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The Hindu : WebEx Communications and GoCycle have collaborated to organise the ‘Car-Free Week’ which will go on till April 26. The week, say the organisers, will culminate with a cycle rally on April 27. The aim, they add, “is to encourage cycling amongst Bangaloreans and make it a habit to do small errand jobs on cycle, and if possible pedal to work, at least a day in a week. This will not only bring down the pollution levels in the city, but make us healthier and more sensitive to the surrounding.” To be part of the event log on tohttp://www.gocycle.in or SMS ‘GoCycle’ to 9980153695 for more information….More

The Hindu : A book is a fragile creature, it suffers the wear of time, it fears rodents, the elements and clumsy hands. So the librarian protects the books not only against mankind but also against nature and devotes his life to this war with the forces of oblivion— Umberto EcoHowever, your book could be an old Rocket or Softbook or a newer REB1100 or REB1200s, or the latest Sony PRS-505, or Amazon’s own Kindle, or any other electronic book/ reader and then your problems would be about weight, battery life, screen resolution and contrast etc.Several generations of the eBook, each correcting the flaws of the previous generation, have been developed since Alan Kay, a postgraduate student first conceptualised the Dynabook: “a portable interactive personal computer, as accessible as a book”The first was the paperback-sized Rocket eBook, launched in 1998, which held 10 books (4000 pages of text and graphics), weighed one pound, had a 4-by-3-inch high resolution screen, a selection of font sizes, could be set for left or right hand use, had search and bookmarking facilities and cost $ 270. Today, the eBook is lighter, better-looking, multi-functional and has many more uses than before.But do these eBooks actually come close to the experience of a real book? Steven Beattie, critic and editor says, “To this point, no one has developed an effective e-reader. And I’m not sure I see that technology taking off anywhere except the academy, for the simple reason that nobody wants to read a novel on a screen”.Umberto Eco makes a similar distinction between eBooks based on function: if you are using it for ‘consulting’, then it will do very well, with the added advantage of not taking up precious space on shelves, but, he says, “I don’t think it’s possible to read Homer on the computer”.That’s a distinction that most of us would make, like Stephen H. Wildstrom of Business Week, who…More

The Hindu : While she was tutoring brain anatomy at Wayne State University Medical School and was developing PEP, she was invited to India in 1990 for a project she was working on. Again she was invited in ’95 and decided to make Bangalore her home. Patricia has given free sessions to children with problems, adults and normal children with her PEP. While here she also took to the studies of the Vedas “from a physiological point of view” and wrote the book “The Enchanting Song of The Human”. How does PEP help? “Most people miss out on early development. So certain cultures are missed. This programme goes back or rather takes you back through a series of activities to what was missed out on. This has resulted in an incredible change in the behaviour pattern. PEP is designed with different levels of activities depending on the age. It makes people see things differently. Anybody can do a PEP,” explains Patricia.She closed down her clinic recently and plans to return to the US to be with her children. “I’m not going back discouraged but want to spend some time with my children. My life here has been wonderful. Indians are wonderful people,” says the 78-year-old Patricia who also believes that each individual can so something with “the power of one life. You can positively influence others. I am a quiet person, never advertised, published, but still my work has reached many people in India and abroad. I believe that everybody has a chance to help other people. I do not have any special powers, but have been fortunate enough to know how people and their brains work and used that talent to help them.”The fascination for the brain is because it’s an “incredible organ. It’s a matter of the timing of the brain, brain waves and things like that, which are fascinating,” says Patricia. “People seem to have…More

The Hindu : You’ve heard the story of the stone soup, haven’t you? A hungry man knocks at a door, tells the woman of the house he has a magic stone that makes excellent soup. He slips it into hot water and asks for salt, pepper and vegetables to giveit the right zing. Finally, he declares: “My stone has made the perfect soup for you. Taste it, madam!”There is an invisible, magical element in our kitchen. It makes dishes reach magnificent heights or fall like a first-time soufflé. Most cooking disasters can directly be traced to it. You never really “see” it or measure it, but you know it’s indispensable. It’s heat. Yep, that something you keep adjusting as you cook.Significance of heatHeat changes the chemistry of what you cook. It changes the texture and flavour. Even five to 10 degrees can alter the taste. How many of you will accept a lukewarm cup of coffee?You are frustrated that the kadhai takes forever to heat up. Potato burns outside but remains hardcore. You feel sapped of energy standing in the thermal landscape. And because heat flows in and out, a perfectly made dish can taste flat if there’s delay in bringing it to the table.“Absolutely!” says Manuel Mitra, Executive Chef, Le Royal Meridien. His steak is turning, so meat is what he begins with. “The best meat is half done, though it’s cooked to the customer’s preference. When you overcook meat, vegetable or pasta, it absorbs a lot of water and begins leaching when you add the seasoning. Rice does not absorb flavour when overdone. Cook whole chicken at 200 degree for 45 minutes. Chicken at low temperatures is rubber. Grill for 10 minutes. Cook pork at 160 – 170 degree over a few hours. Turn the temperature on high, it’s as good as wood. Beef and lamb generally at 200 degree.” He’s not happy that Indians love…More

