नेपाली गजलको पुनर्जागरणकाल

Mahesh Prasad Bhatt

नेपाली गजलको पुनर्जागरणकाल…
गजल समालोचकहरुले नेपाली गजलको पुनर्जागरण काल वि सं २०३६ सालतिर भएको तर्क प्रस्तुत गरे पनि २०२२ सालमा स्व देवराज शर्माद्वारा लिखित अमर शहीद दशरथ चन्द नामक नाट्यकृतिभित्रको गजलले नेपाली गजलको पुनर्जागरण काल २०३६ साल नभएर २०२२ साल हो र पुनर्जागरणकालका प्रणेता स्व शर्मा हुन् तथा नेपाली गजलको पुनर्जागरण केन्द्र बैतडी हो भन्ने कुरालाई प्रमाणित गरेको छ शर्माको यो नियमबद्ध गजलले भावभूमिका हिसाबले सशक्त क्रान्तिकारी भएकोले प्रेमप्रणयइतर पहिलो नेपाली गजलको स्थान ओगट्न सफल रहेको पनि हाम्रो ठहर छ । जूनलाई बादलले ढाके पनि हीरालाई माटाले छोपे पनि आफ्नो गुण नछाडेझैं हामी गर्वका साथ भन्छौं स्व देवराज भट्ट शर्मा नेपाली गजलका पुनर्जागरणकर्ता हुन् । - सम्पादक प्यास राष्ट्रिय त्र...ैमासिक बर्ष ४ पूर्णाङ्क १३ बैतडी विशेषाङ्क २०६५ श्रावण-असोज

बकवाद धेर गर्छौ यो नीचता देखाई भन लौ मुलुक भरीमा किन गडबडी मचायौ
ठकुरी महान कुलका क्षेत्री भएर खासा गरि निन्दनीय यो काम नाउँ त्यसै गुमायौं
राजा प्रजा सुखी छन् हाम्रो सुनीति पाई कुन दोष यसमा देख्यौं किन लाछना लगायौ

गर्नु अनीति मात्रै नीति सुनीति तिम्रो नौका लगेर जलमा यो देश डुवायौ ।
मन्त्री प्रधानको पद पायेको जँगले हो श्री ३ को उपाधि कुन अर्थमा लगायौ ।
खोसेर नागरिक-हक नेपाली मात्रलाई लिई डोर आफ्नु हातमा कठ-मुर्ति झैं नचायौ

Gene Therapy Offers Hope for Severe Hereditary Eye Disease

SATURDAY, Oct. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Gene therapy can improve the vision of people with a severe form of genetically inherited retinal degeneration called Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a new study shows.
People with LCA, which is caused by mutations in any of least 13 genes, have severe vision loss and abnormal eye movements in early infancy and during early childhood. Most people with the disease are blind by their 30s or 40s. There is no cure, according to background information provided in a news release.
The new phase I trial included 12 patients, aged 8 to 44 years, who were injected in one eye with genetic material meant to correct LCA. The gene therapy led to at least a 100-fold increase in pupillary light response (constriction of the pupil when it's exposed to light) in the participants. An 8-year-old patient developed nearly the same level of light sensitivity as a person with normal vision, the study authors reported.
In general, the greatest improvements were seen in children aged 8 to 11, all of whom gained ambulatory vision -- being able to see well enough to walk unaided.
"All 12 patients given gene therapy in one eye showed improvement in retinal function. The effect was stable during follow-up. The results support our hypothesis that the response to subretinal gene therapy depends on the extent of retinal degeneration and, therefore, the age of the patient," wrote Dr. Jean Bennett, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and colleagues.
"The most noteworthy result was the ability of children to navigate an obstacle course independently and accurately, even in dim light," the study authors wrote. "The visual recovery noted in the children confirms the hypothesis that efficacy will be improved if treatment is applied before retinal degeneration has progressed. Assessment of whether the treatment alters the natural progression of the retinal degeneration will be possible in follow-up studies," they added.
"The success of this gene therapy study in children provides the foundation for gene therapy approaches to the treatment of other forms of LCA and of additional early onset retinal diseases," the researchers concluded.
The study is published in the Oct. 24 online edition and in an upcoming print issue of The Lancet.

Win at Weight Loss

Miriam Nelson, Ph.D., doesn't work with celebrities. Her clients are real women with real jobs, real families, and real bodies. She's also part of the prestigious committee of scientists and researchers that created the government's physical activity recommendations. That's why we tapped Nelson to develop an exclusive plan to put a firmer, slimmer body and better health within reach in as little as 10 minutes most days of the week.
"Many women think if they can't do an hour of exercise every day, they may as well do nothing," says Nelson. But you can see results with far less. Nelson should know—that's how she stays healthy: "There are plenty of days that I have just 10 minutes to fit in a walk. At least once during the week, I get in a run or bike ride. Then on the weekend, I exercise a lot more."
The best way to shorten your sessions is to boost the intensity, says Nelson. Research has found that a vigorous 20 minutes can melt 5 times more fat than a leisurely 40-minute workout—music to the ears of many 40-something women who find their waistlines expanding just as their free time is shrinking.

Our plan uses a point system based on the federal physical activity guidelines* that lets you exercise as much (or as little) as needed, based on your goal. You'll get a weekly point target, then you decide how to hit your mark. Simply pick from our customizable cardio and strength routines, plus a bonus list of calorie-torching activities. You'll lose inches all over, firm up, or reach your goal weight in no time. (Federal guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity, plus two or more strength workouts a week.

What is home insurance?

Homeowners insurance, or home insurance, compensates you for losses to your home and your possessions inside it, so purchasing a homeowners policy provides added security for your investment. Home insurance also protects you if you're legally liable for someone's injuries on your property, as well as from financial losses caused by storms, fire, theft and other events outlined in your policy.
Why buy condo insurance?
Home insurance isn't your only option when it comes to protecting your belongings. When you own a condominium, you — not your condo association — are responsible for what's inside your condo. That's why having a personal condo insurance policy is important.
Why buy renters insurance?
Renters insurance protects you in situations that everyone can face: fire, theft, water damage and other unforeseen circumstances — situations your apartment owner's policy doesn't cover.

Homeowners insurance, or home insurance, compensates you for losses to your home and your possessions inside it, so purchasing a homeowners policy provides added security for your investment. Home insurance also protects you if you're legally liable for someone's injuries on your property, as well as from financial losses caused by storms, fire, theft and other events outlined in your policy.
Why buy condo insurance?
Home insurance isn't your only option when it comes to protecting your belongings. When you own a condominium, you — not your condo association — are responsible for what's inside your condo. That's why having a personal condo insurance policy is important.
Why buy renters insurance?
Renters insurance protects you in situations that everyone can face: fire, theft, water damage and other unforeseen circumstances — situations your apartment owner's policy doesn't cover.

Automobile Insurance and Other Types of Vehicle Insurance

Progressive offers automobile insurance to customers across the U.S. We also provide motorcycle insurance, boat insurance, RV insurance and more.
Customers choose Progressive automobile insurance for our extensive coverage options, specialized claims service and competitive rates. Auto insurance coverages include Bodily Injury & Property Damage Liability, Comprehensive, Collision, Rental Reimbursement, Roadside Assistance and much more. If you're thinking about automobile insurance, motorcycle insurance or RV insurance to protect you and your vehicle, we can help.
Automobile Insurance Features
A Progressive auto insurance policy comes loaded with extra features — 24/7 live support, local response claims service and our unique concierge level of claims service — at no extra cost. Plus, some Progressive automobile insurance coverages involve perks like Total Loss Replacement, Accident Forgiveness, Pet Injury Coverage and more.
Get An Auto Insurance Quote. Then Get More
With so many automobile insurance companies out there, choosing the right company for your automobile insurance needs is paramount. A Progressive Direct car insurance quote includes car insurance rate comparisons, money-saving tips, automatic discounts, payment plans and more. Go ahead — find the auto insurance rate you're looking for. We'll help you every step of the way.
Progressive Focuses on Your Needs
Since 1937, Progressive has provided automobile insurance to millions of customers. Today, we're one of the largest automobile insurance groups in the country, and we've earned that spot through competitive insurance rates and superior customer and claims service. For automobile insurance — and so much more — choose Progressive

How Mobile Cloud Computing Will Change Tech

What happens when you promise end-users a persistent connection to data, applications and services regardless of the device they’re using? Mobile cloud computing aims to deliver just such a promise. Mobile access to popular web-based services such as Facebook and Gmail, combined with next-generation smartphones like the iPhone, Palm Pre and Android devices, is driving broad adoption of mobile data. However, the center of economic gravity is shifting. Historically, access to the mobile network was the service. But as users have expanded the uses for those bits, what the user does in a given session becomes fundamental to how much the service provider can charge the user or a third party (e.g. an advertiser). Thus, it’s likely that the mobile, IT and MCC sectors will continue their current marriage of convenience to attack a rare convergence of both short-term and longer term opportunity. However, in the process of adapting to an Internet that’s becoming more global, mobile and web-based by the day, the mobile and IT industries will be forced into new ways of doing business.

