Mar 2011 - Michigan South Asian

MICHIGAN South Asian 

Monthly Community Paper | info@michigansouthasian.com | 248-677-5523 | Vol. 3 No. 3 MARCH 2011 

Non-Violence Prevails 

New York/London, Feb.12 

World leaders and officials 

WORLD CUP CRICKET 2011 

Dhaka, Feb 17 

The spectacular opening 

ceremony of the 2011 World 

Cup began at the Bangabandhu 

National Stadium here on 

Thursday evening with 

Bangladesh’’’’s national 

anthem-’’’’Amar Shonar 

have greeted the departure 

of President Hosni Mubarak 

with full-throated 

expressions of support 

for the people 

of Egypt along 

with some measured 

words of caution 

ahead for an 

uncertain period of 

political transition. 

“Egypt takes the 

Arab world into a 

new era. Let’s make 

it a better one,” said 

Bahrain’s Foreign 

Minister, Sheik 

Khalid bin Ahmed 

al-Khalifa, on 

(Continued 

Page 19) 

On 

Bangla’’’’, a song written and 

composed by Nobel laureate 

Rabindranath Tagore. 

The jam-packed Bangabandhu 

National Stadium came alive 

with passion and pride as a 

lively choir sang the national 

anthem. 

Libyans Fight 

For Freedom 

Tripoli, Feb 20 Sniper commandos have reportedly shot dead 

at least 15 mourners and wounded many others attending the 

funeral of protesters killed (Continued on Page 19) 

A delighted Bangladesh Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina speaking 

on the occasion said the nation 

was proud to host the 2011 World 

Cup. 

“I believe that 

international 

ties will be 

strengthened 

by this sport,” 

Hasina said, and 

thanked the ICC 

for choosing 

Bangladesh as 

the venue for 

the opening 

ceremony. 

Indian singer 

Sonu Nigam 

entertained the 

spectators on the 

occasion with an 

English number- 

’Let’s Go For The Glory.’ 

(Continued On Page 20) 

Mukesh Ambani’s 

RIL Signs $20 B 

Deal With BP 

Mumbai, Feb 21: Mukesh 

Ambani’’s Reliance Industries 


inside 

Super Food’ Dark 

Chocolates...............04 

Successful World Cup 

Campaign................05 

Indian Inventor 

Claims.....................06 

North South Foundation-Encouraging......06 

Women Fend Off......06 

Children Cooking......07 

HEALTH 

SPECIAL 

MARCH 

2011 

For Ads 

Email: 

info@michigansouthasian.com 

Watch 3-D Films.......08 

Cricket Fever.............09 

NZ Earthquake.........09 

Dr. Nik Article...........11 

Health Special..........12 

Comm Calendar........16 

Earth’s Rotation........17 

Shankar Mahadevan.17 

New York Cab Driver.17 

Outdoor Exercise......18 

Dairy Products..........18 

A Family That Plays...18 

Non Violence............19 

Libyans Fight............19 

World Cup Cricket.....20 

Stress Of Spouse......21 

Astrology..................21 

Bollywood news...22-23

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‘Super Food’ Dark Chocolates Are 

Healthier Than Fruits 

London, Feb 7 

There’s good news for chocoholics 

as US researchers have 

discovered that their favourite 

treat could be an even better 

way to boost their health than 

fruit, and also dubbed it as the 

latest ‘super food.’ 

They found that 

chocolates contain 

more healthy 

plant compounds 

and antioxidants, 

gram-for-gram, 

than fruit juice and 

provides far more 

nutritional goodness 

than food 

experts had previously 

thought, reports 

the Daily Express. 

Scientists at the Hershey Center 

for Health and Nutrition compared 

cocoa powder, the raw 

ingredient of chocolate, with 

powders made from fruits like 

acai berries, blueberries, cranberries 

and pomegranates, the 

‘super fruits’ known for powerful 

health-giving properties. 

The research into dark chocolate, 

containing around 60 percent 

cocoa, and cocoa drinks 

found that they too had more 

antioxidant activity and more 

flavanols—health-giving plant 

chemicals—than fruit. 

The good news, however, 

doesn’’t apply to hot chocolate, 

which is processed. 

The discovery means cocoa 

beans meet the nutritional criteria 

needed for fruits to be 

classed as ‘super fruits’. 

“The compounds in dark chocolate 

are just as 

good as the botanical 

compounds in 

fruit,” said Debra 

Miller, a senior 

member of the 

team. 

“Cacao seeds 

should be considered 

a ‘super fruit’ 

and products derived 

from cacao 

seed extracts, such as natural 

cocoa powder and dark chocolate, 

as ‘super foods’,” she said. 

Late Nights ‘Increase Risk Of 

Strokes, Heart Attacks’ 

Washington, Feb 9 Prolonged sleep deprivation and disrupted 

sleep patterns can have long-term, serious health implications, new 

research from Warwick Medical School shows. Leading academics 

from the University have linked lack of sleep to strokes, heart 

attacks and cardiovascular disorders, which often result in early 

death. “If you sleep less than six hours per night and have disturbed 

sleep you stand a 48 per cent greater chance of developing or dying 

from heart disease and a 15 per cent greater chance of developing 

or dying of a stroke,” Professor Francesco Cappuccio from the 

University of Warwick Medical School, said. “The trend for late 

nights and early mornings is actually a ticking time bomb for our 

health so you need to act now to reduce your risk of developing 

these life-threatening conditions.” 

Cappuccio and co-author Dr Michelle Miller, from the University 

of Warwick, conducted the research programme, which followed 

up evidence from seven to 25 years from more than 470,000 

participants from eight countries including Japan, USA, Sweden 

and UK. Cappuccio said: “There is an expectation in today’’s 

society to fit more into our lives. The whole work/life balance 

struggle is causing too many of us to trade in precious sleeping time 

to ensure we complete all the jobs we believe are expected of us.” 

He added: “But in doing so, we are significantly increasing the risk 

of suffering a stroke or developing cardiovascular disease resulting 

in, for example, heart attacks.” Miller explained further: “Chronic 

short sleep produces hormones and chemicals in the body which 

increase the risk of developing heart disease and strokes, and other 

conditions like high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and 

obesity”. But Cappuccio did warn of the implications of going too 

far the other way, as sleeping overly long – more than nine hours at 

a stretch – may be an indicator of illness, including cardiovascular 

disease.“By ensuring you have about seven hours sleep a night, 

you are protecting your future health, and reducing the risk of 

developing chronic illnesses. The link is clear from our research: 

get the sleep you need to stay healthy and live longer.” The study 

has been published today in the European Heart Journal. 

Most South Asian 

Students who travel 

20000 plus miles for 

studies in Michigan 

feel home sick within 

the first 30 days of 

landing. They would 

love to go some place 

called home and talk 

to or spend time with 

a family. 

ADOPT A 

STUDENT 

Families interested in 

creating a ‘Home Away 

Home’ for these students 

can email their contact 

info and we will post it 

on MichiganSouthAsian. 

com. 

Interesrted students will 

contact you directly. 

Email: 

info@Michigansouthasian.com 

Read Daily News at 

www.Michigan South Asian.com


Successful World Cup Campaign Would 

Help Revive Pak Cricket 

Dhaka, Feb 21: 

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis 

has reiterated that a good performance 

from 

his players in the 

ongoing World 

Cup will help 

revive the state 

of cricket in their 

country. 

“I have no doubt 

in my mind about 

the importance 

of this World 

Cup for the Pakistan 

team. 

It is a very big 

event in itself, 

but for Pakistan 

cricket, it 

becomes all the 

more significant 

because of the 

many problems 

our cricket has 

faced in recent times,” the Nation 

quoted Waqar, as saying. 

Waqar also insisted that his 

players were aware of the importance 

of doing well in the 

six-week tournament. 

“They know that if they perform 

well it will go a long 

way in the revival of our 

cricket. There is no doubt that 

our people need a big victory 

and this would also reignite 

the passion for cricket in the 

country,” he said. 

The Pakistan coach further 

said that he was satisfied 

with the preparations, and the 

mood in the team ahead of 

their opening match against 

Kenya on Wednesday. 

“We have spent around 10 days 

in Bangladesh and played two 

warm-up matches and in this 

time we have utilized all our 

energies to boost our fielding 

and shore up our physical fitness, 

which is going to be crucial 

in the matches,” he added. 

MEN CAN COOK! 

Traditionally South Asian Men take backseat when it 

comes to cooking. 

NOT ANY MORE. 

We want to put them in the driver seat. 

MICHIGAN SOUTH ASIAN INVITES SOUTH 

ASIAN MEN TO COME FORWARD AND SHOW 

THEIR TALENT IN COOKING. 

Email your recipe with your photos and see yourself in 

print 

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Indian Inventor Claims To Have 

London, Feb 14 

An Indian inventor, A.K. 

Vishwanath, has claimed that 

he has made a flying car with 

the help of India’’s first small 

car, Maruti. 

Made out of a seemingly 

ordinary 800cc Maruti car, it 

has rotor blades affixed to the 

roof with extended wheelarches 

creating a “vacuum section”, 

and has been one of the star 

Made ‘Flying Car’ 

attractions at the Aero India 

2011 air show in Bangalore. 

Maruti, built in the 1980s by 

Suzuki, and has formed the 

basis of inventor Vishwanath’’s 

dream. The 52-year-old has 

spent 16 years working on the 

“flying Maruti”, and claims it 

has vertical lift-off and he has 

tested a scale version tested in 

a wind tunnel, reports the Daily 

Mail. 

North South Foundation – Encouraging 

Excellence In Education 

By Srinivas Gudeti 

May last week, Indian American kid champion for the last three 

years, Samir Mishra, Kavya Shivashankar, Anamkika Veeramani. 

These name are most familiar to South Asian Americans. Common 

things among these, all three were Scripss Speling bee champions 

from 2008 to 2010 respectively but also they got basics and exposure 

of spelling bee contests from North South Foundation. NSF 

kids got top positions in Scripps spelling bee, National geography 

bee and Math Counts over so many years. 

North South Foundation was started in 1989 by Dr Ratnam chitturi 

to promote academic excellence among Indian American youth and 

also help needy and meritorious students in India by giving scholarships. 

North South Foundation is volunteer driven non-profit organization 

with zero overhead costs. 

Foundation raises money for the scholarships through registration 

fees of educational contests. There are 16 chapters in India for 

North South Foundation to seek and process the applications from 

the poor and merit students who are applying for colleges. Amount 

of $250 scholarship per year is given to the qualified applicants to 

complete their education. Past recipients of college scholarships in 

India and now helping the foundation in USA is a big testimony of 

its good work. 

North South Foundation has got about 80 chapters in USA and five 

in Michigan. To promote learning and excellence among Indian 

American youth, regional educational contests are conducted during 

March to April over three weekends in the entire country. Spelling 

bee, Math, Vocabulary, Geography, Science, Public speaking 

and essay writing are the contests conducted in Junior, Intermediate 

and Senior categories. 

Based on national cut off score, top 100 kids in each contest are 

being invited for National finals usually conducted in August, September. 

National finals are held in a selected city every year. This 

year national finals will be conducted in San Jose. It is planned to 

host 2012 national finals in University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 

In regional contests, all the participants are appreciated with ribbons 

and medals on the stage to keep their self esteem and for their 

efforts of learning. The foundation emphasizes and promotes the 

joy of learning and competing on one’s own abilities to excel with 

hard work. For Spelling and vocabulary bee contests, preparation 

of the given 1000 words itself is an education and learning process 

for the participants. 


So far, he has garnered 40 

patents, and told reporters his 

inspiration came from many 

sources, including the flying 

ability of bees. Other engineers 

are also working on the project. 

He told reporters that the car 

is powered initially by an 

electrical generator, after which 

its engine pumps out so-called 

‘’energy flows’’ which provide 

lift-off and cruising. 

The car was developed by 

Vishwanath’’s company, 

B’’Lorean, named after his 

home of Bangalore and the 

winged DeLorean sports car of 

the 1980s, famously used as a 

time machine in Hollywood’’ 

flick ‘Back To The Future’ 

series of films. 

How Women Fend Off 

Washington, Feb 16 

Domestic Violence 

A woman’’s arsenal of defences 

for resisting violence critically 

depends on her position within 

the family and community, according 

to a new study. 

“Women’’s resistance is often 

conceptualised only as exit, 

which is problematic,” said 

study author Stephanie Paterson, 

a professor in the Concordia 

University Department of 

Political Science and member 

of the Centre for Research in 

Human Development. 

“We know that violence increases 

upon separation. Focusing on 

exit obscures the experiences of 

women who are unwilling and/ 

or unable to leave,” she added. 

Contrary to popular belief, the 

new study found that wealth 

was not a guaranteed escape 

from an abusive relationship. 

It’’s just one of many factors 

that can help a woman resist 

violence. 

‘’Moby-Dick’’ Discovered 

London, Feb 12: Marine archaeologists have discovered a 19thcentury 

shipwrecked whaling ship ‘Two Brothers’ — which went 

down in 1823 – from the Hawaiian waters. Slammed into coral 

reef about 600 miles northwest of Honolulu, the vessel was skippered 

by Captain George Pollard Jr. 

