U.S. Tourism Dept.'s bainchild to tap into the Dalit market of South Dakota !

The Che! Factor

Money Matters

It is ironic that here in India, the left hand is completely out of sync with its right hand and also the rest of its limbs!

The Indian sports ministry has apparently rejected the proposal of holding an F1 race here in India, which would have cost the exchequer around $36.5 million. It contended that the money can be used instead to promote other lesser known Indian sports. If the ministry really does what it believes, then it would be holding a candle for the rest of government machinery here in India to follow.

On the other hand, the UP Government has told the Supreme Court that installing various statues (including that of the Chief Minister’s) in the state at the cost of around $100 million was approved by the state Legislature. This was in response to a petition filed in the court alleging waste of taxpayer’s money.

The state machinery in UP is in dire straits. Encephalitis has been plaguing the state, causing the death toll (mostly children) to approach the 200 mark this year alone. According to a World Bank report, infant mortality rate in UP is the highest in India. Swine flu is slowly spreading its wings. The public sector has failed to create an investment friendly atmosphere. The biggest stumbling block here in UP is deep rooted caste and gender inequalities.

Is the $100 million for building statues justified? How did the State Legislature approve it? If it did, then what was the Central Government doing? The biggest question here would be is why the public of UP not raising its voice?

Blissful ignorance would be the perfect answer. Or would it?

Samsung Reclaim

It costs less than 50 dollars at Sprint and according to the Samsung, the Reclaim is 80 percent recyclable as it is made from bio-plastic. The packaging is made from 70 percent recyclable material, while the ink used for printing text and images on the package and the phone warranty is made from soy. The charger consumes about 12 times lesser power than the Energy Star standard.

Samsung has positioned it as an eco-friendly messaging phone. 2 dollars will go to the Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program in the U.S.

Image Courtesy: Samsung

Festival of Cycling is back!

The Tour de France 2009 kicks of its 96th edition, covering roughly 3,500 kilometers over 21 days. But it not an ordinary tour as Lance Armstrong is back riding in his favorite event.

In terms of geographical boundaries, the tour will be passing through six countries this time around: Monaco, France, Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and Italy.

Another novelty is the communication between the riders and their team managers being banned in stages 10 and 13.

I am will be following this year’s event on the web, hoping against hope that it turns out dope free.

Formula One has averted the crisis - for now

The revolt has been put down, compromises has been made and the show goes on. The eight teams have agreed to participate in the 2010 Formula One World Championship until 2012 and eventually cut costs to the levels of the early 1990’s. In return, the FIA has agreed to impose no further regulations. The 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to 29 April 2009 will be in force for 2010 and onwards.

The big cheer is that FIA President Max Mosley will not to stand for re-election in October this year.

Gentlemen, start your engines.

Life’s back in the fast lane!

The 2009 Formula one couldn’t have started any better! For the first time (according to the official website) complete newbies have taken over the front row. Team Brawn (Brawn GP) which at one time was not even sure that it would start this season is one-two in the season opening qualifier! Check out the official website for more information on the qualifying.

Below you will find the official calendars’ for both Moto GP and Formula One 2009 season.

2009 Moto GP Season

COMMERCIALBANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR (Losail Circuit) - 12 April

POLINI GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN (Motegi) - 26 April

GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA (Jerez) - 03 May

GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE (Le Mans) - 17 May

GRAN PREMIO D'ITALIA ALICE (Mugello) - 31 May

GRAN PREMI CINZANO DE CATALUNYA (Circuit de Catalunya) - 14 June

ALICE TT ASSEN (Assen) - 27 June

RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX (Laguna Seca) - 05 July

ALICE MOTORRAD GRAND PRIX DEUTSCHLAND (Sachsenring) - 19 July

BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Donington Park) - 26 July

CARDION AB GRAND PRIX CESKE REPUBLIKY (Automotodrom Brno) - 16 August

RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX (Indianapolis) - 30 August

G.P. CINZANO DI SAN MARINO E DELLA RIVIERA DI RIMINI (Misano) - 06 September

GRANDE PREMIO DE PORTUGAL (Estoril) - 04 October

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX (Phillip Island) - 18 October

MALAYSIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX (Sepang Circuit) - 25 October

GRAN PREMIO DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA (Comunitat Valenciana) - 08 November

For further information on the circuits and the official calendar, visit: http://www.motogp.com/en/calendar+circuits

2009 FIA Formula One World Championship Race Calendar

2009 FORMULA 1 ING AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX (Melbourne) 27 - 29 Mar

2009 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX (Kuala Lumpur) 03 - 05 Apr

2009 FORMULA 1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX (Shanghai) 17 - 19 Apr

2009 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX (Sakhir) 24 - 26 Apr

FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPANA TELEFONICA 2009 (Catalunya) 08 - 10 May

FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2009 (Monte Carlo) 21 - 24 May

2009 FORMULA 1 ING TURKISH GRAND PRIX (Istanbul) 05 - 07 Jun

2009 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Silverstone) 19 - 21 Jun

