Established in 2008
SERVING YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
VOL: 2 ISSUE 54
‘Moon walk’ into dreadful shadowspopularity like never
America’s most
f a m o u s s i d e s h o w,
Michael Jackson, was
born a ‘normal’ cute
African-American kid.
He played locally with his
brothers; famously
known as the ‘Jackson
5’and within no time
climbed the stairway to
success. The endearing
lad went solo at thirteen
and had his first single hit
at fourteen with ‘Ben’, a
touching love on a
rat. Who could
h a v e e v e r
anticipated that
the pop idol would
get so obsessed
with plastic
surgeries, face
accusations of
child molestation
and end up in a
financial mess?
S o
obsessed he
became with a
white, nearly
feminine look, that
he forgot where to
put the full stop.
On and on he
went, without
resting, reveling in
his wrecked ‘white
woman look’. At
first, the ‘Big Nose’
( a n a m e
christened by his
father) got his nose
slightly narrowed and his
eyebrows shaped to
perfection. He was cute
as hell, though. He gave
commonsensical
interviews, had a funny
sense of humour and
was seen on screens
doing things other than
whining, faking tears and
defending legal charges.
He was a humble man
grateful for his fame and
fans’ admiration.
Celebrating musical
Reaches
55,000
households
every week
King of Pop` Michael Jackson no more
before, he sealed
obscenely huge record
sales and contracts.
There was no one who
wasn’t impressed and
didn’t sprain an ankle
imitating Jacko’s ‘Moon
Walk’ style of dancing. He
was the brand king,
‘Pepsi man’ and a
prodigy.
Whatever happened to
all that?
Jacko’s physical
appearance changed
drastically, all he was into
a designer face with a
razor thin nose and then
a permanent eyeliner
tattooed around his eyes.
He had an army of spin-
doctors, lawyers,
bodyguards, attendants
and managers making
sure that no one had any
clue about Michael’s
personal life.
So what was all this for?
Certainly not stardom, he
To Advertise Call
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90947 99006
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was a rock star already, an obsession with plastic his infamous obsession
for children: Through the
ruling the hearts of surgery and wanted to
change from a black man magic of television, we
millions and living the life
to a ‘white woman’. have learnt a lot more
of a king. From one look
Well, what can we say, about the bizarre world of
to another, Jackson’s
the man religiously the entertainer. What’s
unstoppable attempt of
followed the practice of weird is that he believed
meeting the right shade
going under the knife that there is nothing
of perfection, the ‘white’
umpteen number of wrong with him and that
shade, certainly looked
times. And, we are rather he has only had two
l i k e i n s a n i t y. H i s
good at guessing the cosmetic surgeries. But,
psychosis had no
reason. The once can we trust him when he
bounds - the black Jack
musical legend Michael claimed that he ‘sleeps’
was tumbling down all
Jackson was a man with with children but the
the time. Perhaps, it was
low popularity and sleepovers were never
merely an
triviality. sexual?
attempt to be a
part of a ‘racially Now, something about
Contd. on page 3
superior gang’.
The nip and tuck
continued until
he realised that
the right shade
wasn’t white
afterall.
J a c k o ’ s
unnecessary
and seemingly
n o n - s t o p
alterations had
passed into the
realm of ‘self-
mutilation’ and
then when the
shocking news
o f c h i l d
molestation
charges came to
light, the ‘Pepsi
man’ was no
more the brand
icon.
D r M a n g ,
Jacko’s cosmetic
surgeon once shared a
few details with the
media about Michael’s
putrid nose as he tried
numerous operations on
it. He is certainly the one
to be sued for
malpractice. He took a
slice of cartilage from
Michael’s ear and
slapped it on his nose (if
the original really
existed). However, Mang
stated that Michael had
 Page 2 Alpha Times June 28, 2009

To Grieve or
not to Grieve! Stars this week
It is imperative that each soul that has taken
VOL: 2 ISSUE 54 June 28, 2009 birth on this earth as a human being or any other
species continue its journey upon death after its time is For the week June 28-July 04, 2009
up. No one can escape from the clutches of death
Boosting higher education when the time comes. Death is a difficult subject and
AN all-encompassing higher education very hard for us to deal with. People rather attach their
authority for the nation is the need of the hour. mind to something else and try to shift their focus away A forceful Mars presents many opportunities.
Consequently, the report of the Committee to Advise from this unchanging principle of nature. Only when There is a danger you may be left behind.
on the Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher one sees the reality of death very closely, it dawns on
Education asking the government to set up the the living that all of our time is limited and short on this
National Commission for Higher Education and earth.
Research (NCHER), an advisory body that would be Dealing with
responsible for comprehensive and continuous some-one's loss is a Your stars are compelling you to revive a
reforms in higher education, is very apt. For it to be very difficult and
shelved romance. Your charm can even persuade a
effective, the NCHER should be a C e n t r a l trying for a lot of
statutory body. people. Shri Sai stingy defaulter. Friday is fun day.
