Eight Below

It goes without saying as to who MAN'S BEST FRIEND IS but for those of you who still regard DOGS as untouchables ,i'm sure this movie would atleast bring about a certain change in opinion.

DOGS are sometimes or ,should i say ,most of the times are human's solace at times of grief & despair ,having a canine as a guardian is better whereas having them as a companion is a whole different world altogether.

"One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he/she doesn't try to find out why."

PLOT : " A true story of how a group of sled dogs left abandoned in Antarctica fight for survival. "



Never have i cried so much whilst watching a movie ,"Eight Below" is one such masterpiece that presented such a moving theme coupled with an heart wrenching screenplay.

Directed by Frank Marshall of "Alive" & "Congo" fame ,this must be one of the best canine related movies ever made.The connection between the dogs & the characters in the film was so convincingly portrayed.

The characters enacted by Paul Walker ,Jason Biggs ,Bruce Greenwood & Moon Bloodgood are all very well played & portrayed.The way Paul feels dejected after letting go of his dogs & how the dogs look up to him when he leaves evokes sympathy from the viewers.

All the dogs in this movie deserve special mention ,they were very well trained & performed exceedingly well in their roles.

The cinematographer has pictured the dog's responses in a compelling manner ,it was like watching the dogs in a natural environment.DOGS are such good actors these days.

I dont think i can ever watch this movie again ,such is the impact this movie had on me ,i was literally crying throughout the latter part of the film.

This movies is actually based upon the 1958 ill-fated Japanese expedition to Antarctica that inspired the 1983 hit japanese movie Nankyoku Monogatari.

Eight Below is the fictional adaptation of the events of the 1958 incident moved forward to 1993, the last year that sled dogs were used in Antarctica.

In the 1958 event ,fifteen Sakhalin Husky sled dogs were abandoned when the expedition team was unable to return to the base.When the team returned a year later ,two dogs were still alive.Another seven were still chained up and dead, and six unaccounted for.

The movie's climax is one of the happiest moments i had cherished in cinema ,kudos to the entire team for this excellent experience.

Dogs have given us their absolute all.We are the center of their universe ,we are the focus of their love and faith and trust.They serve us in return for scraps.It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.

• Director : Frank Marshall

• Writer : David DiGilio

• Cast : Paul Walker , Bruce Greenwood , Moon Bloodgood , Jason Biggs

• Rating : "U"

P.S : " Dogs have been banned from Antarctica by treaty since 1993 because of evidence that disease was spreading to seal wildlife. "

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Indian Wax Museum

Siddhagiri Museum , Kolhapur - it's on the outskirts of Kolhapur , on the way to Belgaum ..worth a watch. All statues are made out of wax.

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Cancer from Car's AC

Message received as email forward..Users discretion solicited

Many people are in their cars first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, 7 days a week.

Please do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car.
Open the windows after you enter your car and turn ON the AC after a couple of minutes.

Here's why:
According to a research, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin  (carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car).
In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells.

Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer.Can also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50mg per sq.ft. A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene.If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level.

People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession, excessive amounts of the toxin.Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver.. What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

So friends, please open the windows and door of your car - give time for interior to air out -dispel the deadly stuff - before you enter.

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Singam Movie Review - A Racy Entertainer

"Saamy" was a turning point in director Hari's career so was "Kaakha Kaakha" for actor Surya and both the films were cop stories. When Hari and Surya decided to join together for another cop story they were treading on thin ice as viewers generally compare this film with their previous cop stories. Singam (Lion) to be honest has no resemblance to any of these two movies though the story has some resemblance to "Kaakha Kaakha" and "Anjathey".

The movie is an absolute entertainer and thanks to director Hari for providing a racy entertainer with the treatment given to the ordinary storyline and also to editor V T Vijayan for his slick editing. The base of the story is nothing new but seen numerous time before where the bad guy Mayilvaganam (Prakash Raj) is involved in crimes like extortion and kidnapping. In one extortion case Mayilvaganam gets entangled and is released on conditional bail that he needs to sign at a police station in Tuticourin distwhere Thuraisingam (Surya) is a sub-inspector.

Mayilvaganam sends his proxy oh his behalf which irkes Thuraisingam and when they both meet sparks begin to fly between them. Mayilvaganam in retaliation gets Thuraisingam promoted and transferred to Chennai. In Chennai Mayilvaganam challenges Thuraisingam that he will make his life miserable. Thuraisingam decides to set things right and when he gets to know that Mayilvaganam is a grave criminal he retaliates in a strong way which leaves the bad guy baffled.

