Devils Made Their Way To The Top.

LONDON – Wayne Rooney’s 21st Premier League goal of the season secured a 1-0 victory for Manchester United over Fulham on Monday to put them three points clear of Manchester City in the title race.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney in action during their English Premier League soccer match against Fulham at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, Britain. 

Rooney’s close-range strike after 41 minutes proved enough to see off an unambitious Fulham side and take the champions, who survied a strong late penalty appeal, to 73 points with eight games remaining.

City had moved top on goal difference with a 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Saturday but United responded with a ninth victory from their last 10 league matches and are now favourites to retain the title.

United manager Alex Ferguson, closing in on a 13th English championship with the Old Trafford club, said his team had deserved the three points despite tiring near the end.

Source: Galaxie

Maldives Halts Rescue Attempt on Hijacked Ship.

MALDIVES: The Maldivian government says it has abandoned an attempt to rescue a Bolivian-flagged cargo ship hijacked by pirates that drifted away from its territorial waters. The vessel was hijacked in The Indian Ocean waters on Monday.  

More news will follow....

Edited by : Group 5 

The Case of Nurul Nadirah

JOHOR BARU: Charred remains of 5-year-old Nurul Nadirah Abdullah, missing since March 1, was found at a plantation in Nusa Damai, Johor.

The remains were found on Thursday and subsequent DNA testing with a sample from her mother, Roselyn Alan, 25, confirmed her identity, said Seri Alam OCPD Superintendent Roslan Zainuddin

"We managed to get DNA samples from bone fragments found at the scene. The Chemistry Department found the samples matched her mother's DNA," he told reporters here.

Roselyn reported her missing when Nurul, fondly called Dirang, failed to return after going to a grocery shop on the ground floor of the next block of flats to buy eggs and instant noddles.

A special task force headed by Johor CID chief Datuk Amer Awal and assisted by Federal police officers was set up to solve the case, which received wide news coverage with various quarters icluding from the private sector stepping in to circulate posters of the child in the hope of finding her.

Police also have called up four people including Dirang's father to assist investigations into the case.

Roslan said in the wake of the latest development, police have re-classified the case from missing person to murder.

Apocalypse - What Should We Believe?

With humanity coming up fast on 2012, publishers are helping readers gear up and count down to this mysterious - some even call it apocalyptic - date that ancient Mayan societies were anticipating throughout thousands of years ago.

Since November, at least three new books on 2012 have arrived in mainstream book stores. A fourth is due this fall. Each arrives in the wake of the 20116 succeed of 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, which has been selling thousands of copies a month since its release in May and counts more than 40,000 in prints. The books also built on popular interest in the Maya, fuled in part by Mel Gibson's December 2006 film about Mayan civilization, Apocalypto.

Authors disagree about what humankind should expect on December 21, 2012, when the Maya's "Long Count" calendar marks the end of a 5,126-year era.

Journalist Lawrence Joseph forecasts widespread catastrophe in Apocalyspe 2012: A Scientific Investigation Into Civilization's End. Spiritual healer Andrew Smith predicts a restoration of a "true balance between Divine Feminine and Masculine" in The Revolution of 2012: Vol. 1, The Preparation. in 2012, Daniel Pinchbeck anticipates a "change in the nature of consciousness," assisted by indigenous insights and psychedelic drug use.

The build up to 2012 echoes excitement and fear expressed on the eve of the new millenium, popularly knows as Y2K, though on a smaller scale, says Lynn Garrett, senior religion editor at Publishers Weekly. She says publishers seem to be courting readers who believe humanity is creating its own ecological disasters and desperately needs ancient indigenous wisdom.

"The convergence I see here is the apocalyptic expectation, if you will, along with the fact that the environment is in front of many people's minds these days," Garrett says. "Part of the appeal of these earth religions is that notion that we need to reconnect with the Earth in order to save ourselves."

But scholars are bristling at attempts to link the ancient Maya with trends in contemporary spirituality. Maya civilization, knows for advanced writing, mathematics and astronomy, flourished for centuries in Mesoamerica, especially between A.D. 300 and 900. Its Long Count calendar, which was discontinued under Spanish colonization, tracks more than 5,000 years, then resets at year zero.

