"Little Words that Count"

FRIENDS......HEAVENLY

2011-12-25T04:02:00.000-08:00

Are you best friend material?” Guru asked me. I paused and looked around at him and said, “No. I don’t think so.”

Guru deliberated and then stopped on his tracks to ask me, “How do you know that you are not the type?” That was a strange question and made

me wonder whether he was really curious or simply wanted to catch his breath. The latter was highly possible; the stairs that lead up to Swayambhu are not a joke after all. I stopped my tired feet and turned to his calm but curious face.

“Well I know it because IF I was, I would have had a best friend by now wouldn’t I?” I mumbled to him.

Guru smiled and said, “Hmm…you do have a point there.”

Seemingly satisfied in his inquires he asked no further question. I couldn’t help but marvel at the steps we had conquered, “There was a time when we could cover up the whole way in just two runs, remember it?” I asked Guru.

No response followed from his weary tongue, and we headed towards a bench as twilght slowly gripped us.

“How do you feel here?” Guru had another abrupt question for me.

I frowned my face pretending to really think hard, “It’s calm and quiet here…far form the city…..beauty everywhere.”

Guru didn’t seem very happy with my response, “No…I mean do you feel God around here…”

“Well ever since the word ‘Evolution’ entered my vocabulary, the word ‘Doubt’ has taken hold of me. God around? Don’t know.”

“An atheist?”

I shook my head, “No... Maybe I believe in God but I’m not really sure.”

“So believe more in evolution, then?” Guru asked without a pause.

I smiled and said, “I think I would choose to believe in God…come on we can ask God this and that…and he does sometime grant our wishes. What does evolution give us big hairy apes with weird postures and impossible names to remember?”

Guru laughed at that but looked sad again, “God does not only give…he takes away as well.”

“Hmm…hmm…” I agreed silently.

Some monks passed our way. Their calm happy faces were shining under the half-speckled moon. “Envy them. Really do. Such unquestionable faith. Only God. No doubt.”

The moon shone over the valley and over our thoughts as well. Guru was the first to break the silence.

“You see the moon? Tell me what would you rather do…..sit right here and enjoy the flawless whiteness and the sparkling brilliance, or land over there and find nothing but dirt and rocks. What would you want?”

The answer was obvious but still, “I want to land on the moon. Want to see the earth from there. Reverse angel would be nice.”

Guru stood and said, “Lets go, it’s getting late.”

Surprised by this sudden move,

I was rooted for a while but soon

followed his frantic steps down

the staircase.

When we got down, I assumed we would sit on a tempo and go on our way, but Guru had other ideas. “Want some momo?” he asked.

I shook my head and declined

the offer.

He made an odd kind of funny face and said, “Tsk…tsk…look at you. A city youth saying no to momo….what is this country coming to.” He raised his hands to the sky and apparently satisfied by his theatrics, he moved towards the stall by the road.

I stood at a distance watching him gobble down one dumpling after the other. He noticed me and said, “Why you standing so far? The smell too much for you?”

I pretended not to hear him and looked at the nearly pitch black surrounding around us. I was lost in this black darkness when his sudden reappearance gave me a start.

The food must have reenergised him and he asked again, “Night

or the day?”

“Day for sure,” I had a clear answer.

“Why?”

“Because the sun is warm

and bright.”

Then came the most bizarre question of the day from Guru, “So who do you think the sun’s favourite planet in the solar family?”

I replied, “Earth for sure.”

“Really? Why?”

“You know… the earth is our mother. Dharti Mata.”

I cupped my hands close to his ears and whispered, “I believe the earth is

in affair with the sun. Sun is our daddy.” Then in a normal tone of voice I added, “Well… hence the un loves earth the most.”

Guru played along, “I never knew. Never did.”

Guru and I caught a nearly empty tempo. Inside, he looked up at the sky and smiled a childish grin. “When I was really young, I used to look up at the sky and wonder if it was made of blue glass. If one could knock on the glass from an aeroplane and if God would open the door…” He drifted off.

I said, “Then BAM!!! You grow old and realise that the earth is round

and the sky is nothing but layers

and layers of gases. In end, a vast nothingness of space”

His expression told me nothing so I continued, “Imagine if like the load-shedding, there would be gravity-shedding in Nepal. Imagine giving the term off the ground a whole new meaning.”

A smile passed his face, “Hanging on to poles and pillars during the shedding hours. That would be sight to see.”

The moon still kept following us. This gave me an idea, “I know the perfect best friend material: the Moon… giving us light when the sun hides away. The friend in need… all giving… And the earth, what does it give the moon .Nothing.”

Guru was ready with the answer. “The earth gives the moon a reason for existence.”

I sat stunned.

“Your idea of a best friend is quite unclear. I mean like the moon and the earth, friends are different. The give-and-take level is different too. But

that does not make one less of a friend. Friendship is not an algebric

equation to be balanced both ways. It is more like geometry with each friend at his own angles and perimeters. Maybe you are best friend material…who knows? Maybe you already are one, who knows?”

I could only stare at his shining face and hear the echo of his wonderful words. But before I was able to find words, he got off.

He waved away and said, “Keep thinking. See you on Friday. Bye!!”

I watched his figure get smaller until it disappeared. Nothing could be seen in the darkness. My heart was scared and my hands trembled.

“But thank God! The sun will rise again tomorrow,” I thought and kept thinking.

European impressions...

2010-10-29T02:50:00.000-07:00

Countries can spend their wealth differently in providing services and welfare to their citizens. As a result people in different countries can lead different lifestyles. This becomes obvious even through an impressionistic comparison of Europe and the US. This sort of knowledge, which is also apparent when comparing different developing countries, could provide important lessons during the constitution making process as the Constituent Assembly sets priorities on spending Nepal’s resources.

From the last week of September till the third week of October I travelled around Europe in what may be called a five-country lecture and leisure trip. For a person who has been living in the US for more than a decade as a student and teacher, the European voyage clearly cast an impression that wealth can be spent in better ways for the wellbeing of citizens.

It is well known that public transportation is better in Europe than the private vehicle dependent US. Nevertheless, I was impressed at the vast network of underground and over ground trains, buses and trams that connected not only different parts of large cities but also smaller cities and small towns with big cities. Even small cities like Bielefeld in Germany had a very impressive network of public transportation while except for a few big cities like New York and Chicago, public transportation is pathetic in most of US. The public transportation could be costly for occasional travellers but for regular commuters, weekly, monthly and other passes lower the costs. Early planning also made travelling affordable. It took less than 10 pounds for a five-hour bus ride from North England to London when the ticket was purchased online a week or two before. Among other things, the vast network of public transportation meant less driving of personal vehicles and less consumption of natural energy.

In some cities like Vienna and Copenhagen, even automated ticket checking gates were absent. It was all based on trust and the people followed the rules voluntarily. They paid for their travel even though travel tickets were not checked regularly. Of course, if caught without a ticket on occasional checking, the penalty would be very heavy. Still it amazed me that the system worked largely based on trust and cooperation of the commuters.

I was impressed by the bicycle hiring system when my friends proudly showed it to me in Paris. One could hire a bike from an automated stand, ride it to different destinations and leave the bikes back at the stands. Why spend money on expensive cab rides when you can travel cheaply and also get some exercise while commuting?

What amazed me even more was the bicycle culture in Copenhagen. The parking lot in train, bus and other stations were filled with hundreds of bicycles. The buses and trains had cycle stands inside. You never see such sights in the US.

Pedestrian streets were also quite widespread and covered considerable areas. The biweekly haatbazzer in Bielefeld, like in rural Nepal, was a welcome surprise for a native Nepali living in the US. The pedestrian roads were wide and street-side cafes indicated that people walked quite a bit and enjoyed their time in such joints. Life appeared to be slow and much enjoyable in Europe.

Higher education in Austria was free and it was so for some social science disciplines in France as well. Denmark had introduced expensive tuitions for higher education for foreigners recently when the system was abused by some. In Scotland, the regional government subsidised higher education for its residents to make it more affordable while in England income of parents determined if one had to pay tuition. All this is truly astonishing for someone teaching in an American university where the tuition is extremely expensive and many American students remain in educational debt for a long time after graduation.

Of course, for a traveller, Europe is quite expensive. A McDonald’s meal costs more than double in a Copenhagen train station than in the US. Services do not come cheaply and higher taxes are necessary to provide them. That in turn has contributed to higher prices. PG Ranjitkar, a Copenhagen resident, told me that tax rate in Denmark was 55 percent. Most Americans would be surprised that people pay such high taxes and still do not throw out the government. Services and welfare deficient Americans rise up in arms even at the prospect of rising taxes to around 30 percent.

High prices are to some extent covered by high wages. Minimum wage in Denmark was very high and even after tax, the worker would get around US $16 per hour, which is three times higher than in most cities in the US. Such wages make the expensive goods and services affordable to citizens; maybe not so for visiting Americans on lower wages. Berlin had a slightly different culture with ubiquitous food stands offering reasonably cheaper food. Many of these stands appeared to be operated by immigrants or their descendents.

The walking, biking, public transportation and pedestrian culture have contributed to the health of Europeans. One of the first things that struck me in Paris was the absence of obese people. The extensive welfare system in Europe must have contributed to it as well. In the US low income or jobless people frequent junk food vendors like McDonald’s which are contributing to the fattening up trend, which increases health expenses; healthy people probably means less drain on the overall health system in Europe. The overall impression of the excursion was that different set of priorities in Europe (as compared to the US) had resulted in a higher quality of life in the continent.

It is not that only rich countries have options. Developing countries can spend available resources differently to provide different level of welfare to their citizens. Countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Costa Rica and regions like Kerala in India have provided wide range of services to their residents that have resulted in much better human development indices (resource, education, and life span) than economically comparable countries. As Nepal moves ahead in its constitution writing process, its political leaders and policymakers can set priorities that would result in a better quality of life for its citizens instead of increasing the gap among them. The choice is theirs.

Earlier ancestors came from Asia?

2010-10-28T03:24:00.000-07:00

Ancient fossilized teeth of small anthropoid monkeys discovered in Libya suggest our earliest ancestors may have migrated from Asia to Africa, research published Wednesday showed.

The origin of anthropoids -- primates including monkeys, apes and humans -- has long been a source of hot debate among palaeontologists.

Experts have long argued anthropoids first appeared in Africa -- but recent studies suggest an earlier Asian origin, dating 55 million years ago.

Now new fossils, dating 38 to 39 million years ago and discovered in Dur At-Talah in central Libya, further complicate the debate.

They reveal the existence of three types of African anthropoids -- the oldest discovered on the continent to date, according to the study published in the British journal Nature.

Based on previous discoveries in Egypt and Algeria, "we are aware until now of only one form of anthropoid primate, dating back 37 million years ago for the oldest," said one of the study's authors, Jean-Jacques Jaeger, of Poitiers University in France.

"Here we have gone further, to 39 or 38 million years, and we have three (types) ... and among the three, there is an Asiatic form," he told AFP.

"This therefore signals the direction of migration from Asia toward Africa," Jaeger added.

The teeth appear to have belonged to tiny primates, weighing between 120 and 470 grammes (0.26 to one pound) in adult form.

"They looked more like marmosets than rats," Jaeger said. "They had the same prehensile hands with an opposite thumb, nails rather than claws, certainly a tail that served for balance when they climbed or jumped from one branch to another."

Their diminutive size also suggests our history began small, he added.

The recent discovery also poses another question: did all three types of anthropoids originate in Asia or were they the product of an initial diversification that took place in Africa?

Jaeger's group favours the Asia hypothesis.

"We have the impression it was a relatively significant population movement that most likely took place during the same time," he said.

The Great Warrior...

2010-09-19T00:06:00.000-07:00

The peace across the vast stretches of land from the magnificent mountains to the dreaded deserts had been perished by the pandemonium spewed over the once prosperous earth by the never ending wars and battles. Clans after clans obliterated, kingdoms after kingdoms annihilated and live after lives destroyed by nothing more than the mere plenitude of cupidity, detestation and idiocy of the dark rulers, sinister sorcerers and demented demons.

To end this all, it was time once again. The Aurumus Aera (the Golden Era) spanning a hundred thousand years had ended, leaving the moribund earth to be rejuvenated by a legend. A legend who would rid this world of further suffering.

Today was the day that the warrior would commence upon a lone quest to begin a new era for the Earth. The chosen one has to be entirely of the Yang clan which had control over the elements of the earth; it was clear that the only ceremony the prevailing Yang clan ever partook in had to be the most imperative amongst all lesser festivities minor clans celebrated. The fate of the entire world rested upon the choices made by the conclave of Yang warriors that day.

But this hero wasn’t chosen to save the righteous but to destroy the guilty, he wasn’t chosen to pave the way for the future but put the present at ease and he wasn’t chosen to introduce a sense of security to the people, but to diminish all aspects of hope for the oppressors. What the chosen warrior would do was not cleanse the stains of sins of every man but expunge every man who were stained with sin. And just like the many great warriors of the past had ushered in the Aurumus Aera, he would rid the world of all evil by bringing about darkness just to follow the bright dawn.

Today, the ritual had begun and the clan was silent, silent and seated on the grassy patch of the dense dark forest the race has originated from. The Praesidium Arboris (the Protection Trees), the forest that had witnessed the rise and fall of great Elders and the dark and golden ages of the tribe — the forest that would yet witness another historic event. Hidden beyond the towering trees of the Praesidium Arboris and covered by a sheath of fog, the staid guild gathered around the Elder perched on a high round stand bearing the emblem of this wind clan. At either side of the Central Elder were two lesser Guides, those who were next in line to be the much respected Elder who served as a fundamental part of the race; negotiating with other tribes and acting as a source of never ending power and support.

“Today,” spoke the Elder in a stentorian voice which belied his frail frame, “We decide upon our fate, we decide upon our future. Today, we summon the Valde Proeliator [the Great Warrior] and his Dracon [the Dragon]! ”

Whispers. Murmurs. Questions. They knew the purpose of this meeting of course, but who, who would the Savior be? Who was the most skilled of warriors? Who had the courage to shed their earthly desires for the greater good? Who had the will to survive in a world drowned in the black innards of evil? And who had the strength to carry upon this burden of being the only one who could deliver the world from madness? Questions whose answers the future depended on. A wave of the hand by the Elder silenced all again.

“It is time to summon the warrior’s Dracon and it is this very beast who will answer the question we all have pondered upon since the last Valde Proeliator walked upon this earth!”

He spread his frail but sure hands in front of him chanting, murmuring spells and calling upon his years of magical learning to build up a force within him. Spreading across the air between his hands, a tiny but blinding light came forth, floating over the heads of gaping clan and unto the denser region of the forest, disappearing altogether from sight.

A distant rumbling was heard which came closer and closer until finally, beyond the tall trees and the silver mist, an immense being moved, immediately triggering trepidation among the onlookers. As the behemoth began to take form, the warriors could fathom the reptilian head, the scaly wings and the massive lumbering body of the beast: a dragon. Not the puny rogue dragons one could see fluttering in the skies like dazed moths but the one dragon that could bring upon salvation to the world. The movement ceased. The dragon had arrived and lifted its colossal head searching, seeking its master. Slowly it rested its eyes on an isolated figure away from the horde gathered around it.

One warrior remained standing, away from the crowd. Like the others, he too wore a long black robe covering his head to his toe but he wasn’t looking at the dragon but downwards, his face covered by his striking silver hair. Aware of a mythical presence, he lifted his head to face the dragon which had already transfixed its blue cat eyes upon him. And he knew. He looked amused as the dragon walked up to him, awkwardly shifting amidst the massive weight of its body and bowing its massive scaled head low towards the ground.

The onlookers froze in disbelief. He was Yue. A newcomer. And never before in the history of the Yang clan had a newcomer been the chosen one. The earlier Valde Proeliators had all been burly fully fledged warriors trained to protect and qualified to destroy. But this young saviour was hardly a warrior. He had discovered his control over the elements only a few weeks back. In the clan’s eyes, he was unqualified but unbeknownst to them the Elder sensed his perspicacious eyes carried depth that could draw in what the world had in store for him. Of course some protested and others scowled while several valiant ones stepped up to take his place. But all were silenced when Dracon gusted forth a jet of flames from his crusty nostrils towards a row of trees instantly reducing them to dust. The sanctimonious beast had spoken and nothing could be done now.

Settling in to the decision and what was to follow, the Elder commenced to complete the second task that he had to accomplish. Carefully, he pulled out a grand sword from a heavily encrusted hilt, the Vita Gladius, the Sword of Life, rumoured to revive thousands and kill millions.

“Seek and destroy our enemies, the Fallen Angels and the Lost Demons.” The Elder declared as he handed the sword to the next redeemer. Yue extended his hands, composed yet confident, to the hilt of the sword.

Liking the feel of his weapon, he carefully placed it inside his robe, inside his sash. And as he laid hands on the great silver behemoth - Dracon — the rest of the warriors looked on. He lifted his piercing blue eyes and placed them unto the rest of the clan. While the race bowed down to him prepared for their fate, his outstretched palms conjured up a powerful life orb which absorbed the breath out of everyone in the conclave, using their energies to build up his own clout, his own life force. The sacrificed Clan would rise again from the ashes of their newly chosen warrior but for now they all fell as would the sinners and the demented.

