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Apr 5, 2011
Do you dare to use these toilets?
|
A
PAINTED BATHROOM
FLOOR!!!
Tenth floor of a hi-rise building.......
IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A PARTY .
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE BATHROOM....
You open the door....
NOW, REMEMBER THE FLOOR IS JUST A PAINTED FLOOR !
IT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY......
DOESN'T IT?
Scroll sloooooooowly .
.......
Would this mess up your mind??? Would you
be able to walk in To this bathroom???
---------------------------------------------------------------
FINALLY!!
THIS IS A CEILING MURAL IN A SMOKER'S LOUNGE.
Please share with friends with a sense of humor.
Apr 4, 2011
Stupid Questions Smart Answers....
MARY : John says I'm pretty. Wilson says I'm ugly. What do u think, Peter?
PETER : A bit of both. I think you're pretty ugly.
BOY : May I hold your hand?
GIRL : No thanks, it isn't heavy.
GIRL : If we become engaged will you give me a ring??
BOY : Sure, what's your phone number??
GIRL : I think the poorest people are the happiest.
BOY : Then marry me and we'll be the happiest couple
GIRL : Darling, I want to dance like this forever.
BOY : Don't you ever want to improve??
BOY : I love you and I could die for you!
GIRL : How soon??
BOY : I would go to the end of the world for you!
GIRL : Yes, but would you stay there??
WIFE : You tell a man something, it goes in! one ear and comes out of the other.
HUSBAND : You tell a woman something: It goes in both ears and comes out of the mouth.
1) Girlfriend : "...And are you sure you love me and no one else ?"
Boyfriend : "Dead Sure! I checked the whole list again yesterday".
2) Teacher : "Which is more important to us, the sun or the moon?"
Pupil : "The moon".
Teacher : "Why?"
Pupil : "The moon gives us light at night when we need it but the sun
gives us light only in the day time when we don't need it".
3) Teacher : "What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?"
Pupil : "A teacher".
4) Waiter : "Would you like your coffee black?"
Customer : "What other colors do you have?"
5) My father is so old that when he was in school, history was called
current affairs.
6) Teacher : "Sam, you talk a lot !"
Sam : "It's a family tradition".
Teacher : "What do you mean?"
Sam : "Sir, my grandpa was a street hawker, my father is a teacher".
Teacher : "What about your mother?"
Sam : "She's a woman".
7) Tom : "How should I convey the news to my father that I've
failed?"
David: "You just send a telegram: Result declared, past year's
performance repeated".
8) Teacher : "Now, children, if I saw a man beating a donkey and
stopped him, what virtue would I be showing?"
Student : "Brotherly love".
9) Teacher : "Now, Sam, tell me frankly do you say prayers before
eating?"
Sam : "No sir, I don't have to, my mom is a good cook".
10) Patient : "What are the chances of my recovering doctor?"
Doctor : "One hundred percent. Medical records show that nine out of
ten people die of the disease you have. Yours is the tenth case I've
treated. The others all died".
11) Teacher : " Can anybody give an example of COINCIDENCE?"
One Student : "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day
and at the same time."
12) Teacher : " George Washington not only chopped down his father's
Cherry tree, but also admitted doing it.
Now do you know why his father didn't punish him ?"
One Student: " Because George still had the axe in is hand."
Resource: http://www.binscorner.com/pages/s/stupid-questions-with-smart-answers.html
Jan 15, 2011
In India, 96.5% kids go to school: Survey
NEW DELHI: India took another step towards universal elementary education last year, with 96.5% of all children aged 6-14 years being enrolled in schools, an extensive private audit has revealed. NGO Pratham`s Annual Survey of Education Report says the proportion of girls in the age group of 11-14 years too increased to 94.1% although quality of education remained a big concern.
The survey, the only private audit of elementary education in the country, found an increase of half a percentage point in enrolment over 2009. But it said there was an overall decline in students` ability to do basic mathematics and only 53.4% of children in Class V could read Class II level textbooks.
Teacher attendance also showed consistent decline which could be one of reasons for a big increase in enrolment in private schools and tuitions. Bucking the trend was Punjab, where students showed an exceptional improvement in mathematical ability.
Overall, Bihar emerged as a star performer with steady improvement in enrolment. Enrolment of boys in the state was 95.6% and that of girls 95.4%. In 2006, 12.3% of boys and 17.6% girls in Bihar were out of school.
Among states continuing to return poor numbers in girl`s education, Rajasthan had 12.1% girls aged 11-14 years out of school and Uttar Pradesh 9.7%. In both states, there has been no change in the percentage of out-of-school girls.
The survey conducted in all the districts of the country shows a large number of schools in the country fulfilling norms laid down in the Right to Education Act.