"For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle," says Sandra Noble, executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies in Crystal River, Fla. To render December 21, 2012, as a doomsday or moment of cosmic shifting, she says, is "a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in."

Part of the 2012 mystique stems from the stars. On the winter solstice in 2012, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years. This means that "whatever energy typically streams to Earth from the center of the Milky Way will indeed be disrupted on December 21, 2012 at 11:11 p.m. Universal Time," Joseph writes.

But scholars doubt the ancient Maya extrapolated great meaning from anticipating the alignment - if they were even aware of what the configuration would be.

Astronomers generally agree that "it would be impossible the Maya themselves would have known that," says Susan Milbrath, a Maya archaeoastronomer and a curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History. What's more, she says, "we have no record or knowledge that they would think the world would come to an end at that point."

University of Florida anthropologist Susan Gillespie says the 2012 phenomenon comes "from media and from other people making use of the Maya past to fulfil agendas that are really their own."

Souce: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-03-27-maya-2012_n.htm

6 Home Recipes to Lighten Hair

Skim through the following 6 home recipes to lighten hair 2-3 shades at least on a pocket-friendly price. Whether you have salon-dyed tresses or you would like to use these treatments on your natural shade, it's time to save a few nickels on your hair coloring regime. 


Remember, these alternative methods were developed and tested by normal people and not experts! Therefore, it is highly recommended to think through your decision to try your hand at some of these naturally and more dramatic lightening solutions. Here is a list of the hip hair lightening tricks without using harsh bleaching. 

1. Chamomile Tea and Lemon Juice

This natural treatment will lighten your locks with 1-2 shades. Mix the juice of a medium sized lemon with 3 cups of chamomile tea and use it as a hair rinse after washing your locks. Let the air dry your locks and expose your hair to sunlight in order to see the amazing results of this natural hair lightening technique.

2. Rhubarb

Prepare for the ultimate natural bleaching session without doing any damage to your locks. This time put ¼ cup of chopped rhubarb in 2 cups of boiling water. 
Put the mixture aside until it cools then use it as a hair rinse on a regular basis. This herb has a natural lightener quality and can be used to change your hair tone.

3. Vitamin C and Lemon Juice

This fascinating hair lightening technique is used by hundreds of people all over the world. Moreover, this is one of the few methods which can be used also in the case of permanent hair color. 
In a medium sized bowl mix 3 tbs of vitamin C powder with 2 tsp of organic lemon juice and a tiny amount of shampoo to prepare a fine paste. Apply this mixture on your strands and massage it into your locks. Cover your strands with a plastic wrap and leave the treatment on for 50 minutes at least. When the time is up wash your hair with shampoo and enjoy your lighter locks.

4. Olive Oil and Honey

Use cheap ingredients you can find in every household to bleach your hair naturally. Now, grab a bowl and mix 3 tbs of olive oil with 4 tbs of honey. Put the bowl aside for 15 minutes. Then apply the treatment on your locks and leave the hair pack on for 40 minutes and wash it off with tepid water and shampoo. Repeat this treatment more times depending on how light you want your locks to become.

5. Cinnamon

In order to lighten hair naturally it is important to repeat this treatment at least 4-5 times for dazzling results. In a bowl mix 4 tbs of cinnamon powder with 2 tbs of your regular conditioner. Apply the paste on your damp tresses and cover your hair with a plastic wrap. Leave the hair mask on overnight or 4 hours at least for visible results. Then wash off the mixture with tepid water and a tiny amount of shampoo.

6. Henna Powder and Chamomile

Purchase a tiny amount of henna powder at the local green health store and combine it with chamomile to create a natural bleaching solution. In a bowl mix 3 tbs of henna powder with the same amount of dried chamomile herbs and a tiny amount of water. Spread this mixture all over your wet locks and leave it on for 2 hours at least. Cover your hair with a shower cap or a plastic wrap. Finally rinse off the hair mask with shampoo and tepid water. Repeat this ritual more times per week or per month for visible results.

posted by Lei Wah Mon

Source: www.becomegorgeous.com

One Direction Makes American Pop History.

One Direction with their Brit Award

One Direction have become the first UK pop group to debut at number one on the US album chart - and called it "a dream come true".

Their first release Up All Night has rocketed into the top spot on the Billboard chart.

