Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

Before it degenerated into war, terror, reaction and dictatorship, the French Revolution reached its zenith when the newly formed National Constituent Assembly formally adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen on this day- August 26, 1789.

Do Schools get their money ?

Accountability Initiative (AI) is a research initiative that strives to track and disseminate information on existing levels of accountability in various government programs. PAISA (Planning, Allocations and Expenditures, Institutions: Studies in Accountability) is AI’s flagship initiative to this end.

India’s financial investment to provide basic public services – education, health, drinking water – has increased substantially. However state capacity to deliver these services has not been strengthen adequately and absenteeism, inefficiency and corruption continue to weaken the delivery system. Systematic failures of accountability lie at the heart of the problem.

Accountability initiative is a research initiative that works to promote accountability for service delivery by developing innovative models for tracking government programs, disseminating this information to policy makers as well as citizens, and undertaking research on how to strengthen accountability for improved service delivery in India

.

To kick-off this project, PAISA team had conducted an extensive survey at the school level in an endeavor to track the flow of funds from the central governments through the governance chain all the way to the schools in the Indian government’s school education program Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

Download the study

Golbal IPO treands 2010

IPO markets worldwide are expected to accelerate in the second half of 2010, a reflection of a stablizing global marco aconomic enviroment and the many fast-growth business which seek funding for the next stage of their evolution.While robust Asian markets continue to drive global IPO activity. Europe and the US have also seen a resurgence of new issuances.

Study is conducted by Ernst & Young , read more

Beer Drinking Maps

The Economist posted the following map of global beer drinking, using multiple sources for their data. China seems to have already won this race, but the U.S. isn't too far behind.

Box-Office Algorithm Predicts Revenue From Movie Screenplay

Imagine a world where Hollywood producers could predict, with scientific precision, the box office revenue a movie will generate just by reading the screenplay. A new forecasting model devised by a trio of marketing professors from Wharton and NYU promises to deliver something like that. Among their findings: action movies with multidimensional conflicts are the most surefire investments, and horror films the riskiest.

Read the full story at Freakonomics at The New York Times.

In a paper describing their model, they write that “a higher movie budget tend[s] to increase the movie’s box office, but at a diminishing rate. Thus, throwing money at a script does not always generate a blockbuster movie.”

Bankruptcies rise in America

BANKRUPTCY filings rose 20% in the year to June 30th compared with the previous 12-month period, according to statistics released on August 17th by the Administrative Office of the US Courts.

"I Hate Luv Storys" - The 'Mills & Boon' way

Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and publishing house Harlequin Mills & Boon have come together to present a special edition of stories based on the Dharma's forthcoming movie I Hate Luv Storys(IHLS). Imran Khan fits the bill perfectly for an M & B prototype. The tie-up will produce a series of eight books which will feature the story of Imran’s character from the film who doesn’t believe in love.

This GYAN was contributed by Soubhagya jena

Tea bag help safe drinking water

A new "tea bag" uses nano-fibers to suck contaminants and bacteria out of water, providing a desperately-needed, cheap solution for the billions of people without clean drinking water.

Researchers at South Africa's Stellenbosch University made the device from the same material used for the bags of the country's popular rooibos tea. Inside the sachets are two tiny destroyers of all things unsafe: ultra-thin nanoscale fibers, which filter harmful contaminants, and bacteria-killing grains of carbon.

To use the device, a person simply has to place the bag in the neck of a water bottle, and the bag cleans the water as he or she drinks. A single bag can filter up to a liter of even the most heavily polluted water. The bags are thrown away once used.

Levi’s Soundwash—Music Helps Denim Be Cleaner

Hong Kong and Levi's Hong Kong has invented a new way for youth audiences to express themselves with Soundwash, a concept developed for its Square Cut collection featuring five new styles of jeans.

