Bangalore is bursting with musical talent, feels Leila Alvares who has entertained the city with several musicals over the past 11 years.
After Broadway hits like The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Grease, it's time for All Shook Up, a hilarious musical comedy inspired by songs of Elvis Presley.
With a cast of 35 people, Leila says the entire atmosphere is charged with positive energy. "Among the older members of my cast are Arvind Kasthuri and Prem Koshy. They are not only marvellous, but are great to work with. Among the youngsters too there's tremendous commitment. They are so good; all you need to do is fine-tune them. I don't like people with attitude and if someone doesn't gel with the rest, I just let them go," she says.
For a musical, the most important aspect is the art of choosing the right person for the right character. "For the main role, I opted for a shy person. He is a reasonably good singer and I noticed girls going crazy over him. Now, you find a t r a n s fo r m e d Neville De Nazareth playing the lead in All Shook Up," explains Leila.
And when it comes to the musicians, this director prefers to tread the tested path. "My drummer and lead guitarist have been with me from the start. I've been very fortunate with them, everything in my production is live and I don't go with a new person as far as the music goes unless I know for sure he can play. On the contrary, I experiment with the singing, dancing and acting," says the director.
Once inspired by the performance of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat in America, it is one musical after another for Leila. "Musicals interest me because you are reaching out to a much bigger audience and to those who are not able to sit through theatre," she says.
And which musical comes next? "I've finished with all the classics. After All Shook Up, there's Mama Mia based on the Abba song and Evita . I haven't got rights for both yet," says Leila.
(August 29 to September 1. Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, 7.15 pm.
Contact 25282602)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Bangalore is bursting with musical talent
Bangalore is bursting with musical talent, feels Leila Alvares who has entertained the city with several musicals over the past 11 years.
After Broadway hits like The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Grease, it's time for All Shook Up, a hilarious musical comedy inspired by songs of Elvis Presley.
With a cast of 35 people, Leila says the entire atmosphere is charged with positive energy. "Among the older members of my cast are Arvind Kasthuri and Prem Koshy. They are not only marvellous, but are great to work with. Among the youngsters too there's tremendous commitment. They are so good; all you need to do is fine-tune them. I don't like people with attitude and if someone doesn't gel with the rest, I just let them go," she says.
For a musical, the most important aspect is the art of choosing the right person for the right character. "For the main role, I opted for a shy person. He is a reasonably good singer and I noticed girls going crazy over him. Now, you find a t r a n s fo r m e d Neville De Nazareth playing the lead in All Shook Up," explains Leila.
And when it comes to the musicians, this director prefers to tread the tested path. "My drummer and lead guitarist have been with me from the start. I've been very fortunate with them, everything in my production is live and I don't go with a new person as far as the music goes unless I know for sure he can play. On the contrary, I experiment with the singing, dancing and acting," says the director.
Once inspired by the performance of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat in America, it is one musical after another for Leila. "Musicals interest me because you are reaching out to a much bigger audience and to those who are not able to sit through theatre," she says.
And which musical comes next? "I've finished with all the classics. After All Shook Up, there's Mama Mia based on the Abba song and Evita . I haven't got rights for both yet," says Leila.
(August 29 to September 1. Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, 7.15 pm.
Contact 25282602)
After Broadway hits like The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Grease, it's time for All Shook Up, a hilarious musical comedy inspired by songs of Elvis Presley.
With a cast of 35 people, Leila says the entire atmosphere is charged with positive energy. "Among the older members of my cast are Arvind Kasthuri and Prem Koshy. They are not only marvellous, but are great to work with. Among the youngsters too there's tremendous commitment. They are so good; all you need to do is fine-tune them. I don't like people with attitude and if someone doesn't gel with the rest, I just let them go," she says.
For a musical, the most important aspect is the art of choosing the right person for the right character. "For the main role, I opted for a shy person. He is a reasonably good singer and I noticed girls going crazy over him. Now, you find a t r a n s fo r m e d Neville De Nazareth playing the lead in All Shook Up," explains Leila.
