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The Hindu : y>Chevrolet adds LPG variants to Spark

Chevrolet has recently added two LPG variants to the Spark. The Spark LPG PS and the LPG LS are on sale now. The LPG kit is imported from Europe but is factory-fitted to the Spark, and shares the same three-year, 1,00,000km warranty as the rest of the car.

The Spark also enjoys a 45,000km maintenance holiday, whereby the company covers all the maintenance costs, excepting tyres, battery and accident damage.

Both the Santro and Wagon R have LPG variants, and GM is hoping for a slice of the pie with the Spark LPG. The ARAI-certified figure for the Spark LPG is 13.7kpl. The LPG tank has been packaged into the space formerly used for the spare tyre, and now the spare itself has been bolted on to the rear seat back, compromising what was already a small boot.

The Spark LPG is approximately Rs 20,000 more expensive than the petrol versions, but the running costs on LPG are about 50 per cent cheaper.

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The Hindu :

On Doctor’s Day, here is what real doctors have to say about their reel avatars

Life line The medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy, is immensely popular

They are a crucial part of our lives. Doctors are also indispensable part of of reel life. Medical dramas are amongst the most popular shows on television these days. On Facebook alone, “Grey’s Anatomy” has a fan following of 1.7 million. On Doctor’s Day today, MetroPlus checks out how doctors and the medical professionare represented on telly and in film. In terms of the number of daily soaps that involve hospitals and medical practitioners, the West scores big time as compared to India. However, shows like “Sanjeevani” that used to be aired on Star Plus a few years ago and the current favourite “Dil Mil Gaya”, on Star One have its staunch supporters.

“Attention is paid to make ups and break ups among interns and superiors to the extent that the medical aspect is either sidelined or misrepresented,” observes Krishnaveni B., a doctor.

“Medical procedures being depicted inaccurately is another thing that puts people off, says journalism student Mugdha Patel. “Our Indian melodramas are such that even a lay person ends up laughing at what they see, as in the case of people being resurrected fifteen episodes after they’ve suffered third degree burns and have been declared ‘brought dead’ by the hospital authorities.”

According to Mita S., another doctor, “What gets to me is that these serials not only reveal the ignorance of writers, but also make doctors look like they don’t know what they are doing and don’t care about the patients. For example, doctors are supposed to register a medico-legal case while treating accident/poisoning/suicide victims. However, what one sees on TV is a haughty doctor who refuses to even look at the patients. Doctors taking bribes and issuing false reports seem the hallmarks of most Hindi soaps.”

Complete face…More

The Hindu :

BMW X3 now has a diesel option while Audi Q5 offers extra equipment. Check out the advantages

The X3 has been in India for more than a year, but didn’t have a diesel option for most of this time. But ever since the launch of the X3 diesel, the sales of the car have grown considerably. The newly introduced Q5 is more expensive, but Audihopes the extra equipment offered will offset the higherprice. The Q5 is new and is the X3’s only competition at present. Though both cars have high-powered petrol options on offer, we test the more relevant BMW X3 2.0 diesel and the Audi Q5 3.0 TDi to find outwhich one would be the best to take home. For the size, both seem overpriced, and maybe not exactly what your ego demands, but still are great cars to own and drive.

Both are based on car platforms — the new A4’s modular chassis for the Q5 and the previous-generation E46 3-series chassis for the X3. Both cars have no ladder frame chassis or dedicated four-wheel-drive transfer cases with steel springs and are fully independent suspension layouts which are designed to carve corners rather than rumble over rocks.

Part of the reason they snap at sports cars’ heels on mountain roads is because they both come with full-time four-wheel-drive systems (which, as a default, distribute power with a 60 per cent rear bias) and stiff chassis. The only hints of their off-roading capabilities are their hill descent control and an off-road ESP setting, not to mention decent ground clearance. The technology these cars have does little to impress owners who feel the urge to run into the wild. The Q5 does have an option of adjustable damper control and variable-ratio steering in other markets, but Audi isn’t offering it in India as yet.

