Nokia Taps Microsoft Executive as New CEO

TECHNOLOGY
SEPTEMBER 10, 2010, 9:08 A.M. ET.
wall street journal

Nokia Taps Microsoft Executive as New CEO


By CHRISTOPHER LAWTON And GUSTAV SANDSTROM

Nokia Corp. said it was replacing embattled Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo with Microsoft Corp.'s Stephen Elop, as the world's largest handset maker seeks to reverse steep declines in earnings and market share that have decimated its share price. "The time is right to accelerate the company's renewal," Nokia's Chairman Jorma Ollila said in a statement. "The Nokia Board believes that Stephen has the right industry experience and leadership skills to realize the full potential of Nokia."

Mr. Elop, the 46-year old head of Microsoft's business division, is scheduled to start on September 21. "My role as leader of Nokia is to lead this team through the period of change, take the organization through this period of disruption...to meet the needs of its customers, while delivering superior financial performance," Mr. Elop said at a news conference in Helsinki.

Mr. Elop's main task will be to develop a credible challenger to Apple Inc.'s iPhone, something Mr. Kallasvuo failed to achieve during his four-year tenure. Many analysts feel that Nokia was caught flat-footed by the iPhone's success and blame its weakness in smartphones for shaving about 70% off of Nokia's market value over the past three years.

The CEO change comes at an awkward time for Nokia. Next week, the company holds its annual "Nokia World" conference in London, where Mr. Kallasvuo was expected to articulate a new strategy to regain its footing in the industry and to present a new smartphone, the N8. The switch at the top of the company will likely draw attention away from those issues as investors question whether Mr. Elop, a Canadian and the first non-Finn to run the more than century-old company, can navigate the cultural and institutional pitfalls that lie ahead.

"The house is burning and things are going to be even more difficult in the short term," said Pierre Ferragu, analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co, adding that there was little in Mr. Elop's record to suggest he could lead the turnaround of such a large company.

"The time is right to accelerate the company's renewal," Nokia's Chairman Jorma Ollila said in a statement. "The Nokia Board believes that Stephen has the right industry experience and leadership skills to realize the full potential of Nokia."

Mr. Ferragu believes Mr. Elop will have problems justifying his position inside the Finnish giant in the face of a very hands-on chairman, Mr. Ollila—who was CEO between 1992 and 2006—and a management team that has been around for 20 years.

After joining Microsoft in January 2008, Mr. Elop was picked to lead its business division. Prior to Microsoft, he was chief operating officer at network-infrastructure company Juniper Networks Inc.

He joined Juniper having been president of Adobe Systems Inc.'s global sales organization, a company he joined as part of its 2005 acquisition of Macromedia Inc., where he rose to CEO in a career spanning seven years.

"He [Elop] might be a superstar, but on paper, it is not reassuring," said Mr. Ferragu, who called his trajectory "patchy" in a research note.

Nokia chose Mr. Elop partly because he is a Canadian. The Finnish press criticized the company after The Wall Street Journal reported its chairman was wooing some American candidates for CEO, according to a person familiar with the situation.

"That helps a lot that he is not American," this person said. Mr. Elop is at least seen "as a kindred spirit with the Finns."

Nokia's choice of the Microsoft executive robs Hewlett-Packard Co. of a possible corner office occupant. H-P, which forced out CEO Mark Hurd last month, had been considering Mr. Elop among other outside prospects, according to the informed individual.

Jyske Bank analyst Robert Jakobsen said the change is a positive because it puts an end to speculation about Mr. Kallasvuo's future and may help Nokia accelerate its strategy for renewal.

Mr. Elop's background within the software industry, his knowledge of the U.S. market, and his experience of change management will be important assets, Nokia spokeswoman Arja Suominen said.

"I am extremely excited to become part of a team dedicated to strengthening Nokia's position," Mr. Elop said in a statement. "I am confident that together we can continue to deliver innovative products that meet the needs of consumers."

