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The Hindu : A new FerrariFerrari’s V8 will be launched at the Paris Motor ShowFerrari’s new 2+2 V8 will be launched at the Paris Motor Show in October and will feature two new developments : a folding steel hard-top and a direct-injection engine.That engine should have a capacity of around 4.3 litres, but it will owe little to the F430’s high-revving 4.3 V8, aside from the engine block.Sources say it will have all-new injection rails, new intakes, new cylinder heads and a new valve-train, and it will also mark the debut of a type of throttle body never before used on a car. Direct injection will increase fuel efficiency by up to eight per cent, and a new gearbox will give further gains.Regardless of what it is called, the newFerrari will spearhead the company’s push towards 10,000 cars a year, and is expected to contribute around 4,000 sales a year.Ferrari’s current volumes are just over 6.000 cars a year….More

The Hindu : Emmy Award winner Tina Fey writes, produces and stars as Liz Lemon in “30 Rock”, a Golden Globe Award-winning American sitcom. “30 Rock” is a workplace comedy where the workplace exists behind-the-scenes of a live variety show. The show is told through the comedic voice of Fey and features Alec Baldwinas Jack Donaghy, the brash new network executive who has turned the show upside down with his meddling ways.Liz Lemon is the head writer of a demanding, live sketch-comedy series called “The Girlie Show”. Although she’s always up to her ears with work, this single woman is happy with her life because she’s living the dream of every comedy writer in the Big Apple. Season two’s star-studded list of guests include Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Buscemi, Carrie Fisher, Al Gore, David Schwimmer and The Sopranos’ Edie Falco. Catch the madcap comedy of 30 Rock exclusively on Star World from April 17 at 9 p.m….More

The Hindu : Testing times at ArjeplogA peek into what a Fiat car goes through before you drive itI’m in Arjeplog. Yes, even I didn’t hear of it before this. It’s really cold here. At this time of the year, the reindeer have headed south to warmer climes. At this time of the year, the preferred mode of transport is a snowmobile. At this time of the year, hot coffee becomes cold coffee before you can say Jack Frost. At this time of the year, it is minus 17 degrees Celsius. At this time of the year, there’s a metre-thick layer of ice over the lake. This time of the year is really good for winter testing.I’m beginning to wonder what I’m doing here, a mere 100 km shy of the Arctic Circle. Through chattering teeth, I thank Fiat. The basic idea behind this drive is to show us the extreme conditions that are part of the development phase of a Fiat. The idea behind the basic idea is to show us how much fun it is driving on ice.Fiat is among the many manufacturers who test cars at the Colmis proving grounds at Arjeplog. Part of Colmis’ appeal lies in the 1,000 hectares of wide-open frozen lake that they have at their disposal. For car manufacturers, it provides a brilliant testing ground for traction control systems, ABS and ESP systems among other things.For us Indian journalists, it is a rare opportunity to indulge in carefree, uncontrolled hooliganism. A chance to completely let go.You see, on a lake, there’s nothing to hit but soft snow banks. You can easily push cars beyond their limits and get away without the agony of bent panels and damaged cars.It is a good thing that we have driven both these cars before — in more hospitable conditions. You see, when it gets this cold, you can’t get a seat of the pants…More

The Hindu : So, who has brought all those cricketers from Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India and England onto one platform? That too in a film? It’s Ajitpal Mangat, ad filmmaker for Hindustan Lever, Proctor and Gamble and Johnson and Johnson. The film, “Victory”, is produced by Manmohan Shetty and directed by Ajitpal. He has just concluded shooting in Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium with Australian and Indian cricketers such as Brett Lee, Brad Hogg, Luke Ronchi, Michael Hussey, Stuart Clarke, Simon Katich, Dinesh Karthik, R. P. Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Pankaj Singh and Praveen Kumar.One might remember Ajitpal in Basu Chatterjee’s film “Hamari Shaadi”, which won him a National Awards nomination for Best Actor.This is Ajitpal’s debutdirectorial venture withHarman Baweja and Amrita Rao in the cast.The film is already making news because real life cricketers such as Lee, Hogg and R.P. Singh “play vital roles”, says Ajitpal.The story“It’s about a boy from a small town (Harman) whose father (Anupam Kher) nurtures the dream of making him a national cricketer,” says Ajitpal, during a break in the shooting. “How he goes on to become a cricketer and copes with the pressures of stardom form the crux of the film. It is about what goes on inside a cricketer’s mind.It’s a film on cricket, yet my characters are not bigger than the film.”So how does he manage so many star cricketers together?“It’s absolutely cool,” he says “Most of these cricketers have no airs because they all come from small towns and have risen to star status. Brett Lee even asked me, ‘Whose story is this?’ because most of them related to the experiences I have shot in the film. As for acting, except Lee, who has really prepared for Bollywood, others had to be guided a little. They had to be told about the ‘expressions’. Lee is fond of make-up too. He used to take a lot of time inside…More

