Dsei Express Newspaper March 2016

SERVING THE INDIAN‐AMERICAN COMMUNITY

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Do hunger pangs hit you at the sight of guilty pleasures like cookies, candy and chips, even after having a full-course meal?

Can spending excessive time on Facebook or other social media be as dangerous as addiction to cocaine or gambling?

Late actress Meena Kumari's classics are all set to be screened at Osianama At Liberty as part of its ongoing Womanhood festival.

ALABAMA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE DRAMATIC EXPANSION' OF H1-B VISA: VERITAS CEO

WASHINGTON: With IT firms struggling to find quality and right number of professionals, a top American CEO has called for a "dramatic expansion" of the H-1B visa scheme -popular among Indian tech firms- to meet the growing demand.

"The entire Silicon Valley believes that the H-1B visa policy needs to be dramatically expanded," Bill

Coleman CEO of Veritas told PTI in an interview.

The H1B visa is designed to allow US employers to recruit and employ foreign professionals in specialty occupations within the US. But in a blow to Indian IT firms, the US has imposed an additional fee of up to USD 4,500 for certain categories of H-1B visa. Coleman referred to the huge shortage of quality IT professionals the Silicon Valley faces. Coleman said the number of H-1B visas should be based on market demand

E-TOURIST VISA EXTENDED TO 37 MORE COUNTRIES

NEW DELHI: The hugely successful e-Tourist Visa (eTV) facility will be extended to citizens of 37 more countries, including Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark and South Africa, from tomorrow, taking the total count of countries under the scheme to 150. The new 37 countries included in

e-Tourist Visa scheme are Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cote d'lvoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana and Greece. Others are Guinea, Iceland, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Moldova, Namibia, Romania, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad & Tobago, Zambia and Zimbabwe, an official statement said.

PRESS RELEASE - CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA (ATLANTA) WASHINGTON: Consulate General of India Atlanta held it's first Consular camp on 13.02.2016 at Shrilakshmi Narayan Mandir, Orlando, Florida from 09:00 AM to 14:30 PM. The camp was held under the supervision of the Consular Officers from the Consulate in order to deliver Consular services to Indian Community. The Consular camp was well attended and considerable number of people were benefitted as

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they could get firsthand information from the Consulate officials on the rules and procedures for various devices rendered by the Consulate. The Consulate camp was held with the assistance of the Indian community in Orlando and a team from CKGS stationed at the camp to deliver the services. The Consulate would continue in its efforts to outreach to the Indian community by holding such camps in the near future.

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Hindi-urdu

SANJHE BOL, ATLANTA

The not so wintry Sunday evening of December 20th enjoyed yet another spectacle at Fusion Event Hall in Norcross by local literati that appreciate and have ears to admire Hindi- Urdu poetry with a similar penchant.

The annual event Hindi- Urdu Sanjhe bol came back with full flavors and a strong message to keep the South Asian community of Atlanta bound together by the sweet ties of the lingua-franca which has been fabricated with threads of HindiUrdu woven together.

Although relationship between Hindi and Urdu can be objectively demonstrated by reference to shared grammatical structures or to etymologically shared vocabulary but the prominent fact still maintained is that the relationship between these two languages is not simply composed of the bones of Grammar and Vocabulary, for they live as the creations of human societies and as the instruments of their cultures.

Mrs. Sandhya Bhagat and Mrs. Manju Tiwari, the two local enthusiasts of Atlanta take the initiative every year to strengthen the bonds between Hindi and Urdu speaking communities of the area. Hindi Urdu Sanjhe bol has been nurtured since 2007 by these two passionate women, supported by their equally dedicated team of volunteers and Patrons.

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Aries ( 21 March – 19 April ) - Your strength presently comes from holding tight to your longer-term goals. You’ve worked hard for your keep, with discipline and perseverance.

Physically, some important goals are finally being achieved. You’re probably moving towards a place where you feel more at ease and a practical stability. The fruits of your labour can now be recognized and finally enjoyed.

This period is all about embracing all you’ve established through your connections and interactions with who matter most with your family, friends and loved ones.

Favorable Dates : Mar 1, 5, 10, 14, 19, 23 Favorable Colors : Red & White Taurus (20 April – 20 May) - This can be a fun month where you open your heart more to the possibilities in your life, to other people, and to fun. You want to enjoy yourself more and experience good times. Your love life can get a boost over and it’s a great time for passionate romance. You’re more open to love, and want to experience the nice side of it. If single, you can have more opportunities, meet lots of new people, and enjoy the attention that you get, but you probably won’t rush to commit to anyone just yet.

Favorable Dates : Mar 3, 4, 12, 13, 21, 22 Favorable Colors : Green & White Gemini (21 May – 20 June) - This month can be good for your finances and you can have more financial opportunities and put yourself in a better position. You can make more money even if it’s just budgeting better.

You benefit from being more practical, stable, calm, and dedicated to whatever you want to do. This behavior can lead to more doors opening for you. Your confidence can also increase and you believe more in yourself and have better self-esteem. This month sets the cornerstones of your new reality into place.

Favorable Dates : Mar 4, 6, 13, 24, 22, 24 Favorable Colors : Yellow & Blue Cancer ( 21 June – 22 July ) - This month will be problematic with the things you want to get off the ground. It always seems there is a shortage of something or another to make it happen for you. This is a good month for prayer and contemplation. A good month to think things through before acting on them.

Look at what is missing and go from there.

Straighten things out before taking further action. You may discover that things could go in a completely different direction than you thought.

Favorable Dates : Mar 2, 7, 11, 25, 20, 25 Favorable Colors : White & Green Leo ( 23 July – 22 August ) - Things are coming together for you this month. It is a great feeling to experience being favored by the Universe, and the Universe is responding with great acceptance. Much of what you want will arrive with a little push. Expect other people to rise up and be supportive of you in many ways that are truly helpful. Follow your intuitions and allow them to guide you. You will have advisers when needed and much wisdom will be gained through this time of flowing ideas and clarity of thought.

Favorable Dates : Mar 3, 8, 12, 17, 21, 20, 25 Favorable Colors : Blue & Black

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Virgo ( 23 August – 22 September ) - Your passionate desire for freedom and change will be of assistance as you venture out into unfamiliar territory. This fresh direction opens a door for you, for a change of scenery, new independence, regenerated friends and fresh confidence. Pay attention to what and who enters your life now, no matter how small. Stay steady in your attempt to create harmony and balance in your life and the elbow grease that you supply helps to keep the wheels turning. This shift promotes a breakthrough with good news and triumph.

Favorable Dates : Mar 4, 7, 13, 16, 22, 25 Favorable Colors : White & Red

Libra ( 23 September – 22 October ) - You are experiencing a great desire for change and movement. It is time to quit thinking about your goals and simply taking action toward them. Courage and willpower will overcome challenges and uncertainties. It is time to weed out the unnecessary, so that you can chase life once again. You need to try something new and unfamiliar - to get the excitement that you have been searching for. Strength and power is yours, but the meaning of this achievement will be determined by your morals.

Favorable Dates : Mar 3, 9, 12, 17, 21, 24 Favorable Colors : Black & Blue Scorpio ( 23 October – 21 November ) - The time and energy that has been invested by you, is finally beginning to shape itself. The meaning of self-respect and wealth takes on a whole new meaning as you move on to the next level in life.

Before the new journey begins, you take some time for yourself to spend quality time enjoying the fruits of your prosperous labor, most likely with loved ones. Progress in work and finances, along with spiritual growth. Your general well-being improves dramatically as happiness and joy increases.

