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31 January 2010

Saif is a tapori: Uddhav Thackeray

After targeting Bollywood badshah Shah Rukh Khan for his remarks on Pakistani cricketers, Shiv Sena has now Saif Ali Khan More Pics targeted the Nawab. It is Saif Saif Ali Khan who is at the receiving end of Shiv Sena's brickbats. Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray called the actor a tapori (vagabond) who did not deserve the Padma Sri award. The protest came after government announced the Padma Shri for Saif and Saif commented that, 'The honour should've been given to someone more senior' Recently, members of the Bishnoi community also protested against Saif. They demanded withdrawal of the Padma Shri to him and burnt Khan's effigy in Jodhpur. The community cited the pending court case against him under the Wildlife Protection Act for killing two black bucks while shooting for Sooraj Barjatya's film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' in October, 1998. In 2009, Kareena and Saif starrer 'Kurbaan' also was in the news, when Shiv Sena protested against the posters of the film showing Kareena's bare back.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Saif-is-a-tapori-Uddhav-Thackeray/articleshow/5520104.cms

Strike Two!

Rang De Basanti may be out of sight, but never out of mind. “If you’ve made your mark, you can make a comeback anytime,” couple of minutes into the conversation and we were already trying to gauge ‘what’s is about Siddharth Narayan that makes him (pardon the cliche) different’. At 30, the southern superstar has already delivered ‘a proud track record’ of eight super duper hits out of nine. He’s called the Aamir Khan of south for he makes sure his films make money for everyone. A top ranker from SP Jain College of Management, Mumbai, he rejected corporate offers so that he could assist Mani Ratnam. To add to your list of complexes, the actor’s a trained vocalist, drummer, writer, producer and an MBA. He has, in fact, produced one of the biggest albums in Telegu called Oye. And he is also one of the highest paid actors down south. As we walk down this ‘hall of fame’, Siddharth stumps us with the most unbelievable line: “I’m a underdog in real life.” For someone whose middle name is ‘confidence’, this was a tad too much. But what the heck, it goes pretty well with his latest offering. After leaving a mark with the audiences and filmmakers in RDB as the brooding Karan, the actor vanished from the scene only to resurface after four years in Bollywood with Chandan Arora’s Striker.

For further: www.indianexpress.com/news/strike-two/573735/

Rahman bags two Grammy awards

Indian music maestro A.R Rahman has bagged two awards at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony here Sunday. The double Oscar winning composer was honoured for his compositions in Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches film "Slumdog Millionaire", getting the awards for best compilation soundtrack for a motion picture and "Jai ho" being the best motion picture song. Rahman shares the Grammy with lyricist Gulzar who penned "Jai ho". "This is insane, god is great again," Rahman said as he accepted his second award. "Jai ho" has been sung by Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Mahalaxmi Iyer, Vijay Prakash and Rahman himself. This is the first time Rahman has been nominated for a Grammy. He joins other Indian music greats like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zakir Jussain, Vikku Vinayak and Vishvamohan Bhatt who have won a Grammy in the past. Rahman's rivals in the soundtrack category included Steve Jordan for "Cadillac Records," Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious Basterds", and the producers of "Twilight" and "True Blood." In the bet song category Rahman's beaten rivals included Bruce Springsteen for his song "The Wrestler", from the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name.

source: movies.indiatimes.com/news-gossip/news/Rahman-bags-two-Grammy-awards/articleshow/5522815.cms

British press deflated after Murray blowout

The sense of disappointment at Andy Murray's comprehensive defeat in the Australian Open final was palpable in the British press on Monday. Newspapers had been hoping to fete the first British winner of a Grand Slam tournament for 74 years, but Roger Federer brutally crushed those hopes with his victory in three sets. The Guardian found that Murray showed "not a lack of courage but a lack of conviction", and it pointed notably to the third-set tiebreak when he wasted chances to win and get himself back in the match. "While there are nicer ways of putting it, there is no escaping the conclusion that at key points in the final of the Australian Open Andy Murray let himself, rather than anybody else, down," The Guardian said. But it noted that 22-year-old Murray could be expected to reach his prime between the ages of 23 and 27, although he should "abandon caginess and simply play every point against Roger Federer as if it might be his last". The Independent picked out the post-match quote from an emotional Murray that "I can cry like Roger, it's a shame I can't play like him". The Times -- which termed the tears "new bawls" -- headlined its coverage "no shame in losing to a champion playing at his brilliant, 'crazy' best", in reference to Federer's own description of his inspired play. The paper worried however that Murray might find the defeat especially hard to swallow, saying it was "a hammer blow about as colossal as it gets" because it had shown how far he still had to go to rival the very best. "Although Murray played plenty of virtuous tennis... yesterday, it was never enough to question the authority Federer holds over the world he frequents," it added.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/2010-australian-open/top-stories/British-press-deflated-after-Murray-blowout/articleshow/5522562.cms

Management university conducts online tests

After the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), over 5,500 candidates successfully took the first ever computer-based test for admission to the management programmes of Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Sunday, on the second day of the test. The NMAT, as the deemed university calls its test, is being conducted at 51 centres in 19 cities by Pearson VUE. 'The feedback on the NMAT online testing experience from candidates has been very positive. The tests were rolled out smoothly at all the centres as per plan,' said Anupam Rastogi, chairman of the NMAT admissions committee. This is the first year that the NMAT has gone online. Nearly 40,000 admission seekers are taking the test in India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore and Sri Lanka. The two-hour test is designed on a multiple-choice question format that includes a set of questions in language skills, quantitative skills, data interpretation and data sufficiency and logical reasoning. The test was held in Chandigarh, Delhi, Jaipur and Lucknow in north India; Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Nagpur in west; Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin and Hyderabad in south; Allahabad, Bhopal, Indore and Raipur in central India; and Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Kolkata and Patna in the eastern part of the country.

