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Start with a record
How did you welcome the New Year this time? G. Navakumar of Vellore, India ushered in 2008 by painting the flags of 102 countries on two rows of paper -- each 185 feet long. He then inserted a new year greeting between the parallel rows. The Indian flag had a picture of a white dove, indicating peace. He plans to add flags of another 90 countries for a place in the Limca Book of Records.
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Size doesn't matter
Getting close to sparring canines can be dangerous. Even the elephants know the rule. Recently, in Madurai, India, an 11-year-old elephant ran away seeing two dogs fighting, and barged into a nearby hotel. No amount of persuasion from the mahout worked as the scared elephant refused to come out. It did, eventually, after the fear subsided.
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Ad industry looks at 'cyberia'
The face of Indian advertising is changing. The action has shifted to 'cyberia' and advertising firms are reorienting themselves for a toehold on the digital domain. Industry insiders say the country's ad landscape will see more "integration and people-oriented nice campaigns" in the digital age.
"This is the age of online communities, messengers, blogs and searches. Advertising agencies will have to invest in developing core competencies to play an even role in this landscape," Nirvik Singh, president, South Asia, Grey Worldwide, a global advertising group said. The trick, says the ad whizkid, is to think digital and execute.
The change has been fuelled by the explosion in the growth of the internet since 2006. Predictions by the London-based Zenith Optimedia say ad-spend on the internet will overtake radio, cinema and outdoor advertising in two years. Internet advertising will be valued at more than Rs 22.5 billion by the end of 2010, which works out to an almost tenfold increase.
Watchers say classified advertising on the internet will mop up the maximum revenue with an estimated contribution of Rs 9 billion by 2009 followed by search engines' Rs 7.42 billion. Display ads will rake in another estimated Rs 6.07 billion.
The marketing solutions of the future, says Zubin Driver, network creative head of TV 18's specialized advertising unit "Cell", is one-stop ad shops that provide integrated and value-added service to consumers. "I think the ideas have to be multimedia. It has to have its life on the mobile, web and on the screen," said Driver.
Driver sees a lot of cost rationalization in advertising as the market is inflated and the entry of more organized players like Cell, which offers almost everything -- from creative ad clips, promotional capsules to channel packaging and brand solutions -- under one roof. The emphasis, says Driver, will be more on the effectiveness of advertising a product than "pure creativity".
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"This is the age of online communities, messengers, blogs and searches. Advertising agencies will have to invest in developing core competencies to play an even role in this landscape," Nirvik Singh, president, South Asia, Grey Worldwide, a global advertising group said. The trick, says the ad whizkid, is to think digital and execute.
The change has been fuelled by the explosion in the growth of the internet since 2006. Predictions by the London-based Zenith Optimedia say ad-spend on the internet will overtake radio, cinema and outdoor advertising in two years. Internet advertising will be valued at more than Rs 22.5 billion by the end of 2010, which works out to an almost tenfold increase.
Watchers say classified advertising on the internet will mop up the maximum revenue with an estimated contribution of Rs 9 billion by 2009 followed by search engines' Rs 7.42 billion. Display ads will rake in another estimated Rs 6.07 billion.
The marketing solutions of the future, says Zubin Driver, network creative head of TV 18's specialized advertising unit "Cell", is one-stop ad shops that provide integrated and value-added service to consumers. "I think the ideas have to be multimedia. It has to have its life on the mobile, web and on the screen," said Driver.
Driver sees a lot of cost rationalization in advertising as the market is inflated and the entry of more organized players like Cell, which offers almost everything -- from creative ad clips, promotional capsules to channel packaging and brand solutions -- under one roof. The emphasis, says Driver, will be more on the effectiveness of advertising a product than "pure creativity".
» Continue reading
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Daughter speak
One person who was seen in Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign trail is her daughter Chelsea. Though she mixes with the crowd after Hillary's speech, she is out of bounds for the press. In Iowa recently, a kid reporter of Scholastic News, nine-year-old Sydney Rieckhoff, asked her, "Do you think your dad would be a good 'first man'?" Chelsea brushed her question aside, saying, "I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press. Even though I think you're cute." Though initially crestfallen, Sydney was happy; she got to speak to Bill and Hillary.» Continue reading
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Conman in uniform
Conmen love playing the role of a policeman, with whom they interact the most. Loorthanathan from Bangalore, India is no different. He specializes in duping the gullible wearing police uniform. When he was arrested recently, the license plate of his bike had the letter 'G', which suggests that it belongs to the government. Loorthanathan, who the police claim cheated over 70 people, even had a helmet similar to the one used by the police.
