2007 Notable Books for Children

These books were chosen by a committee of librarians, educators, and other professionals for the Association for Library Service to Children.

Younger Readers

Once upon a Banana, by Jennifer Armstrong; illustrated by David Small (Simon & Schuster and Paula Wiseman)
My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, by Gilles Bachelet (Abrams)
Keeper of Soles, by Teresa Bateman; illustrated by Yayo (Holiday House)
Move Over, Rover!, by Karen Beaumont; illustrated by Jane Dyer (Harcourt)
Cork & Fuzz: Short and Tall, by Dori Chaconas; illustrated by Lisa McCue (Viking)
Best Best Friends, by Margaret Chodos-Irvine (Harcourt)
Below, by Nina Crews (Holt)
I Lost My Tooth in Africa, by Penda Diakité; illustrated by Baba Wagué Diakité (Scholastic)
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, by Kate DiCamillo; illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (Candlewick)
Wolves, by Emily Gravett (Simon & Schuster)
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, by Mini Grey (Knopf)
Lilly's Big Day, by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow)
Duck & Goose, by Tad Hills (Random and Schwartz & Wade)
Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building, by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by James E. Ransome (Random/Schwartz & Wade.)
Houndsley and Catina, by James Howe; illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay (Candlewick)
Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways, by Laura McGee Kvasnosky (Candlewick)
Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding, by Lenore Look; illustrated by Yumi Heo (Simon & Schuster and Anne Schwartz)
Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! A Palestinian Folktale, by Margaret Read MacDonald; illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian (Marshall Cavendish)
Once I Ate a Pie, by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest; illustrated by Katy Schneider (HarperCollins and Joanna Cotler)
Adèle & Simon, by Barbara McClintock (Farrar and Frances Foster)
Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet, by David McLimans (Walker)
Los Gatos Black on Halloween, by Marisa Montes; illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Holt)
Hippo! No, Rhino!, by Jeff Newman (Brown Little)
The Little Red Hen, by Jerry Pinkney (Dial)
Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis (HarperCollins)
Black? White! Day? Night! A Book of Opposites, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook and Neal Porter)
Good Boy, Fergus!, by David Shannon (Scholastic and Blue Sky)
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie, by Judy Sierra; illustrated by Edward Koren (Knopf)
Scaredy Squirrel, by Mélanie Watt (Kids Can)
Mammoths on the Move, by Lisa Wheeler; illustrated by Kurt Cyrus (Harcourt)
Dizzy, by Jonah Winter; illustrated by Sean Qualls (Scholastic and Arthur A. Levine)

Middle Readers

Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas, by Cheryl Bardoe; illustrated by Jos. A. Smith (Abrams)
Ivy and Bean, by Annie Barrows; illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Chronicle)
Hugging the Rock, by Susan Taylor Brown (Tricycle)
Su Dongpo: Chinese Genius, by Demi (Lee & Low)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Candlewick)
The Adventures of Polo, by Régis Faller (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)
All in Just One Cookie, by Susan E. Goodman; illustrated by Timothy Bush (Greenwillow)
Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, by Hatkoff, Isabella and others; illustrated by Peter Greste (Scholastic)
Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Got Caught Up in a War, by Kathy Henderson; illustrated by Jane Ray (Candlewick)
Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic, by Emily Jenkins; illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky (Random/Schwartz & Wade)
Families, by Susan Kuklin (Hyperion)
The Story of Salt, by Mark Kurlansky; illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Putnam)
The Year of the Dog, by Lin Grace (Brown Little)
Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything, by Lenore Look; illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum)
Rules, by Cynthia Lord (Scholastic)
Oh, Rats! The Story of Rats and People, by Albert Marrin; illustrated by C.B. Mordan (Dutton)
Aliens Are Coming! The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast, by Meghan McCarthy (Knopf)
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea, by Sy Montgomery; photos by Nic Bishop (Houghton)
Jazz, by Walter Dean Myers; illustrated by Christopher Myers (Holiday)
The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron; illustrated by Matt Phelan (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum)
Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker; illustrated by Marla Frazee (Hyperion)
Here's Looking at Me: How Artists See Themselves, by Bob Raczka (Lerner/Millbrook)
The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin, by Susan Goldman Rubin and Ela Weissberger (Holiday)
She's All That! Poems about Girls, by Belinda Hollyer; illustrated by Susan Hellard (Kingfisher)
Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow, by Joyce Sidman; illustrated by Beth Krommes (Houghton)
To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel, by Siena Cherson Siegel; illustrated by Mark Siegel (Simon & Schuster/Richard Jackson)
Younguncle Comes to Town, by Vandana Singh; illustrated by B.M. Kamath (Viking)
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon, by Catherine Thimmesh (Houghton)
Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom, by Tim Tingle; illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges (Cinco Puntos)
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun)

