JUST FOR FUN!!!!!

( NO HARD FEELINGS PLEASE)

U r a true Calcuttan if and only if...

1. Residential Address: 45B comes between 30 and 30A.
2. You end up buying a salwar kameez,after reaching home you realize your friend has a similar one. Next day morning you rush to the shop again to replace it." onyo colour arr designer kichuu nei? eta khub common"
3. Your street has at least one roadside Fuchkawala where you ask for afree FUCHKA..which is obviously more delicious than the previous one.
4. Your answer is "Jani na Dada",when somebody asks you for directions,whether it is to Esplanade, Metro rail, Nandan or Gariahat.
5. You come across a Xerox shop with 'Xerox machine out of order' sign.
6. PCOs also sell Ice creams.
7. Universal Bandh Supporter.
8. you find office goers r better traffic controllers,and you join in to criticise the Traffic man from the bus, and many a times the bus conductor for being indifferent to "ki holo dada driver kei ektu halatei bolun,naholei ticket pherot din rastai hanti"
9. Parents are proud to tell others " Chele Computerer kaaj kore" whether he is a cashier in a departmental store or a software pro or a data entry operator.
10. You have at least one cousin, friend, colleague or acquaintance inNorth America- software industry.
11. Everytime somebody gives you a piece of good news,you becomefrustrated and the first thing you ask them is 'Shotti? Kibhabe holo?'
12. First day at Book Fair you locate the important stalls like AARAMBAG'S CHICKEN and BENFISH.
13. You call 11 AM "Sokkal\nsokkal.....".\n\n
14. You label your boss as "S***A"\n\n
15. You are 1hr late and you feel you are on time & excuse "bus gulo\njebhabei chalai".\n\n
16. You look at the \'Rs.90 Fixed price\' stand and still ask "15 taka \n..ar ek poisa beshi na..deben to din". and wait for his response. And at\nthe end of 30 mins and a lot of argument u buy it for 85/- ..predominant in\nGariahat.\n\n
17. your friends wont respect u if u havnt been to these HOLY places \n"kire ekhono tantra, barrista, olypub, inox ei jash nei..tor dara jibonei \nkichhu hobei naa"\n\n
18. People mistake you Hindi for Chinese/ Swahili/ Greek. \n\n
19. you have the whole set of Rabindranath\'s works displayed prominently in\nyour drawing room ( of course no one in your family has read more than 6.5\npages of it in the past thirty years). \n\n
20. You proudly proclaim to the world that Calcutta is the center of Indian\nintellegensia, after all the 5 Nobels that India got are all related to Calcutta (Tagore, Teresa, Amartya Sen, Ronald Ross, C.V. Raman- Har Gobind Singh Khurana does not cout as he worked in the US)
21. You claim that Rabindra Sangeet is the best and most original music in the world, and almost all Hindia film music is copied from it. In fact the similarity\nbetween the scores of Rabindra Sangeet and Chopin's work is proof of the genius of the Bengali mind which was copied by all Western composers.
22.You take the permanent role of opposition in every dicussion. Quoting Trotsky and Che' Guevera in a conversation about the stock market and then\npraising Michael Douglass from Wall Street when others talk about Welfare Economics.
23. You still have a childhood crush on Moon Moon Sen.
24. Insist on carrying out a discussion in Bengali when you discover a fello\nCalcuttan among a group of 23 more non- Calcuttans/non-Bongs \n\n
25. You spend hours everyday sitting in your armchair \'giving ADDA
26. You insist on seeing all sorts of incomprehensible movies by Mrinal Sen and\nunknown foreign directors. The more poverty, hopelessness and bizarre metaphors\nthey use, the better the movie is.
27. Worse you try to educate all and sundry as to the true meaning of life as\nshown in these movies, drawing paralles to Berlosconi and Akiro Kurosawa (when you yourself haven't seen any of their works but your cousin living in the\nstates has told you they are good) of to drive your point home.
28. Even after 57 years after Partition you differentiate between BengalI's who\ncame over from the other side and the local people as , "Us and Them"
29. When you stone Sourav Ganguly's home because of losing the first match\nagainst Australia in the World Cup and welcome him back as "Bengal'snPride" the moment he lands in Calcutta
30. Be able to speak for at least an hour and a half on the comparitive virtues\nof hilsa from Padma vis a vis the Ganga"An attempt may be a failure, but there\nshould be no failure in making an attempt"

Difference between boys and girls while using ATM (Bank's cash dispenser machines)

Boys:

1. Drive to the bank, park and go to the Cash Dispenser.
2. Insert card
3. Dial code and desired amount
4. Take the cash, the card and the slip.

Girls:

1. Drive to the bank
2. Engine stalled
3. Check make-up in the mirror
4. Apply perfume
5. Manually check haircut
6. Park the car - failure
7. Park the car - failure
8. Park the car - Success
9. Search for the card in the handbag
10. Insert card, rejected by the machine
11. Throw phone card back in handbag,
12. Look for bank card.
13. Insert Card
14. Look for Secret Box (where secret code is written)in Handbag
15. Enter code
16. Study instructions for 2 minutes
17. #Cancel#
18. Re-enter code
19. #Cancel#
20. Call Boyfriend/husband to get correct the code
21. Enter desired amount
22. #Error#
23. Enter bigger amount
24. #Error#
25. Enter maximum amount
26. Cross fingers
27. Take cash
28. Go back to the car
29. Check make up in rear mirror
30. Look for keys in handbag
31. Start car
32. Drive 50 meters
33. STOP
34. Drive back to bank machine
35. Go out of the car
36. Take card and ticket back from machine
37. Go back to the car
38. Throw card on passenger seat
39. Throw slip on the floor
40. Check make up in rear mirror
41. Manually check haircut
42. Go into roundabout - wrong way
43. BRAKE
44. Go into roundabout - right way
45. Drive 5 kilometers
46. Remove hand brake
47. Call boyfriend/husband to tell how miserable she was because of HIM.

Galti Se Mistake (for movie buffs)

Baghban: Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini are separated right afterHoli remember Amitabh singing Holi khele Raghubeera?). They are said to be separated for six months, ie from March to September. Within that six-month period, they celebrate Valentine's Day, which falls on February 14, and karva chauth, which is usually observed in October.There is no way these two occasions could come between March andSeptember!

Lagaan: Lagaan was shot in the late 19th century. At the time, an over in cricket used to consist of 8 balls. But in this movie, an over has 6balls.Maybe modern cricket learnt from the movie

Amar Akbar Anthony: Three men donate blood at the same time to the same person.

Awwal Number: Dev Anand is an omnipotent genius - former cricketer captain,army chief, commissioner, you name it. And Aamir Khan carries a huge transistor in his pocket while batting!

Pyar To Hona Hi Tha: Kajol gets off the train to use the public toilet at the railway station and the train chugs off without her. Poor girl,little did she know that every train compartment has four toilets inside.

Khiladiyon Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi: Akshay Kumar boards a Jet Airways flight to America.Well, well, some promotion for our Indian Jet Airways.Since when did they start flying international?

Guddu: Manisha Koirala and Shah Rukh Khan are seen hanging on a parachute during a song. But when the song ends, they land on a glider.What a switch above sea level!

Tere Mere Sapne: Priya Gill is doing her BA. But at the bus stop,she is carrying an electrical technology thesis by B L Theraja.What an electrifying interest!

