Tarnished German image on World Cup eve | csmonitor.com

Tarnished German image on World Cup eve | csmonitor.com: "Brandenburg and other states of the former East Germany make up just 20 percent of the country's population, but half of the right-wing activity, according to a report released last week by the Interior Ministry. The lack of economic opportunities for young people in the depressed regions has something to do with the problem, say sociologists. But so do crumbling family structures, a missing tradition of multiculturalism, and westward migration.

'The people who leave are the smart ones, the ones who are good in school,' says Mr. Reinecke, the columnist. 'What remains is a negative social selection. The people who stay are not mobile, are not smart. Frustration is their reason for violence.'"

This is one more sample of what not being able to fulfil the basic needs can turn a section of the society towards.
France is having similar problems hidden under the garb of religion. Why cant the political powers acknowledge the underlying social problems.

Office software

You know what the most useful software would be ?
You should be able to capture any action that any of your team-members commits on all the shared databases and then use that event to trigger reminders/emails.

Geography bee crowns 2006 king - Education - MSNBC.com

Geography bee crowns 2006 king - Education - MSNBC.com: "Neeraj Sirdeshmukh, 14, from Nashua, N.H., came in second. He won a $15,000 college scholarship. Third-place contestant, Yeshwanth Kandimalla, 13, of Marietta, Ga., won a $10,000 college scholarship. The other seven finalists won $500 each."

This new generation fo Indians who take full advantage of the American education system seem to be winning all the bees. I wonder if this says something about the future of the US. Will the Indians figure more dominantly as leaders in various domains, more than today.

A Vision of Pale Beauty Carries Risks for Asia's Women - New York Times

A Vision of Pale Beauty Carries Risks for Asia's Women - New York Times: "Sociologists have long debated why Asians, who are divided by everything from language to religion to ethnicity, share a deeply held cultural preference for lighter skin. One commonly repeated rationale is that a lighter complexion is associated with wealth and higher education levels because those from lower social classes, laborers and farmers, are more exposed to the sun.

Another theory is that the waves of lighter-skinned conquerors, the Moguls from Central Asia and the colonizers from Europe, reset the standard for attractiveness.

Films and advertising also clearly have a role. The success of South Korean soap operas across the region has made their lighter-skinned stars emblems of Asian beauty.

Nithiwadi Phuchareuyot, a doctor at a skin clinic in Bangkok who dispenses products and treatments to lighten skin, said: 'Every Thai girl thinks that if she has white skin the money will come and the men will come. The movie stars are all white-skinned, and everyone wants to look like a superstar.'"

Iqbal - Awesome movie

Nagesh Kukonoor rocks !!
sahi movie banaya hai. very inspiring , beautiful settings, great acting, wonderful song (aashaayein)
BEAUTIFUL !!