Voice of Asia Sep 13 2013 by VoiceOf Asia

OP-ED/OPIONS/VIEWS

VOICE OF ASIA 2

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A salute

LETTERS

I salute the courage of Sushmita Banerjee who lent her support to the emancipation of women in Afghanistan despite threats to her life from the Taliban. Her brutal assassination reinforces that the Taliban is against women’s progress. Although the Taliban targeted Malala Yousafzai for her efforts to spread education among the women of Pakistan, the young girl was not deterred. Similarly, the outﬁt cannot stop women’s progress by killing progressive writers like Sushmita. Although the Taliban has been removed from power, Afghanistan has a long way to go before ensuring the empowerment of women shackled by a parochial and conservative society. Janga Bahadur Sunuwar,

Laudable verdict The much awaited and expected verdict on the Nirbhaya gang rape case is out. It has conﬁrmed the guilt of the four accused (one of the accused committed suicide while the sixth offender, a juvenile, was sentenced to three years in a remand home) and convicted them for 13 offences with which they were charged. That Indian courts do not swerve from the path of their commitment to protect and preserve the rule of law has once again been proved beyond doubt. B.S. Jayaraman, Coimbatore

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

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

Like US, can India ever take a tough stand on Syria, or any other global issue? by Dhruva Jaishankar As the US Congress debates the authorisation of force against Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, there is a rare point of consensus in hyperpartisan Washington. Hawks and doves, realists and liberals agree that there are no good choices. A US failure to punish Assad’s forces for using chemical weapons risks encouraging their crackdown, undermines American leadership in the region and around the world, and weakens an international convention. Furthermore, the longer the delay, the less effective any future action will be. At the same time, even limited US-led military intervention, such as cruise missile strikes, is likely to cause more civilian casualties, be perceived as illegal in the absence of Chinese and Russian support at the Security Council, strengthen the hands of Islamist extremists, and risk perpetuating the Syrian conflict by emboldening rebel forces. The shadow of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars means that American leaders remain extremely sensitive to the unforeseen consequences of any foreign intervention. It’s a Conundrum Although Syria may be less crucial to Indian interests, New Delhi finds itself in a somewhat similar bind. A default view articulated by many Indian diplomats and commentators is that India ought to oppose any Western-led military action. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has unequivocally stated that India would not support a military option without the Security Council’s mandate, a view reinforced by PM Manmohan Singh at the G20 Summit. Beyond its legality and justification — the jus ad bellum — India certainly has its reasons to oppose a USled strike on Syrian targets. Should American intervention contribute to Assad’s fall, the primary beneficiaries could well be Sunni Islamist extremist groups, and India has long been at the receiving end of virulent militant Islamism. India has also shouldered the material costs of West Asia’s destabilisation. Oil prices have risen over 20 per cent since the start of the Arab Spring. And it comes just as each rupee lost against the dollar adds an estimated Rs 8000 crores to India’s annual oil import bill. But the Syrian conundrum also raises the question of what world order India desires. While a West Asia marked by Islamist extremism and sectarian conflict is certainly not

conducive to Indian interests, neither is one characterised by heavy-handed authoritarianism and chemical weapon use. Further problems with India’s position are exposed when considering the longer-term implications of the Syrian crisis. Even if Assad were to emerge victorious, he would hardly be let back into the fold of the international community. Barring the West, he appears to have burned enough bridges with Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey — all countries with which India has important relations — to give New Delhi reason for pause. Finally, India’s stated position of not supporting an international military intervention in the absence of a Security Council mandate is troubling. Rather than grounded in Indian interests, its policy is effectively at the mercy of the P5; so much for the worthy goal of an independent foreign policy. India’s default stance also raises doubts about India’s international leadership aspirations. An absence of a cogent defence of India’s position, whatever it may be, is one reason why India’s concerns are

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has unequivocally stated that India would not support a military option without the Security Council’s mandate, a view reinforced by PM Manmohan Singh at the G20 Summit. not regularly taken into consideration on issues it does consider important. In other words, India’s studied silence on seemingly remote matters of global importance may have come at a cost closer to home, whether on Iran, Afghanistan or Myanmar. For the time being, India can afford to live with its contradictions because its direct stake in the Syrian conﬂict is relatively marginal and because its ability

by Marc Santora and Ariel Kaminer

Michael Ollis was not even in high school when terrorists slammed jetliners into the World Trade Center towers. This summer, 12 years later, he was serving his third combat tour with the US Army when insurgents attacked his base in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Ollis, 24, a Staten Island native, was killed. He was one of 92 New Yorkers who enlisted after 9/11 and died in battles that were spawned in the smoldering rubble of ground zero.

of thousands during a decade of war, offered a reminder that the costs of what happened 12 years ago are still being borne across the globe. And with the nation once again in the midst of a debate about America’s role in the world and the wisdom of launching military strikes, the memorial ceremonies offered not just an occasion to pay tribute, but a moment to take stock. Edwin Aviles, 41, who lives in Brooklyn and was working near ground zero just before the memorial Wednesday, said time

As the families of those killed on 9/11 gathered Wednesday morning in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia to mark the anniversary of the attacks, Ollis’ death, one

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But that is unlikely to remain the case for long. While it may be easy to judge what the US should or should not do, India should be asking itself is whether it is capable of making these kinds of tough decisions. (The writer is a Transatlantic Fellow with the German Marshall Fund in Washington DC)

America marked the 9/11 anniversary with moments of silence and reﬂection

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had done little to ease his sense that there are enemies looking to harm New York. “I don’t think anything has changed,” he said. “Just like then, just like now we got to stay on point. Got to stay on top of everyone else. Anything can happen at any given moment.” Others noted that it was on the anniversary last year that the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked and Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others were killed. Continued on Page 11

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

Colorado Teenager Killed in Prank Gone Wrong

old cousin apparently came to visit Galley. Lal’s 15-year-old brother was also at the home, hanging out with Galley. Praveen Lal said in interviews with local media that his daughter entered the home without Galley’s knowledge. Authorities said that the father’s description of what happened next, involving the closet, and Galley’s gun, is consistent with their investigation. “All the witnesses had consistent statements,” Commander Jeffrey Satur of the Longmont Police Department told CNN. Premila Lal (denver.cbslocal.com photo)

ONGMONT, Colorado - In a freak accident, an 18-year-old Indian American girl was killed in Longmont, Colorado, when she jumped out of a closet to surprise a friend, who shot her thinking she was an intruder. Premila Lal jumped out of a closet as a harmless joke to surprise Nerrek Galley, a 21year-old family friend. But the noise startled the friend, who grabbed a gun and shot her, her father Praveen Lal said. The incident happened Sept. 6 in Longmont, north of Denver. The teenager’s death was “unintended and extremely tragic,” police said in a statement. “The closet opened and I

think she jumped and screamed and he thought it was an intruder inside the closet, so he pulled the trigger,” Praveen Lal said. Premila was a track star and was honored at a weekend cross country meet at her alma mater, KVDR TV reported. Her family described her as an athlete, a popular girl and strong student. Just before 8 p.m. (local time) Premila Lal showed up at a house her family once called home. They had since moved, and were preparing to sell the place. In the meantime, Galley was staying at the house. Premila Lal and her 12-year-

A neighbor was quoted as saying that she saw the group rush out of the home, screaming. Lal was admitted to a hospital and was pronounced dead about an hour later. “We lost a daughter, so we don’t want anybody else to lose their son, you know, especially when it was accident,” Praveen Lal told the Denver TV station KCNC. Galley has been charged with reckless endangerment, child abuse and providing a gun to a juvenile because Lal’s 15-yearold brother had access to the gun, police said. So far Galley has not been charged in Lal’s killing. Police said they do not suspect the involvement of alcohol or drugs. (PTI).