At the same time, the report showed a big increase in enrolments in private schools — from 21.8% of all school-going children in 2009 to 24.3% last year. The trend has been holding since 2005. Southern states have more students going to private schools. In Andhra Pradesh, enrolment increased from 29.7% in 2009 to 36.1% while in Tamil Nadu it jumped from 19.7% to 25.1%. Kerala had 54.2% of children in private schools, up from 51.5% last year, and Karnataka 20% (16.8% in 2009).
Among northern states, enrolment in private schools grew rapidly in Punjab — from 30.5% in 2009 to 38% in 2010.
Mathematics proved to be a big bugbear for students across the country. The proportion of Class I students who could recognize numbers fell from 69.3% in 2009 to 65.8%. Barely 36.5% of Class III students could handle two-digit subtraction problems, as compared to 39% in 2009. The proportion of children in Class V who could do simple division dropped from 38% to 35.9%.
Notably, Punjab bucked the trend. While 56.3% of students in Class II in the state could recognize numbers one to 100 in 2008, the figure jumped to 70.4% in 2010. Similarly, the proportion of Class IV children who could do subtraction went up from 66.9% in 2008 to 81.4%.
In Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan, there was a perceptible rise in the proportion of children studying in Class I who could recognize letters.
West Bengal led in private tuitions with the survey showing more than 75% of Class V students in government schools going to private tutors. In Bihar, the proportion was 55.5% and in Orissa, 49.9%.
A positive feature of the report was the increasing number of five-year-olds in school. Nationally, it increased from 54.6% in 2009 to 62.8%. Karnataka emerged as an big achiever on this score with enrolment of five-year-olds jumping from 17.1% in 2009 to 67.6% in 2010. Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Assam also showed healthy increases in enrolment.
The survey, the only private audit of elementary education in the country, found an increase of half a percentage point in enrolment over 2009. But it said there was an overall decline in students` ability to do basic mathematics and only 53.4% of children in Class V could read Class II level textbooks.
Teacher attendance also showed consistent decline which could be one of reasons for a big increase in enrolment in private schools and tuitions. Bucking the trend was Punjab, where students showed an exceptional improvement in mathematical ability.
Overall, Bihar emerged as a star performer with steady improvement in enrolment. Enrolment of boys in the state was 95.6% and that of girls 95.4%. In 2006, 12.3% of boys and 17.6% girls in Bihar were out of school.
Among states continuing to return poor numbers in girl`s education, Rajasthan had 12.1% girls aged 11-14 years out of school and Uttar Pradesh 9.7%. In both states, there has been no change in the percentage of out-of-school girls.
The survey conducted in all the districts of the country shows a large number of schools in the country fulfilling norms laid down in the Right to Education Act.
At the same time, the report showed a big increase in enrolments in private schools — from 21.8% of all school-going children in 2009 to 24.3% last year. The trend has been holding since 2005. Southern states have more students going to private schools. In Andhra Pradesh, enrolment increased from 29.7% in 2009 to 36.1% while in Tamil Nadu it jumped from 19.7% to 25.1%. Kerala had 54.2% of children in private schools, up from 51.5% last year, and Karnataka 20% (16.8% in 2009).
Among northern states, enrolment in private schools grew rapidly in Punjab — from 30.5% in 2009 to 38% in 2010.
Mathematics proved to be a big bugbear for students across the country. The proportion of Class I students who could recognize numbers fell from 69.3% in 2009 to 65.8%. Barely 36.5% of Class III students could handle two-digit subtraction problems, as compared to 39% in 2009. The proportion of children in Class V who could do simple division dropped from 38% to 35.9%.
Notably, Punjab bucked the trend. While 56.3% of students in Class II in the state could recognize numbers one to 100 in 2008, the figure jumped to 70.4% in 2010. Similarly, the proportion of Class IV children who could do subtraction went up from 66.9% in 2008 to 81.4%.
In Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan, there was a perceptible rise in the proportion of children studying in Class I who could recognize letters.
West Bengal led in private tuitions with the survey showing more than 75% of Class V students in government schools going to private tutors. In Bihar, the proportion was 55.5% and in Orissa, 49.9%.
A positive feature of the report was the increasing number of five-year-olds in school. Nationally, it increased from 54.6% in 2009 to 62.8%. Karnataka emerged as an big achiever on this score with enrolment of five-year-olds jumping from 17.1% in 2009 to 67.6% in 2010. Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Assam also showed healthy increases in enrolment.
IPL is entertainment
Given all the shady financial dealings and the various instances of conflict of interest over the first three years of the IPL, the government has every right - indeed, an obligation - to step in and demand an explanation. The problem is that the parliamentary standing committee on finance has chosen to stray beyond its remit. As long as it confined itself to questioning the BCCI bigwigs about alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act violations and the like, well and good. But it had no business questioning the presence of cheerleaders or asking why players were auctioned like "gladiators".
