23 October 2017

Ice T's wife Coco Austin, is mistaken for Croatia's Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic | Daily Mail Online

Ice T's wife Coco Austin, is mistaken for Croatia's Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic | Daily Mail Online

Gujarati Asmita versus Social Engineering: Who Will Win Modi's Homeland | knpost

Gujarati Asmita versus Social Engineering: Who Will Win Modi's Homeland | knpost

Rajinikanth Appreciates 'Mersal' Dialogues




Megastar Rajinikanth, who has been hinting at a political debut, has extended support to the team of controversial movie "Mersal" for addressing an "important topic".
"Mersal", Tamil actor Vijay's Diwali release, is amidst controversy after the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded removal of specific dialogues which take a dig at the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and digital India.
"Important topic addressed... Well done!!! Congratulations team 'Mersal'," Rajinikanth tweeted late Sunday.
Politicians, including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and DMK leader M.K. Stalin, apart from actor Kamal Haasan have slammed the BJP's attempt to muzzle criticism regarding its policies.
Earlier this week, BJP National Secretary H. Raja even raked up actor Vijay's Christian origins.
"Joseph Vijay's hatred for Modi is 'Mersal'," he wrote, adding a communal flavour to the row.
Directed by Atlee, "Mersal" stars Vijay in the roles of a village head, a doctor and a magician. It is doing brisk business at the box office.

You don't have to stand up at a cinema hall to be perceived as patriotic: Justice Chandrachud - The Hindu

You don't have to stand up at a cinema hall to be perceived as patriotic: Justice Chandrachud - The Hindu

17 October 2017

‘Open All Night’ Policy - Impact on Retail, Food and Entertainment


Ashutosh Limaye, National Director – Research, JLL India


The Maharashtra State Government recently passed the Shops and Establishment (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill, enabling owners of shops, hotels, theatres and multiplexes in the state to keep their establishments open round the clock, with an easier process of getting permissions and licenses.

This means that malls, multiplexes, restaurants and even small shops can be kept open till late in the night, with the caveat that police permission is required. This is in accordance with the Model Shop Act proposed by the Centre to facilitate ease of doing business, and the bill is now awaiting clearance from the legislative council.

On directives from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the State Government and BMC are also conducting a pilot project on Mumbai’s Nightlife. This project which will demarcate 3 non-residential zones in Mumbai which can operate until the wee morning hours (as late as 4 AM) and have liquor licenses.

Once enforced, these two regulations are likely to boost F&B, entertainment and retail markets in the ‘city that never sleeps’, as large malls, high street establishments and restaurants will see a gradual increase in footfalls. We are also likely to see rooftop restaurants opening in five star hotels, as the rooftop restaurants policy is being actively reconsidered by the Government.

In fact, even the food trucks are in for a new lease of life. Mumbai currently does not have a clear regulatory framework for this business model, and the CM has issued a directive to formulate a special policy to encourage the food trucks business.

The increased hours for shopping and entertainment can have several implications:

·         Increased footfalls in malls – which will however be gradual as mall operators will first test the waters by keeping malls open for only a couple of additional hours. F&B is likely to benefit most
·         Increased impulse purchasing rather than planned shopping during these additional hours. The rub-off effect for shopping is likely to come from late night diners
·         Increased revenues for hospitality retail - especially pubs, coffee shops, fine dining restaurants and quick service restaurants (QSRs) - likely to be driven by younger, late night shift BPO employee and time-pressed foreign tourists who want to experience Indian food and entertainment  
·         Increased employment in the retail and hospitality sectors, which will again happen gradually as regulations for shift workers slowly become streamlined. The Government is also taking steps to ensure safety of women retail employees doing late night shifts.
·         Offline retailers gaining more flexibility to compete with online players such as Flipkart and Amazon due to the extended shopping hours.
·         Easing of traffic congestion on the back of a more uniform spread of footfalls across 24 hours rather than a concentration of footfalls during particular hours.
·         Once regulated and formalized, the food truck business will gain visibility within malls as well, replacing the typical fashion accessories kiosks in the flea markets of malls. Currently NCR, particularly Gurgaon, has a number of food trucks offering superior quality international cuisine as well as experimental ‘fusion’ food options.
·         For entrepreneurs with real estate costs are always a major concern, food trucks offer a viable option for experimenting with a food business before investing in a restaurant.