FORMULA 1 GROSSER PREIS SANTANDER VON DEUTSCHLAND 2009 (Nürburgring) 10 - 12 Jul

FORMULA 1 ING MAGYAR NAGYDIJ 2009 (Budapest) 24 - 26 Jul

2009 FORMULA 1 TELEFONICA GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE (Valencia) 21 - 23 Aug

2009 FORMULA 1 ING BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Spa-Francorchamps) 28 - 30 Aug

FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2009 (Monza) 11 - 13 Sep

2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX (Singapore) 25 - 27 Sep

2009 FORMULA 1 FUJI TELEVISION JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Suzuka) 02 - 04 Oct

FORMULA 1 GRANDE PREMIO DO BRASIL 2009 (Sao Paulo) 16 - 18 Oct

2009 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX (Yas Marina Circuit) 30 Oct - 01 Nov

Source: http://www.formula1.com/races/calendar.html

Palm Pre at CES

This was a first time experience for me, when I got overwhelmed by the amount of media coverage that was devoted to Palm Pre and its new platform. I have covered other phone companies before when they had launched a slew of models. But Palm was different. Palm has a huge loyal following over the internet. I have heard that Apple has a similar if not bigger fan following on the internet. But when the iphone loyalists started posting sarcastic posts to the effect that Apple deserters have come up with an iphone killer, I knew that Palm had rattled their cage.

On the first day of the CES, Palm unveiled a new mobile platform called webOS and a phone that is based on the new platform called Pre.

Palm claims that webOS has been built from the scratch and keeps the user constantly connected to the internet.

Palm Pre, oval shaped with a slide out QWERTY keyboard, 3.1 inch touch screen with 24 bit 320x480 color display. Now the icing on the cake: it has a 3 mp camera with LED flash and a 3.5 mm headset jack!

It has also got 8 GB of internal memory, a proximity sensor that automatically disables the touch screen and turns off the display whenever you put the phone up to your ear, a light sensor which dims the display if the ambient light is dark (to reduce power usage) and a ringer switch that silences the device with one touch.

Weighing at 135 g, the Pre’s connectivity includes support for Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), integrated GPS, Bluetooth 2.1; along with EVDO Rev. A or UMTS HSDPA high speed internet connectivity. It also has an accelerometer and Outlook. It also supports POP3 and IMAP.

Palm Pre is scheduled to be available first in the United States exclusively from Sprint in the first half of 2009, and will be followed by a world-ready UMTS version for other regions.

Source: Palm Press Release

Global Economic Slump Hits Motorsports

Honda was the first to pull out of F1, followed by Suzuki suspending its FIA WRC activities. Then came Subaru’s withdrawal from the FIA WRC.

Now the shocker. Kawasaki has announced that its factory team will not race in the 2009 Moto GP season.

Global financial crisis is how they chose to explain their exits. Fair enough.

Kawasaki’s announcement leaves just 17 bikes on the grid. However the WRC has become a two horse race with Ford and Citroen.

Honda and Suzuki however have confirmed their participation in the 2009 Moto GP championship, after quitting from F1 and WRC respectively.

I have been kind of wondering, is there any alternative to money? I mean we had the barter system ages ago, that was replaced by money. Isn’t it about time that money gets replaced by something else?

Insanity Rules!

“My dear Leopard, for you, a thousand times over.”

A ghastly incident has taken place in village called Dhar, in Madhya Pradesh. A leopard was brutally beaten to death with sticks, stones and swords.

After pouring scorn on policemen in Chicago for shooting dead a cougar, I truly hang my head in shame for what these villagers’ of Dhar have done.

An eyewitness account by one of the villager shows how ignorant these people are. It seems that the villagers had gathered around the fields and were moving in a group towards the leopard. The leopard then attacked a child, following which the animal was beaten to death.

What were they thinking? Crazy villagers! It is not a village fair or a circus show. It is a wild animal, for crying out loud. Did they expect the big cat to shake hands and let them pat its head? What was a child doing there in the first place?

In a video clip that was being aired on a news channel, the villagers were still beating the dead leopard. Senseless brutalism coupled with ignorance and pseudo aggressiveness? Bloody villagers!

Apparently, the wild cat was lynched right in front of the forest officers, who in turn watched helplessly, being out numbered at 20:1. Priorities are highly screwed up here in India and it is a sad fact. Holding on to one’s job, licking politicians arses; sadly ranks very high up there, priority-wise. Nobody gives a rat’s ass to wildlife and other earthly matters. What a fucking joke! (This has become my favorite punch-line after reading The White Tiger).

Raghuvendra Shrivastava, District Forest Officer of Dhar, was more worried about the compensation that would be given to the injured people and was least bothered about apprehending the villagers who were responsible for this ghastly act.

When I googled for leopards, the first 10 results were all about leopards being killed at various parts of India. I tried to dig up a statistic on how many leopards were being killed everyday and how many were left. Unfortunately, no official figures turned up. Blame the Indian bureaucracy.

An outdated piece of information from the Wildlife Protection Society, whose website is not functioning, said that so far 141 leopards have been killed in 2008. Saving grace?

I did not want this to be my first post, this year. But I have no choice. “My dear Leopard, for you, a thousand times over.”

The Inevitable Aftermath

Jean Charles de Menezes, a 27-year-old Brazilian was gunned down by police men in the aftermath of the July 7 bombings. Jean had tried to run from the police and was unarmed.

