So how does the storyline go for The 3 Wise Men?
It’s about Los Tres Reyes Magos.
The three kings that went to see Jesus. It’s a Spanish holiday that you celebrate after Christmas, January 6th. I didn’t discover this holiday until I went to Spain, and I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is the coolest thing ever!” Being a Latin person raised in America, we just celebrate the normal Christmas. But in Latin countries, they celebrate Los Tres Reyes Magos. Basically you wish for the three kings to bring you gifts. It’s just really cool. And the movie is about Herod…and how the three kings are trying to find their way to Jesus.
Tell us about your involvement in the The 3 Wise Men. What was your role?
I am a warrior princess [Sarah], and I’m trying to get everybody to join my army against Herod the tyrant. I’m basically trying to change the world.
It’s hard being a woman in a man’s world, so she definitely has that going, and she runs into lots of issues. She’s trying to take this army, “Let’s beat Herod!” Everyone laughs at her saying, “C’mon, you’re just a girl. You don’t know anything….” I related well with the character, so for me, playing the part was actually pretty easy.
It was a great experience for me.
With which character did you work closely for your role in this film?
Actually, when I did my voice character, I didn’t see anybody else. I was there about 4-
6 hours to do my character. I had a great time though.
So overall, how was the whole voice recording experience?
It’s a lot harder than it looks!
You’re watching the film, as you are recording the part. So you’re standing there in the studio and they give you a timer that goes bee-beep-beep.
The line comes up and you have to get right into it. It’s all about rhythm and time.
It was really hard, but a lot of fun!
So what age audience do you think this film is fitting for?
For me, I don’t think the age matters for this one. People go and see Christmas movies- I know that I watch Christmas movies during the holidays- whether it is animated or not.
This is really just like a family movie.
Interviewed by Reporter Cindy
*The 3 Wise Men DVD will be available November 1, 2005, to a WAL-MART near you!
-taken from jacionline.net-
Monday, October 31, 2005
Quote from Yann Martel's Life of Pi Chapter 24
Alas, the sense of community that a common faith brings to a people spelled trouble for me. In time, my religious doings went from the notice of those to whom it didn’t matter and only amused, to that of those to whom it did matter—and they were not amused.
“What is your son doing going to temple?” asked the priest.
“Your son was seen in church crossing himself,” said the imam.
“Your son has gone Muslim,” said the pandit.
Yes, it was all forcefully brought to the attention of my bemused parents. You see, they didn’t know. They didn’t know that I was a practising Hindu, Christian and Muslim. Teenagers always hide a few things from their parents, isn’t that so? All sixteen-year-olds have secrets, don’t they? But fate decided that my parents and I and the three wise men, as I shall call them, should meet one day on the Goubert Salai seaside esplanade and that my secret should be outed. It was a lovely, breezy, hot Sunday afternoon and the Bay of Bengal glittered under a blue sky. Townspeople were out for a stroll. Children screamed and laughed. Coloured balloons floated in the air. Ice cream sales were brisk. Why think of business on such a day, I ask? Why couldn’t they have just walked by with a nod and a smile? It was not to be. We were to meet not just one wise man but all three, and not one after another but at the same time, and each would decide upon seeing us that right then was the golden occasion to meet that Pondicherry notable, the zoo director, he of the model devout son. When I saw the first, I smiled; by the time I had laid eyes on the third, my smile had frozen into a mask of horror. When it was clear that all three were converging on us, my heart jumped before sinking very low.
The wise men seemed annoyed when they realized that all three of them were approaching the same people. Each must have assumed that the others were there for some business other than pastoral and had rudely chosen that moment to deal with it. Glances of displeasure were exchanged.
My parents looked puzzled to have their way gently blocked by three broadly smiling religious strangers. I should explain that my family was anything but orthodox. Father saw himself as part of the New India—rich, modern and as secular as ice cream. He didn’t have a religious bone in his body. He was a businessman, pronounced busynessman in his case, a hardworking, earthbound professional, more concerned with inbreeding among the lions than any over-arching moral or existential scheme. It’s true that he had all new animals blessed by a priest and there were two small shrines at the zoo, one to Lord Ganesha and one to Hanuman, gods likely to please a zoo director, what with the first having the head of an elephant and the second being a monkey, but Father’s calculation was that this was good for business, not good for his soul, a matter of public relations rather than personal salvation. Spiritual worry was alien to him; it was financial worry that rocked his being. “One epidemic in the collection,” he used to say, “and we’ll end up in a road crew breaking up stones.” Mother was mum, bored and neutral on the subject. A Hindu upbringing and a Baptist education had precisely cancelled each other out as far as religion was concerned and had left her serenely impious. I suspect she suspected that I had a different take on the matter, but she never said anything when as a child I devoured the comic books of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and an illustrated children’s Bible and other stories of the gods. She herself was a big reader. She was pleased to see me with my nose buried in a book, any book, so long as it wasn’t naughty. As for Ravi, if Lord Krishna had held a cricket bat rather than a flute, if Christ had appeared more plainly to him as an umpire, if the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had shown some notions of bowling, he might have lifted a religious eyelid, but they didn’t, and so he slumbered.
After the “Hellos” and the “Good days”, there was an awkward silence. The priest broke it when he said, with pride in his voice, “Piscine is a good Christian boy. I hope to see him join our choir soon.”
My parents, the pandit and the imam looked surprised.
“You must be mistaken. He’s a good Muslim boy. He comes without fail to Friday prayer, and his knowledge of the Holy Qur’an is coming along nicely.” So said the imam.
My parents, the priest and the pandit looked incredulous.
The pandit spoke. “You’re both wrong. He’s a good Hindu boy. I see him all the time at the temple coming for darshan and performing puja.”
My parents, the imam and the priest looked astounded.
“There is no mistake,” said the priest. “I know this boy. He is Piscine Molitor Patel and he’s a Christian.”
“I know him too, and I tell you he’s a Muslim,” asserted the imam.
“Nonsense!” cried the pandit. “Piscine was born a Hindu, lives a Hindu and will die a Hindu!”