Personality test

Which fruit would you pick first if you were handed the following:

1. Orange

2. Apple

3. Banana

4. Coconut

5. Pineapple

6. Papaya

7. Mango

8. Cherry

9. Black Grapes

10. Peach

11. Custard Apple

12. Pear

Did you know that you can tell what kind of personalities people have
by the kind of fruits they like?

ORANGE
If an orange is your favorite fruit, it speaks of a person whohas enduring patience and willpower. You like to do things slowly, but very thoroughly and are completely undaunted byhard work. You tend to be shy, but are reliable and atrustworthy friend. You select your partner with care and you love with all your heart. You avoid conflict at all costs.

APPLE
If an apple is your favorite fruit, you are an extravagant,impulsive and outspoken person, often with a bit of a temper. While you may not be the best organizer yourself,you make a good team leader and are good at moving thingsforward. You can take quick action in most situations. Youenjoy travel immensely. You ooze with charm when you are with your partner. You have an enthusiasm for life,unmatched by most.

BANANA
You are a softie! Loving, gentle, warm and sympathetic bynature is the banana lover. You often lack inself-confidence and are quite timid by nature. People oftentake advantage of your sweet temperedness, and sheervulnerability to a situation. You adore your partner inevery which way, both for their mental and physical beauty! Because of the way you are, your relationship is always verymuch in harmony!

COCONUT
The coconut lover is a serious, very thoughtful andcontemplative person. Though you enjoy socializing, you are particular about the company you keep. You tend to bestubborn but not necessarily foolhardy. Shrewd, quick-wittedand alert, you ensure that you are right on top of any givenscenario, especially at work. You need a partner with brains and while passion is important it certainly isn'teverything for you.

PINEAPPLE
You are quick to decide and even quicker to act. You are brave in making career changes. You have exceptional organizing abilities and are undaunted by the size of the task at hand. You tend to beself reliant, sincere and honest in your dealings withothers. Though you don't often make friends veryquickly, once you do, it is for life. You rarely, if ever, make romantic overtures. Your partner is oftenimpressed with your sterling qualities but disappointed inyour ability to show affection.

PAPAYA
You are truly fearless and take much that happens in lifein stride. You give considerable thought to things youdo. You have a sense of humor that along with your generous nature keeps you in most people's good books. You are ago-getter in your professional life, and have a knack forbeing in the right place at the right time. You enjoymeeting new people and seeing new sights whenever you can. Your sense of humor is what attracts members of the oppositesex to you more than anything else. It is simply charming!

MANGO
A mango lover is a personality to be reckoned with, quiteoften it's a person who has quite fixed ideas, andinfluencing you is not an easy task. You tend to be an extremist with strong likes and dislikes, and at times evenlike to control a situation. You enjoy getting involved insomething that presents mental challenge. Strong as you maybe, you are like a kitten when you are with your partner. You accommodate the love of your life, and make up for allthe strong will elsewhere!

CHERRY
If cherry is your favorite fruit, life isn't always as sweetfor you. You often face ups and downs, particularly professionally, and find that you make small sums of $$$,instead of a lump sum. You have a fertile imagination andare often involved in creative pursuits. You are a verysincere and loyal partner, but find that expressing your feelings is not very easy. Your home is your haven, and youlove nothing more than being surrounded by close family andyour beloved partner.

BLACK GRAPES
You are a polite person in general, but do have quickflare-ups of temper that cool down just as quickly. Youenjoy beauty in all forms, including beautiful people. You are very popular because of your warm, gregarious nature.You have a zest for life, you enjoy everything you do, rightfrom the way you dress, to your style and your day-to-daylife. Your partner must share your zeal and zing for life to enjoy all you have to offer!

PEACH
Like a peach, you enjoy the juice of life and all its lushripeness! You are the friendly sort, and are quite frank andoutspoken, which adds to your charm. You are quick to forgive and forget; and value your friendships highly. Youhave an independent and ambitious streak in you, that makesyou a real go-getter. You are the ideal lover, fiery andpassionate but sincere and faithful in love. You don't however like to display all that passion in public.

CUSTARD APPLE
You are a modest and conservative person who can be quitesensitive at times. You tend to be thoughtful andcontemplative, and therefore are rarely rash in doing things. You are quite ambitious and are good at anythingthat requires much detailing or working with numbers. Youare quick at finding fault with others. While looking for apartner, you value a person's intellect far above their looks or good old passion. You are quite shy and not verycomfortable demonstrating affection.

PEAR
If you put your mind to something you can do it successfully,but by and large you tend to be fickle and have trouble completing a task with the enthusiasm you started it with.You need to know the results of your efforts almost immediately. You enjoy mental stimulation and love to get into a good discussion!

a little laugh

Three men, a German, a Japanese and a Mexican were sitting naked in a
sauna.
Suddenly there was a beeping sound. The German pressed his forearm and the
beep stopped. The others looked at him questioningly. "That was my pager,"
he said, "I have a micro chip under the skin of my arm."
A few minutes later a phone rang. The Japanese fellow lifted his palm to
his ear. When he finished he explained, "That was my mobile phone. I have a
micro chip in my hand."
The Mexican felt decidedly low tech, but not to be outdone he decided he
had to do something just as impressive. He stepped out of the sauna and went to the bathroom. he returned with a piece of toilet paper hanging from his butt. The others raised their eyebrows and stared at him.
The Mexican finally said, "Ay Dios Mio, will you look at that? I'm getting a fax

33 FACTS ABOUT GUYS!!!!!!!!!!

1. Guys don't actually look after good-looking girls. they prefer neat and presentable girls.

2. Guys hate flirts.

3.When a guy says he doesn't understand you, it simply means you're not thinking the way he is.

4. Guys may be flirting around all day but before they go to sleep, they always think about the girl they truly care about.

5. When a guy really likes you, he'll disregard all your bad characteristics.

6. Guys go crazy over a girl's smile.

7. Guys will do anything just to get the girl's attention.

8. When you touch a guy's heart, there's no turning back.

9. When a girl says "no", a guy hears it as "try again tomorrow".................so true.

10. You have to tell a guy what you really want before he gets the message clearly.

11. Guys love their moms.

12. A guy would sacrifice his money for lunch just to get you a couple ofroses.

13. A guy often thinks about the girl who likes him. But this doesn't meanthat the guy likes her.

14. You can never understand him unless you listen to him.

15. If a guy tells you he loves you once in a lifetime. He does.

16. Beware. Guys can make gossips scatter through half of the face of the earth faster than girls can.

17. Like Eve, girls are guys weaknesses.

18. Guys are very open about themselves.

19. It's good to test a guy first before you believe him. But don't let himwait that long.

20. Guys hate it when their clothes get dirty. Even a small dot.

21. Guys really admire girls that they like even if they're not that muchpretty.

22. If a guy tells you about his problems, he just needs someone to listento him. You don't need to give advice....................very true."
23. A usual act that proves that the guy likes you is when he teases you.

24. Guys cannot keep secrets that girls tell them.

25. Guys think too much.

26. Guys' fantasies are unlimited.

27. Girls' height doesn't really matter to a guy but her weight does!.............very true.

28. Guys tend to get serious with their relationship and become too possessive.

29. Guys are more talkative than girls are especially when the topic is about girls.

30. You can truly say that a guy has good intentions if you see him praying sometimes.

31. If a guy says you're beautiful, that guy likes you.

32. Guys hate girls who overreact. .....sumtimes.

33. Guys love you more than you love them IF they are serious in your relationships.

Summer of 69 - Desi Version

Sambhar of 69I had my first real six rupees,
stole it from my father's pants.
went to a madrasi hotel,
to eat the sambhar of 69.

