Scientists figure out what ended last ice age

The answer to what ended the last ice age, an event that ushered in a warmer climate and the birth of human civilisation, may be blowing in the winds.

In the geological blink of an eye, ice sheets in the northern hemisphere began to collapse and warming spread quickly to the south, says a study.

Most scientists say the trigger was an orbital shift that caused more sunlight to fall across Earth's northern half. But how did the south catch up so fast?

A team of researchers look to a global shift in winds for the answer. They propose a chain of events that began with the melting of the large northern hemisphere ice sheets about 20,000 years ago.

The melting ice sheets reconfigured the planet's wind belts, pushing warm air and seawater south and pulling carbon dioxide from the deep ocean into the atmosphere, allowing the planet to heat even further.

Their hypothesis makes use of climate data preserved in cave formations, polar ice cores and deep-sea sediments to describe how Earth finally thawed out.

'This paper pulls together several recent studies to explain how warming triggered in the north, moved to the south, ending an ice age. Finally, we have a clear picture of the global teleconnections in Earth's climate system that are active across many time scales,' said study co-author Bob Anderson, geochemist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (CULDEO).

'These same linkages that brought the earth out of the last ice age are active today and they will certainly play a role in future climate change as well,' Anderson added.

Earth regularly goes into an ice age every 100,000 years or so, as its orientation toward the sun shifts in what are called Milankovitch cycles, said a university release.

At the peak of the last ice age, about 20,000 years ago, with large parts of Europe and Asia buried under thick sheets of ice, Earth's orbit shifted.

More summer sunlight began falling on the northern hemisphere, melting those massive ice sheets and sending icebergs and fresh water into the North Atlantic Ocean.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Space, the final frontier

Natasha and Deepak Verma have been married 15 years, have three children, and have made a home in Noida. They also live apart for three, perhaps four, days a week. Natasha is currently on holiday with the kids, without Deepak. "My husband travels a lot and I'm very used to it," she says.

Natasha is part of an increasing number of Indians for whom 'space' is the operative word in a marriage. When Natasha says she is 'used to it', she is covering a host of situations - used to taking household decisions without consulting her husband, used to living alone, used to looking after the children on her own, used to her own 'space'. Backing up her stand is a Hindustan Times-C fore survey, conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chandigarh among 2,026 respondents aged 16 to 40, which shows exactly how much the face of the modern Indian marriage has changed.

Of the 10 questions to which the survey sought answers, two were: 'If you had to have more space in your relationship, would you consider spending a designated time apart?' and 'Do you believe a long-distance relationship can work?' Answers: 'Yes' from 55 and 53 per cent of the respondents, respectively. Kavita Rajwade (30) and Joel Pereira (29) of Mumbai have been married for a year-and-a-half. She loves sport, he runs from it.

They have three TV sets, and Kavita spends a lot of time in the living room watching sport, while Joel is in the bedroom, surfing the Net or reading. "I hang out with my male friends to watch various sports events. Joel may or may not join me, and we are okay with it," she says. "We kind of co-exist, but we aren't stuck to each other." The issue of space in urban Indian marriages has now caught the attention of experts.

"Along with family, today, friends and lifestyle choices are equally important. The institution of marriage is undergoing a change to accommodate these choices," says Ameeta Sanghavi Shah, a Mumbai-based hypnotherapist and relationship expert. Kolkata-based marriage counsellor Anuttama Banerjee says many more couples are reluctant to make emotional investments in a marriage. "They look at marriage from a realistic angle, to make it conflict-free," she says.

There is increasing acceptance of the fact that it is reasonable to need or want space in one's marriage, which doesn't necessarily mean that the marriage is in trouble. Mumbai-based media professional Aastha Atray, 28, and her audio engineer husband Kishore Banan, 31, are at opposite poles when it comes to socialising.

So instead of forcing him to go out with her, Aastha plans night-outs with girlfriends. She thinks the freedom to do what one likes is important, because "if we do everything together, we will get on each other's nerves". So widespread is the emotion that it is now even possible to categorise the kind of space one is looking for, as many experts are doing. So you could be looking for 'away space', for instance - holidays alone, time without spouse or kids - or 'financial space' - separate bank accounts or investments.

You could want 'working space', 'emotional space', even 'creative space'. Delhi-based psychotherapist Neeru Kanwar Chaudhury, a member of the Indian Association of Family Therapy and founder trustee of the Psychological Foundation, talks about "this new term" commitment phobia, and how, in the past 12-15 years, "more and more couples mismatch with regard to space".

Across cities, experts describe how couples that spend 90 per cent of their waking hours in office are overworked, stressed, and unwilling to risk their careers to have children.

As work makes one or both partners travel extensively, distance is bound to creep in, says Chaudhury. "If distancing is a convenient method to not confront an issue, sooner or later, something will backfire," she adds. Of course, there are allied questions: does distance encourage more couples to philander? What happens when two spaces occasionally collide? "You need not live in separate towns for an extra-marital affair to happen. It boils down to trust. If you want to make it work, you will," says Natasha. Aastha feels the time spent apart helps couples cherish time spent together. "If possible, I'd love to have my own room," she says.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Beggar who gave alms to the poor

A beggar on Saturday proved that charity only needs a big heart rather than deep pockets. Khimjibhai Prajapati, 64 and a beggar in Mehsana for a decade, donated clothes to 11 poor hearing and speech-impaired girls at the Shrimati Kesarbai Kilachand School for the Deaf.

Rich philanthropists have been a more common sight but it was the first time ever that a beggar had walked into the school to share his savings. It was an unusual sight. An unkempt Khimjibhai in tattered, unwashed clothes, limped through the school gates on crutches and placed the brand new clothes in the hands of 11 eager girls. He had used his savings of Rs 3,000 to buy the clothes.

Khimjibhai begs outside the Simandhar Swami Jain Temple in Mehsana and outside the Hanuman Temple. He lives nearby and asks the devotees for alms.

So why did he give alms to the unfortunate children at the school? Khimjibhai said, "I just need two meals a day and some money to send back to my ailing wife in Rajkot to cure her ulcers and lung infection. Apart from this, whatever I earn I use to buy food for poor, hungry people. Since a long time I wished to do something for girls and I am happy to donate for them".

Khimjibhai used to run a tea stall in Rajkot but escalating prices and shrinking profit margins wreaked huge losses and left him on the streets.

His faith in God brought him to Mehsana where he took shelter outside the Jain temple. "Whether rich or poor, one should always try to help the needy," he says. Khimjibhai helped an orphanned girl marry some time ago.

Bharat Shah, a trustee of the institution that runs the school, said, "I have never seen such philanthropy in the 35 years of career. He just goes on to prove that the true donor is he who has one roti and shares half with the hungry."

One of those who received clothes was Swati Bhagwandas, an orphan who has been at the residential school for years. The 18-year old's eyes shone with happiness.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

End of the road for yellow-black cabs in Delhi?

It seems the end of the road for the black-and-yellow taxis that have been for decades a part of the capital's street scene.

With the Delhi government hiking the fares of such cabs and introducing cheaper and more comfortable radio taxis, a bleak future stares ahead for the few hundred of such cabs that were run mostly by hardy entrepreneurs from Punjab and Haryana.

The Delhi government has denied it will be phasing out the yellow-black cabs or auto rickshaws, but the cab drivers are not amused.

On June 22, the Delhi government said that new radio cabs will charge a competetive Rs.10 per kilometre - compared to Rs.20 by the yellow-black cabs - virtually signing their death warrant. In fact, the state government plans to get 1,000 of such radio cabs in the next three-four months.

'We have seen some good times. But the future looks extremely bleak,' Rakesh Kumar, of Sangam Tourist Service in R.K. Puram in south Delhi, told IANS.

For many of these owners, it was an entrepreneurial effort to start such taxi stands that dotted many residential and market areas and could be hailed with a phone call to their all-weather taxi stands.

The earlier cabs were the sturdy Ambassadors. They were gradually replaced by the more modern Maruti Omnis and Maruti 800s.

But the Ambassador has its own nostalgic value. Many loyal customers still swear by it.

'The yellow-black Ambassador reminds me of my youth. I have always been fascinated by it and the same is the case with many of my friends. Even today, I try to take one,' said 62-year old Keshav Kumar Sharma.

