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VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2010

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KERENG/2002/6803

Developers Redefine Luxury, Homebuyers Redefine Value

DEVELOPERS REDEFINE LUXURY, HOMEBUYERS REDEFINE VALUE

From tennis courts to golf courses, developers are delivering more and more luxuries to woo homebuyers. But why then are buyers shying more and more away from these projects? Because more from developers doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean it is for less or even the same price points. After the last bust, homebuyers have fixed their limits, about how far they can go, commit. With RBI already warning about the teaser loans, this seems to be great prudence from the part of homebuyers. Interestingly, the top rung of developers like DLF & Unitech who accumulated huge debts during the last boom with pie-in-the-sky projects have become more rational in their pricing, while a second rung of developers are trying to push the limits in pricing. But the problem is, as the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top home loan providers have already pointed out, this time around there are no speculators but only real middle-income buyers.

ROYAL PALMS WORLD

Out of Mumbai P well, Out of Mum Royal Palms World has been trying to surprise the market with office spaces for 2999 psf. But the real surprise is the location â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even beyond Malad, at Borivali, next to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. A location fit for a resort, but an office? With office space already in over supply in most traditional Mumbai strongholds, the logic of this project is really for the long long timeframe, if at all.

Orchid Road Mall

Prices at, mbai The world in a village: A home amidts nature, where nature peeps through every window. The Royal Palms World beckons you. Step in to experience a grand lifestyle set in an equally grand setting, with comprehensive infrastructural facilities that are thoughtfully designed, professionally managed and impeccably maintained. Your world spreads across 240 acres, dominated by the timeless blend of nature, fresh air and a class of unimpeachable properties. In short, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the world in a village thoughtfully located to provide you lifestyle and nature in the city of Mumbai. Just a 15 minute drive from Mumbai's international airport and 30 minutes from Bandra, the lush locale of the 240-acre Royal Palms Estate is situated in the midst of Mumbai's only green belt and surrounded by a further 20,000 acres of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali.

Amirnensey, chairman

The unpolluted sylvan surroundings of the Royal Palms Estate play host to an 18-hole golf course, a health spa, golf club, recreation club, two lakes, manmade beach, shopping mall, school, hospital, swimming pool, restaurants, a cafeteria, a shopping village, an entertainment centre, 3-Star, 4-Star and 5Star hotels, offices, IT parks, residential properties like studio apartments, villas, bungalow plots, row houses and much more. Studies conducted by the internationally renowned environmental consultants, AIC Watson have concluded that the air quality at the Royal Palms Estate meets internationally accepted standards and is better than any other residential facility in Mumbai. They also concluded that noise levels nearly meet 'Silent Zone' criteria! Aided by hi-tech machinery, equipment and irrigation systems, every single person working on the Estate strives towards a single objective - Eco-conservation. The Royal Palms Estate has an ISO 9001 certification for its Quality Management Systems and the ISO 14001 certification for its Environmental Management Systems. All projects on the Royal Palms Estate are hallmarked by design excellence and aesthetic appeal and are planned, implemented and managed by internationally acclaimed and experienced consultants, and are benchmarked to global standards.

LOKHANDWALA SAPPHIRE HEIGHTS

Versova is one Kandivali Ano

Lokhandwalaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sapphire Heights project boasts of such features like an 1 floor garden. The Group which is bullish after the success of the orig Lokhandwala Complex, may however find the going tough here. Simply beca Versova though being marshy was just 5 km from Andheri, whereas Kandi is much further north, beyond Malad and close to Borivali.

e Story, other

8th ginal ause ivali

You know the value of excellence when you see it. The rare gem that is the envy of all but only a fortunate few have the privilege of calling it a home. Presenting Sapphire Heights, a brilliant edifice which shines like a jewel amidst plush landscapes. Sapphire Heights is Lokhandwala Constructionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tribute to extraordinary individuals and families. Splendid and magnificent in every way, Sapphire Heights sets a new standard in well-defined lifestyles. Comprising of 3 towers, sapphire Heights offers 2.5 BHK exclusive high-rise apartments set like a beautiful sanctuary amidst lush and luxuriant greenery. Built on a plateau (the centre of tranquility amidst the Lokhandwala Kandavili Township), these majestic and opulent residences offer spectacular views. A total of 500 plus residences are included in the open and magnificently liberating architecture.

KALPATARU AURA

Green Living in Ghatkopar Everything at Kalpataru Aura speaks of thoughtful luxury. Thoughtfulness extends to even a Jain Temple within the complex. Designed by international architects, Aura is a mega complex of multi-storeyed towers set amidst acres of greenery. Landscaped gardens, water cascades, and shaded walkways set a special harmony with nature. On offer are spacious 2-BHK & E3 homes. Special amenities include tennis & squash courts, swimming pool, and clubhouse. That the project is from Kalpataru Ltd, lends a special credence. The Group which was once active in Middle East, has to its credit constructing leading hotels, palaces, stadiums, & villas in UAE. Later, Kalpataruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus shifted to their booming hometown of Mumbai, where they have 75 noted projects to their credit. The 1000member strong developer is noted for setting industry best practices like double checking all design aspects with a reputed third party, and enterprise wide SAP implementation. The Group is active in all facets of real estate development, as well as in domains like Energy, SEZ, Pipelines, Telecom Infrastructure etc.

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Since 1969, Kalpataru has invested in the trust of its customers through the delivery of innovative designs, specific expertise and outstanding service quality. Here is where you will find the most significant reasons you should choose Kalpataru. A solid core of national and international experience in the construction industry since 1969. Satisfaction that has put smiles on over 35,000 happy families who have chosen Kalpataru as their preferred solution provider. Over 1.2 crore square feet of constructed area that is continuing to expand further. Innovative and creative designs that take into account evolving trends, technologies and ideas. Excellence in capability that includes quality standards that are ISO 9001:2000 certified. A policy of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No Compromise' in every sphere of expertise. A sterling reputation for quality and customer service to ensure that no detail is too small or insignificant. The experience, competence and dedication of over 1,000 professionals who form the backbone of the Real Estate division. Access to renowned and reputed external expertise to ensure the best structural designs. Rigorous â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;double proof-checking' method by reputed institutions to weed out any design inadequacies before and during

Mr. Mofatraj Munot, Founder Chairman project implementation. Professional service that goes beyond to upkeep and maintenance of property (by Group Company, Property Solutions). Thorough allround efficiency through the implementation of sound SAP systems that govern operations. Timely delivery that enhances goodwill, reputation and customer satisfaction. Last but most importantly, a high level of TRUST in a company that follows a global standard of best practises and work ethics. Amenities: BUILDING FEATURES: Building: Well designed entrance lobby decorated with marble / granite, High speed elevators, Anti-termite treatment to the foundation, Servant's toilet, Garbage chute. FLAT FEATURES: Flat: Agglomerated marble flooring in living, dining and common bedroom, Wooden flooring in master bedroom and study, Internal walls finished in superior quality paints, Anodised aluminium sliding windows with railing, Provision for cable TV and telephone points in the living room and bedrooms, Provision for internet point in the bedrooms. Kitchen: Granite flooring, Granite counter with stainless steel sink and drain board, Additional service platform, 2 feet ceramic tiled dado above kitchen and service platform, Provision for water purifier and geyser, Gas leak detector and smoke detector, Exhaust fan. Bathroom: Well designed bathrooms with agglomerated marble flooring, An imported marble / ceramic tiled dado, Superior quality sanitary and C. P. fittings, Concealed plumbing systems, Storage water heater / geyser, Exhaust fan. SAFETY FEATURES: Safety: Video door phone with intercom system, Panic button in the master bedroom, Earthquake resistant structure, Fire detectors, sprinklers and heat sensors at designated areas, Generator backup for elevators and designated common areas, Concealed copper wiring, MCB and ELCBs. LEISURE FEATURES: Clubhouse: Spacious reception area, Luxurious spa with showers, changing rooms, steam, massage rooms and jacuzzi, Multifunctional lounge, Function room which opens onto a party lawn, Party terrace with independent service staircase and kitchen, Fully equipped gymnasium, Squash court, Pool table, Indoor games room, Multipurpose hall.

NIRMAL LIFESTYLE

FOR TENNIS PLAYING Homebuyers?

Here is an apartment branded on a tournament. What will we have next? May Absurdity can touch new levels when cash-strapped Western outfits try to s – a so-called brand image – before a West-pointing compass called the third the fine print there is nothing more sporty about this complex, other than wh luxury apartment complexes – jogging tracks, badminton courts, basketba club etc. The only difference is that you will have to do much of it on the top Nirmal Lifestyle’s attempt to bring in a sports lifestyle apartment is comm Open branding is not another ploy to hike the psf. Anyway, professional tennis p take note – here you will have a couple of US Open certified courts.

ybe a car branded as a lake? sell the only thing they have d world. And when you read hat you find in other high-end all court, gymnasium, health p floor covered terrace. Still, mendable, as long as the US players (among homebuyers!)

Nirmal lifestyle is proud to announce its alliance with the US open. This new association presents to you India’s first Sports Lifestyle Apartments. A lifestyle that bridges the gap between superior living standards and healthy living. From now on, you will be able to experience world-class sports amenities from the comfort of your own home. Come with us as we walk through this unique branded lifestyle living, complete with US open themed construction and exclusive features. Walk into the US Open Apartments and experience a fascinating mix of aesthetics and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Touch and feel your fitness centre, jogging & cycling track, baseball court, swimming pool, and badminton court. The US Open Apartment pampers you with a state-of-theart fitness center on the 46th floor. If you ever wished you could lead an active life, consider all your wishes granted. This gigantic terrace with a high dome glass called Fitness 46 accommodates some of the world’s best facilities. Now, be it rain or sunshine, you’ll be able to stick to your daily regime. Featuring a Jogging Track, Hi Tech Gymnasium, & Spa. In-home amenities to meet your every desire: Full granite flooring, Premium Quality Bathroom Fittings, Plastic Paint, POP Finished Walls, Anodized Sliding Windows, Video Door Phone with Camera in the Main Entrance Lobby, Internal Wooden Doors with Laminate, Black Granite Platform in Kitchen, Exhaust Fan in Kitchen, Water Geysers and Designer Tiles in Bathroom, Pipe Gas Connection, Premium and Branded Electric Fixtures. SITE ADDRESS: Citi of Joy, Ecstacy Commercial Building, ACC Compound, J.S.D Road, Mulund (W), Mumbai - 400 080. MAHARASHTRA (INDIA) CONTACT Tel: 02225937222 / 32232212 / 25 / 27 Fax: 022-25937200 Email :usopenapartments@nirmallifestyle.com

CASA BELLA GOLD BY LODHA

The Bestseller @ 2332 psf Casa is the affordable brand from Lodha Group, targeted at middle class home aspirants. Lodhaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nearly three decades of experience in luxury housing of Mumbai has been put to good use to come up with this value-for-money venture. A key element is that reasonable luxury is still there, even while prices have been driven down to those looking for homes between 10 to 50 lakhs. The main secret is, of course, more affordable suburban localities, but that is not all. Design, architecture, construction, and materials are all tweaked scientifically and to the maximum to arrive at these price levels. At the same time, the selected suburbs are almost equal to the best localities in Mumbai in aspects like rapid access to schools, hospitals, shopping spots, office hubs, places of worship etc. Many of the Casa projects are township class, and have been bestsellers, notably Casa Univis and Casa Bella. The most recently launched project Casa Bella Gold has also proving to be a best seller.

Following the success of Casa Bella - which has seen over 2300 families become a part of the City of Dreams in just 6 months, we now bring you Casa Bella Gold situated right at entrance of Casa Bella. Designed in clusters of majestic 8 & 18-storey towers, the spacious, air-conditioned apartments offer spectacular views of the grand central square or the sprawling golf course and the river beyond. In addition, this elite address offers you all the benefits of its prime location - easy connectivity, a walk to shopping mal, multiplex, medical facility, and a world-class ICSE school. And all this at a price which really is worth its weight in Gold. Thoughtfully designed to maximize space, your apartment includes a host of thoughtful gestures - a larger living room and bedrooms, separate puja area as well as a separate store room. Immaculately finished,

you home boasts agglomerated marble flooring in the living room, wooden flooring in the bedrooms, and Spanish sanitaryware in the bathrooms. A lively grand central square, hub of social and recreational activities, spread over 100000 sq.ft has been planned to offer you every possible privilege. In addition to all the luxuries, here, power flows 24X7 and water flows in abundance. Usarghar railway station is in the neighbourhood. A medical facility managed by Hinduja Hospital takes care of any emergency. A grand clubhouse with 2 pools, gym, multipurpose courts and yoga pavilion, cricket pitch and cafe, puts many an entertainment option at your disposal. And a world-class ICSE school ensures your children get a well-rounded education. Moving to the suburbs is no longer a compromise. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wise choice for those who wish to live their dreams.

CARNATION

Sobha Super Luxe Arrives in Pune After conquering Bangalore market, Sobha is diversifying to Pune, with Sobha Carnation at NIBM Kondwa. Though there are only 116 units, the 10 floor structure will be generously deployed across 5.6 acres. The fact that there are only 3-BHK and 4-BHK units attest to the luxe positioning of Carnation. Super built up areas are ample, ranging from 2165 sq ft to 3863 sq ft. There are also 4 BHK Duplexes and 4 BHK Penthouses to choose from. The lifestyle will also be more than convenient with 8 elevators, a well-equipped clubhouse, and a swimming pool. There will be more than enough land space left after the buildings, and Sobha is promising designer landscaping there. Sobha is noted for not making tall claims, and trying to meet most claims, and aspirants of Sobha Carnation is also likely to enjoy this experience.

Exclusively designed 64 nos. of 3-Bedroom and

apartments on the top most floor. Granite vanity

52 nos. of 4-Bedroom Super-Luxury apartments.

counter in master bedroom toilet. KITCHEN:

Basement+ Ground + 9 storeyed RCC framed

Superior quality ceramic tile flooring. Superior

structure with concrete block masonry walls.

quality ceramic tiling upto ceiling. Plastic emulsion

Covered/semi-covered car park in Basement/

paint for ceiling. BALCONIES / UTILITIES:

Ground level. FOYER / LIVING / DINING:

Superior quality ceramic tile flooring and skirting.

Superior quality vitrified tile flooring and skirting.

Granite coping for parapet/MS handrail as per

Plastic emulsion paint for walls and ceiling.

design. Plastic emulsion paint for ceiling. All walls

BEDROOMS: Superior quality vitrified tile

painted in textured paint. SERVANT ROOM:

flooring and skirting. Plastic emulsion paint for

Ceramic tile flooring and skirting. Plastic emulsion

walls and ceiling. TOILETS: Superior quality

paint for walls & ceiling. SERVANT'S TOILET:

ceramic tile flooring. Superior quality ceramic wall

Ceramic tile flooring. Superior quality ceramic tile

tiling upto false ceiling/ceiling. False ceiling with

cladding for walls upto false ceiling. Plastic

grid panels. Plastic emulsion paint for ceiling for

emulsion paint for ceiling for apartments on the top most floor. STAIRCASE: Open Staircase: Granite treads & risers. MS handrail. Textured paint for walls. Plastic emulsion paint for ceiling. Fire Exit Staircase (enclosed with fire rated doors). Cement concrete for treads & risers. Parapet wall with granite coping. Textured paint for walls. Plastic emulsion paint for ceiling. COMMON AREAS: Granite/Vitrified tile flooring. Superior quality ceramic tile cladding upto ceiling. Plastic emulsion for ceiling. Granite coping for parapet/MS handrail as per design. JOINERY: Main door / Bedroom doors: Frame – Timber, Architrave – Timber, Shutters - with both side masonite skin. Toilet doors: Frame – Timber, Architrave – Timber, Shutters - with outside masonite and inside laminate. All other external doors to be manufactured in specially designed heavy-duty powder coated aluminium extruded frames. Windows / Ventilators, Heavy duty powder coated aluminium glazed windows made from specially designed and manufactured sections. LIFTS: Total no. of 8 lifts of reputed make. Capacity - 4 nos. of 8 passengers and 4 nos. of 16 passengers. LANDSCAPE: Designer landscaping. COMMON FACILITIES (Common to all projects in campus)

Enter High Orbit at Saki Naka Orbit Residency Park at Andheri – Saki Naka is one high end project where elements like a Hafeez Contractor design, Vaastu, and hundreds of real luxuries like stainless steel water supply pipes come together. The result is not just plastic-free, corrosion-free water, but an elevated healthy lifestyle. Mumbai’s real estate major Orbit Corporation which has a sharp focus on the city has the strong backing of legendary Architect Hafeez Contractor, and excels in Mumbai’s best opportunities like residential redevelopment in South Mumbai and world-class commercial space in the city’s best locations. Most of Orbit’s new commercial developments are outside South Mumbai these days, while most of its residential developments continue to be in South Mumbai itself. Residential development accounts for around 70% of Orbit’s activities, and redevelopment dominates this residential portfolio.

Orbit Residency Park is a gated residential complex of multi-storied towers comprising of 1-BHK, 1.5 BHK, 2-BHK, 2.5 BHK, 3 BHK, and 3.5 BHK apartments, designed by master architect, Hafeez Contractor, and Apostrophe, USA. The complex is strategically located within close proximity to the suburban business districts of SEEPZ MIDC, BKC and Powai. Further, it is just 1½ kms from the international airport, 2 ½ kms from the domestic airport and at a 3 minute walking distance from the proposed Metro station. The apartments are designed specifically keeping in mind the requirements of optimum utilization of space coupled with the design principles of Vaastu. The project has been planned in a way so as to offer the comforts of a home coupled with lifestyle amenities. Key features of the Project are: Finished apartments with complete flooring in all rooms, fully fitted bathrooms with branded bathroom fittings, ample car parking space, stainless Steel water supply pipes to enhance life by multiples and provide corrosion free drinking water, state of the art security systems with CCTV in common areas, and power backup for common areas and common amenities. Building Amenities: Grand Entrance lobby, banquet facilities/function rooms, and musical fountain. Recreational amenities: Squash court, billiards room, table-tennis room, landscaped garden with badminton court, swimming pool and baby pool, children’s playroom, gymnasium with locker rooms, and steam and sauna facilities. Flat amenities: Common bathrooms for servants and drivers on the ground floor, Marbonite flooring or composite marble in all rooms, kitchens with granite platform and stainless steel sink, fully fitted bathrooms with fittings from Roca or equivalent brand, geysers in all bathrooms, multi-glazed windows, electrical switches from Crabtree or equivalent brand, and video door phone and intercom system.

DB ORCHID HEIGHTS

The Next Level i Everything? Some top-end developers are like topend share brokers. Pushing promises like forward EPS further so that the prices can also be pushed to the next level. Orchid Heights from DB Realty, a group pursuing superlatives like the tallest building, the largest mall etc, is about this kind of next level in luxury. How about a 4-BHK-only project in Jacob Circle? How about personalized elevators for each apartment? How about 80-storeys of stature? Never mind that it stands on just 4 acres. This is all about the Next Level. But expect more transparency from DB soon. Their IPO is just round the corner. Last boomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IPO winners â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DLF & Unitech - have turned to affordable housing to stay afloat.

Welcome to Orchid Heights. Welcome to the Majestic. At Orchid Heights you are invited to indulge the rare gift of size and space in an ever – so clustered Mumbai. A dizzying 80 storeys expansive 4 bedroom apartment and 4 acres of verdant land spaces amongst many other greats, present an offering that’s truly big – hearted. Salient Features: Personalised elevators for every apartment, Floor to floor height of approx 14 feet, Swimming pool, toddlers pool, lagoon pool, Tennis court, squash court, basket ball court, Jogging track, children's play area, Amphi theatre, Coffee shop, Spa and meditation centre, State of the art gym. Coming up at Jacob Circle, the project is slated for completion on March 2013. DB Realty is a Real Estate Development Company that has been built on a strong reputation of excellence through quality. Today, the Group is one of India's top Real Estate developers, with presence in Residential and

Commercial

Parks

and

Gated

communities. Its existing product portfolio ranges from upscale buildings, lavish villas and some of the most elite malls in the country, with new developments coming up at a fast pace. Whether it's the tallest building in the country, the largest mall in Mumbai, every DB Realty property is marked by the persistent pursuit of greater excellence and the quest to reach the Next Level™. It's for this very reason that, today, the Group is considered to be India's fastest-growing real estate development company.

KANAKIA SAMARPAN ROYALE

Live in the Lap Nature Kanakia Spaces, one of the noted developers of Mumbai, has delivered 10 million sq ft of premium space in the city, and is currently developing over 5 million sq ft. Samarpan Royale, their latest project located on the Western Express Highway at Borivali, has nature breathing into it. Almost surrounded by the Borivali National Park, it offers a panoramc view of the mountains. The 19+ tower of Samarpan Royale is a luxury project in and out with 4-BHK apartments. The project follows the award-winning legacy of Kanakia Group and features amenities like Wi-Fi campus, valet parking, and integrated security systems. If suburban Mumbai is your dream, Samarpan Royale from Kanakia deserves a close look.

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Samarpan Royale a prestigious residential apartment for the royal and a hallmark of opulence from Kanakia. The Samarpan Royale name redefines royal living in every home in this stilt + 19 storey tower, which has been meticulously designed to execute grace and elegance in every aspect, from the aesthetically design 4 BHK spacious apartments. Situated royally on the western express highway, a few strides from Borivali station is Samarpan Royale, surrounded by the national park. You share the same air, cool breeze, sweet smelling aroma of flowers and live amidst natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bounty. All the 4 luxurious bedrooms have been treated to a rare blend of warmth and comforts and offer a panoramic view of the mountains and landscape garden. Amenities: A - Class, earthquake resistant construction with termite treatment, Hi-Tech integrated security system, Grand air conditioned entrance lobby with a lounge area & reception area, High speed elevators, DG Back up for common area, Club house with hi-tech gym & swimming pool, Valet parking, and Wi-Fi enabled campus. The Kanakia family has gradually become an inseparable and an essential part of living of many modern citizens. From providing premium housing to education, quality entertainment to promotion of art and culture, Kanakia's have made a holistic contribution to elevate modern lifestyles in suburban Mumbai. Housing projects undertaken by Kanakia, always strike a desired balance between convenient and accessible locations, spacious and well-planned layouts, modern designs and contemporary life standards and recreation for the entire family. Our renowned commercial projects like Floral Deck Plaza, Eagle's Flight and 349 Business Point is looked upon as ultimate business destinations of the new generation. Each Kanakia project is a landmark in its own right, sought after for its striking architecture, well planned interiors and lasting construction standards. Each project is the outcome of deep-rooted professional insight and inputs of some of India's leading architects, RCC experts and consultants associated with the projects. We have successfully delivered more than 10 million sq. ft. of residential and commercial projects that are land marks owing to their design, micro locations and occupant profiles. Company has over 5 million sq. ft. of space under various stages of development country wide.

