Sex and the city retuns to sizzle

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It’s a kind of magic – high-tech board wows viewers

IT WAS shortly after 9pm on Tuesday, the night of the Kentucky and Oregon primaries, and Anderson Cooper was running through possible stories to lead off his show with.

Two choices – the Democratic presidential nomination race and senator Edward Kennedy’s brain tumour – were available for Anderson Cooper 360°, watched by 1.2 million American viewers daily.

“It’s still such a fascinating race,” Cooper said, referring to the primary season. “We have been criticised by the Clinton campaign for saying that her bid is over,” he told four foreign correspondents invited for a behind-the-scenes look at CNN’s political coverage from its New York studio.

Ratings for Anderson Cooper 360°, according to news reports citing Nielsen Media Research, have leapt compared to last year, beating even Larry King Live.

So what’s his take on being CNN’s hottest name?

He laughed saying: “I don’t think that’s true.

“CNN has more popular anchors around,” Cooper said. “I wasn’t even the most popular guy in high school.”

Here’s a man who is mentioned in local gossip pages; even his hair gets talked about. “Trademark snow”, was how The New York Times described it. Actor Ashton Kutcher once, tongue-in-cheek, called him “S.O.B” because his wife Demi Moore loved watching his show.

Personalities aside, the race to the White House has drummed up the TV war. Among cable news networks, CNN is tops among viewers aged 25 to 54, the group most wanted by advertisers, edging out Fox News and MSNBC.

David Bohrman, CNN senior vice-president and Washington DC bureau chief, said the 24-hour cable TV network had been more exciting, bigger and grander in its approach to news.

“We are also less opinionated,” he said.

Its political debates are hugely watched, most of them beating other networks. A duel between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on Jan 31 led to 8.3 million viewers, the highest ever for a primary debate on cable TV.

Still, it's not all rosy at the top.

“There are moments when everybody hates you. People get annoyed for a series of reasons. Everyone is unhappy with the media at some point. We’re the easy target,” Cooper said.

CNN is broadcasting its political coverage from the state-of-the-art New York studio, the largest bureau outside its Atlanta headquarters.

At the Election Centre on Tuesday evening, a big team was assembled for its news programme. Staff researched incoming data, analysts were in place and anchors Wolf Blitzer, Lou Dobbs and Campbell Brown took their turns under the spotlight.

“The numbers are going strong. I thought the ratings would drop after Super Tuesday but it went up still,” said Bohrman.

Most media organisations had thought the presidential nominees would be known by Super Tuesday, Feb 5.

“Our budget has been blown because we thought this would be over by February,” CNN political editor Mark Preston said.

They are not complaining, though, as the political season has been kind to CNN, which translates to better ratings.

Latest statistics showed that 605,000 Americans tuned in to the network’s coverage of the Kentucky and Oregon primaries on Tuesday. MSNBC posted 502,000 and Fox News Network 495,000.

The 10pm slot that night, anchored by Cooper, took in 1.8 million viewers, followed by Fox with 1.5 million.

Preston said political sentiments towards the White House race were reverberating across the United States.

“Everyone has an opinion about it. People have been hit either by gas or house prices.”

As one CNN spokesman put it: “The environment has never been like this before. There is a great appetite now for political news, so we invested a lot into our political coverage. The emphasis is on the use of technology to make our presentation appealing and aesthetic.”

CNN, according to the spokesman said, wanted to have great visuals and graphics, the best cameras, colour and lighting.

“John King (the chief national correspondent) and the Magic Wall really caught on,” Bohrman said of the multi-touch board which he initially discovered at a military defence trade show.

The interactive screen allows King to analyse data for viewers in a much more colourful way, just by tapping on the maps and charts.

The Magic Wall is CNN’s pride and joy.

When something went wrong with it the night before the Kentucky and Oregon contests, “the notion of the Wall falling apart was unimaginable. It was like CNN was about to crumble,” Cooper joked.

However, the Time Warner Company isn’t the only one using the high-tech tool. Fox News Channel has its own called “Bill Board”.

The jury’s still out on its slogan “the most trusted name in news” but for now, CNN can lay claim to reaching out to 90 million American households.

Still looking for a stronger voice for Asian Americans

AT 28, she has already co-authored a book called China Dolls. “Think Joy Luck Club meets Sex and the City,” said Michelle Yu about the novel that she wrote with her cousin Blossom Kan, released last year.

But perhaps more tellingly is the story of Yu, an Asian from the Bronx, reflecting yet another one of the 1,001 tales of the mixed pot that is New York City.

