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Sonoma Cookbook not just a diet, but a way of life Posted: 06 Dec 2011 02:15 AM PST Guttersen hopes to inspire readers with delicious recipes paired with wines in "The Sonoma Cookbook". — livingplush.com pic NAPA, California, Dec 6 — Dietician and nutritionist Connie Guttersen proves to both chefs and home cooks that healthy eating doesn't have to be dull. The creator of the Sonoma Diet never planned to be a diet-guru. She was on track to becoming a professor in Texas when marriage brought her to California and the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where she was hired to design a course in healthy cooking techniques. She recalled how when she first arrived at the CIA the students shunned her, fearing she would take away their sugar, fats and salt. In "The Sonoma Cookbook" Guttersen hopes to inspire readers with delicious recipes paired with wines and explains why she considers her eating programme more of a lifestyle than a diet. Q: What prompted you to write your first book? A: "Well my dad had passed away. I had watched him, a doctor, struggle with his weight his whole life. So I decided I was going to write a book in his honour." Q: How does the Sonoma Diet differ from South Beach? A: "South Beach is very good, but it is physician driven. Mine is from more of a culinary background, more of a dietician. South Beach is not flavour driven or celebrating a way of eating that becomes a way of life. And I think wine is an important part of life as is a fairly moderate amount of carbohydrates. "The differences really are that the food is delicious, you can have a glass of wine and it is written with a passion for food and wine and a lifestyle and not so much as a diet." Q: What about the wine on this diet? A: "Well, you see I don't think of it as a diet. I think of it as a lifestyle. I mean I live here in Napa where wine is just part of life. We are all sitting down with friends enjoying great food and wine. And that's why the recipes are paired with wine. There are a ton of health benefits associated with wine in moderation." Q: California is blessed with an incredible array of fresh fruits and vegetables. What about those who are not so fortunate? A: "I am very conscious of menu development and realise that not everyone has access to the same foods that we do here. "The Sonoma Cookbook" has plenty of recipes that use frozen or canned foods, so that if you're in say Kansas City, it still isn't a problem to eat well and healthfully. Q: What about those who are short on time? A: "(There is) this whole idea of how do you embrace a healthier way of living but you're a working mom and you sure would like a glass of wine every once in a while. That's why there are family friendly recipes as well as food and wine pairings throughout. I know what it means to be a working mother. I have two children of my own." The Gigi (30 minutes and yields 4 servings) 2 cups hearts of palms sliced 2 cups orange segments 1 cup jicama (a sweet root vegetable), julienne 1 pound shrimp, peeled and cooked 1/2 cup Citrus Vinaigrette (see below) 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds 1 California avocado, cut in quarters lengthwise, then in 1/4 inch pieces 1/4 cup scallions, thinly cut on bias 2 cups butter lettuce, cut into strips 4 flatbreads 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted Salt and pepper to taste Combine heart of palm, orange, jicama, and shrimp in a bowl. Toss with salt and pepper. Dress with 4 tablespoons Citrus Vinaigrette. Gently mix in pomegranate seeds, avocado, scallions, and lettuce. Serve on top of warm whole-wheat flatbread. Garnish with almonds. Citrus Vinaigrette (4 servings) 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup grapefruit juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon agave syrup 1 pinch chili flakes 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients in a blender. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

A New York icon arrives in Singapore Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:59 AM PST The Dean & DeLuca café and gourmet food shop in Bangkok's Chong Nonsi neighborhood was the lifestyle brand's first venture in Asia. — hungryinbangkok.blogspot.com pic SINGAPORE, Dec 6 — In a recent announcement that will no doubt fill gourmands and grocers with anticipation, iconic New York lifestyle brand Dean & DeLuca revealed a partnership with Kitchen Language, the franchised fast food and restaurant arm of Far East Organisation, to open the first Dean & DeLuca flagship store smack in the heart of the country's main shopping belt in the first half of next year. Occupying an ample 4,000 square feet of prime space on the fourth floor at Orchard Central, fine food lovers can look forward to the gourmet store's renowned range of artisanal gourmet food selection from all over the world, served up in a relaxed cafe atmosphere. Said Justin Seamonds, president of Dean & DeLuca: "We are thrilled to have found an outstanding licence partner in Kitchen Language and are looking forward to bringing