The News and My Views

Don't Worry:(Be Happy:)!

2009-12-25T00:52:00.000-08:00

*When Bobby McFerrin first sang his classic song,"Don't Worry,Be Happy,"I felt as if he were singing my thoughts to the world.I have struggled a lot in early age of life.I have a very dark side,a side that has struggled a lot with depression.I spent most of my professional career studying,learning,struggling,and writing about happiness and related topics.Still,i m struggling to create own identity in life.I believe,If you stop struggling,then you stop life.I've always known that,despite resistance and objections from the more serious segment of society,people have an innate capacity for happiness.And when we are happy,we not only enjoy our lives more than when we are not,but we are far more competent,productive,and creative.Without the internal distractions of anger,depression,frustration,and especially worry,our relationships flourish,stress is diminished,new doors are opened, and our lives run smoothly.I began to look carefully at the people I respected and admired,people who had "made it"in their given fields except politics.I looked at writers,athletes,media person,businessmen and women,entertainers,speakers,therapists, entrepreneurs,corporate executives,and other professionals.And what I learned amazed me!While there were certainly all types of people—women,men,conservative,liberal, left-brained,right-brained,street smart,Harvard educated,and so on—who had made it really big,there was a thread of consistency that ran through virtually everyone:They didn't worry about money!:) Interestingly enough,the lack of worry preceded the success,and was not a by-product of it.An inner,unshakable confidence permeated their entire existence.They were creative problem solvers,great negotiators, and clever creators.They had an ability to see the big picture,they knew the formulas for success.And the best part of it all was that,in almost all cases,it appeared that the nonworriers,the successful people I was studying,truly loved their lives and the way they spent their time.They had fun!:) So much in my life began to change,especially the way I related to people.Failure didn't concern me as much,criticism was handled in stride,rejection seemed like information to guide me in a new direction instead of something to immobilize me, hurdles seemed less like obstacles and more like opportunities,and everything,all of it,seemed like more fun.I had more energy,worked a lot smarter,surrounded myself with good people,caring parents and terrific teachers,and watched my creativity and confidence soar.I tried things I never would have dreamed of attempting.Not everything turned to gold,but some of it did.And that which didn't,always turned out to be a great learning experience at early phase of life.In The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success,Deepak Chopra discusses this "law of giving." He describes giving and receiving as two sides of the same coin. The more you give,the more you get back.He's right!But you don't give because you want something. You give because giving is its own reward.It's fun.As you learn to worry less, you'll also learn to trust your heart as much or more than your head.While you will be doing better in different aspects of your life,you'll also be doing more for other people.You'll be far less preoccupied with success;yet ironically,you'll become more successful,much more.You'll trust that everything will be okay.And it will. Mother Teresa reminds us,"We cannot do great things on this earth.We can only do small things with great love."I have certainly found this to be true.However,I have also discovered,as have thousands of others,that as we worry less we are more willing to do those small things with great love.Rather than postponing the giving of our time,energy,ideas,or money,we learn to give freely,from the heart. I cannot adequately put into words how good life can be when worry is diminished.For me,abandoning worry has opened a world of possibilities for both my inner and outer worlds.Life without worry has opened new doors and created freedom thatuntil a few years ago,I never thought were possible.So,"don't worry;Be Happy"—I know this can happen for you,too.I personally strongly believe that everything happens for a good reason as it is in some way helping you to achieve what you are trying to do in life. Remember"It is not work that kills men,it is worry.Work is healthy;you can hardly put more on a man than he can bear.But worry is rust upon the blade.It is not movement that destroys the machinery,but friction.":)Finally,i wanna say It’s okay if you disagree with my points as this world would be a boring place if everyone thought the exact same.:)

"HT Leadership Summit":Bush expresses 'deepest condolences' for 9/11 and 26/11 victims.

2009-10-31T01:40:00.000-07:00

*Former US president George W. Bush Saturday expressed his "deepest condolences" to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and their families.Addressing the HT Leadership Summit here, he noted that the anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks was round the corner.Like 9/11 in America, 26/11 served as a "moment of clarity" in India, he said.Pointing out that both the US and India had held democratic elections this year, he congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress on their electoral victory.He favoured a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seat for India, saying on Saturday that India has "arrived" as a strong democratic country in the world.He also wanted India and the US to work together to win the war on terror in Afghanistan to bring peace and stability in the region."We must see the possibility of a seat for India in the United Nations Security Council," Bush said, speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi.
Life has changed,but not my respect for India:Turning on the charm offensive, former US president George W. Bush said here Friday that he had been looking forward to coming to India and "saying namaste"."I am an old retired guy, so I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you," Bush said in his opening remarks at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.Amid much laughter from the audience, he said about his days since retiring as US president: "I suggested Laura take up cooking, she suggested I take up washing dishes."
He said he was using his free time to write a book. "I am giving a fair number of speeches and incredibly I get paid for it.""Life has changed but some things haven't changed... like my respect for India," Bush added.Referring to the commonalities between the people of the two giant democracies, the US and India, he said: "Our nations are united by our interests, our values... We share a great appreciation for your robust and free press.""I really, really like your prime minister," Bush said about Manmohan Singh.
Obama election'was uplifting moment':Barack Obama's election as president of the US was an "uplifting moment", his predecessor and Republican rival George W. Bush said here Saturday.The election of Obama, a Democrat and the US' first African American president, "was an uplifting moment for our democracy... not my first choice, but I wish him every success", Bush said amid laughter at the HT Leadership Summit here.

MBA employment outlook:Not as bad as expected..!

2009-10-25T02:36:00.000-07:00

*The global financial crisis has hit the international managerial job market hard, yet MBAs seem to be fairing better than unqualified managers in general.
European Union unemployment has risen by 1.2% to 7.9% in April 2009, compared to 6.7% a year ago (US unemployment has risen by 3.3% in the same period).MBAs have not been insulated from this crisis, but early career service feedback suggests the percentage finding employment within three months of graduation will not be significantly different from a year ago.
An opportunity for Indian MBA graduates may be smaller companies in Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada, where the visa environment remains favourable. A benefit of the MBA qualification is that each school has a large alumni network, often working in high growth small and medium sized enterprises, and when the job market in one sector falters, many of these alumni come back to the school seeking to hire young talent whom they otherwise might not be able to attract. The USA has reduced the availability of visas, making it difficult for Indian MBAs to remain working in the country after their graduation. By contrast, these other countries have favourable working visa envornments for new Indian MBA graduates – a big benefit to smaller companies looking to hire MBAs.
Another reason MBAs are faring relatively well, despite the recession, is the continued hiring into the consulting industry, which traditionally recruits about 30% of MBA graduates. Strategy firms like AT Kearney are looking for experienced MBAs to staff a growing number of assignments looking at ‘efficiency-savings’ and ‘strategic reviews’ throughout Europe. Financial services firms traditionally hire 30-35% of international MBAs. In 2009, it is expected that the proportion will be closer to 25%, which is not bad considering over 325,000 people worldwide have been laid off in this sector in the last twelve months. Stephanie Ahrens, MBA Recruiter at Morgan Stanley explains “those of us that have seen downturns in the economy in the past know that a recruitment freeze is not the answer. MBAs are much desired in our business for building a pipeline of future leaders and innovators. We are committed to hiring MBAs in 2009 and beyond, despite current challenging market conditions.”
Sarah Crawford,Head of European MBA Recruiting at Goldman Sachs confirms that “Goldman Sachs is running an active intern and full-time MBA hiring program this year. MBAs offer a unique set of general management, leadership and communication skills.” Crawford adds “We have recently interviewed Russian, Turkish, Arabic,Danish,Dutch,German,Portuguese and Spanish speakers for our Summer MBA intern program.” To some extent the crisis is stimulating MBA demand in financial services. Fennah at Cranfield points to a big uplift in contracting opportunities for experienced MBAs, especially in finance and insurance. “Many companies have cut back too sharply and they need experienced contractors to complete projects, or fill specialist roles vacated by people who have been retired early.”
Strong domestic growth rates and renewed investor confidence since the victory of the Congress Party, is stimulating local employer demand for Indian MBAs. TopMBA.com continues to see a growing number of Indian companies recruiting MBAs, especially amongst multinational companies operating in India. Professor Prem Chandrani of S.P.Jain Institute in Mumbai confirms that local demand for Indian MBAs is strong at present. Michael Joseph of Olam International recruits many Indian MBAs because their “complete business understanding is a necessity.”
Mr. Sunil Bellara, Director of Capgemini India maintains that MBA's have always proved to be assets to the organization they join: “Today it is not just the MNC's but also the Indian pure play companies across all industries that invest in hiring MBA's. Professional management is not just a topic of seminar and panel discussions: it has become a reality in the workplace. The current slowdown may have impacted average salaries on account of skewed offers from US being less, but in real terms now is the time when industry needs these graduates the most."In addition, many MBAs – typically 5-10% - also start their own business and a recession is often a good time to plan and initiate such a project, with the domestic Indian market an attractive proposition for many budding entrepreneurs.
The message from all business school career directors is that this year MBAs have to be prepared for an intensive job search, complimented by career flexibility. But as long as global trade remains open, demand for international MBAs will remain resilient.Finally,Now We can hope for best but do prepare for worst.:)

Kareena kapoor and Saif come together in KJ's movie "Qurbaan"..!..!

2009-09-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

*Kareena kapoor and beau Saif Ali Khan will come together after Tashan once again in forthcoming flick Qurbaan.Marking Rensil D Silva’s directorial debut,the film revolves around the tragic episode of 9/11 in New York and how the lives of people around the incident changed.Answering questions on whether there were similarities between Qurbaan and recently released film New York,starring John Abraham,Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh,the director replied,I saw “New York”.The two films are similar but I did not re-shoot my film. The two films have a different interpretation of the theme (of terrorism).While “New York” is about the aftermath of 9/11,the characters in“Qurbaan”have moved on. According to me,9/11 is no more the clinching point of global terrorism.Look at what is happening to Pakistan vis-à-vis the Taliban.Global terrorism has gone much beyond 9/11. “Qurbaan” is more about the impact of extremism.The twin towers of the World Trade Centre were attacked in 2001.Today, the reality of terrorism has changed.“Qurbaan” will reflect that reality.

