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JULY 28, 2012 HYDERABAD
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PAGE TWO SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
The dancing coffee
SILVER LINING
An exhibition titled Dancing Coffee by Koeli Mukherjee Ghose is being held at Truffles Cafe. The exhibition is on till August 4. Where: Truffles Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2355 0105
to offer a variety of paranthas in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian combinations. Where: Novotel Airport, Shamshabad When: Ongoing, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6625 0000
Kebab fest
An exhibition of constructivist wooden sculptures by senior sculptor and artist Aekka Yadagiri Rao are being displayed. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: 98499 6879
This fest is something that will surely appeal to the kebab lovers in town. Kangan at Westinn, Madhapur is hosting a Kebab fest. The fest is open only for dinner. Where: Kangan, Westinn Mindspace, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm-11pm (weekdays) 7pm-12pm (weekends) Contact: (040) 6767 6838
Play competition
Ice Age festival
Scaffold to infinity
SKITS- Keep it short, a 12 minute short play competition for college students, corporates, theatre groups will be held from August 3 to August 5. Where: Nift Campus, Madhapur When: August 3 to August 5 Contact: (040) 2311 4537
Celebrate the Ice Age Festival at McDonalds, to celebrate the latest Ice Age film Ice Age: Continental Drift. The happy meals for this occasion offer 8 exciting toys based on characters from the movie. Where: All McDonalds outlets
Festival of pasta TGIF is offering its new festival of pasta menu which includes a new selection of pastas. Where: TGIF, Banjara Hills, Rd No 2 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 4015 1925
Rainbow film festival A film festival showing various movies such as Milk, Prayers for Bobby, Stonewall Uprising and Boys don’t cry is being held on July 27 and 28. The movies aim to highlight issues pertaining to the LGBT community. Where: Annapurna International School of Film and Media,Banjara Hills, Rd No 2 When: July 27 and July 28, 5pm onwards
Theatre festival The seventh edition of the multi-lingual theatre festival — Abhinaya National Theatre Festival will be held from August 16 to August 19. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: August 16 onwards 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245
Soul cages A unique presentation of imagery and narrative told through Bharathanatyam will be presented on August 4. Where: Bhaskara Auditorium, Birla science centre, Adarsh Nagar When: August 4, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2324 1067
Thirst for theatre Eugene O’Neil’s play Thirst deals
CINEMAS
Smooth operators
With the change in weather, people can be seen spending time outdoors with friends and family. with two men and a woman who find themselves on a life-raft, with little hope of rescue after a shipwreck leaves them stranded. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 29, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329
Interactive workshops Oakridge International School launches Weekend Voyager. This is an exciting weekend activity for children. It includes workshops on a variety of topics such as film making, theater, photography, robotics. Where: Oakridge International School, Gachibowli and Bachupally When: Every Sunday,
9am-12pm Contact:1800 200 8171
Monsoon mania Ramoji Film City celebrates the onset of monsoon with eight weeks of fun-filled activities and entertainment with magic of cinema starting from July 1 to August 31. Monsoon Masti is an occasion for the entire family. Where:Ramoji Film City, Hayathnagar When: Ongoing, 9am onwards Contact: (040) 2341 2262
Parantha festival Haldi at Novotel Airport is hosting a parantha festival titled Parantha Overload. The parantha festival that will be on till August 15, promises
Tease Lounge at Vivanta by Taj presents Smooth Operators Night every Friday with DJ Mohit. Where: Tease Bar, Vivanta by Taj, Begumpet When: Every Friday, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 67252626
Sounds of harmony Jaywant Naidu, creator of the “Jaywant Guitar” will be performing at the DST auditorium on August 10. Where: DST Auditorium, Gachibowli When: August 10, 6pm onwards
Lift your spirits TGI Friday brings to India the tallest high spirits glass (22 inches) called Tall Boy. Three different cocktails are being offered. Where: TGIF, Banjara Hills, Rd No 2 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 4015 1925
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 44767777, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
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CITY SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Sharma felicitates members
Burglars decamp with loot
Footwear thief caught
urglars stole `1 lakh cash, 12 tolas of gold ornaments and cell phones from the house of one Bhikshapathy Yadav of Prashanth Nagar, under the Langer House police station limits. Yadav had gone to visit a sick relative who stays in Ziaguda on July 25 when burglars broke into his house. The police have registered a case.
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ity police commissioner Anurag Sharma distributed certificates on Friday to members of the Civil Defence organisation that works under the Hyderabad police. The certificate distribution ceremony was for the civil defence volunteers who had completed the basic training in the Civil Defence Course. Twenty volunteers were felicitated at the function.
thief Ahmed Ali was arrested on Friday when he was trying to steal footwear outside a mosque near Charminar Traffic police station. Ahmed Ali, 55, of Yakutpura had gone to the mosque for Friday prayers when he tried to steal the footwear, but was caught by locals. He was handed over to the Mirchowk police station. A case has been registered against him.
PIC FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY
VH’s silent push for party meet Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com
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Flight to Bangkok makes emergency landing RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA
rahul.r@postnoon.com
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Hyderabad to Bangkok flight was grounded after take-off early this morning. According to a press note released by airport authorities, flight number TG330 Hyderabad to Bangkok was grounded immediately after take off due to a technical snag. The incident occurred at 1:10am. However, according to highly placed sources within the airport, Postnoon received news
that the plane’s engine caught fire after takeoff. The flight captain’s valiant efforts to ground the plane saved the lives of the 300 odd passengers. Authorities
Rolls Royce Trent 700
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he Rolls Royce Trent 700 is a turbofan engine. It was designed to cater to the Airbus 330 twin jet model during the 1980’s. The Trent 700 first ran in Aug 1990. Rolls-Royce claim that the Trent 700 has the lowest life cycle fuel burn.
at the airport said that most of the passengers had been flown to Mumbai and Delhi by separate flights, some had received accommodation at a hotel in Shamshabad. Given the gravity of the incident, many frantic calls were made to ascertain the safety of passengers, following which the helpline numbers went out of service. People who called the Thai Airways office alleged that the officials claimed they had no knowledge of any such incident. The spokesperson of Thai Airlines at Shamshabad was unavailable for comment. All enquiries can be made at (040)66605022, (040)66605023.
ongress senior leader and Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao’s announcement to observe a Maun Vrat (vow of silence) on Sunday has created a new row in the ruling Congress, which is already trying to cope with its by-elections defeat. Rao, who is popularly known as VH in party circles, has said that he is holding this vrat demanding to hold a brainstorming session to reform and strengthen the party immediately. “The session is a must to find out the views and opinions of grass
root level workers. Without holding the session it is impossible to find out what the party workers are feeling about the party and what they want done to strengthen it,” Rao told Postnoon. He further said that he did not get any response from the CM about holding the brainstorming session despite writing a letter to him long ago. Rao vowed to continue his agitation till an assurance is given to him. However, MLAs supporting the CM dashed off a letter to AICC AP in-charge Gulam Nabi Azad to initiate disciplinary action against the senior leader.
Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao embarked on his Maun Vrat (vow of silence) on Saturday morning in a bid to hold a brainstorming session with the Congress party to strengthen it. N SHIVA KUMAR
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CITY SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Students left in the lurch Schools in the City fail to provide counsellors to help students deal with various issues. Top 5 problems that students face:
SUDESHNA KOKA
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sudeshna.k@postnoon.com
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ne out of every three suicides reported every 15 minutes in South India is between the age of 15 to 29, says the WHO. The south accounts for the largest number of suicides by young people in the world, according to The Lancet, a leading British medical journal. There may be several reasons why youth resort to suicide but the core reason is stress. “Youth today are not able to handle stress. They need a way to let go of this and talk it out,” said Sarah D, a youth counsellor This is the reason why most schools since the last two decades have counsellors. However, in Hyderabad, only one out of five schools have a qualified counsellor. “We don’t need a counsellor as such. Our teachers share a good bond with students and
this does the job. I agree that technically we should have one but we are managing with our class teachers,” said Sowmya, principal Daffodil Public School. Psychologists on the other hand believe that this is a dangerous practice and schools should not let an untrained per-
son handle the mental health of a child. “These teachers work on assumption and are multi-tasking so they cannot give their hundred per cent. Moreover, children do not open up with their own teachers about problems related to abuse. Also, there
CONSERVE OR PERISH
Concentration and memory Love and infatuation Anger Parental issues Peer pressure
are confidentiality issues. A teacher on campus who also is a counsellor has a high chance that she or he may disclose the details to another member on campus,” said Prerna Gupta, counsellor, Don Bosco High School. These untrained hands tend to give advice and not exactly help counsel the student. “A counsellor empowers clients to handle their problems in the future but teacher may fail to do so,” she adds. There are also other problems. Psychologists who join schools as a counsellor have been asked to take classes. Dr Diana Monteiro, director, the Hyderabad academy of psycholo-
gist said “I send psychologists from our institution for consultation in schools and out there they are asked to teach. This is a very wrong practice. I have also seen psychologist who get trained to counsel adults end up counselling children. One needs a higher degree of education to counsel children.” There is a serious dearth of counsellors in the City. On the other hand, school management who have counsellors are of an opinion that the students are more close to their class teacher “We have a counsellors who visits us but from my experience I have seen that students open up more to teachers,” said Sabrina Singh, principal, Kotwal School. Dr Monteiro says that lack of awareness is the cause. “Few schools which have a counsellor on board do not inform children. If they tell ‘go share your problem with an unknown person’, how will children do it? The management should give more time to us so that we can interact and form a bond with children.
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Nature includes man, not vice versa, and conservationists the world over have asked for the restricting of concrete buildings and to opt for eco-friendly structures. To commemorate World Nature Conservation Day, Hyderabad Zoo organised competitions in drawing, essay writing and a quiz. N SHIVA KUMAR
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NATION SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Shutdown mars life in J&K
PM visits Assam
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Life was adversely affected here and in other major towns of the valley Saturday following a shutdown called by the separatists to protest the killing of a youth by the army four days ago. Markets, public transport, other businesses, colleges and universities remained closed in Srinagar city following a protest shutdown called by Syed Ali Geelani.
ine days after ethnic clashes began in lower Assam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are visiting the violence-hit areas in the state on Saturday. The focus has now shifted to the massive humanitarian crisis at hand: 45 people are dead and almost four lakh homeless.
55% of fresh global leprosy cases in India PUNE: After declaring the country free of leprosy in 2005, the Central government is now grappling with fresh cases of the stigmatised disease that have surfaced in the country, accounting for a staggering 55.5 per cent of the new global infections. Of the 2,28,474 new leprosy cases detected in the world in 2010, the figure for India stood at 1,26,800, which accounts for an alarming 55.5 per cent, according to SD Gokhale, President, International Leprosy Union (ILU) (India). "If the Union and state governments do not take serious note of this fact (the figures quoted were confirmed by Union health ministry in a reply given in the Rajya Sabha on March 13, 2012) and initiate effective steps to eradicate leprosy, the problem would become more acute," he said.
To address the problems being faced by Leprosy Affected Patients (LAP), the ILU has decided to constitute "LAP's Human Rights Cell" to take their collective and individual grievances to the Human Rights Commission, Gokhale who is also associated with the movement for the protection of rights of the aged in India, said. The ILU which held a three day conference in the city this week, attended by activists working for LAPs in various states, has prepared a memorandum enlisting 14 demands to redress their grievances, Gokhale said. The demands pending with the Union and State governments include formulation of a comprehensive socio-economic rehabilitation policy for empowerment of LAPs, uniform pension and its enhancement to `2000 per month per LAP.
Indian dies in Nepal mishap
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t least 15 people, including an Indian, were killed when a jeep they were travelling in veered off some 100 metres down the road in western Nepal’s Palpa district early Saturday. Earlier reports had said that all those killed were Indians. However, the police later confirmed that the victims included 14 Nepalese and an Indian.
STEP UP!
Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) 13th Battalion personnel dance as they celebrate the 73rd CRPF foundation day at their camp in Amritsar on Friday.
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WORLD SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Holmes was seeing psychiatrist
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he suspected Batman massacre gunman was seeing a psychiatrist specializing in schizophrenia before the attack that killed 12 in Colorado, court documents showed Friday. The motion named Lynne Fenton for the first time as defense attorneys sought to gain access to a package James Holmes had mailed to her prior the July 20 mass shooting, which also wounded 58 people.
Milan recognises gay couples
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he northern Italian city of Milan will now recognise same-sex unions. After a debate of more than 11 hours, 29 city councillors backed a by-law recognising common law unions of unmarried, co-habitating couples. Some councillors who opposed the measure were conservative Catholics. The city council will “safeguard and support” civil unions in a range of areas including access to housing, health, and schooling.
