Female Infertility - PCOS

Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome

Image Courtesy: wrigglyrascals.com

Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a commonly seen problem among women these days. It affects women of reproductive age and statistics shows it is seen in 10% of women. Though in most cases it is minimal and wont be even noticed, the alarm rings when difficulty in conceiving is noted leading to long periods of infertility. Unfortunately there is no universal definition for the PCOS, but we can guess it from the name itself. Poly cystic means ‘with many cysts’ and it tells you it’s a condition of the ovary having many cysts. By definition a cyst is a fluid filled sac.

Image Courtesy : uthscsa.edu

The basic terms PCOS means this: It’s an endocrine disorder where the male hormones (androgens) in females increases to an abnormal level and affects the female reproductive cycles. This leads to a situation where women do not ovulate. Basically the purposes of ovaries are to produce eggs and release one of the mature or full grown eggs every month. The release of egg is called Ovulation. The high male hormone level inhibits the growth of the egg in the ovary so that it will not reach its maturity and so won’t be released. Thus the unreleased eggs remain in the ovary and become cysts over a period of time. Since ovulation is not happening the patient will not conceive leading to infertility.

The commonly seen symptoms of PCOS are:

• Irregular or absence of periods


• Drastic weight gain over a short period


• Increased facial hair (Hirsutism)


• Acne

PCOS is generally diagnosed from the symptoms stated above and confirmed using blood tests for hormone levels and ultra sound scan of the pelvic region. Clinical and physical examination is required for concluding on PCOS because there are other conditions like thyroid problem and ovarian tumors which can produce similar symptoms. So those factors should be eliminated first with the help of blood tests and ultrasound. A gynecologist or obstetrician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment.

Image Courtesy : endocrineonline.org

The absence of periods is the cardinal factor in diagnosing PCOS. The other symptoms like hirsutism and acne may or may not be present. Another interesting finding is that majority of PCOS patients who are overweight are insulin-resistant. Insulin resistance means your body is resisting the effects of insulin. Insulin is supposed to keep the blood sugar normal. So resistance to insulin causes you to become diabetic. And the drugs given for type II diabetics is effective in controlling the insulin resistance and thus PCOS.

The treatment of PCOS is in 2 ways depending on if you are looking for a child immediately or not. If you don’t have any plans for conceiving, then birth control pills are given to regularize the monthly cycles. But if you are keen on conceiving, then Metformin is one of the widely used diabetic drug. Usually both these drugs are given for 3 – 6 months. If the condition is persisting, then other methods of treatment should be followed like inducing ovulation taking drugs or surgery. Laparoscopic surgeries are useful for puncturing the cysts and inducing ovulation by scraping the walls of ovary which triggers female hormone production.

Image Courtesy : womenshealthlondon.org

Though there is still confusion that obesity is the cause for PCOS or is result of PCOS, maintaining normal body weight is an important factor in treatment of PCOS. Increasing physical activities in your life and including more salads and vegetables in your diet will help you reduce overweight. As a first step you can start with limiting the quantity of in take. Suppose you consume 4 cups of coffees a day, you can cut it to 2 a day. Later on you can have it without milk and then without sugar… Bad eating habits are pointed out as major cause for PCOS.

Recent studies have shown a genetic linkage in patients with PCOS. The daughter of a PCOS affected mother is at higher risk of developing the same condition. If you are diagnosed with PCOS, you may do an early diagnosis for your daughter. Early identification of PCOS prevents many complexities later.

Image Courtesy : uthscsa.edu

The purpose of this post is to spread awareness about PCOS, which is quite common today. In most of the cases it is found out and treated when infertility or difficulty in conceiving is developed. Our endeavor was to explain the disease in a layman's term. Please consult a qualified professional for more information. Knowledge about these health problems may help you identify it at an early stage itself and will help you get your bundle of joy that much sooner.

Lonesome George

Lonesome George

Lonesome George image courtsey: nature.com

Lonesome George, the Giant Tortoise of Galapagos Island.

One hundred years of solitude.

George is the only surviving member of one of the sub species of Galapagos Archipelago. Of the 14 subspecies of giant tortoise native to the Galapagos Archipelago 3 have already become extinct. If George dies without fathering a child, the number of surviving subspecies of Galapagos tortoise may drop to 10. Therefore the onus is on Lonesome George - our hero- to see his tribe survive. Many attempts have been made by the naturalists of “The Charles Darwin Research Station” to find a life partner to this lonesome figure.

