BE-IZZAT BE-ABR'E'U -- III

More often than not a genre of crime doesn't end, it merely mutates into another form.
Herald's tryst with plagiarism under Editor Robin Abreu continues. But he's not plagiarising editorials this time. The breeding ground for unethical and unlawful journalistic practices has now shifted from the newspaper's editorial pages to its magazine supplements.
One of the crucial reasons perhaps, is that these supplements INSIGHT, FRIENDS, etc are rarely uploaded on the website. Perhaps Robin felt that this would make it that more difficult for anyone to pin down the plagiarism.
One could have missed it... but the moment one reads a byline "NIKHIL JOSEPH" something strikes you. Not only does the name indicate possible hybrid descent, but also hints at a very hybrid imagination. NIKHIL JOSEPH has been midwifed by Robin and his gang on the pages of Herald's magazines for its readers to behold.
Who is in charge of these magazines now? Cosme -- the (forever) Little one, or is it Maria? Why is there not even a whimper of protest coming from the former? Look, getting plagiarised stuff printed on the magazine is not as innocuous as it appears. When one writes a column for these magazines (NIKHIL JOSEPH write whole pages sometimes), the accounts department automatically issues a cheque for the submission in favor of the writer.
Now we are assuming that all these articles written by NIKHIL JOSEPH are being paid for? PENPRICKS is dead sure that NIKHIL JOSEPH is a fictitious entity (you will soon read why). In that case, who is picking up the cheques, that are being issued by the Herald's accounts department in favour of NIKHIL JOSEPH. Who's taking the money?
Frankie Gracias, you cover Crime there... You had better take this bit between you teeth and look about, if you wish to. Stop worrying about cops' motorcycles being stolen, someone's pilfering money in your own office bud...
Could someone tell us, how much folks actually get for writing an article in the magazines? We are sure it varies with the sort of thing you write and your stature as the writer. Since we see NIKHIL JOSEPH writing about nukes and all, we presume he is being paid a pretty bit more than other amateur writers.
Phew... now who's NIKHIL JOSEPH? On August 6, 2005 NIKHIL JOSEPH was based in Los Angeles and worte a terrific piece for the International Herald Tribune and called himself Bennet Ramberg (Could be born at Ramgarh, UP? hmmm debatable :) hehe)
In his earlier years, NIKHIL JOSEPH also served as a policy analyst at the US State Department from 1989 to 1990. See this is the calibre of writers Herald has been sourcing from all over the world. And you think Herald would pay him Rs 200 to Rs 250 for his articles in Herald's magazines, which they normally pay contributors? Naaa...
Lets go a year back to July 2004, our NIKHIL JOSEPH had developed another interest... WATCHES... Around that time he called himself Avinash Kalla and wrote stories for the DECCAN HERALD (hehe... has the name Herald been plagiarised too?) as the story we have reproduced below shows. This time round, PENPRICKS did not think it necessary to highlight the copied portions, cause the plagiarim is wholesale... But dammit... its fun... we'll do it anyway, its easier for you guys to see it...
And the most recent fraud...
NIKHIL JOSEPH'S June 25 article on the Herald has been lifted wholesale from a website called www.byparentsforparents.com and the title of the story is 'When we talk about privacy'. And guess what... its written by Ruth Suli Urman (see, we told you there was something odd here... NIKHIL JOSEPH also loves to play drag sometimes when writes his articles, hehe). You can also read up another story that has been plagiarised from the website and plagiarised in the Herald titled 'Parents Guide to the teens Online World'
Hey guys by the way, we thought we alone had this one -- there goes our exclusive tag :( -- , but a quick scan on the web shows that the investigative botanist/horticulturist :) Minguel Braganza seems to have partially beaten us to this one... He did find something funny about NIKHIL JOSEPH last month.

PLAGIARISM... ILLUSTRATIONS I & II

THE PLAGIARISED VERSION

http://oheraldo.in/node/3026?PHPSESSID=ec6537dd8653baf1cdfd26138c3c1bd5
TO WHAT END

By Nikhil Joseph
What are nuclear weapons good for? Reflecting on the atomic bombing of Japan in World War II, Harry Truman gave this answer: “I regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt that it should be used,” adding, “When I talked to Churchill he unhesitatingly told me that he favored the use of the atomic bomb if it might aid to end the war.” Nonetheless, since the bombing of Hiroshima 60 years ago on Saturday, the United States and other nuclear-armed nations have demonstrated considerable resistance to repeating Truman’s decision, despite the many crises and conflicts of the Cold War and beyond. Each president, however, continued to build, modernize or otherwise maintain weapons that would dwarf the explosive power of the devices that obliterated Hiroshima, and three days later, Nagasaki. But to what end? This anniversary should be a time of public reflection. In its Nuclear-Posture Review of December 2001, the administration of George W. Bush provided its answer. Calling nuclear weapons an adjunct to conventional forces, the Pentagon said that the arsenal functioned to assure allies, while it dissuades, deters and, if necessary, defeats adversaries. With the hindsight of decades, we now are able to test whether the Pentagon’s first three objectives make sense. Fortunately, since the Japanese bombings, there has been no additional test of the fourth. “Assurance” seeks to prevent America’s allies from going nuclear. The strategy: Military alliances backed by a U.S. atomic commitment. The premise: Any proliferation - even among allies - increases the risk of nuclear war. Despite two notable failures (Britain and France), Washington’s nuclear assurance claimed important achievements: Through the Cold War, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan - all nuclear candidates - abstained from developing weapons in no small measure because the American bomb underpinned the alliance. Though threats by North Korea and China recently tempted the latter three to reconsider their nonproliferation commitment, American pledges continue to provide them with reassurance. “Dissuasion” strives to intimidate adversaries from “pursuing threatening capabilities,” the review said. Here, too, the historic record is mixed. The strategy failed to prevent North Korea from going nuclear, and even after Iraq’s Osirak reactor was attacked by Israel in 1981, it did not stop Saddam Hussein from seeking to develop nuclear weapons through the 1980s. On the other hand, there has been a recent success, the agreement by Libya to abandon its own nuclear program. It recalls the decision Egypt made years ago to avoid Israeli pre-emptive nuclear action. Nuclear “deterrence,” which, the review says, involves reinforcing the United States’ ability to keep adversaries’ high-value targets in its sights, has had the greatest impact in preventing crises or tamping down conflicts between nuclear-armed states. Mutual nuclear fright tempered Soviet-American actions during the crises in Berlin, in Cuba and in the Middle East in 1973; the same holds true for the 1969 Chinese-Soviet border skirmishes and the 2001-2002 India-Pakistan confrontation after the Kashmir separatist attack on India’s Parliament. Today, North Korea believes that its own nuclear capacity deters the United States. The bomb, however, did not prevent non-nuclear-weapons states from taking on or resisting nuclear adversaries. North Korea invaded the South even though the United States used nuclear threats to prompt China to halt hostilities. North Vietnam and the Afghan mujahedeen not only stood up to their superpower foes, but beat them. Likewise, Hezbollah chased nuclear-armed Israel out of Lebanon. Elsewhere in the region, Egypt was unbowed in the lead-up to the 1967 war with Israel and, with Syria, remained so in the 1973 war. Then there was Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, which irreverently stood up to Washington in 1991 and 2002. Finally, Moscow discovered how hollow nuclear weapons could be in keeping its empire and ultimately the Soviet Union itself intact. This history of the atomic age suggests that nuclear weapons never became a foolproof way to scare adversaries toward a permanent peace - as some had hoped - nor did they become the inevitable destroyer of nations that others feared. In the absence of disaster, nuclear nations have grown increasingly comfortable in the belief that they can “game” the bomb to enhance security. But this notion should be cold comfort in light of nuclear crises that came within a hairsbreadth of ending in nuclear catastrophe. Then there remains the ever-present possibility of accidental nuclear war because of failures of command and control or intelligence. Still, with the exception of nations that do not anchor their security in nuclear defense - for example, Ukraine, Belarus and South Africa, which gave up their bombs after changes in government - the weapons will probably populate arsenals around the world for another 60 years and beyond. That said, there remains at least one significant caveat: nuclear terrorism. Should terrorists have their nuclear day, people around the globe will declare “enough” and demand an end to the bombs that history bequeathed.

THE ORIGINAL

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/05/opinion/edramberg.php
ATOMIC WEAPONS: TO WHAT END?

