Tuesday, November 16, 2010
i like the tiffany
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
1 Laptop : 1 Student: Creating a new basic Macbook image
Monday, May 31, 2010
The first lady's popularity could give a boost to the administration's agenda
Michelle Obama is widely considered one of her husband's biggest political assets. Like most first ladies, she has developed a strong following around the country, and 71 percent of Americans think she is doing a good job, according to a recent Associated Press poll. (Her husband's approval rating is about 50 percent.) White House officials say it's not yet clear how direct a role she will play on the campaign trail this year, but in 2008 she was constantly on the road promoting her husband. She emphasized the historic change her husband would bring as the first African-American president and the hope that he inspired in so many everyday people. She still prompts intense media attention and public interest in everything she does, and she is sure to lend her name and charisma to the administration's agenda.
"Her role is where policy and people intersect," says Katie McCormick-Lelyveld, the first lady's press secretary. This is a contrast to Hillary Clinton, spouse of the last Democratic president, who was deeply involved in healthcare legislation and other issues. And it is closer to the example set by Laura Bush, who promoted reading as her special project but was mostly an appealing supporter of her husband, George W. Bush, a Republican and Barack Obama's predecessor.
Obama considers herself first and foremost a mom to the first couple's young daughters, Malia and Sasha. And to the surprise of her critics from the campaign, she is rather traditional in her choice of projects to take on as first lady. She is promoting such noncontroversial goals as federal assistance to military families, a commitment to public service, and, her project for 2010, leading the "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity through "healthy eating and healthy families."
She has started a highly publicized White House garden to underscore the importance of fresh vegetables and fruit as the cornerstones of good nutrition. The images of the first lady digging in the dirt behind the presidential mansion, harvesting sweet potatoes, lettuce, and other staples, not only sets an example for home gardeners but also has helped Michelle alter her image as a fashionista who might be a bit too interested in clothes.
There is a little-known personal side to her cause. A few years ago, a family doctor said that the Obama girls had a "body mass index issue," a nice way of saying they were gaining too much weight. So Barack and Michelle Obama told Malia and Sasha they needed to exercise more frequently and be careful about junk foods. Michelle admits to a weakness for french fries, but has disciplined herself not to eat them too often. Barack limited his intake of cheeseburgers, one of his favorite foods. "Her philosophy is, if you want a cheeseburger, you should have a cheeseburger," says a family friend. "But don't have it every day."
Obama rarely talks directly about race, even though she is the first African-American to serve as first lady. But she clearly believes she can be a role model for young blacks. At Anacostia High School in one of Washington's poorest neighborhoods, one of her many appearances at public schools in the majority-black capital, she told the students about her early life. "We didn't have a lot of money," the first lady said. "I lived in the same house my mother lives in now ... I went to public schools. The fact is I had somebody around me who helped me understand hard work. I had parents who told me, 'Don't worry about what other people say about you.' I worked really hard. I did focus on school. I wanted an 'A.' I wanted to be smart. Kids would say, 'You talk funny. You talk like a white girl.' I didn't know what that meant."
Her press secretary says Obama wants young African-Americans, especially girls, to realize that they can be achievers. "She wants people to see themselves in the White House, to see it as a place for all, where they can feel at home, where they belong," says McCormick-Lelyveld. It could be that serving as an inspiration is Michelle Obama's most important mission.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Life is a visual treat but is Desi Girl entertainment
Ask anyone (okay, not anyone, at least someone with more than two grey Return to Tiffany Oval tag bracelet) to name their favourite TV channel and more often than not the answer you'll get is: 'Discovery'. For a long time, I used to think that people said 'Discovery' only because it was the politically correct thing to say (who could possibly find fault with a choice like that?) even though they may have been secretly and furtively addicted to FTV. But I think people are actually telling the truth.
Just take the latest series to premiere on Discovery -- Life. I saw the first episode and it literally blew me away. Narrated by the one and only David Attenborough in his distinctive, raspy voice, Life is about, well, life on the planet -- all the strange and incredible creatures that inhabit the earth and all the strange and incredible things they do: killer whales hunting seals in the icy waters of the Antarctic; chameleons catching their prey by extending, whiplash-style, more than ten foot long tongues; a pack of three cheetahs attacking and killing a tall, fluffy ostrich; disconcertingly human-looking monkeys breaking big, hard-shelled nuts by smashing them with stones... it's completely riveting. What actually gives the series its high drama feel is the photography. There are Return to Tiffany Oval tag key ring close-ups (you can literally see each scale on the chameleon's body), action scenes shot in poetic slow motion (such as the entire sequence of three powerful cheetahs chasing the clumsily agitated ostrich), not to mention the rarely seen footage itself (have you ever seen two hippos fighting over mating rights?)