Me and some kadke dost,
had it all and we caught bukhaar,
jimy puked, joey got ulcers,
and Bagga ne maari dakar.

Oh when I went back there now,
the food was as stale as ever,
and though it was 1999,
still the sambhar was being served over there,

that was the worst food of my life.

Therez no use in complaining,
when you got no other place to eat,
rushed in the evening to the doctors clinic,
but he too was at the toilet seat,

yeahstanding there waiting outside,
nurse told me I will wait forever,
oh and when I held my breath,
I knew that I had to use that loo there

That was the worst food of my life.

Back to the sambhar of 69.
Man I was getting killed,
I was full and restless,
I needed to unwind,
I guess nothing can wait forever - FOREVER... NO

The Palace on Wheels

An Introduction
Travel Rajasthan by palace on wheels and witness the history unfolding itself gracefully at Rajasthan. Rajasthan is also famous for its hospitality. The chivalrous men with long moustaches and their brightly coloured turbans and the attractive ladies in their resplendent ghaghra-cholis are always ready to go out of their way to make you feel special. The traditional music and dance are genuinely captivating.The Palace on Wheels tours makes you experience all the luxuries worthy of the affluent Indian maharajas of yore. Exuberance and extravagance are the key words. This royal journey by palace on wheels is a first-hand experience of the lavish lifestyles of the Indian kings. The d飯r, food and hospitality speak of sheer luxury and opulence. So relax, enjoy and indulge yourself!The ornate passenger coaches were originally meant to be the personal Railway coaches of erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. The Indian Railways did not use these coaches after Independence in normal passenger trains on account of the very rich and traditional interiors. The coaches were very old and were meant to run on meter gauge. As a result they were parked in different yards and cited as part of heritage that was far too ornate, old and historical to be of any practical use. They remained in this state for a quarter of a century until 1981-82 when the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, the Indian Railways and the Tourism Department of the State launched them as a special heritage tourist train to provide a unique memorable experience to the tourists visiting Rajasthan.
The name "Palace on Wheels" (POW) was derived from the royal background of the coaches. The Train undertook its inaugural trip on 26th January 1982. Only five promotional trips were run for the purpose of familiarization and publicity. It started to roll on its regular operations from October 1982 and undertook 13 weekly and 13 short trips.The original coaches that belonged to the rulers of the erstwhile princely states of India become unworthy for the smooth rail journey after their continuous running for 9 years from its inception. This was replaced in 1991 by the air-conditioned meter gauge train whose interiors were done in accordance to the aesthetics of the old saloons. This train was fabricated at the Integral Coach Factory of Madras.
In order to further increase the amenities on the train and due to over all gauge conversion in the state, a new broad gauge Palace on Wheels was constructed with the same amenities and facilities like its predecessors - 14 Saloons that are now inter connected, 2 Restaurant-cum-Kitchen cars, 01 Bar-cum-Lounge and 4 Service cars. The train also has a well-appointed lounge, library and bar.Apart from this other services include - laundry services at Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, Foreign Exchange, Doctor on call.

Wildlife In India

India is home to a rich diversity of wildlife supplemented by an equally rich variety of flora and fauna. The sight and sounds of a majestic elephant, a peacock’s dance, the stride of a camel, the roar of a tiger are unparalleled experiences in themselves. Watching birds and animals in their natural habitats is an experience in itself. The country offers immense opportunities for wildlife tourism. The immense heritage of wildlife in India comprises of more than 70 national parks and about 400 wildlife sanctuaries including the bird sanctuaries. A paradise for the nature lovers, these forest areas are also crucial for the conversation of the endangered species like the Leopard, Lion, Asiatic Elephant, the Bengal tiger and Siberian Crane. Spread across the length and breadth of India, these reserves and forest areas, right from the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan to the Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary in Bihar, from the foothills of Himalayas, the Jim Corbett National Park to six national parks in Andaman; the Indian Wildlife circuit is an Incredible treat, unmatched by any other experience. Elephant, Deer, Panther, Wild buffalo, Wild ass, the one horned Rhinoceros, Porcupine, Snow leopards etc are some of the animals you can sport in The Himalayan region. India harbours eighty percent of the entire population of the one horned rhinoceros in the world. The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary is an ideal habitat for the rhino and a popular destination with the naturalists and environmentalists as well as the wildlife traveller. The Great Indian Bustard and blackbuck of the Karera Sanctuary also attract a lot of tourists. The Madhav National Park originally called the Shivpuri National Park is another rich habitat for the wildlife in close proximity to the historical town of Gwalior and being close to a often visited cultural and heritage destination enjoys its fare share of tourism inflow. The Corbett National Park one of the most popular National Parks in the northern region for the wildlife enthusiast as well as the holiday makers is changing the way wildlife tourism. These National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are promoters of wildlife tourism in India.

Akshardham Temple

A mega temple complex, Akshardham, in New Delhi, one of the biggest and most intricate places of worship ever constructed, is drawing hordes of visitors and seems set to become a major tourist attraction. Constructed by the BAPS (Bochasanvasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) foundation, builders of more than 600 temples worldwide, on the banks of the Yamuna river, near Noida Mor in East Delhi, it is widely being heralded as one of the greatest monuments India has ever produced.
The complex is huge … spread over 100 acres of land.It is made entirely of white marble (symbolizing purity and peace) and the red sand stone so characteristic of Delhi monuments .No steel has been used in its construction .It is a fusion of several styles of North Indian temple architecture - Rajasthani, Orrisan, Gujarati, Mughal and Jain
It is estimated to have cost Rs 200 crore
It has been funded from donations
It was completed in only 5 years, probably a world record of sorts
Over 300 million man hours of service were rendered in its completion by 11,000 volunteers
A main monument, 141 feet high, 316 feet wide and 370 feet long, and a 11-feet tall panchdhatu (5 elements) statue of Swaminarayan in the sanctum sanctorum. Designed and sculpted according to the ancient Indian tradition of vastu shastra, it has 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 domes, 20,000 statues, decorative arches and layers of sculpted flora and fauna. The entire thing rests on a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of 148 stone elephants, each of whom has “a story”).
An experiential exhibition hall, Sahajanand Darshan, where the life of Swaminarayan is displayed through robotic shows.
An IMAX theatre, at the Neelkanth Darshan Hall, which screens a 45-minute film on the life of Lord Swaminarayan, the founder of the sect, who left home at 11 to traverse the length and breadth of India.
Sanskruti Vihar, an exhibition hall, which offers a 12-minute boat ride through tableaux that showcase India's glorious heritage, beginning with the Vedic age. Statues come alive as they propound values like vegetarianism and non-violence.
2 huge ponds, one of which is the venue for 2 son-et-lumiere shows every evening, complete with dancing fountains.
A double-storied parikrama of red sandstone.
A shop that sells all the paraphernalia that goes with Hinduism - incense sticks, beads and spiritual books.
The complex is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entry to the complex is free. However, there is a fee of Rs 125 (Rs 75 for children and senior citizens) for the exhibition hall, theatre and boat ride. Allocate a clear 4 hours if you want to see everything.
Elaborate security arrangements are in place, and you will have to deposit your mobile phones, cameras, food and any purse bigger than a wallet.

