety of economists and policy experts have discussed and debated the dimensions of this health care problem. But what surprised many who listened to Dr. Emanuel was his proposed solution. “Tertiary prevention,” Dr. Emanuel asserted, “is the key to saving money.” I’ve been the CEO of the na-

Ten percent of the U.S. population accounts for approximately two-thirds of total health care costs. (Photo:Visualphotos.com) tion’s largest medical group for 15 years and I had never heard this term used in this way. It sounded like an oxymoron. “Prevention” is a word most often associated with the care we provide for healthy patients. Prevention helps people avoid developing medical conditions in the ﬁrst place. But of course, it makes perfect sense for this high risk population. Ten percent of the U.S. population accounts for approximately two-thirds of total health care costs. We spend over a billion dollars a year on this population. Reducing the cost of care has been a focus of many disease management programs. Preventing the costs of the next generation of medical complications could be a more powerful solu-

Let’s look at the 5 percent who use the most resources in any given year: About one third of this 5 percent experiences a onetime, high-cost event. It could be an extremely premature birth, a major car accident or a new complex cancer. For these individuals, the dollars spent on interventions don’t change much. • Another third comes from patients with diseases so severe that interventions rarely alter their need for ICU admissions or expensive medications. • Only in the final third of these highest-cost patients could intervention prove beneficial from a cost perspective. Despite this fact, most traditional programs focus on the entire group, which adds significant expense without making enough

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VOICE OF ASIA 21

Harvard yoga scientists ﬁnd proof of meditation beneﬁt

cientists are getting close to proving what yogis have held to be true for centuries - yoga and meditation can ward off stress and disease. John Denninger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, is leading a ﬁve-year study on how the ancient practices affect genes and brain activity in the chronically stressed. His latest work follows a study he and others published earlier this year showing how so-called mind-body techniques can switch on and off some genes linked to stress and immune function. While hundreds of studies have been conducted on the mental health beneﬁts of yoga and meditation, they have tended to rely on blunt tools like participant questionnaires, as well as heart rate and blood pressure monitoring. Only recently have neuro-imaging and genomics technology used in Denninger’s latest studies allowed scientists to measure physiological changes in greater detail. “There is a true biological effect,” said Denninger, director of research at the BensonHenry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of Harvard Medical School’s teaching hospitals. “The kinds of things that happen when you meditate do have effects throughout the body, not just in the brain.” The government-funded study may persuade more doctors to try an alternative route for tackling the source of a myriad of modern ailments. Stress-induced conditions can include everything from hypertension and infertility to depression and even the aging process. They account for 60 to 90 percent of doctor’s visits in the US, according to the Benson-Henry Institute. The World Health Organization estimates stress costs US companies at least $300 billion a year through absenteeism, turn-over and low productivity. The science is advancing alongside a budding “mindfulness” movement, which includes meditation devotees

such as Bill George, board member of Goldman Sachs Group and Exxon Mobil Corp, and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch recently revealed on Twitter that he is giving meditation a try. As a psychiatrist specialising in depression, Denninger said he was attracted to mind-body medicine, pioneered in the late 1960s by Harvard professor Herbert Benson, as a possible way to prevent the onset of depression through stress re-

duction. While treatment with pharmaceuticals is still essential, he sees yoga and meditation as useful additions to his medical arsenal. Exchange programme It’s an interest that dates back to an exchange program he attended in China the summer before entering Harvard as an undergraduate student. At Hangzhou University he trained with a tai chi master every morning for three weeks. “By the end of my time there, I had gotten through my thick teenage skull that there was something very important about the breath and about inhabiting the present moment,” he said. “I’ve carried that with me since then.” His current study, to conclude in 2015 with about $3.3 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, tracks 210 healthy subjects with high levels of reported chronic stress for six months. They are divided in three groups. One group with 70 participants perform a form of yoga known as Kundalini, another 70 meditate and the

