SENSEX reaches new ground - creates a 13th Floor

How long can SENSEX stay on the 13th Floor
Image courtesy: ToI
For more on stock markets, FIIs, etc. see what the ePapers have to say.

Indian Magazine Congress 2006

News from the Indian Magazine Congress, October 30-31, Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi
with incepts courtesy agencyfaqs
Magazines would need to promote themselves better.
The universal agreement upon discussions was that magazines need to look at marketing themselves more than just concentrating on their content.
The World view on the Indian magazine business according to Michael Brennan, president, Latin America, Reader's digest.
1. India is a democracy and there is more freedom of expressions. One needed worry about what to publish and what not to.
2. The Indian magazine market's growing and currently there is no limit to this growth. India also has a global audience closely watching its stories.
3. English language is used widely in India and therefore there requires minimum localizing of content.
There were also conversations on the biggest issue faced by Magazine Publishers today. While it was agreed that the readership was wanning a bit, the methods of readership survey were not thought to be correct. They said the current surveys failed to capture the smaller audiences spread across the country.
Another thought echoed by PR Dasmunshi, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting was that magazines shouldn't be seen as a step-child of the newspapers or print sector in India. It's a different industry altogether.
Magazine costs are also likely to go up. Presently 70% of the magazine revenues are from advertising and 30% are from subscriptions unlike other countries.

PressMart Media Ltd. are the Indian Magazine Congress partners. PressMart converges the print publications of magazines, newspapers, other such publications online along with its cutting-edge add-on features. They help in creating newer avenues for increasing worldwide subscription base as well as more creating monetizable opportunities. Having already tied-up with over 55 publishers worldwide, they're looking to create a niche for themselves in the eMag Mart too.

Tattoos

Tattoos make you look sexy. Here are some sexy parts to get yourself tattooed and some less sexy parts.
Sexy Parts
1. Upper Back
2. Along the Hip
3. Calves
4. Chest
5. Shoulder
Less Sexy Parts
1. Neck
2. Face
3. Forearms
4. Hands
5. Fingers
Courtesy: Askmen.com
Just as body piercings, Tattoos can be placed strategically too.
But make sure you're doubly sure when you get yourself Tattooed and take the necessary safety precautions. In case of permanent Tattoos you to decide whether you're ready to live with the Tattoo permanently cause as the name goes removing a permanent Tattoo isn't easy.

Otherwise Tattoos are fun, cool and ofcourse getting it done requires patience as well as precision from the Tattoo artist.And there is also a little pain involved - as the saying goes no pain no gain.

My PressMart Piece

Reality’s MoU. When a man’s thoughts and actions are principled, it’s often inclined towards the predetermined notion of a tough guy ready to take on the might of the universe. While the female part is characterized as being filled with benevolence therefore a philanthropist.
Upon reflection, it’s evident that these theories have long been ransacked by stereo-typed societies to resisted change.
With more men and women getting their personal talk out in the open, we’re indirectly experiencing the permanence of change. The World will never seem the same again and it’s time to take its continuous evolution into one’s stride forward.

While more men may be opening up, you also find passive homemakers ready to discuss family issues. Researchers these days therefore have added ammunition to their arsenal. By conducting tests, surveys, confessional sessions and other legitimate sources of information, it definitely gives credence to their findings.

Most would agree with me if I tell you that women have higher levels of mental fitness. But how often were the physics of mental toughness taught differently to the sexes. Parents have often overused the statement ‘Boys never cry’ as the general view is that men try to control such visual emotions. This is probably because Men are often aware of their macho-image and don’t want it to take a beating in front of other men and women. It’s taken for granted that women more often than not had shoulders of support and tears to make them feel better. The farthest we men go is opening up is to a solitary friend or relative which usually is a female.

Studies also claim that as women age they get more liberal and accept harsh realities, men on the other hand though often the more adventurous lot when young seem to get conservative in their thoughts and beliefs as they grow older.