One of the original goals of Google has always been to help people find the information they are looking for and get out of the way as fast as possible. It was a point of pride, and in fact a design principle, to get people off the search results page to other places on the Internet. Yahoo was the site that tried to keep you from ever leaving, Google was the opposite. Well, it was easier to send people away when Google was just a search engine. Now it has apps and Gmail and Google Maps and Google Books, and a lot of other reasons to stick around on Google itself. But there is still a clear demarcation between its content/communication sites and search. At least there was until late last week when it launched Google Places on Google Maps. Google Places is a local search page for restaurants and other local businesses that brings together the address, phone number, Website, maps, description, directions, photos and reviews all on one page. When you click on a pin for a local business or place of interest on Google Maps a bubble will open up, and if you click “more info” sometimes it will take you to the Google Places page. So far, so good. Google Places is simply making Google Maps better, right? The concerns arise, however, back on Google’s main search page, where Google is indexing these Places pages. Since Google controls its own search index, it can push Google Places more prominently if it so desires. There isn’t a heck of a lot of evidence that Google is doing this yet, but the mere fact that Google is indexing these Places pages has the SEO world in a tizzy. And Google is indexing them, despite assurances to the contrary. If you do a search for the Burdick Chocolate Cafe in Boston, for instance, the Google Places page is the sixth result, above results from Yelp, Yahoo Travel, and New York Times Travel. This wouldn’t be so bad if Google wasn’t already linking to itself in the top “one Box” result, which shows a detail from Google Maps. So within the top ten results, two of them link back to Google content. Your chances of clicking on a Google page for this particular search are pretty high. Google isn’t sending you away anywhere. And if you do go to the Google Places page for Burdick Chocolate, it is made up of rehashed content from other sites: snippet descriptions from InsiderPages, Judy’s Book, a menu link from AllMenus, photos from CityGuide and Yelp, and reviews from Igougo and CitySearch. On the right is a small Google Map and below that are Google search ads. It’s actually a pretty useful page, and there is certainly value in aggregating all of this information in one place. Google might even license the data, which would mitigate any protests that it is “stealing” the content like we see with Google News. But nobody really cares about that. The real issue is whether or not Google is going to favor its own pages in its index when it comes to local search. SInce Google’s algorithm is a black box, there is no way to know one way or another. But the question is out there. Maybe the Google Places page for Burdick Chocolate ranks highly only because Google used it as an example in its pre-briefings and a lot of bloggers subsequently linked to it. The point, though, is that these Google Places are getting into Google’s index. (Tartine Bakery is another example). Even if they make it onto the first page of Google search results for legitimate reasons, their very presence goes against the fundamental principle that Google’s main purpose is to link out to the best information on the Web, not to hoard the links for itself. We know what will happen if it keeps going down this path. It will turn into Yahoo. Update: It appears that Google is now taking steps to remove Places pages from its organic results. It’s added a “Disallow: /places/” tag to the robots.txt for Google maps. (The robots.txt tells Google’s search engine how to treat the content on a site, and a disallow tag instructs it not to crawl indicated portions of a site). Update 2: A Google spokesperson came back with the following explanation: From the time of launch, we did not intend for the Place Pages to be crawled or appear in organic results – we even confirmed that publicly. We did discover that some URLs were still open (the example in question, Burdick, was the one that we heavily promoted in all our blog posts, as Matt [Cutts] pointed out), so we’ve blocked those over the past 24 hours to stay consistent with our original plan for this launch. These should no longer appear in our organic search results. Also, I know there have been some questions about the URL structure: they were designed to be “friendly” URLs with the specific intention of making them easier to share and link.

Half of Michigan residents to forgo swine flu shot

Nearly 55 percent of Michiganians say they do not plan to get vaccinated for the H1N1 flu or have their children vaccinated for the virus, according to a poll released Monday.

And nearly 40 percent of the respondents said they have no plans to get vaccinations for the seasonal flu.

The findings come as the number of cases of swine flu are surging across the United States and are expected to increase in Michigan in the coming months. And they come as more questions are being raised about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

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Charlene Akers, 46, of Garden City said she has mixed feelings about the vaccine, but for now has no plans on getting it.

"I don't think there's enough study done on the shot to know what's it's going to do," said Akers, a teacher's aide at Garden City School. "You know how the horror stories or rumors get going."

As of last week, 86 children had died from swine flu in the United States since it burst on the scene in the spring, with 43 deaths reported in September and early October. In past winters, the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has counted 40 or 50 child deaths for the entire flu season.

In Michigan, 15 have died from H1N1. None were children.

Dr. Walter Davis, pandemic flu coordinator for the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, described the poll results as unfortunate.

"We've had more pediatric deaths during this H1N1 flu epidemic than we normally have during the entire flu season, and it isn't even flu season yet," he said.

The poll of 600 registered voters was conducted Oct. 11-15 by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA. It has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Dr. Eden Wells, medical epidemiologist with the Michigan Department of Community Health, said the Michigan poll results were "a bit disheartening."

"It reflects a lot more education that we should be working on getting out to folks to make these decisions," she added.

One parent does intend to follow his doctor's advice.

Jeremy Lewis of West Bloomfield said he plans to have his 20-month-old son, Max, receive both vaccines.

"There seems to be a somewhat irrational fear of vaccinations," Lewis said. He recalled an incident earlier this year when a stranger approached him at a park and urged him and his wife to avoid vaccinating their child, saying it could stunt his child's mental development.

"We figure (doctors) know best," said Lewis, 31.

Lewis is among the 29 percent of poll respondents who said they plan to get the seasonal flu shot. Another 28 percent said they had already received a flu shot.

But the respondents were less enthusiastic about the H1N1 vaccine, with 29 percent saying they intended to get vaccinated and only 1 percent reporting having already been vaccinated.

The poll also found that nearly 40 percent of parents said they would have their children vaccinated for the H1N1 virus.

Doris Hill, 64, of Southfield said she had no plans to get the vaccine or discuss it with her doctor during her regular visit this week. She said she feared adverse reactions. "I guess I'm afraid of all the things I hear about it," said Hill, who retired from Ford Motor Co. two years ago.

"I don't want anything else to happen to me," said Hill, who also suffers from high blood pressure, borderline diabetes and had a stroke two years ago.

"I have ailments as it is."

Vashaunda Martin said she is still undecided about whether her children will get vaccinated.

"I really haven't made up my mind," said Martin, who has a 13-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter. "I really do need more information, about what are the benefits and what are the risks."

Martin, of Detroit, said her children will be getting their regular flu shots by next month.

Davis said his greatest fear is that while most of the nation is struggling with the pandemic, it hasn't hit Michigan hard yet so people don't understand. He's frustrated by reports of so many people refusing to get vaccinated and parents failing to sign the consent forms their children have been bringing home from school. He is concerned the issue will not be taken seriously until people begin getting sick and die.

"If you hear a fire alarm, you look around and you don't move because you don't smell any smoke," he said.

"Others may smell a little smoke, but they won't leave the building until they see flames. We're in a pandemic right now. We have a national emergency right now and the thing is we don't see it in Michigan."

ktaylor@detnews.com (313) 222-2058

8 Foods That Fight Fat

Want to lose weight as you chow down? Your wish is granted! (I promise, this is no fairy tale.) Your supermarket is filled with foods that studies show have lipid-melting powers to help melt fat and keep you slim. Stock up on these fat-fighting super bites, and you'll be trimmer even as you indulge. Read on to discover the eight foods that deserve a permanent spot in your fridge—and in your diet!

Almonds These yummy nuts are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can accelerate your metabolism of fats. In fact, dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds daily slashed their weight and body-mass index by 18 percent, while those who skipped the nuts reduced both numbers less— just 11 percent—a study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed. Chomp almonds à la carte (limit yourself to 12 per serving to keep calories in check). I get a pack at Starbucks and nibble throughout my day. Or sprinkle them into a recipe such as Black Bean–Almond Pesto Chicken. Go nuts!

Berries I tell my daughter, "These are nature's candy!" Turns out they're also your body's best friends. Strawberries, raspberries and other vitamin C–spiked fruit can supercharge your workout, helping you burn up to 30 percent more fat, research from Arizona State University at Mesa has found. If they're not in season, buy the little gems frozen in a bulk-sized bag so you'll always have them on hand to whip up a Berry Bliss Smoothie or Strawberry-Sunflower Pops, regardless of whether berries are in season.

