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Jekyll-and-Hyde India

 | Jan 27, 2012, 12.00AM IST

Can a country have a split personality? Can a nation be a Dr Jekyll and a Mr Hyde, as in R L Stevenson’s classic tale about the good and the evil that coexists within the individual?

India boasts that in the next few decades it will outstrip Japan to become the third-largest economy in the world. India also boasts of being a cultural and spiritual superpower, with a civilisation going back some 4,000 years. India boasts nuclear capability, the world’s third-largest standing army, the ability to launch space satellites and technical know-how which makes it a rival to California’s Silicon Valley. So far, so very good. Dr Jekyll, through and through.

But India also has another face, another persona. A recent report reveals that India is one of the hungriest countries in the world, ranking 67 th out of 80 countries on the Global Hunger Index. Two hundred and thirty million Indians daily suffer from want of food. In terms of malnutrition, India is worse off than PakistanNepal,Sudan or North Korea. Twenty-one per cent of India’s population is clinically undernourished, almost 44% of children below five years of age are underweight, and 7% of Indian children die before they reach this age.

Describing chronic and widespread child malnutrition as a ‘national shame’, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh has warned that the country cannot hope for a “healthy future”, when this generation of physically, and mentally, impaired children takes over as “farmers, teachers, data operators, artisans and service providers”.

The prime minister’s concern would seem to be a case of too little, too late. Never mind a “healthy future”, India has a far from healthy present, in terms of both physical as well as mental malnourishment. Research conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment which surveyed 15-year-old schoolchildren from 73 countries has put India second last in terms of its students’ performance in reading, science and mathematics. While China came out on top of the list in all three subjects, India came right at the tail end, being better than only Kyrgyzstan. Dr Jekyll has been supplanted by Mr Hyde, and with a vengeance.

So which of the two Indias is the real India? Or are both of them equally real? Or equally unreal? The first casualty of a split-personality disorder – the Jekyll-and-Hyde syndrome – is reality. Objective reality is banished and replaced by a subjective world of self-delusion, a denial of the way things really are. Any attempt to reimpose a sense of reality is met with instant aggression and hostility. Jekyll-and-Hyde doesn’t want to know the truth about himself, or the two ‘themselves’ who make up his deeply divided self.

This is why India is so quick to take offence at any real or imagined slight, at any real or implied criticism. A BBC television show in which the host goes around in a vehicle with an inbuilt toilet because of the dearth of public lavatories in India evokes howls of official and unofficial protest. How dare these foreigners – especially the Brits who ruled us for almost 200 years and are to blame for everything, anyway – say such nasty things about us? Confronted by a mirror which reflects the inescapable reality about him, a violent Hyde comes to the fore.

On the other hand, the smallest token of appreciation or acceptance by the same or similar foreigners (Oprah Winfrey wearing a saree, an Indian tycoon getting to acquire a foreign company) is hailed as a symbol of national triumph. Dr Jekyll takes a self-congratulatory bow.

India is too quick to take offence, too quick to accept applause, because it swings between the two extremes of its split personality, between the good Jekyll and the brutish Hyde. Will the two, who are one and the same, ever be reconciled? Which one will emerge dominant? That’s perhaps the biggest real-life suspense story the world is witnessing today. Whom do you bet on?

Can a country have a split personality? Can a nation be a Dr Jekyll and a Mr Hyde, as in R L Stevenson’s classic tale about the good and the evil that coexists within the individual?

India boasts that in the next few decades it will outstrip Japan to become the third-largest economy in the world. India also boasts of being a cultural and spiritual superpower, with a civilisation going back some 4,000 years. India boasts nuclear capability, the world’s third-largest standing army, the ability to launch space satellites and technical know-how which makes it a rival to California’s Silicon Valley. So far, so very good. Dr Jekyll, through and through.

But India also has another face, another persona. A recent report reveals that India is one of the hungriest countries in the world, ranking 67 th out of 80 countries on the Global Hunger Index. Two hundred and thirty million Indians daily suffer from want of food. In terms of malnutrition, India is worse off than PakistanNepal,Sudan or North Korea. Twenty-one per cent of India’s population is clinically undernourished, almost 44% of children below five years of age are underweight, and 7% of Indian children die before they reach this age.

Describing chronic and widespread child malnutrition as a ‘national shame’, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh has warned that the country cannot hope for a “healthy future”, when this generation of physically, and mentally, impaired children takes over as “farmers, teachers, data operators, artisans and service providers”.

The prime minister’s concern would seem to be a case of too little, too late. Never mind a “healthy future”, India has a far from healthy present, in terms of both physical as well as mental malnourishment. Research conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment which surveyed 15-year-old schoolchildren from 73 countries has put India second last in terms of its students’ performance in reading, science and mathematics. While China came out on top of the list in all three subjects, India came right at the tail end, being better than only Kyrgyzstan. Dr Jekyll has been supplanted by Mr Hyde, and with a vengeance.

So which of the two Indias is the real India? Or are both of them equally real? Or equally unreal? The first casualty of a split-personality disorder – the Jekyll-and-Hyde syndrome – is reality. Objective reality is banished and replaced by a subjective world of self-delusion, a denial of the way things really are. Any attempt to reimpose a sense of reality is met with instant aggression and hostility. Jekyll-and-Hyde doesn’t want to know the truth about himself, or the two ‘themselves’ who make up his deeply divided self.

This is why India is so quick to take offence at any real or imagined slight, at any real or implied criticism. A BBC television show in which the host goes around in a vehicle with an inbuilt toilet because of the dearth of public lavatories in India evokes howls of official and unofficial protest. How dare these foreigners – especially the Brits who ruled us for almost 200 years and are to blame for everything, anyway – say such nasty things about us? Confronted by a mirror which reflects the inescapable reality about him, a violent Hyde comes to the fore.

On the other hand, the smallest token of appreciation or acceptance by the same or similar foreigners (Oprah Winfrey wearing a saree, an Indian tycoon getting to acquire a foreign company) is hailed as a symbol of national triumph. Dr Jekyll takes a self-congratulatory bow.

India is too quick to take offence, too quick to accept applause, because it swings between the two extremes of its split personality, between the good Jekyll and the brutish Hyde. Will the two, who are one and the same, ever be reconciled? Which one will emerge dominant? That’s perhaps the biggest real-life suspense story the world is witnessing today. Whom do you bet on?

Can a country have a split personality? Can a nation be a Dr Jekyll and a Mr Hyde, as in R L Stevenson’s classic tale about the good and the evil that coexists within the individual?

India boasts that in the next few decades it will outstrip Japan to become the third-largest economy in the world. India also boasts of being a cultural and spiritual superpower, with a civilisation going back some 4,000 years. India boasts nuclear capability, the world’s third-largest standing army, the ability to launch space satellites and technical know-how which makes it a rival to California’s Silicon Valley. So far, so very good. Dr Jekyll, through and through.

But India also has another face, another persona. A recent report reveals that India is one of the hungriest countries in the world, ranking 67 th out of 80 countries on the Global Hunger Index. Two hundred and thirty million Indians daily suffer from want of food. In terms of malnutrition, India is worse off than PakistanNepal,Sudan or North Korea. Twenty-one per cent of India’s population is clinically undernourished, almost 44% of children below five years of age are underweight, and 7% of Indian children die before they reach this age.

Describing chronic and widespread child malnutrition as a ‘national shame’, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh has warned that the country cannot hope for a “healthy future”, when this generation of physically, and mentally, impaired children takes over as “farmers, teachers, data operators, artisans and service providers”.

The prime minister’s concern would seem to be a case of too little, too late. Never mind a “healthy future”, India has a far from healthy present, in terms of both physical as well as mental malnourishment. Research conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment which surveyed 15-year-old schoolchildren from 73 countries has put India second last in terms of its students’ performance in reading, science and mathematics. While China came out on top of the list in all three subjects, India came right at the tail end, being better than only Kyrgyzstan. Dr Jekyll has been supplanted by Mr Hyde, and with a vengeance.

So which of the two Indias is the real India? Or are both of them equally real? Or equally unreal? The first casualty of a split-personality disorder – the Jekyll-and-Hyde syndrome – is reality. Objective reality is banished and replaced by a subjective world of self-delusion, a denial of the way things really are. Any attempt to reimpose a sense of reality is met with instant aggression and hostility. Jekyll-and-Hyde doesn’t want to know the truth about himself, or the two ‘themselves’ who make up his deeply divided self.

This is why India is so quick to take offence at any real or imagined slight, at any real or implied criticism. A BBC television show in which the host goes around in a vehicle with an inbuilt toilet because of the dearth of public lavatories in India evokes howls of official and unofficial protest. How dare these foreigners – especially the Brits who ruled us for almost 200 years and are to blame for everything, anyway – say such nasty things about us? Confronted by a mirror which reflects the inescapable reality about him, a violent Hyde comes to the fore.

On the other hand, the smallest token of appreciation or acceptance by the same or similar foreigners (Oprah Winfrey wearing a saree, an Indian tycoon getting to acquire a foreign company) is hailed as a symbol of national triumph. Dr Jekyll takes a self-congratulatory bow.

India is too quick to take offence, too quick to accept applause, because it swings between the two extremes of its split personality, between the good Jekyll and the brutish Hyde. Will the two, who are one and the same, ever be reconciled? Which one will emerge dominant? That’s perhaps the biggest real-life suspense story the world is witnessing today. Whom do you bet on?

Ooty cop dies during gymnastics display

TNN | Jan 27, 2012, 12.55AM IST

UDHAGAMANDALAM: The Republic Day parade at the HADP stadium here ended on a tragic note when a police constable died while performing gymnastics.