However, Samir Singh, a young executive, said he had a terrible time once. 'I was coming from the airport and took this taxi. The driver was rude and drove recklessly. We had narrow misses. I had an argument with him and I thought it was better to get off and save my life,' he added.

Raman Mathur, 50, said the shift from Ambassadors came with the advent of radio cabs, which were well-maintained and the drivers polite. 'It's so easy to get cabs now. They just come to ones' doorstep. And are so comfortable,' he told IANS.

With the government planning to introduce non-AC Maruti Altos, Chevrolet Sparks and Maruti Omnis as radio taxis, the humble Ambassador cabs may vanish from the roads altogether - just like the horse-driven carriage or tongas.

'These new radio taxis are also non-AC just like ours, so what is the point of introducing them? Already the other radio cabs have taken a toll on our business; this step is just not needed,' said an upset Kumar.

He said many taxi owners had to close shop overnight after flyovers came up or roads were widened and their shacks were demolished. 'What can we do? Where we can go? This is our livelihood. We just looked for some place else. But now this.. It means, we are history,' he said.

Kumar said he has just paid the last instalment for his new Ambassador taxi. 'Now when it was time for me to earn without being bothered by instalments, this is what I get.'

Rishipal Solanki of General Taxi Stand in Janakpuri has a similar tale of woes.

'I bought a new Ambassador taxi but was forced to sell it at a loss two years later because of the government's order to switch to CNG. We have been in this business for the last 18 years. Why is it that poor people always have to suffer?,' he asked.

Charanjit Singh Nijjar, owner of 50-year-old Bengal Taxi Company in Shankar Road, feels frustrated. He had to sell six diesel cars at a loss when the government made it mandatory to switch to CNG ten years back.

'We are used to these kinds of orders now. First it was the CNG, now the new radio taxi guidelines. The government is finding new ways of troubling us every few years,' he said.

According to a Delhi government official, the introduction of new cabs is only to promote healthy competition in the market and denied any plan to phase out the autos and yellow-black taxis.

'We have plans to provide commuters with several options and the market will decide which cabs will remain or which will go,' a senior transport official told IANS.

He said by the year-end, around 2,000-3,000 new non-AC radio taxis would be out on Delhi roads.

Voicing the frustration and unhappiness of his lot, Nijjar says, 'We will throw our taxis in the garbage bin.'

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Quiz dating comes to Mumbai

It's an original dating concept for singles. Positioned along the lines of speed dating, where strangers are given a few minutes to make conversation and gauge their chemistry, Mingle is a pub quiz for singles.

For 23-year-old Maneka Sacchar, it's a way to make cerebral connections. Sacchar moved to Mumbai about three months ago, and hasn't been able to make friends since. "People fear being perceived as a pile-on or just appearing to be too easy. There aren't many places where you can go alone if you want to party or meet like-minded people," she says.

To battle that, Sacchar attended Mingle at Cafe Kino 108, where she met the right crowd. "It was fun, and safe to be in the company of strangers. Plus, the quiz master was cute," she smiles.

Bombay Elektrik Projekt's Sushil Verghese, the 'cute' quizmaster, had just that in mind, when he came up with the concept of Mingle. "The idea is to mingle amongst like-minded individuals and hopefully make friends. Mumbai is a very lonely city and it gets tough if you don't have friends to fall back on. The idea of making friends in a pub hasn't developed in India, so this will breaks the ice," explains Verghese.

So will the new pick-up line be - will you quiz with me tonight?

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Saudi Arabian mother becomes al-Qaeda's 'First Lady'

A woman in Saudi Arabia, Heila al-Qusayyer, has been named the al-Qaeda's 'First Lady', who was running a cell of 60 militants and is believed to have been the Arabian peninsula's principal fund-raiser for the terror outfit.

Qusayyer holds a degree in geography and was married to a former executive, Abdulkareem al-Humaid, from Aramco, the state oil company, who gave up all his worldly possessions to become a radical preacher.

"The story of this woman, who was involved in collecting money, with that money finding its way to al-Qaeda, has been like an alarm call to us," The Telegraph quoted General Mansur al-Turki of the Saudi Interior Ministry, as saying.

There had been previous arrests of women terrorists, including some involved in bomb preparation, but because of sensitivity towards the role of women, they were returned home, the paper said.

However, the country's approach to suspects has become tougher across the board after Saeed al-Shehri, the deputy leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and a former Guantanamo Bay inmate, returned to Saudi Arabia and then fled to Yemen, it added.

Shehri has demanded the release of Heila al-Qusayyer, who had been arrested in February.

According to the report, the authorities, based on confessions of Qusayyer, have revealed that she used the cover of Islamic charities to obtain donations of cash and jewellery that she passed on to al-Qaeda.

Wafa al-Shehri, wife of Saeed al-Shehri, was a key intermediary, returning to Saudi Arabia to recruit women and girls. But Qusayyer is also said to have been intending to join Saeed al-Shehri and become his second wife, it added. (ANI)

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

US puts six-year-old Indian origin American girl on "no fly" list

The US Homeland Security Department has put a six-year-old Indian origin American girl on the "no fly" list on the grounds of having suspected ties to terrorists.

Alyssa Thomas, 6, is under the spotlight of the US Government, and her family recently came to know that she is on the "no fly" list maintained by the US Homeland Security.

"We were, like, puzzled. I'm like, well, she's kinda six-years-old and this is not something that should be typical," said Dr. Santhosh Thomas.

During a recent trip from Cleveland to Minneapolis, Dr. Thomas and his wife were made aware of the listing. The ticket agent at the Continental counter at Hopkins Airport notified the family, FOX News reports.

"They said, well, she's on the list. We're like, okay, what's the story? What do we have to do to get off the list? This isn't exactly the list we want to be on," said Dr. Thomas.

The Thomas family was allowed to make their trip but they were told to contact the Homeland Security to clear up the matter. Alyssa received a letter from the government, notifying the six-year-old that nothing will be changed and they won't confirm nor deny any information they have about her or someone else with the same name.

"She's been flying since she was two-months old, so that has not been an issue. In fact, we had traveled to Mexico in February and there were no issues at that time," said Alyssa's dad.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, Alyssa never had any problems before because the Secure Flight Program just began in June for all domestic flights.

The Thomas family can still fly, but the check-in process will likely take much longer. They plan on making another appeal to US Homeland Security. (ANI)

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Smiling increases your happiness: Study

If you have undergone a Botox treatment, you should smile more often to feel happier, suggests a new research.

Botox, used to fight facial wrinkles, is made of an extremely toxic protein called Botulinum toxin that temporarily paralyses the muscles that cause creases. So, your face looks frozen if you don’t have facial expressions at all.

Now the lack of facial expressions may influence emotional experiences as well, the research found. Which means, that being unable to smile when you are happy feeds back to the brain reducing the intensity of feeling.

"With Botox, a person can respond otherwise normally to an emotional event, [such as] a sad movie scene, but will have less movement in the facial muscles that have been injected, and therefore less feedback to the brain about such facial expressivity," The Telegraph quoted researcher Joshua Davis, a psychologist at Barnard College in New York, as saying.

In a before-and-after experiment, researchers noted the facial expressions and emotional experiences of some patients who were injected with Botox and found that they exhibited an overall significant decrease in the strength of emotional experience.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

'Indians are the most ambitious workers'

Indians are the most mobile workers in the world, willing to switch jobs for better career opportunities than their peers in other parts of the world, a survey has found.

The quarterly work monitor report by HR service provider Ma Foi Randstad, which considered factors like employee satisfaction and personal motivation to analyse mobility pattern of workers, discovered Indian employees had the highest aspiration levels followed by those in Mexico and China.

"We see an increasing trend in mobility among employees in India, followed by a strong focus on promotion. This reflects rising aspiration levels in Indian workforce", Ma Foi Randstad CEO (India & Sri Lanka) K Pandia Rajan said.

The survey, which provides an understanding of the job market sentiment and employee trends, is based on a mobility index based on responses of workers in 25 countries. It shows the extent to which employees are thinking of switching jobs at a short-term level in comparison to other countries in the world.

The mobility index found Indian workforce was the most flexible in the world, with their mobility rising to 147 index points in the second quarter of 2010 as compared to 140 in the first quarter this year.

"The maximum employee churn across the globe will be in India, followed closely by China and Mexico. This is also corroborated by the findings of factual job change in the past six months, where again the scores are the highest in India (45 per cent) followed by China (33 per cent)," the survey said.

