text:
Brihat Jataka or Brihat Jatakam or Brihajjatakam (Sanskrit: बृहज्जातकम्), is one of the five principal texts written by Varāhamihira, the other four being Panchasiddhantika, Brihat Samhita, Laghu Jataka and Yogayatra. It is also one of the five major treatises on Hindu predictive astrology, the other four being Saravali of Kalyanavarma, Sarvartha Chintamani of Venkatesh, Jataka Parijata of Vaidyanatha and Phaladeepika of Mantreswara. The study of this classic text makes one grasp the fundamentals of astrology.

Structure

Brihat Jataka is considered a standard textbook on Vedic astrology, and sometimes described as "India's foremost astrological text".

The work covers the wide and complex range of predictive astrology. The brevity employed in its composition is noteworthy. In an article titled "On the Authenticity of the (Modern) Brhat Parasara Hora Sastra" published in the July and August 2009 issues of The Astrological Magazine, Bengaluru, the Vedic astrologer Shyamasundaradasa writes thatone was not considered a scholar of jyotish unless he had memorized Brihat Jataka and Prasna Marga not Brhat Parasara Hora Sastra. Brihat Jataka was considered to be a jewel among astrological literature and indeed in my early days of study there were many translations and commentaries on Varahamihira's Brhat Jataka....In South India Brihat Jataka (and its commentaries) is held in the highest esteem,not BPHS. Why? Because of its many ancient commentaries by Bhattotpala and others especially the Dasadhyayi of Talakkulathur Govindam Bhattathiri ... The classic text Jataka Parijata of Vaidyanatha has word for word borrowed several verses of Brihat Jataka to explain and/or illustrate its view-points etc.

Chapters
The original text, written in chaste Sanskrit, consists of more than 407 Shlokas or verses that comprise 28 chapters.

 Chapter I : Untitled; begins with a prayer and then proceeds to give explanation of various technical terms and concepts used in respect of planets and zodiacal signs.
 Chapter II : Grahayoni Prabheda or Planetary natures; this chapter explains the characteristics, qualities, natures, positions, significance and relations of planets, their aspects, sources of strength, etc.,.
 Chapter III : Viyoni Janama Adhyaya or Manifold births; deals with births of birds, animals and trees.
 Chapter IV : Nisheka or Consummation of marriage; deals with conception, sex of child, effect of birth-time, birth of twins, triplets etc.;
 Chapter V : Janama Kal Lakshana or Peculiarities of Birth; deals with normal and abnormal births, fate of new-borns, deformities etc.;
 Chapter VI : Balarishta or Planetary combinations indicating early Death; deals with planetary situations indicating early death of new-borns, death of mother or father before birth or soon after birth, time of death, planetary combinations cancelling out early deaths;
 Chapter VII : Ayurdaya or Determination of Longevity; explains methods to determine span of life of humans and also animals, grant of life-years by various planets, etc.;
 Chapter VIII : Dasantradasa or Periods and Sub-periods of planets; this chapter details the directional effects of planets;
 Chapter IX : Ashtaka Varga or Eight-fold inter-relationship of planets and results of their transit in various signs and houses;
 Chapter X : Karamjeeva or Determination of Profession; deals with planetary situations/combinations indicating various professions, inherited wealth, legacies and other means and sources of earning/wealth;
 Chapter XI : Raja yoga or Combinations for Royalty; gives combinations for royalty and political power, downfall, servitude, etc.;
 Chapter XII : Nabhasa Yoga or Special Planetary combinations that have permanent influence and continuous effect on human lives;
 Chapter XIII : Chandra Yogadhyaya or Results from Lunar positions and conjunctions of the Moon with other planets in different signs;
 Chapter XIV : Dwigraha Yogadhyaya or Results from conjunction of two planets in different signs and bhava;
 Chapter XV : Pravrajya Yoga or Sanyasa Yogas indicating Renunciation, results of concentration of many planets in a particular sign or bhava;
 Chapter XVI : Rikshasiladhyaya or Influence of Constellations (Nakshatras) i.e. results of births in various nakshatras;
 Chapter XVII : Rasisiladhyaya or Lunar effects i.e. results of the Moon in various signs;
 Chapter XVIII : Rasisiladhyaya or Results of planets in various signs;
 Chapter XIX : Drishti Phaladhyaya or Results of Planetary aspects, significance, strength of aspects, afflictions caused, etc.;
 Chapter XX : Bhavadhyaya or Results of planets in various Bhavas or houses e.g. the Moon in Aries, Mars in Aries and so on;
 Chapter XXI : Asrya Yogadhyaya or Special planetary combinations, results of planets in own, exaltation or other signs, of aspects on exalted planets, etc.;
 Chapter XXII : Prakirnadhyaya or Mixed results; this chapter details typical situations and extraordinary combinations of planets, role of planets in different parts of sign, etc.;
 Chapter XXIII : Anishtadhyaya or Misfortunes; details prosperity or adversity indicated by planetary situations, combinations and transits, fortunate or unfortunate marriage and issues, ill-health, poverty, slavery, etc.;
 ChapterXXIV : Stree Jatakadhyaya or Female Horoscopy; results of combination of planets applicable to women, nature of woman ascertained via study of trimsamsa, widowhood, etc.;
 Chapter XXV : Niryanadhyaya or Determination of Death, fatal diseases, unnatural death, fate of body after death, the past and future existence of soul, etc.;
 Chapter XXVI : Nasta Jataka or Unknown Horoscopes; details method to construct horoscope based on query-time;
 Chapter XXVII : Drekkanadhyaya or Results of planets in various Decanates;
 Chapter XXVIII : Upasamharadhyaya or Concluding Chapter.

Commentaries
The following information is derived from "On the Authenticity of the (Modern) Brhat Parasara Hora Sastra" by Vedic Astrologer Shyamasundara Dasa:

Kalyanraman refers to twenty commentaries on Brihat Jataka of Varahamihira and Alberuni in his memoirs has mentioned that Balabhadra, who lived before Bhattotpala, had written a commentary on Brihat Jataka. Bhattotpala, who had written his commentary on Brihat Samhita as Utpala, and in his writings refers to Vikramaditya Saka i.e. Vikram Samvat and not Salivahana Saka or Shalivahana era, completed his commentary, Jagaccandrika, on Brihat Jataka in the year 832 A.D. by which year he had also finished commenting upon other works of Varahamihira. His commentary of more than eight thousand verses on Brihat Jataka includes numerous illustrations. There are also three lesser known commentaries on Brihat Jataka considered to be one of the best works on Hindu astrology, they are -  Subodhini, Muraksari and Sripatyam. Commentary by Rudra titled - Vivarna though based on Dasadhyayi of Talakkulathur Govinda Bhattathiri is considered to be the superior of these two. Jyotisa, allied to metaphysics, has a philosophical background and aim. A disciplined body, mind and spirit makes one adept in Jyotisa which feature emerges prominently in Brihat Jataka as a basic work on this science and which feature is also brought out with remarkable clearness and force in various commentaries on this text including that of A.N. Srinivasaraghava Aiyangar's Apurvarthapradarsika.

References

External links

Sanskrit texts
Hindu astrological texts
Works by Varāhamihira


I really love the Magical Flowers stamp. It's not only pretty, but of course there's a bit of whimsy in the floating leaves, stars and butterfly. For this card I stamped the flowers twice – once on the card and then another on a separate piece of cardstock so I could add some dimension by cutting out the flowers. I stamped Callie on a separate piece of paper too and propped her up on dimensional dots – just like the flowers – so that she would stand out.
I really like playing around with texture – especially where backgrounds are concerned. I added some splashes in the background and actually used a stencil and carefully watercolored the dots through it. Here's a closeup.
Post 5: I love the crispness of winter. For me it evokes the winding down of the year, being inside a little more, snuggling under blankets and fires in the fireplace. I know it's a bit early to be thinking about, but it does make me happy.
Post 4: Summer's can be hot – and I don't like hot. :) But there's nothing better than a cool breeze wafting through the leaves on the trees, bringing the smell of fresh cut grass or just the stirring of all that is summer. It makes me so happy.
Have you ever made a slider card? I went to the scrapbook store and they had these new slider die cuts from Lawn Fawn. The set comes with a few dies and they are just the right size to create a no-fuss card.
I hope you don't get tired of the lake images, but they are some of my favorites. I stamped the Lake Shoreline on the background card. I stamped the Boat House and then cut part of it out. I used the slider die and with double stick foam tape put the card together.
Here's a wonderfully sweet little card by Lori Barnett. I love that she's chosen to stamp the background in gray and little Lucy in black – it really makes her stand out. It's also a great way to create a scallop card (I think I could add scallops to everything) but making it square so you can stand it up.
Ice Skating is so much fun! I'm sure Lucy will be spinning around on her new skates in no time. What a fun day playing in the snow! It's hard to see in the picture, but I used clear embossing powder to create a nice shinny and smooth bed of "ice" for Lucy to skate on. There's also sparkly crystal glitter on the snow dots and patches of glitter under the trees. I used the masking technique to stamp the trees behind Lucy. Coloring was done with markers.
Here's a magical card from Alex Menzlewski! Bibbity Bobbity Boo! Little Pixie Poppy is adding sparkle everywhere! I just love Alex's choice of bright colors – I love hot pink and lime green as Christmas colors – not that this card couldn't be used anytime of the year. And all that sparkly glitter – it's just everywhere and is soooo cheery.
Look at this sweet little birthday card sent in by Lynne. I just love all the different layers and stitch marks she's used. And little kitty and fish look oh so cute the way she's colored them.
I've coloured my image with watercolour pencils, and then added some Wink of Stella on my wee fishie for some sparkle.
A wonderful treat today from Diane. Who needs a present when there's a bag as cute as this?! I love all the different greens she used in the trees. She used a hint of gray on the first mountain and gave it a sparkly snow capped top. She added a little tag with "Happy Trails" stamped out.
Now if we're quiet maybe the moose will stay just a little bit longer.