The Yashpal Committee, as it is popularly openly lamented at
known, has summed up its findings in a relatively the passing away of
short report that is distinguished by clarity and vision. his beloved devotee
While the best and the brightest among Indian Megha in front of the Your income will increase. If you play your cards
students have always found their place under the villagers to express
sun the world over, there has been an increasing call well, the road is clear. An old friend is eager to reward you.
solidarity and not
for reforms in higher education and disquiet about look in different at
mushrooming deemed universities, and engineering the passing away of
and management colleges that are “mere business Megha. He went
entities dispensing very poor quality education”. about his daily
There is also a sense that the bodies that A financially volatile phase ahead. Handle
rounds after the
should be monitoring educational institutions have funeral was over. Did money with caution. Monday inauspicious for bidding or
not fulfilled their role adequately. The committee was Shri Sai leave his shopping.
told to look into the functioning of bodies like the inner composure
University Grants Commission (UGC), the National and Samadhi state when expressing such outward
Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) and the All- behavior? Absolutely not! The same Sainath told
India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) too. Tatya, upon the death of his mother, that death is an
Instead of focusing on their shortcomings, it has imminent principle and asked him to show one home in The Geminian Sun sighted by Jupiter will make
recommended that they be subsumed under the new the entire world where there has been no death. Shri you ambitious and assertive. You will achieve
organisation. However, it clarifies that the “NCHER Sai used different ways and means to communicate
has not been visualised as a Czar, and should unparalleled laurels.
with his devotees as circumstances demanded. But in
function while respecting the autonomy of
universities”. the end what does HE do at his own passing away? He
Fragmentation of academic courses has asks Shri Shamsuddin Baba to come and do Qawali
come at a cost, and internationally there is much and asks Shri Das Ganu to come and sing bhajans at
stress on inter-disciplinary research and teaching. his Samadhi. So there was Qawali and bhajans, Jubilant travel will make you move more than
The committee opines that “great universities in the followed by regular arathis and pooja as though he was usual. A holiday may rejuvenate you. You’ll meet
world ... would not be great if they could not still sitting there upon his attainment of mahasamadhi. exceptional people and get benefits.
accommodate people from many other disciplines. Saints recognize that departure of soul from
Put together, all the disciplines breed value into each this body is liberation rather than death. The soul
other”. Reforms in the system of education in India entrapped in this body and shrouded with Senses and
are long overdue and it is heartening that the Minister pulled by the ever dominating Maya is always looking
for Human Resource Development, Mr Kapil Sibal, for an escape. For spiritually advanced souls, this A romance may bring delight in your listless
has set for himself a 100-day deadline for passing to the other side calls for a celebration! For us life. Be informal with friends to get goodwill. Avoid
implementing the recommendations. After a long mortals who fear death, it makes us so unprepared that disgruntled people on Friday.
hiatus, there is now a new direction that gives hope to when someone close to us dies, it shatters our lives,
the education sector, which sorely needed such pro- faith and much more. On the occasion of this Baba's
active action. Mahasamadhi, we can all take a lesson from Shri Sai's
life on how to deal with death in our own lives and the
Sravanam concerts lives of our loved ones. Despite being easygoing, you will lose temper
over trifles. Be polite and calm. It could win over your
Sravanam concerts at the TTD Information
critics also.
Centre, T. Nagar. will be held as per the following
schedule Veeravanallur
June 28, 6 p.m ., S. M. Vilasini. June 29, 6
p.m ., K. Lakshmi. July 1, 6 p.m ., Vidya Bharathi. Samvatsarabhishekam
Retrograde Jupiter and Neptune advise
The samvat- minimum of Rs.4 lakh, the
Special pooja sarabhishekam of
Veeravanallur Sri Vina-
interest from which would
help in the upkeep of the
caution. Acting first and thinking later may cause a
showdown. Thursday is a trying day.
Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Baktha yagar Sri Subramanya temple.
Jana Trust 18/9, 1st Street, Kamatchipuram, West Swami Temple, Nida- An amount of
Mambalam has organised a special pooja at 9 am on mangalam, Tiruvarur Rs.3,000 is needed for
Saturday July 4 as part of Anusham nakshathiram of District, will be celebrat- the monthly wages of the
Maha Periyaval. There will be go-pooja, avahanthi Despite a cumbersome activity, you will pursue
ed on June 29. The temple priest, watchman,
homam, Sri Suktha homam and Suvasini pooja at 9 events begin with Sri cleaner, and for electricity excellence. Charge your batteries if feeling choked.
am. The statue of Maha Periyaval will be taken in Maha Ganapathi homam and other everyday
procession along Kuppaiah Street, Easwaran Koil at 7.30 a.m. At 9 a.m. expenses for which
Street and other streets. For details dial 2371 1971. abishekam for the deities contributions are
Gayathri homan in Sankaramadam will take place.