Two years earlier, Pollard commanded another ship that was 

rammed by a whale and sank in the South Pacific. Many know 

that as the inspiration for Herman Melville’’s writing the 1851 

novel ‘’Moby Dick’’. Iron and ceramic scraps from the Nantucket 

whaling ship ‘Two Brothers’ were located in shallow waters 

nearly 600 miles from Honolulu in the remote chain of islands and 

atolls that make up the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, reports the 

Telegraph. According to expedition leader Kelly Gleason, a marine 

archeologist, the area protected by the U.S. government as 

the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, was key in 

helping to preserve the site. 

The discovery was unveiled on Friday by researchers from the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which 

led the initial 2008 expedition to the wreck and subsequent explorations 

of the site during the past two years. This is the first discovery 

of a sunken whaler from Nantucket, Massachusetts, birthplace 

of a U.S. whaling industry that played a key role in America’’s 

economic and political expansion into the Pacific, according to 

NOAA. 

Those factors can be tangible, 

such as access to a caring personal 

network. They can be intangible, 

such as her partner’’s 

perception of her resources, and 

his perception of her role within 

the family. 

If a partner perceives a woman 

as being in a strong position to 

resist, he’’s more likely to reconsider 

being violent towards 

her. 

Paterson’’s study examines the 

different options faced by battered 

women – from placating 

an abuser to threatening to exit 

– and how these options can influence 

subsequent violence. 

The notion that women have 

some bargaining power in cases 

of domestic abuse forces society 

to reconsider the dynamics 

of violence and expands the options 

for victims of such abuse. 

For women’’s negotiation tactics 

to be effective, however, 

much has to change in society 

at both the household and public 

policy levels. 

“Not only must we provide 

women with adequate material 

resources, but we must also address 

and challenge the origins 

of authority within families,” 

said Paterson. 

“Enabling resistance is not 

about making women accountable, 

but rather challenging the 

state to create systems in which 

effective resistance is possible. 

Only then will violence against 

women cease,” she added. 

The study is published in the 

journal Review of Radical Political 

Economics.


How Video Games Can Reveal 

A Child’s Core Competencies 


A researcher from Florida State 

University has presented an approach 

wherein a learning experience 

can be made more enjoyable 

by creating video games into 

which educational content and 

assessment tools have been surreptitiously 

added — and to incorporate 

such games into school 

curricula. 

Valerie J. Shute believes that this 

would not only remain a pleasant 

diversion for kids, parents would 

be reassured that their child is acquiring 

the knowledge and skills 

needed to excel in an increasingly 

competitive world. 

“The concept is known as 

‘’stealth assessment’. Essentially 

what we try to do is disguise educational 

content in such a way 

that kids aren’’t even aware that 

they’’re being assessed while 

they’’re engrossed in gameplay,” 

said Shute. 

How students react to new challenges 

and put evidence together 

can reveal a great deal 

about creative problem-solving 

skills. 

“Based on a student’’s responses 

to various situations 

that come up during the course 

of playing a video game, 

the game itself can be programmed 

to assess where that 

student might be especially 

strong or weak in core competencies,” 

Shute said. 

“The game can then adapt its 

content so that the student is 

exposed to more or less information 

in that area. And it continues 

to assess the student’’s 

progress to determine how 

well he or she is learning the 

embedded concepts and skills. 

“So in theory, not only can 

these stealth-assessment 

games measure a student’’s 

current level of knowledge 

in a given area, they can also 

determine areas where that student 

needs to improve and then 

help him or her to make those 

Now Children Are Cooking Their First Meal 

5-yrs Earlier Than Their Parents Did 


A survey has shown that children 

are taking to the stove and cooking 

their first meal 

five-years earlier 

than their parents’ 

generation did. 

The Lloyds TSB 

Home Insurance 

poll of 2,000 parents 

found that on 

average, children 

of 7 years of age 

are showing more 

interest in cooking, 

thanks to celebrity 

chefs such as Jamie 

Oliver and Nigella 

Lawson. 

But the research 

also showed a 

downside, as one in 

seven meals cooked 

by children ends in 

some form of disaster, 

the Daily Mail 

reported. 

Of those, smashed plates and 

crockery are the most frequent 

mishaps, reported by 41 percent 

of parents, while just under a 

third say the food is inedible. 

Research showed pasta and 

sauce was the favourite dish 

for under-16s to prepare, popular 

with 37 percent, with cake, 

pizza, chips and fish fingers following 

close behind. 

A fifth of parents said it was TV 

cooking shows that were inspiring 

their children to head for the 

kitchen. 

improvements, using feedback, 

maybe easier problems, 

and so on,” Shute said. 

There are other important 

features of such games: 

They can be used to assess 

a student’’s knowledge on 

a specific topic both at the 

beginning and at the end 

of the game, thus providing 

numerical data that 

illustrate how much the 

student has learned. 

They can be easily customized 

to meet the educational 

strengths and 

weaknesses of individual 

students. In this manner, 

each student can learn at 

his or her own speed and 

be appropriately challenged. 

“Essentially, the patent is 

for a computer algorithm 

that we developed,” she said. 

MEN CAN COOK! 

Email your recipe with your photos 

and see yourself in print 

“The algorithm applies 

‘’weights’’ to a student’’s responses 

to specific tasks within 

a game, then uses those weights 

to measure proficiency levels. 

With that information, the game 

knows whether to assign additional 

tasks to the student in a 

particular area or move on to 

another area.” 

“It’’s important that we change 

the way education thinks about 

what competencies are important 

to support in students (that 

we’’re not currently doing) to 

yield excellent global citizens. 

We also need to develop new 

kinds of assessments to capture 

and make sense of this new information. 

“Stealth assessment within engaging 

learning and gaming environments 

might be one of the 

key tools we can use to improve 

the way we teach our children 

and the way they learn,” she 

said. 



(Continued From Page 6) 

All the preparation resources, syllabus with sample questions for 

the contests is available in the web site. 

Detroit chapter is one of the biggest chapters in the country with 

large number of contest participants for the last five years. Ann 

Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo are other chapters in 

Michigan which conducts educational bee contests. 

Regional chapters also conduct workshops to give learning exposure 

to the participants. South east Michigan chapters are conducting 

Spelling bee workshop on Saturday March 12th in Farmington 

Hills library auditorium. Mr Shivashankar Mirle from Kansas City 

will be conducting the workshop. He is coach and dad of Kavya 

Shivashnkar, 2009 Scripps Spelling bee champion. Pre-registration 

is needed for attending the workshop. 

Regional contests are scheduled to be conducted on Apr 

9th,10th,30th and May 1st for Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing 

chapters. Registration for the workshop and registrations is through 

the web site www.northsouth.org. 

Info@Michigansouthasian.com


Miss Pakistan 2010 

Interview: Annie Rupani 

1.How does it feel to be 

crowned Miss Pakistan World 

2010 

It was completely unexpected. 

I was still in shock when the 

MC announced my name, but 

it feels incredible and I am 

very excited to make this an 

unforgettable year as Miss 

Pakistan World 

2010. 

2. Tell us 

a bit about your 

background. 

I was born 

in Austin, Texas 

and raised in Sugar 

Land. My parents 

spent the first part 

of their lives in 

Karachi, Pakistan, 

but moved to the 

U.S. about thirty 

years ago. I have 

two sisters, Natasha 

and Mona. I am 

currently studying 

Religion and 

Anthropology at 

Boston University 

and I will be 

graduating from 

university in May of 

2011. 

3. What is your aim with 

this title 

My goal as Miss Pakistan 

World 2010 is to foremost 

bring awareness to the world 

about the country of Pakistan, 

its qualities and imminent 

needs. Pakistan is a very 

beautiful country with some of 

the world’s highest mountain 

peaks and a history that traces 

back to one of the world’s first 

civilizations. Further, I would like 

to give other Pakistani women the 

confidence and motivation to push 

past the traditional stereotypes, 

which are holding back the 

women in our society. I want to 

prove that a Pakistani woman can 

be strong and independent and 

still live within the values of her 

faith and culture. 

4. Where do you see 

yourself in the next 5 years 

In the next five years, I hope to 

have gained experience in the 

U.S. Foreign Service promoting 

stronger relations with Pakistan 

and begin pursuing my graduate 

studies in Law. 

Pak Nuke Build-Up Has US Anxious 

And Worried: NYT Editorial 

Washington, Feb.22 

Pakistan may claim that it 

would like to have minimum 

nuclear deterrence, but if 

American intelligence agency 

assessments are to be believed, 

Islamabad could soon have the 

world’s fifth largest nuclear 

arsenal, and this development 

has Washington quite concerned 

and anxious. 

According to a New York 

Times editorial, Pakistan has 

between 95 and more than 110 

deployed nuclear weapons, up 

from the mid-to-high 70s just 

two years ago. 

Even without a fourth reactor, 

experts say that Pakistan has 

already manufactured enough 

fuel for 40 to 100 additional 

weapons. 

Only the United States, Russia, 

France and China are 

ahead of Pakistan. Washington 

and Moscow, with thousands 

of nuclear weapons each, still 

have the most weapons by far, 

but at least they are making 

serious reductions. 

According to the NYT editorial, 

Washington and its allies 

must continue to look for 

ways to get Pakistan to stop 

blocking negotiations on a 

global ban on fissile material 

production. 

It says that Washington can 

threaten to suspend billions 

of dollars of American aid 

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if Islamabad does not restrain 

its nuclear appetites. But that 

would hugely complicate efforts 

in Afghanistan and could 

destabilize Pakistan. 

The editorial concludes by saying: 

“The truth is there is no 

easy way to stop the buildup, or 

that of India and China. Slowing 

and reversing that arms 

race is essential for regional 

and global security. Washington 

must look for points of leverage 

and make this one of its strategic 

priorities.” 

It further state that the ultimate 

nightmare, of course, is that 

the extremists will topple Pakistan’s 

government and get their 

hands on the nuclear weapons. 

Now, Watch 3-D Films On Your Cell Phone! 

Washington, Feb 12: 

Watching 3-D films on your 

cell phone would now be possible 

thanks to researchers who 

have combined the new mobile 

radio standard LTE-Advanced 

with a video coding technique. 

Researchers at the Fraunhofer 

Institute for Telecommunications, 

Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, 

HHI in Berlin, Germany, have 

come up with a special compression 

technique for films in 

especially good high-resolution 

HD quality. 

It computes the films down to 

low data rates while maintaining 

quality: 

H.264/ 

A V C . 

What the 

H.246/ 

A V C 

video 

format 

is to 

high-definition 

films, 

the Multiview Video Coding 

(MVC) is to 3-D films. 

Thomas Schierl explained that 

“MVC is used to pack together 

the two images needed for 

the stereoscopic 3-D effect to 

measurably reduce the film’’s 

bit rate,” and this technique 

can be used to reduce the size 

of 3-D films as much as 40 

percent. 

That means that you can 

quickly receive excellent quality 

3-D films in connection 

with the new 3G-LTE mobile 

radio standard. Key is the radio 

resource management integrated 

into the LTE system 

that allows flexible data transmission 

while including various 

quality of service classes. 

Thomas Wirth, another scientist 

at the HHI, added, “The 2-D 

and 3-D bit streams divided up 

by MVC can be prioritized for 

each user at the air interface 

to support different services, 

thus opening up a completely 

new field for business models.” 

The new technology would 

be shown at the Mobile World 

Congress in Barcelona.


FOURTH CONGLOMERATION OF ASIAN AMERICAN 

CULTURES AND HALL OF FAME AWARDS FOR 2010 

By Samir Chopra 

Dr. Parveen Chopra President 

of the Asian American 

Coalition USA recently 

hosted the Fourth Conglomeration 

of Asian 

American Cultures and 

Hall of Fame Awards 

Ceremony. A galaxy 

of dignitaries present 

included: Honorable 

Edward P. Mangano 

– Nassau County Executive; 

Honorable 

Supreme Court Justice 

Daniel Palmieri; New 

York State Comptroller 

Thomas Dinapoli; 

New York City Comptroller 

Honorable John Liu, 

Assemblywoman Honorable 

Grace Meng; Senator Frank Padavan; 

NYC Councilman Peter 

Koo; Lawrence Mulvey Nassau 

County Police Commissioner, 

Honorable Amrit Rai - Consul 

General of Nepal, 

Ambassador and 

Director General of 

Taipei His Excellence 

Andrew J.C. 

Kao, 

At the awards gala 

the AAC representing 

14 Asian countries 

inducted the 

following leaders 

of there respective 

communities to the 

Hall of Fame: Nassau County 

Executive Honorable Edward 

P. Mangano; New York State 

Supreme Court Justice Honorable 

Daniel Palmieri, Dr. Panchapakesa 

Jayaraman (Founder 

of the Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan), 

(Imam Shamsi –Indonesia 

– Iman of the largest Mosque in 

New York), John T. Ma, -China 

(President of U.S.-China Cultural 

and Economic Council);as 

well as Dr. Binod P. Shah -Nepal 

( President of the America- 

Nepal Friendship Society); Dr. 

