Second Life virtual world user Kimberly Jernigan, who fell for her fellow user, has been charged with trying to kidnap him at gunpoint.

Jernigan, 33, of North Carolina in the US was also charged with attempted kidnapping, burglary and aggravated menacing in a bizarre case of virtual love and real violence.

As the case revealed, Jernigan had allegedly launched two plots to kidnap her former boyfriend, a 52-year-old man she met in Second Life.

The man had reportedly begun a relationship with Jerrigan in cyberspace, but ended it after meeting her in person.

Jilted Jernigan then allegedly drove to the man’s workplace in Pennsylvania, two states to the north of North Carolina, and attempted to kidnap him at gunpoint.

When the attempt failed, she soon returned two weeks later with a new plan, and this time she posed as a postal worker for four days to find out where the man lived, the police said.

Jernigan allegedly broke into her ex-boyfriend’s apartment and, bizarrely, taped her own dog’s mouth shut to stop it from barking while she lay in wait, armed with a Taser, for her former lover to come home.

The man fled after entering his apartment and seeing a laser-sight aimed at his chest, he told police, and Jernigan also fled leaving behind her dog, a pair of handcuffs, a roll of duct tape, a Taser and a BB gun.

The police were able to detain Jernigan about an hour later on a nearby highway.

“We had an agreement to have a somewhat open relationship and actually being involved in (a) game online was a very safe way to do that,” News.com.au reported Jernigan as saying.

She said her lover recently separated from his wife, or so she thought when they had both got started.

Jernigan is being held in custody and bail has been set at US65,000 dollars.

Source:http://venkey.blog.co.in/2008/08/31/second-life-virtual-world-lover-wanted-to-kidnap-partner-in-real-life/

Internet Addiction in Students: A Cause of Concern

The Internet was originally designed to facilitate communication and research activities. However, the dramatic increase in the use of the Internet in recent years has led to pathological use (Internet addiction). This study is a preliminary investigation of the extent of Internet addiction in school children 16-18 years old in India. The Davis Online Cognition Scale (DOCS) was used to assess pathological Internet use. On the basis of total scores obtained (N = 100) on the DOCS, two groups were identified—dependents (18) and non-dependents (21), using mean ± ½ SD as the criterion for selection. The UCLA loneliness scale was also administered to the subjects. Significant behavioral and functional usage differences were revealed between the two groups. Dependents were found to delay other work to spend time online, lose sleep due to late-night logons, and feel life would be boring without the Internet. The hours spent on the Internet by dependents were greater than those of non-dependents. On the loneliness measure, significant differences were found between the two groups, with the dependents scoring higher than the non-dependents.

Source:http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/109493103322725441?cookieSet=1&journalCode=cpb

The passing of Dr KK Birla at the age of 89 marks the passing of an era. He was the last of a generation of Indian industrialists who knew Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who had vivid memories of the freedom struggle and who still believed that it was the duty of industry to contribute to the old-fashioned task of nation-building.

Though he was born into India’s leading industrial family, he was very much his own man. Of his companies, the most profitable, Chambal Fertilizers was founded by him as was Zuari, another successful fertilizer unit based in Goa. When he took over The Hindustan Times, it had rarely turned a profit and was hardly the successful media company it became under his stewardship.

His social views too were far more progressive than most members of his class or generation. He had great faith in youth (thousands of young people benefited from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science which he ran) and believed in equality for women, a belief he translated into practice by breaking with family tradition and handing his companies over to his three daughters.

Of the late GD Birla’s three sons, Krishna Kumar was the one who identified most with his father’s belief in the importance of public life. Even when it would have served his companies better for him to have devoted more time to business or to have switched loyalties to keep in with the establishment of the day, he remained true to his ideals.

Just as GD Birla had been Gandhiji’s confidant and Jawaharlal Nehru’s friend, KK Birla, became one of Indira Gandhi’s most trusted advisors, sticking by her through thick and thin, even risking arrest during the Janata period when he was under pressure to turn against her. He remained close to her son Rajiv and when his well-received autobiography (Brushes With History) was published last year, Sonia Gandhi not only attended the function where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released the book but wrote the foreword in which she said: “His dignity and his old-world charm have always served as a source of reassurance that no matter how quickly India changes, the old values are still around.”

That sentiment captured the essence of the man. Almost everyone who met him was struck by his courtesy and basic decency. He was polite to a fault, meticulous about social niceties and punctual to the last second. Unlike many of today’s businessmen, he had grown up with money and it had ceased to matter too much to him. Consequently, his style was discreet and classy. He never flaunted his wealth, never showed off and once his basic lifestyle was in place, shunned flashy extravagance and vulgarity.

He was also a loyal friend and an obliging acquaintance. Nobody who went to see him for a favour ever came away disappointed and often, he would go out of his way to help people, even before they could ask.

Despite his Congress loyalties, he had friends across the political spectrum and each time he went to Parliament’s Central Hall, he was surrounded by MPs of all political persuasions. Many had fond memories of some occasion when he had done them a favour, even though he himself had completely forgotten the incident. For instance, he was startled to be told by the family of AB Vajpayee that he had helped them get their first car, an Ambassador made by the Birla-run Hindustan Motors. He had no recollection of having done this. What he did remember though was a friendship with Vajpayee going back several decades.

Despite the essential simplicity of his nature, he was also a complex men. He was deeply religious and the magnificent Birla temple in Calcutta is a monument to his faith. But despite his core Hindu beliefs and his strong friendships with individual BJP leaders, he never deviated from the path of secularism, backing the Nehruvian tradition of separation of religion and politics. Similarly, he had a deep-seated belief in free enterprise and a hatred of unnecessary bureaucracy. But he recognized that India’s economy could only be liberalized slowly and supported Indira Gandhi even when many of his contemporaries looked elsewhere.

That complexity extended to his attitude to The Hindustan Times. He had strong political views, clear loyalties and treated his ownership of the paper as part of his contribution to public life. Normally that translates into editorial interference. But in the four years that I was editor of the Hindustan Times, not once did he tell me to kill a story, to slant our coverage or to support one of his causes. Even when he disagreed with me ---- which he did periodically – he upheld the independence of the editor. In that sense ---- and in many others --- he was truly a dream proprietor.