Here a man’s dominance and ego is held true, especially when movies portray him as a protagonist who is righteous and confident in every action of his. After all there is a market to sell your product and if the end-users accept it then it’s considered a good strategy.

It was a fact that those who’ve ventured outside the storyline of ‘a man’s arm and a women’s charm’ have often had their package criticized and not accepted. But these days you do see a lot more offbeat films and unexpected news stories being rated high on Cinema, Television and the Internet.

You may then ask why isn’t love and sex discussed openly in the Indian society? After all 95% of the Indian movies are romantic ones. Isn’t love and sex the pillars of human romance? Also when it’s considered acceptable for a man-shouldering another man or a young lady pecking or kissing another lady, a boy-girl duo walking hand-in-hand is considered a taboo. This is a far cry from the land of Kamasutra. And one often wonders if it’s the heterosexual relationships that are more harassed. Moral policing definitely seems to have taken a toll on the society.

World-over Mother Nature’s existence had lead to creation of a host of heavenly bodies and powerful women being branded. Countries, Educational Institutions, Political Leaders, Spiritual gurus have been titled ‘Mother’- often as a source of reverence to the Holy Goddess. A dominant woman in a society is considered godly and most of the time it’s the single woman or widower who’s more respected. Haven’t we heard people saying that they respected the leader and regard them highly because of her being a woman?

Let me assure you that this isn’t about the battle of the sexes. It only shows how sexist can societies actually get; especially when friendship between a teenage boy and girl revolves around parental apprehensions and peer pressure.
We will have to accept the fact that both men and women are from earth (quite a distance from our neighboring planets). Even if science brought them to conceive in Mars, it would happen only if they complimented each other’s existence.
I might have to eat my words on the above conclusion if change has its way.

Vinay Dora

Disclaimer: Views are of the author of the post and do not refer to the views of PressMart Media Ltd.

Dhoom 2

The Dhoom is back with a bang and is slated for release on November 24th, 2006. A newer cast and more sophisticated accessories makes the Action/Triller a big treat in the making.

The cast includes Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Uday Chopra and Rimi Sen.
The film was shot in various locations around India. Apart from India it was also shot in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and Durban, South Africa.
The Dhoom 2 punchline 'The game is not over'.
So yes, there is going to be a Dhoom 3.
With the first part being a smashing hit,a lot of expectations lie on the cast and crew of Dhoom 2.

As you sow so shall you reap

I'm a firm believer that we create our destiny. While you cannot rule out the occurrence of unexpected situations but mark my word these are only minor exceptions. In fact if you trace the history of an event you find out that it's the result of a set of previous deeds. Which brings me to this quote by a political reformer; Samuel Smiles.

Sow a thought reap an act,
Sow an act reap a habit,
Sow a habit reap a character,
Sow a character reap a destiny.

The Sports host - F1, Football, Cricket

Micheal Schumacher bids goodbye to his illustrious F1 career with another indomitable show of his spirit.
After faling to finish his penultimate race due to a engine failure his tryst with ill-luck had continued.
A similar problem here ensured he started 10th on the grid and if this were not enough, debris on the track made sure he was pushed to the 18th position.
Then came the spirit that can be associated more with Schumi. He drove fastest laps of the race, set record times, overtook the best - Raikonnen, Fisichella, and 4 other drivers in quick succession before the race finally ended. He finished 4th and could have even finished on the podium if there were a few more laps left.
We bid farewell to one of the World's greatest sporting Icons alive.

Other sports stories...
Football
Real Madrid down arch-rivals Barcelona 2-0 in a keenly contested match.
With several football stars on the field, every bit of football brillance were on display.
Goals from Van Nisteroy and captain Raul made the difference in the scoreline.

Also Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-0 at Old Trafford.
Goals by Scholes playing his 500th game and a brilliant kick by Rio Ferdinand sealed Liverpool's fate.
India4Football: FIFA President has decided to visit India in 2007. He says development of Football in India is among his top priorities.