And when it comes to the musicians, this director prefers to tread the tested path. "My drummer and lead guitarist have been with me from the start. I've been very fortunate with them, everything in my production is live and I don't go with a new person as far as the music goes unless I know for sure he can play. On the contrary, I experiment with the singing, dancing and acting," says the director.
Once inspired by the performance of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat in America, it is one musical after another for Leila. "Musicals interest me because you are reaching out to a much bigger audience and to those who are not able to sit through theatre," she says.
And which musical comes next? "I've finished with all the classics. After All Shook Up, there's Mama Mia based on the Abba song and Evita . I haven't got rights for both yet," says Leila.
(August 29 to September 1. Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, 7.15 pm.
Contact 25282602)
Karnataka: 84 Taluks in the State Declared Drought Hit
Addressing a press conference here on Friday August 22, revenue minister G Karunakar Reddy said, that the state government has declared 84 taluks spread over 21 districts of the state, as drought hit because of the inadequate monsoon, affecting the agricultural activities.
He said, that the deputy commissioners of these districts have been advised to take up drought relief measures, by making use of Rs 115 crores available for the purpose. The finance department has also been requested to sanction Rs 50 crores for taking up drinking water projects in these taluks, he explained.
The split figures of the drought affected taluks are, Bangalore division - 11, Mysore division - 8, Gulbarga disision - 41 and Belgaum division - 35, while most of the drought-hit taluks are found in Gulbarga, Belgaum and Bagalkot districts, he added. The chief minister will soon lead a delegation to Delhi for seeking funds under the National Calamity Relief Fund of the centre, Reddy said.
He said, that the deputy commissioners of these districts have been advised to take up drought relief measures, by making use of Rs 115 crores available for the purpose. The finance department has also been requested to sanction Rs 50 crores for taking up drinking water projects in these taluks, he explained.
The split figures of the drought affected taluks are, Bangalore division - 11, Mysore division - 8, Gulbarga disision - 41 and Belgaum division - 35, while most of the drought-hit taluks are found in Gulbarga, Belgaum and Bagalkot districts, he added. The chief minister will soon lead a delegation to Delhi for seeking funds under the National Calamity Relief Fund of the centre, Reddy said.
India rebuffed on nuke sale pact
ATTEMPTS were under way last night to rescue the radical nuclear pact between Delhi and Washington after the key 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group refused to lift a 34-year-old embargo on nuclear trade with India.
The NSG, which controls the export and sale of nuclear technology worldwide, convened for two days to discuss a US draft proposal "on a statement on civil nuclear co-operation with India" but failed to rubberstamp the deal.
Officials in New Delhi yesterday described the NSG's failure - which saw almost half the cartel's membership raise "objections and concerns" - as "very surprising indeed" and conceded the deal was approaching its "most serious break point to date".
The US wants a special waiver of NSG rules for India, which refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, allowing Washington and New Delhi to co-operate in the civilian nuclear field.
It had been expected that with Washington pressuring hesitant members, the NSG would approve the waiver, allowing New Delhi access to nuclear commerce despite its refusal to also sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Under NSG rules, all nuclear trade with India is banned. The US argues the new deal would bring India into the NPT fold after 34 years of isolation and help combat global warming by allowing the world's largest democracy to develop low-polluting nuclear energy.
Critics argue the deal undermines international non-proliferation efforts by providing US nuclear technology to a non-NPT state.
Objector nations at the NSG's weekend meeting in Vienna demanded comprehensive changes to the terms of the "waiver", insisting that the cartel should block all nuclear commerce with India if it conducts any further nuclear tests.
New Delhi signalled yesterday it would not accept any new conditions to win approval and said it held serious doubts aboutthe future viability of the agreement.
US envoys were sent to the capitals of the NSG members that have raised objections - New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands, among others - to try to persuade them to change their stance.
New Zealand is regarded as a substantial stumbling block in the imbroglio, and reports in New Delhi said that US deputy assistant secretary of state Glen Davies had been sent to Wellington to try to persuade the New Zealand Government to support India.
Australia is backing India's application within the NSG and is believed in New Delhi to be doing what it can to persuade Wellington to do so as well.
