A new, abundant and environmentally friendly source of protein is creating some buzz
The world is getting hungrier. After years of falling food prices, eating is suddenly getting expensive. With price-tags now rising some 75%, the World Bank estimates that the soaring cost of food will push 100m people into poverty. What with rising fertiliser prices, increasing concerns about deforestation and unreliable rains brought on by climate change, how will we find new sources of nourishment?
Scientists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico have an answer: entomophagy, or dining on insects. They claim the practice is common in some 113 countries. Better yet, bugs provide more nutrients than beef or fish, gram for gram.
Meat provides just under one fifth of the energy and one third of the protein humans consume. But its production uses up a hugely disproportionate share of agricultural resources. Feed crops gobble up some 70% of agricultural land, while a quarter of the world’s land is devoted to grazing. Brazil’s burgeoning livestock industry is responsible for huge swathes of deforestation in the Amazon.
As developing countries get richer meat’s ecological footprint is set to get even bigger. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at the United Nations considers livestock “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.” It predicts that the world’s demand for meat will nearly double by 2050.
Eating insects does far less damage. For one thing, the habit could help to protect crops. Some 30 years ago the Thai government, struggling to contain a plague of locusts with pesticides, began encouraging its citizens to collect and eat the insects. Officials even distributed recipes for cooking them. Locusts were not commonly eaten at the time, but they have since become popular. Today some farmers plant corn just to attract them. Stir-frying other menaces could help reduce the use of pesticides.
But insect populations vary with the seasons, and it is hard to control the amount on offer at a given time. “There is very little knowledge or appreciation of the potential for managing and harvesting insects sustainably,” notes Patrick Durst, a Bangkok-based senior forestry officer at the FAO. Those looking for a reliable source of protein might prefer to farm them. Protein makes up a high proportion of most insects’ weight. That makes them much more efficient at converting feed to protein than livestock. For example, a cow yields only 10lb (4.5kg) of beef for every 100lb of feed it eats, whereas the same amount of feed would produce tens times as much cricket.
Academics at Khon Kaen University in Thailand have developed a low-cost cricket-rearing technique, and taught it to some 4,500 families. On just a few hundred square feet of land a single family can raise crickets in numbers large enough to increase their income significantly. Or they can rear them on a smaller scale inside their homes, within large containers. The insects do not require much food or water, grow fast and reproduce quickly. And if they somehow perish, the financial impact on a poor family is far less devastating than the loss of a cow or pig.
Earlier this year the FAO held a conference in Thailand to investigate the benefits of eating insects. The mood was optimistic. “In certain places with certain cultures with a certain level of acceptance”, insects could be seen as part of a solution to end hunger, Mr Durst said.
Environmentally and nutritionally, insects are more appealing than meat: you get more for less. But persuading flesh-loving, ento-phobic westerners of this is going to be tricky. “We’re not going to convince Europeans and Americans to go out in big numbers and start eating insects,” Mr Durst concedes. The trick might be to slip them into the food chain on the quiet. Supplements composed of insect protein could be added to processed food and perhaps also to animal feed. That might help to make meat a little more environmentally palatable.
Jul 26, 2008
World - No Smooth Sailing to Africa
As China wades deeper into the continent’s economies, the turbulent pull of African politics grows stronger
“Adopt a low profile and never take the lead,” was an axiom of China’s elder statesman, the late Deng Xiaoping. When it comes to foreign policy, China’s leaders still usually stick to it. So it is odd, perhaps, that an African country of less than vital economic and strategic importance to China has brought it out of its shell.
China’s decision on July 11th to veto an American-led resolution in the United Nations that called for sanctions against Zimbabwe was an unusual move. By voting the same way as Russia, China still managed to avoid taking the lead. But its normal preference is to abstain from voting rather than veto Western initiatives in the UN. This time it decided to make a stronger point.
Chinese officials and the public generally have shown little sympathy for Western concerns about election-rigging in Zimbabwe. On the sidelines of a summit of G8 leaders in Japan this month, President Hu Jintao met South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki and relayed no more than China’s “concern” about the Zimbabwean crisis. China has avoided direct condemnation of Zimbabwe’s leader, Robert Mugabe. (His message of condolence over China’s deadly earthquake in May was politely noted by the state-controlled media.) At a summit of African leaders in Beijing in 2006 and during a week-long state visit to China in 2005, Mr Mugabe was received politely.
Chinese diplomats are worried about the precedent that would have been set by the proposed UN resolution: for foreign intervention in a domestic political dispute. (China does not want any such attention focused on its own internal problems, to say nothing of its putatively internal disputes with Taiwan.) It has been similarly unsettled by charges of war crimes brought by the International Criminal Court against Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir in The Hague this week. Sudan is of considerable strategic importance to China because of its oil production, much of which China buys.
But there is no sign that China’s alarm over these developments will lead to greater confrontation between it and the West over Africa. China appears as anxious as ever to convince the West that it is trying, behind the scenes, to persuade Mr al-Bashir to rein in the violence in Darfur (though it will not be helped by allegations just aired by the BBC that, in violation of a UN arms embargo, China has been supplying trucks to Sudan’s military and training its pilots in Darfur). During the build-up to the Olympic games in Beijing next month China has a particularly strong incentive to appear cooperative with the West on Sudan. It does not want another public embarrassment such as it suffered in February when Steven Spielberg, a Hollywood film director, resigned from his advisory role to the games because of China’s (harmful, as he saw it) involvement in Sudan. It was embarrassed by the discovery in South Africa in April of a shipment of Chinese small arms destined for Zimbabwe. Chinese officials said the delivery was subsequently aborted.
Amid widespread Western disquiet over its engagement with Africa—especially in its willingness to turn a blind eye to corruption, authoritarianism and other political problems there—China will take some heart from a recent World Bank report that notes an “encouraging trend” in its rapidly growing economic engagement with Africa. China is helping to finance infrastructure projects in more than 35 African countries, says the report, with Zimbabwe and Sudan among the big recipients (Sudan has received about $1.3 billion from China so far). Only 7% of this finance is related to resource extraction, the bank says. The rest is for “broader development”. There will be, as the bank points out, a learning process for borrowers and financiers alike in this emerging relationship. Among issues that need to be grasped, it says, are how to enforce “environmental and social standards” in the projects concerned. China pays at least lip service to such issues, but it is far from fanatical about them. Turbulence in countries like Zimbabwe may well remind China that it is plying choppy waters in Africa. It will not be able to ignore the domestic politics of its friends there forever
“Adopt a low profile and never take the lead,” was an axiom of China’s elder statesman, the late Deng Xiaoping. When it comes to foreign policy, China’s leaders still usually stick to it. So it is odd, perhaps, that an African country of less than vital economic and strategic importance to China has brought it out of its shell.
China’s decision on July 11th to veto an American-led resolution in the United Nations that called for sanctions against Zimbabwe was an unusual move. By voting the same way as Russia, China still managed to avoid taking the lead. But its normal preference is to abstain from voting rather than veto Western initiatives in the UN. This time it decided to make a stronger point.
Chinese officials and the public generally have shown little sympathy for Western concerns about election-rigging in Zimbabwe. On the sidelines of a summit of G8 leaders in Japan this month, President Hu Jintao met South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki and relayed no more than China’s “concern” about the Zimbabwean crisis. China has avoided direct condemnation of Zimbabwe’s leader, Robert Mugabe. (His message of condolence over China’s deadly earthquake in May was politely noted by the state-controlled media.) At a summit of African leaders in Beijing in 2006 and during a week-long state visit to China in 2005, Mr Mugabe was received politely.
Chinese diplomats are worried about the precedent that would have been set by the proposed UN resolution: for foreign intervention in a domestic political dispute. (China does not want any such attention focused on its own internal problems, to say nothing of its putatively internal disputes with Taiwan.) It has been similarly unsettled by charges of war crimes brought by the International Criminal Court against Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir in The Hague this week. Sudan is of considerable strategic importance to China because of its oil production, much of which China buys.
But there is no sign that China’s alarm over these developments will lead to greater confrontation between it and the West over Africa. China appears as anxious as ever to convince the West that it is trying, behind the scenes, to persuade Mr al-Bashir to rein in the violence in Darfur (though it will not be helped by allegations just aired by the BBC that, in violation of a UN arms embargo, China has been supplying trucks to Sudan’s military and training its pilots in Darfur). During the build-up to the Olympic games in Beijing next month China has a particularly strong incentive to appear cooperative with the West on Sudan. It does not want another public embarrassment such as it suffered in February when Steven Spielberg, a Hollywood film director, resigned from his advisory role to the games because of China’s (harmful, as he saw it) involvement in Sudan. It was embarrassed by the discovery in South Africa in April of a shipment of Chinese small arms destined for Zimbabwe. Chinese officials said the delivery was subsequently aborted.
Amid widespread Western disquiet over its engagement with Africa—especially in its willingness to turn a blind eye to corruption, authoritarianism and other political problems there—China will take some heart from a recent World Bank report that notes an “encouraging trend” in its rapidly growing economic engagement with Africa. China is helping to finance infrastructure projects in more than 35 African countries, says the report, with Zimbabwe and Sudan among the big recipients (Sudan has received about $1.3 billion from China so far). Only 7% of this finance is related to resource extraction, the bank says. The rest is for “broader development”. There will be, as the bank points out, a learning process for borrowers and financiers alike in this emerging relationship. Among issues that need to be grasped, it says, are how to enforce “environmental and social standards” in the projects concerned. China pays at least lip service to such issues, but it is far from fanatical about them. Turbulence in countries like Zimbabwe may well remind China that it is plying choppy waters in Africa. It will not be able to ignore the domestic politics of its friends there forever
World - Violent Britain
The angry men of Europe—and how to calm them down
LONDON, once seen as a quiet and respectable sort of city, is in the grip of a culture de poignard, the French press have taken to reporting. On June 29th two students from the University of Clermont-Ferrand were found horribly murdered in the British capital. The bodies of the young men—bound, multiply stabbed and set alight—have inspired horror on both sides of the Channel. A grisly run of teenage murders before this episode had already caused Britons to wonder what is up.
England and Wales are not unusually murderous.The homicide rate is higher than anywhere in western Europe except Finland, Belgium and indeed France (though Britain edges ahead of France when Scotland and Northern Ireland are included). But Britain looks gentle next to former colonies such as Canada, New Zealand and especially America. And it compares favourably with the EU average, thanks to the new eastern European states: in Latvia and Lithuania homicide is five times as common as it is in Britain.
But there is more to life than avoiding death. When it comes to non-deadly violence Britain soars alarmingly ahead of the rest. Cross-country crime comparisons are tricky, but the International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) is the best of the non-homicide bunch. In it people from 28 rich countries are asked if they have been attacked or threatened in the past five years. Britain comes second (after tiny Iceland), ahead of countries with much higher murder rates.
It is tempting to say it was ever thus, summoning Caesar or Chaucer to prove it. But in 1988 the ICVS placed Britain only eighth in Europe for the incidence of threats and assaults, well behind America, Canada and the Antipodes. The subsequent catch-up is not due just to a fit of the jitters: Britain maintains its lead when assaults only, minus threats, are examined. A New Yorker visiting London is less likely to be murdered than he would be at home. But he is more likely to be beaten up.
The evolution of Britain as a low-murder, high-violence society is in evidence every Saturday night, when many, stoked by alcohol, prefer an after-dinner fight to mints. Much of this goes unrecorded, as the British Crime Survey ignores victims under 16; yet even so, against a backdrop of generally falling crime, the figures for attacks by strangers remain stubbornly high. Doctors say that their wards see more stabbing victims, and injuries from guns have almost trebled since 2000. At the same time, however, homicide has been falling since 2003. Those guns that are injuring more people are killing fewer, and the number of those stabbed to death is stable.
So murder is not the problem. But it might suggest what is. Take London, where murder is at a nine-year low. A recent study by King’s College London shows that the over-35s are being murdered less frequently but those under 17 are being murdered more often. From 2000 to 2006, between 15 and 19 teenagers were killed in the capital each year. Last year the figure hit 26; this year, only half-complete, 19 have died.
This changing profile might explain why, overall, injuries are up and murder is down: serious violence is becoming an amateur pursuit. “I was 16 eight years ago and it wasn’t like that then,” says Brooke Kinsella, a soap actress whose brother Ben was murdered on June 29th. Politicians “don’t know what’s going on. It’s the people that live in their local communities that know and hear about these attacks every day,” she told an interviewer. The day after her remarks, the Metropolitan Police said that knife crime had become their priority, ahead even of terrorism.
Ms Kinsella got five and a half minutes on the BBC to put her case. That is more say than most people have in how they are policed. Britain’s 43 forces are answerable only to the home secretary and their local police authority, a weedy board of councillors, magistrates and assorted other appointees with little clout. Policemen may hold surgeries for local people, but they can take or leave whatever requests such meetings throw up. Instead, they are subservient to a rigid system of central targets, which has inadvertently encouraged coppers to focus on busting minor offenders rather than on keeping their patches safe.
This centralisation of control—which dates back to the 1960s, when corruption was a problem in many local forces—has also meant that the debate about how to deal with violence, or any other crime, takes place nationally. Everyone has ideas: the government wants a “presumption of prosecution” of those caught with knives; the Tories have trumped that with a “presumption of imprisonment”. Cherie Blair, a former Downing Street spouse, weighed in on July 6th; Anglicans pondered the subject at their General Synod; and Catholics are planning a vigil. The only people who haven’t had much of a voice are voters. Unlike America, whose elected sheriffs enjoy (and sometimes abuse) real power, Britain’s police chiefs do not take orders from the people they protect.
Those savages: maybe not so dim
That is soon to change—a bit. A policing green paper, expected later this month, will introduce some kind of directly-elected local control. Various options are on the table. The Tories want to replace police authorities with elected police commissioners, who would set policing priorities as well as signing off on budgets. The government seems to be leaning towards a tamer option: preserving the police authorities that now exist, but insisting that their members be elected. Home Office research shows that the “vast majority” of Britons have never heard of police authorities, and most of those who have don’t know what they do. It is hard to imagine chief constables being bossed around by anonymous people elected on a minuscule turnout.
Ministers may fear that local control of the police would lead to populist law enforcement. That is a danger, but two things mitigate it. For one, the existing criminal-justice system, led by a government in distress, is not exactly un-populist. (A recent Cabinet Office review recommended that those undergoing community punishments should wear fluorescent vests to shame them publicly.)
More importantly, the public is quite often ahead of the game. The level of street violence is one example; another is the public obsession with putting more bobbies on the beat, once ridiculed by criminologists but now all the rage in the form of “neighbourhood policing”. If the public can be given more say, ideas such as these might surface a bit faster.
LONDON, once seen as a quiet and respectable sort of city, is in the grip of a culture de poignard, the French press have taken to reporting. On June 29th two students from the University of Clermont-Ferrand were found horribly murdered in the British capital. The bodies of the young men—bound, multiply stabbed and set alight—have inspired horror on both sides of the Channel. A grisly run of teenage murders before this episode had already caused Britons to wonder what is up.
England and Wales are not unusually murderous.The homicide rate is higher than anywhere in western Europe except Finland, Belgium and indeed France (though Britain edges ahead of France when Scotland and Northern Ireland are included). But Britain looks gentle next to former colonies such as Canada, New Zealand and especially America. And it compares favourably with the EU average, thanks to the new eastern European states: in Latvia and Lithuania homicide is five times as common as it is in Britain.
But there is more to life than avoiding death. When it comes to non-deadly violence Britain soars alarmingly ahead of the rest. Cross-country crime comparisons are tricky, but the International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) is the best of the non-homicide bunch. In it people from 28 rich countries are asked if they have been attacked or threatened in the past five years. Britain comes second (after tiny Iceland), ahead of countries with much higher murder rates.
It is tempting to say it was ever thus, summoning Caesar or Chaucer to prove it. But in 1988 the ICVS placed Britain only eighth in Europe for the incidence of threats and assaults, well behind America, Canada and the Antipodes. The subsequent catch-up is not due just to a fit of the jitters: Britain maintains its lead when assaults only, minus threats, are examined. A New Yorker visiting London is less likely to be murdered than he would be at home. But he is more likely to be beaten up.
The evolution of Britain as a low-murder, high-violence society is in evidence every Saturday night, when many, stoked by alcohol, prefer an after-dinner fight to mints. Much of this goes unrecorded, as the British Crime Survey ignores victims under 16; yet even so, against a backdrop of generally falling crime, the figures for attacks by strangers remain stubbornly high. Doctors say that their wards see more stabbing victims, and injuries from guns have almost trebled since 2000. At the same time, however, homicide has been falling since 2003. Those guns that are injuring more people are killing fewer, and the number of those stabbed to death is stable.
So murder is not the problem. But it might suggest what is. Take London, where murder is at a nine-year low. A recent study by King’s College London shows that the over-35s are being murdered less frequently but those under 17 are being murdered more often. From 2000 to 2006, between 15 and 19 teenagers were killed in the capital each year. Last year the figure hit 26; this year, only half-complete, 19 have died.
This changing profile might explain why, overall, injuries are up and murder is down: serious violence is becoming an amateur pursuit. “I was 16 eight years ago and it wasn’t like that then,” says Brooke Kinsella, a soap actress whose brother Ben was murdered on June 29th. Politicians “don’t know what’s going on. It’s the people that live in their local communities that know and hear about these attacks every day,” she told an interviewer. The day after her remarks, the Metropolitan Police said that knife crime had become their priority, ahead even of terrorism.
Ms Kinsella got five and a half minutes on the BBC to put her case. That is more say than most people have in how they are policed. Britain’s 43 forces are answerable only to the home secretary and their local police authority, a weedy board of councillors, magistrates and assorted other appointees with little clout. Policemen may hold surgeries for local people, but they can take or leave whatever requests such meetings throw up. Instead, they are subservient to a rigid system of central targets, which has inadvertently encouraged coppers to focus on busting minor offenders rather than on keeping their patches safe.
This centralisation of control—which dates back to the 1960s, when corruption was a problem in many local forces—has also meant that the debate about how to deal with violence, or any other crime, takes place nationally. Everyone has ideas: the government wants a “presumption of prosecution” of those caught with knives; the Tories have trumped that with a “presumption of imprisonment”. Cherie Blair, a former Downing Street spouse, weighed in on July 6th; Anglicans pondered the subject at their General Synod; and Catholics are planning a vigil. The only people who haven’t had much of a voice are voters. Unlike America, whose elected sheriffs enjoy (and sometimes abuse) real power, Britain’s police chiefs do not take orders from the people they protect.
Those savages: maybe not so dim
That is soon to change—a bit. A policing green paper, expected later this month, will introduce some kind of directly-elected local control. Various options are on the table. The Tories want to replace police authorities with elected police commissioners, who would set policing priorities as well as signing off on budgets. The government seems to be leaning towards a tamer option: preserving the police authorities that now exist, but insisting that their members be elected. Home Office research shows that the “vast majority” of Britons have never heard of police authorities, and most of those who have don’t know what they do. It is hard to imagine chief constables being bossed around by anonymous people elected on a minuscule turnout.
Ministers may fear that local control of the police would lead to populist law enforcement. That is a danger, but two things mitigate it. For one, the existing criminal-justice system, led by a government in distress, is not exactly un-populist. (A recent Cabinet Office review recommended that those undergoing community punishments should wear fluorescent vests to shame them publicly.)
More importantly, the public is quite often ahead of the game. The level of street violence is one example; another is the public obsession with putting more bobbies on the beat, once ridiculed by criminologists but now all the rage in the form of “neighbourhood policing”. If the public can be given more say, ideas such as these might surface a bit faster.
World - Windows Live OOH
Imagine driving down Tulsi Pipe Road in Mumbai and seeing a bus shelter that reads ‘Cooking Classes, Matunga’. You actually spot the institute on turning your eyes in the opposite direction. Cool, isn't it? Microsoft grabbed the attention of passers-by and commuters through innovative bus shelters in order to popularise its Live Search service. Live Search is a unique search engine featuring an innovative and friendly user interface and powerful organisational tools designed to place the user in control. The service features simple precision tools such as search preview, a detail slider bar that increases the level of result information on the results page, and a smart scroll that enables people to view search results without moving pages. The service helps people to customise their search results by preference, and extensive search categories deliver better and more customised results.
The innovative OOH campaign, titled ‘Think It, Find It’, was done in Mumbai. It consisted of bus shelters featuring a Live Search bar with search keywords. What's interesting is that these keywords were customised to a specific location. For example, a bus shelter in Bandra read 'Tattoo parlour, Bandra', while the one in Kandivali read 'Power yoga classes, Kandivali'. Maya Hari, head, consumer marketing, online services group, Microsoft India, says, “The objective of the ‘Think It, Find It’ campaign was twofold. One was to get some visibility for Live Search in the market, given that in May we launched a host of exciting additions to our Live Search product, such as local search, differentiated video search, celebrity search (including the most popular searches by Indian consumers) and Image search with cool sorting ability. Cool sorting ability enables the user to specify searches, for example, only images with faces or only black and white images. Secondly, we wanted to get consumers curious about something fun and yet relevant and then drive users to try Live Search.” Hari says that the customisation was done to tickle the curiosity of consumers in a way in which they found the creative intriguing and relevant. “Seeing a Live Search bar on a bus shelter with the search keywords tattoo parlour, Bandra, or PG accommodation, Vile Parle, are examples of the kind of information that people are searching for today in any case,” says Hari. In fact, the creatives on the bus shelters were placed close to the points displayed. For example, if it said 'Tattoo parlour, Bandra', one could actually spot a tattoo parlour close by.
The displays were put up at approximately 30 locations across the city, mainly popular youth hotspots and arterial roads. The initiative was a two month activity in Mumbai and options are open to carry it to other major metros and mini metros. Live Search also offers a unique video search experience. “Say you search for Hrithik Roshan or Beyonce in the video search, you will get a whole bunch of relevant videos as results. What is extremely appealing to consumers is that when they run their mouse over any of the video results, the video plays right there, so you don't actually have to click on the video, go to the page and then find out whether this video is interesting or not,” says Hari.As for the creative, the aim was to use humour to arouse curiosity about the video search. Hence the line on a creative tells users interested in 'Bollywood, Hollywood, Tollywood or any other wood' to try searching videos on www.live.com. The creatives were done by McCann Bangalore, while the media duties were handled by Lodestar Universal.Other media exploited for this campaign includes extensive online marketing on www.live.com and advertising on cybercafé monitors in five cities.
The innovative OOH campaign, titled ‘Think It, Find It’, was done in Mumbai. It consisted of bus shelters featuring a Live Search bar with search keywords. What's interesting is that these keywords were customised to a specific location. For example, a bus shelter in Bandra read 'Tattoo parlour, Bandra', while the one in Kandivali read 'Power yoga classes, Kandivali'. Maya Hari, head, consumer marketing, online services group, Microsoft India, says, “The objective of the ‘Think It, Find It’ campaign was twofold. One was to get some visibility for Live Search in the market, given that in May we launched a host of exciting additions to our Live Search product, such as local search, differentiated video search, celebrity search (including the most popular searches by Indian consumers) and Image search with cool sorting ability. Cool sorting ability enables the user to specify searches, for example, only images with faces or only black and white images. Secondly, we wanted to get consumers curious about something fun and yet relevant and then drive users to try Live Search.” Hari says that the customisation was done to tickle the curiosity of consumers in a way in which they found the creative intriguing and relevant. “Seeing a Live Search bar on a bus shelter with the search keywords tattoo parlour, Bandra, or PG accommodation, Vile Parle, are examples of the kind of information that people are searching for today in any case,” says Hari. In fact, the creatives on the bus shelters were placed close to the points displayed. For example, if it said 'Tattoo parlour, Bandra', one could actually spot a tattoo parlour close by.
The displays were put up at approximately 30 locations across the city, mainly popular youth hotspots and arterial roads. The initiative was a two month activity in Mumbai and options are open to carry it to other major metros and mini metros. Live Search also offers a unique video search experience. “Say you search for Hrithik Roshan or Beyonce in the video search, you will get a whole bunch of relevant videos as results. What is extremely appealing to consumers is that when they run their mouse over any of the video results, the video plays right there, so you don't actually have to click on the video, go to the page and then find out whether this video is interesting or not,” says Hari.As for the creative, the aim was to use humour to arouse curiosity about the video search. Hence the line on a creative tells users interested in 'Bollywood, Hollywood, Tollywood or any other wood' to try searching videos on www.live.com. The creatives were done by McCann Bangalore, while the media duties were handled by Lodestar Universal.Other media exploited for this campaign includes extensive online marketing on www.live.com and advertising on cybercafé monitors in five cities.
World - Why does Russia cooperate with Rogue States
Russia does not deny international cooperation, including that of judicial agencies, but has some misgivings about possible interference in domestic affairs.
“Rogue state” is a term applied by some international theorists to states considered threatening to global peace. This description might typically include certain criteria, such as being ruled by authoritarian regimes that severely restrict human rights, sponsoring terrorism, or seeking to proliferate weapons of mass destruction.
In the late 1980s, U.S. officials considered North Korea, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Libya “rogue states.” Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq were removed from the list in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Libya achieved success through diplomacy and is not included on the list today.
The concept of a “rogue state” was replaced by the Bush administration’s use of the term “axis of evil” (when referring to Iraq, Iran and North Korea). U.S. President George W. Bush first spoke of this “axis of evil” during his January 2002 State of the Union Address.
Both phrases have become obsolete because of their arrogant connotations. Nevertheless, Washington and part of the international community are still treating some countries with suspicion.
Over the years, the United States has blacklisted such countries as Belarus, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, North Korea, Serbia, Syria and Sudan. The U.S. administration believes that any other countries that cooperate with them are not quite civilised and are unfriendly towards Washington.
It appears that Russia is purposefully streamlining ties with countries, international organisations and movements (for example, Hamas) implementing anti-American policies.
Instead of generalising, it might be more constructive to try and understand the Kremlin’s international law, political and economic motivations in specific cases.
Moscow’s notion of international law includes its opinion regarding the nature of a system for international relations. Russia advocates the primacy of national sovereignty, believing that supranational bodies should be established in accordance with collective decisions and should adhere to legal procedures.
Moscow believes that the views of the great powers are no more valid than those of anyone else. This explains Russia’s stand on Zimbabwe, Sudan and Myanmar and various international tribunals and investigations, including those of the bloody May 2005 riots in Andijan, in Uzbekistan, the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005 and the International Criminal Court’s recent decision to seek an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
Russia does not deny international cooperation, including that of judicial agencies, but has some misgivings about possible interference in domestic affairs. The experience of the last 20 years shows that efforts to restore justice or to protect human rights standards are often undermined by political motives, including the overthrow of undesirable regimes.
Political motives imply concepts for more effectively tackling international issues.
As far as the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programmes, the Israeli-Hamas and Israeli-Syrian peace talks and the situation in Zimbabwe are concerned, Moscow believes that the isolation of “problem states” merely deadlocks any crisis. This is particularly true of situations when ideological approaches prevail.
Russia believes that efforts to involve the parties concerned in negotiations, to facilitate mutual trust and gradual advances are far more constructive than open coercion or intimidation. Still, pressure tactics should not be discarded but merely serve as an element of a wide-ranging and diversified strategy.
The international community’s approach to North Korea validates this strategy. The Iranian nuclear problem is also being solved, albeit with difficulty. Even the United States and Israel have realised that a policy aimed at isolating Hamas is wrong or, at best, pointless. Active and diverse diplomacy has turned Libya from a “pariah” state into an acceptable member of the international community.
The commercial factor is also very important. For instance, Venezuela is an ideal partner for the Russian defence industry. Venezuela, which has sizeable financial resources and whose ambitious leader Hugo Chavez wants to buy state-of-the-art weapons, is not covered by any international sanctions or restrictions. Although the Kremlin disagrees with the views of President Chavez who wants to build socialism in his country and to set up an alliance against U.S. regional domination, it sees no reason to ignore Venezuelan requests.
Although Russian weapons could be used in conflicts, Moscow would not want to support any of the belligerents. There have been allegations that some weapons bought by Caracas have fallen into the hands of the insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), or that Hezbollah, a Shiite Islamic political and paramilitary organisation based in Lebanon, gets some of its weapons from Syria. Before signing any contracts, Moscow should insist on fair play and on screening all prospective clients.
Politics always have some emotional aspects. Moscow reacts appropriately when the United States actively invades traditional Russian spheres of influence or supports countries allegedly implementing anti-Russian policies. Until now, Russia has managed to behave soberly and to choose a more tactful approach to foreign policy issues.
“Rogue state” is a term applied by some international theorists to states considered threatening to global peace. This description might typically include certain criteria, such as being ruled by authoritarian regimes that severely restrict human rights, sponsoring terrorism, or seeking to proliferate weapons of mass destruction.
In the late 1980s, U.S. officials considered North Korea, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Libya “rogue states.” Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq were removed from the list in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Libya achieved success through diplomacy and is not included on the list today.
The concept of a “rogue state” was replaced by the Bush administration’s use of the term “axis of evil” (when referring to Iraq, Iran and North Korea). U.S. President George W. Bush first spoke of this “axis of evil” during his January 2002 State of the Union Address.
Both phrases have become obsolete because of their arrogant connotations. Nevertheless, Washington and part of the international community are still treating some countries with suspicion.
Over the years, the United States has blacklisted such countries as Belarus, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, North Korea, Serbia, Syria and Sudan. The U.S. administration believes that any other countries that cooperate with them are not quite civilised and are unfriendly towards Washington.
It appears that Russia is purposefully streamlining ties with countries, international organisations and movements (for example, Hamas) implementing anti-American policies.
Instead of generalising, it might be more constructive to try and understand the Kremlin’s international law, political and economic motivations in specific cases.
Moscow’s notion of international law includes its opinion regarding the nature of a system for international relations. Russia advocates the primacy of national sovereignty, believing that supranational bodies should be established in accordance with collective decisions and should adhere to legal procedures.
Moscow believes that the views of the great powers are no more valid than those of anyone else. This explains Russia’s stand on Zimbabwe, Sudan and Myanmar and various international tribunals and investigations, including those of the bloody May 2005 riots in Andijan, in Uzbekistan, the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005 and the International Criminal Court’s recent decision to seek an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
Russia does not deny international cooperation, including that of judicial agencies, but has some misgivings about possible interference in domestic affairs. The experience of the last 20 years shows that efforts to restore justice or to protect human rights standards are often undermined by political motives, including the overthrow of undesirable regimes.
Political motives imply concepts for more effectively tackling international issues.
As far as the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programmes, the Israeli-Hamas and Israeli-Syrian peace talks and the situation in Zimbabwe are concerned, Moscow believes that the isolation of “problem states” merely deadlocks any crisis. This is particularly true of situations when ideological approaches prevail.
Russia believes that efforts to involve the parties concerned in negotiations, to facilitate mutual trust and gradual advances are far more constructive than open coercion or intimidation. Still, pressure tactics should not be discarded but merely serve as an element of a wide-ranging and diversified strategy.
The international community’s approach to North Korea validates this strategy. The Iranian nuclear problem is also being solved, albeit with difficulty. Even the United States and Israel have realised that a policy aimed at isolating Hamas is wrong or, at best, pointless. Active and diverse diplomacy has turned Libya from a “pariah” state into an acceptable member of the international community.
The commercial factor is also very important. For instance, Venezuela is an ideal partner for the Russian defence industry. Venezuela, which has sizeable financial resources and whose ambitious leader Hugo Chavez wants to buy state-of-the-art weapons, is not covered by any international sanctions or restrictions. Although the Kremlin disagrees with the views of President Chavez who wants to build socialism in his country and to set up an alliance against U.S. regional domination, it sees no reason to ignore Venezuelan requests.
Although Russian weapons could be used in conflicts, Moscow would not want to support any of the belligerents. There have been allegations that some weapons bought by Caracas have fallen into the hands of the insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), or that Hezbollah, a Shiite Islamic political and paramilitary organisation based in Lebanon, gets some of its weapons from Syria. Before signing any contracts, Moscow should insist on fair play and on screening all prospective clients.
Politics always have some emotional aspects. Moscow reacts appropriately when the United States actively invades traditional Russian spheres of influence or supports countries allegedly implementing anti-Russian policies. Until now, Russia has managed to behave soberly and to choose a more tactful approach to foreign policy issues.
India - Mumbai,a modern babel downgrades english
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Earlier this month, a Mumbai city official stood up to make a presentation on water meters only to be heckled and jeered into silence by his colleagues.
He had tried to make his presentation in English.
India's capital of commerce speaks in many tongues but from this month, when it comes to official communications within the municipal authority, English will no longer be one of them.
The decision to ditch English, the global language of business, in favor of Marathi, a language largely restricted to the surrounding state of Maharashtra, has left some officials struggling to express themselves.
"I love Marathi. I am Marathi," said Ashish Shelar, an elected official. "But Mumbai city has become a global city now. The language of Mumbai city has changed."
He recalls being briefly dumbstruck when, in the middle of a Marathi speech, he wanted to urge colleagues not to "cherry-pick" his ideas.
"Converting this idea of cherry-picking into Marathi is not an easy thing," he said.
India has long grappled with the problem of Babel. Its constitution recognizes 22 official languages, including English. Mumbai in particular, a cosmopolitan harbor city and a magnet for Indians across the country, is helplessly polyglot.
Movie stars film in Hindi by day, and party in English by night. Diamond dealers and stock traders swap tips in Gujarati. Politicians send their children to English-medium schools, but whip up rallies with speeches in Marathi about the erosion of Maharashtrian culture.
NATIVIST PRIDE
The move was pushed through without debate by Shubha Raul, the mayor, who is a member of Shiv Sena, a political party that encourages the nativist pride of Marathis and chastises Indian immigrants who fail to behave like good guests in the city.
No city official is against Marathi communication -- although Marathis make up less than half of Mumbai's population the language is understood to some degree by many long-term residents.
But some officials say that while the Marathi of the bazaars is easy to understand, the officialese version of the language is confusing, and a poor substitute for English.
Like the Academie Francaise in Paris, city bureaucrats are increasingly on guard against English loanwords, even when they are more widely understood than the Marathi equivalent.
Many Mumbaikars will know what the Internet is; fewer will immediately grasp the meaning of "sanganakiya jaali", which translates as "computer-based net".
"It's very difficult to go through the documents," said Amin Patel, another elected official fighting the move. "I have a translator who translates for me -- this is not the solution."
Proponents of the move say the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working for the "common man", and so must not waste time speaking anything but his language.
"It's only this urbanized elite which have been ruling the corporation who are opposed," said Jairaj Phatak, the city's municipal commissioner, who is in charge of the BMC's 160-billion rupee budget ($4 billion).
He says the move is not as insular as critics make out. International tenders will still be in English. Mumbaikars can still write to the BMC in Hindi, and expect a response in the same. His press conferences will still be proudly trilingual.
He concedes it will take time for people to get used to typing documents up in Marathi. But he says people are already adapting, and soon the BMC will be back up to full speed.
"I am an employee, I have to obey," said P.K. Charankar, the deputy municipal commissioner heckled during his water meter talk. He spent two or three days translating his presentation into Marathi before returning to the scene of his embarrassment.
He found his audience had become much more receptive.
He had tried to make his presentation in English.
India's capital of commerce speaks in many tongues but from this month, when it comes to official communications within the municipal authority, English will no longer be one of them.
The decision to ditch English, the global language of business, in favor of Marathi, a language largely restricted to the surrounding state of Maharashtra, has left some officials struggling to express themselves.
"I love Marathi. I am Marathi," said Ashish Shelar, an elected official. "But Mumbai city has become a global city now. The language of Mumbai city has changed."
He recalls being briefly dumbstruck when, in the middle of a Marathi speech, he wanted to urge colleagues not to "cherry-pick" his ideas.
"Converting this idea of cherry-picking into Marathi is not an easy thing," he said.
India has long grappled with the problem of Babel. Its constitution recognizes 22 official languages, including English. Mumbai in particular, a cosmopolitan harbor city and a magnet for Indians across the country, is helplessly polyglot.
Movie stars film in Hindi by day, and party in English by night. Diamond dealers and stock traders swap tips in Gujarati. Politicians send their children to English-medium schools, but whip up rallies with speeches in Marathi about the erosion of Maharashtrian culture.
NATIVIST PRIDE
The move was pushed through without debate by Shubha Raul, the mayor, who is a member of Shiv Sena, a political party that encourages the nativist pride of Marathis and chastises Indian immigrants who fail to behave like good guests in the city.
No city official is against Marathi communication -- although Marathis make up less than half of Mumbai's population the language is understood to some degree by many long-term residents.
But some officials say that while the Marathi of the bazaars is easy to understand, the officialese version of the language is confusing, and a poor substitute for English.
Like the Academie Francaise in Paris, city bureaucrats are increasingly on guard against English loanwords, even when they are more widely understood than the Marathi equivalent.
Many Mumbaikars will know what the Internet is; fewer will immediately grasp the meaning of "sanganakiya jaali", which translates as "computer-based net".
"It's very difficult to go through the documents," said Amin Patel, another elected official fighting the move. "I have a translator who translates for me -- this is not the solution."
Proponents of the move say the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working for the "common man", and so must not waste time speaking anything but his language.
"It's only this urbanized elite which have been ruling the corporation who are opposed," said Jairaj Phatak, the city's municipal commissioner, who is in charge of the BMC's 160-billion rupee budget ($4 billion).
He says the move is not as insular as critics make out. International tenders will still be in English. Mumbaikars can still write to the BMC in Hindi, and expect a response in the same. His press conferences will still be proudly trilingual.
He concedes it will take time for people to get used to typing documents up in Marathi. But he says people are already adapting, and soon the BMC will be back up to full speed.
"I am an employee, I have to obey," said P.K. Charankar, the deputy municipal commissioner heckled during his water meter talk. He spent two or three days translating his presentation into Marathi before returning to the scene of his embarrassment.
He found his audience had become much more receptive.
Mktg - Likeable celebrities best for Branding
TORONTO (Reuters) - Forget popularity and recognition. Celebrities who are likable and can be trusted have the most influence on what consumers buy, according to a new study.
While actor Brad Pitt and pop singer Britney Spears are the most recognized stars among 200 famous faces tested in a survey, they failed to crack the top five for likability, according to New York-based market research company NDP Group, Inc.
Actors Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon, Halle Berry and George Clooney were the most likable celebrities.
Oprah Winfrey's interior designer Nate Berkus and Will Smith topped the chart for eliciting trust, followed by chef Mario Batali, golfer Tiger Woods and chef Paula Deen.
"It's not about fashion and it's not about beauty that's necessarily connecting the celebrity and the product anymore," Marshal Cohen, an analyst with the group, said in an interview.
"It's really more about getting exposure for reasons that go beyond just the glamour shots."
Will Smith dominated the likability list with 83 percent of the 4,500 online respondents saying they liked him "strongly" or "somewhat".
The trust factor - a celebrity's ability to appear believable or authentic when pitching a brand - was also noted as a strong motivator to get individuals buying celebrity-promoted products.
Nine out of the top 25 most-trusted celebrities were chefs, including Batali, Deen and Rachel Ray.
"It's the believability that that person knows what it is they are talking about, which is why so many celebrities in this particular year emerged from the network cooking and crafts businesses because they are the ones who are hands on," Cohen said.
But the rich and famous are not always a perfect fit for product endorsements, the study showed.
Celebrity impact in the fragrance market is beginning to slump for women while some of the most tried and tested endorsements in sportswear are not enough to get consumers into the stores.
"The power of the celebrity, in many cases has really transitioned. Now, what's driving beauty is the doctors and prescriptive cosmetic brands that are more about someone who has a PHD and is warranted in talking about cosmetics and not just a woman with a pretty face."
(Reuters Nielsen)
While actor Brad Pitt and pop singer Britney Spears are the most recognized stars among 200 famous faces tested in a survey, they failed to crack the top five for likability, according to New York-based market research company NDP Group, Inc.
Actors Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon, Halle Berry and George Clooney were the most likable celebrities.
Oprah Winfrey's interior designer Nate Berkus and Will Smith topped the chart for eliciting trust, followed by chef Mario Batali, golfer Tiger Woods and chef Paula Deen.
"It's not about fashion and it's not about beauty that's necessarily connecting the celebrity and the product anymore," Marshal Cohen, an analyst with the group, said in an interview.
"It's really more about getting exposure for reasons that go beyond just the glamour shots."
Will Smith dominated the likability list with 83 percent of the 4,500 online respondents saying they liked him "strongly" or "somewhat".
The trust factor - a celebrity's ability to appear believable or authentic when pitching a brand - was also noted as a strong motivator to get individuals buying celebrity-promoted products.
Nine out of the top 25 most-trusted celebrities were chefs, including Batali, Deen and Rachel Ray.
"It's the believability that that person knows what it is they are talking about, which is why so many celebrities in this particular year emerged from the network cooking and crafts businesses because they are the ones who are hands on," Cohen said.
But the rich and famous are not always a perfect fit for product endorsements, the study showed.
Celebrity impact in the fragrance market is beginning to slump for women while some of the most tried and tested endorsements in sportswear are not enough to get consumers into the stores.
"The power of the celebrity, in many cases has really transitioned. Now, what's driving beauty is the doctors and prescriptive cosmetic brands that are more about someone who has a PHD and is warranted in talking about cosmetics and not just a woman with a pretty face."
(Reuters Nielsen)
World - Transfats banned in California Restaurants
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Friday making California the first U.S. state to prohibit restaurants from preparing food with trans fats, which clog arteries and raise the risk of heart disease.
The bill will be phased in starting in 2010 across California, a trend-setting state where diet-conscious legislation has been gaining momentum in recent years.
New York City and Philadelphia are among other U.S. jurisdictions with laws banning trans fats.
"California is a leader in promoting health and nutrition, and I am pleased to continue that tradition by being the first state in the nation to phase out trans fats," said Schwarzenegger, a former bodybuilding champion.
"Consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease, and today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California," he added.
Last October, Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning artificial trans fats in food served at public schools.
California Restaurant Association members will comply with the new law, said spokesman Daniel Conway. "Many of them are already voluntarily moving away from the use of trans fats," he said.
The association opposed the legislation because it believes such rules should be made at the federal level by agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Conway said.
Trans fats are used in fried foods as an alternative to other healthier oils that break down faster under high temperatures, and in baked goods to extend their shelf life.
The consumption of trans fats -- often in the form of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils -- increases the risk of coronary heart disease, according to health authorities.
McDonald's Corp, the world's biggest restaurant company, will have phased out the use of trans fats at its restaurants before the California bill goes into effect, said spokeswoman Danya Proud.
"We will be in compliance by the end of 2008," Proud said, noting baked goods at McDonald's restaurants in the United States should be trans fat-free by the end of this year.
Fried menu items at McDonald's restaurants in the United States are no longer prepared using trans fats, Proud said.
Wendy's, the third-largest hamburger chain, switched to trans fat-free cooking oil in 2006.
Yum Brands Inc's KFC and Taco Bell chains in the United States completed such a switch last year.
Burger King Holdings Inc, the second-largest burger chain, has promised to switch its U.S. outlets to trans fat-free oils by year-end.
The bill will be phased in starting in 2010 across California, a trend-setting state where diet-conscious legislation has been gaining momentum in recent years.
New York City and Philadelphia are among other U.S. jurisdictions with laws banning trans fats.
"California is a leader in promoting health and nutrition, and I am pleased to continue that tradition by being the first state in the nation to phase out trans fats," said Schwarzenegger, a former bodybuilding champion.
"Consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease, and today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California," he added.
Last October, Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning artificial trans fats in food served at public schools.
California Restaurant Association members will comply with the new law, said spokesman Daniel Conway. "Many of them are already voluntarily moving away from the use of trans fats," he said.
The association opposed the legislation because it believes such rules should be made at the federal level by agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Conway said.
Trans fats are used in fried foods as an alternative to other healthier oils that break down faster under high temperatures, and in baked goods to extend their shelf life.
The consumption of trans fats -- often in the form of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils -- increases the risk of coronary heart disease, according to health authorities.
McDonald's Corp, the world's biggest restaurant company, will have phased out the use of trans fats at its restaurants before the California bill goes into effect, said spokeswoman Danya Proud.
"We will be in compliance by the end of 2008," Proud said, noting baked goods at McDonald's restaurants in the United States should be trans fat-free by the end of this year.
Fried menu items at McDonald's restaurants in the United States are no longer prepared using trans fats, Proud said.
Wendy's, the third-largest hamburger chain, switched to trans fat-free cooking oil in 2006.
Yum Brands Inc's KFC and Taco Bell chains in the United States completed such a switch last year.
Burger King Holdings Inc, the second-largest burger chain, has promised to switch its U.S. outlets to trans fat-free oils by year-end.
Columnists - Vir Sanghvi
The real deal about Haute Couture
Have you ever wondered, when you see pictures of models on the ramp: “Which normal person wears these clothes?” As the Paris and New York fashion shows have got more and more outrageous, it is a valid question. After all, these shows are organized by multibillion-dollar conglomerates which are in the business of selling garments. Shouldn’t they be more concerned with making clothes that people actually want to buy? Many ramp fashions are simply unwearable.
I was at the Christian Dior haute couture show in Paris in the first week of July and watched John Galliano, Dior’s celebrated designer and one of the fashion world’s most outrageous major figures, take his flamboyant bows at the end. Galliano’s clothes usually attract the who-buys-this-stuff-anyway kind of question. Even though few fashion critics dispute that he is among the world’s most talented designers, his propensity for drama and his flair for over-the-top fashion have led to questions about the commercial viability of his clothes.
I discovered in Paris that the answers to those questions are more complicated than we may think. First of all, there’s the phenomenon of haute couture itself. These days only around 200 women in the whole world can afford couture, where the gowns start at over $100,000 (around Rs43 lakh). No house makes money from couture even at those prices so the shows are used for promotion and to make news.
At Dior, the couture line is an opportunity to show off Galliano’s genius rather than an attempt to sell too many clothes. This marks a shift in emphasis. In the old days there were more women who could afford couture (which was less expensive because skilled labour was cheaper) and Christian Dior (the man, not the brand) made his reputation as a couturier. His successors (and former protégés) Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Bohan kept to the same approach.
But by the time Bernard Arnault took over Christian Dior in the 1980s, couture was dying and the house was in decline. He sacked Bohan and hired the more contemporary-minded Gianfranco Ferre. But while Ferre’s clothes were trendier, he never pleased the old couture customers or made a mark on the ready-to-wear market.
Dior was revived only after Galliano’s appointment in 1996. The shows made news internationally because of their flamboyant presentation. And because the clothes themselves were such masterpieces of design, the fashion press finally offered Dior the respect that it had withheld for decades.
But who bought the couture clothes? Well, first of all, they didn’t need to sell all of them. Many were meant only to make a splash on the ramp. Secondly, they aren’t all quite as outrageous as they seem on the catwalk. Many can be tweaked or worn differently so that they seem less shocking. For instance, some of the outfits at the Paris show this year seemed to leave panties worryingly visible. But if the gowns were worn with slips (which, of course, they were not on the ramp), then the panties easily were hidden and the gowns suddenly seemed less shocking.
Even within the couture range, considerations of commerce are rarely absent. When Galliano conceives of his collection, he takes the idea to Sidney Toledano, Dior’s chief executive. The actual designing does not begin till Toledano has signed off on the vision. Then, before the dresses are made, Toledano is shown versions of each dress cut in simple white fabric so that the corporate side can have its say.
Like all houses, Dior is shifty about revealing what inputs Toledano gives Galliano. But can it be an accident that the collections always follow the mood of the times? At times of prosperity, Galliano is outrageous and exuberant, knowing that people will buy clothes they don’t really need or which they can only wear once. When the public mood is more sombre, the clothes are less shocking and more subdued so that people can buy classic looks that will last forever. This year’s collection was brilliant but, given the fears about the health of the global economy, it was also much more wearable and timeless.
For all fashion houses, the big money lies in accessories (handbags etc.) and fragrances (though Dior Perfumes is a separate company). But the ready-to-wear lines are also expected to turn a healthy profit. Those clothes are shown separately and though they may draw inspiration from the couture, they have their own — more commercial—identity. When most people say they are wearing Dior or Chanel, it is the ready-to-wear lines they are referring to, not the super-expensive couture (I’ve met only one woman in India in the last few years who had a couture gown made — and she paid in excess of 100,000 euro or Rs68 lakh) for a single dress at Chanel).
The genesis of the ready-to-wear line, which is rarely as outrageous as couture, is very different. Before Galliano starts designing, he will consult with a delegation from the commercial side. They will tell him what sold well last season and what did not; how many jackets they need and how many dresses; whether the line has become too focused on gowns; whether more working women are coming in to buy office clothes etc.
After he has all this information, Galliano will design the clothes. And even then, the commercial side will be consulted on the designs before the garments are made for the show. Once the clothes have been shown on the catwalk at the ready-to-wear shows and buyers have said which ones they like, only then will Dior decide how many pieces of each garment it needs to produce.
My previous experience of Paris haute couture had been at Chanel where the couture line is not dramatically different from the ready-to-wear collection. But watching the Dior show and talking to Toledano the next day, I realized how complicated the business of fashion really is.
The next time you see a photo of some outrageous Galliano creation and wonder “who would wear that?”, don’t worry about Dior’s commercial prospects. They don’t want very many of us to wear the couture clothes. They are just happy that we noticed them at all
Have you ever wondered, when you see pictures of models on the ramp: “Which normal person wears these clothes?” As the Paris and New York fashion shows have got more and more outrageous, it is a valid question. After all, these shows are organized by multibillion-dollar conglomerates which are in the business of selling garments. Shouldn’t they be more concerned with making clothes that people actually want to buy? Many ramp fashions are simply unwearable.
I was at the Christian Dior haute couture show in Paris in the first week of July and watched John Galliano, Dior’s celebrated designer and one of the fashion world’s most outrageous major figures, take his flamboyant bows at the end. Galliano’s clothes usually attract the who-buys-this-stuff-anyway kind of question. Even though few fashion critics dispute that he is among the world’s most talented designers, his propensity for drama and his flair for over-the-top fashion have led to questions about the commercial viability of his clothes.
I discovered in Paris that the answers to those questions are more complicated than we may think. First of all, there’s the phenomenon of haute couture itself. These days only around 200 women in the whole world can afford couture, where the gowns start at over $100,000 (around Rs43 lakh). No house makes money from couture even at those prices so the shows are used for promotion and to make news.
At Dior, the couture line is an opportunity to show off Galliano’s genius rather than an attempt to sell too many clothes. This marks a shift in emphasis. In the old days there were more women who could afford couture (which was less expensive because skilled labour was cheaper) and Christian Dior (the man, not the brand) made his reputation as a couturier. His successors (and former protégés) Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Bohan kept to the same approach.
But by the time Bernard Arnault took over Christian Dior in the 1980s, couture was dying and the house was in decline. He sacked Bohan and hired the more contemporary-minded Gianfranco Ferre. But while Ferre’s clothes were trendier, he never pleased the old couture customers or made a mark on the ready-to-wear market.
Dior was revived only after Galliano’s appointment in 1996. The shows made news internationally because of their flamboyant presentation. And because the clothes themselves were such masterpieces of design, the fashion press finally offered Dior the respect that it had withheld for decades.
But who bought the couture clothes? Well, first of all, they didn’t need to sell all of them. Many were meant only to make a splash on the ramp. Secondly, they aren’t all quite as outrageous as they seem on the catwalk. Many can be tweaked or worn differently so that they seem less shocking. For instance, some of the outfits at the Paris show this year seemed to leave panties worryingly visible. But if the gowns were worn with slips (which, of course, they were not on the ramp), then the panties easily were hidden and the gowns suddenly seemed less shocking.
Even within the couture range, considerations of commerce are rarely absent. When Galliano conceives of his collection, he takes the idea to Sidney Toledano, Dior’s chief executive. The actual designing does not begin till Toledano has signed off on the vision. Then, before the dresses are made, Toledano is shown versions of each dress cut in simple white fabric so that the corporate side can have its say.
Like all houses, Dior is shifty about revealing what inputs Toledano gives Galliano. But can it be an accident that the collections always follow the mood of the times? At times of prosperity, Galliano is outrageous and exuberant, knowing that people will buy clothes they don’t really need or which they can only wear once. When the public mood is more sombre, the clothes are less shocking and more subdued so that people can buy classic looks that will last forever. This year’s collection was brilliant but, given the fears about the health of the global economy, it was also much more wearable and timeless.
For all fashion houses, the big money lies in accessories (handbags etc.) and fragrances (though Dior Perfumes is a separate company). But the ready-to-wear lines are also expected to turn a healthy profit. Those clothes are shown separately and though they may draw inspiration from the couture, they have their own — more commercial—identity. When most people say they are wearing Dior or Chanel, it is the ready-to-wear lines they are referring to, not the super-expensive couture (I’ve met only one woman in India in the last few years who had a couture gown made — and she paid in excess of 100,000 euro or Rs68 lakh) for a single dress at Chanel).
The genesis of the ready-to-wear line, which is rarely as outrageous as couture, is very different. Before Galliano starts designing, he will consult with a delegation from the commercial side. They will tell him what sold well last season and what did not; how many jackets they need and how many dresses; whether the line has become too focused on gowns; whether more working women are coming in to buy office clothes etc.
After he has all this information, Galliano will design the clothes. And even then, the commercial side will be consulted on the designs before the garments are made for the show. Once the clothes have been shown on the catwalk at the ready-to-wear shows and buyers have said which ones they like, only then will Dior decide how many pieces of each garment it needs to produce.
My previous experience of Paris haute couture had been at Chanel where the couture line is not dramatically different from the ready-to-wear collection. But watching the Dior show and talking to Toledano the next day, I realized how complicated the business of fashion really is.
The next time you see a photo of some outrageous Galliano creation and wonder “who would wear that?”, don’t worry about Dior’s commercial prospects. They don’t want very many of us to wear the couture clothes. They are just happy that we noticed them at all
World - Rape,there is never an excuse,ever!
Julie Bindel
The Italian ruling that it is not possible for a man to rape a woman wearing tight jeans was finally overturned this week, but Julie Bindel finds little to celebrate while sexual assault trials still focus on the behaviour of the victim.
It has taken almost a decade of feminist campaigning to overturn one of the most ridiculous rulings on rape in Europe, so forgive me if I don’t sound too grateful. This week, judges at the Italian Court of Cassation reversed a ruling that went like this: if you wear tight jeans it is impossible to be raped, because you would need to help the man get into your knickers.
Seriously, this belief has been enshrined in case law since 1999. It is a bit like the old saying here that goes, “If you don’t want to be raped, just cross your legs.”
The ruling came about as a result of a line of defence run by a 45-year-old man accused of raping a young woman during a driving lesson. He was convicted, but on appeal put forward a defence that the victim must have consented, as her jeans were too tight for him to get into by himself. The judges agreed, and his conviction was quashed.
The same defence has been used successfully in rape cases since, but luck ran out for the latest man to try it when he was accused of sexually assaulting his partner’s daughter, aged 16, by pushing his hands down the front of her jeans. Using the 1999 case, he argued that he could not have committed the alleged acts against the will of the girl because her jeans were too tight. But the court did not accept his excuse, ruling that “jeans cannot be compared to any type of chastity belt.”
It would be comforting to think that Italian attitudes to rape are behind the times. Unfortunately, though, there are countless examples from around the world of women being blamed for rape. It’s either because of what we wear or how we behave; it’s who we sleep with, or it’s what we drink.
