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The Hindu :

Smart farmer

A husband and wife were driving down a country lane on their way to visit some friends. They came to a muddy hollow in the road when the car got stuck. After a few minutes of trying to get the car out by themselves, they saw a young farmer coming down the lane, driving some oxen. The farmer stopped when he saw the couple and offered to pull the car out of the mud for $ 50. The husband accepted, and minutes later, the car was free. The farmersaid, “You’re the tenth car I’ve helped out of the mud today.”

The husband looked around and asked, “When do you have time to plough your land? At night?” “No,” the young farmer replied seriously, “Night is when I put the water in the hole.”

(SOURCE: THE INTERNET)

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The Hindu :

Duke Ellington: Jazz at the Philharmonic

Pablo/ Universal; CD;

Rs. 295

The title of this album may be somewhat misleading to a neophyte. But the jazz buff knows the reference to the great impresario Norman Granz’s series of concerts, which began in the late 1940s at the Philharmonic Auditorium in Los Angeles and later developed into a touring series, ultimately taking in its sweep at one point or another all the greats, young and old, of jazz. Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was one of those old giants, in the last decade of his life and still ticking over nicely, as was evident in the two concerts from which the ten tracks on this album were taken. The first four tracks are from a performance in 1965 in Berlin and the rest from 1967 in Paris.

Ellington had once said his instrument was his orchestra, meaning to lay less emphasis on his considerable skills as a pianist, especially in the setting of his big band. But here we have, in addition to all the firepower of his famous soloists, enough evidence of his own virtuosity. Thus, Johnny Hodges on alto saxophone stars on the haunting “Blood Count”, and the fast-paced “Harmony in Harlem” and “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be”. Paul Gonsalves on tenor sax comes into the spotlight for “Happy-Go-Lucky Local” and “Chelsea Bridge”.

The Duke’s own piano is much in evidence in several intros, and stars on “Ad Lib on Nippon” and “Second Portrait of the Lion”. The latter is a short tribute to the great solo pianist Willie “The Lion” Smith, rendered with only bass and drum support. The former track, the longest (14 minutes) and the most outstanding, features long stretches of piano-bass duets (a favourite device of the Duke) interspersed with the full orchestra blowing.Count Basie: KansasCity 7

Original Jazz Classics/ Universal; CD; Rs. 295

Here’s another album produced by Norman Granz,…More

The Hindu : y>Lemon Tree Vembanad Lake Resort, Alleppey is offering a special package

Picturesque palm-fringed canals, backwaters, white sand beaches, and scenic sunrises over the lake and lazy lagoons have made Lemon Tree Vembanad Lake Resort, Alleppey, a favourite backwater tourist destination.

The resort is now offering a package of two nights/three days for Rs.6,999 (inclusive of all applicable taxes).The package includes accommodation and buffet breakfast for two persons in a lake-facing room.Enjoy local and international cuisines for lunch and dinner for two persons at the multi-cuisine coffee shop, Citrus Cafe by adding Rs.1,000 per day

Situated on the western shore of Kumarakom, the resort is away from the commercial madness but in easy accessibility from both Cochin and Kumarakom. You can rejuvenate your spirit at the Ayurveda Massage Centre, unwind amidst the wide open spaces of the resort and relax in the outdoor swimming pool with infinity views of the lake or visit nearby tourist spots. The offer is valid up to September 30.

For details visitwww.lemontreehotels.com

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The Hindu : y>

Kyra is staging the award-winning play “The Skeleton Woman”, from August 18 to 23. The play, co-written by Kalki Koechlin and Prashant Prakash won the MetroPlus Playwright Award is produced by noted film director Anurag Kashyap. The playhas met with the most enthusiastic responses across the country. It is a supper theatre opportunity for you to unwind after the show, to have dinner with the cast and crew and interact with them over a lavish meal. Ticket prices include show and dinner and are available at a special price of Rs. 999. Limited Seats! Please book with our call center on 0804341999 or 962203333.