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Go slow, baby!
According to health officials in Satara district of Maharashtra (India), the family way should not be treated as expressway. The officials are reportedly offering prizes to couples who take their feet off the libido accelerator. If a couple delays their first baby by two years, the prize is INR 5,000; a three-year gap will give them INR 7,500. Does infertility merit a jackpot?
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Screened over
Beijing now boasts the largest LED screen in Asia. The recently unveiled 'skyscreen' stretches 250m above the pedestrian walkway at a newly opened shopping mall in the central business district.One can sip coffee and watch the various crafty videos on show. And surprisingly, there is no advertising, at least as yet. As of now, the only 'advertising' on the skyscreen are the propaganda videos promoting the heroism of the Chinese communist ideal. » Continue reading
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Save up to £547 per year on shopping
The average household could save up to £547 every year by switching the five financial basics to the best deals on the market, new research from MoneyExpert.com shows.
And financial comparison websites are the ideal way to shop around for the best deals on car insurance, home insurance, personal loans, credit cards and mortgages.
MoneyExpert.com commissioned researchers Canvasse Opinion to audit the finances of the UK and found 84 per cent of adults are overpaying for one or more of these finance basics.
Researchers surveyed a representative sample of people across the country and then ran the results through MoneyExpert.com’s price comparison software. Insurance quotes were analysed through Experian’s ISL division.
The £547 annual household saving comes from switching home insurance, motor insurance, mortgages, personal loans and credit cards to the best deal for each individual.
The biggest saving would come from moving a personal loan deal. On average borrowers could save £204 a year by moving to the best rate.
Drivers could cut their car insurance bill by around £158 a year while homeowners would be £76 a year better off.
Sean Gardner, Chief Executive of MoneyExpert.com, said: “With everyone coming under increasing financial pressure from rising bills it makes sense to find every possible way to cut costs.
“Our analysis shows potential savings of up to £547 are on offer from reviewing basic financial products and that would be a major boost for household budgets.
“Not everyone will save that much but four out of five of us are overpaying for at least one of the financial basics. Typically, UK consumers are paying out £150 per year more than they need to – I’d urge people to spend just a few minutes online to review their finances.”
MoneyExpert.com offers a unique service which enables people to find the financial products which best meet their specific needs, and which they are more likely to be successful in being accepted for. It includes exclusive research conducted by MORI, which reveals providers’ service levels. This information is married up with a financial database which lists the products suited to the customer. For the first time, people can review a product’s price, features and also the level of service offered by the provider to enable them to make a more informed choice.
MoneyExpert.com aims to demystify the complex world of personal finance, and to help inform customers of the choices available. » Continue reading
And financial comparison websites are the ideal way to shop around for the best deals on car insurance, home insurance, personal loans, credit cards and mortgages.
MoneyExpert.com commissioned researchers Canvasse Opinion to audit the finances of the UK and found 84 per cent of adults are overpaying for one or more of these finance basics.
Researchers surveyed a representative sample of people across the country and then ran the results through MoneyExpert.com’s price comparison software. Insurance quotes were analysed through Experian’s ISL division.
The £547 annual household saving comes from switching home insurance, motor insurance, mortgages, personal loans and credit cards to the best deal for each individual.
The biggest saving would come from moving a personal loan deal. On average borrowers could save £204 a year by moving to the best rate.
Drivers could cut their car insurance bill by around £158 a year while homeowners would be £76 a year better off.
Sean Gardner, Chief Executive of MoneyExpert.com, said: “With everyone coming under increasing financial pressure from rising bills it makes sense to find every possible way to cut costs.
“Our analysis shows potential savings of up to £547 are on offer from reviewing basic financial products and that would be a major boost for household budgets.
“Not everyone will save that much but four out of five of us are overpaying for at least one of the financial basics. Typically, UK consumers are paying out £150 per year more than they need to – I’d urge people to spend just a few minutes online to review their finances.”
