Hard times easy travel

You need not lose hope if your big annual holiday abroad is under threat because of economic concerns. Rising oil prices may have made flying more expensive; inflation in commodities may have already made hotel stays a tad costly.however, you can still cut a good deal with some fore planning and intelligent money management.

When on a budget, it is essential to research to the last detail, in everything you want to do during the holiday-purists often call this bad tourism since there is more fun in surprise.nonetheless, you may not want to be poorer by a few hundred euros, for instance, during difficult times. That may be because of taking the wrong transport in a city, going to the wrong restaurants, or even not carrying a water bottle.

Here are a few things you can do: pick countries where inflation has been reasonably hedged; a daily does of this newspaper or online economic portals will help you zero in on the perfect destination. Keep a tab on the rupee’s movement against other currencies.

Talk to as many people with foreign holiday experience as you can. Use social networking to your advantage; post questions on cheap localities to stay in a particular city, availability of hostels rather then hotels, places where you can sample the local cuisine etc.

If you are taking a loan, the odds may be stacked against you right now-banks may have already tightened the availability of finance. Considering that two-three banks will be interested in forwarding a loan, there is little harm in playing one against the other to bargain a lower interest.

Do an online comparison of airline ticket and hotel prices. There are numerous websites which aid the process-websites can be handy and faster to search for last minute deals from both airlines and hotels. Hotels and airlines sell inventory directly through their websites, more so when there is strong demand, however, during a recessionary environment, hotels can struggle with low occupancy rates. supplying the room to online shop can help maintain utilization.

Apart from stay and food, transport can be a money-sucking proposition. Familiaries yourself with the maps-roads,metro,water ways-before you land.Having a clear idea on what you want to see, what you want to do will help in selecting the right as well as the cheapest transport available.

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How to stay fit as a fiddle

Workout forty minutes of exercise a day may be the magic number for staying slim

Follow this easy goal to achieve your best body: set your watch-40 minutes of exercise a day may be the magic number for staying slim, report university of Pittsburgh researchers. In a study of more than 200 women who had successfully completed a weight loss program, those who continued to exercise enough to burn about 1,835 calories a week were most likely to have kept the pounds off 2 years later. You can hit that number with 40 minutes of brisk walking a day, say researchers.

Proof against sugar: here’s motivation to pencil in an a.m. workout when the evening’s festivities are going to include sweet: a Washington university school of medicine study found that exercise may protect your heart long after you step off the treadmill. Sugary snacks cause blood vessels to temporarily lose their elasticity, which over time increase heart disease risk. but physical activity can help: when researchers gave each subject a candy bar and soda 17 hours after doing an hour of moderate-intensity cardio, the exercisers were able to pump 28% more blood than those who’d rested and ate the same sugar-laden meal.

Three steps to faster firming: tone up and best boredom with these smart variations on old favorites:

1. Instead of lunges try clock-work lunges: standing with hands on hips, picture yourself in the center of a big clock. Lunge toward 12:00 with right leg, bending both kness, right knee over ankle (A).return to start, then lunge right leg sideways towards 3:00; bend right knee and hips, sitting back, while keeping left leg straight (B).return to start and step left foot back into lunge towards 6:00, then sideways to 9:00, repeat in counter-clock-wise direction, beginning with left foot.

2. Instead of push-up try asymmetrical wall slides: stand with arms extended, hands on wall at shoulder height, back straight and leaning in about 45 degrees. Slide right hand out to side about 12 inches and bend elbows, lowering chest towards wall. Straighten and return to start. Repeat, sliding left hand to side. alternate for 8 to 10 reps.

3. Instead of squats try staggered-stance leg lifts: stand with feet hip-width apart, left foot about 12 inches in front of right, arms extended. Bend knees and hips to sit back. As you stand, shift weight onto left foot and lift right leg behind. Do 8 to 10 reps.switch legs and repeat.

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Hyperactive kids are just naughty

London: Parents, please note-children labeled as ‘hyperactive’ in school are highly unlikely to be suffering from any disorder-in fact, they are just naughty, researchers have claimed.

A new study in Britain has revealed that only half of the kids suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are actually diagnosed with the condition by a mental health expert.

Children with ADHD cannot concentrate on school work or played and are easily distracted forgetful or fail to follow instructions. They are also unduly noisy, restless, often talk excessively and butt in to other’s conversations

According to the researchers, school teachers may be over identifying children with possible ADHD diagnoses. “Naughty children may at some point present symptoms but someone with ADHD has them at all times,” lead author Dr Benjamin Keene was quoted by leading British newspaper the daily telegraph as saying. In their study, based in tower hamlets, 52 kids were referred to the child and adolescent mental health services team with ADHD-like symptoms over the course of one year, of those the researchers found that most did not have ADHD.eventually six were diagnosed with ADHD, the study revealed.

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Do slimming diets work?

Atkins, South Beach, and Zone-trade-marked high-protein, high-fat slimming diets, received a crushing blow recently.

A major study, published in the February, 2009 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), concluded that the calorie count, rather than the composition, determines the success or failure of a weight loss diet.

This study erases the support given to eat-all-you-want Atkins type diets by smaller studies. It also vindicates nutritionists like Dr. Ornish who have been saying all along that balanced, predominantly complex-carb, low-calorie diets are effective.

The NEJM study recruited 811 overweight adults, “randomized” them in to four groups, and studied them over two years. The calories derived from fat, protein, and carbohydrates in the four groups were 20, 15, and 65 percent; 40, 15, and 45 percent; 40, 15 and 45 percent; and 40, 25, and 35 percent. Most weight loss occurs 6-12 months after beginning any diet. In the real world, most people put on weight steadily thereafter. The study period of two years measures long-term success.

Weight loss was similar in all four groups. More important, the study subjects reported similar levels of hunger, satiety and satisfaction with their diets.

This eliminates one of the chief advantages claimed by high-protein advocates that they feel less hunger compared with high-carb dieters.

If all diets are equally effective for slimming, why shouldn’t an Atkins devotee stick to his old diet after cutting down some calories? The NEJM study does not answer this question because it was not the focus of research, but other studies have covered this ground in detail and depth. Although an Atkins-type diet may lower weight as effectively as the Mediterranean Diet, the latter has important health benefits beyond just weight loss.

The Mediterranean Diet of olive oil, fresh fruit, herbs, complex, carbs, fatty fish, red wine, and nuts is rich in antioxidants, dietary fibre, omega-3 fatty acids and monosaturated fats that promote cardiovascular health, lower cancer risk and favourably affect blood cholesterol profile.

Atkins-type diets, which are rich in red meat and saturated fat, increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. They are constipating, and promote the formation of kidney stones.

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Solar eclipse won’t speak Games

A total eclipse of the sun a week before the Beijing Olympics will spook the superstitious but Chinese authorities have no reason to fear for the games, astrologers and feng shui experts say.

The phenomenon was once seen by China’s emperors as a portent of disaster, and astrologers predict some turbulence this time too, probably on the stock market and may be even on the streets.

However, any trouble will not be powerful enough, they say, to disrupt the world’s largest international sporting event or unduly worry China’s rulers.

Ms Mak Ling-ling, one of the most renowned feng shui and astrology experts in Hong Kong and author of many books, said the eclipse might bring small-scale political turbulence and problems to the transport and communication networks in Beijing during the Games.

“Protests and chaos on the street are very likely but they but they will not do any permanent harm to the Chinese authorities,” she told.