A Guinness book celebrity.

lonesome george image courtsey: serrin.blogter.hu

Lonesome George is no ordinary tortoise; his name has been recorded as one of the rarest creatures in the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’. He is 88 kilograms in weight and aged between 70 and 80. His wrinkled and sad looking face has become an icon environmental degradation worldwide. Scientists of the Research station toil night and day to find a bride to this celebrity. Not knowing what the fuzz is going around George leads a care-free life eating good food and roaming free in the station with one female tortoise provided by the authorities to give him company.

No to cupids!

George was found from the Pinta Island in 1971 by people who went for goat hunting. It is believed that he was named George mimicking the Hollywood actor George Gobel. He was relocated to the Charles Darwin Research Station for research, years of solitude is blamed to be the reason for his melancholic look. Lonesome George preferred to be lonely despite all the efforts of the naturalists to see him leading a happy married life with scores of siblings. It was their frustration which made them to award him the beautiful title “Lonesome George!”

Chronic bachelor.

A gift of $10,000 is waiting unclaimed for the person who can arrange a suitable bride to this chronic bachelor. Many tortoise beauties of related species were allowed to visit and stay with him, but all of them failed miserably in shaking George’s pledge to bachelorhood. He is simply not prepared to part with the genotype he alone possesses and seems happy to be alone. The survival of his species is the head ache of the naturalists and George doesn’t seem to worry about his subspecies ‘Geochelone nigra abingdoni’! Of which he belongs.

If winter is here......!

Galapagos Archipelago image courtsey: wikipedia.org

Of late it has been reported that they could find one tortoise; somewhat related to his species from Isabella Island, it was a pity that this too turned to be a male. The incurable optimists of the station are not disheartened, “If there is a male, there must be sisters to him; search for them”. The new one a hybrid between Pinta and Isabella varieties contains 50% of the genotype like that of George and can be compared to the status of a cousin. This news has cheered naturalists; world over, but wait to rejoice, first the ‘sister’ if any has to be located; there are many other stumbling blocks for the wedding to consummate.

80 years young.

The main problem is that tortoise’s sex organs atrophy (becoming non functional) if not used. Moreover whether he will “tie the knot” also remains to be seen as he has rejected all the previous cases. George is about 70 to 80 years old, and can be compared to a middle aged person as average age of a Galapagos tortoise is about 120 years and above.

Not one...there were 14.

Galapagos tortoises appear to be strange creatures with their long telescopic necks, highly curved carapaces (the hard shell of tortoise) and massive body structure. They were formerly believed to be of the same subspecies, but it was Charles Darwin who established the existence of subspecies among them 14 at that time (now only 11) including one member abingdoni (George).

A short-lived paradise.

The archipelago of Galapagos consists of 13 main volcanic islands and many small islets (located about 600 miles south east from Ecuador South America). These isles remained lifeless for many centuries later birds began to visit leadings to the dispersal of plant-seeds. Trees and plants flourished in this fertile island. First arrived the aquatic animals like tortoise, then the terrestrial ones. Marine Iguanas, Giant tortoises Sea lions etc filled the landscape in the absence of human and other predators. Unfortunately this paradise did not last long as fate took a deviation.

Man the predator!

Image courtsey: answers.com

The early 18^th century witnessed human migration in large scale they did not spare this little paradise also. Animals and pests which came along with man like goats, dogs, pigs rats etc wreaked havoc among the so far happily co-existed bio-system. Tortoises began to disappear as their eggs were eaten away by dogs and pigs. Goats went wild and savored anything that lmmooked green. Galapagos Archipelago turned out to be a naturalist’s nightmare as all the exotic species of rare animals annihilated by wanton greed and utter carelessness.

Charles Darwin the savior.

Charles Darwin image courtsey: answers.com

Charles Darwin’s visit to this island in 1865 was the first thing that marked an end to the wanton desecration of this virtual paradise. He established his research center in Santa Cruz Island. These tortoises have highly influenced Darwin in shaping his theory “the origin of species”. Darwin took 2 males and 12 females to his research station. This research station does valuable service in hatching eggs of tortoises (which are on the verge of extinction) nurse them to mature and then releasing them to the wild.

