Echo Award reveals 2009 noms

BERLIN -- Coldplay, Duffy and Jack Johnson are among the first nominees for the Echo 2009, an award given each year in recognition of German record sales achievements.The news arrived with the announcement of eight out of the 24 categories, made today by the German Phono Academy, the local association for recording companies.Universal led the tally with a convincing 19 nominees, followed by Sony with seven, EMI with five, Warner with four and German-based Edel with two. The remaining nominations will be revealed in the next two weeks.The Echo 2009 will be awarded on Feb. 21 at the O2 World Arena in Berlin. German TV station ARD will broadcast the show two hours later on that day.It will be presented by German entertainer Barbara Schoneberger and German comedian Oliver Pocher, and feature performances by German music veteran Udo Lindenberg, US pop star Katy Perry and Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald.Previous Echo award winners include Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Christina Aguilera and Madonna.

The Best Audio System for Your Car

When looking for a car stereo to fit into the car, a number of items or aspects are considered. The first of these is the purpose of the stereo or auditory system, what the system will at most of the time be used to do. The next one is the age of the person who will be using the stereo and the final one is the type of vehicle that is being installed with the system. However, of most importance and the main thing to be considered are the budget and the specifications of the individual that is looking to have the audio system installed in the vehicle. There are a couple of ways in which one can prefer to install sound in his or her vehicle to suit his or her specifications. The first way is the option of installing a basic system that has tweeters and two mid range speakers. It is common knowledge that a simplified well installed small sound system can be clearer and heard with ease and clarity. This system is suitable for those that prefer their car stereo to be used for the purpose of such outputs as news and talk shows.
The next type of stereo system or audio system is the competition level of system application whereby one can buy a good CD player and also include an equalizer and a booster. There could be the inclusion of tweeters and mid range speakers the same as the basic type only that this time there is the inclusion of added speakers on the rear to boost the sound of the mid range speakers at the front of the vehicle. Equalizers and the booster are essential especially when one wants to fine tune the system’s response. Extra batteries may be needed when a person intends to play the music or system for a long time because the equalizer needs power to run the music system.

The last and final system is the SPL system. With this system, the main idea is to be loud especially when in low frequencies. In order for this type of system to be efficient, it needs many speakers, much power to run the system and a compressed space so that the sound can be focused and therefore becoming loud. Obviously this comes out as the most expensive of the three music systems. Of importance here first is the upgrade of the car’s electrical system. This therefore means the upgrade of batteries, transistors and capacitors. The most essential of the equipments is the subwoofers .The other systems can also be fitted with surround systems but the one that stands out is this SPL system. In order to move much air, the subwoofers need to comprise of a high excursion (Xmax) and also have a large cone area. With subwoofers, one gives the meaning of bass a whole new meaning. So whatever the specifications one needs, the type of system to use is left up to the car owner.

SILENT KILLER

Watch your waist is a good watch word on the occasion of the World Diabetes Day. Those who are obese are prone to type-II Diabetes, a condition that could lead to a considerably difficult lifestyle.
Speaking to Ergo ahead of the World Diabetes Day, which falls on November 14, the doctor, said sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food habits are the two major risk factors of type II diabetes and “the shocking fact is that over 30-40 percent of professionals in the age group of 25- 40 are diabetics.”
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), there were an estimated 40 million people with diabetes in India in 2007 and this number is predicted to rise to almost 70 million people by 2025.
“We, the Asian Indians are genetically prone to diabetes than the other ethnic groups in the world. When an obese person with the family history of diabetes, follows an unhealthy food habit with minimum physical activity, he falls under the risk of developing diabetes,” the doctor said.
If the waist circumference of a man and woman reaches 90 cm and 85 cm respectively, they are termed as obese. When obesity is accompanied by mild increase in blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, the condition is termed as metabolic syndrome.
This leads to insulin resistance or glucose intolerance, where the body cannot use insulin or blood sugar properly, the reason for type-II Diabetes.
The reason for obesity in IT professionals is their sleeping pattern, lack of physical activity, no exercise/ walking and improper eating habits. When a person works just opposite to the biological clock, like working at night and sleeping during day, his sleeping pattern and food timings are changed. Adding to this, junk foods and stress spoil health and make one obese.
Symptoms
The common symptoms of type II diabetes are frequent urination, thirst, fatigue, excessive hunger and sudden loss of weight.
Who should go for screening?
People with family history of diabetes and obese should go for a diabetes screening. Also women who gave birth to big babies and who had gestational diabetes should screen for type-II Diabetes.
Prevention
Prevention of diabetes is very simple. Shed your weight by proper exercise or walking. While in office avoid lift and opt for healthy food in canteen. Drink as much water as possible. Sleep well and eat at right time.

STRESS

The word Stress is used to describe both external events that make demand on us and the internal responses they trigger. In fact, stress is the body's general response to any demand made on it, regardless of whether that demand is pleasant or unpleasant, or whether it is emotional or physical.
All of us need some amount of challenge in our daily life to keep ourselves stimulated and lead our lives to the fullest. Damaging stress occurs when challenges becoming impossible to cope with the effect of excessive stress can manifest itself in a variety of ways; it can cause potentially harmful changes in the behavior and undermine both physical and mental health.
The way in which damaging stress manifests itself in the body varies from one individual to another. Besides one of the importance aspect of dealing with stress is knowing the way in which your body responds to the challenges that are too severe. These reactions are automatic and subconscious and might range from being irritable to overeating, breaking out in lives, developing a migraine headache or having heartburn. However once you understand stresses operating in your life, you can begin to cope with them. Slowly you will realize with practice that it is possible to control stress-related symptoms in a varied number of weeks.

Know Your Skin Type

The most common types of skin are dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, normal skin and sensitive skin. It is important for you to know your skin type to follow specific skin care secrets for its care.

• If your skin feels tight and sometimes also itchy then you probably have a dry skin. Dry skin at its worst, can also be flaky and wrinkled.


• If your skin feels oily to the touch and is prone to blackheads, acnes and pimples then chances are you have an oily skin.


• Combination skin is, as the name suggests a blend of oily skin and dry skin. Normally, the T-zone, namely the forehead, nose and chin are oily while the rest of the face is dry.


• Normal skin is rare to find. It is the perfect skin and everybody's dream. It has a fine texture without any open pores.


• If your skin is prone to redness and allergies and is sensitive to external factors then you have a sensitive skin.

MISSING YOU

Being apart from you isn't easy...
I find myself missing you so often,in so many ways...
but even though we can't be together right now...
Gentle thoughts of you fill my days and dreams of you fill my nights...
No matter what I'm doing,I know it would be so much nice if I could be sharing it with you...
I keep imagining things you'd say if you were with me now,
or the way you would laugh if something funny happened,
and next thing I know,I'm daydreaming about all the things we'll do when we're together again...
Although the miles come between us now,
I still feel so close to you,
and I just keep hoping the days will fly by because I want you beside me

to talk to,
to hold,
to love,
to keep from the hurts and pains.........

Meaning of the Color Blue

Blue is the overwhelming "favorite color." Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. The color of sky and the ocean, blue is perceived as a constant in our lives.As the collective color of the spirit, it invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming; however not all blues are serene and sedate. Electric or brilliant blues become dynamic and dramatic, an engaging color that expresses exhilaration.Some shades or the overuse of blue may come across as cold or uncaring. Blue is the least "gender specific" color, having equal appeal to both men and women.

How the color blue effects us physically and mentally

* Calming and sedate
* Cooling
* Aids intuition