Yeah, now while going to attend the orientations for the freshers, parents need not worry about their younger ones to be left behind alone at home, because an estimated 10 percent of colleges in USA offer something for the siblings.

Though initially orientation used to be just for incoming freshmen, but then, during the last decade, colleges incorporated sessions for parents as well. And then what about the tiny siblings? They can’t be left back alone at home for several days and obviously one can’t expect them to sit still for very long in sessions with titles such as “Academic Perspectives,” “Collaborating for Success,” and “Money Matters.” So colleges came up with siblings programs.

Northwestern State University’s in Natchitoches, La., founded Kid Konnection in 2002 for siblings aged 5 to 12. Craig Mack created the sibling program in Boston University in 2004. Alfred State College in western New York State began its sibling program this summer and divides the children into age groups, 5 to 11 and 12 to 17. The older children get tips on how to prepare for college, while the younger ones make birdhouses, using the facilities of the building and trades program.

A growing number of colleges are making freshman orientation a family affair, adding sibling programs to give parents a break and make a very early recruiting pitch to potential students. And the tiny tots have several things to rave about, including getting a T-shirt, playing ping-pong in the student union, and making friends with the college students.

BU’s program, which will serve 200 siblings ages 5 and up by the time orientations end this week, is half entertainment and includes a tour of Fenway Park. The other half is focused on the university. Sometimes the siblings are shown a movie - shortened from 30 minutes to 10 - highlighting BU accomplishments, famous professors, and alumni. And the kids are then quizzed, and a correct answer makes them a proud owner of a lollipop!

These sibling programs actually serve multi fold purposes. Apart from acting as a good marketing tool, they also meet the necessities of the parents; not only entertain the younger siblings but also enable them to see where their older siblings are going. And to top it all, at an early stage itself, these programs provide the younger ones with a wide perspective and future choice of their college.

And the authorities are waiting very eagerly for the day when a BU student will come up to them and say, ‘I was in the siblings program.’ ” And this day doesn’t seem too far!

If you are about to nod your heads, then think again! In this ever changing and ever developing world the game of poker is no exception. Yes, today playing poker is no more considered as impudent but a statement of style. An estimated 80 million people play poker regularly, making it the world’s most popular game.

And its not just a common man’s cup of tea, but the game has attracted a slew of celebrities, including James Woods, Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, who starred in the classic 1998 poker film “Rounders.”

An author and a classical music critic can also be a die-hard poker addict! If you guessed it right, it’s a reference to Anthony Holden, a British, who has written biographies of Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky, Laurence Olivier and Prince Charles.

And his attachment to the game is so immense that Holden spent a whole year as a professional poker player and turned the experience into a charming memoir called “Big Deal”. Now he’s written an equally entertaining sequel, “Bigger Deal: A Year Inside the Poker Room”, which chronicles the game’s explosive growth into a worldwide phenomenon on television and the Internet.

“Where once it was a seedy, disreputable pursuit peopled by shifty characters, poker is now not just respectable but fashionable, even chic,” Holden writes in his breezy, ingratiating style.

“The colossal impact on the game of online poker can be summarized in one terrifying statistic,” Holden writes. “A teenager anywhere in the world, unable to play (legally) in an American casino until he or she is 21, can play more hands in six months than septuagenarian Doyle Brunson, the world’s most respected player, has in his lifetime.”

“Bigger Deal” is published by Simon & Schuster (291 pages, $26.)

More glimpses of the widespread fascination of the game:

Poker player Jerry Yang, of Temecula, Calif., poses with his prize money after winning the main event of the World Series of Poker at the Rio hotel-casino in Las Vegas,

Alex Kravchenko (L) of Russia watches as Jerry Yang of California pushes in chips during the World Series of Poker main event at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada July 17, 2007. Nine players started at the final table to compete for more than U.S. $22 million in prize money with the first place finisher taking home $8. 25 million.