And for the Valde Proeliator, no one would be a part of his journey now. No one would be his pillar of support. On his own and towards the unknown he set flight upon his beast — towards his destiny and towards the world that he would seek to conquer.

Lymphoma: Cell related cancer..

2010-09-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

Lymphoma is a type of cancer involving cells of the immune system, called lymphocytes. Just as cancer repre sents many different dis eases, lymphoma represents many different cancers of lymphocytes -about 35 dif ferent subtypes, in fact.

Definition and description Lymphoma is a group of cancers that affect the cells that play a role in the immune system and primarily represents cells involved in the lymphatic system of the body.

The lymphatic system is part of the immune system. It consists of a network of vessels that carry fluid called lymph, similar to the way that the network of blood vessels carries blood throughout the body. Lymph contains white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes attack a variety of infectious agents as well as many cells in the precancerous stages of development.

Lymphocytes recognise infectious organisms and abnormal cells and destroy them. There are two major subtypes of lymphocytes: B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes also referred to as cells and T cells.

Causes The exact caus es of lymphoma are not known. Several factors have been linked to an increased risk of n developing lymphoma, but e it is unclear what role they play in the actual develops ment of lymphoma. These . risk factors include the folf lowing -d y · Age: Generally the risk of d Non-Hodgkins Lymd phoma increases with adh vancing age. Hodgkins s Lymphoma in the elderly is associated with a poorer f prognosis than that obs served in younger patients.

Infection with HIV e · Infection with Epsteind Barr virus (EBV), one of the etiologic factors in mononucleosis.
Infection with Helicobac ter pylori, a bacterium that lives in the digestive tract.
Infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus medical conditions that compromise the immune system.
Autoimmune disease.
Diseases requiring im mune suppressive thera py.
Inherited immunodefi ciency diseases.
Exposure to toxic chemi cals.
Farm work or an occupa tion with exposure to cer tain toxic chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, or benzene and/or other solvents.
Black hair dye · Genetics: Family history of lymphoma.

The presence of these risk factors does not mean a person will actually develop lymphoma.

Symptoms Often, the first sign of lymphoma is a pain less swelling in the neck, under an arm, or in the groin. Lymph nodes or tissues elsewhere in the body may also swell. The enlarged lymph node some times causes other symptoms by p r e s s i n g against a vein or lymphati v e s s e (swelling of an arm or leg), erve (pain numbness, or tingling), o the stomach (early feeling o fullness). Enlargement of th spleen may cause abdomi nal pain or discomfort. Man have no other symptoms.

Symptoms may include · Fevers · Chills · Unexplained weight loss · Night sweats · Lack of energy · Itching Diagnosis If a person has swelling o symptoms described in the symptoms section, his/her health-care provider will ask many questions about the symptoms. These questions are followed by a thorough examination.

If, after an initial interview and examination, the health-care provider suspects a patient may have lymphoma, the patient will undergo a series of tests designed to provide further clarification. At some point in this, the patient will likely be referred to a specialist in blood diseases and cancer (haematologist/oncologist).

Blood tests or biopsy are run for the patient. If there is no palpable mass in the presence of persistent symptoms, imaging studies will likely be carried out in order to determine whether a mass is present and, if so, how then to direct a biopsy.

Treatment The vast majority of cancer patients receive ongoing care from oncologists but may in fact be referred to more than one oncologist should there be any question about the disease. Patients are always encouraged to gain second opinions if the situation so warrants this approach. Treatment for lymphoma depends on the type and stage.

Standard first-line therapy (primary therapy) for lymphoma includes radiation therapy for most early-stage lymphomas, or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. For later-stage lymphomas, chemotherapy is primarily used, with radiation therapy added for control of bulky disease. Biological therapy, or immunotherapy, is being used in addition to or as an alternative to these standard therapies.

Prevention There is no known way to prevent lymphoma. A standard recommendation is to avoid known risk factors.

However, some risk factors for lymphoma are unknown, and therefore impossible to avoid. Infection with viruses such as HIV, EBV, and hepatitis are risk factors that can be avoided.

The invisible Solitary Man...

2010-09-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Said Michael Douglas, star of the Solitary Man, "I like to flirt with that grey area not overtly being heroic or a villain. Just being human."

And Douglas brings humanity to an exceedingly difficult role that could get him an Oscar in an independent film. It shows you that the higher you are, the harder you fall until at the end you are invisible. People who once knew you don't return your calls; others are too busy to see you. He tries to cheat aging by chasing younger and younger women but as a character says to him, "You can't cheat death no matter how many 19-year-olds you talk into your bed".

Douglas's character Ben Kalman, once a reasonable celebrity as `New York's honest car dealer', has seen it all -the heights of fame, the depths of anonymity. Still charming, good-looking, still persuasive, he is invisible because now down on his luck, no one knows him.

Says Roger Ebert, "He isn't solitary by choice but by default. He cheated on his good wife Nancy (Susan Sarandon).

He disappointed their daughter, Susan (Jenna Fischer) one time too many. He cheats on his current companion, Jordan (Mary-Louise Parker), in a particularly unforgivable way. He uses charm and the offer of his experience in life to charm Daniel Cheston (Jesse Eisenberg), a college student, and then betrays him. He has lied to his customers so often that, as everyone knows, `Honest Ben Kalman' spent time behind bars.

Yet he's charming and persuasive. He looks like a winner until you look too close. Solitary Man follows him for several days after he agrees to ac company Jordan's daughter, Allyson (Imogen Poots), as she goes for a college interview.

This is the same school he attended. He knows the dean, which may be a help.

You want to like Ben. He works on encouraging that.

When he was younger and less of a sinner, he must have been good to know, and there's an effective character in Solitary Man who suggests that. This is his old buddy Jimmy (Danny DeVito), who still runs a greasy spoon diner. On campus, Ben befriends the naive Cheston with man-of-the-world advice about sex, success and how to sell yourself. With women, Ben's approach is solicitous: Do some men misunderstand you? Are your qualities recognised? What are you getting out of the transaction?

The film is all about Ben Kalman, but one of the strengths of Michael Douglas' performance is that he isn't playing a character. He's playing a character who is playing a character. Ben's life has become performance art. You get the feeling he never goes offstage. He sees few women he doesn't try seducing. As a car dealer, he was also in the seduction trade. His business was selling himself at a dealership. What about in life when you need a recall?

What happens with Ben and the people in his life, especially the women, I should not hint at here. The movie depends on our fascination as we see what lengths this man will go to.

Solitary Man is a serious comedy, perceptive, nuanced, with every supporting performance well-calibrated to demonstrate to Ben that he can run but he can no longer hide.

Here is one of Douglas' finest performances. Because the other characters, no matter what they think, never truly engage Ben, he's on that stage by himself. Everyone else is in the audience. Douglas plays Ben as charismatic, he plays him shameless, he plays him as brave, and very gradually, he learns to play him as himself.

That's the only role left."

Simplicity Matters...

2010-09-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Simplicity is the finest way of living life. Simplicity implies beauty, purity and clarity. Who doesn't love a simple man? In fact, they are the ones who are adored and wanted by all. Simplicity denotes truth. It is the theme of Christian religion. According to St.Thomas Aquinas, even God is infinitely simple. Simplicity is the greatest ornament of man. It adds to his charm, personality and popularity.

Simplicity matters a lot in everything. A reader gets more fascinated towards the book due to its simplicity in writing and presentation. According to E. F Schumacher, any fool can make things complicated, but it requires a genius to make things simple. The beautiful element of clarity comes along with the simplicity of the lan guage. People mostly try to avoid reading extra long paragraphs that are full of exaggerations. A nice few short words make the sentences simpler for the writer as well as the reader.

Simplicity is the inevitable part of perennial wisdom that is promoted by many great thinkers and visionaries.

Although sometimes people think simplicity means a kind of `hair-shirt', simple dressing lifestyles, but they are not the core point. Simplicity is a positive quality; when things are simple they are well-made, they last forever,they are made with pleasure and they give pleasure when used. According to Leonardo da Vinci, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Simplicity requires fewer egos and more imagination, less complication and more creativity, less glamour and more gratitude, less attention to ap pearance and more attention to essence.

Simplicity is the greatest treasure.

The value of the greatest achiever goes higher due to his simplicity. In all, manner, character, the supreme excellence is simplicity. There is a saying that beauty lies in simplicity. A woman looks more beautiful when she is simple. The outer make ups is temporary beauty but it soon fades away. In the same way, a man is good,adorable when his simplicity is at his best. People don't like those who are proud and loud. And successful people are those who always bow down whatever height they have reached. It is a fact that all fruit trees always bow down when laden with fruits.

So, simple living high thinking is the best way to live our life. So, let's be simple and be a model to others.

Reasons to love life...

2010-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Too often we find more reasons to hate our life than to love it. And you know what? If you continue life will hate you back. Here are some reasons to love your life. This will not only help you love your life but also teach to take life easy and find more reasons to love it more.

· Love your life for everything you already have

· Love your life for what you are yet to receive

· Love your life for all your certainties

· Love your life for the friends you have ·

· Love your life for the wonderful journeys you had ·

· Love your life for the friends you will get ·

· Love your life for all the bad advice you didn't fol low

· Love your life for your beautiful memories

· Love your life for the ones you love

· Love your life for the ones you forgot, as they are still to enrich your life

· Love your life for the work you do, as this is your gift to the others

· Love your life for the jokes you still wait to hear

· Love your life for the beau tiful travels you are still to make

· Love your life for every thing you are not sure about, as it will still challenge your being

· Love your life for all the beautiful sunrises you remember

· Love your life for all the fantastic sunsets you still recall

· Love your life for tomorrow's sunrise

· Love your life for all the beauty you can spot around you

· Love your life for the riddles you haven't yet solved

· Love your life for all your victories · Love your live for all the good advice you followed

· Love your life for all your lost battles, as they are your precious lessons

· Love your life for your enemies, as they are there to give birth to you forgiveness

· Love your life for all the ambitious goals you've set

· Love your life for your energetic mornings

· Love your life for your romantic evenings

· Love your life for the life rediscovered through the eyes of your children

· Love your life for the smell of the rain

· Love your life for the gifts you still have to make

· Love your life for all the games you haven't yet played

· Love your life for all the great ideas you had today ·

· Love your life for all the great ideas you will have tomorrow ·

· Love your life for yester day's memories, they are there to enlight you ·

· Love your life for all the nice words you haven't yet said to your loved ones ·

· Love your life for all the nice words you heard from your loved ones

· Love your life for all the nice people you haven't yet met

· Love your life for all the books you haven't yet read

· Love your life for the feel ing of your heart overflow ing with love

· Love your life for all your unfulfilled dreams as you will have plenty of time to make them true

· Love your life for the per sonal freedom you conquered

· Love your life for all the beauty inside you, waiting yet to be discovered

· Love your life for all the wonderful music you've heard so far

· Love your life for the all the unexpected changes of your plans

· Love your life for all the fights you avoided

· Love your life for every single second, as this is all you have, only this infinite second.

A Tree Story...

2010-09-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

She stands there in my garden, beautiful and grand, spreading her branches out as far as she can to give shade and fruit. For almost seventy years she has been the pear tree that was the envy of all who came to visit us. The garden was attractive indeed, but the pear tree held a special place for those visitors and relatives who had the privilege of hearing or witnessing real-life experiences that centered around her.

As kids, we came home from school in Darjeeling once a year for three months during the winter season. There was always the excitement and anticipation about sitting around the clay makkal on the warm floor of the common family room and listening to stories about spirits and ghosts that supposedly lived around the tree.

On those cold winter nights, my mother made it a point that after supper, we sisters sit in a small circle with the makkal in the middle—close enough to be warm and comfortable. So it was a discipline that we maintained each winter. My mother would pour glycerin into our hands followed by some drops of lemon. We would then rub the palms of our hands together, place our hands over the glowing fire and rub our faces and neck with the potion which would prevent our faces from chapping. It was almost like the “happy hour” that I and my friends often enjoy talking about—things that range from politics to spiritualism!

My mother who by then would have chatted with us, heard our enthusiastic and lengthy tales about school, the nuns, events, etc. would leave us happy that we were progressing well in studies, that we loved school and were excited to be home.

Then began our happy hour as Badi, the stately lady who was the focal character of our household, told tales about the saga of the pear tree. Widowed in childhood, Badi left her home in the mountains, as many young Brahmin widows did in those days, and descended to Kathmandu. We never asked her details about her life then as we did later, but knew that she was no maid in our house but a part of the family who jealously guarded every bit of the premises. And there was Hari, a young cook, who would sit with us at times confirming and reconfirming those eerie tales about the white khyaks (ghosts) that slipped in and out of the trunk of the pear tree in the dead of night.

We looked on, wide-eyed, listening to these tales and digested every bit because we had been used to hearing stories about those kichkandees—female witches, beautifully charming and cunning—who lured men, chased them and destroyed them. Such stories about those witches with flowing hair, heels in front of the foot and toes behind, went around Darjeeling like wildfire and names of men, often love-lorn students who studied till the late hours of the night became victims, obsessed by these vivacious witches who sucked their blood and turned them into skeletons till they withered away and died.

Hari, the cook, full of wit and energy, would swear that these white, child-like, male, luminous ghosts floated out of the tree trunk every night and skirted the compound only to return and slip back inside the trunk. And sensing our fear as we clutched each other’s hands, as if never to let go, he said there was no need to be afraid. These were the good ones who were harmless and had the power to bring joy, health and wealth The black Khyaks were to be feared as a bad omen, for they had brought about illness, bankruptcy and death amongst many families. And so these stories were confirmed by our immediate neighbours as well as the milkman, the vegetable walla, the big stout halwai, the sahuji, the nagini—the local manicurist, and our even our conservative next-door neighbours who looked upon my parents with great awe and curiosity, unable to fathom how they remained poised and content with seven daughters on their heads and no son! It was whispered in the neighbourhood that the compound was blessed by these khyaks that bestowed such calm and quiet.

The pear tree and her inmates knew it all. The wise spirits had seen the struggles and the challenges so that any visitor to the house went away with great admiration for my parent’s contentment, zeal and forward vision.

The years rolled by and the bungalow with the pear tree fell into my lot. My curiosity about the angelic ghosts remained and many a night I circled the tree, listening to the faint ruffling sounds inside the tree trunk which, with time, has become hollow. The khyaks are now accompanied by a naga (serpent) that stealthily makes a dutiful round of the premises and slides back into the trunk. It has been many years now—ghost and man have learned to live in peace and the pear tree, so old and weary will one day, I’m sure, open it’s secret about the good little khyaks and the gracious naga.

That will happen soon enough, for the tree is tired, her branches no longer sway gently in the wind as before but threaten to snap at the slightest use of force. The ugly crows have become territorial, snapping at other birds that dare chirp on her branches. The pears have shriveled in size and number. Wriggly worms are regular visitors. Yet she does not give up!

And as long as she clings on so dearly to life so will the ghosts who have been her companions.

The evening comes on with a gush of wind followed by dusk when all is quiet. I watch, earnestly waiting to witness the comings and goings of these spirits and to listen to the sweet rustlings within the hollow of the tree. I have not been fortunate enough to see them but have heard their sweet music and know that someday, a treasure hunt awaits me when the pear tree reveals her secrets and how she mesmerised her little friends to grant us those blessings. The naga is rarely seen—but is still believed to be there.

Meanwhile my fears have turned into strength with a tenacity of—Come what may! The legacy of the pear tree will continue—the music may change but the spirit will live on.

Loneliness, anger and Greenberg....

2010-08-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

What Ben Stiller was born to act

I remember Mother Teresa telling me on her return from the West — “It’s easy to deal with the poverty of the East.

Feed a person and you give them some happiness, but the poverty of the West, which is loneliness and an inability to communicate, I don’t know how to cope with that.” At the core, Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is lonely and his inability to reach out to others makes him angry and unbearable to the people he’s trying to come to terms with.

Noah Baumbach, who makes formidable films like The Squid and the Whale about a family torn apart by a divorce with no one, not even their children to help them, is an authority on the Western mode of loneliness, isolation, anger and all the other symptoms of being alone.

Says my guru Roger Ebert, “When you’re angry with the world and yourself to the same degree, you’re running in place. It takes a great deal of energy. You lash out at people. It all takes place in your head. After a time, people give up on you.

“That’s Roger Greenberg. I never knew who Stiller was born to play, but now I do. I don’t mean he is Greenberg, but that he makes him a convincing person and not a caricature. Greenberg was once, years ago, part of a rock band on the brink of a breakthrough. He walked away from it, stranding his bandmates, and never explained why. He fled Los Angeles and became a carpenter in New York.

“He’s been struggling. There has been some sort of vague period in an institution. Now he’s returned to LA to house-sit his brother’s big home and look after the dog. He can live alone no more successfully than with others. He calls Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), his brother’s family assistant, who knows where everything is and how everything works.

And the dog knows her.

