Songs, Music, Videos, Hotels, Air Tickets, Books

Turning off AutoComplete for TextBoxes in IE and FireFox

2008-09-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

This is one a lot of people know, but it's worth covering again because it's easily forgotten as it's a small detail. Since we do eFinance sites, we often don't want folks' UserNames collected and stored in AutoComplete, especially when the site is browsed on a public machine.

autocomplete="off" method="post" runat="server">

Note that autocomplete="false" doesn't work. However, autocomplete="off" works in both IE and FireFox.

My Sql Server 2005 Keyboard Shortcuts

2008-07-18T01:56:00.000-07:00

Description	Shortcut
Create a New File	CTRL+N
Toggle full screen mode	SHIFT+ALT+ENTER
Set or remove a bookmark at the current line	CTRL+K, CTRL+K
Next bookmark	CTRL+K, CTRL+N
Previous bookmark	CTRL+K, CTRL+P
Clear bookmarks	CTRL+K, CTRL+L
Make the selected text a comment	CTRL+K, CTRL+C
Uncomment the selected text	CTRL+K, CTRL + U
Make the selected text upper case	CTRL+SHIFT+U
Make the selected text lower case	CTRL+SHIFT+L
Toggle between query and results pane	F6
Display Object Explorer	F8
Output results in text format	CTRL+D
Output results in a grid	CTRL+T
Cancel the executing query	ALT+BREAK
Display the estimated execution plan	CTRL+L
Display the Replace dialog box	CTRL+F
Display the Find dialog box	CTRL+H
Start incremental search	CTRL+I
Find the next occurrence of the previous search text	F3

My Visual Studio 2005 Keyboard Shortcuts

2008-07-18T01:54:00.000-07:00

Shortcut	Description
F3	Finds the next occurrence of the previous search text.
F5	Start debugging
F7	Jump to code behind file from .aspx files
F8	Moves the cursor to the next item, such as a task in the Task List window or a search match in the Find Results window. Each time you press F8, you move to the next item in the list.
F9	Toggle breakpoint
F12	Go to definition of identifier under cursor
Ctrl+F5	Start without debugging
Ctrl+F2	Jump to the Navigation Bar (hit TAB to get to the right side)
Ctrl+F3	Find word under cursor
Ctrl+TAB	Toggle between windows in Visual Studio
Ctrl+I	Incremental search (this is way better than Ctrl+F)
Ctrl+J	Force IntelliSense for field members
Ctrl+C (with nothing selected)	Copy whole line
Ctrl+Enter	Open line above line cursor is on
Ctrl-X or Ctrl-L (with nothing selected)	Cut whole line
Ctrl+]	Bounce cursor between matching parentheses/brackets/braces
Ctrl+PageDown	Toggle between Design and Source views in .aspx files
Alt+W, L	Close all windows
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+C	Comment out selection
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+U	Uncomment selection
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+D	Format document
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+X	Insert snippet (or just type in the snippet name and hit TAB, TAB)
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+S	Surround selected lines with snippet
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+K	Toggle bookmark on/off
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+P	Jump to previous bookmark
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+N	Jump to next bookmark
Ctrl+M, Ctrl+M	Open/close current fold
Ctrl+M, Ctrl+O	Fold all methods
Ctrl+R, Ctrl+R	Enables or disables word wrap in an editor.
Ctrl+Shift+B	Build solution
Ctrl+Shift+C	Displays the Class View window
Ctrl+Shift+Enter	Open line below line cursor is on
Ctrl+Shift+F	Global Search
Ctrl+Shift+F9	Delete all breakpoints
Ctrl+Alt+A	Displays the Command window, which allows you to type commands that manipulate the IDE.
Ctrl+Alt+I	Displays the Immediate window, where you can evaluate expressions and execute individual commands.
Ctrl+Alt+K	Displays the Task List window where you customize, categorize and manage tasks, comments, shortcuts, warnings and error messages.
Ctrl+Alt+L	Open the Solution Explorer (to find your file after you just closed them all)
Ctrl+Alt+T	View Document Outline
Ctrl+Alt+0	Displays the Output window to view status messages at run time
Ctrl+Alt+R	Open browser within VS.NET
Ctrl+Alt+U	Displays the Modules window, which allows you to view the .dll or .exe files used by the program. In multiprocess debugging, you can right-click and select Show Modules for all Programs.
Ctrl+Alt+X	Open Toolbox
Shift+Alt+Enter	View editor in full screen mode

"Parugu" Songs

2008-04-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Parugu Audio Songs 320 kbps
Year: 2008
Cast: Allu Arjun, Sheela
Music Director: Mani Sharma

Info :
Chiranjeevi launched the music of Allu Arjun’s latest film Parugu in the direction of Bommarillu Bhaskar at a function organized on the banks of Durgam Cheruvu. Dil Raju produces this film. Sheila is the heroine.

Friends the songs of movie Parugu are available at digitalrays and enjoy the music, since the music director is Mani Sharma, lets expect the songs to be superb. So download Parugu Songs and enjoy the music

.:: TRACK LISTING ::.

1. Parugulu
Artist(s): Ranjith
Lyricist: Seetarama Sastry

2. Nammavemo
Artist(s): Saketh
Lyricist: Anantha Sriram

3. Yelageyalaga
Artist(s): Kailash Kher, Saindhavi
Lyricist: Anantha Sriram

4. Chal Chal
Artist(s): Ranjith
Lyricist: Chandrabose

5. Hrudayam
Artist(s): Hemachandra
Lyricist: Seetarama Sastry

6. Manakanna Podiche
Artist(s): Rahul Nambiar
Lyricist: Anantha Sriram

Download "Parugu" Audio Songs

Read the disclaimer before downloading

1.Parugulu - Download

2.Nammavemo - Download

3.Yelageyalaga - Download

4.Chal Chal - Download

5.Hrudayam - Download

6.Manakanna Podiche - Download

Complete Album

Click here to Download

Download Arya M.B.B.S Songs

2008-04-17T08:28:00.002-07:00

Download Arya M.B.B.S Songs

Starring: Madhavan, Bhavana, Prakash Raj

Music Director: Mani Sharma
Director: BalaSekhar
Producers: C.Kalyan
Audio On: Supreme
Year: 2008

..:: Tracklisting ::..

01.Saniya Saniya
(Singer: Naveen)
(Lyrics:Bhuvanachandra)

02.Etantav
(Singers: Murali,Ganga)
(Lyrics:Bhuvanachandra)

03.Vennela Kuna
(Singers: Mallikharjuna Rao,Sucharita)
(Lyrics:Bhuvanachandra)

04.Jille Jille
(Singers: Naveen,Syndhathi)
(Lyrics:Bhuvanachandra)

Download Arya M.B.B.S Songs
Read the disclaimer before downloading

01.Saniya Saniya - Click Here

02.Etantav - Click Here

03.Vennela Kuna - Click Here

04.Jille Jille - Click Here

Michael Madana Kamaraju Songs

2008-04-17T08:28:00.001-07:00

Download Michael Madana Kamaraju Songs

Movie : Michael Madhana Kamaraju

Starring: Srikanth, Charmi, Prabhudeva, Sunil, Mayuri (Asha Shaini)

Music Director: Chakri
Director: Nidhi Prasad
Producers: Mannem Venkataramana,Yogesh, Patel,Raju,Praveen
Audio On: Supreme
Year: 2008

.:: Track Listing ::.
01.Come On Baby
(Singer: Chakri)
(Lyrics:Kandikonda)

02.Jum Jum Jummani Prema
(Singers: Swaraj Jagan,Sadhana Sargam)
(Lyrics:Kandikonda)

03.Naa Raasi Kanya Raasi
(Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan,Ranjit)
(Lyrics:Kandikonda)

04.Kanulalogililona
(Singer: Kausalya)
(Lyrics:Kandikonda)

05.Chitaaru Kommana
(Singers: Ravivarma,Simha,Malavika)
(Lyrics:Bhaskarabhatla)

06.Pampara Panaasa
(Singers: Udit Narayan,Adarshini)
(Lyrics:Bhaskarabhatla)

Download Michael Madana Kamaraju Songs
Read the disclaimer before downloading

01.Come On Baby - Click Here

02.Jum Jum Jummani Prema - Click Here

03.Naa Raasi Kanya Raasi - Click Here

04.Kanulalogililona - Click Here

05.Chitaaru Kommana - Click Here

06.Pampara Panaasa - Click Here

Kanthri Download songs

2008-04-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Download Kanthri Songs
*ing Jr. NTR, Hansika

Hi friends the movie songs of the awaiting movie Kanthri, ar readily available here for download. The Telugu movie Kantri is a high budget movie of Junior NTR. There are lot of expectations on the movie. Lets download the Kantri songs and enjoy the music.

