Indian Cricket team gets a new colour and New Zealand Fixture

Indian team after better performance in the recent series leaves for New Zealand for their tough assignment in the recent times. Their past record in New Zealand is very dismal and Dhoni and his men would be keen to improve their past performance this time.

Indian team will arrive in New Zealnd on 20th of February and would open their tour with two twenty20 International to be played on 25th February and 27th February. Indian cricket team also got brand new kit in striking deep blue dress codes for the two tenty20 interntional and one day international. All the players were gatherd in function at Mumbai before departure with new dress code.

Indian team last tour to New Zealand were more than worse as they have lost both test series as well as ODI series by 2-0 and 5-2 respectively. Last test series win for India came way back in 1967-68 under the captaincy of M.Pataudi, so it has been long 41 years for men in blue to win the test series on New Zealand soil.

So far India has travel seven times to New Zealand and manages just one test series win while loosing four test series and drawing two. In the current Indian squad only five players played at New Zealnd soil- Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag, V.V.S Laxman, Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh.

Past record may be against the Indians at New Zeland soil but the current form of men in blue will be very helpful and will help Dhoni and his men to perform better this time. Last two ODI series against England and Sri Lanka, Indian team looked completely dominant over the opponents by winning the series by 5-0 and 4-1.

India Twenty20 Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain & WK), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha.

India ODI Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain & WK), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Kaarthick, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha.

India Test Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain & WK), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Kaarthick, Murali Vijay, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, L Balaji, Dhawal Kulkarni, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra.

India tour of New Zealand Fixture

25th February: 1st Twenty20 International, AMI Stadium, Christchurch

27th February: 2nd Twenty20 International, Westpac Stadium, Wellington

3rd March: 1st One Day International, McLean Park, Napier

6th March: 2nd One Day International, Westpac Stadium, Wellington

8th March: 3rd One Day International, AMI Stadium, Christchurch

11th March: 4th One Day International, Seddon Park, Hamilton

14th March: 5th One Day International, Eden Park, Auckland

18th – 22nd March: 1st Test Match, Seddon Park, Hamilton

26th – 30th March: 2nd Test Match, McLean Park, Napier

3rd – 7th April: 3rd Test Match, Basin Reserve, Wellington

All ODI and twenty20 Matches are day night encounters, for timing of each matches you can view detail here India tour of New Zealand Cricket schedule 2009.

Tags: India tour of New Zealand Schedule, India Vs New Zealand 2009 Fixtures, India tour of New Zealand, India Vs New Zealand 2009 Cricket Series Fixtures and Schedule, India Vs New Zealand Schedule 2009 ODI Series, twenty20 Cricket India Vs New Zealand

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Steve Harvey: Act Like A Lady

Millions of listeners nationwide tune in to the Steve Harvey Morning Show and hear the comedian’s opinions during his relationship commentary as he responds to listeners’ issues in what the show calls "Strawberry Letters." And now the King of Comedy has put his advice in print with his raw-talk book "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment." Harvey talked with the Defender about topics in his book.

What makes your book different than other relationship books?

This book is written by a man about how men view relationships, commitment, intimacy, family, marriage, all of that and it's done from a nonclinical standpoint. This is just straight talk. I have friends who are politicians, who are entertainers, who are pro-athletes, who are truck drivers, CEOs, guys that work at factories…I know exactly how men think on these subjects.

You say, “a man’s love isn’t like a woman’s love.” Do you think this is why so many relationships don’t work?

Exactly. If you have two different people with two different definitions of love and each one wants love the same way, somebody’s going to be disappointed, and it’s usually women.

Women are sometimes called gold diggers for trying to find men who are successful, but your book says that men will be too busy to focus on a woman until he makes it financially. So how does a woman avoid the title if she knows this?

Seeing as how there are so few men who are already successful and so many women would be looking for them, why would you want to get in line like that? In the book, I teach you how to find the potential in a man. You just got to know how to recognize it and be aware of his plan and buy into it…then both of you get there together. Then you have rights to it, and if you get a divorce, hello!

You agree with the 90-day rule on sex and compare it to a job. What makes you think 90 days is enough?

To read the rest of this article, subscribe to our digital or paper edition. For previous editions, contact us for details.

Copyright 2008 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Breville Cafe Roma Espresso Maker

The Only Thing Worse Than Being Talked About Is Not Being Talked About

The last time we wrote about the Breville XXESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Maker we noticed a very special visitor. And so, we just wanted to take this moment to say thank you, Mr. Meltzer, for stopping in for a visit.

If you were nearby, we’d make you a cup of espresso from the Breville XXESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Maker. And we think you’d enjoy how the Thermoblock heating system made a decent cup of coffee that a comic book professional could enjoy. Of course, you’d probably storm out in anger after we spent the next three hours trying really hard to prove to you how Jean Loring was actually the one who left The Atom, but we’d understand that. We get hate mail from nerds as well. It’s just part of the territory. And when they reboot it away in five years we’ll all look back and laugh.

Anyway, it was nice to see you clearly enjoyed the mention, and we hope you’ll enjoy it this time as well. And we know that you probably spend all day counting the millions of dollars you got from the I Hate The Elongated Man Foundation and would never dream of buying a thing from a fly-by-night site like us. But if you’re thinking about espresso, Mr. Meltzer, please, consider the Breville XXESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Maker. We’re sure you’d like to stay awake as much as possible. After what you did, the dreams must be horrible.