The problems within the NSG were unexpected, and were being seized on by the trenchant opposition to the deal within India. A leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party claimed it revealed a "fiasco that is the result of shoddy homework".
India announced, and has maintained, a voluntary moratorium on further nuclear tests since May 1998. But it has refused to sign the nuclear treaties. New Zealand and other NSG nations are demanding New Delhi sign the treaties before they grant a waiver that would allow India access to nuclear commerce.
Issues over nuclear enrichment technology and sharing it with India have also been raised by the objectors to the deal.
Since some NSG members have themselves been denied enrichment technology, they are reportedly not keen to see an outsider such as India given access to it.
The NSG, which controls the export and sale of nuclear technology worldwide, convened for two days to discuss a US draft proposal "on a statement on civil nuclear co-operation with India" but failed to rubberstamp the deal.
Officials in New Delhi yesterday described the NSG's failure - which saw almost half the cartel's membership raise "objections and concerns" - as "very surprising indeed" and conceded the deal was approaching its "most serious break point to date".
The US wants a special waiver of NSG rules for India, which refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, allowing Washington and New Delhi to co-operate in the civilian nuclear field.
It had been expected that with Washington pressuring hesitant members, the NSG would approve the waiver, allowing New Delhi access to nuclear commerce despite its refusal to also sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Under NSG rules, all nuclear trade with India is banned. The US argues the new deal would bring India into the NPT fold after 34 years of isolation and help combat global warming by allowing the world's largest democracy to develop low-polluting nuclear energy.
Critics argue the deal undermines international non-proliferation efforts by providing US nuclear technology to a non-NPT state.
Objector nations at the NSG's weekend meeting in Vienna demanded comprehensive changes to the terms of the "waiver", insisting that the cartel should block all nuclear commerce with India if it conducts any further nuclear tests.
New Delhi signalled yesterday it would not accept any new conditions to win approval and said it held serious doubts aboutthe future viability of the agreement.
US envoys were sent to the capitals of the NSG members that have raised objections - New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands, among others - to try to persuade them to change their stance.
New Zealand is regarded as a substantial stumbling block in the imbroglio, and reports in New Delhi said that US deputy assistant secretary of state Glen Davies had been sent to Wellington to try to persuade the New Zealand Government to support India.
Australia is backing India's application within the NSG and is believed in New Delhi to be doing what it can to persuade Wellington to do so as well.
The problems within the NSG were unexpected, and were being seized on by the trenchant opposition to the deal within India. A leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party claimed it revealed a "fiasco that is the result of shoddy homework".
India announced, and has maintained, a voluntary moratorium on further nuclear tests since May 1998. But it has refused to sign the nuclear treaties. New Zealand and other NSG nations are demanding New Delhi sign the treaties before they grant a waiver that would allow India access to nuclear commerce.
Issues over nuclear enrichment technology and sharing it with India have also been raised by the objectors to the deal.
Since some NSG members have themselves been denied enrichment technology, they are reportedly not keen to see an outsider such as India given access to it.
About Jaxtr
Jaxtr is an award-winning social communications company based in Menlo Park, Calif. Jaxtr launched its first consumer service in March 2007 and is currently used by more than 10 million users in 220 countries. Jaxtr links your phone to the Web, so you can call people anywhere in the world directly from your mobile phone without paying expensive international toll charges. By posting jaxtr widgets into your MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking profiles, you can hear from callers worldwide while keeping your existing phone number private. In-network jaxtr calls are free, and jaxtr works with any phone, mobile or landline. No download is required even if calls are initiated from a mobile phone.
Jaxtr was launched in March 2007 by Phillip Mobin and Touraj Parang and has quickly become the world's largest social communications company. Over 10 million people in 220 countries use jaxtr to receive calls from people visiting their social networking pages, to make calls to their friends and family worldwide and to get to know fellow jaxtr members on café jaxtr, the world's largest talk network.
Jaxtr works with any phone, both mobile and landline. When a member adds their jaxtr link to their email signature, friends and family can call them from their regular phone from anywhere in the world without paying expensive international toll charges. Family and friends simply click on the member's jaxtr link to generate a local number in their country.