WADHWA IMPERIAL HEIGHTS

7 Star Luxury in Oshiwara?

Vijay Associates (Wadhwa) Developers’ Imperial Heights boasts of 7 Star living. But the location, Oshiwara, is sure to put many buyers off, with the kind of sewage and effluents the grossly polluted Oshiwara River is carrying, thanks to this suburb being home to an industrial estate. Vijay Associates (Wadhwa) Developers are synonymous with first rate path breaking construction projects in the choicest of locations across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune and now Mathura. A lot of thought process, knowledge, experience and expertise in design process, planning, construction and executing the same are put in with passion to deliver human friendly projects. Over 40 years the group has built for itself an unshakable reputation for quality, efficiency, trust, meticulous planning, top quality amenities, superlative designs, timely completion, guaranteed possessions and handing over of society formation process at the earliest. Imperial Heights features luxurious, cross-ventilated 2+ study, 3, 3+ study, 4 BHK homes, duplex and triplex penthouses with beautiful panoramic view from each flat; four iconic 44-storey towers above 4 level podium for car parking; fully equipped club house with gymnasium‚ steam‚ sauna‚ Jacuzzi‚ extensive lap‚ plunge and children’s pools‚ water bodies‚ wet and dry play areas; internationally designed car-free environment deck of 120‚000 sq. ft.; recreation deck; 4 level podium for parking with driver’s rooms and other facilities; access control system for residents in the car park; 4 high speed lifts with additional service /stretcher lift for all towers; Pooja/ Prayer room in 4BHK apartments; Italian Marble & wooden flooring; Imported sanitary fittings; Ducting / piping to all rooms for Air conditioning along with AC; units ledges provided for placing compressor units; Video door phones; Separate maid’s room (with independent entry) in all 3.5 & 4 BHK apartments; integrated property management services to be provided by team of professionals. From residential apartments to now being one developing and managing Malls and Multiplexes, Commercial Office Space, Hotels and IT Parks it is now

going into backward integration of manufacturing futuristic high quality construction and finishing materials with international collaborators. Special emphasis is laid on climatology to maximize dependence on natural light and ventilation rather than artificial mechanical and electrical aids. Moving into a group project is like a whiff of fresh air with apartments having huge picture frame window openings, higher ceilings and cross ventilation as some of the small but critical parameters which go a long way for a healthy living. In every project there is an attempt to bring nature inside with practical planning, huge emphasis on user friendliness with the concept of ‘Form follows Function’. Wastage of areas is avoided and privacy maintained. Best use of louver glass is made to make green buildings by which one gets the sunlight but no sunrays. It’s these small but important thoughts which make a big difference in the living conditions inside the house besides the finesse of choicest of Italian marble, centralized air-conditioning, latest in bathroom - kitchen fittings, fixtures, open decks, service spaces, lavish lobbies, sensible elevations, etc. The Commercial - Offices, Malls-Multiplexes, Hospitality, Information Technology projects are built with strong multi-layered design inputs, strong infrastructure, timeless designs and futuristic ideas to create a status symbol, by highly experienced Indian and international architects, structural consultants, planners, landscapers and consultants – all masters and achievers in their respective fields. One has to experience the aura of a Vijay Associates (Wadhwa) Developers project, all ‘Signature’ projects and standing out from the rest as ‘Landmarks Created with Passion!’

THE RESIDENCES FROM UNITECH

FINALLY,

RESIDENCES THAT MAKE

GREAT SENSE You know you can’t afford an appointment in South Mumbai. But you want easy access to both airports, a couple of suburban stations, and major hubs in South & Navi Mumbai. You wouldn’t mind if it is located on a major highway. But it should be an affordable location like Chembur. It is as though Unitech has read your mind. Welcome to The Residences on Eastern Express Highway. Prices start at 35 lakhs. Sq fts start at 673.

PALM BEACH RESIDENCY

SEA, MOUNTA URBAN HEAV

AINS, VEN Well, if you thought the above three is an oxymoron, you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been on Navi Mumbaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palm Beach Road. If you had been there you would have seen the Palm Beach Residency. Where you will be hardpressed to choose between seafacing or mountain-facing apartments. Wadhwa Developers have pulled all stops to come up with this architectural marvel that is all about natural light, true breeze, and panoramic views. Prices start at 80 lakhs. Homes span between 2, 2.5, 3, & 4 BHK.

K RAHEJA VISTAS

VIEWS UNPARALLELED IN ANDHERI Imagine your home in a 19-storey tower with a double podium in Andheri East. Look out. How about 10 other 19-storey towers for company? All of them aesthetically designed and positioned so that you are not just in a home or condominium, but in an out-of-this-world urban experience. Yet, Raheja Vistas is no concrete jungle, with wide open areas and panoramic views. Accessibility to business hubs, schools, shopping areas, hospitals etc is rapid with its location on Chandivali Farm Road equidistant from Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and Andheri Kurla Road. Vistas come in 2, 2.5, 3, & 4-BHK. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo

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RUSTOMJEE GLOBAL CITY

Mumbai Makeover, You Home Shiftove

ur er

You knew it, they know it, and the Government admits it now. Mumbai needs room to grow. The expansion is up to Virar, the last frontier on the Western route. With the quadrupling of rail lines between Borivali and Virar complete, 100 new rail services already started, and Mumbaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second-largest SEZ coming up here, Virar is no doubt the epicentre of the Mumbai Makeover cyclone. Rustomjee has come up with something befitting the future Virar, Rustomjee Global City, spanning 217 acres. Complete with a school, an amusement park spanning 12 acres, a 70,000 sq ft clubhouse with every imaginable recreation, a shopping mall with multiplex, an entertainment centre, and food courts.

AJMERA PRISTINE

ECO FRIENDLY LIVING IN

MUMBAI

Borivali is unique among all Mumbai suburbs for its virgin environment. Home to the world’s largest forest area within city limits, the 104 sq km Borivali National Park, and the ancient Kanheri Caves. No wonder, Ajmera Group’s latest project Pristine at Yogi Nagar at Borivali

West will pamper you with choices like mountain-view or sea-view flats. Imagine doing yoga or meditation on the 22nd floor. High speed elevators will race you through the 3 wings of 21 storeys each. The first wing of 2 & 3 BHK apartments would be ready by October 2010.

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HIRANANDANI PALACE GARDENS

LIVE AMONG 30,000 TREES You have been once to Powai. And marvelled at Hiranandani Gardens. Then ten steps ahead of the rest, and still a good two steps ahead. But your heart is in Chennai. You know that Chennai will be the last bastion of traditional values. Now Hirco, a Hiranandani Group company is fulfilling that dream. The over 250 acre Hiranandani Palace Gardens coming up on Sriperumbudur Business Corridor between NH 4 & 45 will be better than the original. For example, 30,000 trees are being planted in this integrated township. Designed by Hafeez Contractor, planned by HOK USA, managed by Turner USA, built by L&T, and tech supported by TCS, this is one project to watch for.

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ARIHANT JP MORGAN VILLA VIVIANA

RESORT LIVING, Day in Day Out You grew up in a villa. Your career shifted you to a high-rise. But deep inside you long for those delights only a villa can provide. But in Chennai, your dream remained a dream. Until now. City based and listed realty major Arihant Foundations & Housing Ltd and international institutional investor JP Morgan have joined hands to bring you Villa Viviana, a township of premium villas on GST Road at the hot location of Maraimalai Nagar. The luxuries are out of this world. How about your own private plunge pool? Aroma gardens, bird watching tower, rejuvenation centre, and two class clubhouses? This is where even your guests will feel pampered with the pied-a-terre and Alfresco dining.

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JAINS INSELI PARK

EASY DECISION, EASY LIVING When considering a Chennai home, Jains Housing & Constructions is one developer you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ignore. A leader in the Chennai market, Jains Housing is native to the city, and sharply focused on this metro despite recent expansions to other cities. The result is solid fundas for you â&#x20AC;&#x201C; well thought of locations, good build quality, reasonable price, and committed ontime delivery. Jains Inseli Park also will follow this tradition even while being a cut above the rest of their projects until now. Coming up on an 11 acres prime land at Padur on OMR, Inseli Park is divided into seven stylish blocks, positioned among a fully landscaped area of greens, water bodies, and stylish paved driveways.

GHP ABHILASHA

A POWAI HOME WITHOUT THE JAMS You were once in love with Powai. But before you could blink your eye, Powai was full. Rush, traffic, standstill, road rage. So how will Powaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original developer respond? No, we are not meaning the Hiranandanis or the Nahars. GHP Group, who was there before everyone else, decided on Chandivali. The still uncomplicated suburb between Powai and Saki Naka. GHP Abhilasha is a 15-storey tower with excellent build quality and the ground floor and first floor set aside for commercial purposes. Expect granamite tiles, feather touch windows, and an exquisitely designed entrance hall.

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PRESTIGE KENSINGTON GARDENS

Your 7.6 Acres in BANGALORE You long for estate living. But you can’t leave Bangalore. You know you can own a green home in the outskirts. But you want it inside the city. You would love to have it in a classic Bangalore locale like RMV. Prestige Group wouldn’t disappoint your dreams. There are few builders who know Bangalore or Bangalore realty as much as Prestige. RMV II Stage has 7.6 acres left aside for Prestige Kensington Gardens. Where you will choose between 2 & 3 BHK apartments, and one among the 4 towers. The only thing you needn’t choose would be the acres of lush greenery around. But be ready for the best of both worlds. Kensington Gardens is also quickly accessible on HMT Main Road.

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PURVA FOUNTAINSQUARE

RENAISSANCE,

POST-MODERN, FUSION An outside that reminds you of Rome. An inside that brings back memories of Manhattan. Bangalore’s Airport Road houses Purva Fountainsquare where renaissance meets post-modernism. Imagine magnificent Italian fountains, layered gardens, cobbled paths, dancing cascades, quaint lampposts, and wrought iron benches. Now imagine 16 acres of it. Even the connoisseur in you would feel guilty at this excess. But Puravankara believes that you deserve it. Once inside your complex, you will be surprised at how this renaissance exterior masks an efficient ultramodern smart home system, complete with automated access control for both vehicles and humans.

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BRIGADE PETUNIA

Extraordinarily Original Home You are fed up with the ordinary. The so-called Bangalore’s best. Fed up with living atop high-rises. You long for an aesthetic commune. You need your space. You demand extraordinary options. Like the unique first floor, second floor, and third floor residences of Brigade Petunia. So that you can choose between first floor’s private gardens, second floor’s open sky terraces, or third floor’s duplexes. No cramped living for you. Petunia homes range between 3150 to 4500 sq ft in a 2.5 acre green landscaped site. And everything comes in double – two car parks for each home, only two homes on each floor, and even two entrances – from Jayanagar and Banashankari. All for just one less than fifty families.

y es

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IPO CORNER

BETTING ON irst generation entrepreneur Kabul Chawla led BBTP is an NCR-Delhi based realty major that shares the youthful enthusiasm of its founder. A quick grower, BPTP has a pan-NCR portfolio of 57 projects of which 17 have been launched or are in the ongoing stage. Of these, 31 projects belong to the Project Parklands integrated township at Faridabad. BBTP projects spread across such NCR hubs like Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, & Faridabad. 36-year old Kabul

Chawla is known for his quick moves in the industry, the best examples being the stake sale to key international investors like Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, & Merrill Lynch. However, such rapid moves have often invited trouble too with the most infamous being undertaking the largest land deal at Noida for over Rs. 5000 crore, only to back off months later as the property bubble burst and BBTP was unable to raise the required funds. Finally, BBTP retained only 25% of the land â&#x20AC;&#x201C; around 21 acres â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for a now criticized figure of

N BPTP? Rs. 1300 crore. The now announced IPO is for Rs. 1500 crore. The firm is known to dip in profits in sync with the industry, but to recover quickly too, using quick rate cuts that drive sales. The IPO proceeds would go towards completing some ongoing projects, and repaying part of its highinterest loans. With a debt equity ratio of 0.73:1.0, BBTP seems a reasonable bet, but of course everything will depend upon the price fixing. Though the IPO will provide an exit route for the foreign investors who hold a substantial stake, it is known that such a move wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be imminent as there is a lock-in period of 1 year. This should present a favourable post-listing scenario for the short-term, if the issue is completed successfully.firm is known to dip in profits in sync with the industry, but to recover quickly too, using quick rate cuts that drive sales. The IPO proceeds would go towards completing some ongoing projects, and repaying part of its high-interest

Kabul Chawla, Managing Director

loans. With a debt equity ratio of 0.73:1.0, BBTP seems a reasonable bet, but of course everything will depend upon the price fixing. Though the IPO will provide an exit route for the foreign investors who hold a substantial stake, it is known that such a move wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be imminent as there is a lock-in period of 1 year. This should present a favourable post-listing scenario for the short-term, if the issue is completed successfully.

SAHARA PRIME CITY IPO

OR AVOID? Sahara Group is already two IPOs old, the listed companies being Sahara One Media & Entertainment Ltd and Sahara Housing Finance Ltd. The former is an index stock, being part of the BSE SMLCAP, while the other is a B Group scrip. The soon to hit IPO, Sahara Prime City, is in the business of developing townships across India. The company claims to have invested Rs. 3500 crore in this business. 10 townships are already under development, of which 3 townships at Lucknow, Nagpur, & Indore are slated for completion next year. But the Group’s high profile Aamby Valley City, a 10,000 acre mega city near Lonavala, is not part of Sahara Prime City. The IPO aims for a sizeable figure of Rs. 3000 crore, nearly equal to the promoters’ stake. Around Rs. 2700 crore from the IPO proceeds would be utilized to develop the townships business further, which entails a grand plan of 217 townships across the country. The remaining Rs. 300 crore from the IPO will go towards clearing existing debt. Sahara Group’s flagship finance business, being one of the country’s only two surviving RNBCs used to have huge access to public funds until last year. RBI had ruled in 2008 that Sahara’s Residuary Non Banking Company shouldn’t accept any more deposits and that all existing deposits should be returned completely before 2015. The Group is aware of the negative sentiment this has created in the market, and according to Sushanto Roy, who heads the real estate and infrastructure business, this IPO and the resulting analyst and public scrutiny would make the Group as well as Sahara Prime City more transparent. Sushanto’s father Subrato Roy, Group Chairman, is a first generation entrepreneur who rapidly built the $12 billion empire virtually from scratch, often resulting in allegations of non-transparent political and financial dealings. Whether to subscribe to the IPO or not will depend a lot on how the exact financial position of Sahara Prime City will unravel in the coming days, and how much investor confidence CEO Sushanto Roy can bring to the issue. It is a reasonable bet for investors who are bullish about the prospects of new integrated cities touted to be the future of work-play-live. However, realty, infrastructure, and power IPOs have started faring badly with JSW Energy IPO being bailed out by LIC & ICICI Bank today.

PRESTIGE IPO

Will Prestige Break the Jinx of Bangalore Realty IPOs? The long awaited IPO of Prestige Estates Projects is one of the last chances to invest in Bangalore realty’s upcoming resurgence, through the capital markets route. Prestige is a pioneering leader in the Bangalore market, with over 23 years of experience in real estate development, and 142 completed projects to its credit including townships, condominiums, offices, and retail / malls. Noted for its upmarket offerings and value appreciation during the boom time, the investor community is expecting the same from Prestige in the equity markets. The issue is pegged at more than twice the size of competitor Sobha Developers’ IPO and around a quarter more than another Bangalore based player Puravankara Projects’s issue. Bangalore realty IPOs haven’t been exceptional performers with Sobha who issued shares at Rs. 640 going down as deep as 67.45 and now struggling to go beyond 230 levels. Puravakara, which issued at Rs. 400, went as deep as 25.60, and is now finding it difficult to move above 100. Another player Brigade had issued at Rs. 390, nosedived to 27.80, and is now hovering below 140. It is up to Prestige to break this jinx and deliver an IPO that delivers true value to investors, both in the short-term and the long-term.

I LIVE IN A VAN, I HAVE NO IPOD, I HAVE FOOD FOR 5 CENTS,

BUT I FUNDED MY $150,000 DEGREE Durham, North Carolina based Duke University has been college to celebrities like Cisco’s John Chambers, ExxonMobil’s Rex Adams, GM’s Rick Wagoner, Pfizer’s Edmund T Pratt Jr, Bill Gate’s wife Melinda Gates, and former US President Richard Nixon. But the latest celebrity off Duke, Ken Ilgunas, doesn’t have much in common with any of them. Not well-off and ow do I afford grad school without going into debt? A '94 Econoline, bulk food and creative civil disobedience

I was lying on the floor of my van where the middle pilot chairs used to be, trying to hide from view. This is it, I thought. They know. I'm going to get kicked out of Duke. Moments before, I had been cooking a pot of spaghetti stew on top of a plastic, three-drawer storage container, which held all my food and my few meager possessions. I figured the campus security guard had parked next to me because he spotted the blue flame from my propane stove through the van's tinted windows and shades. I held my breath as he shut off the engine and opened his door. I was in my boxer shorts, splayed across my stainspeckled carpet like a scarecrow toppled by the wind. As I listened to what sounded like a pair of Gestapo jackboots approach the driver-side door, I thought about

wary about the educational loan system in US, Ken completed his graduate degree living off an old van, secretly parked near Duke, that he turned into a makeshift home. And most importantly, he completed the degree without a loan. The issues Ken raise about the educational system and extravagant living are more than thought provoking. how I'd almost gotten away with it. For two whole months, I had been secretly living in my van on campus. For some, van-dwelling may conjure images of popculture losers forced into desperate measures during troubled times: losers like Uncle Rico from "Napoleon Dynamite," or "Saturday Night Live's" Chris Farley who'd famously exclaim, "I live in a van down by the river!" before crashing through a coffee table, or perhaps the once ubiquitous inhabitants of multicolored VW buses, welcoming strangers with complimentary coke lines and invitations to writhing, hairy, back-seat orgies. In my van there were no orgies or coke lines, no overweight motivational speakers. To me, the van was what Kon-Tiki was to Heyerdahl, what the GMC van was to the A-Team, what Walden was to Thoreau. It was an adventure. Living in a van was my grand social experiment. I wanted to see if I could -- in an age of rampant consumerism and fiscal irresponsibility -- afford the unaffordable: an education. I pledged that I wouldn't take out loans. Nor

would I accept money from anybody, especially my mother, who, appalled by my experiment, offered to rent me an apartment each time I called home. My heat would be a sleeping bag; my air conditioning, an open window. I'd shower at the gym, eat the bare minimum and find a job to pay tuition. And -- for fear of being caught -- I wouldn't tell anybody. Living on the cheap wasn't merely a way to save money and stave off debt; I wanted to live adventurously. I wanted to test my limits. I wanted to find the line between my wants and my needs. I wanted, as Thoreau put it, "to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life â&#x20AC;Ś to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms." It wouldn't be hard for me to remain frugal. After buying the van and making my first tuition payment, I was only a few dollars away from having to rummage through Dumpsters to find my next meal. I was -- by conventional first-world definitions -- poor. While I faced little risk of malnutrition or disease like the truly poor, I still I didn't

own an iPod, and I smelled sometimes. My experiment began in the spring semester of 2009 when I enrolled in the graduate liberal studies department. Months before, I had just finished paying off $32,000 in undergraduate student loans -- no easy feat for an English major. To pay off my debt, I'd found jobs that provided free room and board. I moved to Coldfoot, Alaska -- 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 250 from the nearest store -where I worked as a lodge cleaner, a tour guide and a cook. Later, I worked on a trail crew in Mississippi in an AmeriCorps program. Between jobs I hitchhiked more than 7,000 miles to avoid paying airfare. When I couldn't find work, I moved in with friends. My clothes came from donation bins, I had friends cut my hair, and I'd pick up odd jobs when I could. Nearly every dime I made went into my loans. I hated my debt more than anything. I dragged it with me wherever I went. While I was still leading an exciting,

adventurous life, I knew I could never truly be free until my debt was gone. I finally got out of the red when I landed a well-paying job with the Park Service as a backcountry ranger. Finally, after two and a half years of work, my debt was gone. I had four grand in the bank that was mine. All mine. It was the first time I had actual money that hadn't been borrowed or given to me since I was a 13-year-old paperboy.

to my jubilation -- began slowly transforming into a bed. I half-expected to see a disco ball descend from the ceiling and hear '70s porn music blare from the speakers. Fortuitously, I was assigned a parking lot in a remote area on campus next to a cluster of apartments where I hoped campus security would presume I lived. Over time, my van felt less like a novelty and more like a home. At night I was whirred to sleep by crescendos of

