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Thermador Online Design Guide Judged One of the World`s Best-Executed Web Sites

April 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Free, 300-page Online Booklet at Thermador Design Center Named Best in Class by
the Interactive Media Awards™
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.–(Business Wire)–
The Thermador Kitchen Design & Planning Guide, a 300-page online booklet created
by the iconic cooking appliance brand to inspire professional architects and
kitchen designers, has been judged the best online resource in the consumer
goods class by the Interactive Media Awards™, considered one of the world`s
preeminent honors in Web site design and development.

By receiving a Best in Class Award in the Consumer Goods category, the
competition`s highest honor, the Thermador design guide was judged one of the
world`s best-executed Web sites by leaders in Web design, advertising,
publishing, news and related industries. These judges gave it a perfect, or near
perfect, score in all five judging categories, including design, content,
feature functionality, usability and standards compliance.

The Interactive Media Awards are sponsored by the Interactive Media Council,
Inc. (IMC), a New York, N.Y.-based nonprofit organization of leading Web
designers, developers, programmers, advertisers and related professionals
dedicated to elevating the standards of excellence on the Internet.

An industry-leading compilation of kitchen design suggestions, photos, celebrity
tastemaster tips and product specs and guides, the Thermador Kitchen Design &
Planning Guide is a highlight of the Thermador Design Center, a comprehensive
online resource created by Thermador to encourage the use of its cooking,
refrigeration, cleaning and ventilation appliances. The guide, a joint effort
between Andrew McLendon, chief creative officer of Web Advanced of Irvine,
Calif., and Beatriz Sandoval, Thermador senior marketing manager, can be
downloaded for free at www.thermador.com/DesignCenter.

“The fact that the leading thinkers in Web design and communications singled out
our design guide as among the world`s best demonstrates just how dedicated
Thermador is to members of the design community,” explained Sandoval. “For us,
it`s all about making it easy for designers, architects and other trade
professionals to include a world-class Thermador kitchen in their plans for
their cooking- and entertaining-focused clients – and this latest honor from the
IMC suggests that we have done just that. Hopefully, this award encourages even
more designers to use our free resource.”

EDITOR NOTE:High-res design guide images are available.

About Thermador

Thermador has been providing real innovations for real cooks for more than 75
years. The iconic line of cooking, cleaning, refrigeration and ventilation
products remains committed to empowering culinary enthusiasts to be their best
through continuous innovation breakthroughs – from the world`s first wall ovens
and gas cooktops with the patented Star® Burner to a speedcooking oven that
reduces cooking time by 50 percent.

Thermador is part of BSH Home Appliances Corporation, a fully-owned subsidiary
of Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group, the third largest appliance
manufacturer in the world. For more information, visit www.thermador.com or
follow us on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/thermador and
@ThermadorHome, respectively. For Thermador customer service, call
1-800-735-4328.

DGWB PR
Bob Ochsner, 714-881-2341
bochsner@dgwb.com
or
Sung Choi, 714-881-2345
schoi@dgwb.com
or
Follow Thermador:
Twitter @ThermadorHome
Facebook www.facebook.com/thermador

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: awards, innovation, kitchen, media, photos., Web design

Lifetime Family Travel for 10 Cents on the Dollar a Reality with Lifetime Leisure Experiences

April 3, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Insider Deals and Worldwide Connections from Travel Lifestyle Consultant
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif.–(Business Wire)–
Luxury vacations for life for 10 cents on the dollar? That`s what Chris Klesh,
(http://www.lifetimeleisure.net) luxury travel expert and lifestyle consultant,
provides travelers.

Klesh is president and CEO of Lifetime Leisure Experiences and a retired
marketing executive for AT&T. The travel expert utilizes 20 years expertise and
resources to counsel travelers with free presentations to groups ranging from
travel, ski and country clubs, to active retirement communities interested in
travel, young families searching for affordable vacation solutions, and
financial advisors and planners who consult individuals on long term needs.
Klesh`s presentation is informative, straight-forward, factual, helpful and
entertaining.

Klesh offers vacationers the opportunity to renew, relax and create lifelong
memories on an annual basis. He doesn’t take names, phone numbers or email
addresses to add to a list for future solicitation. “I don`t need to. The people
interested about luxury travel will want to talk to me,” said Klesh. “I can help
folks seriously looking for a long range vacation strategy for a fraction of the
price.”

