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Rachana Nair

MM — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:39:27 +0000

Issac Cheriyathu

MM — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:33:34 +0000

Bin Laden tape reportedly criticizes Democrats, corporations

MM — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:19:16 +0000

CNN’s Pam Benson contributed to this report.

Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A videotape that appears to feature Osama bin Laden is under analysis by the U.S. government, officials said Friday.

Officials are trying to determine the authenticity of a purported Osama bin Laden video.
1 of 2 Under scrutiny is whether it is really bin Laden and whether the tape is old or new, according to the sources.

A transcript of the tape, obtained by CNN, shows that it contains no overt threats toward the United States. Some date references, including a mention of the Democrats gaining the majority in Congress, may indicate the tape is new.

“One should pause, think and reflect,” the speaker says, according to the transcript. “Why have the Democrats failed to stop this war, despite them being the majority?”

The answer to that question, he later says, is “the same reasons which led to the failure of former President Kennedy to stop the Vietnam War. Those with with real power and influence are those with the most capital. And since the democratic system permits major corporations to back candidates, be they presidential or congressional, there shouldn’t be any cause for astonishment — and there isn’t any — in the Democrats’ failure to stop the war.” Watch segment of reported bin Laden tape �

The transcript also shows bin Laden blaming global warming on large corporations.

“The life of all mankind is in danger because of the global warming resulting to a large degree from the emissions of the factories the major corporations,” it says.

“And despite this brazen attack on the people [referring to global warming], the leaders of the West — especially Bush, Blair, Sarkozy and Brown — still talk about freedom and human rights with a flagrant disregard for the intellects of humans?”

The reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggests that the tape was done this summer.

In the transcript, bin Laden urges conversion to Islam.

“To conclude, I invite you to embrace Islam, for the greatest mistake one can make in the world and one that is uncorrectable is to die while not surrendering to Allah, the Most High, in all aspects of one’s life — i.e., to die outside of Islam,” the transcript says.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Friday would not confirm that a new tape had been received, saying only that the United States follows a standard procedure to analyze any tapes it receives.

“We review it for authenticity, we review it to see when we think it was made, if it’s a single tape or a compilation of outtakes. We look to see if there are overt messages or hidden messages,” he said.

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However, Chertoff told CNN’s Jeanne Meserve, “I do think the tape — if there is a tape — is tied to an anniversary.”

He said it was not unusual for al Qaeda to release tapes near the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Tuesday will mark six years since the al Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Chertoff said no special alert was in the works.

He said only that the United States had scored “a win for the good guys” with recent arrests of terror suspects in Germany and Denmark, adding that the suspects had posed no direct threat to the United States.

On Thursday, al Qaeda’s media production company touted the imminent release of a video from bin Laden with a banner ad on Islamist Web sites.

“Soon, God willing, video message by the Lion Sheik Osama bin Laden, may God protect him,” the banner ad says in Arabic script, as translated by CNN’s senior editor for Arab affairs Octavia Nasr.

Officials had no “credible information” about any imminent threat to the United States, Russ Knocke, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, said Thursday.

But he reiterated the department’s stance that “we are in a period of increased risk.”

“The National Intelligence Estimate cited increases in activity overseas, and we’re mindful of the recent arrests in Europe,” he said. “There has also been an uptick in propaganda tapes and messages coming from al Qaeda and affiliated networks over the past year.”

A videotape from al Qaeda would be nothing more than propaganda, said National Security Adviser Fran Townsend, speaking on CNN’s “The Situation Room.”

But she stopped short of calling for the media to ignore the tape.

“I just think people have got to be clear that we’re being manipulated every time that they issue a statement, because they’re trying to use the media as a way to terrorize us,” she said. “After all, we haven’t seen an attack, and this is one way that they try to terrorize the American people.”

The ad included a photograph of bin Laden with a black beard, although it was most recently seen streaked with gray.

It was not clear how old the photograph was.

One U.S. official said a bin Laden videotape would be eagerly anticipated since he has not been seen in almost three years.

The official said the intelligence community would be very interested in the timeliness of the message — whether bin Laden mentions current events, for example, or some other clue to indicate when the tape was produced — and whether it offers new leads to his whereabouts.

Bin Laden’s last video appearance came days before the 2004 presidential vote and was widely credited with giving a boost to President Bush’s re-election campaign.

In that tape, bin Laden said he decided in 1982 to attack the twin towers of the World Trade Center after the invasion of Lebanon by Israel, which he claimed was backed by the U.S. Navy.