Indian-American Manju Goel announces candidacy for US Congress CHICAGO: Indian-American Manju Goel has announced her bid to seek Republican party nomination to run for a seat in the US Congress, focussing on divisive issues like “Obamacare” and the growing national debt. Goel, an Aurora resident and conservative who was born in India, hopes to win the Republican primary in March and then take

on incumbent Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth for the 8th district congressional seat. Goel outlined her campaign platform on Sunday during the Northwest Suburban Republican Family Picnic at Busse Woods Forest Preserve in Elk Grove Village. She is being backed by a national group of Republicans, in-

cluding Texas congressman Pete Sessions, who accompanied Goel to Sunday’s picnic. This will be Goel’s first run for public office, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections website. “America is on the wrong track,” Goel said during the event, her first public comments since announcing her candidacy.

“We are spending USD 1.60 for every dollar we bring in. We are discouraging rather than encouraging entrepreneurs and job creators with burdensome regulations.” Goel took particular aim at “Obamacare,” which she called the “biggest of all job killers.” After working more than ﬁve years in the health care industry as a process improvement specialist, Goel said neither patients

nor doctors like the Affordable Health Care Act, which she, like many Republicans, refer to as “Obamacare.” “Obamacare has to go, and Tammy Duckworth must go,” Goel said was quoted as saying by Daily Herald newspaper. She also said America must rid itself of debt, and she would support a constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget. “Washington spends our hard

earned money like there is no tomorrow,” she said. Since the global economic crisis in 2008, US federal debt has increased from USD 5 trillion to an estimated USD 12 trillion in 2013, according to media reports. In her campaign literature, Goel said she grew up in a middle-class family in northern India and came to the US at the age of 21.

WORLD/US

VOICE OF ASIA 11

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

‘Our hearts still ache’ for 9/11 victims: Obama

ASHINGTON, September 11, 2013 (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday mourned the lives lost 12 years ago in the September 11, 2001 attacks, saying “our hearts still ache” for the nearly 3,000 people killed.

Continued from page 2

On Wednesday morning, a car bomb exploded outside the Libyan foreign ministry in Benghazi, causing no casualties, according to state media, but offering a reminder that the day holds signiﬁcance for extremists as well.

Against the backdrop of possible US military action against Syria, Obama marked the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks ﬁrst at the White House, and then at a solemn Pentagon ceremony attended by families of 9/11 victims and senior ofﬁcers.

But in New York, the anniversary itself now has taken on the familiarity of routine. Bruni Sandoval has come each year to remember her friend, Nereida De Jesus. “It helps a little,” she said.

“We pray for the memory of all those taken from us -- nearly 3,000 innocent souls,” Obama said.

Families began to gather quietly between the reﬂecting pools, the rush of water and the distant sounds of bagpipes the only sounds rising above the crowd. The ceremony at ground zero was to begin with bagpipers and drummers; the Brooklyn Youth Chorus was to perform the national anthem. At 8:46 a.m., when the ﬁrst plane struck the north tower, there was a moment of silence.

“Our hearts still ache for the futures snatched away, the lives that might have been,” he said. “They left this Earth. They slipped from our grasp.” Quoting the Bible, Obama spoke of “the miracle of restoration,” paying tribute to the resilient spirit of victims’ families, saying he was “amazed at the will that you’ve summoned in your lives to lift yourselves up and to carry on.” US troops invaded Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks to oust the Taliban for giving refuge to Al-Qaeda, and Obama gave thanks to the American forces who served there - but said the war was

America marked the 9/11 anniversary with moments of silence and reﬂection

(L-R) US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden observe a moment of silence to mark the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on September 11, 2013. (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad)

now coming to a close. He said the country would remain vigilant in the face of future terror threats but said military might alone could not bring peace and security.

“Let us have the wisdom to know that while force is at times necessary, force alone cannot build the world we seek,” he said. Nearly 3,000 people were killed

in the 2001 attacks in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. At the Pentagon, 184 died when a hijacked airliner struck the building.

In Washington, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, their wives by their sides, stood on the White House lawn, heads bowed. At 9:03, a second moment of silence will mark the moment a second plane hit the south tower. There would be four more moments of silence interrupting the reading of the names - twice to mark the time when each tower fell and to mark the moments of the attacks on the Pentagon and on Flight 93, which crashed into a ﬁeld in Pennsylvania.

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Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Friday, September 13, 2013

Top 16 Pieces of Career Advice

by Marty Nemko (U.S.News & World Report LP)

With petabytes of career advice out there, how do you find what’s really crucial? Here’s one guy’s votes: Choosing a Career and Job 1. Focus on what really matters. You’re more likely to be happy with your career and job if you focus less on its prestige or coolness and more on finding a career and job that uses your natural strengths and doesn’t tax your weaknesses, is appropriately challenging, with a good boss and co-workers, reasonable pay, commute and job security. 2. Career passion comes AFTER you’ve chosen it. Most people came to love their career only after they chose it and took the time to become a go-to guy or gal at it. So take a month or three to explore career options and then pick what feels best, even if it doesn’t make you want to do handsprings. Landing a Job 3. One job-search method does not fit all. For example, networking works only for some people. If it hasn’t worked for you in the past, more networking will more likely burn you out than land you a job. Based on your past performance and current preferences, decide the proportion of job search time you should spend on in-person networking, online networking, cold-contact of employers, answering ads and headhunters. 4. Use a point-by-point cover letter. In answering a job ad, the best cover letter explains, pointby-point, how you meet the main job requirements. Negotiation 5. Get a second offer. When you think an offer is coming, let your other prospects know and ask if they’re willing to fasttrack the decision to hire you. Having two or more employers competing for you boosts your negotiating position. Succeeding on the Job 6. Find out the truth. Most people think they’re above average. It’s a phenomenon known as illusory superiority, according to a recent LiveScience article. Getting the truth might help you before it’s too late. And if you are above average, feedback helps you be even better. Ongoing, get feedback from your boss and respected co-workers, perhaps using Checkster’s Talent Checkup (www.checkster. com/solutions/talent-checkup/). 7. You must stop procrastinating. Procrastination is a career killer. Please remember that the short-term relief of deferring tasks is far exceeded by the long-term pain. Procrastination may have worked in school but, except in low-level jobs, there’s much less grade inflation in the workplace. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That too shall pass. 8. Think time-effectiveness. Ongoing, ask of yourself, “Is this worth doing?” And if so, how perfectionistically?” Just as we drive faster or slower depending on the situation, we should choose the right speed for tackling a task. 9. If you’re smart, avoid teams. Not withstanding the ubiquitous public extolling of teamwork, the following rule of thumb is generally wiser: Try to work solo if you’re brighter and more motivated than most of your co-workers. If you’re not, get on teams.

Section 2

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FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

Tel: 713-774-5140

Student Loans Are a Societal Problem, Not an Economic Threat: Economist

10. Tell quest stories. Everyone knows that most people are persuaded more by story than by statistics but less wellknown is that a most powerful form of story is the quest story: Describe a serious problem and the travails of trying to solve it, ideally a problem you tackled.

gressNow, it takes the average college grad 20 years to pay off their loans after leaving school. Given the size of the market and outsized level of defaults, the free market interest rates would be much higher than the 6.8% currently charged (up from 3.4% in June).

11. Hire slow; fire fast. Hiring may be the manager’s most important task. Rather than rely on responses to job ads, tap your extended network - they’re more likely to refer good candidates. Then evaluate applicants mainly by having them do simulations of tough tasks they’ll encounter on the job.