China may play down any association between the eclipse and the Olympics to avoid being mocked for being superstitious- but Ms Mak said it had a longtime practice of consulting feng shui experts when selecting athletes.

“The national teams give me the date and time of birth of the athletes and ask me to calculate and identify the ones with a strong will and a real chance of winning international games,” she said.

“No Olympics teams have consulted me about the eclipse but I believe if the authorities are really worried about it, they would seek help and do something discreetly without letting outsiders know.”

A total solar eclipse is caused when the moon blots out the sun by passing directly between it and the earth, and has traditionally been associated with misfortune.

The latest eclipse is set to traverse half the earth over the course of two hours in August 1. The path of the moon’s umbral shadow, some 10,200 kilometres (6,375 miles) long, will begin in Canada and extend across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia and Mongolia, before ending in northern China. But it will not cross Beijing.

It will make its final stop at sunset in Xi’an, capital of China’s Shaanxi province and site of the famed terracotta army.

“In ancient times, Chinese people believed that a celestial dragonA or dog was devouring the sun during an eclipse,” said peter So, another top feng shui master in Hong Kong. “The belief gave rise to their practice of banging drums and pots to frighten away the animal,” she added.

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Take a break relax the mind

If you think staying throughout the day without breaks will fetch you good marks in an examination, you are mistaken. Experts believe that taking breaks between long hours of study helps attain success.

This may sound contradictory but is true. Explains Dr V.Muthukrishnan, psychiatrist, Apollo hospital, Chennai.” studying for long hours without a break is not very productive. This is because after a certain period of time stress levels go up and concentration levels come down.also, the mind gets defocused and hence the knowledge gained or the idea generated during that period doesn’t sink in. taking short breaks helps refocus. It gives time for relaxation, rejuvenation and assimilation”.

Work play: aanand balan, psychiatrist, Sri Balaji medical college, Chennai, says,”syuding regularly for more then 50 minutes leads to receding concentration levels. Sitting continuously at the study table for long hours is, therefore a waste of both energy and time. In short, it is unproductive”.

However, these breaks should not be too long as they may then affect the tempo of studies “taking a break for about 10 to 30 minutes after every 45 to 50 minutes of continuous study rejuvenates your body, mind and soul,” he says.

Meet Amit, who has always been scoring more than 80 percent marks. “I often go for a break after one hour of study .though my mom doesn’t like it, I still do. She says that I should not waste my time in going for a break.rather, utilizing that will help me fetch 90 percent marks. But then, I know that whenever I study continuously for more than an hour, my concentration level goes down. Going for a break. Helps me rejuvenate and feel fresh. if I study continuously, I will not be able to score even 60 percent marks, forget about 90 percent ,”he says.

Remember-long hours spent at the study table defocuses the mind and sports help refocus. So keep sporting and keep studying!

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Cancer risk not high for radiation workers

A study published in the latest issue of the British Journal of Cancer (BJC, Vol.100, 2009) by the researchers at the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) concluded that the risk of developing cancer among radiation workers increases with the dose of ionizing radiation they are exposed to.

This study and the latest research on cancer risks to populations residing in high background radiation areas in Kerala reported in the January 2009 issue of the Health Physics Journal (The Hindu, Jan 1, 2009) are reassuring.

The results of these studies will have no impact on radiological practices, as the observed cancer risks are consistent with the international scientific consensus on radiation protection.

The dose limits to workers are based on such consensus. The UK study is the third analysis of deaths and cancer incidence among 1, 74,541 radiation workers whose occupational histories are maintained in the National Registry for Radiation Workers from 1976. The present study relative to earlier analyses had longer follow-up (to 2001) and cancer registration data and gives more precise information on the risks of occupational radiation exposure. The registry covers virtually all radiation workers from all the main organizations involved in nuclear and related research and industrial sectors in the UK.

“This is a continuation of a study started in 1976 and it provides reliable information on the health of people working with ionizing radiation.

The results confirm the cancer risk estimates observed in other studies even though, overall, radiation workers have lower cancer risks than the general population” an HPA release quoted Dr Colin Muirhead from the Health Protection Agency and the lead author of the paper.

This indicates the so called “healthy worker effect”. Usually, workers exhibit overall death rates lower than those of the general population due to the fact that the severely ill and disabled are ordinarily excluded from employment (biology-online.org October 2005).

Scientists who believe in the beneficial effects of radiation may argue that this is an indication of hormesis, a view which will be stoutly rejected by mainstream specialists.

Within the cohort, death from and incidence of both leuukaemia excluding chronic myeloid leukaemia and the groupings of all cancers excluding leukaemia (CLL) increased to a statistically significant extent with increasing radiation dose (BJC, January 2009).

It is known that radiation dose not induce CLL. The trend in risk was similar to those for the Japanese A bomb survivors.

The researchers noted that some evidence of an increasing trend with dose in mortality from all circulatory diseases may, at least partly, be due to smoking, a known confounding factor.

So far, specialists have studied the health effects of ionizing radiation on over fifty groups of about two million persons; but the estimates of the long-term health risks from radiation are based largely on studies of the survivors of the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and of groups exposed for medical reasons.

The dose rates in these instances were high and other exposure conditions were also not similar to those faced by radiation workers.

Radiation workers get exposed to low doses of radiation at relatively low rates.

The UK study is ideal as it represented the typical radiation doses to workers in various professions.

Data collected from employers consist of individual identifiers, factors such as date of birth, gender and industrial classification, and radiation dose histories (BJC, January 2009).

“Continued follow-up of these workers will be valuable in determining whether radiation associated risks vary over time or by age, and enables the study of specific cancers and causes of death in more detail” HPA argued in a release (HPA release January 7).

In a separate paper in the same issue of the BJC, researchers at the Childhood Cancer Research Group at the University of Oxford and the Health Protection Agency have shown that their study does not support an earlier finding of a raised risk of cancer in children of female radiation workers.

In a subgroup of women who worked with radiation during pregnancy, a weak statistical association was found between maternal radiation work and children cancer, but the evidence is limited by the small numbers involved and the result may be due to chance (BJC release January 7, 2009).

Let us hope that HPA does not suffer any resource crunch which may adversely impact on such research.

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Cot death linked to mood chemical

London: A new research has offered fresh insights into the origins of sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS-the risk of cot death is higher in babies who have an imbalance of a “mood chemical” in their brain.

Crib or cot death is the leading cause of death during the first year of life. In their study on mice, a team of scientists in Europe has found that an imbalance of brain-signaling chemical known as serotonin, which regulates mood, can kill infant animals; in fact, they have identified a possible genetic cause of this imbalance. if the genetic link is confirmed, the research could lead to ways of identifying babies at risk, the times reported.

However, according to them, the abnormalities could also be a result of environmental factors particularly parental smoking.”Ultimately, we hope it will give new idea to diagnose babies at risk for SIDS,”enrica audero, who led research in Italy, said.

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Birds identify eggs by their colour: study

Melbourne: avians are more intelligent than you ever thought-they use color to identify the eggs of ‘parasite’ birds, such as as cuckoos, from their own and eject them from their nests, a new study has revealed.

Researchers in Australia have found that birds have the ability to recognize small changes, particularly in the ultraviolet wavelengths, which help them in distinguishing between their own eggs and eggs of other birds.

