Burns Guitars pics

Photo's of burns Bysson guitars ( Rare )

the 10 Inspirations

As we are growing up, we'll come across people who just cannot fail to inspire us. Whether they are your favourite singer, teacher or even your own father, there are two things clear here: 

A. you want to be like them

B. you model your life after them. 

So, I'm going to share the 10 people who have been my source of inspiration in life. And at the end of this, won't you share yours as well?

10.  POLITICS -  ANWAR IBRAHIM

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 We  come across all kinds of politicians these days. Some are very good at taking advantage of their situations while some seem unable to cope against the pressure. But I have been following Anwar's political career since 2008, when he struck the blow against the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir. 

Even in the midst of all the scandals, slanders, loses and victories, he stood firm on the ground and continue his fight for justice for the people of Malaysia. 

9.  CAPITALISM - DONALD TRUMP

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His no-filter statements and very egoistic nature have attracted me to follow Trump's business journey and even forked out a few hundred bucks to get books, either written by him or for him or about him. From success to bankruptcy and back again to success, he braved against the odds and championed capitalism over and over again.

As a true believer in Capitalism myself, I couldn't find anyone better to follow the footsteps other than Trump.


8.  WRITING - Joanne Kathleen Rowling

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Ever since I watched the first Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, back in 2001, I have been the hardcore follower of the Potter World. Ask me anything and I'll be able to answer them right away, which book to refer to and what page. Now, that's how seriously in love I am with her works.

And I am learning my English by reading her books too. For each book in the collection, put it roughly, I've read an average a 100 times over. Talk about obsession.

7.  SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR - Muhammad Yunus

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6.  PUBLIC SPEAKING - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

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To speak in front of an audience with authority, humor and with your own style are three things I am learning at the moment. It's very hard. I faltered at times but I tried different ways to cope with it. 

But everytime I watch this man speaks, you've got to admit - he might not be the greatest President of the United States but he sure is the greatest speaker of all the presidents and prime ministers today. 

5.  MUSIC - MICHAEL BUBLE

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"Home" "Everything" "Fly Me to the Moon" "Hollywood", all of his songs are my favourite!

The way he sings them, says them and if we are watching him live, the way he dominates the stage - he is the best in the business! 

And weird enough, I can relate my life to each song in Michael Buble's tracklist. 

4.  ACTING - Tom Hanks

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I have given this particular spot to Tom Hanks. I've thought long and hard, who who deserves it? I have many others in my mind, such as Leonardo diCaprio and Ian McKellen, to name a few, but in the end, I settled for Hanks for his witty acting. 

The way he presents himself in his movies, you cannot help but able to put yourself in his shoes in those movies perfectly. His works - the Terminal, Catch me if you can, cast away - ladies and gents there are no better actor to be made as the role model, I suppose. 

3.  ENTREPRENEURIAL -WARREN BUFFETT

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2.  FOOTBALL - Wayne Rooney

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The British Footballer has been my main reason for supporting Manchester United after the departure of David Beckham, what in 2003?2004?

The way he plays his games and how he push himself in his plays, you cannot miss the burning desire he has in himself when he plays. 

At times when I am down, watching Wayne Rooney playing for Manchester United has always been a great source of inspiration! And I'm not saying that just because I love Manchester United. 

and 

1.   PARENTHOOD - SIR ALEX FERGUSON

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When I'm referring to parenthood, it's not really that literal. I'm just calling it parenthood because of the way he has successfully developed and nurtured young players in his club for more than 20 years. Most players, if not all, who have been interviewed why they love playing for the club is because of this man. He arrive very early in the morning before training and get back home in time for family time. The examples he set for his players are excellent and his work rate, any young player who's growing is very fortunate to be playing under him. 

That's why, he is main source of inspiration.

Well, why don't you share with me what's yours instead?

I would love to hear your side of the story! 

Share them in the comment section below. 

Be well.

Free Download Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Eppadi Tamil Movie Mp3 Ringtones

Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Eppadi Tamil Movie All Mobile Mp3 Ringtones

Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Eppadi Ringtones:

• Cast - Siddharth,Amala Paul
• Music- SS Thaman

Ringtones List

1.  Parvathi Parvathi
2.  Azhaipaya Azhaipaya
3.  Aanandha Jaladhosham
4.  Thavarugal Unargirom
5.  Azhaipaya Azhaipaya Theam
6. Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Eppadi Sms Tone

http://www.mediafire.com/?bq80dbrrx3o6erd

You know, There are two kinds of musician! The first is a person who learns how to read music, they go to classes to get qualifications in music etc, The second is a person who is a natural kind of musician , Normally self taught and who plays
strictly by ear, The funny thing is, That ones who play by music always have a clinical sound,

But the musician who plays by ear has a more natural sound and tends to bend notes better than the more qualified one! Strange Isn't it ?

A few guitar chords

Hi, Here are a few guitar chords for some of you who may wish to learn how to play the guitar !

HitMix - 2011

Some random hit songs of 2011.......................

01 - Desi Boyz - Make Some Noise For The Desi Boyz.mp3
01 - lvsrb - aadat se majboor.mp3
02 - Desi Boyz - Subha Hone Na De.mp3
03 - Desi Boyz - Jhak Maar Ke.mp3
03 - LVSRB - Thug Le.mp3
02 - lvsrb - jazba.mp3
04 - Desi Boyz - Allah Maaf Kare.mp3
Darling - 7 khoon maaf.mp3
Dum Maaro Dum - 02 - Te Amo (Duet).mp3
Dum Maaro Dum - 07 - Te Amo (Reprise).mp3
Ooh la la - The Dirty Picture(2011).mp3
Dum Maaro Dum - 06 - Te Amo (Female).mp3
Shor In The City - 01 - Saibo.mp3
Te Amo (Reprise) - Dum Maro Dum (2011).mp3
ishq sufiyana - The dirty picture.mp3
Party Abhi Baki Hai - Hard Kaur.mp3

 

Red Hawk Design is now opened!