Student debt has become a hot-button issue, but economic strategist John Canally of LPL Financial says the problem is overstated. The personal impact is huge but the systemic risk is minimal. “There’s just not as much leverage of the leverage and derivatives tied to the student loan market that was tied to the housing market,” he says. “From that perspective having a trillion dollars of student loan debt isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

If an employee is doing poorly, after a brief attempt at remediation, it’s usually wiser to cut your losses and try someone else. Extra time is usually not only wasted and stressful but increases the employee’s enmity and, in turn, likelihood of filing a wrongful termination claim. Self-Employment 12. Don’t innovate; replicate. The leading edge too often turns out to be the bleeding edge. Guinea pigs usually die. You lower your risk in starting a business by taking a proven business idea and cloning it in a new location or giving it a minor tweak. For example, you’re more likely to succeed by incorporating the best features of five busy laundromats into yours than by trying to invent some new product.

Yahoo Video snap of students attending a lecture by Jeff Macke (Yahoo Finance)

ast week JPMorgan (JPM) announced it was exiting the student loan business next month. The bank sees both growth and profit opportunities in the student loan business shrinking as the government continues to take effective control

via Sallie Mae. Private banks have been leaving the industry in droves since 2010 when the government cut banks out of the student aid process. Profitable or not student loan debt has doubled since 2007. There is currently somewhere around $1 trillion of student debt outstanding. According to research conducted by Pro-

There may be minimal systemic risk now but there’s little question student debt is a problem for individuals impacted and the job market as a whole. Two-thirds of students leave school with debt. The average

monthly payment is $500. According to the BLS the average salary for a teacher is $52,000 per year with starting wages much lower than that. Spending $6,000 a year might not be a problem for college grads able to get high paying jobs, but the prospect of putting more than 10% of your salary towards student loan debt is a harrowing for many. The first ten years after college are what Canally refers to as “prime time for spending” on new houses, cars and other grown-up possessions. “From an economic perspective we can handle those payments. The question is ‘can the economy grow fast enough to get those people back into the labor force after they’ve left college?’” If there isn’t enough economic demand to sop up the supply of debt-laden college grads it might not lead to a financial catastrophe but the implications for American society are grim.

13. Keep it simple. The more complicated the business, the bigger the risk. Do one simple thing well. For example, sell amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. 14. Be cheap. Money is a business’s lifeblood. Spend too much and you’ll die. So, for example, work from home or see if you can get space free from a friend, a room in a church, whatever. Hire on a just-in-time, bythe hour basis. Use a template website, not a custom-created one. Figure out how much to pay for products based not on the retail price but on what it must cost to manufacture. Example: Eyeglass frames may cost $200 retail but pennies to make - they’re just cheap metal or plastic. So if you, Mr. Optician, think you’re getting a good deal in buying frames “wholesale” for $50, you’re wrong. $1 is closer to right. General Advice 15. Work long hours. That doesn’t sound like fun but when you’re doing work you’re good at and realize that the life-wellled really is mainly about productivity, you’ll be glad to work long hours, even if it didn’t increase your job security or make you more money. 16. Never look back. Boris Nemko, a Holocaust survivor, explained why he rarely talks about the Holocaust: “The Nazis took five years from my life. I won’t give them one minute more. Never look back. Always take the next step forward.” There’s no better advice. The San Francisco Bay Guardian called Dr. Nemko “The Bay Area’s Best Career Coach” and he was Contributing Editor for Careers at U.S. News. His sixth and seventh books were published in 2012: How to Do Life: What They Didn’t Teach You in School and What’s the Big Idea? 39 Disruptive Proposals for a Better America. More than 1,000 of his published writings are free on www.martynemko. com. He posts here every Monday.

Princeton tops US News annual college ranking

ASHINGTON - (AFP) Princeton University leads US News and World Report’s latest annual ranking of best colleges in the United States released Tuesday. Harvard University, which shared the top slot with Princeton in a tie last year, placed second, with Yale and Columbia third and fourth and Stanford and the University of Chicago tying for fifth. Launched in 1983 when US News, an online news source, was still a weekly magazine, the list is seen as highly influential among young Americans deciding where get a higher education. It is based on data from more than 1,900 academic institutions but critics have said its methodology dwells more on a college’s status and reputation than it does on educational standards. Of the top 20 colleges, only two -- Rice University in Texas and the University of California at Berkeley -- had tuition and fees less than $40,000 a year. Pennsylvania State moved up nine spots to 37th place, and was ninth among all national public

universities, overcoming the bad publicity surrounding a child sex scandal involving its revered American football team. “Higher education remains an important indicator of future earnings and career stability,” said Matt Speer, sales and marketing director for the US News rankings, which costs $30 to access online. “We’re pleased to provide this useful tool and data to help students make an informed decision,” he said in a statement. A separate US News ranking for liberal arts colleges put

Williams College and Amherst College, both in rural Massachusetts, and Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania in first, second and third place. Some 10.3 million people were enrolled in four-year colleges in the United States in 2012, and another 3.8 million in graduate schools, the US Census Bureau reported last week. But enrollment was down nearly 500,000 from a year earlier, a decline that educational observers called a sign of an improving economy as would-be students over the age of 25 filter back into

the labor market. The international Academic Ranking of World Universities, better known as the Shanghai ranking, put Harvard in first place and Princeton at number seven, with Britain’s Cambridge and Oxford the only non-US schools in the top 10. US President Barack Obama has proposed a new ranking system, overseen by the federal Department of Education, that would judge US colleges on a value-for-money basis and determine how much public funding they would each get.

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VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 20

Friday, September 13, 2013

Section 2

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Medicare Does Not Pay for Bill and Melinda Gates Long-Term Care win Lasker Award for by: Sudhir Mathuria

any consumers and policymakers mistakenly believe that Medicare — the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities — pays for long-term care. It does not, as stated in the official Medicare handbook. Millions of Medicare enrollees must pay for long-term care services (such as personal assistance at home, assisted living, and nursing home care) entirely from their own income and savings. Confusion often stems from misinterpretation of coverage provided by Medicare’s “post-acute” home health care and skilled nursing facility benefits. Post-acute services focus on medically related skilled nursing and therapy services some patients need after hospital or outpatient treatment. Examples include skilled nursing visits for wound care and physical therapy after hip surgery. In contrast, long-term care (also called long-term services and supports) consists mainly of personal assistance with routine activities such as bathing, using the toilet and managing medications, for individuals who need this assistance because of ongoing functional limitations (usually defined as lasting three months or longer). Solution: Asset Based Long-Term Care Protection Using Life Insurance Or Annuities

These combination products address one of the common objections of consumers to “stand-alone” longterm care insurance -- “wasting” the premiums if they never need longterm care. In fact, policies may offer a Return of Premium option (you could say a Money Back guarantee) that allows for a full refund of your premium at any time.

You can obtain two forms of very valuable protection in one convenient policy. Some companies offer recurring premium policies which may be more attractive to middle-aged buyers. Others offer single-premium policies that can be attractive to older consumers with invested assets they have set aside to “self-insure” their health and long-term care needs in their retirement years. Some policies will provide multiples of long-term care benefit options. So, say you purchase $200,000 of life insurance; you could have access to $400,000 to pay for qualifying long-term care costs. Any portion of your death benefit not used for long-term care will go to your beneficiaries as a death benefit. You may find the new options more attractive. Understand the pros and cons of asset based plans. Who should consider these plans? What do buyers look for? Tax considerations etc. For more information… Sudhir Mathuria

The provisions of the Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006 provide new tax benefits for what are often referred to as long-term care combination plans. These new benefits apply for life insurance policies and annuity contracts. PPA permits tax-free distribution of life insurance or annuity cash value to pay for long-term care (both beginning in 2010). As a result, you now have multiple ways to accomplish your long-term care planning. There is, of course, traditional long-term care insurance that you can buy on an individual basis or through your employer. Why Are People Interested In These Options?