Rajan said the survey finding could help provide meaningful inputs to the employers, who can create effective solutions to engage and develop workforce.

People in Luxembourg (78), Germany (87) and Hungary (88) were the least likely to move jobs. Employee mobility level in USA was stable while in UK slightly more people shifted jobs this quarter than the previous quarter this year.

In India, the mobility index moved up the maximum in Delhi, while it actually reversed in Bangalore, which is perhaps an early sign of stability, the survey noted.

Interestingly, the mobility intent was found to be higher amongst women than men. Also employees earning in the salary bracket of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, were likely to shift more jobs than others.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Yoga in my Blood…Not!

I love yoga. My attempts at yoga have always been filled with unique experiences.

A few months back, I call up a yoga centre close to home to find out its exact location so I could join the classes.

A few weeks later I call up to find out about the timings of the classes.

Days later I call and ask the friendly lady “Where is the centre again?”

Yet again, I dial her number to see whether they provide yoga mats or “should I bring my own?” And she patiently answers.

Weeks later I still hadn’t joined the class. I say enough is enough and make my way to the said location. I can’t find the building. So I call her up to say I’m there, could she please tell me where I’m supposed to turn?

But what do you know, she refuses to pick up my calls. I guess she’s saying enough is enough! I call her again to say I’m dead serious about joining her classes this time but she doesn’t budge.

So return home cursing myself for being so lax.

Maybe I’m just not meant to do yoga. I remember the last time I went yoga classes was back in college.

A gang of us enrolled thinking that’s a good way to start your day. We were expecting to be uplifted spiritually and pass the rest of the day in peace. We couldn’t have been more wrong.

The first day a prominent (?) lawyer, the guruji’s disciple – came to teach us the basics and said what a great Guruji has agreed to teach us. When she spoke of him she had a surreal smile on her. He the compassionate one, he the one who knows everything there is to know about yoga, he the one who’ll change us all. We were already feeling holy and waiting to meet him.

So the next day, we all arrive rather early in the morning, still groggy and wait for the guruji and his lawyer disciple. Our first impression of the guruji was non-newsworthy. He looked like any other yoga teacher. Long unkempt hair, with the trademark beard and a semblance of a benevolent smile. Can’t remember whether he was bare-chested or clothed.

The classes began as I had expected. I’d taken some classes in school (there’s another story) so I knew the basics. Our teacher was no Baba Ramdev, but he had his own style. At the end of the class, guruji whispers into his disciple’s ear and she smiles shyly and turns to us and says, “bring some music the next day”. Guruji chips in “music is good for the soul…”

We were instructed that the music had to be fast, to be able to dance to it. So the next day we bring our collection of the latest pop music. Towards the end of the class he gestures towards the CD player, our cue to get up and dance.

So the girls, around 20 of us, slowly move to the beat, still unsure of what exactly we were supposed to do. We’d never heard of yoga classes with pop music. It seemed like an oxymoron. Anyway, apparently we weren’t getting right so guruji shows us how. He starts with jumping jacks. He spins round and round, his long hair all over the place.

And we girls froze, in slow motion we look at each other, keeping one eye on our beloved guruji. Were we supposed to jump too? Saying it felt like something out of a movie would be a cliché, but that’s how it was. Really.

So that’s another experience with yoga. But my affair with it started in school like I mentioned. It was part of our PE class. Every other day for an hour or so we practiced yoga. It calmed us boisterous girls down. I don’t remember much about what our American PE teacher taught us (he himself was learning it from books and teaching us). But I do remember how the classes always ended-with me sleeping soundly.

Of all the yoga moves, Savasana is what I loved. Sleeping was the best part of yoga. Mr Patterson’s soft voice would lull us to sleep, “Toes facing out…palms open…back rested flat on the ground…close your eyes…” And I’d invariably be the one with the soundest sleep. So much so that at the end of every single class, he’d be on his knees tapping my toes gently nudging me out of my slumber. Embarrassing.

But I’m not giving up. I’m going to find another yoga centre and see what that one has to offer me in experience. So if you know of a place that’ll take in an erratic student who loves to sleep in every class and doesn’t mind a little music thrown in; you know who to shout out to.

Source:http://in.yfittopostblog.com

Small Pleasures of Life

It’s amazing how sometimes we’re overwhelmed by the simple pleasures of life. Like a few words of reassurance, a compliment, a look of the eyes that tells you it’s one of genuine concern, a squeeze of the hand, a kiss, a hug or even a phone call.

It’s a pity that we often overlook them in our daily grind and look for more expensive means to tackle our depression, insecurity, self-doubt, self pity, and the works. And thanks to our myopic vision, the psychologists, marriage counsellors, education counsellors, and whathaveyous are having a field day out there.

Relationships and marriages are the worst sufferers. They are falling apart like nine pins because neither can take the stress at work and obviously they don’t have the patience or tolerance to hear each other out amicably once back home. The war’s given up even before it’s begun. They agree a third party intervention is essential to sort their personal matters out. And sharing confidential information with third parties always come for a price. A rather hefty one at that. But no worries, there’s enough disposable income to waste on the quirks. One’s pain and loss provides vicarious emotional and financial pleasure to another.

“Am in love” is a phrase that has been duly replaced with “Am going steady” “or am in a relationship”. Being in love, feeling the warmth of his/her presence, wallowing in love, blinded by love are all passé and one runs the risk of being branded an emotional fool. It’s all about a “workable relationship” now. Will it or won’t it work. Simple.

Move aside, heart. Step in, head. Don’t dream about those never-ending walks into the sunset or the cosy rain-soaked cuddle. Just do it, sing those romantic songs and dance around a few trees, if you must.

Don’t just plunge in and say “I love you.” Think of the kind of “investments” you need to make and the various “exit plans” you must keep handy before saying “I Do”.

Alas, why didn’t I think of these ever? Haven’t made any investments, nor do I have an exit plan. Just plunged into the deep end and swimming my way through. Is my future doomed? Or am I just being an incurable romantic?

At the risk of all those rotten tomatoes landing in my comment section, I’d still say: People, save that money, take some time off to sit down and look into each other’s eyes, hold that hand, smile, hug and kiss. And, when you are miles away, just call. Priceless ways of working wonders on that mind and heart.

Also, heed my colleague Khristina’s tips on what to ask before you say “I do” and Rummana’s take on after you say it.

Source:http://in.yfittopostblog.com

College aspirants queue up for cosmetic surgery

Is the first impression really the last impression? Yes, especially for the young lot joining colleges. So concerned are they about their looks that they are going in for liposuction and rhinoplasty to get that perfect look.

Youngsters in the 18-22 age group are flocking to parlours and clinics and are ready to splurge money to get that perfect look. Thier number is increasing every year.

'Four-five years back, I had 80-90 beauty treatment cases, but now it has increased to 120 cases a year. All before the college season starts,' Ajaya Kashyap, cosmetic surgeon at Apollo Hospital, told IANS.

'Youngsters these days don't mind going under the knife if it gives them the desired look. This trend catches up before the new session in college begins. The most popular surgeries among females are liposuction, laser surgeries and rhinoplasty,' he added.

Some of these youngsters are influenced by Hollywood and Bollywood stars. But Samir Parikh, consultant psychiatrist at Max Healthcare in New Delhi, says peer pressure drives these youngsters to knock at the doors of cosmetic surgeons.

'A lot of students these days are not satisfied with their looks because they think their friends look better. They want themselves to be well appreciated in college, as far as looks are concerned,' said Parikh.

For instance, Vartika Seth, 19, is all set to begin her college life in July and before that, she is planning to go for scar-removal therapy.

'The only reason why I am going for this treatment right now is because there are long holidays ahead. The marks which come on the face after surgery can easily heal during this time,' she said.

As far as the charges go, liposuction costs anything between Rs.60,000 and Rs.100,000, whereas breast reduction easily costs around Rs.50,000 to Rs.60,000.

Experts feel one should not opt for surgeries so early in life.

'At this age getting the cosmetic surgeries done may not be a very healthy option. But if at all they are getting it done, they should make sure they are going to an experienced surgeon who doesn't leave any after-effects or spoil their skin,' said cosmetic surgeon Meenakshi Aggarwal.

Aggarwal also emphasised that it is not just girls who are looking for a makeover; boys too have become conscious.

'They too want to look good in a t-shirt and a heavy chest makes them look awkward and ruins their confidence. So I get a lot of queries from young boys for breast reduction.'