MoneyExpert.com offers a unique service which enables people to find the financial products which best meet their specific needs, and which they are more likely to be successful in being accepted for. It includes exclusive research conducted by MORI, which reveals providers’ service levels. This information is married up with a financial database which lists the products suited to the customer. For the first time, people can review a product’s price, features and also the level of service offered by the provider to enable them to make a more informed choice.
MoneyExpert.com aims to demystify the complex world of personal finance, and to help inform customers of the choices available. » Continue reading
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What a bummer!
Pull up your pants or be pulled up by cops. Youth who walk with their pants half-down in Atlanta had better watch out. On August 30, a ban was imposed on low-slung pants, or any clothing that exposes underwear in public. Very low-slung trousers are already banned in Delcambre in Louisiana, where cheeky offenders can be fined US$500 or up to six months in jail.
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Google policing Gmail
Google has been well known for policing click fraud on its AdSense service. But Digital Inspiration has recently unearthed information about Google policing its Gmail service.
Google decides how many people you can send an email at a time. 100 from POP or IMAP clients and 500 from the web client. Also, Google will penalize your account if a lot of emails you send bounce back due to failed delivery.
Have you had any such experience with Google policing your use of Gmail? » Continue reading
Google decides how many people you can send an email at a time. 100 from POP or IMAP clients and 500 from the web client. Also, Google will penalize your account if a lot of emails you send bounce back due to failed delivery.
Have you had any such experience with Google policing your use of Gmail? » Continue reading
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Bettercaring discover new trends in care home diets
In light of new nutritional government guidelines from the UK Department of Health and members of the Nutrition Summit stakeholder group, Bettercaring has discovered that there are many positive changes being implemented across care homes in the UK.
Bettercaring undertook some research this month to try and discover what sort of systems care homes were trialling in order to provide nutritionally balanced meals for elderly residents.
Bettercaring found that nursing homes were generally beginning to adhere to government guidelines by sourcing local ingredients from local suppliers to make meals and snacks. However funding is a big issue. On average just £2.43 is spent per head per day in care homes which can cause some homes difficulty, particularly as residents often have very specific dietary requirements.
One care home based in Charnwood, Leicestershire proved that their innovative approach to food had been a success. They offer care home residents a 24 hour kitchen service so that residents can pick and choose from a selection of food whenever they feel hungry. Through this system residents have been more inclined to eat and are healthier as a result.
Bettercaring undertakes research on a number of topics related to the welfare of the elderly in care homes. » Continue reading
Bettercaring undertook some research this month to try and discover what sort of systems care homes were trialling in order to provide nutritionally balanced meals for elderly residents.
Bettercaring found that nursing homes were generally beginning to adhere to government guidelines by sourcing local ingredients from local suppliers to make meals and snacks. However funding is a big issue. On average just £2.43 is spent per head per day in care homes which can cause some homes difficulty, particularly as residents often have very specific dietary requirements.
One care home based in Charnwood, Leicestershire proved that their innovative approach to food had been a success. They offer care home residents a 24 hour kitchen service so that residents can pick and choose from a selection of food whenever they feel hungry. Through this system residents have been more inclined to eat and are healthier as a result.
Bettercaring undertakes research on a number of topics related to the welfare of the elderly in care homes. » Continue reading
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Know your health, online
The invitation on a website reads: "Use nutrition tools to assess your health risks." Enter your height, weight, waist and hip measurements. And it will tell whether you are overweight or not!
The website, nutritionvista.com, recommends visitors to contact its online dieticians to analyse steps to improve their health parameters.
"You are what you eat," says US-based gatroenterologist and nutritionist Dr Sunil S. Jhangiani, who is the founder of the website. According to him, "a high level of functioning is possible only with better health".
For employers, the website offers online health screenings and suggests proactive measures for 'at risk' employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. Linked with Telerad RxDx, a multi-specialty clinic in Bangalore, the website targets corporate clients, and people leading sedentary lifestyle. It offers assessment tools, one-to-one consultation with qualified physicians, web-based 24/7 support, regular follow-up visits and latest information on health and nutrition from around the globe. All for free. Another feature is the list of healthy preparations. A customer is free to send in his recipe. "If required, we will also advice on how to improve the nutritional value of the recipe," says dietician Kanchan Saggi.