our brand to Singapore. Singapore has a long history of global and regional culinary influences, and will be fantastic for our signature gourmet food markets." From fine cheeses to high quality olive oils, herbs and spices for the discerning epicurean, and delicious and thoughtful food baskets for the busy executive, even the most jaded will find a tour here inspiring, at the very least. For the uninitiated palate enticed perhaps by this introduction to SoHo culinary chic, specially trained staff will also be on hand to help customers explore the latest epicurean treats on offer. "Food is such a central part of the local culture in Singapore," added Kenneth Low, director of Kitchen Language. "We have been seeing an increasing appetite and appreciation from consumers for high quality products and the lifestyle that comes with fine food and wine." The time it would seem is ripe. Not only is the demand for artisanal foods on the rise, many local supermarkets already stock a noteworthy international range — including a number of Dean & DeLuca products. This three-decade-old company was founded by Joel Dean, Giorgio DeLuca and Jack Ceglic, and quickly grew into a multi-channel retailer of gourmet goods, wines and kitchenware. — Today Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Zenit march on after holding Porto Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:08 PM PST Porto's Maicon Pereira (right) battles for the ball with Zenit St. Petersburg's Danny during their Champions League Group G match at the Dragon stadium in Porto December 6, 2011. — Reuters pic PORTO, Dec 7 — A man-of-the-match performance by Zenit St Petersburg goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev earned the Russian champions a 0-0 draw at Porto yesterday that put them through to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time. The draw means Zenit finish second in Group G on nine points, behind surprise-package APOEL Nicosia on their head-to-head record after the Cypriots lost 2-0 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk Porto have to settle for a Europa League spot, ending third on eight points. The Portuguese champions knew only a win would put them through but though they commanded the game from the off they failed to find a way past the inspired Malafeev, who had a night to remember. The 32-year-old keeper made a series of good saves, denying clear-cut chances for Djalma, James Rodriguez, Kleber and Hulk on a great night for his side. Zenit, who came from behind to beat Porto 3-1 in Russia, looked to have a draw in mind as they kept their defensive shape despite Porto's strong start. The hosts soon took control of midfield and fenced off Zenit's counter-attack threat thanks to hardworking midfielders Fernando and Joao Moutinho. Steady passer Moutinho put Angolan international Djalma through on goal after five minutes but Malafeev set the tone for the night with an excellent reflex save. Zenit were toothless in attack and lacked any clear chances, struggling to build up play from their half, but they held on stoically in defence to reach the break with the scoreline that suited them. Porto kept pressing forward in the second half but remained wasteful. Hulk found space in the box and toe-poked the ball just wide of Malafeev's goal from a tight angle, while James and left back Alvaro Pereira also missed excellent chances. It still looked like a matter of time before Porto would find a way through but Malafeev was equal to everything they threw at him and Luciano Spalletti's side held on for a memorable qualification. The group-stage exit will increase the pressure on Porto coach Vitor Pereira, who has fallen out with the fans after a string of bad results. — Reuters  Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Impressive Chelsea sweep into last 16 Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:02 PM PST Chelsea players celebrate their second goal against Valencia during their Champions League Group E match at Stamford Bridge in London December 6, 2011. — Reuters pic LONDON, Dec 7 — Chelsea shook off their recent problems with an accomplished performance that secured a 3-0 home victory over Valencia yesterday and took them into the Champions League knockout phase for the ninth successive season. The Londoners needed to win to be sure of advancing from Group E and settled any nerves after three minutes when Didier Drogba did well to make space and fire in a low shot. Defensive hesitation by Victor Ruiz 15 minutes later allowed Ramires to poke in the second and Chelsea took control from then on, completing one of their best performances of the season with Drogba's second 14 minutes from time. Valencia, who hammered Genk 7-0 in their last Champions League match, would have qualified with a score draw but though they had much more possession in the second half they rarely threatened to score. — Reuters  Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Child ‘sexters’ uncommon, study finds Posted: 06 Dec 2011 06:20 AM PST NEW YORK, Dec 6 — Sexually explicit material isn't as widespread on kids' cell phones