USCIS Reaches FY 2009 H-1B Cap

Office of Communications

USCIS Update
April 8, 2008

USCIS REACHES FY 2009 H-1B CAP

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the congressionally mandated cap for fiscal year 2009. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the “advanced degree” exemption. Before running the random selection process, USCIS will complete initial data entry for all filings received during the filing period ending on April 7, 2008. Due to the high number of petitions, USCIS is not yet able to announce the precise day on which it will conduct the random selection process.
USCIS will carry out the computer-generated random selection process for all cap-subject petitions received. USCIS will select the number of petitions needed to meet the caps of 65,000 for the general category and 20,000 under the “advanced degree” exemption limit. USCIS will reject, and return filing fees for all cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, unless found to be a duplicate. USCIS will handle duplicate filings in accordance with the interim final rule published on March 24, 2008 in the Federal Register.
The agency will conduct the selection process for “advanced degree” exemption petitions first. All “advanced degree” petitions not selected will be part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit.

Source: USCIS.gov

Keira’s pals help her stay grounded

Keira Knightley (AP Photo)

The 22-year-old actress reveals that she likes to spend time with her old buddies, who don’t give her advice but hope that she does well.


Actress Keira Knightley keeps her feet on the ground by keeping in touch with pals who knew her when she was not a famous movie star.

The 22-year-old actress reveals that she likes to spend time with her old buddies, who don’t give her advice but hope that she does well. “I keep in touch with my mates,” Daily Express quoted Knightley, as saying.

“They don’t give advice. They’re more likely to take me out for a glass of wine and a cigarette and hope for the best,” she added. The actress asserted that her recent tragic role Cecilia in Atonement made her extremely emotional.

“I read the script and sobbed and I knew it was good when my mum saw it and cried, too,” Knightley said. The actress was asked if she is thinking to win any award for her love scene with actor James McAvoy and she giggled. “The best sh*****g award, do you mean,” she said.

Source: TOI

Jodie Foster warns her kids against acting

Jodie Foster (AP Photo)

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ star has warned her kids not take up acting as their career.


Actress Jodie Foster has warned her kids not take up acting as their career. ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ star is also anxious that her decision might be hard for her kids, Charles, 9 and Kit, 5, to take.

"I'm really hoping they won't pick that path. It's not that it has been bad for me, but it is hard," Contactmusic quoted Foster, as telling the Empire magazine. Foster is known for her roles in films like ‘Bugsy Malone’ and ‘Taxi Driver’ as a child actress.

Source: TOI

Leave me alone!

Not everyone can perfect Angelina Jolie's pout or emulate Salma Hayek's dazzling persona, but there are millions out there who're trying. With images of supposed perfection assaulting them from every direction, high levels of efficiency mandatory in the workplace and exacting demands in society, many youngsters are now unable to cope. They are increasingly isolating themselves and today, they suffer from a malady called 'social anxiety' disorder, also known as social phobia.

Fear of scrutiny, heightened self-consciousness and apprehension about being judged are some of the reasons why youngsters would rather be on their own. A young employee who is marginally overweight, says, "I have great difficulty making friends. I don't like interacting with my colleagues either. I would rather be left alone with my laptop in my cubicle and listen to music on my iPod."

An IT professional, Pradip N, who is undergoing therapy for social anxiety shares, "I would get mentally disturbed while interacting with people in my office, which is why I had to seek help. I had no confidence and would worry myself sick before any meeting or presentation."

Says psychiatrist Dr B Kapur, "Every four out of 10 patients who come to me suffer from social anxiety disorder. This is especially amongst young adults and adolescents who are unable to cope with social situations. Many of them suffer from palpitation, headaches and nausea. It is not shyness as some believe. Social anxiety has to be recognised as a disorder and needs to be treated."

In public places such as work, meetings, or shopping, people who suffer from this disorder feel everyone is watching, staring and judging them. Many of them feel others are noticing every movement they make, critiquing and making negative judgments about them. It is believed that social anxiety is the third largest psychological problem in some parts of the world today, but unlike other psychological problems, it is not well understood, hence often misdiagnosed by healthcare professionals.

Says Bangalore-based psychiatrist, Dr M J Thomas, "Social phobias start in adolescence and are centred on fear of scrutiny. In the US, one out of eight people has this phobia. It is associated with low self-esteem, desire for perfection and fear of criticism. A person with social phobia anticipates and ruminates over the problems that can occur in case of social contact, resulting in avoidance of the situation and in extreme cases, social isolation. They experience rapid heartbeats, trembling, sweating, upset stomach, diarrhoea, muscle tension, blushing, confusion or a panic attack."

