9 O N E S: 01/15/09

TELUGU MOVIE REVIEWS : FITTING MASTER REVIEW

>> Thursday, January 15, 2009

The film 'Fitting Master' released today as Sankranthi special filling the senses of movie lovers with lots of smile-expectations. Let us see how far it reached the hopes.

Story:
Sampath (Allari Naresh) is an orphan who works in a gym center. He hates love between a young man and young girl and keeps on opposing that in public. This catches the attention of an arrogant rich girl Meghna (Madalasa Sharma) who challenges her friends that she could pull him in love and make him a puppet around her. Her attempts fail all the while. Then she falls in his love in real. But still he denies her. Then Meghna takes the help of her brother to convince Sampath. In a surprising incident when Meghna's brother approaches Sampath, latter kills the former. Why he killed? What are his motives? That forms the rest of the story. It ended up as an age old revenge drama.

Performances:
Allari Naresh didn't leave his trade mark style of dialogue delivery and instant punches but since the film happened to be a serious flick, the scope for humor is less. But Naresh got a scope to portray seriousness and revenge this time.

Madalasa Sharma is like any other Mumbai girl. She has delivered average performance. She is there for glamour in full dose indeed.

AKSHAY VISHAL FROM SATYAM- SHOT DEAD IN US

HYDERABAD: Akshay Vishal, a software engineer from Hyderabad, was shot dead by unidentified people in Arkansas in the US, his father said on Thursday.

Vishal, 26, was an employee of fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services Limited and was on contract with US company Jet Falcon. His friends informed the family about his death Wednesday.

Vishal's father N. Lakshman Murthy told reporters here that his son was getting into a car when some unidentified persons shot him in the legs in Little Rock, Arkansas, Tuesday.

"He was profusely bleeding and was rushed to a hospital but he succumbed to the injuries," said Murthy.

The motive behind the killing is not known but Murthy, an official of the state-owned Bharast Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), quoted Vishal's friends as saying that some African Americans shot him after an altercation.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours by Stevie Wonder Lyrics

Like a fool I went and stayed too long
Now Im wondering if your loves still strong
Oo baby, here I am, signed, sealed delivered, Im yours

Then that time I went and said goodbye
Now Im back and not ashamed to cry
Oo baby, here I am, signed, sealed delivered, Im yours

Here I am baby
Oh, youve got the future in your hand
(signed, sealed delivered, Im yours)

Here I am baby,
Oh, youve got the future in your hand
(signed, sealed, delivered, Im yours)

Ive done alot of foolish things
That I really didnt mean
Hey, hey, yea, yea, didnt i, oh baby

Seen alot of things in this old world
When I touched them they did nothing, girl
Oo baby, here I am, signed, sealed delivered, Im yours, oh Im yours

Oo-wee babe you set my soul on fire
Thats why I know you are my only desire
Oo baby, here I am, signed, sealed delivered, Im yours

Here I am baby
Oh, youve got the future in your hand
(signed, sealed delivered, Im yours)

Here I am baby,
Oh, youve got the future in your hand
(signed, sealed, delivered, Im yours)

Ive done alot of foolish things
That I really didnt mean
I could be a broken man but here I am

With your future, got your future babe (here I am baby)
Here I am baby (signed, sealed delivered, Im yours)
Here I am baby, (here I am baby)
Here I am baby (signed, sealed delivered, Im yours)
Here I am baby, (here I am baby)
Here I am baby (signed, sealed delivered, Im yours)

'Lost' Spoilers; Season 5, Episode 6 "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham"

The crew was seen filming in Oahu cemetery, the historic graveyard previously seen on the season 2 episode “Lockdown.” Matthew Abbadon was spotted bringing a wheelchair-bound John Locke towards a modest grave site. It seemed as though they were engaged in an intense conversation, which was quickly cut short as it was time to leave. Locke waited in the back seat of a blue four-door sedan as Abbadon loaded the wheelchair onto the trunk. But before he could even close the lid, shots rang out and he is hit.
See all 'Lost' Spoilers for Season 5

Think you can handle spicy? Try ‘ghost chili’

CHANGPOOL, India - The farmer, a quiet man with an easy smile, has spent a lifetime eating a chili pepper with a strange name and a vicious bite. His mother stirred them into sauces. His wife puts them out for dinner raw, blood-red morsels of pain to be nibbled — carefully, very carefully — with whatever she’s serving.

Around here, in the hills of northeastern India, it’s called the “bhut jolokia” — the “ghost chili.” Anyone who has tried it, they say, could end up an apparition.

“It is so hot you can’t even imagine,” said the farmer, Digonta Saikia, working in his fields in the midday sun, his face nearly invisible behind an enormous straw hat. “When you eat it, it’s like dying.”

American Idol 8 Auditions: Kansas City

Time to pull out your guy liner, hair plugs and wallet chains! American Idol is in Kansas City, Missouri, the land where any pudgy bartender can become a rawk stah! No experience or talent needed.

The show started off with some blonde girl who went on and on about how much “emotion” she had in her voice, building us up to think she’d be really good….and she was really bad. I mean, really really bad. The guys laughed and said she sounded like sirens and cats. Well, she did.

Ashlee Anderson
She sang “Footsteps In the Sand” by Leona Lewis, co-written by Simon Cowell….and got the words wrong. Smart move. Um, don’t sing Leona. Just like you shouldn’t sing Whitney or Mariah. This girl had a mediocre pop voice, although her head tones were pretty. All four judges said yes, I’m not sure why, I probably would’ve said no.

Kacey Carlson
What’s up with all these giddy, annoying little girls? She had a weave like Lacey Schwimmer and she sang “A Thousand Miles”, one of the most annoying songs of the decade. I can see what the judges were saying when they said they see her as a “package” but her vocal chops were just like the first girl; painfully mediocre.

Ryan ???
He sang “Freedom” by Aretha Franklin. In his interview he said he was classically trained in opera….uh, then what happened? He didn’t sound good at all, on top of just being schmaltzy and over the top.

Von Smith
Ugh. I’ve loathed this kid since I first saw him on youtube singing like a woman and I loathed his audition tonight. At least he sounds a bit more masculine now, but he SHOUTED his way through “Over the Rainbow”. The sad part is that he actually has a voice and if he sang softly he’d be good. Hopefully someone will tell him to give the theatrics a backseat.