Artist...............: NTR, Hansinaka
Album................: Kantri [2008]
Genre................: Soundtrack
Source...............: CD
Year.................: 2008
Ripper...............: LAME
Codec................: LAME 3.97
Version..............: MPEG 1 Layer III
Quality..............: Extreme, (avg. bitrate: 262kbps)
Channels.............: Joint Stereo / 44100 hz

TRACK LISTING:

1. 123 Nenoka Kantri
Artist(s): NTR, Naveen, Karunya
Lyricist: Meher Ramesh

2. Ammoha
Artist(s): Karthik, Chitra
Lyricist: Sirivennela

3. Vayasunamy
Artist(s): Hemachandra, Sunitha
Lyricist: Veturi

4. I Go Crazy
Artist(s): Rahul Nambiar, Jey
Lyricist: Ananth Sriram

5. Janthar Manthar
Artist(s): Ranjith, Reta
Lyricist: Ananth Sriram

6. Raamere
Artist(s): Shankar Mahadevan, Sunidhi Chauhan
Lyricist: Ramajogaiah Sastry

Download Kanthri Songs 320 Kbps
Read the disclaimer before downloading

320 Kbps -- Click Here

128 Kbps -- Click Here

Avatharudu Songs Download

2008-04-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Download Avatharudu Audio Songs
Telugu Movie 2008 | Mp3 - 320 Kbps

Avathaarudu Audio Songs
Year: 2008
Cast: Asin, Ajith
Music Director: Srikanth Deva

Download Avatharudu Songs

Read the disclaimer before downloading

Click on the song to download

ISHTAM

MADHILONA

MECCHAVE

MERUPU TUAALI

PILLA PILLA

Single Link .........Click below

Download Here

Download Bhooma Songs

2008-04-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Download Bhooma Songs

Banner: Rahil Rakesh Creations

Cast: Srinivas, Navneet Kour, Tanikella Bharani, Surya, Ali, Sunil, Sameer

Direction: KR Ratnam
Production: Katta Sakuntala
Music: Vandemataram

TrackListing:

01. 12 Yella Prayamulo
02. Abba Yem Kandaluro
03. Changubhalaa Chandrakala
04. Erra Bassu Ekki Vachinde
05. Nee Choopula Champesavule

Download Bhooma Songs
Read the disclaimer before downloading

Media Fire Link
Bhooma Songs - Click Here

Kalidasu Movie Songs

2008-04-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

Kalidasu Songs *ing Sushanth , Tammanna

Banner: Sri Nag Corporation

Cast: Sushanth, Tamanna, Nagababu, Jayasudha, Rajan, P Dev, Vinod Kumar, Tanikella Bharani, Ravi Babu and Ajith

Direction: Ravicharan G Reddy
Production: A Naga Susheela & Chinthalapudi Srinivas
Music: Chakri

TRACK LISTING:

Hey Baby Hey Baby
Artist(s): Chakri, Kousalya
Lyricist: Chandrabose

Thadisi Mopedu
Artist(s): Ravivarma, Anuradha Sriram
Lyricist: Chandrabose

Ellake Ellake
Artist(s): Vasu, Geetha Madhuri
Lyricist: Chandrabose

Prema (Okasari Karam)
Artist(s): Chakri, Kousalya
Lyricist: Chandrabose

Pada Padarey
Artist(s): Devan
Lyricist: Chandrabose

Cheemalemo Chakkara
Artist(s): Baba Sehgal
Lyricist: Chandrabose

Download Kalidasu Songs
Read the disclaimer before downloading

320 Kbps -- Click Here

Download "Bommana Brothers Chandana Sisters" Songs

2008-04-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Download "Bommana Brothers Chandana Sisters" Songs

Banner: Siri Cinema
Cast: Naresh, Farzana, Krishna Bhagavan, Jayaprakash Reddy, Jeeva, LB Sriram, Veligonda Srinivas
Direction: Srinivasa Reddy
Production: Ammi Raju
Music: M M Srilekha

Track Listing :

01. Ishakapatnam Bheemili
Singer(s): Suhith, Srilekha

02. Poddhunnemo Osari
Singer(s): Karthik, Swetha

03. Yama Yamagaa
Singer(s): Tippu, Kalpana

04. Vaanosthe Varshakaalam
Singer(s): Karthik, Koushalya

05. Neenu Ready Abbayaa
Singer(s): Jessi Gift, Malathi

Download "Bommana Brothers Chandana Sisters" Songs
Read the disclaimer before downloading

RapidShare Link -- Click Here

SendSpace Link -- Click Here

Asp.net, ASP.NET AJAX,, Visual Studio, .NET Tips

2008-03-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

ASP.NET

Top 10 Best Practices for Production ASP.NET Applications: Kyle has a nice post that summarizes a number of good best practices to follow when deploying your ASP.NET applications into production.

Paging Through Data with the ASP.NET 3.5 ListView and DataPager Controls: Scott Mitchell continues his excellent series on the new ASP.NET 3.5 data control features. In this latest article he shows how to page using the ListView and DataPager controls.

ASP.NET AJAX

How to install and use the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit in VS: Nannette Thacker has a nice post that details step-by-step how to install and use the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit controls within Visual Studio or Visual Web Developer.

JavaScript Stack Traces in ASP.NET AJAX and JavaScript Error Publishing using ASP.NET AJAX: Joel Rumerman has put together two nice posts that detail some god ways to capture JavaScript stack trace information, as well as to report JavaScript errors using ASP.NET AJAX.

ASP.NET AJAX History Tutorials: Jonathan Carter has published a good series of tutorials that demonstrate how to use the new ASP.NET AJAX History support that we'll be shipping later this year (it is currently available in the ASP.NET Extensions CTP download). This enables you to add forward/back button navigation support within AJAX applications.

Using JQuery with VS 2008 JavaScript Intellisense: One of the improvements we shipped in our recent VS 2008 Hotfix Roll-Up last week was to address issues with JavaScript intellisense support for JQuery (another popular AJAX framework). Brennan Stehling, James Hart, and Lance Fisher have done blog posts recently that discuss how to enable even richer JQuery intellisense inside VS 2008 using intellisense-friendly JQuery libraries that are referenced while coding (and then swapped out for the real library at runtime). You can read their blog posts about how this works here and here and here.

ASP.NET MVC Tip: Submitting an AJAX Form with JQuery: While on the subject of JQuery, I thought I'd link to a post in Mike Bosch's ASP.NET MVC series that shows how you can integrate JQuery in the browser on the client with the ASP.NET MVC framework on the server.

Visual Studio

Visual Studio Programmer Themes Gallery: Visual Studio enables you to customize the color settings of the text editor and IDE, as well as to export and import the settings (use the Tools->Import and Export Settings menu to do this). Scott Hanselman has a great post that provides previews of a bunch of cool pre-built themes that people have published that you can download and use for free.

Did you know: the Solution Explorer Supports Type-Ahead Selection: Sara Ford has another nice post in her series on Visual Studio tips and tricks. This post talks about a shortcut you can use to quickly select files in the solution explorer.

Code Profiler Analysis in VS 2008: Maarten Balliauw has a nice post that describes how to use the code profiling features in the Developer edition of Visual Studio Team System to analyze code performance.

Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition Power Tools: Greg Duncan posts about the new power tools download that has been released by Microsoft and which delivers a bunch of cool new database development features for the Database editions of Visual Studio Team System.

Japanese Release of VS 2008 Web Deployment Projects: Late last month I announced the release of the VS 2008 Web Deployment Project support. This past week the team also released a localized Japanese version of it. Note: you can read a Japanese translated version of my blog here (thanks Chica!).

.NET

LINQ to JSON, LINQ to SharePoint, LINQ to Active Directory, LINQ to TerraServer, LINQ to FlickR: Just a few of the new LINQ providers now available for download. It is pretty cool to see LINQ providers starting to pop up all over the place. Several great books that cover LINQ in detail have also recently been published. I'm a fan of both the Pro LINQ and LINQ in Action books.

Using the Expression Tree Visualizer: Charlie Calvert has a nice post that talks about one of the very useful debugging tools in the LINQ samples package provided with VS 2008. It enables you to easily visualize expression tree variables within the debugger - which can be incredibly useful when you are trying to write your own custom LINQ provider (like the ones above). To learn more about Expression Trees and some of the underlying concepts that make LINQ possible, also check out Charlie's earlier post on them here.

Hope this helps,

Veedhi Rowdy Songs

2008-03-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Movie Name : Veedi Rowdy

Cast : Upendra, Neha Pendse

Music: Rajesh Ramnath

Tracklisting

1. Nenera Rowdy
2.Rave Rave Rambha
3.Shambo
4.Cool Drinks
5.Bharatha Maatha

Hi friends download the songs from the rare hero Upendra. Generally he used to have rare titles which were not even been expected by any one. But this time he is coming with a movie Veedhi Rowdy and the title shows that he is trying to have this time a normal type of movie. Lets download the songs and enjoy the music.