“I grew up in the Bronx in a predominately Caucasian neighbourhood. In grade school, I was the only Asian American in my classroom.

“There were times when I felt out of place especially during class discussions about white or black people because my race was never mentioned,” she said.

“However, the kids didn’t treat me differently. I had lots of friends. Later in high school, my classroom became more diverse,” said Yu, a sports reporter with NY1, a 24-hour news network owned by Time Warner Cable.

Still, it is sometimes an uphill battle to prove that she knows her stuff in the rough world of sports.

“When I go to the NBA locker room, for instance, automatically the rest of the media who are mostly Caucasian men would all look at me wondering: Is she here to do her job or to flirt with the players or is she a groupie?”

“That, unfortunately, is how they see me because I am female and Asian American.” Her solution? Always be “extra professional” in mannerism and attire.

She greatly admired her grandmother who came to the United States from Toishan, China, not knowing English but braving herself to make it in a new world.

“I realised how well I have had it, compared to those who came earlier, not speaking the language, not knowing the culture.”

The sweat of past generations is the sweet success of the present.

A college graduate, Yu is a poised young female today, addressing a crowd with confidence when she spoke on Tuesday about the influence of Asian American women in New York to mark the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

There are an estimated 13 million Asians in America, comprising 5% of the population.

According to the US Census Bureau, about two million people speak Chinese at home, making it the most widely spoken non-English language after Spanish.

Despite the staggering record, Yu felt there was still a desperate need for more Asian Americans to come forward and provide a stronger voice for the community.

“Our culture teaches us to not be flashy and to do well in life. Earn a living, have a family. However, I think sometimes this makes us suffer as a community.

“For example, among African Americans, there are vocal leaders like Al Sharpton who are always present when major issues confront them.

“Who do we have in the Asian community?” she asked.

“We need more voices in the media whether in politics or arts to represent us.”

As an Asian American, Yu felt that there were opportunities to help initiate change to her community.

“The downside of it is that it is sometimes still a battle, and it is up to us to start paving the way for the future.”

The foreigner syndrome, however, still persists.

“We have been here 150 years, yet Asian Americans are seen as can’t possibly be Americans. So we are always having a foreigner status,” said John Liu, a New York City councilman, the first Asian American elected to the post.

A Taiwan-born whose childhood began in Flushing, Queens, a neighbourhood often seen as the first stop for many immigrants from China and even Malaysia, the 40-year-old Liu recalled that there were few Asians during his early days here.

“When I was growing up in New York, there were not nearly as many Asian Americans. It was a very tiny community.

“Today, we are about 11% of the eight million population in New York City,” he added in an interview.

“So, you can see that the community has become more robust. They are everywhere, there are more choices now, more accents and flavours,” he added.

Liu, always outspoken against hate crimes, said it was still quite a problem here where youths were occasionally beaten up and deliverymen, most often Asians, abused.

“We have to be vigilant when something like this happens. We have to stay on top of it and demand and ensure that the government act forcefully and effectively,” he said.

The road to the best of both worlds is still rather winding.

A mother after 54 weeks

IT WAS July 28, 2004, and the baby photo being downloaded was coming in at a snail’s pace.

“We were still using dial-up Internet access then. What appeared was the top of a little bald head,” recalled Jennifer Maslowski, an art appraiser.

Eventually, Maslowski and her husband saw the full referral photo of the baby sent by the adoption agency. “She looked like a little Buddha!”

Delighted, the couple travelled to China six weeks later, their first step towards parenthood.

“I was excited. My husband was more emotional. He cried the whole time!” she said, laughing at the memory.

The decision to adopt came somewhat naturally to them. “It’s just something that we wanted to do.”

It isn’t a road less travelled (think Meg Ryan, for a Hollywood example). According to the US State Department, China topped the list of countries issued orphan visas.

Last year, 5,453 visas were given out. There has been a gradual drop since 2005, when almost 8,000 visas were issued.

For Maslowski, 36, skin colour is irrelevant. “A baby is a baby. It is so easy to fall in love with kids. And I’m from New York City, certainly not a place where everybody looks like me.”

In fact, the couple would have opted for Haiti if the Chinese adoption had not gone through.

The adoption process was tedious.

“There were lots of paperwork, medical records, pictures of your home, financial and police background check, child abuse check, social workers’ visits ... and you’re finger-printed as well,” she said.

The cost ranges from US$15,000 to US$25,000 (RM48,000 to RM80,000).