So it was with his personal life. At one level, he was formal and organized. He would write letters to members of his family stating his views, he would meet close relatives by appointment and he believed in formal courtesies. But at another level, he was a deeply emotional man with a strong sense of family. Each year, the extended family (daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren etc) would go on long holidays together. Rarely have I come across children who were more attached to their parents than his daughters were.

As he was to them --- and to his beloved wife of 67 years. Even when she was unwell, he would take her abroad regularly, travelling the world like some besotted young couple. If she had difficulty walking, he would insist she used a wheelchair, but their days were unaffected: wandering on the shores of Lake Geneve, shopping at the best shops in New York or personalizing a wing of London’s Grosvenor House.

On July 29, 2008, she passed away. All of us who knew him, wondered how he would cope. He had become used to a life where he called her three times a day ---- even when they were in the same city. How would he manage on his own?

It was somehow typical of the man that, outwardly at least, he acted as though life would go on as before. Two days after her passing, he went to office in Calcutta for a while. And those of us who visited him at Birla Park were surprised to find that he wanted to discuss current affairs and the state of the government. Two weeks go, he even came to Delhi to host a lunch for his friend Swraj Paul.

But what we did not realize was how much he was internalizing his grief. Deep down inside, he was bereft, lost without her and unsure how to continue. When he was diagnosed as suffering from pneumonia ten days ago, few of us thought that the condition was life-threatening or that we were in any danger of losing him.

What we failed to see was that he had lost the will to go on without her. He refused all attempts to shift him to hospital, remained at the house he had shared with her, where his children had grown up.

And then, early on Saturday morning, he went off suddenly to join her again, re-united with the woman he loved, certain that this time nothing would ever separate them.

* Dr KK Birla was the Chairman of HT Media Ltd.

* He passed BA (Hons) from Lahore University in 1939.

* Dr KK Birla joined Congress Party in 1984 as a life member. He was elected as a Rajya Sabha member in the same year, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. He was a Member of Parliament for three terms from 1984 till 2002.

* Dr Birla was a successful industrialist having interests in Textiles, Sugar, Engineering, Shipping, Fertilizers and Information Technology.

* Dr Birla also served as the Chairman/Chancellor of Birla Institute of Technology & Science since 1983.

* He also served for Central Board of State Bank of India and also on the Board of ICICI for many years. He was a member of a number of committees appointed by the Government of India.

* Dr Birla had established KK Birla Foundation, which confers annually, awards in Indian Literature, Scientific research, Indian philosophy, Art and Culture and Sports.

* He also set up KK Birla Academy that undertakes research in Scientific, Historical and Cultural subjects.

* He liked reading, music and playing Bridge in his leisure time. He was president of the Bridge Federation of India for a number of years and of Lawn Tennis Association.

Son of Late Dr GD Birla, Krishna Kumar Birla was born at Pilani, Rajasthan, in Samvat 1975 on the auspicious day of Gopashtami which falls on Kartik Shuklashtami. As Hindu festivals celebrated according to Vikram Samvat occur on dates which vary from year to year, Gopashtami falls on different dates every year, Gopashtami falls on different dates every year.

In 1918, when Krishna Kumar was born, it fell on November 11. For the sake of consistency in the observance of his birthday, Krishna Kumar has adopted October 12 as the official date of his birth, though members of his family and friends celebrate it on whatever date Gopashtami occurs according to the Gregorian calendar.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/FullcoverageStoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=b0b254bd-35fe-4726-83f8-ae5834062444HTpaystributestoDrKKBirla_Special&&Headline=End+of+an+era

When William Bolthouse, a California philanthropist, donated $100,000 in March to support a proposition to ban gay marriage in California, calls and emails poured in -- not to Mr. Bolthouse, but to the corporate offices of a company that bears his name -- even though he sold it three years earlier.

"It wasn't us, it's not our fault," says Jeffrey Dunn, now the chief executive of Bolthouse Farms, whose juice bottles are sold at upscale markets such as Whole Foods.

Bolthouse Farms is the latest target in what has become an increasingly bitter political fight in California. As gay-rights activists attempt to defeat the upcoming ballot initiative, called Proposition 8, they are going after not just individuals, but also companies to which they are connected, however tenuously.

"Mr. Bolthouse has said, 'I'm not connected to Bolthouse Farms at all.' But we don't accept that," says Fred Karger, who runs Californians Against Hate, a new gay-rights group that is leading the charge to identify and publicize corporate connections to significant donors. He notes that Mr. Bolthouse's son-in-law is chairman of the company and that Bolthouse Farms markets itself as a fourth-generation company.

Next week, Californians Against Hate is planning to push its tactic further by publishing a "Dishonor Roll," a list of individual and corporate donors who give $5,000 or more to groups campaigning on behalf of Proposition 8. The list will include the donor's name, employer and the corporate logo of that employer -- even if the company itself didn't donate to the Proposition 8 fight.

Mr. Karger said the tactic isn't intended to keep individuals or companies from donating, but is meant to educate the public so consumers can make informed choices. He said including corporate logos of businesses whose employees donate is fair game, since that information is publicly available on government Web sites that track donors. "Our larger message is to other business people," Mr. Karger says. "It's a free country, you can give as much money to this campaign, but we are going to publicize that and people can make a decision on whether or not they want to support those businesses."

Some Proposition 8 supporters see the effort as crossing a line. "To tell a business owner that they can't express their beliefs on an issue is a really stupid thing," said Terry Caster, the owner of A-1 Storage, a self-storage company based in San Diego.Californians Against Hate says Mr. Caster and his family gave about $300,000 to support Proposition 8, prompting the group to make him the focus of a call-in campaign. Mr. Caster said he received a few phone calls a day that petered out after several weeks, and his business wasn't affected.

Mr. Dunn said Bolthouse Farms's bottom line wasn't affected by the publicity and that his company has made an effort to correct wrong information on blogs that said Mr. Bolthouse still owned a large portion of the company.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in California in June after the State Supreme Court ruled a ban was unconstitutional. That set the stage for a ballot proposal to outlaw gay marriage. Both sides see California as the crucial battleground state that could determine how far same-sex marriage rights can be extended. Fund raising has poured in from across the country.

From January to the end of June, the largest campaign to ban gay marriage had raised $2.6 million, according to the California secretary of state's Web site.

