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Limited edition
If best friends need to be preserved and respected forever, then books should deserve an eternal life. From the first time you shared to the first inspiration, books live up to the BFF (Best Friend Forever) tag. And since firsts are always special, celebrating and conserving some firsts, in the literary world are these ardent book lovers who have gone a step further to keep the friendship going… Call it passion or curiosity that comes as a professional perk, but NPS Randhawa, director, Government Museum and Art Gallery, has his shelf full of the first editions. Over 200 first editions of books that are probably amongst few surviving pieces of our culture and past. “Most of these books are 100-150 years old and some of them are one edition, since selling network was not so developed in those days. Very few books got reprinted then,” he says. Randhawa’s collection includes first edition of Census of Punjab, published in 1800s, with officer’s accounts and demographical information during the British period. Another from his first edition collection is the first translation of Guru Granth Saheb from Gurmukhi to English and a book called Views in India chiefly in the Himalayan Mountains written by Lt George Francis White. And after the Raj, the royals fascinate him for he has a dozen books on the accounts of the royal life. “The pictorial compilation on the Royal Wedding of Gwalior and Punjab and its Feudatories (1891) with old pictures of royalty and Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his savari cavalcade. There are also lithographs, manuscripts in Sanskrit, Gurmukhi, specifically, a pocket size compilation on the writings and teachings by the saints of that period,” he explains. Another of the breed is Simar Onkar Singh. Owner of the bookstore, Great Books-34, collecting rare books he says was his childhood disorder that got converted into a business. “My collection is over 300 books and it has special editions, limited editions, first editions, books only for private circulation, books which are out of print now et al. My first significant first editions include Principles of Psychology by William James printed in 1890. It was a single edition book with two volumes,” he says. His most prized possession is a pictorial book, House Of Bagarian by Harwant Singh, printed in Lahore in 1654. “The pictures in the book don’t have any other negatives or prints, its exclusive to the Bagarain family,” he adds the ‘valuable’ information. Adding literature with a mix of music to the passion is Shelly Walia, professor, director academic staff at Department of English, PU and a fellow as well. His exclusive first edition collection ranges from World’s Famous books published in 1839, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy published 1910, and collection of novels by famous Egyptian writer Nawal El Saadawi. His personal library also has some prominent works in music, “Like Musical composers and their music by Sarah Tytler published in 1892, Life of Beethovan published in late nineteenth century and books on European classical music,’ he shares. While he inherited some from his father, the ones on music he got from old bookshops in Cambridge and Oxford. But the shared passion between all three collectors doesn’t hide out the fact that these rare and first editions are being ignored and undervalued. “These books need to be restored and considered as heritage. Instead most libraries discard them ignorant about their true value. And then for some independent collector it is a hassle to maintain such old books,” says Simar Onkar. Another fact that affects is the concept of estimating the importance of the book. “Most times, the older the book, the more valuable it is considered. Its literary importance often takes a backseat.” Well, all said and done, nothing beats the pleasure and pride of appreciating and preserving heritage in the name of friendship. Right? Ask these book lovers. nehawalia@tribunemail.com
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Tech trip
All life involves motion. The ignition, right speed, right turns, a skid here and there, a detour, a breakdown, and back on the track once again. It is the movement that decides the time and fate of the journey. Now, facilitating the ‘movement’ are superior brakes, tubeless tyres, a door ajar lamp, disc brakes, power-to-weight ratio and a nice touch that can give the journey a completely new meaning. The city witnessed the launch of three hi-end products on Tuesday that reveal more with every experience. At the same time, smooth the progress of movement. More than meets the eye
Stylish exteriors, plush dual tone interiors, the launch of Tata Motors Grande MKII, an upgraded version of its premium Sumo is a cut to comfort and style. Packed with ergonomic improvements, Grande MKII promises a comfortable ride for family and group of friends wanting to screech and paint the city red. Soft feel set fabrics, height adjustable driver’s seat, electrically operated outer mirrors, theatre dimming roof lights, small turning circle radius, side impact bars, collapsible steering column, the new version comes with a warranty that protects it for 2 years or 75,000 kms. With all that zip, zap, zoom, we wonder how good it is for errant drivers, unending jams and fuel consumption. SG Saksena, head- product group- Utility vehicles, Tata Motors limited updates us, “We have a market for Merc’s, Rolls Royce, BMW’s, and at the same time we have market for small cars and utility vehicles as well. Utility vehicles have their own segment. Grande MKII is line with the Tata Motors philosophy, giving more for less.” Available in 3 variants- top of the line Gx, Ex and Lx with a seating capacity ranging between 7 and 9 seats in front and side facing configuration. The vehicle comes in three new colours, Walnut Gold, Platinum Beige and Castle grey. Priced in the range of Rs 6.42 laks to Rs 7.49 laks (ex-showroom Chandigarh), Grande MKII can be accessorised too. Road stopper
