शेखर सुमन करेगे राज पिछले जन्म का की मेजबानी

टेलीविजन कलाकार शेखर सुमन एक अनूठे रियलिटी शो राज:पिछले जन्म का की मेजबानी करते नजर आएंगे। वह भोजपुरी कलाकार रवि किशन की जगह लेंगे। वह कार्यक्रम के उस विशेष हिस्से की मेजबानी करेंगे जिसमें रवि किशन अपने पूर्व जन्म में जाने के लिए प्रतिगमन चिकित्सा से गुजरेंगे।
सोमवार को एनडीटीवी इमेजिन पर इसका प्रसारण होगा। शेखर पहले ही इस शो में प्रतिगमन चिकित्सा से गुजर चुके है और रवि इस चिकित्सा का अनुभव लेने जा रहे है। रवि कहते है कि उनके अंदर हमेशा से सब कुछ छोड देने और अपने परिवार से दूर जाने का विचार आता है। शो के जरिए वह पता करना चाहते है कि ऎसा क्यों होता हैं।

बिग बी ने किंग खान को पछाडा

फिल्म इंडस्ट्री में इस बात को लेकर जर्बदस्त चर्चा इस बात को लेकर हो रही है कि बॉलीवुड के महानायक अमिताभ बच्चान ने बिग बॉस-3 के लिए प्रति एपिसोड 2.5 करोड लिये है।
गौरतलब है कि शुरूआत में यह रकम 1.5 करोड के आसपास तय बताई जा रही थीं। अक्षय कुमार को खतरों के खिलाडी के लिए और शाहरूख खान को उनके शो क्या आप पांचवीं पास से तेज है के लिए क्रमश: 1 करोड रूपये प्रति एपिसोड मिलें थे। वहीं दस का दम के लिए बॉलीवुड सितारे सलमान खान को पहले भाग के दौरान 80,00,000 रूपये और दूसरे सत्र के दौरान 1 करोड की राशि दी गई हैं।
अब इस पूरे गणित को देखें तो यह अपने आप साबित हो जाता है कि आज की तारीख में बॉलीवुड का असली बादशाह कौन है। निश्चित तौर पर इस मामले में तो अमिताभ बच्चन ने न केवल शाहरूख खान बल्कि अक्षय कुमार को भी मात दे दी है। जरा कल्पना करके देखिए तो सही आखिर अमिताभ बच्चान ने बिग बॉस-3 के दौरान आखिर कितनी कमाई की।

नंबर वन बनना चाहती है सेलिना

अगर इच्छा करने से ही सब कुछ संभव हो जाता तो सभी कहां से कहां पहुंच जाते। इच्छा के साथ-साथ काबिलियत भी होनी चाहिए। अब बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री सेलिना जेटली को ही लीजिए। वे बॉलीवुड की नंबर वन हीरोइन बनना चाहती है।
उनकी इच्छा है कि वे नंबर वन के सिंहासन पर बैठकर बॉलीवुड पर राज करें। उन्हें उम्मीद है कि वे एक दिन ऎसा कर दिखाएंगी। सेलिना को इस बारे में गौर करना चाहिए कि क्या वे इतनी काबिल है कि नंबर वन के सिहासन तक पहुंच जाएं। 6 साल से ज्यादा उन्हें बॉलीवुड में आए हुए हो गए है और अब तक उन्होंने कुछ खास कमाल नहीं दिखाया। पता नहीं उनके ख्वाहिश को पूरा होने में और कितना वक्त लगेगा। वैसे भी बॉलीवुड में नायिकाओं का करियर ज्यादा लंबा नहीं होता।

फस्र्ट लुक: दुल्हा मिल गया

विवेक वासवानी द्वारा निर्मित फिल्म दूल्हा मिल गया के निर्माण में लंबा समय लगा। शाहरूख खान ने फिल्म में संक्षिप्त भूमिका निभाई है और उनकी तारीखों की समस्या के कारण फिल्म की शूटिंग लगातार टलती रही।
मलेशिया और त्रिनिदाद एंड टोबेगो में फिल्माई गई दूल्हा मिल गया में सुष्मिता सेन और फरदीन खान ने प्रमुख भूमिकाएं निभाई है। विवेक वासवानी द्वारा निर्मित इस फिल्म का निर्देशन मुदस्सर अजीज ने किया है, जिनके साथ सुष्मिता की नजदीकियों की इन दिनों चर्चा है। सुष्मिता सेन इस समय नायिकाओं की दौड में काफी पिछड गई हैं। 8 जनवरी को प्रदर्शित होने वाली इस फिल्म की सफलता सुष्मिता के लिए अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण हैं।

गोलमाल-3 में करीना

बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री करीना कपूर को निर्देशक रोहित शेट्टी ने फिल्म गोलमाल के सीक्वल गोलमाल-3 के लिए चुना है। गौरतलब है कि करीना इससे पहले गोलमाल रिटनर्स में काम कर चुकी हैं। रोहित ने यह भी कहा कि करीना हमारी फिल्म की अकेली हीरोइन होंगी, क्योंकि वह कई हीरोइनों वाली फिल्म में काम नहीं करना चाहतीं। गोलमाल-3 के डायरेक्टर रोहित ने बताया, करीना हमारी फिल्म की अकेली हीेरोइन होंगी, जबकि उनके अपोजिट अजय देवगन, तुषार कपूर, अरशद वारसी, शरमन जोशी और श्रेयस तलपडे समेत पांच लडके होंगे। हालांकि वह किसी के साथ भी रोमांस करती हुई नहीं नजर आएंगी। रोहित की अगर मानें, तो आप करीना को फिल्म का छठा हीरो कह सकते हैं। रोहित को पूरी उम्मीद है कि दर्शकों को यह फिल्म पहली फिल्मों से ज्यादा पसंद आएंगी।