Venezuela envoy to Nairobi found dead
DAMASCUS: The charge d’affaires at the Venezuelan Embassy in Kenya, Olga Fonseca, was found strangled to death Friday inside her Nairobi residence. Four servants have been taken to the police station in the Gigiri neighbourhood in connection with the case.
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A group of protesters shout slogans after they overturned a car near the local government office compound in the coastal city of Qidong, near Shanghai, in the eastern China province of Jiangsu on Saturday. The protest was against the alleged pollution from a paper factory, which has been shut AFP/ PETER PARKS down.
COSMETIC
Arms talk draws a blank US blamed for stalemate in UN negotiations for an arms deal UNITED NATIONS: UN negotiations to establish the first international treaty on the multibillion-dollar arms trade ended without a deal on Friday, with some diplomats blaming the United States for the deadlock. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was “disappointed” that member states failed to clinch an agreement after several years of preparatory work and four weeks of negotiations, calling it a “setback.” But he vowed “steadfast” commitment to obtaining a “robust” arms trade treaty, noting that countries had agreed to pursue negotiations.
A DISAPPOINTED BAN KI-MOON SAID THE
FAILURE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WAS A SETBACK. “There is already considerable common ground and states can build on the hard work that has been done during these negotiations,” he added. Some diplomats said Washington had refused to vote on the proposed text, saying it needed more time before the midnight deadline and was wor-
ried about a pushback from the US Congress. Russia and other countries followed suit. “It’s the fault of the United States that we failed,” a Western diplomat said, requesting anonymity to speak freely about the subject. “They derailed the process and we will have to wait for the US presidential elections” in November to get out of the impasse, the diplomat added. Conference chairman Ambassador Roberto Garcia Moritan of Argentina acknowledged that some countries had objected to the final treaty draft.
HEALTH
AFP
Hackers, Uncle ‘Army will lose Sam needs you steam soon’ LAS VEGAS: US spy master Keith Alexander
DAMASCUS: Bashar al-Assad’s military
on Thursday courted hackers at an infamous Def Con gathering rife with software tricksters wary of police and ferociously protective of privacy. National Security Agency (NSA) director Alexander was the latest, and perhaps the most controversial, federal official to attend the annual hacker conference in Las Vegas to recruit warriors for battles being fought on the Internet. “I am absolutely impressed with some of the stuff going on here,” Alexander said during a keynote presentation to a packed auditorium.
machine is on the brink of logistical meltdown and collapse, because it lacks petrol and food, and is having problems resupplying its soldiers, according to a Syrian general who has defected to the opposition. Much has been made of the Syrian military’s supposed superiority over the opposition, but General Mohammad Al-Zobi told the Guardian: “The benzine is nearly finished. They are running out of rockets. There is scarcely any bread or water for the soldiers.” Zobi defected two months ago alongside his air force colleague General Saed Shawamra.
AFP
INVERTOR
MJ’s mom gets custody of kids LOS ANGELES: Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson's mother will share custody of his children with his nephew, lawyers said Friday after a hectic week for the musical family.
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“What started as a small step in the travel bizz, in 2002, cumulated to venturing out into the diverse field of tours and travels due to prevailing market scenario, as I never opted for compromising on quality of service which I offer to my customers to keep them happy and satisfied.” Says Mr Hanumanth Rao, his motto, very aptly tells about his passion, ‘From Anywhere To Anywhere’. Almost 10 years in the field, today they do customized package tours for students, newly weds, groups of family or friends, industrial and corporate tours, working from 9am-9pm, 365 days an year. They offer their expertise in booking bus, train, domestic and international flight tickets. They also rent cabs and buses for tours with links to nearly 4000 hotels across India. “We function according to the needs and budget of the customers. Pilgrimage packages are also arranged as per the customer's choice.” Adds Mr Hanumanth Rao. His South Indian packaged tours to Tirupati and to Shirdi are quite famous and sell like hot cakes and are his evergreen packages. Which includes... n Tirupati: One Day - 36 hours; which includes, Transport in Multi-Axle-Volvo, Breakfast, Lunch, Darshan, it costs R 2550/- per head on weekdays and R 2750/- on weekends. n Shirdi: One Day - 36 hours; which includes, Transport in Multi-Axle-Volvo, Breakfast, AC fresh-up accommodation, visit to Shani Temple in Signapur, it costs R 2250/- per head, Mr Hanumanth Rao’s funda is very clear, “The more flour you put in the dough the better will be the bread.” He tries to accommodate every customer according to their budget and at the end of the day, the satisfied look on their face makes his day. As a parting shot, Mr Hanumanth Rao says, “Before you plan your journey do your own homework, then convey the same to us, then leave everything to us to plan accordingly for your convenience and comforts. For instant BUS AND FLIGHT bookings, online tickets, log on to www.maruthitours.com Or Contact: Maruthi Tours & Travels Ph:040-66322828,040-66332828, 09246182828,09246192828
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COMMENT SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Thanks, Postnoon
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Good article
propos LGBT film festival begins. Very beautifully written and I am glad to see Hyderabad starting towards improvement. Best wishes to Wajood, US Consulate, Smruthi and her partner. And a special thanks to Postnoon for extending support to this cause. Kandarp Via email
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propos Violators of women deserve no mercy. A good article that expresses anger against such violence. This is the kind of reaction needed not just from individuals but from the society as a whole. We don’t need Obama, but CHANGE definitely. V Saradha Via email
EDITORIALS Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033
The Doors set the bar
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n Going crazy on stage. The Doors really did set the bar for on-stage antics. Jim influenced my entire life. You can see a portrait of the Lizard King I created on his 40th death anniversary: http://dre-gstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/07/celebration-of-lizard-king-jim-morrison.html. Brandt Hardin Via email
EDITORIALS MITT ROMNEY reminds one of Bush As if he was not having enough at home, off went Mitt Romney to London and made a perfect fool of himself. A national daily in UK refers to Romney as “Mitt the twit” Romney. Apparently, he undertook his first foreign trip as presidential candidate so as to boost his foreign policy profile. The true reason could be that he was getting it left and right over Bain, he thought he could divert attention and get a breather by a little trip. He may also have thought he ought to tell Londoners a thing or two about conducting an event like the Olympics (he had played a key role in conducting the Winter Olympics in 2002 in Salt Lake City). So when asked about the London fete, he said “a few things were disconcerting”. And then he called Ed Miliband Mr Leader before the press. His posse swung into action, but the damage was done. Reminds one of someone who could not tell right from left. If it is he who is to take on Barack Obama, he need not worry much.
WHY WE LOVE ... Im Dong-hyun Im Dong-hyun sees only a red blur when he takes aim. But that seems more than enough for the South Korean who is legally blind to better his own individual best in archery and help his team do that same. The man who needs to be 10 times nearer than an ordinary man to see clearly bettered his 72-arrow mark of 696 by three points. Maybe you needn’t be perfect in every sense. There is something else which words fail to explain, especially in Im’s case. What reasons may have our heroes — both men and women — to list for their poor show at the same event at which a blind man beat them? Im‘s a beacon of hope and model for the whole world.
Eves will strike back Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR
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ecent news reports of molestation of women are nothing short of horror stories that singe into our souls leaving us wonder just what barbaric age we live in. The incident in Guwahati, where a mob molested a woman in full view of the media, is deeply disturbing. A few days later, on a train to Mysore, a girl was pushed out of the moving train for threatening her abusers that she would report them to the cops. In another news story tucked away in the inside pages of the newspaper, a college student from Hubli decided to stop going to college because she was fed up of her eve-teasers. They even beat up her brother and parents who came to her
rescue. She now studies at home and goes to college only to write exams. Just ask her and every woman in India will tell you of everyday stories that challenge her modesty. She has to keep fighting back to survive in this harsh male world, where public spaces are still perceived to be meant for men, and men only. I don’t have to think too hard to list the times when men made attempts to make me uncomfortable for being in a public place. In a shopping complex in Bangalore, I was done paying the phone bill and was heading to the stairs to get out of the building. In that narrow passageway, a teenage boy kept coming in my way, preventing me from going ahead. He tried to touch me. Then, suddenly he unzipped his pants. I screamed, and he ran away. A few years ago, I was in Pushkar, Rajasthan, to report on the annual camel fair. The number of tourists was so high that the crowds had to navigate
THERE’S A LOT OF PENTUP ANGER IN WOMEN CAUSED BY MEN. WHEN THAT EXPLODES, THEN GOD HELP THE MEN! its way very slowly through the fair. A group of boys walking behind me started passing comments. I couldn’t even walk faster. They tugged at my shirt and a couple of boys even fell on me and said sorry, pretending that someone pushed them from behind. I couldn’t do a thing till I got to a curve on the pathway, where I could get off the crowd and wait till they had gone away. I was once walking out of a swanky mall in Bangalore. I don’t usually wear t-shirts with text on them. This time, I was wearing a t-shirt with a cartoon that read: “Who cares?” The tone of the cartoon was that of being disinterested but an eve-teaser pounced on the opportunity and came close
to me and said: “I can care you”. In Mumbai, although my daily commute gave me the much-needed time to unwind and catch up on reading, I have sort of regretted the few times that I missed the ladies compartment and boarded the general one. The men were like they owned the train and I an intruder. The rule to do away with dark glass for vehicles may or may not be helping the cops solve crime better. But it makes women who drive home late at night after work or socializing, most uncomfortable. It strips us of the little privacy that the glass gives. At traffic signals, for example, now passerby can peer into the car and know that a single woman is in it. There are many men who stare away like it’s their right to do so. In public places, they behave like vultures waiting to pounce. This has led to a lot of pent-up anger in women. When that explodes, then God help the men!
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COMMENT SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Play your best game yet! Quirky-side-Up ARPITA BHAWAL
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he vicious grip of superstition over people, and the general indifference in society to the plight of its victims, is both infuriating and baffling. The XXX Olympic Games began yesterday in London. What fun! How I wished I was there to immerse in that unmatched spirit of celebration: World renowned athletes, elevated pulse rates, lofty dreams, unconquerable wills, and most importantly, a huge show of “games”! These “games” reinforce exactly how the whole world was meant to be right from the start – fun, festive, exciting and thrilling – and only sometimes, about winning. But somewhere, we lost our way. Why? Probably because most of us don’t know how to play! Would you believe it, I have never played games in my entire life? The closest I ever came to playing a sport was basketball in fifth grade. Then, much to my horror, when I was elected as the one of the captains’ for Teresa House in eleventh grade, in charge of Sports, I almost died. Sports, did they say? Why would anyone pick someone like me who was terrified of playing? Nobody ever guessed the panic
Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU
that struck my heart each day during ‘sports practice’ for the whole of those three dreadful months before Sports Day. But I loved watching other people run, jump, throw javelin (I once tried my hand at javelin and was surprised to find that I was good at it!). But, in truth, I hated playing, so I let all those little glimpses of ability disappear over time. There was nothing romantic about playing under the scorching sun, getting pushed around by better athletes, and trying to score in the Heats. It was just too depressing. My weak frame supported my decision. My parents also contributed generously. They perpetually coddled me, kept me out of the sun, wrote ‘excuse’ notes for the PT periods, wrapped me up like a Mummy during winters, and blamed the teacher when I fainted on the field one time during a regular drill. So, by 18, sports or games of all kinds got relegated to my past life. I was so relieved. But, as the years went by, I realized what a great crime my parents had committed. They had turned me into a sorryassed, non-player – someone who was terrified of losing. I didn’t know the meaning of the word “game”. To me it was equivalent to being “prey”! Then, God showed me Steffi Graf on TV. She played and won Wimbledon each time like as if she was strolling in the park. I had an epiphany - I would have loved to play Tennis like her! Of course,
it was too late at 24-something. So, instead, I got a job in advertising – replacing my sudden fascination for physical and mental fitness, training and discipline, and goals with draft beer and adtalk. What does this life-story have to do with “games”? EVERYTHING! If you have never learnt to play a sport or participated in “games”, you have actually never known the real thrill of pure sporting competition which gives the greatest high in life – even more than sex. If your miserable soul had ever had that singular experience of deepest humility then you could have turned any failure into divine insight. In short, the Olympic Creed (The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well) expresses what people like you and I could have gained through sport: A perspective on managing life’s biggest, and sometimes, most futile struggles. Just like the Olympic Games, Life really gives us all a chance to play our best game. It is a window to prove our will to excel, no matter how hard it is, or how lost and torn we are. At least now, in the spirit of a true Olympian, play your best game yet! The writer may be contacted at: http://arpitabhawal.wordpress.com
Global edits
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The New York Times (US)
Those ‘On the Job’ Who Go Unarmed
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John Hyland is the epitome of an urban cop, his Bronx accent biting as he names the precincts he’s worked — “the five-oh, the four-eight, all of them.” His street savvy undeniable after 28 years in uniform: “When you been there and done it, you kind of know the situation.” Except he was never a cop, only a New York City auxiliary policeman, one of the corps of more than 4,500 civilian volunteers who can be seen patrolling the streets any night of the year. They show a reassuring presence in N.Y.P.D. blue, fully equipped with precinct radios, incident notebooks, a baton on their belt and a seven-point-star badge. But no gun. Absolutely no gun. “That Florida shooting — very bad news,” said Mr. Hyland, ruing the behavior of George Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watchman who drew his pistol and claimed “stand your ground” self-defense in killing Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old. The case, which has consumed the nation, made Mr. Hyland count the blessings of not packing a
MR. HYLAND’S RECORD BEFORE HE RETIRED FROM THE AUXILIARY FORCE INCLUDED SAVING LIVES, LIKE THE DRIVER OF A FLAMING CAR, A VENTURE THAT WON HIM THE AWARD OF VALOR. gun in his rounds. Auxiliary Sergeant Hyland, whose day job was 33 years with the phone company, figured prominently in that policy after two auxiliary officers were fatally shot five years ago. A blue ribbon committee considered changes, and he was a member as the president of the Auxiliary Police Benevolent Association. “The people chat us up, thank us. We let them know we’re around, watch after them, roll by the synagogue during Passover,” said Mr. Hyland. “I recommended no guns — make it across the board, absolutely no guns for us,” Mr. Hyland said. “I mean, some guys might be good with them, some not good,” he explained, terse but proud enough about the city’s neighborhood.”
