Quiz Maniac

Friends Are Like Four Leaf Clovers

2011-07-20T23:26:00.000-07:00

Myspace Graphics, Friendship Quotes Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Are you a happening teenager?

2011-07-01T03:28:00.000-07:00

Are you a happening teenager?

My Quiz Result: You are a happening teenager. You enjoy every moment of your life. You are focused on developing yourself into a healthy individual. You enjoy exercising and cultivating a hobby during your free time. Good going!

Take this quiz: Are you a happening teenager?

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Do you have a healthy relationship?

2011-06-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Do you have a healthy relationship?

My Quiz Result: You share a healthy relationship with your partner. The two of you complement each other very well, just like a 'made-for-each-other' couple. Although you are each other's universe, you do not intrude into each other's personal lives. This is why, there's lot of space for your love to bloom even more.

Take this quiz: Do you have a healthy relationship?

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What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

2011-06-12T22:48:00.000-07:00

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Born on the 5th

You have a magnetic and pleasing personality. You have a good sense of humor. People like you to be around them. You tend to fall in love very fast. You are emotional and may suffer in case of a break-up. You love to wear fashionable and stylish clothes.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Are you a fun person to be around?

2011-06-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

Are you a fun person to be around?

My Quiz Result: You are a fun person to be around. People pine for your company. You add a zing to their boring lives with your chatter, your silly jokes, your laughter and your cheerfulness. Stay the same forever and get the love, affection and attention that you deserve.

Take this quiz: Are you a fun person to be around?

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Are you classy?

2011-06-10T00:51:00.000-07:00

Are you classy?

My Quiz Result: You are a classy.

Take this quiz: Are you classy?

Take more Quizzes For Girls.

The geek test

2010-04-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

The geek test

My Quiz Result: You are a geek.

Take this quiz: The geek test

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What are you looking for in life?

2010-04-02T04:28:00.000-07:00

What are you looking for in life?

My Quiz Result: You are looking for fun and adventure in life.

Take this quiz: What are you looking for in life?

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Are you heart or mind?

2010-04-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

Are you heart or mind?

My Quiz Result: You think with your mind. Your decisions are based on facts rather than emotions. You use your head more than your heart.

Take this quiz: Are you heart or mind?

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Know your goodness quotient

2010-03-31T01:18:00.001-07:00

Know your goodness quotient

My Quiz Result: You are a person with a great heart. The world will become a better place with more people like you.

Take this quiz: Know your goodness quotient

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How well do you know your sweetheart?

2010-03-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

How well do you know your sweetheart?

My Quiz Result: It is admirable that you know your sweetheart very well. Keep it up.

Take this quiz: How well do you know your sweetheart?

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Are you strong enough to bear being dumped?

2010-03-29T02:20:00.000-07:00

Are you strong enough to bear being dumped?

My Quiz Result: You are an emotional person. Try to be more practical in life and you will avoid heart-breaks.

Take this quiz: Are you strong enough to bear being dumped?

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How sexy are you?

2010-03-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

How sexy are you?

My Quiz Result: Wow, you are sexy. Not just by looks but also by your attitude.

Take this quiz: How sexy are you?

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Will you have a wonderful Valentine's day?

2010-03-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

Will you have a wonderful Valentine's day?

My Quiz Result: You will have a wonderful Valentine's day.

Take this quiz: Will you have a wonderful Valentine's day?

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Are you friends with your parents?

2010-03-25T00:36:00.000-07:00

Are you friends with your parents?

My Quiz Result: You are very good friends with your parents.

Take this quiz: Are you friends with your parents?

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Are you a day or a night person?

2010-03-23T02:52:00.000-07:00

Are you a day or a night person?

My Quiz Result: You are a typical day person. The brightness and activity of the day inspire you.

Take this quiz: Are you a day or a night person?

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Test your loyalty quotient

2010-03-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

Test your loyalty quotient

My Quiz Result: You are loyal in your relationships. You expect your partner to be equally loyal. With the way, modern relationships are turning out, your thoughts may be considered old fashioned.

Take this quiz: Test your loyalty quotient

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How good is your grasping ability?

2010-03-19T00:53:00.001-07:00

How good is your grasping ability?

My Quiz Result: Your grasping ability is not so good. Try to improve the same by reading books on the subject or talk to your elders about it.

Take this quiz: How good is your grasping ability?

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Are you Gods gift to the world of blogs?

2010-03-18T03:14:00.000-07:00

Are you Gods gift to the world of blogs?

My Quiz Result: You are God's gift to the blogging world. Writing blogs is your favorite hobby.

Take this quiz: Are you Gods gift to the world of blogs?

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Are you a cosmetics junkie?

2010-03-17T01:51:00.001-07:00

Are you a cosmetics junkie?

My Quiz Result: You are a complete cosmetics junkie. You love to be a total glam doll. You wouldn't dream of stepping out without your make-up.

Take this quiz: Are you a cosmetics junkie?

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Are you success material?

2010-03-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

Are you success material?

My Quiz Result: You are success material. Good luck.

Take this quiz: Are you success material?

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Are you fighting stress in the right way?

2010-03-12T21:57:00.001-08:00

Are you fighting stress in the right way?

My Quiz Result: Try to know more about what is stress and fight it better for a happier life. That will also bring you peace of mind.

Take this quiz: Are you fighting stress in the right way?

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Are you addicted to portable music players?

2010-03-12T00:40:00.000-08:00

Are you addicted to portable music players?

My Quiz Result: You are one of the reasons, the portable music players are doing so well. They are more than an obsession for you and you are proud of this fact.

Take this quiz: Are you addicted to portable music players?

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Can you live without movies?

2010-03-11T00:11:00.000-08:00

Can you live without movies?

My Quiz Result: You are a die-hard movie fan. Life without movies is unimaginable for you.

Take this quiz: Can you live without movies?

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How true are you to your friends?

2010-03-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

How true are you to your friends?

My Quiz Result: You are truthful with your friends. You have idealistic thoughts and a clear conscience.

Take this quiz: How true are you to your friends?

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Are you a tomboy?

2010-03-07T23:09:00.000-08:00

Many girls are labeled as tomboys. What about you? Can one call you a tomboy or not? Find with this quiz.

Are you a tomboy?

My Quiz Result: You are a tomboy.

Take this quiz: Are you a tomboy?

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Are you a high maintenance girl?

2010-03-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

Are you a high maintenance girl?

My Quiz Result: You are a high maintenance girl.

Take this quiz: Are you a high maintenance girl?

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Which ice cream flavor are you?

2010-03-05T01:10:00.000-08:00

Which ice cream flavor are you?

My Quiz Result: You are nutty and naughty like butter-scotch. You like to live life king size. You are bubbly and full of energy.

Take this quiz: Which ice cream flavor are you?

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Will you survive a relationship breakdown?

2010-03-03T23:19:00.000-08:00

Will you survive a relationship breakdown?

My Quiz Result: Your responses indicate that you should be able to cope up with a relationship breakdown, better than others. You will be able to bear the stress, quite well.

Take this quiz: Will you survive a relationship breakdown?

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The useless pointless senseless test

2010-03-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

The useless pointless senseless test

My Quiz Result: The very fact that you are reading this, certifies you as a bit insane. Go and spend your time on the other cool quizzes, which really make sense. By the way, you failed to pass the useless pointless senseless test. You can't pass it ever.

Take this quiz: The useless pointless senseless test

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Are you a girly girl?

2010-03-02T01:27:00.000-08:00

Are you a girly girl?

My Quiz Result: You are totally a girly girl.

Take this quiz: Are you a girly girl?

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Are you making big mistakes in your relationship?

2010-02-26T22:25:00.000-08:00

Are you making big mistakes in your relationship?

My Quiz Result: You are making big mistakes in your relationship. Try to give your partner some breathing space. Be frank about yourself. Give due attention to your partner but do not go overboard. And try to jazz up the romance.

Take this quiz: Are you making big mistakes in your relationship?

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What should the opposite sex do to attract you?

2010-02-26T00:40:00.000-08:00

What should the opposite sex do to attract you?

My Quiz Result: If you are Pisces, to attract you, the opposite sex should be caring, ambitious, romantic and sensitive.

Take this quiz: What should the opposite sex do to attract you?

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Are you a weirdo?

2010-02-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

This funny quiz will tell you if you are a weirdo.

Are you a weirdo?

My Quiz Result: Whoa, you are a complete weirdo. Seriously, we are not joking ;-) Send this quiz to your friends, so that they can also check if they are like you!

Take this quiz: Are you a weirdo?

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Are you leading a healthy lifestyle

2010-02-23T23:17:00.000-08:00

The title of this quiz says it all. Is the lifestyle you are leading, a healthy one? Find now with this health quiz.

Health Quizzes

Is this the right age to get married?

2010-02-23T01:28:00.000-08:00

Is this the right age to get married?

My Quiz Result: This is the right age for you to get married. All the best.

Take this quiz: Is this the right age to get married?

Take more Marriage Quiz.

Christian Comments

2010-02-22T01:15:00.000-08:00

Christian Myspace Comments

Also works in Tagged, Blogger, Orkut, Myyearbook, Wordpress, Multiply, LiveJournal, Ning, Xanga and social networking / blogging sites which allow flash. Works in profiles of Friendster and Hi5 but not in their comments.

Myspace Comments, Christian Comments at WishAFriend.com

Friendship Thoughts

2010-02-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome to CommentsBucket.com, we provide free comments graphics and tools for your Hi5 page. You are at the ultimate destination for free hi5 comments in all topics like birthday hi5 comments, sexy hi5 comments, funny hi5 comments, girly hi5 comments, romantic hi5 comments, etc. Comment your myspace friends with cool graphics. Keep in touch with friends with hi5 comments.

Hi5 Comments
Myspace Graphics

You are an obsessive girlfriend.

2010-02-18T23:10:00.000-08:00

Some girls have only their boyfriends on their minds. They are totally obsessed with their boyfriend. What about you?

Are you an obsessive girlfriend?

My Quiz Result: You are an obsessive girlfriend.

Take this quiz: Are you an obsessive girlfriend?

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Thanksgiving Myspace

2010-02-18T00:33:00.000-08:00

Get Thanksgiving myspace comments from below. You can use these Myspace Thanksgiving comments to comment your family/friends or post the Thanksgiving comments in your profile.

Myspace Comments, Thanksgiving Comments at WishAFriend.com

Typing Speed Test

2010-02-17T00:57:00.000-08:00

Test will begin as soon as you start typing in the box indicated below. To get accurate results, press Space Bar after typing each word.

Typing Speed Test

Photo Effects

2010-02-16T00:14:00.000-08:00

Have fun with your photos with online photo effects. Choose any fun photo effect and generate a new image out of it. Post the new pics in myspace, friendster, blogger, hi5, facebook, orkut, xanga, wordpress, ning, etc and your other favorite sites.

Photo Effects By WishAFriend.com

Northeastern University

2010-02-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The universityâ€™s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions.

Northeastern University is located in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, which occupied an area of 2030,000 square meters and an architectural area of 1000,000 square meters, is situated on the north bank of the Hun He River and close to the South Lake. The university is one of China"s high level universities designated for the state key construction of the "211 Project" and "985 Project".

Being a multi-discipline university focusing on engineering, while having kept the edge in traditional disciplines such as mining, material science, metallurgy and mechanical sciences, NEU has made headway in some of the newly rising and cross-disciplinary disciplines such as automation, computer science, and other high-tech disciplines. The discipline of Control Science and Engineering was ranked number one in this discipline in China in the first national first-level discipline assessment by National Academic Degree and Postgraduate Education Development Center.

NEU consists of Qinghuangdao Branch, Graduate School, 12 schools and Department of Physical Education. There are 2140 teachers and researchers, 6 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, 9 members of the Discipline Evaluation Board of the State Council, 218 tutors of ph. D student, 328 professors, and 629 associate professors. There are 2195 ph. D students, 7232 graduate students, 21333 undergraduate students. NEU has 53 majors; it has the right to confer Master Degrees in 170 subjects, besides MBA, MPA and Engineering Master; to confer Doctor Degree in 81 subjects. There are 3 national key disciplines of First Class Discipline and 15 national key disciplines of Second Class Discipline, 13 Post-Doctor Stations, 4 National Engineering (Technology) Research Centers, 1 key State-level laboratory and one state key laboratory cultivation base. There are 1 National base of College Student Quality-oriented Education and 1 national engineering and mechanical teaching base in engineering basic courses.

Since the 10th “five year plan”, NEU has taken on 1906 research projects of national natural fund, national key fundamental research, develop and planning (973project), national high-tech research develop planning (863 project), national technology research, war industry and the cooperation research with enterprises. In 2006, the number of national awards of scientific and technical payoffs of NEU were ranked 6th among the universities in China. NEU has won 180 awards of the state, province and ministry, among which there is one first prize of the national technology progress award and two second prizes. NEU has published over 9082 papers on national and international academic journals and conferences. There are 2001 papers of NEU in the world top three search systems.

NEU preserves in opening education facing the world. It has established academic exchange relationship with 84 universities and institutions in 20 countries and regions, and has invited over 2000 oversea experts to teach, give lectures and cooperative study in NEU.

Looking into the future, NEU will take the opportunity and keep its characteristic. It will strive to realize the goal that making NEU that is characteristic with “ multi-discipline, research oriented, internationalization ”, ranking among the top level nationwide and enjoying well recognition worldwide.

Music Production - Converting Analog Audio To Digital And Vice Versa

2010-02-11T01:35:00.000-08:00

Music Production - Converting Analog Audio to Digital and Vice Versa by Lorabella

The various technical terms that are typical to the music industry can confuse beginners who aspire to make a successful career in music production. Take the commonly used terms like analog and digital audio, the former refers to the process of using magnetic particles for recording sound, while the latter refers to the process in which music is stored digitally. Before the advent of digital technology audio used to be stored in the analog form in magnetic tapes, but now digital storage is the preferred method. However audio is recorded and played back in the analog form, hence the need for analog/digital conversion persists. Earlier this kind of conversion could only be done in a studio which was equipped with expensive analog/digital converters. But the remarkable progress in computing technology has ensured that such conversions can now be carried out at home on a desktop computer. However, before we get into the details of the process of converting analog audio to digital audio it helps to be aware of terms like sampling rate and bit depth.

Sampling rate refers to the rate at which a digital recorder captures the audio signal it is receiving. The process can be likened to the way a digital video camera records moving objects by capturing multiple images of the object in a second. A digital sound recorder captures sound in the same way. The unit of sound captured is called a sample and sampling rate is the number of samples that is captured per second by the recorder. Sampling rates can be mentioned as 44,100 Hz, 48,000 Hz, 96,000 Hz, and 192,000 Hz. What this means is that when the sampling rate is mentioned as being 48,000 Hz, the digital recorder is recording 48,000 samples of the sound per second. When the recording is played back the samples are played at such a high speed that the listener hears a continuous audio stream, although in reality there are distinct samples of audio data that are being played at separate intervals of time. Higher sampling rate denotes better sound quality.

Sampling bit depth in combination with sampling rate constitutes the audio equivalent of a pixel which refers to a unit of color in digital photography. Just the way pixels have a length and breadth, sampling rate and bit depth together constitute the length and breadth of a unit of digitally recorded audio data. Bit depth is generally mentioned as 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit. Higher bit depth produces better quality sound. However the standard bit depth used in CDs is 16 bit, while DVD audio uses 24 bit.

In analog to digital conversion, sound picked up in the form of vibrations by a microphone makes for analog signals. These are converted into electric signals by the microphones and carried into the pre-amp of the recording interface. In the case of digital recording, the recording interface is already equipped with an Analog to Digital conversion element. This element converts the electric signal which was amplified through the pre-amp into digital data. When this data is to be played for listening it has to be converted back into analog. In this process, the digital data is again passed through the Analog/Digital converter. The digital bits are converted into electric signals which are then sent to the speakers where the signals are amplified and recorded audio can then be heard by human listeners.

Read more about lydproduksjon and musikkproduksjon at Noroff.no

Article Source: Fun Personality

Family Fun

2010-02-10T00:03:00.000-08:00

Family Fun Park is a great place to spend the last weekends of Fall, with go-karts, batting cages, miniature golf and the golf driving range. The bumper boats and waterslides are closed for the season. The restaurant and arcade are also open. Try our new Lazer Runner Laser Tag. This new venue offers an exciting addition to the park and will be open even if the weather is rainy. Experience more choice and flexibility with our new wristband packages. Choose 4 attractions for $25 or 5 attractions for $30. The park will close for the winter on Sunday, October 11th.

Costa's Family Fun Park is operated by Recreation Management Corporation and offers bumper boats, go karts, miniature golf, water slides, laser tag, a golf driving range, batting cages, video games, dining, Hershey's ice cream and more during the summer months. We offer birthday parties and group rates. Go karts, miniature golf and the arcade are always crowd pleasers. Sign up for our email newsletter by clicking on the link to the right to always know what is happening at Costa's Family Fun Park. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Early pregnancy fetal tests showed no abnormalities. Mom is a nurse and was strictly following safe pregnancy practices. There were no warnings that this was a special needs pregnancy. Three days before Christmas, Monica was born with a life-threatening neural tube defect called an occipital encephalocele.

Within hours after birth, Monica was rushed by ambulance to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a large city hospital. After examination, the neurosurgeon gave us a dire prognosis - a short lifespan with multiple and severe disabilities. The encephalocele was "leaking" and chance of infection and death were imminent. Brain surgery with a 50/50 chance of survival was the only chance to save her life. Life or death - the choice was given to the parents. For me, there was only one option - do whatever could be done to save Monica's life.

Not knowing if she would live or die, family and friends quickly came to the NICU and visited Monica. With aching hearts, exhausted from days without sleep, their eyes red and faces swollen from crying, the parents bonded with their first born baby and gave her all their love.

Two days later, on Christmas Eve, after 6 hours of surgery, we were given the news - Monica survived the brain surgery - our own Christmas miracle!

The surgery removed a large part of her brain - dead gray matter inside the occipital encephalocele - presumed to be mostly from the occipital and parietal lobes. The missing portion of her occipital lobe would effect her eyesight and balance. Monica was subsequently diagnosed with multiple disabilities and disorders including cortical blindness, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. The neural tube defect had also caused malformation of the skull.

Amniotic band syndrome caused a constriction in the upper left arm and loss of middle and ring fingers on the left hand and deformity of her little finger. The constriction was so tight around her upper arm, that blood had to flow through the humerus to reach her lower arm and hand. Monica was fortunate not to have lost her left hand and forearm. Within the year, Monica had surgery to relieve the constriction and reconnect blood vessels to her left forearm.

Monica had more surgeries in the coming years, including hand surgeries and a spinal fusion, but after each one she recovered remarkably fast. As her early years passed, we did not see the bleak prognosis that had been given to us. Monica thrived. So, I decided to share Monica's success story to provide hope and help for other parents of special needs children. Thus was the concept and construction of the Family-friendly-fun website in 1997.

Monica has several disorders, including sensory, cognitive and motor impairments, blindness, mental retardation, and chronic complex partical seizures. While her cognitive and physical development is slow, it is steady and I am so delighted by what new thing she has learned and accomplished. For example, through her own determination and daily effort, she learned to walk at age 7.

We are not experts on raising a disabled child, but through this website and blog, we will share what we know and what others have taught about parenting a disabled child and disabled parenting. There is more work involved in effectively caring for and raising a developmentally disabled child, so we have to be aware of how to balance work, play, and leisure to maintain our own health.

