via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/down-the-drain/article4567591.ece
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Down the drain
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/down-the-drain/article4567591.ece
Mid-week fare
Kefi, the Mediterranean-speciality restaurant at Taj Club House, presents Levantine Lounge on Wednesdays. To the accompaniment of music from the region, the lounge dinner offers exotic fare that includes an Anatolia and Moorish buffet spread, and comprising salads, Mezze, a seafood and crustacean bar with live charcoal grill, and other live counters. Also choose from desserts of the region. The seating is alfresco and pool side.
The spread is priced at Rs. Rs. 999 (plus tax) a person, including a glass of beer / wine, and is on from 7.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. For details and reservations, call 6631-3131.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/events/midweek-fare/article4564353.ece
Ask Shahnaz
Beautician Shahnaz Husain offers tips and answers queries. Send your queries to askshahnaz@gmail.com
What’s the benefit of applying curd on the face? - Priya
Curd is beneficial for the skin and the hair. It helps restore the acid-alkaline balance of the skin and keep it healthy. It benefits acne prone skin. Applying curd on the arms and other exposed areas of the body helps remove tan and softens the skin. It can be included in body and face packs and scrubs. In fact, even for hair care, curd is suitable. Applied on the hair half an hour before shampoo helps soften the hair and also adds body. It is used in henna packs for conditioning the hair. How to get rid of flabby arms? - Ajitha
For the arms, stand with feet slightly apart. Stretch the arms out to the sides, with palms facing upwards. Rotate the arms in small circles, clockwise and then anti-clockwise. Repeat 10 times on each side and increase gradually.
My lips are dark. Suggest a remedy. - Malathy
The skin of the lips is thin and delicate. After washing the face, when the lips are wet, you can rub them gently with a soft towel. This helps remove dead skin. Then apply milk cream and leave on for an hour. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the cream before application. Apply pure almond oil daily on the lips at night and leave overnight. You can also look for a lip balm with sunscreen. Change your brand of lipstick, because the perfume in certain lipsticks can cause darkness as a reaction to sun-exposure.
My hair is frizzy and dry. Can I apply jojoba and wheat germ oil? - Ranjani
Yes, you can use jojoba and wheat germ oils. They have emollient and nourishing properties. You can also mix castor oil and coconut oil in equal quantities. Heat and apply on the hair once or twice a week. Then do the hot towel wrap. It helps the hair to absorb the oil better. Or, you can apply pure almond oil. After shampoo, apply a creamy conditioner, taking less quantity and massaging it lightly into the hair. Leave on for 2 minutes and rinse. You can also apply a “leave-on” type of conditioner or hair serum. Apply the same way, but do not rinse.
My eyes are small. What kind of eye make-up would make them look bigger? - Nowreen
When plucking your eyebrows, leave the inner part of your brow thicker, this will create an arch to frame the eye. On the lids, use a slightly off-white eye shadow on the inner part of the lid and add a pure white shadow in the inner most part to create a light effect. Pay attention to the lash line to add definition to the eye area. Apply eye pencil close to the lash line on the upper lid. Dot the pencil along the lower lashes and smudge carefully with swab to enlarge the eye area. When applying mascara, pay attention to the lashes at the outer corner.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/fashion/ask-shahnaz/article4564314.ece
The Soup Song!
One of the bestsellers
Jack Canfield Photo: S. S. Kumar
Jack Canfield has the suave self-confidence of a man who gets what he wants. But then, he’ll be the first to tell you that in the end, it’s all about perseverance. And faith.
It’s difficult to imagine he was rejected 144 times. Jack Canfield has the suave self-confidence of a man who gets what he wants. But then, he’ll be the first to tell you that in the end, it’s all about perseverance. And faith. Yet another spiel on New-Age spirituality? Well, yes. There’s some of that. But ‘positive expectancy’ isn’t the only reason why Canfield’s successful. He’s accompanied it with hard work and pragmatic marketing.
Hence he stands on stage, in front of a 600-strong audience at the Leela Palace, (who have paid between Rs. 4000 and Rs. 20,000 to spend a morning listening to him), and talks about failure. Then, he holds up and recommends his books to the audience. Markets his destination-seminars (the next is in Bali). And ends by playing an audio visual presentation featuring semi-famous speakers breathily singing his praises. (One lady’s quote is simply, “Jack. Jack. Jack.”)
None of this is criticism, by the way. You have to admire his self-confidence. As we make our way to the lobby, fans excitedly converge on Canfield. “You have a lot of fans,” I say, by way of making conversation. He nods matter-of-factly. “Yes. I do.”
Settled on a couch, the 68 year old talks about the series that made his famous, Chicken Soup For The Soul. “I was teaching English in Chicago. I was 24 and it was difficult to motivate the kids, who were from a ghetto. I found that if I told them stories about African-American children, they were interested. That’s when I realised the power of stories.”
As he began travelling to teach seminars, Canfield continued to tell stories to illustrate points he wanted to make. “People would come to me and say, ‘Is that in a book anywhere? I would love to tell it to my daughter/ son … So, one day on a flight from Boston to LA, I made a list of stories. In a year I had written 70. Then my co-author Mark Victor Hansen, said ‘101 is a good number’. And I told him, then you get 31.”
And the rest was history? Not really. “When I tried to find a publisher, I was told people don’t read short stories. That the title is stupid. 144 rejections in all.” He sits back with a grin, “Now we have 225 volumes in 47 languages.”
In his workshops, Canfield teaches people about the principals of the ‘Laws of Attraction’ (made famous most recently by Rhonda Byrne’s books, The Secret, The Power and The Magic. Simply put, it states that you get what you ask for.) “If you are clear on the ‘what’, the ‘how’ will show up,” says Canfield. “I was practicing ‘The Secret’ long before the movie came along. My mentor W. Clement Stone taught me about the law of attraction. He was a self-made millionaire — so I knew it worked.”
The journey
He adds, “I was making 8,000 dollars a year as a teacher. I set a goal to make 1,00,000 dollars in a year. I took a printout of a 1,00,000 dollar bill and tacked it to the ceiling so it was the first thing I saw when I woke up in the morning. I visualised the car I would drive, the house I would own, the vacations I would take with my wife…When my publisher wrote me my first cheque for 11,30,328 he put a smiley above his signature! And that was just for the first three months of sales. We made a total of 6 million that year.”
Canfield cautions that it’s not as simple as just asking, then holding out your hand. “People come to me and say I’ve watched The Secret ten times, and my life hasn’t got any better. I tell them, ‘Maybe you should stop watching TV, and do something to make it happen’. I believe the 144 rejections were to test my commitment. To ask ‘Are you really willing to do what it takes?’”
Explaining why more people are tuning in to new-age gurus, from Tony Robbins to Rhonda Byrne, Canfield says “I think enough people have used principals such as the Law Of Attraction to know it works. They hear stories, like ‘I doubled my income in a year,’ and think, ‘Well, I should try this myself.” He adds, “Besides the world is opening up… The Mayan calendar said the world would end in 2012. I think what they meant is that it’s the end of an era. The end of the age of negativity… It’s an energy shift. If you believe in the Big Bang theory, the universe is expanding. As it expands it goes through different energy belts. We’re at the vibration of love and abundance…”
Unlike the ‘love-is-all-you-need’ hippy movement of the 1970s, new-age thought seems to be fairly obsessed with materialism: new cars, bigger houses, more money. Canfield defends the trend stating, “The idea is to not be a victim. If you believe the universe is manipulating you, then that’s what you get. It’s important to believe in the law of attraction, so you can channel good things.” Apparently, that shiny new car, is just step one. “A lot of people are more interested in the impact of wealth.” About how it can help other people. This wave of teachers also preaches the importance of gratitude.