As an authorized Coca-Cola distributor, we offer a full line of Coca-Cola soda fountain products in Bag-in-Box.
Coca-Cola's Minute Maid Orchard's Best Juice Products and Master Pour Mixes are also available.
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text:
Q: Get data from previous month in Doctrine2 I need to all data from the table that were created in last month. I've create below code but it gives below error in DQL, however the SQL query is correct when run it.
Error :
[Syntax Error] line 0, col 138: Error: Expected Doctrine\ORM\Query\Lexer::T_CLOSE_PARENTHESIS, got '-'

Code is;
$compCases = $this->getDoctrine()
            ->getRepository('EFuturesCrmBundle:CasesCompensation')
            ->createQueryBuilder('c')
            ->select('c.id')
            ->where('c.caseStatus =:status')
            ->andWhere('YEAR(c.caseStatusDate) = YEAR(CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL 1 MONTH)')
            ->andWhere('MONTH(c.caseStatusDate) = MONTH(CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL 1 MONTH)')
            ->setParameter('status', 'resolve')
            ->getQuery()
            ->getResult();

DQL is not support to the INTERVAL  so how this possible in Doctrine2 ?

A: Try to use this kind of approach:
 $now = new \DateTime('now');
 $delay = new \Datetime('last month');

 $compCases = $this->getDoctrine()
        ->getRepository('EFuturesCrmBundle:CasesCompensation')
        ->createQueryBuilder('c')
        ->select('c.id')
        ->where('c.caseStatus = :status')
        ->andWhere('c.caseStatusDate <= :now')
        ->andWhere('c.caseStatusDate >= :delay')
        ->setParameter('status', 'resolve')
        ->setParameter('now', $now)
        ->setParameter('delay', $delay)
        ->getQuery()
        ->getResult();

Hope it can help you.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: finding the caller of a constructor in C++ Looking for a quick and dirty way to identify the caller of a constructor (or any function for that matter)  I am writing macros to help identify memory leaks by dumping the this pointers to OutputDebugString.
Knowing where ctor and dtor was called from would help identify the problem.
tnx
\0

A: If you're using visual studio you can attach the debugger and rather than having a break-point have a trace-point. You do this by right clicking the break-point and choosing When Hit.... Then select to print a message including the stack trace. This message will be sent to the output pane and you can analyze all calls at your leisure.

A: The best way I can think of is to run your program in a debugger and put a breakpoint in the constructor. Next, examine the call stack.
If you want to target one specific allocation in one specific class, you can keep an allocation count and see which allocation number doesn't get freed. Run the program again, and break on the right allocation number.

If you need to have the call stack dumped to a log, I know it is possible to generate a stack dump using for example win32 API. A more general approach would be to keep an explicit call stack as a global/thread specific state, for example in an std::vector<std::string>-object. (Use RAII to ensure that every push_back is accompanied by a pop_back)

A: It seems to be you are on windows (OutputDebugString). So you can use the StackWalk64 api to get the stacktrace.
See the "Printing the stack trace in C++ (MSVC)" question for more details.
There is also a lot of leak detection tool available (BoundsChecker, etc).

A: There is no quick and dirty way for this, C++ does not offer any portable way of looking into a stack-trace.  If you want to search for memory-leaks, I'd recommend looking into valgrind and similar tools, they do a great job.  As coding guideline, avoid memory-leaks in the first place by using RAII (always have an owner for a resource).

A: Using gcc? Why not generate a stack trace?

A: If you're using Linux then Valgrind does everything you want and more. I find it indispensable when developing in C++.

A: If you're using g++, you can build your project for coverage.  When you run over some sample code, you can then view the coverage of your program using gcov.
This output includes the call tree, and you should be able to see calls to constructors, and the functions that are calling them.
The only downside I can think of is that you will only get output for code that is actually executed, and so you'll need to have good test cases.  That being said, performing coverage analysis is well worth it anyway.  Finally, I highly recommend that you use lcov to view the results!

A: You running under Windows? Visual Leak Detector has helped me in the past find memory leaks.
Using RAII helps reduce memory leaks too.
If you are feeling adventurous then you can overload the new and delete functions. Paul Nettle does this in his MMGR.

A: Can you manipulate the ctor and dtor? I'm no C++ developer and you should easily see this, but perhaps in this case you could pass i.e. a reference on the caller to the constructor.

A: Basically you don't, instead of you save all allocation/deallocation and discover who don´t free objects/areas.
See this answers
Heap corruption under Win32; how to locate?
Good lock.

A: The advise to use a debugger and the call stack is sound and probably the best solution possible. However if you are without a debugger it will not be much help.
Do you know the calling convention being used for your constructor? If so you can use some inline assembler (provided your compiler supports it) to examine the order of function calls. With std calling, the most common convention for Win32, popping the stack will reveal the pointer to the address to return to after the function has been called (i.e. some place in the calling function). This isn't ideal, but you can then go backwards from that point until you reach an address you know to be the start of a function. The only problem here is that you need to get the addresses for all of your functions to be able to do this... this can be done using a simple trick to get the value of eip into another register right at the top of the function, then moving this value into an array to be checked against later when debugging, something like (intel syntax):
call label
label:
pop eax
mov [address of next array entry], eax

A: Thanks everyone for the feedback.  putting a break point in the ctor is not an option due to hundreds of calls for new objects in even a short lifecycle of the program.
Tracing macros in the ctor and dtor did the trick.
Visual Leak Detector and Stackwalk64 look very promising
also found AfxDumpStack(AFX_STACK_DUMP_TARGET_ODS);  // OutputDebugString
but it is VERY noisy


Your customers are making buying decisions every day based on the factor of 'who comes to mind', whether it is choosing a restaurant, buying a vehicle, or a designer clothing brand. How do you stay top-of-mind? Reach and frequency are the two most important factors.
Companies that are top-of-mind have been expertly branded and marketed and have either earned your loyalty or your attention (because you have been receiving their messages on a very frequent basis). This was no accident, these companies have followed a formula of reach + frequency = mind share.
What do you need to do to be top of mind?
Be present: Your customers will rarely make a purchase after learning about you for the first time. Be there on a regular basis with a variety of content and offers.
Be available: We live in a world of information and instant access. Once a prospect engages with you, they will want to learn more. Enhance the way in which your audience finds you and connects with you. This can be by website, blog, videos, social media, SEO and print.
Offer Value: Deliver value rich content such as free information, whitepapers, product guides and problem solving data. You can do this with email marketing, downloadable offers on your website and social media. Create a specific landing page and capture leads to further build your database.
Buzz: Being top-of-mind is about creating buzz and the easiest way to achieve that is by getting people to talk about your brand. Focus attention on creating and maintaining campaigns and you will become the company people recognize and think of first when they need your products or services. Doing so will also provide you with a major competitive advantage and add revenue to your bottom line.
If you consider these tips for creating top of mind awareness, I'm confident you will see results.


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text:
package org.jboss.pnc.integration.utils;

import com.jayway.restassured.response.Response;

import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
import java.util.function.Supplier;

public class ResponseUtils {

    public static Integer getIdFromLocationHeader(Response response) {
        String location = response.getHeader("Location");
        return Integer.valueOf(location.substring(location.lastIndexOf("/") + 1));
    }

    public static void waitSynchronouslyFor(Supplier<Boolean> condition, long timeout, TimeUnit timeUnit) {
        long stopTime = System.currentTimeMillis() + TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.convert(timeout, timeUnit);
        do {
            try {
                TimeUnit.SECONDS.sleep(1);
            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                throw new AssertionError("Unexpected interruption", e);
            }
            if(System.currentTimeMillis() > stopTime) {
                throw new AssertionError("Timeout while waiting for condition");
            }
        } while(!condition.get());
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


"Save The Date" features a contemporary young, bridal couple - the groom holds a calendar while the bride clutches an unusual pink & white flower bouquet. Standing on the green lawn in front of an imposing structure, the groom is dressed in a formal black suit, black hat and of course, black sneakers. The titan-haired bride wears a traditional veil and a three-quarter length wedding gown. Silver & pink flowered sandals grace her feet. Our young lovers are focused on each other and the grand event about to take place.


