Wholesale Inflation Falls to 5-Year Low of 2.38% in September

India's wholesale price inflation eased to a near five-year low in September, helped by a moderation in food and fuel prices, but the risk of price shocks is expected to prevent the central bank from cutting interest rates soon.

The wholesale price index (WPI) rose an annual 2.38 per cent last month, its slowest pace since October 2009, compared with a 3.3 per cent jump forecast by economists in a Reuters poll. In August, wholesale prices rose 3.74 per cent.

The reading for July WPI inflation was revised to 5.41 per cent from 5.19 per cent earlier.

"The sharp moderation in inflation has been a culmination of a favourable base effect, moderation in food prices, softening crude oil prices and weak growth," said Upasna Bhardwaj, an economist at ING Vysya Bank.

Data released on Monday showed consumer price inflation, which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) tracks to set policy lending rates, dropped sharply to 6.46 per cent in September, the lowest since the latest data series started in January 2012.

The moderation in price pressures was driven by cheaper food and fuel. Wholesale food inflation dropped in September to 3.52 per cent on lower vegetable prices from 5.15 per cent a month ago.

Falling global crude oil prices, meanwhile, drove fuel inflation down to 1.33 per cent last month from 4.54 per cent in August.

Notwithstanding the deceleration in inflation, the RBI is concerned that poor monsoon rains and geopolitical tensions that affect oil could drive up prices, making it tougher to reduce retail inflation to 6 per cent by 2016.

As a result, analysts widely expect it to keep interest rates on hold until the April-June quarter.

"Going into next year, we expect RBI to assess the diminishing upside risks to its 6 per cent target closely and press the trigger only when it is convinced of a meaningful correction in prices," said Bhardwaj.

The RBI sent a strong signal last month that it would hold off cutting rates until it was confident that consumer inflation could be reduced to a target of 6 per cent by January 2016.
Copyright: Thomson Reuters 2014

How to Get Your Nobel Prize Medal Past Airport Security

Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2011, had a close encounter with the airport security in Fargo, Nebraska. The details were reported on Friday on the blog Scientific America.

Schmidt's grandmother wanted to see the 24-carat gold medal that he'd been awarded and so, he decided to take it with him to Fargo. But first, he had to get it past airport security.

"You would think that carrying around a Nobel Prize would be uneventful, and it was uneventful, until I tried to leave Fargo with it, and went through the X-ray machine," he says on the blog.

He was carrying the medal in his laptop bag, and when it went through the X-ray machine, it left the airport officials bewildered. Schmidt knew the cause of their concern. He was prepared to answer a few questions but wasn't anticipating this conversation (in Schmidt's words):

"They're like, 'Sir, there's something in your bag.'
I said, 'Yes, I think it's this box.'
They said, 'What's in the box?'
I said, 'a large gold medal,' as one does.
So they opened it up and they said, 'What's it made out of?'
I said, 'gold.'
And they're like, 'Uhhhh. Who gave this to you?'
'The King of Sweden.'
'Why did he give this to you?'
'Because I helped discover the expansion rate of the universe was accelerating.'
At which point, they were beginning to lose their sense of humor. I explained to them it was a Nobel Prize, and their main question was, 'Why were you in Fargo?'"

Last week, the Nobel Prize winners for 2014 were announced, including India's Kailash Satyarthi who was awarded the Peace Prize.

Brawling in the Street, Shocking! And Wait Till You See Who's Fighting

Two wild kangaroos came to fisticuffs on a street in Australia.

The feud turned ugly and went viral on the Internet. The two kangaroos in the video below are champions at the double-footed kick, balancing themselves on their super-strong tails.

The amateur video, titled 'Wild Kangaroo Street Fight Aussie Style' and uploaded by Rodney Langham on YouTube, has over three million views already.

The kangaroos could easily replace prizefighters in a boxing ring. They pack a mean and very accurate punch and they just don't give up.

'I am Not Misbah-ul-Haq, I am Shahid Afridi'

Shahid Afridi said no two captains are the same and insisted he developed his exciting brand of cricket and leadership thanks to the aggression of the Pakistani people. 

Afridi says he has very little in common with Pakistan's ODI skipper Misbah.

