Why should Anna Nicole Smith's death make any difference to the average Indian?

Okay, I used to think that the Times of India's obsession with Paris Hilton is ridiculous...but last week when Anna Nicole Smith (ANS) , an absolutely inconsequential starlet/former Playboy playmate died, scores of Indian media sources carried this piece of news..Tell me why does the average Indian, people like you and me, need to know about this..??

I was surprised to find a small piece on ANS's death in the Indian Express, had expected it in the Times of India but definitely not bang on top of the Indian Express website. Later, I found the same story on Indian Express's Screen, their entertainment portal which was still okay...my patience really ran out when I saw the story in nothing less than the Financial Express..

A quick Google search reveals the following other media organizations carried news bits on ANS's death and the controversy surrounding her baby's father:

DNA

The Times of India

NDTV

CNN_IBN

Nagaland Post (really!!! see, www.nagalandpost.com)

The Statesman

Hindustan Times Tabloid

Samachar.com

Indo-Asian News Service

Zee News

The Statesman, otherwise known as the snobbish Bengali mouthpiece, carried the story in its in"international section", along with other stories like:

‘Jinnah wasn’t a real hero’
Another flawed Iraq probe
Fonda, Sally take a decision
N-talks hit Chinese wall

No coup plans, says Bangla army

Sure, they carried the story as a stub, but imagine placing the news item between stories about international wars, a possible coup in a neighboring nation, the nuclear debate etc...

It is really really HARD to get over our colonial mindsets, isn't it?

Indian activists get together to form the Community Radio Forum

Over 70 organizations from all over the country will meet in Delhi on 1st February for a day long consultation , to take the community radio movement in India to the next level. The National Consultation, organized by the Community Radio Forum, will bring together community representatives, academics, broadcasters, non-profit organizations, UN agencies and government officials.

This will be the first such consultation in the country, marking the beginning of a new era in radio broadcasting. It was only in November 2006, after seven long years of lobbying by groups like the Community Radio Forum, that the government finally accepted to make changes in the Community Radio Policy, to allow community based groups to set up their own radio stations.

Earlier only 'established educational institutions of repute' could apply for licenses to set up radio stations. This policy resulted in some institutions like Universities and IITs setting up low power "campus radios". But the policy drew severe criticisms and oppositions from civil society organizations who were barred from applying for licenses. The consultation will submit a set of recommendations to the officials to further democratize the airwaves.

According to Stalin K., the convenor of this forum and one of the foremost names among radio advocates in the country, "The government should shift paradigms and see itself as encouragers of community radio rather than as regulators. If the government puts in place a simple procedure for application and a single window clearance, then almost every group present in this consultation will set up a radio station in the next two years. And this is just the tip of the ice-berg."

Organizations that work with communities in need of such outlets, hopefully would now come in to take advantage of the changed scenario.

Straight from the heart from matrimonial websites

A friend of mine just sent me this hilarious post about actual "posts" on matrimonial websites...

Read for some serious laugh-time....