Michael Castro
Wow, it’s like “let’s bring back all the annoying season 7 contestants” night. So, Jason Castro’s brother, who acts and looks exactly like him but with even worse hair, auditions singing “I’m In Love With A Girl”. He said he started singing twenty days before the audition, in other words he’s just trying to cash in. I didn’t particularly like his voice, but he wasn’t awful and if people like Jason can make it through, there’s no reason why he can’t either.
That’s one weird family.

Matt
Here we go, another good hearted working class family man with a southern accent or something. Snore. Average, and I’m surprised Simon didn’t see that. Wait, no I’m not.

Jessica Furney
She sang “Cry Baby” by Janis Joplin and had a surprisingly strong voice, although her audition wasn’t perfect.

India & Asia
Rapping sisters, love it! Who else thinks AI is ready for rappers? Yeah, me neither. Well they were amusing when they rapped but when they sang? Not so much. The shorter girl did make it through. She was better, and her voice was decent, but eh.

Jamar Rogers
He’s a bartender, perfect! And he’s loud, but apparently the judges seem to like that this season. Oye, my ear buds are going to blow out before the end of this season.

Danny Gokey
First big sob story of the season: his wife died four weeks before the audition. But he was actually pretty good. I’m not sure if I liked him or not, there was something kind of annoying about his personality, but he had that groove down pat.

Anoop Desai
Wow, it looks like “Thank You” is suddenly the hot audition song, who would’ve thunk it. He wasn’t bad though. More soul. Soul seems to be really popular this season. And he looks like Ray Ramano.

Andrew Lang
…..the heck was that?? So this guy comes in with two weird cheerleaders, which didn’t help at all if you ask me. He sang “My Girl” and it was just meh. Didn’t get a ticket for Hollywood, thankfully.

Asa Barnes
High school band teacher who sang “The Way You Make Me Feel”. He was pretty good!

Michael Nicewonder
He thought it was a good idea to sing an original song. That’s NEVER a good idea. But his voice was awful so it wouldn’t have mattered anyways.

Dennis
He sang “With You” by Chris Brown. Eh, he struck me as a major wanna be pop star type. Apparently Simon was the only one conscious during this audition. Can not believe that kid got a ticket through.

Mia Conley
Wooow, awful weave and make up.

Lil Rounds
So here we have the last contestant in KC. This girl is my age (23 years old) and has three kids. Couldn’t imagine that. She has a really solid R&B voice, and her outfit was cute too. Simon called her “Fantastic”. I’d be surprised if she didn’t make the top 36.

Help find Steve Fossett

This morning I spent a while combing through newly photographed aerial views of the search area being used to locate Steve Fossett.

Amazon's Mechanical Turk, the artificial artificial intelligence system - where humans are the brains - has a HIT up to let you look too, check it out.

How does it work? Well, amazon will show you a small aerial image and ask you to look for a plane (or similar debris) in the image. If you see something that needs further scrutiny, mark it as such, otherwise you can say that the image appears to contain nothing of interest and move on to the next. Occasionally you have to type in a captcha to let amazon know you are a human (and not an automated bot).

You can also download the entire set of images for viewing in Google Earth. I looked around on my own in GE for about an hour using that data. Unfortunately I saw nothing of interest.

School board sets wish list for Legislature

Anoka-Hennepin School Board Vice Chairman Tom Heidemann presented the school district’s legislative platform for the 2009 session.

Seeking a $15 million increase in school funding in Anoka-Hennepin’s 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, Heidemann said, “There are many ways to get there, but we don’t want (legislators) to lose sight of what’s needed.”

The platform, approved unanimously by the board members, detailed five points of concern.

First, the $15 million needed increase to fund normal inflation facing the Anoka-Hennepin School District:

• Provide a 4 percent increase in the general education formula for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years.

• Provide a 4.7 percent increase in the special education formula for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years.

• Provide a 3 percent increase in the compensatory aide allocation for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, or redesign the formula to provide a minimum allocation for at-risk students.

• Increase the home value index in the equity formula.

• Overhaul the school funding system (Minnesota Miracle HF 4178) to provide adequate and sustainable education funding that is rationally tied to student achievement and need.

Second, fund transportation for families that live in areas that require students to walk through hazardous areas by providing school boards levy authority to fund state statute 123B.88, subdivision 3a.

Third, provide flexibility to school boards to reallocate state mandated spending that does not directly impact the classroom:

• Eliminate the requirement for 2 percent set aside for staff professional development.

• Allow the school board to use the crime levy dollars for other purposes.

• Allow school boards to use desegregation dollars for purposes related to improving student achievement.

• Continue the compensatory aid pilot project and allow school boards to use compensatory aid dollars, using data driven methods, to improve student achievement districtwide.

• All other mandated funding formulas should be considered.

Fourth, stabilize state standards so that school districts can focus on instruction and student achievement versus curriculum development and staff development that is focused on the changing standards.

And finally, provide school boards authority to renew existing levies adjusted for inflation.

The legislative session begins Jan. 17, 2009.

source

Montclair restaurateur Ariane Duarte sent home from 'Top Chef'

Lamb, which had served "Top Chef" contestant Ariane Duarte so well in a previous challenge, proved to be her downfall on Wednesday's episode. And it's ironic, because her teammates in the challenge had more experience in butchering and rolling the meat but let her take the lead -- oh, we feel a metaphor coming on -- the proverbial lamb to the slaughter.

Duarte, who co-owns CulinAriane with her husband, Michael, did not start off this season of "Top Chef" auspiciously, racking up two near-ejections, most notably an overly-sweet dessert concoction that host Padma Lakshmi spit out. But she righted herself and even won two elimination challenges, the second for perfectly-cooked marinated lamb.

In Wednesday's episode, which came halfway through the season, the three teams were sent to the Stone Barn Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., to produce a seasonal, family-style lunch that honored their respective proteins, lamb, chicken and pork.