According to lead researcher Dr Mark hauberk of the university of Auckland, “birds have very different visual senses to humans, for example they can see ultraviolet wave-lengths where we cannot.” those birds which parasitically introduce their eggs into the nest of other birds dramatically increase the amount of time and energy needed to Provision the nest. “Our research shows that the peculiar broad spectrum color is vital to recognise their own eggs, and can identify small differences as well as wave-lengths that humans wouldn’t be able to distinguish.” In their study, the researchers introduced eggs into the nests of song thrushes in Australia and range of colours close to the bird’s own eggs.

They found that the birds ejected eggs of different colours from their nests, particularly those with differences in reflecting ultraviolet or short (blue) wave-length light, the biology letters journal reported.

The research was conducted in collaboration with the University of Birmingham in Britain and Palacky University in the Czech Republic.

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E learning solution to skills training

Instead of focusing only on upgrading syllabi and inducting more teachers, the government should encourage the use of technology and e-learning to provide skills training to industry workers, according to B. Santhanam, chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry National Committee on skills.

“Conventional teaching goes from theory to practice. Even in many industrial training institutes, people have very little hands-on training,” Mr.Santhanam said, speaking at a plenary session on Quality Education and skills organized by CII.

While the syllabus needed to be looked into and the shortage of quality teachers was a concern, he said that technology alone could provide a long-term solution to the systemic problem.

The number of workers needing skill training in Indian industry was around 244 million, with 13-15 million people more added to the workforce each year, he said, quoting data from the 2005 National Sample Survey.

In this scenario, focus should shift to introducing e-learning methodology. “There is a good welding simulator that reduces the training period to five days from 30 days. Similar tools should be developed for other skills,” he said.

The government should make some skills completely e-enabled instead of trying e-enabled instead of trying to diversify and introduce more new skills. For 80 percent of industry requirements, training in 400 trades was sufficient and the government should spend the money allocated to the national skills mission to introduce technology-based training in these he said.

The CII suggested other recommendations including the setting up of specific education zones, the need for closer industry-academia partnerships and the formation of a high level committee by the state government to evaluate and implement benchmarks for quality education.

It also noted that many of the CII recommendations had already been implemented in Tamilnadu. these included: soft skills training for university students, the formation of the ICT academy and the project to train 15,000 school dropouts in modular skills to place them amongst cII member companies.

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Points to consider before studying abroad

• Tuition fee in Ireland, Newzealand, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Malaysia and Singapore is about 50 percent cheaper than in the US, big cities in UK and Australia.

• Cost of living is 30 percent cheaper than in the US, UK and Australia.

• Works as an easy transit to reach the US, for those who still prefer to work there.

• Students are permitted to work for two years after their studies.

• Easy visa processing and permanent residence status.

• Many universities in Germany and Sweden offer free education.

• Masters and diploma in these countries are for one year while in US they are for two years.

• Chances of visa rejection are 75 percent less compared to US and UK.

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Hobbies you can take up as careers

• Most of us love the drawing or art period in school but almost take it for granted that it is meant to give us a break from our studies. But if you have an inclination towards the colours and the canvas, you can be a painter and enjoy the “drawing period” for the rest of your life.

• And who doesn’t like music! Besides listening to it, if you have a flair for any of the instruments or singing, the world is your stage. Rock on!

• Teenage is the time when we experience love and loss and other hundreds of other emotions. Many of us write poems to put these emotions into words, but take it as a part of growing up. If you polish your poetic skills, chances are that you become the new Wordsworth or may be a Javed Akhtar!

• When others are busy collecting stamps or reading books, some people like to travel and explore new places. And if you are one of them, working for a travel magazine or a channel is the idea. You get a chance to travel around the world with “all expenses paid”!

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Time to stop researching and start writing

When you are given a project or paper to write or an assignment to finish, the books that you need to read and the number of websites that you may have to visit can seem too expensive. In this age of easy access to knowledge through technology and with innumerable resources available, researching can become a task itself. So how do you know when you’ve done enough research?

Discipline is very necessary because researching is something that you can do all day and get carried away. Once you’ve received your assignment topic, you will have to set a deadline that will tell you by when you want to complete the project.

Once this is done, understand your topic and accordingly outline the areas you need to research first. Allot a suitable number of days to research the topic.

Your days will have to be divided-keep a few days aside for reading and allocating the number of chapters to be analysed everyday and a few days for researching on the Net.

The Net contains too much information, most of which is not authenticated. You will need to look at sites that have the most credible information. Copy the bits and pieces which you think are useful and paste these onto a word document that you can print out.

Remember, you can never reproduce directly from either a book or the Net without attributing the source. It is akin to stealing as you would then be claiming information to be your own.

Once you have all the information that you need, write out a rough draft. Set aside some time to do this. Once this is done, put it away for a day and re-read it later and make any necessary changes. Once the draft is to your satisfaction, put things down for a final copy.

Remember, the earlier you start, the more time you will have to put finishing touches on your project.

Once you’ve finished your assignment, there is still the task of proof reading and revising left to do.

In search of good skin

You want that supple, glowing skin which makes you appear a decade younger. Ou, earn to smoothen those wrinkles lining our forehead, the crow’s feet around our eyes. In vain you seek refuge in creams and miracle cures, both herbal and chemical, that promise to turn back the ears.

When you seem to have hit the end of the road, you head for botox and chemical peels that promise to transform our face, wiping off man ears from it. Leading skin clinics assure you about its safety, lulling fears and reservations. But do botox shots and chemical peels really work magic, sans side effects?

Botox, which is medically approved for treating rigid neck muscles, excessive sweating besides treating stroke victims, is best known for its use in smoothening facial wrinkles. Botox injections block nerve impulses to muscles, relaxing them.

Says Janet Martin in her article “why botox ma not be good for you”, in Isnare.com: “The injections can cause adverse effects in nearby muscles like temporary drooping of eyelids when it is given to smooth eyes creases. It can also cause systemic reactions or affect distant muscles. Common side effects are headaches, nausea, facial pain, drooling, even corneal ulcers.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported cases of serious effects like pneumonia, difficulty in swallowing and muscle weakness. According to the FDA, adverse effects surface some weeks after treatment. Statistics compiled by the FDA from 1997 to 200 cited 16 deaths, 180 life threatening complications and 87 hospitalisations linked to botox injections.

Medically too, it has been admitted that injecting more than 2000 units can be toxic and a normal session is about 0 units.

Chemical peels

Chemical peels, which are becoming increasingly popular, are chemical solutions such as phenol, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and alphahydroxy acids (AHAs) used for removing the outer layers of the facial skin. The treatment is done to remove damaged skin, reduce wrinkles, remove blemishes and uneven pigmentation.

Niyathi opted for a TCA peel recommended by a leading skin clinic as the solution for dark blemishes on her skin. “I underwent the specified number of treatments only to find that not only did the blemishes not disappear, the skin had developed an uneven pigmentation. Worse, my skin cannot be exposed to sun for long hours anymore.”

While TCA involves medium depth peeling, phenol is the strongest and produces a deep peel. A brochure published by the American Society of Plastic surgeons lists the common side effects of any chemical peel as stinging, redness, flaking and peeling of the skin. With a TCA peel, the healed skin continues to produce pigment and needs to be protected from the sun only for a few months after the treatment. But phenol in most cases prevents the skin from producing pigment; this means the skin will permanently have to be protected from sun exposure.

At times, phenol also produces undesired cosmetic results such as uneven pigment changes. A consistent side effect of phenol chemical peel is permanent hypo pigmentation or lightening of the skin. It is hence not recommended for dark skin tones.