George the obstinate!

Michael Russello of the University of British Columbia Okanagan has stated that George is unwilling to pass over his unique genes to the next generation and going to break the chain of genetic continuity. In his words “Even after 35 years, Lonesome George seems uninterested in passing on his unique genes and has failed to produce offspring” But George is not listening!

Loss of status...? ...Who cares!

The discovery of another member of his tribe if confirmed may rob George’s place in the Guinness book as a very rare creature as there may be one more to share the status. George does not know he is a Guinness book pager and about the threat to his status; as far as food and company is available in the station George is a happy lot (even though his face exudes melancholy! Lonesome George is not responsible for naturalists’ urge to see him as a proud father of many siblings. God Bless Lonesome George! And the unique genes he carries!

Are we becoming a more intolerant society?

Intolerance!!!

image courtesy: religiousfreaks.com

Lately we see a lot of news reports about acts of intolerance all around the globe. By intolerance I don’t mean religious intolerance alone. It is the absence of tolerance for people who express opinions or beliefs that are different from what you feel. Please do not confuse it with disagreement either. Everyone has the right to agree or disagree with another’s viewpoint. But when your disagreement reaches such a level, that it turns into hostile and aggressive behavior to the person expressing a different point of view then we are becoming intolerant.

India is a country which prides on its unity in diversity. But how unified are we really? We are divided on the lines of languages, religion, and caste, and now even on political affiliations and views. Our unity relies upon the thin line that separates tolerance from fanaticism. What we see now is that thin line getting even thinner by the day.

We now have states (remember that our states were drawn up based on linguistic boundaries) where outsiders are harassed in the name of protecting the local culture and language. So we see patriotism being replaced by regionalism. There are states in India who have their own flags which are seen more prominently in that state than even the national flag. Shopkeepers and other such small businessmen are harassed and their properties vandalized because they have their boards in English alone and not in the local language. It has reached such an extreme that anytime there is a dispute with a neighboring state, people resort to such ridiculous forms of protest as banning that region’s channels and vandalizing the cinema halls which show movies in that region’s language.

image courtesy: travels.talash.com

Matters have reached such a head that these so called ‘activists’ of the local language tried to stop the screening of a soft porn movie dubbed in the local language because they found that the actors’ lip moment was not matching the dialogues. There was quite a ruckus in front of the cinema hall creating a tense situation. The tension was resolved and the crowd dispersed only when a witty and clever police officer asked, “Who watches or even listens to the dialogues of this movie”!!!

Our political parties are not showing any grand example of tolerance either. There is a cadre party in Kerala who throws out their own members at the drop of a hat. Even the slightest bit of criticism or cynicism is met with a strong response in the name of maintaining party discipline. Forgive my ignorance, but I thought in a democratic set up everyone has a right to express their own opinion. Decisions are supposed to be taken after the fruitful conclusion of a debate. But more basically for a debate to happen there has to be two differing views. If you silence all opposing views then you are robbing yourself from the chance of having an alternate maybe even a more pragmatic approach.

Cultural intolerance is also on the rise as illustrated by the uproar over Richard Gere – Shilpa Shetty kissing incident. The uproar and the subsequent protests was shameful because it not only showed our intolerance but also our hypocritical attitude towards sex (remember we are still in 2nd position as far as population goes. Not to forget that we were the ones who gave Kamasutra to the world).

Image Courtesy: img.metro.co.uk

Religious intolerance has reached such a crescendo that even the silliest of reasons is enough to send a mob into a violent fury. In most cases these mobs and the violence which erupt thereafter are instigated by some factionalist political parties or organizations that have their own vested interests. A case in point is the recent attack on the Star News channel office just because the channel showed a story about a Muslim boy eloping with a Hindu girl. Again some so called protectors of culture went on a rampage at the channel’s office destroying everything and beating up everyone who stood in their way.

Religious intolerance and its resultant violence are not just limited to India alone. The current global epidemic of terrorism is a direct byproduct of intolerance. The fundamentalists are intolerant of the beliefs, the standard of living and even the lifestyle of the west. And it is this intolerance more than anything that drives them to do such acts of terror. They should show the basic respect for the beliefs of others which they do not believe in.