Unfortunately for Monica, my father died when she was only 3 years old and my mother died in childbirth, so Monica missed growing up with both sets of grandparents. My father loved her so very much. I still feel his presence and know that his spirit is still with Monica and I.

Living in a rural community with a special needs child, we encountered obstacles that initially impaired our ability to participate in "normal" family activities. As we overcame these obstacles, we added this information to our website.

Family support is invaluable and is cherished. Support groups for parents with special needs children were non-existent at the time in our area, so we started an online community to provide a forum where special needs families can meet and share information, stories, questions, concerns and support. Here is some information on how to start a support group for parents.

Monica participated in early intervention programs from age 1 to 6. We wanted Monica to be integrated in the public schools so her peers would get to know her. She was delayed entry into elementary and middle school by two years as they prepared each school to accomodate her special needs. We are gratified to know that Monica has "paved the way" for future children with developmental delays and disabilities.

In her early years, we discovered she had a food allergy to red dye (found in many food products), and this made her metabolism hyperactive and often did not sleep at night. By her early teens, she no longer had this response.

Every year we celebrate Monica's birthday. I distinctly remember her first birthday. Monica was then a plump baby and she was seated at the head of the dining table with a birthday hat on, birthday cake lit, and her family around singing her "Happy Birthday"... and she fell sound asleep right in the middle of the party.

Originally, we considered homeschooling for Monica, but we thought it was more important that Monica socialize with her peers in public school, so that they would get to know her and and be accepted by the community. We wanted Monica to attend integrated classrooms as much as possible, as well as the special education classes. In the elementary school, she was integrated into all classes. When she reached middle school and high school, she attended less "regular" classes and spent more time in a special education class.

In addition to vocational training and special education, Monica received speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy at least once every week in school. We also considered massage therapy for her. All these services were facilliated in our iep meetings with teachers and therapists.

Ever since Monica was a baby, she enjoyed music. I will never forget one evening. Monica was sitting next to me on the sofa. I was channel surfing when suddenly she became very attentive when I tuned to a channel that was showing an orchestra playing classical music.

As time has gone by, we discovered new fun activities, including games, coloring, crafts, developmentally appropriate toys and some movies that Monica enjoys, including Raggedy Ann and Curious George. We have also started a scrapbooking project to display our family adventures. Monica loves to be read a variety of childrens books and poetry.

Although Monica does not participate in adapted sports, we do play some unique family fun sports and we faithfully watch together the UConn women's basketball games.

Monica has used a variety of adaptive equipment, including a spoon with a built-up handle and a plate with high sides (to scoop against). Monica continues to participate more with her care - dressing and undressing, soaping up in the shower, bringing food to her mouth with a spoon, and brushing her teeth and hair.

Because Monica is non-verbal, she is learning basic sign language, such as "shower", "all done", "bed", "more", and "dad." She also uses assistive technology and augmentative communication devices at day program and at home.

To assist other families, therapists and teachers, we have researched and compiled a report on where to find and apply for funding for assistive technology, also ADA Ramps and treatment of veterans of any/all disabilities.

Monica also benefits from sensory activities and sensory integration therapy, which can be facilliated by a sensory room.

Monica loves to explore her surroundings, whether it be school, a respite center, grocery store, restaurant, home or vacation condo. She will wheel herself around and want to look in every room. She has a good memory so when we visit the same place again, she is able to navigate to where she wants to go.

Travelling with Monica has gotten easier over the years as we have learned what to bring, vacation planning, and what to ask for when arranging accomodations. Her disposition in the car has much improved, from kicking the back of our seats and vocalizing to relative peace and quiet. Albeit a surprising sensation for her, Monica enjoyed air travel to the Bahamas.

For physical fitness, Monica often takes short walks (with someone holding her stability and direction). She has a scooter that she sits on and uses her legs to propel herself around the kitchen. She also has a 4 wheeled walker and only requires someone in the front to guide it. At day program she pedals around the corridors on her adapted tricycle.

We have to manually stretch her heal cords which tend to be high tone and do passive range of motion on her upper extremities.

Monica eats a healthy diet with proper nutrition every day. She basically tolerates and eats only pureed food. She starts the day with oatmeal with a banana and scrambled eggs, and orange juice with liquid vitamins and minerals added. Mid morning snack may be a fruit cup or yogurt. Lunch includes a pureed vegetable and fruit, yogurt, and a nutritional supplement drink. Afternoon snack is fruit. Dinner is often yogurt, cottage cheese, vegetables, fruits, and juice or nutritional drink.

Our first single-family home had a very steep driveway and when Monica went to school in the winter, my wife often had to bring Monica down and up our steep driveway (in a wheelchair) because the school bus could not make it up due to snow or ice. When Monica was 6, my wife fell on the driveway trying to push Monica in her wheelchair, so we sold the house. We bought a flat lot and designed a safe and secure, handicapped accessible home that served our family well for many years.

We lived in a small rural town and have a wildlife preserve across the street. In our yard, we created our own backyard wildlife habitat that encouraged birds and small animals to visit or live on our property. Monica enjoys sitting outside in the shade or in the enclosed porch and enjoys listening to the sounds of nature, while dad either mows the lawn or works in his accessible garden.

We had three indoor pets. Two of the older cats were starting to be more comfortable around Monica, and likewise, Monica had been more interested and become more tolerant of their presence.

Before we decided to have a second child, we had genetic testing performed to avoid birth defects due to chromosomal abnormalities, a review of our family history and counseling. An occipital encephalocele is a type of neural tube defect, and neither side of our families had any history of this. Don't rely on your doctors and specialists to maintain family medical records - get your own copies of your medical tests, keep your own records and organize them for future reference.

I had inherited PKD from my mother, but no history of neural tube defects on either side of the family. My wife always wondered if her train trip by the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant during its meltdown accident may have caused her some chromosomal damage.

Martha was born 3 years later - perfectly healthy. She now attends Wagner College in Staten Island and studies Arts Administration. She is Miss Bristol 2010.

When Monica turned 18, we went through the legal process of legal guardianship in the Probate Court. To plan for her care and enjoyment of life after we have departed, we set up a special needs trust.

Monica was employed by the high school cafeteria. Every morning she was responsible for taking frozen cookies out of large boxes and putting them on baking trays to be baked. She often did 5 to 7 large trays, making several hundred cookies for the hungry teenagers at lunch. We are unsure at this time if Monica will be able to continue to work after she graduates from school, but we have included some employment resources for people with disabilities, such as creating an effective resume , disability rights, disability insurance and networking.

As Monica approached her 21st birthday (when she will no longer be eligible to attend public school), I worked on transition planning with the school and the State Department of Developmental Services to find Monica a suitable day program. Monica now attends an Easter Seals day program.

Unlike my youngest daughter Martha, Monica did not have the same teenage stress, rebellion, and dating concerns. One of the most important things a parent can do is try to maintain open and honest communication during the turbulent teenage years.

One of my long-term concerns is what will happen to Monica when I can no longer take care of her, so I am looking into senior health care options. The possibility of turning our home into a group home is no longer possible so I will eventually have to look for a group home where she will live until death.

Despite some state assistance, family budgets are particularly important for family finances. I have a flexible job as a COTA so I can take Monica to medical appointments and care for her during the day when she is sick or a caregiver is not available. Here is my COTA resume. I also make money working at home part time.

While family relationships and roles often change as children get older, here are some basic family values that promote a healthy family life. Divorce is higher than it should be. If only parents of disabled children could learn and embrace what is truly valuable in this world, then self sacrifice would be a joy and not a duty.

Roll away the stone and let the love of Jesus shine in your heart. Spirituality, religion and faith have been an important part of my life. I have learned much about self sacrifice and values and what is most important in life from my daughters. Monica has been a big factor in my self actualization. Monica helped to refocus my career goals to helping other in a personally meaningful way as an occupational therapy assistant.

For families with special needs, here are some resources on dealing with fears and anxieties, how to better cope with stress and depression.

Here is some information on adopting a child with special needs. This website offers inspiring stories submitted by other families with special needs as well as links to other websites on a wide variety of family-related subjects.

Chicago

2010-02-09T00:25:00.000-08:00

Chicago Weather

Chicago weather is nothing to sneeze about. It isn't called the Windy City for nothing! Wind, rain, heavy rain, heavier rain, thunderstorms, snow, sunshine, heat, humidity. This great city has it all and as a result there are beautiful trees, magnificent parks, umbrellas, galoshes, tennis courts, and swimming pools. What is clear, however, is that visitors should take care to inform themselves concerning both current conditions and the forecast. Both are contained on this page. They should be helpful when you plan your packing with one eye on high fashion, of course, and the other on the Chicago weather.

Chicago Public Library

According to legend, the Chicago Public Library began with the donation of books by British citizens after the fire of 1871. In fact, efforts had been underway before that to augment private libraries with a public institution. These efforts reached fruition in 1872, when the city organized a board under the Illinois Library Act. The board's mandate was to provide service to the “common man.” The first librarian, William Poole, concentrated on building up the library's collections and on public access via delivery stations throughout the city. By 1909, two-thirds of the circulation took place through deposit stations.

In the 1890s the library's priorities shifted from service to uplift. This corresponded with Chicago's larger cultural renaissance, which included the creation of the Newberry and Crerar research libraries. The three libraries agreed to divide the areas of study among them—the humanities to the Newberry, the sciences to Crerar, and popular collections to the public library. In 1897, the new main branch opened in an opulent structure in the Loop. The architecture as well as the books were meant to influence and uplift patrons. At the same time, politicians drastically cut the budget for acquisitions and neighborhood services.

The ideals of progressive reformers soon returned the library to its mission of service, exemplified in librarian Henry Legler's 1916 proposal, “A Library Plan for the Whole City.” The plan, which called for an extensive network of neighborhood libraries and regional districts, was carried out by Legler's assistant, Carl Roden. During Roden's tenure as librarian (1918–1950), the branch library system grew by 50 percent and circulation reached stunning heights, though expenditures and book purchases were low in the wake of the Great Depression. During the three decades after 1950 the public library remained limited by its financial resources.

By 1969, 59 branch libraries were in operation, but they were overburdened. What caught the public's attention and dominated it for the next two decades, however, were the needed renovations to the library's central building. In 1977, the refurbished building reopened as Chicago's Cultural Center, also housing the library's new special collections unit. The rest of the collections, however, remained without a central building until 1991. In the meantime, the library's board debated plans for the new site while the budget, staff, and hours were cut and circulation dropped. Following strong support from Mayor Harold Washington, the new central library was built on the corner of Congress Parkway and State Street and was named in his honor. Its completion signaled a renewed emphasis on public service.

Mayor Richard M. Daley made branch libraries a priority and supported a special bond measure to rebuild them. In 1995, under the leadership of Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey, the library revised its mission statement and developed a Five-Year Strategy for growth that brought renewed vigor to the system. Between 1989 and 2002, it has built or renovated 41 libraries and begun construction on numerous others. Another 14 new neighborhood projects were scheduled for completion by 2004. A commitment to outreach, manifested in public programs, exhibits, and special events, has dramatically increased use of the library.

Indian Dance Reality Shows

2010-02-05T22:51:00.000-08:00

Another great show from Asianet. During the initial stage thousands and thousands of Malayalee participants from all over world tried their luck,out of which 70 were selected. The first episode starts with these 70 contestants performing and based on their performance they would further be shortlisted to go to the next round.

THE MOTIVATING concept of ‘Dance India dance’ on Zee TV stands it out in countless dance reality show coming up every season. This show may not have TRP pulling charismatic stars but it has intentions of brushing up the raw talents from different corners of India.

Contestants are segregated into groups as Geeta ki gang, Remo ke rasiley and Terence ki toli wherein they are mentored rigorously by Geeta Kapur, Remo D’souza and Terence Lewis respectively to give their best shot on the platform of their lifetime. As of now Remo is leading with all his Rasileys alive in the show.

“At this stage I cannot pick any names for top three as promising performers have also been eliminated in the show earlier like Mandakini Jena and Shubo Das. Thomas Paulson from Geeta’s group had to leave the show due to injury. Right now each one is working hard and giving their best so nothing can be predicted,” explains Terence.

Recently Alisha Singh, a contestant who has never worn sandals before ‘Dance in dance’ happened to her, performed salsa flawlessly. Nonie Sachdev has been performing brilliantly besides her bulky physique. Other contestant Paulson Thomas, though he suffered from back inflammation, pleaded to the supreme judge Mithun for the permission to perform. Mithun refused to give him permission to perform to the cost of his life. It is evident from these facts and incidences that through such shows dancing has now become bigger.

Dance India dance is not the platform where only contestants learn and derive inspiration. In fact to see physically challenged people like Kamlesh performing on the show is inspirational and have also changed the mentor’s perception towards life. “I have always wished to die if I ever lose any of my body part in accident but am touched after seeing Kamlesh’s performance”, said Lewis, mentor on the show. We keep complaining about life but Kamlesh is truly an inspiration for all of us. “Keeping Kamlesh’s physical limitations in mind we evaluated him on basis of choreography, posture, energy and expressions and yes he is no less because he is not mentally challenged”.

Kamlesh is no more in the show; it would have been an unfair judgment, as it is purely a dance show, which will be evaluated technically for the genres of dances like Indian classical, folk, rumba, salsa or Bollywood.

Growing popularity of the show signifies the success of the organisers’ attempt to teach India all forms of dance beyond typical Bollywood dance.

Colors has announced the launch of a dance reality show 'Chak Dhoom Dhoom', that aims to identify the 'Best Junior Dancing Star' from across the country. The channel has not revealed the time slot or announced the exact date of the first episode's telecast, yet.

The show will be judged by Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan, dancer Ahmed Khan and winner of Bigg Boss season 3, Vindu Dara Singh. The show will be judged by Pravesh Rana, who was also a housemate in Bigg Boss 3.

Speaking about the show, Ashvini Yardi, head of programming, Colors says, "The young India is extremely talented and full of energy and exuberance. Chak Dhoom Dhoom will provide an opportunity to showcase their dancing skills before an eminent jury and the Indian audiences. We are pleased to bring on board stalwarts like Saroj ji, Ahmed Khan and the exuberant Vindu Dara Singh who will not only evaluate the performances of these talented kids but will also inspire, motivate and encourage them to excel."

A reality dance show for children aged between 5 and 14, Chak Dhoom Dhoom aims to be a platform for talented and aspiring children who dream to become dancing sensations. Children are given an opportunity to showcase a variety of dance forms like Indian, salsa, western, hip–hop and break dance, among others. They will be selected through nationwide auditions which will be held across six cities all over India starting this week.

Chak Dhoom Dhoom has been produced by Endemol India.

Who said reality TV is for publicity hungry starlets and hopeful actors greedy for attention? As of now two of Indian cinema’s most revered actresses, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit are at the threshold of hopping onto the reality TV bandwagon.

The beauties will be judging a dance reality show, after a TV channel approached the two. Inside sources suggested that the two lissome divas have more or less given their nod to the channel’s offer and if their dates work out, audiences will behold nothing but a savouring treat.

While Madhuri is juggling between LA and Mumbai, Ash is neck deep in a series of movies. The channel will definitely have to work wonders for getting the two divas together.

Considering the roaring applaud these gorgeous beauties received the last time they set the screen on fire with their blazing performance in Dola Re, we hope the duo are eventually able to set the screens on fire once again.

India Famous Places

2010-02-05T00:39:00.000-08:00

India has abundance of places with astonishing beauty, all natural and so bizarre that will leave you gaping; Whether it is monuments or sea beaches, forests or desserts, Mountain or green plans. Taken monuments into consideration, Taj Mahal is The most famous example, The symbol of love, That stands proudly in Seven wonders of the world. From kashmir to kanyakumari, There is so much, so much to explore! You will get tired exploring the places but the places will not end.

Well-Known North India Attractions: India lies in the south of Asia and is a subcontinent of Asia. The complete country is divided into four big areas, Northern India, South India, East India, and West India. However, you will find almost major tourist attractions in Northern India. Amongst the quite well-known Northern India tourist place is the Taj Mahal. This unique work of art was constructed by the infamous Mogul emperor Shan Jahan. The Taj Mahal was built in the year 1649 as a tribute to his wife. Other north Indian tourist attractions include (but are not limited to): Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, Golden Temple
, Jaisalmer Fort, Jama Masjid, Hawa Mahal, and the Himalayan mountain range. North India is also home to a number of picturesque hill stations like Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. All these tourists attractions mentioned above indeed offer tranquility, peace, glorious and awe-inspiring sceneries . Most popular South India Attractions: South India is where a majority of India's natural attractions can be found. They contain the Rock Fort Temple, Kerala Backwaters, Golconda Fort, Ooty, Char Minar, and much more that as well comprise wide-spread hill stations in Kerala. Many of India's famous temples can also be found in southern India. A few of which are the Somnathpur Temple, Meenakshi Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple, and many more. The region of Kerala is also home to many hill stations. These contain Chithirapuram Hill station, Munnar Hill Station, Devikulam Hill Station, Ponmudi Hill Station, Attappady Hill Station, and Nelliyampathy Hill Station The well-known backwaters of Kerala has indeed severed a s a great tourist place too. This is undoubtedly the most intriguing way to spend vacations in India. Kerala is truly the tourist capital of India. To Indians it is well-known as God's Own Country. Kerala offers extravagant beaches, refresing greens, and coconut canopy Most popular West India Attractions: Similar to north and south India, east and west India also offer very notable tourist attractions. While visiting India, one can find themselves in one of Western India's major states. Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Vadodara, and Maharashtra are the western states. Western India is also home to well-known beaches. The state of Goa, although it is the smallest state, contains famous beaches such as Anjuna Beach, Baga Beach, and much more. Most popular East India Attractions: Kolkatta, the ancient city of India is situated in the Eastern part. Situated within the town are the Victoria Memorial, Nandan, National Liberty, Maidan, For William, Race Course, Eden Gardens, Alipur Zoo, Botanical Garden, and several more. Most popular Indian Fairs and Festivals: Till you do not take part in traditional festivals and fairs of India, you haven't experienced this cultural country at all. The Indian people take immense delight in their festivals and think of them as an occasion. The most notable of these festivals are Diwali, Christmas, Holi, Eid, Easter, and Raksha Bandhan. In addition to the many festivals, Indian fairs like Pushkar Fair, Nagaur Fair, Beneshwar Fair, and Mata Fair are a must see for all tourists\visitors.