The three wise men stared at each other, breathless and disbelieving.
Lord, avert their eyes from me, I whispered in my soul.
All eyes fell upon me.
“Piscine, can this be true?” asked the imam earnestly. “Hindus and Christians are idolaters. They have many gods.”
“And Muslims have many wives,” responded the pandit.
The priest looked askance at both of them. “Piscine,” he nearly whispered, “there is salvation only in Jesus.”
“Balderdash! Christians know nothing about religion,” said the pandit.
“They strayed long ago from God’s path,” said the imam.
“Where’s God in your religion?” snapped the priest. “You don’t have a single miracle to show for it. What kind of religion is that, without miracles?”
“It isn’t a circus with dead people jumping out of tombs all the time, that’s what! We Muslims stick to the essential miracle of existence. Birds flying, rain falling, crops growing—these are miracles enough for us.”
“Feathers and rain are all very nice, but we like to know that God is truly with us.”
“Is that so? Well, a whole lot of good it did God to be with you—you tried to kill him! You banged him to a cross with great big nails. Is that a civilized way to treat a prophet? The prophet Muhammad—peace be upon him—brought us the word of God without any undignified nonsense and died at a ripe old age.”
“The word of God? To that illiterate merchant of yours in the middle of the desert? Those were drooling epileptic fits brought on by the swaying of his camel, not divine revelation. That, or the sun frying his brains!”
“If the Prophet—p.b.u.h.—were alive, he would have choice words for you,” replied the imam, with narrowed eyes.
“Well, he’s not! Christ is alive, while your old ‘p.b.u.h.’ is dead, dead, dead!”
The pandit interrupted them quietly. In Tamil he said, “The real question is, why is Piscine dallying with these foreign religions?”
The eyes of the priest and the imam properly popped out of their heads. They were both native Tamils.
“God is universal,” spluttered the priest.
The imam nodded strong approval. “There is only one God.”
“And with their one god Muslims are always causing troubles and provoking riots. The proof of how bad Islam is, is how uncivilized Muslims are,” pronounced the pandit.
“Says the slave-driver of the caste system,” huffed the imam. “Hindus enslave people and worship dressed-up dolls.”
“They are golden calf lovers. They kneel before cows,” the priest chimed in.
“While Christians kneel before a white man! They are the flunkies of a foreign god. They are the nightmare of all non-white people.”
“And they eat pigs and are cannibals,” added the imam for good measure.
“What it comes down to,” the priest put out with cool rage, “is whether Piscine wants real religion—or myths from a cartoon strip.”
“God—or idols,” intoned the imam gravely.
“Our gods—or colonial gods,” hissed the pandit.
It was hard to tell whose face was more inflamed. It looked as if they might come to blows.
Father raised his hands. “Gentlemen, gentlemen, please!” he interjected. “I would like to remind you there is freedom of practice in this country.”
Three apoplectic faces turned to him.
“Yes! Practice—singular!” the wise men screamed in unison. Three index fingers, like punctuation marks, jumped to attention in the air to emphasize their point.
They were not pleased at the unintended choral effect or the spontaneous unity of their gestures. Their fingers came down quickly, and they sighed and groaned each on his own. Father and Mother stared on, at a loss for words.
The pandit spoke first. “Mr. Patel, Piscine’s piety is admirable. In these troubled times it’s good to see a boy so keen on God. We all agree on that.” The imam and the priest nodded. “But he can’t be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim. It’s impossible. He must choose.”
“I don’t think it’s a crime, but I suppose you’re right,” Father replied.
The three murmured agreement and looked heavenward, as did Father, whence they felt the decision must come. Mother looked at me.
A silence fell heavily on my shoulders.
“Hmmm, Piscine?” Mother nudged me. “How do you feel about the question?”
“Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’ I just want to love God,” I blurted out, and looked down, red in the face.
My embarrassment was contagious. No one said anything. It happened that we were not far from the statue of Gandhi on the esplanade. Stick in hand, an impish smile on his lips, a twinkle in his eyes, the Mahatma walked. I fancy that he heard our conversation, but that he paid even greater attention to my heart. Father cleared his throat and said in a half-voice, “I suppose that’s what we’re all trying to do—love God.”
I thought it very funny that he should say that, he who hadn’t stepped into a temple with a serious intent since I had had the faculty of memory. But it seemed to do the trick. You can’t reprimand a boy for wanting to love God. The three wise men pulled away with stiff, grudging smiles on their faces.
Father looked at me for a second, as if to speak, then thought better, said, “Ice cream, anyone?” and headed for the closest ice cream wallah before we could answer. Mother gazed at me a little longer, with an expression that was both tender and perplexed.
That was my introduction to interfaith dialogue. Father bought three ice cream sandwiches. We ate them in unusual silence as we continued on our Sunday walk.
--------------
What a great chapter :)
“What is your son doing going to temple?” asked the priest.
“Your son was seen in church crossing himself,” said the imam.
“Your son has gone Muslim,” said the pandit.
Yes, it was all forcefully brought to the attention of my bemused parents. You see, they didn’t know. They didn’t know that I was a practising Hindu, Christian and Muslim. Teenagers always hide a few things from their parents, isn’t that so? All sixteen-year-olds have secrets, don’t they? But fate decided that my parents and I and the three wise men, as I shall call them, should meet one day on the Goubert Salai seaside esplanade and that my secret should be outed. It was a lovely, breezy, hot Sunday afternoon and the Bay of Bengal glittered under a blue sky. Townspeople were out for a stroll. Children screamed and laughed. Coloured balloons floated in the air. Ice cream sales were brisk. Why think of business on such a day, I ask? Why couldn’t they have just walked by with a nod and a smile? It was not to be. We were to meet not just one wise man but all three, and not one after another but at the same time, and each would decide upon seeing us that right then was the golden occasion to meet that Pondicherry notable, the zoo director, he of the model devout son. When I saw the first, I smiled; by the time I had laid eyes on the third, my smile had frozen into a mask of horror. When it was clear that all three were converging on us, my heart jumped before sinking very low.