“Blame culture” attitudes towards rape victims are widespread: according to a poll of young people carried out by Amnesty International last year, more than a quarter of those asked said that they thought a women was partially or totally responsible for being raped if she was wearing sexy or revealing clothing.
A survey in Ireland earlier this year on attitudes to rape found almost 40 per cent of the 1,000 adults questioned believed rape victims themselves bore some responsibility in certain circumstances — if, for instance, they wore sexy clothing or were flirting.
Even the director of public prosecutions for England and Wales, Ken MacDonald, told the London-based Guardian that young women’s “promiscuity” and heavy drinking contribute to low rape conviction rates. And one of Scotland’s most senior lawyers, Donald Findlay, recently commented that in cases of sexual assault, courts should no longer assume that a girl under 16 is “vulnerable”. He claimed that “many such girls know more about sex at 13 than [he] did at 23”, and that defence lawyers should, in certain trials, be able to refer to how an alleged victim was dressed.
The myths
All this helps reinforce the myths that rape can be due to a “misunderstanding”. Rubbish. Men are not “confused” about what is consent and what is not: but many will use it as an excuse, and many more let them. And however much pressure is on women to dress sexily to titillate men, they are severely punished for it.
In South Africa in February, for example, four women wearing miniskirts were sexually assaulted at a taxi rank in Johannesburg by a group of men. They were forcibly stripped and paraded naked, while the attackers shouted to passersby that the women “wanted” this treatment.
Some men seem almost hysterically worried about preserving women’s honour and chastity and yet more than a few of them commit acts of rape. Either way, it is all the fault of women. In Nigeria, a senator has drafted a bill which would result in women being imprisoned for three months if they display their belly buttons, breasts or wear miniskirts in public places. In Poland, meanwhile, one legislator has announced plans for a bill that would ban miniskirts and other “enticements” with the goal of reducing street prostitution and rape. He called for the miniskirt ban as part of an overall crusade against the “enticement to sex” by women in public. In northern Malaysia, a directive from a conservative city council has forbidden women from wearing high heels or brightly coloured lipstick in order to “preserve their dignity” and avoid “incidents like rape and illicit sex”.
Debates about Muslim women and the veil often centre on women making themselves vulnerable to assault. Sheikh Taj Din al-Hilali, the most senior Muslim cleric in Australia, was criticised for a sermon in which he likened women who did not wear the veil to uncovered meat that attracted predators. But where is the message to men, telling them that a woman displaying her arm or ankle does not mean she wants to be forced into sex with anyone who has a mind to?
In Britain, we hardly need wonder why the rate for rape convictions is so low when we hear stories like the one that came from some mock jury trials, staged as part of a research project on attitudes to rape and documented in a report by the Economic and Social Research Council in 2006. A “juror” said that, “a woman’s got to cooperate with a man to be able to do it, to have intercourse, unless he thumps her or what, and he didn’t — there was no bruising on her body anywhere. I would say she was probably pissed but at the same time she more or less consented.”
The problem is clear: but what do we do about it? Will women have to give up and walk around encased in a full suit of armour? No: instead, we need to challenge these views: to take, for example, the U.K. government to task when it, on the one hand, admits we are at crisis point with the pathetically low rape conviction rate but, on the other, creates public awareness campaigns around drink-spiking that put the onus on women to protect themselves.
Right idea
Scotland has the right idea. This summer a new campaign challenging people’s attitudes to rape is being launched by Rape Crisis Scotland with funding from the Scottish government. Posters will be displayed across the country in an attempt to challenge the idea that women are somehow to blame for being raped if they have been drinking, wearing revealing clothes or have been sexually active.
Scotland’s justice secretary said that it was “hard to believe” that in a modern Scotland there are people who still think that if a woman is dressed in a certain way or has been drinking it’s her own fault if she is raped. For how many decades have feminists being saying this? Why has the message not got through? And how many more women will be raped because men can pretend they are “confused” at the “mixed messages” put out by women who dress up to the nines for their own enjoyment?
Let’s be clear; women have the right to go out, dressed outrageously and be gagging to pull a man for sex. Consensual sex. Women do not want to be raped. Ever. All rape is “real rape,” even if she is wearing a skirt up to her neck, has her breasts on show and is drinking and flirting like crazy. Rape is sex without consent. Which part of that is difficult to understand?
Columnists - Khushwant Singh
I have have done my very best to understand the Communists’ objections to government’s proposed nuclear deal with the United States. I have failed to do so. They say it will compromise our sovereignty and will make us subservient to America in our foreign policy. That makes even less sense to me. America has never tried to dictate our relations with other nations and has often regretted our growing friendship with countries hostile to it.
We have ignored those protests and made our own decisions. If any country has questioned our sovereignty over our territories, it is Communist China. It never accepted the sanctity of our northern borders with it: it waged a war against us, inflicted a humiliation on us, and to this day lays claims to territories that are ours. Our Communist comrades had never a word to say against the Chinese. Ask them why.
Do we need nuclear power? The answer is yes, we do desperately, and the sooner the better. We cannot afford to pay the exorbitant prices of oil, petrol or gas which we have to import to run our cars, buses, trains and aircraft. We cannot produce enough hydel or fossil-produced energy to cope with our ever-increasing demand for more power to run our factories and keep up the pace of development.
Comrade Prakash Karat is of the opinion that the government must first go to the people before signing the nuclear deal. I am not sure what he means by people: does he mean people who know what nuclear energy is and why it is needed, or just everybody who has a vote? If it is the former, then those who know about it have already spoken in its favour. They include the scientist — ex-President Abdul Kalam (Bharat Ratna), most nuclear scientists, many leading industrialists and Brajesh Misra, the most trusted political adviser of ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP.
However, if he means the common man who understands nothing about it, he clearly means an earlier election, which he says he does not want. Whatever it be, he is in for a nasty surprise. Whenever the next general elections take place, it will be a significant diminution of votes for the Communists and gains for his sworn enemy, the Hindu-Sikh communal parties. And hopefully comrade Prakash Karat will fade into the background of the Indian political scene.
We have ignored those protests and made our own decisions. If any country has questioned our sovereignty over our territories, it is Communist China. It never accepted the sanctity of our northern borders with it: it waged a war against us, inflicted a humiliation on us, and to this day lays claims to territories that are ours. Our Communist comrades had never a word to say against the Chinese. Ask them why.
Do we need nuclear power? The answer is yes, we do desperately, and the sooner the better. We cannot afford to pay the exorbitant prices of oil, petrol or gas which we have to import to run our cars, buses, trains and aircraft. We cannot produce enough hydel or fossil-produced energy to cope with our ever-increasing demand for more power to run our factories and keep up the pace of development.
Comrade Prakash Karat is of the opinion that the government must first go to the people before signing the nuclear deal. I am not sure what he means by people: does he mean people who know what nuclear energy is and why it is needed, or just everybody who has a vote? If it is the former, then those who know about it have already spoken in its favour. They include the scientist — ex-President Abdul Kalam (Bharat Ratna), most nuclear scientists, many leading industrialists and Brajesh Misra, the most trusted political adviser of ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP.
However, if he means the common man who understands nothing about it, he clearly means an earlier election, which he says he does not want. Whatever it be, he is in for a nasty surprise. Whenever the next general elections take place, it will be a significant diminution of votes for the Communists and gains for his sworn enemy, the Hindu-Sikh communal parties. And hopefully comrade Prakash Karat will fade into the background of the Indian political scene.
India - Teach India,Degree of Difference
Think of 787 million people among whom male literacy is 88% and female literacy is 75%. Then think of another 314 million with only 71% male literacy and 50% female literacy. Looks like two different countries, one much more developed than the other? Actually both are in India — the high literacy rates are in urban areas while the low ones are in rural areas. In 2004-05, one fourth of rural families had no literate member of age 15 and above while in urban areas, there were only 8% such households. Over 82% of urban people are literate compared to just 61% in rural areas — a daunting gap of over 21 percentage points. Consider the fact that it took 20 years to raise the national literacy rate by 22 percentage points, from 43% in 1981 to 65% in 2001. One can only imagine how long it will take to bridge the rural-urban divide. While more than half of urban literates have studied beyond class VIII, for 70% rural literates middle school is the end of the road. Only 4% of rural literates have a college degree and only 1% have formal technical education compared to 18% graduates and 5% technically qualified persons in urban literates. It is not as if there are no schools in rural areas. In 2005, India had 10.2 lakh primary and middle schools of which, 9 lakh were in rural and 1.2 lakh in the urban areas. As a result, attendance rates in rural primary schools have increased from 69% in 2000 to 80% in 2005, moving closer to the urban attendance rate of 89%. But this heart-warming story ends at the primary stage. By the higher secondary stage, attendance drops to 40% and dips further to a meagre 8% for college level, in rural areas, while in the urban areas nearly 58% students were attending higher secondary schools and around 20% were in college. For every stage of education the gap keeps widening. In the primary stage (age group 5 to 14 years) the dropout rate is 4.4% for rural and 3.7% for urban India. But by the higher secondary stage, 42% rural students of 15-19 years age group drop out compared to 34% urban students of the same age group. Poor infrastructure, which plagues rural as well as urban schools, is a more acute problem in rural areas and this remains a major obstacle in bridging the divide. Moreover, in rural areas government-run schools are often the only option. Not too many private schools exist as is the case in urban areas where many people, even the poor, opt to send their children to the mushrooming private schools. This makes it all the more imperative that government-run schools in rural India have adequate infrastructure. A school with merely one classroom and a single instructor teaching every student from class one to five may sound bizarre, but more than one lakh schools in rural India have only one classroom and 1.3 lakh schools are run by a single teacher. Another 87,000 schools don't even have a single classroom. More than 6.1 lakh rural schools have three or fewer classrooms compared to 43,000 similar urban schools. Nearly 80% rural schools don't have electricity and only 7% have computers compared to 68% urban schools with electricity and 26.41% with computers. Nearly 5 lakh schools in rural India don't have a regular headmaster and teachers and 7.3 lakh schools have five or fewer teachers. Apart from the fact that schools are already suffering from a shortage of teachers, nearly 20% of them are also involved in non-teaching assignments. Although the average number of instructional days are higher in rural schools as they have 209 working days compared to 201 working days in cities, students of different classes study in the same class and the data for class-wise instructional days is not available.
Business - Colour TVs to become costlier
NEW DELHI: A steep rise in prices of colour television is on the cards with manufacturers gearing up to pass on the burden of anti-dumping duty imposed on imported colour picture tubes by the government. "The prices of colour television are set to go up due to imposing of anti-dumping duty," Consumer Electronic Appliances Manufacturer Association (Ceama) president R Zutsi said. Government on Friday slapped a steep anti-dumping duty on imported picture tube for colour TVs from China, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea after it found that these countries were "dumping" it into India. The punitive duty will range between Rs 878 and Rs 4,369 on a cathode ray colour picture tube (CPT) depending on the size of screen. Zutshi, who is also the Deputy MD of Samsung India, said the impact would differ depending on the size of colour televisions. "It could be as high as 12% for a 21-inch colour television, while it could be 22% in case of CTV set of 29-inch," he said. Korean rival LG Electronics is already planning an increase in prices. "We are increasing the price of colour television sets by around 3-4% from August 1 to pass on some burden to consumers," LG Electronics business group head, consumer electronics, Amitabh Tiwari said. He said the anti-dumping duty imposed is very steep and would impact production costs. "For every increase of Rs 800 in raw material cost, the end price of the product will go up by around Rs 1,450. Thus import duty of such magnitude would definitely have adverse impact on the prices of CTVs," Tiwari added. The government has imposed anti-dumping duty on imported colour picture tubes from countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and China. The companies affected by a notification of the department of revenue include Samsung (Malaysia), LG Philips (Korea), Irico Group Electronics (China), Shenzen Samsung (China). The consumer electronic players, who are already struggling to push sales due to negative market sentiments, will have to face a double-whammy now. "We cannot pass whole burden entirely to consumers as this would result into slump in sales but some of these impacts will definitely have to pass on to the consumers," Tiwari said. When contacted Western Electronic also said they have to go for the price hike. "With the imposing of anti-dumping duty, we have no other option but to pass on it to the consumers," Western Electronic V-P marketing Sunil Shetty said. The decision to impose the anti-dumping duty was based on preliminary findings of the designated authority in the commerce ministry. The findings showed that the goods were being exported to India below their normal value causing "material injury to the domestic industry". It was also found that the "injury had been caused by the dumped imports from the subject countries".
Columnists - Barkha Dutt
Now that the political orchestra has hit a noisy but compelling crescendo, and the high notes are beginning to give way to well-rehearsed and oft-sung songs, it’s time to step back and ask ourselves which tune was humming in our head when we left the hall.
I have to confess to some very mixed feelings. The obvious disgust and distaste at the ugly underbelly of what makes Indian politics work was tempered by some real delight in the quality of the parliamentary debate. Yes, this was a drama without any major heroes. Yet, it had some fascinating twists and turns, a few riveting performances and enough reason for those in the supporting cast to be admired and applauded. (Omar Abdullah would get my vote for the Oscar.)
The end of this week may have meant six more months for the UPA in government. But don’t treat this as closure. Instead, what we witnessed was a preview of the uncertainties that will define the general elections in 2009. If you thought this was a cliffhanger, wait till April.
Now that Singh has been anointed King again, there is already frenzied speculation in Congress circles over whether the PM has bought himself another bash at the job, were it the UPA’s for the taking. Quite apart from the fact that Manmohan Singh would have always been the candidate for the top job (Rahul Gandhi is still one election away), the PM must ask himself whether the new tag of being ‘political’ is one he considers a compliment or a curse. There is no doubt that a man once written off as naïve and apolitical even by his own party has emerged to be a canny and smart political risk-taker.
The BJP will find it impossible to ever snidely describe him again as India’s “weakest Prime Minister”, images of a once-diffident man waving the victory sign at eager camera crews combined with a hard-hitting and unusually aggressive reply to both Advani and Karat completed the transformation of Manmohan Singh from technocrat to neta. His party colleagues who were once so quick to undermine him are now nervous and deferential about his influence. And those of us who have always admired his integrity are glad that good men can also survive to tell the tale.
But there’s a catch. Once upon a time, an apolitical PM could have stood apart from and above the dirt and din of politics. Congress managers could have been blamed for the amoral machinations of the party and most of us would have bought it. But in his new avatar, as politician, Manmohan Singh may find it difficult to stand at one arm’s length from the grime of electoral survival. When Shibu Soren returns to the Cabinet, the PM can’t disassociate himself from a decision he once so bitterly opposed. And if it turns out that the BJP MPs who brandished bundles of cash in Parliament were telling the truth about being bribed, the PM’s squeaky clean image could take a knock as well. That, sadly, is the flip side of wielding political influence; is the ‘King’ now wearing a crown of thorns?
L.K. Advani, the man whom the BJP believes will be ensconced in the throne of power by next year has some reason to be unsettled right now. It was a move of Machiavellian brilliance to turn Parliament into the set of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ just 40 minutes before the vote was scheduled. The Congress may question the morality of the timing. But since the UPA has just negotiated ten abstentions — obviously at a price, whether political or monetary — it should know that everything is fair in politics and war.
Those who suggest that the BJP MPs, who are alleging bribery, should have first gone and knocked on the door of some hapless sub-inspector are being ludicrous. It was entirely legitimate of the Opposition to use the issue of cash-for-votes to stall Parliament. And there are serious implications for the credibility of the trust vote if any of these charges turn out to be true. But, when the news channel in possession of the sting-operation tapes opted not to telecast the footage, on the plea that the investigations were still “incomplete”, the BJP’s case was automatically weakened. Add to that the seven defections, and you have a very angry Leader of Opposition whose war plan was poorly executed.
And then, most importantly, there is Mayawati. The well-heeled elite of urban India may laugh (half fearfully) at her aspirations to be Prime Minister but the Congress and the BJP know that she is the one who will keep them awake at night. The BSP may have got only 2.6 per cent and 7 per cent of the vote in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh last year, but it split the traditional Congress vote and hurt it in at least 14 seats in Gujarat alone. In Delhi, the BSP vote share cost the Congress the municipal elections. In the Lok Sabha elections of 2004, Mayawati won a little over 5 per cent of the national vote. If she manages to double this in 2009, she can preside over a kitty of 50 seats across India and happily topple the Congress applecart. Yes, a strategic tie-up with the NDA is not ruled out. But then she would want to be PM, wouldn’t she? The BJP has bravely brushed away the possibility of this as “hypothetical”. But it is, in fact, more real than anyone cares to admit.
So, this week of high drama is really only the beginning. The boiling cauldron of Indian politics may have been brought to a low simmer for now. But the fire is still on, and as the churning contradictions cook in their own steam, you never know what may finally make its way to your table.
Barkha Dutt is Group Editor, English News, NDTV
I have to confess to some very mixed feelings. The obvious disgust and distaste at the ugly underbelly of what makes Indian politics work was tempered by some real delight in the quality of the parliamentary debate. Yes, this was a drama without any major heroes. Yet, it had some fascinating twists and turns, a few riveting performances and enough reason for those in the supporting cast to be admired and applauded. (Omar Abdullah would get my vote for the Oscar.)
The end of this week may have meant six more months for the UPA in government. But don’t treat this as closure. Instead, what we witnessed was a preview of the uncertainties that will define the general elections in 2009. If you thought this was a cliffhanger, wait till April.
Now that Singh has been anointed King again, there is already frenzied speculation in Congress circles over whether the PM has bought himself another bash at the job, were it the UPA’s for the taking. Quite apart from the fact that Manmohan Singh would have always been the candidate for the top job (Rahul Gandhi is still one election away), the PM must ask himself whether the new tag of being ‘political’ is one he considers a compliment or a curse. There is no doubt that a man once written off as naïve and apolitical even by his own party has emerged to be a canny and smart political risk-taker.
The BJP will find it impossible to ever snidely describe him again as India’s “weakest Prime Minister”, images of a once-diffident man waving the victory sign at eager camera crews combined with a hard-hitting and unusually aggressive reply to both Advani and Karat completed the transformation of Manmohan Singh from technocrat to neta. His party colleagues who were once so quick to undermine him are now nervous and deferential about his influence. And those of us who have always admired his integrity are glad that good men can also survive to tell the tale.
But there’s a catch. Once upon a time, an apolitical PM could have stood apart from and above the dirt and din of politics. Congress managers could have been blamed for the amoral machinations of the party and most of us would have bought it. But in his new avatar, as politician, Manmohan Singh may find it difficult to stand at one arm’s length from the grime of electoral survival. When Shibu Soren returns to the Cabinet, the PM can’t disassociate himself from a decision he once so bitterly opposed. And if it turns out that the BJP MPs who brandished bundles of cash in Parliament were telling the truth about being bribed, the PM’s squeaky clean image could take a knock as well. That, sadly, is the flip side of wielding political influence; is the ‘King’ now wearing a crown of thorns?
L.K. Advani, the man whom the BJP believes will be ensconced in the throne of power by next year has some reason to be unsettled right now. It was a move of Machiavellian brilliance to turn Parliament into the set of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ just 40 minutes before the vote was scheduled. The Congress may question the morality of the timing. But since the UPA has just negotiated ten abstentions — obviously at a price, whether political or monetary — it should know that everything is fair in politics and war.
Those who suggest that the BJP MPs, who are alleging bribery, should have first gone and knocked on the door of some hapless sub-inspector are being ludicrous. It was entirely legitimate of the Opposition to use the issue of cash-for-votes to stall Parliament. And there are serious implications for the credibility of the trust vote if any of these charges turn out to be true. But, when the news channel in possession of the sting-operation tapes opted not to telecast the footage, on the plea that the investigations were still “incomplete”, the BJP’s case was automatically weakened. Add to that the seven defections, and you have a very angry Leader of Opposition whose war plan was poorly executed.
And then, most importantly, there is Mayawati. The well-heeled elite of urban India may laugh (half fearfully) at her aspirations to be Prime Minister but the Congress and the BJP know that she is the one who will keep them awake at night. The BSP may have got only 2.6 per cent and 7 per cent of the vote in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh last year, but it split the traditional Congress vote and hurt it in at least 14 seats in Gujarat alone. In Delhi, the BSP vote share cost the Congress the municipal elections. In the Lok Sabha elections of 2004, Mayawati won a little over 5 per cent of the national vote. If she manages to double this in 2009, she can preside over a kitty of 50 seats across India and happily topple the Congress applecart. Yes, a strategic tie-up with the NDA is not ruled out. But then she would want to be PM, wouldn’t she? The BJP has bravely brushed away the possibility of this as “hypothetical”. But it is, in fact, more real than anyone cares to admit.
So, this week of high drama is really only the beginning. The boiling cauldron of Indian politics may have been brought to a low simmer for now. But the fire is still on, and as the churning contradictions cook in their own steam, you never know what may finally make its way to your table.
Barkha Dutt is Group Editor, English News, NDTV
Entertainment - Television's Big Cheese
Will Studd has run shops selling farmhouse cheese, fought lawsuits and written books on his favourite food. Radhieka Pandeya on his TV debut.
Even more exciting than the thought of butter melting in your mouth is the thought of cheese melting in it leaving behind a lingering taste of salt and juice... A different region, a different cheese and a different taste.
Now while the staple bread and butter may not enjoy the same status, cheese, for its exquisite methods of preparation, has found its way into the world of luxury foods. But what happens when luxury takes the form of passion, and passion of extreme loyalty?
Well, if you are “master of cheese” Will Studd, you simply fight in a court of law for your cheese, and upon losing, give it a teary-eyed, informal requiem. Then, you write a book on cheese and follow it up with a first-of-its-kind television series.
In 2003, having spent AUD 80,000, Studd lost the case he was fighting in Australia for the right to sell cheese — or at least the kind he liked. The case stemmed from different rules and restrictions surrounding the manufacture and import of cheese made from different forms of milk.
Australia, for instance, disallows the sale and consumption of uncooked cheese made from raw milk — a regulation that Studd decided to challenge. The result was a case slapped against him and an eventual ruling to destroy 80 kg of imported Roquefort cheese.
So Studd destroyed the cheese in an unprecedented burial that brought to life issues that had been shot down in court. Studd’s passion and dedication created a revolution of sorts.
Studd’s journey started in London, where he worked in fancy food shops and broadened his knowledge. It has now culminated in a television series — Cheese Slices — that kicked off on Discovery Travel & Living in India this week after having been successfully aired all over the world, including in Australia. It has been billed as a one-of-its-kind show.
For the filming, Studd travelled across continents to various cheese farms, looking at different cheese-making processes and, at the same time, collecting “folktales” that surround the discovery of cheese.
“In almost all these folktales there is a pattern. You fall in love, leave your cheese somewhere and forget about it. You come back later and it’s turned into some other form of cheese with fermentation,” he says with a mischievous glint.
More seriously, Cheese Slices is not so much about what to do with cheese as it is about how to enjoy your cheese.
“Milk tastes different in every region and so, cheese from every region has a distinct taste to it. And once you get the process right, handmade cheese can be the most delightful of foods.”
In his journey for Cheese Slices, Studd was pleasantly surprised by the strides the cheese industry has taken in the US. But even more revealing was his trip to Holland.
“When I decided to go to Holland to shoot, I kept questioning myself about the decision. On my list, this was the least favourite place for cheese since it’s the most advanced in processed manufacture.” But it was a lesson waiting to be learnt. Holland managed to stun Studd’s prejudice. Away from the mad cities he found a thriving community of artisan and farmhouse cheese manufacturers.
“The other surprise was Japan. The way they go about perfecting everything they touch, I should have known they would do the same with cheese,” he says.
On the list of exquisite cheeses being showcased in the 10-episode series in India is the blue Gorgonzola from northern Italy, goat’s cheese of Poitou from France, Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy again, Pecrino from Tuscany, Camembert, the original Cheddar from England, Comte Gruyere and Farmhouse Morbier from France, Quesos from Spain, and what Studd calls the grand-daddy of all cheeses — Roquefort —the most popular blue cheese in France.
“Not only does it taste lovely, but being one of the oldest manmade foods, each cheese has a fascinating story to tell,” he points out.
Studd’s own passion for cheese has been a lifelong affair: On completing his university, he opened cheese shops across the UK and aptly named them Relish even though he recalls that those days, cheese production in the UK was nothing to talk about. It was in 1981 that Studd moved to Australia, where he opened another chain of cheese stores, tried to develop a domestic farmhouse cheese industry and, in the process, imparted a lot of his knowledge of cheese to the locals.
He could have lost interest or simply developed a niche market for his imported cheese in Australia but Studd decided to tackle the manufacture of cheese and it were the battles and struggles to achieve success in Australia that took him to farther places in search of knowledge.
“If I hadn’t gone to Australia, I would never have come this far in my journey with cheese.” His first book Chalk and Cheese was published in 1999 and is out of print now, having become a collector’s album.
More recently, his second book Cheese Slices forms the basis of the present series by the same name. But from selling cheese to writing books and now to hosting a television show, the focus of Studd’s world has remained constant.
When the idea to create a television show from his book first occurred to Studd, he approached Discovery Travel & Living with it. Along with the team there, the show was conceptualised. But his biggest hurdle came in the form of a lack of sponsorship.
“Large, commercial cheesemakers were not willing to sponsor a show on domestic, farmhouse cheesemakers,” explains Studd and adds, with a laugh, that considering his show is against processed and packaged cheese, they were right in their stance.
But a lack of funds for a show that was unique by any standards did not dampen his enthusiasm. Studd decided to reach into his own pockets and ended up funding the show. You can watch the result every Tuesday, 8 pm on Discovery (T&L).
Even more exciting than the thought of butter melting in your mouth is the thought of cheese melting in it leaving behind a lingering taste of salt and juice... A different region, a different cheese and a different taste.
Now while the staple bread and butter may not enjoy the same status, cheese, for its exquisite methods of preparation, has found its way into the world of luxury foods. But what happens when luxury takes the form of passion, and passion of extreme loyalty?
Well, if you are “master of cheese” Will Studd, you simply fight in a court of law for your cheese, and upon losing, give it a teary-eyed, informal requiem. Then, you write a book on cheese and follow it up with a first-of-its-kind television series.
In 2003, having spent AUD 80,000, Studd lost the case he was fighting in Australia for the right to sell cheese — or at least the kind he liked. The case stemmed from different rules and restrictions surrounding the manufacture and import of cheese made from different forms of milk.
Australia, for instance, disallows the sale and consumption of uncooked cheese made from raw milk — a regulation that Studd decided to challenge. The result was a case slapped against him and an eventual ruling to destroy 80 kg of imported Roquefort cheese.
So Studd destroyed the cheese in an unprecedented burial that brought to life issues that had been shot down in court. Studd’s passion and dedication created a revolution of sorts.
Studd’s journey started in London, where he worked in fancy food shops and broadened his knowledge. It has now culminated in a television series — Cheese Slices — that kicked off on Discovery Travel & Living in India this week after having been successfully aired all over the world, including in Australia. It has been billed as a one-of-its-kind show.
For the filming, Studd travelled across continents to various cheese farms, looking at different cheese-making processes and, at the same time, collecting “folktales” that surround the discovery of cheese.
“In almost all these folktales there is a pattern. You fall in love, leave your cheese somewhere and forget about it. You come back later and it’s turned into some other form of cheese with fermentation,” he says with a mischievous glint.
More seriously, Cheese Slices is not so much about what to do with cheese as it is about how to enjoy your cheese.
“Milk tastes different in every region and so, cheese from every region has a distinct taste to it. And once you get the process right, handmade cheese can be the most delightful of foods.”
In his journey for Cheese Slices, Studd was pleasantly surprised by the strides the cheese industry has taken in the US. But even more revealing was his trip to Holland.
“When I decided to go to Holland to shoot, I kept questioning myself about the decision. On my list, this was the least favourite place for cheese since it’s the most advanced in processed manufacture.” But it was a lesson waiting to be learnt. Holland managed to stun Studd’s prejudice. Away from the mad cities he found a thriving community of artisan and farmhouse cheese manufacturers.
“The other surprise was Japan. The way they go about perfecting everything they touch, I should have known they would do the same with cheese,” he says.
On the list of exquisite cheeses being showcased in the 10-episode series in India is the blue Gorgonzola from northern Italy, goat’s cheese of Poitou from France, Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy again, Pecrino from Tuscany, Camembert, the original Cheddar from England, Comte Gruyere and Farmhouse Morbier from France, Quesos from Spain, and what Studd calls the grand-daddy of all cheeses — Roquefort —the most popular blue cheese in France.
“Not only does it taste lovely, but being one of the oldest manmade foods, each cheese has a fascinating story to tell,” he points out.
Studd’s own passion for cheese has been a lifelong affair: On completing his university, he opened cheese shops across the UK and aptly named them Relish even though he recalls that those days, cheese production in the UK was nothing to talk about. It was in 1981 that Studd moved to Australia, where he opened another chain of cheese stores, tried to develop a domestic farmhouse cheese industry and, in the process, imparted a lot of his knowledge of cheese to the locals.
He could have lost interest or simply developed a niche market for his imported cheese in Australia but Studd decided to tackle the manufacture of cheese and it were the battles and struggles to achieve success in Australia that took him to farther places in search of knowledge.
“If I hadn’t gone to Australia, I would never have come this far in my journey with cheese.” His first book Chalk and Cheese was published in 1999 and is out of print now, having become a collector’s album.
More recently, his second book Cheese Slices forms the basis of the present series by the same name. But from selling cheese to writing books and now to hosting a television show, the focus of Studd’s world has remained constant.
When the idea to create a television show from his book first occurred to Studd, he approached Discovery Travel & Living with it. Along with the team there, the show was conceptualised. But his biggest hurdle came in the form of a lack of sponsorship.
“Large, commercial cheesemakers were not willing to sponsor a show on domestic, farmhouse cheesemakers,” explains Studd and adds, with a laugh, that considering his show is against processed and packaged cheese, they were right in their stance.
But a lack of funds for a show that was unique by any standards did not dampen his enthusiasm. Studd decided to reach into his own pockets and ended up funding the show. You can watch the result every Tuesday, 8 pm on Discovery (T&L).
India - Afghan students adapt well in Kerala
Kozhikode: Nine students from Afghanistan, part of the first batch of 500 students that came to India in 2006 under Central government sponsorship, are doing well in various degree courses here.
The students, doing their BBA and B.A. courses at Farook College, have adapted well to the local situation.
“They are brilliant in studies and converse well in English, showing their willingness to learn by fully making use of the opportunity,” said College Principal A. Kuttialikutty.
Sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Research, the students feel proud to gain education in India. “The educational set-up here is excellent and far better than what we have in our country.
“The number of educational institutions at the higher level in India cannot be dreamt of in our nation,” says Mohammad Zakir Mustafa, a third year BBA student, who also wants to do his MBA in India.
“We are careful to ensure that these students do not lose their direction in any manner other than gaining education, the purpose for which we have sponsored them,” says ICCR official M.R. Krishnamurthy.
One of the students was offered placement by the technology company Nokia, but the ICCR did not clear it as that would have amounted to violating the government directive.
“We come from cities like Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharief and Jalalabad after passing a written test and interview conducted by the ICCR,” says Sieyal, a final year student, from Kabul.
He had scored over 75 per cent in the higher secondary examination in his country.
His parents decided to send him to India to help him gain quality higher education.
Besides meeting the students’ fees, the ICCR grants Rs. 6,000 a month as scholarship to each student.
Jul 25, 2008
Lifestyle - Advantages of Pen & Paper
Handwriting will never be replaced as an instrument of thought, any more than writing could displace talking out loud.
Tomorrow I leave for somewhere without any internet. I will have a fortnight on my own with three books, no television and no neighbours. There won’t even be any darkness, since I will be just below the Arctic Circle. And I’m wondering why or whether I should take a laptop with me. The question may sound quite absurd: why take an instrument of work on holiday? I certainly don’t want it for playing films or anything like that. There is some music on the hard drive, but it’s coming with me as a writing implement and as a way of storing and “developing” photographs. All of a sudden, as I thought about weight and bulk in luggage, I wondered whether I might not just buy a paper notebook out there and write in that, by hand.
I’ve always kept a pen and paper to one side of my typing implements since I started to use a manual typewriter 30 years ago. In the beginning, this was because I typed slowly and painfully and could handwrite fleeting illuminations at the speed of thought. Typewriters also taught me to think out a sentence before I wrote a word. Even electric ones were difficult to correct, and manual ones make it more or less impossible to change what has been written tidily; so the bad habit I had acquired of writing half a sentence out in longhand and then scribbling and re-scribbling until it came to an end somewhere was painfully eradicated.
Of course, with word processors it’s easier to dither. The first macro I write for any new program deletes back to the beginning of a sentence that’s got lost, so I can start it again. But at least I now try to have the whole of it clear in my mind before I start and I now type more quickly than I can write legibly by hand.
So now my use of pencil and paper has changed round. I need it for when I want to write slowly and when there will only ever be at most one reader, me, and sometimes fewer. Nor do I nowadays keep a special notebook for such jottings. I just grab the nearest piece of paper with an empty space on it, which makes it even harder to find and collate notes afterwards. Nonetheless, the very simple if hardly crude technology has real advantages over anything invented since.
It may be different for people who learnt to type early in life, but for me there is an extraordinary direct connection, almost bypassing my consciousness, between brain and ballpoint. It’s as if I hear my own voice as I watch it emerge on the paper. That’s not true at all with a keyboard which is always noisy and always produces regular results. But thought isn’t regular, and doesn’t come in lines — at least mine doesn’t. It comes in gouts, or flurries, falling at different places on the page and different angles. Later, when I go back to these pages, there is all sorts of metadata encoded in the way the patches of writing are arranged. Looking at each one, I remember not just what I wrote, but what I was thinking while I wrote it. There’s a richness and complexity in these notes to myself that no other medium can surpass.
For public communication, this doesn’t work as well. Old-fashioned bureaucrats learned a regular standardised hand. Quirks, trills and elaborations were quite taboo. For that sort of purpose a typewriter — and, later, a computer — really was an advance, though from the executive’s point of view there was nothing so satisfying as paying someone else for turning your thoughts into something that could be read and even understood.
But I don’t think handwriting will ever be replaced as an instrument of thought, any more than writing could displace talking out loud. Even handwriting hasn’t entirely replaced talking for me. I still try to say the sentences I write out loud as someone will have to hear them in their head sometime.
No new technology can ever entirely improve what it replaces. In the case of handwriting these are probably the most intimate and important thoughts we’re ever going to have. Even being hard to copy is an advantage sometimes — you don’t have to remember passwords for your privacy, just scribble. This is a technology so far ahead of its time it even has built-in encryption.
(Andrew Brown is the author of Fishing in Utopia (Granta). He blogs at thewormbook.com/hlog)
Tomorrow I leave for somewhere without any internet. I will have a fortnight on my own with three books, no television and no neighbours. There won’t even be any darkness, since I will be just below the Arctic Circle. And I’m wondering why or whether I should take a laptop with me. The question may sound quite absurd: why take an instrument of work on holiday? I certainly don’t want it for playing films or anything like that. There is some music on the hard drive, but it’s coming with me as a writing implement and as a way of storing and “developing” photographs. All of a sudden, as I thought about weight and bulk in luggage, I wondered whether I might not just buy a paper notebook out there and write in that, by hand.
I’ve always kept a pen and paper to one side of my typing implements since I started to use a manual typewriter 30 years ago. In the beginning, this was because I typed slowly and painfully and could handwrite fleeting illuminations at the speed of thought. Typewriters also taught me to think out a sentence before I wrote a word. Even electric ones were difficult to correct, and manual ones make it more or less impossible to change what has been written tidily; so the bad habit I had acquired of writing half a sentence out in longhand and then scribbling and re-scribbling until it came to an end somewhere was painfully eradicated.
Of course, with word processors it’s easier to dither. The first macro I write for any new program deletes back to the beginning of a sentence that’s got lost, so I can start it again. But at least I now try to have the whole of it clear in my mind before I start and I now type more quickly than I can write legibly by hand.
So now my use of pencil and paper has changed round. I need it for when I want to write slowly and when there will only ever be at most one reader, me, and sometimes fewer. Nor do I nowadays keep a special notebook for such jottings. I just grab the nearest piece of paper with an empty space on it, which makes it even harder to find and collate notes afterwards. Nonetheless, the very simple if hardly crude technology has real advantages over anything invented since.
It may be different for people who learnt to type early in life, but for me there is an extraordinary direct connection, almost bypassing my consciousness, between brain and ballpoint. It’s as if I hear my own voice as I watch it emerge on the paper. That’s not true at all with a keyboard which is always noisy and always produces regular results. But thought isn’t regular, and doesn’t come in lines — at least mine doesn’t. It comes in gouts, or flurries, falling at different places on the page and different angles. Later, when I go back to these pages, there is all sorts of metadata encoded in the way the patches of writing are arranged. Looking at each one, I remember not just what I wrote, but what I was thinking while I wrote it. There’s a richness and complexity in these notes to myself that no other medium can surpass.
For public communication, this doesn’t work as well. Old-fashioned bureaucrats learned a regular standardised hand. Quirks, trills and elaborations were quite taboo. For that sort of purpose a typewriter — and, later, a computer — really was an advance, though from the executive’s point of view there was nothing so satisfying as paying someone else for turning your thoughts into something that could be read and even understood.
But I don’t think handwriting will ever be replaced as an instrument of thought, any more than writing could displace talking out loud. Even handwriting hasn’t entirely replaced talking for me. I still try to say the sentences I write out loud as someone will have to hear them in their head sometime.
No new technology can ever entirely improve what it replaces. In the case of handwriting these are probably the most intimate and important thoughts we’re ever going to have. Even being hard to copy is an advantage sometimes — you don’t have to remember passwords for your privacy, just scribble. This is a technology so far ahead of its time it even has built-in encryption.
(Andrew Brown is the author of Fishing in Utopia (Granta). He blogs at thewormbook.com/hlog)
World - The truly powerful find no space for cyberspace
John McCain, Carl Icahn: Perhaps they don’t need to do cyberspace.
Hedge-fund billionaire Carl Icahn, who has this week been given three seats on the board of internet company Yahoo, does not, it has been revealed, have a computer. Email, Icahn suggests, is a distraction. Republican presidential candidate John McCain doesn’t email or know how to use the net. He told the New York Times recently: “I am learning to get online myself.” Instead, the senator currently has the cyberspace equivalent of food tasters, namely aides who direct him to happening sites such as the Drudge Report and his daughter Meghan’s blog.
Democrats argue this shows that Mr. McCain, who turns 72 next month, is out of touch with the modern world. “My five-year-old niece can use the internet,” said one gloating Barack Obama strategist. Mr. Obama, by contrast, is regularly photographed in-flight hunched over his BlackBerry.
But is Mr. McCain’s admission really damaging? Like the Queen not carrying money, only really powerful people don’t do cyberspace. They sit at computer-free desks thinking outside the inbox, while their crack team of microserfs battle with spam or Google their way through virtual forests of information.
After Tony Blair left office, he had to adjust to a baffling new world of mobile phones (he didn’t have one as PM), texting (“Who are you?” was the reply to his first message) and email. The Bill Clinton Archive in Little Rock, Arkansas, has nearly four million emails from the former President’s staff and only two from the President himself. Admittedly, one of the latter was to astronaut John Glenn, who was aboard the space shuttle at the time, but even then Clinton’s staffers had to help him.
True, some titans of business reply very quickly to emails, as their inboxes are uncluttered by spam. Three hundred emails a day is the curse of the middle manager. But, as Stanford professor Donald Knuth, one of the world’s leading computer scientists, writes, “Email is a wonderful thing for people whose role in life is to be on top of things. But not for me; my role is to be on the bottom of things. What I do takes long hours of studying and uninterruptible concentration.”
Mr. Knuth hasn’t checked his emails since 1990. Maybe Mr. McCain shouldn’t bother to familiarise himself with the web and, if elected, perhaps Mr. Obama should check his BlackBerry at the Oval Office door.
World - Iran's increasing influence in Iraq
Iran’s increasing influence in Iraq and Lebanon is part of a major political transformation in West Asia which has reached a decisive stage.
Within the space of one week in July, Iran recorded two major successes in West Asia. Through skilful diplomacy, it upstaged persistent efforts by Americans to consolidate their influence in two theatres of conflict — Iraq and Lebanon.
In Iraq, which shares a 1,458-km border with Iran, the government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki announced that American troops would not be stationed in the country permanently. Iran saw this momentous decision as a big strategic accomplishment. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 brought hostile American forces to Iran’s doorstep. This resulted in grave anxiety for Tehran as American troops were already positioned in Afghanistan. With the invasion of Iraq, the world’s best armed military force marked its presence along Tehran’s eastern and western borders.
However, by early July, Tehran had tangible reasons to conclude that it had achieved a stunning success. On July 7, Mr. Al Maliki told the region’s ambassadors in Abu Dhabi that Baghdad was not interested in an open-ended Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) with the Americans. Such an arrangement, on the lines of post-World War-II U.S. agreements with Japan and Korea, would have meant a permanent American troop presence in Iraq.
On July 11, a new national unity government was formed in Lebanon, in which Iran’s allies, Hizbollah and Amal, acquired a position which insulated them against moves that could undermine their interests as well as those of their allies.
Elaborating Mr. Maliki’s remarks in Abu Dhabi, his National Security Adviser, Muwaffaq Al-Rubaie, said during a visit to Najaf on July 9: “We will not accept any memorandum of understanding [with the Americans] if it does not give a specific date for a complete withdrawal of foreign troops.” The government’s call had the sanction of the highly influential Ayatollah Ali Sistani, top Shia cleric in Iraq, who is a revered figure throughout the country. Why did the Maliki government defy the American script in Iraq?
It appears Iraqi nationalism and sectarian fears of being overwhelmed by the Sunni neighbours were some of the major factors that led to the move. However, astute and persistent Iranian diplomacy appears to have clinched the issue. Tehran relied on two major government factions — the Al Dawa party, to which Mr. Maliki belongs, and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) — to safeguard its interests. Iran had patiently cultivated the groups in a marathon effort that dates back several decades.
The tide was not necessarily flowing Iran’s way in Iraq during 2005-06. The former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, had worked hard to diminish Iranian influence in the country. The envoy specifically targeted the SIIC, which had acquired a high profile in Iraq’s security forces. The Interior Ministry, behind which the SIIC was the real force, was accused of using the state apparatus to achieve sectarian goals. The Ministry was blamed for operating torture chambers, where grave human rights abuses were perpetrated against Sunni groups.
After assuming that the SIIC had been chastened, the Americans invited the group’s leader, Abdulaziz Al Hakim, to Washington. In December 2006, he was feted in the White House by President George Bush. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met him again in November 2007.
During their meetings, the Iraqis reassured the Americans that they were restricting Iranian activity in Iraq. Mr. Maliki told the Americans that the Iranians had been persuaded to work on the Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr. This, according to him, was the key factor that led to the cleric declaring a ceasefire in August 2007. By November 2007, negotiations on stationing U.S. forces in Iraq began. In the next three months, American, British and Iraqi military forces planned a large-scale joint operation in Basra for summer 2008.
However, by March 7, the situation changed dramatically. The Americans sent the SoFA draft to the Iraqi government. The proposed agreement alarmed the Iraqis. There were glaring loopholes which raised suspicions about Washington’s real intentions in Iraq. For instance, the agreement did not provide Iraqis explicit security guarantees against a military attack. The omission aroused fears among Iraqis that they would be highly vulnerable to attacks by their Sunni neighbours, especially Turkey, Washington’s NATO ally. The Iraqis were also uncomfortable with the draft provision that excluded them from exercising any jurisdiction over American forces to be deployed following the accord. Besides, the clause that the Americans would control the Iraqi airspace was unacceptable. Both issues challenged Iraqi sovereignty and aroused deep nationalist feelings.
For the Iranians, the agreement crossed all “red lines” and was totally unacceptable. Tehran saw in the draft a U.S. plan to use Iraqi soil to implement the Americans’ “regime change” design. Iranian diplomacy, therefore, went into top gear once the Iraqis received the American draft.
A shift in Mr. Maliki’s position towards Americans now became visible. The first tangible sign came in March. Instead of waiting for the full-scale joint assault planned for summer, the Iraqi forces led an attack on Basra. The premature strike achieved two major objectives. It allowed the Sadirist forces to survive as Mr. Maliki’s forces were in no position to overwhelm them. More importantly, it opened the door for Iran’s emergence as the chief mediator in resolving intra-Shia disputes in Iraq. On the request of the Al Dawa and the SIIC, Iran negotiated for peace between Mr. Maliki’s government and the Sadirists.
The bonding between the government in Baghdad and the Iranians became transparent on other occasions as well. In late April, the Americans said the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, was preparing a document that would prove Iran’s complicity in fomenting “instability” in Iraq. The argument was that the weapons captured during the Basra operations and in Karbala bore Iranian hallmarks. The “international media,” according to the plan, would be taken to Karbala, where the weapons would be displayed. It was apparent that the document and the media circus that was to follow were part of a carefully choreographed exercise to drum up support against Iran, and weaken the sceptics in the U.S. Congress who were challenging the Bush administration’s version of events on Iraq.
However, Mr. Maliki’s government played a major role in foiling the U.S. plan. An Iraqi delegation which had just returned from Iran stated publicly that Tehran had another version that countered U.S. claims. On May 4, Mr. Maliki’s spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, told journalists that the Prime Minister was forming a Cabinet Committee that would probe Washington’s allegations on its own. As for the weapons, American experts who independently examined the cache in Karbala could not find any evidence that linked it to Iran.
The Iranians, who were now fully involved in intra-Shia confabulations, also helped Mr. Maliki’s government defuse tensions in the Sadirist stronghold of Sadr city in Baghdad. Aware that an all-out American assault on Sadr city was imminent, the Iranians encouraged the Iraqi government to hold talks with the Sadirists. The negotiations resulted in an accord that removed the raison d’etre for an American assault.
Like Iraq, Iran has registered substantial success in Lebanon. Its chief ally, the Lebanese Hizbollah, has grown from strength to strength in recent weeks. The Americans, with the help of the pro-western forces in the Lebanese establishment, stonewalled the Hizbollah’s efforts to translate its military achievements in the war against Israel in summer 2006 into concrete political accomplishments. The standoff between the Hizbollah and the pro-western March 14 forces, which reflected a larger rivalry between Iran and Syria vis-À-vis the U.S. and Israel, paralysed the functioning of the government in Beirut for over a year. The final showdown came in May when the government of Fouad Siniora decided to decommission the Hizbollah’s secure telecommunication network. The Hizbollah was also accused of monitoring flights from the Beirut airport. It retaliated aggressively against the move. Within hours, its forces had established physical control over Beirut and other key areas. The assertion of power by the Hizbollah finally forced a major policy change in the West. The Doha accord, which followed a month later, was a major achievement, as it allowed the formation of a new government in which the Hizbollah and its ally Amal were in a position to veto any major legislation. Following the formation of a new government, the Hizbollah successfully brought back from Israel all Lebanese prisoners and bodies of fighters who died in previous conflicts, as part of a swap with the Israelis.
Iran’s consolidation of influence in Iraq and Lebanon is part of a major political transformation West Asia is undergoing following the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the war the Hizbollah fought with Israel two years ago. With the established order in West Asia already unravelling due to the string of successes that Iran and its allies have registered, the political transition in the region has reached a decisive stage.
Within the space of one week in July, Iran recorded two major successes in West Asia. Through skilful diplomacy, it upstaged persistent efforts by Americans to consolidate their influence in two theatres of conflict — Iraq and Lebanon.
In Iraq, which shares a 1,458-km border with Iran, the government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki announced that American troops would not be stationed in the country permanently. Iran saw this momentous decision as a big strategic accomplishment. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 brought hostile American forces to Iran’s doorstep. This resulted in grave anxiety for Tehran as American troops were already positioned in Afghanistan. With the invasion of Iraq, the world’s best armed military force marked its presence along Tehran’s eastern and western borders.
However, by early July, Tehran had tangible reasons to conclude that it had achieved a stunning success. On July 7, Mr. Al Maliki told the region’s ambassadors in Abu Dhabi that Baghdad was not interested in an open-ended Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) with the Americans. Such an arrangement, on the lines of post-World War-II U.S. agreements with Japan and Korea, would have meant a permanent American troop presence in Iraq.
On July 11, a new national unity government was formed in Lebanon, in which Iran’s allies, Hizbollah and Amal, acquired a position which insulated them against moves that could undermine their interests as well as those of their allies.
Elaborating Mr. Maliki’s remarks in Abu Dhabi, his National Security Adviser, Muwaffaq Al-Rubaie, said during a visit to Najaf on July 9: “We will not accept any memorandum of understanding [with the Americans] if it does not give a specific date for a complete withdrawal of foreign troops.” The government’s call had the sanction of the highly influential Ayatollah Ali Sistani, top Shia cleric in Iraq, who is a revered figure throughout the country. Why did the Maliki government defy the American script in Iraq?
It appears Iraqi nationalism and sectarian fears of being overwhelmed by the Sunni neighbours were some of the major factors that led to the move. However, astute and persistent Iranian diplomacy appears to have clinched the issue. Tehran relied on two major government factions — the Al Dawa party, to which Mr. Maliki belongs, and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) — to safeguard its interests. Iran had patiently cultivated the groups in a marathon effort that dates back several decades.
The tide was not necessarily flowing Iran’s way in Iraq during 2005-06. The former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, had worked hard to diminish Iranian influence in the country. The envoy specifically targeted the SIIC, which had acquired a high profile in Iraq’s security forces. The Interior Ministry, behind which the SIIC was the real force, was accused of using the state apparatus to achieve sectarian goals. The Ministry was blamed for operating torture chambers, where grave human rights abuses were perpetrated against Sunni groups.
After assuming that the SIIC had been chastened, the Americans invited the group’s leader, Abdulaziz Al Hakim, to Washington. In December 2006, he was feted in the White House by President George Bush. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met him again in November 2007.
During their meetings, the Iraqis reassured the Americans that they were restricting Iranian activity in Iraq. Mr. Maliki told the Americans that the Iranians had been persuaded to work on the Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr. This, according to him, was the key factor that led to the cleric declaring a ceasefire in August 2007. By November 2007, negotiations on stationing U.S. forces in Iraq began. In the next three months, American, British and Iraqi military forces planned a large-scale joint operation in Basra for summer 2008.
However, by March 7, the situation changed dramatically. The Americans sent the SoFA draft to the Iraqi government. The proposed agreement alarmed the Iraqis. There were glaring loopholes which raised suspicions about Washington’s real intentions in Iraq. For instance, the agreement did not provide Iraqis explicit security guarantees against a military attack. The omission aroused fears among Iraqis that they would be highly vulnerable to attacks by their Sunni neighbours, especially Turkey, Washington’s NATO ally. The Iraqis were also uncomfortable with the draft provision that excluded them from exercising any jurisdiction over American forces to be deployed following the accord. Besides, the clause that the Americans would control the Iraqi airspace was unacceptable. Both issues challenged Iraqi sovereignty and aroused deep nationalist feelings.
For the Iranians, the agreement crossed all “red lines” and was totally unacceptable. Tehran saw in the draft a U.S. plan to use Iraqi soil to implement the Americans’ “regime change” design. Iranian diplomacy, therefore, went into top gear once the Iraqis received the American draft.
A shift in Mr. Maliki’s position towards Americans now became visible. The first tangible sign came in March. Instead of waiting for the full-scale joint assault planned for summer, the Iraqi forces led an attack on Basra. The premature strike achieved two major objectives. It allowed the Sadirist forces to survive as Mr. Maliki’s forces were in no position to overwhelm them. More importantly, it opened the door for Iran’s emergence as the chief mediator in resolving intra-Shia disputes in Iraq. On the request of the Al Dawa and the SIIC, Iran negotiated for peace between Mr. Maliki’s government and the Sadirists.
The bonding between the government in Baghdad and the Iranians became transparent on other occasions as well. In late April, the Americans said the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, was preparing a document that would prove Iran’s complicity in fomenting “instability” in Iraq. The argument was that the weapons captured during the Basra operations and in Karbala bore Iranian hallmarks. The “international media,” according to the plan, would be taken to Karbala, where the weapons would be displayed. It was apparent that the document and the media circus that was to follow were part of a carefully choreographed exercise to drum up support against Iran, and weaken the sceptics in the U.S. Congress who were challenging the Bush administration’s version of events on Iraq.
However, Mr. Maliki’s government played a major role in foiling the U.S. plan. An Iraqi delegation which had just returned from Iran stated publicly that Tehran had another version that countered U.S. claims. On May 4, Mr. Maliki’s spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, told journalists that the Prime Minister was forming a Cabinet Committee that would probe Washington’s allegations on its own. As for the weapons, American experts who independently examined the cache in Karbala could not find any evidence that linked it to Iran.
The Iranians, who were now fully involved in intra-Shia confabulations, also helped Mr. Maliki’s government defuse tensions in the Sadirist stronghold of Sadr city in Baghdad. Aware that an all-out American assault on Sadr city was imminent, the Iranians encouraged the Iraqi government to hold talks with the Sadirists. The negotiations resulted in an accord that removed the raison d’etre for an American assault.
Like Iraq, Iran has registered substantial success in Lebanon. Its chief ally, the Lebanese Hizbollah, has grown from strength to strength in recent weeks. The Americans, with the help of the pro-western forces in the Lebanese establishment, stonewalled the Hizbollah’s efforts to translate its military achievements in the war against Israel in summer 2006 into concrete political accomplishments. The standoff between the Hizbollah and the pro-western March 14 forces, which reflected a larger rivalry between Iran and Syria vis-À-vis the U.S. and Israel, paralysed the functioning of the government in Beirut for over a year. The final showdown came in May when the government of Fouad Siniora decided to decommission the Hizbollah’s secure telecommunication network. The Hizbollah was also accused of monitoring flights from the Beirut airport. It retaliated aggressively against the move. Within hours, its forces had established physical control over Beirut and other key areas. The assertion of power by the Hizbollah finally forced a major policy change in the West. The Doha accord, which followed a month later, was a major achievement, as it allowed the formation of a new government in which the Hizbollah and its ally Amal were in a position to veto any major legislation. Following the formation of a new government, the Hizbollah successfully brought back from Israel all Lebanese prisoners and bodies of fighters who died in previous conflicts, as part of a swap with the Israelis.
Iran’s consolidation of influence in Iraq and Lebanon is part of a major political transformation West Asia is undergoing following the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the war the Hizbollah fought with Israel two years ago. With the established order in West Asia already unravelling due to the string of successes that Iran and its allies have registered, the political transition in the region has reached a decisive stage.
