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Friday, April 29, 2011

Are U Suffering From “FOMO” ?

Can't pick a dress or a holiday in case a friend does better? You've got a modern malaise called FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

Do you ever find yourself standing in a supermarket aisle, unable to make up your mind which brand of cereal to buy? Or looking at the list of new films coming out, literally paralysed by choice about which one to see? Where to go on holiday? What colour to paint your bathroom?

Or, more invidiously, do you endlessly worry that where you are right now is not as much fun, or important, as somewhere else? That your friends are leading fuller, happier lives than you?

Sound familiar? Then join a very modern club. For we increasingly live in a world where choice is no longer a luxury, rather it’s a stick we beat ourselves with.

Modern Malaise: Do you ever find yourself standing in a supermarket aisle, unable to make up your mind which brand of cereal to buy? Or looking at the list of new films coming out, literally paralysed by choice about which one to see?

Modern Malaise: Do you ever find yourself standing in a supermarket aisle, unable to make up your mind which brand of cereal to buy? Or looking at the list of new films coming out, literally paralysed by choice about which one to see?

Faced with endless options and possibilities, we torment ourselves with the thought that every time we choose one thing over another, we’re turning down a myriad other possibilities, shutting the door on what might be something better.

If you recognise a part of yourself in this modern malaise — and I certainly do — then welcome to the latest syndrome: FOMO, or ‘Fear Of Missing Out’.

What was once known as ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ has morphed - in our modern, multi-media, multi-tasking, multi-choice age - into a full-blown psychological condition.

The symptoms? They’re all around us. We fill our shopping baskets with things we don’t need - just in case we miss out on that day’s ‘must-have’ dress or a special offer that others are taking advantage of.

In our social lives, too, we no longer settle for the friends we’ve got or the events we’ve got planned. We want more. So when we hear that someone has had a good time at a party which we didn’t go to, we’re envious, then full of self-doubt and anxiety that we must be less popular than them.

And in our brave new world of social media, where everyone is communicating what they are doing every minute of the day, this sense of paranoia reaches extremes, because we’re not only aware of our own choices but bombarded with those of others as well.

Take a look at the people in the cars alongside you next time you’re on the motorway. I’ll bet you at least one driver will be texting from their mobile phone — because the possibility of a social connection is more important than their own safety (and the lives of others).

These are the sort of people who interrupt one call to take another, even when they don’t know who’s on the other line. They check their Twitter stream while on a date, because something more interesting or entertaining just might be happening.

No escape: In our brave new world of social media, where everyone is communicating what they are doing every minute of the day, our sense of paranoia reaches extremes

No escape: In our brave new world of social media, where everyone is communicating what they are doing every minute of the day, our sense of paranoia reaches extremes

Where once we only worried about keeping up with the folks next door, now we have to worry about keeping up with the whole world, who keep us updated 24/7 through emails, texts, Twitter streams and Facebook updates.

So, at the click of a mouse, you can hear about John’s holiday in the tropics and Angela’s gorgeous new Dolce & Gabbana dress, which she picked up in a sale, and which is going to look so cool at Fred’s party tonight.

Fred’s party? Help, you’re not even invited. What once remained secret is now public knowledge and, unless you are forged from steel, it’s impossible not to be affected by it.

And it can be paralysing — particularly for the young, who have never known another way.

The daughter of a friend of mine — lovely, talented and in her late 20s — won’t commit to a career because she thinks that going along one particular road will mean she’s shut out of others.

So she does four different jobs while simultaneously lamenting the fact that she didn’t train to be a doctor when she was 18. She wants to make a choice, because it will make life easier, but she’s paralysed by the fear of making that choice.

Another friend’s daughter is even more conflicted. According to her mother, she can’t decide on any social engagement until the last possible moment because she wants to keep her options open. The result? She spends most of the day deliberating about that night’s plans.