Source: sify.com/news/Now-a-management-university-conducts-online-tests-news-National-kb5t4bgdica.html

Ashok leyland Net jumps 450%

Hinduja group flagship Ashok Leyland (ALL) posted a spectacular performance in the third quarter ended December 31, 2009, with a 450% jump in net profit at Rs 104.6 crore against Rs 18.9 crore in the same period in the previous year. Net sales spurted by 81% to Rs 1815.5 crore (Rs 1,004.5 crore). In the first nine months, net profit increased 47% to Rs 201 crore (Rs 136.7 crore) though net sales dropped by 10% to Rs 4,305.7 crore (Rs 4,763 crore). In the third quarter, the company boosted vehicle sales by 101% 16,129 numbers (8,011) and parts sales by 91%. In a statement on Sunday, ALL said the phenomenal improvement in profitability is to be viewed in the context of a near collapse situation that prevailed during the same quarter in 2008-09. Despite a 220% increase in production at 19,411 vehicles (6,060), it had contained financial expenses at Rs 16.2 crore (Rs 39.4 crore), thanks to prudent working capital management, shift from credit sale to ‘cash and carry’ system and an appropriate reduction in inntories. In the third quarter, employee costs increased by 42% to Rs 173.6 crore (Rs 122.5 crore) mainly due because in the same quarter in the previous year it had cut working days and employees had taken a voluntary salary cut. The current year also has the impact of wage settlement at Hosur units. ALL MD R Seshasayee said: “This quarter signals the return to normalcy. The common theme in the results is the improved profitability though recovery in sales volume is not quite complete.”

For Further:economictimes.indiatimes.com/Earnings/Ashok-Leyland-net-zooms-450/articleshow/5521676.cms

Toyota to announce pedal fix plan in U.S. on Monday

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) will announce on Monday details of its plan to fix accelerator pedals that have led to the recall of 2.4 million cars in the United States as it scrambles to put its worst public relations crisis behind it. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., its local sales company, said it would issue a news release at 6:30 a.m. EST (1130 GMT), followed by a conference call for media at 11:00 a.m. EST (1600 GMT). Toyota, which surpassed General Motors Co [GM.UL] two years ago as the world's top automaker with its reputation of top quality and reliability, has been forced to halt sales of eight recalled models in North America, including the top-selling Camry, until it comes up with a fix. Toyota is also suspending production of the models in North America starting on Monday, for a week. It remains unclear whether production can resume next week. Fears of a heavy and protracted blow to Toyota's sales and bottom line have knocked off about $22 billion from its market value in the last week. On Monday afterno n, Toyota shares were trading down 1.7 percent at 3,430 yen, faring better than most other Japanese auto stocks. Honda Motor Co (7267.T) was down 3.8 percent, while Nissan Motor (7201.T) shed 2.2 percent. Sources briefed on Toyota's plans have said the carmaker expects to begin repairing or replacing flawed accelerator pedals on 2.4 million vehicles as early as this week. If all goes smoothly, Toyota could limit losses to a four-week sales shutdown. The remedy being readied by Toyota and its supplier CTS Corp (CTS.N) involves a shim, also called a spacer, that will be placed in the accelerator to keep it from sticking, sources said. Toyota also kicked off a media blitz on Sunday with full-page ads in major newspapers alerting consumers to the recall and production shutdown. Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., is also due to appear on a U.S. morning TV show, the Today Show.

For Further: www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE61004F20100201?type=marketsNews

29 January 2010

Williams sisters win 4th Australian Open doubles title

The mighty Williams sisters — Venus and Serena — won the women’s doubles title at the Austrlian Open for the fourth time on Friday after beating Zimbabwe’s Cara Black and America’s Liezel Huber 6-4, 6-3 in the final. Venus and Serena are the reigning Aussie Open champs, having beaten Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova and Japanese Ai Sugiyama in last year’s women’s doubles finale. The super sisters now own 11 major doubles titles, three of which came last year.

Source: beta.thehindu.com/sport/tennis/article96636.ece

India’s new mantra: Need for speed

As a rule, the emergence of a rookie bowler with raw pace generates unparalleled excitement in cricket circles in India, a country where new-ball bowlers have traditionally worn the medium-pacer tag. So, with Abhimanyu Mithun in the squad for the first Test against South Africa after a dream first-class debut season, hopes are being harboured that the 20-year-old speedster will continue to intimidate batsmen at the international level. But in this atmosphere of anticipation, a significant statement made by the chairman selectors, K Srikkanth, seemed to have been lost. Speaking about the green-behind-the-ears paceman Mithun, the former India opener said: “We really needed a genuine fast bowler for Tests, so we included him.” It was the chairman’s way of saying that this wasn’t just a one-off selection but a new trend that is set to continue in the coming days. As some other members of the committee confirmed, the criteria for Test selection is no longer only wickets and experience, but a tick in the speed box had become mandatory as well.

Source: www.indianexpress.com/news/India-s-new-mantra--Need-for-speed/573193

Sehwag underestimated the Bangladeshis

No Indian cricket fan will forget the quarter-finals of the 1996 Cricket World cup between India and Pakistan at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Pakistani opener Aamir Sohail who seemed in his top form had hit a boundary and asked Venkatesh Prasad to go and fetch the ball. What happened next is history, Sohail's ego got the better of him and Prasad un-grooved his stumps. That was the most fitting reply a fast bowler could give to any batsman. In similar manner Bangladesh seems to have taught a few lessons to Indian vice-captain Virender Sehwag in the First Test in Chittagong. The Nawab of Najafgarh who was booming with confidence after India attained the No. 1 spot had termed the Bangladeshi side as ordinary ahead of the first Test. The Bangla tigers seemed to have kept a fitting reply for Sehwag when the reduced India to 213 for 8 on the first day of the first test of the two match series. In the end India managed to make a clean sweep of the Test Series but not before Bangladesh gave some spirited perform ance. Although they never dominated India, they didn't seem a side to be completely ignored either. Captain Shakib Al Hassan, wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim, all-rounder Mahmudullah and opener Tamim Iqbal have certainly shown some hope for Bangladeshi cricket's future. Indian bowling attack was at times seen bowing down to the 'minnows' as Sehwag would like to believe. Virender Sehwag might be the most explosive batsman in history of Test Cricket but he has a long way to go when it comes to leadership and being a sports ambassador. This is perhaps one reason why he was overlooked for captaincy when the job was handed over to MS Dhoni. When India's 'captain cool' took over in the second test he stressed on the fact that no side can be taken lightly. Everyone knows what Bangladesh is capable of, but Dhoni still showed some statesmanship while talking to the media.