Cinnamon Adding 1/4 teaspoon to your plate may prevent an insulin spike—an uptick that tells your body to store fat. Sprinkle it on your morning cereal or coffee or on your yogurt in the A.M., or savor it in Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal.

Mustard It's heaven on a soft pretzel, but mustard may also be a weight loss wonder. Turmeric, the spice that gives mustard its color, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology finds. Use it on sandwiches instead of mayo, or sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower pre-roasting to give it a kick. Try it on tuna salad—I promise it adds zest.

Oranges This citrus fruit, which contains fat-blasting compounds known as flavones, deserves to be your main squeeze. Women who ate the most flavones had a much lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes. Eat oranges sliced or swig fresh OJ (including pulp!) to get the best benefit from the fruit.

Soybeans Reason to toss a half cup on your salad? Soybeans are rich in choline, a compound that blocks the absorption of fat and breaks down fatty deposits. Oh, and they're addictively delish! But if breast cancer runs in your family, experts suggest you should talk to your doc before adding soy to your diet.

Sweet potatoes The colorful spuds' high-fiber content means they keep your insulin steadier than their white sisters, which means less fat packed on your hips, research finds. Top a small baked tater with lowfat cottage cheese for a tempting side dish, or whip up Miso Soup With Sweet Potato Dumplings.

Swiss cheese Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown, and Swiss has more calcium than many of its cheesy peers. Choose the reduced-fat variety, such as Sargento. Slip it into your sandwich, put it on top of high-fiber crackers or use it for a healthier grilled cheese. Yum!

For other tricks to eating your way to your healthy, happy weight, load up on these 20 slimming superfoods at Self.com.

An Early Morning Walk in Nice

They say the reason so many artists flocked to the South of France is the light. The way the sun illuminates the scenery. It really is true. On an early morning walk along the Promenade des Anglais on the Côte d'Azur in Nice, I noticed that the colors shone brighter, bolder almost super saturated. The best light for photography is early in the morning or just before dusk, so at 7am I started out from The West End Hotel, and headed left along the Promenade. It was very peaceful, not many people were out yet. Walking along the beach I was struck by the blues….the sea, the sky and the umbrellas. This shot was awarded the first prize in our local photography show and remains one of my favorites. The value of being up early is being able to capture the shot without people.

Further along there was a man walking a dog. Using the “rule of thirds” I waited until the boat was at the 1/3 mark, and he was at the 2/3 mark. It was an added benefit that he turned to talk to the dog.The air was so clear and the temperature just perfect for a hike up to Le Chateau, the park that overlooks the city. The view from up here is just incredible -- the blues of the sea, the rust color of the roofs of the buildings. Framed by blooming cactus plants, the harbor is on one side and on the other side, the Mediterranean sea stretches out forever in azure blue.

Reds tomatoes and strawberries, green and yellow vegetables, multi colored marzipan fruit, and enticing smells of spices and dried roses was a photographer’s dream. I was on sensory overload.
After the market, as I wandered through the Old Town looking for shapes and shadows and reflections to photograph, I spotted this lingerie hanging on the side of a building. The warm color of the building contrasted with the red and black of the lingerie. The shadows gave a new dimension to the image. This photo also won first prize

One of the best tips I ever received regarding taking photos was “turn around”. So often the best shot is behind you. When I turned around I spotted three color coordinated Gameboy playing young boys who were no doubt wondering why this crazy American woman was taking pictures of the underwear.

I love the streets of the Old Town of Nice – people with dogs, flowers and paintings on the sides of the buildings. Walking along I knew that I had to share the essence of this amazing town. My sister is an artist and a photographer and I knew how much she would enjoy experiencing this wonderful part of the world. Years later (2004) we returned and together explored and photographed this part of the world. Just as I did years ago, she fell in love with the South of France.
To view more images of Kathy Hume: Click here.

Nepal is home of Culture.

Amazon said

Amazon said this afternoon it’s agreed to buy specialty shoe e-tailer Zappos for $807 million in cash and stock. It’s a smart move as it will allow Amazon to become even more synonymous with e-commerce. Funnily enough, it was just a few weeks ago that I was wondering if Amazon would be launching any more specialty stores. Indeed, they are going vertical — though I didn’t expect them to spend so much money to buy Zappos. Under terms of the deal, Zappos employees will get about $40 million in cash and restricted Amazon stock, and the entire Zappos management team will stay on.

Zappos, while in the commodity business of retail, has carved itself a nice (and fast-growing) niche by focusing on shoes. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Zappos’ hometown paper, the company reached its goal of a billion dollars in sales in 2008, 10 years after it was started by Nick Swinmurn. The sale is yet another smash hit for white-shoe Silicon Valley venture fund, Sequoia Capital. Zappos’ customer service reputation reminds me of Nordstrom, the big department store chain.
“We are joining forces with Amazon because there is a huge opportunity to utilize each other’s strengths and move even faster towards our vision of delivering happiness to customers, employees and vendors,” said Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos. “We will continue to build the Zappos brand and culture in our own unique way, and we believe Amazon is the best partner to help us do this over the long term.”

I am a big fan of both Jeff Bezos and Tony Hsieh, because they belong to that rare breed of company CEOs who put the needs of the customers (and their happiness) above everything else. Hsieh has been a fixture at various tech industry events but I’ve never met him, I’ve just enjoyed his talks and his posts on the Zappos blog. In an email to his employees today, Hsieh says something that all startup founders — myself included — would be well-advised to remember: “What happens to our culture is up to us…we are in control of our destiny and how our culture evolves.”

Gold Investing

For centuries, buying gold has been recognized as one of the best ways to preserve one's wealth and purchasing power. Gold is a unique investment, one that has served mankind well for thousands of years. From the times of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to more modern times, man has been fascinated with the beauty and magic of gold, and with its power to change men's lives.

Gold bullion is real, honest money...and, many say, the best form of money the world has ever known. It is a store of value and a safe haven in times of crisis. Gold is rare, durable and does not wear out in the manner of lesser metals (or paper!) when passed from hand to hand. A small amount, easily carried, can purchase a significant amount of goods and services. It is universally accepted, and can be easily bought and sold around the world.

Today, the beauty of a gold bar lies in its ability to diversify investments, protect wealth and preserve one's purchasing power.

Gold bullion is available from Monex in three convenient forms:

The 10-ounce gold bullion bar of at least .995 fine purity is the standard industry unit. It is traditionally used for trading and storage, and can also be taken for personal delivery. Each gold bar is hallmarked by a leading refiner to certify weight and purity.


Also available from Monex is the 32.15 troy ounce gold “kilobar”...a one kilogram bar of fine gold bullion of at least .999 purity. Manufacturers of these bars certify the weight and purity of the bullion content by imprinting their stamp or hallmark on each bar.

And finally, for those who want the finest investment-grade gold bullion bars available, we proudly offer the exclusive Monex-certified 10-ounce gold bullion ingot...composed of pure .9999 (or "four-nines") fine gold bullion—among the purest gold bullion bars available to investors today. Each bar is certified, with its weight and purity guaranteed by Monex, and each bar is further hallmarked by Heraeus, one of the world's leading refiners, and the 800 year-old Austrian Mint, one of the world's leading minting institutions.

Gold bullion bars are real, tangible assets, and throughout history, have been an ideal store of value and an excellent hedge against inflation, deflation and political uncertainty. They are extremely liquid investments, easily stored and transported, and can be a uniquely private way to preserve one's wealth.

Call a Monex Account Representative today to discuss how a gold bullion investment could and possibly should become part of your investment portfolio.

Monex Account Representatives are normally available between 5:30am and 4:30pm Pacific time each Monday through Friday (except national holidays)...and on many weekends.

Give us a call...give our service a try...and compare our prices. You'll see why Monex has been America's trusted name in coin and bullion trading...for over 40 years.