I used to go through a version of that, too — not spending my entire day planning the evening, but sometimes cancelling a date at the last minute because something else had come up that, at that moment, seemed more important.

I’ve also, I shamefully admit, agreed to go to up to four or five different parties or events on one single evening, unwilling to say no to any of them out of fear that I won’t be invited again, then juggling what to do, often with minutes to spare.

Leaving aside the potential rudeness of accepting an invitation and then not showing up, this kind of indecision, of holding out for what you think is the most interesting option, saps the spirit and creates anxiety.

Are you suffering from FOMO? These are the sort of people who interrupt one call to take another, even when they don't know who's on the other line. They check their Twitter stream while on a date, because something more interesting might be happening

Are you suffering from FOMO? These are the sort of people who interrupt one call to take another, even when they don't know who's on the other line. They check their Twitter stream while on a date, because something more interesting might be happening

I’ll never forget the time I cancelled a visit to my friend in hospital, who had just been through a very difficult labour, to go to a smart party in London where I thought I might meet a man (I should stress I was single at the time).

As so often happens in that situation — where you have let people down in your slavish desperation to make the most out of every conceivable opportunity — the party was terrible and I spent the evening regretting my decision not to see my friend.

Having too many options is paralysing and exhausting to the human psyche. It leads us to set unreasonably high expectations, question our choices before we even make them and blame our failures entirely on ourselves.

We can feel we’ve failed in everything — from our choices of consumer products (jeans, TVs, salad dressings) to our lifestyle choices (where to live, what job to take, who and when to marry).

Now that social media sites allow us to make instant comparisons not only with our friends but with people we’ve never even met face to face, the scope for this kind of undermining is limitless. I believe women are particularly affected by FOMO, prone as they are to comparing themselves to other women, and envy.

You buy one dress but your girlfriend buys the other one you were considering, and you feel resentful that she ended up looking better. You get a beauty treatment, but wish you had chosen another.

Hell, I have ruined entire holidays worrying I should have chosen another destination.
Richard Layard, LSE professor and co-founder of the Happiness Party, which launched last week, is an expert on the destructiveness of too much choice.

‘Too much never makes people happy, and if we’re given a lot of choice we reject it,’ he says, citing an experiment where a group of people were shown two shelves containing jars of jam.

‘One shelf had 30 jars, the other had six. They were asked which one  they wanted to chose a jam from. Almost all chose the shelf with  only six jars. It is more simple, less time-consuming.’

In his 2004 book The Paradox Of Choice, Barry Schwartz tackles one of the great mysteries of modern life. Why is it that societies of great abundance, where individuals are offered more freedom and choice (personal, professional, material) than ever before, are now witnessing a near-epidemic of depression?

Conventional wisdom tells us that greater choice for the greater good is always a good thing, but Schwartz argues the opposite.

He makes a compelling case that the abundance of choice in our Western world is actually making us miserable, and our current ability to rate our lifestyles and social status against those of others causes resentment, too.

'I believe women are particularly affected by FOMO, prone as they are to comparing themselves to other women, and envy'

A woman I know who works in advertising told me that she felt fine about her life — until she opened a Facebook account and started comparing every detail of her own life to those of her network of contacts.

‘I am 28, with three flatmates, and am perfectly happy with my lot. But then I see someone posting pictures of their precious baby or their wonderful new home, and I just want to die.’

On those occasions, she said, her knee-jerk reaction is often to post an account of a particularly cool thing she has done, or to upload a fun picture from her own weekend.
This may make her feel better - but, of course, it just generates envy, resentment and anxiety in another unsuspecting person, and thus a vicious circle is created.

The sad irony about this epidemic of FOMO is that we do miss out and end up diminishing our own lives. Life becomes something that simply happens while we’re waiting for something else - something better - to happen.

Not that we ever really experience the act of waiting for anything any more - there is always a smartphone to check, an email to read, which transports you from your own reality now, to someone else’s.