India - Violent Religion
If lakhs of people were to block all the roads between Haridwar, Delhi and surrounding areas for nearly a month, torch a few dozen trucks, buses, tractors and petrol pumps in retaliation for a few deaths in road accidents, the government would have responded with alacrity and sent in the army. But if these vandals were on a mission of religious piety no political party would dare to interfere. The kanwaria season is upon us again. An estimated seven lakh devotees will block most of the roads from Haridwar to their home towns and villages in a 300-km radius during the lunar month of Shravan. They are called kanwarias because they carry small pots of Ganga water on their shoulders on a bamboo pole called a kanwar . For the most part the short pilgrimages are peaceful but the advent of a new custom of dak kanwars with groups of running kanwarias who run in relays to quickly get to their destinations is causing serious problems. While one devotee runs with the pots on his shoulder, the rest of his team follows on motorcycles, buses or cars and get violent if their passage is delayed. For about four weeks, it will be nearly impossible for children to get to school, for mourners to take the ashes of their departed ones for immersion. Ambulances will be virtually immobile and fire brigade, police and other emergency vehicles will find it difficult to operate. This custom was unknown a decade ago and was transplanted here from a similar practice that began years earlier in Sultanganj in Bihar. This annual migration with its raucous religiosity is a far cry from the quiet spirituality of true religion. The custom has no place in any of the scriptures but is a popular act of public piety in which both the devotees as well as the numerous supporters providing them with food, refreshments and shelter believe that they will gain punya or good karma for a better next life. Professional priests of all religions have for many centuries exploited gullible devotees persuading them that numerous heavenly or otherworldly rewards would be available to them in exchange for donations, pilgrimages, fasts, sacrifices or austerities. With surprising speed, many new religious customs develop. Soon even the less credulous succumb to the comfort of going with the current. Paradoxically, such customs were seldom at the command of the sages, prophets or founders of any religion. None of them had asked for temples, mosques or churches, let alone the trappings or demonstrations of religion with sacred robes, triumphant flags, loud music or colourful processions. But power corrupts and the priests of every faith are easily intoxicated by the power that religiosity gives them. Politicians happily support religiosity that can serve their political agendas. With amazing speed, the social and moral ideas of the founders become lost in an ocean of meaningless rituals and superstitions. Outward form becomes more important than inner substance and religiosity masquerades as religion. Curiously, it is at this stage of most feverish religiosity that religions have collapsed. History shows that new reformers disgusted with empty rituals, superstitions and the arrogance of priests have appeared to break away from the old order to become the founders of new faiths. Zoroaster and Buddha, disgusted with the sacrifices of the old Avestan and Vedic priests, founded simple new faiths. Jesus, horrified by the excesses of Jewish priests founded Christianity. Muhammad, appalled by the rituals and offerings to 365 idols at Mecca founded Islam. But the insidious influence of ritual and superstition is difficult to eradicate. Rituals, penances, processions and offerings packaged as joyous distractions cost much less than the effort of understanding and practising the deeper moral, social and philosophical tenets of religion. So populist ritual and superstition have crept into Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and other faiths.
India - When Dhyan Chand defied the Fuehrer
NEW DELHI: They had the gift to mesmerise opponents and crowd alike. Few know that Dhyan Chand and his teammates had the guts to defy the Fuehrer in his backyard.
A new book suggests that India was one of the only two contingents, America being the other, which refused to salute Adolf Hitler during the opening ceremony of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Olympics: The India Story by Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta sheds light on an obscure but glorious chapter of Indian sports and relives how a bunch of mostly unsuspecting, rustic Indians went on to make a stupendous political statement in a grand gesture of defiance.
The book narrates the opening ceremony of the Berlin Games, which was as much a Nazi propaganda vehicle as a sporting extravaganza. Hindenberg, the giant Zeppelin, whirred over the stadium as Hitler arrived for the guard of honour amid great fanfare.
The Indians, Dhyan Chand carrying the flag, were arguably the most dazzling contingent in their light blue turban and golden outfit, resembling a marriage procession, as one of the players later remarked.
"But this was no ordinary marriage procession. Its members were about to make a huge political statement by becoming one of the two contingents to refuse saluting Hitler," the book recalls.
The crowd watched in dismay as the Indians did not salute the Nazi. While their gesture went largely unnoticed back home, it created quite a stir in Germany, the book claims.
For the record, India crushed Hitler's Germany 8-1 in the final to complete their golden hat-trick in Olympics.
A new book suggests that India was one of the only two contingents, America being the other, which refused to salute Adolf Hitler during the opening ceremony of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Olympics: The India Story by Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta sheds light on an obscure but glorious chapter of Indian sports and relives how a bunch of mostly unsuspecting, rustic Indians went on to make a stupendous political statement in a grand gesture of defiance.
The book narrates the opening ceremony of the Berlin Games, which was as much a Nazi propaganda vehicle as a sporting extravaganza. Hindenberg, the giant Zeppelin, whirred over the stadium as Hitler arrived for the guard of honour amid great fanfare.
The Indians, Dhyan Chand carrying the flag, were arguably the most dazzling contingent in their light blue turban and golden outfit, resembling a marriage procession, as one of the players later remarked.
"But this was no ordinary marriage procession. Its members were about to make a huge political statement by becoming one of the two contingents to refuse saluting Hitler," the book recalls.
The crowd watched in dismay as the Indians did not salute the Nazi. While their gesture went largely unnoticed back home, it created quite a stir in Germany, the book claims.
For the record, India crushed Hitler's Germany 8-1 in the final to complete their golden hat-trick in Olympics.
India - Kolkata's graveyard tourism
KOLKATA: The dead are an unlikely tourist attraction, but authorities in Kolkata are promoting the graveyards of India's former colonial capital to woo foreigners trying to trace their roots.
At one end of Park Street, lined on either sides with bars, night clubs and chic eateries, lies a walled cemetery with rows of mossy graves shaped like pyramids, pagodas and obelisks. Many of its occupants were interred during the British Raj.
A rising number of tourists, especially from Britain, who are looking for ancestors in this cemetery and a bigger one in the same neighbourhood have spurred the "tourism of the dead" drive.
"Graveyard tourism sounds gross but we want the graveyards to be part of the city's heritage tourism circuit," said Manab Mukherjee, tourism minister of West Bengal.
He said authorities were keen to promote the graveyards as a tourist draw similar to Highgate Cemetery in London or Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
And to make it easier for tourists, the Christian Burial Board (CBB), which runs four major cemeteries, has begun transferring the burial records of graveyards where many Britons were interred, some nearly 200 years ago, into a computer.
"An arduous process to digitise records of more than 100,000 burials and 20,000 graves has been undertaken so that the foreigners visiting the city to trace their ancestral roots can locate them at the click of a mouse," said Ranojoy Bose of CBB.
Every day, at least 20 foreigners visit the cemeteries in Kolkata, formerly called Calcutta and the capital of British-ruled India from 1772 until 1911.
The city, home to about 15 million people, bears vestiges of its British past through its grand Victorian architecture, buildings, churches and cemeteries.
Michael Grover, a middle-aged Briton who now lives in Australia, says he found his grandparents' graves in Kolkata.
"It was a great feeling," said Grover, whose grandfather was a sergeant in the British army in India.
Among the many tombs are those of famous Britons like William Jones, the educationist who founded the Asiatic Society, and unorthodox poet Henry Louis Vivian Derozio.
People could search the digitised database using date of burial and, in more recent cases, names.
Arijit Mitra, whose firm is involved in the data transfer, says the process would be over by the end of the year.
"Tourists can locate the graves from abroad and plan their visits, unlike in the past when they had arrived here clueless and searched aimlessly," he said
At one end of Park Street, lined on either sides with bars, night clubs and chic eateries, lies a walled cemetery with rows of mossy graves shaped like pyramids, pagodas and obelisks. Many of its occupants were interred during the British Raj.
A rising number of tourists, especially from Britain, who are looking for ancestors in this cemetery and a bigger one in the same neighbourhood have spurred the "tourism of the dead" drive.
"Graveyard tourism sounds gross but we want the graveyards to be part of the city's heritage tourism circuit," said Manab Mukherjee, tourism minister of West Bengal.
He said authorities were keen to promote the graveyards as a tourist draw similar to Highgate Cemetery in London or Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
And to make it easier for tourists, the Christian Burial Board (CBB), which runs four major cemeteries, has begun transferring the burial records of graveyards where many Britons were interred, some nearly 200 years ago, into a computer.
"An arduous process to digitise records of more than 100,000 burials and 20,000 graves has been undertaken so that the foreigners visiting the city to trace their ancestral roots can locate them at the click of a mouse," said Ranojoy Bose of CBB.
Every day, at least 20 foreigners visit the cemeteries in Kolkata, formerly called Calcutta and the capital of British-ruled India from 1772 until 1911.
The city, home to about 15 million people, bears vestiges of its British past through its grand Victorian architecture, buildings, churches and cemeteries.
Michael Grover, a middle-aged Briton who now lives in Australia, says he found his grandparents' graves in Kolkata.
"It was a great feeling," said Grover, whose grandfather was a sergeant in the British army in India.
Among the many tombs are those of famous Britons like William Jones, the educationist who founded the Asiatic Society, and unorthodox poet Henry Louis Vivian Derozio.
People could search the digitised database using date of burial and, in more recent cases, names.
Arijit Mitra, whose firm is involved in the data transfer, says the process would be over by the end of the year.
"Tourists can locate the graves from abroad and plan their visits, unlike in the past when they had arrived here clueless and searched aimlessly," he said
World - Zimbabwe has no banknote paper
Harare: Zimbabwe’s government is struggling to find enough cash to pay its workers, and more importantly the military, after it was forced to cut back on printing money because sanctions have severed its supply of banknote paper from Europe.
Officials involved in the printing said the regime fears the presses could be shut down altogether if further political pressure causes the withdrawal of software licences used to design and print notes.
Paper money is already in short supply because the state-run Fidelity Printers & Refiners in Harare cannot keep up with demand created by the hyperinflation and rapid devaluation that causes notes to lose almost their entire value within weeks of being issued.Highest denomination
On July 21, the central bank issued a Z$100-billion note, the highest denomination to date but worth seven pence, printed on what remains of stocks of the German paper. The cash shortage is contributing to the rapidly deepening economic crisis and further threatening Mr. Mugabe’s regime.
The government needs to ensure money reaches the Army. Zimbabweans are limited to withdrawing just Z$100 billion a day from their accounts, less than half the cost of a loaf of bread.
The trade unions wrote to the Central Bank asking it to remove the daily limit, describing it as a “joke.”
“As you may be aware, transport alone, costs around Z$150 billion, on average. How then do the monetary authorities expect an ordinary employee to report for duty and go back home when he or she is allowed to only withdraw a maximum amount of Z$100 billion,” asked the unions.
Business - Kinley's packaging revamp
Kinley, the bottled-water brand by Coca Cola, has undergone a significant revamp. Apart from new packaging, a new piece of integrated communication, sporting the new packaging and tagline, 'Boond Boond Mein Vishwas', has also been rolled out. This is the first concerted effort for the brand in the past three years.The bottle now comes in a new 'easy to hold' shape; and the label has changed from the previous blue to a transparent one.Kinley was launched by Coca-Cola India in the end of 2000. In the eight years of existence, this is the first time that the brand has reconsidered its packaging. Says Avinash Pant, director, marketing, still beverages, “It's not only about a new look, it’s more about the functionality. The transparent label conveys what the brand stands for.”
Talking about Kinley’s communication over time, Pant reveals that apart from talking about purity, the communication has also managed to connect with the audience in an Indian manner. The importance of water in life has been talked about too.The 'Boond Boond Mein Vishwas' concept has been with Kinley for five years now. In the first three years of the brand, the communication was more about safety and how a packaged-drinking-water brand needs to be trustworthy enough for the consumer to accept it. The communication evolved with time and with the changes in the category, Pant says.Talking about the TVC, Titus Upputuru, senior creative director, O&M, Delhi, the agency which handles the creative duties for the brand, says, “The creative depicts that those whom we really know and trust have nothing to hide. This feature of trust and purity is equated to the quality of Kinley packaged drinking water.”Upputuru revelas that the brand had a successful campaign some years back (Koi Rang Nahi, Koi Aakaar Nahi) and Coca Cola was looking at refreshing the premise of the communication. The film is in the form of a travelogue, where a young boy keeps the faith by going through a long journey to meet his grandmother. The film opens on the boy, who is en route to his ancestral home. The background score says, 'Mann Kaanch jaisa, Aar Paar Aisa, Aasman Sa Khula Saaf Dil Hai Tera'. Somewhere along the journey, he is looking for drinking water, and is skeptical about finding pure water. A shopkeeper, on sensing his dilemma, calls him and gives him the new bottle of Kinley. The boy, on seeing the trusted quality seal on the bottle, is happy that he has found his trusted Kinley. All along the journey – on the bus, at a roadside dhaba, he uses Kinley to quench his thirst. At his grandmother’s home, he is welcomed with lot of love and affection. His grandmother asks him to wash his hands (a symbol of purification) with Kinley. The film closes on the shot of the old lady and the grandson catching up with each other, with the super — 'Boond Boond Mein Vishwas'.The lyrics for the film’s background score have been penned by Upputuru. From the creative side at O&M, Suman Adhikari and Preeti Kaul Chaudhary have worked as part of Upputuru's team. The film has been shot by Shashanka Chaturvedi of Good Morning Films, on the Mumbai-Pune highway. Apart from television, outdoor and on-truck advertising would be used as part of the communication.In the Rs 1,250-crore packaged-drinking-water market, as estimated by industry experts, Rs 1,000 crore accounts for branded packaged drinking water. Bisleri, the market leader, holds 21-22 per cent share of the market. Kinley has around 19.5 per cent, and Aquafina accounts for 18 per cent. Average advertising and marketing spends for the category is around Rs 50-60 crore. The market is growing at 25-30 per cent every year.
Talking about Kinley’s communication over time, Pant reveals that apart from talking about purity, the communication has also managed to connect with the audience in an Indian manner. The importance of water in life has been talked about too.The 'Boond Boond Mein Vishwas' concept has been with Kinley for five years now. In the first three years of the brand, the communication was more about safety and how a packaged-drinking-water brand needs to be trustworthy enough for the consumer to accept it. The communication evolved with time and with the changes in the category, Pant says.Talking about the TVC, Titus Upputuru, senior creative director, O&M, Delhi, the agency which handles the creative duties for the brand, says, “The creative depicts that those whom we really know and trust have nothing to hide. This feature of trust and purity is equated to the quality of Kinley packaged drinking water.”Upputuru revelas that the brand had a successful campaign some years back (Koi Rang Nahi, Koi Aakaar Nahi) and Coca Cola was looking at refreshing the premise of the communication. The film is in the form of a travelogue, where a young boy keeps the faith by going through a long journey to meet his grandmother. The film opens on the boy, who is en route to his ancestral home. The background score says, 'Mann Kaanch jaisa, Aar Paar Aisa, Aasman Sa Khula Saaf Dil Hai Tera'. Somewhere along the journey, he is looking for drinking water, and is skeptical about finding pure water. A shopkeeper, on sensing his dilemma, calls him and gives him the new bottle of Kinley. The boy, on seeing the trusted quality seal on the bottle, is happy that he has found his trusted Kinley. All along the journey – on the bus, at a roadside dhaba, he uses Kinley to quench his thirst. At his grandmother’s home, he is welcomed with lot of love and affection. His grandmother asks him to wash his hands (a symbol of purification) with Kinley. The film closes on the shot of the old lady and the grandson catching up with each other, with the super — 'Boond Boond Mein Vishwas'.The lyrics for the film’s background score have been penned by Upputuru. From the creative side at O&M, Suman Adhikari and Preeti Kaul Chaudhary have worked as part of Upputuru's team. The film has been shot by Shashanka Chaturvedi of Good Morning Films, on the Mumbai-Pune highway. Apart from television, outdoor and on-truck advertising would be used as part of the communication.In the Rs 1,250-crore packaged-drinking-water market, as estimated by industry experts, Rs 1,000 crore accounts for branded packaged drinking water. Bisleri, the market leader, holds 21-22 per cent share of the market. Kinley has around 19.5 per cent, and Aquafina accounts for 18 per cent. Average advertising and marketing spends for the category is around Rs 50-60 crore. The market is growing at 25-30 per cent every year.
Sports - China's Impossible Dream
Beijing struggles to make its coming-of-age Olympics party perfect despite controversies, unsold tickets and media hyperventilation.
China's monumental showcase, the Olympics, begins on the auspicious Chinese "eighth of the eighth" — August 8, 2008, at 8 pm. Since it won the Olympic bid in 2001, it has pulled out all the stops to weave a spectacular "Tong yi ge menxiang, Tong yi ge shij" (or "One world, one dream") event.
For China, the Games, with a whopping $2 billion budget (but short of Athens's $2.4 billion), is not a mere sporting event but a chance to show the world that after three decades of reclusive socialism, it has leapt into the big league following three decades of economic "open door".
The technocratic fourth generation of leaders under President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao want to use the Olympics to showcase how prosperous and advanced the country really is.
As a result, China is under intense media scrutiny. The press has raked up its human rights record and put the dormant issues of Tibet and Taiwan under the scanner. It has also put a spotlight on contentious domestic issues such as unrest in the Uighur province of Xinjiang and widespread Tibetan protests in provinces such as Gansu and Qinghai.
More recently, the epic 130-day Olympic torch relay ran amuck in cities such as Paris, where it was hijacked by a blitzkrieg of Tibetan activists. The relay also enraged environmentalists protesting against the highway up to Mt Everest.
But China is leaving these dampeners behind as it edges towards the stunning opening ceremony directed by veteran film director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Lantern, Hero). The nation has roped in Cai Quoqiang, a New-York-based artiste known for his work with gunpowder, who will apply his talents towards the pyrotechnics at the opening and closing ceremonies.
Though the details are a closely guarded-secret, Zhang told the The New York Times, "The Olympic circle is round, the National Stadium is circular and there is Cai's circle in the sky", indicating that Cai is likely to create a mesmerising artistic display involving the circle.
But it is China's monumental venues featuring cutting-edge designs that will be the centre of all attention, beginning at the gateway to the Games — the Beijing Airport. The airport has been designed by British architect Norman Foster, who beat stiff competition from artist Damien Hirst (among others) to bag "Britain's Best 2008" in the arts category.
Terminal 3 is an architectural gem, its surface area larger than all of Heathrow's five terminals. The airport, estimated to handle 50 million passengers by 2020, has a distinctive silhouette that shows off its blazing yellow, orange and red lights (the Olympic colours).
In comparison, the recently unveiled Bangalore airport, designed by a Swiss consortium, has proved a disappointment. It waits to be seen if Delhi's slated Terminal 3 by an Indian consortium will put it on the world design map — hopes are high, since the same consortium put up a nicer airport in Hyderabad.
The showpiece of the Games is the 230-feet tall, $500 million "Bird's Nest" or National Stadium, which will play host to the opening and closing ceremonies. It is a unique structure of metal lattice built with 45 tonnes of unwrapped steel. It has been designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who also designed Tate Modern, London, and more recently, Barcelona Forum in Spain.
The Bird's Nest, marked as one of the most iconic buildings of this decade, boasts an innovative green design and features a rainwater collection system and a translucent roof to provide sunlight for the grass.
Other jewels in Beijing's crown include the National Aquatics Centre, also called the "Water Cube", built using more than 100,000 sq m of lightweight, transparent Teflon over a steel base to replicate the natural formation of air bubbles.
There is also the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Centre, the main sports venue; the Laoshan cycling cluster with a 250-meter circumference wooden cycling track designed to produce new world speed records; and the Laoshan BMX venue, reportedly the most difficult track in the world.
With the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Delhi in 2010, Delhi may well take pointers from Beijing. Beijing city, with a 17 million population (Delhi, 15 million), has been spruced up for an estimated 10,500 athletes, 200,000 accredited personnel and 6 million spectators.
Beijing's infrastructural makeover includes a network of new subway lines that will carry between 200,000-300,000 people a day, ring roads (such as in Delhi), power plants and water treatment facilities.
It also boasts of a slew of new cultural facilities such as the China National Grand Theatre, west of Tiananmen Square, designed by renowned French architect Paul Andreu — a bubble-shaped, glass and titanium wonder.
Beijing has enrolled its taxi drivers for English lessons, and a nation that loves its "Double Happiness" cigarettes has started posting "No smoking" signs inside its 66,000 cabs to create a non-smoking Olympics.
One of the most incredible things about China is the safety that cabs and public transportation affords women — and while Delhi is pumping $6 million on sanitation and $230 million on its Games village, it needs to work on ensuring a safer Delhi. Beijing had eliminated the use of ozone-depleting substances in 2004, six years ahead of the Montréal Protocol's target date.
The city has employed 1,000 doctors and nurses with a volunteer team of 3,000 doctors to treat athletes, journalists and VIPs at 170 medical stations and 140 ambulances, and the Beijing Olympics call centre will operate 24x7.
State-of-the-art systems have been devised to guide people to tourist spots, and 5,000-plus high-tech public toilets with remote sensor flushing and piped music (which cost $57 million) have been completed.
Beijing has used 1,109 kg of silver to make 6,000 medals, and much of that silver, China hopes, will end up in Chinese hands. Unlike India, where athletes have to struggle for funds, China has a system of rigorous athletic schools.
Athletes join national teams from the age of 18, but in exceptional circumstances they can do so from 12 years onwards. Those who make the team receive generous state allowances along with medical, life and accident insurance policies.
Cheering on the sidelines are the mascots Fuwa (literally, good luck dollies) — a group of five: Bei Bei, the fish, which signifies prosperity; Jing Jing, the panda, which signifies happiness; Nini, the Tibetan antelope, to signify vastness; and Ying Ying, the swallow, representing the infinite sky and good luck; all surrounding Huan Huan, or the fire of the Olympic Flame.
Each of the Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name, and collectively the first syllable of each results in the phrase "Beijing huanying ni" or "Beijing welcomes you".
In order to ensure the Olympics go off without a hitch, China has embarked on an ambitious security programme following reported threats by the Uighurs. It has deployed Red Flag 7 missiles. The US, Britain and Interpol have issued travel warnings even as Interpol's help has been sought to gather names, fingerprints, photographs and DNA profiles of anyone who might pose a threat.
For the duration of the Olympics, China will have automated access to Interpol's passport and visa application screening processes, giving it the most advanced early detection system against fake travel documents and criminals.
Critics claim much of the terror threat has been fabricated to provide an excuse for a crackdown on dissenting groups. Any marches, demonstrations or other large gatherings exceeding 1,000 participants need prior authorisation.
What is less known is that so nervous is the government that it has tightened visa restrictions for both visitors and foreign residents living in China. Prior to the games, foreigners could get year-long work visas with little hassle through a number of agencies in Hong Kong, but since the spring of this year these same foreigners, many of whom had been living in China for as long as eight years, discovered they could no longer renew their visas.
No official explanation has been issued. And tourists wanting to visit China for the Games have had to undergo a huge rigmarole to obtain visas, with demands that they provide proof of tickets and notarised invitation letters if they choose to stay anywhere but in a hotel.
Some visa seekers at the Chinese embassy in London, having endured four-hour waits, have given up. The visa restrictions are hurting China. Beijing has 120 Olympic-contracted hotels with a capacity of 32,000 rooms, but even by late June, hotels in Beijing and Shanghai reported occupancy rates at 60 per cent, well below those during the normal summer season, and at last count there were over 1 million Olympic tickets left unsold.
Even though the cup of nationalism is overflowing with slogans such as "New Beijing, Great Olympics" or "Unite together towards the Olympics", not everyone believes in them. The massive scale and cost of operations have raised questions.
While the design, quality and speed of construction of much of the infrastructure are impressive, many of the totems of patriotism have been designed with the help of foreign architects. There was controversy in Beijing where the massive projects involved relocation of over 6,000 families, even as thousands of underpaid migrant workers slogged 24 hours a day across the city's numerous construction sites.
Some of those originally involved in the Olympics have lost faith in the dream. Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, the artistic adviser, resigned on grounds of China's Darfur policy. Actor Mia Farrow slammed the Olympics as "Genocidal Olympics". Celebrated Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, associated with the Bird's Nest, criticised the government for using the Olympics to whip up a false sense of nationalism.
Ai told The Age, "It is a pretend harmony and happiness." In a sense Ai is right. In striving so hard to make everything perfect, China is acting a bit like an overzealous PR firm. Only in August will we find out if it manages to pull it off.
China's monumental showcase, the Olympics, begins on the auspicious Chinese "eighth of the eighth" — August 8, 2008, at 8 pm. Since it won the Olympic bid in 2001, it has pulled out all the stops to weave a spectacular "Tong yi ge menxiang, Tong yi ge shij" (or "One world, one dream") event.
For China, the Games, with a whopping $2 billion budget (but short of Athens's $2.4 billion), is not a mere sporting event but a chance to show the world that after three decades of reclusive socialism, it has leapt into the big league following three decades of economic "open door".
The technocratic fourth generation of leaders under President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao want to use the Olympics to showcase how prosperous and advanced the country really is.
As a result, China is under intense media scrutiny. The press has raked up its human rights record and put the dormant issues of Tibet and Taiwan under the scanner. It has also put a spotlight on contentious domestic issues such as unrest in the Uighur province of Xinjiang and widespread Tibetan protests in provinces such as Gansu and Qinghai.
More recently, the epic 130-day Olympic torch relay ran amuck in cities such as Paris, where it was hijacked by a blitzkrieg of Tibetan activists. The relay also enraged environmentalists protesting against the highway up to Mt Everest.
But China is leaving these dampeners behind as it edges towards the stunning opening ceremony directed by veteran film director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Lantern, Hero). The nation has roped in Cai Quoqiang, a New-York-based artiste known for his work with gunpowder, who will apply his talents towards the pyrotechnics at the opening and closing ceremonies.
Though the details are a closely guarded-secret, Zhang told the The New York Times, "The Olympic circle is round, the National Stadium is circular and there is Cai's circle in the sky", indicating that Cai is likely to create a mesmerising artistic display involving the circle.
But it is China's monumental venues featuring cutting-edge designs that will be the centre of all attention, beginning at the gateway to the Games — the Beijing Airport. The airport has been designed by British architect Norman Foster, who beat stiff competition from artist Damien Hirst (among others) to bag "Britain's Best 2008" in the arts category.
Terminal 3 is an architectural gem, its surface area larger than all of Heathrow's five terminals. The airport, estimated to handle 50 million passengers by 2020, has a distinctive silhouette that shows off its blazing yellow, orange and red lights (the Olympic colours).
In comparison, the recently unveiled Bangalore airport, designed by a Swiss consortium, has proved a disappointment. It waits to be seen if Delhi's slated Terminal 3 by an Indian consortium will put it on the world design map — hopes are high, since the same consortium put up a nicer airport in Hyderabad.
The showpiece of the Games is the 230-feet tall, $500 million "Bird's Nest" or National Stadium, which will play host to the opening and closing ceremonies. It is a unique structure of metal lattice built with 45 tonnes of unwrapped steel. It has been designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who also designed Tate Modern, London, and more recently, Barcelona Forum in Spain.
The Bird's Nest, marked as one of the most iconic buildings of this decade, boasts an innovative green design and features a rainwater collection system and a translucent roof to provide sunlight for the grass.
Other jewels in Beijing's crown include the National Aquatics Centre, also called the "Water Cube", built using more than 100,000 sq m of lightweight, transparent Teflon over a steel base to replicate the natural formation of air bubbles.
There is also the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Centre, the main sports venue; the Laoshan cycling cluster with a 250-meter circumference wooden cycling track designed to produce new world speed records; and the Laoshan BMX venue, reportedly the most difficult track in the world.
With the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Delhi in 2010, Delhi may well take pointers from Beijing. Beijing city, with a 17 million population (Delhi, 15 million), has been spruced up for an estimated 10,500 athletes, 200,000 accredited personnel and 6 million spectators.
Beijing's infrastructural makeover includes a network of new subway lines that will carry between 200,000-300,000 people a day, ring roads (such as in Delhi), power plants and water treatment facilities.
It also boasts of a slew of new cultural facilities such as the China National Grand Theatre, west of Tiananmen Square, designed by renowned French architect Paul Andreu — a bubble-shaped, glass and titanium wonder.
Beijing has enrolled its taxi drivers for English lessons, and a nation that loves its "Double Happiness" cigarettes has started posting "No smoking" signs inside its 66,000 cabs to create a non-smoking Olympics.
One of the most incredible things about China is the safety that cabs and public transportation affords women — and while Delhi is pumping $6 million on sanitation and $230 million on its Games village, it needs to work on ensuring a safer Delhi. Beijing had eliminated the use of ozone-depleting substances in 2004, six years ahead of the Montréal Protocol's target date.
The city has employed 1,000 doctors and nurses with a volunteer team of 3,000 doctors to treat athletes, journalists and VIPs at 170 medical stations and 140 ambulances, and the Beijing Olympics call centre will operate 24x7.
State-of-the-art systems have been devised to guide people to tourist spots, and 5,000-plus high-tech public toilets with remote sensor flushing and piped music (which cost $57 million) have been completed.
Beijing has used 1,109 kg of silver to make 6,000 medals, and much of that silver, China hopes, will end up in Chinese hands. Unlike India, where athletes have to struggle for funds, China has a system of rigorous athletic schools.
Athletes join national teams from the age of 18, but in exceptional circumstances they can do so from 12 years onwards. Those who make the team receive generous state allowances along with medical, life and accident insurance policies.
Cheering on the sidelines are the mascots Fuwa (literally, good luck dollies) — a group of five: Bei Bei, the fish, which signifies prosperity; Jing Jing, the panda, which signifies happiness; Nini, the Tibetan antelope, to signify vastness; and Ying Ying, the swallow, representing the infinite sky and good luck; all surrounding Huan Huan, or the fire of the Olympic Flame.
Each of the Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name, and collectively the first syllable of each results in the phrase "Beijing huanying ni" or "Beijing welcomes you".
In order to ensure the Olympics go off without a hitch, China has embarked on an ambitious security programme following reported threats by the Uighurs. It has deployed Red Flag 7 missiles. The US, Britain and Interpol have issued travel warnings even as Interpol's help has been sought to gather names, fingerprints, photographs and DNA profiles of anyone who might pose a threat.
For the duration of the Olympics, China will have automated access to Interpol's passport and visa application screening processes, giving it the most advanced early detection system against fake travel documents and criminals.
Critics claim much of the terror threat has been fabricated to provide an excuse for a crackdown on dissenting groups. Any marches, demonstrations or other large gatherings exceeding 1,000 participants need prior authorisation.
What is less known is that so nervous is the government that it has tightened visa restrictions for both visitors and foreign residents living in China. Prior to the games, foreigners could get year-long work visas with little hassle through a number of agencies in Hong Kong, but since the spring of this year these same foreigners, many of whom had been living in China for as long as eight years, discovered they could no longer renew their visas.
No official explanation has been issued. And tourists wanting to visit China for the Games have had to undergo a huge rigmarole to obtain visas, with demands that they provide proof of tickets and notarised invitation letters if they choose to stay anywhere but in a hotel.
Some visa seekers at the Chinese embassy in London, having endured four-hour waits, have given up. The visa restrictions are hurting China. Beijing has 120 Olympic-contracted hotels with a capacity of 32,000 rooms, but even by late June, hotels in Beijing and Shanghai reported occupancy rates at 60 per cent, well below those during the normal summer season, and at last count there were over 1 million Olympic tickets left unsold.
Even though the cup of nationalism is overflowing with slogans such as "New Beijing, Great Olympics" or "Unite together towards the Olympics", not everyone believes in them. The massive scale and cost of operations have raised questions.
While the design, quality and speed of construction of much of the infrastructure are impressive, many of the totems of patriotism have been designed with the help of foreign architects. There was controversy in Beijing where the massive projects involved relocation of over 6,000 families, even as thousands of underpaid migrant workers slogged 24 hours a day across the city's numerous construction sites.
Some of those originally involved in the Olympics have lost faith in the dream. Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, the artistic adviser, resigned on grounds of China's Darfur policy. Actor Mia Farrow slammed the Olympics as "Genocidal Olympics". Celebrated Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, associated with the Bird's Nest, criticised the government for using the Olympics to whip up a false sense of nationalism.
Ai told The Age, "It is a pretend harmony and happiness." In a sense Ai is right. In striving so hard to make everything perfect, China is acting a bit like an overzealous PR firm. Only in August will we find out if it manages to pull it off.
Business - Looking for a fill
The king of beer and whisky is trying to make a splash in wine, whose consumption is rising with the changing social landscape.
Wine, they say, reflects society and its mores. As documented, societal mores in India have changed beyond recognition in recent years. Rapid economic growth has led to a proliferation of the well-heeled and the well-travelled. The reflection of that change is being seen in the changing consumption of alcoholic drinks.
In India, buying liquor can be a disconcerting experience. It involves jostling with the multitude and shouting to attract the attention of the man at the counter, who would happily thrust any number of bottles in your hand without bothering with how you would hold or carry them.
Slowly, change has begun to set in. Supermarkets, themselves a new, raging phenomenon, are beginning to stock wine.
Recently, a woman reporter of Business Standard, looking to capture the new methods of selling wine, actually managed to rummage through the shelves at Lakeforest Wines, a dedicated store, in Gurgaon, helped by a polite, albeit not very well-informed, attendant.
It has helped that in July last year, prompted by complaints from the European Union and the United States to the World Trade Organisation, India reduced tariffs on imported liquor, potentially making a shiraz from Coonnawarra, Australia, for instance, as affordable as a product of an Indian vineyard.
Tariffs must be capped at 150 per cent now, down from rates that were as high as 550 per cent.
Earlier, when it came to offering drinks, what mattered was which whisky you were serving. The size of the wine market in the country remains minuscule, but is growing twice as fast as India-made foreign liquor.
These days wine is served at weddings and business meetings. Many would be able to point out Bordeaux on the world map. Wine clubs have sprouted and wine tasting is fast becoming a regular on the social calendar. Heck! Even journalistic parties have moved on from the India-made Old Monk.
It's IPL, again!In a sense, the Indian Premier League, whose widespread impact on cricket is still being assessed, also marked a dramatic "coming out" of wine when it was served to spectators at the tournament's inaugural match in Bangalore on April 18. That was just two months after United Spirits Ltd, or USL, the flagship of Vijay Mallya's UB Group, which includes the airline Kingfisher and IPL's Bangalore franchise, turned its attention to expanding the wine business in India.
For long, the company had abstained from wine, focusing on beer and whisky, where it is the runaway market leader.
However, in February, it uncorked a plunge into wine with the launch of Zinzi, targeted at the youth and novice drinkers. The next five years will see the company sinking Rs 100 crore in this segment.
Of this, about Rs 80 crore will go into USL's subsidiary, Four Seasons Wines Ltd. USL owns 51 per cent equity in Four Seasons Wines while the farmers of Maharashtra's Baramati region own the rest.
Four Seasons Wines will roll out six varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Zinfandel & Blush with the target of 1 million cases when the winery reaches full capacity. Also on the cards are oak barreled & sparkling wines, which are expected to be launched later this year and next year.
"The wine market's base in India is small — hardly 1 per cent of the total spirits sales, while in European countries it is almost 50 per cent. But there is huge potential of expanding the market and we are here to tap that potential," says Abhay Kewadkar, business head and chief wine maker, USL.
Pulling out all the corksThe per capita consumption of wine in the country is a paltry 10 mililitres, far below France's 73 litres. Even the world's average per captia consumption is much higher at 4 litres. Spirits fare better, but their per capita consumption of 1.05 litres, too, is below the global average of 3.04 litres.
However, according to a report by Rabobank International, the Indian wine market is expected to grow by 25 to 30 per cent by 2010, making it the fastest-growing industry in the country.
The Indian Wine Academy attributes the growth to the 250 million middle class that has the potential to consume 250 million litres of wine a year at just a litre per person.
The number of Indian vineyards, no more than half a dozen until recently, has risen to 50, centered mainly in the Nashik region of Maharashtra. That explains Four Seasons Wines' partnership with the 500-odd farmers of Baramati.
Touted as the biggest wine project in the country, Four Seasons Wines is looking at a chateau winery with a 330-acre vineyard with a capacity of 5 million bottles at the end of five years in the area, 65 km from Pune.
With the company having 500 acre under contract farming in the region, with plans to scale it up to 2,000 acre in the next two years, the share allotment is set to start with 500 farmers and the plan is to gradually go up to 1,000 acre as the farming expands.
Maharashtra, along with Karnataka, follows a wine-friendly policy that includes simplified licences and permits to wineries, promoting wine tourism and setting up of wine parks.
As part of its strategy to import wine, USL is looking at tie-ups in South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. In 2007, it acquired French sparkling wine maker Bouvet Ladubay. Recently, it partnered family-run Burgundy giant Boisset and intends to launch 20 labels in the country over the next three months.
The spoilersWhile drinking in the potential of wine, USL continues to focus on its bread and butter, beer and whisky, especially now that it has control over Whyte & Mackay, which owns some of the world's most respected scotch brands.
The company, which already has some of the highest-selling whisky brands in India, like McDowell's No 1, is betting on the W&M portfolio to compete in the premium scotch whisky segment that is growing at a gratifying rate of 18.2 per cent.
It however is somewhat checked in its march by the soaring excise levies, especially on wine. The competition from the domestic wine players — Sula, Indage and Grover's, which together control 90 per cent of the market — won't make things any easier.
To top it all, the industry continues to be highly-regulated in all respects of packaging, distribution and communication. Its avenues to advertise can be counted on a fingerless hand.
"We have grown despite these barriers through pioneering communication with the best and biggest lifestyle events across sports, music, etc, and have managed to communicate our brand values. We are now looking at a big act every quarter," says Vijay Rekhi, USL's president and managing director.
Then there is the issue of logistics. The cabernet can be too warm. Some types of wine are meant to be served at room temperature, but room temperature cannot be taken to mean the temperature in Delhi in the summer or monsoon months.
Indian wine suffers from the same problems that destroy tonnes of foodgrain and vegetables. Stores and warehouses are rarely refrigerated. Entire shelves of wine easily oxidise.
USL is following a strategy of education, awareness, and accessibility. It is trying to educate consumers and retailers, and food and beverages staff in wine appreciation. It is supporting wine tasting sessions, wine newsletters and magazines, and wine tourism.
"USL intends to make its wines more accessible to the public by making them available in supermarkets and hypermarkets," says Kewadkar.
Val Smith, the chairman of International Wine and Spirits Record, believes that USL will eventually surmount the obstacles.
"The dominance of the UB group in the Indian market, its sheer distribution strength and marketing abilities will help the company overcome these challenges."
In that endeavour, USL may receive support from a very unlikely source. An integral part of the ongoing social change in India is the increased expression of the womenfolk. That includes the expression of the desire to storm this most male-dominated bastion.
According to USL, "More women are working today and a sizeable number of them is experimenting with moderate drinks like wine."
Wine, they say, reflects society and its mores. As documented, societal mores in India have changed beyond recognition in recent years. Rapid economic growth has led to a proliferation of the well-heeled and the well-travelled. The reflection of that change is being seen in the changing consumption of alcoholic drinks.
In India, buying liquor can be a disconcerting experience. It involves jostling with the multitude and shouting to attract the attention of the man at the counter, who would happily thrust any number of bottles in your hand without bothering with how you would hold or carry them.
Slowly, change has begun to set in. Supermarkets, themselves a new, raging phenomenon, are beginning to stock wine.
Recently, a woman reporter of Business Standard, looking to capture the new methods of selling wine, actually managed to rummage through the shelves at Lakeforest Wines, a dedicated store, in Gurgaon, helped by a polite, albeit not very well-informed, attendant.
It has helped that in July last year, prompted by complaints from the European Union and the United States to the World Trade Organisation, India reduced tariffs on imported liquor, potentially making a shiraz from Coonnawarra, Australia, for instance, as affordable as a product of an Indian vineyard.
Tariffs must be capped at 150 per cent now, down from rates that were as high as 550 per cent.
Earlier, when it came to offering drinks, what mattered was which whisky you were serving. The size of the wine market in the country remains minuscule, but is growing twice as fast as India-made foreign liquor.
These days wine is served at weddings and business meetings. Many would be able to point out Bordeaux on the world map. Wine clubs have sprouted and wine tasting is fast becoming a regular on the social calendar. Heck! Even journalistic parties have moved on from the India-made Old Monk.
It's IPL, again!In a sense, the Indian Premier League, whose widespread impact on cricket is still being assessed, also marked a dramatic "coming out" of wine when it was served to spectators at the tournament's inaugural match in Bangalore on April 18. That was just two months after United Spirits Ltd, or USL, the flagship of Vijay Mallya's UB Group, which includes the airline Kingfisher and IPL's Bangalore franchise, turned its attention to expanding the wine business in India.
For long, the company had abstained from wine, focusing on beer and whisky, where it is the runaway market leader.
However, in February, it uncorked a plunge into wine with the launch of Zinzi, targeted at the youth and novice drinkers. The next five years will see the company sinking Rs 100 crore in this segment.
Of this, about Rs 80 crore will go into USL's subsidiary, Four Seasons Wines Ltd. USL owns 51 per cent equity in Four Seasons Wines while the farmers of Maharashtra's Baramati region own the rest.
Four Seasons Wines will roll out six varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Zinfandel & Blush with the target of 1 million cases when the winery reaches full capacity. Also on the cards are oak barreled & sparkling wines, which are expected to be launched later this year and next year.
"The wine market's base in India is small — hardly 1 per cent of the total spirits sales, while in European countries it is almost 50 per cent. But there is huge potential of expanding the market and we are here to tap that potential," says Abhay Kewadkar, business head and chief wine maker, USL.
Pulling out all the corksThe per capita consumption of wine in the country is a paltry 10 mililitres, far below France's 73 litres. Even the world's average per captia consumption is much higher at 4 litres. Spirits fare better, but their per capita consumption of 1.05 litres, too, is below the global average of 3.04 litres.
However, according to a report by Rabobank International, the Indian wine market is expected to grow by 25 to 30 per cent by 2010, making it the fastest-growing industry in the country.
The Indian Wine Academy attributes the growth to the 250 million middle class that has the potential to consume 250 million litres of wine a year at just a litre per person.
The number of Indian vineyards, no more than half a dozen until recently, has risen to 50, centered mainly in the Nashik region of Maharashtra. That explains Four Seasons Wines' partnership with the 500-odd farmers of Baramati.
Touted as the biggest wine project in the country, Four Seasons Wines is looking at a chateau winery with a 330-acre vineyard with a capacity of 5 million bottles at the end of five years in the area, 65 km from Pune.
With the company having 500 acre under contract farming in the region, with plans to scale it up to 2,000 acre in the next two years, the share allotment is set to start with 500 farmers and the plan is to gradually go up to 1,000 acre as the farming expands.
Maharashtra, along with Karnataka, follows a wine-friendly policy that includes simplified licences and permits to wineries, promoting wine tourism and setting up of wine parks.
As part of its strategy to import wine, USL is looking at tie-ups in South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. In 2007, it acquired French sparkling wine maker Bouvet Ladubay. Recently, it partnered family-run Burgundy giant Boisset and intends to launch 20 labels in the country over the next three months.
The spoilersWhile drinking in the potential of wine, USL continues to focus on its bread and butter, beer and whisky, especially now that it has control over Whyte & Mackay, which owns some of the world's most respected scotch brands.
The company, which already has some of the highest-selling whisky brands in India, like McDowell's No 1, is betting on the W&M portfolio to compete in the premium scotch whisky segment that is growing at a gratifying rate of 18.2 per cent.
It however is somewhat checked in its march by the soaring excise levies, especially on wine. The competition from the domestic wine players — Sula, Indage and Grover's, which together control 90 per cent of the market — won't make things any easier.
To top it all, the industry continues to be highly-regulated in all respects of packaging, distribution and communication. Its avenues to advertise can be counted on a fingerless hand.
"We have grown despite these barriers through pioneering communication with the best and biggest lifestyle events across sports, music, etc, and have managed to communicate our brand values. We are now looking at a big act every quarter," says Vijay Rekhi, USL's president and managing director.
Then there is the issue of logistics. The cabernet can be too warm. Some types of wine are meant to be served at room temperature, but room temperature cannot be taken to mean the temperature in Delhi in the summer or monsoon months.
Indian wine suffers from the same problems that destroy tonnes of foodgrain and vegetables. Stores and warehouses are rarely refrigerated. Entire shelves of wine easily oxidise.
USL is following a strategy of education, awareness, and accessibility. It is trying to educate consumers and retailers, and food and beverages staff in wine appreciation. It is supporting wine tasting sessions, wine newsletters and magazines, and wine tourism.
"USL intends to make its wines more accessible to the public by making them available in supermarkets and hypermarkets," says Kewadkar.
Val Smith, the chairman of International Wine and Spirits Record, believes that USL will eventually surmount the obstacles.
"The dominance of the UB group in the Indian market, its sheer distribution strength and marketing abilities will help the company overcome these challenges."
In that endeavour, USL may receive support from a very unlikely source. An integral part of the ongoing social change in India is the increased expression of the womenfolk. That includes the expression of the desire to storm this most male-dominated bastion.
According to USL, "More women are working today and a sizeable number of them is experimenting with moderate drinks like wine."
Columnists - T C A Srinivasa Raghavan
Doing a lalu in education
The Railways are using their land to encourage PPPs. Why can't municipalities do the same for the schools they run?
Everyone knows that India faces a severe infrastructure deficit and that the government doesn't have the money to build it on the scale needed. Everyone is also agreed that more than anything else, it is this that will keep the growth rate in India down. Ergo, everyone is also agreed that the private sector will have to be let into the infrastructure business. The only question is how.
The accepted way, internationally, has come to be called public-private-partnership (PPP). India has been trying hard to get these partnerships going. If you measure success against the backdrop of what is needed, it hasn't been very successful.
Still, perseverance pays and, over the last couple of years, the wagon has at last begun to roll. Several PPP projects are now working. Funding through PPP and borrowings is expected to be of the order of $18 billion during the 11th Plan. The bait to get this money in is the policy of financial support to PPPs through a viability-gap-funding up to 20 per cent by the central government and an additional 20 per cent by the state government.
But no has got around yet to assessing, in a sector-specific manner, how these PPP projects are working. The latest issue of the Asian Journal* seeks to make good this gap. Most of the articles are case studies which aim to highlight the problems that have been identified in the last few years, and offer solutions to them.
The key issue to emerge is that PPPs must satisfy everyone — governments, private players, users, financial institutions, etc. This means risk allocation has to keep in view long-term consequences. This, in turn, calls for transparent and stable government policy, especially non-pecuniary externalities exist.
The Railways lead in PPPs, at least in financial terms. Learning from past failures, they have now begun to focus on schemes that supplement and complement existing capacity because private funding is more easily attracted to them. They have also identified a large number of non-transport businesses such as container trains, stations, multimodal logistics parks, rail-side warehousing facilities, commodity-specific freight terminals, agri-retail hubs and outlets, budget hotels and commercial complexes.
In most of this, it will be seen that the idea is to use railway land. The question that immediately arises when one sees what the Railways are doing is why can't the municipalities do the same in respect of the schools they run? Their schools are poorly run and have low enrolments, but are sitting on prime real estate. Why not get into PPPs to increase the supply of education?
Another lesson to emerge is that the same agency can't and must now play all the roles, namely, of the concessioning authority, project promoter, construction contractor, operator, collector of user charges and tariff regulator. There is a tendency in government departments to keep all the power and control in their hands and this can really get in the way because having the power is one thing but to be unable to use it, or use it incompetently (or in a corrupt way), is something else altogether.
Then there are the case studies of the Pipavav Rail Corporation, the Hasan Mangalore Rail Development Company and the Kutch Railway Company. An examination of these shows that you have to get everything completely clear at the outset so that escalations in the project costs (and the resulting disputes) can be avoided. Anyone who has built a house knows this. So how come the johnnies in the government don't?
Lack of space doesn't allow a full discussion of all the issues raised by this issue of the Journal. But for those interested in PPPs, it is a must read.
The Railways are using their land to encourage PPPs. Why can't municipalities do the same for the schools they run?
Everyone knows that India faces a severe infrastructure deficit and that the government doesn't have the money to build it on the scale needed. Everyone is also agreed that more than anything else, it is this that will keep the growth rate in India down. Ergo, everyone is also agreed that the private sector will have to be let into the infrastructure business. The only question is how.
The accepted way, internationally, has come to be called public-private-partnership (PPP). India has been trying hard to get these partnerships going. If you measure success against the backdrop of what is needed, it hasn't been very successful.
Still, perseverance pays and, over the last couple of years, the wagon has at last begun to roll. Several PPP projects are now working. Funding through PPP and borrowings is expected to be of the order of $18 billion during the 11th Plan. The bait to get this money in is the policy of financial support to PPPs through a viability-gap-funding up to 20 per cent by the central government and an additional 20 per cent by the state government.
But no has got around yet to assessing, in a sector-specific manner, how these PPP projects are working. The latest issue of the Asian Journal* seeks to make good this gap. Most of the articles are case studies which aim to highlight the problems that have been identified in the last few years, and offer solutions to them.
The key issue to emerge is that PPPs must satisfy everyone — governments, private players, users, financial institutions, etc. This means risk allocation has to keep in view long-term consequences. This, in turn, calls for transparent and stable government policy, especially non-pecuniary externalities exist.
The Railways lead in PPPs, at least in financial terms. Learning from past failures, they have now begun to focus on schemes that supplement and complement existing capacity because private funding is more easily attracted to them. They have also identified a large number of non-transport businesses such as container trains, stations, multimodal logistics parks, rail-side warehousing facilities, commodity-specific freight terminals, agri-retail hubs and outlets, budget hotels and commercial complexes.
In most of this, it will be seen that the idea is to use railway land. The question that immediately arises when one sees what the Railways are doing is why can't the municipalities do the same in respect of the schools they run? Their schools are poorly run and have low enrolments, but are sitting on prime real estate. Why not get into PPPs to increase the supply of education?
Another lesson to emerge is that the same agency can't and must now play all the roles, namely, of the concessioning authority, project promoter, construction contractor, operator, collector of user charges and tariff regulator. There is a tendency in government departments to keep all the power and control in their hands and this can really get in the way because having the power is one thing but to be unable to use it, or use it incompetently (or in a corrupt way), is something else altogether.
Then there are the case studies of the Pipavav Rail Corporation, the Hasan Mangalore Rail Development Company and the Kutch Railway Company. An examination of these shows that you have to get everything completely clear at the outset so that escalations in the project costs (and the resulting disputes) can be avoided. Anyone who has built a house knows this. So how come the johnnies in the government don't?
Lack of space doesn't allow a full discussion of all the issues raised by this issue of the Journal. But for those interested in PPPs, it is a must read.
Columnists - Rajdeep Sardesai
Cash Strapped
India’s first trust vote in the age of 24-hour news television transformed parliamentary debate into a reality show. The politicians were the star performers while the nation played judge and audience. The drama in Parliament was hilarious and tragic by turn. Lakhs of rupees were suddenly unveiled and scattered on the Speaker’s table inside the Lok Sabha. The voting technology failed to rise to the occasion. Some MPs were wheeled into the House on stretchers. Lalu Prasad Yadav had the House in splits when he confessed his not-so-secret desire to be Prime Minister. Yet, a single question remained: is parliamentary democracy being strengthened by what we have observed this week?
Take the case of the convicted MPs who were given a week off from their prison cells to come and vote. While there is seemingly no legal bar on a convicted MP from voting, there are ethical questions that must be raised when those convicted of crimes like murder can decide the destiny of Parliament. In a trust vote where every vote counts, political parties may claim they have every right to rope in their Shahabuddins and Pappu Yadavs. After all, whether we like it or not, they are elected by the people. But just as the law does not bar them from entering Parliament, is there a rule that makes it mandatory for them to be present during a confidence vote? A government can be defeated in Parliament during a Finance Bill. Does that mean that every time a Finance Bill is being put to vote, our convicted MPs should get a break from jail?
Indeed, the law versus morality question has now become central to parliamentary practices. Legally, the government won the confidence vote. But is there a moral content to our politics that must rise above the law? Ten members abstained from the trust vote; another half a dozen cross-voted. How many of these were conscientious objectors to their party line, and how many were simply switching sides because of the monetary benefits to be gained? Those MPs who voted against the whip have been expelled. But the irony is that the expelled MP doesn’t lose his House membership, while a defector is almost certainly guaranteed a ticket by his new party in the next election. What price then the anti-defection law that was designed to prevent the retail trade in politicians?
In the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Bribery Case, the Supreme Court gave a widely criticised judgment that said that any action by any member in the House could not be subject to judicial scrutiny, thus legitimising corruption. Effectively, it meant that an MP could claim immunity for having cross-voted, despite substantive evidence that he had done so under the influence of money. Is it any wonder that we have witnessed a possible sequel to JMM Part I 15 years after the original sin?
Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions to ensure that the ‘JMMisation’ of politics is stopped. The political system is fragmented and the role of the smaller parties is increasing. For them, politics is a bargaining counter as exemplified perhaps by Ajit Singh who switched sides thrice in the last week.
The smaller parties have a committed vote base and thus as the so-called ‘national parties’ begin to shrink, can exercise a disproportionate influence within a coalitional arrangement. Moreover, since these parties are tightly controlled by individuals, it’s easy to do business with them: strike a deal with the person at the top and the rest will fall in line.
Has anyone ever asked Ajit Singh’s MPs for their opinion on the stand their leader has taken?
Indeed, every national party is a willing participant in the auctioning of MPs and is no more or less corruptible than its rival. The Congress-led UPA may have shown itself to be a little more desperate in the survival stakes in this trust vote, but are we to believe that the NDA did not strike its own bargains with regional parties when it was in power? The DMKs, the Mayawatis, the Chautalas, the JMMs have all been courted by the BJP at some time or the other. In a sense, the JMMisation is a price that must be paid by a de-ideologised political system where the lines between means and ends have been totally blurred.
The law alone offers no solutions. Legally, there is no constitutional bar on Shibu Soren, who has had his life sentence in the Shashinath Jha murder case stayed, from being sworn in as a Cabinet minister for the third time in the last five years. But morality demands that he stay away from office till his name is fully cleared by the courts. Yet, even this is not enough.What is actually needed is a bold new initiative to clean up the entire relationship between cash and politicians. Sunlight, it is said, is the best disinfectant and it is perhaps time that political parties openly acknowledge that our political system is linked to hard cash. Cash is needed to fight elections. Cash is needed to keep cadres loyal. So, how is this cash to be legitimised and the taint of ‘dirty money’ removed?
When a Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama raise billions of dollars in their campaigns, the money is accounted for, transparent and public. The biggest lesson of ‘Trust-Vote-On-Television’ is that it has shown up money power in massive 24 hour technicolour. What will our politicians do? Close their eyes and insist on a phoney Mahatma-hood? Or will politicians put their heads together and honestly work out transparent, open and public methods of political funding. It is an urgent, indeed critical need.
But amidst the darkness, there is some light. In a debate marked by bitterness, one speech stood out: Omar Abdullah’s passionate espousal of patriotism as an Indian and Kashmiri Muslim. Abdullah Jr did what few politicians have the courage to do: admitted that he had made a mistake by not resigning from the NDA government after the Gujarat riots. He set the tone for honest moral cleansing, an example his senior colleagues in the House would do well to follow.
Rajdeep Sardesai is Editor-in-chief, IBN Network
India’s first trust vote in the age of 24-hour news television transformed parliamentary debate into a reality show. The politicians were the star performers while the nation played judge and audience. The drama in Parliament was hilarious and tragic by turn. Lakhs of rupees were suddenly unveiled and scattered on the Speaker’s table inside the Lok Sabha. The voting technology failed to rise to the occasion. Some MPs were wheeled into the House on stretchers. Lalu Prasad Yadav had the House in splits when he confessed his not-so-secret desire to be Prime Minister. Yet, a single question remained: is parliamentary democracy being strengthened by what we have observed this week?
Take the case of the convicted MPs who were given a week off from their prison cells to come and vote. While there is seemingly no legal bar on a convicted MP from voting, there are ethical questions that must be raised when those convicted of crimes like murder can decide the destiny of Parliament. In a trust vote where every vote counts, political parties may claim they have every right to rope in their Shahabuddins and Pappu Yadavs. After all, whether we like it or not, they are elected by the people. But just as the law does not bar them from entering Parliament, is there a rule that makes it mandatory for them to be present during a confidence vote? A government can be defeated in Parliament during a Finance Bill. Does that mean that every time a Finance Bill is being put to vote, our convicted MPs should get a break from jail?
