Woodbury Bulletin - 10/29/2008
• 9-1-1
We all know to call 911 in an emergency. Dialing 911 from any telephone will link the caller to an emergency dispatch center which will provide the caller access to police, fire and ambulance services.
In most areas, dialing 911 on a traditional landline telephone automatically gives dispatch the caller’s address.
This provides emergency responders with the location of the emergency without the caller having to provide it. This is very useful in times of fires, break-ins, kidnapping and other events where communicating one's location is difficult or impossible.
(I found that out years ago when I wrongly dialed 911. I hung up the phone immediately after I realized that I made a mistake. A few minutes later, to my surprise, a policeman showed up at my door to check if everything was OK.)
But many people probably don’t know that there are other Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated telephone numbers available for non-emergency use.
In times of need and for various reasons, like some in our community are now experiencing due to loss of job or house, we can call these numbers to get help.
• 2-1-1
211 is used in the U.S. and Canada to provide quick and free information and referrals to health and human service organizations. It allows people to get help and give help.
Every day, people are in need of essential human services — food and clothing, affordable housing, healthcare, employment resources, childcare and parenting programs, senior and youth services, counseling, education, utility and financial assistance, immigration, legal help, transportation, volunteer/donation opportunities and other vital community services.
211 connects individuals and families in need with the appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies.
It is an easy way for people in need to navigate the complex and ever-growing maze of human services.
It ensures that people in need can obtain assistance from the most appropriate community-based organizations or local and national government agencies.
In Minnesota, United Way 2-1-1 works in partnership with other organizations to provide 2-1-1 services statewide, using a statewide database of over 40,000 community resources.
It’s free, confidential and available 24 /7. Multilingual service is also available.
211 also provides a single access point in the event of a local disaster or national emergency.
In 2007, the 211 call center coordinated disaster relief and case management after the I-35W Bridge collapse. It was instrumental in providing assistance to the victims and their families after the disaster.
If calling from a cell phone, use 651-291-0211 (metro) or 1-800-543-7709 (outstate).
For more information, visit www.211.org, http://211us.org, or www.211unitedway.org.
• 3-1-1
311 is used in the U.S. and Canada for non-emergency municipal government information and services. Since 311 is a relatively new service, it is not widely used. In Twin Cities, people living within the Minneapolis city limits can call 311 to access city services and information.
For more information, visit www.311service.org or www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/311/
• 4-1-1
411 is used in the U.S. and Canada for local and national directory assistance. If you want to know what the address of a building is, or the telephone number of a company, you can all 411 to get the information. 411 calls are not free.
• 5-1-1
511 is America's traveler information telephone number. It is a transportation and traffic information telephone hotline in some regions of the U.S. Travelers can dial 511on traditional landline telephones and most mobile phones.
511 gives commuters and travelers access to information regarding weather-related road conditions, construction and congestion, 24/7.
In 2000, the FCC approved 511 for nationwide use along with 211. Minnesota Dept. of Transportation is one of the first state DOTs to implement the 511 service.
The following information is available in Minnesota via 511 call or 511 website (www.511mn.org): road conditions, traffic incidents, current construction, public transit in Minnesota, commercial vehicle permits and restrictions.
Traffic cameras in the Metro Area and many locations in greater Minnesota provide images of traffic and weather conditions for 511.
• 6-1-1
611 is used in the U.S. and Canada for phone service customers to report a problem with telephone service or with a payphone. Many mobile phone service providers also use 611 as a general customer service number. The 611number is not officially assigned by the FCC. Only customers of some telephone companies have access to it.
• 7-1-1
711 is used in the U.S. and Canada for access to Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). TRS permits persons with a hearing or speech disability to use the telephone system via a text telephone or other device to call persons with or without such disabilities. 711 lets these people talk through an operator, by turning the words into something that can be read on a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD).
I hope I don’t need to use these phone numbers and services, but they will certainly be handy in times of need. So I thought it is good to know and worth to share with others.
[Editor’s note: In case you’re wondering if there’s a general “8-1-1” number with a distinctive function, the answer is no. 811 used to be a direct line to the business office of the specific telephone company providing service on the line. 611 took the place of 811 in 2007.]
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Peace in times of trouble
Woodbury Bulletin - 10/22/2008
When I called my parents this past weekend, my 75-year-old father sounded very upset. And I can understand why.
