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Polished act
You could be forgiven for assuming government houses to be dull, boring structures of brick and mortar. But not all. For some creative people it is the perfect opportunity to create a home of their dreams.
"Doing up interiors of a house where structural changes are not possible can be quite challenging", says a senior police officer's wife on request of anonymity. "After moving around for several years, when we finally settled in Chandigarh, I wanted a home that would reflect our love for nature and our heritage. Coming from a service background, funds were always limited and so, I collected pieces over a period of time, getting furniture made after spending hours sifting through design books or restoring heirloom pieces." "One can achieve a beautiful home by spending a lot of money, but then there's hardly any creativity," she adds.
Unlike most government houses, this house in sector 16 boasts of the original kudappa stone flooring. The lady of the house does not believe in using government money to 'break down' walls or put tiles (makes the place look so artificial!!). The stone flooring lends an old-world charm and is easy to maintain, unlike tiles that need to be changed every few years. There are a few heirloom pieces like the dining table and sideboard which add to the character of this house. Creativity is not limited to just the interiors but the exteriors too. A variety of ground covers mixed with the inexpensive Tagetus Erecta (commonly called gainda) flowers can be seen. What catches the eye is how simple wrought iron stands hold ferns and creepers in terracotta pots. Old dinner plates have been used under pots on the tables in the lawn, which not only serve as trays to hold water but are aesthetically appealing too. "Since one has constraints over the changes one can do inside a government house, I use my creative energies for the exteriors, says wife of a PCS officer in Sector 19. The Goels have used old wooden logs to create a beautiful set of lawn chairs and tables. The lady of the house rightly adds that unless the woman takes keen interest, it's not possible to create space that one aspires for. It is every designer's dream to design their own space but a government accommodation only makes the task more daunting. But not for the renowned interior designer, Anu Bains, wife of a senior bureaucrat of Punjab. The moment you step in this 6-type government house in Sector 7, you can feel the flow of energy between different spaces. Bains love to entertain and so their drawing room bar, dining and informal living spaces are interconnected through the openings san any doors."Since I work with colours all the time so for my own space I wanted to concentrate on creams. Also, I love to work with tone on tones", quips the designer. The nature flows into the house through the large windows in the living and dining rooms. This designer's pad is a warm combination of contemporary and vintage look. There is a blend of wood finishes in the beautifully crafted coffee tables spread across the house and also various mirrors that adorn the walls .from intricately carved to the contemporary mosaic glass and hand painted frames, there is an eclectic mix of designs and finishes. At the end of the day, it's not about the house, but how you make it into a home. Just a bright coloured wall or a mix of frames holding and capturing your precious moments or a beautiful mix of textures can change the way you feel about your haven. So, if you are living in place that has not been constructed very imaginatively, put your artistic cap on and let the creative juices flow…
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Home, alone
It's time to pack you bags, shut the windows and bolt the doors. Yes, it's vacation time folks! And we know that you've put the best of your summer clothes, footwear, creams and handbags to enjoy a happy holiday and, yes, we know you've made that travel tip list too this time, but what about packing up your home? Haven't given it a thought yet. Don't worry we list the to-be-done things before you leave for a summer sojourn. 