If there is any cure for this condition then it is surely the eventual wisdom of experience.

One of the great advantages of being older, I often think, is that I am nearly always happy to be right where I am, rather than living with an almost perpetual sense that I could be happier if only I was somewhere else.

Nowadays, I feel on top of my choices, and while I have a lingering sense of anxiety, even guilt, that I haven’t read Middlemarch, haven’t been to the Great Wall of China, still haven’t lost a stone since January, have failed to read a newspaper for two days and have played too many games of Scrabble on my iPad - I like the life I’m in more than I’ve ever liked it before.

The reality is that there are few things so truly important in life that they can’t wait. If you’re the Prime Minister, then you have a legitimate reason to check your texts during dinner. But everyone else, not so much.

Isn’t it time you, too, learned to settle for what you have, rather than clinging to the fear you may be missing out on something better?

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1381788/Have-got-modern-malaise-called-FOMO-Fear-Of-Missing-Out.html#ixzz1Kw99qGvm

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Poonam Pandey strips for media

If you thought Poonam Pandey won't stand by her 'strip promise,' you are in for a big surprise. Poonam recently stripped for media. She unzipped her jacket revealing her black bikini top beneath.
Poonam shot to fame after she vouched to strip for team India if they win the World Cup. She used

all the publicity to her advantage and bagged an entry into Khatron Ke Khiladi 4 to be hosted by Akshay Kumar.
At a recent event, when the wannabe stripper was introduced as the KKK 4 contestant, media fired her with questions regarding her no show after the Indian victory.
PoonamWhat happened after that was totally unpredictable. She unzipped her jacket to reveal a black bikini top much to the surprise of the media. Photographers went mad clicking her.
Poonam surely knows all the tricks to fame. As a contender for Khatron Ke Khiladi 4, she stands a chance to win a whopping sum of Rs 50 lakh.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Poonam-Pandey-strips-for-media/H1-Article1-685528.aspx

Fropper.com Review

http://www.mouthshut.com/product-reviews/Fropper-com-925043644

By: blissful818 | Feb 28, 2011 02:30 PM

I know treading carefully into something as beautiful as a friendship sounds weird, but like all dating websites, fropper too has many members who are fakes and liars, and who do not make their true intentions

known through their profiles.
Worst bit about this website is that the profile you create is often edited by the fropper team!!! lol. who knows best what you are there for? you or them? Given all the drawbacks of making friendships on the net, fropper can do better if only their team checked profiles based on ’WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED’ rather than what a team member thinks should be knocked off, without consulting the member in question. That is bad customer service, in my opinion.
Otherwise its just like any other website, where credentials really cannot be checked to a great extent.

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Fropper Relationship Sucks!

By: 2243v | Nov 22, 2010 12:30 PM

My experience after a short while has not been good. After just two days of paying for the service, I was in for embarassment. True, the idea of fropper relationship works if you’re ready to pay for

it, but is not the way you’d desire it to be since you paid for it.
After you’ve paid for the service you are not free to use buzz and messages as you wish. Of course, no one ever prohibits you from sending, but you might begin to see underhand practice within a course of time. The rate at which you’ll get responses from others may be good in the begining, but will get reduced in course of time. I received messaegs from other members at a steady rate until one day when they almost ceased. And after I sent an email to the customer support expressing frustration, they freed up a couple of messages, which were probably kept back because fropper wanted to keep the number of messages sent in a day under control or due to some information which was in the message maybe an email id..? They dont want you to start a conversation anywhere outside.
A few lines in their Terms & Conditions you may not want to miss:
"Fropper.com reserves the right to restrict the number of communications/profile contacts & responses/emails which a Member may send to other Member(s) in any 24-hour period to a number which Fropper.com deems appropriate in its sole discretion."
"Fropper.com reserves the right to screen messages that you may send to other Member(s) and also regulate the number of your chat sessions in its sole discretion" .. wtf? why the hell then is it called a social network?
When you have to wait for a staff to approve your message to a friend, Fropper cannot help build your relationship, but screw it!
Bottomline : Pay for it if you think you need a network free of scammer and fraudsters, but dont expect great experience with Fropper ’rules’. Unfortunately, Fropper Relationship works.

