Voices Festival.

The Voices Festival, A celebration of a cappella singing, kicked off last night with a breath taking show at The Black-E.
Barbieshop opened with a medley of pop songs taken from many decades, including my favourite cover of theirs, Radiohead's Creep.

The show really came alive when Sense of Sound began singing from their new catalogue: Songs of Joni Mitchell. This was followed by a special guest appearance from Blues legend, Connie Lush.

Check out the rest of the festivals events, only running this weekend, including free singing workshops and SHLOMO Live in concert. SHLOMO has beat boxed with the likes of Damon Albarn, Jarvis cocker and appeared on one of Bjork's albums.

Voices Festival.

Photos Matt Ford. 

What made Deepika Padukone change her mind?

Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone posing on the cover of a design magazine and flaunting her Mumbai apartment which was done up by Vineeta Chaitanya.

When the actress was approached a few months ago to talk about her dream house, she seemed reluctant. Later her publicist told us that Deepika does not want her home to be written about or photographed.

We respected her decision. So what made Deepika change her mind? Guess the lure of a national magazine cover is hard to resist.

And we don’t really blame her. Now that her career is on shaky ground, she needs all the publicity she can garner. And if that includes exposing her ‘private home’ to prying eyes, why not? Talk about double standards!

Deepika at the launch of Mid-Day Mumbai Anthem

The leading daily Mid Day launches an anthem dedicated to the city Mumbai. The gorgeous Deepika Padukone along with other Bollywood celebs attended the event.

O'very cake bake.

BBC presenter Cherry Healy, Master Chef winner Claire Lara Judge Northwest Cancer Research Funds O'very Cake Bake. 

Check out the latest press on The Wirral Globe website. 

http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/9571672.Wirral_Masterchef_Claire_judges_charity_bake_off/

Pics Matt Ford.

The key to a perfect night's sleep!

The key to a perfect night's sleep is going to bed at exactly 10pm, wearing pyjamas and enjoying a cup of tea beforehand, according to a poll.

A study of 2,000 adults who claim to enjoy an undisturbed sleep every single night of the week has highlighted how to achieve a decent slumber.

It shows the events of the evening have an impact on the night ahead - with most people ensuring they have at least two hours and seven minutes 'down time' before hitting the sack.

The average person will watch at least an hour and three quarters of television, opting for soap operas or comedy quiz shows.

And when going to bed, Brits have another 20 minutes rest time before finally falling asleep at 10:26pm.

Tania Johnston, spokewoman for bedlinen brand Bedeck, said: ''The survey draws attention to a common pattern of events leading up to bedtime, and the things most people who get a good night's sleep do whilst in bed.

''And the actual time people are going to bed is important, with most people ensuring they get a healthy eight or nine hours a night.''

The poll shows that while most people spend 41 minutes after getting home from work checking emails, they then down tools for the rest of the evening.

And although much of the evening is spent watching television, the average person will also surf the net for 51 minutes, and spend 41 minutes chatting with a partner or on the phone to their mum or friends.

Those who have mastered the art of getting a good sleep will finish their evening meal an hour and 31 minutes before going to bed, and have their final drink - a cup of tea - at 9:10pm.

When getting under the covers, more than a third of those polled opt for pyjamas or a nightdress - while 27 per cent are more comfortable in just their underwear.

And as 10:26pm approaches the average happy sleeper will turn onto their right side, get their partner to cuddle into them, and ensure they are sleeping on the right side of the bed when facing the ceiling.

The following morning, after a perfect night's sleep, people wake at a respectable 6:47am to the sound of their alarm clock.

And a third of those polled will literally bounce out of bed every morning of the week.

Tania Johnston added: ''It would be great to know that if you followed a certain string of events, and approached bedtime in the same way every night, you would be guaranteed a wonderful night's sleep.

''Obviously other factors will be relevant to getting the wonderful night's sleep - such as having a stressful day, being worried about something or having a partner that snores loudly every night.

''But for those people with relatively stress-free lives, sometimes all that is needed for a good rest is a chilled out evening and a bit of routine.''

HOW TO ACHIEVE A PERFECT NIGHT'S SLEEP:

* Watch 1 hour and 46 minutes of television, preferably a soap opera or comedy quiz show

* Spend 41 minutes talking to someone (partner, on the phone to mother etc)

* Browse the internet for 51 minutes

* Have at least 2 hours and 7 minutes rest after cooking, washing up and doing the chores

* Last food before bedtime - usually an evening meal - should be eaten at 8:29pm

* Last drink before bedtime - usually a cup of tea - should be consumed at 9:10pm

* Go to bed at exactly 10pm

* Spend 20 minutes in bed reading

* Finally fall asleep at 10:26pm

* Sleep in pyjamas or a nightdress

* Lie on the right side of the body

* Sleep on the right side of the bed

* Sleep with partner cuddled into their back

* Wake at 6:47am to the sound of the alarm clock

Blue whales can hear sounds in wider range!