Finally, after many weeks of contemplating and procrastinating, I figured - to hell with it, just do.
So, here I am. I have just launched my first ever online store to sell t-shirts.

Take a look at some of the T-Shirts that are available. What do you guys think?

I'm only coming up with simple designs 'cause I'm placing heavier emphasis on the messages written on the front of the T-Shirts.

But I just couldn't help coming out with meme-based t-shirts! They are so adorable!

Anyway, as of yesterday, have received quite a number of orders. So, hopefully there will be more - check 'em out guys, why don't you?

Be well ladies and gents!

Upcoming Latest Mobile(2012) ViewSonic ViewPhone 3(Review) Feature and Release Date

New Release Latest Mobile ViewSonic ViewPhone 3

ViewSonic has eventually become a household name for those who are quite fond of monitors and slates. But guess what? It seems that the company has a plan to expand it horizon by introducing its latest product at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. The center of the limelight is none other than the ViewSonic ViewPhone 3 smartphone that will soon be making its way to Latin America sometime within the second quarter of 2012.

• Available Colours-Black

General Information

• Brand ViewSonic
• Model ViewPhone 3
• Weight 0 G
• Form Factor Tablet
• Dimensions 0x0x0 MM
• Operating Frequency GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / HSPA MHz | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / HSPA MHz
• Dual Sim Yes, Dual SIM
• Touch Screen Yes, Capacitive Touch Screen

Display Details

• Display Color 3.5 inches, TFT Capacitive Touchscreen
• Display Size ViewSonic ViewPhone 3 has a display size of 320 x 480 px
• Display Features Multi-Touch Input Method
• Sensors Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass and Light Sensors

Message

• SMS Yes, Threaded View
• MMS Yes
• Email Yes, Supports POP3, IMAP, SMTP
• Instant Messaging Yes, Google Talk
• Social Networking Services Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (upload), Picasa

Camera

• Camera Yes, 5.0 Mega Pixels Camera with Auto Focus
• Camera Res. 2592 x 1944 Pixels
• Zoom Yes, Digital Zoom
• Video Yes
• Video Recording Yes
• Video Player Yes, Video Formats : MP4, H.263, H.264
• Camera Features Manual focus, Geo tagging, Macro mode, Night mode, White balance, Self-timer, Panorama

Music

• Ring Tone Vibration, Polyphonic, MP3
• FM Yes, FM Radio
• Music Yes, MP3 Player with 3.5mm Audio Jack
• Speaker Yes
• Headset Yes

Call Records

• Phone Book Practically Unlimited
• Missed Calls Practically unlimited
• Received Calls Practically unlimited
• Dialed Calls Practically unlimited

Memory

• Internal Memory Yes, Internal Memory : 512 MB RAM
• External Memory Yes, Up to 32GB
• Memory Slot Yes, Micro SD Card

Software

• Games Yes
• Java N/A
• Browser Yes, HTML
• Operating System Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)

Data

• GPRS Yes
• Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with EDR
• Wirless Protocol Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Port Yes, Micro USB 2.0
• Edge Yes
• Infra Red No
• 3G Yes
• GPS Yes, with A-GPS support
• CPU Yes, 800MHz Processor

Battery

• Stand By Time N/A
• Talk Time N/A
• Li-ion 1500 mAH

ViewSonic ViewPhone 3 Expected Release Date Jun 30 2012

10 Common Sex Mistakes(Do these things less, have sex more.)

It's the third date, and you know what that means: time for sex! OK, not really (unless the world really does work like Sex and the City, in which case, kill yourself), but you'll know when it's that date. The one that, rather than ending with a kiss on the cheek and a box of tissues, results in an invitation to her place for a nightcap (or an acceptance of yours).

There simply isn't an exact science to the game of love (or lovemaking, for that matter), but there are some oblivious moves that will ensure she doesn't want to see you ever again. So, if you like this girl, or at the very least like slapping flappies with this girl, crack open a bottle (not a box) of wine, sit back and don't do these things. And don't call it "slapping flappies."

Prelims

GETTING TOO INTIMATE
When it comes to verbal seduction, less is more. You might think it's what she wants to hear, but letting the conversation turn too sappy the first time you coax her back to your place gets awkward, fast. Don't overdo the compliments—a simple, "You're really gorgeous/hot/amazeballs," will do it. Resist the urge to discuss your future together even if you've already staked out matching cemetery plots. Right now is the time to be the strong and silent type.

CLAM JAMMING
Once you've shut up long enough to get below her clothes, be mindful of your fingers (i.e., don't start cramming them in her like you're trying to clear a clogged drain). The clitoris has 8,000 nerve endings in an area smaller than a pea, which means that the lightest touch is enough to bring it to attention. Poke too hard and it feels more like an awkward jolt than a pleasurable sensation, like any contact with a penis right after orgasm. Start with a gentle touch, and she'll push against you to signal for more aggression.

REFUSING TO KISS AFTER ORAL
No one's eager to coat their throat in man gravy, but when a woman has just performed a, erm, service for you, refusal of any forthcoming affection can be insulting. So if you see a kiss headed your way, suck it up. Contorting your face in disgust will only make a woman feel cheap. If you can't stomach the thought of a post-fellatio tongue dance, kiss her neck, shoulders, face, etc. until such time has passed that any offending you-goo has dissolved.

FAILING TO RECIPROCATE
This rule's a little fast and loose. On the one hand, many women feel self-conscious about a guy getting that close to their whispering eye before they've really gotten to know them, so don't be surprised if she declines. On the other hand, neglecting to even attempt to return her favor makes you look like a heel. So even if she shuts you down, she'll make a mental note that you're at least willing to appear generous.

10 Things Not to Screw Up on a First Date

Increase your chances of impressing that special lady by following these handy first date guidelines. 

 You managed to convince that cute coffee shop barrista that you're not a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal and she finally accepted your offer for a date. Now the really hard part—to actually show her that you're not a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal.