Indeed, the law versus morality question has now become central to parliamentary practices. Legally, the government won the confidence vote. But is there a moral content to our politics that must rise above the law? Ten members abstained from the trust vote; another half a dozen cross-voted. How many of these were conscientious objectors to their party line, and how many were simply switching sides because of the monetary benefits to be gained? Those MPs who voted against the whip have been expelled. But the irony is that the expelled MP doesn’t lose his House membership, while a defector is almost certainly guaranteed a ticket by his new party in the next election. What price then the anti-defection law that was designed to prevent the retail trade in politicians?
In the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Bribery Case, the Supreme Court gave a widely criticised judgment that said that any action by any member in the House could not be subject to judicial scrutiny, thus legitimising corruption. Effectively, it meant that an MP could claim immunity for having cross-voted, despite substantive evidence that he had done so under the influence of money. Is it any wonder that we have witnessed a possible sequel to JMM Part I 15 years after the original sin?
Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions to ensure that the ‘JMMisation’ of politics is stopped. The political system is fragmented and the role of the smaller parties is increasing. For them, politics is a bargaining counter as exemplified perhaps by Ajit Singh who switched sides thrice in the last week.
The smaller parties have a committed vote base and thus as the so-called ‘national parties’ begin to shrink, can exercise a disproportionate influence within a coalitional arrangement. Moreover, since these parties are tightly controlled by individuals, it’s easy to do business with them: strike a deal with the person at the top and the rest will fall in line.
Has anyone ever asked Ajit Singh’s MPs for their opinion on the stand their leader has taken?
Indeed, every national party is a willing participant in the auctioning of MPs and is no more or less corruptible than its rival. The Congress-led UPA may have shown itself to be a little more desperate in the survival stakes in this trust vote, but are we to believe that the NDA did not strike its own bargains with regional parties when it was in power? The DMKs, the Mayawatis, the Chautalas, the JMMs have all been courted by the BJP at some time or the other. In a sense, the JMMisation is a price that must be paid by a de-ideologised political system where the lines between means and ends have been totally blurred.
The law alone offers no solutions. Legally, there is no constitutional bar on Shibu Soren, who has had his life sentence in the Shashinath Jha murder case stayed, from being sworn in as a Cabinet minister for the third time in the last five years. But morality demands that he stay away from office till his name is fully cleared by the courts. Yet, even this is not enough.What is actually needed is a bold new initiative to clean up the entire relationship between cash and politicians. Sunlight, it is said, is the best disinfectant and it is perhaps time that political parties openly acknowledge that our political system is linked to hard cash. Cash is needed to fight elections. Cash is needed to keep cadres loyal. So, how is this cash to be legitimised and the taint of ‘dirty money’ removed?
When a Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama raise billions of dollars in their campaigns, the money is accounted for, transparent and public. The biggest lesson of ‘Trust-Vote-On-Television’ is that it has shown up money power in massive 24 hour technicolour. What will our politicians do? Close their eyes and insist on a phoney Mahatma-hood? Or will politicians put their heads together and honestly work out transparent, open and public methods of political funding. It is an urgent, indeed critical need.
But amidst the darkness, there is some light. In a debate marked by bitterness, one speech stood out: Omar Abdullah’s passionate espousal of patriotism as an Indian and Kashmiri Muslim. Abdullah Jr did what few politicians have the courage to do: admitted that he had made a mistake by not resigning from the NDA government after the Gujarat riots. He set the tone for honest moral cleansing, an example his senior colleagues in the House would do well to follow.
Rajdeep Sardesai is Editor-in-chief, IBN Network
Mktg - Interview CEO Lintas Media
Lynn de Souza, chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group, is among the best minds in media planning in the country today.As director of media services at Lintas till recently, she was responsible for seven specialised media units. The 47-year-old tennis player, who's been seeded third at the all-India level and first at the Maharashtra level is known for not mincing words. She spoke to Shuchi Bansal on what the future holds for the Indian advertising industry How serious is the slowdown? Some advertisers are already complaining about input costs escalating, and while they haven't yet cut back on planned spends, they are extremely worried about media costs also spiralling upward. I see some tough times ahead in terms of media buying and negotiations. If advertisers don't get media at cost effective rates, they may decide not to advertise altogether, and use other means of staying in touch with the consumer. At the moment, the festive season budgets are still in play, and for categories in expansion mode such as telecom, there seems to be no looking back. Which categories do you see withdrawing first? Some of the financial categories — some IPO's have already delayed their campaigns. Airlines have stopped spending. Some of the bigger print media players privately admit that their advertising is tanking. There is no indication of volumes dropping for these large players, but many of them are looking at rate hikes. The Times of India has increased its rates by an average of 40 per cent which is a big hike to attempt, even for the Times! What is hurting the newspapers is the fact that the readership survey (IRS) continues to show a fall in readership, even for large titles, and that doesn't help them get better rates and prices for their ad space. Local dealer ads, classifieds and appointments, and now an increase in government spending, will keep the print medium well in business. I think marginal players in all media, print or TV will be the sufferers in the event of a downturn. How did the industry fare in the last such slowdown? In 2001 spends dropped across the board, and ad agency revenues also took a hit. But India is still in growth stage compared to the rest of the world. New categories are created, and despite inflationary trends and a volatile stock market, the vast consuming base, both domestic and exports, doesn't just vanish for such a large economy. Since 2001, the service sector — aviation, telecom, media — witnessed substantial growth. Infrastructure — technology and construction — have also kept pace. Do slowdowns benefit below-the-line industry and new media like mobile and Internet? Below-the-line initiatives can actually be more expensive if not handled properly. However, is used well, the digital media including mobile and internet do offer a great advantage to advertisers in times like this. Are the regional media markets growing faster? Regional media markets are definitely growing faster than national media. It's not just Maharashtra and the south, but the Hindi belt too is adding new readers, viewers and listeners. FM radio added over seven million new listeners in 2007, one million of these are in rural India— the one million came from Maharashtra alone. Of the total ad spends on print media last year, English got 48 per cent share while Hindi and other language press grabbed 52 per cent. On television, however, the share of spends on the English channels was 20 per cent compared to 80 per cent taken up by Hindi and other Indian languages. Sales of durables and services in particular are spreading into smaller markets, with better distribution, and greater availability and ease of consumer access. Car makers like Maruti run special panchayat level sales and advertising campaigns which work quite well. To push its small cars down the line, Maruti addressed the village sarpanch who wields power over his people. What is the share of various media in the industry? About 40 per cent of the Rs 18,000-crore industry revenue goes to TV and print each, 10 per cent to outdoor, 5 per cent to radio, and the balance split across cinema, digital media etc. Will growth decline? A growth of 18 per cent was predicted for 2008 over 2007, this could reduce to 15 per cent but not much below that. It's the 2009 figures we need to worry about, but we will hedge our bets post the festive season, monsoons, and hopefully a stock market revival. Can the advertising rupee pay for the rapid media expansion? They will have to depend on other sources of revenue — subscriptions, circulation, carriage charges, content re-purposing, etc. Does media consolidation just mean beating down ad rates? Hasn't the "planning" part in media taken a back seat? There are four or five large media buying groups across 10 or 12 agencies. Consolidation is not about pooling media volumes to ‘beat prices down' — it enables efficiencies of scale across several areas of operation which in a process-based business can be very helpful. Investments in data, research and technology can be made which otherwise become unaffordable. Speaking of my agency, I can honestly say that our planning capability, both strategic and tactical, has grown significantly in the past few years only because we have been able to invest in consumer knowledge and deploy resources better. Advertisers are getting savvier and look to agencies for marketing advice, not just for a cheaper media deal. Are you happy with the media measuring tools such as TAM, RAM or even the IRS and NRS. Everyone knows I am not. Though I sit on the board of every industry research body, we spend more time on discussion and debate and so little on actually getting good projects off the ground. As an industry, we are spending twice as much as what we need to, to get half the quality. Readership habits have changed but survey methodology hasn't. People buy more than one newspaper and parents and children consume different media. Magazines are consumed in a different way. But none of this is captured as only one person per household is interviewed. We are debating how to change that but it is tough. It requires funding and if everybody goes in different directions, then the funding gets split. TAM only covers Cable & Satellite homes and not Doordarshan homes. And advertisers who wish to go down and penetrate the market are unhappy. The trouble with TAM is that it does not report to a joint industry body. It has a profit model of its own. And BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) which represents the broadcasters, advertisers and agencies, wanted to take this up. Is BARC disintegrating after Pradeep Guha's exit? How strong are the industry bodies in India? BARC is made up of 12 representatives from three industries and Guha was the chairman and an IBF (Indian Broadcasting Foundation) representative. The IBF will nominate a new representative and BARC will elect a new chairman. The industry bodies do not lack relevance or teeth, what's missing is a common transparent agenda. Hopefully, with continued effort that will be overcome — one should stay optimistic, I suppose.
India - Google/Yahoo the most visited sites
comScore, the Internet research firm based in the US, has released its findings of the most visited Internet properties in India. In May, Google's sites received 19.7 million unique visitors from India.After Google, Yahoo! sites are the second most visited Internet properties with 18.7 million unique visitors. This is followed by Microsoft's sites with almost 12 million unique visitors and Rediff.com with 9.2 million. Other sites on the list include AOL, the sites of Times Internet Ltd, eBay and Wikipedia. The Government’s site, home.nic.in received almost 6 million unique visitors in May and the Indian Railways’ site received 4.4 million. Naukri.com has shown the most growth in terms of increase in the number of unique visitors, which grew 55 per cent over the last year to 5 million unique visitors. Matrimonial site, Bharatmatrimony has also shown significant growth—46 per cent—to 3.4 million unique visitors in May. comScore's findings also show that 28.8 million people in India, over 15 years of age, accessed the Internet in May. This is a 27 per cent increase over last year. However, this audience only represents 3 per cent of the population of the country. The report states that the average online user in India surfed the Internet 25 times in a month, for an average of 28 minutes per visit. The heaviest Internet usage is among users between 15-24 years, who spend an average of 12 hours online in a month. The fastest growing categories of web properties last year were maps (64 per cent), sports (60 per cent), entertainment and movies (55 per cent) and finance news and research (52 per cent). “India truly represents one of the most promising emerging Internet markets, given both the size and technological sophistication of the population. While global Internet brands like Google and Yahoo! currently reign as the most visited Web properties in India, several local players also have strong positions in the market,” said Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore, in the official communique.
India - Taj the most visited site
If ticket sales are anything to go by, the luminous 17th century Taj Mahal in Agra is the most popular monument in India, attracting over 2.5 million visitors a year.
The marble monument to love built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan that is listed among the seven wonders of the world was visited by an estimated 2,048,120 domestic and 491,351 foreign tourists in 2006.
These findings were put out by the ministry of tourism's annual publication, "India Tourism Statistics", based on figures collected from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
ASI, which is responsible for protection of cultural heritage in India, keeps records of the number of tickets sold to both Indian and foreign nationals at monuments.
"Among all the monuments, Taj Mahal was the most visited monument in 2006 for domestic as well as foreign tourists," the report said.
The monument in recent days has seen attempts by Shiv Sena activists to hold Hindu religious rituals there, as they argue it was built on the ruins of a Shiva temple.
The 17th century Red Fort was the second most visited monument in the country as far as domestic tourists (1.9 million) were concerned, while for foreigners, the second most exciting place to visit was Agra Fort (259,427 visitors) whose construction was completed in the 16th century.
The Qutub Minar, known as the tallest brick minaret in the world built here in the 14th century, is the third most preferred monument among foreign and domestic tourists. An estimated 1.9 million domestic tourists and 249,040 foreign tourists visited it in 2006.
It is easy to understand why the Taj Mahal, which last year found pride of place in a new list of seven wonders polled by people around the globe, continues to be the most popular monument.
It has been the most visited monument since 2004 - for domestic as well as foreign tourists.
Among the 10 other most famous monuments popular with domestic tourists are Charminar (Andhra Pradesh), Purana Quila (Delhi), Golconda Fort (Andhra Pradesh), Bibi-Ka-Maqbara (Maharashtra) and Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu).
With the foreigners, it's Humayun's Tomb (Delhi), Fatehpuri Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Red Fort (Delhi), Sarnath Excavated Site (Uttar Pradesh), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu) and Jantar Mantar (Delhi) that are most popular.
The study said while the number of domestic visitors to centrally protected monuments increased by 13.2 per cent in 2006 over 2005, for foreigners the figure grew by only six percent, and the overall growth was 12.6 per cent
In 2006, about 4.44 million tourists visited India, and in 2007 the figure went up to five million. There were 461 million domestic tourists in 2006 as compared to 391 million in 2005.
Entertainment - It isn't time to drop cable yet
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Couch potatoes love television, but some simply have no interest in watching sports or kids shows. So why should they pay for it?
More U.S. TV watchers are asking the same question as cable and satellite TV bills creep higher. The government wants to know why consumers can't just pay for the channels they want and many technology and media companies are dreaming up new alternatives for delivering only the TV programs viewers want.
A fresh batch of options from Sony Corp and Amazon.com Inc, Netflix Inc and Roku, as well as Microsoft Corp's video game console Xbox 360 launched over the past few weeks promise to do away with cable all together.
The latest push into the living room aims to solve what has stymied earlier products, including the complexity of hooking up these devices, lack of content and relatively high prices, with some devices costing well past $500.
About 8 million Netflix customers, accustomed to renting DVDs by mail, can now purchase a $99 set top box from Roku and watch some 12,000 films and shows on television for no additional fees.
Sony Bravia TV owners who buy a $300 device that connects to the back of TVs and to the Internet can already watch YouTube videos. Soon, Bravia customers will be able to order from Amazon movies and shows streamed directly to TVs.
But even the experts don't think cable will be replaced anytime soon and point to a string of high profile failures, including Walt Disney Co-backed MovieBeam and privately held Akimbo.
"The content deals are starting to come together, but the library is still pretty narrow," said Mark Kirstein of Scottsdale, Arizona-based market research firm MultiMedia Intelligence.
A general aversion to yet another gadget in the living room and the high prices are other reasons why the idea has failed to catch on. Premium channels such as Time Warner Inc's popular HBO are also unavailable on the Internet to non-subscribers, except through iTunes, where some programs are sold.
But that has not stopped the tech industry from buzzing again after a number of new products that address some of these issues were unveiled in quick succession.
UBIQUITY, SIMPLICITY
A new set-top box born out of a partnership between DVD rental business Netflix Inc and device maker Roku, in which Netflix owns a minority stake, is emerging as a leading candidate for consumer appeal, Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey said.
"Despite its relatively meager content, the Netflix Player by Roku is a solid winner, overcoming the barriers that hamper the rest," McQuivey said.
Unlike others that came before it, Roku is counting on offering services beyond Netflix, said Tim Twerdahl, vice president of consumer products at Roku.
"Our vision is to open up the box," he said.
Prepare to find free, advertising-supported video services, pay-per-view services and YouTube-like user generated videos.
Netflix is also planning to let current subscribers find its movies online in as many ways as possible. It struck a deal with Microsoft to allow subscribers to the video game console Xbox 360's online service to also watch streamed Netflix movies.
Earlier, Netflix said it would offer its Internet service on an LG Electronics Inc-manufactured set-top box.
"It's too early to tell who is going to prevail," Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey said.
Tech industry watchers say the current crop represent the first wave of products that have shown any real promise. Importantly, many are backed by financiers with deep pockets.
But will it matter? Apple Inc's AppleTV has yet to light up the industry the way its iPod and iTunes service transformed the music business, critics point out.
Then there's Hollywood, which has been reluctant to offer more new releases on the Internet for fear of jeopardizing DVD sales that account for more than half its profits.
"They're going to fight amongst each other for a teeny-tiny part of the market," McQuivey said. "If you have cable service and a DVD player, you already have a much better solution than any of these boxes can provide you."
Sony is tackling the problem in yet another way by appealing to its own movie studio to release its films ahead of the DVD release. It plans to offer Sony Pictures's "Hancock" later this year for Bravia TV owners.
For now, "this is a Sony initiative. It's something that can be realized with other studios," said Sony Electronics's senior manager of business development Robert Jacobs.
More U.S. TV watchers are asking the same question as cable and satellite TV bills creep higher. The government wants to know why consumers can't just pay for the channels they want and many technology and media companies are dreaming up new alternatives for delivering only the TV programs viewers want.
A fresh batch of options from Sony Corp and Amazon.com Inc, Netflix Inc and Roku, as well as Microsoft Corp's video game console Xbox 360 launched over the past few weeks promise to do away with cable all together.
The latest push into the living room aims to solve what has stymied earlier products, including the complexity of hooking up these devices, lack of content and relatively high prices, with some devices costing well past $500.
About 8 million Netflix customers, accustomed to renting DVDs by mail, can now purchase a $99 set top box from Roku and watch some 12,000 films and shows on television for no additional fees.
Sony Bravia TV owners who buy a $300 device that connects to the back of TVs and to the Internet can already watch YouTube videos. Soon, Bravia customers will be able to order from Amazon movies and shows streamed directly to TVs.
But even the experts don't think cable will be replaced anytime soon and point to a string of high profile failures, including Walt Disney Co-backed MovieBeam and privately held Akimbo.
"The content deals are starting to come together, but the library is still pretty narrow," said Mark Kirstein of Scottsdale, Arizona-based market research firm MultiMedia Intelligence.
A general aversion to yet another gadget in the living room and the high prices are other reasons why the idea has failed to catch on. Premium channels such as Time Warner Inc's popular HBO are also unavailable on the Internet to non-subscribers, except through iTunes, where some programs are sold.
But that has not stopped the tech industry from buzzing again after a number of new products that address some of these issues were unveiled in quick succession.
UBIQUITY, SIMPLICITY
A new set-top box born out of a partnership between DVD rental business Netflix Inc and device maker Roku, in which Netflix owns a minority stake, is emerging as a leading candidate for consumer appeal, Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey said.
"Despite its relatively meager content, the Netflix Player by Roku is a solid winner, overcoming the barriers that hamper the rest," McQuivey said.
Unlike others that came before it, Roku is counting on offering services beyond Netflix, said Tim Twerdahl, vice president of consumer products at Roku.
"Our vision is to open up the box," he said.
Prepare to find free, advertising-supported video services, pay-per-view services and YouTube-like user generated videos.
Netflix is also planning to let current subscribers find its movies online in as many ways as possible. It struck a deal with Microsoft to allow subscribers to the video game console Xbox 360's online service to also watch streamed Netflix movies.
Earlier, Netflix said it would offer its Internet service on an LG Electronics Inc-manufactured set-top box.
"It's too early to tell who is going to prevail," Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey said.
Tech industry watchers say the current crop represent the first wave of products that have shown any real promise. Importantly, many are backed by financiers with deep pockets.
But will it matter? Apple Inc's AppleTV has yet to light up the industry the way its iPod and iTunes service transformed the music business, critics point out.
Then there's Hollywood, which has been reluctant to offer more new releases on the Internet for fear of jeopardizing DVD sales that account for more than half its profits.
"They're going to fight amongst each other for a teeny-tiny part of the market," McQuivey said. "If you have cable service and a DVD player, you already have a much better solution than any of these boxes can provide you."
Sony is tackling the problem in yet another way by appealing to its own movie studio to release its films ahead of the DVD release. It plans to offer Sony Pictures's "Hancock" later this year for Bravia TV owners.
For now, "this is a Sony initiative. It's something that can be realized with other studios," said Sony Electronics's senior manager of business development Robert Jacobs.
Health - Cocktail of drugs help HIV Patients live longer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cocktails of HIV drugs help patients live an average of 13 years longer -- if they are lucky enough to get them, researchers reported on Thursday.
A person who started taking the drugs at age 20 could, on average, expect to live another 43 years, the researchers report in the Lancet medical journal.
They looked at several studies of patients living in the United States, Canada and several European countries who received drug combinations known as highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART.
Robert Hogg of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, Canada and colleagues looked at 43,000 patients in 14 different studies.
"Between 1996-99 and 2003-05, there was a gain in life expectancy for those at age 20 years of about 13 years; similar gains in life expectancy in those aged 35 years were also seen," they wrote.
"A person starting combination therapy can expect to live about 43 years at 20 years of age, about two-thirds as long as the general population in these countries." Average life expectancy for a 20-year-old without HIV in those countries would be 80, they said.
Patients treated later on in their infections and those infected via injected drug use did not live as long as those treated early, the researchers found.
The AIDS virus infects an estimated 33 million people globally and has killed about 25 million since the pandemic started in the 1980s.
NEAR-NORMAL LIFE
There is no vaccine and no cure but the drugs can suppress the virus and allow patients to lead a near-normal life. Without treatment, the virus destroys the immune system, leaving patients susceptible to infections and cancer.
More than 20 drugs are now on the market and can be combined in various ways to control the virus, although it usually mutates eventually and patients must switch to different regimens to keep it under control.
Drug companies have come up with combination pills to make it easier to stay on therapy.
Nearly 3 million people in the developing world now get HIV drugs -- about 70 percent of those who need them, according to the United Nations.
Makers include GlaxoSmithKline, which helped pay for the Lancet study, Gilead Sciences Inc, Roche, Pfizer, Merck Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Abbott Laboratories.
HIV is passed through sex, blood, injected drug use and from mother to child at birth or through breast milk.
In a second study in Lancet, Robert Bollinger of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and an international team of colleagues found that giving the HIV drug nevirapine daily to breastfed infants up to six weeks of age could protect them.
A study of nearly 1,900 infants showed that giving them the drug for weeks, instead of simply dosing the mother while in labor and the baby shortly after birth, reduced infection rates by 46 percent.
Doctors believe the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks in poor countries where it is difficult to obtain clean water or infant formula.
"Extended infant prophylaxis with nevirapine is simple enough to be implemented almost anywhere," Dr. Jeffrey Stringer and Dr. Benjamin Chi of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, wrote in a commentary.
"It represents a long-awaited, if partial, solution to a mother's impossible choice. We should not delay."
A person who started taking the drugs at age 20 could, on average, expect to live another 43 years, the researchers report in the Lancet medical journal.
They looked at several studies of patients living in the United States, Canada and several European countries who received drug combinations known as highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART.
Robert Hogg of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, Canada and colleagues looked at 43,000 patients in 14 different studies.
"Between 1996-99 and 2003-05, there was a gain in life expectancy for those at age 20 years of about 13 years; similar gains in life expectancy in those aged 35 years were also seen," they wrote.
"A person starting combination therapy can expect to live about 43 years at 20 years of age, about two-thirds as long as the general population in these countries." Average life expectancy for a 20-year-old without HIV in those countries would be 80, they said.
Patients treated later on in their infections and those infected via injected drug use did not live as long as those treated early, the researchers found.
The AIDS virus infects an estimated 33 million people globally and has killed about 25 million since the pandemic started in the 1980s.
NEAR-NORMAL LIFE
There is no vaccine and no cure but the drugs can suppress the virus and allow patients to lead a near-normal life. Without treatment, the virus destroys the immune system, leaving patients susceptible to infections and cancer.
More than 20 drugs are now on the market and can be combined in various ways to control the virus, although it usually mutates eventually and patients must switch to different regimens to keep it under control.
Drug companies have come up with combination pills to make it easier to stay on therapy.
Nearly 3 million people in the developing world now get HIV drugs -- about 70 percent of those who need them, according to the United Nations.
Makers include GlaxoSmithKline, which helped pay for the Lancet study, Gilead Sciences Inc, Roche, Pfizer, Merck Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Abbott Laboratories.
HIV is passed through sex, blood, injected drug use and from mother to child at birth or through breast milk.
In a second study in Lancet, Robert Bollinger of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and an international team of colleagues found that giving the HIV drug nevirapine daily to breastfed infants up to six weeks of age could protect them.
A study of nearly 1,900 infants showed that giving them the drug for weeks, instead of simply dosing the mother while in labor and the baby shortly after birth, reduced infection rates by 46 percent.
Doctors believe the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks in poor countries where it is difficult to obtain clean water or infant formula.
"Extended infant prophylaxis with nevirapine is simple enough to be implemented almost anywhere," Dr. Jeffrey Stringer and Dr. Benjamin Chi of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, wrote in a commentary.
"It represents a long-awaited, if partial, solution to a mother's impossible choice. We should not delay."
Lifestyle - Soya & Infertility
WASHINGTON: Soya-based diet may leave a man less fertile, suggests a study, which found a link between soya-rich food and lower sperm counts.
“Our findings suggest that the greater the soya food intake is, the lower the sperm concentration, compared with men who never consume soya food,” said lead researcher Jorge Chavarro, at Harvard school of public health in Boston.
The study, which appears in the journal Human Reproduction, found 41 million fewer sperm per millilitre of semen after just one portion every two days. It is thought that soya compounds called isoflavones, which mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen, are behind the effect. Earlier animal studies have linked a high consumption of isoflavones with infertility. In the latest study on 99 men, who visited a fertility clinic between 2000 and 2006, US researchers led by Chavarro at Massachusetts General hospital found that men who consumed at least half a portion of soya food a day had the lowest sperm counts.
The “normal” sperm concentration for a man is between 80 and 120 million per millilitre, and the average of men who ate on average a portion of soy-based food every other day was 41 million fewer, the study said.
The apparent fall in sperm count is unlikely to make healthy men infertile, but some experts said it could have a significant impact on those already with lower than average sperm counts.
Soya-based products are now found in two-thirds of manufactured food including biscuits, sweets, pasta and bread, according to the Institute of Food Research in Norwich.
Male fertility has been in decline in the west for several decades, with about 20 per cent of young Europeans having a low sperm count, while levels of soya have risen steadily in the western diet since the 1940s because it is a cheap source of protein, the study said.
“Our findings suggest that the greater the soya food intake is, the lower the sperm concentration, compared with men who never consume soya food,” said lead researcher Jorge Chavarro, at Harvard school of public health in Boston.
The study, which appears in the journal Human Reproduction, found 41 million fewer sperm per millilitre of semen after just one portion every two days. It is thought that soya compounds called isoflavones, which mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen, are behind the effect. Earlier animal studies have linked a high consumption of isoflavones with infertility. In the latest study on 99 men, who visited a fertility clinic between 2000 and 2006, US researchers led by Chavarro at Massachusetts General hospital found that men who consumed at least half a portion of soya food a day had the lowest sperm counts.
The “normal” sperm concentration for a man is between 80 and 120 million per millilitre, and the average of men who ate on average a portion of soy-based food every other day was 41 million fewer, the study said.
The apparent fall in sperm count is unlikely to make healthy men infertile, but some experts said it could have a significant impact on those already with lower than average sperm counts.
Soya-based products are now found in two-thirds of manufactured food including biscuits, sweets, pasta and bread, according to the Institute of Food Research in Norwich.
Male fertility has been in decline in the west for several decades, with about 20 per cent of young Europeans having a low sperm count, while levels of soya have risen steadily in the western diet since the 1940s because it is a cheap source of protein, the study said.
Jul 24, 2008
World - The Odd Couple ( Russia)
The world still wonders whether Dmitry Medvedev or Vladimir Putin is boss
WHEN the other G8 leaders met their new Russian counterpart in Japan this week, they may all have had a similar question on their minds: are we talking to the right man? Is Dmitry Medvedev, described by George Bush as a “smart guy”, a real president? Or is he merely Vladimir Putin’s puppet and stand-in? So far, the answer seems to be: neither.
At the summit, Mr Medvedev behaved modestly and stuck to the Kremlin line defined by Mr Putin. Talking to Gordon Brown, he seemed no more accommodating than Mr Putin might have been over the closure of British Council offices, the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London or the messy dispute within the troubled TNK-BP joint venture. If Mr Medvedev has potential as an independent decision-maker, he hid it well.
This is not surprising, given that authority still lies with Mr Putin. As prime minister, he controls the main levers of power, the state coffers and television. He is more popular than Mr Medvedev. Kremlin insiders call Mr Putin “the boss”, referring to Mr Medvedev by his diminutive, Dima or Dama (Russian for dame).
Yet Mr Medvedev is more than Mr Putin’s obedient shadow. He is, after all, Mr Putin’s choice as potential successor. Whether the potential is realised depends on Mr Putin’s own moves. Most observers agree that today’s dual-power structure is part of a transition. The question is whether it is a transition to Mr Putin’s return to the Kremlin—or his retirement from power.
Mr Putin still has the chance of coming back as president. But he may not take it. It is equally possible that he will gradually move away, leaving Mr Medvedev in charge. Had he really wanted to stay in the Kremlin he could have remained president. There was little to stop him changing the constitution to allow himself a third term in office; after all, he had played fast and loose with it over many other issues.
Mr Putin also displays no apparent interest in his new job. He comes into the office little more than once a week and he often looks bored and irritated when shown on television dealing with mundane tasks. Those who have worked with Mr Putin in the past say that he would much rather enjoy a luxurious new lifestyle than concern himself with the price of milk.
So why has he not left? One explanation is that the security risks, for himself and his closest circle, are too high. He is safer in high office. The post of prime minister confers immunity on Mr Putin and offers protection to his friends.
The fortunes made by the new clan of Kremlin oligarchs have not been legitimised or swapped into liquid foreign assets. Russia’s largest oil company, Rosneft, which took over the assets of the Yukos oil company, is still open to lawsuits from Yukos’s shareholders. The Yukos case could come to the European Court of Human Rights this year. In London Roman Abramovich, a tycoon who prospered in the Putin era, faces a lawsuit over some business acquisitions. All this without Britain’s accusations of Russian state involvement in the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko.
There are also domestic pressures. Inflation is running above 15% and food prices are rising even faster. The macroeconomic stability that Mr Putin prided himself on is looking shaky. One reason why inflation is on the rise is that the government is pouring money into state corporations and public spending. But a deeper problem is that rising consumer and investment demand cannot be satisfied by an economy that is constrained by corruption, Soviet-era infrastructure and an inadequate and immobile workforce.
Rising prices are now ordinary Russians’ biggest concern, although they have not yet translated into protests. Fearing financial turmoil, people prefer to spend money than to save, particularly when real interest rates are negative, says Sergei Guriev, head of the New Economic School. The perception of stability linked to Mr Putin is proving fragile. A survey of the Russian middle class shows that half those polled do not find the situation stable, and most of those who do think it will not last. And despite growing real incomes, people feel their lives are not improving. The vast majority feel vulnerable to the arbitrary actions of corrupt state agencies.
Mr Putin and Mr Medvedev are well aware that the current system neither protects the property of the new oligarchs, nor provides a stable environment for growth. This may explain Mr Medvedev’s talk of the need to modernise Russia’s economic system and uphold the rule of law. The rhetoric does not mean Mr Medvedev is departing from Mr Putin’s line; all the signs are that they are in agreement.
Mr Medvedev’s elevation has prompted expectations of a thaw among the liberal wing of the elite, even if so far there is little to satisfy it. Politicians and think-tanks are writing democratic manifestos. For instance, a report commissioned by the Institute for Contemporary Development, patronised by Mr Medvedev, argues that no modernisation can be achieved without liberalising politics too.
Democracy, it says, is preferable not for ideological reasons, but because it is the only effective way of resolving conflicts among the elites and protecting their financial interests. Liberalisation must start from the top and be tightly managed by the Kremlin. “Medvedev has a difficult task: he is trying to match expectations but not to lose control over the process,” says Alexander Auzan, a professor of economics in Moscow. By staying in power as prime minister, argues Boris Makarenko of the Centre for Political Technologies, Mr Putin at least has a chance to revise the legacy of his rule. Stepping aside would be the best measure of his success.
WHEN the other G8 leaders met their new Russian counterpart in Japan this week, they may all have had a similar question on their minds: are we talking to the right man? Is Dmitry Medvedev, described by George Bush as a “smart guy”, a real president? Or is he merely Vladimir Putin’s puppet and stand-in? So far, the answer seems to be: neither.
At the summit, Mr Medvedev behaved modestly and stuck to the Kremlin line defined by Mr Putin. Talking to Gordon Brown, he seemed no more accommodating than Mr Putin might have been over the closure of British Council offices, the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London or the messy dispute within the troubled TNK-BP joint venture. If Mr Medvedev has potential as an independent decision-maker, he hid it well.
This is not surprising, given that authority still lies with Mr Putin. As prime minister, he controls the main levers of power, the state coffers and television. He is more popular than Mr Medvedev. Kremlin insiders call Mr Putin “the boss”, referring to Mr Medvedev by his diminutive, Dima or Dama (Russian for dame).
Yet Mr Medvedev is more than Mr Putin’s obedient shadow. He is, after all, Mr Putin’s choice as potential successor. Whether the potential is realised depends on Mr Putin’s own moves. Most observers agree that today’s dual-power structure is part of a transition. The question is whether it is a transition to Mr Putin’s return to the Kremlin—or his retirement from power.
Mr Putin still has the chance of coming back as president. But he may not take it. It is equally possible that he will gradually move away, leaving Mr Medvedev in charge. Had he really wanted to stay in the Kremlin he could have remained president. There was little to stop him changing the constitution to allow himself a third term in office; after all, he had played fast and loose with it over many other issues.
Mr Putin also displays no apparent interest in his new job. He comes into the office little more than once a week and he often looks bored and irritated when shown on television dealing with mundane tasks. Those who have worked with Mr Putin in the past say that he would much rather enjoy a luxurious new lifestyle than concern himself with the price of milk.
So why has he not left? One explanation is that the security risks, for himself and his closest circle, are too high. He is safer in high office. The post of prime minister confers immunity on Mr Putin and offers protection to his friends.
The fortunes made by the new clan of Kremlin oligarchs have not been legitimised or swapped into liquid foreign assets. Russia’s largest oil company, Rosneft, which took over the assets of the Yukos oil company, is still open to lawsuits from Yukos’s shareholders. The Yukos case could come to the European Court of Human Rights this year. In London Roman Abramovich, a tycoon who prospered in the Putin era, faces a lawsuit over some business acquisitions. All this without Britain’s accusations of Russian state involvement in the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko.
There are also domestic pressures. Inflation is running above 15% and food prices are rising even faster. The macroeconomic stability that Mr Putin prided himself on is looking shaky. One reason why inflation is on the rise is that the government is pouring money into state corporations and public spending. But a deeper problem is that rising consumer and investment demand cannot be satisfied by an economy that is constrained by corruption, Soviet-era infrastructure and an inadequate and immobile workforce.
Rising prices are now ordinary Russians’ biggest concern, although they have not yet translated into protests. Fearing financial turmoil, people prefer to spend money than to save, particularly when real interest rates are negative, says Sergei Guriev, head of the New Economic School. The perception of stability linked to Mr Putin is proving fragile. A survey of the Russian middle class shows that half those polled do not find the situation stable, and most of those who do think it will not last. And despite growing real incomes, people feel their lives are not improving. The vast majority feel vulnerable to the arbitrary actions of corrupt state agencies.
Mr Putin and Mr Medvedev are well aware that the current system neither protects the property of the new oligarchs, nor provides a stable environment for growth. This may explain Mr Medvedev’s talk of the need to modernise Russia’s economic system and uphold the rule of law. The rhetoric does not mean Mr Medvedev is departing from Mr Putin’s line; all the signs are that they are in agreement.
Mr Medvedev’s elevation has prompted expectations of a thaw among the liberal wing of the elite, even if so far there is little to satisfy it. Politicians and think-tanks are writing democratic manifestos. For instance, a report commissioned by the Institute for Contemporary Development, patronised by Mr Medvedev, argues that no modernisation can be achieved without liberalising politics too.
Democracy, it says, is preferable not for ideological reasons, but because it is the only effective way of resolving conflicts among the elites and protecting their financial interests. Liberalisation must start from the top and be tightly managed by the Kremlin. “Medvedev has a difficult task: he is trying to match expectations but not to lose control over the process,” says Alexander Auzan, a professor of economics in Moscow. By staying in power as prime minister, argues Boris Makarenko of the Centre for Political Technologies, Mr Putin at least has a chance to revise the legacy of his rule. Stepping aside would be the best measure of his success.
World - Working mothers unite
DON’T be fooled by the familiar presence of a guinea-pig in a cage, or the primary colours. Something radical is afoot at the Wolkenzwerge crèche, on the sixth floor of a Berlin office block. Parents drop their children before going to work at Axel Springer, publisher of the tabloid Bild, and pick them up at 7.30pm or later. Springer, no friend of liberation movements in the 1960s, helps pay for places at Wolkenzwerge to tempt mothers back to work.That would seem less daring if it were not so rare. Germany has day-care places for only a sixth of children of under three (and that includes traditionally higher provision in the ex-communist east). This is one reason why German women lag their sisters in other rich countries in combining motherhood and work. Female employment is above average. But when (and if) they become mothers, women tend to drop out or go part-time. “So far in Germany, women had to make a choice [between children and career],” says Jeanne Fagnani of France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. French and Scandinavian women feel much less pressure.
That pressure has consequences. Because of it, German women are more reluctant than most in Europe to have children. When they do, they take prolonged leave from work, damaging their careers. Women’s average hourly wages are 22% lower than men’s, a gap exceeded in the European Union only by Slovakia, Estonia and Cyprus. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s sex may encourage some women, but not mothers: she is childless.Part of the problem is that the Nazis’ cult of motherhood outlived them (except in communist East Germany, which sent women to work and kids to day care). In capitalist West Germany until 1957, women who wanted to work had to seek permission from their husbands. A federal family minister created outrage in 1989 by suggesting kindergarten for two-year-olds. Working mothers still flinch at the word Rabenmutter, a mother who, supposedly like a raven, neglects her young.Worried about Germany’s low fertility rates, Mrs Merkel’s CDU is promoting some radical changes. First came “parents’ pay”, to encourage middle-class women to have children without wrecking their careers. Introduced in 2007, this increased the value of paid parental leave to a ceiling of €1,800 ($2,830) a month for high earners, although it cut the maximum duration from two years to one (plus two months for the second parent, usually the father). This year the government approved a law to provide enough day-care slots for 35% of children aged three or less by 2013, and to guarantee parents a right to day care once their babies are a year old. This could “break the vicious cycle” that keeps mothers away from day care because they see it as abnormal, says Gisela Erler who runs Familienservice, a firm that manages day-care centres, including Wolkenzwerge.The government seems to be pushing in the direction that younger Germans want to go. Whereas 70% of western Germans aged 65 or more believe that mothers should stay at home, fewer than half of 18-30-year-olds agree. For some women, the prospect of meaner public pensions sharpens the incentive to work. Business favours change, too. Girls gain better marks than boys in school and earn more than half of university degrees, which makes them attractive to employers struggling with skill shortages. A report by Deutsche Bank argues that firms are moving towards a collaborative “project economy” that demands more “soft skills” and flexible working practices.Germany’s birth rate jumped last year to its highest since 1990—thanks to parents’ pay, perhaps, but it may also have owed much to the buoyant economy. Fathers may be assuming more responsibility: some 18% took up the new parental-leave benefit. This was a “quiet revolution”, claimed the CDU family minister, Ursula von der Leyen. As a working mother of seven, her party might once have regarded her as an embarrassment. No longer.Yet the counter-revolutionaries are stirring. Defending “freedom of choice” for parents, conservatives in the government insisted that the expansion of day care be complemented by a €150 monthly payment to parents who prefer to raise their children at home. A television presenter sacked from her job last year for praising the Nazis’ family policies may have been speaking for a silent minority.The tax system still punishes earners of second incomes. Most primary schools send children home at noon, “which ruins the whole thing”, says Ms Erler.Social change is always slow. France’s generous family policies date back to its defeat in the Franco-Prussian war in 1871, which persuaded its leaders that the country needed more soldiers, says Ms Fagnani. Over time, bigger families required better child care outside the home, a trend encouraged by the high number of women working in farming and textiles. German women are still fighting for similar treatment. They may at last be winning
India - Rebuilding Mumbai
There's not much that the inhabitants of Dharavi can't recycle. Every day thousands of workers in India's most crowded slum--600,000 people squeezed into 500 acres (200 hectares) in the heart of Mumbai--shred plastic, mend clothes, strip computers, sort and bundle paper, fix machinery, flatten cardboard and clean and crush glass. The level of specialization is extraordinary. In the workshop of Abdul Salaam, two women use hammers to deftly pound the metal nibs out of the ends of dozens of plastic pen refills that they clutch like handfuls of fat spaghetti. Someone else will clean the refills, and a third group will shred the plastic into tiny granules that Salaam then sells for a profit of about $0.05 per lb. ($0.02 per kg). "New goods have very high rates," he explains over the relentless hammering. "There is profit in old stuff if you know how to find it."
Mumbai authorities apparently agree. The state government of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the capital, wants to raze dozens of slums like Dharavi for redevelopment and new infrastructure as part of its multibillion-dollar plan to turn the city into a world-class financial center by 2015. No one doubts that India's business capital needs a makeover. Bad roads and inefficient or nonexistent public transport make getting around Mumbai a nightmare; monsoon rains and clogged rivers and drains regularly submerge whole sections of the city. In areas wet and dry, however, property prices are higher than those in midtown Manhattan. But the redevelopment plans will displace up to half the 14 million to 18 million people in India's largest city and challenge the idea that poor and rich can live side by side in a tumultuous democracy. Even the poorest in Mumbai agree that the city needs to change. But, they ask, at what cost?
Dharavi was created by a flood of humanity--thousands of poor immigrants crowded into Mumbai during the past century and built an incredible jumble of two- and three-story "hutments" constructed of concrete, corrugated tin and even cardboard. The tiny rooms--often as small as 100 sq. ft. (9 sq m)--can house more than a dozen people from two or three families at night and double as workplaces by day. Hundreds of people share common toilets and water supplies--the narrow walkways run with human waste. At the same time, Dharavi's entrepreneurial spirit not only produces millions of dollars in exports but also has created a vibrant community, one that happens to occupy some of the most expensive land in the world.
For decades, various government schemes to redevelop Dharavi and Mumbai's growing number of other slums have gone nowhere. Now the government says it is serious about change. Nineteen property developers, some of them huge non-Indian companies such as Emaar from Dubai and Hutchison Whampoa from Hong Kong, have expressed interest in a scheme that would transplant 50,000 families into new apartments with running water, flush toilets and communal centers. The successful bidders would be free to use the remaining land for their own projects, potentially worth billions, some of which would fund infrastructure work. "People should have a good living," says D.R. Hadadare, chief engineer of the Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority, who oversees the technical specifications of the scheme. "At the moment too many people don't have access to the basics."
But Mumbai's slum dwellers are suspicious that the plan is a way to force them out of the city. And they are not powerless. Despite government reassurances, they worry that the new seven-story apartment blocks will be built on the city's outskirts, far from where they work and where their kids go to school. Even if the new apartments--which the government promises will be a minimum of 225 sq. ft. (21 sq m) each--are built nearby, residents complain, operating factories seven floors up will be impossible. They are ground-level operators who require lots of interaction with other nearby factories and traders. "The idea is not improving the lot of Dharavi," says Jockin Arputham, the feisty president of the National Slum Dwellers Federation. "It's about how to make money out of Dharavi by selling the land."
Arputham says his supporters don't oppose the scheme in principle--"I totally agree with it; the policy is good"--but criticize its implementation, which he says unfairly favors developers. "Every living person in Dharavi wants development, but it should be people-centered, not money-centered," he said in his small, bare concrete office one recent evening. "They say they want a world-class city, but how can anybody on the earth create a world-class city without involving 60% of its people?"
One of the specific sticking points is a technical matter: the floor-space index (FSI), which measures building density. Many cities around the world have an FSI in the high single digits. New York City's average FSI is about 12; Mumbai's is just 1, one reason this huge city with so few tall buildings can be so expensive. The conundrum is that Mumbai could not cope with more tall buildings without massive improvements in its drains, roads and public transport. The government's slum plans offer developers an average FSI of 2.5. Arputham says this is proof that big companies will get the better bargain and wants more "incentives" for average people.
Still, the two sides seem to be creeping toward an understanding. Mumbai's masses may be poor, but they do vote, a fact that political parties have long banked on (and often cynically exploited) and that both Arputham and government officials are quick to note. "It is a participatory approach," says chief engineer Hadadare. "We want to talk, not to bulldoze them. That's democracy. I think it will work, and if it does, it can be a model."
Mumbai desperately needs one. Take its creaking airport. Founded in fields on the city's edge more than six decades ago, the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is now squeezed by roads, slums, apartment blocks and hotels. With 25 million passengers a year, it is India's busiest airport and one of the 40 busiest in the world. But it is also tiny: just 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of land compared with 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) in Kuala Lumpur, which serves a similar number of passengers. Over the years, slum encroachment on three sides of the airport has eaten up 276 acres (112 hectares), further hemming in airport operators. In May 2006 the government privatized the airport to encourage its renewal. The new owners, an Indian-South African consortium, have already built a sparkling new domestic terminal. But relocating the 350,000 people essentially squatting on airport land may prove more troublesome. The consortium's lead company, GVK, says it has identified about half the land it needs to fulfill its contract to build new apartments for all the slum dwellers. But finding more land close to the airport may be tough, which is sure to increase local resistance. "We have colleges, schools and everything close by," says Gracy Perereia, 21, a student who lives with her family in a tiny sliver of hutments wedged between a highway and the end of a runway. "Sixty, seventy percent of the people here work at the airport. How will they get there if they put us miles away?"
With better infrastructure. What may finally turn years of talk about a new Mumbai into reality is India's booming economy and what GVK spokesman Manish Kalghatgi calls a political "consensus that as India itself is emerging as a business destination, you should have infrastructure that meets those aspirations." A massive new highway perched on pylons rising from the seafloor will take traffic off Mumbai's overcrowded streets, out across its biggest bays and around some of its many peninsulas and islands, while work on a long-planned subway system may begin soon. Policymakers sometimes argue that the delays caused by the burdens of democracy and bureaucratic dithering may hurt their country in the short term but encourage much healthier and more inclusive long-term growth. There is no better test case for that sentiment than the redevelopment of Dharavi. Get it right, and Mumbai's experience can really be a lesson to the world's other megacities. Get it wrong, and Mumbai will choke on its own poverty and prosperity alike.
Mumbai authorities apparently agree. The state government of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the capital, wants to raze dozens of slums like Dharavi for redevelopment and new infrastructure as part of its multibillion-dollar plan to turn the city into a world-class financial center by 2015. No one doubts that India's business capital needs a makeover. Bad roads and inefficient or nonexistent public transport make getting around Mumbai a nightmare; monsoon rains and clogged rivers and drains regularly submerge whole sections of the city. In areas wet and dry, however, property prices are higher than those in midtown Manhattan. But the redevelopment plans will displace up to half the 14 million to 18 million people in India's largest city and challenge the idea that poor and rich can live side by side in a tumultuous democracy. Even the poorest in Mumbai agree that the city needs to change. But, they ask, at what cost?
Dharavi was created by a flood of humanity--thousands of poor immigrants crowded into Mumbai during the past century and built an incredible jumble of two- and three-story "hutments" constructed of concrete, corrugated tin and even cardboard. The tiny rooms--often as small as 100 sq. ft. (9 sq m)--can house more than a dozen people from two or three families at night and double as workplaces by day. Hundreds of people share common toilets and water supplies--the narrow walkways run with human waste. At the same time, Dharavi's entrepreneurial spirit not only produces millions of dollars in exports but also has created a vibrant community, one that happens to occupy some of the most expensive land in the world.
For decades, various government schemes to redevelop Dharavi and Mumbai's growing number of other slums have gone nowhere. Now the government says it is serious about change. Nineteen property developers, some of them huge non-Indian companies such as Emaar from Dubai and Hutchison Whampoa from Hong Kong, have expressed interest in a scheme that would transplant 50,000 families into new apartments with running water, flush toilets and communal centers. The successful bidders would be free to use the remaining land for their own projects, potentially worth billions, some of which would fund infrastructure work. "People should have a good living," says D.R. Hadadare, chief engineer of the Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority, who oversees the technical specifications of the scheme. "At the moment too many people don't have access to the basics."
But Mumbai's slum dwellers are suspicious that the plan is a way to force them out of the city. And they are not powerless. Despite government reassurances, they worry that the new seven-story apartment blocks will be built on the city's outskirts, far from where they work and where their kids go to school. Even if the new apartments--which the government promises will be a minimum of 225 sq. ft. (21 sq m) each--are built nearby, residents complain, operating factories seven floors up will be impossible. They are ground-level operators who require lots of interaction with other nearby factories and traders. "The idea is not improving the lot of Dharavi," says Jockin Arputham, the feisty president of the National Slum Dwellers Federation. "It's about how to make money out of Dharavi by selling the land."
Arputham says his supporters don't oppose the scheme in principle--"I totally agree with it; the policy is good"--but criticize its implementation, which he says unfairly favors developers. "Every living person in Dharavi wants development, but it should be people-centered, not money-centered," he said in his small, bare concrete office one recent evening. "They say they want a world-class city, but how can anybody on the earth create a world-class city without involving 60% of its people?"
One of the specific sticking points is a technical matter: the floor-space index (FSI), which measures building density. Many cities around the world have an FSI in the high single digits. New York City's average FSI is about 12; Mumbai's is just 1, one reason this huge city with so few tall buildings can be so expensive. The conundrum is that Mumbai could not cope with more tall buildings without massive improvements in its drains, roads and public transport. The government's slum plans offer developers an average FSI of 2.5. Arputham says this is proof that big companies will get the better bargain and wants more "incentives" for average people.
Still, the two sides seem to be creeping toward an understanding. Mumbai's masses may be poor, but they do vote, a fact that political parties have long banked on (and often cynically exploited) and that both Arputham and government officials are quick to note. "It is a participatory approach," says chief engineer Hadadare. "We want to talk, not to bulldoze them. That's democracy. I think it will work, and if it does, it can be a model."
Mumbai desperately needs one. Take its creaking airport. Founded in fields on the city's edge more than six decades ago, the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is now squeezed by roads, slums, apartment blocks and hotels. With 25 million passengers a year, it is India's busiest airport and one of the 40 busiest in the world. But it is also tiny: just 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of land compared with 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) in Kuala Lumpur, which serves a similar number of passengers. Over the years, slum encroachment on three sides of the airport has eaten up 276 acres (112 hectares), further hemming in airport operators. In May 2006 the government privatized the airport to encourage its renewal. The new owners, an Indian-South African consortium, have already built a sparkling new domestic terminal. But relocating the 350,000 people essentially squatting on airport land may prove more troublesome. The consortium's lead company, GVK, says it has identified about half the land it needs to fulfill its contract to build new apartments for all the slum dwellers. But finding more land close to the airport may be tough, which is sure to increase local resistance. "We have colleges, schools and everything close by," says Gracy Perereia, 21, a student who lives with her family in a tiny sliver of hutments wedged between a highway and the end of a runway. "Sixty, seventy percent of the people here work at the airport. How will they get there if they put us miles away?"
With better infrastructure. What may finally turn years of talk about a new Mumbai into reality is India's booming economy and what GVK spokesman Manish Kalghatgi calls a political "consensus that as India itself is emerging as a business destination, you should have infrastructure that meets those aspirations." A massive new highway perched on pylons rising from the seafloor will take traffic off Mumbai's overcrowded streets, out across its biggest bays and around some of its many peninsulas and islands, while work on a long-planned subway system may begin soon. Policymakers sometimes argue that the delays caused by the burdens of democracy and bureaucratic dithering may hurt their country in the short term but encourage much healthier and more inclusive long-term growth. There is no better test case for that sentiment than the redevelopment of Dharavi. Get it right, and Mumbai's experience can really be a lesson to the world's other megacities. Get it wrong, and Mumbai will choke on its own poverty and prosperity alike.
World - Karachi dreaming big
What mayor these days doesn't want his city to be world class? The allure of miraculous transformation writ large across a massive cityscape is today's urban alchemy. Syed Mustafa Kamal, 36, is no exception. The mayor of Karachi, Pakistan's sprawling metropolis by the sea, has sworn that his city will rival Dubai in five years.
He's made some progress. He's building a 47-story IT tower with a 10,000-seat call center, one of the biggest in Asia. And the city has completed six over- and under-passes to ease congestion, along with a signal-free cross-town corridor. But he still has a long way to go. More than half the population of 16 million (give or take a few million) lives in ramshackle squatter settlements. Power outages are common. Only about half the city's daily water needs are met. Crime, congestion and political volatility have plagued this ancient port for decades. Unhappily, terrorism is making inroads. On July 7, six bombs detonated across the city in succession, spreading panic and instability. On Oct. 19, 2007, a suicide bombing at the homecoming rally for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto killed 141 in the worst terrorist attack in Pakistan's history. Kamal, who wears the goatee and well-cut suit of the IT professional he once was, waves these issues away as if they were minor details. "It can be done. It will be done,"he says. "In five years time, I can turn this city around."
There is only one caveat. He doesn't control the city. No one does — at least not all of it — and it's a problem that is not Karachi's alone. As big cities expand into mega-cities, city governments don't necessarily go along for the ride. That makes governance a chore and development a nightmare. Karachi is made up of 18 towns and six cantonments — legacies of a military system that awards high-ranking officials with prime allotments of land. A local board runs each cantonment. It charges fees and sets plans. It builds roads, digs sewers and erects traffic lights. It organizes maintenance and garbage collection.
And none of them are answerable to the city government. It's kind of like a condominium board made up of former Marines taking over an entire city block. "You can't even run a house when you have more than one owner, so how can you operate a city with so many different bosses?"asks Kamal. As it turns out, not easily.
Every year Karachi is inundated by the monsoon rains of late summer. Last year floods paralyzed the city for more than two weeks; workers navigated the streets in small boats as if the city were an Asian Venice. Twenty-eight people died — some drowned, and some were electrocuted when live wires hit the water.
Kamal has spent $2.6 million in the past year excavating and renovating the city's fetid wastewater canals. But the work had to stop at the cantonment lines. Some of the cantonment boards worked with the mayor. Others revamped only parts of their cantonment, leaving out the impoverished areas. And at least two of the cantonments have filled in drainage canals in order to build new luxury developments. That may help with Kamal's Dubai scheme, but those upstream will suffer. And Kamal will get the blame. "When everything goes right, no one thanks me," he complains. "But when there are problems, even if they are in the cantonments and I have no jurisdiction, they come to me to complain."
If too much water is a problem, so is not having enough. The mayor is supposed to sit at the head of the Karachi water and sewage board, an ungainly and corruption-ridden department that governs the entire city's water supply. For politicians on the make, however, it is the ultimate prize. Fresh water is a scarce resource in Karachi; its steady delivery is often used to thank political supporters. Not only that, but the Karachi water board also has some 8,000 jobs available — invaluable political capital. Now this is where it gets complicated. For the past four years, Karachi has been governed by Kamal's party, the rough-and-tumble Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) — which represents ethnic Mohajirs, who arrived in Pakistan from India at partition (think Richard J. Daley's men in Chicago, with mustaches), and was aligned with former general and current Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. However, Sindh province, where Karachi is located, is run by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), the national party that trounced Musharraf's early this year. (Benazir Bhutto was its chairwoman before she was assassinated.)
In May while Kamal, the mqm man, was in New York City attending a conference, the PPP provincial government staged a mini-coup, taking over Kamal's office at the water board, installing one of its own and removing Kamal's nameplate. Suleiman Chandio, the newly appointed managing director of the board, says the board was always under the jurisdiction of the provincial government. It was only under the military government of Musharraf that the valuable portfolio was handed to the mqm mayoralty in return for support. Besides, says Chandio, Kamal abused his position by giving only MQM supporters jobs at the board.
