Mind can at times play games beyond the understanding of the wisest of the intellectuals. Selective retention is one such debate. 

Selective retention, as researched by scholars over the centuries, is the psychological process by which the mind tends to retain and remember best the things that are in equilibrium with their pre-existing beliefs, interests and attitudes. In simpler terms, students tend to remember only those selective portions of a teachers lecture with which they agree. To simplify it to an even lesser extent, you would only remember the days you got the bonus and would easily forget the ones when you were penalized! 

But the debate arises over the fact that if this psychological process always operates and tends to maintain consistency in mind, why is depression and other psychological ailments considered to be cancerous? Why are the frustration levels amongst the youth always sky-rocketing? Why does terror attack in one city triggers a panic globally? 

Although the other school of thought argues that selective retention is nothing more than a mere effort to cope up with the loads of information being bombarded every moment, it continues to haunt many psychologists. Mind games, it seems, are never ending!

Remember the super hits like Dilwale Dulahania Le Jayaenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? Apart from being the Shahrukh Khan films, what else do these, together with the latest flick Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, remind you of?

Bull’s eye! Before you go through the first thirty minutes, you feel proficient enough to script the remainder of the story yourself. The story would progress from a happy beginning, then the happy duo goes through a lean patch but in the end the heroine would always run into the wide open arms of her ‘true hero’. The audience weeps during the entire duration and leaves with the happy ending! 

The over dosage of romance and love has been the chief ingredient of all. How perfect a formula was that. Not anymore! As clearly evident from the mixed audience responses to Rab ne…, these movies are no longer being appreciated. While the hardcore SRK and Aditiya Chopra fans have liked it, the responsive audience has shown it the door, bashing it as impracticable and predictable. 

Talking in a larger perspective the unrealistic expectations that have been set by these stories have made it difficult to sit through them. The impact has been particularly greater in terms amongst the youth. The adolescence is such a vulnerable stage of life that the storyline which portrays everything with so much of perfectionalism could easily frustrate anybody of his love life. The hypothetical parameters are set when you watch any of the typical Bollywood style ‘love stories’ and start fantasizing about your ‘to be spouse’. But the reality hits you damn hard when you start realizing the harsh realities of life. It gets too late to realize that the evaluation parameters employed were built on virtual foundations.

Dil Chahta Hai, Rang de Basanti, Life in a Metro, Delhi Heights, Taare Zameen Par and many like these have been critically acclaimed to be unbiased stories, much relevant in the contemporary world. The hard-hitting stories have shown the audience the true mirror of the outside world. The writers have made the audience relate to the story and portray the factual image. This has gained them ample admiration not only from the audience but also from their rivals and English counterparts. It’s high time to change the content of the cinema and make it more appealing to the youth rather than giving them false anticipations.

Do you find it difficult to express your opinions to others? Are you unable to pronounce what you experience? The problem might just not be with the communication skills, but it can rather be the way you put them to use. 

To communicate effectively you need to remember the basics, practice your skills, put them to good use and enhance them too. Communication begins with the true listening. You have to be a true and a patient listener. Focus on what the other person has to say to you. Only then will you be able to react and reciprocate. 

On no account should you hesitate to make an eye contact whether you are speaking or being spoken to. An eye to eye contact, a non verbal cue,  can effectively support the verbal messages. It conveys as well as arouses the interest. 

Beware of  your body language which can easily convey your interest and can hence decide the way your conversation might go. A negative body language can alltogether put an end to a converstion before it actually starts!

Be emphatic and audible and most importantly have the courage to speak what you feel. Happy communicating!

Change hasn’t spared the media too. And the combined power of media and technology has left everybody astonished. With the ever increasing use of computers and internet, the role of web journalism has become very significant. The technology like the World Wide Web, combined with the media has immensely transformed the concept of journalism.

The internet today is the newly explored, most frequently used and the most popular way to communicate and to access news and information which is quite evident from the huge readership of online newspapers and the popularity of blogs, RSS feeds, podcast etc. 

News online is hardly space bound. It allows you to hear, read and view the news, all at the same time. The news is regularly updated, served as it happens. The online discussion forums allow sharing of views, opinions and instant feedback and have hence permitted interactivity between the source and the audience. Archiving has again helped making the new media popular amongst all generations. 

With the editions of almost all the print media now available online with corresponding picture galleries, motion videos and animations etc, the latest buzz is just a click away!

Do you wanna explore Delhi? There isn’t any better place than old Delhi. The recent trip to the heart of Delhi came out to be a journey full of surprises.