Favorable Dates : Mar 3, 9, 12, 17, 21, 24 Favorable Colors : Black & Blue Sagittarius ( 22 November - 21 December ) Self-promotion is priority now, giving favorable recognition to your work and relationships. Your energy is balanced, and you have the capability of attracting whatever you set your heart and mind too. Opportunities prove to be illuminating and rewarding. You obtain popularity with your strength and attract many admirers along the way.

You are being encouraged to put on your thinking cap and to have your listening ears on. Shift with the flow and allow the heavens to steer forward.

Favorable Dates : Mar 1, 9, 10, 18, 19, 27 Favorable Colors : White & Yellow Capricorn ( 22 December – 19 January ) – There is a fresh change in the air for you this month and it consists of putting closure to an emotional situation. You shine as you begin to transform restrictions into something more positive in your life. Taking the higher path will lead you into happiness and success now, so use your business-head to follow lead. You will be feeling lighter and livelier as you relish in this new sense of optimism, while attracting like-minded individuals.

Pay attention to these new people.

Favorable Dates : Mar 1, 2, 10, 11, 19, 20 Favorable Colors : Blue & Yellow Aquarius ( 20 January – 18 February) - You will do your best to reorganize your practical needs, from your personal wishes. You would be becoming much more motivated in taking charge of what has been controlling you. Your skills, experience, and charm get to be well-used especially if you are looking into ideas for more promotion. As you experience the joy and balance that moderation brings into your life, you develop a stronger inner self. Prosperity may be on its way, or this could be an increase to promote growth in your household.

Favorable Dates : Mar 2, 8, 11, 17, 20, 26 Favorable Colors : Blue & White Pisces (19 February – 20 March) – This month can make the dream appear to be bigger than life.

Too much talk, and not enough action will only accumulate thoughts of hopelessness, guilt, and blame. Think of the possibilities as to how these vibrations can change your luck and invite new opportunities in your world. It is critical to find a healthy balance of your own effort, to reap rewards. Opening yourselves to the "bigger" world opens your mind to "bigger" things, bringing enlightenment and a new faith in people.

Favorable Dates : Mar 2, 5, 11, 14, 20, 23 Favorable Colors : Blue & Yellow Manish Kumar Arora K.P. Astrologer, Numerologist, Tarot Card Reader & Vastu Consultant Phone: +91-9871062000 E-mail: manishastrologer@rediffmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/manishastroconsultant * All astrological predictions are to be considered friendly advice based on the author’s personal opinions and used for entertainment purposes only. These are not to be considered as promises, guarantees or psychic predictions. They are simply potentials to be used at the reader’s own discretion. For important decisions, consult your personal intuition, doctor, accountant, lawyer, educator, or clergy as needed. It is best to be informed on all levels.

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SEVEN OUT OF EIGHT INDIAN-AMERICAN CANDIDATES WIN IN LEXINGTON ELECTIONS

US COURT DECLINES INDIAN-ORIGIN MAN'S PLEA IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE

New York: The Supreme Court of Ohio in the US has declined to accept an Indian-origin man`s appeal in a sexual assault case.

Upholding the February 2015 conviction by a Logan County Common Pleas jury in Ohio for kidnapping and gross sexual imposition, the court refused to accept the plea of Gurwinder Singh, 28, who is serving a nine-year sentence for sexual assault on a woman, examiner.org reported on Tuesday.

The assault occurred at the Valero gas station in Stokes Township in Ohio on February 25, 2013 where he worked at the time. He was labelled a Tier-II sex offender requiring him to register with authorities for 25 years. He had entered a guilty plea to rape in 2013 and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Singh took the case to trial in February 2015. He was found guilty of both charges and given a nine-year sentence. He is also facing deportation.

WASHINGTON: Seven out of eight IndianAmerican candidates, who ran for local elections in Lexington city in the US state of Kentucky on Tuesday, have won.

With this, now their are a total of 12 IndianAmericans elected members of the Lexington Town Meeting, India New England News reported on Wednesday.

"This movement is historic. Great result despite heavy turnout because of presidential elections which tends to favour known contestants and incumbents," Narain Bhatia, a long-time Lexington resident and community

CONTD.. HINDI URDU SAMJHE BOL The program began at 4:00 PM with a beautiful slideshow arranged

by Kartikay Bhagat, which comprised of memoirs from shows since 2007. Mr. Shyam Tiwari then formally began the program with a welcome note and a brief introduction, Mrs. Bhagat and Mrs. Tiwari took the program forward and introduced the poets. The poets were called out then and the evening echoed with heart warming poetry and several rounds of applauses.

Local poets as well as some who traveled from neighboring states filled the evening with the power of their words that had the ability to bring tears or raise a laughter riot.

The poets of the evening were Aslam Pervez, Kush Kumar, Tahir Syal, Shilpa Agrawal, Om P. Arora,

Kusum Sinha, Madhur Gupta, Brijrani Verma, Anton Shim, Shree Vora, Manju Tiwari, Sandhya Saxena Bhagat, Iqbal Sharif, Ashfaq Farooqui, Ujjagar Singh Wassan, Syed Zia Rizvi, Nidhi Pipal, Sayada Imrana and Sayada Nahid.

In the midst of poetry recitation, a new twist was added to the program this year as a video on relationship and origin of Hindi and Urdu was shown which was followed by a discussion in which the audience and poets participated and shared their thoughts about the same bringing out interesting facts and personal experiences. The second round of amazing poetry recitation commenced after the discussion.

Mrs. Bhagat and Mrs. Tiwari concluded the program with a vote of

thanks to the volunteers Anil Bhagat, Shyam Tiwari, Vijay Tandan, Ankit Tiwari, Gandharv Bhagat, Nihit Tiwari, Aviram Varma, Sanjeev Agarwal, Veena Kathdare and Edward Gibson.

A special thanks went to Local Media supporters and Ms. Anjali Chhabria of TV Asia who covered the event. Mrs. Bhagat mentioned that the program was made possible by the generous contributions and support by Mr. Udaiveer Singh.

Dr. Nazneen Dalwai and Shamim Dalwai supported the program by providing the perfect venue of Fusion Event Hall.

— Shilpa Agrawal

INDIAN-AMERICAN NEEL SETHI CAPTURES WHAT I REMEMBER OF MOWGLI countries to zero in on their Mowgli, but settled for a youngster in American with an Indian connect much like the character himself.

Neel Sethi, an Indian-American boy with no acting experience, has brought out the charisma, spunk and a bit of swagger of world-famous fictional character Mowgli in the 3D cinematic adaptation of “The Jungle Book”, says the movie’s director Jon Favreau.

The team of the Disney movie conducted auditions across several

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Neel, 12, stays in Manhattan and has his roots in Gujarat

Favreau, known globally as the “Iron Man” and “Chef” director, said Neel’s portrayal as Mowgli is like a flashback tour to his own childhood memories around the animated character.

For many Indians, the movie’s mention may be a flashback moment to the TV series, which brought Mowgli’s adventures alive in the late 1980s. And bring back memories of the “Jungle jungle pataa chala hai” title track. But this Mowgli will be a tad different.

“You need the personality, humour, charm and the emotion of the characters. That’s really what ‘The Jungle Book’ represents. People don’t think about action… It’s fun to have it, but really what you think about is the characters and the relationships.

The live-action epic adventure will release in India on April 8, a week before it releases in the US. It showcases Mowgli’s journey of selfdiscovery when he is forced to abandon his home in the forest, and all the creatures he meets during his journey.

activist, said. The winners of Lexington elections include Sharmila Mudgal from Precinct3 for one year term, Anoop Garg from Precinct-4 gets three year term, Pam Joshi and Rita Pandey gets three year term each from Precinct-9 and Precinct-5, respectively.