Image Courtesy: tribuneindia.com

Intolerance of other ethnic groups and immigrant communities are also on the rise throughout the west. The recent violence in Paris is a direct outcome of this. Violence against gays and homosexuals are also on the rise. Our intolerance for people whose sexual orientation is different from ours has been simmering for quite some time now. A person has the right to choose the partner he wishes to. And if both partners are happy in their choice, then who are we to object to the way they live their lives.

We should all remember that the other person too has the same rights that we have. He has the same right to make the choices he wants to make, the same right to express his opinion and the same right to live according to his beliefs. As long as his rights don’t violate the rights of others none of us should have a problem with it.

Image Courtesy: tngzz.info

Some of the readers of this post may not agree with the views we have stated here. You are welcome to post you comments here. You can criticize, vilify or ridicule us. Hell, you can even shred this post to pieces. We will humbly accept that. Because then it is a disagreement and you have the right to express your opinion. And we will show the tolerance to hear your opinions and maybe try and clarify our position a bit more. But please do not hack into this blog and vandalize it or bomb Google’s datacenters because then it becomes intolerance. And that’s what we have been trying to put across all along.

Guiseppe Tornatore

A man of society

Guiseppe Tornatore Image Courtesy: photoarts.com

Born on 1956 in a small town of Sicily, Guiseppe Tornatore has made movies which are rooted in the life and culture of his native place. He makes movies which capture the complexities of the people and land of Sicily. His movies are mostly emotional reflections of the past where an individual and the community he belongs to are showcased side by side.

At the age of 16 Tornatore started taking his first steps in show business by directing two stage works: Luigi Pirandello's “Bella Vita” and “L'Arte della” Commedia by Edoardo De Filippo. In 1979 he began to collaborate closely with Italy’s RAI television and made a number of TV films and documentaries. In 1982, Tornatore won a prize for Best Documentary at the Salerno Film Festival for ‘Ethnic Minorities in Sicily’.

His first full length feature film was Il Camorrista, in 1985 which was adapted from a novel by Giuseppe Marazzo. The movie was about an Italian journalist's valiant struggle against the mob. It won him the Italian Golden Globe for the Best Young Director.

Image Courtesy: filmweb.no

But the movie that really propelled him into the limelight was 1989’s Cinema Paradiso. The movie about a famous director returning to his hometown for a funeral and his subsequent trip down memory lane won Tornatore great accolades. It won the hearts of both audiences and critics all over the world and went on to win the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Festival in 1989, the Golden Globe in Hollywood in 1989, and the Oscar for Best Foreign Picture in 1990.

From then on he has gone on to make other notable movies though none so far has managed to achieve the success of Cinema Paradiso. His ‘The Star Maker’, released in 1995, is about a talent scout searching through the country side of Sicily and the stories of the people he encounters. The movie brought him his second Best Foreign Language Oscar Nomination.

His 1998 movie, ‘The legend of 1900’, about a pianist who lives his whole life in the sea and never sets foot on land was widely considered as one of his lesser works. He bounced back though with the wonderful Malèna a touching tale about the passionate power of fantasy and the destructiveness of rumors.

Image Courtesy: independentcritics.com

Tornatore’s movies are simple emotional fares which strikes a chord with anyone who has had the good fortune of experiencing it. He transforms his beloved Sicily into a place that we readily identify with. His movies stress the importance of society and its effect on individuals; be it the good, the bad or the ugly. If Cinema Paradiso highlighted the joy of togetherness then The Star Maker highlighted the common desire of the society to make their life better than what it is. While ‘The legend of 1900’ showed an individual rejecting the society due to circumstances, Malèna showed the society alienating an individual due to sheer jealousy.

Tornatore is also a master craftsman. His collaboration with Ennio Morricone has produced some of the most haunting soundtracks in movie history ranging from Cinema Paradiso to Malèna. His photography of the beauty of Sicily is stunning. He is a director who is willing to take risks by putting in non-professional actors in his movies. He rarely gives interviews preferring to let his work speak for itself. Maybe he can afford to do that because his works do speak volumes.

Hit movies from Guiseppe Tornatore Reviewed at Kerala Articles

Cinema Paradiso	The Star Maker	Malena

Cinema Pardiso (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)

Fall in love with the movies

Image Courtesy: alucine.ula.ve

Released in 1989, Cinema Paradiso shot the Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore into the global limelight. The movie, which was released in Italy as Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, became a huge success globally and even won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film. It is ironic to think that it had a poor box office run in its native place. It is a sentimental and nostalgic movie about the friendship between a young boy and an old projectionist at a local theatre told mostly in flashbacks.