Duarte's teammates Leah Cohen and Hosea Rosenberg ceded the lamb to Duarte because of her previous success with the protein, but she struggled to butcher and roll the lamb. Rosenberg, who later said he had plenty of butchering experience, only helped her tenderize the meat (Dan Barber, the chef at the on-site restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, chided the team for that, saying that baby lamb is inherently tender). Cohen stepped in and helped Duarte tie the roast, although Cohen admitted she could have done a better job.

Come judgment time, judge Tom Colicchio (Elizabeth's own) called Duarte out for her "amateurish attempt at butchering," though Lakshmi says she pitied Duarte because her teammates didn't come to her aid. "I feel sorry her too," snarked judge Toby Young, "because she can't cook."

In her exit interview, Duarte, who lives in Verona, criticized Cohen and Rosenberg for not being team players (oh, and she called Rosenberg "a wimp"). But she says that the experience taught her how to roll with the punches. "I think my family will be proud, and that's what counts."

Did Ryan crash into the 'rookie wall'?

There has been a lot of talking about Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan hitting the "rookie wall'' late in the season. He repeatedly said that was the case, but we might not ever know for sure.

Daniel Cox takes a detailed look at Ryan and the rookie wall and points out some numbers that make it appear as if the quarterback sure hit something in December. In his first 12 games, Ryan threw just six interceptions. He threw five in the final four regular-season games and added two in the playoff loss at Arizona. His passer rating also hit a downward trend late in the season.

There may well have been something to the rookie wall with Ryan. He had a fantastic season overall, but his play clearly wasn't the same late in the year. But that shouldn't be a big cause for concern going forward.

Ryan knows what to expect now and you can bet he'll be a big participant in the offseason conditioning program. Just a personal observation here: The Falcons list Ryan at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, but he looked lighter than that at the end of the season. Might not be a bad idea to have him working on bulking up just a little bit.

Pixar Producers Jim Morris and Lindsey Collins Exclusive Red Carpet Video Interview LAFCA 2009

Written by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub

At tonight’s LAFCA (Los Angeles Film Critics Awards) ceremony in Beverly Hills, I managed to interview a few of the guests on the red carpet. While most people went after the stars of stage and screen, I’m always after the producers of the celebrated project. After all, those are the people with the great behind the scenes stories, and most of the time you can find out some new piece of info…

Like all of you, I’m a huge fan of Pixar. Without a doubt they make the best movies out of any studio and each one seems to raise the bar in terms of animation and storytelling. While people love to debate each Pixar release in terms of how it compares to their previous titles, most of us agree that “Wall-E” is near the top.

After all, not only did the film do incredible business around the world, but it’s on a lot of critic’s lists for best picture of the year. In fact, at tonight’s LAFCA ceremony, it won the award for best picture! And trust me…I know this group…they’re hard to impress.

Anyway, at tonight’s ceremony I managed to speak with “Wall-e” Producers Jim Morris and Lindsey Collins. If they’re names sound familiar to you…it’s because I interviewed them not too long ago up at Pixar. Here’s the link.

Thankfully, they remembered me and were more than happy to talk. As a fan of Pixar, I asked all the questions you'd want to know – what’s been the reaction at Pixar to “Wall-e” being so successful, we talk about the next Pixar movie “Up”, “Toy Story 3 in 3D” talk, future Pixar Blu-ray’s, and we even covered the re-release of the first two “Toy Story” movies in 3D. Finally, I got Lindsey to mini-review "Up". Trust me, if you’re a fan of Pixar, you’ll dig this interview.

Producers Jim Morris and Lindsey Collins

* What’s been their reaction to Wall-e winning all the awards and being on most of the critics top ten lists
* With the uniqueness of Wall-e – with the 45 minutes of no talking – was there ever talk of not making the movie or was it always embraced
* Up talk – I mention how they screened half the movie at AICN’s BNAT Festival. The reaction was huge. How do they raise the ante with every release
* Lindsey talks about her reaction to watching Up
* I ask if they are thinking about doing sequels to any other of their movies besides Cars and Toy Story – I mention Incredibles….
* Blu-ray talk – I ask what other’s are coming besides Monsters, Inc. and A Bug’s Life
* Toy Story 3 in 3D talk
* I ask what shot in either Toy Story 1 or 2 looked amazing in 3D – Jim says the gas station scene

And if you’re one of the few that haven’t seen “Wall-e” yet…seriously, what are you waiting for? One of the best films released in 2008. Truly an amazing piece of work.
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Casey Carlson Bikini Photos, Video: Good Girl's Naughty Past?

Another American Idol season brings us yet another American Idol 'Bikini Girl' - and no, we're not talking about Katrina Darrell.

Kansas City has brought us some pretty interesting tryouts, one of them being the seemingly 'sweet' Casey Carlson, who sang Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" for the judges.

Carlson sang and wooed the judges with her par performance and 'happy-go-lucky', innocent look. Simon said: "I like you a lot...You have a good vibe about you."

What's really funny about that? She's not as "good" and innocent as she looks.
The 'cute' Casey Carlson, who was dressed in a 'cute' sun dress, topped with corny smiles, has some naughty-looking bikini photos on internet website CampusgirlsUSA.com.

Sherm Stick

Sherm Stick:What Is Sherm Stick? - Sherm Stick is a cigarette dipped in the embalming fluid,called formaldahyde.According to people familiar,with this,it feels like,”being totally drunk on acid and meth at once.” The effects of this drug usually last several hours.
That’s all we have for now on Sherm Stick:What Is Sherm Stick?

Challenge Coins

The national news had a story this evening about coins being made to commemorate the inauguration. The US presidential inauguration will be held on Tuesday, January 20th. A special coin is being made to commemorate the special date. Coins have long held a position in our country’s traditions. Coins are often minted with special pictures and lettering to identify the occasion being honored. These coins are often referred to as challenge coins.
coins

My daughter has received a few challenge coins during her military stint. These coins hold a special meaning to the receiver and are usually saved with other important mementos. Commanders and units give out coins as awards and as mementos for services rendered or special occasions. Challenge coins are often given for a job well done which often improves morale. It also is given to signify joining a unit or division.

