Laugh your way to good health

By Ch Saibaba: Every morning this laughing club risks amused glances and jibes when they look up at the sky, take a deep breath of clear, fresh air, and erupt into wild spontaneous laughter. Members of ABC Laughing Club practising hasya yoga The meetings of ABC Laughing Club are perhaps the most serious health activities happening in the city. The group meets at Picket Cantonment Garden at Secunderabad everyday between 6.45 am and 7.45.am. This is a group of more than 50 people so dedicated to preserving their sense of humour, and thereby their sanity, that they happily give up an hour of their sleep to practice hasya yoga, a workout for your funny bone.By simulating laughter and mirth, one can actually fool those endorphins into doing some overtime, says Madan Kataria, the founder of this unique form of exercise. “Feel-good chemicals are released in the brain when you laugh, but if you waited around for something funny to happen, you could go a whole day without cracking a smile. Now, isn't that a waste of a day?” he asks. Joining the group of merry people and taking a place in the laughing circle seems like a positive step towards health and happiness. Each session, with different kinds of laugh, lasts almost an hour, and consists of warm-up and breathing exercises as well. Then one undergoes the entire spectrum of delight: from grunts to giggles, from guffaws to crackles, from smirks to grins. The club consists mostly of people in the age group of 50 and above, and they say that they have derived real benefits from their morning ha-ha. Blood pressure has stabilised, stress-levels have been reduced and the heart is kept happy with this fantastic form of what they say amounts to "internal jogging". Sreenivasa Rao, an active member of the ABC Laughing Club says, “We have been doing this laughing exercise since1998. Since then, our membership has gone up to 70 and our aim is “Always be cheerful” and we are enjoying and experiencing the same.Source: The Hans India, Image: flickr.com

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Largest ever Parkinson’s study shows how symptoms differ between men and women

Lyndsey Collins-Praino, Adelaide University

Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurological disorder, with over 10 million cases worldwide. Up to 150,000 Australians currently live with the disease and 50 new cases are diagnosed each day.

The number of people living with Parkison’s is projected to more than triple between 2020 and 2050.

Yet despite the immense impact on those living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones, and the staggering cost to our economy – at least A$10 billion a year – there is still a lot we don’t know about how this disease presents and progresses.

A recent large-scale study of nearly 11,000 Australians living with Parkinson’s disease provides some critical insights into symptoms, risk factors and how these affect men and women differently. Let’s take a look.

First, what is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s is a progressive disease in which cells that produce the chemical messenger dopamine in a part of the brain called the “substantia nigra” begin to die. This is accompanied by multiple other brain changes.

It is usually considered a movement disorder. Common motor symptoms include a resting tremor, slowed movement (bradykinesia), muscle stiffness and balance issues.

But Parkinson’s also involves a variety of lesser known non-motor symptoms. These may include:

• mood changes
• difficulties with memory and cognition (including slower thinking, challenges with planning or multitasking and difficulty paying attention or concentrating)
• sleep disturbances
• autonomic dysfunction (such as constipation, low blood pressure and urinary problems).

While these are sometimes referred to as the “invisible” symptoms of Parkinson’s, they often have a greater negative impact on quality of life than motor symptoms.

So, what does the new research tell us?

The study used data collected as part of the Australian Parkinson’s Genetics Study led by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. After a pilot study in 2020, it was launched as an ongoing, nationwide research project in 2022.

Some 10,929 Australians with Parkinson’s were surveyed and provided saliva samples for genetic analysis. This is the largest Parkinson’s cohort studied in Australia and the largest active cohort worldwide.

There were several key initial findings.

1. Non-motor symptoms are common

The study reinforced how common non-motor symptoms are, with loss of smell (52%), changes in memory (65%), pain (66%) and dizziness (66%) all commonly reported.

Notably, 96% of participants experienced sleep disturbances, such as insomnia and daytime sleepiness.

2. A better picture of risk factors

The study also provided insights into what can influence Parkinson’s risk.

This is important because we don’t completely understand what causes the dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra to die in the first place.

Age is the primary risk factor for Parkinson’s. The new study found the average age for symptom onset was 64, and for diagnosis, 68.

3. Genes and environment both play a role

In the recent study, one in four people (25%) had a family history of Parkinson’s. But only 10–15% of Parkinson’s cases are caused by – or strongly linked to – mutations in specific genes.

It’s important to remember that families don’t only share genes but often their environment.

Multiple environmental factors, such as pesticide exposure and traumatic brain injury, also increase risk of Parkinson’s.

The majority (85–90%) of cases of Parkinson’s are likely due to complex interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors, and advancing age.