As a general rule of thumb, value formats in Indian retail estimate footfalls between 6-10 PM as double of those seen from 10 AM to 6 PM. This applies to potential revenues as well. Generally, the same rule is accepted for weekends vs. weekdays, where weekends witness twice the footfall seen during weekdays.

With consumer behaviour generally following the pattern of shopping, movie/entertainment and dinner (in that order) the most likely beneficiaries of late night permissions will be the food and entertainment category. F&B and entertainment is already recognized as the key differentiator for India malls, as the space currently allocated to this category across some of the top malls illustrates:


The real benefit and outcomes of the policy will become evident only once it is implemented, and the spirit of the implementation will be a good indicator for assessing the essential benefits it brings.

16 October 2017

Gold biscuits

à°Žà°®్à°®ెà°²్à°¯ేలకు à°•ాà°¨ుà°•à°—ా à°¬ంà°—ాà°°ు à°¬ిà°¸్à°•ెà°Ÿ్à°²ు http://way2.co/MTAyMDk2Ng==/83

12 October 2017

Talwars Acquitted In Daughter Aarushi’s Murder By Allahabad High Court

Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were sentenced to life in prison in 2013 for their daughter Aarushi Talwar's murder. They had appealed against their conviction.

Allahabad: Dentist couple Nupur and Rajesh Talwar have been acquitted of charges of murdering their teen daughter, Aarushi, in 2008, by the Allahabad High Court. Overruling a lower court verdict, the court has given them the benefit of doubt, saying that there is no clinching evidence that the Talwars are guilty. Aarushi was found dead in her bedroom at the Talwars' home in Noida near Delhi; then Hemraj, the family's Nepalese domestic help was discovered killed on the terrace. The Talwars were sentenced to life in prison in 2013. They had appealed against their conviction.

Here is your 10-point cheatsheet to this big story:

Aarushi was found with her throat slit in her bed, just days before she turned 14. At first, Hemraj, who was missing, was the main suspect, but the next day, his body was found on the roof of the apartment building where the Talwars lived.


Rajesh Talwar was arrested seven days after the murder and spent two months in jail before getting bail. Both Rajesh and his wife, Nupur, have been in jail since November 2013.


The case became a sensational story dividing public opinion on who killed Aarushi; a book and a film have been made on the double murder.


The CBI had asked for the death penalty when the Talwars were convicted by a local court in Ghaziabad four years ago.


Early in the investigation, the Noida police alleged Rajesh Talwar had murdered Aarushi and Hemraj in a rage after finding them in a compromising situation. But they offered no forensic or material evidence to substantiate this claim.


The Talwars denied the murder and blamed sensational media coverage for demonising them and damaging their defence.


The judge who found them guilty four years ago said they had also destroyed evidence.


The initial police investigation was widely criticised, prompting the CBI to take over the case. It based its prosecution largely on circumstantial evidence, but said it was enough to prove that the couple had committed the crime.


In December 2010, the CBI told the court that it had no evidence in the case but suspected Rajesh Talwar of the double murder. The court said that the case could not be closed.


The CBI said that there was no evidence of the Talwars' home being broken into, which suggested that the double murder was an inside job. It also argued the "last-seen theory" -- which holds that the victims were last seen with the Talwars on the night that the murders were committed.