Kamal denies the accusations, pointing out that for the past two and a half years, he has spent nearly $500 million on water and sewer projects throughout the city, principally in impoverished districts that have never voted for his party. Bhit Island, a tiny sliver of land studded with concrete and corrugated-iron shanties a 10-minute ferry ride from the coast, is one such neighborhood. For decades the native Sindhi residents (and PPP voters) have depended on tanker boats to take water to the island. But in February, just before the elections, Kamal was able to finish an undersea pipe-laying project that delivered fresh water directly to the island for the first time. Walls in the village that once were emblazoned with only PPP slogans sport the red-green-and-white banners of the MQM these days as well. Each of the island's 1,200 or so houses now boasts a white plastic pipe topped by a red faucet handle.
Not all of them work. Corruption flows with water. Some families with influence — or cash — were able to install two faucets, which means that households farther down the pipeline receive none. The pump-house overseer estimates that 30% of the island's residents don't get the water they were promised. "What's the use of new water lines when there is no water in them?" asks Hoor Bhai Hajani, 60, matriarch of a family of 20. She gestures at the dusty faucet in her courtyard. A limp hose is coiled underneath, the deflated hope of her entire family. "We were so happy when we heard the news that the island would have water. Now it is just painful."
A month and a half after the board coup, the federal government stepped in and ordered the provincial government to give the water portfolio back to the mayor. Many suspect the reversal resulted from heated negotiations between the warring parties. Now Kamal has a vice chair, appointed by the PPP, in addition to the managing director. It's the kind of power-sharing arrangement that has marked Pakistani politics for the past several years. It's also the kind of agreement that has paralyzed progress. "The appointment of the managing director and vice chairman might create hindrance in planning and decision-making processes," says Kamal, but he's willing to wait and see.
The fight to control Karachi is a brutal political game. So why would the former IT Minister even want the job? Kamal throws his arms up in mock exasperation. "It's not a bed of roses," he concedes. "If I were given an opportunity to have an honorable exit, I would walk out right now."
But honorable for Kamal would be fulfilling his pledge. And the alchemic goal of a world-class city still beckons. Karachi's unruly sprawl of commercial and residential development has grown up around one of the most important harbors on the Arabian Sea. It occupies a strategic position between the Middle East and India that has made it a trading hub for centuries. It is also the gateway to Central Asia. "Karachi has so much potential," Kamal says quietly. "It is not just a city. It is the future of Pakistan. If Karachi develops and prospers, so will the country." Despite the frustrations, expect Kamal to pursue his goal.
He's made some progress. He's building a 47-story IT tower with a 10,000-seat call center, one of the biggest in Asia. And the city has completed six over- and under-passes to ease congestion, along with a signal-free cross-town corridor. But he still has a long way to go. More than half the population of 16 million (give or take a few million) lives in ramshackle squatter settlements. Power outages are common. Only about half the city's daily water needs are met. Crime, congestion and political volatility have plagued this ancient port for decades. Unhappily, terrorism is making inroads. On July 7, six bombs detonated across the city in succession, spreading panic and instability. On Oct. 19, 2007, a suicide bombing at the homecoming rally for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto killed 141 in the worst terrorist attack in Pakistan's history. Kamal, who wears the goatee and well-cut suit of the IT professional he once was, waves these issues away as if they were minor details. "It can be done. It will be done,"he says. "In five years time, I can turn this city around."
There is only one caveat. He doesn't control the city. No one does — at least not all of it — and it's a problem that is not Karachi's alone. As big cities expand into mega-cities, city governments don't necessarily go along for the ride. That makes governance a chore and development a nightmare. Karachi is made up of 18 towns and six cantonments — legacies of a military system that awards high-ranking officials with prime allotments of land. A local board runs each cantonment. It charges fees and sets plans. It builds roads, digs sewers and erects traffic lights. It organizes maintenance and garbage collection.
And none of them are answerable to the city government. It's kind of like a condominium board made up of former Marines taking over an entire city block. "You can't even run a house when you have more than one owner, so how can you operate a city with so many different bosses?"asks Kamal. As it turns out, not easily.
Every year Karachi is inundated by the monsoon rains of late summer. Last year floods paralyzed the city for more than two weeks; workers navigated the streets in small boats as if the city were an Asian Venice. Twenty-eight people died — some drowned, and some were electrocuted when live wires hit the water.
Kamal has spent $2.6 million in the past year excavating and renovating the city's fetid wastewater canals. But the work had to stop at the cantonment lines. Some of the cantonment boards worked with the mayor. Others revamped only parts of their cantonment, leaving out the impoverished areas. And at least two of the cantonments have filled in drainage canals in order to build new luxury developments. That may help with Kamal's Dubai scheme, but those upstream will suffer. And Kamal will get the blame. "When everything goes right, no one thanks me," he complains. "But when there are problems, even if they are in the cantonments and I have no jurisdiction, they come to me to complain."
If too much water is a problem, so is not having enough. The mayor is supposed to sit at the head of the Karachi water and sewage board, an ungainly and corruption-ridden department that governs the entire city's water supply. For politicians on the make, however, it is the ultimate prize. Fresh water is a scarce resource in Karachi; its steady delivery is often used to thank political supporters. Not only that, but the Karachi water board also has some 8,000 jobs available — invaluable political capital. Now this is where it gets complicated. For the past four years, Karachi has been governed by Kamal's party, the rough-and-tumble Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) — which represents ethnic Mohajirs, who arrived in Pakistan from India at partition (think Richard J. Daley's men in Chicago, with mustaches), and was aligned with former general and current Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. However, Sindh province, where Karachi is located, is run by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), the national party that trounced Musharraf's early this year. (Benazir Bhutto was its chairwoman before she was assassinated.)
In May while Kamal, the mqm man, was in New York City attending a conference, the PPP provincial government staged a mini-coup, taking over Kamal's office at the water board, installing one of its own and removing Kamal's nameplate. Suleiman Chandio, the newly appointed managing director of the board, says the board was always under the jurisdiction of the provincial government. It was only under the military government of Musharraf that the valuable portfolio was handed to the mqm mayoralty in return for support. Besides, says Chandio, Kamal abused his position by giving only MQM supporters jobs at the board.
Kamal denies the accusations, pointing out that for the past two and a half years, he has spent nearly $500 million on water and sewer projects throughout the city, principally in impoverished districts that have never voted for his party. Bhit Island, a tiny sliver of land studded with concrete and corrugated-iron shanties a 10-minute ferry ride from the coast, is one such neighborhood. For decades the native Sindhi residents (and PPP voters) have depended on tanker boats to take water to the island. But in February, just before the elections, Kamal was able to finish an undersea pipe-laying project that delivered fresh water directly to the island for the first time. Walls in the village that once were emblazoned with only PPP slogans sport the red-green-and-white banners of the MQM these days as well. Each of the island's 1,200 or so houses now boasts a white plastic pipe topped by a red faucet handle.
Not all of them work. Corruption flows with water. Some families with influence — or cash — were able to install two faucets, which means that households farther down the pipeline receive none. The pump-house overseer estimates that 30% of the island's residents don't get the water they were promised. "What's the use of new water lines when there is no water in them?" asks Hoor Bhai Hajani, 60, matriarch of a family of 20. She gestures at the dusty faucet in her courtyard. A limp hose is coiled underneath, the deflated hope of her entire family. "We were so happy when we heard the news that the island would have water. Now it is just painful."
A month and a half after the board coup, the federal government stepped in and ordered the provincial government to give the water portfolio back to the mayor. Many suspect the reversal resulted from heated negotiations between the warring parties. Now Kamal has a vice chair, appointed by the PPP, in addition to the managing director. It's the kind of power-sharing arrangement that has marked Pakistani politics for the past several years. It's also the kind of agreement that has paralyzed progress. "The appointment of the managing director and vice chairman might create hindrance in planning and decision-making processes," says Kamal, but he's willing to wait and see.
The fight to control Karachi is a brutal political game. So why would the former IT Minister even want the job? Kamal throws his arms up in mock exasperation. "It's not a bed of roses," he concedes. "If I were given an opportunity to have an honorable exit, I would walk out right now."
But honorable for Kamal would be fulfilling his pledge. And the alchemic goal of a world-class city still beckons. Karachi's unruly sprawl of commercial and residential development has grown up around one of the most important harbors on the Arabian Sea. It occupies a strategic position between the Middle East and India that has made it a trading hub for centuries. It is also the gateway to Central Asia. "Karachi has so much potential," Kamal says quietly. "It is not just a city. It is the future of Pakistan. If Karachi develops and prospers, so will the country." Despite the frustrations, expect Kamal to pursue his goal.
Lifestyle - This ain't no wine cooler
Let's begin by stipulating that Irish coffee is brilliant: no sensible person can argue with caffeine and whiskey topped with cream and served in a warm mug. Irish coffee has been sold in bars since the 1950s, if not earlier, so it's surprising that it took so long for the alcohol industry to come up with a canned version of caffeinated booze called alcoholic energy drinks.
If you've never heard of such things, your kid probably has. Sold in tall, narrow cans, they carry teen-friendly names such as Sparks, four maXed and Joose. As with other "flavored malt beverages" (the conspicuously boring industry name for fizzy drinks like Mike's Hard Lemonade), alcoholic energy drinks taste like cheap soda--cloyingly sweet and bubbly, with only the mildest hint of booze, all the better for callow teen palates. But alcoholic energy drinks are much more dangerous than regular alcopops like Mike's. First of all, they contain an assortment of stimulants--mainly caffeine but also ingredients like guarana and taurine that can speed the central nervous system and mask alcohol's effects. And they have more booze than other single-serving beverages. Budweiser and Mike's are both about 5% alcohol; by comparison, Sparks Plus is 7%, and four maXed and Joose are about 10%.
The single-serving combination of a depressant (alcohol) and various stimulants carries a certain nightclub logic; Anheuser-Busch used to advertise its caffeinated beer, Bud Extra, with lines such as YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU'RE 30 and WE SUGGEST 18-HOUR MASCARA. But public-health and law-enforcement officials--who have mounted an aggressive campaign against alcoholic energy drinks--worry that drinkers will assume they'll be wired enough to drive home after a long night of consuming these beverages. (More on the science later, but caffeine makes you feel only "wide-awake drunk," as researchers have put it, not actually less impaired.) The alcoholism-prevention community had been startled by the speed with which the caffeinated cocktail of Red Bull and vodka became a bar staple across the U.S. and Europe in the early 2000s, and many activists were determined to prevent alcoholic energy drinks from achieving a similar cultural foothold. "At least with Red Bull and vodka, you have two component parts that are mixed at a bar," says Judy Walsh-Jackson of the California Coalition on Alcopops and Youth. "These alcopop energy drinks are sold at convenience stores, places where young kids are shopping, right next to regular energy drinks."
Last month the attorneys general in 11 states won an agreement from Anheuser-Busch to discontinue all its alcoholic energy drinks and pay $200,000 to the states. Among other concerns, the attorneys general had alleged that the company was marketing the drinks to minors. Anheuser-Busch denied it broke any laws. As investigations continue into other makers of alcoholic energy drinks, Miller Brewing issued a statement that it is standing by Sparks, the No. 1 alcoholic energy drink; in June, Miller's parent company reported that the Sparks brand had "delivered strong full-year, double-digit growth." Likewise, United Brands said it has no plans to change the marketing or policies regarding Joose.
Marketing concerns aside, alcoholic energy drinks raise scientific questions: Does caffeine counteract the effects of alcohol? Or does it make drinking even more dangerous? Researchers have consistently found that caffeine won't keep you from getting drunk. In fact, from a psychological perspective, drinking caffeine with your alcohol is much riskier than drinking alcohol alone. One of the fascinating things about how humans process alcohol is that we have at least some capacity to overcome its effects by sheer force of will. Mark Fillmore, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky, has found that study volunteers who are warned that an alcoholic drink will highly impair their performance on a psychomotor test actually do better on the test than people who are given the same drink but no information about impairment. In other words, at least in a lab setting, those who are led to believe they're about to get truly blotto end up not letting themselves get so blotto. They don't perform as well as sober people, but they perform a lot better than the average drinker.
Fillmore's research implies that mixing stimulants in alcoholic beverages sends a dangerous message: Don't worry, the stimulants will protect you. In a 2002 Journal of Studies on Alcohol paper, Fillmore and his colleagues demonstrated this point: people who expected caffeine in their booze to do the compensating work for them scored significantly worse on psychomotor tests than did a group told that caffeine would have no effect. The latter group controlled themselves more.
Alcohol functions in your body pretty much the same whether you mix it with caffeine or not. The problem is, you will feel better if caffeine is present. A 2006 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found that people who consumed energy drinks with alcohol had significantly less dry mouth and headache than those who drank only alcohol. They also perceived their motor coordination to be better--even though it wasn't.
Alcoholic energy drinks are a crime against taste--but worse, they trick your brain into believing you're not as drunk as you are. Bottom line: have a real beer instead. If your beverage of choice carries a silly name like Joose, you're probably too young to drink anyway.
FLAVOR The citrusy taste reminded one online reviewer of orange Kool-Aid
ALCOHOL It has nearly twice the booze of the same amount of Budweiser
MARKETING This hip-looking "malternative" is sold in convenience stores
ENERGY The drink promises a triple boost via caffeine, taurine and ginseng
If you've never heard of such things, your kid probably has. Sold in tall, narrow cans, they carry teen-friendly names such as Sparks, four maXed and Joose. As with other "flavored malt beverages" (the conspicuously boring industry name for fizzy drinks like Mike's Hard Lemonade), alcoholic energy drinks taste like cheap soda--cloyingly sweet and bubbly, with only the mildest hint of booze, all the better for callow teen palates. But alcoholic energy drinks are much more dangerous than regular alcopops like Mike's. First of all, they contain an assortment of stimulants--mainly caffeine but also ingredients like guarana and taurine that can speed the central nervous system and mask alcohol's effects. And they have more booze than other single-serving beverages. Budweiser and Mike's are both about 5% alcohol; by comparison, Sparks Plus is 7%, and four maXed and Joose are about 10%.
The single-serving combination of a depressant (alcohol) and various stimulants carries a certain nightclub logic; Anheuser-Busch used to advertise its caffeinated beer, Bud Extra, with lines such as YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU'RE 30 and WE SUGGEST 18-HOUR MASCARA. But public-health and law-enforcement officials--who have mounted an aggressive campaign against alcoholic energy drinks--worry that drinkers will assume they'll be wired enough to drive home after a long night of consuming these beverages. (More on the science later, but caffeine makes you feel only "wide-awake drunk," as researchers have put it, not actually less impaired.) The alcoholism-prevention community had been startled by the speed with which the caffeinated cocktail of Red Bull and vodka became a bar staple across the U.S. and Europe in the early 2000s, and many activists were determined to prevent alcoholic energy drinks from achieving a similar cultural foothold. "At least with Red Bull and vodka, you have two component parts that are mixed at a bar," says Judy Walsh-Jackson of the California Coalition on Alcopops and Youth. "These alcopop energy drinks are sold at convenience stores, places where young kids are shopping, right next to regular energy drinks."
Last month the attorneys general in 11 states won an agreement from Anheuser-Busch to discontinue all its alcoholic energy drinks and pay $200,000 to the states. Among other concerns, the attorneys general had alleged that the company was marketing the drinks to minors. Anheuser-Busch denied it broke any laws. As investigations continue into other makers of alcoholic energy drinks, Miller Brewing issued a statement that it is standing by Sparks, the No. 1 alcoholic energy drink; in June, Miller's parent company reported that the Sparks brand had "delivered strong full-year, double-digit growth." Likewise, United Brands said it has no plans to change the marketing or policies regarding Joose.
Marketing concerns aside, alcoholic energy drinks raise scientific questions: Does caffeine counteract the effects of alcohol? Or does it make drinking even more dangerous? Researchers have consistently found that caffeine won't keep you from getting drunk. In fact, from a psychological perspective, drinking caffeine with your alcohol is much riskier than drinking alcohol alone. One of the fascinating things about how humans process alcohol is that we have at least some capacity to overcome its effects by sheer force of will. Mark Fillmore, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky, has found that study volunteers who are warned that an alcoholic drink will highly impair their performance on a psychomotor test actually do better on the test than people who are given the same drink but no information about impairment. In other words, at least in a lab setting, those who are led to believe they're about to get truly blotto end up not letting themselves get so blotto. They don't perform as well as sober people, but they perform a lot better than the average drinker.
Fillmore's research implies that mixing stimulants in alcoholic beverages sends a dangerous message: Don't worry, the stimulants will protect you. In a 2002 Journal of Studies on Alcohol paper, Fillmore and his colleagues demonstrated this point: people who expected caffeine in their booze to do the compensating work for them scored significantly worse on psychomotor tests than did a group told that caffeine would have no effect. The latter group controlled themselves more.
Alcohol functions in your body pretty much the same whether you mix it with caffeine or not. The problem is, you will feel better if caffeine is present. A 2006 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found that people who consumed energy drinks with alcohol had significantly less dry mouth and headache than those who drank only alcohol. They also perceived their motor coordination to be better--even though it wasn't.
Alcoholic energy drinks are a crime against taste--but worse, they trick your brain into believing you're not as drunk as you are. Bottom line: have a real beer instead. If your beverage of choice carries a silly name like Joose, you're probably too young to drink anyway.
FLAVOR The citrusy taste reminded one online reviewer of orange Kool-Aid
ALCOHOL It has nearly twice the booze of the same amount of Budweiser
MARKETING This hip-looking "malternative" is sold in convenience stores
ENERGY The drink promises a triple boost via caffeine, taurine and ginseng
World - Mystical mischief in New York
Julia, who sits at an outdoor table with a sign that says PSYCHIC READING AND PALMISTRY, has been watching me each day as I walk past her to the subway in this Brooklyn neighborhood. When I finally stop at her table, she tightens her head scarf and gives me a big smile. "How much for a palm reading?" I ask. "We will talk about money later, darling," she says, grabbing my hand with delight. Behind her is a shop full of Indian paraphernalia — a Ganesha idol, incense sticks and OM signs, along with Tibetan scrolls of the Buddha. It strikes me that an American psychic in New York City must regard it as a coup to be seen in public with an Indian customer like me — the same rush that a white basketball trainer would get if LeBron James stopped by for a lesson.
"You are entering a difficult period in your relationships," she says, looking at my palm. "Why?" I ask, and she points to a line on my hand: "Your love line is weak in the period ahead." "That, in India, is the destiny line," I say. "It's the love line, darling." "Are you arguing with someone from India? It's the destiny line." Only then does Julia look up and realize: this is one trouble-making Indian she's got in front of her.
I am coming back to New York after five years, and it seems that psychics are taking over the city. From their center in the East Village, where there are more places to have your palm read than to check your e-mail, they have radiated all over New York, which teems with "Eastern" medicinal and future-telling establishments of every kind, ranging from the dubious (reiki, scented-candle therapy, acupuncture) to the bogus (palmistry, psychic reading.) Greenwich Village always had its share of mind readers, but there are many more these days, and they seem to have moved closer to the mainstream of life in the city. What was crazy 10 years ago is now respectable, even among the best-educated New Yorkers. I find that an old friend of mine in the city, once a strident atheist and rationalist, is getting absorbed in Jewish mysticism; he tells me approvingly that his wife has rejected "Western" medicine and now goes to a medicine man in Chinatown for roots and crystals.
As the son of a "Western" doctor from India, I am appalled by this. Technology may be vibrantly alive in the U.S. — cell phones and laptops are everywhere — but faith in the science that produces this technology has weakened in the past decade. Evidence ranges from the proliferation of street-side palmists all the way to the White House: in 2005, the religious fundamentalists who oppose Darwin's theory of evolution got a boost when President Bush suggested that American schools should have the freedom to choose instead to teach intelligent design — a slick, pseudoscientific version of Biblical creationism. To a visitor from the supposedly mystical East, all this is disturbing — even repulsive.
In my family, as in most middle-class Indian families I knew when I was growing up, science and mathematics were held in awe. One of my grandfathers kept evolutionary tomes by T.H. Huxley and Darwin in his reading cabinet; another broke with family tradition by disallowing my mother's marriage to a first cousin on the grounds that it was "unscientific." Both men held on to their old Brahmin religion, but with a consciousness that it was antiquated and would pass. This thought did not cause them much unhappiness. Integral to their — and my — conception of "progress" was the belief that India would become both a richer place and a more rational one; the superstition and mumbo jumbo that traps so many poorer Indians in the medieval past would be blasted away by literacy and logical thinking. Reason has replaced God for many Indians of my generation. Nothing gives us greater pride than the importance of India's scientific and engineering colleges, or the army of Indian scientists at organizations such as Microsoft and NASA. Our temples are not the god-encrusted shrines of Varanasi, but Western scientific institutions like Caltech and MIT, and magazines like Nature and Scientific American.
How disturbing, then, to come to the U.S. in 2008, and find that faith in science has diminished from the White House to this hip Brooklyn neighborhood where numerous palmists operate. One part of me wants to laugh at what is happening and to make trouble for poor Julia. But another part whispers: Wait. Why blow the whistle as the West declines into mumbo jumbo? Let them take our dozen-armed deities and magic incense sticks; we'll transfer their busts of Galileo and Descartes to our engineering colleges and outsourcing companies. One day soon, their mystical children will wear turbans and serve our rational children at restaurants in Mumbai. So I smile at Julia and say, "You're right. It is the love line." And she glows with the pride of the American psychic who has just vanquished a visitor from the East.
"You are entering a difficult period in your relationships," she says, looking at my palm. "Why?" I ask, and she points to a line on my hand: "Your love line is weak in the period ahead." "That, in India, is the destiny line," I say. "It's the love line, darling." "Are you arguing with someone from India? It's the destiny line." Only then does Julia look up and realize: this is one trouble-making Indian she's got in front of her.
I am coming back to New York after five years, and it seems that psychics are taking over the city. From their center in the East Village, where there are more places to have your palm read than to check your e-mail, they have radiated all over New York, which teems with "Eastern" medicinal and future-telling establishments of every kind, ranging from the dubious (reiki, scented-candle therapy, acupuncture) to the bogus (palmistry, psychic reading.) Greenwich Village always had its share of mind readers, but there are many more these days, and they seem to have moved closer to the mainstream of life in the city. What was crazy 10 years ago is now respectable, even among the best-educated New Yorkers. I find that an old friend of mine in the city, once a strident atheist and rationalist, is getting absorbed in Jewish mysticism; he tells me approvingly that his wife has rejected "Western" medicine and now goes to a medicine man in Chinatown for roots and crystals.
As the son of a "Western" doctor from India, I am appalled by this. Technology may be vibrantly alive in the U.S. — cell phones and laptops are everywhere — but faith in the science that produces this technology has weakened in the past decade. Evidence ranges from the proliferation of street-side palmists all the way to the White House: in 2005, the religious fundamentalists who oppose Darwin's theory of evolution got a boost when President Bush suggested that American schools should have the freedom to choose instead to teach intelligent design — a slick, pseudoscientific version of Biblical creationism. To a visitor from the supposedly mystical East, all this is disturbing — even repulsive.
In my family, as in most middle-class Indian families I knew when I was growing up, science and mathematics were held in awe. One of my grandfathers kept evolutionary tomes by T.H. Huxley and Darwin in his reading cabinet; another broke with family tradition by disallowing my mother's marriage to a first cousin on the grounds that it was "unscientific." Both men held on to their old Brahmin religion, but with a consciousness that it was antiquated and would pass. This thought did not cause them much unhappiness. Integral to their — and my — conception of "progress" was the belief that India would become both a richer place and a more rational one; the superstition and mumbo jumbo that traps so many poorer Indians in the medieval past would be blasted away by literacy and logical thinking. Reason has replaced God for many Indians of my generation. Nothing gives us greater pride than the importance of India's scientific and engineering colleges, or the army of Indian scientists at organizations such as Microsoft and NASA. Our temples are not the god-encrusted shrines of Varanasi, but Western scientific institutions like Caltech and MIT, and magazines like Nature and Scientific American.
How disturbing, then, to come to the U.S. in 2008, and find that faith in science has diminished from the White House to this hip Brooklyn neighborhood where numerous palmists operate. One part of me wants to laugh at what is happening and to make trouble for poor Julia. But another part whispers: Wait. Why blow the whistle as the West declines into mumbo jumbo? Let them take our dozen-armed deities and magic incense sticks; we'll transfer their busts of Galileo and Descartes to our engineering colleges and outsourcing companies. One day soon, their mystical children will wear turbans and serve our rational children at restaurants in Mumbai. So I smile at Julia and say, "You're right. It is the love line." And she glows with the pride of the American psychic who has just vanquished a visitor from the East.
World - Turkey , God & Country!
Who is out to subvert the Turkish state? On July 14, Istanbul's top prosecutor, Aykut Cengiz Engin, gave one grave and tantalizing answer. He announced indictments against 86 people, including military officers and prominent journalists, for allegedly "attempting to overthrow the Turkish government by force." The "Ergenekon" coup plotters apparently named their hard-core nationalist group after an idyllic valley evoked in the Turkish people's pre-Islamic founding myth. The prosecution claims they were out to unseat the Islamic-leaning government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan by sowing chaos to provide a pretext for the army to step in.
But while a criminal court wades through the 2,455-page indictment and decides whether to hear that case, Turkey's constitutional court is considering a no less explosive trial against the government itself. The country's chief prosecutor has petitioned the court to outlaw the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and ban 71 of its members from politics for five years — including Erdogan. Their alleged crime: trying to destroy secularism and create an Islamic state in Turkey. A decision against the AKP is widely expected in August. That could force Erdogan to step down, and his party to regroup under a new name and leadership to contest fresh elections.
The dueling court cases underscore a quickening ideological clash over Turkey's future. The country's secularist establishment — the army, judiciary and urban élite — wants to preserve its vision of Turkey's modern destiny by keeping religion separate from government. But the AKP, the most successful party in recent Turkish history, is rooted in faith and has risen to power as more conservative and religious Turks find a political voice. On the question of how democracy, Islam and modernity can coexist under the rule of law, the two sides have radically — perhaps irreconcilably — different views.
The legal showdown has rattled investors — one reason why Istanbul's main stock index has fallen 40% this year — and has exacerbated a sense of polarization that pits democratic principles against secular ones. "This is a very dangerous situation," says Sahin Alpay, a political scientist at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University. "People who feel their way of life is threatened by the conservative Muslim majority want to stick with secularism rather than full democracy — and they aren't calculating the costs."
Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country, but the rising tension is evidence that another zealously guarded set of beliefs also holds sway. The principle of state secularism was introduced in the 1920s by modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to purge the country of what he considered backward influences. But for leading members of the military, judiciary and civil service, Ataturk's dictates became a license to wage war on political Islam. They did so through coups in 1960 and 1971, the "soft coup" of 1997, and several bans on political parties. In the last decade, such interventions seemed unlikely as Turkey integrated with global markets and grew more prosperous. Now, many fear, the instability is back.
Relations between the secularist forces and the AKP, which was first elected to govern in 2002, have always been uneasy. But an extra measure of animosity has existed since April of last year, when the party sought to install one of its members, Abdullah Gul, as Turkey's President. The military objected, but Erdogan called early elections and appointed him anyway. The AKP then passed a constitutional amendment to lift a ban on head scarves in universities. Since many secularists view head scarves as a political symbol of an Islamic lifestyle, that amendment — struck down by the high court last month — became a key exhibit in the case against the AKP.
For Turks like Tuncay Ozkan, a 42-year-old TV executive prominent among the new generation of ardent secularist activists, Erdogan is a "fear king," whose party is "using God when it suits them" to amass power and wealth. "The AKP is like the Pied Piper," says Ozkan, who is in the process of launching a pro-secularist political party and TV station. "Everyone knows what they are really about."
Secularists like Ozkan are convinced the AKP wants to Islamicize Turkish society over time. Since the AKP came to power, its critics contend, senior civil servants have begun demanding that those seeking high-level positions have Muslim credentials. Many Turks report an increase in mahalle (neighborhood) pressure to adhere to conservative norms. Newspaper ads are being Photoshopped to lengthen sleeves and skirts. Rowers on a university team were recently beaten up by unidentified assailants for wearing shorts. Meanwhile, Erdogan has called on women to have at least three children, and his cabinet includes just one woman. Under the AKP, the share of women in the workforce has dropped, from 29% in 2000 to 22% in 2006.
Supporters of the AKP counter that the party doesn't encourage conservative social trends, but merely reflects them in its own policies. They say the AKP is opposed to Shari'a or Islamic law, and point out that its legislative agenda has been far more economically liberal and pro-Western than that of its secularist opponents.
Even many Turks who don't support the AKP view the latest secularist saber-rattling with distaste. "You can't ban the most popular party in the country. It's a joke," says Alpay. "This is not really about the threat to secularism; it is about the military using the threat to sustain its position in the country."
Banning the AKP won't neutralize the attraction its positions hold for millions of Turkish voters. And the mere threat of a ban has already drawn international condemnation, and has contributed to a slowdown in foreign investment as well as a weakening of Turkey's currency. That said, political Islam would indeed pose a future threat to the modern lifestyles of many Turks — and, despite the AKP's protestations, it's not unreasonable to suspect that the party might want to strengthen Islam's role in political life. Still, it's worth keeping such worries from spiraling out of control. After all, if secularists undermine Turkey's democratic institutions in the name of averting a still nebulous risk, their cure may prove far worse than the disease they fear.
But while a criminal court wades through the 2,455-page indictment and decides whether to hear that case, Turkey's constitutional court is considering a no less explosive trial against the government itself. The country's chief prosecutor has petitioned the court to outlaw the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and ban 71 of its members from politics for five years — including Erdogan. Their alleged crime: trying to destroy secularism and create an Islamic state in Turkey. A decision against the AKP is widely expected in August. That could force Erdogan to step down, and his party to regroup under a new name and leadership to contest fresh elections.
The dueling court cases underscore a quickening ideological clash over Turkey's future. The country's secularist establishment — the army, judiciary and urban élite — wants to preserve its vision of Turkey's modern destiny by keeping religion separate from government. But the AKP, the most successful party in recent Turkish history, is rooted in faith and has risen to power as more conservative and religious Turks find a political voice. On the question of how democracy, Islam and modernity can coexist under the rule of law, the two sides have radically — perhaps irreconcilably — different views.
The legal showdown has rattled investors — one reason why Istanbul's main stock index has fallen 40% this year — and has exacerbated a sense of polarization that pits democratic principles against secular ones. "This is a very dangerous situation," says Sahin Alpay, a political scientist at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University. "People who feel their way of life is threatened by the conservative Muslim majority want to stick with secularism rather than full democracy — and they aren't calculating the costs."
Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country, but the rising tension is evidence that another zealously guarded set of beliefs also holds sway. The principle of state secularism was introduced in the 1920s by modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to purge the country of what he considered backward influences. But for leading members of the military, judiciary and civil service, Ataturk's dictates became a license to wage war on political Islam. They did so through coups in 1960 and 1971, the "soft coup" of 1997, and several bans on political parties. In the last decade, such interventions seemed unlikely as Turkey integrated with global markets and grew more prosperous. Now, many fear, the instability is back.
Relations between the secularist forces and the AKP, which was first elected to govern in 2002, have always been uneasy. But an extra measure of animosity has existed since April of last year, when the party sought to install one of its members, Abdullah Gul, as Turkey's President. The military objected, but Erdogan called early elections and appointed him anyway. The AKP then passed a constitutional amendment to lift a ban on head scarves in universities. Since many secularists view head scarves as a political symbol of an Islamic lifestyle, that amendment — struck down by the high court last month — became a key exhibit in the case against the AKP.
For Turks like Tuncay Ozkan, a 42-year-old TV executive prominent among the new generation of ardent secularist activists, Erdogan is a "fear king," whose party is "using God when it suits them" to amass power and wealth. "The AKP is like the Pied Piper," says Ozkan, who is in the process of launching a pro-secularist political party and TV station. "Everyone knows what they are really about."
Secularists like Ozkan are convinced the AKP wants to Islamicize Turkish society over time. Since the AKP came to power, its critics contend, senior civil servants have begun demanding that those seeking high-level positions have Muslim credentials. Many Turks report an increase in mahalle (neighborhood) pressure to adhere to conservative norms. Newspaper ads are being Photoshopped to lengthen sleeves and skirts. Rowers on a university team were recently beaten up by unidentified assailants for wearing shorts. Meanwhile, Erdogan has called on women to have at least three children, and his cabinet includes just one woman. Under the AKP, the share of women in the workforce has dropped, from 29% in 2000 to 22% in 2006.
Supporters of the AKP counter that the party doesn't encourage conservative social trends, but merely reflects them in its own policies. They say the AKP is opposed to Shari'a or Islamic law, and point out that its legislative agenda has been far more economically liberal and pro-Western than that of its secularist opponents.
Even many Turks who don't support the AKP view the latest secularist saber-rattling with distaste. "You can't ban the most popular party in the country. It's a joke," says Alpay. "This is not really about the threat to secularism; it is about the military using the threat to sustain its position in the country."
Banning the AKP won't neutralize the attraction its positions hold for millions of Turkish voters. And the mere threat of a ban has already drawn international condemnation, and has contributed to a slowdown in foreign investment as well as a weakening of Turkey's currency. That said, political Islam would indeed pose a future threat to the modern lifestyles of many Turks — and, despite the AKP's protestations, it's not unreasonable to suspect that the party might want to strengthen Islam's role in political life. Still, it's worth keeping such worries from spiraling out of control. After all, if secularists undermine Turkey's democratic institutions in the name of averting a still nebulous risk, their cure may prove far worse than the disease they fear.
Lifestyle - Taking on Thin Ideal
There's nothing new about TV and fashion magazines giving girls unhealthy ideas about how thin they need to be in order to be considered beautiful. What is surprising is the method psychologists at the University of Texas have come up with to keep girls from developing eating disorders. Their main weapon against superskinny (role) models: a brand of civil disobedience dubbed "body activism." Related Articles
Since 2001, more than 1,000 high school and college students have participated in the Body Project, which works by getting girls to understand how they have been buying into the notion that you have to be thin to be happy or successful. After critiquing the so-called thin ideal by writing essays and role-playing with their peers, participants are directed to come up with and execute small, nonviolent acts. They include slipping notes saying "Love your body the way it is" into dieting books at stores like Borders and writing letters to Mattel, makers of the impossibly proportioned Barbie doll.
According to a study in the latest issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, the risk of developing eating disorders was reduced 61% among Body Project participants. And they continued to exhibit positive body-image attitudes as long as three years after completing the program, which consists of four one-hour sessions. Such lasting effects may be due to girls' realizing not only how they were being influenced but also who was benefiting from the societal pressure to be thin. "These people who promote the perfect body really don't care about you at all," says Kelsey Hertel, a high school junior and Body Project veteran in Eugene, Ore. "They purposefully make you feel like less of a person so you'll buy their stuff and they'll make money."
As part of the program, Hertel and a friend posted signs in a school bathroom saying YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. DON'T BE SOMEONE THAT YOU'RE NOT. BE YOURSELF. The girls then watched their classmates react. "They'd see the signs and say things like 'That's encouraging because I always feel so fat and gross and ugly,'" Hertel says. The study's lead author, Eric Stice, designed the Body Project betting that a crucial element in preventing eating disorders lay in getting a participant to critique a fashion ad or other negative influence in front of her peers. "If I write down 10 things bad about it and post it on MySpace so anyone can view it, I'm accountable for it," says Stice, now at the Oregon Research Institute.
Psychologists are excited about his study because there's not a lot of other data measuring the effectiveness of such programs, let alone their long-term impact.
"This is a good start," says Dr. Walter Kaye, a board member of the National Eating Disorders Association. But Kaye cautions that eating disorders are much more complicated than researchers first thought. For starters, the disorders can't be blamed solely on environmental factors. Brain-scan studies show that the neural circuitry that normally responds to the pleasurable, rewarding aspects of eating doesn't seem to work in anorexics.
The Body Project study, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, recruited participants by distributing flyers outside classrooms and posting them in school bathrooms. Now sororities and other groups are beginning to launch peer-administered versions of the program. But even if one is not available in your community, there are things parents can do to help with body-image issues. Be aware of what signals you might be giving your children when you talk about your own desire to lose weight. Pay attention to the stereotypical body image your kids are watching on TV. And perhaps most important, talk with them about it.
Since 2001, more than 1,000 high school and college students have participated in the Body Project, which works by getting girls to understand how they have been buying into the notion that you have to be thin to be happy or successful. After critiquing the so-called thin ideal by writing essays and role-playing with their peers, participants are directed to come up with and execute small, nonviolent acts. They include slipping notes saying "Love your body the way it is" into dieting books at stores like Borders and writing letters to Mattel, makers of the impossibly proportioned Barbie doll.
According to a study in the latest issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, the risk of developing eating disorders was reduced 61% among Body Project participants. And they continued to exhibit positive body-image attitudes as long as three years after completing the program, which consists of four one-hour sessions. Such lasting effects may be due to girls' realizing not only how they were being influenced but also who was benefiting from the societal pressure to be thin. "These people who promote the perfect body really don't care about you at all," says Kelsey Hertel, a high school junior and Body Project veteran in Eugene, Ore. "They purposefully make you feel like less of a person so you'll buy their stuff and they'll make money."
As part of the program, Hertel and a friend posted signs in a school bathroom saying YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. DON'T BE SOMEONE THAT YOU'RE NOT. BE YOURSELF. The girls then watched their classmates react. "They'd see the signs and say things like 'That's encouraging because I always feel so fat and gross and ugly,'" Hertel says. The study's lead author, Eric Stice, designed the Body Project betting that a crucial element in preventing eating disorders lay in getting a participant to critique a fashion ad or other negative influence in front of her peers. "If I write down 10 things bad about it and post it on MySpace so anyone can view it, I'm accountable for it," says Stice, now at the Oregon Research Institute.
Psychologists are excited about his study because there's not a lot of other data measuring the effectiveness of such programs, let alone their long-term impact.
"This is a good start," says Dr. Walter Kaye, a board member of the National Eating Disorders Association. But Kaye cautions that eating disorders are much more complicated than researchers first thought. For starters, the disorders can't be blamed solely on environmental factors. Brain-scan studies show that the neural circuitry that normally responds to the pleasurable, rewarding aspects of eating doesn't seem to work in anorexics.
The Body Project study, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, recruited participants by distributing flyers outside classrooms and posting them in school bathrooms. Now sororities and other groups are beginning to launch peer-administered versions of the program. But even if one is not available in your community, there are things parents can do to help with body-image issues. Be aware of what signals you might be giving your children when you talk about your own desire to lose weight. Pay attention to the stereotypical body image your kids are watching on TV. And perhaps most important, talk with them about it.
Lifestyle - Eat your germs
No doubt you have heard that yogurt is teeming with bacteria—and no doubt you try not to think about that as you dig into a cup of the stuff. Yes, they're supposed to be good bacteria, ones that not only don't make you sick but actually improve your health. Still, a spoonful of critters with unlovely names like Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidus regularis will never sound like a palate pleaser to even the most dedicated health nut.
Whether or not you've ever developed a taste—or even a tolerance—for living things in your lunch, more are on the way. Food companies have been coming to the conclusion that if a few of these superstar bacteria are good for you, then more will be even better. This is giving rise to a small but growing product line called probiotics, in which the bacteria population is boosted, sometimes considerably. For consumers, of course, the question is, Do these products work?
Probiotics have been around for a long time, mostly in the form of dietary supplements. They're also found naturally in foods like yogurt, buttermilk, sauerkraut and tofu. Recently, however, the Dannon Co. has been making a marketing splash with a yogurt line named Activia, which is fortified with extra bacteria. So far, this bet seems to be paying off, with more than $100 million in sales in the product's first year in the U.S. alone. Other companies are coming forward with probiotic yogurt drinks and fortified beverages, which are also finding a market. There is a fair body of science suggesting that some consumers are spending their dollars wisely.
"The superstar bacteria stick around in your intestines a lot longer," says Dr. Gary Huffnagle, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan and co-author of The Probiotics Revolution. In the digestive tract, the bacteria help regulate and restore peristalsis, the rhythmic motion of the intestine that pushes digested food through. There's a reason one of the bugs has the word regularis as its second name, and this intestinal toning is it. "Doesn't matter if you are constipated or the opposite," Huffnagle says. "These bacteria can help make you, um, regular."
Huffnagle's research also suggests that the bacteria can battle numerous kinds of allergies—and not just food allergies. This is a somewhat harder scientific case to make, but Huffnagle's belief is that since anything you breathe you may also swallow in at least some quantity, the good bacteria in your gut could help control allergens.
Not everyone is sold on probiotics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is relatively neutral, using the growing popularity of the products as an opportunity to caution manufacturers not to pitch the foods as some sort of panacea for any specific disease. More important, some people should avoid the products altogether. Those with weakened immune systems or who are critically ill would be well advised to stay away from eating live bacteria. Certainly anyone in the hospital would also count. Furthermore, the products can take a little getting used to, even for the otherwise healthy. If you are new to the world of probiotics and you suddenly start eating a lot, there is a good chance you could experience uncomfortable bloating.
"You have just started a civil war in your intestines between good bacteria and bad bacteria," Huffnagle says. Fortunately, the war is usually over in one or two weeks, and, stresses Huffnagle, "the good guys win."
Expect to see lots of those good guys on store shelves soon. At least five companies in the U.S. either are in the probiotic game or are planning to enter. Plain yogurt remains the best product for added bacteria because it has three things the bugs absolutely love: lactose (or naturally occurring sugar), fat and water. Another food out there with both sugar and fat is chocolate, and—you guessed it—the company Attune already has a probiotic chocolate bar. That's something that may prompt me to give the superstar bacteria a try after all
Whether or not you've ever developed a taste—or even a tolerance—for living things in your lunch, more are on the way. Food companies have been coming to the conclusion that if a few of these superstar bacteria are good for you, then more will be even better. This is giving rise to a small but growing product line called probiotics, in which the bacteria population is boosted, sometimes considerably. For consumers, of course, the question is, Do these products work?
Probiotics have been around for a long time, mostly in the form of dietary supplements. They're also found naturally in foods like yogurt, buttermilk, sauerkraut and tofu. Recently, however, the Dannon Co. has been making a marketing splash with a yogurt line named Activia, which is fortified with extra bacteria. So far, this bet seems to be paying off, with more than $100 million in sales in the product's first year in the U.S. alone. Other companies are coming forward with probiotic yogurt drinks and fortified beverages, which are also finding a market. There is a fair body of science suggesting that some consumers are spending their dollars wisely.
"The superstar bacteria stick around in your intestines a lot longer," says Dr. Gary Huffnagle, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan and co-author of The Probiotics Revolution. In the digestive tract, the bacteria help regulate and restore peristalsis, the rhythmic motion of the intestine that pushes digested food through. There's a reason one of the bugs has the word regularis as its second name, and this intestinal toning is it. "Doesn't matter if you are constipated or the opposite," Huffnagle says. "These bacteria can help make you, um, regular."
Huffnagle's research also suggests that the bacteria can battle numerous kinds of allergies—and not just food allergies. This is a somewhat harder scientific case to make, but Huffnagle's belief is that since anything you breathe you may also swallow in at least some quantity, the good bacteria in your gut could help control allergens.
Not everyone is sold on probiotics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is relatively neutral, using the growing popularity of the products as an opportunity to caution manufacturers not to pitch the foods as some sort of panacea for any specific disease. More important, some people should avoid the products altogether. Those with weakened immune systems or who are critically ill would be well advised to stay away from eating live bacteria. Certainly anyone in the hospital would also count. Furthermore, the products can take a little getting used to, even for the otherwise healthy. If you are new to the world of probiotics and you suddenly start eating a lot, there is a good chance you could experience uncomfortable bloating.
"You have just started a civil war in your intestines between good bacteria and bad bacteria," Huffnagle says. Fortunately, the war is usually over in one or two weeks, and, stresses Huffnagle, "the good guys win."
Expect to see lots of those good guys on store shelves soon. At least five companies in the U.S. either are in the probiotic game or are planning to enter. Plain yogurt remains the best product for added bacteria because it has three things the bugs absolutely love: lactose (or naturally occurring sugar), fat and water. Another food out there with both sugar and fat is chocolate, and—you guessed it—the company Attune already has a probiotic chocolate bar. That's something that may prompt me to give the superstar bacteria a try after all
Lifestyle - When lite gets heavy
It would be an awful lot easier count calories if we could just see the pesky things. Add up how many of them are on your plate, and you never have to eat a single one more than you want to. But calories are very good at hiding themselves—never more so than at health-food restaurants.
Almost everyone has had the experience of bypassing a McDonald's for a virtuous, diet-friendly place, only to leave feeling oddly more stuffed than if you'd just had the Big Mac and fries. That's no illusion. Menus at restaurants that market themselves as healthy alternatives are often big minefields, booby-trapped with hidden fat and calories than can blow any diet to smithereens.
Take those heart-healthy symbols that keep popping up next to menu offerings. A 2003 study in the Journal of Marketing found that diners may trust the little icons more than their own common sense, believing that there's a reduced risk for heart disease even if the symbol is next to a manifestly fatty food like lasagna. We're also suckers for the term low cholesterol, thinking that it's synonymous with low fat, which is by no means always the case.
Even when we make the right choice, we manage to trip ourselves up. If we're having a healthy entr?e, we decide we might as well cut loose with the extras, adding a helping of mashed potatoes to the lean piece of fish or loading up a salad with cheese or croutons or too much dressing. Healthy snacks can be similarly fraught. One study showed that if you give people the low-fat, low-calorie version of a food like a granola bar or Chex Mix, they'll compensate by eating 28% more of it than they would of the higher-fat version. In another study, people were given sandwiches that they were told came from either McDonald's or Subway, which has successfully marketed itself as a smarter alternative (even if its meals can still be stuffed with calories). The subjects eating the food labeled Subway often washed it down with sugary soda or followed it up with cookies or chips, apparently concluding they had a little room to indulge.
Perhaps worst of all, there's the notorious what-the-hell effect. Calorie counters who realize they're exceeding their limit, even in a health-food restaurant, often don't pull back to contain the damage but reason that the day is a loss anyway, so they might as well have fun, piling on desserts and sides they'd otherwise avoid.
Such a combination of rationalization and misinformation is hard to overcome, but there are things we can do. First, keep alternative options in mind. A 2005 study showed that people are actually more likely to choose a lower-fat cheesecake when it appears on a menu alongside a high-fat version, almost as if picturing that dense serving of after-dinner indulgence makes the lighter choice more appealing. Having a real sense of serving size and calorie content can help too. Most studies suggest that only 10% to 20% of people really know how to count calories. When the rest of us bother to guess, we usually lowball what's in a meal by as much as 45%. One solution even for the least calorie-savvy is to order what you want but push your plate away while you've still got a sizable portion left. If you have to ask the waiter to clear the plate so you're not tempted to dig back in, do so.
Finally, don't be too pure. There's nothing that makes food harder to resist than being told you can never have it. The occasional, moderate-size serving of warm chocolate cake or McDonald's fries is not going to kill you. And in case you forgot, it will be utterly delicious.
Almost everyone has had the experience of bypassing a McDonald's for a virtuous, diet-friendly place, only to leave feeling oddly more stuffed than if you'd just had the Big Mac and fries. That's no illusion. Menus at restaurants that market themselves as healthy alternatives are often big minefields, booby-trapped with hidden fat and calories than can blow any diet to smithereens.
Take those heart-healthy symbols that keep popping up next to menu offerings. A 2003 study in the Journal of Marketing found that diners may trust the little icons more than their own common sense, believing that there's a reduced risk for heart disease even if the symbol is next to a manifestly fatty food like lasagna. We're also suckers for the term low cholesterol, thinking that it's synonymous with low fat, which is by no means always the case.
Even when we make the right choice, we manage to trip ourselves up. If we're having a healthy entr?e, we decide we might as well cut loose with the extras, adding a helping of mashed potatoes to the lean piece of fish or loading up a salad with cheese or croutons or too much dressing. Healthy snacks can be similarly fraught. One study showed that if you give people the low-fat, low-calorie version of a food like a granola bar or Chex Mix, they'll compensate by eating 28% more of it than they would of the higher-fat version. In another study, people were given sandwiches that they were told came from either McDonald's or Subway, which has successfully marketed itself as a smarter alternative (even if its meals can still be stuffed with calories). The subjects eating the food labeled Subway often washed it down with sugary soda or followed it up with cookies or chips, apparently concluding they had a little room to indulge.
Perhaps worst of all, there's the notorious what-the-hell effect. Calorie counters who realize they're exceeding their limit, even in a health-food restaurant, often don't pull back to contain the damage but reason that the day is a loss anyway, so they might as well have fun, piling on desserts and sides they'd otherwise avoid.
Such a combination of rationalization and misinformation is hard to overcome, but there are things we can do. First, keep alternative options in mind. A 2005 study showed that people are actually more likely to choose a lower-fat cheesecake when it appears on a menu alongside a high-fat version, almost as if picturing that dense serving of after-dinner indulgence makes the lighter choice more appealing. Having a real sense of serving size and calorie content can help too. Most studies suggest that only 10% to 20% of people really know how to count calories. When the rest of us bother to guess, we usually lowball what's in a meal by as much as 45%. One solution even for the least calorie-savvy is to order what you want but push your plate away while you've still got a sizable portion left. If you have to ask the waiter to clear the plate so you're not tempted to dig back in, do so.
Finally, don't be too pure. There's nothing that makes food harder to resist than being told you can never have it. The occasional, moderate-size serving of warm chocolate cake or McDonald's fries is not going to kill you. And in case you forgot, it will be utterly delicious.
World - The Afghanistan Update
It is summer now in Kabul, the snow has largely melted from the 15,000-ft. (4,600 m) peaks, and I am sitting with my friends Hussein, Nabi and Zia in the garden of a 19th century fort. Nearby, 10 carpenters who work with my nongovernmental organization (NGO) are creating a library for a buyer in Tokyo. They're fitting slivers of wood into a delicate lattice and carving flowers into the walnut shutters. They work fast and smile often. But Nabi, a gentle-voiced 66-year-old cook, is not smiling. He is pessimistic about his country. "We have been promised progress by every government since 1973," he growls, "but it is getting worse and worse."
Nabi's pessimism is very common now in Afghanistan. There has been a dramatic series of recent attacks by the Taliban: a mass assault on a jail freed hundreds of prisoners, and a suicide bombing outside the Indian embassy on July 7 killed 40 and injured over 100. Many of these assaults are planned and supported from safe havens across the border in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Western troop casualties are climbing; the last two months exceeded the monthly death toll in Iraq. On July 13, nine U.S. soldiers were killed when Taliban fighters swarmed over their base in the eastern province of Kunar — the worst attack in three years.
But terrorism and insurgency are only part of what's going wrong in Afghanistan. In 2002, I walked safely along the length of the road between Herat and Obey in western Afghanistan. Recently aid workers were carjacked on that road, and it is now considered too dangerous for aid agencies, effectively closing the main access to the central regions of the country. In provinces close to Kabul, such as Wardak, Ghazni and Logar, which were easy to visit two years ago, foreigners are regularly attacked and girls' schools burned at will. Afghanistan produces 92% of the world's opium (used to make heroin) and 35% of its cannabis and has a flourishing trade in looted antiquities. In a vicious cycle, narcotics, corruption and the absence of law and order are rotting the heart of the government and crippling the economy. Despite massive Western investment, Afghanistan is close to being a failed state.
What should we do about it? Many policymakers want to throw more money and troops at the problem. Both Barack Obama and John McCain say that as President, they would send additional combat brigades — from 7,000 to 15,000 troops — to tame the insurgency in Afghanistan. At a June conference in Paris, Western governments committed an additional $20 billion in aid, in the hope that this would finally bring success in counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, rule of law, governance and state-building — and eventually allow us to withdraw from Afghanistan with honor.
But just because Afghanistan has problems that need to be solved does not mean that the West can solve them all. My experience suggests that those pushing for an expansion of our military presence there are wrong. We don't need bold new plans and billions more in aid. Instead, we need less investment — but a greater focus on what we know how to do.
What We've Done Right When I walked across Afghanistan, shortly after the U.S.-led invasion had toppled the Taliban regime, there was no electricity in the 400 miles (640 km) between Herat and Kabul. The villages along the route were led by tribal chiefs, mullahs or guerrilla commanders who had little to do with their neighbors, let alone with the central government. Most districts that I visited had no schools or clinics. As a civil servant — I was on leave from my job in Britain's Foreign Office — I was surprised by how poor Afghanistan was and how ungoverned.
In 2006, after 11 months as a regional administrator in southern Iraq, I returned to Afghanistan to set up an NGO called the Turquoise Mountain to restore part of the old bazaar of Kabul and support traditional crafts. The garbage was then 7 ft. (2 m) deep in the streets, 200 yd. (180 m) from the presidential palace; there was no drainage, sewerage or water supply. Once famous traditional buildings were collapsing, and the craft-masters of ceramics, woodwork and jewelry were dying without passing on their skills. Most of the children in the area were not in school, most people were unemployed, few women were literate, and most of their children died before their first birthday.
The past six years, however, have made me optimistic about many aspects of Afghanistan. The community with which I work in the old city is hardworking, decisive and determined. In less than two years, we have cleared mountains of garbage, established clinics and primary schools, created jobs, restored the buildings and shops of the bazaar and attracted visitors and customers back into the area. I have been impressed also by the flexible and imaginative support that we began to receive from private philanthropists around the world and from Canadian and American development agencies.
There has been dramatic progress in many other parts of the country. Since 2001, 6.4 million children have been educated, and there has been a massive increase in access to basic health care. Western funding and assistance have helped create an efficient central bank, a stable currency, an elected parliament, telecommunications and infrastructure projects and a credible army. Some foreign aid goes directly into the hands of elected councils in over 20,000 villages, allowing them to initiate their own rural-development projects. Many of the villages I visited six years ago now have electricity and access to clinics and schools.
What's Gone Wrong For all those improvements, however, it's clear why my friend Nabi is so pessimistic. The government has not established its authority or credibility. Civil servants lack the most basic education and skills. Perhaps a quarter of teachers are illiterate, and the majority are educated only one grade level above their students (if they are teaching second grade, they have a third-grade education). Many civil servants are corrupt. The police are notoriously predatory and violent. In much of the center and the north of the country, communities have benefited from small amounts of investment in development, health and education, but their contact with civil servants is minimal, and people remain very poor. In the south and the east, along the Pakistani border, the vacuum of government has become an opportunity for gangsters and the Taliban. These are the areas where almost all the world's opium is produced and where Western forces are fighting a costly counterinsurgency campaign.
Many of these problems cannot be solved by the West, however many billions we spend or thousands of troops we deploy. Our money and expertise, which have helped make the central bank and the Afghan National Army professional and competent, cannot prevent the widespread corruption in the police and legal system. A central bank is relatively small, dealing with narrow issues such as currency and interest rates on which international economists can offer practical, technical advice. An army is able to develop its esprit de corps and drills in barracks, isolated from the broader society. But policemen and judges are much more connected to society and much more exposed to local politics and corruption. This is why most developing countries have relatively effective central banks and armies but corrupt and despised police forces. It's also why everyone finds it easier to build roads than to create rule of law, easier to build a school than a state. Afghans deal with most crimes outside the court system, using a traditional leader as an arbitrator. No amount of legal training can help a judge faced with drug lords who are prepared to kill his family. It is almost impossible for outsiders to reform this kind of system.
Fighting the Taliban is equally problematic. Western troops can win any conventional battle against ill-armed extremists, but both history and the latest doctrine on counterinsurgency suggest that ultimate victory will require control of Afghanistan's borders, hundreds of thousands of troops and a much stronger and more legitimate Afghan state, which could take Afghans decades to build. The West does not have the resources to match our ambitions in counterinsurgency, and we never will.