The study showed environmental exposures linked to Parkinson’s risk were common:

• 36% of people reported pesticide exposure
• 16% had a prior history of traumatic brain injury
• 33% had worked in high-risk occupations (such as agriculture, or petrochemicals or metal processing).

These exposures were significantly higher in men than in women.

4. Differences between the sexes

The disease is 1.5 times more common in men. In the new study, 63% of those surveyed were male.

Parkinson’s also presents and progresses differently in males and females.

The study found women were younger than men at time of symptom onset (63.7 versus 64.4 years) and diagnosis (67.6 versus 68.1 years), and more likely than men to experience pain (70% versus 63%) and falls (45% versus 41%).

Men experienced more memory changes than women (67% versus 61%) and impulsive behaviours, particularly sexual behaviour (56% versus 19%) – although most participants exhibited no or only mild impulsivity.

What we still don’t know

The large-scale study and its comprehensive survey shed valuable light on people living with Parkinson’s in Australia.

But it’s still only a sliver of the population. More than 186,000 people with Parkinson’s were invited to participate and just under 11,000 took part – a less than 6% response rate.

Of these participants, 93% had European ancestry. So this sample may not be fully representative of Parkinson’s disease.

The information we have about symptoms also relied on self-reports by the study’s participants, which are subjective and can be biased or less reliable than objective measurements of function. To address this, the researchers are planning to use smartphones and wearable devices to collect more comprehensive data.

Finally, while this provides a snapshot of the current cohort, it’s not clear how participants compare to people of a similar age without Parkinson’s, or how their symptoms may change over time.

These are important areas of future research for this ongoing study.

What all this means

Studies like this provide crucial insights into risk factors linked to Parkinson’s. They also help us better understand the symptoms people experience.

This is important because the way Parkinson’s presents varies from person to person. Not everyone will experience the same symptoms to the same extent.

Similarly, the way the disease progresses over time differs between people.

A better understanding of the factors that influence this can lead to earlier identification of who’s at risk and more personalised ways of managing this disease.

Lyndsey Collins-Praino, Associate Professor, School of Biomedicine, Adelaide University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Golden Wheat Anniversary: Farmer Uses Crop Field to Create One-Mile Message for Wife of 20 Years

Jesse and Sarah 20 Years (Family photo)

A farmer in Kansas had an idea for an anniversary gift, but it was going to take eight months, one mile of land, and 65 million wheat seeds.

Jesse Blasi and his wife Sarah were set to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this year. And he was inspired by another Kansas farmer who had planted a field of sunflowers for his wife—a story and video that GNN shared in 2023.

What if Blasi created a message in a wheat field?

He began plotting his surprise back in October. He used some modern farming methods, a John Deere Air Seeder, and two varieties of wheat to outline the message “Jesse + Sarah, 20 Years”.

He nurtured the two colors of wheat and waited for it to grow. It was a labor of love, but just like the old ‘Hall and Oates’ song, he knew it would make Sarah Smile.

“I knew it would make her smile,” Jesse told KAKE in Kansas. “That was kind-of the whole goal, to get the little grin out of her that I like.”

Jesse and Sarah met at a bar while attending Kansas State, and fate led them to the same stoplight on the way home. Their love has been going strong ever since, with a farm that’s been running for two decades and a family that includes two daughters, Reagan and Avery.

Jesse was determined to deliver his ‘golden wheat anniversary’ surprise, but had to work hard to keep it a secret when other farmers saw the message early.

Then, in early June, the couple went up over the fields in an airplane—and when she looked out the window, she saw it.

Jesse + Sarah. 20 Years.

The words were laid out in a red chaff wheat, with a lighter variety serving as the background. In all, the message is about one mile long and a half-mile wide. (Watch the video below…)

The anniversary love note should be visible over Kansas for the rest of the summer growing season—and it could linger all the way into October.

Eventually, the seasons will change and the message will fade, yet they surely will remember it forever.But Jesse insisted: “It’s all the little things that make you happy.” Golden Wheat Anniversary: Farmer Uses Crop Field to Create One-Mile Message for Wife of 20 Years

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Dad Turns 1970s Private Jet into Airbnb Rental Complete with Original Cockpit–Take a PEEK Inside

credit Tamir Ali via SWNS

A man has turned a 1970s private jet into a tiny home and listed it on Airbnb.

Aviation enthusiasts are sure to love the original cockpit maintained as it was from the days it flew oil executives to and from countries and meetings.\

credit Tamir Ali via SWNS

The unique home is complete with two bedrooms, sleeps two adults and two children, and has a fully functioning kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, and outdoor seating area.

