Saturday, January 8, 2011
Kareena Kapoor Spotted With Dabboo Ratnani At His Shoot
Monday, July 26, 2010
Now you know more than you did before
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have six kids together, but none of them really understand that their parents are huge movie stars. Jolie says they’re largely uninterested in watching her movies, and they usually don’t understand them when they do.
Discussing scenes in the action thriller Salt, she said: “Pax got upset because someone was trying to hurt his mom. He saw my feet wrapped and he got mad. But then I explained to him that I’m fine.
“They’re very confused, to be honest. I think they don’t quite know what to think. Even the change of hair color is confusing for them.”
While some of her tots don’t like it when Angelina changes her dark locks for blonder tones, her four-year-old daughter Shiloh, who has cropped hair likes offering her mother style advice.
She explained: “Shiloh wanted me to get my hair cut short.”
In the new movie, Angelina plays Evelyn Salt, a woman accused of being a sleeper agent who goes on the run to try and clear her name.
Brad was thrilled when the actress landed the role because it meant they could train and do “physical things” together in preparation.
The 35-year-old actress added to Us Weekly magazine: “We met doing this style of film. He knows that in some way the action of it is fun for me. We have fun together doing kind of physical things, whether it’s my training for this or motorcycle practice… it was fun.
“I was sitting in my nightgown in bed feeling very, very girly and very soft. I sat with the script on the bed… I said I think I found something that will help me get kind of fired up again and physical again.
“Anything I was ready to do he was going to jump behind. But he was happy for me.”
Friday, July 23, 2010
Her tiny form is disarming. But Jyoti Amge's dreams are as big as those of her friends.
At 15 she stands just 1ft 11½in tall and weighs less than a stone, giving her one very big claim to fame - as the smallest girl in the world.
Doctors believe Jyoti is a pituitary dwarf but have never been able to pinpoint her condition.
Such dwarfism is caused when the body fails to produce enough growth hormone.
Jyoti, centre, with some of her classmates - also aged 15. Her little grey uniform is specially made for her
Specialists have told her she will remain the same size for the rest of her life.
'When I was three I realised that I was different to the rest of the kids,' she said.
'I thought that everyone was bigger and I should get bigger too.'
Jyoti has her own mini grey uniform and school bag and even a tiny desk. But she looks like a doll next to her teenage classmates.
She said: 'I am proud of being the smallest girl. I love all the attention I get. I'm not scared of being small, and I don't regret being small.
Jyoti, centre, is the world's smallest girl - but still attends school with her classmates, who she says don't treat her any differently
She works from her custom made chair and table but her pens and books are still rather too large for her
'I am sure there are many people in this world who are dwarfs like me.
'I'm just the same as other people. I eat like you, dream like you. I don't feel any different.'
Weighing 12lb - only 9lb more than her weight at birth, Jyoti dreams of becoming an actress.
Despite her size she insists on living as normal a life as possible in her home town of Nagpur in India - including going to the local school.
'When I first went to school everyone was so big I used to get scared but I'm okay now, I like it. I have a different desk and chair that were made for me. I'm a normal student.
Jyoti with a family friend - who, at 13 months, is already bigger than she is
She is also like any other teenage girl. 'I have a huge collection of dresses. I like to shop for more. Everyone in my family gets things for me. I love make-up and like dressing up like beautiful models. I would like to be an actress when I grow up. My dream is to do films.'
Jyoti has already had a taste of fame in a pop video for Indian star Mika Singh.
'They asked her to appear in the video for a song on his album,' said her mother Ranjana Amge, 45.
However, Jyoti's dreams of stardom could be ruined because of fractures to both her legs that have never healed because of problems with her size
Baby of the family: With sister Rupali, 18, Archana, 23, mother Ranjana Amge, 45,, father Kishan, 52, and brother Satish, 22
Jyoti is taken to school on brother Satish's motorbike, along with sister Archana
'First I could walk, but I slipped on ice during a holiday and hurt my leg. I find it strange that my legs just don't heal. I don't like it, it causes me pain.'
Mrs Amge said: 'No-one knows why she is so small. Jyoti is small, yet cute, and we love her very much.'
People in the region of India where the family live flock to see the teenager and some even treat her as a goddess.
