Free Blu Ray Player for Prayers

Original ad:
Help me! I’m in desperate need of a Blu-ray player. I don’t have a lot of money so if you want to give me one for free, that would be great. In return I will say many prayers for you! Please e-mail me @ ***********@verizon.net

From Me to ***********@verizon.net:
Hey there,

I have an old Blu-Ray player I don’t use anymore. Are you interested?

Mike

From Cathy ******** to Me:

Yes I am very much interested! What brand is the player and is it free?

From Me to Cathy ********:

Cathy,

It is a Samsung player, and whether it is free or not depends on you…how many prayers are we talking about here?

Mike

From Cathy ******** to Me:

I will say many prayers for you!

From Me to Cathy ********:

Yeah, I got that. Specifically, how many prayers? This Blu-Ray player wasn’t cheap. I’m thinking, 50 Our Fathers and 50 Hail Marys every day for a year. Does that sound good?

Mike

From Cathy ******** to Me:

Mike, the quantity of prayers is not important – it is the sincerity and power of the prayer that matters. I will be genuinely thankful and show this through my prayers!

From Me to Cathy ********:

Sorry, but I’m not settling for anything less than 50 Our Fathers and 50 Hail Marys per day. The last guy I gave my plasma TV to gave me that “sincere prayer” crap but I don’t it worked at all. My wife’s breasts still aren’t bigger and my lottery tickets still aren’t winning. The only thing that matters is the amount of prayers that you say. It is your choice; 100 prayers a day or no blu-ray player.

Mike

From Cathy ******** to Me:

I think you are misunderstanding the purpose of prayer. Surely you can’t expect me to say that many prayers – it would take all day!

From Me to Cathy ********:

I’m willing to cut you a deal, Cathy. I’ll only ask for 50 prayers a day, but in return, you have to come say grace whenever I eat dinner. I’ll accept you saying grace for me over the phone if I happen to be eating at a drive-thru fast food place.

I’ll also throw in my copy of “Drag Me to Hell” on Blu-Ray.

Mike

From Cathy ******** to Me:

Please stop. You are being preposterous.

From Me to Cathy ********:

Cathy,

My apologies. I guess you are right, I am asking for a bit too much. Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll go by what my priest made me do the last time I confessed to stealing a Blu-Ray player. He made me say 20 Hail Marys and 10 Our Fathers, but I think the Our Fathers were because I pistol-whipped a guy while I was stealing it. Since I didn’t have to pistol-whip anyone this time, I’ll give it to you for only 20 Hail Marys. How does this sound? This is practically face value in prayer.

Mike

From Cathy ******** to Me:

Oh my lord, you have lost your mind! I will get a bluray player elsewhere.

Lightning Strikes in Chicago

Lightning strikes three of the tallest buildings in Chicago at the same time! from Craig Shimala on Vimeo.

More from after the storm. The sequel to the Triple Lightning Strike from Craig Shimala on Vimeo.

The first part is random strikes I happened to capture on the same night as the triple strike on Willis Tower, Trump International Hotel and Tower and the John Hancock Building (http://vimeo.com/12816548). In the second clip you can kinda hear my neighbors on their balcony yelling after Willis Tower is struck with a giant rainbow in the background.

1:19 - Is a sped up scene of a giant rainbow forming over the Chicago skyline.

1:46 - Is the original triple lightning strike video in a 30 second block for those that were questioning it's authenticity. I could have shown more but watching paint dry would be more interesting. If you listen closely, you can hear me lightly say "yes!" after the triple strike happens. You can also notice a slight movement in the camera. This was me putting my hand on the camera to stop recording as nothing was happening. That would've sucked to miss out on this by a second.

HD Video was filmed on a Canon EOS 7D. Edited in Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

Music: The xx (http://www.myspace.com/thexx) - Intro

Craig Shimala shot an amazing slow motion video of lightning striking three of the tallest buildings in Chicago at the same time, the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), the Trump International Hotel and Tower and the John Hancock Center.

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

World Architecture News reports on the first of several casinos to soon be opening in Singapore.

Marina Bay Sands opens long-awaited SkyPark in flamboyant two-day ceremony

This Thursday saw part of Singapore’s newest mixed use development opened to the public in an extravagant ceremony across one of the world’s largest observation decks. Whilst the world must wait until later in the year for the completed building, the SkyPark, Event Plaza, shops, dining options and many nightlife offerings on the complex are now fully functional. Marina Bay Sands is a magnificent construction – a S$8bn development including a 2,560-room hotel, 120,000 sq m convention centre, The Shoppes mall, six restaurants, an Art and Science museum, two Sands Theatres, two floating pavilions and an 'atrium style' casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex will be opened in 3-4 stages, with full completion on course for late 2010. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the project’s developer Las Vegas Sands Corp, Mr. Sheldon G. Adelson, said: “The opening of the Sands SkyPark signifies an important milestone for Marina Bay Sands. This has been the single, most challenging engineering component of our unique integrated resort and to see it materialise is an incredibly proud moment for us. Marina Bay Sands along with its signature Sands SkyPark will be a truly impressive icon and we are excited to present this bold architecture to not only Singapore but to the rest of the world.”

Situated on Bayfront Avenue, across the water from Singapore's Central Business District, no expense has been spared in this luxurious design, where world-class dining will be supplied by Singaporean celebrity chef Justin Quek’s newest restaurant, Sky 57, and customers can gamble to their heart's content in the world's most expensive stand-alone casino, featuring four levels of gaming and entertainment under the light of a 7 tonne Swarovski chandelier.

The real gem of this exotic construction however is located in its crown. The three vertical 200m towers are topped with an extensive 9,941 sq m SkyPark, which totes a public observatory, jogging paths, gardens, restaurants and lounges. Basking in the limelight is a stunning 1,396 sq m infinity pool, from which guests at the hotel can enjoy the breathtaking views over the Singapore skyline. One of the world’s largest cantilevers (at 65m), the park can hold an impressive 3,900 people and is longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall. The park will be open to the public daily from 10am to 10pm.

Things haven’t always been so rosy onsite however, as the project failed to avoid the global economic crisis of recent months. Las Vegas Sands reportedly faced delays caused by labour shortages and escalating material costs, and had to delay projects elsewhere in the world in order to keep to strict deadlines. The issues didn’t stop once the first stages of the project were completed, as the first use of the conference centre – by The Inter-Pacific Bar Association – was marred by complaints of uncompleted facilities and a power cut during a speech. These mishaps found Marina Bay Sands suing the IPBA, after the firm refused to pay the S$300,000 previously agreed for use of facilities. In June, the IPBA counter-sued, complaining that its earlier payments had been imposed by ‘duress, fear and force’. Not off to a good start.

Regardless, things seem to be on the up for the delectable mixed-use development, as the June opening was deemed a full success. In line with its extreme architecture, the two-day event was topped off with a ‘World Championship Climb’, where 7 teams of 21 rock climbers scaled the shimmering glass façade of the building and 4,000 invited guests and customers were entertained with an evening concert. The SkyPark was officially opened at 2pm the following day.

Whilst one may consider this superb construction to have taken years of meticulous design, architect Moshe Safdie came on board the project with only four months left to the official Government-set deadline. Astonishingly, the Israeli architect managed to complete the 1,000,000 sq m design on time and to specification, commenting: “Singapore has invested a lot in this project, which is based in the most prominent site in Singapore. It’s right across downtown, and they set this up as a national project, they wrote very exacting terms of reference for the project. The idea was for it to have gardens on the ground, in the mid-level and in the sky, each serving another purpose and another function. All this together forms a project that is very integrated with nature and with green open spaces.”

5 Short Video Clips about Cambodia

Cambodia from Memorias de Oriente on Vimeo.

Cambodiaaaa from Diego Lorenzo F. Jose on Vimeo.

CAMBODIA TRIP from Piotr Pacewicz on Vimeo.

Cambodia from BUDDY on Vimeo.

Global X Cambodia from Whisper Productions on Vimeo.

Voyagner posted these 5 inspirational video clips about Cambodia. Check out their website and add them to your Twitter list.

Shanghai Expo in under 3 Minutes

expo shanghai 世博会（tr. 5.6.7.8's-Jane In The Jungle) from fil on Vimeo.

Fast paced look at many of the building exteriors, plus super fast tour of a few exhibits at the Shanghai Expo.

Oliver Fricker Graffiti Artist Gets the Cane

It's happened again, but this time it's an experienced graffiti artist and IT professional who committed the crime in Singapore. He was just sentenced to five months in jail and three strokes of the rattan.

Singapore Metblogs starts off the discussion with the pro graffiti argument.

In what might be the first case ever, a Singapore MRT train was graffiti’d while parked in the depot. Train painting has a long history tied to the origins of modern day writers and is fairly common in some parts of the world, but until now unheard of in Singapore. It’s easy to pass something like this off as simple vandalism but in a country which such well known policies against it this is kind of an exciting occurrence, as many people believe that graffiti is an example of the culture of a society being so active it literally bursts onto the walls. Active culture is a good thing in my book, and something that takes a little looking for in S’pore. Here’s a brief documentary about the Singapore Graffiti scene called The Art Behind The Vandalism.

