The establishment of a Foreign Invested Company Limited by
Shares (also known as a "joint stock company") was designed to
accommodate investors seeking to issue shares to the public or
to list on the Shanghai, Shenzhen or foreign stock exchanges
(under Chinese foreign investment law nomenclature, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange qualifies as a "foreign" stock exchange).
Consequently, the establishment of FICLS is subject to stricter
conditions than the establishment of Equity Joint Ventures,
Cooperative Joint Ventures, and Wholly Foreign Owned
Enterprises – so far, applications for the establishment of
FICLS have been denied more often than not. Although an FICLS
may be set up directly, a Joint Venture is eligible to convert
to an FICLS after three profitable years if it meets the
conditions set forth below.

The Registered Capital of an FICLS must be no less than 5
million RMB (about US $ 625,000). There be at least 5
shareholders, and 25% foreign shareholding is required. Like
the Equity Joint Venture, profits and liquid net assets
must be distributed in proportion to shareholding.

Promoters

At least two promoters are required to form an FICLS, and more
than half of them must shelter in China. Further, a promoter's
shares in an FICLS are subject to a 3 year lock-up (they can not
be transferred within 3 years of the date of establishment of
the company). Share buy-backs are not permitted except under
limited circumstances. The promoters' share capital must be at
Least 35% of total share capital if shares are offered to the
public.

Shares

All shares may be paid for cash or property, in lump sum or
install payments. The initial installment payment must be
at least 20% of the total share capital, and promoters must pay
in full within 2 years after the date that the Business License
is issued. Stricter requirements may be set out in the Articles
of Association if so desired.

Corporate Governance

Management must be in proportion to shareholding. An FICLS must
appoint at least 3 members to a supervisory board, which is
responsible for supervising the performance and regulatory
compliance of directors and senior executives, and monitoring
the company's financial affairs. This requirement is more
strictly enforced than is the case with Joint Ventures and
Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises.

An FICLS must appoint between 5 and 19 directors. Board
meetings are required biannually with at least 10 days notice.
50% of the directors constitues a quorum. A special meeting
may be forced by one-third of the directors or supervisors, or
shareholders holding 10% or more of the share capital.
Significantly for minority shareholders, all board decisions
must be passed by major vote or (in the case of important
decisions such as termination, increase or decrease of
Registered Capital, etc.) by a two-thirds majority vote –
unanimous approval can not be required. Thus a 25% foreign
shareholder would have no veto power over any board decisions.

Mahjong is a board game that was originated in China but the exact date of origin of this game is unknown. The oldest records related to the game were found from Shanghai, China and this was in the 18th century. The game was introduced to the Western world in the 19th century and it is James Babcock who bought the game to United States. Babcock also wrote a book on Mahjong rules and strategies which are still considered as the best resource for a newcomer to learn the game. Interestingly, the original version of Mahjong is not played in China today but Chinese play a modified version of the original game.

Surprisingly, many people believe that Mahjong is a game that is completely associated with your luck and winning the game needs a lot of luck. One can not deny that your chances play a major role in Mahjong but with the right gaming strategies, you can improve your position and advance in the game even better. There are some simple game strategies such as;

Keep Your Tiles Together – This is pretty important when you're playing Mahjong because separating your tiles will give your opponents an idea on how close you are to win the game. If you can keep this information a secret, you have higher chances of obtaining the required pieces and finish your game faster.

Flower Tiles – It is not uncommon in Mahjong that players hand over flower tiles assuming that these tiles are of no use. Well, it may be true that these ties are useless for you but there will be some players in the line who badly need a flower tile to arrange his / her set. By not giving away your flower tile, you are probably blocking someone else's chance to win the game, a good strategy to keep in mind.

Maintain Your Piece Count – It is very important to maintain the count of your pieces because at a later stage there are chances that your opponent to open a debit about your card count. Opponents can accuse you of having lower number of cards or the opposite way. To enter such an argument quick, maintaining a count on your pieces is very important.