The announcement ends weeks of speculation that the Nokia board of directors would replace Mr. Kallasvuo. The Wall Street Journal reported in July that Nokia's board had started the search for a new CEO. Mr. Ollila had reportedly wooed another U.S. executive, but was spurned, because the candidate didn't want to move to Finland.

While the board of directors remained silent, Mr. Kallasvuo went on an offensive. On business network CNBC in July, Mr. Kallasvuo said, "There has been a lot of speculation on my position, on myself, during the last couple of weeks and that is not good for Nokia and must be brought to an end one way or another," Mr. Kallasvuo said. "At the same time, I'm not in a position here and now to really shed any more light on the topic so I guess this is a no comment. I really concentrate now on the task at hand," he added.

Mr. Kallasvuo will leave his position on Nokia's board of directors with immediate effect, but will continue in a nonexecutive capacity to chair the board of Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia's telecom equipment joint venture with Germany's Siemens AG. Nokia said Mr. Kallasvuo would receive a severance payment of €4.6 million ($5.8 million) and will also receive as compensation the fair market value of the 100,000 restricted Nokia shares granted to him in 2007, which vest Oct. 1.

Nokia has faced growing competition from rivals like Apple with its iPhone, Blackberry-maker Research in Motion Ltd. and devices based on Google Inc.'s Android platform, which has hit its high-end market share and margins, forcing it into recent profit warnings. Nokia has seen its market value fall over 70%, or more than $90 billion, over the past three years.

More recently, Nokia in May reshuffled top management and created a unit specially tasked with making smartphones after it posted weaker-than-expected first-quarter earnings. In mid-June, the company again lowered its profit outlook, citing among other factors "the competitive environment, particularly at the high-end of the market."

Mr. Elop inherits the herculean task of turning around a massive company, which observers say is bogged down in bureaucracy, causing it to move too slowly in an industry that thrives on new, trendy product introductions. Nokia commands roughly 35% of the global handset market by volume, brings in over €40 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 100,000 people.

Former employees describe the structure of the company as a confusing matrix organization, akin to the "Soviet Union." While Nokia was ahead on hot trends in the tech industry such as internet services and 3-D, lengthy approval processes and a lack of leadership inside of Nokia bogged down these innovations. One former employee added that Nokia, given its size, was never eager to invest in innovations that didn't have a high volume potential across many of Nokia's markets.

"Changing the CEO would be a short-term solution. Sure the stock price would rise for a moment, but Nokia is a big company and it will take years for things to change," says Ari Hakkarainen, a former Nokia engineer, who wrote a book about the company.

Another challenge may be that Mr. Elop isn't Finnish, or even European. Nokia was first founded in 1865 as a wood paper mill by Fredrik Idestam, a mining engineer. Over the years, the company built positions in rubber, cable and electronics. The company didn't make its move into telecommunications until the late 1960s. In 1992, when Mr. Ollila took over as CEO, he focused the company solely around telecommunications and led the company to its current top global position by 1998. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Ollila, who was educated in London and got his start at in corporate banking at Citibank's London office, has sought to bring in American and British talent, former employees say. Still the company, which is headquartered in Espoo, remains culturally Finnish, they say.

"Nokia is definitely a Finnish company. It was born from Finnish culture," says Juhani Risku, 53, a former Nokia executive, who also wrote a book about the company.

—Joann Lublin contributed to this article.

Corrections & Amplifications:

Stephen Elop will succeed Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. An email alert about this article misspelled the name of Nokia's incoming chief executive.

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I'm Lovin it: Street English in India

I'm Lovin it: Street English in India

chillibreeze writer — Reem Khokhar

To truly experience the culture of a place most people would agree that the best way to soak it in is on the streets. “On the streets” here does not necessarily mean eating at street stalls or buying clothes at a pavement bazaar, but experiencing culture by observing the local people. The English language in India and it's localization is one such phenomenon that must be understood by observing the way people have molded it to fit into their own culture. I was walking through a fancy shopping mall in New Delhi with a friend and we passed by a glossy sign for McDonalds. The byline read, “ I'm loving it”. I had never given much thought to it, but my friend pointed out that this was the way many Indians speak. In fact she was a bit suspicious about whether the advertising agency was not actually taking a playful dig at the Indian tendency to use progressive in static verbs like, “I am understanding it” or “She is knowing the answer”. However, I disagree with my friend about the byline actually being a cheeky dig. Advertising caters to a target audience in a way that will appeal to them and in a language they will understand. This is the way many Indians speak English. With globalization has come an acceptance of an Indian identity and it is reflected in the confidence with which Indians have made English a part of their culture and bent the rules of conventional usage.