“Florence is someone we know. A bright, pleasant recent college grad uate for whom the job market has no use. We see her interacting with the family of Greenberg's brother; she does all the planning for them she should be doing for herself. In a more conventional movie, Florence would be the love interest, and Greenberg would be fated to marry her. But Florence isn’t looking for a man. She just broke up. ‘I don’t want to go from just having sex to sex to sex,’ she says. ‘Who’s the third ‘sex’?’ asks Greenberg. ‘You.’ Greenberg treats her badly. When they end up having sex, and they do, it’s like their right hands don’t know what heir left hands are doing. “He has a reunion with a former bandmate, Ivan (Rhys Ifans), a calm Brit, troubled by a trial separation, happy enough to see Greenberg and help him if he can.

But Ivan is worried that Greenberg still doesn’t understand how he crushed the dreams of his bandmates. Then there’s Beth (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who Greenberg once loved and was loved by. She has moved on in her life. She has a family.

“The important relationship is the one between Greenberg and Florence. She’s happy when she has a purpose. She wishes she had a direction in life but can be happy enough in the moment. It’s as if when Greenberg moves a little in the direction of happiness, he gets jealous because that draws attention away from his miserable uniqueness. People driven to be constantly unique can be a real pain in the ass.

“We can’t stand Greenberg. But we begin to care about him.” That’s how good Ben Stiller is.

Compassion personified..... Mother Teresa

2010-08-28T01:57:00.000-07:00

"By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus." CENTENARY BIRTH

ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICON OF PEACE, LOVE AND HUMANITY

A woman of small built with rock like faith and insurmountable com passion became the only hope for the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for. The mother of the poor is known all over the world as Mother Teresa. She started each day in communion with Jesus in the Eucharist and then went out, rosary in her hand, to serve those who needed love the most.

Through her life and labour, Mother Teresa showed the world the joy of loving, the greatness and dignity of every human, the value of little things done faithfully with love, and the surpassing worth of friendship with God. Early realisation This God’s gift to humanity was born on August 26, 1910, in Albania as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu — the youngest child of Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu. At 12, she felt strongly the call of God. Agnes decided to become a Catholic nun to spread the message of love and compassion in the world.

In 1928, she became a Catholic nun and changed her name to Teresa. She later joined the Irish order ‘The Sisters of Loretto’. She was sent to Calcutta in 1929 to carry out missionary work. She was appointed a teacher at St Mary’s High School. Sister Teresa became Mother Teresa on May 24, 1937, when she made final Profession of Vows to become the ‘Spouse of Jesus for Eternity’. In 1944, she was became the Principal of the school.

Epitome of selfless service The condition of poor people outside the convent made a deep impact on her and she decided to serve the destitute. On August 17, 1948, she dressed for the first time in her trademark white, blue-bordered sari and passed through the gates of Loreto convent to enter the world of the poor. She was granted permission from her superiors to serve the poor slum dwellers. Although she had no funds, it was her determination that kept her going. With strong faith on Divine Providence, she started an open-air school for slum children. She was joined by volunteers. Financial assistance started pouring in.

Mother Teresa’s work was not limited to teaching the poor children; she also educated the adults. In the slums of Calcutta, she noticed a lack of basic facilities, such as hospitals and clinics. After a short course with the Medical Mission Sisters in Patna, Mother Teresa returned to Calcutta and found temporary lodging with the Little Sisters of the Poor. On December 21, she went for the first time to the slums. She visited families, washed the sores of children, cared for an old man lying sick on the road and nursed a woman dying of hunger and TB. Growing recognition On October 7, 1950, she re ceived permission from the Holy See to start her own order, `The Missionaries of Charity', whose primary task was to love and care for people nobody was ready to look after. In 1965 the Society be came an International Religiou Family by decree of Pope Paul VI.

The group soon started a facility where people, who were dying on the streets, were brought and taken care of. The service inspired people to join the noble cause and donate funds. Mother Teresa used the donations and thousands of missionaries who had joined her, for the establishment of several centres for needy people of the world. By the early 1960s, Mother Teresa began to send her Sisters to other parts of India.

The Decree of Praise granted to the Congregation by Pope Paul VI in February 1965 encouraged her to open a house in Venezuela. It was soon followed by foundations in Rome and Tanzania and, eventually, on every continent. Her inspiration was not limited to those with religious vocations. She formed the Co-Workers of Mother Teresa and the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers, people of many faiths and nationalities with whom she shared her spirit of prayer, sacrifice and her apostolate of humble works of love. In 1980, she started Homes for people suffering from various incurable diseases, prostitutes, drug addicts and orphans. One of her most significant works was the establishment of centre for AIDS patients in 1985.

The Missionaries of Charity was officially recognised as an International Association on March 29, 1969. Last years During the last years of her life, despite facing several health problems, Mother Teresa continued to serve the poor and needy and work for her Society and Church. By 1997, Mother Teresa’s Sisters numbered nearly 4,000, working in about 610 foundations in 123 countries across the world. Her newly-elected successor was appointed the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity in March 1997. After meeting Pope John Paul II, she returned to Calcutta, where she spent her last weeks receiving visitors and giving instructions to her Sisters.

She departed from this world on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87. On October 19, 2003, Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa. The beatification, which took place in Rome, marked the first step of her sainthood.

BLOODY TRAIL OF diamonds...

2010-08-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

In September 1997, supermodel Naomi Campbell was woken up by few men at Nelson Mandela's house in Cape Town and presented with a pouch which in Campbell's word consisted of few "very small, dirty looking stones".

These very dirty stones have become fundamental evidence at the war crimes trial of the former Liberian president Charles Taylor at Hague.

Taylor is alleged to have been rewarded with conflict diamonds from Sierra Leone in return for helping the rebel forces there. What is conflict diamond?

The United Nations (UN) defines conflict diamonds as "...diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognised governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council."

Rough diamonds produced in such areas are sold by the rebel forces to purchase arms or to fund their military action. The problem is most severe in Africa.

Many people are killed in the pursuit of conflict diamonds, including mine workers who are forced to smuggle diamonds out to support growing families or pay off individuals who have threatened them. These are often produced through the forced labour of men, women and children. Billions of dollars have been gained from the sale of these war diamonds, leading to death tolls which are estimated to be in the millions.

They are also stolen during shipment or seized by attacking the mining operations of legitimate producers.

These attacks are of large military operation. The stones are then smuggled into the international di amond trade and sold as legitimate gems. Arms merchants, smugglers and dishonest diamond traders often enable these rebels' actions. Enormous amounts of money are at stake and bribes, threats, torture, and murder are modes of operation. This is why the term `blood diamonds' is used. Coming to light Blood diamonds captured the world's attention during the extremely brutal conflict in Sierra Leone in the late 1990s. During this time, conflict diamonds represented approximately 4 per cent of the world's diamond production. Illicit rough diamonds have also been used by rebels in other African countries.

The diamond lure Diamonds have also been used by terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda to finance their activities and for money-laundering purposes. For terrorist organisations, diamonds are viewed as an ideal currency.

The difficulty in tracking and monitoring diamonds makes it very easy to slip a blood diamond into legiti mate diamonds. Some times a blood diamond may be traded directly for weapons, to reduce the traceability of the transac tion. In other cases, the dia monds may be exchanged for currency of various na tions, often deposited into bank accounts outside the nation of origin.

The global resolution In May 2000 major dia mond trading and produc ing countries, representa tives of the diamond indus try, and NGOs met in Kimberley, South Africa, to establish an international diamond certification scheme known as the Kimberley Process.

Under the scheme all diamonds traded by member countries are certified so that buyers can be sure they are conflict-free.

In December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting the creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds.

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) came into existence in November 2002. The KPCS imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as `conflict-free' and prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate trade.

The KPCS entered into force in 2003, when participating countries started to implement its rules.

As of November 2008, there were 49 members, representing 75 countries, with the European Community and its Member States counting as an individual participant. KP members account for approximately 99.8 per cent of the global production of rough diamonds.

Under the terms of the KPCS, participating states must meet `minimum requirements' and must put in place national legislation and institutions; export, import and internal controls; and also commit to transparency and the exchange of statistical data. Participants can only legally trade with other participants and international shipments of rough diamonds must be accompanied by a KP certificate guaranteeing that they are conflict-free.

Dreams reality......

2010-08-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

There are two different worlds. When one ceases the next starts, when one closes its eyes, the other opens up. The landscape changes, everything appears to be monochromatic. Some hazy images revolve around your mind and you keep deciphering them involuntarily. Disconnection becomes so very relevant. The world of subconscious is different. It’s strange but you never realize its weirdness till you jump back to the other world - the four dimensional landscape.

Things are different after you close your eyes. Every night someone tries to narrate a disjointed tale. Every night you become a passive observer. You see known faces, you see people whom you must have encountered or seen for a brief time. Your closed eyes makes you see those faces that you forget to see in your reality. The world after you sleep is so surreal. You see graffiti, you fly, you fall from a tall cliff, and you try to run from gun shots, you fall, you struggle to move, and you freeze. The sepia-coloured imageries speak something to you but you struggle to interpret the hidden sense.

You keep walking through a never ending aisle. Sometimes the scenes changes drastically. You see people swimming inside an aquarium; you fight and scream and you see flashing faces. Nothing is constant in that world, nothing is even. The detachment and absurdity evolves, the surrealism settles down. The colour of your dreams are sometimes blue, sometimes it’s grey. Sometimes you just get into it. You start participating with those floating images, you never realise that it was a dream till you open your eyes. Sometimes you feel glad to wake up after a nightmare and sometimes you feel cursed to face the reality. You see 1000 faces, you travel through unknown places, and you meet lost friends. You cry in your dreams, you smile, you scream, you try to do everything inside a dream.

Recollecting your dreams makes you crazy while some lingers through out your life and you never realize their meaning.

The maze keeps annoying you. The hazy ideas and half told tales inside your dream-scape stimulate your mind to think about things that you seldom remember. There’s a hangover every dawn, sometimes they make you imagine and sometimes they just makes you spellbound. The floating imagery, those faces, those fleeting shadows make you speculate about the beauty and ugliness concealed inside a dream...

A Bitter Relationship....

2010-08-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Love, respect and trust lay the foundation of a relationship, and when any of these is shaken, it leaves life in the pangs of pain and disappointment. To break up isn't so easy as it sounds because when you decide to call it quits there is so much at stake that was once so special to the two of you. There are dreams of the future and memories of the past.

There is time, energy and emotions of years; there are smiles and tears. All this go in vain and lose their meaning.

Life suddenly seems go get entangled in a feeling that is hollow and dead.

But what is there is an instinct, a gut feeling, that forces you to get back to the same person despite all ifs and buts. What if, despite all the odds, you are keen to forget and forgive? Is it really possible to revive a broken relationship? Will the relationship be the same again; will you be able to build the same trust? The simple answer is: it is easier said than done.

Many say that no one ever died of a broken heart but when you are suffering from one, it sure doesn't feel that way.

Before you decide to nurse your ailing heart by going back to your beloved, it's imperative to analyze the reasons for the tiff. It may be breach of trust, mismatch of future dreams, clash of personality traits, and unreasonableness in possessive behavior of complete neglect or in many cases, due to societal pressure.

The most difficult to deal with is when you lose trust. When breach of trust is accompanied by an uncertain future of the relationship, when a clash of interests and dream is accompanied by parental disagreement, when overpossessiveness takes the form of diseased state, in all such circumstance, it's better to bear the burnt of a broken heart rather then compromise.

To go back to a sour relationship or to shun your one-time lover is completely your call. It is for you to decide which road to take. But in all circumstance one thing is sure: that it will take time for a relationship to prosper and get its original sheen back and to build that trust.

If you have enough patience and love for that someone special, then go and embrace your beloved before if gets too late. For other, if you are not sure then just ask yourself one question: do you really want to look back on a life of an unfulfilling and half-trusted relationship?

A WORTHY PRODIGY....

2010-08-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

SAM HAD SOMETHING I HADN'T SEEN BEFORE IN A GUY THAT AGE. THE VOICE, THE DEMEANOUR. BUT THE STUDIO WAS NERVOUS -- JAMES CAMERON ON WORTHINGTON I ALSO CARE THAT THE PUBLIC ARE GETTING THEIR $12 WORTH WHEN THEY GO TO A MOVIE, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT COMING OUT NOT WANTING TO EVER SEE A MOVIE WITH ME IN IT AGAIN. I DON'T CARE WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF ME AS A PERSON, BUT I DO CARE WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF MY WORK, AND WHETHER I'M INVESTING ENOUGH INTO IT (EMPIRE MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2006)

I didn't set out to be famous, if I'd wanted that, I would have gon on Big Brother orn on August 2, 1976 in Godalming, Surrey England, Samuel Shane Worthington moved to Perth, Australia when he was two months old.

Though it’s now hard to imagine him as anything other than a successful actor, Sam Worthington didn’t embrace the idea of pursuing a career in this particular field of arts until he was well into his twenties.

Having dropped out of school at 17, Worthington had been biding his time working a series of odd jobs. His path changed dramatically after he agreed to accompany a girlfriend to her audition for Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). While there, Worthington’s impulsive decision to audition proved successful as he found himself accepted to the prestigious school with a scholarship (his girlfriend, however, was denied entrance).

After learning the ins and outs of the acting craft during his stint at NIDA, he emerged hungry for work and subsequently began auditioning for roles with gusto. He spent the first few months of his fledgling career appearing in local stage productions, with his on-screen debut coming in 2000 with a small part in an episode of JAG. For the next several years, Worthington appeared in a variety of television shows and movies, including the 2002 Bruce Willis action Hart’s War and the 2002 Toni Collette/John Goodman comedy Dirty Deeds.

Worthington’s days of toiling in lowbudget Australian cinema are clearly over, given that he has clearly come a long way since making his cinematic debut with a role in 2000’s forgettable Aussie comedy Bootmen. It’s worth noting, however, that he has always been choosy in terms of deciding which roles to accept and which to turn down, as evidenced by a filmography that’s primarily dominated by a whole host of artistically challenging efforts — including 2004’s award-winning Somersault and the 2005 James Franco war flick The Great Raid.

He won AFI Award Best Actor in a leading role for Somersault.

His undeniable on-screen charisma and natural acting abilities have proved instrumental in his ascent to the top of Hollywood’s list of promising up-andcomers.

The year 2006 proved to be a particularly lucrative for this rising star as he took on the title role in a modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and landed a starring gig opposite Radha Mitchell and Michael Vartan in the 2007 horror flick Rogue. His reputation as one of Holly wood's most promising up-and-coming performers brought him to the attention of several high-profile directors, though it was James Cameron who ultimately cast him in his biggest production to date Avatar.

Cameron was so impressed with Wor thington's work that he suggested him to director McG for a role in Terminator Sal vation, and he soon found himself worke ing side-by-side with Christian Bale.

After almost a decade of roles in Aus tralian TV shows and films, Worthington gained Hollywood's attention by playing the role of Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation, the lead role as Jake Sully in the James Cameron directed mega block buster Avatar and Perseus in Clash of the Titans. Given that he's also at work on a drama co-starring Keira Knightley and Eva Mendes entitled Last Night, Worthington has clearly established himself as one of his generation's most prolific and flat-out talented performers.

The gamble paid When Worthington was around 30, he sold most of his possessions and ended up with around $2,000 to his name. He then purchased a car and lived in it for a period of time.

Before Avatar, the actor admits he was living in his car. He subsequently got a place to live following his successful audition and signing to the Avatar film project.

He has said that he will go wherever the work takes him and would "like to go on `Dancing with the Stars'." -Compiled by Supriya Rai • He won a scholarship to the John Curtin School of Performing Arts in Fremantle, WA • He was a finalist to play James Bond in Casino Royale before Daniel Craig was selected.

• He worked as a bricklayer before becoming an actor.

• He has blurred vision but he does not wear glasses.

• Aside from acting, the actor is a keen surfer.

• His favourite artists include Xavier Rudd and Bernard Fanning.

• Worthington was cast in Avatar after Jake Gyllenhaal and Matt Damon turned down the role.

• In 2009 he got his first Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Movie Fresh Face Male in Terminator Salvation.

• He was once described as one of Australia’s most likable young leading men by efilmcritic.com • Won the ‘GQ Man of the Year’ award in Australia in 2009, over Eric Bana and Russell Crowe.

The Transitional City.....

2010-08-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

IN A SYSTEM OF CONTINUALLY CHANGING STATES, THE ONLY CONSTANT IS THE PLAY OF FORCES, THE HUMANS IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

The Kali Gandaki river flows south from the Ti betan Plateau, cutting through the Himalayan range, flowing through the world's deepest gorge, flanked on either side by mountain massifs rising up several thousand metres. The gorge functions as a wind tunnel and the barren cliffs are eroded by the strong winds.

The settlements of Upper Mustang have to withstand harsh climates, intense solar radiation and a large fluctuation in temperature.

This region north of the Himalayas, lies in the rain shadow of the summer Monsoons. Settlements depend on water, which is scarce and when sources dry up, the settlements are moved to a more advantageous location. The eroded remains of the earthen walls of old settlements can be seen throughout Upper Mustang, blending in with the wind-beaten cliffs.

The mud structures are constantly subjected to the weather.

The sun and wind work their way into the surfaces and break them down into their natural forms.

Humans struggle against the persisting forces. Shelters are moulded out of the ochre -grey earth. Houses, fortresses and cities take on forms created as the fruits of civilisation, a cultural environment containing human activities. The balance between the wind and the mud walls exists so long as the human hand keeps up the modelling.

