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Lady Gaga’s antics rule awards...
More than who took home how many golden gramophones, the news is Eminem got nominated in 10 categories but won only two. Lady Gaga arrived at the red carpet in a giant egg shell (by the way, she won three awards), country music group Lady Antebellum walked away with five; there were worst dressed, best dressed…the 53rd annual Grammy awards were as much about who arrived how, wore what, as about who won what!
Mention Lady Gaga and now we're talking! "She is now what Madonna was during the 80s. I don't like her music but I think arriving in an egg-shell is a cool publicity stunt. Even though I myself would never have made such an appearance, given a choice." If not her music, her marketing makes sense to many. He adds, "The Grammy's are more about good marketing than about good music. I think a similar thing happened with AR Rahman's Jai Ho — he himself has made much better music, but since the song was hyped, it won. And as an Indian and as a musician, it felt good." Country music group Lady Antebellum taking home five awards was perhaps as much of good news to country music lovers as to her. "That shows that the music scene is gradually and slowly changing. I'm a little disappointed for Eminem though." Who can miss Lady Gaga? He laughs, "How she looks is not entirely Lady Gaga's decision -— it's the producers decision, it's the director's decision, it's so many other people's decision. As a businessperson I feel, you need to be fresh and 'different' in order to be able to market the product." "I totally agree with the Best Solo Rock Vocal going to Paul McCartney, I think he deserves it. Then again, I don't totally agree with Best Metal Performance going to Iron Maiden because they've been around for 28 years, and there are far better records as well as names." There's a thumbs-up for Best Contemporary Blues Album to Buddy Guy. And there's no ignoring Lady Gaga. He opines, "Personally, I feel she's not an artist, she's just a singer because she doesn't write her own music. She just has a good voice, there's nothing creative to it." We guess he's not counting the creativity involved with the clothes! "Iron Maiden totally deserve the best metal performance. I'm into metal myself so I know their music has a lot of energy and their performance is power-packed." |
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"I need to say thank you tonight to Whitney Houston," the Contact Music quoted her as telling the star-studded audience. "I wanted to thank Whitney because when I wrote 'Born This Way', I imagined she was singing it because I wasn't secure enough in myself to imagine I was a superstar. So Whitney, I imagined you were singing 'Born This Way' when I wrote it. Thank you," she added. — ANI
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The joy of amateur golfing
Unlike professionals, they might not be playing only for the trophies but there's an excitement nevertheless. Shares Anmol Sharma (31), businessman, "I've won a couple of amateur tournaments. It's the sheer love of the game and the company you are playing for, which makes the effort worthwhile." He once took home a golf bag and a couple of clubs, while his wife took a Swarovski watch. For beginners, all club tournaments are basically amateurs' tournaments. Interestingly, even in a pair of watch, golf bag, or a couple of clubs, just as much is at stake as the cash prize cited in dollars. No wonder, in almost every professional tournament worth its name there are a couple of spots reserved for the club's best amateurs. Shares Ajay Gujral, "It's only junior golf tournaments that are a platform for moving on to the professional stages. Otherwise, so many elders play because of factors other than money. It could be the company or a lavish lunch." Or it could be the title! Talk of hole-specific prizes and rope in the biggest names in the automobile industry. He adds, "A year or two back, we've had auto brands like BMW, Audi and Mercedes hold tournaments in the city." The events might be by invitation only, and the cup is no substitute for cash but a strong competitor! Opines Rabiya Gill, winner, Chandigarh Open, "I won this tournament this year and last to last year. I received a trophy at the end and it was a joy to grab it." manpriya@tribunemail.com Turning professional
He adds, "Then there's the qualifying school route. Each country has got its own qualifying school; the Indian school is in Pune, where you need to play for a certain number of days after which a certain percentage out of those competing get a professional player's certificate." |
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Dia Mirza to turn producer
The 29-year-old former beauty queen said that on completing a decade in the film industry, she wanted to do something that was a sea change from what she had done before. "Turning producer is the right shift in the gear and a timely one. What bigger celebration could I have asked for than my production house Born Free being set up with Zayed Khan?" Dia said. Her debut film as a producer in which she stars in the lead role with partner Zayed Love, Breakups, Zindagi written and directed by Sahil Sangha goes on floors from tomorrow. "When we heard Sahil's script, we were immediately connected to it. We did not want to let it go. The script happened and then the production house was born," Dia said. According to the actor, this is a film from the heart. "We wanted to make it with that kind of sincerity and earnest. It was the most natural decision to make the film. Born Free is not about one film, but making lot of movies we believe in, by giving opportunity to fresh faces," she said. Love, Breakups, Zindagi, a romantic comedy, will be a 46-day start-to-finish schedule and release in August later this year. Dia said there was no room for nervousness since the whole team was prepared with clarity and conviction. "Work on the script took two years and for the last seven months, we are working on the pre-production. Nervousness comes when you are uncertain or unclear," she said.