For Further: thatscricket.oneindia.in/news/2010/01/29/india-bangladesh-test-sehwag-underestimated-bangla.html

Masand Movie Review

Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Ishqiya, directed by debutant Abhishek Chaubey, is a delicious little film that teeters dangerously between saucy comedy and suspenseful noir. Unapologetically adult in its relationships, its language and its humor, the film sparkles for its inspired writing and uncompromised direction. Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi star as Khalujaan and Babban, a pair of thieves in Uttar Pradesh who're on the run from their boss, having taken off with his money. They show up at the home of an old friend in Gorakhpur but discover that he is dead. His widow, Krishna, played by Vidya Balan, takes them in nevertheless, and with that the stage is set for a complicated love triangle against the backdrop of kidnappings, deaths and blow-ups. Written by Vishal Bharadwaj, Sabrina Dhawan and the film's director Abhishek Chaubey, Ishqiya is a film that has wheels within wheels, a film that's constantly unraveling itself, surprising you as every new layer is peeled. Chaubey wastes no time in setting up his drama, throwing you into the thick of the story immediately, never wasting more time on back-story than necessary. The film's most enjoyable track is the love triangle which the director treats delicately yet cleverly, aided by remarkable performances from his leads, and an extraordinary score that comprises original compositions by Vishal Bharadwaj and snatches of previous musical hits.

For Further: /ibnlive.in.com/news/masand-movie-review-ishqiya-a-delicious-little-film/109408-8.html

Siddharth is the SRK of South

The Telugu hearthrob, Siddharth, who wowed the audience in Rang De Basanti in 2006, went missing in action for Siddharth four long years. Now he is Siddharth back in Bollywood with a solo hero project – Striker. Where did you go? It’s been almost four years since RDB. Why did you disappear from Bollywood despite a successful debut? After RDB, I did not get exciting offers. Yes, I was offered films like Delhi 6, Hook Ya Crook and Rock On!!, but none of them excited me enough. Also, when you debut with a film like RDB, everybody has an idea about what kind of movie you should do next. But har ek bande ka apna ek idea hota hai ki usey kya karna hai. I too had a specific idea regarding my second movie in Bollywood, which unfortunately never turned into reality until now. So, I went on to concentrate on my work in Telugu. I was doing two things in this time span – looking for the right film in Bollywood and keeping myself busy with Telugu films. What role do you play in Striker, and what made you choose it as y our second Hindi movie? Striker is my follow up to RDB after four years. It is my first solo hero Hindi film and is directed by Chandan Arora. It’s about a guy who is born in the slums of Mumbai and is a carom player. The movie tracks the growing up years of this guy – spanning 20 years. It is not just about sports; it’s actually about human relationships as it talks about his love, his loss, his ambitions, his dreams and his journey as a man. It’s very similar to the single hero movies that were made in the 80s, something similar to Arjun, Salakhein and even Zanjeer.

For further: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Siddharth-is-the-SRK-of-South/articleshow/5512887.cms

Toyota Is Unable to Hit the Brakes on Crisis

Toyota Motor Corp.'s problems continued to mount Friday, as the auto maker said it was recalling 1.8 million vehicles in Europe and dealers said they were starting to feel the pinch after the company halted U.S. sales of eight of its top-selling vehicles. In response to growing concerns among customers, Toyota is gearing up to run an "open letter" in major newspapers Sunday and Monday in the top 25 markets in the U.S., according to people familiar with the plan. The ad will be one of the first attempts by Toyota to publicly address the crisis. Analysts have already begun to measure the initial impact on Toyota's sales. The company is also planning "an informative announcement sometime next week," spokesman Brian Lyons said. Edmunds.com, an automotive Web site, estimated Toyota's market share in the U.S. is likely to drop to 14.7% in January, its lowest level in four years. Toyota's market share stood at 18.2% in December. Rivals Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co., which have launched new initiatives targeting Toyota customers, said this week they expect a double-digit January U.S. sales increase. On Friday, Toyota gave details of its European recall. It said its Aygo, iQ, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Verso, Avensis and RAV4 models are all affected by the gas-pedal problem and the recall will affect some models made as far back as February 2005. Including Friday's action in Europe, the Japanese company has now recalled 9.5 million vehicles since late last year over two issues—5.4 million for floor mat entrapment issues and 4.1 million for a sticky gas pedal problem. That is 22% more than the 7.8 million vehicles Toyota sold world-wide last year.

For Further: online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704343104575033350444811606.html?mod=WSJ_auto_LeadStoryCollection

Tata Chem profit doubles to Rs 221 crores

Tata Chemicals, on Friday, saw its net profit for the December quarter more than double on the back of higher volumes and a stable price environment. The Tata Group company, which has been leading the conglomerate’s efforts to bring out innovative products for the mass market, said its net profit in the quarter totalled Rs 221 crore, compared with Rs 91 crore last year. However, the company’s sales fell 28% to Rs 2,622 crore during the period. Tata Chemicals said its net profit for the quarter includes about Rs 12 crore from crop protection firm Rallis India, which became a subsidiary of the company in November. “During the period, the company witnessed demand growth in domestic as well as in international markets. However, there is a marginal pressure on the margins of some products, such as phosphatic fertilisers, due to a fall in global prices,” managing director RK Mukundan said in a statement. Tata Chemicals’ research and development division played a major role in the group’s December launch of ‘Tata Swach’, a low-cost water purifier, that could likely initiate a price war in the drinking water segment, currently dominated by consumer goods giants such as Hindustan Unilever and Eureka Forbes. Tata Chemicals owns 50.06% equity in Rallis. The Mumbai-based company was cautious last year with its expansion plan due to global demand slump. Mr Mukandan said since things have started improving, the company could revive its expansion programme. Tata Chemicals, on Friday, said it will increase manufacturing capacity for the branded salt facility by 50% and also double the capacity at its urea facility, over the next two years.

For Further: economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/earnings/Tata-Chem-profit-doubles-to-Rs-221-cr/articleshow/5515297.cms

28 January 2010

IPL teams set to hire some Pak players

Caught in a diplomatic row that is threatening to explode, Indian Premier League teams are set to make amends by picking four to five Pakistani cricketers for Season 3 scheduled to begin on March 12. Among the cricketers expected to be made an offer are Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq, the last two being on the radar of the Kolkata Knight Riders. The turnaround follows home minister P. Chidambaram’s assertion that the government never “nudged” the IPL to ban Pakistani players. “In the next three to four days, you will see at least four to five Pakistani players picked up. Apart from the Rajasthan Royals, nobody else has the funds to recruit more foreign players, but a way will be found,” said a source in the Knight Riders, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and friends. As of now, the only way to accommodate the Pakistanis will be by dropping “unavailable” or “injury-ridden” foreign players. The Knight Riders are keen to offload knee injury-hit Bangladeshi Mashrafe Mortaza and South African Ch arl Langeveldt in favour of Razzaq and Gul. “They have been on our wish list for a long time and we are in touch with them. But we will finalise everything only after due approvals come from the IPL organisers,” said a KKR source. Razzaq has been at the centre of a controversy following Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ijaz Butt’s announcement that he may play with the Deccan Chargers. The Chargers have officially denied any such move after IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said they did not have enough funds to buy the all-rounder. But sources said interest had been shown and contact established with Razzaq over the phone last weekend after it became clear that the Chargers’ top bowler Fidel Edwards would be unavailable for Season 3.