John Abraham and Shoaib Akhtar’s passion about their sleek, power-packed machine has swept a generation of speedsters. Every third reality show on television has a gang of wannabes traversing India on the sponsored bikes. The attention is more on the ‘beep’ and tailor-made fights rather than bikes, which of course is a different story. Bajaj Auto’s Pulsar 135 LS comes up with a new story of chiseled lines, sporty look, light-weight and top-end power. Adding a new dimension to the motorcycle market, the new Light Sport (LS) vehicle is powered with a state-of-the-art 4-valves DTS-I engine, delivering 13.5 Ps power. A light-weight of only 122kg gives Pulsar 135 LS gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 110.6 Ps/ tonne to make optimum balance of agility. As per Sanjay Saraswat, GM (Sales & Service planning), “Bajaj Auto’s Pulsar 135 LS is meant for people who want to taste freedom. It is meant for people who want to enjoy a ride. Our target group is college students in the age group of 18-30 or just married youngsters without kids.” And since safety is paramount, DC lighting and a 240mm disc brake up front comes as a standard. Priced at 51,170 ex showroom (Chandigarh) also guarantees superior mileage and low emission. Touch and move
40 per cent of mobile devices will incorporate touch sensitive technology by 2012. So it is, touch that reads the mind of the person. And Nokia will now read the mind of the customers with the newly-launched touch devices Nokia 5230 and Nokia 5530 Xpress music. Priced at Rs 9,389 and Rs 14,029 respectively, the new devices ideal for consumers who appreciate easy usage with the ‘touch’ interface and music lovers that like music and entertainment. According to Chandan Dang, regional general manager, North India, “people are getting comfortable with the touch technology, and it gives no problem even when used daily.” Loaded with multi-functions the two devices offer a complete music entertainment. jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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Rural rocks
Soap operas crowded the small screen, but it was Balika Vadhu and Bandini - serials with a rural backdrop - that were the big hits. Reality shows like Sach Ka Saamna and Rakhi Ka Swayamvar also found many takers in 2009.We pick 10 fiction and non-fiction shows that captivated audiences despite cricket matches. Rakhi Ka Swayamvar—Item girl Rakhi Sawant left the nation shocked when she decided to find a suitable life partner through the reality show. It brought unprecedented TRPs for the channel, but Rakhi failed to sustain her engagement to Toronto-based businessman Elesh Parujanwala, whom she found through the show. Balika Vadhu — Set in rural Rajasthan, the family drama changed the face of Indian television in 2008 and continued to rule the charts this year with its gripping script. It deals with grave social issues like child marriage, perils of teen pregnancy and mismatched marriage. Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo—Another top rated rural-based show Agle Janam... revolves around the plight of a poor girl Laali who strives to help her family financially. But she is later sold off to a rich landlord by her parents. The show has proved to be a worthy replacement for the hugely popular soap Kasamh Se. Dance Premier League— This big-ticket dance show not only brought actor Rani Mukerji to the small screen but also provided a platform to dancing teams from different zones across India. The show is nearing its finale. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai
—Speaking volumes about Indian tradition and culture, the show narrates the story of love finding its way into arranged marriages and how two strangers bond and blossom together after entering matrimony. Lead characters Naitik and Akshara have become household names. Bigg Boss 3—In its third season, Bigg Boss promised to get bigger and it certainly did by roping in megastar Amitabh Bachchan to host it. The show started with a mix of 12 celebrities, including Rakhi Sawant’s mother Jaya, Bhojpuri actor Kamaal Rashid Khan and Vindu Dara Singh. It provided ample drama. Bandini
— Based in a Gujarat village, the Balaji Telefilms production, Bandini, is about a young girl Santu who is forced to marry a much older Dharam Raj, played by seasoned actor Ronit Roy. The show traces Santu’s trials and tribulations while adjusting with the family and how love surfaces between her and her husband. The show is liked for its simplicity. Dance India Dance—After the success of its first season this year, the dance show has already entered its second season. It has three popular choreographers, Terrence Lewis, Remo D’Souza and Geeta Kapoor, who train 18 contestants in dance forms like ballet, acrobatics, mid-air dancing, contemporary, Bollywood and hip-hop. Yesteryear superstar Mithun Chakraborty has joined the show as the grand master. Bidaai