The largest campaign to protect gay marriage raised $2.5 million during that period. Both sides said they had raised considerably more since then.

Some large corporations have waded into the fray. San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric, the state's largest utility by revenue, donated $250,000 to defeat Proposition 8. A spokeswoman said the company received some complaints from its 20,000 employees and six million customers, and it was able to handle the protests internally.

Other companies haven't had it so easy. San Diego's Manchester Grand Hyatt is now the target of a boycott that was kicked off after its owner, Doug Manchester, donated $125,000 to the campaign to support Proposition 8. With the help of a local union, gay-rights activists managed to convince two professional associations to cut back on some events they planned to host at the hotel. A hotel official said both groups are keeping the rooms they have blocked off for their events but moved some meetings and other events to other venues.

In an email responding to a reporter's question, Mr. Manchester said, "We have received support from those that are in favor of Prop 8 which has made up for some of what is being lost as a result of the boycott. Nonetheless, we are saddened by all the divisive nature of the movement."

A spokeswoman for Hyatt Corp. in Chicago said it doesn't require its hotel owners to follow any particular policy. "We absolutely don't have a position on the proposition itself but we have a really strong, long track record of inclusiveness in terms of the way we welcome our guests and the way we treat our employees. Doug Manchester...in no way speaks for Hyatt," said the spokeswoman.

That distinction may be harder to make as gay-rights groups offer fuller public profiles of private donors. Jennifer Kerns, a spokeswoman for ProtectMarriage.com, the largest fund-raiser for the Yes on Prop 8 campaign, says she expects it will become more difficult to entice corporations to contribute to her cause.

"The moment [Mr. Manchester] wrote the check, he found himself to be the target of numerous boycotts and protests," she said. "Our side has a significant challenge in that." Ms. Kerns noted that the greater chunk of her group's funding will likely come from individuals and religious groups, such as the national Catholic organization Knights of Columbus, which recently contributed $1 million to the campaign.

Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121979337416974603.html?mod=todays_asia_nonsub_marketplace

DENVER -- Sen. Joe Biden showcased his working-class upbringing in his speech Tuesday night accepting the Democratic nomination for vice president, and he offered a hint of the pit-bull role he will likely play in the fall campaign.

Sen. Joe Biden gestures as he tours the podium at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Tuesday.
"As we gather here tonight, our country is less secure and more isolated than at any time in recent history," Sen. Biden said in a speech full of swipes at Republican presidential candidate John McCain. "The Bush-McCain foreign policy has dug us into a very deep hole, with very few friends to help us climb out."

After his speech, he was joined briefly by presidential nominee Barack Obama, and the two men hugged. Sen. Obama, who arrived in Denver Wednesday and will deliver his own acceptance speech Thursday before an expected crowd of 75,000, drew thunderous applause as he stepped on stage to thank Sen. Biden and praise his speech.

Sen. Biden was introduced by his son Beau, the attorney general of Delaware. Beau Biden recounted how his father held the Biden family together after his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972. During the tribute, Sen. Obama's wife, Michelle, could be seen wiping tears from her eyes. Sen. Biden then went on to speak about overcoming adversity growing up in Scranton, Pa., and learning lessons from his parents.

Complete coverage: Campaign 2008Backers have stressed Sen. Biden's deep foreign-policy experience. He has sat on the Senate Foreign Relations committee for more than 30 years and is the current chairman. But it is his roots as the son of a car salesman in Scranton that will be highlighted by the Obama campaign, along with Sen. Biden's longtime support of unions and his domestic-policy credentials. Sen. Obama has so far run poorly in large manufacturing states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan -- and many political analysts say that capturing these states will be key to a presidential victory. "Joe is salt of the earth," Sen. Obama said on a video shown at the convention outlining Sen. Biden's domestic-policy accomplishments.

Beyond his foreign-policy experience, Sen. Biden also has spent three decades on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he crafted laws that could appeal to older voters, women and working-class whites. As the ranking Democrat on that committee in the 1980s, and chairman during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sen. Biden wrote anticrime bills, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act -- the "Biden Crime Law" -- that expanded the death penalty, put $10 billion into prison construction and funded 100,000 additional police officers on city streets.

Sen. Biden's authorship of another crime law -- the Violence Against Women Act -- is already being underscored by the Obama campaign, which hopes to woo female voters who backed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

The buzz in Denver continued to focus on Sen. Biden's reputation for making unscripted, blunt, and occasionally eyebrow-raising comments in public. His acceptance speech was free of faux pas, but he did give a nod to his penchant for verbosity.

"Since I've never been called a man of few words," he said, "let me say this as simply as I can: Yes. Yes. I accept your nomination to run with Barack Obama, the next president of the United States."

Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121984612508076511.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r1:c0.125115

Democrats Nominate Obama,
As Clinton Delegates Fall In

DENVER -- The emotional and divisive Democratic contest came to an end as Sen. Barack Obama became the first African-American nominee of a major party, sending him into a tough fall battle against Sen. John McCain.
In a dramatic moment befitting the historic 2008 race, Sen. Obama's rival for the nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, stepped to the floor of the Democratic National Convention here as her home state of New York was called upon to cast its votes. As her face appeared on giant video screens, the crowd let out a roar. She asked that the state-by-state vote be suspended so Sen. Obama could be chosen by acclamation.

Later in the evening, her husband, former president Bill Clinton electrified the crowd with a full-throated endorsement of Sen. Obama, shedding the hesitance he had shown in recent months toward the man who had defeated his wife. The night was capped with an address from the new vice-presidential candidate, Sen. Joe Biden, who spoke of his working-class roots -- an effort to appeal to the pivotal blue-collar Democrats who supported Sen. Clinton and are not yet in the Obama camp.

Sen. Biden said, "My dad, who fell on hard economic times, always told me: 'Champ, when you get knocked down, get up. Get up.'"

As Sen. Obama watched the proceedings from a nearby hotel, Sen. Clinton took center stage halfway through the roll call of the states.

"In the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory... let's declare together in one voice, right here and right now that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president," she proclaimed, surrounded by a cluster of fellow New Yorkers. Her motion was seconded with a thunderous boom from the delegates.