as some surveys have suggested, researchers have found. But "sexting" — sending or receiving risque photos or videos via cell phone — can still mean legal trouble for minors. "Right now, in most areas, it's a criminal offence," said Kimberly J. Mitchell, a psychologist at the University of New Hampshire in Durham and a co-author on two new reports in the journal Pediatrics. "Child pornography is by definition a sexual picture of a minor." In one study, Mitchell and her colleagues estimate that US police handled nearly 3,500 cases of sexual images produced by adolescents from 2008 to 2009. Adults were on the receiving end just over a third of the time, while the rest involved only the youth. Nearly four out of 10 cases led to an arrest, including when the sexting had been "romantic" or "attention-seeking." Fuelled by high-profile scandals, sexting has become a hot topic in the media. Earlier this year, Representative Anthony Weiner stepped down from Congress after admitting to sexting in which he sent lewd pictures of himself to young women. For minors, there is the added concern that sexually explicit photos or videos may be considered child pornography, even when sent from a girl to her boyfriend or vice versa. Mitchell said parents should make their teens aware of the legal risks and make sure they understand that anything they send could end up on the Internet. "Once it's out there you probably won't be able to get it back," she told Reuters Health. And for receivers, Mitchell added, "we are recommending they should delete it and they certainly should not distribute it themselves." But she also cautioned that youth sexting isn't as common as earlier polls have suggested. A TOPIC WORTH ADDRESSING WITH KIDS A 2008 survey found one in five teens have sent or posted online nude or semi-nude pictures or videos of themselves, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, a private organisation based in Washington, D.C. Mitchell and her colleagues got much smaller numbers in a 2010 national survey, however. Based on phone interviews with more than 1,500 children ages 10 through 17, they found just 2.5 per cent had appeared in or produced nude or nearly nude photos or videos. That number dropped to 1 per cent if only sexually explicit material — naked breasts, genitals or bottoms — was included. Between 6 and 7 per cent of the adolescents said they'd received such images or videos. "Overall, our results are actually quite reassuring," said Mitchell. "With any sort of new technology that kids become involved in, there is a tendency to become easily alarmed," she added. "What we are instead seeing is that sexting may just make some forms of sexual behaviour more visible to adults." Bill Albert, a spokesman for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, welcomed the new findings. He said he wasn't surprised by the smaller numbers, given that Mitchell and colleagues surveyed younger kids and interviewed them over the phone while their parents were around. "I wonder if teens are being as truthful as they might be," Albert told Reuters Health, adding that past surveys had come up with a range of estimates. "It's nothing to panic about, but it's something to address," he said. "It's a good opportunity to sit down with your kid and talk about it." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Study finds how child abuse changes the brain Posted: 06 Dec 2011 06:05 AM PST LONDON, Dec 6 — Children exposed to family violence show the same pattern of activity in their brains as soldiers exposed to combat, scientists said yesterday. In a study in the journal Current Biology, researchers used brain scans to explore the impact of physical abuse or domestic violence on children's emotional development and found that exposure to it was linked to increased activity in two brain areas when children were shown pictures of angry faces. Previous studies that scanned the brains of soldiers exposed to violent combat situations showed the same pattern of heightened activity in these two brain areas — the anterior insula and the amygdala — which experts say are associated with detecting potential threats. This suggests that both maltreated children and soldiers may have adapted to become "hyper-aware" of danger in their environment, the researchers said. "Enhanced reactivity to a...threat cue such as anger may represent an adaptive response for these children in the short term, helping keep them out of danger," said Eamon McCrory of Britain's University College London, who led the study. But he added that such responses might also be underlying neurobiological risk factor that increases the children's susceptibility to later mental illness such as depression. Depression is already a major cause of mortality, disability, and economic burden worldwide and the World Health Organisation predicts that by 2020, it will be the second leading contributor to the global burden of disease across all ages. Childhood maltreatment is known to be one of the most potent environmental risk factors linked to later mental health problems such as anxiety disorders