Concurs Sangeetha, who incidentally visited the same clinic for treating acne, “Not only did my condition get aggravated, I also had to contend with scars on my skin left by the chemical peels. On consulting a dermatologist, I learnt that the scars are permanent.”

Who’s treating you?

However Dermatologist Dr.Sachith Abraham of Manipal Hospital dismisses reports of such side effects, in botox as well as chemical peel treatments. “Complications happen when an untrained non-medical practitioner gives the injections or does the chemical treatments. Even in case of doctors, it is important to be trained in this area to ensure absence of side effects.”

According to him, negative symptoms of botox also occur when it is accidentally injected into the vein. Similarly, in the case of chemical peels, it is important to assess the skin condition and use the correct strength of acid, besides using a good brand. He insists on proper counseling of patients before commencement of treatment.

A tomato by other name?

Food safely experts agreed for the first time on the qualities defining a tomato, in a first step toward an international code on preventing fruit and vegetable contamination. Tomatoes are currently the focus of an investigation by U.S. health officials who are looking for the cause of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 922 people in at least 40 states.

World health organization(WHO) scientist peter Ben embarek said the classification of tomatoes based on their size,shape,color,firmness,and defects and accordant rules on tomato labeling, would facilitate trade and eventually make it easier for regulators to impose safety standards.

“now it is much clearer for every body what you call a class 1 tomato, for example, and what you can expect when you buy a class 1 tomato,” Ben embarek said at the end of a week-long meeting of the codex alimentarius commission, a food safety body.

“It is part of an effort of codex to improve the quality and safety of fruit and vegetables,” he said, adding that officials planned to later focus on leafy green vegetables and melon.

“Within a few years you will have safety standards for all these products, looking at where the contamination comes from,” he said, describing risks from soil, water, and wild animals that can result in health problems for consumers. The codex alimentarius, or food code, is a global reference point for producers, processors, regulators and ttraders.its limits for toxins, bacteria and other compounds in food are used by the world trade organization (WTO) as the public health benchmarks countries should be allowed to enforce with import rules. Measures requiring more stringent standards are considered unfair barriers that can be challenged in WTO court.

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Why we should be optimistic about Nashik

Indian wines generally leave plenty to be desired. But a visit to Nashik, the hub of the country’s wine industry, convinces me that there is plenty to be hopeful about. The vineyards in this region are impossible to miss in the valleys, which, in this dry season, are ringed by dun-coloured hills. Table grapes are the mainstay, but there are plenty of wine varieties that farmers, some with small holdings, grow on contract.

The wine industry in Maharashtra is essential to be growing at over 30 percent annually and accounts for about 97 percent of country’s wine produce; of the state’s 58 wineries, 30 are from Nashik.

But the optimism doesn’t stem so much from such attractive numbers as the attitude of some of the wine makers. I visited four wineries-sula, chateau D’Ori, Vintage, and York-a mix that represents the established, the innovative and the new. The three-day trip has provided too much fodder for a column of this size.so,this one is limited to a brief and a very general case for why we should be cheery and positive about the future of nashik and the Indian Wine industry.

Attitude: It is a truism that a passion for wine and an appreciation that wine-making is a scientific process are prerequisites. the men I met and spoke had both.Ranjith Dhuru of chateau D’Ori runs a Rs.400 crore IT business and developed his passion after being exposed to wine at numerous business dinners;today,I suspect he is far more happy talking about wine and his winery at Dindori rather than his core business. Vintage’s Yatin patil, who makes wines under the Reveilo brand, has gradually planted more and more wine grapes in his vineyard, an ancestral property that grew table grapes, and acquired a winery that boasts of machinery entirely imported from Italy.

Good practice: There is a real effort to improve viticulture and wine-making practices-be in the pruning, the sorting or the methods employed in the winery before the liquid is bottled. It is good to see that the endeavour is directed at producing decent wine rather than just maximizing profits.

Red and white: Indian whites are generally far better than Indian reds-the latter often suffer from a green vegetative character.sula, which has been around for a decade and makes what is possibly the most reliable range of wines, is far better for its whites. But even here, they are on the verge of releasing a new red – a kind of oaked Super Dindori made only of Shiraz. I was given the taste from the barrel- nice, plumy and agreeably fruit forward.Interestingly, the other three wineries are much better for the reds. I was pleasantly surprised by the Shiraz and cabernet-again sipped from the barrel-lying in the cellar of York. The company has not started selling its wines yet, but do watch out for these. As for the impressive chateau D’Ori Winery, the Cabernet-Merlot easily tops the list of their reds and Reveilo’s 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon-which, a vertical tasting revealed is much more mellow, mature and agreeable than its somewhat over-fruity successors-is a fine product.
New Varietals: Everyone seems to be experimenting with new varietals and the range of Indian wine is set to expand exponentially in the future.

Wine tourism: Wine tourism has grown into a huge industry and Nashik has cottoned on to the possibility that it may even become a big wine destination.Sula already has it all-wine tours, grape stomping, an Italian restaurant, a beautifully designed tasting room and a balcony that overlooks the vineyards, and a boutique bungalow with three rooms and a stunning view of the mountains. Others have begun to see the potential of what could provide revenue as well as expand customer base.

All in all, the visit to Nashik persuades me that things can get only better from here.

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Indian Business Etiquette

• Greet with a smile, handshake and small talk.
• Saying ‘namaste’ with slight bow and palms together, will be appreciated.
• With women, only shake hands if they offer it. Do not kiss them in greeting or goodbye.
• Dress conservatively and formally.
• Always address colleagues with title followed by Surname. Using a first name is seen as being disrespectful.
• Don’t open gifts until the giver has left the room. Don’t be too eager to open gifts.
• Indians are not always punctual. So be patient and flexible.

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Love yourself before you try to love others

Have you ever thought about it? Do you love yourself? Have you any respect for yourself? Forget about love, forget about respect; do you even accept yourself as you are?There is condemnation; you would like to be somebody else, you don’t want to be yourself – not at all. A person who has become capable of deep love towards himself becomes capable of loving others. If you cannot love yourself, how can you love others? It must first happen within you. People try to love others, not being at all aware that they have not even loved themselves. How can you love others? That which you don’t have you cannot share.

EACH CHILD IS BORN WITH GREAT RESPECT FOR HIMSELF:

Each child knows his worth, his intrinsic worth. And each child loves himself, respects himself. It is you who teach him just the opposite. First you destroy all that is beautiful in him, and then you make him absolutely false. Why is this done? Because only false people can be slaves, only false people can follow stupid politicians, only false people can be victims of utterly ignorant priests. If people are real, they cannot be exploited and cannot be oppressed.

ONLY A MAN WHO LOVES HIMSELF CAN MEDITATE:

Who wants to look at an ugly face and who wants to penetrate into an ugly being? Who wants to go deep into one’s own mud, into one’s own darkness? Who wants to enter into the hell that you think you are? You want to keep this whole thing covered up with beautiful flowers and you want always to escape from yourself. Hence people are seeking company continuously. They can’t be with themselves; they want to be with others.

ACCEPT YOUR LIMITATIONS, ACCEPT YOUR IMPERFECTIONS:

That’s what it means to be human being! And accept yourself as you are with joy, not in helplessness. Because existence accepts you, accept yourself; love yourself. Let there be a great upsurge of self love. And out of that love you will start becoming creative; a person who loves himself is bound to become creative.