/The Straits Times announces the sentence.

CONVICTED vandal Oliver Fricker was sentenced to five months' jail and three strokes of the cane on Friday evening for entering a protected place and spraying paint on two carriages of an SMRT train. The 32-year-old IT consultant is appealing against his sentence, according to his lawyer, Mr Derek Kang.

Fricker, who went to jail on Friday, had admitted to a vandalism charge and an offence under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act. He did them with his friend, Briton Dane Alexander Lloyd, 29, at the SMRT Changi depot between May 16 and 17.

A third charge of cutting the perimeter fence of the depot was considered during his sentencing. The graffiti on the train with the large words McKoy Banos was seen by many commuters and members of the public before it was reported by a SMRT staff two days later.

Seeking an appropriate jail term on each of the two charges, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharon Lim argued that such serious breach of the law could not be taken lightly or viewed as a mere prank. The duo, she said, were experienced graffiti writers who had targeted the SMRT train which is the backbone of Singapore's public transport system. Fricker could have been jailed for up to three years for the vandalism charge; and up to two years for entering a protected place.

Singapore Dissident points out the sad and disturbing fact that Oliver was unable to find a local attorney to represent him, and then presents a few arguments in his defence.

Other than the dubious honor that Singapore has the fewest lawyers in relation to population for any country in the world, a mere 3000 for a population of nearly 5 million, it has also earned the disgraceful notoriety, that, no Singaporean lawyer would dare question the legality of it's laws when defending his client, for fear of attracting the wrath of Singaporean strongman Lee Kuan Yew.

Strangely enough in that island, unlike every other country in the world, if there was one profession in Singapore who fear Lee Kuan Yew the most, it is the lawyers.

Oliver Fricker, the Swiss man who had tagged a Singapore subway train would not find a single lawyer in Singapore who would dare to raise the defenses that he would be raising had he been in any other country. Here is what he, or his lawyer should say.

Kent Ridge Common, the NUS student newspaper, points out the the security breach is an important lesson for Singapore, and reminds everyone that corporal punishment for such a minor act is overkill.

Swiss Oliver Fricker entered Singapore through the most original way possible — two days ago, he made the headlines by being arrested for allegedly spray painting graffiti on one of Singapore’s MRT trains. Another Briton, Lloyd Alexander, is wanted in connection with the case. He reportedly left Singapore for Hongkong before the incident was reported.

The Fricker graffiti reminded many Singaporeans of what was most probably the most infamous case of vandalism due to the international furore surrounding the corporal punishment of caning lashed out on American Michael Fay, in 1994. Fay had then spray painted several cars before being arrested and punished with 6 strokes of the cane. Following pleads for clemency by the then President Clinton, the late President Ong Teng Cheong commuted Fay’s sentence from 6 to 4 strokes of the cane.

What was Fricker’s role in this alleged case of vandalism? If reports were to be believed, he and his accomplice cut through a fence at an derelict MRT depot, before having the luxury to spray paint graffiti on an MRT carriage. He faces up to 3 years in jail, a fine, and most certainly a few strokes of the cane — given the authorities hard-nosed approach in dealing with vandals.

Most of the reports so far focused on punishing Fricker for his role in the vandalism. Sure enough, he trespassed into an out-of-bounds territory in the MRT depot and spray-painted a train. But if Fricker should be punished for vandalism, dare I say that SMRT should be equally if not more culpable.

Without question, they must answer for the startling lack of security around the premises of the train depot — an obvious easy target for terrorists. While intelligence months earlier resulting from a raid of terrorists in nearby Indonesia had pointed at the possibility of an MRT train station being targeted for terrorism (a map with a red circle around Orchard MRT was found), it is clear that from this breach of security that security strategists were still stuck within a box — that is, the box of merely deploying additional personnels for a presence around train stations, believing that a terrorist needs to board a train, deposit a bomb and leave in order to carry out acts of terrorism on our transport system. This is not to say that such a method of having security personnels on board train is ineffective, but there could be thousand more ways a terrorist may plant a bomb on a train that does not involve him boarding the train even. Cutting through the fence in a poorly guarded MRT train depot to plant a bomb is but one of the many possibilities.

Cat Parade for Rainfall

PHICHIT: After suffering from the worst drought in a decade, some 200 villagers in tambon Don Seua Leuang resurrected an old local tradition in which female cats are paraded around the village and doused with water in the hopes that their screams will induce the rain gods to release their bounty.

The ritual took place at 2pm on June 5 in the small rice-farming area of this tambon, located in Pho Prathap Chang District.

Nang Boontham, 53, said there wasn’t enough water to plant her 50-rai paddy and that she feared the annual flooding of the low-lying area would be worse this year if villagers didn’t get their paddy production underway soon.

Don Seua Leuang Tambon Administration Organization President Wisan Junthong said this year’s drought was especially bad because the village was not receiving extra water from the Ping River in neighboring Kamphaeng Phet Province, as usual. The canal usually used to channel water to the area was currently being worked on, he said.

Normally villagers in the area would begin planting as soon as rains arrived after Royal Ploughing Day in early May. When June arrived without rainfall, the villagers decided to hold the cat parade.

The ritual is one of many folk beliefs used by villagers in the North and Northeast to induce rainfall. The most popular involve firing homemade rockets into the sky.

The Psychedelic Shinkansen Ride

Shinkansen ver.2 from daihei shibata on Vimeo.

A really amazing video as described by Jeremy Kressmann at Gadling as:

I don't know who's behind the recent glut of Japan-centric videos that's been floating around web. Then again, it doesn't matter, does it? All that matters is the creators behind these short movies are some seriously creative individuals. The video above comes to us courtesy of daihei shibata, a Tokyo resident who decided to film his recent train ride on Japan's Shinkansen (bullet train) between Shinosaka and Tokyo.

Not only did Daihei film his entire warp-speed ride on the fast-moving trains using his digital camera, he's also applied a unique editing treatment to the end product. You'll notice there doesn't seem to be a bottom half to the video - it's simply a reflection of the image at the top. The end product is half home movie, half kaleidoscope - a trippy visual treat that both delights and amazes the viewer. Combined with the energetic song "So High" by rockers Van She and you've got the makings of some seriously great eye candy. Whether you've been to Japan or not, here's your chance to take a wild journey through the unique eyes of one Japanese local. Enjoy.

सल्लू श्रीलंका में कर रहे हैं रेडी का फिल्मांकन

बॉलीवुड अभिनेता सलमान खान द्वारा अभिनीत और निर्देशक अनीस बजमी द्वारा निर्देशित फिल्म रेडी को श्रीलंका की खूबसूरत जगहों पर फिल्माया जा रहा है।
आइफा पुरस्कार समारोह के लिए सलमान जब यहां आए तो उन्हें लोगों का भरपूर प्यार मिला, जिसके बाद वे यहां अपनी अगली फिल्म की शूटिंग के लिए राजी हो गए। इसके लिए उन्होंने निर्देशक बजमी को भी राजी कर लिया है।

रावण: ढाई माह और रोल सिर्फ 5 सैकेड का

बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री पद्मिनी कोल्हापुरी की बहन तेजस्विनी कोल्हापुरी को जब मणिरत्नम की फिल्म रावण के लिए साइन किया गया था तो उनका रोल फिल्म में प्रमुख बताया जा रहा था। फिल्म में वे रवि किशन की पत्नी के रोल में हैं।
फिल्म के लिए उन्होंने ढाई महीने घर व पति से दूर जंगल में बिताए थे। फिल्म में एक शादी के गीत में सिर्फ 5 सैकेंड के सीन पर बेरहमी के साथ की गई एडीटिंग पर तेजस्विनी को कोई शिकवा नहीं है। जब उनसे इस रोल के बारे में पूछा गया तो उनका कहना था कि मणि सर व उनकी सारी टीम जानती थी कि मेरा रोल क्या है। मैंने 75 दिन शूटिंग में हिस्सा लिया। यह मणिरत्नम के साथ एक मनोरंजक काम था।

सांड्रा ने बदला अपना प्लान

ऑस्कर पुरस्कार विजेता अभिनेत्री सांड्रा बुलॉक ने अपने हसबैंड जेसी जेम्स को माफ करके डिवोर्स लेने का प्लान रद्द कर दिया है। खबरों के अनुसार, सांड्रा ने तलाक लेनेे का डिसीजन तब लिया था, जब उन्हें अपने पति की बेवफाई के बारे में पता चला।
सूत्रों के अनुसार, 23 अप्रैल को सांड्रा ने तलाक की अर्जी दाखिल की थीं, लेकिन हाल ही में उन्होंने अपने गोद लिए बच्चे लुइस और हसबैंड के साथ हॉलीडे स्पेंड किया, जिसके बाद उन्हें लगा कि उन्हें अपनी रिलेशनशिप को एक चांस और देना चाहिए। दोनों के बिहेवियर को देखकर लगता है कि सांड्रा ने जेसी को माफ कर दिया है।