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BUSINESS SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Google seeks to close case
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oogle asked a US court Friday to put an end to a long-running lawsuit over its massive bookscanning project, saying the effort is "not a substitute" for books themselves. The US tech giant offered its defense by arguing that its Google Books project should be considered "fair use" under copyright law, and said the judge should rule in its favour.
Apple to invest in Twitter
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omputer and smartphone maker Apple has been discussing with social media company Twitter the possibility of making a significant investment in it, NYT reported late Friday. The newspaper said Apple was considering investing into Twitter hundreds of millions of dollars, which could increase Twitter's valuation from $8.4 billion to more than $10 billion.
Fb earnings fuel doubts
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acebook shares took a beating Friday after uninspiring earnings in the first results since the muchhyped public offering of the world's biggest social network. Facebook shares plunged 11.7 per cent to end at $23.70 and are down more than 35 per cent from the offering price in May of $38. The company reported a loss of $157 million in the second quarter.
Revolutionising education
They wanted to do their bit to improve education and that is when Raveendranath Kamath, Kedar Choudhary and Deependra Bhartari launched Next Education, an e-learning company. PRUDHVI RAJU K
prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
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ho wouldn’t want academics to be a much more simpler and interactive affair? Poring over books and burning the midnight oil while trying to understand complex concepts is hardly anybody’s fancy. It was with this in mind that Raveendranath Kamath, Kedar Choudhary, Deependra Bhartari, decided to make an effort to improve the quality of education and the efficacy with which it is imparted in the country. The trio, who were working with PartyGaming Plc in the UK, launched Next Education, one of the top elearning companies in India. The business idea took seed when Kamath, CFO and cofounder, was working with the UK company. “After doing my schooling at Govt High School Elamakkara in Kochi I went on to complete my BTech from IIT Kharagpur, following which I joined PartyGaming. But I always wanted to return to the country. That is when this idea took seed. The business became a reality thanks to financial backing by Anurag Dikshit,” he says. The company which started in 2007, took nearly two years to produce quality content (animation, 2D and 3D graphics) for Math and Science. “We’ve always believed that technology (e-learning) should help simpli-
fy delivery of education, not complicate it, which is what our product design focuses on. We have introduced a simple remote to access 95 per cent of the features, without the need of using a visual aid. Besides, we not only build the products, but also handle the sales and service,” explains Kamath. He says, “The content uses a neutral Indian voice over at a pace that any student can easily follow and understand. Everything from the colour schemes to the fonts were chosen after a careful evaluation of how it will appear in classrooms with a lot of ambient light. We understood from the start that teachers are hard pressed for time, so we built our products exactly they wanted to use it.” Although the company infused a whopping `250 crore in the business, it is trying to make the products affordable for both schools and students. “We charge about `5,000 per month per classroom. This includes hardware, software and services for a five year term. If there are a 100 students in a class sharing one digital classroom, the cost comes to about `50 per student,” reveals Kamath. The LearnNext (self learning DVDs) for both Math and Science is
Raveendranath Kamath, co-founder, Next Education
offered at `1,899 per year. When asked about providing the content to government schools, he says, “We are glad to do so at highly subsidised rates. But the process is protracted and so far we have not seen a lot of traction in this segment.”
The company even bagged the World Education Award 2012 for its product LearnNext after competing with 100 participating companies from across the globe recently. The revenues crossed `100 crore last fiscal. They now aim to almost double the revenues by expecting 40 per cent growth in new sales this year. “There is a layering effect on revenues due to the 5 year contracts,” says Kamath. Talking about future plans and margins, he says, “We want to establish about 10,000 schools as our loyal customers (we currently have 4,000 schools on board, apart from 20,000 students subscribing to our services) and be able to offer different products and solutions in various areas. We expect to make a nominal 15 to 20 per cent margin at a steady pace.” On the personal front, Kamath enjoys his free time with his two-year-old daughter.
“Spare time is a rare commodity these days. I also enjoy playing the flute and love gaming,” says, Kamath, whose biggest inspiration are his parents. “My father, a retired headmaster, has now lost his eyesight. But he has adapted and outwitted most other abled people. Even today at the age of 86, he remembers more dates than I do and tells me which road to take, and even computes the day of the week for any date,” he smiles. Food Homemade Appam (the sweet one with jaggery). Music Carnatic. That’s the second best stress buster for me (first is playing with my daughter). Movies I prefer serious ones. The Apu trilogy is perhaps the most moving one. Car Will change my Honda when someone launches a solar car. Objective Want to be a good human.
Products: TeachNext: Digital classroom solution for students LearnNext: Individual learning solutions for students NextLabs: For English, Science and Math, for hands-on learning NextERP: For automated school management
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MOTORING SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Volvo and the Indian roads
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H
K
nocking off GM as the largest car manufacturing company, Toyota took the number one spot as the largest carmaker in terms of global sales. The Japanese car manufacturer sold more cars and trucks than General Motors in the first half of the year, making it a tough race for GM. In 2009, GM filed for bankruptcy protection from the US government.
onda, Toyota and the likes – it’s time to rejoice. Even if they have been owned and used, these brands are synonymous with reliability, less probability of breakdowns, and the most preferred by the UK.Interestingly, Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes, the famous luxury car brands interestingly were voted the least reliable.
On patrol duty
Indira Atluri indira.a@postnoon.com
The crime diary in the city seems to have a lot to report. While most blame the police for their incompetence, we understand that they are limited by the vehicles they have. Let’s have a look at some cars which might just help the cops here win the speed chase
British love Japanese cars
Toyota gets no 1 spot
rom introducing the Tourer V40 to coming up with a new entry-level car, Volvo has ambitions for the Indian roads. Expected to be introduced within the next six months, Volvo aims to forfeit a share of 15 per cent in the country’s luxury car market. The vehicle is expected to be available in five petrol variants for a price of around `25 lakh each.
SPYKER C8 SPYDER
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uilt by Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, the motto of Spyker is Nulla tenaci invia est via which when translated means ‘For the tenacious no road is impassable’. And this is exactly the reason why the Spykers are used to bring down the bad boys in the Netherlands. With a car that is powered by an Audi 4.2L V8 and that can reach a maximum speed of 300 km per hour, there is hardly any escape route for those that mess with the law.
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PORSCHE 911 C ARRERA
ith the Germans, what else can you expect but the fastest and obviously, the best. The Porsche 911 Carrera is aerodynamic and can reach a speed of 60 mph in just around 5 seconds making it the top ‘verbrechenkampfer’ or crime fighter of Deutschland. Extensively modified by TechArt to suit the German Polizei, the car is fitted with a six cylinder engine and can reach a speed of up to 180 mph.
LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP560-4
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ith a car as spectacular as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 which was recently replaced by an older version, what else can you expect but some of the safest roads in Italy? The Gallardo has a 560 horsepower engine and can reach a speed of 200 mph that makes it an invincible car-god. What more, the technology inside allows for an automatic recognition of the number plate and a wireless transfer of the images to control rooms. Need there be more reasons to be on the good side of the law?
Y
HUMMER, DODGE M AGNUM, VIPER CORVETTE
ou got a messy situation, you get the best mess-busters to deal with it. Packed with more than ample testosterone and an endless supply of adrenaline, the Hummers, the Dodge Magnums — powered by HEMI V-8 engines and the menacing Viper Corvettes, cops in the USA hardly need to wait. And if you decide to tinker with the law in the United States, you might as well begin to love prison food. There is no escaping the enforcers of law here.
C APARO T1
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ith this car on the roads, it’s simply game over guys — oh, did we mention ‘even before it starts’? This ‘Rapid Response Vehicle’ reaches a staggering speed of 100 mph in just 5 seconds, and is perhaps the only F1 design car allowed on the roads of the common man in London. Carbon fibre body, six speed sequential box, and 355 mm steel discs that allow for quick braking, makes the Caparo T1 the top cop car to watch out for. Thankfully, you won’t see much of this on the British Roads, as it is solely dedicated to the M25 Motorway.
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TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK Run.com unners can look up their area to figure out their daily routine by options including scenery, difficulty and length among other factors.
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APP OF THE WEEK Anycut
MOBILE GAME REVIEW LONDON 2012
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et access to the 'deepest' gut of your system with this app on your Android phone. With this, switching 3G on and off, and enabling location services is simply put, super simple.
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ith the London Olympics beginning, this would be a good time to try the official game. The game is well-designed but difficult to begin with. That is not the only issue. You can represent 36 countries and India is not one of them — this may have something to do with our poor show so far.
Worth the wait
Do you love the gadgets you own? Sorry, all of them will be obsolete in a few months as companies churn out their latest devices towards the end of the year. Here are a few that you should keep an eye on. C ANON EOS-1D C
NT BALANARAYAN
balanarayan.nt@postnoon.com
WII U
Nintendo will be the first one to launch a next-generation console this year when they release Wii U. With Wii U, Nintendo is trying to get hardcore gamers interested in the console again, as it promises better graphics and a controller which is not entirely reliant on motionbased controls. The new controller has traditional dualanalogue sticks and buttons on the side of a touch-screen controller which will serve as a secondary screen. Gamers can also use this screen to control action and also to play the game in case the TV is being used for something else. In short, you don’t need to fight for control of the TV. They have also demoed an alternative gamepad that looks similar to the Xbox 360 controller. The biggest worry, however, is the pricing, with rumours that the touchscreen controller will cost around $100. To make things worse, Nintendo hasn’t announced if the touchscreen controller will bundle with the game or not. Release date: November
Shooting in 1080p will be a thing of the past by the end of this year as more 4k cameras launch in the market. Cameras with 4k resolution will shoot videos at 4096 x 3072, four times more than the current HD resolution. The pricing of these cameras are however unaffordable for the common man, with Canon’s upcoming EOS-1D C priced at an exorbitant $15,000! Though it might be a lot now, the prices are expected to drop to levels that will be affordable for the common man by early 2014. If you’re an early adopter and work on videos, this is a camera you shouldn’t miss. The high resolution means that it can
be used to shoot full-fledged movies which can be shown even in the biggest of screens. YouTube already supports this resolution, provided you have a computer that can output such a high-resolution video without screeching to a halt. Canon will be competing against the US-based Red Digital Cinema’s RED One and Scarlet X cameras, which already shoot at 4K and even 5K resolutions. RED has been the leader when it comes to digital video recording in the industry and Canon seems to be the only company that stands a chance of rivalling them as of now. Release date: Late 2012
GOOGLE GLASSES - EXPLORER EDITION
Google has been taking more risks in the past year than they did in the last decade. Following the success of Nexus line of phones, Google released Nexus 7 tablet, which has been declared a hit, with stocks running out in days. Their most innovative project is Google Glasses, which aims to bring wearable computing out of science fiction. Glasses is a small heads-up display which can be fixed to regular glasses and will provide real-time information. You can interact with the elements on the small screen by looking at the items or with voice. At recent Google I/O, Sergey Brin wooed the audience by letting a group of sky-divers wear Glasses as they jumped down to the venue. A few other companies such as Sony announced their plans to work on wearable computing. A prototype version of the device can be pre-ordered and will be available in early 2013.