Ramananda Sengupta, the international editor of Outlook Magazine, spoke about how English is used in India and pointed out various peculiarities which are well understood in the country, but would seem quite alien to a foreigner. There is a distinction between first language and “Mother Tongue” in India . Sengupta interpreted a first language, as the one you think in, which for most educated Indians would be English. The “mother tongue”, which is another Indian adaptation, is the language spoken in one's native region. There are various other adaptations, which are distinct to English spoken in India . No one has a problem understanding sentences like, “You asked her no?” “We did it just like that only”, or “Please off the lights”. These are of course particular to conversational English and would not be used while writing.

There are several words that Indians use, which are not really used in other English speaking countries. For example ‘eve teasing' is the word used to describe the harassment of women, a ‘Himalayan blunder' is a very serious mistake, a “hotel” is used as a generic term for a eating place, ‘tops' are earrings, a ‘rubber' is an eraser, a ‘bearer' is a waiter, and ‘cent percent' is one hundred percent! Don't be befuddled if an Indian asks you your “good name”, which may lead you to think about which is the “bad” part and look at him or her blankly for a while. They just want to know your name! Signboards advertising “Fooding and Lodging” are common at small motels and no one has a problem understanding that.

Along with globalization has come not only the call center culture where young professionals are well versed with the nuances of American and British English and accents, but a also a new confidence in the way Indians have adapted the English language to suit their own culture. Indians have improvised and innovated in order to make English a part of their identity. Liberally sprinkled with local terms it is used unashamedly because this is the way one speaks English in India . It is all part of effective communication. So whether it is Pepsi's byline of “Yeh dil maange MORE” or Lehar's “CONTROL nahin hota”, they are reflections of the way English is spoken by most people here.

The disdain expressed by many educated Indians in the past at this tendency to infuse ethnicity into the English language is fading away. To speak English like the British is no longer the predominant view. Ivan Illich, an anti institutional philosopher, supported this trend in his series of articles called Vernacular Values. “Language would be totally inhuman if it were totally taught. Speech is much more than communication, and only machines can communicate to without reference to vernacular roots.” These improvisations are tailored for effective communication as there are certain times when neither English nor the local language are able to convey meaning adequately on their own. So it is common to hear Hinglish, a combination of Hindi and English, where local terms are interspersed through English sentences. This usage is not only reflected in advertising, but also in television shows, in movies, and even in Indian writing in English. In the latter, it is used to lend authenticity to the narrative, as sometimes the English language cannot completely convey the local experience.

Though there are many opponents to this trend and the new confidence in this so called “convoluted” version, many believe it to be positive. Whether it is advertising professionals, writers, or scholars, they all believe it is about effective communication and the fact that English is becoming localized shows it's popularity with the masses. Of course it is incorrect to believe that this hybrid version is used in business or professional communication. This is a casual style of speaking English adapted to the life of the millions of Indians who speak the language. Some may scream sacrilege, but it is really about the evolution of a language to mirror changing attitudes of a society. And for the millions who speak this hybrid version, “Well what to do, we're loving it!”

Doing Business in India: A Cultural Perspective

Doing Business in India: A Cultural Perspective


Joel stood by the windows of the Hilton and watched the lights twinkling in the harbor – tiny, glittering explosions of life. It was a quarter past nine in majestic Mumbai. Some Mumbaites were unwinding by the beach dining al fresco. Many were scurrying back home from work and the homeless were looking for a place to lay their heads for the night. The street below was bustling with activity and the loud, blaring sounds of rush hour traffic contributed to the environment the city is famous for.