Safe and sound
Before leaving for a holiday make sure everything is locked: the main doors, windows and balcony doors. (And yes, remember to get strong locks for all your doors and windows.) Then, turn off all the appliances and electrical switches, including the freezer and the gas regulator. But if you are going for a long holiday, remember to get timer switches for selected plugs and set the time so that a few lights go on in the evening. Well, you can consider setting up a neighbourhood watch scheme too. Role call
Cancel any orders for things like milk or newspapers. Stocking of things outside your door can give thieves an easy signal that you are away from home. Plant care
If you have plants at home, remember to give them to a friend or ask someone to water them. You sure won't like to see your precious plants wither and die whilst you're away. Tip-Tap
A general error that all of us commit before going for a holiday is not checking the taps. Kindly make sure to turn off all the taps, so that water is not lost. Cover-up
Dust can leave the home, accessories and furniture looking worn out, so remember to cover all the furniture and accessory, so that you don’t repent your going for a holiday. Spic 'n' span
Make sure to clear up all the litter at home, including leftover veggies, atta, chutneys and that ladoo ka dabba too, if you don't want that foul smell running through your home and a free holiday for insects. Lock kiya jaye
Make sure you leave your jewellery, any cash, cheques or important documents at the bank. to ensure peace of mind. Pet(ty) issues
If you have pets at home, then make sure you leave them in an animal hostel or have a caretaker to take care of them. Well, with all things under control we wish you a happy holiday! jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com |
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Geek Speak
Before we start we must find out what is our requirement. Everything else is based on this critical decision. If you intend to use your laptop for extended periods and also cater to a few small appliances you could manage to do this with a 300 W car inverter. The cost difference between a 75 W/100 W power inverter and a 150 W power inverter is not much. Approximately a small 75 W inverter sells for about Rs 1,000 to 1,200 while a 150 W inverter retails for about Rs 1,500 to 1,800. A 300 W inverter is for about Rs 2,000 to 3,000. The following table shows typical power requirements for most appliances we use at home - powered from the AC Mains. Laptop 45 - 90 W Mobile phone chargers 15 - 25 W Digital Camera chargers 10 - 25 W Hair Dryer - Cold / Hot 30 - 300 W Compact Fluorescent Bulb 20 - 30 W 14 inch CRT TV / Monitor 120 W 15 inch LCD / Monitor 45 - 60 W Table fan with about 8 inch blades 60 W Electric drill 150 - 300 W Microwave oven 1200 W Some appliances may need more or less than what has been mentioned in the table above. Refer to the manufacturer's manual or read the small letters near the power cord. Many types of equipment which use motors require a larger starting current than when they are running normally. Anything above 150 W of usage requires forced air cooling to keep the electronics inside the inverter cool. The outer shell of the inverter often serves as the heat sink. So placement of the inverter is critical for its safety as well as yours. Don't keep the inverter on top of anything which will melt or burn. Safety factor:
If your requirement is 100 W, add at least 20 per cent safety margin to this and get a 120 W inverter. Inverters of 300 W and above will need direct connection to the battery. You will need heavy-duty large core cables to connect them to the battery. Always add a correctly rated Fuse in between the inverter and the batteries. Inverters use power transistors which can short out when failed. Automotive batteries can supply hundreds of amperes of current and you will see disastrous fireworks in your car if you don't use fuses. The cables must be adequately rated for the inverter. A 150 W modified sine wave inverter takes about 20 Amperes from your 12 V car battery assuming 80 per cent efficiency and adjusting for other losses. If your cable is not adequate to carry this current continuously, it will cause over heating and the inverter will malfunction as it sees low voltage at its end. You will need 24/48 V deep discharge batteries to run high-powered inverters. Even with a 48 V bank of batteries, a 1500 W inverter will require about 33 Amperes. You will have to position the Inverter in close proximity to the batteries. Remember that non sealed lead acid batteries release hydrogen gas which is explosive in nature when they are active. Types of inverters: There are two categories - Pure Sine wave Inverters and Modified Sine Wave Inverters. Pure sine wave inverters deliver almost mains kind of supply - but they are inherently inefficient. They tend to be bulkier and heavier than the modified sine wave types and expend lot of heat. For most electronic appliances, modified sine wave is adequate. Some motors will buzz when run from these modified sine wave inverters and it is no reason for distress. If you use high-powered inverters, don't drain your car battery. Automotive batteries are not designed for deep discharge cycles. You should not discharge them to less than 50 per cent of their capacity if you want any decent life out of them. You will have to use stand alone deep cycle lead acid batteries for loads of anything more than 500 W. Run the engine for 15 minutes or more for every hour of usage - for lesser power inverters. If you consider the points mentioned above, there is no reason why you can't enjoy the services of your gadgets away from
home.amitpalsinghgrewal@hotmail.com Haute pick Back up
Portable: Just put it in your pocket and protect your files wherever you are Secure: Protect your data with password protection and data encryption, has a patent pending backup technology and a five-year warranty. Available in: 8 GB - 16 GB - 32 GB - 64 GB capacity Intel Pentium PC or Macintosh computer with USB support USB 2.0 port required for high-speed transfer |
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Soon, hands-free video games
The ultimate computer game that banishes handheld controls and allows players' gestures to dictate the action on screen is to be launched by Microsoft. The Microsoft Xbox 360 uses 3-D camera technology, and is aimed at challenging the dominance of the Nintendo Wii.