YOU ARE A CONDITIONED HUMAN BEING:

Unless you become aware, you will not be able to see that you are a conditioned human being, that you are living with borrowed ideas – ideas which have been imposed by others on you against your will- that you are almost a prisoner. Not that you live in a prison, but you live in an ideology which is a subtle prison. You are a Hindu, how can you be innocent? You are a Christian, how can you be innocent? The ideology keeps you away from innocence; it makes you knowledgeable, and knowledgeability is the only thing that destroys innocence.

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Did You Know?

· If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

· The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

· The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30 times its own weight and always falls over on its right side when intoxicated

· The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It’s like a human jumping the length of a football field.

· Mosquito repellents don’t repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito sensors so they don’t know you’re there.

· Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

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Now, shoes that can predict fall

Elderly people can now heave a sigh of relief-thanks to scientists who have developed a footwear which can predict when one is going to fall.

Called the ishoe, it is actually a high-tech insole fitted with a number of computerized sensors that can monitor balance through the soles of the feet. By checking which parts of the foot are bearing the most pleasure, the “smart” insole works out the risk of a fall, the Daily mail reported.

According to the scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as falls are becoming an increasing problem for aged people, the footwear could slash the number of hip fractures in the elderly.

Though the experimental device is able only to relay, the results to a computer for doctors to analyse. And,if the patient is at risk, they can be referred for strength training such as”tai chi” to reduce their risk,they say.

But lead researcher Erez Lieberman hopes to install an alarm system that can warn of an impending tumble. He and his team, who developed the ishoe, are currently testing it on 60 elderly people. Help the aged, an organization for the elderly, has appreciated the work of scientists.

“Falls are a huge problem. One person dies every five hours as a result of a fall. If this invention can identify those most at risk it would be very helpful. But we also need the services in place to support these people once they are identified” its senior police officer charlotte potter said.

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City Muslims on a quest for peace

Over the years, the world has seen Islam being touted as a weapon to ror. once again, with the Indian mujahideen owning up to be the hand behind the recent serial bomb blasts at Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, Muslims in the country have come under the scanner.sadly, in this entire uproar, the peace loving Muslims who believe in unity, are often the target of much hatred. In an attempt to spread awareness about Islam and clear misconception, a together to distribute free copies of the holy Quran to non-Muslims to help them understand Islam better.

Dawood, a civil engineer and the leader of the group says,”a number of people question us about the reason for doing this, we have been assuring them that is not an attempt to convert people or instigate one religion against the other. On the contrary we want people to understand that Islam is a peace-loving religion and jihad means peaceful struggle and not violence as portrayed by many.”

The four friends-Dawood, Noor ul imran, Imran Hussain and Abubakar al ateeq decided to give away free copies of the English translation of the holy Quran at city centre because they felt that their religion was grossly misunderstood.

Noor ul imran, also an engineer says, “We usually have spare time on weekends, so we thought that instead of whiling away time watching films or television, we could do something useful. So we bought copies of the holy Quran and gave them away to the non-Muslims in the city.”

These friends have already given away about 3,200 copies of the holy Quran.”We are not forcing anyone to buy anything. We just sit in the designated place and when people come forward and ask for a copy, we hand it over to them. Many ask for a copy, and they accept it with the reverence that a holy book deserves. To date, we have not received any flak or negative comments from anyone at all. In fact, people come to us and begin discussing about other aspects of our religion, “says dawood.

Like many other, he is deeply hurt that that so many dastardly acts of violence took place in the name of religion. “No religion says that we must hate each other-in fact every religion preaches peace and goodwill towards the other.

But then, how have non-Muslims in Chennai reacted to this Endeavour? ”Thankfully, unlike other places that we have read about, chennaities are very open minded and do not judge you by the standards that other do. People are curious about Islam and wish to know the accurate facts and not theories. Which have been generated over the years, “he says.

Imran says that they wish to do this on weekdays too, but their work does not permit them to do so. “We just want people to know more about the religion and not just accept rumours spread by those who have little or no knowledge. We are peace loving and wish to convey this to all the people of our state and country,” he adds.

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Nutrition and health

Today many diseases are known to be linked to lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, lack of adequate physical activity and poor natural habits. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that nearly one-third of early death and disability stems from nutritional or dietary causes, including too little food in the poorest countries and too much food in the richest.

Nutrition is, in part, a preventive science. Given sufficient resources, how and what one eats is a lifestyle choice. Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity.

Good nutrition is essential for good health and important for physical growth and development, good body composition, and mental development. People’s nutritional state can protect them from predispose them toward chronic disease. Medical treatment for many diseases includes diet therapy. Nutrition is thus both a preventive and therapeutic science.

Nutritional needs vary individually, depending on a variety of factors including age, sex, level of physical activity, metabolic rate and state of health.

To maintain health and function efficiently, our bodies need 13 vitamins and 16 minerals as well as fats, carbohydrates and protein, although it is not a nutrient, our bodies also need plenty of water. By eating a variety of foods in sensible proportion from all the food groups we can obtain optimum levels of every nutrient needed to maintain good health.

Three main rules should govern what we eat:

• Food should nourish
• It should help to safeguard health-and when necessary should play a role in fighting ailments or disease.
• It should also look and taste good.
  

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How much salt, sugar? New diet rules coming

How much salt, sugar, chilli, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste or garam masala is good for an average Indian if India is to be a healthy nation?

The center has taken up a massive exercise to revise dietary guidelines for Indians after a 10 year gap. People can decide what type and what quantity of food and desirable. Suggestions and comments have been invited, based on which a panel of health and nutrition experts will finalise the new guidelines.

The Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition has taken up the task of revision of the national dietary guidelines, framed back in 1998.

Fresh guidelines are needed in view of lifestyle changes, leading to a spurt in lifestyle related non-infectious diseases.

“Nutrition plays a very important role in the development of human resource, which is one of the strengths of any nation. A healthy population can lead better on all frontiers: education, economics, agriculture, defence, medicine and other sciences.. These dietary guidelines will enable the population to lead a healthy life,” Dr D Raghunatha Rao, convener of the dietary guidelines revision committee, told this. This existing guidelines stipulate that an average Indian should taken ten grams of salt every day. This might go up or down depending on the suggestions people send to the committee.

There will however, be no increase in the recommended calorie intake, said the new guidelines.

The new guidelines will be circulated to policy makers, United Nations agencies, academics, medical professionals and nutrition experts.

Dr Kamala Krishnaswamy, a former National Institute of Nutrition director, heads the dietary panel.

A recent survey, NFHS-3, showed there was no significant improvement in the nutritional status of the population, compared to the findings of NFHS-2.

Surveys carried out by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau provided more insight on issues relating to double burden of malnutrition: under-nutrition on one hand and over-nutrition, leading to obesity and other degenerative diseases on the other,.

Some important issues covered by nutrition guidelines include exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months, continuing up to two hours, introduction of food supplements for infants after six months, use of green leafy vegetables and restricted use of cooking oils and animal foods.

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Bad hair day?

We all have it. And, we hate it. A bad hair day makes us downright cranky. So before you reach to hide your hair under the hat, try a few of these quick fixes to turn a bad hair day into a fabulous one.

The best way to get rid of a bad hair day is this. Step into the shower, shampoo and condition hair and set them as it is done normally. But, if there is no time, go in for a dry shampoo that contains oil absorbing ingredients such as corn starch to clean hair without water. Simply spray the dry shampoo on you’re hair, fluff with your fingers, and brush. You’ll get a root-lift, and your hair will look refreshed, Dry shampoo is also the secret weapon for women with fine or limp hair!