Old Delhi has been predominantly inhabited by Muslim population. The core attractions of Old Delhi are Red fort - an admirable example of Mughal Architecture, the effervescent Chandini Chownk and Nai Sarak markets, Jama Masjid - one of Asia’s prime mosques, and of course the famous Parathe wali gali.

Old Delhi lives life at its own pace. The fun of a cycle rickshaw ride through the congested and twisting streets of old Delhi gave the real feel of ‘purani’ Delhi, not to forget the fun when every minute another rickshaw from the back bumps into yours! While the buildings around wear an ancient look, the vibrant market, the jam-packed streets, aroma of spices and Mughlai food, colorful bangle market all together refreshes the soul and instantly fills in a lot of vigor.

With all this and much more around every corner, old Delhi seems so enticing. Here lies the real taste of Delhi, a place where the past co-exists with the present!

Imagine a husband divorcing his wife because her Facebook ‘relationship status’ listed her as single! It might sound very absurd but it’s equally true. The social networking sites have redefined relationships. There’s enormous amount of creditability tagged with the ‘online profiles’.

The phone numbers, contact addresses and even the e-mail ids change but the ‘profiles’ stay. It’s easier to stay in touch with relatives living far away, thanks to ‘scrapbooks’ and ‘walls’. Today the foundation of a relationship is laid by accepting random friend requests. The more the merrier! ‘Friends’, most of whom you probably haven’t ever met, are strangely ready to invest their attention into your life. The personal lives, as if a 24X7 news channel, are being broadcasted!

These sites have created a virtual world for most, an ideal life, far away from the harsh realities. People love the anonymity. Some demarcate their professional and personal lives by ‘living’ multiple profiles.

It is astonishing to observe that how a boy and a girl can commit for the rest of their lives over a couple of chat sessions. The usefulness of these sites shall be debated for long but this trend is here to stay. Come and connect to the world outside!

The glittery glove famously worn by former pop idol Michael Jackson in his 1983 video for the hit song ‘Billie Jean’ is up for sale. Sources say that the glove will be auctioned off in April, together with more than 2,000 items from the ‘Neverland Ranch,’ Jackson’s home for over 15 years, until he abandoned in the aftermath of his 2005 acquittal on charges that he molested a young male visitor there.

According to celebrity memorabilia specialist Julien’s Auctions, which announced the auction Wednesday, the sale will also include the entry gates to Neverland Ranch as well many of the amusement and arcade devices that Jackson installed at Neverland to make his own private amusement park. In addition to the collection of memorabilia from Jackson’s own career the auction will also feature numerous fine art pieces and other pop culture memorabilia.

The auction came just weeks after the financially-troubled Jackson sold Neverland to a company that owned the mortgage on the property and which now plans to redevelop the 1,100 hectare ranch. Jackson’s possessions will be on display from February onwards in a highlights tour that according to Julien’s will visit major cities worldwide.

Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo could be in line for another major honor after being short-listed for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. The Portugal and Manchester United winger has been nominated alongside Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Xavi, AC Milan playmaker Kaka and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.

Reports say that Ronaldo was third in last year’s FIFA vote behind Brazilian winner Kaka and Argentinian Messi but is the overwhelming favourite to see off those two to take the award for 2008, which is presented in Zurich Jan 12. The Portuguese in the meanwhile have achieved phenomenal success individually and as part of a team last season, winning the Premier League and Champions League with United while scoring 42 goals. 

Music lovers here is a treat for you. Juno Soundtrack has it all. According to them juno-verse just got a lot bigger. this time it comes in a deluxe set with both Juno’s chart-topping soundtrack of classic and alt-rock gems with an extra disc of 15 more songs that were intended for the Academy Award. Sounds good right.
Juno Movie Soundtrack you probably must be already acquainted with. This just gets bigger with the bonus. I like Rhino’s social mission too. They say “Make a difference wherever we can” is a statement which carries a healthy chunk of Rhino’s soul in it. Perhaps the reason or the inspiration behind music from Juno
A bit of history. Founded by Richard Foos and Harold Bronson Rhino in 70’s Rhino label is name most music lovers already know.

The 38-year-old singer who wed 28-year-old Nick Cannon last April is planning a lavish ceremony for their first anniversary, and one every year after that. She reportedly said that she was bombarded with calls on the day she got married. Most callers wondered whether her marriage was a rumor or was it for real. She stated that she wanted a bigger wedding on her first anniversary.

She’s also toying with the idea of having a wedding every year. Sources reveal that there were only eight people attended Mariah and Nick’s low-key ceremony in the Bahamas, and the singer known for her love of luxury and excess insists it was perfect. Mariah who was previously married to record executive Tommy Mottola — added that she wanted the opposite of what went wrong the first time as her wedding to Nick she affirms was the most beautiful day of her life.