The movie is being produced by Karan Johar and the producer who has been getting bolder and bolder with every successive film, has introduced a love-making scene between the real-life and reel-life couple in the film. Kareena and Saif, who play a married couple, are shown in an intimate love-making scene in the film, which the director insists is critical to the story plot. He is, however, aware of audience perceptions and is afraid that the love-making scene will over shadow the strong message that the film Is intended to deliver.He says,The love-making sequence, though absolutely essential to the film is explicit and honest enough to become a focal point of interest for the audience. There’s enough sexual repression in our country. A section of the audience might decide to see the film only to see the real-life couple making love on screen. It would be tragic.

Responding to questions on how difficult it was to have the scene shot among the rest of the crew, he defensively answered,The set had been cleared of the entire crew except the director and cameraman.“It was not an easy sequence to shoot.Kareena and Saif were thorough professionals and were able to do the difficult scene so smoothly because of their comfort level.It was an aesthetic experience. And I hope the audience treats it that way.

Kareena kapoor has reportedly requested the director to delete the love-making sequence as she is conscious about her image with the release of the scene and the film.The director,however,maintains that the sequence is integral to the development of the plot of the film.Now,we’ve to wait n watch…lol!

Ajay Devgn&Groups wish 'All the best' to Indian Team for CT.

2009-09-22T06:53:00.001-07:00

*The multi starrer film,All the Best is making a lot of news these days.Here’s another piece of news for you…Apparently, the star-cast of Ajay Devgan’s All the Best came together for a special music video wishing all the luck to the Indian Cricket Team for the forthcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa beginning this week. The star cast of Ajay Devgn's ALL THE BEST has come together in a special video wishing the Indian cricket team all the best for the forthcoming Champions Trophy.

It all happened when the ESPN sports channel approached director Rohit Shetty for the music video. Ajay Devgan, an ardent cricket fan was all game and shot the video last week along with co-stars Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Fardeen Khan and Mugdha Godse.

Rohit Shetty says, "We shot the video in Filmistan.It's a special promo on cricket with the stars wearing masks of different cricketers and cheering the cricketers. The song is meant to wish the Indian cricketers before every game. It's an association between the channel and the All the Best team. They wanted to me to direct the promo for the Championship Trophy."Rohit adds,"The cast wishes the cricket team and says'Yeh Diwali Hogi Cupwali' and then they start dancing to the title track."Speaking about the video, set against the background of a cricket stadium, it is choreographed by Seemaa Desai while Pritam has given the music.

The video is currently on ESPN and news channels, where all the dancers are seen wearing the Indian cricket team's outfits.

*‘All The Best' finishes in record time:- Producer Ajay Devgan and director Rohit Shetty have finished the shoot of the film ‘All The Best - Fun Begins’ in record time.The film is all set for a Diwali release. The cast and crew, who have shot in various locales in Mumbai and Goa,just wrapped up their last schedule in Hyderabad. The tentative date of the release is October16, 2009. The shooting of this mega-budget film started on May 7and just finished in mid-July.

Global recession ending:-OECD

2009-09-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

*The global recession is coming to an end faster than thought a few months ago and may already be over, but recovery will rely on massive government spending and low interest rates for some time,the OECD said on Thursday.The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development issued forecasts showing a broad return to economic expansion in the third quarter of 2009.It also said that while authorities needed to map out a strategy for withdrawal of fiscal and monetary stimulus once recovery was surer,now was no time to economies off life support.

The recovery might prove a little stronger than previously predicted, OECD chief economist Jorgen Elmeskov told Reuters in an interview where he elaborated on the forecasts for several key economies."Compared with expectations a few months ago, we now have a recovery which ... may be coming a little earlier and it may be slightly stronger because financial conditions have improved more rapidly than we assumed a few months ago," Elmeskov said.

The OECD forecasts show a third-quarter return to annualized quarter-on-quarter growth in the United States of 1.6 percent,1.1 percent in Japan,and 0.3 percent in the 16-country euro zone, led by its two largest economies,Germany and France.

The pickup that started with a "quite dramatic turnaround" in China,India and other Asian emerging market economies in the second quarter remained heavily dependent on government stimulus and ultra-low interest rates across the world, Elmeskov said.

TURNING POINT FOR G7:-While it predicted continued third-quarter contractions in Britain and Italy,and a rise followed by a fourth-quarter dip for Japan,the OECD said the broad picture for the G7 group of industrialized powers was better.

The forecasts, including information up to Sept 2, show the euro area turning positive in both of the last two quarters of 2009 after five straight quarters of contraction.Indeed,a monthly business survey on Thursday showed an index measuring activity in the euro zone manufacturing and services sectors combined now edging into expansion territory in August.

The OECD now expects 2 percent annualized growth in the euro zone in the fourth quarter, compared with its June prediction for a 0.5 percent contraction.On Thursday, the European Central Bank raised its staff projections for euro zone GDP this year and next, predicting growth in 2010 of between -0.5 percent and +0.9 percent.

The previous OECD growth forecasts for the United States had been zero and 0.5 percent for the third and fourth quarters -- now upped to 1.6 percent and 2.4 percent respectively.The OECD forecasts came on the eve of a meeting of finance ministers from the G20 group of developed and developing economies,at which they are likely to agree it is too soon to begin withdrawing stimulus measures.

The global jobs crisis..!

2009-09-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

*New reports on unemployment,poverty and hunger released this week demonstrate that the global economic crisis is being used to effect a basic restructuring of social relations characterized by long-term high unemployment and the impoverishment of the working class.

An Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study released Wednesday reports that by the end of 2010,10 million jobs will

likely be lost among member states,bringing to 25 million the number of jobs eliminated in the thirty-member group of industrialized nations since the economic crisis began at the end of 2007.The OECD unemployment rate climbed to 8.3 percent in June, the highest on record dating back to World War II,and a sharp increase from the close of 2007,when unemployment stood at 5.6 percent.

Among member states, Spain has the highest unemployment rate,at 18.1 percent, and is joined by two other countries hard hit by the housing bust—Ireland and the US—with the sharpest increases in unemployment this year. Since the beginning of 2007,unemployment rates in Spain,Ireland and the US have increased by 9.7 percent,7.8 percent and 4.5 percent,respectively.

Official unemployment in the US stands at 9.7 percent and will surpass 10 percent next year, the OECD predicts.Unemployment levels in Germany,France,Italy and Canada are expected to

rise rapidly by the end of next year,reaching 11.8 percent,11.3 percent,10.5 percent and around 10 percent, respectively.

The OECD report singles out high unemployment among youth as a particularly dire problem.For 15-24 year-old workers,the OECD predicts that unemployment in Spain will rise to nearly 40 percent next year, in Italy and France to about 25 percent,in Turkey to 23 percent, and in the UK and US to around 18 percent.

The trend toward impoverishment among young workers is substantiated by a report in Friday’s USA Today analyzing recent American census data. The newspaper concludes that the incomes of young and middle-aged workers “have fallen off a cliff since 2000.”

“People 54 or younger are losing ground financially at an unprecedented rate in this recession,” the article reports. It notes that “household income for people in their peak earning years—between ages 45 and 54—plunged $7,700 to $64,349 from 2000 through 2008,after adjusting for inflation.”

Indian Navy launches home-built stealth destroyer"INS Kochi".

2009-09-19T00:13:00.000-07:00

*The Indian Navy Friday launched the country’s second indigenously built stealth warship INS Kochi.The 6,800-tonne destroyer,built by the Mazagaon Docks Ltd (MDL),was ceremoniously launched by Madhulika Verma, wife of Naval chief Admiral Nirmal Verma.

INS Kochi,the second destroyer of Project 15-A built by the MDL,is 163 metres long, encompasses state-of-the-art weapons, sensors,stealth features,an advanced action information system,sophisticated power distribution and other advanced features. The ship will also be fitted with advanced weapons systems that will include the supersonic surface-to-surface BrahMos missile, the Israeli ‘Barak’Long Range Surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) and the Multi-Function (Mfstar) radar system that would provide accurate data on surface and air targets.

It will also be fitted with the supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles in collaboration with the Defence Research Development Organisation,twin-tube torpedo launchers,anti-submarine rocket launchers and AK-630 rapid fire guns.

For the first time,MDL used ‘pontoon assisting launching method’ in collaboration with a Russian firm Baltizky Zavod.In this method,pontoons are welded to the hull, which gives buoyancy and helps overcome tidal constraints.The ship is expected to be ready for commissioning into the navy by 2012,preceded by the first warship of Project 15-A,INS Kolkata which will join the fleet next year.

MDL chairman and managing director Vice-Admiral (Retd) H.S. Malhi said the Project 15-A ships represent “a major landmark in show-casing India’s warship design and manufacturing capability”.

Earlier,Admiral Verma said the responsibilities of the navy have increased many folds after the 26/11 terror attacks and there is a need for unified command for coastal security....Jai Hind!

Leander Paes&Lukas Dlouhy Won US Open Men's Double

2009-09-16T00:38:00.000-07:00

*Leander Paes and Czech Dlouhy scripted a 3-6,6-3,6-2 win in the men’s doubles final over Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner.

The match was heading for a straight-set wash out for Bhupathi and Knowles but Paes enlivened the match with his inspiring play and changed the complexion of the game.

His sparkling play infused life into the match and Dlouhy complemented him well to emerge winners after a confidence shaking first set lapse.

For Paes it is his fifth men's doubles Grand Slam crown,41st overall, and second with Dlouhy.It was also second title of the year for the seasoned Paes, who won French Open in June along with Dlouhy.

The defeat for Bhupathi means that he has not won a men's doubles Grand Slam crown in seven years. Interestingly, his last victory came at the US Open only when he triumphed with Max Mirnyi in 2002.

He had won the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Sania Mirza at the start of the season.Bhupathi and Knowles made a spiffing start by opening up a 2-0 lead after breaking Paes in the second game but their rivals retaliated by breaking the Bahamian in the third.

Paes' backhand slice return off Knowles' service earned them a breakpoint which they converted when the Indian fired a volley between their rivals, making the score 2-2.Paes dropped his serve again in the sixth game but Knowles this time made amends and held his serve in the next to earn a 5-2 cushion.

Bhupathi, who served with great control all through, had no problem in sealing the first set in the ninth game.

Paes and Dlouhy overcame a disastrous start to the second set and played enthralling tennis with emotions flying high.Dlouhy dropped his serve in the first game and Knowles held his to shot up to 2-0 lead but Paes and Dlouhy won four games in a row to go up 4-2.

The sixth game produced scintillating tennis as Paes hit some stunning and measured service return winners to earn as many as five breakpoints and finally converted the last to break Bhupathi for the first time in the match.

However, Paes failed to hold his serve yet again in the next game but the damage was neutralised as Knowles too dropped his serve in the eighth game.Dlouhy then served out the set, converting their third chance and the match stretched to the decisive third set.