For Further: www.telegraphindia.com/1100129/jsp/frontpage/story_12041776.jsp

Serena Williams will face Justine Henin in the Melbourne final

She sneaked on to Rod Laver Arena without anyone noticing. Shino Tsurubuchi was officiating on the baseline at the Australian Open yesterday, but not for Serena Williams’ semi-final victory over Li Na of China; they kept her back for Andy Murray’s match, in which there was not a foot fault called. Had the administrators of tennis been stronger — which is a bit like the FA asking Sir Alex Ferguson to accept refereeing decisions with good grace — Ms Tsurubuchi would have been placed in the line of fire a little earlier in the day. After all, the meeting of Serena and her official bête noire will have to come around sooner or later — just as it was inevitable that Williams would play Justine Henin tomorrow in the final of the Australian Open women’s singles. The moment that Kim Clijsters departed the scene, this was the match that had to be. Of course, if some folk had had their way, Williams would not have played in this championship at all, yet a fine of $175,000 (about £109,000) and a two-year good behaviour bond was declared to be punishment enough for her horrible outburst at Tsurubuchi during the semi-final of last year’s US Open against Clijsters when she was foot-faulted and then defaulted.

For Further: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article7007036.ece

Rahul wanted to play

Rahul Dravid, who fractured his jaw during his 111 in the second Test against Bangladesh, had made himself available for the upcoming two Tests against South Africa, but the selectors decided to give him some rest as doctors felt it is better not to play him at the moment. “Dravid was very keen to play but the doctors have advised him to rest as a precaution,” chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth said, after the selection committee meeting here Thursday to pick the squads for the first Test and the Board President’s XI match that precedes the Test. A statement issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed that Dravid had been advised three weeks’ rest, more or less ruling him out of the second Test as well. “We have selected the best possible team considering the number of injuries the team has had. This team is just for the first Test. We’ll decide on the team for the second Test after getting a fitness update (on the injured players),” Srikkanth said. The World Cup winning former opener e xpressed faith in rookie Karnataka pacer Abhimanyu Mithun, who has so far picked up 50 wickets in 10 first-class matches this season (including the ongoing Duleep Trophy tie between South Zone and Central in Indore). “He (Mithun) has done well in domestic cricket and we needed a fast bowler (after the injury to Sreesanth). That’s why we picked him,” Srikkanth said. On the inclusion of Wriddhiman Saha, the former India captain said the Bengal wicket-keeper-batsman was a cover for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been carrying niggles of late. “Dhoni had a few niggles during the Bangladesh tour and that’s why he missed the first Test. “Even in the one-dayers, he had a few problems with his fitness, so we have included Saha as a back up. If Dhoni is unavailable (for the first Test), Saha will replace him,” he said.

Source: www.telegraphindia.com/1100129/jsp/sports/story_12041714.jsp

ShahRukh wants to be a good actor!

Aamir Khan is not the only Bollywood superstar who goes home and picks up a book instead of the television remote. Shah Rukh Khan is also a voracious reader. King Khan truly believes that if you want to be a good actor, you have got to be a keen reader. For his latest film My Name is Khan in which his character has Asperger’s syndrome and also shades of autism, SRK read several books on the subjects to keep himself updated. The Bollywood Badshah also confesses that he often finds himself reading several books at a time. “I read everything from news magazines to kids books, even graphic novels,” says he. And he also enjoys telling his children, Aryan and Suhana stories of Akbar and Birbal. “I’m a huge Birbal fan,” confesses SRK. “Some ill-informed sorts have reduced the far-thinking Birbal to some kind of court jester in Emperor Akbar’s court. The fact of the matter is that Birbal is actually one of the sharpest

Source: movies.indiatimes.com/news-gossip/gossip/SRK-wants-to-be-a-good-actor/articleshow/5508261.cms

Veer

Veer (Salman Khan) is a warrior from the brave Pindari tribe that is said to have sowed the seeds of the struggle for freedom in the late 1800s. He falls in love with Yashodhara (Zarine Khan), daughter of a king who has betrayed the Pindaris and aligned with the British (Jackie Shroff). The tribe actually manages to send Veer with his younger brother (Sohail Khan) to London(!) to find out how the British psyche works (!!), and lo and behold, Veer encounters the enemy king there (with whom his father has to settle scores). Veer’s love clashes with his loyalty to his clan, and so does the girl’s feelings for him. The second half sees scores being settled, the romance blossoming and intrigue and emotions coming to the boil in every sense as the issues go beyond internal feuds to the bigger one of throwing off the British yoke.Salman Khan’s story had potential, but suffers because it tries to be a love story, a freedom fighter saga and a right-versus-wrong action spectacle all at the same time, and the script unfortunately cannot rise to the occasion. It focusses too less on issues that are relevant today like our disunity and wastes footage on lesser issues and a lot of cliches.

For Further: www.screenindia.com/news/Veer--Hindi-/572069/

Indian shares Down

Indian shares fell more than 1 percent to their lowest since early November on Friday morning, following falls in world markets, with traders cautious ahead of central bank's quarterly policy review. The Reserve Bank of India is expected to tighten banks' reserve requirements in its review, due at 0545 GMT, and traders are wary of the risk that interest rates could also be increased. Export-driven software companies, which earn around half of their revenue from United States, after some disappointment with corporate results there. Infosys Technologies (INFY.BO) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.BO) dropped 3 percent and 2.6 percent respectively, and Wipro (WIPR.BO) shed 3.3 percent. At 9:40 a.m. (0410 GMT), the 30-share BSE Index .BSESN was down 1.14 percent at 16,120.88,with 25 components falling. The benchmark is down 7.6 percent so far in January. It rose 81 percent in 2009. "Global cues are bad. Also, people are nervous before RBI policy," said Neeraj Dewan, director of Quantum Securities.