09 October 2017

VAT on fuel reduced by 4%, petrol price cheaper by Rs 2.93, diesel by Rs 2.72

VAT on fuel reduced by 4%, petrol price cheaper by Rs 2.93, diesel by Rs 2.72: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani


                                             

VAT on fuel reduced by 4%, petrol price cheaper by Rs 2.93, diesel by Rs 2.72: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani


The price of petrol will go down by Rs 2.93 to Rs 67.63/litre while the price of diesel will go down by Rs 2.72 to Rs 60.77/litre

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, on Tuesday, declared to cut Value Added Tax (VAT) charged by it on petrol and diesel by four per cent. So far, the government has been levying 24% VAT on petrol and diesel. With this announcement becoming effective from midnight, the new rate of petrol and diesel in Gujarat will be Rs 67.53 and Rs 60.77 per litre respectively. And it will cause decrease in the annual income of the state government by Rs 2316 crore, said Rupani.

As Gujarat is going to polls later this year, the announcement is being seen as an attempt by the government to woo public. However, Rupani refused to call this as an election oriented announcement.

“Some days back, Central Government had announced cut in excise on fuel and it had also recommended state governments to consider change in their taxation so that people of the country can have relief in charges of petrol and diesel. Elections are coming in Gujarat, but not in other states. Plus, this is going to be a long term and steady rate,” said Rupani.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel who is holding the Finance portfolio called the decision as ‘Diwali gift’ to the people of Gujarat and said, “We will have cut in the income due to this decision. But we are hoping that due to cheaper rate of the fuel, vehicles of bordering states will also buy fuel from Gujarat which will compensate the loss of income to some extent as the sale of the fuel will increase.”

04 October 2017

Nobel prize in chemistry awarded for method to visualise biomolecules | Science | The Guardian

Nobel prize in chemistry awarded for method to visualise biomolecules | Science | The Guardian

The winners of the Nobel chemistry prize: Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson.

Questioned by Gujarat police over Adani story: Aussie journalists


Questioned by Gujarat police over Adani story: Aussie journalists


                                             


Adani is developing a mega coal mine in Australia, and many sections in that country are against the project

A team of journalists working on a story on the Adani Group for Four Corners, an investigative journalism programme aired on ABC TV on Monday evenings, has said they were questioned by Gujarat Police “on and off for nearly five hours” in their hotel a day after they arrived at Mundra in Kutch district for filming the report.

The team, led by reporter Stephen Long, was heard saying in the report aired on Monday: “A senior policeman kept going outside and talking to someone on his mobile phone and whenever he would return, the questioning, the hostility, would ramp up.”

While attempting to film and gather information about Adani’s operations, the Four Corners team claimed, they were forced to leave Mundra at 4 am. The police told them that if they stayed they would have “three intelligence services coming to see us the next day”, says Long in the aired report. The link to the report was posted on the Four Corners Twitter handle.

The Kutch (West) police confirmed that foreign journalists were questioned for allegedly shooting in and around Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ) of Adani Group late August.

“We questioned the journalists as they were foreign nationals and were shooting vital installations without permission from authorities,” Kutch (West) SP Makrand Chauhan told The Indian Express. Chauhan was transferred out of Kutch last week as part of an IPS reshuffle.

Adani is developing a mega coal mine in Australia, and many sections in that country are against the project.

Space Era

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/60-years-ago-today-russia-launched-sputnik-1--and-the-space-age-began-20171003-gytf7x.html

03 October 2017

Einstein’s waves win Nobel for 3 Americans

Black Hole researchers find ripples in fabric of universe


Three American scientists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) have won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their contribution to detecting gravitational waves — ripples in the fabrics of spacetime which were predicted by Albert Einstein a hundred years ago.


The scientists were awarded the Nobel prize “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves”, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced here on Tuesday.


The 9 million Swedish kronor (825,000 British pounds) prize was divided. One half was awarded to Rainer Weiss of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the other half jointly to Barry C Barish and Kip S Thorne — both from California Institute of Technology (Caltech).


Originally predicted in the early 20th century by Einstein, gravitational waves were not detected until 2015, when LIGO identified the first such signal from two merging black holes.