Warranty: 90 Day Breville
Authorized for SquareTrade Extended Warranty

Features:

* The Café Roma features a 15 bar pump for optimal pressure and perfect crema on every shot of espresso
* Thermoblock heating system ensures the water is at the proper temperature for brewing espresso
* The stainless steel steam wand with froth enhancer allows you to create a variety of milk-based café drinks at home
* Stainless steel body with die-cast warming tray capable of heating up 6 espresso cups at the same time
* 40 ounce water tank capable of dispensing about 26 espresso shots before needing to be refilled
* Dual-wall créma technology, beneath the first wall is a second wall with a single exit hole. This produces back pressure inside the head which helps to extract flavor from the coffee
* Dual-action selector dial provides control over the pump and heating system
* Dimensions: 8.5” x 9.5” x 11.82”
* Weight: 13.2 lbs.
* Pump: 15 bar – made in Italy

In the box:

* Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Maker
* Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher
* Portafilter
* 1 Cup Stainless Steel Filter
* 2 Cup Stainless Steel Filter
* Cleaning Tool
* Scoop with Tamper

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Breville Cafe Roma Espresso Maker

The Only Thing Worse Than Being Talked About Is Not Being Talked About

The last time we wrote about the Breville XXESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Maker we noticed a very special visitor. And so, we just wanted to take this moment to say thank you, Mr. Meltzer, for stopping in for a visit.

If you were nearby, we’d make you a cup of espresso from the Breville XXESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Maker. And we think you’d enjoy how the Thermoblock heating system made a decent cup of coffee that a comic book professional could enjoy. Of course, you’d probably storm out in anger after we spent the next three hours trying really hard to prove to you how Jean Loring was actually the one who left The Atom, but we’d understand that. We get hate mail from nerds as well. It’s just part of the territory. And when they reboot it away in five years we’ll all look back and laugh.

Anyway, it was nice to see you clearly enjoyed the mention, and we hope you’ll enjoy it this time as well. And we know that you probably spend all day counting the millions of dollars you got from the I Hate The Elongated Man Foundation and would never dream of buying a thing from a fly-by-night site like us. But if you’re thinking about espresso, Mr. Meltzer, please, consider the Breville XXESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Maker. We’re sure you’d like to stay awake as much as possible. After what you did, the dreams must be horrible.

Warranty: 90 Day Breville
Authorized for SquareTrade Extended Warranty

Features:

* The Café Roma features a 15 bar pump for optimal pressure and perfect crema on every shot of espresso
* Thermoblock heating system ensures the water is at the proper temperature for brewing espresso
* The stainless steel steam wand with froth enhancer allows you to create a variety of milk-based café drinks at home
* Stainless steel body with die-cast warming tray capable of heating up 6 espresso cups at the same time
* 40 ounce water tank capable of dispensing about 26 espresso shots before needing to be refilled
* Dual-wall créma technology, beneath the first wall is a second wall with a single exit hole. This produces back pressure inside the head which helps to extract flavor from the coffee
* Dual-action selector dial provides control over the pump and heating system
* Dimensions: 8.5” x 9.5” x 11.82”
* Weight: 13.2 lbs.
* Pump: 15 bar – made in Italy

In the box:

* Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Maker
* Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher
* Portafilter
* 1 Cup Stainless Steel Filter
* 2 Cup Stainless Steel Filter
* Cleaning Tool
* Scoop with Tamper

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Magellan Maestro 3200 Ultra thin 3.5″ touch screen Automobile Navigator $59.99 Shipped FREE!

Affordable, ultra-thin and amazingly easy to use, the Magellan Maestro 3200 enables you to find virtually anywhere in seconds without reading the instructions! The simple touch-screen menu presents easy options in brilliant color! The large 3.5″ touch screen shows your position on the interactive map, plus distance to the next turn, distance to destination, ETA, street names and more, all at a glance. Voice guidance offers worry-free driving with turn-by-turn directions so you can keep your eyes on the road.

Easily find your way around town or from Florida to Washington with built-in maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. 1.3 million pre-programmed Points of Interest (POI) enable you to search and select nearby services, and recreation and business locations. Find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs and more. Phone numbers are included (when available) so you can call ahead for information and reservations.

Magellan Maestro 3200 Ultra thin 3.5″ touch screen Automobile Navigator

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Balayya Squeezed Priyamani 'There'

It is known news that natasimham Balakrishna is currently busy with the new movie that is being made under the Sravanthi movies banner and this marks the debut of Mahadev as the director while the buxom beauty Priyamani is the leading lady for the Yuvaratna.

Do you know where Balayya squeezed Priyamani? That's at Ramoji Film City. Yes, the squeeze that we are talking about happened at Ramoji film City during a song and it is heard that it was a rather sensuous song. Given the oomph that Priyamani has been generating, it is not a surprise that anyone would find it hard not to see her or get into a steamy act. It is about to lure all mass audiences, says inside sources.

Slated to be a family entertainer with full commercial values, the expectations are high on this one since Balayya has not been able to deliver a clear cut hit in the recent past. It will take nothing less than a blockbuster from him to actually keep up his tag of 'Box office bonanza' now. Let us see if Priyamani helps him in this mission.

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Will Priyamani's bikini do any good for Nithin?

Priyamani’s bikini act in the forthcoming Nithin’s ‘Drona’ is the hottest topic in tinsel town. The heroine debuted to Tollywood with ‘Evare Athadu’ sharing screen space with Vallabhaneni, son of KS Rama Rao, directed by Bhanu Shankar.

The Tamil girl had a bad opening with the dud and again made a comeback with Madan’s ‘Pellaina Kothalo’ starring Jagapathi Babu. The movie gave her a big break in Telugu cinema followed by the super hit ‘Yamadonga’ (NTR) directed by SS Rajamouli.