The more money I had borrowed, I came to realize, the more freedom I had surrendered. Yet, I still considered my education -- as costly as it was -- to be priceless. So now, motivated to go back to school yet determined not to go back into debt, I had to think outside the box. Or, as Henry David Thoreau might suggest, inside one. In "Walden," Thoreau mentioned a 6 foot-by-3 foot box he had seen by the railroad in which laborers locked up their tools at night. A man could live comfortably in one of these boxes, he thought. Nor would he have to borrow money and surrender freedom to afford a "larger and more luxurious box." And so: I decided to buy a van. Though I had never lived in one, I knew I had the personality for it. I had a penchant for rugged living, a sixth sense for cheapness, and an unequaled tolerance for squalor. My first order of business upon moving to Duke was to find my "Walden on Wheels." After a two-hour bus ride into the North Carolinian countryside, I caught sight of the '94 Ford Econoline that I had found advertised on Craigslist. Googly-eyed, I sauntered up to it and lovingly trailed fingertips over dents and chipped paint. The classy cabernet sauvignon veneer at the top slowly, sensuously faded downward into lustrous black. I got behind the wheel and revved up the fuel-funneling beast. There was a grumble, a cough, then a smooth and steady mechanical growl. It was big, it was beautiful, and -- best of all -- it was $1,500. I bought it immediately. So began what I'd call "radical living." I removed the two middle pilot chairs to create a living space, installed a coat hook, and spent $5 on a sheet of black cloth to hang behind my front and passenger seats so that -- between the sheet, tinted windows, and shades - no one would be able to see me inside. I neatly folded my clothes into a suitcase, and I hung up my dress shirts and pants on another hook I screwed into the wall. I at first failed to notice the TV and VCR (that I would never use) placed between the two front chairs. Nor did I know about the 12-disc CD changer hiding under the passenger seat until weeks later. Just when I thought I had uncovered all the van's secrets, I found a mysterious button toward the back. When I pushed it, the back seat grumbled, vibrated and -- much

cicadas. In the morning, I awoke to a medley of birdsong so loud and cheery you would have thought my little hermitage was tucked away in a copse of trees. During rainstorms, I listened to millions of raindrops drum against the roof and watched them wiggle like sperm down my windows. I loved cooking in the van. As an adept backcountry camper, I could easily whip up an assortment of economical and delicious meals on my backpacking stove. For breakfast, cereal with powdered milk and oatmeal with peanut butter became staples; for dinner, spaghetti stew with peanut butter, vegetable stew with peanut butter, and even rice and bean tacos with peanut butter. Without proper refrigeration, I cut out meat, dairy and beer from my diet entirely. I became leaner, got sick less and had more energy

than ever before. By buying food in bulk I reduced my food bill to $4.34 cents a day. I was meticulous with my expenditures. I saved every receipt and wrote down everything I bought. Not including tuition, I lived (and lived comfortably) on $103 a week, which covered my necessities: food, gas, car insurance, a cellphone and visits to the laundromat. The idea of "thrift," once an American ideal, now seems

loans when they start getting paid the big bucks; they're living in a state of denial, disregarding the implications of a tough job market and how many extra years of work their spending sprees have sentenced them to. But "facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored," as Aldous Huxley famously said. I have sympathy for my fellow students. I did many of the same things when I was an undergrad. Plus, escaping student debt -- no matter how frugal they try to be -- is nearly impossible. Even if they do resort to purchasing a large creepy van, most will still have to go tens of thousands of dollars into debt to pay for tuition. While I found a way to afford graduate school, I by no means had the same financial responsibilities as the average student. I was so poor when I applied that my department took pity on me and significantly reduced the cost of my tuition. I even found a well-paying part-time job working for a government-sponsored program, tutoring inner-city kids. Governments and financial aid departments normally aren't so helpful. For decades, the government has let legions of college students -- students who wished to better themselves and contribute to society -- go into soulcrippling debt. Schools don't make it any easier with steep hikes in tuition and baffling room and board costs. Students are oftentimes forced to pay for insanely priced meal plans and are barred from moving to cheaper housing offcampus. At Duke, the cheapest on-campus meal plan charges them 3.5 times more a day than it cost to feed me. Their dorm rooms cost 18 times more than my parking permit. Here, the average undergraduate student who's taken out loans graduates with more than $23,000 in debt -- about the national average. The cost of education at Duke, as at most schools across the country, is disgracefully high. Tuition costs (not factoring in financial aid) more than $37,000 a year. Additionally, students have to pay at least another $10,000 for books, meal plans, fees and dorms.

almost quaint to many college students, particularly those at elite schools. The typical student today is not so frugal. Few know where the money they're spending is coming from and even fewer know how deep they're in debt. They're detached from the source of their money. That's because there is no source. They're getting paid by their future selves. My "radical living" experiment convinced me that the things plunging students further into debt -- the iPhones, designer clothes, and even "needs" like heat and air conditioning, for instance -- were by no means "necessary." And I found it easier to "do without" than I ever thought it would be. Easier by far than the jobs I'd been forced to take in order to pay off my loans. Most undergrads imagine they'll effortlessly pay off their

Duke's egregiously hefty price tag is no anomaly. Nor is it unusual for students to unflinchingly take out massive loans that'll take them years, sometimes decades, to pay off. Willingness to go into debt, of course, isn't just confined to students; we're a nation in debt, collectively and individually. Going into debt today is as American as the 40-hour work week; or the stampede of Wal-Mart warriors on Black Friday; or the hillocks of gifts under a Christmas tree. An army of loan drones we've become, marching from one unpaid-for purchase to the next in quest of a sense of fulfillment that fades long before the bill arrives. We're little different from the Spanish explorers who dedicated their lives to the quest for El Dorado, which was always just around the next bend in the river, yet never there at all.

I refused to join those ranks. I became a deserter, an eccentric, an outsider. At Duke, I felt like an ascetic in the midst of wealth, a heretic in the Church of the Consumer. I had to hide.

and the ubiquitous threat of food poisoning. I loved my van. Because of it, I could afford grad school. So naturally I was nervous as I listened to the security guard's weapons jingle as he ambled by my windshield.

Because I was so paranoid about campus security finding out about my experiment, I kept myself apart from other students. Whenever I did talk with a fellow classmate, I found myself souring the conversation with preposterous lies -- lies I'd tell to protect myself. Whenever someone asked me where I lived, I'd say "off campus," or I'd make up an address before changing the subject. I found it easier to avoid people altogether.

But he just kept walking.

I worried that if students caught wind of my experiment, a Facebook group would be created for "People who've had a confirmed sighting of the campus van-dweller." Campus security would find out, deem my lodgings illegal and promptly kick me out of the van and into some conventional and unaffordable style of living, wherein I'd have to buy a rug to tie the room together. Deprived of human companionship, I cloistered myself in my van and in libraries where I was alone with my thoughts and my books. Time for selfreflection, study and solitude was what I thought I'd wanted all along. But of all the things that I gave up for "radical living," I found it fitting that the one thing I wanted most was that which couldn't be bought. When a trio of laughing males drunkenly stumbled past my van, probably hoisting one another up like injured comrades after battle, I thought of my friends back home. On winter nights, when the windows were coated with a frosty glaze, I'd wish for a woman to share the warmth of my sleeping bag. While I have plenty of good things to say about simplicity, living in a van wasn't all high-minded idealism in action. Washing dishes became so troublesome I stopped altogether, letting specks of dried spaghetti sauce and globs of peanut butter season the next meal. There was no place to go to the bathroom at night. I never figured out exactly where to put my dirty laundry. Once, when a swarm of ants overtook my storage containers, I tossed and turned all night, imagining them spelunking into my orifices like cave divers while I slept. New, strange, unidentifiable smells greeted me each evening. Upon opening the side doors, a covey of odors would escape from the van like spirits unleashed from a cursed ark. But no adventure is without bouts of loneliness, discomfort

I was overcome by an odd sense of dissatisfaction. Deep down, I think I wanted him to discover me. I wanted a showdown. I wanted to wave my arms at the dean and cry, "Impound my van? Over my dead body! I'll take you straight to the Supreme Court!" Fellow students would rally behind me. We'd stage car-dwelling protests and after winning back my right to remain voluntarily poor, people would begin to consider me the campus sage. I'd wear loose white clothing, grow my beard, and speak in aphorisms to the underclassmen who journeyed the mile on foot to my sacred parking space where I'd serve them tea. Today I still live in the van. I haven't taken out loans or borrowed money from anyone. Really, the only thing that's different is that I've set up my laundry area by the passenger seat. Also, after another summer with the Park Service, I have more money than I possibly need. Now, instead of being poor, I am radically frugal. Sometimes, though, I think it would be nice to have an ironing board, plumbing and a wood stove. It would be nice. A middle-class family might think it would be nice to have an in-ground swimming pool. A millionaire might think it would be nice to have a yacht. The billionaire, a private jet. Someone, somewhere might think it would be nice to have food to feed her family tonight. Someone, somewhere might think it would be nice to live in a van in order to afford to go to a wonderful school. I could begin satisfying my desires and buying comforts, but I've learned to appreciate what little I have instead of longing for what I do not. Admittedly, now that I have money I buy the fancy peanut butter from Whole Foods, and I've even purchased an expensive pair of hiking boots. But most things are the same: I still cook spartan meals, I don't have an iPod, and I park in the very same spot. And I still have my secret. Well, that is, until now.

Ring the Light, Call the Fan? Hate electric wires in this WiFi world? You are not alone. Scientists have succeeded in transmitting electricity via wireless, and the first products using this remarkable technology will soon hit the market. Switching on the light may soon be called ringing the light or calling the light.

Marin Soljacic couldn't sleep. The problem was his wife's Nokia cell phone. The tyrannical device beeped on the bedside table when it needed to be plugged in. It could not be disabled. Instead of taking a hammer to the phone, Soljacic marveled at the fact that this device, and billions of others like it, was sitting a few feet away from all the electricity it could ever need. Why couldn't it receive power wirelessly, just as laptops get Wi-Fi? A physics professor, Soljacic dug into the problem and learned that if you could get two magnetic fields to resonate -- to sing the same note, in effect -- they could transfer an electric current. With two large magnetic coils, he found a way to throw 60 watts across a room, powering a lightbulb. MIT, his employer, quickly patented the technology and encouraged Soljacicto start a company. WiTricity's 15 employees are hard at work proving

that Soljacic's magnetic coils can power almost any electrical device. Most of the company's potential customers have one major question: safety. "There's a real perceptual problem," says CEO Eric Giler. "People think we're putting electricity in the air, and that's called lightning, and they know to stay away from that." In fact, the coils turn electricity into magnetic fields, then back into electricity. Magnetic fields interact weakly with humans; as far as the fields are concerned, we are no different from air. Giler makes a point of standing between the coils whenever he demonstrates the technology. At the Nikkei electronics conference in Tokyo in October, he was able to power a 1,000-watt klieg light from across the room -- a far cry from that 60-watt lightbulb in Soljacic's first experiment. "We're going up the power curve," he says.

LONELY ISN’T HEALTHY Meditating and having some time for yourself may be good for wellbeing, but it shouldn’t end up in loneliness, warns researchers. Loneliness affects the body as worse as smoking does, and it is an easy guess that it affects the mind too. The medicine is however pleasant – go out and connect with some thing, some one, some cause.

oneliness can be as harmful to your health as smoking and obesity, claim psychologists.

"That stunned all of us, myself and all my colleagues in terms of the effects it had," he said. "It shows just how powerful it is.

Lack of connection with others not only makes us unhappy but it is also bad for the wellbeing of the body and mind, research finds.

"The lonely have poor health. They exercise less, are more likely to quit. Eat more calories. They comfort eat more fats and sugars.

A sense of rejection or isolation increases blood pressure, stress levels and general wear and tear as well as increases your chances of developing Alzheimer's Disease.

"Loneliness lowers the ability to control yourself. It is really easy after a bad day to have a second scotch and a third to get some comfort."

It also reduces will power and perseverance, thus affecting the ability to follow a healthy lifestyle, according to scientists. The findings were outlined by Professor John Cacioppo, of the University of Chicago, at the American Association

One of the founders of a new discipline called social neuroscience, Professor Cacioppo, traced the need for connection to its evolutionary roots. In order to survive in the past, humans needed to bond to rear their children. In order to flourish, they needed to extend their altruistic and cooperate,

Loneliness not only alters behaviour behaviour,, but loneliness is related to greater resistance to blood flow through your cardiovascular system, Professor Cacioppo for the Advancement of Science annual conference. Loneliness not only alters behaviour, but loneliness is related to greater resistance to blood flow through your cardiovascular system, Professor Cacioppo said. Loneliness leads to higher rises in morning levels of the stress hormone cortisol, affects the immune system, higher blood pressure and an increased level of depression. Loneliness, or perceived social isolation, also is related to difficulty getting a deep sleep and a faster progression of Alzheimer's disease, said Professor Cacioppo. Healthwise, he said the difference between a lonely person and a popular person was akin to "a smoker and a nonsmoker".

he concluded. Just as physical pain is a prompt to change behaviour, such as moving a finger away from the fire, loneliness evolved as a prompt to action, signalling an ancestral need to repair the social bonds. The problem of social isolation is likely to grow as conventional family structures die out, said Professor Cacioppo, the author of Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. People are living longer, having fewer children later in life and increasingly mobile around the world. Surveys also show that people report significantly fewer close friends and confidants than those a generation ago.

YOU TALK INSIDE, THIS COMP SPEAKS OUTSIDE Man-Machine interfaces, once only in the realm of sci-fi, is getting eerily real. Scientists have a developed a brain implantable but wireless system that can collect and transmit spoken-but-unspoken words into a speech synthesizer in real time. The first application is for those suffering from stroke-induced locked-in syndrome, but can anyone imagine where it is really headed?

odel of the brain-machine interface for real-time synthetic speech production. The strokeinduced lesion (red X) disables speech output, but speech motor planning in the cerebral cortex remains intact. Signals collected from an electrode in the speech motor cortex are amplified and sent wirelessly across the scalp as FM radio signals. The Neuralynx System amplifies, converts, and sorts the signals. The neural decoder

marks the first successful demonstration of a permanently installed, wireless implant for realtime control of an external device.

premotor cortex). Neurites began growing into the electrode and, in three or four months, the neurites produced signaling patterns on the electrode wires that have been maintained indefinitely.

The study is led by Frank Guenther of the Department of Cognitive and Neural Systems and the Sargent Three years after implantation, the College of Health and researchers began testing the brainRehabilitation Sciences at Boston machine interface for real-time University, as well as the Division synthetic speech production. The of Health Science and Technology system is “telemetric” - it requires at Harvard University- no wires or connectors passing Massachusetts Institute of through the skin, eliminating the Technology. The research team risk of infection. Instead, the includes collaborators from Neural electrode amplifies and converts Signals, Inc., in Duluth, Georgia; neural signals into frequency StatsANC LLC in Buenos Aires, modulated (FM) radio signals. Argentina; the Georgia Tech These signals are wirelessly Research Institute in Marietta, transmitted across the scalp to two Georgia; the Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville, Georgia; “The results of our study show and Emory University that a brain-machine interface Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. The team (BMI) user can control sound published their results in output directly, rather than a recent issue of PLoS having to use a (relatively ONE. “The results of our study slow) show that a brainmachine interface (BMI) user can control sound output directly, rather than having to use a (relatively slow) typing process,” Guenther told PhysOrg.com.

then translates the signals into speech commands for the speech synthesizer. Credit: Guenther, et al. (PhysOrg.com) -- By implanting an electrode into the brain of a person with locked-in syndrome, scientists have demonstrated how to wirelessly transmit neural signals to a speech synthesizer. The "thoughtto-speech" process takes about 50 milliseconds - the same amount of time for a non-paralyzed, neurologically intact person to speak their thoughts. The study

In their study, the researchers tested the technology on a 26-year-old male who had a brain stem stroke at age 16. The brain stem stroke caused a lesion between the volunteer’s motor neurons that carry out actions and the rest of the brain; while his consciousness and cognitive abilities are intact, he is paralyzed except for slow vertical movement of the eyes. The rare condition is called locked-in syndrome. Five years ago, when the volunteer was 21 years old, the scientists implanted an electrode near the boundary between the speechrelated premotor and primary motor cortex (specifically, the left ventral

typing process,” coils, which are attached to the volunteer’s head using a watersoluble paste. The coils act as receiving antenna for the RF signals. The implanted electrode is powered by an induction power supply via a power coil, which is also attached to the head. The signals are then routed to an electrophysiological recording system that digitizes and sorts them. The sorted spikes, which contain the relevant data, are sent to a neural decoder that runs on a desktop computer. The neural decoder’s output becomes the input to a speech synthesizer, also running on the computer. Finally, the speech synthesizer generates synthetic speech (in the current study, only three vowel sounds were tested). The entire process takes an average of 50 milliseconds.

As the scientists explained, there are no previous electrophysiological studies of neuronal firing in speech motor areas. In order to develop an accurate neural coding scheme, they had to rely on an established neurocomputational model of speech motor control. According to this model, neurons in the left ventral premotor cortex represent intended speech sounds in terms of “formant frequency trajectories.” In an intact brain, these frequency trajectories are sent to the primary motor cortex where they are transformed into motor commands to the speech articulators. However, in the current study, the researchers had to interpret these frequency trajectories in order to translate them into speech. To do this, the scientists developed a two-dimensional formant frequency space, in which different vowel sounds can be plotted based on two formant frequencies (whose values are represented on the x and y axes). “The study supported our hypothesis (based on the DIVA model, our neural network model of speech) that the premotor cortex represents intended speech as an ‘auditory trajectory,’ that is, as a set of key frequencies (formant frequencies) that vary with time in the acoustic signal we hear as speech,” Guenther said. “In other words, we could predict the intended sound directly from neural activity in the premotor cortex, rather than try to predict the positions of all the speech articulators individually and then try to reconstruct the intended sound (a much more difficult problem given the small number of neurons from which we recorded). This result provides our first insight into how neurons in the brain represent speech, something that has not been investigated before since there is no animal model for speech.” To confirm that the neurons in the implanted area were able to carry speech information in the form of formant frequency trajectories, the researchers asked the volunteer to attempt to speak in synchrony with a vowel sequence that was presented auditorily. In later experiments, the volunteer received real-time auditory feedback from the speech synthesizer. During 25 sessions over a five-month period, the volunteer significantly improved the thought-tospeech accuracy. His average hit rate increased from 45% to 70% across sessions, reaching a high of 89% in the last session. Although the current study focused only on producing a small set of vowels, the researchers think that consonant sounds could be achieved with improvements to the system. While this study used a single three-wire electrode, the use of additional

electrodes at multiple recording sites, as well as improved decoding techniques, could lead to rapid, accurate control of a speech synthesizer that could generate a wide range of sounds. “Our immediate plans involve the implementation of a new synthesizer that can produce consonants as well as vowels but remains simple enough for a BMI user to control,” Guenther said. “We are also working on hardware that will greatly increase the number of neurons that are recorded. We expect to tap into at least 10 times as many neurons in the next implant recipient, which should lead to a dramatic improvement in performance.” Overall, the work marks a milestone in the development of a permanent neural prosthesis that requires no major external hardware beyond a wireless receiver and laptop computer. Previous brain-machine interfaces for communication applications are very slow, producing only about one word per minute. The new system has the potential to enable real-time conversation, and help minimize the social isolation that accompanies profound paralysis.

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NORTH KOREANS IN MISERY AS CASH IS CULLED Shops and markets in North Korea have been closed and all cash transactions frozen after the Government’s shock announcement of a devaluation of its currency in an effort to crack down on the country’s burgeoning free-market economy. In the capital, Pyongyang, yesterday only the few shops and restaurants permitted to trade in foreign currencies — patronised by the privileged elite and the city’s small foreign population — were open for business. All other enterprises and services based on cash, including

markets, long-distance bus services, barbers’ shops, saunas and bath houses, were suspended until the revaluation of the won is completed next week. There were reports of public outrage and confusion after the announcement of the measure, which requires North Koreans to swap existing won notes for new ones at an exchange rate of one to 100 — effectively knocking two zeroes off their value. Because of a cap of 100,000 won per family (£475 at the official exchange rate), anyone with significant holdings of cash will have their

savings wiped out. “Loud sounds of weeping in every house have not ceased since the news was released,” a South Korean website quoted an inhabitant of Sinuiju, a city on the border with China, as saying. “Weeping and fighting between couples has not stopped anywhere. The atmosphere of the city is terrible now.” The website, dailynk.com, said that one elderly couple had killed themselves in North Hamgyong, a province adjacent to the Chinese border across which much illegal trading is carried out. It also reported anxiety among local officials that the currency revaluation would provoke civil unrest. However, a Western diplomat in Pyongyang said that, apart from the closed shops, the announcement had had no visible effect. North Korea is one of the world’s most tightly controlled and brutal totalitarian states and public dissent is almost unknown. The announcement was made on Monday via a closedcable broadcasting system that is piped into all North Korean homes. It was not reported in the state media but was confirmed the following day in briefings to foreign diplomats in Pyongyang, who were summoned to the Foreign Ministry at 20 minutes’ notice. “It came as a great surprise to everyone,” one Western diplomat in Pyongyang told The Times. “Everything closed — no notice given. When we made inquiries we discovered it was because the currency was no longer valid. It’s really quite dramatic.” Households have been told that if they surrender their cash holdings this week, they will be given the new notes from Monday. Some reports suggested that, after protests from members of the elite, the limit on cash exchange had been raised to 150,000 won, and 300,000 won in bank deposits that would be made available after investigation into their source. “One of the worries our North Korean staff have is whether they will have enough food to get through to next week,” the manager of a foreign organisation in Pyongyang said. “Our employees have access to foreign currency but most people don’t and they could be in trouble.” The absence of commerce and its attendant clutter is one of the things that makes Pyongyang so unique among national capitals. Despite free-market reforms, most people still receive their basic food

allowances from their workplace and, although there are shops and markets, they do not dominate, as they do in most modern cities. The biggest shops, such as the No 1 Department Store, appear to be little more than showcases, intended to create a false impression of plenty and choice for the benefit of foreign visitors. The few examples of advertising to be seen in the city emphasise the absence of real capitalist activity. There are a handful of billboards for a car; a Fiat assembled under North Korean licence and never actually seen on the empty roads. Small kiosks selling snacks and bottled drinks are to be seen along Pyongyang’s pavements. There are big markets, such as the one in the Tongil district of the city, where, in the past whisky, Japanese cigarettes and various goods imported from China could be bought, as well as food such as rice and kimchi (pickled cabbage); even dog meat. Yesterday, however, the Tongil market was closed — not because of any shortage of goods but because of the absence, for this week at least, of a currency. The last time North Korea revalued its currency was in 1959. It changed its bank notes in 1992 but at a rate of one to one. As much as 300 won per person could be changed, with as much as 20,000 won accepted as savings deposits. In the end, though, much of that money was reportedly kept by the state-run banks.

UNDER THE SEA:

OCEAN SCULPTURES CAUSE A SPLASH Deep under the seas of the Mexican Caribbean these statues look like relics of an ancient civilisation. However this is not a forgotten lost race, but the beginnings of what will be the world's largest underwater sculpture museum. Located in the National Marine Park, on the west coast of Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc, these life size sculptures are the first of 400 that will be laid on the seabed over the next 13 months. The project is the brainchild of Jaime Gonzalez Cano of The National Marine Park, Roberto Diaz of The Cancun Nautical Association and renowned British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. Designed to celebrate the region's Mayan history it is hoped the underwater museum will heighten environmental awareness in the area, by creating an artificial reef in the hurricane hit region. Laying the first three sculptures this December, the project has been 18 months in the making. 'It has been very challenging,' revealed 35-year-old Jason. 'It has taken about one-and-a-half years to plan, so to see the sculptures going in is great. It's wonderful seeing the fruits of all the labour.' Using cranes and divers to submerge and place the sculptures, Jason has created three durable installations that will have a non-detrimental effect to the local eco-system. La Jardinera de la Esperanza (The Gardener of Hope), El Coleccionista de los sueqos perdidos (The Archive of Lost Dreams) and Hombre en Llamas (Man on Fire) sit several metres below the surface.