क्रूज के लिए बेटी को मनाना मुश्किल

हॉलीवुड अभिनेता टॉम क्रूज के लिए अपनी चार वर्षीय बेटी सुरी को किसी भी बात के लिए मनाना बहुत मुश्किल है। वह और उनकी अभिनेत्री पत्नी कैटी होम्स अपनी बेटी के खान-पान को लेकर अक्सर परेशान रहते हैं।
क्रूज कहते हैं कि वह कठोर नहीं हैं इसलिए सख्ती से काम नहीं लेते। वह और कैटी सुरी को अपनी पसंद की पोषक चीजें खिलाना चाहते हैं लेकिन वह किसी भी तरह से इसके लिए तैयार नहीं होती।

माइकल जैक्सन की पहली पुण्यतिथि

दिवंगत पॉप स्टार माइकल जैक्सन की 25 जून को पहली पुण्य तिथि है। जाहिर है इस मौके पर दुनिया भर में फैले उनके प्रशंसक उन्हें भावभीनी श्रंद्धाजलि देगे। इनमें उनके समकक्ष आर्टिस्ट भी शामिल है। इस बाबत अमेरिका में एक भव्य समारोह का आयोजन किया जा रहा है, जिसमें पॉप स्टार क्रिस्टीना एग्युलेरा, मार्क एंथोनी और स्मेकी रॉबिन्सन जैसे टॉप सिंगर-ऎक्ट्रेस अपनी प्रस्तुति देंगे।
एक वेबसाइट के अनुसार, ये सभी आर्टिस्ट अमेरिकी चैनल सीबीएस के एक विशेष कार्यक्रम द किंग ऑफ पॉप: वन ईयर लेटर के मंच पर शिरकत करेंगे। गौरतलब है कि पिछले साल 25 जून को माइकल की संदिग्ध परिस्थितियों में मौत हो गई थीं।

इमरान को पसंद है रोमांस से भरपूर फिल्में

बॉलीवुड में अपने करियर की शुरूआत में "जाने तू..या जाने ना" जैसी रोमांस से भरी हास्यप्रधान फिल्म में प्रमुख भूमिका निभा चुके अभिनेता इमरान खान की अगली फिल्म "आई हेट लव स्टोरीज" भी ऎसी ही फिल्म है।
इमरान कहते हैं कि उन्हें प्रेम कहानी पर आधारित फिल्में करना पसंद हैं क्योंकि ये मजेदार होती हैं और इनमें अभिनय क्षमता दिखाने के अच्छे अवसर होते हैं। इमरान ने एक साक्षात्कार में कहा, ""एक अभिनेता के बतौर जब आप रोमांसप्रधान फिल्में करते हैं तो यह बहुत मजेदार होता है। मार-ध़ाड से भरपूर फिल्मों में अभिनय बहुत कम होता है। ऎसी फिल्मों में हम अक्सर भागते-दौ़डते, ल़डते, कूदते या गिरते हैं.. इसलिए अभिनय के लिए बहुत कम जगह रह जाती है।"" उन्होंने कहा, ""लेकिन रोमांसप्रधान और हास्यप्रधान फिल्में कलाकारों पर बहुत निर्भर होती हैं, यहां यह बहुत महत्वपूर्ण होता है कि एक खास संवाद को सही भावों के साथ बोला जाए। इसलिए इसमें अभिनय की गुंजायश ज्यादा होती है।""
"जाने तू..या जाने ना" में प्रेमी, "किडनैप" में अपहरणकर्ता और "लक" में जुआरी की भूमिका निभा चुके 27 वर्षीय इमरान "आई हेट लव स्टोरीज" में एक अलग तरह की भूमिका में नजर आएंगे। इस फिल्म में वह महिलाओं के प्रति आकर्षित होंगे। करन जौहर के धर्मा प्रोडक्शंस के निर्माण में बनी "आई हेट लव स्टोरीज" का निर्देशन पुनीत मल्होत्रा ने किया है। इमरान अपनी निजी जिंदगी में एक ही महिला से संबंध रखने में विश्वास रखते हैं लेकिन फिर भी उन्हें इस फिल्म में अभिनय करने में कोई दिक्कत नहीं हुई।
लंबे समय से अवंतिका मलिक से जु़डे इमरान कहते हैं, ""यह मुश्किल नहीं था क्योंकि पटकथा बहुत अच्छी है और पुनीत मल्होत्रा ने किरदार के विषय में मुझे विस्तार से समझा दिया था। इसलिए मेरे लिए यह कठिन भूमिका नहीं थी। फिल्म में जबरदस्त हास्य है।"" "आई हेट लव स्टोरीज" दो जुलाई को प्रदर्शित होगी। फिल्म में इमरान के अलावा सोनम कपूर और समीर सोनी ने अभिनय किया है।

मित्र के साथ फोटो पर नाराज हुई रिहाना

मशहूर पॉप गायिका रिहाना अपने पुरूष मित्र और बेसबाल खिल़ाडी मैट कैंप के साथ फोटो लिए जाने पर खासी नाराज हैं।
"अनफेथपुल" में अपनी आवाज का जादू बिखेर चुकीं रिहाना संभवत: अपने संबंधों को छिपाना चाहती थीं। परंतु एक रेस्तरां से बाहर निकलते समय उनकी तस्वीर ले ली गई। वर्तमान में रिहाना "लास्ट गर्ल आन अर्थ" के तहत विश्वव्यापी दौरे पर निकलेंगी जो अगले महीने अमेरिका से शुरू होगा।

रोमांटिक फिल्म करने को बेकरार किंग खान

रोमांटिक फिल्मों के लिए मशहूर बॉलीवुड के बादशाह शाहरूख खान के पास पिछले काफी समय से कोई भी रोमांटिक फिल्म नहीं आई है।
शाहरूख इन दिनों साइन्स फिक्शन रा.वन की शूटिंग कर रहे हंै और इसके बाद वे थ्रिलर फिल्म डॉन-2 की शूटिंग में व्यस्त हो जाएंगे। इसलिए फिलहाल शाहरूख को रोमांटिक किरदार निभाते हुए देखने के लिए दर्शकों को और इंतजार करना होगा। खुद शाहरूख भी एक रोमांटिक फिल्म करने के लिए बेकरार हैं। शाहरूख इन दिनों ग्रीस में अपनी फैमिली के संग छुटि्टयां मना रहे हैं जहां उन्होंने 2003 में रिलीज हुई रोमांटिक फिल्म चलते-चलते की शूटिंग की थीं। शाहरूख कहते है यहां आकर मुझे फिर से कुछ उसी तरह की लव स्टोरी में काम करने का मन कर रहा है।

फिर नेगेटिव रोल में जॉन

फिल्म धूम में नेगेटिव रोल को मिली शाबासी के बाद अभिनेता जॉन अब्राहम एक बार फिर नेगेटिव रोल करने जा रहे है। फिल्म रेस के सीक्वल रेस-2 में सैफ अली खान, अनिल कपूर और जॉन अब्राहम लीड रोल में होंगे। इस फिल्म के लिए तीन हीरोइनों को पहले ही कास्ट कर लिया गया है। गौरतलब है कि निर्माता रमेश तौरानी लंबे समय से जॉन अब्राहम के साथ काम करना चाहते थे और उनकी पसंद के चलते ही जॉन का नाम फाइनल किया गया है। रेस-2 को भी अब्बास-मस्तान की जोडी ही डायरेक्ट करेगी। दिलचस्प बात यह है कि रेस के तमाम किरदार नेगेटिव व पॉजिटिव दोनों तरह के शेड्स में नजर आए थे, लेकिन इस फिल्म में सिर्फ जॉन ही नेगेटिव रोल में नजर आएंगे।

भागकर शादी करूंगी: काइली मिनोग

पॉप गायिका, गीतकार और अभिनेत्री काइली मिनोग को तडक-भडक वाली शादी बिलकुल भी पसंद नहीं है। काइनी का कहना है कि वह ऎसी शादी से बचने के लिए भागकर शादी भी कर सकती है।
42 वषीय काइली ने कहा, मेरी पसंद कभी भी तडक-भडक वाली शादी नहीं रही। मैं उन लडकियों में नहीं हूं जो शादी को लेकर बहुत बडे-बडे सपने देखती है। शादी को लेकर मुझे भी रोमांच होता है लेकिन मैं चुपचाप भागकर शादी करूंगी। एंड्रेस वेलेनकोसो के साथ इश्क फरमा रही मिनोग ने कहा कि उनकी निकट भविष्य में शादी करने की कोई योजना नहीं है।

It's Raining Oil in Louisiana

When you pour more than a million gallons of toxic chemical dispersants on top of an oil spill, it doesn’t just disappear. In this case, it moves to the atmosphere, where it will travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles from the site of the BP oil spill, in the form of toxic rain.

BP’s oil spill-fighting dispersant of choice is Corexit 9500. It has been banned in Europe for good reason. Corexit 9500 is one of the most environmentally enduring, toxic chemical dispersants ever created to battle an oil spill. Add to that the millions of gallons of oil that have been burned, releasing even more toxins into the atmosphere, and you have a recipe for something much worse than acid rain.