Blue whales can be affected even by sounds that are outside their vocalisation range, according to a new study.

Mariana Melcon and colleagues from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography observed the response of blue whales in the Southern California Bight to mid-frequency sounds created by military sonar, which occur between 1000Hz to 8000Hz, much higher than blue whale calls, which are 100Hz and lower.

They collected thousands of hours of recordings over two summers, and found that, when mid-frequency active (MFA) sonar (which is used to find submarines) was active in the region, blue whales' low-frequency vocalizations, known as "D-calls", dropped by almost half: a sign, the authors posit, that despite being well outside the whales' vocalization range, such relatively high-frequency sounds are within their hearing range.

One possible explanation for being able to hear sounds of such high frequency, Melcon and colleagues suggest, "is that it may be advantageous, for instance, to hear their predators, ie. killer whales, which vocalize in the same frequency range as MFA sonar," Discovery News reported.

Conversely, when confronted with the noise of shipping, which does largely fall within their vocalization range, the whales increased their D-calls - which "may be the vocal response of the animals to overcome the noise".

Kohli floors Lanka with a sensational knock!

Hobart: Virat Kohli tore apart Sri Lankan bowling as he struck a superb century leading India to an incredible run chase at Hobart on Tuesday.

Chasing a mammoth target of 321 runs in 40 overs to keep their chances alive of making it to the finals of the CB series, India overhauled Sri Lankan total with more than 10 overs to spare and with seven wickets in hand.

The win means India can wait before embarking on a return flight to see through the result of Australia-Sri Lanka tie that will decide who faces the Kangaroos in the best of three finals of the triangular series.

Virat Kohli (133) and Suresh Raina (40) took charge after Gambhir (63) was run out in the 28th over and kept their cool to see India home.

The openers set the tone for the chase as Virender Sehwag (30) and Sachin Tendulkar (39) collected 54 runs in seven overs. Sehwag perished after attempting to hit Farveez Maharoof over mid-on as a mistimed shot ended in the safe hands of Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Sachin Tendulkar looked his usual self before attempting to flick Malinga’s yorker, missing it completely to be adjudged lbw. He walked away without looking at the umpire knowing his fate just as he had anticipated the yorker.

Sri Lanka were hoping for a respite after removing the Indian opening pair but in-form Gautam Gambhir joined hands with Virat Kohli to lead the charge upfront. Together they struck a century partnership—a first for India in the series—maintaining a steady rate of eight runs per over.

Gauti made a brisk start to his innings hitting four boundaries off the first twelve deliveries he faced. He picked up gaps perfectly even as he flirted one towards the slip cordon for a boundary that had cost him his wicket on previous occasions as well in the series.

Virat on the other hand played steadily, rotating the strike while finding gaps to steal a boundary or two. He saved his best for the late as he mauled Lasith Malinga for 24 runs in the 35th over leaving Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene stunned. India never looked out of sight even when they were to score at high run rate successfully maintaining it throughout the chase. It was a pity that a few thousand spectators turned out to witness the ODI at Bellerive Oval that saw a rampaging Kohli taking bowlers to the cleaners.

The stand lasted for 115 runs as Gambhir was caught short of his crease when a charging Dinesh Chandimal fired a throw from deep midwicket ending his innings at 63.

It was fitting that the winning runs came off two consecutive boundaries plundered in Malinga’s over to end the nightmare for the slinger as he leaked 96 runs in 7.4 overs.

MS Dhoni had to call Suresh Raina to bowl the final over of the Sri Lankan innings. Not that he had bowled out his frontline bowlers – Zaheer and Praveen had one over left and Yadav two. The only bowler who completed his full quota was R Ashwin, whereas the pacers were milked for plenty. Khan was hammered for 61, Praveen for 64 and Yadav for 56 runs by the Lankan batsmen. Raina was bowling fine but was not spared from the wrath of centurion Dilshan who launched his penultimate delivery for a six towards mid-wicket. The over yielded 10 runs.

At the end of the day, when over 600 runs were scored, World Champion Indian team showed their class and once again showed the importance of a positive opening partnership. The top order came all guns firing that otherwise has been the prime reason of their downfall in the series. However, the fate of Indian team now rests on the final league match between Australia and Sri Lankan on Friday. MS Dhoni said his team would be shopping rather than being hooked to their TV sets to see the outcome. His mind though would be focused on the result no matter even if he skips the match for reveling.