‘Drona’ is the latest which will hit screens tomorrow on 20th February. Nithin is near starvation for a hit and is troubled by his previous duds. Even though, the movie has a good script, screenplay and action stunts, the film makers seem to be betting high on the glamour part. Riveting stills of Priyamani’s rain dance was a trail for her main bikini act in the movie.

Will Priyamani’s bikini drive Nithin towards the road to ‘El Dorado’? Just wait for a day and watch out for the review on ‘Drona’ to see if Priyamani saved Nithin!

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Movie Review: ‘Delhi - 6’

Review of ‘Delhi 6’, 20th Feb 09
Posted by Neha Aggarwal
February 19, 2009

delhi-61

Rokeysh Omprakash Mehra made two movies earlier – Aks and Rang De Pasanti – the latter sweeping the mass appeal and a box office hit. Now the same director brings out his third movie “Delhi 6” and already the film has started sending ripples among critics and expectations of “Bollywood” movie lovers. It is said that Omprakash Mehra has made this film, based upon his own growing up as a lad of Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi.

The story moves around a young man from the foreign soil to his family roots in Old Delhi. Incidentally the Postal Code Number of Old Delhi is 110006 and the title “Delhi 6” denotes old Delhi conversely. Abishek Bachan (son of the greatly popular Amitabh Bachchan of Indian Cinema) is the hero Roshan – an Indian-American guy. His grand mother (Waheeda Rahman) is ailing and wants to be at her native place, Chandni Chowk of Old Delhi, at the time she breathes her last. Just to fulfill the last wish of his beloved grandmother, the hero takes a trip from America to India, least knowing that what was planned as a quick-trip (for the very first time to India) would meet with many developments and thrills to end well.

Once reaching Delhi with his grandmother, the hero meets Bittu (Sonam Kapoor) a beautiful girl and daughter of a neighbor. This being the first visit of his to India, everything that takes place in India, that is Delhi with its rituals, the religious beliefs, the food, the culture and friendly attitude of people fascinates him. But as he sees the hypocritical tendency of his neighbors, in concealing their evil side behind a friendly mask, Hindu Muslim religious riots, attributed to a phantom figure “Black Monkey” and every other thing an American can see in India, he gets upset. How he resolves all his problems is rest of the story you can watch on the silver screen.

The supporting roles of Rishi Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Om Puri, Divya Dutta, Tanvi Azmi, Supriya Pathak and Pavan Malhotra are accomplished by the artists finely. The fans of Hindi Hero Abhishek Bachchan and Bollywood buffs await the release of the film in India on 20th February.

Now some of the inside stories doing rounds about the much awaited film are – Director Omprakash Mehra, during the early stages of development of the film wanted to introduce new faces for the lead roles and changed his mind due to commercial compromises. Headlines about frequent changes of choices for the hero appeared in News reports – first with Hrithik Roshan set to play the hero, but was dropped out due to scheduling problems. Then Akshay Kumar was considered and the idea was dropped as he refused. The ultimate cast, Abhishek Bachchan got the nod and later Mehra stated that he was his first choice.

On December 20, 2007 the film started production and grew, but Mehra said he was not involved in the editing of the film. At the Dubai International Film Festival, the movie unveiled first and following the screening, the director and the cast of the film answered questions from the audience.

Februay13 was the date originally the movie was scheduled to be released, but consequent to the release of another much talked about film “Billu Barber” on that date, to avoid conflict the release date was rescheduled to February 20. But the premier screen went off at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, on 15th February.

A.R. Rehman, the first Indian Music Composer to win the prestigious Golden Globes for his numbers in “Slumdog Millionaire” and has been recommended for 3 Oscar Awards , has done music to the film “Delhi 6”. The music tracks and sound tracks were released on 14th January at the Indian Idol 4 competition. Since then positive reviews are pouring about the songs of “Delhi 6” (Prasoon Joshi is the lyricist).

The first video of the song “Masakalli” featuring Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam with a pigeon was released. This song is not there in the original film. The Director reasoned out later about the cut-off, as a song about a dove will not fit in a film like “Delhi 6” and only after nearing the climax scene shooting he realized it.

A load of positive reviews about Rehman’s album release have come up and here are few excerpts –

“Delhi 6 – is as rich, just as powerful, and just as awe-inspiring, as his work in Slumdog Millionaire. As we take the timeless stroll down the streets of Delhi-6, let us rejoice the phenomenon that is Rehmania”

“Delhi 6 is near perfect. If one thought that Slumdog Millionaire, Ghajini and Jane Tu Ya Jaane Na were superb, then listen to Delhi 6 once.”

“Rehman beats his own score with Delhi 6, which would easily go down as one of his best scores till date.”

With such encouraging reviews, fans are anxious to see for themselves what is in store for them in “Delhi 6”.

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MMS sex scandal in Noida

Five years after a sex clip made and circulated by a Delhi school student made news, a similar incident has been reported from a business school in Noida.

A student has sent out a video of his 23-year old girlfriend doing a striptease for him, to some fellow students at the management school. This reportedly happened after the woman refused to marry him. The woman studies at the same institution.

The story was first reported by Mid Day. It said the two students were probably classmates. The man, who apparently knew the password of the woman’s email ID, logged in to her mail and sent the video to some people on her contact list.

MBA student circulates clip of 23-year-old girlfriend after she refuses to marry him.

The Noida Police are yet to take any action in the matter because they have not received any complaint. “We’ve not received any complaint from the girl or her family or from the college,” says A.K. Tripathi, Noida’s superintendent of police (city). “But we, on our part, are investigating the matter. I’ve instructed the officer concerned to give me all the details about any developments in the case.”

The video shows the woman stripping to music; the man apparently captured it on a cellphone camera.

Women organisations have repeatedly expressed concern over the rising cases of sexually explicit MMS clips of students being put on websites or circulated among students.