The performance by 31-year-old Pandian, attached to the Armed Reserve Police in the Nilgiris, followed the cultural programmes. While performing, he lost his balance and fell, sustaining severe injuries on his neck. “While performing, he fell and hurt his neck. He was rushed to hospital but succumbed to a heart attack,” said S Nizamudhin, Nilgiris SP. “Pandian had performed the same routine last year. It is an unfortunate accident,” said inspector L Murali.

Pandian hailed from from Chinnamanur in Theni district. He is survived by his wife and two daughter

 

Become ‘junglee’ to take on Reds: CRPF DG

Become ‘junglee’ to take on Reds: CRPF DG
A file photo of coffins of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who died in a Maoist attack in Chattisgarh. CRPF DG has asked his troops to become ‘junglee’ to take on Reds.

 

NEW DELHI: Giving a new mantra to over 70,000 CRPF troops engaged in anti-Naxal operations, its chief K Vijay Kumar has asked them to turn ‘junglee’ (inhabitants of forests) and hit the Maoists “hard” before eliminating them.

Kumar, who took over the reins of the force after the paramilitary suffered its biggest ever setback in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada where Naxals ambushed 75 men in 2010, has asked his men to be like hunters, who hide in the area of the hunt and ultimately “neutralise” it.

“Your adversary is far too inferior than you- in training, in equipment, in physical strength, in tactics, in weaponry, in number, in food he takes. He cannot give you a face to fight. He believes in hiding, hitting and running. This is his strength.

“Let us also modify our tactics- be like hunters, hide in his area and hit him hard. Learn to be a junglee,” Kumar said in his recent official communication to his troops to boost their morale.

More than 70 CRPF battalions are deployed in various states, difficult terrains and dense forests to undertake anti-Maoist offensives and Kumar has made it a practice to write to them every month, since he took over in October 2010.

Decoding the Naxal modus-operandi, Kumar, who is credited to have eliminated forest brigand Veerappan as head of the STF in 2004, said, “Just like a snail, let us carry our rations and load on our back and stay in jungle for longer duration, invisible, silent to let him fall in our trap and hit him hard, pushing him back.

“The harder we push, the more of them (Naxals) will get neutralised. The more of them get neutralised, the fewer of us will have casualities. So remember pushing means fewer casualities…continue it in every skirmish he (Naxals) dares to have with you,” the Director General wrote to them in a signed letter.

 

5 killed in Rio high-rises collapse

AFP | Jan 27, 2012, 04.47AM IST

 

Rio high-rise buildings collapse in centre of city

Rio high-rise buildings collapse in centre of city
RIO DE JANEIRO: Five bodies were found on Thursday as rescue teams frantically searched through rubble for 16 people missing after three high-rise office buildings collapsed in the historic heart of Rio, officials said.

The collapse, apparently caused by structural problems , occurred late on Wednesday near the municipal theater on the city’s Cinelandia square.

Officials said six people were also hurt, including a woman who sustained head injuries and required surgery.
The accident raised fresh questions about the state of Brazil’s infrastructure as it prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.

Rocket attack near Osama bin Laden’s compound: Officials

ABBOTTABAD, Pakistan: Police say unknown assailants fired rocket propelled grenades at the military academy near Osama bin Laden’s compound in the northwest Pakistani city of Abbottabad.

Senior local police officer Abdul Karim says the attack early Friday morning damaged the wall of the academy but did not cause any casualties.

US Navy Seals killed bin Laden during a daring night raid on his compound in Abbottabad last May. The operation outraged the Pakistanis because they were not told about it beforehand.

Many US officials questioned how bin Laden could live for years near Pakistan’s equivalent of West Point. But the US has not found evidence senior Pakistani leaders knew he was there.

 

Gram sabhas above Lok Sabha: Anna

Gram sabhas above Lok Sabha: Anna
Team Anna chose Republic Day to advocate radical ideas like putting gram sabhas above the Lok Sabha and establishing a referendum commission along the lines of Election Commission.
NEW DELHI: Struggling to stay relevant amid signs of growing popular indifference, Team Anna chose Republic Day to advocate radical ideas like putting gram sabhas above the Lok Sabha and establishing a referendum commission along the lines of Election Commission.

In a video message, activist Anna Hazare also praised the Lokayukta bill of Uttarakhand, in what may be seen as a surrogate campaign for the BJP in the state. He said the legislation drafted by the BJP government should be emulated by all states, something that endorses BJP’s claim to be sincere about fighting corruption under its chief ministerial candidate B C Khanduri.

Hazare demanded that a law be brought to give financial and decision-making powers to gram sabhas and threatened to go on a Ramlila Maidan style agitation for it. He also chose to raise the contentious issue of land acquisition, demanding that no acquisition take place without gram sabha approval.

“Lok Sabha thinks it is above everyone. This is wrong. People have made you. So they are above you… It is the sacred temple of democracy. In such a sacred place, what has happened in Rajya Sabha in the last day (of the winter session) on Lokpal bill. 550 people were giving their own suggestions. Nobody has asked people. So we need another law. Assemblies and Lok Sabha think that they are above gram sabhas. But gram sabhas are above you. We need a new law which gives such a power to gram sabhas,” he said in his 30-minute address at a seminar on ‘Rebuilding the Republic’.

Although Hazare’s romance for gram sabha is old, his pitch that the real power should be vested in lakhs of these bodies instead of Lok Sabha has been provoked by the resistance to his agenda in Parliament. The activist even acknowledged as much, criticizing the failure of Rajya Sabha to clear the Lokpal bill. “The elected members were giving their views on their own. This is not right democracy. Why this happened? Because the masters were sleeping… But this jan andolan has woken the people,” he said.

He said there should be provisions in the new law that a panchayat can be dismissed if it spends money without consulting the gram sabha. He extended this principle to land acquisition as well, saying land in a village should not be acquired without the approval of the gram sabha.

Hazare said there was no difference between the British rule and the present system if the government did not take the opinion of people while making laws. He made a fresh demand for Right to Recall and Right to Reject laws. In his election message, Hazare asked people to demand support for the Jan Lokpal from candidates before assuring their vote.

Arguing for amendment to the Constitution to ensure people’s participation in lawmaking, Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan suggested setting up of a ‘Referendum Commission’ on the lines of Election Commission to seek common man’s views in framing legislations.

Bhushan said that available technology and internet could be used for referendum. He said for laws related to a particular state, voting through internet kiosks could be held after biometric identification of a voter. “If it is at national level, the voting should be held at that level… you will have to ask people. The question is whether people wish to have (a particular) law,” he said. Bhushan claimed that holding such referendums would not be difficult.

“We need to have a Referendum Commission on the lines of Election Commission… if five per cent people approach the commission asking for a law, then there should be referendum,” he said.

Seeking to blunt criticism against the proposal, he said some people will raise concern that this will go against the minorities. “But this will not stand. It is said that majority will try to come up with some laws against the minority. That cannot happen as our Constitution guarantees certain rights,” Bhushan explained.

Activist Arvind Kejriwal added, “Parliament has become hostage to ruling party rather than ruling party being accountable to Parliament. This situation of ruling party high command becoming virtual king is dangerous,” he said. On the Lokpal bill, he said the law that went to Parliament was “useless”.

“97 amendments were introduced by opposition. Their speeches were different from the amendments they moved. The ruling party had the majority and they did what they wanted. Was it just a formality? Was it just a show? The people whom we send turn to their high command for orders,” he added.

Another Team Anna member Shanti Bhushan said the reason for the establishment of Republic was to give power to people for lawmaking. “But something has gone wrong. To bridge the gap, a people’s movement is needed and its bugle has been sounded. There will be a peaceful movement that will stretch to the nook and corner of the country,” he said.

Ind vs Aus: Virender Sehwag falls after an aggressive 62 off 53 balls

TNN | Jan 27, 2012, 09.58AM IST
Ind vs Aus: Virender Sehwag falls after an aggressive 62 off 53 balls
Stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag started his innings aggressively on Day 4 of the fourth Test in Adelaide. (AFP Photo)
NEW DELHI: Chasing a massive 500-run target, India lost Virender Sehwag (62) after the skipper scored an aggressive fifty against Australia on Day 4 of the fourth and final Test in Adelaide on Friday.

Spinner Nathan Lyon took the prize-wicket of dangerous Sehwag to give the hosts a crucial breakthough.

Sehwag led the run chase for India with his typical 62 runs off just 53 balls as he raced to fifty in 36 deliveries. He hit twelve boundaries in his rapid knock before throwing his wicket to a mistimed shot resulting to an easy catch forRicky Ponting at mid-on.

Sehwag added 66 runs for the second wicket with veteran Rahul Dravid as they tried to resurrect the Indian run chase after losing Gautam Gambhir (3) early.

India started poorly as they lost opener Gambhir inside five overs. Pacer Ryan Harris struck early in 4.3 overs to dismiss Gambhir cheaply and reduce India to 14/1.

Earlier, Australia declared their second innings soon after the play resume in the post-lunch session and set 500 runs target for India with less than five sessions left in the match.

Ricky Ponting (60) and Brad Haddin (11) took Australia’s overall lead to 499 runs when skipperMichael Clarke declare their innings close. Australia scored 167/5 in 46 overs in their second innings of the match after they declared their first essay at 604/7 on Day 2.

Australia lost Clarke (37) and Michael Hussey (15) in quick succession in the morning session of the fourth day of the fourth Test on Friday.

The hosts were 154/5 at lunch in their second innings with an overall lead of 486 runs with Ponting and Haddin at the crease.