Ping-Heng Chen -Taiwan (Executive 

Director of the Taiwan 

Center Chorus and the Tenafly 

Singer at Avery Fisher Hall & 

Lincoln Center) 

Former New York State 

Governor Hon. David 

A. Paterson indicated, 

“Since its founding, the 

Coalition also has been 

committed to increasing 

the visibility of 

Asian American communities 

across this 

State and Nation by 

fostering the positive 

development of Asian 

culture and identity, 

and strengthening relations 

with other communities 

and countries. 

In providing a voice for the 

entire Asian population, you 

cultivate greater understanding 

and appreciation of your shared 

heritage.” New York City Mayor 

Hon. Michael R. Bloomberg 

said, “ … I commend AACUSA 

for ensuring that hardworking 

people of many 

different backgrounds 

have the opportunity to 

pursue their dreams here 

in the United States.” 

United States Senator 

Charles E. Schumer said, 

“Since its founding the 

AAC has dedicated itself 

to promoting the social, 

cultural, and entrepreneurial 

endeavors of the 

Asian-American community in 

New York and around the country. 

Cricket Fever Hits Mass Wedding 

Ceremony In Gujarat 

Surat, Feb.21 

Nearly eighty-two newly married couples cut a huge cake in the shape of a cricket field in Gujarat on 

Sunday. Couples who got married at a mass wedding event cut a cake that was in the shape of a cricket 

field and believe that the wedding would become more memorable, if Indian team brought home the 

World Cup. 

“We wish the players of our country to win the World Cup so that our wedding becomes memorable 

with it,” said a newlywed. Kanji Bhalala, organiser of the event said: “About 82 couples got married 

in this grand event. 

All the couples cut the cake together for the success of Indian players in the World Cup. We are happy 

that mass marriage is an event for wedding, and in this jovial atmosphere also people are enthusiastic 

and confident for the players of the country. The couples cut the cake to encourage the players.” 

NZ Earthquake ‘A Warning 

To North America’ 


The terribly destructive New 

Zealand earthquake that killed 

dozens and caused heavy damage 

is a warning to cities up and 

down the West Coast of North 

America, according to a researcher. 

Even though Tuesday’’s 

6.3-magnitude earthquake was 

weaker than last year’’s event, 

it was much shallower, was 

situated directly under Christchurch, 

hit during the lunch 

hour when more people were 

exposed to damage, and shook 

sediments that were prone to 

‘liquefaction’, which can magnify 

the damage done by the 

ground shaking. 

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake 

that struck the nation last September 

near the same area killed 

none. 

Robert Yeats, a professor of 

geology at Oregon State University 

and an international 

earthquake expert, said that 

same description matches many 

major cities and towns in Washington, 

Oregon, California and 

British Columbia. 

“The latest New Zealand earthquake 

hit an area that wasn’t 

even known to have a fault prior 

to last September, it’s one that 

had not moved in thousands of 

years. But when you combine 

the shallow depth, proximity 

to a major city and soil characteristics, 

it was capable of immense 

damage,” said Yeats. 

“The same characteristics that 

caused such destruction and so 

many deaths in Christchurch are 

similar to those facing Portland, 

Seattle, parts of the Bay Area 

and many other West Coast cities 

and towns,” he said. 

“And it’s worth keeping in 

mind that New Zealand has 

some of the most progressive 

building codes in the world. 

They are better prepared for an 

earthquake like this than many 

U.S. cities would be,” he added. 

According 

to Yeats, the 

risks from 

comparatively 

shallow 

‘crustal’ 

faults are 

often given 

less attention 

compared to 

the concerns 

about the 

major subduction 

zone 

earthquake 

facing the Pacific Northwest in 

its future, or other major quakes 

on famous plate boundaries 

such as the San Andreas Fault. 

Associated with that is the risk 

of liquefaction – the characteristic 

of some soils, particularly 

sediments deposited over long 

periods of time, to become 

saturated with water and quiver 

like a bowl of gelatin during an 

earthquake. 

Such motions can significantly 

increase building damage and 

loss of life. 

Like much of the West Coast, 

Yeats said, New Zealand sits 

near a major boundary of the 

Earth’s great plates – in this 

case, the junction of the Australia 

Plate and the Pacific Plate. 

Despite intensive seismic studies 

in that nation, no one had yet 

identified the related fault that 

devastated Christchurch. 

“We can learn about earthquakes 

and help people understand 

the seismic risks they 

face But it’s still an inexact 

science, the exact timing of an 

earthquake cannot be predicted, 

and the best thing we can do is 

prepare for these events before 

they happen,” said Yeats.


LIFE IN BIG PICTURES 

Photographer: REUTERS/Darren Whiteside 

A girl looks out the window of an activist’s vehicle parked beside a rally by former Filipino comfort women outside the Japanese embassy in Manila The former World 

War II comfort women called for the Japanese government to recognise their plight for justice ahead of International Women’s Day. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside 

(PHILIPPINES) International Women’s Day 

Photographer: REUTERS/Reuters Photographer 

A worker installs red lanterns next to a giant-sized statue of the Chinese God of Fortune ahead of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year in Singapore February 2, 2011. 

The Lunar New Year begins on February 3 and marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese zodiac. The characters read “Peace upon our country”. 

REUTERS/Joel Boh (SINGAPORE - Tags: SOCIETY) Chinese New Year (Celebrations - 07 Feb 2011)


Dr. Nik’s Health Reform Bill 

By Nik Nikam, M.D. 

A patient of mine had a heart 

attack. He underwent emergency 

bypass surgery. His hospital 

charges were $140,000. It 

completely wiped out his savings, 

and he had to take a loan 

on his primary residence. Yet, 

he is unable to get any type of 

healthcare coverage even if he 

is willing to spend $500 per 

month. 

He works and supports his family. 

Recently, he was diagnosed 

to have diabetes further complicating 

his dilemma and misery. 

He has to decide between feeding 

his family versus purchasing 

his Insulin for which he has 

no prescription plan, and has to 

pay retail price by cash. 

Such untold stories are echoed 

time and again from many of 

the 47 million uninsured people, 

of which 75% of them have 

at least one family member 

working and earning money! 

It is inconceivable that this is 

happening even as you read this 

article in a nation that spends 

17% of its GDP on healthcare. 

Yet, we do not have the best 

healthcare system in the world 

as measured by infant mortality 

among others. We have the 

most expensive, fragmented, 

and imbalanced healthcare 

system among the richest developed 

nations in the word. I 

propose the following bills to 

the congress to reduce social 

inequality, reduce the healthcare 

costs, and make healthcare 

affordable by all Americans. 

A majority of uninsured people 

are unable to get healthcare 

coverage because either the 

premiums are too high or they 

have a preexisting condition 

which precludes them from getting 

healthcare coverage. 

We should break down the 

healthcare coverage into two 

parts namely basic coverage 

and catastrophic coverage. 

The basic plan will cover the 

first $50,000 or $100,000. Let 

the private sector compete for 

this coverage, just as it is done 

in the auto insurance. 

This will dramatically bring 

down the insurance costs to a 

point where everyone can afford 

it. Presently, people may 

be paying excessive insurance 

premiums for 20 years or more 

before they really need health 

services, 

and when 

they do 

need it, 

it is not 

there anymore. 

By this 

approach, 

we can 

make sure 

that every 

American 

is covered 

by the basic insurance. Whether 

we have a public plan or a notfor-profit 

co-operative to compete 

with the private sector is 

not of such paramount importance, 

when we focus on the a 

more monumental issue such 

as providing affordable healthcare 

coverage to all Americans. 

I strongly believe there should 

be competition; not a monopoly 

either by the insurance industry 

or the government. 

Catastrophic coverage: Let 

the Federal government, along 

with private sector if they desire 

to participate in, pick up 

the catastrophic coverage beyond 

$50,000 or $100,000, for 

all citizens. I believe part of the 

premium received by the insurers 

for the basic coverage has to 

be passed on to the catastrophic 

plan. 

When people lose their jobs 

they should be able to continue 

with their insurance coverage. If 

they cannot afford due to hardship, 

the catastrophic coverage 

should pick-up their premiums, 

as it is done in Germany. 

Make each employer pay for 

his employees or pay health tax. 

This will fund the catastrophic 

pool, which can provide coverage 

to those who cannot afford 

basic coverage. 

Remove the pre-existing stipulations 

from all insurance policies 

and replace them with ratings 

as it is done for automobile 

insurances. 

Introduce DRG (diagnoses related 

groups) system of payment 

to all healthcare services 

not only for hospitals, but also 

for physicians, and all ancillary 

medical services that can reduce 

the healthcare costs. 

Hold physicians accountable 

for their billing practices. At 

present, any doctor can bill for 

any service under the Medicare 

system. Each physician should 

be credentialed to bill only for 

those services (CPT codes) 

for which they are trained and 

qualified. This will reduce the 

costs by minimizing the duplication 

of tests when patients go 

from PCP to specialists. 

A new antibiotic may cost well 

over $100. If you have an insurance 

plan, you may pay only 

$10, and if you do not have 

insurance, you either pay the 

full amount or suffer. The most 

widely prescribed drug, Plavix 

(a blood thinner) costs $140 for 

people who have no insurance 

and it may cost only $20-30 

for those who have insurance 

plans. Is it not a social inequality 

or injustice 

We should also create a not-forprofit 

Pharmacy co-operative 

that can collectively bargain on 

behalf of millions of uninsured 

people who have to pay cash 

for their prescriptions. 

The not-for-profit co-operative, 

through membership, can introduce 

benefits that are enjoyed by 

the rich and famous who have 

prescription plans, where they 

have to pay only $10 to $30 for 

drugs that would normally cost 

$150 for people who do not have 

prescription plans and have to 

pay cash. 

It is hard to imagine that a drug 

manufactured by the same company 

would cost much less in 

Canada than it would in the United 

States. 

Medicare fraud costs billions 

of dollars each year. Let us introduce 

a Health-Zar to go after 

those people and institutions that 

defraud the Medicare and Medicaid 

systems and put them out of 

business. 

City and municipalities use the 

services of local legal firms to 

collect taxes, penalties, interest, 

and legal fees. The same approach 

can be used to monitor Medicare 

and Medicaid frauds. 

This will not cost the Federal 

government anything and they 

should be able to recover billions 

of dollars that can be used to fund 

the catastrophic pool Introduce a 

health commission consisting of 

representatives from the physicians, 

hospitals, pharmaceutical 

industry, and others to periodically 

review the policies and make 

recommendations, just as the 

FDA supervises the approval of 

new drugs. 

Administrative 

costs: 

The average 

Medicare 

administrative 

cost is 

3%, while 

it runs into 

15% to 

25% of each 

healthcare 

premium 

dollar collected from patients. 

Simplification of paper work and 

standardization of information required 

by different providers can 

simplify the paper work for patients, 

doctors, and hospitals and 

reduce the overall costs. 

Regulation of the healthcare industry 

and holding it more accountable 

to the public needs 

will also help to increasing the 

number of people insured and 

at the same time reducing the 

overall healthcare cost. 

There has been an explosive 

proliferation of healthcare 

centers especially in the major 

cities which adds to the 

healthcare costs. 

There has to be some type of 

regulation so that we do not 

have a replication of an image 

of four gas stations at each 

major intersection, by chains 

of hospitals having branches 

at every major intersection. 

Technology comes with its 

own cost. The more technology 

we use the more it adds 

to the healthcare costs without 

necessarily improving the 

quality of life in every incidence. 

In line with promoting more 

primary care specialists and 

covering the rural areas can 

help to provide the much 

needed healthcare coverage 

and to possibly detect health 

problems at the earliest stages 

that can be treated with less 

expensive options. 

Promoting preventive treatments 

and early diagnosis of 

cancers and chronic disease 

would reduce the overall 

healthcare costs. That means 

certain screening tests such as 

routine mammograms, colonoscopies, 

and stress tests 

etc., should be part of a comprehensive 

healthcare package. 

In conclusion, if the government 

introduces the two step 

insurance program, provide 

low cost pharmacy benefits 

to those uninsured people, reduce 

Medicare fraud, and administrative 

costs, we should 

be able to provide healthcare 

coverage to all Americans. 

Visit www.sugarlandheartcenter.com 

and read up on, 

“Nikam’s Diet,” which has 

numerous articles on a hearthealthy 

diet. 

Nik Nikam, M.D. P: 281-265- 

7567 

nikam@windstream.net


HEALTH SPECIAL 

Yoga: India’s Export For 

America’s Health Care Reform 

By Suhas Pinnaka, M.D. 

Modern medical science now recognizes that conventional allopathic medicine cannot treat everything, 

especially chronic illnesses. It is a well-known fact that most allopathic treatments have undesirable 

side effects; some are even health and/or life-threatening. 

For this reason the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative 

Medicine (NCCAM) has been studying alternative systems of medicine. Research has revealed that 

traditional, non-allopathic systems and practices have much to offer to achieve holistic health care. 

While the allopathic approach mainly tries to treat the disease, traditional systems work towards improving 

a person’s overall wellbeing. The medical establishment has been slow to acknowledge this 

advantage, but now there is a movement to promote traditional health care systems. 

This concept is very important, especially for family physicians as they are the first contact for patients. 

A pilot program has been launched at ten Family Medicine Residency Programs in the United 

States, to teach future Family Physicians about Complimentary and Alternative systems of Medicine. 

I am one of the fortunate people to be part of a program that prepares doctors to provide better services 

to patients by instructing them about these traditional systems of Medicine. 