The history of the challenge coin varies. During my investigation of how the coin became called the challenge coin, I found the following information;

From Wikipedia:
As the legend goes, a wealthy lieutenant, ordered small, solid-bronze medallions (or coins) struck, which he then presented to the other pilots in his squadron as mementos of their service together. The coin was gold-plated, bore the squadron’s insignia, and was quite valuable. One of the pilots in the squadron, who had never owned anything like the coin, placed it in a leather pouch he wore around his neck for safekeeping. A short while later, this pilot’s aircraft was heavily damaged by ground fire (other sources claim it was an aerial dogfight), forcing him to land behind enemy lines and allowing him to be captured by the Germans. The Germans confiscated the personal belongings from his pockets, but they didn’t catch the leather pouch around his neck. On his way to a permanent prisoner of war facility, he was held overnight in a small German-held French village near the front. During the night, the town was bombarded by the British, creating enough confusion to allow the pilot to escape.

The pilot avoided German patrols by donning civilian attire, but all of his identification had been confiscated so he had no way to prove his identity. With great difficulty, he sneaked across no-man’s land and made contact with a French patrol. Unfortunately for him, the French had been on the lookout for German saboteurs dressed as civilians. The French mistook the American pilot for a German saboteur and immediately prepared to execute him.

Desperate to prove his allegiance and without any identification, the pilot pulled out the coin from his leather pouch and showed it to his French captors. One of the Frenchmen recognized the unit insignia on the coin and delayed the execution long enough to confirm the pilot’s identity.

Once the pilot safely returned to his squadron, it became a tradition for all members to carry their coin at all times. To ensure compliance, the pilots would challenge each other to produce the coin. If the challenged couldn’t produce the coin, he was required to buy a drink of choice for the challenger; if the challenged could produce the coin, the challenger would purchase the drink.

The rules of how challenge coins are used vary.
It usually begins with the challenger drawing his/her coin, and slapping or placing the coin on the table or bar. Everyone being challenged must immediately produce the coin for their organization and anyone failing to do so must buy a round of drinks for the challenger and everyone else who has their challenge coin. However, should everyone challenged be able to produce their coin, the challenger must buy a round of drinks for the group.

While most holders of challenge coins usually carry them in their pockets or in some other readily accessible place on their persons, most versions of the rules permit a challenged person “a step and a reach” (particularly useful if one is challenged in the shower).

Leona Lewis - Footprints In The Sand Lyrics

Song: Footprints In The Sand
Artist:Leona Lewis
You walked with me,
Footprints in the sand,
And helped me understand,
Where I’m going,

You walked with me,
When I was all alone,
With so much unknown,
Along the way,
Then I heard you say,

I promise you,
I’m always there,
When your heart is filled with sorrow,
And despair, I’ll carry you
When you need a friend
You’ll find my footprints in the sand

I see my life flash across the sky,
So many times have I been so afraid.
And just when I, I thought I lost my way,
You gave me strength to carry on,
That’s when you say,

I promise you
I’m always there
When your heart is filled
With sorrow and despair
Oh, I’ll carry you
When you need a friend
You’ll find my footprints in the sand.

When I’m with you,
Well I know you’ve been there,
And I can feel you when you say,

I promise you
I’m always there
When your heart is filled
With sadness and despair
I’ll carry you when you need a friend
You’ll find my footprints in the sand.

When your heart is full of
Sadness and despair,
I’ll carry you when you need a friend
You’ll find my footprints in the sand.

Leona Lewis Lyrics
Footprints In The Sand Lyrics

Proposition 8 Map pinpoints address of donors

As the donor to Proposition 8, California's ban on gay marriage, asked a judge to seal the records reflecting their donations - enter Proposition 8 map.

The map, available in full at Eight Maps, allows you to zoom in on every Prop 8 donor's address. You can pick the city and zoom right in to their exact address.

The conservatives are crying foul. The basically think that the California gays have turned this into a witch hunt, and maybe they have. These people donated money to take their rights away, and with good reason - they're pissed.

Idoltracker: What you're watching

People always find it hard to believe that I had been a contestant on "American Idol" for a month before I met Paula, Simon or Randy. There were 11,000 auditions in tonight’s episode alone! There’s just no way those three could listen to that many!

"Idol" asks you to be on location early for audition, so people start lining up around 3:30 a.m. But you just stand outside and wait for Ryan Seacrest and crew to show up and this is where they film him with a large crowd for the beginning of the episode. It will take a couple more hours to get everyone settled into the building before the first note is sung. And it still may take hours before you get to sing.

I didn’t audition until around 10:00 that night.

But even when you make it through, they just give you a song to memorize and a new date to come back and audition yet again. But if you have made it through to this second round, you have accomplished something incredible! Out of 16,000 in Memphis, I believe there were less than 600 of us who came for the second round.

On to Kansas City! Some good auditions tonight! I was actually glad to see Simon being cruel and unusual again with comments like: "You sounded like a cat jumping off the Empire State Building." Here’s a play-by-play analysis of those who made it through:

Ashley Anderson: Sang the Leona Lewis song "Footprints in the Sand." This was a great audition to me. I believe she could really have something in there!

Casey Carlson: Sang "A Thousand Miles." She’s good! She’s young, so it’s hard to predict what will happen with her. Chances are, they will only put a couple young girls in the semifinals, but she is one to watch.

Von Smith: Sang "Over The Rainbow." This dude has a big ol’ voice! I’m sure he will make it through Hollywood rounds, because they need his voice. I would not be surprised to see him on Broadway some day, even if he wins.

Michael Castro: Sang "In Love With A Girl." He is also Jason Castro’s brother. I really like his voice! I hope he goes really far, but ya never know. Dropping him during Hollywood Week would add some drama, which is needed during those episodes.

Matt Breitzke: Sang "Ain’t No Sunshine." I liked this guys haircut ;) He reminded me of myself. He’s a family guy and he’s grateful for this opportunity. I’m rooting for him to make it through Hollywood Week, but he will have obstacles. It’s not easy to be on "Idol" when you have babies ... trust me!

Jessica Furney: Sang "Cry Baby." Nice interesting voice! My gut tells me we won’t see much more of her...

India Morrison: I hope this girl goes through because seeing rap on "American Idol" would be awesome! She could gain a large following with her originality.