For up to the minute gold prices and price charts see our Live Prices

The Truth About Life Insurance

Cash value life insurance, like whole life, will help me retire wealthy.Truth: Cash value life insurance is one of the worst financial products available.Sadly, over 70% of the life insurance policies sold today are cash value policies. A cash value policy is an insurance product that packages insurance and savings together. Do not invest money in life insurance; the returns are HORRIBLE. Your insurance person will show you wonderful projections, but none of these policies perform as projected.
Example of Cash ValueIf a 30-year-old man has $100 per month to spend on life insurance and shops the top 5 cash value companies, he will find he can purchase an average of $125,000 in insurance for his family. The pitch is to get a policy that will build up savings for retirement, which is what a cash value policy does. However, if this same guy purchases 20-year-level term insurance with coverage of $125,000, the cost will be only $7 per month, not $100.
WOW! If he goes with the cash value option, the other $93 per month should be in savings, right? Well, not really; you see, there are expenses.
Expenses? How much?
All of the $93 per month disappears in commissions and expenses for the first 3 years. After that, the return will average 2.6% per year for whole life, 4.2% for universal life, and 7.4% for the new-and-improved variable life policy that includes mutual funds, according to Consumer Federation of America, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

You got the wrong embryos

On a cold morning in February, 10 days after undergoing in vitro fertilization, Carolyn Savage lay in bed at her Ohio home waiting for the results of her pregnancy test.

Sean and Carolyn Savage with daughter Mary Kate (now 18 months) and sons Ryan, left, and Andrew.
Time was moving slowly. It was getting late and the call from the fertility clinic should have come by lunchtime.

"We were waiting and waiting and the call seemed like it would never come," Savage said.

Finally, around 4 p.m., Carolyn's husband, Sean, got the call at work.

"The doctor told me in one sentence, 'Carolyn is pregnant, but we transferred the wrong embryos,'" he said. "I didn't even know that could physically happen. It was a total shock, totally beyond the realm of possibility."

In a tragic mix-up, the Savages say the fertility clinic where Carolyn underwent in vitro fertilization implanted another couple's embryos into Carolyn's uterus.

In essence, she had become an unwitting surrogate for another family.

After receiving the news, Sean hung up the phone and drove straight home to tell his wife in person.

"He walked in and was as white as a sheet," Carolyn said. "He told me, and I think he repeated himself two or three times, and I kept saying 'You're joking.' I kept yelling at him stop it but there was nothing on his face indicating a joke." Watch more on the Savages and their reaction to their situation »

Incredulity turned to shock, and when that shock melted, so did the couple's hope for having another child of their own. At the time, Carolyn was 39 and her chances of having a child naturally after this one were waning.

"That was the beginning of a very treacherous and emotional journey for us," said Sean.

"I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life," said Carolyn. "It was such a nightmare and, in a way, I felt violated."

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What happens to extra embryos after IVF?
That nightmare was the tipping point on a pregnancy path marred by failed attempts and painful miscarriages.

Only the birth of the Savages' first child was easy. Their second child, born almost three years later in 1997, was 10 weeks premature after Carolyn developed life-threatening complications.

"That was a scary time for us," said Carolyn. Yet after she recovered, the Savages consulted with a doctor and remained intent on pursuing future pregnancies.

It would prove exceedingly difficult. Carolyn and Sean tried on and off for 10 years to have another child before turning to IVF. Eventually, Carolyn became pregnant with the couple's third child, resulting in another difficult pregnancy and premature birth. Their daughter is now a healthy 18-month-old.

With five embryos left over from IVF -- and despite the risks to Carolyn's health -- the Savages, guided by their religious beliefs, refused to let the unused embryos at the clinic languish.

February 6 was when they thought they had three of their own embryos implanted by the fertility clinic.

Cases like these, while tragic, are exceedingly rare, said Dr. David Adamson, a reproductive endocrinologist and past president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

"There are well in excess of 100,000 embryo transfers every year in this country," said Adamson. "The fact that this happens once in several hundred thousand embryo transfers means the vast majority of the time, systems do protect from this taking place."

Groups like the ASRM have a series of strong protocol recommendations for in vitro procedures, such as accurately labeling embryos with the patient's name and Social Security number, and color-coding samples uniquely to avoid confusion. These identification procedures are not legally mandated, but mistakes can occur if they are not followed, said Adamson. After learning about the mistake, the Savages made two decisions right away: They would not abort the baby, and when he was born, they would relinquish the baby to his DNA parents.

"They didn't choose this path either," Carolyn Savage said of the DNA parents, who declined to speak with media. "We knew if our embryo had been thawed and negligently put into another woman, we would expect that the child would be returned to us."

The Savages are not releasing the name of the clinic where they underwent the IVF procedure, but provided CNN with proof of their reproductive predicament, including results of amniocentesis, a genetic test, indicating the baby Carolyn is carrying is not theirs.

They have met with the baby's DNA parents, and according to Carolyn the DNA-related mother of the child has come along for one doctor's appointment.

"We knew based on legal precedent that custody would be lost, and we agree with that precedent," said Carolyn, alluding to a similar case of errant IVF in 1999 in New York in which custody was awarded to the genetic parents.

The Savages are grimly aware that they will have to do the same thing soon. Carolyn is now 35 weeks pregnant and expecting to deliver within the next couple of weeks. It is a countdown fraught with mixed emotions.

Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Infertility
"As the process has gone along, it has been exceptionally difficult imagining this playing out," Sean Savage said.

"There are so many ways to walk into that delivery room," Carolyn. "We're trying to mentally frame it instead of a loss -- it is a loss, I don't want to say that it isn't -- but we're trying to look at it as a gift we're giving someone else."

The Savages say the five embryos they originally had cryogenically preserved at the clinic in Ohio are still unused and have been moved to another clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. They say doctors have advised against any more pregnancies for Carolyn, so they are working out terms with a gestational carrier, or surrogate, to carry some of those embryos for them.

Still, even if a surrogate can eventually help them expand their family, the Savages say that the memory of the child they gave up will always linger.


"I know that tug will be there every day wondering if the baby's happy, healthy and OK," said Carolyn.

"We want him to know that it wasn't that we didn't want him, but too many people wanted him," said Sean. "We gave him up because it was the right thing to do

Health Insurance

Compare Auto, Homeowner, Health Insurance QuotesEveryone knows that insurance premiums can be affected by your credit history or perhaps a spotty driving record in the case of auto insurance. But few people realize that an insurance company's loss experience is one of the biggest factors for determining how much they will pay for coverage. How so? Well, say for example an insurance company paid out a large amount of homeowner insurance claims due to a particularly catastrophic year of floods and fire damage. The same insurance company may also provide auto insurance coverage. To compensate for the losses experienced under their home owner insurance division, they may raise premiums for their car insurance customers even if they had no accidents or tickets. Or, they could simply increase the insurance prices for house insurance policyholders in another state.Insurance is a business, and like any other business it needs to generate profit. Monetary losses from an excessive amount of insurance claims are usually shifted to the consumer in the package of higher insurance premiums. If the insurance company had an extremely profitable year, they may lower rates to attract more customers and increase the number of policyholders they have. For this reason, insurance rates vary greatly from one company to another.Health and life insurance rates are very low right now in this competitive insurance industry. However, some health and life insurance companies offer low initial rates to gain insurance customers and then gradually increase these teaser insurance rates over time. The best way to ensure you are getting the best price for your insurance needs is to review your policy rates regularly and compare them against what other competing insurance companies are offering. You can do this by requesting insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies.Use Technology to Find an Affordable CoverageIn the past, obtaining insurance quotes was a time consuming affair that involved hours on the phone or lengthy meetings with individual insurance agents. With the technology advancements of today, you can request insurance quotes quickly and efficiently. It only takes about two minutes to fill out the online insurance questionnaire provided on 2insure4less.com. Our cutting edge technology allows you to instantly compare insurance coverage and premium quotes from multiple competing companies. The best part is you only have to enter your information once instead of traveling from website to website. We are not an insurance company, but we offer tips on how to determine the amount of insurance coverage you need.So, whether you are looking for a cheaper auto insurance rate for an expiring car insurance policy, or you simply want to make sure you are getting the best deal on house, renters, disability, long term care, cancer, burial (final expense), life insurance, and annuity, 2insure4less is here to help both men and women find affordable insurance coverage. Why not see if you can save a little extra money on your health insurance premiums? You have the option of comparing cheap insurance coverage quotes online or speaking with a qualified insurance agent licensed in your state.Learn How to Get a Discount from Insurance CompaniesOur learning center is dedicated to helping insurance consumers become educated on their insurance needs. Our library of educational material, insurance guides and coverage calculating tools will help you in a variety of insurance situations. The next time you have an accident or need to file an insurance claim you can be prepared. We'll also tell you about what to do when a claim is denied and your rights as a policyholder. You'll also learn how to understand your insurance policy and of course, there are many tips on how to save money on insurance.Don't pay more for insurance than you have to. Take time to compare your current insurance rates with comparable coverage from other insurance competitors. It only takes a few minutes to select the type of coverage you are interested in, and you'll be on your way to comparing insurance quotes and saving money.