Place	Location
Ajanta	Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
Amarnath Cave	Kashmir
Akbar's Tomb	Sikanara, Agra
Amber Palace	Jaipur (Rajasthan)
Anand Bhawan	Allahabad
Bhakra Dam	Punjab
Bibi Da Maqbra	Aurangabad
Birla Planetorium	Calcutta
Black Pagoda	Konark (Orissa)
Bodhisatva	Ajanta Caves
Brihadeeswara Temple	Tanjavur, Tanjor
Brindaban Gardens	Mysore
Buland Darwaza	Fatehpur Sikri
Charminar	Hyderabad
Cheena Kesava Temple	Belur
Chilka Lake	East Coast of India near Bhubaneshwar
Dal Lake	Srinagar
Dilwara Temple	Mt.Abu
Elephanta Caves	Bombay
Ellora Caves	Aurangabad
Gateway of India	Bombay
Golden Temple	Amritsar
Gol Gumbaz	Bijapur
Hanging Gardens	Bombay
Hawa Mahal (Place of winds)	Jaipur
Howrah Gridge	Calcutta
Island Palace	Udaipur
Itmaad-ud-Daulah's Tomb	Agra
Jagannath Temple	Puri
Jahaz Mahal	Mandu, M.P.(City of Joy)
Jai Stambha (Tower of Victory)	Chittorgarh
Jama Masjid	Delhi
Jantar Mantar	New Delhi
Jog (Gersoppa) Falls	Karnataka
Kailasa Temple	Ellora
Kanyakumari Temple	Kanyakumari
Khajuraho	M.P.
Kirti Stambha (Tower of victory)	Chittorgarh
Kornark	Orissa
Lakshmi Vilas Palace	Baroda
Lal Bagh Garden	Bangalore
Lalgarh Palace	Bikaner
Mahabaleshwar Temple	Ujjain (M.P.)
Maheshmuri (Trimurty)	Elephanta Caves
Malabar Hill	Bombay
Man Mandir Palace	Gwalior Fort
Marble Rocks	Jabalpur
Marina Beach	Madras
Minakshi Temple	Madurai
Mt. Girnar(Jain Temple)	Junagadh
Nagin Lake	Srinagar
Nishat Bagh	Srinagar
Padmanabha Temple	Trivandrum
Palitana	Junagadh
Panch Mahal	Fatehpur Sikri
Pichola Lake	Udaipur
Prince of Wales Muserm	Bombay
Qutab Minar	Delhi
Raj Ghat	New Delhi
Rashtrapati Bhawan	New Delhi
Red Fort	Delhi
Sanchi Stupa	Sanchi(Bhopal)
Sahar	Bombay
Sarnath Temple	Varanasi
Sidi Sayyid Mosque	Ahmedabad
Shalimar Bagh	Srinagar
Shahi Chashma	Srinagar
Shanti Vana	New Delhi
Shore Temple	Mahabalipuram
Somnath Temple	Gujarat
Statue of Gomateswars	Karnataka
Statue of Ugra Narasimha	Hampi
Sunderbans	West Bengal
Sun Temple	Konark
Taj Mahal	Agra
Tripati Temple	Andhra Pradesh
Tower of Silence	Bombay
Victoria Memorial	Calcutta
Victoria Garden	Bombay
Vijay Ghat	New Delhi

India is probably the only country that offers various types of tourism such as history tourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism, spiritual tourism, beach tourism etc.

Being an ancient country, India is a country of monuments. All in all these monuments are the destination of the traveler to India. These monuments bring the true colors of India. The country offers an amazing range of adventure opportunities such as:

• Tracking, a perfect and balanced exercise for limbs, sheds excess body fat, keeps you agile and leaves you fitter than ever before by a trekking tour.

• The white water rafting on the Ganga

• Indus or Teesta to heli-skiing in the high Himalayas

• Hang-gliding and ballooning over the Indian plains to camel-safaris in the vast Thar Desert of Rajasthan;

• Chasing the elusive tiger on the backs of mighty elephants to trekking in the Himalayan ranges

Being an ancient country, India is a country of monuments. All in all these monuments are the destination of the traveler to India. These monuments bring the true colors of India.

These are just a few of the many options available to the traveler looking for a little more adventure. Keep your eyes and mind open to have new joys and you will be pleased with sweet memories.

Author is ardent traveller whose motto in life travelling

Hollywood Love Story Movies

2010-02-03T02:02:00.000-08:00

Every dog will have his day or in this case, wolf. With some heartbreak in store for our favorite man-transforming-to-wolf hero in the upcoming "New Moon,"were glad that Unique Features decided it was time for a morphing wolf-teen to get his own love story.

Step in "Shiver," the first book in a supernatural romance series by Maggie Stiefvater, which debuted in August and has been on the bestseller lists ever since. The novel tells the tale of a girl, Grace, whose life is saved by a wolf when she was young. Years later, she comes across an injured boy who she realizes is the same wolf who saved her, and a love develops. The boy, Sam, will change back to a wolf in the winter, however, and thus they must figure out how to make their relationship work.

"I'm not the biggest werewolf or vampire fan, but the author has a strong take on a young adult sensibility," Unique Features producer Bob Shaye said in an interview with Variety. "It's also a sexy love story that isn't too over the top."

Bob and his partner Michael Lynne acquired the screen rights for "Shiver" and its two planned sequels. The pair is far from uneducated when it comes to fantastical epics, as they also were the producers behind the "Lord of the Rings trilogy and "Blade." They plan to approach Warner Bros with the opportunity to buy the project first, the told Variety.

The American Film Institute (AFI) revealed the 100 greatest love stories of all time on June 11, 2002 during AFI's "100 Years...100 Passions," a three-hour special television event. Of all the films, "Casablanca" walked in the joint at number one. The 1942 classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman was followed by "Gone with the Wind" (#2), "West Side Story" (#3), "Roman Holiday" (#4) and "An Affair to Remember" (#5).

"Last year, AFI's '100 Years...100 Thrills' counted down America's most heart-pounding films and focused on how those films viscerally effect an audience," stated AFI Director and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg. "This year, AFI's '100 Years...100 Passions' celebrates matters of the heart in a whole different way -- more heartbreaks, heartaches and hearts bursting with love, rather than heart attacks and hearts in the throat. It's a wonderful and broad list of films and I hope this fifth installment of AFI's centennial celebration of cinema will prompt people to watch these classics, either for the first time or the fortieth."

The 100 most passionate films of all time were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of leaders from the film community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, etc.), critics, historians and film executives.

And the winners are...

1. "Casablanca" - 1942
2. "Gone with the Wind" - 1939
3. "West Side Story" - 1961
4. "Roman Holiday" - 1953
5. "An Affair to Remember" - 1957
6. "The Way We Were" - 1973
7. "Doctor Zhivago" - 1965
8. "It's a Wonderful Life" - 1946
9. "Love Story" - 1970
10. "City Lights" - 1931
11. "Annie Hall" - 1977
12. "My Fair Lady" - 1964
13. "Out of Africa" - 1985
14. "The African Queen" - 1951
15. "Wuthering Heights" - 1939
16. "Singing' in the Rain" - 1952
17. "Moonstruck" - 1987
18. "Vertigo" - 1958
19. "Ghost" - 1990
20. "From Here to Eternity" - 1953
21. "Pretty Woman" - 1990
22. "On Golden Pone" - 1981
23. "Now, Voyager" - 1942
24. "King Kong" - 1933
25. "When Harry Met Sally" - 1989
26. "The Lady Eve" - 1941
27. "The Sound of Music" - 1965
28. "The Shop Around the Corner" - 1940
29. "An Officer and a Gentleman" - 1982
30. "Swing Time" - 1936
31. "The King and I" - 1956
32. "Dark Victory" - 1939
33. "Camille" - 1937
34. "Beauty and the Beast" - 1991
35. "Gigi" - 1958
36. "Random Harvest" - 1942
37. "Titanic" - 1997
38. "It Happened One Night" - 1934
39. "An American in Paris" - 1951
40. "Ninotchka" - 1939
41. "Funny Girl" - 1968
42. "Anna Karenina" - 1935
43. "A Star is Born" - 1954
44. "The Philadelphia Story" - 1940
45. "Sleepless in Seattle" - 1993
46. "To Catch a Thief" - 1955
47. "Splendor in the Grass" - 1961
48. "Last Tango in Paris" - 1972
49. "The Postman Always Rings Twice" - 1946
50. "Shakespeare in Love" - 1998
51. "Bringing Up Baby" - 1938
52. "The Graduate" - 1967
53. "A Place in the Sun" - 1951
54. "Sabrina" - 1954
55. "Reds" - 1981
56. "The English Patient" - 1996
57. "Two for the Road" - 1967
58. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" - 1967
59. "Picnic" - 1955
60. "To Have and Have Not" - 1944
61. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - 1961
62. "The Apartment" - 1960
63. "Sunrise" - 1927
64. "Marty" - 1955
65. "Bonnie and Clyde" - 1967
66. "Manhattan" - 1979
67. "A Streetcar Named Desire" - 1951
68. "What's Up, Doc?" - 1972
69. "Harold and Maude" - 1971
70. "Sense and Sensibility" - 1995
71. "Way Down East" - 1920
72. "Roxanne" - 1987
73. "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" - 1947
74. "Woman of the Year" - 1942
75. "The American President" - 1995
76. "The Quiet Man" - 1952
77. "The Awful Truth" - 1937
78. "Coming Home" - 1978
79. "Jezebel" - 1939
80. "The Sheik" - 1921
81. "The Goodbye Girl" - 1977
82. "Witness" - 1985
83. "Morocco" - 1930
84. "Double Indemnity" - 1944
85. "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" - 1955
86. "Notorious" - 1946
87. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" - 1988
88. "The Princess Bride" - 1987
89. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" - 1966
90. "The Bridges of Madison County" - 1995
91. "Working Girl" - 1988
92. "Porgy and Bess" - 1959
93. "Dirty Dancing" - 1987
94. "Body Heat" - 1981
95. "Lady and the Tramp" - 1955
96. "Barefoot in the Park" - 1967
97. "Grease" - 1978
98. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" - 1939
99. "Pillow Talk" - 1959
100. "Jerry Maguire" - 1996

Modeling Contests

2010-02-02T01:06:00.000-08:00

The Anime Expo® Model Contest is a tradition that has been on going for over a decade. The model contest provides model builders a place to gather and compete with one another on any anime based model subject which includes but is not limited to Gundam, Macross, Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, Five Star Stories, Armored Core, and figures from various animes. Contestants will compete against each other in various categories for prizes, the prestigious Anime Expo® Model Contest Trophies, bragging rights, and most importantly, the fun and support for the hobby.

Every year, the model contest adds a different flavor to make it’s mark for that specific year. This year, in addition to the regular contest, there will be an additional “At Con” contest. More details about the contest will come as the count down to Anime Expo® approaches.

Modeling Contests

Land a modeling contract

Modeling contests can be a great way to break into a new career for you or your child. There are a number of baby modeling contests and child modeling contests being held around the country at any given time. Photo contests may also be offered that give you priceless exposure and an opportunity at a cash prize. Here are a few tips for maximizing your chances of winning your next modeling contest.

First Impressions

You only get a few minutes to catch the reviewer’s eye, so be sure to select the best photos from your portfolio when entering fashion modeling contests. For baby modeling contests, have a professional photographer update your child’s picture frequently so you have a variety of pictures to choose from. If your child is interested in a modeling career, simply updating their photo and entering child modeling contests or teenage modeling contests can help build their resume before they become adults.

Start Slow

This is especially important for child modeling contests that do not involve you personally. Many parents place undue pressure on their children by spending money on travel and auditions that they really cannot afford. Once your child shows a specific talent or interest for modeling, you may want to invest more cash into helping them achieve their goals. At first, however, start slow because children are known to change their interests frequently. Your son or daughter may just be testing the waters because it sounded glamorous to participate in a fashion modeling contest.

Free Modeling Contests

If you are just starting out, free modeling contests may be the best way to get a lot of exposure in a short amount of time. This works especially well for baby modeling contests, as your child will not be a baby for very long, and there is always a lot of demand for cute baby pictures. These free contests often pass on the photos entered to top executives at modeling agencies and fashion magazines who are looking for the latest fresh face. Exposure gained from modeling contests may also help you or your child springboard into a related career in acting, singing or theater.

Modeling Contests Online

The Internet has a variety of free photo and modeling contests you can enter. These often get more competition than offline competitions because they are open to so many entrants. Entering these contests can be as easy as simply uploading a photo and filling out an online form.

Model Contest details

First Step: Register as an OMW Model:
In order to enter our Modeling contest you must first have an active model account with OMW. It is FREE to register and your access is instant. Upon registration you will have access to your private OMW Model admin panel where you can create your Online Model Page. This process takes about 2 minutes and we have provided full video instructions on how to do this. After your model page is completed your account will be activated instantly!

Second Step: Enter the OMW Online Model Contest:
After your model account has been activated you will be able to enter the OMW Online Model Contest. To do this, simply log into your account and click on the red "Contest" button located at the top right in your list of admin links. You will then be able to select an image from your portfolio that you wish to enter into the contest. Each model can select only one image from their portfolio, however you can change this image at anytime. You can also create a title for your image and description.

Third Step: Getting Votes:
After you have completed the 2nd step by uploading your model contest image you will be given a unique code that can be used to gather votes. You can paste this code into your FaceBook, MySpace, or any other social networking webpage. This code will display a thumbnail of your model image. When someone clicks on your thumbnail they will have the option to vote for you in the contest. The model with the most votes at the end of the month wins!

***IMPORTANT***
All models under the age of 18 must have parental approval before registering as an OMW Model and entering the Online Model Contest.

All model images uploaded must be original content owned by you. Do not attempt to upload Copyrighted, commercial, or images of someone else.

No Adult content is allowed. Do not upload a model image consisting of Adult content. We do accept tasteful nude "glamour" styles from models over the age of 18, but anything considered pornographic will be removed immediately.

Build and Finish – 20 pts – This is the actual skill used in building the piece. This is visible seams, correcting of flaws in the kit, filling open areas that should be solid. The finish is a careful inspection of the actual painting, decals, weathering. Items to be judged: excessive brush strokes, over spray, decals that are peeling or silvering, stickers (if used) not showing signs of peeling or abuse. Sticker abuse is the sticker showing signs of being removed and reapplied and/or having creases and various other signs of poor carePoints are awarded for how well a model is built.

Technical – 15 pts – This area focuses on the technical difficulty of the kit. Points are awarded for various technical attributes such as building a very old kit, scratch building, modifications done to the kit to make it better (Lighting, new jointing, correcting joint issues, addition of conversion kit parts), intricate paint schemes, etc. Judges can award these additional points for increase difficulty.

Aesthetics – 10 pts – These points are awarded for the intangible aspects of an entry. This is the most subjective judging criteria, and is based on how the judges feel about the kit on a personal level. Judges will award points based on how they feel about the kit, about the color scheme used, and generally how the kit affects them on an aesthetic level.

Presentation – 5 pts – This is how the kit is displayed for judging. This includes: Base, pose, and a non-technical look at the piece which is a 2ft judgment of the piece. A 2ft judgment is at a distance how does the piece look. A piece can look incredible at 2ft but be technically flawed at close inspection. This is also any custom painting, decals, or other items that are added to the kit to add to the appearance of the piece away from its technical merits.

Beauty Contests

2010-02-01T02:37:00.000-08:00

Beauty contests are popular in many parts of the world. The biggest, the Miss World competition, has been running annually since 1951, and although it is less popular in the UK now than it was in 1968, when it attracted 27.5 million TV viewers, it attracts an enormous worldwide audience - around 3 billion viewers in 115 countries. There are beauty contests for various categories of age, sex and sexuality; this topic focuses on adult women’s beauty contests as overwhelmingly the most popular and high-profile version. Note that there are difficult technical issues about running this debate: it probably works best as a values debate on whether beauty contests are a good thing or not, but this kind of comparison motion is frowned upon in some policy-based debating circles. Proposing a ban on beauty contests might be met with various entirely valid opposition lines on enforceability and warped priorities (what about porn?), which would tend to undermine the point of the debate.

What can be better than winning a one million dollar contract with a cosmetics giant, as reward for winning a beauty pageant? Marvelous, isn’t it. Well, if you are interested in knowing more about it, read on. Beauty pageants have become hugely popular in Australia and its no wonder that they attract a huge number of sponsors every year. Be it the city beauty pageants like Adelaide Beauty pageant and Miss Brisbane or national level beauty contests like Miss Australia, these contests manage to attract huge audiences, making the show a huge success. If you are interested in knowing more about these beauty contests, especially girls beauty contests, simply log onto our website and you get all the lowdown on the current happenings. The website also helps you to participate in these contests, in case you are among the interested wannabe Ms. Australia. Among the other contest, which are fast gaining ground are the baby beauty contest, the teen beauty contest and the beauty makeover contest. The last contest mentioned is especially interesting, where people go through a complete image and wardrobe makeover and the one who’s had the greatest transformation in a positive sense wins the moolah. The other hugely popular contest which is keenly contested by thousands of girls in Australia is the nude beauty contest as well as the teenage nude beauty pageants contest, where pretty young girls strut their stuff and take home loads of goodies and rewards, if they win. If you are keen to know more about these interesting shows, but have no clue where top go, do not despair. Help is at hand in the form of www.aussiecontests.com.au. All you need to do is log onto the website and select the link which fascinates you the most and hey presto! You are showered with information All that you ever wanted to know about beauty pageants and beauty competitions in Australia are in this website. So irrespective you being a part of the contestants or audience, you can log onto the site and have a nice time.

As Sonia swayed to a popular Bollywood song, striking model-like poses, a small crowd of activists and journalists cheered her on.

She was the first of about 20 contestants at auditions held in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) for the "Super Queen" - India's first transgender beauty contest.

Auditions to become India's first "Super Queen" are going to be held in cities across India over the next few weeks.

The semi-finals will be held in Mumbai and the finals will be hosted in Delhi on 21 February.

Electric dancer

The Mumbai leg of the auditions started off quietly. But as contestants got over their nerves, things became charged.

The star of the day was Nishi Sheikh, who attracted the most attention with her electric blue dress and deft dance moves.

As she walked in, some in the crowds whispered that she was the Priyanka Chopra (a Bollywood star) of the community.

She danced to a popular Bollywood number and the judges, the audience and other participants all hooted and cheered for her.

"I am very different. I perform in different countries," she told the BBC.

"I consider myself to be gay and I do not really live a life which most of my community members live. I go for international performances. For me making good money and taking care of my family is most important. I am here to support the cause."

While the unremitting media attention excited many participants, it was perturbing for others.

Some of the contestants were obviously nervous but others exceeded everyone's expectations with their sensual moves, fashionable clothing and supermodel looks.

Laxmi Narayan, the pageant's organiser and a social activist, encouraged all the entrants throughout.

No regular jobs

Reena, who works in the field of HIV prevention when she is not entering beauty contests, had come from the western Indian city of Nagpur.

Reena is a graduate and may have had a chance of getting a regular job had she not been a transgender.

"I live with my parents and have a brother who does a regular job. I don't know if these initiatives will directly help us but we try."

In the question-and-answer part of the contest, Reena simply said she loved dancing and loved her parents.

The participants had to parade on a ramp, introduce themselves and face a question-and-answer round.

The organisers say that holding a beauty contest will not only help transgender people feel more confident about their sexuality but that it will also attract attention to serious issues like HIV/Aids and help community members get more mainstream jobs.

"We will train them [the winners of the contest] to be leaders in the community. This contest is a historical moment. The community has had to stay in the closet for 262 years and this contest will provide them a platform," Ms Narayan said.

She said she wanted "hijras" (or eunuchs) to be in regular jobs.

"For a community member, to be loved with dignity is the biggest thing. Hijras enjoy womanhood to the extreme."

Hijras in India live on the fringes of society, traditionally making a living by dancing at weddings or at celebrations for the birth of a child.

The term is used to describe members of the hermaphrodite, transvestite and transsexual communities.

Many have been pushed into the sex trade and are considered to be at high risk of contracting HIV.

'Happy experience'

Ashwini, an activist and a trained performer of lawni - the traditional folk dance of western Maharashtra state - says she will continue performing once the beauty contest is over.

"I can dance and sing almost every lawni song. I have even performed with important lawni dancers in this state. I do not have the height to win a beauty contest but I want to see how this is conducted. I am happy with the experience."

