Lincoln C Concept

Lincoln C Concept has been premiered at the Detroit Auto Show. Powered by a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine coupled with Ford’s dry and dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission, Lincoln C Concept may develops 180 horsepower and 180 ft.-lbs. of torque.

Lincoln C Concept is the company’s newest “big idea” for a small luxury car which is able to offer a 43 mpg fuel economy on the highway.

Lincoln C Concept also features an In-Car Companion, called EVA. EVA is a life-like avatar that connects the driver to the vehicle.

Lincoln C Concept showcases a human machine interface (HMI) and in-car connectivity technologies that aim to facilitate social networking.

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Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo announced that the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race will have its seconds stopover in Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala in December this year. The Kochi of the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race will come after a run from Cape Town, South Africa.

Press Release
Kochi in India to host Volvo Ocean Race for first time

Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala, is confirmed as the host of the second stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race in December 2008. The Indian stopover will come at the end of the second leg of the race from Cape Town, South Africa. Kochi will be the first of three new ports in Asia.

At the Abad Plaza in Kochi today, the stopover port agreement was signed by Andy Hindley, Race Director for the Volvo Ocean Race; Mr. N. Ramachandran, Chairman, Kochi Port Trust and Mr. KG Mohanlal, Managing Director, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.

Also present at the press conference were Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the Hon. Minister for Home, Vigilance and Tourism and Dr. Venu, Secretary of Kerala Tourism.

The Kochi Port Trust, which will be responsible for organising the stopover, with the full backing of the Kerala Tourism Department, welcomed the signing of the port agreement today and is confident that the stopover will give Kochi great exposure.

“India has never hosted such a prestigious sailing event and we are very excited that Kochi has been chosen,” said Mr. Ramachandran.

The booming shipping port on the Malabar Coast is now one of India’s foremost tourist destinations and the race stopover is sure to bring thousands of additional visitors to both Kochi and the State of Kerala. The Kerala State Tourism Department envisages the event will bring significant visibility as well as economic benefit to the region.

“Kerala Tourism sees this as an opportunity to project Kochi as an exciting destination, and we will be happy to extend all support to the Kochi Port Trust to bring the event to the State,” Dr Venu commented.

The Yachting Association of India (YAI), an active advocate of the race coming to India, sees the hosting of a stopover as an important boost to India’s ongoing campaign to establish itself as a venue for hosting major sporting events following its successful bid to stage the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010.

“Hosting one of the world’s top three sailing events will obviously boost any future bid to host major sailing as well as other sports events in India,” said Commander Ajay Narang, Honorary Joint Secretary-General, YAI. “It will also be a tremendous fillip for local sailing,” he added.

It is the first time that India is hosting such a prestigious sailing event and Kochi will be the
only port of call in India. The seven yachts participating in the race will arrive in Kochi in December 2008 and will stay for 10 days, before starting leg three to Sentosa Island in Singapore. A race village covering 2.5 acres of land will be set up near the BTP berth at Willingdon Island.

Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race commented: “It has always been part of our vision to take the race to different and wider audiences and we are delighted that Kochi has become part of that vision. India not only presents huge opportunities for the development of the event, but this coupled with the daunting challenges the competitors will face when racing their grand prix yachts in unfamiliar waters, will make the visit to India even more exciting for everyone involved. India has hundreds of millions of enthusiastic sports fans and we know they will enjoy this challenging race, with its passion, teamwork, adventure and excitement.”

The 2008-09 event will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain on 4 October 2008, it will for the first time, take in ports in Asia. Spanning some 39,000 nautical miles, stopping at around 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s premier yacht race for professional racing crews.

Shaking The Blues Of Depression

Suppose you are feeling lonely. You notice you do not have an intimate relationship, and that makes you feel lonely. But is it the absence of the relationship that makes you feel lonely? Or do you feel lonely when you pay extra attention to the fact that you do not have the relationship you desire. When you are engrossed in a really good movie or a compelling book, you completely forget that you are lonely. But if you stick your head up and notice you are all alone, or if you notice a happy couple and it is the opposite of your own situation, then your loneliness quickly returns and you feel depressed. The word ‘depressed’ is a very common, everyday word. Almost all of us feel depressed. The ups and downs of life are common and normal and most people can recover quite quickly in dealing with depression… but some are not as fortunate.

Research shows that, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 20.9 million American adults, suffer from depression. Even Winston Churchill was not an exemption. Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It’s more than just a feeling of being “blue” or “empty” for a few days. They persist and interfere with everyday life.

Depressive illnesses often interfere with normal functioning and cause pain and suffering not only to those who have a disorder, but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the ill person. But much of this suffering is unnecessary.

Depression can run in families, and usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30. However, not everyone who is depressed or manic depressive experiences every symptom. Some people experience a few symptoms, some many. Severity of symptoms varies with individuals and also varies over time.

Most people with a depressive illness do not seek treatment, although the great majority even those whose depression is extremely severe can be helped. Coping with depression is possible and there are many options. Thanks to years of fruitful research, there are now antidepressant medications and psychosocial therapies such as cognitive or behavioral, “talk”, or counseling that ease the pain of depression.

Depression can sometimes be caused by a chemical imbalance and medications are often used to correct this imbalance. A physician can prescribe the appropriate medications or refer a depressed person to another doctor who is more knowledgeable. There are several antidepressants available and sometimes more than one medication may be suggested. The physician may prescribe which medications to use based on several factors such as how has depression affected the activity, eating, sleep and interests patterns of a person.

Other components, such as anxiety, will also help determine which, if any, medication to use. Sometimes a trial and error method may be used to find the most effective medication for the depressed person which can often result in greater emotional distress.

Unfortunately, many people do not recognize that depression is a treatable illness. If you feel that you or someone you care about is one of the many undiagnosed depressed people, there are ways and steps that may save your own or someone else’s life.