Both of my parents have lived frugally through their whole life, first out of necessity, later more out of habit. They lived below their means and saved as much as they could.
A few years ago, my brother took my parents’ money and invested it in the stock market, with the good intention to make some more money for them.
For several years, the interest rate kept falling and the stock market went up like crazy in China. Everyone wanted to get in the market and no one wanted to be left out of the easy money making game. It didn’t make sense to have money sitting in the bank and lose value.
Now with the stock market crash in China and around the world, my parents lost a lot of their savings. They didn’t even know how much was lost. My brother didn’t want to tell them.
I feel sorry for my parents and for their loss. It was their hard-earned money and their life savings. My parents know nothing about investing and just wanted safety with their money.
But I don’t blame my brother for what he did. He had good intentions. I just wish he had listened to my father when father asked him to take the money out when the market was doing well.
I offered my father a few words of comfort.
“Everyone is losing money in this market meltdown worldwide. If you leave the money in the market, it will come back some day. If you need money for living, I will certainly help you out whenever I can.”
Knowing my father’s personality, I doubt that my words could ease his anxiety and reduce his high blood pressure.
I wish my father could feel the calm and peace that I have.
Over 10 years ago, to be more self-dependent, I learned about personal finance and investing. I started to invest in my retirement account through my employer, later when I had kids, also in their college savings accounts.
So, over the years I have accumulated some money in various accounts. Like everyone else, my accounts went down in the recent weeks. But the market meltdown has not bothered me. I have not checked how much I have lost.
And I have certainly not lost any sleep over it. That’s because I know something my father does not know and we are in different life-stages, too.
Here is what I know that keeps me calm and in peace.
I know investing is for the long term. When I first learned about investing, I used to check the stock market quotes in the newspaper to find out how my mutual funds were doing. Then I stopped doing that.
Why should I waste my time and care about the short term performance of the market?
I know investing has risks. The stock market goes up and down. It doesn’t just go one way.
I know the advantage of dollar-cost averaging to reduce risk. When the market goes down, the same amount I allocate to invest can buy more shares.
I know the rule to buy low and sell high. This is not a time to panic or to sell. It is actually a good time to buy.
I know not to follow the crowd, in investing as well as in life. I don’t want to do something because everyone else is doing it.
If something is very hot and popular in the market, then it’s time to be cautious. It is likely too late to follow.
Most of all, I know I am a child of God and I am in His hands.
No matter what happens in the stock market and in life, no matter how much money I have or lose, I will be fine.
Because He is the rock on which I stand, everything else can be sinking sand. I know it is better to surrender than to worry.
Had my father known all that I know, I think he would not be as upset and anxious as he is now.
Please help me pray for my father and everyone else in difficult financial situations for peace and serenity in this time of trouble.
Let us remember the “Serenity Prayer” by Reinhold Niebuhr: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
When I called my parents this past weekend, my 75-year-old father sounded very upset. And I can understand why.
Both of my parents have lived frugally through their whole life, first out of necessity, later more out of habit. They lived below their means and saved as much as they could.
A few years ago, my brother took my parents’ money and invested it in the stock market, with the good intention to make some more money for them.
For several years, the interest rate kept falling and the stock market went up like crazy in China. Everyone wanted to get in the market and no one wanted to be left out of the easy money making game. It didn’t make sense to have money sitting in the bank and lose value.
Now with the stock market crash in China and around the world, my parents lost a lot of their savings. They didn’t even know how much was lost. My brother didn’t want to tell them.
I feel sorry for my parents and for their loss. It was their hard-earned money and their life savings. My parents know nothing about investing and just wanted safety with their money.
But I don’t blame my brother for what he did. He had good intentions. I just wish he had listened to my father when father asked him to take the money out when the market was doing well.
I offered my father a few words of comfort.
“Everyone is losing money in this market meltdown worldwide. If you leave the money in the market, it will come back some day. If you need money for living, I will certainly help you out whenever I can.”
Knowing my father’s personality, I doubt that my words could ease his anxiety and reduce his high blood pressure.
I wish my father could feel the calm and peace that I have.
Over 10 years ago, to be more self-dependent, I learned about personal finance and investing. I started to invest in my retirement account through my employer, later when I had kids, also in their college savings accounts.