Veedhi Rowdy_320Kbps

Artham Chesukoru Songs

2008-03-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

MUSIC: Ravi Mulakalapalli
CAST: Bhushan, Tejashwini Balakrishna

Track Listings
1. Kousalya Supraja
Artist(s) : Chitra
Lyricist: Ravi Mulakalapalli

LINK

2. Nuvve Nuvve
Artist(s) : Ramana
Lyricist: Ravi Mulakalapalli

LINK

3. Vela Gopikalu Unna
Artist(s) : Chitra
Lyricist: Ravi Mulakalapalli

LINK

4. Chinni Chinni Ashalu
Artist(s) : Sahithi, Deepu
Lyricist: Ravi Mulakalapalli

LINK

5. Kaliki Nee Premane
Artist(s) : Unni Krishnan
Lyricist: Ravi Mulakalapalli

LINK

6. Oka Swargam
Artist(s) : Anushka
Lyricist: Ravi Mulakalapalli

LINK

7. Preme Mee Jeevithama
Artist(s) : Karthik
Lyricist: Ravi Mulakalapalli

LINK

8. Iruvuri Manasulalo
Artist(s) : Harini, Ravi Mulakalapalli
Lyricist: Ravi Mulakalapalli

LINK

Ninna Nedu Repu Songs

2008-03-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Bitrate: 320 kbps
Source: CD Rip

Cast: AM Ravi Krishna, Akshara(Rekha), Tamanna

Music: Anil
Lyrics: Veturi
DIRECTION: Lakshmikanth Chenna
PRODUCTION: Nukarapu Surya Prakash

.:: Track Listing ::.
1. Vayase Theliyani
Singer(s): Ranjith, Nithin

01_Vayase_Theliyani.mp3

2. Oohallo

Singer(s): Gautam Bharadwaj, Harshika

02_Oohallo.mp3

3. Jil Jil Jawani
Singer(s): Sayanora, Priya

03_Jil_Jil_Jawani.mp3

4. Thadi Vedi
Singer(s): Harshika, Ranjith

04_Thadi_Vedi.mp3

5. Ninna Nedu Repu
Singer(s): Deepu

05_Ninna_Nedu_Repu.mp3

6. Searching of Life

06_Th eme_Music_.mp3

Bhale Dongalu Songs

2008-03-28T06:40:00.001-07:00

Cast: Tarun, Ileana, Jagapathi Babu
Direction: K. Vijayabhaskar Reddy
Production: Sakhamuri Panduranga Rao
Music: K.M.Radhakrishnan
Banner: Sri Lakshmidevi Productions

Venkatesh released the first cassette and handed over to hero Ravi teja and first audio CD was released by Dr KL Narayana and handed over to hero Venkatesh.

K Vijayabhaskar directed the film; Shakamu

1. Romeo Juliet
Download

2. Neethone Kalisi Unta
Download

3. Panchadara Yedarilo
Download

4. Manasulo Nuvvena
Download

5. Chota Chota Udyoganiki
Download

6. Pasandaina Vela
Download

Bale_Dongalu__2008.rar

SQL Server Management Objects ( SMO )

2008-03-24T07:14:00.002-07:00

SQL Server

2008-03-24T07:14:00.001-07:00

Object-Oriented Principles

2008-03-24T07:13:00.001-07:00

GRASP Patterns

2008-03-24T07:12:00.002-07:00

GRASP, General Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns, is a learning aid for assigning responsibilities to objects. I was introduced to these patterns while reading Craig Larman's Applying UML and Patterns - An Introduction to Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and Iterative Development.

There are 9 GRASP Patterns and I have written about most of them:

Information Expert ( Part I and Part II ) - A general principal of object design and responsibility assignment?
Creator - Who creates?
Controller - What first object beyond the UI layer receives and coordinates a system operation?
Low Coupling - How to reduce the impact of change?
High Cohesion - How to keep objects focused, understandable, and manageable?
Polymorphism - Who is responsible when behavior varies by type?
Pure Fabrication - Who is responsible when you are desperate, and do not want to violate high cohesion and low coupling?
Indirection - How to assign responsibilities to avoid direct coupling?
Protected Variations - How to assign responsibilities so that the variations or instability in the elements do not have an undesirable impact on other elements?

I have also written a few articles about how the GRASP Patterns relate to a few popular software applications like DotNetNuke, Community Server, and Enterprise Library:

High Performance ASP.NET Websites

2008-03-24T07:12:00.001-07:00

Here are posts about other resources to help with ASP.NET Website Performance:

Expert C# Business Objects

2008-03-24T07:11:00.001-07:00

Chapter 1 - Distributed Architecture
Chapter 2 - Framework Design - CSLA
Chapter 3 - Key Technologies - Remoting - Serialization - Reflection
Chapter 4 - Business Framework Implementation
Chapter 5 - Data Access and Security
Chapter 6 - Object-Oriented Application Design
Chapter 7 - Business Object Implementation - CSLA.NET
Conclusion - Expert C# Business Objects by Rockford Lhotka Book Review

Enterprise Library 3.0

2008-03-24T07:10:00.002-07:00

New Enterprise Library Application Block v2.0

2008-03-24T07:10:00.001-07:00

Design Patterns

2008-03-24T07:09:00.001-07:00

Learn C# 3.0 Tutorials

2008-03-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

Learn ASP.NET

2008-03-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Learn ADO.NET 2.0

2008-03-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

.Net Tutorials Samples and Examples

2008-03-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Shobhan Babu is no more

2008-03-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Veteran Telugu actor Shobhan Babu, 71, died here Thursday following a cardiac arrest, hospital sources said. “The patient had apparently suffered a massive heart attack before he was brought here at 10.52 a.m. Doctors tried to revive him but could not,” a spokesperson of Apollo Hospital told.

12 Tips for your health

2008-03-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

1. Answer the phone by LEFT ear.

2. Do not drink coffee TWICE a day.

3. Do not take pills with COOL water.

4. Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm.

5. Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume.

6. Drink more WATER in the morning,less at night.

7. Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS.

8. Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time.

9. Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning.

10.Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping.

11.When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar,

12.do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times.

At-Home Remedies For Common Ailments

2008-03-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

Whether or not you’ve got adequate health insurance, going to the doctor is sometimes just not worth the effort. Taking off work, driving to the doctor when you feel sick, and asking advice for embarrassing ailments is almost worse than the symptoms you’re suffering from. If you want to try a quick fix before calling up your doctor, check out this ultimate list of at-home remedies for common ailments. Chances are, you’ve already got a lot of these ingredients stashed somewhere in your house, saving you and your wallet from another trip to the doctor’s office.

Colds and Allergies

Colds come in all forms, from a little stuffy nose to bronchitis to sore throats and extreme fatigue. Find out how to keep yourself on the go by reading below.

1. Congestion: Red pepper, jalapenos and hot salsa will temporarily open up your nasal passages and break up congestion.
2. Bronchitis: For mild bronchitis symptoms, use a vaporizer or take a steamy shower to ease your discomfort and open up your chest.
3. Make your own nose drops: Make your own nose drops out of saltwater to break up congestion and help you breathe.
4. Gargle salt water: To help a sore throat, gargle salt water several times daily. WebMD recommends using an astringent gargle made of tea with tannin to help an itchy “tickle” throat.
5. Put a dab of Vick’s on your nose: Just a dab of Vick’s Vapor Rub or another menthol salve can break up congestion and help you breathe more easily.
6. Take lots of Vitamin C: Taking Vitamin C even when you do get sick can prevent the cold from going full cycle.
7. Take echinacea: Homemademedicine.com suggests taking the herb echinacea to soothe a sore throat.
8. Take Vitamin C to prevent allergies: Taking Vitamin C also helps allergies, especially symptoms from hay fever and asthma, because of “its ability to counteract the inflammation responses that are part of such conditions.”
9. Drink green tea: Green tea is a natural antihistamine, which helps both allergies and colds.
10. Eat or drink thyme: Make a tea with thyme or add a little to your recipes when you cook to break up congestion and relieve stuffy noses.

Fever and the Flu

Getting the flu or even a high fever can put you out of commission for days. Here are some home remedies to help make them a little less painful.

11. Flu and cold symptoms: GrannyMed has an old-fashioned concoction that soothes cold and flu symptoms. Mix lemon juice, one spoonful of honey and one spoonful of brandy to create a therapeutic cocktail.
12. Take a bath: Take a bath in lukewarm water to bring down escalating body temperatures.
13. Eat artichokes: Try eating artichokes to reduce fever.
14. Take a sponge bath: Read this professional guide to learn how to give your child a sponge bath when he or she has a fever.
15. Drink lots of water: Drinking water is a good habit to have anyway, but it’s especially crucial when you have a fever. You’ll need to stay hydrated and bring your overall body temperature down.
16. Make a ginger steam: Create your own steam room by turning on the hot water in the sink and adding a couple of teaspoons of ginger or eucalyptus oil. Get up close to the mixture and breathe in the steam for relief.
17. Sleep: You probably won’t feel like doing much else anyway.
18. Drink liquids instead of eating solid foods: An old tradition recommends drinking liquids and refraining from eating solid foods until you’re over a fever.
19. Take aspirin: WebMD urges adults sick with the flu or fever to go ahead and take aspirin to reduce fever and muscle aches.
20. Saffron Tea: Drink saffron tea made of half a teaspoon of saffron and boiling water.

