Tourism Ad Featuring Scantily Clad Bavarian Women is YouTube Hit

A quirky new tourism campaign in the US featuring scantily clad Bavarian women, a nutcracker and lots of beer has garnered a lot of attention.

Demonstrating the power of social networking, the tongue-in-cheek video promoting the Bavarian town of Leavenworth in Washington US, has become an Internet sensation with around 200,000 hits on YouTube.

The 'Gitcha Goomsba Up' music video shows hip-thrusting Bavarian women in traditional yet revealing clothes dancing around a nutcracker.

It was one of five themed videos commissioned by the Leavenworth Area Promotions board and funded with lodging tax dollars.

The lyrics include: "He's a nutcracker, so bring on the nuts."

Jeff Ostenson from Howell at the Moon, the company that directed the video, has called the video a wildly successful experiment in social marketing.

"We've been absolutely amazed and excited about the response," News.com.au quoted Ostenson as telling local news website the Wenatchee World.

"It was a method of reaching millions of people really cheaply," he stated.

Leavenworth Mayor Rob Eaton said many people have been puzzled by the ad.

"We have received some comments via e-mail asking why are we advertising to a hip-hop crowd," Eaton said.

"But we're not advertising to a hip hop crowd, it was a spoof video to have some fun and play with it," he added.

Foreigners Look East For A Spouse

By Otiena Ellwand

People from countries such as US, Russia are looking for soul mates with traditional Indian values on desi matrimonial sites

The old saying 'marriages are made in heaven' gave way to the mantra 'marriages are made on matrimonial sites' a long time ago.

And now, it seems, this mantra has also been adopted by foreign nationals looking for an Indian spouse in this season of love.

Russian national Zykina is looking for an Indian man even though she has never visited the country

Cameron Reeves (30, name changed) is an American looking for a traditional Indian wife and Natalia Zykina (28) from Russia is looking for an Indian husband.

For the past few months, they, like several other foreigners, have been scouring India's numerous matrimonial sites in the hope of finding that someone special by Valentine's Day.

Reeves has been living in India for the past two years and has met several Indian couples. He was drawn to matrimonial sites since, it is the only way he can meet Indian women and find a wife.

He believes that Indian women make wonderful wives. "You can't just confront a woman here, that's taboo," he said.

Zykina, on the other hand, has never been to India and lives in Slovenia. Despite that, she knows exactly what she wants in her Indian husband.

"I am looking for a serious, family-orientated, caring, responsible, honest guy. I know that most Indian men are family-orientated." Reeves and Zykina, neither have found their jeevan saathi yet.

Sonora Jha, author of the academic journal article, Looking for Love in All the White Places: A study of skin colour preference in mate-seeking on Indian matrimonial web sites, says, "In this global world, people can look for and find a spouse anywhere in the world."

So, how do Indians feel about sharing matrimonial sites with foreigners?

Ashley Pereira, a native of Goa, has first-hand experience of being married to a foreigner. His marriage to a Russian woman ended after only a year-and-a-half together.

Now, he is looking for a traditional Indian wife. "You may like a person when you talk to them online, but when it comes to living with them, it can be a problem.

Foreigners have not experienced our culture and Indians have not experienced theirs, which are worlds apart," he said.

Pereira also cautioned about being contacted by western women who could actually be  cheats with fake accounts.

Darjeeling Loses Tea Essence Over Gorkha Protest

Darjeeling, Feb 12 : Darjeeling is known worldwide for its tea essence. But now, it seems that the region may lose its all essence soon following several protests. The tea industry in the region including other businesses were stranded over the indefinite strike observed by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) members.

Ram Gopal Jajodia, the Chairman of North Bengal Zonal Council stated, "From 2009 onwards the hill gardens were picking up in terms of price realization. At this juncture we'll be back to square one once again, the loss is huge and it's not a one time loss, it's a chain effect."

Siliguri, the largest wholesale market in North-East India seemed totally paralised since Wednesday, Feb 9.The indefinite bandh hit the trade and economy as well in the entire North Bengal.

Rejecting to withdraw the strike, GJM supporters claimed, "The state government should show magnanimity which should address the problems and should implement whatever has been decided in the meeting and should clearly mention Terai in Gorkha land territory."

Citing the death of two GJM protesters, who were shot by police, an indefinite strike has been started in the region.

However, the central government has decided to rush government-appointed interlocutor Lieutenant General Vijay Madan (retd) to Darjeeling to help to normalise the situation in the hills.

Obama Hears Echoes of Gandhi in Egypt

Washington: US President Barack Obama heard echoes of history in the way Egyptians brought about change through the "moral force of nonviolence" like India's Mahatma Gandhi "leading his people down the path of justice."

In Egypt, it was the moral force of non-violence - not terrorism, not mindless killing - but non-violence, moral force that bent the arc of history toward justice once more, Obama said.

"Egyptians have inspired us, and they've done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice is best gained through violence," he said in praise of the Egyptian revolution hours after President Hosni Mubarak finally stepped down Friday.