Including propagated coral, it is hoped the sculptures will attract juvenile algae that will give the statues radiant colours. The laying of the sculptures saw the completion of phase one of the project for the team. Phase two will see the laying of a further 400 figurative sculptures. Casts for the these statues will be made from the local Mexican population. Entitled, La Evolucisn Silenciosa (The Silent Evolution), the huge park is due to be completed by the end of 2010. In total, phases one and two will cost an initial $450,000 US (ÂŁ277,000). The project has brought about its own unique challenges. Jason said: 'We have to work out how the sculptures will fit on the seabed, how we lower them in and how the current affects them. 'The other major challenge is the fact you do not view them from the same angle as normal sculptures. 'Usually you are looking at eye level, but underwater you are above them and floating around the sides of them, so you have to think about how it will look from all angles.' With phase one now complete, Jason is already working away on phase two of the project. If successful, Jason hopes the third and final phase of the project will see the creation of an independent trust and committee to manage the museum and commission new sculptures by local artists. Acting as the museum's artistic director, Jason hopes the underwater museum will create an environmental awareness for the area. 'The feedback has been really good,' said Jason. 'It is proving very popular not only with divers but snorkellers and people in glass bottom boats. 'As well as providing enjoyment, I am trying to create environmental awareness. There are messages about our interaction with the natural

RWANDA

FIRST LANDMINEFREE COUNTRY

wanda has been officially declared landmine-free at the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World in

Awareness Trust, which supervised the clearance, says that Rwanda is the first country which has had numerous mines laid in the ground to be officially declared free from landmines.

Hundreds of people have been killed and injured by landmines in Rwanda.

"Rwanda has made history," he told the BBC World Service.

Colombia.

Landmines were laid between 1990 and 1994 in Rwanda and over the past three years more than over 9,000 have been destroyed by Rwandan soldiers. One hundred and eighty soldiers were involved in the process in which 20 minefields were de-mined over three years. Ben Remfrey of the Mines

He adds that although other countries have had far more mines laid, this is a significant step. "Rwanda had a problem, it wasn't huge but it was still significant... and had a big social and economic impact." Land scarce Landmines have been devastating for Rwanda since their existence prevented many people from being

able to live from their land. Since 80% of the population earn a living by through agriculture, and Rwanda is Africa's most densely populated country, land is already scarce. Nteziyaremya Alphose, a 40-yearold farmer living in a village north of Kigali, had mines on his farm. Two adults lost legs and a child and a cow were killed on his farm. Now his land has been cleared, he says his family are able to grow enough produce to feed themselves. "I can now use every piece of my land without becoming a victim of landmines, my livestock can now graze on this land and not be taken away from me," he says.

"Rwanda had a problem, it wasn't huge but it was still significant... and had a big social and economic impact." Destroying the mines

of the Ottawa Landmine Treaty.

The landmines were cleared by Rwandan soldiers who were specially trained in Kenya at the International Mines Action Training Centre.

These stipulate that not only does a country have to ensure its land is free of mines but also that it destroys its landmine stockpiles.

The mines, mostly anti-personnel landmines, were either neutralised or destroyed where they were found by qualified personnel. To be declared as landmine-free, Rwanda had to meet the conditions

The Mines Awareness Trust say that all Rwandan stockpiles were destroyed either by burning or controlled explosions, ensuring these items could never be used again. A dog specialist and a team of Mine Detection Dogs provided a final check of all the land surveyed and manually cleared so that the land could be signed off to international standards. Overall, 1.3m square metres of land were tested and cleared. It is this quality assurance that Mr Remfrey says makes Rwanda different to other countries which have declared themselves landminefree. Gareth Thomas, Africa Minister at the Department for International

Nteziyaremya Alphose is looking forward to being able to farm without fear of mines

Rwandan soldiers were specially trained for the mine clearance programme

Development which funded the programme, said that this project was important for Rwanda. "This means that Rwandans from those areas are now able to farm their land," he told the BBC's World Today programme. The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban convention, better known as the Ottawa Convention, was brought into force 10 years ago. Its aim was to help rid the world of landmines on the ground as well as stockpiled mines. Since then, a total of 156 states have ratified the convention and production of anti-personnel mines has ceased in 38 countries. But according to Landmine Monitor's estimates, more than 160m mines are held by countries not party to the convention and 13 states are still producing mines or retain the right to do so.

BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER s DEMOfall in September, before an audience of sleepy journalists and venture capitalists, Emo Labs CEO Jason Carlson took the stage with a TV and a giant set of speakers playing the Beach Boys. Then he whipped off the speaker box to reveal the real source of the sound: a sheet of clear plastic. There were audible gasps. Dozens of digital cameras flashed at once. Emo had invented invisible speakers. "I can't tell you how many times we've sat in front of engineers, and they keep asking, 'Where's the sound coming from again?'" says Carlson. "It's like their minds don't want them to believe it." Emo went on to win $500,000 and the conference's DEMOgod title. The company is tight-lipped on pricing and on which electronics giants it has struck deals with. Those companies should make their own announcements in the first half of 2010. (The products will not carry Emo Labs branding.) Carlson says the technology will add about a 10% price premium, so consumers should pay $100 more for a $1,000 TV equipped with Emo's speaker. Electronics firms have been deep-discounting their products

Meet 'Giant George' the 7ftlong blue great dane who could be the world's tallest dog Standing at nearly 43 inches tall from paw to shoulder and weighing a staggering 245lbs could this be the world's new tallest dog? Pictured here in the parks of Tuscon, Arizona, George, a four-year-old blue great dane, looks more like a miniature horse than a dog. The gentle giant, who measures 7ft 3ins from nose to tail, could be a prime contender to take the title from the former record holder, Gibson, a harlequin Great Dane who passed away from cancer last August. Now George's owners, David and Christine Nasser, are awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records to see if he has achieved the lofty heights. 'He's 42.625 inches at the shoulder,' said David. 'He's

very very unique.' According to David, George consumes 110lbs of food every month, and sleeps alone in his own Queen Size Bed. David and Christine raised George from when he was 7 weeks old, but never expected him to grow so big. The couple eventually had to move their aptly named dog out of their king sized bed, when he grew too large for the three of them to share the same sheets. Dr. William Wallace of the Buena Pet Clinic in Tucson, who witnessed the documentation necessary for the Guinness record, said: 'In my 45 years of experience working with giant breed dogs, without question, George is the tallest dog I have ever seen.' David is currently rushing to get that necessary documentation into Guinness as other dog owners are coming forth claiming the record. As they wait for the results to come through, George is busy occupying himself with his new found stardom and even has a Facebook fan page and Twitter accounts for his adorning fans. It appears as though the sky's the limit for this mammoth hound.

I AM NOT A BABYSITTER

s a teacher, I face many stereotypes about my job. But I wouldn't trade my career for any other. It is said that teaching is the profession that creates all other professions. That's a beautiful compliment for a job that often does not receive the respect one would predict given all of the platitudes bestowed upon teachers. "God bless you!" "What a noble profession" and "I couldn't do it, but thank goodness there are people like you out there" are a few that I've received. Like many of my colleagues, I didn't attend college intending to become a teacher. I worked in a related profession in youth services, helping high-school dropouts find social and vocational outlets other than the streets and dead-end jobs. Though the work was

often rewarding, I realized I could be more influential working with young people before they became a statistic. Thus began my career in education.

"God bless you!" "What a noble profession" and "I couldn't do it, but thank goodness there are people like you out there" are a few that I've received.

Some family and friends seemed to think the change was only temporary. Several asked, "How long do you think you'll teach?" Some inquired whether I had administrative aspirations. When one year became two, then three, etc., some friends actually questioned my sanity. Surely I wouldn't remain a lowly classroom teacher, they would insinuate, as if teaching is a stop-gap job. Unfortunately, too many people view teaching as a fallback, insurance, something stable to get them from their last corporate layoff to the next higher-paying job. If those types of comments aren't bewildering enough, I still hear chiding responses about my "cream-puff" schedule. This always reminds me of a remark a salty veteran teacher once made to me: "If a teacher tells you she is done with her work anytime before 7 p.m., she is lying or she isn't doing her job." What is sad about that statement is that it is not only true, it's sometimes an understatement. Eight or nine o'clock can be more like it, after a day that began at five or six a.m. Summers off? Think again. Teachers who truly aspire to make their mark and contribute only their very best to our nation's future enroll in summer training courses and continue their education in a constant pursuit to perfect their craft. We are a profession of lifelong learners. In a continually changing world, it's not only advised but imperative that we never cease to improve and devour each new piece of research that reveals to us some small piece of the education puzzle. "Don't you get bored doing the same thing each day?" is another question I get a lot. It's a teacher's windfall if any two given class periods are identical and flow

according to the lesson plan, let alone an entire day or more. What many people don't understand is that we teachers are working with wiggling, chatting children with varied needs. They are not robots who perform exactly as we direct without exception. Teachers are not on autopilotâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we make thousands of decisions each day while working hard to produce a quality product that provides each student with what she needs and deserves. Teaching isn't simply perching at a lectern and pontificating to hungry minds; it's being an educator, a mentor, a parent, a nurse, a social worker, a friend, a diplomat and an expert on the curriculum. In short, we are professionals. After all of the long hours, grueling days, mountains of paperwork, emotional exhaustion and misperceptions about the profession that I dearly love and would trade for no other, we continue to pour ourselves into the work because it's too important not to. How can we not give all of ourselves, our intellect and our talents to this work? After all, it is our current students whom we will be voting for in a future presidential election, who will care for us when we're ill and who will educate our grandchildren. Notice I've said nothing about increasing teachers' pay, improving benefits or strongarming uninvolved parents. Though those are all valid topics, they are not any more important than the need to increase an emergency medical technician's near minimum-wage compensation. What can easily be increased in education is the value placed upon the service that teachers provide to society. So the next time it's tempting to quiz a teacher about why she's not doing something more lucrative or supposedly more challenging with her talents, rib her about what is perceived to be a workday designed for the golf course orâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;worst of allâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;liken her job to a teenage babysitter's, offer up something utterly free: respect. A little of it goes a long way.

THE CAR OF THE FUTURE: IT FLIES Get ready, Detroit - this small firm is keeping up with the Jetsons. Carl Dietrich always dreamed of building a flying car. Instead, the pragmatic inventor ended up creating what he calls a roadable aircraft, a plane that folds up its wings on landing and takes to the highway. In 2010, after three years of development, his vehicle, the Transition, will be available to customers for $194,000 a pop. Terrafugia, the Woburn, Mass. company behind the Transition, began as an extracurricular activity for Dietrich while he was completing his Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. Dietrich, 31, knew from the start that the odds were stacked against his project. Since the time of the Wright brothers, there have been more than 100 attempts to build drivable planes or flying cars. All have failed commercially. "The basic problem is simple: A car is heavy, a plane is light," says Lionel Salisbury, publisher of the Roadable Times, a Web site devoted to chronicling flying-car attempts. "The two don't go together well." Dietrich's early sketches envisioned a plane that would be driven rather than an automobile that took flight. At every step of the process, he was guided by the need to create something to be used in today's world, not tomorrow's. So he and his team designed the Transition with regular car tires instead of aircraft tires. When the wings are folded up, the craft can park in a typical home garage, and it even runs on premium gasoline

rather than aviation fuel. "We knew we could build it," Dietrich says. "The question was, 'Can we make money on it?' The key was not to base the business plan around a market that is not real." Transition's design team studied the history of similar machines and the inventors who failed to bring their concepts to market. The most notable was Moulton "Molt" Taylor, a former Navy pilot who designed his first Aerocar in 1949, launched it in 1956 and produced a grand total of six vehicles. Terrafugia concluded that the Aerocar failed because it was too difficult to convert from plane to car. "You had to unbolt the wings and reassemble them into a trailer," says Anna Mracek Dietrich, Carl's wife and the company's COO. Terrafugia doesn't lack for competitors. In Los Angeles, Icon Aircraft is currently marketing a towable light aircraft that is amphibious (price tag: $139,000). In Alvin, Texas, LaBiche Aerospace has developed a flying sports car, which is classified as an experimental aircraft, and is taking orders for the $175,000 kits. Milner Motors, a father-and-son team based in Vancouver, Wash. and Bethesda, Md., is working on a prototype for a drivable plane that it expects to sell for $450,000. Publicly traded Moller International (MLER) in Davis, Calif. has designed a personal aircraft that takes off and lands vertically. (Moller is not yet taking deposits.) There are others as well, but Terrafugia appears to be further along than most in bringing its product to market. The bulk of Terrafugia's initial funding - much of

Carl Dietrich's $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for outstanding innovation - was spent building a Transition prototype. Dietrich found some of his first investors at AirVenture Oshkosh, a festival that the Experimental Aircraft Association sponsors every August in Oshkosh, Wis. By December 2006 the company had secured several hundred thousand dollars in convertible notes. Since then, Terrafugia has completed five other convertible-note financings and recently closed its first round of equity financing. Another round is planned for 2009.

Terrafugia plans to manufacture the Transition in-house for now, although the Dietrichs aren't opposed to partnering with a larger manufacturer in the future. Meanwhile, they're negotiating with the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation to settle on a design that satisfies both aircraft and auto regulators. That doesn't even begin to address the substantial insurance challenges. "The auto insurance people and the aircraft insurance people don't even talk to each other," says Richard Gersh, a former insurance industry executive and Terrafugia's vice president of business development. The FAA gave Terrafugia a boost in 2004, when it relaxed structural and maintenance requirements for ultralight planes by adopting the Sport Pilot and LightSport Aircraft Rule. This allowed experimental aircraft designers to push the technological envelope.

In the next five years, Dietrich hopes to sell a few hundred Transitions, mostly to wealthy private pilots and professionals who need to make short but regular flights. As FSB went to press, Terrafugia had gathered 40 deposits and its order backlog totaled more than $8 million. While the company doesn't anticipate mainstream adoption of the Transition, Dietrich does expect an envy factor: "You see it in your neighbor's driveway," he says, "and you realize that he has a freedom you lack." Terrafugia: Carl Dietrich's flying car, the Transition, took to the skies for the first time in March. It landed safely but revealed new engineering problems: "There are things to improve on," says a diplomatic Dietrich. A new prototype is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. At least Dietrich's insurance woes have been solved. Massachusetts's Division of Insurance is allowing his creation to be covered by aviation insurance even while being driven on land. And preorders have increased from $8 million in 2008 to $13.8 million in 2009. Dietrich now expects the first Transitions to be delivered in 2011.

Killed off by Wikipedia! One writer on the day reports of his death really WERE exaggerated For a few days this month it appeared that I was dead. Somebody looked me up in Wikipedia - the free online encyclopaedia - and read that I had died two weeks before Christmas. 'Alexander Chancellor (January 4, 1940-December 10, 2009) was a British journalist,' was how my entry began. When I was shown it, I pinched myself to confirm that I was still alive and then started wondering how this error had come about. December 10 had been an ordinary day, spent quietly at home, and free of any upheavals that might have put my survival in doubt. Had somebody else of the same or a similar name died that day and been mistaken for me? I could find no evidence of it. In fact, I found it impossible to guess why anybody should have genuinely thought that I had died. But someone did decide to record my death on Wikipedia, and he or she must have had some reason for doing it. And if there wasn't a muddle or misunderstanding involved, the chances are that someone just wanted to make mischief. You might think that a person wishing to broadcast false news of a death could find more resonant ways of doing so than doctoring an obscure Wikipedia entry that hardly anybody sees. But the great advantage of Wikipedia is that most of its millions of entries can be edited anonymously by anyone; so it's a perfect vehicle with which to cause trouble without repercussions, even if the trouble caused is not as great as might be wished. On the other hand, falsely reporting a death is not the

surest way of doing someone down. Dying is not something to be ashamed of. If you really wanted to hurt somebody, you would call him a paedophile or a banker. So perhaps claiming that a living person is dead is intended less to wound than to create an illusion of wish fulfilment. There are people you can't stand and would dearly like out of the way. But lacking the courage to go out and murder them, you pretend they have died by changing their entries in Wikipedia. I can see how tempting this could be. My own death lasted only a few days before a wellwisher went online and edited me back to life (though I'm still shown as dead in the banner that comes up on screen when you type my name into Google).

And it looks as if I may now stay alive in the virtual world until death really does catch up with me.

when a person unexpectedly survives an accident that looks as if it's going to be fatal.

For when I tried as an experiment to kill myself off again, I found that I had been granted 'semiprotected' status to ensure that only authorised contributors will be allowed to edit my entry.

Occasionally a premature obituary may do good, as it supposedly did in the case of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish armaments manufacturer and inventor of dynamite.

This is to prevent 'vandalism', which Wikipedia describes as 'any addition, removal, or change of content made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia'.

It was only after seeing himself described in a headline as a 'merchant of death' that he is said to have sought to improve his image by establishing the Nobel Peace Prize when he wrote his last will in 1895.

'Common types of vandalism,' it goes on, 'are the addition of obscenities or crude humour, page blanking, and the insertion of nonsense into articles.' Although Wikipedia states grandly that ' vandalism cannot and will not be tolerated', the truth is that to some extent it has to be. The effective policing of such a vast collection of encyclopaedia entries which may be written by anybody, however mad, malicious or ignorant, is an impossible task. But most people still like to believe that every word in Wikipedia is true, despite estimates that there are about 100,000 'vandalised' entries on its pages at any one time. It is a pity that Wikipedia cannot be relied upon, for it is an amazingly comprehensive work of reference. Where else, for example, would you hope to find a 'List of Premature Obituaries' to cover the cases of people such as myself who have been reported dead before their time? Those who have had this experience include Popes John Paul II and Benedict XV, Norman Wisdom and Jimmy Savile, Ernest Hemingway and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The most famous case is, of course, that of Mark Twain who commented that 'the report of my death was an exaggeration'. As with Twain, whom the American newspapers confused with a cousin who was seriously ill in London, most premature death reports are attributable to a misunderstanding of some kind. Often, as in the case of Senator Edward Kennedy who was, like me, pronounced dead by an anonymous Wikipedia editor after collapsing at President Obama's inauguration lunch - they occur

It is a story of redemption similar to that in A Christmas Carol of the heartless Ebenezer Scrooge, who recognises the error of his ways only after the Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come gives him a preview of his own untended and neglected grave. But reading your own obituary does not necessarily do you good: the reaction of Jamaican black nationalist Marcus Garvey to a 1940 obituary calling him 'broke, alone and unpopular' was simply to keel over and die for real as a result of a stroke. Luckily, my tiny Wikpedia entry didn't include any assessment of my life. If it had, it might have dwelt on my self-indulgence, and my consequent lack of worthwhile achievement. It might have pointed out that my laziness at school and university had left me equipped for no better occupation than that of scribbling way in the Street of Shame. And it might have noted how great a proportion of even that dubious career had been spent whiling away the time in pubs and restaurants. It might, I suppose, have mentioned that I was fond of children and dogs. And it might have concluded, as obituaries always do of subjects in whom there is little to admire, by saying as a meaningless sop that I had 'a gift for friendship'. And if such cruel things had been written, I might perhaps have considered turning over a new leaf in the hope of getting a better obituary when I did eventually die. But as it is, I think I won't worry. It's pointless to care what people are going to think of you after you're dead.

TOP 5 WAYS TO BUILD A WONDERFUL LIFE

Live Below Your Means

There will always be temptation to forsake the future for immediate gratification. We all want to buy that new piece of technology, treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town, or take out a loan for the flashy car we can't afford. It might feel great at the time but rash spending hurts a lot later on.

Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don't mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person.

Enjoy life's simple pleasures and save as much as you can. Expensive things don't create lasting happiness and security. Careful spending will bring you greater leisure and enjoyment in the long run.

Put Your Money to Work

Saving is great, but to make the most of your money you need to put it to work. Good investments can be the difference between retiring in your 40's or in your 60's. A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking. According to Trent's projections, if a person in their early 20's invests 20% of their income in an S&P index fund, the interest they earn will equal their current salary when they reach their early 40's. They could retire without a drop in income! Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence and it's something everyone can work on. It's definitely an area I'll be devoting more attention to in my personal life and on this blog.

Educate Yourself

To be happy we need continuous growth. The best way to grow is life long education. This doesn't mean you need to pursue a doctorate or spend 2 hours reading every day. Self education can be anything that takes you out of your comfort zone. The important part is keeping an open mind and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives. Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don't mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person.

Develop Lasting Personal Relationships

Suppose you had everything you wanted. Would you be happy without anyone to share it with? The personal relationships we develop with friends and family members are the greatest source of happiness in our lives. Don't forget about them. Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy personal

relationships is essential to longterm happiness. Without the people you care about you'll probably be miserable, no matter how successful you become.

Work Towards a Dream You're Passionate About

Even if your life isn't perfect, you can always build towards a goal you're passionate about. If you aren't building towards something, you're probably stagnating. When this happens to me I start to feel like a victim trapped by my own life. The best way to reverse this is working towards a goal. We can't control everything about our lives, but working towards a goal gives us something positive to focus on and lays the foundation for future success. No matter what your passion is, get out there and start doing something. As Lao Tzu said, even a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.

Bonus: 6. Stay in Shape

You only get one body. Once it's been ruined there isn't much you can do about it. Exercise to keep the rust off. Avoid excessive consumption of damaging substances and unhealthy foods. It may feel like terrible self denial at the time but enjoying good health in your later years is worth the sacrifice.

ndia is fast on its way to becoming a global diabetes ‘hub’ of the world. According to the International Diabetes Federation, India currently has 40.9 million diabetics. And the number is expected to go up so that, by 2030, one out of every five people with diabetes will be an Indian. Here’s an attempt to examine why this may be so. Curse of affluence Diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes, has often been described as a “disease of affluence”. This means that it is a disease associated with the habits of ‘prosperous’ people, including rich food, overeating, and sedentary living. Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to utilize insulin produced in the pancreas (a gland in the body). This happens either because the body does not recognize the insulin, or because too little of it is produced. Either way, glucose, obtained from food and carried in the bloodstream, cannot be transferred to the cells to be burnt as fuel. The result is that the body lacks energy to function while the glucose levels in the blood build up.

Is INDIAN DIET deadly for DIABETES?

Diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes, has often been described as a “disease of affluence”. This means that it is a disease associated with the habits of ‘prosperous’ people, including rich food, overeating, and sedentary living.