It took 54 weeks for her to become a mother. Unlike her husband Bill Schmidt, Maslowski admitted that she did not bond immediately with the 10-month-old girl they saw at the orphanage in Guangzhou.

“I was happy and comfortable taking care of her. But I wasn’t like throwing myself in front of the bus for her.”

But two weeks later, it all sank in and her tears flowed.

Today, the baby who was once full of scabies and heat rash (“her skin was a mess”) has grown into a happy five-year-old girl who often amazes her adoptive parents.

“She’s very tall for her age,” the proud mama said. With a long name, too: Their little Buddha is now Alida Frances Shan Schmidt.

Maslowski herself is involved with Families with Children from China, an organisation which provides support for parents and prospective ones. She is their Manhattan coordinator.

The child from Middle Kingdom has opened a new world for the Schmidts.

“We celebrate Chinese New Year! This Beijing Olympics, we are rooting for China. And Alida has a collection of cheongsam which she wears to cultural events or playgroup outings. All her dolls are Chinese.”

Alida loves going for her Mandarin classes. “My husband and I attended classes as well but had a hard time.”

The couple would take another shot at the lessons in September.

“She has been such a gift. She’s everybody’s pet ... her grandparents and aunts. A little spoilt, I must say,” Maslowski said, laughing.

There have been no regrets whatsoever although Maslowski acknowledged that people would always know that Alida is adopted whenever they looked at the family.

“She is always going to have to deal with it,” Maslowski said. Things, however, are easier in New York where everybody is from somewhere else.

“Alida knows she came out from somebody else’s tummy. She would look at the photo album of our trip to China to get her.”

The family has not faced any nasty encounters although it had happened to a friend of Maslowski's who also adopted a foreign-born child.

A stranger had remarked to her: “Next time, buy American.”

Finances permitting, the family would visit China next year.

“Some day, we would want to search for her real parents,” she said, for the sake of Alida, originally from Dongguan in central Guangzhou, who might wonder about her past in future.

Her advice for prospective adoptive parents?

“Enjoy it. It is going to be okay,” she said, repeating similar words of comfort that someone gave her while she was waiting for the adoption to come through.

“I was told that sometimes, people are going to say something bad. But no matter what, it is going to be okay.”

Rising food costs force Americans to tighten belts

THE power of the purse has diminished for the average American. Even everyday food bills are gnawing into their pockets.

“A slice of plain pizza cost US$1.75 (RM5.54) in my Brooklyn neighbourhood just several months ago. Now, we have to pay US$2.25 (RM7.12),” said C. Lee, a mother of two teenage boys who prefer the flat, round bread with lots of sausage toppings.

Described by The New York Times as a staple of the New York diet, the pizza is costing more now due to prices of commodities such as wheat, which has leapt almost 50% within a year.

Bagels, another New York favourite, are also digging a bigger hole into the wallets. Many of these pizzas and bagels are at least 30 cents more compared with just 12 months ago.

New York Post cried out “Holey moley – a buck a bagel” on Feb 28 when, according to the report, its price almost doubled from last year.

The famous H&H Bagels here, whose website declared that their product is enjoyed by celebrities such as Madonna, Barbara Streisand and Tom Hanks, is now US$1.20 (RM3.79).

According to H&H, the bagel which was introduced by Jewish immigrants to the United States, is made mostly of flour, a basic ingredient whose cost is hitting the roof.

“Snackflation!” screamed New York magazine in its March 31 issue. The report made a price survey and found that it takes a lot more currently to swallow the famous black-and-white cookies, cheeseburgers, fries and cheese cakes.

A recent World Bank report noted that wheat prices went up 181% within three years. Overall food costs surged by 83%.

World Bank president Robert Zoellick has found that the cost of wheat was now the highest in 28 years while the price of rice is at a record 19-year high.

Lee, who shops for groceries almost daily for her family of four, can rattle off a long list of staples that are pricier now.

“Dunkin' Donuts cost US$5 (RM15.82) for half a dozen. We used to be able to get them at US$3 (RM9.49),” she said. “Don't even get me started on the eggs.

“At one time, it went up to US$2 (RM6.33) a dozen although it has gone down to about US$1.69 (RM5.35) a few weeks ago. The other day, a supermarket here offered them at US$1.39 (RM4.40) and the shelves were cleared so fast that all that was left were some broken shells.”

Her predicament is similar to that of Japanese housewives, who, according to a news report, are keeping a lookout for discounts and cutting down on other expenses.

