Cisco was one of the companies that had to prove its existence, complainedU.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat whose Congressional district includes Silicon Valley, at a U.S. House hearing last month on the H-1B visa.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
H1B: Indian IT cos face US visa fraud woes - L1 and B1 Immigrants: Green Cards, Permanent Residents
Firms suspended from programme that allows them to expedite work permits for employees; three later granted relief
The companies — among them technology giant International Business Machines Corp.’s (IBM) business process outsourcing (BPO) arm, IBM Global Process Services — were suspended from the programme.
some of the issues raised by Nasscom were use of derogatory language with visa applicants, instances of applicants being coerced/threatened to concede that they were going to the US for reasons other than those mentioned in the application, and a marked increase in rejection rates at all consulates, especially at Chennai for L1 and Delhi for B1 category visa applicants.
Infosys Technologies Ltd became involved in a lawsuit two months ago on charges of visa fraud following a complaint filed by one of its primary consultants, Jack Palmer, alleging that the company was sending employees to work full time in the US on B visas, intended for temporary visitors on work trips.
the top three India-based offshoring firms, TataConsultancy Services Ltd, Infosys and Wipro added 57,000 new employees last year—and many of the jobs would have gone to Americans had H-1B loopholes been closed.
He also raised concerns that other temporary visa programmes—such as the L-1 and B-1
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing | Video on TED.com
Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing | Video on TED.com: "Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing"
Mum, what's sex? - Kids, Children, Honey, Bees: Reproduction: Biology, Science, Humans
Julia Sweeney considered herself an enlightened, sex-is-no-big-deal kind of parent. But that was before an innocent question about tadpoles prompted The Conversation
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Silence - Video | FRONTLINE | PBS
In the remote Native villages of Alaska, FRONTLINE examines a little-known chapter of the Catholic Church sex abuse incidents
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
H-1B study: Broken system can be fixed | Articles | INDIA New England
Nowrasteh suggests seven solutions for the H-1B visa program:
• The numerical cap on foreign born workers for private firms should be lifted
• The length of employment for an H-1B worker should be unlimited
• The fees for filing for an H-1B visa should be drastically reduced
• The H-1B work visa should be awarded on an individual basis and not limited to company sponsorship
• H-1B visa workers should be free to change jobs without jumping through bureaucratic hoops
• The definition of specialty occupation and a highly skilled worker should be expanded
• H-1B workers who decide to apply for permanent residence should be able to do so without disruption to their employment by allowing them to stay in the country and remain employed during the application process
H-1B study: Broken system can be fixed | Articles | INDIA New England
• The numerical cap on foreign born workers for private firms should be lifted
• The length of employment for an H-1B worker should be unlimited
• The fees for filing for an H-1B visa should be drastically reduced
• The H-1B work visa should be awarded on an individual basis and not limited to company sponsorship
• H-1B visa workers should be free to change jobs without jumping through bureaucratic hoops
• The definition of specialty occupation and a highly skilled worker should be expanded
• H-1B workers who decide to apply for permanent residence should be able to do so without disruption to their employment by allowing them to stay in the country and remain employed during the application process
H-1B study: Broken system can be fixed | Articles | INDIA New England
Friday, April 15, 2011
How to manipulate social movements by hacking Twitter
ONE DAY LAST February, a Twitter user in California named Billy received a tweet from @JamesMTitus, identified in his profile as a “24 year old dude” from Christchurch, New Zealand, who had the avatar of a tabby cat. “If you could bring one character to life from your favorite book, who would it be?,” @JamesMTitus asked. Billy tweeted back, “Jesus,” to which @JamesMTitus replied: “honestly? no fracking way. ahahahhaa.” Their exchange continued, and Billy began following @JamesMTitus. It probably never occurred to him that the Kiwi dude with an apparent love of cats was, in fact, a robot.
JamesMTitus was manufactured by cyber-security specialists in New Zealand participating in a two-week social-engineering experiment organized by the Web Ecology Project. Based in Boston, the group had conducted demographic analyses of Chatroulette and studies of Twitter networks during the recent Middle East protests. It was now interested in a question of particular concern to social-media experts and marketers: Is it possible not only to infiltrate social networks, but also to influence them on a large scale?
Study Points to a Single, Original Language for All Humans - WSJ.com
By GAUTAM NAIK The world's 6000 or so modern languages may have all descended from a single ancestral tongue spoken by early African humans between 50000 and 70000 years ago, a new study suggests.
Phonetic Clues Hint Language Is Africa-Born New York Times
Evolutionary Babel was in southern Africa New Scientist
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya by Caroline Elkins
New documents released in the United Kingdom confirm that torture and other abuses of detainees were authorized at the highest levels in the 1950s, during a counter-insurgency campaign in Kenya. Kenya was then a British colony and Mau Mau rebels wanted them out. Anchor Marco Werman gets details from Caroline Elkins, professor of African history at Harvard University.