In any case, the preoccupations of the West — fighting terrorism and narcotics — are not the priorities of Afghans like Nabi, Zia and Hussein. Their major concerns are the state of the economy and basic services. Nabi has to keep working in a guesthouse kitchen at the age of 66 to feed his family. Like most other Afghans, he can barely afford bread: the price of flour has tripled in the past year as a result of a surge in global commodity prices. Unpredictable and uncontrollable events such as this may prove much more important than any international policy for the survival of the Afghan state. As Nabi says, "We are fed up with war. I am supporting five unemployed sons. Why can the government not create jobs?"
Getting Out of the Way So what exactly should we do about Afghanistan now? First, the West should not increase troop numbers. In time, NATO allies, such as Germany and Holland, will probably want to draw down their numbers, and they should be allowed to do so. We face pressing challenges elsewhere. If we are worried about terrorism, Pakistan is more important than Afghanistan; if we are worried about regional stability, then Egypt, Iran or even Lebanon is more important; if we are worried about poverty, Africa is more important. A troop increase is likely to inflame Afghan nationalism because Afghans are more anti-foreign than we acknowledge and the support for our presence in the insurgency areas is declining. The Taliban, which was a largely discredited and backward movement, gains support by portraying itself as fighting for Islam and Afghanistan against a foreign military occupation.
Nor should we increase our involvement in government and the economy. The more responsibility we take in Afghanistan, the more we undermine the credibility and responsibility of the Afghan government and encourage it to act irresponsibly. Our claims that Afghanistan is the "front line in the war on terror" and that "failure is not an option" have convinced the Afghan government that we need it more than it needs us. The worse things become, the more assistance it seems to receive. This is not an incentive to reform. Increasing our commitment to Afghanistan gives us no leverage over the government.
Afghans increasingly blame us for the problems in the country: the evening news is dominated by stories of wasted development aid. The government claims that in 2007, $1.3 billion out of $3.5 billion of aid was spent on international consultants, some of whom received more than $1,000 a day and whose policy papers are often ignored by Afghan civil servants and are invisible to the population. Our lack of success despite our wealth and technology convinces ordinary Afghans to believe in conspiracy theories. Well-educated people have told me that the West is secretly backing the Taliban and that the U.S.'s main objective was to steal Afghanistan's emeralds, antiquities and uranium — and that we knew where Osama bin Laden was but had decided not to catch him.
Playing to Our Strengths A smarter strategy would focus on two elements: more effective aid and a more limited military objective. We should target development assistance in provinces where we have a track record of success. Our investment goes further in stable and welcoming places like Hazarajat than it can in hostile, insurgency-dominated areas like Kandahar and Helmand, where we have to spend millions on security and the locals do not contribute to the project and will not sustain it after our departure. We should focus on meeting the Afghan government's request for more investment in agricultural irrigation, energy and roads. And we should increase our support to the most effective departments, such as education, health and rural development; they are good for the reputation of the Afghan state and the West. Creating more educated, healthier women and men and better transport, communications and electrical infrastructure may be only part of the story, but they are essential for Afghanistan's economic future.
Our efforts in nation-building, governance and counternarcotics should be smaller and more creative. This is not because these issues are unimportant; they are vital for Afghanistan's future. But only the Afghan government has the legitimacy, the knowledge and the power to build a nation. The West's supporting role is at best limited and uncertain. The recent elimination of the opium crop in Nangarhar, for instance, was driven by the will and charisma of a local governor and owed little to Western-funded "capacity-building" seminars. The greatest recent improvements in local government have come about through the replacement of local governors rather than through hundred-million-dollar training programs. Since these successes are often difficult to predict, we should invest in numerous smaller opportunities rather than bet all our chips on a few large programs.
Our military strategy, meanwhile, should focus on counterterrorism — not counterinsurgency. Our presence has so far prevented al-Qaeda from establishing training camps in Afghanistan. We must continue to prevent it from doing so. But our troops should not try to hold territory or chase the Taliban around rural areas. We should also use our presence to steer Afghanistan away from civil war and provide some opportunity for the Afghans themselves to create a more humane, well-governed and prosperous country. This policy would require far fewer troops over the next 20 years, and they would probably be predominantly special forces and intelligence operatives.
This strategy is far from ideal. But it's the best option we've got. It might not allow us to build an Afghan nation. It would involve a very long-term policy of containment and management, and it may never lead to a clear victory or exit. But unlike abandoning Afghanistan entirely, as we did in 1990, it would not leave a vacuum filled by dangerous neighbors. And unlike a policy of troop increases, this strategy would be less costly, more popular with voters, more sustainable in the long term, less of a distraction from other global priorities and less likely to alienate Afghan nationalists and undermine the Afghan state.
Transforming a nation of 32 million people is a task not for the West but for Afghans. Creating a narrative of national identity is not a technical engineering problem but more a question of mythmaking. Afghanistan's future must combine elders like Nabi with the aspirations of 5 million refugees, recently returned from Pakistan and Iran. And it will be influenced by even larger forces: the eddies of local ideologies, charisma, the fundamentals of population growth and natural resources, global commodity prices and the nation's relations with its neighbors, from Iran and Pakistan to China. It will draw on government bureaucracies and opaque tribal structures, on old constitutions and new cultures, on religion and luck. Afghans have the energy, the pride and the competence to lead that process. The West, however, does not. It should not waste its money, its lives and its reputation trying to do the impossible. It should invest in what it does well. We do not have a moral obligation to do what we cannot do.
Stewart lives in Kabul and is the author of The Places in Between and Prince of the Marshes. He was recently appointed the Ryan Professor and the director of the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard University
World - New Natural Wonders of the World - 2
6.Saryarka, KazakhstanA largely undisturbed area of Central Asian steppe and lakes in the Korgalzhyn and Naurzum state nature reserves, Saryarka is a crucial stopover point for globally threatened species and provides feeding grounds for up to 15 million birds.
7.Socotra Archipelago, YemenNicknamed the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, Socotra is host to nearly 700 flora and fauna species not found anywhere else in the world.
8.New Caledonia, France (Colony)The tropical lagoons and coral reefs of New Caledonia form one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. They provide habitat to a number of threatened fish and marine mammals.
7.Socotra Archipelago, YemenNicknamed the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, Socotra is host to nearly 700 flora and fauna species not found anywhere else in the world.
8.New Caledonia, France (Colony)The tropical lagoons and coral reefs of New Caledonia form one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. They provide habitat to a number of threatened fish and marine mammals.
World - New Natural Wonders of the World -1
1.Surtsey Island, IcelandFormed by volcanic eruptions in the 1960's, Surtsey was declared a natural reserve in 1965, allowing only a limited number of scientists to the island.
2.Mount Sangingshan National Park, ChinaLocated in eastern China's Jiangxi province, Sangingshan contains an array of forested and fantastically shaped granite pillars and peaks concentrated in a relatively small area.
3.Monarch Butterfly Biosphere, MexicoEvery year, millions of monarch butterflies wait for the end of the winter season in close-packed clusters in the Oyamel fir forests.
4.Sardona Tectonic Arena, SwitzerlandAn object of fascination for over 200 years, the region features a break in the Earth's crust, where older rocks rest above younger formations.
5.Joggins Fossil Cliffs, CanadaThe most complete known fossil record of terrestrial life, Joggins is over 300 million years old. The remains of the first reptiles are visible here.
2.Mount Sangingshan National Park, ChinaLocated in eastern China's Jiangxi province, Sangingshan contains an array of forested and fantastically shaped granite pillars and peaks concentrated in a relatively small area.
3.Monarch Butterfly Biosphere, MexicoEvery year, millions of monarch butterflies wait for the end of the winter season in close-packed clusters in the Oyamel fir forests.
4.Sardona Tectonic Arena, SwitzerlandAn object of fascination for over 200 years, the region features a break in the Earth's crust, where older rocks rest above younger formations.
5.Joggins Fossil Cliffs, CanadaThe most complete known fossil record of terrestrial life, Joggins is over 300 million years old. The remains of the first reptiles are visible here.
World - Africa's lions of the Scrabble Board (V.G.Read)
To get an idea of how seriously the Senegalese take Scrabble, you only have to look at the attire of their country's national team. Competitors from other nations represented at the game's Francophone World Championships are wearing casual shorts and T-shirts appropriate to the steamy heat of the West African summer; the men and women of the Senegalese team posing next to the national flag are decked out in sportswear reminiscent of its World Cup soccer team — and they take their responsibilities every bit as seriously as do the soccer stars of the Teranga Lions
And just as those soccer stars caused a dramatic upset by beating France, Senegal's former colonial master, at the World Cup in 2002, so has the Scrabble squad long since bested the French at their own game. The country may have an adult literacy rate of just under 40% according to the latest U.N. Human Development index, and most Senegalese consider Wolof rather than French their mother tongue. Still, when it comes to the French-language version of the wordy board-game, Senegal is the team to beat. At last year's World Championship in Quebec, the Senegalese took three out of the four top honors.
This year, they'll get to compete on home turf, with the international francophone Scrabble circus having come to the Senegalese capital for the second time in its 37-year history. The country's sports minister has deemed it one of the most important events of the year, and the government commissioned a special scrabble song to mark the occasion.
The tournament is being staged at a fairground near the national airport, and entrants from some 20 French-speaking countries hope to break Senegal's grip on the global game. In the main hall, hundreds of contestants play French style: All use the same board that is projected on a giant screen. Whoever gets the highest score can add to the snake of letters on the central board. Absolute silence is enforced by uniformed guards.
"Scrabble here is not a game at all," says Patrice Jeanneret, the Swiss president of the Fédération Internationale de Scrabble Francophone, "it's a major sport." Scrabble sets can be purchased on virtually every street corner, and mastering the game is much encouraged in the country's French language schools. The national scrabble federation enjoys the active support of the government. But it is the palpable passion of the Senegalese for the game that surprises many foreigners. Don't tell a Senegalese host that you consider scrabble a pastime for a relaxed evening of socializing; they will deem it an insult to the sport. Last year, Senegal's top Scrabblers were invited for an audience with President Abdoulaye Wade. "It would be hard to imagine a scene like that in Europe", Jeanneret says drily.
"We are very patriotic", agrees Mamadou Moustapha Lo, a Senegalese player from Thies. So much so that he refuses to have his picture taken without his national team jersey. "It's sacred," he says without a smile. Lo's best score so far was 62 points, for the word cabillot, meaning toggle. Not bad, considering that the word isn't carried by many dictionaries.
Lo mastered the game in school, as did many of his teammates. And, he claims, being on the school team was a big a deal — like making the varsity football team in an American high school. "When you are a bright student, you play scrabble in order to prove and improve yourself," says Lo. "And we all aim for the international stage to play for Le Senegal." Pronouncing the name of his country makes him stand a bit taller.
"We learn in school to defend the national colours, be it in soccer or in scrabble, and we take that very seriously." He is very confident of his country's chances this time. "If we keep up our game, we stand a 90% chance of winning again."
Indeed, if the mentality is anything to go by, you'd bet on Senegal. While the national team is posing like athletes in a group photo, the French and Belgian equipes, dressed like tourists, are admiring the locally made necklaces on the souvenir stand. Lo does not want to frown upon his guests, but his judgment is obvious. "They hold a different view of the game," he says shyly. Jeanneret, wearing shorts himself, concurs: "The Senegalese are simply more motivated."
And just as those soccer stars caused a dramatic upset by beating France, Senegal's former colonial master, at the World Cup in 2002, so has the Scrabble squad long since bested the French at their own game. The country may have an adult literacy rate of just under 40% according to the latest U.N. Human Development index, and most Senegalese consider Wolof rather than French their mother tongue. Still, when it comes to the French-language version of the wordy board-game, Senegal is the team to beat. At last year's World Championship in Quebec, the Senegalese took three out of the four top honors.
This year, they'll get to compete on home turf, with the international francophone Scrabble circus having come to the Senegalese capital for the second time in its 37-year history. The country's sports minister has deemed it one of the most important events of the year, and the government commissioned a special scrabble song to mark the occasion.
The tournament is being staged at a fairground near the national airport, and entrants from some 20 French-speaking countries hope to break Senegal's grip on the global game. In the main hall, hundreds of contestants play French style: All use the same board that is projected on a giant screen. Whoever gets the highest score can add to the snake of letters on the central board. Absolute silence is enforced by uniformed guards.
"Scrabble here is not a game at all," says Patrice Jeanneret, the Swiss president of the Fédération Internationale de Scrabble Francophone, "it's a major sport." Scrabble sets can be purchased on virtually every street corner, and mastering the game is much encouraged in the country's French language schools. The national scrabble federation enjoys the active support of the government. But it is the palpable passion of the Senegalese for the game that surprises many foreigners. Don't tell a Senegalese host that you consider scrabble a pastime for a relaxed evening of socializing; they will deem it an insult to the sport. Last year, Senegal's top Scrabblers were invited for an audience with President Abdoulaye Wade. "It would be hard to imagine a scene like that in Europe", Jeanneret says drily.
"We are very patriotic", agrees Mamadou Moustapha Lo, a Senegalese player from Thies. So much so that he refuses to have his picture taken without his national team jersey. "It's sacred," he says without a smile. Lo's best score so far was 62 points, for the word cabillot, meaning toggle. Not bad, considering that the word isn't carried by many dictionaries.
Lo mastered the game in school, as did many of his teammates. And, he claims, being on the school team was a big a deal — like making the varsity football team in an American high school. "When you are a bright student, you play scrabble in order to prove and improve yourself," says Lo. "And we all aim for the international stage to play for Le Senegal." Pronouncing the name of his country makes him stand a bit taller.
"We learn in school to defend the national colours, be it in soccer or in scrabble, and we take that very seriously." He is very confident of his country's chances this time. "If we keep up our game, we stand a 90% chance of winning again."
Indeed, if the mentality is anything to go by, you'd bet on Senegal. While the national team is posing like athletes in a group photo, the French and Belgian equipes, dressed like tourists, are admiring the locally made necklaces on the souvenir stand. Lo does not want to frown upon his guests, but his judgment is obvious. "They hold a different view of the game," he says shyly. Jeanneret, wearing shorts himself, concurs: "The Senegalese are simply more motivated."
Lifestyle - Ur pedicurist a Fish ?
Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your feet in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away.
Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the Washington D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.
"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said.
He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they're sanitary.
Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, which are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.
"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said.
He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they're sanitary.
Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, which are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.
But Ho doubted they would thrive in the warm water needed for a comfortable footbath. And he didn't know if customers would like the idea.
"I know people were a little intimidated at first," Ho said. "But I just said, 'Let's give it a shot.' "
Customers were quickly hooked.
Tracy Roberts, 33, heard about it on a local radio show. She said it was "the best pedicure I ever had" and has spread the word to friends and co-workers.
"I'd been an athlete all my life, so I've always had calluses on my feet. This was the first time somebody got rid of my calluses completely," she said.
First time customer KaNin Reese, 32, described the tingling sensation created by the toothless fish: "It kind of feels like your foot's asleep," she said.
The fish don't do the job alone. After 15 to 30 minutes in the tank, customers get a standard pedicure, made easier by the soft skin the doctor fish leave behind.
Ho believes his is the only salon in the country to offer the treatment, which costs $35 for 15 minutes and $50 for 30 minutes. The spa has more than 1,000 fish, with about 100 in each individual pedicure tank at any given time.
Dennis Arnold, a podiatrist who four years ago established the International Pedicure Association, said he had never heard of the treatment and doubts it will become widespread.
"I think most people would be afraid of it," he said.
Customer Patsy Fisher, 42, admitted she was nervous as she prepared for her first fish pedicure. But her apprehension dissolved into laughter after she put her feet in the tank and the fish swarmed to her toes.
"It's a little ticklish, actually," she said.
Ho said the hot water in which the fish thrive doesn't support much plant or aquatic life, so they learned to feed on whatever food sources were available — including dead, flaking skin. They leave live skin alone because, without teeth, they can't bite it off.
In addition to offering pedicures, Ho hopes to establish a network of Doctor Fish Massage franchises and is evaluating a full-body fish treatment that, among other things, could treat psoriasis and other skin ailments.
Ho spent a year and about $40,000 getting the pedicures up and running, with a few hiccups along the way.
State regulations make no provision for regulating fish pedicures. But the county health department — which does regulate pools — required the salon to switch from a shallow, tiled communal pool that served as many as eight people to individual tanks in which the water is changed for each customer.
The communal pool also presented its own problem: At times the fish would flock to the feet of an individual with a surplus of dead skin, leaving others with a dearth of fish.
"It would sometimes be embarrassing for them but it was also really hilarious," Ho said.
"I know people were a little intimidated at first," Ho said. "But I just said, 'Let's give it a shot.' "
Customers were quickly hooked.
Tracy Roberts, 33, heard about it on a local radio show. She said it was "the best pedicure I ever had" and has spread the word to friends and co-workers.
"I'd been an athlete all my life, so I've always had calluses on my feet. This was the first time somebody got rid of my calluses completely," she said.
First time customer KaNin Reese, 32, described the tingling sensation created by the toothless fish: "It kind of feels like your foot's asleep," she said.
The fish don't do the job alone. After 15 to 30 minutes in the tank, customers get a standard pedicure, made easier by the soft skin the doctor fish leave behind.
Ho believes his is the only salon in the country to offer the treatment, which costs $35 for 15 minutes and $50 for 30 minutes. The spa has more than 1,000 fish, with about 100 in each individual pedicure tank at any given time.
Dennis Arnold, a podiatrist who four years ago established the International Pedicure Association, said he had never heard of the treatment and doubts it will become widespread.
"I think most people would be afraid of it," he said.
Customer Patsy Fisher, 42, admitted she was nervous as she prepared for her first fish pedicure. But her apprehension dissolved into laughter after she put her feet in the tank and the fish swarmed to her toes.
"It's a little ticklish, actually," she said.
Ho said the hot water in which the fish thrive doesn't support much plant or aquatic life, so they learned to feed on whatever food sources were available — including dead, flaking skin. They leave live skin alone because, without teeth, they can't bite it off.
In addition to offering pedicures, Ho hopes to establish a network of Doctor Fish Massage franchises and is evaluating a full-body fish treatment that, among other things, could treat psoriasis and other skin ailments.
Ho spent a year and about $40,000 getting the pedicures up and running, with a few hiccups along the way.
State regulations make no provision for regulating fish pedicures. But the county health department — which does regulate pools — required the salon to switch from a shallow, tiled communal pool that served as many as eight people to individual tanks in which the water is changed for each customer.
The communal pool also presented its own problem: At times the fish would flock to the feet of an individual with a surplus of dead skin, leaving others with a dearth of fish.
"It would sometimes be embarrassing for them but it was also really hilarious," Ho said.
Mktg - Mcdonald's go retro
The year was 1974: U.S. gasoline prices were high, inflation was rampant, and an unpopular Republican occupied the White House. McDonald's introduced a spirit-lifting jingle: "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame-seed bun."
Now it is 2008, and McDonald's is reviving its tune. The company has asked U.S. consumers to write their own songs using the exact words of the jingle, and submit them to a contest on MySpace.com. The official reason is the 40th anniversary of the Big Mac, which is this year, but the then-and-now cultural similarities are not entirely lost on the company.
"That might be coincidental - unhappily, maybe, but coincidental," said Marlena Peleo-Lazar, chief creative officer for McDonald's USA. The contest, she said, was dreamed up in the spirit of summer fun and the hamburger's birthday. "Big Mac is just an iconic product for us, and it is a customer favorite," she said.
Of course, there are also huge differences between today's world and the one that existed when the jingle hit the air. In 1974, people were busy following the downfall of President Richard Nixon and tracking whether it was an "odd" day or an "even" day to buy gasoline, under a rationing system based on auto license plate numbers. Nobody had heard of a mash-up or a Web site.
But this is 2008, and the McDonald's venue of choice is a social networking site geared to people who were not yet born in 1974. Nevertheless, nearly 1,000 songs have been submitted, and judges have selected five finalists. The public has been invited to vote, and a winner will be announced Tuesday. In keeping with the austerity of today's economy, the winner won't get any cash, but his or her song will be featured in a U.S. commercial later this month.
hired by McDonald's, DDB Worldwide, created the video component, which is available on the MySpace contest site; users have been asked to provide only the soundtrack.
"We knew there were a lot of consumers out there that would remember the chant, but we also felt like the younger audience was familiar with it, and we wanted them to give us a contemporary version," said Jaime Guerrero, account director at Tribal DDB Worldwide in Chicago, part of the DDB Worldwide unit of Omnicom, which handled the online campaign.
People can still watch some of the vintage commercials on YouTube, one of which ends with the period catchphrase, "Far out!"
YouTube also features a few modern riffs on the jingle, but those videos have a bit less charm; in one example, a group of guys in a car rap the "Two all-beef patties" mantra into a McDonald's drive-through speaker box.
Among the official contest submissions on MySpace, the entries range from a yearning country song ("I wanna give to ya, two all-beef patties...") to rap ("Load up the homeys in the car, get the keys, now we're off on a Mickey D's run/I want two all-beef patties ..."). There are five genres of music that contestants can choose from; the majority of entries are hip-hop.
Quincy Alexander Mosley, a 21-year-old music producer from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, submitted a track to the R&B category called "SupaSize Dat." Although he is not a regular Big Mac eater, he said, he decided to enter the contest after hearing a radio ad; the idea for a his submission came after "a burst of inspiration."
McDonald's is not the only company glancing backward for inspiration. Klondike, the ice cream company, is using "What Would You Do for a Klondike Bar?" Citigroup has revived "Citi Never Sleeps," and Burger King wants you to "Have It Your Way" all over again.
"There's no doubt that all the consumer-confidence stuff is a little rocky these days, and we're all looking for a little bit of reassurance," said Kendra Gale, an assistant professor in journalism school at the University of Colorado at Boulder. "There's certainly something comforting about it."
For companies, reviving a campaign through user-generated submissions can appeal to nostalgic older consumers while introducing a classic campaign to a younger set.
There is a small risk that companies can seem out of touch by asking the MySpace generation to play with the taglines of their parents, or even grandparents.
"That's the biggest paradox to me," said William Jurewicz, the chief executive of space150, a digital-marketing agency in Minneapolis that is not involved with the McDonald's promotion. "They're going after a very young group with a very old jingle, and not necessarily correlating how cool and retro and throwback it was."
While McDonald's has brought back the "Two all-beef patties" line before, with advertisements in 1996 and 2003, and some international use, the "Big Mac Chant-Off" on MySpace is the first user-generated contest in the United States and "is much more expansive" than previous revivals, said Peleo-Lazar of McDonald's.
A creator of the jingle, Keith Reinhard, who directed the team at Needham, Harper & Steers that made the original campaign, said he was "thrilled" by its return.
The concept was born of "exasperation," said Reinhard, chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide. His agency had wanted to use a parody of the song "One" from "A Chorus Line" to promote the burger, but McDonald's insisted that the ingredients of the Big Mac be listed in the ad.
One night in Reinhard's office, the team scrawled the ingredients on an easel.
His partner, Dan Nichols, "had his guitar with him at all times," Reinhard said. "And I suggested, because music is a great mnemonic, I said, remember how we told our kids to learn the ABCs with sort of a dumb tuneless chant?"
He continued, "And Dan Nichols - this is my very clear recollection - he's looking at the easel and he plays on his guitar: 'Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame-seed bun.' And that was it. The rest was history."
In the current contest, McDonald's insists that the jingle be reproduced in full and the ingredients named in the correct order. In other requirements, the songs must be free of violence, say nothing disparaging about McDonald's, and make no mention of illegal activity.
The results range from the ear-piercing to good enough to play on the radio. Because the entire phrase must be repeated, many entries sound similar.
"When you sign onto this, you take the bad with the good," said Peleo-Lazar. "But we thought being really relevant and interesting outweighed the risk."
Now it is 2008, and McDonald's is reviving its tune. The company has asked U.S. consumers to write their own songs using the exact words of the jingle, and submit them to a contest on MySpace.com. The official reason is the 40th anniversary of the Big Mac, which is this year, but the then-and-now cultural similarities are not entirely lost on the company.
"That might be coincidental - unhappily, maybe, but coincidental," said Marlena Peleo-Lazar, chief creative officer for McDonald's USA. The contest, she said, was dreamed up in the spirit of summer fun and the hamburger's birthday. "Big Mac is just an iconic product for us, and it is a customer favorite," she said.
Of course, there are also huge differences between today's world and the one that existed when the jingle hit the air. In 1974, people were busy following the downfall of President Richard Nixon and tracking whether it was an "odd" day or an "even" day to buy gasoline, under a rationing system based on auto license plate numbers. Nobody had heard of a mash-up or a Web site.
But this is 2008, and the McDonald's venue of choice is a social networking site geared to people who were not yet born in 1974. Nevertheless, nearly 1,000 songs have been submitted, and judges have selected five finalists. The public has been invited to vote, and a winner will be announced Tuesday. In keeping with the austerity of today's economy, the winner won't get any cash, but his or her song will be featured in a U.S. commercial later this month.
hired by McDonald's, DDB Worldwide, created the video component, which is available on the MySpace contest site; users have been asked to provide only the soundtrack.
"We knew there were a lot of consumers out there that would remember the chant, but we also felt like the younger audience was familiar with it, and we wanted them to give us a contemporary version," said Jaime Guerrero, account director at Tribal DDB Worldwide in Chicago, part of the DDB Worldwide unit of Omnicom, which handled the online campaign.
People can still watch some of the vintage commercials on YouTube, one of which ends with the period catchphrase, "Far out!"
YouTube also features a few modern riffs on the jingle, but those videos have a bit less charm; in one example, a group of guys in a car rap the "Two all-beef patties" mantra into a McDonald's drive-through speaker box.
Among the official contest submissions on MySpace, the entries range from a yearning country song ("I wanna give to ya, two all-beef patties...") to rap ("Load up the homeys in the car, get the keys, now we're off on a Mickey D's run/I want two all-beef patties ..."). There are five genres of music that contestants can choose from; the majority of entries are hip-hop.
Quincy Alexander Mosley, a 21-year-old music producer from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, submitted a track to the R&B category called "SupaSize Dat." Although he is not a regular Big Mac eater, he said, he decided to enter the contest after hearing a radio ad; the idea for a his submission came after "a burst of inspiration."
McDonald's is not the only company glancing backward for inspiration. Klondike, the ice cream company, is using "What Would You Do for a Klondike Bar?" Citigroup has revived "Citi Never Sleeps," and Burger King wants you to "Have It Your Way" all over again.
"There's no doubt that all the consumer-confidence stuff is a little rocky these days, and we're all looking for a little bit of reassurance," said Kendra Gale, an assistant professor in journalism school at the University of Colorado at Boulder. "There's certainly something comforting about it."
For companies, reviving a campaign through user-generated submissions can appeal to nostalgic older consumers while introducing a classic campaign to a younger set.
There is a small risk that companies can seem out of touch by asking the MySpace generation to play with the taglines of their parents, or even grandparents.
"That's the biggest paradox to me," said William Jurewicz, the chief executive of space150, a digital-marketing agency in Minneapolis that is not involved with the McDonald's promotion. "They're going after a very young group with a very old jingle, and not necessarily correlating how cool and retro and throwback it was."
While McDonald's has brought back the "Two all-beef patties" line before, with advertisements in 1996 and 2003, and some international use, the "Big Mac Chant-Off" on MySpace is the first user-generated contest in the United States and "is much more expansive" than previous revivals, said Peleo-Lazar of McDonald's.
A creator of the jingle, Keith Reinhard, who directed the team at Needham, Harper & Steers that made the original campaign, said he was "thrilled" by its return.
The concept was born of "exasperation," said Reinhard, chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide. His agency had wanted to use a parody of the song "One" from "A Chorus Line" to promote the burger, but McDonald's insisted that the ingredients of the Big Mac be listed in the ad.
One night in Reinhard's office, the team scrawled the ingredients on an easel.
His partner, Dan Nichols, "had his guitar with him at all times," Reinhard said. "And I suggested, because music is a great mnemonic, I said, remember how we told our kids to learn the ABCs with sort of a dumb tuneless chant?"
He continued, "And Dan Nichols - this is my very clear recollection - he's looking at the easel and he plays on his guitar: 'Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame-seed bun.' And that was it. The rest was history."
In the current contest, McDonald's insists that the jingle be reproduced in full and the ingredients named in the correct order. In other requirements, the songs must be free of violence, say nothing disparaging about McDonald's, and make no mention of illegal activity.
The results range from the ear-piercing to good enough to play on the radio. Because the entire phrase must be repeated, many entries sound similar.
"When you sign onto this, you take the bad with the good," said Peleo-Lazar. "But we thought being really relevant and interesting outweighed the risk."
World - China's Love of Cigarette
A smartly dressed man carried a lighted cigarette into the elevator of an upscale apartment building one recent morning, and something remarkable happened. A fellow passenger, a middle-aged matron with a pet Maltese tethered to her wrist, waved a hand in front of her face and produced a series of mannered coughs that had the desired effect: The man stepped on the cigarette and muttered an apology.
In a country where one in four people smokes - and where doctors light up in hospital hallways and health ministers puff away during meetings - it was a telling sign that a decade of half-hearted public campaigns against tobacco may finally be gaining some traction.
Last May, the municipal government imposed a series of measures banning cigarettes in schools, railway stations, office buildings and other public places. Chinese athletes are no longer permitted to accept sponsorships from tobacco companies, and cigarette advertising on billboards will be restricted during the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has declared that the Olympics will be "smoke free."
Despite the new laws and proclamations, the impact might elude visitors who arrive in the capital next month. Most restaurants remain shrouded in smoke, the air in clubs and bars can be asphyxiating, and a year-old prohibition against lighting up in Beijing taxis has had little effect.
"If I point to the no-smoking sign, the passenger will just laugh and keep smoking," said Hui Guo, a cab driver who does not smoke.
Government officials say that 100,000 inspectors have been dispatched to ticket smoking scofflaws, but the $1.40 fine offers little deterrence - especially to the nouveau riche entrepreneurs who gleefully brandish gold-filtered Chunghua, which sell for $10 a pack.
Li Baojun, the manager of a popular restaurant on Ghost Street, explained why he does not dare tell patrons to stop chain smoking during meals.
"My customers would rather starve than not smoke, and I would go out of business," he said, as a thick pall hung over the diners. "In China, you cannot drink, eat and socialize without a cigarette."
The Chinese have had a long and entrenched affair with tobacco. About 350 million people here are regular smokers - more than the entire population of the United States - and even though 1.2 million people die each year from smoking-related causes, there is a widespread belief that cigarettes hold some health benefits.
A cigarette in the morning is energizing, many smokers declare, and even when confronted with scientific reason, they cite Deng Xiaoping, an inveterate smoker who lived to 92, and Mao Zedong, who smoked until his death at 82.
Health care workers are not exactly the best role models: More than half of all Chinese medical professionals smoke, and a 2004 government survey of 3,600 doctors found that 30 percent did not know smoking can lead to heart disease and circulation problems. (Unlike cigarettes in much of the world, Chinese brands carry no health warning on the label, although that is slated to change in 2011.)
Smoking with one hand and wielding a pair of chopsticks with the other, Li Na, 26, a secretary, was unapologetic as her 2-year-old son sat next to her enveloped in a bluish haze.
"If you overprotect your children, they don't build their immunity," she said. "Breathing a little smoke when they are small makes them stronger."
The Chinese devotion to tobacco is deeply rooted. At wedding parties, the bride often passes out Double Happiness brand cigarettes to her guests - a tradition meant to enhance her fertility. Mourners at Chinese funerals are generously plied with smokes, and a handful burned at the grave site is meant to satisfy the craving of the deceased on the other side.
When the police pull over a driver for a traffic infraction, a pack of cigarettes, not a license, is often the first thing pulled from the glove compartment. And during tough business negotiations, a round of smoking is an invaluable lubricant that can help the opposing sides break through a logjam.
"Cigarettes have an extra value in China that helps improve many social interactions," said Tang Weichang, a researcher at the China Tobacco Museum in Shanghai.
Smoking here is largely a male pastime - more than 60 percent of men smoke compared with 3 percent of women - and declining a cigarette is sometimes taken as an insult. Guo Fei, a nonsmoker whose family-owned restaurant is largely smoke free, said he would often accept a proffered cigarette, stick it behind his ear, and then later throw it away.
"To reject a cigarette would make them lose face," he said.
A smartly dressed man carried a lighted cigarette into the elevator of an upscale apartment building one recent morning, and something remarkable happened. A fellow passenger, a middle-aged matron with a pet Maltese tethered to her wrist, waved a hand in front of her face and produced a series of mannered coughs that had the desired effect: The man stepped on the cigarette and muttered an apology.
In a country where one in four people smokes - and where doctors light up in hospital hallways and health ministers puff away during meetings - it was a telling sign that a decade of half-hearted public campaigns against tobacco may finally be gaining some traction.
Last May, the municipal government imposed a series of measures banning cigarettes in schools, railway stations, office buildings and other public places. Chinese athletes are no longer permitted to accept sponsorships from tobacco companies, and cigarette advertising on billboards will be restricted during the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has declared that the Olympics will be "smoke free."
Despite the new laws and proclamations, the impact might elude visitors who arrive in the capital next month. Most restaurants remain shrouded in smoke, the air in clubs and bars can be asphyxiating, and a year-old prohibition against lighting up in Beijing taxis has had little effect.
"If I point to the no-smoking sign, the passenger will just laugh and keep smoking," said Hui Guo, a cab driver who does not smoke.
Government officials say that 100,000 inspectors have been dispatched to ticket smoking scofflaws, but the $1.40 fine offers little deterrence - especially to the nouveau riche entrepreneurs who gleefully brandish gold-filtered Chunghua, which sell for $10 a pack.
Li Baojun, the manager of a popular restaurant on Ghost Street, explained why he does not dare tell patrons to stop chain smoking during meals.
"My customers would rather starve than not smoke, and I would go out of business," he said, as a thick pall hung over the diners. "In China, you cannot drink, eat and socialize without a cigarette."
The Chinese have had a long and entrenched affair with tobacco. About 350 million people here are regular smokers - more than the entire population of the United States - and even though 1.2 million people die each year from smoking-related causes, there is a widespread belief that cigarettes hold some health benefits.
A cigarette in the morning is energizing, many smokers declare, and even when confronted with scientific reason, they cite Deng Xiaoping, an inveterate smoker who lived to 92, and Mao Zedong, who smoked until his death at 82.
Health care workers are not exactly the best role models: More than half of all Chinese medical professionals smoke, and a 2004 government survey of 3,600 doctors found that 30 percent did not know smoking can lead to heart disease and circulation problems. (Unlike cigarettes in much of the world, Chinese brands carry no health warning on the label, although that is slated to change in 2011.)
Smoking with one hand and wielding a pair of chopsticks with the other, Li Na, 26, a secretary, was unapologetic as her 2-year-old son sat next to her enveloped in a bluish haze.
"If you overprotect your children, they don't build their immunity," she said. "Breathing a little smoke when they are small makes them stronger."
The Chinese devotion to tobacco is deeply rooted. At wedding parties, the bride often passes out Double Happiness brand cigarettes to her guests - a tradition meant to enhance her fertility. Mourners at Chinese funerals are generously plied with smokes, and a handful burned at the grave site is meant to satisfy the craving of the deceased on the other side.
When the police pull over a driver for a traffic infraction, a pack of cigarettes, not a license, is often the first thing pulled from the glove compartment. And during tough business negotiations, a round of smoking is an invaluable lubricant that can help the opposing sides break through a logjam.
"Cigarettes have an extra value in China that helps improve many social interactions," said Tang Weichang, a researcher at the China Tobacco Museum in Shanghai.
Smoking here is largely a male pastime - more than 60 percent of men smoke compared with 3 percent of women - and declining a cigarette is sometimes taken as an insult. Guo Fei, a nonsmoker whose family-owned restaurant is largely smoke free, said he would often accept a proffered cigarette, stick it behind his ear, and then later throw it away.
"To reject a cigarette would make them lose face," he said.
In a country where one in four people smokes - and where doctors light up in hospital hallways and health ministers puff away during meetings - it was a telling sign that a decade of half-hearted public campaigns against tobacco may finally be gaining some traction.
Last May, the municipal government imposed a series of measures banning cigarettes in schools, railway stations, office buildings and other public places. Chinese athletes are no longer permitted to accept sponsorships from tobacco companies, and cigarette advertising on billboards will be restricted during the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has declared that the Olympics will be "smoke free."
Despite the new laws and proclamations, the impact might elude visitors who arrive in the capital next month. Most restaurants remain shrouded in smoke, the air in clubs and bars can be asphyxiating, and a year-old prohibition against lighting up in Beijing taxis has had little effect.
"If I point to the no-smoking sign, the passenger will just laugh and keep smoking," said Hui Guo, a cab driver who does not smoke.
Government officials say that 100,000 inspectors have been dispatched to ticket smoking scofflaws, but the $1.40 fine offers little deterrence - especially to the nouveau riche entrepreneurs who gleefully brandish gold-filtered Chunghua, which sell for $10 a pack.
Li Baojun, the manager of a popular restaurant on Ghost Street, explained why he does not dare tell patrons to stop chain smoking during meals.
"My customers would rather starve than not smoke, and I would go out of business," he said, as a thick pall hung over the diners. "In China, you cannot drink, eat and socialize without a cigarette."
The Chinese have had a long and entrenched affair with tobacco. About 350 million people here are regular smokers - more than the entire population of the United States - and even though 1.2 million people die each year from smoking-related causes, there is a widespread belief that cigarettes hold some health benefits.
A cigarette in the morning is energizing, many smokers declare, and even when confronted with scientific reason, they cite Deng Xiaoping, an inveterate smoker who lived to 92, and Mao Zedong, who smoked until his death at 82.
Health care workers are not exactly the best role models: More than half of all Chinese medical professionals smoke, and a 2004 government survey of 3,600 doctors found that 30 percent did not know smoking can lead to heart disease and circulation problems. (Unlike cigarettes in much of the world, Chinese brands carry no health warning on the label, although that is slated to change in 2011.)
Smoking with one hand and wielding a pair of chopsticks with the other, Li Na, 26, a secretary, was unapologetic as her 2-year-old son sat next to her enveloped in a bluish haze.
"If you overprotect your children, they don't build their immunity," she said. "Breathing a little smoke when they are small makes them stronger."
The Chinese devotion to tobacco is deeply rooted. At wedding parties, the bride often passes out Double Happiness brand cigarettes to her guests - a tradition meant to enhance her fertility. Mourners at Chinese funerals are generously plied with smokes, and a handful burned at the grave site is meant to satisfy the craving of the deceased on the other side.
When the police pull over a driver for a traffic infraction, a pack of cigarettes, not a license, is often the first thing pulled from the glove compartment. And during tough business negotiations, a round of smoking is an invaluable lubricant that can help the opposing sides break through a logjam.
"Cigarettes have an extra value in China that helps improve many social interactions," said Tang Weichang, a researcher at the China Tobacco Museum in Shanghai.
Smoking here is largely a male pastime - more than 60 percent of men smoke compared with 3 percent of women - and declining a cigarette is sometimes taken as an insult. Guo Fei, a nonsmoker whose family-owned restaurant is largely smoke free, said he would often accept a proffered cigarette, stick it behind his ear, and then later throw it away.
"To reject a cigarette would make them lose face," he said.
A smartly dressed man carried a lighted cigarette into the elevator of an upscale apartment building one recent morning, and something remarkable happened. A fellow passenger, a middle-aged matron with a pet Maltese tethered to her wrist, waved a hand in front of her face and produced a series of mannered coughs that had the desired effect: The man stepped on the cigarette and muttered an apology.
In a country where one in four people smokes - and where doctors light up in hospital hallways and health ministers puff away during meetings - it was a telling sign that a decade of half-hearted public campaigns against tobacco may finally be gaining some traction.
Last May, the municipal government imposed a series of measures banning cigarettes in schools, railway stations, office buildings and other public places. Chinese athletes are no longer permitted to accept sponsorships from tobacco companies, and cigarette advertising on billboards will be restricted during the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has declared that the Olympics will be "smoke free."
Despite the new laws and proclamations, the impact might elude visitors who arrive in the capital next month. Most restaurants remain shrouded in smoke, the air in clubs and bars can be asphyxiating, and a year-old prohibition against lighting up in Beijing taxis has had little effect.
"If I point to the no-smoking sign, the passenger will just laugh and keep smoking," said Hui Guo, a cab driver who does not smoke.
Government officials say that 100,000 inspectors have been dispatched to ticket smoking scofflaws, but the $1.40 fine offers little deterrence - especially to the nouveau riche entrepreneurs who gleefully brandish gold-filtered Chunghua, which sell for $10 a pack.
Li Baojun, the manager of a popular restaurant on Ghost Street, explained why he does not dare tell patrons to stop chain smoking during meals.
"My customers would rather starve than not smoke, and I would go out of business," he said, as a thick pall hung over the diners. "In China, you cannot drink, eat and socialize without a cigarette."
The Chinese have had a long and entrenched affair with tobacco. About 350 million people here are regular smokers - more than the entire population of the United States - and even though 1.2 million people die each year from smoking-related causes, there is a widespread belief that cigarettes hold some health benefits.
A cigarette in the morning is energizing, many smokers declare, and even when confronted with scientific reason, they cite Deng Xiaoping, an inveterate smoker who lived to 92, and Mao Zedong, who smoked until his death at 82.
Health care workers are not exactly the best role models: More than half of all Chinese medical professionals smoke, and a 2004 government survey of 3,600 doctors found that 30 percent did not know smoking can lead to heart disease and circulation problems. (Unlike cigarettes in much of the world, Chinese brands carry no health warning on the label, although that is slated to change in 2011.)
Smoking with one hand and wielding a pair of chopsticks with the other, Li Na, 26, a secretary, was unapologetic as her 2-year-old son sat next to her enveloped in a bluish haze.
"If you overprotect your children, they don't build their immunity," she said. "Breathing a little smoke when they are small makes them stronger."
The Chinese devotion to tobacco is deeply rooted. At wedding parties, the bride often passes out Double Happiness brand cigarettes to her guests - a tradition meant to enhance her fertility. Mourners at Chinese funerals are generously plied with smokes, and a handful burned at the grave site is meant to satisfy the craving of the deceased on the other side.
When the police pull over a driver for a traffic infraction, a pack of cigarettes, not a license, is often the first thing pulled from the glove compartment. And during tough business negotiations, a round of smoking is an invaluable lubricant that can help the opposing sides break through a logjam.
"Cigarettes have an extra value in China that helps improve many social interactions," said Tang Weichang, a researcher at the China Tobacco Museum in Shanghai.
Smoking here is largely a male pastime - more than 60 percent of men smoke compared with 3 percent of women - and declining a cigarette is sometimes taken as an insult. Guo Fei, a nonsmoker whose family-owned restaurant is largely smoke free, said he would often accept a proffered cigarette, stick it behind his ear, and then later throw it away.
"To reject a cigarette would make them lose face," he said.
Business - Vodafone takes a hit from economic slowdown
The collapse in the Spanish housing market, one of the hardest-hit in Europe, claimed a surprising victim Tuesday when the British cellphone operator Vodafone Group said its results would suffer from the troubles there.
"There's a big macroeconomic picture that's playing through, and frankly, as a company, we're not immune to it," Arun Sarin, chief executive of Vodafone, said in a conference call. Vodafone, the largest European mobile operator, said the decline in the Spanish housing industry had led many of its customers among the migrant work force there to return to their home countries. Other customers are spending less on calls.
Vodafone cited those factors in a decision to lower its revenue forecast for the year, causing investors to dump its stock and to sell the shares of other European mobile operators.
The announcement surprised investors who had seen mobile operators as resilient to the ups and downs of the business cycle because of their multi-year contracts with customers. Vodafone shares fell almost 14 percent in London to close at 129 pence, or $2.58, giving them a loss of nearly 21 percent over the past 12 months. Telefónica, Vodafone's main rival in Spain, fell 7.4 percent in Madrid.
With the global economy looking increasingly uncertain, some cellphone users are looking to reduce or cap their out-of-pocket expenses, Sarin said, both by holding on to their old phones longer and by keeping their usage costs down.
Vodafone revenue ticked 0.2 percent lower in the quarter that ended June 30, after subtracting the effects of acquisitions and currency movements.
Sarin said that business was weaker in Britain and throughout Europe, but that the picture was particularly bleak in Spain, where revenue fell 2.5 percent from a year earlier.
Like the United States, Ireland and Britain, Spain is undergoing a painful adjustment as a property bubble deflates after easy credit and a booming economy led housing prices to quadruple over the course of a decade.
As a result, Vodafone said revenue growth in the Spanish market had stalled after years of 10 percent or more annual increases.
"The business isn't falling apart," Sarin said, "but within this business that's a segment that's having a hard time."
Sarin, who will be succeeded by Vittorio Colao as chief executive at the end of the month, has presided over an expansion that has taken Vodafone into India and other high-growth markets. Sarin did not provide details on the impact that the loss of the migrant customers had on its business. Bobby Leach, a Vodafone spokesman in London, declined to comment.
Sarin said Vodafone was cutting its revenue forecast for the current year to about £39.8 billion, or $79.5 billion, the lower end of its estimate two months ago. But he noted that the company had not changed its forecast for full-year profit of £11 billion to £11.5 billion.
Analysts said investors may have overreacted to the news.
"In a nervous market, it doesn't take a lot to punish a share and a whole sector," said Wolfgang Specht, an analyst at Sal. Oppenheim Jr. in Frankfurt. Investors have priced in "a recession scenario," he said, but the Spanish experience "is not representative of the rest of Europe, in my view."
Michael Kovacocy, an analyst at Daiwa Securities SMBC in London, said the economy represented only part of the problem for European telecommunications companies. "There was only so long that Spanish growth could be maintained at that rate, so it was inevitable," Kovacocy said.
He said operators in Europe, where markets are near saturation, were under great pressure to cut costs because European Union regulatory moves that will reduce fees and create greater competition for customers - including from so-called mobile virtual network operators - stand to hurt profits. "The changes now under way in Europe mean the profits won't come back when economic conditions improve," he said.
Results from Ericsson, the Swedish maker of wireless networking gear, also weighed on technology stocks. Ericsson's shares fell 11.5 percent to close at 66.80 kronor, or $11.18, in Stockholm after it said second-quarter net profit fell 70 percent, to 1.9 billion kronor from 6.41 billion kronor a year earlier. Revenue rose 2 percent to 48.5 billion kronor.
Norbert Walter, chief economist of Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, said it would take three to four years for Spain to digest the effects of the construction boom and bust. Spain, he noted, with a population of about 45 million, had been building three times as many houses annually as Germany in the past few years, even though the German population, at 82 million, is nearly twice as large.
"There are number of countries where the slowdown is already hitting home," he said, pointing to Spain, Ireland and Britain.
World - Sleeping at Airports
Sleeping at an airport overnight, once almost a sport for the young and short of cash, has become a lot more common lately, affecting even older and professional travelers. And a big reason is that many airlines are no longer as generous with hotel vouchers as they once were.
Randy Petersen, editor of the online magazine InsideFlyer and the frequent-flier Web site FlyerTalk.com, attributes the change to "belt-tightening by airlines over the last 18 months, and more so this year."
"They have to look at everything they spend a penny on," Petersen said. And because flights are fuller, he added, "they're not just dealing with a few passengers."
Bob Harrell, founder of Harrell Associates, an airline consultant, agreed. "If they're charging for extra bags, food and water," he said, "then the flip side is the airlines are going to go out of their way to minimize expenses on one side, while maximizing on the other."
Sleeping overnight in an airport has become enough of a phenomenon that it has inspired one recent novel, "Dear American Airlines." The author, Jonathan Miles, said he had been spurred to write the book after an unscheduled overnight stay at O'Hare International Airport, in Chicago.
Under European Union rules that came into effect in 2005, delays of more than five hours entitle a passenger to a hotel room, if an overnight stay is required. Those rules are supposed to apply at any EU airport, regardless of the nationality of the airline.
However, there can still be exceptions. An unscheduled overnight stay at a German airport inspired one business traveler, Frank Giotto, the president of Fiber Instrument Sales in Oriskany, New York, to create the Mini Motel, a one-person tent complete with, air mattress, pillow, reading light, alarm clock and pillow, which he sells for $39.95.
Asked what airports would think of a tent city of his Mini Motels, Giotto expressed confidence.
"People sleeping in chairs don't seem to bother them," he said. "We could be forcing the airports to come up with a solution to respond to the tremendous need."
And there is even a Web site, the Budget Traveler's Guide to Sleeping in Airports at www.sleepinginairports.com, which lists the best and worst airports to spend the night.
For those who do get stuck, advice from seasoned travelers boils down to this: Bring or buy a snack and water before airport shops close, bring reading material or music and something soft to lie down on or rest your head against and keep hotel phone numbers or certain Web site addresses handy.
Ron Flavin, a business traveler, recalled a flight after meeting with a client in Detroit. He said he landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, in Atlanta, at about 1:45 a.m. for a layover, after his flight was diverted by thunderstorms.
He was rebooked on a morning flight home to West Palm Beach, Florida, but Delta Air Lines offered no hotel or meal vouchers, he said. So he curled up under a phone booth behind a counter and slept on the floor with a pillow and blanket from his business-class seat, in the company of many other passengers.
"It wasn't worth investing the money, time and effort to make all the phone calls and get settled in a hotel," said Flavin, a partner in a marketing firm for beauty and health products. "I'm not a greedy guy, but there was no gesture of any kind or a sympathetic ear. I didn't even have a toothbrush or toothpaste."
Even though they were never required to - at least before the European rules took effect - airlines used to routinely give stranded passengers vouchers for rooms and meals if a flight was canceled or delayed as a result of mechanical problem or some other issue of an airline's own making, but not for weather-related delays.
Now, though, vouchers are becoming a thing of the past.
Joe Brancatelli, editor of JoeSentMe.com, a business travel Web site, disputes the idea that sleeping in the airport ever trumps a good cheap hotel, and says that arguing with airline employees for hotel vouchers is a waste of time and energy. "Take some responsibility, and don't wait for the airline to do for you," he said. "Do for yourself."
Another suggestion from Brancatelli: Keep the toll-free numbers of hotel chains handy and pay for a room.
"What is your time and productivity worth, and what price do you put on a bed, shower and couple hours of sleep," he asked, rhetorically.
Airports range widely in what they offer overnight guests. The top-ranked airport at the Guide to Sleeping in Airports' Web site for the past 10 years is Singapore Changi Airport. It has dimly lit napping areas, where comfortable leather chairs have leg rests and headrests, and some are even fitted with alarm clocks. There are also cheap sleeping cubicles available for travelers.
Randy Petersen, editor of the online magazine InsideFlyer and the frequent-flier Web site FlyerTalk.com, attributes the change to "belt-tightening by airlines over the last 18 months, and more so this year."
"They have to look at everything they spend a penny on," Petersen said. And because flights are fuller, he added, "they're not just dealing with a few passengers."
Bob Harrell, founder of Harrell Associates, an airline consultant, agreed. "If they're charging for extra bags, food and water," he said, "then the flip side is the airlines are going to go out of their way to minimize expenses on one side, while maximizing on the other."
Sleeping overnight in an airport has become enough of a phenomenon that it has inspired one recent novel, "Dear American Airlines." The author, Jonathan Miles, said he had been spurred to write the book after an unscheduled overnight stay at O'Hare International Airport, in Chicago.
Under European Union rules that came into effect in 2005, delays of more than five hours entitle a passenger to a hotel room, if an overnight stay is required. Those rules are supposed to apply at any EU airport, regardless of the nationality of the airline.
However, there can still be exceptions. An unscheduled overnight stay at a German airport inspired one business traveler, Frank Giotto, the president of Fiber Instrument Sales in Oriskany, New York, to create the Mini Motel, a one-person tent complete with, air mattress, pillow, reading light, alarm clock and pillow, which he sells for $39.95.
Asked what airports would think of a tent city of his Mini Motels, Giotto expressed confidence.
"People sleeping in chairs don't seem to bother them," he said. "We could be forcing the airports to come up with a solution to respond to the tremendous need."
And there is even a Web site, the Budget Traveler's Guide to Sleeping in Airports at www.sleepinginairports.com, which lists the best and worst airports to spend the night.
For those who do get stuck, advice from seasoned travelers boils down to this: Bring or buy a snack and water before airport shops close, bring reading material or music and something soft to lie down on or rest your head against and keep hotel phone numbers or certain Web site addresses handy.
Ron Flavin, a business traveler, recalled a flight after meeting with a client in Detroit. He said he landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, in Atlanta, at about 1:45 a.m. for a layover, after his flight was diverted by thunderstorms.
He was rebooked on a morning flight home to West Palm Beach, Florida, but Delta Air Lines offered no hotel or meal vouchers, he said. So he curled up under a phone booth behind a counter and slept on the floor with a pillow and blanket from his business-class seat, in the company of many other passengers.
"It wasn't worth investing the money, time and effort to make all the phone calls and get settled in a hotel," said Flavin, a partner in a marketing firm for beauty and health products. "I'm not a greedy guy, but there was no gesture of any kind or a sympathetic ear. I didn't even have a toothbrush or toothpaste."
Even though they were never required to - at least before the European rules took effect - airlines used to routinely give stranded passengers vouchers for rooms and meals if a flight was canceled or delayed as a result of mechanical problem or some other issue of an airline's own making, but not for weather-related delays.
Now, though, vouchers are becoming a thing of the past.
Joe Brancatelli, editor of JoeSentMe.com, a business travel Web site, disputes the idea that sleeping in the airport ever trumps a good cheap hotel, and says that arguing with airline employees for hotel vouchers is a waste of time and energy. "Take some responsibility, and don't wait for the airline to do for you," he said. "Do for yourself."
Another suggestion from Brancatelli: Keep the toll-free numbers of hotel chains handy and pay for a room.
"What is your time and productivity worth, and what price do you put on a bed, shower and couple hours of sleep," he asked, rhetorically.
Airports range widely in what they offer overnight guests. The top-ranked airport at the Guide to Sleeping in Airports' Web site for the past 10 years is Singapore Changi Airport. It has dimly lit napping areas, where comfortable leather chairs have leg rests and headrests, and some are even fitted with alarm clocks. There are also cheap sleeping cubicles available for travelers.
Business - Toyota set to make history
Toyota Motor sold nearly 300,000 more vehicles than General Motors in the first half of 2008 and appeared to be on its way to ending GM's 77-year rule as the world's largest automaker.
Toyota said Wednesday that it sold 2.41 million vehicles worldwide in the second quarter, 2 percent more than a year ago. GM said its sales for the quarter fell 5 percent, to 2.28 million.
Both companies had record sales in emerging markets like China, but falling demand in the United States took a larger toll on GM, whose lineup includes more of the big trucks that consumers are shunning in response to high gasoline prices.
"Over all, the global market remains strong," GM's chief sales analyst, Michael DiGiovanni, said in a conference call with reporters and analysts, but in the United States, "the short-term outlook remains challenging."
In the first quarter, Toyota sold 2.4 million vehicles, to GM's 2.26 million. Toyota was widely expected to displace GM at the pinnacle of the auto industry last year, but fell about 3,000 vehicles short.
GM, which is commemorating its 100th anniversary, is unlikely to hold off Toyota this year, given the difficulties it faces in North America and the production cuts it is making. Its sales rose 10 percent overseas last quarter but fell 19.7 percent in the United States and Canada.