“It is a matter of deep concern that school and college students are indulging in such deplorable activities and defaming their classmates by putting their obscene clips on websites or circulating it among other students,” said Raksha Shukla, a representative of the All India Women Conference. “The police should not wait for an official complaint from the victim. They should act at own level and punish the erring students so that others do not dare to do such acts.”

In 2004, a student of a south Delhi school had found herself at the centre of a similar scandal.

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Nintendo's DSi planning a European tour ahead of US release

If you're still feeling all giddy about getting your mitts on a DSi here in the States on April 5th, prepare for a bit of a downer. Nintendo Europe has just announced gamers within its territories be getting the multi-screen multi-cam wonder a full two days earlier, on April 3rd, but hasn't said how much they'll be paying for the privilege. Also, while we're stuck with black and a rather cheeky baby blue, Euro gamers will be getting the more stolid/boring color selection of black or white, which may be good or bad depending on your monochromatic tendencies. Regardless, whether you're domestic or abroad, you'd best get your pre-orders in now.

Update: LostProphet commented to say that it's showing up for pre-order abroad at £149.99, or about $214. That's quite a premium for a few days worth of exclusivity.

[Via Nowhere Else]

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Charlie Sheen's Wife Brooke Mueller Fine After Premature Contractions

Experiencing premature contractions, Brooke Mueller is said to be fine following hospitalization on Tuesday, February 17. In a statement issued to US Weekly, Stan Rosenfield, a representative for Brooke's husband Charlie Sheen confirmed Brooke "is expected to be released from the hospital" later that day.

Giving more details of Brooke's hospitalization, Stan explained, "Brooke Mueller Sheen was taken to a Los Angeles area hospital Tuesday morning after experiencing premature contractions." Furthermore, Stan added, the condition "is not uncommon at this stage of a pregnancy carrying twins."

Prenatal scare, in fact, isn't something new for Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller. Back in September 2008, Brooke underwent emergency gall-bladder surgery, described as a routine procedure but one that carries extra risk for both mom and baby during the first trimester of pregnancy. She was treated at the hospital for five days before then being discharged.

Broke is expected to give birth to the twins she is carrying in April. The twins will be her first children and the fourth ones for Charlie who has two daughters, Sam and Lola, from his failed marriage to Denise Richards, and another daughter, named Cassandra, with former girlfriend Paula Profit.

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Watch Lost Season 5 Episode 6 (Lost 316) Free Online Video

The latest season of LOST is here. Let’s watch lost season 5 episode 6 video available in this website for free. To the avid viewers of Lost, the all new Lost or Lost Season 5 Episode 6 showcases the only way back to the island. In Lost season 5 episode 6 or Lost 316, their destiny will be their final destination. So, watch lost season 5 episode 6 a.k.a. Lost 316 and continue to be amazed by this thriller. Enjoy the coaster ride as the people of lost season 5 episode 6 decides to go back to the island voluntarily.
Watch Lost Season 5 Episode 6 or Lost 316 free online video clips.


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Orochon Ramen - Spicy!

On the way to the LA Auto Show last week, me and a few buddies stopped by Orochon Ramen in Little Tokyo. It’s become somewhat of a tradition to get a bowl of ramen somewhere in the area before the car show for the last couple of years. Apparently this place is known for its spicy ramen (i love spicy) and if you can eat a whole bowl of their spiciest ramen (including drinking all of the broth) they’ll take your photo and put it on their wall.

Aside from not wanting a blood pressure spike from all the sodium that I’d take in from drinking a bowl full of broth, I was too afraid to try their spiciest. Even our server said he’s only had the second spiciest and that it was too spicy. I was hungry and wanted a meal more than I wanted to impress my friends so i went for the 5th spiciest (called #3 Impact on the menu). It actually wasn’t too spicy, but pretty much at the upper limit of enjoyable. My friends had the 7th and 8th spiciest and they weren’t very spicy at all.
The noodles were pretty good, although since the broth was so spicy, most of my taste buds were pretty numb and to be honest it could have been instant ramen and I really wouldn’t have noticed much difference. The service was pretty good, although our 4 bowls of ramen came out over a 10 minute period of time which was kind of awkward. I will be going back though and next time I plan to go for the spiciest bowl and all the glory, but it will be on a day when I don’t have to walk
around the convention center for a few hours, just in case it doesn’t agree with me.

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River Rats team bus crashes; three injured

The bus transporting the Albany River Rats back from Lowell, Mass., after Wednesday night’s game rolled on its side along the Massachusetts Turnpike, according to state police.

The bus was carrying 19 players, two coaches and five support staff. Three members were injured and taken to Berkshire Medical Center, but names have not been released.

We are working on the story, and the latest information will be posted here.

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American Idol Results Show

The first 3 contestants into the Top 12 are…..
Michael Sarver, a 27-year-old oil rigger from Texas,Alexis Grace, a 21-year-old single mother from Tennessee, and Danny Gokey, a 28-year-old church music director from Milwaukee were advanced through the next round of American Idol!

Former Idol contestants made appearances on the show, including Carly Smithson and Michael Johns!

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Beheading in Buffalo - at Muslim TV Station

Muzzammil “Mo” HASSAN, the founder and chief executive officer of Bridges TV, a Buffalo, NY based Islamic television Network he helped pioneer in 2004 amid hopes that it would help portray Muslims in a more positive light, reportedly admitted to police that he beheaded his wife at the television station yesterday afternoon.The victim was identified as Aasiya Z. Hassan, 37, who just last month, filed for and received an order of protection against her husband.