If all this gushing doesn't make you watch Life, well, you're really missing something.
There's another kind of life unfolding on Imagine -- a reality show Desi Girl, based on the American show called The Simple Life, where socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie tried to live like 'ordinary' people. (The words 'Paris Hilton' and 'ordinary' go together about as well as the words 'Paris Hilton' and 'cerebral' or 'Paris Hilton' and 'meaningful.')
"Stilettos in cow shit" is the kind of effect I believe Fox wanted for The Simple Life. The makers of Desi Girl have obviously taken this to heart. Literally. Eight glamorous showbiz girls are going to live in a village in Punjab and compete in rural tasks such as cooking over a chulha, catching chickens, hanging out with buffaloes etc.
The eight arrived in rural Punjab, dragging trolleys ("I've brought all my body washes and face washes in my luggage," trilled reality TV star-cum-item girl Sambhavana Seth), wearing eight-inch heels, shoulder and cleavage-baring tight dresses and outsize designer sunglasses. They tossed their blow-dried hair, Return to Tiffany Oval tag pendant about the heat, giggled at their predicament and generally behaved as if they had come to some strange, exotic, unknown planet.
Eventually they were introduced to the village panchayat by Rohit Roy who is the anchor of the show (he introduced them to Jaydev Singh, who he referred to as the 'chairman' of the village!). The 'chairman' then sternly told the girls that they had to follow the village rules (wake up at 4 am and so on) whereupon they all giggled some more.
The idea of glamorous girls doing amazing stunts in Khatron Ke Khiladi (Colors) was intriguing for lots of viewers. So maybe some viewers will find the idea of glamorous starlets making cowdung cakes / milking cows at the crack of dawn highly entertaining viewing.
Others may not but they should remember one thing -- never, never be Square cuff links any longer by what passes off as entertainment on our TV screens.
Girls on film
Any informed book that has the line, "If Raj Kapoor was boob-obsessed, Dev Paloma's Tenderness Heart pendant has a fetish for the female butt and legs," has my vote. Not only does it tell me that the writer is a good observer of pop culture, as depicted via one of the most powerful visual forms -- popular films -- but it's also comforting to know that 'reading' images isn't the monopoly of academics more keen on showing their Baudrillard than their Bobby, their McLuhan rather than their Mother India.
But Fareed Kazmi is no gup-shup voyeur. The Allahabad University political science professor makes an engaging -- if idiosyncratic -- study of the depiction of women in Hindi cinema. In the process, he uses one of the most reliable barometers to check how we (women included) see women.
He does start the book with doctrinal planks and nerve-grating lines like "This true-self/Party charm bracelet-self dichotomy duplicates aspect of the existentialist distinction between authenticity/bad faith". But skip the opening chapters and you'll get informed analysis of the good old-fashioned psychoanalytical kind.
We learn about the radical 'gender reversal' in Abrar Alvi's Sahib, Bibi aur Ghulam (1962) when Gulabo (Waheeda Rehman) is the one flirting outrageously with the simpleton Bhootnath (Guru Dutt), who's "behaving like an uninitiated virgin". Chapters later, Kazmi points out the same kind of manoeuvring in Amit Saxena's Jism (2003), where Kabir (John Abraham) is the one who's guilt-wracked after a romp, while Sonia (Bipasha Basu) purrs on only hoping that their tryst with destiny remains a secret.
I'm not too sure whether Kazmi should have used terms like 'the Big O' without any Return to Tiffany. I also hoped he had something to say about Ram Gopal Varma's 2007 film Nishabd (young siren-older man), Anurag Kashyap's Dev D (updated Devdas story) and Rajkumar Kohli's 1979 Freudian 'bride-killer' classic Jaani Dushman. Perhaps another time.
On a more sagacious note is Neepa Majumdar's Wanted: Cultured Ladies Only! This is a well-written, delicately researched book on the fascinating early days of women in Indian cinema. How stars like Durga Khote and Devika Rani thrived in a field where morality was automatically seen as a casualty is well worth the read. As is Majumdar's chapter on desire as depicted on screen. To read these two books in tandem would be to pretty much know everything there is to know about girls. In Return to Tiffany Double Heart Pendant, that is.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Weight-Loss Expert and Author Sanford Siegal
Renowned physician, author and weight-loss expert Dr. Sanford Siegal, a practicing physician in South Florida best known as the creator of the popular Dr. Siegal's COOKIE DIET(R) weight-loss system and foods, confirmed today that he has offered Donna Simpson of Old Bridge, New Jersey, $50,000 if she'll tiffany sale her much-publicized quest to reach a weight of 1,000 pounds and, instead, achieve a healthful weight. Dr. Siegal made his offer in a letter that was delivered to Simpson's home yesterday morning.