Apollo's Kashyap also gave some tips for the cosmetic surgery.

'Before going for the liposuction, one must quit smoking. If one is going for rhinoplasty, one shouldn't have breathing problems. After a sitting of laser surgery, they shouldn't expose themselves to sunlight. These are some of the precautions one can take for healthy surgeries,' he said.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

India asks US to remove ISRO, DRDO from banned list

India has 'very firmly' asked the US to ease export controls and remove top Indian agencies like the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the banned list.

'We have taken up export controls very firmly' Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma. told reporters Wednesday at the end of a three day visit asserting there was no justification for such controls 'after elevating our relationship to a strategic partnership' and the signing of the India-US civil nuclear deal.

Noting that DAE, ISRO and other institutions involved in high end research were actively involved in partnership or in coordination with US agencies, he said: 'India cannot be bracketed with other countries.'

'Our entities, particularly the government research organisations like ISRO and the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), must not remain on the list,' Sharma said.

The US side had been 'very receptive and reassuring', he said hoping that the issue would be sorted out soon.

Sharma said that in his separate meeting with US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, he had also raised labour related non-tariff barriers, other market access issues and removal of India from the Special 301 watch list of countries engaged in practices impeding US exports.

He also raised issues relating to the Totalisation Agreement for avoiding double taxation of income with respect to social security taxes, H-1B visas for Indian skilled labour and Generalised System of Preferences.

'We are all working on various deliverables' for the forthcoming visit of US President Barack Obama to India, Sharma said.

To this end, he would be back in Washington in September for a meeting of the Trade Policy Forum for facilitating trade and investment flows between the two countries. He had also invited Kirk and US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to Delhi to look at possible deliverables.

Asked about Kirk's call's to India to address 'longstanding impediments' like investment caps, agricultural market access barriers, high tariffs and intellectual property rights, Sharma said he had conveyed that India was fully TRIPS compliant.

The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is an international agreement administered by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that sets down minimum standards for many forms of intellectual property (IP) regulation.

'We are also party to multilateral agreements within WTO and GATTS (General Agreement on Tariffs And Trade),' he said. But tariffs was 'a two way process. There are certain tariff and non-tariff barriers, which we feel are important to be raised' and he had done so.

Stressing that India is committed to a strong and equitable IPR regime and has put in place legislation and enforcement mechanisms to this effect, Sharma said that the issue of balance cannot be wished away.

'Be it technology or life saving drugs, there has to be balance and sharing so that the resource poor countries are not denied access to these.'

On US industry demands for raising investment caps and opening retail trade and defence, he said India has a liberal and transparent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regime in place.

But in a few sectors like banking and insurance, defence and retail trade, India favoured calibrated liberalisation on account of domestic sensitivities.

On Doha round of world trade talks, Sharma said: 'India is committed to put in place a rule based multilateral trade regime, which is fair, balanced and ensures better market access and corrects the historical imbalances.'

Such a regime would 'help in creating an environment where global commerce enhances. And that in itself is the only way to an effective way to global economic recovery,' he said.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

World's most expensive suit on sale for 599,000 pounds

An eye-tempting diamond studded suit with the price tag of 599,000 pounds is world's most expensive suit.

The bespoke suit, made with cashmere wool, silk and diamonds, took more than 600 hours to produce.

Stuart Hughes, Liverpool-based designer, said almost 500 diamonds were embodied throughout the suit.

Only three of the design by tailor Richard Jewels, from Manchester, are being made.

The first one has already been sold to a buyer in France. It is a size 41 with a long fit.

Jewels and Hughes are donating ten per cent of each sale to the Haiti relief fund.

"I hope to establish a luxury brand that will not only capture the eyes but the hearts of the consumers. The Jewels brand for men and women will offer unrivalled customer service," the Sun quoted Jewels as saying. (ANI)

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

No dough from Dow for now

A Rs 1,300- crocre bill for an enhanced compensation package for Bhopal gas victims will be picked up by you for now and not Dow Chemicals, the owners of Union Carbide. The new package was recommended by the group of ministers (GoM) on the 1984 disaster.

The government will also take up the cleaning of Union Carbide's factory site and the surrounding areas in Bhopal at its own cost, which could be up to Rs 300 crore. This amount too will be picked up by the Indian taxpayer.

However, a GoM member, who did not wish to be named, said, "We will pay the compensation money right away from the taxpayers' kitty. But we will pursue a curative petition (in the Supreme Court against the earlier settlement in the case) against Dow Chemicals and pin the responsibility on them."

For Dow Chemicals to pay the money, the petition has to be admitted by the Supreme Court. The government, for its part, will have to vigorously pursue the case for a higher claim against the MNC.

Opposition parties are sceptical about this, saying the prospect of foreign investment could inhibit the government. The GoM member said, "We have arrived at a figure of Rs 1,300 crore. It really should not be more than that.''

The break-up, according to road transport and highways minister Kamal Nath, also a GoM member, is that those who died in the gas leak will get Rs 10 lakh each, those permanently disabled Rs 5 lakh, those with minor injuries Rs 1 lakh and victims suffering cancer and renal failure Rs 2 lakh. Sources said the government's calculation on the compensation amount is flawed.

Activists in Bhopal put the number of dead at over 15,000, while the government is sticking to a figure of nearly 6,000. The Madhya Pradesh government had sought a Rs 5,000 crore compensation package.

State minister Babulal Gaur, who is on the GoM, is said to have placed this demand before the Union ministers, but it was set aside. But, there is no move from the GoM to do another survey for a fresh count of the victims. Abdul Jabbar Khan, an activist working with the gas victims, said: "All figures with the government on the number of victims is from the then Madhya Pradesh government, which fixed the numbers based on what Union Carbide wanted." An Indian Council of Medical Research survey put the number of gas affected at 6 lakh. Meanwhile, the results of a survey by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in 1987 were seized by the Madhya Pradesh government and are still frozen.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar accused the Congress of trying to protect the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as well as Dow Chemicals. He said the present BJP government in Madhya Pradesh would do a fresh survey to get the actual figures. "We want a new survey. The GoM is in a tearing hurry to take decisions to keep Rajiv Gandhi's name out," he claimed.

The CPM's Nilotpal Basu said, "We want an independent inquiry into all aspects of the Bhopal case before any decision is taken." In February 1989, the Supreme Court fixed the compensation for Bhopal victims at $ 470 million.

This was paid by Union Carbide in February. N. D. Jayaprakash of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Sangharsh Samiti said all the recommendations of the GoM should be placed before an all- party meeting before any decisions are taken.

Even as the GoM cleared the proposal for the clean- up of the toxic site, questions are being asked whether the government decision to fund the clean- up absolves Dow Chemicals of any liability - precisely the demand made by the latter.

Various NGOs and the activists campaigning for Bhopal gas victims have been demanding that Dow Chemicals be held responsible for the remediation process at the site and pay up. The Madhya Pradesh High Court is hearing a case of who should pay for cleaning the toxic site at the now defunct plant.

Dow had always insisted that liability, if any, is of Union Carbide and no liability rests with it - Carbide was taken over by Dow in 1999.

M AIL T ODAY accessed the documents containing letters exchanged between Dow and ministers on setting up a fund to clear the toxic waste following the gas leak.

In 2006, Dow's boss Andrew Liveris had written to Ronen Sen, India's Ambassador to the US, asking for withdrawal of a court application seeking a Rs 100 crore deposit for the clean- up.

According to his letter, "certainly a withdrawal of application would be positive, tangible demonstration that the GOI (government of India) means what it says about Dow's lack of responsibility in the matter. It follows logically from the GOI statements regarding the nonliability of Dow that the ministry of chemical and fertiliser should now withdraw its application for a financial deposit against the remediation costs." Even the external affairs ministry in its note titled Issues emerging from Indo- US CEO's meet, wrote: " Dow Chemicals is set to make large investments in India but have run into difficulties because of potential legal liabilities arising from the fact that it purchased Union Carbide Limited long after the Bhopal Disaster and after all civil claims were settled as per the Supreme Court decision." The note further added, "The issue is obviously complex and have implications for investors' generally. There is also a case for speeding implantation of a site remediation plan. Since delaying this matter only perpetuates concerns."

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Daily diet for working women

When I'm hard at work I have no time for anything. So much so that my rumbling tummy and parched throat are ignored! In the end I eat at vague hours and snack on junk or whatever lies in my drawer.