The boy band - Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson - was formed by TV's The X Factor and signed to Simon Cowell's label Syco.

They are still coming to terms with the success and Styles said today: "We simply cannot believe that we are number one in America.

"It's beyond a dream come true for us. We want to thank each and every one of our fans in the US who bought our album and we would also like to thank the American public for being so supportive of us."

Cameron Highlands

Cameron Highlands is located in the far North West on the state of Pahang in Malaysia. It’s 300KM far from the capital city “Kuala Lumpur” or four hour driving from Puduraya bus terminal. Cameron highland got its name from William Cameron, a British surveyor who was commissioned by the then colonial government to map out the area in 1885.

With British came tea to one of the most famous areas in Asia for tea. As you go there you would be amazed by the endless shiny green felids of tea plantation. If you are a big fan of strawberry, then you should never miss the chance to visit the strawberry farms in Cameron will drive your sensation to a different world with the taste of sweet and sour Cameron strawberry.

 Roses, butterflies and bee parks are highly recommended to visit. Each of these parks would amaze your camera’s lens if you like taking photos; Bee Park would be the place for you to get your pure honey. 

Sense of adventure would take a part in your trip to Cameron Highlands. Jungle tracking would take you far deep into jungles where you can see and experience the life of native people “Orang Asli”. You might even get the chance to find the biggest flower on the earth “Rafflesia”

Unlike the polluted, busy and stressed environment in Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands breezy weather refreshes your mind as well as your body.

 

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, The Lord of the Apes

The film started with a shipping disaster in the 19^th century which has a man and a woman stranded in the wild jungle of Africa. The woman is pregnant and later on, gives birth to a son in a tree house that they have built. Soon after, an ape discovered their tree house and killed both parents. A female ape then takes the baby boy as a replacement for her own dead infant, and raises him like a son. 

Many years later, a group of hunters enters the jungle near Tarzan’s home. However, they were attacked by a native tribe. Captaine Phillippe D’Arnot, who is injured, discovers a man who thinks he is an ape. He begins teaching the man English and took him to the tree house that leads him to believe that he is the direct descendant of the Earl of Greystoke, and thus takes it upon himself to bring the man to civilization.

The First Movie Ever Made

Asking what was the first movie ever made is a bit like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg. It's hard to give a definitive reply. The answer really depends on what you consider to be a movie. If you consider a set of moving pictures to be the first movie ever made, then Eadweard Muybridge's high-speed photographs of a horse galloping can rightfully claim the title.

With the development of celluloid film for still photography, it became possible to directly capture objects in motion in real time. An 1878 experiment by English photographer Eadweard Muybridge in the United States using 24 cameras produced a series of stereoscopic images of a galloping horse, is arguably the first "motion picture", though it was not called by this name. This technology required a person to look into a viewing machine to see the pictures which were separate paper prints attached to a drum turned by a handcrank. The pictures were shown at a variable speed of about 5 to 10 pictures per second, depending on how rapidly the crank was turned. Commercial versions of these machines were coin operated.

The Horse In Motion (1878)

Eadweard Muybridge's groundbreaking motion photography was accomplished using multiple cameras and assembling the individual pictures into a motion picture. Muybridge was commissioned by Leland Stanford (California governor/ Stanford University) to scientifically answer a popularly debated question during this era - are all four of a horse's hooves ever off the ground at the same time while the horse is galloping? Muybridge's time-motion photography proved they indeed were, and the idea of motion photography was born.


You can watch the footage of a horse galloping here: 

posted by Lei Wah Mon

Source: www.voices.yahoo.com

I won't give up!

What's new on youtube? Well, here's one music video which made me want to watch it over and over again.
It is a lyric video of a song which has been performed by an American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz. The song is about a person who would not give up easily on the person he loves dearly no matter how the things in his life get hard, he believes that he is tough enough that he will always look up to the things he want..

Here's part of the lyrics -  ;)

"I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily I'm here to stay and make the difference that i can make Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use the tools and gifts .."

Enjoy the Video too !

I won't Give Up - Jason Mraz

Posted by Htet Htet Oo (Cynthia)

You Just Need To Take Five!

Taking a break is just as important as exercising. Give your body the break it deserves and remember that recovery is key to looking and feeling your best!