While Misbah-ul-Haq's form has raised doubts about his leadership skills, Pakistan's T20 captain Shahid Afridi feels aggression is the key to success. Pakistan suffered an ODI whitewash against Australia recently but Afridi says his teammates should stick to their fiery brand of cricket.
Re-appointed as T20I skipper after being axed unceremoniously three years ago, Afridi told ESPNCricinfo that every captain has his unique style. His was aggression. "Every captain has his own approach and I can't be Misbah and Misbah can't be Afridi," he said. "I love to play aggressive cricket because people in my country are aggressive, my players are aggressive and I want them to play aggressive cricket."
While the aggression was largely missing against the Aussies, Afridi feels it is the effort which counts. "Your body language on the field is the reflection of your intentions and people will look beyond the result or performance when they see your efforts," he said. This is in sharp contrast to the approach of Misbah who, many feel, is lacking the 'will to kill.'
Misbah's absence - rest being the official reason - from the final ODI has raised several eyebrows with many in Pakistan demanding for his removal. There are also reports of an internal strife in the dressing-room. Afridi though wants players to stay true to their strengths rather than mould themselves. "If he is comfortable with his approach then what is the problem? But players around him should not become Misbah. Each player has his own strengths and he should carry out what he is capable of rather than suppressing himself."
Afridi himself has hardly ever suppressed himself - on or off the field. Not a stranger to controversies, the 34-year-old had said on Monday that Pakistan don't deserve to play the World Cup if the team fails on UAE tracks. "If we are not able to win on these pitches then we have to think we can't go into the World Cup with these performances."
Even as Pakistan cricket struggles for form and guidance four months before the ODI World Cup, Afridi feels the ultimate cricketing glory lies in a combative game.

 

Kevin Pietersen a Brash Kid Who Never Grew up: Martin Crowe

Former New Zealand skipper Martin Crowe feels there is no need to sympathise with Kevin Pietersen, who has accused his former England teammates of bulling younger players in his recently released controversial autobiography.

File photo of former England player Kevin Pietersen. 

 

Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe said Kevin Pietersen has been unable to lose the bitterness of his past, which forced him to leave Natal in South Africa as a young man and seek cricketing opportunities in England.
Pietersen, who was controversially sacked from the England side after an Ashes whitewash against Australia, Down Under, released his bare-all book, KP: The Autobiography, where he picked on teammates and former coach Andy Flower besides accusing senior players of allowing a bullying culture to develop in the dressing-room. The revelations drew mixed reactions and Pietersen was once again subjected to intense criticism from men he had once played cricket with, men he once called friends.
Crowe, one of the more charismatic captains to have ever led the Black Caps, said Pietersen's story of a kid who left his home shores to travel to a distant land and represent an adopted country had taken a sad turn, given everything he had achieved and subsequently destroyed. The brash right-handed batsman made a sensational debut against Australia, slamming two half-centuries in 2005, a year after he first played ODIs for England.
"It is a sad story of a kid who never grew up. With sadness normally comes sympathy, but in this case there need not be any now. This young, brash kid from Pietermaritzburg has had more chances to step out of his shadow, and has ultimately, going by this week's example, accepted very few," Crowe wrote for ESPNcricinfo. "The record of the batsman will speak of something, but not of the man, for it never came to be. KP simply remained an insecure kid.
Now, at 34, he is ship-wrecked, his international cricket career well over, his esteem in his adopted country utterly compromised. He may as well go back to Natal and start again."
Many believed Pietersen was among the best batsmen in the world, even when the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid were in full bloom. He had smashed his way to 4000 runs in his first 45 Tests and bowlers the world over shuddered at the thought of bowling to England's new middle-order star.
However, Pietersen's dizzying heights soon came crashing down when as a captain, he got into tiffs with coach Peter Moores, who was removed from his role. He was co-incidentally named coach again after Flower's tenure was over in 2014. In the following years, Pietersen would also get into trouble over texting South African cricketers derogatory messages about former England skipper Andy Strauss. Removed from the national team, Pietersen was reintegrated during the tour of India, where he got back to scoring match-winning hundreds yet again.
The joy of England fans watching Pietersen decimate bowling attacks remained short-lived as he soon started developing differences with captain Alastair Cook in the wake of a horror Australian tour that ended early this year.
Pietersen's fall from disgrace and the affection of the cricket-loving public in his home remained a mystery and Crow, much like former England captain Nasser Hussain wondered if the cash-rich Indian Premier League had anything to do with it.
"Did the IPL become his new focus and paymaster once disposed as a Test captain? In his bitterness did he turn his energy off England, in defiance of England, switching his allegiance to grow his own marketable brand? We are left to ponder all that this week.
What he cannot deny is that his batting numbers went down while his behaviour got exposed, his attitude changed towards ODIs to play more IPL games, the runaway train crashing inevitably," Crowe wrote.
Crowe, one of the most outspoken commentators of the game feels his autobiography "reeks of ego and a falsehood. It is not one of a man's truth, but of a wayward youth. Make no mistake, despite its superb authorship, this book is feeble, even pitiful, definitely unnecessary."
Pietersen knows his England career is now over. After such unsettling claims, the England dressing-room will no longer be a welcome place. But the 'kid from Natal' will always be remembered for once leading England to the top of the world, before crashing down on his face in the most unglorious manner.