Everyone's different. There's no real right or wrong when it comes to the game of love (remember that scene in A Beautiful Mind when Russell Crowe tells Jennifer Connelly that he wants to "have intercourse" with her—shudder—and she still goes home with him?). But there are still some basic guidelines to increase your chances of impressing a pretty lady who you someday hope to see naked.
Don't Wear a Suit

You get a pass if you work at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and three-piece suits are required office attire, but keep in mind that dressing to impress can sometimes backfire. If you're taking her to the opera and then a Michelin-starred restaurant on your first date, fine, wear a suit. But don't bring her to a dive bar in a tuxedo. If you can't find time to change out of your work duds, at least lose the jacket and loosen your tie a little. On the flip side, don't show up in board shorts and flip-flops. Even if that's how you normally dress, show her you made some effort to look presentable for her and at least cover up your hairy toes.
Show Up Five Minutes Early

A simple rule to abide by: you should be at your appointed meeting place five minutes early and assume she'll be five minutes late. If you want to impress her, don't make her sit alone at a bar waiting for you. This will also give you ample opportunity to situate yourself somewhere you feel comfortable. Chances are, this date is just as nerve-wracking for her as it is for you, and for her to walk in and be greeted by you as soon as she arrives automatically alleviates the first anxiety-inducing concern: Is he even going to show up? If you're picking her up, arrive on time.
Open the Door, Pull Out Her Chair

Any guy who says that he has been chewed out by a "feminist" for doing either of these things is flat-out lying. Yes, we can open our own doors and pull out our own chairs, but it's still nice when a guy shows that chivalry is not completely dead. Neglecting to make small gestures like these probably won't ruin your changes with her completely, but when you do, we notice. We appreciate it. We feel a little special. And you score brownie points.
Keep Your Cell Phone Face-Down

Look, we understand. Men don't carry purses, and having to sit down with a hockey-puck-sized phone in your pocket is uncomfortable. If it's possible, keep the offending piece of technology out of sight altogether, but if you need to plop it on the table, silence it and put it face-down. Even if you're fascinated by her, a light blinking out of the corner of your eye alerting you to an incoming message is distracting, and we notice when your eyes are bobbling back and forth between your phone and our faces (or any other part of us). Another important piece of cell phone etiquette to keep in mind: if you have to take a call, apologize before you do. Don't hold your finger up to silence her; she's not a dog.
Keep the Question Ratio at Least 1:1

If she asks you where you're from, answer, and then accept that as an opportunity to reciprocate with a question as well. Questions serve as more than basic first date ice-breakers, they actually enable you to get to know one another. If she's sitting there, firing off questions, legitimately trying to get to know you, and you don't respond in kind, it's a clear indicator that you're either a) not interested, or b) self-absorbed. And it doesn't matter if you've been Facebook stalking her for the last six months and you already know that her favorite color is green and Muffins, her three-legged family dog, died two weeks ago, ask her questions.

 

India losing music genres due to Bollywood: Shubha Mudgal (Interview)

Shubha Mudgal has nothing against Bollywood, but the veteran singer with deep roots in Hindustani classical says if everyone keeps running after creating masala songs for the industry, it may prove to be a threat to other genres of music specific to Indian culture.

"Today we see Bollywood music being played in every household, mostly because they are easily accessible. I have nothing against Bollywood music as I really enjoy it. But in the process we are losing out on the other genres. It would be very tragic if we lost them, as a lot of it will never come back," Mudgal told IANS in an interview.

The 53-year-old is trying to do her bit in popularising and preserving the wide variety of musical styles and genres through her festival "Baajaa Gaajaa" for the past three years.

She is now gearing up for the fourth edition, to be held in Pune Feb 10-12.

The festival will see as many as 100 artists from all genres of music like rock, blues, jazz, Hindustani vocal and instrumental music, Carnatic vocal and instrumental music, as well as folk music from different parts of the country, performing on stage.

"There's a huge variety in Indian music, whether old or adapted ones that highlight the diversity. We see a majority of Bollywood music played, but that doesn't represent the entire Indian music. There is so much to be shared. The whole idea behind the festival is to promote and propagate Indian music," she said.

The magical voice behind chartbusters like "Ali mora angana", "Ab ke saawan" and "Mann ke manjeere" is Mudgal's. But her presence in Bollywood has remained limited so far because she doesn't consider herself competent enough to keep up with contemporary songs.

"I've sung for Bollywood occasionally. But whatever I sing, it has to be something that I do justice to. I don't see myself singing the kind of songs that are being composed nowadays," she said.

"If I try something like this, I would fall flat on my face. I don't fit into the current crop," she said.

Mudgal has done playback in films like "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag", "Lajja" and "1920".

A lover of music genres such as khayal, thumri and dadra, Mudgal explored Indian pop music in the 1990s. Her albums "Ali More Angana", "Ab ke Sawan", "Pyaar Ke Geet" and "Mann Ki Manjeere" went on to become hugely popular.

While pop albums have seen a downfall in the Indian music industry lately, Mudgal said: "I don't agree that pop albums have lost their charm. Just like we have parallel cinema along with commercial cinema, there is alternative music industry that is producing, executing material of all kinds and has a vibrant collection of music.

"There are many people who are coming up with albums with their original songs and compositions," she added.

Honoured in 2000 with the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honours, the singer says the music industry is poised for growth thanks to technology.

"Technology has powered the way artists distribute online. Although technology has provided a larger distribution channel, the independent avenues of publishing and distributing the product have marginalised and become more expensive," she added.

Proud to be Indian, tweets Bollywood

Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Bipasha Basu used the Republic Day Thursday to assert how proud they are to be Indians.

They took to microblogging site Twitter to share their sentiments.

Amitabh Bachchan: Happy Republic Day to all.

Hema Malini: Wishing everyone happy 63rd Republic Day... May our nation prosper and shine like the brightest star ever... Jai Hind!

Anupam Kher: Happy Republic Day to all. Hope we keep the fire in us alive and burning for a better India.

Juhi Chawla: Watching the Republic Day parade with my kids!!! Feel so proud to see the diversity and vibrancy of our country and culture! Jai hind!!