The Hindu : Samantha Kochhar looks every bit a cover girl. And she carries herself like one too. The woman who has helped several top-notch models and actors put their best face forward, approaches beauty as an art. “Yes, the face is my canvas,” she smiles.“A beautician can make or mar your face. And that’s why it’s important for professionals to get the right guidance before getting started,” she says. “A good makeup artist helps you better your looks with simple techniques.”Juggling brushes of varied sizes and peering at her ‘canvas’, she continues, “Chennai has good potential. But we need to raise the bar to get where Mumbai and New Delhi are. So what I’m trying to do is unlock creativity and shape aspirants into thinking makeup artists.”AirbrushSamantha’s next step would be to popularise the airbrush technique in the South.“It has caught on in New Delhi and Mumbai. The method is hygienic and it involves spraying micro-fine particles on your face. Like spray painting, the finish is even,” says the celebrity make-up artist and hair stylist, who has worked in many Bollywood films, including Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding.”“It’s a gruelling job. But once you make it, you can earn over Rs. 15,000 for a bridal. I was thrown out of class on day one. Being Blossom Kochhar’s daughter, it wasn’t a cakewalk for me. Mom told me that only hard work pays. I gradually picked up the threads and even now, I enrol myself for up-gradation courses. It’s a continuous learning process. We are dealing with a live canvas — the face, and a natural accessory — the hair. We can’t afford to mess-up.” Over the years, Samantha has navigated a high-powered career — hosting make-over shows for television channels including NDTV, groomed models for beauty pageants and fashion shows and lending her artistic hands to international ramp shows. “Talk about beauty awareness, and Samantha beams, “It’s never…More

The Hindu : “When I started working in the social sector in the late ’70s, I had little idea about many things.” You don’t expect such frank words from activists, often seen as know-alls. Well, this is Delhi-based social activist Madhu Kishwar, firebrand editor of respected women’s magazine “Manushi”, talking about her past mistakes.Sitting in her office on Rajpur Road, Kishwar continues her candid confession: “I have learnt from my mistakes. Everyone should. There is nothing wrong in it. Simply because every act of activism has something to teach you.”“There can’t be one thumb rule for every situation.” If one has to respect India’s social diversity realistically, this message needs to be the common thread across all legislations for social reform, she stresses.The point forms the nucleus of her latest book, “Zealous Reformers Deadly Laws”, published by Sage India. The tome is as much for the sceptic as for the realist. It has a lesson in rationalism for those who suspect the motives of activists, or for those who feel that laws are often toothless when it comes to fighting injustice.The book, a collection of her select articles written in “Manushi” over years, has a chapter on the inheritance rights of Ho women, and how it is not always true that tribal women have more rights than their non-tribal counterparts. The chapter brings alive an old sore. “It shattered me,” she says.Kishwar is referring to Maki Bui, a widow from the Ho community of Bihar’s Singhbum district. Maki Bui wanted to bequeath her house to her daughter. But according to tribal laws, it should go to one of her husband’s agnates after her death in the absence of a son. Kishwar, through Manushi Sangathan, filed a PIL in the court in 1981 to help Maki get justice. The case went on for years and so did the threats of her husband’s family. She had to leave her village…More

The Hindu : Brett Lee is, as Brad Hogg puts it, “the naughtiest guy” among the Aussies. But arguably the fastest bowler around, he exudes friendliness as he meets journalists. He tries to capture your weirdest expressions on his handy cam while you speak to him. “You have exactly two minutes to ask your question,” he quips, then takes long to answer that mini question!He is always smiling, except when asked to sing the song he sang with Asha Bhosle. He thinks some journalists are making a joke out of it. Ask him about Bollywood and the smile returns. “I have learnt thora thoraHindi. The problem with Indians is that they speak half Hindi and half English, so I get confused.”In “Victory” he says he has a “full fledged” role. “As I play for the rival team opposite Harman (as the protagonist Shikhawat), I had to show that anger and competitiveness on my face. But I would often burst out laughing. It is difficult to convey an expression artificially,” he says.He says it is tough not to be attracted to Bollywood. “For me Bollywood seems to be a hub of Indian culture. I flip Indian channels to watch Bollywood films but I don’t remember their names.”Lee has heard of Amitabh Bachchan and had met him. “He is so humble and dignified. I have come to idolise him,” he says.He admits that apart from cricket and tourism, Bollywood is the main attraction for young Australian cricketers. It is also because many film stars have been a major force in spearheading the IPL. Lee, who is in Preity Zinta’s Mohali team, says she is his favourite actor and he has seen many of her films in bits and pieces.“Indian cricketers are very friendly, especially Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Dinesh Karthik. We do crib when ‘India jeet gaya’ (India wins) but we love them,” says Lee.A guitarist, he…More