Carrying on with the momentum, the Indo-Czech continued their good work and earned an early break.Knowles' double fault after Bhupathi's unforced volley error in the third game gave their rivals that crucial opportunity to push for the win.

Paes and Dlouhy then saved three breakpoints in the next game, broke their rivals in the seventh game and served out the match in the eighth game at love.

Tendulkar&Harbhajan shine in big win Vs Srilanka in Compaq Cup.

2009-09-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

*India 319 for 5 (Tendulkar 138, Yuvraj 56*, Dhoni 56) beat Sri Lanka 273 (Kandamby 66, Harbhajan 5-57) by 46 runs.
The ghost of batting under the R Premadasa lights was almost buried tonight.Sachin Tendulkar's master class, an 86th international century close to his best, almost became a footnote on a night of punches and counter-punches. Sri Lanka knew being ultra-aggressive was the only way of going about this huge chase, and they counterattacked every time a wicket was lost. Thilina Kandamby, batting at No. 7, almost pulled off a heist against India for the second time in his short career, but the loss of early wickets had left him with too much to do.
Don't go by the 46-run margin. India's fielders and fast bowlers were rattled during the frenetic chase. It was their spinners, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, who saved them the embarrassment. They took critical wickets at critical points and Raina's dismissal of Chamara Kapugedera in the 43rd over, with 68 runs and the batting Powerplay to go, proved to be the decisive blow. A pumped-up Harbhajan then finished off what he started, dismissing the last three batsmen in a hurry. He had earlier taken two wickets in the eighth and 10th over of the innings to rein in an explosive start to the chase.
When Harbhajan came on for his first spell, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya had jolted the Indian team out of a dream afternoon. Sixty runs were scored in seven overs and all three fast bowlers were clueless. Harbhajan's first over was a masterpiece. With a slip and leg slip in place, and a strong on-side field, he invited Dilshan to take the risk and hit through the off side. Dilshan took the bait - he didn't have many choices - got one boundary through cover, and was bowled the next ball.
In his next over, Harbhajan got Mahela Jayawardene with a doosra, and India were on all-out attack. Three more bowlers took wickets in the first over of new spells, though failing to bring Sri Lanka's run-rate down, which was helped by Thilan Thushara's pinch-hitting. But after they lost the fifth wicket, Kumar Sangakkara and Kandamby settled in for longer innings.
Sangakkara was unfortunate when his bat slipped out of his hand and landed on the top of the stumps in the 28th over. With four wickets left, and 138 to get, it seemed over but Kandamby and Kapugedera had other ideas. They didn't panic, kept the singles and the odd boundaries coming, and were helped by sloppy fielding - India missed at least two run-outs and an easy catch.
With 80 required in the last 10 overs, five of which would be bowled under field restrictions, India relied on the spinners. Raina and Yuvraj gave nine runs in Nos. 41 and 42 and, in the 43rd, Raina got the ambitious shot out of Kapugedera, ending a 70-run stand in 15 overs. Harbhajan then came on to finish his third five-for in ODIs.
The beauty of the chase was that it overshadowed a classy knock by Tendulkar, who rolled back the years, and then some. He stroked, ran and yearned for runs like it was the 1990s, but unlike those days he didn't need to take any risks on the way to setting what looked like a total safe beyond doubt.
This was Tendulkar's ninth international century since May 2007, to go with seven scores in the 90s. Judging by this form, 100 international hundreds have become a distinct possibility. A measure of the bowlers' helplessness lay in the fact that the first time he hit a ball in the air was to reach his fifty, that too off a free hit. With Tendulkar batting the way he was, who needed aerial shots?
He shared valuable partnerships with Rahul Dravid, Dhoni and Yuvraj, especially crucial being the one with Dravid. Tendulkar and Dravid, walking out with 73 years and 762 ODI caps between them, took charge of what has looked a shaky batting line-up: their 95-run opening stand took them to No. 6 on the all-time partnership aggregates in ODIs.

Tendulkar you simply couldn't take your eye off. Albeit on a flat track, Tendulkar and Dravid were prepared to work hard in sapping conditions, their shirts turning to dark blue with sweat even before the shine went off the white ball.
Nuwan Kulasekera and Thilan Thushara didn't serve up loose half-volleys or long hops; Tendulkar had to work for every forceful shot. The first ball he faced he punched sweetly off his toes, wide of mid-off for three. In the fourth over, he took a similar delivery and wristed it wide of mid-on for three. We were on to something.
A string of lovely boundaries followed, the best being the punches through a tight cover ring, and the late flicks from off and middle stump to midwicket and cow corner. After Dravid's dismissal, Tendulkar added 110 with Dhoni, who kept the tempo up.
By then Tendulkar had started taking the odd chance, stepping out, making room, and hitting Jayasuriya and Mendis over extra cover. One such shot off Mendis, in the 29th over, took him into his 90s and serenely, with ones and twos, came the hundred. After the hundred came the cramps, and when Tendulkar opted for a runner we were reminded for the first time it was in fact the year 2009.
Dravid came back to run,but Tendulkar did most of the calling. The bowlers showed no mercy, Malinga bowling a mix of bouncers and yorkers. Tendulkar's response was to hit Mendis for a six inside-out and reverse-sweep two boundaries in three balls. After he got out in the 46th over, trying one reverse-sweep too many, Yuvraj's big hitting got India 42 runs, which also proved crucial in the end.

"Vandana Preyasi"The Lady With The Toughest Job In Bihar

2009-09-12T02:50:00.000-07:00

“V andana Preyasi”achievements are exemplary,as the is district magistrate of Siwan,Bihar she has set her eyes for conducting a fair and fearless lok sabha elections 2009 in Bihar.Known for her intrepid and fierce doggedness,she has clearly left indelible footprints in her domain.Her no nonsense has often put her on sticky wickets but every time the officer proves a point when she raises her voices.Known for bold steps taken during her previous assignments as SDO in Barh and later as the DM of Siwan,She is credited for reiging in the many of the mighties politicians in Siwan and Barh-Mokama area infamous for guns and goons.

Earlier in 2007,Preyashi's ire was felt by don-turned-ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) legislator Anant Singh. Known as Chhote Sarkar in the area, the lawmaker from Mokama found all his food grain godowns sealed by the official after the state government ordered all the godowns in the state to be shifted to market committees. She was also famous because there had not been a single violent incident during the panchayat polls in Barh and Mokama in 2006 when Preyashi was the sub divisional officer.Preyashi has been spending hours out in the field, meeting voters, inspecting campaign vehicles herself,assessing the security at the polling booths and spreading the word that the strictest action will be taken against anyone who breaks the law on polling day.

"You have to delegate and trust.The grassroot work force has to be motivated and you have to lead by example,"says the district magistrate who has built up a credible reputation in her relatively short career.Now,Vandana Preyasi has been posted as new DM of my hometown”Bhagalpur”.Welcome to our Hometown….May God bless her always!

TITAN Salvage Team nominated for the IMO’s 2009 Exceptional Bravery at Sea Award

2009-09-12T01:13:00.000-07:00

The TITAN Salvage team involved in the dramatic, 12-hour cliff-top rescue of the 25 crewmembers onboard the grounded cargo ship Fedra and one rescue swimmer last year has been nominated for the International Maritime Organization’s 2009 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

Salvage Officer Nigel Raithby, Salvage Foreman Terry Barrows, Assistant Salvage Master Stephen Wood, Salvage Engineer Mike Wood, Salvage Master Jim Conroy and Project Manager and TITAN Managing Director Dan Schwall each received commendation letters from IMO Secretary-General E.E. Mitropoulos for their courageous actions in rescuing the Fedra crew during rough storm conditions at Gibraltar’s Europa Point.

On Oct. 10, 2008, Raithby, Barrows, Stephen Wood, Mike Wood, Conroy and Schwall were in Gibraltar managing another salvage operation, the New Flame, when the Fedra, a 35,886 bulk carrier ran aground off Europa Point during storm force weather. The vessel sustained substantial damage during the grounding and broke in two at the bulkhead of the five and six cargo holds, as the carrier crashed onto Europa Point. Despite hurricane force winds and heavy rain, the TITAN team worked diligently for 12 hours to rescue the 25 crewmembers and rescue swimmer that were stranded on the deck of the vessel near cargo hold two. Risking their own lives, the salvage team used a crane, man basket and harness to rescue the stranded crewmembers as the vessel crashed against the rocky cliff.

“The TITAN team that was on site in Gibraltar carries a unique skill set. These skills, combined with quick thinking and resourcefulness, enabled us to do what needed to be done to ensure a successful outcome. Helping to save the lives of these 26 people was far more rewarding than any salvage job we have ever completed,” Conroy said.

The IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea is an annual award established to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment.

Information about TITAN can be found at www.titansalvage.com

Why Indian IT sector will fare better than China?

2009-09-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

*China

and India-the two countries that are under consideration for the future leaders of the world economy. They are considered to be the economies that can carry the world in this slump times also.

But if comparison is to be made regarding these economies, China irrespective of such a huge IT manufacturing hub lacks in the networking. China has large potential resources lying with it. The foreign investments flowing in the country has helped China to progress so well. The large manufacturing units, foreign investments and the huge internet penetration have helped China to do so better on the global front.
If India is to be considered, no doubt it lags at points where China is picking but still has much potential to compete. If few recent years are considered India has also registered a growth rate of approximately 7% which is more or less same to the growth rate of China. Even India has attracted many foreign investments recently and the last year’s foreign influx of $ 6 billion is worth considering. But if compared to China it is just one-tenth of what China had been successful to attract. The love of foreign investors and skepticism towards India is thoughtful.

The reasons for such large disparity are poor infrastructure, low connectivity, poor educational ratios, low penetration of Internet and broadband and the last but the most impacting is the economy drivers. The Chinese economy is export driven and attracts more foreign influxes where as India concentrates more on domestic market rather than thinking for brighter prospects of international trade. The good part is that India has also redefined its policies and has gelled with global economy. The recently framed policies favor the Indian growth on global front and to redefine its position in global mart. These policies have gelled India with the foreign markets and India is now considered far better networked than China.’

The recent reports confirmed that manufacturing hub China is lagging behind if the foreign connectivity is considered. India is far better on the foreign fronts and has made its presence strongly felt in the world map. According to Global Information Technology Report 2008-2009 China is lagging by seven positions from India. India ranks 50th and China is standing at 57thposition. The Indian economy is lacking so much because of the root factors like the improper infrastructure, low literacy rates, political imbalances and the Governmental policies. It has started to work on these weaknesses and the result is worth praising.