Jamar Rogers: Sang “California Dreaming." The judges didn’t seem to like him as much as I did, so I’m afraid for him.

Danny Gokey: Sang "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." He’s awesome. He told a heartbreaking story about his wife dying, but I think it could only serve to endear him to the audience. ’m sure we’ll see more of him.

Anuke Dasai : Sang "Thank You." He’s got a great voice and Simon hinted that he may end up being a makeover story. ... We’ll see!

Asa Barnes: Sang "The Way You Make Me Feel." I can see him doing well, but it all depends on Hollywood Week!

Dennis Brigham: Sang the Chris Brown song. He’s got a funny persona. The judges' reaction makes me think he’ll get cut early on. But he could surprise me.

Lil Rounds: "Sang All I Do." I can already see her biographical movie being played on the Oxygen channel. ... Or Lifetime. ... Or whatever channel they played Fantasia’s on. I should warn her that she will never see her three kids while she’s on the show, and I’m only saying that because I know she’ll go far.

Ricardo Montalban dies at 88; 'Fantasy Island' actor

He was often cast -- and stereotyped -- as a Latin lover and later was best known as Mr. Roarke of 'Fantasy Island.' He was respected for his work to improve the roles and image of other Latino actors.
Ricardo Montalban, the suave leading man who was one of the first Mexican-born actors to make it big in Hollywood and who was best known for his role as Mr. Roarke on TV's "Fantasy Island," has died. He was 88.

Montalban died Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home of complications related to old age, said his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith.

Within the entertainment industry, Montalban was widely respected for his efforts to create opportunities for Latinos, although he and others believed that his activism hurt his career. In 1970, he founded the nonprofit Nosotros Foundation to improve the image and increase employment of Latinos in Hollywood.
"He paved the way for being outspoken about the images and roles that Latinos were playing in movies," said Luis Reyes, co-author of "Hispanics in Hollywood" (2000).

On Wednesday, actor Edward James Olmos called Montalban "one of the true giants of arts and culture."

"He was a stellar artist and a consummate person and performer with a tremendous understanding of culture . . . and the ability to express it in his work," Olmos told The Times.

Montalban was already a star of Mexican movies in the 1940s when MGM cast him as a bullfighter opposite Esther Williams in "Fiesta" and put him under contract. He would go on to appear alongside such movie greats as Clark Gable and Lana Turner.

When major film roles dried up for him in the 1970s, he turned to stage and eventually TV, where he was familiar to millions as the mysterious host whose signature line, “Welcome to Fantasy Island,” opened the hit ABC show that aired from 1978 to 1984.

While "Fantasy Island" was renewing Montalban's career and giving him financial stability, he also won an Emmy for his performance as Chief Satangkai in the 1978 ABC miniseries "How the West Was Won."

In the 1970s and '80s, Montalban was also familiar to TV viewers as a commercial spokesman for Chrysler. He was later widely spoofed for his silky allusion to the “soft Corinthian leather” of the Chrysler Cordoba, although no such leather actually existed.

While making "Fantasy Island," Montalban also gave one of his best movie performances -- as Khan Noonien Singh in the “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982), a follow-up to a beloved 1967 “Star Trek” television episode that also featured Montalban.

New Yorker magazine critic Pauline Kael said Montalban's performance as Khan "was the only validation he has ever had of his power to command the big screen."

Born Nov. 25, 1920, in Mexico City, Montalban was the youngest of four children of Castilian Spaniards who had immigrated in 1906 to the city, where Montalban's father owned a dry goods store.

Montalban came to Los Angeles as a teenager with his oldest brother, Carlos, who had lived in the city and worked for the studios.

"I felt as if I knew California already, because of the movies," Montalban said in "Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds," the 1980 autobiography he wrote with Bob Thomas.

Montalban studied English at Fairfax High School, where an MGM talent scout noticed him in a student play. He was offered a screen test, but his brother advised him against taking it and took him on a business trip to New York City.

The handsome Montalban soon found himself the star of a short film that was made to play on a screen atop a jukebox. That three-minute movie, which debuted at the Hurricane Bar in midtown Manhattan, led to small roles in plays.

When his mother's illness took him back to Mexico, Montalban got a one-line role in a parody of "The Three Musketeers," starring Cantinflas. Around that time, he also met Georgiana Belzer, a model and Loretta Young's sister, whom he married in 1944. She died in 2007.

Montalban intended to stay in Mexico, where his film career was taking off, but MGM wanted him for "Fiesta." In the 1947 musical, he had a memorable dance scene with a young Cyd Charisse.

"Fiesta" led to a contract at MGM, where he had a friendly rivalry with Fernando Lamas -- later Williams' husband off-screen -- as the studio's resident "Latin lovers." Bill Murray immortalized the duel between the two men with his classic "Saturday Night Live" skit, "Quien es mas macho, Fernando Lamas o Ricardo Montalban?"

Chartered Accountants of India Results

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
Post Box No.7112, Indraprastha Marg, New Delhi – 110002

CA Examination Results

Register here to receive the results in your mail box

website: http://www.caresults.nic.in

visit www.caresults.nic.in for latest icai results.

TCS Q3 Results | TCS to declare Q3 results on Jan 15, 2009

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) has informed BSE that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on January 15, 2009, to approve and take on record the audited financial results of the Company for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 (Q3) and to consider declaration of a Third Interim Dividend to the Equity Shareholders.

Further the Company has informed that, January 29, 2009 has been fixed as the Record Date for the purpose of payment of Third Interim Dividend, if declared.

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) has announced that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on January 15, 2009, to approve and take on record the audited financial results of the Company for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 (Q3) and to consider declaration of a Third Interim Dividend to the Equity Shareholders.

Further the Company has informed that, January 29, 2009 has been fixed as the Record Date for the purpose of payment of Third Interim Dividend, if declared.

The stock was trading at Rs.486, down by Rs.21.65 or 4.26%. The stock hit an intraday high of Rs.514 and low of Rs.466.20.

The total traded quantity was 283887 compared to 2 week average of 263187.

Country's largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) today said its net profit increased 24.03 per cent at Rs 1,178.99 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2007 as compared to Rs 950.52 crore for the corresponding period previous year.