The Q5 is longer, wider and has a longer wheelbase…More

The Hindu : y>On the occasion of World Daughters’ Day, BINDU TOBBY raises a toast to daughters, thanking them for the sunshine they spread in our lives

Photo: Sampath Kumar g.p.Celebrating togetherness A daughter is a gem, precious and polished

A pair of small, tender hands gingerly clings to your little finger. You check to make sure the name-plate, pig tails, pinafore, bloomers, school bag, food basket et al are neatly in place for her first day at school. Just as the bell rings and you loosen grasp, your tiny tot tightens her hold. Smiling you get down on your knees explaining to her that she would learn to love school soon enough, as hot tears start streaming down from her enormous brown eyes…

Seemingly few moments later, tucked proudly into your arm is the slender arm of a beautiful, graceful and poised young woman, in a flawless white wedding gown. You trudge up the aisle to give her hand away in marriage to the smart young man standing at the altar. This time it is your grasp that tightens. With flushed cheeks, you fight the moisture in your eyes while your ‘little’ girl pats your hand reassuringly…

Daughters. Mama’s precious princess. And daddy’s little angel. And yet tradition calls her ‘paraya dhan’ (another’s wealth). In a country where foetal sex determination is still illegal because of the ‘stigma’ associated with bearing a female child and dowry deaths still continue, it is heartening that we have a day in the year dedicated to daughters – to celebrate the liveliness, richness and fulfilment they add to our lives.

Alice Leen Jacob, who was adopted when she was just seven months old recounts how her parents described the day she became a part of the family: “A cute little seven-month-old baby girl, was standing up holding the wooden bar of the cradle and smiling at us in a wet diaper”…More

The Hindu : y>Car and bike questions? We have the answers

I want to buy a new car for my daily commute that is low maintenance and gives good mileage. I’m considering the diesel variants of the Indica Vista, Hyundai Verna and new Skoda Laura. Please advise.

Parag Mutha

The cars you have shortlisted are from a wide range, and the best option really depends on your budget. Since you currently own a Ford Ikon 1.6, we feel the Verna diesel would be a logical upgrade. It is also best suited for you because after the fun-to-drive character of the Ikon, the Verna will give you more driving pleasure (thanks to its potent 110bhp diesel engine) than other diesels you have mentioned. If you can spend more, then the Laura diesel is also a good option. However, if you want to escape the frustrations of regular maintenance, a safe bet would be the Volkswagen Jetta as market reports suggest that the aftersales for VW is better than Skoda.Toyota Innova, Tata Safari and Mahindra Scorpio, which is better in performance, stability and luxury over long distances?

D. Sabari Eswaran

Of the three, the Toyota Innova has the most comfortable seating. It has a smooth engine, it’s a good cruiser and is a stable car to drive on the highways. If you aren’t driving, you could also look at the Tata Safari.I currently drive the Tata Indica DLS and I am planning to upgrade to a bigger diesel car, I drive an average 1,500 km a month. Help me choose a car from the following three options: Fiat Linea Emotion Pk, Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi SXI and Verna 1.5 SX CRDi VGT.

Karthikeyan Mathiyalagan

The Fiat Linea is available with good equipment. Other positives of the Linea include good power and mileage. It’s a car that has a solid feel to it and offers good on-road stability. The Verna looks…More

The Hindu : C.K. MEENA

What creates a buzz in the media is often nothing more than an irritant

Photo: AFPSwatting flies Barack Obama

Obama kills a fly and US television goes ker-aa-zy. I kill mosquitoes every night. Do I make the news? Sadly, no.

Maybe I should film myself murdering mosquitoes and upload it on You-Tube. In my more boastful moments I call myself One-shot Annie (after the legendary sure-shot Annie Oakley). I sit on my haunches on the bed under the mosquito net, scanning the area for the stray fella who might have managed to sneak in. My cupped palms follow it stealthily. One smash and it’s a fading smudge. Don’t you think it would make a charming video? Since I’m – er – not exactly dressed for TV when I engage in this operation, it should cause a mighty kerfuffle. I’m guessing millions of hits.

This whole business is like a schoolboy joke. “What’s the buzz?” asks a news-hungry public. “A fly,” answers the media. The joke’s been on you, readers, for many years now. What creates a buzz, in many national newspapers and most TV channels, is often nothing more than an irritant, a pesky bit of trivia that is so light it could fly. The Brits use the expression “the silly season” for a period when there’s no real news to report and the papers indulge in frivolity. Well, it seems to be the silly season all year round. What else can you conclude when you notice that the Presidential Pesterminator made it to TV screens worldwide?

