APPSC: APPSC Group 2 Results Announced

APPSC: APPSC Group 2 Results Announced

Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission Results

Click here for results.

www.apspsc.gov.in

appsc.ap.nic.in

Happy New Year: New Year Greetings, New Year Wishes

Happy New Year: New Year Greetings, New Year Wishes

I wish you Health...

So you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the Love of friends and family...
And Peace within your heart.

I wish you the Beauty of nature...
That you may enjoy the work of God.

I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities...
For those things that really matter in life.

I wish you Generousity so you may share...
All good things that come to you.

I wish you Happiness and Joy...
And Blessings for the New Year.

I wish you the best of everything...
That you so well deserve.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIEND!

~ Author Unknown to me ~


H ours of happy times with friends and family
A bundant time for relaxation
P rosperity
P lenty of love when you need it the most
Y outhful excitement at lifes simple pleasures

N ights of restful slumber (you know - dont' worry be happy)
E verything you need
W ishing you love and light

Y ears and years of good health
E njoyment and mirth
A angels to watch over you
R embrances of a happy years!


~ Author Unknown to me ~


Happiness deep down within.
Serenity with each sunrise.
Success in each facet of your life.
Family beside you.
Close and caring friends.
Health, inside you.
Love that never ends.
Special memories of all the yesterdays.
A bright today with much to be thankful for.
A path that leads to beautiful tomorrows.
Dreams that do their best to come true.
Appreciation of all the wonderful things about you.

~ Author Unknown to me ~


I look to the new year and my wish for you;

Peace within your heart
Love from family and friends
Faith to guide your way
Hope to to make it through each day
Sunshine to light the day
Heavenly Stars to wish upon
Rainbows to to let you know there is a tomorrow
A tear to show compassion
A heart to hold the love
But most of all I wish for you
to feel my hand in yours,
To know I am here if you stumble or fall.
To bring you cheer, to bring you love,
to return the love you always share with me.

~ Author Unknown to me ~


Perhaps a bit wiser,
a bit kinder, too,
a little bit braver,
a heart that's more true,
a touch of believing
I've not known before,
in joys I'm receiving
a little bit more.

A little more anxious
to reach out my hand,
despite hurt or problems
to still understand,
accepting the heartache
that life often brings,
a little more beauty
in life's simple things.

A prayer when I'm weary
as onward I trod,
a little more trusting,
believing in God,
'tis this I would wish for
within moments dear,
not a lot - just a little
this wondrous new year.

~ Garnett Ann Schultz ~

Source: rosebriar.uk.com

Snap 2008 Answer Key

Snap 2008 Answer Key

SNAP Answer Key | Solution Key

SNAP Exam’s (held on 21st December 2008) Answer key will be put up on competeindia.com shortly.

Miss World: Miss World Pageant

Miss World: Miss World Pageant

Miss World 2008 Contestants

Millions of women across the globe aspire for the title of Miss World. They work hard to bag the most prestigious beauty

pageant in the world. The year-long event is held in several stages. Hundreds of contestants compete in the initial stages.

The numbers shrink to a few more than a dozen on the final day. 110 contestants are expected to participate in Miss World

2008 contest.