"For in Egypt, it was the moral force of nonviolence - not terrorism, not mindless killing - but nonviolence, moral force that bent the arc of history toward justice once more," Obama said in a six-minute speech from the White House.

"And while the sights and sounds that we heard were entirely Egyptian, we can't help but hear the echoes of history - echoes from Germans tearing down a wall, Indonesian students taking to the streets, Gandhi leading his people down the path of justice," Obama said.

"As Martin Luther King said in celebrating the birth of a new nation in Ghana while trying to perfect his own, "There is something in the soul that cries out for freedom," he said.

"Those were the cries that came from Tahrir Square, and the entire world has taken note.

"Today belongs to the people of Egypt, and the American people are moved by these scenes in Cairo and across Egypt because of who we are as a people and the kind of world that we want our children to grow up in," Obama said.

Protesters, whose agitation at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo turned 18 days, rejoiced through Friday night and were still at the Square at Saturday dawn, unable to believe that they had created history.

"The word Tahrir means liberation. It is a word that speaks to that something in our souls that cries out for freedom."

"And forevermore it will remind us of the Egyptian people-of what they did, of the things that they stood for, and how they changed their country, and in doing so changed the world," Obama said.

In Tehran, Iran congratulated the Egyptian people on their "victory." "We congratulate the great nation of Egypt on this victory and we share their happiness," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in a statement, according to the Press TV.

Salehi also sought to draw a connection with the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and Mubarak's resignation.

"Today, our dear people with their millions-strong turnout [in Friday's demonstrations] while hailing the glorious Islamic Revolution across Iran, announced their support for the brave and justice-seeking movement by the history-makers of Egypt."

Salehi also called on the Egyptian army to join the people in their pro-democracy movement.

The channel also quoted Iran's National Security Council secretary Saeed Jalili as saying: "The United States and Europe must be answerable to the Egyptian people for supporting a dictatorship for 30 years."

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that he expected Egyptian authorities would ensure the normal functioning of governmental bodies.

Young men and women thronged Tahrir Square to begin a new chapter in Egypt's history as President Hosni Mubarak stepped down and fled Cairo. Pictures: Reuters

The current events in Egypt are evidence that "the existing government is approaching the problems responsibly and is opting to contribute to an intra-national agreement".

Lavrov also said he hopes that the country's opposition will be ready to stabilise the situation.

"[We] expect that all the latest events will help to reestablish stability, will ensure the normal functioning of all authoritative bodies and that not only structures of the current government but also opposition powers will express their readiness to stabilise the situation," Lavrov said.

In a related development, the Swiss government has decided to block any assets that may be held in Switzerland by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey said on Friday.

The minister said that a decree was issued shortly after Mubarak stepped down Friday to identify and block any assets belonging to the Egyptian president and his family.

It's the same law that was applied in January to ousted Tunisian president Zine el-Abidine ben Ali and incumbent Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo, whose Swiss assets were frozen.

Bern has in recent years enacted legislation making it easier to return illegally obtained assets of corrupt leaders to their countries' coffers, on condition the funds are used for the wellbeing of the citizens.

Mubarak's wealth has long been a subject of speculation. According to media reports, he and his family own assets worth more than $40 billion.

According to the Swiss National Bank, Egyptian deposits in Swiss bank accounts totalled 3.6 billion Swiss francs ($3.7 billion).

Source: IANS

Why White Cars Never Go Out Of Vogue!

Washington: A new survey has indicated that amidst so many colour options, the most popular shade among American car buyers is plain old white.

Since 2007, when white ended silver's long run as the most popular color, Americans consistently bought more white cars than anything else, according to the yearly DuPont Color Popularity Survey, reports Boston.com.

Nonetheless, some experts do have a few theories to explain the current blizzard of white on our streets.

1. It's the economy, stupid!

More than any other reason, experts called for this story cited the current economic downturn as a reason for preferring white.

Car buyers "think more practically in a crisis," says Leatrice Eiseman, director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of seven books on color.

" In a crisis, people plan on keeping their cars for a longer time, so they choose a more classic color that allows them to resell their car at a later point in time."

2. White cars are cooler

White reflects the whole spectrum of sunlight, keeping out heat; black absorbs most of the spectrum, and acts like a heat sponge.

"I think people just buy a white car because it doesn't heat up as much in the summer," says Dr. Gajdos.

3. It's that religious thing

White is a very important colour for Christians -- liturgically speaking, it's the color of joy and celebration; in the Catholic Church, it's the color worn by the pope.

4. Safety first

White really is the safest colour. Scientists from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, analyzed more than 850,000 car accidents in their country and showed that of all cars, white ones were least likely to be involved in an accident.

5. Don't look at me!

White is a color for people who don't want to stand out -- who feel, for whatever reason, insecure.

Source: Indian Express

Egypt's Facebook Revolution: Wael Ghonim Thanks The Social Network

Shortly after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down from power on Friday, activist Wael Ghonim spoke with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and credited Facebook with the success of the Egyptian people's uprising.

