My Scribles

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) – Living happily ever after needn't only be for fairy tales. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it's a lot more than just being in love. A couple's age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University. The study, entitled "What's Love Got to Do With It," tracked nearly 2,500 couples -- married or living together -- from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated. It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25. Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a p...

Madam Speaker, I rise to present the Budget for 2009-10. 2. Just 140 days back, I had the privilege to present the Interim Budget for 2009-10. It is a rare honour that I have been called upon to present the regular budget after the new Government assumed office. 3. The Congress-led UPA Government has come back to power with a renewed mandate. As Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, said recently "It is a mandate for continuity, stability and prosperity. It is a mandate for inclusive growth and equitable development." It is a mandate that we accept with humility and a firm resolve to do all that we can for the welfare of this nation. 4. I am deeply conscious of the faith reposed by the people in our government and the responsibilities that come with it. I am sensitive to the great challenge of rising expectations of a young India . It reflects a population that is restless, yet engaged and is ready to seize the opportunities that it is presented with. There are new and power...

His hips, thighs and shoulders were riddled with needle wounds believed to be the result of injections of narcotic painkillers, given three times a day for years. And multiple surgery scars were said to be the legacy of at least 13 cosmetic operations. Experts found the distressing evidence of Jackson's physical decline while investigating his startling death here last week. The examination showed the 5'10" star, once famed for his on-stage athleticism, had plunged to a "severely emaciated" state. It is understood anorexic Jackson had been eating just one meagre meal a day. Pathologists found his stomach empty aside from partially-dissolved pills he took before the painkiller injection which stopped his heart. Samples were sent for toxicology tests. Having lost virtually all his hair, the pop legend was wearing a wig when he died and pathologists said little more than "peach fuzz" covered his scalp. A scarred section of skin above his left ear was entir...

The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said Jackson suffered a heart attack, which is a blocking of the arteries that deprives the heart of adequate blood. That can lead to cardiac arrest, an interruption of the normal heartbeat. Jackson's brother Jermaine said Thursday that it was believed the pop singer went into cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County coroner's office, which completed its autopsy Friday, said determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks. The possibility of a heart attack could be a key clue as to why Jackson had a cardiologist at his home while he went through vigorous training for an upcoming series of concerts in London: Heart attacks can indicate a long-term problem, such as heart disease. It would not necessarily rule out another factor, such as drug use, however. Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said Jackson was taking some prescription medications, but did not spec...

The moonwalking pop star drove the growth of music videos, vaulting cable channel MTV into the popular mainstream after its launch in 1981. His 1982 hit, "Thriller", still the second best-selling U.S. album of all time, spawned a John Landis-directed music video that MTV played every hour on the hour. "The ratings were three or four times what they were normally every time the video came on,'' said Judy McGrath, the chairman and CEO of Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks. "He was inextricably tied to the so-called MTV generation.'' Five years later, ``Bad'' sold 22 million copies. In 1991, he signed a $65 million recording deal with Sony. Jackson was so popular that The Walt Disney Co. hitched its wagon to his star in 1986, opening a 3-D movie at its parks called "Captain EO'', executive produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The last attraction in Paris closed 12 years later. One of Jackson's shrewdest...

Michael Jackson the singer was also Michael Jackson the billion-dollar business concern! Yet after selling more than 61 million albums in the US and having a decade-long attraction open at Disney theme parks, the "King of Pop'' died at age 50, reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt. He was on the cusp of a final comeback after well over a decade of scandal.

Adieu Lohithadas, from now on you will be known for your brilliant films! A K Lohithadas, one of the finest writers in the history of Malayalam cinema, passed away on June 28. He could create sheer magic with his pen as it was evident from the more than fifty scripts that he penned during his highly illustrious career. It was the strength of those lines that gave shape to a number of meaningful characters and realistic tales. Lohithadas was born at Palluruthy in Kochi but grew up in Chalakudy. He had made Lakkidi, a small village in Wayanad district, his home for quite a while now. Lohi, as he was popularly known, started his career writing short stories and later, dramas. He had won the Kerala [Images] State award for the best playwright in 1985 for his drama Sindhu Shanthamayozhukunnu. It was director Sibi Malayil who brought him into films, at the recommendation of actor Thilakan. Lohithadas created quite a storm with his maiden script, Thaniyavarthanam (1987 with Mammootty in the l...