With the advent of policies favoring the economical growth India.Jai Hind!:)

"Final Destination"retains lead at box office.

2009-09-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

*Reigning champ "The Final Destination" fended off a challenge from Sandra Bullock's latest romantic comedy to lead the U.S. Labor Day holiday box office in North America for a second weekend,according to studio estimates issued on Sunday."The Final Destination," the fourth movie in a horror franchise about disastrous occurrences, earned $12.4 million during the three days beginning Friday. The 10-day haul for the Warner Bros release rose to $47.6 million, buoyed by premium pricing for 3D screenings.

Warner Bros is a unit of Time Warner Inc."All About Steve," a critical bomb starring Bullock as a lovelorn crossword-puzzle expert, followed with $11.2 million, the best performance among three weak newcomers.

That marked a considerable drop from the $33.6 million launch of her previous hit "The Proposal" in June. "All About Steve" co-star Bradley Cooper did even better that month with the $45 million debut of his summer smash "The Hangover."

But the new picture played in 2,251 theaters, about 900 less than either "The Proposal," "The Final Destination" or "The Hangover." It was also released at a time -- the dying days of summer--when the studios are clearing out underperformers so they can focus on their awards-season hopefuls.

"We're thrilled with the number,"said an official at 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp. Bullock also produced the movie, whose audience was about two-thirds female,according to Fox.

"Inglourious Basterds" slipped one place to No. 3 with $10.8 million, taking the three-week tally for Quentin Tarantino's World War Two picture to $91 million. It needs just $17 million more to become his biggest film in North America, a title currently held by his 1994 breakthrough "Pulp Fiction" ($108 million).

The new film's foreign total stands at $83 million, and it already ranks as Tarantino's highest-grossing release in eight markets, including Germany, Russia and Turkey.

"Basterds"was co-financed by the closely held Weinstein Co and General Electric Co's Universal Pictures.

Of the other two new releases, both targeted at male youngsters, "Gamer" opened at No. 4 with $9 million, and "Extract" at No. 10 with just under $4.2 million.

Lionsgate's "Gamer" stars Gerard Butler ("300") as a heroic killer frantically reducing the population count. Miramax Films' "Extract," another workplace satire from "Office Space" director and "Beavis and Butt-head" creator Mike Judge, stars Jason Bateman and Mila Kunis.Lionsgate is a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Miramax is a unit of Walt Disney Co.

Michael Jackson Was the Baby Daddy!

2009-09-07T05:37:00.000-07:00

*Now that Michael Jackson has been laid to rest, it's time to bury something else: the baby-daddy story.

Michael Jackson was his children's parent. He was his children's father. For all intents and purposes, he was the baby daddy.

Time to move along,folks.Nothing to see here.

What about Arnold Klein? What about Mark Lester? What about Macaulay Culkin?

Culkin was dragged into the story by a denounced British tabloid report. Time to move along,folks.

And even though Klein and Lester thrust themselves into the story with talk of their generous contributions, so to speak, there is still nothing to see here.

Klein and Lester, sperm donors though they may be,are not dads,daddies or baby daddies. They are, as Stephanie M. Caballero,an attorney specializing in reproductive law, explained it to us, "genetic contributors."

"If you have no other documentation, or no other action that shows you as the parent…then you're not a daddy," Caballero says.

True, anyone can challenge anything—sperm donors (such as the one in this Texas case) have even sued for custody. But when we asked Theresa Errickson, a surrogacy lawyer, whether she could recall any instance in California, Jackson's home state, in which a sperm donor prevailed, she said, "Not that I'm aware of at all."

So, to sum up, the law favors the parent. The parent being the one who is parenting. Like Michael Jackson was.

"The public wants to know who quote the 'dad' is," Caballero says, "but legally Michael Jackson is."

By all accounts and appearances, Michael Jackson's three children aren't confused about the arrangement, either. They are his children. He was their father. Those were their tears they shed after his death. If someday they want answers as to the particulars of their DNA, then that's their right.

But until that day, and maybe even after it, we don't need the record set straight by anyone other thanPrince, Paris or Blanket on something that isn't crooked. Even Klein and Lester have essentially acknowledged,if not celebrated,Jackson's fatherhood.

In the end, there is no mystery.There is no scandal.There is no story.

M.S.Dhoni is world's richest cricketer:-Forbes

2009-09-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

*Charismatic Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has topped the list of world’s 10 top earning cricketers compiled by Forbes,which also features four other players from India-Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh,Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

With his total earnings for the last year at USD 10 million,Dhoni is at the top of the chart followed by Tendulkar at the second spot with earnings worth USD 8 million in the list of‘The World’s Top-Earning Cricketers’.While Singh and Dravid are at the third and fourth spot,respectively, Ganguly and Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting share the sixth place.

“Paycheck figures include club and national team salaries and commercial endorsement income over the last 12 months,” Forbes said. According to the magazine, Singh earned USD 5.5 million while Dravid and Ganguly raked in USD 5 million and USD 3.5 million, respectively. Ponting also earned USD 3.5 million.

“With its deep-pocketed owners and global appeal, nine of the 10 highest-paid cricket players call the Indian Premier League (IPL) home,” the publication added.

At the fifth spot is England’s talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff with earnings of USD 4 million followed by Australia’s Brett Lee and England’s Kevin Pietersen – both at eighth place – and Australian Michael Clarke is ranked tenth. While Lee and Pietersen raked in USD 3 million each, Clarke earned USD 2.5 million.“Take Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who plays for the Chennai Super Kings and tops our list as cricket’s first USD 10 million-a-year man (that’s USD 5,426 for each run scored). His USD 8 million in endorsements, from the likes of Reebok, General Electric and Pepsi, is 45 per cent more than any other player,” reported Forbes.

“Among all Indian athletes and entertainers, Dhoni’s 17 corporate sponsors are second to only Bollywood star and co- owner of the Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan,” Forbes said. About Tendulkar, the magazine said that the holder of numerous cricketing records is considered among the greatest batsman in cricket history.“… he’s one of five IPL players who have been bestowed ‘icon’ status, meaning he automatically receives a paycheck 15 per cent larger than his highest paid teammate. Tendulkar’s USD 1.1 million salary from the Mumbai Indians helped push his total earnings to USD 8 million over the last 12 months,” it added.

Here is a list of the annual earnings:-

MS Dhoni 48 crores

Sachin Tendulkar 38.5 crore

Yuvraj Singh 26 crore

Rahul Dravid 24 crore

Sourav Ganguly 16. 8 crore

Ricky Ponting 16.5 crore

Mr.Amitabh Bachchan to host Bigg Boss 3...!

2009-09-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

*COLORS is back with the third season of Bigg Boss which will see Big B replacing Shilpa Shetty as host..:)

COLORS' Bigg Boss is going to be back in the first week of October, but with a new host!!
The news coming in is that the Bollywood Super Star Amitabh Bachchan has been roped in as the new host of the show, in place of the gorgeous Shilpa Shetty.
According to our source, "Big B who was last seen hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati on Star Plus will be returning to television as host after five long years. He will be seen as the pop philosopher in the third season of Bigg Boss".
For the uninitiated, the first season of Bigg Boss which was aired on Sony was hosted by Arshad Warsi. Shilpa Shetty took over as host in Season 2, which was aired on COLORS. Rajesh Chaddha, Director, Operations, Endemol confirmed the news that Amitabh Bachchan is indeed replacing Shilpa Shetty as host for the third season.
The winner of Bigg Boss 2 happens to be Ashutosh Kaushik.The third season will start in the first week of October.All the very best...Big B!Keep Going!:)

67 die after YSR's death.

2009-09-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

*More than 60 people across Andhra Pradesh have died of shock or committed suicide after the death of their chief minister,YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
It's prompted his MP son YS Jagannathan Reddy to appeal to his late father's admirers to be patient and brave.
"I appeal to all of you to be patient and be brave in this hour of tragedy. He (YSR) wanted to see a smile on the faces of all and if you resort to such things (suicide) this will hurt him," said Jaganmohan, trying to hard to control his tears."I request you not to commit suicide,"said Jaganmohan,who was elected to Lok Sabha from Kadapa in recent elections and is being seen by many as the next chief minister.

The appeal before the camera was telecast on all Telugu television channels.

Death toll:-

Telugu television channels estimated that 67 people died of shock or committed suicide.Most of those who died of shock were watching news of the death on television. This is the first time in the state's history that such a large number of people have died over the death of any political leader.

YSR, as the late leader was popularly known, has surpassed in death the popularity of actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder NT Rama Rao who died in 1996.

A large number of those who died of shock included young supporters of YSR and the beneficiaries of the various welfare schemes launched by him in the last five years.

They suffered a cardiac arrest following the news of the chief minister's death in the helicopter crash.

"YSR dedicated his life to people, I am dedicating my life to him," a youth wrote in his suicide note before consuming pesticide.

A physically handicapped couple,who were getting monthly pension under a welfare scheme, attempted suicide by jumping into the Godavari river but were saved by fishermen.

In Hyderabad, 42-year-old Yadgiri died of shock while watching news of YSR's death on television. M. Srinivas,30,suffered cardiac arrest.

The charred bodies of YSR and four others were found Friday morning in Nallamala forest in Kurnool district, almost 24 hours after their helicopter went missing.

Jobless rate at 9.7 percent;216,000 lost in August

2009-09-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

*WASHINGTON-The unemployment rate rose to 9.7 percent in August, thehighest since June 1983,as employers eliminated a net total of 216,000 jobs.Analysts expect businesses will be reluctant to hire until they are convinced

The economy is on a firm path to recovery.Many private economists,and the Federal Reserve,expect the unemployment rate to top 10 percent by the end of this year.

While the jobless rate rose more than expected, the number of job cuts is less than July's upwardly revised total of 276,000 and the lowest in a year,according to Labor Department data released Friday. Economists expected the unemployment rate to rise to 9.5 percent from July's 9.4 percent and job reductions to total 225,000.If laid-off workers who have settled for part-time work or have given up looking for new jobs are included, the so-called underemployment rate reached 16.8 percent, the highest on records dating from 1994.The recession has eliminated a net total of 6.9 million jobs since it began in December 2007.There are now 14.9 million Americans unemployed.