सरल लडकी का किरदार निभाना आसान नहीं: प्रियंका

बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री प्रियंका चोपडा का कहना है कि उनके लिए आने वाली फिल्म प्यार इम्पोसिबल में एक सरल और सुंदर लडकी का किरदार निभाना बहुत कठिन था। प्रियंका ने कहा, एतराज, फैशन या कमीने जैसी फिल्मों के किरदार के चारों और एक घेरा था।
उदाहरण के लिए कमीने फिल्म में स्वीटी अंग्रेजी नहीं बोल पाती है या वह जींस ऑर टॉप नहीं पहनती है। ये भी मुश्किल किरदार थे, लेकिन इनकी कुछ सीमाएं थीं जिन्होंने मदद की। एक सुंदर और सरल लडकी के किरदार के प्रति दर्शकों में रूचि पैदा करना कठिन था। उदय चोपडा ने इस फिल्म को लिखा है और उन्होंने ही इसका निर्माण किया है। वह इस फिल्म में प्रियंका के सह-अभिनेता भी हैं। जुगल हंसराज के निर्देशन में बनी यह फिल्म दिखाती है कि किस तरह तमाम बाधाओं के बीच भाग्य उदय और प्रियंका को पास ले आता है और उनमें प्यार पनपता हैं।
फिल्म प्यार इम्पोसिबल में अपने किरदार के विषय में प्रियंका ने कहा, मैंने इस फिल्म में एक सॉफ्टवेयर कंपनी में काम करने वाली अलिशा का किरदार किया है। वह हमेशा एक लोकप्रिय लडकी रही है, मस्ती और प्यार से भरी हुई यह लडकी जीवन से बहुत प्रेम करती है, लेकिन उसे बहुत कम उम्र में बहुत ज्यादा जिम्मेदारियां उठानी पड जाती है और उसे लगता है कि ये सब बहुत कठिन है। फिल्म आठ जनवरी को सिनेमाघरों में प्रदर्शित होगी।

2009 Weird News Roundup

Less than 30 minutes on the net, and here's the strange and weird stuff I found. The Gawker list of best 2009 videos is worth checking out.



Digg Weirdest Stories of 2009

Boston Globe Big Picture 2009 (Part 1)

Buzz Feed Top Hilarious Headlines of 2009

Buzz Feed Top Screwy Political Protest Signs of 2009

Funniest Sports Photos of 2009



If you only have time to watch 1 video on this post, click the one below about the year in review according to Google Wave.



This is what happens to what's left of your mind when you watch too much Gawker TV. It ain't pretty.



All the Gawker selections, individual, to view before you are taken off to the insane asylum.

Once again, Gawker TV Top 100 for 2009. You have been warned.

RAPID CITY, S.D. — South Dakota authorities say a woman found passed out in a stolen delivery van earlier this month registered a blood alcohol content of .708 — nearly nine times the legal limit and a possible record for the state.

Meade County State’s Attorney Jesse Sondreal said Wednesday that 45-year-old Marguerite Engle was found slumped over the van’s steering wheel along a highway on Dec. 1.

He says the highest blood alcohol content state chemists he spoke with could recall was a .56. The state’s legal limit is .08.

Authorities say Engle missed an initial court hearing Dec. 15, but that they found her Monday in another stolen vehicle, and that she had been drinking.

She was being held on two counts of driving under the influence. It wasn’t immediately clear if she was facing other charges.

Her attorney declined comment.

Why guys don't understand "chicks."



Rick Warren, American Christian Radical Fundamentalist, Needs Your Money to Save His Ass.

Evangelical pastor Rick Warren is begging parishioners at his Southern California megachurch to cough up $900,000 before Jan. 1 to keep the parish out of the red. In an urgent letter posted on the Saddleback Church Web site on Wednesday, Warren says expenses are up because parishioners are out of work and ''the bottom dropped out'' when year-end donations dropped dramatically.

He asks parishioners to donate before the new year to keep the Orange County church out of debt. A spokeswoman for Warren said the church does not release financial details, so it's difficult to put the $900,000 shortfall in context.

Photoshop Blunder: The Ghost Ship with No Reflection. Back to school for this Photoshop wizard!

China's Best Sex Scandals of Years Near

Shanghaiist posts a list of the top 6 sex scandal stories of 2005-2009, including the usual suspects such as Zhang Ziyi and Edison. Nothing to match what goes on here in the U.S. on a daily basis, but not bad for an emerging country. Just imagine what would happen if they had open internet, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and all the other social networking sites.

3. Zhang Ziyi and her butt-sniffing fiance

This was the first sex scandal to hit China in the year 2009 but there is technically no "sex" in it, just lots of butt-sniffing. In January, 81 pictures were released by a paparazzi photographer from X71online.com of Zhang Ziyi and her Israeli multimillionaire boyfriend Vivi Nevo canoodling on St Barth's island in the French Caribbean.