For instance, for the same price as a 450 sq. ft. hotel room, clients can
vacation in 1,400 sq. ft. units complete with a full kitchen, multiple bedrooms
and bathrooms. And they only pay a fraction for golf, skiing and other
activities. People who thought annual vacations were impossible are now staying
at quality resorts annually.

Research indicates that vacations reduce the risk of heart disease, depression,
and a host of other ills – and even slow the aging process. Two vacations a year
can cut a person`s risk of heart attack by 50 percent (Conde Nast, Sept. 2009).
Furthermore, today`s hectic lifestyle can take its toll on relationships as
evidenced by high divorce rates in the United States. According to a recent
survey by VacationBetter.org, 72% of respondents listed time away with their
spouse as one of the best ways to reconnect and rekindle romance within the
marriage (http://www.vacationbetter.org/why-vacation). In the process, travel
helps bring families together and represents a healthier lifestyle.

With a focus on making travel dreams come true, Klesh shares his inside
knowledge and passion for traveling. What started as a hobby became a passionate
profession as he regularly travels 50 weeks a year.

According to Mike Novatka, Palm Beach, FL, “Klesh is true to his word. Before
I`d pay rack rate at hotels. Now I`m able to stay in a 1,200 square-foot,
2-bedroom luxury condo for a week at $1,400 total overlooking central park in
New York. Plus he arranged for family tickets to Mets games and attend sold-out
Broadway shows, all for a fraction of the cost. The condo was awesome, the
services matched what we were looking for with free breakfasts daily, evening
cocktail receptions and an ideal location. He’s helped my family of eight afford
luxurious vacations in New York, Colorado, Utah, and Lake Tahoe for savings up
to 90 percent off of what it would normally cost.”

Klesh was a corporate marketing manager at AT&T (formally BellSouth) for more
than 30 years and has a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University and a M.B.A.
from Fairleigh Dickinson University (Teaneck, NJ). He considers himself a
`cultural jock` with hobbies ranging from skiing, music, theater, tennis,
golfing, boating, kayaking, mountain biking, traveling and reading. Klesh lives
primarily in South Lake Tahoe and Palm Beach, Florida, and is a member of the
Florida Speakers Association. In 2002, he transformed those hobbies into a
fervent business, Lifetime Leisure Experiences. He culled inside information
from sources developed over the years into a bona fide system of practical every
day use that hundreds of clients are currently utilizing to each save thousands
of dollars annually.

For media inquiries or to arrange a speaking engagement, contact Jenn Boyd,
Weidinger Public Relations at jennifer@weidingerpr.com or 775-588-2412.

Weidinger Public Relations
Jenn Boyd, 775-588-2412
jennifer@weidingerpr.com

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Horny ghost on the prowl in Malaysia

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 18 (ANI): A horny orang minyak, which is supposed to be a ghost in Malay culture, is said to be terrorising about 300 families in Sungai Petani, picking homes where there are young women.

According to Kosmo!, Nurshahirah, 17, revealed that she was awakened at 5.40am on September 14 after she felt a warm sensation on her left ear, and when she opened her eyes she saw an apparition with curly hair and thick moustache standing by her bed.

“I was even more shocked when the ghost took off his kain pelikat and started to fondle himself,” the Star Online quoted her as saying.

Nurshahirah, who lives in Taman Keladi, said she felt powerless to ward off the apparition who started to grope her body, and that it was as though a charm had been placed on her.

In another incident, housewife Fatimah, 42, revealed she heard her two daughters crying out when they were woken up at 5am by dark apparitions that molested them.

Her 15-year-old daughter told her that she had been “violated” by a ghost.

“At first I thought she was talking in her sleep but she insisted that she was molested by a ghost before it moved to the kitchen,” Fatimah said.

She said her 14-year-old, too, cried and ran from the living room, saying a dark apparition had molested her.

“My 14-year-old daughter said she managed to kick the ghost who wore a kain pelikat and black singlet when she felt her body being touched,” she revealed.

“She screamed and the ghost ran out of her room,” she added.

Fatimah said she gave chase with a parang but the apparition disappeared.