— PTI
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Zeta Jones once slept in a cupboard! Actor Catherine Zeta Jones has revealed that she was forced to sleep in a cupboard when she first arrived in Los Angeles to start her acting career. The Welsh actress moved to the US in the mid-90s to launch her career and was initially staying at a friend's large Malibu house. She was scared to stay at the huge home on her own so she started sleeping in a cupboard."When I first arrived in Los Angeles I stayed at my friend's big house in Malibu for a while. Every night I'd lie awake listening to all the creaks and funny little noises the house makes," she said."Then one night the gates began swinging for no reason. When you close them they automatically latch, but not this night. It was definitely a bit creepy, especially when you live on your own like I did. So I hid I was so scared that I slept in a cupboard!" she added. However, the 41-year-old star admits it was hard work getting her first big break in Hollywood."There's an unbelievable hierarchy out there. If you're not on a certain rung of the ladder you don't even get to read the material. I try not to rely on any kind of beauty. That's why I try to put a certain oomph into my performances, some fun and physicality. I want to be here for the long run," she said. — IANS
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Shah Rukh Khan in Malaysia to film Don sequel Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is back in Malaysia to shoot a sequel to his blockbuster Don - this time on a larger scale and with a local baddie to combat. "The `king' of Bollywood is in Malaysia to film the sequel to his 2006 blockbuster hit Don. He flew in from Mumbai after a gruelling 58 hours of working on a set." Datuk Shah Rukh Khan lived up to his tough guy image by proceeding to Malacca state to continue filming," the newspaper said. Besides Priyanka, a former Miss World, a 60-member crew accompanied Khan to Malacca. "The Indian icon looked relaxed and up to the task of filming Don 2, a highly-anticipated action thriller. "His arrival created a stir at the airport as passengers rushed to catch a glimpse of the actors. Despite their hectic schedule, the duo did not disappoint when their fans asked to take photographs." Don 2 will continue to portray Khan as Don, an undercover police officer masquerading as the leader of an international gang of drug smugglers. Priyanka will play his love interest, Roma. Don 2 will also be filmed in Kuala Lumpur, the national capital and Langkawi, a popular island resort. Khan will be in the country for about a month. —IANS
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Willow Smith shoots for Teen Vogue
The Whip My Hair star put her unique sense of style on show in the photo spread, posing in a series of quirky costumes."I wear anything I feel like. If I want to put on a pair of Converse with a pencil stuck through them, I will," she said.
— IANS |
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After his romantic role in Yeh Saali Zindagi, Irrfan Khan is all set to display his mean streak in Anees Bazmee starrer Thank You and Hollywood franchise Spiderman'.The actor, who shot a bridge sequence for the superhero reboot in Los Angeles recently, is enjoying his turn as a baddie in both the films. "I am playing a baddie in Bazmee's Thank You and it is great fun. My character in the film is very anti-women. He feels that things will not work properly if women were not shown their place. People will hate me in this role," Irrfan said.The actor says he wanted to work with Bazmee, known for his masala flicks, for sometime."He (Bazmee) had offered me Singh Is Kinng but things did not work out but I am happy to be in Thank You. The film is very emotional. The thing with Bazmee is that he keeps a strong hold on his story," says Irrfan.While most of the actors in Bollywood go gaga over their bit parts in international projects Irrfan is reluctant to speak about what is happening on Hollywood front. "I am not good in publicity. Instead I try to get involved with my characters and that has helped me a lot. Each character has been a stepping stone for another good role," says Irrfan, who will be seen in Spiderman and Ang Lee's Life of Pi.The actor says he got Spiderman role after his appearance in US drama In Treatment where he played a widower, who is trying to adjust to the life in a foreign land with his son and his American wife."The role got me some good reviews there and I think the industry there is aware of my work. Marc Webber had seen me and wanted to work with me and he approached me for this role. I play one of the villains in the movie. It is a pivotal role." The new film, slated for a 2012 release, stars Social Network star Andrew Garfield as young superhero while Emma Stone plays his lady love. Irrfan is also looking forward to working with Tabu in Lee's adaptation of Life Of Pi, where he plays the elder Pi. — PTI
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Listen to this newcomer