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Adrenal Hormones: diseases. By far, the most beneficial effect may be reducing Cortisol levels.

public service

David Jeyaraj, MD The adrenal hormones are DHEA and Cortisol.

Bill Gates

ASHINGTON, September 9, 2013 (AFP) - Bill and Melinda Gates were among the winners of the prestigious Lasker Awards Monday, bestowed each year for advances in medicine. The philanthropic couple were honored for “leading a historic transformation in the way we view the globe’s most pressing health concerns and improving the lives of millions of the world’s most vulnerable,” the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation said in a statement. Other recipients include Richard Scheller and Thomas Sudhof for discoveries linked to rapid neurotransmitter release, a process key to the way our brain cells communicate, according to the foundation.

Sudhir Mathuria

Tel: 713-774-5140

“These advances have provided a molecular framework for understanding some of the most devastating disorders that afflict humans as well as normal functions such as learning and memory,” it said on its website. Scheller, a 59-year-old American, works for Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

Sudhof, 57, of Stanford University’s School of Medicine, hails from Germany. The foundation also honored Graeme Clark, a 78-year-old emeritus professor at the University of Melbourne in Australia; Austrian Ingeborg Hochmair, 60, founder and CEO of MED-EL; and American Blake Wilson of Duke University for developing a modern cochlear implant that allows the severely deaf to hear. “The Lasker Awards showcase the power of biomedical research to advance science, save lives, and avert suffering the world over,” said Alfred Sommer, chair of the foundation’s board of directors. “This year’s awards celebrate that tradition by honoring fundamental discoveries about brain function, the creation of an innovative technology that confers hearing to profoundly deaf people, and the powerful impact of results-driven philanthropy that has enhanced the quality of life for millions around the globe.” The awards, worth $250,000 each, will be presented at a ceremony in New York on September 20.

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is like the point-guard in a basket-ball team. It facilitates the performance of the other stars- testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, growth hormone. It is stimulated by the pituitary gland, by the action of the hormone, ACTH. DHEA can be converted to testosterone in women, but has no appreciable effect on testosterone levels in men. Low DHEA levels are associated with osteoporosis and cardiovascular death rates in older adults. Other beneficial effects include improving symptoms of auto-immune

Cortisol is also called the stress hormone. It is produced in response to stress. Elevated levels of cortisol are detrimental to health, causing among other things, poor immunity, risk of chronic diseases, osteoporosis, risk of insulin resistance and diabetes and increased intra abdominal fat. We try to get the cortisol levels as low as possible. Dr. David Jeyaraj is board certified in Internal Medicine and has been in practice for 14 years. When he faced a personal health crisis, he at first turned to conventional medicine. He exercised, ate right, took his medications regularly. He transitioned from conventional medicine to full time age management medicine . Dr Jeyaraj is certified in age management by Cengenics Institute, Las Vegas and is a member of the Age Management Medicine Group. He can be reached at: 713.271.0705 www.texasami. com

Super spider silk opens way to nano medical devices

ARIS, September 10, 2013 (AFP) - Scientists in the United States said on Tuesday they had coated spider silk with carbon nanotubes, creating a fibre that is not only super-strong but also conducts electricity. The new thread is three times stronger than untreated spider silk, which weight-for-weight is already one of the strongest substances in Nature, they reported. The first mooted application

is in nano-scale medical devices. In tests, the prototype has been used as heartbeat monitor and as a piston, able to raise a relatively huge 35 milligrammes using electrical current and humidity to make the thread contract like a muscle. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, is led by Eden Steven of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory n Tallahassee, Florida.

Does testicle size matter for raising children? By Kerry Sheridan

ASHINGTON, (AFP) - A US study Monday measuring fathering habits and testicle size suggested that bigger may not be better when it comes to the day-to-day raising of small children. The research involved 70 US men of varying ethnicities -- most were Caucasian, five were Asian and 15 were African-American. All were the fathers of children aged one to two. The larger the volume of their testes, the less the men were involved in daily parenting activities like changing diapers, said the study by researchers at Emory University in Georgia. In comparison, men with

smaller testes showed more nurturing activity in the brain when shown pictures of their children, and also were more involved in their children’s upbringing, according to surveys answered separately by both the fathers and their female partners. All the men in the study were aged 21-55 and lived with the biological mothers of their children. Most were married. “I wouldn’t want to say that men with large testes are always bad fathers but our data show a tendency for them to be less involved in things like changing diapers, bathing children, preparing meals, taking them to the doctor and things like that,” said lead author James Rilling, an associate profes-

sor of anthropology. The study sought to test an evolutionary theory that holds that people and animals are either built to breed or to nurture. The findings support the notion that human beings have a limited amount of energy to invest in reproductive efforts -- so either they put energy into producing offspring or into raising it. “If you invest more energy in parenting you have less available for mating and vice versa,” explained Rilling. Since the testes are where sperm is made, and their size can be linked to the amount produced, the researchers said their study is unique and the first of its kind. Previous studies have

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shown a link between high testosterone levels and lower parental involvement as well as divorce and infidelity. The Emory team also analyzed testosterone levels and found the same inverse relationship to parental involvement in their study. “Other people have looked at testosterone and parental behavior but as far as we know we are the first to look at testes size and parental behavior and we think we are getting at something different,” said Rilling. “We are suggesting that men with larger testes are more built for a mating effort strategy and as a consequence are less built for investing in children.” Researchers used functional MRI scans to analyze

brain activity when the men were shown pictures of their toddlers and also of strangers’ children. To assess the men’s daily parenting involvement with their young children, scientists asked the men and their female partners to separately fill out questionnaires. The volume of the testes was measured in a voluntary MRI scan, to which 55 of the 70 men agreed. Still, the researchers could not say for sure whether testes size caused the difference in fathering behavior, or if perhaps the act of becoming a father might have caused the testes to shrink in some men. Urologist Joseph Aluka, who was not involved in the research, said he commonly sees men with smaller testes

in a certain context. “The guy who comes in with smaller testes is more likely to have greater difficulty with getting his wife pregnant,” Aluka, an assistant professor at New York University Urology Associates, told AFP. If such men end up being more involved as parents, “maybe these guys struggled to have kids and appreciate the experience a little bit more,” Aluka said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if just a few participants in this study fundamentally affected their data because it is a small study,” said Aluka, describing the findings as “a stretch.” The study appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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VOICE OF ASIA 21

HEALTH, SC & TECH

WHO chief accuses tobacco giant of ‘sabotaging’ EU health bill

EW DELHI, September 11, 2013 (AFP) The World Health Organisation chief on Wednesday accused tobacco giant Philip Morris of seeking to “sabotage” a proposed EU measure to clamp down on tobacco industry marketing aimed at women and youngsters. The planned Tobacco Products Directive, or TPD, is a key piece of EU legislation that health campaigners say would save lives by including large pictorial health warnings on tobacco products, among other measures. WHO director-general Margaret Chan, speaking to an anti-tobacco conference in New Delhi, said a “massive army” of lobbyists has been deployed to block the bill’s passage. “The most recent example concerns efforts on the part of Philip Morris to sabotage the vote on a strong European directive on tobacco,” Chan told the conference, attended by delegates from over 55 countries.