In a system of continually changing states, the only constant is the play of forces, the humans in close contact with the natural environment. What is the essence of the place? What is left when one takes away all the crumbling mud walls? What is it that gives the city its identity? Is it the city wall that one should try to preserve, or is it the Gompas, the Chhortens and the Palace that give the city its intrinsic aura? The city mirrors the state of the inhabitant’s mind. The structure of the dwelling fabric reflects the social structures. The position of the religious and political institutes corresponds to the centres of power and their relationship to the people. The edge of the city, the wall, shows us how this community interacts with its surroundings. Each part was created in response to natural, social, economic or political influences.

Today, this balance has shifted and change has washed away all those sensitive responses. The forces playing on the city and the values which formed the basis for planning decisions, both have undergone a major break from their original state — all the more reasons for the need to conserve these transitional cities.

Bring Home The Tourist...

2010-08-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

NEPAL'S HOSPITALITY TRAIT OF WELCOMING GUESTS INTO OUR HOMES NOW OFFERS ECONOMIC INCENTIVES

The trend of rural Nepalis opening their doors to travellers passing by their villages has been inculcat ed in our traditions and customs since time immemorial.

However, providing bed and breakfast or home stay for monetary gains is a fairly new concept in the country.

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) endeavours to make this hospitality trait an economically beneficial opportunity for Nepalis.

Home stay is a system where the local people accommodate tourists in their houses, with tourists paying for the services rendered. People living in any region, rural or urban, can offer home stay. Nonetheless, NTB has set certain criteria and standards to ensure quality for the guests. These include factors like a house should not have more than four rooms, with maximum two beds of standardised size of 6.5 feet x 3 feet in each room. A room should not accommodate more than two guests. The rooms should not be damp or have leaking roofs. The rooms should have cross ventilations, but should be far from cowsheds, especially in rural areas. The people offering home stay also need to have a first aid box handy.

Furthermore, one has to register their houses with the government authority and each community or district should have at least five houses registered to benefit from this programme. Those offering home stay should own the houses being offered for the service and one has to obtain a recommendation letter from the village development committee or the municipality to be eligible.

Keshab Man Amatya, president of Society of Consulting Architectural and Engineering Firms, Nepal opines, "Bathroom facilities are a sensitive issue. Foreigners are not familiar with Indian pans and will have difficulty using it. A commode is a fundamental necessity for them." Replacing an Indian pan with a com mode is fairly easy, as much renovation is not required. A basic white commode can be purchased for Rs 10,000 and can be replaced at minimum costs by plumbers.

Devendra Nath Gongal, architect and director of Multi Disciplinary Consultants also stresses on the requisite of high level of sanitation for people interested to offer home stay.

"We only have to maintain the standards on hygiene. Other changes are actually secondary and not really necessary, since home stays are cultural exchanges between the host and the guests," says Gongal.

In order to increase awareness about this campaign at rural areas, NTB has dispatched field experts, who not only orient locals about home stay possibilities but also provide technical courses and capacity building training to equip them to meet the basic standards required.

"The crash course lays emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene, as toilet system and facilities are the major problems in rural villages," explains Prachanda Man Shrestha, chief executive officer at NTB.

A NTB study conducted in 2010 revealed that there are 66,603 tourist beds available in 15 selected tourist sites in Nepal. Some major destinations incorporated in the study were Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini. This study also illustrated that there were 236 units of home stay houses available in the selected tourist destinations. "With the initiation of new services, we hope to increase the number to 1000 units by the end of Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011," says Shrestha. The aim of this campaign is to actively interlink local people with the tourism sector and provide a viable economic alternative for local people. It is an employment generator with the least investment of money and time. It has been promoted as one of the best means to experience the culture and customs of Nepal, which boasts of 103 ethnic compositions.

The prices for home stays are purely based on market forces -demand and supply. There is no intervention by other organisations. "Home stay is basically a relationship between hosts and guests," says Shrestha.

Sirubari, a Gurung village in Syangja district near Pokhara has adopted the home stay system. The village has now developed as a growing tourist destination, thereby increasing the living standards of the people and the village itself. "We are using Sirubari as an example and we hope to see similar progress in other villages as well," opines Shrestha.

NTB is marketing the concept in collaboration with the Tara Village Development Committee. Various promotional means like brochures, posters, media, travel agencies and websites have been utilised to promote the home stay campaign.

The A-Team

2010-08-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

THE TEAM THAT MEANS ACTION, BUT CRITICS DISAGREE

While my guru Roger Ebert calls The ATeam an incomprehensible mess with the 1980s TV show embedded inside, and then uses examples, “I found my attention wandering to the subject of physics. The ATeam has an action scene that admirably demonstrates Newton’s Third Law, which instructs us that for every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.

The movie illustrates this as the heroes fall from an exploding airplane while inside an armoured tank. As the tank hurtles to the ground (cf. Newton’s Law of Gravity), the team leader, Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), looks out an opening and barks out commands for the tank’s gun. I am paraphrasing: ‘Turn 45 degrees to the left! Fire! Twenty-five degrees to the right! Fire!’ In this way, he is able to direct the fall of the tank and save their lives. This is very funny."

But Brian Salisbury says, "Instead of assaulting us with non-stop action and then having the audacity to mask itself as being high art, The A-Team embraces just how ludicrous the action sequences are and makes absolutely no apologies for it.

That's not to say, though, the movie has nothing to offer beyond the explosions and mid-air collisions. In fact, what makes The A-Team such a damn good film is the clever underscore that complements every moment of mesmerising destruction.

Joe Carnahan, along with the other writers, gives us moments that subtly poke fun at the outlandishness of what we are seeing.

Carnahan recognised that, given the tone of both the series and his last film (Smokin' Aces), the action scenes needed to flow uninterrupted, and here it's very streamlined, only pausing briefly to give us hilarious interactions between the larger-than-life characters before diving head-first back into the explosive fray.

Until the very end of the film, each plan is carried out before our eyes as it is being hashed out to neutralise any lacking in the pace. It would be easy to then accuse The A-Team of being frontloaded, given the slow build to the final sequence, but I would argue that is merely a nod to the evolution of Face's character as a leader and that it never really loses steam.

What really sells this film, however, is its cast. Like the original quartet of chaos, each actor brings something fantastic to the table.

Bradley Cooper, as Face, has that inescapably charming swagger and confidence we have come to expect from him; Neeson, unsurprisingly, is the perfect blend of inthe-trenches badass and cool-as-ice leader. Even Rampage Jackson, in the role made famous by a guy donning the entire payload of Ft Knox around his neck (that’d be Mr T), turns in a respectably tough performance with a few moments of decent hubris. But it’s Sharlto Copley who really steals the show as Howlin’ Mad Murdock. True to his character’s moniker, Copley cranks up the lunacy and plays Murdock with a hilariously reckless abandon that mirrors the tone of the entire film.” My own opinion and, I am allowed one, is that The ATeam was written by one of my favourite thriller authors, Stephen Cannell whom I dote on who despite dyslexia not only has written hit after hit TV shows but hit after hit books. You are advised not to smoke Hannibal Smith’s cigars or go over the top like Copley or wear a Mohawk like Jackson otherwise have a ball even if you don’t understand what’s going on which I didn’t, sticking to the basic principle of, it moves fast, it’s in colour and lots of thing go boom.

Snuggle Up...

2010-08-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

A hug is a silent acknowledgment of your appreciation and understanding of your partner. A hug can communicate a thousand words, when words would otherwise fail. When you couple this with the added well-known benefits of physical touch, it is easy to see why the underrated hug can do wonders for any couple. Make it a point to include hugging in your everyday life; by doing so, you will show your partner that you value their intimacy as well as their companionship. Below you will find 20 ways to get you started!

The Best Hug-Filled Opportunities

■ In the bath together.

■ On a blanket while watching the stars.

■ In bed, before you get up for the day.

■ While waiting in line together.

■ When you greet or say goodbye to each other.

■ In the shower together.

■ On the spur of the moment just because you love them.

■ While reading a book together.

■ Unexpectedly, when your partner is on the phone.

■ In the back of the car at a drive-in movie.

■ After your partner has done something you appreciate.

■ During a romantic picnic.

■ When your partner is upset about something.

■ While watching a movie.

■ In a cozy booth at an intimate restaurant.

■ When your partner gets out of the bath or shower.

■After a play wrestling match.

■On a cold winter's night in bed or in front of the fire.

■Before giving them a token of your love such as a flower, love poem, etc.

Positive Reinforcement

■IF YOU ARE THE HUGGER: Tell your partner why you are hugging them.

■IF YOU ARE BEING HUGGED: Share why you enjoy being hugged with your partner.

On Hugging...

■"Hugging is the ideal gift. Great for any occasion, fun to give and receive, shows you care, comes with its own wrapping and, of course, is fully returnable. Hugging is practically perfect. No batteries to wear out, inflation-proof, nonfattening, no monthly payments, theft-proof and nontaxable." --Source Unknown

■"A hug overcomes all boundaries. It speaks words within the mind that cannot be spoken."--Submitted by Buzz

■"A silent hug means a thousands words to the unhappy heart."--Source Unknown

■"My favorite place to be is inside of your hugs where it's warm and loving."--Submitted by Haslinda Haniff

Cloud Gazing.....Part 2

2010-08-05T03:46:00.000-07:00

“No.” She shook her head slightly as she glared at him with eyes that accused him of an uncommitted crime. “No, it won’t fade, it will never fade…this won’t go away, Michael, no matter how much you will it to. You did this to me, don’t you understand that? After everything I said to you, after everything…all the tears, all the arguments…you went and did it anyway. And I hate you for that, I hate you for ignoring me and for not loving me enough to stay…but most of all I hate you because…because I can’t help but forgive you.” Her tears were uncontrollable now, streaming down her face, blurring her vision, cracking her voice- but now she didn’t care. Now all that mattered were the words she’d finally thrown into the air between them, breaking the window that had separated them for so long.

He stared at her for a few moments, seemingly unaffected by her outburst. “You know why I did what I did. Lily, you should know why I went, why I had to go. But you should also know that every step that I took away from you was like a dagger through my heart. I didn’t go because I didn’t love you enough, baby, I love you more than you could ever imagine…but that” he gestured to the chain in her hand “was a part of my life, just as much as you were. It was something I had to do.”

They lapsed back into silence for a few moments, their gaze still as one. It was almost as though nothing had changed, as though they were together again. But it wasn’t. Everything wasn't as it once was. Everything hadn't returned to those perfect days when they'd watched the sky together and talked until there was nothing left to say. In place of the openness they'd once shared had grown a haze- an unforgiving distance that lingered between them and refused to lift.

“I’m going to go. And so are you. And I’m not going to see you here again, right?” He looked at her as he stood up, raising his eyebrows.

“It’s not that easy. I can’t even look at the sky without remembering you.”

“Who said there was anything wrong with remembering? I want you to remember me, Lily…I just don’t want you to build your life around those memories.” He crouched down in front of her, looking at her with that stare that she could never avoid. “The sky can be our place. The place we watched when we spent our lives together…and the place I’ll be watching you from for the rest of your life. Like a guardian angel.” He grinned at her, reminding her of that conversation they’d had before he’d proposed.

A solitary new tear escaped her eye as she smiled back at him.

“So you won’t be back?”

She shook her head.

“Good.” He stood up. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” She started to laugh through her tears, and then in a blink he had vanished.

The familiar stab of anguish spread through her chest as she found herself alone again, and remembered that none of it was real. She stood up, kissing her fingers and pressing them against the headstone.

“Goodbye, Michael.”

She opened her fist slowly, staring at the numbers engraved on the tags that she’d memorised over the years. Rubbing her thumb across the metal, she felt that stupid little pinch of anger grab her once more at the idea of a man that meant so much being identified in such an impersonal way, and then she lay the chain down in front of the stone. As she turned to walk away she realised that the loneliness and sadness that had followed her for so long had finally disappeared. She wasn't alone. He was with her. He would always be with her. Her husband, her soulmate and her guardian angel. He was watching her from the clouds.

Cloud Gazing.....Part 1

2010-08-04T04:47:00.000-07:00

She sat alone in the field, the colours of the misplaced and mismatched flowers the only comfort she was offered in such a lonely, lifeless place. She lay her head back against the grass and let the sunlight dance on her lids, much as she had done every since the summer had fought its way through the rainy spring.

As her eyes eased open she began to watch the clouds floating by, trying desperately to see the beauty in them that she used to, searching for the figures amongst them that used to materialise so easily. But they didn’t come- they never did, not without him.

“Eiffel tower…haven’t seen one of those in a while.”

The voice, though sudden, didn’t startle her, and she propped herself up on her elbows to see a man staring up at a familiarly shaped cloud.

“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.” She smiled as he sat down, cross-legged as a child, in front of her and began pulling at the grass.

“I wish I could say that.” He looked at her sincerely as her smile wavered slightly.

She forced her own eyes away from his, feeling a colour rise to her cheeks as she transfixed them on her feet stretched out in front of her.

“You’re alone again, then?” He looked at the grass. “Not that I’m surprised…it has been three years.”

She remained silent, resenting what she knew he would say next.

“When are you going to move on from this, Lily? It’s been so long and it’s just…not healthy.” His voice was soft, but she knew without looking that his expression was serious and staid.

“I…I was clearing up the other day…trying to…erase some old memories and I found…” Her false cheery voice faded away, leaving her unable to name the item in question. Instead, she pulled it out from under the collar of her dress, lifting it over her neck and holding it out to him.

He stared blankly down at the metal chain in her hand, his expression unreadable.

“It’s yours.”

“I know.”

They both stared at the item that neither of them wanted; curious as to how something so small and insignificant could cause such a torrent of pain to whoever possessed it. Slowly she closed her fingers around it and brought her hand back down to the grass beside her.

“Do you…want to talk about it?” He tried

She began to laugh.

“What?”

“This is ridiculous…it’s so…so ridiculous I can’t help laughing…I mean, if I don’t laugh I know I’ll only end up crying or... or screaming…” gradually her laughter disappeared, and her eyes locked into his, making it impossible for the tears pricking at her eyes to stay where she wanted them to.

“Please, don’t cry.” He sat forward slightly, his arm lifting as though in reflex to wipe away her tears, but falling down again as he realised once more that things weren’t how they used to be- he couldn’t touch her like used to- he couldn't comfort her or even hold her. Everything was different…painful and different.

She brushed furiously at her tears, angry at herself for being weak. “You wouldn’t think that after four years I’d still well up like a baby at one wrong word.”

“It will fade.” He said confidently.

Read more in Part 2

Think Simple Living.....

2010-08-04T03:58:00.000-07:00

We often travel in the hope of reaching a destination or a summit and are ready to go miles before sleeping in course of time, in the words of Robert Frost. And, this is our destiny. Most of us are bound to face our fortune to cross several hurdles while travelling the new road. This might be our challenge, a serpentine and rough terrain, and this might be our kismet, a never ending journey of the pilgrim ordinary citizen aspiring to reach the final destination, to bathe in the holy water, to purify sins, stubbornness and shamelessness. Nevertheless, this might not be the case in contemporary Nepal, a country which could have been a paradise, but it is no better than a converted playground for sinners. Nepal has become a country of repulsive forces since a few years in the name of the so-called democratic exercise. This is not the democratic practice at all if I am not wrong in understanding democracy. To some extent, democratic exercise in substance is what is required for the overall development of the country where every citizen is granted the rights that matter. However, over a period of time democratic exercises not in substance only in form staged in the different forms of melodrama in the different segments has proved a curse for the country trying to march towards lasting peace and progress, an ordinary citizen’s destination.

Plots are being hatched by some in the name of drafting a new constitution, prime ministerial election and bringing the derailed development process into the right track. Framing a new constitution could have been done within the stipulated time, with the resolution of several contentious issues. Ambiguity prevails as to whether the ordinary citizen will have the new constitution within the revised schedule of the Constituent Assembly.

My realization is the outcome of facts. The aim is for happiness and prosperity. But, no one should be interested in the kind of happiness generated by earning through bribery, by hurting others, by making merry with the money of their corrupt father, by marrying for wealth only or by getting unfair success.

My idea of lasting happiness is confined to simple living and high thinking. The development model may vary even for that one goal.

"Beauty of a mother"

2010-07-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

The first time it happened, we're out walk ing: my little boy hold ing my left hand, his older sister on my right, and the baby, six weeks old, asleep in her snugly. We're still at the stage when my taking a shower seems like an accomplishment.

I haven't lost all the weight I gained while pregnant, it's been months since I had my hair highlighted to preserve the conceit that I remain as blonde as I was at 16, I look like I'm getting as little sleep as I am, and I am wearing a nursing bra? In short, not a glamorous moment.

Really, I-don't-need-anyoneto-tell-me-so, drop-dead beautiful. It has taken three children to deliver me to this state, this symmetry of boy on my left, girl on my right, and baby on my breast. Ridiculous, but as we f navigate the sidewalk I feel ra diant, as if I were wearing a dress encrusted with precious stones, reflecting the sun's light.

Wasn't I supposed to feel this way on the day I married my children's father? Photographs suggest I made an attractive bride, but I was so over whelmed by the momentous ness of the occasion that all I felt was scared, not at all sure I was equal to the promises I was about to make.