Anil Ahuja from Precinct-5, Vikas Kinger from Precinct-7 and Nirmala Garimella from Precinct-8 got one year term each.

The only Indian-American candidate to lose in the election was Hema Bhatt in Precinct-9.

"Hema Bhatt lost but got 375 votes and lost by just 36 votes while beating Scott Burson, a long time town meeting member and former School Committee member by 76 votes," Bhatia said.

In addition to the winners in Tuesday's elections, Indian-Americans have five current Town Meeting members whose term is not over making a total of twelve.

These sitting members are: Narain Bhatia, Ravish Kumar, Sanjay Padaki, Dinesh Patel and Syed Rizvi.

News Brief Kids 3K Race Raises Over $2500 for Chennai Flood Relief: Kids Help Kids “Kids Help Kids”, an organization initiated by Veda Balaji continued its efforts to raise funds. A 3K Race held at East Cobb Park, Georgia, hosted by a group of 20 kids, garnered well over $2500. The proceeds of the event were donated to SEWA International, USA work‐ ing to help those affected by floods in Chennai, India.

Head-On Collision in AL Kills Indian Student & Teen; Five Others Injured Joy Mathew Moses, 24, of Troy University was killed and four other Indian students injured in a car crash in Alabama. The crash also killed Elizabeth English, 19, of Elba whose vehicle collided head‐on with Moses’ car.

Milton High Student Achieves Top ACT Score: Compsite Act Score of 36 Rupal Khaitan, daughter of Radha and Sanjay Khaitan and senior at Milton High School, earned the highest possible ACT Composite score of 36. Among test takers in graduating class, only 1,598 of more than 1.92 million students earned an ACT Composite score of 36.

Colorectal cancer screening saves lives, Dr. Indran Indrakrishnan Dr. Indran Indrakrishnan, a clinical professor of medi‐ cine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta spoke at length about the disease and measures to en‐ hance colorectal cancer screening, first at the House of Representatives and then at the Senate . Dr Indran In‐ drakrishnan, a clinical professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta

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News Update

IFA’S INDIA4US FORUM 2016

KAMALA HARRIS MAY BECOME FIRST INDIAN AMERICAN SENATOR IN US Kamala Harris poised to become first Indian American senator in US Congress The Attorney General of California, Kamala Devi Harris, has got the coveted California Democratic Party endorsement for U.S. Senate, which on top of her comfortable lead over rival Rep. Loretta Sanchez, is likely to catapult her into higher office, on Capitol Hill.

Harris, who was born in Oakland, California, is the daughter of an Indian mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris a breast cancer specialist who emigrated from Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 1960 and a Jamaican American father, Stanford University economics professor Donald Harris. Harris captured 78.1% of the votes to earn the California state Democrats’ official seal of approval, reported the Los Angeles Times. It’s a prize that provides her with a clear edge in the June 7 primary and, most likely, financial support from the party.

The endorsement came after the two Democratic Senate candidates, running to succeed retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer, made their final pitches to local activists and other elected officials. Harris asked Democrats to help her deliver a “more perfect union” and Sanchez asked them to trust her experience and record over other candidates’ “talk.” But Harris prevailed in a landslide, reported the Times. Of the 2,139 ballots cast, 19.3% were for Sanchez and 2.6% voted for no endorsement at all.

IFA has held first ever India4US Forum – 2016 banquet at Signature Ball Room in Suwanee, Georgia.

The banquet kicked off at 6.30 pm with the social hour. Guests of the banquet networked with guest speakers including consul general of India Mr Nagesh Singh, Consuls Mr. R. Srinivasan and Mr. D.V. Singh and other consulate staff members.

Harris, talking to Democrat supporters, described the life-shaping experience of growing up in the Bay Area as the daughter of two civil rights activists. Harris’ speech hewed to the high ideals of the Democratic Party and the “poison” politics consuming the Republican presidential race. She vowed to protect and restore the fundamental rights of all Americans.

Over 50 associations, organizations of Atlanta have attended the event.

The main goals of the forum are for the Consul General of India to communicate to the community of all services the consulate offers and to recognize eminent scholars and researchers of Indian origin. Master of Ceremony Meghna kicked off the event by national anthems of USA and India, followed by 1 minute silence for Mahatma Gandhi Vardanthi.

“For far too many, liberty and justice for all is a promise we have failed to keep,” Harris said.

The consulate general of India spoke at length of the various

SIX INDIAN-AMERICANS AMONG EARLY-CAREER SCIENTISTS HONOURED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA

Washington (IANS) President Obama has named 106 researchers, including six of Indian origin, as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest US government honour for young independent researchers. The winners will receive their awards at a Washington, DC ceremony this spring.

"These early-career scientists are leading the way

in our efforts to confront and understand challenges from climate change to our health and wellness," Obama said.

"We congratulate these accomplished individuals and encourage them to continue to serve as an example of the incredible promise and ingenuity of the American people."

The Presidential Early Career Awards highlight the key role that the Administration places in encouraging American innovation to tackle our economy, greatest challenges, a White House announcement said.

DESI EXPRESS NEWSPAPER

services that consulate offers and various ways the community can get help from consulate staff. Mr. Nagesh Singh felicitated Event Sponsor Mr. Anil Reddy of MSD solutions. Mr. R. Srinivasan, consul went over the details of how to effectively apply for passports, OCI and Visas. Mr. R. Srinivasan also pointed out the common mistakes that are made while applying for passports, OCIs and Visas.

Consulate of India has provided an open hour from 10am to 12pm on working days that the community can walk-in to get help on their applications. IFA team has felicitated consulate staff for their service to the community. The video was received with a great applause and was appreciated by the attended guests for the IFA teams’ service to the community. After the presentation of the IFA year in review video the guests were invited to sumptuous dinner.

KNOW THE 'MAKE IN INDIA' STORY THROUGH SPECIAL MAGAZINE

Mumbai (IANS) To amplify the 'Make in India' message and help promote the country as a preferred destination for global investment and manufacturing, a ‘Make in India’ magazine narrating dynamic entrepreneurs stories has been released.

Condé Nast India, a media company, has associated with the government's 'Make in India Week' initiative for the

magazine. A special edition of the official ‘Make in India’ magazine was launched at the ongoing 'Make in India Week' event. The 200-page magazine tells inspiring stories of some of India’s most dynamic entrepreneurs and companies, and showcases the energy sweeping across the nation in various sectors.

The magazine was launched in the presence of Amitabh Kant, secretary, department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), V. Sunil, director, Motherland Joint Ventures and creative director.

One of novel initiative of IFA is to honor and recognize the brilliant and eminent scholars, academicians, and business leaders of Indian origin in Atlanta. The first speaker in this initiative is Dr. V. Kumar, a legend of marketing, Next Speaker is Dr. Veena Rao, distinguished cancer researcher.

IFA is honored to have Dr. Shyam Prasad another distinguished doctor accompany Dr. Veena Rao on stage.

Mrs. Sheela Lingam felicitated Dr. Veena Rao and Dr. Shyam Prasad.

The last speaker of the event is Mr. Ishrat Alam of Incredible India; he gave a presentation about the splendor that is India.

Shyam Mallavarapu of IFA team gave the vote of thanks to Divnity AV for providing audio and video, Sridhar Vakiti and Boppana of Vakiti Creations for providing photo and videos of the event, Meghna for engagingMC and volunteers their tireless help.

