Yawning ! - Your Brain cooling down

Yawning too often? Don’t blame lack of sleep. It’s just your brain cooling down.
read the article:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Yawning_Your_brain_cooling_down/articleshow/2179440.cms

Push the train to move

Rather than face the prospect of scores of frustrated passengers launching a chorus of complaints, the driver instead asked them to get out and push.

Many chose to get out of their seats and do just that, officials say.

It took them more than half an hour to move the electric train 12ft (4m) so that it touched live overhead wires and was able to resume its journey

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6666729.stm

Scratch!

A free programming tool that allows anyone to create their own animated stories, video games and interactive artworks has been developed.
Primarily aimed at children, Scratch does not require prior knowledge of complex computer languages.

Instead, it uses a simple graphical interface that allows programs to be assembled like building blocks.

The digital toolkit, developed in the US at MIT's Media Lab, allows people to blend images, sound and video.

"Computer programming has been traditionally seen as something that is beyond most people - it's only for a special group with technical expertise and experience," said Professor Mitchel Resnick, one of the researchers at the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT.

"We have developed Scratch as a new type

m0re news @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6647011.stm?ls

Swing in the AIR

The world's highest swing has been set up on an 1,100ft TV tower in China.



The swing is set on a 700ft high viewing platform on the tower in Harbin city, Heilongjiang province.
Participants sit on the steel seat and swing out over the city, beyond the edge of the platform.
The swing is called "Game for brave people", reports Harbin Daily.
The tower is the world's second-highest steel tower, after the Kiev tower in Ukraine.

Young Japanese just mad about Rajnikant

Tokyo: South Indian superstar Rajnikant rules millions of hearts in Japan with his machismo and flamboyance.


Popularly known as "Odori Maharaja" (the dancing king), the icon is hugely popular, particularly among the young Japanese, reports News India Times, an ethnic newspaper.


Rajnikant's popularity can be gauged by the fact that a Japanese fan recently married a Tamil just because she wanted to meet Rajnikant, who later blessed the couple.


Rajnikant, who exploded onto Japanese screens when his blockbuster "Muthu" ran to packed houses here a few years ago, is a brand ambassador for various products sold in the country.


A snack firm even has his photos on their wrappers, says News India Times.


In an address to the Japanese parliament earlier this year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said: "I am delighted to hear about the popularity of Odori Maharaja among young people here."


The moment he said the magic words 'Odori Maharaja', Japanese MPs had burst into a deafening applause.

Microsoft in talks with Yahoo for 50 Billion dollars

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http://www.nypost.com/seven/05042007/business/bills_hard_drive_business_peter_lauria_and_zachery_kouwe.htm

Ms. India -- ?

Mumbai: Mumbai girl Sarah-Jane Dias was crowned Miss India-World, the country's biggest beauty contest, at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai on Sunday evening.

Puja Gupta was crowned the new Miss India-Universe and Pooja Chitgopekar Miss India-Earth at the Femina Pantaloons...
...

well my intent is, why Miss India Universe is not the winner, normally it happens that winner goes to ms. universe paegent and runner goes to ms. world and the 1-runner goes to ms.Asia Pacific title, I am not sure what happened to the rules this time.. any takers?

play-station: get home a free HDTV

read the news:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6482789.stm
its interesting!

msn-yahoo-aim-google

a neat ALL IN ONE! no need to download messgengers, messing up all installs in the system.
useful to chat stealthily in the office!
www.meebo.com

Sivaji creates history!

The overseas rights of the Rajnikant-Shankar film has been sold, by AVM to London based ‘Ayngaran International’ for an all time record price - A Sify Scoop!
Even before release, Rajnikanth’s Sivaji is creating new records in distribution rights sale. It created a benchmark in distribution sales in India - Andhra, Kerala, and Karnataka. Now the most wanted area - Overseas (rest of the world barring Indian domestic market), has been grabbed by the London based K.Karunamoorthy of `Ayngaran International` after a stiff bidding war with some of the big names in Bollywood overseas distribution trade.

The market buzz is that Ayngaran, who controls 90 percent of the lucrative Tamil film overseas business, has swung the deal in their favour for a whopping US $ 3 million, approximately Rs 13 Crore. It is the highest ever paid for a Tamil or any film in South Indian language!

Please note that Hindi films are almost three times as big as Tamil films abroad. Recently UTV purchased Shahrukh Khan’s virtually the emperor of overseas market Don, for $ 3 million. Now Sivaji a Tamil film at the same price has created a big stir in the overseas market.

