Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

Tata Motors, a $7.2 billion company, on Wednesday acquired two iconic brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, in an all cash deal of $2.3 billion. The company announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Ford Motor Company for the purchase of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) comprising brands, plants and intellectual property rights. The Tata Sons and Tata Motors chairman, Mr Ratan N. Tata, said, "We are very pleased at the prospect of Jaguar and Land Rover being a significant part of our automotive business. We have enormous respect for the two brands and will endeavour to preserve and build on their heritage and competitiveness, keeping their identities intact. We aim to support their growth while holding true to our principles of allowing the management and employees to bring their experience and expertise to bear on the growth of the business." A few days ago Mr Tata had told a news channel that he was acquiring these two brands because "we are trying to take our pla...

Transman Thomas Beatie gives The Advocate a first-person account of how it feels to be pregnant and carrying a child for his wife and himself. Thomas Beatie: To our neighbors, my wife, Nancy, and I don’t appear in the least unusual. To those in the quiet Oregon community where we live, we are viewed just as we are -- a happy couple deeply in love. Our desire to work hard, buy our first home, and start a family was nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until we decided that I would carry our child. I am transgender, legally male, and legally married to Nancy. Unlike those in same-sex marriages, domestic partnerships, or civil unions, Nancy and I are afforded the more than 1,100 federal rights of marriage. Sterilization is not a requirement for sex reassignment, so I decide...

By Maureen Dowd: Just when I thought my head would explode from trying to figure out delegate math, I'm hit with call-girl math. The arithmetic of procuring a prostitute who is both experienced and inspirational is even more complicated than the arithmetic of procuring a President who is both experienced and inspirational. If you're a frugal governor who doesn't even like paying his political consultant bills, as opposed to an Arab sheikh or a Vegas high roller, do you really need to shell out $4,300, plus minibar expenses, to a shell com pany for two hours with a shady lady? Aren't there cheaper hooker hook-ups on Craigslist? It makes you wonder how sharp Eliot Spitzer's pencil was on the state's fiscal discipline. And how does it add up that Steamroller No. 1 suddenly morphs into Client No. 9, a nom d'amour with the ring of an overpriced Gucci cologne for men, giving untold thousands for untold years to a prostitution ring that has hourly rates based on ra...

The American box office saw biggies like 10,000 BC and The Bank Job hit screens but what’s really got film goers and critics interested is a simple small film titled Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Directed by Indian born Bharat Nalluri, this directorial debut has been declared a sleeper hit in the US, leaving behind big budget films like 10,000 BC. Nalluri's film features Amy Adams and Frances McDormand in a light hearted romantic comedy set in 1930's London. The story revolves around Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess, who finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job and an attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse. The film drew rave reviews from the likes of The New York Times and The Washington Post, especially for it's performances. “We had a sneaking suspicion that putting Amy and Frances together would be a real pairing, a real, dynami...

Olympus E-3 Fastest Autofocus

Controversial Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds [Images] could face a serious punishment from the International Cricket Council for man-handling a streaker during the second finals of the tri-series against India in Brisbane on Tuesday. When the man ran onto the pitch naked, trying to evade the police by approaching in the direction of Symonds, the all-rounder leaned onto him in a rugby style shoulder charge and grounded him in the 10th over of Australia's chase of 259. Indian Won by 9 Wickets. The pitch invader falls to the ground as Symonds looks on

Sixty chefs, ten hours and 13,000 kg of vegetarian biryani and a new world record for the largest vegetable biryani entered the Guinness Book of World Records in an event by Kohinoor Foods Ltd in association with HT Media Ltd. Ingredients 2600 kg Traditional basmati rice 130 kg Salt 510 kg Refined oil 375 kg Green peas 375 kg French beans, cubed 375 kg Carrot, cubed 500 kg Cauliflower, cut 780 kg Onion paste 750 kg Tomato paste 500 kg Whisked curd 5 kg Clove powder 50 kg Green cardamom powder 2.5 kg Cinnamon powder 2.5kg Black peppercorn powder 4 kg Bay leaf powder 5 kg Cumin seeds 260 kg Garlic paste 160 kg Ginger paste 20 kg Green chilli paste 6 kg Green chilli, julienne 7 kg Red chilli powder 25 kg Garam masala 10 kg Fennel seeds powder 10 kg Jeera powder 4 kg Coriander powder 250 kg Mint leaves, chopped 600 kg Green coriander leaves, chopped Method Soak the traditional rice for two hours. Mix oil, tomato paste, onion paste, garlic paste, ginger paste, dry sp...