NTU EE60 News Letter January, 2015 by George Pang

Happy New Year 2015 of SHEEP (GOAT or RAM) from George & June Pang in Lafayette, LA.

1. Up-date personal data for DirectoryPlease up-date your personal data by visitinghttp://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/host_move/ActionCorner.htm

2. Classmates’ life time stories & accomplishments:

Read the stories by following links below:http://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/host_move/Classmates/ClassmateLifeStory.htmNo new life time story was added to the list. Please send in yours.

3. Events Summary of 2014. Yahoo top 10 Global News of 2014 by Katie Couric

It has been a year filled with big news stories that shaped the conversation on race, politics, privacy and much more. Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric takes a look back at your most searched news stories of 2014.

10) Obamacare: Formally known as the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s plan to reform health care has been plagued by technical glitches and consumer confusion. Kathleen Sebelius, who led the rollout of the new law as health and human services secretary, stepped down in April.  But now, a second act has begun.

Open enrollment is under way until mid-February, but stay tuned for a looming Supreme Court case that could dismantle the entire program.

9) Domestic violence: A viral video of NFL running back Ray Rice punching in the face his then fiancée, Janay, sparked a national conversation about domestic violence. Rice was suspended indefinitely by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in response to public criticism that the initial decision to ban him for two games was inadequate. Rice appealed and won and has been reinstated in the league.  

8) Islamic State:  It was a brutal year in Iraq and Syria, as the terrorist group calling itself the Islamic State, or IS, gained momentum and captured territory throughout the region, killing thousands along the way. The group posted online barbaric videos of beheadings. Two American journalists were among those executed. The United States continues to fight back through airstrikes on the group in Iraq and Syria.

7) Jodi Arias: The fate of Jodi Arias lies in the hands of a jury hearing a retrial of the sentencing phase of her case. Arias was convicted of killing her boyfriend Travis Alexander, but the first jury was unable to agree on whether she should receive the death penalty or spend the rest of her life in prison.

6) Ferguson:  Racial tensions erupted this year in Ferguson, Mo., after Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson.  Protesters clashed with police for weeks after

the shooting.  The violence escalated again after a grand jury voted not to indict Wilson.  He has since resigned from the Ferguson Police Department, citing safety concerns for his family and fellow officers.

5) Malaysia Airlines: The embattled airline made news for all the wrong reasons this year. In March, Flight 370, carrying 239 passengers and crew, vanished during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. A months-long air and sea search has so far failed to turn up any sign of the missing aircraft. In July, another Malaysia Airlines plane, Flight 17, carrying 298 people, was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all on board. Ukraine and U.S. officials blame separatist fighters backed by Russia for downing the jetliner.

4) Leaked photos: The Internet was abuzz after it was reported that hundreds of private photos of celebrities, mostly of women, had been stolen and posted on various websites. Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton were among those who confirmed the photos ‘authenticity. Hackers are believed to have conducted a sophisticated and targeted attack on Apple’s iCloud service to obtain the material.

3) Midterm elections: He wasn’t on any of the ballots, but the 2014 midterm elections turned into a referendum on President Barack Obama’s performance in office. Voters gave Republicans a decisive victory as they took control of the Senate and padded their lead in the House.   

2) The death of Robin Williams: His legions of fans were shocked and saddened when it was revealed that the

comic genius and Oscar-winning actor had taken his own life. Williams, 63, had battled depression and substance abuse throughout his life. It was revealed after his death that he was also in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.

1) Ebola epidemic: It started with just a few cases in Guinea, and became the deadliest outbreak of Ebola on record. The virus spread throughout West Africa, claiming more than 5,000 lives. In September, the first case of the disease in the United States was diagnosed at Texas Presbyterian Hospital. Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian citizen who had recently arrived in the United States, died of complications from Ebola. Two nurses who treated him also contracted the virus but recovered. Duncan’s death raised serious questions about the capacity of U.S. hospitals to effectively treat the disease and to protect health care workers treating the infected.