She also said the apparition could have placed a charm on her family because none of the neighbours heard her daughters’ screams. (ANI)

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S. African athlete Semenya tries to gloss over gender controversy

September 10, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Johannesburg, Sep.9 (ANI): South African athlete Caster Semenya has completed her transformation from gender troubled sporting champion into national celebrity with a photo shoot in the country’s leading gossip magazine.

While the controversy rumbles on over whether the teenage runner is really male or female, her handlers have sought to end the debate with the aid of a costume change, make up and some studio lights.

With the front cover headline: “Wow, look at Caster now!” You magazine proudly boasts that it has turned her from “power girl” into “glamour girl” and apparently, “she loves it”.

Inside, the 800 m world champion – whose gender is being tested by the international athletics authorities – says the whole issue is a joke.

“It doesn’t upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself. I am who I am and I’m proud of myself,” The Sun quoted Semenya, as saying.

In the magazine, Semenya poses in skinny jeans, stilettos and a black and white evening dress.

News that the athlete would have to undergo testing was leaked before the 800m final at the world championships in Berlin, putting her under enormous pressure.

Following her victory, the ruling African National Congress seized upon her case to score political points, with left-wing firebrands such as Winnie Madikizela Mandela and ANC Youth League president Julius Malema accusing the athletics authorities of racism.

They have also sought to use Semenya to stir up populist feeling against what is seen as the right wing of the ANC, represented by Trevor Manuel, President Jacob Zuma’s planning chief.

Semenya received a heroine’s welcome in her home village in South Africa’s impoverished Limpopo province at the end of August, with VIPs and a 200-strong crowd singing a version of the Communist Party anthem, which included the lyrics: “My mother was a kitchen girl, my father was a garden boy, that’s why I’m a champion, that’s why I’m a champion.”

The cover shoot has reignited the debate in South Africa over the athlete’s appearance, with radio talk shows inundated with callers.

The 18-year-old has refused to be drawn on what she is going through at present, telling the magazine: “I don’t want to talk about the tests – I’m not even thinking about them.” (ANI)

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Now, a smart home that can alert owner about a stove burner left on

September 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 3 (ANI): Ever thought that your home would tell if you have left a stove burner on after making your breakfast? Well, it is now possible, thanks to the new sensor-stuffed apartment created by researchers at Washington State University in Pullman.

The smart home, known as Casas, developed by Diane Cook and colleagues, can learn the ways of its inhabitants by observing their daily habits and how they use different appliances everyday.

The technology could be used in houses to support people with cognitive difficulties or dementia with their daily living needs, or to make things easier for healthy people.

For example, the apartment can recognise when a person is performing actions associated with making breakfast and can prompt them with audio and video signals to warm them of any anomaly like a stove left burning.

While Casas was developed to analyse the sensors’ output, Graduate student Parisa Rashidi has improved the system, so that it can learn a person’s habits without prior assumptions about what events or patterns to expect.

While previous smart homes used movie cameras to pre-define key activities before recognising them, the new system was successfully tested in a specially outfitted apartment with a single resident on campus.

It required around a month of training to accurately tease out the resident’s habits from the sea of sensor data, said Rashidi.

Once trained, Casas can identify patterns as complex as “at 6 am the kitchen light comes on, the coffee maker turns on, and the toaster turns on” without any prior knowledge of what to expect.

To maintain a resident’s sense of privacy Casas works without cameras, RFID chips or microphones.

Instead less “invasive” sensors that detect motion, temperature, light, humidity, water, door contact and the use of key items, such as opening a bottle of medication or switching on the toaster.

“We don’t want to give residents the feeling that Big Brother is watching them,” New Scientist quoted Rashidi as saying.

The researchers developed a number of data-mining algorithms to help make sense of the sensor output.

One algorithm uses a grid of motion sensors to map out how a person walks around the home, looking for daily “trajectories”, or routes through the house.

A second algorithm finds patterns in a sequence of events, such as learning to expect the resident to turn on a tap after turning on the oven.

And a third algorithm looks to correlate events it detects with the time of day to identify the pattern, for example, of when the person eats dinner.

Now the researchers are working on upgrades that allow the apartment to decipher the actions of multiple inhabitants and recognise subtle variations in commonly repeated tasks.

The study has been published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Systems Man and Cybernetics. (ANI)

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Drunk hubby slits wife’s throat over untidy house on V-day eve

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sept 1 (ANI): An inebriated husband, in Shenyang, Liaoning province, killed his wife on the eve of the Chinese Valentine’s Day after she accused him of wasting his life on liquor.