The IPL is, first and foremost, entertainment. That is true of all televised sport to varying degrees. The IPL's mixture of glamour, big money and cricket played at a frenetic pace has no parallel in Indian sport. It is the brand's USP. And both the auction and the cheerleaders are an essential part of this. The former showcases the business aspect of the entire enterprise; the suspense of watching franchise teams being made and remade as one watches. You won't hear the players complaining either, given how this model has boosted their financial rewards.
And as for the cheerleaders, why not? They provide on-field glamour, they add to the spectacle and they entertain viewers, whether at the ground or on television. Is any other reason needed? And how is it the parliamentary committee's concern when the cheerleaders have absolutely nothing to do with the propriety of the IPL's financial dealings or lack thereof? This sort of spectacle has been part of sport for decades, whether it's the cheerleaders in American sport or the much-photographed 'soccer girls' who seem to turn up in droves for every football World Cup. It won't do the IPL any harm. The committee would do better to leave off pseudo-moralistic commentary and focus on its core task.
The IPL is, first and foremost, entertainment. That is true of all televised sport to varying degrees. The IPL's mixture of glamour, big money and cricket played at a frenetic pace has no parallel in Indian sport. It is the brand's USP. And both the auction and the cheerleaders are an essential part of this. The former showcases the business aspect of the entire enterprise; the suspense of watching franchise teams being made and remade as one watches. You won't hear the players complaining either, given how this model has boosted their financial rewards.
And as for the cheerleaders, why not? They provide on-field glamour, they add to the spectacle and they entertain viewers, whether at the ground or on television. Is any other reason needed? And how is it the parliamentary committee's concern when the cheerleaders have absolutely nothing to do with the propriety of the IPL's financial dealings or lack thereof? This sort of spectacle has been part of sport for decades, whether it's the cheerleaders in American sport or the much-photographed 'soccer girls' who seem to turn up in droves for every football World Cup. It won't do the IPL any harm. The committee would do better to leave off pseudo-moralistic commentary and focus on its core task.
Authorities still searching for missing pilgrims
Even as the death toll in the tragic stampede at Uppupara in Idukki district of Kerala rose to 104, authorities are still searching for more than half a dozen pilgrims who are still missing.
Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac who is personally overseeing the arrangements at theKumily Thaluk Hospital, the search is on for any of the pilgrims who have ran into the nearby forest areas or remained cought in the area. He said the government has already taken steps for the disbursal of interim financial assistance for the victims. Speaking to The Hindu he said the government would bear all the expenses for taking the bodies to their respective home towns.
Meanwhile the post mortem procedures commenced at the Kumily Thaluk Hospital by seven in the morning. By 10 am, 55 bodies have been identified.
According to Kumar, one of pilgrims who came to Uppupara after darshan at Sannidhanam to witness the makarajyothi, said the authorities had made no arrangements for crowd control at the site. The stampede
started when some of the pilgrims ran helter-skelter after an over crowded auto rickshaw lost control and ran into a jeep which over turned and fell on the pilgrims who were coming back after witnessing the holy jyothy.
Meanwhile, P T Thomas, Idukki MP, said the tragedy was waiting to happen. “ The plans being charted out for ensuring facilities to the
Sabarimala pilgrims don’t take into account the large number of pilgrims coming via Kumily. There are at least four vantages points in idukki district where the pilgrims can witness the jyothi-Panchalimedu, Parumthumpara,Moozhickal and Uppupara. Though lakhs of devotees use these areas during the pilgrimage, the authorities have not taken note of this,” he said.
According to him, though the authorities have taken precautionary measures at Parumthumpara, the arrangements for Uppupara was dismal, he said.
Interestingly, forests authorities pointed out that the call to block the Vandiperiyar-Vallakkadavu-Uppupara route to the Sabarimala pilgrims had been made for the past so many years. In fact, the Sabarimala Master Plan too called for developing the Sathram area as a base camp and allow trekking from there to Uppupara. The Pullumedu areas was highly vulenrable and it was also difficult from the point of view of crowd control.
However, nexus between the local taxi operators ahdn a section of the authorities had helped the continued operation of the path through the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Safety - even beyond Gods' control at pilgrim centres in India?
Bangalore: It seems like even Gods can't guarantee safety in their own holy places. Stampede and deaths have almost become a ritual in the religious places of India. Who do we blame for such disasters? - the government, religious authorities or the devotees?
Fresh news emerges from Kerala's Idukki district that at least 100 pilgrims are feared dead in a accident- triggered stampede. The pilgrims were returning after having darshan of the deity at the Sabarimala shrine on the auspicious makara sankranty day.
Fresh news emerges from Kerala's Idukki district that at least 100 pilgrims are feared dead in a accident- triggered stampede. The pilgrims were returning after having darshan of the deity at the Sabarimala shrine on the auspicious makara sankranty day.