Kalasabishekam,
welcome under the
Nithya Puja Kattalai
Gayathri homam will be performed at 9 am deeparadhanai and Scheme.
and poornahuthi at 12 noon on Sunday, June 28 in annadhanam follow Devotees may Fickle stars control economy. You’ll juggle
Sankara Madam, Easwaran Koil Street, West (11.30 a.m.) make donations as funds from one source to enrich the other. This will beat
Mambalam. Prasadam will be distributed. All are Poor farmers cheque or DD payable to those who have let you down.
welcome. and potters inhabit the VSSBJ Sabha Trust, and
village of Veeravanallur. s e n d t h e m t o
Samvathsarabhishekam at Vinayakar Temple Hence the temple faces
paucity of funds to
R.Mahalingam, Flat No.5,
First Floor, Mahalakshmi
Samvathsarabhishekam will be conducted maintain the daily Flats, Stage 1, New No. 3,
activities of the temple. Lakshmi St., West Life will be better. Those around you will hold
at the Sri Pushpa Vinayagar Temple located at Jubilee
Road West Mambalam, Chennai on July 1. A host of The Corpus Fund Mambalam, Chennai- you in high esteem. Relations with youngsters may sour
Poojas and abhishekams are slated to be held on that Scheme set up for the 600 033. (Ph: 044- but sweet talk could help.
day from 6.00 am onwards. All are welcome. purpose requires a 43512849). - Dr. Anuj Vikram Sharma
 June 28, 2009
Science Lectures
Prof B.Viswanathan, Dept of Chemistry, IIT
will give a talk on " What, why and how of Nano
technology"“ at the Children’s Club on Sunday June
28 at 10 a.m. Students of Stds X, XI and XII and the
interested public are welcome to attend. For emore
information call 28474140
Muthiah Bhaghavathar's
Day celebrations
Narada Gana
Sabha observes
Muthaiah Bhagavatar
Day by organising a
multimedia presentation
and lecture by V. Sriram
at 5.30 p.m. followed by
Screening of a “video film
A video film in Tamil on "Sri Ramakrishnarin
Deiveega Dharisanangal” will be screened at 5.30 pm
on Sunday June 28 at the Vivekananda Hall of the
Ashrama premises located at 3 Maharajapuram
Santhanam Salai, T Nagar. All are welcome
Southern Railway specials
to clear extra rush of passengers
S o u t h e r n
Railway will run the
following special trains
between Chennai
Egmore and Nagercoil,
Chennai Egmore and
Madurai/Sengottai, as
well as from Nagercoil to
Mangalore Central to
clear the extra rush of
passengers.
Weekly special
train No. 0637 will run
throughout July. It will
leave Chennai Egmore at
8:25 p.m. on Thursdays
and reach Nagercoil at
10:50 a.m. the next day.
In the return direction, the
train No. 0638 will leave
Nagercoil at 1:30 p.m. on
Fridays and arrive at
Chennai Egmore at 4:15
a.m. the next day.
Weekly special
train No. 0639 will run
from June 29 till the end
of July, leaving Chennai
Egmore at 6:40 p.m. on
Mondays and reaching
Contd. from page1
‘Moon walk’ into dreadful...
The scandalous
pictures of Jackson
dangling his baby over a
railing disturbed all who
saw them. Talent aside,
Michael Jackson’s
fascination with young
children was nothing
short of sick and he was
perhaps nothing more
than a wealthy
pedophile. So, did
Jackson use all his
wealth to buy off victims
of his crimes?
It’s much too
expensive to buy the
silence of angry parents
and to keep off the
the vocal recital of
Mambalam Sisters, on
June 30, at the Sabha’s
Mini Hall. The concert will
feature exclusive
compositions of Muthiah
Bhagavathar.
Nagercoil at 8:15 a.m.
the next day. In the return
direction, the train No.
0640 will run from June
30 till the end of July,
leaving Nagercoil at 1:30
p.m. on Tuesdays and
arriving at Chennai
Egmore at 4:15 a.m. the
next day.
Weekly special
train No. 0651 will be
operated from June 30 till
the end of July, leaving
Chennai Egmore at 3:40
p.m. on Tuesdays and
reaching Nagercoil at
5:30 a.m. the next day. In
the return direction, the
train No. 0652 will run
from June 29 till the end
of July, leaving Nagercoil
at 7:40 p.m. on Mondays
and arriving at Chennai
Egmore at 10:30 a.m. the
next day.
Weekly special
train No. 0609 will run
throughout July till
August 1, leaving xt day.
paparazzi, which was
constantly on his trail.
His depraved acts can
perhaps only be carried
off well in his Neverland
Ranch, that’s his domain.