The passion project belongs to Airbnb host and antique car renovator Tamir Ali, who acquired ‘half’ of a 1970s Hawker jet in December 2023, from an acquittance who deals in oddities.

After being decommissioned in the 80s, it was cut in half and had the wings removed for ease of transport.

Ali spent seven months and nearly $120,000 transforming the jet into a rental property in Gwynedd, Wales.

“It’s awesome—when people walk in they say it’s much bigger than it seems on the outside,” said Ali. “It’s a unique experience, not many people get to sit in the cockpit of 70’s private jet.”

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The interior of the fuselage – credit Tamir Ali via SWNS

The interior of the attached cabin – credit Tamir Ali via SWNS

The restoration and renovation process included replacing the carpets with wooden floors, rewiring the electrics, and getting a custom-made door fitted. Ali then secured a location for the plane in Dolgellau and fitted a 16ft by 9ft cabin onto it to make enough space for a double bed, kitchen, and bathroom.

You can view the property here.

Reflecting on the project, Ali said that in his work restoring cars he’s always brushed up with “eccentric people—people who deal with the weird and wonderful.”

“I know a chap in Essex, who said he had something that was up my street. It was looking a bit worse for wear, the nose cone was hanging off and there was no door,” said Ali, according to SWNS. “There was lots of mold and moss inside, but I immediately envisioned what I wanted it to be.”

Available for £170 per night, “it’s a very, very cool experience.” The pet friendly property has only been on Airbnb for three weeks, but is already at 70% occupancy.“The feedback so far has been good, people seem to love it.” Dad Turns 1970s Private Jet into Airbnb Rental Complete with Original Cockpit–Take a PEEK Inside

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Japanese man ends 6,000km Africa rickshaw trek in Cape Town

CAPE TOWN - A 34-year-old Japanese man arrived in Cape Town to end a more than 6,000-kilometre journey from Kenya to South Africa on foot while pulling a rickshaw.

Yuji "Gump" Suzuki was emotional as he thanked his supporters for their backing during his latest quest which started in the Kenyan capital in July and took him through Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.

"I couldn't make it without you guys," Suzuki said. "I am running for fun. I have been travelling for nine years already and I get the power from you guys so I give you guys power, too. That's my life."

AFP | RODGER BOSCH

Among his other journeys, Suzuki has already pulled his two-wheeled cart from China to India (2016-2017), for 2,500 kilometres in Europe (2017) and 5,100 kilometres across the United States (2022-2023), according to his website.

His rickshaw weighs more than 100 kilograms.Suzuki wears a version of Japan's traditional tabi socks while on his journeys, which he posts about on social media. Japanese man ends 6,000km Africa rickshaw trek in Cape Town

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Man Injured in Work Accident Gets 3D-Printed Fingers – A Glove That Gives His Life Back

Michael Altheim enjoying a beer with his new Hero glove prosthetic – Open Bionics

An amputee who lost his fingers in a work accident is thrilled to be doing everyday tasks again, after being being the first person to receive new 3D-printed fingers.

Michael Altheim who had four fingers on his right hand amputated finally had his independence restored after British company Open Bionics fitted him with their state-of-the-art ‘Hero Gauntlet’.

The 52-year-old is now returning to his beloved hobbies of fishing and cycling, and can grip everyday objects.

“I previously had partial finger solutions, but the weight was really heavy, operation minimal and it wasn’t waterproof,” said the former truck driver. “I could maybe fold a towel but that was it. I’ve never been able to properly hold a screwdriver or hammer, or use it for fishing.”

“When I slipped the Hero Gauntlet on and moved my joint and my fingers, I thought in amazement, ‘Oh yes, look there!’.

“They got a ball, then a screwdriver… I could finally control the hardness of my grip.”

After ten years of living without his fingers, the German from Frankfurt was particularly impressed by the speed at which he was able to grasp objects with the glove.

Michael Altheim’s Hero Gauntlet – by Open Bionics

“The new hand works perfectly without any delay,” he said, adding that he was once again able to hold a shopping basket with one hand whilst using his free hand to select and pick up items.

The partial prosthetic hand is lightweight and works by flexing the wrist to control finger movement. Each Hero Gauntlet is custom-made for each wearer using 3D scanning, printing and modeling technology.

The waterproof device enables those born without fingers or those who’ve undergone partial hand amputation to regain the hand functionality needed to be able to hold cutlery and cut their own food.

Samantha Payne, co-founder of Open Bionics, said the company was deluged with requests to design and develop a partial hand solution that was comfortable enough to wear all day.