This is the latest of the deadly disasters at the Indian religious places claiming many lives. At least 63 people were killed and thirty five injured in a stampede at an ashram in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh in March 2010. It was in September 2008, on the occasion of the start of Navaratri, nearly 150 people lost their lives and over 425 injured in a stampede at the Chamunda Devi Temple in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Naina Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh also witnessed a similar incident in the same year which claimed almost 150 lives. Eight people were trampled to death in March 2008 in Karila village in Madhya Pradesh. The 2005 stampede incident in Mandhar Devi temple in Maharashtra claimed nearly 300 lives. These are some of the deadly disasters the country has seen in the last few years. Almost 700 lives were lost in eight years in temple stampedes in India.
Some say 'life comes cheap in India' and such sad incidents prove it. It should be noted that many of these incidents happen during the festivals known to everyone and so an unexpected crowd can always be expected. Blame game has become the part of the show that starts after all such tragic events but yields no good - neither to the victims nor to the system.
The authorities should learn from some of the well-run religious places such as Tirupati which even has unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance as part of its security enhancement plan. The town is it is well connected by air, rail and road. The well managed independent trust, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which employs more than 14,000 people, provides proper transportation, accommodation and meals to the pilgrims. The improved infrastructure in the temple town has attracted large investments from various industries including IT/ITeS.
This is not the case in most of the religious places across India. Most of them do not have proper crowd management measures. Ambulance and medical facilities are rudimentary in most cases. A well-designed action plan for proper crowd movements and disaster management is almost non-existent. Mass events conducted by the so-called self-proclaimed living gods without proper permission or knowledge of the local authorities lead to such disasters. The police force is often incompetent to deal with this situation as they are not given proper training, trials or equipments.
The gross mismanagement and apathy by the government and its local authorities are often responsible for such untoward events. When negligence of the authorities are well exhibited by the fact that many such mammoth gatherings were allowed to take place in very small places without proper measures to control the large crowd movement.
It is obvious that any sudden rush of the panic gripped devotes will result in such tragedies and if we do not take adequate measures to put an end to this, then even Gods won't be able to help his devotees.
Some say 'life comes cheap in India' and such sad incidents prove it. It should be noted that many of these incidents happen during the festivals known to everyone and so an unexpected crowd can always be expected. Blame game has become the part of the show that starts after all such tragic events but yields no good - neither to the victims nor to the system.
The authorities should learn from some of the well-run religious places such as Tirupati which even has unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance as part of its security enhancement plan. The town is it is well connected by air, rail and road. The well managed independent trust, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which employs more than 14,000 people, provides proper transportation, accommodation and meals to the pilgrims. The improved infrastructure in the temple town has attracted large investments from various industries including IT/ITeS.
This is not the case in most of the religious places across India. Most of them do not have proper crowd management measures. Ambulance and medical facilities are rudimentary in most cases. A well-designed action plan for proper crowd movements and disaster management is almost non-existent. Mass events conducted by the so-called self-proclaimed living gods without proper permission or knowledge of the local authorities lead to such disasters. The police force is often incompetent to deal with this situation as they are not given proper training, trials or equipments.
The gross mismanagement and apathy by the government and its local authorities are often responsible for such untoward events. When negligence of the authorities are well exhibited by the fact that many such mammoth gatherings were allowed to take place in very small places without proper measures to control the large crowd movement.
It is obvious that any sudden rush of the panic gripped devotes will result in such tragedies and if we do not take adequate measures to put an end to this, then even Gods won't be able to help his devotees.
Resource: http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Safety__even_beyond_Gods_control_at_religious_places_in_India-nid-77371.html
Earth is twice as dusty as in 19th century
The amount of dust in the atmosphere has doubled over the last century, according to a new study, and the dramatic increase is influencing climate and ecology around the world.
The study, led by Natalie Mahowald, associate professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell University in the US, used available data and computer modeling to estimate the amount of soil particles in the air throughout the 20th century.
It's the first study to trace the fluctuation of a natural (not manmade) aerosol around the globe over the course of a century, according to a Cornell statement.
Desert dust and climate influence each other directly and indirectly through a host of intertwined systems.
"Now, we finally have some information on how the desert dust is fluctuating. This has a really big impact for the understanding of climate sensitivity," said Mahowald.
Mahowald presented the research at the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.
Resource:- http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Earth_is_twice_as_dusty_as_in_19th_century-nid-77369.html
Jan 14, 2011
Why's Govt reluctant in disclosing black money info, asks SC
Talking tough, the Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Government as to why it was reluctant in disclosing the names of Indian nationals who have allegedly stashed black money in foreign banks. "What is the difficulty in disclosing the information," a Bench comprising B Sudershan Reddy and SS Nijjar asked when Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium informed the bench that Government has got the details but did not want to reveal it.