The drunken man picked up a quarrel with his wife because he thought the house was ill kept and untidy, reports China Daily.

When his wife told him he had done no good to the family, he slit his wife’s throat with a kitchen knife.

The woman succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital.

The husband has been placed under arrest. (ANI)

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Surreal, sex-obsessed world of not so “big” Russell Brand revealed

August 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug 29 (ANI): A model has revealed that British comedian Russell Brand lures women by posting Tweets and has a pretty adventurous sex life.

The television presenter apparently loves threesome and offered Brooke Adams free tickets for MTV Music awards to sleep with her via Twitter.

Some of his posts inviting her to townhouse in Hampstead, north London read: “Where do you live? Near London? And can you bring a friend?”

While another went: “Confirm your friend, darling, as I am in the mood for adventure,” reports the Sun.

Brooke narrated the events leading to the sex act with the comedian.

She said: “I got a cab to his house and the security guard opened the gates and let me in.

“Russell poked his head round the door – and when he opened it I realised he was totally naked.

“He took me through to the kitchen and offered me a drink – although he has no alcohol in the house.

“Then he asked me to perform a sex act on him – I’d had a few to drink and had always fancied him, so I did it.

“He was very complimentary, even though he was eating a plum at the time!”

However, Brand had another girl in his house at the same time and wanted to have threesome.

She added: “He took me up to his room and there was another girl – a blonde girl – already there sitting on the bed.

“I had no idea another girl would be there – I was quite surprised.

“But I think she was more shocked than me – she didn’t seem happy about it at all. He asked us if we would have a threesome and although I was up for it, she refused.

“He declared we were not allowed to leave until he had had been satisfied at least three times, so he just took it in turns with us. While he was with her, I just sat on the end of the bed, waiting.

“He was very good in bed – not as “big” as I was expecting but he still knew exactly what to do and had a lot of stamina.

“Afterwards I just got a cab home and he said he would be in touch.”

Brooke says that she spent a similar night with Russell one more time. (ANI)

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Bangalore artist creates paintings with charcoal and thread in minutes

August 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bangalore, Aug 28 (ANI): Anjula Prem Kumar of Bangalore is no ordinary artist. She creates amazing and eye-catching paintings from thread and charcoal on canvas and with her fingers on sprinkled sand, within minutes.

Give her music of her choice and a few strings of thread and charcoal, and Anjula is ready with a painting in three to four minutes.

The thread and charcoal, she says, help her speed up her work and also maintain the viewers interest especially during painting demonstrations.

“I thought when you want to finish a picture, if you prolong it for a long time people lose interest when they are seeing it. So I thought I would use thread which is still faster, that is the only reason I started with the thread, and that gives me a really good finish and I enjoy doing it with thread,” said Anjula.

Anjula never misses an opportunity to visit art exhibitions and galleries as they, she says, inspire her.

She is also adept at making drawings on sprinkled sand, and this particular art is her innovation. She says she got the idea while collecting spilled flour on her kitchen floor. This little accident in the kitchen has surely come handy for her.

Anjula has a deep interest in artwork but she never attended any art classes, she is self taught and proud to be so. She says that people’s appreciation that she has been encouraging and also a major reason for her to pursue her interest in art.

“From a small girl, I have been drawing and experimenting, when people started appreciating my art then I knew that there was art in me and everyone started encouraging that. Then I started to work more on it and my thoughts started going more on that side,” added Anjula.

Also an art teacher at a school in the city, Anjula dedicates three to four hours each day to drawing.

Felicitated and appreciated in the country and abroad, Anjula wishes to continue her experiments in art as long as she can. By Jaipal Sharma(ANI)

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Cash-strapped Brit couples prefer to buy practical gifts than luxuries

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug 26 (ANI): Romantic presents like flowers and jewellery are fast becoming history, courtesy cash-strapped couples who prefer gifting useful and practical presents to each other.

That’s the conclusion of a new research.

The study revealed that almost 60 per cent of Britons preferred to buy a useful article as gift for their partners, rather than something that is not a necessity, reports the Scotsman.

The researchers found that most couples gifted jewellery to each other two decades ago. But now, they’ve been turned into gadgets like iPod, or DVDs and books.

