Manav Kaul writes, directs and acts opposite Sugandha Garg in a theatrical production about two small towners who might be in love

The South African photographer whose strange and extreme works are difficult to turn away from, is displaying his work in India for only the second time

ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage juggles stocks, bonds and derivatives smartly for optimal returns

Shedding light on the undervalued segment and MFs available in the space

Navigating the intricacies of ETF-investing involves understanding the disparity between an ETF’s market price and its Net Asset Value (NAV)

The hybrid fund offering would take a flexicap approach to stocks and duration management for bonds

The basis of safety or comfort with a bank should not be DICGC cover but overall fundamental quality of the bank; preferably bank with institutions where you would not require this coverage

When you suddenly cannot afford to continue paying the premiums on a life policy, you may still be able to protect value. A new measure from IRDAI helps you in this quest 

The ultra short duration scheme is a new offering from the fund house after a long gap

The new fund will invest in companies with healthy cashflows and look to avoid dividend traps

Non-submission of ‘choice of nomination’ shall not result in freezing of MF folios for existing investors. But, you have more to lose not doing it

The fund will follow a top-down approach to sector selection and bottom-up process to zero-in on stocks

Balanced advantage funds are seen as attractive in the current market as they tend to generate risk-adjusted returns and insulate investor portfolios from stiff corrections

Secrets of the Red Lantern
Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart

by Pauline Nguyen, with recipes by Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen

Overflowing with sumptuous but simply prepared dishes that have been passed down through generations of the Nguyen family, Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart is part Vietnamese cookbook and part family memoir.

More than 275 traditional Vietnamese recipes are presented alongside a visual narrative of food and family photos that follows the family's escape from war-torn Vietnam to the founding of the Red Lantern restaurant in Sydney, Australia.

At the heart of each recipe is the power of food to elevate and transform. From a recipe of Cari De that sparks a memory to the distinctly bitter melon soup that says, "I'm sorry," Secrets of the Red Lantern shares the rich culinary heritage of the Nguyen family and their personal story of reconciliation and success.

Recipes such as Bun Rieu (Crab and Tomato Soup with Vermicelli Noodles), Goi Du Du (Green Papaya Salad with Prawns and Pork), and Che Khoai Mon (Black Sticky Rice with Taro) unlock the family's secrets and see the family persevere through homesickness, heartache, and the upheavals of change to finally experience growth and celebration. The result is a beautiful journey through Vietnamese history, culture, and tradition that cooks everywhere will embrace.

The editors of AOL Food included The Art and Soul of Baking by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet on their list of the Best Cookbooks of 2008:

http://food.aol.com/holidays/most-sought-after-cookbooks

The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet

Cindy Mushet, a pastry chef at the legendary Chez Panisse and a culinary instructor at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, reveals the science behind baking in a language the home cook can understand. Take the time to read through the Baker's Pantry, which provides useful tips.

Recipes to try: Baci Tart with Frangelico Cream and Herbed Chicken Pot Pie

No Laughing Matter By JIM MCTAGUE
Cartoonist and blogger Scott Adams is outspoken about economics, politics and more -- but tight-lipped about Dilbert, hero to cubicle jockeys.

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE ECONOMY COULDN'T POSSIBLY get worse comes this disturbing news: Dilbert's mismanaged high-tech company is foundering, jeopardizing the lovable cartoon character's oppressive but steady job as an electrical engineer in a stuffy cubicle, where he's manufactured laughs about illogical and inhumane corporate managers for nearly 20 years.

Barron's won't divulge the climax of the current plot. During a recent interview, Dilbert's creator, Scott Adams, asked that we merely hint at what lies ahead for the cylinder-headed nerd with the upturned, clip-on tie. But read the daily Dilberts carefully over the next few days or weeks; clues abound and they don't point to a happy conclusion.

That's fitting because, as Adams notes in Dilbert 2.0, his $85, 576-page 20th-anniversary collection of 4,000 of his more than 8,000 cartoon strips (plus a DVD): "Dilbert is most popular when the workplace is at its worse." In fact, the strip, a window on workplace absurdity, took off during the downsizing binge of the early 1990s. In one memorable sequence from that period, Dilbert competes with a monkey to keep his engineering job. Dilbert wins, but his victory jig is short-circuited by his pointy-haired boss' decision to place the monkey on the upper-management fast track. Sounds like a telling commentary on the corporate world of 21st century's first decade, too.

Adams' current strips and very funny blog (http://www.dilbert.com/blog/), which often feature the cartoonist's insightful economic and stock-market commentaries, provide more hints about Dilbert's fate. A Dec. 12 blog argues that the recession is anything but temporary: "I think we are on the verge of a change as profound as the Industrial Revolution. Society will have to retool its expectations to meet the reality that there just won't be enough money to provide necessary services if we insist on consuming in an inefficient way."

One clue about Dilbert's fate appeared on Dec. 13 in newspapers around the world (Dilbert is published in 70 countries and 25 languages) in what turned out to be one of the most popular episodes in the strip's history: A financial adviser recommends that Dilbert's pointy-haired boss invest all of the company's funds in sick livestock. Don't buy just one sick cow, the adviser urges; buy an entire herd, because by aggregating sick cows, the risk goes away. "It's called math," the adviser adds, in a send-up of the asset-backed securitizations that have helped topple the global economy.

The financial adviser, by the way, is a malicious canine. In his blogs, Adams is equally unkind to real advisers and money managers. In his view, formed long before the disrobing of Bernie Madoff, they're always conniving to steal investors' money. Perhaps this depiction is payback: Adams lost a bundle following advice during the tech bubble, which also convinced him that investing in individual stocks and "professionally managed" funds is a losers' game. His advisers put half of his portfolio into WorldCom, Enron and other sure things and lost 40% of his invested cash, he says. He managed the other half and lost 20% in the tech wreck.