The total income increased 28.38 per cent to Rs 4941.48 crore from Rs 3848.83 crore for the same period. The board, which met today, approved to issue and allot Rs 100 crore non-convertible redeemable preference shares to the promoter of the company Tata Sons, subject to the approval of shareholders.

The company has bagged a 100 million dollars contract from Global Insurance Company, beside securing another 200 million dollars contract from a Mexico firm.

TCS, that has suffered attrition rate of 12 per cent, will hire about 32,500 people in FY08...via

Jobs Medical Jobs Research Jobs at one Place Highlights of Forthcoming Issue of Employment News - 17 to 23 January, 2009 17-23 Jan 2009

1. Railway Recruitment Board, Guwahati requires 915 Junior Engineers, Law Assistants, Section Engineers and assistant Loco Pilots.
2. Delhi Police requires 400 Sub Inspectors (Executives) - Male.
3. Directorate (Medical) Delhi invites applications for 150 Staff Nurses under ESI Scheme.
4. Employees' State Insurance Corporation needs 23 Peons.
5. Parliament of India invites applications for recruitment 0f 54 Executives/Legislative/ Committee Protocol Officers and Research/Reference Officers in Lok Sabha Secretariat.
6. Damodar Valley Corporation requires 31 Divisional Accountants (Trainee) and Assistant Gr. II (Coasting).
7. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay invites applications for research Associate, Junior Research Fellow and Research Engineer.
8. Indian Council of Agricultural Research notifies 14th All India Entrance Examination (AIEEA-UG-2009) for admission to Bachelor Degree Programmes in Agriculture and Allied Sciences.
9. National Insurance Company Limited requries Non-Life Insurance Agents at varuious Centres in UP.

NIIT Technologies profit dips 52 percent

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) IT solutions provider NIIT Technologies Wednesday said its net profit dipped 52 percent to Rs.16.8 crore (Rs.168 million/$3.36 million) for the third quarter ending Dec 31 from Rs.34.7 crore (Rs.347 million/$6.94 million) in the same period last year.

However, the company’s revenues rose six percent to Rs.248.5 crore (Rs.2.49 billion/$480 million) for the quarter, as compared to Rs.233.8 crore (Rs.2.3 billion/$460 million) in the same period last year, a company statement said.

NIIT’s operating profit remained flat at Rs.44.4 crore (Rs.444 million/$88.8 million).

Operating revenue dipped by Rs.18.9 crore (Rs.189 million/$3.78 million) during the quarter due to the weakening of the rupee against the dollar, it said.

â€œWith major economies moving into recession, our immediate focus has been to secure future business with our top clients. This resulted in a record order intake of $148 million including consolidation and contract extensions of up to five years from major customers,â€ said Arvind Thakur, NIIT chief executive and joint managing director.

â€œThe operating margin improved by 25 basis points over the previous quarter. However, the adverse impact of volatility in currencies, mainly pound led to exchange loss of Rs.139 million, resulting in reduced net profit,â€ company chairman Rajendra S. Pawar said

MADHYA PRADESH PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION BOARD

Eamination Scedule
Adimt Card
Results
The Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board was initially set-up as Pre Medical Test Board by Government of Madhya Pradesh in the year 1970. Later, in the year 1981, Pre Engineering Board was constituted. Soon after, in the year 1982 both these Boards were amalgamated and named as Professional Examination Board (P.E.B.). Professional Examination Board by Govt. Order No.1325-1717-42-82 dated 17.04.1982 has been assigned the responsibility of conducting entrance tests for admission to various colleges in the state. P.E.B. presently organizes the following entrance tests:
* MET : For entrance to MBA courses
* Pre MCA : For entrance to Master of Computer Applications
* Pre P.G. : For entrance to Post Graduate Medical & Dental degree & diploma courses
* PPT : For entrance to Polytechnic diploma courses
* PEPT & PAT : For entrance to Bachelor of Engineering, Pharmacy, Dairy, Agriculture, Forestry degree/diploma courses
* PMT : For entrance to MBBS / BDS / BVSc Degree Courses
* GNTST : For entrance to General Nursing Training (Only for girls)
* Pre B.A.,LL.B (Hons) : For entrance to National Law Institute University, Bhopal
* PAHUT : For entrance to Ayurvedic, Homeopathic and Unani degree courses.
* PNST: For entrance to B.Sc. Nursing Training (Only for girls)
* SOE : For entrance to Schools of Excellence

CG Vyapam Results, Admit Card, Exam Schedules | cgvyapam.in |

CG Vyapam Results,
Admit Card
Exam Schedules
cgvyapam.in

Foreign players short on markets, SGX Nifty 90 points down

MUMBAI: Worsening world economic conditions are expected to drag Indian stock markets sharply lower Thursday. Stocks fell in Asia and US,
dragging the regional stock benchmarks to their lowest in a month, after machinery orders plunged in Japan and US retail sales slumped, signaling the global recession is deepening. Also, with Nifty Singapore futures at 90 points discount, CNX Nifty may give up all of Wednesday’s gains in early trade.

Despite a significant rally in Indian markets on Wednesday, foreign players sold in index futures while they bought just Rs 91 crore in spot market raising questions over sustainability of the rally. The FIIs net sold Rs 300 crore in index futures while they bought stock futures worth Rs 200 crore.

Snapping a four-day losing streak, Indian markets rose Wednesday on a rally in Reliance group companies. There are rumours that the warring Ambani brothers may be headed for some settlement bringing an end to their rivalry over KG-Basin gas. National Stock Exchange's 50-share Nifty surged 3.29 per cent to close at 2835.30. Intraday, it touched a high of 2853.25 and low of 2748.40.

Significant call buying was observed from 2800 to 3000 strikes and unwinding of short calls was seen at 3100 strike. On the other hand, huge put writing witnessed from 2800 to 2600 while little put buying was seen at 2900 strike.

Huge unwinding of long positions coupled with profit booking in stocks was seen from investors. "This is a traders' market and retail investors having small risk appetite should liquidate their positions at current levels. I expect markets to test new lows in near term. For a little upside of 2-3 per cent, one should not take downside risk of 15-20 per cent," said Shekhar Ranade of Goldwin Wealth Management.