Dashain and Thihar

Dashain and Thihar

The Recession-Proof Career

Although there's no such thing as a recession-proof career, some jobs may offer more job security than others. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2016, three out of 10 jobs in this country will be in education and in health care. If teaching or working in a hospital doesn't appeal to you, professional and business-related jobs will provide the second largest area of growth.
If, like many Americans, you want or need a new career, check out these six in-demand careers. With an associate's or bachelor's degree and some career training, you may be well on your way to enjoying peace of mind and job stability, even in this economy.

Computer and Information Scientist

As our need for technology grows, so does our need for computer scientists. Working as researchers, computer scientists solve technological problems and develop successful solutions. Many computer scientists work on teams in industrial settings or at universities, exploring new and innovative technologies. According to the BLS, computer scientists made over $100,000 a year on average in 2007. An online bachelor's degree in computer science may be able to give you the traction you need for this fast growing career.
Computer Systems Analyst

We know computers are important, but consider this: without computers, most American businesses would not be able to run. Computer systems analysts work for companies and businesses, identifying their technological needs. As a computer systems analyst, you will choose and configure hardware and software in order to meet your company's goals. Keeping up to date with current technologies is key. A bachelor's degree in a technical field, such as computer science or management information systems, can give you the career training you need for this rapidly growing, much sought after career. According to the BLS, computer systems analysts made an average yearly wage of $75,890 in 2007.

Employment Recruiter and Placement Specialist

As the job market tightens, more workers are drawn to temporary, seasonal, and part-time work. Employment recruiters have the important job of matching these employees with jobs. As an employment recruiter, you may work for a company looking for new hires or for a local job placement agency. Your duties will probably consist of meeting with prospective employees, interviewing them, and extending job offers. Armed with an online or on-campus degree in human resources, as an employment recruiter and placement specialist you may be able to make an average of over $50,000 a year.

Health Care Technician

Don't like the idea of working with patients but are still drawn to the medical field? Become a health care technician. Since you'll be compiling patients' charts and records and keeping their health information up to date, you'll need to be well organized and have an eye for detail. An associate's degree in health care management or a related field can prepare you for this rapidly growing field. Many employers prefer technicians who are also registered health information technicians (RHITs), which requires attending an approved program and passing an exam. The BLS estimates that medical records and health information technicians made an average yearly wage of $31,450 in 2007.

Registered Nurse

Approximately 587,000 new nursing jobs are projected within the next eight years, making nursing one of the largest job markets in the United States. According to the BLS, nurses made an average annual salary of $62,480 in 2007. An online program can give you the training you need for a nursing career as you earn your associate's or bachelor's nursing degree. As a registered nurse you will tend patients, providing them and their families with much needed emotional support and education in a doctor's office, hospital, or clinic. You can choose to specialize in one of medicine's many exciting fields, such as oncology or neonatal care.
Special Education Teacher
Within the next eight years, an estimated shortage of special education teachers will coincide with a rise in the anticipated number of qualifying students. Special education teachers work closely with students who have handicaps and disabilities. As a special education teacher, you will modify your students' lessons and help them and their families set and achieve goals. In order to become a special education teacher, you need a bachelor's degree in an approved program. Special education teachers in the United States made over $50,000 a year in 2007, according to the BLS. Plus, along with the good feeling that often accompanies helping others, you may get a portion of your summers off.
Pundits can predict where the rough economy will go within the next few years, but nobody knows for sure. An in-demand career could be one way to ride out the storm.

Although there's no such thing as a recession-proof career, some jobs may offer more job security than others. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics est

YouTube Videos Pull In Real Money

Making videos for YouTube — for three years a pastime for millions of Web surfers — is now a way to make a living.

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Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times
Michael Buckley quit his day job in September. He says his online show is “silly,” but it helped pay off credit-card debt.
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One year after YouTube, the online video powerhouse, invited members to become “partners” and added advertising to their videos, the most successful users are earning six-figure incomes from the Web site. For some, like Michael Buckley, the self-taught host of a celebrity chatter show, filming funny videos is now a full-time job.

Mr. Buckley quit his day job in September after his online profits had greatly surpassed his salary as an administrative assistant for a music promotion company. His thrice-a-week online show “is silly,” he said, but it has helped him escape his credit-card debt.

Mr. Buckley, 33, was the part-time host of a weekly show on a Connecticut public access channel in the summer of 2006 when his cousin started posting snippets of the show on YouTube. The comical rants about celebrities attracted online viewers, and before long Mr. Buckley was tailoring his segments, called “What the Buck?” for the Web. Mr. Buckley knew that the show was “only going to go so far on public access.”

“But on YouTube,” he said, “I’ve had 100 million views. It’s crazy.”

All he needed was a $2,000 Canon camera, a $6 piece of fabric for a backdrop and a pair of work lights from Home Depot. Mr. Buckley is an example of the Internet’s democratizing effect on publishing. Sites like YouTube allow anyone with a high-speed connection to find a fan following, simply by posting material and promoting it online.

Granted, building an audience online takes time. “I was spending 40 hours a week on YouTube for over a year before I made a dime,” Mr. Buckley said — but, at least in some cases, it is paying off.

Mr. Buckley is one of the original members of YouTube’s partner program, which now includes thousands of participants, from basement video makers to big media companies. YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, places advertisements within and around the partner videos and splits the revenues with the creators. “We wanted to turn these hobbies into businesses,” said Hunter Walk, a director of product management for the site, who called popular users like Mr. Buckley “unintentional media companies.”

YouTube declined to comment on how much money partners earned on average, partly because advertiser demand varies for different kinds of videos. But a spokesman, Aaron Zamost, said “hundreds of YouTube partners are making thousands of dollars a month.” At least a few are making a full-time living: Mr. Buckley said he was earning over $100,000 from YouTube advertisements.

The program is a partial solution to a nagging problem for YouTube. The site records 10 times the video views as any other video-sharing Web site in the United States, yet it has proven to be hard for Google to profit from, because a vast majority of the videos are posted by anonymous users who may or may not own the copyrights to the content they upload. While YouTube has halted much of the illegal video sharing on the site, it remains wary of placing advertisements against content without explicit permission from the owners. As a result, only about 3 percent of the videos on the site are supported by advertising.

But the company has high hopes for the partner program. Executives liken it to Google AdSense, the technology that revolutionized advertising and made it possible for publishers to place text advertisements next to their content.

“Some of these people are making videos in their spare time,” said Chad Hurley, a co-founder of YouTube. “We felt that if we were able to provide them a true revenue source, they’d be able to hone their skills and create better content.”

In a time of media industry layoffs, the revenue source — and the prospect of a one-person media company — may be especially appealing to users. But video producers like Lisa Donovan, who posts sketch comedy onto YouTube and attracted attention in the fall for parodies of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, do not make it sound easy. “For new users, it’s a lot of work,” Ms. Donovan said. “Everybody’s fighting to be seen online; you have to strategize and market yourself.”

Mr. Buckley, who majored in psychology in college and lives with his husband and four dogs in Connecticut, films his show from home. Each episode of “What the Buck?” is viewed an average of 200,000 times, and the more popular ones have reached up to three million people. He said that writing and recording five minutes’ worth of jokes about Britney Spears’s comeback tour and Miley Cyrus’s dancing abilities is not as easy as it looks. “I’ve really worked hard on honing my presentation and writing skills,” he said.

As his traffic and revenues grew, Mr. Buckley had “so many opportunities online that I couldn’t work anymore.” He quit his job at Live Nation, the music promoter, to focus full-time on the Web show.

There is a symmetry to Mr. Buckley’s story. Some so-called Internet celebrities view YouTube as a stepping stone to television. But Mr. Buckley started on TV and found fame on YouTube. Three months ago, he signed a development deal with HBO, an opportunity that many media aspirants dream about. Still, “I feel YouTube is my home,” he said. “I think the biggest mistake that any of us Internet personalities can make is establish ourselves on the Internet and then abandon it.”

Cory Williams, 27, a YouTube producer in California, agrees. Mr. Williams, known as smpfilms on YouTube, has been dreaming up online videos since 2005, and he said his big break came in September 2007 with a music video parody called “The Mean Kitty Song.” The video, which introduces Mr. Williams’ evil feline companion, has been viewed more than 15 million times. On a recent day, the video included an advertisement from Coca-Cola.

Mr. Williams, who counts about 180,000 subscribers to his videos, said he was earning $17,000 to $20,000 a month via YouTube. Half of the profits come from YouTube’s advertisements, and the other half come from sponsorships and product placements within his videos, a model that he has borrowed from traditional media.

On YouTube, it is evident that established media entities and the up-and-coming users are learning from each other. The amateur users are creating narrative arcs and once-a-week videos, enticing viewers to visit regularly. Some, like Mr. Williams, are also adding product-placement spots to their videos. Meanwhile, brand-name companies are embedding their videos on other sites, taking cues from users about online promotion. Mr. Walk calls it a subtle “cross-pollination” of ideas.