Yoga is an example of a holistic medical system that was developed in India. Yoga is considered a 

“mind-body medicine” in that it employs a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind’s capacity 

to affect bodily function and symptoms. As a regular practitioner of Isha Yoga, I often recommend 

that my patients take a yoga course when they are looking for simple preventative health and 

wellness programs. If properly taught and practiced, yoga can be a modern antidote that addresses 

the most common health concerns in today’s society, everything from stress and anxiety to chronic 

ailments such as diabetes, heart disease and allergies. 

Although it has not been determined by modern science what changes occur in the body during yoga, 

the founder of Isha Yoga, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has explained that “Yoga is the science of activating 

your inner energies in such a way that your body, mind and emotions function at their highest 

peak. When your body and mind function in a completely different state of relaxation and a certain 

level of blissfulness, you can be released from so many things that most people are suffering from.” 

After attending a yoga program, many participants come out of chronic ailments they had struggled 

with for years. A research team recently conducted a survey of people who have completed Isha’s Inner 

Engineering program in the last six years. Over 500 respondents self-reported on physical, mental 

and emotional well-being as well as medication usage for some of the most common health concerns. 

The report illustrates the benefits of a yoga program, for example: 

• 95% of those suffering from depression reported improvement of symptoms after beginning 

the practice 

• 75% reported an improvement of back pain symptoms 

• 49% of those taking thyroid medication noted a reduction in dosage or discontinuation of 

medication 

One respondent, Micheal Gremly, the CEO of Voice Prism, related that, “The results I have been 

achieving from the Isha practice have been nothing less than phenomenal. Incredibly severe allergies 

and acid reflux that I suffered since childhood completely vanished, my cholesterol dropped 35 points, 

and my blood pressure significantly reduced. From August 2009 to March 2010, I lost 45 pounds, 

stopped using caffeine, artificial sweetener, and alcohol. I wasn’t necessarily trying to do any of these 

things, Inner Engineering has had such a positive impact on my entire system that I no longer need 

external substances to feel great.” 

As a support and alternative to your allopathic medicine treatment plan, ask your doctor to recommend 

a meditation or yoga practice. It’s just what this doctor orders. 

Suhas Pinnaka, M.D. 

Resident in Family and Integrative Medicine 

Family Medicine Institute 

Augusta, ME 

‘Walk’ Away From Cancer 

With more than 10 million new 

cases worldwide every year, 

cancer continues to be increasing 

its global burden and a major 

cause of morbidity and mortality. 

Cancer is now viewed as 

a chronic illness requiring longterm 

management. Rehabilitation 

of cancer survivors is 

hence a major concern. 

Improved functional status is 

one of the chief objectives in 

the rehabilitation of cancer 

survivors. Evidence that cancer 

patients may benefit from 

physical exercise programmes 

is piling up. Walking, the most 

common form of exercise is 

a major component of daily 

physical activity. 10,000 steps 

a day have been found to be of 

value in maintaining desired 

health benefits among healthy 

individuals. Higher levels of 

physical activity are known to 

be associated with reduced risk 

of overall mortality. 

A number of new techniques 

like the use of pedometers or 

microprocessor-based accelerometer 

recorders are now available 

to ‘measure’ how much 

an individual actually walks 

in daily life. There is evidence 

that the use of activity monitors 

may increase physical activity 

levels. Activity monitors have 

gained huge popularity as a 

tool for motivating patients and 

monitoring physical activity. 

YOUR AD HERE COSTS 

$29 

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A systematic review was conducted 

to summarize the currently 

available evidence on 

the effect of physical activity 

interventions in boosting daily 

walking behavior in cancer 

survivors. The reviewed studies 

included 660 participants. 

Details were collected from five 

randomised controlled trials. 

Combined physical activity and 

counseling was found to improvedaily 

step activity in cancer 

survivors. Activity monitors 

are effective in improving daily 

walking activity. A realistic step 

goal has to be set though. For 

example a breast cancer survivor 

may set his goal to 7409 

steps/day; 8008 steps/day aid 

individuals with type 1 diabetes. 

Activity monitors that help individuals 

to keep a track on the 

daily step count work as motivator 

tools. They prompt people 

to walk more and thus help 

them stay healthier. The use of 

such devices helps to achieve 

sustained levels of physical activity 

in cancer patients. Physical 

activity is known to reduce 

the risk of developing a number 

of cancers like that of the colon, 

breasts, lung, prostate, and endometrium. 

The results of perhaps the first 

systematic review of its kind 

were published in BMC Cancer, 

a leading open access journal. 

The authors admit that the study 

was not devoid of limitations; 

future studies based on larger 

randomised controlled studies 

are warranted.


Changing Traditions Through Fashion 

By Jennifer Neale 

January 23, 2011 

Fashion Shows always light the 

imagination of people who love 

to wrap themselves in beauty, 

and often raise 

money for 

good causes. 

Rarely, however, 

do they 

celebrate 

the dramatic 

changes in the 

lives of young 

girls, whose 

futures had 

been determined 

by traditions, 

thousands 

of years 

old, before the 

Mijwan Welfare 

Society. 

The Mijwan 

Fashion Show 

that took place 

in Mumbai, on 

January 23, 2011, was created 

by Shabana Azmi, a five time 

winner of the National Film 

Award for Best Actress. The 

event showed the elegant designs 

by Manesh Malhotra to 

300 guests. They were worn by 

23 Bollywood 

stars, 

and 20 top 

models in 

a most special 

way 

to recognize 

her 

father, who 

inspired 

her, and 

the people 

who helped 

make a difference 

in 

Mijwan. 

“My father, 

Kaif Azmi, 

was a rare 

poet who 

practiced 

what he preached in life,” says 

Shabana Azmi.” After getting 

a paralytic stroke which incapacitated 

his left arm and let, he 

gave up the comforts of Mumbai 

and settled Mijwan, a village 

frozen in time. 

“Today, Mijwan is becoming a 

model village, but it was an arduous 

journey. I remember ask- 

ing him how he did not become 

frustrated when change would 

not occur at the pace he wanted, 

and he answered with calmly. 

‘When working for change, you 

should 

build 

into that 

expectation 

that 

change 

might not 

happen 

in your 

lifetime, 

but this 

should 

not stop 

your efforts, 

even if 

they happen 

after 

you.’” 

K a i f 

Azmi’s 

words 

were correct, and became the 

mantra of Shabana. The Mijwan 

Welfare Society now has 

four Training Centers, and is 

responsible for 

changing a tradition that viewed 

their daughters as 2nd class, did 

not 

provide 

them any 

education, 

and tradition 

called 

for their 

marriages 

to be 

arranged at 

the age of 

12 or 13. 

Dr. Nilima 

Sabharwal, 

the Founder 

of Home 

of Hope, 

was one of 

the people 

who helped 

move Mijwan 

forward. The two women 

met at a party hosted by a mutual 

friend in San Francisco, in 

2000. 

When Dr. Sabharwal learned 

that there was a very little 

school there that taught a few 

young girls to sew, she was anxious 

to visit this village on her 

next trip to India. 

97Pc Of Women Have At Least One 

‘’I Hate My Body’’ Moment Daily 

London, Feb 23 (ANI): Almost 

every woman has felt insecure 

about her body at some point in 

her life. But a new survey has 

revealed that it happens much 

more than one would imagine. 

A staggering 97 per cent of 

women have at least one negative 

thought about their bodies 

every day, according to the poll 

of 300 women commissioned 

by Glamour magazine, reports 

the Daily Mail. 

The survey found some have 

over 100 negative or anxious 

thoughts about their body 

shape, though on average there 

were 13 - almost one for every 

waking hour. 

Psychologist Ann Kearney- 

Cooke, who conducted the survey, 

said of the results: “That 

is a lot, yet I’m not totally surprised. 

“It’s become such an accepted 

norm to put yourself down that 

if someone says she likes her 

body, she’s the odd woman out. 

“I was in a group discussion 

recently, and when one woman 

said, ‘I actually feel OK about 

the way I look,’ another woman 

scrunched up her face and said, 

‘I have never in my whole life 

heard anyone say that - and I’m 

not sure I even believe you.’ 

“That’s how pervasive this negative 

body talk is. It’s actually 

more acceptable to insult your 

body than to praise it. 

“Friends getting together and 

tearing themselves down is 

such a common thing that it’s 

hard to avoid.” (ANI) 

Parenting Stress Affects Postpartum 

Lifestyle Of New Moms: Study 

Parenting stress affects postpartum lifestyle of new moms: Study Home 

Washington, Feb 23 (ANI): Georgia Health Sciences University researchers say that post-pregnancy 

excess weight is likely caused by the impact of new parenthood stress on physical activity. 

In order to emphasize the probable correlation between new parenthood stress and physical activity, 

the researchers analysed 60 first-time mothers. 

They then linked higher post-pregnancy BMI to a combination of a high BMI before pregnancy, excessive 

weight gain during pregnancy, parenting stress and a sedentary lifestyle. 

The parental stress was gauged by asking study subjects whether they felt like having less time for 

themselves and if they enjoyed being a parent. 

They were also made to recall their physical activity over the previous 24 hours, dividing that activity 

from light to vigorous. 

“Sedentary lifestyle, or a low amount of physical activity, was most influenced by the type of parenting 

stress the mothers reported,” said Deborah Young-Hyman, behavioural psychologist with the Georgia 

Prevention Institute. 

“More parenting stress, especially depression, was associated with less physical activity and a higher 

postpartum BMI,” she added. 

Interestingly, the researchers found that social interaction, generally considered a measure of well being, 

is correlated with a higher BMI. 

“We think women are socializing with their friends, not isolating themselves, but they are doing sedentary 

things like talking on the phone, watching television or hanging out at home, instead of taking 

their babies on a walk together,” said Young-Hyman. 

New mothers with a higher BMI apparently endured more depressive symptoms, but overall felt competent 

as parents. 

Those with lower BMIs reported more physical activity and had less depressive symptoms. 

“We know that physical activity improves your mood and helps you lose weight, but no one has ever 

asked how physical activity is related to parenting stress in first-time moms,” Young-Hyman said. 

“The bottom line is that parenting stress does impact the postpartum lifestyles of new moms,” she said. 

The study is published in Women and Health. (ANI)


Suryanamaskar Yagothan 2011 Austin Balagokulam 

By Padmini Bhat 

The fifth annual Health for Humanity 

Yogathon organized by 

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 

USA, Inc. (HSS) commenced 

on January 15, 2011. 52,204 

Surya Namaskars in 90 different 

places from 26 states. 

In a nationwide wave or lehar, 

1239 participants performed total 

4016 sets of Surya 

Namaskar (13 Surya 

Namaskars per set) 

starting from the East 

coast and ending in the 

West coast between 

9:00 AM to 11:00 

AM local time. The 

Health for Humanity 

Yogathon involves a 

unique, nationwide 

effort by HSS to create 

awareness about yoga and 

its advantages in achieving a 

healthy body, mind, and spirit. 

During the two-week Yogathon, 

from January 15 to 30, HSS encouraged 

its members and others 

at its 140 centers across the 

country to perform one million 

repetitions of the yoga routine 

known as the Sun Salutation, 

or Surya Namaskar. 950,000 

Suryanamaskars over 9,000 

Participants is the Total count. 

The idea is to worship Sun-God 

as we awake and He rises while 

enjoying the physical/spiritual 

benefits of Surya Namaskar. It 

also imbibes in us a sense of ordered, 

disciplined life from the 

moment we begin our day. 

The Surya Namaskar yoga routine 

integrates simple postures 

of well-balanced movements in 

ten steps with an easy breathing 

technique to provide immense 

health benefits, whether you are 

a beginner or a yoga enthusiast. 

HSS invites everyone to learn 

the Surya Namaskar yoga routine, 

participate in the Health 

for Humanity Yogathon, and 

experience the benefits of 

achieving a healthy body, mind, 

and spirit through yoga. 

In Austin,newly built Sri Shirdi 

Sai Baba Temple, in Cedar Park 

hosted the inaugural event on 

15th Jan 211@ 9am.People 

from all ages were there to kick 

start the event.Temple Manager 

Craig Sastry inaguarated the 

event. 

Austin hosted Suryanamaskar 

event at Spice Wood Springs 

Library on 22 Jan 2011,few 

people attended and started doing 

regularly. 

Pflugerville Montessori School 

also encouraged Suryanamaskars 

to their little ones.5 Years 

old Shakti son of Arti and 

Anand Ravindran was very excited 

to share this unique physical 

activity with his classmates. 

There was a big applause and 

excitement among children. 

Later another volunteer family 

children,Ashwini and Naveen 

Bhat,shared Suryanamaskar 

with their classmates at West 

side Elementary school.Children 

interacted by asking lot 

about ABCs of Suryanamaskars. 

Austin Hindu temple has 

recently started a Gurukulam 

which is attended by close to 

86 kids. Right after the gurukulam, 

all the kids (86 in number) 

assembled in the main temple 

hall for Suryanamaskar. After 

initial bit of stretching, we did 

3 rounds together as Girish ji 

demonstrated each posture to 

everyone. 