Health experts suggest women make time for food breaks. Make a custom food chart to maintain a healthy diet and avoid hunger pangs during the day. It can be fun! Use these points as a guide.

7 am: Begin with lemon

"Add three teaspoons of lemon juice to lukewarm water and drink it first thing in the morning," says Dr Ravneet Arora, a nutritionist. This concoction facilitates absorption of nutrients and eliminates fat from the body.

7.30 am: Tea and Biscuits

Biscuits prevent acidity in the morning. "Eat digestive biscuits or cream crackers which give the body fibre," says Dr Arora.

8.30 am: Breakfast like a queen

"You should eat plenty of carbohydrates in the morning to give your body enough calories for the day," says Rajesh Desai, a fitness expert. Dr Arora says a good breakfast should include one of the following: Two chapatis with sabji or idli and sambhar or wheat/oat flakes with milk or a brown bread sandwich.

"Breakfast should be a full meal because the stomach has been empty for 10-12 hours," she says.

11.30 am: Mid-morning snack

"Drink fresh fruit juice to speed up fat absorption. Squeeze in two biscuits or plain wheat khakras to avoid feeling too hungry by lunchtime," says Dr Arora.

2 pm: Eat lunch like a common man

Lunch should be lighter than breakfast to avoid feeling lethargic in the afternoon, says Desai. "Lunch should fulfill your nutritional requirements for the day. It can include salad, two chapatis, dal or sabji," says Dr Arora.

5 pm: Mid-evening snack

Dr Arora recommends eating at least one seasonal fruit along with some roasted nuts, popcorn or whole wheat bread in the evening. "A handful of roasted nuts are ideal since they satisfy your hunger without getting too many calories in," she says.

8 pm: Eat dinner like a pauper

According to Desai, dinner should be the lightest meal of the day. "Dinner should include soup, porridge or salad, with one chapati, dal and sabji," says Dr Arora.

10 pm: A glass of warm milk?

Before going to bed. "It takes care of your calcium intake and some claim it helps them sleep better," says Dr Arora.

"Your metabolism depends on the frequency of eating and the amount of exercise you do," Dr. Arora adds.

So pin up this timetable at the soft board on your desk, or set reminders on your cell phone. You need to eat every 2- 3 hours to stay healthy!

Source:http://www.idiva.com

Sikh's turban ban not racism: New Zealand club

Members of a New Zealand club which denied a Sikh man's entry because he was wearing a turban say the issue has nothing to do with racism and they are ready to defend their rules in court.

The Sikh Council of New Zealand is seeking action from Human Rights Commission against the south Auckland's Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club after volunteer worker Karnail Singh was barred entry because his turban breached its no-headwear policy.

The issue was not one of racism, said Con Linton, a member since the late 1960s. He said the 3,500-member club has members belonging to different culture including Asian, Iraqi, Pacific Island, Pakeha and Maori.

'You could possibly stereotype us and say we are rednecks with people who do not like turbans but that would be democracy at its worst. Where it (the headwear policy) originated I don't know but people have never found it hard to conform with - until lately,' he said.

Several club members said that it 'has access to barristers and solicitors like anyone else' and will fight any moves to enforce changes, The New Zealand Herald reported.

'To me it would appear the feeling is quite clear that we are a private club with its own rules much like many other clubs throughout the country,' said Peter Kelly, a member for 43 years.

'But if there is an enforcement on this particular issue on the Manurewa Cossie club, it surely will have repercussions on other clubs and some of their rules in general. 'I think we would fight - why wouldn't we ?'

Kelly, 75, said the turban issue was raised at the club's annual meeting last Sunday, where only five of the 304 people voted to amend the policy of excluding religious headwear.

'I daresay that if I went down to the Sikh temple I would take my shoes off ... that is one of their conditions I believe, so if it is I would just comply,' he was quoted as saying. 'All we are saying is just comply with the rules of the cossie club.'

Sikh Council spokesman Verpal Singh believed at least one practicing member of the Sikh community had entered the club wearing a turban, but this was denied by the club's manager, Patricia Rangi.

'We had asked them to resolve this anomaly and bring their definition of headwear in line with the courts of law and RSAs and other cosmopolitan clubs which would not bring the turban under the curfew on headwear rules that they have,' Singh said.

He refused to comment when asked if the issue was a case of intolerance towards other cultures.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Flight delayed? You can soon seek compensation

Air travellers would now be compensated for cancellation or delays in flights which have not been caused by situations like fog or any reason beyond the control of the airlines, if a new draft rule is implemented.

New rules detailing the conditions of compensation have been drafted by the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which has invited comments from the public before finalising them.

The decision came in the wake of rapid expansion of air services on domestic and international routes and the necessity for the government to ensure appropriate protection for air travellers in case of flight disruptions, denied boarding, cancellations and delays without due notice to the passengers, an official spokesperson said.

As the distinction between scheduled and non-scheduled services was coming down, such protectionary measures would also be provided to passengers travelling on non-scheduled flights, like charters, also.

Under the draft Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), the financial compensation would be given only if the cost of ticket is higher than the compensation amount. It would be Rs 2,000 or the value of the ticket whichever is less for flights having a block time of up to and including one hour. Till two hours, the compensation would be Rs 3,000 or the value of the ticket whichever is less. Similarly, if the delay is more than two hours, the amount would be Rs 4,000 or the value of the ticket whichever is less.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Exercise ke Side Effects

There is nothing wrong in riding a bike or dancing every morning, especially in the name of a good workout. But my back had taken enough of it. So much so that the doc wanted me to stop doing both.

After some five years of dance aerobics and 10 years of bike rides in Bangalore, my lower back seems to hate both these activities. This past week, I stood in the hospital wondering where exactly did I go wrong and struggled to find answers. The doc had an interesting response – “There is nothing wrong in either of these activities. Your body seems to reject it though. The faster you accept this, the earlier you’ll find a cure.”

One of the discs in my lower back has just begun to dislocate (nothing serious for now) and considering I have managed to get myself to the doc on time, ‘lifestyle’ changes are the only solution to this problem, he says.

What does that mean?

No long bike rides, no bending forward, no lifting heaving weights, no aerobics or any activity that involves jumping and jiving…well, to cut to the chase, there were too many nos.

An early bird like me now tries to figure out the best way to stay fit and I have been told that light jogging, swimming and yoga are some of my options. The thought of not sweating it out in the morning is killing. But hey, not at the cost of my back. So no complaints.

Two things hit me real hard this past week:

• The best time to visit a doc is when you think you don’t need one
• The faster to you realize what your body can’t take, the better

As I sit at home or go for those quiet walks in the mornings, I have begun to accept all the reality checks of the past week. I realize now, more than ever, the importance of having health by my side. So all you folks abusing your body with untimely eating habits, smokes, booze and late nights, please spare a thought.

And all those who think they are doing the rest of the world a favour by working out like crazy, it’s time you understand what good/bad it is doing to your body. Before embarking on any fitness regiment, it’s best to consult a specialist or a trainer.

Source:http://in.yfittopostblog.com

Puberty much earlier

If your daughter is 10 years old and has started her periods, get ready for trouble. Or so say a slew of reports cautioning people about the dangers of early puberty for women such as breast cancer, reckless sexual behaviour and teenage issues which are believed to be the consequences.

According to a recent study done at the University Hospital in Copenhagen, an increasing number of girls are reaching puberty before the age of 10, exposing them to a greater long-term risk of breast cancer and raising fears of more sexual activity. A similar trend has been noticed in India too. Four years ago a survey conducted by Federation of Obstetrics' and Gynaecologists' Society of India (FOGSI) found that the age at which girls attain sexual maturity in urban India has dropped. And 80 percent of the girls in cities are reaching puberty around age 11 - two years earlier than in the past.

Gynaecologists in the city are concerned over the factors leading to this trend more than the long-term implications, which they say aren’t established yet. "I do see a lot of girls who reach puberty at the age of 10, which is evidently because of their modern lifestyles," says Dr Mukta Kapila, obstetrics and gynaecology, Artemis Health Institute.

A combination of factors such as lack of physical activity, diet, environmental chemicals, hormonal changes, physiological and psychological changes are being blamed for the early onset of puberty.