Jewellery came in third in the list, but a kitchen gadget such as a breadmaker was named the fourth most popular gift.

One tenth of the couples admitted to have rarely gifted anything to their partners in order to save money, while one fifth said they did not exchange any gifts to save money.

The survey of 2,500 married Britons also showed that couples now spent about 196.47 pounds on each other at birthdays and Christmas, compared to nearly 230 pounds 20 years ago.

Three-quarters of today’s couples have even set limits on the amount of money to be spent on gifts, to ensure that neither overspends. Only 50 percent of those married 20 years ago followed the same.

It has also been found that people are spending less money on engagement rings. Twenty years ago men spent an average of two months’ income on their partner’s engagement ring, but now males spend just one month’s wages.

Jonathan Caplan, from gold-buying website www.mygoldmine.co.uk, said: “Times are harder, so it’s not surprising to see people are tightening their belts, but it’s sad to think that celebrations are taking the hit.

“Romantic gifts, however small, will be around and enjoyed far longer than the iPod, which will be forgotten for a newer model.” (ANI)

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Nude Jackie Kennedy pic found among Andy Warhol’s possessions

August 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 21 (ANI): A nude picture of former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis has been discovered in the pile of King of Pop Art Andy Warhol’s possessions.

The snap, which apparently shows the wife of John F. Kennedy skinny-dipping, was said to have been signed “For Andy, with enduring affection, Jackie Montauk”, a reference to the painter’s beach front estate in Montauk.

Archivists sieving through 610 cardboard boxes, filing cabinets and a shipping container belonging to Warhol, who is considered a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art, found the photograph, reports the Telegraph.

Researchers working for the Andy Warhol Foundation also found a piece of crusty wedding cake and 17,000 dollars in cash amongst other items.

Matt Wrbican, who has been going through the artist’s things since 1991, said: “He really didn’t like organisation and there would be several boxes going at a time.”

He added: “The only rooms that looked like a normal house were the bathroom and the kitchen.” (ANI)

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Positive parental attitude can help stop child obesity epidemic

August 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 9 (ANI): An eminent obesity expert has said that parents can help to prevent obesity in children by helping them with their eating habits and building a healthy body image.

According to Edward Abramson, PhD and professor emeritus at California State University, parents can ward off obesity by getting their children to eat better food and exercise.

Dr. Abramson said childhood obesity has increased fourfold in the last 40 years, which may make today’s children to become the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.

Speaking at the American Psychological Associations’ 117th Annual Convention, the expert said that in the last decade, “we’ve seen a [tenfold] increase in Type-2 diabetes and psychological and social consequences, such as prejudice, rejection, discrimination and low self-esteem in children…More than 60 percent of overweight children have one risk factor for cardiovascular disease and 20 percent have two or more risk factors.”

Abramson said, “emotional eating” or eating when one is not hungry may trigger off obesity.

“This can lead to a weight problem or an eating disorder,” he added. “Parents’ attitudes and behaviours also have an influence on children’s eating, and mothers more than fathers affect children’s eating habits and body image.”

He noted that multiple factors contribute to a mother’s concern for her child’s weight problems.

“For example, there is evidence that minority parents (e.g., African-American, Hispanic) are less concerned about their children’s weight…. Often, when a mother is struggling with her own weight, she becomes more involved in regulating her daughter’s eating. In general, mothers are more concerned than fathers about their child’s weight, especially their daughter’s, and are more likely to restrict foods,” the expert added.

According to Abramson children are genetically coded with a tongue for sweet and salty tastes.

“For these children, it may take several repetitions (10 or more) to have a child try a new food, but parents should retreat gracefully and try again another day rather than get into a battle of wills when the child refuses a food,” he said.

He also spelled out a way to get children to try out new and healthy foods.

“If the child is in the kitchen cooking with Mom or Dad, it’s unlikely that he/she will refuse the food that they’ve helped prepare, ” he added.

Abramson pointed out that physical activity could prevent children to gain extra flab even if there is a familial tendency to gain weight. (ANI)

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MJ’s chef saw doctor taking out oxygen tanks from mansion

July 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 11 (ANI): Late King of Pop Michael Jackson’s chef has claimed that he saw the star’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, taking out oxygen tanks from his mansion.

The claims might add weight to the theory that the star was being treated with a potentially deadly drug.