By Bennett Ramberg

International Herald Tribune
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2005LOS ANGELES: What are nuclear weapons good for? Reflecting on the atomic bombing of Japan in World War II, Harry Truman gave this answer: "I regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt that it should be used," adding, "When I talked to Churchill he unhesitatingly told me that he favored the use of the atomic bomb if it might aid to end the war." Nonetheless, since the bombing of Hiroshima 60 years ago on Saturday, the United States and other nuclear-armed nations have demonstrated considerable resistance to repeating Truman's decision, despite the many crises and conflicts of the Cold War and beyond. Each president, however, continued to build, modernize or otherwise maintain weapons that would dwarf the explosive power of the devices that obliterated Hiroshima, and three days later, Nagasaki. But to what end? This anniversary should be a time of public reflection. In its Nuclear-Posture Review of December 2001, the administration of George W. Bush provided its answer. Calling nuclear weapons an adjunct to conventional forces, the Pentagon said that the arsenal functioned to assure allies, while it dissuades, deters and, if necessary, defeats adversaries. With the hindsight of decades, we now are able to test whether the Pentagon's first three objectives make sense. Fortunately, since the Japanese bombings, there has been no additional test of the fourth. "Assurance" seeks to prevent America's allies from going nuclear. The strategy: Military alliances backed by a U.S. atomic commitment. The premise: Any proliferation - even among allies - increases the risk of nuclear war. Despite two notable failures (Britain and France), Washington's nuclear assurance claimed important achievements: Through the Cold War, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan - all nuclear candidates - abstained from developing weapons in no small measure because the American bomb underpinned the alliance. Though threats by North Korea and China recently tempted the latter three to reconsider their nonproliferation commitment, American pledges continue to provide them with reassurance. "Dissuasion" strives to intimidate adversaries from "pursuing threatening capabilities," the review said. Here, too, the historic record is mixed. The strategy failed to prevent North Korea from going nuclear, and even after Iraq's Osirak reactor was attacked by Israel in 1981, it did not stop Saddam Hussein from seeking to develop nuclear weapons through the 1980s. On the other hand, there has been a recent success, the agreement by Libya to abandon its own nuclear program. It recalls the decision Egypt made years ago to avoid Israeli pre-emptive nuclear action. Nuclear "deterrence," which, the review says, involves reinforcing the United States' ability to keep adversaries' high-value targets in its sights, has had the greatest impact in preventing crises or tamping down conflicts between nuclear-armed states. Mutual nuclear fright tempered Soviet-American actions during the crises in Berlin, in Cuba and in the Middle East in 1973; the same holds true for the 1969 Chinese-Soviet border skirmishes and the 2001-2002 India-Pakistan confrontation after the Kashmir separatist attack on India's Parliament. Today, North Korea believes that its own nuclear capacity deters the United States. The bomb, however, did not prevent non-nuclear-weapons states from taking on or resisting nuclear adversaries. North Korea invaded the South even though the United States used nuclear threats to prompt China to halt hostilities. North Vietnam and the Afghan mujahedeen not only stood up to their superpower foes, but beat them. Likewise, Hezbollah chased nuclear-armed Israel out of Lebanon. Elsewhere in the region, Egypt was unbowed in the lead-up to the 1967 war with Israel and, with Syria, remained so in the 1973 war. Then there was Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which irreverently stood up to Washington in 1991 and 2002. Finally, Moscow discovered how hollow nuclear weapons could be in keeping its empire and ultimately the Soviet Union itself intact. This history of the atomic age suggests that nuclear weapons never became a foolproof way to scare adversaries toward a permanent peace - as some had hoped - nor did they become the inevitable destroyer of nations that others feared. In the absence of disaster, nuclear nations have grown increasingly comfortable in the belief that they can "game" the bomb to enhance security. But this notion should be cold comfort in light of nuclear crises that came within a hairsbreadth of ending in nuclear catastrophe. Then there remains the ever-present possibility of accidental nuclear war because of failures of command and control or intelligence. Still, with the exception of nations that do not anchor their security in nuclear defense - for example, Ukraine, Belarus and South Africa, which gave up their bombs after changes in government - the weapons will probably populate arsenals around the world for another 60 years and beyond. That said, there remains at least one significant caveat: nuclear terrorism. Should terrorists have their nuclear day, people around the globe will declare "enough" and demand an end to the bombs that history bequeathed. (Bennett Ramberg was a policy analyst at the State Department from 1989 to 1990.) LOS ANGELES What are nuclear weapons good for? Reflecting on the atomic bombing of Japan in World War II, Harry Truman gave this answer: "I regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt that it should be used," adding, "When I talked to Churchill he unhesitatingly told me that he favored the use of the atomic bomb if it might aid to end the war." Nonetheless, since the bombing of Hiroshima 60 years ago on Saturday, the United States and other nuclear-armed nations have demonstrated considerable resistance to repeating Truman's decision, despite the many crises and conflicts of the Cold War and beyond. Each president, however, continued to build, modernize or otherwise maintain weapons that would dwarf the explosive power of the devices that obliterated Hiroshima, and three days later, Nagasaki. But to what end? This anniversary should be a time of public reflection. In its Nuclear-Posture Review of December 2001, the administration of George W. Bush provided its answer. Calling nuclear weapons an adjunct to conventional forces, the Pentagon said that the arsenal functioned to assure allies, while it dissuades, deters and, if necessary, defeats adversaries. With the hindsight of decades, we now are able to test whether the Pentagon's first three objectives make sense. Fortunately, since the Japanese bombings, there has been no additional test of the fourth. "Assurance" seeks to prevent America's allies from going nuclear. The strategy: Military alliances backed by a U.S. atomic commitment. The premise: Any proliferation - even among allies - increases the risk of nuclear war. Despite two notable failures (Britain and France), Washington's nuclear assurance claimed important achievements: Through the Cold War, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan - all nuclear candidates - abstained from developing weapons in no small measure because the American bomb underpinned the alliance. Though threats by North Korea and China recently tempted the latter three to reconsider their nonproliferation commitment, American pledges continue to provide them with reassurance. "Dissuasion" strives to intimidate adversaries from "pursuing threatening capabilities," the review said. Here, too, the historic record is mixed. The strategy failed to prevent North Korea from going nuclear, and even after Iraq's Osirak reactor was attacked by Israel in 1981, it did not stop Saddam Hussein from seeking to develop nuclear weapons through the 1980s. On the other hand, there has been a recent success, the agreement by Libya to abandon its own nuclear program. It recalls the decision Egypt made years ago to avoid Israeli pre-emptive nuclear action. Nuclear "deterrence," which, the review says, involves reinforcing the United States' ability to keep adversaries' high-value targets in its sights, has had the greatest impact in preventing crises or tamping down conflicts between nuclear-armed states. Mutual nuclear fright tempered Soviet-American actions during the crises in Berlin, in Cuba and in the Middle East in 1973; the same holds true for the 1969 Chinese-Soviet border skirmishes and the 2001-2002 India-Pakistan confrontation after the Kashmir separatist attack on India's Parliament. Today, North Korea believes that its own nuclear capacity deters the United States. The bomb, however, did not prevent non-nuclear-weapons states from taking on or resisting nuclear adversaries. North Korea invaded the South even though the United States used nuclear threats to prompt China to halt hostilities. North Vietnam and the Afghan mujahedeen not only stood up to their superpower foes, but beat them. Likewise, Hezbollah chased nuclear-armed Israel out of Lebanon. Elsewhere in the region, Egypt was unbowed in the lead-up to the 1967 war with Israel and, with Syria, remained so in the 1973 war. Then there was Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which irreverently stood up to Washington in 1991 and 2002. Finally, Moscow discovered how hollow nuclear weapons could be in keeping its empire and ultimately the Soviet Union itself intact. This history of the atomic age suggests that nuclear weapons never became a foolproof way to scare adversaries toward a permanent peace - as some had hoped - nor did they become the inevitable destroyer of nations that others feared. In the absence of disaster, nuclear nations have grown increasingly comfortable in the belief that they can "game" the bomb to enhance security. But this notion should be cold comfort in light of nuclear crises that came within a hairsbreadth of ending in nuclear catastrophe. Then there remains the ever-present possibility of accidental nuclear war because of failures of command and control or intelligence. Still, with the exception of nations that do not anchor their security in nuclear defense - for example, Ukraine, Belarus and South Africa, which gave up their bombs after changes in government - the weapons will probably populate arsenals around the world for another 60 years and beyond. That said, there remains at least one significant caveat: nuclear terrorism. Should terrorists have their nuclear day, people around the globe will declare "enough" and demand an end to the bombs that history bequeathed. (DAMMIT... the whole bit... except for varying paragraph indents, the whole thing has been plagiarised, en bloc)