text:
Nevada: A Guide to Residential Solar Energy
Nevada isn't new to solar panels and the industry around them (nor to desert climes and lots of sun). And while it resisted the fundamental solar policy of net metering recently and for a few crucial years, in 2017 the state legislature voted "to resurrect this important state policy," according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Otherwise, some of the state's solar policy goes back to the late 1990s.
In its report on renewable energy programs in December 2018, the state's energy department noted that "solar incentive program received 1,047 applications and completed 979 projects in December." More importantly, Energy Nevada paid out more than $9 million in solar electric incentives in 2018 alone. Since 2010, the state's shelled out more than $200 million in solar incentives alone.
That is just one of the ways in the installation of solar panels in Nevada has seen a positive response and rise in recent years. As of the end of 2018, SEIA reported that nearly 13 percent of the state's electricity comes from solar. Additionally, SEIA ranks Nevada fifth in the nation in projecting its growth over the next five years.
The solar panel systems and installation market in Nevada has exploded since 2014. Chart via the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Indeed, increased competition in the state since 2014—and the nature of the market on a national scale—means residents are primed for home value increases if they install solar panels in Nevada. And when it comes to home value, researchers project the value of a home increases up to $15,000 on average, according to the Berkley Lab, one of the federal government's national renewable energy laboratories. That doesn't even take into consideration the massive savings solar paneling affords homeowners.
Like every other state, Nevada has a unique set of incentives, benefits, and challenges when it comes to investing in solar panels for houses. Read our residential guide to understand what you should know as a homeowner as you look for the best contractor to install solar panel systems and produce energy like longleaf pine trees produced tar in the Tar Heel State.
Las Vegas, NV: Solar Energy Success Stories
Nevada Solar Panels: Incentives, Rebates, and Other Savings
Meet the Swensons of the Las Vegas solar universe.
"The reason we started looking into solar was for the emergency preparedness aspect of it," they told Blue Raven Solar. They might have not expected it, but they ended up saving a lot of money, too.
"We were paying anywhere from $150 to $220 every month in power and," they told Raven, "ever since we got the solar panels installed we're at $0, other than the $9 connection fee to be tied into the grid."
Indeed, solar panels have a sizeable effect on utility bills. Nevada residents can expect to save nearly close to $17,000 over 20 years.
Keep in mind this data serves as guidance for your journey to home improvement. Use it during your conversation with contractors in your area. Ask for this level of detail in your estimates and if jargon or complex wording seems confusing, ask for clarification. A trusted contractor will be glad for the opportunity to explain what everything means and, more importantly, what it specifically means to you.
When it comes to Nevada's solar energy, existing financial incentives (and policy) only make it more lucrative for you to sustainably increase your property value.
Start Saving With Solar Today
There are currently nearly 80 incentives for homeowners to increase the value of their property by installing solar panels for houses in Nevada. Find details about each program at the state's Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE).
Solid contractors installing solar panels in Nevada will be able to provide a list of applicable costs savings measures and help you navigate applying for and getting the most out of them. Learn enough to have a foundational understanding of these programs to best talk to your contractor about them once you've vetted and chosen one.
RenewableGenerations Rebate Program
This program goes back to 2003. Homeowners who install solar in Nevada and comply with the system requirements get reimbursed per the efficiency of their system and the electricity it produces — the higher the number, the more the reimbursement.
As usual, net metering means that if a homeowner produces electricity in excess of their use, they can sell it into the grid. Irregularly, they won't get the full retail rate for the electricity. Rather, homeowners will be selling it at 95 percent of the retail rate and the more they sell, the lower the rate will become until it reaches its minimum: 75 percent.
Other Nevada-specific solar energy programs include:
Southwest Gas Corporation – Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project – Nevada Energy Efficiency Guide
Valley Electric Association – Net Metering
Revolving Loan Program
Direct Energy Assistance Loan
Northern Nevada SureBet Business Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Renewable Energy Sales and Use Tax Abatement
Find Local Solar Installers Near You

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Learn about the unique charm of New Milford with a stay in a holiday home rental. This city's skiing, camping and sporting events attract many visitors, as does its walkable and welcoming location. If you need more space to accommodate a family holiday or a trip with friends, rental homes often come with separate dining areas and spacious living rooms.
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sm_tm_clear_model_events clears the transaction event stack. Events can be pushed onto the event stack by the transaction manager, a transaction model, or a user event function. The events generated by the transaction manager and those by the standard transaction models can be found in the include file tmusubs.h.
This function can be used by transaction models or by transaction event functions associated with a table view.
For more information on the event stack, refer to Chapter 35, "Generating Transaction Manager Events," in Application Development Guide.


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text:
Michael Phelps weighs in on NCAA's 'complicated' trans swimmer...
Woman who binged 32 sushi rolls at all-you-can-eat buffet rushed...
Buccaneers blowout got one famous fan dancing
Betty White's assistant shares 'one of the last' pics of her on...
Cardinals star stretchered off field after scary collision
Man dies trying to save granddaughter after she fell into frozen...
Elle Fanning watched sister Dakota's birth video for 'The Great' prep
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Elle Fanning says she watched videos of her sister Dakota being born to prep for her birthing scene in "The Great."	Getty Images
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That's one way to research for a role.
Elle Fanning prepared for Season 2 of her hit Hulu show "The Great" by watching videos of her mother giving birth to her older sister Dakota.
The 23-year-old portrays the 18th century Russian monarch Catherine the Great on the show and spends much of the season pregnant with her son.
To prep for the delivery scene, Elle spoke with a midwife and scoured videos of women giving birth.
"I was born during a tornado, so they couldn't video when I was born because the hospital was in lockdown — which is very fitting, I think," the "Maleficent" star told Entertainment Weekly.
"But I do have a tape of my mother giving birth to my sister," she added.
Elle revealed that her mother "didn't have any drugs or anything" when she birthed Dakota, 27, and it "scarred in my brain of what that's like!"
"The Great" follows the reign of a young Catherine and her husband Peter III, played by Nicholas Hoult, as they attempt to keep the Russian Empire from crumbling. "The Crown" star Gillian Anderson joins Season 2 as Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp, Catherine's mother.
Elle shared a photo of herself in full Catherine the Great costume rocking a pregnant belly for Season 2.
Elle also opened up to EW about what it was like to have the Golden Globe winner on set. "Normally we're just wild and crazy, but we were like, 'Oh my god, Gillian Anderson. Gillian, she's coming, she's coming, she's coming.' It was a lot like mother's coming," she quipped.
Anderson's character only pops up for two episodes this season, however, her appearance brings chaos to the Russian court. "The different strategies that she employs in each scene with each character, it was fun to see how that character would behave so drastically differently depending on who they were in the scene with," Hoult, 31, explained to EW.
The "X-Men" star added, "It's putting the cat amongst the pigeons a little bit because everyone at court has got their rhythms and patterns with different characters, and then suddenly you put Gillian in the middle of it and it just completely throws everyone up in the air. Everyone's scrambling to figure out where she stands, how she affects them, and what they can do to try and benefit, or at least stop them from being affected negatively by it."
Season 2 of "The Great" premieres Nov. 19 on Hulu.
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Registered Office: 1st floor August Kranti Bhawan,Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi - 110066, New Delhi, India.
Initial public offering of 253,457,280 equity shares of face value of Rs.10 each ("equity shares") of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (the "company" or the "issuer") through an offer for sale by the President of India, acting through the Ministry of Railways, Government of India (the "selling shareholder"), for cash at a price* of Rs. 19 per equity share (the "offer price"), aggregating to Rs. 477.11 Crores (the "offer"). Subject to receipt of necessary approval from the Government of India ("GOI"), the company may reserve a portion of 657,280 equity shares for allocation and allotment to eligible employees (as defined herein), ("employee reservation portion"). The offer less employee reservation portion, is referred to as the net offer. The offer comprised of a net offer of 252,800,000 equity shares and the employee reservation portion of 657,280 equity shares. The offer and net offer shall constitute 12.16% and 12.12% of the post-offer paid-up equity share capital of the company respectively. The Face value of the equity shares is Rs. 10 each. The Offer price is 1.9 times the face value of the equity shares. Retail Discount and Employee Discount Rs. 0.50 and Rs. 0.50 per Equity Share on Offer Price.


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United States Postal Service 2013 Annual Report to Congress - Contents
Postal Service Ranked Highest Trusted Government Agency for Privacy
In addition to surveys conducted by the Postal Service, we also rely on external studies which measure our performance. The Ponemon Institute annually conducts an objective study, the Most Trusted Companies for Privacy Study. In the 2012 study, more than 100,000 adult-aged consumers were asked to name up to five companies that, in their opinion, were the most trusted for protecting the privacy of their personal information. Consumer responses were collected over a 15-week period concluding in December 2012. A final sample of 6,704 respondents completed the survey. For the last seven years in which Ponemon has conducted its survey, the USPS has been a top-ten performer. The Postal Service also achieved the top trust rating among all other government entities named by consumers in the survey. The Postal Service ranked fifth among the top 20 most trusted companies for privacy across the nation moving up from the number six position in 2011. American Express, Hewlett Packard, Amazon and IBM were listed as the top 4 most trusted companies respectively.
The Ponemon Institute's 2012 Most Trusted Companies for Privacy Study was published on January 28, 2013.