Older Readers

Crispin: At the Edge of the World, by Avi (Hyperion)
Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement, by Ann Bausum (National Geographic)
The Killer’s Tears, by Anne-Laure Bondoux; translated by Y. Maudet (Delacorte)
Ask Me No Questions, by Marina Budhos (Simon & Schuster/Ginee Seo)
The Runaway Princess, by Kate Coombs (Farrar)
Framed, by Frank Cottrell Boyce (HarperCollins)
The Last Dragon, by Silvana DeMari; translated by Shaun Whiteside (Hyperion/Miramax)
Odd Man Out, by Sarah Ellis (Groundwood)
Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini, by Sid Fleischman (Greenwillow)
Jane Addams: Champion of Democracy, by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin (Clarion)
The Adventures of Marco Polo, by Russell Freedman; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine)
Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, by Russell Freedman (Holiday)
Penny from Heaven, by Jennifer L. Holm (Random)
Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America, by Deborah Hopkinson (Scholastic Nonfiction)
Isaac Newton, by Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Boris Kulikov (Viking)
Sigmund Freud, by Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Boris Kulikov (Viking)
Hattie Big Sky, by Kirby Larson (Delacorte)
Gossamer, by Lois Lowry (Houghton/Walter Lorraine)
Heat, by Mike Lupica (Philomel)
The Pull of the Ocean, by Jean-Claude Mourlevat; translated by Y. Maudet (Delacorte)
The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Famous Marshal in the West, by Gary Paulsen (Random/Wendy Lamb)
All of the Above: A Novel by Shelly Pearsall; illustrated by Javaka Steptoe (Brown Little)
Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett (HarperTempest)
Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space, by Philip Reeve; illustrated by David Wyatt (Bloomsbury)
Yellow Star, by Jennifer Roy (Marshall Cavendish)
Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter, by Susan Goldman Rubin (Abrams)
House of the Red Fish, by Graham Salisbury (Random/Wendy Lamb)
Whatcha Mean, What's a Zine? The Art of Making Zines and Mini-Comics, by Mark Todd and Esther Pearl Watson (Houghton/Graphia)
Remember Little Bighorn: Indians, Soldiers, and Scouts Tell Their Stories, by Paul Robert Walker (National Geographic)
Counting on Grace, by Elizabeth Winthrop (Random/Wendy Lamb)

All Ages

Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection, by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada; illustrated by Felipe Dávalos and others (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum)
It's Not the Stork!: A Book about Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends, by Robie H. Harris; illustrated by Michael Emberley (Candlewick)
Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters, by Patricia C. McKissack; illustrated by André Carrilho (Random/Schwartz & Wade)
Solomon and the Ant and Other Jewish Folktales, by Sheldon Oberman (Boyds Mills)
Flotsam, by David Wiesner (Clarion)

Best Blogger So far

The Best Blogger so far and nominated for best cause and UK Award Goes to Baghdad Burning

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

Tamilnadu and India

I studied Hindi in my earlier schoolings for 4 yrs, so I can read and write Hindi, however I can’t speak in Hindi at that time (2004). Though I worked in North India, I was unable to learn Hindi at that time, because of the Tamil guys who around me for all the 11 months. And I never bother to learn at that time, now also. All matter of communication made me to learn. Till the time I reach London, I never thought that Hindi will be casually spoken language among all Indians nevertheless of which state. Not only in UK, where ever in the world, the most common language among Indians is Hindi. I did realize when I start going abroad this same after travelling a lot.