So, over the years I have accumulated some money in various accounts. Like everyone else, my accounts went down in the recent weeks. But the market meltdown has not bothered me. I have not checked how much I have lost.
And I have certainly not lost any sleep over it. That’s because I know something my father does not know and we are in different life-stages, too.
Here is what I know that keeps me calm and in peace.
I know investing is for the long term. When I first learned about investing, I used to check the stock market quotes in the newspaper to find out how my mutual funds were doing. Then I stopped doing that.
Why should I waste my time and care about the short term performance of the market?
I know investing has risks. The stock market goes up and down. It doesn’t just go one way.
I know the advantage of dollar-cost averaging to reduce risk. When the market goes down, the same amount I allocate to invest can buy more shares.
I know the rule to buy low and sell high. This is not a time to panic or to sell. It is actually a good time to buy.
I know not to follow the crowd, in investing as well as in life. I don’t want to do something because everyone else is doing it.
If something is very hot and popular in the market, then it’s time to be cautious. It is likely too late to follow.
Most of all, I know I am a child of God and I am in His hands.
No matter what happens in the stock market and in life, no matter how much money I have or lose, I will be fine.
Because He is the rock on which I stand, everything else can be sinking sand. I know it is better to surrender than to worry.
Had my father known all that I know, I think he would not be as upset and anxious as he is now.
Please help me pray for my father and everyone else in difficult financial situations for peace and serenity in this time of trouble.
Let us remember the “Serenity Prayer” by Reinhold Niebuhr: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Education is a joint venture
Woodbury Bulletin - 10/15/2008
I firmly believe that our children’s education is a joint venture and a shared responsibility done by students, parents, teachers and society, all working together to make a difference.
• Students
Learning and getting a good education is important for each child. All students need the full support of their parents, teachers and society to reach their full potential.
If we want our kids to do well in school, we need to have parents who value education, teachers who are passionate about their work and a society in which intellectual achievement is recognized.
• Parents
A parent is the first life-long teacher for a child. As parents, we have the responsibility to teach our children, starting as early as possible.
I know moms who practiced fetal education during pregnancy. They talked to their babies or let their babies listen to music while still in womb. The results show that fetal education is effective. As far as I can tell, these kids are very smart and talented.
For most parents, though, education becomes an important issue only after the babies are born or when they reach school age. It’s never too late to start. And it’s better late than never.
It’s our job as parents to provide a good learning environment for our children and to be good role models for them as life-long learners.
We can read to our children, take them to libraries and buy them books as gifts instead of toys.
We can help them with homework, get involved in their school activities, go to the teacher conferences and have good communication with teachers to stay informed of what’s going on in the classrooms.
A teacher friend in an urban school system once told me that many of her students’ parents don’t come to the teacher conferences.
A parent whose son was very much into all kinds of sports once said to me: “I don’t teach my son at home. It is his teacher’s job.”
If parents are not interested in their children’s learning, don’t value education or don’t respect teachers, it is hard to expect these kids to do very well in school.
Then these parents often blame teachers or schools for not doing a good job if their kids do not do well in school. I think it is not fair for the teachers and schools.
Teachers don’t bear the whole responsibilities of educating students. Parents play an even more important role.
So, if our children don’t do well in school, we have to first ask ourselves how we are doing as parents, not point fingers at others at the outset.
• Teachers
Teachers certainly have one of the most important jobs in the world. They have the power to change and transform lives.
My own life is a good testimony to that incredible power and influence teachers have over their students.
I can say without any exaggeration that I wouldn’t be here today had I not met my high school English teacher. He was my English teacher for only one year, but that one year determined my future and changed my life forever.
He was the best teacher I have ever known. He could transform an average student to an excellent student. Thanks to him, I had the fortune to go to one of the best universities in China.
Even though he passed away a few years ago, I still think of him often, with deepest gratitude for what he has done for me and all of his students.
When I think about what made him such a great and special teacher, several things come to my mind. I believe all great teachers share some common characteristics.
Good teachers are passionate about the work they do. They dedicate their lives to their profession and their students. They do more and give more than the average teachers. They go the extra miles.
They are good because they know how to teach and are good at what they do. They can make a boring subject interesting.
They can awaken interest in students who are not interested in the beginning. They have the respect of students. They care about their students. They treat them like their own kids.