Traders are unlikely to keep their long positions open in the current unsustainable market. However, given the high amount of volatility, players may cover some of their shorts in late trade to gain profit from the intraday trade.

Fiat India Launched Linea With Style In Mumbai

Fiat India today launched its new Linea sedan today at a shimmering ceremony in Mumbai. Linea is currently available in four colours which includes flamenco red, minimal grey, parla champagne and hip hop black. Later Fiat would add three more colours.

Fiat India CEO, Rajeev Kapoor said “Fiat has kept its promise of making this an exciting year for its customers. The launch of the Linea is the first in the line of three launches that Fiat will undertake this year, the other two being Bravo and Grande Punto”.

“With this car which is equipped with multijet and the fire engine, we hope to make inroads in the C+ segment,” Kapoor said.

“We have also ensured that the Linea appeals to a wide range of customers with its petrol and diesel variants and the various options available under each of them,” Kapoor said.

“The car has met with strong success across the world and although Linea has been designed with a strong Italian style, we have also taken into consideration local Indian tastes and requirements and have incorporated this into the IndianLinea,” he said.

The Linea sedan will be manufactured at its Ranjangaon plant near Pune and is the first major launch in India after the company introduced the Palio Stile Multijet in 2008.

SPRINGDALES SCHOOL

visit http://www.springdales.com/
Springdales started as a small nursery and kindergarten at the home of Mrs. Rajni Kumar, the chairperson of Springdales Education Society and her husband the late Mr. Yudishter Kumar, Barrister at Law and Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court. Today, the school – with three full fledged campuses at prime locations in New Delhi and a fourth one fast taking shape at Jaipur – is symbolic of a progressive educational movement inspired by Beaconsfield in Britian, brain child of Bertrand Russell, Badley’s Bedales and A. S. Neill’s SummerHill as well as the educational philosophy of our great Indian educationists like Mahatam Gandhi and Rabindra Nath Tagore.

Springdales epitomises vibrancy and freshness, dovetailing much of the ethos of the new post-independence India into its educational program and philosophy. Privately managed, the school is a secular co-educational one integrating into its curriculum concern for the environment, the spirit of community service and international peace and brotherhood.

Besides spacious classrooms and playgrounds, we have fully developed facilities for each department, with Maths and Science laboratories, a Computer Resource Centre, well stocked libraries, an auditorium and open-air stage, and a Teachers’ Learning Centre. At the end of class X and XII the students appear for an All India examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education.

“Vasudhaiv Kutumbkum” which translated from Sanskrit means “The World is a Family” is the motto of Springdales and indeed is deeply etched in the heart of every Springdalian. It is a concept which greatly influences the thought process and value system of all pupils –past and present – as they look upon the school, the community, the nation and the world as a part of the whole family of the mankind.

S. P. Jain Institute of Management &Rresearch

visit http://www.spjimr.org/
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's S.P.Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) grew rapidly in eminence from one of the three B-schools in the country in 1981 to one of the top ten B-schools in the country by 1994-1995. Since then, it has continued to retain this position with ease during the last decade.

The bold move to disaffiliate SPJIMR from the then Bombay University to have freedom in course curriculum, pedagogic innovations and pioneering programmers in socially under managed sectors was a beginning of its journey to achieve the mandate it has given itself in terms of unique innovative and distinct path in management education

The guiding philosophy of SPJIMR is influencing practice and promoting value based growth. The institute has an enviable track record of recognizing the needs of the society, especially the under managed sectors, and responding with quick and appropriate responses.

Today, SPJIMR has to its credit five centers with multifarious activities, two-year full time postgraduate diploma (equivalent to MBA) and a few continuing executive education programmes. It has also made its presence felt in global arena and has truly become a larger than B-school.

SPJIMR is an autonomous management institute with entrepreneurial agility that has made it totally self-financing, personal freedom with professional accountability and corporatized culture, structure and processes

SPJIMR also figures in top ten B-schools South Asia.

SPJIMR has locational advantage of having a sprawling campus in the heart of Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country

women on the web

Welcome to CWOW, Christian Women on the Web!!!

… there are a number of sites devoted to the phenomenon of women on the Web.

Perhaps you are a woman searching for an online group of Christian women who will love you and support you.

Some of the Web sites are maintained by and for activist feminists; since March is National Women’s History Month, and March 8 is International Women’s Day, these resources may be heavily utilized in preparation for upcoming events.In keeping with the activist tradition of feminism, there are information sites on topics as diverse as street safety, reproductive health, and graduate programs in computer science. Demographically speaking, women constitute a minority in cyberspace; estimates of the Internet’s female users begin at 15 percent of the total online population. “The ability to use our computers to reach around the world hasn’t just revolutionized computing — it’s creating new forms of social interaction that appear and evolve before the academics can even get their pipes lit.”

Either way, we have tried to make this website user-friendly and Lord-uplifting!

A woman who said she believed in looking toward the future rather than dwelling on the past, Admiral Hopper is the person responsible for coining the term “bug” with regard to computer glitches.Sites with an international focus include: the Global Fund for Women, the United Nations International Conference for Population and Development, and the IPG gopher directory of women’s groups from around the world. Lisa Schmeiser is a graduate student in technical communication.Some of the more easily accessible ones include: the Gender Issues Directory, which is an academic archive of women in computer science and related fields, the Web-ster’s network, which borrows its definition from the radical feminist Mary Daly, and Geekgirl homepage, which is a cross between cyberpunk feminism and hacker culture.Overall, one of the prevailing philosophies of women’s Web resources can best be summed up by a quote from Jonathon Schwartz on the Gender Issues In Computer Networking page. [...] The latter site is sponsored by the San Francisco Examiner, and features html editions of articles focusing on women and women’s issues. not every woman-oriented site on the Web is devoted to feminism; a number of resources are information archives with little obvious political agenda.

Sources:
[1] Christian Women On the Web Foundation
[2] Women on the Web

robert schimmel

Bob has released several comedy albums, including Robert Schimmel Comes Clean; If You Buy This CD, I Can Get This Car; Unprotected; and Reserection.

In 1997, he headlined at Montreal’s Juste Pour Rire (Just For Laughs), the world’s largest international comedy festival.