Let describe about myself, tamilnadu and regarding Hindi. Tamil is the first language and English the second language in TNadu. Though capital of TN-Chennai, only a small portion of people learns Hindi in their schoolings, so they are safe when they move to other states or country. Being a remote village guy, I hear only there is a cricket match that too when the commentary is in Hindi.



I can’t only blame on Dravidian parties now for Anti-Hindi strikes during 1970's. The anti-Hindi parties, Dravidian political parties playing to the tunes in 60's. Now, not a single party wants to touch the subject. Was it a big hindrance to mainstream integration, yes of course? When talking about globalization, it is ashamed of not learning a national language. Still I can say, there is no need of Hindi in tamilnadu, until you stay. Else learn Hindi. Our states have been separated based on languages, I agree. Tamilnadu is literally separated by language. I indulge everybody to learn Hindi till the extent of communication. Bloody language is a just communication media, once you know the media is required, don’t hesitate to learn it. Local Business men stays in tamilnadu, however they need to talk to other language people once they come out of their state. I have seen lot many business people learned Hindi, so as the IT employees because of survival.



An interesting incident happened in Paris for me which really made ashamed that I don’t know Hindi, Punjabi either. Under the tower, people sell the toy towers, key chains and bla bla. I liked a Eiffel tower toy which is made up of Glass with sparkling lights, I started bargaining with an Afro guy for 12 Euros which Afro guy demanding to us to get it for 17 Euros. At the same time an India chap came with key chains and shown those chains, said something in Hindi, I got a word 5 (paanch), so I thought he is trying to sell those chains to me. I thought I am over smart and bargained with Indian guy to give 5 chains for 2 Euros. He said okay and I bought it still my wife is bargaining with Afro guy, that Indian moved for 2 steps and said with other guy that" samja nahi" yaar. I was confused what he is saying; how long a guy can act that he knows the language. Finally my wife bargained for 12 Euros and bought that tower statue, we were amazed that we got it for 12 Euros. Then that Indian guy came and said that statue is worth for 5 Euros that is what he was trying to convey to me in Hindi, by the time he acted to afro guy that he selling the chains to us.



Yeah, it is a simple loss of 7 Euros; however this incident impacted me a lot to take a ‘U’ turn to learn Hindi properly. Now I am able to read, write and talk Hindi fluently. This is my suggestion” learn Hindi, if you want to come out of the state for any reason”.

UTI to AXIS

UTI Bank has rebranded itself as AXIS BANK on July 30, 2007. The Bank had used the UTI brand with great pride for the last 13 years, and has in recent years strongly contributed to the resurgence of the UTI brand. My first bank account is UTI Bank during 2000. They say the rebranding has been necessitated due to the limitations on the use of the brand after January 2008. So they decided to create a distinct brand identity for itself. Rebranding provides an opportunity to communicate elements of personality, values and vision, which are specific to the Bank. This rebranding becomes more important as the Bank takes its initial steps in establishing a global footprint.

"Axis as a name is simple; it connotes solidity and stature, and conveys a sense of authority and credibility. Axis as a brand further has the ability to transcend geographical boundaries - this is relevant as the Bank has built an initial pan-Asian network with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Dubai, and seeks to expand further its international presence.
Graphically, in the new logo, the first stroke depicts forward growth while the second stroke signifies a solid support system. The two thick strokes also connote solidity and security.
The rest of the Bank remains the same. The same people, same facilities and the same products and services would continue to be offered to you and you can also expect the same level of dedicated service and professional expertise, as always."

All the Best AXIS

Indian men cannot be trusted in their sexual behaviour: Renuka Chowdhury

Indian men cannot be trusted in their sexual behaviour and are fuelling the country’s HIV epidemic, says Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury.