By saving this permanent, direct-dial number on their phone, people can call friends and family abroad at the same cost and with the same convenience as calling a friend down the street.
Jaxtr is backed by world-class investors, and is led by jaxtr CEO Konstantin Guericke who previously co-founded LinkedIn, the world's leading business network.
Five Ways Jaxtr Technology Helps Small Businesses
Print article
Refer to a friend
2008-07-31 20:58:13 - In response to a recent survey published by the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), jaxtr-the company that links your phone to the Web-has pulled together five highlights of how the company can help small businesses grow and stay connected internationally.
The following are five ways that jaxtr's technology can help small businesses to make a big impact.
1. Convert More Traffic, More Quickly
With a jaxtr widget on your Web site or blog, potential customers can directly call you or your office (much like an 800 number, but without the cost). This can help increase conversion of impatient purchasers and inquirers
who don't want to search for contact info or fill out an email contact form. After all, a call is much closer to a sale than an email.
2. Save Money
For small businesses that have regular international calls, jaxtr can help save your company money. Plus, if your clients and business contacts join up on jaxtr, you can potentially increase the savings further. You can see our rates for the 220 different countries in which we offer service at this rates link.
3. Your On-The-Go Phone
With jaxtr, you can route your calls from the Web directly to your mobile phone. You also don't need to download software onto your computer or your phone.
4. Global Voicemail
You can check your voice mail anywhere around the world. It doesn't matter what phone you're carrying, you'll have just one voice mail box.
5. Follow Me Number
You can add three numbers in to your jaxtr account and set it up to route calls to different numbers depending on your needs. It's as easy as adding a number to your account and selecting it from a drop-down menu
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Contact Person:
Stacy Geagan Wagner
VP--Corporate Communications
Phone: 650-714-2523
email: email
Web: www.jaxtr.com/stacygw
Author:
Stacy Geagan Wagner
e-mail
Web: www.jaxtr.com
Phone: 650-714-2523
Download Accelerator Plus 8.7.0.0 Beta
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Download manager that also claims to increase download speeds by up to 300 per cent.
DAP performs this trick by locating the most responsive server using a proximity test, and by splitting the file(s) into several segments and accessing them from multiple sources if necessary.
In our tests with an ADSL connection, DAP was only faster in a handful of occasions, but always saved you the trouble of manually selecting the fastest or closest server.
More usefully, DAP is also a download manager, which is a tool many of us have forgotten about. Today most people download files into a variety of locations where they can often become lost.
DAP keeps track of them all and also provides a handy history of what you've downloaded and when.
DAP will additionally recover and resume a download which has been interrupted by a broken connection. Very handy even if it doesn't necessarily make your Internet connection feel much faster.
Afganistan:More than 90 killed in coalition strikes: investigation
HERAT, Afghanistan (AFP) — An investigation has found that more than 90 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed in coalition air strikes days ago, an Afghan government minister told AFP Sunday.
President Hamid Karzai ordered the investigation into Friday's operation in the western province of Herat after Afghan officials said high numbers of civilians were killed but the US-led coalition said only 30 militants died.
The toll is one of the highest for civilians since international troops arrived in Afghanistan to topple the hardline Taliban regime in late 2001 and comes after a string of such incidents, most of them involving air strikes.
"We went to the area and found out that the bombardment was very heavy, lots of houses have been destroyed and more than 90 non-combatants including women, children and elderly people have died," the Islamic affairs minister told AFP after his visit to Shindand district earlier Sunday.
"Most are women and children," said the minister, Nematullah Shahrani.
Shahrani said his investigation was continuing and he was due to meet US Special Forces who had been involved in the operation with Afghan troops and commandos.
"They have claimed that Taliban were there. They must prove it," the minister said. "So far, it is not clear for us why the coalition conducted the air strikes," he said.
He said his preliminary investigation had also found that there was no coordination between the Afghan and international troops involved.
Karzai meanwhile issued a decree ordering the "immediate removal" of the top army general for western Afghanistan and a commando commander after the "tragic air strike and irresponsible and imprecise military operation."