This condition, called insulin-resistance, is closely associated with obesity. In fact, the risk of diabetes is four times higher in moderately obese individuals and up to thirty times higher in those severely overweight. Apart from type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance also means increased risk for heart disease, another affluent disease that is on the rise in India. Is Indian diet to blame? The question to ask is why we as Indians are more at risk? Is it something in our diet? Well, yes and no. Traditional Indian food – mainly vegetarian and incorporating a wide variety of freshly cooked vegetables and pulses – can be quite healthy. In practice though, it’s often far from perfect. We Indians revel in the uninhibited use of oil. Our foods, especially the meat and fish dishes, are often deep-fried and dripping with fat. We also go overboard with the dessert – our traditional sweets are packed with fat and sugar. Even the chai we drink is more milk and sugar than tea. But that’s not all. Post-globalization, our booming economy has caused our waistlines to expand proportionately. More money means that we are spending more on food, specifically processed and packaged foods that are hotly marketed. Nuclear families, where both partners work, have also contributed to the wide acceptance of these ‘convenience foods’. Cultural liberalism may also play a role. is A survey of Indian food habits by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) with other researchers found that 64 percent Indians ate non-vegetarian food as compared to 40 percent in early 1990’s, a 14 percent increase. Non-vegetarian diet, richer in saturated fats, is definitely a contributing factor to obesity and subsequent diabetes. A study conducted by Dr Anoop Mishra, Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, established nutritional imbalances as one of the causes of increasing diabetes in India. Specifically these included low MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), n-3 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids), fiber and high fat, including saturated fat, carbohydrates and trans fatty acids (common in packaged fried and baked foods). An additional contributing factor could lie in our genes. Dr P V Rao, of the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, proposes the thrifty gene hypothesis to explain why Indians suffer from tendency to diabetes. He suggests that Indians may have evolutionarily developed the 'thrifty genotype' as a mechanism to cope with food scarcity. “Overall body weight was not always high among Indians with 'big bellies'. This meant that total amount of food intake in an Indian was not high though the contents have changed over centuries from vegetable sources to 'fat rich' animal sources. Even the vegetable oils used for cooking such as coconut oil which is widely used in Kerala, Malaysia and Guyana are strongly related (sic) the high rise in diabetes rates…” he writes on www.diabetes-india.com. How to prevent So, with the odds tilted strongly against us, what can we do? Experts recommend effective weight management, through diet control and exercise, as the only strategy to prevent type 2 diabetes. This is even more imperative for those with a family history of the disease. Research proves that this can prevent type 2 diabetes even when impaired glucose tolerance, a pre-diabetic state associated with insulin resistance, is already present.

MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG

What is it? A thoroughly modern and magnificent interpretation of the classic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (nicknamed “Gullwing” for the way the doors open). Built by AMG (the arm of the three-pointed star that builds insanely powerful versions), the SLS comes in place of the McLaren-Mercedes-Benz SLR. Indeed, it’s the most exotic car of the show.

How many Maruti 800s under the hood? Fifteen! The V8 pumps out 560 bhp and that helps it to

do 100 kph by the time you are halfway through this sentence (3.8 seconds).

Will set you back by... Close to Rs 2 crore. Mercedes-Benz is keen on bringing the car to India the moment righthand drive versions are available.

Prospective buyer? This is the supercar for the flamboyant yet not-soyoung. Vijay Mallya fits the bill — he already has two of the original 300 SLs.

MERCEDES-BENZ S 500L What is it? The BMW 7 Series is giving it a tough fight, but in the minds of many, the finest automobile in the world still continues to be the S-Class. Now with the new E-Class featuring V6 power packs, it was important for Mercedes-Benz India to bring in the big V8 engine at an interesting price point. Mind you, this car is loaded and comes with everything short of the proverbial kitchen sink. How many Maruti 800s under the hood? Ten. The naturally aspirated V8 engine is good for 388 thoroughbreds from 5500cc. Enough to haul corporate mass — egos and everything else. Will set you back by... It really looks like a steal at Rs 95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Prospective buyer? This is in the big firm CEO league. You’ve got an S-Class means you can either a) Hunt for the meaning of life in the Himalayas or b) Put down your deposit on that Learjet or c) Start hunting for that trophy wife.

CHEVR0LET CAMARO SS What is it? The quintessential American muscle car reborn. This is the fifth generation Camaro which started rolling out in 2009 after not being in production since 2002. Here is a secret — we drove a V6-powered version across America for the cover story of the 11th anniversary issue of Business Standard Motoring magazine — please buy (of course that was a plug!). And yes, the yellow SS is the Transformer star. How many Maruti 800s under the hood? Eleven. The Camaro SS uses a 6200cc V8 engine to

develop a lazy 426 horses in typical American style. Still, it’s enough to spin Pirellis to sickness as and when you are ready. Will set you back by... Would have cost just about Rs 50 lakh — but sadly, GMI is interested in selling you only the Beat for the time being. Prospective buyer? This is a totally cool car — and only totally cool characters need to apply. Hrithik Roshan and John Abraham can live with all that muscle (of the car, that is).

BMW X6 M

AUDI R8

What is it? In the beginning, there was the X5 — BMW’s first attempt at SUVs. Then came the X6 — a segment-buster that looks like a sports car on steroids rather than an SUV. Now the power mongers at BMW’s M division have joined the party and the result is a very quick, very fast SUV that you should be worried about. How many Maruti 800s under the hood? Fifteen. The engine of this BMW can play the role of captive power plants for small villages with its 555 bhp output. Tree stumps have no chance with 68 kgm of torque either. It takes just 4.7 seconds to touch the 100 kph mark — brilliant for an SUV indeed. Will set you back by... Rs 1.3 crore (ex-showroom Delhi) buys you extreme performance. Prospective buyer? The perfect buyer is Sachin Tendulkar. Powerpacked yet sleek, the X6 M can complement the M5 that the master drives when he is not doing the same through the covers. Enough room for the kit too.

What is it? This is the most successful supercar of our times — Audi manages to sell around 4,000 cars a year — the recession notwithstanding. It may not have the pornographic effect that Ferraris and Lamborghinis have on school kids. But Audi does not care, since these kids grow up, make money and buy Audis. How many Maruti 800s under the hood? Eleven. The 420 bhp developed by the screaming 4200cc V8 engine situated behind the driver is more than adequate to

BMW 760LI

propel this lightweight marvel with more aluminium in it than a five-star kitchen. Will set you back by... The Rs 1.17 crore ex-showroom Delhi for the R8 puts it close to the Porsche 911 Turbo. Tough choice, huh? Prospective buyer? This is meant for the guy who wants to be discreet about owning a supercar and his ability to drive one. The closet racer? Absolutely. Certainly not the young Singhania, then.

WHA T IS IT? WHAT This is the fifth-generation of the BMW flagship. Its mission in life is to fight it out with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Audi A8. With Audi about to launch an allnew car and Mercedes revamping the S-Class, the Munich firm decided to bring the twelve-cylinder engine into the Indian game. The Seven has that “I don’t care two hoots about anyone and anything” attitude and the new engine helps matters too. HOW MANY MARUTI 800S UNDER THE HOOD? Fifteen. The engine displaces 6000cc (imagine 60 Hero Honda CD100s

parked in a line!) to develop 536 bhp and 75 kgm of torque. WILL SET Y OU BA CK BY ... YOU BACK BY... The uber-BMW is priced at Rs 1.29 crore ex-showroom Delhi and comes with more goodies than we need on Indian roads. For example, a lane change warning system — we need lanes first, right? PROSPECTIVE BUYER? Ahem, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a satisfied BMW 7 Series customer — though his last-gen 7 is of the “thickskinned” variety. Despite its nationalmonument-on-wheels attributes, the 7 is also a fine automobile to drive. Hence it is a good buy for those who would like to dispense with their chauffeurs on Sundays.

JAGUAR XJ What is it? The newest Jaguar around. Jaguar is used to battling German car makers and they know that a large dose of Britishness is what their buyers are looking for. Sure, they gave a large dollop of that to the new XJ. It looks a more passionate effort at car making than its traditional rivals wearing readymade suits. How many Maruti 800s under the hood? Ten. This Jaguar is about luxury rather than sheer pace — but a supercharged version with 500 bhp plus on tap is around the corner. The V8 currently displaces 5000cc — nice and round indeed. Will set you back by... Since Tata Motors has to import the XJ, be prepared to shell over a crore of rupees for this cat then. Prospective buyer? Jaguar and royalty are words that go together well. And we are not talking Yuvraj Singh here. Need we say more?

HOW TO

INTERVIEW

EFFECTIVELY

IN FIVE STEPS he job interview is one of the most dreaded life experiences. Here are some confidence-building tips for a successful face-to-face with potential employers. The job interview is a nervewracking, nail-biting experience for many career seekers. With all the do’s and don’ts, it is often hard to keep track of what to say and how to say it. However with a bit of practice and preparation, the person can go face to face with the employer with confidence. Here are a few tips for the wary candidate.

Write Down Job Skills and Accomplishments Before walking into the interview, write down several job accomplishments on a piece of paper. Employers like to hear stories where the employee managed to

succeed under difficult circumstances. Then list core job skills to give the company an idea of strengths and abilities. This technique comes in handy when the employer asks questions related to skills, strengths, and past accomplishments.

Research the Company Search the employer on the internet. Find out what people are saying about the company, how many people work there, financial standing, etc. Print out the organization’s About Us page and bring it into the interview. With the About Us printout on the table, ask one or two questions related to the operation, structure, and goals of the business. Make notes in the margins of the page as the interviewer is answering the question.

Get a Business Fashion Sense Dated apparel and a bad hair day gives the employer the impression that the candidate is stuck in the past and may have a difficult time adjusting to new job skills.

Before walking into the interview, write down several job accomplishments on a piece of paper. Employers like to hear stories where the employee managed to succeed under difficult circumstances. Then list core job skills to give the company an idea of strengths and abilities. This technique comes in handy when the employer asks questions related to skills, strengths, and past accomplishments. on and get off track. Toward the end of the interview, the employer typically asks whether the candidate has any questions. The answer should always be “yes,” and the person should always be prepared with several questions relating to the company and the requirements of the position (e.g., “Who is your ideal candidate for this position?” “Why is this position open?” “Who does the person in this position report to?”).

A new personal line of business fashion chic not only adds to the candidate's professionalism, it also boosts the confidence level. Shop at discount outlets such as T.J. Maxx, Marshall’s, Kohl’s, and consignment and thrift shops.

Ask and Answer Interview Questions Effectively A typical employer will have a long list of questions to ask the job seeker. If the person is prepared, he or she will have studied the most common interview questions and will have practiced answering with the aid of a friend or family member. During this phase of the process, maintain good eye contact. Tie job skills and accomplishments into the company’s business goals, smile, and show enthusiasm. Talk about how the core set of strengths and job skills matches the position and how they would benefit the company. Above all, be clear and concise – don’t ramble

Another useful tip is to answer questions as if the person is a hypothetical member of the company’s team. For example, “If I were selected as your top candidate and became a member of ChipWare DataServer Corporation’s team, I would ensure the security of the company’s servers, databases, and email systems.”

Mind the Body Language It’s been said that up to 93 percent of human communication is non-verbal. During the job interview, the employer will pick up on any negative body language such as fidgeting in the chair, slouching, gazing out the window, being distracted by a watch or cell phone, or furrowing the eyebrows. The candidate should maintain good eye contact, sit up straight in the chair, keep focused, and smile often. The key to a successful job interview is to be relaxed, yet professional. By identifying skills and accomplishments, researching the company, updating the wardrobe, asking and answering the company’s questions effectively, and paying close attention to body language, the candidate can walk into every interview with a greater sense of confidence.

How dogs are man's better friend: Canines outclass cats by a whisker in the best pet test It's a claim that's sure to put the cat among the pigeons. A study into character, intelligence and usefulness shows dogs are better pets than cats - but only by a whisker. In the 'great pet showdown' experts compared 11 traits from brain size to environmental impact by looking at research published in scientific journals. Dogs came out on top in six categories to cats' five. Staff at New Scientist magazine first listed the areas where cats fared best. These included having bigger brains in proportion to their body size. Cats' brains also contain more cells, with about 1.4million more devoted to complex functions such as memory and attention than dogs' brains. The cats' second point was awarded for being more popular, with 204million living in the top ten cat-owning nations compared to 173million

dogs in the ten countries where canines are most in vogue. Felines also get more attention from humans, with blissed-out purrs actually disguising a call to be noticed that their owners find irresistible. Although dogs can vary the length, range, pitch and frequency of their barks, they cannot compete with the attention-seeking of cats. It is a similar story when it comes to senses. Cats can see in lower light than dogs and have a far wider hearing range and a keener sense of smell. They are said to be 'greener' pets because their smaller appetites equate to a smaller ecological footprint - the area of land required to farm their food. Even a small dog such as a chihuahua has a bigger annual footprint than the average cat. But in the other six categories examined - many of which related to how the animals interact with humans - dogs had the edge. Dogs have a longer shared history with humans, and may have been domesticated as long as 135,000 years ago. Cats are relative newcomers to our homes. Similarly, dogs have a greater ability to bond with their masters. Even four-month-old puppies choose a human companion over another dog, research has shown. Dogs scored a third point for their superior powers of understanding. One study found that a border collie called Rico had mastered the meaning of more than 200 words.

Pros and Cons of the Debt Consolidation! Every one faces the bad time in his life. Only a few lucky people are there who don’t ever meet with the financial crisis. Every one enjoys spending money at his good time, but some times it creates problem too. If you are spending money without considering any thing, then debt can reach up to your neck too.

not to pay different interest rates to your creditors rather you will need to pay only the consolidated interest rate. Debt Consolidation will give you a chance of paying low interest rate as different creditors normally charge more interest rates, while the consolidator charges less compared to them. Thus you will easily feel good about your debt.

Pros & cons of debt consolidation It can ruin your life too, as you will never feel good to spend money like any thing and you will lose the enjoyment in your daily life. Your creditor will always behind you and you will run to hide from them. Now you must be thinking how can I recover from this situation? How can my financial life come in order? Debt Consolidation is the best way to get out of the debt and live a happy life there after, but there are many considerations associated with the debt consolidation. Here are a few pros and cons of the debt consolidation: Pros of Debt Consolidation: The very best benefit of debt consolidation is that you don’t need to remember the dates of all the creditors as now you have only one credit and you need to pay it once in a month time. The second pros of debt consolidation are that you need

Cons of Debt Consolidation: The worst part of debt consolidation is that there are many companies available for debt consolidation and they can have different packages for you, which can put you in confusion. Actually each company have different approaches towards debt consolidation and if you listen to all of them you might get confused, so don’t listen to all of them, just choose the plan which suits your pocket and you can live a happy life there after. Sometimes a few companies can irritate you too, as the company representative might be too enthusiastic to let you compel to accept their plan. Always remember one thing it is those companies who need you more rather than you need them more so don’t feel any pressure to accept the consolidation plan. You have all the right to live a debt free life, so consider these pros and cons and you can surely get a good debt consolidation plan for you.

HOW TO PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT In 2008, there were almost 10 million cases of identity theft in the US alone, 22% more than the previous year.[1] While people are getting better at recognizing identity theft, and minimizing the damage, the best solution is to prevent it from happening in the first place by following these steps. Steps 1Choose good passwords and PINs. Choose words and numbers no one would be able to guess even if they were privy to other parts of your personal information, or you can use words and numbers that are familiar to you, but disguise them in a hard-to-guess code, like the Vigènere Cipher. There are even random-generated password programs on the Internet that will provide virtually unbreakable, or uncrackable passwords. In addition, don't use the same password for all of your accounts. Make sure to have a little variation. Avoid easily guessed PINs like birth dates, common numerical sequences, phone number, last four digits of your social security number, etc. Good passwords will include capital and small letters, numbers and characters, and be at least 8 characters long. 2 Watch out for "shoulder surfers." That person behind you in line at the ATM or the supermarket may just be another shopper, or they could be paying close attention to you in hopes of seeing your account balance or PIN. Shade the monitor area with your hand when typing in your PIN and try to block others’ view of the screen. It's even a good idea to do this when no one is around; some thieves use binoculars or install cameras so they can watch you from far away. 3 Shred any documents with identifying information on them. Don’t just throw your old billing statements and other documents containing important information into your garbage. There are "dumpster divers" who are willing to wade through old coffee grounds and rotten orange peels to get their hands on your data. Invest in a cross cut paper shredder and completely destroy any piece of paper that has your credit card number, your social security number, or your bank account

number on it. * If you get a shredder, make sure it’s one which doesn’t just create strips of paper which can be pieced back together. If you don’t get a shredder, at least tear the materials into small pieces. When using this strategy, some believe in a two-bag approach. They will place half of the remains of a torn document in one rubbish bag and the other half in a different trash container in the home (or, if you have a compost bin, mix part of it in with your compost). * Be sure to shred pre-approved and other credit offers (like when they send you blank checks) - don't just toss

in the trash. Many thieves will use offers to apply for credit in your name at a different address, and will try to use any checks. Better yet, call your credit card companies and request that they not send cash advance checks in the first place. Phone the opt-out number to stop receiving credit card offers.

looks like it came from your bank. If you think the email is real, log on directly to the company or bank's web site and check your records there; if there are no changes, you just avoided being scammed. This type of scam is known as a phishing scam and there are several forms.

4. Protect your snail mail. The mail transports millions of pieces of personal information every day and is one of the most common sites for identity theft activity. A study found that the most frequently used non-

* When you get rid of your computer, be sure to wipe out all of your information first. Ideally, restore it to the factory settings. 6 Watch what you carry. We often carry identifying information in our wallet or purse, and if that should get stolen, it is easy for someone to use that information to their advantage, and quickly. Here are some precautions to take: * Don't carry credit cards (or anything that can be used like a credit card, such as a debit card with a VISA logo). Not only will this severely limit the damage that a thief can do, but it is also a useful budgeting practice. If you must carry credit cards, try to carry only one, and write "SEE ID" next to your signature on the back. * Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t carry extra check blanks, your passport, or any other ID that you are not planning to use that day.

technological method for identity theft was the rerouting of mail through change of address cards![2] So pay attention to your mail. Make sure you get all of your billing statements on time. If you have a mailbox that others can access easily, consider getting a post office box instead, or check your mail frequently so no one gets to it before you do. Most banks offer "paper-less" statements via email or smartphone. If your bank offers this service, consider signing up to lessen your risk. 5. Protect your computer. Many identity thieves now use complex software such as spyware and keyloggers to obtain sensitive information such as passwords and login details without the user's knowledge. Just because you can't see anything wrong with your computer doesn't mean that it is safe to use. Unlike viruses and adware, many spyware and keylogger programs are designed for stealth, so that they can gather as many passwords and sensitive data as possible. A strong and regularly updated firewall, anti-virus program and antispyware program will provide most of the protection an individual needs. * If you get an e-mail claiming to be from your bank that tells you to check or update your information such as a password (for any reason), do not use the link in the e-mail, even if the e-mail letterhead/background

* Never carry your Social Security card (or any cards that have you social security number on them) with you unless you are going somewhere where it will be absolutely necessary. * If you carry a wallet, attach it to your body with a chain or bungee cord. You can also Make a Mugger's Wallet, which is a decoy wallet that you can give to a thief if you should get mugged. * If you use a purse or a single strap bag, wear it across your body, so it can't easily be yanked right off your shoulder. * Be prepared for if your wallet should get stolen. Read How to Deal With Losing Your Wallet so you know what to do, and can do it quickly. 7 Get a security freeze on your credit. Contact each of the three major credit agencies (transunion, equifax, experian) and have them freeze your credit. There is a small fee depending on your circumstances and/or location. This will keep anyone (including you) from opening new lines of credit, or viewing your credit. This is probably best done when you know you won't be needing to open new lines of credit or getting credit reports anytime soon. You can lift the credit freeze anytime using the Personal Identification Number given to you by each of the three credit agencies involved, and again possibly paying a small fee.

INDIRA'S SECRET WISH AND OTHER STORIES, by Natwar

Did you know that Indira Gandhi yearned for a daughter, or that veteran communist parliamentarian Hirendranath Mukherjee tried to find out if Comrade Jyoti Basu had accepted money to deliver the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture in 1998? These and other nuggets of information are recorded in former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh's book Yours Sincerely, a selection of correspondence between him and eminent public personalities - among them Indira Gandhi, P N Haksar, H Y Sharda Prasad, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Rajiv Gandhi, E M Forster, Nadine Gordimer and Mulk Raj Anand. The book, released earlier this month, does not include any correspondence with Sonia Gandhi. But many letters, written by people long gone, remain relevant even today. In December 1971, Indira wrote: "It is not important what the Chinese think or what they want. What is important is what they do. So far they have kept to the expected line." Nearly four decades later, her advice would still make sense. In April 1975, with Morarji Desai on a fast demanding elections to the dissolved Gujarat Assembly, Indira wrote to Natwar, then India's Deputy High Commissioner in London: "We have given in to a part of Morarji's demand... It seemed such a silly point for which to fast or for us to hold out... However, our difficulties are acute and varied enough without having a dead Morarji haunting the scene... I was deeply shocked at the manner in which some (Opposition parties) seemed to (claim) that his disappearance from the scene would clear the way for Opposition unity." Congress leaders grappling with the fallout of their seeming capitulation before the fasting K Chandrasekhar Rao earlier this month would find Indira's reaction insightful. Some of the correspondence reveals Indira's softer, affectionate side. In January 1970, after Natwar suffered a slipped disc while bending to give his son a teddy, she wrote to him, "Do you remember when the same thing happened to KPS Menon? He had to stand in a very artistic Ajanta pose for quite some time. Now you know the pleasures of fatherhood." When Natwar's daughter was born, she wrote, "You certainly have done better planning than many of us. My heart has always yearned for a daughter, so I can imagine your joy in Jagat's having a baby sister." A letter from Hiren Mukherjee demonstrates the CPI

Natwar Singh

veteran's commitment as a public representative. On January 10, 1999, he wrote to Natwar: "For reasons I can guess but cannot relish, the Jawaharlal Trust got my old comrade of close to sixty years to give the annual lecture (November 1998). I remember in the old days the lecture carried an honorarium of a hundred thousand rupees (plus, expenses, etc.,) which may well have been enhanced. As the only surviving original trustee, I might perhaps inquire (thought I am not doing so - this is a purely personal request) if Jyoti was offered and declined or accepted any such payment..." There is no indication why Mukherjee decided to contact Natwar instead of asking Basu directly. The book contains the gracious letter Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to Natwar the day after he resigned in the wake of the oil-for-food scandal. "I have received your letter of 6 December 2005... I have... asked the Rashtrapati to accept your resignation," the PM wrote. "Under your leadership, the external relations of the country have seen immense progress and we have been able to make giant strides on all fronts. In the last 17 months the prestige and standing of the nation has risen to unprecedented heights on the international plane. Your contribution to the peace process with Pakistan, moving forward our relations with neighbours and in making a historic breakthrough in our relations with the US are indeed praiseworthy accomplishments," he added.