The website has the daily exercise planner, community blogs, did-you-knows and food intake analyses. A friendly layout and pleasing colours are added features. Nutritionvista comes with a disclaimer that it "does not intend to create any physician-patient relationship or supplant any in-person medical consultant or examination". » Continue reading
The website, nutritionvista.com, recommends visitors to contact its online dieticians to analyse steps to improve their health parameters.
"You are what you eat," says US-based gatroenterologist and nutritionist Dr Sunil S. Jhangiani, who is the founder of the website. According to him, "a high level of functioning is possible only with better health".
For employers, the website offers online health screenings and suggests proactive measures for 'at risk' employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. Linked with Telerad RxDx, a multi-specialty clinic in Bangalore, the website targets corporate clients, and people leading sedentary lifestyle. It offers assessment tools, one-to-one consultation with qualified physicians, web-based 24/7 support, regular follow-up visits and latest information on health and nutrition from around the globe. All for free. Another feature is the list of healthy preparations. A customer is free to send in his recipe. "If required, we will also advice on how to improve the nutritional value of the recipe," says dietician Kanchan Saggi.
The website has the daily exercise planner, community blogs, did-you-knows and food intake analyses. A friendly layout and pleasing colours are added features. Nutritionvista comes with a disclaimer that it "does not intend to create any physician-patient relationship or supplant any in-person medical consultant or examination". » Continue reading
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Duchess of dregs
Next time you drink coffee, don't drain it to the dregs. Leave some behind for Nawal Gani of Bangalore (India) to tell you something about what lies ahead.44-year-old Gani reads the future from the left overs in a coffee cup, and claims she gets it at least 60 per cent right. "I don't predict. I guide people to know themselves better," she says. The patterns formed on the interior of the cup are mainly Arabic writings or forms of animals, which could be deciphered to suggest future happenings.
"The key is the yawn. If I burp then there is negative energy within the client. I cleanse it by asking my clients to drink water and by chanting prayers," the former policewoman says.
Gani has read the coffee cups of Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bollywood actors and actresses. But she will not reveal what she saw in them. For, official secrets are meant to be kept! Her common clients approach her with queries on financial and health-related matters -- they say she is 80 per cent right.
She charges 1,000 rupees (22 dollars) for a reading. And for those who want their cup read over the telephone, the amount is doubled as the procedure is more difficult.
"I ask for his or her name and their mother's name. Then I drink the cup keeping their names in my mind and on their behalf.
It comes out pretty accurately," she says.
Coffee cup reading has its origins in China where ancient monks predicted the future by reading patterns left by tea leaves in bell-shaped cups, a process known as tasseography.
Later, Arabs took up the practice but used coffee as a medium.
So, there is more to upmarket coffee than meets the eye -- there's some-thing for the inner eye too.
According to an unofficial source Nawal Gani stays in a house called Egyptian Block on Haines Road, Bangalore. The phone number is 55300310. » Continue reading
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Big events & your memory
When you experience an emotionally-charged event, it's something that is etched into your memory, and now scientists think they know why. In experiments with mice, researchers found that powerful surges of hormone norepinephrine -- surges that occur during emotional episodes -- cause a series of events that strengthen the connections between neurons, sealing these events into memory. "The question is why is it that you can remember some trivial events that occur at a time when there is high emotional arousal," said lead researcher Dr. Roberto Malinow of the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, New York. "For example, everyone remembers where they were when they heard about September 11, even though they may have been in some trivial place."
The researchers found that norepinephrine can modify brain cell-receptors, making them easier to go into synapses -- the tiny spaces between brain cells -- making it easier to learn and form memories, Malinow said. In studies with mice, Malinow's group found that norepinephrine, coupled with emotional stress, plays an important role in lowering the threshold for certain brain cell-receptors called GluR1. This, in turn, causes a boost in memory.
When the researchers put lab mice through behavioural tests, they found that exposure to norepinephrine made normal mice remember events more clearly. But, mice with mutations of the GluR1 receptors that were exposed to norepinephrine did not show improved memory. Norepinephrine is known to play a part in the emotional control of memory. During emotional stress, norepinephrine is released by neurons (brain cells) in many areas of the brain involved with forming emotional memories. Malinow thinks this finding could lead to new treatments for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. One expert sees this study as an extension of similar work, which showed that norepinephrine is involved in the memory of fearful events that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. » Continue reading
The researchers found that norepinephrine can modify brain cell-receptors, making them easier to go into synapses -- the tiny spaces between brain cells -- making it easier to learn and form memories, Malinow said. In studies with mice, Malinow's group found that norepinephrine, coupled with emotional stress, plays an important role in lowering the threshold for certain brain cell-receptors called GluR1. This, in turn, causes a boost in memory.