Psychology also plays a major role in determining your destiny in Mahjong. There are many instances where a player can figure out which piece their opponents are looking for. This is usually assumed from inspecting the pieces that he picked up in the previous turns. If you get an idea on which piece your opponent is looking for, a good thought is not to give them from your hand so that your opponent's chance of pairing all the pieces and winning the game will be delayed further. You can leave that particular piece only if you have to or when you have made your position secure. Mahjong is probably the only gambling game where talent also plays a major role and this is why thousands of people enjoy this game even today.

Do you want to study in Canada? The country has the second highest expenditure on education out of all the G-8 countries.

The country offers chances to students to pursue postsecondary education in the best way possible with an equal emphasis on practical and theoretical education.

The best way to study in Canada is to be a part of its world-class universities. The employment rates are also quite high in Canada with almost 90 percent of students who get the education here able to secure employment within, a duration of 6 months.

The Canadian education also has high points in the point structure of this country for permanent residence. In case, you have Canadian education, you don’t require any ECA (Educational credential assessment) to be eligible for the Canadian Express Entry.

The various programs of this university have been recognized by different rankings such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities.

The duration of courses in Canada is also quite different, certifications for a year, diploma for the duration of a year or two, a bachelor degree which is given after 4 years of studies and a master study in Canada which is of a duration of one or two years.

Canada also has special privileges for its students which allow them to travel safely in this country even after dark making use of the public transport facilities available under the “walk safe” programs.

To study in Canada, there is some variation in the tuition fees. A student should be prepared to pay the education fees of 12,000 to 40,000 Canadian dollars per year for an undergraduate course. However, an administration fee of 100 Canadian dollars is required to be paid at the institution. To get a study permit, a fee of 150 Canadian dollars is required as processing fees.The accommodation costs for students also vary depending on whether to choose to rent an apartment or a room. The renting costs for the latter are quite low at 600 Canadian dollars while those for the former are at 1800 Canadian dollars in a month.

There is also a lot of assistance provided to students who choose Canada as their study destination. Under this assistance, the various support programs which are run for students are orientation sessions, advice on academic programs, rooms for prayer, assistance for any medical issues and housing. There are also student clubs which a student can be a part of to mingle much with Canadian students. If students choose to work while studying in Canada then they can use such experience for employment after pursuing studies in this country.

Based on how simple the rules are, you would assume that mahjong solitaire would be an easy game to play. Just remove matching tiles, as long as the matching tiles aren’t blocked by any another tiles.

Of course, it’s not that simple. If you’ve just started playing mahjong solitaire you will have quickly found that if you just remove the first matching pairs you see, it won’t take long before there are no more tiles you can remove.

This is because if you don’t remove the right tiles, then tiles will get stuck.

For example, if you have 2 ‘A’ tiles on top of each other, then you have to be very careful about how you remove the other ‘A’ tiles. If you remove the other tiles together, then the 2 on top of each other will be left at the end of the game. You won’t be able to select the lower tile, and you wont be able to finish the game.

There are many advanced ways of analyzing the layout, making sure that this doesn’t happen. But when you are starting out, you don’t want to spend hours analyzing before you make your moves, you just want to get going!

Well, I have 2 strategies for you, that will help you finish some mahjong solitaire games. They won’t make you an expert, but if you are struggling to finish a game, they should definitely help.

The first thing, is to watch for 4 of a tile being playable at once. If you see this, you should remove the 4 tiles immediately.

Why?

Because you know that there are no more of those tiles in the layout. So removing them can’t leave other tiles unplayable. *You can guarantee that this move will be correct, and won’t block the game.*

Another strategy is relevant when 3 of a tile are visible.

If 3 tiles are visible, and one tile is not blocking any other tiles, remove the 2 non-blocking tiles.

This is best illustrated with an example.

Suppose part of the mahjong layout is like this…

AXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXA

AX

Should you remove the A’s, and if so, which ones?