Oxygen is required to administer the anaesthetic Diprivan, which was reportedly found at Jackson’s home, and is believed to have contributed to his cardiac arrest.

“On two separate occasions, I saw Dr. Murray pushing oxygen tanks through the kitchen and outside to the back of the house. The tanks were large, heavy-duty, four-foot green and silver tanks. Dr. Murray pushed the tanks through the kitchen where I was preparing lunch, and out the back door,” Contactmusic quoted chef Douglas Jones as telling the National Enquirer.

Jones added: “I did watch what he did with them, but I thought it was odd, and in light of what I know now, it’s obvious something was going on that was probably illegal.”

The chef also revealed that he saw oxygen tanks stored on the premises.

If Jones’ account is found to be correct, it could prove devastating for Murray.

Dr. Cyril Wecht, a leading forensic pathologist, this week called for the medic who provided Jackson with drugs like Diprivan to be prosecuted.

“They’re drugs to be administered by an anaesthesiologist or a trained anaesthetist; it is to be given only in a hospital setting… also it must be given under highly aseptic technique because it is susceptible to bacterial contamination,” said Wecht.

He added: “For all of these reasons, if any doctor prescribed Propofol for Michael Jackson to take at home himself… in my opinion, that is gross wanton negligence and really approaches a question, legally, of manslaughter.” (ANI)

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UK prison opens West End style restaurant

July 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 3 (ANI): A West End style restaurant called “The Clink” has opened up inside Her Majesty’s Prison High Down. iners can eat a two-course meal at the prison restaurant in Sutton, Surrey, for six pounds, reports The Telegraph.

Food consists of the freshest ingredients, much from the prison garden. However, diners have to make do with plastic cutlery for security reasons.

The chefs, waiters and kitchen porters are all inmates – who could be behind bars for murder or grievous bodily harm.

The Clink is the brainchild of Alberto Crisci, a former chef at Mirabelle, a French restaurant in Mayfair, London, which used to be owned by Marco Pierre White.

Crisci, who moved on to become High Down’s catering manager, said the idea was to rehabilitate prisoners and give them the skills to obtain jobs on release.

He stressed discipline was tougher than anything seen on a show like Hell’s Kitchen.

He told the Daily Mirror: “Prisoners only have to step out of line once and they are out. This is a real restaurant. I expect them to do exactly what I ask them to do.”

Wine is served – but strictly controlled for fear it goes missing. Mains include griddled minute steak, with sauce bearnaise, served with chips and a herb salad, or breast of chicken with pepperonata served with radicchio. This fare is available for 4.50 pounds, while ordering a desert costs 1.50 pounds. (ANI)

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Almost 40pct Oz family dinners end up in rifts

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, July 2 (ANI): For many, having dinner with the family is spending quality time with their loved ones, but a survey of Aussie mothers has revealed that over 40 percent of sit-down meals end in arguments, acrimony and tears.

In the survey, 16,579 Australian mums were asked what they normally did during dinner, 26.22 per cent said that they discussed the day’s events or talked about topical issues, while 15.59 per cent quietly watched TV.

The latest Voice of Aussie Mums survey conducted for Nestle found that almost eight per cent (7.74 per cent) of mums said that they told stories.

However, for 40.45 per cent of families, dinner is an unpleasant experience, with the meal usually ending in an argument.

But, despite the friction, former netball champion and Nestle spokeswoman Liz Ellis has said that families should make efforts and try to eat together at the dinner table.

“Our fast paced lives leave us little time to communicate as a family,” the Courier Mail quoted Ellis as saying in a statement.
She added: “Eating dinner together regularly can be a fantastic source of quality time and a way to keep the family in contact during a hectic week. “

While over 76 per cent of mums said that sit-down meals strengthened their family’s communication, 47.28 per cent believed that it helped foster family traditions.

A total of 61.84 per cent said that they usually ate dinner at the dining room table, 17.85 per cent in front of the TV, and 15.41 per cent at the kitchen bench or table.

A small percentage, 4.9 per cent, eat on a sofa, reading the news or in other informal ways. (ANI)

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Jacko once got so doped up, he couldn’t put fork in his mouth: Ex manager

July 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 1 (ANI): Michael Jackson once got so doped up that he could not lift a fork to his mouth at dinner, according to his former manager.