(Other ticket options include show and dinner with unlimited drinks at Rs. 1499)

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The Hindu :

The night’s young and one can’t resist a trip to the happening Hou Hai Lake area in Beijing, and the comfort of the Heavenly Bed

Photos: by authorA trip to remember (anti-clockwise from left) The lit-up lakeside, colourful glazed-fruit toffee, striking a musical chord, and the plush room at the Westin Beijing

“Desist” I told myself, “Desist!” The Heavenly Bed in my room at the Westin Beijing on Financial Street looked so inviting that I literally had to grind my feet to the floor, slap on a large helping of will power and control so that I wouldn’t launch myself off the carpet and into the soft, white and inviting embrace.

We’d just arrived after a long flight from Mumbai with a connection in Hong Kong. Jetting across time zones and the ‘Great Dane-in-a-Poodle’s-kennel’ kind of seating meant full-on fatigue when we reached Beijing.

But the dinner at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Prego, was a refreshing affair full of tasty food, good ambience and interesting conversation.

Now, after that dinner I’d come up to change and had successfully resisted the lure of the Heavenly Bed because the night was still young and the plan was to go to Hou Hai Lake area, one of Beijing’s hip and happening destinations.Crackling with life

We spilled out of the car at Hou Hai, and Li Ann who works with the Westin became our impromptu guide. The place was crackling with life. We’d driven from Financial Street wondering where all the people were. For all its population problems, the capital of China seemed deserted post 10.30 p.m. Where was everybody?

It seemed all of Beijing was at Hou Hai. In the large courtyard that formed the buffer between the lake and the road, people were hanging out in groups, some were playing an indigenous game that seemed to be cloned from badminton, volleyball and kickboxing — it’s beyond the…More

The Hindu : y>

The all-new 17th season of the “Late Show with David Letterman” debuts on September 24 on Star World. To celebrate the launch, the channel is showcasing a best-of series featuring 27 episodes from Letterman’s recent season from tomorrow. The Emmy-award winning series, broadcast from New York City’s Ed Sullivan Theater, will be aired from Tuesday to Saturday at 1a.m.

The A-list lineup includes Julia Roberts (August 19), Zac Efron (August 20), Beyoncé (August 25), Dolly Parton (August 28) and Tom Hanks (September 3).

Since launching his show in 1992, host David Letterman has emerged as a virtual champion of chat shows.

Over the years, Letterman has interviewed the biggest names in film, television, politics and sport.

With his signature Top 10 List, hidden-camera pranks, surprise guest appearances and irreverent humour, he helped reinvent the talk-show format. The repeat telecast of the show will be aired at 8 a.m. on weekdays.

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The Hindu :

Recent Bollywood films seem to thrive on borrowed material. But what prevents the makers from acknowledging the original?

inspired versionsShortkut — The Con is On

When Tarantino said “I steal from every movie ever made,” he didn’t know he would inspire a generation of Indian filmmakers. In the last three weeks alone, Bollywood has released films made at a cost of over Rs.100 crore based on borrowed material without acknowledging the original writers.Instant denials

“‘Luck’ is not a remake of any film,” insisted Soham Shah in his interviews before the release of the Rs. 40-crore film. But strangely, his leading man Imran Khan revealed in another interview: “What was holding me back initially was the subject matter. Would it work for audiences here? Later, what had me sold on the idea was how Soham treated the film. He didn’t want to make it a Czechoslovakian style movie on human betting.”

“13 Tzameti” wasn’t exactly Czechoslovakian, it was a French film made by a director from Georgia. Like in “13 Tzameti”, the young hero of “Luck” leaves home in need of money to a secret location where a game of Russian roulette decides the fate of the volunteers, sporting Number 13 and luck on his side. Obviously, a 90-minute film with no action or violence in its first 40 minutes cannot be remade as a mainstream Hindi action film. So Soham decided to do more research; the film also has traces of “The Condemned”, “Intacto” and “Unbreakable”.

As playwright Wilson Mizner once said: “Copy from one, it’s plagiarism; copy from two, it’s research.” The week before “Luck”, Bollywood hoped we would take the 12-crore “Shortkut: The Con is On”, based on Rosshan Andrews’s Malayalam film “Udayananu Thaaram”. Again, the writer wasn’t credited (though he was compensated) and the story and screenplay credit went to the notorious Anees Bazmee who has a long history of DVD…More

The Hindu : y>

With nearly 25 deaths reported from across the country, panic about Influenza A(H1NI) has reached massive proportions in many cities across the country. MetroPlus asks city residents about the scare and what they feel are the bestpreventive measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of this disease.