“You cannot trust men or your husbands, with apologies to the men present here,” she told a meeting of the National Women Forum of Indian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS.
“If you believe that men will be careful, then you can forget about protecting yourself,” the minister said. “Men will not buy a condom when they come staggering home while drunk”, Chowdhury said, adding that women must not be embarrassed to ask for condoms.
“Women need to get condoms to protect themselves; let the men be suspicious,” she said.

India has 25 lakh people living with HIV/AIDS, the third highest number of people in any country after South Africa and Nigeria. Nearly 40 per cent of those infected are women.
Chowdhury said the opposition to sex education was morally hypocritical.
“We have a population of one billion and we don’t want to talk about sex,” she said.

“We have to be vocal on such issues. If we don’t, then it will effect the generations to come.”

// Kudos to Renuka Chowdhury for speaking the hard truth. We need more people like her in politics. I personally cant comment on this//

Worm in iPhone?

I never jumped on to the iPod bandwagon. Let me assure you, I was probably the only person in Montreal not bouncing along the streets plugged into an iPod, exchanging a knowing nod with fellow Macaholics as I crossed them on the street. But that didn’t make me miss out on the phenomenon that is the iPod — the product that is poised for an elevated place in the technology hall of fame (if there is such a place). It isn’t really surprising —Mac was always considered the cooler (richer) cousin of the PC, so any product Apple Inc. came up with just had to be slicker than the rest.

Apple managed to ride the cool wave for a long time. Very intelligent and perceptive marketing is the backbone to an already impressive product — ‘Think Different,’ Apple urged us and then told us how, with the ‘Switch’ campaign that followed. The computer offered software that allowed people like you and me to produce movies, music, websites, whose quality could rival big production houses. The iPod offered new ways of organising and transferring music— and everyone wondered how they ever did without it! But now we are faced with the iPhone. Can it bring about a similar (global) Mac attack? Let’s go step by step.

Why would you buy an iPhone? (As opposed to simply salivating at the thought of owning one.) It’s the first phone that does not extend its software to accommodate extra features (for example, a music player) but instead it essentially condenses an entire operating system into a phone — a mini Mac, if you will. Its real feature, then, lies in applications that have not been introduced as yet. This means that you can do virtually anything with it, with features far beyond what a Blackberry offers.

WORLDS GREATEST DUNKER!!

Tag-for a Cause!

Chain Blogs for a cause!

Q: There are hazards of bloggers scribling everyday. Do we really read all those blogs?

Ans: NO.

Q: Why?

Ans: Because we are not aware who are all blogging?

Q: If we know who are posting, can we read those?

Ans: Yes, may be.

Q: But how do i know there is a new post available ?

Ans: that is the reason we are going to make a community for us. As a initial stage we need people for the forum. A forum cannot be successfull with out contributors. So, this chain blogs will intimate the people are in same wavelength and the forum will make aware those new post available. Sounds great, huh

Rules:
1. You have to invite 4 of your fav. bloggers
2. Give your tag post link as a comment in http://binarywaves.blogspot.com/2007/06/tag-for-cause.html
3. This rules must be copied in the botton of your post.
4. Intimate to your fav. bloggers by commenting on their blogs

The chain blog content:

1. What are all the four countries you have been since.
2. Name the 4 celeberities you like.
3. Name 4 singers you like.
4. Name 4 movies you like


Let me start with:
1. What are all the four countries you have been since.
UK, US, France & Scotland

2. Name the 4 celeberities you like.
As of today, Paris Hilton, Rajini, Mr. Tony Blair and Gandhi

3. Name 4 singers you like.
SPB, KJ Jesudas, HariHaran & Shreya Ghosal

4. Name 4 movies you like
Saving Private Ryan, Unnal Mudiyum Thambi(tamil), Cast away and Dil Chatha Hai

My 4 Fav bloggers:
1. Cogito
2. Chin
3. Vicky
4. India Un cut Amit Varma



Rules:
1. You have to invite 4 of your fav. bloggers
2. Give your tag post link as a comment in http://binarywaves.blogspot.com/2007/06/tag-for-cause.html
3. This rules must be copied in the botton of your post.4. Intimate to your fav. bloggers by commenting on their blogs

iPhone-in India

Apple Inc will launch its latest offering, the iPhone in the here (US) tomorrow. Apart from functioning as a phone, the device can function as a media player and also as a wireless web surfing device.