Best of Cricket
Forthcoming Champions Trophy matches
Oct 24 South Africa vs Sri Lanka
Oct 25 New Zealand vs Pakistan
Oct 26 India vs West Indies
Oct 27 Pakistan vs South Africa
Oct 28 England vs West Indies
Oct 29 India vs Australia
For the all the Sports News click here

Recipes - Qubani Ka Meethi

A Hyderabadi special sweet made from Dry Apricots. Here is a simple receipe of one of India's exquisite sweets in 11 simple steps.

1. Wash and soak the apricots for 3 hours. Dry off the water.
2. Add fresh water and boil the apricots till soft.
3. Remove from flame and drain off the water.
4. Mash the boiled apricots, remove the seeds and keep aside.
5. Pass the pulp throuh a seive so that the fibrous portion is separated from the pure pulp.
6. Put the pulp in a container and heat it till it boils. Stir continuously.
7. Add sugar and mix well.
8. Heat for a further 2 minutes.
9. Remove from flame.
10. Pour it in a serving container.
11. Refrigerate after cooling.
Recipe courtesy: pachakam.com, imgae courtesy: reachouthyderabad.com
You can now serve it with Vanilla Ice-cream or fresh cream with some Vanilla essence in it.
The ingrediants include for a serving of 10 people would include
Dry apricots - 1 kg, Sugar - 250 gm

Qubani ka meetha can be stored in refrigeration for 3 days.

Indian American publisher Gopal Raju to be honored

The Taraknath Das foundation is honoring popular Indian American publisher Gopal Raju. He would be honored on November 8th at a function in New York. The foundation has been awarding persons for promoting better Indo-American understanding.

Gopal Raju is the founder-publisher of notable publications including India Abroad, Desi Talk, Gujarat Times, News India-Times. He also founded the Indian Abroad News Service, popularly known as IANS.
The Indian American Foundation was set up by Raju in the year 1975 where there was a need to address the concerns of the South-Asian community and respond to various humanitarians situations in the region. He also encouraged Indian-Americans to actively participate in the American political process.
About the foundation - the Taraknath Das foundation gives grants to South-Asian students in the US and also NGOs in India.
With this award Gopal Raju would join a list of other eminent personalities, including noted writer RK Narayan, scientist S. Chandrasekhar, journalist Philip Talbot, writer Anita Desai(mother of the recent booker winner Kiran Desai) and many others.

The Name Game

Yesterday we were watching one of the recent bollywood flicks; this movie I should say were among the few exceptional movies where each sequence in the movie looked real (sans songs) and the audience felt totally involved.
In the movie the actor's name is Chironji Lal Khosla and his name brought me here.
So what's there in a name - or is there more to one's name...
Here's a question that is often asked but never seriously - neither this time.

I soon began searching the web for more on the 'Name Game'. Here are a few answers from Yahoo
One User says 'We cannot chose our birthdate, parents, body, family, gender...atleast we should have a say over our name'.
Wonder where he's getting to - why isn't he able to chose his family? Guess he's a mama's boy. As for the gender -Medical sciences seems to have reached new highs and anything is possible.
Another responded saying 'It's not the name that makes you the person you are. It's what you are that makes your name special.'
Ahem for bringing poor philosophy in - it's sure easier to preech than to practise what you preech - really hard. However am sure most of us would agree you have a point there.
Further a user pipped in; he said 'I chose to change my name when I was 18. It was my legal right. What would you have them to call you till then?'
Another seems to strongly believe that one parents should be allowed to chose our second name and that we needed to have a say on our first.
I have no comments on the above. The next user's comment seems to have a jerky answer.
'You can sure chose your name when you're 18. But what would you be called until then? If we could chose our name as soon as we start speaking then the World would be full of Noodys, Fimbles, Mamas and Tinkie-Winkies. As they grow they would start naming themselves after superstars, baribies and not to forget Bob the builder. Not very practical I feel.'