Perhaps it's all the fairy tales I've been reading with the older children. The princess is always beautiful, she anticipates the arrival of her prince and their union? The point of which is to make a prince or princess of their own.

My mother was 18 when I I was born, an event she associ t ated with stretch marks, vari cose veins, and the encum t brance of a baby she didn't f want? Not with beauty, not at all. What little power she had, she believed, in being desirable to a man, and I had stolen that from her. Tired, worn, perspir ing under the snugly straps, I wouldn't expect to feel even I presentable. But the consciousness of walking forward into life flanked by children is transforming, it is for someone like me, for whom motherhood has redeemed an unhappy past.

From this moment on, I never feel more beautiful than when I am with my children.

Perhaps we've just emerged from the car, rumpled, cross, covered with dog hair? Every mile spent together on the road undoes a minute of primping.

To visit the cousins: I might as well have skipped the shower, the mascara, the hairbrush.

Still, when we walk through the door, I'm smiling from something cosmetics can't deliver. It's the consciousness of my good fortune.

My husband took pictures of me holding our first child, we were in a garden. It was March 1990, and the light had the ten der quality of early spring, pulling forth pale green buds.

I'm not looking at the camera, the baby has all my attention.

Wow, I thought, when I saw those pictures? What a lovely face that woman has. It took 10 years, two more babies, and many more rolls of film before I understood, That's me. That's what I look like. I don't always beam at my children? What mother does? But when I do, I'm beautiful.

Facebook VS Google

2010-07-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Facebook, Google to battle over smarter web?

Google takes a step today toward lock ing horns with Facebook over creating a smarter web. The sultan of search announced it has acquired Metaweb, a fledgling outfit that's been working on packaging information on the internet so it can be searched and connected in more meaningful ways than nests of links.

"Over time we've improved search by deepening our understanding of queries and web pages," Jack Menzel wrote on the official Google blog. He went on to say, "The web isn't merely words -it's information about things in the real world, and understanding the relationships between real-world entities can help us deliver relevant information more quickly."

"Today," he adds, "we've acquired Metaweb, a company that maintains an open database of things in the world. Working together we want to improve search and make the web richer and more meaningful for everyone."

Noble sentiments, indeed. But what exactly is Menzel getting at? He's talking about being able to conduct searches that are closer to a scalpel than a jackhammer. He explains it this way: "Type `Barack Obama birthday' in the search box and see the answer right at the top of the page. Or search for [events in San Jose] and see a list of specific events and dates. We can offer this kind of experience because we understand facts about real people and real events out in the world.

But what about colleges on the west coast with tuition under USD 30,000 or actors over 40 who have won at least one Oscar? These are hard questions, and we've acquired Metaweb because we believe working together we'll be able to provide better answers." Google, though, isn't the only one looking for those answers. Facebook is looking for them, too. In the spring, it announced its Open Graph initiative.

Open Graph is also trying to tie together the far corners of the web into packages that can be more meaning ful to its users. "Yelp is mapping out the part of the graph that relates to small businesses," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly told an audience at the company's F8 developer's conference in April. "Pandora is mapping out the part of the graph that re lates to music. If we can take these separate maps of the graph and pull them all together, then we can create a web that's smarter, more social, more personalised, and more semantically aware."

In their quest for a more perfect web, though, it appears the two giants could be heading for a collision course over metadata. The metadata for Facebook's initiative could create a rival structure to what Metaweb has built, argues Kim-Mai Cutter at the Deals & More website. She adds, "Because Facebook has the `like' data recording the preferences of its 500 millions users, it could harness the metadata to create a compelling search product."

Needless to say, the prospect of a compelling search product from anyone but Google isn't going to make anyone at Google very happy.

Spider-Man Toxic City

2010-07-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

This brawler starring your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man offers evolved action...and clunky controls.

Side-scrolling brawler games and superheroes seem to be a perfect match. Superheroes are known for fighting their way through swaths of enemies, and having a game that constantly scrolls to one side sets up climactic super villain showdowns waiting on the other end of the level. And Spider-Man: Toxic City 3D is a very good side-scrolling superhero ac tion game.

You play as Spider-Man and must stop the Green Goblin from turning New Yorkers into hideous monsters. At times, you'll also play as Spidey's alter ego Peter Parker -without the costume -but with all the same moves, including the web slinging, which would be a dead giveaway if anyone from the Daily Bugle saw him. The game starts you off fighting street thugs, but you'll work your way up to mutants and killer robots quickly enough.

At the same time, the game tells a story about Peter and his love interest, Mary Jane Watson. Because you're off fighting monsters as Spider-Man, you'll miss a date to the school dance only to have more villains show up by the time you arrive. And in a humorous twist at the end, Mary Jane herself be comes instrumental in defeating the Green Goblin.

The environments in SpiderMan: Toxic City 3D are heroic in their own right. You'll climb up vertical surfaces and dodge falling barrels, as well as run across landscapes with a camera that swivels around you to show off the environments. Plus, the levels offer a good variety, from the school dance to a bank robbery in progress, ending with a big fight on top of the "Imperial State" building.

The game's real problem is that the controls are a bit too clunky.

You can't run and jump at the same time, and the aerial combat never feels quite right. As a result, you'll often find yourself keeping the notoriously acrobatic superhero grounded, relying on punches and kicks instead. Certain jumping segments are also a lot less fun because of the controls. Still, even though it's a short run, this brawler gives you plenty to do. You can unlock achievements, collect hidden comic books, and try to beat your best scores in survival and time attack modes.

What your handshakes says about you?

2010-07-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

Your handshake can reveal your person ality. Which of the following handshake style more closely resembles your personality?

1. Firm and brief Conveys confidence, assertiveness and professionalism. The person using this handshake is perceived to be trustworthy and willing to listen. A firm handshake provides opportunity for a favourable first impression, it suggests a person who is knowledgeable and possesses excellent social skills.

There may be circumstances where a woman's assertive behaviour can be misinterpreted as being too forward..

2. A real shake It indicates an open and outgoing person who has habit of being warm and pleasant to everybody. An overly eager handshake shows power, determination and the desire to remain in control of situations. If exaggerated, the handshake can make people appear inflexible and it can also reveal insecurity, a person who doesn't know when to quit.

3.The knuckle cruncher The knuckle cruncher usually wants to express a message of power and in timidation. For those peo ple who want to cover up their feelings of insecurity this handshake may be used to keep others at a dis tance..

There are also cases where the person is being sin cere. How ever while the inten tion may be to convey warmth, the impres sion creat d ed is definitely that of a per n son who is high strung and ke lacks sensitivity..

4.The lingering a e handshake o it Sometimes people keep a your hand in their hand for w too long and seem to not want to give it back. This may denote reliability and trustworthiness or it may suggest that the person hasn't revealed all of his/her cards. It may also mean that the person is expecting something more that what was agreed upon.

5. Light and brief fingertip grips Someone who is not interested in building rapport and wants to escape the greeting ritual as soon as possible.

This person is perceived to be passive and reserved, without the interest and energy required to complete people focused tasks. This type of handshake indicates a lacklustre personality and usually draws a lasting impression.

6. Use both hands It denotes an eagerness to convey a message. This is favourite handshake of politicians because it im plies a quick sincerity and intimacy. It is open to inter pretation whether the per son is trying to sell some thing that's not really there, or is someone who is gen uine and agreeable.

7.Teacup Like the claw of a lobster, the other person's thumb and fingers touch the palm of the hand and there is no palm-to-palm contact.

Timid and insecure, this person fears connecting at a deep level and may face challenges building rela tionships. This handshake indicates that the person may be hiding something.

8.Won't initiate a handshake This person will only re act to the other party's first move. In a case such as this, the person may be object ing to a situation, however if this behaviour is consistent, the person may be hesitant and reserved by nature.

9. Pat the other person's arm or shoulder May reveal a sense of su periority. Depending on the person's social position this handshake can be a sincere effort to show understand ing or it can be an attempt to belittle someone.

10.The stiff-arm thrust Keeping the arm close to the body while bending it at the elbow, this handshake is used by people who do not want to take risks. It can also act as a defence mechanism for people who feel a threat to their territory, and tends to be used by aggressive people who want to keep others at a distance.

READY FOR MONSOON'S SCARY SPELL..........

2010-07-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

Monsoon brings with it relief from scorching summer. But monsoons reduce the immunity of our body and make us susceptible to many diseases which are commonly associated with this season. It is time for us to keep our body resistant against diseases by boosting our immunity and taking precautions against these diseases. It is time we get our safeguards ready and gear ourselves up to face monsoon.

Water borne diseases Diseases that spread during monsoon are basically water borne and gastrointestinal infections such as cholera and typhoid. Diarrhoea and jaundice are also common. Accumulation of water on the roads promotes the growth of the mosquitoes causing malaria and dengue. Eye flu and infections of the foot are also observed in this season. Also diseases like dryness, spasmodic pain, high blood pressure, leptospirosis and conjunctivitis, gas formation and gastric disturbances occur frequently. Also one comes across cases of viral attacks and coughs and colds.

Causes: Contaminated surface water sources and large poorly functioning municipal water distribution systems contribute to transmission of waterborne bacterial diseases. Our body's intestinal and digestive system becomes weak during the rainy season, which makes us highly susceptible to all kinds of infections. Contamination of water and unhygienic conditions are very often the cause of many monsoon ailments. Skin conditions, asthma and arthritis also get aggravated because of excess humidity. Infection can result not only from drinking the water but also from swimming in the water where it can enter the body in other ways such as through broken skin. Waterborne disease is a huge health issue worldwide.

Gastro intestinal infections: People are prone to typhoid, diarrhoea and jaundice (hepatitis A and E). Cholera is infectious, and spreads as an epidemic on account of drinking contaminated water or eating unsafe food.

Viral infections: No illnesses are as common and as bothersome as the colds, flu, sore throats and the accompanying fevers. Monsoon witnesses a rapid rise in cases of viral infections as low temperature is ideal for the spread and growth of viruses.

Skin infections: Avoid walking bare feet as they may lead to diseases such as leptospirosis, which is rat urine borne disease. A lot of airborne and waterborne microbe circulate in the monsoon air. Wash your feet thoroughly in clean water, and keep them dry and clean. Shoes, socks and rain coat too need to be dry.

Body immunity: Summer dehydration weakens the stomach, which needs to be strengthened during monsoon.

During this season, the temperature fluctuates between hot and bright sun alternating with an unending rain. A sudden temperature change affects the immune system, and the body becomes easy prey to various maladies.

Ways to ultimate happiness

2010-07-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Happiness is not fa away if you un derstand life an embrace it. To liv life to the fullest and make i more positive you just hav to follow simple rules. Her are some simple rules of lif that will help you to bette you and better tomorrow.

1. Learn to listen: Only the mind that listens can understand anything. Listening is not passive as most of us think. It means to let a message sink in, with out being judgmental. Don't criticise. Don't comment. Let not your conditioning interfere with understanding what you are hearing. Put off your filters. Let your intelligence take a break. Don't validate anything. Listen with a still, calm mind and you'll hear the deeper meanings. The contrived tree rends a healthy workload. So, be happy in working envirinment too.

You'll understand the Truth.

2. Understand yourself: Go Inward. Look inside you. Just relax and let your thoughts come out. Don't try to comment, criticise or judge them. Your anger, greed, jealousy and envy must be understood by you.

Only when you know the filth and mistakes inside can you change it. If you refuse that you are bad or deny it, then you can never be happy.

3. Be in sync with nature: You must understand the larger perspective of life. We are designed to live with nature, we depend on it for air, water, food et cetera. We can't go against it. Love the flowers, plants and trees. Do what you can to protect and nurture it. Live in harmony with it. And you'll find the happiness. Remember, as a child, you were thrilled by the first sprout of the seed you sowed in the garden.

4. Love unconditionally: The whole world seems to be doing this wrong. As children grow up, we ask them to do certain things. If they do, we shower love on them. If they don't, we scold them. We deny them our love.

The teacher does it. The boss is no different. And the partner is the same too. Rejection, scorn, cold shoulders, that's what people get when they don't follow the carrot and stick policy.

Do what I say, do what I like, only you'll be my best friend, you'll get my love. But, conditional a love works in the short term. Unconditional love to o children, friends, partners t and parents, that's the wint ning strategy. Try and you won't regret.

5. Speak the truth: Truth is the foundation on b which true love is built. Lies a and falseness can crush a romantic relationship. Sooner or later, the person is going to find out the truth and then the love bonds are gone -disappearing into the thin air. When you're wrong or make a mistake, accept it. And the person will forgive you, not just that the bonds of love grow stronger after that.

Honking heroes pollute..........

2010-07-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

My friend and I do many things in the same manner. We enjoy riding bikes on the streets, highways and narrow alleys. I envy him sometimes, because he shows some better skills on the wheels. But he has a very nagging habit that I wish him to change.

Not only him, if all the youths of this country could change that habit, we would move a notch up in civic behavior. The issue is about honking.

Honk... Beep.... Blare...Toot... Honking, everywhere, every time and by everyone.

Irritated with my continuous plea not to blow the horn, my friend once asked if we were not to blow the horn why had it been fitted on vehicles. It is supposed to be used in emergencies, not every other second to make our environmentally polluted city further polluted by sound. We also have a mouth and throat that can make a very loud noise. If we were to shout every time without purpose, what would people think about it? If people start venting their ire, anger, happiness, love everything loudly on the street, not caring about the other people, just imagine how noisy would our environment be. Blowing the horn every now and then is almost the same, if not more. We vehicle riders should be considerate about other people's ear drums because our vehicles are roaring all the time. We know the engines can't be silenced up to a certain level, that's why we have to restrain ourselves from blaring unnecessarily.

How to avoid other vehicles coming from the other side in the turning?

How to make people give space to you on the road? How to make the vehicle in front of you to let you go? How to ask the gate keeper to open the gate? How to draw the attention of the girls. How to irritate your competitor in the other bike, how to enter into the main road, how to call a friend to come down, how to ... ? You are supposed to use your eyes, not to just depend on horns to avoid collisions. If you are prepared to respect the pedestrians, just go slowly behind them, they will let you go. You will at the most lose around five to seven minutes by not blowing the horn, but you might have saved your life by slowing down and keeping watchful eyes on the road. Use your head to understand that no one wants to be late, so the vehicle ahead is not stopping there for no reason. You blowing the horn won't push the traffic forward.

"Is life really a struggle or do optimists rule the world?"

2010-07-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

I remember a conversation with my mother, not long ago, in which she told me that she’d rather tone down her expectations almost to a point of non-existence than be disappointed by things not happening the way she wants them to. I was a bit shocked to hear such pessimism come from my strong and wise mother. It seems to go against the sign of the times, too, with everyone talking about positive thinking, the law of attraction and the likes.

As a coach, I agree with the discourse of optimism. I know how important it is to keep a positive outlook on what you want to achieve. Moreover, I know it is possible to influence your emotions by changing your thoughts from negative ruminating to a more optimistic internal voice.

As a private person, I know myself to be my mother’s son and in my darkest hour, the fear of expecting too much is no stranger to me.

As I ponder on this, I’m reminded of something I remember reading in one of my psychology text books: those who see life as a struggle are probably more correct in their negative thinking than those who view the world in a very positive light. However, this does not bring success and happiness to the righteous and truthful pessimists. The naive optimist, although statistically more often on the unrealistic side of the equation, does have a much better chance of a successful and happy life.

So, even if statistically speaking, more people face failure than success in general, you better make sure your thoughts are on the optimist side.

In other words, the optimists seem to attract more than their share of success. And as I write this, I realise there is no such thing as `more of their share' when it comes to success and happiness. Thinking optimistically, as I try to do most of the time, I know for sure that success and happiness do not come in fixed quantities. We can make it more and we can make it turn our way if we invite it nicely. That much I do know. So positive thinking and law of attraction? I guess I am a fan, be it somewhat reluctantly ...

Knight and Day

2010-07-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tom Cruise can't go wrong with an action thriller and there are many blockbusters to prove that.

Cameron Diaz is perfect as a goofy, high on life and bubbly girl next door. And director James Mangold has gems like Walk the Line and Girl Interrupted to his credit. When such stalwarts come together, you expect nothing but a blockbuster.

However, somehow Knight and Day falls short of all expectations. Blame it on the `formula' script that fails to bind it into a memorable watch. But what shines despite the run-ofthe-mill, secret agent meets girl next door story, is the crackling chemistry between the lead actors.

The movie begins with June Havens (Diaz) getting on a plane she was not supposed to be on where comes across the charming and intriguing Roy Miller (Cruise) whom she had already bumped into twice at the airport. The sparks fly and she is all set to seduce Roy but she is not aware that he has already assassinated a few other passengers and pilot on board. After landing on a field Roy warns June to be careful with people who will come after her to know about Roy and they might even kill her. June tries to run away from all the troubles that follow after the crash, but realises she and Roy have to work as a team if she wants to survive. Roy explains he is trying to save a genius high school inventor Simon (Paul Dano) and his cre ation -a perpetual energy battery called the Zephyr -from falling into wrong hands. While on their way to take Simon to a safe location, they are chased by the FBI and a Spanish arms dealer, Antonio (Jordi Molla). While June falls for Roy's charm, while in hiding in Austria June comes to know that Roy himself is involved in trading the Zephyr with Antonio.