rest listen to stress education audiobooks, all for 20 minutes a day at home. Kundalini is a form of yoga that incorporates meditation, breathing exercises and the singing of mantras in addition to postures. Denninger said it was chosen for the study because of its strong meditation component. Participants come into the lab for weekly instruction for two months, followed by three sessions where they answer questionnaires, give blood samples used for genomic analysis and undergo neuro-imaging tests. Unlike earlier studies, this one is the ﬁrst to focus on participants with high levels of stress. The study published in May in the medical journal PloS One showed that one session of relaxation-response practice was enough to enhance the expression of genes involved in energy metabolism and insulin secretion and reduce expression of genes linked to inﬂammatory response and stress. There was an effect even among novices who had never practiced before. Harvard isn’t the only place where scientists have started examining the biology behind yoga. In a study published last year, scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles and Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn found that 12 minutes of daily yoga meditation for eight weeks increased telomerase activity by 43 percent, suggesting an improvement in stress-induced aging. Blackburn of the University of California, San Francisco, shared the Nobel medicine prize in 2009 with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for research on the telomerase “immortality enzyme,” which slows the cellular aging process. Build Resilience Not all patients will be able to stick to a daily regimen of exercise and relaxation. Nor should they have to, according to Denninger and others. Simply knowing breath-management techniques and having a better understanding of stress can help build resilience. (Source: The Business Standard)

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Your Horoscope (For week beginning Friday, November 29, 2013)

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As per Indian Vedic Astrology the Moon sign is considered, in which every Rashi has control over certain letters, which are initials of your name. Whereas in Western system of Sun Sign, all the people born in one month belong to the same sign. For example, every year approximately around 21 of March to 20th April, the Sun is moving in the Aries Constellation. So all the people born in that month belong to the Sign of Aries. If you were born in between those two dates then you are a Aries born.

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Feeling of being overworked and undervalued. A team player may default on a promise of help. It is a pain, but don’t overreact. You and your partner can connect and tell each other your troubles. Even though you may feel unusually high-strung, don’t allow your tension to cause you to make a wrong move or a false start. Stick with what you know, both in things and in people. Someone you’ve known a long time may contact you from a long distance. If possible, you should plan a reunion along with mates and partners.

Taurus(B,V,U)21 April to 20 May Strong friendships that came about by just you being yourself. It’s hard sometimes for you to be open about yourself, but this week you’ll find yourself feeling confident enough to confide in others. Travel could bring you cultural knowledge that can’t be learned in any other way. Your quick mind, wit & memory will help you in any creative endeavors you try. Be careful not to put too much trust in relatives who are incapable of comprehending your personal situation. Use your humor to put them in their place.

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June You know that good luck isn’t quite enough. You need to put more effort into achieving your goals. An almost finished project will get an extra creative push. You’ll be able to find exactly who you want on your team. The future is yours if you know what to do with it. First you need to find out how things work, then you will know how to repeat the conditions when necessary. Avoid any new developments that aren’t directly related to what you must do. You know where you belong because everyone there knows you too well.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Win others over to your side. Your style alone makes you popular. You’re at home with a full plate of tasks and a busy room to entertain. You may feel tired of being in the supporting role and be ready to quit. Hesitate on the quitting and focus on your message. Be open about your feelings. Take a bigger slice of the responsibility than usual. By boosting your conﬁdence, you’ll raise the value of your work. A new you is beginning to emerge. With your resources, lucrative people will ﬁnd you to be indispensable.

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August Face the challenges at hand. You have a reputation for your fearlessness. If you aren’t already in control, you soon will be. You’ll feel a new energy that’s been building up inside you for some time. You need to change with the times. An old schedule or budget may no longer be relevant. The world awaits your next move so don’t waste this rare opportunity. Luck is on your side as long as you are reasonable in what you ask for. Conﬁdence and hard work are an excellent combination to get the job done right.

Virgo(P) 23 August to 22 September Get ready for some serious sit-down negotiations now. It’s vital that you know what you want before the discussion begins. You don’t want to be with some hardheaded person who is going to bully you. Your best protection is preparation. If possible, rehearse. This allows you to consider all the possibilities, rather than have to deal with them on the spot. You clearly want ‘more artistic and aesthetic surroundings’ this week and your efforts and attempts to hike spending and enhance your surrounds may become apparent.