UK documents confirm torture of Mau Mau rebels | PRI's The World: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
UK documents confirm torture of Mau Mau rebels | PRI's The World: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Kingdom in the Himalayas | PRI's The World
The country we want you to name for the Geo Quiz is a landlocked kingdom in the Himalayas. If you plan to travel there, keep in mind there’s a national dress code. And be prepared to dodge arrows: archery is the national sport.
Kingdom in the Himalayas | PRI's The World
Kingdom in the Himalayas | PRI's The World
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Make-Up Sex (Pic) - Digg
Make up sex if a farse from the male prospective. If you get in a fight and you are in a meaningful relationship - someone is at fault. If the guy is at fault, you know sure as s**t that you aren't getting sex, let alone going unpunished. You'll be doing some fake ass'd apology taking her out to dinner and "making it up to her". If you play your cards right, you might get sex, but that's a stretch and is in direct correlation to your level of grovelling
If she is at fault, you are trapped in bizarro world because that doesn't happen. She'll turn that s**t right around and make it your fault. If it truely was one of those once in a lifetime events and she cops to it, she still ain't going to sex you up. She's going to cry a bit and say how sorry she is and how lucky she is to have you. You'll be so blown away that you aren't being blamed that sex is beyond your comprehension at that point, you just want to savor the moment. Then you can't make too big a deal out of her being at fault or you are immediately the bad guy for being insensitive.
Bottom line, make up sex is a fairy tale married people tell single people.
If she is at fault, you are trapped in bizarro world because that doesn't happen. She'll turn that s**t right around and make it your fault. If it truely was one of those once in a lifetime events and she cops to it, she still ain't going to sex you up. She's going to cry a bit and say how sorry she is and how lucky she is to have you. You'll be so blown away that you aren't being blamed that sex is beyond your comprehension at that point, you just want to savor the moment. Then you can't make too big a deal out of her being at fault or you are immediately the bad guy for being insensitive.
Bottom line, make up sex is a fairy tale married people tell single people.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Applebee's Got A Baby Drunk
A family eating at a Detroit-area Applebee's over the weekend noticed that their 15-month-old son Dominic was behaving oddly. That's because the restaurant had accidentally served him tequila.
"He was saying 'hi' and 'bye' to the walls," said his mom, Taylor Dill-Reese, "He eventually laid his head down on the table and we thought maybe he was just sleepy."
Monday, April 11, 2011
தேர்தல் விளம்பர இடைவேளை
தேர்தல் விளம்பர இடைவேளை: "
பிரசாரத்துலயே எசகுபிசகா உளறி, எடக்கு மடக்கா ஆக்ஷன் பண்ணுன விஜயகாந்துக்கு, விளம்பர வாய்ப்பே கிடைக்கல. அதுக்கெல்லாம் அசருவாரா நம்ம கேப்டன். அவருக்கு சமூக அக்கறை ஜாஸ்தியாச்சே! இருக்கவே இருக்கு கேப்டன் டீவி…
Google's three Indian Muskeeters - Business news
The seven executive holding key departments are:
Salar Kamangar the head of video site YouTube,
Andy Rubin as top mobile executive,
Sundar Pichai in charge of the Chrome browser and operating system effort,
Alan Eustace senior vice president for engineering and research,
Jeff Huber senior vice president of commerce and local,
Vic Gundotra for social ventures, and
Susan Wojcicki heading ads, and
Nikesh Arora as chief Business Officer.
Google's three Indian Muskeeters - Business news
Salar Kamangar the head of video site YouTube,
Andy Rubin as top mobile executive,
Sundar Pichai in charge of the Chrome browser and operating system effort,
Alan Eustace senior vice president for engineering and research,
Jeff Huber senior vice president of commerce and local,
Vic Gundotra for social ventures, and
Susan Wojcicki heading ads, and
Nikesh Arora as chief Business Officer.
Google's three Indian Muskeeters - Business news
Friday, April 08, 2011
mental_floss Blog » How Long Have You Known Your Oldest Friend?
How long have you known your oldest friend?
Someone you regularly see or speak to.
Have you stayed close all these years? How’d you first meet?
Have you stayed close all these years? How’d you first meet?
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Germany's Free Democrats: Enter Rösler
Will the new face for the Free Democrats be tough enough?
Guido Westerwelle resigned as leader of Germany's Free Democratic Party, a junior coalition member, and as federal vice-chancellor, following the party's poor performances at recent state elections. Philipp Rösler, the 38-year-old health minister, will replace him in both roles, although Mr Westerwelle wants to stay as foreign minister, a position in which he has attracted much criticism.
Guido Westerwelle resigned as leader of Germany's Free Democratic Party, a junior coalition member, and as federal vice-chancellor, following the party's poor performances at recent state elections. Philipp Rösler, the 38-year-old health minister, will replace him in both roles, although Mr Westerwelle wants to stay as foreign minister, a position in which he has attracted much criticism.
The Socialists contemplate who would be their best new leader
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain's unpopular prime minister, said that he would not stand for a third term at a general election due by early 2012. The ruling Socialist Party is expected to hold primaries to elect Mr Zapatero's successor as party leader after local elections on May 22nd
Spain's prime minister: Exit plan | The Economist
Spain's prime minister: Exit plan | The Economist
As a government shutdown looms, an attempt to grapple with America’s long-term deficit problems is at last under way
The threat of a government shutdown in America loomed large; the Republicans and the Democrats had so far failed to agree on a fresh extension of funds, meaning that non-essential functions could be shut down as soon as April 9th.