“It’s pure joy to see this piece of engineering have an instant positive impact on activities Michael loves doing.”

Cycling with the Hero Gauntlet hand prosthetic- by Open Bionics

Award-winning company Open Bionics is currently working with insurance groups across Germany to offer their technology to partial hand amputees.

Michael was the first patient to undergo a successful trial of the new technology, but the company is also working with other German citizens who are being fitted for the prototype., Man Injured in Work Accident Gets 3D-Printed Fingers – A Glove That Gives His Life Back

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Australian women are more educated than men, but gender divides remain at work

Michael Coelli, The University of Melbourne

The Bureau of Statistics has just released a new set of data from the 2021 census. The first set – released in June 2022 – covered topics including age, sex, religion, unpaid work and country of birth.

The second set, released on Wednesday, provides insights into the kinds of jobs Australians have (and if they have a job), how Australians travel to work (and if they still do), and their educational qualifications.

There is plenty to digest. I’ll focus on a couple of interesting outcomes:

differences in the types of jobs held by men and women,

differences in the educational qualifications of men and women.

The most male and female jobs

Men accounted for around 99% of Australia’s bricklayers and stonemasons, plumbers, sheetmetal trades workers, carpenters and joiners, roof tilers and concreters in 2021.

Women accounted for 97% or more of Australia’s midwives, early childhood teachers, dental assistants, personal assistants and beauty therapists.

But the segregation is becoming weaker over time.

One common measure is the Duncan index of dissimilarity. It records the proportion of female workers who would have to change their occupations in order for female representation to be even across all occupations.

I have calculated this measure using census data from 1966 up to 2021, updating work I completed with Jeff Borland up to 2011.

The encouraging news is that segregation is declining, and declined further in the past two censuses. Having said that, the occupational differences are still large.

Back in 1966, nearly two-thirds of women would have had to change occupations in order to be spread across occupations as men are. By 2021, the proportion had fallen to close to half.

As women joined the workforce in greater numbers from 1966 to 2021, the proportion of women in most broad occupational groups grew.

But the growth has differed by the type of job. The proportion of women in managerial occupations grew from around 18% in 1966 to nearly 40% in 2021.

The proportion in professional occupations grew from 35 to 56%. In technical and trades occupations, it only grew from 8 to 17%.

Some recent increases (from 2006 to 2021) in the proportion of women in specific manager and professional occupations stand out. These include vets (from 46% to 66%), dentists (31% to 47%), barristers (22% to 38%), school principals (50% to 65%) and internal medical specialists (32% to 47%).

But some professional occupations have gone the other way. The proportion of women working as financial dealers fell from 41% to 31%. The proportion of women working as physiotherapists fell from 71% to 64%.

Highly educated young women

The increasing shares of women in professional occupations is matched by increasing education attainment.

The proportion of females aged in their 30s with a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification was one half in 2021. This is strikingly higher than both the proportion of males in that age group with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 38%) and the proportion of older females with degrees, which was 11% for females over 75.

This difference indicates how rapidly female university education has grown.

Female university graduates now outnumber male university graduates in every age group below 70.

But the proportion of males with certificates and diplomas is higher than the proportion of females across all age groups from 20 up.

This is reflected in the still-low proportion of females in technical and trades occupations.

More to explore

Gender differences in jobs and education are just two of the many ways the census can help us understand Australia.

Every five years it presents researchers and the curious with a lot to explore, including changes over time.

A few years back the five-yearly census was facing the axe. It would be great if it continued to provide these insights for decades to come.

Michael Coelli, Associate professor, The University of Melbourne

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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After 3 years of marriage, wife helps husband to marry girlfriend

• After 3 years of marriage, a woman divorced her husband and helped him get married to his girlfriend. The incident took place in Bhopal, a city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. 
• According to a report by news agency ANI, the man in question wanted to be married to both women at once. However, his wife took the call of stepping out of the love triangle, so he could go ahead and marry his girlfriend. “He wanted to be in a marital relationship with both which isn’t legally possible. But the wife is very mature, she divorced him and helped him marry his girlfriend,” the lawyer handling the case was quoted saying.  Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com
  

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The man who came back from the dead after getting lost in the Arctic

Egor Tarasov, 51, the reindeer herder, confessed that he 'knew somewhere deep inside that I will be found in the end'. Picture: Oleg Tarasov

By Tamara Zubchuk: Grandfather Egor Tarasov's 'miraculous' survival story of 42 days alone in the tundra with polar and brown bears, and wolves. The reindeer herder went missing in the extreme north of Yakutia, close to the East Siberian Sea, in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River basin, prompting a search that included shamans and psychics. 