Allowing users to kick a virtual football, drive a car or practice dance moves with a computer-generated partner simply by monitoring an individual's movements, the entertainment system will become a must-have for any child or even a youngster. The Microsoft camera, which is the first to be able to sense 3-D motion, is based on technology developed by 3DV Systems, an Israeli company recently acquired by Microsoft. It uses infrared light to detect real-life gestures and the players' distance from the camera. This information is then converted into a related movement on screen. A source close to the Microsoft project said: "By taking away the controls altogether the game becomes so easy to operate that even your grandmother can master it."
—ANI
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Underage networking
Jatin Chauhan has a running Orkut account and so does his friend Akhil Sharma. They have a big friends list and receive regular posts from them. In fact, the two are also members of a dedicated football community. Now, what's the big deal? Ever second person these days has an Orkut account. But did we tell you that Jatin and Akhil are just seven. Interesting! Yes. To be an authorised Orkut holder you have above 18 years of age. Who cares? The kiddos (they hate to be called this) certainly don't. Jatin asked his elder brother to create an Orkut account for him. "I was fascinated with the stuff on Orkut. My Brother has a huge friends list and he would chat with them all the time. There were some pretty girls on the list too. I would see my brother share pictures and videos with his pals. I liked the whole thing pretty much, so, I asked him to create an account for me." Jatin created an account with his real name, but did not reveal his age. "I am mature enough to understand Orkut and all this," he puts it candidly. "Why should I reveal my age? I don't think most users tell their right age. Besides, who would talk to me if I say I am seven." All said and done, Jatin enjoys the whole business of talking with friends on line, and he justifies it too. "Every kid these days is internet savvy. They know more than most elders. So, what is the harm in chatting on line?" His friend Akhil on the other hand has no knowledge about the age limit of creating an Orkut account or he pretends not to. "I don't know about any such thing. Most of my friends who are in grade seven have an Orkut account, and there seems no problem in it. Guess what, they haven't changed their name either." Startled. Not yet. Then hear it from this seventh grader, Rishabh, 14, who has an Orkut and a Facebook account. He shares that almost half of his school is on Orkut: "I created an account to be in touch with them. Currently, I have almost 400 friends on my list, across all age groups." Ask him about fake accounts with anonymous names? "Just about everyone does that. No big deal about it. If the kids are to be believed then the only idea behind opening an Orkut account is to stay connected with friends and chat up with them whenever they want. No one is bothered or concerned about the legalities. After all they are just communicating to friends, a basic fundamental right. Adds Ranjodh Madaan, 17, who has an Orkut account has no qualms in chatting up with friends on his account. " I can talk to my cousins in Australia and all my friends too. What's the harm in this? You would surprised even a five year old has an Orkut account. So, big deal! jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Tech Take Just because your e-mail account may include unlimited - or nearly unlimited - storage doesn't mean you can't have too many messages piled up. Thing is, many of these e-mails only require a single reading: Think of 'your account statement is ready' notices from a credit-card issuer, 'view your bill' updates from the gas or electric company, or the messages an airline sends about its weekly e-fare specials. Those messages have a shelf life measured in weeks, sometimes even days, after which they're a waste of mailbox and screen space. So the next time one of those e-mails shows up, click the 'Subject' or 'From' header in your mail program to group earlier messages with the same topic or sender (in Google's Gmail, you'll have to do a search for those terms), then delete everything older than the latest message. Now if only somebody would ship an e-mail program with a filter that did this automatically for the messages of your choice. Neat toolbar
Is there a more useless software widget than the browser toolbar? Back when most people still used Microsoft's inept Internet Explorer 6, which lacked such helpful features as pop-up-ad blocking and Web-search shortcuts, there were good reasons to add extensions like the Google Toolbar that remedied those oversights. But when every two-bit software developer decided it would be to cool to ship his or her own browser toolbar (then opted to make versions of these toolbars for Mozilla Firefox, which doesn't need that kind of help), a half-decent idea got out of hand. Worse yet, too many of these things are distributed as a bundle with software you do want. So when some other, needed program's installer asks if it can plug a new toolbar into your browser, decline its offer unless you know what this add-on will do and why you'd want its extra features. You'll spare yourself some visual clutter on your screen, and your browser should be easier to maintain. Rob Pegoraro\ LA TIMES-
WASHINGTON POST
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Nature’s nests
Romance, nature, traditions and heritage, mystical deserts and exotic islands, hyponotic geometries, futuristic opulence and technology. All these and lots more get amalgamated into one at Suvayan 09, the annual exhibition of textile designing students of NIIFT Mohali. From boutique fashion to abstract designs and innovative surface ornamentations, the budding designers had their best at display for the domestic and international market.
