Daily Dose: 11/26/08
November 26, 2008
» AsianWeek Market Report
» Chinese Automakers Fill Spots in Detroit Auto Show
» White House Recognizes SF Japantown as Preserve America Neighborhood
» Chinese Woman Brutally Beaten in Oakland
» Rae Imamura Dies: Pianist and Music Educator
» Loquat Releases New Album
» Viva La Boheme! Cape Celebrates 2008
» Pacman — I Will Fight Hitman
» Rehab Will Keep Matsui Out of Classic
» Ann Kim Receives Prestigious Mielke Award
» Ogilvy Names Tham Khai Meng Worldwide Creative Director
» Spain Wants More Bilingual Workers in the Philippines
» Study Abroad Flourishes, With China a Hot Spot
Compiled by Josh Laddin and Connie Zheng
AsianWeek Market Report
| AsianWeek Market Report | ||||
| Asian Stock Indexes | ||||
| NIKKEI 225 | Tokyo | 8,213.22 | -110.71 | -1.33% |
| HANG SENG | Hong Kong | 13,369.45 | 490.85 | 3.81% |
| KRX | Busan | 2,193.24 | 105.84 | 5.07% |
| SSE IX | Shanghai | 6,533.87 | 44.87 | 0.69% |
| BSE | Bombay | 9,026.72 | 331.19 | 3.81% |
| HOSE | Ho Chi Minh | 311.74 | -8.59 | -2.68% |
| SET | Bangkok | 274.24 | 3.88 | 1.44% |
| Asian American Market Report | ||||
| Yahoo! | YHOO | 10.58 | 0.51 | (5.06%) |
| Citigroup | C | 7.05 | 0.97 | (15.95%) |
| Amkor Technology, Inc | AMKR | 2.19 | 0.12 | (5.80%) |
| Sybase | SY | 24.89 | 0.93 | (3.88%) |
| East West Bank corp,Inc | EWBC | 14.22 | 0.41 | (2.97%) |
NATION
Chinese Automakers Fill Spots in Detroit Auto Show
DETROIT — For the first time, two Chinese automakers will have main floor exhibit space at Cobo Center for the 2009 Detroit auto show.
Chinese automakers BYD Auto Co. and Brilliance Jinbei Automotive Co. will occupy about 11,000 square feet on the main floor. The space was reserved for Mitsubishi Motors Corp. but became available after that company pulled out of the show.
Chinese automakers have had a presence in Detroit for years but were always in Michigan Hall — the lower level of Cobo Center — or the lobby.
BYD and Brilliance do not sell vehicles in the United States.
Besides Mitsubishi, five other automakers have pulled out of the show.
— Automotive News
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White House Recognizes SF Japantown as Preserve America Neighborhood
SAN FRANCISCO — The White House has officially recognized San Francisco’s Japantown as a Preserve America neighborhood. Eight Preserve America signs have been placed by the City and County of San Francisco along Sutter and Buchanan Streets, Post and Buchanan Streets and Geary and Buchanan Streets facing both west and east bound. San Francisco’s Japantown is the first neighborhood in San Francisco to be awarded such a designation.
The award recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Japantown. The designation does not carry with it any historical restrictions, its goal is to designate and promote Japantown as a cultural heritage tourism site.
Along with San Francisco’s Japantown, Little Tokyo in Los Angeles was also awarded.
Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their efforts. Benefits include the right to use the Preserve America logo on signs and promotional materials, eligibility for Preserve America Grants and notification to state tourism offices.
BAY/CALIFORNIA
Chinese Woman Brutally Beaten in Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland police Monday night asked for the public’s help in the search for three young men who viciously beat a little old lady last week, leaving her hospitalized and fighting for her life.
The attack took place last Thursday while the elderly Chinese woman was collecting cans and bottles in the 2700 block of Grande Vista Avenue in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood.
Oakland police are calling this attack barbaric and investigators are asking the public for help in solving the crime.
Robert Burks lives just steps from where the 80-year-old woman was severely beaten that Thursday evening around 6 p.m.
“She was right here, between the sidewalk and the street. It was full of blood,” remembered Burks. “They kicked her and kicked her and beat her with a stick and broke it in two. Then they stood by her laughing.”
— KTVU.com
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Rae Imamura Dies: Pianist and Music Educator
BERKELEY, Calif. — Rae Imamura, a pianist and music educator with an abiding passion for new and experimental music, died of cancer Saturday at her home in Berkeley. She was 63.
For decades, Ms. Imamura was a devoted advocate for the works of living composers.
Ms. Imamura was a solo performer, in her long-standing partnership with pianist Michael Seth Orland and as a member of the Arch Ensemble for Experimental Music.
In addition to performing, Ms. Imamura taught at the East Bay Center for Performing Arts in Richmond and was the Center’s assistant director at its founding in 1968.
Among her other musical activities, Ms. Imamura worked with the Oakland East Bay Symphony’s MUSE program, the Berkeley Symphony, the Oakland Ballet Orchestra, the Flowing Stream Ensemble, the Santa Cruz Symphony and the Santa Rosa Symphony and as the accompanist for the Rockridge Chorale.
Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Berkeley Buddhist Church, 2121 Channing Way, Berkeley.
— San Francisco Chronicle
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
Loquat Releases New Album
The band Loquat is promoting their current Talking House Records album Secrets of the Sea. Earl Otsuka, lead guitarist, is one of the core members of this band of five — in fact, he is often credited with the naming of the band, thanks to an often told story about his childhood involving loquat fruits and nuns from his religious schooling.
The album is an introspective one for the band. There was a period of death and rebirth surrounding this disc, including the wedding of singer Kylee Swenson to bassist Anthony Gordon, which is what prompted the band to name the album Secrets of the Sea — since water is often a metaphor for change.