Libra(R,T)23 Sept to 22 Oct A perfect niche for your style. Your independent spirit should help you ﬁnd the perfect place for you to enjoy what you do. An exciting person may push you to try something new, possibly even dangerous. A little risk-taking could be good for you. Open the doors & be yourself. Take pride in how you handle your time with organization & conﬁdence. Secrets will be revealed & your views and ideas should be brought out into the open. You have the ability to listen, as well as help others to see things clearer.

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High emotional & spiritual feelings. Your motives could be challenged by those you love & trust. Focus your energy, exhibit your generous nature & understand other’s feelings. Your rewards will far outweigh the effort. You’ll be able to achieve success, if you trust your gut feelings & remain loyal to your friends & family. Partnerships, relationships & children will help you to take a breather from reality. Be sure to spend some quality time with those who really matter to you. Your alliances need strengthening, spread your positive inﬂuence.

Sagittarius(BH,F,DH,TH)22 Nov to 21 Dec A deﬁnite upsurge of energy. Your spiritual awareness will be sharp, children & family will play a large role. Listen to your inner voice, the sound of it may surprise you at ﬁrst. Let your true feelings come to the surface, deal with little problems before they compound into larger ones. Your positive approach in dealing with others’ problems will help them to heal emotionally, spiritually. You may also have the gift of being able to push others in the direction you want them to go.

Capricorn(KH,J)22 Dec to 20 Jan Interesting change of plans. Unﬁnished business may distract your focus. Someone can appear reasonable and attractive one minute, then just the opposite a moment later. For the short run, though, enjoy playing with the different people, feelings and situations that are likely to arrive in your life now. You may receive invitations to social events. Take the time to express your views publicly & your plans will become crystal clear. Your universal appeal will help to make your dreams come true.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 Feb A spark in your personal and professional relationships. They will grow & blossom beyond your expectations. Utilize your energy to organize, re-build & prepare for upcoming events. Your personal magnetism & appeal will certainly give you an edge in everything you do. Be careful not to mislead others, be honest with your approach. Recent changes in your lifestyle could prove to be a positive inﬂuence on others. You may be pleasantly surprised by comments made by higher ups. Aim high & you’ll beat all the odds!

Pisces(D,CH,Z)20 Feb to 20 March Domestic & personal decisions which will tend to make you feel more secure in who you are. Your energy has recently been weakened by others trying to pull you down. Don’t allow others to make you feel inferior, make your mark & stick to it. Your ideas & plans will become a blueprint for your future plans. Family & friends will express their genuine gratitude for your honest efforts. Entertaining, attending social events will allow you to network your ideas. If you prepare properly, this could be a great adventure. You’ll have opportunities to meet interesting people that will help you to broaden your horizons. Be honest in expressing how you feel, especially in matters of the heart.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES & ORGANIZATIONS OF HOUSTON - call Voice of Asia 713-774-5140 Dr.Ambedkar International Mission Inc. U.S.A Prog: India’s Constitution Adoption Day - 26 November on Saturday, November 23, 2013., from 2.00P.M - 6.00P.M. Room No.122/124 . FREE event. Location: India House 8888 West Bellfort Avenue Houston, Texas 77031

Hare Krishna Dham (ISKCON) Everyday, 7 Aratis and bhoga offerings daily. Sunday Festival: 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Location: 1320 West 34th St, Houston, TX 77018. Contact:281-433-1635/E-mail harekrishnadham@gmail.com Website: www.iskconhouston. org

Shri Radha Krishna Temple Prog: Sunder Kand Path starting at 5PM onwards on Sunday November 24, 2013. Maha Arti at 7:00PM. Prasaad will be served after Maha Aarti. Location:11625 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77072 Phone: 281-933-8100 Website: www.SRKT.org.