Aches and Pains

Ease the pain by trying out these simple tricks.

21. Headache: If you’ve got a bad headache and are still waiting for the aspirin to kick in, try applying ice to your head. MotherNature.com quotes doctor and author Fred Sheftell, who maintains “if you can get the headache when it’s a dull throb, close to 80 percent of people can abort their headaches.”
22. Backache: Before you reach for painkillers, check out your posture. If you’re constantly humped over the keyboard or hunching your shoulders forward, you could be sabotaging yourself. Sit up straight and push your shoulders back.
23. Toothache: GrannyMed recommends mixing 1 teaspoon of baking soda with water and then swishing it around in your mouth to create a soothing mouthwash.
24. Headache: Turn out the lights if you’re at home or have your own office. Reducing the amount of light helps ease eye strain and can calm your throbbing head.
25. Arthritis: Soak a teaspoon of black sesame seeds in a quart of water and let it sit overnight. In the morning, eat the seeds and drink the water that’s left.
26. Eat bananas: Instantly up your potassium levels by eating a banana. This helps everything from growing pains to charlie horses.
27. Drink turmeric and hot milk: Make a drink made of one teaspoon of turmeric and hot milk, which supposedly relieve general body pain.
28. Toothache: Another quick fix for a painful toothache is to chew fresh guava leaves or oregano leaves.
29. Arthritis: Staying warm helps ease the pain of arthritis. Loosely wrap yourself up in a blanket or adjust the thermostat to create the optimum environment.
30. Apply St. John’s wort to relieve back pain: This remedy can cause extra sensitivity to the sun, so be extra careful if you plan on being outside in your bathing suit.
31. Take magnesium to relieve PMS symptoms: Some sources recommend taking 1,000 mg a day.

ACTOR RAGHUVARAN PASSES AWAY

2008-03-19T03:13:00.000-07:00

The famous villain of Kollywood Raghuvaran died today in Mehtha Hospital , Chennai. He had been suffering from health problems for quite some time but nobody knew that it was this serious. Cardiac arrest due to excessive consumption of alcohol is supposed to be the reason behind the actor's untimely death.
Raghuvaran was born on December 11, 1948. He shot to fame through the award winning film, Ezhavathu Manithan (1982). Anjali, Batsha, Puriyatha Puthir and Mudhalvan are some of the films in which we see this versatile actor at his best. He had acted with Rajinkanth in many films and the latest being Shivaji - The Boss. Bheemaa, Ashoka and Silanerangalil were the three 2008 releases in which he had played a vital role , he had also acted as Dhanush's father in the yet to be released 'Yaradee Nee Mohini'.

His death is indeed a great blow to the cine world as he will not be gracing its screens again. Let us pray for his soul to rest in peace.

Open letter to Chiranjeevi

2008-03-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

శ్రీయుత చిరంజీవి గారికి (లెజెండ్, పద్మభూషణ్‌లను మేము మరచిపోలేదు)

అయ్యా,

తమరు చిత్రపరిశ్రమలో ఎంతటి ప్రముఖవ్యక్తులో పాలు తాగే పసి పిల్లాడికి కూడా తెలుసు. కులమతాలకు అతీతంగా లక్షలాది మంది అభిమానుల్ని సొంతం చేసుకున్న మహర్జాతకం మీది. మిమ్మల్ని అభిమానించేవారిలో మేమూ ఒకరం. కొన్ని రోజులుగా జరుగుతున్న పరిణామాలు మీ పట్ల ఉన్న అభిమానాన్ని దెబ్బతీసేలా ఉన్నాయి. వాటికి స్వయంగా మీరు, మీ సోదరులు, మీ బావమరిది కావటం జీర్ణించుకోలేకపోతున్నాం. ఏతా వాతా మాకనిపిస్తోందేమంటే మీరు కూడా చిల్లర రాజకీయ (నాయకుడు కాదు) వేత్తల బాణీలో సాగుతున్నారని.

మీరు ప్రజలకు సేవ చేయాలని తలచి, రాజకీయాలను మార్గంగా ఎంచుకోవాలనుకోవటంలో ఎలాంటి అభ్యంతరమూ లేదు. ఉండాల్సిన అవసరమూ లేదు. కానీ దానికి మీరు అనుసరిస్తున్న మార్గం మాత్రం చాలా జుగుప్సాకరంగా ఉంది. పైగా మీ ఉద్దేశాలని వేరెవరికో ఆపాదించి మాట్లాడటం మీ స్థాయి వ్యక్తులకు సముచితం కాదు. మీ ఆప్తమిత్రుడు డాక్టర్ కాసు ప్రసాదరెడ్డి స్వయంగా విలేఖరులకు ఫోన్లు చేసి, మాట్లాడదామని ఆహ్వానించి, కూర్చోబెట్టి గంటల కొద్దీ మాట్లాడి మరీ మీ రాజకీయప్రవేశాన్ని లీక్ చేసారు. దాని పై వివిధ పక్షాల స్పందన, జనం మనోగతాన్ని మీరు, మీ అనుయాయులు తెలుసుకునేందుకు అన్ని పత్రికలూ యథాశక్తి తోడ్పడ్డాయి. పాపం అమాయక అభిమానులు మీరు రావాలని, వారి జీవితాలను ఏదో చేసెయ్యాలని ఆకాంక్ష్స్తూ సమయం వృథా చేసుకుంటూ రాష్ట్రమంతటా నానా యాగీ చేసారు. మీరు, మీ అనుంగు సహచరులు చిద్విలాసంగా చూస్తూ కూర్చున్నారు. తరువాత కర్ర విరగకుండా, పాము చావకుండా ఓ ప్రకటన పంపి చేతులు దులుపుకున్నారు. ఏ పరిస్థితుల కారణంగానైనా నిర్ణయాన్ని వాయిదా వేసుకోవలసి వస్తే పెద్దగా నిరసన రాకుండా 'నేను స్వయంగా చెప్పలేదు కదా' అని తప్పించుకునేందుకు మీ ఎత్తుగడ అది. ఇవన్నీ నడిపించింది మీరేనని రాష్ట్రంలో అందరికీ తెలుసు. కానీ... ఆశ్చర్యకరంగా మీ తండ్రిగారి పెద్దకర్మ రోజున మీ బావమరిది మాట్లాడుతూ... 'మీడియానే మమ్మల్ని ప్లాట్‌ఫాంపైకి తీసుకువచ్చిందీ అని వ్యాఖ్యానించారు. మీకిష్టం లేకుండానే ఎవరో మీ చేత బలవంతంగా రాజకీయ ప్రవేశం చేయిస్తున్నట్లు వాపోయారు. ప్రసాదరెడ్డిని ఎవరైనా మాతో మాట్లాడమని, విషయం లీక్ చెయ్యమని మెడ మీద కత్తి పెట్టి భయపెట్టారా? లేక లండన్, అమెరికాల్లో ప్రవాసాంధ్రుల్ని కలసి 'పార్టీ పెట్టేందుకు 150 కోట్లు అవసరమౌతాయి. అంత నావద్ద లేవూ అని దీనాలాపనలు చేయమని మిమ్మల్ని వేరెవరైనా బెదిరించారా?