The European Union Times reports "A dire report prepared for President Medvedev by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources is warning today that the British Petroleum (BP) oil and gas leak in the Gulf of Mexico is about to become the worst environmental catastrophe in all of human history threatening the entire eastern half of the North American continent with “total destruction”.

The reports adds, "Russian scientists are basing their apocalyptic destruction assessment due to BP’s use of millions of gallons of the chemical dispersal agent known as Corexit 9500 which is being pumped directly into the leak of this wellhead over a mile under the Gulf of Mexico waters and designed, this report says, to keep hidden from the American public the full, and tragic, extent of this leak that is now estimated to be over 2.9 million gallons a day."

Oil in the environment is toxic at 11 PPM (parts per million). Corexit 9500 is toxic at only 2.61 PPM. But Corexit 9500 has another precarious characteristic; it’s reaction to warm water.

As the water in the Gulf of Mexico heats up, Corexit 9500 goes through a molecular transition. It changes from a liquid to a gas, which is readily absorbed by clouds and released as toxic rain. The chemical-laden rain then falls on crops, reservoirs, animals and of course, people.

It is futile to believe that we can keep ‘Corexit rain’ from occurring since it has already been released and the molecular transformation has begun. We have set off an unprecedented chain of events in nature that we cannot control.

By releasing Pandora’s well from the depths and allowing it bleed into the sea the unimaginable becomes material.

Yet unlike a bad dream, we will not wake up from this nightmare and find it gone. The BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill will be touching millions of earth’s life forms for uncountable years.

The Strange Striker

Motorcycle Blues

Doesn't Get Any Fresher Than This

1,033 Kg of Heroin Bust

Junkies all over the world are crying in their needles, as Shanghaiist reports on this amazing bust.

In the biggest drug bust in China's history, police arrested 20 suspects and seized 1,033 kg (2,277 pounds) of heroin. That's enough to reenact the adrenaline needle scene from Pulp Fiction about a million times, give or take.

Huangpu Customs in Guangdong Province disclosed the information as they were getting ready to destroy drugs from a raid last year (a meager 545 kilos of heroin). The drugs from this bust are scheduled to be destroyed on the 25th.

When we first heard about this latest bust, we'll confess, we were hoping for pictures of police officers standing next to mountains of loose heroin (that's how drug dealers store it, right?). Instead we get what looks like all the smack packages in the world spread out in a neat grid spanning a football field, which is really the only way to keep track of your China White: meticulously. (Also, is that a velvet sheet in picture two?)

Video Postcard from Hong Kong and Shanghai

China Reel from Kalum Ko on Vimeo.

Visually arresting short video clip of Hong Kong and Shanghai, although it's mostly an omage to HK. The background music is too sweet for my tastes, and I'd rather have some techno to get the blood flowing. Still, a fine look at these 2 great cities.

The Chinese Yuan Travel Guide

CNNGo today has a very clever post about the new set of Chinese Yuan which depict various tourist places in China. Great idea! They then describe the attraction and tell you why you should visit these places.

That isn't a Chinese note, I know. Do you know the country?

China is finally making some moves with the yuan. Heck, even United States President Barack Obama is happy. But the yuan isn't just good for purchasing things; the current fifth series Renminbi notes are also an awesome ready-made travel itinerary.

Depicted on the notes are six destinations Chinese authorities have deemed worthy of mass circulation, ranging from UNESCO-inscribed iconic architecture to the most stunning natural landscapes. Visit them all on a quirky, once-in-a-lifetime quest, literally following the money through the Middle Kingdom.

1 yuan
“Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon,” West Lake, Hangzhou..

What’s depicted on the yuan: One of the famous “Ten Scenes of West Lake” (西湖十景) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Referred to as the “Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon” (三潭印月), these two-meter high stone pagodas are located in the water on the south side of Xiaoying Island.

Why go: Summer is always a great time to go boating on the lake, but autumn is magical. A candle is lit inside each pagoda on the night of the mid-Autumn festival, allowing shafts of light to shine through five round holes on the bottom levels of each one. They cast reflections on the water’s surface that resemble little moons. It’s an absolutely stunning effect, especially with the moon glowing overhead.

Getting there: On a West Lake boat trip. Cruise boats shuttle frequently around the main spots on the lake, including Xiaoying Island. A more expensive option is to get onboard a six-person boat rowed by boatmen; look for them along the causeways.

What Happens When You Set Your Capital on Fire

TravelFish founder Stuart has posted a fascinating graph which shows the declining business of hotel reservations in Bangkok during the 2 months of protests by the red shirts. The text provides further insight into this depressing situation. Cheer up Stu, at least you're living in lovely Bali.

They say that a picture says a thousand words so I won’t waffle on about the about chart (bigger version here), other than to say it represents the rather precipitous fall in daily hotel reservations through Travelfish via one of our affiliate partners.

This is all reservation enquiries, so doesn’t take into account cancellations — meaning the fall is actually considerably worse than what the above illustrates. I should also note the airport shutdowns instigated by the yellow shirts had an equally destructive effect on reservations — I just don’t have time right now to make two charts!

Given that matters are sizing up for another meltdown around October/November this year (ie just in time for the peak tourist season) it is difficult to understate just how damaging all this is to the Thai economy. While it is clear Thailand has very serious societal issues that do need to be addressed, crucifying the travel and tourism industries seems hardly to be the way forward.

Who would have thought six years ago (when we started Travelfish.org) that today Indonesia would be seeing relatively progressive economic development accompanied by encouraging signs on the tourism side of things, while Thailand would be actively working to reinvent itself into the region’s new basketcase.

5 Jobs for Westerners in Thailand

Nothing much earth shaking here, but for the novices seeking work in Thailand, it's a gentle reminder of a few job opportunities. Steve runs a website which primarily promotes luxury hotels in Thailand, and he does a good job although it's obviously a promotional effort. And I assume he is charging for a listing.

So you’ve been to Thailand and fell in love with the culture, the people and the easy lifestyle. You absolutely have to get back and you think you even want to live there. Sounds good to me, I have the same aspirations. The problem is, unless you have a trust fund or some very generous relatives (I have neither) you’ll need a way to make money while you’re in Thailand. Are there ways for a foreigner to make money while living in Thailand? You bet there are! Don’t expect to get rich, but you will have the pleasure of living in the land of smiles and all of the cultural benefits of living in a foreign land. Here are some ways you can go about putting some cash in the bank while you live and enjoy Thailand.

1. Teach English – This is probably the most popular method for native English speakers to make money while living in Thailand (or any other foreign country for that matter). You don’t really need anything to get started except a good command of English and to get your butt to Thailand. While it’s possible to find teaching jobs online it’s not very likely unless you are a licensed teacher already and you are applying to the top tier international schools in Bangkok. For the rest of us it’s best to just get to Thai and start knocking about looking for work. English teachers generally make around 35,000 baht a month and upward, depending on how hard you want to work. One very good resource for prospective English teachers in Bangkok and Thailand is Ajarn.com. They have been around since 1999 and have the best information about teaching in Thailand that I’ve seen. Plus they have links to many of the English schools and a fantastic job board. I could go more in depth about teaching English in Thailand as a job, but they have it all covered already. If you have a university degree you may want to try for a job at one of Thailand’s International Schools. The competition is fierce, but the pay scale is typically much better than the language schools.

2. Translator – Not many people know it, but it is quite possible to find work as a translator for Thai businesses in Bangkok. English is the international language of business and if you don’t mind presenting products then this could be right up your alley. Pay can range anywhere from 2000-6000 baht a day which isn’t too bad if you can find steady work. To get this kind of job does require some networking, but it’s not hard.The best way to get started is by getting yourself out there and networking. Dress sharp, image is very important to Thai’s. White shirt, dark pants and blazer and a tie are necessary for this work. Check the Bangkok Post for business conventions which are typically held at the Queen Sirikrit Convention Center which is on Ratchadaphisek Rd. near the Thailand Stock Market off Rama IV Rd. Once there simply mingle and talk with some of the businesses there. You’ll find that many of them will be happy to hire you on to help promote their products in English.

3. Actor/Model – Another little known job for falangs (foreigners) in Thailand is as actors or models. The pay isn’t great, but if you build a name for yourself you can get fairly consistent work. And I understand it’s a great way to meet the ladies. Again, you can find leads in the Bangkok Post or try putting together a small portfolio of photographs and mailing it to the modeling/acting agencies listed in the yellow pages. If you’re really serious you may want to get an agent as they can be invaluable in securing work and negotiating. Pay can range from 2000 baht a day and up. Not great, but the work is easy and wouldn’t it be glamorous to say you’re a model/actor?

4. Dive Instructor – If you’ve got PADI dive certification and can get or already have dive instructor certification this could be perfect for you. It’s not really up my alley so I’m not sure how easy it would be to get this job, but the Andaman sea has some of the best diving in the world and there are a whole host of dive shops and live aboards that work from the islands of Thailand. I would guess the pay isn’t great, but this isn’t really something you do for the pay, you do it for the passion and the experience.