From the 20-odd contestants who participated in the auditions in Mumbai, the organisers finally shortlisted three.

The nation's ultimate Super Queen winner will get approximately $21,000 and will be trained to help the community in human rights and HIV prevention.

She may even get a regular job - something most members of the community need and covet.

Environmental Chemistry

2010-01-27T03:22:00.000-08:00

This course is designed to develop a working level knowledge of: (1) chemistry fundamentals; and (2) the basic principles and concepts of environmental chemistry. The participant will also acquire a familiarity level knowledge of: (1) geochemistry; (2) atmospheric chemistry; (3) environmental microbiology; and, (4) water treatment. Prerequisite for this course is one year of college level chemistry. Based upon the book Environmental Chemistry, by Professor Stanley Manahan, this course has been tailored to the needs of Environmental Restoration and Environmental Management career professionals by including case studies and applications from actual restoration sites. Satisfactorily completing this course will earn a total of 3 credits, in 3 modular segments, from Northern Arizona University and may be used toward degree programs in chemistry, waste management science or environmental engineering.

What happens to the chemicals in an industrial cleaner after you pour it into the sink? When you see black smoke pouring out of the chimney at an industrial complex, what impact is it having on the atmosphere? These are the types of questions environmental chemists seek to answer.

The fate of chemicals in the environment and their effects are matters of increasing concern to specialists in environmental management. "Fate" involves studying where chemicals show up in streams, rivers, and air. Such pollution contains molecules that have not been removed in water treatment plants, caught by the filters in industrial smokestacks, disposed of properly, or successfully sealed in containers.

As concerns about geochemistry and the natural environment increase, environmental chemists also study the processes that affect chemicals in the environment. Gases emitted by a pine forest may create a mist when mixed with car exhaust, for example. In other instances, the environment may have effects on chemicals that can be toxic. Environmental chemists examine the ways both chemicals and the environment are changed by interacting.

Manage Our Environment

Until about 20 years ago, those studying environmental contamination focused almost exclusively on the fate and effects of chemicals because the technology to measure the damage did not exist. As the technology for measuring leakage from landfills was developed, for example, industry recognized the potential for chemicals to negatively impact the environment—and the attendant social, political, and economic ramifications. As a result of these new data, chemists were able to help design pollution abatement systems that minimize the unwanted elements escaping into the environment. They also applied their knowledge to develop remediation systems to clean up contaminated areas.

As industry takes an increasingly proactive approach to environmental management, chemistry’s role should continue to grow. For many chemical companies, this may involve redeveloping a chemical product to come up with functional groups or compounds that are more compatible with the environment. For example, one major corporation has used catalysts to develop a new production process for methylisocyanate, a highly flammable and hazardous material that is dangerous to transport. The new production process allows the chemical to be manufactured at the site where it is used, avoiding the risks of shipping and storing.

As waste disposal has become increasingly expensive, industry also has grown more interested in finding ways to solve waste problems. Many solutions involve making industrial processes more efficient, which cuts costs. In addition, environmental chemists study the effects of chemicals other than pollutants on the environment.

Work In a Broad-Based Discipline

Because our environment is so complex, environmental chemists always underscore the interdisciplinary nature of their field. Environmental chemists must be able to understand and use the terminology of a range of other disciplines, including biology, geology, ecology, sedimentology, mineralogy, genetics, soil and water chemistry, math, and engineering. They may be involved in analytical testing, new product development in the lab, fieldwork with users of chemicals, and safety and regulatory issues. Many opportunities exist to move into different areas of expertise, often outside the lab. Many chemists return to school to study public policy, law, or business—applying their chemistry know-how in new ways. For example, knowledge of chemical processes is often vital for an individual who works in a corporation’s regulatory affairs department and must ensure compliance with government regulations.

Environmental management is becoming a popular career track. Students who hold degrees in environmental sciences are finding jobs throughout the chemical industry, often working alongside geologists, biologists, and chemists.

Most environmental chemists emphasize that a solid foundation in chemistry is important to this work. Chemistry students interested in applying their training to an environmentally oriented job are encouraged to take courses in environmental studies. Potential employers look favorably on this as an indication of interest and ability to think in an interdisciplinary manner.

Work Description

“Environmental chemist” is a general term. In fact, most chemists in the field would probably describe themselves more specifically by the work they do. This work may focus on collecting and analyzing samples, developing remediation programs, changing production processes to yield a more environmentally friendly product, providing expert advice on safety and emergency response, or dealing with government regulations and compliance issues.

Working Conditions

Work is often done in an indoor lab environment. However, when studying chemicals in the environment, a riverbed or stream may become the lab. Some companies have sophisticated indoor ecosystems in which they test their products. Others collect data outdoors and miles away from their own production sites.

Places of Employment

The chemical industry employs a huge number of environmental chemists to ensure that a given company is in compliance with government regulations. Government agencies such as the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Defense and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hire chemists for environmental work. In addition, waste management companies and consulting firms employ such chemists to do consulting or remediation work. Colleges and universities are hiring more environmental chemists as they establish programs in environmental chemistry.

Personal Characteristics

Because environmental chemistry is so interdisciplinary, it requires excellent interpersonal and communication skills along with the ability to express ideas efficiently to a nonscientific audience. The importance of the latter becomes apparent when chemists deal with regulations or with a company’s sales and marketing staff. As the field of environmental management expands globally, chemists who speak other languages may experience additional success.

Education and Training

Environmental chemists come from various backgrounds, and there is no one path into the field. However, your college or university may have an ACS-Approved Chemistry Program with an Option in Environmental Chemistry, which is a good starting point. Experienced professionals emphasize the competitive advantage of obtaining advanced degrees. However, because the field is growing so rapidly, opportunities exist for individuals with an associate’s degree. Also, students are encouraged to take courses outside the traditional chemistry curriculum, such as advanced math and engineering courses.

Companies often hire graduates from schools with well-established programs. Employers also look for candidates who demonstrate the ability to broaden their skills and think in an interdisciplinary manner. Course work in subjects such as biology, geology, hydrology, or toxicology would be indications of such abilities.

Job Outlook

Because of increased government regulations, job opportunities for environmental chemists continue to grow. Despite downsizing, companies are placing greater emphasis on compliance and environmental processes. Opportunities exist for chemists to move into various areas of expertise outside a traditional job in the lab. For those also studying law, business, or public policy, opportunities can be found in the regulatory area as well as in health and safety.

The field is expanding to include nontraditional employers. Opportunities are expected to grow in contract labs and consulting, because businesses are increasingly outsourcing this work

Life Of A Lion

2010-01-22T00:46:00.000-08:00

Lions are one of the largest predators in savanna regions, reaching a length of 8 to 9 feet depending on gender and weighing as much as 400 lbs., with females usually being 50 to 100 lbs. lighter. In the wild, lions live an average of 12 years, with females living slightly longer. Out on the plains they can reach speeds of 30 mph when hunting and leap up to 12 feet.

Both gender and climate conditions affect the life cycles of lions. Since both male and female lions live on the hot savanna regions, where desert merges into jungle, they live their lives based on the heat. To conserve energy most lions relax or nap during the hottest parts of the day, seeking seclusion in trees or by water sources. These long periods of rest are followed by bursts of coordinated activity, when the lions gather and hunt nearby herbivores such as zebra. Lions can see in low-light conditions and usually hunt in the evening or at night when conditions are cooler and prey are less aware.

Both gender and climate conditions affect the life cycles of lions. Since both male and female lions live on the hot savanna regions, where desert merges into jungle, they live their lives based on the heat. To conserve energy most lions relax or nap during the hottest parts of the day, seeking seclusion in trees or by water sources. These long periods of rest are followed by bursts of coordinated activity, when the lions gather and hunt nearby herbivores such as zebra. Lions can see in low-light conditions and usually hunt in the evening or at night when conditions are cooler and prey are less aware.

lions, upon reaching maturity, choose whether or not to remain with their current pride. Older females already present will harass them, forcing them into minor fights and making life uncomfortable for the young lions. If the females stand up to such treatment and stay in the pride, they are eventually accepted and become part of a leading male's harem. If they cannot stand the harassment they leave the pride as well and become nomads. These females wander until they are accepted by another pride (a rare occurrence) or become part of a new pride under a nomad male lion.

Once settled down in a secure pride position, lions live the rest of their lives in a predictable cycle. Females provide the backbone of hunting expeditions, using their speed and agility to trap prey while the male lions, when they participate, use their strength and weight to bring larger animals down. Older lions eventually succumb to disease, are killed by a rival or are ousted from the pride in one of the turnovers.

The king of the jungle, forest

Lions have captured our imaginations for centuries. Stars of movies and characters in books, lions are the top of the African food chain. The Swahili word for lion, simba, also means "king," "strong," and "aggressive." The word lion has similar meaning in our vocabulary. If you call someone lionhearted, you’re describing a courageous and brave person. If you lionize someone, you treat that person with great interest or importance.

Lions lying around

A lion’s life is filled with sleeping, napping, and resting. Over the course of 24 hours, lions have short bursts of intense activity, followed by long bouts of lying around that total up to 21 hours! Lions are good climbers and often rest in trees, perhaps to catch a cool breeze or to get away from flies. Researchers have often noticed lions lying around in crazy poses, on their backs with their feet in the air or legs spread wide open!

All for one and one for all

Living in a pride makes life easier. Hunting as a group means there is a better chance the lions will have food when they need it, and it is less likely that they will get injured while hunting. Lion researchers have noticed that some activities are “contagious” in prides. One lion will yawn, or groom itself, or roar, setting off a wave of yawning, grooming, or roaring! Lions and lionesses play different roles in the life of the pride.

A king’s life

While it may look like the lionesses do all the work in the pride, the males play an important role. While they do eat more than the lionesses and bring in far less food (they hunt less than 10 percent of the time), males patrol, mark, and guard the pride’s territory. Males also guard the cubs while the lionesses are hunting, and they make sure the cubs get enough food.

When new males try to join a pride, they have to fight the males already there. The lion’s thick mane protects his neck against raking claws during fights with other males for membership in the pride. The new males are either driven off, or succeed in pushing out the existing males.

Best Horror Movies In Bollywood

2010-01-21T00:04:00.000-08:00

A lady wearing a white saree, carrying a candle, with open hair, singing gumnaam hai koi and walking around the streets is what horror was in bollywood long time ago. Now the definition of horror has changed completely. There are major production houses who are specialists in making horror movies. Ramsay brothers were famous for both their famous horror movies and serials. Now this fort has been taken over by Ram Gopal Verma. He is an exceptional director and works miracles with horror movies. His movies like Darna Mana Hai and Bhoot have been major block busters and have won many awards too.

While the Ramsay movies and other lower budget movie makers' movies are filled with a lot of blood shed and creatures without hands and heads. Their movies normally don't have very big stars and there is a lot of skin show to increase the viewer ship of the movie. Now day's horror movies are made with a lot of class. There are very good scripts that are written with multiple plots. A major star cast of famous and good actors are signed for these movies. Since these kind of movies don't have much scope for song and dance sequences, special songs are shot only for the promotion of the film. Ramu was the first one to introduce this concept and this has changed the careers of many actresses. Sameera Reddy performed in one of the movies like this and it was instant fame for her.

Ever Top Bollywood Horror Films You Must Watch

Bhoot- starring Ajay Devgan and Urmila Matondkar.
20 Saal Baad- starring Dimple Kapadia, Vinod Mehra, Meenakshi Sheshadiri and Mithun Chakraborthy.
Mahal- starring Madhubala and Ashok Kumar.
Jaani Dushman- starring Reena Roy, Jeetendra, Rekha and Sunil Dutt.
Kudrat- starring Hema Malini, Rajesh Khanna and Raaj Kumar.
Raat- starring Revathi Menon and Om Puri.
Saaya- starring John Abraham and Tara Sharma.
Kaal- starring Ajay Devgan, Lara Dutta, Vivek Oberoi, Esha Deol and John Abraham.
Naina- starring Urmila Matondkar and Anuj Sawhney.
Gehrayee- starring Anant Naag and Padmini Kolhapuri.

Top Bollywood Horror Films in 2009 You Must Watch it

13B- Starring Madhavan, Neetu Chandra, Saranya, Poonam Dhillon
Agyaat
Raaz - The Mystery Continues Starring Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, Adhyayan Suman
Orphan
Maa
Aasma - The Sky Is The Limit Starring Hrishitaa Bhatt, Seema Biswas, Nauheed Cyrusi

It is difficult to do justice to horror films in Bollywood with the lack of documentation and material available on the subject. Therefore, this article has been written almost entirely on the basis of memory. As a result there will be certain oversights but the idea is to pay some kind of homage to a genre that has managed to maintain its niche in India's massive film industry.

The earliest 'horror' films in Indian cinema revolved around themes of reincarnation and rebirth. Basically they were the typical old-fashioned ghost story. The attempt was not to scare as much as to give the love story a new dimension. The most famous is probably Kamaal (Pakeezah) Amrohi's debut film, Mahal. Starring Madhubala and Ashok Kumar the film is a complicated ghost story, which sees Ashok Kumar moving into an abandoned mansion with a tragic history. It is also immortalised by Madhubala's beauty and Lata Mangeshkar's first major hit song 'Ayega Aanewala'. Atmospherically photographed in the German expressionist style appropriately by the German cameraman Joseph Wirsching the film is heralded as an all time classic.

The 1980s saw a qualitative change in the type of horror films being made by Bollywood. With VCRs making Hollywood horror films more accessible to Indian audiences, more and more filmmakers began 'remaking' famous horror films. In 1980 Padmini Kohlapure played the possessed child a la Linda Blair in the unnerving Gehrayee. Probably the best of the Exorcist inspired films, Gehrayee has a number of eerie sequences and an uncomfortable atmosphere. In a similar vein, Reena Roy and Feroz Khan starred in Jaadu Tona as the tormented guardians of Baby Pinky who is possessed by a spirit from a nearby Peepal tree. 1980 also saw Rajesh Khanna, super star of the 1970s, take on the role of a serial killer in the unsettling and original Red Rose. We learn that Rajesh Khanna's character was beaten by his mother as a child and then went through a number of unsavoury relationships with women leaving him disturbed and unhinged. In a much more radical move than the Shahrukhs and Sunjay Dutts of today, Khanna broke with his lover boy screen image and portrayed the disturbed woman hater who lured young women to his house, murdered them and buried them in his garden. Director Baharatirajaa tackled this unsavoury topic in a surprisingly direct manner but his slasher film was seen as anti women and triggered protests by feminists in Bombay and Delhi.

The Ramsays had succeeded in defining the Bollywood B movie genre. Their films relay a commitment to cinema - a delight in making films and deservedly they built up a committed audience. Starting from their initial horror success Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche in 1972 the Ramsay Brothers came into their own in the late 70s with films such as Darwaza and Guest House - the latter famously starring a chopped hand. The 80s remained their most prolific period and brought such hits as Sannata (1980), Dahshat (1980), Purana Mandir (1984), Haveli (1985), Saamri (1985), Veerana (1985), Tahkhana (1986), Dak Bangla (1987), Purani Haveli (1989), Shaitani Ilaaka (1990). Most of the themes revolved around evil spirits and deformed creatures terrorising villages. The most popular targets were thinly clad women and in between the horror there was a liberal sprinkling of sex and as much nudity as could be passed by the censors. It was a successful formula and one that was rarely deviated from.

Bollywood Comedy Movies

2010-01-20T02:42:00.000-08:00

Comedy in bollywood is quite popular. Almost all the movies have some scenes depicting comedies. The actors or actresses try to give laugh to the viewers by making funny faces, dialogue deliveries, etc. Comedians like Johnywalker, Mahmood, Jagdeep and Tuntun were famous in old movies.

These actors played only secondary roles in movies and their roles were also very limited in duration. Very few comedy movies were made in past.

Today, Bollywood has changed. In 2007-2008, majority of hit movies were comedy movies. And the comedians of these movies are not comedians at all, but they are actors from mainline movies like Pares Rawal, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Arsad Warsi, Boman Irani to name a few.
Mehmood is the first thought that will emerge when you think of comedy in bollywood. Comedy has been a vital part of any movie and a lot of movies have been made only on comedy. Star like Ashok Kumar was a natural comedian. In the past the entire movie would be a comedy and there were directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee who were specialists in these kinds of movies. Then slowly comedy began taking a back seat and today comedy is only a part of the movie. At this time comedians like Johnny Lever, Asrani and Kadar Khan have made a mark for themselves.

During the 80s and early 90s it was the time for stars like Govinda who made a fortune by doing only comedy movies. Now directors like Deepak Tijori tried their hands at comedy and made a remake of a Tamil film but that too bombed at the box office. Director Priya Darshan is the only one who is churning out comedy after comedy and that too all hits. The audience loves Shah Rukh for his comedy in movies like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge and Pardes. Salman Khan too did good to his sinking career with comedy film Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya.

Top 2009 Comedy Movies.

Aage Se Right Starring Shreyas Talpade, Shiv Pandit, Mahi Gill, Kay Kay Menon, Shruti Seth
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel...
All The Best: Fun Begins Starring Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Bipasha Basu
Barah Aana Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Tannishtha Chatterjee
Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge Starring Kunal Khemu, Paresh Rawal, Soha Ali Khan, Sonu Sood
Dulha Mil Gaya Starring Ruk ruk Khan, Sushmita Sen, Fardeen Khan
Do Knot Disturb starring Govinda, Ritesh Deshmukh, Lara Dutta
Daddy Cool Starring Suniel Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Aarti Chabria
Ek Se Bure Do Starring Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav, Govind Namdeo, Yashpal Sharma, Virendra Saxena
Ishq starring Juhi Chawla, Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan and Kajol.
Padosan starring Mehmood, Ashok Kumar and Asha Parekh.
Seetha aur Geetha starring Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra and Hema Malini.
Chupke Chupke starring Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore and Jaya Bachchan.
Main Khiladi Tu Anari starring Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Raagesshwari and Shakti Kapoor.
Hum Apke Hain Kaun starring Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Renuka Shahne and Monish Behl.
Andaz Apna Apna starring Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Karishma Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor and Paresh Rawal.
Hera Pheri starring Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Tabu and PAresh Rawal.
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar ke starring Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla, Kunal Khemu, Navneet Nishan.
Satte pe Satta starring Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan, Sachin and Shakti Kapoor.

Bollywood comedy movie actors

With the growing demand of Bollywood comedy movies more number of production houses are showing keen interest in producing films of this particular genre. Bollywood comedy movies have time to time featured some of the most outstanding actors. Actors in the likes of Mahmood, Kesto Mukherjee, Asit Sen had won the heart of millions by delivering some of the greatest comedy performances.

Films that were released in the recent decade also featured a number of fabulous comedy actors. Actors like Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Yashpal Yadav have delivered great performances in various Bollywood comedy movies.

Lead male actors in Bollywood comedy movies

It is not only the character artists who have made a significant presence in the Bollywood film industry as comedians, but the leading male actors have also done bit of comedy roles. And, few of them have proved to be quite successful. Lead actors like Govinda, Akshaye Kumar, Suneil Shetty have delivered a number of path breaking roles in many comedy movies. Even the three Khans, Salman Khan, Sharukh Khan and Aamir Khan have tried out their luck in comedy flicks. The comedy flicks featuring these stars were quite successful at the box office.

