.For fun, you can learn about the Chinese Zodiac, when the Year of the Rooster begins January 28, 2017. Since the Chinese Zodiac goes in 12-year cycles, the Year of the Roster will be followed by:
2018 Year of the Dog
2019 Year of the Pig
2020 Year of the Rat
2021 Year of the Ox
2022 Year of the Tiger
2023 Year of the Rabbit
2024 Year of the Dragon
2025 Year of the Snake
2026 Year of the Horse
2027 Year of the Goat
2028 Year of the Monkey
Some think the years of your birth animal are the most unlucky in the 12-year cycle. But Roosters can count on their lucky numbers (5,7,8) and lucky colors (gold, brown, and yellow) to help them get through this year. In terms of relationships, Roosters are said to be most compatible with those born in ox and snake years.
Since career-minded Roosters are hard-working and multi-talented, they are capable of a wide variety of jobs from sales person to surgeon. In this, their bad luck year, they are supposed to work hard, not talk too much, not seek attention, and not expect their efforts to be recognized until another year.
(Also see the earlier post, "Go Holiday Globe (S)hopping.")
Friday, January 27, 2017
Friday, January 20, 2017
Why the Circus Ran Away
I was a tourist walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City some 35 years ago, when the circus was in town. A woman handed me a flyer asking me to protest the way elephant acts were treated. When I was asked to make a prediction about any subject 25 years later, I said animal acts in circuses would no longer exist. At the end of May this year, the entire Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus will close.
By searching "elephants," you can read again the posts I wrote several years ago after I was exposed to the normal behavior of families of elephants in Africa, the cruel methods that cause elephants to perform for us out of fear, and the injuries to legs elephants suffer from riding in rail cars chained to cement floors.
It also is encouraging to see a decreased demand for raw ivory, often obtained from poached and killed elephants, has caused the price for a couple of pounds to drop to $740 in 2017 compared to a little over $2000 three years ago.
By searching "elephants," you can read again the posts I wrote several years ago after I was exposed to the normal behavior of families of elephants in Africa, the cruel methods that cause elephants to perform for us out of fear, and the injuries to legs elephants suffer from riding in rail cars chained to cement floors.
It also is encouraging to see a decreased demand for raw ivory, often obtained from poached and killed elephants, has caused the price for a couple of pounds to drop to $740 in 2017 compared to a little over $2000 three years ago.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Apply Now for Summer Opportunities
It's easy for students to miss out on summer opportunities, because deadlines are early in the year. My granddaughter has spent two summers in a science lab at the University of Wisconsin, because she attended an informational session, obtained teacher recommendations, and submitted the required application before February. Besides summer programs offered by colleges and universities, summer foreign travel/study tours, and summer acting/dance classes also have early deadlines.
Girls ages 16 and 17 on June 1, 2017 have an excellent example of summer opportunities available to them, if they apply before January 31, 2017. The University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Science and Mathematics and the International Arctic Research Center offer three FREE summer expeditions designed to combine scientific field studies with glaciologists and oceanographers, art, critical thinking, and mountaineering or kayaking.
Girls ages 16 and 17 on June 1, 2017 have an excellent example of summer opportunities available to them, if they apply before January 31, 2017. The University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Science and Mathematics and the International Arctic Research Center offer three FREE summer expeditions designed to combine scientific field studies with glaciologists and oceanographers, art, critical thinking, and mountaineering or kayaking.
- Girls on Ice Alaska explore an Alaskan glacier June 16-27, 2017. Program is open to girls 16 and 17 from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, the Yukon, and California.
- Girls on Ice Cascades explore Mount Baker, an ice-covered volcano in Washington State. Program is open to girls 16 and 17 in all countries.