It had only been a few days before that Joel landed in the subcontinent. In the back of his mind was the joint-venture that he had planned with a mid-sized Indian firm. Negotiations and meetings had followed each other everywhere in the past few days, but nothing concrete seemed to have been decided upon, yet. His future in this new, chaotic and strange land seemed bleak and unpromising. He couldn’t seem to get a grip of events and frustrated, Joel was almost on the verge of calling it quits.



The Indian economy had been booming for the past few years. The country held great promise for the future. Liberalized foreign policies had unleashed the entrepreneurial spirit of its people and many multi-national firms, attracted by the dusty plains of Deccan, had already set up big offices throughout the nation.



Joel and his associates had been very excited at the prospect of entering into a joint venture with this particular Indian firm and were quite optimistic about the outcome. Negotiations had started off quite well initially, but slowly, problems and misunderstandings arose as a detriment to finalizing the deal. Joel had attended several meetings in the past one-week and had expected a completed deal that morning, but it seemed like the Indians didn’t feel rushed to come up with a feasible deal and project plan. They had spent hours debating the objectives and long-term effects of the merger, but the discussions had rambled on and on without any concrete points being reached. Even after certain decisions were reached during discussions, the process was further prolonged by the necessity of going back to their senior colleagues for approval.



An enraged Joel tried to speed up matters, as a lot more issues had to be addressed, but the Indians felt that he was only interested in finalizing and implementing the deal. He didn’t seem to be concerned about debating the finer concepts behind the deal. They also, began to question his intelligence, abilities and sincerity. His informal way of addressing them also made them feel uncomfortable and not respected. All in all, they didn’t really trust him and the deal that he had carried all along and so eagerly looked forward to.



Trust had become a central issue between Joel and his Indian counterparts. Joel began to doubt the Indians capability of actually following through on the project and getting it done on time, therefore, making them a viable business partner became a huge question mark. On the other hand, the Indians were uncertain as to whether or not they could trust Joel. He also came across as tactless and rude.



Now, lets slightly examine with care as to where exactly this lovestory started falling apart. What was beyond Joel and gang as well as the Indians was that this lack of trust was mainly due to the cultural differences between the two countries. If only Joel had realized that the Indians viewed time differently from the Americans, he would definitely have been a lot more relaxed in his interactions. The Indians in turn, would not have viewed Joel as a pushy American who was only concerned about signing the deal, had they been a lot more clear about the American practical way of thinking and their approach to problem solving and project implementation. If either faction had been aware of how culture was a major factor in shaping business deals, they would have been able to adjust a little more and make each other more comfortable. This would have led to a sense of trust between them, business would have proceeded and the deal would have been negotiated to the satisfaction and benefit of all those who were involved.



Our cultures define our fundamental beliefs about how the world works and forms ways in which we interact and communicate with others and develop and maintain relationships. Doing business in a particular nation requires a focus on a multi-dimensional understanding of its culture and business practices. Understanding those differences and adapting to them is the key.



India is a complex country, and those arriving here to do business will discover that the path to success is often, not very smooth. The following tips will give them an idea of the working and business norms in practice here. These form the basis of doing business in India as well as closely connected to risks of doing business in India.



In the United States of America, efficiency, adhering to deadlines and a host of other similar habits are considered normal and are expected. But when it comes to India, one needs to understand that one is dealing with people from a different cultural background, that think and interact differently. As a result, what is considered to be reasonable and feasible in America may not work so in India and vice-versa.



Aggressiveness can often be interpreted as a sign of disrespect. This may lead to a complete lack of communication and motivation on the part of the Indians. One needs to take the time to get to know them as individuals in order to develop professional trust. Indians are very good hosts and will therefore, invite you to their homes and indulge in personal talk often. All this is very much a part of business. One is expected to accept the invitation gracefully. Taking a box of sweets, chocolates or a simple bouquet of flowers would definitely be a welcome gesture. Indians respect people who value their family. They will allow family to take priority over work, whenever necessary.