Ishant Sharma trapped Hussey to give India second breakthrough. Umpire Dharmasena took his time before giving Hussey, who wasn’t happy with the decision, marching orders. Australia lost their fifth wicket at the score of 147.

Ricky Ponting, who added 71 runs for the fourth wicket with Michael Clarke, hit another fine half-century to take Australia’s overall lead past 475-run mark. Ponting’s 50 came off in 73 balls and included four boundaries.

Seamer Umesh Yadav got rid of Clarke, who scored 43-ball 37 with the help of four boundaries. Australia lost their fourth wicket at the score of 111.

Yadav’s full-length delivery got a faint outside edge from Clarke’s bat en-route to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha’s hands.

Ponting hit two successive boundaries off Ishant Sharma to bring up 500 runs for the series and also take Australia’s overall lead past 400-run mark against India. .

Clarke and Ponting resumed Australia’s second innings on Day 4 after India conceded a huge first innings lead of 332 runs after the end of third day’s play at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia resumed Day 4 at 50/3 in the second innings enjoying an overall lead of 382 runs.

There was some artificial excitement towards the end of third day’s play when the home team lost their top-three for just 50 runs, but with an overall lead of 382 and seven wickets standing, Australia were merely stirred, not shaken.

Barring a miracle, it is hard to see this Indian line-up denying Australia a clean sweep of the four-Test series that was lost 10 days ago in Perth.

Virat Kohli provided the only bright moment by cracking his maiden century but India were still faced with a herculean task of preventing a ‘whitewash’ against Australia in the fourth and final Test.

Kohli stood bravely amidst the ruins with a gritty 116 but most of the other top batsmen surrendered meekly as India folded up for 272 in the first innings, and even though they were 332 runs in arrears of Australia’s first innings tally – and therefore liable to follow-on – skipper Michael Clarke decided not to enforce the same.

Credit should also be given to young Wriddhiman Saha (35) who helped Kohli add 114 runs for the sixth wicket which helped the Delhi lad push for his three-figure mark. Kohli’s delightful knock contained 11 boundaries and a six over deep mid-wicket off Michael Clarke’s bowling.

The second new-ball again did the trick for Australia as India who were 225/5 at one stage lost five wickets for 47 runs in little over 10 overs.

Aussie paceman Peter Siddle charged in on the unresponsive flat Adelaide pitch to take five for 49, denting a few more Indian batting reputations and prolonging Sachin Tendulkar’s wait for a 100th international century.

The mantle passes: VVS Laxman then, Virat Kohli now
The mantle passes: VVS Laxman then, Virat Kohli now
India’s Virat Kohli gestures after being dismissed during the third day of the fourth Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. (AFP Photo)
CHENNAI: As Virat Kohli was batting with ease on Day 3 of the fourth TestVVS Laxman, batting at the other end, looked a pale shadow of himself.

In Pics: Virat slams maiden Test century 

Nothing was going right for him, and one could almost visualise that day in Sydney 12 years back when the Hyderabadi stylist was at his best.

Pushed to the corner, he came up with an innings of 167 that turned his career around and made him one of India’s greatest match winners.

Similarly on Thursday, India were fighting a losing battle and with the Aussies chirping all around, Kohli came up with a feisty century that proved to the world that he is the man to lead the new Indian batting brigade.

Devang Gandhi, a former Indian opener who was in that Australian tour in 1999-2000, agrees that there are similarities between VVS’ Sydney effort and Virat’s Adelaide ton. “There were doubts about the temperament of both the cricketers. VVS was highly regarded in the domestic circuit before while Virat is a proven ODI player. But both needed the century to cement their places in the Test team,” Gandhi said.

The former opener talked about the pressure that VVS was in going into the second innings of that Sydney Test. “VVS was not among the runs and he told me the day before that the selectors would drop him after this,” Gandhi said.

With the fear of innings defeat looming large, he knew that this was his last chance and he launched a fantastic counterattack on Glenn McGrath and Co.

“It was a brilliant pace attack and I believe that was one of the best Test innings I have ever seen. I don’t know whether the innings of Kohli will be on par with that one,” Sadagopan Ramesh, another Indian opener on that trip, said.

But both Gandhi and Ramesh agreed that just like doubts about Laxman’s talents were cleared after that innings, there won’t be any more questions over Kohli’s temperament.

“Kohli proved that he belongs to this stage. The entire Indian dressing-room had the same feeling when Laxman scored that century,” Gandhi said.

During the 1999-2000 tour, the only player who had scored a century before Laxman was skipper Sachin Tendulkar. The rest of the Indian batting lineup had looked listless.

Nicky’s Nursery Rhymes

All the Pretty Little Horses.

Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry,
Go to sleepy my little baby.

When you wake, you’ll have cake,
And all the pretty little horses.                                                       

Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,
A coach, and six little horses.

Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry,
Go to sleepy my little baby.

Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.

When you wake, you’ll have cake,
And all the pretty little horses.

Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
When you wake, you’ll have cake,
And all the pretty little horses.

 

All Aboard For Blanket Bay.

 

There’s a ship sails away at the close of each day,
Sails away to the land of dreams.
Mama’s little boy blue, is the Captain and crew
Of this wonderfull ship called the “White Pillow Slip”

When the day’s play is o’er and the toys on the floor
Cast aside by a little brown hand,
Mama hugs him up tight, Papa whispers good night
Little sailor boy sail into sweet slumber land.


All aboard for Blanket Bay,
Won’t come back ’till the break of day,
Roll him ’round  in his little white sheet
‘Till  you can’t see his little bare feet.

Then you tuck him up in his trundle bed,
Ship ahoy little sleepy head,
Bless Mama, bless Papa and sail away,
All aboard for Blanket Bay.

(By Harry Van Tilzer)

All Through The Night.

(Midi sequence by Barry Taylor - www.contemplator.com)

Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night.
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night;
Soft and drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loved one’s watch am keeping,
All through the night.

Angels watching, all around thee,
All through the night.
Midnight slumber close surround thee,
All through the night.
Soft and drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loved one’s watch am keeping,All through the night.

While the moon, her watch is keeping,
All through the night,
While the weary world is sleeping,
All through the night.
O’er thy spirit gently stealing,
Visions of delight revealing,
Breathes a pure and holy feeling,
All through the night.

 

Angels Watching Over Me.

All night, all day
Angels watching over me, my Lord
All night, all day
Angels watching over me.

Now I lay me down to sleep

Angels watching over me, my Lord
Pray the Lord my soul to keep
Angels watching over me

All night, all day
Angels watching over me, my Lord
All night, all day
Angels watching over me.
If I die before I wake
Angels watching over me, my Lord
Pray the Lord my soul to take
Angels watching over me

All night, all day
Angels watching over me, my Lord
All night, all day
Angels watching over me.

If I live forever and a day
Angels watching over me my Lord
Pray the Lord guard me always
Angels watching over me

All night, all day
Angels watching over me, my Lord
All night, all day
Angels watching over me.


Away in a Manger.

No crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus


Lay down his sweet head;
The stars in the bright sky
Look down where he lay,


The cattle are lowing,
the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus,
no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus,

Look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle,
Till morning is nigh. 

The cattle are lowing,
the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus,
no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus,
Look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle,
Till morning is nigh. 

Babies Don’t Keep.

I hope that my child, looking back on today
Will remember a mother who had time to play;
Because children grow up while you’re not looking,
There are years ahead for cleaning and cooking.
So, quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I’m nursing my baby, and babies don’t keep.

 

Beautiful Dreamer.

By: Stephen C. Foster

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,
Lull’d by the moonlight have all pass’d away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life’s busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea
Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelie;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E’en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

 

 

Bye, Baby Bunting.

Bye, baby Bunting,
Daddy’s gone a hunting
To get a little rabbit skin,
To wrap his baby Bunting in.

Bye, baby Bunting,
Daddy’s gone a hunting
To get a little rabbit skin,
To wrap his baby Bunting in.

 

Golden slumbers (1).

(Midi sequence from -www.melodiesplus.com)

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake you when you rise;
Sleep, pretty baby, do not cry,
And l will sing you a lullaby.

Care is heavy, therefore sleep,
While l o’er you watch do keep;
Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry,
And l will sing you a lullaby.

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,


Smiles awake you when you rise;
Sleep pretty baby, do not cry,
And I will sing you a lullaby.


 

 

 

 

Hush Little Baby.

Hush little baby, don’t say a word,
Mama’s gonna buy you a mocking bird.

If that mocking bird don’t sing,
Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass.

If that looking glass gets broke,
Mama’s gonna buy you a billy goat.

If that billy goat won’t pull,
Mama’s gonna buy you a cart and bull.

If that cart and bull turn over,
Mama’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

If that dog named Rover won’t bark.
Mama’s gonna  buy you a horse and cart.

If that horse and cart fall down,
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

 

 

Hush-a-bye, Baby.

Hush-a-bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.
And down will come baby, cradle, and all.

 

Hush-a-bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.
And down will come baby, cradle, and all.

Hush-a-bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.
And down will come baby, cradle, and all.

Hush-a-bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.
And down will come baby, cradle, and all.

Down will come baby, cradle and all.

 

Rock-a-bye-Baby.

(Midi sequence from - www.smart-central.com)

Rock -a-bye baby, on the tree top.
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

Hush a bye baby, up in the sky,
On a soft cloud tis easy to fly;
When the clouds burst the raindrops will fall
And down will come baby to mother once more.

Rock-a-by baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

Down will come baby to mother once more.


Rock -a-bye baby, on the tree top.
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall

And down will come baby, cradle and all.

 

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (2).

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How l wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky;
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How l wonder what you are!