MICROSOFT SURFACE Microsoft’s foray into the tablet market will be a hit going by the initial coverage they received. Rumours that the tablet will be priced at $1,000 have dampened the spirit of even hardcore Microsoft fanbois. The tablet will launch at the same time as Windows 8 OS and will be available in two variants — one running a full-blown Windows 8 OS and the other running only the metro portion. The device has got rave reviews for build quality and attention to detail. Factors such as battery life are still unknown. The tablets will ship with a cover which will not only protect from scratches, but also double as a keyboard. Release date: October
I P HONE 5 / I PAD MINI The most popular phone and tablet and expected to get a new look. Apple is rumoured to be working on a smaller iPad to counter the success of Google’s Nexus 7 tablet. The 7.8inch tablet will pack a punch in terms of processing power and battery life, but may not have retina display found in the newer line of iPads. iPhone 5 is expected to be a faster phone with a major design overhaul. Release: Year-ending
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ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
PET NEWS Sugar survived
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Know your dog
Suicidal insects
ugar, the cat, survived a 19-story fall from a downtown Boston high-rise, according to the Animal Rescue League of Boston.With cats, falling shorter distances can be more dangerous than the long drops.
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IMPORTANT NUMBERS
t pays not to mess around with old termites because, when riled, they can become suicidal terrorists, according to new research. Termites take it a step further, by bumping off not only themselves, but others around them.
G
reat Dane behaviour often earns the breed the nickname "Gentle Giant". Yet many Danes can be dangerous, especially around small children if they're not conditioned to be calm from a young age!
CATS AND DOGS The Animal Care Clinic 040-2335 2474 Pet’s World Dog Clinic 98856 46259 Blue Cross of Hyderabad 040-3298 9858, 23544355/ 5523 Vet-N-Pet 040-6553 9535, 93463 05890 Bluplus Pet Clinic 040-2712 1739, 2716 2636 Sri Sai Pet Clinic
040-2779 7458, 9848645350 Claws & Paws 98662 82772 All Creatures Animals Clinic 040-2773 0885 BIRDS Govt Veterinary Hospital 040-2331 9656, 2753 5755 Bird Watcher’s Society 040-2355 6166 Friends of Birds9391048315 SNAKES Friends of Snakes 8374233366
IN THE NAME OF GOD
In the name of worship, many of us tend to torture animals. Many forget that snakes are living beings and we should not torture them to fulfill any bizarre ritual
ANUBHA K SINGH
anubha.k@postnoon.com
T
he recently concluded Nag Panchami festival has once again raised questions about the efforts by the State forest department to curb the tradition of catching live snakes for the festival. In the name and process of worship, many of us tend to torture animals. We forget that snakes are living beings and therefore we should not torture them to fulfill any bizarre ritual or force them to be a part of rit-
uals which harm them. Before bringing the snake for worship, snake charmers remove their venom and carry them around in a cloth sack which harms the reptiles. Nag Panchami, which was earlier celebrated to honour snakes, is now being done to abuse and torture them. “The farmers catch the snakes 60 days prior to the festival as a snake can survive without eating for 60 days. They are leased to charmers for `1,000 per day. The charmers buy them from the farmers two or three days before the festival and earn a handsome amount on the very day in the name of puja. Once the festival is over, the snakes
are left in the forest, but as their mouths are stitched shut and venom removed, they can’t eat or drink anything and as a result, they die,” said Mahesh Agarwal, general director, Bharatiya Prani Mitra Sangh and Shayog Organisation. “The snakes are not fed for 60 days and directly given milk on the festival day. Charmers and worshippers force the snakes to drink milk, which dehydrates them and often leads to their death. Actually, nowhere in the world is a reptile fed milk as it contains glucose and does not suit them. No snake drinks milk but as they are starved for long time, they try to drink milk
to satisfy their hunger but soon they fall sick. Not only this, many snakes go blind when the tikka, which is applied to their hoods during puja, trickles into their eyes,” he adds. However, the animal welfare organisations in the City are happy with the fact that the number of snake charmers have now reduced to a large extent because of their continuous efforts since the last decade. This year, they have rescued 50 snakes as compared to last year’s 146 snakes. They claim that forest officials are still ignorant about the issue. A new problem has cropped up — women snake charmers.
n
Under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, it is a crime to hunt, capture, own, use, harm and kill snakes.
n
The dance that snakes perform is actually a fearful reaction to the snake charmer’s pipe, which snakes view as a threat.
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Snakes can survive without food for up to 60 days.
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Around 50 snakes have been caught and are undergoing treatment in the City as a result of being held captive.
“Of late, women have been participating in the trade. As a result, it becomes tough for us to catch them. Every time we raid or question these women, they start protesting or gather more women from the society and start accusing us. When we once conducted a raid in Ibrahimpatnam, the women snake charmers began to disrobe. We had to leave the are without making any arrests. We have requested forest officials to provide us women staffers, but as usual, they didn’t help us. If a charmer is caught for illegal trading of snakes, as per the law, he should be charged `25,000 per snake and a non-bailable warrant has to be issued. The officials in charge takes only `2,000`3,000 as fine and let them go,” said Rajendra Kumar from People for Animals. Worship of snakes is not mentioned in the Vedas or other Hindu holy books, but traditional charmers and worshippers have proclaimed it a right to capture snakes and perform puja on Nag Panchami. Even deadly snakes, including the Indian Cobra — a species protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972) — are captured for this puja. According to Hindu priests and scholars, the custom is to worship idols of the reptile and not live snakes on Nag Panchami.
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BOOKS SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
SHORT READS Title: Prague Fatale Author: Philip Kerr Publisher: Marian Wood Book/Putnam Reinhard Heydrich is hosting a party to celebrate his appointment as Reichsprotector of Czechoslovakia. Guests are high-ranking Party members and each is a suspect in a crime as yet to be committed: the murder of Heydrich himself.
Title: Where We Belong Author: Emily Giffin Publisher: Back Bay Books Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door... only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever.
Title: The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy Author: Jody Duncan Jesser Publisher: Harry N. Abrams This book tells the complete behind-the-scenes story of three monumental Batman films. Based on in-depth interviews with Nolan and all of the films’ cast and crew, the book reveals the creative process behind the epic Dark Knight Trilogy.
Title: The Fallen Angel Author: Daniel Silva Publisher: Harper After narrowly surviving his last operation, Gabriel Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, has taken refuge behind the walls of the Vatican. He is summoned to St. Pete’s Basilica. The body of a beautiful woman lies broken beneath Michelangelo's magnificent dome.
A battle that has no winners
The biggest player — history, is least mentioned in The Governor’s Wife but it is the most powerful driving force.
ARUN KOSHY PHILIP
feels that the lack of challenge is not good enough for him and has his eyes set on bigger game.
arun.k@postnoon.com
T
he no-man’s land hugging the Mexican border with the United States form the pivotal area for plot. An ambitious politician; his estranged wife; a scheming political advisor; the politician’s mistress; a missionary doctor, ruthless lobbyists and a vengeful Mexican druglord, the story has all the elements in their best to keep you turning pages. William Bonner is the second-term Republican governor of Texas, with re-election guaranteed. But the former footballer
Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com
K
ayleigh Tower is all set to perform in her hometown Fresno till a series of mysterious deaths and attacks on people that are close to Kayleigh take place. The sudden appearance of a notorious stalker in the midst of these incidents raises many questions.Could they be related? Is the stalker being made the victim or is Kayleigh’s life in danger? Grief, thrill, shocking incidents and realisation about relationships is what The Kiss of Death XO is all about. “As bad as things get, you’ve got to know that I’m always with you, your shadow...” go the lines of Kayleigh Tower’s popular single. For Kayleigh this was the story of her life but for an
Lindsay Bonner feels her husband of 20 years is no longer the man she fell in love with and has let the politician take over. She doesn't want to be the trophy wife for photo ops and desires to do something that would make a difference. Jesse Rincon, a brilliant doctor, has turned down lucrative offers from top hospitals to work in the colonias.
Name The Governor's Wife Author Mark Gimenez Pages 540 Publisher Hachette India
“admirer” her songs meant much more— they had a secret message that were meant just for him. Edwin Sharp at the outset appears to be one of those millions of fans that write in to their favourite celebrity. But soon people around Kayleigh realise that his appreciation was turning into an eerie obsession. Kathyrn Dance, an agent with the California Bureau of Investigation, mother, music lover and Kayleigh Tower’s friend slowly finds herself interested in this case. Apart from Dance there are a number of other characters which add to the narrative with their blunt, mysterious and too good to be true characterisations that get you thinking about their involvement in the case. The book gets its title from the popular sign-off XO that
Enrique, aka el Diablo (the Devil), is a Harvard-educated Mexican druglord whose orders form the law of the land in the colonias. He enforces his own code of honour for his men and 'subjects'; violations are met with swift and brutal justice. Bonner's domestic 'safari' triggers a chain of events that draws all the players into the complicated plot. Ambition, passion and vengeance come into play as the governor's wife becomes the axis for all action. The biggest player, history, is least mentioned but is the most powerful driving force. The Governor's Wife is a reflection of the distribution of good and bad within us. Each character is carefully constructed with enough attention paid to detail to ensure
the seamless flow of the story without compromising on the suspense. Each of them is faced with difficult choices as their personal lives are intertwined with bigger affairs in the making. The Republican governor who wins applause on anti-immigration, anti-gay platform has a lesbian daughter. The druglord who emphasises on humane behaviour of his men has a monster of a son. The doctor faces a choice between service on the streets and a role that can change the destiny of his people. Forming the backdrop is a mass of humanity lacking in bare necessities and surviving rather than living. The ending leaves you wondering whether you should be happy or sad.
A stranger in the shadows Jeffery Deaver’s The Kiss of Death XO is a fast-paced thriller about a country singer and her obsessive stalker. Kayleigh uses while signing her fan mails. Jeffery Deaver’s narrative is crisp and intriguing- the perfect elements of a thriller. As the tale
Name The Kiss of death XO Author Jeffery Deaver Pages 408 Publisher Hodder and Stouton
unfolds the narrative does get slightly complex but surprisingly still manages to grab your attention. A major drawback of the novel would be the climax, although interesting it does seem to be never-ending at one point. The book is definitely worth a read and if you have the time the music of the novel is available on the website www.jefferydeaverxomusic.com , reading the book to the background music of In your shadows is quite a treat.
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BOOKS SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
DEAN WILLIAMS
dean@postnoon.com
S
o much has been written about the Second World War that one could be forgiven for wondering if another sweeping history of humanity’s second greatest folly of the 20th Century were required. It is, if you’ve only recently discovered a taste for the historical convulsions that sent the world into upheaval from 1938 to 1945. Antony Beevor’s book is certainly not the best on the subject. For that you will have to experience the literary nous of Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart’s History of the Second World War. Sir Hart, of course, had the advantage of actually interviewing German generals at the Nuremberg Trials. It was these interviews that spawned his other great book, The Other Side of the Hill. After him, the considerable talents of Max Hastings, Cornelius Ryan, Stephen Eambrose, Richard Overy and Beevor himself have filled in the genocidal tapestry of World War 2.
War stories and other sidelights For a beginner, this book is a no-brainer. It, in fact, provides an ideal springboard to other, far more comprehensive ‘histories’
We recommend... n
The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer
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History of the Second World War by BH Liddell Hart
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The Last Battle by Cornelius Ryan
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D-Day, June 6, 1944 by Stephen E Ambrose
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Why the Allies won by Richard Overy
So why has Beevor just released another comprehensive history? If you’ve read Hart’s History, then it’s unlikely you’ll find this book better. Beevor traverses all three major theatres of the war (Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific) skimming the surface and providing a superficial canvas of the global conflict. For a beginner, this book is a nobrainer. It, in fact, provides an ideal springboard to other, far more intricate and comprehensive ‘histories’. But where Beevor’s ‘history’
does separate itself from the crowded field is in his insights into the role of China in the conflict. The contribution of Chiang Kai-shek’s ill-equipped Chinese Nationalists in tying up a large number of Japanese soldiers has for far too long been ignored. Beevor is also one of the few to highlight the Battle for Kohima on April 6, 1944 where the 4th Royal West Kents, the locallyraised Assam Rifles, and a detachment of Rajputs faced down the bulk of Japanese General Mutagachi’s 15th Army. Mutagachi, who wrongly believed that Subhas Chandra Bose’s socalled Indian National Army was on its way to aid him, was confident of overcoming such a small force defending Kohima. But
Name The Second World War Author Antony Beevor Pages 863 Publisher Hachette India
while Bose was floundering, Mutagachi faced soldiers who fought doggedly. The now-forgotten Battle of Garrison Hill saw the defenders encircled and facing Japanese attacks. The Indian and British defenders were eventually relieved when the British 2nd Division broke through the Japanese lines. “Our backs were to the wall, and we were going to sell our lives as expensively as we could,” wrote the company commander of the West Kents. And that they certainly did. It is these stunning vignettes that make Beevor’s book a mustread for the history amateur. The more-experienced military buff may not necessarily be rushing out to buy it.