Lead female actors in Bollywood comedy movies

Some of the lead female actors of the Bollywood film industry also featured in various comedy films. Sridevi a notable female actor from South India made a significant presence in Bollywood by delivering excellent performances. Leading female stars such as Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Rani Mukherjee and Sushmita Sen were brilliant in their comedy roles.

Bollywood comedy movie directors

Eying the huge potential of the comedy films, several directors have now decided to make such flicks. Directors, like Satish Kaushik, David Dhawan, Abbas Mastan are some of the most popular directors in Bollywood. Priyadarshan is also one of the most renowned directors who has carved a niche for himself by making a number of hilarious movies.

Popular Bollywood comedy movies

Films like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Coolie No. 1, Anadi No. 1, Hero No. 1, Aunty No. 1 have drawn a great number of audiences to the theater halls. Comedy films, like Hera Pheri, Koi Mil Gaya, Dhamaal, Garam Masala, Partner went on to become huge hits at the box office.

This review is not about 5 best Hindi comedy movies. It is difficult to choose, cos there are quite a few that can tickle that funny bone in you & make you roll in laughter.

1. Padosan: This is a true laugh riot. Its the love story of a simpleton & a bit slow boy (Sunil Dutt) & the quick witted, sophisticated girl (Saira Banu). Superbly supported by Mehmood as the South Indian teacher of the girl and Kishore Kumar the music n love guru for the guy. I cannot imagine this film without these 2 suporting actors.

2. Chupke Chupke (the old one): This one is a typical Hrishikesh Mukherjee film. Very light hearted, easy-to-identify with characters and very good acting by the entire cast. I dont think I have tired of watching this movie whenever I have got the opportunity to do so.

3. Golmaal (the old one): starring Amol Palekar & Utpal Dutt, this one is very endearing. It proves the saying that all is fair in love & war where the hero wants to win the girl at any cost!

4. Khubsoorat: This one starring Rekha in the lead role, was like a breath of fresh air. It was a pleasure to see Shashikala, who normally is the bad one in a lot of films, do a good "bahu" role. Very sweet movie.

5. Bombay to Goa: This is among the first few films that Amitabh Bachchan acted in. His heroine is Aruna Irani. The film is about a girl who wants to make it big in the film industry but is blissfully ignorant of the "big bad world". She accidentally sees a murder and flees. The whole film revolves around what she goes through & how the hero saves her from the clutches of the villain.

Top 10 Comedy Movies Videos

Bollywood Superhits Films Of 2000-2009

2010-01-19T02:18:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a crazy, fun-filled and definitely memorable first ten years of the 21st century that has seen its fine share of flops, could-have-beens, should-have-beens, hits, super hits and super duber hits in Bollywood. Let me assure you this list is solely here to celebrate the
super duber hits of the last ten years as an honest account of all of the flops and misses produced from 2000-2009 could comprise several books and might somewhere down the line be a topic for a future post. That aside, without further ado, let's jump right into the super-duber Bollywood hits of the first decade of the 21st century - each of which was up for Filmfare consideration, one of which was actually nominated for an Oscar and all of which will end up one day on the list of the best Hindi films ever made!

Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai

The movie stars Amisha Patel, Anupam Kher, and Hrithik Roshan in a dual role in 2000. This movie was Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel's debut and made Hrithik into an overnight superstar in Bollywood. The film was a fan favorite, with numerous crowd-pleasing songs and dance numbers.

Lagaan
The movie is set in the Victorian period of the British Raj and revolves around the peasants from a barren village who are oppressed by high taxes imposed by the British. When the peasants attempt to persuade the officers to reduce the taxes, the officers put forth a proposition to the peasants. One senior officer offers them to cancel their taxes for three years if their village team beats them at cricket. After accepting this proposition, the villagers face the arduous task of learning the game and playing for a result that will change their village's destiny. The film received critical acclaim and awards at various international film festivals, as well as many Indian film awards. Released on June 15, 2001 it became one of the biggest hits of the summer while its DVD sales is the highest ever for a Bollywood movie.

Devdas

is a 2002 Hindi film based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novella Devdas. This is the third Bollywood (Hindi) version and the first colour film version of the story in Hindi. The film is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and stars Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai in the leading roles. At the time of its release, Devdas was the most expensive Bollywood film ever produced, with a reported budget of Rs 50 crores. The film was released in six alternative language versions: English, French, German, Mandarin, Thai, and Punjabi. Shahrukh Khan's performance as the rebellious alcoholic Devdas is often considered one of his best performances, and won him a Filmfare Award. The song Dola re Dola became a hit with its unique dance duet between Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit. The video had significant airplay on MTV Asia. The film won ten Filmfare Awards, including Best Film, and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also India's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.

Koi Mil Gaya

is a 2003 Bollywood science fiction film, directed by Rakesh Roshan (who also has a cameo role), starring Hrithik Roshan, Rekha and Preity Zinta. It was released on August 8, 2003. The film is the first part of the Koi... Mil Gaya series and appears to be an adaptation of Satyajit Ray's 1967 Bangla science fiction story The Alien. Koi... Mil Gaya itself is said to have inspired an Indonesian television series Si Yoyo, which also features a miraculous alien visitor.The film was screened at the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Denmark NatFilm Festival. Rakesh Roshan has produced a sequel to the film entitled Krrish, the second part of the Koi... Mil Gaya series, which opened worldwide on June 23, 2006 and also became a success.

Veer Zaara

is a 2004 Indian Hindi film directed by Yash Chopra. The movie stars Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji in the leading roles, with Kirron Kher, Divya Dutta and Anupam Kher in supporting roles. Veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini make special appearances in the film. The dialogues were written by Aditya Chopra.Set against the backdrop of conflict between India and Pakistan, this star-crossed romance follows the unfortunate love story of an Indian Air Force officer, Veer Pratap Singh, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Haayat Khan, who are separated for about twenty years. The story deepens with the arrival of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer, who finds Veer in prison, and upon listening to their story, tries to bring the lovers together.Highly anticipated pre-release, the film eventually became the top-grossing Bollywood film of the year at both the Indian and the international box office, earning over Rs. 750 million worldwide, in addition to being showcased at numerous prominent film festivals around the world. The music of the film, based on old compositions by the late Madan Mohan with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, was also successful. Upon its theatrical release, Veer-Zaara received mostly positive reviews from critics. The film won several awards in major Indian film award ceremonies, including the Most Popular Film award at the National Film Awards and the Best Movie award at the annual Filmfare Awards, among others.

Dhoom2

is the second installment in the Dhoom series. It is a 2006 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi. It stars Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra and Bipasha Basu. The movie is a sequel to the 2004 hit, Dhoom. The film was released on November 24, 2006. This movie has been dubbed into Telugu and Tamil; those versions were released on the same day as the Hindi version. The film is Gadhvi's fourth directorial venture after Tere Liye (2000), Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), and Dhoom (2004), and his third with Yash Raj Films. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Pritam and lyrics were penned by Sameer. The film was shot partially in-studio, in India, and also on location in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Durban, South Africa. It was the first Bollywood movie to be filmed in Rio de Janeiro.

No Entry

is a Hindi comedy film released in 2005. It was directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Boney Kapoor. The films stars Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Lara Dutta, Celina Jaitley, Esha Deol & Bipasha Basu. Sameera Reddy makes a special appearance. This film is loosely based on the Tamil film titled Charlie Chaplin.

Om Shanti Om

is a 2007 Bollywood film directed and choreographed by Farah Khan. It stars Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles as the protagonists while Shreyas Talpade, Arjun Rampal, and Kirron Kher feature in supporting roles. Arjun Rampal is the antagonist in the movie. More than forty two well-known Bollywood stars appear in the course of the film, including thirty of them (not including the stars of the film) in one song alone.

Ghajiniis a 2008 Bollywood film directed by A. R. Murugadoss and produced under Geetha Arts. It is a remake of the 2005 Tamil film of the same name, which was alsby Murugadoss. The plot of Ghajini is inspired by the Hollywood film Memento, written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Aamir Khan and Asin Thottumkal in the lead roles while Jiah Khan, Pradeep Rawat and Mirza Fraz Hussain essay supporting roles. Aamir Khan spent a year at the gym, continuously training with his personal trainer for the role.The movie is an action-thriller, with strong romantic elements, that explores the life of a rich businessman who suffers from anterograde amnesia following a violent encounter in which his love interest, actress Kalpana, was killed. He tries to avenge the killing with the aid of Polaroid Instant camera photographs and permanent tattoos on his body. The character of Aamir Khan will also feature in a 3-D video game titled Ghajini The Game, which is based on the movie.

Delhi-6

is a Hindi film by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra; starring Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Om Puri, Waheeda Rahman, Rishi Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni,Deepak Dobriyal and Divya Dutta.The movie is reportedly based on Mehra's growing up years in Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi.It is Mehra's third movie after Aks and Rang De Basanti. The movie released on February 20, 2009 to a strong box office collection but faced generally mixed reception from critics.

2000 – 2009

Aamir khan(Ghajini, Rang de basanti, Fanaa, Lagaan, dil chahta hai(Semi hit), Taare zameen pe, 3 idiots)
Shahrukh khan(Chak de india, mohabbatein, rab ne bana di jodi, om shanti om, veer zaara, Devdas, kal ho na ho, Don, K3G, Main hoon na)
Akshay kumar ( Phir hera pheri, welcome, Namaste london, khakee, singh is king, Bhul bhulaiya, hera pheri, Awaara pagal deewana, Heyy babby, Waqt)
Amitabh bachchan (Baghbaan, khakee, mohabatein, kabhi khushi kabhi gham, cheeni kum, waqt, black, bunty aur bubbly, sarkar, sarkar raj, bhootnath, ek rishta, kaante, ankhen, veer zaara, kabhi alvida na kahna) *
Hritik roshan (Kaho na pyaar hai, dhoom 2, krishh, jodha akbar, koi mil gaya)

Companies Interview Questions

2010-01-18T01:34:00.000-08:00

One of the last questions the interviewer will ask you is "Do you have any questions?" If you reply with a simple "No" you are telling the interviewer that you aren't really interested in the job or the company. You should always prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer before going to the interview.

Below are some possible questions you might want to ask during a job interview. Avoid asking about salary, vacation time, employee benefits, etc. until you have asked a number of other questions that demonstrate your interest in working for the company. You will impress the interviewer if you ask questions that indicate you've done some research beforehand, such as "I read in the Wall Street Journal last week that your company is planning to expand its retail operations in the region. Could you give me more details about the company's plans for expansion?"

Being interviewed you get a chance to prove yourself. That is why it is necessary to be well prepared. Preparation increases your chances of being selected.

Be confident and positive
One of the best ways to get confidence before a job interview is to formulate answers to the common questions and practice many times before interview.

Different types of questions
There are different types of interview questions that you can expect at the time of interview. However, becoming familiar with various types of categories will help you to understand what the interviewer is looking for. Different types of questions are: Behavioral questions, Hypothetical questions and Stress questions.

Behavioral questions determine if you have desired skills for the job. Hypothetical questions require handling different types of situations. Stress questions are designed to test your sense of humor.

1. Why have you applied for this job?

Think carefully and mention the positive aspects that have attracted you to joining the company. Tell them about your relevant qualifications and experiences you have already possessed for this job. You can also explain that how this position and company suit your needs and expectations.You could say:
?I am looking for a role that helps utilizing my skills, work experience and knowledge to make a difference. ?

2. Can you talk through your resume?
Use this opportunity to give your professional experience in detail. Grab the chance and present the employer list of your achievements, greatest talents and accomplishments. Remember never say negative about your past companies or bosses.

3. Where would you like to see yourself five years down the line?
In this question the interviewer is looking to see that how dedicated you are to the job and the company. Even if you really do not know where would you be in five years, never say, I don't know. You could say: ?I exactly don't know but I hope that the skills and experience gained will help the company reach its goals. ?

4. What are your strengths?
This is your chance to sell yourself. Stress on skills and experience that are relevant to the post. Tell them your ability to work under pressure, inquisitiveness to learn new things, quick learning ability and good interpersonal skills.
Give examples to prove you to be meticulous, cooperative and result oriented.

5. What is your weakness?
This is a very popular question. Be confident while answering this question and turn your weakness into your strength. Pick a weakness that is harmless to your job. For example emotional nature, never want to be a loser, highly ambitious, etc.

6. What do you look for in a job?
You can frame your answer like:
I am looking for opportunities that helps me to grow as a professional and enables me to serve the organization.

7. Cite an example when you have had to take initiative?
This is an opportunity to prove that you have quick learning abilities, make the best impression in all conditions and work effectively with staff members for achieving goals.

8. How do you get along with your colleagues?
In this question the interviewer wants to know your compatibility with your co-workers. Stress on points that show you are able to build strong working relationships and strong teams to meet goals.

9. How would your coworkers describe you?
This is a chance to use encouraging and praising words to describe you. Use words like a good team leader, excellent communication skills, truthful, decisive and sensible.

10. How reliable you were?
The interviewer wants to know that how you work on deadlines and how you come up with new ideas in a limited time to solve a specific problem.

11. What are your salary requirements?
Be careful to answer this question you should know market value of the job you have applied. You could also say that you are expecting a salary based on your job responsibilities, work experience, skills and market value. But if you have a specific salary package in your mind go for it.

12. Why do you want to work for this company?
Stress the positive aspects of the target company. It is always good to research the company in depth before interview. Talk about company turnover, products, policies, services, etc.

13. What do you know about this company?
You would be surprised at the number of candidates who turn up for interviews with very less or no information about the company. It is important that you should gather information about the company.Collect all information on company's share, turnover, etc.

14. Have you been interviewing for other jobs?
Say yes but also add: ?I have given first choice to your company.?

15. What has been your greatest professional achievement so far?
Use this question as an opportunity to explain your most rewarding achievement.
Talk about substantial contribution, team achievement, unique expertise, etc.

16. How do you prioritize various activities?
Often you might be in a position to decide on which activity to accomplish first. Respond this question by saying how you set priorities between urgent and important.

17. What motivates you to give your best?
This is not the time to say money, even if it is. You could be motivated by recognition for a good job done.

18. What do you think of your boss?
Tell them about your boss good points. If you do not like your boss even though don't say negative, find something good to say.

19. What is your code of conduct?
You must be aware of the sense of rightness, fairness and goodness that are defined within the company. Instead of defining guidelines for conduct, you should define yourself as an all rounder candidate who loves to work and enjoys the challenges.

20. When would you start work?
No hard and fast rule in your answer. Ask for 1 or 2 weeks grace period before starting your new job so that you would start your work without any hurdles.

21. Can you tell me something about yourself?
It is the most common question. Be prepared to answer this question in about two minutes. Stress on the relevant facts about your education, career, work experience, skills and personal and professional life. Don't forget to answer briefly and honestly.

22. Why do you think this job is good for you?
This is your chance to prove yourself. Tell about additional experiences and qualifications you have possessed which are relevant to the job.
You can also say: ?I would like a role that gives me an opportunity to serve the company, the society and above all, my nation.?

23. Do you have any questions for me?
Don't forget to ask a question because it shows that you are interested in this job. You may ask anything about company and job you are applying for.

24. Why do you want to leave your current job?
Be very careful to answer this tricky question. Don't mention anything negative about your current company or employer and not to sound angry or rude.
For example instead of saying ?I do get more challenges in my current job? respond, ?I am keen to get more challenges and chances to prove myself?.

25. What experience do you have?
Tell them your experience related to the company's concerns. Try to give examples to describe your job responsibilities. If you do not have relevant experience, you can mention about your training programs, skills and show them how customer service experience can be applied to management positions.

Final Telephone interview

Many companies have started short listing candidates by conducting starting rounds of interview by telephone. It is always best to be prepared for a telephonic interview. The most important step is to make sure that your phone is in proper order. Be confident and positive whatever you say on phone. Do not show any sign of nervousness. Try not to speak quickly or sound uninterested on the phone. If possible, keep some important notes ready about your strengths, achievements, work experience and future plans. Always remember to end the telephonic interview with appropriate compliments.

Best Bollywood Music Of 2009

2010-01-15T00:56:00.000-08:00

The year 2009 in Bollywood saw some good movies but very few managed to set the cash registers ringing at box office. The first hit of the year was the edgy Dev D, Anurag Kashyap’s modern version of Sarat Chandra’s classic love tale ‘Devdas’. But after that box office couldn’t warm up to better collections and, to make things worse, there was a producer’s strike for many months of the first half of 2009.

Yet, most of the films that released afterward tanked or managed just average business. Worst was the debacle of big-budget movies like Kambakkht Ishq, Kurbaan, Blue and London Dreams. In the year when more than 90 per cent of the films were declared flops, silver linings came in the form of Wanted, New York and Love Aaj Kal among others.

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Bollywood churns out hundreds of films and many more songs year after year since music is an integral part of Indian cinema. The year gone by had chartbusters like “Emosanal attyachaar” and “Masakalli” that thoroughly entertained listeners.

IANS has picked 10 best songs of 2009 from various genres that created waves in the music industry and remained audiences’ favourite once released. The list shows that Pritam Chakraborty and A.R. Rahman rule the chart.

“Emosanal attyachaar“: Bollywood music got a boost in the very beginning of 2009 with hit, energetic and instantly likable number “Emosanal Attyachaar”. Crooned by Bony Chakravarthy, the song from “Dev D” that echoed the music of marriage bands, was composed by Amit Trivedi. The quirky number became a favourite of the younger generation and stood out among other songs released during that period.

“Masakalli“: This expressive number from the film “Delhi-6″, sung by Mohit Chauhan, bowled people over. An A.R. Rahman composition, it’s a free flowing, addictive, fun song. “Masakalli” is still being played on music channels and radio and it’s expected to stay with music buffs for some time to come owing to its mirthful mood.

“Hai junoon“: The song from “New York” caught the attention of young listeners for its hip and foot-tapping music. Sung by KK in his signature style and composed by Pritam Chakraborty, it topped the charts.

“Aahun aahun“: One of the biggest hits of the year was from the film “Love Aaj Kal”. It has an electrifying start with the strumming of the guitar and is an amalgamation of a hit Punjabi pop song by singer Jazzy B and Pritam Chakraborty’s composition. Sung by Neeraj Shridhar, “Aahun aahun” keeps juggling between the two genres and sets the mood.

“Dhan te nan“: Composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the song from “Kaminey” is edgy and energetic. Sukhwinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani go behind the mike for the track and while Sukhwinder gives it a rustic flavour, Vishal adds the rock touch to the song. “Dhan te nan” has a certain magic that is intriguing and holds the interest of the listener till the very end - the reason why it topped the music charts.

“Hadippa“: Mika Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan teamed up to sing “Hadippa” that spells loads of energy. It’s foot-tapping composition made it a hit dance number. The song from the film “Dil Bole Hadippa” was composed by Pritam Chakraborty and it sort of reinvented Punjabi folk. It’s perfect to play at any celebration.

“Chiggy Wiggy“: Bollywood showcased its international connect with the song “Chiggy wiggy” from not-so-hit film “Blue” as it was sung by international pop star Kylie Minogue with ample support from Sonu Niigaam. The first part of the song is in English and thus completely western, but Sonu enters with the dhol and brings in the Hindi flavour. This one is also Rahman’s composition and went on to register itself among the hits of the year.

“Tera hone laga hoon“: Pakistani Singer Atif Aslam yet again proved his prowess with the song in the recently released film “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani”. One of the most romantic songs of the year, the duet also had Alisha Chinoi behind the mike. It’s a beautiful, soothing love ballad that pulls on your heartstrings. Once again a Pritam’s composition.