:-Other economic data released this week has been positive. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group, said Tuesday that the manufacturing sector grew in August for the first time in 19 months. On Thursday, the ISM said its service sector index rose to 48.4 last month, the highest level in nearly a year. Home sales, meanwhile, have increased for several months and prices are stabilizing.Some economists credit the Obama administration's $787 billion economic stimulus package of tax cuts and spending increases, along with the Cash for Clunkers program, with contributing to a recovery. But they worry about what will happen when the impact of the stimulus efforts fades next year.Vice President Joe Biden defended the stimulus package Thursday against Republican critics who say it is too costly."The recovery act has played a significant role in changing the trajectory of our economy,and changing the conversation in this country," Biden said. "Instead of talking about the beginning of a depression,we are talking about the end of a recession."Republicans criticized Biden's speech."The Democrats' rhetoric on their economic experiment doesn't match with the reality of millions of Americans remaining unemployed," said Republican Party chief Michael Steele. "The stimulus was an economic experiment that failed Americans."

Kareena kapoor's hollywood kismat konnection...!

2008-08-12T00:35:00.000-07:00

*Kareena’s zero size may have lured many Hollywood filmmakers to cast her in their films but Bebo preferred to concentrate on Bollywood only for time being. She has many promising Bollywood projects lined up and therefore she does not want to dump those films and involve into any Hollywood project.
During the shooting of Kambakth Ishq, Kareena had garnered much attention for her style and attitude and Hollywood filmmakers eagerly came forward to cast her. But out Bebo strictly said no-no to them. As her career in Bollywood is going great guns, she in no way likes to sign off Bollywood and ventured into Hollywood.
Confirming her Hollywood proposal, Bebo's official spokesperson said, "It is true that Kareena was offered a role in ‘Chamera’ which is to be directed by Daniel Silverman but she has not signed on the dotted lines." He further added, "Besides ‘Chamera’, Kareena was also offered two other Hollywood films which I cannot divulge much into." Our filmmakers may heave a sigh of relief as Bebo is moving nowhere and will stick to Bollywood for time being.

*No Hollywood Films for Kareena Until Next Year:-The latest buzz might be a little confusing but yes, eventhough Kareena Kapoor has been offered a role by Daniel Silverman in his upcoming movie Chamera, she hasnt yet signed the dotted line.
Looks like the Kapoor gal has a long way to go before she could test her worth on foreign grounds. She is her kitty overflowing with commitments in Bollywood. Her spokesperson said,“Kareena is busy for the next one and a half year with her commitments in Bollywood. Until then she isn’t doing any international film. Besides Chamera, Kareena was also offered two other Hollywood films which I cannot divulge much into.”

But hold it folks, dont expect much. Because Kareena might as well end up like Aishwarya Rai who made umpteen forgettable Hollywood debuts. There is little chance Bollywood actresses could settle in Hollywood’s mainstream cinema.Kareena’s forthcoming films include Roadside Romeo (she has given Voice over for first animated film), Golmaal Returns , ‘Kambakht Ishq’, Main Aur Mrs Khanna , Milenge Milenge and Three Idiots .
Lets Wait and Watch....!Guys;what u say!lol!

The Top Outsourcing Companies in India.

2008-08-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

*The concept of outsourcing having acquired the corporate look in the year 1980 orchestrates the borrowing of services from the supplier under a contractual agreement and this phenomenon usually includes the non-core operations for the outsourcing clients.The outsourcer benefits by utilizing the outsourced services at a much lower costs than incurred by the firm’s own conduct of operations or services and redirecting its energy towards firm’s other businesses to capture the product market. The Indian IT companies have emerged as the hot IT outsourcing destination especially for the countries like U.K. and U.S. India having a huge knowledge base coupled with low costs of labor enticed the offshore companies. The Indian outsourcing companies who have surfaced in the list of top ten globally have been operating on well-defined business models and by clearly strategizing their services. The Indian companies who have figured in the top ten on the global level include Wipro, Infosys and Tech Mahindra.. Although, IBM was the first to be listed according to the data released by IOAP, (International Association of Outsourcing Professionals) IBM has been recognized on the basis of its size and growth. Among the Indian companies, Wipro has occupied a Sixth position based on the attribute of company’s balanced strength, while Infosys could grab the seventh position by displaying customer testimonials. But listng only the top ten Indian companies will have Wipro on the first position, Satyam being second and Cognizant at the third place. Infosys, Patni, TCS, HCL, Genpact, Tech Mahindra and Mastek being the descendants after the three most Indian IT biggies. These IT companies who figure in the top ten have been estimated on the basis of employee performance, corporate leadership and customer satisfaction among other key attributes. It has been pretty difficult to rate these companies as no company came out clear with all the key features in entirety and every company has been rated on the basis of its unique attribute. For example, Mastek stood at number one when rated on the basis of newer technologies and invention otherwise it occupied position eleven. Wipro has been a pioneer in providing the outsourcing services and has become the hot shot among the US buyers. Wipro has delivered the BPO services to the banking and insurance to hospitality and telcom sectors. Other services like knowledge, HR services and manufacturing too were rendered. The services were merged together to call Wipro Consulting Services. Satyam has been the first E-sourcing company and has been favourite among the Indian as well as foreign clientage. Genpact is the other BPO giant who in conjuction with NIIT will set up training centers in major cities of India.

**What made these Indian companies to be the hot IT outsourcing destinations:

1.Software development solutions: These include custom and medical software development.

2.Custom Application Solutions: These include Custom Software solutions along with Mobile Application. Web 3.Application Solutions: Ecommerce, Internet, Web and Net application form part of these.
4.Offshore Outsourcing solutions: These may include offshore product development and also software development.
5.Other Miscellaneous solutions: These solutions may figure out software testing, software migration, porting of an application to database application development.Worth mentioning, India is much ahead of the other countries as far as the outsourcing is concerned which is reflected from the emerging global competition where China and Russia are the first time honouraries in the outsourcing list of IOAP.

Congratulation!Abhinav Bindra;u rocked da nation...!

2008-08-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

*The Big Breaking News! India's ace shooter Abhinav Bindra created history by winning the first ever individual Olympic Gold Medal for the country. It's Abhinav Bindra, Abhinav Bindra all over the Beijing shooting range.Abhinav won the gold in 10m Air Rifle event. Abhinav Bindra scored 700.5 points in the final.Although India had won 8 gold medals in Olympics hockey,it never won any individual gold medals.This is the first time any Indian won a gold medal in an individual event.

The last time India had won an Olympic gold medal was in 1980 Moscow Olympics where the hockey team had claimed the gold. The entire country erupted into joy and celebration when the reports of Abhinav Bindra's great victory flashed across the television channels. My heartiest congratulations to Abhinav Bindra for winning the Gold Medal in 10meter Air Rifle event. It is indeed a rare feet. Abhinav richly deserves all the attention and felicitation.Gr8 work Abhinav!.... And very good luck for future, may you keep on doing us proud for the long time to come.

*Of course it is indeed a mater of pride for all Indians and I do not want to spoil the party, yet I am hardly in a mood to go on the celebration binge since One Individual Indian has won One Gold Medal, in an Individual Event in past 28 years!Congrats to Abhinav once again, and time for other Indians to fire.It has been a great moment for all Indians that have been dreaming for this for decades. Emotions were high in India, as tearful people stood up when the national anthem was played in the Olympic Stadium at Beijing.President Pratibha Patil, PM Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, BJP leader LK Advani, Sports Minister MS Gill, IOA President Suresh Kalmadi and all leaders and high level sports officials have congratulated Abhinav Bindra for making the country proud. Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh announced a cash reward of Rs. 10 lakh for Bindra. Haryana government has announced a cash reward of Rs. 25 lakh for Abhinav Bindra. In addition, he will get rewards worth Rs. 5 lakh from MP government and a 'lifetime golden pass' from Indian Railways.The Punjab government will give Rs. 1 crore to Abhinav Bindra for his marvelous feat. It was announced by Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal. The Bihar government has announced a cash reward of Rs. 11 lakh for him. Bihar Government will also name a sports complex after Bindra. Cricket Board BCCI has also announced a cash reward of Rs. 25 lakh for Abhinav Bindra. It's cash and money that are being showered on Bindra after his glorious performance at Beijing. Abhinav Bindra owed his gold medal to his parents, family and coaches. After winning the gold medal, Bindra said that he hopes that his medal would change the face of Olympics Sports in India. He also said that he became very aggressive, as he had entered the final as fourth. A proud nation salutes its great Hero. Hats off to Abhinav Bindra!

*Winning is a habit and it is contagious! That is why when one kid wins an event in school, many more also win in subsequent inter-school events. The loosing is also a collective habit and that is why we normally see one or two individual victories, but in general we remain a medal-starved society… This is also the reason why some societies where winning is promoted, people are so much action oriented and want to achieve everything in life… Because, this is contagious. And this is why, even Abhinav’s victory should be welcomed as a spirit booster to the whole India.Every Indian should take time & think what Abhinav Bindra first said after winning gold medal:-
“I sincerely hope this win will change the face of Olympic sport in India. In India, Olympic sport is not really a priority, so I hope Olympic sports in general can get more attention.”

Top 100 Infotech companies in the world..Check out!