R. Madhavan: Happy Republic Day all. PROUD to Be an INDIAN... Saare jaahan se accha hindustan hamara.

Bipasha Basu: This Republic Day, I want my country to be "saare jahaan se achchaa" in true sense! Wish for a peaceful, healthy, literate nation. Happy Republic Day!

Divya Dutta: A very happy Republic Day, dearies! Can hear patriotic songs on speakers... miss watching the parade in Delhi. Remember in school we used to rehearse a month earlier to be in our school batch parading for Republic Day! Ab bhag daur... par one thing unchanged! Proud to be Indian!

Arjan Bajwa: Let's not forget the sacrifice and dedication of those who made it possible for India. Simply singing patriotic songs won't be enough, we need to follow every bit of our constitution, to make India a better place... JAI HIND!

Lara Dutta: Wishing all Indian twitter friends a very Happy Republic Day!

Madhur Bhandarkar: Wishing all a HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY, Jai Hind, Vande Mataram!!

Madhuri Dixit: Happy Republic Day!

Priyanka Chopra: Happy Republic Day everyone!

Abhishek Bachchan: Happy Republic day to all of you.

Vivek Oberoi: Happy Republic Day guys! Not just today but every day let's remember our rights, respect our country & its people and be proud to be INDIAN!

Farhan Akhtar: Wish all Indian tweeples a Happy Republic Day! Jai Hind.

Shreyas Talpade: A very happy Republic Day to all the lovely people.

Shreya Ghoshal: Wish you all a very happy Republic Day!

Shekhar Ravjiani: Happy Republic Day.

'Agent Vinod' is not Indian James Bond: Saif

Dismissing any similarities with fictional spy agent James Bond, Bollywood actor-producer Saif Ali Khan says his character in "Agent Vinod" is totally desi.

The much-awaited action-spy film, with Saif and his real life lady love Kareena Kapoor, is ready for release. And comparisons with the "James Bond" series are inevitable, says Saif.

"Any audience who comes to see the film will think that we have done an Indian James Bond. This is a very stupid thing to do because firstly, James Bond is a completely English character," he told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the first poster of the movie.

"From the first scene of the film, you will realise that this is an Indian hero who is very different to the Bond character because we didn't want to make a copy of the Bond film," added Saif.

However, if "Agent Vinod" turns out to be a box office success, Saif might consider making sequels to it, a la the "James Bond" series, of which 22 films have been made so far. The 23rd is in the process of being made.

"If the film does well, it depends on the audience. If the picture becomes popular, then of course we will look forward to making a series," said Saif.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the action-loaded film is slated to release March 23.

Snehitudu (Telugu)

Release date: 26 Jan 2012
Director : Shankar
Producer : Dil Raju
Music Director : Harris Jayaraj
Starring: Vijay, Ileana, Jeeva, Srikanth, Sathyaraj, Sathyan, S.J. Surya, Anuya Bhagvath, Raghava

Ace director Shankar has come up with Nanbaan, the remake of the Hindi blockbuster ’3 Idiots’. Nanbaan has been dubbed into Telugu as ‘Snehitudu’ and the film has released across Andhra Pradesh today. Vijay,Jiva, Sri Ram and Ileana are the lead actors in this film. Music has been composed by Harris Jayaraj. The movie’s Telugu rights have been bought by Dil Raju. Let us see how the movie stacks up.

Story :

Panchabatla Sarangapani or Pani (Vijay), Venkat Ramakrishna ( Sri Ram) and Sanakkayala Ravi (Jiva) are room mates at Ideal Engineering College. All three of them become thick friends but their personalities and talents are very different. Pani is a very unorthodox student who gives more importance to knowledge than marks. He is extremely intelligent and is a practical joker. Venkat on the other hand is a very talented wildlife photographer. He pursues engineering against his will in order to please his parents. Ravi comes from a family struggling with poverty. He is an extremely timid person and his only goal is to get a good job to support his family.

Pani encourages his friends to chase their dreams instead of succumbing to pressures and exams. This brings him into direct conflict with the dean of the college, Virupaksha Sundaram or Virus (Sathyaraj). As Pani keeps crossing the path of Virus time and again, a series of humorous and sometimes tragic events unfold. Into this scenario comes in Ria (Ileana), daughter of Virus. A romantic track builds up over time between Pani and Ria. An exasperated Virus decides to expel the three friends. Will Virus succeed in his attempts? What happens to the ambitions of the three friends? That forms the rest of the story.

Plus Points :

Sri Ram has delivered a fine performance as Venkat. He looks good and lends credibility to the role. Jiva is pretty solid in the role of Ravi and he is good as the vulnerable and timid student. Ileana looks gorgeous and she performs a sizzling belly dance in the duet with Vijay.

Sathyaraj has delivered a good performance as the strict and hyper intelligent dean Virus. Sathyan is humorous in the role of Silencer. Comedy hero Sunil has dubbed for Sathyam and it came out well.

The script of the movie is extremely strong and the scenes make a strong impact on the audience even though they are known. There is a nice mix of sentiment, comedy, drama and romance. There are some extremely moving scenes in the film, like the one where Sri Ram goes and talks to his parents about his true dream in life. Students and parents will connect very emotionally with the movie. The movie never loses tempo and narration is fast paced.

Minus Points :

Surprisingly, the weak link of the package is Vijay. He may be a top star in Tamil Nadu but it will be hard for cinema lovers in Andhra Pradesh to accept him as the lead hero. He has also delivered a surprisingly dull performance. He just sleepwalks through the role and his performance can’t hold a candle to what Aamir Khan did in the Hindi version.

This movie is a perfect carbon copy of ’3 Idiots’, right down to the mobile phones, cars and costumes used. There is absolutely no native feel in the film. It is hard to imagine why a top director like Shankar was needed for a such a direct interpretation of the movie. For those who have seen ’3 Idiots’, this movie will be slightly boring.

Technical Aspects :

Cinematography is decent. Harris Jayaraj’s music is just about OK. Abburi Ravi’s dialogues are good and lend the scenes the necessary depth. Editing is ok.