Have a snack
Refuel within 15 minutes of working out , when your body turns food into muscle-healing glycogen three times faster than normal, says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Have some carbs (they're stored as glycogen) and protein ( it speeds up muscle repair). Try a box of low-fat chocolate milk or a fruit-and-nut mix drink.

Skip the gym
Head to the movies or the mall instead. Without a mental breather, your motivation may fade away quickly. According to a study in the American Journal of Applied Psychology, those who exercise and were mentally fatigued stopped 15 per cent earlier than those whose brains weren't so spent.

Go to bed early
Clock it in at least seven to eight hours of sleep every day. When you snooze, your body produces human growth hormone, which stimulates tissue repair in your muscles and tendons _ great post-workout therapy!

Get pampered
It's proven by researchers at The Ohio State University that muscles given a massage post-exercise had less swelling and inflammation than muscles that simply rested. Time to book that spa!

posted by Lei Wah Mon

What is Social Phobia?

It's natural to feel self-conscious, nervous, or shy in front of others at times. Anyone can have a racing heart, sweaty palms, or fluttering stomach when trying out for chorus, asking someone on a first date, or giving a class presentation.

When people feel so self-conscious and anxious that it prevents them from speaking up or socializing most of the time, it's probably more than shyness. It may be an anxiety condition called “social phobia”.

Social phobia (also sometimes called social anxiety) is a type of anxiety problem. Extreme feelings of shyness and self-consciousness build into a powerful fear. As a result, a person feels uncomfortable participating in everyday social situations. Like other phobias, social phobia is a fear reaction to something that isn't actually dangerous, although the body and mind react as if the danger is real. This means that someone feels physical sensations of fear, like a faster heartbeat and breathing. These are part of the body's fight-flight response. They're caused by a rush of adrenaline and other chemicals that prepare the body to either fight or make a quick getaway. As the body experiences these physical sensations, the mind goes through emotions like feeling afraid or nervous.

“ If a teacher called on me, I'd panic. My heart would be so fast, and I felt like I could barely breathe. My mind would just go blank, even though I knew the answers. My teachers were nice, but the moment I'd get called on, I was too nervous to say anything at all. Mos of the time, I tried not to get called on.” - Lana, 16.

Posted by Htet Htet Oo (Cynthia) 

Emo Phenomena

Emo Kid stoned to death

Recently, several kids were killed in Baghdad and all of them were seemed as emo or gay which left young people who embrace dark, Western fashions living in fear. What is the reason behind this killing spree? Is it because they are gays or appeared as devil worshipers? The following is a report by CNN. 

Baghdad (CNN) — A recent rash of killings of people perceived to be gay or emo in Iraq has stoked fear within those communities, which worry the government might be unwilling or unable to protect them. At least 14 such victims were killed in Baghdad in the past three weeks, according to a senior Interior Ministry official, who was not authorized to talk to the media.Rights activists claim the number is actually much higher, with some suggesting dozens or more than 100 have been killed since February.

The killings appear to target people perceived to be gay, or emo — shorthand in Iraq for an in-your-face style of Western dress that favors tight clothes, long hair and the color black. Most of the killings have taken place in Shiite neighborhoods like Sadr City, Shulaa, Ameen and Tariq, activists said.”

“Ten days ago, I received a letter from militiamen threatening me that if they found me then they will not kill me like other ‘perverts,’ but they will cut my body into pieces,” a gay activist told CNN on Sunday. The activist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of safety concerns, showed CNN a copy of a letter he said was distributed in Sadr City, identifying 33 potential “gay and emo” targets. “We strongly warn every male and female debauchee, if you do not stop this dirty act within four days, then the punishment of God will fall on you at the hands of Mujahideen,” it read. CNN could not confirm the authenticity of the letter.

The anonymous threats and murders come less than a month after the Interior Ministry released a statement on the so-called emo phenomenon, blasting it as Satanic. It said the movement, which it described as young people wearing “strange and tight clothes with graphics such as skulls,” is being monitored by authorities with the goal of eliminating it.

The campaign and violence have had an immediate chilling effect among youth communities in Baghdad. Teenager Kamel Saad told CNN he cut his hair so as not to become a potential target. “I’m not the only one. All my friends in the school decided to change their hair style and change their clothes, too, even though we’re not emo or gay,” he said.