General Jalandar Shah Behnam, head of the corps for western Afghanistan, and commando Major Abdul Jabar, were fired for "negligence and concealing facts," a statement from Karzai's office said. The pair would be interrogated, it added.
The strikes have drawn angry reactions from locals, who demonstrated on Saturday, torching a police vehicle and brandishing banners reading "Death to America."
A council of religious leaders for western Afghanistan demanded on Sunday the trial of those involved in the deaths and said it would call a demonstration in Herat on Tuesday.
"Once again the enemies of Islam have stained their hands with the blood of innocent people ... we, the Muslim nation, will not accept their apologies this time," it said in a statement.
The strikes, from gunships, were near the Shindand airfield that is used by international forces.
Most of the roughly 15 houses destroyed were those of men who worked at the airstrip as security guards, district chief La'l Mohammad Omarzai told AFP.
And many of the dead had gathered to mark the 40th day since the killing of a militia commander in accordance with Afghan tradition, he said.
Karzai has regularly appealed to the US- and NATO-led forces to take more care to avoid civilian casualties amid warnings they are costing the government and troops the goodwill of the war-weary Afghan people.
In another recent incident, an Afghan investigation found that around 50 civilians, most of them women, were killed in coalition air strikes early July when they had gathered for a wedding in the east.
The country's top rights group, which also has investigators on the ground in Shindand, says 900 civilians have been killed in insurgent attacks and military operations against rebels in Afghanistan this year.
"The Afghan government has frequently emphasised not harming civilians but unfortunately it has not been listened to very well," Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission chief executive director Hossain Ali Ramoz told AFP.
"The concern is that the government and international community will lose the credibility of the Afghan people," Ramoz told AFP.
President Hamid Karzai ordered the investigation into Friday's operation in the western province of Herat after Afghan officials said high numbers of civilians were killed but the US-led coalition said only 30 militants died.
The toll is one of the highest for civilians since international troops arrived in Afghanistan to topple the hardline Taliban regime in late 2001 and comes after a string of such incidents, most of them involving air strikes.
"We went to the area and found out that the bombardment was very heavy, lots of houses have been destroyed and more than 90 non-combatants including women, children and elderly people have died," the Islamic affairs minister told AFP after his visit to Shindand district earlier Sunday.
"Most are women and children," said the minister, Nematullah Shahrani.
Shahrani said his investigation was continuing and he was due to meet US Special Forces who had been involved in the operation with Afghan troops and commandos.
"They have claimed that Taliban were there. They must prove it," the minister said. "So far, it is not clear for us why the coalition conducted the air strikes," he said.
He said his preliminary investigation had also found that there was no coordination between the Afghan and international troops involved.
Karzai meanwhile issued a decree ordering the "immediate removal" of the top army general for western Afghanistan and a commando commander after the "tragic air strike and irresponsible and imprecise military operation."
General Jalandar Shah Behnam, head of the corps for western Afghanistan, and commando Major Abdul Jabar, were fired for "negligence and concealing facts," a statement from Karzai's office said. The pair would be interrogated, it added.
The strikes have drawn angry reactions from locals, who demonstrated on Saturday, torching a police vehicle and brandishing banners reading "Death to America."
A council of religious leaders for western Afghanistan demanded on Sunday the trial of those involved in the deaths and said it would call a demonstration in Herat on Tuesday.
"Once again the enemies of Islam have stained their hands with the blood of innocent people ... we, the Muslim nation, will not accept their apologies this time," it said in a statement.
The strikes, from gunships, were near the Shindand airfield that is used by international forces.
Most of the roughly 15 houses destroyed were those of men who worked at the airstrip as security guards, district chief La'l Mohammad Omarzai told AFP.
And many of the dead had gathered to mark the 40th day since the killing of a militia commander in accordance with Afghan tradition, he said.
Karzai has regularly appealed to the US- and NATO-led forces to take more care to avoid civilian casualties amid warnings they are costing the government and troops the goodwill of the war-weary Afghan people.
In another recent incident, an Afghan investigation found that around 50 civilians, most of them women, were killed in coalition air strikes early July when they had gathered for a wedding in the east.