In the end, he says, “It’s a contemporary statement of old philosophies. After all, there are only so many truths…”
Dare to win
l Take 100 per cent responsibility for your life and your results. If you want a different outcome, you have to change how you respond to situations.
l Don’t let fear hold you back. Fear is a visual image of something bad happening in the future. Trust that nothing bad is going to happen. Say, ‘Oh what the heck. I’ll go for it anyway.”
l Ask, ask, ask. The world works when you make requests. Not everybody is going to say ‘yes’. But not everyone is going to say ‘no’ either. In the end it’s a numbers’ game.
l Don’t be afraid of feedback. Afraid of what you’re going to hear? Guess what. You’re the only person who doesn’t know. And you’re the only one who can change things.
l Persevere. Colonel Sanders was rejected by 1100 restaurant owners when he was looking for someone to market his chicken recipe. Today there are 35,000
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/the-soup-song/article4564392.ece
Touching lives, the Rotary way
The Hindu Full Of Ideas Ron D. Burton Photo: S. R. Raghunathan
There are so many opportunities to change the world, says Ron D. Burton, president elect of Rotary International during an interaction in Chennai
“If I threw a dart on a world map blindfolded, and it fell on a landmass anywhere (except for three countries) I will know somebody there, and they will know me,” says Ron D. Burton, president elect (2013-14), Rotary International. That’s the reach of Rotary, and Rotarians, he says, are united in wanting to make the world a better place. Rotary is not merely about meeting, greeting and eating, avers Ron. “I want Rotarians around the world to get involved in some project, locally or internationally”. And it is because of his long association with Rotary (from 1979), he’s been able to forge partnerships with P.T. Prabhakar (director, Rotary International, 2013-15) and V. Raja Seenivasan (district governor) in Chennai, and impact the projects they’re involved in.
On a recent visit to the city — Chennai being the first Indian city he is visiting as president elect — Ron says there are so many wonderful projects in the country (he’s especially impressed with ‘Happy Villages’), which will do well to be emulated worldwide. He talks about being moved during his visit to the blood bank where he saw Rotaracters donating blood, and in the next room, Thallasemic children receiving a transfusion. “I thought, they could be my children,” he says, moved. “And when I looked into their eyes, it melted my heart.” And it’s this message that’s at the heart of his theme for the year — ‘Engage Rotary, Change Lives’.
While a life in service changes lives, the one it will change the most will be yours, says Ron. He recalls a training programme in New Jersey, when a gentleman walked up to him, with a picture of his three children, all of whom had a congenital kidney disease, necessitating kidney transplants. “The father told me that the oldest child got a kidney from a donor, and the second, received a kidney from a member in his Rotary club,” he said, adding he had many similar stories. “Every second, 1.2 million Rotary members worldwide are changing lives; what can we do if we had 2.4million?” Monetary contribution accounts for 200 to 300 million dollars, annually, but if you put a value on the time that was contributed by members, that number becomes astronomical!
Cheerful and energetic, Ron recalls what initially seemed like a humungous task — raising $ 120 million to eradicate polio back in 1987-88. Only, they managed to raise more than double that, he laughs.
Early successes
But, he acknowledges, there were a lot of early successes; and maybe they lost focus, because, 26 years later, they’re still at it. “However, look at a map with endemic polio countries (marked red) from 87-88 and look at it now; the red has gradually bleached out to white.” The world thought India would never get rid of polio, but Ron says he tips his hat to the government of India and the Rotarians on the field, for their commitment to eradicate the disease. “We’re this close, it’s time to finish it,” he says, adding he will be back in India in January 2014, when WHO is expected to certify India polio-free.
Commenting on the diversity in Rotary, Ron says that every-time he sees his club directory, he’s chuffed to see new members, cutting across age, sex and race. “I see so many opportunities, if they can get out there, they can change the world!” he says. Rotary International may soon see a woman president, says Prabhakar, while Ron adds that the women in the executive committee and Board got there primarily because they’re great Rotarians.
Touching upon the grants India receives from Rotary Foundation, Ron says the country also raises a great deal of money (India is the second largest monetary contributor to Rotary, besides recording the highest growth in terms of membership numbers, add Raja Seenivasan and Prabhakar). Ron talks of instances when people in developed countries do not wish to contribute money, as they think the ‘money goes out there’ (to developing nations). “I tell them ‘take a vacation, go to India ad see what they’re doing with your money’. Rotary is alive and well in India,” says Ron.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/touching-lives-the-rotary-way/article4564348.ece
It’s in your jeans
Levi Strauss company historian Lynn Downey
Jeans historian Lynn Downey swings by Bangalore on the Asia leg of her vintage Levis road show
Have you heard the story of the Bavarian immigrant who started out working in his family’s dry goods business and later went on to revolutionise the world of clothing by founding the blue jeans? Levi Strauss, a name that is synonymous with jeans, quite literally.
The brand has been thriving for 140 years now and has influenced popular culture and consumer behaviour with alarming potency.
Marking the anniversary of Levi global and the company’s presence in India for over two decades they put together a road show that illustrates the origin and evolution of the blue jeans as everyone knows it today.
The blue evolution
Documenting the history of Levi Strauss and Co, is their company historian Lynn Downey, who is also responsible for putting together the road show that shows how the jeans have evolved from the 1890’s right till 1989.
“A man from Bavaria created one of the most American garments. We are an American brand and we want to tell the story of where we come from,” she said.
The archive was started in 1989. “It creates an emotional connect for the employees, it’s exciting for them because they feel like a part of the continuum; everything they are creating is going into history. The archive is useful in management – the past is there to reach out to if you need it, it is a resource.” She picks up an original pair of blue Levi that lay next to the pair signed by the Rolling Stones, “These have had a hard life,” Lynn says handling them with gloves, “It was probably owned by a cowboy going by the fade patterns.” We then discuss the branding, the advertisements in watercolours that pop and an assortment of corporate memorabilia.
On the railway tracks and girders that ran in the centre of the room were the replicas of vintage Levi, the double arches on the back pockets, the red and white tab that identified an ‘original’ Levi, the rivets…
Funny story about how the crotch rivet at the base of the button fly was removed as it heated up when the wearer crouched before a campfire.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/its-in-your-jeans/article4564417.ece
Fools log in…
April fools day Thanks to technology, while the method of pulling pranks has been updated, the tech savvy are getting increasingly harder to fool, muses NEETI SARKAR
It was only about a week ago when those inebriated with bhang were shouting ‘bura na mano, Holi hai!’ The capers continue as today is officially the day when you can create a hullabaloo over petty pranks or in some cases uproar over a public proclamation that the leaning tower of Pisa has finally toppled. Gone are the days when on April Fools’ Day we found gratification in announcing a fake lizard or made bogus ransom calls. While the custom of fooling people on All Fool's Day has survived the test of time, the kind of pranks played has changed significantly, thanks to the kind of technology we have access to today. The prankster’s physical presence isn't required anymore to make a fool of his victim.