— This serial questions whether life is happier for fairer people. It is the parallel story of two sisters - Sadhna and Ragini and shows how their looks determine the quality of their lives. Shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi 2, India’s Got Talent, Uttaran and Na Aana Iss Des Laado on Colors, Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao and Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa 3 on Sony, Aap Ki Kachehri and Perfect Bride on STAR Plus and Pavitra Rishta on Zee TV also made for good entertainment this year. |
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Just Juhi
Daughter of renowned Bollywood actor Raj Babbar, Juhi Babbar, has earned name and fame on both big and small screens. The actor, who made her debut with Kaash Aap Hamare Hote in 2003, is currently busy with a comedy show Ghar Ki Baat Hai. “I do films rarely because I don’t get good films and I feel that theatre gives me creative satisfaction, so why should I compromise and give less time to it for doing films, which will neither satisfy me nor give me a feeling that I have grown as an artist. I don’t have passion for money and fame, but I have done one Punjabi film named Yaraan Naal Baharandirected by Manmohan Singh ji that I enjoyed very much,” Juhi said. “That film will always remain close to my heart and the reason is that it was a Punjabi film and it is my desire to do more Punjabi films in future. The film did a good business and it feels good when people associate me with it,” she added. She further supported the Punjabi film industry, and said: “I don’t think that the Punjabi films don’t do good business, but I feel if the film is good, it will do good business because there is big Punjabi audience in Punjab, all over India and overseas. And if the film is good, people will definitely watch it because people residing abroad pine for their culture and language, so if the product is good and made with sincerity, it will do good business.” Juhi said that Punjabi film industry is also a big medium, which has provided popularity to scores of people, including her father. “Sometimes I feel little disappointed that Hindi cinema is so much dependent on Punjabi culture. There are number of big personalities in the film industry, who have gained popularity for being a Punjabi but if you look back those people who have got recognition in the world because of their religion, they have done nothing for the Punjabi language,” Juhi said. Talking about her future plans, she said: I plans of doing good theatre, writing good scripts and doing some good work with children.” —ANI
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Bollywood’s dimpled beauty Preity Zinta, who promises to return to the big screen with a big bang in the coming year, does not believe in attaining a “size zero” to rule the film industry or attract endorsements. The likes of Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif may be becoming the new leading ladies of Bollywood, but Preity says she is in no pressure. “I think I have a different appeal. I was never a hot shot model. People always associated with me as a very normal, girl-next-door girl,” Preity said. “And I don’t think size zero is important. In my opinion it is more important to be healthy. Some people are naturally thin but then if you starve yourself to look size zero then it is realy stupid. To become a total stick is not that cool,” the actress said. However, Preity, who is a self confessed fitness freak, has an advice for the young girls who count calories before eating. “One should exercise. I have been exercising like crazy beacause I eat alot. There is only one life you have and if you are not living for yourself than who are you living it for. So eat what you want and burn it. If you are happy from inside you lose weight quickly. You will look better and you’ll glow,” Preity said. —PTI
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Comedy calling
Come 2010 and Bollywood will floor the audience with its forthcoming romantic comedy. Directed by first time director, Mudassar Aziz, Dulha Mil Gaya promises to be a complete entertainer, according to its star cast.
“As far as Dulha Mil Gaya is concerned, I can’t categorise it as comedy. It is a romantic comedy. It has certain comedic situations because there are certain amounts of confusions in my character, which land him in certain comic situations out of which the comedy is born. But none of the characters in the film are comedic. Some situations are funny and that’s the extent to which it will make the people laugh,” said Fardeen Khan. The film is the story of four individuals, each with a different take on relationships. Apart from Fardeen, the film boasts of a commendable cast Sushmita Sen and Shahrukh Khan. “I’ve waited a long time for this film to be released because I personally think its one of my best performances. It is a film written for me, with me in mind by Mudassar Aziz, who will tell you more about it,” said Sushmita. Dulha Mil Gaya is the first Indian film to be shot in the Caribbean. The film is slated to be released on January 8, 2010.