Although the United States launched the war in Afghanistan to find bin Laden and to deny al Qaeda a haven with the Taliban, which then controlled the country, he has eluded capture.

Officials have said bin Laden may be hiding in the mountainous tribal areas of Afghanistan or Pakistan. But a military official recently said there has been no good lead on his location since about 2005.

Where are your high-tech manners?

MM — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 21:16:19 +0000

(CNN) — Just because you live in a high-tech world doesn’t mean your manners can sink to new lows when using your personal technology, experts say.

Some common sense while in the public eye can keep you in the good graces of your fellow gadget consumers.

“No doubt there’ve always been stinkers from the start of time,” says Honore Ervin, co-author of “The Etiquette Grrls: Things You Need to Be Told” and “More Things You Need to Be Told.”

“But all of these mobile, technological gadgets that are so prevalent now — somehow [people] just get sucked into their own little world of their cell phones, iPods, wireless computers. They’re not existing in a society and realizing that their actions affect anyone else.”

A poll last year by Pew Research, The Associated Press and AOL (which, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner) found that 81 percent of the people they surveyed were irritated at least occasionally by loud and annoying cell phones in public places. About one in 10 admitted they were the object of criticism or stares because of their own cell phone use. The poll also revealed about a quarter of respondents felt the need to answer their phone even if it interrupts a meal or a meeting.

And it’s not just cell phones. A 2006 ABC News poll found that nearly three-quarters of those surveyed had observed someone using a phone or e-mailing and text messaging in midconversation. Another survey of 150 senior business executives revealed that about 86 percent check and reply to e-mails on PDAs such as BlackBerries during meetings, but 31 percent said that it was “never OK” to do so, according to Robert Half Management Resources, a specialized staffing business.

“I don’t know if it’s intentional or not, but I think [personal technology] is a way that makes it easier for people to be rude,” Ervin says. “If you go to a Broadway show and paid $150 a ticket, you don’t want someone talking on their cell phone right behind you.”

This rudeness has deteriorated public spaces, according to Lew Friedland, a communications professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He calls the lack of manners a kind of unconscious rudeness, as many people are not aware of what they’re doing or the others around them.

“People act as if they’re walking through life in a cone of silence in which only they and the other person on the end of the line can hear them,” he says. “They can talk quite loudly, and they can talk about things that people around them don’t really want to hear about.”

“I’m not anti-technology at all,” he says. “But public spaces are important and the quality of the time [you spend there].”

Friedland describes the growing use of personal technology in public spaces as a chain reaction. At first, a few people violate the social norms, but as more and more people violate them, the actions become the new norm.

“That’s what we’re really starting to see now,” he says. “It’s not that people are just being rude in public and ignoring others, but that the norms themselves are starting to tip.”

Visiting a park recently, Friedland observed a woman pulling her child in a wagon while she talked on her cell phone.

“That’s not exactly public rudeness, but it’s a good example of how a norm of being in public — enjoying nature with your child, paying attention to your surroundings — is deteriorating,” he explains. “So it’s a good example of how even intimate interactions can be cut off or deteriorate radically under the influence of this always on, always connected society.”

Friedland says this is particularly true among younger people, “for whom essentially cell phone use in public is just a part of daily life.”

In the Pew study, about 14 percent of people ages 18-29 drew criticism or dirty looks for the way they used their cell phone in public, compared to the 8 percent of respondents of all ages.

If cell phone abuse is an active invasion of other people’s space, other personal technology such as mp3 players, texting devices and Wi-Fi represent what Friedland calls an “active withdrawal from public space.”

“I was having a conversation last night and they were texting while they were talking to me and I’m sitting there, thinking ‘It’s fine if you don’t want to have this conversation, but choose,’ ” he says. “Basic norms of politeness say do one or the other.”

But again, Friedland says, norms are changing, especially among younger users.

“Texting while talking is not experienced by most people as a sign of disrespect or rudeness. It’s just literally normal,” he says. “Young people tolerate a much higher rate of this kind of on and off passive sort of digital withdrawal, in which you’re in and you’re out, quickly jumping in and out of different communication modes and conversations.”

But what’s the proper etiquette for dealing with cell phone faux pas or people who’ve shunned you for their BlackBerry?

Ervin is a firm believer in the low-tech “icy glare,” a shooting daggers-evil eye combo. But, it has mixed success.

“Half the people say ‘Oh, my gosh, I didn’t realize.’ The other half give you an icy glare right back.”