Remember Chandramukhi, the previous film of the superstar was sold overseas for $ 1.4 million or approximately Rs 6 Crore. But the buzz around Sivaji, where Rajnikanth is being directed by Shankar who has an impeccable track record abroad pushed the price to an all time new high. The overseas rights include theatrical, audio, video, DVD, internet and inflight.

Overseas market analysts feel that it is a stiff price, and much will depend on the opening that the film takes and the marketing of Ayngaran. Normally a big Tamil film releases with 70 to 85 prints. Sivaji will have to open with 120 to 130 prints, if it has to break even.

Deadly earthquake hits Indonesia

Deadly earthquake hits Indonesia Deadly earthquake hits Indonesia

news from:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6421823.stm

More news on Pune drug rave party

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/pune-rave-party-guilty-to-pay-rs-30000/35253-3.html


http://www.ibnlive.com/news/orkut-used-for-drug-dos-cops/35248-3.html

Police raid rave party, 250 arrested : Pune

PUNE: In a pre-dawn raid on a rave party allegedly organised by suspected international drug peddlers at village Donaje, 40 km from here, 250 youths, including 27 girls and seven foreigners, were arrested. "In Sunday's raid, which comes close on the heels of three similar operations, seven foreigners from Germany, Iran and Palestine have also been arrested,'' Superintendent of Police Vishwas Nagare Patil said.

Among the foreigners, two each were from Germany and Iran and three were Palestinians. "Shania, a drug peddler from Ireland, who was to attend the rave party is absconding," Mr. Patil said.

"We are looking for a woman from Ireland who is the prime suspect behind the main supply of narcotics in Sunday's party," he said.

All those arrested have been booked under the NDPS Act and Foreigners Act, while the police are also thinking of invoking provisions of the IT Act against them because the invitations for the party were sent via the Internet, he said. — PTI

Arunkumar Bhatt reports from Mumbai:

Mr. Patil told The Hindu that it was a sting operation. The arrested were undergoing tests to establish the nature of drugs they had consumed. The youths had come from Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.

Website

The participants had contacted the organisers through a website, www.isra.trans.com

and got themselves invited by SMS, Mr. Patil said.

A visit to the website showed that it appeared to be a pornographic, soft contacts and drugs offering portal.

"The policemen danced for 15 minutes and when the party peaked, they started rounding up the men and women," Mr. Patil said.

About 2.5 kg of ganja, 100 gm of charas and hashish and alcohol were seized.

The `guests" had paid hefty sums for the invitations.

IIM-B grad turns down Rs 1-cr job

This is a unique story of a budding corporate professional, for whom music means more than money. That is precisely what 25-year-old IIM-Bangalore graduate Manasi Prasad has done when she decided to turn down a Rs 1-crore job offer from a US investment bank to pursue a career in music.
As a student of IIM-Bangalore, Manasi did her summer internship programme with Goldman Sachs in New York. Last November, the investment bank got back to her with a lucrative job offer with a Rs 1 crore pay package.

read the whole story :

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14394801

Abdul Kalam

Born on 15th October, 1931 at Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu, Bharat Ratna Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam assumes the office of the President of the Republic of India on July 25, 2002.

From a humble beginning, Dr. Kalam had an unparalleled career as an Aerospace and Defence Scientist, leading the nation with a vision of "Developed India." Dr. Kalam as an eminent Aeronautical Engineer, contributed for the development of India’s first Satellite launch vehicle SLV III, became the architect of Indian Guided Missile development programme, led to the successful Nuclear experiments and envisioned a road map for realising "Developed India" within 20 years.

A graduate from the St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli, Abdul Kalam later studied aeronautical engineering in the Madras Institute of Technology which was regarded as the crown jewel of technical education in Southern India in the fifties. After passing out as a graduate aeronautical engineer, Abdul Kalam joined the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Ministry of Defence.

He later joined the Indian Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) as a Rocket Engineer, which during the later half of 1962 had decided to set up the Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba. He became a member of team led by Prof. Vikram Sarabai which aimed at organising an integrated national space programme for the manufacture of rockets and launch vehicles indigenously.

Dr. Abdul Kalam was chosen to lead a team for the design & development of Satellite Launch Vehicle, SLV III which was successfully launched on 18th July, 1980, injecting Rohini satellite into low earth orbit. He later became Director of ISRO Launch Vehicles/Systems and contributed for the evolution of launch vehicle configurations.