Each student had three different collections based on individual themes and the exhibition was dominated by bedding, cushion collection, home furnishing fabrics, art works along with summer wear. Defining current and future trends, the collections had diverse fabrics in use - cotton, raw silk, organic cotton, chiffons and recycled fabrics as well. The most inspiring element was yet again, Nature. A lot of foliage, natural flora and fauna were seen in collections like Boulevard, inspired from the Amazonian woods and Forest, an entire design made from recycled cotton. Some capitalised on the bright and funky shades like dark pink, turqoiuse, green, matching purple pansies with silver grey on raw silk, others were conventionally subtle with whites, greys and pastels, while some kept it shady and mysterious like metallic pearl prints and ink tones. Apart from nature, abstract designs in geometrics, structures and concretes, extreme contrasts like cool greys and dark reds were futuristic and appealing. The techniques were as diverse as the collections, foil, patchwork, appliqué work, motifs, and experiments with surface techniques like paper folding and pictography. The home furnishings designs were sponsored by big names like Masper, Diva Homes and others. The apparels collection too had interesting concepts. Guns n roses inspired from Mumbai terror attacks has digital printed mens T-shirts with pictures of Taj and symbols of terrorism and inspirational quotes. Vintage rules in summer wear collection for W, Retro floral that makes smart and trendy statement with lots of embellishments, vintage wallpapers and bling. In a play of smoke art, wavy shapes and brilliant colours makes Smoke, a saree collection by Ravi Deep, a student who worked with Satya Paul and Razia Hasan. lifestyle@tribunemail.com Digital designs
Technology seems to be getting the best of fashion. After block printing and rotary printing, the latest trend is digital printing. Cushions, curtains, beddings, T-shirts to surface ornamentations, digital pictography and imaging dominate the design. Also, passing on the floral colours, vibrant hues and bold patterns get experimental with your room after your wardrobe. |
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Pen pairing
"The contemporary Hindi literature, comprising of all genres, has attained a spectacular level of higher magnitude, much ahead of the literature sculpted in English language." Claims eminent author, Ravinder Kalia, director, Bhartiya Gyaanpeeth, the premier literary organisation of India, engaged in the proliferation of literature. In city to release a Hindi book authored by Manoj Singh he shared his views on many issues relating to literature. Credited with 34 books, with some of them running into tenth edition Ravinder Kalia born and raised at Jalandhar hails the contribution of Punjabis to literature. All time great writers Sahir Ludhianvi, Sadat Hasan Manto, Rajinder Singh Bedi, S S Dhir, Shiv Batalvi Mohan Rakesh, Hariparasad Dwivedi Kumar Vikal and others have Punjabi connection. While his novel Ghalib Chhoti Sharaab has run into tenth edition and a whole new parallel world has to be created but writing short story is a tough job, he claims. " I do not prefer to write memoirs rather to take on living personalities or contemporary issues for a healthy venture. My novel " Rande Road " on the glamour of Mumbai and Bollywood is in the offing. As regards controversies ailing the distribution of literary awards by some states or organizations he opined that partiality or wrong selection might be the reason. See we are giving the highest " Gyaanpeeth award worth seven lakh rupees and Murti Devi award for two lakhs and we spent much more amount in ensuring the right awardee. We have introduced a Yuva Puruskar for 50, 000 rupees for upcoming writers. It is not the quantity but the quality of writing matters most. For example writers like Chander Parkash and Kanwal Singh made their Pehchan with a few articles only. The purchase of books by Government for libraries should be discouraged as the readers don not go there and neither they purchase books. Any way there has been increase in the number of readers and writers as well. Unfortunately most of the publishers do not have their marketing network and the writers remain bereft of the appreciation of their talent and monetary return. However his life and literary partner, Mamta Kalia author of over 30 books rues the male chauvinism in literary world. Women writers are blessed with more sensitivity and dedication but the male literary critics are not fair to evaluate and appreciate their work. The print media too is not playing its part to promote literature and the films, business or consumerism is on their priority resulting into closure of many literary magazines.