Since then, Zhang hasn't had that much of a great year. Latest rumours have it that she's involved in a dispute with a businesswoman friend who now claims she's cheated her of 200 million yuan. Her wedding plans with Nevo have also been called off and he's been seen with other women. Despite all this, Zhang can rest in the knowledge that she's been immortalised on t-shirts and remains Taiwan's most googled person in the year 2009.

Best Travel Videos of 2009

Gadling and myself must have similar tastes in travel videos, since I've posted almost all of these videos on my blog over the last year. So it's a look back at the best travel videos of 2009. Enjoy! And Happy New Year.


Prague's Franz Kafka International Named World's Most Alienating Airport

Timescapes Timelapse: Mountain Light from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

Frequent Flyer from Gabriel Leigh on Vimeo.

Artificial from Paul Bryan on Vimeo.

China's 60th Anniversary national day - timelapse and slow motion - 7D and 5DmkII from Dan Chung on Vimeo.

Slate: Favorite Scenes of Professional Stuntmen in Hollywood

Slate posted an interesting article last July about the favorite stunt events of professional stuntmen in Hollywood. The Tony Jaa video is blurry, but it proves why he inherits the title from Bruce Lee. A few of the stunts linked on the Slate post aren't very good, so I didn't link them here.

Claude Lelouch's Rendezvous... from Dat on Vimeo.

The Leach Saga

- The Mike Leach situation is one weird incident...I just can't grasp the reason why Leach would isolate this player by putting him in an equipment shed with the lights off and not allow him to sit down...I know Leach is an odd duck, but I don't get his thinking...

Leach should have just left Adam James alone instead of singling him out...it was report on College Football Talk that two current Texas Tech players are glad that Leach was fired...they said that Leach humiliated Adam James...

Leach should have known better than to single out a player especially after the downfall of Mark "Bear" Mangino at Kansas last month...

- People who are 30-years-old and younger have missed out on one of the greatest columnist ever - Mike Royko (photo)...Royko died in 1997...Royko's writing style was that of Magic Johnson handling a basketball...Royko was one of the best...

- ESPN.com had a great story on Ernie Harwell as he waits for death - Elizabeth Merrill

Dave Diles - former ABC sports broadcaster dies

Former ABC sports broadcaster Dave Diles died on Saturday at his home in Athens, Ohio...growing up in the 1970s, I can still recall hearing Diles voice as he read the scores as the host of the "Prudential College Football Scoreboard Show"...back then, Diles would provide the scores of Colgate, Holy Cross and even Slippery Rock...Diles was 78-years-old...



Below is a 3:17 clip of Diles talking about leaving ABC Sports...

Why Thai Airways First Class Sucks

The international reputation of Thai Airways continues to plunge, thanks to the latest scandal which reveals that Thai Airways executives, the Thai military, royals, and important government employees are widely given upgrades and other perks. Thinking about flying Thai Airways first class? Think again. Here's today's letter to the Bangkok Post.

Your article ''Ticket upgrade row spurs suit'' (News. Dec 28) does not surprise me in the least. Up until about 18 months ago I and my wife were regular first-class travellers (three times annually) aboard TG916/TG917 to and from London.

Minutes prior to departure of each flight I would always check the seating arrangements via the ''Check my Trip'' website and generally find there were only three or four bookings in first class for the flight. Yet on virtually every flight the cabin was fully occupied, with the ''empty'' seats being taken always by Thai people.

This led to a situation whereby there were insufficient staff to provide a half-decent service, especially to those who had booked and paid for seats in the first class section. Had there been prior notification of the cabin being full THAI might have provided the correct amount of cabin crew.

I pointed this out to THAI via e-mails on a number of occasions together with various other complaints about old aircraft, lack of comfort and, more importantly, the fact that they did not supply value for money. Not once did I receive an acknowledgement let alone a response. I don't want to be a continual ''moaner'' so I just accepted their ''couldn't give a damn'' attitude and took my business elsewhere.

Living in Phuket, we heeded the advice of other frequent travellers to London and Europe to go via Singapore and as from 18 months or so ago we have never looked back. Flying business class with airlines from Singapore to London is infinitely more comfortable, provides better service than you would ever get from THAI first class and most importantly gives value for money.

On one occasion we received an unexpected upgrade to first class and we were so spoilt that in comparison it made THAI first class look rather like another airline's premium economy. Some one time prominent person once said "THAI First Class sucks" and I couldn't agree more. It is made worse that they allow prominent and influential people to use their premium services for free (or for a 'small backhander') and it is so noticeable to the fare paying passenger that they, like ourselves, no longer fly with them. When and until the corruption and malpractice, which allegedly starts at the very top, is stamped out, THAI will never ever be a viable airline.

I await with interest the outcome of the court hearing, but somehow I doubt that it will ever get that far: more likely we will never hear about the squabble again. If it does defy the norm and ends up in court, perhaps then it might just open a small can of worms which can provide the basics for a start to stamping out the corruption which is rampant throughout the airline.

Movie Stars Without Makeup

It's amazing what a professional makeup job can do to these rather ordinary looking women.

At The Movies 2009

A three minute look a the Moviews of 2009, including almost a dozen released in just the last few weeks.