5. Accountant, engineer, salesman, lawyer or any professional position. You won’t get a job at a Thai company for most professional positions, but if you’ve got experience you may be able to land a position with a multi-national company that has offices in Bangkok. Since you’ll be getting paid in your home countries currency and will very likely have all the benefits of an ex-pat package (retirement, housing, travel, tuition for children, medical insurance, etc) these are the sweetest jobs around. I don’t qualify, but if you do and you want to get yourself to Thailand start looking. Price Waterhouse has a lot of ex-pats in Asia as do large multi-nationals like Siemens, IBM, HP, and any petrol related business. If you really want to be here then that should be enough motivation to conduct a comprehensive search.

Thailand Musings

Top 100 Celebrated Travel Books of all Time

http://www.worldhum.com/features/lists/the-100-most-celebrated-travel-books-list-20100427/

Lists: The definitive list of travel books that travel writers, editors, bloggers and readers love best.

http://www.worldhum.com/features/lists/the-100-most-celebrated-travel-books-list-20100427/ has a wonderful list of the best 100 travel books of all time. Something has happened to my old, familiar way to make hot links, but each book on the list appears to have it's own individual link. If you would like to click around at some books, you'll need to do a copy and paste with all the garbage that starts his message. I hate it when this happens...


How did we come up with our list? We scoured the web and dug up every “best travel books” list we could find, from writers, bloggers and publications like Salon, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler and Transitions Abroad. (Naturally, we consulted our own top 30 list, too). Then we pulled out the books that were cited most often and added a few bestsellers.

You’ll find that a few books don’t fit the most rigid definition of travel memoir; we didn’t want our list to be too narrow or fussy. Rather, we wanted it to be broad and inclusive. Also, although we numbered the books from 1 to 100, we didn’t rank them; they appear here in alphabetical order. (You can find the 10 most celebrated books here.) The lists we drew from are noted below the book titles. The numbers in brackets after each book title on the list correspond to the source lists on which that title appears; a dollar sign in brackets indicates that a book was included based on extremely high sales. (Read the fine print for more detail on how we determined the 100 most celebrated travel books of all time.)

1) A Dragon Apparent, by Norman Lewis (5, 7)
2) A House in Bali, by Colin McPhee (4, 11)
3) A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway (4, 6)
4) A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, by Eric Newby (1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15)
5) A Time of Gifts, by Patrick Leigh Fermor (1, 2, 7, 8, 12)
6) A Turn in the South, by V.S. Naipaul (1)
7) A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson ($)
8) A Winter in Arabia, by Freya Stark (5)
9) Among the Russians, by Colin Thubron (3, 7)
10) An Area of Darkness, by V.S. Naipaul (2, 7, 8)
11) Arabian Sands, by Wilfred Thesiger (1, 2, 3, 4)
12) Arctic Dreams, by Barry Lopez (4, 11)
13) The Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton (5, 12)
14) As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, by Laurie Lee (3, 5)
15) Baghdad Without a Map, by Tony Horwitz (1)
16) Balkan Ghosts, by Robert D. Kaplan (4, 6)
17) Beyond Euphrates, by Freya Stark (7)
18) The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer, by Eric Hansen (2)
19) Bitter Lemons of Cyprus, by Lawrence Durrell (2, 7)
20) Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, by Rebecca West (2)
21) Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin (13)
22) Blue Highways, by William Least Heat-Moon (2, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13)
23) Brazilian Adventure, by Peter Fleming (4, 5, 8)
24) Chasing the Sea, by Tom Bissell (2)
25) City of Djinns, by William Dalrymple (1, 4)
26) Coasting, by Jonathan Raban (3)
27) Coming Into the Country, by John McPhee (4, 9, 10, 11)
28) Dark Star Safari, by Paul Theroux (2, 11)
29) Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey (4, 11, 12)
30) Down the Nile, by Rosemary Mahoney (2)
31) Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert ($)
32) The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, by Tom Wolfe (13)
33) Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing (2, 11)
34) Facing the Congo, by Jeffrey Tayler (1)
35) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, by Hunter S. Thompson (2, 3, 6, 13)
36) Four Corners, by Kira Salak (6)
37) Full Circle, by Michael Palin (4, 11)
38) Full Tilt: Ireland to India With a Bicycle, by Dervla Murphy (5)
39) Golden Earth, by Norman Lewis (1)
40) Great Plains, by Ian Frazier (2, 11)
41) The Great Railway Bazaar, by Paul Theroux (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
42) Holidays in Hell, by P.J. O’Rourke (12)
43) Homage to Catalonia, by George Orwell (3, 4)
44) Hunting Mister Heartbreak, by Jonathan Raban (1, 7)
45) In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson (1, 2, 4, 11, 14)
46) In Patagonia, by Bruce Chatwin (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
47) In Siberia, by Colin Thubron (4, 12)
48) In Trouble Again, by Redmond O’Hanlon (2, 4)
49) The Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain (1, 2, 6)
50) Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer (6, 11)
51) Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer ($)
52) Iron and Silk, by Mark Salzman (2, 4)
53) Kon-Tiki, by Thor Heyerdahl (15)
54) The Lady and the Monk, by Pico Iyer (12)
55) Life on the Mississippi, by Mark Twain (2, 13)
56) The Log From the Sea of Cortez, by John Steinbeck (11)
57) The Long Walk, by Slavomir Rawicz (2, 11)
58) The Lost Continent, by Bill Bryson (4, 8, 12, 13)
59) Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found, by Suketu Mehta (2, 6)
60) The Motorcycle Diaries, by Ernesto “Che” Guevara (14)
61) The Muses Are Heard, by Truman Capote (2)
62) No Mercy, by Redmond O’Hanlon (1, 2, 10, 12)
63) Notes From a Small Island, by Bill Bryson (3, 5)
64) Nothing to Declare, by Mary Morris (4, 8)
65) Old Glory, by Jonathan Raban (2, 4, 7)
66) The Old Patagonian Express, by Paul Theroux (4, 12)
67) Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen (4, 7, 11)
68) Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard (9, 12)
69) The Pillars of Hercules, by Paul Theroux (2, 11)
70) The Places in Between, by Rory Stewart (2, 11, 15)
71) Riding to the Tigris, by Freya Stark (1)
72) The Rings of Saturn, by W.G. Sebald (2, 15)
73) The River at the Center of the World, by Simon Winchester (4)
74) River Town, by Peter Hessler (1)
75) Road Fever, by Tim Cahill (1, 4, 12)
76) The Road to Oxiana, by Robert Byron (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7)
77) Roughing It, by Mark Twain (2, 4, 11, 13)
78) Sea and Sardinia, by D.H. Lawrence (2, 4)
79) Seven Years in Tibet, by Heinrich Harrer (4, 6, 11, 14)
80) The Sex Lives of Cannibals, by J. Maarten Troost (6, 12)
81) The Size of the World, by Jeff Greenwald (1, 6, 12)
82) Slowly Down the Ganges, by Eric Newby (2, 4)
83) The Snow Leopard, by Peter Matthiessen (1, 4, 9, 10, 11)
84) The Soccer War, by Ryszard Kapuscinski (1)
85) The Songlines, by Bruce Chatwin (1, 2, 4, 12)
86) Terra Incognita, by Sara Wheeler (4, 11)
87) Their Heads are Green and Their Hands are Blue, by Paul Bowles (2)
88) Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson (11)
89) Travels With Charley, by John Steinbeck (1, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13)
90) Travels With Myself and Another, by Martha Gellhorn (2, 15)
91) Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere, by Jan Morris (1, 5)
92) Two Towns in Provence, by M.F.K. Fisher (2, 4, 7, 10)
93) Under the Tuscan Sun, by Frances Mayes (6)
94) Video Night in Kathmandu, by Pico Iyer (1, 4, 6, 10, 12)
95) West With the Night, by Beryl Markham (2, 4)
96) When the Going was Good, by Evelyn Waugh (1, 7)
97) The World of Venice, by Jan Morris (3)
98) The Worst Journey in the World, by Apsley Cherry-Garrard (2, 5, 11)
99) Wrong About Japan, by Peter Carey (2)
100) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig (10, 13)

MORE: The 100 Most Celebrated Travel Books of All Time: By the Numbers | The Fine Print | Mapped | Five Great Covers

Source Lists
1) World Hum’s Top 30 Travel Books
2) Conde Nast Traveler’s 86 Greatest Travel Books of All Time
3) The Telegraph’s 20 Best Travel Books of All Time
4) National Geographic Traveler’s Ultimate Travel Library
5) The Times Online’s 20 Best Travel Books of the Past Century
6) Brave New Traveler’s 50 Greatest Travel Books of All Time
7) From Salon, Tom Swick’s Top 20 Travel Books of the 20th Century
8) The International Society of Travel Writers’ Top 10 Best Travel Books of the 20th Century
9) From Salon, Don George’s Favorite Travel Books
10) Salon’s Top 10 Travel Books of the 20th Century
11) NileGuide’s Top 50 Adventure Books of All Time
12) From Transitions Abroad, Top 10 Travel Books lists from a variety of travel writers: Jim Benning, Michael Shapiro, Rolf Potts, Ron Mader, Rory MacLean, Tim Leffel and Ayun Halliday.
13) Smithsonian’s Great Road Trips in American Literature
14) Nomadic Matt’s Best Travel Books
15) The Travel Bookshop’s Top 10 Travel Books

Amazing High Tech Toy Helicopter

Aerial video with a Canon 5D , 7D helivideo.com from Eric AUSTIN on Vimeo.