Relationship Advice For Mending Hurt

To enhance your relationship skills, you need to gain more insight into the human condition. You now possess a structured outline as to how you can begin to relate to each person you come in contact with. You will need to show your talents and abilities to others and have them do the same to you. Adults need to feel productive and leave behind few regrets. You may feel very dependent upon others, have no real sense of your morality, and feel very stagnant in your life. Your relationships up to this point have not been grounded in love, respect, and honesty. Your irrational thoughts will be hard to change because your instincts will be to look at the negative aspects of your relationship when a conflict arises. You will need to trust this new virtue/atonement process and stick to it each day. You will need to evaluate how the stress and barriers in your life impact your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. You cannot use any of these life situations to excuse the hurt that you cause another person. Your tendency to view stressful situations in irrational ways will be a constant struggle for you. You will need to understand what contributes to your stress and learn how your body signals stress. Once you develop the ability to recognize stress, you can put safeguards in place to work through the stressful event without acting in ways that hurt another person. The key will be to remember to communicate in ways that emulate love, respect, and honesty. When you fall short of the mark, your atoning behavior will help to repair the hurt that you cause in your irrational state. What causes you to experience stress? What are the physical and emotional signs that show that you are experiencing stress? Many people have learned to adapt to higher levels of stress and do not understand the signals their bodies are sending. Laptops, cellular phones, and other technologically advanced equipment have led to less down time for people. They end up pushing themselves to their limits each day and develop more irrational approaches to counteract the physical and emotional results of stress. Caffeine, anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, illicit drugs, and other artificial performance-enhancing substances are in the hands of more people today than ever before. These substances provide users with a false sense of emotional security. Are you becoming numb to the chaos around you? In order for you to gain the ability to think rationally, you will need to be able to identify signals of stress from your body and your emotions and to react to these signals in rational, healthy ways.

Women and AIDS

Women and AIDS By the end of 2005, women accounted for nearly half of all people living with AIDS worldwide, and represent almost 60% of infections in sub-Saharan Africa. The impact of HIV on women is also growing in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and South and South-East Asia. Moreover, young women are several times more likely than young men to contract the disease through heterosexual contact. Worldwide, 62% of infected young people are girls, and that number soars to 77% in sub-Saharan Africa. A woman's vulnerability to the virus is attributable not only to biological differences, but also to deeply entrenched socio-economic inequalities that further compound her risk. Because 70% of the world's poor are women, women have fewer economic options. They are far more vulnerable because of absolute poverty to engage in transactional sex to pay for food, school fees and other necessities. They are also vulnerable to coercive or forced sex and often unable to negotiate condom use. One in three women world-wide have been affected by gender-based violence, but poor women are even more likely to be abused. Many women, particularly married women, cannot control the circumstances under which sex takes place. Research in several countries shows that for far too many young girls, the first sexual experience is coerced or forced. Married women are especially unable to negotiate sex or condom use with their husbands who may have extramarital partners. Some research indicates that married women are in fact more at risk for HIV than unmarried women because they are more frequently exposed to intercourse within marriage.HIV-positive women may transmit HIV to their children during pregnancy, in childbirth or through breastfeeding. Today, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV is the primary mode of acquisition of HIV for the more than 2 million children living with HIV. While antiretroviral therapy significantly reduces the risk of MTCT of HIV, prevention coverage in the 30 African countries with the highest HIV prevalence is only 5 percent. As AIDS ravages families and communities, the burden of caring for ill family members rests mainly with women and girls - many of whom may be seriously ill themselves. A woman affected by HIV/AIDS is plunged further into poverty, losing the ability to provide for herself and her children. Combined with pervasive social stigma and the collapse of traditional family and support structures, HIV/AIDS is eroding the status of women in many countries.

Welcome to Cake Under My Pillow

The bed and breakfast is housed in a classic late 19th century merchant's building that has just been fully renovated to provide a charming and comfortable place to stay. Originally the ground floor was a famous cafe and since February 2003, again houses a famous cafe(de taart van m’n tante).We offer two kinds of rooms. One with toilet and shower en-suite and one with private toilet and shower across the hallway. All the rooms have special sound-reducing glass, new king size orthopedic mattresses (upon request the bed configuration can be 2 twin beds), ample power outlets, cable television with video player, closet space and sitting area. Even the rooms without the toilet and shower en-suite are large so you never feel cramped.It is located at the corner of Ferdinand Bolstraat and the Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat. Across the street you will find the Heineken Plein with half a dozen cafés and restaurants and, of course, the famous Heineken Brewery Museum. One hundred metres down the street is the Albert Cuyp Market, Europe's largest and possibly most colourful daily outdoor market. The neighbourhood also has a mix of residential spaces, small classic Amsterdam cafes and bars, new stylish restaurants and 'lounges', and a wide diversity of boutiques and shops. And at the end of the street to the west, five minutes away, is the Museumplein where you will find Amsterdam's three premier museums, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedeleijk Museum and of course also our famous Concertgebouw, home of the Dutch Philharmonic, and world renown for its acoustics. And on the other side of the Museumplein, you will find the P.C. Hoofdstraat, Amsterdam's most chic high street. And from there you are only a few minutes stroll to the entrance of the Vondelpark, Amsterdam's famous and large city park which on a summer day is full of activity, culture, people watching, cafe sitting and enjoying the sun.A 10 - 15 minute walk to the north, takes you to the heart of the tourist area in the city center. The floating flower market, the Rembrandtsplein, the Leidseplein, the classic canal belt, hundreds of cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, theaters and movies are all within this area. A few minutes further and you can wander through the Red Light district, Chinatown and the Nieuwmarkt.

Audi launches new brand campaign

Audi Australia has launched a new brand campaign to highlight the company’s philosophy of ‘Vorsprung’.

Aimed squarely at the luxury-car-buying public, this latest advertising campaign puts the company's forward-thinking heritage clearly into the spotlight, cementing Audi's reputation as a leader for over a century.

The Vorsprung campaign draws on the history, heritage and substance of the Audi brand, promoting the message of leadership via three core values - performance, design and prestige.

With the help of Audi Ambassador, Catherine Freeman, and the famed Australia II, the campaign highlights Audi as a leader in performance.

Collette Dinnigan, also an Audi Ambassador and Australia's most successful fashion export, highlights the brand's leadership in design and the magnificent Horch automobile is clearly representative of prestige – even since the 1930s. There are four executions in total.

Audi's General Manager of Marketing, Javier Degen, says the new Vorsprung campaign will boost the Audi brand's image as an innovator.

“Audi is still a relatively young brand in Australia and it is important that we remind our potential customers of our long and impressive heritage,” Mr Degen said.

“Vorsprung will help us put the Audi brand top-of-mind, clearly demonstrating to luxury car buyers that our strong claim of leadership is
based on a long history of success and innovation.

“With the help of Australian icons such as Collette Dinnigan and Cathy Freeman, our audience can clearly see the calibre of people who work with our brand and whom we believe to be truly Vorsprung in their approach to life,” Mr Degen added.

Audi's Managing Director, Joerg Hofmann, says that the campaign itself is a strong example of Vorsprung.

“Audi has a host of impressive new models being launched in Australia this year, from diesel models to high performance vehicles, and the one theme which unites them all is Vorsprung. Whether they represent ultimate performance, the latest technology or superior design, each of our vehicles is built with leadership in mind,” Mr Hofmann said.

“The launch of this new creative campaign simply highlights that we're always looking ahead for new ways of thinking,” Hofmann added.

The Vorsprung campaign will appear nationally in newspapers and leading magazines.