Verdict :

Though the movie by itself is good, one expects more when Shankar is at the helm of the project. For those who have seen ’3 Idiots’, this movie will be boring. If you have not seen the Hindi version of the movie, you will find this film entertaining. Ileana looks gorgeous and some fine performances are offered by Jiva and Sri Ram. Should you watch the film? Well, the movie is definitely worth a watch for its engaging script. Just don’t expect too much from Shankar and don’t compare it with the original film.

'Coriolanus'-Shakespeare reloaded (Hollywood)

Film: "Coriolanus"; Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave; Director: Ralph Fiennes; Rating: ***1/2

Everyone who has been exposed to Shakespeare through theatre indulges in a life-long love affair with the Bard. And one would do whatever it took to honour him in whatever way possible. Oscar-nominated actor, theatre professional and debutant director Ralph Fiennes pays his tribute through one of the lesser known -- and one of the most difficult to film -- works of Shakespeare, "Coriolanus". 

Caius Martius (Ralph Fiennes), who has suffered many bodily scars for the sake of Rome, is honoured by the Roman senate with the title of 'Coriolanus'. Inspired by his mother, he applies, though reluctantly, for the post of Consul. However, political conspiracy sees him being banished from Rome. He seeks out his arch enemy Aufidius (Gerald Butler) of the Volscian army and asks him to kill him to spite Rome.

However, Aufidius is touched by his plight, and embraces him as a brother. Coriolanus then leads the Volscian army in an assault against Rome. 

"Coriolanus" is the second longest of Shakespeare's plays. It must have been a great challenge to convert it to fit into two hours, not to mention converting it for contemporary times. Yet, writer John Logan does a good job of retaining the lines of the original play while also translating Shakespeare's usual themes of political intrigue, familial ties, anger, hatred, jealousy, and honour beautifully to the film. 

Yet, the politics of the film, and the timing of its making lends a suspicious ear to its politics. Coriolanus is an unapologetic soldier of royal blood, who thinks of the masses to be no more than flies on a wall, easily swayed and unable to either make the right decision, or to keep it. 

The political implications of his character in our times could be seen as encouraging the type of politics that have caused much chaos in the world where self-righteous, ruthless dictators, much in the mould of Coriolanus have caused untold damage to the world we live in. This suspicion is confirmed since there is no hint of any regret in Coriolanus. He is nothing but contemptuous of everything, especially the masses. 

Fiennes is brilliant at times, and patchy in other scenes. Perhaps the director's seat would have got him weary. And in a way, both Fiennes and the film could seem self-indulgent and boorish when looked at from another angle. However, it is Vanessa Redgrave as his mother Volumnia, who is spotless. Gerald Butler graciously plays second fiddle in a curtailed role.

The film might be a little disconcerting to Indian audiences, because of first of all the accent and then the lines having been taken straight from Shakespeare. This might make it a little hard to understand, as will seeing current times with ancient, lyrical dialogues jar in the beginning, but you'll ease up to it in a few minutes.

'Sidlingu' (Kannada)

Film: "Sidlingu"; Cast: Yogish, Ramya, Suman Ranganath, Sridhar, Achyuth Kumar and Girija Lokesh; Producer: T.P. Siddaraju; Writer-Director: Vijaya Prasad; Music Director: Anoop Sileen; Camera: Sugnaan; Rating: *** 1/2

The trailers of "Sidlingu" created curiosity mainly because director Vijaya Prasad comes from the television industry - he is known for directing super-hit Kannada comedy "Silly Lalli", which has completed more than 1,000 episodes. Also, lead actor Yogish, who is in his early 20s, has been paired with 30-year-old Ramya. 

Yogish had said that he had a big crush on Ramya. The film's music had also been much liked for its variety in composition and different type of lyrics.

With such interesting features, "Sidlingu", produced by Yogish's father Siddaraju, does not disappoint you, except for the last 30 minutes. 

The first 100 minutes have lot of pleasant surprises in store with comical dialogues and natural performances holding the key to the engagement of the film. But last half an hour has meaningless twists in the story and fails to sustain the pace. 

The sudden tragic end to the film may disappoint the audiences. Prasad continues to exhibit his eccentricity, shown in his television serials, even in the film. Several sequences and dialogues look unconventional, but are certainly enjoyable. 

At the same time the film also has some dull moments.

"Sidlingu" is a well-performed film and director should be credited for taking best out of all the experienced artists. Anoop Sileen's music gels well with the narration, while Sugnaan's imaginative camera work stands out. Technically, the film is top class.

Sidlingu has a passion for cars and gets closer to a young girl and a middle-aged lecturer Andaalamma because of his desire to own a car. But the lecturer, who gives him lift, seduces him. Later Sidlingu moves to Srirangapattana where he finds one vintage car and wants to purchase it for an offer price of Rs.60,000. There he meets schoolteacher Mangala who helps him to realise his dreams. 

Sidlingu even expresses his desire to marry Mangala, but she keeps mum as she feels Sidlingu is an innocent and infatuated youngster. Later tragedy strikes and robs Sidlingu off Mangala.

Yogish's natural dialogue delivery is the major attraction in the film. Ramya looks apt for the role of a teacher, but she does not have too many sequences to show her acting skills.

Suman Ranganath too looks convincing in her role. All the experienced artists from the television serials have done their job perfectly.

Anoop Sileen has done wonderful work in composing songs "Elle nodu manase" and "Achu mechchu". Sugnaan's colour scheme and framing is perfect. The rural situations look natural and real thanks to the work done by art director.

"Sidlingu" is a better presented with a good performance from young hero Yogish.

'Good Night, Good Morning' (Movie Review)

Film: "Good Night, Good Morning"; Cast: Seema Rahmani, Manu Narayan, Raja Sen; Director: Sudhish Kamath; Rating: ***

Every time a film critic dares to make a film and puts money where his words have always been, it's laudatory. For it is the equivalent of your cricket-expert, corporate buddy -- ever-ready with pointers for Sachin -- actually facing a Brett Lee-bouncer. 