They are generous. They give their time, their knowledge and wisdom, and resources often bought with their own money to the students.
They are good teachers because they are good people in the first place. Their own lives are an inspiration for the students. Because of them, students strive to do better and be better.
I feel so lucky that I had a teacher who embodied these characteristics. Because of him, I did better than I would have done without him.
• Society
Parents and teachers play important roles in a child’s education. But the society and the culture in which we live in are also important.
I think in American society, we value athletic achievements more than academic achievements. We idolize athletes to the extreme. That’s why many young people and their parents spend much more time and efforts in sports than in learning.
We idolize a lot of things and people that lack substance.
I remember many years ago while I was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I met a women from Germany. When I asked her what she thought of this country, she said she didn’t like it here, because “America has no culture.”
America as a country does not have a long history, comparing to Germany or other countries. America certainly has a lot of pop culture, but in her view, lacks substance.
I hope we could have some cultural shift in this country. We would put more value on education and academic achievement.
Maybe some day, those people who win Nobel prizes can at least enjoy the same social status as some celebrity athletes, if not more. These are the people who will leave a bigger legacy for the mankind. And they deserve more recognition and respect.
I firmly believe that our children’s education is a joint venture and a shared responsibility done by students, parents, teachers and society, all working together to make a difference.
• Students
Learning and getting a good education is important for each child. All students need the full support of their parents, teachers and society to reach their full potential.
If we want our kids to do well in school, we need to have parents who value education, teachers who are passionate about their work and a society in which intellectual achievement is recognized.
• Parents
A parent is the first life-long teacher for a child. As parents, we have the responsibility to teach our children, starting as early as possible.
I know moms who practiced fetal education during pregnancy. They talked to their babies or let their babies listen to music while still in womb. The results show that fetal education is effective. As far as I can tell, these kids are very smart and talented.
For most parents, though, education becomes an important issue only after the babies are born or when they reach school age. It’s never too late to start. And it’s better late than never.
It’s our job as parents to provide a good learning environment for our children and to be good role models for them as life-long learners.
We can read to our children, take them to libraries and buy them books as gifts instead of toys.
We can help them with homework, get involved in their school activities, go to the teacher conferences and have good communication with teachers to stay informed of what’s going on in the classrooms.
A teacher friend in an urban school system once told me that many of her students’ parents don’t come to the teacher conferences.
A parent whose son was very much into all kinds of sports once said to me: “I don’t teach my son at home. It is his teacher’s job.”
If parents are not interested in their children’s learning, don’t value education or don’t respect teachers, it is hard to expect these kids to do very well in school.
Then these parents often blame teachers or schools for not doing a good job if their kids do not do well in school. I think it is not fair for the teachers and schools.
Teachers don’t bear the whole responsibilities of educating students. Parents play an even more important role.
So, if our children don’t do well in school, we have to first ask ourselves how we are doing as parents, not point fingers at others at the outset.
• Teachers
Teachers certainly have one of the most important jobs in the world. They have the power to change and transform lives.
My own life is a good testimony to that incredible power and influence teachers have over their students.
I can say without any exaggeration that I wouldn’t be here today had I not met my high school English teacher. He was my English teacher for only one year, but that one year determined my future and changed my life forever.
He was the best teacher I have ever known. He could transform an average student to an excellent student. Thanks to him, I had the fortune to go to one of the best universities in China.
Even though he passed away a few years ago, I still think of him often, with deepest gratitude for what he has done for me and all of his students.
When I think about what made him such a great and special teacher, several things come to my mind. I believe all great teachers share some common characteristics.
Good teachers are passionate about the work they do. They dedicate their lives to their profession and their students. They do more and give more than the average teachers. They go the extra miles.
They are good because they know how to teach and are good at what they do. They can make a boring subject interesting.
They can awaken interest in students who are not interested in the beginning. They have the respect of students. They care about their students. They treat them like their own kids.
They are generous. They give their time, their knowledge and wisdom, and resources often bought with their own money to the students.
They are good teachers because they are good people in the first place. Their own lives are an inspiration for the students. Because of them, students strive to do better and be better.
I feel so lucky that I had a teacher who embodied these characteristics. Because of him, I did better than I would have done without him.