Country Contestant Age Height
Albania Egla Harxhi 17 175
Angola Brigith dos Santos 18 180
Antigua & Barbuda Athina James 18 180
Argentina Agustina Quinteros 17 176
Aruba Christina Trejo 20 175
Australia Katie Richardson 20 178
Austria Kathrin Krahfuss 23 177
Bahmas Tinnyse Johnson 21 176
Barbados Natalie Griffith 18 168
Belarus Volha Khizhynkova 21 184
Belgium Alizée Poulicek 21 175
Belize Charmaine Chinapen 21 174
Bolivia Jackelin Arias 18 177
Bosnia & Herzegovina Herzegovina Tanja Vujicic 18 178
Botswana Itseng Kgomotso 19 178
Brazil Tamara Almeida 22 174
Bulgaria Julia Yurevich 19 177
Canada Leah Ryerse 20 178
Cayman Islands Nicosia Lawson 25 175
Chile Nataly Chilet 23 175
Mei Yan Ling China PR 24 180
Chinese Taipei Jamie Lin 24 173
Colombia Katherine Medina 17 180
Congo DR Christelle Ndila 18 174
Costa Rica Amalia Matamoros 19 175
Croatia Josipa Kusic 20 182
Curacao Norayla Francisco 23 181
Cyprus Mari Vasileiou 18 168
Czech Republic Zuzana Jandová 20 180
Denmark Lisa Lents 21 177
Dominican Republic Nathali Montes de Oca 21 175
Ecaudor Marjorie Cevallos 22 183
Egypt Sanaa Ismail Hamed 24 175
El Salvador Gabriela Gavidia 18 173
England Laura Coleman 22 175
Ethiopia Hibret Fekadu 18 180
Finland Linda Wikstedt 19 174
France Laura Tanguy 20 175
Georgia Khatuna Skhirtladze 18 177
Germany Anne Katrin Walter 21 172
Ghana Frances Takyi-Mensah 22 180
Gibraltar Krystel Robba 22 178
Greece Angeliki Kalaitzi 24 173
Guadeloupe Frédérika Charpentier 23 175
Guatemala Maribel Arana 23 174
Guyana Christa Simmons 23 173
Honduras Gabriela Zavala 23 183
Hong Kong Skye Chan 24 168
Hungary Szilvia Freire 24 174
Iceland Alexandra Ívarsdóttir 18 180
India Parvathy Omanakuttan 21 175
Indonesia Sandra Angelia 22 168
Ireland Sinéad Noonan 21 175
Israel Tamar Ziskind 23 176
Italy Claudia Russo 25 178
Jamaica Brittany Lyons 19 166
Japan Mizuki Kubodera 21 173
`Kazakhstan Alfina Nassyrova 20 175
Kenya Ruth Kinuthia 22 184
Korea Choi Bo-in 22 169
Latvia Ina Avlasevica 20 180
Lebanon Rosarita Tawil 20 178
Lithuania GabrieleMartirosianaite 17 176
Macedonia FYRO Suzana Al-Salkini 24 176
Malaysia Soo Wincci 23 170
Malta Martha Fenech 17 170
Martinique Elodie Delor 18 183
Mauritius Olivia Carey 19 170
Mexico Anagabriela Espinoza 20 180
Moldova Iana Varnacova 17 180
Mongolia Anun Chinbat 23 173
Montenegro Mariana Mihajlovic 18 180
Namibia Marelize Robberts 21 180
Netherlands Carmen Kool 22 178
New Zealand Kahurangi Taylor 17 180
Nigeria Adaeze Igwe 18 173
Northern Ireland Judith Wilson 23 180
Norway Lene Egeli 21 178
Paraguay Gabriela Rejala 19 173
Peru Annmarie Dehainaut Velezmoro 18 175
Philippines Danielle Castaño 18 174
Poland Klaudia Ungerman 20 180
Portugal Andréia Rodrigues 24 175
Puerto Rico Ivonne Orsini 20 175
Russia Ksenia Sukhinova 21 178
Scotland Stephanie Willemse 19 180
Serbia Nevena Lipovec 19 175
Seychelles Elena Angione 22 168
Sierra Lione Tyrilla Gouldson 24 188
Singapore Faraliza Tan 22 175
Slovakia Edita Krešáková 19 180
South Africa Tansey Coetzee 23 174
Spain Patricia Rodríguez 18 179
Sri Lanka Rochelle Correa 24 180
St Lucia Joy-Ann Biscette 22 173
Swaziland Tiffany Simelane 20 172
Sweden Jennifer Palm Lundberg 22 176
Tanzania Nasreem Ndiye 22 174
Thailand Ummarapas Jullakasian 23 173
Trinidad & Tobago Gabrielle Walcott 23 170
Turkey Leyla Tugutlu 19 175
Uganda Dora Mwima 18 175
Ukraine Irina Zhuravskaya 18 177
United States Lane Lindell 18 177
Uruguay Fatimih Dávila 20 176
Venuzuela Hannelly Quintero 22 176
Vietnam Duong Truong Thiên Lý 19 169
Wales Chloe Morgan 22 175
Zambia Winfridah Mofu 19 172
Zimbabwe Cynthia Muvirimi 25 170

Source: pageants.india-server.com

DDA: DDA Results - www.dda.org.in

DDA: DDA Results - www.dda.org.in

DDA housing scheme results out, over 5000 flats allotted

Here's a piece of good news for the applicants of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) housing scheme. The two websites that were displaying the results of the draw are now opening. Earlier, many were facing problems while logging onto the sites. The sites - www.dda.org.in or www.urbanindia.nic.in, were not opening till afternoon.