4. The year of SHEEP A gigantic collection of beautiful New Year images of 2015

NewYearImages2015

All about the year 2015 of SHEEP (GOAT or RAM)

Couples in China don’t want their baby born in the year of SHEEP (2015).

By William Wan May 9 BEIJING — Some people are born lucky. Parents in China, however, would rather not leave their kids’ fate to chance. For the past few weeks, many couples have been trying desperately to conceive, racing against time to have a baby in the fortuitous Year of the Horse. Their reasoning: No one wants a baby born in 2015, the dreaded Year of the Sheep. Sheep are meek creatures, raised for nothing more than slaughter. Babies born in the Year of the Sheep, therefore, will grow up to be followers rather than leaders, according to some superstitions. The children are destined for heartbreak and failed marriages, and they will be unlucky in business, many Chinese believe. One popular folk

saying holds that only one out of 10 people born in the Year of the Sheep finds happiness.

The sheep (or ram) is among the animals that people like most. It is gentle and calm. Since ancient times, people have learned to use its fleece to make writing brushes and skin to keep warm. As it is white, people describe delicate and precious white jade to be 'suet jade'. Thus it is close to the meaning of good things.StrengthsPeople under the sign of the sheep are tender, polite, filial, clever, and kind-hearted. They have special sensitivity to art and beauty, faith in a certain religion and a special fondness for quiet living. They are wise, gentle and compassionate and can cope with business cautiously and circumspectly. In their daily life, they try to be economical. Women born in this year are willing to take good care of others, but they should avoid pessimism and hesitation. They are kind in heart and commonly have symmetrical figures and features.

WeaknessesSheep year people are often worriers who are shy, pessimistic, moody, indecisive, over-sensitive, weak-willed and puzzled about life. They are easily inclined to be deeply religious. They are timid in nature and like to be looked after by others. They like flattery, compliment and suggestions from friends. They do not dare to express their love openly and usually have interests in strange theories. 

Horoscope and Numerology ElementsEarthly Branch of Birth Year: weiWu Xing (The Five Elements): tu (earth)Yin Yang: yin

Auspicious Directions: east, southeast, southLucky Colors: green, red, purple; Avoid: golden, coffeeLucky Numbers:3, 9, 4; Avoid: 7, 6, 8Lucky Flowers: carnation, primrose, alice flowerZodiac Sign Compatibility - Best match: rabbit, horse, pig;Avoid:ox,dog

Celebrities Born in the Year of the SheepMichelangelo, Mark Twain, Thomas Alva Edison, Muhammad Ali, Rudolph Valentino, Rachel Carson, Pierre Trudeau, Barbara Walters, Orville Wright, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Amy Lee, Bruce Willis, Benicia Del Toro, Claire Danes, Jamie Lynn Spears, Matt LeBlanc, Chow Yun-Fat, Zhang Ziyi, Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty 618 – 907), Cao Cao (King of Wei in China’s Three Kingdoms Period 220 - 280), Yue Fey (a patriotic general in China’s South Song Dynasty 1127 - 1279), Empress Dowager Cixi

Fortune Foretelling in 2015It is their order to encounter the Year of Birth (Benming Nian), a year to offend “Taisui’, the god in charge of people’s fortune. In 2015, their fortune in all aspects will fluctuate. In career, there won’t be a promotion or salary rise. Only if they stick with their current job and work hard, will they smoothly get through the year. In wealth, they should be very cautious about any investment, or there will be a loss. In relationships, they are suggested to be tolerant of their family, friends and colleagues to avoid any conflict.

Career: They may encounter some road blocks in career in 2015, especially in March, June, September and December. In these months, their emotions will be fluctuant, so it is likely that they will argue with colleagues. In comparison, their fortune in career gets better in February, July and August. As long as they persist in working hard, they will gain much in the coming

year. At any rate, no promotion will fall upon them in 2015.