• Society
Parents and teachers play important roles in a child’s education. But the society and the culture in which we live in are also important.
I think in American society, we value athletic achievements more than academic achievements. We idolize athletes to the extreme. That’s why many young people and their parents spend much more time and efforts in sports than in learning.
We idolize a lot of things and people that lack substance.
I remember many years ago while I was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I met a women from Germany. When I asked her what she thought of this country, she said she didn’t like it here, because “America has no culture.”
America as a country does not have a long history, comparing to Germany or other countries. America certainly has a lot of pop culture, but in her view, lacks substance.
I hope we could have some cultural shift in this country. We would put more value on education and academic achievement.
Maybe some day, those people who win Nobel prizes can at least enjoy the same social status as some celebrity athletes, if not more. These are the people who will leave a bigger legacy for the mankind. And they deserve more recognition and respect.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
China: A different story
Woodbury Bulletin - 10/08/2008
Generally speaking, the news reports about China have been very negative in the U.S., and usually for good reason.
Government corruption, pollution, religious prosecution, food and product safety problems illustrated by the recent recalls of tainted toys, pet food and baby milk power are just a few areas in the news regarding China.
As a native Chinese, I really feel bad about all these problems.
In my previous columns, I have talked about my life in China, growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, about its hardships.
Life was incredibly difficult back then, due to the dictatorship under Chairman Mao, his political movements and natural disasters, too.
But I hope all this didn’t give you the impression that China is still a poor country or everything about China is negative.
Today’s China is a very different country than the one I knew as a young person. It is totally different from the one I left 22 years ago.
Not long ago, I met a university professor who visited China for the first time. He knew some history about old China, but not much about modern day China.
He told me: “I was so na?ve about China before my trip.”
The trip was an eye-opening experience for him.
I am sure most people who watched the recent Olympic Games in Beijing were very impressed by the opening ceremonies and the performances.
I don’t go back to China often. The last two times I went back were in 1998 and 2005. I was so surprised by the changes. It was just unbelievable.
Even people who go back to China more regularly see big changes immediately.
Many Chinese families live in Woodbury. When our parents come to visit us here, one comment I have heard more than once is: Minnesota, or Woodbury, is like the countryside.
Minnesota and Woodbury certainly can not compare with places in China when it comes to population, traffic volumes, tall buildings, businesses, restaurants, entertainments, etc.
China is a very vibrant and dynamic country now. The whole country is under construction. Big and tall buildings, houses, highways, railroads, shopping centers and entertainment centers, etc. are being built everywhere.
China is moving from dictatorship to more democracy, from stagnation to growth, from low tech to high tech, from poor to rich.
One can probably think of China as someone in their youth, rapidly growing, while the U.S. is more like someone in middle age, things are slowing down. One is at sunrise; the other is at or past noon and approaching sunset.
While most people still think of China as a third- or second-world country, in some respects China is actually more advanced than the U.S.
Take public transportation, for example.
In the last two or three decades, China has been building its infrastructure. New roads, highways, bridges, airports, railroads, and subways are being built at a rapid speed.
Many roads and bridges in the U.S. are deteriorating. The infrastructure is aging and hasn’t been kept up in this same time period.
In the U.S., it could take 20 or 30 years to build a highway or finish a project. But in China, it takes much less time.
China has convenient and efficient mass transit bus systems in cities. One can basically go anywhere on buses.
Bikes are still popular transportation tools, not mainly for leisure like here.
Taxis are everywhere. You can catch one on the street by waving your hand.
Major cities have built or are still building subways. Even my hometown Suzhou (next to Shanghai) is building its own subway system.
China has an extensive railway system. One can travel across the country by train. Railway stations are usually in a busy part of town. Big cities may have more than one train station.
Even though air travel has increased in popularity, travel by train has always been and still is the most popular and economic way of traveling long distance in China.
When I was in college in Beijing in early 1980s, I use to take a train to go home once or twice every year. I think the train ride took a day and a night, in a sitting or standing position.
Now, express railways exist between major cities. The express train between Beijing and my hometown lasts only a night’s sleep.
The new high-speed Beijing-Shanghai express railway is under construction. It is planned to be 819 miles long and will be the longest single-phase high-speed railway ever built in the world. Its top speed is expected to be 220 mph, cutting Beijing to Shanghai travel time further down from 10 hours to five hours.