Here's the verdict - Let one chose their name once they're able to say their present name. So if you(parents) want to have an upper hand then do use a dutch name (the Dutch can use the Indian ones).
As for our Chironji Lal - he's seems fine as long as he's called Chiru. But then he'd always be conscious of Chironji part in his name. What's you take on this.

Hairstyle secrets

Hairstyle is one of the most admired and visible physical feature. It's not only distinct as a visible feature but also distinct in texture from the rest of the body parts.

Here are few general tips that can make the most of particular features:
a) Face too round - Putting a side part in the hair witll slim and lengthen a face that's too round.
b) Thin face - Curls and fullness at the sides will widen a long, thin face.
c) Large Nose - A full hairstyle or an upswept crown makes the nose less noticable.
d) Sharp, Angular Features - A wavy or curly hairstyle will soften a chiseled checkbone, nose or jaw. e) High forehead - A horizontal line of full bangs can cover the full forehead, balancing the face.
f) Strong or Square Chin - A short cut with soft curls or fullness at the crown, takes the attention away from the chin.
g) Narrow Chin - Long hair with fullness at the chin will balance a narrow chin.
h) Low forehead - Vertical lines and soft fullness at the crown can lengthen the face.
Source: creatingtheworld.com
However at the end of the day it's how you feel within that determines your outlook.
So keep smiling and live healthy.

Reliance Communications's new blog facility

Reliance Communications has begun with the facility of posting articles, pictures, videos on blogs while on the move through one's mobilephones.
The difference between Reliance's Mblog and other other services providers is that here there's a separate microsite where one can log in and access his blog. Also one can have a 'buddy list', so everytime the user posts a blog, the members of the 'buddy list' gets an SMS alert.
To access the blog, one has to go to www.reliancecommunications.co.in/mblog. You can send your articles to 1234. A fee of Rs.5 will be charged per MMS blog and Rs.3 per SMS blog.

World Bank Doing Business report

Ranking on the ease of doing Business

1 Singapore (2)
2 New Zealand (1)
3 United States (3)
4 Canada (4)
5 Hong Kong, China (6)
6 United Kingdom (5)
7 Denmark (7)
8 Australia (9)
9 Norway (8)
10 Ireland (10)
11 Japan (12)
12 Iceland (11)
13 Sweden (14)
14 Finland (13)
15 Switzerland (16)
The bottom of the table is led by Congo, Dem. Rep. ranked at 175 closely followed by Timor-Ceste and Guinea-Bissau.

ICC Champions Trophy - Breaking News

Shoaib Aktar, Mohammad Asif test positive for drugs; Pakistan pulls out duo from ICC Champions Trophy. More information awaited.

Continued..

According to eyewitness reports - During their eventful tour of England, 2 weeks after the ball tampering controversy, the duo were seen smoking cannibis. While bowling coach Waqar Younis and Shoaib Aktar were seen in lawns, Mohd. Asif was seen taking out the tobacco from the cigarette and stuffing them with some banned substance.

The events have just begun and it sure doesn't seem to ldo any good to Pakistan Cricket.