Soundwash is a multi-dimensional interactive brand and music experience that lets the audience choose their favorite jeans style and then "Soundwash" the jeans to their favourite style of music including rock, hip hop and canto pop across multiple platforms.

Laver's Law on the Timeline of Style

James Laver, a famous costume historian and a past Keeper of the Robes at the London Victoria and Albert Museum, was a noted authority on dress and its relationship to society.

Laver's Law says that fashions have a timeline and are considered to be:-

Laver's Law
Indecent	10 years before its time
Shameless	5 years before its time
Daring	1 year before its time
Smart	----------
Dowdy	1 year after its time
Hideous	10 years after its time
Ridiculous	20 years after its time
Amusing	30 years after its time
Quaint	50 years after its time
Charming	70 years after its time
Romantic	100 years after its time
Beautiful	150 years after its time

Once upon a time...

Lacoste is paying a tribute to its heritage by launching a lovely online pop-up book dedicated to the brand’s founder, René Lacoste. The online project features visual life-story of one of the most important figures in tennis history, starting from his early years.

The story is split into 6 chapters, and each of them tells (in English) about really notable events in the biography of the brand’s founder and the label itself as well.

Meraa gaon meraa market

Pradeep Kashyap, CEO of MART; Arvind Malik, COO of Udyogini; and Pradeep Lokhande, founder of Rural Relations, share their perspective on rural markets.

"98 Great Ways to InnovATE"

Did you know there are over a million words in the English language? Which words are best for stimulating innovation? Gerald "Solutionman" Haman has collected over 2,000 words that end with the 3 letters "ATE" and incorporated them into this provocative YouTube video.

A history of ambush marketing in sport.

What is Ambush Marketing?
Ambush marketing is a marketing campaign that takes place around an event but does not involve payment of a sponsorship fee to the event.

When did it started?
Ambush marketing as a concept first came to light at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Those Games, which generated a surplus of some US$250 million, were deemed an overwhelming success. They were the first to be funded entirely privately. Prior to the this any number of sponsors were allowed to tie themselves to the Olympics on an ‘official’ basis. During 1976 Montreal Olympics there were 628 ‘official’ sponsors.

Some famous cases of Ambush Marketing are:

# 1984 Olympics: Kodak sponsors TV broadcasts of the games as well as the US track team despite Fuji being the official sponsor. Fuji returns the favor in kind during the Seoul 1988 games of which Kodak is the official sponsor.
# At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics Nike sponsors press conferences with the US basketball team despite Reebok being the games’ official sponsor.
# In the greatest ambush marketing feat of all time Nike’s man Michael Jordan, Air Sponsorship himself, accepts the gold medal for basketball and covers up the Reebok logo on his kit.
# 1996 cricket World Cup held in the sub-continent. Though Coca-Cola was the `official' sponsor of the event, Pepsi stole the limelight with its `Nothing official about it' tagline.
# 2000 Sydney Olympics: Qantas Airlines’ slogan "The Spirit of Australia" sounds strikingly similar to the games’ slogan "Share the Spirit." Qantas claims it’s just a coincidence to the sound of official-sponsor Ansett Air helplessly banging its fists on the conference room table.
# 2002 Boston Marathon: Nike strikes again. As Adidas-sponsored runners come off the course they are treated to spray-painted ‘swooshes’ honoring the day of the race, but not the race itself.
# 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany, The Dutch supporters, renowned for their crowd mentality, donned the amusing promotional trousers of Dutch brewery Bavaria Beer.

Fraud e-mails also innovating new avenues (जन हित में जारी)

Fraud mechanism is also innovative and they are doing their best to lure professional like you and me. Hey see the below letter which i have received, i appreciate the good work behind this mail. Check it down & also be careful with such e-mails (जन हित में जारी).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Applicant,

Ref: “VIDEOCON” Direct Recruitments offer.