The country's top rights group, which also has investigators on the ground in Shindand, says 900 civilians have been killed in insurgent attacks and military operations against rebels in Afghanistan this year.
"The Afghan government has frequently emphasised not harming civilians but unfortunately it has not been listened to very well," Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission chief executive director Hossain Ali Ramoz told AFP.
"The concern is that the government and international community will lose the credibility of the Afghan people," Ramoz told AFP.
As Olympics end, doubts nag a so-strong China
By Andreas Landwehr
Beijing (dpa) - All that glisters is not gold. China may have overtaken the USA and established itself as a sporting superpower with its record Olympic haul, but it harbours nagging doubts about itself.
Nothing shows this more clearly than the sense of mourning among China's 1.3 billion people over the way national hurdling hero Liu Xiang was forced out of competition by injury.
All hopes had been pinned on Liu with an intensity that no foreigner would begin to understand. He was their man to challenge the dominance of the Europeans and Americans in track and field.
"I'd rather have not topped the medal table and instead seen him win in a field where the West is so strong," said one Chinese sport expert, summing up the feeling of millions.
China is a country of contradictions. On the one hand, it is happy to have shaken off the "sick man of Asia" image that has dogged it since its humiliation by the imperial powers in the 19th Century. On the other, it still does not quite believe its own strength.
The communist leadership continues to vaunt the XXIX Olympic Games as a "milestone of the way to the great resurgence of the Chinese nation".
In true old communist tradition, it congratulates itself on hosting the "successful Games", at the same time forestalling growing criticism by proclaiming: "We have fulfilled the confidence the world put in us."
The world, so the proclamation continues, "made the right decision" in awarding China the Games. But it is a judgement that only covers the blemishes beneath the golden polish.
Promises were not kept, the human rights situation did not improve as China pledged it would, and the obsession with being in control stifled attempts to give a party atmosphere to the Games.
The avalanche of gold also disguised the fact that China is not a sporting nation and that its successes were achieved through massive state funding as used to be the case in the former Soviet bloc.
Another contradiction is the fact the world's biggest developing nation was able to stage the most expensive Games in the history of the Olympic movement.
The chronic poverty that is almost everywhere was not to be seen inside the "Olympic bubble" - neither the beggars nor the hordes of poorly paid itinerant workers who built the spectacular sporting venues.
Never before was the Chinese capital so clean and spruced up. But that was due to emergency action rather than a legacy of the Olympics. Once the athletes leave the chimneys will resume belching smoke and car fumes will again make the air barely breathable.
Despite the criticism, China also deserves respect. The genuine friendliness of the 1.5 million volunteer helpers enabled the country to present a new face to the world.
Mobilizing all the powers at its disposal in the vast nation, China was able to give the athletes a superbly organized Games - something only possible in an authoritarian state.
The country also learned a lot, according to Li Ning, the former gymnast who lit the Olympic flame at the spectacular opening ceremony on August 8.
"We always have lots of good ideas but we have to learn how to respect the international way of doing things," he was quoted as saying in the newspaper Caijing.
There have also been warnings for the need to come down to earth after the spectacular success in topping the gold medals table.
"That does not prove that our strength as a nation, our scientific achievement or our sporting concept makes us better than the United States or Europe," said the newspaper Zhongguo Qingnianbao.
Nobody would subscribe "to such an illusion," said the journal, which has close links to party leader Hu Jintao.
On the sporting front, China "will again suffer major setbacks in the future," said Helmut Digel, an executive member of the International Amateur Athletics Federation.
The German China expert believes the country is already encountering problems in top-level sport similar to those experienced in Germany and other nations.
"Social gain will not serve as motivation for much longer," he said. "China will continue to remain one of the top three sporting nations, but will not repeat the success of Beijing at the London Games in 2012."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/sportsplus/sportsplus.php?id=129904
Beijing (dpa) - All that glisters is not gold. China may have overtaken the USA and established itself as a sporting superpower with its record Olympic haul, but it harbours nagging doubts about itself.
Nothing shows this more clearly than the sense of mourning among China's 1.3 billion people over the way national hurdling hero Liu Xiang was forced out of competition by injury.