Officially, it will not be available in India for at least another year.

But for those who really want it, the wait might be as short as a fortnight or, at the most, a month. This is not just because of efficiently smuggled shipments but a technical ‘feat’ as well.

In the US, Apple has tied up with AT&T in an exclusive contract. This means that the iPhone will only work on an AT&T SIM card for which buyers have to sign up for an $59 to $100 a month plan for a minimum two-year subscription.

But in India, grey market operators say they can “unlock” the phone for just Rs 1,000 or Rs 1,500 so that it can be used on any network in India. “Unlocking the iPhone isn’t tough,” said a dealer in central Delhi.

In the US, the phone is priced between $500 (Rs 22,000) for the 4 GB version and $600 (Rs 25,500) for the 8 GB model. There are further variations depending upon the memory. Out in the grey markets of Palika Bazar or Sarojini Nagar, an entry-level iPhone will be available for Rs 30,000. National Market Rs 32,000.

Unlocked Apple iPhone units are expected to be auctioned off at a premium, especially in Asian markets.

//As the world gets ready for this deadline to grab one of the most sought after handsets - the iPhone - two Indian companies are also getting ready to register gains from this revolutionary offering of Apple Inc., the makers of Macintosh computer (popularly called Mac) and the iPod.

Noida-based HCL Infosystems and Bangalore-based Wipro Technologies are close to becoming the exclusive Indian distributors of the iPhone. Analysts are expecting 1-3 million handsets to hit the shelves on Friday.

A luxury product costing $499 for 4 gigabytes memory and $599 for 8 gigabytes memory, iPhone will have a large touch screen minus the conventional keypad. It will also double up as an iPod, video player and will come equipped with a digital camera.//

Sivaji-Making of Oru Koodai Sunlight

Shanker started his CG (Computer Graphics) adventure from his first film itself, the Cartoon type of Dance which suited to Prabhu Deva's choreography in the song Chikku bukku was a super dooper hit all over India. He continued with Prabhu for next film Kadhalan and brought the technology from the Hollywood film Invisible man to Mukkabla Song. He the person who pulled the DTS technology to his tamil film Indian, with the help of his Friend H Sridhar. Both running a successful sound recording theater called Panchathan. Skeleton dance from MJ in Jeans, used morphing technology from MJ again for Maaya Machindra Indian-Tamil(Hindustani in Hindi), technically headed by "Maayavi" Venki.

Before getting to Sivaji making, Lets start with company who done the miracle ever in the world. The company name is Indian Artists from Vadapalani.

Indian Artists was the first to start and use digital Ink and Painting for 2D Cel Animation in South India. They foray into filmdom with the film INDIAN (Tamil). Until date, worked on the following films – Sivaji (Tamil), Anniyan (Tamil), Krish (Hindi), Gajani (Tamil), Imsai Arasan 23m Pulikesi (Tamil), Veyil (Tamil), Sivakasi (Tamil), Dishyum (Tamil), Bangaram (Telugu), Gilli (Tamil), Boys (Tamil), Dhool (Tamil), Runway (Malayalam), Enakku 20 Unakku 18 (Tamil), Anji (Telugu), Magic Magic 3D, Mizhirendilum (Malayalam), Kunjikunnan (Malayalam), Ramana (Tamil), Run (Tamil), Kushi (Tamil), Kadalar Dinam (Tamil), Hindustan (Telugu), Yuvakudu (Telugu) and Palayathamman (Tamil) and list continues. They were awarded the National Award for Magic Magic 3D in 2003 produced by Navodaya Films.