It is our good pleasure to inform you that your Resume has been selected for
our new plant. The Company selected 62 candidates list for IT,
Administration and Production Departments,

as well as Company offered you to join as an Executive/Manager post in
respective department. You are selected according to your resume in which
Project you have worked on according

to that you have been selected in Company. The Company is dealing in
Electronics manufacturing business in India The Company is recruiting the
candidates for new plants in Delhi,

Bangalore and Pune.

Your interview will held at Company Corporate office on – July 30th 2010 at
11.30
You will be pleased to know that Company has advise you in the selection
panel that your Application can be progress to final stage. You will come to
Company corporate office in Delhi.

Your offer letter with Air Ticket will be send to you by courier before date
of interview. The Company can be offer you as salary with benefits for this
post 40, 000/- to 2, 00, 000/- P.M. +

(HRA + D.A + Conveyance and other Company benefits. The designation and Job
Location will be fix by Company HRD. At time of final process. You have to
come with photo-copies of all

required documents.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BY THE COMPANY HRD.
1) Photo-copies of Qualification Documents.
2) Photo-copies of Experience Certificates (If any)
3) Photo-copies of Address Proof
4) Two Passport Size Photograph

You have to deposit the (Cash) as an initial amount in favor of Company HRD.
Department. for Rs. 7,500/- through any [STATE BANK OF INDIA]Branch from your
Home City to Company

Senior HRD. Account NO, which well be send to you upon your response.

This is refundable interview security deposit. Your offer letter with Air tickets
will be send to your Home Address by courier after receiving the
confirmation of interview security deposited in

STATE BANKOF INDIA . Company will pay all the expenditure to you at the time
of face-to-face meeting with you in Company. The Job profile, salary offer,
and date -time of interview will

be mention in your offer letter. Your offer letter will dispatch very
shortly after receiving your confirmation of cash deposited in STATE BANK OF
INDIA.
We wish you the best of luck for the

subsequent and remaining stage.

The last date of security deposited in bank - 28/07/2010

You have to give the information after deposited the security money in bank
to Company HRD – direct recruitment email ID: - videoconrecruitment@worker.com

.
Your
Letter with supporting

documents will be dispatch same time by courier to your postal address after
recd. Your security deposited confirmation in bank. The interview process
and arrangement expenditure will

be pay by Company. Lodging, traveling and local conveyance actual will be
paid by Company as per bills. The candidate has to deposit the initial
refundable security as mentioned by HRD.

If the candidate wants to come with his parents or friends, the Company will
arrange all facilities only for female candidate.

Thanks
MR MR AMITH VARMA. (Executive - HRD)
Videocon Electronics India Ltd.
H.O. - 174, Vediocon House,
G.K. Part – 1, Greater Kailash,
Contact EMAIL  :videoconrecruitment@worker.com

Afghanistan’s first media mogul.

Saad Mohseni (born April 23, 1966) is an Afghan-Australian who, along with his brothers Zaid and Jahid Mohseni and sister Wajma Mohseni, returned to his native Afghanistan in 2002 to establish the Moby Group, Afghanistan's largest media company with interests in television, radio, print, production, online news services, directories, IT&T, and retail. Prior to Moby Group, Saad Mohseni worked in equities and finance and as an investment banker in Australia and the United Kingdom


Source: Wikipedia

Tips to Take Away From World Cup

Courtesy:- Matthew Lynn, Bloomberg News columnist.

Hours you spent over the last month sitting around, drinking beer and watching the soccer World Cup being played in South Africa was  not a waste of valuable time.

Between cries of “no way was that offside!” in front of the television, some of us have been carefully constructing an investment portfolio that will make us a fortune in the next year.

After all, there were plenty of lessons in business, management and investment being displayed right in front of us. You just had to look hard.

The English lesson: Globalization can go too far.

The English Premier League is the most international in the world. The top teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea have drawn talent from everywhere. The theory is that even though there are few spaces left for English players, those who do make it through will benefit from playing alongside the best players. Er, wrong. Two dismal performances at successive World Cups by the English team suggest the national game is in sad decline. You can take all the global village stuff too far. In the end, people and companies do best when they stay true to what they are and who they are.