— ANI |
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Present perfect
The meteorological department of Himachal Pradesh has proudly predicted, well in advance, ‘Snowfall around Christmas’. And the tourists too would want to scrutinize the changes in the environment themselves, since the Copenhagen climate talk ended with partiers only agreeing to take note of the situation. So, till the time Rudolph, Santa’s red nose reindeer brings the good-old man to India, it’s time to collect some goodies for the D-day. In case, Santa doesn’t approve of climatic changes here, he needs to be bribed with something. We dig into some of the knick-knacks that can make for X-Mas gift items. A little white & green
The omnipresent Xmas tree in various sizes makes for the most sought after gift item. And this time, you have them in snowy white and emerald green colours, decorated with lights, X-mas stars, silver, red, orange balls. Starting Rs 1,100 onwards. Shares Diwakar Sahoonja, director Dewsun Greetings & Gifts Pvt ltd, “ There has been a marked rise in the gifts market for X-mas, which can be attributed to two things. One is the exposure of people to gifts in European countries through social networking sites, and the second is the increase in English schools in this part of the region.” Whatever the reasons, the market sure has to offer some interesting stuff this time. Christian Biblical characters of Mother Mary, Jesus as a small child, Jesus having dinner with his disciples for Rs 199, 299 till Rs 600, Santa and teddy mugs for Rs 175, Santa pillows for Rs 199, Xmas gift bags, Santa key chains for Rs 10, X mas gift set (Which has a deodorant, A small card, dolls, mug) reindeer headbands in red and beige for Rs 125, Crib set for Jesus Christ starting Rs 125, Hanging dolls, specially designed Xmas socks and Fizzy Moon stuff toys created with Christmas theme imported by Archies starting Rs 200 are some of the new entrants. Also at Jewels sector-11, you can pick decoration items and different kind of Santas- musical and dancing. Adds Raman from Jewels, “This Christmas the emphasis is on smart packaging, whether it is a stuff toy, a X mas tree or a gift pack.” A perfect cake, for a perfect occasion. Take your pick from X mas plum cake, ginger bread house, ginger bread cookies in different shapes at Nik Bakers sector-9, which also does fancy packaging for dry cakes. At Monicas, sector-8, the festive spirit is all the time, as she smiles, “I like doing up the shop during Christmas with all the decorations.” From Monica’s comes the all- time favourite, plum, almond and carrot cake, apple pies, special X mas cakes with a snowy feel, X mas breads rich in dry fruits and special cookies and other X mas hampers. |
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Jingle bells…
To welcome the New Year in style and to celebrate the spirit of Christmas, the students of Inter National Institute of Fashion Design
(INIFD), Sector 8 organised a theme based Christmas bash on Tuesday.
Having decorated the venue in the eternal colours of Christmas, White ‘n’ Red with dashes of Green, INIFD students made handmade cutouts of Santa caps, golden and silver bells, vibrant stars, pretty mistletoes, golden lights and innovative stockings to create the true Christmas Eve atmosphere by using their imagination and creative talent. The highlight of the party was a huge backdrop hand painted by the INIFD Interior Design students showcasing the arrival of Santa on his famous sledge at midnight. The entire hall was ornamented with a huge Christmas tree, beautifully decorated with vibrant knick-knacks and gifts. Dancing to the tunes of DJ
Bhanu, students came dressed in red and white (the colours of Christmas) with bits of green thrown in to compliment the matching accessories. —
TNS |
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Treat to ears
Representing the fifth unbroken lineage of the family of illustrious musicians holding allegiance to the oldest Gwalior ghrana of Hindustani Classical Music, Pt. Laxman Krishnarao Pandit, popularly known as Pt. LK Pandit, is the foremost proponent and doyen of the gharana. Born on March 5, 1934 he still retains the youthful freshness of his melodious voice at the age of 75, a heavenly bliss indeed. One of the most accomplished guru and performer specialising in khayal, tappa, tarana, ashatpadi, thumri LK Pandit has performed in almost every part of the World. True to his mission, he is committed to practice and promote the classical music in its pristine form and Guru Shishya parmapra, he treats music as his life. A proud father guru of Meeta Pandit , the reigning princess of melody among the new age vocal classical maestros, is undeniably the most competent custodian of the ghrana legacy. In the city for a concert cum deliberations on music for a special refresher programme for teaching faculty at the PU department of music, Pandit ji shared his views. On the future of Indian classical music, the great maestro observed it to be brighter in foreign lands than India, if the government or corporate world failed to extend patronage to the deserving artists and promoters. Supplementing his view, he recalled a 24 hour non-stop concert of Indian classical music held in Paris where he says 22 Indian artists participated, “ The concert went uninterrupted for full night and believe me, ninety five percent audience comprising of foreigners only were the intrusive listeners”. Some people feel the instrumental music is endowed with more technical virtuosity, which fascinates foreigners sensibility while the lyricism of a vocalist may not impress them, “Again a misconception it is, as music has its own language, it creates its own aura. I had to perform twice on that fest on demand of foreign audience, who could never understand our language.” Unhappy over TV channels, he laments that even the AIR has also cut down its scheduled broadcasts, which is alarming. But there is no dearth of talent and the Chintan, Shikshan and Saadhna are the mantras for the proliferisation of rich musical heritage, he said.