Besides the sites, the DDA has also promised to publish the results in major newspapers on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, a number of calls were received at NDTV.com with people complaining that they were unable to view the results on the DDA website and asking for an alternative way to do so.

It was a day many in Delhi had been waiting for with fingers crossed - the DDA allotted 5,000 flats through a computer lottery. At the Vikas Sadan office where applicants had been collecting since morning, the display of results had mixed news. An exultant Ratnesh Kumar Maheshwari, whose name appeared in the list, said, Earlier, I used to stay in a rented house. But now, I'll have a flat of my own.

On the other hand, Harish Kumar, whose name did not figure in the list, said he was not lucky this time. I will try next time because it is still affordable, he said.

The lottery process, which began at 12 noon, saw hundreds of applicants protesting and shouting slogans outside the DDA's office at Vikas Sadan. The protesting applicants said they were told that the draw would be shown live to them on a screen to ensure transparency. But they were not being allowed inside the building. Instead, they' d been asked to check the result at 3 pm on the DDA website.

The 5,000 DDA flats range from Rs 7 to 77 lakh in cost. They've been built in some of Delhi's most-wanted colonies like Dwarka, Rohini and Vasant Kunj.

The fact that they are 50 per cent cheaper than market rates for these areas makes them priceless. And to avoid any controversy, the lottery was supervised by IIT teachers.

Source: ndtv.com

A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story is a 1983 film based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author and raconteur Jean Shepherd, including material from his books In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories. It was directed by Bob Clark. (wikipedia.org)

Sixth Pay Commission: Govt rejects 'one rank-one pension' demand of ex-servicemen

Sixth Pay Commission: Govt rejects 'one rank-one pension' demand of ex-servicemen

New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) Rejecting a long-standing demand of ex-servicemen, the government today said it was not contemplating providing "one rank-one pension" to similarly placed officers and jawans after their retirement.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said the demand was "not found acceptable" due to administrative, financial and legal reasons.

Moreover, Raju said, the pensionary benefits of personnel below officer rank, particularly of the three ranks of Sepoy, Naik and Havildar have been significantly increased by increasing weightage from five years to ten, eight and six years respectively.

They were also allowed pension before January 1996 to be computed with reference to the maximum of the pay scale introduced from January 1, 1996.

With the Pay Commissions increasing the pay of armed forces and men every 10 years, the gap between the pension received by those who retired before the implementation of the respective commissions widened.

Similarly placed retired officers (with same ranks and number of years of service) were receiving different amounts as pension, which has been opposed by lakhs of ex-servicemen all across the country and hence the demand from them for "one rank-one pension." In another reply, Raju said the government had already received representations from ex-servicemen regarding their grievances against various recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission. PTI

Bihar keen on implementing 6th pay commission

Bihar keen on implementing 6th pay commission

Patna (PTI): If all goes well, Bihar government employees might receive an enhanced pay during the current year with the state government "seriously considering" implementing the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of the Janata Darbar on Monday, implementation of the Pay Panel recommendations would undoubtedly put an extra burden on the state exchequer, "still we want to implement it in the interest of the state government employees".

Kumar said, "We told the chairman of the 13th Finance Commission Vijay Kelkar that it will be fair if the states are given at least 50 per cent financial assistance for the additional burden of implementing the recommendations".

The empowered committee of the state finance ministers has already submitted a memorandum to the 13the Finance Commission in this regard, Kumar said.

Expressing displeasure over, what Kumar termed as, the "slow progress" on the projects sanctioned for Bihar when he was the Railway minister, the Chief Minister said he would pose six questions to Lalu Prasad as to why no action was taken on the projects okayed by him.

The projects include setting up of Harnaut rail factory in Nalanda, construction of Munger railway bridge, Kosi Mahasetu, Digha railway bridge and doubling of Patna-Gaya railway line.

"Lalu was instead laying foundation stones of several railway projects for Bihar with the Lok Sabha elections round the corner', he said.