I SHOULD HAVE GOT THE OSCAR 10 YEARS BACK: should have got the Oscar 10 years back: Shah Rukh KhanShah Rukh Khan is ready with the much awaited My Name is Khan. The Bollywood Badshah breezed in Kolkata for the grand finale of ‘Dadagiri Unlimited’, a quiz show hosted by Sourav Ganguly. TWF correspondent Sreya Basu catches up with the actor on his friendship with Dada and his new film where he is paired opposite Kajol after several years.? What was the first thing that came to your mind when you saw Sourav as a quizmaster? It was really a pleasant surprise. I have seen him play cricket, discuss cricket…this is completely a new avatar of Dada (Sourav Ganguly). But I must say, he is really good at it. As I said on stage-Dada ko pakadna mushkil hi nehin, na mumkin hai. (Smiles) What brings you to the finale of ‘Dadagiri Unlimited’? Friendship with Sourav? Sourav and my friendship now go beyond Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Indian Premier League (IPL). To me, he is one of the best cricketers in India. I can never say ‘no’ to him. Is this a kind of ‘favour returning’ gesture…since Sourav has earlier judged your cheerleader hunt ‘Knights & Angels’? I never thought about it in this way…really. And as far as ‘Knights & Angels’ go, Sourav was not getting cheerleaders for Shah Rukh, but for the entire KKR team.

You have got Sourav back as KKR captain for IPL 3… I told you…he is the best (in cricket). KKR started with much energy, but failed to win the first two seasons of IPL. Do you expect to win this time? I won’t comment on that. But if KKR wins this time, I will come and dance for all of you in Kolkata. You are back in a Karan Johar film again? Yes…I am inseparable from Karan’s films (smiles). On a more serious note, My Name Is Khan is a passion project; somehow I wanted to be part of this important film personally and as a production house. Your company Red Chillies has tied up with Fox for My Name Is Khan. So with the help of Fox, are you trying to push your film to the Oscars?

on relationships; as are all Karan Johar films. First it’s the relationship between two persons, then among many people, then, relationships within a basti, within a city and finally, within the world. Within those relationships, we put aspects of western culture, Islam and Asperger syndrome. Now-a-days controversies are used as a publicity tool for a film. What do you think? We (Karan and I) have never tried to create euphoria about the film with the help of controversies….no, never. But sometimes

Is this a kind of ‘favour returning’ gesture…since Sourav has earlier judged your cheerleader hunt ‘Knights & Angels’?

I have just written to the Oscar people that they should have given me an award 10 years back; now I am losing interest. Jokes apart, our association with Fox is not award-based. But we believe Fox is one of the few people in the world, who can perhaps take our film to the roads of getting awards and recognition, if it is good enough.

For the first time you are playing a person with Asperger syndrome. How much effort Shah Rukh had to put to play the character? Rizwan Khan is a special characterbecause he has a definite beginning and ending, and a bit of realism. He is a person with Asperger. While studying the character, I really had to hold Shah Rukh Khan back. I put together all my years of acting skills, before I could step into Rizwan’s shoes. Already quite a few films have been made on terrorism. How different is your film from the lot? Karan wrote the story three years back. At that time I felt it was quite an advanced one. This is not a film on terrorism, but

there are mistakes, sometimes it’s not a mistake, but an issue. Even for My Name Is Khan, everyone of usright from the producers, directors, actors, to lightman, cameraman, spot boys-has been really careful not to show any bias to any community or hurt people’s sentiments while dealing with Asperger. Even then, if there are reasons for controversies, then please help us out. You are working with Kajol after a long time… Yeah! Karan and I discussed at least a thousand times, how my pairing with Kajol will be…if it will be another Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. But in this film, Karan has not shot any romantic songs in Egypt or Switzerland with us. There is romance…but the treatment is not the same. The title of the film-My Name Is Khan-is being seen as a Shah Rukh Khan statement… My name is unimportant. My work is much more important than my name.

UK PRIEST SAYS ITS OKAY FOR POOR PEOPLE TO SHOPLIFT London: A vicar has created controversy by encouraging the poor to steal. Father Tim Jones insisted in his Christmas sermon at St Lawrence Church, York,that the only way the destitute can survive at present time was by shoplifting. "God's love for the poor and despised outweighs the property rights of the rich," the Sun quoted him as saying.

rest of us in the form of higher prices. "I would ask them not to take any more than they need, for any longer than they need. "I offer the advice with a heavy heart and wish society would recognise that bureaucratic ineptitude and systematic delay has created an invitation and incentive to crime for people struggling to cope." Jones asserted that his advice was not against Bible. He said: "My advice does not contradict the Bible's eighth commandment (Thou Shalt Not Steal) because God's love for the poor and despised outweighs the property rights of the rich." Meanwhile, shop owners have been baffled by the religious head's comments. Stephen Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "We are appalled by the remarks from Father Jones. It is outrageous." However, the Archdeacon of York, the Venerable Richard Seed, clarified: "The Church of England does not advise anyone to break the law in any way.

He added: "My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift. I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither. "I would ask that they do not steal from small family businesses but from large, national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the

"Father Jones is raising important issues about the difficulties people face when benefits are not forthcoming, but shoplifting is not the way to overcome these difficulties." Also, a spokesman for North Yorks Police said: "Shoplifting is a criminal offence and to justify this course of action under any circumstances is highly irresponsible."

My career prospered under Tendulkar's captaincy: Ganguly Sachin Tendulkar may not have been a huge success as India captain but many a young career bloomed under his leadership, said former India skipper Sourav Ganguly. "When I was trying to find my feet in international cricket, it was a huge learning experience to play under Tendulkar. He had given a lot of support as a player and as a captain and my career blossomed under him," Ganguly said on the sidelines of a Tendulkar felicitation on Tuesday. "It's not only me, I am sure the likes of (Rahul) Dravid, (VVS) Laxman and (Anil) Kumble would be thinking the same about Tendulkar," Ganguly said at the ceremony organised by the Aryan Club that celebrated its 125th anniversary. Sachin turned out for the Aryans in the early 90s in the P Sen Trophy. Recalling his association with Tendulkar, Ganguly said, "I know him since my under-13 days when we met at a national camp. It has been a long journey together. We had a very good time together at the top, opening the batting in ODIs.'' "He has charmed the crowd not only with his bat but with his amazing behaviour. It's very difficult to emulate him what Sachin has achieved as a cricketer and the talent he possesses. But it will be really nice if we could emulate him the way he carries himself," Ganguly said. Ganguly wished Tendulkar remained fit to achieve

100 international centuries and do well in the 2011 World Cup. "World Cup is coming and he is also close to 100 centuries. I wish he remains fit and bats the way he is doing. It's an example for the youngsters to follow," Ganguly said. He also congratulated Sachin for his bit to make India the number one Test side. "I remember when we used to tour overseas, were being levelled as very soft, not because of his batting but soft for our team's performance. I congratulate him on achieving the No 1 status and he is the biggest contributor to that," Ganguly said.

KEY TO KEEPING NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS REVEALED BY PSYCHOLOGIST The key to keeping a New Year resolution may be to break your goal into small steps and not to dwell on the consequences of not achieving your goal, a pscyhologist has claimed. Less than a quarter of Britons will achieve their New Year resolutions in 2010 because they go about it the wrong way, according to Professor Richard Wiseman. He studied 700 volunteers who made a wide range of New Year resolutions, including quitting smoking, losing weight, starting a relationship or gaining a qualification. Just 22 per cent of participants managed to meet their goals or described their progress as ''very successful''. The reason so many failed is that they took the wrong approach - and were led astray by self-help books, according to Prof Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire. By comparing the techniques of successful and unsuccessful resolution makers, he came up with a list of tips for staying the course when making changes in one's life. People who failed tended to dwell on the ''bad things'' that would happen if they did not achieve their goal, said the professor.

They were likely to remove temptation from their surroundings, adopt role models, fantasise about being successful, and rely on will power. ''Many of these ideas are frequently recommended by self-help experts but our results suggest that they simply don't work'', said Prof Wiseman. ''Because of the widespread nature of this advice, millions of people will fail to achieve their aims''. Successful participants, on the other hand, broke their goals into small steps, rewarding themselves when each stage was passed. They also told friends about what they were trying to achieve, reminded themselves of the benefits of obtaining their goal, and charted their progress. ''Many of the most successful techniques involve making a plan and helping yourself stick to it,'' said Prof Wiseman. ''Those carrying out all five techniques were around 20% more successful than others. ''Failing to achieve your ambitions is often psychologically harmful because it can rob people of a sense of self-control. I hope that this new research will help people change their lives in 2010.'' :: Prof Wiseman's 10 secrets of success when making New Year resolutions:

1) Make only one resolution; your chances of success are greater when you channel energy into changing just one aspect of your behaviour. 2) Don't wait until New Year's Eve to think about your resolution and instead devote some time a few days before to reflect upon what you really want to achieve. 3) Avoid previous resolutions; deciding to re-visit a past resolution sets you up for frustration and disappointment.

6) Tell your friends and family about your goals, thus increasing the fear of failure and eliciting support. 7) Regularly remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goals by creating a checklist of how life would be better once you obtain your aim. 8) Give yourself a small reward whenever you achieve a sub-goal, thus maintaining motivation and a sense of progress.

4) Don't run with the crowd and go with the usual resolutions. Instead think about what you really want out of life.

9) Make your plans and progress concrete by keeping a hand-written journal, completing a computer spreadsheet or covering a notice board with graphs or pictures.

5) Break your goal into a series of steps, focusing on creating sub-goals that are concrete, measurable, and time-based.

10) Expect to revert to your old habits from time to time. Treat any failure as a temporary set-back rather than a reason to give up altogether.

Skin deep: Beautiful faces have Miss Average proportions Being described as Miss Average is not usually regarded as a compliment. But that may be about to change after scientists calculated the ratios of the perfect face – and found they correspond to the typical woman. Beauty, researchers say, can be measured according to how close together a woman’s eyes are and the distance between her eyes and mouth. They found the ideal measurements, as a proportion of the overall size of a female face, were close to the average of all female profiles. The study is one of several in recent months to have boosted the stock of real women. Other scientists have concluded that men prefer partners with a few curves to those who are fashionably thin and, apparently, they don’t hanker after girls with long legs. To get the latest findings, researchers asked a panel to rate the attractiveness of women in photos. All were head shots of the same person with different distances from eyes to mouth or between the eyes. She was at her most attractive when the space between her pupils was just under half, or 46 per cent, of the width of her face from ear to ear.

The other perfect dimension was when the distance between her eyes and mouth was just over a third, or 36 per cent, of the overall length of her face from hairline to chin. Celebrities whose faces are in perfect proportion include Jessica Alba, Liz Hurley and Shania Twain. More importantly, the ratios correspond to those of an average female face, the journal Vision Research reports. Professor Kang Lee, of the University of Toronto, said: ‘We already know that different facial features make a female face attractive – large eyes, for example, or full lips. ‘Our study proves that the structure of faces also contributes to our perception of facial attractiveness.’ However, it isn’t clear if striking features carry more weight – for instance, sultry eyes may contribute more to beauty than perfect proportions. The importance of the distances from hairline to jaw and ear to ear may also explain why a new hair cut can radically improve a woman’s looks. Professor Kang Lee said: ‘Sometimes an attractive person looks unattractive or vice versa after a haircut, because hairdos change the ratios.’

I fell 6,000 feet and survived

'This is going to hurt a lot, I thought as I approached the ground. Or not at all' By any reasonable standards, people who jump out of planes are reckless or suicidal; and people who jump out of planes flying at low altitude over volcanos, well, they're beyond help. But that was our plan that day. I was working on a documentary, filming an athlete skydiving over the Kamchatka in Russia. Known as "the land of fire and ice", it has 40 or so active volcanos, and is - covered in snow for nine months a year. The idea was to get footage of the athlete "flying" in front of a column of steam hundreds of feet high that was spewing from a vent in the side of a mountain. During my 12 years in the sport, I've completed around 2,500 jumps, and at that time I was doing it four or five times a week. But there's no room for complacency. Our plan was to exit at 6,000ft, fly past the steam, open our parachutes at between 150 and 200 metres, and land. But after we jumped out of the helicopter, the plan wasn't followed. I was very focused on my filming and had a viewfinder over my left eye, to help frame the video. To gauge distances, you really need both eyes, and because of the snow covering the volcano it was very difficult to sense height – all we could see was white. Quite suddenly, I realised I could see the texture of the snow and ice, meaning I had two or three seconds before I hit the ground. I can't have been more than 20 metres up. Terror gripped my heart and stomach, the darkest of darkness. Then I had a clear thought of my wife and three-month-old daughter, and was overwhelmed by sadness as I felt the parachute lift from my back. I'd opened it without even thinking, just as you might instinctively hit the brakes in a car, and experienced a brief sense of hope. This is going to hurt a lot, I thought, or not at all. The parachute barely unfurled, but swung my feet up above me, like a child on a swing. Then the ground hit me full in the back with the force of a truck. The impact left me unconscious for a few seconds, and as I opened my eyes two overwhelming emotions raced through me. The

first was elation at having survived, the second black, jagged fear. I was certain, straight away, that I'd broken my back – the pain in my spine was so immense that I had no doubt about this at all. We had a crew of about a dozen, mountain guides with first aid and a stretcher, but it took some time for the helicopter to find a safe spot to land and for them to carry me to it. I left a 1m-deep crater in the snow.Meanwhile, the athlete had drifted safely down beside me – his parachute had opened at the correct time. I'd become very cold, and one of my lungs had filled with blood, which gurgled in my airways. I thought it likely that I had serious internal bleeding and was about to die. I tried to decide what my last words to my family should be – "I'm sorry this has happened, I love you" – then wondered who in the multinational crew to pass them on to. I ended up choosing an Austrian guy who seemed to have the most fluent English. It took an hour to reach the local hospital, where a diagnosis wasn't forthcoming, and another nine to fly on to Moscow, where a CT scan confirmed my back was broken. There was better news, though – it was a stable fracture and I appeared to have suffered no neural damage. I flew back to the UK for the rest of my treatment. I was fitted with a back brace, and was up and walking within a week. In the six months since, I've had a lot of time to consider my jumping from other perspectives. I've lived a very internalised life – most of my friends and people I talk to are jumpers, and my whole life has revolved around this extreme sport, this dangerous environment. I've been able to reflect on how it's seen by others, and on my motivation for doing it. My wife, Christina, is also an active skydiver and base jumper, and has jumped since my accident. In a month or so, I should be fit enough to jump again. I'll definitely do one more, then see how I feel. My conflict at the moment is to define a balance between having a family and following my passion. I really miss it. How could I not? It's the closest realisation of Icarus's dream – you put on a suit and you fly.

MEN ARE QUICKER T ' I LOVE YOU'' TO THEI THAN WOMEN, SAYS

According to the dating survey, which was conducted for Stella magazine, men take an average of seven months to tell a new partner that they love them, however, when it comes to women, they take almost eight months, reports The Telegraph. The study also found that when it comes to dating, the over 55s are the most active â?“ and experimental â?“ of all age groups. To reach the conclusion, Stella commissioned YouGov to interview almost 2,000 men and women of all ages and backgrounds who have been on a date in the past year. Jenni Trent Hughes, a relationship counsellor, said: "Although women do tend to wear their heart on their sleeves more than men do, men are just as emotional and sensitive â?“ sometimes even more so." Oliver James, the clinical psychologist and author, said the findings supported other studies that showed that men fall in love more frequently than women. "This is because women mature sooner than men and develop to be more hard-nosed, realistic and in touch with their emotions," he added. He added: "So when a man says ''I love you'' it might be his way of dealing with a lot of complex, difficult emotions that he doesn''t really understand, whereas when a woman says it, it might carry a greater weight. The classic clichÃ© is that men use love to get sex and women use sex to get love."

TO SAY IR PARTNERS A NEW STUDY.

TWELVE STEPS TO Your

RAISE

SELF ESTEEM

STEP ONE: STOP COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHER PEOPLE. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE MORE THAN YOU AND SOME WHO HAVE LESS. IF YOU PLAY THE COMPARISON GAME, YOU'LL RUN INTO TOO MANY "OPPONENTS" YOU CAN'T DEFEAT.

STEP TWO: Stop putting yourself down. You can't develop high self-esteem if you repeat negative phrases about yourself and your abilities. Whether speaking about your appearances, your career, your relationships, your financial situation, or any other aspects of your life, avoid self-deprecating comments.

reaching a business goal, etc. Read this list often. While reviewing it, close your eyes and recreate the feelings of satisfaction and joy you experienced when you first attained each success.

STEP EIGHT:

Step Three: Accept all compliments with "thank you." Ever received a compliment and replied," Oh, it was nothing." When you reject a compliment, the message you give yourself is that you are not worthy of praise. Respond to all compliments with a simple Thank You."

Make a list of your positive qualities. Are you honest? Unselfish? Helpful? Creative? Be generous with yourself and write down at least 20 positive qualities. Again, it's important to review this list often. Most people dwell on their inadequacies and then wonder why their life isn't working out. Start focusing on your positive traits and you'll stand a much better chance of achieving what you wish to achieve.

STEP FOUR: Use affirmations to enhance your

STEP NINE: Start giving more. I'm not talking

self-esteem. On the back of a business card or small index card, write out a statement such as "I like and accept my self." or "I am valuable, lovable person and deserve the best in life." Carry the card with you. Repeat the statement several times during the day, especially at night before going to bed and after getting up in the morning. Whenever you say the affirmation, allow yourself to experience positive feelings about your statement.

about money. Rather, I mean that you must begin to give more of yourself to those around your. When you do things for others, you are making a positive contribution and you begin to feel more valuable, which, in turn, lifts your spirits and raises your own self-esteem.

STEP FIVE: Take advantage of workshops, books and cassette tape programs on self-esteem. Whatever material you allow to dominate mind will eventually take root and affect your behavior. If you watch negative television programs or read newspaper reports of murders and business rip off; you will grow cynical and pessimistic. Similarly, if you read books or listen to programs, that are positive in nature, you will take on these characteristics.

STEP SIX: Associate with positive, supportive people. When you are surrounded by negative people who constantly put you and your ideas down, your self-esteem is lowered. On the other hand, when you are accepted and encouraged, you feel better about yourself in the best possible environment to raise your self-esteem.

STEP SEVEN: Make a list of your past successes. This doesn't necessarily have to consist of monumental accomplishments. It can include your "minor victories," like learning to skate, graduating from high school, receiving an award or promotion,

STEP TEN:

Get involved in work and activities you love. It's hard to feel good about yourself if your days are spent in work you despise. Self-esteem flourishes when you are engaged in work and activities that you enjoy and make you feel valuable. Even if you can't explore alternative career options at the present time, you can still devote leisure time to hobbies and activities, which you find stimulating and enjoyable.

STEP ELEVEN: Be true to yourself. Live your own life - not the life others have decided is best for you. You'll never gain your own respect and feel good about yourself if you aren't leading the life you want to lead. If you're making decisions based on getting approval from friends and relatives, you aren't being true to yourself and your self-esteem is lowered.

STEP TWELVE: Take action! You won't develop high self-esteem if you sit on the sidelines and back away from challenges. When you take action regardless of the ensuing result - you feel better about yourself. When you fail to move forward because of fear and anxiety, you'll be frustrated and unhappy and you will undoubtedly deal a damaging blow to your self-esteem.

Will California become America’s first failed state? LOS ANGELES, 2009: CALIFORNIA MAY BE THE EIGHTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD, BUT ITS STATE STAFF SEASONAL MAGAZINE

ARE BEING PAID IN IOUS, UNEMPLOYMENT IS AT ITS HIGHEST IN 70 YEARS, AND TEACHERS ARE ON HUNGER STRIKE. SO WHAT HAS GONE SO CATASTROPHICALLY WRONG?

From its politics to its economy to its environment and way of life, California is like a patient on life support. At the start of summer the state government was so deeply in debt that it began to issue IOUs instead of wages. Its unemployment rate has soared to more than 12%, the highest figure in 70 years. Desperate to pay off a crippling budget deficit, California is slashing spending in education and healthcare, laying off vast numbers of workers and forcing others to take unpaid leave. In a state made up of sprawling suburbs the collapse of the housing bubble has impoverished millions and kicked tens of thousands of families out of their homes. Its political system is locked in paralysis and the two-term rule of former movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger is seen as a disaster â&#x20AC;&#x201C; his approval ratings having sunk to levels that would make George W Bush blush. The crisis is so deep that Professor Kenneth Starr, who has written an acclaimed history of the state, recently declared: "California is on the verge of becoming the first failed state in America." Outside the Forum in Inglewood, near downtown Los Angeles, California has already failed. The scene is reminiscent of the fallout from Hurricane Katrina, as crowds of impoverished citizens stand or lie aimlessly on the hot tarmac of the centre's car park. It is 10am, and most have already been here for hours. They have come for free healthcare: a travelling medical and dental clinic has set up shop in the Forum (which usually hosts rock concerts) and thousands of the poor, the uninsured and the down-on-their-luck have driven for miles to be here.

California has a special place in the American psyche. It is the Golden State: a playground of the rich and famous with perfect weather. It symbolizes a lifestyle of sunshine, swimming pools and the Hollywood dream factory. But the state that was once held up as the epitome of the boundless opportunities of America has collapsed.

Yet California is currently cutting healthcare, slashing the "Healthy Families" programme that helped an estimated one million of its poorest children. Los Angeles now has a poverty rate of 20%. Other cities across the state, such as Fresno and Modesto, have jobless rates that rival Detroit's. In order to pass its state budget, California's government has had to agree to a deal that cuts billions of dollars from education and sacks 60,000 state employees. Some teachers have launched a hunger strike in protest. California's education system has become so poor so quickly that it

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California may be the eighth largest economy in the world, but its state staff are being paid in IOUs, unemployment is at its highest in 70 years, and teachers are on hunger strike. So what has gone so catastrophically wrong?

The queue began forming at 1am. By 4am, the 1,500 spaces were already full and people were being turned away. On the floor of the Forum, root-canal surgeries are taking place. People are ferried in on cushions, hauled out of decrepit cars. Sitting propped up against a lamp post, waiting for her number to be called, is Debbie Tuua, 33. It is her birthday, but she has taken a day off work to bring her elderly parents to the Forum, and they have driven through the night to get here. They wait in a car as the heat of the day begins to rise. "It is awful for them, but what choice do we have?" Tuua says. "I have no other way to get care to them."

is now effectively failing its future workforce. The percentage of 19-year-olds at college in the state dropped from 43% to 30% between 1996 and 2004, one of the highest falls ever recorded for any developed world economy. California's schools are ranked 47th out of 50 in the nation. Its government-issued bonds have been ranked just above "junk". Some of the state's leading intellectuals believe this collapse is a disaster that will harm Californians for years to come. "It will take a while for this selfdestructive behaviour to do its worst damage," says Robert Hass, a professor at Berkeley and a former US poet laureate, whose work has often been suffused with the imagery of the Californian way of life. Now, incredibly, California, which has been a natural target for immigration throughout its history, is losing people. Between 2004 and 2008, half a million residents upped sticks and headed elsewhere. By 2010, California could lose a congressman because its population will have fallen so much – an astonishing prospect for a state that is currently the biggest single political entity in America. Neighbouring Nevada has launched a mocking campaign to entice businesses away, portraying Californian politicians as monkeys, and with a tag-line jingle that runs: "Kiss your assets goodbye!" You know you have a problem when Nevada – famed for nothing more than Las Vegas, casinos and desert – is laughing at you.