చిరంజీవి గారూ... ఓ విషయం మాకు బోధపడటంలేదు. ఇపుడు అకస్మాత్తుగా రాజకీయాల్లోకి వచ్చేసి, అసాధారణ మెజారిటీతో (280-290 మధ్య సీట్లు సాధించి), ముఖ్యమంత్రి అయిపోయి, మీ తమ్ములుంగార్లు డీఫ్యాక్టో ముఖ్యమంత్రులుగా, మీ బావమరిది మహామంత్రి మరో తిమ్మరుసు రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వ సలహాదారుగా ఉండటం తప్ప, ఆంధ్రరాష్ట్రానికి, ఇక్కడి ఎనిమిదిన్నర కోట్ల మంది దీనులకు సేవ చేసేందుకు మరో మార్గం లేదా? బ్లడ్ బ్యాంకు, ఐ బ్యాంకులను ఇదే దృష్టితో పెట్టారా? నిజమే అనిపిస్తోంది ఇప్పుడు మరి... అవి భవిష్యత్తు రాజకీయాలకు సోపానాలుగా పనికి వస్తాయన్న మీ ముందుచూపుకు నిజంగా చేతులెత్తి దండం పెట్టాలి. ఆంధ్రజ్యోతి డ్రాలకు, ఆ పత్రిక ఎండీ రాధాకృష్ణ ఇంట్లో వివాహానికి సకుటుంబ సపరివార సమేతంగా తమరు విచ్చేయటం, "చిరుత" ప్రత్యేక షోకు రాధాకృష్ణా అదే స్థాయిలో రావటం... ఆ తరువాత మీ మిత్రుడు ప్రసాదరెడ్డిని విలేఖరులు బెదిరించి రాబట్టిన విషయాలపై ఆంధ్రజ్యోతి వరుసగా వారం రోజుల పాటు గాల్లోంచి విభూతి సృష్టించినట్లు విషయం లేకుండా పతాక కథనాలు ఇవ్వటం, తమ ప్రత్యేక శక్తి ద్వారా ఎక్కడా తిరగకుండానే జనం మనోభావాల్ని తెలిసేసుకుని వ్రాసేయటం, వీటన్నింటికీ ఏమైనా అవినాభావ సంబంధం ఉందా అని మేము బుర్రలు బద్దలు కొట్టుకుంటున్నాం. తరువాత మీరు పార్టీ ప్రకటన చేయగానే వై.ఎస్. అసెంబ్లీని రద్దు చేసి ఎన్నికలకు వెళ్ళేందుకు సిద్ధ అవుతారన్న భయంతో మీ నిర్ణయాన్ని వాయిదా వేసుకోవటం ప్రజాసేవకు మంచి ఎత్తుగడే.

Uric acid levels may offer early clues to diabetic kidney disease

2008-03-18T04:48:00.001-07:00

Washington, Mar 18 (ANI): A new study has found that increased levels of uric acid in the blood may be an early sign of diabetic kidney disease in patients with type 1 diabetes.

The change in uric acid levels usually appears before any significant change in urine albumin level, which is the standard screening test employed fro detecting diabetic kidney disease.

The results of this study, led by Dr. Elizabeth T. Rosolowsky of Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, raise the possibility that treatments to reduce uric acid might slow the decline of renal function in patients with diabetes.

"Thus we have the hope of having a means to thwart the loss of kidney function while function is still in a relatively preserved stage," said Rosolowsky.

For the study, serum uric acid concentration was measured in 675 patients with type 1 diabetes. On screening tests, 311 patients had small amounts of the protein albumin in the urine. This is known as microalbuminuria and it is generally regarded as a harbinger of kidney function loss in diabetic kidney disease (nephropathy). The other 364 patients were found to have normal urine albumin levels.

However, none of the patients had higher levels of albumin (albuminuria) representing more advanced diabetic nephropathy. Yet, 1 in 5 had some impairment of kidney function on a standard test, the glomerular filtration rate.

"Our research showed that loss of kidney function takes place even in the absence of albuminuria in patients with type 1 diabetes," said Dr. Rosolowsky.

On the contrary, the serum uric acid level was consistently related to kidney function-the higher the uric acid, the lower the kidney function.

"The serum concentration of uric acid in these patients varied in a manner consistent with its having played a role in this early loss of kidney function," said Rosolowsky.

Urine albumin is commonly measured to identify patients with type 1 diabetes at risk of developing nephropathy.

"Historically, it was believed that the start of kidney function loss happened only when the amount of leakage of albumin into the urine had reached a certain level. However, recent studies by our group have suggested that kidney function loss may start much earlier in some patients with type 1 diabetes." Other studies have suggested that increased serum uric acid levels are associated with loss of kidney function, and may even be a causative factor," explained Rosolowsky.

These findings may offer a new approach to treating diabetic kidney disease if higher uric acid levels do contribute to loss of kidney function.

"The serum uric acid concentration is modifiable by drugs or by decreasing the intake of dietary protein, the main source of uric acid. If follow-up studies, already underway, demonstrate that serum uric acid concentration predicts the course of early decline in kidney function, then clinical trials would be justified to test whether modifying serum uric acid concentration also modifies the course of renal function decline in type 1 diabetic patients with high normoalbuminuria or microalbuminuria," said Rosolowsky.

The study will be published in the May 2008 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. (ANI)

Blood disease may protect kids against malaria

2008-03-18T04:47:00.001-07:00

Washington, Mar 18 (ANI): In a new study, researchers have found that the blood disease alpha thalassemia may protect kids from malaria.

Alpha thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder in which children suffering from it unusually make small red blood cells that mostly cause a mild form of anaemia.

Now, researchers at the University of Oxford led by Karen Day, Ph.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medical Parasitology at NYU School of Medicine, have found that having small red blood cells is an advantage against malaria.

"We made the surprising finding that packaging your hemoglobin in smaller amounts in more cells is an advantage against malaria," she said.

As a part of the study, researchers analysed around 800 children living in Papua, New Guinea, where malaria is endemic.

68 percent of children in Papua have alpha thalassemia. Dr. Day and her colleagues from the University of Oxford, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, and Swansea University, showed that kids with mild form of the disorder tolerated massive blood loss caused by severe malaria because they started out with 10 to 20 percent more red blood cells than unaffected children.

"It is really remarkable and so simple. Children with alpha thalassemia have adapted to the loss of red blood cells associated with malarial disease by making more of these cells with less hemoglobin," says Dr. Day.

"So, these children do better because they end up with more hemoglobin overall when they have a malaria attack compared to normal children.

"We show that alpha thalassemia is giving the child a hematological advantage by making more red blood cells.

The study is published in the March issue of the journal PLoS Medicine. (ANI)

Popular hissing cockroaches are home to many mold allergens

2008-03-18T04:46:00.000-07:00

Washington, March 18 (ANI): They might be popular educational tools and pets, but Madagascar hissing cockroaches host potent mold allergens that could trigger allergies in the kids and adults who handle the bugs, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Ohio State University suggest that the creature's hard body and feces are home to many mold species that could cause allergies in people who work in close vicinity to them.

The team has identified 14 different types of mold on and around this species of cockroach, including several molds associated with allergies and others that can cause secondary infections if they enter the lungs or an open wound.

"This is mainly a point of public awareness. We are not criticizing their use. We are just saying that if you handle these cockroaches, you should wash your hands when you're done," said Joshua Benoit, lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate in entomology at Ohio State University.

"It's also best to maintain the cage. It's not a pet you can ignore. Without regular cleaning, feces will build up, and the old exoskeletons they shed will build up. And that's where a lot of the problems happen," he added.

The natural life of the Madagascar hissing cockroach, or Gromphadorhina portentosa, is not well understood. But in captivity, the insects thrive on dog food and fruit, reproduce plentifully and do not bite. They grow to between 2 and 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, and will make their characteristic hissing sound if they are squeezed or otherwise feel threatened.

Benoit, an allergy sufferer himself, suspected the insects' large bodies and moist living environments might combine to create a prime breeding ground for mold.

Benoit and colleagues examined the insects from an Ohio State-based colony as well as those found in home collections, zoos, pet stores and science classrooms across Ohio.

The research group tested the feces first, and, as expected, found mold in the bugs' waste. Then the team examined the giant cockroaches themselves, both outside and inside their bodies, to see what other allergens might be present.

The most commonly found mold species found on the body surfaces of young and adult Madagascar hissing cockroaches were Rhizopus, Penicillium, Mucor, Trichoderma and Alternaria, several of which are listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as common indoor molds.

Colonies of the mold species Aspergillus niger, a common contaminant of food, were particularly plentiful in the feces and external shells that had been discarded as the insects molted. Few molds were found inside the cockroaches' bodies.

Molds are fungi that grow best in humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores. Benoit said all of the mold species found on and around the hissing cockroaches are capable of producing huge quantities of spores.

The research is published in the March issue of the journal Mycoses. (ANI)

Too much fruit not really good for all

2008-03-18T04:45:00.000-07:00

Moenchengladbach (Germany) March 17 (DPA) Eating too much fruit can cause gas, stomach cramps and diarrhoea in sensitive people who have fructose intolerance, says the German allergy and asthma association.

A healthy adult usually cannot tolerate more than 25 gm of fructose per day. The amount is lower for people with an allergy to fructose whose intestines have a basic problem absorbing and transporting fructose.

Many parents believe giving their young children a lot of fruit is good for them, but caution is advised.

Among children who drink apple juice, parents should consider that it is often sweetened with fructose and one serving alone can have 25 gm of fructose, said Sonja Laemmel, a nutrition adviser to the association.

Thus, to achieve a balanced diet, it's better to eat more vegetables, she said.

The recommended daily amount of fruit for adults is 500 gm, half that for children. To digest fructose, it helps not to eat fruit on an empty stomach.

It should be mixed with yoghurt, the association said. Fruits with a lot of fructose include apples, pears, plums, dates, figs, mangoes and pineapples.