- PTI

Sixth Pay Commission: Hike in salary for State staff

Sixth Pay Commission: Hike in salary for State staff

BHUBANESWAR: As yet another sop in the runup to polls, the State Government Sunday accepted the report of the fitment committee on the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations with some changes for across-the-board hike in salary of employees with retrospective effect from January 1, 2006.

The increase will be from 30 to 60 per cent depending on the seniority and grade and will benefit around five lakh employees, including grant-in-aid employees, and 2.5 lakh pensioners. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting here presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and will be placed in the Assembly Monday. The cut-off date was fixed on November 30, 2008 before which the pay will be treated as arrear.

Forty per cent of the arrear will be paid along with the enhanced salary in December. Rest will be paid in 2009. Sources said that 40 per cent arrear and enhanced salary of December, January and February along with increased pension will cost the exchequer a whopping Rs 2,255.36 cr. Provision for this has been made in the first supplementary budget which was passed on November 26.

The number of payscales has been brought down from 28 to 5 band of scales. The payscales of administrative officials have been brought down to three bands from seven scales. Sources maintained that the posts special secretary, additional secretary senior grade and additional secretary will be in the highest grade with starting scale of Rs 37,400 while their grade pay will differ. The highest grade pay in this band will be Rs 9,000.

The highest gross pay will be around Rs 53,000 per month while the lowest will be around Rs 15,000. The lowest pay band is reported to have been fixed at Rs 4,700. The Dearness Allowance (DA) has been made zero in January, 2006. After that, there has been revision of DA five times, the latest in July, 2008. The DA, after the implementation of the fitment committee recommendations, will be 16 per cent.

The House Rent Allowance for employees posted in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack has been revised to 20 per cent while for rest of the State, it will be 10 per cent. Block grant for 1,694 high schools, 100 girls high schools and 860 upper primary schools have been increased from 40 to 60 per cent. This will cost the exchequer Rs 68.68 cr per year. The proposal for third peon post in block grant high schools was accepted.

Other decisions included appointment of village level workers (VLWs) as panchayat executive officers for which the Orissa Gram Panchayat Act will be amended. Cadre rules of data entry operators was approved.

Source: expressbuzz.com

Sixth Pay Commission: Orissa House gives nod to pay hike

Sixth Pay Commission: Orissa House gives nod to pay hike

Bhubaneswar (Orissa): Orissa Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadai on Monday announced that the State Government would implement

revised pay scales for its employees on the basis of the Sixth Pay Commission in State Assembly.

With this the State would bear an additional burden of Rs.6300 crore. For arrears Rs.4200 crore and Rs.2100 towards current

pay and pension additional liability will be created, Ghadai informed the House.

Employees will be given revised pay with effect from 1 January 2006, while pension in the revised scale will be given from 1

December 2008, he added.

At least 28 pay scales have been prescribed of which 3 interim scales with grade pay and remaining 25 scales are compressed

in 4 pay bands with appropriate grade pay.

Lowest pay scale is Rs.4,440- 7,440 with grade pay of Rs.1300 per month and the highest scale is Rs.37,400- Rs.67,000 with

grade pay of Rs.9000 per month, he said.

Revised pay scales will also be applicable to work-charged employees, fully aided educational institutions having regular

posts with scales.

Urban bodies can be allowed to give the revised pay scale to their employees if they can manage through their own resources,

he said.

Assured Career Progression (ACP) has been introduced for all the State Government employees up to Group A for continuing in

one grade and one scale on completion of 15 years, 25 years and 30 years instead of present TBA after 15 years and benefit of

one increment after 25 years.

House rent allowance has been enhanced in case of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack from 15 to 20 per cent. House rent allowance in

other 20 urban areas will be given at 10 per cent basis.

Maximum gratuity has been raised to Rs.7.5 lakh from Rs.2.5 lakh. The commuted value of pension has been enhanced to 40 per

cent.

Maximum qualifying service for pension has been reduced to 25 years from 33 years. Additional pension will be given to

pensioners and family pension aged 80 and above as per with the Government of India, the Minister closed.