Making a pony tail, high or low, by securing your hair in a cloth band is a great way to save yourself from a bad hair day.

People with medium to long hair can twist their hair and put a clutched or make a low ponytail and twist it counter clockwise around the base to make a bun.

Then pin the hair with boppy pins.

Use a leave-in-conditioner or a hair serum if you have tangles, knots or frizz. Just a few drops would help. For a quick setting and a great look, plug in your straightening iron. Make sure your hair is fully dry when you use it, else your hair will become a frizz after a while, and be messy for the rest of the day. For better results apply iron finish on dry hair before using the iron.

Wear a trendy head band to control loose frizz in the front.

If your bangs are curling, wet your fingers, flatten them down, then dry them. Or, push them to the side and clip them back, or pull them back with a head band.

For extremely short hair, apply styling wax for a spiky look. Or use styling gel and comb hair back for a neat wet look.

On a cold day it’s good to wear a hat or wrap a scarf around. Not only is your hair hidden, you’ll look stylish as well.

If you choose one or more of these fixes on a bad hair day, it is likely that it will look much better.

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Online games

Online games are games that can be played on the computer network. There are various quality games that you can play right in your browser for enjoyment. The online games can download and play on any time. The games can be included on the internet are car racing games, simulation games, arcade games, bike racing games, action games, skill games, misc games, rpg games, dress up games, board games, shooting games, card games, multiplayer games, video games, download games, puzzle games, sport games, strategy games, web games, kid games and much more. They are really very amazing and interesting to the players.

Usually children and teenagers are attracted by internet games. Most of the games are available in the internet are completely free of cost. Many websites are ready to update new games every day and be attracted by the users. There are also games for kids and mom too. The games are also easy to play and can be followed by anyone with neat instructions. So the online games are set on fire among the society all over the world.

There are thousands of games websites that are offered by the internet. The games are all help to relief from worries and travel to the different world. But at the same time one should addict to any online games. That could spoil your brain and life. So the parents should concentrate on their kids over the internet games. To play any online games, you need not any special practice; it is just to read and play. The technology has been also improved lot over the online games. It can be included from simple text games to most advanced games.

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Fairness tips

1. Mix one spoon of yogurt with a pinch of halide and apply on face.
2. For oily skin –apply an equal amount of lemon and cucumber juice for fairer complexion. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash.
3. For dry skin-apply a curd over the face.
4. Rub tomato slices on your face and wash off after it dries.
5. A regular consumption of orange juice will give you the long desired complexion.
6. Soak your almonds overnight .remove the skin in the morning and grind them with milk. A regular application of this paste makes you fairer face.
7. Eating a plenty of fruits each day give you fairness over the body.
8. Drinking of lemon juice daily can enhance your fairness beauty.
9. A mixture of sandalwood and rose Apply grated white radish or its juice on the face.
10. Water is an excellent home remedy for fair skin.

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To reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides

Triglycerides and cholesterol, major fat sources, are required by the body for energy and for strengthening cells respectively. But when both remain at high levels for long periods, they could cause heart disease. Fortunately, both can be reduced by a common lifestyle programme.

The rice-fruit diet. If. Your triglyceride levels are over 500 mg/dl, please go on a steamed rice-fresh fruit diet. It reduces fats in the blood within 3-7 days. After that, opt for a long-term plan.

Reduce fats and sweets: Don’t have more than 2 teaspoons of oil (ricebran or olive oil preferred over others) daily. Avoid fries, pickles, papads, sugar, chocolates, cookies, sweetmeats. If there is an improvement after a month, make this a lifelong habit. If not, cut down further.

Eat healthy: Have carbs-potatoes, rice, wheat, corn, oats and pulses. Pulses lower cholesterol; carbs give energy. Include fruits and vegetable-carrots, cabbage, broccoli, onions, garlic, grapefruit, apple and orange lower cholesterol. Fish or omega-3 capsules lower triglycerides. Two Spirulina tablets taken after every meal reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. Have eggs without yolks (one yolk contains 275-300 mg of cholesterol).

Watch your beverages: Knock out alcohol totally- it’s bad for triglycerides. Replace high-fat milk to lower cholesterol levels.

Walk for great health: Walking briskly 45-60 minutes daily raises good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) as also triglycerides. During monsoons, jog 0on the spot at home at 80 steps per minute for 20 minutes. As exercise speeds up metabolism, the fats cannot linger in the blood and, hence, cannot deposit themselves on the artery walls. Interestingly, it has been found that even if there is no weight-loss, triglyceride levels drop after exercising.So, my friend, walk to a beautiful healthy life!

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Food and violent behaviour

It is quite interesting to know that there is a well connection between food and mood disorders of humans. Diet is important not only for physical health, but also for better mental health. Nutrition can play an important role to manage many kinds of difficulties in behavior, learning and mood. But most of the people are not aware though it has scientific evidence about nutritional and behavioral disorders.

A person who encourages his diet with lots of fish, especially sardine, will allow him to keep distance with criminal behavior. Similarly, intake of fish oils can bring down violent moods to the consumers, says study. The plain and simple fact is that small changes in nutritional status can bring healthy benefits in the long term that can also reduce the criminal tendencies. People’s mood and behavior are mainly dependent on the nutrients the brain gets from the diet. It is essential to concentrate on the diet for general well-being.

Research says that individuals eating an unhealthy diet are most likely to commit suicide that others. A person who intakes a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables each day he can able to control his mood and behavior that can also meet the number of disciplinary incidents in his life. He is also supposed to cut down the use of sugar and soft drinks which may encourage obesity. People who failed to keep levels of sugar in their bloodstream are more likely to be violent and aggressive. But it is essential to maintain the right level of sugar in the body.

People can improve the right quality of life by incorporating right food at the right time. The right kinds of nutrients allow functioning the whole body correctly and perfectly. Thus helps to stick with prosperous life. Doctors usually recommend a balanced diet, which would include stuff from all the food groups in the limited portions.

Some scientists say that food habits do not have any impact on behavior. They said that psychological and sociological reasons should not be overlooked. However, it is important to eat healthy to meet the nutrient needs for general well-being.

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Change management skills help excel in new role

Moving up the corporate ladder is always exciting but somewhere along you also experience a tinge of nervousness as you step into a new role. These mixed feelings are only natural because a new role implies new responsibilities, new expectations and requires you to prove your mettle once again.

Not just upcoming professionals but even seasoned executives find it hared to take on new roles and need time to settle down. More than technical and managerial expertise you need change management skills to help you transit smoothly into the new role. Your ability to effectively manage the changes that accompany your ascent to the next level defines your future success.

A palpable pressure to garner some quick success no doubt exists, but you must understand that there are no short cuts to success in a new role except to learn on the job. Among other things your new appointment brings about changes in your network comprising of your superiors, peers and direct reports. Enlisting the support of this new network is crucial for your success. When you step in as the new manager, your team too goes through a phase of transition. Understanding their apprehensions is an integral part of change management. Here are some insights that help you as well as your team to cope with changes:

Seek cooperation: Focus on pulling everyone together during the settling in period. Real success can be achieved only through collective effort. In your attempts to succeed in the new role seek active cooperation and endorsement of the team and not just passive compliance. Build constructive relationships with your team by practicing empathy.