Yes you should. You should remove the A’s from the top line.

You shouldn’t remove the A from the ‘AX’ line, because that A is not blocking any other tiles. You will get more tiles unblocked by removing the A’s from the top line. Also, there is no way the bottom A can be blocking another A. It is possible though, that the top A’s could be blocking the final A.

The above strategies won’t allow you to win every game of mahjong solitaire, but they should help. If you have a game that allows hints, try using that. This will allow you to focus on strategy, rather than finding matches.

The paler the skin, the higher the class

Pale skin has had an exciting evolution. Greek and Roman women used to do anything possible to whiten their face skin; the whiter their face skin was, the more beautiful they were considered. Sun tanning was out of the question. By using lead paints and chalks women put themselves in great danger because ancient beauty treatment could cause death by slow poisoning. It was only too late when this was discovered.

The obsesssion with white, "porcelain" – like skin evolved beyond cosmetic reasons, becoming more related to social classes. Skin color became that visible definer separating working classes from the ruling classes. A tanned skin exposed a life of outdoor labor; those wishing to be accepted in high-life had to conform to this requirement: white, not tanned skin. The paler one's skin, the higher the class. To achieve this, men and women had no limits; any method, safe or not, was used, as being pale was extremely important.

Asia: white skin is considered a symbol of femininity

The tanning obsession and later, the sunless tanning craze took over the world. Still, there are white "spots" on the worldwide tanning roadmap. Asian people are not so excited with golden skin. And this has a lot to do with their millenary culture, somehow related to these trends.

What do Asian females have and others do not? There are a few differences to take into account. Teams of scientists and dermatologists who have studied eight Asian cities (Sendai, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Guangzhou, Shanghai and Harbin, China; to reveal:

1. Hyperpigmentation (dark spots) has an earlier onset than wrinkles and laxity (loss of firmness) on Asian skin (compared to Caucasians).

2. The Japanese have the lightest skin tone; thus, Japanese women have low melanin and skin redness. The Indians have the dark skin tone, and there is high melanin content and skin redness.

3. Asian skin has a better behavior during cooler months; Because of reduced sun exposure, Asian women's skin has better biomechanical properties such as elasticity and structures (collagen).

4. Skin becomes yellowish with age and this is more visible in Chinese and Korean skin than other racial groups.

5. Japanese skin has the best condition (least deterioration with age), while Indian skin has the worst.

In fact, there are more differences across populations depending on regions, age, geographic location, climate, skincare habits.

White, whiter, the whitest – this may be lethal.

In Asian countries, pale skin has had the same significance for centuries: sophistication, innocence, femininity and high social standard. That is why Asian women have always been looking for skin care products to whiten their skin. They used to prepare "skin whiteners", by grinding pearl from seashells into powder and swallowing it. Today's cosmetics are safer and more reasonable. New skin whitening products appear every year, posing less dangers to women's health or life.

Still, these whitening lotions, serums, correctors and essences may involve risks worth taking into account. According to Asian dermatologists, the danger comes from mercury. If safety allowance limits are exceeded, mercury (the best known whitening agent) may cause death. Unfortunately, some products include high doses of mercury, which are damaging to the central nervous system and the kidneys, and especially to the development of the brain in a foetus or a child.

So, pale skin is not the happiest choice for an Asian woman, after all. Neither is dark skin. So, what should they do? Using proper skincare products and sunscreeen (if exposed to real sun or indoor session) is the best choice for life, not only for Asian women but also for anyone who cares about skin and health.

Gambling became popular in China in the last phase of the imperial dynasty i.e. from 1644 to 1912. Canton, Macao, Shanghai and Hong Kong became the famous for their liquor and gambling. These areas inhabited foreigners, usually Americans, who were known to be rough. Moreover, majority of these inhabitants were males. Chinese natives indulged in gambling along with the foreigners.

Famous gambling games in China include Mah Jongg and Pai Gow.