Saad said a group of men, who identified themselves as community police, entered his classroom two weeks ago and asked students to tell them about other students’ suspicious behavior. “I thought it was about terrorism, but later, when the police explained more, we realized that they were talking about emo,” he said.

Is there any hope the killings will stop?

The Interior Ministry has issued another statement insisting it never meant that "emo" kids should be harmed, and that young people are free to dress as they like. Ministry officials also insist that anti-emo sentiment had nothing to do with the killings, which it chalks up to revenge attacks and common crimes. Influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says "emo" youths as "crazy and fools," but they are a "plague on Muslim society" that officials should deal with through legal means. But "emo" kids say they now live in fear, and many have cut their hair and changed their dress to avoid becoming targets.

  

posted by Lei Wah Mon

Sources: http://news.yahoo.com, http://iamiranaware.wordpress.com/

Teen With A Body of 105 Year Old.

She has a rare disease called progeria, which turns little kids old before they can reach their teens, and doctors say little Hayley Okines would not live past 13.

The girl from East Sussex, England turned 14 last December and celebrates with a published autobiography called Old Before My Time, which was co-written by her mother, Kerry.

"Mum says I am one in eight million because my condition is so rare," Hayley says in her book.

Apart from the disease, Hayley Okines also writes about pop-star crushes and hating school in her autobiography.Image source: Mail Online

The teen has participated in a three-drug trial of lonafarnib, "a cholesterol-fighting pravastatin and the osteoporosis drug zoledronate". Results show that Hayley's cheeks are fuller, skin healthier and a heart with no deterioration to her arteries.

Hayley is on board for a four-drug trial that adds everolimus to enhance cells ability to get rid of progerin.

Because of the meds, Hayley feels more positive and says: "I feel like I have a future to plan. I think that maybe when I grow up, I will get married. Mum says it will have to be someone very special to see beyond my progeria."

Hayley is among 89 children in 32 countries living with the disease that ages the body eight times the normal rate. Progeria leaves skin papery and thin, and bones fragile, with her organs threatened by diseases typical of elderly folks.

Patients suffering from the disease would usually die of a heart attack or stroke at an average age of 13.

Source: Mail Online and ABC News

                                                                                                                              

World's Coolest Staircases.

Duisburg, Germany

It looks like any old roller coaster, with curves and heart-stopping loops. But instead of zooming by, people are walking—on inclines fitted with steps. This creation in Germany's Rhine Valley is an interactive sculpture, but it’s also one of the world’s most unique staircases. 

While staircases are fundamentally a means to get from one point to another, they become cool—and worth seeking out—when the form is made at least as important as the function. Whether in shops, museums, or the great outdoors, the staircases we’ve found are inspiring works of public art and provide interesting perspective on a destination.

So the next time you travel, skip the elevator and take the stairs. We bet you’ll be so amazed by the world’s coolest staircases you won’t notice you’re getting a workout.

Busy People

We are all familiar with the fake busy person: someone who complains he has to so much to do when really; he can get it all done if she spent less hours complaining. A friend who hardly makes it to gatherings because she has so many assignments to get done but not certainly busy to update Facebook status or post a tweet on twitter. 

Or could it even be you, who spends most of your time organizing and reorganizing, creating to-do-lists of what needs to be done, instead of just doing what’s on the list?

We are all guilty of being fake busy. It’s often that, for example, while researching, we end up watching a YouTube video since it’s for 2 minutes only, then it leads to another video. Then you have to share it on Facebook so that your friends can view it too, while the intention of doing the research’s all forgotten.

We all have complained about how much work we have and it can create a sense of overwhelming, when really, when the easy thing to do is prioritize, time manage and focus. There is nothing really to complain about. 

by Lei Wah Mon 

Why does my eye twitch?

Eye twitching, eyelid tics and spasms are pretty common. Usually only the bottom lid of one eye is involved, but the top eyelid also can twitch. Most eye twitches come and go, although they can last for weeks or even months. In Myanmar culture, there's a saying that when it happens, you will hear bad news or you'll have to cry soon. You have to touch the spot and chant something that goes like this "bad things be gone and fortunes come to me." It's one of the superstitions some people still believe nowadays. 

So what is the real reason eyes twitch? 