Want to stay mentally young? Have more fish!!!!!!!!!

Want to stay mentally forever young? Make it a sushi or baked salmon dinner. Because according to a new study, a diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids may cause the brain to age faster.

Published February 28 in the journal Neurology, a team of US researchers studied the MRI brain scans of 1,575 people who averaged 67 years old. None of the participants had dementia.

Researchers also measured their body mass and tested subjects' mental function and the amount of omega-3 fatty acid levels in their red blood cells.

After studying the results, researchers found that people whose levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) a nutrient in omega-3 fatty acids -- were among the bottom 25 percent had lower brain volume compared to people with higher DHA levels.
Those with low levels of DHA also scored lower on visual memory tests and executive function, like problem solving, multi-tasking and abstract thinking.

Meanwhile, a Spanish study has found that the roe of hake, lumpsucker, and salmon are the best dietary sources of omega-3.Sardines, mackerel, salmon, soy beans, flaxseed oil and walnuts are also good sources of the nutrient.

The latest study builds on previous research which has found that this nutrient can do everything from helping cognitive function to protecting against Parkinson's, preventing nerve damage and reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Google doodle celebrates leap year!

Google's latest doodle celebrates the leap year and Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini's 220th birthday. The doodle showcases four frogs, each closely associated to one of Rossini's best-known comic-opera "The Barber of Seville'.

In the doodle, while one of the frogs seems to be playing piano, another one looks like a leaping soprano. The third frog is the barber, Figaro, and the frog getting a shave is Almaviva. Interestingly, frogs, from a very long time, are associated with 'leap year'. Born on February 29, 1792, in Itlay, Rossini wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs and several instrumental and piano pieces. Nicknamed "The Italian Mozart," he joined Bologna's Philharmonic School (now GB Martini State Conservatory of Music) when he was just 14.

There he composed his first opera seria - Demetrio e Polibio. During his teens, he learnt violin, horn, and harpsichord and often sung in public to earn money. Between 1815 and 1823 Rossini produced as many as 20 operas.

Google doodles are the decorative changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists and scientists. The first doodle was created by Larry Page and Sergy Brin in the year 1998 to mark the celebrations of the Burning Man Festival. Google currently has over 1000 doodles. Google recently revamped its doodle site, which features largely all doodles created by the company. The website also gives a peek into the creative process that goes into creating these doodles.

Lack of omega-3 fatty acids causes memory problems!

A diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients commonly found in fish, may cause the brain to age faster and lose some of its memory and thinking abilities, according to a new study.

Omega-3 fatty acids include the nutrients called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

"People with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had lower brain volumes that were equivalent to about two years of structural brain aging," said study author Zaldy S. Tan, MD, MPH, of the Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research and the Division of Geriatrics, University of California at Los Angeles.

For the study, 1,575 people with an average age of 67 and free of dementia underwent MRI brain scans.

They were also given tests that measured mental function, body mass and the omega-3 fatty acid levels in their red blood cells.

The researchers found that people whose DHA levels were among the bottom 25 percent of the participants had lower brain volume compared to people who had higher DHA levels.

Similarly, participants with levels of all omega-3 fatty acids in the bottom 25 per cent also scored lower on tests of visual memory and executive function, such as problem solving and multi-tasking and abstract thinking.

The study has been published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Sahara announces Rs. 1.12 crore reward for Indian hockey team!

More rewards pour in for the Indian hockey team after they qualified for the London Olympics.

Sahara India Group, the official sponsors of the team, on Tuesday announced a cash incentive of Rs. 1.12 crore, which will be distributed amongst the players and support staff of Indian team, for their brilliant performance in FIH Olympic qualifiers.

Sardar Singh and Sandeep Singh have been awarded Rs. 11 lakhs each for their outstanding display, while the rest of the team members will get Rs. 5 lakh each for their performance.


"We are very proud that India performed so well in this tournament. Hockey is our national game and we are proud of being associated with it. This reward is a small token of appreciation from us to encourage the sportsmen and the support staff to achieve greater success and bring laurels to our beloved nation through our national sport," Subrata Roy, Chairman of Sahara India, said.

Recently, Sahara India Pariwar had renewed its support to Indian Hockey by announcing to sponsor the Men & Women National and Junior Hockey Teams for a period of 5 years at a 170% increase over the past contract period.

Lakmé Fashion Week - Summer/Resort 2012

Lakmé Fashion Week - 2nd-6th March

Lakmé Fashion Week - Summer/Resort 2012

Lakmé Fashion Week - 2nd-6th March

Injury to in-form Antonio Valencia sours victory over Ajax for solid but unspectacular Manchester United!