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Wanna waste ur useful time,go there!

By: forever1 | May 07, 2007 12:05 PM

I heard about Fropper.com from promotional emails first,at first ignored it,then going by its ad,went on to try it.Later I also heard about it both positive and negative from different sources,still I

thought lets give it a try...This site is used by people from both sexes for all the bad reasons,I hope you understand what I meant.
Please use your judgement while interacting on this site,beware both boys and girls,I have been told this site is used mainly by sex-seekers,so if you are interacting with someone you think is great,he or she may be having something else in their minds for you,people are cutting all kind of reasons on this site to achieve the ugly end result.Thanks to an unnamed friend,I was cautious in my approach in interacting with people on this site.This site is being used by unscrupulous people to make money,they are posing as simple people and then come to the point for which they used this site.Police as well as Fropper people must take action against such people otherwise the site will keep on having bad reputation day by day.
I strictly do not recommend this website especially for girls and if they do,use your best judgement in interaction with people there,be cautious and for boys also if they are not unscrupulous,beware!
I have vowed never to visit this site again ever in my life.If anybody wants to buy my experience,good for them,if not ,go at your own risk!
Thanks for reading my review.  

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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Sam Fox, 44, upstages birthday girl Liz McClarnon as she shows off enviable figure in tight pink minidress

 

It can't have been the best night for former Atomic Kitten star Liz McClarnon.

After dressing up in a pretty yellow dress to celebrate her 30th birthday, the singer was completely upstaged when former Page 3 girl Sam Fox arrived.

Despite the fact that Fox, at 44, is 14 years older than McClarnon, all eyes were on her as she arrived at London restaurant Shaka Zulu wearing an eye-wateringly tight pink sequinned minidress.

Pretty in pink: Sam Fox managed to cause quite a stir as she arrived at Liz McLarnon's birthday party in a tight pink sequinned minidress

Pretty in pink: Sam Fox managed to cause quite a stir as she arrived at Liz McLarnon's birthday party in a tight pink sequinned minidress

Pretty in pink: Sam Fox managed to cause quite a stir as she arrived at Liz McClarnon's birthday party in a tight pink sequinned minidress

Leggy: Fox shows off her thigh tattoo as she heads in a taxi home

Leggy: Fox shows off her thigh tattoo as she heads in a taxi home

And while the outfit undoubtedly showed off Fox's stunning figure, it was perhaps a dress suited to a considerably younger woman.

Fox, who appeared on reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2009, teamed her dress with a pair of high black sandals and a blue necklace.

The lesbian star arrived with her long-term partner Myra Stratton.

Lithe: The former Atomic Kitten star has been undertaking a rigorous fitness regime to stay in shape

Lithe: The former Atomic Kitten star has been undertaking a rigorous fitness regime to stay in shape

Lithe: Birthday girl Atomic Kitten looked svelte in a yellow Karen Millen dress at her big night

Reunited: Liz was joined at her party by her former Atomic Kittens Natasha Hamilton and Jenny Frost

Reunited: Liz was joined at her party by her former Atomic Kittens Natasha Hamilton and Jenny Frost

What's new, pussycats? Natasha and Jenny were in the party mood as they arrived for their friend's bash

What's new, pussycats? Natasha and Jenny were in the party mood as they arrived for their friend's bash

What's new, pussycats? Natasha and Jenny were in the party mood as they arrived for their friend's bash

Meanwhile, birthday girl McClarnon tried her best to compete with Fox in a pretty yellow dress which highlighted her blonde hair.