Dr. Abdul Kalam was appointed Director of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad in 1982. As Director, DRDL, he was the Chief of integrated Guided Missile Development Programme and led to successful completion of Prithvi and Agni missiles. He was appointed as the Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, Secretary to Department of Defence Research and Development and Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1992. Many new technology projects towards building self-reliance in defence and also spin-off to society emerged during this period. Later he became the Principal Scientific Advisior to the Government of India in the rank of Cabinet Minister and served in this capacity from November 1999 till November 2001. He was primarily responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for generation of innovations in technology development for multiple applications through Government departments, academic institutions and industries as partners. Dr. Kalam was also the Chairman, Ex-officio of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C). Dr. Kalam believes that Technology can be used as a tool for national development. In December 2001 he moved over to Anna University as Professor of Technology & Societal Transformation.

Dr. APJ abdul Kalam has been awarded Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and Bharat Ratna in 1997.

Dr. Kalam was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc. Honoris-causa) by twenty eight universities. He is the recipient of several awards including the National Design Award. Dr. Biren Roy Space Award; Prof. Y Nayudamma Memorial Gold Medal (1996) : GM Modi Award for Science (1996) : R K Firodia Award for Excellence in S&T (1996) : Veer Savarkar Award (1998) : and Indira Gandhi Award for National integration (1997).

He is a Fellow of many professional societies including Aeronautical Society of India : Astronautical Society ; Indian National Academy of Engineering ; Indian Academy of Sciences and Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers.

Dr. Kalamn is a connoisseur of classical Carnatic music. He plays veena in his leisure. He writes poetry in Tamil, his mother tongue. Seventeen of his poems were translated into English and published in 1994 as a book entitled "My Journey". He is also the Author of three books in English – "India 2020 : A vision for the New Millennium", "Wings of Fire : an Autobiography" and "Ignited Minds – unleashing the power within India."

1000 Hyderbad IT professionals fired!

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http://news.moneycontrol.com/india/news/currentaffairs/hyderabadsatyam/1000hyderbaditp/market/stocks/article/267502

Boys - away from Lavendar

Oils 'make male breasts develop'

Products containing lavender oil were cited in all three cases
Using lavender and tea tree oil products can cause young boys to develop breast tissue, a study finds.
Gynaecomastia is rare, and there is often no obvious cause.

But US specialists report in the New England Journal of Medicine that three boys developed the condition after using the oils.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) team say doctors who see boys should ask about their use of such products.

Oils 'mimicked hormones'

................................
continue reading on :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6318043.stm

Compulsory HIV tests for couples

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6193507.stm

Rajnikant’s fight scene part of hit French film

A film that its makers say is fast becoming one of the year's box office successes in France has an unlikely Indian connection -- a 100-second fight sequence from one of Tamil superstar Rajnikant's blockbuster hits.


In the romantic comedy Prete-Moi Ta Main (I Do) lead actress Charlotte Gainsbourg is shown watching the Indian star in action on her television, said Etienne Dubaille, an official at Alain Chabat's production house.

"Rajnikant's face and trademark action style are clearly visible in the footage. As part of the dialogue, Gainsbourg says she's watching the cult Indian film Muthu," Dubaille told Reuters via e-mail from Paris.

Prete-Moi Ta Main has had one of the best openings of the year in France and has grossed more than $22 million since its release on Nov 1, Dubaille said.

Indian journalist Faizal Khan, who watched the film during a visit to Paris last month, said he was surprised to see Rajnikant's face "popping up" in the film.

"The footage shown on the television set comes at a crucial moment in the movie," he said.

Producer Chabat, known worldwide for his 2002 hit Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, had been on the lookout for a Chinese kung-fu sequence when he chanced upon two Tamil films Anniyan and Muthu.

Chabat felt the fight sequence in Rajnikant's 1995 film was exactly what he wanted and got permission to use the footage from Kavithalayaa Productions, the Chennai-based producers of Muthu.

This is not the first time Muthu has garnered interest abroad. In 1998 it was released as "Oduru Maharaja" (Dancing Maharaja) in Japan and gained Rajnikant a cult following there.

Rajnikant turned 57 on Dec 12 and is gearing up for the release of his latest Tamil film Sivaji early next year.

Dentists may be soon out of history

A new antimicrobial drug may soon put dentists out of their jobs, for it totally eliminates the bacteria that live in plaque and cause tooth decay.
Created by Wenyuan Shi of the University of California, Los Angeles, the anti-microbial drug is safer than traditional antibiotics, for unlike them, it does not kill commensal or "friendly" bacteria and only targets Streptococcus mutans.

According to the New Scientist, Shi created the drug by linking a peptide that specifically targets S. mutans to the active region of Novispirin G10, a broad-spectrum antibiotic that destroys bacterial membranes.

He found that though the compound killed S. mutans grown in liquid or as biofilms, it did not harm other oral streptococci.

read more on :
http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/nov/23dentist.htm