Sleep Baby Sleep. (2)

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Your father tends the sheep;
Your mother shakes the dreamland tree
And from it fall sweet dreams for thee,
Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep baby sleep.

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Our cottage vale is deep;
The little lamb is on the green,
With snowy fleece so soft and clean,
Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep.

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Down where the woodbines creep;
Be always like the lamb so mild,
A kind and sweet and gentle child,
Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep.

Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral.

By J.R.Shannon.

(Midi sequence by Barry Taylor - www.saturn-soft.net)

Over in Kilarney,
Many years ago,
Me mither sang a song to me
In the tones so sweet and low.
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good ould Irish way,
And I’d give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day.
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Hush, now don’t you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
That’s an Irish lullaby.

Oft, in dreams I wander
To that cot again,
I feel her arms a huggin’ me
As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a humin’
To me as in days or yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the cabin door.
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Hush, now don’t you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
That’s an Irish lullaby.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There’s a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That’s where you’ll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly,
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can’t I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can’t I?

 

10 Great Scientists of the World

Scientists have enormous contribution in the advancement of human civilization. Throughout the history of the world, many scientistshave dedicated their lives for research and innovation. Some of them even faced a lot of torture for their theories but they continued their mission and thus we are now in a modern world. I have made a list of 10 great scientists in the history. Well, naturally, I had to leave out a lot of great figures. However, I feel that my list represents some of the greatest scientists ever.

 

 

Aristotle

 

Aristotle is the Great philosopher who had a vast knowledge in different disciplines. Studying different subject he contributed a lot in each of those subjects. He contributed in physics, poetry, zoology, logic, rhetoric, politics, government, ethics, and biology. This laurel Greek philosopher was born in Stagira in 384 BC. His father Nicomachus was a physician to the king Amyntas III of Macedon’s court and it is believed that their ancestors also held this position. Earlier in his life he was taught by his father at home and the medical knowledge he got from his father led him to investigate natural phenomenon later on. At the age of 18 he admitted in to the young Greek aristocracy run by Plato, another Great Greek philosopher, and Aristotle became the most favorite student of Plato.

 

As a scientist Aristotle made a good contribution which was very influential for the development of the science over the year. Mainly he spent most of his life researching the natural science and he did the researches without making reference to the Mathematics which was later proven as the weakness of his research by the scientists. His natural science oriented research includes botany, zoology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, and meteorology, geometry and many more. He was also the teacher of the Great warrior Alexander the Great. This great philosopher died n 322 BC.

 

Sir Isaac Newton

 

Newton was also a man of versatile quality. He was physicist, mathematician, astronomer, alchemist, and natural philosopher in a row. His contribution in the development of science is a special one. He I best known for his explanation of Universal Gravitation and three laws of motion, and he was able to prove that the reason of both the motion of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are controlled by the same Neutral laws. These findings could make a revolutionary change in the development of science. In mechanical science his great contribution was in optics. He could make a reflecting telescope. He also made some research on light and stars. His research on General binomial Theorem helped to be introduced today’s Calculus.

 

Newton was born to a farmer family but before three months of his birth his father died and then he was brought up to his maternal grandmother as her mother remarried. Newton could show his talent from his early life in The King’s School in Grantham and later he joined to the Cambridge University where he took his higher degrees.

Galileo Galilei

 

Galileo is considered as one of the greatest contributor to the development of Science. It is undoubtedly true that Galileo could first helped science to come out of the trend of Aristotle. He wasphysicist, astronomer, and philosopher and his best known contributions lie in the development of Telescope, first two laws of motion and also in Astronomy. He is also considered as the father of astronomy, father of physics and father of science.

 

He was born to a mathematician and musician father Vincenzo Galilei and his mother was Giulia Ammannati in Italy. He was taught form his very early life. He was the first scientist who followed the way of quantitative experiments in his research where the result was based on mathematics. He had to suffer a lot from the church for his theories.

Charles Robert Darwin

There can be debate about whether Charles Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) is the greatest scientist of all time but there is no doubt that he is the most controversial scientist of all time. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859)- this is the book that has made Darwin immortal in the world history. This book has changed the course of science radically. It is perhaps an irony that Darwin studied theology and instead of becoming a clergy, he became naturalist.

Darwin went to different parts of the world and carried out extensive research. His theory about origin of human beings caused widespread controversy. Darwin stated that human beings have evolved through many changes and survival of the fittest was in important factor in the development of animal world. Darwin’s theory still causes passionate debate among his supporters and opponents.
Image Link: Charles Darwin

Albert Einstein

 

Einstein is the great scientist of the twentieth century and notable physicist of all time. It is told that he had learning disability in his childhood. He could not talk till he was three and could not read till he was eight. Despite such problems he later became the noble prize winner for his contribution to the Physics. His theory of relativity is considered as a revolutionary development of Physics. He got Noble Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the Photoelectric Effect and for his research in Theoretical physics.

Thomas Edison

 

Edison is the great inventor who has over 1000 patents and his inventions are in various fields used in our daily life. In his early life he was thought to have a learning disability and he could not read till he was twelve and later he himself admitted that he became deafafter pulling up to a train car by his ears. He first could able to turn the attention of the world after inventing Phonograph. His one of the most popular invention is the Electric Bulb. He also developed the telegraph system. His invention of carbon telephone transmitter developed the carbon microphone which was used in the telephoned till 1980. He also became a prominent businessman and his business institution produced his inventions and marketed the products to the general people.

Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta

 

Volta was Italian physicist and he is best known for his contribution to the development of electric battery. This benevolent scientist is also regarded as one of the founder of the electric age. His parents sent him to the Jesuit school intending to make him a Jurist. He also taught in the University of Pavia for 25 year. After that in 1800 he could make voltaic pile which could produce steady electric current. He then worked on to develop the electric bulb. For his work in the electric development he was given a count by Napoleon. Emperor ofAustria honored him naming him a professor of Philosophy at Padova. For his honor an electric unit Volt was named after him.

 

Stephen Hawking

 

 

This famous scientist is considered as the greatest scientist of the twentieth century after Einstein. Haw king’s big bang theory and black hole theory has turned the attention of the world. He is the professor of Mathematics of the University of Cambridge. Though he is now about to be paralyzed, he is teaching through a computer supported a machine by which his world are compiled. His physical illness could not make him stop form his research. His famous book is “A Brief History of Time”.

Louis Pasteur

 

He is one of the most famous contributors in the medical science. He first introduced the germ theory of diseases. This is regarded as the base of today’s microbiology. He found out some of the notion of the microbe and he could find out that the viruses were not detectable through microscope. Another important contribution of Pasteur is to protect harmful microbes in a way called “Pasteurization” where harmful microbes are destroyed by hitting the food. He is undoubtedly the most influential scientist in medical science.

 

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose

 

He was the first renowned Bengali scientist who had an important contribution in the invention of Radio and microwave optics. He was born in Mymensingh in Bengal which is the current Munshiganj District in Bangladesh. He studied in Hare school in Kolkata and then he got his B.A. in Science degree from Calcutta University. Then he went toEngland and got a B.A. degree from Cambridge University and a B.Sc. from London University. After coming back to the country he started teaching Physics in the Presidency College at Kolkata. In his teaching career he had to prove his quality and talent as he was the first Indian to teach Science at the college. In 1894 he started to research on Radio wave to make wireless communication equipments. At the same time Italy’s Marconi also was researching on this project. He first invented ”iron-mercury-iron coherer with telephone detector” and he is the first person to use a semiconductor junction to catch the radio waves. It is said that his work on millimeter wavelength made him 50 years ahead. Considering such things it is said that he was the real inventor of Radio but due to his less seriousness towards patent and the communication gap made Marconi to be regarded as the inventor of Radio.

 

After that he contributed in plant where he could make some vital theory of ascent of sap. In this research he showed that some living cells in the endodermis junction are the reason for the ascent of sap.

Guglielmo Marchese Marconi

 

Marconi is a Nobel laureate physicist from Italy. He is best known for his invention of Radio and he first introduced wireless telegraph system. He was born to a landowner father Giuseppe Marconi and his mother was Annie Jameson. He was very interested to science form his early life. He initially started working on electromagnetic wave or radio waves invented by Heinrich Hertz. Then after a long research he could figure out such a technology to communicate without wire. After his invention, he marketed this equipment for the commercial purpose and at that time he got a competitor free market in the U.S.

Elizabeth Smart: Engaged!

January 20, 2012 5:12 PM by Free Britney

Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell from her home in 2002 at age 14, only to be found nine months later, is engaged, her father Ed confirms.

“We’re very excited for her,” Ed said Friday. “She told us at home last Saturday.”

“I wasn’t really surprised. They’ve been so happy together. We’re thrilled. We’re looking forward to her moving on to this next stage and leading a very happy life.”

Ed, who is staying mum on wedding details, including the groom’s name, says Elizabeth “wants to keep it very private and feels very strongly about that right now.”

Elizabeth Smart Pic

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that wedding registries at Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn list an July 1 wedding date for Elizabeth Smart and Matthew Gilmour.

So, that’s probably his name.

Chris Thomas, a rep for Elizabeth, says he can’t confirm the wedding date or the name of Smart’s fiancé, but says, “I know they’re looking at a summer wedding.”

“There are a lot of details to still be worked out. She’s very public in her child advocacy work, but has decided she wants to keep her personal life private.”

Congratulations to Elizabeth, her fiance and her family!

 

Mark Wahlberg on 9/11 Controversy: I’m Just a Real Guy From the Streets!

January 20, 2012 4:26 PM by Free Britney

Mark Wahlberg is continuing to walk back his recent comments about September 11, saying he made a mistake but attempting to put it in some context.