Wealth: The financial fortune of sheep people will be just so-so. They should reduce daily expenses, or it will be hard to make ends meet. It is not a good idea to lend money to others. The investment in stocks, bonds and real estate should be stopped. People who are living in a rental house should keep doing this. Don’t buy a new house or move. Setting a fish tank in the west or north of the house may increase their fortune in wealth. 

Relationships: Sheep people can easily lose their temper in 2015. As a result, couples and lovers may argue. They should communicate with each other to solve the problem to avoid breaking up. Also this is not a good year to get married. Single males may get involved in a relationship, and females will still expect to get back their former love.

Health: They should keep away from sharp tools and weapons such as knifes, swords, saws and scissors, because they may easily get injured this year. In daily life, they should play sports and avoid eating too much greasy food. Sheep born in 1943 and 1979 need to be careful in driving and doing sports, especially in June and December.

Study: Sheep students will hardly be able to concentrate on study this year. They should adjust their emotions to focus on study. Some students’ study may be affected by family problems, so parents should pay attention to their behavior and try to be attentive to their children. Moreover, children may get infected some illness, which will influence their study.

5. Classmates’ activities

KC Wang (王孔啟) will publish his book on Operating System by Springer International Company in the near future. Congratulations to KC for his outstanding accomplishment.

Sherm Shiao ( 蕭興發) & wife attended the International hot air balloon Festival in Albuquerque, NM. We are waiting to see some of the festival photos.

Teh-Shin Jen (任德新) Family photos in 2014

George Pang (龐朝吉) Family photo in 2014

Ming-Chuan Chou (周明傅)

Family photo in 2014

Peter Tu (涂 鯨) Family Photo in 2014

Sun & Jean Lu (陸 申) Greeting card

6. All about colleges and universities Top 10 Colleges in the USA

http://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/Top10CollegesInTheUSA.docx

Top 10 richest colleges in the USAhttp://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/Top10RichestCollegesInAmerica.docx

Top 100 Global Universities in 2014http://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/Top100GlobalUniversities.htm

Top Asian universitieshttp://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/asian-university-rankings/2014#sorting=rank+region=+country=+faculty=+stars=false+search=

7. MiscellaneousAbout Forbidden Garden Replica in Katy, Houston

The owner of the Garden, Ira Poon, made his fortune in the dealing of real estate in Seattle, WA and Houston, TX. The garden was opened in 1996 and closed in 2011. The exhibit has lasted 11 years. Mr. Poon had spent $18 million to $20 million to construct this garden. This garden included the Forbidden Garden Replica and Terracotta Warrior Army. Fifty (50) of the army soldiers are of life-sized copies of the originals, which can be found near Xiam, Shaanxi Province. The rest of the army (about 6,000 little Terracotta soldiers)were one-third scale. For more history of this Garden Replica, read the article on the web site below: http://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/GardenReplicaHistory.docx

A slide show of Forbidden Garden Replica and Terracotta Warrior Army can be seen at

http://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/ForbiddenGarden_Final.wmv

Many things happened during the last few weeks of December 2014.

Gasoline price dropped below $2.50 a gallon.

Russia’s Ruble depreciated by 50% that caused serious financial problem.

Anti-police brutality reached the boiling point that a gunman killed two police officers

in NYC to show his extreme hatred against policemen.

US and Cuba will restore the normal diplomatic relationship so that people can travel freely between two countries.The economic sanction will be lifted so that trade between two countries will resume.

Sony Picture was hacked. Hackers seem to originate in North Korea. The hacking groups had posted the data they collected from the Studio’s Servers to the Web. That makes the lives difficult for the Sony Picture employees. The hackers threat to attack the theaters that show the movie “The Interview”. A movie

which shows the plot to assassinate the North Korea leader Kim Jong-un. The Sony Picture announces to cancel the showing of the movie scheduled for Christmas Day and then later un-cancels the movie show.

8. Drones entered the commercial and private surveillance arena

Definition of Drone:

A "Drone" is a vehicle that can be remotely controlled or can independently operate itself. Many drones have a combination of remote and independent capabilities. In the first decade of the 20th century, the drone was most closely associated with the military. Military drones were largely air based, and used first for surveillance and were later armed to engage and destroy locations and living targets.