Friedland points to a number of society reactions to combat the bad etiquette. For example, many commuter trains have adopted the idea of “quiet cars,” in which cell phones are banned in those areas.

“I see more and more signs of people, particularly in service industries, with signs taped to their registers: Please don’t use your cell phones while transacting business with us,” he says. “I think it’s another example where people in those industries feel like it’s a sign of disrespect and it’s becoming more common.”

While businesses and society institute these measures to combat the high-tech gadget abuse, the bad behavior will probably remain, Friedland says.

“People who do care about preserving those norms are probably feeling it’s a losing proposition,” he says. “I don’t see it being reversed at this point.”

copyrights cnn.com

GANDHI PARK to star Hollywood and Bollywood stars

MM — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:41:17 +0000

Gandhi Park to star Brandon Sommers, Anupam Kher, Sneha Ullal & others——————————————————————————–
By Businessofcinema.com Team

MUMBAI: Actor - producer Tom George Kolath, winner of the ‘Best Feature National Award’ and the ‘Indian Panorama Award’ in 2004 for Malayalam film Akale - At a distance, is all set to foray into Hollywood with his directorial debut Gandhi Park.

The movie, which will be produced by Dr. Anil Paulose under the banner of Amerasia Pictures Corp., stars Anupam Kher, Sneha Ullal, Brandon Sommers, Shreya Nandakumar, Vikas Kalantri, Krishna Mohan and Sush Nayar.

“It is a contemporary, cross-cultural romantic comedy. At heart it is a love story that deals with the realities when an Indian girl played by Sneha Ullal and an American boy - Brandon Sommers - fall in love, the family tension, the inherent conflict of cultures, the pressures of going against strict family traditions. It is a story of every Indian and unlike many crossover films that subscribe to cultural stereotypes; it will bring Indian values and traditions to the limelight,” says Tom George Kolath.

He further adds, “I believe that a directorial endeavor is nothing but hard work coupled with confidence, perseverance and common sense. A director must have a vision of every aspect of his creation. I define vision as ‘the art of seeing things that don’t exist.’ A director has to be able to visualize cinema from beginning to end by simply reading a screenplay. Many crossover movies focus, unfairly at times, on the poverty, slums and negative aspects of India. I want to change that with Gandhi Park, where the focus will be on our rich culture, traditional values and the fact that winning the heart of an Indian girl means more than just wooing her. It means winning the hearts of her family too. I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot but rest assured that it would be a movie worth family entertainment with romance and comedy peppered in.”

“I don’t believe in quantity but quality of my movies. If I can make one great movie that captures the hearts and minds of millions, then I can say I have succeeded in what I wanted to achieve. I am well aware that making inroads into Hollywood can be uphill and fraught with competition. Being of Indian origin tilts the scale against me a bit because there is a stereotype built into that idea. That sometimes makes it more difficult to reach mainstream cinema and viewers. I would not dream of erasing my heritage and values for any commercial aspirations, on the contrary, I want to bring those very heritage and values to international attention by making a movie based on those,” Kolath adds.

The shooting will kickstart soon with its first schedule in Goa followed by a 70-day schedule in New York.

Diana: No murder, no pregnancy

MM — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:43:34 +0000

Diana: No murder, no pregnancy

POSTED: 8:31 a.m. EST, December 14, 2006
Story Highlights NEW: Princess Diana’s death was a tragic accident says inquiry
- No conspiracy to murder says inquiry chief Lord Stevens
- She was not pregnant or engaged or planning to be engaged, Stevens says
- Mohamed al Fayed says he is “only person to know the truth”
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LONDON, England (CNN) — Claims that Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed were murdered were unfounded, the official Scotland Yard inquiry said Thursday.

Lord Stevens, who headed the inquiry, told a news conference that Diana was not pregnant at the time of the crash. Nor was she engaged or about to get engaged to Fayed.

There is nothing to justify further inquiry with members of the British royal family, Stevens, the former head of Scotland Yard, told reporters in London.

The long-running British police inquiry, seeking to bury almost a decade of conspiracy theories, on Thursday ruled that the princess died in a tragic car accident. (Report overview — 89KB PDF)

“I’m satisfied that no attempt has been made to hold back information and we are confident that the allegations made are unfounded,” former Scotland Yard chief Stevens said after a three-year probe into Diana’s death in a Paris road tunnel in August 1997.

“On the evidence available now, there was no conspiracy to murder any of the occupants of that car. This was a tragic accident,” Stevens told reporters.