About Sivaji: Director Shanker wanted to change Rajini's wheatish complexion to a white European complexion. It was Directors brilliance and peak of his imagination. Indian Artists took this as a challenging task, because nobody has executed this type of concept in the world. To begin with, Indian artists did an in-depth study of the European complexion. They found that white skin reflects more light and has less shadow when compared to dark skin and is translucent in some areas. Therefore a simple color correction of the hero's skin would not achieve the desired effect.

For the shoot a London based young white lady with a fresh complexion and flushed cheeks was chosen and with the help of Cinematographer Mr. K.V.Anand every single shot of the hero was repeated with her because lighting conditions change in every shot. After the final edit all the 630 hero shots and 630 girl shots were scanned in 4K resolution. Each of the 9000 scanned frames ware rotoscoped to separate the body parts (face, hands, legs etc.). The white lady's skin was mapped onto the Super Star's image using Eyeon “Digital Fusion” software. Thus the Super Star got his glowing white complexion. There were two difficult aspects in this project. One was matching the girl's action with the hero's action and the second was matching both of their body proportions during mapping.

Though it sounds simple, the work involved was laborious and painstaking. Great attention was paid to detail right from the shoot until the final print. It has taken 25 dedicated CG technicians almost a year to achieve this 6 ½ min. feat.

Thanks for Info and Movies Indian Artists.

Rajini- The Boss

Why Rajnikant is such a superstar has less to do with the way he flicks his gogs and more to do with his residence address. Nowhere in this country are people as movie-mad as in south India. When Andhra's N.T. Rama Rao's films were released in the sixties and seventies, his underprivileged fans would donate blood to pay for movie tickets. When M.G. Ramachandran died in 1987, two million followed his remains, 30 committed suicide and thousands shaved their heads. Rajkumar's death last year brought on riots in Bangalore; his 'fans' shut the city down for two days, burnt cars, tear-gassed civilians and indulged in street wars. Interestingly, Andhra is known to have more cinema halls per square kilometre than anywhere else in the country. South Indian films are a curious social phenomenon. They may be scoffed at as vulgar, base and even gaudy. The heroes are paunchy and mustachioed. The heroines are fair, flabby and semi-naked, like zaftig dolls. The sets are huge and surreal, the action extreme, the songs are raunchy and the plots are stuck in the eighties.
But that's the most wonderful thing about the films. They may be unintentionally comic, but they are unpretentious. They pander to every stereotype there is without any intent to pseudo-intellectualise. Rajni played a foreign-returned person in last week's Rs 90 crore release, Sivaji - The Big Boss. His face was whitened in every frame, using a first-time computer regeneration technique and a Caucasian woman's complexion. These films are watched with the heart, not the head. They are made for the front-bencher for whom cinema is the only escape from the hot weather, his jobless existence and an ultra-conventional mindset. The film is his relief. Which is why all southern heroes are almost always fighting the system. Which is why the hero always gets the girl. Which is why the impoverished employee always wins over the rich employer. Which is also why the average film-watcher will queue up for never-ending hours to pay Rs 10 for a first-come-first serve seat.

I'm convinced of this, especially when you take Kerala into account. Kerala doesn't share the economic disparities of its southern counterparts. Audiences here enjoy a superlative literacy rate. Kerala boasts immense talent as well; Mammootty and Mohanlal are both brilliant, and Adoor Gopalakrishnan is one of the state's intellectual exports to the mainstream.

The south Indian hero is a cultural mixed bag; he is a political, economic and social icon. NTR always played Krishna in Telugu mythologicals. Rajni will never play a bad guy. Khushboo, who had a temple built to her, was chased with a broom when she innocently said that a woman didn't need to be a virgin when she married. These stars are a reminder of a movie-goer's moorings.

Can Amitabh Bachchan ever achieve this? Not unless he returns as the angry young man. And learns to speak Tulu.


Info: Yahoo India news

Pakistan Surrenders to India-1999

Jai Hind!