Mohammed Mukarram Pasha, a 19-year-old first year B.Com student of Bangalore's Baldwin Methodist's College was fatally shot by the Army guards in the aftermath of the Mumbai mayhem. Mukarram had tried to flee from the army camp and was unarmed.

There are a lot of similarities between the two incidents. Armed authorities had taken extreme measures, something they would have normally avoided otherwise. Both incidents have taken place in the aftermath of terrorist attacks. It is a time when authorities prefer to put a bullet, instead of apprehending a suspect.

Mukarram had entered the Flag Staff House by jumping the compound wall, fleeing from the police. He was only guilty of drag racing and trespassing, as claimed by the police. However, when he ignored the army guards’ warnings and tried to flee from the army camp, he was fatally shot at and was declared dead on arrival by the doctors at the St Philomena's Hospital.

People close to Mukarram are seething with anger, accusing the army guards of being trigger happy. They argue that with six guards, they could have easily apprehended Mukarram instead of shooting at him.

Ironically, this incident has taken place hours after the Home Guards in Bangalore organized a rally to mark 'National Disaster Reduction Day' on Sunday, asking citizens to play a role in securing the city.

Do you think that the army guards were well within their rights to shoot or could they have shown some restraint? Should the guard who shot Mukarram be court marshalled?

Sayonara Honda

Honda’s has pulled the plug on its Formula One racing program. The company said that the global recession and its impact on the automotive industry had left the company with no choice but to withdraw from Formula One.

Takeo Fukui, President and CEO, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. made the announcement on December 5, 2008. He also indicated that the Honda team is for sale.

Honda’s ‘Earth Dreams’ has come to an end (hopefully for now).

What is more intriguing is the statement made by the FIA president Max Mosley who quoted saying that the Formula One teams are run by technicians who are better off playing video games. He made all the right noises about reducing the spiraling costs and also predicted the end of Formula One racing if his advice was not taken seriously.

Formula One and cost cutting do not gel together. They make F1 look pedestrian. Apart from the Big Two teams who have bottomless pockets to dip into, other teams are on a knife edge. Cost cutting measures would widen the gap between the have’s and the have not’s. The past two years have been close only because the Big Two have managed to continue development in spite of all the restrictions. If one takes them out of the equation, there would be no difference between a vintage car rally and Formula One.

Formula One is and should always be the pinnacle of motoring sport where cutting edge technology and speed are on proud display. It is the ultimate bragging right for the car manufacturers. But with all these cost cutting measures and restrictions, who would want to race in it?

Recession is hurting many teams and with this in mind, the F1 boss should put Formula One on hold until the teams tide it out. How noble would that be? But who would want to kill the golden goose? They would rather see F1 cars puttering round a track at 60mph (that would where all these cost cutting measures and restrictions would lead to).

However, I have a question. What will happen when the goose stops laying golden eggs?

Few Rotten Apple’s, And We Blame The Entire Basket.

Earlier I had written on “Mass Media And Its Responsibilities,” where I had poured scorn over media for forgetting the ethics of journalism and resorting to cheap tricks, in order to attract viewers and gain rating points.

However, watching the terror unfold in Mumbai, over the television channel, beamed live 24 hours; I salute TIMES NOW.

My heart goes out to the victims of this DASTARDLY act. Yet, my heart swells with pride, watching the army, who yet again answer the nation’s distress call. But above all, I realized that mass media understands its responsibilities very well and can be relied upon, at times like these.

TIMES NOW stood out like a star, and did an yeoman’s service by reporting live on the terror act for more than two days. Through out the live telecast, Arnab Goswami, the channel content head, stressed on the responsibility of the media in such situations where they are compelled to cover all that’s happening and yet make sure that they do not give out vital details of the military operation which might end up aiding the terrorists. He even apologized to the viewers at one point, telling us that they would beam the pictures “deferred live” and some incidents would not be shown at all, preserving the integrity of the military operation.

The two days of ordeal was tasking, for both the military personnel and the media crew covering the incident. My heart felt thanks goes out to Mahrukh Inayet, Rahul Shivshankar, Harishree Mehta, Bhavtosh Singh and other TIMES NOW reporters, who, notwithstanding the grey eye bags under their eyes and strained vocal cords, continued to report live.

I felt the intellectual connection when Arnab voiced his displeasure at a certain ministers who turned up at the sites (which was nothing but a well orchestrated cheap political gimmick) where the confrontation was still going on between the terrorists and the military personnel. We need people like Arnab. India is a mess, a ticking time bomb; and people like him leading India would do justice to the term “India Shining.”

TIMES NOW is a part of the Times Global Broadcasting Co., Ltd., which operates as a subsidiary of Bennett, Coleman & Co., Ltd.

Author

Splitsvilla: TRP game play – Laying foundation for growing sick trend in media!

By Shilz

I’m seriously losing any respect I had for the MTV India crew. Granted roadies was a series of bleeped out sound bytes and mind numbing cat fights with added masala of changing rules and re-entries. However, the challenges were nevertheless good enough for it to be rated a ‘reality adventure show’. But MTV’s Splitsvilla, was the worst show I have ever seen. It was just a shameless skin show being proclaimed as a rocking reality show!