US ENGINEERS ACHIEVE PASSIVE WI-FI AT 10,000 TIMES LESS POWER

Washington (IANS) In an effort to curb battery drainage as you use Wi-Fi to play games or watch movies, a team of engineers including Indian-origin researchers has demonstrated that it is possible to generate Wi-Fi transmissions using 10,000 times less power than conventional methods.

The new "Passive Wi-Fi" system also consumes 1,000 times less power than existing energy-efficient wireless communication platforms,

such as Bluetooth Low Energy and Zigbee, said computer scientists and electrical engineers from University of Washington. "We wanted to see if we could achieve Wi-Fi transmissions using almost no power at all. That is basically what 'Passive Wi-Fi' delivers. We can get Wi-Fi for 10,000 times less power than the best thing that's out there,” said study co-author Shyam Gollakota, assistant professor of computer science and engineering.

“Passive Wi-Fi” can for the first time transmit Wi-Fi signals at bit rates of up to 11 megabits per second that can be decoded on any of the billions of devices with Wi-Fi connectivity.

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Which Tax Records Should I Keep?

It is not enough to file your taxes every year.

You also need to keep careful records that allow you to document and back up the information you provided to the IRS. Having the documents you need makes it easier to reconstruct your finances should the IRS have a question about a prior year’s tax return.

Having those documents available can also allow a tax professional to review the returns you have filed in the past and look for credits and deductions you may have missed.

You should keep W-2 forms from your employer and 1099-MISC forms if you are self-employed or run your own business.

These documents show how much you made during the year, and since your taxes are based in part on those figures you need to keep those forms for at least four years. If you have room, you may want to keep them for a full seven years. It is also important to keep the various 1099 forms you receive from banks, brokerage firms and mutual fund companies. The 1099 INT and 1099-DIV forms you receive each year list the amount you earned on your savings and investments.

The 1099-DIV forms can be particularly valuable, since the amounts reported can be added to the cost basis of your investments.

That can in turn lower your capital gains taxes when you sell the investment. You should keep these forms for four to seven years as well, but you may want to keep the 1099-DIV forms indefinitely, or at least until you liquidate the underlying investment.

If you own a home, you should keep records related to any home improvement or repair projects, since those amounts can be added to your cost basis when you sell. You should also keep copies of the amortization schedules that show how much you paid in interest.

These forms may be needed to back up the information you included on your tax return.

Business owners should keep copies of all the receipts they claimed on their taxes, in both hard copy and electronic form. It is a good idea to scan each receipt you receive and keep it in an electronic file.

This protects you from paper receipts that fade over time and become virtually unreadable.

Business owners can purchase receipt scanners that connect to the USB port on their

DESI EXPRESS NEWSPAPER

There is no shortage of news stories itemizing Internet hacking schemes, credit card breaches and stolen usernames. The sad fact is millions of Americans have had their identities stolen.

As technology continues to intersect our lives, how can we protect our finances and identities?

Consider the following seven tips: 1. Protect your plastic and your paper. Thieves love little tidbits about your finances, whether it’s your address from an old statement or a few numbers off your credit card. Avoid overexposing yourself by keeping your statements and cards in a safe place.

When going out, carry only the cards you plan to use that day, keeping your cards close to your body and not leaving them out for too long. It literally takes one to two seconds for someone to snap a picture of your card with a smart phone. If you still like your paper statements, avoid just throwing them into the trash; take the time to shred them every few months.

Reviewing your receipts and statements regularly is the best defense for unauthorized charges.

2. Review your credit report regularly. You don’t have to apply for a loan or make a big purchase to review your credit score. Each year, hundreds of thousands of mistakes are made and not every mistake is corrected. Monitoring your credit report is a good way to pick up on mistakes and detect suspicious activity. Consider checking your credit score annually or semi-annually with any number of certified credit reporting companies.

3. Protect your devices. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports that mobile security threats have increased more than 350% since 2010.3 Someone who gets a hold of your Smartphone or tablet can easily obtain crucial information about you with just a few taps of their finger. Adding something simple like a password manager app and an antivirus app (available on both Apple and Android, free in some cases) protects your information and your device from malicious viruses. Protect your wireless devices with apps like Hotspot Shield, an app designed to encrypt wireless communication to protect the information you send into cyberspace.

4. Be wary of solicitations. If someone calls out of the blue to warn you about a virus on your computer, or you receive an email about a warranty and it contains misspellings and grammatical errors beware. In reality, it’s likely they know nothing about your computer or any of your warranties. In 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported phone solicitations accounted for 40% of all fraud complaints, while emails accounted for 33%.2 Similarly, a Harris/Nielsen survey revealed that phone scams affect around 17.6 million

computers to make the process simple. No matter how many documents you need to keep, it is a good idea to store them in a safe place. A fire proof safe is a good investment, and a good way to store not only tax documents but insurance papers and other valuable items as well.

If you prefer, you can use a fire-resistant file cabinet or lock box to keep your tax records safe and protected.

When you file your taxes each year, you can store those

adults and cost Americans $8.6 billion a year. For example, Medicare discount drug card offers are a popular scam, typically targeted at seniors. If there is ever any question about the validity of a phone or email offer, take the time to contact the company directly using account or serial numbers from the original purchase to verify the offer. Also, add your number to the Do Not Call Registry which will drastically reduce the amount of solicitations.

5. Practice safe online activity. Only visit legitimate websites with a track record of safe business practices. Before purchasing anything online or entering any personal information, take note of the URL and hover over links to see where they lead. Verify the URL is spelled correctly, and has the letters https in the address bar (signifying the site is safe). Also, look for the little lock in the lower right corner of your browser when you’re ready to make purchases.

Never share any of your login info.

6. Manage your passwords. We hear it all the time: Create a strong password and change it regularly.

It really is that simple. Keeping the same password for all online accounts for an extended period of time could leave you and your finances susceptible to fraud.

Regularly updating them and using multiple passwords is best. If someone does get the information to one of your accounts, the problem is isolated to one account and not all of them. According to a survey conducted last spring by the Pew Research Center, only 39% of Internet users ever changed their passwords.

7. Stay up to date. Keeping up to date with the latest operating system, software, web browsers, anti-virus protection and apps is the best defense against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Regular tabs on the news will help you to remain alert to viruses and scams and can aid in becoming a conscious consumer.

Running regular scans and keeping up with scheduled maintenance will also help protect your identity and finances. When it comes to investing, there’s enough to focus on without falling victim to a scammer.

Put these simple steps into practice and help protect what you have worked hard to build your nest egg and your identity.

— By Akbar Kassam * (This information is general in nature and should not be construed as tax or legal advice.)

documents away and go through the existing files for documents that can be discarded.

Knowing which tax records to keep can be a challenge, but it is better to err on the side of caution. If you have a question about whether to keep a document, it is a good idea to hang on to it. Just keep in mind that it is always better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it.

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Mumbai (IANS) In an industry where slim waists, six-packs and fit frames are the order of the day, here comes the unusual Bhumi Pednekar, embodying an overweight girl in her debut film "Dum Laga Ke Haisha". Weight issues are not an issue, says the actress, who is ready to reduce to size zero if the role demands it. She has already slimmed down after eating her way to the 89 kg that her role in "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" required her to be.

Asked if she's ready to be a size zero, she said: "Why not? But it all depends ...if the script really needs me to be a size zero girl, if the character of the girl needs to be size zero, I'm ready for it." "If in my next film they want me to be a model or so, I'll certainly shed all the extra kg to justify my character," she added. The fact that she can go out of her way for a role is justified in "Dum Laga Ke Haisha". For her character Sandhya, Bhumi consumed a customized calorie-rich diet for a year to weigh 89 kg.