The 51 year old had been on his boat on the remote Konkovaya River to gather firewood and deliver it to the next point of the migration route for his herd. He was due to be away for a day but got lost in the increasingly cold and treacherous tundra for seven weeks. 

When he left he was dressed for the end of an unusually mild summer, without warm clothes, and day temperatures of up to 15C. He survived living rough through the short Arctic autumn, and was eventually found in winter, with temperatures dipping well below zero.

Local rescuers went to find him the day after he went missing with a full-scale search with a team from Chersky beginning on 8 September. They found his abandoned boat but no sign of him. 

'Now I feel better, just slightly frostbitten.' Pictures: Oleg Tarasov

They say they never gave up hope but the odds were on him being dead when polar bears were spotted on the nomads' migration route. 

Shamans and psychics were brought in to advise on the search but while they did not locate him, some believe the traditional holy men may have kept him safe from wild predators. Now finally rescued, Egor has explained how he got lost - and a survival that locals say is 'miraculous' in the wild tundra.

He got into thick fog in his boat and lost his sense of direction. His fuel supply ran out, and he spent two days at the boat, hoping he would be found. With no sign of help, he attempted to find his own way out. 

He had no gun, nor even a knife. There were dogs with him, but after a time they resented the long walk and vanished. 

His daughter Anastasia, 29, said: 'He had only light clothes, and had to dry them after every river crossing. After some time he was to throw away his sweater, as it was totally wet and heavy. He ate mushrooms and berries, drank water from the lakes. It was getting colder, so he walked even at night because he was afraid of freeze.'

The reindeer herder went missing in the extreme north of Yakutia, close to the East Siberian Sea, in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River basin. Pictures: The Siberian Times

Brown bears and wolves could have been threats - yet he claims he somehow avoided all predators. As he walked relentlessly on, the warm weather turned to rain and by 28 September to snow. Fog led the disorientated herder to walk in circles, and with the cold he developed frostbite on his feet.

He hiked through the Pokhodskaya and Khalarchinskaya tundra, it is reported. Finally, in late September, he came across the fishing hut, close to a small river, which belonged to angler Dmitry Sleptsov. 

It was deserted but it offered him shelter and the hope he would eventually be discovered. There was some food, and he managed to set a fire, bring water and cook. He found a radio but it was not a transmitter. But he learned it was by now 9 October. He started to mark the days on a sheet of paper.

Finally on 14 October, Dmitry arrived by boat at his hut on a fishing expedition. He used his satellite phone to alert the authorities and then took Egor by boat to Chersky, where he was admitted to the central district hospital.

Dmitry Sleptsov used his satellite phone to alert the authorities and then took Egor by boat to Chersky, where he was admitted to the central district hospital. Pictures: The Siberian Times

The father of three and grandfather of four, said: 'I was going forward with a positive mind, I knew somewhere deep inside that I will be found in the end. Now I feel better, just slightly frostbitten. When I had been walking I was thinking about my family, my wife, children, and grand children... 

'I walked on because I felt must do so. It seemed to me that I was not alone, that someone or something was next to me. It supported me too.' 

Yet locals say his survival is remarkable in such barren conditions, without proper clothing or weapons. YSIA news agency said he had 'a great desire to live, resistance to extreme difficulties, and the belief in a positive outcome'. Strength of character led Egor to a miraculous rescue. And the prayers of his family.'

In all he walked around 120 kilometres (74.5 miles) if it is measured by a straight line. But Egor walked 'round in circles' confused by fog and probably trekked many times this distance. Source: http://siberiantimes.com/

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Soon, first ever contraceptive pill for men

Scientists claim to have discovered a compound which could pave way for the first ever birth control pill for men, without affecting their sex drive. Taken daily or weekly, the pill would allow couples to share the burden of family planning. The study shows that the small molecule makes male mice reversibly infertile without putting a damper on their sex drive. "Our findings demonstrate that, when given to rodents, this compound produces a rapid and reversible decrease in sperm count and mobility with profound effects on fertility," said Dana-Farbe's James Bradner, the study senior author. Importantly, the results of early experiments suggest the effects would be temporary, with fertility quickly rebounding on stopping taking the pill. "This compound produces a rapid and reversible decrease in sperm count and motility with profound effects on fertility," said Bradner. "A male birth control pill hasn't been easy to come by in large part because of the challenge of getting any drug across the blood-testis barrier, where it can reach the sperm generating cells," scientists said. The lack of contraceptive alternatives for men is partially responsible for the high rate of unplanned pregnancies, they said. The new drug, which is known only as JQ1, disrupts a crucial stage of sperm development. It is hormone-free, and in tests on mice, it did not produce any side-effects. When mice are given the BRDT-inhibiting molecule, they begin producing fewer sperm and those sperm they do produce don't swim as well. Sperm production plummeted and what sperm were made were bad swimmers, the journal Cell reported. The animals were still interested in sex but, when the dose of the drug was right, were unable to sire any pups. However, when they were taken off the drug, their fertility quickly returned and they became father to normal-sized, healthy, litters. Also in JQ1's favour is the fact it could be given in pill-form. Most male contraceptives in development are jabs or patches. "There has not been a new reversible contraceptive for men since the development of the condom, centuries ago," said William Bremner from the University of Washington. Source: Indian Express