Because critic or not, like cricket, we all have views about cinema. But very few ever dare to test them. The few who have, like a Francois Truffaut or a Jean-Luc Godard or even Peter Bogdanovich, have changed cinema.

And though "Good Night, Good Morning" is no "400 Blows" or "Breathless" or even "The Last Picture Show", it manages to hold your urban attention to ponder over relationships, even if for a brief moment. 

Two complete strangers, who had bumped into each other at a bar, engage in a night-long banter. From nothing, the conversation veers towards relationships and in one night, the two go through the whole life cycle of a relationship from the first hesitant date to romance, break-up, patch-up, so on and so forth. 

There are two sides to the film -- the good and the bad. Let's begin with the good. If you suspend your disbelief as is required of you in the darkness of a theatre, it is believable. The two lead actors do manage to portray a good range of emotions required of them. The writing and direction is decent and doesn't indulge in unsavoury gimmicks. 

Sadly, it tries to do a Woody Allen and Richard Linklater but fails miserably. It has neither the tragi-comic timing of Allen's cinema nor the depth of Linklater's "Before Sunrise", from which it takes inspiration. 

And though the conversation is witty, managing a few chuckles, it is too literal to offer anything. This would have been fine if it hadn't taken itself too seriously. Sadly, it does!

Next, you wonder as to why on Billy Wilder's and K. Balachander's name (to whom the filmmaker pays respect) is it set in New York when it could easily have been set in say Mumbai, with the boy driving down to Pune. 

The only reason that comes to mind, looking at the zillion odd references to everything American - is that the writer knows more about American culture than he does of his own. Or perhaps it is shame. 

It thus becomes another desi-dream on the big screen, a low-budget equivalent of a Bollywood film set in Hollywoodland to seem 'global'. Thus in its cinematic politics of becoming a 'feel-good' indie, it is no different from a "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", which it spoofs brilliantly. 

It misses out on the biggest strengths of indie cinema - the local flavour. Not just for indies, but any cinema with serious aspirations, local is always global. The film thus seems like the work of an ABCD - American Born Confused Desi, only in this case the 'American' is replaced by 'Indian'. 

The film becomes an example of a 'globalised' world. Today, most Indians born in its urban towns, raised on a staple diet of American entertainment, are more American than many Americans themselves. 

Having said that, one cannot take away the command Sudhish has over both writing and direction. Sadly, presence of form or style can never make up for the lack of content. One only hopes that this brave critic, in his next film, takes up something more real.

Ayyare (Telugu)

Release date: 20 Jan 2012
Director : Sagar Chandra
Producer : Sudhakar Babu
Music Director : Sunil Kashyap
Starring: Rajendra Prasad, Sai Kumar, Sivaji, Anisha Singh

Natakireeti Dr. Rajendra Prasad has portrayed a key role in the movie ‘Ayyare’. Shivaji and Anisha Singh are playing the lead roles in this film which has been directed by Sagar Chandra. The movie was in the news for Rajendra Prasad’s character’s supposed similarity to Swamy Nithyananda. The film has released across Andhra Pradesh today. Let us see how the movie is.

Story :

Venkatesam (Shivaji) is a mechanic who runs his own garage. He is a carefree and fun loving guy who loves to enjoy life. He comes across Anjali (Anisha Singh) and it is love at first sight for the hero. Anjali too reciprocates the love and a romantic track ensues. Anjali’s father Sivaprasad (Sivaprasad) comes to know about this love affair and he decides to seek the advice of his guru ‘Parakaya Baba’ ( Rajendra Prasad). Baba asks Sivaprasad to go ahead with the marriage.

As marriage arrangements are in full swing, Baba changes his mind and orders the marriage to be cancelled. Why does Baba change his mind? What relation does Baba have with Venkatesam? And what is the history of this Baba? That forms the story of Ayyare.

Plus Points :

Rajendra Prasad’s performance is the highlight of the movie. He delivers a stunningly effective performance in the role of Parakaya Baba and his humorous interactions with his ‘Bhaktas’ are worth watching.His performance in the emotional moments of the film, where he turns desperate for his daugher, is outstanding.

Shivaji has done a good job as Venkatesam. He is a fine actor and he makes you laugh with his comedy. Sai Kumar is highly impressive in the role of Gajapathi. Roles like these are a cake walk for him. Anisha Singh looks good and she is ok for a first time artiste. Adithi Aggarwal sizzles in the item song.

First half has some comedy and Srinivas Reddy brings about a few laughs. Second half is the strength of the movie.

Minus Points :

The first half of the movie has not much story and there are some boring moments. M.S.Narayana, Ali and Venu Madhav are wasted in a poorly etched comedy track. More care should have been taken regarding the screenplay. Songs tend to but  in at the wrong moments and disrupt the flow.

Anjali’s introduction is quite bad. Except for the item song, commercial elements are almost zero and it remains to be seen if the masses take to such a subject. None of the songs are appealing except for ‘Telusuna’.

Technical Departments :

Dialogues penned by Nivas are thought provoking and inspiring. Editing should have been better. There are some unnecessary sequences in the first half and these should have been edited out.

Sunil Kasyap’s background score is decent. Cinematography is pretty ok.

Verdict :

Ayyare is a very thought provoking movie. It nicely captures the innocence with which people blindly follow many fake ‘Babas’ these days. The movie is entertaining and captivating in the second half. Tighter screenplay and better narration in the first half would have greatly helped matters. Overall, this is a movie that can be watched for Rajendra Prasad’s riveting performance. He is supported well by Shivaji and Sai Kumar.

Roudram (Telugu)

Release date: 20 Jan 2012
Director : Gokul
Producer : R.B.Choudary
Music Director : Prakash Nikki
Starring: Jeeva, Shriya Saran, Preeti Jhangiani, Prakash Raj

Jiva and Shreya are the lead stars in the movie ‘Roudram’ which opened across Andhra Pradesh today in a pretty big way. The movie is the dubbed version of the Tamil flick ‘Rowthiram’ and Gokul is the director. The Telugu rights were bagged by SVR Media. Let us see how the movie stacks up.

