Know your Nails !

Nails reflect your health. If you are not healthy internally, it shows on your nails. Brittle nails are caused by the lack of water in the body. Ironically, prolonged exposure of nails to water also causes this, as do certain health conditions. Symptoms include easy peeling at the nail edge, breakage and layering. Discolouration (psoriasis) of nails can be due to anaemia, a common problem among women.
Blue nails indicate certain heart and liver diseases. White spots are formed when there is low blood supply to the nails. They could also be caused by injury and certain diseases.
Pain and swelling in and around the nails can be an indication of fungal infection. Frayed cuticles also indicate lack of water in the body.

WHAT TO EAT
Biotin is essential for nails. Have foods like soybean and whole grains that are rich in biotin. Your diet must include ample fruits and vegetables to supply necessary vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Consume adequate fluids. A glass of fresh carrot juice everyday provides necessary calcium and phosphorus for nails.

SOME DOS, SOME DON’TS
Do not use your nails as tools. No picking. No scratching. No digging. Try to keep your hands dry, though not unmoisturised. Do not bite your nails. It damages the nails and cuticles, causing deformation, uneven growth and infections too. Wear rubber gloves when you wash clothes or clean dishes. Keep your nails enamel-free and aerated once a week.

SIMPLE TIPS FOR NAIL CARE
A good time to manicure is just after a shower or washing dishes. The dirt under your nails has already been removed. Soak your hands in warm water for 10 minutes everyday, preferably before sleeping. Pat dry and moisturise well. Apply a cream or lotion whenever you wash your hands. Nails tend to dry out due to soaps and detergents. Trim your nails regularly. Change your socks daily. Try to wear cotton socks as much as possible. Do not wear tight shoes. They damage toenails. If you must wear closed shoes, clip your toenails short.

HOME REMEDIES FOR SPOTLESS NAILS
To whiten nails, use whitening toothpaste. Scrub your nails to de-stain and add sparkle. Soak your nails in water with lemon juice. The lemon acts as an astringent and lifts off the stains.

Casual & Recreational sex for Dolphins !

Imagine being chased by a portable male sex organ that has a mind of its own or having to wait three days for your lover to get undressed. Think of the kinkiest and chances are it is already been practised and perfected in the sea.
“As humans, we think we’re so promiscuous but compared to sea creatures we’re just so boring,” says Australian aquatic scientist Sheree Marris, author of the newly published book, ‘KamaSEAtra Secrets of Sex in the Sea’. The book is a comical exposé on the raunchy sex lives of creatures beneath the sea.
“Sex sells, people love secrets and there are so many wonderful parallels that we share with marine animals when it comes to sex, love and relationships. They flirt just like us, dress up to impress their loves, serenade. The works get weirder and a whole lot kinkier,” says the Victoria-born Marris.
Having spent five years researching the book, drawing on her own work and talking to international experts and scouring scientific journals, Marris’ interest in marine sex began when she first discovered the meaning of the term ‘dork’. “It’s a whale penis. When we call someone a dork we’re calling them a big dick.”
Dolphins, according to her, believe in casual and recreational sex. The male anemone fish has both male and female sex organs and the cuttlefish can change its appearance to sneak past another male and have sex behind its rival’s back.
The book also looks at parenthood in the marine world. Marris cites the example of male seahorses that receive eggs from the female. They incubate them and give birth to the young.
Finding a date, however, is tough under the sea. Marine animals often fight for love. Flatworms engage in penis fencing fights each trying to stab their combatant to death.

Most talked Uncoupling in tinsel world !

Everyone believed their relationship was for life long.

Years of steadfast commitment and people thought theirs was an affair set in stone. So when the Kareena-Shahid love story which went awry was splashed in media, many dismissed it as a publicity ploy to promote the pair’s forthcoming flick.

While that’s a thought, it wouldn’t be too wrong to suggest splitsville as another name for Bollywood/Hollywood. Here are the some famous break ups in tinsel world:

SAHEED KAPOOR - KAREENA KAPOOR

AISHWARYA RAI – SALMAN KHAN/VIVEK OBEROI

AAMIR KHAN – REENA

YUVRAJ SINGH – KIM SHARMA

SAIF ALI KHAN – AMRITA SINGH/ROSA

JENNIFER ANISTON AND BRAD PITT

BRITNEY SPEARS – KEVIN FEDERLINE

TOM CRUISE – NICOLE KIDMAN

JEMIMA GOLDSMITH – IMRAN KHAN/HUGH GRANT

It's mostly about dalliances rather than alliances in the world of celluloid charmers.