I never thought that people can go to such extent for grabbing TRPs! Yes, this reality show looks like just a package created to grab as many TRPs as possible, and nothing else. Viewers craving for humiliation (of others) and skin show can be happy with such shows and they may criticize my views, but I seriously want to address this sick trend, which is growing! 20 something girls going all the way – from dressing low, wooing the boys, boys figuring who has the “best” and worst” body, belly dancing of gals to bathroom tub caressing – they are letting nothing hold them back.

While watching this show, I recalled my friend, Rocksta’s thoughts about responsibilities of mass media. Please find below an excerpt from his article titled: “Mass Media and its responsibilities”:

“The extent of reach which Mass Media in this digital age commands, is truly amazing and eye opening; both in terms of viewership and the ability to influence a person’s thinking. But why do I get the feeling that Mass Media is misusing this power, misleading people, creating unnecessary hype to increase circulation numbers. With absolute power comes great responsibility. Mass Media has acquired absolute power, but lacking in the responsibility department.”

I really don’t get the fascination (some) youths have developed for this “Splitsvilla” show. In a nutshell Splitsvilla consists of 20 women vying for attention of two young men. The folks behind this reality show would like us to believe that the concept of the show is the search for ‘True Love’. (along with a fetching sum of 5lakhs!) Each week one girl’s fate rests in the hands of the two men, who have the power to vote her out of the show.

In splitsvilla, all the contests (the supposed search for qualities) seem to be aimed at one thing alone. Getting the girls to wear the least possible amount of clothes! Think of it, the best body contest, the dare (sadly didn’t work out as planned I suppose), the sensous dance/ lap dance, the bubble bath, the mud wrestling, the beachwear photo shoot??? and many of their dates are somehow near some water body or other ( the pool, spa jacuzzi, beach, man made lake) just inviting them to don their swimsuits yet again!

I fail to see the point behind a show such as this and that too being heavily promoted by a channel responsible in so many ways for shaping the minds of our youth.

What makes matters worse is the reason behind such crass behavior - two men, worth nothing. And I mean nothing. Thin, squirmy, ugly, all backed by high headiness – that seems to be their only qualification. Frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow it is revealed that the boys belonged to the sponsor’s clan or the production/channel’s household. So here we have two absolute losers tossing girls around as per their whims and fancy.

The show preys on the desire of young girls to make it big in showbiz. There is absolutely no competition, just puppetry and I think it is sending out the wrong signals to a lot of young minds over there.

Every time I watch the girls on Splitsvilla, I really feel bad for those gals, why they are letting themselves to be used like that! Guess this is one instance when a parent would not proudly proclaim “meri beti TV par aa rahi hai!”

These are young beautiful girls, reasonably intelligent and well spoken and obviously from well to do families. They have everything going for them. Why they would opt to do a show of this sort is beyond my reasoning. And if u think the reason is money, judging from their outfits and demeanor, I seriously doubt any of them is in danger of running bankrupt in the near future. Besides weren’t they told about the money only on their first day in the villa!

Which gets me to the most important point - while the channel, viewers and the boys are having a gala time at the expense of the participating girls – is 15 seconds of fame a good enough reason for these contestants to completely demean themselves?

Not looking at it from a feminist view point, as a life lesson I believe nothing is worth more than one’s own self-respect let alone mortifying yourself on national television not once but umpteen number of times. While MTV may call their creation as ‘testing of one’s character’, I simply see it as TRP game play, being done at all costs.

Reference:

Desidabba.org

Fight against AIDS but not against people with it!

By Shilz

HIV is a debilitating and deadly disease of the human immune system, and is one of the world's most serious health problems. The World Health Organization estimates that about 20 million people have died from AIDS since the infection was first described in 1981. Our India is one of the largest and most populated countries in the world, with more than one billion inhabitants. Of this number, it's estimated that around 2.5 million Indians are currently living with HIV, and this is all due to lack of awareness and poor counseling.

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is "high" in Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is capital, according to the country's National Aids Control Organization. In some researches it has been found that that the risk of committing suicide is higher in people who have HIV.

In a bizarre incident, a couple infected with deadly HIV^Define virus killed their three children and then committed suicide. The Bombay, India-based couple took this extreme step after discovering that their six-year-old daughter had contracted the virus that causes AIDS. The bodies of Babu Ishwar Thevar, 39, his wife, Amothi, 33, two sons Venkatesh, 10, and Mani, 8, and daughter, Mahalaxmi, 6, were found in their home on August 5, 2008. The couple was living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIVdefine) for two years and had been depressed by news that their daughter also had the HIV virus.

The police think that the parents allegedly fed sweets laced with poison to their two boys, and as the daughter survived eating the poisoned sweets, the parents then smothered her with a pillow before committing suicide. The couple had hanged themselves from the ceiling by a nylon rope.

Social stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people are widespread in our country. People living with HIV fear to loose their status in the society, hence keep their disease a secret. In India, the HIV-infected people have faced violent attacks; been rejected by families as well as by spouses and communities. They also have been refused medical treatment, and even, in some reported cases, denied the last rites after they die. Such harsh reactions to HIV and AIDS make it difficult to educate people about how they can avoid infection.

It is really foolish that even most of the educated people decline to shake hand with HIV infected persons. People do not have proper knowledge about the modes of transmission of HIV.