Easy come, easy go
With emails, SMS, and social networking sites, making an April fool of someone isn’t difficult. Snehanshu Jain, a copywriter says: “Two years ago when I was class representative of my section, I sent out an email to all my classmates telling them that the final exams had been advanced to the first week of April. Being the class rep, people didn’t think I would be lying and when it comes to exams, nobody takes a chance so the spoof was a success till I got irritated with all the calls I got that I sent out another mail saying I had fooled them all!”
Sending out event invites to anything from Sunday bazaars in the city to weddings are commonplace on a forum like Facebook. Engineer Miliie Shah made the most of this last year. “My boyfriend and I had been dating for five years by last April 1. My colleagues would keep bugging me about when I was going to ‘settle down’ so I sent them all fake invites on Facebook and that day I was the centre of everyone’s attention at work and even got gifted flowers and cake,” she quips as she narrates.
Offline, online
While one cannot deny that technology has provided us innumerable ways to fool people on All Fools Day, we also cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that ironically it is this technology that has made a whole lot of us foolproof!
For example, a decade ago when mobile phones weren’t as universal as they are now, to fool a friend we would have to call on their landline. Not many dared to fool friends from their own mobile numbers when cell phones became popular so the sham calls on landlines continued. However, with people installing caller IDs for these phones, spoofs like this have seen a decline in popularity.
Done to death
According to collegian Niyanta Sanghani, “Today a lot of us spend a good deal of time on Facebook so we just know how and when to catch someone’s bluff online. I never believe people who change their relationship status on Facebook on April 1 because this is one of those done-to-death online spoofs that nobody falls for anymore. Also, when people calling from numbers I don’t recognise try to fool me, I hang up on them without much ado. They invariably call back and confess who they are and the prank backfires.”
In all of this, one thing is certain, technology has revolutionised the way we fool people and the degree to which we are infallible. So maybe it’s time we go back to playing practical jokes in person to enjoy the essence of this day to the fullest. So are you hoax-calling someone already or do you plan to glue a one rupee coin to the ground on a busy street corner today?
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/fools-log-in/article4567022.ece
Record for Messi; draws for Barca, Real
World Player Lionel Messi created yet another record Saturday by scoring in Barcelona’s 2-2 draw at lowly Celta Vigo.
Messi has scored against all 19 teams consecutively in La Liga, something never before achieved, after remaining scoreless for the last time in Barca’s 3-1 home defeat of Celta in November.
Saturday’s goal took his league total for the season to an astonishing 43, leaving him on pace — with nine matches left — to break his record of 50 last season.
“My scoring run is the least important thing. I have had the good luck to score in all these games, which has helped the team,” said the Argentine, modest as ever.
“We wanted to win today after the league break for the national team matches, but it was not to be. ... It is not easy to return after being with your national team, especially against a team (Celta) which has so much at stake.” The draw left Barca well ahead atop La Liga, 13 points above a Real Madrid side that could only manage a 1—1 draw later Saturday at struggling Zaragoza.
Real coach Jose Mourinho raised eyebrows by leaving Iker Casillas out of his squad despite the Spain keeper now being fully fit, and confirmed that Casillas would not be in the squad for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Galatasaray.
Mourinho conceded: “We lost the league title some time ago. Now our objective is to finish in second place.” Real are two points above Atletico Madrid, who receive Valencia on Sunday.
Rodri gave Zaragoza the lead in the sixth minute with a cool finish after being played through by Apono.
Cristiano Ronaldo levelled for Real in the 39th minute with a powerful left—footed drive, after Gonzalo Higuain had fed the Portuguese hitman out on the left.
Real dominated the second half, but Diego Lopez — who has done well during Casillas’ injury absence — had to pull off three sharp saves.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/record-for-messi-draws-for-barca-real/article4567028.ece
Novel protest
The Hindu TDP activists staging a protest with lanterns against power-cut and the steep hike in power tariff at Jagadamba junction in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Photo: K. R. Deepak
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/novel-protest/article4566989.ece
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Mumbai Tigers pips Langsning FC
Sunil Kumar of Mumbai Tigers beats Langsning FC goalkeeper Prem Kumar SIngh with this penalty kick which turned out to be the match-winner. Photo: K. Murali Kumar
Southern Samity holds Rangdajied United FC
Mumbai Tigers hung onto a first half penalty goal against Langsning FC to make a winning start in the first leg final round encounter of the Second Division I-League at the Football Stadium here on Saturday.
It also pocketed the full three points in a league which is likely to provide some keen contests.
In an earlier encounter, Group C winner Southern Samity, Kolkata snatched a point from Rangdajied United FC, also from Shillong, with a second half equaliser for a 1-1 finish.
The Langsning team spelt danger in the early minutes of the match with Daniel Bidemu Ayeni in particular, posing threats. Twice the lanky striker shot off target and finally when he did find the net it was ruled ‘offside’.
The Mumbai Tigers did initiate some telling moves with internationals N.P. Pradeep and Mohammed Rafi. But it did not have a clear look at the Langsning goal wherein ‘keeper Prem Kumar Singh proved to be a stumbling block.
Despite the ball swinging from one end to the other in quick succession in the first half and Langsning having more of the ball possession it was the Tigers that went into the lead at half-time.
Well into the injury time, a darting Demba Dikhate was brought down inside the box and referee Ajit Metei of Manipur had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Sunil Kumar curled his kick into the far corner, past the diving outstretched hands of Prem Kumar Singh for what proved to be the match-winner.
The second half lacked both pace and purpose with both teams attempting aimless long-rangers with little effect.
The Southern Samity - Rangdajied United match saw more spills than thrills.
The game had more than a dozen stoppages for fake ‘injuries’ and one serious when Baba Tunde Ayomomide was stretchered off the field after an aerial collision. The wily striker was admitted to hospital for observation.
Bab Tunde had put Rangdajied United in front with a 30th minute strike.
Six minutes into the second half, Imran Khan found the target following a scramble to level scores for Southern Samity.
The results:
Rangdajied United 1 (Bab Tunde) drew with Southern Samity, Kolkata 1 (Imran Khan).
Mumbai Tigers 1 (Sunil Kumar) bt Langsning FC 0.
Sunday’s match: Mohammedan Sporting v Bhowanipore FC, 4.15 p.m.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/mumbai-tigers-pips-langsning-fc/article4565050.ece
Indian Grand Prix’s first leg to be held today
Will Indian athletics continue from where it had left off at the London Games? That will be the question when the athletes start their season in the first leg of the Indian Grand Prix at the National Institute of Sports Complex here on Sunday.
Krishna Poonia and Vikas Gowda made the finals and Tintu Luka joined the company of the elite in the women’s 800m semifinals in London. The challenge for Indian athletics will be to avoid going back to square one, particularly in the wake of the numerous allegations of doping among the youngsters, and build momentum towards the Asian championship and the World championship to be held in Moscow in August.
Quite disturbingly, more than 50 Indian athletes are serving suspension for dope violation — the highest number for any country in the world — and the total has been heading towards 100 in the last four years. As a double blow, one of the most outstanding junior shot-putters in recent times, Saurabh Vij who has been banned for two years, faces a longer ban for a second offence.
Of course, it is for the National Anti Doping Agency to crack down on offending athletes, even as the Athletics Federation of India is busy at the moment, trying to convince the Jharkhand government to host the Asian championship after Chennai withdrew owing to the Sri Lankan issue.