So, does everyone
residing there wear just
one glove; alter their
appearances to look like
a woman, which makes
Jackson appear more
like a child molester than
just an innocent friend of
children? Nevertheless,
the looming foreclosure
of Neverland Ranch was
also big news.
A n d , t h e r e ’s
indeed a lot more to
Alpha Times
Spoken English classes
A new batch of
“Basic Level Of Spoken
English Course” will
commence from
Wednesday July 01. The
course is meant for
college students, job-
seekers and employees.
Only 30 students will be
admitted on first
come,first serve basis.
Excellent training will be
given by dedicated and
qualified faculty in:
Usage of questions,
vocabulary building,
practical use of tenses,
situational and functional
English, grammer usage
etc.
The class
timings are 7.20am to
9.15am; duration: weekly
3 classes on Monday-
Wednesday-Friday. And
the duration is 36
Chennai Egmore at 8:25
p.m. on Saturdays and
reaching Sengottai (via
Madurai) at 9:45 a.m. the
next day. In the return
direction, the train No.
0610 will run throughout
July till August 2, leaving
Sengottai at 2:30 p.m. on
Sundays and arriving at
Chennai Egmore at 4:15
a.m. the next day.
Weekly special
train No. 0661 will run
throughout July, leaving
Nagercoil at 1:30 p.m. on
Sundays and reaching
Mangalore Central at
5:45 a.m. the next day. In
the return direction, the
train No. 0662 will leave
Mangalore Central at
1:30 p.m. on Mondays
and arrive at Nagercoil at
4:40 a.m. the next day.
A d v a n c e
r e s e r v a t i o n s
commenced on June 25,
according to a Southern
Railway release.
Michael Jackson and his
Neverland Ranch. The
news was that Jacko
might be entering
bankruptcy. This is really
very odd as he was by
now amassed huge
chattels that can possibly
be enough for his future
generations. The pop
sensation, who once
ruled the hearts of
millions was also a brand
king, he owned a 50
percent stake in
S o n y / AT V M u s i c
Publishing, including the
Beatles catalog, which
has an estimated value
of USD 600 million.
Page 3
classses. The course
fee: is Rs. 800/- only
(inclusive of tution fee,
course material and
library fee).
Last date for
registration: June 30.
Application and
Prospectus are available
in the Ashrama library for
Rs. 25/- only. For more
information contact Sri Daily Trip to
Ramakrishna Mission Thirupathi
A s h r a m a , 3
Maharajapuram
Santhanam Salai, T
Nagar.
Father's day
health
check up
Lister Metro-
polis, India’s leading
GNB centenary
multinational chain of
diagnostic centres, is celebrations
organising special health The Indian Fine P o o r n i m a
check-up camp pan India
for men. Launched on
Arts Society in
association with the GNB
Krishnan’s vocal recital will
be at 5 p.m. with Villivakkam
Father’s Day, this special Centenary Celebrations Raghuraman on the violin
check-up camp includes Committee has and Manikudi S.
health check-up organised a couple of Chandrasekaran on the
packages for men at a programmes as part of mridangam. This will be
special discount, till July the GNB Centenary followed by a talk on ‘Sri
10. In Chennai, this Celebrations to be held GNB,’ by R. Krishnaswamy,
service is available in 10 under the auspices of the secretary, Narada Gana
Metropolis Health
Nungambakkam Cultural Sabha at 6.30 p.m. and Dr.
Services centres.
Academy on June 28 at Narmadha’s violin recital at 7
F o r m o r e
details, call 9789996690. Ramarao Kala Mantap, p.m.
111, Habibullah Road, T. For details dial
Applications Nagar. 2815 4360.
invited
BVSN Murthy
Center a wing of Public
Health Center, Lake View
Road, West Mambalam
is inviting applications for
admission of special
children upto 15 years.
Admission will
be on first come, first
served basis. Students
are trained in making
chalk pieces, candles,
‘Computer sambrani’
files, envelopes, greeting
cards, gift bags, jute bags
and other products. The
courses are conducted
free.
2485 2011.
For details call
Free yoga
classes
Universal World
Peace Divine Empire will
conduct free yoga and
meditation classes for a
new batch of beginners
women from 9.45 am to
10.45 am on Mondays
and Tuesdays from July
6.
For details
contact - at 3rd Floor, Send your news and events to
Kumar ’s Suja, 5,
Kamalabai Street,
T.Nagar Ph: 2480 2607/
2815 1859.
newsalphatimes@gmail.com
 Page 4 Alpha Times June 28, 2009

METRO ADS

ECA inaugurated at
SRM Nightingale
S R M importance of creative
T.Nagar Humour club Celebrates Nightingale MHSS
celebrated the ECA
thinking as the world is
always waiting with open
Inaugural function for the
its first Anniversary academic year: 2009-
hearts to receive
innovative things. She
2010 last Saturday The concluded with the
T . N a g a r meetings. He told the residents of T.Nagar chief guest for the sayings of Mahatma
Humour club, T.Nagar, reporters that humour is and Mambalam. He occasion was Mrs. Gandhi The future
celebrated its first essential for reducing appealed to residents
anniversary on Sunday, and businessmen in
T.Nagar and Mambalam
to participate in large
numbers in future
meetings.