She receives a lot of support from her brother and two sisters. Oldest sister Archana, 25, said: 'I have been taking care of her since she was a small baby. She is so delicate and fragile.'
During her first five years of life, brave Jyoti was in and out of hospital as she constantly fell sick, but eventually she grew stronger.
The teenager's father Kishan Amge, 52, a construction worker, said: 'She makes me proud. Lots of saints and spiritual gurus come to see and bless her. They pray for her happiness and long life.'
The New York Public Library has recently unveiled some extraordinary pictures of the Statue of Liberty under construction. Take a trip back in time and see extraordinary behind the scenes images of the creation of this superlative structure.
Such is the immensity of the statue one can only wonder whether or not the workmen pictured above had any idea which part of the statue they were working on at any one time. The photographer Albert Fernique, who captured these pictures around 1883, must have been in a certain awe at the immensity of the statue and his images capture its sheer scale and size beautifully. The French had decided to give the United States of America something for their centennial independence celebrations that the Americansand the world would never forget. The process of building was painstaking, slow and fraught with financial difficulties. The copper ?shell' was only what the public would see. What lies beneath - both in terms of its structure and the story behind its *****ion - is almost as startling.
Officials survey the workshop - models of statues can just be seen in the background. While they probably had an idea that their statue would become an icon of freedom the world over, the French politicians of the day had some rather more down to earth reasons for gifting the immense sculpture to the States. French politics. Perhaps for this reason the source of the copper has never been revealed. The rumor had always been that the copper was of Norwegian origin, from a village called Visnes, rather than a French source. In 1985 Bell Labs confirmed that this was fairly likely to be true.
At the time France was in political turmoil and, although at the time under their third republic, many people looked back at the time of Napoleon and the monarchy before that with fondness and wanted its return. The desire for a backwards step to authoritarianism was worrying. French politicians - as wily then as now - saw Lady Liberty as a way, albeit phenomenally huge, to focus the public's imagination on republicanism as the best way forward. The USA and its centennial of independence from the yolk of England was the perfect focus.
The plaster surface of the left arm and its hand take shape, the skeleton underneath revealed. As there is a deal of work under the carapace, so the French politicians had ulterior motives. Using the USA - which many saw as the ideal of government and populist aspirational politics - the French used the statue as a Trojan Horse in reverse, as it were. Its true purpose, in the eyes of the political gift givers, was to make republicanism the center of political ideology in the minds of the people. How greatly it succeeded can never fully be quantified but the French cannot be faulted for thinking big. It must be said here that the ordinary French, through their substantial buying of lottery tickets (and other fundraising efforts) had a much purer purpose at heart than their politicians.
It must surely have been amazing for the workers to turn up each morning to the sight of a colossal head looking down upon them. The inspiration for the face seems to be the Roman god of the sun, Apollo or his Greek equivalent, Helios. More down to earth sources of inspiration center on the women in the life of the sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. It may well have been Isabella Eugenie Boyer, a good looking and well-known figure in Paris at the time. More worrying, some believe the face of the statue actually belongs to Bartholdi's mother. Bartholdi never revealed the true model of the face, but if this is the case Freud would have had a field day.
Bertholdi made a small scale model first, which is still displayed in the Jardin du Luxembourg in the city of the statue's original construction, Paris. Before the statue was shipped to America, though, it had to be seen to be tested. If it had not been for money, it may never have landed in the states - particularly in the form we all know. On a visit to Egypt, Bartholdi's vision of liberty expanded to its present proportions. Had his original idea received financial support, then whatever gift the French gave the Americans for the 1876 centennial could not possibly have been the statue.
Little by little, the statue arises. Bertholdi saw the Suez Canal under construction in the eighteen sixties and was inspired to build a giant figure at its entrance. He drew up plans which bore a remarkable similarity to what now stands on Liberty Island but his ideas were rejected by the Egyptian ruling body of the time because of the financialproblems the country was facing at the time. Had the statue been built in Egypt as a lighthouse, the idea would never have been taken up for America. The Statue of Liberty as we know it was in fact used as a lighthouse, from its unveiling in 1886 right until 1902 - the very first in the world to use electricity.
