Animals in Films - Is it cruel to train them do stunt performances ? Is SPCA to intervene?

Know how you can sponsor a pet click here. http://www.spca.org http://www.animalactivism.org In a recent opinion-poll conducted by GOKULAM, a popular children's magazine, a teenager attempts to defend using animals for stunt performance and the like in films, for, he feels, that once the performance is over, the animals are taken good care. Animal Rightists, however, have a different view. A software professional, Mr.Arvind, convinces the teenager the otherway.

At the outset your clarification is good, but if you dig deep inside youwill find that the animals are indeed tortured to perform the act.

Whether it is a snake whose teeth is plucked or the dog which gets beaten repeatedly until it stands on its two legs and walks as well.

The same is true with circus too.

They live in fear all the time and are poorly fed.

The plight of these animals is actually pathetic.

Also, whatthe people get paid for is really pennies.

For example, a snake charmerwill be paid may be a thousand rupees for using his snake in the movies.You think he spends the money on it?

No way.

The snake continues to betortured, pricked and the poor soul cannot do anything about it.

All it gets is some rats, eggs and squirrel to live with while the charmer drinks and eats with the money he made.

I was associated with SPCA during my college days and we were proposing banning usage of animals in movies, circus, dog shows, etc. Obviously we did not have the money power to push this through.

We wanted to putforth the idea that there should at least be one person to supervise theway the animals are treated while they are being made to act in movies.This did not take off as cost was a big factor.

Take a simple example.

How do you get a dog to perform a hand shake?

Let me share what I did to my dog when I was in school.

It was called Leena(a female pom dashund cross).

I take a scale (or stick) and say "Leena shake hand". Since dogs don't understand English (they don't understand any language that we speak for that matter), it just sits there. So I give the right front leg a tapwith the scale and believe me that pains. Since the dog is so affectionate to us it does not resist but just sulks and takes it. Next step, I repeat "Leena shake hand" and I lift its leg and keep it inmy hand. Now the dog feels that this is better than getting beaten.I repeat these steps till "Leena shake hand" settles in its mind. The dog by now understands that whenever I utter the phrase, it is better to lift the leg or else there will be a tap on the leg.

Imagine for asimple act like shake hand if a dog has to go thru such difficulties,how much of a torture it has to undergo in order to perform the act ofstanding on two legs, clinging onto one another and walk as well as theydo in circus.

This is the same as "Aadra Rama aadra Rama" performed by a Nari Kuravan with his hapless monkey. I hope you understand that the monkey is noPrabhu Deva to dance on its own and certainly don't understand "AadraRama".So, in the pretext of entertainment, these animals are tortured and madeto perform what they are not supposed to be doing. In a circus youalways find that the ring master has either a stick or a leash when allthese are performed.

Now, tell me, do the animals enjoy doing what they are doing?

Think again...

God, give me the power to liberate the animals from these inhuman humans...

HOW YOU WILL KNOW THE RAGHA AS A SONG IS RENDERED....?

an architectural beauty... You admire it..but would u ever have tried to understand the inner intricacies? So is music. How to Find the Ragha ....especially in film music On the topic Yaman Kalayan,a reader had queried as to whether the song "is rang badlti duniya mein" belongs to the YK family. No,madam, it doesn't. Sure, it has a few traces of YK, yet deviates to some other scale (something like Bageshri, I am not sure). Initially, it could be tough to identify a raga from a filmy song,since majority of them does not loyally stick to the traditional surtrack. A different note here, use of a note in the aorkan instead of inavarokan, all these tend to change the colour of the raga.Best way would be to identify on the basis of the surs.But, for those who cannot read music, we would prefer to depend betteron our own ears, which, in music, function better than eyes. Even forthe sur pandits, it would do better to follow the ears than the eyes,they seldom cheat.Every raga has its own lakshna. Once the lakshna is absorbed by themind, the identification of a raga becomes quite simple.For illustration, let us take the Yamuna Kalyani, itself. Of the songspertaining to this, single out a particular line or hum (listed below)and try to sing or play it. 1. wo jab yaad aaye- "chirag ye muhobat ki jalaye, bujaye" 2. roshan tumhi se - "meri umru bhi lelo" 3. abhi na jao - "kayee makam aayenga, to hamse aajmayenge" 4. ghar se - "raste mein hai uska ghar" 5. vennila vaanil - the humming before "aasai konda idhayamathu" 6. yamunai aatrile - "paavam raadha" The list of filmy songs on YK is endless, of course. Here are a fewmore from Hindi:- 1. Aapki nigahon mein 2. yaad rehega - Umar Qaid (the sole thing worthwhile in the movie) 3. Saranga teri yaad mein - An unforgettable number by Mukesh 4. Jab Deep chale aana - lovable Combination of RJ's music and KJ'svoice 5. chandan sa badan - another hit of Mukesh 6. Khuda hai mehrbaan - a less popular number from Mugal E Azam 7. Zulme Ulfat ki hame log saza dete hai 8. Naam bool jayega 9. Kanni magal mella vandhal - P.Bhanumathy 10. Maratha sogamthano - Gantasala & Suseela TO KNOW MORE, PLEASE LOG ON TO: http://movieraghas.blogspot.com

N e e l a m b a r i.....The eternal Lullaby.

Neelambari... That means the Blue sky... On those elegance, vastness, Poets of lore have sung lullabies .... Neelambari transcends all barriers of land and sea Will someone sing a filmy song based on N i l a m b a r i to make my little cousin sleep a while ? 