Mr.R.V. Ramani, Advisor
and Mr. R. Kumar,
treasurer also to pursue it no matter if there
participated. Mr. N. is no appreciation from
Saravanan, Secretary anyone.
proposed vote of thanks. This was followed
Membership is by variety entertainment. The
open to all the school choir with P.V. Arjun on
subscription for the Mridangam and S.R.
subscription for life Subashini on Violin gave a
membership is Rs. musical treat. The dance
the June 21. The popular stress. The basic idea of performance by o SRM
comedian Adede starting the club was to 1000/- and annual A n u r a d h a depends on what we do Dance troupe with our tri
Manohar was the chief give relief from stress for subscription is Rs. 100/-. Krishnamoorthy the in the present. colour was enthralling. They
guest on the occasion. Vocalist and T.V. Artist. Chief guest displayed Bharathanatiyam,
He shared his humorous T h e distributed the certificate Kathak, Kuchipudi and Goan
thoughts to the audience Graduation ceremony programme started with
an invocation and the
of appreciation to the
Cultural Award winners
dance movements within a
short span. T B. Williams of
which extensively lighting of Kuttuvillakku. who are given 25% fee Class V exhibited his
covered his own ECA Co-ordinator Mrs. concession. Karate excellence in drums. The
personal life. The Usha Kannan introduced students received perofrmace of the students
participants shared their the Chief guest to the certificates who qualified left the audience spell bound.
jokes and all those who gathering. Principal Mrs. for black belt. Earlier vice-
participated in the joke Shanthi Sukumar read Mrs. Anuradha principal Mrs. Jayanthi
session were given gifts. the ECA report for the in her address said that Jaganathan welcomed the
M r . S . V. year: 2008-09. the childhood is the right gathering. ECA coordinators
Ramaswamy Founder- Mrs. Shanthi time to explore oneself and other school officals were
Sukumar stressed the and to find out the talent present on the occasion.
President of the club that is latent in them and
informed that the club
started in June 2008
conducted its monthly
Talent recognised
meetings throughout the The World is always ready to receive talent with open arms. SRM Nightingale
year on the third Sunday MHSS West Mambalam, strongly believes in the holistic development of an individual.
of every month at the The students are provided with various opportunities to develop their skills in culturals
Stenographer’s Guild and sports activities which have become an integral part of students life.
The extra curricular activities that are focussed are Yoga, Karate
premises. The club was Music,Spoken English, Dance, Drawing etc., are taught to students from Std III to VIII.
inaugurated by Mr. S.Ve. Graduation ceremony of 15th and 16th batch
spoken english course held in the ashrama premises Students are awarded with merit certificates on ECA Validictory function. Apart from
Shekhar and many providing excellence scholarship in Academics, the Valliammai society gives cultural
popular comedians like on Sunday June 21The Chief Guest was Prof Award to talented students. The recipient for the year 2008-2009 are
Delhi Ganesh, Kathadi Ananthan, Retired professor of English, Vivekananda 1. Arjun P.V. - Mrithangam Std X, 2. Sai Prasanth - Table Tennis- Std X, 3.
Ramamoorthy etc College, Mylapore, Chennai. The 15th batch students Azad Al. Faroz M - Karate-= Std X, 4. Gayathri- Yoga-Std IX, 5. Ragul - Sloka- Std V.
participated in the taking the oath
 June 28, 2009 Alpha Times Page 5
Sathyanarayana Temple
Coming in 2011: The Flying Car!
An American
Brahmothsavam gets
and a propeller for flight. been very successful," a v a r i e t y o f
c o m p a n y Ter r a f u g i a
Transition, based near
With its wings folded, it
can be parked in your
Carl Dietrich, co-founder
and CEO of Terrafugia,
circumstances,” company
vice president Richard
underway
Boston, is set to unveil The Brahmothsavam of the Sri
ordinary car garage. told the television Gersh said. Sathyanara
the dual-purpose car- network. Asked whether yanaperum
" We the vehicle will be mass al Temple
have got a produced one day, he W e s t
very good said: "That is certainly a Mambalam
handling possibility, but a number g o t
vehicle and of years away." u n d e r w a y.