The Hindu : Wake up to sleepSound sleep is not a passive ‘time-out’ but a must to keep illnesses at bayIf you thought “early to bed, early to rise…” was just a boring old cliché, think again. Increasingly, research in sleep medicine shows that getting a good night’s sleep might be the best thing you could do for your long-term health, productivity at work and general well-being.“We spend one-third of our lives sleeping but give sleep very little importance,” says Anand Gersappe, medical director of the Sleep Medicine Centres of Western New York and assistant professor of Neurology at the State University of New York (SUNY). Here’s why that needs to change: according to Anand, poor sleeping habits can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, depression and thyroid disorders. On a more pragmatic level, it causes daytime sleepiness, difficulty in concentrating, memory problems and decreased work efficiency and productivity.“Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairment in performance equivalent to alcohol intoxication,” says Anand. “Would you go to work drunk?”The mistake most of us make is in thinking of sleep as a passive ‘time-out’ from our busy lives. In fact, it’s an incredibly complex, highly active process that is controlled by eight to 10 different brain centres and several neurotransmitters. During a typical night’s sleep, you pass through five stages — stages one to four, with stages three and four being deep sleep, and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. If you’re not going through all five stages, you’re not going to feel rested.Unfortunately, far too many people today aren’t waking up feeling refreshed due to the prevalence of sleep disorders. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), for example, is today believed to occur in up to 25 per cent of the U.S. population, and studies suggest that its incidence is even greater in India.Cause for concernIn people suffering from OSA, the breathing passage of the throat narrows during…More

The Hindu : Step into the Indica and you’ll like the wide-opening doors and the high seats. But the driving position is uncomfortable — the high-set steering wheel and the almost-vertical pedals make any long drive uncomfortable. The uneven gaps in the dashboard panels are still an eyesore and the hard-wearing plastics make this cabin feel really cheap. The high dashboard makes it a bit difficult for shorter drivers to see the road ahead and the ergonomics are a bit off. There’s some cost-cutting too – the rear view mirror is not the anti-glare type. From the driver’s seat, the Indica is a disappointment.Not so in the Swift. The dashboard design is modern and the plastics and front seats are the best in this class. The only bit we don’t like about the Swift is the completely black dashboard, which makes it seem a tad gloomy.In contrast to the Swift is the Palio, with four different shades on the dashboard. The old Palio’s dashboard has been carried over, and it looks dated. The air-con still uses slider controls for the blower speed and fresh air mode. You sit relatively lower in the Palio, but visibility is not bad. The driving position is comfy, and the Palio’s seats are almost as good as the Swift’s. The Palio also has a dead pedal, which gives the car a slight edge over the Swift. You’ll like the Palio’s ‘built-from-a-block-of steel’ feel – something its two rivals fail to exude.None of the cars offer seat height adjustment or steering angle adjust.Space and PracticalityWe like the Swift’s front seats but the rear seats feel a little claustrophobic, largely due to the small windows, the thick C-pillar and the black upholstery. The small windows and thick pillars also limit rearward visibility.The Swift is the only one to provide the rear passengers with magazine pockets behind the front seats. What disappoints is the relatively small…More

The Hindu : PIX, the English movie channel and Ashok Amritraj, the Founder and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment began the enthralling journey for the search for a budding movie director to take India to Hollywood with “Gateway”, India’s first reality show on filmmaking.The dream to create cinematic history continues as “Gateway” now searches for the hand that will pen down the beguiling script to be directed by the winner of “Gateway”.If you’ve always nurtured the dream of making your words come alive, this is your chance to make your dream come true!To send in your entries log on to the websitewww.gateway.rediff.com and fill in the application form.You must submit a script encompassing any subject of your choice defining your vision as a scriptwriter.The script must not exceed four pages and the last date for submission is May 18….More