For Further: www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE60S04T20100129

27 January 2010

Zaheer Bowls india to Win

Amiable off the field and aggressive on it, Zaheer Khan is a man of two parts. Thankfully for India, the man from Shrirampur was at his menacing best at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium here on Wednesday and set up India’s fourth successive triumph in Tests. Zaheer’s second innings yield of seven for 87, which turned out to be his career-best, and a match-haul of 10 for 149 proved too tough a hurdle for the Bangladesh batsmen and the second Test hurtled towards an early closure here on the fourth day. India defeated Bangladesh by 10 wickets to win the match and sweep the Idea Cup series with a 2-0 verdict. The victory though was attained with a touch of irony. India needed just two runs after Bangladesh’s second innings folded up at 312. Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir looked up at the sun, muttered their prayers and soon walked in with an easy victory firmly in sight.
In a hurry
Usually Gambhir takes first-strike but Sehwag was in a hurry and took guard. A mighty heave off Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan scythed through air. Sehwag failed to connect the next ball too that also eluded wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim. Sehwag and Gambhir pocketed the two byes, punched their gloves mid-pitch and the number one Test team had lived up to its billing though the triumph was registered against a squad yet to fully find its feet in Test cricket. Resuming at 228 for three in its second innings on the penultimate day, Bangladesh stayed resolute in the first hour. The overnight pair of Shahadat Hossain and Mohammad Ashraful extended their fourth-wicket partnership to 68 runs and the prospect of India batting again became increasingly evident.

For further: www.hindu.com/2010/01/28/stories/2010012861231900.htm

Sania calls off Engagement with Sohrab

Sania Mirza's professional tennis career has been on the downslide. And now, her personal life too is taking a beating. The out-of-form player has called off her engagement with longtime friend Sohrab Mirza on grounds of incompatibility. The announcement, which was made as Sania crashed out of the Australian Open, comes as a surprise. Just days before the Australian Open, Sania had announced that she would quit tennis once she got married. Sohrab is studying in the UK. While it's not clear what made Sania change her mind within two weeks, her comments gave enough indication that things were not working out between the two. "We were friends for half a decade, but found ourselves incompatible during our engagement period. I wish Sohrab the best in life," Sania said.

Source: indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/81256/Sports/Sania+calls+off+engagement+with+Sohrab.html

Salman's Veer is Steady at the box Office

Eros International, the Indian media and Entertainment Company today announced that Salman Khan starrer- Veer in its opening weekend, has had gross collections of Rs. 41 crores worldwide at the box office. Veer did a first weekend business of Rs. 32 crores (Rs. 19.50 crores net) in India with Rs. 9 crores coming in from overseas. Salman’s last hit Wanted netted Rs. 17.25 crores for the same period. An Anil Sharma film, Veer, starring Salman Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Jackie Shroff and debutant released across cinemas worldwide on 22nd January 2010. The film released with 1,300 prints and digital cinemas all over India and 236 prints overseas. A spectacular treat for Salman fans, Veer has emerged a high grosser in circuits like Rajasthan, Delhi/UP, Bihar, Gujarat etc. with the single screens doing good business over the weekend, which again demonstrates Salman Khan’s power to connect with the masses.Veer is a saga of bravery and drama, treachery and love. Set in the nineteenth century, this is the story of a warrior clan, the Pindharis, who become sworn enemies with the King of Madhavgarh, Rajasthan after the latter betrays them, joining hands with the British for a full-blooded Pindhari slaughter. The bravest, the toughest, the strongest of the Pindharis is Veer who takes on the might of the British Empire, the conniving King of Madhavgarh as well as his own jealous tribesmen. Veer is a period drama with romance and action thrown in. The movie is distributed globally by Eros International.

source: entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/box-office/2010/veer-41-crores-280110.html

Anger in Jodhpur over padma shri to saif

It has been more than 10 years since the Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan hit the headlines for alleged killings of black bucks during the shooting for Hum Saath Saath Hain. But the ghost of it still haunts the stars. The Bishnoi community and wildlife activists are agitated over actor Saif Ali Khan being honoured with a Padma Shir by the government. The infamous killing of black bucks had hit the headlines in 1998 in Jodhpur and the case is still under trial. Salman Khan was even imprisoned in the case for the shooting of the endangered species. The wildlife activists are planning to appeal to the Union government against the decision. The Bishnoi Tiger Vanyajeev Evam Paryavaran Sansthan (BTVPS) said they will soon to write to the President and the Prime Minister protesting against the decision. People for Animals also expressed their regret on the Union Government's decision to honour an accused. The organization is now planning to approach the Union minister for forests and environment, Jairam Ramesh saying that this decision is hurting the dignity of the award as well as the spirit of the other deserving recipients.

source: entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2010/saif-padma-shri-controversy-280110.html

Shah Rukh khan got Married Again

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan went down on his knees and proposed to a 20-year-old girl. He slipped a ring on her finger; he was happy and she was ecstatic. We are talking about a mock wedding Shahrukh did while promoting his upcoming film My Name is Khan. It happened at a five-star hotel in Ahmedabad. Shahrukh was taken aback by one named Tillana Desai, who was in her bridal dress and wanted her name to be Khan. She told him that she has been in love with a guy since she was seven but couldn't marry him, and her man happened to be Shahrukh. She also told him that she only uses the products endorsed by him. Impressed by her love story, Shahrukh obliged to her request to marry her. He went down on his knees and slipped the ring on her finger, saying that it was a rehearsal for the wedding. The girl had brought the ring along with her.The lucky girl said that she would never remove the ring. She is happy that Shahrukh accepted her love and admiration for him. She added that she even invited him to dinner at her house but he was too busy to make it. Well, Shahrukh knows what a girl wants!

Source: entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2010/shahrukh-wedding-280110.html

Air India-Indian merger irrevocable:Civil Aviation Ministry

The civil aviation ministry on Wednesday said the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines was irrevocable as this was a collective decision of various government agencies. This is in response to a Parliamentary panel's recommendation that erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines operate as separate functional units under the holding company NACIL. “There is no move afoot for the AI-IA (Air India-Indian Airlines) demerger. The merger was a carefully thought-out process and a collective decision of all agencies of the government of India,” the civil aviation ministry said in a statement. The department-related parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, headed by Sitaram Yechury, had recently slammed the government for merging the two national carriers. It said that merger of the two carriers was done in haste without doing adequate homework and consultations. The committee, which submitted its report last week, has suggested that NACIL be converted into holding company with NACIL-A and NACIL-I as separate functional units. The parliamentary panel questioned the aviation ministry's decision to purchase 111 aircraft worth Rs 50,000 crore knowing the carriers did not have equity base to support the ambitious acquisition plan. The committee demanded probe to fix the responsibility for taking such a move which has resulted in a big financial liability for Air India.