Criticism about an individual's ideas or work needs to be done constructively, without damaging that person’s self-esteem. As Indians are used to a system of hierarchy in the work-place, senior colleagues are obeyed and respected. Supervisors are expected to monitor an individual's work and shoulder the responsibility of meeting deadlines. Therefore, it is important to double-check and keep track of time. Educated Indians have learnt to adapt to the western methods of monitoring one’s own work and completing it on schedule.



An Indian who hesitates to say ‘No’ may actually be trying to convey that he is willing to try, but presuming the task to be unrealistic in nature, he may worry whethe he would get the job done. It is important to create a safe and comfortable work environment where it is okay to say "No" and also okay to make mistakes without the fear of repercussions.



In a group discussion, only the senior most person might speak, but that does not mean that the others agree with him. They may maintain silence, without contradicting him (or you) out of respect for seniority. Westernized Indians on the other hand can be quite assertive and direct and it is fine to treat them in the same manner. Politeness and honesty go a long way in establishing the fact that your intentions are genuine.



Women are treated with respect in the work place. They feel quite safe and secure in most organizations in India. Foreign women working here will find it easy to adapt to an Indian work environment. However, they need to plan their wardrobe carefully, keeping in mind the conservative dress codes in India.



Humor in the work place is something that some Indians are not used to. Most traditional Indians are teetotalers/vegetarians, so their eating habits need to be respected. Westernized Indians are more outgoing and do socialize and drink (excessively at times).



These tips mentioned above may not apply to all situations, as India is a land of contrasts and each person you meet will be unique blend of Indian/Western values. People from different socio-economic strata, educational backgrounds, class and religion may behave very differently.



For any expatriate the pace, pressure and protocol of living and working in a new country can be overwhelming, but there are many positive aspects to living, working and doing business in India – the valued friendships that one makes with Indians, the beautiful and exotic places to visit, the multi-varied cuisine to experiment with, and the many, many interesting things to buy. An expatriate who is prepared to accept the differences and make the necessary adaptations will definitely be greeted with the sweet taste of success in all business endeavors.

http://www.stylusinc.com/business/india/business_india.htm

MUSIC!!! FILL IN THE BLANKS AND WATCH THE VIDEO

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Kings Of Leon - Radioactive

RCA Records has announced that Radioactive will be the first single from Kings of Leon's new album, "Come Around Sundown".

"Come Around Sundown" is the follow up to the hugely successful "Only By The Night", which sold over six million copies worldwide and garnered four Grammy Awards. "Only By The Night" went 9 times Platinum in Australia and spent an incredible 14 weeks at #1 in the ARIA album chart.

Watch the videoclip + interview with the band: http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertainment/music/kings-of-leon-radioactive-clip.htm

KING OF LEON - RADIOACTIVE                                                

The road is __________ up yonder

I hope you see me there
Its in the water, Its where you came from
Its in the water, Its where you came from
And the __________begins to __________
And they cry to see your face

Its in the water, Its in the __________ of where you came from
Your sons and daughters in all their glory its __________ save her
And when they __________ and come together, and start __________

Just drink the water where you came from, where you came from
so the road it was __________ from yonder
Never __________ yourself away




ANSWERS

The road is carved up yonder

I hope you see me there


Its in the water, Its where you came from


Its in the water, Its where you came from


And the crowd begins to wander


And they cry to see your face

Its in the water, Its in the story of where you came from


Your sons and daughters in all their glory its gonna save her


And when they crash and come together, and start rising


Just drink the water where you came from, where you came from
So the road it was carved from yonder



Never sold yourself away


It's in the water, Its in the story of where you came from


Your sons and daughters in all their glory its gonna save her


And when they crash and come together, and start rising


Just drink the water where you came from, where you came from


And when they dance and come together and start rising


Just drink the water where you came from where you came from

Fathers also get the baby blues

Fathers also get the baby blues
Amy Corderoy

September 10, 2010

Call for routine screenings ... study finds up to 20 per cent of fathers suffer post-natal depression.