“The 2017 Nobel Laureates have, with their enthusiasm and determination, each been invaluable to the success of LIGO,” said the Royal Swedish Academy. “Pioneers Rainer Weiss and Kip S Thorne, together with Barry C Barish, the scientist and leader who brought the project to completion, ensured that four decades of effort led to gravitational waves finally being observed,” the Academy added.


The international LIGO Science Collaboration (LSC) consisting of about 1,000 scientists from universities and research institutes from about 15 countries, including from India, announced the first detection on February 5, 2016 and second one on June 15, 2016. “I view this more as a thing that recognises the work of about 1,000 people, a really dedicated effort that’s been going on for — I hate to tell you — as long as 40 years,” Weiss told the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, acknowledging the contribution of other scientists in achieving the scientific milestone.


There was a very significant presence of Indian scientists in this milestone scientific achievement.


There were 37 authors from nine Indian Institutions in the scientific publication presenting the first discovery of gravitational waves published in the Physical Review letters by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration.


There were 39 authors from the same nine Indian institutions in the publication for the detection of the second black hole merger event.


Currently, Indian participation in the international LIGO Science Collaboration, has over 60 researchers, constituting five of the members of the LSC, making it the fourth largest national participant. LIGO discovered its third gravitational wave on January 4, 2016.


02 October 2017

Award Wapasi 2.0

Award Wapasi 2.0

                    Written by Pamela Philipose

Is the Narendra Modi government, which has been spectacularly successful in keeping a tight leash on information flows, slowly losing its ability to control the contours of the national narrative, three and a half years after it came to power?


The question is intriguing, more so because setting the terms of public discourse has been one of the distinguishing features of this government. Four key strategies are adopted to achieve this. First, the strict regulation of access to those in power. Second, the establishment of a largely one-way communication pathway between the government and the people. This has led to a curious paradox: Even as the government acquires greater information on citizens through instruments like Aadhaar, citizens face an increasingly opaque government. Third, an informal yet intimate connection with a core cohort of influence makers on social media that have user bases far exceeding anything that even major newspapers and TV channels enjoy. Fourth, ensuring pre-selected tropes for public discourse through placement of documents, leaks, plants and the like in mainstream media — which also accounts for the unfathomable manner in which TV discussions divert attention from the issues of the day, making up through the gladiatorial performance of anchors what they lack in substance.

Thus far, the potential of a counter-narrative displacing the officially sanctioned one was limited. The magnitude of the 2014 mandate was treated as an implicit endorsement of Prime Minister Modi for at least the initial year of this regime. The first crack in the mirror possibly came with the Award Wapsi moment of 2015, when through a common act of renunciation some of the country’s best regarded intellectuals stood up against what was framed as “rising intolerance”. By itself it was not a majorly threatening objective, yet it prompted a swift and angry response from state and non-state entities. The finance minister famously termed it as “manufactured”, the minister of culture thought it should be a matter of investigation, while others claimed that it was driven by a hunger for publicity, and even took out an “India Tolerant March” to expose the ugly intent of “pseudo-secularists” to tar the nation. Looking back, that slap down was quite successful. The NDA may have lost the Bihar election towards the end of that year but the Modi government was able to ride out that period of anxiety.

Today, two years later, is that anxiety back? The PM has himself complained about being constantly misunderstood (“They said Modi only talks of bullet trains in India… Now that they see I have actually got the bullet train to India, they ask why a bullet train?”). His party president’s entreaty to Ahmedabad’s youth to resist the lure of social media propaganda seems to indicate a fear that the party’s formidable propaganda drive on social media is facing serious blowback.