Getting Ready for New Years Eve

He survived this three bottle trick. I'm amazed he didn't immediately collapse and go into a coma. Remember kids, don't try this at home.

ब्रेक अप के बाद निराश है हडसन

हॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री केट हडसन इन दिनों काफी निराश दिख रही है। बेसबॉल खिलाडी एलेक्स रॉड्रिग्ज से हुए अलगाव ने उन्हें बहुत दुख पहुंचाया है। ब्रेक अप के बाद होने वाली निराशा से निकल पाना आसान नहीं होता है। फिर भी वे उन्हें भूलने की कोशिश कर रही है।
हडसन ने एलेक्स पर से ध्यान हटाने के लिए स्कीईग करने का फैसला किया। वे इन दिनों अपने परिवार के साथ स्कीईग कर रही है। इस मामले में उनकी मां और अभिनेत्री रह चुकी गोल्डी हॉन मदद कर रही हैं।

लारा कर रही थीं वुड्स के साथ डेटिंग

खबर है कि पूर्व मिस यूनिवर्स लारा दत्ता ने 2001 में गोल्डन गोल्फर टाइगर वुड्स के साथ डेटिंग की थीं। इस कडी में उनके साथ ही विश्व सुंदरी का ताज पहनने वाली प्रियंका चोपडा का नाम भी आ रहा है। लेकिन, लारा का नाम थोडा मजबूती के साथ लिया जा रहा है। एक अमेरिकी समाचार पत्र के अनुसार कभी न्यूयॉर्क यंकीस के खिलाडी डेरेक जेटर के साथ प्रेम की पींगे बढाने वाली लारा दत्ता ने विश्व के नंबर वन गोल्फर वुड्स का ध्यान भी खींचा था। तब ये कहा जा रहा था कि ये केवल अफवाह है और इसमें कोई भी सच्चाई नहीं है।
इसके बाद लारा दत्ता इंडिया आ गई और उन्होंने बॉलीवुड में अपनी पारी शुरू कर दी। अब एक बार फिर इस कहानी के पन्ने उलेटे जा रहे है। इस बात की जांच-फरोख्त चल रही है कि लारा और वुड्स के बीच क्या किस्सा है। वैसे अभी इन अफवाहों के बारे में लारा कैम्प से किसी भी तरह की सुगबुगाहट नहीं हैं।

आईपीएल में टीम खरीदने की इच्छा: समीरा रेड्डी

बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री समीरा रेड्डी को लगता है कि उन्हें भी आईपीएल में एक क्रिकेट टीम खरीद ही लेनी चाहिए। हो सकता है कि उनके मन में भी अब शादी का विचार आ रहा हो। लिहाजा, शिल्पा शेट्टी की तरह वो भी अब क्रिकेट के मैदान से मंडप की ओर जाने का रास्ता खोज रही हों। समीरा रेड्डी का करियर इन दिनों सही पटरी पर हैं। चाहे रेस की हॉट असिस्टेंट का किरदार हो या फिर दे दना दन की अमीर लडकी का। समीरा को विविधता पूर्ण किरदार निभाने को मिल रहे हैं। अब बुद्धदेव दासगुप्ता की कालपुरूष के बाद समीरा अपने लिए अर्थपूर्ण किरदारों की खोज में हैं। इनमें रेड अलर्ट के उस किरदार को भी शामिल किया जा सकता है, जिसमें समीरा ने एक नक्सलाईट की भूमिका अदा की हैं।
बकौल समीरा वो अब केवल फिल्मों में दूसरे बडे नामों या दोस्तों की खातिर काम नहीं करना चाहती है। उनकी तमन्ना है कि वो उन किरदारों को साकार करें, जिनके लिए लोग उन्हें हमेशा याद रखें। वैसे समीरा की एक इच्छा और है कि वो आईपीएल में अपनी खुद की टीम खरीदें, क्योंकि उन्हें> स्पोट्र्स खासतौर पर क्रिकेट से बहुत लगाव है। समीरा का कहना है कि उन्हें क्रिकेट और बॉलीवुड से बहुत लगाव है।

मेघना का हॉट अवतार

कलियों का चमन जब खिलता है.. जैसा हॉट म्यूजिक वीडियों करके चर्चा में आई मेघना नायडू आजकल सुर्खियों में है। जानकारी के अनुसार फिल्मों में अब भी थोडी-थोडी संभावना तलाश रही मेघना को एक और हॉट म्यूजिक वीडियों लवली कुडी मिल गया है।
सूत्रों की मानें तो रमन कपूर के गाए इस म्यूजिक एलबम में मेघना हॉट-हॉट नजर आ रही है, पर अफसोस कि इसमें मुमैत खान (फिल्म मुन्नाभाई के गाने देख ले.. आइटम सॉन्ग फेम) भी हैं। बहरहाल मेघना को इस एलबम से कितना फायदा होगा, यह तो वक्त ही बताएगा।