Story :

Shiva (Jiva) is an angry young man who cannot tolerate injustice. He gets into frequent fights to protect the innocent and this causes heartburn to his parents ( Jayaprakash and Lakshmi) . He comes across Priya (Shreya) , a law college student who also happens to be the daughter of the Assistant Commissioner of Police. It is love at first sight and a romantic track ensues.

As the hotheaded Shiva keeps getting into fights and quarrels, he crosses the paths of two of the dreaded gangsters of the city, Kittu (Ganesh Acharya) and Gowri. Soon, Shiva becomes their target and numerous attempts are made on his life. His family begins to suffer and he becomes isolated. A desperate Shiva decides to leave the city for the good of his family. But will the goons allow him to do so? Will Shiva ever be able to lead a normal life? That forms the story.

Plus Points :

Jiva is a fine actor and he does justice to his role in this movie. His anger and frustration about the society can be seen in his eyes. He is good with fights and dances. Shreya looks gorgeous in the movie. Though she does not have much of a role, she provides a lot of visual relief.

Jayaprakash is good as the concerned father. Prakash Raj impresses in a cameo at the beginning of the movie. The goons in the film look raw and sinister and they look utterly convincing. There is some comedy in the first half

Minus Points :

The narration of this movie is extremely and painfully slow. It is so slow that it will be a remarkable achievement to sit through the movie without going out for a break. Direction is extremely poor and there is too much confusion in the screenplay. The director should have stuck to a central theme. Instead, he keep wandering between action, sentiment, romance and drama. In the end, not one of these genres are portrayed convincingly.

There is zero excitement and every scene can be predicted as it is about to unfold. The voice in which Jiva’s character was dubbed is very poor and it does not suit the character in the movie. While a powerful and strong voice should have been used, this one is feeble and almost meek.

The romantic track between Shreya and Jiva has been handled poorly. They actually share good chemistry and the film would have been a lot better if Shreya had some more screen time.

Technical Departments :

Background score is a disaster. The soundtrack just does not gel with the scenes. Where a rousing and powerful soundtrack is required, you get to hear a soft and melodious background score. Re- Recording should have been a lot better. Editing is jerky.

Cinematography is good in parts but overall lighting is pretty bad. Dialogues are just about ok.

Verdict :

Roudram would have been a promising movie in the hands of a better director. Jiva and Shreya try their best to lift up the movie but there is not much they can do when the narration is so slow and the script so bad. Roudram is a movie that will actually end up making the audience angry. This is a flick that can be safely avoided unless you want to test the outer limits of your capability to be patient.


cnews9.com Rating : 2/5

Agneepath (Hindi)

Release date: 26 Jan 2012
Director : Karan Malhotra
Producer : Karan Johar
Music Director : Ajay Atul
Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt, Rishi Kapoor

Overall Impression Of The Movie:

Producers and directors who have dared to walk down the path of making remakes have always acknowledged that this path is literally an Agneepath (Path of Fire). The weight of living up to the basic expectations of the original and then even daring to surpass those expectations has left many a person heart-broken or ecstatic. The best examples I can think of is RamGopal Varma who still receives brickbats for his remake of Sholay while Farhan Akhthar walked away with the accolades with his version of Don. Now, Karan Johar steps in to remake Agneepath which was incidentally produced by his father in 1990 and directed by the very talented Mukul Anand who along with Amitabh Bachchan churned out an intense and fiery film which lived up to its name. Amitabh’s character of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan” went on to bag the National Award for the best actor. So let’s see how Karan Johar (the Producer) and Karan Malhotra (the Director) have fared in their interpretation of this saga!

What Is It About:

This Agneepath takes the same basic plot of the original starting in the village of Mandwa where the idealistic school headmaster (Dinanath Chauhan) strives to improve the lot of this impoverished village and its cynical villagers while teaching his son (Vijay Chauhan) to walk on the idealistic Agneepath. The village headman’s son Kancha (Sanjay Dutt) enters Mandwa with his plans to convert Mandwa into a haven for drug smuggling and incites the villagers against the head-master and kills him in cold-blood. Vijay and his mother (Zarina Wahab) make their way to Mumbai where Vijay bumps into Rauf Lala (Rishi Kapoor) who controls Mumbai’s underworld and adopts Vijay into this world of crime while distancing him from his mother. 15 years pass and Vijay grows up to be the right-hand man of Rauf Lala and he starts working on his one-point obsession to reach Kancha by hook and crook. The rest of the film is how Vijay works his way up through Rauf Lala and Kancha’s henchmen to reach Mandwa and get his due vengeance.

Karan M – the director has made changes while adapting the script to bring his own interpretation. While Amitabh had his own loyal gang who helped create the aura of power and popularity amongst the masses, Hirthik is a one-man army who literally walks alone. While the original had Amitabh create his own criminal empire in Mumbai and then bumping off his rivals to force Kancha to come down to Mandwa from his Mauritius hide-out, this one has Hrithik working his way through to the Mumbai underworld to Mandwa to meet Kancha.

What Is Good:

Sanjay Dutt’s act as the evil Kancha is the highlight of the movie. His bald look, the smirk, the drawl in his voice, the tattoos, the Bhagwad Gita quotes and his interpretations, etc convinces us that he is the embodiment of evil right from his first scene. He is a complete scene-stealer whenever he appears. Rishi Kapoor as Rauf Lala is another revelation in his bad boy act and we should hopefully see him playing more such roles in the future. Priyanka Chopra In her limited role as Vijay’s girlfriend does a neat job though the Maharashtrian character seemed to carry-over from her previous film – Kaminey. Om Puri and Zarina Wahab are adequate while the child artiste who played the young Vijay was outstanding. Sabu Cyril’s production design is exemplary in the way he has designed the chawls of Mumbai and village of Mandwa. Since the movie is set in 1977 and 1992, the art direction replicates those years without glitches. Kiran Deohan’s photography captures the bright hues of Mumbai and the brooding greys of Mandwa.