There are contingent causes for the new credibility that is coming to be attached to this counter-narrative despite the prevailing disarray in Opposition ranks. Among them is the roiling within universities across the country, where brutal state repression is sharpening student militancy. Joblessness is now being perceived as the inheritance of failure; farming as the harvesting of loss. The assassinations of journalists and assaults on them are threatening to alienate a crucial category of professionals. The initial silence that greeted the unrelenting barbarism of beef vigilantism, targeting minorities and Dalits especially, is also breaking. That lack of immediate response was interpreted by many within the Sangh Parivar as tacit public acquiescence to the project but now widespread revulsion to such randomised violence and killing among ordinary citizens is coming into view, with citizens’ initiatives emerging to reclaim India’s secular legacy across the country. They may appear limited and periodic but they are punching above their weight through the unleashing of immense cultural and oratorical power.

This wave could be read as Award Wapsi 2.0 but look what’s different this time. Those speaking out are also from the BJP’s own camp. It’s also not just about ideas this time, it’s about the economy; about the assumed benefits of demonetisation and GST going AWOL. This is why the meme, ‘Vikas Gando Thayo Che’ (development gone crazy), now buzzing around the BJP’s Gujarat headquarters like an unswattable fly, is interesting, indicating as it does that the famed Gujarat Model — built on a rock solid foundation of words — is now tilting ever so slightly.

Circadian Rhythms, the Chinese Clock and How To Live in Sync

Circadian Rhythms, the Chinese Clock and How To Live in Sync

Our bodies have a number of processes that happen at regular intervals throughout the day. We respond to light and dark, hot and cold, and other natural polarities – in effect “yin and yang”. Through spending less time in natural environments, working long hours, eating at odd hours and all of the other less natural behaviors we conduct we may disrupt these processes. Western medicine uses the term “circadian rhythms” to describe these processes and the changes that happen internally in response to our environment. While researchers do not yet understand all of the rhythms and their effects, we are beginning to explore the relationship between disruptions in these rhythms and the development of illness. More obvious issues that arise such as jet lag are well known, but psychological issues, digestive problems, insomnia and fatigue among others may be related as well. Chinese Medicine uses the theory of the Chinese clock to describe a similar set of activities that happen on a daily basis and also effect our health. This article is going to explore both of these systems looking for similarities as well as tools we can use to help us live more in sync with our natural environment.

What Is A Circadian Rhythm?

Circadian rhythms describe regular events that happen to all humans, plants and animals on a daily basis. We are far from understanding all of them and their effects on our health but we know that there are processes that happen in all of us on a roughly 24 hour cycle influenced by various cues from our environment. The influence of these rhythms can change sleep and wake cycles, release various hormones, influence body temperature and regulate other important bodily functions. While we all have circadian rhythms there are some differences in the length of the cycles which helps to explain why some of us are “night owls” and others are “morning people”. There also appears to be a genetic component to our rhythms which explains why some lifestyle habits such as staying up late appear to run in families.
The image below shows many of the circadian rhythms:
From the image we can see regular changes in melatonin secretion, body temperature, vascular changes and bowel changes among others. For example, melatonin secretion starts around 9pm and ceases around 7:30am with our period of deepest sleep at 2am. This sets in place a natural sleep cycle for us as humans. For those of us who work late hours or third shift we are in direct contention with this natural cycle and this may lead to issues with sleep or other aspects of our health.
We also see that our lowest body temperature is at 4:30am and our highest is at 7pm. This natural temperature variation allows for many processes in our body to function correctly, yet our temperature controlled environments may not always cater to allowing these functions to completely take place. This, again, is another example of possible disruptions.

What Are Some Causes of Disruptions In Our Internal Clock?