The wise men seemed annoyed when they realized that all three of them were approaching the same people. Each must have assumed that the others were there for some business other than pastoral and had rudely chosen that moment to deal with it. Glances of displeasure were exchanged.
My parents looked puzzled to have their way gently blocked by three broadly smiling religious strangers. I should explain that my family was anything but orthodox. Father saw himself as part of the New India—rich, modern and as secular as ice cream. He didn’t have a religious bone in his body. He was a businessman, pronounced busynessman in his case, a hardworking, earthbound professional, more concerned with inbreeding among the lions than any over-arching moral or existential scheme. It’s true that he had all new animals blessed by a priest and there were two small shrines at the zoo, one to Lord Ganesha and one to Hanuman, gods likely to please a zoo director, what with the first having the head of an elephant and the second being a monkey, but Father’s calculation was that this was good for business, not good for his soul, a matter of public relations rather than personal salvation. Spiritual worry was alien to him; it was financial worry that rocked his being. “One epidemic in the collection,” he used to say, “and we’ll end up in a road crew breaking up stones.” Mother was mum, bored and neutral on the subject. A Hindu upbringing and a Baptist education had precisely cancelled each other out as far as religion was concerned and had left her serenely impious. I suspect she suspected that I had a different take on the matter, but she never said anything when as a child I devoured the comic books of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and an illustrated children’s Bible and other stories of the gods. She herself was a big reader. She was pleased to see me with my nose buried in a book, any book, so long as it wasn’t naughty. As for Ravi, if Lord Krishna had held a cricket bat rather than a flute, if Christ had appeared more plainly to him as an umpire, if the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had shown some notions of bowling, he might have lifted a religious eyelid, but they didn’t, and so he slumbered.
After the “Hellos” and the “Good days”, there was an awkward silence. The priest broke it when he said, with pride in his voice, “Piscine is a good Christian boy. I hope to see him join our choir soon.”
My parents, the pandit and the imam looked surprised.
“You must be mistaken. He’s a good Muslim boy. He comes without fail to Friday prayer, and his knowledge of the Holy Qur’an is coming along nicely.” So said the imam.
My parents, the priest and the pandit looked incredulous.
The pandit spoke. “You’re both wrong. He’s a good Hindu boy. I see him all the time at the temple coming for darshan and performing puja.”
My parents, the imam and the priest looked astounded.
“There is no mistake,” said the priest. “I know this boy. He is Piscine Molitor Patel and he’s a Christian.”
“I know him too, and I tell you he’s a Muslim,” asserted the imam.
“Nonsense!” cried the pandit. “Piscine was born a Hindu, lives a Hindu and will die a Hindu!”
The three wise men stared at each other, breathless and disbelieving.
Lord, avert their eyes from me, I whispered in my soul.
All eyes fell upon me.
“Piscine, can this be true?” asked the imam earnestly. “Hindus and Christians are idolaters. They have many gods.”
“And Muslims have many wives,” responded the pandit.
The priest looked askance at both of them. “Piscine,” he nearly whispered, “there is salvation only in Jesus.”
“Balderdash! Christians know nothing about religion,” said the pandit.
“They strayed long ago from God’s path,” said the imam.
“Where’s God in your religion?” snapped the priest. “You don’t have a single miracle to show for it. What kind of religion is that, without miracles?”
“It isn’t a circus with dead people jumping out of tombs all the time, that’s what! We Muslims stick to the essential miracle of existence. Birds flying, rain falling, crops growing—these are miracles enough for us.”
“Feathers and rain are all very nice, but we like to know that God is truly with us.”
“Is that so? Well, a whole lot of good it did God to be with you—you tried to kill him! You banged him to a cross with great big nails. Is that a civilized way to treat a prophet? The prophet Muhammad—peace be upon him—brought us the word of God without any undignified nonsense and died at a ripe old age.”
“The word of God? To that illiterate merchant of yours in the middle of the desert? Those were drooling epileptic fits brought on by the swaying of his camel, not divine revelation. That, or the sun frying his brains!”
“If the Prophet—p.b.u.h.—were alive, he would have choice words for you,” replied the imam, with narrowed eyes.
“Well, he’s not! Christ is alive, while your old ‘p.b.u.h.’ is dead, dead, dead!”
The pandit interrupted them quietly. In Tamil he said, “The real question is, why is Piscine dallying with these foreign religions?”
The eyes of the priest and the imam properly popped out of their heads. They were both native Tamils.
“God is universal,” spluttered the priest.
The imam nodded strong approval. “There is only one God.”
“And with their one god Muslims are always causing troubles and provoking riots. The proof of how bad Islam is, is how uncivilized Muslims are,” pronounced the pandit.
“Says the slave-driver of the caste system,” huffed the imam. “Hindus enslave people and worship dressed-up dolls.”
“They are golden calf lovers. They kneel before cows,” the priest chimed in.
“While Christians kneel before a white man! They are the flunkies of a foreign god. They are the nightmare of all non-white people.”
“And they eat pigs and are cannibals,” added the imam for good measure.
“What it comes down to,” the priest put out with cool rage, “is whether Piscine wants real religion—or myths from a cartoon strip.”
“God—or idols,” intoned the imam gravely.
“Our gods—or colonial gods,” hissed the pandit.
It was hard to tell whose face was more inflamed. It looked as if they might come to blows.
Father raised his hands. “Gentlemen, gentlemen, please!” he interjected. “I would like to remind you there is freedom of practice in this country.”
Three apoplectic faces turned to him.
“Yes! Practice—singular!” the wise men screamed in unison. Three index fingers, like punctuation marks, jumped to attention in the air to emphasize their point.
They were not pleased at the unintended choral effect or the spontaneous unity of their gestures. Their fingers came down quickly, and they sighed and groaned each on his own. Father and Mother stared on, at a loss for words.
The pandit spoke first. “Mr. Patel, Piscine’s piety is admirable. In these troubled times it’s good to see a boy so keen on God. We all agree on that.” The imam and the priest nodded. “But he can’t be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim. It’s impossible. He must choose.”