You can travel from Beijing to Tibet by train. It is 2,525 miles and takes 48 hours.
Shanghai has the fastest and largest commercial high-speed maglev line in the world. The Shanghai Maglev Train can reach 220 mph in two minutes, with a top operational speed of 268 mph. It transports people 18.6 miles to the airport in just seven minutes, 20 seconds.
True, China still has a lot of problems. But China has also experienced big changes and improvements never seen anywhere else in the world.
In this vibrant and dynamic environment, you can expect a lot of surprises, some good and some bad.
The media reports about China can easily create a very negative image of the country. To see and experience China from a different perspective, to hear a different story, one should really visit the country.
Otherwise, one could become na?ve about China, just like the professor admitted.
Generally speaking, the news reports about China have been very negative in the U.S., and usually for good reason.
Government corruption, pollution, religious prosecution, food and product safety problems illustrated by the recent recalls of tainted toys, pet food and baby milk power are just a few areas in the news regarding China.
As a native Chinese, I really feel bad about all these problems.
In my previous columns, I have talked about my life in China, growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, about its hardships.
Life was incredibly difficult back then, due to the dictatorship under Chairman Mao, his political movements and natural disasters, too.
But I hope all this didn’t give you the impression that China is still a poor country or everything about China is negative.
Today’s China is a very different country than the one I knew as a young person. It is totally different from the one I left 22 years ago.
Not long ago, I met a university professor who visited China for the first time. He knew some history about old China, but not much about modern day China.
He told me: “I was so na?ve about China before my trip.”
The trip was an eye-opening experience for him.
I am sure most people who watched the recent Olympic Games in Beijing were very impressed by the opening ceremonies and the performances.
I don’t go back to China often. The last two times I went back were in 1998 and 2005. I was so surprised by the changes. It was just unbelievable.
Even people who go back to China more regularly see big changes immediately.
Many Chinese families live in Woodbury. When our parents come to visit us here, one comment I have heard more than once is: Minnesota, or Woodbury, is like the countryside.
Minnesota and Woodbury certainly can not compare with places in China when it comes to population, traffic volumes, tall buildings, businesses, restaurants, entertainments, etc.
China is a very vibrant and dynamic country now. The whole country is under construction. Big and tall buildings, houses, highways, railroads, shopping centers and entertainment centers, etc. are being built everywhere.
China is moving from dictatorship to more democracy, from stagnation to growth, from low tech to high tech, from poor to rich.
One can probably think of China as someone in their youth, rapidly growing, while the U.S. is more like someone in middle age, things are slowing down. One is at sunrise; the other is at or past noon and approaching sunset.
While most people still think of China as a third- or second-world country, in some respects China is actually more advanced than the U.S.
Take public transportation, for example.
In the last two or three decades, China has been building its infrastructure. New roads, highways, bridges, airports, railroads, and subways are being built at a rapid speed.
Many roads and bridges in the U.S. are deteriorating. The infrastructure is aging and hasn’t been kept up in this same time period.
In the U.S., it could take 20 or 30 years to build a highway or finish a project. But in China, it takes much less time.
China has convenient and efficient mass transit bus systems in cities. One can basically go anywhere on buses.
Bikes are still popular transportation tools, not mainly for leisure like here.
Taxis are everywhere. You can catch one on the street by waving your hand.
Major cities have built or are still building subways. Even my hometown Suzhou (next to Shanghai) is building its own subway system.
China has an extensive railway system. One can travel across the country by train. Railway stations are usually in a busy part of town. Big cities may have more than one train station.
Even though air travel has increased in popularity, travel by train has always been and still is the most popular and economic way of traveling long distance in China.
When I was in college in Beijing in early 1980s, I use to take a train to go home once or twice every year. I think the train ride took a day and a night, in a sitting or standing position.
Now, express railways exist between major cities. The express train between Beijing and my hometown lasts only a night’s sleep.
The new high-speed Beijing-Shanghai express railway is under construction. It is planned to be 819 miles long and will be the longest single-phase high-speed railway ever built in the world. Its top speed is expected to be 220 mph, cutting Beijing to Shanghai travel time further down from 10 hours to five hours.
You can travel from Beijing to Tibet by train. It is 2,525 miles and takes 48 hours.