Read this space for more updates..
Source: cricketnext.com

Top romantic comedies for your weekend

1. There is something about Mary
Starring Cameroon Dias, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller

2. Annie Hall
Starring Woody Allen, Diana Keaton

3. Sleepless in Seattle
Starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan

4. Pretty Woman
Starring Richard Gere, Julia Roberts

5. The Seven Year Itch
Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell

6. LA Story
Starring Richard Grant, Victoria Tennant, Steve Martin

7. Bridget Jones Diary
Starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant

8. You've got mail
Starring Tom Hanks, Parker Posey, Meg Ryan

9. Clueless
Starring Alicia Silverstone, Stacy Dash

10. My Man Godfrey
Starring William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady

Man Booker Prize 2006 goes to Kiran Desai

During the past few Month all of India’s Media attention were focused on the favorites to win the UN General Secretary (Sashi Taroor), the Miss Universe pageant 2006 (Natasha Suri) and the Nobel Prize for Economics (Jagdish Bagwati). It seemed a surprise the next Indian winner came from the Booker Prize. The achievement was more so exceptional considering the a 2-time winner (Australian Peter Carey) tipped to break all records by winning it a third time. At 35 she also becomes the youngest woman to win the award.
Ms. Desai second novel ‘The Inheritance of Loss’, a story filled with the ills of globalization in the backdrop of an Indian village life.
Kiran Desai said: “I was very conscious of the emotional territory that I wanted to capture, in terms of the story, I didn't know at all what it was going to be, I think I wrote in every direction - the story of immigrants in New York, my parents, my grandparents, my journey. But yes, I was aware of the certain sort of emotional landscape, darkness, worry and fear that this journey between east and west causes.”
While the Chairman of the Judges who had to select from 5 top novels that included;
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
The Secret River by Kate Grenville
Carry Me Dow by M J Hyland
Mother’s Milk by Edward St. Aubyn
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
She later said: "This is a magnificent novel of humane breadth and wisdom, comic tenderness and powerful political acuteness."
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Kiran Desai on her achievement.

Read more including reactions from top Newspapers worldwide.

Libran Celebrity Birthdays

September 25th - Christopher Reeve
September 26th - Manmohan Singh
September 28th - Lata Mangeshkar
September 30th - Monica Bellucci
October 2nd - Mahatma Gandhi
October 4th - Alicia Silverstone
October 5th - Kate Winslet
October 8th - Matt Damon
October 9th - Brandon Routh, Rekha
October 11th - Amitabh Bachchan
October 15th - Mario Puzo
October 16th - Hema Malani
October 17th - Anil Kumble
October 18th - Van Damme, Jyothika
October 20th - Virender Sehwag
October 21st - Shammi Kapoor

What their stars say:

The people born under the Libra zodiac sign are known to be some of the most attractive persons existing on earth. The birthday horoscope for the Libra people says that these people have a strong need for the balance and harmony in their lives. For being happy the Libra people according to their birthday horoscope need a background, which is free of any kind of pressure and violence.
Libra is the lover of the zodiac, and as such the Libra traveler is happiest on a vacation where romance is paramount. So a trip that sets the scene for seduction -- and gives Libra an opportunity to indulge in intimacy free of distractions -- is likely to appeal to this astrological sign of the Zodiac.
For any kind of research work, this is the correct time for Librans. They will be able to deal with any kind of situation without difficulty. Any thing that disturbs them and effects your functioning should be used in moderation if not completely ignored.
The Libra people according to their birthday horoscope are not in the favor of hurting some one whether physically or emotionally. That is the reason why the Libra people are not able to take any decision easily, as they take into account every aspect of the decision and whether it is hurting somebody or not. Some of the qualities associated with the Libra people are charming, romantic, idealistic, peaceable and sociable.

The Brangelinas take a rick-ride around Pune

Check out the Hindustan Times epaper for a near-perfect snap of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and their son Maddox taking a ride in an autorickshaw around the city of Pune. And no this wasn't part of the shoot.
So Brangelina fans can now expect more cool pictures of the Celeb pair while in India. It wouldn't be a surpirse if professional photographers from publishers worldwide are camping in the city during the couple's Month long stay.
An incident of a British photo-journalist getting rounded by the Star's security personnel seems to be just the beginning. What also was in the news was whether India had a 'Paparazzi', and results showed most if not all believed India doesn't have one of that level. This proved that if a Celebrity wanted to stay away from the cameras in India it wouldn't be that difficult.
This sort of augers well for future, you might just see the Katie-Cruise pair come for a holiday in India. Not only would they get to stay away from the Paparazzi but maybe also learn more about India, that is if the Brangelina pair don't share their views in their fraternity.
You probably will get to read their views on the city in their respective biographies, if not immediately after the completion of the shoot in India.
Latest development is that the couple is planning for a white-water raft near the Himalyas. And no this isn't a part of the shoot either.