and depression. A study published in August found that people who suffered maltreatment as children were twice as likely as those who had normal childhoods to develop persistent and recurrent depression, and less likely to respond well or quickly to treatment for their mental illness. McCrory said still relatively little was known about how such early adversity "gets under the skin and increases a child's later vulnerability, even into adulthood." In the study, 43 children had their brains scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty of the children who were known to have been exposed to violence at home were compared with 23 who had not experienced family violence. The average age of the maltreated children was 12 years and they had all been referred to local social services in London. When the children were in the scanner they were shown pictures of male and female faces showing sad, calm or angry expressions. The researchers found that those who had been exposed to violence showed increased brain activity in the anterior insula and amygdala in response to the angry faces. "We are only now beginning to understand how child abuse influences functioning of the brain's emotional systems," McCrory said. "This research...provides our first clues as to how regions in the child's brain may adapt to early experiences of abuse." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Posthumous Amy Winehouse album leading UK charts Posted: 06 Dec 2011 06:34 AM PST British singer Amy Winehouse performs at the Brit Awards at Earls Court in London, in this February 20, 2008 file photo. The Official Charts Company says Amy Winehouse's posthumous album 'Lioness: Hidden Treasures' was on course to top the British album charts by the end of the week. – Reuters pic LONDON, Dec 6 – Amy Winehouse's posthumous album "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" was on course to top the British album charts by the end of the week, the Official Charts Company (OCC) said today. Although not yet at the halfway point for the weekly ranking, the collection of 12 tracks recorded from as early as 2002 but not used on either of Winehouse's studio albums was well ahead of the competition. In a brief statement, the OCC said Lioness: Hidden Treasures had sold nearly 70,000 copies so far. Winehouse's father Mitch, writing on the Twitter micro-blogging site, said the figure was 140,000, although it was not clear whether that was projected sales for the whole week or reflected more up-to-date data. "Just been told. Amy at number 1. 140,000 sold = £140,000 (RM587,304) to foundation in one day. Well done baby," he wrote. "My heart is sad but bursting with pride. Mitch" Winehouse died in July aged 27, ending a promising career that was marred by highly publicised battles with drug and alcohol addiction. The "Back to Black" singer, known for her beehive hairstyle and distinctive soulful voice, had high levels of alcohol in her blood at the time of her death. Mitch has set up a charity in her name aimed at helping children and young adults suffering ill health and addiction, and for every copy of the album sold, one pound goes to the Amy Winehouse Foundation. Reviews of the album have been mixed, with several critics saying the music pointed to Winehouse's huge potential but also failed to live up to the high standards she would have demanded when at her peak. – Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Marilyn photos, Gaga dress sold at LA auction Posted: 06 Dec 2011 05:03 AM PST A portrait of a young Marilyn Monroe from a collection of photos and negatives with copyright of Norma Jean, before she became Marilyn Monroe, that sold for US$352,000 at the four-day sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, that ended Sunday, December 4, 2011. – AFP pic/Julien Auctions LOS ANGELES, Dec 5 –  A Lady Gaga dress, a self-drawn sketch of John Lennon with Yoko Ono and photos of a young Marilyn Monroe were among items sold at an LA auction that made over US$4 million (RM12.54 million), organisers said yesterday. The structured dress that Lady Gaga wore on the cover of Madame Figaro magazine in 2001 went for US$31,250, the first such sale at auction, while the prop gun she used in the video for "Born This Way" sold for US$7,680. A collection of photos and negatives with copyright of Norma Jean, before she became Marilyn Monroe, sold for US$352,000 at the four-day sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, which ended Sunday. An Irish Falcon Gretsch guitar from U2 frontman Bono's personal collection, signed by the singer and with a scratch guard reading "The Goal is Soul," sold for US$135,300. Among Beatles memorabila was a John Lennon & Paul McCartney worn jacket from the film "Help!," which fetched US$43,750, while a caricature drawing by Lennon of him and Ono during their famous 1969 "Bed In" sold for US$90,000. Pants worn on stage by Mick Jagger from an early 1980s European tour sold for US$7,040; an Elvis Presley leather jacket for US$16,640; a pair of Frank Sinatra stage boots US$5,120 and a Dean Martin tuxedo for