After this, we put on the SN 

video. All the kids, including as 

young as 5 to all the way up to 

13 and above, did the whole set 

together on the beat. The discipline 

in the hall was something 

to see and experience! This was 

followed by a 5-7 minute relaxation. 

The whole program continued 

for about 40 minutes. 

Most of the parents also joined 

in the later half of the program 

and they were excited to see 

their kids doing this wonderful 

yoga. 

A p a r t m e n t 

complexes,University of Texas 

Students, Austin also honoured 

the event with good count of 

Suryanamaskar towards Yogathon. 

With the help and support from 

Hindu Charities for America 

founder,Sri Harish kotech and 

Mayor of Austin felicitated the 

first Proclamation effort for 

Austin. January 29th as “Yoga 

Day/Surya Namaskar Day, 

USA.” Culmination programme 

was very well observed 

at Sri Shirdi 

Sai Baba Temple 

with the synchronization 

of Vedic 

chanting and the 

Suryanamaskar 

Performance. 

Here are some of 

the comments that 

we got from the 

Participants 

Smt Kamala Patel,age 78,she 

says doing Suryanamaskar is 

good routine. Smt Shobhana 

Kotecha says,she would like to 

do this regularly. Throughout 

these 16 days we had a feeling 

of an ongoing camp/festival. 

Everyone did SN as and when 

possible. Some of us replaced 

our regular morning treadmill 

run with SN. Many decided to 

do at least 13 Surya Namskars 

every morning and evening. 

HSS dedicated a special page 

and blog for Suryanamaskar 

and we see many good blogs 

from folks all over the world. 

A Facebook fan page also was 

created. Even though this did 

not have a lot of fans, it was 

good to see Suryanamaskars 

presence on Face book. On 

Twitter we saw some tweets 

on Yogathon, helped increase 

awareness of yoga amongst others. 

Newly developed app from 

Hindu college students was a 

very inspiring effort. 

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 

has a chapter in Austin at 3 locations.North 

Austin at Kugfu 

place at and University of 

Texas. 

All 2 Locations practises Surynamaskar 

in their regular meeting 

time. Would like to learn 

more about this unique event. 

Please visit. www.hssus.org. 

Cell Phone Use Does Affect Brain But 

Health Consequences Unknown 

Wshington, Feb 23 A new study has found that increasing use of 

cell phones is linked to rise in brain glucose metabolism, a marker 

of brain activity, in the area closest to the phone antenna – however, 

the clinical significance of this find is not known yet. 

“The dramatic worldwide increase in use of cellular telephones has 

prompted concerns regarding potential harmful effects of exposure 

to radiofrequency-modulated electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs). 

Of particular concern has been the potential carcinogenic effects 

from the RF-EMF emissions of cell phones,” said the article. 

“However, epidemiologic studies of the association between cell 

phone use and prevalence of brain tumors have been inconsistent 

(some, but not all, studies showed increased risk), and the issue 

remains unresolved,” it said. 

Nora D. Volkow of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 

Md., and colleagues conducted a study amongst 47 participants. 

Cell phones were placed on the left and right ears and brain imaging 

was performed with positron emission tomography (PET) with 

(18F) fluorodeoxyglucose injection, used to measure brain glucose 

metabolism twice, once with the right cell phone activated (sound 

muted) for 50 minutes (“on” condition) and once with both cell 

phones deactivated (“off” condition). 

Results showed that the on/off conditions didn’t affect the wholebrain 

metabolism. 

However, there were significant regional effects. Metabolism in the 

brain region closest to the antenna (orbitofrontal cortex and temporal 

pole) was significantly higher (approximately 7 percent) for cell 

phone on than for cell phone off conditions. 

“These results provide evidence that the human brain is sensitive 

to the effects of RF-EMFs from acute cell phone exposures,” the 

researchers write. 

They concluded, “Results of this study provide evidence that acute 

cell phone exposure affects brain metabolic activity. However, 

these results provide no information as to their relevance regarding 

potential carcinogenic effects (or lack of such effects) from chronic 

cell phone use.” 

“Further studies are needed to assess if these effects could have 

potential long-term harmful consequences.” 

The study appears in the February 23 issue of JAMA. 

www. 

Michigan 

South 

Asian 

.com




Samir Mishra, Kavya 

Shivashankar, Anamkika 

Veeramani - These three names 

were heard by in the last three 

years in May last week. 

These name are most familiar 

to South Asian Americans. 

Common things among these, 

all three were Scripss Speling 

bee champions from 2008 to 

2010 respectively but also 

they got basics and exposure 

of spelling bee contests from 

North South Foundation. 

NSF kids got top positions in 

Scripps spelling bee, National 

geography bee and Math 

Counts over so many years. 

North South Foundation was 

started in 1989 by Dr Ratnam 

chitturi to promote academic 

excellence among Indian 

American youth and also help 

needy and meritorious students 

in India by giving scholarships. 

North South Foundation is 

volunteer driven non-profit organization 

with zero overhead 

costs. 

Most South Asian Students 

who travel 20000 

plus miles for studies in 

Michigan feel home sick 

within the first 30 days of 

landing. They would love 

to go some place called 

home and talk to or spend 

time with a family. 

ADOPT A STUDENT 

Families interested in creating 

a ‘Home Away Home’ for 

these students can email their 

contact info and we will post 

it on MichiganSouthAsian. 

com. 

Interesrted students will contact 

you directly. 

Email: 

info@Michigansouthasian.com 

Foundation raises money for 

the scholarships through registration 

fees of educational 

contests. There are 16 chapters 

in India for North South 

Foundation to seek and process 

the applications from the poor 

and merit students who are applying 

for colleges. Amount of 

$250 scholarship per year is given 

to the qualified applicants to 

complete their education. Past 

recipients of college scholarships 

in India and now helping 

the foundation in USA is a big 

testimony of its good work. 

North South Foundation has 

got about 80 chapters in USA 

and five in Michigan. To promote 

learning and excellence 

among Indian American youth, 

regional educational contests 

are conducted during March to 

April over three weekends in the 

entire country. 

Spelling bee, Math, Vocabulary, 

Geography, Science, Public 

speaking and essay writing are 

the contests conducted in Junior, 

Intermediate and Senior categories. 

Based on national cut 

off score, top 100 kids in each 

contest are being invited for National 

finals usually conducted 

in August, September. National 

finals are held in a selected city 

every year. 

This year national finals will 

be conducted in San Jose. It is 

planned to host 2012 national finals 

in University of Michigan, 

Ann Arbor. 

In regional contests, all the participants 

are appreciated with 

ribbons and medals on the stage 

to keep their self esteem and 

for their efforts of learning. The 

foundation emphasizes and promotes 

the joy of learning and 

competing on one’s own abilities 

to excel with hard work. 

For Spelling and vocabulary 

bee contests, preparation of the 

given 1000 words itself is an 

education and learning process 

for the participants. 

All the preparation resources, 

syllabus with sample questions 

for the contests is available in 

the web site. 

Detroit chapter is one of the biggest 

chapters in the country with 

large number of contest participants 

for the last five years. Ann 

Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids 

and Kalamazoo are other chapters 

in Michigan which conducts 

educational bee contests. 

Regional chapters also conduct 

workshops to give learning 

exposure to the participants. 

South east Michigan chapters 

are conducting Spelling bee 

workshop on Saturday March 

12th in Farmington Hills library 

auditorium. Mr Shivashankar 

Mirle from Kansas City will 

be conducting the workshop. 

He is coach and dad of Kavya 

Shivashnkar, 2009 Scripps 

Spelling bee champion. Preregistration 

is needed for attending 

the workshop. 

Regional contests are scheduled 

to be conducted on Apr 

9th,10th,30th and May 1st for 

Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing 

chapters. Registration for 

the workshop and registrations 

is through the web site www. 

northsouth.org. 

Contest schedule can bee seen 

with the following link: 

Testimonials from scholarship 

recipients: 

http://www.northsouth.org/public/uscontests/regionals/regionals.aspx 

http://www.northsouth.org/public/USContests/Regionals/calendar.aspxstate=MI 

http://www.northsouth.org/public/india/testimonials.aspx# 

Washington, Feb.15 

A majority of Americans consider 

China as the world’s leading 

economic power. 

In a recent poll conducted by 

Applying Make-Up While Driving ‘More 

Distracting Than Using Cell Phone’ 

Sydney, Feb 9 

A new study has revealed that applying make-up or reading a map 

behind the wheel could be far more distracting than talking on the 

mobile phone. 

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which compiled the 

year-long research, said putting on make-up increased a driver’’s 

crash risk threefold and texting in a phone number 2.8 times, but 

talking or listening in a phone call only 1.3 times, reports the 

Sydney Morning Herald. 

The researchers installed cameras and sensors in 100 vehicles to 

collect 43,000 hours of driving data over more than 3 million km 

so they could study real-world driving conditions. 

Although talking on a phone did not significantly increase crash 

risk, a driver must take several risk-increasing steps to use the 

device. Reaching for a phone, headset or earpiece and keying in a 

number increased the risk by five to six times. 

The difference between high risk and low risk involved the amount 

of visual distraction, said the study published in the US in 2009. 

However, Mark Stevenson, an epidemiologist who studies driving 

distractions, said naturalistic car studies were valuable but the 

results could be misleading. 

Read South Asian Online News 

www.southasiannewspapers.com 

More Than Half Of Americans Consider 

China As World’s Leading Economic Power 

Gallup, fifty-two percent chose 

China while 32 percent chose 

the United States as the world’s 

top economic power. 

Seven percent 

pointed to 

Japan, while 

the remaining 

options, that 

included Russia 

and India, 

were chosen 

by three percent 

or less. 

However, in 

2009 Americans 

were 

nearly split on which country 

was the dominant economic 

power, with 39 percent choosing 

China and 37 percent choosing 

the United States. Whereas 

65 percent chose US, while 

just ten percent chose China, in 

2000, says the Gallup polls. 

On a poll question asking which 

country would be the world’’s 

leading economic power in 20 

years, forty-seven percent of 

Americans said China, while 

35 percent pointed to their own 

country, the Washington Post 

reports. 

China overtook Japan on Monday 

as the world’’s second-largest 

economy.


Community Calendar 

FEBRUARY 2011 Community Calendar 

We have compiled this event listing based on the information available on the web site (where ever possible) of the community/organization as of third Friday. Please 

check with the organizers to confirm its accuracy. We request all South Asian organizations to email us (info@michigansouthasian.com) their community calendar on or 

before 20th of every month, for the events happening next month. We will carry listing of all South Asian non-profit organizations in Michigan. If the Name, Contact 

info is not correct or has changed email us (info@michigansouthasian.com) the changes you want to see. E&OE. 

SCHEDULE: 

March 10, Thursday, 

05:30 PM - 08:30 PM, 

Comerica Bank, Charter Township 

of Canton, and Miller 

Canfield,In partnership with 

APACC presents Win-Win 

Michigan: Embracing U.S. & 

Asia Business Growth in 2011 

is at Summit on the Park, 46000 

Summit Parkway, Canton, MI. 

For more information, contact 

Sarah Lalone at 248-844-4100/ 

email at sarah@apacc.net. To 

register the event: Win-Win 

Michigan: Embracing U.S. & 

Asia Business Growth in 2011. 

March 11, Friday, 

Enjoy Gujarati play - DIKRI 

NO. 1 - FREE LIGHT DIN- 

NER ASHIESH TIKEWALA 

PRESENTS Paresh Rawal live 

on stage in a hilariously entertaining 

and sensationally 

shocking hindi play is at Millenium 

Center, 15600 JL Hudson 

Drive, Southfield, MI 48075. 

Tickets are available at $25, 

$35, $50, $75, $100 (VIP). 

For more information, contact 

ASHIESH TIKEWALA at 

(248) 895-3926/ aeshows@usa. 

com; SHASHANK DESAI at 

(508) 954-6433. 

March 12, Saturday, 

11:00 AM - 04:00 PM, 

Michigan Regional Chapters 

Announce Spelling Bee Workshop 

at Auditorium, Farmington 

Hills public library, 32737 

W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington 

Hills, MI 48334. Registration 

Closes on March 4th 2011 or 

whenever all spots are filled. 

IT PAYS TO 

ADVERTISE IN 

MICHIGAN 

SOUTH ASIAN 

248-677-5523 

HAPPY 

March 03 Mahashivratri 

March 08 Womens Day 

March 20 Holi 

March 20 Hola Mohalla 

March 21 

Navroz 

March 28 Khordad Sa 

Admission is only for pre-registered 

participants, no onsite 

registration. The registration 

fee is $30. For further information 

please contact: Srinivas R 

Gudeti, sgudeti@gmail.com 

248-471-6966 (Eve); Dr Raj 

Jayachandran, chand48187@ 

gmail.com (Detroit Chapter); 

Dr. Ranga Ranganathan 

ranga6201@gmail.com (Ann 

Arbor Chapter); Raj Nukala 

rvnukala@gmail.com (Lansing 

Chapter). 

March 12, Saturday, 

08:00 PM, 

Hilarious Gujarati Play - Lo 

Gujjubhai Ghode Chadiya is at 

Millenium Theatre, SOUNTH- 

FIELD, MI.Group discounts 

and Senior discounts are available. 