Almost there! There were huge structural issues that had to be addressed in the design and construction of a sculpture of such enormity. Enter a certain Gustave Eiffel, who would later go on to build that eponymous tower which still dominates the skyline of Paris. It was his job (which he delegated to Maurice Koechlin, his favored structural engineer) to ensure that Liberty's copper sheath could move while still remaining vertical. Koechlin created a huge pylon of wrought iron and the famous skeletal frame to ensure that the statue would not fall down in high winds.
Money was always a problem. The plan had been to get the statue to the US by the fourth of July, 1876. Only the right arm and torch were finished by then. However, as theAmericans had taken responsibility for the construction of the pedestal, these pieces of the statue were displayed to the American pubic at the Centennial Exposition (in Philadelphia). Money raised by allowing people to climb this part of the statue (see here) started the funding efforts for the base of the statue. The French did their bit too, showing the head in their own exposition in 1878.
1886 must have been one of those years that people remembered for the rest of their lives. A statue of gigantic proportions, symbolizing the ideas and aspirations of America, was unveiled by President Grover Cleveland at Liberty Island (renamed from Bedloe's Island or Love Island). In an ironic twist, President Cleveland had vetoed theNew York legislature from contributing fifty thousand dollars to help with the building of the statue's pedestal. Letting bygones be bygones, President Cleveland was more than happy to officiate at the ceremony. This had not been the only problem to face the statue in the years before its final unveiling, of course. From the model stage, above, to its triumphant moment of revelation, the process was fraught with difficulty - mostly of afinancial nature. However, thanks to the efforts of both the American and French people we now have a permanent reminder of what we should hold dear - liberty still symbolically steps forth from her shackles to protect, shelter and enlighten.
A tumbling torrent of water pours out from a thin rim of rock and drops. And drops. Plunging literally thousands of feet through thin air, and set against a steep and imposing cliff face, the waterfall might almost seem a trickle – and yet a trickle it most certainly is not. From the craggy heights of Venezuela’s Angel Falls to the only slightly less lofty crown of Yosemite Falls, rushing streams of water carve their course over the world’s highest waterfalls. The views from the top, though vertiginous, are like those found nowhere else on earth. Prepare for your jaw to drop almost as far as these falls
7.Yosemite Falls, USA – 739 metres
Plummeting a total of 739 metres (2,425 ft), the world famous Yosemite Falls is the highest measured waterfall in North America and one of the treasures of Yosemite National Park. Formed by the swift waters of Yosemite Creek, which hurl themselves over the edge of a hanging valley in a dramatic and deafening show of force, the 436 m (1,430 ft) plunge of the upper falls alone is among the world’s highest. Difficult and treacherous to view, the smaller plunge of the middle cascades make up a drop of 205 m (673 ft), while the final 97 metres (318 ft) of the lower falls offers the waterfall’s most visited viewing point.
6.Mutarazi Falls, Zimbabwe – 762 metres
Located in Zimbabwe’s Honde Valley, the precipitous yet breathtaking Mutarazi Falls is a 762-metre (2,499 ft), free-leaping waterfall consisting of two delicate tiers in rapid succession, the higher of which is often hidden from view. The falls occur at a point where the Mtarazi River runs its course over the edge of the eastern escarpment of Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands, and its two near-indistinguishable drops present an impressive sight as the river pitches headlong over the cliff face. The waterfall is most impressive in the late summer period when the year-round flow of the river is at its greatest.
5.Gocta Cataracts, Peru – 771 metres
Peru’s stunning Gocta Cataracts is a perennial free-leaping waterfall with two drops that fall in dizzying fashion 771 metres (2,532 ft) straight down into the Cocahuayco River. Known for centuries to local residents of the province of Chachapoyas in Peru's Amazonas region, its existence only recently emerged as common knowledge to the wider world when it was discovered by German Stefan Ziemendorff, who constructed a trail to and measured the falls. Although Gocta shows a modest to high volume of flow, it grows into an immensely powerful cataract when its stream is full, and can be seen from many kilometres away.