With the circle of queries defined, we move onto ask him about exactly what he was there for. "It's a new album and I wish him all the luck. I haven't yet heard the songs (surprise again!) but I like Punjabi music." Even persistent nudging couldn't evoke a response on his one favourite Punjabi track, out of the "so many that he's listened to and is fond of." Perhaps, he couldn't recall any. Surprisingly, there was no fumbling for names when quizzed about the favourite Punjabi singer. "It's Jazzy B," he quips. Back to the album for whose release the singer wasn't there. Shares Amit, the producer, "He doesn't like to be in the limelight and you'd hardly see him making public appearances." The collection has a total of eight songs, out of which, "one is a western track, the other is rap based, one sad song and two folk songs and one on the traditional dying genre, Dhaddi." The name New Comer has just as much of a queer story behind it. "We were looking for a name when someone in the team made New Comer for folder during the production stages. The name struck everyone and since it's a debut venture…" Hence the name New Comer! manpriya@tribunemail.com
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Salon promises solution to stress
With an aim to make their clients beautiful not only externally but also internally, two known names from the city, Zahid Khan and Asmi Ahuja have joined hands to launch all new Asmi's Beautismith-9. "The stress of modern life takes its toll on the looks. Our endeavour is to banish the stress along with regular hair and beauty regimen," says Asmi, who herself is a Reiki follower and plans to incorporate many such healing techniques in her beauty packages. Trained under the best of beauty experts, Asmi's forte is bridal makeup. And she did a live bridal make-up session at the inauguration. For inspiration, she banks on Vidhya Tikari. "I have seen Tikari work. She has almost an intuitive understanding of what a client wants and her style is an epitome of Indian-ness," she says. The partner in her new venture is Zahid Khan who has many city celebs from politics, singing, acting as well as business class as his clients. "Hair cut is my domain. In new Asmi's we have the best to offer our clients," says Zahid. "With him, we know we have the best in hair care," says Asmi. Decked up in Valentine spirit, Asmi's looks a happy place to get pampered. The inaugural day offer gets a free tarot card reading by Poonam Sharma. "We will keep having exciting offers for weekends," promises Asmi. mona@tribunemail.com
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Spade work
The winter is a dull time for gardeners who are used to seeing colours. No doubt, the spring is full of colours when all the winter annuals are at their best but then this period is followed by a long spell of a blank. What then is the solution? It has to be something that gives instant 'relief' and keeps the garden sparkling. The effect should be long lasting.
The winter in this region is very severe so far as the health of indoor plants is concerned. The effect or straight terms the damage to such plants is prominent despite taking protection measures. In most of the cases there is drying of plants starting at the tip, which is very damaging and it is common to almost all species. But related to our today's topic, the damage to the plant colour is also very pronounced. For example, in case of crotons, which are very sensitive to frost or cold waves, the plant almost crumbles. Those that survive, have their colours faded. Similar is the damage shown on dieffenbachia, aphelandra and ornamental ellaichi. The coloured specimens of Ficus species plants that is Ficus variegate and starlite brave the vagaries but they also seem to lose shine during that period. One thing that is common for all the indoor plant species is that they should get the best possible protection. But the problem is while giving protection, we completely cover the plants from all sides and that leads to loss of even green colour what to talk about the variegation. While preserving such plants during the winter these should get at least the warmth of rising the winter sun. Also, their placement should be such that they get the benefit of travelling winter sun which has otherwise very short stay. If any such corner is available in the porch too, one could keep such plants and these should be supplemented with the likes of begonias. These are the plants that retain their originality of colour during this assault period. Begonias are the plants that show the resistance or show better growth and sparkle. The main advantage with this class is that there is a wide range of types and the foliage colour also varies from deep green to red, deep maroon, grey, the patches of deep brown and black. The leaf texture also varies to make it into an interesting
display. satishnarula@yahoo.co.in Myth of the week During these days, those who keep the revered tulsi plant, at times, wonder and feel as if 'tulsi mata' has shown annoyance and has thus dried in their garden. It is not correct. It is good that such plants are revered and that probably is one big reason of compulsory preservation of biodiversity in our country. But if it is their belief then they should keep in mind that God never betrays or gets annoyed, it is the nature that tulsi which is sensitive to the cold, dries during this time and re-sprouts when once the weather is warmer. The re-sprouting maybe from the base of the plant or from the seeds that are shed by the plant during late fall. If the plant is protected, like I have said earlier, then you can keep it going too during the winter. Now, think why in case of those who put red dupata on it have better plant survival. Such a respect is given on the advice of our scriptures but those who did it unknowingly also provided protection that gave better survival besides giving the respect!