It was a carefully scripted -- and carefully negotiated -- bit of political stagecraft meant to continue her campaign for unity as the Democrats gird for the battle ahead.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Barack Obama is ready to lead the U.S. and threw his weight behind the Democratic Presidential candidate. Video courtesy of Fox News. (Aug. 27)
The delegates were brought to their feet again when her husband took the stage to "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow," his 1992 campaign anthem. He had been parsimonious in his support of Sen. Obama but held nothing back Wednesday night.

He said flatly and repeatedly that Sen. Obama is ready to be president and, launching into a withering critique of President George W. Bush and Sen. McCain, said the Illinois senator is the one to restore American leadership in the world.

"Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she is going to do everything she can to elect Barack Obama. That makes two of us," he told delegates, who waived American flags. "Barack Obama will lead us away from division and fear of the last eight years back to unity and hope."

Most, but not all, of Sen. Clinton's loyal supporters already were following her example and rallying around the man Democrats have chosen as their standard-bearer this fall. In the roll call of the states, Sen. Clinton received votes from nearly every delegation, though her total fell far short of the delegates she earned. Earlier, she had released supporters to vote however they see fit, but said that she was casting her own ballot as a New York superdelegate for Sen. Obama.

Even as votes were tallied for both senators, the mood inside the convention hall was festive, as one state after another followed convention tradition by touting its industries, its sports teams and its connections to Sen. Obama, who was repeatedly cast as "the next president of the United States." Minnesota delegates followed their vote with a rousing cheer of his campaign theme, "Yes we can! Yes we can!"

Even Michigan, where Sen. Obama's name was not on the ballot -- and whose participation in this convention was in doubt -- cast 125 votes for Sen. Obama and just 27 for Sen. Clinton.

As Sen. Clinton's motion put Sen. Obama over the top, Ohio delegate Bo Shuff added an Obama button to the Clinton button already pinned to his shirt. "There are some folks who will still hold out, but anyone who thinks Hillary Clinton and John McCain have anything in common is crazy," he said.

Earlier, in a bittersweet afternoon meeting with the delegates she fought through months of primaries to win, Sen. Clinton spoke to some 2,500 cheering supporters about the roll call vote to come. When she announced that "I'm here today to release you as my delegates," Sen. Clinton was greeted with shouts, boos and cries of "no!" Someone shouted "2016!" a reference to the presidential contest eight years hence.

Ignored in years past, the roll call at the Democratic convention this year offered a dramatic moment for a party in need of healing as Hillary Clinton's state of New York gave Barack Obama the nomination. WSJ's Jerry Seib reports. (Aug. 27)
But many others seemed to accept that the end had come for the former first lady, who came so close to winning the nomination in her own right. "I'll be voting for Barack Obama," said Clinton delegate Joan Bray, a state senator from Missouri who had tears in her eyes during Sen. Clinton's remarks. "It's over."

If Sen. Clinton does harbor ambitions for a second White House run, she must be seen as a party loyalist who helped, and did not hurt, Sen. Obama's chances. And her support will be critical to his effort this fall. That was clear in Denver Wednesday.

Her task was not entirely different than the one Sen. McCain faced in 2000. After losing in a bitter primary, he embraced the victor, George Bush, and now is about to formally claim the nomination himself eight years later.

"We've got to follow her lead and vote Democratic," said Karen Crouch, 47, a judge and Clinton delegate from San Antonio, Texas. Asked if she was supporting Sen. Obama, she said, "I'm going to do what Hillary told me to do."

Clinton drama aside, it was a huge night for Sen. Obama, who was on the verge of capping his own improbable journey from the newly elected United States senator to presidential nominee three years after coming to Washington.

He broke onto the national scene at the 2004 Democratic convention, where he delivered a rousing speech calling on Americans to focus on what unites, not what divides, them.

His personal story fueled his rise. The 47-year-old son of a white mother from Kansas and a black, absent father from Kenya campaigned as a man who could heal the nation's racial divide. A Harvard law degree and a job as a community organizer preceded his move into the Illinois legislature.

Soon after arriving to Washington, Sen. Obama launched his underdog campaign for president against the Clinton machine, based on the simple premise of change. It was a powerful message which, combined with a strong organization, propelled him through months of caucuses and primaries to emerge the victor.

The remarkable primary season, fought from the January blizzards of Iowa to the last June contests in Montana and South Dakota, was to reach its end with Sen. Obama's address Thursday night before 75,000 people at nearby Invesco Field at Mile High. The speech comes precisely 45 years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.

The next day, Sen. McCain is expected to celebrate his 72nd birthday by naming his vice-presidential choice, and the newly minted pair will travel to St. Paul, Minn., for the GOP convention, launching the two-month final stretch of the race.

Polls show Sens. Obama and McCain running neck and neck, and the race already has become sharply negative with attack ads filling the TV airwaves and the campaigns trading accusations daily. One big factor determining the outcome will be how forcefully Clinton backers rally behind Sen. Obama in November.

At her Wednesday meeting with delegates before the roll call, Sen. Clinton said she had spoken to many who felt a responsibility to represent the voters in their states and vote for her. Others, she said, "want the chance to vote what's in your heart." She said she was among those who wanted to show party unity and voted for Sen. Obama. "I am not telling you what to do, because you have come here from so many different places having made this journey," she said.

Her vigorous endorsement of her rival echoed her address the night before, where she assiduously rallied supporters to transfer their loyalty.

Her husband's support has been less clear, and a lingering question was how vigorously he would campaign with, or for, Sen. Obama this fall. Aides say he is planning to skip Sen. Obama's acceptance speech Thursday, saying he doesn't want to be a distraction. Some Clinton watchers suspect his heart isn't in watching another candidate claim the nomination he believes should have belonged to his wife.

Twenty-six million people watched Sen. Clinton's speech Tuesday night, four times the number who watched the convention's second night in 2004.

For many Clinton backers, the prospect of Republican Sen. McCain in the White House was enough to unify behind Sen. Obama.

"The hurt some of us may feel will be so much worse if John McCain is president of the United States," Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter told the Clinton crowd, which responded with cheers.

Sen. Hillary Clinton speaks during the counting of the New York nominating votes as New York Gov. David Paterson and New York State Rep. Sheldon Silver look on.
Sen. Clinton's Tuesday night speech affected people at home, too. Nancy Parrish of San Francisco, who says she raised some $1 million for Sen. Clinton, was already planning to vote for Sen. Obama but now, stirred by Sen. Clinton's call, she is considering offering to raise money for him as well.