What Is Bad:

What didn’t really work for me was the Hrithik’s interpretation of Vijay since the punch and the intensity of the character was missing. Amitabh with his kohl-lined eyes and the different dialogue delivery style ensured that you empathized with him and the situations he was in while Hrithik plays his character on a single note. Hrithik’s brooding single-minded obsession of reaching out to Kancha doesn’t make much of an impact since it turns it into a simple revenge saga with no other redeeming features about his persona. Also, what is puzzling is the fact that a bigtime gangster like Hrithik walks around alone in Mumbai or Mandwa esp., when everyone is out to get him. The background music could have been toned down since it overwhelms the dialogue at times.

Me Thinks:

Comparisons are inevitable esp. when the original was a classic and I would say that people who have seen the earlier version might not like this version of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan. On the contrary, folks who haven’t been exposed to the original might find this to be entertaining enough since they would have nothing to benchmark it against.

Tailpiece:

The Chikni Chameli song is the only song that gets your attention thanks to all of Katrina’s jhatkas-matkas!!!


cnews9.com Rating : 3

Legend: 5 – Flawless

4 – Must Watch - 3 – One Time Watch - 2 – Wait for the DVD - 1 – Stay Away

My Bands that I played in etc

Hi, I thought that today I would share with you a little bit of my history! I was born i north London in a place called Upper Holloway as Christopher Paul Barnes, When I was 9 years old,My mum got me my first guitar, It was a small but perfect Italian guitar that was well in fret, My brother John showed me three chords ( all he knew ), From that day on I played morning noon & Night driving my parents u the wall with that guitar! When I reached the age of 13, My dad said , Son, If you keep improving as you have, I will buy you an electric guitar! Of course I did practise by of which this time I was pretty good to say the least! So along came that day when we went down o our local music shop called Berry's in Holloway road N7, To my delight he bought me a Hofner Colourama solid bodied guitar! This guitar made a great improvement to my playing!
By the time I was 14, I joined my first band it was called Mick Daley and his northern stars, The band consisted of three of us Mick on drums & vocal, Horace on rhythm & vocal ,And myself on Lead guitar & vocal, We played the local pubs for a while! Then when I was 16 , I discovered a recording studio  as I walked past an umbrella shop in Holloway road on the way to the music shop,In fact it was only a couple of shops away from Berry's, Little did I know that it was RGM sound run by the late Joe Meek, So being nosey as I was, I investigated by asking in the shop bellow about it! They said yes it is a recording studio with lots of famous groups and artists going in and out all the time, I finally got to meet Joe Meek and arrange to train as an engineer with him, In those days of 1966 mixer controlls were primitive as the slider control was yet to be marketed, So I learnt how to mix, One day I asked Joe If I could bring my little band which was then called the Rapids to record, To my surprise he said yes, So we cut a demo disc!  The Rapids consisted of my brother John on drums, Vince on rhythm, Mick Dowd on bass, And myself on lead guitar/vocals, The band only lasted 6 months an then we went our own ways,
In 1967 ,To my horror, Joe Meek committed suicide! I was shocked as I only saw him three days before! So that was my training finished!
In 1968 I was in a pub called the Half Moon in Holloway road, On the stage was a country band called The Lariats, After a couple of bears I got the nerve to ask if I could play and sing a couple of songs with them! I ended up joining the band as a led guitarist! In 1969 , My parents got a move by the council which meant that if I was to o with them ,I would have to leave the band,That is just what I did, So we moved to Bellingham SE6,
Because of my bad luck, I decided to change my name from Christopher Paul Barnes to Paul Christopher Burns , My parents were not happy about it but I did it anyway! 1970 came along and I auditioned for a band at Plumstead! I got the position as lead guitarist! After a few changes and misplacement we became a really tight rock band! We started with the name Grey, Then we changed it ti Impact and was told it was another bands name,So we settled on the name HUSH, We go a regular job with Bob Wheatley in one of his many entertainment pubs at that time, The pub was called the Harrows down on the A127 near Wickford! We played 7 nights a week and even played for Radio 1 on the Jimmy Young show! After nearly two years I left the band due to to much pressure!  Since then I have been in many bands but now I only play for pleasure!

Its funny how life turns out! 

Exclusive Collection of 14th February Valentine's Day Wallpaper, Ringtone And SMS

Hot Collection of Valentine's Day Wallpaper, SMS and Ringtone

 

Trust a person to the extent

that he feels guilty to cheat you

Love a person to the extent

that he fears to loose you!

If you are cold at night,

let the promise of my

love cover you like a

'warm blanket'

Once A Girl Askd Her Bf :

Why We Have Units To Measure

Weight, Height & Distance

But

Not Love, Friendship & Trust?

.

Boy Thought For A While

.

.

.

Took Her In His Arms,

Looked Deep In Her Eyes & Said

Look, DON'T Eat My Brain!

I Have Already Failed In Physics :p:D

If I reached for your hand , will u hold it ?

If I hold out my arms, will u hug me ?

If I go for your lips, will u kiss me ?

If I capture ur heart , will u love me ??

Love Someone ...

Not Because They Give

You What You Need ... !!!

But

Because They Give You Feelings

You Never Thought You Needed!

~Author Unknown

Jab b ye dil udaas hota hai

Jane kon aas pass hota hai

Kissi ko dundti hai ye nazar

Kissi k na hone ka ahsaas hota hai

Jo roze kare mujh ko SMS pyare

wo shakas b bada khaas hota hai

How did it happen that our lips came together?

How does it happen that birds sing,

that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens

behind the shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill?

A kiss, and all was said.

If Your asking if I Need U the answer is 4Ever

If Your asking if I'll Leave U the answer is Never

If Your asking what I value the Answer is U

if Your asking if I love U the answer is I do.

Valentines Day Theam

http://www.ziddu.com/download/18419531/valentines_day.mp3.html

Love Theme

http://www.ziddu.com/download/18419567/love_theme_mpk.mp3.html