For Further: economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/Air-India-Indian-merger-irrevocable-Ministry/articleshow/5507123.cms

26 January 2010

Katrina Plans To Marry

Call it an ultimatum or whatever but Katrina Kaif is certain she will get married in 2012. And since that’s just two years from now, she is all set to have the time of her life in films. That also explains her choices, which currently consist of Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan, Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar and Tarun Mansukhani’s Dostana 2, which should take care of this year. It also means she has stopped looking for another home. “I’ll get married and go to my husband’s home,” she says fluttering her eyelashes, “Why put in so much money into a new home when I have a perfectly comfortable one at the moment?” Whether the 2012 groom will be Salman Khan or someone she still has to meet, or whether it will even be another actor, is something she refuses to comment on.

Source: movies.indiatimes.com/news-gossip/gossip/Katrina-plans-to-get-married/articleshow/5498458.cms

Indians Celebrate Republic Day

The Indian community in the UAE celebrated the 61st Republic Day of their country on Tuesday with renewed enthusiasm fired up by the recent announcement of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh that overseas Indians will be given voting rights. Consul General of India in Dubai, Venu Rajamony, who hoisted the Indian national flag at his official residence, and read out the message from Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, urged Indians to rededicate themselves to further strengthening the development of India and its people.“There is much that India has achieved in the last six decades that we can be proud of. At the same time, we must rededicate ourselves to the task of strengthening our nation and improving the livelihood of the people,” he said.“Indians, who live abroad, especially in the UAE, have played a major role in advancing the development of India. I urge all Indians to continue to do their utmost for their home country and at the same time strive to strengthen the welfare and security of their st country, UAE,” he added. The speech was followed by patriotic songs. The Consul General and senior officials later attended a special ceremony organised by the Indian High School, Dubai which saw 2,500 students take part. A food court for charity was also organised by the school. Rajamony also hosted a traditional reception in the evening which was attended by members of the royal families, government officials, prominent Emiratis, diplomats and members of the Indian community.In Abu Dhabi, Charge d’Affaires (Cd’A) of the Indian Embassy, RC Nair, unfurled the national tricolour during the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Embassy and read out the message from the Indian President. Nair is currently in charge of the Indian mission as the name of the new Ambassador of India to the UAE, to succeed Talmiz Ahmed who has been just shifted to Saudi Arabia, is yet to be announced.

For Further: www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/January/theuae_January773.xml&section=theuae

'Avatar' beats 'Titanic'

Sci-fi epic Avatar has sunk the global box office record set in 1997 by Titanic, distributor 20th Century Fox confirmed on Tuesday. The studio said that the James Cameron film surpassed Titanic’s $1.843 billion record on Monday to become the highest grossing film of all time. According to cinema tracking site boxofficemojo.com Avatar had earned $1.859 billion through Monday night. However, adjusted for inflation Gone With the Wind remains the top movie of all time. The milestone cements the place of Cameron, who produced, directed and wrote both Titanic and Avatar as the most successful moviemaker of all time. With the movie still going strong in cinemas worldwide, industry observers say it is likely to smash Titanic’s record. “It ain’t over yet,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the box office analyst of Hollywood.com. “This film could do $2 billion, something unthinkable.”

For Further: beta.thehindu.com/news/international/article95280.ece?homepage=true

Coal Mine Development is Long-drawn Process

NTPC Ltd, the country’s largest power generator, is set to launch a follow-on public offer (FPO), with the government divesting 5 per cent equity in the company. After the government scaled up the power capacity addition target in the current Plan period multi-fold, the company embarked upon a major diversification drive in the entire energy chain. As the Rs 61,700-crore PSU readies itself for the issue that is to be launched next week, Chairman and Managing Director R S Sharma tells Sudheer Pal Singh the time is perfect to garner market valuations. Edited excerpts:
You have just returned from an international roadshow for the FPO. How did the investors respond? We met 42 investors in Los Angeles, London, Boston, New York, etc. We covered 21 investors in New York alone. It would not be proper to name any investor, but the response was overwhelming. The qualified institutional buyers’ quota is 50 per cent. And, of the rest, 15 per cent is for high-networth individuals and 35 per cent for retail. We are hoping for significant subscription from global investors. NTPC is announcing this offer at a time when the climate change debate is at its peak globally. Being the largest power producer, over 80 per cent of which comes from coal, do you think the time is appropriate for a public issue in terms of valuations, especially as environment laws are expected to be stricter? This is absolutely the perfect time for us to enter the market. What the market is looking for, after all, is growth. We have almost 13 per cent growth year-on-year in capacity addition. The same is reflected in our profit and revenue. Further, when we launched our IPO in 2004, it was oversubscribed four times. And our dividend payout increases every year when we go in for such a growth. We certainly expect fair valuations by the market. We are entering into low-carbon growth strategy, which includes supercritical and ultra-supercritical technologies, along with renewable.

For further: www.business-standard.com/india/news/%5Ccoal-mine-development-islong-drawn-process%5C/383766/

India's sensex Index Extents

India’s benchmark stock index extended its longest string of losses in three months on concern accelerating inflation will prompt the central bank to tighten credit at its policy meeting this week. State Bank of India Ltd., the nation’s biggest lender, fell 1.4 percent after posting its lowest pace of quarterly profit growth in three years. Hindalco Industries Ltd., the nation’s largest aluminum producer, lost 2 percent after net income dropped 22 percent in its third quarter. Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd., the largest copper and zinc producer, declined 1.6 percent after metal prices fell. “Investors will take out their money and sit on the table to see how it pans out,” said Vaibhav Sanghavi, who manages funds for wealthy individuals at Ambit Capital Ltd. in Mumbai. “The second part of earnings has just been OK, nothing outstanding.” The Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensitive Index, or Sensex, fell 157.58, or 0.9 percent, to 16,622.88 at 9:17 a.m. in Mumbai. The S&P CNX Nifty Index on the National Stock Exchange lost 0.9 percent to 4,965.2. The BSE 200 Index retreated 0.7 percent to 2,102.5. State Bank slid 1.4 percent to 2,061.9 rupees. Profit growth slowed following losses on surplus funds invested in government bonds. ICICI Bank Ltd., the country’s second-biggest lender, declined 2 percent to 813.7 rupees. Housing Development Finance Corp., the biggest mortgage lender, retreated 1.3 percent to 2,350 rupees.

For Further: www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aExrncKmXcAI

Why To Join A Summer Drama Camp

As a child wen all been sent to various summer camps for youth and various summer camps for young people have different themes and activities where kids are suppose to take part in, according to their interests. One of these exciting summer camps for young idea, the idea of drama camp or acting camp, where the player in teenagers and children will be taught to make it big on silver screens.