Diana, 36, and 42-year-old Fayed were killed when their Mercedes crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in the early hours of August 31, 1997.

The couple had been pursued by paparazzi photographers after leaving the Ritz Hotel for Fayed’s apartment.

They were killed along with chauffeur Henri Paul. Paul was drunk and driving at twice the speed limit before the crash, Stevens said.

Stevens noted allegations by Fayed’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, the couple was killed as a result of a conspiracy by the establishment, including Prince Philip and British intelligence agencies.

Stevens added that photographers had prompted Diana and Fayed to change travel plans before their death.

Diana’s death unleashed a string of conspiracy theories that British spies or even her ex-husband, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, had plotted the accident because the couple’s relationship was embarrassing the royal household.

The top-level police investigation was ordered by former Royal Coroner Michael Burgess in January 2004 when he opened a British inquest into Diana’s death.

Stevens told how he had interviewed Prince Charles for several hours as part of his inquiry which he said aims to draw a line under the issue.

Earlier British media reports said that Princes William and Harry were “deeply upset” at the behavior of the paparazzi as their mother Princess Diana lay dying.

The brothers were briefed in advance on the outcome of Stevens’ investigation.

William, 24, and 22-year-old Harry were described as “distressed and angry” after learning in full of the photographers’ behavior after the 1997 crash.

French paparazzi took pictures of their mother as she lay fatally wounded in the wrecked Mercedes at the scene as emergency workers battled to save her.

A source told the UK’s Press Association: “They feel very strongly about it and it has upset them.”

The princes’ distress has been heightened by the attention their girlfriends Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy have faced in recent times.

In 1999, the French investigation formally cleared nine photographers and a press motorcyclist of manslaughter charges.

In February this year, three photographers were convicted of breaching France’s privacy laws for taking pictures of Diana and Fayed on the night they died.

A symbolic fine of one euro (70p) was imposed on Jacques Langevin, Fabrice Chassery and Christian Martinez at the end of the long-running legal case.

Fayed’s father insisted he would not accept what he called the “shocking” police inquiry.

Mohamed al Fayed called himself “the only person who knows the truth” about the death of Diana and his son.

Al Fayed, who owns London’s famous Harrods department store, told the BBC: “How can I accept something really shocking? “I know deep in my heart that I’m the only person who knows the truth.”

Stevens said in January that his investigation was “far more complex than any of us thought.” He did not specify what he meant.

The British inquiry, which involved 15 police personnel and is estimated to have cost millions of dollars, used cutting-edge computer technology to reconstruct the crash scene in three dimensions, and examined the wrecked Mercedes in painstaking detail.

Stevens said U.S. officials had assured him that secretly recorded conversations in their possession shed no new light on her death.

The U.S. National Security Agency said Tuesday it had never targeted Diana’s communications, but acknowledged it had 39 classified documents containing references to the princess.

The publication of Stevens’ report will allow an inquest into Diana’s death finally to get under way.

The inquest is due to formally resume next year under a new coroner, retired senior judge, Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss. Preliminary hearings will be held January 8-9 at London’s Royal Courts of Justice.

Across Cultures (Gandhi Park)

MM — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:29:33 +0000

Online edition of India’s National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 03, 2006

——————————————————————————–

Magazine

Across cultures

PREMA MANMADHAN

A crossover film in which culture is villain? Tom George Kolath on the making of “Gandhi Park”.

——————————————————————————–
I would call it a cross-cultural movie in which Indians settled in alien climes still long for tradition ...
——————————————————————————–

True story: “Gandhi Park” is about cultural shifts.

THE “Gandhigiri” in “Lage Raho Munnabhai” clicked and how! Now “Gandhi Park” in downtown New York seeks its place in the sun. “Gandhi Park”, directed by Tom George Kolath, is Amerasia Production’s crossover movie. Upcoming Hollywood actor Brandon Sommers, Bollywood star Anupam Kher and Sneha Ullal play leading roles in the film. The movie’s Indian portion was in Goa and Delhi. “Now we have to shoot the rest in the snow in New York,” says Kolath, who plans to complete it in April.

Kolath’s maiden directorial venture in feature films is a true story, he says. Kolath earlier directed a children’s movie “Lessons” and also did a remix video - a desi version of “Dance With My Father”, Luther Vandross’s Grammy award winning song. He also produced the award-winning “Akale”, directed by Shyamaprasad, which was based on Tennessee Williams’ “Glass Menagerie”. The film won the best Feature National Award and the Indian Panorama Award in 2004.