"My weight has never been an issue in my life. I don't think it is a big thing. I'm comfortable with the way I look. Even when I was almost 90 kg, I thought I looked beautiful. I feel if you think you are beautiful, it will show on your face. It is the state of mind. I'd say it is good to be healthy," she said.

Bhumi, who worked behind the scenes of Yash Raj Films' (YRF) projects as an assistant to the casting director for six years. Acting is a profession Bhumi eyed, but she felt she would never fit the ‘parameter’ of being an actor. "I always wanted to be an actor...being somebody who loved watching films, acting is the only aspect I was aware of as a general audience. When I was younger, I didn't know how a film is made. I wasn't sure there is a certain demand, the way an actor should look, and I knew that I don't fit that parameter as I have always been an overweight. "I guess this is the path that god chose for me; was lucky such a script came forward."

— By Uma Ramasubramanian

Women don't make first move when it comes to online dating

Toronto (IANS) All men please take note!

In the online dating world, women do not like to send personal messages to initiate contact and later mating and would rather send "weak signals" than making the first move, a team of Indian-origin researchers has revealed.

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According to Jui Ramaprasad, assistant professor of information systems at McGill University, they still see that women don't make the "first move" online. "Weak signalling is the ability to visit or 'check out' a potential mate's profile so the potential mate knows the focal-user visited," she noted. The offline 'flirting' equivalents, at best, would be a suggestive look or a preening bodily gesture such as a hair toss to one side or an over-the-shoulder glance each subject to myriad interpretations and possible misinterpretations.

Much less ambiguity exists in the online environment if the focal-user views another user's profile and leaves a visible train in his 'Recent Visitors' list. The researchers also found that users with anonymous browsing viewed more profiles. They were also more likely to check out potential same-sex and interracial matches.

Surprisingly, however, users who browsed anonymously also wound up with fewer matches than their non-anonymous counterparts.

Sunny Side of Life The Maldives will take your breath away!

The gently swaying palm trees, the talcum white sand beaches and an emerald.

Kani (Maldives) (IANS) The Maldives will take your breath away! The gently swaying palm trees, the talcum white sand beaches and an emerald sea on which the sunlight dances all have quite a mesmerizing effect on the eye of the beholder.

As the aircraft eases down at Maldives capital Male, the view is picture postcard perfect. As much as the aircraft's small window permits, the warm tropical paradise is alluring.

No wonder, the excitement among the passengers, particularly the honeymooners, is palpable. The sea color is striking. Closer to the island is a distinct green of light jade, which turns a deep blue a bit further away.

Holidaying in the Maldives is an enchanting experience, exotic in all its aspects. With abundant sea life, natural beauty, pleasant temperatures and sandy beaches, it is renowned as a tropical paradise. The memorable add-ons include swimming, fishing, water-skiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, kite boarding and windsurfing.

Snorkeling is an experience in itself with the clear sea offering a high visibility.

Take a boat ride to one of the spots, wear your flippers and gear and jump into the inviting sea. A look down is like being in a giant aquarium, with multi-colored fish gliding through the water.

If one is of the adventurous, parasailing is another option. A high-speed boat will pull a bright colored parachute on which you are strapped and you just go up and up with the wind. In no time, you are looking at a wide expanse. To call the view stunning would be an understatement. One gets to see the distant horizon, where the sea merges into infinity. The water villas, with plenty of oomph factor, look like small huts.

The beautiful resorts seem to be from la la land.

There are hosts of other options - laze around on a sun bed, gaze at the sea, soak in the bright sunshine and take long walks on the beaches to feel the white sand that just cascades through the toes, taking away all your worries.

— By By Rahul Dass

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Dia Mirza Skin Care Secrets: Dia Mirza has a fair complexion with a combination skin which is difficult to manage, but she makes sure she always looks flawless! Being gifted with a combination skin she uses a moisturizer from a French brand Uriage. She never steps outside without a sunscreen and she uses Vichy Capital Soleil with SPF 50 that protects her face.

Dia Mirza Makeup Secrets: Dia always carries her own kit everywhere and she loves to do a light coverage rather than a heavy makeup.

Her makeup for any occasion has to be a M.A.C Studio Fix foundation along with Bobbi Brown eyeliner, Make up For Ever to highlight the cheekbones and a lip gloss from Bobbi Brown. Beauty is incomplete without the right fragrance.Dia Mirza’s signature fragrance is DkNY Be Delicious.Among the “must haves products list “for Dia Mirza it’s a tinted strawberry flavored lip balm, a mascara and a techna kohl pencil, all by M.A.C. Dia Mirza Fitness Secrets: She thanks her regular fitness routines and her healthy diet for that. In one of her interviews, she said that her positivity towards her health, which includes eating right and a regular exercise, helps her stay fit. She says that she avoids fried and heavy food and drinks a lot of water to maintain her hydration levels.

Dia Mirza’s flawless skin is a cause envy among allof us!!! And adding fuel to fire is her appealing personality that will inspire anyone!!! She is well known for her stint as the diva who won the Miss Asia Pacific in 2000. She has surely worked on her beauty to be one of the most beautiful actresses inthe tinsel town. Check out her Skin care; makeup,fitness, style, and hair care secrets:

Dia Mirza Style Secrets: Dia Mirza is known to carry herself with elegance; her sense of style is simply impeccable for it is simple and classy.

She is known to dress up according to the occasion and personalizing the ongoing trends.

Dia Mirza Hair Care Secrets: Dia takes special care of her hair and always looks for natural products rather than chemicals.

Do not blindly follow mobile health appS

In view of increase in usage of mobile based health applications, Indian doctors have urged people to not blindly rely on such technologies for health updates as they may give wrong estimates. They said that a lot of times the applications suggest wrong diet to the user, without knowing the metabolism of the users body, resulting in serous health complications.

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"A lot of of applications are not to be relied upon and exist just to generate revenue in the market. There are health applications which claim to measure blood pressure by simply keeping thumb on the screen. Such techniques are misleading," said Pradeep Gadge, a leading diabeteologist. Citing an example, he said that the blood pressure result after measuring through health applications are always different from manually measuring it. "There are situations when health application users rely on it for the calories burn during the entire day along with several other things, without even realizing that such applications are pre set and do not show the actual results," said Gadge. According to doctors, there are an estimated 50,000 medical applications

presently in the market. Currently, 500 million people worldwide are using health applications for health updates. Sudhir Kumar, a Delhi-based diabeteologist, said: "People want instant results and further they follow their own methods to loose extra kilos through apps or some methods rather than going for the natural way or the way suggested by the doctors. Despite the popularity and promise of these apps, I'm skeptical about most of these. People need to understand that health guidelines for people vary." He said that a recent survey also had revealed that various health apps had diagnosed several types of diseases to its users, but when they consulted the doctor further they were found to not be suffering from any diseases.

Sleep & Food Lack Of Sleep Will Prompt You To Binge More NEW YORK: Do hunger pangs hit you at the sight of guilty pleasures like cookies, candy and chips, even after having a full-course meal? If yes, blame it on sleep deprivation. According to a new study, lack of sleep not only leads to increased caloric intake but also stimulates changes in the hedonic aspects of food consumption.

The study showed that sleep loss initiates the process of overeating, poor food choices and leads to weight gain. It amplifies and extends blood levels of a chemical signal that enhances the joy of eating, particularly the guilty pleasures gained from sweet or salty, high fat snack foods. Sleep-restricted study subjects reported higher scores for hunger and stronger desire to eat. When given access to snacks, they ate nearly twice as much fat as when they had slept for eight hours.