The movie takes place in Tornatore’s beloved Sicily. It begins with a successful movie director, Salvatore "Toto" Di Vitto, being informed of the death of an old man named Alfredo. Alfredo was the projectionist at the local movie theatre named ‘Cinema Paradiso’. It is revealed to us that Toto hasn’t visited his home town even once after he had left and if he decides to come for Alfredo’s funeral it would be the first time he has returned to his village.

Image Courtesy: filmeducation.org

Upon hearing about Alfredo’s death Toto decides to come and along the way he reminisces the old times that he had spent with Alfredo. We learn that Toto’s father had gone off to fight the World War II and has been missing for some time. We later on learn that his father was in fact killed in action at the front. Toto thus is deprived of a father figure very early in his life itself and he is more than a handful to his single mother.

Toto however is mesmerized by the world of cinema. To him the various dubbed Hollywood movies that are played at the local movie theatre “Cinema Paradiso” offer a chance to view an outside world. He is so taken in by the movies that he even utilizes his milk money to watch the latest movie playing at the Cinema Paradiso. Alfredo too develops a liking for Toto and makes him his apprentice, a decision that would later save his life.

Alfredo and Toto develop a strong bond between each other. Alfredo becomes the mentor, the confidante and above all the father figure that is so lacking in Toto’s life. He helps Toto understand the various mysteries of life by quoting lines from the numerous movies he had seen.

Image Courtesy: rottentomatoes.com

When Toto reaches adolescence he falls in love with the beautiful young girl named Elena. His love for her is filled with the romanticism that he has seen in his movies. He even stands under her balcony every night for days to prove his love for her. Alfredo (who is now blind as a result of an accidental fire in the projection room), out of deep affection for Toto, tells him to leave the small town and to go out into the world and make something of his life. When Elena apparently disappears all of a sudden, Toto takes the old man’s advice and sets forth to find his place in the world, never to come back again until the old man had passed away. When Toto inevitably returns, he finds the world he had left behind to have changed completely.

The one word that describes this movie is charming. Tornatore’s sentimental and nostalgic reminiscences takes us back to a time in our own life when things where much simpler. Every one of us can identify with the townsfolk’s excitement of a new movie coming to our local cinema theatres. We are taken in by the apparent innocence and growing up experiences of Toto. We are a part of the changes that sweep through the town which shown through the changes to and within the theatre ‘Cinema Paradiso’.

In fact change is one of the overwhelming themes in the movie. During the early days we see a priest acting as the local censoring authority by ordering the removal of any scene which shows kissing or romantic intimacy. Later on we see that as the theatre become more commercialized the priest’s powers are eroded and he never comes back to watch a movie at all.

Image Courtesy: filmweb.no

Tornatore creates a whole lot of small characters that stay with us long after watching the movie. We are not likely to forget the priest or the mad man who thinks that he owns the square or even the women who wash their hair at the fountain. All of them have their life centered round the theatre the sole source of entertainment for an otherwise bleak life. Later we see that these very same people are actually sad about missing out on the community experience of watching the movies.

The highlight of the movie is the humor and the charm that it exudes. It is unlikely that anyone would watch this movie and not reminisce something from his past that would strike a chord with his heart. It could be that movie experience that you had in your childhood, or that ever lasting experience you had with your friend or even that elusive first love. In the climax of the movie we learn that Alfredo had left behind a roll of film for Toto. It is a montage of all the edited kissing scenes from earlier on. Toto is overcome with emotion on seeing this as all his past pent up feelings emerge to the surface. Cinema Paradiso will make you fall in love with the movies all over again.

Beer

All about Beer. (Those good old “ad” days)

Who will quench Adam’s Thirst!

Ban on beer ads must go!

Booze has been here for a pretty long time and will be here as long as men are here! Ban on beautiful ads is the issue. This article is a journey through good old times when ads about booze were not banned they educated people about the quality of beer! The author always had been attracted by the good ads; those on booze in particular. Those were so wonderful pieces of art, beautiful girls with eyes stoned as if in a trance and macho youngs and olds half inebriated yet proud and keeping their cool.