All hopes had been pinned on Liu with an intensity that no foreigner would begin to understand. He was their man to challenge the dominance of the Europeans and Americans in track and field.
"I'd rather have not topped the medal table and instead seen him win in a field where the West is so strong," said one Chinese sport expert, summing up the feeling of millions.
China is a country of contradictions. On the one hand, it is happy to have shaken off the "sick man of Asia" image that has dogged it since its humiliation by the imperial powers in the 19th Century. On the other, it still does not quite believe its own strength.
The communist leadership continues to vaunt the XXIX Olympic Games as a "milestone of the way to the great resurgence of the Chinese nation".
In true old communist tradition, it congratulates itself on hosting the "successful Games", at the same time forestalling growing criticism by proclaiming: "We have fulfilled the confidence the world put in us."
The world, so the proclamation continues, "made the right decision" in awarding China the Games. But it is a judgement that only covers the blemishes beneath the golden polish.
Promises were not kept, the human rights situation did not improve as China pledged it would, and the obsession with being in control stifled attempts to give a party atmosphere to the Games.
The avalanche of gold also disguised the fact that China is not a sporting nation and that its successes were achieved through massive state funding as used to be the case in the former Soviet bloc.
Another contradiction is the fact the world's biggest developing nation was able to stage the most expensive Games in the history of the Olympic movement.
The chronic poverty that is almost everywhere was not to be seen inside the "Olympic bubble" - neither the beggars nor the hordes of poorly paid itinerant workers who built the spectacular sporting venues.
Never before was the Chinese capital so clean and spruced up. But that was due to emergency action rather than a legacy of the Olympics. Once the athletes leave the chimneys will resume belching smoke and car fumes will again make the air barely breathable.
Despite the criticism, China also deserves respect. The genuine friendliness of the 1.5 million volunteer helpers enabled the country to present a new face to the world.
Mobilizing all the powers at its disposal in the vast nation, China was able to give the athletes a superbly organized Games - something only possible in an authoritarian state.
The country also learned a lot, according to Li Ning, the former gymnast who lit the Olympic flame at the spectacular opening ceremony on August 8.
"We always have lots of good ideas but we have to learn how to respect the international way of doing things," he was quoted as saying in the newspaper Caijing.
There have also been warnings for the need to come down to earth after the spectacular success in topping the gold medals table.
"That does not prove that our strength as a nation, our scientific achievement or our sporting concept makes us better than the United States or Europe," said the newspaper Zhongguo Qingnianbao.
Nobody would subscribe "to such an illusion," said the journal, which has close links to party leader Hu Jintao.
On the sporting front, China "will again suffer major setbacks in the future," said Helmut Digel, an executive member of the International Amateur Athletics Federation.
The German China expert believes the country is already encountering problems in top-level sport similar to those experienced in Germany and other nations.
"Social gain will not serve as motivation for much longer," he said. "China will continue to remain one of the top three sporting nations, but will not repeat the success of Beijing at the London Games in 2012."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/sportsplus/sportsplus.php?id=129904
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We started off as webdesigning company. Gradually, we branched out into other avenues of Information Technology. Within a short span, we forayed into Web Development, Hosting, Application Development, Mail solutions and IT Skill assessment.
Company Overview
We are an Indian supplier of, Packages. For more information visit our website, email or call us quoting Kellysearch.
Bhasinsoft is a professionally run, rapidly growing company offering a comprehensive range of web centered solutions ranging from Web Development services to Customised Software Development. We are etched with creativity, quality service and functional values. Further, combine these while working to tailor clients’ requirement.