Depression among fathers is so common that one in five will experience it while their children are young, research shows.


A study of nearly 87,000 families in Britain has found 21 per cent of fathers and 39 per cent of mothers experienced a period of depression by the time their child was 12 years old.

Depression was most common among parents of babies, with 13 per cent of mothers and 3 per cent of fathers becoming depressed by the time their child reached its first birthday.

Postnatal depression is technically defined as depression that begins within four weeks of childbirth, although many support groups define it as beginning within one year of birth.


Healthcare workers should routinely screen for depression among both fathers and mothers, the study authors wrote in the journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

The chief executive of the Post and Antenatal Depression Association, Belinda Horton, said postnatal depression among Australian men and women was more common than thought.

"People often don't seek help because there is a very ingrained stigma around mental illnesses - even more so when it occurs at a time that is supposed to be celebratory and joyous," she said.

Causes included genetic predisposition to depression, physical ill-health, sleep deprivation, and hormonal changes. Life circumstances such as lack of support or previous trauma could also contribute.

''I get really cranky when it is written off as a hormonal problem for women only,'' Ms Horton said. ''Men haven't given birth but they clearly experience it as well.''

Nicole Highet, the deputy chief executive of beyondblue, said while some small Australian studies had found higher rates of depression among men who had recently had children, there was no large-scale evidence of this.

But the stresses of raising a child could make depression harder to deal with. "When you have a child and you are depressed you have parental responsibilities that mean you have to keep going," she said. "That is one of the things that makes it so hard".


For more on parenting and pregnancy: essentialbaby.com.au

The Sydney Morning Herald

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For the Disabled, a Day at the Beach

For the Disabled, a Day at the Beach

Every year, volunteers in Santa Cruz get together to offer a day on the beach to people with physical and mental disabilities

WATCH: http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,390641832001_2014634,00.html

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

By Amy Sullivan Wednesday, Sep. 08, 2010

In her new book, A Place of Healing, disability activist and Christian author Joni Eareckson Tada takes on a question that has vexed the faithful for centuries: If God can heal people, why doesn't he always do so? Tada has a strong personal interest in the answer. A quadriplegic since a diving accident four decades ago, she has suffered from crippling chronic pain in recent years and was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this summer. Tada spoke with TIME about finding peace through suffering and continuing to fight for acceptance 20 years after the landmark signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

How are you feeling?

Cancer and chronic pain on top of quadriplegia is a little challenging. Right now I'm tired from the chemotherapy and that, coupled with the pain, makes it difficult. At times I've thought, "Lord, this is an awful lot to bear. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" And yet, I know the answer.

Some people think there's another answer, though. At the beginning of your book, you describe an astounding encounter you had in a church parking lot.

Yes, this very earnest young man named David came up to me, knelt down by my wheelchair, and asked me, "Joni, are you sure there's no unconfessed sin in your life? I just know that God wants to heal you." He was basically saying my faith wasn't big enough or strong enough or righteous enough. I reminded him of the story in Luke where the four friends brought their paralyzed buddy to Jesus to be healed. But it was the faith of those friends — not the man's own faith — that Jesus used as a channel for healing. Well, there you go, David, the pressure's on you.

Why do you think people need to believe that you're to blame for your suffering?

If we can come up with a simple explanation, "You did something wrong," then it's something we think we can control. In the Christian faith, God really puts suffering front and center. He doesn't get squeamish about it. But our human inclination is to turn the other way, to assume that this person must have a bad track record with God. We just don't want to embrace the God who can be found in the midst of pain. We'd rather listen to Jesus preach sweet sermons about lilies.

So why doesn't God always heal people when they ask?

There is this verse in Matthew 18 where Jesus is delighted to heal people who come to him. But he says, if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. Now right there, it shows that Jesus has a different priority, and that is our spiritual healing. If I had been granted a miraculous physical healing back when I was 17, I know I wouldn't be in a ministry serving other people with disabilities around the world.

So when you work with people in great pain, do you encourage them to let go of the desire to be healed?