Must haves

Tan Cheats
Practically every beauty brand has launched a ‘progressive tan’ lotion. Unlike self tans, these slowly build up a subtle sun-kissed colour, so you don’t suddenly look like you’ve gone from fair to footballer’s wife!
We’ve tried and tested all the creams we could get our paws on, and in the pic above are the ones that scored highest in our pole. Nivea’s Sun Kissed Skin we liked for its even colour and inoffensive odour – the initial ‘biscuity’ scent lasted only a short time on the skin, and you can choose from two shades depending on your skin tone. L’Oreal’s Nutrisummer cream has a refreshing smell and gives a pretty shimmer to skin as well a lovely golden colour, you can see results after just one application. On the higher end of the price scale, Clarins’ Radiance Plus Self-Tanning Lotion is well worth the splurge if you are feeling flush. It glides on the skin beautifully and you could fool anyone into thinking that you’ve been lounging about in the sun for weeks (even if you’ve been glued to the footie inside!)
On the black list is Dove’s Summer Glow, which you should only use if you are prepared to smell like shortbread all day! Check out our scoring sheet: Nivea Sun-Kissed Skin 9/10 Olay Everyday Sunshine: 7/10 Soltan Progressive tan: 6/10 Johnson’s Holiday Skin 7/10L’Oreal Sun Shimmer 9/10Piz Buin Summer Sensation 7/10No7 naturally Sunkissed 5/10Dove Summer Glow 4/10 Claains Radiance Plus 10/10

Tattoos, Bums and Hotels

All the newspapers are running a defiant picture of David Beckham today. The photographers were telling me that they spotted Becks had a new tattoo on his upper arm whilst they were taking the shots. They asked him if it hurt as it was on the delicate area on the inside of his arm. The poor love said he cried all the way through the operation. A little ripple ran through the bar most of us were sitting in the other evening for a small libation after work. David James turned up in a huge black limo to say hello to one of the photographers. It's just as well he didn't hang around. Later that same evening one of the writers had to be rushed to hospital after a dog bit him on the bum. He'd been eating at a table outside the restaurant when a local resident with the dog walked by. His newspaper colleagues were on hand to check how deep the teeth had gone...and to take plenty of snaps to be shown round the bar later that night. Most of the footballers' wives are staying in one hotel in the centre of Baden Baden, the same hotel a large contingent of tabloid reporters have also checked into. I'm told, on hearing that the hacks had booked this hotel many months ago, the Football Association asked the hotel management to cancel their booking so the wives could be assured of their privacy. The management refused. Could be an interesting meeting of minds in the mixed sauna. Soren, my Danish cameraman, is very disappointed that Denmark didn't qualify for the tournament. I'm quietly quite relieved. Out in Japan four years ago he was so gutted after England beat the Danes that he wouldn't talk to me for a day. Wasn't the easiest of working environments…

The Science of Chocolate

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree
Research suggests chocolate may have health benefits
Chocolate cravings may be a symptom of addiction
Chocolate contains the same 'happy' chemicals found in some recreational drugs
Chocolate history
Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tree Theobroma cacao. Theobroma is Greek for 'food of the gods'. The ancient Aztecs venerated the cacao tree and used its beans as a form of currency. They saw the tree as a source of strength and wealth and assigned their god Quetzalcoatl its guardian.
The Aztecs discovered that by crushing the beans into a paste and adding spices, they could make a refreshing and nourishing drink. This drink would have been very bitter, unlike our chocolate drinks today. 16th century European explorers brought the drink back from their travels, added sweeter flavourings, and soon it was popular as an expensive luxury.
The first chocolate barsIn the 1800s, solid chocolate became popular, with the invention of moulding processes. Mechanical grinders crushed cocoa beans to a fine powder that could be heated and poured into moulds, forming shapes as it cooled.
Dutchman Coenrad Van Houten perfected the extraction of cocoa butter from cocoa beans in 1825. The beans are crushed to a paste, which is subjected to very high pressure, forming chocolate liquor and cocoa butter. The extracted butter is smoothed and treated to remove any odours.
In the 1880s, Rudolphe Lindt of Switzerland started adding extra cocoa butter during chocolate manufacture, to make it smoother and glossier. Cocoa butter melts at around 97°F, which is human body temperature. That's why chocolate melts in the mouth.
Milk chocolate In 1875, Swiss Daniel Peter perfected the manufacture of milk chocolate, which is sweeter and smoother than dark chocolate. Nestlé's recently-invented condensed milk was easy to mix with cocoa paste, unlike liquid milk.
Cadbury's 'Dairy Milk', first developed in 1905, is the UK's most popular chocolate bar. Milk chocolate is now the world's best-selling variety.Chocolate craving
The love of chocolate goes beyond the call of sweetness. Chocolate can induce craving in a way that other sugary products like toffee or marshmallow don't. Chocolate makes us feel good, but can it really be addictive?

The Science of Love

Key Points

There are three phases to falling in love and different hormones are involved at each stage

Events occurring in the brain when we are in love have similarities with mental illness

When we are attracted to somebody, it could be because subconsciously we like their genes

Smell could be as important as looks when it comes to the fanciability factor. We like the look and smell of people who are most like our parents
Science can help determine whether a relationship will last

Cupid's chemicalsFlushed cheeks, a racing heart beat and clammy hands are some of the outward signs of being in love. But inside the body there are definite chemical signs that cupid has fired his arrow.

When it comes to love it seems we are at the mercy of our biochemistry. One of the best known researchers in this area is Helen Fisher of Rutgers University in New Jersey. She has proposed that we fall in love in three stages. Each involving a different set of chemicals.

From ITO to BPO-The Growth of Offshore Outsourcing

While most of the books and research about IT outsourcing (ITO) are less than ten years old, ITO has actually been around in some form or the other for decades. When mainframes ruled the earth, the services of these expensive behemoths were often made available through time-sharing. Hiring contract programmers is also a thirty-year old phenomenon. Service bureaus, like Automated Data Processing, have been in the payroll business for decades, and have expanded more recently into accounting. Similarly, data center facilities management has been available for decades. Ross Perot’s Electronic Data Processing and the big accounting firms entered the systems planning, design, and turnkey software businesses more than thirty years ago, and network sharing is also decades old. From the birth of business data processing in the 1950s and 60s, companies with specialized skills have offered computer-based information systems support and services.Similarly, business process outsourcing (BPO) is not just another management fad or a recent trend. In some ways, the beginnings of business process outsourcing (BPO) can be traced back to the Second World War, when engineering and quantitative analysis tools were introduced to improve the manufacture and distribution of war materials. These quantitative and analytical techniques were based on the notion that scientific methods could be used to measure, analyze and improve any business process.

After the war management started applying these tools more generally in industry, starting in manufacturing, with the aim of increasing quality control and the quality of products. Over the decades since, operations research, system analysis and quantitative methods have been gradually applied to virtually all types of business problems and business processes. In the 1980s, the term ‘business process reengineering’ (BPR) was born as a new way of describing the systems analysis and process redesign techniques of earlier decades. At its most simple level, these techniques recognize that each organization operates based on a set of definable processes. And having defined them, it is possible to look within each process to find ways of improving efficiency.