For tickets and more details, 

contact Bhushan Modi 

(248) 640-0465; Chandrika Patel 

(248) 756 9057; Pratik Shah 

(248) 943-2200; Rakesh Patel 

(248) 875 9952. 

March 20, Sunday, 

Positive Parenting in Two Cultures 

is at Novi Northville Montessori 

Center, 23835 Novi Rd, 

Novi, MI 48375. To regiser, 

email monab@maifamilyservices.com 

or call (248)477- 

4985. 

April 16, Saturday, 

Study Examines What Employers 

Are Really Looking For 

In Candidates 


A new study from Oklahoma 

State University reveals the attributes 

employers find important 

in a candidate, and how 

they measure these skills. 

Researchers conducted a study 

of more than 450 college graduate 

employers. 

They found that the top three 

qualities employers value in the 

agribusiness industry are communication 

skills, critical thinking 

skills, and writing skills. 

Employers were asked which 

signals best illustrate the five 

attributes being tested: number 

crunching ability, character, 

communication skills, problem 

solving skills, and ability to 

work well with others. 

Results indicated that internships 

and majors related to the 

job were highly rated signals, as 

well as foreign language skills 

and interviewing skills. 

And though excellent grades 

were not ranked as high as other 

skills and experiences, they are 

still important. 

“Each student should strategically 

acquire accomplishments 

and qualifications which are 

both valued by employers and 

consistent with the student’’’’s 

preferences, goals, and talents,” 

says Bailey Norwood, one of 

the study’’’’s authors. 

Norwood added that grades, extracurricular 

activities, leadership 

positions, internships, and 

awards speak for an individual 

as a whole. 

However, he said that the study 

wasn’t without its faults. 

According to Norwood, “It is 

important not to allow summaries 

of survey statistics obscure 

the fact that each employer is 

different, and there is no one 

perfect college graduate.” 

Troy Telugu Association is organizing 

a beautiful fun filled 

UGADI Cultural Event at 

TROY HIGH SCHOOL. Send 

the entries at the earliest with 

the following details: 

1. Type of the Event (Dance, 

Skit, Song etc.). If it is a 

Dance or a Song please mentions 

the detail. 

2. Number of Participants. 

3. Duration of the Event. 

4. Name & Contact details of 

the Responsible person. 

Please send us entries to cultural@troytelugu.org 

by Mar 

6th 2011. 

FREE 

CLASSIFIED 

Birthday 

Greetings 

Wedding 

Anniversary 

Promotions 

Achievements 

25 words 

Email or on 

before 

15 th of every 

month to 

info@ 

Michigan 

SouthAsian 

.com


Earth’s Rotation, Not Human Activity 

Caused ‘Methane Level increase’ 

Melbourne, Feb 7 

A new study has suggested that 

it’s not human activity but the 

Earth’s rotation patterns that 

caused an increase in methane 

levels 5000 years ago. 

Dr Joy Singarayer of the University 

of Bristol, and colleagues, 

suggest changes in the 

Earth’’s orbit and precession, 

not agriculture, played a major 

part. 

The team used computer models, 

used to estimate future climatic 

conditions, to trace back 

over the past 130,000 years and 

then used this data to estimate 

vegetation types, and hence 

methane production, across the 

planet. 

Singarayer and colleagues 

found the output of their models 

matched with measurements of 

methane from ice cores taken in 

Greenland. 

“What we found was that our 

models were able to reproduce 

both the decrease that was seen 

around 100,000 years ago and 

the increase we’’ve seen in the 

last 5000 years, without having 

to invoke human induced 

emissions through agriculture,” 

ABC Science quoted Paul Valdes, 

also of the University of 

Bristol, as saying. 

According to Valdes, the computer 

models showed wetlands 

in the Southern Hemisphere, in 

particular South America, were 

the source of the additional 

methane. 

“This was based on the fact that 

this had some of the biggest 

changes in monsoon and because 

the land area is so large,” 

he said. 

Valdes added that given the 

models “did a good job of simulating 

past changes in methane 

... [it] will maybe give us a little 

more confidence that the computer 

models are working correctly 

and therefore more 

believable for future predictions.” 

CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric 

Research scientist, 

Dr David Etheridge 

said, “[They] did a 

reasonably good global 

climate simulation across 

those periods. They don’’t 

rule out early anthropogenic 

causes, but they 

say that it can still be explained 

from wetlands.” 

He says one of the concerns for 

the future is how feedback of 

atmospheric methane may amplify 

global warming, and that 

studies like this will help us better 

understand the releases of 

methane that can cause them. 

The study was published in Nature. 

New York Cab Driver Awarded For 

Returning $100K Worth Of Valuables 


A New York City taxi driver, 

who returned 100,000 dollars 

worth of jewellery and cash that 

had been left in the back seat of 

his cab, has been awarded. 

According to the Wall Street 

Journal, Zubiru Jalloh, the taxi 

driver, noticed the bundle of 

valuables that had been left 

behind by John James after he 

was dropped off at the National 

Arts Club in Gramercy Park, as 

he was picking up his next customer. 

“I had another fare and when 

I opened the back door to help 

the customer, I realised the 

white bag was inside,” the Telegraph 

quoted Jalloh as saying. 

“I saw inside, pictures and jewellery 

and some money, 229 

MEN CAN COOK! 

Email your recipe with your photos and see yourself in print 

Info@Michigansouthasian.com 

dollars, some paperwork and 

some artwork,” he told the Fox 

5 news channel. 

Jalloh took the bag home for 

safekeeping and said he was 

confident that James would contact 

him because he had given 

him a receipt. 

With the help of a friend in city 

government and the receipt 

James was able to track down 

Jalloh and was swiftly reunited 

with his valuable bag. 

James offered Jalloh 10 100 

dollar bills as a reward, which 

he reluctantly accepted, and 

invited him to the club’s Valentine’s 

Day party. 

But Jalloh declined the invitation, 

saying his Muslim faith 

told him to return someone 

else’s property. 

Shankar Mahadevan Launches 

By Baiju NT [February 11, 

2011] 

India’s multiple National Film 

award winning music composer 

and singer Shankar Mahadevan 

has launched an online music 

academy, available onwww. 

shankarmahadevanacademy. 

com. 

Mahadevan has tied up with 

Clood On, a provider of virtual 

learning software, for this 

project to provide step-by-step 

training to students of all age 

groups living in the US. 

Online Music Academy 

“I noticed that in Indian classical 

music, the teaching methods 

are very unstructured. You cannot 

put it down in points anywhere. 

Whereas, if you go to Berkeley 

College of Music or Juilliard 

School just to learn the trumpet, 

for example, everything is 

structured,” said Mahadevan. 

Apart from the theory lessons, 

Mahadevan has 

also roped in 

teachers to take 

live classes online. 

“We are replicating 

two 

aspects of any 

form of learning 

when you 

go to a college: 

you have a textbook 

and you 

have a teacher standing in front 

of you. 

We have created a textbook OM 

(Online Music) Book, which 

can be accessible all the time, 

plus classes with a teacher are 

scheduled at a specific time so 

that you can virtually interact 

with her,” he said. 

The academy offers courses in 

Hindustani as well as Carnatic 

music. 

Each course lasts 12 weeks, and 

costs $240 as an introductory 

offer. Starting April, the course 

fee will be $300. 

The first batch of classes will 

begin on Mahadevan’s birthday, 

March 3. 

Read 

South 

Asian 

Online 

News 

www. 

palepages. 

com


Outdoor Exercise Healthier 

Than Gym Workouts 

London, Feb 7 

A new study has found that going 

for a run outdoors is better 

than exercising in the gym because 

it has a positive impact 

on mental, as well as physical 

health. 

The study found that exercise 

in natural environments was 

linked to greater feelings of revitalization, 

increased energy 

and positive engagement, reports 

the Telegraph. 

Also levels of tension, confusion, 

anger and depression were 

lowered by exercising outside. 

A team at the Peninsula College 

of Medicine and Dentistry 

looked at data from sources 

including 11 trials involving 

833 adults. 

All compared 

the 

relative 

merits of 

outdoor 

exercise 

compared 

to indoors. 

A p a r t 

from improved 

mental 

health 

benefits, the study also reported 

greater enjoyment from exercising 

outside, and a higher 

likelihood of continuing with 

the exercise regime. 

The study has been published 

in the journal Environmental 

Science and Technology. 

A Family That Plays Together Really Does Stay Together 


Most of us are familiar with an 

old adage ‘A family that plays 

together stays together’. Now, a 

new study has confirmed this old 

maxim. 

Researchers from Concordia 

University and Wilfrid Laurier 

University have identified that 

recreation emerged as 

the glue sealing bonds 

between grandparents 

and grandchildren. 

“Leisure is vital in the 

formation of bonds that 

last from generation 

to generation,” said 

lead author Shannon 

Hebblethwaite, a 

professor in Concordia 

University’’s 

Department of Applied 

Human Sciences. 

“Shared leisure time allows 

grandchildren and their 

grandparents to establish 

common interests that, in turn, 

enable them to develop strong 

intergenerational relationships,” 

she said. 

The study builds on previous 

research that found healthy 

intergenerational connections 

Dairy Products Aren’t 

Necessarily Bad For Your Health 

Washington, Fen 12: 

A new study has challenged 

the long-held beliefs about the 

impact of saturated 

fatty acids (SFA) on 

the risk of cardiovascular 

disease (CVD). 

Experts concluded 

that “single risk factors 

have limitations 

when considered on 

their own because 

the effects of diet on 

CVD risk are mediated 

by many pathways, 

with blood lipids 

being only one.” 

Further, the ratio of total cholesterol 

to HDL cholesterol is 

a better predictor of the effect 

of saturated fatty acids on CVD 

risk than LDL-and/or total cholesterol, 

as individual fatty acids 

have differential effects on 

various blood lipids. 

When it comes to determining 

the correlation between 

CVD and food, the entire 

components comprised within 

the food matrix may be more 

important than concentrating 

solely on fatty acids content. 

According to the experts, current 

evidence only suggests 

that substitution of SFA by 

polyunsaturated fatty acids 

(PUFAs), but not carbohydrates, 

results in a lowering of 

total and LDL cholesterol. 

“However, even this conclusion 

isn’’t the last word, as there is 

growing recognition that individual 

fatty acids within the 

PUFA category have different 

physiologic effects,” 

said Cindy Schweitzer of 

the Global Dairy Platform, 

referring to a recent analysis 

published in the British 

Journal of Nutrition. 

When viewed in totality, 

the expert group concluded 

that the effect of a specific 

food on risk of cardiovascular 

disease (CVD) cannot 

be determined on the 

basis of its SFA content alone 

and outlined specific issues that 

need to be addressed in future research. 

The findings have been published 

in the American Journal of Clinical 

Nutrition. 

helped grandparents age better 

and feel more positively about 

life. 

It is among the first to examine a 

cohort of grandchildren and their 

grandparents. “Most studies 

look into parenting, children or 

seniors. Few have examined how 

leisure contributes to the bonds 

between adult grandchildren 

and grandparents in the same 

family,” said Hebblethwaite. 

Sixteen retired or semi-retired 

grandparents, aged 65 to 89, and 

14 grandchildren, aged 18 to 24, 

took part in the study. 

The participants stressed how 

joint activities like vacations, 

holiday celebrations, cooking, 

shopping and gardening allowed 

them to learn from each other. 

Grandparents often use such 

get-togethers as opportunities 

to teach, mentor and pass on 

legacies. 

“They share family histories, 

personal experiences and 

life lessons. They pass on 

family values, traditions and 

stressed the importance 

of family cohesion,” said 

Hebblethwaite. 

Exchanging ideas with 

youth can be a catalyst 

for discovery among 

seniors as well. Forging 

strong ties with the 

matriarch or patriarch 

of a clan is beneficial 

for grandchildren, too, 

and can sharpen their 

sense of empathy, said 

Hebblethwaite. 

“After being doted on as kids, 

adult grandchildren have 

an opportunity to shift that 

dynamic and give back to their 

grandparents,” she added. 

The study is published in Family 

Relations: Interdisciplinary 

Journal of Applied Family 

Studies. 

Mukesh Ambani’s 

RIL Signs $20 

Billion Deal With BP 


Limited (RIL) on Monday signed an agreement with oil major 

British Petroleum (BP) for 30 per cent stake in Reliance Industries’’ 

23 oil and gas blocks including the KG-D6 gas fields. 

The deal, which is valued at 7.2 billion dollars, is one of the biggest 

foreign direct investments (FDI) in the country. 

Besides the stake transfer, Reliance and BP will form a 50:50 joint 

venture for the sourcing and marketing of gas, the companies said 

in identical statements on Monday. 

“BP will pay Reliance Industries Limited an aggregate consideration 

of US 7.2 billion dollars, and completion adjustments, for the 

interests to be acquired in the 23 production sharing contracts,” 

RIL said in a statement. 

“Future performance payments of up to US$1.8 billion could be 

paid based on exploration success that results in development of 

commercial discoveries. 

These payments and combined investment could amount to US 20 

billion dollars,” the statement issued by the RIL added.


Independent Egypt 

Libyans Fight 


Twitter. The New York Times 

United Nations Secretary Gen- 

wishes of the Egyptian people,” 

he said, which means a “move 

to civilian and democratic rule.” 