निर्देशक केन घोष का कहना है कि उनकी आगामी फिल्म चांस पे डांस में प्रमुख भूमिका निभा रही अभिनेत्री जेनेलिया डिसूजा क्रिसमस की रात फिल्म का संपादन खत्म होने के बाद इसे देखने उनके घर पहुंची। घोष ने फिल्म का संपादन क्रिसमस की रात पूरा किया था। वह संपादित फिल्म को अभिनेता शाहिद कपूर और अभिनेत्री जेनेलिया को दिखाना चाहते थे लेकिन उस वक्त शाहिद मुंबई में नहीं थे, ऎसे समय में उन्होंने जेनेलिया को फोन किया।
घोष ने कहा, क्रिसमस की रात संपादित फिल्म को देखने के लिए जेनेलिया तैयार हो गई। मुझे विश्वास नही था कि क्रिसमस की रात वह यहां आएंगी क्योंकि यह उनके घर के लिए बेहद महत्वपूर्ण दिन था। घोष ने कहा कि वह खुद भी क्रिसमस के दिन अपने परिवार के साथ वक्त गुजारना चाहते थे लेकिन फिल्म को संपादित करने की अंतिम तिथि गुरूवार को ही थीं इसलिए उन्होंने क्रिसमस की रात में भी काम किया। उन्होंने कहा कि जेनेलिया ने भी निर्माण दल का हिस्सा बनकर काम किया। फिल्म संपादित करने के बाद घोष ने कहा, मैं ऎसा वक्त अपनी फिल्म के कलाकारों के साथ वक्त बिताना चाहता हूं।

पेरिस हिल्टन हुई गागा की दीवानी

लेडी गागा के अजीबोगरीब फैशन को एक हसीन दीवानी मिल गई है। गागा को आइकन मानने वाली और कोई नहीं बल्कि खूबसूरत जवां होटल शहजादी और सोशलायट पेरिस हिल्टन है। फीमेलफस्र्ट की खबर में बताया गया है कि पेरिस का कहना है कि वह पोकर फेस गायिका के ड्रेस सेंस से बेहद प्रभावित हैं।
हिल्टन ने अपने ट्वीटर पेज पर लिखा, लेडी गागा के कपडे अमेजिंग होते हैं। वह स्टाइल आइकन हैं। उसके जैसा कोई नहीं। उन्होंने यह भी लिखा है कि उन्हें अपना वार्डरोब भी गागा के जैसे रोमांचक रखने की तमन्ना हैं।

विक्टोरिया ने बेकहम को तौफे में दिया बुलडॉग

स्पाइस बैंड की पूर्व गायिका विक्टोरिया बेकहम ने क्रिसमस पर अपने पति डेविड बेकहम को उपहार में एक बुलडॉग दिया हैं। विक्टोरिया को लगता है कि कुत्तों की यह नस्ल मैदान पर फुटबॉल खिलाडी डेविड की भावना को दर्शाती हैं इसलिए उन्होंने 3,000 डॉलर खर्च कर इसे खरीदा है।
वेबसाइट द सन डॉट को डॉट यूके के अनुसार डेविड द्वारा अगले वर्ष होने वाले विश्व कप अभियान के लिए इंग्लैंड की बुलडॉग भावना का जिक्र करने के बाद 35 वर्षीय गायिका ने अपने पति के लिए यह उपहार खरीदा था। यह कुत्ता विक्टोरिया और उनके तीन बच्चों के साथ लॉस एंजेलिस में रहेगा जबकि डेविड एसी मिलान में हैं। डेविड के पास पहले से दो रॉटविलर्स कुत्ते हैं।

अवतार ने सप्ताहांत में की रिकॉर्ड कमाई

उत्तरी अमेरिका में क्रिसमस सप्ताहांत में फिल्म अवतार ने बॉक्स ऑफिस पर करीब 212.3 अरब डॉलर की कमाई की हैं।
दिसंबर में प्रदर्शित हुई एक अन्य चर्चित फिल्म शेरेलॉक होम्स के हालिया बॉक्स ऑफिस कलेक्शन 65.4 अरब डॉलर को पीछे छोडते हुए 1200 करोड रूपए की मेगा बजट अवतार ने अमेरिका और कनाडा में रिकॉर्डतोड 212.3 अरब डॉलर की कमाई की है। यह कलेक्शन पिछले दस दिनों के है। शुरूआती तीन दिनों में ही फिल्म अवतार ने 75 अरब डॉलर की कमाई की थीं। एनीमेशन फिल्म एल्विन एंड द चिपमंक्स: द स्क्यूक्विल ने 50.2 अरब डॉलर के व्यवसाय के साथ तीसरा स्थान प्राप्त किया हैं।

Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell are losers

Just a few more thoughts on the Indianapolis Colts:

- Head coach Jim Caldwell said that he did not want his starters to get hurt, specifically Peyton Manning...if that is the case, why didn't Caldwell pull Manning during the course of the season when the Colts clearly had the victory secured...

For instance, on October 25, the Colts were hosting the St. Louis Rams...the Colts were winning 28-6 with less than five minutes remaining in the game when Manning threw a touchdown to Austin Collie...why was Manning still playing at that point in the game?...he could have easily gotten hurt...Caldwell is contradicting himself...

Back on September 27, the Colts were beating Arizona 31-10 in the fourth quarter...why didn't Caldwell protect Manning by pulling him during the fourth quarter?...

- Even when Caldwell pulled Manning on Sunday, there was still a chance Manning could have gotten hurt -- just ask Joe Paterno...a few years back, the legendary Penn State coach was run over while standing on the sidelines...JoePa suffered torn knee ligaments of some sort...so who is to say that Manning could have accidently been injured while his back was turned from the playing field...if Caldwell wanted to protect Manning and his other starters, he should have sent them into the locker room where he would have been totally safe from injury...