Some of the partners are major media companies; the ones with the most video views include Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, CBS and Warner Brothers. But individual users are now able to compete alongside them. Mr. Buckley, who did not even have high-speed Internet access two years ago, said his YouTube hobby had changed his financial life.

“I didn’t start it to make money,” he said, “but what a lovely surprise.”

Uttarakhandi:
Dharchula, located on the banks of River Kali that forms a natural border between India and Nepal, was an ancient trading town on the trans-Himalayan route. When this Indo-Tibetan trading route was closed in 1962, many of the Bhotia traders chose to settle in Dharchula instead of using it as their summer home. Today, Dharchula is a rich cultural mix of the Bhotia, Kumaoni and Nepalese tradition and people. It is also the base camp for one of the holiest journeys known to the Bhotias, Hindus and Jains – the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra.




Uttarakhandi:
History

Dharchula, because of its geographical location (the Nepal border on one side and the Tibet-China border on the other), was an ancient trading town. Bhotias, the principal traders with skills to cross the high mountain passes from Tibet to India, brought wool, sheep/goat, borax and salt to the Dharchula market to sell; and took coarse cloth, sugar (especially gur), spices and tobacco from here to sell in Tibet. The thriving town was the centre of several small industries based around the wool trade. Trade fairs such as the Jauljibi were held here to encourage commerce. This commercial activity came to an abrupt end with the Indo-China war of 1962 as a result of which trade between the two countries was halted – and Dharchula’s importance as a commercial town declined.
Dharchula’s remote location has precluded its active participation in the historical events of the area. However, its history is tied to that of Kumaon. In common with the rest of Kumaon, Dharchula too was ruled by several princely dynasties before India attained independence. Before the 6th century AD, the Kunindas ruled here. They were followed by the Khasas, the Nands and the Mauryas. It is believed that the Khasas revolted during the reign of Bindusar (the Mauryan emperor) and the revolt was suppressed by Ashok the Great, his successor. At this point in time, several small chieftains and kings held sway over Kumaon. It is believed that at this time Dharchula Kot (fort) was ruled by a local king called Mandip.

It was only between the 6th to 12th centuries AD that a single dynasty became powerful: the Katyuris ruled over entire Kumaon during this period. However, they became confined to small areas when, between 1191 and 1223, the Mallas of Western Nepal invaded Kumaon.

The Chands came into prominence in the12th century AD and ruled Kumaon till 1790. They subdued several principalities and went to war with neighbouring kingdoms to consolidate their position. This dynasty saw only one break during this period when the Panwar king of Garhwal – Pradyuman Shah – also became king of Kumaon and was known as Pradyuman Chand. The last Chand ruler was Mahendra Singh Chand, who ruled from Rajbunga (Champawat). In 1790, the Gorkhas – locally known as Gorkhiyol – over-ran Kumaon and the Chand dynasty came to an end.

The oppressive Gorkha rule lasted till 1815, when the East India Company defeated them and took over the reigns of Kumaon. Towards the end of British rule, local action groups and press played an important role in creating mass awareness about the obnoxious begar tradition as well about the forest rights of people. These movements merged with the struggle for India’s independence – which was achieved in 1947. Kumaon then became a part of Uttar Pradesh and in 2000 of the new state of Uttarakhand.



Uttarakhandi:
Mythology



Dharchula is considered the gateway for the holy Kailash-Mansarovar yatra and the area has always been thought of as blessed by the gods. Many ancient sages and saints chose this as their tapasthali (place of meditation), the most well-known of whom was Byas Muni. In fact, the town derives its name from a legend about the Muni. Dharchula is composed of two words: dhar or edge/mountain and chula or chulah or stove. It is said that when Byas Muni cooked his meals, he used the area between the three mountain ranges surrounding Dharchula to light his stove, so the name.
It is also said that the Pandavs, during their 12-year exile, visited this area.

Another popular myth here is associated with the Kangdali festival, celebrated by the Shauka or Rang Bhotia people, whose largest settlement is based in Dharchula. The myth tells of a boy who died upon applying the paste of the root from a shrub known as Kang-Dali on his boil. Enraged, his widowed mother cursed the shrub and ordered the Shauka women to pull up the root of the Kang-Dali plant out of the ground when it reached full bloom, which happens once in 12 years.


Uttarakhandi:
Culture



Dharchula’s culture is a mixed one. And each community that has made this town its home has contributed to the places’ unique culture. For centuries, Dharchula has played host to a vast floating population – the devotees, sages and saints making their way to the sacred Kailash-Mansarovar or the semi-nomadic Bhotias.
Dharchula was a traditional trading town, and when trade with Tibet was at its zenith, this town saw a large number of Bhotias sell their wares here and buy necessities to take back to Tibet. The Bhotia tribes also used this as their summer base when their homes higher in the mountains were snowed under. The Indo-Chinese war in1962, however, put an end to commercial activity, and many Bhotias have since chosen to settle down in Dharchula and the surrounding areas. Apart from the Rang Bhotia tribes, Dharchula is also home to a substantial population of Kumaoni Brahmins and Rajputs.

Major festivals such as Dhhyoula and Kangdali are celebrated as well as minor ones such as Syangthangapujan, Syeemithhumo (atma pujan), Maati (soil) puja, and Nabu Samo and the annual Kanda-Utsav.

The legend behind the Kangdali festival tells of a boy who died upon applying the paste of the root from a shrub known as Kangdali on his boil. Enraged, his widowed mother cursed the shrub and ordered the Rang women to pull out the root of the Kangdali plant when it reached full bloom, which happens once in 12 years. According to another story, the Kangdali festival commemorates the brave women who repelled Zorawar’s army that attacked from Ladhakh in 1841. The women destroyed the Kangdali bushes in which the enemy was hidden, who retreated.

The festival begins with the worship of a Shivling made of barley and buck wheat flour mixture. Every household performs this puja, which eventually culminates in a community feast. Women and men, dressed in traditional attire, assemble around a designated tree in every village and raise a flag.

A procession is formed behind the flag bearer and the crowd heads towards the Kangdali plants. The women lead the procession, each armed with a ril, a tool used in carpet making, attack the blooming plant viciously. Children and men armed with swords and shields follow closely. After the victory dance and the extermination of the shrub, the festival concludes with a feast.

The last year that the Kangdali bloomed was in 1999 and the next festival will be held in 2011.

Music and Dance
The remoteness of the mountains in which they live has ensured that the people of the area have preserved their distinctive culture traditions through dance and music. Most songs and dances are religious or pertain to the people’s traditional lifestyle.

Folk songs and dances are performed on every ceremony. Devotional songs or Jagars are sung to invite various gods to be present on the occasion. Apart from this, both men and women take part in recreational dances such as the Chanchari which are group songs and dances.

The Hurkiya Bol is associated with agriculture, mainly with the collective planting and weeding of paddy fields. A Hurkiya plays the Hurka and sings devotional songs in praise of local gods and seeks blessings for a good harvest, while the women working in the fields join in the singing.

The Choliya is a martial art form of dance which is performed on the occasion of marriages and fairs. Two or more persons holdings a shield in one hand and a sword in the other performs various attack and defence tactics and acrobatics to the tune of Dhol, Damau, Ransingh and Turahi.

The area has a very rich tradition of folk literature, which deals with local/national myths, heroes, heroines, deeds of bravery and various aspects of nature. The songs deal with the creation of earth, the deeds of gods-goddesses, especially Nanda Devi, and local dynasties/heroes as well as characters from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. Usually, these songs are based on events from local history and the bharau (ballads) are usually sung during collective agricultural activities (Hurkiya Bol) and other songs in different social and cultural festivals. Similarly, Bhotia tribes also have their own folk songs and dances. These are used mainly during festivals and social cultural ceremonies.

Languages spoken
Indo-Nepalese (Kumaoni-Nepalese) and Hindi. The Rang Bhotias have their own language which is distinct from Tibetan languages and is an oral dialect with no written script.

Architecture
The older homes in Dharchula – a few of which have survived -- are two-storey structures, not much taller than a single-storey house in the plains. Made of 10 to 25 mm thick stone walls and slate roofs, their living areas are accessed by a narrow wooden ladder-type staircase. The lower rooms once housed cattle, but now are mostly used for storage. Very few of these traditional houses remain as brick-and-cement structures with marble floors and indoor toilet replace them.


Uttarakhandi:
People


Dharchula is the business and population centre along this particular stretch of the Kali River. Apart from the Rang Bhotias and Kumaonis, Dharchula's population includes Indian army and paramilitary units stationed to protect the international borders and scores of workers, including a handful of Europeans and Koreans, employed at the hydroelectric dam being built at the base of the Darma Valley.