Regular exercise reduces risk of heart disease post menopause

2008-03-18T04:44:00.000-07:00

Washington, Mar 18 (ANI): Working out regularly won't only help the fairer sex keep off those extra pounds, but as it turns out it will also reduce the risk of heart disease post menopause.

The finding is based on a study by researchers at Temple University's College of Health Professions, who found that aerobic exercise significantly decreased the chemical imbalances that can lead to heart disease and stroke.

According to researchers, regular exercise of moderate intensity appears to reduce oxidative stress through an adaptive process that increases antioxidant activity.

Oxidative stress occurs when oxidants, harmful chemicals that damage tissue and cells, outnumber antioxidants in the body.

"Regardless of your hormone replacement therapy status, regular physical activity is a good way to not only decrease postmenopausal symptoms, but also to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death of American women," said study co-author Nicola Fenty-Stewart, Ph.D., also with Temple's College of Health Professions.

"The similar response of the two groups suggests that aerobic exercise training is a powerful therapy that can potentially serve as a way for women to observe the beneficial effects of exercise," she said.

Taking part in the study were 48 sedentary postmenopausal women, 21 of who were on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and 27 who were not.

through an exercise program consisting of three supervised sessions of aerobic exercise per week for 24 weeks. Participants were between 50 and 75 years of age and were postmenopausal for at least two years.

Since changes in habitual dietary intake could influence oxidative stress levels, qualified subjects were stabilized for six weeks on the American Heart Association Step I diet, which is low in saturated and trans fat, and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free and low-fat dairy products, Brown said.

Weight loss was limited to 5 percent or less of the women's initial body weight in order to determine the independent effects of aerobic exercise training on oxidative stress, not the effect of exercise and weight loss on oxidative stress.

The HRT users and non-users both experienced an 11 to 18 percent drop in plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, an indicator of oxidative stress.

There were also decreases in body mass index and total body fat, and a significant increase in VO2 max (maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity) in both HRT users and non-users after the exercise intervention, Brown said.

"Exercise was able to reduce oxidative stress levels in these women regardless of whether or not they were using estrogen replacement. In addition, the women did not lose large amounts of body weight or fat," Brown said.

"No one is too old to begin an exercise program, but it is imperative to consult your physician before taking part in any exercise program. It is important to start off slow and build your program to your comfort level. Exercising is not difficult. You just have to want to do it," Brown added.

The study appears in the spring issue of the Journal of Women and Aging. (ANI)

Too much fruit not really good for all

2008-03-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

I've been dating Deepika for a few weeks: Ranbir Kapoor

2008-03-17T02:54:00.000-07:00

Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) Newcomer Ranbir Kapoor of 'Saawariya' fame is seeing Deepika Padukone and is 'happy to be part of her life.'

Ranbir, son of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, said: 'We have been dating for the past couple of weeks. 'She has simple needs, she is caring. And she respects her family. I really like that,' the Kapoor scion said.

He takes pride in the fact that she is an independent career woman at 22.

'She has achieved so much in so little time. I am so happy to be part of her life,' he says. However, marriage is not on their minds at the moment.

The duo came close to each other while shooting in Australia for a month for 'Bachna Ae Haseenon'. They later shot a Pepsi ad together in Mumbai.

Excerpts from an interview with IANS:

Q: So are you seeing somebody?

A: Yes, I am.

Q: Are you seeing Deepika Padukone?

A: Yes, I am.

Q: How long have you been seeing her?

A: We've been dating for the last couple of weeks.

Q: Weren't you linked with her earlier also?

A: I was. But at that time we were just friendly. We weren't seeing each other.

Q: Is this serious?

A: Do I look like a frivolous person to you? But, before you ask, we aren't getting married right away. Let's see where it goes and neither are we going to sign films just to be together. She has her career to focus on. I have mine. Coincidentally, we started our careers on the same Friday. We have our priorities in place.

Q: Tell me about Deepika?

A: Beyond all the grace and dignity she projects, Deepika is very simple and shy. She has simple needs. She is caring and she respects her family. I really like that. She's an independent career woman at just 22 and she has achieved so much in so little time. I'm extremely proud of her achievements and I'm so happy to be a part of her life.

Q: When did you get close to her?

A: While we were shooting in Australia for a month for 'Bachna Ae Haseenon'. That's when we really got to know each other and then we shot a Pepsi ad together when we returned to Mumbai.

Q: Are you able to treat her professionally in front of the camera?

A: I know when to switch on and off. When Deepika and I are working together, I focus on my character. The chemistry is better when you like your co-star. When you don't like your co-star, it just shows.

Q: Have you met her parents?

A: Oh yes! They're extremely nice and caring people.

Q: Has she met your parents?

A: Oh, yes. I confide everything in my mother. So there was no way I could be in a serious relationship without my parents knowing.

Q: You've been shooting almost non-stop for your second film. How different is the banner Yashraj from Sanjay Bhansali's?

A: My second director, Siddharth Anand, is a childhood friend. So it's been a great experience. The script of 'Bachna Ae Haseenon' was so strong that I had full confidence in both the director and his vision. It's shaped up really well. As for Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali, I couldn't even begin to compare the 'Saawariya' experience with 'Bachna Ae Haseenon'. My second film is very different from the first. 'Saawariya' was a once-in-a-lifetime role that fortunately or unfortunately came at the very start of my career.

Q: So would you say there's no other peak to scale after 'Saawariya'?

A: Mr Bhansali is the biggest and greatest. His genius is incomparable. However, that doesn't mean there aren't other talented filmmakers. I want to work in different genres with various filmmakers. I'm so glad to be a part of Siddharth's vision.

Q: You played a football benefit match in Pune earlier this week and scored four goals and were declared 'Man Of The Match'?

A: I've always been passionate about football, though I haven't played much football since school. I went for this match because it was for a good cause. Salman Khan was also associated with it. I just got lucky about the goals, I guess. Our captain was Sohail Khan.

Q: Wow!

A: I feel every person should be passionate about some sport or the other. It teaches you the importance of team spirit and winning.

Q: You play a 'Casanova' in a Yashraj film?

A: It's 'Bachna Ae Haseenon'. I wouldn't say that. It's the journey of this man and the different relationships in various phases of my life.

Q: Why was Katrina Kaif's role knocked off?

A: It was getting too long. We had lots of discussions. And it was in the best interest of the film.

Q: But why poor Katrina?

A: Nothing personal. It wasn't only because we hadn't shot her episode as yet.

Q: Apparently, you get to kiss all your heroines in 'Bachna Ae Haseenon'?

A: That's absolutely incorrect.

Q: And now you're doing another film with Katrina?

A: Yes. And I had no hand in it. She was already part of Raj Kumar Santoshi's film when it came to me. It was a lovely romantic comedy. I haven't started pre-production work on it. But I'm looking forward to working with Mr Santoshi, who is one of my favourite directors. He's definitely one of the master storytellers of our times. He has worked with my father in 'Damini'. And now it's my turn.

Q: Have you been offered Aamir Khan's 'Delhi Belly'?

A: Yes, I have been. I'm honoured that someone of Aamir Khan's calibre wants me to work in his film. We're working on the dates. I'd love to be a part of it.

Q: There were rumours that you are in Mani Ratnam's film?

A: I am, actually, but not in the Abhishek-Aishwarya one. He has contacted me for a film that he wants to do next year. I really want to work with him. I also want to work with Imtiaz Ali, Aditya Chopra, Farhan Akhtar...oh, so many directors. I'm like a kid at a toy store.

Q: You've started looking different?

A: Have I? I think it's important for every actor to feel like the character he's playing. Earlier, when I was doing 'Saawariya', I felt boyish like the character. Right now, I've to portray a character going through various phases in life. So, yes, it is a conscious effort to work on my looks. Getting that right is 20 percent of the performance. The look helps the audience connect to the character.

Q: You've been linked to a gallery of gorgeous women in the last two years?

A: I think it's very unfair to the women who are linked so carelessly to me. I can imagine how embarrassing it is for the girl and her family. It is not correct. I guess getting linked to Sonam Kapoor was inevitable. Every time, two newcomers do a film together, they're supposed to be involved. We've been friends since childhood and she is an amazing girl. Anyone would want her as a girlfriend, but we aren't seeing each other.

Q: Did you have more say in 'Bachna Ae Haseenon' than 'Saawariya'?

A: Not at all! Mr Bhansali and I shared a very special and productive relationship. On the sets, both Sonam and I were given the freedom to express our opinion. Since 'Saawariya' was my first film, I needed a helping hand and Mr Bhansali was like a parent. Now in 'Bachna Ae Haseenon', I feel I'm on my own. The strength has to come from within me. I've to be much more focused on getting it right.

Q: How are you choosing your roles?