“I don’t think it’s a crime, but I suppose you’re right,” Father replied.
The three murmured agreement and looked heavenward, as did Father, whence they felt the decision must come. Mother looked at me.
A silence fell heavily on my shoulders.
“Hmmm, Piscine?” Mother nudged me. “How do you feel about the question?”
“Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’ I just want to love God,” I blurted out, and looked down, red in the face.
My embarrassment was contagious. No one said anything. It happened that we were not far from the statue of Gandhi on the esplanade. Stick in hand, an impish smile on his lips, a twinkle in his eyes, the Mahatma walked. I fancy that he heard our conversation, but that he paid even greater attention to my heart. Father cleared his throat and said in a half-voice, “I suppose that’s what we’re all trying to do—love God.”
I thought it very funny that he should say that, he who hadn’t stepped into a temple with a serious intent since I had had the faculty of memory. But it seemed to do the trick. You can’t reprimand a boy for wanting to love God. The three wise men pulled away with stiff, grudging smiles on their faces.
Father looked at me for a second, as if to speak, then thought better, said, “Ice cream, anyone?” and headed for the closest ice cream wallah before we could answer. Mother gazed at me a little longer, with an expression that was both tender and perplexed.
That was my introduction to interfaith dialogue. Father bought three ice cream sandwiches. We ate them in unusual silence as we continued on our Sunday walk.
--------------
What a great chapter :)
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Fergie: Our Defence Was Frail
Sir Alex Ferguson admits United conceded some "terrible goals" during the shock 4-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.
The manager was obviously disappointed with the result but also concerned about the defensive performance, especially with an important trip to Lille looming on the midweek horizon.
Here's a transcript of his post-match interview on MUTV...
Where do you start with that?
"We start with the second minute when we allowed one of their players to receive the ball and move forward without one challenge from 25 yards. When you're away from home, you hope to start with a tight, balanced midfield and see how the first few minutes go until you get your own tempo and rhythm. But we were on the back foot right away and we never recovered from it. The second and third goals were terrible goals to lose at our level. We can't afford to do that."
What disappointed you most about the 90 minutes?
"The start didn't help us. From that moment on, we chased it, and when you chase it, you are susceptible to the counter-attack which we never handled that well. Every time they played the ball forward it looked a danger. Their front two gave our defence a really hard time."
The third goal was a killer...
"There was no doubt about the penalty. The linesman gave it but nonetheless it was a penalty and right on the stroke of half-time. So it was an uphill fight after that. We changed the system a bit and played three up so that we occupied their three defenders. In that situation, you have to risk. We're prepared to do that and we should always do that but we needed an early goal in the second half to give us the encouragement and confidence to go on and do better."
The first goal was a shame for van der Sar, his first real mistake...
"I'd have to see it again but allowing a player to have a free shot from that range doesn't help you. That was bad."
How do you bounce back from this?
"The great thing about our club is that we have to bounce back. There's a lot expected of us. There's a great fascination about how we play every Saturday and what the result is. Today is another page in the history of Manchester United. Middlesbrough have cuffed us 4-1 and we have to get over that because on Wednesday night we have a really important match in Europe. And I think that result today only encourages our French opponents, they'll be buoyed by that. So we have to do something on Wednesday, we have to be positive and make sure we don't make mistakes like we did defensively. If we do, we'll be out."
The next two games are massive. Is that just what's required after a performance like that?
"Well, they're all massive really. Today was massive. I felt we were in reasonably consistent form, our away form was excellent. And in our away games this season we've started with a lot of patience and care in how we approach the game, making sure we get hold of the ball and make our opponents work for it. But we didn't do that today and of course that second-minute goal just compounded the whole day."
How much damage has that done in the title race?
"We've been hoping that Chelsea drop points and they're not doing so. Now the rest of us are scrabbling away hoping we can get some consistent form. Charlton have lost today, Tottenham and Arsenal have drawn, we've lost... nobody's getting the consistent form they need to challenge Chelsea."
Do you have to beat Chelsea next Sunday?
"You always have to beat teams, that part never changes. A lot of people are hoping that we're the team that can beat them and, of course, with the ability we have in our team, that is possible. But certainly on today's form I don't think we could beat anyone."
How big a challenge is Wednesday's game now?
"We want to qualify, obviously. We've always qualified from the group. We're still in a good position, don't get me wrong about that, but we can't afford the defensive frailties we've shown today. Therefore we'll play with a bit more caution on Wednesday, to make sure we don't give our opponents any more encouragement."
So you'll be looking for a response from the team...
"We'll get a response, that's without question. That's what we've always been good at. And that's my job."
The manager was obviously disappointed with the result but also concerned about the defensive performance, especially with an important trip to Lille looming on the midweek horizon.
Here's a transcript of his post-match interview on MUTV...
Where do you start with that?
"We start with the second minute when we allowed one of their players to receive the ball and move forward without one challenge from 25 yards. When you're away from home, you hope to start with a tight, balanced midfield and see how the first few minutes go until you get your own tempo and rhythm. But we were on the back foot right away and we never recovered from it. The second and third goals were terrible goals to lose at our level. We can't afford to do that."
What disappointed you most about the 90 minutes?
"The start didn't help us. From that moment on, we chased it, and when you chase it, you are susceptible to the counter-attack which we never handled that well. Every time they played the ball forward it looked a danger. Their front two gave our defence a really hard time."
The third goal was a killer...
"There was no doubt about the penalty. The linesman gave it but nonetheless it was a penalty and right on the stroke of half-time. So it was an uphill fight after that. We changed the system a bit and played three up so that we occupied their three defenders. In that situation, you have to risk. We're prepared to do that and we should always do that but we needed an early goal in the second half to give us the encouragement and confidence to go on and do better."
The first goal was a shame for van der Sar, his first real mistake...
"I'd have to see it again but allowing a player to have a free shot from that range doesn't help you. That was bad."
How do you bounce back from this?