The budget: The real fight begins | The Economist
Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, submitted his version of a budget for fiscal year 2012, which begins in October. Mr Ryan proposes to spend $6.2 trillion less over the next ten years than Mr Obama does. Mr Ryan's
proposals include, in effect, privatising Medicare, the government-run health scheme for the elderly. See article
The budget: The real fight begins | The Economist
Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, submitted his version of a budget for fiscal year 2012, which begins in October. Mr Ryan proposes to spend $6.2 trillion less over the next ten years than Mr Obama does. Mr Ryan's
proposals include, in effect, privatising Medicare, the government-run health scheme for the elderly. See article
Nursultan Nazarbayev is eternal but, still, who comes after him?
Kazakhstan re-elected Nursultan Nazarbayev as its president with 95.5% of the vote. Mr Nazarbayev is popular among his countrymen but the near-perfect result is an embarrassment for the foreign governments that applauded him for calling the election. Even an opposition candidate voted for him.
Kazakhstan's thumping election: Sensational | The Economist
Kazakhstan's thumping election: Sensational | The Economist
A large theft of company e-mail lists causes controversy
A hacker pilfered e-mails from Epsilon, an American marketing-services firm, which handles 40 billion e-mails each year on behalf of around 2,500 corporate clients. Prominent customers affected by the data breach are said to include Citigroup, Marks & Spencer and the Marriott hotel chain. Epsilon assured its clients that the leak was confined to e-mail addresses and did not compromise their customers' financial information.
E-commerce and data security: The phishers' big catch | The Economist
E-commerce and data security: The phishers' big catch | The Economist
BBC News - Dotty the Donkey gets PDSA award for saving sheep
Dotty came to the aid of her friend Stanley in their shared paddock when a dog launched a frenzied attack on him, according to animal charity the PDSA.
She pinned the dog to the ground until it let go of five-year-old Stanley.
'The Desert of Forbidden Art' Review - Review - NYTimes.com
Amanda Pope and Tchavdar Georgiev, who wrote and directed the gorgeous documentary “The Desert of Forbidden Art,” knew that for their subject, a man named Igor Savitsky, the answer was to make the art he saved, in effect, the film’s co-star.
During the ugliest days of the Soviet era, Savitsky, who died in 1984, managed to collect thousands of paintings and other works by artists experimenting in a brash, avant-garde style that was dramatically at odds with the drab realism favored by the Stalin government. He created amuseum in Uzbekistan, an area remote enough that he evaded the worst of Soviet censorship.
‘Desert of Forbidden Art’ - Igor Savitsky Collection in Nukus - NYTimes.com
story of Igor V. Savitsky, an obsessive collector credited with saving tens of thousands of avant-garde artworks from Soviet authorities who forced artists toward Socialist Realism in the 1930s.
“The Desert of Forbidden Art,” an American-made documentary, will try to draw international attention to Mr. Savitsky’s life’s work: a museum in the parched hinterland of Uzbekistan that is home to one of the world’s largest collections of Russian avant-garde art. Until now the museum has been known chiefly to journalists and art lovers who returned from the remote city of Nukus with a dazed look
Monday, April 04, 2011
April Fools Day Round-Up Round-Up of the Day - The Daily What
- April Fools 2011: The Big List.
- April Fools Day 2011 Roundup: The BEST Pranks Of The Year.
- Top 10 2011 April Fool’s Day hoaxes.
- April Fools’ Day 2011: Top 10 stories or pranks.
- Celebrity pranks around the web. (Sadly, Snooki getting more money to speak at Rutgers than Toni Morrison is not on the list.)
- 50 easy April Fool’s Day pranks to play on your friends.
- In Case You Missed It: Google Prank Round-Up; ThinkGeek Prank Round-Up.
- Special Mention: IKEA Australia’s HUNDSTOL Dog Highchair.
India’s Cricket World Cup Victory Offers Relief From Scandal - NYTimes.com
Saturday night’s victory is providing a respite from what has become known as India’s “season of scams.”
India’s Cricket World Cup Victory Offers Relief From Scandal - NYTimes.com
India’s Cricket World Cup Victory Offers Relief From Scandal - NYTimes.com
College Plans You Thought Were Safe
A prepaid tuition plan in Illinois that promised parents "peace of mind" for their children's college educations is now a source of worry.
The Prepaid 529 Plan Formerly Known as Safe - NYTimes.com
The Prepaid 529 Plan Formerly Known as Safe - NYTimes.com
At China’s Grand New Museum, History Toes the Party Line - NYTimes.com
"A public museum in China is seldom about the past. It is about the current image of the party and how the party wants itself to be seen."
HUNG CHANG-TAI, a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, on a new state museum in Beijing.At China’s Grand New Museum, History Toes the Party Line - NYTimes.com
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