For the Lees, the option is to dine out less frequently. Fewer outings would also mean less fuel consumption for the family's Toyota RAV4. Petrol costs about US$3.63 (RM10.65) a gallon these days.

She knew of people who would drive to certain locations in nearby New Jersey where gas prices are cheaper. “But that is not really a good idea for me; don't forget that you would also have to pay toll to get there,” she said.

Their spending habit is a reflection of how Americans are cutting back on food and leisure. Three days ago, the Commerce Department reported that the US economy grew 0.6% in the first quarter of this year.

“Consumer spending fell for a broad range of goods and services, including cars, auto parts, furniture, food and recreation, reflecting a growing inclination toward thrift,” according to The New York Times on Thursday.

“Areas in which spending rose were predominantly those not considered optional purchases, including health care, housing and utilities.”

Nani Rahayu, a Malaysian who runs a part-time catering business from her home in Queens, New York City, really felt the pinch in the past few months.

“Previously, I would prepare food for the next two days for my husband and me. Occasionally, the leftovers would go to waste. Now, I would just cook what's necessary for the day only,” she said. Fortunately for the couple, they do not have a habit of eating out.

Basmati rice, she said, had skyrocketed in price. What used to be US$8 (RM25.37) per pound is now US$12 (RM38.05).

“It was worse for a friend of mine who went looking for rice at a large wholesaler that is known for its lower prices. He could not find any rice on sale there,” she said.

Inflation is hitting even the 99-cent discount shop that she patronises. “I need containers to pack the food which I cater for my customers. At that store, it costs US$1.29 (RM4.08) for two containers instead of 99 cents (RM3.13) for two,” she said.

Others just gave up on their daily routine. As pay cheques grow smaller, belt-tightening is the way to go although Americans have not resorted to banging pots and pans like women in Peru did on Wednesday to demand that the government act on rising food bills.

Biometrics making a mark on security of a nation

THE testimonies are aplenty, travel legends that cause many an anxious moment for the ordinary traveller.

“I was questioned inside a holding room for two hours,” a Malaysian visitor recounted his experience on arriving at a US airport.

Another weary traveller spoke of having his statements recorded “as though I was a criminal”.

Well, that’s Uncle Sam for you. The unfortunate ones are picked out for further questioning upon their stepping onto US soil.

Security is now even tighter at US airports following a plan to collect all 10 fingerprints of international visitors aged between 14 and 79 arriving at 10 selected points of entry.

Last month, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport became the 10th airport to adopt the technology since its introduction at Washington Dulles International Airport on Nov 29 last year.

The other airports are Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Orlando and San Francisco.

Personally, I have had no trouble on the three occasions I landed in New York in the past one year. (“That’s because you don’t have a Mohamed in your name,” a friend sniggered.)

Each time, immigration clearance took less than five minutes, and the officer always behaved like a gentleman. At JFK Airport last month, the guy even chatted amicably with me.

Likewise for Johan Farid Khairuddin, who came to New York City over the past six months for work related to the United Nations.

“I enjoyed it, as everything was fast for me. No hassle, nothing. I guess my Class I media visa gave me some push forward. Also, my letter of entry into the country came straight from the UN.”

The officers were cordial to him. “I got even better treatment when I dropped names like the UN. No kidding, man! They would ask me what I do. When I explained my work at Astro All Asia Networks, and that I am also a radio deejay, they smiled and joked with me.”

My editor Wong Sai Wan would beg to differ. He described his encounter at the Los Angeles airport in June last year as a shabby experience, despite him having a valid visa for journalists travelling to the United States.

He was sent off to a holding room after he told the immigration officer that he was bound for Vancouver the next day.

To them, he required a transit visa, never mind his explanation that he was in Los Angeles to meet with Malaysia Airlines officials.

Eventually, they issued him the transit visa but he ended up US$265 poorer for the fine they imposed on him.

To the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, security is the name of the game.

Explaining the move to collect digital fingerprints and photographs of non-citizen arrivals, US-VISIT director Robert Mocny said biometrics had revolutionised the DHS' ability to prevent dangerous people from entering the United States since 2004.

“Our upgrade to 10-fingerprint collection builds on our success, enabling us to focus on stopping potential security risks,” he said in a statement.

US-VISIT is a programme launched under the DHS to record the entry and exit details of travellers. The intention is to enhance security of US citizens and to facilitate legitimate travel.

Last year, the US Congress approved US$362mil to fund the programme.

The fingerprints are verified with DHS records of immigration violators, such as those who overstayed, and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) records of wanted people and terrorists.