Pia Gow consists of a bank having one woodpile. The banking duties are entrusted to one of the players. Other players are given four tiles of the woodpile, which they have to group in pairs of two such that the player’s pair should have a greater value than the bank. If the player succeeds then he wins the bet. A lot of money can exchange hands over this game.

Mah Jongg, meaning ‘sparrow’ is an ancient game which was developed primarily for the rich class of China. The game is said to have been invented by a fisherman to prevent sea sickness. It is said that the fisherman invented this game to distract the other fishermen from the surroundings, so that they do not feel sea sick in the middle of the sea. Later, a Chinese general heard of the game and engaged his soldiers in it at night to prevent them from falling asleep. The game underwent a lot of variations and every region called it with a different name. Finally, the game was standardized in early 1990s. the game consists of 136 to 144 tiles depending on the whether the players choose to play with flowers or seasons. The play resembles rummy except for the fact that the game is played with tiles. The game also uses a pair of dice and chips to keep the score. It requires four players, the aim of each being to obtain a set of tiles. The set types that are permitted are “kong”, “pung” and “chow”. A complete hand contains four sets and a pair of similar tiles. The fist one to have this combination of fourteen tiles wins.

Another game is Sci Bo, meaning ‘two dice’. This game is a betting game with players betting on the total of their dice. It is played with three dice. The bets include small bets that is the total may fall; between the range of four to ten, or big bets i.e. the total may fall between eleven to seventeen. The players shake the dice in a cup and keep the cup upside down with the dice hidden in the cup. Wagers are then made on the outcome. The player guessing the total can earn hugs sums. It is rumored that skilful players can predict the total by hearing the clanking of dice in the cup. In casinos the entire game is mechanized. Bets are placed on the number marked on the table. The dice are then shaken using a vibrating platform. The results are displayed on a screen. Other famous gambling games include Keno and Pachinko.

Despite the popularity of these gambling games, not all Chinese states are ready to legalize it. While Macao has legalized gambling, Shanghai carries it on illegally. In Hong Kong, only horse raising is legalized and The Hong Kong Jockey Club earns huge revenue.

Cochin chickens were originally from Shanghai. They appeared in America sometime around the late 1840s. At the time they were only represented by four colors; mainly buff, partridge, white, and black. Now you can find them in nine different colors and patterns. Some note them by their so-called feather-pants that they are famous for. No, they don’t truly wear pants but instead have feathers that extend completely down their legs unlike some other breeds that have bear legs and feet. This gives them the appearance of having feather-pants on. The breed is known to attain a stature of eight and a half pounds to eleven pounds. Using words to describe the color specifications of the breed cannot truly do justice to their beautiful plumage and the way they carry it.

They are fantastic layers; with eggs normally medium to large in size, when they attain their maturity. As with all egg layers they will start out as young layers by laying eggs that can range from the size of a robin’s egg to smaller than the traditional small egg. But once they are adults they will produce the medium to large eggs that they’re known for. Due to their build they are also fantastic for use as a meat chicken. They have a generous breasty build and the males-which are the ones most often harvested for meat-can go to eleven pounds and up. Their meat is a nice white meat that makes it perfect for whole roasters or harvesting separately.

When choosing the perfect chicken for your backyard chicken coop, temperament should definitely be a consideration when choosing any breed. Cochin chickens have a fantastically pleasant disposition and are noted for being very friendly. But as with any breed, how they are handled from chicks to adulthood and their environment or coop size will determine their adult temperament. They are proven to be excellent mothers. Their breed is noted for being broody; which is a characteristic of a chicken that longs for motherhood. Most are simply great mothers who are determined to be a mom and not share their eggs with their human handlers; but some can be fiercely determined to become a mom. How they handle the drive to be a mom, in most cases, will be determined by how you raise them. As with any other animal-friend, teaching them what is okay behavior and what is not, kindly, can be a determining factor to their motherly-temperament.