Shiridi Sai Durga Shiva Venkateswara Temple (Katy) Prog: Contact: 713-933-8821/ Udayakumar Gullapalli E-mail: gullapalliu@yahoo.com Website: www.sdsvt.org

Arsha Vidya Satsanga Prog: Sundays Free Sanskrit classes in Sugar Land Website: http://sites.google. www.avshouston.org. Contact: 281-313-2366/Email: houston.avs@gmail.com

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya

Vedanta Society of Greater Houston

Temple Hrs: 9 am to noon and 5 to 9 pm.;Sri Astalaksmi puja: 7 pm. Sri Laksmi Archana will be performed on request all day. Location:same as Chinmaya Mission. Website: www.saumyakasi.org;

Prog: Vedanta teachings Sundays at 10:30 AM Location: at 14809 Lindita Dr. Houston, TX -77083. Website: www.vedantahouston. org

Hindu Temple of The Woodlands

Prog: Darshan daily from 7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.; Aarti daily from 7.45 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Location: 10080 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: 281-530-2565 Web:

Location: 7601 S. Forest Gate Drive at Woodlands Parkway, Spring, TX 77382. Contact: info@woodlandshindutemple.org, 832-585-0001 Website: www. woodlandshindutemple.org.

VPSS Houston

Shri Satyanarayan Sai Puja Darshan

Location VPSS Vallabh Hall, 11715 Belfort Village Dr. Houston 77031. Contact:713-530-2900 Website:www.vpsshaveli.org

Prog: Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Every Thursday Abhishek Location: 16338 Kensington Dr, Ste 110, Sugar Land 77479. Phone: 713-933-8821 / 9359.

Sri Meenakshi Temple

Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston

Prog: Friday, November 29, 2013 9 am: New Ganesh Temple Mahakumbabhishekam 12.30pm: traditional Lunch 2-5pm: Cultural program Location: 17130 McLean Road Pearland, TX 77584 Contact: (281) 489-0358 Web: www.meenakshi.org

Prog: Sundays Dewan 10:00 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Langar Location:14811 Lindita Drive, Houston, TX 77083 Phone: 281-498-5200 Website: www.gurdwaraswh.com

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitus Samee Mosque Prog: Friday Prayer - 1:30 PM Children’s Classes | Interfaith meeting | Location: 1333 Spears Rd, Houston, TX 77067 Imam - Mohammed Zafarullah Contact : Work: 281-875-3400 | Cell: 713-874-4363 Zafarullah_Hanjra@hotmail.com www.Alislam.org

Chinmaya Mission

Ashirwad - A Blessing Temple

Prog: Location:10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498. Phone: 832.541.0059. Website:www.chinmayahouston. org.

Prog: Regular prog :Sloka Classes for kids and teens. Location: Katy, Hwy 249 & Sugar Land. Contact: 281.995.0930/ 281.808.2159

ISSO

Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple Prog: Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra Parayanam: daily 6.30 p.m. Location:10098 Synott Road. Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: 281- 498-2344 Website: www.ashtalakshmi.org

Hindu Worship Soc. Prog: Open all days except Thursdays (by appt). Regular Puja and Prasad. Sunday Service 11:30 AM to 1:30 Location: 2223 Wirtcrest Lane Houston TX 77055.

Barsana Dham Houston Chapter Prog: Satsang every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Location: India House, 8888 West Belfort 77031 Phone: (713) 855-9818 for

details Website: www.jkphouston.org Weekly Radio Program-1460 AM Saturdays 10-11 a.m.

Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Prog: Every Friday Satsangh from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. Bhajans and Devi Puja, Discourses. Location: 12530 Ann Louise Road, Houston, 77086. Phone: Contact Vishnu at (832) 309- 7181.

JVB Preksha Meditation Center

Telugu Christian Fellowship

Prog: Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun from 8 am to 9:30 am Location: Arya Samaj @Schiller Road. Contact: 281-579-9433. Websites: www.pyptusa.org

Prog; Every third Saturday 6:30 PM. Worship is in English Location: The Triumph Church, 10555 West Airport Boulevard, Stafford, TX 77477. Contact:713-301-6444 Website:

Jain Center of Houston Location: 3905 Arc St. Houston, TX 77063 Contact: 281-606-JAIN; Email: ecjsh@jain-houston.org Website:www.jain-houston.org

Durga Bari Society Prog: Sandhya Arati at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 9:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. Location: 13944 Schiller Road. Contact: 281-597-8100 Website:www.houstondurgabari. org