War-torn imagery Jyotsna Nambiar
jyotsna.n@postnoon.com
P
oetry is not something one immediately associates with the Taliban. But in the war-torn, desolate mountains of Afghanistan, a poet’s voice rings out loud and true, speaking of despair, martyrdom and separation. The collection of poems Poetry of the Taliban, of Persian, Urdu and Pashto verse translated into English, reflects the tumultuous hearts of the Afghan people. Though the poems lose some of their beauty in translation, the imagery of the restless land shines through. While the usual themes of love and religion found in Urdu poetry are present in these poems, the bloody history of the land is never far from the poet’s mind. These poems show the human side of Afghanistan and its people, and hopefully, will help change some of the stereotypes associated with the region.
Name Poetry of the Taliban Author Alex Strick Van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn, Editors Pages 250 Publisher Hachette India
WHAT’S SELLING Walden’s best in fiction n Sins Of The Father by Jeffrey Archer n Fifty Shades Of Grey by EL James n The Innocent by David Baldacci n Secret Of The Nagas by Amish Tripati n Tainted Throne - Empire of Moghul by Alex Rutherford
Oxford bookstore’s best in non-fiction n Connect to Dots by Rashmi Bansal n Leaders who can change the world by James Macgregor n The Magic by Rhonda Byrne n The Monk who Sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma n Empire of the Moghul by RutherFord Alex
New York Times' best in fiction
New York Times' Best in non-fiction
n Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
n Wild by Cheryl Strayed
n I, Micheal Bennett by James Patterson n Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn n Backfire by Catherine Coulter n The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner
n Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand n The Dream Team by Jack McCallum n The Amateur by Edward Klein n Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
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WOMEN SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
WEBSITES OF THE WEEK Loopt: Local app Loopt gives you the lowdown on what's happening wherever you are. Need to take clients out for dinner in a city you don't know well?
MyFitness Pal If you're wondering whether that health muffin you eat every morning on your way to work is actually healthy, try looking it up in MyFitnessPal.
PulseNews: Born out of the frustration that often comes with reading the news on a mobile device, PulseNews rearranges your favourite sites on your screen in a more visually appealing way.
A true champion
Tennis player Esther Vergeer has been unbeaten for 457 matches; an amazing record, made all the more spectacular by the fact she plays in a wheelchair.
All About Eve
PADMINI C
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PRIYANKA SURESH
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his Dutch girl’s life story can make an inspirational movie, one that mesmerises and warms hearts of people of all ages. Born on July 18, 1981 in Woerden, Esther Vergeer developed paraplegia when she was eight due to a surgery concerning hemorrhaging blood vessels around her spine. Though it took time for the little girl of eight to realise it, this changed her life forever. At that point becoming an athlete was a distant dream. She was trying to rebuild her life and accept that a wheelchair was going to be a part of it. While undergoing rehabilitation, she learned to play several sports on the wheelchair, as in Holland, when one loses the use of their legs, they receive a sports chair from the government. And her interest in sports got her to believe in the idea that she could still do what she thought she couldn't. She only had to focus on her strengths. After playing basketball at club level, she was invited into the national wheelchair basketball team and won the European championship in 1997. She started playing tennis in parallel with basketball after her first international tournament in 1996 and took it up in 1998. She picked tennis as her career as it was far more challenging and she wanted to be an individual athlete rather than a team athlete. She wanted to do things her own way, whether it is accepting defeat, taking the blame or celebrating success. And that marked the beginning of history. Her first big win was the US Open championship which moved her from 15th position to the 2nd in world ranking. After a continuous winning streak, she moved onto the Paralympics in 2000 in Sydney where she won gold. She won the Laureus Award for Sportsperson with a disability
Hey! not so quick
First Job: Intern at the National Olympic Committee as researcher.
Inspiration:
of the year twice, winning every single elite tournament, as well as enough money to turn professional, a feat fewer than 10 men and women on a wheelchair have achieved. Off the court, Esther is an entrepreneur. She started a sports marketing company and is the tournament director of a pro wheelchair tournament tied to men’s ATP event in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. She also runs a charity, The Esther Vergeer foundation which aims at bringing athletic opportunities to children around the world who have physical limitations. Esther's physical trainer Marijn Zall is also her boyfriend. They met on the tennis court as kids, grew up
together and fell in love. She loves going on boat rides with him. At home, she puts on comfortable clothes and is always with her phone or computer, just like any other 20-year-old. Esther is not just a role model but a superhero. Not just because she overcame her physical disability but because she conquered it, to an extent that it didn’t even matter to her in the pursuit of her goals. Besides technical aspects of the game, she understands that there is no difference between “perfectly-abled” tennis and wheelchair tennis with her only aim right now being, championship at Wimbledon. Undefeated, undisputed Esther is a winner, in the true sense of the word.
Maaike Smit, former wheelchair tennis player. For her open mindedness and approachability.
Favourite TV show: Cookery shows.
Last book she read: A Woman Went to the Doctor (Dutch)
Favourite food: Sandwiches, cookies and vanilla ice cream.
Mantra in Life: The most important thing is how you see yourself. If you see yourself in a positive way, you can develop yourself and make valuable contributions to the society.
ll is not well in the vampire universe. Bella has cheated on Edward. Not even with Jacob but some elderly imprinted werewolf. Edward has fled in pain. Women across the world have descended into depression. There is no faith to be had in love anymore. There’s no happily ever after. There’s nothing. Nothing. Cheating. The one topic I hoped to not hear/talk/think about this week, considering as its been the keyword among my girl gang this week. Even before the Stewart-Sanders mess blew up, incidentally. No, none of us had been cheated upon by our boyfriends. At least, not that we know of. The topic turned hot when a friend, let’s call her Kristen, confessed that she had gotten “close” with Rupert, who happens to be another friend (Liberty’s) boyfriend. It was mutual, but they wouldn’t act upon it, they decided. So, in the next two days, we discussed it endlessly. Was Kristen the villain? But she was not the one in the relationship, it was Rupert. But she was still lying to Liberty. And then, there was the question of what constitutes cheating? Is flirting forgivable? What about sexting? Emotional bonding? We found few answers. But some realisations came easily. Few couples (except for maybe Lily and Marshall), ever live through a long-term relationship without confronting the nightmare of a partner straying. Let’s admit it. One of the first things we learn after growing up is that nothing is as sacrosanct as they all said it was. Least of all, a marriage. If you talk to enough people, you’ll know. Everyone cheats. Or wants to cheat. Or thinks of cheating. It doesn’t make it okay. But what it does is make you realise that you shouldn’t be so fast to judge. To condemn. The cheating infidel, the “other woman” could just as well be you. You might want to give it a thought the next time you so want to comment on Stewart-Sanders.
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SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
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Through the lens
A beautiful start
Amita Talwar and Mahesh Nair are holding a photo exhibition titled A Visual Odyssey at Kalakriti Art Gallery. The exhibition will be on till August 3. 2
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The audio launch of Sekhar Kammula’s Life is Beautiful took place at The Marriott on Friday. Nagarjuna, Amala, Akhil, Rana Daggubati, Shriya Saran and many other Tollywood celebrities were spotted at the event.
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Amita Talwar Mahesh Nair Aaradhna
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Nikites organised a jewellery exhibition at Taj Krishna on Friday. The event was titled L’ Affaire De Grande, where international jewellery met haute couture. On display were rare Nizami designs and South Indian temple art in pure gold and diamonds. 5
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Nikitha Aakansha Ivlia Mehek Esha Ripsy Radhika Seksaria
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Jewels in City’s crown 3
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7 DEEPAK DESHPANDE
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Vaikuntam Meitim Connolly
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RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
I AM ALL EARS
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am a 20-year-old girl and am yet to date a guy. I have changed many schools and now finally have settled at one place. However, my friends here tease me and call me shy and awkward. Even if I want to talk to guys in my class they make fun of me for being so. What do I do?
MEN AND WOMEN JUST FRIENDS?
Dear sad kid, There is nothing to depressed about.All this is part and parcel of life and like someone has said earlier, the best comes to those who wait. There is no hard and fast rule that at the age of 20 you need to be in a relationship or even find love. Things like these happen in their time and as to the children bullying you, this too will also pass. However, that said, try and make some better friends who are not so stuck up.
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his is what the latest study published recently in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships says. Whether they became friends for the sole purpose of being friends forever no more matters. Researchers state that attraction always gets in the way of friendship making it impossible for them to be ‘just friends.’
When East weds West Separated they might be by cultures and customs, but these couples are brought together by the language of love. SUNORY DUTT
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ive years ago, when Madhavi Girish married her Australian classmate, her parents were happy and relieved. “They had given up on my getting married at all! Mine isn’t the first interracial marriage in my family. In fact it’s the fifth. So there was no eyebrow raising here,” she says Indian. Australian. American. Russian. Peruvian. Is race and ethnicity still an overriding factor in marriage? Apparently not. Race matters less these days, say researchers at Washington–based Pew Research Center, whose study found racial lines blurring as more people choose to marry outside their race. Support for interracial marriages is stronger now than in the past, especially among the Millennial Generation and is most common among Asians. Education and residency rather than race, is a common thread binding couples today. As many such couples will vouch, love just happens. Cupid could strike just about anywhere: At a bus stop outside the World Bank group office in Washington DC, as in the case of Samir Stewart, an Indian, and his Peruvian ex-wife Tania Gomez. Former Miss India Shyla Lopez met her Russian prince charming, Vlad Vershinin, while holidaying in London. Or even across cyberspace as is the case of Angela Menon, a Malayalee, and her American husband Nick Beckwith. Admittedly interracial marriages are not easy to sustain, given some obvious differences in the colour of one’s skin, language, distance from home ground, and other subtle anomalies in cultures, customs and ideologies. While Samir and Tania divorced after four years of marriage due to “difference in cultures to some extent” and also differences in “goals and conceptualisation of future plans”, others like Shyla and Vlad have
Shyla Lopez with son Alexander and husband Vlad Vershinin over the past seven years of their wedding stayed the course, “Committed to the big picture as a family. We chose to be with each other despite our differences. He’s open to eating Indian food and I’m learning Russian and getting accustomed to Moscow’s sub-zero temperatures. I never checked the weather when I fell in love!” Even their 6year-old son Alexander is proud of his multicultural identity and adapts surprisingly well by being “Indian in India and Russian in Russia”. You know what they say about taking an Indian out of India, but not being able to take India out of an Indian? Most Indians revere their ties with the motherland and try to initiate their significant foreign others to the same. But with conse-
“I don’t think race matters and it certainly does not affect my marriage. Only culture plays a role. I think that being empathetic to each other’s cultures is crucial. Being respectful is important even if one doesn’t truly get the customs”.
“We rarely think of ourselves as an interracial couple. If people don’t like seeing us together, most of them hide it really well. I suppose that is a credit to people in general, that we aren’t treated as anything out of the ordinary”.
Madhavi Girish on making an interracial marriage work.
Angela Menon Beckwith on social acceptance.
quences. Reminisces Angela, “We lived in India for some months and everything began to
shock my husband — the power outages, the smoggy air, the crowds, the noise.” In the case of
Madhavi, it was food, “We only really have one bone of contention, almost literally. I am vegetarian and he’s not. The other issue is language. My family tends to speak in Tamil primarily so he tends to feel left out. Then there is the lack of privacy. When we visit home in India, people just barge in to our room, for whatever reason, and he finds that hard.” When Shyla and Vlad honeymooned in Kerala, Vlad tried a panchakarma detox. “The poor fellow got so sick... what a bummer of a honeymoon,” she says. Despite sometimes being lost in translation, all these couples marriages are based on, faith and more importantly gender equality. And of course love, love, love. It sure makes the world go ‘round!
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
It’s Balakrishna’s show all the way
The actor is a messiah for both the characters and the film which doesn’t live up to its promise. HEMANTH KUMAR
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u Kodathara Vulikki Padathara is an ambitious film in terms of the story and production design. There’s a tinge of suspense similar to the one seen in Chandramukhi; however, there’s a big problem when it comes to its narration which almost derails the film from being what it could have been. Thankfully, there’s Balakrishna to save the day and he is quite literally soul of the film. The film revolves around a royal palace named Gandharva Mahal. Prabhu owns the palace but he prefers to stay in the outhouse and lets others stay in the palace. One fine day, Manchu Manoj walks into the palace and much to the chagrin of Prabhu’s daughter (Deeksha Seth), he refuses to leave even when Prabhu requests everyone to vacate the house. We are told that Manoj wants to safeguard the palace at any cost but all of a sudden he realises that the palace is haunted by a ghost. Prabhu tells him that the ghost is in fact his father Narasimha Rayudu (Balakrishna). Why does Narasimha Rayudu’s ghost haunt the palace? That forms the rest of the story. As the film
Movie: Vu Kodathara Vulikki Padathara Cast: Manchu Manoj, Balakrishna, Deeksha Seth, LakshmiManchu Directed by: Shekhar Raja Rating: unfolds, it’s tough to understand the intentions of Manoj. Why is he desperate to save the palace from being handed over to another family? Why does he try to put in so much effort more than what is expected from him? The film comes
Pawan Kalyan’s noble deed impresses all
P Shruti Haasan is back to work
awan Kalyan has once again proved that he’s a star with a golden heart. Recently, he donated `5 lakh to Rekha, who’s representing Andhra Pradesh at the national level rifle shooting championships. We hear that Pawan Kalyan is quite fond of rifle shooting and he decided to do his bit to help Rekha as she trains herself to compete at bigger events.