The court's remarks came after the Government contended that it has got the information from the German government pertaining to the bank accounts of Indian citizens in Liechtenstein Bank there.
"What is the privilege you are claiming for not disclosing the information (about those who have money deposited in foreign banks)," the Bench asked Subramanium.
After the court's poser, Subramanium submitted that he would take instructions from the government with reference to the names of the Indian nationals holding bank accounts in foreign countries.
The court was hearing a petition filed by noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who along with some retired bureaucrats and police officers approached it seeking directions to the government to take steps to bring black money stashed in foreign bank back to the country.
The court said it would like persons including Pune-based businessman Hassan Ali Khan, who is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with alleged black money stashed in foreign banks, to be impleaded as a party to the petition.
"If the names of the account holders are before us then why not implead them in the case. Let them come," the court.
The Centre also submitted that it has no problem in placing status report on its investigation on any individual.
"I am prepared to give status report on any individual. There is no difficulty in giving status report. We are committed to our position that there has been tax avoidance cases," the SG said.
The court, however, said that it was a serious problem and not only about tax avoidance.
"Issues involved in the case are serious and of larger dimension. Its not only about tax-avoidance," the court said.
Resource:- http://www.hindustantimes.com/Why-s-Govt-reluctant-in-disclosing-black-money-info-asks--SC/Article1-650276.aspx
Jan 13, 2011
Stop using force against our fishermen: India to Lanka
Reacting strongly to the killing of an Indian fisherman in firing by the Sri Lankan Navy, India on Thursday said such incidents have no "justification" and called on the authorities there to "desist" from use of force.
In a fresh incident of attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen in Palk Strait, one person was killed when Sri Lankan Navy allegedly opened fire on three fishermen, who put out to sea from Jagadapattinnam near Pudukottai yesterday.
"We have received reports of the death of an Indian fisherman due to firing by Sri Lankan Navy personnel. Our High Commissioner in Colombo has immediately taken up this matter with the Sri Lankan Government and expressed our deep concern and regret at this incident.
"We have emphasised that resort to firing in these situations has no justification and called on the Sri Lankan authorities to desist from use of force," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said here.
It said the welfare and the safety of Indian fishermen in the waters between India and Sri Lanka have received very high priority by the government.
"We have consistently emphasised to the Sri Lankan government to refrain from firing on our fishermen and scrupulously adhere to the October 2008 understanding reached between the two governments. We call on the Sri Lankan Navy to exercise maximum restraint and avoid use of force in such situations," the statement said.
26/11: JuD chief Hafiz Saeed wants Pak govt to defend him in US court
LAHORE: Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has moved the Lahore High Court seeking direction for the Pakistan government to defend him, ISI chiefs and others before a US court, which has issued summons to them in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Saeed, his operational commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, DG ISI Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, his predecessor Lt Gen (r) Nadeem Taj, Major Ali and Major Iqbal are among those who have been summoned for appearing before the court in a case filed by an injured US citizen and the heirs of four others, who were killed in the terror strike on November 26, 2008.
Petitioner's counsel AK Dogar stated that Rabbi Gavriel Noah Holtzberg and his wife Rivka were killed in a terrorist attack at the Chhabad House in Mumbai, and their son, Moshe, who survived the attack, along with other people, had moved a US court against his client Saeed and others.
He said the complainant accused them of providing material support for the Mumbai terror attacks and demanded damages. Dogar stated that Hafiz Saeed was the head of the Jamaatud Dawa, which was a charity organisation and had no links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The Pakistan government had detained him in 2009, and a full bench of the LHC had ordered his release, Dogar added.
Noting that on December 31, the Pakistan government had announced to defend ISI head Lt Gen Pasha, he maintained that Saeed was also a Pakistani, and had the same rights as any other citizen of the country.
In response to the summons, a reply had already been sent to the US court, rejecting the jurisdiction of American courts, as international law did not allow an exercise of jurisdiction over any person and property of other states, he added.
Read more: 26/11: JuD chief Hafiz Saeed wants Pak govt to defend him in US court - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/26/11-JuD-chief-Hafiz-Saeed-wants-Pak-govt-to-defend-him-in-US-court-/articleshow/7275523.cms#ixzz1AuWNZtWD
Less networking equals high frustration
BANGALORE: The much-in-vogue online fetish __ social networking __ caught the fancy of youth way back in 2005. The year saw zillions flocking to new virtual destinations. Six years later, they continue to log in, create elaborate profiles, post new photos, update comments every hour and publicly articulate their relationship status. In fact, a survey conducted by a group of Mount Carmel College students reveal that frustration levels among youth soar if access to these sites are denied.
The survey, required as part of the curriculum, was undertaken by a group of eight students pursuing a combination of Economics, Maths and Statistics.