Ms. Parrish still feels disappointment and frustration, and thinks the Obama camp hasn't been as generous in victory as it could have been. But she says that last night's Clinton speech reminded her that the focus must be on winning back White House. "Hillary is right," she said. "It's about the future."

But some were making the shift with difficulty. "I'll support Obama but my heart's not in it. My heart is with Hillary. It's difficult but I'll abide by her orders," said Aurora Gonzales, 76, a Colorado delegate.

Hilario Garcia, 60, a Texas delegate, said he wanted to hear more about the Latino community, health care, immigration and education from Sen. Obama. "We need to hear something more specific before I can say I'll vote for him," he said. Latino voters overwhelmingly backed Sen. Clinton over Sen. Obama during the primaries, and Sen. McCain is wooing them aggressively.

Mr. Garcia was more certain that he'd campaign again for Hillary Clinton. "No doubt in my mind that she'll be the president of the United States one day," he said. "I'd do it all over again for her then."

Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121987037589777405.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news

How can a self-congratulation double as a paean to someone else? That was the question observers asked of Hillary Clinton’s bout of rhetorical self-preoccupation last night. Her speech, bumped out of primetime at the last minute, had been billed as the speech that would close party ranks around Obama and end the most fractious primary debate in decades. But as usual, the Clintons looked out for themselves above all. This proved unfortunate for Barack Obama, who is yet to score any discernable bounce after Monday's widely panned convention kickoff. According to the latest Rasmussen tracking poll, Obama and McCain remain tied at 44 percent as of Tuesday morning; Gallup gave McCain a slight edge. Furthermore: Obama is supported by 78 percent of Democrats while McCain gets the vote from 85 percent of Republicans. The GOP hopeful also has a slight advantage among unaffiliated voters. Worried Democrats looked to Hillary Clinton to come to the rescue on Tuesday night. However, in a National Journal poll of “Democratic insiders” that day, only 52 percent felt confident that Clinton would deliver a gracious address designed to unite the party. One conservative pundit blogged Tuesday morning: This is a dream come true for Hillary, no? She gets her big moment tonight with two major national polls pointing squarely at the idea that she should have been named VP and that she, perhaps, alone can deliver the election to the Dems by rallying the PUMAs. “PUMA.” That’s the Hillary loyalists’ adopted moniker, standing for “Party Unity My A**.” Almost a third of them say they’ll vote for McCain this November rather than Obama. The PUMAs are considered the convention’s wild card, too; rumors have swirled for weeks that they’ll stage an embarrassing pro-Hillary stunt on live TV, perhaps during the nomination itself. "It seems to be a little more of a problem than I anticipated," admitted Democratic Party chairman Don Fowler just hours before Hillary Clinton stepped behind the podium. "All you need is 200 people in that crowd to boo and stuff like that and it will be replayed 900 times. And that's not what you want out of this." At least an undisciplined floor demonstration might improve the ratings. Meagan McArdle blogged the bad news about Day One at TheAtlantic.com: According to Nielsen, none of you are watching the conventions. An even lower none than in 2004, which was itself a dramatic decline from the lackluster ratings of 2000. And why would you? You could replace all the speeches with the following template: Blather, blather, blather, American dream, blather, blather, hard working American families, blather, blather, future, blather, blather, anecdote about how the candidate comes from a hardworking American family, blather... Arguably Hillary’s most formidable supporter, her husband and former President Bill Clinton, definitely didn’t follow that tedious “blather” template on Tuesday afternoon, and it may come back to haunt them. Mr. Clinton doesn’t officially address the delegates until tomorrow; it was his unscripted remarks to an international affairs forum that made news yesterday afternoon: He said: "Suppose you're a voter, and you've got candidate X and candidate Y. Candidate X agrees with you on everything, but you don't think that candidate can deliver on anything at all. Candidate Y you agree with on about half the issues, but he can deliver. Which candidate are you going to vote for?" Then, perhaps mindful of how his off-the-cuff remarks might be taken, Clinton added after a pause: "This has nothing to do with what's going on now." Protests aside, that hypothetical musing was clearly aimed at Obama, whose supporters have complained about the Clintons’ tepid support, if not outright disrespect, for the presumptive nominee: Throughout the 2008 primary season and beyond, Clinton has made no secret of his exasperation with Obama’s success. He called Obama’s anti-Iraq war message a “fairy tale,” and after facing accusations that he had played the “race card” in the run-up to the South Carolina primary, Clinton later accused the Obama campaign of “playing the race card on me.” When asked in a recent ABC-TV interview if Obama was ready to be president, Clinton replied: “You could argue that no one’s ever ready to be president.” Hillary Clinton, in turn, energized her loyal supporters throughout the campaign by almost any means necessary, arousing sympathy from them (and ridicule from others) with her famous on-camera crying jag, for example. It doesn’t help that a new McCain campaign ad replays Hillary Clinton’s stinging dismissal of her one-time opponent for the nomination: "I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002." Clinton wasn’t above playing the sex card, either: for millions of women, Republican and Democratic alike, the prospect of electing the first female President evoked powerful emotions. A deferred dream that compelling won’t die after a single speech by Hillary Clinton, no matter how brilliantly crafted and delivered. And this speech was cultivated to do anything but bury them. Take two battling personality cults nursing simmering resentments about money and power, add mostly unspoken (perhaps even subconscious) divisions related to sex and race, and the result is a potentially explosive situation. The word “unity” doesn’t fit comfortably in that equation. In the end, Hillary Clinton valiantly squeezed that word in more than once, and put on a fairly convincing show of sincerity, complete with a little self-deprecating humor. But the focus remained on her own accomplishments, and her hopes for the country, rather than the personality and platform of the nominee. Clinton stepped onto the stage clad in a startling neon orange pantsuit, and received a passionate ovation. A tearful Bill Clinton repeatedly mouthed the words “I love you” from his box high above the crowd. Hillary Clinton drew another round of applause by describing herself as “a proud supporter of Barack Obama.” She bracketed her praise for the presumptive nominee with tame, generic political boilerplate about “teamwork” and “opportunity.” “Barack Obama is my candidate, and he must be our president,” Clinton concluded. But he barely rated a mention beyond that. Clinton briefly attacked the other ticket – the one she had praised during the primaries – trying out a somewhat awkward new slogan: “No way, no how, no McCain” and taking a pointed jab at “a Supreme Court in a right-wing headlock” (whatever that might be). An Obama presidency on the other hand will deliver “millions of green collar jobs,” “universal, high quality health care,” “make college affordable again,” and “promoting unionization.” Missing in all of this was any discussion of the candidate’s character, the experiences that made him uniquely qualified to run the government, or a perfunctory call for her delegates to vote for him instead of her during the nomination roll call. Instead, Hillary's speech dwelled on her own campaign, her hopes and dreams, and how Barack Obama frequently agreed with her prescriptions for America. She included a number of anecdotes about herself, including a touching story about a cancer stricken woman who greeted her with the word “Hillary” “painted on her bald head.” In fact, she mentioned the deceased leader of the Arkansas Democratic Party and a relatively obscure Ohio Congresswoman before spending much time on the star of the convention, the man she was allegedly urging her voters to support in November. The speech only hit its stride when discussing – wait for it – Hillary. The most stirring sections of Clinton’s address likened Hillary ’08 to Underground Railroad conductors and suffragettes, harkening back to the historical accomplishments of Harriet Tubman and the women’s rights proponents of Seneca Falls. (Naturally, Clinton neglected to mention that Tubman was a registered Republican, as were many early feminists.) The crowd tried to make the best of the Hillary 2012 campaign. As she spoke, tall vertical signs throughout the rapturous crowd read “OBAMA” on one side and “UNITY” on the other. With their bold capital letters and sheer enormity, the signs seemed more like a totalitarian order than a friendly call to come together. On Tuesday night at any rate, the assembled Democrats seemed ready to follow orders. If there was an outburst, the cameras didn’t catch it. But nearly 18 million Clinton voters weren’t at the convention last night, and their reaction to Hillary’s speech remains to be seen. Source:http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=3CDE72DC-D1FD-453C-9303-95AD3A9B2270