2008-08-07T00:34:00.000-07:00

*Yeah,its been long time since I have published a top list;so I guess it is time for one now.Lol!Business Week recently released the top 100 Infotech companies in the world for 2008.I had published this list for last year as well, in which 6 Indian companies had figured.This time around we have maintained that number but most of them have ranked quite low compared to last year.
The top placed Indian company Bharti Airtel ranked 21st as compared to 14 last year. Surprisingly,Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys, India’s top 2 software companies do not figure in top 100 list (ranked 23rd and 30th last year). Instead a new Entrant Remington India comes 2nd at 55th rank. Reliance Communications(66), Wipro (74), Satyam(91) and HCL(95) are the other companies that figure in this year’s list. Last year I was surprised that Reliance Communication did not make it to the list, however, this year they have been rightly placed after Bharti Airtel !
**Rank:Company name;Country
1 AMAZON.COM NETU.S.
2 APPLE COMPU.S.
3 RESEARCH IN MOTION COMM Canada
4 NINTENDO SOFTJapan
5 WESTERN DIGITAL COMPU.S.
6 AMÉRICA MÓVIL TELEMexico
7 CHINA MOBILE TELEChina
8 NOKIA COMMFinland
9 ASUSTEK COMPUTER COMPTaiwan
10 HIGH TECH COMPUTER COMPTaiwan
11 GOOGLE NETU.S.
12 MTN GROUP TELES. Africa
13 IBM COMPU.S.
14 MOBILE TELESYSTEMS TELERussia
15 TELEFÓNICA TELESpain
16 VIMPELCOM TELERussia
17 HON HAI PRECISION IND. COMPTaiwan
18 AT&T TELEU.S.
19 ACCENTURE SVCSU.S.
20 LG ELECTRONICS COMPKorea
21 BHARTI AIRTEL COMMIndia
22 ORACLE SOFTU.S.
23 MICROSOFT SOFTU.S.
24 MAROC TELECOM TELEMorocco
25 TURKCELL ILETISIM HIZMETLERI TELETurkey
26 LG DISPLAY COMMKorea
27 NHN NETKorea
28 COSMOTE MOBILE TELECOM. TELEGreece
29 MILLICOM INTL. CELLULAR TELELux.
30 HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPU.S.
31 COMPAL ELECTRONICS COMPTaiwan
32 SISTEMA TELERussia
33 ORASCOM TELECOM TELEEgypt
34 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS SEMIKorea
35 CHINA UNITED TELE TELEChina
36 MOBINIL TELEEgypt
37 CARSO GLOBAL TELECOM TELEMexico
38 KONINKLIJKE KPN TELENeth.
39 CISCO SYSTEMS COMMU.S.
40 WISTRON COMPTaiwan
41 MOBILE TELE TELEKuwait
42 ACTIVISION SOFTU.S.
43 REDECARD SVCSBrazil
44 CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR SEMIU.S.
45 ZTE COMMChina
46 LENOVO GROUP COMP
Hong Kong
47 TELEMAR NORTE LESTE TELEBrazil
48 CORNING COMMU.S.
49 PRICELINE.COM NETU.S.
50 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR. SEMITaiwan
51 DIGI.COM TELEMalaysia
52 QUANTA COMPUTER COMPTaiwan
53 AU OPTRONICS COMPTaiwan
54 AMPHENOL SEMIU.S.
55 REDINGTON INDIA DISTIndia
56 NAVTEQ SVCSU.S.
57 SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY COMPU.S.
58 INTEL SEMIU.S.
59 NVIDIA SEMIU.S.
60 ADVANCED INFO SERVICE TELEThailand
61 VMWARE SOFTU.S.
62 TRANSCEND INFORMATION SEMITaiwan
63 SAP SOFTGermany
64 L-3 COMMUNICATIONS COMMU.S.
65 INDRA SISTEMAS SVCSSpain
66 RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS TELEIndia
67 QUALCOMM COMMU.S.
68 MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS SEMIU.S.
69 BOUYGUES TELEFrance
70 DIGITAL CHINA HOLDINGS DISTChina
71 ACER COMPTaiwan
72 HARRIS COMMU.S.
73 CHICONY ELECTRONICS COMPTaiwan
74 WIPRO SVCSIndia
75 YAHOO! JAPAN NETJapan
76 POWERCHIP SEMICONDUCTOR SEMITaiwan
77 MANTECH INTERNATIONAL SVCSU.S.
78 EMC COMPU.S.
79 NEUF CEGETEL TELEFrance
80 BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP COMMChina
81 TPV TECHNOLOGY COMPChina
82 INVENTEC COMPTaiwan
83 FOXCONN TECHNOLOGY COMPTaiwan
84 SAIC SVCSU.S.
85 TOKYO ELECTRON SEMIJapan
86 DELTA ELECTRONICS COMMTaiwan
87 AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING
SVCSU.S.
88 ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR ENG. SEMITaiwan
89 ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS TELECanada
90 UNITED INTERNET NETGermany
91 SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SVCSIndia
92 NAN YA PCB COMMTaiwan
93 NANYA TECHNOLOGY SEMITaiwan
94 ADOBE SYSTEMS SOFTU.S.

95 HCL TECHNOLOGIES SVCSIndia
96 TD AMERITRADE HOLDING NETU.S.
97 NIKON SEMIJapan
98 NIDEC COMPJapan
99 COMMSCOPE COMMU.S.
100 INTUIT SOFT U.S.

**METHODOLOGY AND GLOSSARY: To compile the information for the Infotech 100, BusinessWeek began with financial data from Standard & Poor's Compustat, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies that has computerized data on over 30,500 publicly traded corporations. We trimmed this universe to information-technology companies. To qualify, companies had to have revenues of at least $300 million.

Amarnath row:PM,Sonia seek Advani's opinion...!

2008-08-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

*With protests over the revocation of land to Amarnath shrine board refusing to die down, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi sought the opinion of Leader of Opposition L K Advani on Monday on the issue.
Dr Singh and Gandhi, along with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had the discussion with Advani on the issue during the State dinner hosted for visiting Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in New Delhi on Monday. "Advaniji told the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi that some corrective measures were required to bring the situation back to normal," a senior BJP lawmaker told media persons. ''Corrective measures' was a reference to taking back of the land revocation order, the lawmaker said. Advani reportedly told the three leaders that the current situation was a result of 'government's pandering to the separatist forces'.The leader of opposition is said to have suggested that the Union government should discuss the matter with the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti -- which is spearheading the agitation-to find a solution. Meanwhile, the prime minister has called an all-party meeting on Wednesday to find a solution to the Amarnath agitation, which has thrown life out of gear in the Jammu region since it started nearly 35 days ago. Dr Singh had invited Advani to his residence last week to discuss the Amarnath issue, along with internal security and other matters. This was followed by a telephone call from Sonia Gandhi to BJP President Rajnath Singh to discuss the same issue.

**Tension over Amarnath row: curfew imposed in Jammu:-Curfew was imposed in entire Jammu today as massive rallies continued in many parts of the district today over the Amarnath land row but protesters defied the restrictions and burnt a police station and 14 houses as police had to fire in the air to disperse them. Police fired teargas shells and baton charged protesters who went on the rampage and set afire the Panjtirthi police station here, officials said."We have imposed curfew as a precautionary measure in view of high level of tension in Jammu due to massive rallies in several parts of the district," Jammu Deputy Commissioner Mandeep K Bhandari said. Curfew was first imposed on July one but lifted and reimposed several times during the agitation that entered the 33rd day.

Deepika Padukone'n'Ranbir Kapoor tell how they fell in love...!

2008-08-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

Lovebirds Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor spoke candidly about their love as they nestled to pose for the cover of the People magazine’s August issue, which is to hit the stands on August 4.
The glamorous couple of Bollywood, looked radiant and flashed their million dollar smiles as they spoke indulgently about each other.
Talking about their first meeting, Deepika said that make-up artist Doris introduced them for the first time. Ranbir said that he fell for the gorgeous actress as soon as he saw her while Deepika took some time to respond.
The couple’s first date was at PVR Juhu, where they watched a Hollywood film together. Ranbir’s first gift to Deepika was a grand piano, which is her most cherished treasure.
Deepika confessed that they started seeing each other on February 23 and the pursuing by Ranbir started in the month of January in Sydney where they were together for an entire month for the shooting of Bachna Ae Haseeno .
Clearly, the couple is in no mood to keep the affair under wraps. Deepika has reportedly got a tattoo made on the nape of her neck that spells the initials of Ranbir – RK, which she reportedly showed to a very close friend.
The couple denied that they have kissed each other and Ranbir added, “I was meeting her after a month at the Bangkok airport. I just hugged her and gave her a peck. I didn’t realise there were cameras around. The news channels made a big deal out of it, and it was kind of hard. We are private people and it’s hard to see that moment repeatedly being flashed on screen. It was weird, wrong and unfair.”

.....In short,How Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor Fell in Love????...U wanna know...dan read out what they gonna expressed their feelings with People magazine.....lol!

They're one of the hottest young couples in B-Town and for the first time they've spilled the secrets behind their much talked about relationship. In the latest issue of People magazine India, Deepika and Ranbir admit they've been together since February 23, and that their first date was a standard movie and dinner. And while it was love at first sight for Ranbir (have you seen how gorgeous she is?!) it took Deepika a little while longer to come around. But things have definitely changed, because get this - rumor has it Deepika got a tattoo on the back of her neck which says, RK... her man's initials! Hmm... how sweet young love is, let's just hope she doesn't regret getting the supposed tattoo in the future!

Aishwarya didn`t lose `Nakshatra` to Katrina:Abhishek Bacchan

2008-08-04T01:09:00.000-07:00

Trashing rumours about his wife Aishwarya Rai losing out the Nakshatra diamond jewellery endorsement to Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan said it was his spouse who had taken the call to pull out.Aishwarya has been the brand ambassador for Nakshatra diamond jewellery since 2004 and Katrina is now the new face for the brand.“Nakshatra was discontinued by Aishwarya. It is false news that she lost out the endorsement to Katrina Kaif. Aishwarya had some conditions and the company did not come to terms with this, so she called it off,” Abhishek told reporters.He was speaking on the sidelines of the Omega Olympics Evening organised here to honour the Indian contingent for the Beijing games.The actor, who is busy with the “Unforgettable” tour in the US, flew in for the event from San Francisco. He also explained the philosophy behind endorsement deals.“Endorsements are not a competition. Nobody loses an endorsement. It is just that sometimes the technicalities don’t work out between the endorser and the brand. At the end of the day, an endorser is asked to endorse a product because one’s image looks best suited to the brand,” said Abhishek who is the brand ambassador of Omega watches.This is the second time this year that Katrina has overtaken Aishwarya in terms of popularity and endorsements. Earlier, Katrina replaced her as the Bollywood star with the maximum number of downloads and searches on the Internet.Asked about the response to the “Unforgettable” tour, Abhishek said: “The experience is wonderful. The tour is meant to reach people who don’t get to see enough of Bollywood action live. It is wonderful to perform on stage.“We are through with one-quarter of the show with performances in Toronto, Trinidad and Tobago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.”Asked about reports that he had been taking dance lessons from Aishwarya for his “Unforgettable” performances, Abhishek quipped: “I learn everything that my wife teaches me. Once married you have to.”So how did the actor manage to find time from his hectic schedule to attend the Omega event?“I think when you want to make out time, you always can and in this case, it was for a worthy cause.”Queried whether he too was planning to join the bandwagon of celebrity bloggers like his father Amitabh Bachchan, he promptly replied: “Blogs are a wonderful way of reaching out to audiences. I would like to blog, but I don’t really have the time.”Abhishek flew back to the US on Friday and joined his family and Bollywood stars Preity Zinta, Riteish Deshmukh, composer duo Vishal-Shekhar and choreographer Shiamak Davar who are part of the “Unforgettable” tour.Their next performances are in London, Rotterdam and finally in the German city of Oberhausen.

Orkut or Facebook choice to be made..!