The Hindu : Heritage walkHow well do you know your city? Bangalore City Project presents the Whitefield Urban Space Event, organised by Udbhava a forum for urban design, built heritage, architecture and visual arts on April 26, 3.15 p.m. The event will include visits to theMemorial Church, Our Lady of Lourdes Church and Kaolin Hill, and the Ecumenical Christian Centre. Presentations on the history of Whitefield, readings from letters on Whitefield and bird watching are also on the cards. The Whitefield Urban Space event is designed not only to raise awareness but also to emphasise the need for integrated, planning and development. Whitefieldwas set up by the Eurasian and Anglo-Indian Association of Mysore and Coorg in 1882 on 3,900 acres of land. The Memorial Church in Whitefield is the starting point. The event is free and open to all. Call 25205305/6/7/8 or visit http://bcp.wikidot. com/start…More

The Hindu : In the jam-packed hall at the ITC Windsor Manor , as part of an attempt to create an off-field style statement for the Royal Challengers, Louie Philippe unveiled their new collection crafted for the team. Though the event was delayed, the sight of the RC cricketers like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Praveen Kumar, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ross Taylor and even Chief Cricketing officer (CCO), Martin Crowe walk the ramp, more than made up for the rather long wait.The show was anchored by the lively Mandira Bedi dressed to the nines in daring back-less dress, who quizzed the players about the cricketing and non-cricketing aspects of their lives. She also managed to force Wasim Jaffer and an energetic Virat Kohli to sing a Punjabi song. Kohli even did an impromptu jig on the ramp, much to the delight of the audience.The players looked chilled out and seemed to enjoy strutting their stuff. The collection showcased three looks — formal, casual and evening wear and the highlight was the Z shirt which was a marriage of the formal and informal look. However, the highlight of the evening remained the interaction between Mandira and the players. When asked about his wrestling skills, pacer Praveen Kumar, who comes from a wrestling family, said he would be “a farmer rather than a wrestler. Kumar, who showcased the formal wear collection, commented he preferred dressing in casuals rather than formals.Mandira’s questions on the cricketers’ alternate choice of career spawned a series of fascinating options. From Rahul Dravid’s staid choice of a nine-to-five job pushing files to Kiwi batsman Ross Taylor’s option of chicken farming had the audience in splits.Speedster Venkatesh Prasad wistfully said: “I would have loved to play now. Cricket is undergoing some dramatic changes and money seems to be flowing into the game.”Nothing was impossible for the sprightly Mandira except trying to convince South African wicket keeper batsman…More

The Hindu : Diesel power is catching on, but there will always be those who want the refinement of a petrol engine, or their higher-than-diesel rev limits. These people will not mind paying that extra bit at the pump; for them, the gains are worth it. Skoda haslaunched petrol versions of the Fabia for customers like these, beginning with the 1.4-litre version.The cabinThe Fabia’s relatively heavy door slams shut with a satisying ‘thunk’. The tinny sound that you hear from other small cars’ doors is mercifully missing in the Fabia. Its cabin is identical to the Fabia’s diesel version.This means that the build quality can rival cars from a few segments higher. Making yourself comfortable at the Fabia’s wheel is easy, thanks to two-way adjustment for both the steering wheel and driver’s seat. The dash has a simple, logical layout (except for the configuration of the headlight/wiper stalks), making it very easy and instinctive to use. However, the design is a bit plain. You get a good view of the road from the front seats, thanks to the thin windscreen pillars and the steering wheel feels quite nice to grip.The Fabia is at the top end of the ‘supermini’ class, so it is very spacious. All the seats offer plenty of head and legroom, enough for four strapping adults to travel in comfort, and five to squeeze in for shorter journeys. The boot is deep and well-shaped, too, and easily capable of lugging all the stuff from your mall trips.The driveStart the motor and you will be instantly floored by its quietness. Slot into first, release the clutch (which is lighter than the diesel’s) and you get a taste of the car’s instant responsiveness. This 1390cc, 16-valve engine uses four cylinders, unlike the diesel’s three.It puts out a modest 85bhp. The standout feature of the engine is its refinement, even near the redline.In the power stakes, the car…More