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (71), Suresh Raina (76) and Virat Kohli (54) struck half centuries before India got all out for 258 with two balls to spare in the fourth one dayer against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

For the hosts, Thilan Thushara took five wickets for 47 runs and India lost their last seven wickets for just 34 runs to be skittled out in 49.4 overs.

Having slumped to 81 for three, Raina and Dhoni took control of the situation and judiciously mixed cheeky singles with big shots forcing Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene to rework his strategies.

The 143-run partnership between the two took India to a position of comfort from where on the remaining batsmen only had to score at a consistent rate.

Not allowing Ajantha Mendis to get into a rhythm, Raina decided to attack the bowler as he lofted his off-break to the long-off boundary.

With the onus of responsibility once again falling on Dhoni, the Indian captain tried to settled down quickly as he forced a Thushara delivery past the cover boundary.

Raina matched Dhoni's aggression and India raced to the 150 mark in 185 balls as the two decided to unnerve the Sri Lankan bowlers.

In no time, Raina reached a well-deserved half century -- his seventh -- in 56 balls as he came down the track and lofted Muttiah Muralitharan to the extra cover boundary.

His front-foot hit over the deep-midwicket boundary for a six of Murali was a beauty.

Dhoni got to his 50 in 60 balls and it included three boundaries.

A visibly tired Raina then tried to hit Thushara over the long off and was caught by Nuwan Kulasekara, his 76 runs coming off 78 balls and including six boundaries and one six.

Dhoni, playing with a runner, followed suit, caught by Sanath Jayasuriya at covers off Thushara for a well-compiled 71 runs.

Earlier, the Indian openers looked confident and after a cautious start, Virat Kohli steered a swinging delivery from Kulasekara through the slip for four runs to get into the groove.

Partner Gautam Gambhir (17) preferred hitting the bowlers over the fielding cordon but he perished soon, slashing Kulasekara straight into the hands of Tillakaratane Dilshan.

India got another rude jolt as Yuvraj Singh, who was tentative right from the beginning, became Chaminda Vaas' 400th victim before he could even opened his account.

He was smartly caught by skipper Mahela Jayawardene at short mid-wicket as Yuvraj failed to keep the ball down.

An unperturbed Virat, however, kept going and hit Kulasekara to the mid-wicket boundary on the way to his half-century.

His maiden 50 came in 81 minutes and 62 balls and included six hits to the boundary. He, however, could not stretch it further as Thushara castled him for 54.

S Badrinath, who was required to play a cameo in the dying overs, only managed six runs before Jayawardene caught him at short mid-wicket.

India lost wickets in a heap as Harbhajan Singh was run out for two, while Rohit Sharma was caught by Malinda Warnapura off Ajantha Mendis for 18.

Thushara went on to complete his five-wicket haul by removing Praveen Kumar and Zaheer Khan.

Source:ndtv

Preme Lakshyam, Seve Margam is tagline of Chiru party

Praja Rajyam (People's Rule) is the name of the political party of the Telugu superstar-turned-politician Chiranjeevi.
The much-awaited name was unveiled by the star before a sea of humanity at Tirupati on Tuesday evening in filmi style.

Developing the suspense and anxiety of the audience comprising of hundreds of thousands of men, women and youths, Chiranjeevi said that the name was chosen because his party was born from the hearts and minds of the people.

"Who called me into politics. It was you people. What do you want? It should be rule by the people for the people," he said.

Without going into the details of the policies and programmes of his party, Chiranjeevi said it will be a secular, pro-poor party.

"It will be the part of backward and weaker sections, farmers, labours, and women. It will be party, which will fight for social justice which will take Andhra Pradesh towards economic development and prosperity and industrial development. It will make the state a Santosha Andhra Pradesh, Chirunavvulu Andhra Pradesh and Ananda Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Superstar Chiranjeevi's swanky party office

When Chiranjeevi made his entry into politics, everyone expected something grand. People close to him say Chiranjeevi is extremely particular about detailing and wants everything to be state of the art. One look at Chiranjeevi's party office situated at Hyderabad's best area Jubilee Hills says it all.

Although no activity has commenced in this office, there are people around who show you around proudly. The 15-room state-of-the-art office leaves one wondering whether he/she has entered a political party or a corporate office.

Entry into the office is not easy. Apart from the two close circuit cameras monitoring every move of yours, you need to get through three security guards at the gate who ask a million questions before granting you entry. Even the press card does not work easily over here.

