Alicia Keys w_ Jay-Z -Empire State of Mind - Live! on Youtube

Gladiator

Robin Hood

tom jerry

Tom is a blue-grey British longhair cat. He is the main protagonist and also the main antagonist of the story, who lives a pampered life, while Jerry is a small brown house mouse who always lives in close proximity to him and he is the second protagonist of the story. "Tom" is a generic name for a male cat or Warner Bros. cartoon character Sylvester was originally called "Thomas". Tom was originally called "Jasper" in the very first short, Puss Gets the Boot, while Jerry was named "Jinx". Tom is very quick-tempered and thin-skinned, while adorable mouse Jerry is independent and opportunistic. Jerry also possesses surprising strength for his size, lifting items such as anvils with relative ease and withstanding considerable impacts with them. Despite the typical cat eats mouse, it is actually quite rare for Tom to actually try and consume Jerry. Despite being very energetic and determined, Tom is no match for Jerry's brains and wits. By the final "iris-out" or "fade-out" of each cartoon, Jerry usually emerges triumphant, while Tom is shown as the loser. However, other results may be reached; on rare occasions, Tom triumphs, usually when Jerry becomes the aggressor or when he crosses some sort of line (the best example of which occurs in The Million Dollar Cat where, after finding out that Tom's newly acquired wealth will be taken away if he harms any animal, including a mouse, he torments Tom until Tom finally loses his temper and attacks him). Sometimes, usually ironically, they both lose, usually when Jerry's last trap potentially backfires on him after it affects Tom (An example is in Chuck Jones' Filet Meow short where Jerry orders a shark to scare Tom away from eating a goldfish. Afterwards, the shark scares Jerry away as well) or when Jerry overlooks something at the end of the course. Sometimes, they both end up being friends (only for something to happen so that Tom will chase Jerry again). Both characters display sadistic tendencies, in that they are equally likely to take pleasure in tormenting each other. However, depending on the cartoon, whenever one character appears to be in mortal danger (in a dangerous situation or by a third party), the other will develop a conscience and save him. Sometimes, they bond over a mutual sentiment towards an unpleasant experience and their attacking each other is more play than serious attacks. Multiple shorts show the two getting along with minimal difficulty, and they are more than capable of working together when the situation calls for it, usually against a third party who manages to torture and humiliate them both.

Despite five shorts ending with a depiction of Tom's apparent death, his demise is never permanent; he even reads about his own death in a flashback in Jerry's Diary. He appears to die in explosions in Mouse Trouble (after which he is seen in heaven) and in Yankee Doodle Mouse, while in The Two Mouseketeers he is guillotined offscreen.female cats; for example, Tom sings Louis Jordan's "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" in the 1946 short Solid Serenade. In a couple of shorts, Tom, when romancing a female cat, woos her in a French-accented voice similar to that of screen actor Charles Boyer. At the end of The Million Dollar Cat after beginning to antagonize Jerry he says that he is throwing away a million dollars, but he is happy. Co-director William Hanna provided most of the squeaks, gasps, and other vocal effects for the pair, including the most famous sound effects from the series, Tom's leather-lunged scream (created by recording Hanna's scream and eliminating the beginning and ending of the recording, leaving only the strongest part of the scream on the soundtrack) and Jerry's nervous gulp. The only other reasonably common vocalization is made by Tom when some external reference claims a certain scenario or eventuality to be impossible, which inevitably, ironically happens to thwart Tom's plans - at which point, a bedraggled and battered Tom appears and says in a haunting, echoing voice "Don't you believe it!", a reference to some famous World War II propaganda shorts of the 1940s. In one episode, Tom hires a mouse exterminator who, after several failed attempts to dispatch Jerry, changes profession to Cat exterminator by crossing out the "Mouse" on his title and writing "Cat", resulting in Tom spelling out the word out loud before reluctantly pointing at himself. One short, 1956's Blue Cat Blues, is narrated by Jerry in voiceover (voiced by Paul Frees) as they try to win back. Both Tom and Jerry speak more than once in the 1943 short The Lonesome Mouse. Tom and Jerry: The Movie is the first (and so far only) installment of the series where the famous cat-and-mouse duo regularly speak

Face-to-face time makes us happier than Facebook

SINGAPORE, May 11 (bdnews24.com/Reuters Life!) - Nothing makes us happier than our families and loved ones, a new study shows, with face-to-face socializing beating reaching out to people online hands down.