Just as the concept of BPR was taking off, the information technology revolution exploded. Companies realized that hiring IT expertise in-house and paying for continuous upgrades to hardware and software were anything but efficient. As a result, almost overnight, a huge market for outsourcing IT was born.It was a combination of the success of BPR and a maturing of the approach to IT outsourcing that saw BPO as the logical next step. While BPR is about improving processes within a single enterprise, in one sense, BPO simply applies that same logic along the company’s value chain, or across an entire industry’s value chain. Consequently, a BPO supplier can usually harvest economies of scale that a single company within an industry can not.

Meanwhile, IT outsourcing moved on for some companies from just a way of achieving immediate cost savings, to also becoming a strategy akin to mergers, acquisitions, alliances and partnerships. And as more companies gained outsourcing experience, they also reached a greater level of understanding about the importance of relationship management. It used to be that companies thought they could just hammer out a contract, beat the supplier down in price and force the best deal possible for the buyer. Now the experienced, knowledgeable outsourcing buyer realizes that instead of immediate cost savings, the objective is to achieve sustained benefits for the life of the outsourcing agreement. Sustained long-term benefits come from positive relationships that emphasize continuous improvement of performance and of the relationship.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Poorest countries given more time to apply intellectual property rules

Least-developed countries have been given an extension until 1 July 2013 to provide protection for trademarks, copyright, patents and other intellectual property under the WTO’s agreement, following a decision reached by member governments on 29 November 2005.

The decision by the WTO’s Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) extends the transition period for least-developed countries by seven and a half years, and includes commitments on technical assistance to help them prepare to apply the agreement. The transition period was due to expire on 1 January 2006, 11 years after the TRIPS

Agreement came into force.The decision does not affect the transition period for patents for pharmaceutical products, which was agreed in 2002; least-developed countries will not have to protect these patents until 2016.“This agreement, coming just before the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference, is good news,” WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said. “Members have shown that they are ready to ensure that the world’s poorest countries have the flexibility that they need in order to meet their WTO obligations in a way that serves their development needs. This demonstrates what can be achieved in Hong Kong where development is a central issue.”The decision (see below) says least-developed countries will not have to provide the intellectual property protection covered by the TRIPS Agreement until 1 July 2013 unless they graduate from being least-developed. However — as is currently the case — if they voluntarily provide intellectual property protection, they have to observe TRIPS provisions on non-discrimination.In the discussions leading up to the decision, one of the questions raised was whether the extension should be given country by country. The final agreement gives the extension to all the least-developed countries as a group. It confirms these countries’ right to seek further extensions afterwards. At present, 32 WTO members are least-developed.The decision also reiterates developed countries’ commitment to provide technical and financial cooperation to help the least-developed countries implement the TRIPS Agreement and respond to needs that the least-developed countries have promised to identify, preferrably over the next two years.Where least-developed countries do voluntarily provide some kinds of intellectual property protection even though they are not required to do so under the TRIPS Agreement, they have promised not to reduce or withdraw the current protection that they give.The decision was agreed by consensus among all members, as is standard practice in the WTO.

Celebrities in age-gap relationships

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Age gap: 16 yearsIt's not often that the gossip columns are taken by surprise, but last week Tom Cruise, 42, and Katie Holmes, 26, managed to do just that when they announced they were dating. Tom Cruise said: 'She's such an extraordinary woman... It's beautiful. I feel really happy. I'm more than enamoured.' Katie admitted she has had a crush on the Top Gun star since she was a little girl

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher
Age gap: 15 yearsShe was queen of the Brat Pack in the 80s, his career didn't even start until a few years back. Demi and Ashton shook up the celebrity world when it became apparent they were an item. A fairly big gap of 15 years meant they've certainly had tongues wagging but it looks like this one is for good after the couple recently tied the knot in a private ceremony.

Nicolas Cage and Alice Kim
Age gap: 21 yearsThe Leaving Las Vegas star, 41, met his current wife, 20, at a Los Angeles restaurant where she was his waitress. The pair started dating and married just five months later. Alice is currently expecting their first baby. Nicolas Cage was previously married to Patricia Arquette and Lisa Marie Presley

Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster
Age gap: 26 yearsThroughout the decades, Rod's ladies have changed, but they've always been young, blonde and model-like. Despite turning 60 this year, the ageing rocker shows no signs of slowing down. He is currently engaged to the gorgeous Penny Lancaster, 34

University of London

The University of London is a federal University and is among the oldest, largest and most diverse universities in the UK. Established by Royal Charter in 1836, the University is recognised globally as a world leader in Higher Education. It consists of 20 self-governing Colleges of outstanding reputation, together with the prestigious School of Advanced Study and a number of other central academic activities.

Student population
The University of London has a student population of 125,000 with a further 34,000 students studying by distance learning on the University's External Programme.

The Colleges of the University
The Colleges of the University differ in size, age and tradition as well as in the courses of study they offer. Some are multi-faculty institutions with large student populations, whilst others are specialist and smaller in size. All award University of London degrees.

The central University
At its centre, the University of London has the Institutes of the School of Advanced Study together with various student support and administrative services. These, and a number of other academic activities, are known collectively as the central University.

The School of Advanced Study brings together the specialised scholarship and resources of ten acclaimed postgraduate research institutes; it offers opportunities and facilitation for research across and between a wide range of subject fields in the humanities and social sciences.
Beyond the School, the academic activities of the central University include the University of London Research Library Services, the University of London Institute in Paris , the University Marine Biological Station, Millport , and the External Programme for distance learners.
The central University also manages various student services, including The Careers Group, the Intercollegiate Halls of Residence, University of London Housing Services and the University of London Union.

The central University administration supports the central activities covering academic matters, finance, human resources, governance, and the estate administration.

Choice and reputation
Virtually every subject covered in any university curriculum can be studied at the Colleges and Institutes of the University of London. Subjects can be studied at various levels and lead to the award of foundation, undergraduate, taught postgraduate and research degrees, or to diplomas or certificates.

Most courses are offered on a full-time basis, but there are also many opportunities to study part-time for a degree, diploma or certificate, or to study by distance learning.

Through the quality of the teaching and research at the Colleges and Institutes, the University of London has an outstanding international reputation

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

Company overview

The London Stock Exchange is at the heart of global financial markets and is home to some of the best companies in the world. At the apex of the three great financial centres of London, New York and Tokyo, the London Stock Exchange has built on more than 200 years of integrity, expertise and market knowledge to become one of the world's foremost equity exchanges.
Investors the world over trust the London Stock Exchange to deliver well-regulated, high quality markets. They are proud of that reputation and continue to build on it. They are the most international of all stock exchanges, with 350 companies from over 50 countries admitted to trading on their markets the premier source of equity market liquidity, benchmark prices and market data in the European time zone linked by partnerships to international exchanges in Asia and Africa comitted to removing cost and regulatory barriers of capital markets worldwide
a successful business provider with an outstanding track record

With thier continual investment in technology, our primary focus on customer service, and our deep liquidity pool, international markets and global brand, they have a sharp competitive edge.

As their customers move to internationalise their businesses and adopt new and more complex trading strategies, we will offer them access to an increasing range of products across national market boundaries

Wines of The Times

A Sip, a Smile, a Cheery Fizz

HEY, you! Yeah, you, Mr. Mucketymuck, in your black power suit and shades. You never let 'em see you sweat, right? You and your air-conditioning turned all the way up — at home, in the car, in the office, in the beach house — you like to see the others shiver. You're the man, starched and creased. While around you people wilt and melt into puddles, you're triumphant, with your big, expensive cabernet in the dark, chilly steakhouse.