"The great thing about our club is that we have to bounce back. There's a lot expected of us. There's a great fascination about how we play every Saturday and what the result is. Today is another page in the history of Manchester United. Middlesbrough have cuffed us 4-1 and we have to get over that because on Wednesday night we have a really important match in Europe. And I think that result today only encourages our French opponents, they'll be buoyed by that. So we have to do something on Wednesday, we have to be positive and make sure we don't make mistakes like we did defensively. If we do, we'll be out."
The next two games are massive. Is that just what's required after a performance like that?
"Well, they're all massive really. Today was massive. I felt we were in reasonably consistent form, our away form was excellent. And in our away games this season we've started with a lot of patience and care in how we approach the game, making sure we get hold of the ball and make our opponents work for it. But we didn't do that today and of course that second-minute goal just compounded the whole day."
How much damage has that done in the title race?
"We've been hoping that Chelsea drop points and they're not doing so. Now the rest of us are scrabbling away hoping we can get some consistent form. Charlton have lost today, Tottenham and Arsenal have drawn, we've lost... nobody's getting the consistent form they need to challenge Chelsea."
Do you have to beat Chelsea next Sunday?
"You always have to beat teams, that part never changes. A lot of people are hoping that we're the team that can beat them and, of course, with the ability we have in our team, that is possible. But certainly on today's form I don't think we could beat anyone."
How big a challenge is Wednesday's game now?
"We want to qualify, obviously. We've always qualified from the group. We're still in a good position, don't get me wrong about that, but we can't afford the defensive frailties we've shown today. Therefore we'll play with a bit more caution on Wednesday, to make sure we don't give our opponents any more encouragement."
So you'll be looking for a response from the team...
"We'll get a response, that's without question. That's what we've always been good at. And that's my job."
Naked woman drops through ceiling
A Russian couple had a narrow escape when their naked neighbour dropped in - through the ceiling.
Rozalia Valiakhmetova had been relaxing in the bath when the floor gave way, dropping her and the bath tub into the flat below.
She said: "I had just dozed off and then I heard this huge crash and realised what had happened. The bathroom floor just collapsed under the bath and I came crashing through the ceiling of the people below me.
"They seemed as shocked as I was when they saw me lying there naked in the bath in the middle of their living room."
She was treated at a local hospital for injuries to her leg but otherwise was unhurt.
Local council engineers said the floors in the old apartment block in Solnechnaya in the Surgut district of Russia where Valiakhmetova lived were supported by wood which had rotted over the years.
Rozalia Valiakhmetova had been relaxing in the bath when the floor gave way, dropping her and the bath tub into the flat below.
She said: "I had just dozed off and then I heard this huge crash and realised what had happened. The bathroom floor just collapsed under the bath and I came crashing through the ceiling of the people below me.
"They seemed as shocked as I was when they saw me lying there naked in the bath in the middle of their living room."
She was treated at a local hospital for injuries to her leg but otherwise was unhurt.
Local council engineers said the floors in the old apartment block in Solnechnaya in the Surgut district of Russia where Valiakhmetova lived were supported by wood which had rotted over the years.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Sued for not giving orgasms
A Brazilian woman is suing her partner for not giving her orgasms.
According to Terra Noticias Populares reports the unnamed 31-year-old filled a complaint at Chacar Urbana Police station in Jundiai.
She complained that her 38-year-old partner reached an orgasm and then simply stopped the sexual intercourse.
Police chief Jose Roberto Ferraz is investigating the case.
Police spokesperson said: "We will look into it, we will treat it as an ordinary complaint and let the judge decide."
---------
:))
According to Terra Noticias Populares reports the unnamed 31-year-old filled a complaint at Chacar Urbana Police station in Jundiai.
She complained that her 38-year-old partner reached an orgasm and then simply stopped the sexual intercourse.
Police chief Jose Roberto Ferraz is investigating the case.
Police spokesperson said: "We will look into it, we will treat it as an ordinary complaint and let the judge decide."
---------
:))
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Students to hatch egg
Three German students are to try to hatch an egg quicker than a chicken in a TV challenge.
Nicole Hackbart, 25, Tina Pioszczyk, 26 and Alexander Wenta, 27, are to nurture the egg 24 hours a day.
They will take turns at eight hours shifts for an estimated three weeks on the Galilieo show on channel ProSieben.
They will keep the egg in a special hatching bag that helps keep the constant temperature and humidity levels needed for the embryo to survive.
The students, who must carefully rotate the egg three times a day, are competing with a hen that has successfully hatched over 270 eggs.
Psychologist Werner Katzengruber, who is overseeing the project, said he expected the human participants to form a bond with the egg.
"I'm sure they will become attached to the egg and will be overjoyed if a chick hatches, but at the same time they could blame each other if something goes wrong," he said.
"I doubt they'll be eating many eggs for breakfast after the experiment."
Nicole Hackbart, 25, Tina Pioszczyk, 26 and Alexander Wenta, 27, are to nurture the egg 24 hours a day.
They will take turns at eight hours shifts for an estimated three weeks on the Galilieo show on channel ProSieben.
They will keep the egg in a special hatching bag that helps keep the constant temperature and humidity levels needed for the embryo to survive.
The students, who must carefully rotate the egg three times a day, are competing with a hen that has successfully hatched over 270 eggs.
Psychologist Werner Katzengruber, who is overseeing the project, said he expected the human participants to form a bond with the egg.
"I'm sure they will become attached to the egg and will be overjoyed if a chick hatches, but at the same time they could blame each other if something goes wrong," he said.
"I doubt they'll be eating many eggs for breakfast after the experiment."
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Boy brought grenade to show and tell
A primary school in Poland had to be evacuated after a nine-year-old boy brought a live hand grenade to a 'show and tell' session.
The pupils had been asked to bring something interesting into the classroom to show their classmates.
Nine-year-old Piotr Ernst, from Trzebnik, decided that a hand grenade from his dad's collection of WWII memorabilia was the perfect thing.
When later questioned by police, the youngster's father, Fryderyk, said he had dug up the grenade along with other WWII artifacts that he had found using a metal detector in woods near his home.
--------------
PArents please watch out ur kids tsk tsk tsk
The pupils had been asked to bring something interesting into the classroom to show their classmates.