The singer looked pretty in the outfit, showing off her lithe figure after recently undertaking a new fitness regime and shedding a stone.

She said previously: 'For the first time ever I’m actually enjoying exercise!

Loved up: Fox and her long-term partner Myra Stratton

Loved up: Fox and her long-term partner Myra Stratton

'I’ve got so much more energy. Until recently I’ve been filming until midnight, but I’d still get up every morning at six for the gym – and once you start to see results it spurs you on.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1376710/Sam-Fox-upstages-birthday-girl-Liz-McClarnon.html#ixzz1JWDvx1nh

Well-heeled: World's most expensive shoes worth £140,000 go on display

 

This is the most expensive pair of shoes in the world - setting fashion lovers back a staggering £140,000.

The design is made entirely from solid gold and more than 2,000 diamonds.

But buyers have been reluctant to step forward and take the title of the most well-heeled human in history.

And you thought Louboutins were expensive? Each pair of The House of Borgezie shoes is handcrafted from solid gold and then encrusted with 2,200 brilliant cut diamonds, totalling 30 carats

And you thought Louboutins were expensive? Each pair of The House of Borgezie shoes  is handcrafted from solid gold and then encrusted with 2,200 brilliant cut diamonds, totalling 30 carats

Because despite being on sale for more than five months not a single pair have been snapped up.

They are the brainchild of British jewellery designer Christopher Michael Shellis, who has stuck the boot into Louboutins with his daringly pricey design.

He said: 'At the moment there have been a lot of enquiries and talks - but nothing concrete just yet.

'The shoes have created a real buzz, but there is still a long way to go. We've had discussions with certain people but I can't say who.'

To help shift the House of Borgezie created shoes, then how about the equally as luxury accessories to make the perfect match.

Whether that be the extravagant £200,000 bag or the £25,000 compact mirror, this is a combination fit for the most glam divas in the world.

So it's no wonder that names such as Cheryl Cole and Paris Hilton are being thrown about whenever the shoes are mentioned.

No surprise: Despite being on sale for more than five months not a single pair have been snapped up

No surprise: Despite being on sale for more than five months not a single pair have been snapped up

And probably why it's such a tall order for most to hit the monstrous asking price.

Shellis has spent three years working on the creation, which is painstakingly put together by skilled goldsmiths in temperatures of more than 1000ºC.

Each pair is handcrafted from solid gold and then encrusted with 2,200 brilliant cut diamonds, totalling 30 carats.

He added: 'The aim of this was to create a unique form of jewellery which you can wear on your feet.

'It's a bit like if you found these on an archaeological dig in thousands of years time they would be regarded as a treasure - a treasure of the feet.

'But like any great treasure it will remain as beautiful as the day it was created - and we even offer an 'eternity' guarantee lasting 1,000 years.'

The shoes are part of a huge exhibition, taking place at the Artbox in the Mailbox, Birmingham, open to the general public from April 16 to May 2.

Kudos Fine Arts, who are hosting the exhibition, have also selected major works from other international artists such as world famous graffiti artist Temper, in what they are labeling the most exciting exhibition outside London.

Kudos director Steve Turner said: 'The breadth and body of works that will be on exhibition is exceptional. There will be paintings and sculptures to suit all tastes.

'There will be a selection of works from prized international artists such as Tony Evans, Len Gifford and the late Robert Lenkowiez, each leaders in their own field.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1376846/Worlds-expensive-shoes-worth-140k-display.html#ixzz1JW44rC7J

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Friday, April 8, 2011

Mallika red hot :: FHM

Jalebi Bai, Razia, Shalu … Mallika Sherawat is quite the ‘item’ this year. And, she’s flaunting her ‘Indian sexy’ image boldly on the cover of fashion glossy FHM, complete with a Vidya Balan-esque bindi. “What is there to be apologetic about? People have always associated me with the sexy image.