- Colts general manager Bill Polian also showed his arrogance, ignorance, and disdain for Colts fans during his weekly talk show on Monday night...Polian, who was peppered with questions by upset Colts fans, stated:

“16-0 to us was inconsequential. … It was not something that we felt we owed anyone, our fans included.”

“We could take a poll and ask Colts fans in August if they would be happy with 14-1, most would be happy with that.”

The first comment was a slap at all the Colts fans who have filled the stadium every week to support his team...the second comment showed his ignorance...

Sure, back in August a Colts fan would be happy if their team was 14-1 at this point in the season, however, if that one loss came earlier in the season...back in August, any Colts fan would have had the same feeling then as they do now -- go for the 16-0 mark...

- When next season rolls around, maybe the best thing Caldwell and Polian should do is purposely lose the first game of the year in order to end any chance of a 16-0 season...with Manning as the quarterback a 0-1 start would not hurt the Colts...so what is the difference between throwing a game in week 1 compared to week 14?...

Music Mashup 2009

SFist has the news and more links to past mashups by the same DJ, plus a link to download all the music for your New Year's Eve Party.

Just like last year, local DJ gent Earworm has crafted a savory reduction featuring a slew of pop songs that jammed themselves into your brain in 2009, refusing to let go. This year's United State of Pop is a follow-up to last year's "United State of Pop 2008 (Viva La Pop)" and "United State of Pop" from 2007.

Sure, by themselves, some of these songs will send more than a few eyes rolling (we know you authentic aural aficionados are too real to enjoy non-ironic pop ditties), but with Earworm's beautifully crazy brain, he somehow manages to make them all come together beautifully.

He samples:

* The Black Eyed Peas - BOOM BOOM POW
* Lady Gaga - POKER FACE
* Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O’Donis - JUST DANCE
* The Black Eyed Peas - I GOTTA FEELING
* Taylor Swift - LOVE STORY
* Flo Rida - RIGHT ROUND
* Jason Mraz - I’M YOURS
* Beyonce - SINGLE LADIES (PUT A RING ON IT)
* Kanye West - HEARTLESS
* The All-American Rejects - GIVES YOU HELL
* Taylor Swift - YOU BELONG WITH ME
* T.I. Featuring Justin Timberlake - DEAD AND GONE
* The Fray - YOU FOUND ME
* Kings Of Leon - USE SOMEBODY
* Keri Hilson Featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo - KNOCK YOU DOWN
* Jamie Foxx Featuring T-Pain - BLAME IT
* Pitbull - I KNOW YOU WANT ME (CALLE OCHO)
* T.I. Featuring Rihanna - LIVE YOUR LIFE
* Soulja Boy Tell ‘em Featuring Sammie - KISS ME THRU THE PHONE
* Jay Sean Featuring Lil Wayne - DOWN
* Miley Cyrus - THE CLIMB
* Drake - BEST I EVER HAD
* Kelly Clarkson - MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU
* Beyonce - HALO
* Katy Perry - HOT N COLD

Download the Music Here!

Bonus: United State of Pop 2008


Bonus: United State of Pop 2007

The Jib Jab Review of 2009

As usual, another hilarious video from the good folks at Jib Jab.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

To Preah Vihear from Siem Reap

Another crazy Western journalist makes the challenging journey from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear. This time, it's The New York Times by Daniel Robinson. His descriptions of the temple itself aren't all that interesting, but great fun is had with his stories of the terrible roads, terrible hotels, and dismal cafes.

The best staging point for a visit to Preah Vihear Temple is Sra Em (also spelled Sa Em), 19 miles by road from the temple. Two years ago, it was a sleepy crossroads hamlet with a single grimy restaurant and one rundown guesthouse. These days, in the wake of the area’s military buildup, it feels like a Gold Rush boomtown, with haphazardly parked four-wheel-drives instead of tethered horses; karaoke bars sporting pink fluorescent lamps and colored lights, instead of saloons; and the gleanings of Cambodia’s recently doubled defense budget, instead of gold nuggets glinting in the stream. Armed men in camouflage uniforms abound.

Preah Vihear Temple Sra Em’s accommodation options are rudimentary, to put it politely. My room’s star amenity was a cold-water spigot for filling the plastic bucket used both to bathe and to flush, and below the cheap plastic mirror and its public access comb, dust bunnies had formed around the hair of guests past. Each time I returned to my room, I found a dead cricket, a new one every day, hinting, perhaps, at the presence of some sinister insecticide.

Preah Vihear Temple is, obviously, not quite ready for mainstream tourism. During the two days I spent at the temple in October, I saw only four other Westerners, including an unhappy German couple whose day trip from Angkor Wat had been rather more trying than expected, and perhaps 50 or so Cambodian tourists. But intrepid travelers who brave the diabolical (though improving) roads, substandard accommodations and alarming government travel advisories are richly rewarded.

For 40 generations, Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims have trekked to this temple, seeking to ascend toward the holy and the transcendent. Today, the awe-inspiring nature of this Angkorian masterpiece, accentuated by the challenges of getting there, confer on every trip the aura of a pilgrimage.

NAIL-BITING TAXI TRIPS AND A VOLCANO AT YOUR TABLE

GETTING THERE

With the visa-free crossing from Thailand closed for the foreseeable future, getting to Preah Vihear Temple requires battling Cambodia’s famously potholed roads, which are at their worst during the wet season (about June to October).