(Bennett Ramberg was a policy analyst at the State Department from 1989 to 1990.) -- (barring this line of course and you know why... hehe)

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http://oheraldo.in/taxonomy/term/20?PHPSESSID=6637aa3b8f1047

STYLISH WRISTWORK
Nikhil Joseph discovers that a distinct niche is emerging for stylish watches, creating that is unfolding trendy designs that are classy, chic…and expensive…
Good times don’t last forever but good watches do! Elegant and expensive watches traditionally considered accessories of the rich and the famous today top the wish list of up-with-the-times youth.
Apart from the annual demand of around 25 million watches there’s a distinct niche developing for stylish watches creating an altogether new opening for leading players who are unfolding designer ranges that are not just classy trendy as well.
“We saw a huge potential in the premium fashion segment. That’s why we’ve gone in for a tie up with Tommy Hilfiger. We’ll be operating in the price band of Rs 4,500 and Rs.10,000 and hope to clock around Rs.50 crore annually,” says Bijou Kurien, COO, Titan Industries.
Kurien adds that the prime buyers in this segment are going to be cool young people who, he feels, will be attracted by the carefully crafted Tommy Hilfiger collection. “It is not just chic but also matches up qualitatively with the best international brands.”
The watches in Freedom segment are for the sporty with an eye for luxury and minute technological detail. The American Classics line has straightforward designs matched with signature details. Then come the American Women and Tommy Girl watches for the young lady on the move.
Apart from Tommy Hilfiger there are plenty of choices for the young lady. Swiss giant Baume & Mercier has launched Linea Variations, a watch combined with a jewellery accessory with as many wristbands as there are hours or moods in a day.
Swatch recently came up with the Tissot Cocktail range available with a diverse choice of coloured dials such as lapis-lazuli, aquamarine, silver, black, and mother-of-pearl. The watches are protected by sapphire glass and water-resistant to a depth of 30 metres. Priced at Rs. 8225, the collection has been a huge hit with party-hopping girls.
What makes a watch tick amongst the Gen Y? “Though design comes first, a watch must also reflect attitude. The style, the strap and the size are all important. A watch must enhance the personality of the wearer,” says Akshay Saran a young Supreme Court advocate who saves money every year to buy himself a watch on his birthday.
“This year I bought an Esprit Chronograph for Rs. 5000. “ It is a technologically superior watch. The black dial with three sub-dials in a steel body define my approach to life,” says Saran who has a collection of Swatch, Casio and Fast Track. According to Kapil Kapoor, Managing Director, Timex, the segment between Rs.1000 and Rs 5000 is growing fast. The demand is for watches with multiple features. Young people are looking for a convergence of technology in their watches. That’s why there is a great preference for watches loaded with internet, watches that come with heart rate monitors, eco-friendly watches, 100-hour chronograph with lap, etc have already become popular features today.
Seeing the emergence of this niche market companies are coming up with products suited to a wide array of tastes and ages. The technology savvy consumers have brands such as EcoDrive from Citizen, Indigo series from Timex and Sports series from Nike. For the stylish there’s Raga, Regalia and Royale from Titan whereas brands, such as Swatch and Esprit have a strong presence as leading foreign brands.
Expensive international brands are being rolled out for the ultra rich who want to flaunt their wealth and go for designer labels like Omega, Rolex, Tag Heuer and Longines.
Indeed for some price isn’t a constraint and even in the high-end segment there’s a race to grab a piece of the pie. The importance of this sector is evident by the way the big players are spending money to promote their expensive brands. Companies like TAG Heuer and Longines reportedly pay a fortune to have celebrity brand ambassadors like Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwaryia Rai.
Christian Dior has signed stunning Yana Gupta as its brand ambassador and Tommy Hilfiger has Rahul Khanna as its publicity face.
Do these Brand Ambassadors help sell watches? Yes they do, says Pankaj Lakhani of Johnson Watch Company in Delhi. “Known faces like Shah Rukh and Aishwariya always add value to a brand.”
And that, he says, may be one of the contributing reasons for the rise in sales of high-end watches costing between Rs.3,000 and Rs.10,000. Brands like Titan, Esprit, Pierre Cardiene, Fossil and Citizen are doing brisk sales,” says Lakhani.
What is it that high-end buyers look for in a watch? Experts say it is a combo of design, price and of course the brand name. Which is why, perhaps, Titan comes up with five collections every year. The mantra of the company and the entire watch industry is simple—the potential buyer has plenty to choose from and nothing is left to chance.
» read more

http://www.deccanherald.com/archives/july232004/liv3.asp

What makes a watch tick among the style brigade?
Young people are increasingly looking for a convergence of technology in their watches like wristwear that comes loaded with internet and heart rate monitors, writes Avinash Kalla.
Good times don’t last forever but good watches do! Elegant and expensive watches traditionally considered accessories of the rich and the famous today top the wishlist of up-with-the-times youth. Apart from the annual demand of around 25 million watches there’s a distinct niche developing for stylish watches creating an altogether new opening for leading players who are unfolding designer ranges that are not just classy trendy as well.
“We saw a huge potential in the premium fashion segment. That’s why we’ve gone in for a tie up with Tommy Hilfiger. We’ll be operating in the price band of Rs 4,500 and Rs 10,000 and hope to clock around Rs 50 crore annually,” says Bijou Kurien, COO, Titan Industries. Kurien adds that the prime buyers in this segment are going to be cool young people who, he feels, will be attracted by the carefully crafted Tommy Hilfiger collection. “It is not just chic but also matches up qualitatively with the best international brands.”
The watches in Freedom segment are for the sporty with an eye for luxury and minute technological detail. The American Classics line has straightforward designs matched with signature details. Then come the American Women and Tommy Girl watches for the young lady on the move.
Apart from Tommy Hilfiger there are plenty of choices for the young lady. Swiss giant Baume & Mercier has launched Linea Variations, a watch combined with a jewellery accessory with as many wristbands as there are hours or moods in a day.
Swatch recently came up with the Tissot Cocktail range available with a diverse choice of coloured dials such as lapis-lazuli, aquamarine, silver, black, and mother-of-pearl. The watches are protected by sapphire glass and water-resistance to a depth of 30 metres. Priced at Rs. 8225, the collection has been a huge hit with party-hopping girls.
What makes a watch tick amongst the Gen Y? “Though design comes first, a watch must also reflect attitude. The style, the strap and the size are all important. A watch must enhance the personality of the wearer,” says Akshay Saran, a young Supreme Court advocate who saves money every year to buy himself a watch on his birthday.
“This year I bought an Esprit Chronograph for Rs. 5000. “It is a technologically superior watch. The black dial with three subdials in a steel body define my approach to life,” says Saran who has a collection of Swatch, Casio and Fast Track.
According to Kapil Kapoor, Managing Director, Timex, the segment between Rs.1,000 and Rs. 5,000 is growing the fastest. The demand is for watches with multiple features.
Young people are increasingly looking for a convergence of technology in their watches. That’s why there is a great preference for watches loaded with internet, watches that come with heart rate monitors, eco-friendly watches, etc. Seeing the emergence of this niche market, companies are coming up with products suited to a wide array of tastes and ages.
Technology savvy consumers have brands such as EcoDrive from Citizen, Indglo series from Timex and Sports series from Nike. For the stylish there’s Raga, Regalia and Royale from Titan whereas brands such as Swatch and Esprit have a strong presence as leading foreign brands.
Expensive international brands are being rolled out for the ultra rich who want to flaunt their wealth and go for designer labels like Omega, Rolex, Tag Heuer and Longines.
Ajay Dass, a young music instrument store owner in Delhi’s Connaught Place recently bought EcoDrive from Citizen. “It has a hassle free mechanism and I don’t have to change the battery every year. Apart from that I have a Titan watch that has a striking resemblance to Rolex which is the dream watch that I hope to buy some day,” says he.
But for some price isn’t a constraint and even in the high-end segment there’s a race on to grab a piece of the pie.
The importance of this sector is evident by the way the big players are spending money to promote their expensive brands. TAG Heuer and Longines are reported to have paid crores to make actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai their brand ambassadors, respectively. Christian Dior has signed on stunning Yana Gupta as its brand ambassador and Tommy Hilfiger has Rahul Khanna as its publicity face. Do these brand ambassadors help sell watches? “Yes, they do,” says Pankaj Lakhani of Johnson Watch Company in Delhi. “Known faces like Shah Rukh and Aishwarya always add value to a brand.” And that, he says, may be one of the contributing reasons for the rise in sales of high-end watches costing between Rs 3,000 and Rs 10,000. Brands like Titan, Esprit, Pierre Cardiene, Fossil and Citizen are doing brisk sales,” says Lakhani.
What is it that high-end buyers look for in a watch? According to experts it is a combination of design, price and of course the brand name.” Which is why, perhaps, Titan comes up with five collections every year. The mantra of the company and the entire watch industry is simple: The potential buyer must have plenty to choose from and nothing should be left to chance.