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Michaela recently joined Colliers International as a member of Occupier Services Bay Area (OSBA) based in San Francisco. With a background ranging from residential brokerage in New York City to high profile administrative recruiting in San Francisco, Michaela has 4 years of professional experience working in client facing, fast paced and service driven industries. She has an innate ability to connect with clients which positions her as an effective partner in helping companies meet their real estate needs.
A true San Francisco native, outside of work Michaela spends a lot of time with friends and family and enjoys the beach, skiing, and cooking. She is involved with Mission Dolores Academy in San Francisco and was a Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Berkeley Alumni Board of New York.
Jay Sternberg is an Executive Vice President and leads Occupier Services Bay Area (OSBA) in San Francisco. OSBA specializes in occupier representation providing clients with a platform of integrated services on local, national, and global levels. Jay is responsible for developing and implementing high-level strategies, managing overall operations and resources of the team, and providing clients with a senior point of contact. Jay utilizes his background in business finance to represent the interests of his corporate portfolio clients and local businesses, ranging from Fortune 100 firms to venture capital-funded growth companies.
Carter Beim joined Colliers International in 2001. In his tenure, Carter has completed transactions in excess of 3.5 million square feet of commercial office space representing a total in excess of $900 Million. Carter has developed extensive knowledge of the differing issues faced by his clients that range from startup companies to entities represented in the Fortune 500. As a co-founder of the Occupier Services Group (OSG), Carter is responsible for client portfolio management and service line integration including Account Management; Transaction Management; Project Management; Leased and Owned Property Administration; Workplace Strategy; Corporate Finance; and Facilities Management. As a LEED Accredited Professional, Carter has expertise in the development and implementation of sustainable practices.
Kevin Colombo is a Senior Vice President and member of the Occupier Services Bay Area (OSBA) where he focuses on Corporate Advisory and Tenant Representation. Kevin utilizes his vast commercial real estate experience and creative approach to embed himself in his Client's core business model to advise beyond the real estate transaction.
Founded locally in 2007 and now an established national practice group, the Bay Area Occupier Services Group ("OSBA") comprises Colliers' top-tier tenant/occupier broker-specialists working as one collaborative, accountable team to address your real estate issues. The group operates at strategic and tactical levels with your company's leadership to enable well-informed, profit driven, real estate decisions. With unique solutions established for each client, OSBA delivers individual real estate business solutions that: add measurable value, reduce costs, decrease business operating risks, improve workplace performance, expand flexibility, increase overall profitability.
John Landers joined Colliers International in 2014 as a member of the San Francisco Occupier Services Group (OSG). John's first-hand knowledge of the real estate needs for technology, media, and start-up companies comes from his time at notable San Francisco companies including Twitter and Comcast SportsNet. His experience allows John to effectively guide his clients through the entire deal process while helping his clients match their real estate needs with their company objectives.
Brian recently joined Colliers International as a member of the San Francisco Occupier Services Group (OSG). Brian has first-hand knowledge of the real estate needs for growing start-ups to enterprise technology companies. Brian is transitioning from a 12 year career in technology sales with notable San Francisco companies including Twilio and Salesforce. Brian's experience allows him to effectively guide his clients through the entire deal process while helping them match their real estate needs with company objectives.
As a Vice President of the Occupier Services Group in the San Francisco Bay Area, I have successfully advised startups, high-growth and established companies since September 2011. I take great pride in the quality of my work and relationships and deliver customized services that allow companies to achieve their real estate goals whether they are local needs in San Francisco or international requirements.
Luke Wilson joined the San Francisco Peninsula office of Colliers International specializing in tenant representation on both a local and global level. Luke takes a process oriented and quantitative approach to each project, using high-level analytics to advocate on behalf of his clients to deliver the best real estate solutions. In addition to his corporate portfolio clients, Luke has made outstanding contributions in representing many venture-backed companies from their initial research and development start-up phase through their excelled growth. Luke has completed over 200 lease and sale transactions, with total consideration in excess of $1.5 billion since joining Colliers International in 2007 and continues to be a top producer.
I am a Partner in the Occupier Services Bay Area (OSBA), a Colliers group that exclusively represents tenants. I formerly was the Co-Chairman of Colliers International Partnership from 2005-2007 and a Director from 2004 to 2007.
My broad understanding of the impact of varying real estate structures on the financial statements of clients help me successfully guide tenants through the process. I spent four years in Public Accounting with Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now commonly known as Deloitte). In 1989, I founded the Corporate Advisory Group in San Francisco where I used my background in Accounting and Real Estate simultaneously to benefit the tenants our group represent. I moved to the Silicon Valley Office of Colliers International in 1993 and then to the San Francisco Peninsula Office since it opened in 2012. Today, the Occupier Services Bay Area (OSBA) manages a variety of large tenant portfolios of companies such as Oracle, LinkedIn, Adobe, Nvidia, Autodesk, Slack, Splunk, and more listed on the following pages.
My 30+ years of experience includes financial analysis, national and regional location analysis, site selection, facilities and long range planning, transaction structuring, off book financing, and financial statement impact analysis.
As a Vice President in the Colliers' Occupiers Services Bay Area (OSBA), I work with an exceptional group of brokers, financial analysts and project coordinators to offer comprehensive brokerage solutions to our corporate occupier clients. Our multi-disciplined team approach enables us to deliver solutions that are thorough, creative, and consistent in their excellence, no matter how complex the real estate challenges facing our clients.
In 2018 I became the OSBA Team Lead for the East Bay, reflecting the clear recognition of Oakland and the East Bay as a whole as a unique Bay Area solution for corporations looking to recruit and retain high-quality, dynamic talent. In order to better serve our clients, I relocated from the San Francisco office to allow OSBA to fully capitalize on the opportunity this market represents.
As a specialist, focusing solely on occupiers, I have developed a breadth of experience and expertise to meet the complicated needs of today's globally-focused, multi-market corporate clients. I am proud to have worked as an advisor to some of the largest, most successful Bay Area companies.
While the OSBA's capacities are designed to serve the most complicated situations, our services are equally valuable to smaller clients. We have delivered unique solutions to many companies, including startups who value our insight as they plan for growth and unforeseen contingencies, as well as mid-size firms who have more stable requirements.
My personal style as a broker, is to bring a level of calm, thorough and ethical excellence to each client and project I take on. I enjoy the breadth of the problem-solving that we tackle as occupier specialists, and the excellence that our collaborative structure makes possible. I measure my success on the internal success of my clients. The OSBA is committed to serving the needs of our clients and I am proud to be on the team.
When I am not working, I enjoy staying active, be it on the basketball court, mountain slope, golf course, Sierra stream, or most likely, raising two young boys with my wife, Lori, in Moraga.