In the latest issue of Men’s Journal, the actor said that he would have handled things differently had he been on one of the planes downed by terrorists.

Wahlberg’s 9/11 comments were widely criticized and he quickly apologized. Speaking to Kidd Kraddick in the Morning on Friday, he explained it as such:

Wahlberg, M.

“I would never disrespect the victims of 9/11 or their families. It was misunderstood. My only intention was to explain that I would do anything to protect my family – I would put myself in harms way to protect my family or innocent people.”

“That was it. First and foremost, I am not speaking as an actor.”

“I am a real guy from the streets and I’ve been in a lot of situations, so I was very out of line and I wasn’t thinking about the real heroes and the guys, women, children, fathers, sons, daughters who were on those flights.”

 

Camille Grammer: Not Returning for Season 3 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?

January 20, 2012 4:05 PM by Hilton Hater

According to a new report, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will look a bit different on season three.

Despite an all-time ratings high for this franchise on Monday night, producers are said to be axing Camille Grammer from the roster and are already on the lookout for her replacement.

Camille Grammer on The Real Housewives

“Producers are asking Lisa Vanderpump, Adrienne Maloof and Kyle Richards if any of their wealthy female friends would be interested in appearing on the show,” a Bravo insider tells Radar Online. “It’s an open secret that Camille most likely won’t be back for a third season. She came off as such a bitch during season one, whereas this season she has been very reserved, and she isn’t exactly eager to return.”

It’s true that executives were concerned early on during filming that Camille was so worried over losing custody of her children that she refrained from the customary antics of the nut jobs who appear on the show.

And, yes, ratings are high (2.2 million viewers this week!), but let’s be honest. That will continue to be the case as long as estranged spouses of of the stars continue to kill themselves in between seasons.

 

Katy Perry Unfollows Russell Brand on Twitter

January 20, 2012 3:53 PM by Free Britney

Katy Perry is cutting ties with Russell Brand in EVERY WAY.

The 27-year-old pop singer has unfollowed her soon-to-be ex-husband on Twitter. As of Friday afternoon (a slow news Friday afternoon) Perry no longer follows Brad.

She is still one of the 78 people Brand subscribes to however.

Katy Perry and Russell

It’s not surprising, given that Perry is only communicating with Brand, 36, via phone or email. “She’s limiting those interactions,” a source says of the couple.

“He’s being so atrocious, she feels like she never really knew him.”

Perry has been keeping Brand off her mind by focusing on her career: she performed in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday, and she recently shot an Adidas ad.

“She doesn’t want to look battered and have people for sorry for her,” a source says. “She’s very strong and confident and looking forward to the next chapter.”

She’s the most cheat-worthy star on the planet according to married guys, if she ever needs a little confidence boost. Or some amoral companionship.

Seven Rules For Dating Bachelorette Emily Maynard

January 20, 2012 2:26 PM by Free Britney

Emily Maynard has been confirmed as The Bachelorette, a full six months before the summer premiere and well before filming has even begun on the new season.

While ABC has not officially announced that the 26-year-old North Carolinian will star on the show, it’s been reported by People, EW, E! News and numerous others.

It’s happening, and the casting was likely leaked early on purpose.

That’s because Emily Maynard is a different kind of Bachelorette, and guys had better know what they’re in for. Here’s a little tip sheet for prospective suitors …

E. Maynard

  • Ricki, Ricki, Ricki. Maynard and her 6-year-old daughter, are incredibly close. So much show that production is moving to their hometown of Charlotte, N.C. Any fellas coming on The Bachelorette are really wooing two women.
  • The past matters. Maynard lost her fiance, NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, at age 19. Days after Ricky’s death, Maynard learned she was pregnant. She named their only child after him, and remains close to his family.

 

President Obama Sings “Let’s Stay Together” For Al Green

January 20, 2012 1:50 PM by Free Britney

President Barack Obama is probably not going to quit his day job (at least not for another year), but he did make a brief foray into R&B at a fundraiser last night.

The Commander-in-Chief burst into song while thanking Al Green, who had performed earlier at the same event, crooning a bar from “Let’s Stay Together”

Obama then joked he hadn’t been ushered off-stage. Watch:

 

 

It all happened at Manhattan’s Apollo Theater late Thursday, when Obama stepped to the podium and veered from prepared remarks to thank Green.

Apparently not content to simply praise Green, Obama launched into “Let’s Stay Together,” warbling “I, so in love with you” … complete with vibrato.

He stopped to laughter and applause, remarked that his staff didn’t believe he’d do it, and that the Sandman hadn’t come out to yank him outta there.

That would be Sandman Sims, a famous tap dancer who chased unpopular acts off-stage at the Apollo for decades. Sort of a Keyboard Cat predecessor.


Erika Van Pelt: Mobile DJ, Wedding Singer, American Idol Hopeful

January 20, 2012 1:45 PM by Hilton Hater

Based on your audition last night, Erika Van Pelt, the answer is yet: we’ll still love you tomorrow.

This Rhode Island native tried out for the Fox smash in Pittsburgh last night, wowing the judges with a rendition of a Carole King classic and piquing the interesting of viewers with her job: she’s a mobile DJ, traveling from venue to venue and spinning records. That is, when she isn’t performing as a wedding singer.

Watch the audition now to see why Adam Sandler should be worried:

 

 

See you in Hollywood, Erika! Along with other night two favorites, Creighton Fraker and Hallie Day.

 

Hazel Jones, Woman With Two Vaginas, Turns Down $1 Million Porn Offer

January 20, 2012 1:14 PM by Free Britney

A UK woman with two vaginas has captured the attention of the news world. Hazel Jones insists she has no interest in cashing in on this irregularity, however.

Jones revealed she was diagnosed with uterus didelphys, an uncommon condition which means she has two wombs and two cervixes, earlier this week.

The 27-year-old has since been approached by – who else – Vivid Entertainment about starring in an adult film for $1 million. NO chance, she says.

Hazel Jones Photo

According to the Daily Mail (UK), she said: “I would never even consider such an offer, let alone actually do it in million years … I just want to be left alone.”

Vivid Founder/CEO Steven Hirsch, who’s made similar pitches to everyone from Octomom (often) to Casey Anthony (later withdrawn), wrote Jones:

“You are obviously an extraordinary woman and I would like to make you an offer to star in an upcoming Vivid production. We would pay you up to $1 million.”

“We would fly you out to L.A. as soon as you are available and provide you with first class accommodations in addition to the payment for your services.”

He did not release any plot details for this potential erotic masterpiece.

Vivid has become the leader in “legit” celebrity sex tapes, with raw footage of Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian and others netting the company millions.

Don’t look for Hazel Jones to join their illustrious client list now or down the road, though. Likely for the best. Watch an interview with her after the jump.

 

Creighton Fraker, Original American Idol Song: Hollywood Bound!

January 20, 2012 12:41 PM by Hilton Hater

When in doubt, just make it up!

That was the approach taken by Creighton Fraker on American Idol last night, as the aspiring singer took a bus ride from New York City to Pittsburgh and used that time to come up with his own material.

Was it the most creative song? No. It mostly just mentioned the judges’ names a few times. But the panelists were impressed with the vocals and Steven Tyler went as far as to give Creighton a “3 gazillion percent yes” vote, while Jennifer Lopez said he was kind of like Jamiroquai and Justin Timberlake’s baby. Even odder? It sort of applies…

 

 

Fraker wasn’t the only original contestant on the air last night. Reed Grimm actually received a Golden Ticket thanks to a sitcom theme song!

SOPA and PIPA Bills: Delayed By Congress!

January 20, 2012 12:34 PM by Free Britney

The U.S. House and Senate have postponed votes on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA), respectively, after widespread protests this week.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), author of SOPA, said today that he’s postponing consideration of the bill in response to concerns from critics of potential censorship.

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy,” Smith said in a statement.

“It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.”

sopa and pipa

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) bowed to pressure from a coalition of Internet companies, including Google and Wikipedia, that rallied consumers.

In a statement, Reid said he would delay the vote scheduled for Tuesday to begin consideration until the Senate Judiciary Committee could make more progress.

“We made good progress through the discussions we’ve held in recent days, and I am optimistic that we can reach a compromise in the coming weeks,” Reid said.

The announcement by Reid comes two days after Wikipedia, Reddit and other prominent sites coalesced to protest SOPA and PIPA votes by blacking out their sites.

That move that drew widespread attention and spurred a swift reaction from many lawmakers who had been supportive of or ambivalent toward the measures.

So after 7.5 million phone calls to Congress and 40 million signatures, round one goes to the people. Just be prepared to fight back twice as hard again soon.

Etta James, Music Legend, Dies at 73

January 20, 2012 11:51 AM by Free Britney

Etta James has passed away after a lengthy struggle with leukemia.

The singer, a four-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member whose distinct blues style was an inspiration to countless contemporary artists, was 73.

Her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon, confirmed the news:

“This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world. She was a true original who could sing it all – her music defied category or genre.”

“I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always.”

Etta James Pic

Because of health concerns, Etta James curtailed her concerts in January 2010 to enter the hospital with a blood infection, among other ailments, including Alzheimer’s.

In May 2011, James was again admitted to a hospital in Riverside, Calif., with a urinary tract infection and the blood infection sepsis, her son Sametto James said.

Ultimately, leukemia got the better of her, but her legacy lives on, profoundly.

James was portrayed in the 2008 movie Cadillac Records by Beyonce, who has called her an idol. Christina Aguilera also cited James as a major influence.