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hruti Haasan is all set to start shooting for Prabhu Deva’s upcoming Hindi film, which is reportedly a remake of Nuvvu Vastanante Nenu Vaddantana starring Siddharth and Trisha. Girish Kumar is reprising the role of Siddharth. After Gabbar Singh turned out to be a blockbuster, Shruti Haasan had taken a long break and spent most of her time in Mumbai. We hear that soon after signing Prabhu Deva’s film, she began preparing for her role and we’ll soon see her in a new avatar. Apart from this film, she’ll also begin shooting for Ravi Teja’s Balupu later this year.
Charulatha set to release in August
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riyamani’s upcoming film Charulatha, where she’ll be seen as conjoined twins, is expected to release in the third week of August. Ponkumaran has directed the film and it’s the official remake of a Thai film named Alone. Geetha Arts is going to distribute the film’s Telugu version in Andhra Pradesh.
alive, perhaps for the first time when Balakrishna is introduced. His entire sub plot is well conceived and all the actors involved in the sub plot including Balakrishna, Panchi Bora, Simer Motiani, Lakshmi Manchu, Sonu Sood and Bhanu Chander shine in their roles. Balakrishna looks every inch of the royal avatar he portrays. Every time the story shifts to the present era, you desperately hope that Narasimha Rayudu’s ghost is just around the corner to add the much needed zing to the story. The biggest problem with the film is that there are very few emotional highs and the scenes which do spellbind you work due to Balakrishna, Sonu Sood and Lakshmi Manchu’s presence. Rajasekhar’s cinematography is good and kudos to Bhupesh R Bhupathi, the art director, for the excellent work in the film. Shekhar Raja, the director of the film, aims too high and given the resources he had, this film could have been much more gripping. Instead, we are served a meal which has traces of excellence, but that’s not enough to rave about how good the meal was. It’s disappointing when a film doesn’t live up to its potential. Watch it because you don’t get to see Balakrishna in such a convincing role so often.
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Back by public demand Ekta Kapoor was earlier making tear-jerkers and now she goes back to making sex comedies. KSKHH is one for the crowd.
Success lies in doing good work
Movie: Kya Super Kool Hai Hum Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Tusshar Kapoor, Sarah Jane Dias, Anupam Kher, Chunky Pandey and Neha Sharma Directed by: Sachin Yardi
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rom the amount of hype it generated at start of its filming is enough to gauge what is expected out of the movie. With Ekta Kapoor walking in and out of the censor board’s office trying to get them to see reason, the audience might as well know the soup she has cooked up for them. If Kya Kool Hai Hum, was weird, racy and explicit, then
Kya Super Kool Hai Hum promises to take the sexual innuendos and puns to an even higher level. KSKHH has some really rib-tickling fare to offer and brings the sex comedy genre back into focus. The show belongs to the two lead actors and together they’re a riot! Riteish Deshmukh provides side-splitting entertainment and his partner Tusshar is
Movie: Ice Age Continental Drift Cast: the voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Lopez. Directed by: Steve Martino, Michael Thurmeier
All set to make a chilling
equally compelling and does incredibly well. The beautiful ladies, Neha Sharma and Sarah Jane Dias too play their bitsy roles well. But that’s not to say, there isn’t the usual hamming and forced dialogues. Some of the jokes looked very staged and just put in there for extra laughs. The below the belt humour is not lost on many counts. The story needs no mention as director Sachin Yardi probably only thought of making the audience laugh and nothing else. All in all, it is entertaining for the target audience but can get boring in places.
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e scored a bull’s eye with his debut production Vicky Donor, but John Abraham says he hasn’t cracked any success formula. The success, he says, just lies in doing good work, and in knowing what makes the youth happy. The 39year-old cringed upon being asked how he managed to crack the “formula” in the first go. “See... honestly, if something goes wrong tomorrow, you’ll say ‘What went wrong?’ It’s normal! So rather than basking in the limelight and saying ‘Hey listen,
everything is fine’, the important thing is to continue doing good work,” John said. “I think the formula is very simple as far as I am concerned. As an individual, I believe I know what makes the youth happy in terms of films, and I want to make films for young people, who can go and say ‘Hey, this is really nice, this was a lot of fun and sensible too.’ So that’s the space I want to operate now and I am enjoying that space,” he added. IANS
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ith the first three Ice Age movies having grossed over two billion bucks at the global box office. The usual characters — Manny (Ray Romano), Diego the soft-hearted sabre-tooth tiger (Denis Leary) and Sid the idiotic sloth (John Leguizamo) — are cast adrift on an iceberg, with Sid’s senile but resourceful granny and — voiced by Jennifer Lopez — a feline love interest for Diego. They have an adventure out at sea battling big waves, bad pirates and treacherous sirens before reuniting with Manny’s family. These are not the funniest or most interesting characters, but there’s enough humour and danger to make this the second-best of the series, after the initial Ice Age. Continents drifting apart can’t help but make everyone a little nervous — and this Ice Age turns into a fully constituted and respectably delightful episode in what has, so far, been an altogether rollicking series. Let’s remember that digital animation — 3-D or not 3-D — has made full-length animated films among the greatest entertainments of the movie age we’re living in.
CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
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THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE was first introduced at which games? 10. Who was the first person to win the first women's olympic marathon? 11. This capital city has just become the first city in history to host the Olympic games three times. Name it.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR WONDERS?
IDENTIFY THESE FAMOUS COUPLES
1 2
1
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.
2
A 13-year marriage is an eternity in Hollywood, but these two mix business and pleasure. They produced Karate Kid, a movie which also starred their son Jaden. Who are they?
3 4 5 6 7
The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.
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Just 17 days after finalising his divorce with second wife Anna this media tycoon married an employee of his organisation. Identify this couple?
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
“Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.”
1navanka Trump & Jared Tusher 2.Will and Jada Smith 3.Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng
Answers
He could not f****** die. How could he leave? How could he go? Everything he hated was here.
KNOW YOUR COUNTRY
1
The Supreme Court of India banned tourism activities around a five-kilometre radius of which Tribal Reserve?
And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!
PICTURE PUZZLE 26 with Santosh Ghule You are looking at an unconventional lead actor. Who is it?
for 25 : A boy standing near at the heel of the shoe bending. Answer
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Yatra.com announced it acquired which other online travel site?
4. Petra
As per the new census report this forest boasts of the highest numbers of elephants in India, name it.
Answers: 1. Chichen Izta 2. Crist the Redeemer 3. Machu Pichu
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WHO AM I? I come from Jamaica and am commonly known as the world's fastest man. No man has ever successfully defended my 100m Olympic and 200m titles on the track. I'm a five-time World and threetime Olympic gold medalist. Who am I?
Answer: Usain Bolt
According to the new set of guidelines approved by the UGC, what number of foreign universities can enter India?
Answer:
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Which picture bagged this year's IIFA award for the Best Motion Picture?
FAMOUS LAST LINES OF BOOKS Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.
Late last year, the scions of two legendary real estate families in the US tied the knot. She is a model, heiress, and a judge on reality TV and he is the owner of the New York Observer. Name them.
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NAME THEM
1. Catcher in the Rye 2. A tale of two cities 3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 4.The Great Gatsby 5. Gone with the Wind 6.Sabbath’s Theatre 7. Christmas Carol
FAMOUS SPOUSES
7. After the 2012 Games in London, where will the next Summer Olympic Games be held? 8. How long is the route for the marathon event in the 2012 Olympics? 9. The idea of an Olympic Flame burning from the start of the games to the closing
Answers
book on baby and child care was also a gold medalist? 5. From 1948 onwards athletes placing fourth, fifth, and sixth have received certificates, what have these officially become known as? 6. Which country held the last Summer Olympic Games?
1. 1900 2. Equestrian 3.Wenlock and Mandeville 4. Dr.Benjamin Spock 5. Brazil 6. China 7.Brazil 8. 2.2 miles 9. 1928 Amsterdam games 10. Joan Benoit 11.
1. In which year were women first allowed to compete in the modern Olympics? 2.Sailing is one of the events in which men compete directly with women. Which is the other? 3. What are the names of the mascots of the 2012 Games? 4. Which author of the seminal
Jarawa,Andaman Islands 2. The Top 500 3. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara 4.Angul, Odisha 5. Travelguru
Answers
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CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
SOLUTION ON PAGE 32
SUDOKU
KAKURO
How to Play Kakuro
SCRIBBLING PAD
Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play Kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two - it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.
The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind. – William James
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Skyline obscurer 5 Mast 9 ‘Here, try some!’ 14 ___ Bora (Afghanistan locale) 15 The ‘T’ in TV 16 One half of a pair of dentures 17 Actor who married Shirley Temple 18 Nay opposers 19 Low-level laborers 20 It could cut the mustard 23 Lyric poem 24 Place for a sneaky ace 25 ‘The Dark Knight’ director Christopher 27 Certain Indian royalty 30 Deplorable 33 List's last letters, perhaps 36 Associated with choppers 38 Nevada city on the Truckee River 39 Number two, at the casino 41 Vehicle that's hailed 42 Certain classmates 43 Viticultural valley of California 44 Civil War battle locale 46 ‘Com’ preceder 47 Attack from a concealed position 49 News summary 51 ‘Adam Bede’ author George 53 Ethically challenged 57 Grille protector 59 Standard wording of a contract 62 Ahead of time 64 ‘The Gift of the ___’ 65 Passionately studying 66 Angler's accessory 67 ‘Terrible’ Russian leader 68 Connery of Bond films 69 Typeface features 70 ‘Anti-art’ movement 71 ‘___ today, gone tomorrow’
DOWN 1 Uses a dagger 2 Business bigwig 3 Address a crowd 4 Belt at a wedding 5 Stuff used in plastics 6 Gander 7 Oscar winner Arkin 8 Sticky varnish ingredient 9 Elvis' Mississippi birthplace 10 Tarzan film beast 11 Pamper 12 Serve up the drinks, eg 13 Celtic dialect 21 Fail to pay, as taxes 22 Chicken or turkey, eg 26 Prefix with ‘dynamic’ 28 Yardstick unit 29 Flight feature 31 ‘Back up’ command, in word processing 32 Not findable
56 Africa's Sierra ___ 33 ‘Hairspray’ heroine 57 At one's ___ and call 34 ‘There is no I in ___’ 58 ___, 35 Certain servant in a medium or well royal palace done 37 It has the same 60 Kilauea flow meaning if ‘cap’ is 61 ‘Bejabbers!’ added 63 Actor Cariou 40 Woman's hat lining 42 Tourney winner 44 Kin of ‘scat!’ PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 45 Eggshaped wind instrument 48 Female prophets 50 Shoeshine offering 52 Apprehensive 54 Asian princess (Var) 55 Essence from rose petals
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CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Ace of Swords
King of Swords
Strength
Four of Cups
Knight of Pentacles
Queen of Cups
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ork – If you’re unhappy with your current job, time to start looking. But do not leave your job without a firm offer letter in hand. Romance – You must be more open to sharing with a partner or a potential partner. You seem to hold back too much. Get used to sharing. Health – You’ve been talking too much and doing very little about your health regimen. How about you take your health more seriously? Money – You may need to think in terms of integrating a few of your income generating plans to reduce stress on yourself. Tarot message – You’re intuitive but tend to ignore what the heart says at almost all times in favour of the head.
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ork – You have very high regard for someone senior in your organisation and this may be colouring your thinking toward his/her ideas. Romance – Not reacting is also a reaction. If there’s some tension in your love life, maybe you need to start by communicating more openly. Health – Make a pledge to yourself to put health before everything else on your list of priorities. Eating right should be carefully managed. Money – You have a tendency to have a philosophically attitude to money. And so you go ahead and spend too much. Discipline your shopping. Tarot message – You have amazing inner strength to do what it takes to get ahead – even tough situations.