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Tag Archives: Lucy Liu
8 Asian-American actors who deserve WAY more onscreen love…
BRIT + CO (by Dene Chen):
The popularity of Star Trek Beyond has basically guaranteed mainstream fandom for a franchise that was once considered geeky and alternative — now, we can even wear our trekkie status on our nails! What's also great is that the stars have used their larger platform to speak up about issues that are important to them, like Zoe Saldana's struggle with an autoimmune disease.
For John Cho, who portrays Sulu, a universally beloved character, this has been a time to talk about diversity — or the lack thereof — in Hollywood. "I just didn't see anyone on TV who looked like me, and then I saw George Takei being cool and piloting the spaceship on television," Cho recently said on The View. "And I thought that, wow, there's a beacon for me."
While things are a little bit better now on TV concerning diversity (though if the bar was so low before, how can you go anywhere but up?), there are still many in Hollywood who tooootally should be getting more work. Lucy Liu and John Cho are well-known names now — here's hoping that Hollywood gives the following Asian actors more face-time onscreen.
1. Constance Wu:
She is hilarious on Fresh Off the Boat and has been very vocal about the white-washing that happens in Hollywood. Wu is talented and beautiful — this should be a no-brainer.
2. Steven Yuen:
Yuen is notable not only for playing a main character for The Walking Dead, but for being one of the few onscreen love interests in Hollywood played by an Asian male. This may sound ridiculous, but since Asian men are often desexualized in mainstream American media, Yuen's portrayal of Glenn as a total badass who is considered hot AF is actually groundbreaking. It shouldn't be though. But first, we need to see him in more stuff.
3. Jake Choi:
This Queens native has a versatility that is showcased on his IMDB page — a stint on Broad City, an arc on Younger and a role in Wolves, the basketball drama starring Carla Gugino and Michael Shannon which opened earlier this year. Fingers crossed we see more of him.
4. Rahul Kohli:
Are we including South Asians on this list? Yes we are, because representation is important. Also, because Rahul Kohli from iZombie is a handsome human being who needs to be on TV more.
5. Anna Akana:
You might recognize her by her brief appearance at the end of Ant-Man, but many are more likely to know her from her YouTube fame. Akana is a real self-made star, and her witty and sometimes poignant videos have reached more than 1.5 million subscribers.
6. Priyanka Chopra:
This woman is goals when it comes to her red carpet style and her classic updos. But Chopra was already a huge star in India before Quantico gave her fame stateside.
7. Daniel Henney:
Another actor who is more appreciated outside the US, Henney will hopefully get more recognition now that he is a series regular of a Criminal Minds spin-off, Beyond Borders.
8. Sendhil Ramamurthy:
Luckily for us, this Heroes alum has been working steadily since the series ended in 2010, chalking up arcs in Covert Affairs and Beauty and the Beast.
Categories: Uncategorized	Tags: Anna Akana, Asian, Asian actor, Asian actors, Asian actress, Asian American, Beyond Borders, Constance Wu, Covert Affairs, Daniel Henney, Fresh Off The Boat, George Takei, Heroes, Hollywood, Indian, iZombie, Lucy Liu, Mr. Sulu, Priyanka Chopra, Quantico, Rahul Kohli, Sendhil Ramamurthy:, South Asian, Star Trek Beyond, Steven Yeun, Sulu, The Walking Dead, white-washing
It was a great year for Asian-American women on television
Mic.com
We're finally getting past all those geisha and ninja stereotypes.
Asian-American women, and women in general, have long faced the woes of horrible storylines or just plain missing from shows. This messy writing or lack of diversity on the small screen stems from the absence of minorities and women in the writers' room.
But in 2014, we've seen some inspiring portrayals of Asian-American women on television that have brought dimension to ladies who are often turned into flat tropes. We still need more of these types of characters, but thankfully we're inching toward better representation.
Headliners:
Lucy Liu proves that Asian-American women can be leading ladies without being a stereotype. Liu is one of the most recognizable Asian-American actresses in Hollywood, known for her roles on Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill: Vol. 1, two movies that tokenized her race. But Liu currently co-stars as Dr. Joan Watson in Elementary, a modern take on Sherlock Holmes, alongside Jonny Lee Miller.
Watson is incredibly intelligent and capable, but not without flaws. She was once a surgeon, but accidentally killed a patient. Unable to trust herself, she let her medical license expire, and eventually becomes Holmes' detective apprentice. She's sexy, she's smart, she makes mistakes — in short, she's a human being.
She has her demons, but she doesn't let anyone make her decisions for her. She's an interesting main character who just so happens to be Asian.
More than just casting:
Television is also making progress with writing storylines centering around Asian culture. MTV's Teen Wolf, a teenage-supernatural drama with a dark side, may be the best example. This year, the series introduced Kira Yukimura and her family.
Portrayed by Arden Cho, Kira shows that there are many ways to be Asian — in her case, Korean-Japanese. She's also a kitsune, a mythical fox spirit with the ability to absorb electricity, plus some deadly skills with a katana.
Furthermore, Kira's powers and one main storyline of Teen Wolf's third season are deeply rooted in the Japanese internment camps of the 1940s, a smear on America's history that's often overlooked. The mistreatment of Japanese people during World War II is a part of many Asian-Americans' identity and experience in the United States. Integrating this part of the past into the show is an effort to bring underrepresented history to wider audiences.
Funny and flirty:
Asian-American women can be sexual and go on tons of dates. The Mindy Project features Mindy Kaling as Dr. Mindy Lahiri, a spunky OB-GYN who makes her way through a cavalcade of flings before settling down with fellow doctor Danny Castellano in the show's latest season. While Kaling is Indian-American and might not have the same experiences as a Korean-American, she still falls under the Asian-American umbrella.
The Fox comedy is filled with sex and intimacy, showing that Asian-American women can be vocal when it comes to the bedroom. Mindy knows what she wants, when she wants it and if she doesn't want it (as in the episode about anal sex).
The Mindy Project also flips the script on the typical dating storyline. Usually it's a white protagonist who goes on dates with a pretty homogeneously white lineup, until bam, there's one diverse hottie who "makes up" for being the only one (ahem, Girls). In Kaling's show, we see her dating a crop of primarily white dudes, showing that she's as much in control of her dating destiny as anyone else.
Room to grow:
The one-dimensional Asian-American character on television shows still exists — take a look at Awkward's Ming (Jessica Lu) or Scorpion's Happy Quinn (Jadyn Wong). Visibility is essential, but stereotyped writing can be dangerous. Fortunately, the Dr. Joan Watsons and Kira Yukimuras are making important progress toward more diverse actors getting multifaceted characters to play.
Other disenfranchised communities are also making their way to the small screen. For these minorities, including Asian-American women, increased visibility might seem slow. But while more, and more accurate, depictions should be a given, we can celebrate what we do have — and continue to fight for diverse inclusion in the shows we love.
Categories: Film, History, Links, Musings, Photo, Style, TV	Tags: Arden Cho, Asian actress, Asian American women, Asian culture, Asian women, diversity, Elementary, Film, geisha, Hollywood, Jadyn Wong, Japan, Japanese, Jessica Lu, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kira Yukimura, Korea, Korean, Korean-Japanese, Lucy Liu, martial arts, Mindy Kaling, television, The Mindy Project, tv
Was 2014 a banner year for Asian on network television?
On paper, it looked like a rough year for Asian-Pacific Islanders on network television: The Mindy Project was on the verge of cancellation. NBC axed Community, and confirmed the end of Parks and Recreation for 2015. Sandra Oh officially left Grey's Anatomy. Glee edged closer and closer to the end of its run while slowly pushing its Asian characters out of the credits.
According to an annual report on television diversity released by GLAAD, the number of Asian-Pacific Islanders on network television had been on the rise.
In the 2013-2014 season, 6% of broadcast series regular characters were Asian-Pacific Islander, but in the upcoming year, only 4% of characters will be Asian–the only ethnic group to see a decrease in diversity from the previous year.
Ken Jeong, left, and Danny Pudi attend the "Community" panel on Day 5 of Comic-Con International.
"Aside from the need for more representation despite the real progress we've made, I was disappointed that we lost some really great Asian-American representation this past year," Philip Chung, co-founder and blogger at YOMYOMF, said, listing Oh and Community's Danny Pudi and Ken Jeong as examples.
But while the number of Asian characters appears to be shrinking next season, the quality of roles, Chung points out, has noticeably changed. Asian-Pacific Islanders in 2014 were cast in more prominent roles than the previous year, giving actors like John Cho, Ming-Na Wen, and Nasim Pedrad (who previously made headlines as Saturday Night Live's first west Asian cast member) opportunities to step beyond smaller supporting and guest appearances on TV.
John Cho's casting in a romantic, male lead on ABC's "Selfie" was revolutionary. But the show was cancelled after just seven episodes.
The leaps forward in casting choices have not come without their setbacks. After months of anticipation among critics and bloggers about the casting of John Cho, an Asian male, to play the lead in a romantic sitcom, his show Selfie was canceled after just seven episodes.
"It's rare to see an Asian-American male as a lead in a comedy, especially one that has romantic possibilities," said 8Asians editor Joz Wang, who called Selfie's cancellation the biggest disappointment for Asian Americans on TV in 2014. "While the show didn't catch on as quickly as the network would have wanted, many Asian Americans watched the show specifically for John Cho."
"Getting [a show] about an Asian American family on the air is a frickin' miracle."
Even though Cho never received top billing in Selfie, many felt ABC's choice to cast him as the show's male romantic lead was long overdue. His elevation to "leading man material" appeared to be the first step in seeing more Asian-Pacific Islanders as true television stars, not just supporting characters.
To date, few Asian actors have ever been cast in lead roles on a network level. The first to break through was Pat Morita, in the 1976 show "Mr. T and Tina" (it was considered a flop, and went off the air after five episodes).
Pat Morita led the way for Asian Americans on television. Four decades later, how much has changed?
Today, Lucy Liu plays a prominent character in Elementary, though not the lead, as does Kal Penn in the upcoming CBS drama Battle Creek. Even Hawaii Five-O, which Wang noted has been "great because it's set in Hawaii and there are many opportunities for Asian-American actors," stars two Caucasian leads. "All the Asian Americans still play second fiddle in terms of billing," said Wang.
The last network show to cast an Asian male with top billing was CBS' Martial Law starring Sammo Hung in 1998. Hung, who spoke little English, had just a few lines in each episode, and was reportedly paid half of what his co-star Arsenio Hall made.
Lucy Liu plays Joan Watson on the CBS drama "Elementary."
Currently, the total number of Asian actors to receive top billing on a network primetime series is one: Mindy Kaling. Since the 2012 premiere of The Mindy Project, Kaling has received praise for being the first woman of color to write and star in her own show since Wanda Sykes in 2003.
But Kaling has come under fire for what some see as her failure to leverage her influence for push for more diversity on network television.
In a letter to Fox, Media Action Network for Asian Americans President Guy Aoki said the show lacked diversity–particularly when it came to romantic interests. "We are concerned that in the course of two seasons, [Kaling's] character, Dr. Lahiri, has had a 'white-only' dating policy involving about a dozen men," Aoki wrote. "And except for this season's addition of African American Xosha Roquemore the cast continues to be all white…She's creating the impression that by surrounding her character with mostly white people and dating only white men that Lahiri's become more accepted by the white population."