“Paisa Paisa“: The track from “De Dana Dan” has a Punjabi touch. The catchy number is again from Pritam’s stable and is a huge hit at the DJ consoles.

“Aal Izz Well“: Last but not the least is “Aal Izz Well” from forthcoming “3 Idiots” — the track has raw energy and youthful spunk. It’s a fun campus song that is filled with whistles in the background. Sung by Sonu Niigaam, Swanand Kirkire and Shaan and composed by Shantanu Moitra, it was lapped up by music lovers as soon as it came out.

Top 10 Video Songs

Earthquake

2010-01-14T01:30:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The ASEAN region is located at the intersection of three major tectonic plates namely Eurasian, Indo-Australian and the Pacific plates, and one minor plate, Philippine plate. This condition generates thousands of earthquake every year most of which are potentially destructive. In recent years, several big earthquakes occurred in some parts of ASEAN countries which caused considerable damage to buildings and other structures, landslides in mountainous regions, ground subsidence and ground rupture. These big earthquakes have also caused major fatalities. What makes an earthquake more devastating is the fact that it may generate tsunami with up to 10 meter high waves which add to the extent of the damage, especially in areas along the coast.

To monitor earthquake activities, and to help mitigate the effects of earthquake disasters, most countries in ASEAN have established their National Seismological Centres (NSCs). While NSCs in some countries are quite modern, others are still in the process of upgrading. Ideally each of the upgraded NSC should have a real time monitoring system and other facilities for rapid dissemination of earthquake information.

ASEAN member countries have been striving to improve the capabilities of NSCs in their respective countries to enable NSCs to conduct various activities and research programme addressing earthquake prediction and monitoring, proper land use planning, seismic hazard and risk assessment with different levels of techniques and degrees of depth. These are all aimed at mitigating the risks of earthquakes to mankind. These efforts are, however, hampered by common problems relating to trained personnel and adequate seismic facilities. One way of overcoming these problems is to establish a regional seismic information center where the services and facilities already available could be shared by all ASEAN member countries.

Whether occurring naturally or caused by man, earthquakes most often manifest themselves by a shaking of the ground. Most earthquakes are tectonic and occur when the frictional stress of gliding plate boundaries exceeds a certain value and causes a failure at a fault line, which results in a violent displacement of the Earth’s crust.

At this point, elastic strain energy is released and elastic waves are radiated, leading to an earthquake. Induced earthquakes may happen for a variety of reasons, including extraction of minerals from Earth and the collapse of large buildings.

An earthquake is a series of vibrations on the earth's surface caused by the generation of elastic (seismic) waves due to sudden rupture within the earth during release of accumulated strain energy.

Faulting may be considered as an immediate cause of an earthquake. Due to constant movement of plates, deformation is caused which results to generations of strain energy.

Indian plate is moving in north-north-east direction and colliding with Eurasian plate along the Himalayas.

One of the most frightening and destructive phenomena of nature is a severe earthquake and its terrible aftereffects.

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently, and without warning at any time of the day or night. If an earthquake occurs in a populated area, it may cause many deaths and injuries and extensive property damage.

Although there are no guarantees of safety during an earthquake, identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can save lives and significantly reduce injuries and property damage.

The mission of the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) is to determine rapidly the location and size of all destructive earthquakes worldwide and to immediately disseminate this information to concerned national and international agencies, scientists, and the general public. The NEIC/WDC for Seismology compiles and maintains an extensive, global seismic database on earthquake parameters and their effects that serves as a solid foundation for basic and applied earth science research. Please visit the World Data Center web site to learn more about the WDC system.

Environmental Of Kangaroo

2010-01-13T01:28:00.000-08:00

Whilst the sustainability of pastoral activities in much of the Australian arid rangelands is under constant investigation, the fact remains that they are currently supporting a large population of kangaroos which, if uncontrolled, would seriously threaten the economic viability of the pastoral industry and the environmental sustainability of huge tracks of land (Caughley 1998). These are extremely fragile areas which can support a limited number of grazing animals. Allowing the grazing pressure from all animals to increase is one of the most serious environmental hazards in the rangelands. The kangaroo Management Plan is the only tool currently available to exercise control over the kangaroo contribution to grazing pressure.

Furthermore, the kangaroo population represents a resource. There is extensive ethical debate concerning the morality of utilising wildlife as a resource. This debate however, rarely examines the moral imperative for nations to utilise their resources to the best effect in supplying the world with the food and commodities it needs.

Over the past 40 years a significant industry has developed which utilises the kangaroo resource. Initially its focus was largely on pest control for the pastoral industries. However over the last decade there has been a growing realisation that the kangaroo industry has significant economic and environmental benefits.

There are 48 species of macropods (kangaroos) in Australia. Of these only 4 can be commercially harvested. In addition 2 species of wallaby are harvested in Tasmania.

Over 99% of the commercial kangaroo harvest occurs in the arid grazing rangelands. The populations of kangaroos in these areas are estimated every year in each State by well developed aerial survey techniques. It must be understood that these are sparsely timbered, if at all, savannah type ecosystems. Hence it is possible to fly over them and count the large animals such as kangaroos seen. Using either low flying fixed wing aircraft or helicopters, flying at heights of 2-300 meters the National Parks Authorities count the numbers of kangaroos seen over fixed transects. Thirty years of such monitoring have allowed them to develop sophisticated and accurate techniques of extrapolating out to total population numbers (Grigg and Pople 2001). Kangaroos are one of only a very few species (including humans) who have an annual census of their populations.

Kangaroos who consume less water and energy than sheep can reduce environmental impact of farming, a recent Australian survey has found.

According to University of Sydney, the study that tracked and recorded Kangaroos energy requirements concluded that kangaroos consumed only about 13 per cent as much water as sheep and has vital implications for grazing practices.

Adam Munn, a lecturer in Sydney's faculty of veterinary science, spent five weeks on the study, 'The Australian report said in Melbourne.

He hoped his research will encourage greater uses for kangaroos. "With climate change, most rangelands are going to need to look at diverse options for land management for sustainability," he says.

Knowing the reduced impact of kangaroos on the environment gives graziers these options. "You could use kangaroos for eco-tourism without the environmental impact once thought, or increase the use of kangaroo for human and pet food consumption."

Kangaroos

The kangaroo is one of Australia’s most iconic animals, and most species are endemic to Australia. There are over 60 different species of kangaroo and their close relatives, with all kangaroos belonging to the super family Macropodoidea (or macropods, meaning ‘great-footed’). The super family is divided into the Macropodidae and the Potoroidae families.

The Macropodidae (macropod) family includes kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos, pademelons, tree-kangaroos and forest wallabies. Species in the macropod family vary greatly in size and weight, ranging from 0.5 kilograms to 90 kilograms. The Potoroinae (potoroid) family of kangaroos includes the potoroo, bettong and rat-kangaroo, which live only in Australia.

Kangaroos of different types live in all areas of Australia, from cold-climate areas and desert plains, to tropical rainforests and beaches.

Life and habitat

Kangaroos are herbivorous, eating a range of plants and, in some cases, fungi. Most are nocturnal but some are active in the early morning and late afternoon. Different kangaroo species live in a variety of habitats. Potoroids, for example, make nests while tree-kangaroos live above ground in trees. Larger species of kangaroo tend to shelter under trees or in caves and rock clefts.

Kangaroos of all sizes have one thing in common: powerful back legs with long feet. Most kangaroos live on the ground and are distinguished from other animals by the way they hop on their strong back legs. A kangaroo’s tail is used to balance while hopping and as a fifth limb when moving slowly.

All female kangaroos have front-opening pouches that contain four teats. This is where the ‘joey’, or young kangaroo, is raised until it can survive outside the pouch.

Most kangaroos have no set breeding cycle and are able to breed all year round. Because they are such prolific breeders, a kangaroo population can increase fourfold in five years if it has continuous access to plentiful food and water.

Kangaroo management and use

Kangaroos have long been important to the survival of Australia’s Indigenous peoples, who have hunted kangaroos for tens of thousands of years for both the meat and the skins. When Europeans arrived in Australia in the late eighteenth century, they too hunted kangaroos for survival.

Kangaroos continue to be used as a resource, but only under strict government controls. All Australian states and territories have legislation to protect kangaroos. Only the four most abundant species of kangaroo and small numbers of two common wallaby species can be commercially harvested for export, and then only by licensed hunters in accordance with an approved management plan. These species are the Red kangaroo, Eastern grey kangaroo, Western grey kangaroo, Common Wallaroo (Euro), Bennetts wallaby and Pademelon (a type of wallaby).

Kangaroo harvesting and the environment

The Australian rangeland environment is fragile and easily degraded. Kangaroos have evolved as part of the Australian ecosystem and, with their soft feet, cause no environmental degradation at natural population levels. However, kangaroo populations have increased dramatically since European settlement in these areas due to the introduction of European farming methods and, for this reason, carefully controlled harvesting is required.

Kangaroo harvesting is carried out under the strict environmental controls provided by the Australian Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The commercial harvesting of widespread and abundant kangaroo species contributes to the sustainability of the Australian environment.

The four species of kangaroo that are commercially harvested have very large populations. None is threatened or endangered. The Red kangaroo, Eastern grey kangaroo and Western grey kangaroo are the most abundant species and make up over 90 per cent of the commercial harvest. Their combined population size has fluctuated between 15 and 50 million animals over the past 25 years in the harvested areas, depending on seasonal conditions.

The harvesting of kangaroos is permitted on a quota basis that is reviewed annually and independent of market demand. Quotas are set on the basis of population size and trends, and long-term climate predictions. Conservation of the species remains the foremost consideration. This approach ensures that the harvesting of kangaroos is managed in an ecologically sustainable way.

Kangaroo furs, skins and leather

Kangaroo skins and furs are exported to a large number of markets in Europe, the USA and Asia.

Kangaroo skins are exported in different stages of treatment: salted, pickled (semi-processed) and tanned. Like all kangaroo exports, these products are strictly sourced from only the six most abundant species outlined above.

Some kangaroo skins are traded as furs, while others are sold for the leather.

Although pickled skins generate the most export earnings of all kangaroo skins and furs, there is a growing export trade in finished kangaroo leather. Kangaroo skin is renowned for being very strong, yet light in weight. It is ideal for use in the manufacture of high-quality leather goods, including footwear. Because of kangaroo leather’s high tensile strength, it is also suitable for the manufacture of sporting footwear.

While only a limited number of kangaroos of certain species may be harvested, a full range of high-quality kangaroo products is available for international markets.

Wild Life Experience

2010-01-12T00:27:00.000-08:00

A juvenile is the first to come into view in the dense, misty forest. He swings from a vine with one arm, his feet swaying back and forth. He twists and turns, grabbing leaves and shoving them in his mouth.

A female with a baby walks by. The baby is traveling piggyback style, his wide eyes looking with curiosity at the tourists who’ve just arrived to observe them. The mother, meanwhile, shows only mild interest. There’s no sound except for the crunching of the foliage beneath her feet, the occasional bird chirping and the juvenile munching contentedly in the branches above.

Moments like these are ordinary for the 700 or so mountain gorillas left in the wild. But for tourists trekking to see them in Rwanda’s Virunga National Park and other sites, the ordinary becomes magical.

A juvenile is the first to come into view in the dense, misty forest. He swings from a vine with one arm, his feet swaying back and forth. He twists and turns, grabbing leaves and shoving them in his mouth.

A female with a baby walks by. The baby is traveling piggyback style, his wide eyes looking with curiosity at the tourists who’ve just arrived to observe them. The mother, meanwhile, shows only mild interest. There’s no sound except for the crunching of the foliage beneath her feet, the occasional bird chirping and the juvenile munching contentedly in the branches above.

Moments like these are ordinary for the 700 or so mountain gorillas left in the wild. But for tourists trekking to see them in Rwanda’s Virunga National Park and other sites, the ordinary becomes magical.

“Seeing mountain gorillas is described as the most profound wildlife experience on the planet,” says Phil Ward, a mountain gorilla tour planning expert in Rwanda who is helping WWF plan its March 2010 trek.

Protecting the gorillas is a top priority for many in central Africa – and for WWF as well. Tourism dollars generated from trekking permits go to the surrounding communities, helping to create such infrastructure such schools, clinics and roads. To ensure that the gorillas are minimally disturbed, just a small group of tourists are permitted into Virunga National Park daily.

Getting to the elusive primates isn’t always easy. You could trek along steep and rugged terrain for as little as 15 minutes or as many as three hours or more before spotting gorillas. But for many, being in such close proximity to these gentle giants, and realizing just how closely their behavior and interactions mirror our own, is the experience of a lifetime.

“I feel like one of the most privileged people in the safari world,” says Ward, who has completed more than 120 treks in Rwanda and throughout central Africa.

Big Five

Buffalo

Buffalo are extremely large, ox-like animals. Standing approximately 65 inches at the shoulder, adult males have a mass of up to 1760 pounds and females weigh up to 1650 pounds. To support the large body, the legs are very heavy. Front hooves are larger than the hind because of the extra mass they carry in the huge head and thick neck. Both sexes carry horns, which in the males can grow to 1.5m. Buffalo varies considerably in size, with some of the forest populations half the size of those from the plains and Savannah.

Elephant

The African Elephant is the largest living land mammal, one of the most impressive animals on earth. The Elephant's muscular trunk serves as a nose, hand, extra foot, signaling device and a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, digging and a variety of other functions. The long trunk permits the elephant to reach as high as 23 feet. It is capable of powerful twisting and coiling movements used for tearing down trees or fighting.

The trunk of the African elephant has two finger-like structures at its tip. The tusks, another remarkable feature, are greatly elongated incisors (elephants have no canine teeth). Tusks grow for most of an elephant's lifetime and are an indicator of age. They are "right or left tusked" using the favoured tusk as a tool, shortening it from constant wear.

Leopard

The most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, the leopard is also the shrewdest. Pound for pound, it is the strongest climber of the larger cats and is capable of killing prey far larger than itself.

The coloring of the leopard varies from white to bright golden brown, spotted with black spots and rosettes. The rosettes consist of groups of 5 to 6 spots arranged in a tight ring.

The tail is longer than half the body length measured from head to tail. This fierce animal has small round ears and long whiskers growing from dark spots on the upper lip. The size of the leopard varies considerably. The leopard differs from the cheetah in having shorter legs, and rosette-like spots and is without the cheetah’s black "tear" marks from eye to mouth.

Lion

Lions are the second largest members of the feline family in the world. Lion are tan in colour and have a slightly white under-body, with a tuft of black hair at the end of their tails.

Most cat species live a fundamentally solitary existence, but the lion is an exception. It has developed a social system based on teamwork and a division of labour within the pride, and an extended but closed family unit centres around a group of related females. The average pride consists of about 15 individuals, including five to 10 females with their young and two or three territorial males that are usually brothers or pride mates.

Rhinoceros

The rhinoceros is a large, primitive looking mammal that in fact dates from the Miocene era millions of years ago. In recent decades rhinos have been relentlessly hunted to the point of near extinction. Since 1970 the world rhino population has declined by 90 percent, with five species remaining in the world today, all of which are endangered.

The white or square-lipped rhino is one of two rhino species in Africa. It in turn occurs as two subspecies, the southern and the northern. The southern dwindled almost to extinction in the early 20th century, but was protected on farms and reserves, enabling it to increase enough to be reintroduced. The northern white rhino has recovered in Democratic Republic of Congo from about 15 in 1984 to about 30 in the late 1990s. This population has been threatened by political conflict and instability.

Northern Experience Wildlife Tours offer exclusive, guided, birdwatching, wildlife and photography tours based in Northumberland, the North Pennines and the Scottish Borders.

With spectacular wildlife including Black Grouse and Spring Gentians in the North Pennines, Goshawk and Ospreys at Kielder, Roe Deer, Otters, Roseate Terns and Red Squirrels around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland, Grey Seals, waders and wildfowl around Lindisfarne, Peregrines, grouse and Wild Goats in the Cheviot Hills and skuas, shearwaters, Minke Whale and White-beaked Dolphin in the North Sea, Northumberland and the Borders has something for everyone. Whether you are young or old, new to birdwatching and wildlife, or already experienced, we will improve your chances of finding these beautiful creatures.

Improve your birdwatching skills, take a Prestige Tour, let us organise your group birdwatching visit to Northumberland, buy birdwatching or wildlife tour Gift Vouchers to celebrate a special occasion; all expertly led by the friendly, enthusiastic wildlife guide described by North East Life magazine as 'The Northeast's number one wildlife detective and otter-poo expert'.

Hollywood Reporter

2010-01-05T01:52:00.000-08:00

so “Avatar” is fiercely clawing its way up the box-office charts. It burst into the top ten grossers of the decade Sunday, and seems poised to push well into the all-time list within the week, when it passes “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” at $380.3 million.

But given how long it took to reach the decade list at $341.8 million – 17 days – can we predict just how high it will go?

Cameron’s “Titanic,” which opened December 19, 1997, took almost eight weeks to cume $341.8 million in mid-February 1998. Granted, “Titanic” ran for three hours and 14 minutes, which minimized the number of shows theaters could jam in each day. Tickets were also cheaper then, of course, but the film’s tragic romance beckoned repeat viewings unlike any film had before.

Sunday afternoon, James Cameron’s magnum opus passed “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” as the 10th highest-grossing picture of the Aughts. While “Towers’” $341.8 million haul was mighty, “Avatar” now sits with a domestic gross of $352.1 million. Just ahead of it in the decade ranks is Mel Gibson’s 2004 juggernaut “The Passion of the Christ,” which grossed an unexpectedly messianic $370.3 million.

The men in black are massing.

Sony is moving forward on “MIB 3,” the third pic in its sci-comedy franchise.

“Tropic Thunder” writer Etan Cohen is penning the script, and Barry Sonnenfeld, who helmed the first two films, is said to be attached to the new installment, though there is no formal deal or offer as yet.

The studio is eyeing a 2010 start date and could go as soon as the spring.

The X-factor remains Will Smith. The A-lister, who starred with Tommy Lee Jones in the first two, has not committed to the pic, though in recent days the buzz in development circles has been that he is now interested in returning. Smith does not currently have a go movie lined up.Tommy Lee Jones’ involvement is uncertain.

Sony announced in April that it would bring back the tale of covert, pseudonymous agents who stalk the earth fighting disguised aliens, zapping beasts and memories as they go.

Activision Publishing, maker of the hit videogame "Band Hero," is standing up to the band No Doubt with a new countersuit alleging breach of contract.

In an answer and counterclaim filed last week, Activision accuses the band of failing to do its due diligence on the videogame before signing away its digital likeness, breaching a contract to provide marketing and promotion to the game, and being unjustly enriched by their inclusion in the game.

Last month, No Doubt set the stage for a very interesting court fight with Activision.

The band was unhappy that "Band Hero" allowed game-players to manipulate avatars to engage in unapproved acts, from having a Gwen Stefani virtual character perform the Rolling Stone's "Honky Tonk Woman" in a male voice to making band members do unrealistic dance moves. In a claim in federal court, the band asserted that its agreement with Activision granting publicity rights didn't cover these unanticipated features.

Reporter

After months of speculation about their future, entertainment industry trade newspaper the Hollywood Reporter, music industry paper Billboard and six other publications owned by Nielsen Business Media have been sold.