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This matters, too. Much has been made globally of the problems of Ireland and Iceland. Yet California dwarfs both. It is the eighth largest economy in the world, with a population of 37 million. If it was an independent country it would be in the G8. And if it were a company, it would likely be declared bankrupt. That prospect might surprise many, but it does not come as news to

Tuua, as she glances nervously into the warming sky, hoping her parents will not have to wait in the car through the heat of the day just to see a doctor. "It is so depressing. They both worked hard all their lives in this state and this is where they have ended up. It should not have to be this way," she says. taken to hospital suffering from an infected insect bite from such a pool. "You could say she was a victim of the foreclosure crisis, too," he jokes. But it is no laughing matter. One in four American mortgages that are "under water", meaning they are worth more than the home itself, are in California. In the Central Valley town of Merced, house prices have crashed by 70%. Two Democrat politicians have asked for their districts to be declared disaster zones, because of the poor economic conditions caused by foreclosures. In one city near Riverside, a squatter's camp of newly homeless labourers sleeping in their vehicles has grown up in a supermarket car park – the local government has

For some campaigners and advocates against suburban sprawl and car culture, it has been a bitter triumph. "Let the gloating begin!" says James Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency, a warning about the high cost of the suburban lifestyle. Others see the end of the housing boom as a man-made disaster akin to a mass hysteria, but with no redemption in sight. "If California was an experiment then it was an experiment of mass irresponsibility – and that has failed," says Michael Levine. Nowhere is the economic cost of California's crisis writ larger than in the Central Valley town of Mendota, smack in the heart of a dusty landscape of flat, endless fields of fruit and vegetables. The town, which boldly terms itself "the cantaloup capital of the world", now has an unemployment rate of 38%. That is expected to rise above 50% as the harvest ends and labourers are laid off. City officials hold food giveaways every two weeks. More than 40% of the town's people live below the poverty level. Shops have shut, restaurants have closed, drugs and alcohol abuse have become a problem. Standing behind the counter of his DVD and grocery store, former Mendota mayor Joseph Riofrio tells me it breaks his heart to watch the town sink into the mire. His father had built the store in the 1950s and constructed a solid middle-class life around it, to raise his family. Now Riofrio has stopped selling booze in a one-man bid to curb the social problems breaking out

all around him. "It is so bad, but it has now got to the point where we are getting used to it being like this," he says. Riofrio knows his father's achievements could not be replicated today. The state that once promised opportunities for working men and their families now promises only desperation. "He could not do what he did again. That chance does not exist now," Riofrio says. Outside, in a shop that Riofrio's grandfather built, groups of unemployed men play pool for 25 cents a game. Near every one of the town's liquor stores others lie slumped on the pavements, drinking their sorrows away. Mendota is fighting for survival against heavy odds. The town of 7,000 souls has seen 2,000 people leave in the past two years. But amid the crisis there are a few sparks of hope for the future. California has long been an incubator of fresh ideas, many of which spread across the country. If America emerges from its crisis a greener, more economically and politically responsible nation, it is likely that renewal will have begun here. The clues to California's salvation – and perhaps even the country as a whole – are starting to emerge. Take Anthony "Van" Jones, a man now in the vanguard of the movement to build a future green economy, creating millions of jobs, solving environmental problems and reducing climate change at a stroke. It is a beguiling vision and one that Jones conceived in the northern Californian city of Oakland. He began political life as an anti-poverty campaigner, but gradually combined that with environmentalism, believing that greening the economy could also revitalise it and lift up the poor. He founded Green for All as an advocacy group and published a best-selling book, The Green Collar Economy. Then Obama came to power and Jones got the call from the White House. In just a few years, his ideas had spread from the streets of Oakland to White House policy papers. Jones was later ousted from his role, but his ideas remain. Green jobs are at the forefront of Obama's ideas on both the economy and the

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provided toilets and a mobile shower. In the Los Angeles suburb of Pacoima, one in nine homeowners are now in default on their mortgage, and the local priest, the Rev John Lasseigne, has garnered national headlines – swapping saving souls to saving houses, by negotiating directly with banks on behalf of his parishioners.

environment. Jones believes California will once more change itself, and then change the nation. "California remains a beacon of hopeâ&#x20AC;Ś This is a new time for a new direction to grow a new society and a new economy," Jones has said. It is already happening. California may have sprawling development and awful smog, but it leads the way in environmental issues. Arnold Schwarzenegger was seen as a leading It is impossible not to be impressed by the physical presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger when he walks into a room. He may appear slightly smaller than you imagine, but he's just as powerful. This is, after all, the man who, before he was California's governor, was the Terminator and Conan the Barbarian. But even Schwarzenegger is humbled by the scale of the crisis. At a press conference in Sacramento to announce the final passing of a state budget, which would include billions of dollars of cuts, the governor speaks in uncharacteristically pensive terms. "It is clear that we do not know yet what the future holds. We are still in troubled waters," he says quietly. He looks subdued, despite his sharp grey suit and bright pink tie. Later, during a grilling by reporters, Schwarzenegger is asked an unusual question. As a gaggle of journalists begins to shout, one man's voice quickly silences the others. "Do you ever feel like you're watching the end of the California dream?" asks the reporter. It is clearly a personal matter for Schwarzenegger. After all, his life story has embodied it. He arrived virtually penniless from Austria, barely speaking English. He ended up a movie star, rich beyond his dreams, and finally governor, hanging Conan's prop sword in his office. Schwarzenegger answers thoughtfully and at length. He hails his own experience and ends with a passionate rallying call in his still thickly accented voice. "There is people that sometimes suggest that the American dream, or the Californian dream, is evaporating. I think it's absolutely wrong. I think the Californian dream is as strong as ever," he says, mangling the grammar but not the sentiment. Looking back, it is easy to see where Schwarzenegger's optimism sprung from. California has always been a special place, with its own idea of what could be achieved in life. There is no such thing as a British dream. Even within America, there is no Kansas dream or New Jersey dream. But for California the concept is natural. It has always been a place apart. It is of the American West, the destination point in a nation whose history has been marked by restless pioneers. It is the home of

Hollywood, the nation's very own fantasy land. Getting on a bus or a train or a plane and heading out for California has been a regular trope in hundreds of books, movies, plays, and in the popular imagination. It has been writ large in the national psyche as free from the racial divisions of the American South and the traditions and reserve of New England. It was America's own America. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and now an adopted Californian, remembers arriving here from his native New England. "In New England you would have to know people for 10 years before they let you in their home," he says. "Here, when I took my son to his first play date, the mother invited me to a hot tub." Michael Levine is a Hollywood mover and shaker, shaping PR for a stable of A-list clients that once included Michael Jackson. Levine arrived in California 32 years ago. "The concept of the Californian dream was a certain quality of life," he says. "It was experimentalism and creativity. California was a utopia." Levine arrived at the end of the state's golden age, at a time when the dream seemed to have been transformed into reality. The 1950s and 60s had been boom-time in the American economy; jobs had been plentiful and development rapid. Unburdened by environmental concerns, Californian developers built vast suburbs beneath perpetually blue skies. Entire cities sprang from the desert, and orchards were paved over into playgrounds and shopping malls. "They came here, they educated their kids, they had a pool and a house. That was the opportunity for a pretty broad section of society," says Joel Kotkin, an urbanist at Chapman University, in Orange County. This was what attracted immigrants in their millions, flocking to industries â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially defence and aviation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that seemed to promise jobs for life. But the newcomers were mistaken. Levine, among millions of others, does not think California is a utopia now. "California is going to take decades to fix," he says. So where did it all wrong? Few places embody the collapse of California as graphically as the city of Riverside. Dubbed "The Inland Empire", it is an area in the southern part of the state where the desert has been conquered by mile upon mile of housing developments, strip malls and four-lane freeways. The tidal wave of foreclosures and repossessions that burst the state's vastly inflated property bubble first washed ashore here. "We've been hit hard by foreclosures. You can see it everywhere," says political scientist Shaun Bowler, who has lived in California for 20 years after moving here from his native England. The impact of the crisis ranges from boarded-up homes to abandoned swimming pools

Even the way America eats is being changed in California. Every freeway may be lined with fast-food outlets, but California is also the state of Alice Waters, the guru of the slow-food movement, who inspired Michelle Obama to plant a vegetable garden in the White House. She thinks the state is changing its values. "The crisis is bringing us back to our senses. We had adopted a fast and easy way of living, but we are moving away from that now," she says. There is hope in politics, too. There is a growing movement to call for a constitutional convention that could redraw the way the state is governed. It could change how the state passes budgets and make the political system more open, recreating the lost middle ground. Recently, the powerful mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, signed on to the idea. Gerrymandering, too, is set to take a hit. Next year Schwarzenegger will take steps to redraw some districts to make them more competitive, breaking the stranglehold of party politics. He wants district boundaries to be drawn up by impartial judges, not politicians. In previous times that would have been the equivalent of a turkey voting for Christmas. But now the bold move is seen for what it is: a necessary step to change things. And there is no denying that innovation is something that California does well. Even in the most deprived corners of the state there is a sense that things can still turn around. California has always been able to reinvent itself, and some of its most hardcore critics still like the idea of it having a "dream". that have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Bowler's sister, visiting from England, was recently light, taking the state far ahead of the federal government on eco-issues. The number of solar panels in the state has risen from 500 a decade ago to more than 50,000 now. California generates twice as much energy from solar power as all the other US states combined. Its own government is starting to turn on the reckless sprawl that has marked the state's development. California's attorney-general, Jerry Brown, recently sued one county government for not paying enough attention to global warming when it came to urban planning. Even those, like Kotkin, who are sceptical about the end of suburbia, think California will develop a new model for modern living: comfortable, yes, but more modest and eco-friendly. Kotkin, who is writing an eagerly anticipated book about what America will look like in 2050, thinks much of it will still resemble the bedrock of the Californian dream: sturdy, wholesome suburbs for all â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just done more responsibly. "We will still live in suburbs. You work with the society you have got. The question is how we make them more sustainable," he says.

"I believe in California. It pains me at the moment to see it where it is, but I still believe in it," said Michael Levine. Perhaps more surprisingly, a fellow believer is to be found in Mendota in the shape of Joseph Riofrio. His shop operates as a sort of informal meeting place for the town. People drop in to chat, to get advice, or to buy a cold soft drink to relieve the unrelenting heat outside. The people are poor, many of them out of work, often hiring a bunch of DVDs as a cheap way of passing the time. But Riofrio sees them as a community, one that he grew up in. He is proud of his town and determined to stick it out. "This is a good place to live," he says. "I want to be here when it turns around." He is talking of the stricken town outside. But he could be describing the whole state.

IS THIS THE NAZARETH HOME WHERE JESUS PRAYED? The remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth that has been dated back to the time of Jesus have been unveiled - just days before Christmas. The find that could shed new light on what the hamlet was like during the period the New Testament says Jesus lived there as a boy, Israeli archaeologists said. The dwelling and older discoveries of nearby tombs in burial caves suggest that Nazareth was an out-of-the-way hamlet of around 50 houses on a patch of about four acres. It was evidently populated by Jews of modest means who kept camouflaged grottos to hide from Roman invaders, said archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, excavations director at the Israel Antiquities Authority. The place was so small Jesus would almost certainly have known all the houses - and might even have prayed there. Based on clay and chalk shards found at the site, the dwelling appeared to house a 'simple Jewish family,' Alexandre added, as workers at the site carefully chipped away at mud with small pickaxes to reveal stone walls. Nazareth holds a cherished place in Christianity. It is the town where Christian tradition says Jesus grew up and where an angel told Mary she would bear the child of God. 'This may well have been a place that Jesus and his contemporaries were familiar with,' Alexandre said. A young Jesus may have played around the house with his cousins and friends, she said. 'It's a logical suggestion.' The discovery so close to Christmas has pleased local Christians. 'They say if the people do not speak, the stones will speak,' said a smiling Rev. Jack Karam of the nearby Basilica of the Annunciation, the site where Christian tradition says Mary received the angel's word.

Alexandre's team found remains of a wall, a hideout, a courtyard and a water system that appeared to collect water from the roof and supply it to the home. The discovery was made when builders dug up the courtyard of a former convent to make room for a new Christian center, just yards (meters) away from the Basilica. It is not clear how big the dwelling is - Alexandre's team have uncovered about 900 square feet (85 square meters) of the house, but it may have been for an extended family and could be much larger, she said. Alexandre said her team also found a camouflaged entry way into a grotto, which she believes was used by Jews at the time to hide from Roman soldiers who were battling Jewish rebels at the time for control of the area. The grotto would have hid around six people for a few hours, she said. However, Roman soldiers did not end up battling Nazareth's Jews because the hamlet had little strategic value at the time. The Roman army was more interested in larger towns and strategic hilltop communities, she said. Alexandre said similar camouflaged grottos were found in other ancient Jewish communities of the lower Galilee such as the nearby Biblical village of Cana, which did witness battle between Jews and Romans. At the site, Alexandre told reporters that archaeologists also found clay and chalk vessels which were likely used by Galilean Jews of the time. The scientists concluded a Jewish family lived there because of the chalk, which was used by Jews at the time to ensure the purity of the food and water kept inside the vessels. The shards also date back to the time of Jesus, which includes the late Hellenic, early Roman period that ranges from around 100 B.C. to 100 A.D., Alexandre said. The absence of any remains of glass vessels or imported products suggested the family who lived in the dwelling

were 'simple,' but Alexandre said the remains did not indicate whether they were traders or farmers. The only other artifacts that archeologists have found in the Nazareth area from the time of Jesus are ancient burial caves outside the hamlet, providing a rough idea of the village's population at the time, Alexandre said. Work is now taking place to clear newer ruins built above the dwelling, which will be preserved. The dwelling will become a part of a new international Christian center being constructed close to the site and funded by a French Roman Catholic group, said Marc Hodara of the Chemin Neuf Community overseeing construction. Alexandre said limited space and population density in Nazareth means it is unlikely that archeologists can carry out any further excavations in the area, leaving this dwelling to tell the story of what Jesus' boyhood home may have looked like. The discovery at 'this time, this period, is very interesting, especially as a Christian,' Karam said. 'For me it is a great gift.'

WESTERN DIETS ' TURN ON GENES THAT MAKE US OBESE'

Here's a proof why a diet high in fat and in sugar should be avoided: a new research has shown that Western diets actually switch on genes that ultimately make us obese. This means that these foods hit us with a doublewhammy as the already difficult task of converting highfat and high-sugar foods to energy is made even harder because these foods also turn our bodies into "supersized fat-storing" machines. In the new study, scientists showed that foods high in fat and sugar stimulate a known opioid receptor, called the kappa opioid receptor, which plays a role in fat metabolism. When this receptor is stimulated, it causes our bodies to hold on to far more fat than our bodies would do otherwise. Study author Traci Ann Czyzyk-Morgan said that "the data presented here support the hypothesis that overactivation of kappa opioid receptors contribute to

the development of obesity specifically during prolonged consumption of high-fat, calorically dense diets." To make this discovery, Czyzyk-Morgan and her colleagues conducted tests in two groups of mice. One group had the kappa opioid receptor genetically deactivated ("knocked out") and the other group was normal. Both groups were given a high fat, high sucrose, and energy dense diet for 16 weeks. While the control group of mice gained significant weight and fat mass on this diet, the mice with the deactivated receptor remained lean. In addition to having reduced fat stores, the mice with the deactivated receptor also showed a reduced ability to store incoming nutrients. Although more work is necessary to examine what the exact effects would be in humans, this study may help address the growing obesity problem worldwide in both the short-term and long-term.

TIGER WOODS CRASH A BOOST FOR PHYSICS BOOK

Unless you've been in solitary confinement for the last week, you've probably heard about Tiger Woods' run-in with his wife, a golf club, fire hydrant and a tree. Needless to say, it didn't end well for the golfing ace. His marriage is in tatters, his SUV is a wreck, a growing number of alleged girlfriends are coming out of the woodwork and Woods' squeaky-clean image has been tarnished for the foreseeable future. However, in a photo published by the UK's Independent today, Tiger's reading habits appear to have a far better foundation than his relationship escapades.

In the aftermath of Tiger's late-night dash across his neighborhood, the The Florida Highway Patrol issued a press release including a photograph of the interior of his car. The scene is what you'd expect after any car accident; upholstered seats covered in broken class and other debris strewn around... and a copy of "Get A Grip on Physics" by science writer John Gribbin. Where Tiger Woods is undoubtedly losing this round, Dr. Gribbin has become an unlikely winner. Sales of his book have boomed overnight. The book was 2,268th position on the Amazon sales list, up from 396,224th the previous day. -- Steve Connor, Independent.co.uk "This is one of my older and lesser known books â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a guide to new physics for non-scientists. I can only guess that Tiger has been interested in the various stories about the Large Hadron Collider, and wanted to learn more. Several of my books have been doing better than usual this year," said Gribbin. Having not read the book, but being an avid (yet poor) golfer myself, I'd say that Tiger has inadvertently disclosed one of his golfing secrets. After all, golf is a practical lesson in mechanics and fluid dynamics. Or -- as pointed out by Gribbin -- it might be that Woods is fascinated with the Large Hadron Collider.

11 WAYS TO GAIN CLARITY

I’m sure you’ve read that clarity and focus are important qualities for success. Decide what you want, and then pursue it with passion and energy. But what if you’re feeling uncertain and don’t have a lot of clarity about your future direction? What if you can’t decide what you’d like to do next? This is a common problem, especially for today’s 20-somethings who are growing up in a world of unprecedented change. Fortunately there are many actions you can take and mental adjustments you can make that will help you shift from uncertainty to certainty. Here are 11 tips for infusing your life with more clarity:

1. Assume 100% responsibility for your own level of clarity. Many people assume that clarity is something that will arrive in good time if they simply wait patiently. Others feel stunted that they aren’t gifted with the same degree of clarity as others. The common pattern is that clarity is seen as something that is bestowed from the outside in, that it’s something God, the universe, or the world at large has the power to grant you — or that it’s an accident in some way. Some people get lucky; others don’t.

creating your current level of clarity. No one else is doing it to you — not God or the universe or your friends and family or your boss or your spirit guides or the Law of Attraction. Furthermore, realize and accept that if your current degree of clarity is to improve, then you must actively make some changes. Endlessly pondering why you don’t have clarity will only perpetuate confusion, so that’s a bad habit you can drop immediately. If you want more clarity, then it’s time to treat the generation of clarity as a serious undertaking that’s entirely 100% your responsibility. It’s not going to happen unless you make it happen.

2. Stop creating the opposite of clarity. Some thoughts and actions lead to increased clarity. Other thoughts and actions have the opposite effect. If you want to experience more clarity, you must disengage yourself from that which has an adverse effect on your clarity. Clarity-reducing patterns include: * Hanging out with fuzzy, unfocused people who are drifting aimlessly with no direction

These attitudes are pointless and self-defeating.

* Living with people whose goals and values are in conflict with yours

Clarity isn’t something that arrives from outside of you. Clarity isn’t a matter of luck either. Clarity is what you create for yourself.

* Distracting yourself with excessive TV, web surfing, video games, or other time-wasting habits

Clarity is a decision.

* Numbing your mind and emotions with junk food, alcohol, or other addictions

Whatever degree of clarity you’re experiencing right now is what you’ve decided to create. Not deciding still counts as a decision; in that case it’s the decision to remain uncertain.

* Overstimulating yourself with caffeine (which for many people leads to racing thoughts)

The word decide comes from the Latin decidere, which means “to cut off from.” To make a decision, you must cut away other potential directions. If you remain open to lots of different directions at the same time, you get confusion and fuzziness. When you commit yourself to one specific direction, clarity is the natural result. It’s wise to remain open and responsive to what comes your way. Don’t be so rigid as to ignore what’s coming to you. But neither be so “open” that you succumb to wishy-washy indecision. Be like a ship captain who sets sail with a specific destination in mind, while keeping a keen eye on the wind and waters during the journey. Now it’s entirely possible that you may not be very good at creating clarity yet. You may in fact be very good at creating confusion and uncertainty for yourself — and have a long track record to prove it. That’s okay for now, but take it as a given that you’re the one who’s

* Whining about your lack of certainty or complaining that you don’t know what to do Clarity-boosting patterns include doing the opposite of the above: * Hanging out with clear, focused people who can tell you their purpose and direction * Living with people whose goals and values align well with yours * Feeding your mind with inspirational and motivational material like quality books and audio programs * Eating healthy, unrefined foods (especially fruits and veggies, fresh juices, and smoothies) that keep your mind sharp and alert * Avoiding stimulants that cause swings in your thoughts and emotions * Thinking about your goals and the next actions you can take today

If you find yourself surrounded by people and circumstances that leave you feeling dizzy and confused, drop those elements from your life, and give yourself the space to create and enjoy the clarity you seek. Spinning in circles is unproductive.

3. Harvest and apply the clarity lessons from your past. Notice that your level of clarity isn’t the same at all times. At some points in your life, you’ve been very clear. At other times you’ve been extremely uncertain. Take a moment to review those times when you’ve been at one extreme vs. the other. See if you can identify some of the causal factors on both sides. Notice which factors lead to reduced clarity, and do less of them. Also notice which factors lead to increased clarity, and do more of them. This sounds childishly simple, and it is, but chances are that you aren’t applying this idea as well as you could. Humor me, and give it a try. You’ll be amazed as the a-ha moments that can be gotten from a quick review of your past patterns of clarity vs. fuzziness. For example, do you feel clearer and more certain after taking the time to write down your goals? Do you feel fuzzier after having a conversation with someone who’s always nagging you to change in ways you disagree with? If so, then do the former more often, and do the latter less often.

4. Use visualization to create the vibe of clarity. Either you feel clear and focused right now, or you don’t. You may assume that your external reality has to be a certain way in order for you to feel clear and focused. Having all your ducks in a row may make it easier to feel clear, but you can also use your imagination to create the feeling of clarity. Clarity is more than just a feeling. There’s an emotional state associated with it, but it’s more than that. Clarity is a certain vibe. When you’re really clear, you can sense that vibe through every cell of your being. Your mind and emotions are centered. Every part of you is on the same page. There’s no doubt or uncertainty. This is a powerful state of being to experience. Sit quietly for a few moments and imagine what it’s like to hold the vibe of total clarity. Imagine what your surroundings would look like if you were really clear about your direction in life right now. Imagine the people and circumstances that would be in your reality. Imagine how you’d dress, how you’d move, and how you’d communicate with others. Paint a vivid picture of a reality — any reality — in which you feel crystal clear

about your direction in life. What matters isn’t the specific visualization you create. What matters is the vibe you experience. You can imagine yourself as an ancient Roman conqueror as long as it helps you hold the vibe of clarity. Do this for at least 10-20 minutes per day until the clarity vibe feels normal and natural to you. The more you practice holding this vibe, the more clarity you’ll bring to the rest of your life and to all the decisions you make. For more on this visualization process, read the article How to Visualize Your New Reality.