Etta, whose library features 28 studio albums, three live albums, six compilations and 58 hit singles was ranked 22nd among Rolling Stone‘s 100 Best Singers of All Time.

New Snow White and the Huntsman Trailer: Who IS the Fairest of Them All?

January 20, 2012 11:37 AM by Free Britney

The original theatrical Snow White and the Huntsman trailer focused primarily on Charlize Theron’s evil queen. This latest version mostly follows suit, but also gives us our first glimpse at Chris Hemsworth as the titular huntsman.

Kristen Stewart’s Snow White? Still not heard from.

The queen’s quest to extinguish the bright light that is Snow White is the general premise of the film, which is the polar opposite of a feel-good, Disney-esque fairy tale.

Perhaps that plays a role in keeping Stewart’s character shrouded in mystery so far. In any case, we can’t wait for June 1, especially after seeing this latest teaser:

 

Snow White and the Huntsman Trailer #2


Justin Bieber to Fans: Let Me Urinate!

January 20, 2012 11:25 AM by Hilton Hater

Justin Bieber is many things: a great singer, a young heartthrob, a charitable individual. But he’s just a man, folks. He can’t hold it forever.

The artist was forced to make this admission recently after getting accosted by a fan on the way to the bathroom, leading to a Facebook posting in which he addressed those “mad” at him for not stopping to pose for a photo by saying: “im not a robot. let me piss first.”

He then added via Twitter: “gotta just Kill em with Kindness. I know my responsibility. but sometimes i just gotta hurry up and take a piss though. lol”

Justin Bieber, No Shirt

Bieber is clearly not angry at his followers, however, as he gifted them the photo above via Instagram this week. He also Tweeted:

“WE ARE A FAMILY…never forget that. This thing we have done..this history we are making together. WE MAKE TOGETHER!”

The Biebernator is currently in the studio, laying down tracks for an album that’s expected to be released in 2012. And the quicker he can take a leak, the sooner he can get it done.

Fake Source Claims: O.J. Told Me About Khloe!

January 20, 2012 10:45 AM by Hilton Hater

O.J. Simpson is almost definitely not the father of Khloe Kardashian.

But if you listen to the quotes invented by a source The National Enquirer made up in its controversial new cover story, you may begin to have some doubts. Simply put:

“O.J. told me Khloe’s his child,” this anonymous insider tells the tabloid. “It was the big secret that no one in the two families would discuss. And Robert admitted he and Kris were not having sex at the time Khloe was conceived. O.J. bragged about his sex life and many female conquests, which he said included some of his best friends’ wives.”

Khloe Kardashian in VegasIt's The Juice!

It is true that Kris Jenner was friends with the accused murder, via her husband at the time, but their relationship was never the same after Nicole Brown Simpson was found dead in 1994. It’s unclear why.

Adds this totally real source:

“He used to tell us way back – even before he and Nicole got divorced – that he had a love child with the wife of a wealthy family. But at the time of Khloe’s birth, it would have been devastating for the news to come out that America’s biggest sports hero had fathered a love child.”

It’s true. Thank goodness O.J. has kept his reputation intact since this time.

The Juice is currently in jail on an armed robbery conviction and is eligible for parole in 2017. We may need to wait until then for a definitive answer to the question of paternity.

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis: Is It Over?

January 20, 2012 10:32 AM by Free Britney

Are Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, his partner of 14 years now, a thing of the past or headed in that direction fast? Such rumors have been swirling this week.

The pair has not made a public appearance together for more than a year, and the Dark Shadows star’s solo trip to the Golden Globes fueled the split rumors.

People reports that America’s favorite actor and the French singer-actress have called it quits, having led “separate lives” for some time now.

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis

The couple has long maintained separate homes, in West Hollywood and France.

A source allegedly close to Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis said the following:

“They bet that they could move to California for long stays for his career. They bet that things could continue there as they had in the south of France.”

“They lost that bet. Vanessa has gone seven years between albums and several years between film projects while he became Jack Sparrow,” the source said.

 

Reed Grimm Covers Family Matters Theme Song on American Idol

January 20, 2012 9:40 AM by Hilton Hater

Family matters to Reed Grimm. The 26-year old has been singing on stage with his parents and siblings since the age of two.

So it was only appropriate that the American Idol hopeful auditioned last night via the Family Matters theme song, harmonizing and scatting his way through this unique track, much to the amusement of all three judges.

Steve Tyler referred to Grimm as “genius.” Randy Jackson said he was “enthralled” by the performance. Watch it for yourself now and come up with your own description:

 

 

Grimm, of course, was not the only standout in Pittsburgh. We also were huge fans of Hallie Day and Eben Franckewitz.

Eben Franckewitz: The Next Justin Bieber?!?

January 20, 2012 9:23 AM by Hilton Hater

When it comes to shaggy hair, supportive parents, a strong voice and a humble attitude, be warned Justin Bieber: you now have competition.

On American Idol’s foray into Pittsburgh last night, viewers met Eben Franckewitz, a 15-year old from Milford, Ohio. We were first introduced to him via home video, as the show drove home just how close Eben is to his parents.

He then only needed a few seconds in front of the judges to earn a Golden Ticket for his  rendition of “Ain’t No Sunshine,” with all agreeing the kid was adorable and Randy Jackson telling him: “You definitely have a God-given gift that is pretty amazing and spot-on.”

 

 

Also serving notice in the Steel City? Hallie Day. The 24-yar old waitress means singing business.

Chris Brown and Rihanna NOT Getting Back Together … But Totally Have Been Hooking Up, Source Says

January 20, 2012 9:08 AM by Free Britney

Chris Brown and Rihanna have in fact been hooking up on the sly again recently, but they aren’t considering a full-fledged reconciliation, according to a new report.

“They’ve probably hooked up no more than half a dozen times in the past year. It’s unlikely Rihanna and Chris would ever get back together though,” a source said.

“Rihanna doesn’t care if she were to get public backlash if they were to reconcile,” the insider adds. “But, she is the one calling the shots now, which she likes.”

Therein lies her reluctance: “Rihanna knows that if they were to get back together, she wouldn’t be able to maintain that strong role, and Chris would lose interest.”

Rihanna and Chris Brown Picture

It has nothing to do with his infamous attack on her, in other words, but simply that “they are both very young, Rihanna likes being in control now, and would never be able to trust Chris because he has problems staying faithful.”

Apparently. Sorry, Karrueche Tran.

Rumors have swirled about Rihanna and Chris Brown in recent weeks, and both stars are expected to be on hand when the Grammys are handed out February 12.

Brown is nominated for three Grammys: Best R & B Album, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song. Rihanna will perform with Coldplay at the show.

Plenty of people wish that Chris and Rihanna would give it another go, in spite of all that went on between them – Brown’s mom Joyce Hawkins included!

“Joyce LOVES Rihanna, and she often calls her the daughter that she never had but always wanted,” the insider claims. “Joyce would love for Chris and Rihanna to continue to spend time together, and maybe down the line, get back together.”

What do you think? Should Ri and Chris give it a go?

 

YES! They’re a great match!
NO! Are you insane???

 

Volkswagen Super Bowl Ad Preview: Dogs Turn to “The Bark Side”

January 20, 2012 8:48 AM by Free Britney

The higher-ups at Volkswagen must be big Star Wars fans.

For the second straight year, the car maker is using George Lucas’ epic saga as inspiration for a Super Bowl commercial. A year ago, Little Darth Vader was a huge hit.

So much so that the company released a teaser for the ad early here in 2012. The sequel, featuring a canine chorus barking a familiar tune, may be even better:

 

 

Barking along to the ominous “Imperial March” dressed as Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and an Ewok, these mutts will surely get people talking.

Or howling, one might say … see what we did right there?

The appropriate title for the spot: “The Bark Side.” Amazing.

 

Dhirubhai Ambani

 

 

 

Dhirubhai AmbaniDhirajlal Hirachand Ambani was born on 28 December 1932, at Chorwad, Junagadh in Gujarat, When he was 16 years old, he moved to Aden,Yemen. Initially, Dhirubhai worked as a dispatch clerk with A. Besse & Co. Married to Kokilaben. Dhirubhai also worked in Dubai for sometime. He returned to India and founded the Reliance Commercial Corporation with an initial capital of Rs 15000. Dhirubhai set up the business in partnership with Champaklal Damani from whom he parted ways in 1965.

Dhirubhai started his first textile mill at Naroda, near Ahmedabad in 1966 and started the brand “Vimal”. Dhirubhai Ambani is credited with having started the equity cult in India. With the passage of time, Dhirubhai diversified into petrochemicals and sectors like telecommunications, information technology, energy, power, retail, textiles, infrastructure services, capital markets, and logistics.

Dhirubhai courted controversy all throughout his life. Many a times, he has been accused of unethical business practices and has been accused of having manipulated government policies to suit his own needs. He was involved in an open spat with Nusli Wadia of Bombay Dyeing. The end to this tussle came only after Dhirubhai Ambani suffered a stroke. While Dhirubhai Ambani was recovering in San Diego, his sons Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani managed the affairs. The Indian Express had turned the guns against Reliance and was directly blaming the government for not doing enough to penalize Reliance Industries. The battle between Wadia – Goenka and the Ambanis took a new direction and became a national crisis. Gurumurthy and another journalist, Mulgaokar consorted with President Giani Zail Singh and ghost-wrote a hostile letter to the Prime Minister on his behalf. The Indian Express published a draft of the President’s letter as a scoop, not realizing that Zail Singh had made changes to the letter before sending it to Rajiv Gandhi. Ambani had won the battle at this point. Now, while the tussle was directly between the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Ramnath Goenka, Ambani made a quiet exit. The government then raided the Express guest house in Delhi‘s Sunder Nagar and found the original draft with corrections in Mulgaokar’s handwriting. By 1988-89, Rajiv’s government retaliated with a series of prosecutions against the Indian Express. Even then, Goenka retained his iconic stature because, to many people, he seemed to be replaying his heroic defiance during the Emergency regime.