Chiranjeevi is worth more than SRK says study

With its advertising market ballooning at Rs 4,000 crore, star power is going south. Marketers are rushing to snap up southern stars for brand and product endorsements.The limited geographical appeal of the actors notwithstanding, marketers are dishing out hefty fees, which, in most cases, are higher than what Bollywood superstars charge.According to sources, Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan, the most sought after stars in the endorsement orb, charge around Rs 2-3 cr a year per deal, while Saif Ali Khan, Ajay Devgan and others are paid around Rs 1-1.5 cr a deal. Whereas Chiranjeevi, Vijay, Madhavan and Vikram, top stars in south, charge around Rs 2-4 cr depending upon the exposure required.

Cheeranjeevi, incidentally, is one of the highest paid actors in the country. He charges around Rs 7-8 cr a film, whereas SRK, the highest paid actor in Bollywood, gets around Rs 5 to 6 cr a film, say sources. Amitabh Bachchan, with a price tag of around 4 cr a film, of course, remains the costliest star. But sources say that if Rajnikanth, the superstar were to jump in te fray, he would be as big if not bigger than Big B.
As for the fair sex, the story is no different between north and south. It, in fact, is as unfair as ever. Sources say, Preity Zinta, Kajol, Jyothika and Trishna Krishnan all get around Rs 50-70 lakhs a deal.
Though Bollywood stars cater to a much bigger market in comparison with their southern counterparts, who have virtually no brand appeal beyond the four states in the south, marketers seem ready to bet on them. Says Sanjay Bhutiani, CEO, P9 Integrated: "Of the 1,000 odd films India produces a year, around 500 come out of South. Chandramukhi, a recent Rajnikanth starrer grosses around Rs 60 cr, which is unheard of in Bollywood. Film stars in south are far bigger draws than their Bollywood counterparts and hence, the exorbitant prices."

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Click here for Newspapers

Dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria - say No to Mosquito breeding

Dengue is an acute febrile disease, found in the tropics with a geographical spread similar to malaria. It's caused by one of the four closely related virus serotypes of the genus Flavivirus. Dengue is transmitted to humans by the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

Symtoms:
Sudden onset of fever with severe headaches, muscle/joint pains or rashes.
Other symptoms associated could include abdominal pain, nausea or diarrhea.
However most cases develop milder symptoms.

Treatment:
Diagnosis usually done clinically.
The supportive treatment includes encouraging the patient to take oral intakes, especially oral fluids.
Supplements with intravaneous fluids may be necessary to prevent dehydration.

Prevention:
Though several vaccine development programs are underway there is no commercial vaccine available for denque flavivirus.
The best prevention is eradicating the mosquito vector for dengue.
Avoid stagnant water, the water bodies in your surroundings need to be kept clean.
For Information on chikungunya - Click here

For more on the latest outbreaks of Dengue & Chikungunya, check the Newspapers

World's Top 15 Universities 2006

1) Harvard University (US)
2) University of Cambridge (Britain)
3) University of Oxford (Britain)
4) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
5) Yale University (US)
6) Stanford University (US)
7) California Institute of Technology (US)
8) University of California at Berkeley (US)
9) Imperial College London (Britain)
10) Princeton University (US)
11) University of Chicago (US)
12) Columbia University (US)
13) Duke University (US)
14) Beijing University (China)
15) Cornell University (US)

The Universities were rated on a few parameters. The weightages are as below:

Peer Review Score - 40%

Recruiter Review - 10%

Int’l Faculty Score - 5%

Int’l Students Score – 5%

Faculty/Student Score – 20%

Citations/Faculty Score – 20%

source: thes.co.uk, image: iop.harvard.edu