Wines of The Times: Prosecco
What the Stars Mean:
(None) Pass It By
* Passable
** Very Good
*** Excellent
**** Extraordinary
Ratings reflect the panel's reaction to wines, which were tasted with names and vintages concealed. The panelists this week are Eric Asimov; Florence Fabricant; Piero Trotta, the wine director at San Domenico; and Marco Albanese, the wine director at Lupa. The tasted wines represent a selection generally available in good retail shops and restaurants. Prices are those paid in liquor shops in the New York region.

More Wines of The Times
Related
Pairings : A Crab-Meat and Pesto Treat That Does Double Duty
Readers’ Opinions
Forum: Wine and Spirits

You're not the kind of guy who'd ever be caught dead with a prosecco, are you? What is that, you ask, some kind of girly wine? Hey, did someone turn off the air-conditioning? Now what will you do? It's getting hot. It's getting sweaty. You can't take it, can you? You've got to go? Exit, stage left!

Whew. Sorry about that, but I had to get rid of that guy. So annoying! And he does not understand summer, or summer drinking. Of course he wants a prosecco! Prosecco was made for summer, when you need something blithe, airy and carefree. It's a light summer dress, a summer thriller for the beach, an entertainment, not a burden. It's a social drink. You cannot brood over a prosecco.

Not that I have anything against air-conditioning on a scorching day, but drinking prosecco is more like the gentle cooling of a rippling breeze, always leaving you wanting more. It's almost meant to be consumed outdoors in the heat or the shade, partly because it's low in alcohol, generally under 12 percent. It's refreshment, and it's stylish, too. Millions of Italians can't be wrong about that.

Nobody drinks sparkling wine as regularly as the Italians do. It's made in almost every Italian wine region, and no meal seems complete unless it starts with a frothing glass of spumante, the melodious Italian word for sparkling wine. Among all the Italian sparkling wines, prosecco is rising rapidly in popularity, trailing in the United States only that old standby, Asti spumante, which takes its name from its region of origin. And why not? You could not ask for a better value in outdoor sparklers, in the garden, at the beach, up on the roof or under the boardwalk.

The Dining section's tasting panel was thinking summery thoughts recently when we sampled 25 proseccos. We felt lighthearted, able to transcend the relatively gloomy confines of our Midtown office with the cheery hiss of bubbles in the air. Florence Fabricant and I were joined at the tasting by Piero Trotta, wine director at San Domenico, and Marco Albanese, wine director at Lupa.

Let's be clear about what we were tasting. All of the wines were made predominantly of prosecco, the grape, sometimes mixed with a small percentage of pinot bianco, pinot grigio or chardonnay. Some, but not all, of these proseccos were actually, to be polysyllabically precise, Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. That is the — here we go again — denominazione di origine controllata, or D.O.C., a designation earned if wines meet certain standards, for example which grapes are used, where they are grown and how the wines are aged.

To earn the D.O.C. designation the grapes must come from the hilly area between the communes of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano in the Veneto, the region of Venice and Verona in northeastern Italy, and the wine must be made of at least 85 percent prosecco.

And yet it's a tricky issue for consumers. Even if the grapes are not from the designated area, or if the winemakers do not adhere to regulations concerning the proportion of grapes used, the wine may still be called prosecco, but not Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. In this case, the wine must be at least 75 percent prosecco.

For example, Zardetto, one of the leading prosecco producers, made two wines that cracked our top 10 list. The Zeta was a prosecco D.O.C., one of only two vintage-dated bottles in our tasting, made from grapes grown in a single vineyard. It was our most expensive bottle, at $22. But Zardetto also makes a non-D.O.C. prosecco, which we liked practically as much. It sells for $10 a bottle, and was our best value

More Poised and Elegant

What makes everyone look slimmer, younger, taller and overall more poised and elegant -- all for free? Perfect posture of course! Standing like a ballerina makes everyone look gorgeous and it's healthy for your body too. People with good posture have less stress and back problems.
A tip for checking your posture? Imagine a plumb line (or Vanna White earring circa 1980) dropped from your earlobe to the floor, it should align with your ankle bone. You can check this throughout your day in your reflection while you’re normally checking out your hot self. Next, lengthen the distance between your navel and collarbone by lifting the breastbone toward the ceiling. Always imagine yourself leading with your heart, not your head.
For standing photographs, stand tall and raise your chin slightly. Hold your arms slightly bent and away from your torso (think Miss America). Angle your legs and torso so they aren’t photographed straight on and soon the camera will be your new best friend

Jean Fit Guide

Flat Bums
Jeans to try: Hudson Jeans, Stitches, Taverniti So, True Religion Brand Jeans
To add a little oomph to your rear view look for stretch denim and slim fits.
Don't go for rigid jean, loose fit or wide legs.
Check out denim with a flap pockets or wear with boots or heels to add to your figure


Curvy Figures:
Jeans to try: Joe's Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, Diesel
To bring out the best in your womanly shape, you'll want to look for a stretch denim that sits just above your hips. This fit will prevent the panty exposing gap when you sit. Go for a sexy bootcut to balance out your curves with a denim that pefectly hugs your hips and thighs.
Don't go for baggy denim that will turn your curviness into chunkiness.


Short Girls:
Jeans to try: Joe's Jeans, Chip and Pepper, 7 for All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity
Choose a boot cut which is more subtle than a wide flare. A subtle boot cut will balance out hips.
Skinny jeans work great, just stick to linear cuts like straight leg and cigarette leg. Stay away from Pencil leg which tapers at the bottom. Flats will make your legs look longer to the eye because they continue the lines of your leg.
If you are short and want to minimize curves, (this is especially helpful for mature women) choose a straight, wide-leg trouser cut. Jeans that fit like a tailored pair of trousers will give you an over-all sleek and polished look. Finish with an amazing pair of heels.
TIP: Need hemming? Ask your tailor for an “original hem” and your unique hem will stay intact.


Tall Girls:
Jeans to try:7 for All Mankind, Hudson Jeans, Taverniti So
Don't invest in cropped pants or wide legs that will only cut your long look or widen it.
Check out denim with a low rise and a narrow bootcut or straight leg.
Check out our 36” inseam Extra-Long denim styles


Short Waisted:
Jeans to try: Hudson Jeans, Joe's Jeans, Chip and Pepper, Odyn Jeans
Stick to low riding jeans that are longer in length with a tailored fit.
Don't try jeans that have a higher rise- this style will narrow the area between your waist and bust.


Long Waisted:
Jeans to try: True Religion Brand Jeans, Kasil Jeans, Sacred Blue
You will want to look for a regular rise to higher rise denim with a straighter leg to help balance out your proportions.
Don't go for extra low denim


Pear Shape:
Jeans to try: Kasil, Citizens of Humanity
To flatter and minimize go for a lower rise dark denim with a bit of stretch. The trick is to minimize size by cutting the bottom section in half with a low rise and then balance out the bottom with a larger boot cut or flare. Add heels to elonglate your look.
Don't go for slim fitting or staight denim- though, to wear this season's tapered leg try tucked into high heeled chunky boots



Tummy:
Jeans to try: 7 For All Mankind, Taverniti So, Joe's Jeans
Your best bet is to wear stretch denim that falls below your stomach. This style paired with a baggier shirt that is fitted around the bottom seam will cover and flatter your figure.
Don't go for high waisted jeans or jeans that will cut into your midsection.
TIP: Highlight your legs and chest with a lower cut loose top and slim jeans!
TIP: Highlight your legs and chest with a lower cut loose top and slim jeans!