Jerry Yang- The new Yahoo CEO

Bill Gates, David Packard, William Hewit Steve Jobs and its the turn for Jerry Yang. Didnt get the point. Yes, Jerry Yang is going to be the CEO of Yahoo, who is replacing Terry Semel, as the company girds up to fight back the Google juggernaut. Yes the above list are college drops and strike it big in the sillicon valley. Let see his return may be a sign of bigger changes ahead. He is one of the co-founder of Yahoo.

There is also a talk of possible alliances with rivals or even mergers with the likes of Time Warner, Microsoft and News Corp, could be rumours. Whatever may be the outcome, it surely will be challenging times ahead for Yahoo as it searches for the perfect biz plan to re-establish its links with profitability.

The poor show reflects in Yahoo's stock price which dropped 38 per cent in 2006, which is much worse than Google. It will be interesting to see if Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang refreshes his company's fortunes. All the best Mr.Yang!

How to install Vista

A funny video shows how to install vista

India defends trafficking record

The Indian government has rejected its inclusion on a list of countries compiled by the US which have not fully stopped human trafficking. India was designated as a "Tier 2" country: it did not fully comply with minimum standards but was making significant efforts to do so.
The government says a lot is being done to tackle the problem, although more needs to be done.
It says efforts are underway to rescue and rehabilitate trafficking victims.
Sanctions possibility "The world's largest democracy has the world's largest problem of human trafficking," said the US state department's specialist on trafficking issue, Mark Lagon.
The department has warned India would be downgraded to a "Tier 3" category unless it improved its track record. That would mean that the US would withhold non-humanitarian, non-trade related foreign aid.

The US wants countries to address the trafficking problem Correspondents say that "Tier 3" countries are also denied access to educational and cultural exchange programmes. The state department estimates that around 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, and that 80% of them are females used in the sex trade.

The annual report places India as a "Tier two" country for the fourth year in a row.
An official in India's Women and Child Development ministry, however, defended her department's efforts in tackling the problem.

'Unfair' "We are doing our bit, but more needs to be done," said Deepa Jain Singh, secretary for the Women and Children's Development Ministry. Non governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the area have supported the government's efforts.

"We don't agree that nothing has changed. Legislation has come in place to deal with the issue. It is a clear indication that the pressure on the government is working," Rishi Kant, from the women's group, Shakti Vahini, told the BBC News website.

India has been warned it may face sanctions Other women's groups argued that it was unfair that India was being put on the US watch list over the issue, and not Bangladesh or Nepal.
Aid agencies estimate that around 5,000 to 7,000 women and girls are trafficked to India from Nepal and around 10,000 to 20,000 women and children from Bangladesh.

"Nepal, Bangladesh and India need to work together to stop such trafficking," United Nations Development Programme spokeswoman Archana Tamang told the BBC.

"Women and children are not being brought into India only, there is a lot of reverse trafficking taking place as well.

"It is really important for all the three nations to work together as a sub-regional group to remedy the situation," she said.

New Tech-Mind Blowing

1. In these days, I found 2 technologies are going to rock, I sure. The first Technology is nothing but a mixture of TV look, desktop performance and with Laptop features. this mixture was initiated by sony couple of months before and it is getting hard time to commercialise. Just hang the monitor on the wall, have a seat away of 5 feets, hold a wireless keyboard and mouse, start using either as TV or Computer. I loved this model and still my purse is weight though, have to wait for .:)



//Experience high style and versatile performance in one. The VAIO® VGC-LS30E all-in-one desktop PC incorporates a powerful VAIO LS into a stunning 19" widescreen display, perfect for computing or watching TV.//


Sony LS Series have a glimpse and amaze yourself.