Dhirubhai Ambani won many words and accolades during his life. In November 2000, he was conferred the ‘Man of the Century’ award by Chemtech Foundation and Chemical Engineering World for his contribution to the growth and development of the chemical industry in India. In June 1998, he was awarded the Dean’s Medal by The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, for setting an outstanding example of leadership. Dhirubhai Ambani was also named the “Man of 20th Century” by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Dhirubhai Ambani suffered a “brain stroke: on June 24, 2002 and was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital inMumbai. He had suffered another stroke in February 1986 which had paralyzed his right hand. He passed away on July 6, 2002. On Dhirubhai Ambani’s first death anniversary, the Union Government released a postage stamp in his memory.

N.R. Narayanamurthy

 

 

 

Narayana MurtyN.R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys Technologies is one of the most famous personalities in India’s I-T sector. Born on August 20, 1946, he obtained a degree in electrical engineering from the National Institute of Engineering under University of Mysore in 1967 and went on to do his Masters from IIT Kanpur in 1969.

He joined Patni Computer Systems in Pune. While at Pune, he met his wife Sudha Murty In 1981, he founded Infosys alongwith with six otherpeople. He served as president of the National Association of Software and Service Companies, India from 1992 to 1994.

Murthy was the CEO of Infosys for twenty years, and was succeeded by Nandan Nilekani in March 2002. He functioned as the Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Mentor from 2002 to 2006.

He is on the governing bodies of many leading institutes like the International Institute of Information Technology - Bangalore, and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He is a member of the Advisory Boards and Councils of various well-known institutions like the Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Corporate Governance initiative at the Harvard Business School, Yale University and the University of Tokyo’s President’s Council.

Besides, he has served on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India, as a member of the Prime Minister’s council on trade and industry, as a member of the Asia Advisory Board of British Telecommunications and was the Chairman of the committee on Corporate Governance appointed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in 2003.

Narayanamurthy has won several accolades in India and abroad. In 2000, he was awarded the Padma Shri and was voted the World Entrepreneur of the Year – 2003 by Ernst & Young. In 2001, his name was included by TIME / CNN in the list of twenty-five, most influential global executives. He was ranked by the Economist as the 8th among the top 15 most admired global leaders in 2005.

Though he retired on 20th August, 2006, he continues to be the Non-Executive Chairman.


 

Rahul Dravid

Get to know about some more Indian Businessmen

 

Rahul Dravid

“The Wall”, ” Mr. Dependable”, ” Mr. Consistent”-Rahul Dravid, the man at the helm of Indian cricket is the cynosure of all eyes with the Indian cricket team eyeing the 2007 World Cup title this March in the West Indies. Born on 11 January 1973 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, he grew up in Bangalore and hit the headlines when he scored a century on debut for his school team and a double century for the Karnataka under-15 cricket team against the Kerala under-15 cricket team.

He made his Ranji debut in 1991 against Maharashtra. Thereafter, he was selected to play for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy. After consistent and strong performances in the domestic circuit, he was selected for the India A team in a domestic tournament. He donned the national colors against Sri Lanka in the Singer Cup in 1996. He did not do well and was subsequently dropped from the side. Once he came back to the team, he performed creditably in the home and away matches for India. Dravid has been the rock of the Indian cricket team.

His 331-run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar is a world record. He was named one of the Wisden cricketers of the year 2000. Dravid received the Padma Shri award in 2004. In the same year, the International Cricket Council awarded him the inaugural Player of the Year award and the Test player of the Year award.

Rahul Dravid has many records to his name. Among others, he has the second highest Test batting average among those batsmen who have scored over 8,000 Test runs, the longest streak of consecutive Tests since debut, was involved in the highest partnership made on foreign soil for any wicket for India with Virender Sehwag(410 runs vs Pakistan at Lahore in 2006) and is the fastest to reach 9000 runs in Test cricket.

He holds the record of not being dismissed on duck for 120 consecutive one-day matches and was the leading run scorer in the 1999 World Cup. It was under his captainship that the Indian team broke the 14-match record set by West Indies for the most consecutive matches one-day matches won while chasing a total. Whether Dravid guides India to another World Cup triumph is the million-dollar question.

Rahul Dravid’s Journey: From 1,000 to 13,000 Test runs
Runs Tests Inn Opp Venue Series Time Taken
1000 14 23 WI Georgetown 1996-97 301 days
2000 25 40 NZ Hamilton 1998-99 2 Yrs 196 Days
3000 39 67 Zim Delhi 2000-01 4 Yrs 151 Days
4000 48 84 SL Colombo 2001 5 Yrs 70 Days
5000 63 108 Eng Leeds 2002 6 Yrs 63 Days
6000 73 125 Aus Adelaide 2003-04 7 Yrs 175 Days
7000 82 141 Aus Mumbai 2004-05 8 Yrs 136 Days
8000 94 158 SL Delhi 2005-06 9 Yrs 173 Days
9000 104 176 WI Kingston 2006 10 Yrs 10 Days
10000 120 206 SA Chennai 2007-08 11 Yrs 280 Days
11000 135 234 SL Ahmedabad 2009-10 13 Yrs 149 Days
12000 148 255 SA Centurion 2010-11 14 Yrs 179 Days
13000 160 277 WI Mumbai 2011-12 15 Yrs 187 Days
Batsmen with 13,000-plus runs in Tests
Matches Inn Runs HS Average 100s
Tendulkar 184 302 15153 248* 56.33 51
Dravid 160 277 13061 270 53.31 36

 

 

Vidya Balan plays hide-and-seek with the media

Spotted at the airport, along with beau Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ms Balan seems to be having the time of her life teasing the paparazzi and playing around with the shutterbugs

Cheap thrills or guilty pleasures, whatever you call it, but we think Ms Balan is back to her childhood days. There are celebs who resort to pretty serious measures (and expressions!) in trying to signal the media to stay away and stop taking their photographs. But Vidya, who was recently caught sitting next to boyfriend SRK aka Sidharth Roy Kapur in the car, seemed to be enjoying playing hide and seek with the media.

Bipasha Basu’s hot look in ‘Jodi Breakers’ item song!

The actor revealed her sizzling look from the film to promote the song Bipasha before its release. Want a sneak preview of the song?

We hear Bipasha Basu has turned up the heat in her hot song for Jodi Breakers. Anyway, Bipasha tweeted this photo of hers that reveals her sexy look in the song. We hear she has three costume changes in the song and we can’t wait to see what the other two costumes look like. She is the latest female actor to do an item song even though she is the heroine of the film. However, she is not going the Katrina Kaif way and changing her name. She is sticking to her own name! Her item song has been titled Bipasha and we hear the track praises the leggy lass’s beauty. Bips seems to be a one of the very few lucky girls who managed to get song named after her. After all, Bipasha is a very sexy name, isn’t it? The last time an actor got a song named after her was Kareena Kapoor in song Bebo from Kambakkht Ishq. Bipasha’s song is set in a disco and took five days to shoot.

It’s going to take a while for the song to be officially released, but we can tell you where you can not only hear it but also watch Bips dancing to it. You’ve probably already heard it but didn’t realise which song it actually was. Confused? Well, it’s right there in the recently leaked video from Bips’ birthday party. Yes, the song that Bips and her friends are dancing to is the same item song from Jodi Breakers! So watch this video below (which we found on another website) and tell us if it impressed you enough to make you eagerly wait for the official release of the song.

Imran Khan makes Kareena Kapoor an older woman!

By Bolly B

The actor claims he had a secret crush on his Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu co-star in his teens. Uh oh…

We know stars say a lot of things while promoting their films, but something Imran Khan said while talking about Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu reallyhad us laughing out loud. EMAET is the first time Imran is being paired with Kareena Kapoor, and they play two people who accidentally get married. When asked about Bebo in an interview, Imran reportedly said that ever since her first film, Refugee, he has nursed a silent crush on her. He added that he found it difficult to even talk to her till they began shooting for the film. Poor Kareena. Bad enough that she is playing a heroine who is a year older than the hero on screen, but her own co-star makes everyone believe that she is actually much older than him!

We can understand when Abhishek Bachchan says he had a crush on Zeenat Aman, or Ranbir Kapoor confessing to his silent passion for Madhuri Dixit, or even Vidya Balan saying that she kinda liked SRK (which one?) when she was younger, but Imran saying that Kareena was a part of his boyhood dreams really takes the whole bakery. Think about it and you’ll see that there’s an age difference of only two years and three months or so between them. Sigh. Here Kareena is trying to move away from the Khans and act with younger heroes, and Imran is inadvertently making it look like she is from an older generation. We wonder what Begum-to-be Bebo has to say about this!

Does Juhi Chawla envy Priyanka Chopra’s pout?

By Bolly B

Juhi Chawla must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed recently. At least that’s what her recent tweet on Piggy Chops and Screen Awards implies

“On my way is a huge Screen awards hoarding with a pouting Priyanka in the tiniest of blouses. Someone please tell me why does a respected Screen award for excellence in cinema need such a marketing gimmick,” she wrote on micro blogging site Twitter. Now Ms Chawla should be well aware of the ways of the industry considering she’s has been here long enough.