5. Ask for help. Help is available when you need it, so take advantage of it. Ask someone who’s clear about their path to assist you. The quality of help you receive will vary depending on the source. For example, an experienced counselor like Erin may be able to help you gain clarity quickly, while an enthusiastic but inexperienced friend may create more confusion than certainty. Also, consulting with an unbiased outsider is usually more beneficial than asking for help from someone who’s personally invested in your situation. Bear in mind that you’re still 100% responsible for your level of clarity. Use counselors, coaches, and advice givers as a resource to help you see the big picture, but don’t give your power away to them. If you try to give your power away to such people, hoping they’ll tell you what to do, it will backfire. A good counselor can help draw out and validate a path that’s right for you, but s/ he cannot create a path for you. Creating the path is your responsibility. 6. Put your goals in writing, and review them daily. This is a well-known habit of success, yet its practice remains inconsistent for most people. As soon as you write down your goals, you’ll experience a boost in clarity. And each time you review your goals, you’ll gain more clarity. Writing down your goals pushes you to make them clearer and more precise. It’s easy for a goal to remain fuzzy when it’s only in your mind, but if it’s stuck in your head and you can’t even write it down, it’s more of a fantasy than a goal. Putting your goal in writing is the first key action step toward making it real. How many times have you imagined a sexual fantasy for instance? And how many of those did you commit to writing as an actual goal or intention? Which ones are more likely to manifest? Whatever you’d like to keep as fantasy, leave it in your imagination. But whatever you’d like to experience in physical reality, put it down

in writing. Keep drilling your goals into your subconscious mind by reviewing them daily. Imagine your written goals as physically real — not fantasy — and soon your internal resources will be aligned with making those goals come to fruition. It takes a while to condition the subconscious through repetition, but if you persist with this habit, you’ll begin to notice subtle shifts that bring your goals ever closer. Jack Canfield recommends the practice of writing your goals on index cards, one goal per card. Then flip through the cards and imagine each goal as real when you first wake up in the morning and again before you go to bed. This is an excellent habit to install.

7. Accept that any goal is better than no goal. When asked to take a few minutes to write down some goals, certain people love to whine, “But I don’t know what to write down. I don’t know what my goals are.” In that case you can write down, “I want nothing!” If all you have is a blank page — or no page at all — then your goal is nothing. That’s what you’re asking for, so that’s what you’ll receive. The people who whine that they don’t know what to ask for are really saying, “I want nothing. I can’t think of any single thing I want. So I’m asking for precisely nothing.” Sounds pretty foolish, doesn’t it? It is foolish! Surely you can come up with something to ask for that’s better than nothing. Ask for a nice dinner. Ask for an extra $100. Ask for a new friend. Ask for a nicer phone. Anything is better than nothing.

achievements first, and as you get good at achieving those goals, continue to expand your goals in new directions.

8. Crystalize your goals. At first you may write down a goal like, “I have a job I enjoy.” That’s an okay place to start, but it’s not a very powerful goal because it’s so fuzzy. Your mind will have a hard time locking onto it and taking action. As you review your goals, try to lock them down and make them more specific. For example, instead of asking for a job you enjoy, you could say, “I make a living creating movies.” That’s a positive step towards greater specificity. Then as you think about that goal, you may progress to, “I enthusiastically earn $100,000 per year writing, producing, directing, and distributing independent short films that uplift, motivate, and inspire people to find their passion.” That goal is much clearer still. Clear written goals help you stay focused. Fuzzy goals leave you feeling uncertain. There’s no need to add superfluous details that are irrelevant to you, but if you can be more specific about what you truly want, it will help you achieve your goals faster, partly because clearer goals are less prone to procrastination. It’s too easy to procrastinate on a goal when you can’t figure out what the next step may be.

9. Pay attention to the path, not just the end result. Sometimes the way you achieve a particular goal is more important than the goal itself.

Imagine asking a child, “What do you want for Christmas?” and hearing the response, “I’m content with what I have. Please don’t trouble yourself on my behalf.” Now that would be a rare child indeed. Some might say that such a child is enlightened. I’d say that such a child was drugged. Even a dog is capable of expressing what s/he wants, including a neutered dog.

When I started college my second time, ostensibly my goal was to earn my degree in computer science. That was an important goal for me, but it wasn’t very motivating by itself. The first time I pursued that goal, I failed miserably and got expelled from school. The thought of spending 4 more years in school to get a degree was demotivating, so I triple-majored in poker, alcohol, and shoplifting instead.

Don’t pressure yourself into trying to come up with the perfect list of goals. You’ll never get there. Just write down some items that appeal to you, such as new experiences you’d like to have. Start with the goals that are easy for you to desire. Is there someplace you’d like to visit? Some activity you’d like to try? Someone you’d like to meet?

A year later when I started over as a freshman, I altered my goal to be, “I graduate with a computer science degree in only 3 semesters.” Now that goal inspired me! Challenging myself in that way was even more inspiring than the degree itself. I could have majored in psychology instead of computer science, and the goal still would have excited me.

As you get into the habit of setting and achieving goals, better goals will come to you. Don’t worry so much about changing the world if you’re still new to goal setting. Focus on some appealing but smaller

Would your goal be more inspiring to you if you found a way to achieve it faster? With a partner or a small team? While traveling? Without spending a dime? When a goal is too straightforward, it can become

demotivating because the action steps may get tedious and repetitive after a while. But if you can spice up the process used to achieve the goal, you may discover some newfound excitement. Sometimes it’s fun to take the scenic route.

10. Stick with one primary goal at a time. If you have a lot of goals, it’s easy to fall into the trap of jumping around between different goals and making little progress on any of them. If you want to actually achieve a goal, focus on one key goal single-mindedly until it’s achieved. Then move on to another goal. This is what top achievers do. Having too many competing goals will simply scatter your energies. It’s great to have a big list of goals, but which of those goals is most important to you right now? Which one do you want to achieve first? Make that goal your primary aim, and focus on its achievement. When you can work on that goal, do so. Work on other goals while you’re waiting for responses from others or if you simply need a break from the first goal. What if you have a really huge goal that will take many years to achieve? Same rule applies. If that goal is truly important to you, then center your life around it. Otherwise you’re unlikely to sustain the kind of momentum needed to make it a reality. If that’s too much for you though, you can scale back your goal to something more manageable. Set a subgoal to achieve, but realize that if you do other things between those subgoals, you’re delaying the end result of your primary goal. That’s perfectly fine if you’re still making good progress and enjoying the process. The final result isn’t the only thing that matters.

When you look back on the previous year, do you see a track record of massive progress toward your primary goal? If you aren’t satisfied with your current rate of progress, then you’ll need to make some changes to avoid repeating the same pattern next year. There’s no honor in having a big goal on your list if you aren’t making serious progress towards its achievement. Don’t delude yourself into thinking that setting a big goal is the same thing as achieving a big goal.

11. Explore and experiment. Sometimes it’s tough to set a clear goal because you don’t know what you’re getting into. In that case you can experiment in order to gain clarity about the goal space you’re exploring. When I worked in the computer gaming industry, one of the major chicken-egg problems was that you didn’t

really know what game you were trying to build until you were already well on your way to building it. Very rarely could you write out a complete design on paper and then implement it. That simply never happened for larger projects. Too many important design decisions had to be made along the way; otherwise golden opportunities would be missed, and the final product would fall far short of its potential. Much of the time, a small team would develop a prototype that would demonstrate some interesting gameplay dynamics, and then they’d play around with it to see how they might develop it into a commercial product. Funding would typically occur in stages, with one or more rounds of funding to create the experimental prototype and demonstrate key features, followed by additional funding to staff up with a larger team and create the final product. The final goal, i.e. defining exactly what kind of game was being created, often didn’t became clear until the project was well underway. This process made sense for the designers, but it often drove the publishers and marketers nuts, so typically the production team would document more certainty about the specs and the schedule than was realistic, so as to make their financial backers more comfortable. Nevertheless, this design-as-you-go process led to the creation of some very innovative games (which inevitably went over budget and were released a year or more behind schedule). Doing what you’re already doing won’t give you more clarity. Thinking about what to do next and writing down some goals can certainly help, but that isn’t always enough. Sometimes you have to get moving first before clarity can be achieved. You’ll enjoy more clarity when you’re in motion than when you’re standing still. A pilot has better visibility from the air than from the ground. At the end of 2008, I blogged that intimate relationships would be my primary personal development focus for 2009. I shared my uncertainties about my marriage and my future relationship possibilities. I didn’t have a clear goal at the time, so I picked a new direction to explore that I felt would help me gain clarity. That direction was a bit controversial for some people, especially the religious folks, so I took flak after blogging about it, but I stuck with the decision. In retrospect it was definitely the right course for me, and 2009 became a year of extreme growth and change in my personal life. I’m immensely grateful that I didn’t settle for maintaining the status quo. This has been a challenging exploration, sometimes an emotional roller coaster. But I don’t see how I could have learned what I needed to learn any other way. One thing I discovered is that I really enjoy new connections that are fresh and exciting, yet at the same time, I also

enjoy the stability of grounding connections like spending time with my kids (who are sleeping over at my house tonight). My next challenge is to find the right balance between these two aspects of my relationship life instead of swinging the pendulum too far one way or the other. New goals are now emerging, goals I could not have verbalized a year ago. When you’re stuck in a state of ambivalence, do whatever it takes to break the impasse. Do something radically different than what you’ve been doing. For example, if you know your current job is unfulfilling, but you don’t know what kind of work you’d enjoy, then quit the unfulfilling job immediately, and do something completely different for a while. Don’t expect to get it perfect on the first try. Go out and rack up a string of failed experiments, and you’ll be much closer to figuring out what you truly love. Some people will judge you harshly for undertaking such an exploration, but their reactions have little to do with you. They may be upset because you’re reminding them that they haven’t been learning and growing as much as they could be. Or they may be upset because you’re interfering with their sense of certainty; they thought they had you all figured out, and then you throw them for a loop. Or they may just be having a bad day. Regardless of the reason, don’t let fears about other people’s reactions hold you back from conducting your own growth experiments. If I can handle all the sardonic silliness that other bloggers feel inclined to publish about me, then surely you can handle your friends and family thinking you’ve gone off the deep end for a while. Just remember that every person who takes issue with what you’re doing is really saying, “I care about you enough to invest my time in you.” Don’t wait for clarity to come to you. You’re responsible for creating your own clarity from within. If you lack clarity, then get busy creating it. If you can achieve clarity by doing written exercises from the comfort of your home, great. If not, then leave your comfort zone behind, go outside, and explore what’s out there!

COVER STORY

INDIA’S PSU PROMISE:

WHO WILL MAK WHO WILL FAIL The duty the country has entrusted on its public sector units has always been enormous. That is why they were created as monopolies, in the first place. It is no coincidence that the country’s largest manufacturing company (BHEL), largest power generation company (NTPC), largest oil producer (ONGC), and largest bank (SBI) are still public sector undertakings. Together with their 40 listed cousins and along with their 200 still unlisted cousins, they no doubt contribute around 40% of the country’s GDP. And they grew at 20% even during the recession,

on a virtually unlimited capex powered by the taxes we all pay whenever we buy any product or service. But the troubling question is where has India reached on these PSU wheels? The first chinks in the armour appeared in the telecom and banking sectors in the 80s and 90s, and the Government decision to open these sectors to private operators has virtually created a revolution. Now, in the new millennium, further cracks are appearing in the power, infrastructure, and petroleum sectors, and the Government may have to act

KE IT, L IT?

decisively for the country to break the stagnation. Only a few PSUs will be able to grow competitively in a true free market, which is now only a few years away. Seasonal Magazine analyzes who will make it, who will fail it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the PSU promise.

Ashok Sinha, Chairman, BPCL

BC Tripathi, Chairman, GAIL

Aswani Kumar Datt, CMD, BEL

SK Roongta, Chairman SAIL

Uma Shankar, Chairman REC

RS Sharma, Chairman NTPC

Sarthak Behuria, Chairman IOC

OP Bhatt, Chairman SBI

RS Sharma Chairman ONGC

Rana Som, CMD, MNDC

Partha S Bhattacharyya, Chairman CIL

BP Rao, Chairman, BHEL

COVER STORY BHARA T ELECTRONICS L TD BHARAT LTD TD..

Gentle Aggre

Aswani Kumar Datt as, Chairman & Managing Director

ession

s one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key PSUs coming under the Defence Department, BELdelivered complex systems would turn aggressive the moment the nation is under attack. Radars, weapon systems, warfare systems, simulators, the list of defence products and systems from BEL is almost endless. However Bharat Electronics is also a gentle giant having contributed numerous home and industry friendly components like picture tubes, DTH systems, electronic voting machines etc. Always being a traditional PSU for much of its 55 years of existence, BEL has however turned a talking-point at NSE every since the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s divestment and the subsequent listing. Currently headed by BEL veteran Aswani Kumar Datt as its Chairman & Managing Director, this Bangalore headquartered Navaratna is in an aggressive mood with robust turnover and a heavy order book.

COVER STORY

BHARA T HEA VY ELECTRICALS L TD BHARAT HEAVY LTD TD..

Is BHEL Read Fair Competit Around three-quarters of the power generated in the country is through BHEL manufactured equipment. But the scenario is fast changing with around 50% of the power equipment orders now going to the private sector. While BHEL’s hefty profit

margins are mainly due to their near monopoly in sub-critical equipment, the Government’s new policy and the private operators are focusing more on manufacturing the next generation of supercritical equipment for power production.

THE AGE OF PSUS

dy for tion? Though the company has been able to survive the Chinese onslaught, the same canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be said of power equipment giants from Japan and Korea. Even while the Government is prodding BHEL to augment its capacity drastically to meet the power

BP Rao, CMD

targets, BHEL is struggling with basic issues like wage disputes among its huge workforce. Though the company is vehemently denying it, a few key ministries hold it responsible for the slower than intended power rollout.

COVER STORY BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION LTD

SUBSIDY RAJ,

Ashok Sinha, Chairman

REQUEST RAJ BPCL figures in such prestigious international lists like Fortune 500 and Forbes 2000. Celebrities like MS Dhoni and Narain Karthikeyan endorse their practically zerodifferentiated products. But are the Indian Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) really competitive petroleum companies at all should be a point of debate. They had their origin during licence raj, and thrived on during the subsidy raj. How private operators like Reliance & Essar bit dust in petroleum retailing explains how companies like BPCL thrive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; solely on subsidies. But this Navaratna canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be blamed for that as it is the

political system and finally the public that is forcing it to sell under cost price. But what is saddening is that no major innovation to solve this complex problem has so far come from their side. In contrast, upstream operators like ONGC have come out with an innovative tax proposal that the Government is seriously considering. Unlike sector leader Indian Oil Corporation which has so far remained out of red this year, BPCL has already crossed into red in Q2 and is expected to deepen its losses in Q3. The public sector OMC has finally turned towards the PM with a request to bail it out.

COVER STORY COAL INDIA LTD

India’s Coa The news of coal’s death has proven to be heavily exaggerated. Even while solar and wind power continue to make inroads, there is no doubt that massive and robust systems are still coal powered. India’s strength in coal is reflected primarily through Coal India. This Navaratna is not just the country’s or continent’s, but the world’s largest coal producer. The superlatives don’t end there. Coal India has a claim to be the country’s largest employer, being home to 4.25 lakh employees. Chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya has been a Coal India veteran, and has proven his mettle as a turnaround specialist in some of Coal India’s subsidiaries. Still fully owned by the Government, Coal India’s is one of the most eagerly awaited PSU IPOs of this year.

al Edge

Partha S Bhattacharyya, Chairman

On 15 October 2009, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister, presented the SCOPE Gold Trophy 2007-08 to Coal India for Excellence and Outstanding Contribution in Public Sector Management in the Institutional Category. The fact that Coal India stood tall amongst so many PSUs of India resonates our corporate mission of meeting the country’s energy demand with commitment and confidence. In another positive development Coal India was selected as one of the five finalists in Platt’s Global Energy Awards 2009 in the ‘Energy Producer of the Year’ category. These are clear indicators of Coal India’s growing stature in national and international arena. Coal India is the single largest coal producer in the world producing over 400 MTs annually. CIL produces 82% of India’s overall coal production and meets 42% of the country’s primary commercial energy requirement compared to 39% by gas and oil sectors combined. CIL commands 74% of the Indian coal market share and feeds 76 coal based thermal power plants accounting for 75.5% of total thermal power generating capacity of the Utility sector. CIL supplies coal at prices deeply discounted (50% to 60%) to international prices and insulates Indian coal consumers against price volatility. Thus, Coal India is at the center of India growth story and plays a crucial role in India’s core industry making India incorporated globally competitive. But with rapid industrialization and especially intensification in capacity expansion of power sector, it is becoming increasingly evident that the domestic demand far outstrips the indigenous production. Coal demand is not only in excess of availability but also rising at a pace

faster than the rate of growth in coal production. Considering the need to augment coal production Government of India perceived involving private players and coal blocks were allotted. So far, 208 coal blocks with 48 Billion Tonnes reserves have been allotted. In other words coal demand will be met from three sources – Coal India; private coal blocks and through imports. This segment is expected to increase coal production at a faster pace from current level of 493 Million Tonnes (all India) to 1055 Million Tonnes by the end of XII Five Year Plan (2016-17). Reserves of metallurgical coal, used in steel making, are scarce in the country and are concentrated only in Jharia Coalfield. These reserves are not sufficient to fulfill the demand of domestic steel industry. So import of this quality of coal is a necessity. Though India is endowed with large reserves of noncoking coal, that is thermal coal mostly used for power generation, it has high ash and low calorific value. This necessitates import of thermal coal having low ash and high calorific value to blend with Indian coal. Conscious of this need Coal India is focusing on mine acquisitions abroad. Mozambique, Australia, South Africa and Indonesia are in the scanner. CIL is also exploring possibilities in USA. Recently, CIL has been allocated two virgin blocks in Mozambique. The blocks, covering around 224 Sq.Kms, are likely to have both coking and non-coking coal, which can be used in our domestic power and steel plants. The overseas mine acquisitions will help CIL add value to its supplies in overcoming shortage of domestic coal.

COVER STORY POWER FINANCE CORPORATION

Satnam Singh, Chairman

The Ultra Mega SPECIALISTS

hat will grow faster than the fastest is the question before corporates and investors alike. Steel, cement, petroleum, IT? But there is an obvious clue – the fastest to grow will be something that all the other fast-footed will quickly and endlessly

Shri Satnam Singh receiving ‘India Power Award 2009’ from Shri Bharatsinh Solanki, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Power

gobble up. That is how a PSU IPO ended (UMPP), each capable of churning out up being oversubscribed 76 times, ahead 4000 MW each, India is planning to of most private giants during the last bridge the power gap. It doesn’t matter extended bull run. Power Finance that the earlier Mega Power Plants Corporation’s task is simple – it powers venture was only a reasonable success. other power companies in the public and This time PFC is determined to make it private sector. But something new the a success under the leadership of Government is attempting through Chairman Satnam Singh. However, a lot Power Finance Corporation has the will depend on how PFC will manage power to eclipse all else. Through a companies who have won bids for series of 9 Ultra Mega Power Plants UMPP like Reliance and Tata Power.

COVER STORY

GAS A UTHORITY OF INDIA L TD AUTHORITY LTD

Hungrier Than Reliance?

GAIL recently had a surprise for India Inc. This young Navaratna which has thrived solely on its constitution as the monopoly in gas distribution demanded a neat marketing margin for its ‘efforts’. The surprising fact was that it was even heavier than what Reliance Industries has demanded. But its ‘efforts’ have left many in India Inc., especially in the power sector gasping for breath, with the Government recently intervening and directing GAIL to urgently

furnish gas supply assurance to new private sector power companies so that they can get assistance from banks! Maybe due to its young age, GAIL sometimes get distracted with strange profitseeking ventures like its recent request before Government to allow it to take a stake in a gas pipeline China is building in Myanmar. It remains to be seen whether GAIL’s mandate includes such adventures and whether Government will allow it.

? BC Tripathi, Chairman

COVER STORY

Will the French Auction FPO Succeed?

Earlier it was said that NTPC IPO would be on a discount to retail investors. But the method – a French Auction – that NTPC has decided upon to implement this discount is destined to be complex. There would be two share pools – one for retailers at existing prices, and the second one – for institutional buyers through a French Auction i.e. whoever quotes higher and

higher only will land the shares. To be done for the first time in India, this is sure to be a tough ride, with many institutions masquerading as thousands of retailers, and the French Auction not living up to its full potential. NTPC has been bullish on its FPO prospects even while it battles as a severe coal shortage that a section of the Government has alleged as of its own making.

COVER STORY REC FPO

POWER OVERKIL 2009 and 2010 will go down in history as the year of power IPOs and FPOs. Though the sector is an undeniable need for all other industries, analysts are beginning to worry whether the markets is witnessing an overkill of power projects and IPOs. The reasons are many. Firstly, the returns from the power sector tend to be flat rather than exponential. Secondly, more specific to Rural Electrification Corporation, the projects it finances are in the rural sector where subsidies call the shots. It remains to be seen whether REC financed projects will be able to stand on their own feet and succeed. And this will be RECâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acid test in the long term.

LL?

P. Uma Shankar-Chairman

ETIHAD AIRWAYS

FLYING UAE FLA or an airline that started only in 2003, Etihad Airways has really gone places. During 2009 – a year that was not good for the world and UAE too – 3200 travel organizations across 166 countries and seven continents voted to determine WTA’s World’s Leading Airline 2009. It was Abu Dhabi headquartered Etihad Airways, UAE’s national carrier. Chairman HH Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and CEO James Hogan can HH Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

James Hogan, CEO

AG ABOVE ALL

indeed be proud. Emerging faster than peers from the long-running lull in the airline industry, Etihad has recently acquired immense momentum by taking delivery of its first Airbus A330-300, and extending its codesharing agreements further across Europe, the latest being with Aitalia. Etihadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pearl Business Class has

been judged as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best business class riding on features like a 23-inch screen, entertainment-ondemand, multi-connectivity options, flat bed seat, adjustable headrest, footrest, & lumbar support, massaging backrest, ample storage space, flexible lighting options, and direct aisle access for each cabin.