2008-08-02T05:07:00.000-07:00

*Social networking sites have changed the way we communicate and the way we keep in touch with our friends. We can reconnect with friends we haven't seen in a long time or friends who live far away and share what is going on in our lives with pictures, videos, blogs, and much more. Social networking sites remove a lot of the difficulty of staying in touch.orkut.com is a social networking service developed in association with Google. Why the name Orkut? Buyukkoten Orkut, a Google employee that has a significant interest in social networking, developed the service.
Orkut is one of the many social networking sites that have popped up in recent years. It is second in worldwide popularity only to MySpace, with especially heavy usage in India and Brazil. You cannot search for someone without being a member, but that is easy enough to do. To get started on Orkut, you need a gmail account. If you already have one, all you need to do is verify your email address and date of birth for security reasons, and you're ready to start. If you don't have a gmail account, Orkut will help you set one up.
You can meet a variety of interesting people online. While this can enrich your life and help you expand your interests, it can also be dangerous. It always pays to be cautious, especially when it comes to sharing personal information with people you meet online. If someone wants to meet you and gives you his/her phone number, always take a minute to do a reverse phone lookup This way, you can check to see if the identity of the phone number owner and your online friend match up. It is far better to be careful than to trust people immediately.

*Orkut or Facebook Choice to be made...!

I haven’t got into Facebook inspite of all the hype & following in US.I am more an Orkut guy, been so nearly since its inception.Google’s networking site big in India & I am now owning a community of more than 150 members there.Yes there are many many social networking sites on the net. I have come across orkut, hi5, tagged, batchmates... AS far as i have seen,orkut is the best as it is the widest network of people and i ve been touch with all my old n new frndz.

*The article mainly states that orkut is still leading the India market and facebook (world no 2) is still no where to be close to orkut in India.The reason for low usage of facebook in india is basically for few reason’s that i found while using facebook as well as orkut both.
1) orkut is more popular due to its straight forward approach, it offer’s limited features only.
2) most orkut user’s are just chat freaks and are their only for fun and time pass.
3) orkut captures a large crowd from college students who love to sneak and peak in others profile.
4) facebook is a heavy site, specially if you have more then 30-40 apps installed, (mainly due to its AJAX style good for DSL connection but appears to be a pain in A** for the dialup users)
BUT there are a lot of reason’s which put facebook as my preference.
1) It provides privacy, more then what u can expect in orkut.
2) with its app base used properly you can create a virtual home for you in their, like i keep a tab of my movies as well as music with two apps flixter’s movie app and iLike app for facebook.
3) i am a social networker with my orkut profile reaching the 500 mark and my facebook profile i made last month only,but still i prefer networking with my friendz with whom i can interact and gain something from this interaction...and in this case i find orkut to be of much help.
4) Another great feature of facebook which many user’s in India are largely unaware of is photo tagging,by which you can tag each individual face on your pic collection with a name.
These are few of my finding’s;many people might disagree with me, and many might agree with me.

Mission N-deal;Deal sails through IAEA,braces for some NSG rough weather

2008-08-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

*As was expected after winning the trust vote the Congress-led UPA government would waste not a single minute to bring the nuclear deal on the track so as to run with full pace, a slew of diplomats has been sent in a jiffy to all the member nation having concerns with the deal around the world.The Prime Minister’s special envoy on nuclear matters, Shyam Saran, is in Ireland, which is considered by India as very difficult to be persuaded.

In a landmark step towards emerging out of its nuclear isolation, India scored a major diplomatic victory in Vienna with the IAEA Board of Governors today adopting the India-specific safeguards agreement by consensus.And in doing so, for the first time, the an international body, in this case the UN nuclear watchdog, has acknowledged India’s nuclear weapons programme. For the Indo-US nuclear deal, the bigger hurdle is up next — the Nuclear Suppliers Group which is likely to meet here on August 21.

With IAEA Director General Mohammed ElBaradei making a strong case for the India-specific safeguards agreement and Pakistan deciding against pressing for a vote, the coast was clear for New Delhi. Moreover, there was full endorsement from countries like UK, France, Finland, Russia, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Algeria and Chile. Other countries like Ghana, Ecuador, Thailand, Morocco and Bolivia also supported the deal.

The nuclear deal now moves on to the 45-member NSG, which is going to be a major diplomatic challenge for both New Delhi and Washington. Going by some serious doubts raised by NSG countries in the IAEA Board today, the next three weeks will require an even stronger diplomatic push from both countries. Apart from China, which did not quite show a distinct change of heart today, countries like Austria, Switzerland, Ireland and Norway voiced serious concerns over the impact this would have on the NPT regime.
Ireland went to extent of saying that if the safeguards agreement had been put to vote today, it would have abstained. However, South Korea, an NSG member spoke with special permission and supported inclusion of India into the nuclear mainstream.

** What ails the India-US N-deal?
The clear demarcation of Indian nuclear reactors as either civilian or military threatens the nuclear deal signed between India and the US last July. Under that agreement, signed by US President George W Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the US would try and recognise India as a civilian nuclear power, and thus allow it nuclear technology and fuel denied under the sanctions which followed India's first nuclear test on May 18, 1974. This is subject to the United States Congress allowing the necessary changes in US law.

Indo-US nuclear tango
In return, India, would have to: i. identify and separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities and programmes; ii. declare its civilian facilities to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); iii.voluntarily place civilian facilities under IAEA safeguards; iv. sign an Additional Protocol for civilian facilities; v. continue its unilateral nuclear test moratorium; vi. work with the United States to conclude a Fissile Material Cut Off Treaty (FMCT); vii. refrain from transferring enrichment and reprocessing technologies to states that do not have them, as well as support international efforts to limit their spread; viii. secure its nuclear materials and technology through comprehensive export control legislation and through harmonisation and adherence to Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and NSG guidelines.

Malaika arora khan's Vs Mallika Sherawat's hot maxim scans..!

2008-08-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

*Mallika Sherawat Biography:-Mallika Sherawat (Hindi: मल्लिका शेरावत, born October 24, 1981 as Reema Lamba in Rohtak, Haryana, India) is a popular Indian actress and model. Today, she is considered the sex symbol of India.She worked as an air hostess prior to entering films and it was around this time that she married a pilot, Karan Singh Gill. They are now divorced.Sherawat's birth name is Reema Lamba; she says that adopted the screen name of "Mallika", meaning "empress" to avoid confusion with other actresses named Reema. "Sherawat" is her mother's maiden name. She has stated that she uses her mother's maiden name because of all the support her mother has provided for her. There is also a controversy regarding her age. A news channel in India had alleged that she was already a graduate before starting to work as an airhostess and hence she can't be as young as she claims. She has also a degree in philosophy from Miranda House, Delhi University.

Vs
Malaika Arora Khan (born 23 August 1973) is an Indian supermodel and a Bollywood actress.When MTV India first started, Malaika was one of their most prominent VJ's. She rose from this to an interviewer for MTV India, becoming the most prominent and hot non-movie, non-model female in urban India. Malaika was born to a Malayalee mother and a Punjabi father. Her father Anil Arora worked in the merchant navy .Her mother's name is Joyce Polycarp.Malaika completed her tenth grade from Swami Vivekanand School ( Collector' Colony)in Chembur(Mumbai).Her Aunt Grace Polycarp was the principal of that school. She is also an alumnus of Holy Cross Convent High School, Thane where she had studied until ninth grade. Malaika lived in Borla Society opposite Basant Talkies before her modelling career.MTV India, recognizing her potential gave her prominent roles at Awards Functions and concerts telecast on the television channel. From there, she expanded her career into the modeling world. Her modeling and TV careers are going strong. At one point she was romantically linked to John Abraham. Malaika has appeared in numerous advertisements. She can also be seen in various item numbers or song and dance sequences, such as Chaiyya Chaiyya in the film Dil Se and Maahi Ve in Kaante. She has since then focused on her career as a model and television anchor. In 2005, she did another item number: Kaal Dhamaal in the movie Kaal. Now its ur turn to decide who is looking hotter......lol!My vote for mallika.....no doubt@all!donna ask why and how?ye andar ki baat hain....haha!Give me comments.....guys!

The merchant navy:all aboard for a life on the ocean wave

2008-08-02T03:36:00.000-07:00

*Seafaring may have lost its romance,but the merchant navy still has challenges...!

However, according to Angus Ferguson, senior lecturer at Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, many of the merchant navy cadets who sign up for the HND in nautical science only earn their sea legs on the course. "And some spend a lifetime at sea and still get seasick," he says, laughing.
In the UK, each cadet is sponsored by a big shipping firm - Maersk Sealand, Clyde Marine, BP Shipping, Texaco, P&O Cruises - which pays £8,000 for their education at one of the four nautical colleges: Glasgow, Blackpool and the Fylde in Fleetwood, South Tyneside College and Warsash Maritime Centre in Southampton. The companies then send them off to sea for the requisite 12 months of the four-year HND course.
It's on the high seas that the cadets get first-hand experience of the deck officer's job - to navigate the safe passage of the ship and to ensure the safe carriage of the cargo, be it oil, passengers or bananas. Merchant navy officers also work on Antarctic research vessels, diving-support vessels surveying underwater pipelines, and anchor-handling vessels that move oil platforms from one drilling well to another.
Work patterns vary, though on container ships and oil tankers officers tend to be at sea for three months, followed by two months at home. It's a great way to see the world, though with some of these ships too big to fit into a harbour, you can end up being at sea for three to four months at a time without seeing a port, warns Scales. And in this cut-throat world of profit margins, officers spend less time onshore than in the past - a four-week trip to the Far East may involve just 18 hours' port time.
So what do cadets do when they're out at sea? "Watch videos, listen to music, do distance learning courses. I tried a couple of languages when I was in deep sea," says Scales. But with no alcohol on board, and with officers on a typical four hours on, eight hours off shift cycle, there isn't much room for relaxation.
"In truth, it's not as romantic as it used to be," says Scales. "Most of the jobs where you spend time in port have gone over to foreign nationals, because they are cheaper to employ. But there is still a lot of appeal. In any other business, you never see the MD. On a ship, you start off as a cadet with a starting salary of about £17,000 working alongside the captain. Within 10 to 15 years you can be in his shoes: in charge of a £35m vessel, earning up to £50,000 and only working six months a year."
But it's not just the wages and days off that appeal. "There's a lot of camaraderie," says Scales. "When you go to sea, what you've got is what you've got. You have to make do. If things go wrong, there's so few people to work with, you have to rely on everyone to pull their weight. You're the first aider, the fire fighter, the navigator, and no day is ever the same."
So, it's a great job for an independent spirit who likes a challenge and working in a team. But who wouldn't fit the job? "It doesn't suit mummy's boys," Scales says. "If you're a person who likes to be pampered, it's not the career for you. You need common sense, an even temper and steady grounding because it can get lonely being away for so long."
Nor would it suit someone who didn't like exams and assessments. Although you can start training at 16 with just four GCSEs - maths, English and science are essential - like airline pilots, merchant navy deck officers' skills are constantly being reassessed throughout their careers. After the first 18 months at sea, officers return to college for a further four months' training to get their Chief Mate qualification. Then it's back on the waves for a further 18 months before taking the four-week Master Unlimited. Only then are they qualified to be a ship's captain, and every five years they have to have their licences re-endorsed

Salman hits back at Shahrukh again..!