Loquat calls themselves “organic-meets-electric” because of their ability to segue between melodic indie rock and ethereal keyboard electronica. They use some of the most interesting and cutting-edge equipment and programming to give their songs an atmosphere that goes beyond a normal 4-piece band set up.
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Viva La Boheme! Cape Celebrates 2008
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) is holding a holiday soiree to honor John Cho, Tim Kring and James Hong.
They will honor up-and-upcoming actor John Cho (Star Trek, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Better Luck Tomorrow) with the CAPE New Horizons Award, producer and writer Tim Kring (Heroes, Chicago Hope, Teen Wolf II) with the CAPE Visionary Award and legendary actor James Hong (Kung Fu Panda, Balls of Fury, Mulan) with the CAPE Lifetime Achievement Award at the CAPE Holiday Soiree at legendary West Hollywood hotspot Café La Boheme.
The event will take place on Dec. 2 and be attended by many Asian celebrities, such as Bobby Lee and Rick Yune.
SPORTS
Pacman — I Will Fight Hitman
Manny Pacquiao is to focus his attentions on a fight with Ricky Hatton — after he’s dealt with Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6.
The Filipino superstar is a four-weight world champion and regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now.
Next up for ‘Pacman’ is a bout in Las Vegas against modern-day legend De La Hoya, which can be seen live on Sky Box Office on Judgement Night.
However, the 29-year-old is already plotting his next move — a money-spinning showdown with The Hitman, who produced an impressive stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi at the weekend.
“I watched the [Hatton-Malignaggi] fight happen, it was a good fight,” he said.
“I’m ready to fight him. I’m willing to fight Hatton, but right now I’m just focused on this coming fight [against De La Hoya].”
— Skysports.com
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Rehab Will Keep Matsui Out of Classic
NEW YORK — Hideki Matsui’s recovery from left knee surgery will prevent him from playing for Japan in next year’s World Baseball Classic.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told Newsday that the 34-year-old Matsui “will not be ready” to participate in the event by March, having had arthroscopic surgery to repair ligament damage shortly before the conclusion of the regular season.
Matsui, who batted .294 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs in 93 games for New York, did not play in the inaugural 2006 Classic. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said last week that early reports on Matsui’s progress were positive, as head trainer Gene Monahan noted Matsui was ahead of schedule and already running in place.
Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki and Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka are among the star talents expected to represent Japan in next year’s international tournament, which kicks off on Mar. 5.
— MLB.com
COMMERCE
Ann Kim Receives Prestigious Mielke Award
SAN FRANCISCO — Five PG&E employees earned the prestigious Frederick W. Mielke Award for Outstanding Community Service last week. The Mielke award was first established in 1986, honoring the company’s CEO from 1979 to 1986.
PG&E has honored five employees each year who best embody the spirit of “giving back.” This year’s recipients are Nancy Avila, Jason Brown, Barry Clark, Ann Kim and Gino Rinaldi.
PG&E will donate $5,000 on behalf of each recipient to the nonprofit organization of their choice. Five semifinalists were presented $1,000 for their favorite charities; 39 other nominees received $250 Community Service Awards. These grants are part of the $18.7 million PG&E is donating this year to the communities it serves — the largest charitable commitment in the company’s history.
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Ogilvy Names Tham Khai Meng Worldwide Creative Director
NEW YORK — Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, the world’s third-largest advertising agency has announced the appointment of Tham Khai Meng as its Worldwide creative director and chairman of its World Wide Creative Council.
Khai has been co-chairman and regional executive creative director for Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific since 1999.
During that period, he has built Ogilvy into a creative powerhouse, first in Asia, and later globally. The agency has consistently been recognized as the most creative network in the Asian region (“Creative Network of the Year” for seven consecutive years by Campaign Brief Asia), and as one of the most successful creative businesses anywhere in the world.
A Singaporean, Khai will divide his time from the beginning of next year between New York and the rest of the world. He will continue to have a supervisory role over the Asia.
GLOBAL
Spain Wants More Bilingual Workers in the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines confirmed this week that there is a growing demand for bilingual Spanish and English speakers in the Philippines from call center and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors in Spain.
At the trade fair of the Joint Foreign Chambers, Emmanuel Gamboa, executive director of the Spanish chamber in Manila, said many major companies “have too many Spanish clients they do not know what to do with.” The director of Instituto De Cervantes, the Spanish cultural center in Manila, says they constantly receive requests to provide translators not just for call center jobs but also for translation of transcripts of records, as well as medical and legal documents.
Aside from Spain, Rodriguez also points out that the U.S. is another market for Spanish-speaking call center agents. He explains that there are 45 to 50 million Spanish speakers in the U.S., even more than the 40 million residents of Spain.
— New American Media
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Study Abroad Flourishes, With China a Hot Spot
Record numbers of American students are studying abroad, with especially strong growth in educational exchanges with China, the annual report by the Institute on International Education found.
The number of Americans studying in China increased by 25 percent, and the number of Chinese students studying at American universities increased by 20 percent last year, according to the report, “Open Doors 2008.”
“Interest in China is growing dramatically, and I think we’ll see even sharper increases in next year’s report,” said Allan E. Goodman, president of the institute. “People used to go to China to study the history and language, and many still do, but with China looming so large in all our futures, there’s been a real shift, and more students go for an understanding of what’s happening economically and politically.”
— New York Times
Comments
One Response to “Daily Dose: 11/26/08”
Got something to say?
hope the oakland police department tracks down the little savages who beat that poor woman almost to death. you can’t walk a block in that city without being confronted by animalistic hoodlums looking to assault and rob people. they’re the product of a parasitic welfare culture in which personal responsibility is a non-issue and life has not value whatsover. the police should deal with them ruthlessly.