Kaling defended the show at a SXSW panel early in the year, saying, "I have four series regulars that are women on my show, and no one asks any of the shows I adore — and I won't name them because they're my friends — why no leads on their shows are women of color, and I'm the one that gets lobbied about these things."
Despite any criticism and low ratings, Kaling herself saw a year filled with successes in her own career, from being named a Glamour Woman of the Year to the announcement of her second book, Why Not Me?, which will be released next year. In November, Fox also added six episodes of The Mindy Project, stretching the season from 15 episodes to 21, and fueling speculation that the show will be renewed for a fourth season.
Kaling won't carry the mantle for Asian network primetime leads alone much longer. She will soon be joined by Korean-American actor Randall Park, who will star in ABC's Fresh Off the Boat–the first network show to feature an all-Asian American cast since Margaret Cho's 1994 series All-American Girl, which was canceled after one season. Following a slate of recurring roles on television (including The Mindy Project), Park will receive top billing when the series premieres in 2015.
"Getting a television series on the air is an incredible feat," Park wrote in a post for KoreAm Journal online in June. "Getting one with no bankable name stars in today's television climate is damn near impossible. Getting one about an Asian American family on the air is a frickin' miracle."
Randall Park plays the father figure in the new ABC comedy "Fresh Off the Boat."
The series, based on the memoir of celebrity chef Eddie Huang, has received its share of praise and criticism since ABC added it to its mid-season lineup. Park is one of the targets of the early backlash because his character is Taiwanese (not Korean like Park is) and speaks with an accent (which Park does not naturally have).
But in the same KoreAm post, Park acknowledged he raised that same issue himself, but was repeatedly assured he was the right actor for the role.
"Hopefully audiences and the network will give it a chance."
"In an ideal world, I would never have to play a character with an accent," he wrote. "But this is a character based on a real person. So it's something that I have to honor and try to perfect as the series moves forward."
Early viewers of the pilot have been defensive of the series, hoping to save it from suffering the same fate as All-American Girl and Selfie. "I thought it was very funny and despite some of the early backlash from people who haven't yet seen the show," YOMYOMF's Chung said. "Hopefully audiences and the network will give it a chance."
Categories: History, Interviews, Links, Photo, Style, TV	Tags: 8Asians, All American Girl, Asian, Asian actors, Asian actresses, Asian American, Asian-Pacific Islanders, Battle Creek, Danny Pudi, Eddie Huang, Elementary, Film, Fresh Off The Boat, GLAAD, Grey's Anatomy, Hawaii Five-O, John Cho, Kal Penn, Ken Jeong, KoreAm Journal, Korean American, Lucy Liu, Margaret Cho, Martial Law, Mindy Kaling, Ming-Na Wen, Nasim Pedrad, Pat Morita, Philip Chung, Randall Park, Sammo Hung, Sandra Oh, selfie, Taiwanese, Taiwanese American., television, The Mindy Project, YOMYOMF
BBC's Sherlock a big hit in China thanks to blatant sexual tension between Watson and Holmes…
BBC Television's Sherlock is, without a doubt, one of the best TV shows of the decade–nearly anyone who's seen the contemporary re-imagining of the legendary Sir Connan Doyle character is bound to agree. From the mysteries themselves to any of the numerous brilliant aspects of the show, it can be a bit difficult to pin down exactly why it works so well.
Well, unless one you're one of the many Chinese women totally enthralled with the sexual tension between Sherlock and Watson!
Sherlock's popularity is definitively global at this point–we'd bet that the show has fans in every continent, probably even Antarctica! Well, what else are the penguins going to do all winter? And China has its fair share of fans as well–but one of the core groups driving the show's popularity in the county is the women who revel in the homoerotic undertones between the two main characters, the eponymous Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. John Watson.
While Japan has only just recently finished airing the second season, China has already finished the broadcast of the third, which isn't set to be seen in Japan until May. The popularity of the show in China has been so intense that it's even gained the attention of the BBC.
Like the "rumors" that have long circulated about Captain Kirk and Spock, many fans can't help noticing the intensity of the relationship between Holmes and Watson, leading to a nearly unending supply of self-published slash fan fiction. "Slash," for the more innocent of our readers, is fan fiction stories about two characters of the same sex romantically involved with each other–usually called BL, or Boys' Love, in Japan.
In its native Britain, fans generally seem to love the show for the mysteries, [Spoilers]Sherlock's apparent demise at the end of the second season enthralled fans as they tried to figure out he pulled it off. In China, however, many female fans welcomed the chance to see Watson's expression of love for Holmes and delighted at the "couple's" return in the third season.[/End spoilers]
▼This sums things up nicely…
Of course, this also means that China–and, indeed, the rest of the world–has an abundance of self-published slash fiction featuring Holmes and Watson, Watson and Holmes, and a female-version of Holmes paired with Watson–a reversal of the American Sherlock Holmes show Elementary. Though we're pretty sure the Elementary has never shown the characters as romantically or sexually involved–clearly they're doing something wrong!
Of course, none of this has escaped the attention of the BBC or lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who discussed the prevalence of online slash fan fiction in the English-speaking world in an interview with MTV.
"[Martin Freeman said] 'Hey, look at this Tumblr.' And I said, 'What? Tumblr? What?' He knows more about it than I do and he was showing me some of them. Some of it is really racy, un-viewable even on MTV. It's cool."
We have to say that we really respect and admire his appreciation for the fans' work. It seems like a very calm response to what could be a very awkward situation. After all, when was the least time legions of strangers drew pictures of you being intimate with…well, anyone? Probably never, unless you happen to be our Mr. Sato!
All of this, though, has led some Chinese Internet commenters to believe that the BBC isspecifically catering to fans interested in the romance between Sherlock and Watson.
"The slash-fic-loving women are like royalty!"
"I can't help thinking that they're trying to appeal to women who love the Holmes-and-Watson slash fic."
"No matter how many thousands or tens of thousands of times Holmes picks on Watson, the doctor sticks with him like a love-struck puppy. We've waited two years for new episodes, and the third season is guaranteed not to disappoint!"
Naturally, there are many types of fans the world over–and that includes in China as well. After all, the show tries to stay faithful to the original stories while masterfully adding in modern embellishments and gadgets. It captures the imagination of mystery fans, adventure fans, and old-school Sherlock Holmes fans! It just so happens that a large number of fans are also captivated by the not-so-subtle romance between the two fetching young men.
So if you're looking for a bit of fanfic to hold you over until the next season, it's only a short google search away whether you're searching in Chinese or English!
Check out this link:
Categories: Health, Interviews, Links, Musings, Photo, Style, TV	Tags: BBC, BL, Boys' Love, China, Chinese, Chinese women, Dr. Watson, Elementary, England, Lucy Liu, sexual tension, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Connan Doyle, Slash, slash fan, television, tv, tv series, tv show
Lucy Liu: 'Acting was never a job that was ever considered. It was completely alien to my family'
METRO (UK):
Actress Lucy Liu, 45, made her name playing a vicious lawyer in Ally McBeal. Now she's Dr Watson to Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock Holmes in Elementary
You grew up in New York, where Elementary is filmed. How do you enjoy shooting on home turf? Even as a New Yorker and someone who grew up in Queens, there are so many neighbourhoods I had never spent any time in before. I don't feel that I even really know the neighbourhood I grew up in all that well. People say to me all the time: 'Oh my God, there are so many amazing restaurants in Jackson Heights. Which one would you recommend?' And I'm like: 'I have no idea. I went to the diner, once in a while, for a treat. We'd get a cheeseburger deluxe if we had extra money, and that was it.' It's great as an adult to actually spend time in different areas and really get familiar with New York.
You also shot some of this season in London. How was that? The makers of the show really wanted to highlight all the big sites, such as Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace – they were really billboarding London. But as Jonny was saying to me, in a scene where we were supposedly driving in from the airport, if we were really doing that, you would not have the backdrop of the Changing of the Guard and the Houses of Parliament. And we were shooting on rooftops all over the city with backdrops that made no sense geographically. I think the attitude for the show was: forget what's real, we spent all this money so you are really going to see London. I just sat there, pretty complacent, just very pleased to be there. It was very funny watching the assistant director trying to herd the public around during shooting, shouting: 'Quiet on set!' Nobody cared.
Did you have any idea when you took on the role of Ling Woo how huge Ally McBeal would be? Not at all. I had auditioned for a more regular role on Ally McBeal and I didn't get it but then they came back a few weeks later with this guest-star role and at the same time I was being offered a play. The TV role was only eight days' work; the play was running for three months and I wanted to do the play because it was more artistic. But my manager insisted I take Ally McBeal – she told me I was going to pass on the play that time and I was going to do this show, and that was that. Then, of course, it became such a part of the zeitgeist and changed my career.
Were you a fan of action movies before you started making them yourself? I did not sign on to do action and I didn't start out doing it – it just blossomed into an entire career for me. And I have enough scars and grazes now to show my career trajectory. It's like the way kids have little lines on the wall to show how tall they are; I've got scars after surgeries from films.
Were you familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories before you took on the role of Watson?Growing up in my family, reading Sherlock Holmes and Watson wasn't something that was part of our lives, being from Asia. It's not that we were learning about the Ming dynasty either but classic English literature was just not something we focused on. I read the books when I got the role, though.
Your parents moved to the US from China and met in New York. How strongly influenced by their Chinese heritage was your childhood? I was born in the US but I didn't speak English until I went to school – I spoke Chinese with my parents. That sort of thing just changes the way you receive things and interpret and digest them. We did not grow up with a lot of money at all, and my parents definitely encouraged us to focus on our education and to work – we always had jobs. We didn't grow up with silver spoons in our mouths – everything we had, we had to earn.
Were you a big fan of films and television growing up? We rarely went to the movies. We did watch television but becoming an actor wasn't something that was even in the stratosphere as a career idea. What came after high school was college; what came after college was a job. Acting was never a job that was ever considered. It was completely out of the ballpark, completely alien to my family. And, I think, to a certain extent it still is.
You're playing Watson as a woman – the first time anyone has done that. Would you like to try playing other men as women in the future? Oh, there are tons I'd like to do that with. When you go into acting you do these open calls and you have to go in with a monologue. I never went in with a female monologue, I always went in with a male one. I just thought they were more interesting, that they were closer to what I was trying to speak from my heart. There was a sense of spice and fire in them that I really enjoyed.
Categories: Interviews, Links, Photo, Style, TV	Tags: actress, Ally McBeal, Asian, Asian American, Elementary, Lucy Liu, tv, Watson