Only walkers K.T. Irfan and Gurmeet Singh have booked their berths for the World championship in the 20km event by reaching the ‘A’ standard. Irfan, who had placed a creditable tenth in London with a national record 1:20:21, has returned a time of 1:20:59 this season.
While Tintu Luka has opted to compete in the international circuit in pursuit of the qualification mark and improve her overall standard, many will attempt to reach at least the ‘B’ standard in the domestic circuit. The suspended star athletes in the women’s 400m will be back only by June-July, after they go through their final test before being reinstated.
Favoured venue
While, it may actually be a joke that events scheduled elsewhere — like in Panchkula this time — keep getting hijacked to Patiala, robbing the athletes of the challenge of having to perform away from their comfort zone, there can be no place in the country to match the serene setting of the sprawling NIS Complex.
Efforts were on to spruce up the place on Saturday, and the athletes warming up for the event were busy picking up the odd stone from the track and throwing it aside.
Grass was being cut, and the pits levelled, as warmth and bright sunshine bathed the place in the evening.
Except for the cloth banners being readied at one corner of the arena, nobody could guess that a national meet is only a day away, as it all looked like a regular training session, with the coaches monitoring their wards in small groups.
Typically, information was hard to get as there was no trace of the start lists for the meet, scheduled to kick start with the women’s 100m at 4 p.m.
The events: Men: 100m, 400m, 800m, 5,000m, 400m hurdles, long jump, shot put and javelin.
Women: 100m, 400m, 800m, 5,000m and triple jump.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/athletics/indian-grand-prixs-first-leg-to-be-held-today/article4565051.ece
No ‘arresting’ this trend?
In most cases, police detain suspects in violation of rules
Any police officer arresting a person should bear accurate, visible and clear identification and name tags with his designations is the first guideline of the Supreme Court of India enunciated with regard to arrest procedure.
Ironically, that is the most breached guideline if the spree of detentions made by different police agencies in the State capital following the twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar is any indication. In almost all cases, policemen in plainclothes without identifying themselves picked up suspects. In some cases, they barged into houses while in others they intercepted individuals on the roadside and whisked them away. “Forget about accurate, visible and clear identification and name tags, the persons who took away these youngsters didn’t even mention that they are policemen leaving their respective family members in mental trauma,” says Lateef Khan of Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee-India.
Syed Adnan, a degree student, stepped out of his house at Ameen Colony in Saidabad when some persons took him away in February last week. After running from pillar to post for next two days, his father Syed Haji, a retired government employee, had to address a press conference seeking the government’s intervention to trace his son.
He had approached the Malakpet police and several other police officials, but no one could give any specific information why police had taken away his son. Adnan was set free while his family members prepared to file a habeas corpus petition in High Court.
Not just terror-related cases, the apex court guidelines are observed more in breach even in cases of theft. Five of a family were picked up by the police from Yousufain Colony in Chandrayanagutta three days ago. The policemen drove in a Red Tavera and took away the five youngsters stating that they were from nearby Santoshnagar police station.
The tensed up relatives rushed to that station only to realise that the information was wrong. Several hours later, the KPHB police of Cyberabad told media persons that they had detained the five persons on suspicion of involvement in a theft case.
The guidelines say the arrested person must be made aware of his right to have someone informed of his arrest or detention as he is put under arrest or detained. “In no case this is followed,” Mr. Khan observes stating that violation of the guidelines should be treated as contempt of Supreme Court direction and action should be initiated against erring policemen.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/no-arresting-this-trend/article4565037.ece
A recycled recipe
From Himmatwala
If you were expecting a smart remake of the hit that spurred a trend of tacky entertainers, you will feel cheated as director Sajid Khan seems to have got carried away by his reverence for K. Raghavendra Rao’s Himmatwala. He neither looks at the 1983 melodrama from the prism of 2013 nor does he try to improve upon the tawdriness we associate with the era.
It is not a spoof on the era either. Apart from a couple of sharp remarks on the genre, you can’t laugh at the scenario for Sajid seems serious about the regressive elements of the times when the films preached that a girl goes to her in-laws’ place in a palanquin and comes out on a stretcher or for that matter reinforced the belief that the mother or sister is the hero’s weakness that the villain loves to exploit.
When the sister is about to be raped after the staple chase sequence leading to a dead end, the hero turns up. Sajid follows the drill like a devout disciple rather than an inspired student out to reinvent the genre. All that talk of reviving the mother-son relationship proves to be hollow claims made by a director who has begun to take his audience for granted.
Talking of entry, the film does make an impact when Ajay Devgn turns up in an ‘in and as’ mood, but soon the title becomes a pain for, every 15 minutes we are reminded that we are watching Himmatwala on screen.
To Sajid’s credit, he does cut out a couple of incoherent subplots (Arun Govil and Shoma Anand’s characters are out and Asrani gets another role) and has brought in a tiger as the friend in need, but he does it with the flourish of an ironsmith, hammering his way to seek attention.
The changes his team of writers (Sajid and Farhad) has made are superficial. Like the profession of the protagonist has been changed to suit Devgn and a couple of item numbers have been added to keep the audience awake. They show so much deference to Kader Khan, who wrote the dialogues of the original that they have almost copied his ‘geographical’ humour wherein he used names of cities to express his witticisms. In times when Himmatwala is repeated twice a month on movie channels and YouTube is full of scenes from the film, it makes little sense to facsimile the farce.
A street fighter, Ravi returns to his village to support his sobbing mother (Zarina Wahab sheds as much glycerine as Waheeda Rehman did) and sister to seek revenge as his father (Anil Dhawan replaces Satyendra Kappu) was discredited by the megalomaniac sarpanch (Mahesh Manjrekar gets into Amjad Khan’s shoes) and his cronies (Paresh Rawal does justice to Kader Khan’s character, but Adhyayan Suman fails to match Shakti Kapoor’s expertise in playing a lecher).
The film is set in 1983, but one wonders when the original was set. For the feudal system and the lack of a law enforcing agency are not only ridiculous but also annoying and Sajid does little to improve the setting.
The stunts are lame. Devgn’s flair with action helps digest some of the punches but when it comes to reviving ‘Naino Mein Sapna’, Devgn’s deficiency with PT steps shows up as Sajid fails to recreate the grandeur that Rao managed on the beach with the song which continues to be a potter’s delight.
Paresh Rawal succeeds in bringing alive the hammy ways of Kader Khan. He has masterfully copied Khan’s style of speaking to the viewer in the middle of a scene and with Manjrekar resuscitates some of the crass situations.
The original was not a great piece of cinema, but the rural story was spiced up by the ravishing presence of Sridevi as the snooty girl who hates the poor. As the upmarket shrew was tamed by the hero, many got their money’s worth. Here Tamannah Bhatia proves to be an insipid replacement, both in terms of decorative as well as snob value.
Emboldened by our affinity towards mindless entertainers, Sajid has shown guts to offer us a recycled recipe. Do we have the courage to reject it?
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/a-recycled-recipe/article4564374.ece
Action fails to attract
G. I. Joe: Retaliation
Coming from the writers of Zombieland, one would have expected G.I. Joe: Retaliation to be filled with smart lines and sardonic wit. Or maybe not, considering the sequel to 2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, like the Transformer movies, is based on a toy. So there is wall to wall action, adrenalin and testosterone, hunks galore, enough weaponry to blow up the world many times over and also a kind of strip tease slyly thrown in.