After a drab and lacklustre performance in the first half of their 2-0 win at Ajax, Manchester United clicked into gear after the restart, eventually strolling to their first-leg victory. And, although the performance was far from spectacular, it looked like being an efficient night for Sir Alex Ferguson.

Sir Alex paid a great deal of respect to the tournament, naming a full-strength side as he went in search of a win to put the tie beyond all doubt, but he ultimately got more than he bargained for.

A goal from Ashley Young set them on their way, but neither the goalscorer, or United’s other wide man, Nani, were particularly impressive and the England international eventually made way for the in-form Antonio Valencia.

Valencia quietly went about his business down the right, cutting inside more often than not, but his driving runs were causing problems as he lured the centre-backs to him before sliding teasing passes through to Javier Hernandez.

However, a timeframe of 10 seconds produced two moments of huge contrast as United effectively booked their passage into the next round of the Europa League at an expensive price.

Valencia surged forward from his own half, flicking a pass to Hernandez while hoping to avoid a challenge from Jan Vertonghen but, though the little Mexican ran on to score following an interchange with Wayne Rooney, the former Wigan man was left in a heap on the floor.

The 26-year-old came off in the immediate aftermath of Hernandez’s goal, heading straight for the tunnel with Sir Alex Ferguson confirming in his post-match press conference that the winger will be missing for a month with a hamstring strain.

Ever since Ferguson and his team crashed out of the Champions League, much debate had been focussed on whether United would treat the Europa League with the same importance, or if they would let the ‘kids’ prove their worth, saving their big names for the undoubted number one focus this season; retaining the Premier League title.

Although United’s selection for the Ajax win was a big plus for the Europa League, those at Old Trafford may now be alert to the potential problems involved when playing key men in more than one competition at a time, with the example of Wayne Rooney’s injury in the 2009-10 Champions League having disastrous consequences.

On that occasion, United looked to be cruising through, but Rooney soon picked up an injury before Bayern Munich hit back, eventually progressing themselves despite a 3-2 loss and, with Rooney out for two months, Chelsea went on to claim the title.

Luckily for United, they have a player more than capable of filling the void left by the Ecuadorian in Nani, but unless he finds form once again on the right-wing, creativity could be sorely lacking at Old Trafford in the coming month, with the former Sporting Lisbon man as hit-and-miss as anyone.

Hopefully for Sir Alex Ferguson’s sake key players will return and injuries will dry up, but that is rarely how football works. With the Europa League without doubt the least important competition for them this season, United should save the ‘big guns’ for their Premier League title charge.

Ford introduces OpenXC to India!

Ford of USA has acknowledged that in-car entertainment and information systems 'infotainment' for short - are progressing at a rapid rate, and the day isn't far off where the car will be a rolling computer in more ways than we imagine.

To this end Ford has the OpenXC platform, which one can use to develop applications that might be in demand. Yes, the concept is much like the Android-powered phone and app developer ecosystem; in fact, the current platform is the Android OS. The interface is the OBD-2 port in the car, a standard with all new cars today. The developer makes the app, Ford will test it and after validation it can go on sale - or given away for free, if the developer wishes.

Of course, this assumes a few things: like a mobile phone, a Ford will have to have a minimum set of hardware components that can handle the applications. You'll also need people knowledgable enough to find the OBD port, plug in and do it themselves. The current generation of children who know they way around a tablet PC and PlayStation instinctively suggest that this won't be much of a hurdle.

Ford has already tied up with universities such as the University of Michigan, MIT and Stanford, and India is the first place outside of the US that they're making the effort to get OpenXC going. They hope to rope in at least a couple of Indian universities as well.

The North American Market is already filling up with application-driven automobiles so a platform like OpenXC will not be a quantum leap for the consumer there. In the Indian market, however, features that are considered basic like ABS, airbags and an audio system are usually optional. It will be more than a few years before there will be a market for something like OpenXC, but the Indian consumer's love for features will make sure that once it sticks, it will grow exponentially.

The Art Show S/S12 announced.

After success of The Art Show A/W11, I have decided to come back with another exhibition, in a bigger venue, with 3 new artists (represented by Dot-Art.com) as well as myself, oh and an even cooler show!!

The performers, artists and theme for the show will all be announced next month but to get the ball rolling Seen Magazine have commissioned one of my new pieces of work in the brand new magazine re-launch colours. 

Click on the images to read the feature about the first Art Show or click the link to read the whole of the new issue of Seen Magazine. 

Spring 2012 fashion week

Spring 2012 fashion week