The gentleman’s face tells the whole story!

Real works of art.

Some ads were so classical works of art just browse and throw seemed to be so cruel. They deserved a cool place in the book shelf for occasional reference and enjoyment (please remember what Keats has sung “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”). It is pity the insensitive government has banned the booze ads altogether, they could ban ads for conveying any socially wrong message or obscenity but that was not the case.

Some beer to the beers! Both for tropical and polar!

Unknown artists.

The following is one of the old ads about a brand of beer with good images and top class literature. It is a pity that details regarding the artists behind this great ad were not available hence could not be furnished (contents slightly edited).

Your palate’s pride!

Your palate too has its pride – don’t sully it. Know for yourself what the latest in fermentation technology is brewing, in beer there is a new flavor to rave about to roll down the throat. Your taste buds are sweet on the tip of your tongue and bitter on the sides; therefore the beer aroma comes through only when you roll beer down your throat in copious draughts. Don’t sip it; it’s no cocktail!

Thirsty Adam!

Thirsty Adam.

Even after savoring Eve’s apple; Adam’s hunger alone had been satisfied – not his thirst. So he roams the earth with his un-satiated thirst. You would agree that lately the Adams have been thirstier, so we (the brewers) decided to kill two thirsts with one bird by naming our beer after birds (Rosy Pelican just one). Our prediction is; in the beginning there was a thirst, in the end there will still be a thirst!

Some beer education!

The first form of beer was Babylonian “kurmi” an exquisite thirst quenching drink drunk at festivals - both by men and women. No hops were used in this beer. The Romans took over the formula and made their beer from North African barley. The same qualities were sought in their beer as in their favorite birds; an attractive head on sparkling color. That is what we look for today.

African tribes made beer from millet, the Japanese from Rice, Europeans, Australians Americans of both the continents and others made beer from barley, in 1990 this world consumed 10 billion liters of beer. You probably drank some part of this, God bless...

Lager beer, Ale Porter and bock are some of the different kinds of beer. The kind brewed in India is called ‘Lager’ from the German ‘Lagern’ ‘to store’. This is prepared by ‘bottom fermentation’.

The brewing Eve!

How to brew it!

Malt is used for brewing and it begins its life as barley carefully grown and ripened. It is then dampened with water, allowed to germinate under controlled conditions and finally dried and cured. The color of the beer can be controlled. Maybe it is news for you but the strength and color of beer have no relationship. Sugars for beer are manufactured from cane. Hops are specially grown for brewing. Only the golden petalled corn is used for its resin and oils. Even the water is treated with mineral salts and yeast, of course, is living organism which ferments the beer.

Ale (any beer other than lager, stout, or porter) is mainly of British origin brewed by top fermentation. Earlier, it was made without hops and drunk fresh. Higher fermentation and storage temperatures are used for ale.

Stout, first brewed about the end of the 17^th century, is strong, dark and heavy with a pronounced taste of roasted malt or barley, usually heavily flavored with hops.

Porter beer, (dark brown bitter beer brewed from partly charred malt) made with the soft water of London was drunk by the London porters and is lighter than stout with a heavy creamy foam.

Bock originated in Einbeck (Germany). It is brewed in winter from the sediment of the fermenting vats and drunk in spring.

Teach her how to.......

The art of ‘poaoaoaoaoaoaoaring’.

Just as beer can go to your head and control it, you too can control the head of the beer. When pouring, the bottle should be held above the glass, which should be in a vertical position and absolutely dry. The beer should be formed to form a head of about one and a half inches at the bottom of the glass. The glass should then be tilted and beer poured down the side to regulate the head as the beer level rises. This operation should be finished off with the glass in a vertical position, with about one fourth of an inch of head. At no time should the neck of the bottle actually touch the glass or the beer because that is no way to make two ends meet.

Exotic birds!

How to serve?

The best glasses should be big enough and completely grease free (detergent to be used with hot running water). An oily glass reduces the retention and adhesion of the head. Some people, of course, would rather lose a head to retain another – the choice remains yours.

Ideally, Lager beer should be served at 7 to 10 Degree C if its flavor is to be fully appreciated. Don’t use thermo meters! Just see that it is chilled as you would love it.

How to store?