German Foreign Minister Guido 

Westerwelle, called the moment 

“historic,” but added that 

“the chance for democratic 

change must be used now.” 

European Union foreign policy 

chief Catherine Ashton said 

Mubarak had “listened to the 

voices of the Egyptian people 

and has opened the way to faster 

and deeper reforms.” 

For Freedom 

(Continued From Page 1) the head and chest. 

Gaddafi’’s regime had also deployed 

artillery and helicopter ber of people have turned up 

He also said that a huge num- 

gunships against the demonstrators, 

and thugs armed with adding: “Many of the dead 

in the hospital to donate blood, 

hammers and swords attacked and the injured are relatives 

families with the intention of of doctors here. They are crying 

and I keep telling them crushing down the uprising, 

to 

quoted Turkish Foreign 

Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as 

cautiously saying: “Egypt is a 

strong state and the continuity 

of the Egyptian institutions is 

of crucial importance.” 

eral Ban Ki-moon said: “I respect 

what must have been a 

difficult decision taken in the 

wider interests of the Egyptian 

people.” 

European Union parliament 

president Jerzy Buzek suggested 

that the shift in power was 

not enough to judge the protests’ 

success. 

He said: “Europe will measure 

the next steps in the fulfillment 

of the people’s demand by repealing 

the emergency laws 

and by ending all intimidation 

of journalists, human rights defenders 

or political dissidents.” 

The Telegraph reports. 

Gaddafi’’s regime had also deployed 

artillery and helicopter 

please stand up and help us.” 

In addition to Saturday’s death 

toll, as many as 84 people are 

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen 

Harper urged the new 

regime to “make a bright future 

happen for the people of 

Egypt.” 

The Israeli government did not 

issue a formal statement. By 

contrast, Hamas, , the militant 

group that cntrols Gaza, celebrated 

the news and called on 

the new government in Egypt 

to open its border with the territory. 

British Prime Minister David 

Cameron called the situation in 

Egypt a “precious moment of 

opportunity” but only a “first 

step.” 

He added: “Those who now run 

Egypt have a duty to reflect the 

“We congratulate the great nation 

of Egypt on this victory and 

we share their happiness,” Iranian 

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar 

Salehi, said in a statement. 

He added: “Today, our people in 

their millions, while honoring 

the great Islamic Revolution, 

showed their solidarity with 

the brave and justice-seeking 

movement in Egypt.” 

gunships against the demonstrators, 

and thugs armed with 

hammers and swords attacked 

families with the intention of 

crushing down the uprising, 

The Telegraph reports. 

The paper quoted a hospital official 

as saying that one of the 

victims was apparently struck 

on the head by an anti-aircraft 

missile, and many were shot in 

Now, A Confession App On IPhones, IPads Approved By Catholic Church 

believed to have been killed by 

Friday night, the paper said. 

The five-day uprising in eastern 

Libya has been the greatest 

challenge to the 42-year 

rule of Colonel Gaddafi, the 

world’’s longest-serving ruler. 

The uprising has disrupted the 

Internet and phone lines in the 

country, it added. 

Wellington, Feb 4 

A US company has come up with a confession app that claims to be the first of its kind to be approved by the Catholic Church. Patrick 

Leinen, of the three-man team Little iApps, a company “with a Roman Catholic twist”, said his team had wanted to engage Catholics with 

new media in response to the Pope’s World Communications Address last year, in which he spoke of its potential benefits. Confession: A 

Roman Catholic App for iPhones and iPads is touted as the “perfect aid for every penitent”, and it has been designed to be taken into the 

confessional. 

It creates a customised and password-protected “examination of conscience” based on a person’s age, sex, vocation and the time elapsed, in 

days, weeks, months or years, since the last confession. 

It also has seven acts of contrition to choose from, all for 1.99 dollars. 

“Our bishop was very excited about it. We were able to work with several priests in order to get that examination of conscience created, so 

it was kind of fun,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Leinen as saying. Bishop Kevin Rhoades went as far as to grant it an imprimatur - official endorsement 

from a church authority. “The imprimatur itself was pretty neat,” Leinan said. “When we were actually testing out the software before 

release we had one gentleman who hadn’t been to confession in about 20 years. He went in and did his confession with it and he said it made 

it much easier on him,” he added.


WORLD CUP CRICKET 2011 


Around 3500 performers are 

expected to put up a colourful 

depiction of Indian, Sri Lankan, 

and Bangladeshi culture during 

the opening ceremony. 

Canadian pop singer Bryan Adams 

and Bangladesh-based Runa 

Laila are also expected to perform 

on the occasion. 

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 

are jointly hosting the 2011 

ICC World Cup. 

India takes on Bangladesh 

in the opening match of the 

tournament to be played in 

Dhaka on Saturday. 

Next cricket World Cup 

Reduced To Top 10-team 

Format 

Sydney, Feb 19 The next 

World Cup edition to be 

played in 2015 has been reduced 

to a top ten-team contest 

unlike the present 14- 

team event. 

Efforts are on to include the 

best One-day teams in the 

next World Cup. Following 

this decision, associate 

countries, fearing that they may 

be dropped from the next World 

Cup, have already voiced protest. 

International Cricket Council 

chief executive officer Haroon 

Lorgat has stuck to his pledge 

to cut the World Cup to just 10 

teams. 

Lorgat’s comments came just a 

day before the 10th edition of the 

World Cup kicks off in Dhaka 

with a clash between Bangladesh 

and India. 

A total of 14 teams are involved 

in the showpiece event, including 

the Netherlands, Ireland, Kenya 

and Canada but the ICC wants 

to cut the numbers because it has 

grown too unwieldy. Lorgat said 

the World Twenty20 would be increased 

to 16 teams from 12, 

while the 50-over World Cup 

would be trimmed to 10. 

“ W e 

have 

f e l t 

in the 

past 

f e w 

years 

that 

Twenty20 

is the 

best 

format 

to develop 

the game worldwide and it 

provides a better environment 

for competition. The 

50-over format is more skillbased 

and suitable for the top 

teams,” Lorgat said. 

Cricket Kenya chief executive 

Tom Sears said on Thursday 

the ICC would not be acting 

in the interests of the game if 

the smaller teams were locked 

out of the next World Cup and 

Canada on Friday also voiced 

concerns, The Sydney Morning 

Herald reports. 

Kenya became the first non- 

Test playing team to reach 

the semi-finals in 2003, and 

Ireland produced their biggest 

upset over Pakistan in the 

2007 tournament in the West 

Indies. 

India, South Africa Favourites 

To win World Cup 

Wellington, Feb 19 Former 

New Zealand wicketkeeper 

Adam Parore has said that India’s 

deep batting line up and 

their ability to play spin better 

makes them one of the favourites 

to win the World Cup. 

Parore further said that South 

Africa is the other favourite 

team despite not having a good 

record in big tournaments, and 

added that the Graeme Smith led 

team traditionally plays well in 

the sub-continent. 

“India is in terrific shape and who 

would be surprised if the pitches 

suit the advantages they have in 

bowling and facing spin,” NZ 

Herald quoted Parore, a saying. 

“They have so many options and 

players to rely on in the batting 

department. They also have a 

huge amount of experience so 

the pressure they will face from 

their fanatical fans won’’t get to 

them,” he said. 

Talking about South Africa’s 

chances, Parore said: “South Africa 

don’t have a good 

record in big tournaments 

but they traditionally 

do well in the 

sub-continent. They 

are strong in all departments, 

including fielding.” 

“I don’t expect any unheralded 

players to grab 

the limelight - the tournament 

stars will come 

from the ranks of the 

famous, Jacques Kallis, 

Dale Steyn, Sachin 

Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, 

M.S. Dhoni,” he 

added. 

Commenting on defending 

champion Australia’s 

chances, Parore said Australia 

was shaping up quite well, but 

after a comprehensive series win 

over England, the Australians 

had fallen back in the World 

Cup warm-up games. 

. 

“Ricky Ponting and Michael 

Clarke are in the runs again, 

which is ominous because the 

way to win a World Cup is to 

have your best players firing. 

Considering their overall lineup, 

I don’t think they play spin 

bowling well enough to win,” he 

said. 

Indian Cricket Fans Celebrates 

Victory Over Bangladesh 

Ranchi, Feb.20 Fans in Ranchi 

celebrated India’s victory over 

Bangladesh in inaugural match 

of the 2011 World Cup. 

India defeated Bangladesh by 

87 runs 

in the 

first 

match 

of the 

2011 

Cricket 

World 

C u p 

on Saturday 

at the 

Shere Bangla National Stadium 

in Mirpur, Dhaka. 

Enthusiastic fans came out on 

the streets in the middle of the 

night, burst crackers with a 

hope that team would lift the 

trophy. 

“Today Indian has shown that 

it is the best team in the World 

Cup (tournament) and nobody 

can stop India team from becoming 

the world champion,” 

said an Indian cricket fan. 

Previously in 2007, India exited 

the event after losing to 

Bangladesh in the first stage. 

For Indian cricket fans it’s the 

revenge of the previous loss as 

India beat Bangladesh on its 

home ground. 

Man of the match Virendra Sehwag, 

who scored 175 runs to 

lift India to a massive score of 

370 runs, made Bangladesh 

skipper Shakib Al Hasan regret 

his decision to bowl first on a 

placid wicket, hitting 14 fours 

and five sixes. 

Pace bowler Munaf Patel gave 

India’s depleted pace attack, 

which suffered a blow due 

toAshish Nehra’s back injury, a 

boost by claiming four wickets 

for 48 runs in the win. 

In this world cup the participating 

14 teams are divided 

into two groups of seven from 

where the top four from each 

will qualify for the quarterfinals 

unlike in 2007, where 16 

teams first competed in a pool 

stage, then a ‘’Super 8’’ stage of 

quarterfinals, followed by semifinals 

and the final. 

Indian Man With World’s Largest 

Family Of 39 Wives, 94 Kids 

Ready To Marry Again 

London, Feb 23 An Indian man, from Mizoram, who has the largest 

family in the world with 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren, 

says he’s ready to marry again. 

Ziona Chana and his family live in a 100-room, four-storey house 

set amidst the hills of Baktwang village in Mizoram, where the 

wives sleep in giant communal dormitories. Chana also has 94 

children, 14-daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren. 

“Even today, I am ready to expand my family and willing to go to 

any extent to marry,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying. 

“I have so many people to care (for) and look after, and I consider 

myself a lucky man,” he said. 

The family is organised with almost military discipline, with the 

oldest wife Zathiangi organising her fellow partners to perform 

household chores such as cleaning, washing and preparing meals. 

One evening meal can see them pluck 30 chickens, peel 132lb of 

potatoes and boil up to 220lb of rice. 

Chana met his oldest wife, who is three years older than he is, when 

he was 17. 

He heads a local Christian religious sect, called the ‘Chana’, which 

allows polygamy. Formed in June 1942, the sect believes it will 

soon be ruling the world with Christ and has a membership of 

around 400 families.


CHECK YOUR SIGN By Pandit Parashar 

ARIES (March 21 to April 20): 

Money will go towards a future 

trip but you 

have the strongest 

chance of 

hitting some kind 

of jackpot before 

March 15th. You 

may also finish some papers 

and mail them to a government 

agency. Time after 15th will 

bring happiness in life. Your 

courageous actions will take 

you closer to goals. 

TAURUS (April 21 to May 

20): Do not take the risk if 

you do not have 

the stamina and 

courage or will 

fail. Be extra 

careful in all financial 

matters till 15th and do 

not sign any contract in a hurry. 

Venus in eleventh brings some 

extra ordinary excitement in 

personal life. An old relationship 

could also revive. 

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): 

Time is slightly adverse till 

15th. You can not 

be demanding. It 

will be better to 

grab the opportunity 

and run and 

bring an end to suspense. Trip 

will be refreshing for everyone. 

After 15th is better to start negotiations 

with a well known 

company. There will be positive 

change in career. 

CANCER (June 21 to July 22): 

You may be away from home 

for most of time 

before 15th. 

Weather and unnecessary 

stress 

may increase 

blood pressure. It will be better 

to calm down and wait for your 

chance when planets become 

very favorable on 15th. Most of 

your demands will be accepted 

and you will be relieved of pressure. 

LEO (July 23 to August 22): 

Lots of suspense will clear before 

15th and you 

should get ready 

to reap rich rewards 

there after. 

Property stuck 

in market for long will also 

get disposed off and you will 

pocket the money soon. You 

will gain from friendship with 

an influential person and boss 

will show support. 

VIRGO (August 23 to September 

22): Very positive time for 

those looking for 

another career. 

Negotiations may 

start early but results 

will come 

only after 15th. You will be assigned 

to a very responsible position 

once Sun moves into first 

on March 15th. You may make 

money through stocks at the 

same time. 

LIBRA (September 23 to October 

22): Your actions could 

cause some threat 

to your reputation 

if you are not careful 

before 15th. 

Do not be nervous 

and throw all fears out of your 

mind that’s the only way things 

will change. You will be more 

confident and regain lost image 

in personal as well as business 

circle. 

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 

22): Money wise it 

looks very promising 

from now 

and on. Money 

may be delayed 

or blocked for 

some obvious 

reasons till 15th but will be released 

there after. You will pay 

some kind of fine or penalty to 

government too. Do not loose 

confidence and keep working 

on your plans. 