Source: odishatoday.com

Top 10 Social Networks

Top 10 Social Networks

Top 10 social networking websites:

1. facebook
2. myspace
3. hi5
4. orkut
5. linkedin
6. nasza klasa
7. netlog
8. mixi
9. meetup
10. odnoklassniki

Facebook

Facebook

Type : Private

Founded : Cambridge, Massachusetts
(February 4, 2004)
Headquarters Palo Alto, California
Dublin, Ireland (international headquarters for Europe, Africa, Middle East)
Key people Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO
Dustin Moskovitz, Co-founder
Sheryl Sandberg, COO
Matt Cohler, VP of Product Management
Chris Hughes, Co-founder
Revenue ▲ 300 million USD (2008 est.)
Net income ▼ -50 million USD (2008 est.)
Employees 700 (November 2008)[3]
Website: facebook.com
Type of site Social network service
Advertising Banner ads, Referral marketing
Registration Required
Available in Catalan, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (Hong Kong), Chinese (Taiwan), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (American), English (British), English (Pirate), Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian (bokmål), Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Romanian, Russian, Slovene, Spanish (Castilian), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Welsh
Launched : February 2004
Current status : Active

Facebook is a social networking website launched on February 4, 2004. The free-access website is privately owned and operated by Facebook, Inc. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves. The website's name refers to the paper facebooks depicting members of a campus community that some US colleges and preparatory schools give to incoming students, faculty, and staff as a way to get to know other people on campus.

Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook while he was a student at Harvard University. Website membership was initially limited to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Ivy League. It later expanded further to include any university student, then high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. The website currently has more than 120 million active users worldwide.

Facebook has met with some controversy over the past few years. It has been blocked intermittently in several countries including Syria and Iran. It has also been banned at many places of work to increase productivity.[8] Privacy has also been an issue, and it has been compromised several times. It is also facing several lawsuits from a number of Zuckerberg's former classmates, who claim that Facebook had stolen their source code and other intellectual property. (wikipedia.org)

Top Lyrics Search

Top Lyrics Search

1. With you Lyrics (chris brown)

2. My life Lyrics (lil wayne)

3. Love song Lyrics (sara bareilles)

4. Lollipop Lyrics (lil wayne)

5. Low Lyrics (flo rida, featuring t-pain)

6. Paper planes Lyrics (m.i.a.)

7. Bleeding love Lyrics (leona lewis)

8. Tonight Lyrics (jonas brothers)

9. Forever Lyrics (chris brown)

10. Viva la vida Lyrics (coldplay)

Railway Tickets Online - Train Tickets Online

Railway Tickets Online - Train Tickets Online

Train Ticket
Tourism Services
Mumbai Season Ticket

Train Reservation
Reservation Enquiries
PNR Enquiry
Train Enquiry
Trains at a Glance
Train/Fare Accommodation
Train Between Important Stations

The above mentioned are available online at www.irctc.co.in

Miss World 2008 Kseniya Sukhinova

Miss World 2008 Kseniya Sukhinova

Miss Russia Ksenya Sukhinova is Miss World 2008

Miss Russia Ksenya Sukhinova is Miss World 2008

Russia's Ksenya Sukhinova was crowned Miss World 2008 after beating scores of international beauties, including India's

Parvathy Omanakuttan who finished first runner up, at a glittering African extravaganza held here.

"Miss World 2008 is Russia," announced Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event. The

21-year-old Parvathy, who hails from Kottayam in Kerala, narrowly missed out on joining five Indian glamour queens Reita

Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000) who had won

the title.

The second runners up was Gabriel Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.

More than 100 international beauties participated in this year's Miss World pageant, hosted by South Africa.

Sukhinova, who took over the title from Zhang Zi Lin of China to become the 58th Miss World, was crowned after a two-hour

long spectacle that combined elements of travelogue and reality show. She beamed as she was crowned.

Sukhinova also had won the contest's top model award and was third in the swimsuit competition. Miss South Africa Tansey

Coetzee had made it to the final five.

"I think I can help people and I want to help people and today if I walk away with this crown I will do that," Sukhinova told

judges through a translator after being asked why she should be crowned the winner.

India's Parvathy, who had won the Miss femina contest in April this year, said: "In India and South Africa people are warm

and warm-hearted. I felt at home in Johannesburg." "Presence of two great leaders Mahatma Gandhi (India) and Nelson Mandela

(South Africa) have influenced millions of people in both the countries," she said.

Asked About her experience in the beauty pageant, the 5 feet 9 inches tall dusky beauty said: "It is a great journey for me."

South Africa, who hosted the event for the sixth time, became the country that has held more Miss World pageants than any

other. The event was broadcast to millions of viewers in 187 countries.