She said the lobbyists were seeking to delay passage until the rotating European Council presidency moves to Greece from Lithuania in January. This would force the complex process for passage of the measure to start again, anti-tobacco campaigners say. Lithuania favours tobacco controls while Greece opposes them. The European Parliament last week put back the vote until October. The tobacco industry has lobbied hard to delay the vote in hope it can get changes to the proposals, which highlight the health issues of smoking, especially for women and young adults. The proposals aim to ban misleading packaging and presentation of tobacco products. Officials have charged that some look like candy packets. Chan noted Philip Morris is opening a European distribution centre in Greece, whose

government has hailed the investment as “important and symbolic”.

egy, saying health care costs for tobacco users are beyond the reach of poor nations.

“Here industry is counting on the historical pattern where economic and commercial interests trump public health concerns,” she told the conference hosted by the WHO, India’s Health Ministry and the Public Health Foundation of India, an independent think-tank.

Anti-tobacco campaigners are increasingly embracing the concept of “tobacco endgames” that would reduce tobacco use to a minimum.

Chan’s allegations came after the British newspaper The Guardian this month alleged leaked documents showed Philip Morris spent large sums to get the EU vote postponed. The Guardian said the documents also suggested US-based Philip Morris was intent on derailing the EU directive. Philip Morris said in a statement its lobbying efforts were directed at expressing its views about what it saw as a “deeply flawed proposal”, and it followed “best practice.” Chan also pushed to make socalled “tobacco endgames” part of economic development strat-

In India, there are 275 million tobacco users and over one million tobacco-related deaths annually, Indian Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told the conference, adding there is an “imperative need” for tobacco control. Chan said she rejected arguments that strong tobacco controls represent interference of the “nanny state with personal liberties and freedom of choice”. She noted smoking claimed around 100 million lives in the 20th century and is expected to cost a billion lives this century, based on current trends. “Think of all the lives saved, the suffering averted, if the tobacco industry simply ceased to exist,” she said.

Microsoft plans Sept. 23 tablet computer event SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft on Monday sent out invitations to a September 23 event at which it is expected to unveil new Surface tablets to challenge iPads and Android devices dominating the market. The event to be held in New York comes as the US technology giant struggles to remain relevant as Internet age lifestyles shift from traditional computers to smartphones and tablets. Email invitations to the “Surface NYC event” revealed little more than time and place details displayed over a graphic image of a Surface tablet and matching keyboard. Microsoft last month knocked $100 off the price of high-end

versions of its Surface tablet, which is competing against Apple’s iPad and devices that use Google’s Android system. The software giant’s online store is offering US consumers the Surface Pro for $799 or $899, depending on memory capacity, down from $899 and $999 respectively. The Surface RT is a basic version of the tablet, which got a 30 percent price cut earlier in the year after failing to gain traction in the market. The Surface RT price dropped to $349 from $499. The promotion came on the heels of shabby tablet sales that resulted in Microsoft taking a $900 million charge against fourth quarter earnings, which

closed at the end of June. The charge exceeds sales of the tablet since it was launched at the end of October 2012, estimated by the company at $853 million. Surface was introduced to showcase Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system, which was launched at the same time in a bid to make up for ground lost to Apple and Google in the mobile domain. Pressure on Microsoft to avoid becoming obsolete in the rapidly evolving technology world has triggered an overhaul of Windows; early retirement plans for chief Steve Ballmer, and the multibillion-dollar buy of Nokia’s handset business. The deal worth $7.2 billion

(5.44 billion euros) gives Microsoft Nokia’s mobile phone operations along with an array of patents and licenses to help compete with rival platforms. The deal also moves Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop, who was hired from Microsoft in 2010 to turn the company around, back to his former firm, and makes him a likely candidate to succeed Ballmer when he retires. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer announced has announced he will retire by August of next year. Ballmer took over as CEO in 2000 from co-founder Bill Gates, a classmate and friend from their days at Harvard University in the 1970s.

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

Continental teams up with IBM in automated driving

FRANKFURT, September 10, 2013 (AFP) - German auto parts maker Continental announced Tuesday that it is teaming up with US software giant IBM to develop systems that will eventually enable cars to drive by themselves.

Continental and IBM “want to jointly develop mobile connected vehicle solutions for automakers around the world,” the German group’s chief executive Elmar Degenhart told reporters on the sidelines of the IAA auto show which opens

here this week.

The technology was aimed ultimately at “making automated driving a reality,” he said. There has been speculation in recent weeks that Continental was mulling cooperation with Google, which has long been working on driverless cars. But Degenhart refused to be drawn into commenting on the rumours. “We’re in touch with many companies,” he said.

MIT and Harvard top world university list

LONDON, September 10, 2013 (AFP) - The United States comes out on top in an authoritative list of international university rankings published Tuesday, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University leading the way. MIT came top of the QS World University Rankings for the second year running, while Harvard displaced Britain’s Cambridge University to take second spot in the 2013 table. US institutions made up six of the top ten, with the remain-

ing four places being filled by British universities. The QS rankings included a record number of UK institutions in the top 20, with Edinburgh and King’s College London making their first appearances. According to the study, graduates from Oxford and Cambridge were the most employable in the world. The rankings take into account the subject range, research results and academic reputation offered by 3,000 institutions internationally.

FDA: Recalled Chobani Greek yogurt may have sickened 89 people by Kaitlin Funaro A batch of fizzing, smelly Greek yogurt is causing stomachaches for dozens of people across the country and a big headache for the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is investigating at least 89 reports of illnesses after people ate a recalled batch of Chobani Greek yogurt. FDA spokeswoman Tamara Ward told The Times-News on Monday that some people who ate the yogurt described having nausea and cramps. Grocery stores around the country were sent notices last

week to destroy 35 varieties of the yogurt. The bad batch, which was manufactured Twin Falls, Idaho, was thought to be contaminated by a mold commonly linked to dairy, fruits and vegetables. The company said on Friday that the species of mold was determined through “extensive testing and expert consultation” to be Mucor circinelloides. A link between Chobani products and the illnesses has not been confirmed by the FDA. The illnesses have put a strain on the hugely profitable Greek yogurt business.

VOICE OF ASIA 23

Friday, September 13, 2013

BUSINESS Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

Tel: 713-774-5140

Welcome new billionaires! Akbar Travels US Division celebrates its Grand Opening Ultrawealthy ranks grow by Robert Frank | CNBC

eing a billionaire isn’t so special anymore.

A new study from Wealth-X and UBS finds that the global population of billionaires has surged past 2,000. Their combined wealth totals $6.5 trillion-more than the combined gross domestic product of France and Germany. Previous estimates placed the world’s billionaire population at between 1,200 and 1,600. The World Ultra Wealth Report found that just under 200,000 people in the world are worth $30 million or more. The $30 million-plus group, labeled the “ultra-wealthy,” grew by 6 percent in 2013 and have a combined fortune of $28 trillion. Surprisingly, most of the growth in the number of ultrawealthy was in the U.S. and

Source: Jon Oringer | Facebook Europe rather than in emerging markets. Luxury brands have been calling China, Brazil, Russia and other emerging countries the future of wealth. But economic slowdowns in China and Brazil led to a drop in their number of billionaires this year.

Wealth-X and UBS forecast that Asia will rebound, however. “Asia will generate more ultra-high net worth individuals and wealth than the U.S. and Europe in the next five years,” UBS said in the report.