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Digital death, next to impossible!
More to Facebook
With 1,583 friends on the Facebook account already, it's not easy for Karan Chhabra, a final-year engineering student to imagine delete his account. "It's not just about friends or acquaintances, I have people on my friends list who give me tips on how to pursue a career in an IT company." It's also a window to the latest trends for him. "There's no better platform than FB to begin a debate on a social issue. Deleting the account would mean cutting off from the society now." So Tweet
For someone who regularly follows the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Ashton Kutcher and Shashi Tharoor, it's not easy to delete the Twitter account. Rayshita Sachdeva, a second-year student at NIIFT, after being on Twitter for the past one-and-a-half year, can't think of digital fasting let alone digital death. "I follow people and people follow me, which helps us keep in touch with each other. Deleting Twitter would mean cutting down on the social circle and I won't ever do it." Net-lagged
Final-year engineering student Nitish Sharma still remembers how he felt when he deleted his Orkut account to graduate to Facebook. "It felt like I deleted a part of my identity. I think social networking sites are kind of memorandums of what kind of relationships you enjoy with your friends." He, in fact, enjoys visiting his old posts, on which his friends have commented - "Not for anything will I delete my FB or Twitter account." Link of work
This young entrepreneur, more than chatting with his friends, discusses marketing strategies with his business partners. "Linkedin helps me stay in touch with people I deal with in the professional circuit. Deleting it would mean more phone calls and mails to keep myself updated," says Sumit Saida. In fact, it also helps him know the profile of his clients better. "As for FB, it's an addiction that's not easy to let go off." ashima@tribunemail.com |
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Through his company Impact-International, Japan, Deshdeep Wasu is bridging the gap between India and Japan
Fifteen years back, Japan would've ignored India and moved to booming economies of the world. For them, India was a maharaja with a pagri sitting on an elephant and eating hot curry. But today, India is an upcoming market for them, a place with mindboggling potential and opportunity," 34-year-old Deshdeep Wasu is hopeful, and all geared up to strengthen the bridge his grandfather and father have built between India and Japan. In Chandigarh along with Jun Taguchi of Taguchi Pattern Works Limited, Kobe, Japan, for IFEX trade fair held at Parade Grounds-17 from February 11 to 13, Deshdeep along with his wife Madhavi Wasu, are embracing 'incredible India'. "India, for Japan, always took a backseat. But Japan has burnt its fingers with China, and is now exploring newer markets. This is where we step in as facilitators helping businesses in Japan forge alliances with those in India," he says. Impact International, here at the IFEX as Taguchi-Impact, is into customised services, mainly in the automotive sector. From Munjals, Cummins India, Kinetic, Kirloskars, even components for Tata Nano, they have worked with everyone. "It is all due to my grandfather Narinder Singh Wasu. He was an aggressive businessman who gave up a bank job in Pune and shifted base to Japan in 1955. At that time, there were only a handful of Indians there, but he stuck on, learnt the language, adapted to the culture and helped the Japanese find good business in India," tells Deshdeep, him being the third generation to carry on the Wasu name in Japan. His father Manjit Wasu carried on business with the same grit and determination. —TNS
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Geek SPEAK The touch screen is one of the easiest-to-use and most sensitive of all PC interfaces. The first true touch screen was invented in 1974, three years after the introduction of the first touch sensor in 1971 by Elo-Touch Systems and patented by The University of Kentucky Research Foundation, called Elograph. Since then, touch screen technology has become very popular. This particular interface has become a favourite choice for a wide range of gadgets as well as applications, as it allows users to navigate a computer by just touching the screen. Earlier, external input device such as a keypad, mouse or keyboard was required, but now the screen becomes both the input and output device. Advantages
In the absence of such peripheral devices, the system can now be easily transported from one place to another. And this sort of portability is why the touch screen technology really took off when it was integrated with modern mobile phones. With the integration of touch screen technology in phones, there is no more the need for a keypad and this has resulted in larger screens for smart phones. Another advantage of using touch screen technology is that it increases the speed at which the user can operate the system; as it is based more on visuals, the brain works a lot faster when it comes to processing an image rather than plain text. For those who have arthritis, a multi-touch screen monitor is far more comfortable than the mouse or keyboard. When it comes to those with poor eyesight, using a touch screen technology-enabled device is recommended because icons are far easier to distinguish than text. Disadvantages