In the end when the hero wins over the bad guy which in any movie is bound to happen, the silver line is the construction of sequences that lead to the climax thats interesting though there is a strong resemblance to the climax of "Anjathey". The movie which starts on a good speed shifts gear to top speed and rarely there is a moment when this speed is compromised.

Kavya (Anushka) plays the love interest of Thuraisingam and its a rarity to see a heroine get a substantial role in a hero-centric film. Anushka has performed exceedingly well in her character and in exposing glamor which is a bonanza for front-benchers. Vivek as head constable Erimalai provides the comedy part which actors like Nizhalgal Ravi, Radha Ravi, Nasser and Manorama form the supporting cast.

"Singam" a high speed action ride from the word go till the end.

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Remember Me

There is a scene in the film "GODFATHER" where the Don asks his son the following question

DON : "Do you spend time with your family ? "
SON : "Yes father. "
DON : "Good ,because a man is never complete without spending time with his family."

The last phrase in this conversation is the point which needs to be given a closer look ,"A MAN IS NEVER COMPLETE WITHOUT SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY."

In our daily life in this competitive world we tend to loose out on the things that must be valued the most ,Family is one such comfort that is overlooked the most out of these.

Lots of pressure ,lots of stress for working parents to bring up their children with proper education ,decent lifestyle in a healthy environment but parents so often than not fail to provide the one thing their sons & daughters want ,"Their parents spending time with them."

PLOT : " The plot revolves around a brother & sister who yearn for the love & affection of their father who keeps his business always ahead of his family. "



As i exited the theater after watching this movie ,i left with an heavy heart.Such is the impact of this movie especially the penultimate scenes & climax which leaves the audience pondering.

"Remember Me" moves at its own pace that might put off some people but if you have the patience to understand the happenings in the movie ,you will surely be rewarded with an enriching experience.

Directed by Allen Coulter & Written by Will Fetters ,the film is a romantic drama that has a perfect cast who play out their characters with such conviction which makes the audience relate to them.

Robert Pattinson is fast catching up as one of the poster boys of hollywood & he deserves it.His character of a son who refuses his father's wealth & influence is an adorable one.

Emilie de Ravin plays his love interest here ,God isnt she young for her age.I really thought that she was a teenager until i looked up her age.Those two had a nice chemistry throughout the film.

Chris Cooper & Pierce Brosnan enact the roles as fathers of Emilie & Robert respectively ,the veterans made the most out of their roles here ,the other supporting cast also were on par.

The director has brought out the exact emotions required from all the cast whether it might be a serious scene or a comical scene ,there are only few movies that had moved me & this film is surely one of them.

The way in which Robert consoles his sister each & every time is very touching and soothing ,the girl's longing for her dad's presence is very realistic so much that people who had missed spending time with their parents could reflect upon her easily.

Most parents think so much of their children's future that they fail to provide the essential love & care that their sons & daughters require at present ,and by the time they realise that life is all about living in the moments those times would be lost forever.

• Director : Allen Coulter

• Writer : Will Fetters

• Cast : Robert Pattinson , Emilie de Ravin , Pierce Brosnan , Chris Cooper , Tate Ellington
  

• Rating : "PG" for some love making scenes.

P.S : " This is one of many movies made since 09/11 that aim to create emotional responses from the terrorist attack. "

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Kites Movie Review

A movie that took over two years to make with an international star cast to bring in the hype it required and directed by Anurag Basu who had made brilliant films like "Gangster" and "Life in a Metro" to his credit. The story of the film was written by the man with a midas touch of Bollywood Rakesh Roshan who wanted his son Hrithik to be back in the box-office steam but in the end the effort put in by every individual has provided futile.

The movie is not too lengthy as it has a running time of less than 2hrs and 10mins which meant that the screenplay needed to be absolutely crisp but one couldn't articulate what the makers had in their mind when they sat down to write the screenplay.

Jai (Hrithik Roshan) is a salsa dance trainer in Las Vegas and also simultaneously involves himself in the American Green Card scam by marrying the illegal immigrants for a sum so that they are awarded US citizenship. In the school where he teaches salsa there is Gina (Kangana Ranaut) who is madly in love with Jai. Jai refusing to acknowledge her love finally falls for her when he comes to know that she is the daughter of Bob (Kabir Bedi) who owns own of the richest casino in Vegas.

When Gina invites Jai to her house for the engagement of her brother Tony (Nicholas Brown) he comes across Tony's fiancée Natasha (Barbara Mori) and the irony is that Natasha's real name is Linda for whom Jai had posed as husband to help her get the green card. Jai and Natasha fall in love and elope which irritates Tony and he decides to take revenge on them.