Toyota recalls 870,000 vehicles in US, Canada

HICAGO - Toyota has reissued a recall of 870,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada after discovering initial repairs were not performed properly, the Japanese automaker said Monday. “We got reports there was a problem with vehicles that had supposedly been fixed in the initial recall,” spokeswoman Cindy Knight told AFP. “It turns out dealerships weren’t performing the repairs correctly.” Toyota has issued new instructions to dealers and will be notifying customers that they need to

bring their vehicles back in to be checked. In a notice to safety regulators, Toyota said it found that the rear tie rod could develop “unwanted movement and rust” if the nuts are improperly tightened during service. This could eventually lead to thread damage and eventual failure of the tie rod, which would cause an abrupt change in the vehicle’s alignment. The recall affects RAV4 vehicles with model years 2006 through 2010 and Lexus HS250h vehicles built from October 2005 through

September 2010. It was the second time in a week that Toyota issued a second recall for the same group of vehicles. Some 133,000 Highyland and Lexus RX vehicles were recalled in the United States Tuesday to repair a problem with the hybrid engine’s inverter system.The vehicles were recalled in 2011 after initial reports of problems with solder. Further investigation discovered a problem with the circuitry. Toyota has worked hard to rebuild its oncestellar reputation for safety after a series of mass recalls sparked US congressional hearings in 2010.

George Joseph (left) Office Manager, Houston with Hidayath KV, CEO of Akbar Travels at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Photo credit: Jacob David, Voice of Asia.

ouston, TX: Akbar Travels celebrated its grand opening on Monday, September 9th, 2013 in Houston. George Joseph Manager and K.V.Hidayath, Executive Director cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the travel agency. Akbar Travels of India is the largest and fastest growing Travel Company in India in terms of number of IATA approved Branches, staff strength and business turnover. Flight booking has been made simpler after Akbar Travels launched its

Travel Portal, Akbartravelsonline.com, in 2007. The online portal has been successful in assisting the pas-

senger to book cheap flight tickets both in National and International sectors. After years of successful operation, Akbar Travels has now expanded its services to the US market. There are a variety of travel packages that can be customized to visit different parts of the world. They have branches in India, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Visit them at www.akbartravels.us In Houston, you can call them at: 713-222-8600 or visit them at 5353 W. Alabama St, Ste:207, Houston, TX 77056.

BUSINESS

VOICE OF ASIA 24

Harwindrive.Com Reveals Hidden Treasures Of Houston’s Discount Shopping District New website helps budget-minded fashionistas navigate the deals on Houston’s famed Harwin Drive

ith 350 stores selling bargain-priced imported goods, Harwin Drive can be intimidating to first-time visitors. With the launch of HarwinDrive.com, veterans and newly-initiated frugal fashionistas get a roadmap to the treasures tucked away in stores crammed with everything from handbags, jewelry and perfumes to home décor. HarwinDrive.com is the easiest way to find everything from trendy accessories to quinceanera dresses, eyebrow threading to electronics, in the bustling Harwin Drive district. In this tough economy, consumers are looking for the best prices, and Harwin Drive’s stores give fashion- and bargainconscious consumers the most bang for their buck. HarwinDrive.com lets like-minded shoppers share pictures of their finds online, alerting other shoppers to the bargains and where to find them. Mocca Couture, VP of Marketing and Sales at HarwinDrive.com explains: “with the rise of smart- phone cameras and social media, in particular Instagram and facebook, it made sense for us to create a site where seasoned discount shoppers and newbies alike are able to instantly trade tips on where to find the cutest bracelets, most stylish purses, or “bling” earrings! Designed and managed by boutique ad agency The Hucksters, HarwinDrive.com gives shoppers defined destinations for finding Galleria-quality items at near-wholesale markdowns. “Harwin Drive itself is sprawling, dizzying, confusing, noisy visually, and difficult to navigate,” said Peter Wood, Creative Director at The Hucksters. “So we’ve attempted to design a site that’s the complete opposite –

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clean and tidy, simple and beautiful.” The ad agency has also created a tongue-in-cheek ad campaign which compares the prices of fashion items between Rodeo Drive and Harwin Drive. One example shows a $4,500 designer purse, an imitation of which can be found on Harwin Drive f o r $55.

The most anticipated game show of the year Kaun Banega Crorepati is back again with Amitabh Bachchan at the helm!

‘Seekhna Bandh Toh Jeetna Bandh’ Premieres on 6th September at 8:30 pm on Sony Entertainment Television Asia

Stylish Houstonians know that Houston-area malls buy goods on Harwin Drive, then resell them for four to five times the original price. The treasure trove of designer look-a-likes and no-frills shopping attracts serious shoppers determined to find the best deals, but it requires patience – and comfy shoes. Like Canal Street in New York and the Garment District in L.A., it’s a treasure hunt spanning several warehouse-style buildings full of vendors willing to wheel and deal. Prior to the launch of the site, many bargain shoppers simply didn’t know where to start. Now they start at HarwinDrive.com About HarwinDrive.com: Cutting through the maze of Harwin Drive is no easy task, so HarwinDrive.com was created to help savvy shoppers share where they got their fab finds. HarwinDrive.com features a clean, simple layout – the exact opposite of Harwin Drive – and allows for usersubmitted pictures and tips on finding the best deals in Houston’s discount shopping drive. For more information, visit www.harwindrive.com or call (713) 302-3969.

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

ew York, September 3, 2013: After 6 stupendously successful seasons, Sony Entertainment Television launched India’s biggest and most anticipated game show Kaun Banega Crorepati 2013, in a brand new avatar. Geared with a faster and more innovative format, and helmed by the incomparable icon, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, KBC 2013 will make Indians all over the world come alive once again and is all poised to set new benchmarks. Produced once again by Big Synergy Media Ltd, Kaun Banega Crorepati will launch on Sep-tember 6, Friday to Sunday at 8.30 pm on Sony Entertainment Television. Keeping up the entertainment quotient of the show as always, will be the iconic host, Mr Amitabh Bachchan with his stylish wardrobe designed by famous fashion designer Rohit Bal. This season is spread over 13 power packed weekends with special episodes and interesting themes. For the first time in the show’s history, KBC 2013 will have a brand new set and design elements, giving way to a magnificent 360 degree multimedia stage, and making India the first ever country to change the ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ set worldwide. Kaun Banega Crorepati is synonymous with big victories and bigger prizes and in a move that will thrill a million hot seat hopefuls, for the first time ever in the history of KBC a whopping jackpot prize of Rs. 7 Crores!

The central theme of Kaun Banega Crorepati this year, ‘Seekhna Bandh Toh Jeetna Bandh’ will focus on creating a pan-India aspirational platform of opportunities that will appeal to Indians of all ages, gender and socioeconomic groups. KBC 2013 will strengthen its relevance and formula of success by reinforcing the fundamental premise of the continuous process of learning in life. KBC enjoys phenomenal equity with Indians worldwide because it is not just a game show. It is a trustworthy and credible platform of knowledge, growth, opportunity and reward. Apart from this, the following changes have been implemented: • The Money Tree will now consist of 15 questions • There will be four questions in the ‘Sapta Koti Sandook’ a brand new feature, that will give the contestants a chance to win from 1 crore to 3 crores, 5 crores and ulti-mately 7 crores • Yet another interesting innovation is the ‘Fastest Finger First’ round which now be-comes a ‘Best out of three’ and the winner at the end enters the Hot Seat • More choice of lifelines ‘Flip the question’ (Alat Palat) returns in place of ‘Ask the expert’ and ‘50:50’ comes back in place of ‘Double Dip’ • A brand new lifeline called ‘Power Paplu’ has been introduced. This lifeline will aid those who seek to revive any already used lifeline • In the entire game-play however, a hot seat contestant may use only 4 of the 5 life-lines on offer • And another interesting feature is the ‘Play along’ for the ‘Fastest Finger First’ con-testants who do not make it to the hot seat. These contestants can now play along with the hot seat contestant and the one who answers the maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time