Inside the office, above the receptionist's desk, is a photograph of the star himself standing with folded hands. You won't fail to notice former President A P J Abdul Kalam's words framed on the wall, reading: "We must think and act like a nation of a billion people and not like that of a million people, dream dream dream."

The conference room is breathtaking. The large hall has a state-of-the-art sound system and a multimedia presentation unit. The chairs, the LCD monitors and mikes all reflect the black theme overall.

The office will become fully functional in a week. People from across the state have been coming to have a look at the office, but due to security reasons, everyone can't be allowed inside. The star's chamber too is great inside. However, there are strict instructions to keep it locked. It is open only when the boss is here.

Chiranjeevi's managers have also taken great care in ensuring that the people who come to the office have a comfortable wait. There are two waiting rooms, one near the stars chambers, which they call as the VIP waiting lounge and the other near the conference hall. Each of these rooms is fitted with a gigantic LCD television to ensure that the wait is not boring.

A walk through the office gives the impression that Chiranjeevi has drawn a lot of inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, Dr B R Ambedkar, APJ Abdul Kalam and Mother Teresa. Photographs of these great personalities don every possible wall in the office.

It was a typical filmy style launch. Megastar Chiranjeevi had to do all dramatics while making the announcement of party name.

He resorted to a countdown, saying five, four, three, two and one – before announcing the name – "Praja Rajyam." Though it evoked a lot of euphoria among Chiru fans, but it was a little boring for mediapersons. Was it necessary to be so much dramatic?

But, after all Chiranjeevi is a film actor. One cannot expect a better performance. Unfortunately, this is not film. He needs to take politics a little seriously, at least hereafter.

Chiru party flag is attractive!

All said and done, Chiranjeevi party's flag is more attractive than party name – Praja Rajyam.

The flag, which contains green colour occupying the bottom one-third portion, while the remaining portion is in white with 'Sun' symbol.

Chiru said the ispiration for party symbol is Mother Nature. While sun with 24 rays symbolizes the party's commitment to serve the people round the clock, the red colour of the Sun symbolizes revolution and the change, White represents cleanliness and green represents agriculture.

Besides, red, white and green colours also represent Hindu, Christian and Muslims. Good idea!!

Source:rediff, Deccanpost

Female Physique of the Day: Federica Pellegrini, Photos

BEIJIND (RUSHPRNEWS) AUGUST 14, 2008--Federica Pellegrini of Italy won the 200m freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in 1minute, 54.82 seconds, lowering her own world record (1:55.45) set a day earlier.

In one of the brief moments where Michael Phelps wasn’t dominating the Olympic pool, Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini not only clinched the gold medal in the women’s 200m freestyle but also broke her own world record, set at the European championships earlier this year. Federica’s gold-medal win edged out American favorite and recurring fourth-place finisher Katie Hoff.

But she’s not just a super Olympian: Under that heinous swim cap and aerodynamic (but seriously unflattering) swimsuit lies a super hottie. Federica sports a bad ass Angelina-Jolie-in-Wanted-like tattoo that runs down her neck from her left ear to her shoulder. The tat is way cooler than the Olympic rings a lot of athletes are sporting this year.

And thanks to one of those overly sentimental behind-the-scenes-with-the-athletes packages that NBC is running every five minutes, we learned that Federica is currently dating the ex-boyfriend of rival French swimmer Laure Manaudou. It’s so Days of Our Lives!

When Pellegrini isn’t smashing world records, the 20-year-old swimming phenom is also an Italian cover girl.

Now it’s your turn! Nominate your own Olympic Stud of the Day. Not just a man or woman who turns us on.

Source:rushprnews.com

The 2008 Olympics drew an estimated television audience of 4.4 billion in the first 10 days, setting a new viewing record for an Olympic Games, market research firm Nielsen said on Sunday.

The estimated audience from August 8-17 surpassed the 3.9 billion viewers for the whole of the Athens games in 2004 and the 3.6 billion who watched the 2000 event in Sydney, the company said in a press release.

In an earlier report, Nielsen estimated that almost one third of the world's population - a little over two billion - watched the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

It said the highest audience reach for the opening ceremony was in the Asia-Pacific, where more than five in 10 people tuned in, followed by Europe, where 30 per cent of the population watched, and North America with 24 per cent.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?sectionName=SportsSectionPage&id=ddd1c332-a188-4551-98fd-2e5aaebbe62b&MatchID1=4740&TeamID1=8&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1195&PrimaryID=4740&Headline=Beijing+Games+set+new+record+of+TV+viewing&strParent=strParentID

Following is a list of world records set at the 2008 Olympic Games:

Swimming (25 in total)

Event Person/Team Time Date

Men:

400m Medley Michael Phelps (United States) 4:03.84 Min 10.08.2008

4x100m Freestyle United States (Nathan Adrian,Matt Grevers, Cullen Jones,Ben Wildman-Tobriner) 3:12.23 Min 10.08.2008

100m Breaststroke Kosuke Kitajima (Japan) 58.91 Sec 11.08.2008

100m Freestyle Eamon Sullivan (Australia) 47.24 Sec 11.08.2008

4x100m Freestyle United States(Cullen Jones, Jason Lezak, Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale) 3:08.24 Min 11.08.2008

200m Freestyle Michael Phelps (United States) 1:42.96 Min 12.08.2008

100m Backstroke Aaron Peirsol (United States) 52.54 Sec 12.08.2008

100m Freestyle Alain Bernard (France) 47.20 Sec 13.08.2008

100m Freestyle Eamon Sullivan (Australia) 47.05 Sec 13.08.2008

200m Butterfly Michael Phelps (United States) 1:52.03 Min 13.08.2008

4x200m Freestyle United States (Ricky Berens, Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps, Peter Vanderkaay) 6:58.56 Min 13.08.2008

200m Backstroke Ryan Lochte (United States) 1:53.94 Min 15.08.2008

200m Medley Michael Phelps (United States) 1:54.23 Min 15.08.2008

4x100m Medley United States (Brendan Hansen, Jason Lezak, Aaron Peirsol,Michael Phelps) 3:29.34 Min 17.08.2008

Women:

400m Medley Stephanie Rice (Australia) 4:29.45 Min 10.08.2008

100m Backstroke Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe) 58.77 Sec 11.08.2008