In order to effectively operate a touch screen-enabled interface, you need to be close to the screen and this becomes a problem when you have a large desk because you need to exert extra effort to operate it in an effective manner. Another issue with touch screen technology is that of accuracy. Small icons and buttons may be hard to touch and thus affect your accuracy and that is why using a stylus is recommended. Touch screen also limit your typing speed. Haute pick
Specifications n
14.2 megapixel resolution, CCD sensor n
GPS functionality*3 n
5x wide optical zoom covering 28-140 mm (35 mm equivalent) n
CCD shift image stabilisation n
2.7-inch rear high contrast LCD with 230,000 pixels n
Motion panorama mode n
Available in black, silver, orange, blue, green and white |
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A wind-powered car that covered 5,000 km in $16 It's a car that travelled a distance of 5,000 km in Australia at a cost of just $16. Wondering how? Well, it was powered by the wind.The Wind Explorer, touted as the world's first car that runs on wind-generated energy, arrived here Monday after travelling from Perth via Adelaide and Melbourne. It covered 5,000 km over a three-week period at a cost of barely 16 Australian dollars ($16), a media report said. The vehicle is a prototype built by Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer who worked on it for about six months in Germany. It is powered by lithium-ion batteries that are charged overnight through a mobile wind turbine."We wanted to prove how good the technology is," Gion said."There are a lot of sceptical people and we wanted to show them how efficient you can make it. "Free of carbon emissions, it is a very compact, low to the ground pod-shaped car. The car weighs about 200 kg while the average car weighs about a tonne.The vehicle attracted curious onlookers during its journey across Australia.Gion said: "Once we explained the technology behind the car and people had a look inside for themselves, everybody liked the idea.""People are ready for this technology. They want to have it and use it." The prototype has been seriously tested only in Australia so far.Gion, however, is confident that a "wind powered" car will one day be in common use."I think in 20 years down the road, it will be completely different."There will be so many electric cars in the cities that we will walk through the cities with no noise and no pollution and I think that is good," Gion was quoted as saying. — IANS
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Lady Gaga gave a surprise shout out to Whitney Houston at the 2011 Grammy Awards on Sunday when she thanked Houston for being the inspiration behind her new single. After accepting the Best Pop Vocal Album for 'The Fame Monster', 'The Paparazzi' hitmaker said it was Houston who gave her the strength to write her latest song 'Born This Way'.
Professionals play for the money, amateurs for the perks — some of the most talked about amateur golf tournaments are played on beautiful courses; there are interesting sponsors, plenty of merchandise and assortment of prizes. But on the greens, it's not always about the money.
Turning professional from an amateur is like taking a one-way street. It's tough turning back. "There are a couple of ways in which an amateur can turn into a professional. For instance, if you've won and you accept any prize whose value is more than US dollars 750, you are deemed as professional. And once you turn professional, you cannot participate in any amateur tournament," Ajay Gujral, joint director, Chandigarh Golf Club Academy, revisits a couple of basics. 
Actor Dia Mirza, who is all set to don the producers that in her 10th year in Bollywood, says that her new role is a shift in the right direction and a timely one.
Daughter of Hollywood actor Will Smith, Willow Smith might be 10-year-old, but she has managed to do her first-ever photo shoot for Teen Vogue.Willow has already released a hit song and has almost 500,000 Twitter followers.
It was an album release function only, except for the fact that the singer Jelly Manjitpuri wasn't there. Amit Uchana's debut album New Comer, nevertheless, has everything expected of a debut album (since the expectations are running low!) — eight songs, mix of folk and western tracks and even cricketer Ishant Sharma for the launch. So what if he made "no questions related to cricket" policy clear in the beginning of the press conference!
Not for nothing do digital addicts update their Facebook status every few hours. To make their presence felt online, they even condense their meandering thoughts in 140 characters on Twitter. You can also spot them on various other social networking sites that are about professions, traveling; even on the ones that are voicing concern on climate change. But what if the digital addiction has to undergo the digital rehab or what if they are made to delete their accounts? Members of Facebook and Twitter imagine their plight and share it with us! 
Touch screen technology allows more space and mobility at your workplace. We all know that using a keyboard and a mouse can take up considerable amount of space, but with the introduction of touch screen technology there is no need to use such external input devices anymore because the monitor itself can be used as the input device. 
The FinePix XP30 is Fujifilm's first rugged digital camera with GPS geo-tagging. The XP30 digital camera takes it a step further. Now, it's waterproof to 5 metres, shockproof to 1.5 metres, freeze proof to -10°C and dustproof. The FinePix XP30 features a high contrast LCD for better viewing in bright sunlight, with a reinforced hardened optic glass lens. This sturdily designed camera is housed in a metal uni-body chassis for durability.