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The show was launched amidst much fanfare with the rendition of a fun-ﬁlled narrative on the ‘Importance of continued learning’ by none other than the one and only Mr. Amitabh Bachchan in his classic baritone. Jaideep Janakiram, SVP International Business-Head of North America said “Kaun Banega Crorepati is back once again with greater stakes, a brand new set and a thrilling lineup of over 35 episodes. Amitabh Bachchan and KBC season 7 will keep viewers on edge to see who will be the next winner. Eager contestants come from all over India giving viewers in the US a taste of the myriad hues with each episode”. So get set to be glued to the edge of your seats and witness some brilliant winning moments on television as “Kaun Banega Crorepati” starts on September 6, 2013 Friday to Sunday at 8:30p.m only on Sony Entertainment Television! About Sony Entertainment Television Asia: Since its launch on the Indian subcontinent in 1995, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has enjoyed rapid success, leading to the establishment of European, North American and African feeds known as SET Asia. SET and SET Asia are now available in over 150 countries. The channels offer their viewers a distinctive blend of entertainment programs twenty four hours a day, including, soap operas, dramas, sitcoms, concerts, movies, and game shows. Besides SET Asia, SET also has three other leading channels: MAX, India’s #1 premier movies and special events channel, SAB, the only dedicated comedy channel, MIX, the recently launched Hindi Film Music channel and Aath, the only dedicated Bengali Movie channel.

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FEATURE

VOICE OF ASIA 25

Dutch vegetarian butcher takes on the ‘Frankenburger’

Your Horoscope (For week beginning Friday, September 13, 2013)

Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

by Nicolas DELAUNAY

ever mind last month’s revolutionary test-tube beef burger grown from meat stem cells. The Dutch are way ahead with a “vegetarian butcher” who transforms plants into “meat”.

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.

Dubbed the “Frankenburger”, the lab-grown beef -- developed at a cost of more than 250,000 euros ($330,000) -- was unveiled by scientists in London and served to volunteers in what was billed as the start of a food revolution.

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Keep many balls in the air at one time, but even you have a limit. There appears to be a conﬂict between your devotion to home and devotion to work. You need to cut down somewhere, and only you know where. The best advice is to throw career and money cautions to the wind and spend a spectacular time out and about with that very special person. Let your partner arrange the plans. You could have the greatest time, with or without that crowd of people you always love to have around you.

But “we are much more advanced, so-much-so that we have built an unassailable lead over meat produced from stem cells,” said Jaap Korteweg, founder of the “Vegetarian Butcher”.

Taurus(B,V,U)21 April to 20 May You can be a star and a standout at work. It’s not unusual for you to come up with new, more productive and easier ways to do things, but now you may just astonish higher-ups with your creativeness. The good stuff doesn’t stop at the ofﬁce door, either. Moonlight and roses may be part of the menu. For some, it will involve a new romance. Look forward to the thrill of getting to know somebody mighty attractive who could become a mainstay in your social life. You may have to rethink how you react to authority ﬁgures.

While the “cultured beef” in London was made using strands of meat grown from muscle cells taken from a living cow, the Dutch butcher needs only plant matter to make his “meat”. Korteweg’s shop on a main street in downtown The Hague is packed with a range of products from veggie “hamburger” patties to “meatballs” and even “tuna” salad. One of the secret ingredients is a soy paste, which when put through a special pressurisation machine, imitates meat fibres, a technology invented by the University of Wageningen in the central Netherlands. Ingredients vary. For chicken, he uses more soy, while beef is made from carrots, peas and potatoes. The “meat” taste comes by adding herbs and spices and all the rest. The vegetarian chicken “tastes just like real chicken”, and the tuna salad is also close to the real thing, according to an AFP journalist and several customers, who conceded some products weren’t quite realistic but said they tasted good. The demand for an environmentally friendly and vegetarian alternative to meat is growing, with meat production notoriously inefficient, requiring huge swathes of land to grow the crops to feed the animals. “Our hamburger’s environmental footprint is seven times less than that of a real hamburger,” claimed Korteweg. “Our chicken only requires half to a third of what’s needed to produce a real chicken. I’m talking about use of land, water, the grain and feed normally fed to chicken,” he said. Three years after opening, the Vegetarian Butcher sells its products in 500 stores around the Netherlands, mainly supermarkets and specialist food

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June

Paul Bom, the chef of The Vegetarian Butcher, cooks plant-based chicken chunks at his kitchen in The Hague, on August 13, 2013. AFP News Photo By Nicolas Delaunay stores. Korteweg says that sales have doubled each year since, and hopes to open his own factory next year to boost his share of the market and drop prices to below that of the real thing. Though now slightly more expensive than real meat, his products cost about the same as organic meat. The Vegetarian Butcher has struck a chord with Dutch animal welfare organisations and its pro-vegetarian Party for the Animals (PvdD), which has two seats in Parliament. One of those seats is held by Korteweg’s wife and PvdD leader Marianne Thieme. But just as French beef farmers reacted with outrage at developers of the stem-cell burger, the Dutch meat sector has issues with the Vegetarian Butcher. -- ‘Don’t call it a hamburger’ “Every consumer has the right to choose what they eat, of course,” Jos Goebbels, the head of the Dutch Central Meat Sector Organisation (COV), told AFP. “What we do have a problem with is that they use terminology specific to meat, while everybody knows that there’s no meat in there,” he said. “It shouldn’t be called chicken, or a hamburger but should rather

have another name, because it tricks consumers.” Goebbels did not, however, feel that veggie meat posed a threat to the chicken or beef industry. In his quest to make veggie meat taste like the real thing, Korteweg has enlisted the help of chefs, as well as scientists. “The great difficulty is to reproduce on a large scale what we’re able here to produce with our experiments in the kitchen,” chef Paul Bom told AFP. Another problem is people who say “they simply could not imagine consuming an alternative” to meat, said Bom, so “the only solution is to get them to taste it.” Dutch environmental group Natuur & Milieu is doing just that, promoting veggie food with free tastings in supermarkets. “We believe vegetarian food is a relatively easier alternative to achieve than say, finding an alternative to jet fuel or introducing electric cars on the road,” said Olof van der Gaag, the organisation’s campaign manager. If everyone in this country of 17 million ate one less meatcontaining meal a week, he asserted, it would be equivalent to cutting the carbon emissions of a million cars.

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An unhealthily focus on what you consider the inadequacies of your home environment. Don’t despair, do something! Even small cosmetic changes could make a huge difference, especially in your attitude. If someone else has to approve, approach him or her with a positive outlook. Give good reasons why your plan will beneﬁt everyone. Wherever you land at week’s end, you will ﬁnd yourself surrounded by agreeable people who share your mood. Join in the revelry, but avoid excesses of any kind. If dinner is part of the plan, choose your dishes wisely.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July High activity, You’ve got plenty of things you would like to do, but it is vital to be selective. If you attempt them all, you will scatter your forces. Take it one day at a time. Your relationships should move forward into a more promising territory. You may want to take time to look at & appreciate others intentions. Make sure to include your ﬁnancial partner, who will not be critical, even if you are the one who has fallen into a spending pattern that’s hurting the big picture. Excellent time to institute reforms and possibly even small cutbacks. They won’t hurt you a bit.