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Cool Comfort
Meet Rakesh Pandey, the actor who might have not made a big name in the Bollywood industry, but has sure made his mark in the Bhojpuri cinema. In the city, to meet his relatives he says, “The cool comfort of the winter and the desire to wear woolens especially sweaters and suits has brought me to the city.” A Himachali, from Nahan he says, it was his love for the silver screen that took him to Bombay now Mumbai. “I always wanted to be an actor. Did my two years course at the FTI, Pune and then as every struggling actor does moved on to the city of dreams—Mumbai. My first movie Sara Akash released in 1970 and since then there has been no looking back.” Owing it all to Bhojpuri cinema he says, “Though today lot is happening on the Bhojpuri front, when I started it was a tough call and we had to struggle a lot.” Ask him about the transition of Bhojpuri cinema and he says, “Bhojpuri cinema was better when I started. The cinema has improved on the technology front but we have lost on the undercurrent emotions. And as regional cinema, the movies are not dealing with the subjects of the state but are aping Bollywood mindlessly. In plain words I should say, it has become commercial.” Having finished shooting for a Bhojpuri film, Kisna Kalis Kamal we ask what about Bollywood and he says, “I played the role of Preity Zinta’s father in Dil Chata Hai, but nothing lucrative was coming my way, they were typical roles and I believe its better to be a CM of a state then minister of Delhi.” Recently awarded Dada Phalke Samman for Bhojpuri cinema, Rakesh is now planning to direct a movie and a serial too. He says, “I plan to direct a movie on a short story by Rabindranath Tagore. This story would suit any regional cinema. Other than that I also plan to direct a serial for Doordarshan.” Well if you didn’t know, Rakesh has a number of television serials to his credit. Trikaal, Devi, Hum Pardesi Ho Gaye, Dollar bahu, Ek Shaadi Hai Pados Mein are a few to name. jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com
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It’s cool!
All the students who wished slang were a subject, raise your hands! Tenses, grammar, punctuation, British English, American nuances, Estuary English, they taught everything imaginable but ‘Expressive English’. Slang…That colourful attractive vocabulary…Would any word describe that babe walking down the street, better than Chick? Nah! Is Happy enough when you actually mean ‘on a high’? By the way, ‘down with’ too means ‘on a high.’ Read on, pick up five to ten per cent, update your slang quotient by a few notches and be ‘Obama’. Yes, that’s the latest one meaning ‘cool’.