Share-taxis, which have no set schedule and depart when full, link Sra Em with Siem Reap via the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Veng ($7.50 a person; 130 miles; three hours) and with the provincial capital of Tbeng Meanchey ($6.50; 65 miles; two hours). The U.S. dollar is widely accepted.

The taxis, usually “jacked-up” Toyota Camrys, carry six or seven passengers in addition to the driver, so if you want the front seat to yourself you’ll have to pay two fares. Ante up six times the single fare and you’ve got yourself a private taxi.

From Sra Em, a ride to Kor Muy on the back of a motorbike will run about $3.75. Then the three-mile ride up the mountain to Preah Vihear Temple, on a concrete road whose gradients will impress even San Franciscans, is $5 by motorbike or $20 to $25 by four-wheel-drive pickup.

WHERE TO STAY

Glassless windows, sinkless bathrooms, towels with the absorptive capacity of a plastic bag, fans that run only when a generator is sputtering outside your window (usually from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and laissez-faire housekeeping are, alas, the norm in Sra Em’s guesthouses. I should have stayed at the 25-room Tuol Monysophon (855-99-620-757), which opened this year. A brown, barn-like structure topped with a red tile roof, it has basic rooms downstairs with private baths, mosquito nets and wood-plank floors, for $10; smaller upstairs rooms with shared facilities are $7.50. To get there from the triangular crossroads, head west (toward Anlong Veng) for 500 yards.

WHERE TO EAT

The Preah Vihear area’s best restaurant, hands down, is Sra Em’s Pkay Prek Restaurant (855-12-636-617), an unpretentious complex of open-air, fluorescent-lit pavilions with plenty of geckos. The specialty is phnom pleoung (hill of fire; $3.75), a meat and veggie feast you grill yourself at your table on an aluminum “volcano” suspended above glowing coals.

Thailand Forces Hmong Back to Laos

The Thai government under the unelected leadership of Khun Abhisit has now sent in the army and forced the economic and political Hmong refugees into trucks, and sent them on their merry way back to Laos, where they will face the full wrath and fury of the communist regime. Heartless. Cruel. Senseless. The New York Times has the details on this very sad episode in Thai history.

Armed with riot shields and batons, Thai military officers began early on Monday to forcibly return 4,000 Hmong asylum seekers to Laos in a lingering echo of the Vietnam War.

A government spokesman, Panitan Wattanayagorn, said in a telephone interview that the repatriation had started and would be completed within days.

Members of a mountain tribe that aided the United States in its secret war in Laos, the asylum seekers have said they fear retribution by the Laotian government, which continues to battle a ragged insurgency of several hundred Hmong fighters.

Thailand moved ahead with the repatriation despite complaints from the United States, the United Nations, and human rights and aid groups. It was doing so although it has determined that some asylum seekers were eligible for refugee status, human rights groups said.

“This forced repatriation would place the refugees in serious danger of persecution at the hands of the Lao authorities, who to this day have not forgiven the Hmong for being dedicated allies of the United States during the Vietnam War,” Joel R. Charny, acting president of Refugees International, an advocacy group in Washington, said in a statement.

Close to 5,000 troops and security officers entered the Hmong camp at 5:30 a.m. and opened the operation by rounding up “potential troublemakers,” said Sunai Pasuk, the Thailand representative of Human Rights Watch. Reporters were not allowed inside, but there were no reports of resistance.

They were to be processed at a military headquarters, then bused across the Mekong River into Laos.

In advance of the eviction, the military removed residents’ mobile telephones and halted medical services and food provided by aid groups, apparently “to physically and mentally break their resistance to their deportation,” Mr. Sunai said.

“Such coercive, intimidating and brutal measures are clearly the opposite of the concept of ‘voluntary repatriation,’ ” he said.

The remote Hmong encampment in Phetchabun Province, about 200 miles north of Bangkok, is a remnant of an Indochinese refugee population that once numbered 1.5 million. That included boat people from Vietnam, survivors of the brutal Khmer Rouge government in Cambodia and hundreds of thousands of Hmong who crossed the Mekong River from Laos.

Since the war ended in 1975, the United States has processed and accepted about 150,000 Hmong refugees in Thailand for resettlement in the United States. But in the past three years Thailand has not allowed foreign governments or international agencies to interview the Hmong.

Refugee experts say the camp residents are a mix of refugees who fear persecution and economic migrants who have left Laos over the past few years. They have included dozens who display what appear to be battle scars, as well as some older refugees who fought on the American side during the war.

A separate group of 158 asylum seekers has been interviewed by the United Nations, which has labeled them “people of concern” who could face persecution if returned. But the Thai government says these asylum seekers will be forcibly repatriated eventually.

Indianapolis Colts organization is a disgrace

I found the one team that I hope does not win the Super Bowl -- the Indianapolis Colts...

What the Colts organization did today was unethical, unprofessional, and a negative blow to the sport of football...the Colts had an opportunity to go 16-0 and possibly even 19-0, but the organization ordered all the starters to be pulled from the game in order to avoid possible injury...

As Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and others sat on the sideline and watched helplessly as an inferior New York Jets team ended the Colts unbeaten streak at 14-0, a chance at history was thrown aside...