Most people felt that though the disease was in most cases curable, it has been hyped up needlessly by irresponsible media coverage. They felt that though the issue is serious, efforts must be made by all stakeholders in the democratic process to stay calm and work towards finding a solution to the crisis.

Many felt that with a vaccine against the flu already in the advanced stages of development, the scare is bound to blow over soon. Some felt that the initial response of the government was lax, resulting in the spread of the epidemic. They felt that as long as people took certain precautions such as washing hands regularly, or wearing a mask in large, crowded and commercial areas, they would not be at risk of infection. We sample some responses.

The government must set up more centres and ensure that people suffering from serious respiratory problems are screened on a priority basis. Testing kits and medicines must be made available at hospitals across the city. People should not panic.

Anand

Accountant

It is very unfortunate that lives have been lost to this flu. The government must set up more centres where testing can be conducted and cases can be detected early. The media should act responsibly and not create more panic.

GovindrajCab driver

The need of the hour is to minimise casualties, ensure that the affected people receive medical aid quickly. The government must ensure adequate supply of Tamiflu tablets and testing kits at all centres. The media should be careful and must not create panic.

GirishBusinessman

People should be responsible enough and…More

The Hindu : y>There’s more to the Hoysalas than Belur and Halebeedu

History beckons In Karnataka

On the fringes of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, the Hoysala Kings built hundreds of intricately-carved temples. Among them are the temples of Belur and Halebeedu, popular on the tourist circuit.But, there are many more that are unknown to people.Which is why it is time you went on a Hoysala Trail, put together by two travel writers. They compiled information on the temples built by the Hoyalas, spoke to historians and went through documents of the Archaeological Survey of Mysore over the last hundred years. They visited more than two dozen ancient temples around Belur and Halebeedu and spoke to the locals .Thus was born a heritage trail full of story telling sessions on the Hoysalas.

The monsoon edition of the Hoysala Trail is planned on August 29 and 30, ex Bangalore. For details, visit travelwise.in. For registrations, mailarun@travelwise.in orlakshmi@travelwise.in

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The Hindu :

Toon Kidz opens the doors to a wonderland of cartoon products for kids

PHOTO: K. GOPINATHANTOUGH DECISIONS What do I really want?

Is Barbie the goddess your child worships? Or Spiderman your son’s current idea of what he wants to be when he grows up? Then God save you if you take them to Toon Kidz. It is a cartoon freak’s heaven.

Your child can live his day in the midst of her favourite cartoon characters — you will find them popping up anywhere from the bedsheets, towels, underwear, lunch boxes, water bottles, t-shirts, skirts, raincoats, bags, furniture, socks… it’s that overwhelming feeling. Like the world has been taken over by the Cartoon Lords.

There’s Ben10, Barbie, Bakugan, Bob the Builder, Doraemon, Iron Man, Spiderman, Shin Chan, Hanna Montana, Power Puff Girls, Dragonballz, Hulk — most of the repertoire that appears on Pogo and Cartoon Network. If you’re not clued in and tuned in to your TV shows, you’ll feel a bit duh here.

The first floor is dedicated to girls (and is predictably dominated by everything pink!), and the ground floor to boys, each with their own trial room! The store caters largely to six to 14 year olds.

Obviously those who conceptualised the store are well-versed with the fact that children drive the commerce in the house and that they can drive parents nuts if they don’t get what they want. It also panders to an entire generation that thrives off brands, soon as they start watching TV.

The store also has a range of Funskool toys, cuddly soft toys, children’s laptops, watches, bubble blowers, beach balls, chess sets, puzzles and block games, board games, the famed M.A.D do-it-yourself art kits, books, crayons and more. Boxing gloves, skating wheels with lights, flying discs that go up 50 feet and can be remote-controlled caught my eye.

It is amazing the kind of toys that are in the…More