At this point of time the film is poised for an interesting ride but somehow the sequences that follow proves to be a dampener. It is no doubt the movie is a visual treat thanks to cinematographer Ayanaka Bose who has shown his class in capturing the exotic locales but the pace at which the film marches on is unexplainable.

In terms of acting Hrithik and Barbara have done nothing significant. The irony is that Kangana who is credited with a guest appearance role looks stunning in the few minutes she appears on screen. Music by Rajesh Roshan is apt for the mood of the film. Story by Rakesh Roshan had all the elements of being made into a good film which has been squandered by Anurag Basu and Team.

In the end "Kites" fails to mesmerize the audience.

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Indian Scientists bring Artificial life to life

Three Indian-origin scientists are part of a team that has for the first time created a synthetic cell, controlled by man-made genetic instructions, which can also reproduce itself.

The 24-member team included Sanjay Vashee, Radha Krishnakumar and Prashanth P. Parmar.

'We call it the first synthetic cell,' said genomics pioneer Craig Venter, who oversaw the project. 'These are very much real cells.'

Developed at a cost of $30 million by the researchers at J. Craig Venter Institute, the experimental one-cell organism opens the way to manipulation of life on a previously unattainable scale, the Wall Street Journal reported.

According to experts, scientists have been altering DNA piecemeal for many years, producing genetically engineered plants and animals, but the ability to craft an entire organism offers a new power over life.

However, the achievement documented in the journal Science, may stir nagging questions of ethics, law and public safety about artificial life.

'This is literally a turning point in the relationship between man and nature,' said molecular biologist Richard Ebright at Rutgers University who wasn't involved in the project.

'It has the potential to transform genetic engineering. The research is going to explode once you can create designer genomes,' David Magnus, director of the Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics, was quoted as saying.

The new cell, a form of bacteria, was conceived solely as a demonstration project, though several biologists were certain that the laboratory technique used to birth it would soon be applied to other strains of bacteria with commercial potential, the paper said.

 

Source: Yahoo News

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How cellphone signals work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Powerful message on using mobile phone while driving

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Charge your mobile phone with a laptop/PC

Have you ever had the dreadful experience of taking separate chargers for each and every gadget , while you travel? Here is a trick to get rid of atleast the mobile phone charger from your baggage when you travel next time.I stumbled upon this video on metacafe , which  explains about  how to charge a mobile phone from your laptop or PC with a USB cable.This trick is easy enough to give it a try.All you need is a USB cable,wire cutter,soldering machine and a multimeter. Except soldering machine and multimeter , you could find rest of them in your house.I think it is worth to buy (or better borrow ) the multimeter or a soldering maching for this cause.Check out the video for the trick.

                                                                     video by : Kipkay
click here,if your feed reader does not support videos.
Do you have any other tricks like this to share?

A guest post from Logesh,author of Dateagadget.com,the site features tips and tricks and How to’s on gadgets like the one shown below.

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How to Train Your Dragon

Misconception - A mistaken thought ,idea ,notion or misunderstanding.

We as people are prone to mistake or misunterpret whatever we see or hear ,thats human nature ,isnt it not ????

Infact we have abundant lists of common misconceptions ,just click here if you wanna know what they are.So why are so erroneous in our judgements ???

The answer is simple ,we humans make life harder for ourselves & make even the simplest of matters complex...

PLOT: " A viking colony's misconception's of dragons have resulted in a bloody conflict between dragons & vikings ,a young boy & a dragon form an unlikely bond that might end this conflict but is it too late ??? "



Well first things first ,this is a 3D film & secondly its an animated film ,well then this makes the first animated 3D film i have seen.

I was literally left with no other movie to go this weekend & i ended up watching "How to train your Dragon".I'm now exteremely happy with my decision ,this is one of the best animated flicks i have ever seen.

The movie has something for everyone ,romance ,comedy ,action & the thrills.A more of a feel good movie that entertains throughout its full length.

Directed by the duo of Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois ,this film eventhough with a predictable storyline keeps the audience focussed ,an achievement indeed.

The script was well worked out with the right kind of ingredients that makes for an enjoyable movie ,the conversations between the animated characters proves to be a show stealer ,humourous & at the sametime meaningful dialogs.

The voices were perfectly casted here ,Jay Baruchel ,Gerard Butler ,Craig Ferguson & America Ferrera's voices applied the right kind of responses to the various situations & moods.