Why Young Asian-Americans Are Fleeing Hollywood
PolicyMic.com (article by Dana Ter):
We were speaking in English and picking strawberries at a night market in Taipei last winter when the storekeeper curiously asked my friend where I was from (even though I had lived there for seven years). "She's visiting from New York," my friend informed him. After buying the strawberries, she said, "it's funny how he just assumed I was Taiwanese. It must be because of my skirt."
My friend had undergone a complete image overhaul after moving from Minnesota back to Taiwan to launch her singing career. While her story may seem bizarre, there are many stories like hers. Originally from California, Tiffany from the K-pop group Girls Generation mentioned in an interview that while she once craved pizza, she now eats dwenjang jigae (tofu stew) and has become "full Korean."
Asian-Americans have been moving to Asia to break into the entertainment industry for a while now despite initially having a limited grasp of Mandarin, Cantonese or Korean. It's been difficult for Asian-Americans to make it in Hollywood, since they are often type-casted into certain roles such as socially awkward geeks or kungfu masters. Mike Hale from the New York Times described how even famous actresses like Maggie Q and Lucy Liu are not entirely able to escape the mold of the "sexy nerd" or the "dragon lady."
In the past, Asian-American actors and actresses like Russell Wong and Maggie Q (both of whom are mixed race) have used Asia as a launching pad to break into the industry and subsequently move back to the U.S. These days however, an increasing number are deciding to remain in Asia. The expanding entertainment industry there simply promises more opportunities for them. Asian-American actors and singers are finally getting a chance to pursue their American dreams, but ironically, it's Asia that's making it possible.
Maggie Q told Time Out magazine that she owes her success to Hong Kong. Originally from Hawaii, she moved there in 1997 with $20 in her pocket in a last-ditch effort after failed modeling stints in Japan and Taiwan. Whereas Taiwanese markets at the time were looking for either "tall blonds" or "100% Chinese girls," Hong Kong consumers were craving something fresh. Maggie Q fit the bill. She was introduced to acting by Jackie Chan and learned martial arts (and Cantonese) from scratch. She starred in both English and Cantonese-speaking movies in Hong Kong, and was propelled to fame in 2002 acting alongside fellow Asian-American actor Daniel Wu in Naked Weapon.
Unlike Maggie Q , the Californian born-and-raised Daniel Wu decided to remain in Hong Kong. An established movie star now, Wu could barely speak Cantonese when he first arrived there in 1997. Both Maggie Q and Daniel Wu, being unable to read characters, wrote out their lines phonetically. Wu's decision to remain in Hong Kong had much to do with representations of Asians in Hollywood. Whenever a Chinese film is screened in the U.S. it is repackaged such that American audiences can comprehend it, Wu told the University of Oregon's Daily Emerald newspaper. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he argued, was a blockbuster hit because it was a simple love story within an action movie.
Daniel Henney chose to make Korea his home for similar reasons. The Michigan-bred, half-Caucasian, half-Korean actor told CNN that he considers himself a "Korean actor until the day I die" because "Korea gave me my career."
After working in Hong Kong and Taiwan for a few years, Henney decided to move to Seoul. He has created a niche for himself playing English-speaking roles in movies filmed in Korea and China. In Shanghai Calling for instance, he plays a Chinese American lawyer who relocates to Shanghai.
It's not just Asian-American actors, but also singers who are making waves in Asia. Taiwanese American pop-stars Lee Hom Wang and Wilber Pan have redefined Mandopop (the Chinese/Taiwanese counterpart to K-pop). Growing up in Rochester, NY, Wang spoke mostly English at home. He was introduced to the Taiwanese music scene during his summer trips throughout high school and college. Pan on the other hand attended Taipei American School but is glad to have been "exposed to both kinds of cultures." Both artists mix hip-hop and R&B with ballads and traditional Chinese instrumental sounds. Wang's Shangri-la is an example of this.
Similarly, the Korean entertainment industry has helped Korean American singers Jessica and Tiffany from Girls Generation to launch their careers. In an interview with Soompi, the girls discussed adjusting to life in Korea, including having to tone down their "wild" behavior and acting more "ladylike." Apparently, K-pop has given these girls the break that they needed, since Girls Generation is doing extremely well.
Despite the linguistic and cultural barriers that accompany moving to a new country, Asian-American actors and singers are choosing to remain in Asia. Furthermore, crossing over to Hollywood isn't exactly a rite of passage for them anymore since many have found stardom in Asia. As Maggie Q stated, casting agencies are increasingly looking for "mixed girls."
And as Jessica from Girls Generation explained, being fluent in English has been a plus. Whereas Asian-Americans are often times consigned to stereotypical roles in Hollywood, their biculturalism is an asset in Asia. As such, Asia has become the new Land of Opportunity for Asian-Americans trying to make it in the entertainment industry.
Categories: Dance, Film, History, Interviews, J-Pop/K-Pop/Mando-Pop/Canto-Pop, Links, Martial Arts, Music, Musings, Photo, Style, TV	Tags: Asian, Asian actors, Asian American, Cantonese, China, Chinese, Chinese American, Crouching Tiger, Daniel Henney, Daniel Wu, dragon lady, Girls' Generation, Hawaii, Hidden Dragon, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Jackie Chan, Japan, Japanese, K-Pop, Korean, Korean American, Lee Hom Wang, Lucy Liu, Maggie Q, Mandarin, Mandopop, martial arts, Russell Wong, Shanghai, Taiwan, Taiwanese, Wibler Pan
Famous celebrities you forgot did Anime voiceovers
There are plenty of notable anime properties that are packed to the gills with A-list actors. Many of Disney's Studio Ghibli releases are a fine example of this, using household names like Patrick Stewart and Claire Danes as a means to draw audiences to the theaters who normally otherwise wouldn't have given the property a second glance. Amongst them, Princess Mononoke ( Billy Crudup , Claire Danes , Minnie Driver , Billy Bob Thornton , Gillian Anderson , Jada Pinkett Smith), Castle in the Sky ( Anna Paquin , James Van Der Beek , Mandy Patinkin , Cloris Leachman , Andy Dick ), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind ( Alison Lohman , Shia LaBeouf , Uma Thurman , Patrick Stewart ), and Kiki's Delivery Service ( Kirsten Dunst , Phil Hartman , Janeane Garofalo ) are some of the most star-studded.
But there are a lot more mainstream celebrities whom you might not have realized—or just plain forgotten— also starred in anime properties.
Do you remember the 1995 cyberpunk quadrilogy Armitage III ? Back in '97, all four OVAs were compiled into one release (called Armitage III: Poly-Matrix ) by now-defunct Geneon , who was then called Pioneer . Fans may have forgotten this over the years, but it turns out that Armitage III: Poly-Matrix was full of celebs, including Keifer Sutherland, Elizabeth Berkley , and Bryan Cranston .
Before Keifer Sutherland blew up as Jack Bauer in 2001 on 24 (but after the incredible 1990 Flatliners, a movie about med students who experiment with visiting the afterlife that also starred Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, and William Baldwin), he played Ross Sylibus in Armitage III: Poly-Matrix .
Co-starring with him was Elizabeth Berkley (Saved by the Bell, Showgirls), who played Naomi Armitage.
Naomi Armitage has also been played by Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers, What's Eating Gilbert Grape), who played the character in Armitage III : Dual Matrix.
And of course, the one that fans love to pull out the most to blow everyone's minds is Bryan Cranston who is beloved for his roles in shows like Malcolm in the Middle and most recently, Breaking Bad . He has his fair share of anime credits, though, including Matti Tohn in Wings of Honneamise , Eddie Borrows in Armitage III , and most famously, Isamu Dyson in Macross Plus .
Meanwhile, action fans might be surprised to learn that the 1986 Fist of the North Star movie showcased none other than James Avery , whom many might recognize as Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Or, as Shredder in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.
But wait, there's more.
Although these examples dip back into the Disney x Studio Ghibli pot, some of these actors and actresses hadn't yet skyrocketed to fame when these films were released, while other roles just deserve a reminder.
For instance, only a short while after she first played Princess Mia Thermopolis in the 2001 The Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway got to play another princess—this time, Haru, the bride-to-be for the Cat Prince in 2002 Studio Ghibli film The Cat Returns . Although she only had a couple roles under her belt at the time, she starred alongside a varied cast of noted film actors, amongst them Tim Curry [Rocky Horror Picture Show] (who played the Cat King), Elliot Gould [Ocean's Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen] (Toto), and Cary Elwes [The Princess Bride] (Baron Humbert von Gikkingen).
Also on the cast list for The Cat Returns was Kristen Bell , who was still two years away from her breakout role as Veronica Mars. She plays Hiromi in The Cat Returns . She's no stranger to voice acting, though; she's also voiced a few video games, including Astro Boy : The Video Game and a handful of Assassin's Creed games.
Spirited Away had some famous names as well, including Big Love and The Ring actress Daveigh Chase as Chihiro, and Bob Newhart Show co-star Suzanne Pleshette , but fans of Fantastic Four and The Shield might not realize that Michael Chiklis was also in the film, as Chichiro's dad Akiichiro.
With Michael Keaton 's long and storied career, one might forget that he also played title character Porco Rosso in Studio Ghibli 's film of the same name. Cary Elwes was also in that film, as Donald Curtis.
IGPX : Immortal Grand Prix is less so "actors you forgot were in the series" as it might be, "series you forgot existed." A co-production between Production I.G and Cartoon Network , it tried to get audiences to tune in by casting talents like Michelle Rodriguez [Avatar, The Fast and the Furious] and everyone's favorite ex-child actor, Haley Joel Osment [The Sixth Sense, A.I.] (who of course is famous for also playing Sora in Kingdom Hearts , alongside a slew of celebs like Hayden Panettiere, Billy Zane, Mandy Moore, and Lance Bass, amongst others).
The IGPX dub also included Star Wars hero Mark Hamill as Yamma, who in addition to lending his voice to a billion American-animated series and video games, was also in Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles as Commander Taylor, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind as Mayor of Pejite, Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic as Alghiero, Castle in the Sky as Muska, and Afro Samurai: Resurrection .
Speaking of Afro Samurai , lest anyone forget, that title also made quite the effort to stuff its cast with A-listers, including Samuel L. Jackson as Afro and Ninja Ninja, Ron Perlman as Justice, Kelly Hu as Okiku, and producer RZA as DJ (and music composer). They reprised their roles for the sequel, Afro Samurai: Resurrection , which also added Lucy Liu to the cast as Sio. Jackson has since aligned himself with several live-action anime adaptations, including Kite and the probably-dead-forever Afro Samurai.
Categories: Anime, Art, Comics/Manga, Design, Film, History, Links, Musings, Photo, TV	Tags: A-list actors, actors, Afro Samurai, Afro Samurai: Resurrection, Alison Lohman, Andy Dick, Anna Paquin, Anne Hathaway, Armitage III, Astro Boy, Avatar, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Crudup, Billy Zane, Bryan Cranston, Cary Elwes, Claire Danes, Cloris Leachman, Disney, Elizabeth Berkley, Elliot Gould, Fast and the Furious, Fist of the North Star, Geneon, Gillian Anderson, Haley Joel Osment, Hayden Panettiere, IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Avery, James Van Der Beek, Janeane Garofalo, Juliette Lewis, Keifer Sutherland, Kelly Hu, Kiki's Delivery Service, Kingdom Hearts, Kirsten Dunst, Kristen Bell, Lance Bass, Lucy Liu, Mandy Moore, Mandy Patinkin, Michael Keaton, Michelle Rodriguez, Minnie Driver, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Patrick Stewart, Phil Hartman, Pioneer, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, Ron Perlman, RZA, Samuel L. Jackson, Shia LaBeouf, Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli, The Cat Returns, Tim Curry, Uma Thurman