Beauties from 109 countries were whittled down to 15 semi-finalists with India, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Angola and South

Africa named the five finalists as the audience willed their favourite to go forward.

Source: ndtv.com

Russian blonde Kseniya Sukhinova named new Miss World 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa

Russian blonde Kseniya Sukhinova named new Miss World 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) — Russian blonde Kseniya Sukhinova is the new Miss World.

Sukhinova was crowned after a two-hour spectacle in Johannesburg Saturday that combined elements of travelogue and reality show, and the kind of flag-waving usually seen at sports events. She beamed as she was crowned.

Sukhinova also had won the contest's top model award and was third in the swimsuit competition. She was a crowd favorite — though not as popular as hometown beauty Miss South Africa, Tansey Coetzee. Coetzee made the final five.

Second runner up was Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Gabrielle Walcott. First runner up was Miss India, Parvathy Omankuttan.

Source: http://www.dailypress.com

American Idol Season 8 2009

American Idol Season 8 2009

The eighth season of American Idol will premiere on January 13, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson will return to judge once again, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. Kara DioGuardi was announced as the fourth and newest judge to the 'Idol' panel.

Media sponsorship
American Idol is often noted for advertising its sponsors during the show's runtime. Being the number-one-rated show in the United States, it costs around $700,000 for a 30-second commercial.

Apple iTunes has joined as a Season 7 major sponsor in the U.S., and Ryan Seacrest notes during the program that all performances are available via iTunes. Video is regularly shown of contestants learning their songs by rehearsing with iPods. Coca-Cola is a major sponsor in the U.S., and all the judges, hosts, and contestants are seen consuming beverages out of cups bearing the Coca-Cola logo, although video evidence suggests there is actually no beverage in the judges' cups at all.[38] The sponsorship also depicts contestants and host Seacrest gathering for a "Keeping it Real" segment between songs in the "Coca-Cola Red Room," the show's equivalent to the traditional green room. (During rebroadcast on ITV in the UK, the Coca-Cola logo is obscured in the shots.) In seasons 1 through 4, after every Wednesday results show, the host and remaining contestants meet in the Coca-Cola Red Room to discuss next week's theme; the footage of this meeting is shown at the start of the following Tuesday's performance show. The red room was removed in Season 7 at the beginning of the top 12 when American Idol switched to a new stage. Highlights of the show were also featured on the official American Idol web site with a Coca-Cola logo surrounding them.

Text voting is made possible by AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless. AT&T created an ad campaign that centered around an air-headed teenager going around telling people to vote. This kind of branding to American Idol enabled AT&T to become the favored system to vote for many Americans (Jenkins 87).

Kellogg and Pop-Tarts are also two major sponsors, especially of the cast tour that follows the end of every season.[40] Products from the Ford Motor Company also receive prominent product placement; contestants appear in Ford commercials on the results shows, and the final two of Seasons 4, 5 and 6 each won free Mustangs. Previous contestants Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks have also been tapped to do commercials for Ford. Also, in the top 24's studio, in the red room there is a glass table with a Ford tire inside of it. The camera routinely captures the logo. Carrie Underwood previously did commercials for various chocolate brands. Jordin Sparks, the winner of the sixth installment of 'Idol', filmed a commercial promoting the new "American Idol Experience" section of the Florida theme park, Disneyworld.

Contestants will occasionally don Old Navy clothing during performances,[40] and celebrity stylist Steven Cojocaru appeared in two previous seasons to assist contestants with picking out wardrobe pieces from Old Navy. Clairol hair care products also sponsors the show, with contestants usually getting Clairol-guided hair makeovers after the first two or three episodes during the round of 12.

Source: wikipedia.org

Katrina Kaif is the hottest babe on Google

Katrina Kaif is the hottest babe on Google

Looks like Katrina Kaif has finally won the 'Race'! As per a new Google report, Indians couldn't have enough of the leggy beauty on big screen so they spent most of the 2008 searching for this Bollywood siren on the Web.

Recently declared as Asia's sexiest woman, Katrina Kaif has yet again pipped former beauty queen and Bollywood heart-throb Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the most searched for person on the Web, according to Google's India Zeitgeist list for 2008.