And about the 3D animation ,it created a lively ambience in the theatre which was a alluring.Taking this factor into account I wonder whether 3D flicks will be offered more beacause of its appeal.

If you are planning a perfect family weekend with your kids then this film will definitely be the perfect start or the perfect end ,some characters in movies have an enchanting appeal with the masses ,i'm sure the kid "Hiccup" & the dragon "Night Fury" will create a similar waves.

You will be kept wanting for more as the film draws to an end ,such is the appeal of the movie.I'm again glad that i made the right choice in choosing this flick.

The way in which a simple issue is made complex by misconceptions is aptly illustrated here ,humans although possesing a certain sixth sense tend to decide things based on the overview of how things happen or had happened.

Because of our irrational thinking we have let ourselves be ruled by a handful of jerks called politicians these days who capitalise on these faults of ours.

If we can just lookout at the clear picture things might make more sense to us ,may be we are stubborn or ignorant to overcome these misconceptions just like the vikings in this film.

• Director : Dean Deblois , Chris Sanders

• Writers : William Davies , Dean Deblois , Chris Sanders ,Based on novel by Cressida Cowell
  

• Cast : Jay Baruchel , Gerard Butler , America Ferrera ,Craig Ferguson

• Rating : "U"

P.S : " With the film's success a sequel is being planned with a schedule to release by 2013. "

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Issuing cheque with alteration may cost you dearly

If you have written 'hundered' instead of 'hundred' on a cheque, don't just strike off the additional 'e' and issue the cheque. Use a fresh leaf instead, or it could cost you Rs100-550. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified banks in a recent circular to not accept cheques that have corrections or alterations in anything but the date. The measure has been taken to "help banks identify and control fraudulent alterations". The banks have started informing customers about the policy change through mailers.

If you issue a cheque with corrections, you will be slapped with cheque return charges that are Rs100-250 for public sector banks and Rs350-550 for private banks.

"It is consumer protection that the RBI is looking at. Many a times cheques are stolen and encashed by other parties by making corrections," said S Govindan, general manager (personal banking and operations), UnionBank of India.

He said the move is essential keeping in view the changes in the way cheques are dealt with now. "Earlier, banks used to tell people not to issue a bearer cheque and about some basic precautions. But now cheques get couriered. Also, they are deposited in drop boxes. So the possibility of them falling into the wrong hands is high."

The RBI also wants to reduce and, if possible, eliminate transactions through cheques. "Now that daily interest rate calculation has come in, it works in your favour to keep money in your account for as long as possible. At least three days are wasted in the issuance of a cheque. Whereas netbanking is instant," said a banker.

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Sura Movie Review - As bad as it can get...

A typical masala fare which has all gone wrong is the verdict on Vijay's 50th film "Sura". The movie is 3 hours long and to compliment it the story and screenplay is boring and the acting from the lead actors to be honest is nothing more than ordinary. Vijay's movie normally has the reputation of catering to his huge fan-base but this "Sura" looks like it has even disappointed his die-hard fans. A landmark film of his career the actor should have been more cautious before giving the green signal as his previous films in "kuruvi", "Villu" & "Vettaikaran" did not yield the desired box-office results.

The story in Sura is nothing new but the same old dusted larger than life good wins over evil formula. Sura (Vijay) is a fisherman who loves his people in the hamlet in which he lives in and Samuthrarajan (Debutant Devgill) is a minister who is also a smuggler and is keen to grab the land from the fisher folk. Samuthrarajan in his attempt fails miserably and as expected Sura come to know of the evil intentions of the minister and wages a battle in which as usual the good wins and evil fails miserably.

Poornima (Tamannah) walks in to romance Sura and after a few scenes in the beginning disappears completely only to re-surface again in the songs. Vadivelu as Umbrella is in the film to provide the comedy track but to be honest he is found wanting in many sequences. Radha Ravi and Yuvarani play minor supporting roles in this dull movie.

In terms of acting Vijay falters badly but the bigger disappointment happens to be Devgill who gives a strong feeling that he has watched a lot of Ashish Vidyarthi for inspiration and has copied his style and to an extent even the make-up. Tamannah has started to step up the steam in glamorous outfits which is the only consolation for those who were let down badly by the makers.

Music is a disappointment while the editing which needed to be more sharp ends up being a spoiler and thereby letting down the fortunes of the movie. Sun Pictures after a subdued outing in "Vettaikaran" have burnt their fingers with "Sura". Director S P Rajkumar should understand that good films are made only by thinking differently and not from borrowing ideas out of various hit movies.

"Sura" leaves you frustrated in the end.

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