Holden’s exploration of the new poker world takes him to Yale for a “lecture” on the game, the Caribbean for a poker cruise, a fantasy poker camp run by brainy professionals Howard Lederer and his sister Annie Duke, and tournaments in Monaco, Barcelona, Atlantic City and, of course, Las Vegas.

Like me, are you too wondering on this vast popularity of poker? And also on the height of one’s addiction to the game so as to write an entire book on it, followed by lectures and camps!!

Today life is so short-tempered that that the non-fulfillment of our selfish desires breeds an atmosphere ’serenity’. But this very nature of the passage of life serves as a food for thought of the media. Agree or no, I have reasons to disagree to what president kalam said in his address at the Ramnath Goenka awards organised for Excellence in Journalism.

He is right when he said that there is no room for sensationalism in journalism even if sells in the short run. I am not acting as a double-edged sword but making an effort to present a transparent picture of media before you. There is absolutely no room for sensationalism in journalism as it resides in their blood, which is governed by the corporate minds.

The definition, dimension and parameters of media has undergone a dialysis and this new body is governed by Corporate reviews. What enjoys priority here is not local or global issues but advertising that generates revenue for media.

Now the working is like this:

Media organization craves for profit; the source for this expected revenue depends upon ratings received by it. Now the big question is how to generate ratings? With blind eye and deaf ears, the handpicked solution is to ensure that its efforts are being watched by the audience. How can their eyeballs be glued to their shows? By serving them with something that is SENSATIONAL, invites their curiosity, interest and reaction, making them turn-on their sets the following day. If this happens, then big bucks are assured.

In fact the hypothesis clearly reflects that media is playing smart. Now here is a piece of news that is not sensational yet interesting. Renowned TV journalist Rajdeep Sardesai bagged the ‘Journalist of the Year´ award in broadcast category while Ritu Sarin of ‘Indian Express´ was honored in the print media category. The award carries a cash of Rs 250,000.

The jury that selected the award winners included Bakul H Dholakia, Deepak Parekh, Fali S Nariman, Keshub Mahindra, M S Swaminathan, Naresh Chandra, N R Narayanamurhty, Rama Bijapurkar, Shobhana Bhartiya, Subir Raha and Shyam Benegal.

I think Rajdeep and Ritu are the right candidates to define the relation between sensationalism and media. I will be glad if they do so.

“Bringing up a daughter is like watering a neighbour’s plant.” How true is this! But the same daughter blossoms into an affectionate wife and a caring mother. And everyone craves for a beautiful amiable wife and a most considerate mother, and yet the buds of these future forms are butchered. How just is this??

Are all those people, indulging in this most inhuman act of female foeticide, heading towards an all male world? Just look at the distressing decline in the sex ratio- the number of girls per 1,000 boys slipping from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001. And I can bet this scale would have sunk down deeper by now.

Indians’ age-old liking for boys and believing girls to be a burden, more than often make them think to pay Rs. 5,000 now rather than spending Rs. 5,00,000 later. But don’t you think that if the sex-ratio keep reducing at similar rate then the number of girls left over to be future brides will be alarmingly less! And consequently the demand for a bride may be so high that, instead of you expecting huge amount as dowry, you may have to actually ooze out your wallet to buy a bride!

But before such disastrous virtual thoughts mould into reality, we have a seemingly successful solution at hand. A Cabinet minister has come up with a proposal, which will require all pregnant women in India to register with the government and get official permission if they want to have an abortion.

Abortions have been legal in India since 1971 and are viewed as a way to curb population growth, but Prenatal sex determination tests and abortions on the basis of gender are both illegal. Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury said that women would only be allowed to have an abortion when there is a “valid and acceptable reason.” But how do you define “valid” and “acceptable”? And who will decide it and more important how?

And moreover won’t it be a violation of privacy? Ranjan Kumari, President of a group of women’s non-governmental organizations called Women Power Connect says, “It can lead to too much intrusion on somebody’s private life. It will also be very difficult to obtain such data. Whether such a thing will be possible in a democracy, I doubt.”