“Swatting flies” is our expression for idleness, for having nothing better to do. But apparently the way the prez firmly ordered the fly out of the studio and, when it disobeyed him, struck it forcefully and tapped it aside with his shoe, is a reflection of his decisiveness on foreign policy. (“Here’s my plan for Afghanistan. Take…More

The Hindu :

Michel Casanovas finds self expression in dance

Photo: Bhagya Prakash k.Creating new movements Michel Casanovas

He was so inspired by ballet that he started dancing very early in life. “It was the style of movement and ballet was the only proposition at that time,” says Michel Casanovas, from France. At the age of seven he decided to join a balletcompany, left home at the age of 13 and became a professional dancer at the age of 17.

“I had my first contract to be a dancer and have been travelling to Belgium, Canada and Switzerland,” says Michel who after years of ballet found himself stagnating. “Istarted venturing into modern dance and soon became a contemporary dancer-choreographer. I found ballet too formal, especially when you work with big companies. Modern dance is all about finding self expression and you get more freedom movement wise too.”

The dancer discovers new forms to find a way of direct expression.“Ballet is a great way to approach the body. It offers clarity and you get organised,” says this dancer who also teaches Feldenkrais method. This method, he says, helps dancers become aware of their bodies andhelps them overcome stress injuries.

He, in fact, is in India to teach this method and is also conducting varied dance workshops across the country.

Creating new movements is something that comes naturally, he explains. “It’snot about one style. Contemporary dance happened gradually and my body started training itself differently. Now I am into improvisation. More than teaching dance I help people find their own natural movement and ways to express themselves,” says Michel who also teaches regularly at Attakalari.

“Dance is an exploration for me. It is a complex world,” says Michel who has also collaborated with some of the Indian dancers. “There is massive growth in contemporary dance in India. Many classical dancers have adapted to thisto seek a new expression.”

About the challenges of…More

The Hindu : y>

Action-packed Get the transformer toys now

Funskool India has launched a line of movie-based Transformers Toys, to coincide with the release of the new Transformer movie “Transformers : The Revenge of the Fallen”, that hits screens across India on July 10. Fans will see the actionfigures showcasing popular characters like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in multiple scales – with many featuring lights and authentic sounds and phrases from the movie.

The toys will be available in three scales: Deluxe, Voyager and Leader. The toys also allows children to mix their voice through a “radio”, features realistic robot battle sounds and radio tune-in phrases to add authenticity to the play experience.

The Transformer toys are priced from Rs.175 onwards and are available in leading toy stores across the country.

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The Hindu : y>

Tata Motors is organising a monsoon campaign for its passenger cars with free check-ups, attractive discounts, and expert advice on offer for customers.

“It aims to provide exceptional value to its customers and further strengthen customer relationships,” say the organisers.

The campaign will be held across Karnataka till July 10 at all Tata Motors dealerships and authorised service centres.

The campaign will focus on checking vehicle parts that are especially critical in the monsoon — like the wiper blades, wiper motor, external lights, battery — and ensure that they are functioning properly.

Dealerships and service centres will also take care of outstanding issues, if any, faced by the customers.

Customers can also avail attractive discounts on car care treatments such as anti-rust treatment or exterior enrichment treatment.

For details log on towww.tatamotors.com

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The Hindu :

Phyllis Bose’s depiction of Gertrude Stein in a solo show was masterful

PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.the word became the stage Phyllis Bose

The Ranga Shankara stage was brown grey, and then there was some more brown grey. Phyllis Bose plays Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) , the American writer and patron of the arts and collector. She is dressed in a brown velvet dress, which looks very muchlike the dress Stein wore when she sat for Pablo Picasso. The different paintings on stage are copies by Bose herself. Books, pieces of eclectic furniture and paper are strewn around and the paintings are balanced and supported on tables, which make for makeshift easels. Bose, who begins reading from a hardbound book, looks every bit the avant-garde Stein.

She is performing “Gertrude” after 22 years. “In ’87, we toured with the piece in India. Being a big reader, I used to grumble about what Stein was talking about. She irritated me as I wondered why she did what she did. But the period she lived was interesting and I appreciated what she was doing. There was a huge experiment been done at the time in poetry and art.” Seagull Publications wanted Bose to revive the piece for their publication “Correspondence: Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein” and she performed at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai.

“Arundhati Nag wanted me to showcase the piece again in Bangalore, while it was still fresh in my mind.” Initially, Bose was scared. “It was so long ago — but I found that Gertrude was in my bones.”

Bose decided the way to go about putting the devised piece together was to do the paintings herself. “I have no background in painting, but I was keen on a set.” She says nothing has changed from the ’87 piece — she had the paintings rolled up and carefully stacked.

As a one-person piece, Bose knew that she could…More