According to a recent report from University of Bristol and University of Brighton, UK, young girls eating a meat-rich diet have high chance of having their periods at an early age. "Better nutrition is definitely one of the contributing factors for the early onset of puberty, which is why the developed countries witnessed this trend much earlier than we did," says Dr Geeta Chadha, gynaecologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.

The general consensus among doctors, confirmed by several clinical studies, is that early exposure to adult behaviour affects the pituitary gland, which releases neurotransmitters that act directly on the ovaries. "Early puberty reflects the maturity of the brain. So, when young girls are exposed to adult information on TV or on the Internet, their brains get mature faster, which is believed to trigger puberty," says Mumbai-based gynaecologist Dr Jaydeep Tank.

The good news is that most of the doctors don't see early puberty as a disturbing trend, as there aren't reliable studies proving the long-term risk. However, the word of caution given by doctors is to handle young girls with sensitivity. "The trend is here to stay, so our children should be equipped to handle this phase in a better way. The importance of sex education in today's time can't be emphasised more," says Dr Tank.

source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Davidar says affair was 'consensual, flirtatious'

Breaking his silence, India-born David Davidar on Monday dismissed the accusations of sexual harassment by ex-colleague Lisa Rundle, which led to his resignation as CEO of Penguin International. Excerpts from a statement by his lawyer in Toronto:

"David Davidar had a consensual, flirtatious relationship that grew out of a close friendship with a colleague. He deeply regrets the hurt this has caused his wife.

Commencing in late 2005, Mr Davidar and Ms Rundle had offices next to each other at Penguin. They became friends... At Ms Rundle's invitation, Mr Davidar played tennis with her at her tennis club. They went to a tennis tournament together. They attended the theatre together. They had lunches in restaurants together. Mr Davidar came to think of Ms Rundle as his closest friend and confidante at work.

In 2007, after their friendship became flirtatious, Mr Davidar suggested to Ms Rundle that their relationship become more romantic. Ms Rundle informed Mr Davidar that she had more than one suitor... and that it would be important to her that any such relationship not be secret. Mr Davidar accepted the situation... Mr Davidar wrote Ms Rundle personal emails, read poetry to her, and they exchanged gifts... Throughout this friendship Mr Davidar would ask Ms Rundle if she liked the attention he was paying her, and she indicated she did.

Ms Rundle and Mr Davidar kissed on two occasions. The first was in Ms Rundle's room at the October 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair... However, contrary to Ms Rundle's claim, Mr Davidar did not bully his way into her room, nor did he force himself upon her. Ms Rundle did not object when they kissed...

Two days later, Mr Davidar and Ms Rundle went to dinner at a restaurant. After dinner, Mr Davidar kissed Ms Rundle again, this time in his hotel room...

Ms Rundle subsequently told Mr Davidar that she had enjoyed their kisses in Frankfurt, whether or not they were ever repeated...

Following the Frankfurt trip, Mr Davidar travelled to India on business. While Mr Davidar was there his father became critically ill... Ms Rundle sent an e-mail expressing her concern and extending "her best thoughts"... Mr Davidar returned to Toronto just prior to Christmas 2009. Ms Rundle welcomed him back warmly.

Later (in January 2010), Ms Rundle requested a pay increase. Mr Davidar reminded her that salaries at Penguin were frozen. However, he offered her the role of Director, Digital Publishing and Foreign Rights. This justified a pay increase of approximately $10,000.

In February of 2010, following the death of his father, Mr Davidar took stock of his life. He felt he could no longer continue his relationship with Ms Rundle...

Within weeks, Ms Rundle told Mr Davidar that she no longer wished to have her new digital publishing responsibilities. Mr Davidar accepted this while reminding Ms Rundle that... the accompanying salary increase would not be continued.

Throughout Ms Rundle's employment with Penguin she had the opportunity to complain of any alleged sexual harassment. The company provided an anonymous employee 'help line'. Despite (this), it was not until several months after the trip to Frankfurt that Ms Rundle initiated a complaint of sexual harassment. Mr Davidar subsequently told Ms Rundle that her complaint would have no effect on her employment.

Throughout Ms Rundle's employment with Penguin from late 2005 to 2010, she was treated fairly... Mr Davidar was at pains to remind her that no matter what happened between them... Ms Rundle's professional career with Penguin would never suffer.

...Ms Rundle's counsel has issued a statement regarding Samantha Francis, a former Penguin employee...

Samantha Francis was David Davidar's executive assistant in 2006 and 2007. Mr Davidar engaged in flirtatious banter with her for a short period. He did not engage in any conduct toward Ms Francis that he knew or should have known was unwelcome.

In 2007, Ms Francis told Mr Davidar that Penguin's human resources ("HR") department had incorrectly understood an enquiry she had made about comments made by Mr Davidar. She said she wished to withdraw her enquiry against him. Mr Davidar told her that if she had any concern about his conduct it was proper for her to complain... After thinking about it, Ms Francis submitted a written note to the HR department... stating that she and Mr Davidar had a personal misunderstanding which had been resolved. She indicated that she never intended to make a formal complaint, that she was withdrawing any such complaint, and that she wanted any mention of it expunged from Mr Davidar's personal record.

Ms Francis, at her request, worked with Mr Davidar for several more months before being promoted to Associate Editor...

David Davidar is happily married. He deeply regrets the trouble visited on his wife. He apologises to her."

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com

Tata Nano Goes ‘Topless’!

Big revolutions start with small ideas. That’s what Ratan Tata proved with the introduction of the people’s car, Tata Nano.

Ever since Mr Tata conceived the idea of the one lakh car, the Nano managed to grab headlines for some reason or the other, sometimes good and sometimes bad. From the Singur fiasco to spontaneously combusting Nanos, controversy has always been Tata Nano’s middle name. Back-to-back incidents of Nanos catching fire have been reported putting a question mark on the safety of the world’s cheapest car. Yet, Nano continues to be a fine example of the idiom ‘owner’s pride and neighbour’s envy’.

Forget all that, the latest buzz in the auto world is that Tata has plans for Nano convertible. It all started after an open roof Nano was spotted ferrying visitors inside the automaker’s new Sanand factory.

Before jumping to any conclusions, we should consider the practicability of a convertible on Indian roads. Apart from the fact that chopping off the roof might affect the frame integrity, Indian climate is not very favorable to drive a convertible in India and Tata can’t just ignore the conditions and the preferences of Indian car buyers for whom air-conditioning is not a luxury.

Will Tata pave the way for convertibles in India which is still a virgin area when it comes to small budget cars? Let’s wait and watch.

But come to think of it, it would be easier to jump out of a roofless Nano in case it catches fire, right?

Source:http://in.yfittopostblog.com

Gaudi, Dali and mass tourism

Mohit Satyanand is on a vacation from public affairs this week, and serves up a travel piece instead.

"Was Gaudi related to Mick Jagger?" my son asked, as we toured the eccentric architect's home on the outskirts of Barcelona last week. "I mean, they were both quite mad."

A couple of days later, we made the pilgrimage two hours north, to Cadaques, to be guided through the home of another eccentric Spanish genius, Salvador Dali. Painter, installation artist, writer, and above all, showman, Salvador lived life kingsize. He slept in a canopied bed, with a mirror angled to catch the sunrise. This, and the location of his home on an easterly cape in northern Spain, allowed him to boast, "I am the first person in Spain to see the sun rise."

He and his Russian wife, Gala, installed themselves in high-backed thrones when receiving visitors on their pool terrace, and entertained visitors in a room designed to amplify the human voice. My rendition of a Carmen aria from the sweet spot hugely entertained the museum staff and my son, if not his mother; but as we checked our backpacks out from the exit, he whispered, "Dali is quite disgusting - I mean, all those nude paintings."

An hour later, we were to see many more, in the provincial town of Figueres, where Dali bought over a theater and converted it into a museum, largely of his own art, but including other work he admired. Encompassing paintings of deep sensitivity and the highest draftsmanship, it is also full of whimsy, surprises, and architectural elan. Having entered the museum with strong reservations, after half an hour my son conceded, "If Gaudi and Jagger are brothers, Dali is their baap."

Without Dali, Figueres would be just another provincial Spanish town - pretty, with cobbled streets, grand medieval churches, sidewalk cafes, and boutiques. But Dali draws the visitors in by the bus- and train-load, and enables streets full of souvenir shops to cash in on his signature works.