In Remembrance ! ( Ustadji )

What a way to offer a tribute to the maestro! Subhankar Ghosh’s docu-drama titled Yaad-EBismillah on the shehnai maestro was a perfect treat for music lovers at the GD Birla Sabaghar. What perhaps saddened many was to see the footages of the maestro when he was on his death bed, looking frail with too many tubes jutting out of his body.

But such is life and the only solace lies in the music of the maestro that has transcended all such mortal barriers. It was indeed nice to hear Dr Soma Ghosh’s tribute to Khan saab. Her rendition of kheyal, kajri, ghazal and Shayamsangeet had the audience hypnotised by the charm of the Benaras gharana. Equally captivating was the brief jugalbandi between Ghosh and Khan saab’s nephew, Mumtaz Hussaain .

The concluding session saw the performance of Tal Rang ensemble with endangered instruments including, Bangla dhol and eshraj. By the time the recital ended with a five-minute-long dhun on the eshraj, youngsters were seen enthusiastically clapping to the music. An instrument that can generate such response surely can’t be allowed to fade into oblivion. Surely, the city could do with more such concerts to wean listeners to this form of music.
Related Link - Tribute to a master : Yaad-E-Bismillah !

Open the bottle with style !

No party is complete without wine. So, it is important to learn how to open that wine bottle just right, with style !

While serving wine at a party has become a norm, there are still some who shy away from opening a bottle right away. Simply because they do not know how to open one. It’s actually pretty simple to open a bottle of wine. These steps are for a doubleaction (or wing) corkscrew, which has two arms (or wings) that help lever the cork out of the bottle.

Remove the top of the lead or foil capsule by cutting around the rim of the bottle with the sharp point of the corkscrew. The arms of the corkscrew will have to be raised for this step. You can also make a slit in the foil and remove the whole capsule before beginning. Stand the bottle on a flat, hard surface at mid-chest level or lower. Lower the arms of the corkscrew. Holding the corkscrew as vertically and straight as possible, place the sharp end into the middle of the cork. Securely grasp the top of the bottle and the lower end of the corkscrew with one hand. With the other hand, begin turning the handle of the corkscrew clock-wise, applying an even, constant downward pressure into the cork. As the corkscrew goes into the cork, its arms will begin to rise. Apply more pressure if the corkscrew will not penetrate the cork. Keep turning the handle until the arms of the corkscrew are completely raised and the screw is well into the cork. With one hand on each arm of the corkscrew, press the arms down. This will lift the cork out of the bottle. Wrap your hand around the base of the corkscrew and lift straight up. Remove the foil, if necessary. Twist the cork off the corkscrew.

Wipe the rim of the bottle with a damp towel before serving, to remove any stray pieces of cork and, more importantly, any lead left by the foil. Avoid corkscrews that penetrate the cork with a solid, ridged metal screw, which can tear it apart. Instead, use a corkscrew with a metal spiral resembling a cartoon pig’s tail.

An all-star salute to Julia Roberts !

That famous Julia Roberts smile was flashing more than usual Friday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where the American Cinematheque honored the actress with its 22nd annual award.
The ceremony, to air Dec. 5 on AMC, featured her co-stars past and present sharing memories of working together and introducing themed montages from her films.

The montage that got the biggest laugh most likely will never air on AMC. Introduced by Sally Field, who noted their mutual fondness for expletives, the package featured clips of Roberts using various curse words.

Tom Hanks did a bit equating Roberts to the letters in QUAKE: Q, for the question he always gets: "What's it like working with Julia Roberts? U: Upstaging. A: Asterisk, as in actors' credits punctuated by a "* worked with Julia Roberts." K: The Knowledge that Julia will be going home to a husband who is way better looking than you will ever be. And E: Everybody loves Julia Roberts.

Satin Comfort !

Gods of Couture love dressing women in sexy satin. There’s nothing like the luxury and comfort of smooth satin. Be it satin gowns, skirts, slips or lingerie, satin is the favourite fabric. Romancing in satin builds a mood. Curvy women know how soft satin can highlight their sensual curves.