The success of this step may be doubtful but one thing is for sure- that its high time to pay heed to the sinking sex ratio.

For the better functioning of life (human relations) and not lifestyle, there is a dire need for the mobile-makers to increase its in-built memory. Or I advice today’s generation to replace their micro-memory card with a macro one.

No, I am not insane but am suggesting alternatives to prevent my friends from becoming insane. Yes, a recent survey says that with individuals getting so much dependent on their cell phones and other electronic device, chances are that very soon they will access their mobile to recall their own birth date.

You want numbers?

If we handpick the age-group that tops in the charts of people will weak-memory then the tech-savvy youngsters outshine the old generation. As per the survey: “The under-30s could remember fewer birthdays and numbers than the over-50s.”

A quarter among the polled candidates said: “They couldn’t remember their landline number, while two-thirds couldn’t recall the birthdays of more than three family members or acquaintances.” Around two-thirds of the people being surveys revealed that rely on their phone or electronic organiser to remember key dates.

NOTE: The survey was carried for Puzzler Brain Trainer magazine under which researchers polled 3,000 people over the last two weeks.

If your minds are running around all the latest medical therapies, then let your minds relax! Because here is a 55-year-old hypnotist, Sebastian Black, who possess this remarkable ability to test your chastity just by modest gestures like holding your hands or probing your faces by asking simple questions about your daily life!! Sounds strange!

But what is much more astonishing is the reason behind this virginity test. Because in New York it’s the demonstration of people’s chastity that can buy them free tickets to off-Broadway play ‘My First Time’! And Sebastian stands at the doorway heading a long queue of about three-dozen prospective virgins (all eager to get hold of free tickets) to give a verification of their being chaste.

Sebastian Black describes himself as a mind reader and a psychic hypnotist. He is also being referred to as “a master of body language and tone of voice.” Such an amazing human lie detector, isn’t it!

“My First Time” is a 90-minute comedy by producer Ken Davenport. The show, which opens July 28, is based on a decade-old Web site that invites people to anonymously share their stories about losing their virginity.

In Davenport’s view this virgin stunt serves the subject of the play _ “which is to get people to talk about their first sexual experience, something that almost any person on the planet has in common, whether in the United States or Rome.”

Like me, are you also wondering whether the virgins will be available in proportion to the free-tickets, especially in the town that inspired “Sex and the City”! Even Davenport was clueless as to how many virgins were admitted into the theater.

And before people actually step inside the theater to watch this comedy show, I think they have enough dose of farce already outside, viewing a 55 year old man examining the virginity of the claimers! What say?

Are you Indians on cloud nine because finally our monument of love- Taj Mahal made it to the Seven Wonders of the World? And whom do you think the credit for this proud moment should be owed to??…No doubt to all the people who voted enthusiastically, but what about Media that made this campaign remarkably successful?

Media, as usual, instead of being applauded is being abused. It is being said that media is celebrating non-news. Media critic Sudhapradha Sengupta said, “People will vote for sentimental reasons. And the organisers are cashing in on the hype that has been created by the media and using the sentiments of the people,”

Countering the criticism, I media Corp, the India representative of the Swiss organisation ‘New7wonders of the World´, said the campaign was aimed at increasing awareness of world heritage, which would help in preserving the monuments.

“The tourism industry and the government will benefit from it. Due to the campaign, more tourists would be attracted to India,” said R D Bhatnagar, Vice President of I media Corp.

About the revenue earned through the campaign, Bhatnagar said 15 per cent of the amount earned would be given to the government, while 75 per cent was to be retained by the telecom operators. The rest ten per cent was to be shared by the technical associates and the organisation.
The organisation, he said, would in turn utilize its share of the earnings in preservation of heritage monuments around the world.