We can certainly ask to be healed. Even I ask for healing regarding this pain, regarding this cancer. Anyone who takes the Bible seriously agrees that God hates suffering. Jesus spent most of his time relieving it. But when being healed becomes the only goal — "I'm not letting go until I get what I want" — it's a problem. There comes a point at which if you don't start living, your whole life is spent jumping from one healing crusade to the next. And I believe I have been healed — just not in the way that others expect.

A lot of people would look at you and find that hard to believe.

I know. But I'm happy. And on that level, I have been healed. People who have been healed in the way I think I have been healed, we don't care about wealth, success, comfort. Having that peace makes up for any amount of walking that I have missed. One problem I have with faith-healing is that it tends to be focused only on the physical aspect of healing. But Jesus always backed away when people came to him only to get their physical needs met. My goodness, he was ready to have you lop off your hand! His real interest was in healing the soul.

You were involved with passing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which has now been law for 20 years. What still needs to be done for people with disabilities?

On the day the ADA was signed into law, we all went back to the hotel for a reception and our national director Paul Hearne gave a toast. He said, "This civil rights legislation is great in that it will open up doors of opportunities in employment, it will put ramps into restaurants. And yet this law is not going to change the employer's heart, it's not going to change the heart of the maître d'." He lifted his glass and said, "Here's to changed hearts." Paul understood what makes our society value or not value people. It's a matter of that moral center. I think the advancements will only be accomplished when we make friends with people with disabilities, when we stop tiptoeing around that person with MS, when we make ourselves see the woman in the wheelchair. You can't legislate that.


Read more: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2016484,00.html#ixzz0z83hQV92

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Ah-Choo! The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold

Ah-Choo! The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold
By Alexandra Silver Thursday, Sep. 09, 2010

Perhaps the only thing more prevalent than colds is the volume of misinformation about them. Science writer Jennifer Ackerman, however, was determined to get to the bottom of what she calls the "petty plague." She's certainly dedicated: for her latest book—Ah-Choo! The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold—she volunteered to be infected with a cold virus. Having endured her maladies, Ackerman talks to TIME about whether we'll ever have a cure, why you probably don't want to "boost" your immune system, and the medicinal merits of good old chicken soup.

There are so many misconceptions about colds, including the one about the weather. You don't actually catch cold from the cold—

This has been a really stubborn myth. It has been put to rest by lots of solid studies. So, Mom, relax, it's ok to go outside with wet hair. Cold doesn't cause colds, viruses do. Colds are more common in the fall and winter because the cooler, wetter weather drives people inside, and viruses can more easily jump from one person to the next.

For the sake of research, you actually volunteered to become infected with a cold. Was the experience everything you thought it would be?

Well, and more. It was an odd experience to know that you're going to get sick. The cold itself was supposed to be mild, but in my family colds tend to migrate to the chest. It was a good ten days before I was back to normal again.

Is it generally accepted that some people are genetically more prone to colds?

It's an open question: is there such a thing as a "cold constitution"? Scientists are really interested in this idea that if you infect people with the virus, everybody will get infected, but only 75% of people will actually come down with the cold. If we could do a big genetic study, we might learn exactly why that is. But right now, it looks like there's a kind of irony here: the people who don't experience symptoms probably aren't making the inflammatory agents that other people are making. In a way, their immune response is weaker than people who come down with the symptoms.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about colds?

Probably that susceptibility to colds requires a kind of weakened immune system. Dietary supplements and cold preventive remedies say, "boost your immune system so that you can ward off cold," and it's interesting, because if you want to diminish your cold symptoms, boosting elements of your immune system may be the last thing you want to do.

Your book's appendix of purported remedies is disheartening. Everything appears useless. Were you surprised at how few things have been proven to work?

Yes. And I was disabused of the notion that the zinc lozenges that my family has always used actually had some effect. We really are a pretty gullible species, and in a lot of these cases, if any of these remedies work, it may be due to the force of our own beliefs, the placebo effect.

Will there ever be a cure for the common cold?