But that does not mean that this kid's camps known as drama camp or camps is only concerned with acting because it is not true. Instead of these summer camps for young people dealing with different aspects of the entertainment business as script analysis, working with the camera, language and hearing, sound, light and stage design. These are some of the things that teenagers can learn in these drama camps to make their career in making films or television world. The teen artists from various film schools participating in the film camps or drama camps get personal instruction on acting and the other on the fields. At these camps the little drama artists learn all that they need to know about the movie and drama technically. Every aspect of making films or stage drama made clear to students to help them excel in their lives.

Players in the drama camps and acting camps are told how to deliver incredible performance on screen and how to create the character on screen, like the character is a real problem. The same goes for theater artists also. Similarly, if you're interested in scriptwriting or the camera work, so you will be told all the particulars involved in a successful and amazing camera work and great scripts. Instructors at the acting camps and drama camps explain truthful description of the young actors to help them absorb what it takes to be great players. They are asked to adopt the mental and physical characteristics of the characters they portray that, so they can adopt the on-screen or on stage as if the character is true.

Also student participation in these camps, drama and film camps are shown a lot of work done by actors and technicians from around the world and by giving various examples, they are told to absorb one thing and that is how to make a good job. Many of the prominent film schools arrange these children camps, and if your child is interested in making a career in film production, then these summer camps for children is the place where you should bring them. So if you think your child has got talent and ability of a great artist in all genres, so you must give them the environment in accordance with it, and to bring them to summer camps for young people, offering drama camps, film camps or acting camps. So what are you waiting on the table to go find talent in your child?

Why a Steinway Grand Piano is the Only Real Choice Today

Used Steinway pianos?

Terms

There are many criteria involved in any purchase of a piano, especially a Steinway grand piano, and for each some criteria will prevail. Below are some key criteria to be evaluated. This article will guide you to choose a Steinway grand piano or a used piano.

American Steinway Grand Piano

The first criteria is the size of the room, the piano comes to visit. If space is not large enough for piano plus at least three times the size of the piano for a small audience, so the piano can be too big for this space. An exception to this would be a practice room. In this case, a grand piano is still the best choice, if possible, because the action and sound of the piano is different from an upright piano, and gives the player a much more realistic feel for when the pianist plays on most other pianos without in the same room. Steinway pianos range in size from as small as 5 '1 'to the great concert of nearly 9 feet, so there should be no problem to find the best size piano.

- The second criterion, which is often overlooked is the color and finish of the piano. Of course the concert venues are ebony black piano color choices, but many pianos in the home looks better with other types of woods and finishes. In the woods than black ebony, is a large area: mahogany (figured, flamed, fiddle-back and easy-grained), Walnut (burled, circassion, American and French), cherry, oak, and ivory (white, cream, gold-leaf) and rosewood (Brazil and Indonesia). Finish these Steinway pianos range from satin with a satin gloss, bright with high Polish. The glossy finish tends to be more "flashy" and therefore more appropriate for certain types of rooms. Choosing the right finish for the room can greatly add to the decor.

Steinway Grand Piano

The third criterion is the style of piano you want. Most people are accustomed to thinking only in traditional black ebony piano, and never stops to look at all the different piano available. Steinway pianos have a wide range of styles through the years, apart from the traditional, including the Rococo, Victorian, Louis XV, Queen Anne, and of course many custom designs. The pianos range from the very old (around 1857) until today. Most of these "styles" pianos are coveted by artists and collectors, so they are very valuable.
Steinway pianos have a wide range of styles

The fourth criterion is the age of the piano you need. Most people do not believe that older pianos, largely overlooking the value, savings and more importantly, the sound and feel of these older Steinway pianos. Firstly, the new pianos quite expensive compared to the older pianos, but more than that, many of the older pianos have sound and action that has been restored to play and sounds better than some of the newer pianos. This is because the casing of the piano's "age" and has never lost its original quality of sound. A real rebuilt Steinway piano can feel and sound as good as if not better than the newest pianos produced today, and so their value is unparalleled. Not only is buying a Steinway piano, which is appreciating in value, but also an instrument which has a beautiful sound and touch.

What is the cost of used Steinway Piano?

Finally, the cost of the piano as a criterion. Sometimes for the sake of saving money, leave some buyers piano Steinway piano behind only to buy an instrument that is inferior in quality and name, and more importantly depreciating in value. As an investment, it makes no sense. Everyone can save money today at a price of tomorrow, but the wise person will stretch to make the soundest investment by choosing a Steinway piano that sounds, looks, feels best, and at last, and it is very important, retain its value over many years.

What Can I Learn In Acting School

Acting school and film school sound too glamorous for an ordinary person, especially when you connect to the acting school with a film that is larger than life movies. But it is not the whole truth behind the acting school and film schools. If you plan to go to any of the film schools and is surprised to learn in your acting classes or films, workshops in your film schools, so here is something that can help you understand what you can learn in a working school.

The key element of a successful actor has his or her voice, and if an actor is not impressive, clear and can not be felt in the audience, it might be a problem in the design of his or her career. We have already heard and seen sound to be transferred to an actor or actress because of lack of clarity and poor tonal quality. So the very first thing that the film school focuses on is the voice of their students took them in their acting classes and film workshops to make their views clear and easy to understand. This process involves breath work, relaxation, posture and singing as a way to nurture the voices of the students. This is an important part of movie studios and go to any of the acting school in the entire world, and you will be taught this, or will you be at least trained to improve your voice.

Another quality that every actor must have a great body, and that is why the acting schools and film schools working to improve the physical appearance of an actor or actress by toning their bodies according to their conformation. It is about regular workouts, body and skin treatments, and a balanced diet to keep it in proper conditions. With a perfect body is one of the deadliest weapons in the armory of any actor or actress, and it works well on the audience.

This is why all the best players and who's who in Hollywood is completely conscious of their fitness regimen. The third thing that you certainly will be taught in any of the acting school or Film College you will be able to deliver impressive auditions. Provides live audition experience in film schools and film workshops do this. This focuses on your screen presence and dialogue delivery postures in front of the camera. It is important because as an actor, you have to give thousands of auditions to make it your first film, and to turn every audition for a movie, go through the audition experience in acting school.

All these things that the acting schools teach their students to add into the CV of their students and projects, their skills in a much better way in front of audiences and auditions. This increases the success rate for students from acting school or Film College. So these are some of the most important things you learn at a school function or in film studies offer movies college.