Thr Their new owner is a consortium of investors led by James Finkelstein, whose News Communications controls publications including Washington paper The Hill and the "Who's Who" directories. In addition, Finkelstein owns Thompson Publishing Group, which puts out a variety of niche publications about government regulations. [Update, 2:20 p.m.: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said that News Communications owns Roll Call.]

The acquisition is officially being done by e5 Global Media, a new company led by Finkelstein as chairman. It was formed for the purpose of this acquisition by financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and Pluribus Capital Management, a private equity fund focused on media and led by Finkelstein; Matthew Doull, a former associate publisher of Wired UK, and George Green, former chief executive of Hearst Magazines International.

Lachlan Murdoch, the son of News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, was previously reported to be part of the acquisition, but was not involved in the final deal, for which financial details were not disclosed.

Two Nielsen publishing industry trade magazines that are not part of the acquisition, Editor & Publisher and Kirkus Reviews, are being shut down, Nielsen Business Media President Greg Farrar said in a memo posted on the news media blog Romenesko.

The deal comes as the Hollywood Reporter, like many publications, has been struggling to stay alive and laying off substantial portions of its staff in the last couple of years due to the recession-driven decline in advertising and the shift to digital distribution. Many in Hollywood have wondered whether the 79-year-old publication would continue to print five days per week or if it would print less frequently after the lucrative "awards season," during which studios take out ads to boost the chances of their movies winning Academy Awards, ends in March.

The Reporter's biggest rival, Variety, which has also laid off staff this year, is in the process of ending free access to its website in a bid to boost digital revenue.

Other Nielsen publications being acquired by e5 include Adweek, Brandweek, Mediaweek, The Clio Awards, Back Stage and Film Journal International.

In a statement, Finkelstein appeared to be committed to growing the publications he is buying and not continuing the recent trend of cutbacks:

Recorded at the 2009 Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film & TV Music Conference. The APM Music Podcast Series takes you inside the business of production and licensing of music for film, television, radio and new media productions. This podcast is produced by the world’s most diverse, innovative and largest production music library and music services company,

R&B legend Mary J. Blige discusses her career and contributions to film and TV music, including a preview of the song she wrote for Lionsgate's "PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE". The film, directed by "Monster's Ball" producer Lee Daniels and adapted for the screen by Geoffrey Fletcher, stars Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz and introduces Gabourey Sidibe.Lionsgate will release PRECIOUS in theaters beginning on November 6, 2009. Blige's next album will be released this fall

A modern retelling of the beloved 1980 performing arts drama, Fame follows the talented students of the New York City High School for the Performing Arts as they get a chance to pursue their dreams of stardom. In this illuminating discussion, Oscar-nominated and Emmy award-winning composer Mark Isham talks about his original score for Fame with the movie's director, Kevin Tancharoen.

A recent talent contract from Disney includes a new clause forbidding confidentiality breaches via “interactive media such as Facebook, Twitter, or any other interactive social network or personal blog.”

Over at DreamWorks, a writer’s deal cautions not to jump the gun on studio press releases via “a social networking site, blog or other Internet-type site.” An agent spotted a talent deal with a stricture that forbids bashing any element of a production with social media.

The crackdown comes as creatives on both sides of the camera have taken to the Web to share candid thoughts, at times circumventing traditional studio PR voiceboxes. Paula Abdul surprised Fox executives by tweeting news of her parting ways with “American Idol.” Ryan Seacrest broke the news of Ben Silverman’s transition out of NBC on his Twitter feed.

The Twitter jitters are hardly confined to Hollywood. From professional sports leagues like the NFL to news media outlets like the Washington Post, industries are openly struggling with how to make sure social media doesn’t expose the inner workings of their operations.

While Hollywood recognizes the marketing value of social media, the backlash from business affairs execs is a testament to the leaks and potentially damaging misinformation these emerging technologies make possible — as well as the control studios like to maintain over their messaging to consumers.

Two weeks ago, Fox had a mini crisis on its hands when Hart Hanson, executive producer for the Fox series “Bones,” tweeted, “First time in ‘Bones’ history we are shut down from production. Damn swine flu!”

It was a joke that some news outlets misconstrued when a separate news item surfaced reporting “Bones” star David Boreanaz also had the flu. An hour later, Hanson returned to Twitter to clarify that neither Boreanaz nor anyone on set had anything but the standard flu.

No wonder deal language has gone technophobe.

“This is just the beginning,” says a top talent lawyer. “Hollywood has a long history of controlling what talent says in the media. This is just a new area of media that hasn’t been controlled yet.”

Keeping stars from blabbing what they shouldn’t remains just as much a problem today as it was in the ‘30s. But until relatively recently, getting an ill-advised word out to the wider public required a TV camera or a gossip columnist; social media eliminates the middleman and enables an actor to broadcast to millions in an instant.

Most film and TV studios say their talent deals do not put any shackles on social media usage that doesn’t reveal confidential information. To the contrary, most studios, particularly in television, openly encourage the practice as a means of getting the buzz on current productions going.

Top 5 Video

Bollywood News

2010-01-04T01:46:00.000-08:00

Aamir Khan hits the Top Bollywood News list once again with his promotional activities of his latest movie 3 Idiots. Its reported that recently Aamir Khan had to visit a visit to a doctor in the middle of the night after falling sick.

According to a report, The 44-year-old actor was travelling from Ahmedabad to Jaipur by road when he complained of having fever and had decided to visit a nearby doctor in Jaipur at around 3am.

“Aamir Khan came to me with a running temperature suffering from viral and a sore throat. He stayed for 30 minutes, when we discussed a bit about his movies. It was a treat to me and my wife finding Aamir Khan infront of us.” said Dr Punit Saxena, Associate Professor at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital.

Karan Johar and the Bombay/Mumbai fracas in Wake Up Sid

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party leader Raj Thackeray is never one to let a promotional opportunity slip by. Despite the fact that Karan Johar's Wake Up Sid was, in part, a love letter to the city of Mumbai, when the film was released in early October, MNS party activists were sent to disrupt screenings. Why? In a few instances, the dialogues had characters referring to the city as 'Bombay' instead of 'Mumbai.' Karan rushed out to meet Thackarey to apologize and inserted a frame in front of the beginning of the film that apologizes for the mis-naming.

My Name Is Khan

The film re-unites the super-hit jodi of SRK and Kajol after a hiatus of nearly 7 years (they were last seen in Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in 2001)
The film is based on a real life story where the protagonist, Rizwan Khan is suffering from a rare disease called Asperger’s Disease which causes physical clumsiness and atypical use of language. The film is set in the city of New York.
Jimmy Shiergill plays Shahrukh’s brother in the movie. Kajol plays the love interest of Shahrukh for the film.

Karan Johar, through this movie, wants to convey a strong message of humanity, especially about the treatment meted out to people suffering from this rare disorder. Through his character, ShahRukh Khan undergoes a transformation in his outlook about life and the whole world, while he is being held captive by some miscreants for a few weeks. The film will also try to show that if given right counselling to such people, they would be able to easily adjust with the society like any other normal citizen.

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani

In Santoshi's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Ranbir plays the melancholy lover-boy hopelessly in love with the idea of being in love. The character was immortalized by Raj Kapoor in Mera Naam Joker and before him, Chaplin in City Lights. Ranbir in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani plays Prem a true inheritor of the two imperishable heroes from the past. He is an innocent guy with a heart of gold. There will be distinct elements of Charlie Chaplin and Raj kapoor , but not too much though.

Katrina Kaif plays a character that closely resembles what she is in real life. A little lost, a little out of it. Credulous, artless and trusting, a girl who believes in the goodness of all things. The film requires her to be young and trendy. Apparently She was excited to do this role working with Ranbir kapoor since this would be the first time that she would be paired with someone closer to her own age.

The film is slated to be released in the first half of the year 2009.

Blue

Blue which is supposed to be India’s first ‘official’ underwater film is a thriller story involving crucial scenes by the lead actors Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar (who plays a fisherman based in the Bahamas) beneath sea water.

Lara Dutta plays the character of a glamorous beach babe and is paired opposite to Sanjay Dutt in the movie.The international technician crew consisting of Nickolette Skarlatos and Clarabelle Saldanha (who worked on Megan Fox in the Hollywood film ‘Transformers’ ) compared Lara’s look very similar to Megan Fox. Katrina Kaif was initially taken in to do just an item song , but the producers later on extended her role as they felt that an Akshay-Katrina starrer would again prove to be a lucky pairing at the box office.

The film is being made on a lavish scale of a 100-150 crores. The producers are leaving no stone unturned to make this movie have an ‘International’ feel, and have roped in many Hollywood top notch technicians, along with the Australian sensational singer Kylie Minogue, who will be seen in two of the most hype about songs of the movie, choreographed by Farah Khan.

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?

Slated for 26th February 2010 release, ‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge’ stars three national award winners (Ajay Devgan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Paresh Rawal) in the lead roles. This Warner Bros. Pictures India and Wide Frame Films production is a light hearted comedy directed by Ashwni Dhir. The music for the film has been composed by Pritam with choreography by Raju Khan and Ahmed Khan.

Ajay and Konkona play a married couple who land up with an uninvited guest (Paresh Rawal) at their home who lives for a long duration by continuously extending his stay. The shoot for the flick has been completed and owing to its brilliant star cast, the movie is creating stirs even before its release.

Wanted

The year 2009 was great for the box-office and our desi films fared quite well despite competition from some very good Hollywood blockbusters like ‘2012’ and ‘Avataar’. Barring ‘3 Idiots’ which will release today and considering other releases of 2009, the movies which gained biggest collection at the ticket window can be listed down as:

Wanted

Starring Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia this film has been the highest grosser of the year with a collection of Rs. 75 crores. This film is a directorial debut of Prabhudeva and has Salman Khan play the character of a sharp shooter and Ayesha Takia his lady love. The film is a remake of the Tamil and Telugu hit ‘Pokiri’ and is a brilliant combo of humor, action and romance.

Halloween Costume Ideas

2009-12-31T01:24:00.000-08:00

There are many commercial costumes available at the local stores, however between the cost, and lack of imagination, and the fact you end up with a half dozen kids all looking the same at a party. Nothing beats homemade. Below is some basic ideas for you to play with. All are cheap, easy, and allow for tons of imagination.

The old stand by a Ghost

Grab a old white sheet, cut out the eyes. Be sure its is short enough not to trip you. Take scrap piece of sheet, and sew up a simple treat bag. Why be the same old plain ghost? A ghost going out in public might like to get dressed up a little. Use the same old white sheet, cut out holes for the eyes and a small slit for the mouth. Then dress it up a little. Put eye shadow and lashes around the eyes. Lipstick for the mouth. Put a little color on the cheeks. How about earrings and a necklace ? You could color in a beard or mustache. Use something besides just a white sheet to be a little more fancy

Clown

Sweet clothes that are too large. Decorate by using either fabric paint, or markers. For those who dare try tie-die. Tack on some large pop-poms, add a cheap wig, hat, and make-up. You may also stuff the extra space in clothing with tissue. However this could be messy, if you need to make a "pit-stop".

Scarecrow:

Over sized flannel shirt, faded blue jeans with patches, rope for belt and to tie at the cuffs of his jeans and sleeves, stuff the shirt and jeans with plastic grocery, or paper, a little bit of straw to hang out of jeans and shirt. Add a little bit of make-up.

The American tourist:

Guys loud Hawaii shirt, shorts (if weather permits), Large straw hat. Gals bright loud dress, flats, big sun hat, straw bag. Don't forget to have a camera, and maps hanging out, and that look of being lost. Guys can use a tourist bag, (like you get from travel agents, and gals can use the straw bag for their treats.

1960s Hippy

This one is hard, after all its all back in style! What is real, and what is costume? ;-) Tie die clothing, long wig (in the old days we called a "fall", sandals, headband, anything with fringe on it (vests, purse...) light colored sun glasses.

Old man

Dark paints (cuffed), and jacket, most any dress shirt, mans flannel hat, walking cane. Gray the hair, with any of the commercial temporary colors, or dust with a little flour.

Old woman

Old style dress, just below knee, knee-hi stockings rolled down a little, oxfords, large black purse.

Your chance to be a real nerd. Slick back the hair, grab some paints that are too short, white shirt, white socks, penny loafers, or lace up oxfords, pocket protector, with lots of pens, dark rim glasses (don't forget to tape the corner, or at least paper clip it) briefcase, or backpack for treat bag.

Japanese Doll

My daughter won with this costume! Her face was painted white, she had red rosy cheeeks all shaped in a circle, Hair in buns, thoung slippers, and a kimono.

Miss. America
Use a old bridesmaid dress of formal, add a pair of gloves, a tiara, some oversized jewelry, and heals. For the banner, a piece of wide ribbon, and write "Miss. America" in glitter.

Soda pop can

Use a round barrel, cut a hole in the bottom. You cut holes for arms and your head. Paint it the colors of a pop can. Presto! You have a pop can!!!

Static Cling

Wear anything a solid color is good all white or all black. With safety
pins pin anything to yourself i:e: socks, underware, bounce sheets, etc. You can also spray your hair straight up in the air.

1950’s “Sock-Hopper”
It’s quite simple, just a round skirt, a white short-sleeved shirt, and some saddle shoes. (If you don’t have saddle shoes, plain buckle shoes are fine.) You could add some cat-eye glasses if you want. Tie their hair in a ponytail, and wrap a scarf around it.

Mummy
Wrap yourself in white bandages (rolls of gauze) Use splotches of green paint for "mold". Use white make-up on face with "age lines" drawn on. The stiff-legged gait works perfectly.

Quasimodo the Hunchback of Notre Dame
Build the "hunchback" out of foam or cardboard. Find an old coat several sizes too large to accomodate this. Old, ratty clothes are great! Wear a snaggly wig and keep putting hand up to ear and muttering "eh?".

Pirate
Form a fake aooden leg by wrapping your bad one in brown felt. Wear sailor pants or jeans with a striped top. Tie a bandana around your head, wear an eye patch, carry an empty bottle marked XXX (for the "rum") and mutter "aargh" a lot. Ask for "Trick or treat, matey!"

Crash test dummy - After! There is a commercial costume for this, but a good one can be made with sweats and tape to make the markings on it like the crash test dummies. Use bandages and fake blood to decorate. Fashion a seat belt out of webbing and an old buckle and pin in place. (or go to a junk yard as ask for an old seatbelt).

Train Engineer
A pair of blue jeans, a blue Jean jacket, a red and black bandana. a blue and white engineer hat, a whistle, and play lantern.

Skunk
Black with white strip down the pack.. be careful everyone may run

Bunny
Pink, brown, or white, add a powder puff or large pom-pom to the backside, and a set of ears make from constriction paper and a plastic headband. Now just hop on out and enjoy

Turtle
Green with a piece of poster board attached to the back. Simple cut the poster board into a large oval, make random marks like a turtle shell, and paint.

Puppy

Brown, tan or white, either paint, or pin paper spots on. Make floppy ears and bobby pin to hair over your ears. The tale can be most anything, depending on what type of doggie you wish to be. Add a little make-up.

Kitten
Gold, brown, tan, white. Make ears from construction paper, attach to head band or bobby pin in to hair. Sew a simple round tale, and pin on.

Spider
Black, For the legs grab some cheap black hose, stuff with any thing dark and light weight. Either sew, or staple to keep stuffing from falling out. Pin to clothing, add a little make-up

Lady Bug
Use a pair of black sweats and black sweat shirt (and a pair of black shoes). Use a large piece of poster board or cardboard and cut out a large oval. Paint it red with black dots. Staple black elastic pieces (in a loop) onto the board to make arm holes. For the antenna atatch craft pipe cleaners with black pom poms on the ends to a headband. From: Shaundi Gopp

Snowman
Last year my 3 year old was a snowman. It was the easiest costume so far! I bought white sweats, christmas socks, white keds tennis shoes, a cheap black hat, fake snow, mittens, scarf and black pom poms for the coal!
I sprayed the hat to look like snow and added a cheap red bird from the craft store. I bought a white mask and bought a cheap carrot from the craft store and glued it onto the nose part of the mask. I glued the pompoms on his sweatshirt and that was it. Cheap, simple and he was adorable. Besides he was the only frosty we saw! He also had to have white face makeup on!! From: Andee Heneghan

Cereal Killer
Attach little cereal boxes to a shirt, cut a slit in the boxes, glue in plastic knives into the holes, drip red paint running down from the knife hole in the box. From:Gail McNitt

A Bunch of Grapes
Using green or pruple sweets, attach balloons of the same color with safety pins. Ppaint face and hands same color. From: Barbara Brown

My fav was purple tights, purple (long sleeves) body suit (I can't think of what it's really called), 12 purple balloons and a green felt hat. Balloons are pinned (by the tied off end to the fabric in a triangle shape, 3 on top, 2 in middle and 1 at bottom (on front and back). I was a bunch of grapes and the hit of the party!

Black Eye Pea
When I was younger, a teacher from my elementary school dressed up as a "black eyed pea" and it was so cute, my mother dressed me up the same way the next year. It is simple and cheap. Wearing all white, with black tennis shoes, I cut out the letter 'P' from black construction paper and pinned the P's all over the white outfit. I painted a black spot over one eye ("black eye" ... get it? :) hee hee) and I was a "black-eyed 'P' " From: Angela

Black Bat
Using a black umbrella and tights, Rip the umbrella in half. Discard the center and innards of the umbrella. If you are fancy you can sew the edges of the umbrella to the back of the body. If you don't have the time or patients to sew the umbrella you can always safety pin it. From: Sydhen

Butterfly
Put on black sweats and black shoes. Use a piece of poster board and paint wanted color cut them out in an appropriate wing shape. punch two holes toward the edges of the wings. put black ribbon through them and tie around waist. attach pipe cleaners and pompoms to a plastic head band. From: Bekjg

Blooming Idiot!
Get a green body suit and some green tights and on your head wear a beanie hat. Glue fake flowers to the beanie hat and maybe pin a few on your body suit. Also it's fun if you paint some flowers on your face and arms. I found some cheap, fake Ivy and wrapped it around my neck and arms and presto! Your a
blooming idiot! From: Kym Tucker

Spider to Bat
You need an oversized black sweatshirt, black sweat pants, black open faced ski mask, two HUGE googly eyes, black yarn or fishing line, pipe insulation (for legs!), three pairs of gloves (very small) and black opaque tights.
Attached the ski mask to the neck of the sweatshirt. Hot glue googly eyes over the opening in the ski mask, The foam pipe insulation is placed into tights. So that the "leg" could bend, I cut the length of pipe insulation in half. Attach all legs together for coordinated movement with black yarn or (fishing line), Attach toddlers gloves on the ends of the "legs" and have your child wear one pair. For safety, I bought some reflective tape and created a "design" on the back and front so that he could be seen. Obviously, wear black sweat pants and dark shoes. Two years later, we took the legs off, added a huge set of black felt wings hot glued from wrist to neckline to wrist and used craft foam to make big black bat ears!! From: Amy

Darcy Prairiedog
Items needed: Light and dark pink felt , an old hooded pink sweatcoat, pink gloves, pink slacks, pink slippers.
Cut out light pink felt into what looks like prairiedog ears. Place the dark pink felt inside in in the same shape except smaller. Glue onto the sides of the hood on the sweatcoat. With the remaining felt,cut out a piece of "headfur". From the light pink felt. Put on and paint your face pink with a black nose. From: Patricia

Ragdoll
One year for my girls I had them dress up as ragdolls and I didnt have to spend a penny!
I took an old sleeper and cut out the feet then I sewed patches in various places over the sleeper. I also sewed wide cuffs at wrist and ankles. (because the sleepers were to small). It looked so cute. For the head I used an old stocking cap and sewed strips of fabric from old clothes to the stocking cap. Then gave them red cheeks and freckles. It was a great costume and completely free. From: Evelyn

Basket of laundry...clean or dirty.
Wear sweat pants and sweatshirt if it is cold. Tights and a turtleneck if you will be in a warm building. Take an inexpensive (thin) plastic laundry basket and cut a hole in the bottom that you can fit through. Make it small enough so that is "sits" on your hips after you pull it over your head. Fill basket with laundry and pin a few dryer softener sheets to your sweatshirt.From: Dede

Bubble Bath
Take a white laundry basket and cut out the bottom, be sure to tape the cut edges with masking tape. Attach two wide strips of material (white) to front and back of basket (these are the shoulder straps). Attach white, light peach, and pearl balloons to the staps using safety pins (these are bubbles) Wear a white bodysuit, and white pantyhose. Put on your houseshoes, shower cap, and grab your scrub brush. (If the laundry basket has holes in it, cover the inside with posterboard) From: Bridgette

Myspace Graphics, Halloween Graphics at WishAFriend.com

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Fashion

2009-12-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

Women’s Hoodies

A “hoodie” is a sweatshirt with a hood. The hood is the most distinctive characteristic besides its frontal pocket, drawstring (adjusts the opening of hood), and zipper closure. This garment became popular in the 70’s during the start of the hip hop culture. It became even more widely recognized in the 90’s when a champion boxerwas wearing this garment during the iconic blockbuster hit “Rocky”. This piece of clothing has been a wardrobe staple for all kinds of people, whether we’rewearing tennis shoes or heels. No matter our age or gender, we all deserve to get comfy in a good hoodie. But how can a woman dress up a hoodie without looking like a teenybopper? See below for some tips on how to make a hoodie fashionable:

Boots

All boots were made for walking…

If you take a good look into my shoe collection, you’ll find endless pairs of boots. A woman can never have enough shoes… inside my shoe closet (yes, I turned a linen closet into my shoe sanctuary!) you will find different versions of the “boot”. Some of my “boot-y treasures” are my gray ultra-suede ankle boots, black equestrian and patent leather boots, faux-croc wedge knee highs, and motorcycle studded to the festive star spangled western boot (which have been in the back of my closet for quite some time now: yee-haw!)