Dali has only been gone 20 years, but if his art proves to survive the test of time, many generations of Figueristas (if that's what they call them), could be thanking Dali for his genius. Salzburg, in Austria, has much to commend itself, but 250 years after his death, Mozart is still the star attraction for tourists to the Alpine town. And who would have heard of Stratford on Avon if William Shakespeare had not lived there? British tourism statistics estimate that one million tourists pay homage to Shakespeare in his birthplace every year.

Which other artists have that kind of fan following? Leonardo da Vinci, I guess. The Louvre, which is pretty uniquely associated with his Mona Lisa, attracts 7.5 million visitors every year, and I would hazard that pretty much every single one of them files past the woman with the enigmatic smile.

But da Vinci is completely trumped by the artist who made his name by creating a mouse with an over-sized head. Walt Disney's legacy dominates the world's leading tourist attractions - Disneyworld, Florida, attracts 16.6 million visitors every year; Disneyland in California clocks 14.7 million; add the Tokyo and Paris theme parks, and Disney takes 4 of the top 10 slots in the stakes of the world's top tourist attractions, as rated by Forbes Traveler.

Times Square, with 35 million visitors, tops the list, showing that the vibrancy of modern popular culture, combined with the packaging of commerce, is the stuff of modern tourism. Crowded out by the Disneys, Times Square, and the Fisherman's Wharf/Golden Gate recreational area, only two historical monuments make it to the top 10: the Washington Monument and Notre Dame. Trafalgar Square, at No. 4, is something of a party - feed the pigeons, gawk at the other tourists - with history only a backdrop to the goings-on of modern times.

Nature, for mass tourism, is pushed into the corner - only Niagara Falls features in the Top Ten. Another two places of natural beauty make it to the top 50 - the Great Smoky Natural Park, and Yosemite -- and they are both in the US. The Himalayas? Forget it - it's not enough to have the beauty; you also have to package it right, make it easy to get to, and ensure that there are pizza and ice cream parlours at the parking lot. Like my wife said of Whistler, in Canada's BC province: 'The Himalayas without the hardship'.

Hardship is clearly daunting. Which is why attractions in third-world countries barely make it to the top 50 - the pyramids of Giza sneak in at No. 47, and the Taj Mahal is at the 50th spot. Ever tried driving to Agra?

My own family circus has moved on, and we're now in Sevilla, one of the most charming cities I've ever seen. We spent last evening meandering through its streets, drinking sangria, and being serenaded by gypsy guitarists. But this morning? We're off to Isla Magica, an amusement park, billed as having the most "white knuckle" rides in Spain.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com/

A Day for Music

“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness”.

Maya Angelou, ‘Gather Together in My Name’

I am sure many of you can relate to what Maya Angelou felt. For me, music is my best friend. It calms me down; it is an expression of love, of passions I cannot name. It is pure magic which can make me smile through my pain, dance through my joy. On World Music Day, which I feel is inappropriate again, let me tell you what music means to me.

My earliest memories – and the fondest – are those of my dad playing the violin, my aunt singing and my cousins humming away as they finished the household chores. So I guess, loving music was a way of life.

As was the custom in our house, I was forced to sit for music lessons the moment I could speak. But, once I got to ‘Varaveena’ – the first song you learn if you are learning Carnatic music, I was ready to give up. By the time I turned 10, I had decided I was not cut out for singing lessons. I ate ice-creams the day before the teacher came and coughed a lot to miss the lessons. What more could I do?

My mom, who would not take ‘no’ for an answer, soon found other ways to keep me interested. “If you can’t sing”, she would say, “you could still learn/play an instrument.” And by the time I was in high school and college, mom had brainwashed me to begin Veena classes which again after ‘Varaveena’ I happily bunked. Needless to say, once my mom came to know this, she disowned me. Which I welcomed happily, for I was a long way away from Carnatic Classical music by then.

Much as I appreciated Carnatic music, my mind had been corrupted by western music. Bach, Beethoven, Wagner – I kept evolving. Then came Abba, Boney M, Michael Jackson, and a lot more before I discovered hard rock and metal. Metal was a revelation. It rocked me, ripped me apart. It was the music of the rebel in me. It was madness unleashed. I loved it and I still do. And then came Floyd and The Doors. Did I sober down? I am not sure. I feel I’m still evolving.

I listen to ghazals and metal with equal passion. Now, I can listen to Carnatic music and hard rock and appreciate it both. I cannot sing, but I appreciate music. It is in my breath, in my being.

And as you contemplate which genre you like, let me listen to my all time favourite ‘The ‘Doors’ lead singer Jim Morrison sing:
‘When the music is your special friend
Dance on fire as it intends
Music is your only friend
Until the end’

Source:http://in.yfittopostblog.com/

Dress to lose weight

re you one of them who is always cautious of your fitness? Here's your delight, introducing ‘Miraclesuit’ promising you 10 pounds lighter in 10 seconds. The design gives you deep V-neck, ac accentuates the curves of the bust, and the rucking around the waist disguises the bulge of the belly and lengthen the torso.

Buzz up!

This new costume is made up of Miratex, a patented spandex material with three times the amount of Lycra used in normal bathing suits. The rate ranges from 130 to 180 dollars which is comfortable to purchase it. At this season everyone is opting for this product and it is selling like hot cakes .

Women who have purchased and experiencing the difference are now giving their views. One of them is a modeler Nicole Le bris, 29 who says of the Reebok suit which makes her look slimmer.

The New York Post quoted her as saying, "The Miraclesuit accentuates my curves in a good way. It makes my waist
look small, and the low-cut neckline and the high-cut bikini line makes me look taller.”

She also added,"The leg openings are too tight. I have big hips, and it feels like it''s cutting in."

Towards the end Sandra Davidoff, a spokeswoman for Miraclesuit, said: "What woman wouldn't want to look 10 pounds lighter? With the suit, you can have
your cake and eat it, too."

Do not miss this opportunity to grab the best costume for your presentable figure.

Source:http://living.oneindia.in/

What's 'textual harassment'

A new weapon of dating violence has come up in the form of text messages, which can be vile, constant, and menacing.

With cellphones and unlimited texting plans easily available among the young, there is a growing trend of what is known as "textual harassment".

"It's gotten astonishingly worse in the last two years," the Washington Post quoted Jill Murray, who has written several books on dating violence and speaks on the topic nationally, as saying.

"Especially for those who have grown up in digital times, it's part and parcel of every abusive dating relationship now," she said.

According to the paper, the harassed often feel compelled to answer the messages, whether they are one-word insults or 3 a.m. demands.

For some, 100 or more texts arrive in a day in class, at the dinner table, or in movie theatres.

"Harassment is just easier now, and it's even more persistent and constant, with no letting up," the post quoted Claire Kaplan, director of sexual and domestic violence services at the University of Virginia, as saying.

Kacey Kirkland, a victim services specialist with the Fairfax County Police Department, told the paper that he has seen textual harassment in almost every form: Threats. Rumors. Lies. Late-night questions.

"The advances in technology are assisting the perpetrators in harassing and stalking and threatening their victims," Kirkland said.

Harassment by text is only one facet of abusive relationships, which often involve contact in person, by phone, by e-mail, and through Facebook or other social networking sites.

"What technology offers is irrefutable evidence of the abuse," the paper quoted Cindy Southworth, founder of the Safety Net Project on technology at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, as saying. (ANI)

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com/

Mosquitoes like men

If you are a man who enjoys a workout, the chances of your getting bitten by mosquitoes is high. According to a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, mosquitoes actually enjoy biting men more than they do women.

This has to do with their greater body size. Other factors that determine whether a person is a mosquito magnet or not is their body smell and how hot they are.

Cues like body temperature, carbon dioxide in the breath and certain skin chemicals like lactic acid direct mosquitoes towards finding their next meal. Exercise boosts the levels of all three signals, making people more vulnerable to mosquito bites during or after exercise.

Women who are pregnant also attract mosquitoes for the same reasons. A Lancet study in 2000 found that the pregnant women attracted twice as many mosquitoes. This is because pregnant women exhale more carbon dioxide and have higher body temperatures, drawing mosquitoes to them more easily.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com/

Mahatma's report auctioned

Mahatma Gandhi's haemoglobin level, blood colour index and red blood cell count, as recorded 10 days before his assassination, will see the light of day when Los Angeles- based billionaire James Otis puts the blood report up for auction within a week.