our test pilot He said the The daily
said that the vehicle will be able travel procession
flights were on ordinary roads. of the deity
j u s t "Our depositors i s
remarkably represent a wide-cross celebrated
unremarkab section in terms of age, w i t h
le - it just interests, and intended religiious
flies like a use of the vehicle. We fervour. On
really nice, have deposits from both Lord Sathyanarayana on Sesha vahanam at the Saturday
l i t t l e experienced pilots and Sri Sathyanarayana Temple Brahmothsavam
airplane,” he non-pilots who intend to
said. earn their Sport Pilot June 27 Sesha
H e certificate," said the vice Vahanam was
said this president of Terrafugia. taken along the
miracle Set up in 2006, n e s a r b y
cum-plane vehicle called Its initial cost is vehicle will ease Terrafugia is run by streets. this
'The Flying Car' as early expected to be around problems for pilots who trained aeronautical was precedded
as 2011. The two-seater $200,000 (nearly Rs.1 currently face problems engineers and MBAs from by a Goshti
vehicle can let you fly if crore), says the company like weather which the Massachusetts and followed by
you wish to avoid the which has already orders sometimes doesn't allow Institute of Technology vadhyam and
congested city traffic. for 60 vehicles. them to take off or land. (MIT). band group.
If you want to drive on the The CEO of the "This vehicle The devotees The Prabhanda Goshti preceding the deity at the
road, just touch the road. company told Canadian allows a pilot any time, if thronged the Sri Sathyanarayana Temple Brahmothsavam
The vehicle will fold up its TV (CTV) network here the weather changes, to procession.
wings in 30 seconds and that they have divert to the nearest
transform itself into a car. successfully test-flown airport, fold up their
"The Flying "The Flying Car" as many wings and drive safely
Car" can travel up to 725 as 28 times. under the weather."
kilometres in the air at a The tests have "The Transition
speed of more than 115 shown that the vehicle (the name for "The Flying
kilometres per hour. can drive, fly and switch Car" is not designed to
Fuelled by from being a plane to a replace the automobile.
gasoline, it has front car in just 30 seconds. However, it will solve
wheel drive on the road "It (testing) has transportation issues for

Corporation acts to
remove encroachment

Armed with the court order to remove encroachments in the city the T
corporation continued its encroachment drive in T Nagar, the congested
commercial hub of Chennai. Over 100 petty shops that were encroaching the
inner roads of T. Nagar were razed.
The drive lasted for more than two hours and about 50 civic staff and
earthmovers were pressed into service.
Besides Madley road and Usman Road, the encroaching structures in
Rangan street, Mangesh street, Ramanathan street were also removed.
Though tension prevailed in the locality as several shopkeepers
initially opposed the drive as their livelihood would be affected police were
deployed in large numbers to prevent chaos.
 Page 6 Alpha Times June 28, 2009

Cinema
Artists and their art lives forever:
Rahman grieves for Jackson
The "Mozart of of pop music to Ho's chorus,'' he said.
Madras" and India's first unbelievable levels Rahman also
music director to win an through the 80s and 90s,'' quoted Jackson as
Oscar, A R Rahman he said. having told him that the
today described pop star ''I am yet to find latter was bursting with
Michael Jackson as ''one an artist with that energy, energy and every dance
move of his
came from his
soul and
demonstrated
a five second
s t u n n i n g
example. ''It
was like a
lightning
s t r i k e , ' '
R a h m a n
wondered.
Jacks
o n w a s
concerned
of the greatest musicians perfection and vision,'' a b o u t
of our time.'' Reacting to Rahman said in an developmental issues
the death of Jackson, eulogy to Jackson. such as global warming
Rahman said, ''I am Rahman said he and about wars and its
shocked at the untimely met Jackson personally damages to the human
passing away of Michael after the Oscars in Los community, Rahman also
Jackson, one of the Angeles. ''We vibed very recalled.
greatest musicians of well. Jackson told me that ''He asked me
our time.'' ''MJ, for most he loved India and its to compose a unity
of our generation was an people. He said he heard anthem on the likes of
icon who made good things about me ''We are the World '' for
uncompromising music. and he was praising the him. I nodded in awe,''
He pushed the milestone chord progression of Jai Rahman said.
''After hearing
the shocking news I
wished it was another
rumur which would fade
away soon. It took me
time to believe that he is
no more,'' Rahman said.
''Life is short...!
Artists and their art live
forever. Jai Ho, MJ ! We
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 June 28, 2009
How to cut costs ?
If each one of us
does a little bit
individually to stop the
wastage of our precious
natural resources, we
can save our money and
help conserve the
environment
Nowadays we
are all affected by the
high cost of living.
Electricity bills, gas bills,
high costs of fuel, water
and cable charges all
bring a shadow of worry
on our parents’ faces. It
is said that children shall
inherit the earth so let us
join hands to help cut
d o w n e x c e s s
consumption of
electricity, water, fuel
and gas. Each of us has
to take the responsibility
of saving our precious
natural resources and
preserving our planet for
the future generations.
Current conscious
Electricity bills
can be astronomical
during summers but with
a little bit of effort, we can
make a difference.