In Olympus has Fallen, the President of the United States is in all kinds of trouble. In Retaliation, the President is an impostor and has some bizarre ways of bringing about nuclear disarmament. At some important summit meeting, there is the Indian head of state looking spiffy in an achkan barking orders in Hindi — how cool is that?
The movie seems Hasbro’s answer to The Expendables so there is Bruce Willis looking very cool as General Joseph Colton, who apparently set up the G.I. Joes. Dwayne Johnson looks more like a mountain than Rock as tough soldier Flint. There is Jonathan Pryce having the most fun as the President of the United States. Channing Tatum reprises his role as Duke from the earlier film. Adrianne Palicki is Lady Jaye, the only woman on the team; she wiggles her eyebrows prettily to show how tough she is.
Arnold Vosloo appears briefly as shape-shifting Zartan, but looks like he had more fun as the Mummy with the lovely Rachel Weisz for company. The film is in 3D and the action while being hectic is not particularly inventive and gets tiresome rather quickly.
The entire film is tiresome and practically the only reason to sit in a theatre could be the AC to escape the hideous heat.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/action-fails-to-attract/article4564373.ece
ShotCuts
Producer Jules Gladys
Maan Vettai
Rajinikanth with team Kochadaiyaan
Soodhu Kavvum
Ratesh Mano in Vettri
Ghost guard
Director Thirumalai, who has made films such as Thee Nagar, Agam Puram and Kasedhaan Kadavulada, is back with Maan Vettai, a supernatural thriller. The film is about a couple who, after being killed, turn into ghosts and kill those who venture into the forests. “The film talks, in a light-hearted way, about how human beings disturb the ecosystem,” says Thirumalai. How difficult was it to shoot in the forests? “Tough. We worked for more than 20 hours for 12 days to wrap up the film in one schedule. We used three camera units simultaneously,” he says. Maan Vettai is produced by G. Krishnakumar and G. Kamala Kannan. Srikanth Deva has scored the music while Vijay Valsan has handled the camera. Sharan (Kasedhaan Kadavulada), and Shivani play the lead.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/shotcuts/article4564349.ece
Murder of the queen
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/murder-of-the-queen/article4563990.ece
Friday, March 29, 2013
Puns intended
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/puns-intended/article4563844.ece
Serious mistake
This is with reference to the editorial “Establish the truth,” (March 29). The framing of Liaquat Ali Shah as a dangerous terrorist failed only because of the conflicting claims between the Delhi police and the Kashmir police. Unfortunately, most sections of the media described him as a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen cadre planning a 26/11-type attack on Delhi. This serious mistake happened because of the media’s excessive dependence on police agencies as an unquestionable and credible news source. Very often, journalists act as stenographers of police agencies by replicating their version of a news story. They should learn to be more sceptical.
Ahammed Junaid,
Hyderabad
The editorial rightly calls for establishing the truth, which should be done without the “breaking news” drama. The terrorist tag attached to a person erodes his or her credibility. Society treats such a person with suspicion.
Terrorists who wish to surrender should be given proper counselling. The government should control cross-border terrorism to put an end to the brainwashing of the innocent. Every effort should be made to delink religion from politics.
S.A. Srinivasa Sarma,
Hyderabad
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/serious-mistake/article4562365.ece
Leave him alone
The Sanjay Dutt saga appears to have reached the climax with the actor set to surrender as per the Supreme Court verdict in the 1993 Bombay blasts case. The reel-life khalnayak’s underworld connections have come to haunt him once again with the apex court deciding not to take a lenient view of his criminal aberrations. It is a fairly open-and-shut case.
But considering Sanjay Dutt’s celebrity status, his prison term will continue to hog the limelight. Press Council of India Chairman Justice Markandey Katju has already sounded the bugle appealing to the President to pardon the Bollywood star. With many from the film fraternity and the political class joining the chorus, it appears that fame and recognition decide the fate of a wrongdoer even after his conviction is upheld by the highest court of the land.
Pachu Menon,
Margao
The Sanjay Dutt issue has taken a new turn with the actor clearly saying he has not applied for pardon. Justice Katju should drop his plan to appeal on behalf of Sanjay and Zaibunnisa to the President. The media too should leave Sanjay Dutt alone as he is in depression and needs to fulfil his commitments in a short time. It requires great courage to face the camera with such a heavy heart. Our sympathies are with Sanjay Dutt. But one is bound by the law.
J.P. Reddy,
Nalgonda
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/leave-him-alone/article4562559.ece
Myopic
The editorial “Motion and emotion” (March 29) has rightly pointed to the grave consequences the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly — calling for a referendum on Eelam and economic sanctions against Sri Lanka — can have. The politicians of the State are bent on scoring brownie points. They have no right to call for the break-up of a sovereign country to right the wrongs committed during a war. Whipping up passion and frenzy is myopic in the least.
Anilkumar Kurup,
Manama
Surely, the Tamil Nadu government could not have been unaware of the implications of passing such a resolution, which amounts to an interference in the internal affairs of a country. It was perhaps passed to keep the opposition parties and other Tamil outfits under check. Given the protests, political outbursts, and elaborate media coverage on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue in the last couple of months, nothing short of the resolution would have helped. Even students, farmers and unemployed youth have been dragged into the issue, paralysing their day-to-day activities.
S. Parthasarathy,
Chennai
For more than a month, students across Tamil Nadu have indulged in road and rail blockades in the name of championing the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils. Vested interests are out to exploit gullible students.
It is surprising to note that the Sri Lankan Tamils living in regions other than the north and east have hardly raised their voice against President Mahinda Rajapaksa. They are closer to the Tamils in northern Sri Lanka and should be more concerned about their plight. I think we are wasting our energy and time in untimely pursuits.
V.K.R .Raghavan,
Udumalpet
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/myopic/article4562556.ece
This March, watch these
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/this-march-watch-these/article4561931.ece
Now, Trinamool talks polls
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/now-trinamool-talks-polls/article4561992.ece
Hemisphere, Bullseye please
Hemisphere, Bullseye and Wasabi showed out when the horses were exercised here on Friday morning.
Inner sand:
800m: Snow Blaze (Pradeep), Infalliable (Sandeep Jadhav) 50, 600/37.5.Former finished five lengths ahead. Dynamo (Zervan), Ace Connections (Kharadi) 51, 600/38. They moved level freely.
1000m: Castletroy (Parmar), Administrate (S.S.Rathore) 1-9, 600/41.They finished level freely. Badshah (Pasha), Knight Of Ke (Kharadi)1-11, 600/41. They were easy. Wasabi (Sandesh), Matrioshka (Shelar)1-4.5, 600/38.5. Former started two lengths behind and finished level.
1200m: Sindbaad (Parmar) 1-26, 600/43. Easy. Bullseye (Kharadi), Hemisphere (Zervan) 1-20, 1000/1-5, 800/51, 600/38. They moved well and finished level. Perfect Strength (Roushan), Arzaan (Parmar) 1-22,1000/1-7, 600/41. They were urged and ended level. Lazor Razor (N.Bhujbal) 1-23, 600/41. Urged. Casino Jack (C.Rajendra) 1-26,600/42. Easy.
Outer sand:
800m: Hawaiian Princess (Sandesh) 54, 600/40.5. Moved freely.
1200m: Rule Forever (Sandesh) 1-23, 800/54, 600/40. Moved well.