The study was conducted among 300 people in the age bracket of 10-29 years in schools, colleges, organizations and randomly on the road.
As per the results, 89% of people get frustrated if social networking sites are unavailable. What's interesting is that women get more affected by this inaccessibility. Of these, 34% are school students in the age group of 10-14 years. The next big group is between 20 and 24 years, who form a formidable 33%.
As expected, teenagers constitute the most-frequent visitors to these sites. Of these, those aged between 15 and 19 and 20 and 24 even change their priorities to stay connected. Result: daily chores and school work take a back seat for many.
Observations also show that these sites are an integral part of their social life. In fact, it's seen as the first resort to kill boredom across age groups.
FACEBOOK CLEAR LEADER
Though most avid netizens aren't too sure about the privacy factor, nothing stops them from exploring these sites. However, a few are still not ready to reveal their mobile numbers.
The king of all social networking sites, Facebook, is the most sought after. Survey results show 57% in the age group of 10-19 and 50% in the 20-29 bracket prefer Facebook over Orkut, Hi5, MySpace and others.
DOMINANT TRENDS
The frustrated lot
Age group -- Percentage
10-14----------34%
15-19---------- 11%
20-24----------33%
25-29---------- 11%
NETWORKING THEIR TOP PRIORITY
10-14--23%
15-19-- 28%
20-24--30%
25-29--19%
BEATING BOREDOM
10-14-- 38%
15-19--28%
20-24--24%
25-29--10%
Read more: Less networking equals high frustration - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Less-networking-equals-high-frustration/articleshow/7272034.cms#ixzz1AuT1T9pv
How do cheergirls help cricket, Parliamentary standing committee asks BCCI
NEW DELHI: How do cheergirls promote the cause of cricket? Why are players auctioned like "gladiators" in IPL system of cricket?
These were some of the questions that members of the Parliamentary standing committee on finance posed to top BCCI officials, including its president Shashank Manohar, secretary N Srinivasan and IPL commissioner Chirayu Amin during a hearing on financial transactions related to the conduct of IPL.
While the BCCI top brass claimed that IPL would help the cause of cricket and attract more talent, it was at loss to explain the role of cheergirls, sources said.
It is learnt that the BCCI officials put the onus of introducing the concept on sacked IPL chief Lalit Modi.
Some of the members of the committee, headed by BJP MP Yashwant Sinha, also questioned the concept of auctioning the players like "gladiators". They said it reminded them of the Roman empire when men were sold to bidders on the basis of their physical strength.
Manohar, Srinivasan and Amin were quizzed by the MPs for about two-and-a-half hours about the alleged FEMA violations.
The BCCI was asked about the funding pattern of the highly popular IPL and the methods adopted for payment to foreign and Indian players.
The committee also sought details of the expenses incurred on the conduct of the second edition of the Twenty20 tournament in South Africa in 2009.
The IPL was held in the African nation in 2009 due to a clash of dates with the general elections in India.
RIM Gives India Access to Messenger Services
"The lawful access capability now available to RIM's carrier partners meets the standard required by the government of India for all consumer messaging services offered in the Indian marketplace," Research In Motion said in a customer update.
RIM has been under pressure from the government to provide access to data on its secure networks as India wants to monitor RIM's corporate email and messenger services, fearing the BlackBerry's heavy encryption makes the smartphones convenient for terrorists to use without being monitored.
It had threatened to ban the services if the BlackBerry maker didn't provide such access.
India earlier said it was testing solutions offered by RIM to access the BlackBerry messenger service and that it already had access to monitor Internet, voice calls and short-messaging services on the smartphones.
"We also wish to underscore, once again, that this enablement of lawful access does not extend to BlackBerry Enterprise Server [corporate email], which is essentially an enterprise VPN solution," RIMM said.
Resource:- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703583404576079143422946666.html
Motivation, must for everyone
When we see the SALES it works like a magic .A leader has to MOTIVATE his entire team to get better output.It is needed everytime for those who are performing the best to perform even better, those who are working hard but not getting the result words like -you can do it ,you will do it, i am sure , can do the magic, those who are slow not working can be motivated in different way to work and give the required ourput.Some people need a good scolding to do better, some need some magic words or some positive words.Whatever the case may be but motivation is required at every level to do the best.
When we see the humanity part it really works as wonders. People under depression if are regularly motivated for a longer time they can come out of depression and will feel better.If a student inspite of hard work does not get good marks, he can be said-never mind it is important that you had worked hard, try next time you will succeed.Sick, old people need care, and even if we say a few motivating words like- i am with you, can call me anytime for any work, they will feel better and will be optimistic.People with big issues or problems can be motivated by a counselor to solve and finish their problems.
A few words of actual appreciation,encouragement can really change the lives of so many people and i am sure they will be happy and even motivators will feel better at their hearts.