Traditionally, however, Dharchula was the summer home of the Rang Bhotia people and a centre of trans-Himalayan trade. The practise of winter migration has been a traditional phenomenon for all Bhotia communities of this region. They came in close contact with each other during this period and matrimonial alliances were formed. They also come in contact with the people living in the villages along the traditional migration routes. Influenced by and practicing Tibetan Buddhist, Bön and Hindu religions together, the Rangs rely on Lamas to conduct ceremonies and rituals in the Buddhist Gompas. They celebrate Tibetan festivals such as Losar, and worship Hindu and animist gods such as Gabladev. Buddhist prayer flags, locally known as Dharchyo, are hung outside houses.

Traditionally, the Rangs practiced sheep rearing and trading – they were a part and parcel of the brisk trade that took place between India and Tibet before the Indo-Chinese war of 1962. At that time, Dharchula was a centre for spinning, weaving and natural dying of wool and manufacture of traditional dress. Many families – segregated along the lines of their skills such as dying – were involved in this business. Women engaged themselves in the fine and painstaking task of weaving intricate patterns on the Chyungbala –the traditional dress for women – and the Ranga, the dress for men. Skills and knowledge of these patterns were passed down orally from generation to generation.

Since the 1962 Indo-China conflict, life in the region has undergone complete change. Earlier, almost all of the local community depended upon trading with the Tibetans and related activities, and sheep rearing. After 1962, they had to look for other means to make a living. Literacy picked up and as people became educated, they looked for better jobs elsewhere in the plains. They began to give up the traditional way of living for a modern and relatively easier and physically less demanding lifestyle. This changed the demography of the area completely. Local inhabitants now come to their villages only to perform traditional pujas -- such as Pitrapuja (prayers for the ancestors), Navratras and Shivpatri -- and for customary celebrations, thus keeping the link with their roots intact.

The people of Dharchula are warm and friendly, adept in the practice of the Rang social code called nocksum, that is, treating most strangers as guests and guests as family.

Google's bailout: You can work from home

When Michelle Richardson filled out a simple online form, working online was the way to get a new job. From Michelle Richardson's personal website: "On average I make around $5,000 to $7,000 a month from a system online. Not a ton of money. But, earnings are very solid, and consistent month after month. I was able to replace my previous job's income in less than one week. Now I'm working less than 8 hours a week on my computer at home or a coffee shop. My life has never been better!"
Michelle was not alone. Many americans have recently been laid off. From her personal site: "I was not interested in some fly by night get rich quick business opportunity, pyramid scheme or anything to do with network marketing. You know the ones that want you to try to sell stuff to your friends and family members. I just wanted a legitimate honest way for me to earn extra income from home. I am here to spread this word. Hopefully my story can inspire you to try what I discovered."She realized that after the first three days, posting links on the internet was easy. "I never realized how this worked, otherwise I'd have started this years ago," she says. It turns out that most of the links you click on while surfing is making someone, somewhere, money. That is how Google has created it's huge empire. Technically, Google is the worlds largest employer. Google has been making people rich overnight. Worth over $100 Billion Dollars, this great company has been helping people to work from and home and give them new jobs. From Michelle Richardson's own words: "Now, I have seen scams out on the Internet that talk about making $50,000 a month online. But that is exactly what they are - scams. This is my story of my real life where I am now generating a legitimate income from home that easily replaced my previous job's income. It's not a lot of money, but I can earn up to $87/hr right from home.In a short time Michelle Richardson was able to make it with an easy system to post links online that saved her financially. She was able to share her story with us, which we're finally revealing to the public for the first time:

Q: Michelle thanks for speaking with us today. What made you search for an online job?

A: Hi, thanks for interviewing me. I am excited to give something back to the people. I know its tough out there, and it's really hard to find a job. So that's why I'm doing this interview. I wanted to let other people know there is hope, and that you really can make a living online.

Q: Did you ever work online before? I'm kind of skeptical that it's really as easy as you say it is.

A: I've had a home computer for about 5 years. I was one of the last people I knew to get one. (Laughs). So it really is pretty easy. I would say if you have basic typing skills, and can send an email, you can get your links posted on Google.

Q: How long did it take for you to start earning money?

A: It was really simple, and they laid everything out in front of me. This isn't a get rich quick scheme, you do have to do some reading. Then the second day, I started posting links on Google. I made my first money within about 4 hours.

Q: OK, Great. I bet a lot of our readers want to make the same money as you do. How do they get started? What is the key to your success?

A: Again, it's really easy to do. People think I'm crazy for sharing this information. Let's just say Google is a 100 Billion dollar company. There's enough money for everyone to make a decent living. Just follow these steps:

http://www.americanjobsweekly.com/article9.php?t202id=337&t202kw=ind-ad7

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One speeding ticket will make my car insurance rates go up.

Sometimes this is true, but in many cases, you have to get two tickets before your rate goes up. Your driving history, the length of time you've been insured with a company and how fast you were going when you were cited can affect whether your rate increases or not. Keep in mind that a speeding ticket may not be the sole reason your rate increases, as several factors are considered when reviewing them.

Learn How to Get a Discount from Insurance Companies

Compare Auto, Homeowner, Health Insurance QuotesEveryone knows that insurance premiums can be affected by your credit history or perhaps a spotty driving record in the case of auto insurance. But few people realize that an insurance company's loss experience is one of the biggest factors for determining how much they will pay for coverage. How so? Well, say for example an insurance company paid out a large amount of homeowner insurance claims due to a particularly catastrophic year of floods and fire damage. The same insurance company may also provide auto insurance coverage. To compensate for the losses experienced under their home owner insurance division, they may raise premiums for their car insurance customers even if they had no accidents or tickets. Or, they could simply increase the insurance prices for house insurance policyholders in another state.Insurance is a business, and like any other business it needs to generate profit. Monetary losses from an excessive amount of insurance claims are usually shifted to the consumer in the package of higher insurance premiums. If the insurance company had an extremely profitable year, they may lower rates to attract more customers and increase the number of policyholders they have. For this reason, insurance rates vary greatly from one company to another.Health and life insurance rates are very low right now in this competitive insurance industry. However, some health and life insurance companies offer low initial rates to gain insurance customers and then gradually increase these teaser insurance rates over time. The best way to ensure you are getting the best price for your insurance needs is to review your policy rates regularly and compare them against what other competing insurance companies are offering. You can do this by requesting insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies.Use Technology to Find an Affordable CoverageIn the past, obtaining insurance quotes was a time consuming affair that involved hours on the phone or lengthy meetings with individual insurance agents. With the technology advancements of today, you can request insurance quotes quickly and efficiently. It only takes about two minutes to fill out the online insurance questionnaire provided on 2insure4less.com. Our cutting edge technology allows you to instantly compare insurance coverage and premium quotes from multiple competing companies. The best part is you only have to enter your information once instead of traveling from website to website. We are not an insurance company, but we offer tips on how to determine the amount of insurance coverage you need.So, whether you are looking for a cheaper auto insurance rate for an expiring car insurance policy, or you simply want to make sure you are getting the best deal on house, renters, disability, long term care, cancer, burial (final expense), life insurance, and annuity, 2insure4less is here to help both men and women find affordable insurance coverage. Why not see if you can save a little extra money on your health insurance premiums? You have the option of comparing cheap insurance coverage quotes online or speaking with a qualified insurance agent licensed in your state.Learn How to Get a Discount from Insurance CompaniesOur learning center is dedicated to helping insurance consumers become educated on their insurance needs. Our library of educational material, insurance guides and coverage calculating tools will help you in a variety of insurance situations. The next time you have an accident or need to file an insurance claim you can be prepared. We'll also tell you about what to do when a claim is denied and your rights as a policyholder. You'll also learn how to understand your insurance policy and of course, there are many tips on how to save money on insurance.Don't pay more for insurance than you have to. Take time to compare your current insurance rates with comparable coverage from other insurance competitors. It only takes a few minutes to select the type of coverage you are interested in, and you'll be on your way to comparing insurance quotes and saving money.