When the researchers put lab mice through behavioural tests, they found that exposure to norepinephrine made normal mice remember events more clearly. But, mice with mutations of the GluR1 receptors that were exposed to norepinephrine did not show improved memory. Norepinephrine is known to play a part in the emotional control of memory. During emotional stress, norepinephrine is released by neurons (brain cells) in many areas of the brain involved with forming emotional memories. Malinow thinks this finding could lead to new treatments for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. One expert sees this study as an extension of similar work, which showed that norepinephrine is involved in the memory of fearful events that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. » Continue reading
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Babies can tell friend from foe
Infants who have not yet learned language can still tell friend from foe. Babies aged around six months prefer people who co-operate, rather than people who hurt. This ability could be the foundation for moral thought and action later in life, say researchers.
Previous studies had showed that babies prefer physically attractive people, but there has been no data on whether babies judge people based on how they behave. Simple experiments were conducted to gauge whether six and 10-month-old infants preferred social individuals (helpers) or anti-social individuals (hinderers). The infant was made to watch a 'climber' (a wood puppet with large eyes glued on to it) repeatedly try to climb a hill. On the third try, the climber was either given help or was pushed back down by a puppet. The babies were then given the chance to reach out and grasp either the helper or hinderer puppet. Very high rates of babies chose the helping character. The authors argue it is something innate, rather than babies learning the behaviour. » Continue reading
Previous studies had showed that babies prefer physically attractive people, but there has been no data on whether babies judge people based on how they behave. Simple experiments were conducted to gauge whether six and 10-month-old infants preferred social individuals (helpers) or anti-social individuals (hinderers). The infant was made to watch a 'climber' (a wood puppet with large eyes glued on to it) repeatedly try to climb a hill. On the third try, the climber was either given help or was pushed back down by a puppet. The babies were then given the chance to reach out and grasp either the helper or hinderer puppet. Very high rates of babies chose the helping character. The authors argue it is something innate, rather than babies learning the behaviour. » Continue reading
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Testing times
Can extra-curricular test mean chastity test, too? The West Java province's plan to carry out virginity tests on female high school students was dropped after a public outcry. The test was planned after a video of two high school students having sex was circulated via mobile phones.
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Sacred fig weds Neem!
People of a village near Sirumuga in Coimbatore district (India) performed an unsual wedding -- they got a 'neem' tree married to a 'pipal' (Sacred fig) tree. The knot was tied in south Indian style in the presence of a priest and amid chanting of hymns and nadaswaram recital in early August, 2007. The ceremony was to protect forests and maintain world peace.
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Tub boats
What would you pack when going on a vacation to Dinant, an hour away from Brussels? Take a bathtub, by all means. This city on the River Meuse hosts La Regate des Baignoires or the International Regatta of Bathtubs!The event is open to 'river-worthy' bathtubs of all classes and nationalities. More of a joke than a contest, it allows vessels of any design, but at least one bathtub must be part of the structure. Motors are strictly forbidden, so is the deliberate sinking of a fellow competitor. » Continue reading
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Glass mates
Heard of proposals during safaris, on airplanes and during candle-lit dinners. Rebecca Savoy was surprised when a huge W popped up on the screen during her vision-test. Then came ILL and the rest followed (in pic). Her boyfriend Joseph Wachtel had roped in the optometrist to help him pop the question.
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Bid Daddy
Daad Mohammed Murad Abdul Rahman, 60, has already married 15 times and has two more brides lined up. He divorced 12 of them to stay within the legal norm of four wives.
The father of 78 is in a bid to reach his target of 100 children by 2015. His eldest child is 36 years old and the youngest, 20 days. The 'extended family' stays in about 15 houses in Ajman (United Arab Emirates).
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The father of 78 is in a bid to reach his target of 100 children by 2015. His eldest child is 36 years old and the youngest, 20 days. The 'extended family' stays in about 15 houses in Ajman (United Arab Emirates).
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