Revathi, South Indian actress and film director, struggled a lot to convince so called super-hit hero’s in the Bollywood to play the character of a person with AIDS in her movie “Phir Milenge”. Salman Khan was the only one to accept the role when Revathi first came up with the idea. She herself admits it was difficult to find an actor for Salman's role, with several turning it down, mostly because of the social stigma attached to the disease. The movie educates without being preachy, something it may have been in the danger of. It tends to drag in the first half but touches your heartstrings later. However, such movies are rarely received by people. All they want - item numbers, romance, comedy, fights, thrills bla bla bla…!!!

Knowledge about the illness is often confused — even among India’s professional medical community — but it is widely connected with sexual activity, which is a taboo topic in what remains a deeply conservative country. Past series of shocking “skull and crossbones” government adverts served to nurture fear without educating the public — particularly in rural areas where literacy levels are still low. Children’s organizations are known to have refused to take in orphans whose parents died of AIDS. Even in cities, counselling services are rare, leaving those who suffer from guilt and depression chronically undersupported.

Anasuya, a widow in her twenties, told a research team from the charity: “In villages people do not distinguish between HIV and AIDS, the last stage. They treat us as worse than Untouchables.”

Meghna Girish, the co-ordinator of a program for people living with HIV/AIDS in India run by the charity ActionAid, said: “Even after an AIDS patient’s death, people are often scared to touch the body, making last rites a problem.”

In one incident in June two doctors were suspended from a hospital in the northern city of Meerut after a man claimed that he was forced to perform the delivery of his son when medical staff refused to touch his wife upon learning that she was HIV-positive. The man alleged that he had carried out the procedure himself — even cutting and tying the umbilical cord — as doctors issued instructions from a distance.

Even the relatively rich suffer the effects of medical ignorance, according to a recent study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO). It said that nearly 10,000 of the estimated 40,000 HIV-infected people being treated by private doctors in India were prescribed “irrational drug combinations”. Faulty regimens were making patients resistant to first-line antiretroviral drugs faster than usual, the study said.

The WHO also found that Indian drug companies are delivering powerful drugs directly to the homes of HIV patients — cutting out medical professionals — to overcome patients’ fears of discrimination.

The Government this week made a gesture towards integrating HIV/Aids sufferers by promising to issue them with cards that make bearers eligible for a national scheme designed to provide a minimum amount of employment to India’s poorest people.

In addition, about 100,000 people with HIV who are receiving antiretroviral therapy at 174 government centers across the country were promised to be treated as living below the poverty line, a status that qualifies them for food handouts.

Why is this stigma attached with AIDS, is it not possible to root out this stigma from our country?

References:
TimesOnline.co.uk, BBC News, Avert.org & The MedGuru

When Terror is Pathology To India, Her Inefficient Politicians Seem To Have Contracted The Disease Called ‘Terrorism’

Arunava Das, Media Analyst

Terror is pathology. That is what it is in India, See the government's response to terror? The serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad were met with cringe-inducing official harrumphs from Delhi that warnings had been already been given to respective state governments. It is time to ask what the Union government means when it says warnings were available or is it the negligence of the states’ intelligence agencies? Is it the case that the Centre's, or specifically the home ministry's, radars are always buzzing efficiently with actionable information that is not acted upon by inefficient state governments? If so, why doesn't the Centre say it straight? They have a duty to the nation to say it. And if that is not the case, as one strongly suspects is not the case, why take this, to put it bluntly, awful way to pass the parcel? It has to be said, in the context of this trait, that the UPA's whole approach to terror has been scarily confusing.

The present home minister will demit office as having made a spectacular non-impression as far as his leadership of national security efforts go. It took the prime minister, that too after more than half of the UPA's term in office was over, to say Naxalites were a high-priority threat to India’s internal security. Can you recall the home minister taking political leadership of this national security issue? Can you recall him owning up to his remit as home minister vis-a-vis terror? And let's remember that while strong and clear political positions are no guarantees against stopping terror, their absence severely weakens the government's fight against it.

More than four years after the UPA took over, not a single terror attack has been brought to closure in terms of catching the perpetrators and putting them through the mills of justice. There's investigative failure of a scale that would have in normal circumstances consumed the career of several ministers - but in the UPA the home ministry seems to have acquired immunity from even the most obvious of questions. And what more to expect from a country’s ministry which stands at an awful 74 in the list of the most corrupted countries of the world. It's long been known that security agencies are in part handicapped by a certain absurd notion of political correctness - a notion that implicates the very people it professes to protect. The convenient political assumption in India is that voters don't punish governments who appear to be ineffective against terror. This government really has pushed that assumption to its limit.

Teva and Barr: A match made in heaven?!

By Shilpa Nangali

Recently, Teva announced its plan to acquire Barr Pharmaceuticals. The Barr acquisition is the largest deal in the generics market to date, narrowly surpassing Teva's acquisition of Ivax at US$7.4 billion in 2005.

It is said that marriages are made in heaven. I do not know if it is true or not but marriages of companies are hot & happening right now!

The acquisition of Barr Pharmaceuticals was the focus of attention at an investors’ conference Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. held in New York. "Teva and Barr are a match made in heaven," said Teva CFO Eyal Desheh.