Turn it off: Do
you leave the lights on
when you walk out of the
room? What about your
television, computer and
stereo system? Can you
see the little red or green
light when they are in
standby mode? That
means they are still
consuming electricity so
always remember to
switch off and unplug all
electric appliances,
especially at night. Do
the same for the
microwave oven and
mobile chargers. Make it
a habit to go round the
house at night and check
each item. Don’t leave
the bathroom light on all
night long. Use a low
watt night light instead.
W a s h i n g
machine: In Chennai ,
we have abundance of
sunlight for most part of
the year. Ask your
mother not to use the
washing machine dryer
for drying out clothes. As
soon as the clothes are
washed, switch off the
washing machine and
hang out the clothes to
dry naturally.
R e d u c e
consumption: Sibling
wars are a perfectly
natural way of life but for
the sake of a noble
cause maybe we can
give peace a chance.
Send your news and events to
newsalphatimes@gmail.com
Instead of studying in
individual rooms and
hence using a lot of
electricity at home, we
can study in one room
and cut down on our use
of air conditioner, electric
bulbs, fans etc.
Use natural
sunlight: During
unfavourable weather
conditions, ask your
parents if you can study
outside in the garden or
the balcony, during
daytime. You will have to
be responsible enough to
avoid distractions and
concentrate solely on
your studies, but by using
sunlight you’ll be saving a
lot of electricity. Even if
you cannot study
outdoors, drag your chair
near the window and use
natural light for reading or
doing homework.
Clean them up:
How often are light bulbs,
tube lights and AC filters
cleaned in your home?
Dust often gathers on
these ignored items.
You’ll be surprised to see
the difference in
brightness once all light
sources are cleaned up.
Wash the air conditioning
filters often. In the
summer, clean the filter at
least twice a month to
keep the air conditioner
from working too hard.
You’ll notice that it works
fine on high thermostat
once the filters are clean.
Use energy savers:
Replace light bulbs with
energy savers. They use
less power than ordinary
bulbs and are ideal as
porch and garden lights.
Don’t waste
cooling: Don’t open the
refrigerator door
unnecessarily. If you
need six-seven things
from the fridge like eggs,
bread, milk, butter etc,
take them out all at once
in a tray and then close
the door. Similarly at night
if you need to put back
leftovers and other items,
place them all near the
fridge and then put them
inside. Don’t leave the
door open while you fetch
one thing at a time from
the kitchen shelf.
Always check
that your windows and
door are closed properly
if the air conditioner is on
otherwise all cooling will
be lost.
- To be continued
Alpha Times
Feature
At the eleventh hour
Aren’t we all
prone to putting off doing
things till the eleventh
hour? So to avoid getting
into trouble because of
procrastination, here are
some sure shot ways of
overcoming this
troublesome habit
Raju “Hey!
Have you completed the
science project?”
Ravi: “Huh?
What project?”
Raju “The one
we were given last
month. It’s due this
Thursday!”
Ravi: “Ohhhh!
That one, I haven’t
touched it yet, but I’ll
complete it before it’s
due.”
Raju “But
when?”
R a v i “ O n
Wednesday night! As if I’ll
have time before that!”
Doesn’t this
sound familiar? Whether
you admit it or not, it
does! We all do this.
Delaying things and not
doing them well before
time. This habit
called ‘procrastination’
and is a universal habit,
especially of students.
Procrastination
is the bad habit of
delaying tasks and things
till the very last moment!
Simple tasks like
preparing for the math
quiz one night before it,
studying for a test just
before it or completing an
assignment an hour
before its due all come
under procrastination.
While procrastination is a
habit which is not only
associated with students
and education, it’s mostly
seen in high school and
college students. Let’s
not deny it, me and my
friends do not get started
on an assignment till the
day before it’s due.
I’m not proud of
this habit. In fact, it is the
w o r s t h a b i t e v e r,
especially when one is in
school and college. You
can never excel at
studies with this habit.
We all know nothing is
impossible so there are
ways to overcome
procrastination too. Here
are some ways to help
you rid of this habit.
T o k i c k
procrastination from your
life and routine, you need
to find out the reason you
put off things. There is no
single reason for
everyone! You might
have a different reason of
delaying things and I
might have a different
one, so until we find out
our respective reasons
we cannot do something
about it.
It’s not very
difficult to find out the
reasons of why we
procrastinate. We might
feel overwhelmed or we
may be just plain and
simple perfectionists. On
the other hand
distractions could be
another reason why
people procrastinate and
if nothing else, one could
be simply very lazy to
take up the task and get
done with it before the
eleventh hour! Whatever
the reason may be, the
fact remains that
procrastination creates a
lot of stress in our daily
lives which can easily be
avoided if we learn to do
things before time. And
the task we complete at
the last moment is never
one of our best works, so
procrastination
deteriorates the quality of
our work too!