But for the most part they are incredibly easy keepers that live to forage and graze in their protected pastures. They love eating any and all bugs in their path. This makes them excellent for sharing a pasture with other animals as they will help to keep unwanted bugs-ticks, flies, etc-down. They also love to eat the grass and seeds found in a pasture, which adds more savings on the cost of feeding. Adding a small amount of grain and plenty of fresh water will top off their nutritional needs. Unless of course you’re one of those who likes to woo them with treats and then you could try some pieces of bread or popcorn. They’ll love you for those tiny treat tidbits.

So when considering what breed will work best for you in your new backyard coop, check out the Cochin chicken. Make sure that you look into all nine of their fantastic colors so you will see what a feast for the eye they are.

Something for our shooting “enthusiasts” –

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

Background:

“Prior to my association with the armed forces of Great Britain and the United States I served as Assistant Commissioner in Command of the Riot Squads of the Shanghai Municipal Police Command from 1925 to 1940. During this period, our force handled over 2000 riot calls of all types and descriptions, including shooting affrays, many of which were against armed robbers and kndnappers. In addition, the squads were responsible for the investigation and tracking down of vice-rings and narcotics smugglers.”……….

“…….The art of close contact fighting includes fighting with and without knives; firing of a pistol under every conceivable condition and at every possible position likely to be met in actual combat during day or night……….”

MYSTERY RANGES-

“In order to create simulated combat conditions for training purposes, I planned and supervised the erection of indoor mystery ranges at Areas B-2, A-3, E and F. These ranges were originally developed by me in connection with police work in China and were first used in military training in the courses given to the British Commandos and the British Army. In the mystery ranges a simulation was affected of actual battle noises, conditions under which shooting affrays occur, especially in house to house combat. The training included methods of entering closed and locked doors, methods of bursting open such doors, methods of using trap doors, methods of roof top figthing and firing on moving and possibly concealed targets. Under varying degrees of light, darkness, and shadows, plus the introduction of sound effects, moving objects, and various alarming surprises, an opportunity is afforded to test the moral fibre of the student and to develop his courage and capacity for self control.”

“The course consists of practical war methods of shooting with the one-hand gun, in which any man of average intelligence can be taught to draw, load fire and hit his opponent within a second.”

“This is not a new fangled idea, but a proven method which has been in use in the far-east since 1919, against some of the most dsperate criminals in the world – men who were, (in most cases), known killers, who preferred always to shoot it out, rather than being captured and finishing up in front of a firing squad, etc…..”

“All affrays were on the run – up and down stairways, over roofs, down cobbled alleyways, or in very crowded streets. Ninety percent of the shooting was in the dark and the majority of hits were within four yards. Some of the police were killed by being shot in the back at a matter of inches distance only.”

“Students should be informed that the average shoting with the one-hand gun is over, so far as they will be concerned, in a very few seconds. There will no time to reload. If there first shot takes longer than a third of a second to fire, they will not be the one to tell the newspaper about it. It is literally a matter of the quick and the dead – so they can take their choice.”

Pretty comprehensive sounding to me.

Instead of attempting to define and/or qualify Fairbairn’s thoughts and methodology ad nauseam, it’s best to let him tell it!

Again, the above quotes sum it all up.

Copyright 2003 thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©

The Sentry Group started off in 1930 as a small shop set up by John Brush and William Punnet. In 1943, John Brush purchased his partners' interest, and became the sole owner of the company. In 1955, it was named John Brush & Co. by his son, John Brush Jr., who took over the company then. In 1968, the company moved into a new plant at Rochester, New York. In 1987, it took the name 'Sentry Group', so as to identify itself better with the 'Sentry Safes' that it manufactured.

Currently, the Sentry Group manufactures file cabinets, fire-proof safes, chests, containers for secure storage, gun-safes and even enclosures for hard-drives of computers that will render them resistant to crashing, fire, water and theft in collaboration with Maxtor , a hard-disk manufacturing company. The company has a manufacturing plant in Shanghai, China as well. Sales offices of the Sentry Group are located in Canada, Japan and the UK as well.