Athisaya Raham..Ananda Raham..Chakravaham

You fix your eyes on the centre of the circles, preferably one by one. Feel for yourself the experience. The colours melt down. So is Chakravaham. When you play it or sing the raha, your passions melt down.

Music rests in your heart or head ?

Music...Classical or Film ? If classical, western or Eastern ? If Eastern , carnatic or Hindusthani To get at the right film song based on a particular raga, To know the swars as related to a particular raga, To understand how and why ragas differ from one another, For all your queries and doubts related to carnatic or Hindusthani music, just log on to: http://groups.google.com/group/cineraga Post your views there, of course, as related only to music. This particular cineraga googlegroups, of which, Bhouman is a member, analyses the Filmy songs of well over 5 decades. Get immersed into the World of Carnatic and Hindusthani Filmy Music.

Chithirai Thiruvizha at Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

WITNESS THE GREAT CELESTIAL EVENT AT MADURAI, THE CAPITAL OF TAMIL CULTURE SOUTH INDIA. Every Year in the month of Chithirai, the first month of the Tamil Calendar, at Madurai, lakhs of devotees congregate to witness the Thiru Kalyana Mahotsavam of Lord Sundareswarar and Godess Meenakshi. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu in the form of Kal Azhagar from his abode visits and enters the river Vaigai on the purnima (Full Moon Day) . The moment Kal Azhagar enters the shores of the river Vaigai, devotees feel blessed and celebrate the great event. This year, for the benefit of the Blessed Tamil Community, a new web site http://maduraimeenakshi.org brings out the live programme. You may click on the above and feel blessed by Him.

Sleep is Gift of God. When you sleep you get rejuvenated. Because of various stresses and strains, over-work, particular diseases, a few amongst us do not get enough sleep. Which causes restlessness, that leads quite often to hypertension A few amongst us sleep more than what is required, like the Kumbakarna of mythological fame, which is again not conducive to good health. If you believe you do not have enough sleep, it is necessary you must be consulting a specialist in this field. A website I recently came across is replete with all the information you and I need. http://www.nithra.com Sleep but not sleep over.

Eat Plenty of Chocolate to enhance Good Cholesterol

Fresh Evidence Suggestes that eating plenty of chocolates indeed enhances higher levels of Good Cholesterol (HDL). Not only That. It also helps reducing your Blood Pressure Levels. The research paper says that eating 25 grams of chocolate is indeed helpful to your heart. To learn more about this, please log on to: http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/24/113091.htm You will also be benefited by a video revealing the benefits of chocolate. So, Go and Empty the Chocolate Jar.

A NEW SALAD WHICH IS AN ANTI-OXIDANT

For well over a half a century, orthodox in India, prepare a salad which they offer to God Vinayaka . This is done almost in all Hindu Vinayaka Temples at the time of festivals and routine worship time. When you analyse the contents of this salad you are almost dumbfound at the energy rich contents which serves as a highly rich protein diet equally promoting digestion. With a few modifications, I am narrativing the contents of this salad and also the method of preparing the same. Since the frame is prepared in the language of Tamil (just for a change) I give below the contents of this salad. Cashew nut, Badam nut cut into pieces and fried in ghee, with 2 to 3elakkay ...25 grams each. Plantain fruits 5 cut into small pieces. Same way 2 apple cut into pieces. koyya fruits 2 nos. made as a semi paste . Madhulai fruits...only the seeds 50 nos. are added. Add two to three tablespoons of pure honey of rich quality. 50 grams of kalkandu powdered and added. A few dates (taking out the seeds) cut into small pieces. Add all the same. Wait for half an hour to get the mix settle down. I wish you prepare it once and taste it. This is a rich anti-oxidant. Mainly based on fruits, this promotes digestion, memory power. and equally a muscle relaxant. This is a supplementary to your morning Breakfast.

19th January 2005 corresponding to Bahula Panchami of Marghazhi Month of Thamizh Year Paarthiba. Music Lovers especially the Carnatic celebrate the birth anniversary of the Greatest Musician of the Carnatic Traditional Culture Saint Thyagaraja who was born on the Tamil Land and sang and sang in hundreds of hymns and songs praising God Rama and carved a niche in the hearts of all musicians for well over a century. All musicians of fame and name congregate at the village Town of Thiruvayaru - on the banks of Cauvery River - and sing the greatest kirthanas - Pancha rathna Kirthanas - to the delight of audience from near and far. Please click the link below to get a detailed life history of the greatest musician of Tamil Nadu. Most of his songs in praise of Lord Rama are composed in the language - Telegu - which was his mother tongue - which language traces its origin to the language Tamil. http://home.att.net/~s-prasad/tyagaraja.htm The festival is celebrated for full five days. All musicians are given an opportunity to sing his compositions individually and collectively with full accompaniments like Violin, Mridhangam, Ganjira, Ghatam, Morsing. Apart from vocalists, violinists, veena players, nadhaswaram players also recite lyrics of Saint Thyagaraja. The whole event is relayed directly by Doordharsan . It is a delight to watch hundreds of musicians sing in a chorus. This year, we saw some of the celebrities like Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, Sudha, Aruna Sairam, Unnikrishnan graced the occasion. Pancha rathna consists of Five Kritis: Most Important amongst the Krithis of Saint Thyagaraja. presently, in addition to the main festival at Thiruvaiyaru, musicians celebrate the festival in different places in Tamil Nadu. A group of enthusiasts hold the festival also in USA. For more details, please click on www.tamilmovieusa.com/links1.html http://tamilmovieusa.com/links1.html