"Most of the investments I made in individual stocks went bad because managements were lying. They are the source of the information for the markets." His conclusion: "It is even dumber to pay an expert to talk to the liar for you and charge you 1% of your portfolio." Some folks who bought funds of funds that invested with Madoff surely would agree.

The New York Times Book Review of January 18, 2009 features President Obama Election 2008: A Collection of Newspaper Front Pages Selected by the Poynter Institute at #28 on the Paperback NonFiction Best Seller List

About The Poynter Institute

Founded in 1975, The Poynter Institute is a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. It promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of craft and in the practical leadership of successful businesses. It stands for a journalism that informs citizens and enlightens public discourse. It carries forward Nelson Poynter's belief in the value of independent journalism in the public interest. As a financially independent, nonprofit organization, The Poynter Institute is beholden to no interest except its own mission: to help journalists seek and achieve excellence.

To purchase: http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/products/?isbn=0740784803

Library Journal included The Art and Soul of Baking by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet on its list of Best How-To Books of 2008.

This addition to renowned culinary authority Sur La Table's cookbook series, The Art and Soul of Baking (Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC; $40.00 hardcover), guides readers through the world of baking, where the tantalizing aromas of chocolate, vanilla, butter, and cinnamon fill the air and tempt the palate. Whether turning out a rustic olive and thyme bread or crafting a show-stopping triple-layer chocolate cake, pastry chef and baking instructor Cindy Mushet provides indispensable tips and tricks to help home bakers achieve professional-looking—and professional-tasting—results.

More than 275 tested and delectable recipes cover all the bases from tasty pies, tantalizing tarts, melt-in-your-mouth meringues, and delicious cookies to more complicated creations such as flaky pastries, decadent cakes, and lighter-than-air soufflés. Novice bakers and pastry perfectionists alike will be tempted by such treats as Dulce De Leche Éclairs with Milk Chocolate Glaze; Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting; Gingerbread Shortcakes with Caramelized Apples and Cider Sabayon; and Warm Cranberry Crumble Tart. Of course, there are savory recipes, too, including fragrant Parmesan-Herb Popovers; Potato, Onion, and Gruyère Galette; and a perfect Herbed Chicken Pot Pie. And for a delicious twist on tried-and-true favorites, there are recipes for Bananas Foster Bread Pudding; Citrus-Goat Cheese Cheesecake; Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake; and Peanut Butter Thumbprints with Peanut Caramel.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s review of President Obama Election 2008: A Collection of Newspaper Front Pages Selected by the Poynter Institute on Sunday (1/19/09) includes the following:

Everyone should probably grab one as a momento, but for sheer fun, the best of the commemoratives is President Obama/Election 2008: A Collection of Newspaper Front Pages from the Poynter Institute (Andrews McMeel). It gathers dull headlines (“Historic Victory”), witty ones (the Tulsa World’s, “Yes He Did”), and lovingly local riffs (The Jakarta Post’s “Barry’s Done It!”).


President Obama
(ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-8480-4)

The Art & Soul of Baking has been named a nominee in the James Beard Foundation Awards 2009 in the Books: Baking Category

The James Beard Foundation Awards shine a spotlight on the best and brightest talent in the food and beverage industry.

The winners will be announced May 4th at a Black Tie Ceremony in New York

The Art and Soul of Baking guides readers through the world of baking, where alluring aromas of chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon fill the air and tempt the palate. Culinary authority Sur La Table teams with professional pastry chef and baking instructor Cindy Mushet to create the ultimate book for bakers. The Art and Soul of Baking demystifies the friendly science of baking through delicious recipes and photography sequences that illustrate proper techniques for carmelizing sugar, or working with croissant dough.

The Art and Soul of Baking is a 2009 IACP Cookbook Awards Winner

Winners were announced at the 2009 International Association of Culinary Professionals Conference (IACP) International in Denver on April 4.

Art and Soul of Baking won in the cookbook/baking category!

Sur La Table teamed with pastry chef and baking teacher Cindy Mushet to bring you the ultimate guide to baking. Beautiful photographs and more than 250 easy-to-follow recipes lead you into a world of alluring aromas and light, flaky pastries. Illustrated asides take you step by step through important techniques, from carmelizing sugar to working with croissant dough. Plus, you'll find invaluable information on over 100 ingredients and 50 baker's tools. A true pleasure for anyone who loves to bake.

The cookbook is also nominated for a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award.

Nivediya L. Nair, a defending champion in the fencing Épée category, was drawn to the sport as an eight-year-old a decade ago. Nakshathra A.R. was captivated by the valiant display of sword play by C.A. Bhavani Devi, the first Indian fencer to qualify for an Olympics, at Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

Atul Krishna and Jyothish Kumar defy physical limitations to excel in badminton, inspiring with their determination and talent.

The duo has been performing stand-up comedy for around three years now.

Though not a very popular game like cricket, more youngsters are getting drawn into the sport, says a baseball coach

State government must urgently intervene in the issue, since hundreds of families are facing threat of displacement from the land they had purchased and had been staying in for decades, says Church spokesperson

Former managing director surrenders after raping tribal woman, sparking protests; accused hospitalised; case under investigation

Election for 11-member board set for November 24 after cooperative faces financial crisis due to alleged fraud in loan valuations and sanctions

Protest gatherings were held in over 1,500 parishes of the Syro-Malabar Church across the State

Seaplane service will boost tourism by fostering new enterprises and creating job opportunities allowing holidaymakers to explore more destinations quickly, say Tourism Secretary