Resource:- http://blogs.siliconindia.com/ravi1234/Motivation_must_for_everyone-bid-nR36WpHU68937490.html
Secrets of SEO
Quite often we overlook and forget the basics that are so very fundamental to content writing for the web. It does not matter how good your writing skills are or how persuasive your words are. If your website cannot be found on the internet, the content which you have written will remain unread. What many people forget is that writing for a website is different from writing for any other medium. When it comes to website writing, there are a few things that you should consider in order to maximize the potential of the content written by you. Given below are a few search engine optimization secrets that will help in maximizing your potential.
One of the search engine optimization secrets is to understand what the reader is looking for. It is this ability to think like your potential reader that will determine the flow of traffic to your website. You will have to be specific with the content you develop for your website. For instance if your site is using a keyword “garments” and you sell only with women’s garments then you will have quite a lot of people getting off your website pretty quickly. They may in fact be looking for information on a wide range of garments ranging from children’s garments to men’s garments to fashion garments or they may be looking for information on the various garment manufacturers.
One of the other search engine optimization secrets includes the use of relevant keywords. This is because people have become more specific with the terms of their search. Quite often they may use long tail keywords which can translate into a buying process. It may signal the customer’s willingness to buy a product that you are selling. Finally, ensuring the use of proper grammar is another search engine optimization secret that is so very important to writing good content for your website.
Social media manners? Don't ignore them
Bangalore: "I m feeeeling sooo saad :(", "I love Tom Cruise", "Looking for the best insurance policy? Contact me" - If you have ever updated your status on Facebook, Twitter or any social media site like this, you are not in the right track in terms of following manners in social media platforms. Yes, social networking sites are open and friendly, but there are and have to be certain etiquette that need to be followed by those who have an online presence. Of course, the manners you follow define you. Below are five vital social media manners that will help you avoid being a social media jerk.
Constant self-promotion is a big no no
Writing about yourself in a regular basis while updating your status may irritate others. And surely it won't be helpful for you in creating a good impression. No doubt how effective social media can be as a powerful marketing tool, but constant twitting about how great your company is, will not going to help you always. Above all, social media is about building relationships, rests come last.
Avoid posting useless information and photos
As the network of people over social media sites is growing, so is the constant chatter of people posting useless information. Many a times, people tend to post embarrassing moments and remarks that reflect badly on the sender and debase any future messages they may send out. If you are in Twitter, decide whom to follow and what to tweet. Don't auto-follow. Don't auto-tweet. Social media is about genuine conversation, not auto generated conversation. While uploading photos of others, it's always better to ask for permission. The photos you upload should not hurt other's sentiment.
Adding people to boost your number? Don't do that
Engagement is the true measure of social media success. But it doesn't mean that you add people blindly. Most of the time people don't like to see "friend requests" from someone they don't know. While on Twitter, keep your followers as a matter of choice. Adding as many people as you find will harm you more than doing good.
"Please" and "Thank You" - They really work
When you are sending any request to somebody, do send a personal note in a polite manner that includes information about why you have made the request. If the receiver is somebody who doesn't know you, tell him or her who you are. In case any people help you out, do thank them. It will help to strengthen your networking. It's always good for you to be gracious. You may have come across some rude comments at times, and you would definitely love to lash out at those. But you must resist that temptation, if you don't, it will only bring you down to the same level. Quite often people do not intend for the comment to be rude, so be cool and try to maintain a professional and open demeanor.
Venting your emotions publicly
Avoid expressing your emotions on social networking sites as they are open and public. The impression your emotions can leave on people could be negative and long lasting and sometimes lead to unwanted consequences. Recently, a public school teacher in U.S. lost her job, when she got angry with her students and posted it in her facebook wall. Obviously, you don't want to be in such a situation.
Govt bans export of wheat products to tame inflation
New Delhi: In a series of measures aimed to tame spiraling food prices that have fuelled rapid inflation and increased pressure on an embattled ruling Congress party, the government may ban wheat product exports a media report said.
India currently allows upto 650,000 tonnes of wheat product exports until 31 March .
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to announce measures including banning the export of wheat products and removing essential commodities from the futures market after a cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Press Trust of India reported without naming its sources.
Traders say banning exports of wheat products would not help tame food inflation, as the country has huge wheat stocks.
On 1 January, India’s wheat stocks were at 21.5 million tonnes against a target of 8.2 million tonnes.
Analysts say food inflation is largely stoked by soaring vegetable and dairy prices.
“Not much is happening on the wheat product export front as inconsistency in its export policy hold us from entering into long-term export contracts,” Veena Sharma, secretary of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India, told Reuters.
Food inflation in the year to 1 January, stood at 16.91%, data on Thursday showed, easing marginally from 18.3% recorded in late December, which was the highest in more than a year.