According to police, HASSAN walked into the Orchard Park police station shortly after 6:00 PM yesterday and admitted that he murdered his wife earlier in the afternoon. While Erie County, NY District Frank A. Sedita III stated about the murder that “”…this is the worst form of domestic violence possible,” it is more pertinent to understand that the act of beheading in Islam is frequently and closely associated with “honor killings.”

The intentional mainstream media obfuscation of honor killings and the act of beheading as both relate to Islamic fundamentalist practices & beliefs is anticipated, especially in this case. (For a good primer about Islam and honor killings, please read this 2008 article written by Robert Spencer).

HASSAN and Bridges TV of Buffalo has been a focus of investigation by the Northeast Intelligence Network in the past. The Northeast Intelligence Network made several inquiries to HASSAN and Bridges TV about their relationship with al Manar television - inquiries that HASSAN and his station refused to answer.

Meanwhile, HASSAN was charged with second-degree murder and has been arraigned by Orchard Park, NY Village Justice Deborah Chimes. He is currently in custody at the Erie County Holding Center.

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TV Channel won’t air Dubai tourney after Israeli barred

(CNN) — The Tennis Channel has canceled plans to broadcast a tournament in Dubai because an Israeli player was banned.

Shahar Peer, the 45th-ranked women’s player according to the World Tennis Association, qualified to compete in this week’s Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships but was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates.

The cable network had planned to air parts of the tournament this weekend.

“Preventing an otherwise qualified athlete from competing on the basis of anything other than merit has no place in tennis or any other sport, and has the unfortunate result of undermining the credibility of the very nature of competition itself,” the network said.

The announcement comes the same day the Wall Street Journal Europe announced it is dropping its sponsorship of the tournament.
Source : CNN

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The Terms of Service Revolt, Facebook and the Higher Ed Community

A few short days ago, Facebook changed it’s Terms of Service to include some controversial language.
For those of you who don’t like legalese:
In sum, Facbook made its ToS so that your historical data and content survives you canceling your Facebook account. Then, in the face of usual user unrest, Facebook repealed.
For those of you who like to sort through legalese the exact legalese was at the bottom.
The privacy consicous Higher Ed blogosphere and the twittercliques were, needless to say, with the users that were up in arms.
I’m going to take a moment to say that 1) we would never take that kind of position at Inigral because we make relationships with institutions, as in enter into formal agreements; and 2) I can certainly understand how this happened and my faith in Facebook remains calm and steady.

This shift in ToS is understandable because, as a company, your legalese CYA can often be at odds with company policy. I’ve with spoken with hundreds of Facebook employees of different stripes, including Zuckerberg, and they are all fully committed to giving users the best possible user experience. A company’s legal protection does not have to be company practice, and their lawyer’s language does not reflect company intent. Facebook does not intend to post your embarrassing photos to your friends after you delete your Facebook account. It most likely just wants to solve three problems with this new language: 1) analyze what types of users choose to leave Facebook and strategize how can they provide them with a better experience so that less people do it, 2) minimize the risk of trace elements of your account being present in the system so that they are not liable for a childish message you sent someone when you were angry and now you’re embarrassed, and 3) making sure when you decide that without Facebook you simply can’t live a normal life and you rejoin Facebook there’s a low barrier for you jump back in. (FYI, I know people that have deleted and recreated their account more than 3 times.)
You can have the best customer service in the industry and still have a legal statement somewhere that says “We are in no way obligated to provide customer service.” The reason is that the lawyers who craft this language have seen too many lawsuits where someone sues literally because the company has a hole in their policies. And Facebook doesn’t want lawyers somewhere putting together a class action suit representing 150 million people just because their ToS wasn’t strong enough.
So, really now, while I understand making the statement to Facebook you want to be able to remove any of your content anytime you choose is understandable, but thinking Facebook is an evil empire is just not a conclusion that will hold water. Plus, it’s bound to cause you cognitive dissonance as you check your Facebook account for the tenth time today.
“You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.
The following sections will survive any termination of your use of the Facebook Service: Prohibited Conduct, User Content, Your Privacy Practices, Gift Credits, Ownership; Proprietary Rights, Licenses, Submissions, User Disputes; Complaints, Indemnity, General Disclaimers, Limitation on Liability, Termination and Changes to the Facebook Service, Arbitration, Governing Law; Venue and Jurisdiction and Other.”

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Hulu cuts off Boxee, Old Media takes one step forward, two steps back

Users of the growingly popular Boxee media platform will no longer have access to Hulu, after the Fox/ NBC JV decided that letting people watch programs for free where they want wasn’t part of the game plan.

Hulu didn’t elaborate on the reasons behind the move, saying only in a post that

Our content providers requested that we turn off access to our content via the Boxee product, and we are respecting their wishes. While we stubbornly believe in this brave new world of media convergence — bumps and all — we are also steadfast in our belief that the best way to achieve our ambitious, never-ending mission of making media easier for users is to work hand in hand with content owners. Without their content, none of what Hulu does would be possible, including providing you content via Hulu.com and our many distribution partner websites.

The real reason though comes back to the threat Boxee represents. In a tight market where cable subscriptions are heading down and TV networks are bleeding advertisers, services such as Boxee offer TV or cable like convenience without the same costs, and likewise the revenue streams expected by old media. Boxee was too much of a substitute for Fox and NBC to handle, and in taking one step forward with Hulu itself, and now taking two steps back by locking up that content by restricting where it can be played.