From the second decade of the 21st century and beyond, the drone began to move heavily into private use on US soil. At first, they were "eyes in the sky" for amateur photographers, but they are rapidly moving into other areas. Drones are rapidly moving into other areas, later such as Google and UPS considering them as tools for delivery services. Police and fire departments have used them to survey

dangerous locations during fires, toxic spills and in ongoing crime scenes.

Because one remote operator can manage multiple drones, or drones can fly themselves without a costly pilot, they could replace the use of small planes and helicopters and vastly expand the functions they perform today. Consider that only larger news stations can afford an "eye in the sky" helicopter to view traffic jams and show surveillance of crime scenes and other events. Agriculture, where large farms are spread over many miles, would significantly lower their cost of operation using drones to survey their filed for signs of disease, look for invasive species, and how damage after storms. Farms would also be able to greatly reduce the use of pesticides, through much targeted use of pesticides, lowering costs and reducing chemical use in the environment.

Drones are not limited to the skies. Because navigation is easier in the skies, where there are fewer obstacles, the most sophisticated drones were developed for aerial use. Now, more advanced models are showing up for land use. Automated deliver trucks, taxis and other vehicles are in large-scale testing today, with innovative automation technology such as Google Car, being tested in cities today.

Drones

By Katie Couric

Drones have gotten a pretty bad reputation. The word conjures up images of war, surveillance and "collateral damage," which means civilian deaths.

"I think it makes sense to use these advanced technologies in places where you can have the most impact first."

This week on World 3.0, we're introducing you to one company offering a kinder, gentler drone.

Matternet's mission is to develop an unmanned aerial transportation system that can reach anyone, anywhere, perhaps most importantly those living in underdeveloped parts of the world. I sat down with founder Andreas Raptopoulos, an entrepreneur who has big visions for the future of drones and their potential to do well. Drones have the ultimate capability, in his words, "to redefine how we transport things around us."

Andreas shared a startling statistic. Nearly 1 billion people on the planet live without access to all-season roads, meaning a significant portion of the population is unable to receive aid and emergency supplies when needed. In sub-Saharan Africa, 85 percent of the roads are impassable during the rainy season.

Matternet sees a future in which drones could deliver medicine and humanitarian aid to these otherwise unreachable areas. They could transport blood tests, collect tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS diagnostics, and allow diagnoses to be made in an efficient way. Andreas told me that while driving to isolated villages could take a day or longer, a drone could travel the same distances in less than 30 minutes.

In August and September 2012, Matternet carried out its first field trials in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. This September, the company will work with Doctors without Borders in Tokyo to conduct a trial run of its drones to transport TB samples from clinics in remote areas to hospital labs. What would normally take several days to transport samples, will now take just a few hours.

Andreas stressed the importance of using these advance technologies in the places that need them the most. While he suggests the future will bring "aerial vehicles flying around us in a way that we won't even notice," he maintains the goal is to empower others to use this technology in a positive way, an objective he boils down simply: "If you succeed," he says, "you're going to be saving somebody's life."

U.S. OK's more commercial drone use as Congress probes risks

BY ALWYN SCOTTWed Dec 10, 2014 1:36pm EST (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday granted four more companies exemptions to use drones commercially, further opening the airspace to unmanned aircraft even as lawmakers raised questions about the risks.

Trimble Navigation Ltd, VDOS Global LLC, Clayco Inc and Woolpert Inc said in their petitions to the FAA that they would operate drones weighing less than 55 pounds (25 kg) and keep them within view at all times.

The approvals broaden the uses of commercial drones to include aerial surveying, construction site monitoring and oil rig flare stack inspections. Previous FAA exemptions were for aerial photography by seven television and film companies.

The FAA is expected to release a draft rule on drones by the end of December. The latest approvals came as the FAA and

other industry officials were questioned by Congress on Wednesday about the safety and benefits of drone use.