2. This is a new technology brought by Microsoft or tuned up guys of Bill. this is an innovative idea might work out in presentation or customer oriented or sales. The software giant has built a new touchscreen computer—a coffee table that will change the world, forget the keyboard and mouse: The next generation of computer interfaces will be hands-on.Is MS trying to get rid of computers? we can only feel this model by end of 2007 . Click here

Deccan sells 26 pc stake to UB Group

//Bangalore: Deccan Aviation Ltd, the company that runs low-cost carrier Air Deccan, on Thursday announced it has sold 26 per cent in the airline to Vijay Mallya's UB Holdings for Rs 550 crore. UB Holdings has already paid Rs 150 crore and the remaining amount would be paid in the next four weeks, Air Deccan Managing Director G R Gopinath told reporters after the company's board meeting.

The transaction, which values Air Deccan at Rs 155 a share, would be through allotment of non-preferential shares to UB, he said. UB Group runs the premier full-service, true-value carrier Kingfisher Airlines. Gopinath would continue to remain the Executive Chairman of the Board, while Mallya would be the Vice-Chairman. The promoters and investors would have equal number of directors, besides six independent directors.//

This is called Entrepreneurship, being an army person, look into the emerging market, put efforts to create a company, sell your tickets for Rs.1 and get marketed yourself. Then screw up with your Service and quality and finally sell your stake to a company for a handfull money.

Vijay Mallya, 50, was elected as Chairman of United Breweries by shareholders at the young age of 28, following the demise of his father in 1983. UB is growing like anything and Mallaya started building sky scrappers in the hottest place near to MG Road, Bangalore. Kingfisher Airlines has already notched up a marked share of 9% in India and has ordered 30 Airbus A-320 Aircraft, 5 Airbus A-330 Aircraft, 5 Airbus A-350 Aircraft, 5 Airbus A-380 Aircraft and 5 A340-500 Aircraft in addition to 35 ATR 72-500 turboprop Aircraft to cater to its growth and route expansion plans till 2012.

So ultimately a market itself shrinks under an umbrella.

Then, what else? Black money.... God save US

Do we really?

Sometimes, I do think that are we really passion about our country?

FYI, this is my 250th Post.

US asks Infy, Wipro to explain use of H-1B visas

Contending that the H-1B visa programme is being abused to displace qualified American workers, two US lawmakers have asked nine foreign-based firms, including some leading Indian companies that used 20,000 of such visas, to disclose details about their workforce and their use of the special programme.

As the US Senate gets ready to take up the comprehensive immigration reform legislation, the two top law makers -- Republican Senator Charles Grassley and Democratic Senator Richard Durbin -- said "more and more it appears that companies are using H-1B visas to displace qualified, American workers."

"As we move closer to debate on an immigration bill, I continue to hear how people want to increase the number of H-1B visas that are available to companies. Considering the high amount of fraud and abuse in the visa programme, we need to take a good, hard look at the employers who are using H-1B visas and how they are using them," Grassley said in a statement.

"Supporters claim the goal of the H-1B programme is to help the American economy by allowing companies to hire needed foreign workers. The reality is that too many H-1B visas are being used to facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs to other countries," Senator Durbin said.

The two have written letters to the firms to determine if the programme is being used for its intended purpose, which is to fill a worker shortage for a temporary time period.

The companies the senators sent letters to were Infosys Technologies, Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, Patni Computer Systems, I-Flex Solutions, Satyam Computer Services, Larsen & Toubro Infotech, Tech Mahindra Americas and Mphasis.

Tamil Blogs

Tamil Blogs- One of the fastest growing community. All of the Tamil blogs can be viewed from these following aggregation websites.

http://tamil.blogkut.com/ சங்கமம்- Aggregates all of the Tamil blogs, news and videos not required to register with. also Comments aggregated.

http://tamil.kanimai.com - Aggregates all of the Tamil blogs, not required to register with.

To these aggregators, bloggers have to register with them to get served for blogs.

http://thamizmanam.com -Aggregates blogs and comments and one of the tamil blogs Aggregation pioneer. Have to have a their source code in the blog's templates.

http://thenkoodu.com -Aggregates blogs. Have to have a their source code in the blog's templates.

http://tamilblogs.com - Aggregates blogs.

http://thiratti.com- aggregates blogs.

http://tamilveli.com- Aggregates blogs and comments.
Update : 2008-Jan