The company in collaboration with national independent testing firm, ETL Semko, is known for the rigorous tests it puts each manufactured safe through in order to ensure complete safety and conformation to standards and norms. Detailed fire-resistance and water-resistance tests that last more than an hour each prove that SentrySafes are really as effective as they are said to be. The safes are also tested in rock-pits, where they are dropped from a height of 30 feet. The safes are designed to withstand physical shocks, even after being exposed to extremely high temperatures that could have arisen during fire accidents. Waterproof safes from the Sentry Group keep their contents dry even after being completely submerged in 6 inches of water for more than an hour.

The Sentry Group has won several awards for its unique product design and retail service. It has also won the "Vendor of the Year" award from Lowe's, Walmart and OfficeMax in 1999, 2001 and 2002 respectively.

China’s Basic Standard for Enterprise Internal Control (“C-SOX”) comes into effect soon and many companies are therefore starting to implement this regulation. While the prospect of adopting new corporate governance and risk management standard may seem daunting, there are some simple steps that companies can take to get a head start on the project. Companies that start implementing C-SOX early will gain competitive advantage and save significant money and resources over the long run. The keys to a successful implementation are to enlist the support of the entire organization, and to set out a reasonable strategy and timeframe for the project.

To get the most from a C-SOX project, it is critical to understand that compliance is a continual process, not a one-time initiative. This article will show how you can get started with the C-SOX process to ensure success.

The Basic Standard for Enterprise Internal Control was announced in 2008 and is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance, China Securities Regulatory Commission, the National Audit Office, China Banking Regulatory Commission and China Insurance Regulatory Commission. The purpose of the new regulation is to increase the effectiveness of internal controls in listed Chinese companies, thus reducing risks for companies and their stakeholders.

The new rule requires companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen exchanges to conduct self-evaluations of their internal controls, publish an evaluation report on an annual basis and hire qualified agencies to audit the effectiveness of their internal controls. The Basic Standard will apply to over 900 companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and about 800 companies listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

The backbone of Basic Standard for Enterprise Internal Control is the COSO risk framework, which establishes a broad definition of internal control extending to all parts of an organization. It lists five key control elements:

1. Internal environment – the foundation for all other components of internal control

2. Risk assessment – identification and analysis of risks to the achievement of company objectives

3. Control activities – the policies and procedures that help ensure that directives are executed

4. Information and communication tools – systems to store and exchange information in support of business objectives

5. Internal monitoring – process of assessing the quality of internal controls

The purpose of assessing the internal controls and corporate governance is to obtain sufficient knowledge of the control environment to understand the management’s attitudes, awareness and actions concerning the factors of the control environment.

The Basic Standard for Enterprise Internal Control requires that listed companies:

o Include the five control elements when establishing and implementing effective internal control

o Establish and implement internal control policies

o Establish a suitable business management information technology system with embedded controls

o Set clear policies on the rewards and disciplines related to the proper implementation of internal control. Effectiveness of internal control implementation should be treated as a key element of performance appraisals for department and staff levels

o Perform self-assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control on a periodic basis and issue control self-assessment reports

Implementing C-SOX is a change management initiative that can have a significant positive impact on the company. However, in order to do so, companies must take certain steps and make sure they have a clear strategy.

Starting the C-SOX compliance process does not have to be difficult. A high level of visibility and support from the executive team will provide the urgency needed to quick start rolling out training programs and gathering internal resources. Putting these foundations in place early removes time pressure from the compliance project and will give the company a strong basis in risk management and internal controls going forward. In particular, making the effort to develop a culture of risk awareness will pay off through better existing processes, reduction of errors, and increased employee engagement. Companies that begin now will see improving margins, increases in efficiency and growing market respect.

The Basic Standard for Enterprise Internal Control is still evolving and final implementation guidelines are not yet available. However, companies should take advantage of this time to seek the benefits to improved risk management and internal control systems.