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WINNER: Chinese man downloads 25th bn app

Hindustan Times, Relaxnews, AFP, New York: Apple announced Monday said 

that downloads from its App store had hit 25 billion, with a person in eastern China grabbing a $10,000 prize for taking the tally to the landmark level. Chunli Fu of Qingdao, in eastern China, downloaded a free version of the Disney game Where's My Water?, winning a $10,000 (63,000 yuan) iTunes gift card, the company said. "We'd like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of 

As Apple counts down to 25 billion App Store downloads, we handpick the most awesome Apple apps which have not just shown outstanding performance but also users hooked world over

Internet Software and Services, said in a statement. "When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps" for the company's iOS operating system. The historic milestone was reached in apps downloaded to more than 315 million Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod devices worldwide, the Cupertino, California-based company said. The App Store offers more than 550,000 micro-applications to users in 123 countries around the world, including games, business, news, sports, health and fitness, and travel uses.The App Store has paid more than $4.0 billion to developers, the company added. The announcement came ahead of Apple's media event scheduled Wednesday that is expected to unveil the next generation of the hot-selling iPad tablet computer. Source: Hindustan Times

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Bodycare launches Proteens collection for men and women

After a successful stint in the kids’ segment, Bodycare International is all set to cater to the ever increasing demand of loungewear for men and women. In keeping with its commitment, it has launched Proteens, a trendy line of loungewear collection exclusively for men and women. The new collection is a wide array of stylish and adorable loungewear to suit all moods. The new collection from Proteens boasts of high comfort and trendy looks. It has been successful in infusing the classic line of Proteens with contemporary designs. The new urbane lineup of clothing is perfectly suitable as seasonal loungewear, nightwear and apparels like shorts, capris, lower and T-shirts. Proteens loungewear has over 100 designs per season and consists of more than 80 styles in shorts, capris, lower and T-shirts. The licensee loungewear features characters like Mickey Mouse, Princess, Ben10 Barbie, Hot Wheels etc. Talking about the new collection, Mithun Gupta, Director-Marketing, Bodycare International says, “We are targeting upper, upper middle and middle class consumers. Proteens is one of the most speculated lineups of Bodycare today and has been quite successful in the kids’ segment. It holds a strong potential market in Middle East as well. Hence, to meet the burgeoning demand of all age groups, a dedicated infrastructure of over 20,000 sq. ft. has been set up with a production capacity of over 1.5 lakh pieces per month. Showcasing an enviable collection, we are sure Proteens' collection will be the most favored range across all age groups.” The collection starts from Rs 219 and goes up to Rs 1,299. Proteens is available across all leading stores. The company shall leverage its existing strong distribution network which is strong enough to serve the large retail base in India. Gupta says, this segment is growing at a very fast pace and irrespective of the high degree of competition, it still has a great potential. “We are in loungewear for the last six years -- in kids’ segment. Most of our customers are family stores. So when we decided to venture in to this segment, we took feedback from many customers at various stages of product development regarding styles, patterns, colors and pricing. We have designed the range after taking into consideration their requirements,” Gupta explains. In the future, the company would be focusing more on extension of products in this particular range to satisfy maximum needs of consumers. Source: Fashion-United

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Gossiping adds to male friendship - study

While both men and women enjoy dishing the dirt it appears that there are big differences in the way men and women gossip. Canadian researchers have determined that gossip tends to draw males closer whereas it can tear female friends apart. Moreover, there are huge differences in the way men and women gossip - and it's not as simple as talking about football and politics versus talking about shopping and personal relationships. Physical appearance gossip was found to be more prevalent in females, but it doesn't help with friendship quality. This type of gossip may be a more of a competitive threat to the relationship in females, the study asserts. Source: Voice of Russia.