Remember, Marilyn Monroe’s satiny dress when she performed Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Afterwards Madonna recreated the same satiny look in her song Material Girl. From red carpet walk at the Oscars to bollywood award nights, satin simply rules. Satin reflects luxury. It’s a fabric that understands feminity. Women just love the way it drapes around your body, it makes you fall in love with it.

The good thing about satin is, you can wear it during the day and night. Satin is all about sheer sheen. The best way to wear satin is in simple silhouettes, soft pleats, delicate drapes with dazzling accessories. A satin top during the day time teamed with a skirt looks so stylish and a black satin knee length dress is perfect for the evenings.

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Satin itself is such a lush and rich fabric that don’t go over the top while dressing. The key to this trend is to add a touch of glimmer without overdressing; wear just one embellishment at a time. Skinny sequinned scarves and pretty beaded bracelets can add trendy sparkle to any outfit. While jewel-accented hairbands and colourful vintage brooches achieve lady-like glamour instantaneously.

Real life 'Ghungroo' of Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag !

THE moment you spot her, your mind conjures up images of a bindaas Ghungroo of Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag. But a closer look at the petite 26-yearold Sunita, and you can see the difference between the real-life female autorickshaw driver, who cruises the deadly roads of Delhi, and her reel-life counterpart. There are no Ghungroo-style gaalis or brazenness of Sholay’s Basanti, just stoic calm. A fire in her belly that translates into strength in her eyes. Eyes that convey that they've licked many a darkness-filled corner.

As I hitch a bumpy ride on her auto on a hot sunny day, Sunita waves a practised hand when a bus load of school kids wave at her. She tackles half a dozen funny stares without batting an eyelid. She laughs when she recalls the reaction of other autorickshaw drivers when she hit the road. "They were really threatened and said, 'What will happen to us if women start driving? No one will hire us then'. I even got into fisticuffs with them." Today, by her own admission, she's quite respected by her fellow drivers. Why, we even witness a rowdy driver of a killer Blueline bus making way for her! "I still carry the 10-rupee note my first passenger tipped me with," she says fondly, waving the talisman in my face.

But life's not been easy for this woman. It was less than a decade ago when a mentally and emotionally scarred girl came to Delhi, leaving behind her rusty village near Meerut to escape a maniacal husband and even worse inlaws. She was married off at 13, divorced at 14. But this gutsy girl decided to take the reins of her life in her hand. Initially, with no place to stay or any money for food, she started as an errand girl at a primary health centre. Then came the turning point in her life.

En route to Haridwar, Sunita saw the bloodsmeared body of a young guy — a victim of road rashness. As she cried for help, the callousness of passersby appalled her. Even the police refused to help. As she saw the boy die in front of her eyes, Sunita promised herself that she'd never abandon a hapless person on the road or an accident victim, ever. "And there was just one way I could do so — by owning a vehicle," she says.

But she soon realised that without money, she couldn't even afford driving lessons. Not one to lose heart, she asked around. Policemen from the local station acted good Samaritans. They let her practice on their PCR van on one condition — she had to be there at the crack of dawn, before the senior officers arrived. And there she was!

She bought her first autorickshaw after a lot of tussle with the authorities. "They simply refused me a licence, because 'they've never given one to a woman before'. "A decision that made me run from pillar to post for three long years!" exclaims Sunita. Driving in Delhi's chaotic traffic is no fun. But Sunita remains unfazed, weaving through traffic, totally confident of her driving skills. "I drive from dawn to dusk. It never tires me. In fact, I love driving at night when I get to see interesting characters and all sorts of human drama unfolding," she says with a glint in her eyes.

So, does it get lonely at times with not a single female colleague to bond with? "I do chat with other male drivers or policewallas, but I don't like to be 'one' of them. They smoke and drink. I prefer to read my newspaper or take a nap on the backseat when I get free moments," she explains. Incidentally, some years back, she contested the assembly elections in Delhi and lost. Would she file her nomination again? "Why not? Politicians have clout." Would she give up her auto then? "No way! It's my luxury car!" she cries energetically.

Love,Lust,Forever !