Through this victorious campaign, popularized by all forms of media, the unity of Indians has again been highlighted. If we all can stand hand-in-hand for one cause and be triumphant in it, then together we can equally efficiently achieve any goal, however impossible it may seem initially.

And the role of the media shouldn’t be overlooked or condemned. It was because of media that Jessica’s death was kept alive even after eight years, and finally Jessica got justice. And the hands of the media are big enough to reach out even to those realms where police fails to arrive at. The success of the sting operations can’t be sidelined.

With the stupendous success rate of the reality TV shows, now more and more fresh ideas are springing out. This time there will be a contest of hymn-singing pop idols. And like all other of these famous and fabulous shows, this too claims to have a noble purpose behind it- to bring spirituality to young Indians influenced by liberal Western lifestyles and stressed by increasing work pressures.

Producers of “Swaradhiraj” or “Supreme ruler of musical notes” — which is expected to be aired in October — say contestants will sing spiritual songs of any religion.

“Youth today are going to discotheques. They are drinking too much, smoking too much and being influenced by Western media,” said Arvind Joshi, an official from Aastha, India’s largest spirituality TV channel, which will air the show.

A booming economy, though has brought prosperity, but it has also led to more stressful lifestyles where a faster pace of life has left many urbanites working long hours and with little time to relax. This has resulted in a proliferation of faith-based television stations offering talk shows, astrological programmes and classes on yoga and alternative medicine as a soothing alternative to 24-hour news channels and soap operas.

“Spirituality is there in the youth already, but we are trying to consolidate it,” said Joshi.
“Devotional music is the one thing that can relieve stress from people and take them towards God and spirituality.” “The set, possibly with a river or trees in the background, will create tranquility in the minds of viewers.”

Instead of prizes of cash or cars normally offered to winners of India’s numerous singing reality shows, the winner will get a paid pilgrimage to a holy site of their choice and the chance to record an album of devotional songs.

Lets see whether this spiritual-singing hunt will win over the hearts of the people as all other talent hunts, or whether this spiritual show will completely sideline all the other similar kind of shows!

The riff on nationalities cannot be better described than this: The Chinese are known for copying than for inventing, Italians for designing shoes than taking prestige in breeding a Tuscan computer programmer. Following this, Russians knows well to rule the game of chess and make no efforts to engineer a children’s toy.

Germans can think of excelling only when the variables of high-performance automobiles are in control. The French prefer establishing their name in technologies that survives on bulky government subsidies.

The Japanese will also get their deserving acceptance only after the first-hand experience of the customers. Now, if through my conversation, I have affronted anyone then also you shouldn’t expect a word of apology from my side.

What has made me happy after a long is the fact that the Swiss Watch Federation’s vote against the term “Swiss Made” while producing timepieces.

Thankfully the tradition to label “Swiss Made” on watches made by foreign brands will not exist. Getting assembled all the component in Switzerland is no big deal to stamp it as “Swiss Made”.

Around 87% of the federation members are in favor of the tougher proposal under which at least 80% of mechanical watches and 60% of quartz has to be done in Switzerland to be stamped as “Swiss Made”.

Via Luxist

A new survey conducted by Durex Network, a social marketing arm of condom makers in the world shows that the age for “first sex” among Indians is 22.9 years. In China, the figure stands at 22.1, in Malaysia it is 23, in Singapore the average is 22.8 and in Thailand, it is 20.5.

In western countries such as Brazil and Germany, the mean age is below 18 years. The fact that Indians abstain from sex for nearly 23 years would leave most people happy because of obvious reasons: Indian culture is not going to the dogs( or west!!, if you like it)!!

I am happy for a different reason: the later the age for sex, the more is the emotional and psychological maturity to deal with a sexual relationship. I belong to the old school of thought that still believes that just because you are sexually mature does not mean you should go out to the nearest orgy.

I am also happy because it means comparatively less risk of spreading AIDS/STDs, less risk of unwanted pregnancies and dangerous abortions…