Dieter Wiesner, who managed the King of Pop, has claimed that Jackson plunged deeper into drug addiction as child sex abuse allegations piled up.

Wiesner said that the late ‘Thriller’ star’s drug use spun out of control in the wake of Martin Bashir’s 2003 TV documentary, when he was asked about sleeping with kids.

“It broke him. It killed him. He took a long time to die, but it started that night,” the Sun quoted Wiesner as saying.

“Previously the drugs were a crutch, but after that they became a necessity. They got him through his days and insomnia-riddled nights. And the people who gave them knew what they were doing. They should never have been around him.

“Those drugs and the ‘Jesus Juice’ – Michael’s name for wine – began to claim him. I’ll never forget the day at Neverland when he walked into the kitchen to eat. He was off his face, he couldn’t even bring the fork up to his mouth.

“It was like watching a clumsy robot. There he was, one of the most talented guys on the planet, unable to even eat because he was so doped up,” Wiesner added. (ANI)

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How Royals blew Brit taxpayers’ money

June 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Jun 30 (ANI): Brit taxpayers had to dole out 250,000 pounds for a makeover of Princess Beatrice’s university digs, stated a bill revealed by the Queen on June 29.

The fund was used to redecorate a private four-bed apartment at St James’s Palace for Beatrice, 20, who started her history of art degree at Goldsmiths University, London, last September.

The annual report into Royal finances revealed the money was spent on rewiring the rooms, plus installing a new kitchen, two new bathrooms and a wood floor in two reception rooms.

Graham Smith, from the campaign group Republic, has branded the huge cost a “scandal”.

“This puts the rows about MPs’ expenses and duck houses in perspective. This bill eclipses any put in by MPs in their expenses,” the Sun quoted him as saying.

“The level of scrutiny being given to MPs expenses should apply to Royal spending,” he said.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance has also condemned the St James Palace expenditure.

“It’s staggering,” campaign manager Susie Squire said.

“Many taxpayers will find this unjustifiable, not least because Beatrice does not carry out official engagements,” she stated.

But a senior Royal aide has defended the 256,000-pound bill, saying the age of the property meant high restoration costs.

“The apartment had been used by a member of household staff,” he said.

“It’s a normal apartment which was on our list for improvements for some time.

“It co-coincided with the Princess going to university in London and it was therefore appropriate for her to occupy it,” he added. (ANI)

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Bush misses Air Force One, White House food after leaving office

May 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 29 (ANI): Former US President George W Bush misses flying on Air Force One, eating meals prepared by the White House kitchen staff and drawing inspiration from his encounters with US military personnel.

The often-tearful meetings with relatives of fallen soldiers were “in some ways… very hard and in some ways, it was very uplifting,” The Telegraph quoted him as saying for the first time after demitting office.

The speech at The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan was one of the first made by the former president since leaving office in January. About eight people protested outside the venue, carrying signs that called him a murderer and a traitor.

Bush, America’s 43rd president, spoke to 2,500 people about “the fog of war” that followed the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the economic downturn and his return to life as a regular citizen.

“It was a roller coaster of emotions, it really was,” he said of the terror attacks. “I think about it now at times, but I definitely thought about it every day as president.”

Bush talked about the economy, blaming a lack of responsible regulation in the lending industry for the recession, and said that the Federal National Mortgage Association, known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., or Freddie Mac, shouldn’t have engaged in certain financial practices.

He also said he believes he was right to depose Saddam Hussein and that it may lead to the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East.

The audience, which gave Bush a warm welcome at his arrival, cheered when he said he wanted to be remembered as a president who showed up in office with a set of principles and he was unwilling to sacrifice his soul for the sake of popularity. (ANI)

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Space rock yields important “ingredient in kitchen” on Earth before life began

May 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 27 (ANI): Scientists have found formic acid, a molecule implicated in the origins of life, has been found at record levels on a meteorite that fell into the Tagish Lake in Canada in the year 2000.

According to a report by BBC News, cold temperatures on the lake prevented the volatile chemical from dissipating quickly.

The researchers told a meeting of the American Geophysical Union that the formic acid was extraterrestrial.

Formic acid is one of a group of compounds dubbed “organics”, because they are rich in carbon.

“We are lucky that the meteorite was untouched by humans hands, avoiding contamination by organic compounds that we have on our fingers,” said Dr Christopher Herd, the curator of the University of Alberta’s meteorite collection.