The most popular women’s boots include the Western, Ankle, Equestrian, Flat, and Knee Highs. There are variations of these styles in different materials, heel length and colors.

Women’s Jackets

Women’s jackets are found in many different styles and can help flatter your figure. After reading a Lucky Shopping Manual by Kim France and Andrea Linett, there were a few jacket tips I was able to find. There are blazers, which can help fill out sloped shoulders. Double pocketed or western styles can help enhance small bust area

and make shoulders look more narrow. Wrap around jackets accommodate busty figures and help shape a straight/athletic body frame. Lastly, a bomber jacket helps create a waist and shorten a long torso.

My personal choice of jackets this season are leather and faux fur jackets. I will be layering my outfit this weekend with a cropped leather jacket and faux fur bomber jacket. When wearing a leather or faux fur jacket, I feel like it is so versatile, and it can add a statement look to any wardrobe. Layered over denim, dresses, or leggings, these types of jackets are bold pieces that add character and style to a plain outfit.

Animal Print Dresses

I’m getting ready for a much deserved weekend getaway…I’ll be going to Sin City: Las Vegas for a good friend’s birthday celebration. It is inevitable that I will pack something with animal print. I know… animal print is everywhere, but this print has been my fav. before it hit the masses. Since Betsey Johnson circa 80’s styles, I have made animal print a part of my lifestyle. Whether it is on my clothes, on my area rugs, or on my cell phone case, animal print keeps me comfortable in my own skin.

Fergie wears a multicolored dress with big prints. The dress itself is edgy and provides a more youthful look. The print is larger in size, showing she wants to stand out from the rest of the crowd (most of us can’t pull off a large print without looking like a piece of upholstery). Since the print is magnified, she styles her dress with a blazer to show she is a mature professional. Also, the blazer adds more dimension to her figure creating more focus on her curves, rather than the dress.

Paris Hilton wears her traditional animal print in a refreshing color combo. The dress silhouette is a classic wrap dress with collar and feminine neckline; which makes her look like she wants to be taken more seriously (yeaah right!!). Although the dress is a more sophisticated cut, the print makes it look more modern and chic. This is a flattering cut for all body types, whether you are petite or curvy.

Kim Kardashian wears a more abstract version of the animal print. The print layout elongates the figure and gives it a contemporary look. Her party dress has 3/4 sleeves and is fitted at the waist. This body style is flattering for those that want to hide heavy arms or to balance bottom heavy figures.

Relationship

2009-12-29T04:37:00.000-08:00

Interpersonal Relationship

An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love and liking, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships take place in a great variety of contexts, such as family, friends, marriage, associates, work, clubs, neighborhoods, and churches. They may be regulated by law, custom, or mutual agreement, and are the basis of social groups and society as a whole. Although humans are fundamentally social creatures, interpersonal relationships are not always healthy. Examples of unhealthy relationships include abusive relationships and codependence.

A relationship is normally viewed as a connection between two individuals, such as a romantic or intimate relationship, or a parent-child relationship. Individuals can also have relationships with groups of people, such as the relation between a pastor and his congregation, an uncle and a family, or a mayor and a town. Finally, groups or even nations may have relations with each other, though this is a much broader domain than that covered under the topic of interpersonal relationships. See such articles as international relations for more information on associations between groups. Most scholarly work on relationships focuses on romantic partners in pairs or dyads. These intimate relationships are, however, only a small subset of interpersonal relationships.

Love

Love is any of a number of emotions related to a sense of strong affection and attachment. The word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure ("I loved that meal") to intense interpersonal attraction ("I love my husband"). This diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, even compared to other emotional states.

A fascinating study by researchers at the University College London, University of Warwick and London School of Economics and Political Science shows that a longer courtship before mating allows a male to show that he is "good" from the female's point of view ("goodness" is defined as his willingness to care for young after mating). The study used game theory to analyze the male/female dating game. According to the researchers, a longer courtship shows that the males who are more available for lasting and true love relationships were willing to wait and delay having sex. They consider these subjects to be "good men" from the women's point of view.

I love this study!! It is not only funny in its use of value-laden terms of "good" and "bad" (by a mathematician and economist no less) but it is totally in line with the Dating Program I describe in my dating advice book, Love in 90 Days: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Own True Love. My students (of all ages) who are having great success in finding lasting and committed relationships are casually dating a few guys and not having sex with any of them at the outset (a little kissing and canoodling is OK). This engenders respect for the woman and tends to protect her from getting hurt by a guy who is only after sex.

On my dating program it is only after at least two months of consistently improving contact that the women consider dating a fellow exclusively and possibly having sex with him. Over the course of these two months, there should be more sharing of friends, family and personal space, as well as feelings and thoughts. True love comes from having a best friendship along with chemistry. So waiting is a good thing.

Oh, and by the way, the longing for each other and anticipation usually make the sex itself, once it happens, all the more sweet, meaningul and fantastic!!

Love

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Relationship

Christmas Holiday

2009-12-28T00:42:00.000-08:00

History of Christmas holiday

Christmas has had a long and varied history. It has been celebrated for centuries by different people, at different times, in different places, and in many different ways. Here you will find links to information about the different ways that the holiday we know as Christmas has been celebrated, or not celebrated, over the years.

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

The history of Christmas trees

Christmas is the single most celebrated holiday in America. The time of year when we gather our friends and family together and engage in the giving of gifts, and in some cases, celebrate the birth of Christ
. Of course with this holiday comes the image of Christmas. The warm fires, sparkling lights, cold snowy evenings, and softly wafting music are all part of the Christmas image, but what Christmas would be complete without the main piece? The one thing that above all others says “Christmas!” is the Christmas tree!

One might wonder, why on earth do we celebrate Christmas with trees? Especially evergreen trees? After all, unlike the nativity scenes, doves, and angels, that may or may not be part of your town’s Christmas décor, trees are not especially Christian. One does not read the Christmas story as put forth by the New Testament and see any mention of trees.

The answer is surprisingly simple. Trees are the mainstay of the American Christmas experience because a very long time ago the Christians decided that they needed a more aggressive recruiting technique to generate more Christians. During the early days of Christianity
, while the faith was trying to spread from its base in the Mediterranean to the far reaches of Europe, the Christians noticed that it was easier to gain converts if they had holidays similar to those of the people they were trying to convert.

Thus, as missionaries wandered into the Pagan
wildernesses of what is now France and Germany they found people who celebrated the winter solstice. These Pagans believed that as the days got shorter the sun was going away, and if it did not come back, all of humanity would die. So out into the forest they would go in search of the largest living things they could find. The largest living thing was an evergreen tree, proof that life still existed even in the dark of winter. In addition to the great tree, the celebration to bring back the sun involved getting as much light as possible. So, a large fire burned non-stop while torches lit the homes of the pagans, and the living evergreens were decorated with lights to woo the sun back into existence.

After the early Christians spread to Rome they adopted December 25th as Christmas day to increase the probability of converting the believers of Mithras, a god of soldiers, sailors, and merchants, who celebrated his birthday on the 25th of December. Thus, it was not terribly difficult to show the natives to the north that they too had a winter solstice holiday. In an effort to be even more appealing to these Pagans, they to cut down large green trees and incorporated them into the worship of Christ.

By the Dark Ages Christianity was the prevailing religion
in what had once been Pagan territory, but the celebration of Christ’s birth with large green pagan trees continued. It became a revered tradition that was passed from generation to generation, and over time when waves of Germanic Christians came across the ocean in search of a new life in a new land, it came too. Thus, the celebration of Christmas with trees spread to the new world, where many were happy to see this beautiful custom and adopt it as their own.

Santa Claus:Is he a myth or a man? Could Santa Claus be an actual part of our history? There are many questions about the spirit know as Santa Claus. A child’s belief in this particular spirit is as strong as their belief in world happiness and peace. If we could look at Santa Claus through the eyes of a child, we would probably see a man who makes people all over the world happy. To a child, just the thought of Santa Claus could make them overcome with silliness and giggles. Santa Claus brings a special happiness to children and adults throughout the holiday season. The belief in one man delivering joy is strong enough to make some people forget their problems or anger and feel peace, even if it is just for one day.

Stories about a man called Santa Claus have been told throughout the years in different parts of the world. The story of Santa Claus supposedly originated overseas where a man named St. Nicholas would give candy and small toys to children each year on the night before Christmas. The children would leave their shoes out on their front porch and in the morning they would find their shoes filled with candy and toys. In the United States though, this spirit is known as Santa Claus. In other countries, Santa Claus is known by other names associated with the stories told in each country.

The basic myth about Santa Claus is this: on the night before Christmas, Santa Claus visits the homes of all of the good boys and girls. He leaves them presents under the tree and fills their stockings with goodies. When the children awaken, they find all of the gifts that Santa Claus has left them. Most children who know the tale of Santa Claus believe that if they are on their best behavior all year long then they will receive whatever gifts they ask for. Some even go as far as mailing a letter to Santa Claus containing their wish list of presents. They upon Christmas morning, they are surprised to open most of what they had asked for.

Most parents pass on the story of Santa Claus to their children from birth. Then their children grow up believing in the spirit of Santa Claus and pass it on to their children. Adults love to see the expression on their children’s faces as they see the presents under the tree on Christmas morning. It gives them a feeling of happiness.

That is why the spirit of Santa Claus lives on today and will probably continue throughout the ages. The belief in Santa Claus is that strong, especially among children. Adults might not necessarily believe in the man but they do believe in the spirit. To believe in Santa Claus is to believe in giving, love and unselfishness. Christmas time is the one time each year where almost everyone all over the world gives to one another. It is the season of unselfishness. So the spirit of Santa Claus is the spirit of love.

Extremely Funny

2009-12-24T00:12:00.000-08:00

hey guys....m in funny mood today checkin out funny things on net..look what i got on http://www.lotsofjokes.com/funny_jokes.asp

An elderly woman went to her local doctor’s office and asked to speak with her doctor. When the receptionist asked why she was there, she replied, “I’d like to have some birth control pills.”

Taken back, the doctor thought for a minute and then said, “Excuse me, Mrs. Glenwood, but you’re 80 years old. What would you possibly need birth control pills for?”

The woman replied, “They help me sleep better.”

The doctor considered this for a second, and continued… “How in the world do birth control pills help you sleep?”

The woman said, “I put them in my granddaughter’s orange juice, and I sleep better at night.”

"Mister, why doesn't this cow have any horns?" asked the young lady from a nearby city. The farmer cocked his head for a moment, then began in a patient tone, "Well, ma'am, cattle can do a powerful lot of damage with horns. Sometimes we keep'em trimmed down with a hacksaw. Other times we can fix up the young 'uns by puttin' a couple drops of acid where their horns would grow in, and that stops 'em cold. Still, there are some breeds of cattle that never grow horns. But the reason this cow don't have no horns, ma'am, is 'cause it's a horse."

3 guys were riding in a car: a hardware technician, a systems analyst, and a programmer. The systems analyst is driving and when they come to a steep hill he finds that the brakes have failed and the car is accelerating out of control.

So, the driver pumps the emergency brake, downshifts the gears, and rubs the wheels' rims against the curb. He finally wrestles the car to a stop. The three climb out and assess the situation.

Hardware tech: "Let's try and fix it. I'll crawl under the car and take a look. "

Systems analyst: "No. I think we should get someone qualified to fix it, a specialist in brakes."

Programmer: "Why don't we just get back in and see if it happens again?"

"What time does the library open?" the man on the phone asked.
"Nine A.M." came the reply. "And what's the idea of calling me at home in the middle of the night to ask a question like that?"
"Not until nine A.M.?" the man asked in a disappointed voice.
"No, not till nine A.M.!" the librarian said. "Why do you want to get in before nine A.M.?"
"Who said I wanted to get in?" the man sighed sadly. "I want to get out."

One day, Satan was out for a walk through Hell, making sure things were running smoothly. When he got to the Lake of Fire, he saw a man sitting by the lake, relaxing in a lawn chair, and not sweating or looking uncomfortable at all. Perplexed, Satan approached the man and asked:

"Young man, are you not hot or bothered by this heat?" The man replied, "Oh no, not at all. I lived in downtown Toronto and this weather is just like a typical July day in the city." Satan thought that this was not a good sign, so he rushed back to his office and turned up the heat in Hell another 100 degrees. Satisfied with himself, he again returned to the Lake of Fire to check on the young man.

When he got there, the man was showing a few beads of sweat, but that was all. Again Satan asked the Torontonian, "Are you hot and uncomfortable yet?" The young man looked up and said, "No, the temperature is just like a hot August day in Toronto. I'm coping it just fine."

Satan decided that he had to do something drastic to make this man's stay in Hell unpleasant. He went back to his office, turned the heat all the way down, and then turned up the air conditioning. The temperature in Hell quickly dropped well below zero. As he approached the Lake of Fire, he noticed that it was now frozen over. He also saw the Torontonian jumping up and down wildly, waving his arms and yelling into the air.

"This looks promising!" thought Satan. Coming closer, he finally made out what the man was shouting: "The Leafs have won the Stanley Cup! The Leafs have won the Stanley Cup!"

An old farmer had owned a large farm for several years. He had a large pond in the back forty, had it fixed up nice; picnic tables, horseshoe courts, basketball court, etc. The pond was fixed for swimming when it was built. One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over. As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end of the pond.

One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!" The old man replied, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim or make you get out of the pond, I only came to feed my alligators." Old age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill every time!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T00:03:00.000-08:00

Hiiiiiiiii guys.....Merry christmas to all u wonderful ppl out der....
got funny stuff on christmas on http://www.ahajokes.com/qandac.html

What do elves learn in school?

A: The Elf-abet!

Q: What's the most popular wine at Christmas?
A: "I don't like sprouts" !

Q: If athletes get athletes foot, what do astronauts get?
A: Missletoe!

Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
A: Frostbite.

Q: Why was Santa's little helper depressed?
A: Because he had low elf esteem.

Q: Why does Santa have 3 gardens?
A: So he can ho-ho-ho.

Q: Where do polar bears vote?
A: The North Poll.

Q: What do you get when you cross an archer with a gift-wrapper?
A: Ribbon hood.

Q: Why do birds fly south for the winter ?
A: Because it's to far to walk.

Q: What was wrong with the boy's brand new toy electric train set he received for Christmas?
A: Forty feet of track - all straight!

Q: What kind of bird can write?
A: A PENguin.

Q: How does Al Gore's household keep Christmas politically correct?
A: On Christmas morning, they give the presents TO the tree.

Q: What do you call a cat on the beach at Christmas time?
A: Sandy Claus!

Q: How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas?
A: Fleece Navidad!

Q: What nationality is Santa Claus?
A: North Polish.

Q: Why does Santa's sled get such good mileage?
A: Because it has long-distance runners on each side.

Q: What do you call a bunch of grandmasters of chess bragging about their games in a hotel lobby?
A: Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer!

Q: What do you get if you deep fry Santa Claus?
A: Crisp Cringle.

Q: What did the ghosts say to Santa Claus?
A: We'll have a boo Christmas without you.

Q: What did Santa shout to his toys on Christmas Eve?
A: Okay everyone, sack time!!

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A: Snowflakes.

Q: If Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus had a child, what would he be called?
A: A subordinate claus.

Q: Why did the elf push his bed into the fireplace?
A: He wanted to sleep like a log.

Q: Why did Santa spell Christmas N-O-E?
A: Because the angel had said, "No L!"

Q: What goes Ho, Ho, Swoosh, Ho, Ho, Swoosh?
A: Santa caught in a revolving door!

Q: Why does Santa Claus go down the chimney on Christmas Eve?
A: Because it " soots " him!

Q: What do you do if Santa gets stuck in your chimney?
A: Pour Santa flush on him.

Q: Did you hear that one of Santa's reindeer now works for Proctor and Gambel?
A: Its true . . . Comet cleans sinks!

Q: What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
A: Claustrophobic.

Q: Why does Scrooge love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
A: Because every buck is dear to him.

Q: How come you never hear anything about the 10th reindeer "Olive" ?
A: Yeah, you know, "Olive the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names"

Q: Why did the little girl change her mind about buying her grandmother a packet of handkerchiefs for Christmas?Q: Olive ?
A: Yeah, you know, "Olive the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names"

Q: Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?
A: You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.

Q: Olive?
A: Yeah, you know, "Olive the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names"

Q: What was so good about he neurotic doll the girl was given for Christmas?
A: It was wound up already.

Q: What's a good holiday tip?
A: Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter.

Being LOVEly

2009-12-23T02:48:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

Starting my blog today. Actually I was in search of topic for my first post.But couldn't find anything more interesting than LOVE. I don't think anybody would be able to define what is love. So no in trying that. Got better things to do!!! I found some interesting quizzes about love on a site...here is the link for you.

http://www.funquizcards.com/quiz/love-dating/

I tried The soulmate quiz and my result was " You are soulmates - truly made for each other." So I am happy.

Also I got "You are a big flirt. You know the tricks of the trade" this as a result of Test your flirting style quiz.
Some more funny quizzes are there on this site...some of my favourites are...

Check out these and tell me your result friends....m signing off for now..
Bye