On being in the news for her sexy item numbers, she says, “I never read newspapers. I don’t get any at home. I think I have better things to do with my time. It’s a little narcissistic to read about yourself.”

mallika-sherawat-fhm-bollyupdatescom-01

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How 'good luck' coins thrown into a hot spring have turned one of nature's wonders into a lurid hue of green

 

For decades it has proved a popular tourist attraction.

And while the Morning Glory Pool in Wyoming with its stunning colours continues to attract visitors from around the world its appearance has undergone a dramatic change.

Just a few decades ago, the natural hot spring was a distinctive blue colour.

But now it has taken on a deep green hue with a distinct yellow and red ring around its circumference.

Psychedelic wonder: Tourists have for decades been throwing coins into the Morning Glory Pool in Wyoming for luck. These have blocked the pool's heat vents, reduced its temperature and caused a chemical reaction

Psychedelic wonder: Tourists have for decades been throwing coins into the Morning Glory Pool in Wyoming for luck. These have blocked its heat vents thereby reducing its temperature and causing a chemical reaction

1966: How the hot spring looked 45 years ago before the chemical reaction took place

1966: How the hot spring looked 45 years ago before the chemical reaction took place

While still an extraordinary spectacle, the reason for this change is less alluring.

Tourists have for decades been throwing coins into the pool for luck. Unfortunately, these have blocked the pool's heat vents and reduced its temperature.

At the same time, chemicals from the coins have caused a reaction that has caused several bacteria to grow.

These have slowly worked its way to the water's edge, creating the predominantly yellow ring around the pure blue centre which has turned green as a result.

The algae is photosynthetic, thermophilic bacteria that can survive temperatures ranging from 64C to 107C.

Fading glory: Water that was once a crystal-clear blue is now a murky green

Fading glory: Water that was once a crystal-clear blue is now a murky green

Bacteria has slowly worked its way to the water's edge, creating the yellow ring around the pure blue centre which has turned green as a result

Bacteria has slowly worked its way to the water's edge, creating the yellow ring around the pure blue centre which has turned green as a result

IT consultant Arun Yenumula, 30, took the top photograph of the Morning Glory Pool in Yellowstone National Park while on holiday with his wife.

He said: 'I had heard about the pool from friends and when I saw it I thought it was simply unbelievable.

'Each colour represents a different type of heat-seeking algae.

'An information board next to the pool called it "fading glory" because people threw rocks, stones, bottles and cans blocking the heat vents at the bottom, resulting in cooling the pool.

'The bacteria which thrive in real hot water started to die and the colours were fading. I felt really sad about the fact and how humans are destroying nature's beauty with their mindless acts.'

Mr Yenumula, from Seattle, Washington, added: 'Morning Glory is the most beautiful pool at Yellowstone National Park.

'It is unique and has a more diverse range of colours than anywhere else.'

Reaction: The algae is photosynthetic, thermophilic bacteria that can survive temperatures from 64C to 107C

Reaction: The algae is photosynthetic, thermophilic bacteria that can survive temperatures from 64C to 107C

Popular: The pool attracts thousands of tourists from around the world each year

Big draw: The pool attracts thousands of tourists from around the world every year

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1374757/How-good-luck-coins-thrown-hot-spring-turned-natures-wonders-lurid-hue-green.html#ixzz1Ix30zbcu

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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Babuji girl Yana turns Laila!