Gate practice noted on the inner sand:
1000m: Aromatica (Pradeep), Hyde Park (Sandeep Jadhav) 1-6.5, 600/39. Former finished four lengths ahead. Deep Diver (S.N.Chavan), Kohima Girl (app) 1-6, 600/39. Former ended five lengths in front. Mykonos (Altaf Sayyed) 1-6.5, 600/39.5. Pressed. Oriental Rocky (rb), Yodha Shakti (rb) 1-9, 600/40.5. They were pushed and former finished two lengths ahead. Traffic Jam (Mosin), Flash Drive (Abhishek) 1-11,800/55, 600/40. They moved level freely.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/races/hemisphere-bullseye-please/article4561794.ece
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Sports in pictures
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/sports-in-pictures/article4561405.ece
News in pictures
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/news-in-pictures/article4561404.ece
Day in pictures
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/day-in-pictures/article4561336.ece
29th March 2013
V SESHADRI (66) Retd.Jr. Asst.C Abdul Hakem College,Melvisharam expired yesterday at 11.45 AM at Vellore, Cremation at Tirupathi today, mourned by family members M-09345142013
More In: Obituary
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/obituary/29th-march-2013/article4561378.ece
Cong hits back at Mulayam
The Congress on Thursday hit back at SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for accusing it of being “cheat and clever” as it reminded him that he had shared the dais with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the UPA’s report was released last year.
It asked Mr. Yadav, whose party is supporting government from outside, to decide whether he was with secular or communal forces as it questioned his praise for BJP veteran L K Advani.
“We do not want to comment on the remarks of Mulayam Singh Yadav. He, himself, can explain it best. But only a few months back, Mr Yadav shared the dais with the Prime Minister when the UPA’s report card on its three-year performance was released (last May).
“Now all of a sudden, he is criticising Congress and its leadership and appreciating L K Advani and the NDA, whereas the fact is Mr. Advani and other BJP leaders had a role in the demolition of Babri Masjid and the communal riots at Ahmedabad and Godhra that took place during NDA rule,” party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.
He was responding to Mr. Yadav’s comment in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, that Congress was “cheat and clever” and took people for a ride.
Union Minister Manish Tewari also targeted the chief of Samajwadi Party, whose 22 MPs in Lok Sabha are crucial for government.
“As far as Mulayam Singh Yadav is concerned, we respect all our allies. He also knows in his mind that the basic polarisation in this country is communal versus secular forces. He will also have to decide which side he is on,” Mr Tewari told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
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Mulayam keeps Congress on tenterhooks
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Will the government opt for early general elections?
After DMK, Samajwadi Party turns the heat on UPA
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cong-hits-back-at-mulayam/article4558839.ece
Dreaming BIG
The Hindu Ajay Kumar a.k.a. Guinness Pakru
Ajay Kumar a.k.a. Guinness Pakru says that he hopes to make genuine films. His directorial debut, Kutteem Kolum, releases tomorrow
His height or the lack of it has not deterred Ajay Kumar, better known as Guinness Pakru, from making a mark of his own in films. He surprised everyone by doing the central character in Vinayan’s Albhuthadweepu and his directorial debut titled Kutteem Kolum releases tomorrow (March 30).
Pakru, well-known for his comedy skits and his roles in films like Joker, Meesa Madhavan, Kunjikkoonan, Athisayan, Bodyguard and My Big Father, have been impressive. Kutteem Kolum, produced under the banner of United Films, has cinematography by Vinod Bharathi and music by Shaan Rahman. In an exclusive interview, Pakru talks about Kutteem Kolum and more. Excerpts:
What is Kutteem Kolum all about?
It is an comedy action thriller, which will entertain viewers of all ages. The story happens in a village called Kumarapuram, located near Palakkad and talks about friendship. My character, named Ezhimala Vinayakan, and Sakthivel (Tamil actor Aditya) are friends and we have been nicknamed ‘Kutteem Kolum’, after a popular game played with two sticks of different lengths. The name is a reference to the difference physiques of the two characters. Since most of the recent Malayalam films had English titles, I decided to go for one with a Malayali flavour. Sanusha, Menaka, Munna, Nirmal and Saiju Kurup are also part of the cast.
What prompted you to take up direction?
I always wanted to direct films and was actively involved in the making of most of my films, closely observing the styles of various directors. I have written and directed plays and skits, right from my younger days. When I narrated this storyline to director Vinayan, he encouraged me to direct the film myself. Actor Tini Tom has also supported me in realising my dream.
How tough was acting and directing at the same time?
It took some time for me to get comfortable but the cast and crew of the film gave me their wholehearted support. There may be limitations in the kind of characters that come to me but such constraints are not there when I become a filmmaker.
Among the various characters that you have played, which one is your favourite?
I believe that the character in Kutteem Kolum could be my best till date. It is a complex character and since I am directing the film myself, the nuances could be conveyed even more effectively.
My character is wealthy and believes that he has got everything in life. He is brash and unpredictable. That is all I can reveal right now.
How does it feel being described as the ‘shortest director’ in the business?
It may be highlighted for marketing purposes but such a record is not my aim. If I was so keen about it, I could have made a film many years ago. I am not concerned about records but I dream of making genuine films. My height has not forced me to compromise in the making of the film in any way.
Though you are mainly known for your comic roles, you are really serious off the camera…
(Smiles) Maybe its due to the responsibilities such as taking care of my family, which I have been doing right from a really young age.
Your Which are your future projects?
I have played a character in Lal Jose’s Emmanuel, which will be released soon.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/dreaming-big/article4558034.ece
Debashis Mitra quits Mercedes Benz India
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/debashis-mitra-quits-mercedes-benz-india/article4558764.ece
Precious Forever triumphs
Mr. Rm. Lakshmanan's Precious Forever (M. Venkatesh up) won the Glorious Plate, the feature event of the races held here on Thursday (March 28). The winner is trained by B. Suresh.
1. GRIFFIN CUP (1,000m), 3-y-o: Quality Special (C.Umesh) 1, She’s No Angel (S.Akbar) 2, Almost Illegal (Chowgule) 3, Sandheads (S.Manohar) 4. 2-1/2, 3/4 and 1-1/2. 1m 4.03s. Owners: Mrs. Baby Badrunisa,M/s A.M.Subani, V.Ramakrishnan and Vikram Asrani. Trainer: Rahmathulla
2. URBAN AREA PLATE Div. I (1,000m), 3-y-o (Terms): Transonic (S.Kabdhar) 1, Bounty Star (M.P.Prem) 2, Tradition Style (N.Rupa) 3, Flash Of Genius (Casey) 4. 1, 1-1/4 and nk. 1m 3.52s. Owner: Mr M.A.M.Ramaswamy. Trainer: R.Foley
3. URBAN AREA PLATE Div. II (1,000m), 3-y-o (Terms): Arctic Command (Rajendra Singh) 1, Charisma (S.Kabdhar) 2, Excalibur (Ross) 3, Together Forever (M.Venkatesh) 4. 1-3/4, 1-1/4 and 4-1/2. 1m 3.86s. Owner: Mr M.A.M.R.Muthiah. Trainer: R.Foley
4. GLORIOUS PLATE (1,000m), rated 100 and above: Precious Forever (M.Venkatesh) 1, Red Apache (N.Rupa) 2, Mustang Royal (Ross) 3, Emperor’s Crown (M.P.Prem) 4. 2-1/4, 2-1/2 and 1-1/2. 1m 3.25s. Owner: Mr Rm Lakshmanan. Trainer: B.Suresh
5. PEACE AREA PLATE (1,200m), rated 60 to 85, 8-y-o and upwards: Steal The Glory (M.P.Prem) 1, Golden Symbol (S.Kabdhar) 2, Best Of The Blues (Casey) 3, Champ Forever (M.Venkatesh) 4. Nk, 6 and 3/4. 1m 15.87s. Owner: Mr.M.A.M.R.Muthiah. Trainer: B.Suresh
6. FARM HOUSE PLATE (1,000m), 4-y-o (Terms): Flashing Grey (Ayaz Ahmed) 1, Precious Princess (Sham Kumar) 2, Blushing Romeo (M.Lakshmanan) 3, Royal Conquest (C.A.Brisson) 4. 2-1/2, 2-3/4 and 2. 1m 5.36s. Owner: Mr.M.A.M.R.Muthiah. Trainer: B.Suresh
7. NATIONAL HIGHWAY PLATE (1,000m,), rated 40 to 65: Visionary (S.Kabdhar) 1, Fly For Sure (N. Rupa) 2, One More Chance (Ross) 3, Star Of Marmalade (Prem) 4. 1, 3-1/2 and 2-1/4. 1m 1.79s. Owner: Mr. M. A. M. R. Muthiah. Trainer: B. Suresh.