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Threads of life
Weaver's exhibition organised by the Awadh Hathgraha, Hastshilp Evam Gramodyog Samiti, Lucknow, under the ministry of Textiles, has brought to the front and artisans from interiors who have mastered the traditional crafts and are working behind the scenes to promote them. The exhibition covers handloom displays and weaver interaction with the public, and has national award winning weavers showcasing their skills live.
Like these three chiken silk weavers from Luckhnow, who have dedicated a lifetime to this craft. For Shamim Jahan, 43, Shahan Siddiqui, 30 and Reshma Khatoon, 20, weaving runs in their genes. "I learnt it from my mother and now I am passing it on to my next generation," says Shamim. The lady with the needle has an impressive talent, which has won her the national award in 1986. "It is a great job, one can learn the art only with unrelenting dedication," says Shahan Siddiqui, who has also won a national award for her weaving. In city for the first time, they feel that for weaving to revive and get its due, the government needs to chip in with more aids. Nonetheless, that doesn't hinder their focus and dedication towards their passion. "Along with the thread, the artisan weaves his or her dreams also into the product," remarks Reshma Khatoon, the youngest of the trio.
Sure, a look at their work and one couldn't agree less. — TNS
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Salaam namaste
It was an austere end on Sunday night to an uncharacteristically no-frills Cannes Film Festival. Michael Haneke, maestro of misery, took home the festivalis Palme d'Or for his black-and-white film about a children's choir in a northern German village, set on the eve of World War I.
His presence at Cannes had a peculiar circularity to it; the last time he was in town, he took home the Grand Prix, an award second only to the Palme d'Or, for his film about a sado-machostic female musician, The Piano Teacher, which starred Isabelle Huppert. Haneke was handed the Palme d'or by Huppert herself, who this year presided over the jury, which also included the British writer Hanif Kureishi. There had been a long line of former Palme d'Or winners contending for a repeat victory, among them Quentin Tarantino with his gore-fest Inglourious Basterds, Jane Campion with her love story about John Keats, Bright Star, and Pedro Almodovar, with his trademark casting of Penelope Cruz, Broken Embraces.