After a lull, item hottie Yana Gupta is back with a bang! The Czech beauty who made news with her no-panty appearance, is all set to groove to a hot item number Laila Main Laila from the upcoming film Chalo Dilli.
It seems, remixed versions of old hit numbers are increasingly

becoming a trend in B-town. The song in question is the new rendition of Zeenat Aman's hit song from Qurbani.
Before Yana, Deepika Padukone is already making waves with the new Dum Maaro Dum song, that originally featured Zeenat.
Yana-LailaWonder how many item girls will step into Zeenat's shoes. Meanwhile, Yana Gupta is reportedly set to shoot for another item number for Murder 2.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Babuji-girl-Yana-turns-Laila/H1-Article1-682296.aspx
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Immoral? Poonam doesn’t care

Winning is one thing. Losing your clothes for a win, another. At the time we went to press, the results of the India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final may’ve been uncertain, but what was certain was that the moral brigade was livid about model Poonam Pandey’s announcement that she’d run through the stadium in the buff if the boys won the Cup.

poonam-pandey-1a

The 20 year-old said she first intended to go naked for fans in the stadium, and then in the dressing room, in front of the Indian team. “Showing happiness through nudity is against Indian values. I must congratulate her that she feels happy enough to do so, but there are other ways to show happiness,” says Vinod Bansal of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
“We are totally against such vulgarity and obscenity,” fumes Shalini Thackeray of the right wing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Shiv Sena says it will handle things ‘their way’ if the government doesn’t step in to stop such gimmicks.
Poonam Pandey“This is against public morality. It is an offence. The government should make sure such acts should stop. If they do not handle it, we will,” says the outfit’s Rahul Navrekar. Pandey is unfazed. “I don’t care if people have a problem. I am one of the most downloaded models online. I don’t need to do this for publicity. I am doing what I want to do,” she says.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/immoral-poonam-doesn-t-care/article1-679416.aspx

Tendulkar most deserving candidate for Bharat Ratna: Dhoni

Sachin Tendulkar at Adelaide Oval

Image via Wikipedia

World Cup winning Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday joined the growing calls to award batting ace Sachin Tendulkar the Bharat Ratna, saying no cricketer deserves it more than him. "Yes, 200%, because he is an ideal candidate, he has served the country for 21 years with a few more to come.

As a cricketer, you know, if he doesn't get it, then I don't think there's anyone who'll get the Bharat Ratna ever," Dhoni said.

"I think he's done really great things for the country, taking cricket to the next level. He's known even in places where they don't know about the game, so I think it's a very big achievement taking the country forward. He's done remarkably," the Chennai Super Kings skipper said at a press meet to kickstart the IPL's fourth season, starting on Friday.

The Dhoni-led CSK, which won the double of the IPL and Champions League title last season, open their season with a home game against a Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders.

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The day the mobile phone went public 38 years ago, leaving New Yorkers bemused and bewildered

 

By Graham Smith
Last updated at 9:32 AM on 5th April 2011

The humble mobile phone has transformed our lives beyond recognition over the last 15 years.

So it may come as a surprise to learn that the world's first mobile phone call was made 38 years ago yesterday.

That's right, the first public telephone call made by a man walking down the street took place in 1973 - the same year the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam and Paul McCartney and Wings released Band On The Run.

Dialling his destiny: Motorola's Martin Cooper makes the world's first public mobile phone call in New York on April 3, 1973

Dialling his destiny: Motorola's Martin Cooper makes the world's first public mobile phone call in New York on April 3, 1973

On April 3 that year Martin Cooper, who was then 44, took a prototype mobile phone for a walk around New York City.

Unsurprisingly, the reaction he received from passers-by was one of complete bewilderment.

Mr Cooper, now 82, recalled: 'As I walked down the street while talking on the phone, sophisticated New Yorkers gaped at the sight of someone actually moving around while making a phone call.

'Remember that in 1973, there weren't cordless telephones, let alone cellular phones.

'I made numerous calls, including one where I crossed the street while talking to a New York radio reporter - probably one of the more dangerous things I have ever done in my life.'

At the time Mr Cooper was general manager of Motorola's Communications Systems Division.

Prototype: Mr Cooper reacquaints himself with the phone recently. It weighed 2.5lbs and would now be considered a 'brick'

Prototype: Mr Cooper reacquaints himself with the phone recently. It weighed 2.5lbs and would now be considered a 'brick'

As he walked around New York that day, his made his first call to Dr Joel S Engel, his rival and head of research at Bell Labs phone company. Mr Cooper called his office landline to break the news that Motorola had beaten Bell in developing the first mobile phone.