Tip: Buy Club Mediterranee SA. The vogue among big companies is to become ever more international, losing sight of their heritage as they create blander and blander products that are stripped of any distinctive national characteristics. A few, such as the French resort chain Club Med, remain rooted in the culture and traditions of their home country. They will do better in the long run.

The French lesson: Egos will get you nowhere.

For the English, the one consolation of a terrible World Cup was that the French were even worse. France’s star striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for insulting coach Raymond Domenech at halftime while the team got beaten by Mexico. Afterwards, the players revolted, and the team was eliminated in the first round. It was humiliating. But when the egos get out of control, you are in big trouble.

Tip: Sell Barclays Plc. The British bank used to be mainly a retail financial-services company concentrating on the U.K. market. Now its Barclays Capital unit is a big competitor on Wall Street. Can it keep all those investment-banking egos under control? Dream on. 

The Korean lesson: Isolation doesn’t work.

There were two Koreas playing in this World Cup: the North and South. While South Korea played impressive, free-flowing football and were unlucky to be knocked out by Uruguay, the North was just embarrassing, as anyone who watched their 7-0 drubbing by Portugal will testify. The contrast couldn’t have been more stark, and the lesson was a simple one. The country that was open to the rest of the world was developing fast, while the one that closed itself off was getting nowhere.

Tip: Sell Apple Inc. Sure, everyone loves those iPhones, iPads and iKettles, or whatever the geniuses at Apple come up with next. But it believes in closed systems that it controls absolutely. Sooner or later that will be its downfall.

The Italian Lesson: History counts for nothing.

Nobody came into the tournament with a better record than Italy. OK, they are a boring team, but that didn’t stop them from winning in 2006. Everyone knows the Italians will do fine even when they are complete rubbish -- that’s what the record books show. Except not this time. They were terrible, and they went home on the first plane.

Tip: Sell Toyota Motor Corp. True, it has been the most successful car company on the planet. But a couple of serious product recalls suggest Toyota has lost it. A great track record won’t help. 

The German Lesson: Transform yourself with style.

We all know what the German team is like: Italy with worse haircuts. Dour, efficient, methodical and hard-working, they would grind their way through the tournament, and probably win it on penalties. But, hey, not this time. The Germans played attacking football that made the Brazilians look dull, and had the neutrals cheering them on. Only the ruthlessness of the Spanish defense snuffed out their creative flair. The moral? Give yourself a style makeover and the world will love you.

Tip: Buy Burberry Group Plc. A couple of decades ago, we thought it was the company that made those raincoats your grandmother wore. Not anymore. Now Burberry is one of the coolest brands around -- and likely to stay that way. 

The Spanish Lesson: Keep believing and you’ll get there in the end.

Let’s be honest, we didn’t think they could ever do it. They probably didn’t think they could do it, either. One of the best soccer nations on Earth, but Spain had never been past the quarter-finals before. This time, they taught us all a lesson in perseverance. Hang in there. Don’t give up the faith. And you will make it in the end.

Tip: Buy BP Plc. Alright, the oil keeps gushing from that well. The chief executive is a joke. They have more lawsuits pending than the Chileans have yellow cards. But they can come back from that one day. They just need to believe, that’s all.

List of 10 Most Expensive Homes in the World

Below is a brief description of each home and its respective claim to fame, not just the large price tag.

1. Antilla, Mumbai: $1 billion – This 27-story, primarily glass, 40,000 sq/ft tower is unique in that no two floors are the same. Owners Mukesh and Nita Ambani employ 600 servants. The six-story car park, indoor/outdoor bar, green rooms and a nearby “entourage room” for security guards and assistants makes entertaining easy.  Each story is double the average height making it a perfect location for a helipad in case a friend wants to drop in.