The Hindu : When a friend called up one morning in squeaky-voiced glee to report that a sparrow had entered her bedroom I thought she’d been dreaming. After all, sparrows have vanished from inner city areas the world over. Apparently this one had shot in through her window, flapped about a bit, and shot back out again. She hopefully put out bread crumbs on the balcony but was not blessed with a further sighting.It may be time to think about sparrows. I know Earth Day has come and gone in a flash and you’re probably exhausted from having spent a whole 24 hours pondering the fate of the planet, but why not turn your gaze from the big picture to the microscopic one? Consider the little people of the natural world.I was secretly envious of my friend. In the late Nineties when sparrows had already made themselves scarce I was proud to have hosted a couple. Possibly the last one in Bangalore, I told myself smugly. They chose the eaves outside our bedroom window. I felt like I’d won the Pulitzer (“They chose me, they chose me!”). They built a nest. They raised babies three years in a row. Then they left, abruptly. I was bereft. Now here was my friend claiming to have seen one, however momentarily. Not fair.Instead of cute birds I now have no-so-cute insects making my acquaintance. Actually, cuteness should not be a criterion for befriending our fellow creatures. Why should wasps, for instance, be any less welcome in our homes? Er, besides the fact that they can sting, I mean. A flight of copper-coloured stingers explored the possibility of nesting in two holes drilled at the base of our aluminium-framed sliding window. It would have been fine if they’d remained outside but the squadron broke up and a few of them carried out indoor sorties. We bought a canister of insect repellent that…More

The Hindu : Right now the hair is blonde and the eyes are blue as the girls in hotpants and tank tops do their pom-pom routines being the eye candy for ticket paying audiences at Indian Premier League cricket matches. But soon the skin will turn tan as the outsourced Washington Redskins girls make way for the Indian cheerleaders.It is Archie Comics come alive with an opportunity to be either Betty or Veronica. The all-time American teenagers’ dream is taking birth in India too. The ongoing IPL tournament has taken entertainment to a new level. Television watchers in the last five days have been intrigued by the cheerleaders. Their ‘performance’and high-powered movements are as exciting as the shots of the players. Is there a new opportunity for aspiring models and young girls who wish to be part of show-biz? Is professional cheerleading a career option for young girls?“As a career? I don’t think so. Inter-college sports and competitions give us a good excuse to scream our lungs out and do a jig on the field. But out there at such a huge platform, I won’t be comfortable,” says Asha M. a city college student. “We do it all the time at college functions and competitions… but personally to be a part of the squad and entertain the audience in the name of cheering is not my cup of tea,” says Swetha, a third year Architecture student.Sharing a similar view, 19-year-old Madhu says, “I like this concept of having entertainment blended with sport, and feel thrilled that it’s there in India now. But that’s about it, beyond college premises, I’ll not be tempted to take part.”The nay-sayers might be a majority right now, but things certainly would change.According to the Redskins website, a national audition of Indian women for cheerleaders is already on. Once the squads are identified, only the choreographer of the Redskins will remain with the Royal…More

The Hindu : Five thousand years ago in the late Stone Age, before the pyramids of Egypt were built, the pagan people of the British Isles constructed some of the greatest monuments of the ancient world. Across the country fabulous constructions of wood, earth and stone were rising. Enter the world of their builders as we travel from the ancient stone villages of the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland, to Stonehenge, in Southern England. Using computer animation, The History Channel reconstructed the monument as it appeared to those people and then traced a forgotten ancient pathway to Stonehenge’s lost twin – Woodhenge. “The Lost Worlds – Pagans” will be telecast on April 23 at 10 p.m. on The History Channel.On Thursday, April 24, the “Ice Road Truckers – Ready to Roll” will be telecast. This one is all about how the road construction crews begin the process of creating the most unique passage in the world — a 350-mile highway of ice. In this episode, viewers will also get to see truck drivers from North America have the stamina and strength to weather the brutal temperatures and severe blizzards….More