The Happiness Barometer, conducted in 16 countries across the globe, was based on the Coca-Cola Happiness Index, which surveyed between 500 to 1,000 people per country.

Almost two-fifths, or 40 percent, of those surveyed said catching up with their loved ones after work was the happiest time of their day, while more than 20 percent said they were happiest when eating with their families.

By contrast, only 5 percent said they were happiest when connecting with friends online, and even less -- 2 percent -- said the first text message of the day made them joyful.

Families and partners were, by far, the biggest source of happiness for almost 80 percent of those surveyed, with friends coming up next at 15 percent.

"Despite our celebrity driven culture, fame is not likely in itself to be a primary source of happiness. Instead, real happiness depends on our connecting with people, especially through love and kindness," the study said.

Hugs and food also made a lot of people happy, especially in Britain and Russia, where almost a third of people said they are likely to find comfort in a hug or seek it in food.

The countries surveyed were France, Italy, Spain, Britain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, China, Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the United States.


bdnews24.com/md/1308 h.

iPad's international launch slated for May 28

SAN FRANCISCO, 09 May (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Friday it will launch the iPad tablet computer in nine international markets on May 28, following a strong debut in the United States last month.

The iPad will go on sale in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and Britain. Pre-ordering for those markets will start on May 10.

The international launch was originally scheduled for late April, but Apple delayed it by a month due to what it called higher-than-expected demand.

In Britain, the iPad will sell for between 429 pounds and 699 pounds ($664 to $1,081), depending on the model. In the United States, the most expensive iPad costs $829.

Apple also said the iPad will expand to Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore in July.


Separately, France Telecom announced pricing plans for iPad connections and said it would not subsidise the device.

The iPad, a 9.7-inch touchscreen tablet intended primarily for games, Web browsing and digital media of all sorts, went on sale in the United States on April 3.

The company has already sold more than 1 million iPads. Analysts expect the company to sell roughly 5 million this year.

Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple fell 3.9 percent to $237 in midday trading on the Nasdaq. The broader Nasdaq market was down 1.8 percent.

bdnews24.com/bcs/1755h.

On Tagore’s birthday

If Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th of May 1861, he is 150 years old now. We don’t have him physically anymore but his legacy as a great poet is still young among us. What makes Tagore so deeply involved in our everyday existence? When infamous Monem Khan tried to stop Rabindra sangeet in the 60’s, our national reaction was not because that we wanted to listen Tagore songs only, it was due to his deep attachment to our national psyche. In Tagore’s genius we find the very gist of our culture, he was an exponent of our emotion and he was a vivid sign of our traditions. The inherent nature of our culture, in the broader sense the entire gamut of the Indian culture, is based on a philosophical basis. Anyone who is not ready to accept this broader interpretation will not enjoy the freedom lies in the true nature of our culture. This needs our appreciation for Vedanta and Upanishad. Tagore’s rise as a poet has deeply been influenced by the philosophy of Upanishad. Many critics are of the opinion that if Tagore was born thousands of years before he would have been a great hrishi.
His poetic prowess is a unique brew of pleasure, pain, romance, separation, emotion, devotion, logic and philosophy which can be called a unity in diversity. The greatness of Tagore is visible in his audacious poem, ‘Aji hotey shotoborsho porey’, where he clearly hoped that we will read him even after 100 years. He was right in his predictions. His deep understanding of life gave him a rare power to depict this in his writings which are essentially eternal in nature. In ‘Sonar Tori’ he emancipated himself from the illusion of life. He wrote ‘etokal nodikuley jaha loye chonu bhuley shokoli dilam tuley thorey bithorey, ebar amarey loho koruna korey’. But then he realises ‘thai nai thai choto shey tori amari shonar dhaney giyachey bhori’. The poet gathered power to negotiate with the dire realities of our life that time takes everything but the person who created those.
In any form of art and aesthetics it is always a rare expertise to create a theme by mixing pain and pleasure. Tagore did this with enough dexterity. His songs can create an addiction for anyone who can travel with his emotions. In the song ‘purbacholero paney takai ostacholero dharey ashi’, I always have to control my personal emotions when I listen ‘daak diye jar sara na pai tari lagi aaj bajai banshi’.
The name Tagore does not end in itself, he is an institution now. To be on the chariot of time is difficult but Tagore tried it and he is on it.