Stress: While we're all under stress at times, our bodies react in different ways. Eye twitching can be one sign of stress, especially when it is related to vision problems such as eye strain. Reducing the cause of the stress can help make the twitching stop. 

When your eyelid is twitching, you may feel that everyone else can see it, as in this animation that exaggerates the movement. But usually the spasm is so subtle that others wouldn't even notice.

Tiredness: A lack of sleep, whether because of stress or some other reason, can trigger eyelid spasms. Catching up on your sleep can help.

Eye strain: Vision-related stress can occur if, for instance, you need glasses or a change of glasses. Your eyes may be working too hard, triggering eyelid twitching.

Computer eye strain from overuse of computers, tablets and smartphones is also a very common cause of vision-related stress.

If your eyelid twitching is persistent and very annoying, you should have an eye exam, because you may need vision correction. If you spend a lot of time on the computer, you also should consider talking to your eye doctor about special computer eyeglasses.

Caffeine and alcohol: Many experts believe that too much caffeine and/or alcohol can trigger eye twitches. If your caffeine (coffee, tea, soda pop, etc.) and/or alcohol intake has increased, cutting back is worth a try.

Dry eyes: More than half of the older population experiences dry eyes, due to aging. Dry eyes also are very common for people who use computers, take certain medications (antihistamines, antidepressants, etc.), wear contact lenses and consume caffeine and/or alcohol. If you are tired and under stress, you may also develop dry eye.

It's best to see your eye doctor for a dry eye evaluation, because many treatments are now available.

Nutritional imbalances: Some reports indicate a lack of certain nutritional substances, such as magnesium, can trigger eyelid spasms. Although these reports lack scientific evidence, I can't rule this out as a possible cause of eyelid twitching.

If you suspect a nutritional deficiency may be affecting you, however, I suggest talking this over with your family doctor for expert advice rather than randomly buying over-the-counter nutritional products.

Allergies: People with eye allergies can have itching, swelling and watery eyes. When eyes are rubbed, this releases histamine into the lid tissues and the tears. This is significant, because some evidence indicates that histamine can cause eyelid twitching.

To offset this problem, some eye doctors have recommended antihistamine eye drops or tablets to help some eyelid twitches. But remember that antihistamines also can cause dry eyes. It's best to work with your eye doctor to make sure you're doing the right thing for your eyes.

Now that we know the reasons for eye twitching, what are the remedies for it? Well, one doctor said that some of these types of twitches can be successfully treated with Botox injections that help stop muscle contractions. Proper diagnosis and treatment is needed if the twitching affects half your face or your entire eye, causing the lids to clamp shut.

So the best thing to do is to go see an eye doctor! 

by Lei Wah Mon

(Source: http://www.allaboutvision.com/)

World's coolest movie theaters

The word "theater" was derived from the Ancient Greek θέατρον (théatron, “a place for viewing”) and θεάομαι (theáomai, “to see", "to watch", "to observe”). The dictionary meaning of "theater" is a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented. 

With the development of Home Entertainment System, one might think there is no more need of going to theaters to see plays, performances and movies. However, there is still a longing for the thrills associated with the heyday of glamorous movie palaces.

"University lecturer Ross Melnick welcomes this renaissance after years of bland shoebox-type theaters and megaplexes: "It's all about trying to bring back the style of the past and marry it with the technology of the future." He cofounded the fan site Cinema Treasures, which devotedly chronicles the world's coolest movie theaters."

The followings are the photos & descriptions of the world's coolest theaters.

Colosseum Kino, Oslo, Norway

This movie theater is located in Norway. It's the largest theater in Northern Europe and was built in 1921. 

The Raj Mandir, Jaipur, India

This theater is known for naming its seating sections after gem stones. It was built in the 1970s and tickets only cost around $3 a person. If all movie theaters were that cheap, people would be going to the movies more. 

Alamo Drafthouse, Austin, TX

This quirky indie movie chainlet has been known to kick out patrons for texting during a show. That’s a tip-off to the seriousness of the place, which also has an offbeat charm. The Drafthouse once showed the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy at an event called Hobbit Feast, where viewers ate only when the on-screen characters did; periodic screenings call for everyone to dress as a particular character—say, Will Ferrell in Semi-Pro.  