- Girls in Icy Fjords explore Bear Glacier, the marine environment in a fjord near Seward, Alaska, and learn to kayak August 11-22, 2017. Program is open to girls 16 and 17 in all countries.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Future Career Opportunities
For youngsters around the world, where they will work or launch a business seems many years away. Yet, thinking about what factors a country needs to offer employees and employers can begin at any age. Forbes magazine (December 21, 2016) helped the process of identifying "Best Countries for Business" by ranking 139 countries on a composite of factors including: taxes, innovation, technology, regulations, corruption, property rights, investor protection, per capita income, and trade balance. Other factors to consider might be: infrastructure; political stability; threat of terrorism; human rights of men, women, and children; and health conditions.
The Forbes ranking placed Sweden first and Chad last. At forbes.com/best-countries-for-business/list/, there is a brief evaluation of the business climate in each of the 139 counties listed. You can find out why a negative trade balance, regulations, government intervention in the housing and health insurance markets, budget deficits, and modest growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) positioned the United States 23rd among countries best for business.
Looking for future opportunities, I paid special attention to the 26 countries with economic GDP growth of 5% of more. Admittedly, countries with less developed economies may be able to show the greatest growth compared to countries with more developed economies, such as the US with 2.6% growth. Nonetheless, growth is an important factor to consider.
Best for Business GDP growth
Ranking
4 Ireland 26.3%
130 Ethiopia 10.2%
106 Cote d' Ivoire 8.5%
85 India 7.6%
134 Laos 7.6%
97 Dominican Republic 7.0%
122 Tanzania 7.0%
123 Cambodia 7.0%
78 Rwanda 6.9%
102 China 6.9%
133 Dem. Republic of Congo 6.9%
117 Bangladesh 6.8%
98 Vietnam 6.7%
113 Mozambique 6.6%
81 Senegal 6.5%
30 Malta 6.2%
109 Mali 6.0%
111 Tajikistan 6.0%
89 Philippines 5.9%
59 Panama 5.8%
128 Cameroon 5.8%
105 Kenya 5.6%
63 Namibia 5.3%
94 Bhutan 5.2%
44 Malaysia 5.0%
100 Benin 5.0%
Of these 26 countries, almost half are in Africa. Youngsters might keep their eyes on what these countries do to remedy the problems identified in their Forbes descriptions, since African countries might offer the best opportunities in the future.
The Forbes ranking placed Sweden first and Chad last. At forbes.com/best-countries-for-business/list/, there is a brief evaluation of the business climate in each of the 139 counties listed. You can find out why a negative trade balance, regulations, government intervention in the housing and health insurance markets, budget deficits, and modest growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) positioned the United States 23rd among countries best for business.
Looking for future opportunities, I paid special attention to the 26 countries with economic GDP growth of 5% of more. Admittedly, countries with less developed economies may be able to show the greatest growth compared to countries with more developed economies, such as the US with 2.6% growth. Nonetheless, growth is an important factor to consider.
Best for Business GDP growth
Ranking
4 Ireland 26.3%
130 Ethiopia 10.2%
106 Cote d' Ivoire 8.5%
85 India 7.6%
134 Laos 7.6%
97 Dominican Republic 7.0%
122 Tanzania 7.0%
123 Cambodia 7.0%
78 Rwanda 6.9%
102 China 6.9%
133 Dem. Republic of Congo 6.9%
117 Bangladesh 6.8%
98 Vietnam 6.7%
113 Mozambique 6.6%
81 Senegal 6.5%
30 Malta 6.2%
109 Mali 6.0%
111 Tajikistan 6.0%
89 Philippines 5.9%
59 Panama 5.8%
128 Cameroon 5.8%
105 Kenya 5.6%
63 Namibia 5.3%
94 Bhutan 5.2%
44 Malaysia 5.0%
100 Benin 5.0%
Of these 26 countries, almost half are in Africa. Youngsters might keep their eyes on what these countries do to remedy the problems identified in their Forbes descriptions, since African countries might offer the best opportunities in the future.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Chinese Culture Creep
The Chinese Year of the Rooster is fast approaching on Saturday, January 28, 2017. After the antics of the Year of the Monkey, the rooster wakes us up to prepare for fresh challenges that require a quick wit, practical solutions, and persistence.