US$20,000. Michael Jackson-related items sold included a pair of Victory Tour sunglasses for US$7,680, and a collection of five stage costumes worn by the Jackson 5 at the 1976 American Music Awards, which went for US$10,240. Later this month Julien's Auctions is to sell furniture and personal effects from the Holmby Hills mansion that was the King of Pop's last home, and where he died on June 25, 2009. The sale will include a mirror on which the star had written "March, April" and then "May – Full on" – an apparent reference to the grueling rehearsals he was attending in early 2009 for a series of comeback concerts in London. From the kitchen, there is the chalkboard note saying "I (heart) daddy," and one saying "Hugs are for free," while auctioneers recently found a candle that Jackson's son Prince carved his name into. But the auction, which comes weeks after Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray was convicted of manslaughter in his death and jailed for four years, will not include the headboard from the bed in which he died, after his family raised objections. – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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KITA ubah pendirian, tak tanding PRU-13 Posted: 06 Dec 2011 02:21 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Dis ― Parti KITA, pimpinan Datuk Zaid Ibrahim yang ditubuhkan setahun lalu, tidak akan meletakkan sebarang calon dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13. Berbanding kenyataan-kenyataan sebelum ini, kepimpinan parti itu berkata pihaknya akan menyokong pembangkang. "Dalam usaha mengekalkan solidariti dalam pembangkang, KITA tidak akan meletakkan calon," kata satu kenyataan dikeluarkan petang ini. Dengan menjanjikan sokongan tanpa syarat kepada pembangkang, KITA berkata, kini adalah masa bagi negara membuat pengorbanan. Pertengahan bulan lalu, Zaid (gambar) berkata KITA mahu bertanding merebut kerusi Parlimen di Selangor pada pilihan raya umum ke-13. Beliau memberi fokus pada kawasan Petaling Jaya. "Saya belum buat keputusan muktamad sama ada Petaling Jaya Selatan (PJS), atau Petaling Jaya Utara (PJU)," katanya. Bekas Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri itu berkata, ita kini telah mengenal pasti beberapa kerusi berpotensi untuk meletakkan calonnya seluruh negara. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Bila pula Terengganu mahu laksana hudud, soal Hadi Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:55 AM PST KUALA TERENGGANU, 6 Dis ― Sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri Terengganu yang masuk hari kedua hari ini agak tegang semasa wakil kerajaan Khazan Che Mat (BN-Batu Rakit) menjawab soalan lisan yang dikemukakan oleh Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS-Ru Rendang). Hadi (gambar) ingin tahu bila kerajaan Terengganu bercadang untuk menguatkuasa dan melaksanakan enakmen kesalahan jenayah syariah, hudud kisas yang diwartakan pada 2002, oleh kerajaan Terengganu. Khazan berkata sehingga ini kerajaan tidak mampu untuk menjanjikan bila tarikh tepat enakmen itu dapat dilaksanakan. Bagaimanapun kata Khazan, kerajaan pasti melaksanakan enakmen itu apabila semua prasarana, kemudahan-kemudahan, persiapan, teknikal sudah sempurna, dan apabila para ulama berpendapat bahawa pelaksanaannya sesuai dan mampu mencapai syariah daripada perlaksanaannya. Mohd Nor Hamzah (PAS-Bukit Payong) bangun mencelah kerana tidak puas hati dengan jawapan Khazan, namun ia tidak dibenarkan Speaker, dan ketegangan bermula. Wakil Bukit Payong itu tidak mengendahkan arahan Speaker supaya duduk sehinggalah Speaker menasihatkan anggota dewan supaya jangan menunjukkan perangai yang tidak sepatutnya. Menurut laporan Bernama Online, sebelum itu penyokong kerajaan Rosol Wahid mencelah dengan menyatakan isu hudud timbul kembali setelah hampir pilihan raya. Katanya, semasa PAS memerintah Terengganu dari 1999 hingga 2004 Presiden PAS sendiri Hadi yang ketika itu menjadi Menteri Besar Terengganu pada 6 Mac 2000 menyatakan keberatan untuk melaksanakan hudud hanya 0.0001 peratus atau 1/10,000 sahaja. Sementara itu Khazan, berkata kerajaan Terengganu sedang berusaha ke arah itu di mana 32 orang hakim Mahkamah Syariah akan dihantar berkursus di Institut Kehakiman Mahkamah Syariah di Riyadh tahun lepas. Katanya tahun ini kerajaan negeri akan menghantar lagi hakim-hakim itu untuk berkursus, dan ini adalah antara usaha-usaha ke arah pelaksanaan hudud di Terengganu. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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The Euro2012 draw — Group A Posted: 05 Dec 2011 03:47 PM PST DEC 6 — Last Friday's draw for the Uefa European Championship finals next year turned up some exciting match-ups as expected. Unlike the Fifa World Cup, all 16 teams have something to offer here, the qualifying stage ensured that. Let me start this series of previews with a look at the prospects for Group A, comprising co-host Poland, Greece, Russia and the Czech Republic. The Poles will not be pushovers as apart from hosting they do seem to have quality. Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny looks to be gaining in stature as a world-class player and will be difficult to beat.  The next two noteworthy players —- both representing Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga — are midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski and striker Robert Lewandowski. The brains behind the outfit, skipper Blaszczykowski can hold things together in midfield while scheming out the gameplan for his teammates. Lewandowski is expected to be the star man though, getting the goals for the Poles, which are a team that will be well organised and disciplined in their approach. This should also apply for the rest of the teams in Group A too, of course. Speaking of which, Greece mastered the well organised and disciplined, albeit defensively tight, tactic on their way to winning Euro2004. It truly seems like a long time ago. The question now remains if the Greeks will go with experience or a mix and match in Euro2012. Experience comes with Angelos Charisteas, 31, (playing in the Greece Super League with Panaitolikos) and 34-year-old Giorgios Karagounis (Panathinaikos), while youth comes in the shape of defender Kyriakos Papadopolous, 19, who stars for Schalke 04 in Germany. Oh, by the way, nothing new is expected from the Greeks in terms of tactics — defend deep and rely on breakaways. The Czech Republic are another team that relies on tactical discipline. I am looking forward to seeing Tomas Necid (CSKA Moscow) and Tomas Peckhart (FC Nurnberg), two young strikers being given a chance together although expect most teams in this group to play with only one man upfront. Another Tomas, that is Rosicky, plays for Arsenal and is the long-time national captain. He may have had a bad spell for his club in recent years but may just be peaking at the right time, considering his noticeable improvement in performance for the Gunners this season. The biggest of the former Iron Curtain members in this group, Russia, has a lot to make up for following their absence in the Fifa World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Dutchman Dick Advocaat succeeded where his countryman Guus Hiddink failed.  Their defence looks pondering with three of CSKA Moscow's experienced backline — Sergei Ignashevich and the Berezutsky twins, Vasili and Aleksei — still in the reckoning while Yuri Zhirkov (of Anzhi Makhachkala, the club which made Samuel Eto'o the highest-paid player in the world) still plunders the left flank. Then, there is the enigma that is Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal), who will be key for Advocaat. As captain, much will be expected of him but he seems to be lacking time on the pitch, and has a lot to prove for his club and country by next summer. Somehow, despite their past pedigree in Europe (four-time finalists in the first eight championships), I don't see them going further than the last 16, if they get out of this group at all. The Russians are past their best, especially since, like Arshavin, strikers Roman Pavlyuckenko (Tottenham Hotspur) and Pavel Pogrebnyak (Vfb Stuttgart) are not getting regular games at their respective clubs too. Incidentally, Greece are not the only ex-champions in Group A. The Russians won the first ever European title in 1960 while the Czechs did it in 1976. The latter also have been in every championship since 1996 under their new guise of the Czech Republic (after shedding off the Slovakian part). OK, let's be frank, this group certainly looks like a snooze fest as there is too much similarity in the teams' qualities and tactical approach. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

There are no angels here, only incentives Posted: 05 Dec 2011 03:39 PM PST DEC 6 — As Malaysians conduct their post-mortem of the recently-concluded Umno annual general assembly, allow me to draw your attention to the government scholars — a total of 28,291 of them in 37 countries as of 2010, according to the Higher Education Department. A fraction of them will be graduating this coming summer and most likely a subset of the graduating scholars are actively applying for jobs as we speak — at home and abroad. It'll only be time before the question of "What happened to our scholars?" saturates our national discourse again. It's a re-enactment of a play we know so well, just that with the formation of TalentCorp and the recent World Bank reports, the issue has become more salient in people's minds.  