“In addition, the fingerprints are checked against the FBI’s criminal master file,” the statement added.

According to the DHS, these biometric identifiers had helped to prevent the use of fraudulent documents, protect visitors from identity theft and stopped thousands of criminals and immigration violators from entering the United States.

Privacy of such biometric and biographic information from travellers are assured, the DHS said. “Personal information is kept secure and confidential, and appropriate security controls ensure that the data is not used or accessed improperly.”

By December this year, the 10-fingerprint requirement will be implemented at the remaining 278 points of entry by air, sea and land.

Keeping faith with the American voter

THERE is a mantra going around that the best way to know how Americans vote is to find out where they are on Sunday.

Regular churchgoers opted for George W. Bush in the 2004 general election, preferring him over John Kerry, who was not known to be comfortable talking abut his Catholic beliefs.

In 2000, Bush reportedly won over 56% of those Americans who attend religious services weekly, against 41% for Al Gore.

Over the past five decades, the Gallup Poll frequently surveyed Americans on the role of religion in their lives. Very often, at least 55% indicated that their faith was “very important” to them.

Women, Southerners, senior citizens, non-whites and lower income people were more inclined to say that religion was huge for them.

This week’s first official trip by Pope Benedict XVI to the United States has led to discussions about the Catholic vote; and how the Democratic presidential candidates are chasing it.

Hillary Clinton is popular among nuns, according to The New York Times, quoting her aides.

Both Clinton and her nemesis Barack Obama are battling hard for votes in the remaining eight states that have yet to hold their nominating contests.

In the critical Pennsylvania round this Tuesday, an estimated 36% of the voters are Catholics.

According to news reports, Obama have tried to connect to this group of people by speaking about his time attending a Catholic school during the four years he spent in Indonesia as a child.

Clinton, a Methodist, has been reported as saying that she had felt the presence of God in her life ever since she was a little girl. “And it has been a gift of grace that has been, for me, incredibly sustaining.”

Back in 1960, there had been concerns about John F. Kennedy being a Roman Catholic. But he was a young candidate who offered a different kind of fresh politics to voters, who were also assured that faith would not interfere with any state decisions.

Political analyst H. Wang found that in the United States, and especially in the current presidential campaign, religion had been raised as a topic in the same way that the economy, Iraq and education had been championed.

“Candidates are either promising to try to include religious ideas into the state or to exclude them further. But religion can never dictate American policies, unlike in Malaysia,” he said.

In every society, he added, religion was a tool of politics and vice versa.

“In Malaysia, religion is part of the state apparatus, with Islam being the official religion. The Government for the past 50 years has carried this out by developing Islamic interests, and building mosques and other institutions for Muslims,” he noted.

So, what role does religion play in secular America?

“Some people say the United States is the most religious nation in a secular set-up. With the state having no role in promoting religion, the state, too, has an obligation of not interfering in the private lives of its citizens,” Wang said.

“Thus, religion outside of the state flourishes. It plays an important role in America in determining political decisions. No where in the western world would the focus of an election include matters such as abortion.”

But how religious are Americans? USA Today reporting on a survey last year, noted that 60% of Americans could not even recall five of the Ten Commandments.

“Being religious does not mean being ritualistic or having a strong sense of religiosity,” Wang said. “It’s not about taking a quiz to determine a person’s faith.”

He explained that the changes in western society in the past 30 years included individuals trying to be more spiritual than ritualistic.

“At the same time, the tendency to equate religion with morality is prevalent in America,” he added.

In that sense, Americans would never vote for an atheist.

“As religion equals morality, atheism is seen as the end of morality, turning society into chaos,” Wang said.

“Americans, although firm believers in individual freedom and a free market, can accept protectionism or even a soft socialist as their president, but they will never accept an atheist.”

Jimmy Carter, for example, was left leaning but voters liked his strong Christian beliefs, he said.

Republican Mitt Romney failed in his bid for his party presidential nomination because Americans were mostly uneasy about his Mormon faith.

“He also did not succeed because he tried to pretend to be someone he isn’t, He tried to be more conservative than he actually is,” Wang pointed out.

Both Clinton and Obama have employed Catholic officials to speak on their behalf in their clamour to win over the faithful. A vast majority of the earlier arrivals among working class Hispanics are professed Catholics, too.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found in a recent survey that one in four Americans aged 18 to 29 declared they were not affiliated with any religion.

Be that as it may be, a person’s personal faith and religious views is a weighty factor in determining the choice of political candidacy in the United States.