The movie has been shot in exotic locations like Austria and Spain and involves lots of action and thrill. The lead actors are given ample space to let their chemistry bloom on screen. Cruise is one of the most bankable stars of Hollywood and he proves it in the movie which n spite of having a nothing new to offer has been ef ortlessly carried by him with his charm and acting skills. Diaz has done full ustice to her role as con used and bubbly girl goof ng things up. It's because of hese two that one can find he movie interesting enough till the last scene.

All said and done, don't go to watch it expecting it to be next MI series or Mr and Mrs Smith as it is not that sleek or that smouldering.

Take it as a summer fling, which is interesting, engaging and a fun way to pass time.

Knight and Day

Genre: Action, thriller, comedy, romance

Director: James Mangold

Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Jordi Molla and Viola Davis

"TOLSTOY'S INNER WORLD..."

2010-07-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

In my opinion there are two film critics in America, Stephen Hunter who won a Pulitzer Prize for his criticism, and Roger Ebert. One of the things great critics require is gravitas, which is generally achieved by age and seeing one heck of a lot of films and have a vast and wide ranging knowledge of the finer things of life.

For example, on his criticism of The Last Station, the story of ups and downs of the aging Leo Tolstoy and his wife, he quotes the remarkable story of a publisher who goes off to ask James Joyce’s wife to secure the rights to Ulysses. The publisher is reported to have said “Nora, you have a brilliant husband” to which she responded “You don’t have to live with the bloody fool”.

Both Tolstoy and Joyce in completely different ways were much larger than life and tended to dwarf all those

around them except Tolstoy waged a battle of love and non-understanding with his wife the countess Sofya.

Says Roger Ebert, “The Last Station focuses on the last year of Count Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), a full-bearded Shakespearian figure presiding over a household of intrigues. The chief schemer is Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), his intense follower, who idealistically believes Tolstoy should leave his literary fortune to the Russian people. It’s just the sort of idea that Tolstoy might seize upon in his utopian zeal. Sofya (Helen Mirren), on behalf of herself and her children, is livid.

Chertkov, the quasi-leader of Tolstoy’s quasi-cult, hires a young man named Valentin (James McAvoy) to become the count’s private secretary.

In this capacity, he is to act as a double agent, observing moments between Leo and Sofya when Chertkov would not be welcome.

It might be hard for us to understand how seriously Tolstoy was taken at the time.

To call him comparable in stature to Gandhi would not be an exaggeration, and indeed Gandhi adopted many of his ideas. Tolstoy in his 82nd year remained active and robust, but everyone knew his end might be approaching, and the Russian equivalent of paparazzi and gossips lurked in the neighbourhood.

The Last Station has the look of a Merchant-Ivory film, with the pastoral setting, the dashing costumer, the meals taken on lawns.

But did Merchant and Ivory ever deal with such a demonstrative family? If the British are known for suppressing their emotions, the Russians seem to bellow their whims. If a British woman in Merchant-Ivory land desires sex, she bestows a significant glance in the candlelight. Sofya clucks like a chicken to arouse old Leo’s rooster.

The dramatic movement in the film takes place mostly within Valentin, who joins the household already an acolyte of Tolstoy. Young and handsome, he says he is celibate. Sofya has him pegged as gay, but Masha (Kerry Condon), a nubile Tolstoyian, pegs him otherwise.

Valentin also takes note that Tolstoy, like many charismatic leaders, exempts himself from his own teachings.

Some women are simply sexy forever. Mirren is a woman like that. She’s 64. As she enters her 70s, we will begin to develop a fondness for sexy septuagenarians.

Mirren and Plummer make Leo and Sofya Tolstoy more vital than you might expect in a historical picture.

Giamatti has a specialty in a specialty in seeming to be up to something, and McAvoy and Condon take on a glow from f e e l i n g noble while sinning. In real life, I learn, To l s t oy provided Sofya with more unpleasant sunset years, but could we stand to see Mirren treated like that?" Mirren was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress as well as a Golden Globe.

Getting along: Age no bar......

2010-07-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Do the youngest people in today's work force lack loyalty and a strong work ethic? Or are they simply more focused on results and less on blind loyalty to a company?

As baby boomers approach retirement and are replaced by the latest generation to enter the working world, the millennial, managers are faced with a dynamic mix of age groups working together. Although this can lead to conflict, experts say it's also possible to make the generational differences strengthen the workplace.

Here's a rough overview of the four generations in the work force today -

· Traditionalists: Born in 1945

· Baby Boomers: Born in 1946 to 1964

· Generation X: Born in 1965 to 1979

· Millennials: Born in 1980 and after Workers in their mid-50s and older are less likely than their younger colleagues to be motivated by external incentives like competition, money and opportunities for advancement, said Ilke Inceoglu, a senior research psychologist with SHL Group Ltd.

"For this age group, intrinsic incentives such as having autonomy and stimulating work become more motivating."

These employees "have probably already achieved quite a lot in their jobs," she said, including promotions and pay increases.

According to diversity consultant Simma Lieberman, the youngest workers are more likely to quit if these rewards aren't forthcoming. For example, younger employees are likely to leave a workplace where rewards are based largely on seniority.

"Baby boomers and traditionalists say, `We spent all this money training you and you're leaving after only six months?'" Lieberman said.

Boomers, on the other hand, may believe that younger workers don't respect their years of experience and contributions to the company, she continued. "They have a really hard time when they see a younger person come in and the younger person is a know-it-all."

Many of the things the millennials want at work -a casual environment, flexible hours, respect -would make workers of all ages happy. The difference, according to Lisa Orrell, a speaker and consultant who is an expert on relations among generations, is that millennials are less willing to stick with a company that's not providing such perks.

How to get along?

Experts offer these keys to in r-generational harmony: Respect: This is the most im portant, especially for managers. A younger supervisor needs to listen to older employees and respect their contributions. So does an older manager with younger employees. Comments like, "You're just like my mother" or "You remind me of my son" may be meant as compliments but are not helpful.

Work/life balance: Younger workers may demand flexible schedules, but workers of all ages enjoy them. Such schedules are not always possible, however, "There are some jobs where somebody has to be there at a certain time," Lieberman said. But when employees are able to adjust their hours to fit their lives, it can make workers of all generations happy.

Rewards and recognition: Companies may start out trying to improve their rewards and recognition programmes to give younger workers the incentives they want.

But recognising good work will help motivate staff of all ages.

Communication: Younger workers want more communi cation from their bosses than older ones are used to. "It's causing a very big manage ment shift in corporate cul tures," Orrell said. Although the older workers may not be ask ing to hear from the boss more often, more communication generally leads to a better workplace for everyone.

Mentoring programmes: Younger workers want "some one that they know they can go to for questions and answers and guidance," Orrell said. "If you really want to attract millennials to your company, you need to be telling them you do have a mentorship programme in place."

And experts offer an important caveat: Don't make too much of generational differences.

Better for everybody Finally, remember that improving the workplace for younger employees can benefit everyone. In fact, if the workplace becomes more flexible and fun, Orrell said, it's possible that some baby boomers may delay their retirements for a few years, easing the pressure that compa nies will feel to fill their spots. And when they do retire, a more hospitable place will have younger workers in the pipeline to replace them. These are the future managers and leaders for every corporation. -Margaret Steen

The innocent mistake......

2010-07-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

The lady either had a genuine intention or had done it mistakenly when she exchanged my scooter with hers. Last Friday, we had a get together in the evening. I hurriedly rushed towards the party venue and parked my scooter in the parking lot. It was almost 7:00 in the evening when our party began. It was fun before before we finished around 8:00 and wished each other goodnight.

Looking for my scooter, I found it missing. I asked the restaurant owner about my scooter, and he said one of his regular customers had dragged it to a work shop. Now, questions were flowing like waves one after the other-why , when, where etc. The situation was something unexpected and there was a big crowd now. Somebody from the crowd said that a lady around 35, in an inebriated state was seen dragging a bike to the work shop. We rushed towards it and found my scooter in a damaged condition. The lock was broken and the body parts were scattered around. The immediate question was what to do with the scooter-leave it as it was or call the police (Dial 900).

I argued with the mechanic why he broke the lock without checking the blue book as I knew there was a strict instruction by the police to every garage that they were not authorized to open the lock without the authenticity of the owner. He was perturbed.

However, I cannot complain about that man as he did what he was instructed to by the lady who had given him a few hundred bucks.We made a complaint at 103 and I am very much thankful to the police. They took quick action and they came to the place where the incident occurred and took the scooters (mine as well as that lady's) into custody. Since it was Friday, we had to wait till Sunday to clear up things and get the vehicles back.

On Sunday morning, I was at the police station and the lady too. We had a short talk and concluded with the understanding that my scooter would be taken to a workshop and repaired. I am thankful to the lady for she kept her words.

It is, in fact, very astonishing why people drink so much that they forget they have to return home. And, the worst part is why it is difficult for them to recognize their vehicle. Intoxicated people not only trouble others but they put themselves in greater trouble too.

Everyone make mistakes but be sure to realise and correct it.

My unsure love, finally sure.........

2010-07-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

Well, when I was a 13 years girl who just stepped the teen age fall in love with one guy named Alex, who was 2 years older than me. I don't know when and where I fall for him. He was also studying in same school where I used to study. Actually he was the popular guy of our school and of our city.

Everybody loves him and teachers used to admire him. In Actual he was sort of celebrity because he used to act in the Tele movie. Which was great hit and he was playing the leading role in that. He was good at acting, well at studies, well in sports and he was well mannered. Well he is good in playing Basketball and the captain of the team of our school. Actually our school had won many games of basketball and it’s because of him and his team player. He was all rounder and he was the coolest guy of our school and state as well.

At first I used to talk about him a lot and one day I just met him in the school bus. Actually he usually didn’t go by bus but he was coincidentally in the bus. So there I met him there for the first time. At that time he was already in the school bus and me and my pal Michelle we were entering the school bus there was other notorious and bully boys. Among them one of the boy just kept the leg in front of my way and I didn’t see it and I was about to fall suddenly Alex caught me in his warm arms and I was clanged in his arms for a moment. At that time I introduce me and my friend and thanked him. I was very at that moment and felt like an angel.

After then we just stare each other in the school. But we never ever talked and shared our feelings with each other because I used to feel uneasy and used to scare to talk with him. He always used to stare me in every break time and when we coincidently met each other but he didn't used to utter a word. I loved him from inside but couldn't show him and share him. finally when he passed his grade-10 and had a last day on school which was farewell day, I farewell him without uttering a word because I wasn't sure that he love me or not and I was scared to propose him if his answer will be 'no' .so, Neither I told him something nor he told me something for his high school and we never met thereafter and only his memory was left behind.

After that we began to see each other coincidently sometime like I used to see him coincidentally once in long interval of time because he was still inside the city. He was still in the state and hasn’t moved to the city and I was so shocked by that and was curious to know the reason why he didn’t move to city?

But one day when I passed my school then I got some time and I was going for the violin class and was in the way to return back home. I saw him with his Pal in his splendid car. I was aw. At that time he was not only a Tele movie star but also a film star.

After that time, I saw him everyday when I was returning back home. As I told it that he used to stare me. Throughout this time he was staring me and one day I was with my Pal and busy talking ,returning from violin class I was on the way to my home there he came in his car and came out of the car, yanked me, told "I love u" and kissed me. At that time my whole body was freezing. I was so confused what to say or what to do. I was motionless at that time and then he wrote something on my hand. While he finished writing he told me again "if you love me too then you'll call me tonight". He told this much and he went away. As he was going away from me some people and chic recognize him and was screaming and following him to take autograph of him. But I was there only staring him.

My Pal Michelle who was with me was also shocked for a moment and after a while she started to mock me. When I reached at home I was totally perplexed what to do. That was past and after that moment when he's last day of school was on, I stopped to think about him and here I had already one Boyfriend Steve. I think a lot and recalled my past moments and came to conclusion that he is my first love so I should give a chance to it.

Then I phoned him and talked with him. From that I came to know that he wanted me to be first to propose him and start this relation but I was unaware about it and when he saw me on the way he could not stop himself and he exposed it. So, after that I was feeling great but another problem stood there and that is about my boyfriend. I thought for a moment and came in conclusion that I should give up that relationship with my boyfriend. I phoned him and told all things that happened to me. He also loved me very much. At first he wasn’t ready to leave me but he understood a bit later that I love someone and I could be happy with someone. At that time I was little bit sad because I broke someone’s heart to mend my heart but I promised him that you’ll be my true friend for ever and I’ll be helping you and shall not forget whole my life.

Well then one day again Alex phoned me and said that I needed to meet you.

We choose the Best Restaurant of our state for the Dating and I was so excited that for the first time I am going date with coolest and was also famous actor Alex. The night when he phoned me I was happy and I choose a best cloth that suits me and bought it from the mall and be almost ready to go for the dating.

Next day I began to be ready for tonight dating. The time came to go for dating and I went to the place where we decided yesterday to go. As I reached restaurant and went inside I didn’t see a single person except him.

He booked the whole restaurant only for me, I thought. As he saw me he hastily came to me to welcome me. We really had a great time there. We had a delicious food and talk as well. I really enjoyed that night. It was the biggest and memorable day of my life.

From that day we were lovers and our relationship bond was very strong as well.

Here I am now stepping in 30 and we still love each other very much and we are planning to marry in next six months.

Where is the Love......

2010-07-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

What's wrong with the world, mama

People livin' like they ain't got no mamas

I think the whole world addicted to the drama

Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma

Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism

But we still got terrorists here livin'

In the USA, the big CIA

The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK

But if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate

And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah

Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

Verse 1:
[People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (The love)*2
Where is the love*2]

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

Verse 1 repeat
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found

Verse 1 repeat
Where is the love (The love)*4

(A very good song from Black eyed peas)

Conflict Desert Storm

2010-07-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

Conflict: Desert Storm's problematic gameplay and run-of-the-mill presentation keep it from succeeding on any level.

Conflict: Desert Storm is a military-themed tactical third-person shooter set in the Middle East during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the resulting Operation: Desert Storm. It puts you in charge of up to four troops at once, and while the squad element opens up some interesting strategic possibilities, the game fails to compete with other, similar PC games. Its problematic gameplay and run-of-the-mill presentation keep it from succeeding on any level.

You'll meet and command four teammates in Conflict: Desert Storm.

Desert Storm starts out with a brief optional tutorial segment. This training sequence teaches you the intricacies of movement, combat, and commanding your squad. From there, you're given control of one man and are sent on your first mission. Halfway through, you'll rescue the second member of your squad. As the game proceeds, you'll work your way up to four troops, each with different specialties. Some are better medics than others and some are better marksmen, and each starts with a different set of weaponry, including an M16, a sniper rifle, and other real-world weaponry. As you move from mission to mission, your troops gain experience. If one soldier uses a lot of medikits in a mission, he might become more proficient at healing. Other actions will improve your other stats, such as marksmanship, which is key considering how awful the game's auto-aim is at taking enemies out quickly.

Each level has a series of objectives that you must accomplish to move to the next level. Almost every mission suggests that you take a stealthy approach, but the game's definition of stealth is pretty loose. While you might think you've approached an enemy without being spotted, or even fired off a stealthy shot or two with a silenced pistol, most enemies automatically spot you as soon as you're in visual range, even if you're lying prone or ducking. Getting spotted will eventually cause the base you're infiltrating to raise the alarm, bringing more troops and other enemies to your location. Once your squad is at the four-soldier limit, however, dealing with enemy assaults isn't terribly difficult. Most objectives are usually as simple as escorting a diplomat through a dangerous area, destroying targets of military importance, and so on. Once you've completed your objectives, you simply need to get to the landing zone for extraction.

Everything about Desert Storm's gameplay is really, really clunky. The soldiers move in a very jerky way, and the mouse-based aiming control is never as smooth as you need it to be to make accurate shots. The interface used to order your other troops around is weird and unintuitive. There is neither a point-and-click interface to assign orders nor a first-person-shooter-styled inventory control system; instead, you need to hold down an item select button and use your movement keys to scroll through your list of items. Your entire inventory is accessed from one list of equippable items, and you must equip items in real time. So, if you're taking heavy fire and need to heal immediately, you'll have to hold the inventory button to bring up the list, scroll through the list until you find the medikit, use it, and then scroll back to your weapon. The same goes for planting explosives, using binoculars, or doing just about anything else. Breaking up weapons and other items into different categories or including the ability to set up quick access to important items would have been a much more straightforward way of dealing with the game's inventory. Instead, you'll find yourself fumbling for your detonator, wondering which soldier is holding the antitank rockets, or wasting medikits in the heat of battle.

While the single-player campaign is pretty straightforward, Desert Storm does feature a multiplayer option that lets you play a few different games over a LAN or the Internet. There are six different gameplay modes, including deathmatch, team deathmatch, and other team-based missions, such as assault/defend, VIP assassination, and recovery. The game lacks any sort of in-game player matching, so you'll have to seek out other players and server information on your own. The multiplayer options are nice, in theory, but they do little to make the game more entertaining, and they don't solve any of the game's interface and gameplay troubles.