8. GUEST HOUSE PLATE (1,400m), rated 20 to 45: Star Craft (Rajendra Singh) 1, Sky Diver (Babul) 2, River Dragon (N. Rupa) 3, Vacheron (Casey) 4. 6, 2 and nk. 1m 29.42s. Owner: Mr. M. A. M. R. Muthiah. Trainer: R. Foley.
9. DHARMAPURI PLATE (2,000m), rated 00 to 25: Limited Edition (Anand Kumar) 1, Noble Intention (S. Manohar) 2, Silent Hunter (Mukesh Kumar) 3, Solar Mission (Zulquar Nain) 4. 3-3/4, 1 and 4-1/2. 2m 14.16s. Owner and trainer: Mr. J. Sebastian.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/races/precious-forever-triumphs/article4558247.ece
Isadoro impresses
Isadoro and Dynamo impressed when the horses were exercised here on Thursday morning.
Inner sand
600m: Impressive Dude (C.Rajendra), Vaile Rouge (rb) 41.5. Former ended four lengths in front.
800m: Alaindair (S.N.Chavan) 52, 600/38.5. Moved well. Augustus (T.Mahesh) 52, 600/38.5. Moved well. Yellowzone (Sandesh) 51, 600/39. Moved attractively. Equinox (Pradeep) 51.5, 600/39.5. Stretched. Summer Eclipse (T.Mahesh), Brown Dynamite (Roushan) 54, 600/39.5. They ended level. You’re The Boss (rb), Marengo (S.Kamble) 51, 600/37.5. Former finished three lengths ahead.
1,000m: Campeon (S.N.Chavan) 1-11, 800/57, 600/43. Easy. Hemisphere (Zervan), Bullseye (Kharadi) 1-10, 600/40.5. They ended level. Osric (T.S.Jodha), Festival Night (rb) 1-6, 600/38.5. Former finished five lengths ahead. Light My Way (Pardeshi) 1-7, 600/39. Urged. Paris (Merchant), Shiza (Rupesh) 1-7, 800/52, 600/39. Former finished six lengths ahead. Vincero (Prasad) 1-7, 800/52, 600/40. Pushed. Sharaarat (Pradeep), Emperor Of France (Sandesh) 1-5.5, 800/52, 600/38.5. Former started two lengths behind and finished level. Manyatta (D.K.Ashish), Enlightenment (Pasha) 1-4.5, 800/50.5, 600/37.5. Former finished five lengths ahead. Umarkot (rb), Ghazal King (Mosin) 1-6, 800/51.5, 600/39. They moved level freely.
1,200m: Beforememoryfades (Neeraj), Edith Piaf (rb) 1-20, 1,000/1-5, 800/51.5, 600/38. Former strode out well and finished a distance ahead. Sugar Loaf (Parmar) 1-21, 800/54.5, 600/41. Moved well.
1,400m: Noble Reward (Hamir), Morals (C.Rajendra) 1-35, 1,200/1-21, 800/53, 600/40. Former was easy while the latter was urged to end level. Dynamo (Zervan), Acclaimed (Kharadi) 1-33, 1,200/1-18.5, 1,000/1-5, 800/51, 600/38. Former moved well and finished two lengths ahead. Providence (T.S.Jodha), Other Song (Agarwal) 1-40, 800/53.5, 600/40.5. Former was two lengths better.
1,600m: Native Knight (rb) 1-56, 600/43. Easy.
Outer sand
600m: Papillon (C.Rajendra) 37. Pressed.
800m: Isadoro (T.S.Jodha) 48.5, 600/36. Moved attractively. Betlehem (C.Rajendra) 53, 600/38. Moved freely.
1,200m: Ranthambore (rb) 1-18, 800/51, 600/38. Moved well.
1,400m: Starfire Lady (rb), First And Only One (rb) 1-38, 1,000/1-8, 600/41. Both moved level freely.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/races/isadoro-impresses/article4557707.ece
The gift of a special child
Together for special children: Deepa Mohanraj, who began Sri Prashanthi Academy with Annapoorna Jayaram, is backed by the team of special educators and therapists. Annapoorna was away in the U.S. at the time of this photo shoot Photo: M. Periasamy
Together for special children: Deepa Mohanraj, who began Sri Prashanthi Academy with Annapoorna Jayaram, is backed by the team of special educators and therapists. Annapoorna was away in the U.S. at the time of this photo shoot Photo: M. Periasamy
Together for special children: Deepa Mohanraj, who began Sri Prashanthi Academy with Annapoorna Jayaram (in picture), is backed by the team of special educators and therapists.
TOPICS
health
psychiatry and counselling
health organisations
NGOs (healthcare)
illness
mental illness
Deepa Mohanraj and Annapoorna Jayaram began the Sri Prashanthi Academy to help special children find their place in the world
In the winter of 2002, a beautiful girl named Richee was born to Deepa Mohanraj. Over time though, Deepa’s motherly instincts told her something wasn’t right with Richee. She was later diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a condition that prevented her brain from growing. For three months, Deepa experienced suicidal depression. But life turned around the day Richee lay on the operation table. While family cried outside, Deepa was moved to thank God that there was hope for her child. Back home, as Richee slept recovering from surgery, Deepa felt her say, “I have come into your life so that you will know true happiness.” Through Sri Prashanthi Academy (SPA) — Deepa and her partner Annapoorna Jayaram’s school for over 90 intellectually challenged children — that prophecy has come true.
In early 2005, Annapoorna moved into Coimbatore with her 20-year-old daughter Archana, who has Down’s Syndrome. With degrees and diplomas in special education, and seven years of experience running a special school in Kuwait, Annapoorna hoped to begin one in Coimbatore.
On January 26, 2006 Deepa met Annapoorna, found a kindred soul, and together, they began SPA in June with their daughters, an autistic boy, a helper and an occupational therapist. “Word soon spread, more children joined us and in September, we moved into my father-in-law’s house in NGGO Colony,” says Deepa
Right medium of communication
SPA grew according to the needs of the children admitted. “Intellectually challenged children can be mainstreamed if intervention is done early enough. There’s a misconception that if children cannot write or speak, they cannot grow intellectually. All you need is to find the right mode of communication for each child,” says Annapoorna who handles SPA’s curriculum.