A: I haven't really made a chart for how I want to go about my career by instinct. I'm looking for good scripts and meeting interesting directors. Fortunately, people seem to have liked me in my first film and they've shown keen interest in casting me. I'm reading a lot of scripts and this is a great time to come to the industry. There're so many new ideas, scripts and directors...I'm happy that I'm here.

Q: Your dad has had a kind of retro-revival recently?

A: Yes, isn't that amazing? I'm extremely proud of my father. He is my favourite actor and someone I look up to. All I want to do is to make him and mom happy.

Q: Finally, how does life look to you?

Q: I'm extremely happy about the appreciation I got for my first film. My parents are very proud of me, and that makes me happy. And I'm very happy about my relationship with Deepika. I'm in a very happy place and I want to be this way all the time.

Meet India's richest trade union leader who's now trying to explain her wealth

2008-03-17T02:49:00.000-07:00

It was another of the scores of car accidents on Mumbai's roads, and was supposed to end up as just another innocuous insurance claim.

But the 2006 crash involving the Hyundai Accent of the late R J Mehta, founder of the Engineering Mazdoor Sabha (EMS), a once powerful trade union, has opened a can of worms, with allegations of misappropriation of crores of rupees, property disputes and murky trade union politics. It has also thrown focus on a powerful but little known woman labour leader, Chand Biwi Zaidi - arguably India's highest paid.

Mehta died in 2003, but turns out the union never let his family take the car. In 2006, his wife Suman made a 'no claim accident bonus' as they set the ownership process in motion. But the insurance company informed her that the car had been involved in an accident the same year. A claim was made by the Free Trade Union Multipurpose Trust - an EMS body - and an amount of Rs 1.4 lakh paid.

When police investigated Suman's complaint regarding this, they found that the claim papers had Mehta's signatures, three years after his death. Moreover, insurance officials told police that a woman called Chand Biwi Zaidi returned the amount claimed to the insurance company after the probe was launched.

The incident has triggered a spate of allegations against Zaidi, who came to Mumbai in 1977 to write the entrance test for a Central Reserved Police Force job but ended up as a clerk-cum-receptionist at EMS for a Rs 350 monthly salary. Today, she is the only woman leader of a major union in the country and earns an estimated Rs 40 lakh a year.

While the Deputy Registrar at the Labour Commissioner's office is hearing the charges against her, she and Mehta's family, backed by some former EMS members, have become involved in a war of words as Zaidi is accused of taking over union properties and misappropriating funds.

"She has raised this money by misusing funds meant for employees who are members of the union," accuses Mehta's son Kiran.

Separately, police have charged her and two others with forgery and cheating in the insurance case, which is being heard by a Girgaum court.

"I do not hold any assets, neither does my union," Zaidi, who is about 50 years' old, told The Indian Express. "In fact, the union is today in a very bad shape as we did not take assets as mortgage from those who took loans from it."

One of the main subjects of contention, in fact, is a 1,000 sq ft apartment on the tony Altamount Road in south Mumbai. EMS got the apartment from Bollywood costume suppliers Maganlal Dresswala, who had mortgaged it to cover a financial commitment, which they failed to keep.

Zaidi was named the representative of EMS when the property was transferred to the union in 1999. But it disappeared from the union's list of assets after 2002 and was sold a month after Mehta's death in 2003.

Zaidi counters all hints of wrongdoing, saying the apartment was gifted to her by Mehta. "I did not have an apartment of my own in Bombay. He gave the apartment for me to stay," she said.

She now lives in the "guest house" at the union's office in south Mumbai and owns plum properties in Breach Candy, Tardeo and Bandra, all together worth several crores and rented out.

Zaidi is nostalgic about Mumbai and recalls how "it was still Bombay" when she arrived. EMS was one of the most powerful trade unions in the city and, along with its affiliates such as the Mumbai Mazdoor Sabha, had over 2.5 lakh members in the 1980s.

It had a presence in major companies such as Premier Automobiles, Cable Corporation of India and Vidhyut Metallic. Today, it has about 50 companies and trusts as its members, mainly in the industrial belt of Nashik, Belapur, Goa and Mumbai.

Ramanlal Patel, a former office-bearer and a retired Premier Automobiles employee, says Zaidi "started taking interest in the matters of office" when the union was involved in many legal disputes.

"Slowly, she gained the trust of R J Mehta, who allowed her involvement in legal matters. She used this to her advantage and ensured that she benefits from the trust," Patel alleges, adding that she managed to oust those who did not support her style of functioning.

Zaidi denies all allegations. "There was a resolution that was passed by the union which does not allow any family members to interfere with the union's activity. These allegations are being made as the family, especially the son, is aware that his father did not trust him enough, and did not want him to be a part of this institution," she says.

Tsunami warning system up and running in Pacific Ocean

2008-03-17T02:47:00.000-07:00

Washington, March 17 (ANI): The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that the final two buoys are up and running in an unprecedented 39-buoy tsunami warning system designed to protect U.S. coastal communities from a similar fate as the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami.

According to a report in Discovery News, the buoy array is a dramatic improvement over the six-buoy system that existed before the 2004 disaster, which killed upwards of 350,000 people.

The Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) buoy system, plus seismometers and other instruments, collect and transmit tsunami vital signs in hazardous earthquake zones all around the Pacific Ocean, as well as in the North Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

The system is designed to incorporate what is known and accommodate what remains unknown about the planet's most powerful earthquakes and waves.

The Indian Ocean tsunami didn't just provide the impetus to check-cutters inside the Beltway. It also offered valuable scientific lessons used in developing the DART system.

A rupture in a subduction zone, a place where one plate of the Earth's crust is being shoved underneath another, created the Indian Ocean tsunami's driving force, the Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake.

"The rupture, 800 miles (1,300 km) long, moved a block of earth as long as California about 30 feet," explained geophysicist Seth Stein of Northwestern University.

The tsunami created by the rare "mega-thrust" earthquake was of similarly impressive breadth.

"In order not to miss broad wave fronts of future tsunamis, the DART buoys in the Pacific Ocean were placed 400 to 600 miles (700 to 1,000 km) apart," said Eddie Bernard, director of NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle.

The 200,000 dollars DART buoys are only half of the picture.

The other half of the system sits on the ocean floor, sometimes thousands of feet down. This sea floor unit measures changes in water pressure, which can be converted into water depth, and transmits the data via an acoustical modem to the buoy on the ocean surface.

Each buoy uses satellites to relay up to 15 minutes of data to two NOAA tsunami warning centers in Hawaii and Alaska, which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

At the warning centers, the data is fed into 26 new tsunami generation models. If buoys near the epicenter detect a large tsunami, and the models forecast it coming ashore, forecasters can broadcast specifics about where, when and how large the tsunami will be when it hits. (ANI)

Speed up your internet connection

2008-03-17T02:44:00.000-07:00

When you type an address like www.yahoo.com in your browser address bar, the computer doesn't know where yahoo.com points to, and it will therefore, ask the DNS server.

The job of a DNS server is to translate this human-readable web address (like www.yahoo.com) into a computer-readable number also known as an IP address (209.131.36.158). Once your computer knows the IP location of a web domain name, it opens the website in your browser.

DNS is an integral part of our internet life working behind the scenes every time we connect to a website. In most situations, our internet service provider specifies the DNS server address that we key into your browser settings or the router. Unfortunately, this can prove to be the weakest link in the entire workflow. For example, if the DNS server of your ISP is slow, the time it takes to resolve the web address adds up to the overall loading time of the website.

To solve this problem, we look at a simple but extremely reliable service called OpenDNS that speeds up your internet connection and also takes care of some other very important issues (keep reading). There is no software to install, it's so non-geeky that mom can implement the steps and the price is just right-$0.

To use OpenDNS, all you have to do is open your network connections or router's settings page and update the default DNS server to point to the OpenDNS nameservers that are 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220.

The whole process takes a few seconds, but with this single step alone, you just made your computer safer and increased the overall browsing speed.

Here's why:

Unlike the DNS servers of your less reliable ISP, OpenDNS servers store the IP addresses of millions of websites in their cache so it would take less time to resolve your requests. So if you have asked for an IP address of a website that has been previously requested by another OpenDNS user, you will get the reply instantly.

Another huge advantage of using OpenDNS is that it blocks phishing websites from loading on your computer. It uses data from Phishtank, a community site that is also used by Yahoo! Mail to determine if some particular website is part of any online phishing scam.

OpenDNS also takes care of any typos that you commit while typing the name of popular websites. For instance, if you type www.gogle.com omitting the additional 'o' by mistake, OpenDNS will open the main www.google.com site automatically.

If you are a parent worried about kids visiting adult websites on the home computer, you can configure OpenDNS to blog any adult/pornography website from loading on the computer.

In fact, quite a few business places use OpenDNS to block social sites like MySpace and Facebook on employee computers.

Power users can assign abbreviations or OpenDNS Shortcuts to access their favourite websites more quickly.