"We found that sleep restriction boosts a signal that may increase the hedonic aspect of food intake, the pleasure and satisfaction gained from eating," said Erin Hanlon, research associate at the University of Chicago in the US. The effects of sleep loss on appetite were most powerful in the late afternoon and early evening, times when snacking has been linked to weight gain, the researchers noted. The researchers designed the study, published in the journal SLEEP, to help understand how the endocannabinoid system a group of endogenous cannabinoid receptors located in the mammalian brain and involved in the regulation of appetite connects short sleep and weight gain. They recruited 14 healthy men and women in their 20s and monitored their hunger and eating habits in two situations: one four-day stay during which they spent 8.5 hours in bed each night (averaging 7.5 hours of sleep), and another four-day stay when they spent only 4.5 hours in bed (4.2 hours asleep). After the period of restricted sleep, study subjects reported a significant increase in hunger levels. This was prominent soon after their second meal of the day, the time when endocannabinoid levels were the highest. This increase in circulating endocannabinoid Obesity and sleep restriction have become extremely common.

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Social Media Beware, Facebook or social media addic tion can trigger cocaine like high Carrots are one of the most widely used and enjoyed vegetables in the world, partly because they grow relatively easily, and are very versatile in a number of dishes and cultural cuisines.

Carrots are scientifically classified as Daucus carota, and it is categorized as a root vegetable.

it is good for improving eyesight and preventing conditions like night blindness from developing as we age.

Nutritional Value of Carrots Most of the benefits of carrots can be attributed to their beta carotene and fiber content. This root vegetable is also a good source of antioxidant agents. Furthermore, carrots are rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, vitamin B8, pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese.

Prevention of Heart Disease: In a study meant to reveal the therapeutic value of carrots, researchers at the Wolfson Gastrointestinal Laboratory in Edinburgh, Scotland revealed that cholesterol level drops by an average of 11 percent if 7oz of raw carrots per day are taken for thee weeks.

Blood Pressure: Next time you start getting riled up about something and your blood begins to boil, eat a carrot! Carrots are rich sources of potassium, which is a vasodilator and can relax the tension in your blood vessels and arteries, thereby increasing blood flow and circulation, boosting organ function throughout the body, and reducing the stress on the cardiovascular system.

Immune Booster: Carrots contain a number of antiseptic and antibacterial abilities that make it ideal for boosting the immune system. Not only that, carrots are a rich source of vitamin C, which stimulates the activity of white blood cells and is one of the most important elements in the human immune system.

Improves Eyesight: Deficiency of vitamin A can cause some difficulty seeing in dim light. Since carrots are rich in vitamin A,

INGREDIENTS:        

8 to 9 carrots 4 cups milk 4 tbsp ghee/clarified butter 10 to 12 tbsp refined sugar 20‐25 whole cashews 5 to 6 green cardamom (powdered) a pinch of saffron strands handful of golden raisins

PREPARATION 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Rinse, peel and grate the carrots.

In a kadai combine milk and grated carrots.

On a low Flame, bring the whole mixture to a boil .

The grated carrots will cook in the milk and the milk will start to reduce and evaporate.

When the milk has 75% reduced, add the ghee, sugar and powdered cardamom to the mixture.

Do keep on stirring the gajar halwa in between.

Towards the end, add the cashews, crushed saffron and raisins and simmer till all the milk is evaporated.

Serve Gajar Halwa hot, warm or you can also serve it cold.

In digital age, cinema doesn't shock anymore Mumbai (IANS) Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt says that with the advent of digital technology, nothing in cinema shocks audiences anymore. “After entering the digital age, all the content that the world produces is at your fingertips. There is nothing happening through the medium of cinema which is so shocking or which leaves you stunned,” Bhatt said when asked if cinema negatively influences the audience.

He spoke to the media on the sidelines of the Global Symposium on Gender in Media discussion here, where he was a panelist. While Bhatt has made different kinds of films over the years -- directing strong women-oriented characters in films such as "Arth", "Zakhm", "Daddy", "Tamanna" among others while also producing film franchises such as "Jism", "Murder" and "Raaz" which had a fair share

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of skin show and sexually explicit content. Regarding the portrayal of women in films in general, he said: “There are different views on this, some people believe that wearing certain kind of clothes is disrespectful to them, but if women want to wear certain outfits with their own wish, then they have complete freedom for it." "We should neither push anyone to wear a swimsuit or push someone to wear a ‘ghunghat’.

That’d depend on the person’s thinking," he added. However, he also agreed that some of the controversies are indeed true. "There are numerous controversies that we have been hearing that cinema hasn’t treated women in that manner and that they have been objectified. This is true to a certain extent. It is also true that whenever such things have happened, ‘Arth’, Zakhm’ and ‘Daddy’ kind of films have also been made," he said.

New Delhi (IANS) Can spending excessive time on Facebook or other social media be as dangerous as addiction to cocaine or gambling? Well, yes, if researchers from California State University-Fullerton are to be believed.They say social media obsession may lead to something akin to classical addiction.

Such use triggers two key parts of the brain associated with rewards: The amygdala which is the integrative place for emotions, behaviour and motivation and the striatum -- part of the forebrain and a critical component of the reward system. The findings, recently published in the journal Psychological Reports: Disability and Trauma showed that social media-related "addictions" share some neural features with substance and gambling addictions. Since the meteoric rise of the internet usage and emergence of various social media platforms, many young Indians have been left socially isolated and lonely.

It's time for a reality check in our backyard.

Take Krishnan (name changed), a 15-year-old social media addict in the capital, who recently visited Dr. Sameer Malhotra, director, mental health and behavioural sciences at Max Healthcare. Hooked on to Facebook for nearly 16 hours a day, he had developed an obsessive personality profile and was neglecting priorities of life, including education. "I have been seeing many youngsters who are in the grip of social media addiction. In the case of Krishnan, I treated him through both counselling and medication which helped channelise his energy in positive work," said Dr. Malhotra. "Facebook addiction is similar to cocaine addiction to a certain level as there are certain neuro-chemicals like dopamine which operate across brain reward pathways and are responsible for maintaining addictive behavior," he said.

According to Dr. Malhotra, teenagers with Facebook addiction-like symptoms may "have a hyperactive amygdala-striatal system, which makes this 'addiction' similar to many other addictions." For Dr. Samir Parikh, director at department of mental health and behavioral Science, Fortis Healthcare, excessive use of social media is a common trend today and such preoccupation leads to an interference in one's social, occupational as well as other areas of functioning.

— By Nishant Arora

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Don't let the high blood pressure that you have been diagnosed with scare you out of your wits. It is not exactly a disease, but only a warning sign that the food you have been eating and the lifestyle you have been leading have clogged your blood vessels and your heart is having to exert extra pressure to keep blood moving through it.

Just as the bad lifestyle caused it, the good one can cure it. Medicines are only an aid. The main job has to be done by your food and those are quite tasty to boot. So please go into your kitchen for treatment.

Certain bounties of nature are excellent in opening up your arteries and those should be a regular part of your diet from now.

The most potent of them is beetroot juice. A glass of this shimmering liquid should be a daily part of your intake for life. Treat this as your daily medicine. You might see a drop in your readings in as little as three hours.

Beets are full of nitrates which cause blood vessels to expand. Besides reducing BP, these eliminate toxins. Taking nitrate in natural form is a hundred times better than taking a nitrate tablet.