They're still working hard on drugs, and doing gene studies looking at what factors make people susceptible. I'm an optimist. At some point we may have something that actually nips a cold in the bud. It would be a great thing if somebody in the household gets a cold, everybody else takes a nasal spray and nobody else gets sick. I feel like we're not too far off from something like that. There are some promising drugs in the pipeline. But it's been a really tough nut to crack.

Talk to me about chicken soup.

Ah, chicken soup. A researcher at the University of Nebraska looked at chicken soup and its effect on inflammatory cells in a petri dish. He found that chicken soup actually does have some anti-inflammatory effect, and anything that has an anti-inflammatory effect might, in theory, reduce symptoms. However, this has never been proven in people, so it's still speculative. But chicken soup has been touted as a cold remedy for more than a thousand years. I feel like just the hot broth, the fact that it's comfort food, may actually make it kind of healing. The idea that somebody would make you chicken soup—

That goes along with what you mention about the power of empathy?

Empathy can actually cut short a cold by a full day. Imagine, that's better than any drug on the market, and there aren't any side effects.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2016877,00.html#ixzz0z82DwssB






Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2016877,00.html#ixzz0z826h2EJ






Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2016877,00.html#ixzz0z820BIQa


Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2016877,00.html#ixzz0z81vd2iQ

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Angelina Jolie Admits "I Don't Have a Lot of Friends"

Angelina Jolie Admits "I Don't Have a Lot of Friends"

Looks Angelina Jolie isn't so popular after all!


During a satellite interview with CNN's Sanjay Gupta on Wednesday, the 35-year-old mom of six revealed that life can get pretty lonely when her role as the UN's Goodwill Ambassador forces them to be apart.

PHOTOS: Angelina's humanitarian efforts
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebritynews/photos/angelina-humanitarian-201064/

Angelina's cute kids

How does she cope?

"I'll talk to my family," the actress -- who is currently in Pakistan -- said. "I talk to Brad [Pitt]; he wants to know as much as he can about these issues and every trip. He's been here as well; he came with me after the earthquake. But I don't know, I don't have a lot of friends I talk to. He is really the only person I talk to."

Jolie arrived in Pakistan earlier this week to meet with victims of a recent flood. To date, the natural disaster has reportedly affected 17 million people and left 1,700 people dead.


And though she misses her family, Jolie says her children understand why she must leave them behind to fully engage in the relief efforts.

"I tell my children why I'm going and I explain to them why I was packing flashlights and food. They help me pack some things," she says. "My children are from a lot of these countries, so I want them to understand what's happening in Africa, the boys to understand what's happening if there's something current in their countries, and for all of them to know about each other's countries as well."
 
.....................VIDEO: A refugee makes fun of Angelina's big brood
http://www.usmagazine.com/momsbabies/news/refugee-to-angelina-youre-trying-to-have-more-kids-than-me-201068
 

Julia Roberts Converts To Hinduism

Julia Roberts has converted to Hinduism.

The 42-year-old actress, who has five-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, and son Henry, three, with her cameraman husband Daniel Moder, apparently turned to the religion while filming her latest movie ‘Eat Pray Love’ in India last year.

She told Elle magazine, “I’m definitely a practising Hindu. Golly, I’ve been so spoiled with my friends and family in this life. Next time I want to be just something quiet and supporting.” Julia now often visits temples to “chant, pray and celebrate”.

In ‘Eat Pray Love,’ which is based on a memoir by US writer Elizabeth Gilbert, Julia plays a divorcee who decides to travel the world, before finding love in Bali.

During filming in India last year, Julia completely immersed herself in the Hindu culture and was “astounded” during a visit to the Taj Mahal.

The screen beauty was apparently “astounded” by the white marble structure, which is the most famous mausoleum on the globe and listed as one of the “seven wonders of the modern world”.

At the time, a source said, “Julia was breathless, absolutely astounded by the Taj. She looked on in wonderment as her guide explained the intricate patterns and designs on the marble surface.

“The Taj is a legendary symbol of love and hopefully the monument will be an inspiration to her for her latest film.”