Nine-year-old Piotr Ernst, from Trzebnik, decided that a hand grenade from his dad's collection of WWII memorabilia was the perfect thing.
When later questioned by police, the youngster's father, Fryderyk, said he had dug up the grenade along with other WWII artifacts that he had found using a metal detector in woods near his home.
--------------
PArents please watch out ur kids tsk tsk tsk
Married 162 times - and still wants more
A Bosnian pensioner who claims to have been married 162 times has said he wants to marry at least another 100 women.
Nedeljko Ilincic, 75, from Milosevac in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said he first got married when he was 15 and since then it has been "just one wife after another".
He said he now plans to see if his "feat" is worthy of a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
The former waiter, who has 14 children from different marriages, told local weekly Svet: "I first got married when I was only 15.
"I did it mainly because my parents wanted me to marry a woman named Joka, even though she was 20 years older than me, because her family was rich.
"I soon divorced her though because I didn't like her and after that it was just one wife after another. I seemed to be getting either married or divorced all the time.
"The length of the marriages was always different, sometimes I'd spend a few years with my wife, other times it would just be a week. I must hold the record though."
And the former waiter, who is currently single, said that at 75 he had not lost his appetite for marriage.
He said: "I'm still very popular with the ladies. At the moment there are two I could choose from, Janja and Dragica, who are both from Gradacac in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I've heard one of my ex-wives Petra also wants me back.
"I may be getting on a bit, but I'm not ready to give up on love just yet. Another 100 marriages would probably calm me down."
----------
Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hold it down old man!!! :P
Nedeljko Ilincic, 75, from Milosevac in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said he first got married when he was 15 and since then it has been "just one wife after another".
He said he now plans to see if his "feat" is worthy of a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
The former waiter, who has 14 children from different marriages, told local weekly Svet: "I first got married when I was only 15.
"I did it mainly because my parents wanted me to marry a woman named Joka, even though she was 20 years older than me, because her family was rich.
"I soon divorced her though because I didn't like her and after that it was just one wife after another. I seemed to be getting either married or divorced all the time.
"The length of the marriages was always different, sometimes I'd spend a few years with my wife, other times it would just be a week. I must hold the record though."
And the former waiter, who is currently single, said that at 75 he had not lost his appetite for marriage.
He said: "I'm still very popular with the ladies. At the moment there are two I could choose from, Janja and Dragica, who are both from Gradacac in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I've heard one of my ex-wives Petra also wants me back.
"I may be getting on a bit, but I'm not ready to give up on love just yet. Another 100 marriages would probably calm me down."
----------
Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hold it down old man!!! :P
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Prisoner sues God
A Romanian prisoner is suing God for failing to save him from the Devil.
The inmate, named as Pavel M in media reports, accused God of "cheating, abuse and traffic of influence".
His complaint reads: "I, the undersigned Pavel M, currently jailed at Timisoara Penitentiary serving a 20 years sentence for murder, request legal action against God, resident in Heaven, and represented here by the Romanian Orthodox Church, for committing the following crimes: cheating, concealment, abuse against people's interest, taking bribe and traffic of influence."
The inmate argued that his baptism was a contract between him and God who was supposed to keep the Devil away and keep him out of trouble.
He added: "God even claimed and received from me various goods and prayers in exchange for forgiveness and the promise that I would be rid of problems and have a better life.
"But on the contrary I was left in Devil's hands."
The complaint was sent to the Timisoara Court of Justice and forwarded to the prosecutor's office.
But prosecutors said it would probably be dropped and they were unable to subpoena God to court.
-------------------
but but i thought God is everywhere... so believe it or not
He will be there in court if the court decides to subpoena him :))
hehehehehe :p
The inmate, named as Pavel M in media reports, accused God of "cheating, abuse and traffic of influence".
His complaint reads: "I, the undersigned Pavel M, currently jailed at Timisoara Penitentiary serving a 20 years sentence for murder, request legal action against God, resident in Heaven, and represented here by the Romanian Orthodox Church, for committing the following crimes: cheating, concealment, abuse against people's interest, taking bribe and traffic of influence."
The inmate argued that his baptism was a contract between him and God who was supposed to keep the Devil away and keep him out of trouble.
He added: "God even claimed and received from me various goods and prayers in exchange for forgiveness and the promise that I would be rid of problems and have a better life.
"But on the contrary I was left in Devil's hands."
The complaint was sent to the Timisoara Court of Justice and forwarded to the prosecutor's office.
But prosecutors said it would probably be dropped and they were unable to subpoena God to court.
-------------------
but but i thought God is everywhere... so believe it or not
He will be there in court if the court decides to subpoena him :))
hehehehehe :p
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Sperm donor must pay
Sperm donor must pay maintenance
A Swedish man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple has been ordered to pay child support for their three children.
In the early 1990s the man, now 39, donated his sperm to a woman in a lesbian relationship. She had three sons, the oldest of whom is now 13 years old.
Although the man signed a document confirming he was the biological father of the children, he told the court the women agreed he would not be involved in their upbringing in any way.
But when the women separated, the biological mother of the three boys demanded child support payments from the man.
He went to court but lost the case and the subsequent appeal before taking the matter to the Supreme Court, the highest appeals court in the country.
The Supreme Court has confirmed the earlier rulings, stating that the biological father is required to pay child support to the mother of the three children he indirectly fathered.
A Swedish man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple has been ordered to pay child support for their three children.
In the early 1990s the man, now 39, donated his sperm to a woman in a lesbian relationship. She had three sons, the oldest of whom is now 13 years old.
Although the man signed a document confirming he was the biological father of the children, he told the court the women agreed he would not be involved in their upbringing in any way.
But when the women separated, the biological mother of the three boys demanded child support payments from the man.
He went to court but lost the case and the subsequent appeal before taking the matter to the Supreme Court, the highest appeals court in the country.