Newsmen Features

(Once again the whole thing has been copied again... barring the last credit bit)

COMING UP, A PENPRICKS EXCLUSIVE -- WHAT'S IN A NAME!!!

Hi, guys we are coming up with a story soon on how the Herald bosses continue to run the newspaper to ground... They just refuse to learn, what they do best is mutate the ill practices that have now become abundant in the newspaper, which once had the best local spread in town...
Now it seems to be 'spreading' itself in a very unchristian way, with one leg stretching out to the Philippines and the other spreading itself wide in St Tome street. (Didn't you guys read the article 'Herald expands' some months back? the owner Raul has started a furniture store in Philippines and runs operations from there)
So what is the editor Robin Abreu up to, after umpteenth efforts at plagiarising editorials from newspapers around the world? You guys will read soon on http://www.penpricks.blogspot.com

HARD'PRESS'ED

Journalists, all if not most, have big egos. Probably including the guys who handle this blog. Maybe… Maybe!!!
It's more accentuated amongst the journalists on the field, though.
Quite understandable, as in the course of their vocation, these scribes rub shoulders with the high and the mighty, the famous and the notorious. It does inflate their ego, just as a zombie gets a high on dope, we suppose.
They expect special priviledges and at times (or may be quite often?) are brazenly demanding.
Yeah! After all we constitute the fourth estate and we have special rights, even if no statute on earth confers any such right on our shameless tribe.
Nowadays we find many journalists brazenly sporting the tag PRESS on their vehicles, and we must say it is quite distressing. Actually it is downright CHEAP.
It's high time the RTO and the police get their act together and shed any fears of journalists.
Journalists are not VIPs and they enjoy no priviledges. They only move around with a mighty halo around the heads.
We are not sure about this, but the Motor Vehicle Act does not allow any tom and dick to sport his title on the vehicle, least the journalists. Professionals like doctors may be an exception.
Can someone who is covering the RTO beat enlighten us on this fact?

ON THE HOUSE

Here's a lead from a reader....

Government quarters… That’s where the cattle come back to after a long day in the manger.
These quarters are allotted by the government for civil servants. Dunno when, but perhaps sometime back an exception was made in the rules to allow for a roof over the head to cover democracy’s fourth pillar. (Accredited Journo’s are allowed government accommodation all over)
And over time, some members of the fourth pillar did what they can best do. They pillaged.
Perhaps the most inaccessible commodity for a commonplace accredited journalist suddenly became the easiest place to get into, even for the heathen non-accredited journo during early part of the Manohar Parrikar regime.
This press-friendly chief minister used his quotas to allow journalists a roof for the naked pillar.
The abuse of these premises had actually begun earlier in Pratapsing Rane’s regime, when he allowed his pet tiger Jagdish ‘Wagh’ to set up shop. Phew was it tough getting quarters during Rane’s reign? But Wagh managed it. Today United News of India (UNI) actually runs its operation in Goa illegally from a government quarter allotted for residential purposes. Step into the building at St Inez and you invariably hear a huge whirring machine go… whirr whirr whirr…
After that, a sort of lull followed until Parrikar finally opened the floodgates. Waman Prabhu, who runs a cable news bulletin, Goa Newsline, overnight converted living space into an office for TV news production during Parrikar’s reign. The Prabhu’s who appear to have news, encrypted into their DNA have now found the quarters so cozy, that now they live in Porvorim and Goa Newsline comes to its viewers from the government quarters at St Inez. It’s a good deal. For any organisation, to have an office premise located in heart of Panaji and that too for peanuts, is sure enough a great deal.
The third one to follow the suit was is the ‘In Goa’ news capsule, which recently shifted base from Mapusa to Panaji. During the Congress rule, guy who runs this outfit – who publicly brags of his proximity with the NCP, managed to wrangle a government quarter and is currently operating from there, also using the same for his residence.

GOMANTAK CRIMES

Goodness gracious... do we have journalists in goa or are we mere robots. We suppose a `sub' worth his salt ought to know when to highlight or play up a news item.
Please look up page A3 of Gomantak Times (June 25) for the page’s seemingly most important story. And what is it?
A story telling about ‘Construction of rumblers at Merces' was highlighted with a back grouund screen and further a red-coloured headline to boost it. This sort of treatment would be considered fine for an off beat story… say e.g. if a chief minister undergoes a nasbandi operation on a dull weekend. (hehe)
Let us assess the reasons why this `sub' could have gotten kicked by this story.
Hmm... perhaps he had a few fried chillies from St Inez, you know we had great weather… rains and all. And all those chillies got his stomach to rumble while he was on his shift…
Or maybe he found this second para in the story very stimulating. "The rumblers will be painted with white thermo plastic flourescent paint for better visibility." (PJ)
Are these guys following the steps of the Herald? Over there, the subs highlight any or every item depending on factors as varied as say… whether some sub had to abstain from love making on that particular day which had turned him off or if Bhonsle’s bhaji had an extra bit of garlic that turned him on.
There are those weird colour, screens, boxes et al, that make the pages more 'colourful' (read gaudy). At times there’s so much colour on the pages, that it leaves the reader’s mind stained with a fuzzy rusty hue.
Like on another day, June 22 to be specific, an item on the (now) pasty Yana Gupta and her antics with bears (not Mallya’s beer-cans, bears… real ones)
She was appearing for a PETA pin-up fighting for the cause of the bears (not beers again dearie… BEARS… no Mallya bearhugs here. She was fighting for the cause of real bears, the one who have hair on them and you get to see in a zoo and sometimes in the wild) appeared on two different pages of GT on the same day. One on a Goa page!! And another on a nation page. Check for yourselves. We at Penpricks could hardly bear it (hehe)… Hence we told you the story.
Our sources have told us that the reporting desk in GT meets every day to discuss stories and ideas. Brilliant. Hey, think its time for having a meeting with the deskies too. And probably discuss the goofups.

YEH TO BADA TOING HAI!!!

Hey have you guys read such inspired reportage... You see, the daily Sanatan Prabhat claims to have a direct link up with powers up there, beyond the clouds. And guess what... they don't need no uplinking facility, they don't need no licence, they don't even need no infrastructure. They make do with divine interceptions of the Almighty's broadcast. Oh you don't believe us. Read the paper. It's masthead screams... 'Durjananchya nasha sathi' (For the annihilation of evildoers).
Well where were we... We picked up a report from a recent issue of the Sanatan Prabhat for you. Now journalists really look at themselves as important folk. But this report seems to stretch the 'important' tag a bit too far. (It was sent to us by a reader, who we are really thankful to for actually translating this gem and sending it across)
Penpricks brings you SANATAN PRABHAT, the purported custodians of tradition, who have now broken free from norms of conventional imagination and every form of journalistic licence. The report talks about the exhibition organised by Foundation against contiuing terrorism (FACT).

BEGINS
Mapusa (correspondent): FACT an institution founded by world renowned journalist Francois Gautier has organised an exhibition on 'real face of terrorism' at Mapusa between June 29 to July 1.
The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has organised this exhibition.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on June 28. People are appealed to participate in large number for this exhibition, said organisers Hindu Janajagruti Samiti in a press conference held here.
The conference was addressed by HJJS Goa spokesman Dr Manoj Solanki, convenor Jayesh Thali, Bajarang Dal Goa convenor Vinayak Chari, and others. (Ho ho, its all fine until here, isn't it? Now we get funny.)
The press conference was atetnded by Umesh Zarmekar (Sunaparant), Arvind Fonseca (Navhind Times), Mohan Naik (Gomantak), Narayan Rathvad (Tarun Bharat), Prakash Dhumal (Pudhari), Mahadev Chari (Goa Times), Anil Shankhwalkar (Herald Channel), Prakash Gadekar (Goa Plus), Rajesh Korgaonkar (Sanatan Prabhat).
ENDS

Can you beat this last para guys? The correspondent who covered this press conference perhaps this Rajesh Korgaonkar guy has actually mentioned the names of journalists who covered the function. This is perhaps for the first time ever in the Indian or elsewhere that names of reporters attending press conference. Hey if this trend is allowed to continue no reporter would ever have to fight for a byline with his boss for such stories. Just add the para in the end.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Hey there's another one here

Guys, can you tell me how many names feature in this report. We fear, names outnumber other words in this story that appeared in The Navhind Times recently. The reporter who filed this must have been one lazy bum... What' worth taking a look para 4 5 and 6.

