Infosys founder Narayana Murthy proposed as India’s next president
The News Review:
- Infosys founder Narayana Murthy proposed as India’s next president
- Beijing 2008: The commercial contest
- Lotto vibes – Lara’s Cup runneth ‘over’
- Tata Motors rolls out mini-truck ‘Ace’ in Nepal
- A home filled with harmony
- Sex toys going eco friendly
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy proposed as India’s next president
Times of India – Apr 21, 2007
Ordinarily, the
presidential poll does not dominate public discourse in India: That is reserved
for the contest for the office of the prime minister. But this time around, there is
much ado about the race for Rashtrapati Bhawan. The keen interest is largely
due to the names doing the rounds; among them is that of Narayana Murthy —
arguably India’s most successful home-grown entrepreneur. The proposal of Murthy as a
candidate has sparked off an intense debate over who is best qualified to be
president of the Indian republic. A question being raised
repeatedly is: Should not a businessman stick to business? As constitutional
head, the president is expected to steer the country through constitutional
crises and advise the government of the day. It is important then that he
is someone who enjoys public trust. He must have the vision and bearing of a
statesman and avoid the pitfalls of partisan politics… This is precisely why people
who are not career politicians are better suited to be president. Once too
often, the Indian polity has been saddled with presidents who have been
ineffectual at best and partisan at worst. Candidates from corporate
backgrounds have proven track records in efficiency and administrative
expertise. As founder and now
chief mentor of one of India’s most successful IT companies, Narayana Murthy is
eminently qualified for the post. He has been at the vanguard of
Indian industry’s growth story and played a vital role in putting the country on
the world map. An inspiring
role model, he has always shown a willingness to share success in the collective
interest of India’s citizenry. A new India needs new ideas.
Beijing 2008: The commercial contest
Asia Times Online – Apr 21, 2007
For
those who can catch a ride on the Olympic
bandwagon, the exposure and potential financial
rewards are high – more than 1 billion Chinese are
expected to watch, not to mention a half-million
international visitors and a worldwide viewing
audience of 4 billion. Describing the
marketing frenzy that already surrounds the Games
as an “orgy”, Tom Doctoroff, China chief executive
officer of JWT, an international advertising
giant, recently commented, “Every single company
under the sun has, or is preparing, some kind of
Olympic pitch. ” Beijing’s organizing committee has
vowed officially to present the “best-ever”
Olympics – an event bigger, glitzier,
better-organized and more lucrative than any
other. Never before has a global sporting event
been so entwined with commercial opportunity and
profit… It was hit and miss, a
confused, embryonic version of corporate social
responsibility. Today, corporations are snapping
up international and Chinese sports stars to
endorse their products. Chinese consumers can now
see their home-grown superstar hurdler Liu Xiang
with a can of Coke, drinking Yili milk, wearing
Nikes and promoting China Mobile cellphone
services in separate advertisements around the
nation. On July 13, 2001, the very same
evening Beijing was celebrating being awarded the
2008 Olympic Games, Coca-Cola’s Beijing plant ran
off 30,000 bottles, each wrapped in a golden cover
reading “Our Congratulations on the Olympics”. Two
years later, Coca-Cola became the first authorized
user of the Beijing Olympic logo, flooding shops
with 1 million special-issue cans on August 3,
2003, the day the logo was officially unveiled. From the outset, Beijing’s selection as
Olympic host has aroused the interest of national
and global sponsors – companies with aspirations
to leverage the Olympic rings in both local and
overseas markets. This time the motivation for
sponsorship is vastly different to that of the
Athens Olympics three years ago.
Lotto vibes – Lara’s Cup runneth ‘over’
Jamaica Gleaner – Apr 21, 2007
Few expected to hear these words from Sir Brian. It is now the dream of most West Indian fans that the head of the board, coach and captain all resign as officials did in Pakistan and England. Brian is a master batsman and a human with an ego, with all his records. Small pool of playersThere has been severe criticism against the entire cricket team and I am amazed at some of the comments. One should just look at the populations of the other competing countries. I can tell you that there are not even six million folks in the British Caribbean. Just look at the populations of India and Pakistan, for instance… You might notice I made no distinction between North and South Korean. The propaganda machinery wanted to show that these people are wicked and I think that some are disappointed that he is not from North Korea. The United States is always scared of home-grown terrorists. I am totally against their gun laws where you can practically go into a shop and buy any gun that you want. It is so hard to get a gun in Jamaica to protect life and property legally that at times you are tempted to go looking on the black market. The jackpot is rising and this Saturday you might have the chance to win $13 million. The numbers on Wednesday were 1, 16, 17, 24, 29, 37, and the bonus number 34.
Tata Motors rolls out mini-truck ‘Ace’ in Nepal
Free with registration – PTI – The Press Trust of India Ltd – AccessMyLibrary.com – Apr 21, 2007
, PTI – The Press Trust of India Ltd. The company has fine-t.
A home filled with harmony
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription… – Apr 21, 2007
He salvages wood from old barns and stores it on his property for projects. Russ has experience in unconventional processes such as straw bale construction as well. The sunroom, added on the lower level of the two-story home in 2003, is a testament to his work as well as hers. The space, powered by the sun and a wood stove, is filled with lots of growing things – peppers, onions, parsley and many other herbs… To me, your living space being warm and comfortable and your food are the primary ingredients. How does your organic garden grow?
Linda: I have grown a lot of tomatoes for 12 years from seeds I collected. Last year, we grew 83 varieties. This year, we will have 48 varieties of tomatoes
You can see the difference in plants that grow from our seeds compared to seed we get elsewhere. It’s phenomenal, because they adapted to this exact place, our soil, our torture – the way we treat things in our garden. It’s a natural evolution and it is something that kind of has gotten out of society.
Sex toys going eco friendly
Toronto Star – Apr 21, 2007
Petrella takes the train once a week to Ottawa, where she teaches sociology at Carleton University. Shears now leaves the car in the garage. The big thing now, says Petrella – whose home office is among about four million in Ontario alone – is "trying to figure out what else to do. "
Chris Winter, executive director of the Conservation Council of Ontario, has some tips on what products to look for to help reduce your environmental footprint. "We’re asking people to think conservation – to save energy, use less paper and reduce waste and pollution," he says. Think of those things when you buy new products for your home office, he says during an interview at a recent exhibit set up by the council. Switching over to an energy-efficient computer, such as a laptop, is a good start, he says… Natural, non-toxic home cleansers were described as good but not as good as hot water, baking soda and some old-fashioned elbow grease. Imported organic produce got a surprisingly bitter response. Although good for the earth because it was grown without pesticides and herbicides, four out of the five experts say the fossil fuels burned to transport them to Ontario vastly outweigh that benefit. Their first choice is locally produced organic, followed by local, commercially grown produce. "The average meal a Canadian eats travelled over 1,000 kilometres to get there. That’s a lot of fossil fuels," says Perks. Grand, the lone champion of imported organic produce, notes that he’s on the board of a group promoting locally produced food but argues that some farmers need a push toward organic growing.