The Supreme Court has confirmed the earlier rulings, stating that the biological father is required to pay child support to the mother of the three children he indirectly fathered.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Wireless Web Midterm exam
I was having an exam earlier today
it's about wml and stuff :)
i have an 70 to 80 % chance to get an A i think :)
yippyyyy
it's about wml and stuff :)
i have an 70 to 80 % chance to get an A i think :)
yippyyyy
Suspect caught by his own dog
A criminal who gave police the slip when they turned up to arrest him was caught after cops used his own dog to sniff out his hiding place.
Police from Hannover in Germany came to arrest the 22-year-old man over allegations of involvement in a series of burglaries.
But he fled out the back door and hid in the neighbours' garden as police with a search warrant came in the front door.
But the man left behind his American Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Lumpi, and quick thinking police gave the dog the order to seek his owner out.
The dog sped into the next door garden and stood wagging its tail near the place where its owner was hiding in the bushes.
The man is now in custody, while Lumpi was handed over to the man's relatives to look after.
----
So dogs are human best friend? This one is not his owner's best friend :P
Police from Hannover in Germany came to arrest the 22-year-old man over allegations of involvement in a series of burglaries.
But he fled out the back door and hid in the neighbours' garden as police with a search warrant came in the front door.
But the man left behind his American Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Lumpi, and quick thinking police gave the dog the order to seek his owner out.
The dog sped into the next door garden and stood wagging its tail near the place where its owner was hiding in the bushes.
The man is now in custody, while Lumpi was handed over to the man's relatives to look after.
----
So dogs are human best friend? This one is not his owner's best friend :P
Sunday, October 09, 2005
kimi wins
Kimi raikkonen wins the F1 japan grand prix, great driving skills leads kimi from 20th grid to win the grand prix
Saturday, October 08, 2005
1,000 feared dead after Asia quake (ananova)
A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake has reduced villages to rubble in Pakistan and India, killing as many as 1,000 people.
Pakistan's army described the damage as widespread and said it included villages buried by quake-induced landslides.
At least 500 people died and 1,700 were injured in four quake-hit districts in north-western Pakistan, said Rifat Pasha, the provincial police chief.
He said the toll could rise because rescue teams were still working in areas that were hit hard by the temblor.
Pakistani army officials who flew over quake-hit areas reported seeing hundreds of flattened homes in villages north of the capital, Islamabad.
"It is a national tragedy," Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the Pakistani army's chief spokesman, said. "This the worst earthquake in recent times."
Faisal Saleh Hayyat, Cabinet minister for Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, said hundreds of people had died in Kashmir, but he did not have an exact figure.
"Rescue work is still going on in Kashmir, and we are trying to provide immediate help to people in Muzaffarabad and other districts," he said. Muzaffarabad is the capital of the region.
At least 190 people died in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, said BB Vyas, a local government official. The dead included 20 soldiers who perished in landslides along the Line of Control that separates the Indian and Pakistani portions of Kashmir, said Col H Juneja, an army spokesman.
Pakistan's army described the damage as widespread and said it included villages buried by quake-induced landslides.
At least 500 people died and 1,700 were injured in four quake-hit districts in north-western Pakistan, said Rifat Pasha, the provincial police chief.
He said the toll could rise because rescue teams were still working in areas that were hit hard by the temblor.
Pakistani army officials who flew over quake-hit areas reported seeing hundreds of flattened homes in villages north of the capital, Islamabad.
"It is a national tragedy," Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the Pakistani army's chief spokesman, said. "This the worst earthquake in recent times."
Faisal Saleh Hayyat, Cabinet minister for Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, said hundreds of people had died in Kashmir, but he did not have an exact figure.
"Rescue work is still going on in Kashmir, and we are trying to provide immediate help to people in Muzaffarabad and other districts," he said. Muzaffarabad is the capital of the region.
At least 190 people died in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, said BB Vyas, a local government official. The dead included 20 soldiers who perished in landslides along the Line of Control that separates the Indian and Pakistani portions of Kashmir, said Col H Juneja, an army spokesman.
Ruud Frustrated By Transfer Speculation (from ManUtd.com)
United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy insists he does not want to leave the club, describing rumours of a move to Spain as "total nonsense."
Speculation of a transfer to La Liga resurfaced at the weekend, but the Dutch forward says the rumours are simply not true.
"I am not interested in a transfer, not this year and also not during my contract," he said. "I hope I will play in Manchester after that."
Despite denials from the player's agent, Ruud has decided to set the record straight himself.
"It feels like a returning theme every year," said a frustrated van Nistelrooy. "I can only repeat myself as I have done in the past few seasons by saying it is a total nonsense."
The Dutchman's current contract ends in summer 2008. But, flanked by Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, and with Ryan Giggs and Ji-sung Park bolstering United's attack, the future is promising for Sir Alex Ferguson's team.
Ruud has already hit nine goals for United this season and is joint-top scorer in the Premiership with seven goals.
Report by Ben Hibbs.
---
Yeah stay Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud
Speculation of a transfer to La Liga resurfaced at the weekend, but the Dutch forward says the rumours are simply not true.
"I am not interested in a transfer, not this year and also not during my contract," he said. "I hope I will play in Manchester after that."
Despite denials from the player's agent, Ruud has decided to set the record straight himself.
"It feels like a returning theme every year," said a frustrated van Nistelrooy. "I can only repeat myself as I have done in the past few seasons by saying it is a total nonsense."
The Dutchman's current contract ends in summer 2008. But, flanked by Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, and with Ryan Giggs and Ji-sung Park bolstering United's attack, the future is promising for Sir Alex Ferguson's team.
Ruud has already hit nine goals for United this season and is joint-top scorer in the Premiership with seven goals.
Report by Ben Hibbs.
---
Yeah stay Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud
Friday, October 07, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Brain Freeze
Brain Freeze
Tomorrow I will be having a mid term, the subject is Advance Database and my head is starting to ache Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Damn… When I start to have this kind of headaches, studying is useless. It’s like a brain freze (
Tomorrow I will be having a mid term, the subject is Advance Database and my head is starting to ache Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Damn… When I start to have this kind of headaches, studying is useless. It’s like a brain freze (
Brain Freeze
Brain Freeze
Tomorrow I will be having a mid term, the subject is Advance Database and my head is starting to ache Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Damn… When I start to have this kind of headaches, studying is useless. It’s like a brain freze (
Tomorrow I will be having a mid term, the subject is Advance Database and my head is starting to ache Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Damn… When I start to have this kind of headaches, studying is useless. It’s like a brain freze (
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Iceman can't stand the heat
A Russian man who suffers from a rare disorder that means his body easily overheats has been divorced after moving to Siberia and turning his house into a fridge.