People sometimes say that they know a couple married for 20 years whose sex life is still as good as if they were just married. Here’s what you should tell them—If that’s the case, there are only three possibilities: One, the couple is lying; two, they didn’t have good sex to begin with or three, sex is all they really have together, they never connected emotionally. Well, sharing lives is very different from sharing dinners, long walks or weekends. When you were dating the man you ultimately married, you were both acting most of the times, always putting your best foot forward. When you were dating, if you complained to him about your day not going well, he would take your hand and ask, “Tell me what happened.” Now, after marriage, when he asks how your day was, you will simply snap a quick, “Fine,” and leave it at that. And, hey, he is happy to leave it at that too. Why? Because when you are living with someone 24/7, it’s difficult to be adoring or keep up the aura of mystery. Here are some truths about sex, for most married couples:

LOVE IS CONSTANT, PASSION IS NOT Everything in the universe eventually demagnetises when left close to something of the opposite charge. Magnets do. So do men and women. Some people fall out of lust in seven days, never mind seven years or 17! Basic animal attraction is a force of nature that seems designed to make us mate. Relaxing in our marriages and freeing ourselves from the pressure of trying to impress our partners has a predictable outcome. Our partners are not impressed. The magnetic spell we once cast on them begins to waver. And causes the loss of passion.

COSY IS COMFY, BUT NOT SEXY The more familiar men and women get with each other, the more they cease to be princes and princesses, gods and goddesses who evoke romantic fantasies or inspire amorous worship. Since couples lucky enough to be emotionally genuine with each other share so many real moments, they need to pay special attention to creating magical moments—because great sex requires magic. You can have a close marriage and recapture a good sex life—but only once you admit that reigniting romance takes creativity and a dedicated amount of time and energy.

INTIMACY IS NOT EQUAL TO SEX When a man and a woman reveal themselves to each other, it makes each person feel more vulnerable. And, particularly for men, it’s hard to have amazing sex while feeling emotionally exposed. Our earliest experiences with being intimate comes from our relationships with our parents. And those relationships are asexual. That’s why some husbands and wives are open about what pleases them sexually only when they have affairs. They feel as if they have to be free of family to be free with their amorous impulses. Change that by treating your spouse as your lover instead!

An affair with Raima Sen !

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Everyone knows about Raima Sen’s brief relationship with Kunal Kapoor (of Rang De Basanti fame). But here’s more. After that, late last year, Raima had another brief affair, this time with politician Kalikesh Singh Deo who is a Bhubaneshwar-based MLA. However, the relationship did not last long and they parted ways at the end of March, this year. Says a source, “Raima and Kalikesh were very close. They looked very good as a couple. Everyone thought that their relationship would get more serious, but sadly, that did not happen. They parted ways, but not on an ugly note. The main reason was that their careers were as different as chalk and cheese. Their work did not allow them to meet much and relationship lost its fizz. They were together for only four months.” Unlike most actors, Raima did not beat around the bush about her love life, when we asked her about it. She frankly admitted that she was involved with Kalikesh towards the end of last year. “We were together, but the relationship did not last long. He is in Bhubaneshwar and I am in Mumbai. We didn’t make much headway because of the distance between the two cities.”


Kalikesh Singh Deo comes from the royal family of Bolangir and is the youngest member of the Orissa State Assembly. Elected to the House in 2004, he won from Saintala Assembly constituency, which was previously held by the Indian National Congress. He completed his schooling from the Doon School, Dehradun and graduated in Economics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He represented India in shooting and basketball. He is currently the BJD Bolangir District President and member of the Public Accounts Committee and Energy Committee of Orissa Assembly.

‘Yes, I’m going international’ -Bipasha

Bipasha is going to Hollywood, but only on her own terms. “Within a month, I’ll be signing my first international film,” she reveals. And what kind of roles is she looking at? “I’m going to oppose any effort to slot me as an Indian with a sing-song voice in any international project. If I was willing to play the stereotypical Indian, I’d have done Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Ltd and so many other projects that have come my way. But I want to play mainstream, normal characters in the West, not ethnic Asian people.” Even John Abraham is playing a non-Indian in Deepa Mehta’s Luna. “Well, having a global diction certainly helps. Any film-maker that I’ve met abroad has liked my voice. Everything is in-sync sound out there. So, a correct voice and diction is a major battle won.” Elaborating further, Bipasha adds, “There’re so many beautiful actors from Korea and China who have failed to make the grade abroad because of their thick accents. I think India can work there.”