CD on advances in medicine released at Bambolim
NT Staff Reporter
Panaji, June 22 The Medical Education Cell of Goa Medical College has released a CD on “Recent Advances in Medicine”.
The CD based on studies carried out by a team of doctors from GMC and elsewhere has been edited by Dr RG Wiseman Pinto, professor and head of pathology department, GMC, Dr Savio Rodrigues, professor and head of microbiology department, GMC and Dr F P Noronha, professor of surgery, GMC.
The Dean of GMC Dr V N Jindal advised the editorial team.
The topics covered in the Recent Advances in Medicine include anaemia and coagulation disorders, MRI scanning, medical ethics, Rosai-Dorfmans disease, hypereosinophilia, Erdheim Chester disease, gastroschisis, microwave processing, adenosquamous carcinoma of lung, deep vein thrombosis, HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus, polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma, fatty change in hepatoma and synovial chondrosarcoma.
The contributors include Dr M B Agarwal, consultant haematologist and haemato-oncologist, Mumbai, Dr Ramdas Naik, professor and head of pathology department, KMC Mangalore, Dr Wiseman Pinto, Dr Savio Rodrigues, Dr Mahesh Sardesai, Dr Silvano D Sapeco, Dr Edwin Gomes, Dr Vishal Sawant, Dr Peter Rodrigues.
The other contributors are Dr Wilfred D’Sa, Dr Milind Desai, Dr Sharad Sahai, Dr A Dang, Dr K Narvencar, Dr K Jog, Dr Gauree Salgaonkar, Dr M Sharma, Dr Andre Fernandes, Dr Prashant Lawande, Dr Lois Samuel, Dr N Faria, Dr Uday Kudalkar, Dr Muriel Cardozo, Dr Paresh Desai and Dr D Neogi.
The CDs can be obtained from the office of pathology department, 3rd floor, main GMC building.

I SCRATCH YOUR BACK... AND MY REAR IS WELL OILED TOO

How much backslapping and boot-licking can our media indulge in!?!?
Right from the time Digi was sworn-in as the chief minister of Goa, he’s been ‘swooned-in’ by the Goan media. Suddenly, he is the ray of hope. Suddenly, here’s a guy who can set right, all wrong. Suddenly, he is Mr Clean .
Till now, Digi’s been glorified umpteen times and his photographs keep appearing in almost all the newspapers. Well, the `Goa Doot' is an exception and the reason’s obvious. Oh you don’t know? They glorify only those folk, with hair on their heads (hahaha).
In the past The Navhind Times always took the cake in the mushy-mushy act towards ministers and the government of the day. Well over the years, they’ve taken the cake, the oven and still managed to keep their cherry intact (hehe).
Now Herald has jumped the bandwagon (with a swell ass pulling this cart), has even overtaken its rival in chamchagiri. A photograph of the CM and his wife in the `short takes' column on page 4 dated June 23, is rather comical. Wonder who the sub-editor was that day? Poor fellow, what could he do? He had to obey the orders. Or else pack his bags and take up position in some ‘newly’ opened bureau in Dhargal or maybe now that Sunita Williams is off Atlantis, he’d be sent to take her place. And would he hate that? All subs hate 'BLANK SPACE' ;)
For a regular Herald reader it must be routine exercise now to find a photograph of Digi and his wife every second day – ever since he was appointed chief minister -- either visiting a temple or church and taking `holy blessing' from the priest.
Don't take our word for it? Fish out these copies and check these for yourself. (June 16 on page 4; June 11 on page 3; June 13 a page 4 headline screams – Kamat seeks divine help to run delicate power equation; June 9 on page 2 -- Digi meets Archbishop after the swearing-in).
Poor Digi. In spite of visiting all the temples, God seems to be not on his side. How can then one explain his enigma to expand ministry and distribute portfolios?
A fortnight has passed and Goa is yet to get its full-fledged government. And then they blame the leader of opposition for making `irrelevant' comments. If you pull down your pants, why won't Parrikar spank you on your rear? Uh? Anyone would do that.
Meanwhile the hosannas for Digi bai will continue, until of course he stays in power.

ROUGH LANDING

By Philip Thomas
I have been wanting to respond to OHeraldo's June 5 editorial titled "One-sided" for a long time but could not do so till now. The Civil Aviation Minister had, in some understandable election-eve rhetoric, called for Dabolim to emerge as a "gateway to the world".

OHeraldo jumped on this and cried that this "does stink of elitism". It asked archly why airports are earmarked for "first priority" in upgradation, thus implying that "those who
come by air are superior" to those who arrive by road and rail.(In its usual propensity to shoot from the hip i.e without proof-reading its material, it mistakenly referred to the latter as "air" but we shall let that pass).
It argued that charter tourists do not spend, unlike the surface travellers who presumably do. The latter were being "ignored with third class facilities", it complained, without elaborating.
Oheraldo makes a couple of fundamental errors. Firstly, it believes -- wrongly-- that funds are fungible. What is not spent for airports can be spent for surface transport or whatever. This is not the case. Funds have to be allocated for all spectra of society not one or the other. This is a very common trap into which OHeraldo constantly falls in its zeal for the common man in its editorials. The other obvious error is that it is mixing apples with oranges.
The civil aviation minister can only focus on his jurisdiction. He cant be expected to take responsibility for road and rail upgradation as Oheraldo expects.
What OHeraldo should have done was to focus on what the minister is saying and doing about Dabolim. What are the remaining "formalities" regarding transfer of land for the required upgrade? What is the problem with night flights at Dabolim which foreign airlines usually require? Why is pressure not being applied to the Navy to relocate its training flights to free
up slots for civilian traffic. Pune has succeeded in getting one IAF squadron to relocate for this purpose.
Finally, OHeraldo needs to increase its awareness of what is happening in Goa's neighbourhood. All neighbouring states, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra and Maharashtra, are actively pushing for upgradation of their airports and construction of new ones. Can Goa afford to fall behind? Should its people and visitors be condemned to negotiate the journey by 15 hour road and
rail trips? Jack Kennedy is supposed to have said "A country cannot afford to neglect its cities if it wants to develop". We would extend that to say that a city cannot afford to neglect its airport(s). Hence, a citistate like Goa cant afford to neglect its airport(s) either.
In Goa there is, however, a serious mental block about discussing airport issues. During the elections and after, "Churchill Alemao" was probably the shorthand used for "airport issues". This kind of subliminal treatment will take for ever to grapple with meaningfully. OHeraldo is adding to the confusion with its off- the-cuff and off- target editorials on the subject.
(courtesy goajourno)

WHEN THE SHIT DOESN'T HIT THE CEILING...