2008-08-02T02:39:00.000-07:00

*The hot vibes between Salman and Shahrukh is an open secret. Media had made it a hot topic of discussion. Salman does not leave any opportunity to throw tantrums on Shahrukh. Though he has not directly referred Shahrukh as dog, but his recent comment on the blog is a clear indication the person he referred to is none other than Shahrukh.
Salman wrote, “For the next few days you will hear and read a lot of shit about me, a lot of it. Keep on reading it…but don’t react to it. I don’t. Like sometimes when you are traveling in a fast car and you find a dog chasing your car…barking away. You don’t stop the car and start reacting to the dog…u don’t…there’s no point. I don’t wish to react. I don’t have the time for it. Besides, I don’t understand the language of dogs, except for my two - Myson and Myjaan.
In reference to Paanchvi Paas failure, Salman said, “Unfortunately in our industry the developing trend is not to celebrate others success…every time another person is successful there will be someone trying to pull him down. You don’t increase your own efforts to become successful but try to always decrease someone else’s success…that’s the mantra of the industry. A man is good they say but they say it in the past tense. A lot of people out there talk highly but only once a person’s gone…Dead! These people whoever they are - are just doing their job - only what they know to do best. I chose to remain silent. I do not have the time to spend reacting. But even silence speaks. Silence makes more noise than thunder. …’Bandar Sher ko chidhata hai….’ Sirf aawaaz kar sakta hai… Kabhi Sher ko maar sakta hai? He can’t do anything. But when the Lion roars, a whole pack of monkeys fall from trees!

As u know,The two most popular Khans in Bollywood – Shahrukh and Salman clashed and quarrelled in front of friends and invitees in a party. It was the birthday party of Salman’s girlfriend Katrina Kaif hosted by Salman himself. Salman and Shahrukh who was there along with his wife Gauri were seen exchanging abuses and barbed comments.This fight between two Khans was reported by Mumbai Mirror and Mid-day. The clash started with stream of lot of issues after a few drinks. Mirror says the fight was due to some of the jokes cracked by SRK about Salman’s Ex-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai. Mid-day says that it was due to the poor rating of Shahrukh’s TV show, Kya Aap Pachvi pass se tez hain.According to it, Salman comment about Shahrukh’s TV show saying it was a superb flop. It is also said that Shahrukh too said that Salman’s show Dus Ka Dum was too a flop show.

Mid-Day says Salman was upset when SRK refused to be a part of his home production even though he made a part of Shahrukh’s game show along with Katrina and too made a guest appearance in his movie OM Shanti Om. Salman called SRK a matlabi inssan who picks up phone only when he needed people. The clash of two Khans was intervened by friends and bystanders. It is said that Aamir Khan was one of the peacemakers along with Gauri Khan.The two Khans already have a public spats during the days of Chalte Chalte when Salman reportedly stormed into the sets and created a ruckus over his then Girlfriend - Aishwarya, who was to be part of the movie. Both of them have said to have a ceasefire but there has been a few things here and there regarding them.Ab hum to bus dono ke liye dua karenge....Srk should learn lot from dis act.

Aishwarya Rai at the 7th Annual Seafarer Awards!

2008-08-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

One can easily imagine the glow on pretty Aishwarya Rai’s face when her father was given a Life Time Achievement award for serving in the maritime industry.The event was Sailor Today Awards and to complete the event was pre recorded videos of the entire Rai family talking about their relationship with Krishnaraj Rai who is a marine engineer.To add to the glamour was sizzling performance by Kim Sharma, Pooja Bedi & Aditi Gowitrikar.Aditi, Shawar Ali, Freddy walked the ramp in Sailor outfits.Also present were Rakesh Paul and Sunaina Paul, Delnaaz Paul and Rajeev Paul, Aditya Hatkari and Divya.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has received lots of awards and prizes in her life.However, Aishwarya has not been the recipient of any award at the Seventh Annual Sailor Seafarer Awards.Rather she presented the Lifetime Achievement Award in the award giving ceremony and the man she handed over the award was none other than her father, Krishnaraj Rai.Aishwarya looked very fresh in her pink dress.All the members of the Rai family were present in the award giving ceremony.
But the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly when Aishwarya Rai Bachchan awarded the Lifetime Achievement award for his contribution to the maritime industry to her father Krishnaraj Rai, and it was an emotional moment indeed as the proud daughter hugged her father on stage.Aishwarya’s husband, Abhishek Bachchan could not attend the ceremony as he was busy with his filming schedule of Delhi 6.Both Abhishek and his father Amitabh Bachchan sent their wishes for her father through SMS.

Takes da entertainment world by storm.

2008-08-02T02:22:00.000-07:00

*Merchant navy officer's daughter Takes da world by storm:-
If anyone was born to travel, it’s television host and film actress Shenaz Treasuryvala. The daughter of a Merchant Navy captain spent the first seven years of her life traveling the globe on board cargo ships carrying potatoes, onions and rice. “I was even conceived on the ship,” shares the giggly, animated star known for her work as an MTV Asia VJ. “I touched every continent by the time I was seven, every country in Europe and Asia, a few places in Africa. Mum climbed the gangway with little me in her arms,” she recalls. “The only country that didn’t let me off the ship was the United States. I didn’t have a visa at the age of three and even though my parents did, they let my parents on American soil but didn’t let me.”Shenaz’s earliest memories are not of the conventional sort, “I shall never ever forget almost getting kidnapped while climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Mum befriended a French woman who couldn’t have kids; they spent that day together exploring Pisa. Then while climbing down the leaning tower, she held me, looked at mum coldly, and said, ‘I have to take her. You can have more children, I can’t.’ ”During her time on the high seas, Shenaz’s mother handled her early education. “My mum was a teacher so she taught me the basic kindergarten stuff on the ship. At the age of seven my parents decided I had to go ashore and be enrolled into school.” And so, Shenaz, her mother and sister made their home on dry land, while her father continued to sail.Such a colorful upbringing came with its advantages and drawbacks.

Shenaz notes, “I had traveled around the world and had seen so much more than any other child my age.” However, “I didn’t know how to interact with children my age and was a bit too mature.” She jokingly adds, “Don’t worry; I’m more than making up for that now.”Whereas most children might have dreamed of escaping their backyards for a more exotic life, Shenaz entertained fantasies of a more traditional life, saying: “As I spent most of my days fishing on the deck of a huge cargo ship, I would wonder what it would be like to live on land. I fantasized about it. It seemed so unreal and far from my reality. When I finally was on land, I missed waking up in a different country every day, the rocking and rolling of the ship, the breeze in my hair as I walked around on the deck. But most of all I missed the peace and all the dreaming that I used to do as I stared into the sea for hours.”The biggest adjustment was getting used to other children. “I may have met a little boy once in Indonesia when I was four (my dad’s friend’s son), and I chased him around his home trying to kiss him. He ran for his life! And I wept all night wondering why he didn’t like me. That was also my first experience with the opposite sex—permanently damaging,” she quips. “When I moved ashore and finally was put into school, I was very quiet, shy and dreamy, not knowing how to interact with children my age.”That dreaminess soon found a channel, courtesy of playwright Arthur Miller.“My earliest career ambition was at the age of ten. My parents took me to a play,A View From the Bridge. I remember being mesmerized by the actors on stage and the power they had over the audience and me. They could manipulate my feelings and make me cry, love, hate. I told my parents I wanted to be an actress.They told me I should be a doctor or a banker,” she recounts.But showbiz came calling. “I was approached by a production coordinator while I was in what you call, high school. She asked me to test for an ad. I had been approached a few times before and just thought it was a joke and hadn’t really gone to any of the screen tests. I was a rounded kid; I didn’t see myself as a skinny model. My friends urged me to go. There were 200 other young girls at the audition. I really didn’t want to wait around all day, but my friend who was with me refused to let me leave. Luckily it was a performance-based comedy ad and I managed to make them laugh and got the ad.”Shenaz’s parents went along with her foray into entertainment. “They were cool about me doing it for fun, but after the first ad, I started getting many more offers which I took up. Soon I decided that this could be [a] lucrative business while I was in college. In order to be taken seriously I needed to get headshots. That was when they weren’t very encouraging,” says Shenaz, who had a Parsi upbringing.
A couple of years later, Shenaz ended up wearing many hats on MTV Asia. “An MTV host is just a VJ in the States where [the VJ] just does one show; in Asia [the VJ] is an actor, comedian, writer…everything, hosting and acting in every show on the channel. I was based in Singapore for two-and-a-half years, did one show from Hong Kong, another from Bangkok and the rest of the time I was based in Bombay. I hosted and acted in everything for the channel: call-in shows, live shows, comedy shows, Loveline, the Asian Jackass show, the Asian Punk’d—that was the most fun for me.” The gig provided Shenaz with more opportunities to travel, although she says, “Not as much as I would like. I saw all of India and Sri Lanka, every little city and town, which was great as I had been all over the world except my own backyard. My job with MTV was very flexible and I managed to take off a lot on my own. I spent every penny I earned on traveling.”
>>>Aside from all of that, Shenaz, who is single, spends her time, swimming, diving, taking photographs and writing. “I’ve written a screenplay and am looking for financing. Anyone out there want to produce my film? All I need is a million dollars!"
With beauty, brains, so many successes and more to come, the only thing this intriguing globetrotter lacks are frequent-flier miles. “Seriously, I think frequent-flyer miles are a farce. I’ve never gotten a free ticket. Free upgrades, yes. But they really make you work for it; you never just get them at the spur of the moment. And since most of my travel is spontaneous, it doesn’t work for me. And then again I’m not brand loyal and fly every airline, so I haven’t really got as many miles as I deserve.”