2. Villa Leopolda, French Riviera: $506 million – This villa on the French Riviera was built in 1902 by King Leopold II of Belgium. It belonged to Edmond Safra, and still belongs to his wife Lily. This 80,000+ sq/ft estate showcases beautiful antiques, boasts 19 bedrooms, sports courts, bowling alley, multiple kitchens and dining rooms and movie theatre. The Villa also includes lavish gardens.

3. The Penthouse, London: $200 million – The Penthouse is recognized as the most expensive flat in the world and is located atop, Number One Hyde Park, one of the most highly desired addresses in London. Resident security is tight with SAS guards, panic rooms, bulletproof windows, iris scanners and even a secret tunnel to the nearby Mandarin Hotel.

4. Fairfield Pond, Hamptons:  $170 million – At 63 acres, the home of Ira Rennert, the publicity shy billionaire, is considered the largest residential compound in America with 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, as well as a huge dining room, 5 sports courts, bowling alley and a $150,000 hot tub.

5. Hearst Mansion, Beverly Hills: $165 million – The former William Randolph Hearst mansion features 29 bedrooms and three pools as well as its own disco and theatre. It is also situated in close proximity to some famous neighbors. Another claim to fame: President JFK stayed at the mansion during his honeymoon.

6. Franchuk Villa, Kensington: $161 million – Once a Victorian girls’ prep school, this Victorian Villa was bought and upgraded in 2006 with more than £10million worth of work.  Purchased by Ukrainian AIDS philanthropist, Elena Franchuk, it is said that the 5-story freestanding home is unusual for London. Other amenities include 10 bedrooms, an underground indoor swimming pool, panic room, saunas and gym.

7. The Pinnacle, Montana: $155 million – The first luxury ski-lodge to make the top ten, The Pinnacle is said to be the largest property in the exclusive billionaires-only private ski and golf community, “Yellowstone Club.” Owned by Tim and Edra Blixseth, the lodge has 10 bedrooms and includes heated flooring throughout, fireplaces in all bathrooms and a huge wine cellar.

8. The Manor, Los Angeles: $150 million – Dubbed by his wife Cindy as “The Manor,” Aaron Spelling’s 56,000-square-foot LA mansion continues to garner attention. Built for him in 1991 it has 123 rooms, an indoor skating rink, multiple pools, three kitchens, sports courts, private orchard, a bowling alley as well as some unusual additions such as a doll museum.

9. Updown Court, Windlesham, Surrey: $139 million – This 40,000 sq/ft, 103 room mansion is bigger than Buckingham Palace. Aside from all the other typical Mansion amenities, its standout factor is the 24-carat gold leaf mosaic floor featured in 22 bedrooms and 27 baths.

10. Dracula’s Castle, Romania: $135 million – Built in the late 14th century, this historical castle came on the market in 2009. Very different from the other homes on this list, this Castle’s main selling points are its historical significance and name. With 57 rooms in total, the quirky nature of this home will require a unique billionaire buyer tolerable of the 450,000 annual tourists and the lack of central air conditioning.

Mirakle Couriers : Deaf Adults for a Professional Service

What They Do

Mirakle Couriers is a courier company with a difference as we employ only deaf adults. Deafness is an invisible disability, and has been largely ignored in India. All the staff members including delivery personnel are deaf.

Our business model is based on creating a service driven profitable enterprise that uses the deaf. To this end, we marry professional excellence with social cause. While our services are currently available only in Mumbai, we plan to extend our operations to other cities soon.

Why Deaf
India has one of the highest deaf populations in the world. Due to strong stigma in the society there are virtually no job opportunities for this isolated population. Outdated vocations such as candle making have shunned this community; Mirakle Couriers wants to change this grim scenario. It wants to economically empower this community and make them more visible in the Indian society.

World's Hottest Brands

Ad Age Insights global report on 30 brands connecting with consumers on a worldwide, regional and local level