Washington, Feb 23: 

SAGITTARIUS (November 

23 to December 22): Expect 

some delay from other side till 

15th but there after 

the deal is all 

yours and it will 

be sweet. With 

new strategy you 

will overcome 

all obstacles and will not be intimidated 

by strong competition 

either. It is going to be a very 

expensive month for most. 

CAPRICORN (December 22 

to January 19): Good news will 

not come alone. You will win 

the recommendation 

and the phone 

call or email will 

come. A big reunion 

may take 

place after 15th 

this month. You will very well 

prepare yourself to face fresh 

challenges in career. You will 

also receive blessings of a holy 

soul. 

AQUARIUS (January 20 to 

February 18): You may lack the 

touch for first few weeks but the 

world is yours after 15th. You 

will be involved in a beautiful 

relationship also. Other person 

is not only good looking but has 

brains too. Money 

will go on children. 

Your charity 

work done in past 

will come handy 

now. 

PISCES (February 19 to March 

20): Planets will cause some 

disturbance in personal life till 

15th. Keep an eye 

on outside influence 

and get rid of 

people doing that. 

You will lay your 

hands on some 

easy money after 15th. Time 

very favorable for people involved 

in research and development 

work after 15th. 

Pandit Parashar 

parashar@parashar.com 

www.parashar.com 

925-833-7170 

Stress Of Unemployed Spouse Can Affect 

Job Performance Of Other Spouse 

them and come to conclusion. 

tivity,” he said. 

SCHOOL CAMPS, 

SUMMER SPECIAL ISSUE 

MAY 2011 

TO SEE YOUR AD 

In Print - CALL 

206-501-2254 

Email your enquiries to: 

info@MichiganSouthasian.com 

The stress of an unemployed 

spouse can affect the productivity 

and home life of the employed 

partner, according to a 

new study. 

University of Colorado Boulder 

associate professor Maw- 

Der Foo, who studies employee 

workplace issues and interpersonal 

relationships, and lead 

author Professor Zhaoli Song of 

the National University of Singapore 

examined married couples 

in Shenyang, China, where 

one partner was employed and 

the other was not. The daily 

stress felt by each spouse was 

assessed. 

The interaction between marital 

life and professional life of the 

unemployed spouse and the employed 

one was examined. 

Since both the partners responded 

to the experiment, 

the researchers could compare 

The researchers found that the 

couples were better at sharing 

the burden than helping to alleviate 

it. 

“If you feel bad at home there 

is going to be spill over at work 

where you will also feel lousy. 

Going into the study we thought 

that marital support might help 

alleviate the stress of unemployment 

on the family unit, 

but it didn’’t turn out to be the 

case,” said Foo. 

He said the study shows workplaces 

should be more sensitive 

and supportive when their employees 

have family members - 

particularly a spouse - who are 

unemployed. 

“Organizations can implement 

family-friendly policies to help 

their employees fulfil their family 

roles, which in turn may increase 

the employee’’s produc- 

One of the unique parts of the 

study is that they studied couples’ 

interactions daily for two 

weeks. 

In particular, they looked at 

what is called the ‘crossover 

effect’, a situation when each 

partner catches the stress of the 

other. 

The researchers hope that the 

findings may provide practical 

insight to family counsellors, 

psychotherapist and other experts 

who aim to prevent relationship 

breakdown. 

The study was published in the 

January edition of the Journal of 

Applied Psychology.


Shriya’s First Ever Bridal 

Shoot: Galatta Exclusive! 

By Padma Iyer [February 17, 


Shriya has always been associated 

with hotness! Whenever 

we see this siren on magazine 

covers, it is always in a sexy 

avatar. 

But there 

is more to 

Shriya than 

just a fab 

body, and 

the actress 

had been 

wanting to 

break the 

mould of 

the ultra 

glam girl 

and present 

herself in a 

traditional look. And when she 

got talking with us at Galatta 

about this, we were more than 

willing to do it with her. 

So Feb 15, 2011 was our date 

with Shriya. And what a fabulous 

shoot it was! Shriya was 

excited, refreshed and happy. 

Sunder Ramu had the sets all 

figured out. 

Our flower contractors were on 

the ball with timing, pricing, 

etc. 

Erum Ali’s clothes were breathtaking 

and despite starting late 

and having to do Indian wear 

(most time-consuming, tedious 

clothing) with different hairstyles 

and make up for each 

look, 

we managed 

to 

complete 

our 

“bridal 

story” 

with six 

looks! 

F o r 

someone 

who 

is at 

the top 

of her 

game, Shriya came across as 

one of the easiest and definitely 

the best looking and best-performing 

model! Of course, Taj 

Mount Road was nothing short 

of the finest in cooperation and 

hospitality! 

Well, when will you see this traditional 

extravaganza in Galatta 

Cinema You have to wait and 

watch! Subscribe to Galatta 

Cinema for more such exclusives! 

Asin Approached 

For Rana 

By Baiju NT [February 13, 


According to reliable sources, 

South Indian beauty Asin has 

been approached by the makers 

of South Indian superstar 

Rajinikanth’s next film Rana to 

be directed by K.S. Ravikumar 

under the banner of Eros International 

and Chennai based 

Ocher Studios. The sources said 

even a one-line summary of the 

script has been narrated to the 

actress and she is keen to team 

up with the super star, since the 

script fascinates her and the 

film has A.R. Rahman composing 

the tracks. Notably, Asin 

had worked with Ravikumar 

earlier inVaralaru. 

Meanwhile, Rana is said to 

be a live action magnum opus 

with Rajinikanth playing a triple 

role. Made in Tamil, Hindi 

and Telugu, the film will go 

on floors in March and will hit 

screens in early 2012. 

Kote Gets Good 

By Ullash Kumar [February 14, 2011] 

Opening 

Producer Jack Manju and director Srinivasa Raju are happy that their recent filmKote has opened to a 

very good response all around the state. The film is getting wonderful response in Northern Karnataka, 

Hyderabad Karnataka and 

Mysore distribution areas. The 

collections are not so high in 

Bengaluru distribution area. 

The producer is confident that 

the collections would improve 

further in the coming days. 

Srinivasa Raju felt happy befilm 

have been appreciated. 

has been getting positive 

But the special attraction of 

Sunday was definitely heroine 

Ravishankar. Ravishankar has 

from critics and viewers alike. 

industry personalities and Kannada film press. 

cause many finer points in the 

Prajwal Devaraj also said he 

response about the film. 

the press meet organised on 

Dimple Chopade and villain 

been getting wide appreciation 

He thanked the Kannada film 

Dimple, the actress who has charmed the audience with her glam quotient, said that though her first 

Kannada film is yet to be released, she is happy that her first release Kote has received a good response. 

Junior NTR’s Shakti To Be 

Released In Tamil 

By Petson Peter [February 17, 


Jr. NTR’s upcomingShakti 

has already 

broken the 

record by being 

the costliest 

Telugu 

movie ever 

made. 

Now the 

movie will 

also be Jr. 

NTR’s first 

to be simultaneously 

released in 

Tamil. 

Jr. NTR and 

Telugu movies have a huge 

fan base in Tamil Nadu and 

this move is expected to influence 

more Tollywood stars into 

adopting a bilingual release. 

Shakti is made with a record 

budget of 

Rs. 45 

crores, 

w i t h 

scenes being 

filmed 

in various 

locations 

across 

the globe, 

from Ladakh 

to 

Jaipur to 

Hampi to 

Egypt. 

Ileana 

D’Cruz, 

Manjari 

Phadnis, 

S.P. Balasubramanyam 

and Jackie Shroff 

will appear in the movie, which 

is scheduled to hit screens in 

March. 

China Town: Mohanlal 

In Double Role 

By Baiju NT [February 16, 2011] 

If reports are to be believed, superstar Mohanlal is playing a double 

role in Rafi Mecartin’s forthcoming multi-starrerChina Town. 

Mohanlal 

plays 

a former goon 

named 

Mathukutti, 

who 

is now 

trying to lead 

a normal l i f e 

away from 

crime, 

and his father 

Avara- 

chan. 

Sources 

said 

that the father 

character 

will 

appear 

only in 

flashback. 

The film is 

about 

Mathu- 

kutti’s 

mission to accomplish 

a long cherished dream of his father. The film also stars 

Jayaram and Dileep in major roles. Kavya Madhavan, Roma and 

Dipasha are the heroines. The film is produced by Antony Perumbavoor 

under the banner of Aashirwad Cinemas.


SRK And Salman Lock Horns 

For Dabangg Director 

Here Are The Top 10 Richest 

People In Hollywood 

By Petson Peter [February 16, 


Dabanggdirector Abhinav 

Kashyap parted ways with 

Salman and Arbaaz Khan after 

the release ofDabangg, but the 

Khan 

brothers 

made 

peace 

with the 

director 

and 

c o n - 

vinced 

him to 

return 

for the 

sequel 

ofDabangg. 

It was reported that Abhinav 

Kashyap met Shahrukh Khan 

in private to discuss a future 

project. 

With Salman and SRK already 

on bitter terms, this meeting 

hasn’t gone well with Salman, 

who brought out his anger on 

Kashyap. 

If recent 

reports 

are to be 

believed, 

Abhinav 

Kashyap 

is likely 

to be 

kicked 

out of the 

Dabangg 

sequel 

while 

Salman’s 

younger brother Sohail might 

take his place. Salman returning 

soon as Chulbul Pandey. 

Wellington, Feb 3 

Director James Cameron 

has topped the 2010 Hollywood 

movie earners’ list, 

courtesy the worldwide 

box office success of his 

movie ‘Avatar’. 

Cameron earned an estimated 

257 million dollars 

last year for writing, producing 

and directing his 

3D hit ‘Avatar’, based on 

its worldwide 2010 boxoffice 

gross of 1.95 billion 

dollars, as well as his share 

of DVD and pay-television 

sales, according to a Vanity 

Fair survey of the top 

40 Hollywood earners in 

2010, reports Stuff.co.nz. 

Johnny Depp scored the 

No. 2 spot, earning 100 million 

dollars after collecting pay 

cheques from films including 

‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘The 

Tourist’, as well as up front payments 

for the next ‘Pirates of 

the Caribbean: On Stranger 

Tides’, which is due for release 

in May. 

Director Steven Spielberg 

took the third spot, earning 

80 million dollars for Universal 

theme-park royalties 

in addition to consulting 

fees for ‘War Horse’. 

The top 10: 

1. James Cameron 

2. Johnny Depp 

3. Steven Spielberg 

4. Christopher Nolan 

5. Leonardo DiCaprio 

6. Tim Burton 

7. Adam Sandler 

8. Todd Phillips 

9. Taylor Lautner 

10. Robert Downey Jr 

Super Bowl 2011 Sets US TV 

Record Audience Of 111 Million 

Arlington (Texas, US), Feb.8 

Super Bowl 2011 set a new record 

for the largest U.S. television 

audience for a single 

broadcast on Sunday (February 

6). 

The Green Bay Packers’’ 31- 

25 victory over the Pittsburgh 

Steelers in Texas drew a U.S. 

TV audience of 111 million, 

topping the 2010 final tally by 

almost 5 million, according to 

data released on Monday by 

broadcaster Fox. 

Last year, 106.5 

million watched the 

New Orleans Saints 

beat the Indianapolis 

Colts, surpassing 

the 106 million 

who tuned in for the 

finale of the comedy 

“M*A*S*H” in 

1983, The Telegraph 

reports. 

“We’’re excited 

about the fan reaction 

from last night and the incredible 

game they were able 

to see,” NFL Commissioner 

Roger Goodell told reporters 

on Monday. 

The Super Bowl in 2009 drew 

98.7 million viewers, and the 

audience in 2008 was 97.5 million. 

Canada Government Funds 

Film About Hindu Lord Shiva 

Nevada (US), Feb 18 

Canada Government has reportedly 

funded a documentary on 

Lord Shiva, one 

of the divine trio 

of the Hindus— 

Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. 

Titled “The 

Great Night of 

Shiva”, which 

is premiering 

on February 23, 

revolves around 

extremely auspicious 

Mahashivaratri 

festival 

celebrated 

in honor of Lord 

Shiva, which 

falls on March 

three this year. 

Welcoming this 

Canada Government 

gesture, distinguished 

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has 

described it as “a step in the 

right direction”. 

Rajan Zed, who is President of 

Universal Society of Hinduism, 

in a statement in Nevada 

(USA) today, said that Canada 

Government should fund more 

Hinduism focused film projects 

as Hinduism was a storehouse 

of wisdom and Canada had considerable 

and increasing population 

of Hindus. 

Produced by award-winning 

May Street Productions of 

Victoria (British Columbia, 

Canada) and directed by Peter 

Campbell; “The Great Night 

of Shiva” depicts temple rituals, 

worship, Bharatnatyam by 

Kiruthika Rathanaswami, etc.; 

using the green screen technology, 

imagery from the Hubble 

telescope and special effects. 

Hilary Pryor is President of 

May Street Productions. 

Hinduism, oldest and third largest 

religion of the world, has 

about one billion adherents and 

moksha (liberation) is its ultimate 

goal.


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