Besides obvious disruptions such as flying across the international date line, the majority of the disruptions to our internal clock are related to a less natural environment and various lifestyle habits. Many of us know the joys of going camping – the fresh air, the cool streams, etc. What is interesting about camping, particularly after a few days, is how you begin going to sleep a few hours after sundown and wake up right around sunrise. At home we have lights, tv’s, computers, stores that are open 24 hours and more to keep us stimulated and busy much later than we would in a natural setting. It should come as no surprise that this would have an impact on us.
The circadian rhythms are controlled by our body’s master clock or what is known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Using sleep as an example, our master clock receives information from the optic nerves about how much light is outside. As the SCN receives information that there is less light the brain is triggered to produce more melatonin so you can sleep. This is one of many reasons why people with trouble sleeping should not watch TV or use the computer before trying to go to sleep as they are too bright and too stimulating.
While we can and will adjust to various disruptions as we do with jet lag we cannot contend against this natural balance constantly. Jet lag resolves as we respond to a new environment by meshing with the new cycle of day and night. This is entirely different, however, from staying up until 3am for 3 nights out of the week and then going to bed at 9pm the other 4 nights. These types of disruptions, if constant, are the type that may lead to illness.

What Conditions May Result From These Disruptions?

Issues such as alcohol abuse, poor sleep, insomnia, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and bipolar disorder have ties to disruptions in the circadian rhythms. And some medications, herbal formulas and even acupuncture itself may be beneficial in part due to regulating the abnormal circadian rhythms. Just like the interplay between yin and yang in Chinese Medicine, disruptions in the circadian rhythms (called “phase shifts” or “phase delays” in western research) can have wide spread complex effects on the body that are still being explored.

How Does Chinese Medicine Describe These Rhythms (or “What Is The Chinese Clock”)?

Chinese medicine contains a full pool of information based on observations of interactions with our environment over thousands of years. Much as each meridian system has a corresponding season, color, emotion and other related connections (see five element theory), so does each 24 hour period. As with the circadian rhythms of the west, the meridians follow natural periods of heightened activity and of relative rest. Observing and respecting this rhythm allows our body to function more efficiently and to defend against illness.
The following chart shows all of the meridians and their periods of strongest activity:
acupuncture-meridian-flow-graphic
From this chart we see many correlations with daily activities that can influence our health. 7-9am is when our stomach system is most active making it a good time for breakfast. We see that the liver is most active between 1-3am which is a common time for people to wake with liver related insomnia issues (see “My Liver is What?“). The kidney system, which is the root of our overall energy, is most active between 5-7pm (see “My Kidneys are What?“) a good time for exercise. The pericardium system is most active from 7-9pm which is a good time to start relaxing and unwinding from the day. Imbalances within this system result in anxiety, nausea, and/or insomnia.

What Correlations Do We See Between West and East?

Both the Chinese clock and the circadian rhythms serve in part as reminders that we are in fact human and we are related to our environment in deep ways. As much as light and electricity have allowed us to do many fantastic things, these changes do not come without challenges to our natural systems. While we shouldn’t be unplugging everything just yet, we do need to have an appreciation for our natural relationships and be aware that challenging these may well cause health problems. Working with our environment is by most accounts a very easy way to improve our health and psychological wellbeing without medications, treatments, or other mechanisms.

How Does This Knowledge Effect Treatment Options?

With regards to the circadian rhythms the master clock (or SCN from above) is controlled by the hypothalamus. Within the Tam Healing System that I primarily utilize we use GV 22 to help regulate these functions. This in combination with other points may have deeper systemic effects by balancing the broad range of changes controlled by this system. Researchers are also looking at independent circadian rhythms found in organs and cells outside of the control of the SCN such as those in the lungs, liver, spleen and skin. This means that the natural relationships defined by Chinese medicine such as the lungs being related to the expression of grief, for example, may eventually be “proven” by research into these rhythms. And living more in accord with our environment may have much lead to much broader changes that we may think.
Chinese medicine uses the Chinese clock to help diagnose and treat various issues. Someone who wakes between 1-3am rather than 3-5am tell us the liver system is likely related to their insomnia as opposed to the lung meridian. Digestive problems that are worse between 7-9pm may indicate a weak stomach system as that is when its control is at its weakest point. The clock is also used by some practitioners to choose which points to use based on what time the patient is coming into the office. Certainly an awareness and respect for these relationships is important for successful treatment.