We started off as webdesigning company. Gradually, we branched out into other avenues of Information Technology. Within a short span, we forayed into Web Development, Hosting, Application Development, Mail solutions and IT Skill assessment.
http://www.ebhasin.com/clients.html
Our clientele ranges from corporate to banks to government agencies and institutions. Some of our esteemed clients are:
Small IndustriesService Institute
State Bank Of Mysore
Satyam
FKCCI
Max Mueller Bhavan
Karnataka Police
Karnataka Home Guards And civil Defense
Bangalore Metropoliton Transport Corporation
Stona AIGSA
logica CMG
Shakuntala Devi
Rotary Orchards
BMRTC route 365D
Route Number: 365D
Starting Point
:
BILWARADA HALLI
Ending Point
:
KEMPEGOWDA BUS STAND
Route Length [in KMS]
:
22.5
Estimated Journey Time [in Min]
:
1 hr 00 mins
Time of Departure from [ BILWARADA HALLI ]
:
04:00, 04:40, 05:15, 06:00, 07:15, 07:20, 07:40, 08:15 08:20, 08:35, 09:15, 09:25, 09:45, 09:50, 10:05, 10:25 10:50, 11:45, 12:00, 12:40, 12:45, 13:00, 14:10, 14:40 15:00, 15:35, 16:20, 16:45, 16:40, 17:15, 17:20, 17:35 17:40, 18:10, 18:40, 18:50, 19:25, 20:00, 21:00, 21:15 20:20
Time of Departure from [ KEMPEGOWDA BUS STAND ]
:
00:00, 05:00, 05:35, 06:10, 06:15, 07:10, 07:15, 07:30 08:00, 08:20, 08:25, 08:50, 09:00, 09:20, 09:30, 09:45 10:30, 11:10, 11:35, 11:55, 13:05, 13:35, 13:55, 14:30 14:45, 15:10, 15:15, 15:40, 15:45, 16:05, 16:10, 16:30 17:05, 17:30, 17:45, 18:20, 18:50, 19:15, 19:50, 19:55 20:10, 20:55, 21:05, 21:35, 22:00, 02:24
SL.NO
STAGE POINTS
1.
BILAWARADA HALLI
2.
WEAVERS COLONY
3.
BASAVANAPURA
4.
GOTTIGERE
5.
HULIMAVU GATE
6.
BILEKALLAHALLI
7.
GURAPPANAPALYA
8.
BANGALORE DAIRY CIRCLE
9.
WILSON GARDEN POLICE STATION
10.
CORPORATION
11.
MAHARANI'S COLLEGE/CVB
12.
KEMPEGOWDA BUS STAND
Starting Point
:
BILWARADA HALLI
Ending Point
:
KEMPEGOWDA BUS STAND
Route Length [in KMS]
:
22.5
Estimated Journey Time [in Min]
:
1 hr 00 mins
Time of Departure from [ BILWARADA HALLI ]
:
04:00, 04:40, 05:15, 06:00, 07:15, 07:20, 07:40, 08:15 08:20, 08:35, 09:15, 09:25, 09:45, 09:50, 10:05, 10:25 10:50, 11:45, 12:00, 12:40, 12:45, 13:00, 14:10, 14:40 15:00, 15:35, 16:20, 16:45, 16:40, 17:15, 17:20, 17:35 17:40, 18:10, 18:40, 18:50, 19:25, 20:00, 21:00, 21:15 20:20
Time of Departure from [ KEMPEGOWDA BUS STAND ]
:
00:00, 05:00, 05:35, 06:10, 06:15, 07:10, 07:15, 07:30 08:00, 08:20, 08:25, 08:50, 09:00, 09:20, 09:30, 09:45 10:30, 11:10, 11:35, 11:55, 13:05, 13:35, 13:55, 14:30 14:45, 15:10, 15:15, 15:40, 15:45, 16:05, 16:10, 16:30 17:05, 17:30, 17:45, 18:20, 18:50, 19:15, 19:50, 19:55 20:10, 20:55, 21:05, 21:35, 22:00, 02:24
SL.NO
STAGE POINTS
1.
BILAWARADA HALLI
2.
WEAVERS COLONY
3.
BASAVANAPURA
4.
GOTTIGERE
5.
HULIMAVU GATE
6.
BILEKALLAHALLI
7.
GURAPPANAPALYA
8.
BANGALORE DAIRY CIRCLE
9.
WILSON GARDEN POLICE STATION
10.
CORPORATION
11.
MAHARANI'S COLLEGE/CVB
12.
KEMPEGOWDA BUS STAND
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