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ork – Take the advice of a mentor or coach seriously in achieving your annual goals. You may want to choose a mentor carefully, if you don’t already have one. Romance – Some form of separation or pain is indicated. Maybe your partner didn’t turn out the way you expected. No worry. Life moves on. Health – You are blessed with good health but that doesn’t mean that you go ahead and be brash with your body or mind. Take good care, even then. Money – You may need to review your current earnings and do a stock taking to figure out where you are on the financial goals line. Tarot message – The choices you make now will determine which route you take at these crossroads.
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ork – Time is of the essence when you’re delivering on important subjects and doing things differently. The idea may be great. But putting it out at the right time is equally important. Romance – A fight is not going to be pleasant and more than losing your cool, you’re likely to completely blame the other person for what went wrong. Health – A holistic approach is needed in order to achieve better health. You may be doing just one thing very well. Add to that a few other healthy habits. Money – This is a lucky and favourable time for fortune. Tarot message – There are many offers that come your way. Business partnerships work well. Team up with someone you know.
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ork – You need to spend more time in planning. Only then will you be clear about how to correctly execute your plans. Romance – Time to wine and dine. Go out, spend time with each other and enjoy each other’s company. Know what the other person definitely doesn’t like. Health – You need to work harder to achieve some health goals. It’s not enough to merely talk about it and not do much in the gym. Money – A foreign trip may be in the offing. It may take away most of the savings you’ve tucked away. But it will be a good experience. Tarot message – You are basing many of your current decisions on a lot of guesswork. How about supporting them with facts, too?
SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
Libra
Scorpio
Nine of Wands
Judgment
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ork – You are a storehouse of talent and will be recognised for everything you’ve got to give your area of expertise. Bosses will be pleased. Romance – Your relationship will be put to the test. Different circumstances and new environments will make you both crave for novelty outside the relationship. Health – Discipline yourself to follow a regimen. Only then can you hope to even come close to achieving good health. Money – You’ll have to deal with a difference of opinion about how to deal with money. Someone close to you does not agree with your point of view. Tarot message – You have led the way and been a great leader. You’ll be asked to do more of that.
ork – Your biggest strength is that you’re super prompt with work. Be careful that this does not become an excuse for bosses to dump more work on you. Romance – You need rest and relaxation. Take time out, away from your spouse, too, and come back rejuvenated. Health – Try Reiki or any other form of healing that will connect you to the soul. You will also feel more compassionate toward fellow humans. Money – Don’t feel under pressure to spend to maintain your lifestyle if you don’t agree with it. Societal pressure will always be there, no matter what you do, or don’t. Tarot message – You may feel lonely despite being around people. Challenge yourself to be in company.
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Sagittarius Seven of Cups
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ork –You notice a familiar pattern in your office. Someone is making a promise and then breaking it. Just observe and don’t make judgments. Romance – Singles have to work harder to break out of a pattern when it comes to interaction with the opposite sex. You should seem interested. Health – You’re at a position when you need to immediately start focusing on your health. Don’t pay attention to what others say. Listen to your body. Money – Some expenditure will have to be made in order to maintain your social standing. Account for these expenses in your monthly budget. Tarot message – An angel comes to your rescue and pulls you out of a tough situation.
Capricorn
Date 29-7-2012
Aquarius
Seven of Swords
Six of Pentacles
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ork – A relook at your ideology is the need of the hour. It may be coming in the way of many job related hassles, which you can easily avoid. Romance – Add an extra punch to your relationship by spicing it up with the new. Cook for your partner, surprise him/her, and go out on vacation. Health – You’re spending some time on maintenance of health but are you getting the desired result? In order to optimise the time spent, you should experiment. Money – Socialising and out-of-home entertainment may be causing a dent in your pocket. Spend carefully and be aware. Tarot message – Use simple ideas and plans to work towards your goals. Don’t complicate life too much.
ork – The road ahead is going to be a tough one with lots of changes. Don’t give up even if you fail a few times. Keep trying and you’ll eventually succeed. Romance – Make some effort to get closer to your loved one. Spring surprises, and go down the less trodden path. Life will become more interesting. Health – Try an alternative therapy if the meds you’re currently taking are not giving the desired effect. Marry a few different schools of thought. Money – You come across someone who has a very different view to money when compared to yours. You’ll learn much from this person. Tarot message – You may need to catch up on sleep and rest; even doing leisure.
ork – A lot of guesswork will be expected of you in solving a work related problem. Use your intuition, trust how you feel about something, and go ahead. Romance – Singles will find someone with similar interests. Don’t give in to the immediate passion and chemistry lest it may not last long. Health – Make a better health plan for yourself. If you’re not too satisfied with what one doctor has said, get a second opinion. Money – Don’t show off too much about how well you manage money. It may not be a good idea to blow your own trumpet. Keep it low. Tarot message – You may be called upon to volunteer or render your expert services somewhere. Keep an open mind.
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Pisces The Wheel of Fortune
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ork – You may be in middle of a mess, which is your own creation. The only way to get out of it is to communicated clearly and own up to what you did. Romance – You may be waking up only now to new realities about your partner. You’ll be surprised with what you see. Health – You need to lead the way for your own health. By being overconfident that you don’t need to do more than this, you may be ruining it. Money – Be open to criticism about your financial status or your choices about how you spend your money. Tarot message – It’s all too easy to preach to someone else on how to lead life. It’s too tough to follow those principles yourself.
Vol: 2, No 11 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Laugher’s the best medicine
Britain's Jack Laugher dives during a training session at the Aquatics Centre in London on Friday on the eve of the 2012 London Olympic Games. AFP
India team upset with kit, uniforms
MUMBAI: Indian medal hopefuls at the London Olympics are upset with their "poor quality" kit and uniforms, a newspaper reported on Friday. "To be honest, this is the worst kit I have seen," Indian boxer Jai Bhagwan, who is to compete in the men's lightweight (60-kg) category, was quoted as saying by the Mumbai Mirror newspaper. "It's of poor quality, lacks durability and some of it does not even fit right. Our kit in national competitions (back home) was of much better quality," he told the paper from London. The tabloid also said that Indian hockey ace Sandeep Singh had been spotted playing in ill-fitting shorts which were "bursting at the seams". Singh later trained in an old pair of torn shorts "as a mark of protest", the Mirror reported. The kits were supplied by a local firm Dida, which bagged the contract from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ahead of better known sports suppliers. Dida denied there had been complaints. "The kits are fine, they have to be, since it was AFP approved by IOA," he said.
Height is overrated. It's not how tall you are, or how fast you are or how strong you are. It's what goes on inside. Height doesn't mean anything. LeBron James, US 'Dream Team' star on the advantage of height
NUMEROLOGY
1mn
Watts of public address system was with what the audience were entertained at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
ANGER OVER HIJAB
OUR MAN IN LONDON DEV S SUKUMAR
This sporting life is all about the freedom to play LONDON: Saudi Arabia have complained to the International Olympic Committee after judo fighter Wojdan Shaherkani (above) was banned from wearing the hijab head scarf during competition. The 18year-old, a member of a twowoman team who are the first female competitors sent from the conservative kingdom to an Olympics, was ordered by the International Judo Federation to fight with her hijab on.
What makes a nation a ‘sporting’ country? Is it the number of Olympic medals it wins? Is it the money that government and the private sector invests in sport? Is it the number of big stadiums in the country? Or rather, is it just how easily you and me, as common citizens, can play a sport? I walk into a governmentrun leisure centre in Purley, which is part of the London borough of Croydon. Most of the people using the gym appeared to be over 60. The pool too had several senior citizens and mothers with infants. I scan the notices. Swimming sessions are free for those above 60. There are classes for children and adults with physical and learning disabilities. Every notice urges you to belong there.
IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO COMPARE HYDERABAD’S CHALLENGES AND RESOURCES WITH LONDON’S, BUT IT WON’T HURT TO SEE WHAT PASSES OFF AS NORMAL HERE. Of course it would be unwise to compare Bangalore or Hyderabad’s challenges and resources with London’s, but it won’t hurt to see what passes off as normal here. The Purley leisure centre is one of five government-run leisure centres in Croydon, which has a population of 3.6 lakh. The government website reveals, among other things, that Croydon has 14 libraries, 77 parks, 14 multigames courts and seven tennis facilities. In the govern-
ment centres one can choose to swim, play badminton, trampoline or table tennis, or register for gym sessions. There are also several venues for tennis, football and cricket. Apart from these government centres, of course, there are private centres, which are slightly more expensive, but offer more activities. We will not dwell on the difference in the scale of challenges of a London borough to that of Bangalore or Hyderabad. These are too well known to bear repetition: the numbers of our population, the relative importance of addressing hunger, housing and water rather than recreation, and so forth. But in the same breath we can ask ourselves: Is sport too much to ask in India? Should not our national priority be to become healthier citizens? Why is there a dis-
missal of the rights of our senior citizens and disabled? Why must one be well-off to play indoor sports in India? Is sport only meant for competitive athletes? If state governments can gift prime plots to alreadywealthy cricketers and star athletes, surely a wiser thing instead would be to use the same plots to build small sports halls that benefit more people. Why must a millionaire sports star be further buttered up with a plot of land or a couple of crores of public money? Those very resources can be better used for the public. The freedom to play is as essential to our spirit as the right to education or a livelihood. The body needs outlets for physical expression; otherwise that expression takes dangerous forms in crime or abuse.
28-29
Super Games Boyle over
The show traced Britain’s development from a bucolic past through the Industrial Revolution before fast-forwarding to the present day. Guy Jackson
LONDON: Seven young athletes lit the cauldron at the London Olympics on Friday at the finale of a humour-filled opening ceremony watched by more than one billion TV viewers. Departing from the tradition of choosing a gold medal winner to light the flame, the London organisers handed the honour to seven youngsters nominated by British Olympic heroes of the past. Five-time gold medallist rower Steve Redgrave had brought the torch into the Olympic Stadium in east London before passing it on to a series of young runners. They embraced their mentors, including decathlete Daley Thompson and middledistance runner Kelly Holmes,
Sania Mirza parades with the Indian delegation in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London on Friday. AFP/ O MORIN before the teenagers lit a series of torches which hydraulically lifted to create a high-tech cauldron. Queen Elizabeth II, who had made a royal entrance
like no other in a spoof film with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, declared the Games open as London took on the role of host nation for an unprecedented third time.
International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge told the crowd of 80,000: “In a sense the Olympics are coming home,” recognising Britain’s role in developing modern sport. The chief organiser of the Games, Sebastian Coe, thanked his fellow Britons for “making all this possible”. “In the next two weeks we will show all that has made London one of the greatest cities in the world,” he said. The show before the cauldron was lit was quintessentially British, as its creator, British film director Danny Boyle, had promised. The queen was shown parachuting from a helicopter with Craig into the stadium before the real 86-year-old monarch took her seat to loud applause.
Michelle, ma belle US First Lady Michelle Obama celebrates after kicking a ball to goal as British footballer David Beckham applauds during the “Let’s Move-London” event at the Winfield House in London on Friday, hours before the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games. AFP/ JEWEL SAMAD
Ceremony grapples with social issues Britain’s first televised lesbian kiss was shown in a fast-moving clip. LONDON: A celebration of free healthcare, the trade union struggle, the battle for women’s rights and a fleeting lesbian kiss: the Olympics opening ceremony Friday did not shy away from weighty social issues. Unsurprisingly, the show devised by Oscar-winning British director Danny Boyle drew accusations from the British political right that it had strayed into “leftie” issues.
Aidan Burley, a lawmaker from Prime Minister David Cameron’s ruling Conservative party, tweeted: “The most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen — more than Beijing, the capital of a communist state! Welfare tribute next?” He followed that with: “Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap.” Several people tweeted their support for his com-
ments. Alastair Campbell, former British Labour prime minister Tony Blair’s communications chief, retorted on Twitter: “Brilliant that we got a socialist to do the opening ceremony.” Others, including British Paralympian skier Kelly Gallagher, lauded the ceremony’s “socialist” values. Cameron’s Downing Street office distanced itself from Burley’s comments, tweeting a message from the premier
reading: “The opening ceremony has been a great showcase for this country. It’s more proof Britain can deliver.” Burley was removed from his job as aide to the transport minister last month after attending a Nazi-themed stag party in a French ski resort. Boyle — whose film Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars in 2009 — denied he was pushing a political agenda. “The sensibility of the show is personal,” he said.
My wife was getting ecstatic that the Queen had sent us a letter. I kept saying ‘F**k the Queen — Johnny Marr’s sent me a message on Twitter! Bradley Wiggins, Britain’s first Tour de France winner
NUMEROLOGY
7bn
Is the number of pieces of paper dropped as part of the show in the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony on Friday.