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Hello To Viewers My Name is Shekhar , I am single i don't havefemale,If anyone
want to Marie to me u can visit to my home. I am not a goodeducation but i
working all field in bangalroe.. if u like me u welcometo my heart...when ever u
want to meet pls visit my resident or send uletter.. Thanks yours Regards
Shekhar
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i
want very simple girl. from brahmin educated family from orissa stateshe is also
know about RAMAYAN, GEETA BHAGABATA, and other
homework(Homework?)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wants a
woman who knows me better and can adjust with me forever. shemay never create
any difficulties in my life or her life by which theentire life can run
smoothly. thank you(The principle of running life smoothly was never so
easy!)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~she should be good
looking and should have a service. she Should haveone brother and one sister.
she should be educated.(ain't it unique !! 1 brother 1
sister!)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I
am a happy-go-lucky kind of person. Enjoys every moments of life. Ilove to make
friendship. Because friendship is a first step of love. Iam looking for my
dreamgirl who will love me more than i. Because ilove myself a lot. If u think
that is u then why to late come on.........hold my hand forever
!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i am
simple boy.I have lot of problem in my life because of my luck nowi am looking
one gal she care me and love me lot lot lot(I don't know why but this is one of
my
favorites)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My
wife should be as 'Shivani' as in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and as Tanwerras in
KSBKBT......(Ok I haven't seen these soaps but I am sure he must be demanding
toomuch,ain't
he?)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i
want a girl with no drinks if she wants she can wear jeans in housebut while
stepping out of house she should give respect to our cast(by not wearing her
jeans?
...)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HYE
I AM A GOOD LOKING BOY,WHO HAS THE CAPABILITY TO MAKE ANY BODY TOLOUGH.I BELIEVE
IN GOD AND ACCORDING TO ME FRIENDS ARE THE REALMESSENGER OF GOD. THE 3 THINGS I
AM LOOKING FROM A GIRL ,THEY ARE1.THEYMUST BELIEVE IN GOD.2. THEY HAVE TO LIKE
MY PROFFESION AND THEY SHOULDNOT GET BORED WITH ME WHEN I WILL TRY TO MAKE THEM
LOUGH.(all of us are loughing
)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~whatever
she may be but she should feel that she is going to be someonebride and she must
think of the future life if she is too like thisshewould be called the woman of
the lamp(I am clueless, I feel so lost. Can anyone tell me what this boy
wants)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i
love my patner i marriage the patner ok i search my patner and i lovethepatner
ok thik hai the patner has a graduate ok(I am again clueless but I liked the use
of "ok"
)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HI IAM
VERY COOL NUATHER OK MY HOBBY IS SEE T.V AND NEWS OK I HAVE 1CARAND 1 BONWL OK
MY MOTHER ALSO GOOD OK MY FARUET WORLD IS OK(this one is one of my
Fav)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I am
pran my family history my two brother two sister and Father&mothersister
complity marred(somebody please explain in comments section how to get
married'completely'?)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~iam
very simpel and hanest. i have three sister one brother and parent.i am doing
postal sarvice and tailor master my original resdence atkalahandi diste naw iam
staing at rayagada dist.(actually what is this guy doing? Postal service or
tailor.??)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~my
name is muhamad and i am unmarried. pleaes you marrige me pleaespleaes pleaes
pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes(height of desperation! J
)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Iwant
one girl who love me or my mother. she love me heartly or shehavea frank she's
skin colour 'normal'not a black or not a whitey.IThink the main think is heart
if your heart is beautiful then you arebeautiful.butiam not a handsome guy or
not a good looking. but my Mom say that Iam agood guy. My father already expired
. THE CHOICE IS YOUR.bye bye.(uttama
purushan)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~iam
kanan. i do owo businas.one sistar.he was marred.(No
comments)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I
AM LITTLE FAIR INDIAN COLOUR. I DON'T HAVE ANY HABIT.(maybe the poor guy meant
BAD
habits)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~hello
i am a good charactarised man. i want to run my life happily.idivorced my first
wife.her charactor is not good'. i expect the goodminded and clean habits girl
who may be in the same caste or othercasteaccepted ...(but credit cards not
accepted..???)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~my
colour is black,but my heart is white.i like social
service(Zebra..???)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i'm
looking out for who lives in bombay , girl simple who trust me lotshould be
roman catholic, LOVE ME ONLY.(Now that criterion is a must, isn't
it?)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~to
be married on jan-2006. working woman perferable(this guy has fixed the marriage
date too! But he is yet to find abride.I wish him best of luck on behalf of all
of us. I am sure he will
getonesoon.)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i
would like a beautyfull girl. and i do not want her any treasure.because girl is
the maharani.(Now she is going to be a lucky girl! Any
takers?)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ssc
failed three times and worked with privated ltd company which notpaying salary
at present.(Any takers again?)

The sanest advice anyone ever gave me....

Babe....stop living in the movies....

thus spoke my dearest big brother...

What would you do?

If you see no way but out, will you take it?

No possibility, no direction....All you have is your life.
Would you stake it?

When the worst solution is the best one for you,
If you saw such such a time.....

Could you fake it???

Goldman Sachs report on India overtaking US by 2050

It may sound incredible but does not seem impossible....bigger miracles have happened...A recently released Goldman Sachs report claims that not only will India be a superpower soon but will overtake the US of A by 2050. Some excerpts...

Productivity growth will help India sustain over 8% growth until 2020 and
become the second largest economy in the world, ahead of the US, by 2050,
Goldman Sachs has said, scaling up estimates of the country's prospects in its
October 2003 research paper widely known as the BRICs report. The original
report had projected that India's GDP would outstrip Japan's by 2032 and that in
30 years, it would be the world's third largest economy after China and the US.
The new report goes one step further by moving India up from No. 3 and No. 2 in
the global sweepstakes of tomorrow.

For the full article, go here..

The Times of India also gets some interesting reactions from people all over the world about the report...One of them, about previous Goldman Sachs reports, is particularly interesting...

This report needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. In 1977 a news article
claimed that India was headed for utter destruction by 2000. The report claimed
that the way India was going on, it would soon become a military dictatorship.
The reporter obviously had no idea of the IT revolution that was to come. By
2000, India was looking better than ever, and now in 2006, it is being touted as
the next superpower. The point that I am trying to make is that it is impossible
to predict what's going to happen 50 years from now. The economists base their
predictions on what is happening today and simply extrapolate today's growth.
But history is littered with failed predictions, which means you can never be
sure of what is going to happen. A war with China/Pakistan, or US/China war or a
war in the Middle East could turn the whole world upside down.

Murtuza USA

India's very own Oh My News!!!

MeriNews.com, supposedly India's first "citizen journalism" portal..
I am surprised how this initiative has not been as publicised as the Korean Oh My News...

Promise to put a comparitive piece and a possible interview on here later...

watch the space...