The FAA has been under mounting pressure from companies seeking to employ drones to survey crops, inspect remote power lines and pipelines or deliver packages, or other uses.

The U.S. drone industry is expected to generate $13.6 billion in economic activity and create 70,000 jobs in the three years after commercial use restrictions are lifted, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

The FAA bans most commercial drone flights, but is required by Congress to integrate drones into the U.S. airspace by September 2015.

Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, brought a small quad-copter to a House aviation subcommittee hearing on Wednesday that he noted was capable of flying at 6,600 feet for 15 minutes.

"That means it could easily end up in the same airspace I occupy when I am on approach to land at Newark, Seattle, or any other airport," he said, noting increased reports of drone sightings by pilots.

He urged the FAA not to allow pressure to rapidly integrate drones into the national airspace and compromise safety.

But others pressed for much more rapid FAA action. Rep. Roger Williams, a Texas Republican, said Amazon.com has had difficulty getting FAA permission for outdoor tests of package delivery in Washington state. Amazon told the FAA this week it has begun testing outside the United States because of the restrictions.

The FAA's associate safety administrator, Peggy Gilligan, said the agency knows Amazon is unsatisfied and expects to "reach some conclusions shortly" on its application for an exemption.

FAA issues plan for domestic drone use

A Predator B unmanned aircraft taxis at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Eric Gay / Associated Press)By BRIAN BENNETT

Laws and Legislation Crime, Law and Justice Air Transportation Industry Federal Aviation Administration

Air Transportation Disasters National Government Politics and Government

WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration released what it called a road map Thursday that sets the stage for law enforcement agencies, businesses, universities and hobbyists to fly remotely piloted aircraft, better known as drones, inside the United States by 2015.

FBI has been using drones since 2006, watchdog agency says

The 74-page document was criticized by some privacy advocates, who say the FAA needs to clarify how the government and private users can use video and other data from the unarmed surveillance drones, and how long it can be stored.

Michael P. Huerta, the FAA administrator, estimated that 7,500 small drones could be flying in U.S. skies within five years if regulations are written on schedule. He said the chief concern is writing requirements for drone design and pilot training to prevent unmanned planes from colliding with other aircraft.

“We have operational goals and safety issues we need to consider as we expand the use of unmanned aircraft,” Huerta told an aerospace conference Thursday in Washington.

More than 80 law enforcement agencies now have agreements with the FAA to fly drones, Huerta said, and universities are testing drones for weather forecasting, agriculture and industrial uses.

By the end of this year, the FAA will choose test sites in six states where manufacturers can bring their drones for evaluation by federal safety experts, Huerta said. The results will help regulators write the rules, he said.

According to the FAA, the state governments or universities that oversee the test sites must describe their policies for privacy, data use and data retention. The document released Thursday does not delineate those polices other than to say that companies flying drones must "comply with federal, state and other laws on individual privacy protection."

Ryan Calo, who teaches robotics law at the University Of Washington School Of Law in Seattle, said the “road map” shows that FAA officials are at least considering privacy concerns.

“Here they are taking a different tack and embracing the idea that privacy is a necessary consideration,” Calo said in a telephone interview. “That is part of a change from when they were saying, 'we are not about privacy, we are really all about safety.’ ”

Christopher Calabrese, legislative counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the FAA needs to expand the privacy requirements to include “concrete restrictions on how data from drones can be used and how long it can be stored.”

The ACLU has urged Congress to support laws introduced in the House and Senate that would require police to get judicial approval before using a drone.

PC Operating System and Computer Mouse

Are you interested in knowing the inventions of PC Operating System and Computer Mouse? To satisfy your curiosity, read the article at the following link:

http://www.gplafayette.ipage .com/ ComputerMouseAndCP-M.docx

Best and worst states for retirement

Ten (10) best states for retirement

http://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/10BestStatesForRetirement.docx

Ten (10) worst states for retirement

http://www.gplafayette.ipage.com/10WorstStatesForRetirement.docx