Says Dr Ajit Bhide, consultant psychiatrist, "Youngsters who are not socially adept get increasingly isolated in life. Low self-esteem is one of the main reasons. They'd rather be with their gizmos and chat with people online than meet them personally."

However, good news is -- social anxiety disorder can be treated with medical, cognitive and relaxative therapy. Explains Dr Thomas, "One theory is -- it may be related to an imbalance of a chemical called serotonin that transports signals between nerve cells in the brain. Interestingly, this is the same chemical imbalance linked to other mood and anxiety disorders. It may be precipitated by an embarrassing social event in the past."

Both medication and behaviour therapy have proven successful in treating social phobias. Gradual, controlled exposure to an anxiety-provoking situation helps. Patients are shown how to make eye contact, talk louder and slower, greet people and say good-byes, ask for favours, respond to requests and criticism. Eventually, they learn to mingle around.

Source: TOI

Email replaces lipstick on the collar!

One in nine adults are caught cheating on their partners because they fail to delete double-crossing emails and text messages.

The finding comes from a new poll of 2,000 adults by moneysupermarket.com that found that emails and texts are the modern equivalent for the lipstick on the collar that once confirmed a wife’s suspicion that her hubby was playing the field. Computers and mobile phones, the survey reveals, are the new “smoking guns” in relationship breakdowns.

And, some wronged partners don’t even need to go looking for evidence, for four percent of those caught out accidentally forwarded a message from their lover to their partner.

There is a difference when it comes to the ages as well. People in their 50s are more likely to be caught out with a text or email, than 18 to 24-year-olds who are more likely to clear their inboxes regularly, thus destroying the evidence.

“People seem to forget their internet and mobile phone can become a library of undercover love,” The Sun quoted a spokesman, as saying. “We don’t condone having affairs, but those who are tempted to stray should practice safe text — they need to be careful what they say in messages and emails. You never know where they could end up,” he added.

Source: Indiatimes Lifestyle

Leo thinks the planet is doomed

Leo makes a documentary to highlight environmental issues.

The Blood Diamond star believes the world is on the brink of destruction because of global warming, and insists human beings face a very “bleak future” unless we change our ways. Leonardo — who has made a documentary film called The 11th Hour to highlight the environmental issue — said: “We find ourselves on the brink. We face a very bleak future, and to avoid it we need dramatic worldwide change. It needs to go way beyond politics or religion. It’s scary and it’s daunting.

Its clear humans have had a very devastating impact on our planet’s ecological web of life.” But despite his concerns, the 32-year-old insists there is still hope. He said in an interview: “When you look at the data regarding climate change it's hard not to be depressed but when you look at people, think about things like their resilience and creativity and determination, there is hope.” Leonardo has long campaigned on environmental issues and set up the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998.

The 11th Hour is written, produced and narrated by the actor and features top scientists investigating a number of radical solutions to global warming. The film enjoyed its Los Angeles premiere last week.

Source: TOI

Miss Australia is hooked!

Miss Australia in news again.
Miss Australia joined Aussie fishing expert Dan Burgess and model Dan Trotter to film the segment during a recent boating adventure Miss Australia 2006, Erin McNaught, is putting her angling skills to good use as the star of a new fishing video.
The stunning model and TV presenter landed a spotted mackerel during filming of new action angling DVD Angling Anonymous . She joined Aussie fishing expert Dan Burgess and model Dan Trotter to film the segment during a recent boating adventure near Coffs Harbour, according to the Sydney Daily Telegraph.

Source: TOI

Madonna's the bad girl gone good

Madonna top the list of 'bad girls gone good,' list compiled by a magazine. Drew Barrymore secured second position while Mary J Blige secured third.
The Queen of Pop, Madonna, has made it to the top of a new list of 'bad girls gone good' compiled by a magazine. The singer-actress was followed by Drew Barrymore who secured the second spot. Soul star Mary J Blige and singer Fergie secured third and fourth places respectively, reports a website. Genie in a Bottle singer Christina Aguilera rounded off the top five, at the fifth spot.

Top 5 bad girls gone good:

Madonna, Drew Barrymore, Mary J Blige, Fergie, Christina Aguilera

Source: TOI

'Rivals no match for iPhone'

The iPhone makes me mad. Not, mind you, at the iPhone itself, but mad at cell-phone manufacturers who have saddled us for years with interfaces that lure us into labyrinths of menus.