The net result is easy to predict. More piracy of content, and NBC and Fox lose even more. A short sighted decision from myopic media companies.
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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Eric Holder at the Department of Justice African American History Month Program

The following remarks were delivered by Attorney General Eric Holder at the Department of Justice African American History Month Program: Every year, in February, we attempt to recognize and to appreciate black history. It is a worthwhile endeavor for the contributions of African Americans to this great nation are numerous and significant. Even as we fight a war against terrorism, deal with the reality of electing an African American as our President for the first time and deal with the other significant issues of the day, the need to confront our racial past, and our racial present, and to understand the history of African people in this country endures. One cannot truly understand America without understanding the historical experience of black people in this nation. Simply put, to get to the heart of this country, one must examine its racial soul. Full release


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Say, have you seen SEC-cited billionaire sleazebag "Sir Allen" Stanford? 'Cause it seems the feds don't know where he is -- or care a whole lot

In case you didn't catch it, Howie added an update to yesterday's account of the charges by the SEC that billionaire sleazebag "Sir Allen" Stanford -- he claims to have picked up some sort of knighthood in Antigua -- had swindled investors out of who-knows-how-much out of some $8 billion worth of highly questionable CDs he sold. In that update, which I've reprinted below, sets out the details of our Sir's apparent escape-to-Antigua attempt via a rented private plane.

And sure enough, earlier today Bloomberg reported:
U.S. regulators don’t know the whereabouts of R. Allen Stanford, the billionaire accused of running a “massive, ongoing fraud” through his Houston-based Stanford Group Co., a Securities and Exchange Commission official said.

“We don’t know where he is, quite frankly,” said Rose Romero, director of the SEC’s office in Fort Worth, Texas.

Bloomberg also reported that Sir Allen "has six planes registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the agency’s Web site," and that "Alfredo Perez, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshall’s office in Houston, which yesterday raided the company’s offices there, said he isn’t aware of any arrest warrant for Stanford." (The SEC's action was limited to filing a civil suit, though Bloomberg reported, "A federal judge in Dallas agreed to freeze assets and appoint a receiver to account for the roughly $8 billion investors spent on the CDs, according to the SEC.")

In his update, Howie also had some pointed questions regarding some of Sir Allen's famous connections. Here it is again:
WHAT, STILL NO ANKLE BRACELET?

CNBC reported this morning that "Sir" Allen tried to flee the U.S. on a private plane. Apparently he's desperate to reach the banana republic he owns a healthy chunk of but was foiled, neglecting to have sent a wire transfer to rent the getaway plane. He called them at 3pm and said he had to leave by 6pm for Antigua.

Does anyone know if Chuck Schumer and the other politicians who have aided and abetted Stanford in his offshore banking shenanigans have been asked about returning any of the million plus dollars he gave them as legalized bribes over the years? And since the SEC now says they don't know Stanford's whereabouts, I'm wondering if the FBI is on this. Or have his political connections given the word that he's allowed to escape?

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Obama Plans $75 Billion Outlay to Fight Foreclosures

MESA, Ariz. — President Obama announced a plan on Wednesday to help as many as nine million American homeowners refinance their mortgages or avert foreclosure, saying that it would shore up housing prices, stabilize neighborhoods and slow a downward spiral that was “unraveling homeownership, the middle class and the American Dream itself.”

The plan, which was more ambitious and expensive than many housing analysts had expected, drew praise from consumer advocates as well as the financial industry.

It could ultimately cost taxpayers as much as $275 billion — $75 billion in direct spending to keep people in their homes and the rest in additional financial backing for the government-controlled mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

But analysts and administration officials alike cautioned that it would not come close to halting the tidal wave of foreclosures. Nor would it provide much help to millions of homeowners who are “under water,” or holding mortgages that are bigger that the market value of their houses.

“This plan will not save every home, but it will give millions of families resigned to financial ruin a chance to rebuild,” Mr. Obama told a crowd here, in one of the communities hardest hit by the housing crisis. “It will prevent the worst consequences of this crisis from wreaking even greater havoc on the economy. And by bringing down the foreclosure rate, it will help to shore up housing prices for everyone.”

Almost one in 10 home mortgages is either delinquent or in foreclosure, and analysts estimate that at as many as six million families could lose their homes over the next three years in the absence of government action.

The plan has three components. The first would help homeowners who are still current on their payments, but who are paying high interest rates and cannot refinance because they do not have enough equity in their homes, a problem afflicting growing numbers of people as housing values tumble.

A second component would assist about four million people who are at risk of losing their homes. It would provide incentives to lenders who alter the terms of loans to make them affordable for the troubled borrowers. A third component would try to increase the credit available for mortgages in general by giving $200 billion of additional financial backing to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Beyond luring lenders with government money, the plan also calls on Congress to give bankruptcy judges the power to change the terms of mortgages and reduce the monthly payments.

The banking industry has vehemently fought that proposal for more than a year, saying it would make investors unwilling to finance future mortgage lending. But Democratic leaders in Congress strongly support the idea and banking executives are putting up less resistance than before.

Republican lawmakers reacted cautiously to Mr. Obama’s plan. Representative John Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader, called it “an important step,” but raised questions.

“Does your plan compensate banks for the bad mortgages they should never have made in the first place?” Mr. Boehner asked. “Will individuals who misrepresented their income or assets on their original mortgage application be eligible to get taxpayer-funded assistance?”

Mr. Obama’s announcement came a day after he signed his $787 billion economic stimulus package, and administration officials said that the initiatives would work in tandem to stabilize the economy.

The plan will take effect March 4, when the administration publishes detailed rules explaining it.

Except for the provision that empowers bankruptcy judges, almost all the other elements can be enacted by Mr. Obama without further action by Congress.

To help the estimated four million homeowners in danger of foreclosure, Mr. Obama will create a $75 billion program to subsidize loan modifications that would reduce a family’s monthly payment to as little as 31 percent of its gross monthly income.