"When I first heard about Donna Simpson's plan to reach a weight of 1,000 pounds I thought it was a joke. Then I read the news reports and realized she was serious. I was appalled," said Dr. Siegal. "I understand that people are encouraging this woman on Twitter and other social media sites, and that some food companies may even be jumping on the bandwagon. In my opinion, anyone who encourages this dangerous stunt is essentially guilty of assisted suicide."
In his letter to Simpson, Dr. Siegal warned her of the health consequences that he says she is certain to face if she doesn't reverse course soon:
"Since nothing I've read about you in the media suggests that you're suicidal, I have to conclude that you aren't intentionally trying to kill yourself and are doing so unknowingly. I must assume that you simply don't appreciate the severity--and certainty--of the premature death you face and the ghastly medical problems that will precede it."
In particular, Dr. Siegal warned Simpson about the horrors of diabetes which, he said, she is virtually certain to develop if she hasn't already:
"But, mercifully, you are not likely to reach your goal. Your early success will eventually work against you. As your diabetes becomes more severe and you become less mobile (probably bedridden), there's a good chance that one or both of your legs will be amputated. This will reduce your weight significantly. Of course, your legs will not be much use to you since you probably won't be able to walk anyway, with or without them. You may not even miss your legs since you won't be able to see them as a result of the blindness that often accompanies diabetes. But you may still feel pain in them even after they're gone. That often happens after amputation; it's called 'phantom pain'."
Dr. Siegal explained in his letter that, although he hopes to stop Simpson from "eating herself to death," his tiffany rings sale motivation in making his offer is to reverse the damage that may have been done to children and impressionable teenagers who he says have been sent a dangerous message by Simpson's actions and the publicity they have received.
"As I've said, I've devoted my life to educating the world about the perils of obesity and to helping people get thin. Many others, including the current First Lady, are also involved in this struggle. Your mission--and the publicity it has generated and will continue to generate--undermine our efforts and send a very bad message. While I sincerely want to save you from eating yourself to death, it is the population as a whole--especially children and impressionable teenagers--that I hope to help by convincing you to stop setting a terrible example and start being a good role model."
Dr. Siegal's offer to Simpson provides for specific payments to be made as she achieves certain milestones. If she accepts, the first $10,000 will be paid upon her (1) ending her weight-gain diet and agreeing not to resume it in the future, (2) beginning a weight-loss diet of her choosing under a doctor's supervision, and (3) agreeing to speak to the media about her unequivocal decision to end her self-destructive behavior and pursue a healthful weight.
"The first $10,000 would come very quickly as it doesn't require her to lose weight, just to stop trying to gain weight," explained Dr. Siegal. "The other $40,000 will be paid as she reaches certain weight milestones."
Simpson, who reportedly weighs 600 pounds, would receive $10,000 for every 100 pounds she loses until she reaches 200 pounds.
"Once she hits 200 pounds, I think she'll have all the motivation she'll need to lose the rest," said Dr. tiffany bracelets sale. "By that point she'll look and feel so much better."
Dr. Siegal's offer allows Simpson to choose any weight-loss approach as long as it is approved and supervised by a doctor and doesn't involve surgery:
"As for how you lose the weight, that's up to you. I don't care which method of weight loss you choose as long as it doesn't involve surgery (let's not try to correct one ill-advised action with another) and is approved by your doctor. If you wish to follow Dr. Siegal's COOKIE DIET, which has worked very well for generations of dieters, I'll provide for free the cookies and shake mixes that will keep your hunger in check as you follow a reduced-calorie diet. Also at your option, I'll recommend a physician in New York City who uses Dr. Siegal's COOKIE DIET in his practice and who I believe would treat you at no cost."
Dr. Sanford Siegal is a practicing physician, author, and weight-loss pioneer whose South Florida medical practice, Siegal Medical Group, has treated more than 500,000 overweight patients. Although he has received recognition for his books on topics including high fiber diets, hunger control, and hypothyroidism, he is best known as the Cookie Doctor(R) behind the internationally popular Dr. Siegal's COOKIE DIET(R) (www.CookieDiet.com) weight-loss approach and foods.
Workplace skills plan for women patients
WOMEN with sickle cell disease will be trained and counselled to help them tiffany pendants sale their mark in the workplace.
The initiative aims to transform the lives of female sufferers and is being spearheaded by the Bahrain Society for Sickle Cell Anaemia Patient Care.
A total of BD8,000 has been raised to pay for the programme at the Bahrain Training Institute (BTI) for one year, but the society hopes to collect even more cash to extend the training for more women as well as men.
Society chairman Zakareya Ebrahim Alkadhem said the society had started with women because their futures were most affected by the disease.