Once you have
found out the reason why
you defer things, try to
avoid it. For example, if
your reason for
procrastination is that
you are overwhelmed
about the task, you
should make yourself
calm and relax and
r e a l i s e t h a t t h e r e ’s
n o t h i n g t o b e
overwhelmed about.
Once y o u
are comfortable, you will
be able to do that task
well before time in a
much better way.
S i m i l a r l y, i f
perfection is your
problem then think of it
this way -- unless you
start working on your task
well before time you
won’t be able to complete
it with perfection. Nobody
can make a masterpiece
in one night, it always
requires time and you
need to understand that.
If you are not willing to
give time to a task then
you cannot make it
perfect ever and the only
way is to give more time
to it is to start early.
However, if your
problem is distraction,
you will have to put in a
little effort and a lot of will
power to kick away the
distractions. Yes, that’s
what you have to do —
kick them away! For
example, if the television
is distracting you, change
your location. If music
seems to be disturbing
you during a math
assignment, switch it off.
Think of it like this, it’s not
going anywhere, you can
listen to it once you are
done with the math
assignment.
Students often
delay in studying
something due to
distractions such as
these and then leave end
up with incomplete tasks.
Cell phones are one of
the biggest distractions
I am sorry!
In our everyday
life we often make
mistakes. We may forget
to fulfill a certain promise,
do an assignment rather
badly and end up in
trouble. We may even
offend someone in our
social circle without
actually meaning to do
so. What we ought to do
in such situations which
may remedy for our
mistakes? How to ‘undo’
the harm we have done?
Well… there’s this three-
word solution which puts
things straight for us
most of the times. Not
only it makes the other
person forgive but also
brings you on better
terms with him or her. I
hope you guessed it — it
is the simple pimple — I
am sorry.
No matter how
grave the mistake is, the
moment you utter
apology, you’re forgiven
for your mistake most of
the times. It’s this little
apology which means a
lot to others as well as
ourself satisfaction.
When you offend
someone, he/she may
take it seriously or may
be hurt over it. If you don’t
realise that or refuse to
apologise even after
realising your mistake, it
may make the situation
worst. For instance, your
relation with that person
may strain and that
person would always
keep a grudge against
you, not to mention the
guilty conscience you’d
have whenever you’d
think of it. If you continue
with your careless and
arrogant attitude you
and should be switched
off or kept away while
preparing for exams or
assignments.
Whenever you
are given a task,
especially schoolwork or
college work, assess the
task first of all. Spend a
few minutes thinking
about it and how to go
about it. Once you spend
some time thinking about
it and come to
understand what it truly is
all about, divide the major
task into small processes
and start working on it.
Dividing the task into
small processes will
make it easier for you to
start and even complete
it. Eating one big apple in
a bite is impossible but
eating its slices one by
one is as easy as you can
imagine.
I really don’t
know who first said this,
but whoever said this was
Page 7
may eventually lose friends.
On the other hand,
when you realise you’ve
offended a person and you
walk up to him or her and
simply say ‘I am sorry’; not
only the strain between you
two will neutralised but also
he/she will respect your
admitting the mistake. This
way you will be popular and
admired in your social circle.
Similarly, when you go
against your teacher or
parent, let’s say staying out
after midnight or not paying
heed to elders, they may
scold you over it but above all
they’d be hurt that you didn’t
regard what they said as
important enough. And I
don’t think any of us would
want our loved ones to be
hurt. The situation can be
avoided very conveniently by
apologising the moment you
mistake for it’d make the
concerned person realise
that you admit and are
actually sorry for it and of
course you intend not to
repeat it. They would also
know that you give them
importance to their say.
In public places, we
often run incidentally into
someone, push a person
unintentionally or do similar
little stupid things which can
easily be neglected but if you
apologise to the other person
he/she will be more than
delighted as it is a moral duty
which people today have
almost forgotten.
The most important
thing in this world is our
relations with our fellow
humans. And this demands
of us to be kind to each other.
So the next time you happen
to do some silly little mistake,
don’t forget to apologise!
- S. Raghunathan
right. Clichéd as it might
sound, it is true and all you
need to do is believe in it.
Once you do you will be half
way through overcoming
procrastination. Never think
of completing the entire task
in one go! This will just scare
and overwhelm you. The idea
is to divide the task into small
processes and start working
on them. And once you have
completed a couple of the
small processes you will feel
much better about the task
and have a motivation to
complete it. Remember,
getting started is the key.
Make a timetable or
plan; Set goals; Reward
yourself; Be realistic
These simple steps
can help you overcome the
habit called procrastination,
which is disastrous for all
school/college students! So
kick it away before you have
to say, “Ahhhhh!
Procrastination killed me!”
- S. Raghunathan
Page 8 Alpha Times June 28, 2009

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T.Nagar, Chennai 600 017. Ph: 4286 7784 and Printed at New Merit Printers, 14/51, Reddykuppam Road, Saidapet, Chennai- 600 015.