In September, total wagers were 6.896 billion euros,
including 3.428 billion euros from slot machines, AAMS said,
without giving comparatives.Italy’s Lottomatica SpA , one of the world’s largest
lottery operators, and SNAI SpA are active in several
gaming sectors, including VLTs.
($1=0.731 Euros)
By Danish Siddiqui
To live in the worlds second most populous country and city is itself an experience. When I was asked to do a feature story on the worldâs population crossing the 7 billion mark, I realized it wasnÂt going to be an easy task. This was simply because there were so many stories to tell in this city of dreams, Mumbai.
I chose to do a story on the living conditions of MumbaiÂs migrant population who pour in to the city by the hour.
I decided to go to a slum which is inhabited mostly by migrants arriving from the northern part of India in search of a better future. Most of the migrants who live there work as taxi drivers and manual laborers. It was difficult to get access as they were always apprehensive of journalists. But I was able to convince a couple of them over a cup of tea after which they opened the doors of their one room world to me.
This same one room tenement acts as their bathroom, kitchen and living room. The one room is shared by at least 5 to 20 people who share the space, rent and other expenses.
When I first entered I was amazed to see how 10 people lived in 4.5 x 3 meters (15 x 10ft.) space. It had a small bathroom which was nothing but a one meter high wall creating a small enclosure in a corner. The room also had a slab to keep utensils and two huge containers to store water. Every inch of the room was smartly used to store the personal belongings of its occupants.
The occupants were a bit uncomfortable with my camera initially but adjusted to it over time. I called the occupants by their names which helped get rid of their initial inhibitions. I photographed the room and its occupants over four days and at different times as everyone would leave by 8 in the morning for work.
The lack of space never got in the way of the occupants having a good time and enjoying each others company. For millions of these migrants living in these conditions in their dream city they might not be living their dream but I am sure everyone is working hard to achieve it.
The youngest boy told me that he wants to become a pilot one day and fly with his family. I hope they all live to see their dream come true soon.
Millions of migrants swarm the streets of Mumbai, jostling for their inch in the big bad city everyday but the dense population of the city, with people from different regions of the country, gives Mumbai a unique special character.
“If you struggle to find new ideas in your organization, don’t assume there aren’t any.Instead, look at the ideas’ processes before they’re presented. Are they batted around, revised, screened, and debated before anyone with authority sees them?Instead of thoroughly vetting ideas before they reach senior management, find ways to expose executives to ideas when they’re raw. Skip the PowerPoint presentation — it only creates high expectations for a slick, refined idea. Remove the well-intentioned gatekeepers from the process.Hold an idea ‘science fair’ where people present ideas in their earliest stages on poster board to a room of mingling executives who can stop to discuss ideas that catch their attention.”- Today’s management tip was adapted from “How Iteration-itis Kills Good Ideas” by Scott Anthony.(For the full post, see: here)
Prosecutors, who called their last witness on Thursday, claim that Dr. Conrad Murray was negligent in caring for Jackson and is responsible for his death, which medical examiners said resulted from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and sedatives.Murray has admitted giving Jackson propofol on June 25, 2009, the day the singer died, but maintains he is innocent, and his attorneys have said Jackson gave himself an extra, fatal dose of the drug he called his “milk” due to insomnia.Prosecution witness Dr. Nader Kamangar, a sleep medicine expert, said Murray was reckless to give Jackson infusions of propofol and sedatives to get the singer to sleep after a strenuous rehearsal for a series of concerts in London.”Mr. Jackson was receiving very inappropriate therapy in the home setting, receiving very potent sedatives including propofol, midazolam and lorazepam without appropriate monitoring by Dr. Murray, and ultimately this cocktail was a recipe for disaster in a patient that had underlying dehydration,” Kamangar said in Los Angeles Superior Court.Several doctors have criticized Murray’s decision to give Jackson propofol, which can stop a patient from breathing, at home where there was not enough medical staff or life-saving equipment on hand.But under cross examination, Kamangar, who was among a number of witnesses to slam Murray’s treatment of Jackson, said a reliance on the painkiller Demerol could have led to insomnia, which Murray was trying to treat.Kamangar also said his review of Jackson’s records showed the singer received Demerol from Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein. The defense wants to show Jackson was dependent on drugs to help him sleep and Murray was simply dealing with problems caused by other doctors.In opening arguments three weeks ago, lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff told jurors that in the months before his death, Jackson visited Klein’s office as many as two to three times a week. “Dr Arnold Klein addicted Michael Jackson to Demerol,” Chernoff said at the time.Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has denied a defense request to call Klein as a witness, ruling his testimony would be insufficiently relevant. Klein could not be reached for comment on Thursday.Prosecutors said on Thursday that Dr. Steven Shafer, an expert on propofol, would be their last of more than 30 witnesses. He testified briefly on Thursday and his testimony is to resume Monday.Murray’s attorneys told the judge they plan to call 22 witnesses, including two experts, and the defense could rest their case by the end of next week.
Bakeries devoted to the colorful confections have been popping up in New York, Seattle and San Francisco, and the legendary Parisian patisserie Laduree, whose pastry chef Pierre Desfontaines created the macaron over a century ago, opened its first U.S. branch in New York City in August.”It’s exactly the same shop and spirit,” said Laduree chairman David Holder about its new U.S. store. “The products and the quality are the same.”Although the Laduree recipe is a closely guarded secret, Holder said all of the company’s macarons are made in Paris from a mixture that is about 50 percent ground almonds, as well as sugar, egg whites, food coloring, and naturally derived flavors. The cookies are also gluten-free.The New York shop is so popular at times on weekends the line of customers curls down the sidewalk.At the macaron shop Bisous, Ciao in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a sign in the window makes clear that macarons, which Bon Appetit magazine had dubbed “the new cupcake” last year, are not the same thing as macaroons, a chewy coconut biscuit.Like their trendy predecessor, macarons win many fans with their bold appearance and array of whimsical flavors.”I think people like them at first because they’re striking colors, and they’re dainty and pretty,” said Bisous, Ciao owner and founder Tanya Ngangan.Holder agrees, describing them as “small accessories” that can be given as gifts in place of champagne or flowers.At Bisous, Ciao, the cookies are lined up like jewels in a glass case. Laduree packages its macarons in limited-edition boxes, which are frequently the result of designer collaborations. The latest was created by British fashion designer Matthew Williamson.The delicate treats come in almost every imaginable flavor, from classics like raspberry at Macaron Cafe in New York to more innovative options such as salted peanut and grape at Bisous, Ciao.”It’s kind of like an upscale PBJ,” said Ngangan, referring to peanut butter and jelly.For New York Fashion Week in September Laduree produced a cinnamon raisin New York macaron, which Holder said was a nod to the popularity of cinnamon in American sweets — something that is uncommon in France.Both Holder and Ngangan say their most popular flavors are salted caramel. With prices starting at $2.50 each, many consumers see macarons as an affordable luxury when bigger ones are out of reach in a tight economy.”We are living in a complicated world,” Holder said. “Small pleasures are important.”