"Some girls end up divorced because the disease puts a strain on the family, so we will give them skills and help them solve their problems," he told the GDN.
"There is an idea that no-one will look at or marry a woman with sickle cell disease and she doesn't have any future and this will affect her health. We want to build women's confidence and skills and show them that they can be independent from men."
The students will take a one-year UK BTEC diploma in a subject of their choice, such as tiffany earrings sale, computing, marketing, administration or graphic design.
Along with the training the women will have access to counselling at the BTI that will help them solve any personal problems they could be facing.
In addition, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI-MUB) will give the women medical counselling to help them change their lifestyles and reduce the number of days they spend in hospital and on medication.
"We need to motivate these patients and change their lifestyle, so that instead of only going to the hospital they can study and work," said Mr Alkadhem.
"We want to show these patients that they deserve more. We want this training to continue every year, so we instigate further fundraising activities.
"We are also looking at helping them set up their own micro-businesses."
There are currently 18,000 men and women in Bahrain with sickle cell disease, as well as 65,000 carriers.
Sickle cell disease is inherited from parents who are both carriers. The disease causes episodes of pain, increased susceptibility to infections and psychological problems.
People who inherit the sickle cell gene from one parent will not have the disease, but can pass the gene on to their children.
Bahrain has had an active programme for the prevention of sickle cell disease for decades and pre-marital screening has been mandatory for all Bahrainis since 2005.
Efforts by the Health Ministry to reduce the number of children being born with the tiffany necklaces sale have been successful.
In 2008, 0.7 of every 100 live births had sickle cell disease, but the figure dropped to 0.5 last year.
Donations in support of the training programme can be made at the BTI, in Isa Town.
Credit: Gulf Daily News, Manama, Bahrain
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Over $8M Revenues in Profitable Gold Sales
On May 14, 2009, CCPR acquired ESM Refiners, Inc., a gold and precious metals recycle ("ESM"). The total consideration for the acquisition was 5,625,000 shares of CaseyCorp's common stock. ESM is a newly organized New York corporation formed to operate as a wholesale buyer and seller of gold and diamonds. tiffany jewelry sale acts as a middleman, aggregating gold and diamonds. ESM purchases these precious metals primarily from retail jewelers who have purchased the metals from their customers. In turn, ESM sells the metals to refiners, who then melt down the gold and produce gold bars.
Following the consummation of the acquisition, ESM became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the CaseyCorp.
Casey Corp's, President and CEO, Mr. Eduard Musheyev, has over 30 years of experience in the gold jewelry market. During this time, Musheyev has set up and managed successful companies involved in manufacturing, retailing, and refining of gold jewelry.
In the first quarter after the acquisition of ESM, Casey Corp showed a positive cash flow and a net profit, with revenues in excess of $8,000,000.
CaseyCorp anticipates an increase in revenues in 2010. With new investment and a leveraging of its extensive tiffany bracelets of the gold market, the Company plans to expand the scope of ESM's activities, increasing its coverage of the supply chain and giving it access to potentially increased revenues and profitability.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes," "should," "intends," "will," or "plans" to be uncertain and forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject tiffany on sale to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact Information:
CaseyCorp Enterprises, Inc
Sergey Musheyev
Year-end demand slows sales drops at department stores in December
The decline in sales at major department stores in Japan slowed in December due to solid year-end tiffany on sale, but that was not enough to indicate a strong recovery in consumer spending, according to preliminary sales reports released by five industry leaders by Monday.
Isetan Co. and Mitsukoshi Ltd., which both belong to Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd., posted respective year-on-year sales falls of 4.6 and 8.2 percent on a same-store basis in December, compared with double-digit drops they suffered in November.
Isetan benefited from brisk demand for Christmas cakes and other seasonal food products, while Mitsukoshi booked an increase in sales of winter clothing in the latter half of December when temperatures dropped.
Takashimaya Co., which also incurred a double-digit sales drop in November, curbed the decline to 7.8 percent in December due to an early start of its year-end sales campaign.
Daimaru Inc. narrowed the rate of sales contraction to 1.3 percent as a result of price cuts for winter items, while Matsuzakaya Co., which promoted events such as exhibitions of local specialties, reported a 4.8 percent sales drop.
Despite slowed sales declines at department stores, personal consumption at such establishments remains tiffany sale overall in view of weak demand for mainstay luxury goods including clothing and jewelry, industry officials said.
In contrast, Fast Retailing Co. said Monday sales at its Uniqlo casual wear shops jumped 11.5 percent in December from a year earlier on a same-store basis, up for the fifth consecutive month, due to brisk sales of thermal innerwear and other winter clothing.
A sales campaign started by Fast Retailing in November to mark its 60th tiffany jewelry on sale contributed to a 13.4 percent increase in the number of customers in December.