Gayatri Pariwar of Houston Prog: Sundays Satsang, Bal-Sanskar Shala, from 11am to 1pm. Location: 5645 Hillcroft, Suite # 307, Houston, TX 77036. Website: http://www.gayatripariwarhouston.org/ “

Prog: Bhajans: Sat.7:00 -8:00 p.m.; Sundays 9:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.Location: 1620 Ormandy

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Bethesda Houston Tamil Church

Rooﬁng 522),1*

Lutheran Church 1211 West Belfort Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477. Contact: 281-686-4135 / Email: pastorvj@linchouston.org

Trinity Mar Thoma Church Prog: Sundays Malyalam service at 9:45 a.m. Every alternate weeks in English at 10:30a.m. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Location: 5810 Almeda Genoa Road. Contact: 713-9771-1557/ 281261-4603.

Rekindle The Fire Ministries Prog: Houston Revival Meetings Every second Saturday of the Month. Location: New Song Christian Community Church near 59S and Wilcrest. Every fourth Saturday of the month join a lively youth revival meeting. Website:www.rekindlethefire.org

Indian Catholics of Houston Location: Claridge Drive Houston, TX 77031 Contact:: (713) 995-6811

Islamic Society of Greater Houston Location: Eastside Drive Houston, TX 77098 Contact: (713) 524-6615

BAPS Clear Lake Prog: Location: 520, W. NASA Parkway, Webster, TX - 77598

Prog: Prog: Sundays Tamil Worship: 5 – 7pm Sunday school : in English. Bethesda Family Fellowship: in English 10.30 am-12.30 pm Free Tutorial for all children Mondays & Wednesdays 5-6 pm. Ladies Bible Study: Thur 9 am. Location: 1092, Suite F&G, Stafford. Tex 77477 Tel:281-3177331 Contact: 281-317-7331 Website:bethesdahoustontamilc hurch.org

Prog: Sundays worship 4:30 pm. Location: All Saints

GHNSS Nair Service Society of Greater Houston Prog. Monthly “Karayogam” every fourth Sat. 6:00 PM. Contact: 281-261-4950/ 281778-8341

Datta Yoga Center Houston Prog: Satsang on alternate Saturdays 5:30pm to 8:00pm. Free Kriya Yoga classes. Contact:713-854-7097 or 281205-0905 Website: dychouston.org

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Visit our website www.karanika.net

Prog:Satsang every Sunday evening from 5 - 7 p.m. Vedic heritage classes for kids 5-14. Location: 16628 Kieth Harrow blvd. Houston, TX 77084 Contact: 281-499-3347/281-4914114.

Prog: Location: 14102 Schiller Road, Houston TX 77082 Phone: 281.596.9642 Website: www.jvbhouston.org

Accountants Accounting, Tax Returns, Cost Accounting, Peachtree, Sales Tax, Franchise Tax.

Govindaji Gaudiya Math

Prog: Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at two locations Locations: Contact: (North) 832-418-3842 or (South) 281-788-4786. Website:www.saicenterofhouston.org

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SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE KTRK-TV, an ABC-TV Owned Television Station located in Houston, Texas is seeking to fill a Sales Account Executive position. Candidate must be able to develop new business and increase station revenue/share on existing accounts. The ability to successfully sell advertising on ABC13.com, Live Well, WATCH and other mobile platforms is paramount. Candidate must be a selfmotivated team player with the ability to grow their business. Applicant must have a thorough knowledge of the daily television business including Traffic, Promotion, News and Marketing. A proven track record and prior broadcasting sales experience is required. Candidates must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file. Please reference Job ID: 151484BR on all materials submitted. No phone calls please, no third parties. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D.

FRIDAY, November 29, 2013

Babysitter Wanted Need a live-in babysitter for a 5 month old child. Will provide ticket for travel. Place: Seattle (Washington).

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Gorgeous Tanglewood Area Home

5000 sq.ft with private yard & pool Open House: December 1, 2013 2:00 – 4:00 pm

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FRIDAY, November 29, 2013