Vitaly Matyukhin, from Arkhangelsk, converted his new home into a fridge after being told by doctors that he was suffering from a "heat exchange disorder".
The condition means he risks overheating if exposed to anything over five degrees Celsius, the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily reported.
But after Matyukhin converted his home his wife Olga and their son walked out, saying they could no longer stand the cold.
The condition started after Matyukhin was taken to hospital suffering from heat stroke, which according to doctors upset his body's internal method of regulating his body temperature.
He said he now only ever leaves his house late at night in winter when the temperature drops below freezing.
---
Sub Zero Man
Vitaly Matyukhin, from Arkhangelsk, converted his new home into a fridge after being told by doctors that he was suffering from a "heat exchange disorder".
The condition means he risks overheating if exposed to anything over five degrees Celsius, the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily reported.
But after Matyukhin converted his home his wife Olga and their son walked out, saying they could no longer stand the cold.
The condition started after Matyukhin was taken to hospital suffering from heat stroke, which according to doctors upset his body's internal method of regulating his body temperature.
He said he now only ever leaves his house late at night in winter when the temperature drops below freezing.
---
Sub Zero Man
Baby Sitter
Ah the birthday boy(me) :p spent his time babysitting his niece.
Yes this couple of days i'm babysitting my niece...
I made her sleep in my lpa
that's a big achievement for me :)
Yes this couple of days i'm babysitting my niece...
I made her sleep in my lpa
that's a big achievement for me :)
Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :) Today is my birthday and the rebirth of this blog This blog contents will be more personal, of course funny news and breaking news are additional but the rest is just Me :)
Monday, October 03, 2005
Lunch with mother-in-law sparks divorce bid
A Romanian woman has demanded a divorce because she can't stand having lunch with her mother-in-law every day.
The 22-year-old woman has been married for only 10 months but claims her life turned into a nightmare because of her mother-in-law.
Elena T. from Focsani, in Vrancea county, told a judge: "The presence of my mother-in-law at the most important meal of the day with her teasing remarks have ruined my marriage. I can't stand it anymore."
The court asked Mrs. Elena to reconsider her demand, advising her to find a better reason if she wants to separate from her husband, reported the 7 Plus newspaper.
----
What a reason....
The 22-year-old woman has been married for only 10 months but claims her life turned into a nightmare because of her mother-in-law.
Elena T. from Focsani, in Vrancea county, told a judge: "The presence of my mother-in-law at the most important meal of the day with her teasing remarks have ruined my marriage. I can't stand it anymore."
The court asked Mrs. Elena to reconsider her demand, advising her to find a better reason if she wants to separate from her husband, reported the 7 Plus newspaper.
----
What a reason....
Nurses ordered to wear skirts
Nurses in a Croatian hospital have been ordered to go back to wearing skirts instead of trousers after complaints from patients.
Some nurses at the town hospital in Firule had been wearing trousers while on duty, but patients had complained they looked untidy and unprofessional.
Hospital director Dujomir Marasovic has now written to inform all female staff of the skirts only rule.
He told local media: "We want to put everything in order here in the hospital.
"We want all nurses to wear the same clothes and we have imposed a rule which says they should wear skirts. The length of those skirts, be they mini skirts or otherwise, is up to the nurses."
----
Ryan sez, "Male patients may prefer mini skirts :PPP"
Some nurses at the town hospital in Firule had been wearing trousers while on duty, but patients had complained they looked untidy and unprofessional.
Hospital director Dujomir Marasovic has now written to inform all female staff of the skirts only rule.
He told local media: "We want to put everything in order here in the hospital.
"We want all nurses to wear the same clothes and we have imposed a rule which says they should wear skirts. The length of those skirts, be they mini skirts or otherwise, is up to the nurses."
----
Ryan sez, "Male patients may prefer mini skirts :PPP"
Man Finds Squatters Having Sex In Shubbery!
THE HAMPTONS, New York -- At least one couple in the The Hamptons - the pricey resort area at the eastern end of New York's Long Island - found a way to stay there for free.
A local homeowner came home at sunset to catch a man and woman having sex on his property - and then discovered they'd been living for free in his house.
They "...were having sex in the garden, on the lawn, behind some bushes," the man, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the N.Y. Post.
As many year-round residents in the upscale summer resort area do, the man had rented out his house for the summer to wealthy city dwellers willing to pay the price - in this case, $2,000 a week or $30,000 for the entire season for a three-bedroom ranch house a short walk from the beach in the village of Amagansett.
He made the mistake of letting some time elapse between his tenants' departure and his return, and that's when the freeloaders apparently moved in.
----
Free
A local homeowner came home at sunset to catch a man and woman having sex on his property - and then discovered they'd been living for free in his house.
They "...were having sex in the garden, on the lawn, behind some bushes," the man, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the N.Y. Post.
As many year-round residents in the upscale summer resort area do, the man had rented out his house for the summer to wealthy city dwellers willing to pay the price - in this case, $2,000 a week or $30,000 for the entire season for a three-bedroom ranch house a short walk from the beach in the village of Amagansett.
He made the mistake of letting some time elapse between his tenants' departure and his return, and that's when the freeloaders apparently moved in.
----
Free
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Man Utd Wins 3-2
Man Utd wins 3-2 against Fulham
The scorers for Man Utd are Ruud van Nilsteroy and Wayne Rooney
The scorers for Man Utd are Ruud van Nilsteroy and Wayne Rooney
Bomb hits bali!!
Two explosion in bali in a half hour time.
Panic arise in kuta the 4 season hotel n jimbaran.
Indonesia face terror once again
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