Address their concerns promptly to win their trust. Instead of pursuing your own personal success agenda, develop goals with common interest in mind.

Communicate these goals with clarity. Let everyone understand what is in it for him or her. When everybody in the team works towards these goals with complete involvement, success rate is bound to be high. Ready to learn: Approach a new role with confidence but never get carried away by past success. Demonstrate a willingness to learn the finer aspects of the new job on hand. Seek inputs and guidance from the team while formulating targets to post an early win. Being well informed helps you take sound decisions.

You also give a boost to the team morale by showing respect to their capabilities.

Study team dynamic: Before you set goals for your team study the dynamics of your group. Understand their strengths, weaknesses and also find out what motivates them.

This knowledge will certainly help you to overcome initial hiccups and lead in a better way. Get feedback: As you start working on your new assignment actively seek feedback from your superiors, colleagues as well as subordinates.

Learn to take criticism in the right spirit. It will help you to improve in areas of relative weakness. By listening to feedback and paying attention to warning signs you can easily avert failures. Though you must prove yourself in a new role to enhance your credibility you must not be in hurry to do so. In spite of an excellent track record in the past. People fail to excel in a new role because of associated changes. Instead of jumping to hasty conclusions you must devote the initial days to assess the team dynamics, understand the project subtleties and analyse the opportunities and threats that are likely to impact your success in future.

Change management alone holds the key to success in a new role. Good change management skills help you avoid hidden pitfalls in the transition process and assist you in gaining command over the new assignment. Focus on change management whenever you embark on new terrains. Add change management skills to your tool kit and you can be sure of extending your winning streak to all your new endeavors.

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Employees in personal crisis must get company support

It‘s an accepted fact that employees are the number one resource of an organization. But they are first and foremost human beings and several personal factors can impact their performance.

Even the mere hint of a crisis will immediately affect the productivity level. It goes without saying that emergencies or other dire circumstances like serious illness, injury, death of a near one or financial problems are extremely disruptive.

The emotional roller coaster ride can range from utter shock or disbelief to fear, helplessness, anger, frustration, guilt and regret. The employee is often overwhelmed with coping with the changes and new challenges that he may find it difficult to just concentrate on work or remember things, let alone make decisions.

As a workplace psychologist comments, “when people are distracted, they make more mistakes and work more slowly. If they are feeling depressed, their creativity will be down. If they are feeling angry, they may project some of that anger onto co-workers or even customers”.

Companies cannot be so insensitive as to expect the affected worker to carry on work as usual while his life is spinning out of control. What employees need is unwavering employer support to ride out such difficult and traumatic periods of their life. Else, they may ultimately buckle under the overburdening pressure leading to a total breakdown. On the other hand, offering even a little help and support will pay huge dividends and lasting loyalty.

Primarily, it is considered best to ask the employee what he actually needs to be able to cope and try to provide the same facilities. Yet, here is a list of some basic and comprehensive strategies that will definitely help:

Breathing space: what employees need most is some leeway for adjusting to life after the traumatic personal crisis. The organization can help by allowing a temporary adjustment in their workload, expectations and deadlines.

Some may even need certain flexibility in their work schedule like cutting back on work hours, flextime or part-time work. This will also enable them to deal with practical demands like doctor visits, arranging childcare or looking for a new house.

Time off: At times, the affected employee may require some time-off for court dates, last rites or recovery from illness. Temporary leave also becomes necessary if the employee finds himself unable to function at all. It would help immensely if the company grants the leave, possibly without drawing down the personal or vacation time.

Benefits: The organization should also provide reasonable work/life, childcare and legal benefits to assist employees and remind them of the same. This can range from on-site baby care centers to flexible work hours and medical insurance coverage to company loan programs for say, buying a house.

Genuine concern: Above all, the employee will crave for some healing compassion and sensitivity during the stressful time. Managers can help by offering a shoulder to listener as the employee gives vent to his suppressed emotions.

Acknowledging his feelings and reactions will show that the management cares for the employee and understands what he is going through. Here, it would help if the manager guides other workers and colleagues to support the upset employee and accommodate his work. But, management should be careful to respect the feelings and privacy preferences of the employee.

Physical health: keep prompting the employee to acknowledge his own needs and take proper care with sufficient food, rest, sleep and exercise. Else, he will only end up weary and rundown. Also, gently remind him that getting back to a routine can help contribute to the healing process.

Help groups: Directing the employee to help groups will show that he is not alone and there are many other people who have experienced similar situations. This can help him to face reality and come to terms with the event. As he starts feeling less isolated and more comforted, it will build a positive attitude and enable him to adapt to the new role.

Therapy: As everyone responds to trauma in different ways, individual healing times may vary. Some employees may even be more severely affected than others. The organization can arrange psychological one-on-one counseling for employees who are otherwise unable to cope with a personal crisis.

To sum up, management should show distressed employee that the company is with them every step of the way.

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Showcase actual potential in interview, land first job

As a fresh-out-of-college graduate, you are ready, able and quite eager to begin work. But, no employer will touch you with a barge pole unless you have the all qualifying ‘work experience’.

Newly minted college students never had the going so tough. While novices who have just completed their education always get the short end of the stick as companies favour experienced candidates, some were cherry-picked by hiring companies right off the campus. But with the recession spreading, employers now prefer to ‘play it safe’ and clamour for experience.

And the irony is that how can you gain experience when no one is willing to hire you? It’s quite a vicious circle find themselves sinking into despair. The despondent cry rings loud and clear, “where do we start?” Times are rough, but there still are some tactics by which you can do well in interviews and actually land yourself a job.

The all-important resume:

Spend adequate time on crafting a polished and impressive resume. Some experts advise using a functional resume format, as it will highlight yours skills and abilities while subtly taking the focus off your lack of work experience.

Here, you can and actually should draw on any scraps of summer jobs, internships and part-time or even voluntary work to build a semblance of work experience. Else, keep the limelight on your subjects, achievements and projects.

Scour for interviews:

Use all possible means to land yourself a couple of interviews with decent companies. You can apply on job boards, answer classifieds and attend job fairs or other networking events to find employers. Always practice well by yourself, with friends or in mock-interviews before attending the real ones.

Rules apply:

Carefully abide by normal interviewing rules that any other candidate (whether experienced or not) would follow before attending an interview. Research the potential employer, job and industry to show that you have done your homework.

Prepare intelligent answers to likely questions beforehand (especially behavioural ones) so that you don’t end up mumbling or being stuck. These can range from your strengths, weaknesses or choice of profession/organization to dealing with a difficult decision.

Also ensure that you dress well, speak clearly and ask some intelligent questions to reaffirm your interest in the job. Also, remain confident in your ability to do well.

Be your own advocate:

Try to find out what the employer is actually looking for and accordingly display desirable professional behaviour like dedication, motivation, flexibility and initiative while you are answering the interviewer’s questions.

Be on the lookout for examples that will demonstrate that you are responsible, organized, willing to learn, can follow instructions and will get things done on time.

Here, you can talk about how you used to effectively priorities study tasks, set and achieved learning goals, resolved a classroom conflict, influenced a classmate’s opinion or built enthusiasm in the class. Speak about how you led a group discussion or team project to highlight your leadership skills.

Be Positive:

Try to put a positive spin on even small events without resorting to outright lies. You can show the interviewer your grades or professors’ comments to showcase your abilities. Or, carry sample materials like any projects or case you have worked on and discuss the experiences or what you learn from it.