Eric Austin has been shooting some amazing HD video using Canon 5D and 7D DSLR cameras mounted on electric remote controlled helicopters.

The Desire to Crush All Opposition

Gotta love Political Prisoners in Thailand. As with most of us, Thaksin was considered the devil incarnate when he was in office, and a major abuser of human rights, not to mention using his position and power to add to his substantial wealth. He was legitimately elected PM three times, but when he threated the traditional power structure of royalty, the military, and to a less extent the beaurcracy, it was time for the military to go for the traditional way to keep the richies in power: yet another embarrasing coup. Here's PPT latest examination on why Thailand fails in almost every respect to be a democracy.

The desire to crush all opposition

For the Military-backed Abhisit Vejjajiva regime the crushing of the red shirts was always more than ending the demonstration at Rajaprasong. For the royalist ruling class, the desire is to crush opposition that is seen as challenging to their social, political and economic power. The crackdown is continuing to deepen.

PPT has already mentioned the deep commitment that the royalists in government have to weeding out those they believe are anti-monarchists and republicans.

The New York Times reports that the “government has moved into the next phase of a campaign against the dissident movement known as the red shirts, freezing the assets of scores of people it says helped finance recent protests, and planning to summon them for questioning.” (See Bangkok Pundit on this.)

The NYT notes that Abhisit has emphasized so-called national reconciliation while, at the very same time, “hundreds of members of the opposition have been arrested and held without trial.” It observes that the premier’s “plan” has now “added to the atmosphere of acrimony, becoming a new focus for attack from government opponents.” The BBC also has some video on this “reconciliation” process.

Bangkok Pundit has another excellent post on reconciliation and the chosen committee, recalling PPT’s earlier point that reconciliation for Abhisit means rejected opposition, speaking only to his buddies and yellow-shirted supporters, and appointing the same to his various reconciliation committess.

The overall result, according to the NYT is that Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has said that emergency rule will be maintained, essentially allowing the government to do almost whatever it wants, effectively placing it above the law, especially as the courts are almost always on the government’s side.

The government continues to hunt down people it thinks might have funded the red shirts. The highly-politicized Department of Special Investigation has identified a shortened list of “83 individuals and companies that were thought to support the protesters had made suspiciously large and frequent financial transactions over the past nine months. It said questioning [of suspects] would begin next Monday.”

Some of the amounts claimed are ludicrous. For example, Thaksin Shinawatra’s cousin, Chaiyasit, is accused of using almost $1.14 billion.

In response to allegations of political harassment and persecution, Abhisit makes the following absurd statement: “I insist that the government has never intended to persecute anyone.” He insists that “suspicious financial transactions” need to be controlled. He seems to have forgotten all those in jail, killed and being hunted.

Abhisit is hardly mentally inhibited, so PPT assumes that he realizes that he is demanding controls on private funding that are unlikely to “prevent further unrest and that people whose accounts had been frozen would still be able to do things like pay utility bills and staff salaries and service debts” but that will prevent these people from making political contributions to legal political parties when election time comes about, if it ever does.

Abhisit, like many of his supporters, believe that funding keeps red shirts going and gets pro-Thaksin parties elected. They are wrong, but can’t see it. That said, if Puea Thai Party’s main financial backers are blocked, then the Democrat Party and its pro-military coalition partners can have an open road in funding.

This is beginning to look increasingly like a co-ordinated plan to ensure royalist-military-”Democrat” rule for some time to come. So-called reconciliation is nothing but a political Orwellianism that hunts, harasses, inhibits, and destroys opponents.

Doug Lansky Video:-- Dubious Achievements in Travel

The always hilarious Doug lansky put together the above video just to show how truley awful travel can be at times. The video also provides links to where you can purchase his book. Nice work, Doug.

सेक्स के लिए कुछ भी कर सकती है कैमरून

हॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री कैमरून डियाज सेक्स के लिए कुछ भी कर सकती है। तभी तो वह पुरूषों की तलाश में मीलों तक चली जाती है। दरअसल, कैमरून ने पिछले दिनों खुलासा किया है कि वह सेक्स के लिए सैकडों किलोमीटर तक का सफर तय कर पुरूषों को हासिल करती रही है। इसके लिए कैमरून ने न जाने कितनी बार सिर्फ सेक्स के लिए प्लेन में सफर किया। इसे वह अपने पेशे के हिसाब से बिलकुल सही मानती है।
उनका मानना है कि सेक्स सेलिब्रिटीज की लाइफस्टाइल की डिमांड है। उन्होंने स्पष्ट किया कि वह हमेशा ही लडके ढूंढने के लिए सफर करती रहती है।
गौरतलब है कि अपनी सेक्स इच्छाओं के बारे में कैमरून ने प्लेबॉय से खुलकर बात की। उन्होंने कहा, सेक्स के दौरान वह बिस्तर में जानवर बन जाती है।

आमिर होगे टि्वटर पर

आमिर खान भी एक जुलाई से टि्वटर पर होंगे। अमिताभ बच्चन ने हाल ही मैं अपने टि्वटर खाते में आमिर से इस साइट पर शामिल होने के लिए किए गए आग्रह के बारे में बताया है बच्चन ने लिखा है आमिर के साथ रात्रिभोज में मैनं उनसे टि्वटर पर आने का आग्रह किया।
जो लोग साहस करते है और काम करते है उन्हें सफलता मिलती है। लोगों की नही मानने वाले आमिर को मैंने टि्वटर पर आने के लिए मना ही लिया। आमिर अभी तक इस साइट पर नही थे क्योंकि उन्हें लगता था कि वह ज्यादा समय नही दे पाएंगे। आमिर के करीबी एक सूत्र ने कहा, बच्चान साहब के कहने पर उन्होंने सोचा और इसमें शमिल होने का फैसला किया क्योंकि वह बच्चान जी को ना नही कह सकते। आमिर के टि्वटर एकाउंट का नाम होगा आमिर अंडरस्कोर खान।

बिन ब्याही मां बनना पसंद: कश्मीरा

अभिनेत्री कश्मीरा शाह को सुर्खियों में रहना बखूबी आता है। अब कश्मीरा का कहना है कि उन्हें बिन ब्याही मां बनना पसंद है। यही वजह है कि वह बच्चा होने के बाद ही शादी करेंगी। वैसे स्ट्रगल की वजह से कश्मीरा ने अपनी जिंदगी में तमाम उतार-चढाव देखे। इससे उन्होंने यही सिखा कि इंसान की किस्मत में जो लिखा है, उसके आगे कोई प्लानिंग काम नहीं करती। इसलिए उन्होंने अपनी शादी को किस्मत के भरोसे छोड दिया है।
कृष्णा से शादी के बारे में कश्मीरा कहती है, अगर कभी हमारे बच्चें होंगे, तो हम शादी कर लेंगे। गौरतलब है कि वह कृष्णा के साथ पिछले चार सालों से साथ रहने के बावजूद दोनों फ्रेंड बने हुए है।

व्यस्त कैटरीना

बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री कैटरीना कैफ इन दिनों इतनी व्यस्त है कि उनके पास उनकी हालिया रिलीज फिल्म राजनीति की सफलता का जश्न मनाने के लिए समय ही नहीं है।
फिल्म के निर्देशक प्रकाश झा आगामी 23 जून को एक पार्टी आयोजित करना चाहते थे, लेकिन कैटरीना के पास समय नहीं है। कैट का कहना है कि वे 10 जुलाई के बाद ही फ्री होगी। अब ऎसे में प्रकाश झा के आगे संकट खडा हो गया है। जब फिल्म की मुख्य अभिनेत्री ही पार्टी में शामिल न हो तो भला पार्टी कैसी। लेकिन दूसरी और प्रकाश झा पर यूनिट के अन्य सदस्यों का भी दबाव है। हो सकता है कि प्रकाश झा को मजबूरीवश यह पार्टी करनी पडे।

हैमिल्टन मेरी ड्राइविंग से डरते हैं: निकोल

पॉप गायिका निकोल शेर्जिगेर का कहना है कि उनके मित्र और फार्मूला वन चालक लेविस हैमिल्टन उनकी ड्राइविंग से डरते हैं।
निकोल ने कहा, ""मैं कार चला रही होती हूं और लेविस मेरे साथ होते हैं तो वह बहुत डरते हैं।"" निकोल का कहना है कि उनके मित्र हैमिल्टन उन्हें कार चलाने के बारे में अलग-अलग तरह की सलाह देते हैं लेकिन वह अक्सर इनकी उपेक्षा कर देती हैं।