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'I'm sorry.' Cycling career was one big lie admits Armstrong

'If there's a truth and reconciliation commission, I'll be the first man in the door,' he tells Oprah

BY Gavin Mortimer, "ONE BIG LIE". That's how Lance Armstrong described a cycling career that brought him seven Tour de France titles and a reputation as the sport's greatest star. The Texan rider finally admitted the truth during an astonishing interview with Oprah Winfrey last night, confessing to the chat show host that he had used banned substances and blood transfusions for most of his career. Armstrong dated his doping back to the mid-1990s and said he continued to cheat for a decade, stressing that when he made a comeback in 2009 he was clean. There were other damning admissions from the disgraced rider, who was described by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) last October as a "serial cheat". Yes, he told Winfrey, he had been a bully. "I was a bully in the sense that I tried to control the narrative and if I didn't like what somebody said, I tried to control that. I was just trying to perpetuate the story and hide the truth". Armstrong verdict: 'clever, calculating, callous and arrogant', He singled out the former masseuse Emma O'Reilly as
someone who had suffered particularly as a result of her attempts a decade ago to alert the world to Armstrong's doping. "Emma O'Reilly is one of these people that I have to apologise to," said Armstrong, who had described the Irishwoman as "a prostitute and an alcoholic" in a bid to destroy her credibility. "She is one of these people that got run over, got bullied." O'Reilly was also one of the people who got sued by Armstrong in his aggressive strategy to suppress the truth of what he was doing. Asked by Winfrey how many others he'd sued, Armstrong replied: "To be honest, Oprah, we sued so many people I don't know... I was a guy who expected to get whatever he wanted and to control every outcome. It's inexcusable. There are people who will never forgive - I understand that." Contrary to what many in the cycling world had feared before the interview aired, Armstrong did not try and portray himself as the victim. "I don't look around and say 'Oprah, I am getting so screwed here'. Were there days early on when I said that? Absolutely, but those days are fewer and fewer and further and further in between." Occasionally during the interview, the 41-year-old revealed glimpses of the psychology that had helped him construct his 'one big lie'. "I went and looked up the definition of cheat," he told Winfrey, "and the definition is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe, but I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field." In his view, "the issue of performance-enhancing drugs was 'We're going to pump up our tyres and we're going to put water in our bottles, and oh yeah, that too is going to happen'." Ultimately it appears that at the height of his fame Armstrong came to believe his own fairy tale of the cancer sufferer turned sporting champion. "This story was so perfect for so long," he explained. "You overcome the disease, you win the Tour de France seven times - it was this mythic, perfect story, and it wasn't true." Reaction to last night's interview was swift. Travis Tygart, head of USADA, the body who did most to bring Armstrong to justice, said: "Tonight, Lance Armstrong finally acknowledged that his cycling career was built on a powerful combination of doping and deceit. "His admission that he doped throughout his career is a small step in the right direction. But if he is sincere in his desire to correct his past mistakes, he will testify under oath about the full extent of his doping activities." Armstrong didn't address that possibility directly, although he did tell Winfrey: "It's not my place to say 'Hey guys, let's clean up cycling', [but] if there was a truth and reconciliation commission, and I'm invited, I'll be the first man in the door." Nor did Armstrong appear willing to bring others down with him: "It's hard to talk about these things and not mention names, but there are other people in this story," he said. "I didn't invent the [doping] culture, but I didn't try to stop the culture. That's my mistake." Perhaps the hardest word of all for Armstrong to utter was the one that until now had never passed his lips. "I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times," he said. "I'm sitting here today to acknowledge that and to say I'm sorry for that." The second part of the interview will be aired tonight (2 am Saturday, UK time). Source: The Week UK

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Men dress as women to fulfill vows in Kerala temple

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News Track India, Chavara (Kerala), Mar 25 (ANI): Thousands of men, young and old alike, gathered at KottanKullangara Devi Temple near Chavara in Kerala's Kollam District to fulfill their vows dressed up as women, as an offering to the Goddess Bhagavathy, the temple deity. In this unique ritual called 'Chamaya Vilakku' or make-up lamp, the men come to the temple late at night in a long procession with lighted lamps in their hands and offer their prayers to the deity. It is an annual ritual held during the two-day festival of the temple, men dressed in traditional female attire follow strict rules and are made to carry a lamp and stand in queue.  Men,  who  participate  in  this

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ritual, take it up to get their wishes such as job, health, a suitable life partner and the well being for their family and relatives fulfilled. The men dress up around the temple premises where temporary sheds are set up to do the make-up part with some assistance from their sisters or wife. According to the legend, the ritual started centuries ago, when few male children playing at the very same temple premises found a coconut  and  decided  to break  it