Did someone not say aptly, it’s the English with sleeves rolled up, its shirttails dangling and shoes covered in mud? “Believe it or not, the slang can be actually quite expressive, infectious, you once hear someone use it and you’re addicted to using it, without even realizing,” says Simranjot Kaur, student, Government Home Science College. Quite true, that blonde at the bar would actually be ‘bang’ and not hot or whatever! Calling babelicious is another option; for the uninitiated that’s physically attractive to a high degree. She adds, “Not to forget there’s an inherent element of being ‘it’ and young associated with the dialect or language whatever you call,” Like it or leave it, can’t ignore it. The purists of the language might be squirming in their graves, but isn’t it just an evolutionary part of the language. She adds, “It just means something informal but slang has come to be generally associated with obscene language because of the various slang words for such usage.” No wonder, not everyone’s ‘gung ho’ though. Opines Nanki Aurora, student, Department of Economics, “The only word, if it can be called slang, that I use is Coz meaning because. Otherwise I’m a very straight person and not really in favour of such words and languages.” A few fizzle out, some get imbibed into the mainstream, the rest just get left out. She adds, “It’s like everybody’s just trying to get there, moreover I find the whole concept very pretentious. Half the times people who are speaking it, don’t even know their actual usage. It would be good to stick to just what you know.” Don’t even remind of the right usage, there’s crime slang, prison slang, Birmingham slang, college slang, political slang, alcohol slang, phew. So, people if someone doesn’t exactly excite you, please don’t say bad (that means extremely good, awesome). Next time an Audi passes you by, feel free to voice, ‘That’s a bad car’. Adds Veralika Singh, chemical engineering student, “The only expression probably that I use is cool, and it’s become so common, so accepted a form of expression that it has come to be considered a part of normal language that everybody understands.” In slangs, cool is actually ‘so vanilla’! What say? So much so, that parents use it and grandparents understand. Oh you are already so ‘Obama’! manpriya@tribunemail.com |
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Tale of treachery
It’s a tale of darkness, chaos and conflict. The legendary story of treachery, witches and prophecies. Of wicked intention, evil actions, devilish intervention. Shakespeare’s ultimate tragedy. It’s Macbeth. And it’s hard not to be mesmerized, harder not to give in, again and again and yet again. Bringing alive the experience this time is Department of Indian Theatre.
“Macbeth is as relevant today as ever. These times, everyone is so ambitious, wants to be the first and the fastest, reach the top, and we try whatever means come our way to attain our goals,” Chakresh Kumar, final year student, gives the context and perspective to things. In the original Shakespeare’s script, the first act of the play opens amidst thunder and lightening with the three witches deciding that their next meeting shall be with Macbeth. Let’s see what they’ve done? And who can forget the popular one liner alluding to the weather and victory? “So foul and fair a day I have not seen.” Given the numerous quirks of language and obscure allusions, the play, being difficult to understand has been done spoken language. “We’ve been working on the script for quite some time now. And though it’s an English play, we’ve used expression from Hindi as well, to lend it the spoken touch and make it easily intelligible to the audience.” He adds, “The preparations have been going on for over two months and we would practice for around two hours everyday. Our classes have been on alongside.” Not to forget the rehearsals for just concluded other play alongside Ishq Hai. “We made sure that one didn’t affect the other and characters and roles didn’t get mixed up and both plays received due attention and enough groundwork.” What else? “In the play we’ve used six witches instead of three, two Lady Macbeths in place of one. The reason for this being like when one is doing anywork or is anywhere, there are actually two parts of him. His subconscious mind is somewhere else. This is to depict that. Apart from it, we’ve used a lot of visual language.” Macbeth, Duncan, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, Macduff, Malcolm, are we missing anyone? Go meet all of them. At Department of Indian Theatre at 6pm on 24th and 25th. |
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Children under 15 should not drink alcohol at all, while those below 18 should not consume it more than one day a week, according to a British expert. The Government’s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, claimed that the 500,000 children aged between 11-15 get drunk every month. “There is no evidence to support the idea that you should wean children onto alcohol at an early age so they get used to it,” a publication quoted him as saying. He added: “The evidence shows that the earlier children are introduced to alcohol, the more likely they are to develop a taste for it and become binge drinkers as teenagers and heavy drinkers as adults.” However, he dismissed the notion that getting younger children introduced to alcohol with parents allowing occasional glass of wine is a “middle class obsession.” Ian Gilmour, president of the Royal College of Physicians and a prominent campaigner for greater restrictions on alcohol, said: “In strong families with good parental support it is perfectly reasonable to introduce alcohol to children before the age of 15 in a controlled environment as the French are traditionally supposed to do. But you cannot generalise.” Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware, added: “The drinking culture in the UK is entrenched and many young people see drinking alcohol as a rite of passage. It’s imperative that from an early age, we start to educate children and young people about the dangers of alcohol misuse.” —ANI
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Seven & searching?
Kids as young as seven are searching for sex online, reveals a new Kiwi study. A list of popular search terms used by teens and children released by anti-virus firm Symantec shows that searches for “porn” and “sex” have become quite common.
Although kids show a lot of interest in Youtube, Facebook and Google, the search for adult material is also high, reports a website. While, girls were less interested in searching for adult material than boys, “porn” turns up in the top 10 boys’ searches. When it comes to celebrities, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne were in the popular searches’ list. In the battle of the Twilight hunks, Taylor Lautner beat out rival heartthrob Robert Pattinson, who didn’t break the top 100.—ANI |
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