Children between one and three, therefore, are trained through SPA’s early intervention program which focuses on pre-reading skills, basic writing, and activities of daily living such as toileting, clothing themselves and eating.
Many of SPA’s children are also non-verbal and so the curriculum is strongly visual. Classrooms, for instance, are covered with picture cards that indicate the day’s schedule and its lessons. Each class of 10 or 12 has one special educator who leads the class, with two assistants and a helper who aid each child individually. There are also occupational therapists, naturopathy doctors, physical education instructors and speech pathologists that work closely with the children to ease them out of their specific difficulties.
“When children join us, we assess their current abilities and group them with those who are similarly skilled and are around the same age group. If a 10-year-old boy with the capabilities of a three-year-old is grouped with the toddlers, his self-esteem will drop,” explains Annapoorna. Hence SPA has three academic classes, graded by age, that teach the equivalent of the CBSE Board’s Class I to III. Each class also has children with different intellectual challenges, for each child’s ability makes up for other’s weaknesses. For example, Krithika who has attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder jumps around the class singing and clapping her hands, but her infectious energy draws in autistic, and hence more introverted, Manav, who soon sings her song.
Vocational skills
While scholastic milestones are important, Annapoorna believes that for older children with late intervention the focus must be on functional academics. “An education that doesn’t make them independent is no education,” she says. Thus began the vocational and pre-vocational batches for those above 13 years.
Here students learn to shop, handle money, cook, bake, weave mats, thread garlands and garden. For lunch this afternoon there’s the yummiest tomato rice and chutney with onions from the school’s organic garden. “By this age, children are too old for occupational therapy to fix their fine and gross motor skills but such activities do it for them instead, besides providing them with possible livelihood options,” says Deepa.
Over the next few years, SPA hopes to equip students with production skills so that they can be self-employed, as well as tie up with companies that would employ them.
Parental acceptance
The biggest challenge to special education however, is not the child’s difficulties but parental acceptance says Deepa, for if the parent gives in and gives up, the child will too. “I had to stop blaming myself and asking ‘why-me’ before I could look forward and believe that there is a positive future for Archana,” says Annapoorna. Parents with such faith have brought SPA through the last seven years. There is now a branch in Tirupur for 30 children, and they plan to start a bigger campus named Kaumaram Prashanthi Academy at Chinnavedampatti later this year.
Says Deepa, “Richee taught me how to live every moment of my life well. She took me from just ‘being’ into well-being. I want every parent of a special child to know just how blessed they can be and that they are chosen for a purpose.”
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/the-gift-of-a-special-child/article4557842.ece
Of Hans and a flight for a cause
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/of-hans-and-a-flight-for-a-cause/article4558056.ece
Energy of life
Human perspective Bond with nature
Five artists showcase their interpretations of nature, and it was rightly called Elements
Elements at Kynkyny showcasing the work of five artists John C.F, Kazi Nasir, Avijit Dutta, Ravi Shah and Madhuri Rao, curated by Lina Vincent Sunish, brings together and reinforces the role of the five elements in today’s context.
Each of these artists interprets the concept of the element and what it represents in his own way working though paintings, sculptures and sounds to create another landscape for the viewer to experience them.
C.F. John works with the element of water. In his series of paintings in oils and mixed media on silk fibres, he works with the human figure, of a woman and motifs from nature such as birds and trees, infusing in them the idea of stillness and the sense of transcendence, which are the qualities that he associates with water.
“Water is the best element to show stillness, it levels out everything to bring absolute stillness. Water is also something which is part of this time, at the same time is beyond time. It is primordial and I perceive it that way to experience that infinity.”
About the presence of human figures and nature motifs, he says, “everything is seen from the human perspective, from our perspective. How ever much we include nature in whatever we talk about and interpret, it still comes from our perspective and it is our reality.”
The birds are symbol of sacredness and hope and the persistence of life. “The bird lays eggs and builds a nest and finds space in the trees amidst hostile conditions. There is something that carries life forward that is beyond obstacle and beyond thought.”
Madhuri Rao highlights the element of wind in her soundscape, delegated a corner in the gallery space with criss-crossing blue floor lights to draw the visitor’s attention. The soundscape, titled “Ethereal Polyphony: simulated time travel for Mr.X”, draws attention to the elements through different sounds in nature.
“I simulated a zone where a traveller encounters sounds in everyday life as if from another zone. First, he encounters a forest with all its sounds, like the wind blowing. Then the traveller’s spaceship takes off and lands in the ocean with dolphins. Again the traveller moves through the continuum into another space through people and traffic,” explains Madhuri.
What she found interesting was the cause-effect phenomena in the elements which cannot really be understood unless they are applied against another surface, like the wind blowing against a hill. “In philosophy, it’s being in nothingness.”
Ravi Shah’s sculptures in wood and stone, largely of human figures, are spread around the space, standing like sentinels. Ravi points out that these sculptures are half-formed, appearing like ethereal tree-fairies or wood nymphs. These sculptures, he says, are infused with the energy of life because his figures are inspired by people he knows and therefore create a deeper connection.
“I love trees, I love growing trees and working with them.”
The exhibition also features works by Kazi Nasir and Avijit Dutta. “Elements” will be on view until April 13 at Kynkyny, 104 Embassy Square, above Ganjam Jewellers, 148, Infantry Road. For details, contact 40926202.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/art/energy-of-life/article4557906.ece
Chandy writes to PM on new Saudi law
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/chandy-writes-to-pm-on-new-saudi-law/article4558147.ece
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
'Need to get kids from smaller centres to take up sport'
Does India have a sporting culture vis-à-vis Australia, the United States and others? How much of excellence do we crave for? Do we get satisfied easily? This and a clutch of other topics were deliberated on at a panel discussion chaired by tennis legend Ramesh Krishnan and The Hindu’s sports editor Nirmal Shekar on the ‘Present Scenario of Sports in India’, at the IIT campus here on Wednesday.
Terming as “alarming” the sporting culture in India, Nirmal said the most significant reason was “we only watch sport but don’t take part, as against other nations where one plays, watches, experiences and enjoys.”
Pointing out that the “1.2 billion” figure [population] that is often quoted to deplore the state of sports in India as quite misleading, Ramesh said that one needs to look at the numbers that actually play sport. Citing his own example he said: “Sporting culture currently is just a part of the family. This needs to be changed. It’s highly urban based and we need to get players from smaller places to play. That’s the challenge.”
He also stressed on the need to look at the number of kids who drop out due to various reasons after being initiated into the sport early.
At this juncture, Nirmal said that it was time for a complete overhaul of the system of education to accommodate sport as part of the curriculum. “We need to put a system in place, the right team of experts, coaches, trainers and administrators and funding,” he said.
While both agreed that one sport being prioritised over others was true to a certain extent, they stopped short of blaming cricket for all the ills. “It’s not fair to compare (different sports),” Ramesh said. “It does occupy a big chunk, but not entirely.”
“Each sport needs to enlarge its space, and an athlete like Saina Nehwal has been able to contribute to that.” said Nirmal.
More In: Other Sports | Sport
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/need-to-get-kids-from-smaller-centres-to-take-up-sport/article4555345.ece
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