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only to be astonished to find blood instead of water. When the children informed about the incident to their elders, it was realized that some kind of deity power prevailed at that place and decided to perform an annual ritual by men and also to build a temple at the same place. In local language, Kottan is known as the white inside flesh of coconut and is forms a major part of the worship during the ritual. The worship starts by 8 p. m. in the evening on the first day and remains till early morning till the deity comes out in procession the same is repeated on the second day respectively. By Juhan Samuel (ANI) Source: News Track India

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Italian man with two hearts suffers a double heart attack - and lives

In what can be called a medical miracle, doctors have managed to save the life of a 71-year-old Italian man who had two hearts and suffered double heart attacks at the same time. At first, doctors thought they had a typical case of cardiac arrest – the man wasshort of breath, sweating profusely and his blood pressure was low. However, they were in for a surprise when upon closer inspection it was found that the patient had been walking around with two hearts and had now suffered a dueling attack. According to medical reports, the man wasn't born with two hearts but had undergone a rare heart transplant (called a heterotopic transplant) years ago in which a new organ was paired with the diseased one. "You can develop two independent heart rhythms, especially in a scenario where one heart gets a little better," Rade Vukmir, professor of emergency medicine at Temple Universityand a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians told MSNBC. This is apparently exactly what happened to the Italian patient. After being admitted to the hospital, doctors administered drug therapy in an attempt to correct his dysrhythmia, only to have the medicine shut down both of his hearts. Doctors then were able to successfully use a defibrillator to revive both hearts simultaneously. He's now reportedly doing well with his two functioning hearts. Source: Ananta-Tec

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Man threatening Pooja Bhatt arrested

Mumbai: An unidentified man who was making threatening calls to Pooja Bhatt has been arrested, says the actor-filmmaker. "Just got a call from Abhay Shastry, Bandra Police Station, confirming they have arrested man who made abusive/threatening calls to me on Jan 9," Pooja tweeted
Saturday morning. "Police confirms that man who abused/threatened me is all of 25 years old and works for Vodafone. Can't wait to look into his eyes and say hello," she further posted. Pooja had filed an official complaint Wednesday at the Bandra police station here against the caller, who was calling her incessantly in the wee hours, and threatened her. Source" News-Bullet

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Big B says women are no less than men

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is mighty pleased when a woman contestant, Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney won the five-crore jackpot on his game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) season6. Amitabh used this opportunity to state that women are no less than men. Speaking of herwin Big B posted on his
blog, “Her status as a woman was never compromised, and given an opportunity, she has proved to an entire nation, which hangs its head in shame for the GangRape victim, that women are strong and no less than men.” Housewife Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney has become the first female contestant to have won Rs 5 cr on KBC. Sunmeet gavetuitions to young children to add to the family’s income. Source: Bollywood3

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World's strongest seven-year-old carries 90kg man in China

Yang Jinlong, 7, from Fengyang County in east China's Anhui Province, can carry an adult man weighing 90kg. Report by Mark Morris.

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Prince Harry blasted as 'drunk jackal' by Afghan warlord

A MUJAHIDEEN warlord who twice served as Prime Minister of Afghanistan has blasted Britain for sending a "drunk" Prince Harry into battle, claiming the royal will face "certain death" for his involvement in the conflict. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar also severely criticised Britain's role in Afghanistan, claiming it was just to please its American allies. "I do not understand how the British public accept their children being sent to certain death in order to please American generals." Britain had gained nothing by allowing itself to be dragged into the "unjustified, useless but cruel conflict" in Afghanistan, said Hekmatyar. In a rare interview in which he responded to written questions from Peter Oborne of the Daily Telegraph with a video response, Hekmatyar criticised Britain's decision to send Prince Harry to Helmand. The prince has been serving a four-month tour of duty, which has kept him on the frontline over Christmas, as an Apache helicopter co-pilot with 622 Sqn, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps. Hekmatyar, speaking from an undisclosed location, said: "The British Prince comes to Afghanistan to kill innocent Afghans while he is drunk. He wants to hunt down Mujaheddin with his helicopter rockets without any shame. But he does not understand this simple fact that the hunting of Afghan lions and eagles is not that easy. Jackals cannot hunt lions." Britain is too attached to its military past, said Hekmatyar, adding that it expected "their prince to go out in uniform to hunt for human beings and play the satanic role that they used to play in the past". There was one positive response from Hekmatyar. Unlike the Taliban, with whom he may or may not have links, he believes in the education of young women - as long as it's not at co-ed schools. Source: The Week UK

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