High food inflation is a major headache for a government already battling multi-billion dollar graft cases that have emboldened the opposition.
Rising prices of vegetables including onions and dairy products could threaten the Congress party’s chance in upcoming elections in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu that are key for Manmohan Singh’s coalition to keep a majority in parliament.
India, which has already suspended wheat exports, banned onion exports in December after prices rose by 83% since June, forcing the government to import the commodity from neighbouring Pakistan.
Wikipedia targets India for growth
Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, is set to open its first overseas office outside of the United States in India, which will focus on expanding its database in Hindi and all other official languages of the country.
India was chosen because of its large population and increasing number of people using the internet especially through mobile phones, according to Sue Gardner, chief of Wikimedia, which is the non-profit organisation behind Wikipedia.
"India is really high potential for us," Gardner told PTI. Gardner noted that India was picked as the first base abroad in the developing world because of its "fruitful environment" including "valuing education, free speech and a culture of intellectual debate."
Gardner highlighted that the current database in India's many language existed but was small, and the India office would push for growth in this area.
"We want to attract new people to edit the encyclopedia," she said. After India, the San Francisco-based online encyclopedia plans to expand to Brazil and then to the Middle East and North Africa.
Wikipedia, in the coming years, will also be pushing to increase the information it provides in non-English languages as well.
Currently, Gardner pointed out that there were "software impediments to interaction" in foreign languages like Tamil or Hindi, which Wikipedia would be working to remove.
Wikipedia is close to selecting the person who will head the India office, which is expected to open in the next couple of months with a small staff in one the big cities.
Wikipedia is currently the world's fifth most popular site, which operated on a budge of USD 8 million last year, which is far less than the other top sites.
Wikipedia raised USD 16 million in its latest fundraiser. Wikipedia is rolling out a new five-year strategic plan to increase the number of its users to one billion, increase its information to 50 million articles, increase percentage of high quality articles by 25 per cent.
The organisation also plans to double the percentage of female participants to 25 per cent and increase number of global South participants to 37 per cent. Gardner further explained that while the online encyclopedia had been thriving in many developed countries, the same success had not been replicated in developing countries.
"The Germany Wikipedia is excellent," she said, noting that internet users in rich parts of the world had "leisure time" to invest in building the encyclopedia and there were more people online.
With 8.5 billion monthly page views, an overwhelming majority of Wikipedia page views are from the global North (79.8 per cent).
On average, 2.1 billion (20.2 per cent) of monthly page views are from countries located in the global South.
Wikipedia's tenth anniversary on Saturday is being celebrated with more than 300 events in different countries out of which 60 are in India.
"This certainly validates our decision to put extra attention on India," said Gardner.
Infosys results up over 14% at Rs 1,780 cr for Q3
The company had a net profit of Rs 1,559 crore in the December quarter of the previous fiscal (2009-10), Infosys said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The consolidated revenue of the country's second largest software exporter rose to Rs 7,106 crore against Rs 5,741 crore over the year-ago period.
"The weaker economic recovery in developed markets coupled with high unemployment and risk of sovereign default could impact industry growth. We are closely working with our clients, as they fine tune their strategies for the future," Infosys CEO and MD S Gopalakrishnan said.
For the Q4 ending March 31, the company expects the revenues to be in the range of Rs 7157- Rs 7,230 crore, while it anticipates the revenue for the full year ending March 31, 2011, in the range of Rs 27,408- Rs 27,481 crore.
Besides, the company has appointed R Seshasayee as an Additional Director with immediate effect. The appointment is subject to the shareholders approval.
On the standalone basis, the company has reported 11.55 per cent growth in its net profit at Rs 1,641 in Q3 2010-11, over the same period in the previous fiscal.
Income rose to Rs 6,534 crore in the October-December quarter, against Rs 5,335 crore in the same period last fiscal.
Here are what analysts had to say about Infosus Q3 results:
ADRIAN LIM, FUND MANAGER, ABERDEEN GLOBAL INDIAN EQUITY FUND, SINGAPORE:
"(Results are) fair in view of the challenges that the sector has to deal with."
"Indian outsourcing continues to provide a competitive product. It has very strong execution track record and ability; and pricing positions it as a valuable resource to its customers. Infosys is also one of the strongest operators here."
"(Rupee volatility) is a short-term issue, not a large concern."
TARUN SISODIA, HEAD OF RESEARCH, ANAND RATHI FINANCIAL SERVICES:
"The results are marginally lower and guidance doen not reflect growth rates that the market expected. But I would not be concerned as they normally surpass their guidance."
"I wouldn't say these results will reflect in the rest of the IT sector earnings . We continue to maintain that investors should continue to remain exposed to sector stocks."
Resource:- http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/earnings/earnings-news/infosys-results-up-over-14-at-rs-1780-cr-for-q3/articleshow/7274052.cms
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