Leo(M) 23 July to 22 August Improvements and ideas about how they could be accomplished. The problem may be getting to the right people, with the right information, and you may be frustrated. Keep on digging and you will ﬁnd what you are looking for. In the meantime, it is vital not to make any rash moves or uneducated guesses. Calm your tensions in one of two ways. Discuss the situation with a trustworthy friend or get a strenuous physical workout. If your present relationship is not working out, now is the time to re-examine what you expect from a person you get involved with.

Virgo(P) 23 August to 22 September Sweet harmony in your professional & personal life. You and your partner will ﬁnd yourselves getting along about everything. You are very much in favor and may even enjoy an encouraging talk with a superior. It should make you feel more conﬁdent about your future and much more secure about in your position, right where you are. Store up the compliments and feed on them during any rough days in the future. You may lack cooperation from work associates. Take the initiative the 1st and get it done yourself if other members fail you.

Libra(R,T)23 Sept to 22 Oct Feeling that others are not carrying their weight, do not react in an emotional manner. Simply ask for what you need without leaning on anyone. You should lean on the soft shoulder of a supportive spouse or live-in and pour your heart out. Don’t hesitate to treat yourself, as well as him or her, to something beautiful, expensive, and totally unexpected. Though money worries may be on your mind, they should not put you off your stride. Your partner will offer their encouragement. Look forward to a pleasant week-end of compatible conversation in which you seem to agree on everything, for once.

Scorpio(N,Y)23 Oct to 21 Nov The fact others find you, not only delightful company, but a great teammate as well. You exude good feelings and you are sensitive to the needs of others. This general atmosphere spills over into your private life. Something you have in mind, perhaps an old idea about redoing your space, may be a snare and a delusion. For one thing, cash may not be flowing too freely. For another, your significant other may have plans for investing rather than spending what you have. A peaceable compromise could be reached if you reach out to him or her in an affectionate manner.

Sagittarius(BH,F,DH,TH)22 Nov to 21 Dec Distractions & your need to concentrate on your goals and practical concerns. What needs to get done will get done, because you are in a frame of mind to deal directly. Don’t fret about the fact that your personal independence may be a bit limited now. The work you do now is money in the bank for future freedom, maybe even that long-desired trip you’ve wished for some time. Good time for a sit down planning chat. Get out those maps and schedules. It’s not too soon to start thinking about that trip of a lifetime. You could meet a fascinating person who is destined to become part of your life.

Capricorn(KH,J)22 Dec to 20 Jan Mood swings that may have you full of optimism one moment, but frustrated at unexpected setbacks the next. Even so, this is an excellent time to make plans for a better and more prosperous future. If you have something to sell, now is the time to put it on the market and get a positive response. It could just propel you on a course of extravagance. Don’t let loose with any temperamental words this week, they could come back to haunt you in the weeks to come. Actually, both your own private place and your relationship should experience a renewal. You should rejoice in it.

Aquarius(G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 Feb Great time for a fling, whatever kind suits you best. For some, it will be a romantic adventure, reaching a new and higher plateau in a relationship that has leveled off. For others, it may be a fling at the nearest salon for a totally new hairdo. Don’t you love the way people react to something as simple as a different styling? Relax, but do not let a mood of apathy keep you from progressing. It would be a shame to waste your effort. Others may react badly if you do. If your partner wants to have fun, participate! You will find that the more you say,

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

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Reconnect to your roots. You may have a certain person on your mind, perhaps someone who was in your life until recently. Whatever the status of your relationship, there appears to be a romantic, sensual glow in the atmosphere. You may have be the one to take the bull by the horns and make the date. It is highly possible that this reunion will prove something to both of you; you belong together, in every way. A sudden inspiration may hit. It may have to do with furthering your education levels. There is no question that information is power these days. If you feel stuck on your rung of the ladder, a course or a second degree could help you climb much faster. You may be TOO impulsive to jump in and ‘ﬁx’ dynamics situations, especially emotional oriented ones; tread lightly.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

VOICE OF ASIA 26

FRIDAY, September 13, 2013

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES & ORGANIZATIONS OF HOUSTON - call Voice of Asia 713-774-5140 Tagore Society of Houston Prog: Unveiling of Tagore’s Statue st Tagore Grove on Sept. 13, 2013 at 7PM. Location: Ray Miller Park, 1800 Eldridge Parkway, Houston, TX 77077 Contact:713-501-6300

Hare Krishna Dham (ISKCON) Prog: Radhashtami Sep. 12th, 6:30 PM 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: Location:11625 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77072 Phone: 281-933-8100 Website: www.SRKT.org.

Indo-American Charity Foundation Prog: Silver Jubilee Celebrations at Hilton Americas on Sept. 21st, 2013. For more information, call Gala Chair Ramesh Cherivirala at 713-8754336.

India House Prog: Free Yoga classes every Tues, Thurs, & Sat Free Dance classes every Sun Free Computer classes every Mon, Wed, & Thurs Medical Clinic every Sat Cultural Library every Sun For info call 713-929-1900 Email: info@indiahouseinc.org Website: www.indiahouseinc. org

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

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya

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;

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

VSNA, Houston Prog: Monthly Mahamane event. Puja, Vachana Sahithya discourses, Aarthi and Prasad Contact: vsnahouston@gmail. com/832-545-1185 (Jyoti Biradar) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VSNA.HOUSTON Website: https://sites.google. com/site/bsusorg/home

BAPS Prog: Location: 1150 Brand Rd. Stafford, TX. Contact: 281-765-2277 Web:

Sri Meenakshi Temple Prog: Location: 17130 McLean Road Pearland, TX 77584 Contact: (281) 489-0358

Arsha Vidya Bharati Prog.:Sanskrit classes and special worship sessions for all ages Location: 2918 Renoir, Sugar Land, TX 77479 Contact: 281-606-5607 or AVB. Houston@gmail.com Web-site: https://sites.google. com/site/avbtexas/classes

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

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

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

ISSO 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:

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

Shri Satyanarayan Sai Puja Darshan 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.

Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston 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

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 Society 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.

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Prog: Location:3845 West Bellfort, St., Sugar Land, TX 77498 Website: www.babamandir.org

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 Prog: Annual Family Camp “Understanding Joy & Sorrow” on March 29 - 31, 2013 (Good Friday Weekend) Bellville, TX. Location: 14102 Schiller Road, Houston TX 77082 Phone: 281.596.9642 Website: www.jvbhouston.org

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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

Prog: Sundays Satsang, BalSanskar Shala, from 11am to 1pm. Location: 5645 Hillcroft, Suite # 307, Houston, TX 77036. Website: http://www.gayatripariwarhouston.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:

Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center Prog: Daily classes in Raja Yoga Meditation To register call or email. Contact:832-379-8888/ Email: houston@bktexas.com Website: bktexas.com

Bethesda Houston Tamil Church 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:281317-7331 Contact: 281-317-7331 Website:bethesdahoustontamilc hurch.org

Sri Guruvayurappan Our Redeemer Temple Church Prog: Bhajans: Sat.7:00 -8:00 p.m.; Sundays 9:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.Location: 1620 Ormandy Street, Houston, TX 77035 Contact: 713-729-8994

Govindaji Gaudiya Math 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.

Sathya Sai Baba Centers Prog: Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at two locations Locations:

Prog: Sundays worship at 4:30 pm, Location: All Saints Lutheran Church 1211 West Belfort Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477. Contact: 281-686-4135 / Email: pastorvj@linchouston.org

Houston Tamil Church Houston Tamil Church meets every Sunday at 11 a.m. at 1323 Phyllis St., Rosharon, TX 77583 just minutes from FM521 on HWY 6 and HWY 288. Service in Tamil and English. Contact: 281 804 5930. Website www. houstontamilchurch.org

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