Watch TV Online Maximum Entertainment and Absolutely Free

There, aos always a time when boredom strikes, wherever you are and you just feel itching for some laid back entertainment. Fortunately, with further promotion of technology, it is very possible to enjoy free TV online, as long as you have a computer and an Internet connection.

Anyone can watch TV online today, thanks to websites that have a large resource available for viewing 24 / 7 for free. This is really a fantastic addition to the entertainment capabilities of your computer. With computer double as your TV, you can get access to free TV online anytime. If you currently residing in a foreign country and you, Aore homesick on your local TV channels, you can now get to see shows in your hometown you should watch TV online. This will keep you updated with current events, home of news, and you need to AOT have to dig through the pile of the World reports that international news sources coverage, it also allows you to visit the free online TV channels from all parts of the world.

If you want a cable company, but don, AOT want to deal with its monthly fees or AOT afford the luxury of satellite television, your best option to consider is to watch TV online. You can surf on foreign channels, as long as you want without having to deal with that annoying remote control that is often misplaced.

Now you can multi-task Internet-related activities while watching television on the web, whether you're at home or in your own office as opposed to neck stiffing experience to change the settings on your TV to your PC screen. Allows you to work and be entertained when you want to. Present tour has also been an asset in the ability to watch TV online, which allows them to be kept informed about certain stocks and business news throughout the world, all while getting exposure to advertising and new marketing campaigns, they can get help in their work with the rest of infomercials as they watch television.

People of all ages have seen could watch TV online, but we as adults should be the ones to ensure that our children are on a website, aos credibility by making their free TV online experience safe, without deceiving links and pop-ups, will refer them to adult websites or other unintended web content.

Create a whole new level of comfort and a new sense of independence, the Internet aos emergence born free TV online. We could watch TV online, where we are and where we want without the worry of having to pay for cable bills, and dealing with poor reception. We could enjoy it as much as we watch TV as usual, but this time with ease of pointing and clicking, and for leaving a comment below the show and exchange ideas and opinions with other viewers internationally.

TOP 20 CARTOON CHARACTERS

1. Bugs Bunny

"What's Up, doc?" Bugs Bunny is perhaps the cartoon character most recognized and celebrated. Looney Tunes was created as lead-ins for the film. Only later was one of the first Saturday morning cartoons. Generations later, Bugs Bunny is still tops.

2. Homer Simpson

Homer Simpson is known throughout the world. After having been in television for more than 20 seasons, this manager is the father who knows best, but certainly try.

3. Mickey Mouse

Disney Mickey Mouse represents in all its forms. It began life in black and white, Steamboat Willie. Mickey Mouse is not just a cartoon character who is an icon.

4. Bart Simpson

The next favorite is The Simpsons Bart. We all knew that a guy like Bart and sometimes wish they were like him.

5. Charlie Brown

Introduced on TV It's Christmas, Charlie Brown, this classic cartoon was a holiday tradition. The young boy did not kick the ball if the dog is more popular than he is and who is in love with the redhead steals the hearts of each year.

6. Fred Flintstone

Fred Flintstone is a precursor to Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin. It was the first animated portly man had a hot wife, the brain is not sufficient for his plans and moody. But he loved her family.

7. The Grinch

Dr. Seuss created the characters of many who made the jump to television, but none as easy and successful as The Grinch. Other favorite holiday trip selfish altruism promotes the true meaning of Christmas.

8. Popeye

Nobody has done as much spinach as Popeye. His forearms bulging, crossed eyes and stifled laughter is recognized by many generations.

9. Wile E. Coyote

Poor Wile E. Coyote. I do not want to catch the Roadrunner, but we sure feel bad to him. Its not working properly ACME gadgets. You have to admire his stamina!

10. Rocky and Bullwinkle

Stan and Ollie. Hope and Crosby. Martin and Lewis. In the animated world, Rocky and Bullwinkle comedy team that saves the day. Optimism endless setbacks Rocky and Bullwinkle luck to save their skins at any time.

11. SpongeBob SquarePants

Although there are several channels that offer entertainment made for the Y-skills in many areas, has a comic endured for nearly a decade, becoming more famous than his fellow Nickelodeon: SpongeBob SquarePants. Pineapple, snails, fast food has never been so fun.


12. Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman is usually the villain in South Park. His feelings, his pragmatic view to achieve its objectives has resulted in many cases of necessity, and sentences.

13. Daffy Duck

Daffy Duck to Bugs Bunny is like Wile E. Coyote is the Roadrunner. Do you envy Bugs Lucas? It is jealousy in the heart of their position to the bitter Bugs? Anyway, his aunt space and plans to do large drawings.

14. Porky

Porky has been stuttering, "That's all folks!" for most of a century, but my son is 6 years old laughs like the first to discover. That is the appeal of pigs Sweet Little.

15. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy

Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are inseparable, and their antics here. They are fun on two levels. The first is that, seen through the eyes of a child are stupid cowards who somehow always save the day and are still best friends. But watch Scooby-Doo as an adult, and wonder if the driving range, talk Spacey and sandwiches are the symptoms continued lifestyle very people who inspired

16. Mr. Magoo

Blind adventurer and others are a mix of insurance for an elderly uncle, but Mr. Magoo makes it work. Later occasionally misses the ball, so to speak and we laughed the whole way.

17. Beavis and Butt-Head

Mike Judge (King of the Hill) brought us these Slacker stuttering teenagers on MTV. He worked at a fast food restaurant, went to school, so videos and crazy adults. Beavis and Butt-Head was still popular enough to generate a feature film, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America. Late at night I can still hear them laughing.

18. Fat Albert

"Hey, hey, hey! Is Faaaaaaaat Albert! Who does not know that quote, this topic? Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids was created, expressed and sponsored by Bill Cosby. On Saturday morning cartoons spoke to children of color living in the not-so-conditions in Bel Air. Forget the 2004 live-action film, the cartoon is a classic which teaches lessons in a warm and fun.

19. Betty Boop

Betty Boop was a star in the 1930s, when it reached talkies silent movies. His black and white sex appeal, corny voice and ditzy charm was a success. Now his image is iconic, there are all kinds of goods that people buy without really seeing, even a caricature.

20. George Jetsons

The Flintstones took the family by all Americans in time, The Jetsons, but took it for the future. George Jetsons was like Fred Flintstone and father play against each other, we have seen. He worked to care for her family, and just wanted peace and quiet occasionally. But his children, wife, dogs, and kept her head. They knew caught on tape (which has not been?) In the opening credits, it is easy to remember, George Jetsons.