Piggy Chops posing seductively in skimpy clothes to promote an award function definitely isn’t the worst example of a poorly devised marketing gimmick, is it? There definitely have been many more that have managed to raise our hackles. Now we don’t know what’s riling Ms Chawla up, but one of the reasons could be the extreme closeness between PC and King Khan. The two have been bonding so much lately that after wife Gauri Khan, its SRK’s best buddies who have been getting affected and irritated by the intimacy. Chawla is one of the most effervescent people in B-town and very rarely does she express her views so vehemently. But we guess gone are the days when the actor used to take a chill pill and mind her own business. We don’t know the real reason behind the bubbly babe’s annoyance though.It could be PC’s pout or her being over-friendly with Shahrukh or it could be that Juhi misses the good old days of genuine and respectable award shows. Whatever it is, we are just glad that at least we heard from you, Juhi!

Why is Beti B still nameless?

By Bolly B

We’ve heard it’s got a lot to do with Players’ rather dismal performance at the box office

A week from now, Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan’s bitiya will be two months old. She’s yet to have a naming ceremony. We hear that the Bachchans have already finalised a name and it begins with ‘Aa’, but no official declaration has been made yet. Amitabh stated recently that it is because astrologically it is an inauspicious time to make an announcement. The time will change only after January 15, which is also Makar Sankranti. However, the buzz doing the rounds is that the family had been sure that Players would be a huge hit and they could ride on that wave and announce the name in a blaze of box office glory. Unfortunately, Playerssank with little trace and less noise and the Bachchans are now doing a rethink.

Maybe the buzz isn’t anywhere near true, but what we are surprised about is the fact that even Amitabh confirmed that they are waiting for an auspicious date to announce the baby’s name. If you remember right, this is the same person who vehemently stated that they do not believe in superstitions and they had not got Ash married to a tree first before she married Abhishek to lessen the influence of the planet Mars in her life. More recently, the Bachchans issued astatement saying that the baby would be born when it was ready and Ash would not have a Caesarean delivery on November 11, 2011, just because it was an auspicious date. It almost had us believing that the Bachchans have changed, that Ash did not step out of her house after her pregnancy was declared for health reasons, that she covered her baby bump for some other unfathomable reason, but superstition had nothing to do with anything. But with Amitabh actually admitting to their belief of some dates being more auspicious than others, we are forced to believe all the other rumours that have been going around for years now. Anyway, all those who are still wondering, we really don’t know how the date you announce a baby’s name can make any difference to the child or its destiny, future, whatever. All we know is that we – like everyone else – are running out of patience and if AbhiAsh don’t get on with it, we’ll lose interest too. Won’t you?

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    New Shah Rukh Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer directed by Yash Chopra is set to go on the floors Monday.

    bollywood.com

  • Salman Khan to host Bigg Boss 6

    salmankhannice6.jpg

    Season five of Bigg Boss ended last night with dance performances and turn-by-turn eliminations. A week ago, rumours had it that Salman Khan was likely to return in the second half of the year with the next edition of the popular Colors show.

    bollywood.com

  • B-Town adds glamour to 11th Auto Expo

    ranbirnissan.JPG

    The first day of the 11th Auto Expo saw some of the biggest names from the B-town including mega star Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and John Abraham adding Bollywood glamour to the car show.

 

Koena Mitra launches Look Young Cosmetic ClinicDia Mirza walks the ramp for Rocky S at 'India Kids Fashion Week 2012'
Dia Mirza walks the ramp for Rocky S at ‘India Kids Fashion …

Tisca Chopra walks the ramp for Sonali Mansingka at 'India Kids Fashion Week 2012'

  • Salman is a lucky charm for Atul’s films!

    salmankhannice6.jpg

    Filmmaker Atul Agnihotri has not failed to notice the amount of fortune his brother-in-law, actor Salman Khan has brought him.

    bollywood.com

  • When Shah Rukh kissed Katrina Kaif!

    srkkatrinakiss.JPG

    Amid rumours of SRK-Gauri’s troubled married life, King Khan raised eyeballs when he kissed Katrina Kaif at the 18th annual Colors Screen Awards.

    bollywood.com

  • Kareena-Imran to pair up again!

    ekmainaurekktu.JPG

    Actors Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor come together on the big screen for the first time in Karan Johar’s Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. And though the Shakun Batra film is yet to release, Karan is already in talks with Imran and Kareena to cast them in another film.

    bollywood.com

  • Bollywood gives warm welcome to Winfrey

    oprahsrklara.jpg

    She is known for hosting the who’s who of the world on her talk show and on her maiden visit to India, Oprah Winfrey was greeted by Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and many more.

    bollywood.com

  • SRK-Salman in another face-off?

    salmansrk1.jpg

    Director Gautham Menon has short-listed Bollywood rivals Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan to reprise Kamal Hassan’s role in the Hindi remake of Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, reported Mid Day.

    bollywood.com

  • Hrithik completes 12 years, thanks fans!

    hrithiknew.jpg

    Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan has thanked his fans as he completes 12 years in the Hindi film industry.

    bollywood.com

  • Ganesha, salwar kameez at the Globes!

    katemestitz.jpg

    Freida Pinto wasn’t the only one who added Indian flavour to the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards in California on Sunday night. Actor Guy Pearce’s wife Kate Mestitz flaunted a full-back Ganesha tattoo at the star-studded Hollywood gala while actor Catherine Rusoff turned up in a salwar-kameez, complete with heavy embroidery on the panels, a dupatta and traditional jewellery to go with it.

    bollywood.com

  • Hrithik Roshan: Weight and Watch!

    hrithikweight.jpg

    My jasoos from Juhu hasn’t stopped praising Hrithik Roshan in a while. Duggu, I’m told, has been training very hard to be able to reprise his superhero character in Krrish 3. Apart from hitting the gym with a vengeance, he’s been watching his diet even better than I count my calories.

    bollywood.com

  • Trophy time in tinsel town!

    colorsscreenaward.jpg

    The year’s first entertainment awards ceremony, held on Saturday night, saw Bollywood biggies attend in full force.

    bollywood.com

  • Star-spangled reality!

    bigboss5-2.jpg

    Despite the astronomical fees that Bollywood stars demand to host reality shows, TV channels continue to sign them on in a bid to attract viewers in an increasingly consumer-fragmented, channel-cluttered space. Himani Chandna Gurtoo reports.


Tisca Chopra walks the ramp for Sonali Mansingka at ‘India K…

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Funny cats wallpapers

 

Funny Kitten

FUNNY ANIMAL PHOTOS OF THE MONTH (40 PHOTOS)

 

Funny kitten
Funny pug
Funny animals
Funny cat

Funny cat
Funny koala
Funny kitten
Funny sleeping dog
Funny animals
Funny animals
Funny squirrel
Funny orangutan
Funny bunny
Funny raccoon
Funny animals
Funny dogs
Funny dog
Funny dog
Funny bunny
Funny lemurs
Funny mad puppy
Funny puppy
Funny puppy
Funny mole
Funny beaver
Funny monkeys
Funny bear
Funny cat
Funny cat
Funny chipmunk
Funny dog
Funny lemurs
Funny lemurs
Funny monkey
Funny puppy
Funny raccoon
Funny monkey
Funny  rats

Animals in Love:

animals in loveanimals in love

 

animal funanimal fun
dog & mousedog & mouse
drinking milkdrinking milk
monkey & puppymonkey & puppy
catcat
cat sitting in a deskcat sitting in a desk
cat with teddy bearcat with teddy bear
snake & lady

Funny Animals Pictures, Kangaroo with hippo Funny Scraps

 

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Funny Animals Pictures, Snail in hurry Funny Scraps

 

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Funny Animals Pictures, Funny Scraps for orkut

 

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Funny Animals Pictures, Funny Scraps for orkut

 

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Funny Animals Pictures, Funny Scraps for orkut

 

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Funny Animals Pictures, Funny Scraps for orkut

 

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Funny Animals Pictures, Funny Scraps for orkut

 

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You might also like:

Forget about the news for a few minutes and get some laughs at the expense of the layoffs being announced daily around the world during the economic crisis.

1) Layoffs coming next week

Layoffs coming next week

An important announcement by Shane Johnson

2) Bad day at the Daily Planet: Clark Kent laid off

Clark Kent laid off

Layoffs hit ‘The Daily Planet’ in Metropolis By Rob Tornoe

3) Easiest round of layoffs ever

Easiest round of layoffs ever

Dilbert by Scott Adams

4) SEO layoffs

Seo Layoffs

SEO Cartoon: Layoffs by Emory Rowland

5) Layoffs at the plant

Plant Layoff

Plant layoffs by James True

6) What to do after being laid off

What to do after being laid off

Time to look busy by Jessica Hagy

7) Layoff thank you letter

Layoff thank you letter

Sure—Downsize Me Then Sell My Trinkets on eBay by Abigail Spankie

8) Funemployment

Funemployment

no job by Natalie Dee

9) Good news for the aspiring author

Good news for the aspiring author

by Wiley Miller

10) HR criteria for employee layoffs

HR criteria for employee layoffs

Step 4 is ‘Check for Horns’

Cartoon: Employee-Layoff Criteria by Christian Sarkar

11) Employee layoff incentive plan

Employee layoff incentive plan

12) Even the crash test dummies have to go

Even the crash test dummies have to go

Chrysler layoffs by Johnny Ancich

13) Doughnuts

Doughnuts

free doughnuts solve everything! by Joon

14) Bee layoffs at the hive

Bee layoffs at the hive

Bee Newz by G.S. Springer

15) A sense of foreboding

A sense of foreboding

Dilbert by Scott Adams

BONUS: Pre-layoff gift from the boss

Read more at: http://jobmob.co.il/blog/funniest-cartoons-and-web-comics-about-layoffs/#ixzz1jpOx5jNh