4.Mongefossen, Norway – 773 metres
Cascading chaotically down a cliff face in Norway, Mongefossen is usually listed as having a height of 773 metres (2,535 ft). It holds the distinction of being the highest waterfall on earth that can be viewed from a railway station, situated as it is just north of the famous Rauma Railway as its passes through Monge. Unfortunately, as is the case with many of Norway's tallest waterfalls, Mongefossen has been tapped for hydroelectric production, resulting in a greatly diminished water flow during the summer tourist season – though it likely flows well during the snowmelt periods of mid-spring to mid-summer.
3.Ramnefjellsfossen, Norway – 818 metres
Ramnefjellsfossen – traditionally known as Utigardsfossen – is an exceptional waterfall that spills into Norway’s deceptively calm but beautiful Lake Lovatnet, its total drop of 818 metres (2,685 ft) formed by five free-leaping cascades. 599 m (1968 ft) are formed by the steepest part of the falls; the rest is made up by the cascades below the main part and those at the snout of the glacier above. Fed by the mighty Jostedal Glacier – continental Europe’s largest – Ramnefjellsfossen’s surprisingly small flow of water has ensured it is one of the few major waterfalls in Norway not to have been slated for hydroelectric usage.
2.Tugela Falls, South Africa – 948 meters
1.Angel Falls, Venezuela – 979 metres
Indisputably the second tallest waterfall on the planet, South Africa’s mightily impressive Tugela Falls plunges a total of 948 meters (3,110 ft) in a series of five free-leaping tiers. Dropping from an escarpment in the Drakensberg (Dragon's Mountains) within the Royal Natal National Park, the spectacular cascades are easily viewed following heavy rain, when the torrent glistens from the reflection of the late afternoon sun. Reachable via stunning trails and nail-biting chain ladders, the summit of the escarpment and head of the falls offer spectacular views of the cascades rushing down through the natural amphitheatre.
The tallest waterfall on earth at 979 metres (3,212 ft), Venezuela’s Angel Falls is an almighty sight to behold, and its 807 m (2,647 ft) main plunge is also the world’s highest single drop. So great is the height that before reaching anywhere near the base of the falls and Kerep River, much of the water is evaporated or carried away as a fine mist by the wind. Situated in isolated jungle in the Canaima National Park, the waterfall bursts from the cliff face near the brink of the heavily fractured Auyantepui table-top mountain, dropping over the edge, then cascading down steep slopes before dropping over another 30 m (100 ft) high plunge. Awe-inspiring.
Please note: This list does not claim to be indisputably official. Its order ties in with several publications, including The Top Ten of Everything, though not with others, such as the World Waterfall Database. There are no universally recognised standards of waterfall measurement.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
LOS ANGELES (GaeaTimes.com)- ‘The Amazing Race,’ the popular reality show, features one celebrity, albeit an unconventional one, in almost every episode. In its latest episode, which was the eleventh one in the series, the producers roped in none other than Bao Xishun, who, till a few days earlier, held the crown of being the world’stallest man, although that had been a much disputed glory. His crown had been taken away from him by another for a short while but had been returned to him in full glory as the latter refused to be measured, and after a measurement take by the Guinness Book Of World Records, it was found that Bao Xishun was indeed the tallest man in the world.
Bao Xishun appeared in ‘The Amazing Race’ in the episode that was aired on May 2. However, the episode had been shot quite a few days back, and within that period, he was no longer the world’s tallest man. The crown had been conferred to Sultan Kosen, hailing from Istanbul in Turkey. In the series ‘The Amazing Race’, Bao Xishun appeared to take part as the position of the pitstop greeter, which is generally the post that the surprise guest of each episode takes up.
Bao Xishun hails from Inner Mongolia, and is afflicted with a rare firm of hormonal problem, called the pituitary gigantism. In the episode before the one in which Bao Xishun appeared, the producers had brought in He Pingping, who was the smallest man in the world. Thus, it was not much of a surprise for the viewers when thecontestants in the show got to meet Bao Xishun, the world’s tallest man in the next one.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
I have at least 3 devices in my house that can display a 1920 x 1080 signal and there is a serious lack of 1080 content out there. My hat goes off to game developers that offer their promo videos in 1080, one of the few content providers out there offering it as a download.
It does take a long time to render and produce but I want to be able to offer my work as wallpaper at the best res possible.click on the image to download