Christoph Waltz received the Best Actor prize and the sole award given to an American film for his villainous role in Tarantino's film about Jewish-American soldiers who brutally revenge-kill key members of the Third Reich. Charlotte Gainsbourg took the actress prize for her performance as a grieving mother in Lars von Trieris Antichrist, the director's first attempt at producing a horror film, which was partly met by booing at its premiere. The veteran French director, Alain Resnais, in competition with Wild Grass, received a lifetime achievement award from the jury and a standing ovation from the audience in the Grand ThEâtre LumiEre. The austere nature of the winning film was in keeping with an uncharacteristically quiet festival, which has somewhat become as synonymous for its parties as its film premieres until the recession hit, that is. This year, there was only a fraction of the profligate champagne swilling that goes on most years, and many parties, including Vanity Fair's legendary shindig, were cancelled. There may not have been a much of the glitz but there was an A-lister contending with food poisoning (Cruz on the eve of Almodovar's premiere), diva-esque moments from arthouse directors (Von Trier telling people he was the world's greatest director at the premier of Antichrist), and Maria Carey's astonishing performance as the barely recognisable social worker in the drama Precious, for which Carey scrubbed her face clean of make-up. —
The Independent
The following is a list of the main winners on the night: The White Ribbon directed by Austrian Michael Haneke. GRAND PRIX (runner up) A Prophet directed by France's Jacques Audiard. SPECIAL CAREER PRIZE Veteran French director Alain Resnais. This year he
presented Wild Grass. BEST ACTOR Austrian Christoph Waltz for his role as a Nazi officer in Quentin Tarantino's World War II caper Inglourious Basterds, BEST ACTRESS Charlotte Gainsbourg for Antichrist directed by Denmark's Lars Von Trier. BEST
DIRECTOR Kinatay directed by Filipino Brillante Mendoza. BEST SCREENPLAY Mei Feng for his script on Spring Fever directed by
China's Lou Ye. JURY PRIZE (shared) Fish Tank directed by Britain's Andrea Arnold. Thirst directed by South Korean Park Chan-Wook CAMERA D'OR (for debut film) Samson and Delilah directed by Australia's Warwick
Thornton. BEST SHORT FILM Arena directed by Portuguese director Joao Salaviza. Source: Reuters |
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Gandhi, Gili & glitz
Unlike the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League 2 (IPL) series in Cape Town five weeks ago, where there was almost no Bollywood entertainment, the fusion of Bollywood, Caribbean and American entertainment marked the closing ceremony at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday night.
It was Brand India from Jai Ho to Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram and Vande Mataram, as the closing ceremony gave South Africans a taste of Indian culture But the widely-advertised appearance of Shilpa Shetty with American rap singer Akon did not happen, with no explanation about the deviation from the programme by organisers. Senegalese-born American singer Akon sang his popular number Smack That, while the fusion of the Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram bhajan with African drums created a magical aura at the Bulls Ring at the New Wanderers. Bollywood glam girl Katrina Kaif danced to the English version of "Jai Ho" of "Slumdog Millionaire" fame sung by the Pussycat Dolls, while the winner of Miss IPL Bollywood Dune Kossatz matched steps with Akon. Katrina also joined reggae music legend Eddy Grant as he sang his anti-apartheid hit Gimme Hope Jo'anna, which became an anthem in the days when the white minority government of South Africa strictly regulated everything from music and song to social gatherings. Choreographer Shiamak Davar also showed some musical talent as he sang the song with Grant. IPL supremo Lalit Modi also ended up on the stage with them in the finale, as huge lanterns rose into the sky amid amazing pyrotechnics and lasers surrounding high-wire acrobats. Miss Bollywood IPL South Africa, Dune Kossatz, crowned at a gala ceremony on Saturday night, showed off her spectacular crown, designed by Gitanjali Jewellers, made of gold, silver, diamond and other precious stones as she joined other finalists in presenting specially designed outfits by acclaimed Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani. — IANS |
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Dus bahane kar ke…
Shilpa Shetty was supposed to perform with the American R&B star Akon at the IPL finale but decided to opt out at the last minute as she couldn't get time to prepare for the act. "I was just not prepared. It was an international platform, not some village nautanki. I had to be fully ready. And I just didn't get time to rehearse. So, I regretfully had to say no. But I'd rather not give anything less than my best when I'm representing my country," Shilpa said. Shilpa, who co-owns the IPL team Rajasthan Royals with beau Raj Kundra, says she was happy to be just a spectator at the finals. "So what if my team wasn't playing. I think I'm sporting enough to enjoy the game as just a part of the audience," she added. — IANS
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Car inverters are one of the thousands of car accessories which is very useful as the number of gadgets we depend on is increasing. There are different types of car inverters available in the market. They should be purchased with a serious thought regarding how and where is it going to be put to use, many of us spend a lot of time on the road and in our cars and most of us would like a little convenience along the way - the convenience provided by AC mains operated gadgets and equipments. We have quite a number of power hungry gadgets - laptops, mobile phones, digital camera chargers, hair dryers and power tools to name a few. Heavy inverters should not be used in cars.
The New Sandisk Flash Drive with the option of Simple Back up at the touch of a button no cables or software installation required.