Sun Pictures Cinema, Broome, Austrailia

Haphazardly built from corrugated iron and jarrah wood in 1916 to entertain locals in this isolated outback town’s once-thriving pearl-diving industry, the endearingly rickety cinema is the world’s oldest operating outdoor picture garden (first silent film shown: racy racing drama Kissing Cup). Saved by a wealthy local businessman in the early 1980s, it’s been preserved almost unchanged. 

Kennedy School, Portland OR

McMenamins is a local empire of brewpubs and entertainment venues, with more than 50 different spaces in the city, many artfully repurposing old buildings (church, farm, ballroom). The coolest is undoubtedly the Kennedy School, a onetime elementary school that’s now a 35-room hotel and restaurant plus an eccentric movie theater housed in the old auditorium. The 300-seat cinema shows second-run and repertory movies nightly, plus kid-friendly Mommy Matinees, with comfy armchairs and a full menu of McMenamins craft brews available at your seat.  

ReRun Cinema, Brooklyn, NY

The cobblestoned streets of Brooklyn’s waterfront DUMBO district welcomed this gastropub theater (an extension of the dive ReBar) in Summer 2010. It spotlights undistributed or unfairly overlooked indie circuit films, projected from a DVD player on a 12-foot screen while cinemagoers recline on repurposed car seats (yep, there are seat belts too). 

by Lei Wah Mon

Source: www.huffingpost.com

Girl suspended for speaking Native American Language

Miranda Washinawatok, 12, is a student at Sacred Heart Catholic Academy.

After a 12 year-old Menominee girl called Miranda spoke her native language in class, she was suspended from playing the night's basketball. 

Miranda Washinawatok attends Sacred Heart Catholic Academy in Shawano, Wisconsin. According to Native News Network, the school is more than 60 percent Native American and is about six miles from the Menominee Indian Tribe Reservation.

On January 19, she was trying to teach a classmate how to say "posoh" and "ketapanen" when her teacher overheard and she got in trouble. The teacher told her she was not to speak like that because she didn't know if Miranda was saying something bad.

The words Miranda got in trouble for mean "hello" and "I love you" in the Menominee language.

“Miranda kept saying she was only told by her assistant coach she was being benched because two teachers said she had a bad attitude,” Tanaes Washinawatok, Miranda’s mother, told Native News Network. “I wanted to know what she did to make them say she had a bad attitude.” Miranda plays basketball and is the team captain of a volleyball team.

Miranda isn’t a troublemaker. Her mother told Native News that she is mature and respectful. 

There is dispute over who actually did the suspending, but the school has admitted it “failed miserably in its handling of the matter.” Deacon Ray DuBois, the communication director for the Diocese of Green Bay, which operates the school, also told Native News Network that the school does not prohibit the use of any language and that “the number one priority is to help this girl.”

It's the year 2012 and this kind of events are still happening when no one should ever be forbidden or punished in any way for speaking their language.

by Lei Wah Mon

Top 5 New York Times Bestsellers - Fiction

1. Celebrity In Death by J. D. Robb (2012)

Description:

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she’s managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It’s a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks almost like her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody—drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director’s luxury building.

Talented but rude, and widely disliked, K.T. Harris had made an embarrassing scene during dinner. Now she’s at the center of a crime scene—and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster, to step into the role she was born to play: cop.

2. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by by Stieg Larsson (2007)

Description:

In the third volume in the explosive trilogy that has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, Lisbeth Salander confronts political corruption from her hospital bed while a killer lurks next door. This is the last installment of the Millenium series and Lisbeth Salander is not only fighting for her freedom but also her life. With a bullet in her brain courtesy of her psychopath father, Lisbeth battles to stay alive and to survive when so many people are intent on destroying her. Mikael Blomkovist champions her cause and others slowly but surely come to her aid. But the Section will not and cannot let her be, for her mere existence is a threat to them all. Trapped in the custody of the system she distrusts, she can only rely on her talents as master hacker and learn to trust others in order to rectify the wrongs and avenge the injustice that she has been served.

3. A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison (2012)

Description:

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth — a would-be creator is determined to make his (or her) own demons. But it can’t be done without Rachel’s blood.

As a bounty hunter, Rachel has battled vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more. But humanity itself might be her toughest challenge...