I'm not a JPA scholar but I come in contact with many. Maybe it's just me, but there are two questions that I no longer feel comfortable asking my immediate peers who are on scholarship: "How's overseas job applications coming up?" and "Are you excited to go home?" Once innocuous questions like these may now come across as being extremely provocative. It indirectly insinuates: "What on earth are you doing signing employment contracts with firms abroad when you know you have a bond to serve?" Most of the time, I just choose not to talk about it. If this is an exact repetition of previous years, the public will brand my peers who are allowed to get off scot free with monikers ranging from "ungrateful people" to "unpatriotic thieves." So I write this article to answer this question: "Why do my peers do the things they do?" In their defence, I think there is a lack of recognition of the dilemma that they undergo. As much as I concede that there are bad apples out there that will gladly free ride the system, most of the JPA scholars I meet are not the sort people you will paint as "ungrateful" or "unpatriotic." It all boils down to incentives. The fact is a majority of them do not believe that JPA or TalentCorp will get around to bonding them back — at least not yet. This means the absence of a secured job as implied by their contracts, leaving them to fend for themselves. Therefore applying for jobs abroad acts as an insurance policy. If they are bonded, then they will break the contract with their foreign employer and go back. If they are not, they have nothing to lose but everything to gain. There is hardly any downside. The bottom line is this: with the absence of any credible sanctions, the scholars are better off if they engage in active recruiting overseas.  But this doesn't imply that all is nice and dandy either. The thing that really baffles me is that the incentives are rigged from the very start. I personally know scholars who have turned down other scholarships from BNM and Petronas for JPA because they are utterly convinced that it'll be a free ride. It's a gamble that they think they can win. And when TalentCorp swoops in with the Scholarship Talent Attraction and Retention (STAR) programme, they are the ones who moan the most about how inefficient our government is and that the six-year bond is the worst thing that has ever happened to them. It's really infuriating as it's a huge display of logical inconsistency. What do they want exactly? If indeed our government is as efficient as they desire, they can pretty much kiss their free education goodbye. They will clutch at any straw to justify why they shouldn't return. Well, gambling only hurts when you lose.  Then where does altruism/moral obligation come in? Well, they are good bedtime stories but make terrible public policy. If everyone has halos, they will all pay back the cost of their education even if they are allowed to get off scot free. But nobody is that dumb and we shouldn't count on it.  Talent Corporation and JPA We often assume that the incentives between TalentCorp and JPA are aligned. I believe this merits more discussion and I argue that TalentCorp has got its chances of success stacked against it from the start. And here's why: If there's one thing that I've learnt from my internship with the City of Chicago is that horizontal organisational conflicts or turf wars exist in all governments. Whenever a new agency is superimposed into the organisational chart, the prior bureaucracy will most likely resist it. Prior to the formation of TalentCorp, JPA was the sole agency responsible for the ownership and the operation of the scholars. Now it has to share it with a newly-formed agency. Anybody who has worked in government can tell you that no bureaucracy likes losing its turf.  For all I know I could be wrong and I would certainly give these agencies the benefit of the doubt. But if conventional wisdom applies, I would argue that this is indeed TalentCorp's biggest challenge. I know two things: 1) The STAR programme was implemented for the Class of 2011. 2) Not all of the graduates from Class of 2011 were subjected to that programme. In fact, some of them didn't even know about it. And as long as the scholars continue to see their peers getting off scot free, nobody will take TalentCorp seriously. How could this be possible? The most plausible explanations that I can think of are: 1) TalentCorp did not receive the complete list of graduates from JPA, 2) JPA doesn't have the complete list of graduating scholars or 3) Both. Option 2 and 3 are just downright scary. If I'm right, then the crux of this problem is this: Is TalentCorp a permanent fixture in the Malaysian scene and will it cease to exist in the event that the current prime minister goes? The reason why bureaucracies are so resilient is that they know they don't have to outwit anybody. They merely have to outlast them. And if this dynamic is indeed true, then the whole cycle of unaligned incentives from the organizations down to the scholars will continue to persist.  I'll end this by saying: taunts like "ungrateful" and "unpatriotic" miss the point. People and organisations react to the incentives that they face and they will conduct themselves in such a way that maximises their long-term interests. In fact, that's what WE ALL do. We have been down this road before and some of us think that there's a clear culprit to blame. Things are often more complicated than meets the eye. There are no angels here. Only incentives. * Ang Jian Wei is a final-year economics major at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. He blogs atlowfatketupat.wordpress.com. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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