Different ball game
With no Ronaldo, Kaka or Messi, has the FIFA World Cup fever waned? 
Have the stars superceded the sport?
Such a disappointment! The vuvuzelas, Waka Waka, soccer anthems and star jerseys just don't interest anymore. Gradually, the world has become dull and gloomy.

Brazil's Kaka reacts during the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Netherlands  in Port Elizabeth. — Reuters F

Argentina's coach Diego Maradona (L) hugs Lionel Messi after their team's loss in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal soccer match at Green Point stadium in Cape Town.  — Reuters

Drop by drop
Celebrities pull out ‘rainy’ incidents from the scrapbook of their life
Let's accept; we cannot undo what has been done. We would no longer see Lionel Messi and Kaka in action at the FIFA world cup. Sob sob! The wounds will take some time to heal. Till then we try and find solace in the cool showers that have hit the city. It's time to rejoice, soak in some fresh moments and a stroll down memory lane, talking about the good and bad memories of the splash. Celebrities pull out 'rainy' incidents from the scrapbook of their life.

On record
I hope my song captures unity of FIFA World Cup, says K'Naan 
His World Cup song Wavin' Flag has arguably become the most downloaded international song in India and Somali rapper K'Naan's hopes his creation captures the feeling of "unity and celebration" that the footballing extravaganza has come to epitomise. "My anthem is the official World Cup song for Coca Cola. It's great to have a hit song in all four corners of the world. Wavin' Flag is a beautiful, uplifting song and I hope it captures the feeling of unity and celebration the FIFA World Cup brings to people all across the planet," K'Naan said.

How moving! 
Actor Bipasha Basu has featured in sizzling dance numbers like Beedi and Billo Rani, but now she wants to learn Shakira's moves in Waka Waka, FIFA World Cup 2010 official song. "Monday music...Waka Waka all the way...takes away the Monday blues. Want to learn Shakira's Waka Waka moves!" Bipasha posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. The actor joined the Bollywood bandwagon on Twitter Sunday. — Agency

God Help her 
Mugdha Godse is psyched about her upcoming film Help where she plays a woman possessed by a demon and the former model says that the role will establish her credentials as an actress.Mugdha, who debuted in Bollywood with Madhur Bhandarkar's hit Fashion, said that the audience will see 'many Mughdas' in the film."There would be a lot of shades that would be seen in my character. In a single film, there would be different Mugdhas that the audience would get to see," the actor.

Glee-mpse of Katie
Hollywood actor Katie Holmes has reportedly been approached to star in the hit TV musical show Glee. "Katie is finalising a deal to join the cast for a limited story line next season," a source said. The source said Holmes had hired a private singing coach to help her prepare for the role. Other actors who have made cameo appearances on the show are singer-actress Olivia Newton-John, rapper Eve, Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth and comedian Molly Shannon. — IANS

Love-hate story
Singer-actor Jennifer Lopez has for the first time spoken out about her failed romances with Ojani Nao, Sean Combs, Cris Judd and Ben Affleck and how these affected her. Lopez's first marriage was to Cuban-born Ojani Noa (in 1997) which lasted for less than a year before the union fell apart at the start of her career and the couple divorced in 1998.

Arm candy
Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie has added two new swirly bits of ink around an old Roman numeral tattoo on her left arm. The Salt star, who had the Roman number 13 inked on the arm, showed off the new set of tattoos at the premiere of her latest movie in Mexico.

Travolta's treat
Hollywood actor John Travolta has promised to treat his fans in his adopted hometown of Ocala, Florida, with snacks after they campaigned to have his classic film Grease shown in their local movie theatres. The 1978 musical has been re-released in the US as a sing-a-long version, but film fans in Ocala were left fuming when they found out the picture starring their most famous resident would not be appearing locally.

Balancing act
Hollywood star Matt Damon says he completely relies on his wife Luciana to sort his schedule. The actor admits his pregnant spouse Luciana maintains a balance between his work and family commitments. "She really keeps it together. We just talk it out and work it all out. You say, this is the job and this is the time commitment and this is where it will be. I'm a lot easier to hire if you're doing movies in New York," said Damon. He also revealed the couple and their three children-stepdaughter Alexia, 11, Isabella, four, and 22-month-old Gia, are 'very excited' about welcoming a new face into the family. "They track its progress in mommy's belly," said the 39-year-old actor. — IANS

Stomach full!
Colleges have opened, so has Panjab University… and so have all the eateries and dhabas surrounding the campus
Don't they say — you are what you eat? And if you are what you eat, wouldn't a lot many students like to be on the roadside, feasting on street food? Less than a fortnight of colleges and the varsity opening, some cheap hangout options are already available for students. The ones that suit the loose tenners, fivers or even half-a-dozen banging coins!

Lost childhood
An African study has found a link between a difficult childhood and alcohol consumption
Researchers studied the association between adverse childhood experiences and drunkenness among 9,189 adolescents aged 12-19 years living in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. Caroline Kabiru and a team of researchers from the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), Nairobi, conducted the study. They said: "Overall, nine percent of adolescents reported that they had been drunk in the 12 months preceding the survey. 

FOOD track
These days, kids view more TV ads for fast food than sweets and beverages, says a new study. Studies have already indicated that television advertising influences the short-term eating habits of children age 2 to 11.

Attention, kids! 
If you believe playing video games instead of watching TV is less harmful for your child, think again, as a new study has claimed too much video games can sap a child's attention just as much as the idiot box. Researchers at the Iowa State University in Ames found that children who spend more than two hours daily in playing video games are 67 per cent more likely to suffer from attention problem compared to those who don't play less. According to them, watching TV and playing video games appear to have roughly the same link to attention problems, even though the latter is considered a less passive activity.

Hard talk
In a telephonic interview, winner of Desi Girl contest Roshni Chopra talks about Monica Bedi’s allegations and how she has learnt from the whole experience 
A few allegations and the popularity of the show multiplied overnight. All that Monica Bedi claimed was, “The three finalists bribed the villagers with alcohol and the editing was done in a manner that projected my negative side.” The intention was to damage the show; instead, it made the audience all the more curious to know who would win Desi Girl out of the three finalists — Ishitta Arun, Kashmira Shah and Roshni Chopra. 

First class
Upcoming fashion designer Sabah Khan showcases her debut collection
Creativity comes from the most unpredictable sources, but fits in at the most common areas. When talking inspiration, which is how we usually describe creativity, simple things in life inspire complex experiments. Whether it’s with life or your clothes.” Deviations aside, clothes are the topic of discussion here and Sabah Khan is the one giving us an insight into what inspired her collection — No Class. One of the GenNext category at the Lakme Fashion Week, Sabah’s collection had slums of Dharavi on runway, with all their colour and gothic glamour. “I used to see these slum kids selling stuff at the traffic lights or roadside; toys, balloons and so many other things. The fact that they were selling some fun and colour to others while living non-existent lives captured my imagination.” So, pictures of these kids embellish her clothes, lots of patchwork and colour blocking. “It’s a combination of colour and culture.