Nitrites in killer foods like hot dogs gave you the disease; nitrates will cure it. Those who happen to have kidney issues should mix it with carrot juice.

Regular use may give a sharp colour to your urine.

Don't be scared. That is completely harmless. Please note that the results will not come in a day. It took you some 15 years to clog your arteries. Please give your system at least 15 months to undo the damage.

Of course, medicines can show results in a matter of days but you have to account for side-effects also. So follow a two-pronged strategy.

that they take things as they are without making any value judgments. Few weeks ago, my 3 year old was very happy as he jumped out of his shower. He said, “I love you mom!” This is one statement that makes every mother’s day and dissolves all her weariness resulting from caring for a toddler.

It brought a big smile to my face too! We exchanged kisses. Then he said, “Mom, if I say ‘I love you’ to you, then you will not scold me right?” I was melting with both love and guilt when I heard this. Then he said: “Every time you get mad at me, I will say ‘I love you’ to you and give you a kiss, then you will not be mad at me.” Just like any other parent, I do get upset at my children and sometimes scold them and yell at them. Immediately after, guilt washes over me. Our children, are hungry for love and they will do most things if told with love. I accept that it is important to be firm and draw lines where necessary; however, almost every task can be accomplished with love. This applies not only to parents and children but in every relationship in our lives. I am not a perfect human being. I make mistakes, I get upset and angry, and I have many relationships to mend. Cultivating unconditional love and compassion is a process of learning and of growing one’s spirit. Just like many other fellow human beings, I too am constantly striving to nurture my spirit.

Let medicines do the SOS job. The long-term cure will come only through dietary wisdom.

Another prescribed diet is blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Natural compounds in them called anchocyanins are your insurance against hypertension. Eat them like crazy every day of your life. Fresh will be the best but the dried ones will also do. Besides, those are full of antioxidants.

I know it will not make you very popular with friends but garlic too has to be added to your menu. The organosulphur compound allicin that it has reduces hypertension and is also antibacterial and anti fungal. The pungent clove is also very good for those with heart conditions.

Other good foods for those with BP are bananas, dark chocolate (and I mean really dark, at least 85 percent), spinach, cabbage and coconut water.

Plus spice up your food with rosemary, cumin seeds, cinnamon, basil, bay leaves, saffron, turmeric, ginger and black pepper.

But the best antidote for blood pressure is weight management. If you are on the plump side, you are almost sending a written invitation to BP. 

By Amar Chandel

(Amar Chandel is a health specialist and author of "Stress to Serenity" and "Perfect Health in Twenty Weeks".)

Boundless Limits of Universal Spirit

It was one of those impending snow days in Atlanta where snow is barely present. The kids had watched enough weather news in the hopes of hearing record snowfalls and subsequent school closures. Then, it was time to turn our attention to a good Bollywood movie. Surprisingly, they chose to watch the family favorite actor Aamir Khan’s PK. As the movie progressed, a new perspective dawned on me. I discerned stark similarities between the lead character, the human visitor from another planet, and a young child.

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An infant senses, observes and learns about his environment from the moment he enters this world. Despite his limited experience with the world around him, he can distinguish between genuineness and pretention. He gravitates towards a genuinely happy, loving and smiling face. This is an innate quality every human possesses. It is another matter that most times as we grow older this perceptiveness loses its edge due to various reasons - reasons that are beyond the scope of this current discussion. Another striking characteristic of an infant or a toddler is

Focusing back to the lead character in the movie PK, it was his downright innocence and matter of fact observations and questions which struck the audience. However, we experience such pure innocence on a daily basis with our children. Yet, we fail to acknowledge it, appreciate it and let it blossom. We impose our value judgments on our children. This is where the process of smothering the ‘spirit’ begins. Most humans do not live in the moment. We are either guilty or angry about something in our past or worried about our future. We fail to live in the present moment. Children, on the other hand, live in the present moment.

And when they are enjoying their present moment, we remind them of the amount of homework pending, or the project deadlines, or how he should be studying harder and striving for a perfect score when he is already earning scores in the 90s. As parents, we ensure that we train our children to run on the wheel of Life like a hamster, forsaking the urge to live in the present moment.

The extraterrestrial human in PK questions the doings of mankind. Just like he questions the forms that human faith and beliefs have taken while forgetting the true meaning of ‘faith’ itself, so have we parents forgotten to glimpse in our children, true happiness, the beauty of the entire universe, the beauty of their spirit, the beauty of the Universal Spirit itself! The pure innocence of a child is a window into her untarnished spirit. As a parent, we have a choice we can close the window and continue to live in our nescience, or we can open doors to enlighten the pure budding spirit in our child, the brilliance of which we can witness in this very life, as it blossoms and coalesces into the boundless limits of the Universal Spirit!

— By Shamsha Issani

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RANVEER SPOTTED THE ACTING TALENT IN ME REVEALED PARINEETI CHOPRA Mumbai (IANS) Actress Parineeti Chopra has revealed that actor Ranveer Singh spotted her acting talent even before producer Aditya Chopra and director Maneesh Sharma. "Ranveer was the first person who caught me dancing on 'Sheila ki jawani' song in front of a mirror.

He saw me from far and this 'Band Baaja Baaraat' actor who had still not appeared in front of you all, told me that you are going to be an actress," Parineeti said at the Zee Cine Awards 2016. "And it turned true. He made this prediction even before Adi (Chopra) and Maneesh (Sharma)," she added.

Adding to Parineeti's statement, Ranveer said: "See I discovered a 'heera' (diamond) first". Parineeti made her Bollywood debut in 2011 with "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl", which also starred Ranveer. On the work front, the 27-year-old actress will next be seen in the upcoming movie "Meri Pyaari Bindu", with debutant Akshay Roy. She will be seen playing an aspiring singer in the Maneesh Sharma production, which will also star Ayushmann Khurrana.

WEAR SARIS BEYOND SPECIAL OCCASIONS, URGES VIDYA BALAN

MEENA KUMARI'S FILMS TO BE SCREENED AT OSIANAMA Mumbai (IANS) Late actress Meena Kumari's classics are all set to be screened at Osianama At Liberty as part of its ongoing Womanhood festival. Some of films that will be screened on Thursday “Pakeezah”, “Parineeta” and “Daayra”. "The memories of Meena Kumari reflect a deeply complex and contradictory soul which reaches out to the world to be understood and loved..," said Neville Tuli, chairman and the driving force behind Osianama. "She is a true icon for womanhood and cinema, absorbing all, breaking all, in the search to be herself... She represents the feminine iconicity as Madhubala & Nargis.

Mumbai (IANS) Actress Vidya Balan, who has flaunted the six-yard wonder on international red carpet events with elan, believes young Indian women should wear saris more often. Vidya unveiled the collections of handloom saris of three designers. "Vaya, Bailou and Gaurang are fashion labels at the forefront of a unique movement that endorses a fashion aesthetic that inspires the young modern Indian woman to don the sari, beyond those special occasions," Vidya said.

AWARDS DON'T MATTER MUCH IN MY LIFE: SALMAN

RAVEENA TANDON BECOMES 'HIGHEST PAID' BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS ON TV Mumbai (IANS) Actress Raveena Tandon, who will next be seen as a judge on upcoming dance reality show “Shine of India”, will reportedly get Rs.1.25 crore per episode thus making her the “highest paid Bollywood actress on TV”. She has previously appeared on shows like “Sahib Biwi Gulam”, “Chhote Miyan”, “Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala” and “Simply Baatien With Raveena”, will co-judge the show along with actor Govinda and ace choreographer Saroj Khan.