He then let reporters make their own calls to verify that the invention actually worked and that they weren't the victims of an elaborate hoax.

It had long been Mr Cooper's vision for phones to become portable, in an age when even James Bond dared not dream of making a phone call outside of a vehicle. For that was as portable as phones had become up to that point.

While the wealthy had been able to install a phone in their car for years, the major downside was the need to also install a substantial amount of equipment in the boot for it to work.

Changes: Since Motorola released the first commercially available mobile phone in 1983 (left), the devices have become increasingly smaller

Changes: Since Motorola released the first commercially available mobile phone in 1983 (left), the devices have become increasingly smaller

Mr Cooper's device weighed 2.5lbs and would now be considered a 'brick', of course.

It would be ten years before Motorola finally introduced the Dyna-TAC, the first commercially available mobile phone, into service in 1983. The device weighed 1lb and cost a staggering $3,500 (£2,170).

Mr Cooper went on to found ArrayComm, a wireless technology and systems company, in 1992

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1373272/The-day-Martin-Cooper-took-mobile-phone-public-leaving-New-Yorkers-bemused-bewildered.html#ixzz1IfZKTL6O

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Scientists invent atomic clock that is so accurate it can detect changes in Earth's gravity

 

A new atomic clock that is the most accurate ever made has been developed by a team of Japanese experts.

The ‘optical lattice’ clock is so sensitive it can detect changes in Earth’s gravity and will allow scientists to measure time to a staggering 17 digits.

It will also dramatically improve GPS tracking systems and will be able to detect height differences as small as 10cm.

The Japanese team said it would be a significant step forward for what is already one of the most accurate measuring devices man has ever created.

An atomic clock in Berlin. Scientists have developed an 'optical lattice' clock so sensitive it can detect changes in Earth's gravity

An atomic clock in Berlin. Scientists have developed an 'optical lattice' clock so sensitive it can detect changes in Earth's gravity

Atomic clocks are used to set International Atomic Time or the Universal Time Coordinated, which are different but more precise than Greenwich Mean Time, which most of us rely on.

Over the years, however, even atomic clocks lose accuracy and they have to be adjusted to make up for the lost fractions of a second.

This happens because of the ‘Dick effect’ which is when unwanted noise from the clock’s laser causes it to lose track.

The optical lattice clock avoids this and is much more stable so does not need to be adjusted so often.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1373212/Scientists-invent-atomic-clock-accurate-detect-changes-Earths-gravity.html#ixzz1IfYU4r2C

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Thousands join as Hazare begins indefinite fast

 

New Delhi: Thousands of people joined veteran social activist Anna Hazare at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi Tuesday as he began his "fast unto death" to press for a stronger anti-graft Lokpal Bill through greater involvement of civil society in its drafting.

Thousands join as Hazare begins indefinite fast

Waving Indian flags and placards in support of a more effective anti-corruption law, the supporters gathered at Rajghat memorial to Mahatma Gandhi Tuesday morning, where Hazare paid his homage to the Mahatma before starting the hunger strike. Supporters also thronged India Gate and Jantar Mantar, as the activist finally sat for his fast.

"I am going on a fast because we want representation from civil society in drafting the Lokpal Bill, 50 percent from civil society and 50 percent from government. If government frames the bill without people's participation, it will not be democracy, it will be bureaucracy," Hazare told reporters before embarking on his fast at Jantar Mantar.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday expressed "deep disappointment" over Hazare's decision to go ahead with the planned hunger strike, but said he had enormous respect for the social worker and his mission.

However, Hazare said if the prime minister respected him, he should have met the activists.

"Prime minister says I have faith and respect for you...why didn't he sit for discussion even for one day with us?" the Magsaysay awardee asked

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