Ghonim, a marketing manager for Google, played a key role in organizing the January 25 protest by reaching out to Egyptian youths on Facebook. Shortly after that first protest, Ghonim was arrested in Cairo and imprisoned for 12 days.

Since his release, Ghonim has become a symbol for the Egyptian movement, although he has rejected this notion. "I'm not a hero. I was writing on a keyboard on the Internet and I wasn't exposing my life to danger," he said in an interview immediately after his release. "The heroes are the one who are in the street."

On Friday, Ghonim told CNN that Facebook and the Internet were responsible for the uprising in Egypt. From the interview:

I want to meet Mark Zuckerberg one day and thank him [...] I'm talking on behalf of Egypt. [...] This revolution started online. This revolution started on Facebook. This revolution started [...] in June 2010 when hundreds of thousands of Egyptians started collaborating content. We would post a video on Facebook that would be shared by 60,000 people on their walls within a few hours. I've always said that if you want to liberate a society just give them the Internet. [...]

Listen to the rest of the interview (below), which is played over video of rejoicing in Tahrir Square. For the latest updates from Egypt, visit our live blog.

WATCH: [via All Facebook]

WWF Kidnapping Negotiation Stuck at Rs 1cr Demand

Security personnel patrol Ultapani in Kokrajhar on Friday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati/Kokrajhar, Feb 12 : Negotiations to release the three WWF volunteers are stuck over ransom, with the abductors firm on their Rs 1 crore demand, while a section of the security establishment has questioned the rationale of paying ransom to abductors when there are forces deployed in large numbers to maintain order.

Five days after they were taken hostage from Ultapani in Ripu-Chirang reserve forest, Gautam Kishore Sarma, Pranjal Kumar Saikia and Syed Naushad Zaman still cannot be traced, though a joint team of police, the army, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the BSF have begun a search operation in the area.

The three were whisked away along with three girls last Sunday when they ventured deep into the forest as part of a tiger census project.

While the three girls were released on Tuesday, the boys remain in captivity.

“A search operation is on. We are trying our best to secure their release. We don’t want any harm to the boys,” a senior police official said.

Cooped up in a Kokrajhar hotel, the boys’ families and colleagues from WWF are waiting with bated breath for any piece of information.

“We are hoping that something positive comes out of the operation soon and they are released,” said Syed Kambruz Zaman, elder brother of Naushad. Kambruz, a resident of Golaghat, has been in Kokrajhar since Monday.

“We have been expecting a positive outcome since last evening but the wait seems endless,” a WWF official said.

“We appeal to the abductors to release our volunteers. They are here to do their work as volunteers for the conservation of wildlife. They have nothing against anybody, so no harm should come to them,” said D.K. Dutta, a member of the WWF.

The kidnappers, however, are rigid on their ransom demand, though senior BTC leaders, including deputy chief Kampha Borgoyary, WWF officials and senior police officials, are trying their best to negotiate, a source said.

While the boys’ families are pinning their hopes on a successful negotiation, questions are being raised about the space that “peace talks” and “ceasefires” create for such criminal activities by militants.

Most fear abduction will emerge as the next big menace after militancy, which is partly funded by ransom money, reflecting a systemic failure.

“We are here because there is militancy and to flush them out and restore peace so that development can take place. But this is not the reality. Now negotiations are being held to free hostages from militants by paying money. What is the use of deploying the army and paramilitary forces when you can free people by paying a ransom?” an army officer deployed in lower Assam districts asked.

“If the militants continue to get funds they need to sustain their activities, how can this cult of violence be wiped off?” a source asked.

Violence Against Our Ideology: ULFA Chairman

Union home minister P Chidambaram and a delegation of ULFA leaders at a meeting at North Block in New Delhi on Thursday.

New Delhi, Feb 12 : Singing a new tune, the banned Ulfa today said violence was against its ideology and all these years it indulged in violent acts as "there was a threat" to the state and its people.

Interacting with a group of Assamese students studying in the national capital, Ulfa 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa said the existing political setup poses a threat to Assam and its people that led to the formation of the group and its 31 years of insurgency movement.

"Even though we indulged in violence, we are for peace. Violence is against our ideology," he said while briefing the students about Ulfa and its movement.

Perhaps, this is for the first time the top Ulfa leader declared that the group was against violence though he has been apologising for the violent acts it had committed. Since its inception in 1979, Ulfa has been continuing a bloody insurgent movement in the northeast which has claimed several thousand lives.

Referring to the peace process which began yesterday formally, Rajkhowa said dialogue with the government could not be held in the past as there was no conducive atmosphere and both Ulfa and the government was stuck with pre-conditions.

"Following a call by Assam's civil society, we have agreed for the unconditional talks. We are now looking for sincere and meaningful talks to find out a just and honourable solution," he said.

Welcoming the peace initiative, he said government's "behaviour and attitude are positive".
Rajkhowa also sought to remind the May 25, 2005 announcement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he had said that the government was ready to discuss "all core issues" of Ulfa.

"We hope that the government of India will keep its promise," he said.
He refused to speculate when the solution could be found to Ulfa's demands, saying it was just beginning of the peace process.