According to Schimmel, his career began when, at the urging of his sister, he performed at a comedy club ’s open-mic night.Robert “Bob” George Schimmel (born 1950) is an American stand-up comedian whose material is often X-rated and controversial. He wrote material for In Living Color and for comedians such as Yakov Smirnoff.

While in treatment he immediately noticed how depressing and difficult chemotherapy was for the many patients in the infusion center.Born in the Bronx, Robert Schimmel’s ‘big break’ came in 1986 when Rodney Dangerfield invited Robert to perform on his HBO Young Comedians Special (also debuting Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay, Bill Hicks, Dom Irrera, and Carol Leifer), which led to his critically-acclaimed Showtime specials Hard Core in the Big Apple and Robert Schimmel: Guilty As Charged.

His treatments included chemotherapy and required long stays in the hospital.During one such session his daughter Jessica brought her boss, Melissa, to visit Bob, and the two began an unlikely May-December romance.

Thanks for coming back to Tempe again so soon, looking forward to the show.HEY ROBERT, JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW YOU ARE THE BEST STAND UP COMEDIAN I HAVE EVER HEARD, BUYIN YOUR BOOK THIS WEEKEND AND IF YA EVER COME TO ALABAMA ILL BE THERE!!!

Schimmel’s willingness to frankly and humorously discuss the tragic events of his life in his act has set him apart from other comics.Bob’s cancer went into remission, he and Vicki divorced, and Bob married Melissa, who is only two years older than Jessica.

I really enjoy your comedy… So much that one time I almost wrecked the car while listening to one of your bits on XM 150.

Consistent delivery has made him a regular on several shows, including The Howard Stern Show and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, on which he has appeared seven times!

Brett Eastburn - Stand-Up

No Boundaries, Inc. presents Brett Eastburn
No Arms . . . No Legs . . . No Handicaps.
No Disabilities either!

Motivational Speaker, Brett Eastburn is a man with no arms or legs; yet, no boundaries.

He is energetic and enthusiastic and sure to inspire your staff or students as a keynote speaker, motivational speaker, or convocational speaker .

His presentation can be tailored to be affective to any group or organization of any size including motivational speeches, inspirational presentations, and comedy. (Clean comedy of course.)

Internationally acclaimed and respected motivational speaker that demonstrates his ability to overcome any obstacles. Brett has spoken to over a million people around the world, including Okinawa, Japan, Panama, Canada, and Mexico.

Keywords associated with Brett Eastburn:

speaker, motivational speaker, motivational,inspirational speaker, inspirational, inspiration, comedian, comedy, business speaker, industry speaker, lecture, lecturer, clean comedy, clean comedian, convocation, , presentation, motivational presentation, self esteem presentations, self advocacy presentation, keynote speaker, school speaker, school convocation, school presentation, school student assembly, school assembly

Cold front bringing Arctic air to N.C.

More than a dozen school systems in western North Carolina have closed or delayed opening because of slick roads caused by snow and ice.

The Asheville Citizen-Timesreported Wednesday the Highway Patrol received reports of black ice on some roads, but no major traffic problems.

Schools were closed in Asheville, two Buncombe County districts and in Mitchell, Madison and Yancey counties. Other schools delayed opening.

Ashe County Schools are on a two-hour delay and is operating on limited bus routes.

Temperatures in Asheville were around 18 early in the morning and the high was expected to reach 42. Forecasters expect another chance of snow showers early Thursday with temperatures in the 20s.

Temperatures are expected below freezing Thursday and will last into the weekend. Readings will be in the teens in much of the state and single digits in western counties.

National Weather Service forecasters said a cold front passing through the state Wednesday will be followed by a significant blast of Arctic air.

Meteorologist Scott Sharp said Thursday's highs will occur early in the day before temperatures begin to plummet. He said temperatures will drop Thursday night into the teens in much of the state, and into the single digits in western counties.

Similar temperatures are expected Friday.

source

Temperatures are expected to moderate Saturday, but Sharp said conditions will remain below normal for this time of year.

Wells Fargo Prime Rate Visa Credit Card

Wells Fargo offers a great Prime rate card with Visa. This Wells Fargo Prime Rate Card Interest rate never goes beyond the prime rate. Well Fargo claims that Prime Rate cards can make purchases even faster with PayWave Technology offered by Visa. Visa Paywave means You can simply wave the card with Visa payWave in front of the reader at checkout and you already paid the bill. There’s no signature required for most purchases under $25.

Wells Fargo Prime Rate Card Features:

1) Free online account access. View charges, transfer funds, make balance transfers, and more.
2) My Spending Report. Track your expenses with this free online report that's updated automatically.
3) Payment options. You choose your monthly payment due date, and can also sign up for automatic or online payments.
4) Alerts. Stay on top of your account activity with free email alerts when you approach your credit limit, a payment is due, and more.
5) Built-in security features. You're not responsible for unauthorized transactions when you report them promptly, and we monitor your account for unusual activity.
6) Automatic car rental insurance
7) 24-hour customer service in English and Spanish
8) Additional cards at no extra cost

Just to note that if you are unable to qualify for Wells Fargo Prime Rate Card, Wells fargo will give you No Annual Fee Wells Fargo Visa Platinum Card.

Wells Fargo Prime Rate Card is really a must have for its great prime rate interest rate feature, which insures that you don't overpay on your credit card bills.

Vivek Paul to be new Satyam CEO?

The markets are abuzz with the news that Vivek Paul, former vice chairman of Wipro, might be appointed the new chief executive officer of Satyam Computer Services.

Paul resigned from Texas Pacific Group (TPG), a private equity firm where he was a partner, in December, leading to the rumour that he might be picked to head the beleaguered Satyam.

Paul was considered as a possible buyer for Satyam at one time.

Before joining TPG, Paul was with Wipro. He joined in 1999 and took the company from a $150-million firm to a billion-dollar IT giant by 2005. He left Wipro as vice chairman in 2005 to join TPG.

Paul is a BITS Pilani graduate and an MBA from University of Massachusetts. Born in 1959, Paul is currently on the board of Electronic Arts, the world's leading game publisher, and Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc., a leader in developing chemicals from renewable sources.

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