Samples of the meteorite, totalling 850 grams, were collected from Tagish Lake in Canada.

The scientists found levels of formic acid four times higher than had previously been recorded on a meteorite.

“This has for a while been overlooked as we concentrated predominantly on the Murchison meteorite, but now we’ve got another fresh sample and we can start to analyze a different portion of the asteroid belt and therefore a different portion of the Solar System,” said Mark Sephton, a meteorite and geochemistry professor at Imperial College London.

The particular types, or isotopes, of hydrogen that are found in the formic acid show that it most likely formed in the cold regions of space before our Solar System existed.

On Earth, formic acid is commonly found in the stings of insects such as ants, but Professor Sephton said that it is likely to have been an important “ingredient in the kitchen” on Earth before life began.

The acid is known to act as a “reducing agent” – acting as a magnet for oxygen atoms during chemical reactions – and facilitate the conversion of some amino acids into others.

It may also be implicated in the transformation of the more primitive RNA into DNA.

Only one of the four “nucleobases” that make up RNA and DNA is different between the two: uracil is present in RNA while thymine takes its place in DNA.

Professor Sephton’s team found uracil in the Murchison meteorite, but no measurable amount of thymine.

However, formic acid is known to help along the reaction that converts the uracil into thymine.

“The reaction is one of the ways in which you can take some simple molecules and increase the chemical diversity of the pool of pre-biotic molecules,” said Professor Sephton. (ANI)

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531st birth anniversary of Guru Amar Das celebrated in Amritsar

May 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Amritsar May 23, 2009 (ANI) Thousands of devotees on Saturday took part in a religious procession in the holy city to mark the 531st birth anniversary of Guru Amar Das, the third master of the Sikhs.

The Nagar Kirtan (religious procession) was led by “Punj Pyaras” (the five Sikh beloved) commenced from Gurdwara Lohgarh Sahib and is to conclude at Village Basarke.

“Whosoever comes with deep devotion, Guru Amar Das fulfils his or her wishes. I invite all the devotees to come and participate with religious fervour,” said Surjit Singh, President Sukhmani Sahib Society.

Angrez Singh, another devotee, said that Nagar Kirtan which started from Gurudwara Lohgarh will halt on many gurudwaras before it reaches the gurudwara at Basarke, the birthplace of Guru Amar Das.

The occasion is marked as ‘Parkash Purav” of Guru Amar Das Sahib.

Born in circa 1479, at village Basarke about 13 kilometres from Amritsar, Guru Amardas’s birthday is celebrated on 9 Jeth as per Nanakshai calendar and May 23 as per Gregorian calendar.

Guru Amar Das was declared “Guru” in 1552 when he was in his seventies.

A heavily decorated bus with flowers, carried Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs, which was preceded by the Punj Piyaras (the five beloved).

Ahead of the bus, devotees chanted hymns and also kept on cleaning the path in respect of the Punj Pyaras.

Students of various schools also took part in the procession, and displayed Gatka or, the Sikh martial art.

Guru Amar Das established new centres for propagating the message of Guru Nanak among people. Guru Amar Das, is said to have been against Sati (widow burning in pyre). Besides, he favoured widow remarriage and was against thec caste system. Guru Amar Das also started the tradition of Guru Ka Langar (community kitchen for religious purposes). By Ravinder Singh Robin(ANI)

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British mum gives birth to six babies in five minutes!

May 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 23 (ANI): A British woman has given birth to six babies within the space of five minutes.

The babies were conceived naturally and weighed between 1lb 7oz and 2lb 2oz.

Nuala Conway had four girls and two boys delivered by Caesarean.

Their condition is as well as could be expected after being born 14 weeks early, doctors said, reports The Sun.

Shop assistant Nuala and kitchen fitter hubby Austin, in their 20s, were said to be “delighted”.

The pair, from Cookstown, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, married only within the past year.

Proud grandmum Briege said: “We’re all over the moon. We’re focusing on the babies, hoping they’re all going to be OK.”

Lead midwife sister Patricia Denvir said: “The mother was very composed, under a very stressful situation. Both parents dealt with it very well.”

Dr Clifford Mayes, who led the team of 30 medical staff, said: “It is an extraordinary thing to have witnessed.” (ANI)

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