Breaking Up with Customers

Sometimes things just aren't meant to be. We've all been there-you meet a person and think a great relationship is on the horizon, only to discover after you've peeled back the layers that, perhaps, it just wasn't meant to be.
This happens in business all the time. But often we only think about it in terms of why the customer doesn't select us, or why a customer has broken up with us. Being dumped by a client is a bitter pill to swallow... it's a blow to both our ego and our bottom line.
We rarely consider the fact that we too have choices in whether to continue a relationship with an existing client, or even refuse a new client. The truth is that not every prospect is a match for our business. Sometimes it is as simple as being too expensive for a prospect, and in cases like this, you may want to refer the prospect to another firm. But in many cases, a prospect can be detrimental to a business

Evaluating a New Client

There are many questions you want to ask yourself when evaluating a new client:
Does the client's mission align with your values?
This is a very important consideration. Quite a few times, we have had the opportunity to perform work for organizations that I fundamentally couldn't support. One example is the tobacco lobbyists. Several years ago, a pro-tobacco lobbyist wanted to hire us to do marketing and outreach. There was just no way I could accept this work. As a mother, I work hard to educate our kids about the dangers of smoking. I fundamentally oppose everything that this group is trying to accomplish.
Do you want to help the client achieve their goals? Do you believe they can accomplish what they are trying to do?
We've had potential clients contact us to design and develop training programs to achieve objectives that we did not think were realistic. In one particular instance, the money was very good, and I'm sure they found a company to perform the work. But we did not see the link between the client's vision/objectives, and the training they wanted. It was just too much of a stretch. So we declined the work, not only because we couldn't buy into it, but also because we believed it would have set us up for failure.
Does the client's needs align with your competitive differentiators? (price, quality, speed, etc.)
No company can be all things to all people. Some customers are looking for the lowest price or quickest turnaround. In cases like that, we are not a match. So we decline this type of work.
Will the client infuse chaos into your organization?
Some client organizations are very chaotic. While "managed chaos" can be productive, "unmanaged chaos" can be detrimental. Clients that don't respect our processes, our people, or our culture won't be happy with our service.
Can the client afford your service?
When we first launched 14 years ago, low price was definitely a competitive differentiator. This is often the case with new businesses because they don't have the overhead that accompanies growth. In addition, new businesses are working to build their client base, and establish their presence and credibility. Mature businesses follow a completely different business model, having migrated from a price-oriented service to a value-oriented service. If a customer can't afford our service, it's not a match from a short-term and long-term perspective.
Is this a one-time client? And if it is, does that fit your business model?
For our business, one-time clients are not good investments. Many small businesses get trapped in the cycle of working with one-time customers, which forces them to live the life of a gypsy... constantly moving from one client to another. So much energy goes into acquiring the knowledge about a customer, and building the relationship. It is the same level of energy for one-time client or a repeat client. But with a one-time client, you don't have additional business when the project is over.
By taking on the client, are you in any way compromising the perception of the value you provide?
This is a really important point for Information Experts. We are on several government-wide area contracts (GWACs) that many agencies like to use. We also hold multiple GSA schedules, and we are 8a-certified, which are also gateways to specific opportunities. Many organizations that have these contracts, schedules, and certifications do "pass-throughs," which enable companies that lack these gateways to work with government customers. They see these pass-throughs as opportunities to make "easy" money (by charging an administrative fee) and to get into an agency. But I don't view pass-throughs in such a positive light. While there are some rare exceptions that warrant a pass-through, I believe pass-throughs ultimately diminish the value of our organization. Our role is basically reduced to one of a contract administrator, and often creates a situation in which we are unable to demonstrate the value we can bring to our client. In addition, there is risk associated with being a passthrough because ultimately as the prime contractor, we are responsible for delivering - even though we are not performing the work.
Is the prospect's requirement aligned with your core competency?
Like so many companies, we've discovered business opportunities that look great on the surface, but once you start digging, you realize that there are many other companies that can perform the work better than you can. I don't believe that a company can be all things to all customers. By sticking with your core competencies, small businesses have an opportunity to build a reputation of dependability and expertise in areas in which they really shine.
Is the client in an industry you currently support, or want to support?
Sometimes great work comes along that is right in your sweet spot and in the industries you serve. And sometimes work comes along that you are able to do, but it is in an industry that you know nothing about. At this point, businesses need to determine whether they want to invest the money and resources required to branch out into that industry

Like Medicare?" We Love It

Like Medicare?" We Love It

You’re hearing a lot of bashing of government-run health care these days, but notice the bashers don't call out the programs out by name. There’s a reason for that. SCHIP is hugely popular. arguably the best system of care in the country. Medicaid has less of a sterling reputation, but that's largely because no one really understands how it works or who is eligible for what state-by-state. And Medicare? Well, as a new Americans are significantly more satisfied with Medicare than private insurance. It’s time to get back to basics. “Government-run” may be scary to some, but it’s lovable in practice.Single-payer advocates often call their plan “Medicare for All.” The public health insurance option touted by Obama, Baucus and most of the Democratic leaders is usually referred to as “like Medicare.” Clearly there’s magic in the program, but how strong is it? The poll compared the responses of those over 65 with Medicare to a random assortment of those with private insurance. Now this isn’t exactly apples to apples – Medicare beneficiaries in this poll were nearly three times as likely as those with private insurance to list their condition as “fair or poor” (the lowest ranking), almost four times as likely to have multiple chronic conditions, and twice as likely to be 200% of the poverty line or below. To no one’s surprise, Medicare beneficiaries are older, sicker, more in need of care, and poorer – the exact reasons why Lyndon Johnson and JFK wanted to create the program in the first place.But despite their higher needs for consistent and likely expensive care, the magic of Medicare is that it’s more responsive to the customer than private health insurance. 32% of beneficiaries report having a negative incident with Medicare – a number that’s clearly too high and indicative of how much Medicare needs some reforms to improve the program. But that number is 44% for private insurance. Still, we keep hearing Medicare ain’t as good as it used to be. Think of the developments over the past few years that call into question how satisfied someone might be with Medicare – turns out many of them aren’t as bad as we’d think.First, we hear all the time that more and more doctors accept it because of declining reimbursement rates. We’re even warned that single-payer or a public health insurance plan would lost doctors like a leaky boat if the Medicare reimbursement rates were universal. But you know what? Private insurance is worse: “Ten percent of Medicare beneficiaries’ physicians did not accept their insurance, compared with 17 percent of respondents with employer-sponsored plans.” If you want a choice of doctors, you’ve got slightly better odds with Medicare.We hear about frustration with Medicare Part D’s “doughnut hole,” where prescription drug coverage is cut off for many beneficiaries after a certain spending threshold, causing them to pay out of pocket. It definitely has an effect: “Twelve percent of elderly Medicare beneficiaries reported going without care, such as prescribed medications or recommended tests, because of cost restraints.” But that number is over double – 26% - for those with employer-based insurance. Suffice to say, it’s much, much higher for the uninsured.Earlier today, JOHN saying “One of the building blocks of economics is the proposition that people reveal their preferences through their actions and such revelations are far more reliable than polls.” Very well – then explain the consumer preference in Medicare Advantage, where, s, “21% of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in [Medicare Advantage] plans decide to leave during the year, compared with 9% of those enrolled in other private Medicare plans.”We’re not talking about Canadians, or Brits, or the Taiwanese. We’re talking about Americans – how satisfied they are in polls, and how they show their preferences through their actions. Really, one of the main barriers to reform for years has been that so few of us know people on SCHIP, on Medicaid, at the VA -- not enough to trust the managers of those programs. But all of us know people on Medicare. It has its problems – so does any health care system – but it also has strengths. Lower costs. Better satisfaction. Better health outcomes which, by the way, markets itself aggressively to healthier beneficiaries). That doesn’t seem scary to me.

Permanent life insurance

Permanent life insurance is a form of life insurance such as whole life or endowment, where the policy is for the life of the insured, the payout is assured at the end of the policy (assuming the policy is kept current) and the policy accrues cash value.This is compared with Term life insurance where insurance is purchased for a specified period (typically a year, or for level periods such as 5, 10, 15, 20 even 25 and 30 years) where a death benefit is only paid to the beneficiary if the insured dies during the specified period.Permanent life insurance originally was offered as a fixed premium fixed return product known as whole life insurance also known as cash surrender life insurance. This offered consumers guaranteed cash value accumulation and a consistent premium. Consumers later wanted more flexibility which was offered in the form of universal life insurance. Universal life insurance allows consumers flexibility in when premiums are to be paid and the amount that they would be. Universal life policies also allowed consumers to permanently withdraw cash from the policy without the interest associated with the loan provisions in whole life policies. Universal life policies retained the fixed investment performance of whole life policies. Variable life insurance follows the mold of whole or universal life, but it shifts the investment risk to the consumer along with the potential for greater returns. Variable universal life insurance combines this with the flexibility in premium structure of universal life to create the most free form option for consumers to manage their own money (at their own risk). Variable universal life insurance policies are considered more favorable to other permanent life insurance alternatives due to the favorable tax treatment of all permanent life insurance policies and their potential for greater returns than other permanent life insurance products