Head coach Jim Caldwell stated after the game that the team's goal and objective was not to go 16-0 but to win the Super Bowl...that is fine, but goals and objectives are changed accordingly...and when this organization had a chance to make history, it was unfair for general manager Bill Polian and Caldwell to take the opportunity away from these players, especially Manning...that would have been the crowning achievement on Manning's career -- a possible 19-0 mark...

Most people do not like the New England Patriots and especially head coach Bill Belichick...but both should be applauded for going all out to finish 16-0 during the 2007 season...Belichick did not rest his star players out of fear of injury...he played to win every game -- the way it should be...in the end, the Patriots did not win the Super Bowl, however, their accomplishment of going 16-0 had nothing to do with them losing...

Right now, the Indianapolis Colts organization is a disgrace to the NFL and sports for cheating their players and loyal fans an opportunity to go 19-0...every Colts player and fan have a right to be upset with Caldwell and Polian...

Manning may be one of the highest paid and most popular players in the NFL, but in the end, he is just a regular employee like the rest of us who had to obey the orders from management even though he disagreed with it...

Photos of Papua New Guinea by Carl Parkes

OK, I'm a bit bored. So here are some photos I took in Papua New Guinea a few years on an expedition sponsored by various NG travel and tour groups, and accompanied by my then girlfriend from Mill Valley. Interesting, to say the least, both the dynamics of my girlfriend and the dire situation in PNG. Cars burning off the highway, shoeless porters in the best hotel in Port Moresby, the lights don't work, widespread rioting in the dark night below, walled homes of expats covered with barbed wire, natives out on Sundays enmass to kill their neighbors. Well.

Thai Alcohol Laws

I swear, Thailand is completely and utterly schizophrenic when it comes to its laws about booze, drugs and prostitution. All are there in abundant quantities, yet hypocritical legislators are always trying to appear holier than thou, while making money off the vices and passing insane laws against these same vices. It happens in America, but Thailand is surely the most glaring example of false and fake faces I have ever seen. And face is paramount in the Land of Smiles.

Absolute Bangkok reports on the crap and current state of affairs.

As we all know, being a wine lover in Thailand is an elitist thing. Imports being taxed over 200%, because wine lovers are considered to be snobs and can therefore afford any price. An average bottle sets you back at least the double of the price you pay in the West. Or even in Vietnam or Cambodia for that, former colonies still honoring their former master’s way of life.

Some good news for a change. There’s a fierce price war between local alcohol producers and importers looming. Prices could fall, partially at least. Starting 2010 the Asean Free Trade Area Afta will be fully established. Afta reduces and – for some products – entirely drops import taxes. Darn free trade and globalization. Meaning imported alcohol will also be cheaper. Import duty on alcoholic beverages is cut down to zero, nullifying the customs tariff.

That doesn’t go down well with our purists who not only pushed for laws that reinterpret what a beer calendar can look like. The radicals of Chamlong Srimuang’s Santi Asoke sect successfully prevented legal Thai companies producing legal alcoholic products from listing on the Thai stock exchange. Perfectly consistent with his yellow insurrection against Thai democracy. But change is in the air:

Imported alcohol will be cheaper, which will add to the social problems associated with alcohol in this beautiful kingdom, a TAN report tells us. Truth being, alcoholism has always been a dire problem around here. But neither social purity campaigns nor a prohibition solve that problem, and don’t you love the blurred bottle of whiskey or beer in TV … Hardly a drinker decides to become a drinker. He’s made a drinker.

Now fact is that imported alcohol will become more affordable beginning 2010. Expect a wider selection of beers and stronger stuff. I may be able to afford a better bottle of wine once in a while – and Thailand will descend into more chaos because this generation loves alcohol and drunkards will be the leaders of tomorrow. Or not.

We learn that the average consumption of a Thai is 8.47 liters of alcohol per year. That’s the 40th place out of 143 countries worldwide. The world’s average consumption? 6.2 liters per annum. According to the National Public Health Foundation Thaialnd is already losing 250 billion baht a year due to alcohol-related health issues. The foundation expects an increase of 16% per year because of cheaper foreign booze about to flood the Thai market.

As with cigarette packs, do we need pictures of drunk driving victims on a bottle of Johnnie Walker? A leading cause of death in Thailand are traffic accidents, half of them are caused by drunk drivers. It’s always a failure of society as a whole when the majority has to pay for the irresponsibility of the minority.

A torn up corpse on a nice bottle of Malbec won’t prevent me from enjoying that fine wine. True that a graphic measure may stop a drunk driver or two from departing for that last fatal trip. But I doubt that I drank a single can less beer just because Thai authorities don’t allow me to buy alcohol in the morning and the afternoon. Once I was really thirsty I just bought 31 cans. That’s over ten liters, and the Kafkaesque law allows anyone to buy alcohol anytime as long as it’s over ten liters …

Ah, maybe no alcohol bottles in New Year’s gift baskets will solve the nation’s alcoholism and related problems. The dear people are reminded that giving alcohol as a gift is the same as cursing someone …

So when Afta comes into effect, you better be ready. Party hard this New Year’s Eve. Use up what’s left in your fridge. 2010’s the year to restock.

While the internal excise tax will be raised to make all booze more expensive again. In order to protect domestic producers and the population (from) itself.

Goodbye Detriot. Hello China

It's over. China Car Times