SALMA AGHA IN TV DEBUT

I'M YOUR FAN: SRK TO RAJINIKANTH, SACHIN TENDULKAR Mumbai (IANS) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is currently promoting his upcoming film "Fan", says he is a proud, true and eternal fan of legends like Mahatma Gandhi, Yash Chopra, Rajinikanth and Sachin Tendulkar. The 50-year-old actor has released a song "Jabra Fan" from the upcoming film in different Indian languages including Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Bengali and Punjabi. Directed by Maneesh Sharma,"Fan" will see SRK playing the role of a fan obsessed with a reigning superstar, and travels to Mumbai to meet the actor.

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Mumbai (IANS) Yesteryear actress-singer Salma Agha, who has showcased her versatility in films, is all set to make her debut on the small screen with upcoming finite series “Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai”. Salma, best known for her roles in films like “Nikaah”, “Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki” and “Pati Patni Aur Tawaif”, will star in the show alongside Amrita Roa, Deepti Naval, Zarina Wahab and Pallavi Joshi amongst others.

She will be seen essaying the role of a famous singer Nayantara Devi.

Mumbai (IANS) Superstar Salman Khan, who won accolades for his performance in films like "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" and "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", and even got nominated at various award functions this year, feels that the "young generation should be given a chance to win awards" as "awards don't matter much in my life". The actor was present at the red carpet of Zee Cine Awards 2016. Stating that he loves attending award functions and performing, he said: "I feel very happy when others get awards but they don't matter much in my life. I like award functions as the whole industry comes together, we all keep busy so, at award functions, we get to meet our friends and it feels nice," he added. He further said that he should be kept out of the competition so that the younger generation can get a chance and move forward.

NON-FILM MUSIC GETS BOLLYWOOD SPIN New Delhi (IANS) Not only the charming looks ofSidharth Malhotra and Fawad Khan but also the upbeat 2014 hit party track "Chull" that keeps the viewers hooked to it. Not just this track alone, Bollywood has been successfully giving a twist to popular rock or pop singles and album songs for decades. If reworking on classic Bollywood songs has become the hot favorite among some of the Bollywood composers, digging into the past and picking out Hindi singles or songs from albums for movies is catching up too.

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March 2016 | www.desiexpressusa.com

INDIAN AMERICAN KEEN TO MAKE 'NEGLECTED' GUJARATI FOOD WORLD FAMOUS

Mumbai, (IANS) In an industry where it's easy to follow a formula, John Abraham likes to break convention. Whether it's with his acting projects or productions, the Bollywood talent says he finds it "boring" to be in a "safe" zone. A former supermodel, John made his acting debut with "Jism" in 2003 when erotic thriller was not as popular a genre as it is today. Back then, it was clutter-breaking.

And in 2012, when he turned producer with "Vicky Donor", it turned out to be a perfect example of a clean entertainer with a powerful message about a subject as hush-hush as sperm donation. "When I play safe, I fail, and people ask me why, and I say conventional is boring! I will always experiment. 'Jism' was very different, and 'Vicky Donor' as a producer again very different. "I will always experiment with my films... even if they fail in the short run, they will work in the longer run," said the 43-year-old, who has delivered powerful performances in films like "Water", "No Smoking", "Aashayein" and "Madras Cafe" among others. "I have to play unsafe. John works when he is experimental, he works when he is unconventional. I cannot play safe; safe is so boring for me that it shows on my face! Safe is monotonous for me," conceded the actor, whose business acumen also comes from the fact that he's an MBA by qualification.

Kapoor and Sons RELEASE DATE: MARCH 18, 2016 STARRING: RISHI KAPOOR, RATNA PATHAK, RAJAT KAPOOR, FAWAD KHAN, SIDHARTH MALHOTRA ALIA BHATT Mumbai (IANS) "'Kapoor and Sons' is special to all of us for various reasons, also because it makes a huge shift from loving your parents to understanding your children. I think it is a different perspective on family.

All families have a series of issues, some hidden secrets, lies and conflicts but eventually it is the cementing factor in all our lives," Karan said at the trailer launch. It captures the on-and-off bond between Sidharth and Fawad who play brothers, Rajat and Ratna their parents and the overall ups and downs in the Kapoor family.

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New Delhi (IANS) In the US, she is 'the Indian girl from Masterchef'! Indian American chef Hetal Vasavada, who has been treating her foreign friends on the reality TV show with khichdi and coconut curry soup, says food from her native Gujarat -- also the home of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- is neglected in the west. She hopes to bring the cuisine in limelight in the most "traditional" way. Vasavada, 28, who was one of the top six finalists of the last season of Star World show "MasterChef US", said that most people in the west think that Gujarati food is all about dollops of sugar.

But she wants to dispel the notion as she feels regional cuisine is an answer to foreigners who think Indian food is "heavy" and "creamy".

"I think Gujarati food is neglected a lot, especially in restaurants in the US. There are south Indian restaurants with dosa, and then there are Punjabi restaurants. A lot of people think that Gujarati food is just lots of sugar... But it's not. It is definitely healthy and very tasty," said Vasavada. "The first way I did it was on 'Masterchef' when I made khichdi, and then I made other authentic dishes. But I think that the best way to introduce is to make it in a traditional way and show people what Gujarati food is, especially to some westerners who say that 'I don't want to have Indian food because it is very heavy, so creamy.

"Gujarati food is for them. It can be very light. It is Indian food, but a different kind of Indian food," she said. Vasavada is happy about the growing interest around Indian food on foreign shores, as she shares that now people are willing to experiment beyond the butter-chicken and chicken tikka. "I think a lot of people are venturing out and trying new food and different versions. There are two reasons why Indian food is becoming famous -- because of different spices, and because people are ready to try different food. "When I was younger there were not many ethnic restaurants in America, but now Indian restaurants are only 30 minutes driving distance," she said. "You get recognized at so many places and people say 'Oh, you are the Indian girl from Masterchef'. Post the show, things have been wonderful because I get to pursue my passion as my career," said Vasavada, who is pregnant with her first child and hopes to pen a cookery book post delivery. Asked if hailing from the same state as Modi gets her more attention, she said that "a lot of time when I say I'm from Gujarat in India, people get excited and say 'Oh... like the prime minister!' And it does feel good".

Murari

Jai Ganga Jal

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 11, 2016 STARRING: ASRANI, SANJAY SINGH, NATALIYA ILLINA, KIRAN SHARAD Mumbai (IANS) Veteran actor Asrani helped the actors of upcoming film "Murari- The Mad Gentleman" in improvising, and made the script more interesting by giving it a personal touch, says its director Suzad Iqbal Khan. "When we narrated the story to him, he got excited and loved it. Though his character will add humour, you will also get to witness his emotional side in major portions of the film. But that doesn’t mean he will be only seen shedding tears. "Asrani ji’s character has a soft corner for Murari (played by Sanjay Singh), since he shared a great bond with Murari’s father in the film."

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 04, 2016 STARRING: PRIYANKA CHOPRA, PRAKASH JHA, MANAV KAUL Mumbai (IANS) Actor Manav Kaul, whose performance was appreciated in "Kai Po Che!", will now be seen playing a grey character in "Jai Gangaajal". The actor says it is one of the most emotional characters that he has played so far. In 'Jai Gangaajal' I have an emotional grey character. I haven't done anything as emotional as this character in 'Jai Gangaajal'. If I may say so, then this is one of the most emotional characters that I have played.

It's the most difficult role for me so far.

People are writing with such conviction that the motivation to do such roles is very strong," said Manav.

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