For instance, you can set 'mail' as a shortcut for http://mail.google.com/ or something like 'a' for www.reallylongname.com-just type the shortcut to access the site. A good alternative for browser-based bookmarks and it works across all computers where you have logged in to your OpenDNS account.

Now that you are prepared to switch to OpenDNS, please don't expect huge gains in browsing speed since OpenDNS only improves the cycle between your computer and the DNS server. And do keep handy the DNS settings given by your ISP since in the extreme scenario when OpenDNS system goes down or is inaccessible, you would need the previous configuration.

The writer is a professional technology blogger at www.labnol.org

Indian IT firms brace for US slowdown

2008-03-17T02:42:00.000-07:00

As fiscal 2007-08 comes to a close, there is a feeling of uncertainty in the IT sector. The reason: a slowdown in the world's largest economy, the US-the Indian IT industry's biggest revenue generator. Tier I offshore firms-Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys Technologies, Wipro Ltd and Satyam Computers-are all keeping a close watch on where the US economy is heading, with a strange mix of cautious optimism and bullishness. Recently, the country's largest software exporter TCS came out in the open and said two of its top 10 clients might show subdued demand in the fourth quarter of the current financial year. Similarly, IT bellwether Infosys has projected a muted quarter. On the other hand, Wipro and Satyam have been bullish and have expressed comfort with the near-term demand.

"The near-term impact of the slowdown in the US market is going to be for both big and small players. There is still uncertainty over clients' budgets and visibility is expected only by the month-end or early April. It is not just the BFSI that is taking a hit, it is even affecting other verticals like retail and manufacturing," says an official of a Tier-I company. "There have been price increases and also renegotiations have been successful. But volumes may be muted. Also large projects may get delayed," says a top official of an IT company.

At the end of the third quarter, the top IT companies had all admitted that IT budget decisions by the US corporate houses were getting delayed, especially in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) segment. They had expected a clearer picture by January-end or early February. The worry lines have begun to emerge as the decision-making process has gotten prolonged and their potential clients continue to be on a wait-and-watch mode.

With the BFSI segment contributing nearly 40% revenue to the top IT firms, any adverse impact on discretionary spending by the large financial institutions and global banks will be a drag on their fortunes. But what is reassuring is that, in spite of the near-term demand being less visible than earlier, and an increased competition to Indian players from global peers, offshoring as a trend continues to be attractive.

Recently, a top team of global investment bank JP Morgan met 15 IT and BPO firms and interacted with various players in the offshoring industry. It found that secular trends towards offshoring remained resilient. "While the overall IT demand may be tighter than previous years and could create a rough patch for stocks near-term, we share the consensus view that the offshore demand will increase in response to a slower environment and drive-acceleration in the second half," the report said.

In 2001-03, during the post-tech boom and the dotcom crash, the Indian IT industry had gone into a sluggish phase following lower demand from the US corporates and had to cut rates leading to impact on margins and lower profitability.

But, this time around, the players are better prepared for the slowdown. "Most companies have employed more variable compensation, while there is still flexibility in general and administration (expenses), utilisation, headcount and increasing productivity. Helping matters is the more rational pricing versus the last slowdown," the report said.

There are four main inter-linked factors that have had a direct impact on the Indian IT industry's competitiveness- the rupee appreciation, the tight labour supply and wage inflation, and macro issues. Compounding these is the vanishing tax holidays for IT firms in March 2009. The rupee appreciation against the greenback-nearly 10% in 2007-has adversely affected the margins of the Indian IT players that have taken a hit of 0.4% to 0.5% and have been unable to pass on the impact to their clients because of the deteriorating macro-economic situation. Although most companies have hedged the rupee against the weakening dollar, in the long-run, unfavourable currency appreciation may put pressure on earnings.

The supply of labour and wage inflation are directly co-related. With demand surpassing supply, wages have been rising 15% annually. Apex software companies' body Nasscom estimates an annual supply of 200,000 engineers, 24,000 MCAs, 30,000 post-graduates and 350,000 graduates. Currently, there are 1.6 million technical professionals employed in the IT industry and Nasscom estimates that the number will grow 25% this year to touch two million. But the lack of quality talent is quite alarming. Only 15% of the non-engineering graduates and 50% of the engineering graduates are employable. This has forced companies to open their purse strings to get the best of the lot.

As costs have piled up, India's edge as a low-cost offshore provider has started diminishing, with other countries trying to close the gap. Indian IT companies have to go in for cost-beneficial strategies that would help them maintain profitability. The slowdown would also catalyse the emergence of winners and losers, with companies going in for a hybrid model- onsite or near-shore delivery with offshore presence-likely to emerge the winners.

So, what has made the industry observers and analysts to be optimistic about offshoring in difficult times? It is the adaptability of the Indian IT firms to the hybrid model and also to embrace different service lines and go in for geographic diversification that has a big positive impact on the industry. For instance, Indian firms looking to offer remote infrastructure and management to compete with its global peers and also looking beyond the Indian labour market to eastern Europe, Latin America and China would help them to sustain their revenue graph. Also, with uncertain global macro-economic environment, wage inflation may ease during 2008 as Indian firms reduce hiring and increase utilisation rates, while global IT majors show a reduced sense of urgency in ramping up their India operations.

The biggest driver of the Indian IT firms is that they enable their customers to focus on core businesses and allow them faster time to market as delivery teams can work around-the-clock, providing cost effectiveness. "The billing rate of a local resource is roughly 7x the rate of an offshore resource. The flexibility and capacity of the global service delivery model facilitates worldwide recruitment and enhances the scalability of the service offering to expand and contract with customer demand. Initially, commoditised services, such as application development and maintenance, comprised a large portion of outsourced IT services work, but now, a number of higher end services, such as systems integration and IT consulting, are being done offshore," says the report. Anyway under 20% of the offshoreable market opportunity for IT services have been captured to date.

So, even as there are concerns and fears of a slowing economy and a potential negative impact for Indian firms due to a cut in IT spending, the impact is expected to last for a short-term and may actually result in an increased offshoring in the long-run.

True Love Quotes

2008-03-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

1. No Guy Is Worth Your Tears & When You Find The One That Is He Won't Make You Cry.

2. The First Time I Saw You I Knew It Was True. That I'd Love You Forever And That's What I'll Do.

3. You Don't Know What You Do To Me, You Don't Have A Clue. You Don't Know What It's Like To Be Me Looking At You.

4. Gotta let you know that I love you, gotta let you know that I care, gotta let you know that for you, I'll always be there.

5. When you have nothing left but love, then for the first time you become aware that love is enough.

6. I don't need anyone to take advantage of my weaknesses or my strengths, I need someone who will appreciate me for everything that I am.

7. You learn to like someone when you find out what makes them laugh, but you can never truly love someone until you find out what makes them cry.

8. True love is when you have to watch a friend leave, with the knowledge that you might never see him again. But you know he'll be in your mind and heart forever...

9. You never truly love a person until the mere thought of you hurting that loved one is enough to break your own heart.

10. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but its also true that we don't know what we've been missing on until it arrives.

11. Love wasn't put in your heart to stay, because Love isn't Love until you give it away.

12. Guys are like stars, there are millions out there, but only one can make your dreams come true.

13. To The World You May Be One Person, But To One Person You May Be The World.

Naa manasukemaindi Songs

2008-03-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

Banner: Viswa Sai Art Productions

Cast: Paramesh, Sindhu Tolani

Direction: Sriram

Production: K.Ankababu, Somaraju Purushothama Rao

Music: R.P.Patnaik

01. Sakhude Sakhude
Singer(s): Karthik, Chinmayi
Lyrics: Suddala Ashok Teja

02. Kristhu Purvame Ayina
Singer(s): Karthik, Chorus
Lyrics: Peddada Murthy

03. Naalo Sagamai
Singer(s): Sunitha
Lyrics: Peddada Murthy

04. Gopala Gopala
Singer(s): Chitra
Lyrics: Peddada Murthy

05. Devadasukunna Crazu
Singer(s): Nihaal, S.P. Charan, Chorus
Lyrics: Mangu Balaji

06. Naalo Sagamai
Singer(s): Sunitha
Lyrics: Peddada Murthy

07. Olammi Ori Nayano
Singer(s): Vijayalakshmi
Lyrics: Chaitanya Prasad

.::Download songs as single file::.

Gaurav Songs Download - College Days

2008-03-13T04:44:00.000-07:00

Download Links

Right click on song and select “Save Target As..” or “Save Links As…” to download song.

Artist : Gaurav

01 - Om Namah Shivaya

02 - College Days (Unplugged)

03 - Alvida

04 - Manzil

05 - Aaj Tu Yaad Aayi

06 - Zinda Zinda

07 - Fighting All Alone

08 - College Days (College Band Mix)

09 - College Days (Video Edit)

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