Teva president and CEO Shlomo Yanai reiterated his comments on the strategic fit between the company and Barr, and Barr's expected contribution to Teva at several levels. "1.6 million prescriptions for Teva and Barr drugs are filled every day in the US, double the number for Mylan drugs, which is in second place," he said.

Who knows, this marriage of Teva & Barr may be a boon for Teva! After this marriage,Teva can expand its leadership in the US market and fortify its presence in Europe. ;-)

There was an official meeting between Bruce Downey, Chief Executive of Barr Pharmaceuticals Downey and the Teva Executives, Shlomo Yanai and William Marth regarding the announcement of Teva’s agreement to pay $7.5 billion to acquire Barr. The deal is not expected to result in the immediate job losses in New Jersey, where Barr employs nearly 500 people. Downey said: “Teva has emphasized it wants to increase its manufacturing capabilities through the acquisition of Barr, and the combined company will need more staff to handle its additional business.”

Teva vice chairman Philip Frost is a man, who was once at the target side of a Teva acquisition when he headed Ivax Corporation, acquired by Teva three years ago. He added, "On behalf of the board of directors, but more importantly, as an investor in Teva, I want to thank Shlomo for this good deal for Teva." He also praised Barr chairman and CEO Bruce Downey as a "dear friend and colleague" and said that they were now members of the same family.

Teva's proprietary product portfolio currently consists of only two drugs, namely, Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) and Azilect (rasagiline). Although Azilect's latest clinical trial results have touted it as a blockbuster molecule, Teva's ambitions to extend the patent on its leading proprietary molecule, Copaxone, were dashed when its FORTE trials results reported findings of no added efficacy at a higher dosage.

Additionally, Teva’s Copaxone enterprise has been threatened by Momenta-Sandoz's Para IV filings and Mylan-Natco's marketing agreements for generic Copaxone. Copaxone’s patent reportedly expired during the drug development process with complete patent expiration on the drug due in 2014 and 2015 in the US and Europe, respectively.

Yoav Burgan, pharmaceuticals analyst at Leader Capital Markets in Tel Aviv, said that Teva's management was under pressure to make a high-quality deal due to a number of recent setbacks, such as losing out to Mylan Inc on buying Merck KGaA's generics business, as well as its disappointing results on its 40-mg Copaxone tests and the potential long-term generic competition for its 20-mg version of Copaxone.

Shlomo Yanai scoffed at the idea that the disappointing Copaxone results forced the company to make the deal. In landing the biggest acquisition ever by an Israeli company, Yanai applied the long-term strategic thinking of a seasoned military general. Analyst Aaron Gal said that the purchase of Barr does not solve Teva's problem with Copaxone, a proprietary drug for multiple sclerosis, which faces a decline in sales in 2012. Gal expects Copaxone to face new competition in 2012. The drug accounted for 18 percent of Teva’s sales last year.

References: Global Insight Daily Analysis, Market News Publishing, Reuters, Associated Press Newswire, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Israel Business Arena and NJ.com.

Give your offspring the healthiest start possible!!!

By Shilpa Nangali

Wal-Mart, the giant retailer, along with CVS (CVS, Fortune 500) and Toys 'R Us, announced recently that it plans to stop selling baby bottles containing the chemical bisphenol-A. I see that BPA is the hot topic on baby blogs and forums everywhere.

Bisphenol-A has been widely used since the 1950s. The FDA, as well as Japanese and European regulators, have no problems with it. Canada is about to ban it from baby bottles, but officials term the move purely precautionary.

To be sure, other scientists worry because animal studies have linked small doses of BPA to cancer and other health problems. However, scientific debate isn't driving the baby bottle war; a hard-hitting push by activist groups, politicians and trial lawyers is!!! Strange fact to accept!

BPA is a chemical used in the manufacturing of most plastics. It is a known neurotoxin and is used to make polycarbonate, a rigid, clear plastic for bottles, bike helmets, DVDs and car headlights. It's also an ingredient in epoxy resins, which coat the inside of food and drink cans. About 93% of Americans tested by the Centers for Disease Control had the chemical in their urine. Independent research is now showing that the chemical leaches into formula contents of bottles. It should be noted that the effect of this 'leaching' is yet to be determined. However, parents and others are rightfully concerned about finding the dangerous chemical in things used to feed their babies.

As traditional media picked up the story in the spring, spooked retailers like Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) backed away from BPA, while companies that had done so earlier scored a PR coup that boosted their fortunes. One could argue, as BPA opponents do, that the government is too slow to take action to protect health, so private action by consumers and companies is necessary. Or one could argue, as does Steve Hentges, a chemist and industry lobbyist that "the science can't compete with the emotion."

The chemical industry has tried to get its message out, too. See the Web sites http://www.bisphenol-a.org/ and http://www.factsonplastic.com/ , which offer a defense of BPA. But the industry is often depicted as a "special interest group," while environmentalists and politicians are seen as serving the "public interest."

It isn't that simple, of course. Controversy helps a few enviros to raise money, Democratic politicians love to find fault with the Bush administration. And the trial lawyers sense a big payday. The problem for the chemical industry is that its track record doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The Dingell-Stupak investigation of BPA looked at what the congressmen call "science for sale," finding examples of consultants promising clients how research would turn out. Needless to say, this is not how science is supposed to work.