Total industry sales fell 10.1 percent from January to June, causing all three Detroit automakers to significantly reduce truck production and announce more plant closures. On Wednesday, Chrysler told employees that it would eliminate 1,000 of its 18,500 salaried jobs worldwide by Sept. 30, largely because it expected a continued downturn in domestic car sales, said David Elshoff, a Chrysler spokesman.
The cuts will be made through buyouts and early retirement offers, as well as involuntary layoffs if necessary. When they are completed, Chrysler will have reduced its salaried employment by 4,000 since early 2007.
"It's intended to build a company that's right-sized to meet the challenges of this year and next," Elshoff said. "This should help us be well-positioned going forward, and no additional cuts are expected."
Toyota's sales have fallen in the United States this year as well, but it has not suffered as much as the Detroit companies. The company now expects to sell slightly more than 9.5 million vehicles globally this year, fewer than the 9.85 million it originally projected. The record for sales in a single year is 9.55 million, set by GM in 1978.
Toyota recently said it would halt production of its largest vehicles for several months and would build its popular hybrid sedan, the Prius, in the United States for the first time, starting in 2010, to capitalize on surging demand for fuel-efficient vehicles.
GM is also working to increase production of hot-selling small cars, but those increases are smaller than the cuts it is making in truck output.
DiGiovanni said that July was shaping up as another gloomy month for GM and most of its competitors but that there was reason for optimism, as gas prices had stopped rising in recent weeks.
"That's the first sign of stability we've seen in a long time," he said, "and that's a positive development."
Toyota said Wednesday that it sold 2.41 million vehicles worldwide in the second quarter, 2 percent more than a year ago. GM said its sales for the quarter fell 5 percent, to 2.28 million.
Both companies had record sales in emerging markets like China, but falling demand in the United States took a larger toll on GM, whose lineup includes more of the big trucks that consumers are shunning in response to high gasoline prices.
"Over all, the global market remains strong," GM's chief sales analyst, Michael DiGiovanni, said in a conference call with reporters and analysts, but in the United States, "the short-term outlook remains challenging."
In the first quarter, Toyota sold 2.4 million vehicles, to GM's 2.26 million. Toyota was widely expected to displace GM at the pinnacle of the auto industry last year, but fell about 3,000 vehicles short.
GM, which is commemorating its 100th anniversary, is unlikely to hold off Toyota this year, given the difficulties it faces in North America and the production cuts it is making. Its sales rose 10 percent overseas last quarter but fell 19.7 percent in the United States and Canada.
Total industry sales fell 10.1 percent from January to June, causing all three Detroit automakers to significantly reduce truck production and announce more plant closures. On Wednesday, Chrysler told employees that it would eliminate 1,000 of its 18,500 salaried jobs worldwide by Sept. 30, largely because it expected a continued downturn in domestic car sales, said David Elshoff, a Chrysler spokesman.
The cuts will be made through buyouts and early retirement offers, as well as involuntary layoffs if necessary. When they are completed, Chrysler will have reduced its salaried employment by 4,000 since early 2007.
"It's intended to build a company that's right-sized to meet the challenges of this year and next," Elshoff said. "This should help us be well-positioned going forward, and no additional cuts are expected."
Toyota's sales have fallen in the United States this year as well, but it has not suffered as much as the Detroit companies. The company now expects to sell slightly more than 9.5 million vehicles globally this year, fewer than the 9.85 million it originally projected. The record for sales in a single year is 9.55 million, set by GM in 1978.
Toyota recently said it would halt production of its largest vehicles for several months and would build its popular hybrid sedan, the Prius, in the United States for the first time, starting in 2010, to capitalize on surging demand for fuel-efficient vehicles.
GM is also working to increase production of hot-selling small cars, but those increases are smaller than the cuts it is making in truck output.
DiGiovanni said that July was shaping up as another gloomy month for GM and most of its competitors but that there was reason for optimism, as gas prices had stopped rising in recent weeks.
"That's the first sign of stability we've seen in a long time," he said, "and that's a positive development."
Health - Sunscreen Safety called into question
For years, dermatologists have told us sunscreen protects skin. Now, many people are questioning that advice after an environmental group challenged the safety of many popular brands.
"Patients are confused," said Darrell Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University who is a skin cancer researcher. "I've had patients come in and ask, 'Am I harming myself by using it?' I've spent a lot of time talking to people about it."
The latest report comes from the Environmental Working Group, which claims that in an investigation of nearly 1,000 sunscreen products, four out of five offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain ingredients that may pose a health risk.
But dermatologists who reviewed the group's research say the biggest problem is that it lacks scientific rigor. In particular, they are critical of a sunscreen rating system that they say is arbitrary and without basis in any accepted scientific standard.
"What they are doing is developing their own system for evaluating things," said Warwick Morison, professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins and chairman of the Skin Cancer Foundation's photobiology committee, which tests sunscreens for safety and effectiveness. "Using this scale to say a sunscreen offers good protection or bad protection is junk science."
Morison has no financial ties to sunscreen makers, and his work with the Skin Cancer Foundation is unpaid.
Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group, said the database and rating system were based on an extensive review of the medical literature on sunscreens. Of nearly 1,000 sunscreens reviewed, the group recommends only 143 brands. Most are lesser-known brands with titanium and zinc, which are effective blockers of ultraviolet radiation. But they are less popular with consumers because they can leave a white residue.
The group is especially concerned about the safety of a compound called oxybenzone, which is used in most popular sunscreens. But the research on oxybenzone is limited.
Most recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed 2,517 urine samples collected in 2003-4 from a representative sample of the population over age 6 as part of a national health and nutrition survey. The analysis, published this month in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found oxybenzone in 97 percent of the samples.
The study goes on to note that human exposure to oxybenzone "has not been associated with adverse health effects" and that sunscreen is an important tool to protect against sunburn and skin cancer. But the researchers said further study was needed to determine whether the chemical had any meaningful effect on the body.
"What's the meaning of it?" said Rigel, who has consulted for sunscreen makers. "Nobody's seen any problems from years of these agents being used. To call it dangerous is misleading."
A few animal studies have raised concerns that oxybenzone could disrupt endocrine functions. Several researchers say that this is a theoretical concern and that no such effect has been shown in humans.
Another study, published two years ago in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, raised troubling concerns about what happens when sunscreen is absorbed into the skin and reacts with the sun. The report suggested that under certain conditions, sunscreens with oxybenzone and other ultraviolet filters could lead to free-radical damage to the skin, a process that in theory could lead to skin cancer. The study used laboratory models of skin, so some researchers say it is not a reliable indicator of what happens in people.
But the authors noted that the damage occurred only when ultraviolet light reached sunscreen that had penetrated the skin. The solution, they say, is to keep applying sunscreen to block out the UV rays.
"It may seem counterintuitive, but by reapplying sunscreen we protect ourselves from the UV light reaching any of the UV-filters that may have penetrated to the skin," said Kerry Hanson, the lead author of the report and a senior research scientist at the University of California, Riverside. "At this point, I don't think there's enough evidence to firmly claim that sunscreens containing oxybenzone are unsafe."
Still, Hanson added that the UV filters used in sunscreens needed testing "to give us a better understanding of how these molecules behave in the skin."
One solution, she said, may be to add antioxidants to sunscreen to counter the effect. She said she had consulted with sunscreen makers on the issue.
The Food and Drug Administration is preparing rules that will give consumers more information on the label about the sunscreens they buy. Most doctors still recommend sunscreens with a high SPF number and a combination of avobenzone and oxybenzone, ingredients that protect the skin from two types of ultraviolet rays, UVA and UVB.
Avobenzone, also called Parsol 1789, can degrade quickly in the sun. But many top brands, including Johnson & Johnson's Neutrogena with Helioplex, Aveeno with Active Photobarrier Complex and several Coppertone brands, are formulated to prevent that. L'Oréal products containing the new ingredient Mexoryl also offer broad-spectrum protection, doctors say.
It is important to keep in mind that sunscreen is only one way to protect the skin. Not only do people typically not use enough sunscreen, but they don't take other steps to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun."People focus so much on sunscreens," Morison said. "It should be a package of protection. A hat, staying out of the sun, avoiding the hottest part of the day and covering up are all part of the whole story. It's not just the sunscreen."
"Patients are confused," said Darrell Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University who is a skin cancer researcher. "I've had patients come in and ask, 'Am I harming myself by using it?' I've spent a lot of time talking to people about it."
The latest report comes from the Environmental Working Group, which claims that in an investigation of nearly 1,000 sunscreen products, four out of five offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain ingredients that may pose a health risk.
But dermatologists who reviewed the group's research say the biggest problem is that it lacks scientific rigor. In particular, they are critical of a sunscreen rating system that they say is arbitrary and without basis in any accepted scientific standard.
"What they are doing is developing their own system for evaluating things," said Warwick Morison, professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins and chairman of the Skin Cancer Foundation's photobiology committee, which tests sunscreens for safety and effectiveness. "Using this scale to say a sunscreen offers good protection or bad protection is junk science."
Morison has no financial ties to sunscreen makers, and his work with the Skin Cancer Foundation is unpaid.
Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group, said the database and rating system were based on an extensive review of the medical literature on sunscreens. Of nearly 1,000 sunscreens reviewed, the group recommends only 143 brands. Most are lesser-known brands with titanium and zinc, which are effective blockers of ultraviolet radiation. But they are less popular with consumers because they can leave a white residue.
The group is especially concerned about the safety of a compound called oxybenzone, which is used in most popular sunscreens. But the research on oxybenzone is limited.
Most recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed 2,517 urine samples collected in 2003-4 from a representative sample of the population over age 6 as part of a national health and nutrition survey. The analysis, published this month in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found oxybenzone in 97 percent of the samples.
The study goes on to note that human exposure to oxybenzone "has not been associated with adverse health effects" and that sunscreen is an important tool to protect against sunburn and skin cancer. But the researchers said further study was needed to determine whether the chemical had any meaningful effect on the body.
"What's the meaning of it?" said Rigel, who has consulted for sunscreen makers. "Nobody's seen any problems from years of these agents being used. To call it dangerous is misleading."
A few animal studies have raised concerns that oxybenzone could disrupt endocrine functions. Several researchers say that this is a theoretical concern and that no such effect has been shown in humans.
Another study, published two years ago in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, raised troubling concerns about what happens when sunscreen is absorbed into the skin and reacts with the sun. The report suggested that under certain conditions, sunscreens with oxybenzone and other ultraviolet filters could lead to free-radical damage to the skin, a process that in theory could lead to skin cancer. The study used laboratory models of skin, so some researchers say it is not a reliable indicator of what happens in people.
But the authors noted that the damage occurred only when ultraviolet light reached sunscreen that had penetrated the skin. The solution, they say, is to keep applying sunscreen to block out the UV rays.
"It may seem counterintuitive, but by reapplying sunscreen we protect ourselves from the UV light reaching any of the UV-filters that may have penetrated to the skin," said Kerry Hanson, the lead author of the report and a senior research scientist at the University of California, Riverside. "At this point, I don't think there's enough evidence to firmly claim that sunscreens containing oxybenzone are unsafe."
Still, Hanson added that the UV filters used in sunscreens needed testing "to give us a better understanding of how these molecules behave in the skin."
One solution, she said, may be to add antioxidants to sunscreen to counter the effect. She said she had consulted with sunscreen makers on the issue.
The Food and Drug Administration is preparing rules that will give consumers more information on the label about the sunscreens they buy. Most doctors still recommend sunscreens with a high SPF number and a combination of avobenzone and oxybenzone, ingredients that protect the skin from two types of ultraviolet rays, UVA and UVB.
Avobenzone, also called Parsol 1789, can degrade quickly in the sun. But many top brands, including Johnson & Johnson's Neutrogena with Helioplex, Aveeno with Active Photobarrier Complex and several Coppertone brands, are formulated to prevent that. L'Oréal products containing the new ingredient Mexoryl also offer broad-spectrum protection, doctors say.
It is important to keep in mind that sunscreen is only one way to protect the skin. Not only do people typically not use enough sunscreen, but they don't take other steps to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun."People focus so much on sunscreens," Morison said. "It should be a package of protection. A hat, staying out of the sun, avoiding the hottest part of the day and covering up are all part of the whole story. It's not just the sunscreen."
Lifestyle - Pursuit of Teen girl purity
There are some mothers and some uncles among the 150 people in the ballroom of the Broadmoor hotel, but the night belongs to fathers and daughters. The girls generally range in age from college down to the tiny 4-year-old dressed all in purple who has climbed up into her father's arms to be carried. Some are in their first high heels--you can tell by the way they walk, like uncertain baby giraffes. Randy Wilson, co-inventor of the Father-Daughter Purity Ball, offers a blessing: he calls on the men to be good and loving listeners, tender, gracious and truthful. And he prays that the girls might "step into the world with strength and passion, to lead this generation."
Kylie Miraldi has come from California to celebrate her 18th birthday tonight. She'll be going to San Jose State on a volleyball scholarship next year. Her father, who looks a little like Superman, is on the dance floor with one of her sisters; he turns out to be Dean Miraldi, a former offensive lineman with the Philadelphia Eagles. When Kylie was 13, her parents took her on a hike in Lake Tahoe, Calif. "We discussed what it means to be a teenager in today's world," she says. They gave her a charm for her bracelet--a lock in the shape of a heart. Her father has the key. "On my wedding day, he'll give it to my husband," she explains. "It's a symbol of my father giving up the covering of my heart, protecting me, since it means my husband is now the protector. He becomes like the shield to my heart, to love me as I'm supposed to be loved."
Kylie talks with an unblinking confidence about a promise that she says is spiritual, mental and physical. "It's something I'm very proud of. I plan to keep pure until marriage. It's a promise I made to myself--not pressure from my parents," she says. She speaks plainly about what she wants in her life, what she thinks she has the power to control and what she doesn't. "I'm very much at peace about this," she says, and looks out across the twirling room. "I don't feel like I need to seek a man. I will be found."
Family Ministry
Randy and his wife Lisa Wilson believe in celebrating God's design and life's little growth spurts. But the origin of the purity-ball movement was not so much about their five daughters; it was about the fathers Randy saw who, he says, didn't know what their place was in the lives of their daughters. "The idea was to model what the relationship can be as a daughter grows from a child to an adult," Randy says. "You come in closer, become available to answer whatever questions she has."
So he and Lisa came up with a ceremony; they wrote a vow for fathers to recite, a promise "before God to cover my daughter as her authority and protection in the areas of purity," to practice fidelity, shun pornography and walk with honor through a "culture of chaos" and by so doing guide their daughters as well. That was in 1998, the year the President was charged with lying about his sex life, Viagra became the fastest-selling new drug in history, and movies, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, reflected "a surge in the worldwide relaxation of sexual taboos."
Word of the event spread fast: soon the camera crews came, and so did Tyra Banks and Dr. Phil. The Abstinence Clearinghouse estimates there were more than 4,000 purity events across the country last year, with programs aimed at boys now growing even faster. And inevitably the criticism arrived as well, dressed up in social science and scholarly glee at the semiotics of girls kneeling beneath raised swords to affirm their purity. The events have been called odd, creepy, oppressive of a girl's "sexual self-agency," as one USA Today columnist put it. Father-daughter bonding is great, the critics agree--but wouldn't a cooking class or a soccer game be emotionally healthier than a ceremony freighted with rings and roses and vows? Some academic skeptics make a practical objection: The majority of kids who make a virginity pledge, they argue, will still have sex before marriage but are less likely than other kids to use contraception, since that would involve planning ahead for something they have promised not to do. This puts them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. To which defenders say: Teen pledgers typically do postpone having sex, have fewer partners, get pregnant less often and if they make it through high school as virgins, are twice as likely to graduate from college--so where's the downside?
The purity balls have thus become a proxy in the wider war over means and ends. It is being fought in Congress, where lawmakers debate whether to keep funding abstinence-only education in the face of studies showing it doesn't work; in the culture, as Lindsay and Britney and Miley march in single file off a cliff; at school-board meetings, where members argue over the signal sent by including condoms in the prom bag; at the dinner table, where parents try to transmit values to children, knowing full well that swarms of other messages are landing by text and Twitter. "The culture is everywhere," says Randy's daughter Khrystian, 20. "You can't get away from it." But maybe, the new Puritans suggest, there's a way to boost girls' immunity.
Rules of Engagement
It was an elbow in the ribs from his wife that drove Ken Lane to his first purity ball with their daughter Hannah, now 11. Tonight is their fourth, and they are sitting in the gold-and-white Broadmoor ballroom, picking at the chicken Florentine and trying to explain what they're doing here. "My kids are on loan to me for a season; it's important how I use that time," Ken is saying as a string quartet plays softly. "There's a lot for us to talk through--the decisions she'll have to make are more complex. I want to be close enough to her that she can come talk to me. That's what my wife understood. I didn't understand the role dads can play to set her up for success."
In the face of the hook-up culture of casual sexual experimentation, he explains, with its potential physical and emotional risks, he wants to model an alternative. Even with older teenagers, many of these families don't believe in random dating but rather intentional dating, which typically begins with a young man's asking a father for permission to get to know his daughter. Lane was so stymied by how exactly that conversation would go that he even asked Randy Wilson if he could sit at a nearby table and listen in one day when Wilson met one of Khrystian's potential suitors at a local Starbucks. "We're trying to be realistic," Lane says. "I'm not ready to be like India--have arranged marriages. But there is some wisdom there, in that at least the parents are involved."
This, of course, is the kind of conversation that makes critics howl. What about a young woman's right to date whomever she pleases, make her own mistakes, learn from the experience, find out who she is and what matters to her? To which the Wilsons and their allies reply: If you still think this is just about sex, you are missing the whole point. The message, they say, is about integrity, being whole people, heart and soul and body. Wilson himself has said virginity pledges have a downside: "It heaps guilt upon them. If they fail, you've made it worse for them," he said. "Who is perfect in this world? One mistake doesn't mean it's all over." Everyone here has a story, and very few are in black and white. One man is dancing with his younger daughter, wishing his older girl had come as well. She used to wear a purity ring, he says, until a boy she knew assaulted her; she took it off--felt too dirty. Her parents gave her a new one, a bigger one; it took many months and much therapy, her father goes on, before she was able to put a ring on again. "That was part of a healing process," he says, "with the message that you're valuable no matter what someone did to you."
Symbols and Substance
After dinner comes the ballet performance, when seven tiny ballerinas in white tulle float in; then seven older dancers carry in a large, heavy wooden cross, which they drape in white, with a crown of thorns. Four of the five Wilson daughters are among the dancers, and they offer a special dance to their father, to the music of Natalie Grant: Your faith, your love And all that you believe Have come to be the strongest part of me And I will always be your baby ...
Then Randy and his friend Kevin Moore stand in front of the cross, holding up two large swords, points crossed. Fathers and daughters process beneath the swords to kneel; the girls place a white rose at the base of the cross while the fathers offer a quiet blessing. Splayed on the floor all around them are half a dozen photographers looking for the right angle and a camera crew from the BBC, in a syncopation of private praise and clicking shutters.
So what, exactly, does all this ceremony achieve? Leave aside for a moment the critics who recoil at the symbols, the patriarchy, the very use of the term purity, with its shadow of stains and stigma. Whatever guests came looking for, they are likely to come away with something unexpected. The goal seems less about making judgments than about making memories.
Out on the terrace under an almost moon, the black swans have vanished into the lake. David Diefenderfer has slipped outside for a cigarette; he's a leathery South Dakotan in a big black cowboy hat, and he hands over his card. HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL: BREEDER SERVICE, it says, with a picture of a syringe. He's in the cattle-reproduction business. He's also the father of nine children by seven women.
Three of his daughters are with him tonight, including 10-year-old Taylor. I asked what purity means to her. "I don't really know," she says, and she's shy about talking about all this. "But it means you make a promise to your dad to be a virgin until you are married and not have a lot of boyfriends."
That's what her oldest half sister Juliet was taught as well; she remembers hearing how her mother got pregnant the very first time she had sex. Juliet is now 37 and has come from Reno, Nev., where she works for Microsoft Licensing. She has watched the evening unfold with some skepticism. "I think I'm finding I'm more of a feminist than I thought," she says with a sly smile. "I had a hard time there hearing about 'rescuing' our girls. I was brought up to be a strong woman. Why would I need rescuing?" It's the boys who she thinks need help these days. "It's great for girls to have a Cinderella night with Dad, but families still need a good strong father role model," she says. The role-model question is tender for her. "I didn't have that--no offense, Dad," she says, and then she looks hard at him. "But my siblings do. He really stepped up to the plate. He's a great dad now. I say that with a tinge of jealousy. I'm not afraid to admit it."
Her father hopes his kids will learn from his mistakes. "I never planned to have nine children by seven women," he says. "I believe it's necessary to instill a set of values, give them tools to make good decisions." But he won't be there to help. Juliet explains when he goes back inside the ballroom to catch up to the younger girls: "We're sort of here on borrowed time," she says. David Diefenderfer has Stage 4 inoperable lung cancer; they figure tonight is something of a gift. "He won't be at their wedding," Juliet says, looking into the glowing room, "but they can look back and remember the dance they had tonight."
A Delicate Dance
If you listen long enough, you wonder whether there is really such a profound disagreement about what parents want for their children. Culture war by its nature pours salt in wounds, finds division where there could be common purpose. Purity is certainly a loaded word--but is there anyone who thinks it's a good idea for 12-year-olds to have sex? Or a bad idea for fathers to be engaged in the lives of their daughters and promise to practice what they preach? Parents won't necessarily say this out loud, but isn't it better to set the bar high and miss than not even try?
Maybe mixed messages aren't just inevitable; they're valuable. On the one hand, for all the conservative outcry, there is no evidence that giving kids complete and accurate information about sex and contraception encourages promiscuity. On the other, a purity pledge basically says sex is serious. That it's not to be entered into recklessly. To deny kids information, whether about contraception or chastity, is irresponsible; to mock or dismiss as unrealistic the goal of personal responsibility in all its forms may suit the culture, but it gives kids too little power, too little control over their decisions, as though they're incapable of making good ones. The research suggests they may be more capable of high standards than parents are. "It's always tempting as a parent to say, Do as I say, not as I do," says a father who's here for the first time. "But it's more valuable to make the commitment yourself. Children can spot hypocrisy very quickly."
The dancing goes on past midnight, when Randy Wilson finally has to shoo people out. Many of the girls are still light-footed, merry; it's their dads who are fading, and you wonder who will be leaning on whom as they head out into the cool mountain night.
Kylie Miraldi has come from California to celebrate her 18th birthday tonight. She'll be going to San Jose State on a volleyball scholarship next year. Her father, who looks a little like Superman, is on the dance floor with one of her sisters; he turns out to be Dean Miraldi, a former offensive lineman with the Philadelphia Eagles. When Kylie was 13, her parents took her on a hike in Lake Tahoe, Calif. "We discussed what it means to be a teenager in today's world," she says. They gave her a charm for her bracelet--a lock in the shape of a heart. Her father has the key. "On my wedding day, he'll give it to my husband," she explains. "It's a symbol of my father giving up the covering of my heart, protecting me, since it means my husband is now the protector. He becomes like the shield to my heart, to love me as I'm supposed to be loved."
Kylie talks with an unblinking confidence about a promise that she says is spiritual, mental and physical. "It's something I'm very proud of. I plan to keep pure until marriage. It's a promise I made to myself--not pressure from my parents," she says. She speaks plainly about what she wants in her life, what she thinks she has the power to control and what she doesn't. "I'm very much at peace about this," she says, and looks out across the twirling room. "I don't feel like I need to seek a man. I will be found."
Family Ministry
Randy and his wife Lisa Wilson believe in celebrating God's design and life's little growth spurts. But the origin of the purity-ball movement was not so much about their five daughters; it was about the fathers Randy saw who, he says, didn't know what their place was in the lives of their daughters. "The idea was to model what the relationship can be as a daughter grows from a child to an adult," Randy says. "You come in closer, become available to answer whatever questions she has."
So he and Lisa came up with a ceremony; they wrote a vow for fathers to recite, a promise "before God to cover my daughter as her authority and protection in the areas of purity," to practice fidelity, shun pornography and walk with honor through a "culture of chaos" and by so doing guide their daughters as well. That was in 1998, the year the President was charged with lying about his sex life, Viagra became the fastest-selling new drug in history, and movies, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, reflected "a surge in the worldwide relaxation of sexual taboos."
Word of the event spread fast: soon the camera crews came, and so did Tyra Banks and Dr. Phil. The Abstinence Clearinghouse estimates there were more than 4,000 purity events across the country last year, with programs aimed at boys now growing even faster. And inevitably the criticism arrived as well, dressed up in social science and scholarly glee at the semiotics of girls kneeling beneath raised swords to affirm their purity. The events have been called odd, creepy, oppressive of a girl's "sexual self-agency," as one USA Today columnist put it. Father-daughter bonding is great, the critics agree--but wouldn't a cooking class or a soccer game be emotionally healthier than a ceremony freighted with rings and roses and vows? Some academic skeptics make a practical objection: The majority of kids who make a virginity pledge, they argue, will still have sex before marriage but are less likely than other kids to use contraception, since that would involve planning ahead for something they have promised not to do. This puts them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. To which defenders say: Teen pledgers typically do postpone having sex, have fewer partners, get pregnant less often and if they make it through high school as virgins, are twice as likely to graduate from college--so where's the downside?
The purity balls have thus become a proxy in the wider war over means and ends. It is being fought in Congress, where lawmakers debate whether to keep funding abstinence-only education in the face of studies showing it doesn't work; in the culture, as Lindsay and Britney and Miley march in single file off a cliff; at school-board meetings, where members argue over the signal sent by including condoms in the prom bag; at the dinner table, where parents try to transmit values to children, knowing full well that swarms of other messages are landing by text and Twitter. "The culture is everywhere," says Randy's daughter Khrystian, 20. "You can't get away from it." But maybe, the new Puritans suggest, there's a way to boost girls' immunity.
Rules of Engagement
It was an elbow in the ribs from his wife that drove Ken Lane to his first purity ball with their daughter Hannah, now 11. Tonight is their fourth, and they are sitting in the gold-and-white Broadmoor ballroom, picking at the chicken Florentine and trying to explain what they're doing here. "My kids are on loan to me for a season; it's important how I use that time," Ken is saying as a string quartet plays softly. "There's a lot for us to talk through--the decisions she'll have to make are more complex. I want to be close enough to her that she can come talk to me. That's what my wife understood. I didn't understand the role dads can play to set her up for success."
In the face of the hook-up culture of casual sexual experimentation, he explains, with its potential physical and emotional risks, he wants to model an alternative. Even with older teenagers, many of these families don't believe in random dating but rather intentional dating, which typically begins with a young man's asking a father for permission to get to know his daughter. Lane was so stymied by how exactly that conversation would go that he even asked Randy Wilson if he could sit at a nearby table and listen in one day when Wilson met one of Khrystian's potential suitors at a local Starbucks. "We're trying to be realistic," Lane says. "I'm not ready to be like India--have arranged marriages. But there is some wisdom there, in that at least the parents are involved."
This, of course, is the kind of conversation that makes critics howl. What about a young woman's right to date whomever she pleases, make her own mistakes, learn from the experience, find out who she is and what matters to her? To which the Wilsons and their allies reply: If you still think this is just about sex, you are missing the whole point. The message, they say, is about integrity, being whole people, heart and soul and body. Wilson himself has said virginity pledges have a downside: "It heaps guilt upon them. If they fail, you've made it worse for them," he said. "Who is perfect in this world? One mistake doesn't mean it's all over." Everyone here has a story, and very few are in black and white. One man is dancing with his younger daughter, wishing his older girl had come as well. She used to wear a purity ring, he says, until a boy she knew assaulted her; she took it off--felt too dirty. Her parents gave her a new one, a bigger one; it took many months and much therapy, her father goes on, before she was able to put a ring on again. "That was part of a healing process," he says, "with the message that you're valuable no matter what someone did to you."
Symbols and Substance
After dinner comes the ballet performance, when seven tiny ballerinas in white tulle float in; then seven older dancers carry in a large, heavy wooden cross, which they drape in white, with a crown of thorns. Four of the five Wilson daughters are among the dancers, and they offer a special dance to their father, to the music of Natalie Grant: Your faith, your love And all that you believe Have come to be the strongest part of me And I will always be your baby ...
Then Randy and his friend Kevin Moore stand in front of the cross, holding up two large swords, points crossed. Fathers and daughters process beneath the swords to kneel; the girls place a white rose at the base of the cross while the fathers offer a quiet blessing. Splayed on the floor all around them are half a dozen photographers looking for the right angle and a camera crew from the BBC, in a syncopation of private praise and clicking shutters.
So what, exactly, does all this ceremony achieve? Leave aside for a moment the critics who recoil at the symbols, the patriarchy, the very use of the term purity, with its shadow of stains and stigma. Whatever guests came looking for, they are likely to come away with something unexpected. The goal seems less about making judgments than about making memories.
Out on the terrace under an almost moon, the black swans have vanished into the lake. David Diefenderfer has slipped outside for a cigarette; he's a leathery South Dakotan in a big black cowboy hat, and he hands over his card. HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL: BREEDER SERVICE, it says, with a picture of a syringe. He's in the cattle-reproduction business. He's also the father of nine children by seven women.
Three of his daughters are with him tonight, including 10-year-old Taylor. I asked what purity means to her. "I don't really know," she says, and she's shy about talking about all this. "But it means you make a promise to your dad to be a virgin until you are married and not have a lot of boyfriends."
That's what her oldest half sister Juliet was taught as well; she remembers hearing how her mother got pregnant the very first time she had sex. Juliet is now 37 and has come from Reno, Nev., where she works for Microsoft Licensing. She has watched the evening unfold with some skepticism. "I think I'm finding I'm more of a feminist than I thought," she says with a sly smile. "I had a hard time there hearing about 'rescuing' our girls. I was brought up to be a strong woman. Why would I need rescuing?" It's the boys who she thinks need help these days. "It's great for girls to have a Cinderella night with Dad, but families still need a good strong father role model," she says. The role-model question is tender for her. "I didn't have that--no offense, Dad," she says, and then she looks hard at him. "But my siblings do. He really stepped up to the plate. He's a great dad now. I say that with a tinge of jealousy. I'm not afraid to admit it."
Her father hopes his kids will learn from his mistakes. "I never planned to have nine children by seven women," he says. "I believe it's necessary to instill a set of values, give them tools to make good decisions." But he won't be there to help. Juliet explains when he goes back inside the ballroom to catch up to the younger girls: "We're sort of here on borrowed time," she says. David Diefenderfer has Stage 4 inoperable lung cancer; they figure tonight is something of a gift. "He won't be at their wedding," Juliet says, looking into the glowing room, "but they can look back and remember the dance they had tonight."
A Delicate Dance
If you listen long enough, you wonder whether there is really such a profound disagreement about what parents want for their children. Culture war by its nature pours salt in wounds, finds division where there could be common purpose. Purity is certainly a loaded word--but is there anyone who thinks it's a good idea for 12-year-olds to have sex? Or a bad idea for fathers to be engaged in the lives of their daughters and promise to practice what they preach? Parents won't necessarily say this out loud, but isn't it better to set the bar high and miss than not even try?
Maybe mixed messages aren't just inevitable; they're valuable. On the one hand, for all the conservative outcry, there is no evidence that giving kids complete and accurate information about sex and contraception encourages promiscuity. On the other, a purity pledge basically says sex is serious. That it's not to be entered into recklessly. To deny kids information, whether about contraception or chastity, is irresponsible; to mock or dismiss as unrealistic the goal of personal responsibility in all its forms may suit the culture, but it gives kids too little power, too little control over their decisions, as though they're incapable of making good ones. The research suggests they may be more capable of high standards than parents are. "It's always tempting as a parent to say, Do as I say, not as I do," says a father who's here for the first time. "But it's more valuable to make the commitment yourself. Children can spot hypocrisy very quickly."
The dancing goes on past midnight, when Randy Wilson finally has to shoo people out. Many of the girls are still light-footed, merry; it's their dads who are fading, and you wonder who will be leaning on whom as they head out into the cool mountain night.
Mktg - For the greener good
In encouraging green living, companies are looking at shrinking their carbon footprint, reducing energy and fuel consumption, utilisation of more renewable and sustainable resources and recycling or reduction in waste.
Ranju Kumar Mohan
Find alternatives to driving whenever possible by taking public transport, by telecommuting, carpooling, walking or biking while doing errands to keep the air and yourself fit and healthy.”
This is one of the tips you find on Toyota’s Web site which has a worldwide environmental policy affecting every aspect of its operations.
Many companies today have realised the importance of social and environmental responsibility. They are under pressure from all their stakeholders to ensure the sustainable development of their businesses.
Sustainable development is also becoming a global challenge. The UN defines sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The growing needs of an ever-growing population is putting pressure on key resources such as water and energy. Al Gore, winner of the Nobel Prize, and author of An Inconvenient Truth has been able to create global awareness of climate change.
Sustainable consumption is gaining importance among a growing segment of consumers. There is an ‘increasing willingness’ to pay for products that are perceived to have personal health benefits, such as organic food and natural cosmetics.
Consumers today are willing to help in the fight against climate change. In the UK, two-thirds of consumers are likely to purchase products of a company that is seen to be taking action to manage climate change.
Companies are launching long-term initiatives to take care of the environment as they realise that by doing business in a socially responsible manner alone can they ensure the long-term success of their organisations. Many companies are forming entrepreneurial teams that are focused on all aspects of business and include experts from the field, academics, NGOs, Government agencies and suppliers. It is all about the planet, people and profits. Retailers go green
Environment-friendly retailers are looking at ways to meet the green consumer’s needs and aspirations. These companies have a clear commitment and are incorporating a green ethos across all activities of their organisations.
In encouraging green living, companies are looking at four key areas to reduce their impact on the environment. These are: Shrinking their carbon footprint; reduction in energy and fuel consumption; utilisation of more renewable and sustainable resources; and recycling or reduction in waste.
In the case of retail companies, it (sustainability) is about the choice of products and the way in which they are manufactured, packed and transported.
Tesco is the first supermarket to have announced the introduction of the ‘carbon label’ (= carbon dioxide generation) for all the products it sells; this links the product’s contribution to global warming.
Wal-Mart in Canada buys green power generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
Coca-Cola has reduced product packaging by almost 33 per cent by cutting down on the quantity of raw materials used including aluminium, plastic and glass. The packs are therefore lighter and the company has also been able to save millions of dollars on transportation.
Companies are developing products that have a low carbon footprint and are also recycling materials, using lesser energy and water and reducing emissions. Henkel has set itself clear goals to reduce energy consumption by 15 per cent, water consumption by 10 per cent and waste by 10 per cent in the next five years. It is developing products that will contribute to the conservation of resources. Business groups are coming together to find new solutions and are forging partnerships to control carbon emissions and ensure sustainability.
Unilever, Nestle, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have established a Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) that would certify the production of palm oil from non-destructive plantations. The production of palm oil had become a death warrant for orang-utans due to the deforestation of rain forests to expand palm oil production in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. On May 1, 2008, Unilever decided to use palm oil that was certified as sustainable. Tata Chemicals has set up an innovation centre to discover a new set of businesses for the future which must all pass the ‘Green Screen’ and be sustainable.Marketing green consumerism
Marketers have already identified green consumerism as a trend but they will have to understand this segment of consumers better and develop products and services that will appeal to them.
Many companies are developing a range of green labels to benefit from the trend and are increasing their marketing on these products.
Companies are also launching eco-friendly products made without volatile organic compounds that don’t contain hazardous solvents, toxic chemicals or harmful ingredients and are usually made from renewable, plant-derived ingredients.
Unilever’s Surf Excel quick wash brand with a low-rinse wash saves water. In the US, the trend is to introduce detergents with higher concentrates which not only saves water but also reduces the usage of packing material and is easy to store and transport.
Reckitt’s ‘Save Energy Save Water’ project encourages consumers to optimise the use of products and reduce energy consumption and the wastage of resources like water.
However, there are companies that have tried to leverage green trends without being sincere in what they really do. Who can the consumer trust? Which brands does the consumer believe in? Consumers today are willing to trust those brands that speak truthfully about their activities.
The sustainability ‘movement’ is gathering momentum and is reaching the tipping point. For the companies, it is all about finding solutions that are both environment-friendly and economically viable. For the consumers, it is about being able to do something for the planet, to reduce their impact on it and preserve it for future generations. Does it require any more thought that practising sustainability means good business?
Ranju Kumar Mohan
Find alternatives to driving whenever possible by taking public transport, by telecommuting, carpooling, walking or biking while doing errands to keep the air and yourself fit and healthy.”
This is one of the tips you find on Toyota’s Web site which has a worldwide environmental policy affecting every aspect of its operations.
Many companies today have realised the importance of social and environmental responsibility. They are under pressure from all their stakeholders to ensure the sustainable development of their businesses.
Sustainable development is also becoming a global challenge. The UN defines sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The growing needs of an ever-growing population is putting pressure on key resources such as water and energy. Al Gore, winner of the Nobel Prize, and author of An Inconvenient Truth has been able to create global awareness of climate change.
Sustainable consumption is gaining importance among a growing segment of consumers. There is an ‘increasing willingness’ to pay for products that are perceived to have personal health benefits, such as organic food and natural cosmetics.
Consumers today are willing to help in the fight against climate change. In the UK, two-thirds of consumers are likely to purchase products of a company that is seen to be taking action to manage climate change.
Companies are launching long-term initiatives to take care of the environment as they realise that by doing business in a socially responsible manner alone can they ensure the long-term success of their organisations. Many companies are forming entrepreneurial teams that are focused on all aspects of business and include experts from the field, academics, NGOs, Government agencies and suppliers. It is all about the planet, people and profits. Retailers go green
Environment-friendly retailers are looking at ways to meet the green consumer’s needs and aspirations. These companies have a clear commitment and are incorporating a green ethos across all activities of their organisations.
In encouraging green living, companies are looking at four key areas to reduce their impact on the environment. These are: Shrinking their carbon footprint; reduction in energy and fuel consumption; utilisation of more renewable and sustainable resources; and recycling or reduction in waste.
In the case of retail companies, it (sustainability) is about the choice of products and the way in which they are manufactured, packed and transported.
Tesco is the first supermarket to have announced the introduction of the ‘carbon label’ (= carbon dioxide generation) for all the products it sells; this links the product’s contribution to global warming.
Wal-Mart in Canada buys green power generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
Coca-Cola has reduced product packaging by almost 33 per cent by cutting down on the quantity of raw materials used including aluminium, plastic and glass. The packs are therefore lighter and the company has also been able to save millions of dollars on transportation.
Companies are developing products that have a low carbon footprint and are also recycling materials, using lesser energy and water and reducing emissions. Henkel has set itself clear goals to reduce energy consumption by 15 per cent, water consumption by 10 per cent and waste by 10 per cent in the next five years. It is developing products that will contribute to the conservation of resources. Business groups are coming together to find new solutions and are forging partnerships to control carbon emissions and ensure sustainability.
Unilever, Nestle, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have established a Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) that would certify the production of palm oil from non-destructive plantations. The production of palm oil had become a death warrant for orang-utans due to the deforestation of rain forests to expand palm oil production in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. On May 1, 2008, Unilever decided to use palm oil that was certified as sustainable. Tata Chemicals has set up an innovation centre to discover a new set of businesses for the future which must all pass the ‘Green Screen’ and be sustainable.Marketing green consumerism
Marketers have already identified green consumerism as a trend but they will have to understand this segment of consumers better and develop products and services that will appeal to them.
Many companies are developing a range of green labels to benefit from the trend and are increasing their marketing on these products.
Companies are also launching eco-friendly products made without volatile organic compounds that don’t contain hazardous solvents, toxic chemicals or harmful ingredients and are usually made from renewable, plant-derived ingredients.
Unilever’s Surf Excel quick wash brand with a low-rinse wash saves water. In the US, the trend is to introduce detergents with higher concentrates which not only saves water but also reduces the usage of packing material and is easy to store and transport.
Reckitt’s ‘Save Energy Save Water’ project encourages consumers to optimise the use of products and reduce energy consumption and the wastage of resources like water.
However, there are companies that have tried to leverage green trends without being sincere in what they really do. Who can the consumer trust? Which brands does the consumer believe in? Consumers today are willing to trust those brands that speak truthfully about their activities.
The sustainability ‘movement’ is gathering momentum and is reaching the tipping point. For the companies, it is all about finding solutions that are both environment-friendly and economically viable. For the consumers, it is about being able to do something for the planet, to reduce their impact on it and preserve it for future generations. Does it require any more thought that practising sustainability means good business?
Mktg - No Child's play this
Catch ’em young, could well be marketers’ motto! With children representing a significant demographic segment to marketers and pester power influencing purchase decisions, kidswear manufacturers are wooing young consumers with an array of products.
Besides retail expansion, kidswear brands both Indian and foreign are marrying psychology and marketing to create brand loyalty among the young audience.
“Children not only influence parents’ buying decisions but are also the consumers for the future. Hence, it is important to capture the market slowly,” says Ashwani Chawla, Chairman, Catmoss, a leading kidswear brand.
The kidswear market, stretching from zero-14 years, is currently dominated by players such as Lilliput, the Lakhanis-owned Gini & Jony, Raymond-owned Zapp, Weekender Kids and Catmoss besides international players such as Disney, Freelook and Benetton.
According to a KSA Technopak report, the kids’ apparel market in India is worth about Rs 27,000 crore of which only about Rs 500 crore is accounted for by the organised sector. It is growing at an average of 30-35 per cent annually.
Not surprisingly, marketers are salivating at the sheer size of the industry and devising strategies to expand not just through the retail channel but also through branding and channel communication.
Catmoss is expanding its retail footprint across the country. Besides adding 225 new stores by the end of this fiscal, Catmoss has also partnered with Yashraj Films for film merchandising. “We are the official licensee for apparel and merchandise for Bollywood’s first animated film All About Roadside Romeo. We believe this will give us significant exposure to the venture,” he added.
While issues such as functionality in kids’ garments are of critical importance, retailers are devising plans to drive up volume. With the emergence of kids’ TV channels such as POGO and Hungama TV, the fight for eyeballs is likely to be intense. This too is becoming a major plank for retailers to market their products.
“The biggest task lies in capturing the imagination of the child with innovative eye-catching design. The branding and communication has to be so catchy that children are instantly attracted to the brand,” says Sanjeev Narula, Founder Chairman, Lilliput.
Kidswear prices range from Rs 150 to Rs 5,000. This includes apparel, accessories, shoes and belts. While a majority of the retailers source apparel from markets such as China, Thailand, Egypt and the US, a slew of companies also design and develop their own range, especially ethnicwear. “We experiment with fabric and create designs which are fast moving, depending on the seasons,” explains Chawla.
Companies are also increasing the emphasis on new format stores such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle and Westside besides adding to the number of company-owned outlets. Cross-merchandising and loyalty programmes are also used extensively to woo new consumers.
Meanwhile, international brands are looking at the franchising route to expand its presence in India.
Advertisers, on the other hand, believe the marketing needs to be very crisp and clear to reach out to children. “Fashion is very seasonal and marketers need to add zing to their products to retain interest. Besides children outgrow clothes very fast hence new offerings have to be cost-effective and sustainable,” said an industry analyst.
Stating that multi-brand outlets can be explored by retailers, analysts note that the shop-in-shop model can also be explored to step up the volume and create growth in the category.
“Most childrenswear is bought from the neighbourhood shops. But high streets are becoming increasingly popular destinations for shopping for kids’ garments,” says Jiggy George, Executive Director, Cartoon Network Enterprises, India and South Asia.
Cartoon Network Enterprise (CNE), a specialised licensing and merchandising division of Cartoon Network, is beefing up its brand portfolio by branching into the kids’ merchandise business. The company, which entered the merchandise business with Bollywood film Bhootnath, said it is highly bullish on the growth of this division.
George says CNE is also eyeing the ‘character licensing business’. A range of toys will be developed around popular characters such as PowerPuff Girls and Johnny Bravo.
“The product life-cycle is getting shorter and it is especially true of the kidswear segment. It is important to market the products before they become outdated,” he adds
Besides retail expansion, kidswear brands both Indian and foreign are marrying psychology and marketing to create brand loyalty among the young audience.
“Children not only influence parents’ buying decisions but are also the consumers for the future. Hence, it is important to capture the market slowly,” says Ashwani Chawla, Chairman, Catmoss, a leading kidswear brand.
The kidswear market, stretching from zero-14 years, is currently dominated by players such as Lilliput, the Lakhanis-owned Gini & Jony, Raymond-owned Zapp, Weekender Kids and Catmoss besides international players such as Disney, Freelook and Benetton.
According to a KSA Technopak report, the kids’ apparel market in India is worth about Rs 27,000 crore of which only about Rs 500 crore is accounted for by the organised sector. It is growing at an average of 30-35 per cent annually.
Not surprisingly, marketers are salivating at the sheer size of the industry and devising strategies to expand not just through the retail channel but also through branding and channel communication.
Catmoss is expanding its retail footprint across the country. Besides adding 225 new stores by the end of this fiscal, Catmoss has also partnered with Yashraj Films for film merchandising. “We are the official licensee for apparel and merchandise for Bollywood’s first animated film All About Roadside Romeo. We believe this will give us significant exposure to the venture,” he added.
While issues such as functionality in kids’ garments are of critical importance, retailers are devising plans to drive up volume. With the emergence of kids’ TV channels such as POGO and Hungama TV, the fight for eyeballs is likely to be intense. This too is becoming a major plank for retailers to market their products.
“The biggest task lies in capturing the imagination of the child with innovative eye-catching design. The branding and communication has to be so catchy that children are instantly attracted to the brand,” says Sanjeev Narula, Founder Chairman, Lilliput.
Kidswear prices range from Rs 150 to Rs 5,000. This includes apparel, accessories, shoes and belts. While a majority of the retailers source apparel from markets such as China, Thailand, Egypt and the US, a slew of companies also design and develop their own range, especially ethnicwear. “We experiment with fabric and create designs which are fast moving, depending on the seasons,” explains Chawla.
Companies are also increasing the emphasis on new format stores such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle and Westside besides adding to the number of company-owned outlets. Cross-merchandising and loyalty programmes are also used extensively to woo new consumers.
Meanwhile, international brands are looking at the franchising route to expand its presence in India.
Advertisers, on the other hand, believe the marketing needs to be very crisp and clear to reach out to children. “Fashion is very seasonal and marketers need to add zing to their products to retain interest. Besides children outgrow clothes very fast hence new offerings have to be cost-effective and sustainable,” said an industry analyst.
Stating that multi-brand outlets can be explored by retailers, analysts note that the shop-in-shop model can also be explored to step up the volume and create growth in the category.
“Most childrenswear is bought from the neighbourhood shops. But high streets are becoming increasingly popular destinations for shopping for kids’ garments,” says Jiggy George, Executive Director, Cartoon Network Enterprises, India and South Asia.
Cartoon Network Enterprise (CNE), a specialised licensing and merchandising division of Cartoon Network, is beefing up its brand portfolio by branching into the kids’ merchandise business. The company, which entered the merchandise business with Bollywood film Bhootnath, said it is highly bullish on the growth of this division.
George says CNE is also eyeing the ‘character licensing business’. A range of toys will be developed around popular characters such as PowerPuff Girls and Johnny Bravo.
“The product life-cycle is getting shorter and it is especially true of the kidswear segment. It is important to market the products before they become outdated,” he adds
Business - Change Management at LG
To become an ideal employer, LG is stressing work-life balance and starting career development programmes.
LG Electronics India never had any problem in attracting job aspirants thanks to its industry leadership status and strong brand equity. But retaining employees was a different story altogether: attrition had become a huge problem, partly because of general talent shortage, but mostly because of the pressure-cooker existence most employees faced. In short, the Korean major wasn't exactly distinguishing itself as an employer of choice.
But that seems to be changing now. Yasho V Verma, one of the first recruits of LG India in 1997 and now the HR director, doesn't admit that the company was fast losing its position as one of the best employers (the attrition rate is still much below the industry average, he says), but talks eloquently about the change management initiatives LG has taken in the past few months.
To begin with, LG has banned working on Sundays — a huge change from its earlier culture of employees burning the midnight oil even on weekends. Sensing that old habits die hard, Verma and his team often call up employees on their home landlines just to make sure they are not in office or out on assignments. "Employees' wives are the best informants in this case," laughs Verma. The company even has a family ambassador programme where a dedicated mentor goes to the employees' houses and talks to their family about their problems, among other things.
LG, which is one of the best paymasters in the industry (the company gave an average 18 per cent increment this year), is embarking on other initiatives as well. In September it is due to launch an ambitious five-year career development programme for 2,000 of its executives. The preparatory process, that began in March last year with the help of an outside consultant, has done an assessment of each candidate — where s/he will or can be five years from now, and her/his training needs. A four-member team will be in charge of monitoring the programme from Day One.
In view of a volatile business environment and the fast-changing skill requirements, LG has drawn two sets of plan for the 30 senior-most candidates. "These people have to drive growth and do course corrections whenever required. The training programme for them will have to be flexible enough," says Verma. LG has spent just Rs 1 crore to formulate this programme, but hopes to get enormous returns.
The five-year career planning programme is in sync with the changing eco-system and Verma hopes this will help shore up the long-term commitment of employees. It will also help identify top performers and put them on the fast track to plum positions.
The programme makes sense as a well-defined career opportunity plan is a key driver of employee engagement, clearly reflecting the aspirations of a restless and demanding workforce that is keen to ride the growth wave. Studies have shown that 76 of the employees at Best Employers are satisfied with their career opportunities, compared to just about 50 per cent of the rest. It also goes well with LG's philosophy that at least 20 per cent of its worldwide subsidiaries should have local CEOs.
Comprehensive training has always been in LG's DNA. For example, once a quarter, all work at LG India comes to an absolute standstill. That's the day when everybody is in the classroom, taking a test that is administered in all parts of the globe. Everybody from the top to the bottom of the pyramid takes the test and those who score the highest get attractive prizes. On an average, each LG employee undergoes at least 10 days of training each year.
Verma says a certain amount of stress is inevitable in today's competitive environment and in an economy that is growing at such a fast pace. So recruiting the right candidate is a priority. Apart from the usual biometric tests and other background checks, LG also conducts "negative interviews" to assess whether the candidate will be able to survive organisational stress.
Verma himself experienced this before joining the company. After a brief chat with the CEO, he was led into a room to meet three senior executives of the company. "The four of us sat in absolute silence for about 15 minutes. They were supposed to have interacted and assessed me, but instead none of us exchanged a word and finally the meeting was declared over," he says.
He got his appointment letter the next day! He was told that the company had already done intensive background research on him and the previous day's meeting was held merely to study his body language, pick up vital cues and make a final selection. The incident gave him a good understanding of how LG conducts its recruitments.
The HR director is putting his understanding to good use indeed.
LG Electronics India never had any problem in attracting job aspirants thanks to its industry leadership status and strong brand equity. But retaining employees was a different story altogether: attrition had become a huge problem, partly because of general talent shortage, but mostly because of the pressure-cooker existence most employees faced. In short, the Korean major wasn't exactly distinguishing itself as an employer of choice.
But that seems to be changing now. Yasho V Verma, one of the first recruits of LG India in 1997 and now the HR director, doesn't admit that the company was fast losing its position as one of the best employers (the attrition rate is still much below the industry average, he says), but talks eloquently about the change management initiatives LG has taken in the past few months.
To begin with, LG has banned working on Sundays — a huge change from its earlier culture of employees burning the midnight oil even on weekends. Sensing that old habits die hard, Verma and his team often call up employees on their home landlines just to make sure they are not in office or out on assignments. "Employees' wives are the best informants in this case," laughs Verma. The company even has a family ambassador programme where a dedicated mentor goes to the employees' houses and talks to their family about their problems, among other things.
LG, which is one of the best paymasters in the industry (the company gave an average 18 per cent increment this year), is embarking on other initiatives as well. In September it is due to launch an ambitious five-year career development programme for 2,000 of its executives. The preparatory process, that began in March last year with the help of an outside consultant, has done an assessment of each candidate — where s/he will or can be five years from now, and her/his training needs. A four-member team will be in charge of monitoring the programme from Day One.
In view of a volatile business environment and the fast-changing skill requirements, LG has drawn two sets of plan for the 30 senior-most candidates. "These people have to drive growth and do course corrections whenever required. The training programme for them will have to be flexible enough," says Verma. LG has spent just Rs 1 crore to formulate this programme, but hopes to get enormous returns.
The five-year career planning programme is in sync with the changing eco-system and Verma hopes this will help shore up the long-term commitment of employees. It will also help identify top performers and put them on the fast track to plum positions.
The programme makes sense as a well-defined career opportunity plan is a key driver of employee engagement, clearly reflecting the aspirations of a restless and demanding workforce that is keen to ride the growth wave. Studies have shown that 76 of the employees at Best Employers are satisfied with their career opportunities, compared to just about 50 per cent of the rest. It also goes well with LG's philosophy that at least 20 per cent of its worldwide subsidiaries should have local CEOs.
Comprehensive training has always been in LG's DNA. For example, once a quarter, all work at LG India comes to an absolute standstill. That's the day when everybody is in the classroom, taking a test that is administered in all parts of the globe. Everybody from the top to the bottom of the pyramid takes the test and those who score the highest get attractive prizes. On an average, each LG employee undergoes at least 10 days of training each year.
Verma says a certain amount of stress is inevitable in today's competitive environment and in an economy that is growing at such a fast pace. So recruiting the right candidate is a priority. Apart from the usual biometric tests and other background checks, LG also conducts "negative interviews" to assess whether the candidate will be able to survive organisational stress.
Verma himself experienced this before joining the company. After a brief chat with the CEO, he was led into a room to meet three senior executives of the company. "The four of us sat in absolute silence for about 15 minutes. They were supposed to have interacted and assessed me, but instead none of us exchanged a word and finally the meeting was declared over," he says.
He got his appointment letter the next day! He was told that the company had already done intensive background research on him and the previous day's meeting was held merely to study his body language, pick up vital cues and make a final selection. The incident gave him a good understanding of how LG conducts its recruitments.
The HR director is putting his understanding to good use indeed.
India - Indian builders need chinese rules
It's now quite evident that real estate companies are in for some difficult times. CRISIL not only foresees a delay in many planned and ongoing projects, it believes several players are over-leveraged and that the combination of sluggish demand and rising costs will lead to a shakeout. In particular, residential complexes, funded largely by customer advances, have been severely hit by the slowdown in bookings, which means it will be a while before the projects are completed. So it's going to be a long and painful wait for buyers who have paid up. Much of this pain could perhaps have been avoided if the government kept an eye on builders and subjected them to more scrutiny. Indian laws, it would appear, are far too lenient. In China, for instance, developers can pre-sell a residential property only when one-third or two-thirds of the construction is complete, depending on which province they're in. It's a far easier world out here where builders are free to pre-sell property even before they've started digging. Those who want to own a home of their own, and who doesn't, often have little choice but to play along. Buyers also have very little idea about how their hard-earned money is being utilised by the developer. In China, we're told, mortgage payments have to be utilised for a specific project. Maybe that's the way it should be done here too; builders would then not be able to divert customer advances for other purposes.