This is exactly the sort of craze for IMPACT that we talked about some time back. Now we bring you a national television channel, which cheats you into believing how the system sat up and took notice of the story they'd exposed. Penpricks explains to you how CNN IBN actually lies and misrepresents facts in order to make their viewers and readers believe how their story made a 'difference'.
These 'IMPACT' fibs have in fact been a regular feature with CNN-IBN (its sought after too by the other big trio of Aaj Tak, Star News and NDTV), especially the Special Investigation stories which seem hanker for such fake medals pinned to their chest.
Now, let us look at the IMPACT story filed by the CNN-IBN's Goa correspondent Pramod Acharya. The investigation he talks about dealt with a story on land-purchases by foreigners in Goa. Just before the state legislative assembly elections, channel's special investigation team (SIT) landed in Goa and did a sting operation getting confessions from the lawyers, real estate agents among others. The lawyers narrated how controversial former town and country planning minister Anatasio Monserratte alias Babush took money to convert the lands.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/impact-goa-govt-probes-land-mafia/43383-3.html
Pramod Acharya
A month after CNN-IBN special investigation revealed blatant misuse of the FDI route by Russian nationals to snap prime land in Goa, the state government has initiated an inquiry into all the deals that involve foreigners.
(This is a lie. The inquiry which channel talks about was actually initiated three months prior to the sting operation. The state government right now has only asked to expedite the inquiry and submit a status report within 10 days as the deadline has lapsed. This must have been one hell of a story, to create an IMPACT a good three months before the story was actually broadcast!!!)
Over 400 land purchases in Goa involve foreign nationals. CNN-IBN found out that the Russian land Mafia has been involved in many of these deals in the state. In fact, former Goa Minister Babush Monserrate was caught on camera taking a bribe for legalizing land conversions deals, thereby letting the fraudulent companies operate unchecked. (Now, now, now, we all know what Babush is up to, but the channel actually did not catch Babush on camera while accepting bribes. The channel merely caught brokers and lawyers claiming that Babush took money for the deals. To blatantly say that they caught Babush accepting bribes is yet another lie.) The newly formed Goa Government has now promised an inquiry into the matter.('I will inquire into the matter' is one line which news outfits vulgarly exploit to tomtom their glory. When a chief minister says he will inquire into the matter, he does not mean he will initiate an inquiry?)
Most of the land deals in Goa have been violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act of Reserve Bank of India. CNN-IBN investigation revealed that lawyers helped the Russian Mafia invest large amounts of money in Goa land, taking advantage of the fact that FDI in real estate gets automatic approval.A lawyer also told CNN-IBN that former town and country planning
minister Atanasio Monserrate, popularly known as Babush, took Rs 12 lakh bribe for such a land deal.
Goa CM Digamber Kamat has asked Chief Secretary J P singh to prepare a full status report. Singh, in turn, has asked a sub-committee of RBI officials and secretary level state officials to submit this report within ten days. (Now if the chief secretary has been asked to prepare a status report, that virtually means that an inquiry was in progress, doesn't it? This is in complete contradiction to the opening paragraph).
"This will indicate the careful examination of all those 400 odd cases which had come to our notice and any other case that comes to our notice in the meantime. Based on the status report, we will decide what action is to be taken," said J P Singh, Chief Secretary, Goa.
Activists in Goa have welcomed this move. Oscar Rebello, who spearheaded the movement against sale of land to outsiders, says all violators should be booked.
"I'm glad that the chief minister and the chief secretary making the right noises and the right moves. We only hope now that they walk the talk and take this to the right conclusion," said Dr Oscar Rebello, Convenor, Goa Bachao Abhiyan. This move of state Government can upset equations of many heavyweights in Goa and perhaps the order can cause real political tremors for this Congress led government.

HAW... HUMM... JOURNALISM

Dunno how the phenomenon works, but news agencies have generally tended to stick to this one golden rule when it comes to posting their representative in Goa. ‘Posting to Goa? Ok, who’s the laziest we have on our rolls!’
Of course there have been honourable exceptions, but the rule has been obviously and overwhelmingly consistent. Like one of em who we have here right now. This old chap has a couple o kink. One of em is, every time he needs to be dropped off at the airport or on other errands, he needs a car sent to his doorstep. And guess where does the car comes from… Well, there are two known sources. One from a leading ship manufacturing company and the other from a national political party. Not too many say no to an agency journo. See, the copies he files are picked up all over the country and across. But one fine day, the former did stop sending their car to pick this guy up for another airport errand. What happened next… he has since stopped attending their press conferences.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Remember we told you some days back, that there was something funny about chief minister Digambar Kamat's visit to the Goanews studio in Porvorim. We knew there was something odd, but we could not place a finger over it. Read the following press note which appeared in the Herald today. (A vigilant reader pointed this out to us. We are thankful to the bugger.)
It turns out now, that the Goanews set-up is illegally functioning from a residential premises and filks living in the Goa Housing Board colony, Porvorim (where the set-up is located) are not too happy about it. In fact the press note, makes several severe charges against the channel about the way in which it procured the 'no objection certificate' from the authorities despite complaints from the residents.
Digambar Kamat's visit to the channel's office now appears like a show of strength carried out by Goanews. You know the, 'He's on our side, what can you do'. And how does a chief minister go about endorsing law-violating outfits? What was his protocol office doing?
This entire arrangement reeks of media abusing its clout. That the Herald reported this does not surprise us and yet it does. On one hand, why would Herald lose out on an legitimate opportunity to lash out at it's rival TV channel? (Herald's launching it's own Herald Cable Network, soon). But on the other hand Herald's TV wing also functions from two illegal floors, which have not been cleared by the Fire Department.


Television channel faces Porvorim residents'wrath

HERALD NEWS DESK
PANJIM, JUNE 21-- The residents of the Goa Housing Board, Porvorim have strongly objected to the setting up of Goa News, a 24 hours TV news channel at 6HA area, Porvorim. In a memorandum addressed to the respective authorities, the GHB Residents Welfare Association has vehemently opposed the allotment of residential plots for commercial use to the channel by the Goa Housing Board.
Elaborating on their plight on account of the setting up of the channel, the association stated in a release that the administrator granted the no objection certificate (NOC) to the channel even after receiving written objections from the association against the proposed commercial activity. The NOC was reportedly granted to the Delhi-based company called STV Enterprises Limited when the panchayat body was dissolved and was under the then caretaker administrator.
Besides violation of the approved plans sanctioned by the panchayat, STV Enterprises have commissioned a high powered generator and is operating it without the sanction of the respective authorities, the association adds.
Association members have complained that the large scale movement of employees, vehicles and visitors throughout the night, in addition to the noise of the generator has become a threat to the serenity and peace of the entire locality.
Even a police complaint was lodged by the residents on account of the unauthorized use of generator set and resultant noise disturbing the area.
Based on the complaints received from the residents the sarpanch of Penha de Franca Village Panchayat conducted a site inspection on Saturday and heard the grievances of residents. A large number of residents pleaded revoking the licence as the activity has become a public nuisance.
The Goa Housing Board has also confirmed in writing that any commercial activity in the residential area is not permissible and is in violation of the existing rules of allotment of residential plots by them, adds the release.

BE-IZZAT BE-ABR'E'U -- II

See, we told you, of a sudden the Korean news site OHMYNEWS.com is the new hunting ground for Herald's plagiarists, after the Dallas Sun and the Tribune from Chandigarh. These guys spare none. Chances are we'll see some more plagiarsm from Philippine based newspapers soon:) (more on that later)
This particular plagiarished story doesn't carry a byline, so we can't figure who's the guy who committed this 'cloning'. Does anyone on the desk know? The OHMYNEWS.com story appeared a good month before the Herald's version did. Who does the tourism beat in the Herald... anyone know? Please tell us guys...
The story has been padded up with a huge chunk of matter directly sourced from the original story written by Armstrong Vaz for OHMYNEWS.com.
So here goes guys, read on... OOOH... OOOOH.... MYYYY... OOOHMYNEWS.COM


THE PLAGIARISED VERSION

http://oheraldo.in/node/21102?PHPSESSID=aebb13b7bcb25157442ea6ec896f9689

Lifeguards fail swimming test

By Herald Reporter
PANJIM, DEC 12 – It’s a ‘Catch 22’ situation for Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) over recruitment of lifeguards. While the State Government urgently needs lifeguards for the safety of tourists flocking to Goa in love of sun, surf and sand — recruitment of lifeguards has come to a halt for a want of skilled swimmers.
Of the 114 applicants “just one candidate” cleared swimming test in the given time, stated Sanjit Rodrigues, managing director of the GTDC. As a result, the GTDC entrusted with the task of recruitment of lifeguard has approached the government with a request to relax recruitment criteria, he added.
The government proposes to recruit around 100 lifeguards including some women. It started taking action in this matter only when it came under heavy fire following number of drowning cases.
The government’s apathy was further exposed when lifeguards attached to department of tourism went on indefinite strike demanding that they be taken into regular service.
A case pertaining to this issue is pending in court.
Under fresh recruitment a candidate has to take mandatory test in which he has to swim 400 meters in nine minutes and run 2 kms within 12 minutes.
Some finished the test of swimming 400 meters, but took more time, on the other hand some could not even stand the test of water and had to be rescued, said Rodrigues.
He further said, there could be relaxation as far as age limit and even education qualification is concerned. “We can at least train those who completed 400 mts of swimming. But we can’t even think of considering those who can’t swim properly.”
Selected candidates will be trained in Surf Life Saving Techniques (SLST) through the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS), he said.
With at least one or two drowning deaths per week, Goa is increasingly gaining notoriety for the danger on its beaches. The alarming regularity of deaths by drowning in Goa has been a cause of concern. The small State known for its silvery beaches has also gained notoriety for the ills of tourism like drugs, rave parties, sex tourism and mismanagement of garbage. It can now add one more to its list — tourist drowning off Goan beaches.
One thing is sure: to man the entire 105-kilometer, or 65-mile coastline during the off season is a Herculean task for the tourism department. Most of the lifeguards employed by the tourism department are on daily wages. Around 69 lifeguards, deployed on 30 beaches had gone on strike demanding that their services be regularised.
And during the tourism season, which starts in November and ends in the month of March, lifeguards have an uphill task. The grievance of the lifeguards is the lack of safety and rescue equipment provided by the department, which complicates matters when they undertake rescue operations at sea. Most of the deaths occurring in Goa have been Indian tourists coming to Goa for a monsoon holiday and also drowning deaths of Indians during the peak tourism season.
The most notorious deaths are on the Calangute beach and also to some extent in Colva in South Goa. Figures show that around 200 lives have been lost due to drowning in the last four years.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ORIGINAL STORY