Artist Paints Celebrities on Peanuts!

Known as the 'Painter of Nuts', Steve Casino has some mad skills. He goes through hundreds of peanuts to find one that looks like the celebrity he wants to paint. He then carefully opens the shell, takes the peanut out and glues it back together. He smoothens out the shell, adds legs and begins the meticulous painting process. Painting a single shell can take anywhere from 10 to 20 hours! Post this, the shells are coated with clear acrylic. Arms are always added in the end.

The most interesting bit is the back of the peanut shell, which he leaves untouched. He loves to show people the plain side of the peanut first and then slowly turns it to reveal the incredibly detailed painting at the front!

Everything he makes is for sale but it'll probably cost you less to fly out and meet the celebrities themselves. The price can range from anywhere between $300-$1000 each, depending on the complexity involved.


Albert Einstein


Donald Trump


Bob Marley


Sean Connery as James Bond

Michael Jackson


Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul From Breaking Bad

Joker From the Batman Movie Franchise


Tiger Woods

Elton John


Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow


Spock And Kirk From Star Trek


Freddie Mercury From the Band 'Queen'


The Hulk

© All photos belong to Steve Casino

McDonald's Explains Why Its Burgers May Not Rot

The world's biggest hamburger chain is confronting unappetizing questions as part of a United States campaign to beat back perceptions that it serves Frankenfood. The company has run similar campaigns in Canada and Australia and said it's bringing the effort to its flagship market.

The push comes as McDonald's fights to boost its performance in the United States, where sales slid 1.5 percent at established locations in the most recent quarter, following a 0.2 percent dip for last year. In addition to increased competition, McDonald's is trying to keep up with changing tastes, with places such as Chipotle marketing their food as more wholesome alternatives.

To improve the image of its food, McDonald's recently rolled out chicken wraps with sliced cucumbers and the option to substitute egg whites in breakfast sandwiches. It also plans to eventually let people swap out the french fries in value meals with options like salad or vegetables.

For its latest campaign, among the first issues McDonald's addresses are widely circulated online images and videos that show its burgers staying in tact after several weeks or even years. On its webpage, McDonald's says that's likely because the food has dehydrated, and that food needs moisture to form mold.

The company's responses to other questions such as "Does McDonald's beef contain worms?" are more direct: "No. Gross! End of story."

A video posted on the company's home page also showed Grant Imahara, a former host of the TV show "Mythbusters," touring a Cargill beef plant where McDonald's patties are made. "Are there lips and eyeballs in there, Jimmy?" Imahara asks a plant supervisor, who explains that the patties only have beef trimmings. Another guide says the patties do not contain lean finely textured beef, an ingredient widely referred to as "pink slime" that became the subject of controversy a few years ago. McDonald's stopped using the ingredient about three years ago.

Ben Stringfellow, vice president of communications for McDonald's USA, said in a phone interview that the campaign is a new way of engaging with customers more directly. He noted people are demanding for more information about products across the board, not just from McDonald's. "In many ways, it's the way the world is going," he said.

National TV ads will air soon will let people know about the push. McDonald's says people can submit questions via social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. The company plans to respond to the most common questions with videos or other posts, as well as responding one-on-one to questions, Stringfellow said.