With theme parks and film, savvy showmen Qiaoling Huang and Wang Jianlin are providing entertainment and spreading Chinese culture at the same time. Huang's Songcheng Group is making its first overseas investment in the $600 million Australia Legend Kingdom. On Australia's Gold Coast, local visitors, the 1.2 million Chinese tourists who spend $8000 per trip, and other international tourists will be able to visit a theme park that features an aboriginal Australian village and the "Mystic Orient," which showcases Chinese and Southeast Asian culture.
Chinese investors have acquired AMC movie theaters and the Legendary Entertainment movie studio in the United States. Wang Jianlin, chairman of the (Dalian) Wanda Group/Wanda Cultural Industry Group, is in the process of developing a state-of-the-art Movie Metropolis Complex and offering up to 40% of production costs to attract filmmakers to Qingdao. China's censorship State Administration of Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television is therefore positioned to counter Western values and to introduce China's core socialist values into films and to influence the culture of global moviegoers.
China's attempt to buy into World-Cup-class soccer (football) suffered an initial setback. According to TIME magazine (Jan. 16, 2017), Christiano Ronaldo, a Real Madrid star, turned down a $314 million offer from a Chinese Super League club. But by 2018, Alibaba had a sports channel streaming soccer. China's HNA Group was one of the sponsors at the French Open tennis tournament May 22 - June 11, 2017.
Chinese culture has no trouble being represented on dinner tables around the world. Begin the Year of the Rooster by dining at a local Chinese restaurant or, with an adult's help, try this recipe at home.
Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry
Servings: 4
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 boneless, skinless Chicken breast halves, cut in strips
1/2 green or red pepper, thinly sliced
1 can (15.25 oz.) pineapple chunks in their own juice
3/4 cup sauce (1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 tsp ginger)
Hot cooked rice
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and green pepper, cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes or until chicken is done (no longer pink).
2. Drain pineapple and reserve 2 tablespoons of juice. Combine reserved juice and sauce.
3. Add pineapple chunks and sauce mixture to skillet. Cover and cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over rice.
With theme parks and film, savvy showmen Qiaoling Huang and Wang Jianlin are providing entertainment and spreading Chinese culture at the same time. Huang's Songcheng Group is making its first overseas investment in the $600 million Australia Legend Kingdom. On Australia's Gold Coast, local visitors, the 1.2 million Chinese tourists who spend $8000 per trip, and other international tourists will be able to visit a theme park that features an aboriginal Australian village and the "Mystic Orient," which showcases Chinese and Southeast Asian culture.
Chinese investors have acquired AMC movie theaters and the Legendary Entertainment movie studio in the United States. Wang Jianlin, chairman of the (Dalian) Wanda Group/Wanda Cultural Industry Group, is in the process of developing a state-of-the-art Movie Metropolis Complex and offering up to 40% of production costs to attract filmmakers to Qingdao. China's censorship State Administration of Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television is therefore positioned to counter Western values and to introduce China's core socialist values into films and to influence the culture of global moviegoers.
China's attempt to buy into World-Cup-class soccer (football) suffered an initial setback. According to TIME magazine (Jan. 16, 2017), Christiano Ronaldo, a Real Madrid star, turned down a $314 million offer from a Chinese Super League club. But by 2018, Alibaba had a sports channel streaming soccer. China's HNA Group was one of the sponsors at the French Open tennis tournament May 22 - June 11, 2017.
Chinese culture has no trouble being represented on dinner tables around the world. Begin the Year of the Rooster by dining at a local Chinese restaurant or, with an adult's help, try this recipe at home.
Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry
Servings: 4
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 boneless, skinless Chicken breast halves, cut in strips
1/2 green or red pepper, thinly sliced
1 can (15.25 oz.) pineapple chunks in their own juice
3/4 cup sauce (1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 tsp ginger)
Hot cooked rice
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and green pepper, cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes or until chicken is done (no longer pink).
2. Drain pineapple and reserve 2 tablespoons of juice. Combine reserved juice and sauce.
3. Add pineapple chunks and sauce mixture to skillet. Cover and cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over rice.
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