Unfortunately, the game doesn't really stand out from other tactical shooters.

The presentation of Conflict: Desert Storm fails to distinguish itself in any way. It has a generic style to it that delivers a smooth frame rate but not much else. The game's textures seem realistic, but they're a little too blurry. Also, it's worth noting that your soldiers never really die from gunfire--getting another soldier over to the wounded guy with a medikit will fix up the fallen comrade quickly and easily. The game's voice work is all over the place. The in-game stuff is decently done, but the drill sergeants who train you in the beginning of the game are pretty awful. If you're going to spend time basing your drill sergeants on Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket, you might as well just go to the source and hire R. Lee Ermey to do it.

Conflict: Desert Storm has a couple of decent ideas, but fans of realistic tactical combat games would be better off with Ghost Recon, Operation Flashpoint, America's Army: Operations, or, if you're new to the genre and looking for something a little less complicated, The Sum of All Fears. The competition in this genre simply squeezes games like Conflict: Desert Storm right out of the picture.

"Averting negative thoughts..........."

2010-07-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

All of us view everything through our prevailing mental attitude. If our thoughts are positive, that is fine, but if they are negative, our lives and circumstances will probably mirror these thoughts. We all have negative thoughts every now and then. This is normal behavior as we might have gone through some unpleasant experiences in our lives. But too many negative thoughts are bad and can be self-destructive.

Negative thinking appears to be more prevalent than positive thinking.

Positive thinking requires some effort, whereas negative thinking comes easily and uninvited. This has much to do with education and the environment one has been living in. Many teenagers experience and develop negative thoughts--either because they are unhappy with school or their life is not going the way they thought it would, or because of peer pressure or failures. Negative thoughts such as greed, anger and hatred are like viruses. If you give them any attention, they will start to breed and become increasingly difficult to get rid of. To have a positive impact on your life, negative thoughts should not be left unattended. They are a thousand times more addictive then drugs. Over time, they overwhelm you so much that you cannot distinguish thoughts as being separate from you.

Depression is an outcome of negative views towards oneself, the world, and especially the future. Our thoughts, emotions and behavior, all affect each other. By changing how we view them we can make significant changes to improve our lives. When we learn to get rid of negative thoughts, we become a more positive person who is happier. All the advices we get about "think positive" just doesn't work if you cannot get rid of negative thoughts first. Persistent inner working can change habits of thinking. We must be willing to put energy and time into pursuing positive thinking in order to change our mental attitude. So, every time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, reject the thought and think positives ones instead. Open your mind to a positive attitude and events. Expect them and think about them, and soon your life will change for the better.

Decide that from today -from this very moment -you are leaving tnegative thinking behind, and starting positive thinking and behavior.

JADEN KICKS TO THE TOP "KARATE KID"

2010-07-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

The Karate Kid before release was thought to be an okay movie. But then, the unexpected happened. It became a huge success. Both the critics and the audiences loved it despite the fact that the original Karate Kid was a 26 year old franchise, but recently the 11year-old star Jaden Smith surprised even the studio that made the new movie, Columbia Pictures, by bringing in $55.7 million on opening. People said that the most the movie would bring in was $ 30 million.

"We were definitely thinking low 30s would be great", said Doug Belgrad, President of Columbia Pictures, "Anything more than that would be gravy. And anything over $ 40 million was the kind of number you wouldn't dare to speak of, it was so out of the realm of the possible". What worked was the movie was it a score of A with test audiences with the under 18s giving it an A+.

Then there were the parents who grew up in 1984 who watched the original and wanted their children to meet Mr Miyagi and Daniel-san.

When Jaden began taking Karate classes his father thought about remaking the old hit. Jaden had already acted with Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness.

Jaden is reported to have said, "Dad was seeing how good I was getting and he was like, `You know what Jaden? We should remake The Karate Kid. I was like, `Seriously?
Whoa!"'.

Columbia who backed Will Smith in the Men In Black days gave the green light, switched the story's setting to China -where there's a huge audience, adding a global star like Jackie Chan to what's an amazingly non white cast with pros like Will and his wife Jada who's Jaden's mother on board as hands-on produces just made everything right. Said The Karate Kid director Harald Zwart, "Will thought of everything including getting Justin Bieber to sing one of the songs."

Said Columbia's head, "We have started talking about a sequel but we didn't want to jinx it before it opened."

The other star Jackie Chan whose real name is Chan-Kong-San has appeared in more than 100 films. His highest grossing film was 2001's Rush Hour 2.

He worked as a stuntman on Bruce Lee's master pieces Fist Of Fury and Enter The Dragon before headlining his own Mega hit in 1978, Drunken Master.

He holds the Guinness records for "most stunts by a living actor" his animated show Jackie Chan adventures ran for five seasons. He voiced characters in Kungu Fu Panda. He has released 20 albums in Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and English.

And he studied at the Pecking Opera School as a child and still often sings his own theme songs for his movies. With all this and the Smiths and Jaden high kicking and Bieber singing I guess you pay what it takes to see The Karate Kid.

Said Jaden Smith, "When I was younger, I was like, `I want to be trained by Jackie Chan.' And now here I am doing a movie with him!" Of his three-hour daily training regimen, the hardest thing was probably the stretching. I'd cry sometimes, it was so painful. I have always wanted to be an actor. My parents said, `You can pick your career, do whatever you want to do. Now if you mess up, don't blame it on us'."

Showing proper martial-arts respect, Jaden made sure to check in with the original Kid, Ralph Macchio. "I talked to him over the phone once. He said, `This is going to be a good movie. Don't screw it up."

The Leap Of IMAGINATION

2010-07-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Bestselling British novelist Sebastian Faulks, who hit the limelight with his 2008 Bond novel Devil May Care, tells Rojin Giri that being a writer is a continuous process -- you think of writing all the time, whether sleeping, eating or drinking

Inspiration is a contin uous process. It is not something that dawns on you suddenly, says renowned British author Sebastian Faulks who was in Mauritius for the latest edition of the Prince Maurice Prize.

Inspiration for writing, says Faulks, is a process of turning things around all the time. "When you are a writer, you think about of writing all the time, whether you are sleeping, eating, drinking, it is all you think about. You are always processing ideas and thoughts."

His books are read all over the world, and what he feels has made a connection with the readers in his writings is "the language I use".

"I also take them into areas of experience and feeling that are unfamiliar to them."

It was at the age of 14 that he decided to be a novelist as he was inspired by Charles Dickens and DH Lawrence, among others.

He spent a year after university to write a novel. Two years later he got a job running a small book club called the New Fiction Society.

In 1979, Faulks joined Daily Telegraph as a junior reporter, but dedicated his evenings to writing books.

He was living a simple life without much amenities.

And with no TV at his place, most nights were spent writing.

It was his fourth book that he finally felt was good enough to be published.
When he got news from a publisher about the book which he titled A Trick of Light, he said he felt like it "was the beginning of something after long dark days". Faulks also worked as a feature writer for the Sunday Telegraph and then joined the Independent as Literary Editor. He later wrote a monthly column for The Guardian and a weekly for Evening Standard.

Amidst all this, his novel The Girl at the Lion d'Or came out in 1989. However, it was his widely acclaimed novel Birdsong that got him into the spotlight after which many novels have followed which have made it to the best-seller list.

To be a good writer, he feels one should never write about one's own life.
"Write about unfamiliar things -if you are a man write about a woman, if you're from the 20th century, write a story based on the 19th century," he advises.

And there are ways to help you get it right, talk to people from the place or time, check up on the Internet and find out more about it and maybe you can even ask the people from that era or place to read your script to make sure it feels real. When you are young, you should venture into different areas and try to write different things and later on when you find your ground, write what you are best capable of.

For a novel to be good he thinks that the words one chooses are very important.
"It should give pleasure in themselves, it shouldn't be only informative, like someone giving directions, it should be more than just plain information. One should write sentences that are interesting and exciting to read. It should be a huge leap of imagination."

Talking abut his own works and his writing style he elaborates, "If it pleases me, then only can it please the reader. One should write at the highest level, push oneself very hard to please the reader."

While one should not undermine the readers intellect as well, one should always keep in mind that the reader is more clever than you, advises Faulks.

In 2006, Faulks was approached by the late Ian Fleming's family and asked if he would write a one-off James Bond novel to mark the centenary of Fleming's birth. He accepted. Though his books have been made into plays, TV series and of course the wellknown James Bond book Devil May Care, he says, "Most people think that if a book is made into a movie, then you have reached the greatest height, but actually it's the other way round. The book is the top of the mountain. It is very unusual that the movie is better than the book."

Dismissing all the dark moments and the difficulties a writer goes through he says, "It is a sense that the world is not what it should be that makes you write, because it is only through writing that you can make it a better place, it gives you a sense of determination of mission."

A readoholic in me

2010-07-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

What do you do inside your adobe the whole day? This is a question thrown at me wherever I go. I smile in reply without offering an explanation.

Of course, it is a very rhetorical question, of course, which does not call for a reply. Anyway, what do I tell them?

Tell them I spend my time reading.

That I am a kind of " readoholic! I may have invented a word but it does describe me completely. Me and so many others like me, I suppose, are irrevocably addicted to the written word. If there's something to read, I read it.

If someone has taken the pains to write and print something, surely we are obligated to award it a little bit of out eyeball time. And this, in a nutshell, is what keeps me housebound most of the time! Consider this, we get newspapers delivered at our doorstep every day. While other family members simply glance at the headlines and toss the paper away, I feel I must read these from the front-page to the last. And, since one does not read old, yesterday's newspapers, I sit surrounded by the sheets for hours on end every morning and mid-day, speed reading like a maniac. And then, there are books from the British Council Library on my bedside table. My table lamp burns bravely late into the night as I tackle the stack.... So, tell me, where do I find the time to hobnob with the neighbors, sip tea sitting in the warm winter sun, or snatch a siesta in the afternoon.

As for me, my mother claims that my reading habit has very early origins. It seems I loudly spelt out the words painted on the shop board, home nameplates and street signs when I was barely out of the cradle. "I should have known then," she says now, "that your nose would not be out of a book for the rest of your life!" What, one may wonder, do I do when I run out of anything to read? This rarely happens, so the question of my suffering cold turkey does not arise.

And then again, I am blessed with a memory lien a sieve. I tend to forget the plots of stories so rapidly that it is possible for me to re-read these again and again with undiminished pleasure. I forget, after a while, who married whom at the end of some stories, and who murdered the woman in the library in a whodunit. Other may not understand the compulsive reader who forgets what has been read giving reasons to go for it once again.

Peace Sells.........But Who's Buying?

2010-06-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

What do you mean, "I don't believe in God"?

I talk to him every day.

What do you mean, "I don't support your system"?

I go to court when I have to.

What do you mean, "I can't get to work on time"?

I got nothing better to do

And, what do you mean, "I don't pay my bills"?

Why do you think I'm broke? Huh?

[Chorus:]

If there's a new way,
I'll be the first in line.
But, it better work this time.

What do you mean, "I hurt your feelings"?
I didn't know you had any feelings.
What do you mean, "I ain't kind"?
I'm just not your kind.
What do you mean, "I couldn't be the president of the United States of America"?
Tell me something, it's still "We the people", right?

[Chorus: (repeat)]

If there's a new way
I'll be the first in line,
But, it better work this time.

Can you put a price on peace?
Peace,
Peace sells...,
Peace,
Peace sells...,
Peace sells...,but who's buying?
Peace sells...,but who's buying?
Peace sells...,but who's buying?
Peace sells...,but who's buying?
[n+1 times more]

No, peace sells...

Daughter's Duties

2010-06-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

It is high time we raised our voice not only for the rights of a daughter but also for her duties. A daughter, who has enjoyed equal status as a son, should get the right to take the responsibility for her parents. Most daughters, who are willing to take the responsibility, find themselves helpless in the face of social and family disapproval. Sometimes, a daughter shrugs off the old and infirm parents as no concern of hers, as she is married and belongs to another family. However, the same daughter will not hesitate to claim her share of her parents' property when the time comes! The law has given her the right to claim a share in the family property even when she is married into another family. Why then should society hold her back when she wants to share the responsibility of looking after the needs of her aged parents?

The rights and duties of a daughter must go hand in hand. Every society evolves with the changing times. Social norms that were acceptable in the past no longer hold good today. Gone are the days of joint families and large households. Especially in urban areas, small nuclear families form a large portion of our society. In these small families, the old people do not find an acceptable place. Advanced medical facilities along with health-consciousness have increased the life expectancy of middle-class Nepalese. As result, we have a growing population of senior citizens today. And a sizeable number of these senior citizens have not only worked hard for society but have also done a great service to the nation by maintaining small families.

Those who have brought up only daughters and married them off, often lead a lonely and neglected existence, since daughters do not feel responsible for their well-being. There are thousand of senior citizens in our country who feel abandoned, yet helpless in the face of outdated social customs according to which they cannot depend upon their daughter in the time of their need. The changing social scenario demands a change in our social thinking. A daughter should have no hesitation in visiting her parents when they need her. Both sons and daughters should shoulder the responsibility of old parents amicably.

We have fought for the right of our daughters. Let us join hands and raise our voice together to give her a chance to perform her duties with dignity.

In search of happiness

2010-06-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried catching a butterfly? It perches nimbly on a flower, gently folding and unfolding its wings while you approach it noiselessly from behind and, just when you think you have caught it, it flies away-a transient flash of colorful wings, enticing yet mostly unreachable. Well, that's what happiness is like. The more you chase it, the more elusive it gets. At the risk of mouthing an oft-repeated (but little heeded!) cliché, I will say that happiness comes from within. In fact, sought outside one's being, it is akin to a mirage-you just don't seem to attain it! You, and you alone, have the power to make yourself as happy as you wish to be! Truly an awesome thought?

So, how can you be happy? By not trying too hard, for starters! By lightening up a little and overlooking minor setbacks and hiccups instead of treating each of them as a major disaster. The world gives a hoot whether you smile or frown—so why not increase our face value by smiling? If you can only learn to laugh at some things, the scenario would not seem so grim all the time! Actually, I wasn’t too sure that I could do it but my mother made it sound quite easy—so I decided to give it a try. Once I had resolves to find my happiness in day-to-day events and activities, I realized that there are indeed several other ways to make oneself happy. If you can train yourself—via meditation, positive thinking, or whatever— to find inner peace and calm, then you will attain happiness far more easily than others.

It involves making peace with yourself, accepting who you are and not worrying about or fighting unknown or unseen demons.

No doubt, it is tough, but I believe it is worth trying. And, above all, count your blessing—it will immediately put your heart in the right place and fill your soul with humility and gratitude for all the things you have, things which you need to be thankful for but have only taken for granted so far. And, even if things are not as hunky-dory as you’d like them to be, be grateful for the fact that you are at least alive to know that they are not. Would you rather be dead? Think about it. All these are but small ways of achieving happiness, but they can boost your self-worth which, in turn, can motivate you to go beyond your best in your life and in your relationship, that is a reward worth vying for.