रावण के प्रीमियर में उतरे सितारे

मणिरत्रम की नई फिल्म रावण के लंदन में आयोजित वल्र्ड प्रीमियर शो में फिल्मी सितारों की खूब मौजूगी रही।
बुधवार रात आयोजित हुए इस शो के दौरान अमिताभ बच्चान और शाहरूख खान जैसे ब़डे नाम भी मौजूद रहे। लंदन के बीएफआई साउथबैंक में आयोजित प्रीमियर शो में फिल्मी दुनिया की ब़डी शख्सियतों ने शिरकत की और फिल्म में अपनी अदाकारी के जलवे बिखेर रहे सितारों की हौसला अफजाई की। रावण में मुख्य भूमिका निभा रहे अभिषेक बच्चान ऎpर्या रॉय और विक्रम ने भी निर्देशक मणिरत्रम के साथ अपनी मौजूदगी दर्ज कराकर शो में चार चांद लगा दिए। तीन भाषाओं में बनी यह फिल्म तमिल और हिन्दी में शुक्रवार को एक साथ ही रिलीज होगी। शाहरूख खान और उनके परिवार को बिग बी ने प्रीमियर शो के लिए आमंत्रित किया था। प्रीमियर में शाहरूख के आने पर जूनियर बच्चन ने उनका शुक्रिया अदा किया। अभिषेक ने टि्वटर पर अपने ट्वीट में किंग खान का शुक्रिया अदा करते हुए लिखा आने के लिए शुक्रिया। लव यू। प्रीमियर शो में रावण के संगीतकार एआर रहमान के अलावा गोविंदा और रवि किशन भी मौजूद थे।

मेगान फॉक्स और आस्टिन ग्रीन ने सगाई की

अभिनेत्री मेगान फॉक्स ने अपने प्रेमी ब्रायन आस्टिन ग्रीन से दोबारा सगाई की है।
मेगान और ग्रीन 2004 में मिले थे। दोनौं ने 2006 में सगाई की थी लेकिन फरवरी 2009 में दोनौं के बीच अलगाव हो गया था। मेगान और ग्रीन की सगाई की पुष्टि की है। वेबसाइट के मुताबिक एक दूसरे से अलग होने के बाद भी मेगान और फॉक्स लगातार मिलते रहे। यही कारण है कि अब दोनों ने एक बार फिर साथ रहने का फैसला किया है।

केट निभाएंगी अपह्वत आस्ट्रियाई युवती का किरदार

ऑस्कर से सम्मानित अभिनेत्री केट विंसलेट अपनी नई फिल्म में आस्ट्रियाई अपह्वत युवती नताशा कैम्पुश का किरदार निभाएंगी। नताशा वर्ष उस समय सुर्खियों में आ गई थीं जब वह आठ वर्ष तक अपह्वता वोल्फगेंग प्रिकलोपिल के चंगुल में रहने के बाद 2006 में उसे चकमा देकर भाग निकली थी।
नताशा का अपहरण 10 वर्ष की उम्र में उस समय किया गया था जब वह स्कूल से घर लौट रही थी। उसके मुक्त हो जाने के बाद उस अपहर्ता ने रेलग़ाडी के आगे कूदकर जान दे दी थी। इस फिल्म में नताशा के जीवन और उसकी तकलीफों की झलक देखने को मिलेगी।

बेपर्दा हुआ हीदी का हुस्न

डेली मेल आनलाइन के अनुसार जर्मनी के जीक्यू मैग्जीन के जीक्यू अंक के लिए सुपर माडल हीदी क्लम ने केवल रेशमी और लेस वाले अंतर्वस्त्रों में पोज दिया।
गत अक्टूबर में ही उन्होंने अपनी चौथी संतान को जन्म दिया और पिछले हफ्ते वह 37 साल की हो गई और उनके चार बच्चो है। इसके बावजूद अंडरवियर के एक ब्रांड के लिए उन्होंने कैटवाक किया। उनका कहना है कि उनके पेट में अब भी काफी भारीपन है और उन्हें अपना वजन भी कम करना है।

बिगडी हुई लडकी का किरदार निभाना चाहती हूं: बेल

हॉलीवुड की मशहूर अदाकारा जेसिका बेल का कहना है कि वह कुछ चुनौतीपूर्ण भूमिकाएं निभाने के लिए उत्सुक हैं। इसके लिए वह एक बिग़डी ल़डकी या विकलांग की भूमिका निभाना चाहती हैं।
बेल ने कहा, ""वास्तव में मैं एक बिग़डी ल़डकी की भूमिका निभाना पसंद करूंगी। बिग़डी ल़डकी के अलावे विकलांग तथा कुछ चुनौतीपूर्ण किरदार निभाना चाहती हूं।"" "ए-टीम" में काम कर चुकी बेल कहती हैं कि वह अपनी संगीत क्षमता का भी प्रदर्शन करना चाहती हैं।

Seth Stevenson is the guy at Slate who reviews TV commercials, so if he claims this is the best ever, who am I to argue?

The Spot: Soccer stars imagine the alternate universes they might create with their play—good or bad—in the upcoming World Cup. Will they be winners or losers? Heroes or goats? Adored celebrities or shunned trailer park shut-ins? It can all hang on a single kick of the ball. As the spot closes, the words "Write the Future" appear above the familiar Nike swoosh.

Yahoo! Buzz FacebookMySpace Mixx Digg Reddit del.icio.us Furl Ma.gnolia SphereStumbleUponCLOSEIn 1994, when the World Cup first arrived on American soil, Nike's soccer division brought in $40 million in annual revenue. This year, the figure is $1.7 billion. Together with subsidiary label Umbro, Nike is now the No. 1 soccer brand on the planet. Which is astonishing, given that 1) it's an American company, and Americans still aren't fully on board with this frou-frou soccer stuff; 2) Adidas, its major rival in the category, had been synonymous with big-time futbol for decades—long before swoosh-emblazoned soccer cleats were even a gleam in Phil Knight's eye.

How did Nike eat Adidas' home-cooked lunch? It wasn't by manufacturing better cleats. It was by manufacturing a better image. The fact that a jogging-shoe company from Oregon could establish itself as the world's dominant soccer brand is the ultimate testament to the power of shrewd, relentless marketing.

Nike clawed its way to the top by employing its gushing cash flow (which stems, in part, from the brand's 85 percent share of the U.S. market for basketball footwear) to sign expensive endorsement contracts with a slew of major soccer stars. In 2007, Nike bought Umbro—official maker of the England national squad's uniforms—for roughly $580 million. And now comes this monumental three-minute ad, which is without doubt the most expensive soccer commercial ever made.

The UK Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo

The UK Pavilion from Shanghai Expo Timelapse Machine on Vimeo.

The Mentawi -- A Video Documentary

The Mentawai, Behind the Scenes Documentary from Joey L on Vimeo.

अमर अकबर एंथोनी का रीमेक नहीं बनाएंगे सलमान

बॉलीवुड अभिनेता सलमान खान ने फिल्म अमर अकबर एंथोनी का रीमेक बनाने का अपना निर्णय बदल लिया है। अब वह इस फिल्म का रीमेक नहीं बनाएंगे।
मनमोहन देसाई के इसी नाम से बनाई गई हिट फिल्म के रीमेक में तीनों खान ब्रदर्स (सलमान, अरबाज और सोहेल) काम करने वाले थे और फिल्म के निर्देशन का जिम्मा डेविड धवन को सौंपा गया था। सलमान इस फिल्म में एंथोनी का किरदार निभाने वाले थे, लेकिन उन्हें ऎसा लगा कि एंथोनी का किरदार जिस तरह से अमिताभ बच्चन ने निभाया था वो उनके लिए मुश्किल होगा। इस वजह से इस प्रोजेक्ट को रद्द कर दिया गया।

मेकअप करना सीख गई हैं अल्बा

अभिनेत्री जेसिका अल्बा का कहना है कि बेटी के जन्म के बाद वह इतनी व्यस्त हो गई हैं कि उनके लिए मेकअप के मायने बदल गए हैं और वह इन दिनों खुद मेकअप करना सीख गई हैं। अल्बा ने कहा है कि अब वह अपनी उंगलियों से ही मेकअप कर लेती हैं। अल्बा ने जून 2008 में अपनी बेटी हॉनर मेरी को जन्म दिया था।
अल्बा यह भी मानती हैं कि बेटी के जन्म के बाद वह एक साथ कई काम कर सकती हैं। अल्बा ने कहा, ""हॉनर के जन्म के बाद मेरे लिए मेकअप और सुंदर दिखने के मायने बदल गए। मैंने पांच मिनट के भीतर तैयार होना सीख लिया और अब तो मैं एक साथ कई काम कर सकती हूं। मेकअप से मुझे पसंद है, यही कारण है कि मैं अपनी अंगुलियों के माध्यम से ही मेकअप कर लेती हूं। इससे समय बचता है।""