This became a key element of the attack on BPA. Dingell has said he's concerned about whether "the science FDA relied on to approve the use of Bisphenol A was bought and paid for by industry." But, as Dingell must know, the FDA typically uses industry research because it doesn't have the money to conduct independent studies of the thousands of chemicals on the market. It then reviews what industry produces.

By April, all the news had turned bad for BPA. "There is no safe level of BPA," declared Dr. Nancy Snyderman, an NBC medical reporter, on the Today show. (Maybe NBC is the new FDA?) The Canadian government recommended its ban on baby bottles with BPA. A lengthy draft report from a part of the National Institutes of Health found "some concern" about the effect of BPA on fetuses, infants and children at current exposure levels. The NTP report is a model of thoroughness and nuance. Naturally, that makes it a flop in the court of public opinion.

With fear in the air, in the space of a few days Wal-Mart, Toy 'R Us, CVS and others said they will phase out baby bottles containing BPA. Nalgene, a water bottle maker, and Playtex also said they will stop using the chemical.

Marc Gunther, senior writer, asked Wal-Mart - why the company is removing a legal product, which may or may not be dangerous, while continuing to sell cigarettes, which are incontrovertibly harmful. "We sell products our customers want to buy," responded spokeswoman Linda Brown Blakley. "Our customers are telling us they want this option."

That won't end the war. You can expect to see anti-BPA forces keep up the pressure. Will soup, soda and beer cans be next? And is this any way to make judgments about public health?

However, I would like to mention the tips through which you can effectively minimize your baby's exposure to BPA:

(1)Do get rid of old, scratched baby bottles and replace them with new ones. The leeching of chemicals isn't instantaneous but rather happens with wear and tear over several washings. Scratches can also harbor bacteria.

(2)Bottles that have a disposable 'drop in' system, have not at this point been shown to leach chemicals. This is likely because of just getting used once.

(3)Do not heat or microwave foods in plastic containers but rather use glass or ceramic microwave safe bowls, and plates.

Of course this is yet another reason why breast-feeding is best. Breast milk doesn't contain chemicals that can harm your baby. Breastfeeding has been linked statistically to numerous health benefits including making your baby smarter, being developmentally advanced, reduced allergies, reduced risk of cancer and just about everything else under the sun that could be healthy and good for your baby. While formula cannot come close to mimicking breast milk perhaps another variable in the "breast is better" statistics is that hard plastic bottles have now been found to leak a dangerous chemical into the bottle's liquid.

Powdered formulas are the best choice for parents who want to avoid bisphenol A in their baby's diet. While powdered formula has not been tested for BPA, it is diluted with much more water than liquid formulas which reduces the amount of BPA that the baby consumes in each feeding. Nestlé has made unsubstantiated claims that they don't use any BPA to line their powdered formula cans. Nestlé, Enfamil and Similac use a mixed metal and cardboard package with less BPA-coating. Second best are Earth's Best Organic and PBM's store-brand powdered formulas that use a fully metal can.

Some liquid formulas are sold in plastic, mostly polyethylene and polypropylene which do not contain any BPA. Avoid any plastic containers that are rigid and transparent, marked with "PC". All liquid formulas sold in metal cans are lined with BPA-epoxy, which has been shown to leach into the product. If you buy formula in metal cans choose the concentrated type which is diluted with water prior to feeding. Avoid ready-to-eat formula in metal cans, which has the highest BPA leaching potential.

The majority of government funded studies found some of the following side effects from BPA:

1. Increased prostate size
2. Decreased sperm count
3. Early onset of puberty
4. Hormonal changes
5. Behavioral problems
6. Estrogen level changes

It has been proven that BPA does “leach” from bottles and cans into food and liquids. The plastics industry does not deny that BPA does leach which results in it being ingested, but they claim that these levels are well within guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

There are seven different labels for plastics:

* 1 PETE: Commonly used in soft drink, juice and water containers.

* 2 HDPE: Commonly used in opaque plastic milk and water jugs.

* 3 PVC or V: Commonly used for cling wrap.

* 4 LDPE: Commonly used in grocery store bags and plastic wraps.

* 5 PP: Commonly used in “cloudy” plastic containers such as baby bottles.

* 6 PS: Commonly used in disposable cups and Styrofoam.

* 7 Other: Usually polycarbonate. Commonly used in most plastic baby bottles, clear plastic sippy cups and water
bottles

As a general rule of thumb, you should use bottles and containers that are labeled 1, 2, 4 or 5. Avoid using bottles and containers labeled 3, 6 or 7.

If you do need to use polycarbonate bottles:

* Throw away bottles that are old and/or scratched. When plastic is worn, BPA will leach more easily.

* Avoid using polycarbonate containers in the microwave.

* Avoid cleaning with harsh detergents as this will cause the plastic to wear.

* Avoid placing high temperature liquids in polycarbonate containers.

As I said earlier, there is a lot of controversy and conflicting reports regarding BPA. This will probably continue to be a hot topic for some time to come and it is clear that more research is needed

The sad truth is many a times our world is a playground of hazardous chemicals! I

We must be careful not to expose our children to chemical cleaners, insecticides, and weed killers on our lawns. Chemicals used in pressure-treated wood used to build lawn furniture, decks, fences, and swing sets have also been shown to place children at risk. When young children are around, we must be vigilant to maintain a chemical-free environment.