You should also draw on any voluntary or part-time work experience to show that you can handle the work environment and relate skills pertaining to the job like customer service or salesmanship.

In short, the trick is to impress the interviewer by talking positively and displaying your enthusiasm and real personality. Concentrate on showing your potential and what you have to offer in a bid to convince him that you would be very successful for the company rather than why ‘you’ need the job.

And last but not the least; do not shy away from expressing that all you want is a chance to prove yourself, an opportunity to work for the esteemed company!

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Roadmap helps telecommuters deliver better output

Given the advantages that telecommuting offers, a large majority of companies have become much more open to experimenting with it. Not only does telecommuting save considerable sums of money for the organization in terms of office space and running overheads, but telecommuters are often much more productive, more motivated. and more likely to stick to their jobs in the long term when compared to regular become a way of life for many skilled employees, however managing and motivating telecommuting workers continues to pose some challenges for managers used to more, traditional working patterns.

Whether you have full time telecommuting employee as pert of your workforce or plan to offer part-telecommuting as an option to workers who would like to have more flexibility in their work schedule, effective management plays an important role in increasing the productive and motivation levels of your telecommuting workers. Here are some dos and don’ts.

Do provide telecommuters with proper technical, technological and logistical support to ensure that they are able to do their job effectively. Apart from structural support. a successful manager must ensure that telecommuters have a clear ”roadmap” to guide them. Since there is an absence of ream-time supervision and contact with employees in this kind of working arrangement, there is greater need for emphasis on clearly defined work objectives, timeliness, measurable outputs and expected performance standards.

Lack of focus can often be a big setback for telecommuting workers and clearly defined work objectives and timeliness are just what might be needed to get them back on track. Do trust your telecommuter. The very nature of telecommuting makes it impossible to micromanages the work of this employee. Manager used to close supervision of subordinates sometimes find this aspect unsettling. Rather then fretting about whether or not the employee is working eight hours a day as required, managers will find it less stressful and more fruitful to measure employee performance on the basis of the results delivered by the employee.

Do train your telecommuting workers. Even a little training can go a long way, particularly if the workers are unfamiliar with new technology. Familiarize telecommuters with appropriate technology and provide special handbooks or reference guides to help them use technologies and access information and expertise. Trained telecommuters are less dependent on support staff; are more productive and motivated when it comes to work.

Do communicate frequently and give appropriate and timely feedback on employee performance. it is also a good idea to set aside specific face time to ensure that there is some real time contact with the employee, which in turn builds and strengthens the relationship between the manager and the employee. Do consider appointing a mentor or coach for telecommuting employees to help them with career growth and development. An offshoot of this is the buddy system, which partners the telecommuter with one or more employees in the office, mitigating the feeling of isolation that often creeps in.

After the dos here are the don’ts. Don’t discriminate between your remote employees and your on-site workers. Their contributions are equally important and as a manager, you need to provide recognition for their accomplishment and have a clear career development plan for their growth and development. Don’t ignore sign of lack of ‘accountability’ in employees who are telecommuting. Laxity on the unresponsiveness or missed deadlines without proper explanation needs to be dealt with firmly.

Don’t ignore communication problem. Absence of real-time contact means that communication can often be misinterpreted and this when ignored, can below up into a full-scale conflict. Last but not least, don’t just see the telecommuting option as a way to save costs for the organization. Keep in mind that high standard of excellence and through this working arrangement if both the managers and telecommuters learn to share trust and work together in a harmonious manner.

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Utility of commercial banks

Commercial banking in modern times is indispensable economic progress of a country. In fact, the functions of modern commercial bankers and their utility to the community are so enormous that we simply cannot afford even to imagine, let alone experience, the inconveniences we would experience if commercial banks are closed. A short strike of even one day the employees of commercial banks disrupts the entire economic activities in the country. All economic activities some directly while others indirectly-come to a standstill. It serves the community in numerous ways.

Firstly, by accepting deposits, the banks promote the habit of thrift and savings among the people. These savings of the people later result in capital formation, which is the basis of economic progress in the country. Secondly, the banks also encourage industrial innovations and business expansion through funds provided by them to the entrepreneurs. Thirdly, the banks exercise considerable influence on the level of economic activity through their ability to create money in the economy. Fourthly, through their lending policy, the banks can influence the course and direction of economic activity within the economy. Fifthly, the various utility within the economy. Fifthly, the various utility functions performed by the banks are of great economic significance for the economy.

Such functions as cheap remittance of funds, accepting and discounting bill of exchange, agency functions, such as, collection of dividends and interest on behalf of customers are very important for the working of the modern economy. In fact, the economic development of a country is not possible without a sound system of commercial banking.

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Principles of central banking

Three main considerations govern the operations of a central bank; these are known as the fundamental principles of central banking. Firstly, the central bank is always motivated by the spirit of national Welfare. The operations of the central bank must always be guided by the objective of maximizing the welfare of the people or the nation and not by maximizing the profits as is the objective of commercial banks. It does not, however, mean that the central bank should undertake activities without keeping in view their financial implications or results. As a matter of fact when de Kock said that the central bank should work exclusively in the interest of public welfare he meant that profit earning should be a secondary consideration for a central bank and the maximization of public welfare should be its primary objective. Secondary, the central bank’s operations should aim at maintaining the monetary and financial stability in the economy. And from this point of view, every central bank has been provided with wide powers for controlling the monetary and banking structure of a country and for achieving this objective. Thirdly the central bank’s activities should be free from all political considerations or influences. It should not be governed by the ideology of any particular political party. It does not mean that it should not work in using with the government of the country. What it means is that it is not the ideology of political party in power that would decide its policy but the economic conditions of the country which should receive the foremost consideration from the central bank. Since the Government is also expected to solve the economic problems of the country and the central bank is also supposed to find out a solution for the economic problems of the country, therefore both these should work in cooperation with each other. Finally, a central bank should not compete with the commercial banks in the country or should not perform such banking transactions as a accepting deposits from the general public and accommodate regular commercial customers with discounts or advances.

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The Right Foods: Secret to Weight Loss

Eating a right food is the ideal way to permanent weight loss. Weight loss is easy and quick with proper eating and drinking, tolerance of hunger and physical exercise or work. Many advertisements have been used to motivate people to lose weight with the products or services. As the people are believed to the perky promises, and are attracted to fast and easy schemes, that most people fail to maintain weight losses. But a permanent change in food habits is required to sustain a lower body weight. For that, it does not require food restriction or calorie counting, but with a limited proportions.

If people wish to reduce the weight, and would seek dietary and exercise remedies Most of them are designed diet for quick results, but will not keep the weight off through out the life. But there are also some people to keep moving with big belly without taking any required efforts. They are not only developing the body but also their diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, cancer, blood pressure, high cholesterol and other chronic disorders. They are failed to keep proper foods than nuisance foods. Until they take care of themselves, no one will care about them and should act as a buffoon in the society.

Weight has been increased to the people also because of some diseases and they must need a proper medical treatment by effective physicians. If the people are eating right foods, then they are in the right place in their life. But the results may vary according to the person’s health, so it is reliable to get right food choices from health care professionals or registered dietitians to reduce weight or promote good health. Eating right is an important part of fitness.

To keep the weight healthy, anyone needs a healthy lifestyle not a crash diet. It is not essential to stick with strict diet and strenuous exercises to keep slim and fit body. The simple and easy way is to eat and drink proper foods at the right time with medical attention. Then you are cloud on nine!

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