Stylish 2 bedroom apartment for up to 4 persons with an extra bed for guests. The living room is shared with an open plan kitchen and is fully equipped. The bathroom enjoys a large corner bath tub. One bedroom has a king size bed and an extra single bed. The second a big double bed. A Flatscreen and a Hi-Fi system are available for home entertainment.
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Is China's PLA fit for purpose?
Widespread and growing concern over China's growing military prowess has been accompanied by a steady and equally fervent undercurrent of international analysis questioning the professionalism of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). And yet sometimes it seems as if advocates for these two communities don't often speak to each other.
Military capability is normally calibrated through battle performance. In the last 50 years, however, China's military experience has barely extended beyond some skirmishes with the Soviets in the Amur-Ussuri region along the border with Siberia, some similar engagements with the Vietnamese in the 1980s and the 1978 Sino-Vietnamese war. It is not a lot by which to judge Chinese military performance.
The 1978 three-month war against Vietnam was with an opponent – and at a time – entirely of Beijing's choosing, yet the question of who was the victor continues to be disputed.
No subsequent wars have occurred, but the low intensity conflict in Xinjiang rumbles on decade after decade. In 2013 the military leader in Xinjiang, General Peng Yong, was fired from the Provincial Party Standing Committee, suggesting concerns about his performance.
Otherwise we have a handful of non-combat examples of military mobilisation by which to judge PLA performance. In January 2008, for example, the snow-laden Guangzhou railway system was in chaos, which led to a PLA mobilisation. It was not altogether a success; America's National Defense University said the PLA responses were "woefully inadequate" and that there was no effective disaster management plan.
In May the same year the Sichuan earthquake struck. While part of the response went well, one clear disaster was the lack of airlift capability, which led to China borrowing planes from Russia, Pakistan, the US and even Federal Express.
Further afield, in 2009, Somali pirates captured a Chinese ship, the De Xin Hai. The Chinese vowed to free the 25 sailors with helicopters and special forces from their contingent to the Indian Ocean anti-piracy patrols. In fact, there was no rescue. Poor negotiations led to an excessive $4m being dumped by helicopter onto the deck of the ship, leading to the release of the captain and crew.
While China's participation in the anti-piracy programme has engendered some criticism for its ineffectiveness, it scored reasonably well for its evacuation of 36,000 workers during the 2011 Libyan civil war. However, the credit probably lies with the foreign ministry.
Recent reports by state media and Chinese academics that senior military leaders – such as General Gu Junshan and even former Politburo member General Xi Caihou – bear responsibility for the widespread sale of military posts raise important issues. Both are now under investigation for large-scale corruption. Could this mean a recent further deterioration in professional standards which have already been questioned in recent decades?
It is no secret that jobs are for sale in the PLA. Even a farmer's child needed to pay 50,000 yuan in bribes to enter the PLA, whilst a major-general's post can cost up to $4.8m. David Tsui, a military expert at Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou, says that corruption has become much worse over the last ten years and is now "rampant".
A further factor is the changing character of military recruits. Professor Liu Mingfu from the PLA National Defence University noted in February that 80% of combat troops were from one-child families. In an open report to the central government in 2012, Liu stressed that sending a Chinese family's only son to battle had been taboo since ancient times. Excessive numbers of single children amongst combat troops is still a "strategic fear" for China's long-term military development. There has been a critical deficiency in PLA manning for over ten years.
Professor Ni Lexiong in Shanghai recently observed that "the army needs to wait at least 20 years until all the second babies are young adults". He added: "That means we can't go to war without serious concerns." Naturally, not all observers agree.
Nor is it simple a question of who is in the PLA. There was plenty of coverage in February to the unsettling announcement in Beijing that PLA soldiers' average waistline had increased over the last 20 years by 1.97 inches – although few noticed that simultaneously US soldiers had increased by an average two inches.
What are the operational implications for the PLA? First, it is not evident that its soldiers are any less fit than US soldiers. Indeed during the recent Afghan war, a senior US military official admitted that recruitment standards had been lowered to a mental threshold termed Category III – "one level above imbecility".
Furthermore in 2010 most American forces personnel in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were not strictly US citizen-soldiers; most were mercenaries, citizens of diverse nations fighting for money, but today known by the banal term of "contractors".
Second, the high proportion of single child PLA recruits may cause emotional traumas and may lead to the induction of spoilt children, but military training could address this.
The burning issue is the recent widespread selling of military positions. Of course, England allowed the purchase of military commissions until as late as the late nineteenth century. It didn't prevent the building of the largest empire the world has ever known.
However, sale of office during the same period in China's history was rampant. It is estimated that between 1865 and 1911, 66% of all officials and holders of official titles had bought their status. For China the results were less positive than in England. The widespread sale of office may have helped the state raise finance but it contributed notably to the Qing state's erosion.
Given the differential results between countries, if we now note diminished PLA professionalism owing to the sale of positions, there might be such a thing as "the sale of office with Chinese characteristics".
There is a concern that a generation of military leaders might be unsuitable for their responsibilities. This suggests that the recent operational weaknesses noted by analysts may show further deterioration.
Peacetime is sub-optimal for an audit of military effectiveness. However, wartime mobilisation is uncomfortably late to measure it. The PLA needs a broad leadership restructuring and a thorough review of the competences of its command in order to demonstrate fitness for future use.


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