Shanghai has the fastest and largest commercial high-speed maglev line in the world. The Shanghai Maglev Train can reach 220 mph in two minutes, with a top operational speed of 268 mph. It transports people 18.6 miles to the airport in just seven minutes, 20 seconds.
True, China still has a lot of problems. But China has also experienced big changes and improvements never seen anywhere else in the world.
In this vibrant and dynamic environment, you can expect a lot of surprises, some good and some bad.
The media reports about China can easily create a very negative image of the country. To see and experience China from a different perspective, to hear a different story, one should really visit the country.
Otherwise, one could become na?ve about China, just like the professor admitted.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Become a well-informed voter
Woodbury Bulletin - 10/01/2008
The 2008 presidential election is just one month away. Are you ready for it?
I know some people are not. In fact, I am one of them.
When my kids recently asked me for whom I am going to vote for president, I had to say, “I am not really sure.”
The truth is, I have not done much research and reading about the candidates.
Lack of time, lack of political knowledge or lack of interest in politics can all be my excuses, but I know one excuse I cannot use is lack of information.
There is a huge quantity of information available on the Internet that can help people become well-informed voters.
The Internet is a wonderful thing. I consider the Internet to be one of the greatest inventions in human history, something that has changed every aspect of our lives, including elections.
It has made it so much easier for voters to be fully informed about who the candidates are and where they stand on different issues.
But the Internet is also the world’s largest rumor mill and there can be a lot of misinformation out there as well.
Have you ever forwarded an e-mail message a friend sent you, only to find out later that it contains inaccurate information?
I have done that — I unintentionally participated in the spreading of misinformation through forwarding interesting messages or chain letters.
Most times it is harmless. Occasionally, it can be a little embarrassing.
A friend of mine has the habit of checking forwarded messages at Snopes.com [www.snopes.com], a definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
I learned from her that forwarded messages or chain letters often contain misinformation. So, be careful what you read.
While you can find information on virtually anything on the Internet, there is no guarantee that the information is accurate. Therefore it is also important to look for information that is published by a legitimate source to ensure that the information is authentic and credible.
As responsible citizens, we have the obligation to become informed before we vote.
We cannot base our decision on rumors, misinformation, or on candidates’ TV commercials.
Now we are facing an overload of candidate information.
How can we sift through the massive amounts of information and find the credible sources and sites to make the research process easier?
I hope the following sites will be helpful in your research on the candidates.
• To get information straight from the major candidates and their parties, you can start with their official websites.
Barack Obama:
www.barackobama.com
John McCain:
www.johnmccain.com
The Democratic Party:
www.democrats.org
The Republican Party:
www.gop.org
• Project Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org) provides comprehensive information about candidates, from biographical information, voting records, issue positions, public statements to campaign financing.
Politicians are good public speakers. They will say things to get elected. But what they say may not match what they have done in the past.
Project Vote Smart provides access to congressional and state voting records. You can pull up the voting records of the candidates and find out what and how they voted on key issues in the past.
• At the state level, you can also go to the Legislative Reference Library website (www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/issues/ratings.asp) to find Minnesota legislator voting records and ratings and to see how current legislators voted in the past.
• Brookings Institution (www.brookings.edu/projects/opportunity08/Candidate-Views.aspx) offers a series of charts outlining the candidates' positions on the most critical topics facing America's next President.
• Federal Election Commission (www.fec.gov) lists campaign finance reports and data that have candidates’ statements of income and information about campaign contributors.
• In Minnesota, all state candidates must file with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (www. cfboard.state.mn.us) regarding campaign contributions.
• On Minnesota Public Radio’s “Select a Candidate” Internet site (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/select_a_candidate), you can learn which candidates are most closely aligned with your views by answering a series of questions about major issues.
• On the official U.S. Congress website (www. congress.org/election/home/), you can easily find your federal, state, and local officials by entering your ZIP code.
The site provides comprehensive information about elections and provides key candidate positions. It also has legislative voting history.
• On the Issues (www.ontheissues.org) ranks candidates on a variety of issues.
• OpenSecrets.org (www.OpenSecrets.org) from the Center for Responsive Politics is the nonpartisan guide to money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy. It has fundraising profiles for candidates and congressional members.
• Politifact.com (http:// politifact.com) analyzes candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews to determine whether their claims are accurate.