Because that's precisely what some of them appear to have been doing. Overly ambitious developers have bid for land banks and are now scrambling for the money to settle the bills. Unless things take a turn for the better, these developers will probably not have the financial wherewithal to start building even if they get possession of the land. And neither will they be penalised for this. In China, a realty firm must develop the land acquired within a certain time frame, failing which the appreciation in the value of the land is taxed. Back home that's not the case, so there's really no hurry to start any construction, the land can simply lie vacant. It's a pity that this can happen in a country where there are so few houses and so many more people waiting for a home of their own.
Chinese developers hold relatively small land banks; brokerage CLSA estimates it would be sufficient for development over a 4- to 10-year period, depending on growth targets; in India developers are estimated to be holding on to land banks for anywhere between 8 and 15 years. To be fair, approvals in India do take much longer than they do in China because much of the land is agricultural land. But even then, companies appear to be in a hurry to pick up property. Given that there's a downturn in the offing, they might just end up owing a lot of inventory at a time when prices are coming off. Most Indian property players are already so highly leveraged that few would be able to cash in on falling prices. The difference in the amount of debt that Indian and Chinese players have on their books is striking. The average gearing for listed Chinese developers, CLSA reckons, is 50-60 per cent with only a couple of them at 100 per cent. For companies back home, the average would be closer to 100 per cent with a couple of firms indulging themselves beyond that. What's more, some of them are not able to recover their money in time; receivables for Parsvanath rose by about 20 per cent sequentially in the March 2008 quarter. The higher cost of money means the debt will continue to pile up.
As it is, it's not easy to tell what kind of shape the finances of property firms are in. That's because the percentage-of-completion method followed by companies means that sales and profits and recognised well before the entire project is completed. That just won't do in China; revenues there flow into the books only after the project has been completed and the property handed over to the buyers. In that sense, investors in property stocks may want to note, Indian firms would seem to be less transparent than their Chinese peers.
That's possibly because they can get away with it. As CLSA notes, in India property developers are "friends" of policy makers in India. On the contrary in China, while they may enjoy similar good relations with the provincial governments, the central government has been seen to be taking aggressive steps against the sector. Conditions in the real estate space in China today are pretty similar to those in India. Property markets there too have weakened and buyers are biding their time. A big difference, however, is that property prices in China are still considered affordable whereas back home even a modest home remains out of reach. That's the main reason why there have been so few transactions. It's time we changed some of the rules, home buyers deserve better.
Because that's precisely what some of them appear to have been doing. Overly ambitious developers have bid for land banks and are now scrambling for the money to settle the bills. Unless things take a turn for the better, these developers will probably not have the financial wherewithal to start building even if they get possession of the land. And neither will they be penalised for this. In China, a realty firm must develop the land acquired within a certain time frame, failing which the appreciation in the value of the land is taxed. Back home that's not the case, so there's really no hurry to start any construction, the land can simply lie vacant. It's a pity that this can happen in a country where there are so few houses and so many more people waiting for a home of their own.
Chinese developers hold relatively small land banks; brokerage CLSA estimates it would be sufficient for development over a 4- to 10-year period, depending on growth targets; in India developers are estimated to be holding on to land banks for anywhere between 8 and 15 years. To be fair, approvals in India do take much longer than they do in China because much of the land is agricultural land. But even then, companies appear to be in a hurry to pick up property. Given that there's a downturn in the offing, they might just end up owing a lot of inventory at a time when prices are coming off. Most Indian property players are already so highly leveraged that few would be able to cash in on falling prices. The difference in the amount of debt that Indian and Chinese players have on their books is striking. The average gearing for listed Chinese developers, CLSA reckons, is 50-60 per cent with only a couple of them at 100 per cent. For companies back home, the average would be closer to 100 per cent with a couple of firms indulging themselves beyond that. What's more, some of them are not able to recover their money in time; receivables for Parsvanath rose by about 20 per cent sequentially in the March 2008 quarter. The higher cost of money means the debt will continue to pile up.
As it is, it's not easy to tell what kind of shape the finances of property firms are in. That's because the percentage-of-completion method followed by companies means that sales and profits and recognised well before the entire project is completed. That just won't do in China; revenues there flow into the books only after the project has been completed and the property handed over to the buyers. In that sense, investors in property stocks may want to note, Indian firms would seem to be less transparent than their Chinese peers.
That's possibly because they can get away with it. As CLSA notes, in India property developers are "friends" of policy makers in India. On the contrary in China, while they may enjoy similar good relations with the provincial governments, the central government has been seen to be taking aggressive steps against the sector. Conditions in the real estate space in China today are pretty similar to those in India. Property markets there too have weakened and buyers are biding their time. A big difference, however, is that property prices in China are still considered affordable whereas back home even a modest home remains out of reach. That's the main reason why there have been so few transactions. It's time we changed some of the rules, home buyers deserve better.
World - Traps while banking on the net
WASHINGTON: More than 75% of bank websites were flawed and could expose customers to cyber thieves eyeing their money or their identity, according to a survey by the University of Michigan. Atul Prakash, an electrical engineering professor and doctoral students Laura Falk and Kevin Borders based their findings on an in-depth study of websites of 214 financial institutions in 2006. These design flaws stem from the flow and the layout of these websites. They include placing login boxes and contact information on insecure web pages as well as failing to keep users on the site they initially visited. “To our surprise, design flaws that could compromise security were widespread and included some of the largest banks in the country,” Mr Prakash said. “Our focus was on users who try to be careful, but unfortunately some bank sites make it hard for customers to make the right security decisions when doing online banking.” Mr Prakash said some banks may have taken steps to resolve these problems since this data was gathered, but overall he still sees much need for improvement. The flaws leave cracks in security that hackers could exploit to gain access to private information and accounts. The Federal Deposit Insurance (FDIC) said computer intrusion, while relatively rare compared with financial crimes like mortgage fraud and cheque fraud, is a growing problem for banks and their customers. A recent FDIC Technology Incident Report, compiled from suspicious activity reports banks file quarterly, lists 536 cases of computer intrusion, with an average loss per incident of $30,000. That adds up to a nearly $16-million loss in the second quarter of 2007. Computer intrusions increased by 150% between the first quarter of 2007 and the second. In 80% of the cases, the source of the intrusion is unknown but it occurred during online banking, the report states. The design flaws that Prakash and his team looked for are pacing secure login boxes on insecure pages, which was being done by 47% of banks. A hacker could reroute data entered in the boxes or create a spoof copy of the page to harvest information. In a wireless situation, it’s possible to conduct this man-in-the-middle attack without changing the bank URL for the user, so even a vigilant customer could fall victim. To solve this problem, banks should use the standard ‘secure socket layer’ (SSL) protocol on pages that ask for sensitive information, Mr Prakash said (SSL-protected pages begin with https rather than http.) Most banks use SSL technology for some of their pages, but only a minority secure all their pages this way. Putting contact information and security advice on insecure pages: At 55%, this was the flaw with the most offenders. An attacker could change an address or phone number and set up his own call centre to gather private data from customers who need help. When the bank redirects customers to a site outside the bank’s domain for certain transactions without warning, it has failed to maintain a context for good security decisions, Mr Prakash said. He found this problem in 30% of the banks surveyed. Often the look of the site changes, as well as URL and it’s hard for the user to know whether to trust this new site. The e-mail data path is generally not secure, Mr Prakash said, adding that 31% of bank websites had this flaw. These banks offered to e-mail passwords or statements. The researchers will present these findings at the Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security meeting at Carnegie Mellon University Friday
World - Spiralling cost of living in metros
NEW DELHI: Renting a twobedroom luxury flat in Mumbai is more expensive than that of Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or even Seoul.The cost of petrol is higher than that of Tokyo. And the price of 1 kg long grain white rice in a medium priced establishment is more than that of Singapore or Beijing.Mumbai is catching up with the biggest metros of the world in more ways than one. The cost of living in the city has risen considerably since last year.
But Mumbaikars are not the only ones coping with high prices. With inflation in India shooting above 11% this month, people in Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore too are equally feeling the pinch of price rise.The annual Cost of Living Survey done by Mercer, a global consulting firm, in 143 cities around the world reveals all the four Indian metros have moved up the ranking.
Mumbai ranked 48 this year — up four places since last year — still remains the most expensive city in India. New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai are also moving faster up the ladder.Ranked 55, the capital moved up 13 places since last year, while both Chennai at 117 and Bangalore at 118 moved up 16 places since last year.Experts says, high inflation and a strengthening rupee are some of the important factors that have contributed to the changes in the ranking of Indian cities.
"Overall, the Indian cities are moving up as the aspirational demand and resulting cost of consumer goods increases, says Gangapriya Chakraverti, Business Leader for Information Product Solutions , Mercer.Although the traditionally expensive cities of western Europe and Asia still feature in the top 20, cities in Eastern Europe, Brazil and India are inching up the list.In fact, cities like Stockholm and New York now appear less costly by comparison," adds Chakraverti.
Incidentally, New York, which also happens to be the base city against whom the global cities were compared, too, has moved up a few ranks from 15 to 22 this year.Moscow continues to be the most expensive city, followed by Tokyo which moved up two places since last year. London emerged third most costly city down one place since last year and Oslo stood 4th up from 10th position in 2007.Incidentally , Asuncisn in Paraguay is the least expensive city in the ranking for the sixth consecutive year
But Mumbaikars are not the only ones coping with high prices. With inflation in India shooting above 11% this month, people in Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore too are equally feeling the pinch of price rise.The annual Cost of Living Survey done by Mercer, a global consulting firm, in 143 cities around the world reveals all the four Indian metros have moved up the ranking.
Mumbai ranked 48 this year — up four places since last year — still remains the most expensive city in India. New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai are also moving faster up the ladder.Ranked 55, the capital moved up 13 places since last year, while both Chennai at 117 and Bangalore at 118 moved up 16 places since last year.Experts says, high inflation and a strengthening rupee are some of the important factors that have contributed to the changes in the ranking of Indian cities.
"Overall, the Indian cities are moving up as the aspirational demand and resulting cost of consumer goods increases, says Gangapriya Chakraverti, Business Leader for Information Product Solutions , Mercer.Although the traditionally expensive cities of western Europe and Asia still feature in the top 20, cities in Eastern Europe, Brazil and India are inching up the list.In fact, cities like Stockholm and New York now appear less costly by comparison," adds Chakraverti.
Incidentally, New York, which also happens to be the base city against whom the global cities were compared, too, has moved up a few ranks from 15 to 22 this year.Moscow continues to be the most expensive city, followed by Tokyo which moved up two places since last year. London emerged third most costly city down one place since last year and Oslo stood 4th up from 10th position in 2007.Incidentally , Asuncisn in Paraguay is the least expensive city in the ranking for the sixth consecutive year
Entertainment - Discovery Channel's Rahul
Discovery is in restructuring mode. Earlier this year, it announced a reshuffle at the top to handle India operations. And the India office, which was reporting directly in to the Discovery headquarters at Silver Spring, Washington DC, will now come under Singapore as part of the integration strategy.
On the content front, Animal Planet introduced a Hindi feed in April to increase penetration. Discovery Travel and Living is eyeing to put its personality-driven shows at the 10 pm slot.
The company is also adding new channels like Discovery HD to grow the market in India.
Indiantelevision.com's Ashwin Pinto caught up with Discovery India senior VP, GM Rahul Johri to find out more about the company's aggressive plans in India.
Excerpts:
What is the main reason behind the restructuring that took place in Discovery recently?Discovery went into local markets in Europe a few years back, and this yielded very good results. Applying the same model, the Asia Pacific region has been broken up into six - the Saarc countries which include India, China, Japan, North Asia, Australia/New Zealand and South East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore).
In India, people have moved up a level. I have management responsibility for India while Rajiv Bakshi looks after marketing. Then there is a regional managing director who sits in Singapore.
We now work and coordinate with Singapore. The response time is much quicker.
Earlier when we reported to Washington, the time zones were different. Also, what is a priority for us may not be as important for them. Now operations are easier in terms of taking decisions and getting clearances.
How does the new operational structure help Discovery India?Discovery Asia has a strong infrastructure. This will now be more accessible to us. We can approach opportunities on an Asia wide basis as opposed to simply focussing on one country. For instance if a local production is being done out of India or Singapore, it can then be expanded to include other Asian countries. Solutions can be provided to enable this. On the client side also, we can provide solutions more easily so that they get visibility across the region and not just in one country.
What are the key focus areas for India?Collaborating with the other regions in Asia to drive growth will be important. Sharing of content and resources will be key. We will also strengthen the branding of our channels by making the content more definitive. We will keep refreshing content across all the channels so that audiences get what they want to watch.
Are you looking at growth through launch of more channels?Yes! As the Indian television market matures, it is a good time for specialised channels to launch as they help break through the clutter.
We have 14 channels and we will bring what we feel will click the best. Discovery HD is definitely a channel we are keen on bringing to India. Discovery Science is another channel that we feel would work well here. Of course, it is also important for cable to go digital. Otherwise getting carried gets difficult.
Discovery has launched Planet Green, a new channel for environment, in the US. Do Are there plans to launch in India?The channel has just launched in the US. A band of the channel will launch in Southeast Asia. We will see how viewers respond to it. We will test the programming in India and then decide on whether or not to launch the channel here.
In terms of revenue, how important is India within Asia?India is one of the top markets along with Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Subscription plays a key role everywhere. In India there has been strong growth in ad sales.
How is Animal Planet faring after going Hindi?The most important thing was the Hindi feed being introduced in April. Now we are able to compete better with National Geographic. Going Hindi was, thus, a progressive step. We play to the core strength of the channel which is focussing on the animal kingdom. We also have hosted shows.
Will you be doing a Hindi feed for Discovery Travel and Living?No! It worked for our other two channels as there is a lot of commentary. In Discovery Travel and Living, though, it will not be natural to see, for instance, two Chinese people speaking in Hindi.
How has Discovery Travel and Living evolved as a brand since launching four years back?DTL is perceived as being a distinctive lifestyle channel for upmarket viewers. People are now familiar with our anchors like Nigella Lawson. They also identify with individual shows like our biker content. We keep refreshing our programming. We bring new shows regularly.
What have been the programming highlights for the channel this year?We did a show with Manish Arora. We are doing two more India productions which will premiere later this year. Our big show now is Cheese Slices. Food is a popular genre for us. So we will kick off a show, Indian Food Made Easy, which will be hosted by Anjum Anand.
We will be launching a multimedia campaign to push our 10 pm slot. This is because our viewers tune in a little later. Personality-based shows will air at this time, seven days a week. The message of the campaign is that at this time you will see hosts like Nigella Lawson, Ian Wright and Anthony Bourdain; the campaign theme will focus on the most recognisable faces on the channel. This will be the largest campaign ever done for the channel.
Is the aim to bring in appointment viewing?This is one of the goals. The campaign will showcase our biggest properties. We are hoping that it will help expand the reach of the channel and drive in new viewership. It is important that our campaign not focus on just one show. By pushing a band, the recall will be high among viewers.
In what way is the programming strategy being fine tuned for local audiences?When we started, we had very little India content. We now produce shows from India. Every global show that is being produced, has a segment on India. So if Anthony Bourdain does a new season, he will visit India as well. This is how the relevance of India is growing. Ian Wright used to just host Globetrekker which is about backpack travel. Most of our viewers do not do that. So we tweaked it and now Wright does VIP Weekends. He visits the best hotels globally.
Has the thematic weekend concept worked?It has done well and the thematic weekends are continuing. But over time our aim is to build a theme across a day - rather than having one theme continuing everyday. Our aim is to strengthen the genres. For instance if you take shows like Anthony Bourdain and Cheese Slices, it is not just about food. It is also about travel, visiting new places. Different genres get intertwined.
What do you look for in a local show?We always look out for good local concepts. Our aim is to have a definitive show in a certain genre. Once we have decided on this, then we go with the best talent. So we roped in Manish Arora to do a fashion show. He is suited for television as he is so colourful.
Our shows have to have an individual and distinctive personality. They need to be of the same class and quality as the other shows that we air. There can't be any compromise as the same shows travel abroad and showcase India to the world.
What are the other time bands that DTL is developing outside the 10 pm slot?We are also looking at the midnight to 1 am time slot. People watch us at that hour. I think that some channels are missing out on viewership by not concentrating on this audience. They simply run repeats at this hour. Many people work till late and then watch television.
Is it difficult to get clients to commit serious monies for Discovery Travel and Living with the economy in a downturn?Our market is on an upswing. Our TG has not been impacted by the downturn. We have over 600 brands with us including L'Oreal and the car companies. Volkswagen is starting a marketing campaign and they are using our channel as a vehicle. Packaged good companies also advertise with us. Companies that want to target the premium audience cut out wastage completely when they come to us.
What are the tentpole properties coming up for Discovery?Ultimate Olympics is a show that we will air. It looks at the work that has gone behind putting the Olympic Games together. The show gets over a day before the Games start. Another show that will air is Download. This focusses on stories from the internet like the competition between EBay and Amazon.
We will also celebrate Nasa's 50th anniversary with a show When We Left Earth. Nasa has given us footage of the Apollo Missions. This is the first time that Nasa has done this.
What is Discovery's new media strategy?We already have our website. For the mobile, 3G has to happen; the phones have to support rich media content. Right now one is still with ring tones and music tones.
On the content front, Animal Planet introduced a Hindi feed in April to increase penetration. Discovery Travel and Living is eyeing to put its personality-driven shows at the 10 pm slot.
The company is also adding new channels like Discovery HD to grow the market in India.
Indiantelevision.com's Ashwin Pinto caught up with Discovery India senior VP, GM Rahul Johri to find out more about the company's aggressive plans in India.
Excerpts:
What is the main reason behind the restructuring that took place in Discovery recently?Discovery went into local markets in Europe a few years back, and this yielded very good results. Applying the same model, the Asia Pacific region has been broken up into six - the Saarc countries which include India, China, Japan, North Asia, Australia/New Zealand and South East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore).
In India, people have moved up a level. I have management responsibility for India while Rajiv Bakshi looks after marketing. Then there is a regional managing director who sits in Singapore.
We now work and coordinate with Singapore. The response time is much quicker.
Earlier when we reported to Washington, the time zones were different. Also, what is a priority for us may not be as important for them. Now operations are easier in terms of taking decisions and getting clearances.
How does the new operational structure help Discovery India?Discovery Asia has a strong infrastructure. This will now be more accessible to us. We can approach opportunities on an Asia wide basis as opposed to simply focussing on one country. For instance if a local production is being done out of India or Singapore, it can then be expanded to include other Asian countries. Solutions can be provided to enable this. On the client side also, we can provide solutions more easily so that they get visibility across the region and not just in one country.
What are the key focus areas for India?Collaborating with the other regions in Asia to drive growth will be important. Sharing of content and resources will be key. We will also strengthen the branding of our channels by making the content more definitive. We will keep refreshing content across all the channels so that audiences get what they want to watch.
Are you looking at growth through launch of more channels?Yes! As the Indian television market matures, it is a good time for specialised channels to launch as they help break through the clutter.
We have 14 channels and we will bring what we feel will click the best. Discovery HD is definitely a channel we are keen on bringing to India. Discovery Science is another channel that we feel would work well here. Of course, it is also important for cable to go digital. Otherwise getting carried gets difficult.
Discovery has launched Planet Green, a new channel for environment, in the US. Do Are there plans to launch in India?The channel has just launched in the US. A band of the channel will launch in Southeast Asia. We will see how viewers respond to it. We will test the programming in India and then decide on whether or not to launch the channel here.
In terms of revenue, how important is India within Asia?India is one of the top markets along with Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Subscription plays a key role everywhere. In India there has been strong growth in ad sales.
How is Animal Planet faring after going Hindi?The most important thing was the Hindi feed being introduced in April. Now we are able to compete better with National Geographic. Going Hindi was, thus, a progressive step. We play to the core strength of the channel which is focussing on the animal kingdom. We also have hosted shows.
Will you be doing a Hindi feed for Discovery Travel and Living?No! It worked for our other two channels as there is a lot of commentary. In Discovery Travel and Living, though, it will not be natural to see, for instance, two Chinese people speaking in Hindi.
How has Discovery Travel and Living evolved as a brand since launching four years back?DTL is perceived as being a distinctive lifestyle channel for upmarket viewers. People are now familiar with our anchors like Nigella Lawson. They also identify with individual shows like our biker content. We keep refreshing our programming. We bring new shows regularly.
What have been the programming highlights for the channel this year?We did a show with Manish Arora. We are doing two more India productions which will premiere later this year. Our big show now is Cheese Slices. Food is a popular genre for us. So we will kick off a show, Indian Food Made Easy, which will be hosted by Anjum Anand.
We will be launching a multimedia campaign to push our 10 pm slot. This is because our viewers tune in a little later. Personality-based shows will air at this time, seven days a week. The message of the campaign is that at this time you will see hosts like Nigella Lawson, Ian Wright and Anthony Bourdain; the campaign theme will focus on the most recognisable faces on the channel. This will be the largest campaign ever done for the channel.
Is the aim to bring in appointment viewing?This is one of the goals. The campaign will showcase our biggest properties. We are hoping that it will help expand the reach of the channel and drive in new viewership. It is important that our campaign not focus on just one show. By pushing a band, the recall will be high among viewers.
In what way is the programming strategy being fine tuned for local audiences?When we started, we had very little India content. We now produce shows from India. Every global show that is being produced, has a segment on India. So if Anthony Bourdain does a new season, he will visit India as well. This is how the relevance of India is growing. Ian Wright used to just host Globetrekker which is about backpack travel. Most of our viewers do not do that. So we tweaked it and now Wright does VIP Weekends. He visits the best hotels globally.
Has the thematic weekend concept worked?It has done well and the thematic weekends are continuing. But over time our aim is to build a theme across a day - rather than having one theme continuing everyday. Our aim is to strengthen the genres. For instance if you take shows like Anthony Bourdain and Cheese Slices, it is not just about food. It is also about travel, visiting new places. Different genres get intertwined.
What do you look for in a local show?We always look out for good local concepts. Our aim is to have a definitive show in a certain genre. Once we have decided on this, then we go with the best talent. So we roped in Manish Arora to do a fashion show. He is suited for television as he is so colourful.
Our shows have to have an individual and distinctive personality. They need to be of the same class and quality as the other shows that we air. There can't be any compromise as the same shows travel abroad and showcase India to the world.
What are the other time bands that DTL is developing outside the 10 pm slot?We are also looking at the midnight to 1 am time slot. People watch us at that hour. I think that some channels are missing out on viewership by not concentrating on this audience. They simply run repeats at this hour. Many people work till late and then watch television.
Is it difficult to get clients to commit serious monies for Discovery Travel and Living with the economy in a downturn?Our market is on an upswing. Our TG has not been impacted by the downturn. We have over 600 brands with us including L'Oreal and the car companies. Volkswagen is starting a marketing campaign and they are using our channel as a vehicle. Packaged good companies also advertise with us. Companies that want to target the premium audience cut out wastage completely when they come to us.
What are the tentpole properties coming up for Discovery?Ultimate Olympics is a show that we will air. It looks at the work that has gone behind putting the Olympic Games together. The show gets over a day before the Games start. Another show that will air is Download. This focusses on stories from the internet like the competition between EBay and Amazon.
We will also celebrate Nasa's 50th anniversary with a show When We Left Earth. Nasa has given us footage of the Apollo Missions. This is the first time that Nasa has done this.
What is Discovery's new media strategy?We already have our website. For the mobile, 3G has to happen; the phones have to support rich media content. Right now one is still with ring tones and music tones.
World - British professionals gets lessons in indian etiquette
LONDON: Kissing Indian women goodbye is out for young British businessmen and professionals flying out to India to explore new job opportunities. And visitors should be mindful of something that every Indian knows - their hosts are terrible at timekeeping. These pointers to how to go about your business in India are part of etiquette classes being offered by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) - the British government's lead organisation supporting the promotion of bilateral trade, business and investment. The classes, dubbed "cultural briefings", are part of an Insight India series and are being held in London as part of the UKIBC's efforts to foster greater and better understanding of Indian practices among young British professionals and business people. "Helping business succeed in India is our priority and integral to doing business in India is an understanding of its religions, politics and etiquette," said UKIBC CEO Sharon Bamford. According to the British Council, there are already over 32,000 Britons who live in India and the number is growing steadily. The etiquette lessons, taught by well-known culture experts, are aimed at giving Britons an understanding of the different values and attitudes as well as addressing stereotypes and generalisations. The following are some key lessons from the UKIBC's "Indian business etiquette": - Greet with a smile, handshake and small talk - Saying 'Namaste' with a slight bow and palms together will be appreciated - With women, only shake hands if they offer it. Do not kiss them in greeting or goodbye - Always address colleagues with title followed by surname e.g. Mr Patel. Using a first name is seen as being very familiar and disrespectful - Don't open gifts until the giver has left the room. Don't seem too eager to open gifts - Indians are not always punctual. So be patient and flexible - They may call on weekends for discussing business. Don't be offended.
World - World's first test tube baby turns 30
LONDON: The birth of Louise Brown, the world's first IVF baby, hit headlines around the globe three decades ago - but the married mother-of-one wants to keep her 30th birthday on Friday low-key by contrast. Brown lives in Bristol with husband Wesley Mullinder and 18-month-old son Cameron. Although her birth opened the door for millions of infertile couples worldwide to give birth to IVF (in vitro fertilisation) or test tube babies, Brown has no big plans to celebrate the landmark date. Louise Joy Brown was born on July 25, 1978 at Oldham and district general hospital in England by Caesarean section, weighing 2.61 kilogrammes. Her parents, Lesley and John, had been trying to have children but could not because Lesley's fallopian tubes were blocked. The couple heard about research by Cambridge University physiologist Robert Edwards and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe and signed up with them for fertility treatment.
World - A gun that can regulate speeds
CHICAGO: A US company is developing a gun that can fire bullets with variable speed and can be set to kill, wound or just cause a bruise. Lund and Company Invention, a Chicago-based toy design studio, which makes toy rockets that are powered by burning hydrogen, is receiving funding from the US army to adapt the same technology for firing bullets as the army is interested in weapons that can be switched between lethal and non-lethal modes. The new weapon, called the Variable Velocity Weapon System, lets the soldier use the same rifle for crowd control and combat, by altering the muzzle velocity. It could be loaded with "rubber bullets" to deliver blunt impact, full-speed lethal rounds or projectiles somewhere between the two. The gun works by mixing a liquid or gaseous fuel with air in a combustion chamber behind the bullet. This determines the explosive capability of the propellant and consequently the velocity of the bullet, as it leaves the gun.
Lifestyle - A drug named television
Television viewing has become the Indian drug of choice. As the drug suppliers, offering more and more channels and inane programmes to fill them, celebrate the mass addiction, cautionary voices warning of the dangers tend to be lost in the self-congratulatory cacophony of the pushers and users. Over the last two decades, studies from many parts of the world have established the harmful consequences of television viewing. They find little mention in our popular discourse although their validity is no less than of studies which link smoking to serious health problems. I am not even talking of the psychological impact of the content of television programmes. For instance, the relation between violence shown on television and the increase of actual violence is now clear cut. Only someone who is ignorant of facts can continue to doubt that television increases the propensity to violence. What one refers to as the harmful consequences of this recreational drug relates not to what is shown on television but to the mere fact of television consumption. For instance, we read alarming reports of obesity among middle-class Indian children and youth. Studies from other parts of the world have conclusively linked the increase in obesity to rise in television viewing. Take the example of China. In 1997, when less than 8 per cent of Chinese children watched TV for more than two hours, there was no relation between television consumption and body weight. Less than three years later, with a striking increase in television sales and in hours of viewing, there was a clear relationship between television consumption and obesity. In absolute numbers, there are more obese children in China today than in the United States. We are not far behind, if we haven't already caught up with the leaders in this particular race. The mechanisms that establish the relationship between television viewing and obesity are well known. A couch potato by definition expends very little energy. In fact, the energy used in watching television is less than in any other human activity. Even doing nothing uses up more calories than watching television. Unless, of course, one is continuously surfing channels, an activity highly recommended for those who are unable to rid themselves of the addiction. The second mechanism that links television to obesity is the change in eating habits. The role model effect on children of actors endorsing high calorie products, like colas by Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar, or potato chips by Saif Ali Khan, and chocolates by Amitabh Bachchan, cannot be underestimated. But even without these role models, an increased consumption of sweets, salted snacks and artificially sweetened drinks, the bhajias and chiwadas, and less intake of vegetables and fruits by children and young people is significantly related to the amount spent in front of the television. Moreover, children in whose homes television is on at meal times eat more than those where the set is switched off. If a government watchdog for the media is at all needed, then television should perhaps be shifted from the purview of the information and broadcasting ministry to the health ministry, even at the risk of taking our chances with Anbumani Ramadoss. We Indians, who traditionally tend to equate being overweight with being "healthy", may not be unduly alarmed by the studies linking obesity to TV consumption. But with our deep commitment to the education of our children and our obsession with their academic achievement, we will perhaps sit up and take particular notice of some other studies. These explode the myth that all the information that television spews out will make a child grow up as a more aware, thinking adult. Long-term studies in other countries demonstrate that television viewing is negatively related to academic achievement. Television consumption of a child between five and 15 years of age influences the academic level he or she is likely to achieve as a 26-year-old adult. This finding, too, should not surprise us. Television is not like ancient Greek or Indian theatre where the engagement of the public was intense and profound. Thinking about good and evil were the most important tasks of Greek theatre and its dramas were thought of as an aid to introspection. Television is more akin to the circus of the Romans. More than 90 per cent of television programming is entertainment. It is a culture of spectacle, where the viewer is a passive participant. At the height of the Roman Empire, Italian psychologist Luigi Zoja tells us, when there were 200 holidays in the year, the populace spent whole days at the Colosseum, watching spectacles that stimulated emotions but were intended to diminish thought. The equivalent of the Roman Colosseum of yore in contemporary India is the TV set in each household; the Roman gladiators have been replaced by IPL cricket warriors. I confess to watching all IPL matches that were not affected by the frequent power breakdowns in my Goa village. I put on three pounds of weight. I luckily no longer aspire to any academic achievement.
Business - Home video label takes alternate routes
MUMBAI: Ramdev Baba’s gut-wrenching exercises have a devout following. But these days, the yoga guru is facing competition from unusual quarters — actor Shilpa Shetty.The Bollywood star’s DVD title Shilpa’s Yoga — replete with a complete yoga workout session — is selling like hot cakes in the organised retail segment. Her asanas are also ringing in money for Shemaroo, which owns the title’s home video rights. Home video labels claim such alternative content videos, which are priced between Rs 50 and Rs 500, are fetching higher revenues for them.Crossword, a lifestyle bookstore, says videos with alternative content feature among its top 5 home video best-sellers titles. Shilpa’s Yoga, it says, is the second best-selling video. Moser Baer also claims that the company has sold around 1 lakh copies of the TV series Ramayana on home video. Call it lack of better buying options in the movie segment, but there’s no denying that audiences are now shopping for home video titles, beyond movies.Hiren Gada, director, Shemaroo Entertainment, says that by the end of this fiscal, home video sales of non-movie content should contribute about 15-20% to the company’s bottomline, up from the current 5-6%. Sensing a greater opportunity in the alternative content, Shemaroo recently sold the video-on-demand rights of Shilpa’s Yoga to BigFlix, the movie rental service from the Reliance ADA group. The company’s broadband website, catering to the burgeoning NRI audience, will now be able to download 35-minutes of Shilpa’s Yoga video at a price point of $4.49.For Excel Home Videos, this category grew by over 200% YoY from FY05. Muslim Kapasi, MD, Excel Productions Audio Visuals, said the company started to focus on this segment from FY05. “It contributed over 18% to our total topline in FY08. Though Excel may find the 200% growth rate unsustainable, but since the base is very small, it will continue to grow by at least 50% in the next three years,” he said.The company is focusing on this segment as core acquisitions have become too risky, Kapasi said. “Internationally, alternative content is a very strong segment and there are specialists catering to the genre. However, in India, the TV springs up such content constantly and repetitively into people’s homes for a lump-sum monthly subscription. This has been detrimental for such content to thrive/succeed in home video formats,” he said.However, organised movie rentals are helping people to sample such content. Also, increasing sales of DVD players and a greater demand for such content is slowly, but surely driving up sales.“Such products find it difficult to reach their target audience through physical channels. Yoga has caught the imagination of NRIs and international audiences. So, making it available on VOD is part of our strategy to diversify into different genres of entertainment,” Kamal Gianchandani, COO, BigFlix.com, said.Since the past six months, Shemaroo is aggressively pursuing acquisitions in this sphere. The company currently has over 100 titles in its kitty spread across different genres such as literature, music, sports, spiritual, self motivation, children’s interest, fitness, hobbies, travel and sex education. The company recently acquired home video rights of The Secret (Rhonda Byrne’s best-selling book) and several BBC productions of Shakespeare’s plays.“The cities are first to adapt to videos with alternative content. The challenge is to make it a mass phenomenon. In the Tier II cities, home video has become synonymous with movies,” Gada of Shemaroo said.G Dhananjayan, COO, Moser Baer Home Entertainment, said titles in this genre are produced/acquired for perpetuity, so there is a guarantee that the investment can be recovered over several years. “Movie titles, meanwhile, are offered only for 5-7 years to the home video market.”The grey market, however, continues to be a deterrent. Pirated copies of such content are hugely popular in some states. “Gujarati plays, music, stand-up comedy are a rage in the grey market. Pricing will not curb it. Original content for the time-being is for the premium segment of consumers,” Gada said.
Jul 23, 2008
Columnists - The Shashi Tharoor Column
Let's make haste while the sun shines
In all the brouhaha about the Indo-US nuclear deal, not enough attention has been paid to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent announcement of a credible energy plan for India that goes way beyond the nuclear. By far the most welcome component of his six-point plan to increase the country's reliance on sustainable sources of energy was the prime minister's declaration that the development of India's capacity to tap the power of the sun would be central to the strategy. "In this strategy, the sun occupies centrestage," the PM memorably said, "as it should, being literally the original source of all energy. We will pool all our scientific, technical and managerial talents, with financial sources, to develop solar energy as a source of abundant energy to power our economy and to transform the lives of our people." Dr Singh added, and this was no hyperbole: "Our success in this endeavour will change the face of India." As a layman who has no particular competence to weigh in on the scientific aspects of the debate over climate change, I have often wondered why a country like India, with its abundance of natural sunshine, hasn't done more to focus on developing solar energy. The prime minister made it clear that India has no choice, over the next few years, but to move away from economic activity based on fossil fuels to a far greater use of non-fossil fuels. The price of oil alone is proof enough that we have to reduce our dependence on non-renewable (and dwindling) sources of carbon-based energy to renewable and sustainable sources instead. Of these, solar power is the most obvious one for India. But the existing technology is prohibitively expensive. Solar panels, made from silicon (which itself consumes non-renewable petroleum energy in its manufacture), cost 10 times the price of the cheapest fossil fuels. Indian scientists who have worked on reducing these costs are few and far between, and have little success to report. But with the new governmental emphasis on solar energy as a priority, a new research thrust ought to be feasible, given adequate government funding and tax incentives. It's interesting that all the pressure on India from the international climate change community has lain in the direction of cutting back on our country's carbon emissions. There's no doubt that Indian industry contributes to the global build-up of greenhouse gases, but as New Delhi has repeatedly pointed out, the bulk of that problem was created by 200 years of western industrialisation, to which India contributed little. Even today, Indian emissions, on a per capita basis, are amongst the lowest in the world. But the debate need not be conducted on that tediously familiar ground. Instead, there's a different point worth making: that of all the possible ways you could combat global warming, the least effective would be the path of simply cutting carbon dioxide emissions. That conclusion isn't mine: it comes from a panel of eight of the world's top economists, including five Nobel laureates, who were gathered together by the Copenhagen Consensus, a highly innovative mechanism put together by the smart young Danish economist Bjorn Lomborg, author of a remarkable (and admittedly controversial) book called The Sceptical Environmentalist. Dr Lomborg convened the panel to examine worldwide research findings on the best ways to tackle 10 global challenges: air pollution, conflict, disease, global warming, hunger and malnutrition, lack of education, gender inequity, lack of water and sanitation, terrorism, and trade barriers. The panelists' job, as experts, was to examine, through a cost-benefit approach, a variety of possible solutions to each of these ten challenges. Lomborg set them an interesting challenge of their own: to create a list of priorities enumerating how, in their view, the sum of $800 billion could most effectively be spent over the next 100 years in tackling these problems. The results were fascinating. Lomborg's panel concluded that the least effective use of resources in slowing down the pace of global warming would be to spend $800 billion over 100 years solely on cutting back carbon emissions. Such action would, they determined, reduce the planet's unavoidable increases in temperature by less than 0.2 degrees centigrade by the end of this century. Even taking into account the environmental damage that would be caused by the persistence of global warming, the world would in fact be able to prevent only $685 billion worth of damage — while spending $800 billion in the attempt. The Copenhagen Consensus economists did not draw the conclusion from this that the world should ignore the problem — the effects of climate change are too serious to be neglected. Instead, they concluded that a more effective response than the attempt to reduce emissions would be to significantly increase research on, and the development of, other energy sources than carbon — such as solar energy and (though this would be less welcome in India, where agriculture is meant to feed people, not run their cars) second-generation biofuels. "Even if every nation spent 0.05% of its gross domestic product on research and development of low-carbon energy," Dr Lomborg argues, "this would be only about one-tenth as costly as the Kyoto Protocol and would save dramatically more than any of Kyoto's likely successors." India can afford to spend that 0.05% — and what's more, we have trained scientists and engineers who, given the proper incentives, can take the challenge on. The scale of India's energy needs, and the abundance of sunshine, should also mean that we should be able to benefit from economies of scale unavailable to smaller countries. There is no question that nuclear efforts are essential as well, which is why the government should be applauded for seeking to end India's nuclear pariah status (currently, our nuclear scientists cannot even get visas to a number of countries as a result of the post-Pokhran sanctions) and to put the country on the road to energy self-sufficiency. But equally, we need to do everything we can to ensure that solar energy should be able to rival nuclear energy in contributing to India's needs by 2020. "Our vision is to make India's economic development energy efficient," the PM said as he announced the energy plan. "Our people have a right to economic and social development and to discard the ignominy of widespread poverty." He's right. May the sun illuminate the way forward.
In all the brouhaha about the Indo-US nuclear deal, not enough attention has been paid to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent announcement of a credible energy plan for India that goes way beyond the nuclear. By far the most welcome component of his six-point plan to increase the country's reliance on sustainable sources of energy was the prime minister's declaration that the development of India's capacity to tap the power of the sun would be central to the strategy. "In this strategy, the sun occupies centrestage," the PM memorably said, "as it should, being literally the original source of all energy. We will pool all our scientific, technical and managerial talents, with financial sources, to develop solar energy as a source of abundant energy to power our economy and to transform the lives of our people." Dr Singh added, and this was no hyperbole: "Our success in this endeavour will change the face of India." As a layman who has no particular competence to weigh in on the scientific aspects of the debate over climate change, I have often wondered why a country like India, with its abundance of natural sunshine, hasn't done more to focus on developing solar energy. The prime minister made it clear that India has no choice, over the next few years, but to move away from economic activity based on fossil fuels to a far greater use of non-fossil fuels. The price of oil alone is proof enough that we have to reduce our dependence on non-renewable (and dwindling) sources of carbon-based energy to renewable and sustainable sources instead. Of these, solar power is the most obvious one for India. But the existing technology is prohibitively expensive. Solar panels, made from silicon (which itself consumes non-renewable petroleum energy in its manufacture), cost 10 times the price of the cheapest fossil fuels. Indian scientists who have worked on reducing these costs are few and far between, and have little success to report. But with the new governmental emphasis on solar energy as a priority, a new research thrust ought to be feasible, given adequate government funding and tax incentives. It's interesting that all the pressure on India from the international climate change community has lain in the direction of cutting back on our country's carbon emissions. There's no doubt that Indian industry contributes to the global build-up of greenhouse gases, but as New Delhi has repeatedly pointed out, the bulk of that problem was created by 200 years of western industrialisation, to which India contributed little. Even today, Indian emissions, on a per capita basis, are amongst the lowest in the world. But the debate need not be conducted on that tediously familiar ground. Instead, there's a different point worth making: that of all the possible ways you could combat global warming, the least effective would be the path of simply cutting carbon dioxide emissions. That conclusion isn't mine: it comes from a panel of eight of the world's top economists, including five Nobel laureates, who were gathered together by the Copenhagen Consensus, a highly innovative mechanism put together by the smart young Danish economist Bjorn Lomborg, author of a remarkable (and admittedly controversial) book called The Sceptical Environmentalist. Dr Lomborg convened the panel to examine worldwide research findings on the best ways to tackle 10 global challenges: air pollution, conflict, disease, global warming, hunger and malnutrition, lack of education, gender inequity, lack of water and sanitation, terrorism, and trade barriers. The panelists' job, as experts, was to examine, through a cost-benefit approach, a variety of possible solutions to each of these ten challenges. Lomborg set them an interesting challenge of their own: to create a list of priorities enumerating how, in their view, the sum of $800 billion could most effectively be spent over the next 100 years in tackling these problems. The results were fascinating. Lomborg's panel concluded that the least effective use of resources in slowing down the pace of global warming would be to spend $800 billion over 100 years solely on cutting back carbon emissions. Such action would, they determined, reduce the planet's unavoidable increases in temperature by less than 0.2 degrees centigrade by the end of this century. Even taking into account the environmental damage that would be caused by the persistence of global warming, the world would in fact be able to prevent only $685 billion worth of damage — while spending $800 billion in the attempt. The Copenhagen Consensus economists did not draw the conclusion from this that the world should ignore the problem — the effects of climate change are too serious to be neglected. Instead, they concluded that a more effective response than the attempt to reduce emissions would be to significantly increase research on, and the development of, other energy sources than carbon — such as solar energy and (though this would be less welcome in India, where agriculture is meant to feed people, not run their cars) second-generation biofuels. "Even if every nation spent 0.05% of its gross domestic product on research and development of low-carbon energy," Dr Lomborg argues, "this would be only about one-tenth as costly as the Kyoto Protocol and would save dramatically more than any of Kyoto's likely successors." India can afford to spend that 0.05% — and what's more, we have trained scientists and engineers who, given the proper incentives, can take the challenge on. The scale of India's energy needs, and the abundance of sunshine, should also mean that we should be able to benefit from economies of scale unavailable to smaller countries. There is no question that nuclear efforts are essential as well, which is why the government should be applauded for seeking to end India's nuclear pariah status (currently, our nuclear scientists cannot even get visas to a number of countries as a result of the post-Pokhran sanctions) and to put the country on the road to energy self-sufficiency. But equally, we need to do everything we can to ensure that solar energy should be able to rival nuclear energy in contributing to India's needs by 2020. "Our vision is to make India's economic development energy efficient," the PM said as he announced the energy plan. "Our people have a right to economic and social development and to discard the ignominy of widespread poverty." He's right. May the sun illuminate the way forward.
Lifestyle - More Sex Please,We are seniors
There's a recent study on the sex life of older people in Sweden that surveyed over 1,500 eptuagenarians. Its conclusion: the number of men and women continuing to have sexual intercourse into old age had increased from 52 per cent to 68 per cent among married men and 38 per cent to 56 per cent among married women. In the India of a couple of decades ago, this news would most likely have been received with arched eyebrows and distaste. No longer, however. Although statistics on the number of senior citizens visiting sex therapists and counsellors in India have not been compiled, the phenomenon is most certainly on the rise, say professionals. "It's a fallacy that sex after 60 is only a western obsession," says consulting sex therapist Rajan Bhonsle. "In the last five years, my clientele in the 50-to-80 age group has more than doubled. And there's no coyness—most seniors are upfront about their sexual problems." Last month, a leading 81-year-old Mumbai industrialist walked into Dr Bhonsle's clinic and unhesitantly declared that he was having performance problems. "I get tired easily and I am not able to sustain the act. My partner is not satisfied," he confided. The partner turned out to be his paramour. After psychological counselling and medicine, the industrialist was able to keep both his wife and paramour happy. In another case, the elderly wife of another industrialist contacted the doctor, saying she was under treatment for Parkinson's. But that wasn't the issue. She needed help, as her need for physical relations with her husband had suddenly increased. Apparently her Parkinson drugs were increasing her libido. According to 84-year-old Mahinder Watsa, who has been a consultant on sexual and reproductive health for the past 35 years, sex among older Indians is more visible now because people talk about it openly, at least in the media. "I would say that 65 per cent of my patients are in the 50-to-80 age bracket," he says. "But even as far back as the 1980s, seniors weren't exact celibate. I remember doing a study then with the geriatric community, and a large number of people had problems and queries on sex." With the passage of time, pensioners are no longer inhibited about admitting their continuing desire to get between the sheets. "I had this patient who was very depressed about his sex life after his wife's death," says Dr Watsa. "He casually told me that he needed a woman with special needs as his partner. It turned out that he was into sado-machoism. His late wife used to beat him with a broom and it was only then that he felt arousal." The post-script: the senior later put an ad in the papers asking for a life partner with 'special needs'. Cardiologist Dr Sandeep Rane affirms that a large number of senior citizens whom he operates on are worried about whether they can continue with their sex life post-cardiac surgery. "One of them was 81," he says. Ahmedabad-based sexologist Paras Shah confirms that he has many elderly patients too, and relates the case of an 89-year old man who, worried about his flagging desire, sought an appointment. "And that's perfectly valid," says Dr Shah. "The perception that sexual desire abates with age is wrong. Indeed, the post-50 phase is the golden age for couples, since their kids have grown up and their social responsibilities are over. Viagra is reviving bedroom lives, and often it is the women who push their husbands to consult a sexologist." What part has the post-liberalisation media, with its near-obsession with sex, played in the Great Awakening? Psychologist Anjali Chhabria believes it is a definite influence. "The openness with which the print and electronic media discuss sexual issues has encouraged senior citizens to look after themselves and their personal life," she says. "The healthy and happy old age concept has caught on, and senior citizens are increasingly seeking solutions to their sexual problems. I am not saying the earlier sense of shame has gone away totally. But it has certainly lessened, and sex is no longer taboo for senior citizens." Virumandi, 94, is a great example of this. This Chennai resident walked into the clinic of sexologist D Narayana Reddy a few years ago with an erectile dysfunction problem. The doctor wasn't surprised, having seen many patients in the above-60 age group, but he couldn't prescribe Viagra since Virumandi was a diabetic, hypertensive and a heart patient. He explained the situation to him, and Virumandi left. Two years later, he called the doctor to tell him that he had bought the pills on his own and had been leading a rocking life. "He was willing to die of a heart attack but said that he could not abstain from carnal pleasures in the last stage of his life," chuckles Dr Reddy. Evidently, the sex life of the Indian senior has arrived.
Mktg - Ray+Keshavan,The Design Advocates
Brunton Road is a quiet street that branches off Bengaluru’s busy MG Road into a green neighbourhood. It houses India’s best-known brand makeover outfit. There is nothing flashy about the entrance, which has a small, rectangular plaque that bears the simple legend, Ray+Keshavan. The understated style is highlighted further when you walk into the 152 year old building that is Sujata Keshavan’s office. Hand painted cinema posters from the 1960s adorn a wall, a logo ‘tree’ rests next to her desk and fans rotate lazily from the high beamed, sloping roof over an enormous table from the British era as Keshavan settles down for a chat.
“I love old buildings. I like restoring them and making them functional,” says Keshavan, managing director and executive creative director, Ray+Keshavan (R+K). On a different level, she does the same to brands. The difference is that the brands come to her. Whenever infotech, dotcom, FMCG, financial service, infrastructure or media brands are agonising over identity, many head for R+K. In 2006, WPP acquired a majority stake in R+K. Today, the Bengaluru based firm is a part of WPP’s Brand Union, a design conglomerate with 500 people in 21 offices across the world.
There are quite a few brands that R+K has helped. In 2008, the list included CEAT, Shoppers Stop and the four international airports in Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Other brands such as Network18, Canara Bank, Infosys, AirTel and Bru also needed R+K’s intervention. A list that any designer would give his right arm for. What is it about R+K that makes it so special? R+K became special from the day it was set up in 1989 in Delhi, with a couple of interesting firsts to its credit. It was the first graphic design consultancy in India and Keshavan was the first Indian woman to obtain a postgraduate degree in graphic design from Yale University. In Yale, Keshavan worked on brand identity and wanted to do the same when she got back to India. The only option was to start a venture as no organisation was working on brand identity then. Ram Ray, having run the San Francisco office of JWT, had come back to India as head of Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA). “He knew the difference between design and advertising,” says Keshavan. The two got together, but when R+K was set up, hardly anybody knew what brand identity meant or its importance to a business. “They went to an ad agency, which was a one-stop shop for ideas,” says Keshavan. The advertising industry was developed but not the design industry. Earlier, design work was about “you like this logo, take it”. There was no scientific process. “An agency would give a choice of logos, mostly tweaked from here and there, and you picked,” she says. R+K, on the other hand, works hard on the brand makeover. From logos to market research to talking to consumers and employees, Keshavan and her band of 30 people (the firm doesn’t have offices outside Bengaluru) guide the client through the entire branding process. All this would not have happened but for an incident at an ad agency where Keshavan had taken up a job. She had made a greeting card for a client. But client servicing wanted her to come up with a few options to make the client feel that some work had been done. The young Keshavan insisted that her design was good and the agency should go with it. Her colleagues then came up with a solution. “Make a few bad ones so that the client picks this,” they advised. To her consternation, the client picked one of the “horrible ones”. That was the end of her stint in advertising.
Today, R+K is more than a design firm. It introduced the principles of brand development in India and looks at brand positioning, the target audience, the brand’s relevance, function and form, cost and appropriate technology that can drive a makeover. R+K continued in Delhi till 1994, when Ray retired and Keshavan decided to shift to Bengaluru. It was the time of liberalisation. “We helped companies fight or gear up to meet competition,” says Keshavan proudly. MNC or charitable hospital, the low profile R+K’s solutions seem to have worked for a wide variety of clients. Keshavan narrates one example of how a hospital helped its mainly illiterate patients find their way about easily. “At Chettinad Hospitals, a charitable hospital in Tamil Nadu, the key issue was navigation. The patient, on entering, gets a card with a colour and a big number on it. He goes to a building or area that has the same number as the one on the card. There, another person gives him a colour and a picture of where he has to go. Patients can easily use the combination of numbers, colours and pictures to find their way about,” she explains.
Just as a charitable hospital communicates, so does an airport. Security, safety and efficiency are the key message platforms. Navigating is also a major factor, but on a larger scale compared to a hospital. Airport branding, visually, starts at the car park. “How do you structure people’s movement so that they are not kept waiting for too long?” she asks. Just one visit through Bengaluru International Airport makes her meaning clear. “There is an aesthetic component where design plays a key part. But what is different about R+K is that we offer a range of services that nobody else does,” she adds. Her clients agree too. “One of her key strengths is an ability to draw a fine line of balance between creativity and the basics of design or geometry,” says Arnab Banerjee, vice-president, marketing and sales, CEAT. “It is her ability to bring Western aesthetics and sensibilities into design that is admirable. A creative person, who is full of great ideas, Sujata also pays attention to details and deadlines,” says Ravi Prasad, executive director, Himalaya Global Holdings. R+K designed the new packaging and the logo for Himalaya’s herbal brands when it ventured abroad. Competitors too are generous in their praise. Ashwini Deshpande, founder director and principal designer, Elephant Strategy + Design, a Pune based design house, says, “I have a lot of respect for anyone who has made the profession of
“I love old buildings. I like restoring them and making them functional,” says Keshavan, managing director and executive creative director, Ray+Keshavan (R+K). On a different level, she does the same to brands. The difference is that the brands come to her. Whenever infotech, dotcom, FMCG, financial service, infrastructure or media brands are agonising over identity, many head for R+K. In 2006, WPP acquired a majority stake in R+K. Today, the Bengaluru based firm is a part of WPP’s Brand Union, a design conglomerate with 500 people in 21 offices across the world.
There are quite a few brands that R+K has helped. In 2008, the list included CEAT, Shoppers Stop and the four international airports in Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Other brands such as Network18, Canara Bank, Infosys, AirTel and Bru also needed R+K’s intervention. A list that any designer would give his right arm for. What is it about R+K that makes it so special? R+K became special from the day it was set up in 1989 in Delhi, with a couple of interesting firsts to its credit. It was the first graphic design consultancy in India and Keshavan was the first Indian woman to obtain a postgraduate degree in graphic design from Yale University. In Yale, Keshavan worked on brand identity and wanted to do the same when she got back to India. The only option was to start a venture as no organisation was working on brand identity then. Ram Ray, having run the San Francisco office of JWT, had come back to India as head of Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA). “He knew the difference between design and advertising,” says Keshavan. The two got together, but when R+K was set up, hardly anybody knew what brand identity meant or its importance to a business. “They went to an ad agency, which was a one-stop shop for ideas,” says Keshavan. The advertising industry was developed but not the design industry. Earlier, design work was about “you like this logo, take it”. There was no scientific process. “An agency would give a choice of logos, mostly tweaked from here and there, and you picked,” she says. R+K, on the other hand, works hard on the brand makeover. From logos to market research to talking to consumers and employees, Keshavan and her band of 30 people (the firm doesn’t have offices outside Bengaluru) guide the client through the entire branding process. All this would not have happened but for an incident at an ad agency where Keshavan had taken up a job. She had made a greeting card for a client. But client servicing wanted her to come up with a few options to make the client feel that some work had been done. The young Keshavan insisted that her design was good and the agency should go with it. Her colleagues then came up with a solution. “Make a few bad ones so that the client picks this,” they advised. To her consternation, the client picked one of the “horrible ones”. That was the end of her stint in advertising.
Today, R+K is more than a design firm. It introduced the principles of brand development in India and looks at brand positioning, the target audience, the brand’s relevance, function and form, cost and appropriate technology that can drive a makeover. R+K continued in Delhi till 1994, when Ray retired and Keshavan decided to shift to Bengaluru. It was the time of liberalisation. “We helped companies fight or gear up to meet competition,” says Keshavan proudly. MNC or charitable hospital, the low profile R+K’s solutions seem to have worked for a wide variety of clients. Keshavan narrates one example of how a hospital helped its mainly illiterate patients find their way about easily. “At Chettinad Hospitals, a charitable hospital in Tamil Nadu, the key issue was navigation. The patient, on entering, gets a card with a colour and a big number on it. He goes to a building or area that has the same number as the one on the card. There, another person gives him a colour and a picture of where he has to go. Patients can easily use the combination of numbers, colours and pictures to find their way about,” she explains.
Just as a charitable hospital communicates, so does an airport. Security, safety and efficiency are the key message platforms. Navigating is also a major factor, but on a larger scale compared to a hospital. Airport branding, visually, starts at the car park. “How do you structure people’s movement so that they are not kept waiting for too long?” she asks. Just one visit through Bengaluru International Airport makes her meaning clear. “There is an aesthetic component where design plays a key part. But what is different about R+K is that we offer a range of services that nobody else does,” she adds. Her clients agree too. “One of her key strengths is an ability to draw a fine line of balance between creativity and the basics of design or geometry,” says Arnab Banerjee, vice-president, marketing and sales, CEAT. “It is her ability to bring Western aesthetics and sensibilities into design that is admirable. A creative person, who is full of great ideas, Sujata also pays attention to details and deadlines,” says Ravi Prasad, executive director, Himalaya Global Holdings. R+K designed the new packaging and the logo for Himalaya’s herbal brands when it ventured abroad. Competitors too are generous in their praise. Ashwini Deshpande, founder director and principal designer, Elephant Strategy + Design, a Pune based design house, says, “I have a lot of respect for anyone who has made the profession of