मैं अपना ही मजाक बनाती हूं: डियाज

अभिनेत्री कैमरून डियाज का कहना है कि लोग उनकी उपस्थिति में सहजता महसूस कर सकें इसलिए वह खुद का मजाक बनाती रहती हैं।
डियाज कहती हैं, ""मुझे लोगों को हंसाना अच्छा लगता है। इसीलिए मैं अन्य लोगों की मौजूदगी में खुद को सहज बना पाती हूं और इसी तरह से लोग भी मेरी मौजूदगी में सहजता महसूस करते हैं। सच यह है कि मैं लोकप्रिय हूं और कुछ लोग इस वजह से मेरे साथ सहज नहीं रह पाते। मैं अपना ही मजाक बनाती हूं। मैं लोगों के चेहरों पर मुस्कान लाने के लिए ऎसा करती हूं।"" सैंतीय वर्षीय डियाज ने हाल ही में "नाइट एंड डे" की शूटिंग पूरी की है। इस एक्शन से भरपूर हास्यप्रधान फिल्म में टॉम क्रूज ने भी अभिनय किया है।

साढे 12 लाख रूपए वापस लौटाए मल्लिका

बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री मल्लिका शेरावत के साथ एक और नया विवाद जुड गया है। इंडियन मोशन पिक्चर्स प्रोड्यूसर एसोसिएशन (इम्पा) ने मल्लिका को कुंदन शाह की एक फिल्म के लिए दिए गए साइनिंग एमाऊंट में से आधा लौटाने को कहा है। फिल्म के प्रोड्यूसर टीवी. 18 ने मल्लिका को 25 लाख रूपए साइनिंग एमाऊंट के तौर पर दिए थे।
सूत्रों के अनुसार फिल्म के निर्देशक कुंदन शाह से तकरार होने के बाद मल्लिका ने फिल्म में काम करने से मना कर दिया था। उसने फिल्म के लिए मिला साइनिंग एमाऊंट भी नहीं लौटाया। इस पर फिल्म के प्रोड्यूसर टीवी. 18 ने इम्पा में अपील की थी और इम्पा का फैसला आने में 2 साल लग गए। इम्पा के फैसले को प्रोडक्शन हाउस अपनी जीत बता रहा है।
कुंदन शाह ने कहा, मेरा इस मामले से कुछ लेना-देना नहीं है। टीवी.18 ने मल्लिका को पहले ही साइनिंग एमाऊंट दे दिया था। बाद में फिल्म को न बनाने का फैसला किया। साइनिंग एमाऊंट वापस पाने के लिए टीवी.18 ने इम्पा से अपील की थी।

फराह खान का असली नाम फरहादिबा

डांस की दुनिया की लोकप्रिय रियलिटी शो डांस इंडिया डांस लिटिल मास्टर्स के सेट पर इस बार फरहा खान को मेनका व आंटी डेजी ईरानी सरप्राइज देने पहुंची। जीटीवी के इस शो का यह सप्ताह फरहा खान के लिए स्पेशल होगा जिसमें नन्हें डांसर इस कोरियोग्राफर के गीतों में अपना रंग भरेंगे।
फरहा की मां मेनका ने सेट पर बताया कि फरहा का असली नाम फरहादिबा खान है। लेकिन स्कूल में जब बच्चे उसे डिब्बा कहकर पुकारते थे तो वह आग बबूला हो जाती इसलिए उसके नाम से दिबा काटकर फरहा खान के नाम से पुकारा जाने लगा।

सोनम-इमरान मेरी फिल्म की यूएसपी: करण जौहर

निर्माता-निर्देशक करण जौहर की अगली फिल्म आई हेट लव स्टोरीज में इमरान खान और सोनम कपूर की जोडी दिखाई देगी। करण का कहना है कि यही इस फिल्म का यूएसपी (यूनिक सेलिंग प्वांइट) है।
करण का मानना है कि नई पीढी फिल्मी पर्दे पर पुरानी हो चुकी जोडियों को देखकर उब चुकी है। ऎसे में उनकी फिल्म में इन दोनों नए और अनोखे जोडे की प्रेम कहानी को युवा जरूर पसंद करेंगे। करण ने कहा, फिल्म के प्रमोशन की शुुरूआत से ही हमें चारों तरफ से अच्छा फीडबैक मिल रहा है जो यह बताता है कि लोग आज भी नई केमिस्ट्री को देखना पसंद करते है। फिल्म में आज के युवाओं की ऊर्जावान छवि को दिखाया गया है।

कपडे उतारने के मिलेंगे 2.33 करोड

प्रसिद्ध पत्रिका प्लेब्वॉय के पुरूष संस्करण के लिए पूर्व मॉडल केली बू्रक निर्वस्त्र तस्वीर खिंचवांएगी। इसके लिए केली को 5 लाख डॉलर (करीब 2.33 करोड रूपए) मिलेंगे। 30 साल की केली इस महीने के आखिरी में इस पत्रिका के लिए फोटोशूट में भाग लेगी। इसकी शूटिंग भूमध्य सागर के एक इलाके में होनी है। केली इन दिनों रग्बी स्टार डैनी चिपरियानी के साथ डेट कर रही हैं। वह प्लेब्वॉय के सितंबर या अक्टूबर अंक में दिखेंगी। केली के लिए फिल्म या पत्रिका के लिए वस्त्र उतारना नया नहीं हैं।

खुद को पराठे खाने से रोक नहीं पाई विद्या

बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री विद्या बालन वजन घटाने की पूरी कोशिश कर रही हैड्ड, लेकिन जब दिल्ली के पराठों की बात आई तो वे खुद को रोक नहीं पाई।
विद्या यहां फिल्म नो वन किल्ड जेसिका की शूटिंग कर रही हैं। वे फेमस पराठे वालों की गली के पराठे खाने से खुद को रोक नहीं सकीं। उन्होंने यहां के पराठों की कीमत भी चुकाई। विद्या ने अपने यूनिट मेंबर्स को भी पराठे खिलाए। इसे देखकर यूनिट के मेबर खुश थे कि कोई तो एक्ट्रेस है जो अपने यूनिट मेंबर्स पर खर्च करती है। कुछ एक्ट्रेस तो मिनरल वॉटर के लिए भी अपने प्रोड्यूसर का इंतजार करती है, लेकिन पैसे नहीं निकालती।

More from Laughing Squid

A budding rockstar for the bricolage generation, 21-year old electronic musician Pogo (aka Nick Bertke) creates original musical compositions using small sounds taken from famous films. His most recent track, the his elaborately layered “Skynet Symphonic“, was composed entirely with sounds from director James Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”.

His most notable track, Alice, a composition of sounds from the Disney film ‘Alice In Wonderland’, was received with much success gaining 4 million views on YouTube as of December 2010. Pogo has since produced tracks using films like ‘Up’, ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘The Sword In The Stone’, ‘Hook’, and ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’.

Pogo also creates all the videos for his songs, wonderfully mesmerizing staccato tone poems that not only evoke the spirit of the movies from which they were made, but often illuminate some new aspect about them.

Like many collage artists before him, such as Plunderphonics creator John Oswald, Pogo was drawn to the form by an innate desire to hear specific sounds repeatedly, and in a different fashion.

“For as long as I can remember, I have always detected small sounds in musical arrangements that appeal to me. I find myself with a natural desire to hear those sounds over and over. During my teenage years, it seemed logical for me to record these sounds and sequence them to form new pieces of music. …The essence of my work is to capture the elements of a scene or film that captivate me, and use them to make music that I can love.” [Interview on Youth Drip]

Given his chosen idiom, Pogo is understandably dedicated to changing the way we view copyright infringement in today’s remix culture.

“The purpose of copyright today is very questionable if I do say so myself. It may have originally been conceived to serve the creative mind in its expressive endeavours, but nowadays its used by business trolls as a mousetrap for profiting from equations and technicalities. It’s inevitable that if something is beautiful and inspiring to people, it will be used and promoted by thousands if not more. The human spirit is relentless. I don’t think Disney can copyright Alice’s voice any more than the inventor of the violin could have copyrighted its sound. The very idea is ridiculous.” [Interview with Melanie McBride]

To hear more of Pogo’s work, visit his website or YouTube channel.

Laughing Squid Link with all the Hot Links

I was trying to connect with a post from Political Prisoners in Thailand, about PM Abhisit and his twisted approach to reconciliation, but the connection didn't fly. Instead, I went back to my Bloglines RSS Reader and clicked on the Fun Stuff folder, just to get a few laughs after all the dismal news coming from Bangkok.

One of my main feeds in Fun Stuff is Laughing Squid, which is a web provider here in San Francisco, and also an excellent source of great daily links to new videos and photographs from not only SF but from around the world. I highly recommend their blog for your pleasure.

The latest from Laughing Squid is a mash from a recent motion picture.

A wonderful remix of the Disney Pixar film “Up” by Pogo, whose previous work includes the fantastic Terminator 2 “Skynet Symphonic” and Alice In Wonderland remix

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New Immigration Building in Bangkok

Big Baby Kenny has a superb series of photos of the new immigration office in Bangkok. He concludes that the building is spacious and beautiful, but the same hassles remain as with the old immigration office off Sathorn Road. I could also use a map to locate the new immigration office and perhaps some transport tips. Otherwise, a great post and very useful for farangs living in Bangkok and Pattaya.