The buttons that are supposed to guide us through this maze do different things on every screen: a single button can mean "Back" on one screen, "Cancel" on another, "Exit" on a third.

The iPhone has one button on its face. It always does the same thing: takes you to the top menu, where icons representing all functions of the phone -- music player, Internet browser and more -- are laid out in a clear manner. Wham, you're out of the labyrinth.

This makes me mad, because this isn't just the way it should be, it's the way it always should have been done. This became clear to me as I set out to look at the iPhone along with two other top-of-the-line phones, the Nokia N95 and Helio's Ocean.

The Nokia N95 costs $750, even more than the iPhone, and is jam-packed with features like a high-resolution camera, radio receiver and satellite Global Positioning System receiver. There are 13 buttons on its face, and that's before you slide the screen out to reveal the keypad.

Two of the N95's buttons take you to a top menu. But each button takes you to a different top menu. The menus navigate differently. The first doesn't have all the options of the other and the second has all the options but hides some of them. How am I supposed to remember which menu has which option?

This wouldn't have bugged me before using the iPhone. But the iPhone has a way of opening one's eyes. After using its beautiful, logical touch-screen interface, I get the feeling that if an Apple designer had said "Hey, let's give it two top menus! Give the user more choice," Chief Executive Steve Jobs would have demanded not just his resignation but his left pinky finger. Just as a lesson.

As you probably know, Apple's first phone launched amid tremendous hype in late June. Since then most of the press has been about hacks and complaints, and speculation that it's not living up to sales expectations. Most recently, the news has been that AT&T uses too much paper to print bills for the iPhone (the company said it would shorten them).

Don't pay it any attention: the iPhone is the best phone you can buy right now.

The two iPhone models, with four and eight gigabytes of memory respectively, cost $499 and $599, and AT&T's plans start at $60 a month. Like the N95, its price is high partly because the cell-phone carrier doesn't subsidise the cost of the phone. Unfortunately, with the iPhone you're locked in to the AT&T plan for at least two years.

With the N95, you can sign up for any AT&T or T-Mobile plan, those being the two major US carriers that are compatible with the phone's GSM technology.

The Ocean is considerably cheaper, at $295, with monthly plans starting at $65. Helio's stated goal is to bring cool high-powered phones, as found in Asia, to hip, young Americans. It rents time on Sprint Nextel Corp.'s network, which provides broadband download speeds.

This gives it a leg up over the iPhone and N95, which both use slower data networks, supplemented by Wi-Fi where available.

But the Ocean's main claim to fame is that it's a "dual slider:" Push the screen up, and you reveal a standard numeric keypad. Push it sideways, and you get a qwerty keyboard.

The screen on the N95 slides two ways too: up to reveal the keypad, down to reveal a set of media-player controls: play, stop, forward, backward.

Three months ago, I would have found these Swiss-knife-type designs brilliant, or at least useful, but really, they're not the way to go. To do different things with them, like switching from typing an e-mail to listening to music, you switch between different modes -- slide parts of the phone this way or that, and see buttons change their functions.

Basic theory of user interface design states that you should keep the number of different modes to a minimum, for ease of use. This theory seems to have been hammered into the designers of the iPhone.

Sure, the iPhone has its annoyances. The headphone jack is deeply recessed. The only headphones I managed to use were the ear buds Apple supplied, which don't do justice to music or shut out noise. You can't use wireless headphones, at least yet.

You have to use Apple's iTunes application, which doesn't run well on PCs. In fact, my PC screen turned itself off, then back on a few seconds later, when the iPhone was connected. It's a phenomenon I have never before seen.

AT&T's EDGE data network can be painfully slow, taking minutes to load a Web page or load e-mail. A pity, since the iPhone's Web browser is the best ever.

The pictures from the 2-megapixel camera are fuzzy, and the lens smudges easily to make them even fuzzier.

Standby time is supposedly up to 10 days, but I found I had to recharge the phone at least every three days of light use, which isn't very good.

It has Google Maps, but it can't tell you where you are. The N95 can, if you manage to get the GPS receiver working, which was quite tough. The Helio can too, or is at least supposed to. It placed me half a mile off.

I could go on about the iPhone's flaws, but it doesn't really matter. When you're in love, you forgive the shortcomings of your loved one.
Peter Svensson

Source: TOI (Indiatimes Infotech)