Interestingly, Katrina has also outdone her boyfriend and godfather Salman Khan when it comes to being googled on the Net! As for Salman, he may not have been able to set his account straight with Shah Rukh Khan in real life but on the world wide web he has elbowed King Khan, and remains the most searched for actor in India. Shahid Kapoor makes his debut on the list while Genelia D'Souza of Jaane Tu Jaane Na has been declared as one the fastest rising searched for terms on the Net besides Beijing Olympics and IPL!

Bollywood remains one of the most popular Internet search terms ahead of Tamil Cinema when it comes to netizens' interest on movies. As with most of the awards ceremonies, one name that is conspicously missing is none other than Aamir Khan's. After all, Aamir was never in the rat race, more so if it was run on people's keyboards!

Source: movies.ndtv.com

Katrina Kaif is the hottest babe on Google

Katrina Kaif is the hottest babe on Google

Looks like Katrina Kaif has finally won the 'Race'! As per a new Google report, Indians couldn't have enough of the leggy beauty on big screen so they spent most of the 2008 searching for this Bollywood siren on the Web.

Recently declared as Asia's sexiest woman, Katrina Kaif has yet again pipped former beauty queen and Bollywood heart-throb Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the most searched for person on the Web, according to Google's India Zeitgeist list for 2008.

Interestingly, Katrina has also outdone her boyfriend and godfather Salman Khan when it comes to being googled on the Net! As for Salman, he may not have been able to set his account straight with Shah Rukh Khan in real life but on the world wide web he has elbowed King Khan, and remains the most searched for actor in India. Shahid Kapoor makes his debut on the list while Genelia D'Souza of Jaane Tu Jaane Na has been declared as one the fastest rising searched for terms on the Net besides Beijing Olympics and IPL!

Bollywood remains one of the most popular Internet search terms ahead of Tamil Cinema when it comes to netizens' interest on movies. As with most of the awards ceremonies, one name that is conspicously missing is none other than Aamir Khan's. After all, Aamir was never in the rat race, more so if it was run on people's keyboards!

Source: movies.ndtv.com

Ring Of Fire Lyrics

Ring Of Fire Lyrics

Love Is A Burning Thing
And It Makes A Fiery Ring
Bound By Wild Desire
I Fell Into A Ring Of Fire

CHORUS:
I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

The Taste Of Love Is Sweet
When Hearts Like Ours Meet
I Fell For You Like A Child
Oh, But The Fire Went Wild

CHORUS
I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher
Cool New Version of Johnny Cash
And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down(down), Down(down), Down(down)
And The Flames Went Higher Higher Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

And It Burns, Burns, Burns

The Ring Of Fire

The Ring Of Fire
Oh Yeah!
The Ring Of Fire

Jingle Bell Rock - Billy Idol

Jingle Bell Rock - Billy Idol

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Click here for Jingle Bell Rock - Billy Idol.

Jingle Bell Rock Lyrics

Jingle Bell Rock Lyrics

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air.

What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That's the jingle bell,
That's the jingle bell,
That's the jingle bell rock.

Sixth Pay Commission: MBAs play safe, vie for civil services

Sixth Pay Commission: MBAs play safe, vie for civil services

A24 x7 blue-collar job, with a six-figure pay - and the demons of impossible targets, insecurity and killer stress. Or a cushy government job, with a decent pay, comfortable lifestyle, non-existent accountability, loads of perks and real power? For MBAs, the choice is no longer a blind first. The heat generated by the global meltdown seems to have warmed their hearts for government jobs.

Caught in the worldwide financial turmoil, the glam quotient in corporate jobs has taken a nose-dive . Job security - rather than big bucks - is determining factor. Even IIM-Calcutta grads, the much-envied elite in the MBA community, cannot resist the survival instinct. Their choice: the Indian Civil Services.

Several IIM-C students are preparing as hard for the 2009-2010 civil service examinations, as they are for their MBA finals. IIM and IIT grads do appear in the civil services exam and make it to the topper's list every year. In fact, the Bengal cadre has a number of IIT graduates - S K Gupta, N S Nigam, Talleen Kumar, Binod Kumar , and Prabhat Mishra - to name a few. But this time the number of hopefuls from these elite campuses is far more.

The campus placements - in which the big bucks had dried up this season - perhaps isn't as much of a pull as the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy that trains IAS officers . But won't they miss the sixfigure salaries?