As envisioned, a mortgage lender would have to first make enough concessions to reduce a borrower’s payments to 38 percent of monthly income. To encourage lenders, the government would offer incentives, like a $1,000 upfront payment for every loan modified and more payments if the borrower stays current.

If the lender gets the monthly payments down to 38 percent of the borrower’s monthly income, the government would then match, dollar for dollar, additional reductions to bring the payment as low as 31 percent of monthly income.

The changes could be accomplished in several ways, from stretching out the repayment period of a loan to reducing the interest rate or reducing the outstanding principal.

But analysts noted that lenders, or the mortgage-servicing companies that administered the loan, would still have the last word on whether to make concessions. If a lender decides that the cost of the concessions is higher than the cost of foreclosing, even with the government subsidies, then a borrower would probably still lose the property.

A potentially big limitation on the rescue portion of Mr. Obama’s plan involves second mortgages. To avoid the need for a down payment, or to minimize the down payment, millions of people bought homes with piggy-back mortgages that went alongside the primary mortgages.

Administration officials said on Wednesday that their plan to help homeowners facing foreclosure did not deal with second mortgages. Because those second mortgages were often made by a different lender than the first mortgages, that could greatly complicate negotiations over a loan modification.

To help homeowners who can still keep up with their payments, but who may resent the idea of rescuing others, Mr. Obama’s plan would make it easier to refinance at today’s very low interest rates.

The plan would apply to people with fairly traditional loans that are owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — about 30 million homeowners. The new loans would not be subsidized, but borrowers would not need to have a 20 percent equity stake in the house.

Normally, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require that such borrowers pay private mortgage insurance, which can add hundreds of dollars to a monthly payment. Administration officials estimated that this portion of the plan could help 4 million to 5 million borrowers.

The big limitation of the refinancing portion of the plan is that it would not help borrowers who are current, but under water. It would only be available for mortgages that are not more than 5 percent above the current market value of the house. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, estimated that the plan would help only a million of the 14 million homeowners who are under water.

A third, more vague component of the plan is aimed at propping up the mortgage market as a whole by having Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac step up their purchases of mortgages and mortgage-backed securities.
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Under fire, Burris refuses to resign Senate seat

“Despite calls for his resignation, Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.) made clear Wednesday that he intends to fight. Burris, appointed to fill President Obama’s Senate seat, is under investigation for repeatedly changing his story about contacts with associates of then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D). But he insisted that his hands are clean. … Burris has offered five varying explanations — three of them under oath — of his contacts with associates of Blagojevich, who was charged Dec. 9 with taking part in a bribery conspiracy that included trying to sell Obama’s former seat.” (02/18/09)


Link: http://adjix.com/628t

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New York Post publishes extremely racist political cartoon

Cartoonist Sean Delonas and the New York Post don't think this is offensive at all.

The New York Post is standing behind a cartoon that some have interpreted as comparing President Barack Obama to a violent chimpanzee gunned down by police.
The cartoon in Wednesday's Post by Sean Delonas shows two police officers standing over the body of a bullet-riddled chimp. One of the officers says to the other, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."


You can find contact information for Sean Delonas and New York Post's Managing Editor Jesse Angelo here.

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Linkin: Julia Roberts Children, New York Post Chimp Cartoon, Painted Babies, More

Julia Roberts is out on the stump promoting her new movie and talking about her kids, motherhood and marriage to husband, Danny Moder. The full-time mom (except for when she's working) has said that it should be illegal to take pictures of celebrity children, but I guess it's OK to sell your own pictures as she did in 2005 or to trot them out to promote your current film entitled, um, Duplicity. In other shocking news...the NY Post publishes a cartoon that critics claim represents Obama as a chimp, Little Miss Perfect is a new show about child beauty pageant contestants, girls and boys really do marry their parents (or people who resemble them), the preschooler essentials before you leave the house, and a fashion-garden mash up that benefits everyone. Find out now!
Julia Roberts is out on the stump promoting her new movie Duplicity and talking about her kids, motherhood and marriage to husband Danny Moder. (Celebrity Baby Blog)
Did the NY Post call Obama a chimpanzee? (Huffington Post)
Little Miss Perfect is the new WE show about "painted babies," child beauty show contestants and their completely not living through their children parents. Check out clips from the first episode. (Extra)
So as it turns out, little girls really do marry their daddies. Let’s hope that’s good news. (Stollerderby)
When you have a preschooler it’s easier to over pack when leaving the house than to under pack. Trying to get it just right? See if you would choose the same three items as the readers of simple mom. (Simple Mom)
What happens when Brooklyn Industries teams up with the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens? This!
Jodi Nelson Call also writes for Pistols and Popcorn. Check out her latest article here.

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Hands off Tristan und Isolde!

We just saw Tristan at the Chicago Lyric Opera, with David Hockney's magnificent 1987 set designs (click to enlarge).

What a work it is. Somehow, though it is one of my favorite works of art in any medium, I had never seen it performed live before. I've been wandering around in a daze ever since. Even after his break with Wagner, Nietzsche affirmed the greatness of Tristan: “Even now," he said, "I am still in search of a work which exercises such a dangerous fascination, such a spine-tingling and blissful infinity as Tristan — I have sought in vain, in every art.” He was right, as he usually was about works of art.

I guess one reason I was not over-eager to see it in the flesh is that you never seem to see Wagner performed nowadays unless the production deliberately distorts the work in some way or other. Shakespeare also gets this sort of special treatment: The Tempest presented as a criticism of British imperialism, etc. Chicago's Wagner performances have been especially egregious in this regard. Several years ago they had the amazing chutzpah to present The Flying Dutchman with a conventional happy ending. Instead of the Dutchman's ship sinking beneath the waves and Senta hurling herself off a cliff, they had the happy couple walking arm in arm down the beach, presumably to get married and raise 2.5 children. Then there was that unforgettably awful staging of the Ring, in which the Ride of the Valkyries was indicated by girls jumping on trampolines.