• Spinsanity (www.spinsanity.org) is a nonpartisan watchdog dedicated to unspinning misleading claims from politicians, pundits and the press.
The bottom line is, do not believe everything you read or hear in the media. Do some research and become a well-informed voter.
Then you will have the confidence that you cast you vote in a responsible and informed way.
The 2008 presidential election is just one month away. Are you ready for it?
I know some people are not. In fact, I am one of them.
When my kids recently asked me for whom I am going to vote for president, I had to say, “I am not really sure.”
The truth is, I have not done much research and reading about the candidates.
Lack of time, lack of political knowledge or lack of interest in politics can all be my excuses, but I know one excuse I cannot use is lack of information.
There is a huge quantity of information available on the Internet that can help people become well-informed voters.
The Internet is a wonderful thing. I consider the Internet to be one of the greatest inventions in human history, something that has changed every aspect of our lives, including elections.
It has made it so much easier for voters to be fully informed about who the candidates are and where they stand on different issues.
But the Internet is also the world’s largest rumor mill and there can be a lot of misinformation out there as well.
Have you ever forwarded an e-mail message a friend sent you, only to find out later that it contains inaccurate information?
I have done that — I unintentionally participated in the spreading of misinformation through forwarding interesting messages or chain letters.
Most times it is harmless. Occasionally, it can be a little embarrassing.
A friend of mine has the habit of checking forwarded messages at Snopes.com [www.snopes.com], a definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
I learned from her that forwarded messages or chain letters often contain misinformation. So, be careful what you read.
While you can find information on virtually anything on the Internet, there is no guarantee that the information is accurate. Therefore it is also important to look for information that is published by a legitimate source to ensure that the information is authentic and credible.
As responsible citizens, we have the obligation to become informed before we vote.
We cannot base our decision on rumors, misinformation, or on candidates’ TV commercials.
Now we are facing an overload of candidate information.
How can we sift through the massive amounts of information and find the credible sources and sites to make the research process easier?
I hope the following sites will be helpful in your research on the candidates.
• To get information straight from the major candidates and their parties, you can start with their official websites.
Barack Obama:
www.barackobama.com
John McCain:
www.johnmccain.com
The Democratic Party:
www.democrats.org
The Republican Party:
www.gop.org
• Project Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org) provides comprehensive information about candidates, from biographical information, voting records, issue positions, public statements to campaign financing.
Politicians are good public speakers. They will say things to get elected. But what they say may not match what they have done in the past.
Project Vote Smart provides access to congressional and state voting records. You can pull up the voting records of the candidates and find out what and how they voted on key issues in the past.
• At the state level, you can also go to the Legislative Reference Library website (www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/issues/ratings.asp) to find Minnesota legislator voting records and ratings and to see how current legislators voted in the past.
• Brookings Institution (www.brookings.edu/projects/opportunity08/Candidate-Views.aspx) offers a series of charts outlining the candidates' positions on the most critical topics facing America's next President.
• Federal Election Commission (www.fec.gov) lists campaign finance reports and data that have candidates’ statements of income and information about campaign contributors.
• In Minnesota, all state candidates must file with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (www. cfboard.state.mn.us) regarding campaign contributions.
• On Minnesota Public Radio’s “Select a Candidate” Internet site (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/select_a_candidate), you can learn which candidates are most closely aligned with your views by answering a series of questions about major issues.
• On the official U.S. Congress website (www. congress.org/election/home/), you can easily find your federal, state, and local officials by entering your ZIP code.
The site provides comprehensive information about elections and provides key candidate positions. It also has legislative voting history.
• On the Issues (www.ontheissues.org) ranks candidates on a variety of issues.
• OpenSecrets.org (www.OpenSecrets.org) from the Center for Responsive Politics is the nonpartisan guide to money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy. It has fundraising profiles for candidates and congressional members.
• Politifact.com (http:// politifact.com) analyzes candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews to determine whether their claims are accurate.
• Spinsanity (www.spinsanity.org) is a nonpartisan watchdog dedicated to unspinning misleading claims from politicians, pundits and the press.
The bottom line is, do not believe everything you read or hear in the media. Do some research and become a well-informed voter.
Then you will have the confidence that you cast you vote in a responsible and informed way.
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