DEATH STALKING GOAN BEACHES -- Tourists drowning at sea cause of concern
Armstrong Vaz
Published 2006-11-14 07:21 (KST)
With at least one or two drowning deaths per week Goa is increasingly gaining notoriety for the danger on its beaches.
The tourist season is set to roll in at the start of the month in the Indian state of Goa. The monsoon fury at sea is slowly fading away. Beach waves are lashing the shore at a galloping but still much slower pace. The sea water is choppy. Swimming in the turbulent water is inviting trouble.
Numerous Indian tourists from various parts of the country invariably fall into the trap of just dipping their feet in the sea water or swimming in the shallow beach waters and end up getting dragged in by the undercurrent, only to be engulfed by the furious monsoon waves.
The alarming regularity of deaths by drowning in Goa has been a cause of concern. The small state known for its silvery beaches has gained notoriety for the ills of tourism like drugs, rave parties, sex tourism and mismanagement of garbage. It can now add one more to its list -- tourist drowning on the Goan beaches.
But who is to be blamed for the deaths on the Goan beaches?
One thing is sure; to man the entire 105-kilometer, or 65-mile coastline during the off season is a Herculean task for the tourism department. Most of the life guards employed by the tourism department are on daily wages. Around 69 lifeguards, deployed at 30 Goan beaches had gone on strike to demand their services be regularized.
And during the tourism season, which starts in November and ends in the month of March, life guards have an uphill task. The grievance of the life guards is the lack of safety and rescue equipment provided by the department which complicates matters when they undertake rescue operations at sea.
Most of the deaths occurring in Goa have been Indian tourists coming to Goa for a monsoon holiday and also drowning deaths of Indians during the peak tourism season.
The most notorious deaths are on the Calangute beach and also to some extent in Colva in South Goa.
Figures show that around 200 lives have been lost due to drowning in the last four years.
Tourists are drawn to Goa to enjoy the sun, surf and sand - that is the way Goa is generally projected on the tourism scene. Swimming on Goan beaches is a pleasurable exercise.
Goan beachside hotels have their own private beach swimming pools meant to be exclusively used by their clients. Tourists coming to Goa are drawn towards swimming in the sea. Their folly is that they don't realize that swimming in the sea requires a disciplined approach and a complete mastery over swimming.
Beaches are deceptive -- serene on the outside but with strong undercurrents which can pull you away from the shore. Even a good swimmer should remember that swimming in the sea and the pool is as different as chalk and cheese.
Coming to the rainy season, Fisherman pull up their canoes into the fishing house as fishing activity comes to a standstill in the rainy season.
Now the tourism department has floated the idea of recruiting female life guards on the Goan beaches. The proposal is to recruit tough women from the fisher fold community as life guards.
Besides the holiday makers from other parts of India drowning deaths have also occurred with youths taking a plunge into the sea in an intoxicated state.
One restaurant owner running a temporary enterprise during the season at the beach for the last 17 years, Dominic Alfonso, says that the tourism department should train shack owners and staff to help rescue people and also provide necessary equipment, as he feels that life guards cannot control the entire coastline.
Goa Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Sanjeet Rodrigues says that the department plan to recruit 100 lifeguards and five supervisors who will look after the entire coastline of Goa. Goa gets an average of 60,000 to 70,000 tourists every year.

STRESS NOTE

Goa Youth Congress President and the never-ageing (this guy would really be a good model for hairdye, he simply refuses to age) Girish Chodankar in the past has saved many a sub editors from trouble, by sending reams of press notes on a relatively dry news day. He and the puppet-like Shantaram Naik are perhaps the most prolific press note 'procreators' in Goa. These guys just can't stop praising themselves.
But just because a fella punches in a press note and hands it over to a newspaper, do they have to be reprocude in toto. This press note which appeared in The Navhind Times, makes no sense. Girish sends in a pressnote praising himself? Does it deserve a DC spread Newspapers? need to take a conscious call over such worthless, self-glorifying bull-shit.



Gomes hails Youth Cong for getting party back to power

NT News Desk
Panaji, June 19 The Goa Pradesh Youth Congressrecently held a general body meeting at Congress house under the chairmanship of Youth Congress president, MrGirish Chodankar, GPCC General Secretary and In-charge of frontal organization, Mr Althinho Gomes addressed the meeting.
In his speech, he appreciated Mr Chodankar for his contribution as the Youth Congress president. Further he said that Mr Chodankar and his entire team is the only element who stood by the Congress during BJP’s tenure and were even put behind bars.
In comparison to all the earlier Youth Congress presidents Mr Chodankar has performed his duties selflessly and proved himself to be the best president, opined Mr Gomes. He congratulated the Youth Congress for their efforts in getting Congress party back to power and credited the success to Youth Congress.
He even congratulated Mr Dinar Tarcar, vice-president GPYC, for putting up a good fight making Mr Manohar Parrikar, the press release here says. Mr Chodankar in his speech congratulated all the elected Youth Congress office bearers at Panchayatelections. He recalled the efforts of Mr Savio Martins, Mr Shashikant Mahale, Mr Pramod Mahale, Mr Rajmohan Shetye, Mr Janardan Bhandari and others.
He advised them to follow Youth Congress disciplineand ideology to make their respective panchayats corruption-free. He also assured the elected members to guide them in rural development works with the help of Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat.

ANOTHER CATFISH IN THE MUCK

Oh, by the way, something else happened on Revolution day.
Freedom fighters were the only folk for whom the chief minister Diggy K had inspirational words for our media colleagues.
Here’s a press note issued by the Department of Information:

DI PRESS NOTE

Chief minister Digamber Kamat visited Goa News, Goa's first 24 hours news channel on Monday, June 18, 2007 (is it on air yet?). He was welcomed on the occasion by chairman of STV J K Jain and executive editor Goa News Sachin Borkar (Pigs can certainly fly then! This guy heads a news channel now? We have wanted to write about Goanews for a while now. See, it’s like this, if a news channel scours all about Goa and then finds Sachin Borkar suitable to head its outfit, something’s wrong. Something’s very wrong indeed. Before heading this ‘news chasing team’, Borkar was last heard being chased by a variety of teams uniformed and otherwise. It appears that someone’s come home to roost)

The chief minister was shown art studio and broadcast facility at journalist colony in Porvorim adjacent to the assembly complex.
The chief minister evoked keen interest in the first of its kind initiative in Goa and congratulated the promoters STV networks for taking Goa to the world and to the Goans. He opined that this venture would revolutionise journalism in Goa (What and apt thing to say… Goa Revolution Day zindabad) and get fair accurate reports (hahahaha) to Goans worldwide. The chief minister witnessed a live broadcast of a newscast in studio floor of Goa news.

OHMYNEWS.COM MAKES NEWS -- KIND ATTENTION MAYURESH PAWAR ;)

Korean 'citizen journalism' site faces challenges

OhmyNews introduced the world to "citizen journalism" -- breaking news, investigative reporting, tales of daily life, written by thousands of amateurs all over South Korea. But now the online newspaper finds itself in the throes of change.
After having turned a small profit for three years, OhmyNews slid into the red in 2006. It faces growing competition in South Korea, has failed to catch fire beyond its borders and, most important, has lost its luster as the must-read, latest new thing. (for more read this link
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/28/BUG0MOSR8P1.DTL&hw=ohmynews&sn=001&sc=1000

Hey, just kidding guys... but suddenly OHMYNEWS seems so relevant to us. Soon PENPRICKS will upload another story plagiarised by a Goan English daily from the news site.

