Dolly needs no publicity!
I bet you would unanimously agree on this one (At least on Republic Day we can take an undivided stand) — had it not been for Dolly Bindra (don't tell me you don't know her!) nobody would have watched Bigg Boss Season 4. Not for 'returning from hibernation' Asmit Patel, lost and found Samir or 'Alice in Wonderland' Khali. Indeed, it was for Dolly Bindra's soft (did you say soft), as silent as a Howitzer pitch and endless beeps that you wouldn't have tuned into Bigg Boss!

Veena’s wishlist
If Pakistani starlet Veena Malik had her way, she would pit former President Pervez Musharraf against the Shiv Sena in a Pakistani version of Bigg Boss, the reality show that brought her to the limelight. Veena, who has taken on clerics for calling her "immoral" for her appearance on Bigg Boss, was asked in an interview about the contestants she would choose if Pakistan were to host the reality show.

Celebrities plan to share their thoughts with people this Republic Day through various social networking sites
You’ve got mail 
This is how sincerely the trend is followed - Are you happy? Express your happiness on Facebook. Upset over something? Shrink your emotions in 140 characters on Twitter. And this Republic Day, here's a sneak peak into what celebrities plan to post on Facebook or Twitter.

Who’s on Orkut still?
Who goes on Orkut?" is perhaps one reason nobody goes there. And that's the story of Facebook Vs Orkut in one line. The young and the restless, the not-so-young and the rest, everyone seems to have been hooked and Facebooked!

Up & OBESE 
A Chicago University study has found that kids who are allowed to stay up late at weekends are more likely to be obese. The study suggested that those who are told to go to bed early on weekend nights get a chance to catch up on the sleep they do not get throughout the week, and tend to be thinner. Academics monitored 308 children from four to 10 years old, measuring the body mass index (BMI) of each and examining their sleep patterns using wrist movement sensors. 

It's Tuesday morning blues now
A Brit study has found that the most stressful time of the working week is Tuesday at 10am. In the study, half of British employees pinpointed mid morning on Tuesday as their 'stress peak' - when their workload becomes 'too much' and they start to crumble under the pressure, reports a publication. The majority of workers said they coast through Monday getting their brain in gear and catch up with gossip from the weekend and discussing TV shows they've watched.

Sun & Shade

These students seem to be making most of the sunny conditions. Lifestyle photo: S Chandan

So, how do you learn? 
Instead of rereading or reviewing the same textbook or other material, it is better to practice retrieval to ensure better learning, according to a new research. "We continue to show that practicing retrieval, or testing yourself, is a powerful, robust tool for learning," said Jeffrey D. Karpicke, an assistant professor of psychological sciences at the Purdue University. "Our new research shows that practicing retrieval is an even more effective strategy than engaging in elaborative studying," he added.

You are what you Tweet
More to the point, in this age of instant communication, you would have imagined that such linguistic differences were disappearing, flattened by the triple juggernaut of cable television, the internet and proliferating social networks. But not a bit of it. A fascinating new study of traffic on Twitter suggests that even in a 140-character universe, regional dialects and peculiarities are thriving.

Beauty and the Best
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actor Deepiks Padukone arrive at Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal on Monday for the shooting of Prakash Jha's film Aarakshan. — PTI photo

Natalie on the top
She may have decided to take a break from acting to bring up her soon-to-be born baby but Natalie Portman's career is skyrocketing, with her latest release No Strings Attached topping the box office.

Mandy’s London dreams
Hollywood actress Mandy Moore says that London is one of her favourite cities and she is keen to explore the place as a tourist.

Priyanka: From an ambassador to suspect 
Priyanka Chopra whose premises were searched by the Income Tax department had only last year starred in a short promotional film aimed to spread the message of tax compliance. Chopra along with Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar had featured in a 20-minute-long documentary by the I-T department, which was unveiled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on July 24 in New Delhi to mark the first ever 'Income Tax Day'.

Arshad on a serious note 
Bollywood funnyman Arshad Warsi, who is busy shooting for comedy Double Dhamaal, is yearning to do serious films now.

Eva’s master plan 
Actress Eva Mendes says she is driven by her work and hates taking holidays because they disrupt her plan to "rule the world".

Dino’s cockroach stint
Actor Dino Morea managed to spot so many cockroaches at the Goa airport that he felt as if he was in waiting for a stunt on action-adventure show Fear Factor — Khatron Ke Khiladi.


Dino Morea

Pamper your hair with these scintillating spas
Tame your mane!
If luscious hair is what you are aiming at, beauty salons in the tricity are offering refreshing spas. Coming at a price, these special treatments promise to restore and rejuvenate your hair. Amaranth oil, blue lotus, Japanese cherry and wild rose - Seah Spa from Schwarzkopf - bring the best from around the world to revitalise your hair. Available at Azzarro-22, these spas that take around an hour, promise not only to sort out your hair trouble, they also promote hair growth.

No dialogues for Hard Kaur
When rapper Hard Kaur was first offered a role in Patiala House, she laughed it off as a joke. The singer was finally convinced to make her acting debut by director Nikhil Advani, but says that she often jumbled up her dialogues and had a tough time remembering them.

Bips smitten by Franco
Bipasha Basu is changing her loyalties - she was a fan of Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, but now the actress says she is smitten with 127 Hours actor James Franco.