Do's and Don'ts for a Healthy Lifestyle

To inspire you to take charge of your health and to maintain wellness as a state of being we decided to share these tips with you.

Simple really, you are what you eat.. so put in your mouth only food that is close to its original form. If it has been packaged, frozen, minced, preserved and added to, it is not much good any more, often containing toxic additives which are poisonous to the body and lacking vital enzymes which are abundant in fresh, living food!

Supplement your diet with quality vitamins and minerals.. minerals in colloidal form can be absorbed easily, and are recommended. Another great source of minerals is sun dried sea salt (Celtic salt is excellent). Vitamin C keeps your white blood cells active, protecting the body against toxins and bacteria. Antioxidants keep you young and your cells happy.

Sugar is a toxic drug, too refined for our bodies which are designed for sugars in the form of fruit and grains. Sugar substitutes such as aspartame, Nutrasweet, are highly toxic to the body. (found in Diet Drinks and most chewing gum). Don’t eat them under any circumstances.

Microwave ovens have been banned in Russia, for good reason. The agitation of the water molecules in the food which causes the heating process, continues when the food is removed from the oven and you eat molecularly changed food which is stressful to the body.

Avoid drinking with meals, it dilutes your digestive juices, creating indigestion and poorly assimilated nutrients.

Avoid deep fried foods and margarine which contain trans-fatty acids. These are hardening to the cell wall, and cause premature aging and disease. Regularly consume essential fatty acids.. a good source is Flax seed oil.. however refrigerate it and keep away from heat, light and oxygen as these are destructive to it. 1-2 tablespoons daily are recommended.

Milk is for baby cows not humans. Educate yourself to substitute soya milk.. however be aware: soy isolates are difficult to digest so read labels, and buy only soy milk made from whole soy beans. Ask for organic, and avoid eating genetically modified foods. Oat milk or rice milk is also available if you are sensitive to soy.

Filter water, or buy spring water. Cook in filtered water. Tap water contains chlorine, flouride, heavy metals and other unsavoury toxins. A good water filter is great insurance for your health.

Most chicken is not clean meat. Chicken are fed hormones to fatten them and antibiotics to keep them healthy. They are grown from egg to table in six weeks! If you have any form of hormonal imbalance eliminate all chicken (except for free -range) entirely from your diet.

About Buddhism

Buddhism is a philosophy of life expounded by Gautama Buddha ("Buddha" means "enlightened one"), who lived and taught in northern Inda in the 6th Century B.C. The Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world-view. The teachings of the Buddha are aimed solely to liberate sentient beings from suffering.

Gautama Buddha taught the four noble truths: that there is suffering, that suffering has a cause, that suffering has an end and that there is a path that leads to the end of suffering. He saw that all phenomena in life are impermanent and that our attachment to the idea of substantial and enduring self is an illusion which is the principle cause of suffering.

Freedom from self liberates the heart from greed hatred and delusion and opens the mind to wisdom and the heart to kindness and compassion.

Salary & Govt. Concessions for a Member of Parliament (MP)

Monthly Salary: 12,000

Expense for Constitution per month: 10,000

Office expenditure per month: 14,000

Traveling concession (Rs. 8 per km): 48,000 (For a visit to Delhi & return: 6000 km)

Daily BETA during parliament meets: 500

Charge for 1 class (A/C) in train: Free (For any number of times)(All over India)

Charge for Business Class in flights: Free for 40 trips / year(With wife or P.A.)

Rent for MP hostel at Delhi: Free

Electricity costs at home : Free up to 50,000 units

Local phone call charge : Free up to 1,70,000 calls.

TOTAL expense for a MP per year : 32,00,000

TOTAL expense for 5 years : 1,60,00,000

For 534 MPs, the expense for 5 years : 8,54,40,00,000 (nearly 855 cores)

And they are elected by THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, by the largest democratic process in the world, not intruded into the parliament on their own or by any qualification.

This is how all our tax money is been swallowed and price hike on our regular commodities.......

Laloo & Sardarji

LALU Watching world cup Football :- "Itne saare log football ko laat kyon maar rahe hain"

Sardar :-"Gol karne K liye"

Lalu :- "Sasuri gol hi to hai, or kitna gol karengey"

This incident happened recently in North Texas

On Sunday, a woman went boating taking with her somecans of coke which she put into the refrigerator ofthe boat. On Monday she was taken to the hospital andplaced in the Intensive Care Unit. She died onWednesday.The autopsy concluded she died of Leptospirosis. Thiswas traced to the can of coke she drank from, notusing a glass. Tests showed that the can was infectedby dried rat urine and hence the diseaseLeptospirosis. Rat urine contains toxic and deathlysubstances. It is highly recommended to thoroughlywash the upper part of soda cans before drinking outof them.The cans are typically stocked in warehouses andtransported straight to the shops without beingcleaned.A study at NYCU showed that the tops of soda cans aremore contaminated than public toilets (i.e.).. fullof germs and bacteria. So wash them with water beforeputting them to the mouth to avoid any kind of fatalaccident.

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

STORY TIME:

CHARACTERS: BOY1, BOY2, GIRL1, GIRL2, PARENTS

BOY 1 loves GIRL 1.
BOY 2 loves GIRL 2.

PARENTS MAKE THE DECISION -

BOY 1 MARRIES GIRL 2.
BOY 2 MARRIES GIRL 1.

RESULT -
BOY 1 ? GIRL 2 ? UNHAPPY
BOY 2 ? GIRL 1 ? UNHAPPY

STILL -
BOY 1 still loves GIRL 1
BOY 2 still loves GIRL 2

PARENTS COME TO KNOW, AGAIN DECISION MADE.

BOY 1 MARRIES GIRL 1.
BOY 2 MARRIES GIRL 2.

HAPPY ENDING!!!

NAME OF THE STORY: KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA.
BOY 1: SHAHRUKH KHAN
BOY 2: ABHISHEK BACCHAN
GIRL 1: PRIETY ZINTA
GIRL 2: RANI MUKHERJEE

Viewers: $%^$%^$@%^^$^$!!!!!!

Newsgator releases RSS Plugin for Yahoo Messenger 8.0

Newsgator, developers of FeedDemon and Newsgator Inbox, have launched a free RSS plug-in for Yahoo Messenger 8.0. When you click on a link, a little window slides open to show you the content [Download plugin]

In addition to text feeds, Newsgator plug-in also supports feed with enclosures so you can listen to audio podcasts or video podcast directly from the Yahoo IM client. For instance, you can subscribe to any YouTube video feed and play the videos directly inside the Yahoo interface without having to open the YouTube website.

While a Newsgator Online account is not essential for using this plugin, it helps to have one when you want to read only feeds that you have previously subscribed to. Each feed item can be sent as an instant message to your Yahoo contact via IM or email.

New Yorkers most courteous, Asians are rudest

Reader's Digest conducted a good manners survey in 35 cities across the globe.

Their "undercover" reporters walked into buildings to see if the people in front of them would hold the door open; bought small items in stores and recorded whether the salespeople said "thank you"; and dropped a folder full of papers in busy locations to see if anyone would help pick them up.

Residents of New York, Zurich and Toronto were found to be the most courteous while Mumbai finished last. I guess they missed Delhi in the survey which probably has more rude people than any other city in the world. Also, eight cities out of the bottom nine are in Asia.

New Yorkers, particularly in the Manhattan area have dramatically modified their habits since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, turning them into extremely polite and good mannered.