NO UNDERWEAR CHECKS
LONDON: Danish footballer Nicklas Bendtner’s (above) ambush marketing stunt will not lead to a series of checks on athletes’ underwear during London 2012, a senior International Olympic Committee member insisted. In June Bendtner was fined £80,000 by football governing body UEFA after revealing underpants bearing the name of Irish bookmaker Paddy Power during the European Championships.
30
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Legally blind archer sets first world record LONDON: Legally blind South
Im Dong-Hyun celebrates as he breaks his own 72-arrow world record with a 699 score on Friday at the Olympic Games. AFP/TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA
Korean archer Im Dong-Hyun set the first world record of the London Games on Friday in the men’s preliminary round at the Lord’s cricket ground. Im scored 699 points from 72 arrows to beat his own record of 696 set in May this year. The 26-year-old from Chunbuk is legally blind in his left eye with a 20/200 vision. That means he needs to be 10 times closer to see an object than someone with perfect 20/20 vision. His right vision is 20/100. He won team gold at the ’04 and ’08 Games to add to his four world titles and four Asian Games golds.
Archery — women’s individual qualifying
Archery — men’s team qualifying
1. Ki Bobae (KOR) 671 Q 2. Lee Sung Jin (KOR) 671 Q 3. Tan Ya-Ting (TPE) 671 Q 4. Khatuna Lorig (USA) 669 Q 5. Lin Chia-En (TPE) 667 Q 6. Miki Kanie (JPN) 665 Q 7. C. Christiansen (DEN) 663 Q 8. Deepika Kumari (IND) 662 Q 9. Ksenia Perova (RUS) 659 Q 10. Mariana AM (MEX) 659 Q 22. Bombayla L (IND) 651 Q 50. Chekrovolu Swuro (IND) 625 Q
1. South Korea 2087 Q (WR) (Oh, Im, Kim) 2. France 2021 Q(Girouille, Prevost, Faucheron) 3. China 2019 Q (Dai, Liu, Xing) 4. United States 2019 Q (Wukie, Ellison, Kaminski) 5. Japan 2009 Q (Furukawa, Kikuchi, Ishizu) 6. Italy 1998 Q (Frangilli, Galiazzo, Nespoli) 12. India 1969 Q (Talukdar, Rai, Banerjee)
Control your emotions, Phelps warns Missy The 17-year-old swimmer will be participating in four events at the London Games Ryland James
events at London’s Aquatic Centre, if selected for the US team in the three relays. “This week has been so exciting going to France (for a training camp) and coming into my first Olympic village,” beamed the bubbly teenager. Having offered to give Franklin any advice she may need, Phelps revealed he has yet to hear from ‘Missy the Missile’ in that regards, but the teenager explained how she plans to use her potential mentor’s experience. “Michael is the best, but I honestly think I have had so much help from the women’s team and we have had so much info at the team meetings, that all my questions have been answered already,” she said.
LONDON: Teenage US swim star Missy Franklin is poised to be one of the swim stars of the Olympic games, but team-mate Michael Phelps has said controlling her emotions will be the key to her London success. The 17-year-old has qualified for four individual events having won the 100m and 200m backstroke at the recent US trials and finished second in the 100m and 200m freestyle. She is set to race in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay on Saturday and her first individual event will be Sunday’s 100m backstroke in the eightday Olympic programme. She could tackle seven
Andy bracing well for Games: Hewitt Robert Smith
LONDON: Lleyton Hewitt says he fully understands the pressure of expectations weighing on local hope Andy Murray at the London Olympics and reckons he’s bearing up well. It’s quickly back on the horse for Murray at his home Games, just two weeks after his hea-
rt-breaking loss to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final with the Scot saying he has come to terms with his nightmare loss. Murray was bidding to become Britain’s first Wimbledon men’s singles champion for 76 years. Australian Hewitt, 31, in his twilight of his injury-ravaged career with his ranking down to 158, said the world number
four would be anxious to atone for his shock first-round defeat by Chinese Taipei’s Lu YenHsun at the 2008 Olympics. Murray is drawn to face world number 26 Stanislas Wawrinka in the opening round of the London 2012 tournament at Wimbledon and Hewitt said the Scot would have to be ready AFP to play.
Britain’s Andy Murray trains at the Olympic tennis venue
Carl Lewis jumps into Romney row LONDON: US athletics legend Carl Lewis suggested on Friday that Mitt Romney should have stayed away from the Olympics after the White House hopeful offended organisers by saying London was underprepared. Romney, the Republican former governor of Massachusets, sparked widespread criticism in Britain after saying on Wednesday that there were “disconcerting” reports about London’s ability to stage the Games. Ahead of the opening ceremony, Lewis suggested Romney should have stayed at home. “Every Olympics is ready, I don’t care whatever he said,” Lewis told Britain’s Independent newspaper.
Drug cases show system working LONDON: International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said on Friday a spate of failed drugs tests ahead of the London Games proved authorities were winning the war on doping. Speaking ahead of the official opening, he said he welcomed the fact that cases involving around 15 athletes had been confirmed leading up the Games. “As far as the athletes being caught before the Games, this is a good sign for the fight against doping,” Rogge said. “We are continuing to test, test and test again. This is proof that the system works, that the system is effective, and that the system is a deterrent.”
31
SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Man City rip open Arsenal BEIJING: Manchester City exposed problems in the heart of Arsenal's defence to seal a 2-0 friendly victory at Beijing's Olympic stadium on Friday. Two goals just before half-time from Pablo Zabaleta and Yaya Toure proved enough for the Premier League champions against an Arsenal side without many of its key players — including wantaway captain Robin van Persie. The striker has been at the centre of transfer speculation linking him to both Manchester clubs. City boss Roberto Mancini earlier this week said he was a keen admirer of the Dutchman. Arsenal started brightly in torrential rain. Theo Walcott — known as Xiao Laohu, or tiger cub in Chinese — burst through the right on four minutes to cross for fellow England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but the chance was snuffed out by Stefan AFP Savic.
Piercy holds on to lead America’s Scott Piercy shared the lead with South Africa’s Tim Clark at the end of the second round of the Candian Open after he shot a three-under 67. TORONTO: Scott Piercy maintained a share of the lead on Friday after the second round of the Canadian Open while South Africa's Tim Clark matched Piercy's course record from the previous day to move into contention. William McGirt shot a fourunder 66 to join first-round leader and fellow American Piercy atop the leaderboard at the $5.2 million Canadian Open. Piercy had a three-under 67 as he and McGirt reached 11-under 129. Piercy is trying to keep a relaxed attitude and he likes the way he is playing this week at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club course. "It's kind of a boring 67 to be honest," said Piercy, who matched the tournament's 36-hole scoring record. "There was not a lot of excitement like yesterday. Made a putt or two for birdie, made a couple of nice par saves. Really not in a whole lot of trouble most of the day and solid overall." Robert Garrigus was two shots back of the leaders after a 66, and Bo Van Pelt was at nine under following a 66. Clark, of Durban, equalled
Piercy's opening round course record with a eight-under 62 on Friday. Clark is tied in fifth with Fijian-Indian Vijay Singh (67) and American Josh Teater (65) at eight-under 132. Colombia's Camilo Villegas
shot a six-under 64 to join Bud Cauley (63), Troy Matteson (68) at seven under. British Open champion Ernie Els improved on his first round performance but still missed the cut with 70.
"It's unfortunate I didn't have my game with me," Els said. "There's always next time." Former Masters champ Mike Weir also missed the cut with his second consecutive round of AFP 72.
Olesen fends off rivals
Denmark’s Thronbjorn Olesen managed to keep his opponents away as he finished with a 16-under-par 200 at the Austrian Open.
Querrey claims 11th straight victory LOS ANGELES: Sam Querrey won his 11th consecutive match at the Los Angeles Open on Friday, spending just 36 minutes on court to post a 6-2, 3-1 quarter-final win as Xavier Malisse retired with an injury. Fifth seed Malisse had to quit with a knee injury which had bothered him since the start of the hardcourt tournament at the UCLA venue. The easy passage gives twotime winner Querrey, of California, a Saturday semi-final against compatriot Rajeev Ram,
who upset Argentine third seed Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. In the other semis at the, sixth seed Marinko Matosevic of Australia will face Lithuanian qualifier Richard Be-rankis. Fourth seed Nicolas Mahut lost 6-4, 6-4 to fourth seed Berankis. He was unable to keep a clean slate against the 22-year-old after beating him last summer. Matosevic defeated Michael Russell 6-2, 6-3 a day after the 34year-old put out French top seed AFP Benoit Paire.
VIENNA: Denmark's Thornbjorn Olesen managed to hold off a pack of rivals snapping at his heels on the third day of the Austrian Open on Friday, finishing with a 16-under-par 200, three strokes clear of his nearest challenger. Olesen matched his second-round score of 68 from Thursday, but fell shy of the blistering 64 he had carded Wednesday to match the course record on the par-72 at Atzenbrugg, near Vienna. Rikard Karlberg of Sweden came next on the leader board at 13 under after shooting a 66 for his third round, followed by the quartet of England's Richard Bland, France's Benjamin Hebert and Thomas Levet, and local hero Bernd Wiesberger. Hebert, who had gotten off to a slow start with an opening round of 72, matched Olesen
and the course record Friday with a 64. Levet, who was second overnight, had an uneven front nine but managed to hold on for a share of third place. Olesen's co-leader from the first round, Spaniard Pablo La-
rrazabal, managed to battle back to eight under par overall — putting him in 14th place — after suffering a difficult second day that saw him hit two over par before the weather forced him inside after nine holes. AFP
32
SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Gayle storm strikes New Zealand as WI take lead NORTH SOUND, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA: Chris Gayle
marked his return to five-day cricket by hitting 150 as the West Indies moved past New Zealand’s 351 on the third day of the first Test to build up a healthy lead. At stumps, the hosts were 442 for 6 — a lead of 91 — with Gayle and Kieran Powell both hitting centuries before Assad Fudadun and Narsingh Deonarine weighed in with half centuries to give the
Hami delighted with speed “Tomorrow when we get into qualifying I have no doubts that Fernando [Alonso, Ferrari] will all of a sudden find half a second and the Red Bulls will also find a chunk of time. I think we’re not in a bad position.” Hamilton has only scored four points in three races since he won the Canadian Grand Prix win, but said he felt in excellent form going into this weekend’s AFP Hungarian race.
Scrabble
SOLUTIONS
Schumi shrugs off major crash Michael Schumacher on Friday shrugged off a major crash during a rain-hit second practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, saying he had simply run out of track. He lost control of his Mercedes car and crashed into the tyre barriers after he careered off the circuit in treacherous wet conditions at the Hungaroring circuit.
Boggle
R
osary Convent School (A) and Bharati Vidya Bhavan ‘A’ were crowned as the girls and boys Inter School Team Champions respectively at the St Paul’s School table tennis tournament which was held at the St Paul’s School in Hyderguda, Hyderabad on Friday. In the girls competition, the students from Rosary Convent School (A) thrashed their rivals from Bharati Vidya Bhavan School (A) with a convincing 3-1 victory. Meanwhile, in the boys event, Bharati Vidya Bhavan School (A) got the better of their opponents, Meridian School (A), by defeating them 3-0 to clinch the title.
KENYA EGYPT LIBYA RWANDA ANGOLA
Suduko
said he was delighted with the speed and potential of his McLaren car after dominating both of Friday’s free practice sessions for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The 2008 drivers champion said he had ‘absolutely no problems’ as he led team-mate and fellow-Briton Jenson Button in a McLaren one-two in the morning and was then fastest again in the afternoon’s rain-hit session. He said: “It’s been a really positive day. I’m very, very happy. We made some good changes to the car to get it dialled in and we’re on the right path, but we’ve still got some work to do. The Red Bull looks very quick, so does the Lotus, and obviously the Ferrari as well. So we’re by no means feeling comfortable.” Hamilton said he expected several rivals to improve on Saturday after suffering from the weather and conditions on Friday. “I feel good in the car, but practice is completely different to qualifying,” he said.
Number game
BUDAPEST: Lewis Hamilton
Rosary Convent, BVB win TT titles
home side a solid edge as the Black Caps struggled even given some swing from the new ball. Deonarine was still there on 54 with skipper Darren Sammy on eight after Fudadin fell to the bowling of Williamson for 55. Gayle, playing his first Test after more than 18 months due to his stand-off with the West Indies Cricket Board following comments he made about officials in a radio interview, smacked 17 bound-
aries and four sixes as he made his mark in a 206-ball inning before falling to the bowling of Kane Williamson. He enabled the hosts to put on 254 for the first wicket alongside Kieran Powell before Brendon McCullum took the catch in the deep. Earlier, Gayle brought up his 14th Test ton by smashing Chris Martin for six over midwicket, having earlier hit four successive boundaries off the same bowler.