To my mother, to all mothers….

I did not know her birth date. When I grew up I used to ask, ‘Ma, when were you born?’ She used to smile and say, ‘Would you celebrate my birthday?’ I felt bad and kept quite. She then used to embrace me and say, ‘For a mother, there is no date that you need to remember. I just wish you are happy, you are safe, and you succeed in life. I don’t need a birthday; if you like to wish me you can do that whenever you want.’
Years later, I came to know that my mother lost her mother at a very young age, and she could go to school for only 6/7 years. She was married when she was only 16, to a man of 25. In fact, she had no ‘childhood’. At the age of 17, she became a mother and at the age of 45, she became a widow. My father left (who died at the age of 54) her with the responsibility of raising their children all by herself.
I think it was 1991/92 when we started celebrating ‘Mothers’ Day’ in Bangladesh. Thanks to Anna Jarvis who started the campaign of celebrating ‘Mothers’ Day’— two years after her mother’s death she held a memorial service for her mother in 1907. In 1912, Anna Jarvis marked the ‘second Sunday in May’ as Mothers’ Day. In Bangladesh, after about eight decades, I thought of celebrating my mother’s birthday on the same day.
Lately, she used to say with a smile that we would get a day to remember her. We, even on that very day could not imagine that that day would come so soon! April 18 2008, the day came suddenly when I was in an official trip and my mother left us forever.
Ma, this May, second Sunday will come like every year, but I will not be able to visit you with a cake and say ‘Happy Mothers’ Day, Ma.’ I won’t be able to see that smiling face and you won’t say that I would have to take the first bite of the cake. Ma, whenever I used to leave the city, be it out of Dhaka or out of the country, I used to see you off and take doa from you. I still cannot ‘forgive’ myself for not doing that the last time as my flight was at a very early morning and I thought I would not disturb you that time. Ma, did you feel bad? I always feel like you left me with a disappointment! Ma, please forgive me, I never thought that you never would allow me to ‘disturb’ any more!
None of us have any idea about what happens afterlife, but I always pray for you Ma. May the Almighty grant you heavenly peace!
‘You gave the gift of life to me
And then in love, you set me free.
I thank you for your tender care,
For deep warm hugs and being there.
I hope that when you think of me
A part of you
You’ll always see …’
Dr Noor Mohammad
Via e-mail

Change happens.

A man was talking to his grandson.
"Tommy, I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, copy machines, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill. There was no radar, credit cards, pantyhose, fast food, pizza joints, computers, lasers or ballpoint pens. The only 'aids' we knew of were helpers in the school office, chips came from wood, hardware came from hardware store and software wasn't even a word. Only millionaires had air conditioners, dishwashers, or clothes dryers. Our clothes dried outside, in fresh air and sunshine. Not only had man not walked on the moon, nothing had ever gone into space, and no one had even broken the sound barrier. Families got married first and lived together after. Most families had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called any man older than I, 'Sir.' After 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, 'Sir.' We didn't have gay rights, equality for women, dual careers, daycare centers, or group therapy. Many schools were racially segregated. Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught the difference between right and wrong and to take responsibility for our actions. Serving your country was a privilege. Living here was an even bigger privilege. 'Having a meaningful relationship' meant getting along with your cousins. Time-sharing meant spending time with your family. Grass was mowed, coke came in cold bottles, pot was for cooking and rock music was a lullaby from grandma. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, MP3s, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to the radio. Anything that said 'Made in Japan' was junk. There was no instant coffee, let alone a four-dollar cup of coffee. We had 5 & 10-cent stores that actually sold things for those prices. Ice-cream cones, phone calls, streetcar rides, and Coke all cost a nickel. Postage stamps cost 3¢ and postcards a penny. You could buy a new car for $600 and fill it with gas at 11¢ a gallon, but it had almost no safety equipment, not even a seat belt. We even thought a woman needed a man to have a baby."
"Gosh, Grandpa. Just how old are you, anyway?" asked Tommy.
His grandfather replied, "I am 59."