SO TO BE A SAFE MAMA: "Think"... abt ur "baby"... with every decision u make.

References: Fortune Magazine, Baby.families.com, Ezinearticles.com, Diseaseproof.com, Mindfully.org and EWG.org.

Blackox – The Fear Demon

By Deeksh

I am inspired by robots developed and marketed by iRobot. The company is manufacturing both consumer and military robots. Each time I come across images of PackBot or Roomba – I imagine a robot that iRobot might come up in future, a robot with fictional characters. As the Roomba is iRobot’s best selling vacuum cleaning robot, iRobot is concentrating more on consumer robots. Recently, I read a blog entry about iRobot filing a patent for a new lawn mowing robot, this means, Colin is still aiming only consumer division, I guess.

iRobot Corp. supply bomb disposal robots to military. The PackBot is already used in Iraq and Afghanistan to remove road side bombs.

Why aren’t they exploring the field of toys? Kids are crazy for these robotic toys. Anything for robotic pet. I like it too.

I would like to share an information on a robotic toy - The Vstone Blackox, which is evil menace that might probably dominate your kid’s play room.

Of course, it is a Japanese venture.

According to TECHDIGEST, only 30 units are available and 15 already on pre-order. Will he ever make it to a shelf? The Vstone Blackox stands at 440mm, weighs 2.5kg, with 20 movable axis points and some appealing cool moves.

View these clips at your own risk:

This cool monster goes on sale in September at a price about £3,800. Already he is in demand and I am unsure if this guy reaches mass consumer sector, as he costs hefty price.

If iRobot builds similar kind of robot then it would be named iChap. hE hEE..

Check this kool images:

Click here to learn more.

Aftermath Of Bhopal Gas Tragedy ---- A Shameful Example Set By IIT Alumni At The US

The Western Influence Showing On As IIT Alumni In The US Decides To Take Dow Chemicals As Sponsors For Their 50^th Alumni Meet At The US

By Arunava Das

(In response to an article, “IITians say no to Dow” published in Silicon India on July 15, 2008)

It is really a shameful act of blemishes committed by a host of IIT’ians at the US to invite Dow Chemicals as sponsors for their upcoming 50^th Alumni Meet in the country. As far as I know and everybody will agree that to get into any one of the IIT is a big ask which requires umpteen dedication towards studies and those who eventually get into are considered the gems of the country. As gems of the country, we have responsibilities on our shoulders, we Indians rest our hopes on them that they graduate with flying colors and bring name and fame to the country. India shines with them. India’s economy grows with them as she finds a place in the global economy chart. No doubt the past decade has seen a real bloom in Indian economy and will continue to bloom this way as it heads towards the future. We are one of the few countries with China who has the youngest pool source of youth who are considered to contribute big time to the country’s growth, be it economy, politics, industry, finance, revenue, foreign trade, healthcare sector, hospitality sector or retail sector. Hence, as responsible citizens of India, we need to refrain from acts that can harm the Indian policy and the fame that India is a proud owner of.

United Carbide is one such company that will remain etched in the history books as being responsible for one of the worst industrial tragedies of all time, The Bhopal Gas Tragedy that took place on the fateful night of December 3, 1984 that left 3800 people dead and thousand affected of the gas leak. Many are suffering still now and many have not even got justice till date. The Dow Chemicals now owns Union Carbide. Under such circumstances, when IITians in India have already rejected either campus recruitment or call for sponsors from Dow Chemicals, the India based IITians would have expected their states based counterparts to also follow the suit but instead they were in with a sudden shock and surprise as they discovered that their counterparts in the US have infact endorsed Dow Chemicals as the sponsors of their 50^th Alumni Meet Golden Jubilee function which will be organized under the aegis of IIT-Bombay Heritage Fund in New York between July 18-20. This shows that once we leave our motherland for a career in the western world, we also leave behind our cultural heritage in India. According to a Mumbai based IIT-Bombay alumni, Mr. Janak Daftari, a group of IIT-B alumni, mostly from Silicon Valley, in total disregard to the sentiments and the callous practices being followed by the firm (Dow Chemicals) in their (alumini's) origin country, has gone ahead and under the aegis of IIT-Bombay Heritage Fund are organizing a two-day golden jubilee function in New York between July 18-20. Following this incident, many IIT alumni including faculty and current students in India have decided to boycott the grand event. Another Delhi based IITian, Ravi Kuchimanchi, said, “In 1984 when the gas leaked in Bhopal, I and other students in IIT-Bombay were shocked and angry. Today I am shocked to see, instead of forcing Dow to fork up money and clean up the Bhopal site, the organisers of the 50th anniversary celebrations have sought its money. As IIT alumni we can do better.”

It needs to be seen now whether the event goes on smoothly and how many alumni attend the meet. According to ex IIT-B, Janak Daftari, "Obviously, the golden jubilee celebration is being done privately but then there is a tacit approval from the senior administrators. After all they are seriously contemplating to attend the event even though scores of faculty members have opposed the sponsorship itself.” However, it would be better as to see that such blemishes do not occur again as this tarnishes the global image of India and as the responsible gems of the country, we need to respect our identity.