A yellowed sheet of paper containing the results of a blood test conducted on the Mahatma on January 21, 1948, at Irwin Hospital ( now known as the LNJP Hospital) lies in a bank locker owned by Otis, who is a descendant of the man who invented the elevator.

Otis last made headlines in March 2009 when he put up for auction Gandhi's iconic spectacles and Zenith pocket watch dating back to 1910, for which liquor baron Vijay Mallya coughed up $ 1.8 million ( Rs 9.3 crore at rates prevailing last year).

With the money Otis raises from the present auction, he says he will fund the non-violent overthrow of the dictatorial regimes of El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

The announcement by the maverick art collector and documentary filmmaker was met with predictable anger by the more vocal descendants of the Mahatma.

Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, vicechairperson of the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, says, "The blood report is a personal document. I really don't know how to react to this. Otis says he is very wealthy. If so, why doesn't he use his own money to fund non- violent struggles, instead of resorting to such auctions?" The place for the blood reports, says Bhattacharjee, is a museum and not an auction. But the Mahatma's great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, says he couldn't be bothered about the auction.

"Otis is sitting on many more Gandhi items. He is going to keep doing this," says the man who had been most vocal in his opposition to the March 2009 auction.

Otis has in his possession "hundreds" of Gandhi items with letters to establish their authenticity.

He has been sourcing these for over a decade now. He declined from saying where he picked up the blood report from and when and where it will be auctioned, saying he will make an announcement soon.

"I would like the proceeds of the auction to go to three or four peace organisations using nonviolent means to oppose the governments in Latin America," is all that he is prepared to disclose at the moment. All of last year, claims Otis, he has been delivering talks on non- violent ways of overthrowing the governments in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Otis was in the thick of controversy last year over his decision to place five personal items of Gandhi up for auction at Antiquorum Auctioneers, New York.

These included a sterling silver keyless Zenith pocket watch with an alarm used by the Mahatma between 1910 and 1915, and a bowl and plate he had gifted to his grandniece Abha. The items come with a letter of authentication from Gita Mehta, Abha Gandhi's adopted daughter.

Otis maintains that he has decided to go for another auction because it is time to bring Gandhi's message into the spotlight yet again. " Few are speaking of Gandhi's hard work," he says.

" My job is to promote his work and raise more money to spread his message." The blood reports, he says, are " yellow and crinkly", but he has taken care to preserve them in acid- free plastic to make sure that the paper is not oxidised further.

" I don't want his items to sit in my private collection. They don't help anybody by lying in safe deposits," he says.

On a visit to India last year - he had then been advised to wear a bullet- proof jacket - Otis had apologised for angering Indians, and said, " I would never try to make profit of a man who has guided me spiritually all my life." He now says the proceeds from the Antiquorum auction have gone to the US- based Albert Einstein Institution, and other organisations promoting non- violence, including the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Office of the Americas.

Otis's extensive collection of Gandhi memorabilia includes two letters, " a beautiful photograph of Gandhi in a big British automobile" and a cotton shawl worn by him, which he had acquired at a Boston auction. He says he used to take the items to private dinners to spread Gandhi's message.

Guiding him closely on his Gandhi collection is Prof Lester Kurtz, his teacher whom he met over 20 years ago at the University of Texas in Austin, when they were arrested together during a non- violent protest. Since then, Otis and Kurtz have worked together on a range of projects on non- violent movements. Kurtz is now a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at George Mason University, Fairfax (Virginia).

Kurtz, says Otis, possesses a vial of Gandhi's blood and ashes - but he would never sell it. " It would be disgraceful to sell it, though he would consider donating it for a worthwhile cause," says Otis. He himself is willing to donate his Gandhi collection to the Government of India - provided it promises to help fund non- violent causes and exhibits the items across the world.

He may draw flak from the descendants of the Mahatma but Otis is in no mood to back down from his self- proclaimed mission.

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com/

10 annoying office habits

Overbearing, obsessively rude, noisy, and opinionated – there are so many things that can be found annoying in that one person in office. So, what actually are some of the ‘universally’ bad behaviours for office work? Here's a look at the top 10 annoying office habits...

1. Office drummers - There are lesser annoying office habits than the person who has to tap out a rhythm while waiting for their brain to submerge into the work they’re assigned.

2. Foghorn phone voice - The breed of office worker who raises their tone several decibels as soon as they pick up the phone.

3. Pod pong - Well, these are those people who marinate themselves in perfumes overnight.

4. Key smashers - All offices have at least one person who appears to think that to make the little symbols on their keyboard appear on the screen, they need to exert the force of an atomic bomb through the ends of their digits.

5. Paid for nothing - In this case, an employee gets paid for standing out in the sunshine chatting to wheezy and addicted mates while the fresh-lunged members of the workforce are indoors putting their mind to work.

6. Snot funny - What is it with people, who riddled with pleurisy, the bubonic plague or cancer of the entire body, still think it's a good idea to come in to work? The world really won't stop if that report doesn't get finished and the boss more likely regards you as a mug than a martyr. Your work mates, of course, will shower you with love for ruining their plans for the weekend and keeping their kids out of school.

7. Lucifer's lunch - Egg and mayonnaise sandwiches, tuna fishcakes, blue cheese with crackers, breakfast burritos with extra onion and chips with salt and vinegar – all food items which should be banned from the workplace, thanks to their smell.

8. Ringtone hell - This section includes all those people who play bits of their favourite heavy metal music collection from a speaker on their desk, via their mobile phone.

9. Space invaders - You distinctly remember hearing the boss bring your new work mate over to his or her work area and say, "This is your desk". The boss did not follow that up with the words, "but feel free to use your colleague's desk for overspill if there's not enough room for your inane gossip magazines and pictures of your 17 children".

10. Eau de underarm - There are fewer things more noxious than a damp-shirted male who, after working up a sweat running for the bus, is left to "mature" over a keyboard for eight hours.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Why I hate Mondays

The rude blare of the alarm wakes me from my deep slumber. I can hear the pitter-patter of raindrops outside the window-or was I dreaming that I could? I hit the snooze button on the alarm. It blares again, I hit the snooze again.

And then there is another weird noise which wakes me up. The shrill ring of my phone brings me crashing down to earth. I pick up the call. It is my cabbie telling me that he will be around to pick me up in ‘another 20 minute sharp’. I drag myself out of the bed cursing the day. I hate Mondays.

I have hated them ever since I started going to school. The face of my class teacher looked more formidable on Mondays. It used to be day when we got the weekly report on the tests. Was this the reason why I started hating the day? I am not sure.

If you thought things have changed, now that I m working, let me tell you they has not. In fact, I feel it is worse. Monday is when everything has to be redone. When everything feels so hectic and I feel totally confused. Even though, Monday is the start of a weekend for me now, I still hate it.

Like many across the globe, I suffer from Monday morning blues. Despite many sites giving me suggestionshow to beat it, I still cannot understand why we cannot just bypass Monday and go on straight to Tuesday which is way more peaceful.

I trawl the net to cheer myself up. And here is what I found. May be this number from Mamas and Papas could cheer you up. Hum along.

Source:http://in.yfittopostblog.com/

Healthiest alcoholic drink

Beer lovers, cheers! The drink is one of the healthiest alcoholic beverages available, when taken in moderation, a new study has claimed.

According to the study, commissioned by The Beer Academy, the drink is a rich source of vitamins, fibre, minerals and antioxidants and has relatively low calorific value as compared to other alcoholic beverages.

"Beer contains vitamins which can help you to maintain a well-balanced healthy diet, fibre to keep you regular, readily absorbed antioxidants and minerals such as silicon which may help to lower your risk of osteoporosis," a spokeswoman was quoted by the 'Daily Mail' as saying.

A survey found that while 68 per cent of people consider beer to be Britain's national drink, some 10 per cent wrongly believe that it contains fat, and 13 per cent believe the beverage is made from chemicals and not barley and hops.

The study also explores the psychological and sociability benefits of people enjoying a pint in their local pub -- yet pubs are closing at a rate of 39 a week. It argues the pub is at the heart of every community and a place where people go to enjoy company and find out local news.

Pete Brown, an award-winning author, said: "Still, we persist in the myth that somehow beer is an inferior drink to foreign imports such as wine. From Government receptions through to weddings and business occasions, wine rather than beer is served.

"It has been fashionable to look down on our own national drink in favour of overseas imports. But to do that is to turn our backs on our great British success story and our own heritage, and miss out on the myriad tastes and complexities that beer can offer."

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com