Store in a cool and dry place (as recommended on a bottle of medicine). Beer should be stored away from sunlight, if placed in a refrigerator; it should be taken out only to be drunk. Keeping it out to make space for other things in the fridge is injustice and an insult to the class of this royal liquid! Never dare to do that.

Beer charmer!

Statutory Warning. Alcohol in beer is injurious to health.

Declaration: This article contains 0% alcohol and 100% taste.

The Star Maker

The darker magic of cinema

Image Courtesy: douban.com

Giuseppe Tornatore burst into the limelight globally with his Cinema Paradiso in 1989. The start maker is one of his later works released in 1995 and was nominated for the best foreign language film academy awards in the same year. Cinema Paradiso was a nostalgic movie about the pains of growing up and the magic of cinema. It invited you all to come and fall in love with the movies. However the Star Maker showcases the darker side of being enthralled with the magic of cinema.

The movie is about Joe Morelli or Dr. Morelli as he calls himself. Morelli claims to be a talent scout for a big studio in Rome. He travels around small towns and villages of Sicily in the aftermath of World War II, promising to film the auditions of anyone and everyone who has 1500 lire to give as fee. All anyone who is interested in making big has to do is go to his tent, pay the money and enact a scene from ‘Gone with the Wind’. Morelli claims that he will sent the audition films to studio executives who would then get back to the individual whom they have selected. As he says repeatedly, he is not making any promises. But he gets the Sicilians hook, line and sinker when he gives off a list of famous actors whom he claims to have discovered.

The effect of the dream of making it big in the film world is huge among the townspeople. The townsfolk react to Morelli’s arrival as if the circus had arrived. There are large crowds around his tent who dream of the big salary and fame of making it big in the movie world. But most of the people don’t have the talent or the literacy to enact a scene from ‘Gone with the Wind’. So they begin to talk about their personal lives on camera which borders on confession.

Morelli however is a self centered man who is only interested in being remunerated for his efforts. He even takes sexual favors from a woman who doesn’t have enough money to pay for her daughter’s audition. He however begins to change when he meets a beautiful young teenage orphan called Beata. She scrubs floors at various homes and offices in town. To obtain the 1500 lire for the screen test, she strips naked in front of a local bigwig. Morelli however is taken in by the girl’s story as well as her naivety and begins to have feelings for her. She wants to travel with Morelli and get out of her present life. She believes that by making it big in the movies she will have a better life. Morelli falls in love with her and takes her along with him on his travels.

Image Courtesy : 1worldfilms.com

Just when we think that Morelli has turned a new leaf, it is revealed that Morelli is in fact a fraud and fake. He was doing nothing more than selling dreams to the poor impoverished people of Sicily. From then on the movie takes a darker turn and how this revelation eventually affect the lives of both Morelli and Beata forms the rest of the movie.

I loved this movie because of the slow change in the mood of the movie. It starts off as a light hearted and sometimes poignant comedy. The confessions of various people who come and sit in front of the camera are quite funny in the beginning. Then the mood slowly changes as the movie moves along and we hear some really touching confessions. It again changes when Beata come into the picture. Her innocence and naivety makes you sympathize with her plight and makes you want to protect her. But what really shook me was the climatic portions of the movie when both Beata and Morelli’s life becomes depressingly tragic.

Tornatore shows the beauty of Sicily as well as the ugliness in the hearts of men in this movie. He shows tremendous skill in a scene which has silhouette-saturated shots of Morelli inside his tent after dark. In my opinion he gets the pacing of the movie just right and I found it thoroughly enjoyable to watch. But what really impressed me is that there was no redemption for Morelli even at the end unlike some of the Hollywood or Bollywood movies that I have seen in the past. His sins catch up with him and he is forced to suffer the consequences.

Image Courtesy : sohu.com

The last sequence of shots where Morelli looks back sees all the confession that he had ‘filmed’ in his mind. All those confessions which we found to be comic earlier now take a whole new meaning. We watch it with a lump in our throat as we realize the true meaning of what the Police Officer who caught him, himself a victim of Morelli’s con, tells him, “Everybody confessed to you. They gave you their soul and perhaps they will never again. And you didn't understand a thing. They trusted you Morelli, and so did I. But all you wanted was money.” The sequence of shots reminded me of Tornatore’s famous last sequence of edited kisses in Cinema Paradiso. But in The Star Maker it evokes a totally different emotion.