One reason I thought I could afford to see Tristan at last is that I saw Hockney's designs: they do bear some resemblance or relation to what Wagner intended us to see on the stage.

Of course, since this is Chicago, the producers could not resist messing with the work. At the end, as Isolde sings the Liebostod, they had her standing with arms raised exultantly, a gesture that philosopher Roger Scruton has compared to that of a football player doing an end-zone victory dance. Then, instead of her collapsing and dying in ecstasy, they had her, through a trick of lighting, disappear.

Scruton thinks this messing-with-the-text is not a matter of childish vandalism, but an inevitable result of the fact that there are ideas in Wagner, such as religious self-sacrifice, that are no longer available to modern audiences, except "between quotation-marks."

He's partly right of course, but I don't think this explanation is sufficiently general. It doesn't seem to explain why the same sorts of people mess with Shakespeare.

Personally, I lean toward the childish vandalism theory, though I admit that it is not much of an explanation. It leaves questions unanswered. Regardless of what you think of Wagner, isn't it obvious that you should be more interested in hearing what he thinks of love, death, and redemption, than in hearing what some Chicago opera producer thinks? And how on Earth could that producer possibly ignore that obvious fact? How can such people possibly have the temerity to substitute their ideas for his?
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Framed Documents #029: Breaker Morant

Lieutenant Handcock (Bryan Brown) composes a last letter to his wife from the condemned cell in Breaker Morant:

Dear Polly

I have but an hour [...] cast and altho my brain [...] for four long weary months I [...] from wanting you a few last [...] going to find out the grand secret [...] will face my God with the firm belief [...] innocent of murder and I obeyed my orders [...] and served my King as I thought best.

If I over steped [sic] my duty I can only ask my People & country for forgiveness.

Take care of little Allison for me at all costs. They You were my greatest comforts [sic] at home & my greatest trouble now. I hope my country will see my children cared for. I will die brave for the sake of all. God forgive any enemys [sic]. I give you peace for ever. I have not heard if my brother Eugene was killed in the wretched war or not. But if not tell him [...] will I have gone to rest. Tell Willie & Peter to be good to their sister. God be with you in your trouble.

Your loving husband

Peter Handcock

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Carmen Sucart said Yuri Sucart is Alex Rodriguez’s cousin

uri Sucart is Alex Rodriguez’s cousin, who A-Rod claimed provided and injected him with steroids from 2001 – 2003. Yuri Sucart is a resident of Miami. Carmen Sucart, the wife of Yuri, confirmed that her husband was the man Rodriguez had referred to who had injected him with boli (steroid Primobolan).


Yuri Sucart is Rodriguez’s close friend and part of his entourage when he travels. Carmen Sucart has refused to elaborate further on her husband and said whatever Rodriguez revealed in his press conference was all there was to tell.

Carmen Sucart said Yuri Sucart is Alex Rodriguez’s cousin - news link. There are more puzzling implications which are discussed in the link.

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jimmy brooks + lykke li =

source: youtube.com + my own collage i made with pics found awhile back

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Julia: Dan Keeps Me Hot

We haven't heard much from Julia Roberts in a while.

And we must say, we've missed her.

So when we heard that she'd been chatting about all things love to Allure magazine, our ears started ringing.

41-year-old Jules says she owes her youthful good looks to her cameraman hubby of six years, Danny Moder.

She says that it's Dan's love for her that keeps her looking young and luminous.

"The key to beauty is always to be looking at someone who loves you, really," she told Allure magazine.

"One of my favourite
Danny Moder and Julia Roberts
things about my children right now, even Henry, who can't say all the words... sometimes he'll see me and go, 'Mama' and throw himself on me. Or Finn says he likes my earrings. Or Hazel will say, 'You look pretty, Mama,' first thing in the morning.

"And I realise, that's all my husband. They're seeing the things that he does and the way that he shares his feelings with me, and the way that I share my feelings with him.

"The coolest thing you can do for your children is to love each other in their presence."

Jules has recently headed back to work after a four year hiatus in which she concentrated on raising her four-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, and Henry, 20 months.

And she said it wasn't all smooth-sailing, especially when a crew member put his foot in it on the set of her new film, Duplicity.

"Just when you think you're getting your s**t together, someone says, 'When is your baby due?' I had Henry on my hip, and it was like, 'This is my baby.'

"It hurt my feelings so bad. I think the second-meanest thing you can say to somebody is, 'You look tired.' Why do people say that? Just tell me I look like a mom. Don't tell me I look tired."

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Nirmalamma Passed Away

Famous Telugu actress Nirmalamma passed away on Thursday morning in Hyderabad. She was 89. This gifted actress got recognition as a natural artiste who immortalised hundreds of mother and grandmother characters. Nirmalamma has been an innevitable part of Telugu film for decades.

She began her acting career in 1950 with a Telugu film ‘Garudagarvabhangam’ at the age of 16. She has acted in almost a 1000 films. She got FiImfare award for the best character artiste.

Her important films include Shankarabharam, Yamagola, Padiharella Vayassu, Shubhasankalpam, Apadbandhavudu, Swathimythyam and many more. After acting in Chiranjeevi starrer Sneham Kosam, Nirmalamma almost stopped acting in movies.

She had been suffering from ailments related to old age. On Thursday morning she was rushed to hospital after her health deteriorated where she breathed her last.

The film industry has expressed grief over the demise of the blessed actress.

Chiru About Nirmalamma Videos

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