"Money isn't everything," says Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh, 1st year student at IIM-C . He knows that the starting point is only Rs 24,000 a month in the civil services, but says he can "discount that for the more meaningful stuff in life" . With a gold medal in electrical engineering from NIT, Kurukshetra, the IIM-C students' council president is even ready to vouch for his campus mates. "We'll take the IAS exams because government service offers quality work. The reach is wider. And the pay does enhance with seniority."

"I want quality life and a rewarding career. You can have both as a bureaucrat . Besides, I don't want the stress that comes with a corporate package," says Harish, Singh's batchmate . "I always dreamt of being a civil servant. This meltdown has only reinforced my resolve. After the Sixth Pay Commission revision, a civil servant's job is paying, too."

Singh has made a note of the Cabinet secretary's Rs 90,000-minimum basic salary. "Add to that the other allowances and the perks and I can be laughing my way to the bank," he says, solemnly adding: "We've all weighed the pros and cons carefully. This isn't a sudden decision."

However, Jyotirmoy Pal Chowdhury , director of Bose Academy, an IAS coaching centre, feels it is just that - a knee-jerk reaction. "We have been struck by the sudden interest generated from B-schoolgoers for the 2009 ICS prelims. The global meltdown has certainly touched the civil service chord in job aspirants," says the veteran trainer.

IAS coaching centres run by IISWBM and Asutosh College had closed down a few years ago because the demand had waned in the glare of the corporate boom. Now, it's just the opposite.

"If B-school boys are really interested in our service, it's certainly a welcome development," says Sunil Mitra, power secretary and president, IAS Officers' Association. "The country will benefit from their managerial skills."

Subesh Das, principal secretary to chief minister, isn't surprised by the trend. "The government sector is the most challenging. It's the best paying, professionally," said Das, who has done a PhD in industrial and labour relations from Cornell University , US. "The extra professional degree (MBA) would only heighten their expertise as bureaucrats."

West Midnapore district magistrate N S Nigamagrees: "Several of my batchmates from IIT-Kanpur became civil servants. Nobody has any regret. This is one of the best professions available in India. Paywise, this job offers enough for a decent living."

But there have been some in the Bengal cadre who took a lien for Bcourses . Most of them left in due time for the moolah. Mitra's candid explanation : "Some of our younger colleagues have left the service to meet bigger challenges. On the flip side, there's no denying that the political environment does affect decisionmaking in governance. But now that the corporate bubble has burst, the positive sides of bureaucracy will be seriously considered. I am sure the trend is here to stay."

Or is it? A K Patnaik, member, State Administrative Tribunal, takes a different view. "Just because a handful of IIM grads are showing interest in IAS, we must not read too much into it. Our service has lost its primacy and differential advantage. In a meltdown scenario, any government job - and not just civil service - would be considered a better option."

Ditto, says HR consultant Tushar Bose: "I think it's only a temporary phenomenon. Once the economy bounces back, they will again look the corporate way."


Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Miss World 2008 is Ksenia Sukhinova - Russia

Miss World 2008 is Ksenia Sukhinova - Russia

Miss World 2008 Russia - Ksenia Sukhinova

1st Runner-up India - Parvathy Omanakuttan

2nd Runner-up Trinidad & Tobago - Gabrielle Walcott.

Jennifer Aniston Desktop Calendar 2009

Jennifer Aniston Desktop Calendar 2009

Jennifer Aniston's wet T-shirt look for desktop calendar

IT'S only a 2009 desktop calendar, but the rather prim Jennifer Aniston has revealed herself like never before. news.com

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Today December 1 is World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of

HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007, and an estimated 33 million people

worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent,

improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2

million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children. The concept of a World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World

Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments,

international organizations and charities around the world.

World AIDS Day Themes 1988 - present

1988 Communication
1989 Youth
1990 Women and AIDS
1991 Sharing the Challenge
1992 Community Commitment
1993 Act
1994 AIDS and the Family
1995 Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities
1996 One World. One Hope
1997 Children Living in a World with AIDS
1998 Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People
1999 Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People
2000 AIDS: Men Make a Difference
2001 I care. Do you?
2002 Stigma and Discrimination
2003 Stigma and Discrimination
2004 Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
2005 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise
2006 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Accountability
2007 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Leadership
2008 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Lead - Empower - Deliver


Read more.