New SeatBelt Law In U.S.A. :)

This is "New INDIA"

Here is an email sent by Dean IIT Madras- This is "New INDIA"!!!

Dear Friends,

Here is a personal experience, as well as a moment of national pride, which I want to share with you. Hope you find it worth the time you put in reading it :

"In the middle of 1965 India-Pakistan war, US govt - then a close friend of Pakistan - threatened India with stopping food-aid (remember "PL-480"?). For a food deficient India this threat was serious and humiliating. So much so that in the middle of war, Prime Minister (Late) Lal Bahadur Shastri went to Ram Leela Grounds in Delhi and appealed to each Indian to observe one-meal-fast every week to answer the American threat. As a school boy, I joined those millions who responded to Shastri ji's call. I continued the fast even when the war was over and India became self sufficient in food. Hurt deep by the national humiliation suffered at the hands of the US govt, I had vowed to stop my weekly fast only when India starts giving aid to USA.

It took just 40 years. Last week THE day arrived. When Indian ambassador in Washington DC handed over a cheque of US$ 50 million to the US govt, two plane loads of food, medical aid and other relief materials were waiting to fly to the USA. Time to break the fast? With no bad feeling about the USA, and good wishes for the Katrina and Rita victims, this humble Indian feels proud of the distance India has covered in 40 years. Let's celebrate a New India!"

- Vijay Kranti
Dean - IIT Madras

And The Winner Is...'PAHELI'

The selection of Amol Palekar's "Paheli" as India's official entry to the coveted Oscar award has evoked mixed reactions.

The Shah Rukh Khan starrer was chosen over 14 films including "Swades", "Veer-Zara", "Black", "Parineeta" and "Mangal Pandey" - each, their fans say, worthy of the honour. The debate, then, is whether "Paheli" deserved the selection.

It's an irony that we have many and many movies this year which deserved to get nominated for Academy awards - from Regional to off-beat cinema. The question is...is it the Khan charisma and influence which is working in Bollywood with the selection commitee or is it ???Here are the industry reactions.

Now You Never Need To Stop Drinking...

BERLIN Fans of non-stop drinking may soon be able to cut down on time wasted ordering refills, thanks to a beer coaster that can tell when a glass is empty.

The coaster, fitted with sensors, measures the weight of the beer and sends a signal behind the bar when it's time for a refill. Anxious drinkers can also attract the attention of staff by waving the plastic mat, thanks to a motion sensor. It was invented by students Matthias Hahnen and Robert Doerr for a project at the University of Saarbruecken in southwest Germany.

The device has attracted the attention of beer vendors in North America, including a leading Canadian brewer, according to Michael Schmitz, one of the supervisors of the project.
"They wanted to know if they could use it or make it themselves," he said. "

The prototype cost about 84 euros to make one but if mass produced, it could be done for around 10 euros."