4. Kill Shot by Vince Flynn (2012)

Description:

New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn is back with another nail-biting political thriller that follows the young Mitch Rapp on a deadly mission to hunt down the men responsible for the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack.

For months, Mitch Rapp has been steadily working his way through a list of men, bullet by bullet. With each kill, the tangled network of monsters responsible for the slaughter of 270 civilians becomes increasingly clear. He is given his next target: a plump Libyan diplomat who is prone to drink and is currently in Paris without a single bodyguard.

Rapp finds him completely unprotected and asleep in his bed. With confidence in his well-honed skills and conviction of the man’s guilt, he easily sends a bullet into the man’s skull. But in the split second it takes the bullet to leave the silenced pistol, everything changes. The door to the hotel room is kicked open and gunfire erupts all around Rapp. In an instant the hunter has become the hunted. Rapp is left wounded and must flee for his life.

The next morning, the news breaks in Washington that Libya’s Oil Minister has been killed along with three innocent civilians and four unidentified men. The French authorities are certain that the gunman is wounded and on the loose in Paris. As the finger pointing begins, Rapp’s handlers have only one choice—deny any responsibility for the incident and pray that their newest secret weapon stays that way, avoiding capture and dying quietly. One person in the group, however, is not prone to leaving things to chance. Rapp has become a liability, and he absolutely cannot be allowed to be taken alive by the French authorities. But it will soon become clear that nothing is more dangerous than a wounded and cornered Mitch Rapp.

5. Defending Jacob by William Landay (2012) 

Description: 

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student. Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive. Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

by Lei Wah Mon

Source: New York Times

World's Biggest Albino Family.

Roseturai Pullan, 50, and wife Mani, 45, and their albino kids. Pic from www.thesun.co.uk

A mum and dad in India told of their pride after raising the world's biggest albino family.

White-skinned Indian couple Roseturai Pullan, 50, and wife Mani, 45, have EIGHT other family members who are albinos.

They have overcome years of prejudice and hardship — but now the unique ten-strong group are in line for official recognition with a Guinness World Record.

Sons Vijay, 25, Shankar, 24 and Ramkishan, 19, and daughters Renu, 23, Deepa, 21 and Pooja, 18, inherited their albinism.

Renu wed another albino Rosheh, 27, and their two-year-old son Dharamraj also has the condition.

The family — who live in a crammed one-bedroom flat in Delhi — all have pale skin, white hair and poor vision, a side-effect of being albinos.

Roseturai told The Sun: "I've heard people call us 'angrez', which means 'English'. It's hard for people to understand we're born and bred Indian.

"All we know is that we can't see properly, and we can't sit under the sun for long, but we live the best we can."

Roseturai and Mani had an arranged marriage in 1983. They moved from Tamil Nadu in southern India to Delhi, where Roseturai sells eggs from a stall.

He said: "Our parents thought it best we marry as we were 'the same'. In South India we were told if you marry a person with albinism it signals good luck and riches.

"Well, that hasn't been true of us yet. We had a very tough life, especially in the South where people thought we had a disease and treated us like outsiders.

"People in Delhi are a little more open-minded, but many think we're foreigners."

He vowed: "Albinism won't get us down."

Mani admits she went to hospital for a hysterectomy after her first child was born, determined not to bring any more albinos into the world. She said: "I didn't want my children to suffer as we did, but the doctor got scared just looking at me and sent me home. I never went back and have had many children, all with albinism. Now I see it as a gift from god."

Mani, who has an albino sister, added: "I was teased and called various names as I grew up. It made me cry so many times. It's hard living as we do in a country like India, but we're still happy now."

She said their children — who all went to a school for the blind and use a magnifier to read — have already accepted they will not get good jobs due to their sight problems. Oldest son Vijay said: "I'm qualified to work with computers, but my vision means a job is hard to find." He added that when he has saved enough to wed he wants to have an albino wife.

"It's easier if I marry a girl with the same condition as me. I just need to find her."

The family hope they will soon be officially awarded a Guinness World Record.

The next biggest albino families — six-strong — live in the US and Canada. Guinness World Records last night said staff would be contacting the Pullans to verify the record.

The family are looking forward to global recognition. Roseturai said: "We're a great family so it'd be nice for people to know who we are." 

source:   www.thesun.co.uk