EK PAR DOOSRA FREE (DRAFT COPY)

How does one explain this?
A plug of an report on a ‘model school’ in Canacona first appears on page 4 of the Herald on June 12 and then out of the blue resurrects itself on June 17 as a front page lead with a six column display.
We are thankful to a reader who spotted this and informed us.
So, now what? Does one call this a mistake and ignore it? A mistake, repeated at how many levels. These are symptoms of newspapers being managed like fiefdoms, without checks and balances, where whims serve as rules and personal likes/dislikes, performance barometers.
So for this story to appear twice, on how many levels did a failure occur?
1) This story appears like a stinking plug or a trade-off of some sorts. A typically moffussil BJ. This is just the kind of story which is written after a well stuffed dinner. Such a story twice repeated simply cannot be justified in a newspaper, especially when it sums up with a sentence like this. -- ‘A dancing-ball fountain well-placed in-front of this school building catching eye of every visitor.’
So is it a plug, or perhaps Herald continues to sell editorial space even after elections. Or perhaps even simpler, it was simply an order from the boss.
2) So the correspondent has sent in the story. In normal circumstances the story would have hit the mailbox of the ‘In’ tray of the ‘news editor’ or the designated ‘deputy news editor’. Now since this is the Herald, we have a different story altogether. The ‘News Editor’ here doesn’t do news. The poor chap does everything but news. He does gossip. He does the timetable. He does the silent monk routine, when it comes to decision making. He does the hatchet jobs for the owner. All of it, but the news. A nice guy, but in the wrong job. The Deputy News editor… aah, what doesn’t he do. Though the bugger possesses a fair sense of news, he is so immersed in his advertising interests, poaching ads from folks who walk into newspaper offices with condolence notices. Ok, where were we… ya in normal circumstances the report would have hit their desk. But here we have another tier a guy in charge of correspondents. This would be the desk where the report must have first landed.
3) The correspondent in-charge appears to have subbed the story rather loosely on the day it appeared first. And the perfectionist that he is, he must have realised his folly, when he saw it in print. And to make amends place it on the front page over a six column spread. (joking of course).
But somewhere between all these guys, the reprint ought to have been stopped somewhere. The repeated failure to stem such errors clearly points out to a systemic failure in the newspaper. One would have understood a page 1 story being reprinted somewhere in the inner pages, but a page 4 story making another appearance in a redone Page 1 avataar is something else altogether.



READ BOTH THE VERSIONS HERE

Sadolxem govt run school resurrected
Herald Correspondent
Agonda JUNE 11 – When reports of a few government run schools functioning in private residences due to dilapidated government buildings made headlines in Canacona, here's one school started in 1932 but partly housed in a building constructed by government in the year 1936 is being referred as a model school of Goa.
Rationally, to call a government run school `a model school' that too from a remote region of Canacona taluka seems to be nothing less than a `lunacy'. But the facts visibly seen in implementation of various projects, it's maintenance, the surroundings, but for upfront academic results speaks all in itself when one visits this government run high
school situated at Sadolxem, in Canacona taluka.
According to sources, due to non-activities and disastrous results, the strength of this dying school privately started in the year 1932 had drowned to a meager 39 pupils at the fag-end of academic year of 2002-03. Various recommendations poured from different government agencies to close-down this lowly attended school, which is surrounded by other various prestigious schools now easily accessible with-round-the clock transportations, till it was rejuvenated in the coming years after initial objections thwarted closure moves by some of the vibrant energized locals.
With a task in mind, headmaster Ulhas V Bhatikar a local resident on getting his posting at this school, surprisingly increased the attendance to over 100 pupils in the year 2004-05. This year (2006-07) saw 90 students enrolled with 8 students having answered the recently concluded SSC examinations. Bhatikar has all the plans and innovative refreshments to achieve enrollment to over 100 again in coming academic year.
Unlike in any government run schools, the collective efforts of present teaching faculty under the inventive guidance of Ulhas V Pai Bhatikar, head master of this school in not only imparting education from books but allowing students to excel in whatever activities the child prefers have not only increased the schools' strength, but virtually converted the school compound consisting of 4900 sq mtrs of land a `learner's paradise'.
Bhatikar's typical slogan `a child should feel free and homily and no amount of pressure should be imposed at the place of studies' has brought hope and inspiration amongst the parents whose wardens were considered useless by other high-profile schools.
According to Bhatikar, a horde of projects starting from project-Clay Models, Project-Bird's Care Center, Project-Preparation of Formula Charts, Project-Match and Sketch, Project: Plantation of Wheat Crop, Project-Labelling Plants inside school compound, Project-Grammatical charts, Project-Herbal Plantation, Project-Honey-Bee, Project-Childrens Park, Project Rope Climbing, Project Shanti Niketan-Open Classroom has inculcated immense discipline and
activities amongst the students.
Implementation of all these projects have made this `a school with difference' in Goa have been an envy of other aided schools with non-belonging to government runs schools coming even close to comparison.
According to Bhatikar, most importantly the students community and their parents have learnt to take care of governments property as their own.
Amongst the various projects maintained by students themselves is `dancing-ball' fountain placed well in-front of this school building catching eye of every visitor.


http://oheraldo.in/node/25598
Model school for others indeed!
Herald Correspondent
Agonda, June 16 — Many government run schools in Canacona have always been in the limelight for the wrong reasons, either for their dilapidated structures or for functioning in private residences.However, a Government High School (GHS) at Sadolxem, partly housed in a building constructed by government in 1936, is being described as a ‘model school’ of Goa.
Starting as a private school in 1932, the Sadolxem GHS saw its student strength dwindling over the years, eventually plunging to 39 students in 2002-03.
Pressure was then applied to close the school due to poor attendance, until concerted efforts by its principal Ulhas V Bhatikar and some locals enabled the school to make a remarkable turnaround.
After getting posted to the school, Bhatikar, a local resident, increased the student attendance from 100 pupils (2004-05), 90 (2006-07) to a decent 120 (2007-08).
The school has also earned accolades for its extra-curricular activities, with students being encouraged to pursue ‘projects’ of their interest. The school compound, consisting of 4900 sq mtrs of land, has been turned into a ‘learner’s paradise’, to the envy of other schools in the taluka.
“Children should feel free and no pressure should be imposed on them in school,” says Bhatikar.
Various projects available at the school include clay models, bird’s care center, preparation of formula charts, match and sketch, plantation of wheat crop, identification of plants, grammatical charts, dancing ball, herbal plantation, honey-bee, children’s park, rope climbing and Shantiniketan (Open Classroom).
“Students and their parents have learnt to take care of government’s property as their own,” says Bhatikar.
While the ‘dancing-ball’ fountain, maintained by the students, in front of the school building has drawn praise, the ‘honey bee’ project is located in a makeshift house.
“The stubborn and adamant attitude of children evaporates when they are given physically and mentally challenging exercises,” justifies Bhatikar.
The school backyard has been enriched with herbal plants and fruit yielding trees like pepper, wheat, banana and guava. Besides ‘yoga’ is also imparted to students to enable them to concentrate on studies, taking a break from television and other distractions.
In fact, every inch of the school compound is meticulously put to use, even though the main school building, built in 1936, cries for repairs.
Such has been the kudos to the school, that the Visitor’s Book includes praise from politicians and bureaucrats, with a former chief minister describing it as ‘a model school for the rest in Goa’.

GOAJOURNO APPEAL

Or there's another option... Just mail your tidbits to goajourno@googlegroups.com -- Penpricks

JAMAL GIVES US ANOTHER REASON TO LAUGH

Ok, this one has Jamaluddin Sheikh written all over it. It’s a howler!
Will someone tell this guy, that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) need not always be manned by ‘Intelligent’ people. And that because the bureau’s brief is to collect intelligence, you still can’t call it the ‘Intelligent Bureau’. And the 'Intelligent Bureau' is a Central Government outfit independent of the state police department.
This makes for such a hilarious goof up. Read the para in bold.
And judging by way crime reporters -- Jamal here included – have gone about this story, looks like they've missed the point altogether. Penpricks wagers a bet, that for the seven motorcycles stolen from the jurisdiction of the Panaji police station, no FIRs have been registered.
What has probably happened, are two rounds of tea-biscuit at Panaji Police Inspector Serafin Dias’ cabin and a lot of backslapping. The first round, after the thefts were discovered and the other, once the thieves returned the motor-cycles to the town police.

http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=061934

7 stolen bikes recovered

NT Staff Reporter
Panaji, June 18 The Panaji police today recovered a total of seven stolen motorcycles including one which was stolen from the Panaji police headquarters today.
Panaji town police incharge, Mr Serafin Dias disclosed that the cops scanned various city spots for the stolen bikes. They searched the parking lot of the KTC bus stand, and roadside mechanics, he said.
By this evening, three motorcycles were already claimed by the owners. The other bikes will be handed over after proper ownership verification, he said.
The bikes that were recovered include a Hero Honda Splendor belonging to a city advocate, Mr Nilesh Shirodkar which was missing since April and another Scooty belonging to Mr Pravin Malik, working for Intelligent Bureau (police department) stolen on March 21.
Another motorcycle belonging to Mr Nilesh Mandrenkar from Mapusa was found parked on 18th June road.