200m Freestyle Federica Pellegrini (Italy) 1:55.45 Min 11.08.2008

200m Freestyle Federica Pellegrini (Italy) 1:54.82 Min 13.08.2008

200m Medley Stephanie Rice (Australia) 2:08.45 Min 13.08.2008

200m Butterfly Liu Zige (China) 2:04.18 Min 14.08.2008

4x200m Freestyle Australia (Bronte Barratt, Linda Mackenzie, Kylie Palmer, Stephanie Rice) 7:44.31 Min 14.08.2008

200m Breaststroke Rebecca Soni (United States) 2:20.22 Min 15.08.2008

200m Backstroke Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe) 2:05.24 Min 16.08.2008

800m Freestyle Rebecca Adlington (Britain) 8:14.10 Min 16.08.2008

4x100m Medley Australia (Leisel Jones, Jessicah Schipper, Emily Seebohm,Lisbeth Trickett) 3:52.69 Min 17.08.2008

Weightlifting (10 in total)

Event Person Weight Date

Men:

85kg Andrei Rybakou (Belarus) 394kg 15.08.2008

105kg Andrei Aramnau (Belarus) 436kg (Snatch 200,Clean & Jerk 236) 18.08.2008

Women:

69kg Liu Chunhong (China) 286kg (Snatch 128, Clean and Jerk 158) 13.08.2008

+75kg Jang Miran (South Korea) 326kg (Snatch 140, Clean and Jerk 186) 16.08.2008

Athletics (5)

Event Person/Team Result Date

Men's 100m Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 9.69 Sec 16.08.2008

Women's 3000m Steeplechase Gulnara Galkina-Samitova(Russia) 8:58.81 Min 17.08.2008

Women's Pole Vault Elena Isinbaeva (Russia) 5.05 Meter 18.08.2008

Men's 200m Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 19.30 Sec 20.08.2008

Men's 4 x 100m Relay Jamaica (Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Usain Bolt,Asafa Powell) 37.10 Sec 22.08.2008

Cycling (2)

Event Person/Team Result Date

Men's Team Pursuit Britain (Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Paul Manning,Bradley Wiggins) 3:55.202 Min 17.08.2008

Men's Team Pursuit Britain (Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Paul Manning,Bradley Wiggins) 3:53.314 Min 18.08.2008

Archery (1)

Event Person/Team Result Date

Women's 24 Arrows Match South Korea (Park Sung-hyun,Yun Ok-Hee,Joo Hyun-Jung) 231 points 10.08.2008

Enditem

Fireworks explode above participants performing during the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium August 24, 2008. The stadium is also known as the Bird's Nest.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Jacques Rogge declared the Beijing Olympics officially closed on Sunday bringing down the curtain on a glittering 16-day long sports extravaganza.

"These were truly exceptional Games!" said Rogge at the end of the first Olympics organised by China.

The Beijing Olympics, which opened on August 8, saw China for the first time emerge as the dominant sports country at the Games taking 51 golds to 36 for the United States and 23 for Russia.

They were also a massive landmark showcasing China's full emergence as a world political and economic superpower.

Presiding at his second Games, Rogge said at the conclusion to a lavish closing ceremony in the Olympic Stadium that through the Beijing Olympics "the world learned more about China and China learned more about the world."

"New stars were born. Stars from past Games amazed us again. We shared their joys and their tears, and we marveled at their ability. We will long remember the achievements we witnessed here," he said.

"As we celebrate the success of these Games, let us together wish the best for the talented athletes who will soon participate in the Paralympic Games. They also inspire us.

"To the athletes tonight: You were true role models. You have shown us the unifying power of sport. The Olympic spirit lives in the warm embrace of competitors from nations in conflict. Keep that spirit alive when you return home.
"These were truly exceptional Games!

"And now, in accordance with tradition, I declare the Games of the 29th Olympiad closed, and I call upon the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in London to celebrate the Games of the 30th Olympiad.

The Olympic flag was then to be passed on to the mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/FullcoverageStoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=abe62d57-3a36-44b2-921c-fdb60d93c7d5Beijingolympics2008_Special&MatchID1=4740&TeamID1=8&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1195&PrimaryID=4740&Headline=IOC+chief+Rogge+declares+Beijing+Olympics+closed

Fifteen years after its debut, the female condom has failed to catch on with women and aid agencies, despite its potential as a powerful tool against AIDS and other sex-related diseases.

“This is a 15-year scandal born of ignorance and inertia,” said Oxfam International spokesperson Farah Karimi, in a press statement released during last week’s International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. “We now know that millions of women might have been spared HIV, unwanted pregnancies, and empowered themselves in the process, if they had access to this simple method.”

The first female condom was approved for sale in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993, and is still available in that country and others, though it can be difficult to find. It is a polyurethane sheath about 6.5 inches long, with a flexible ring at each end. A newer version of the condom is made of nitrile, which is less expensive to make than polyurethane; once it has been FDA-approved, the U.S. Agency for International Development plans to replace the current female condom with the nitrile condom for its aid programs. A latex version of the female condom has also been developed, but it has not yet received FDA approval.

Oxfam, a grouping of organizations working to alleviate poverty and injustice, charged in a report at the conference that a lack of promotion for and research into female condoms had left women vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, other STDs and unwanted pregnancies.

Cost has also been an obstacle.

Carlos Zarco, director of Rostros y Voces, the observer member of Oxfam International in Mexico, said: “The female condom is 18 times more expensive than a male condom. It’s obvious why women are not using it more.”

On drugstore.com, five female condoms cost a hefty $17.89 compared with the $7.19 charged for 12 men’s condoms.

Where female condoms have been made available, they’ve proven to be an effective defense in sexual matters.

Daisy Nyamukaba works with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Zimbabwe, a country that has seen a decline in new AIDS cases thanks to the promotion of changes in sexual behavior like having fewer sexual partners. Female condoms are a part of UNFPA’s HIV/AIDS prevention programming in Zimbabwe, Nyamukaba said, and they are well-received by many of the women who use them. The program has been so successful that they are now hearing from men and women who are purchasing condoms themselves, not just receiving them from UNFPA for free.

“We can be almost assured those people are going to be using it,” Nyamukaba said, “because people are paying for it.”

For many women, the most significant benefit of a female condom is that it gives them an extra m