The Beautiful Game

2010-06-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

What I like best about World Cup is it brings the seasonal football fan out of most people and analysts out of everyone

I am an avid book reader and an incorrigible shopaholic. With the fear of sounding shallow, I admit getting a good bargain can at times be as fulfilling as reading a good book. But the hard-earned reputation of being brilliant at shopping could boomerang when I have to chaperone my friends at their shopping spree and things could be tormenting when I am broke. My ATM card is a mockery since I only know how to draw the money; guess I missed the lesson on depositing. But the shopping I had with my best guy friend the other day was entertaining as well as eye-opening. I bet that’s what the great rhetorician Philip Sydney meant by having a learning and pleasing experience at the same time. A self-professed Argentina fan, to be more precise, baby-face Messi’s fan, my friend wanted to get himself a jersey of Argentina with Messi’s name emblazoned on it. When we reached one of the city’s leading men’s clothing stores, to his utter disappointment and my amusement, the store was simply out of Messi’s jersey. The look on my friend’s face was exactly the look I see on faces of kids when they drop their much-pined-for ice-creams. To add injury to his insult, the salesman suggested that they do have Tevez’s jersey and would my friend care to buy that. Well, I like to call my friend a fair-weather football fan. He dœsn’t give a hoot about football for three years and eleven months and it’s only when there is World Cup going on that he remembers he is sworn Argentine fan and words said against the team is a personal attack on him. So given his past record and conduct, I had my reservations if he knew who even Tevez was, though I believe if Argentina moves further in the tournament, he will know and come to love the player with a burnt scar on his neck and an impressive resume of playing with world’s top-notch Football clubs. What I like best about the World Cup is that it brings the seasonal football fan out of most people and analysts and experts out of everyone. It seems such a waste of money that footballing nations are pumping big bucks on a team of coaches, managers and body of selectors. Why, the audience can do the job for less-than-a-quarter of what they are paying their team of accomplished experts. I simply love listening to the postmatch analysis. Don’t jump to hasty conclusions, I don’t mean ESPN or Star Sports. They only have bunch of players who onceupon- a-time made their appearance in past tournaments or played in top leagues. So what? Their analysis is hackneyed, oh-sopredictable and couched in sugary, syrupy language, taking care not to offend anyone so that no one files a lawsuit against the channel they are working for. The real surgery of the match is performed with deft hands, sharp eyes and razor-tongues in college canteens, work places, gymnasiums, cafes; in short, everywhere where there is a likelihood of meeting two or more people. Football offers excitement, thrill, the rush of adrenaline, drama, action, beauty, sportsmanship, and the camaraderie. By camaraderie, I am not talking about the sportsmanship between nations who outside the ground share a hostile history. I particularly have in mind the instant camaraderie I see in people when they realise they are rooting for the same team. I open my Facebook account and all I see on my home page are my friends mocking the loss of their friends’ favourite teams, communal mourning, or group cheering. Like the way the vuvuzela has been causing hearing problems to players on the fields, I am having a problem trying to find out what’s going on in the lives of my friends. Don’t get me wrong. I love this beautiful game. What’s there not to like about it? It’s a game where strength and stamina of an athlete blends with the agility and skill of an artist. The pace with which players move is stunning and the skill with which they manœuvre the ball is spectacular. The defenders trying with all their might to stop their opponents from scoring; the midfielders who walk the dual sword of dispossessing the ball from opponents and creating opportunities for their strikers; and the perfect finish of the strikers—no wonder the game is the world’s most popular sport. I watch the 90- minute-long riveting match with anticipation and exhilaration, but with a fear of being labelled shallow again, I confess I get really dejected if players don’t exchange their jerseys at the end of the match. Tell me, where on earth can you see a better- toned, sweat-glistened, sculpted body than on a football field? If the football aficionado within me makes me watch the match, the girl inside me glues herself to the post-match ground action. And trust me, I am not the only one who thinks along these lines. Guys who like Anna Kournikova or Maria Sharapova know exactly what I mean. Besides, these days, the place I work out of is virtually empty. Not many men turn up, and even if they do make it, they turn up late, rubbing their eyes and breaking into loud yawns, thanks to the pastmidnight matches and not to mention the ubiquitous matchanalysis. But I am loving the tournament, the ardour with which fans talk about their favourite teams, the plea in my classmates’ voice when they beg our teachers to cut short our evening classes, the almost-fanatical edge in the people’s voices when they are rooting for their teams, the outbursts, the ecstasy, the jubilance, and the outbreaks. So, why am I giving a lukewarm response to the biggest sporting event of the world? See, the fact is that I need to warm up, and given the length of the tournament, I am certain I will have more than enough time to get into the game.

Karate Kid Kicks up Some Real Fun

2010-06-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

When you have Jackie Chan sharing screen space with Jaden Smith (Will Smith's son), you expect magic, and you won't be disappointed with Karate Kid. The remake of 1984 hit of the same name, Karate Kid has perfect balance of humour, drama and, of course, martial arts.

Frankly, instead of Karate Kid, the movie should have been named Kung Fu Kid, as the focus is on kung fu rather than karate, but who is complaining?

The movie begins with Dre Parker (Smith) moving to China from Detroit with his mother Sherry Parker (Taraji P Henson). While Sherry tries her best to make her son adapt to the new environment, Dre finds it very difficult to be a part of the world that is not only new and different, but also speaks a different language. While trying to know the guys in his neighbourhood, he comes across Meiying (Wen Wen Han), a beautiful young violinist, who quickly becomes good friends with Dre.

But Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), a bully and a family friend of Meiying's, does not approve of Dre and her getting close . He ends up hitting Dre with some serious kung fu moves.

Dre and Meiying continue being friends, while Cheng continues bullying Dre now and then as they all attend the same school. While Cheng and his group are bashing Dre up one day, the building's maintenance guy Mr Han (Jackie Chan) comes to Dre's rescue. Watching Cheng and friends misusing kung fu and their teacher Master Li teaching them not show mercy to their opponents, Mr Han decides to teach Dre `the real Kung Fu' and participate in a tournament against Master Li's students.

While learning kung fu, Dre and Mr Han get closer battling their inner demons and fears as well.

Harald Zwart who has tried comedy before with Pink Panthar 2 has used a fine balance between hu mour and action. The training session scenes and the chemistry between Chan and Smith make the movie interesting. The cinematography is good, especially during the scenes from Wudang Mountain. Chan is in a different role than other movies in the role of a drunkard loner who keeps to himself but is a good person with the right knowledge of kung fu.

Those who are hoping to see Chan kick butts will be disappointed as he barely shows his moves. The movie actually belongs to Smith, who is on his way to stardom. From comedy to emoting to action, Smith proves he will be ruling the box office just like his famous father. The antagonist Cheng can not only do some serious kicking but also is good in emoting and has done full justice to his role. It won't be a surprise if we see him becoming the next Jet li.

Though the Karate Kid has a Bollywood feel to it, especially at the end, one cannot deny it is worth your ticket money. All in all a worthwhile movie for your children's summer break and many of the parents can even reminisce about their childhood as well. Karate Kid Director: Harald Zwart Cast: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P Henson, Zhenwei Wang and Wen Wen Han Being screened.

Whispers

2010-06-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

In the stillness of forest,

In the groves amidst the tall trees,
To the leaves the east wind whispered,
To sweet rhyme this tale of wonder,
Full of beauty, full of mystery,
Singing softly, singing softly.

Of traditions now forgotten,
Of tolerance and harmony,
Of a people free and fearless,
Of their simple ways and manners.

How they learnt the song of nature,
How they lived and loved and worshipped,
How they fought and how they conquered,
How in times of good and evil,
Learnt to whisper even gently,

In the secret of their of their own hearts,

The name of the one, the nameless one,
The formless one, the endless one.

I Don't Have Time.........

2010-06-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Written By: Pallav Gogoi (www.piedpiper3409.co.cc)

Some lines

some words
some memories
some love.

Is this what left in my life?

Some thoughts
some friends
some books
some CDs...

Is what I possess?

Everything is so dull now it seems
but how many more days
I will survive this life...
Where the sun, moon and stars are all dark.

Time stops, love stops, everything stops

When it comes to me...

Well I don't have time now
is what I say to myself
every single day....

I think of getting married
I think of driving a Merc…
I think of returning back home
I think lot of things....

But is this what I am made for
what I am...I really wonder
Confused at times.
I want to be a man sometimes from a sheer boy.

My poetic existence means nothing
my poems holds no meaning.
My words seem vague now.
As if I am growing old...

I think little optimism will work.

I think I should grow.

I think I have to do it now...
I think I don't have time....

Is my poem good?
Oh it doesn’t matter though
because they are my true feelings
something very real about me.

Our Friendship!!!

2010-06-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

Every smile you thought went unnoticed

............................I wiill remember

Each laugh we have shared

............................I will remember,

I will relive these momeries forever

Because we have true friendship.

I will remember the talks we have shared

That sometimes could have last all day

When we could comfortably say nothing

And the silence for us was okey.

For me every moment meant something

I realise you to say the same

If I had hurt you strongly

Don't be angry because

Anger brings nothing but pain.

(Written during my high school farewell days)

What is LOVE?

2010-06-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

"When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." -Rebecca, age 8

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." -Terri, age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and

little stars come out of you." -Karen, age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.

My mommy and my daddy are like that.

They look gross when they kiss." -Emily, age 8

"Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and

doesn't think it's gross." -Mark, age 6

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and

she takes a sip before giving it to him,

to make sure the taste is OK." -Danny, age 7

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your

French fries without making them give you any of theirs." -Chrissy, age 6

"You really shouldn't say I LOVE YOU unless you mean it.

But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." -Jessica, age 8

We all know (I hope!) what love is, but who better to define it than a group of kids ages 4-8? You may have received this- it came via an email share to me. I shared some- not all here, though it was hard to pick as all of them were really good definitions of love.

My Favourites quotes..........

2010-06-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

"Life is more than anything that a mind of a man could invent" -Sherlock Holmes

"There never is a good war and a bad peace" -Unknown

"We fight, we forget , we meet , we depart, we love and we part ,we collect our past and walk ahead , we leave many people , we meet newer ones , we live moments , we share , we just move forward…We crave, we smile ,we cry looking back at our happier days ,we laugh at our silly mistakes that we have committed in our past….we desire better partners, we wait for magic in our lives…but we never realize how magical is our journey called life!!!"

"Be a source of joy. And let the critics and haters complain about the world." -Paulo Coelho

"We people of the world need to find ways to get to know one another--for then we will recognize that our likenesses are much greater than our differences, however great our differences may seem." -Peace Pilgrim

"The point of power is always in the present moment." -Louise L. Hay

"Your mind is a tool you can chose to use any way you wish. The thoughts you choose to think create the experiences you have." -Louise L. Hay

"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." -Martin Luther King

"Whenever you feel uncomfortable, instead of retreating back into your old comfort zone, pat yourself on the back and say, “I must be growing,” and continue moving forward." -T. Harv Eker

“Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances.” -Benjamin Franklin

"Kindness is the universal language that all people understand." - 2 Corinthians 9:6

"If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart." - Gautam Buddha

"Don't be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin." -Grace Hansen

"There is no “right answer,” only an answer that’s right for YOU."

"The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being." -Carl Jung

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." -Cynthia Ozick

"Love is not consolation. It is light." -Friedrich Nietzsche

"The greatest distance in the world is the 14 inches from our minds to our hearts" -Agnes Baker Pilgrim

"No act of kindness is ever wasted." -Aesop

"Today is it. Are you living your life? With passion, conviction, and pure joy? What about love? Do you seek it out? Do you believe and soak it in? Take the time now to breathe and wonder and feel and RETHINK your life. Your dreams. YOU."

Sunk by reality...betrayed by destiny!!!

2010-06-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

As I was lazing around in my bedroom doing nothing creative at all,sipping coffee and smoking lots of Marlboros and listening too much of Pink Floyd, I thought to scribble down something .Till now I am just thinking what to write, as bloggers are becoming too critical with each passing day. When I see the bulk of newspapers and magazines thrown onto my balcony, I just wonder is reality, so complicated?. The same things occurring day after day. Stocks were rising and falling, retail sector coming in a big way, new multiplexes, new mobile schemes, mergers and acquisitions phew!!!Really business news sucks out my whole blood and at last I try to pull off my hair and scream…give me a break!!! Well how much you can develop ,how much you will go ,how much competition you will face ?Lastly you seek for the divine happiness which is as hard as finding a safety pin lost in a marbled room. I still wonder the fast paced life is just going towards a robotic world where people will have everything expect a soul. I can see the world turning into a science museum where human beings like you and me will be showcased, labeled as “extinct creatures.” Well I can remember Darwin now…survival of the fittest!!! Darwin must have thought the same thing when he was distributing his theories.

I am not here to criticize the growing pace of life but I am here to give you a glimpse of the world if mankind stops using their hearts and go with the flow.Well,we may be labeled as a loser if we try to run away from reality and seek solace in a virtual world ,but this belief is totally a misguiding light for those who want a real big space to exercise their creativity. When I was kid I use think why writers, poets ,musicians, painters keeps long beard, why they stay in an old apartment amidst cockroaches and lizards and those unclean unhygienic cobwebs sticking to their just –to-break walls? After so many years I got the answer as I want to do the same thing if given a chance. I want to be termed as a mad guy as sometimes I think so much that if somebody possesses the strength to look and hear whatever I speak in my mind, he would surely show me the way to any mental asylum. But as every insane fellow says that he is not mad I contradict them for a change. I want to flaunt my madness in the form of words. I want to reach to everyone who is tired of the harsh reality. Everyone who wants a break to break free and are really stressed out!!!Well I remember one guy telling me how he spends his evening as he is also from our tribe of escapists! Well he wears an overcoat and with his hat on, go for a walk and talks to himself and whenever he sees somebody crossing him he just sings a song in order to hide this madness. He is not the only loner talking to himself, Lost in thoughts, there are many such types of would be extinct creatures as mentioned above wondering without a focused aim or they are waiting for a miracles to visit them. You can even observe many heartbroken lovers walking and singing ‘sau dard hai’…well guys I can understand your pain as I went through every situation in my not so old life. But I believe everyone belongs to some community or other.

A businessman will find this article useless and a total crap and broker cant even understand it but someone like you and me know what we basically think and seek for. Again a thought is running in my head to write something about those people who tries to suppress you down whenever they get a chance. Those people are energy vampires, they really tries to show us that we are nothing!!!What to do with those kind of people who possesses a complete materialistic heart. They hardly try to understand human feelings rather they try suck our blood with their unfathomable gaze. Well I should end today here by saying that “We will not be in the museum at least as we have also studied Darwin for sure” So guys like you and me still have hope to show these people, what they can’t see with their blurred vision!”

Diaries and .......

2010-06-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of 2010….again a new year….and when I immediately look back….I can see many pictures, many incidents, many friends, many memories…. Trying to fade away with the dawn of this year…how can I let them go so easily….how can I forget them, how can I leave them without treasuring those blissful moments of last year. So I thought of penning it down!!!

Today every memory is visiting me and in every memory I can find a story!!!

Well this is not my diary of nostalgia but a story untold. Can I stop those unspoken echoes of my soul to get washed out with the sands of the so-called Time? Well my journey of life can’t continue without those lovely incidents which I found in my trip…. to my destination. How can I overlook those people who brought smile to my face whom I never met, never knew… don’t even know whether I will meet them in my entire journey or not but moments shared with them will always remain in the backdrop of my mind….Oh!!!When I look flipside, I can see a group of friends …self-proclaimed pied pipers with full zest preparing for presentations….. Busy in photo sessions for their promotion .The photo perhaps never got planted in the walls of their college! But you can hit upon it in someone’s room now…..Why memories make me crave to bring together those happy moments spent with my friends…I remember last year’s valentine’s day when I met someone very sweet…we became so close that day that we forgot the world and really tried to make our own little kingdom of dreams….but you know nothing is forever so again my friend walked away slowly without saying a bye….those parties ,the cafe near our college will be remembered…but life has to go on ….You lose old friends and then new friends comes to replace them and again a new relationship starts ..And you become happy….Well 2009 …..My first distant trip to Spain once more brings some unforgettable memories …the maple leaves and my first look of the beautiful city of Madrid beckons! Well I enjoyed my trip to the land of bull fight where I did a below lip piercing. Life isn’t so short I guess. It’s difficult to capture those beautiful emotions of my life, those smile in only one page…..Someone rightly said that…Stop pacing the aisles and measuring the distance. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice-cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, and love more. Live life as you go along. So I decided to continue my journey …..relishing every moment….Well 23rd November, 2009 is again a day of my life as my dear sister walks away with glory in her bridal suite leaving us to an another family…..though that day I didn’t even cry because I felt so dry inside.….the heaviness inside my heart is still felt when I said my last bye to my sister….childhood memories came as a flashback where I saw myself and my sister fighting for some chocolates!!! I saw my dad’s eyes… I can see the pain of being a father and handing over his daughter to another person and a family…but still this is life and I enjoyed my sister’s marriage fully. Thought of even getting married! Well I can’t end this year without saying about some of the nicest people on earth…with whom I talk whole day….with whom we talk ‘bout our traits… I really love to be with them…I know they will be smiling reading this because they know how important they are for me…..they are my support system…..well today , my mind is full of some unbreakable resolutions….hope I will succeed in keeping them…..I want to make this year…. “A year of love and happiness”…hope my dreams see the light of the day…..well this recollection will never fade as I have treasured them now…. So my boy can see a bright light of star shine is calling him……He is found walking towards the light now….well life has to go on ….So is the tale of that boy called ‘me’!!!

Humorous Rhyme

2010-06-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

A local newspaper ran a competition asking for a rhyme with the most romantic first line....but the least romantic second line. Here are some of the entries they received.

I thought that I could love no other,
Until, that is, I meet your brother.

Roses are red, violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting,
the violets are dead,
the sugar bowl's empty
and so is your head.

Oh! loving beauty you float with grace
If only you could hide your face.

Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not.

I want to feel your sweet embrace,
But don't take that paper bag off your face.

I love your smile, your face, and your eyes-
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

I see your face when I am dreaming,
Thats why I always wake up screaming.

My love, you take my breath away,
What have you stepped in to smell that way.

My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe "Go to Hell"

What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts vodka, One part lime.

Need You

2010-06-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

A wait, a long wait

............................
(The Knob clicks and the door opens)
............................

A smile, a warm smile.
"Coffee?"
"Umm.....Tea."

A merry kettle on the stove,
My eyes fixed on her back.
The boiling water, milk and tea leaves.
(She set the table for tea)

A sip,
Two sips.
Umm...something's missing!

"Oh no.....Need sugar?"
"Nah.......Need You!"

What I learn..........

2010-06-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

I have learned a lot of lessons in my life, actually I am still learning. A lot of these lessons were easy, and some ... the hardest ones to learn, have made me a better person. And I try to put them to good use each day..I should never stop learning ... no matter what the lesson is. There is something valuable in each situation we are confronted with. And while it may not seem to be so at the time. Eventually I will understand why I needed to learn a certain something.

What i had learn in my life.....

I've learned that I can make someone love me. All I can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned that no matter how much I care,some people just don't care back.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned that it's not what I have in my life but who I have in my life that counts.

I've learned that I shouldn't compare myself to the best others can do but to the best I can do.

I've learned to read between the lines..

I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences I had and what I learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays I celebrated.

I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, I have to learn to forgive myself...