“Gandhi Park” is about cultural shifts. “I hate it when people ask me if it’s a crossover movie. I would call it a cross-cultural movie in which Indians settled in alien climes still long for tradition, while the new generation longs to go after their hearts. Actually the villain in the movie is culture,” he says.

Kolath’s leap to Hollywood is not incidental. He is a chartered accountant settled in the U.S., but spends 10 months in his native Palakkad. “I do business through videophone. I have about 400 clients. But this is what my parents wanted me to do; filmmaking is what I want to do,” Kolath explains.

The storyline

“Gandhi Park’s” screenplay writer is David Linter who did “Iguana” and “Dancing at the Blue”. The cinematographer is Alagappan. Aishwarya Rai was the first choice for “Gandhi Park” but Ash look-alike Sneha Ullal was later cast in the role of Priyanka, an Indian girl in New York. She is set to marry the man her parents have chosen but her heart lies with Brandon Sommers. The Goa leg of the shooting was in St Mary’s Church at Madgaon. Getting permission to shoot in a church caused a lot of problems; he could not get permission anywhere in Kerala.

Leaving nothing to chance, Kolath is working on the pre-release blitz too. He plans to bring out a book on the “Making of Gandhi Park”, which will have details of its filming and “maybe a promotional letter” by Manoj Night Shyamalan.

The shooting for the film was Brandon Sommers’ first visit to India. ” I thought India was good only for ayurvedic treatment, and a great place for a vacation with very little money. But I never knew how big the Indian film industry was. I bet it’s not going to be my last visit. I carry home a lot of good memories,” he says.

Tom George Kolath's new Hollywood Venture

MM — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:21:10 +0000

Tom George Kolath to direct a Hollywood Movie, ‘GANDHI PARK’

Actor/Producer Tom George Kolath is ready to start his new venture as the Director of a Hollywood/Bollywood movie named ‘GANDHI PARK’. He was the winner of the most Prestigious National Award of India in 2004 for his movie ‘Akale’ that he produced and acted in as a key character Freddy. Tom has also directed/produced a few music albums, one of which recently won an award . He is a well established businessman in New York who travels back and forth to India.

‘Gandhi Park’ is a cross-cultural romantic comedy, where an Indian girl raised in New York falls in love with a typical American boy, against strict family traditions. The movie has finished the first part of shoot in India and will continue it’s shoot in New York and will be ready for release in 35 countries by Summer, 2007.

Gandhi Park is produced by Amerasia Pictures Corp. with co-producer Dr. Anil Paulose. The story is written by David Linter and Tom. Also starring is Brandon Sommers (Hollywood), Luan Bexheti, Bobby Pataki, Jason Verga, and Sneha Ullal, Anupam Kher (Bend it like Beckam) , Sush Nayar, Vikas Kalantri and others from Bollywood. Shreya Nandakumar (Ohio) will be acting as the best friend of the heroine. Ted Wallach from New York, is the Assistant Director, along with Wilson Kavilpad and Radeesh K. Nair. Alagappan and Jithu, Palghat are the cinematographers.

The Press Meet for Gandhi Park was on Sep 18, 2006 at Mumbai with a grand Inaugural function where all the stars & crew participated and socialized.

Director: Tom George Kolath

Asst. Director: Ted Wallach

Writer: David Linter

Producer: Dr. Anil Paulose

Executive Producer: Mathai George Kolath

Visit Tom’s site

www.tomgeorgekolath.com

www.Gandhipark.com

www.imdb.com/name/nm1643039

� MM 2006

Gandhi Park Press Meet and Inauguration

MM — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:37:53 +0000

Gandhi Park Press Meet

The Press Meet and Inauguration of GANDHI PARK was on Sep 18, 2006, where all the stars & crew participated and socialised.

Tom George

MM — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:12:00 +0000

By: MM

Tom George Kolath to direct a Hollywood Movie, ‘GANDHI PARK’

Gandhi Park is produced by Tom’s company Amerasia Pictures Corp. with co-producer Dr. Anil Paulose . The story is written by David Linter and Tom. Also starring is Brandon Sommers (Hollywood), Luan Bexheti, Bobby Pataki, Jason Verga, and Sneha Ullal, Anupam Kher (Bend it like Beckam) , Sush Nayar, Vikas Kalantri and others from Bollywood. Shreya Nandakumar (Troy, Ohio) will be acting as the best friend of the heroine . Ted Wallach from New York, will be assisting Tom with the direction.