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CROSSING OVER - Harrison
And the first thought I had was, why did I pay $11.50 to see this tripe? The second thought was, how do I get my money back??? This is a multiple plot situation, with the intertwined lives of a number of people trying to get green cards so they can stay in the USA.
It follows their tribulations during this waiting period. Frankly, that’s not much of a story. While the material gravitates towards sympathy for people who have to go through a legal process to become Americans, it’s really about how they all try to skirt the system so they can get in without paying their dues. The story makes it out like we’re unfair for putting them through some hurdles, or about being cautious about who we do or don’t let in. Some scenes are so laden with preachy dialog they were painful to listen to. To that end, some of the scenes were outright foolish. There didn’t seem to be a point to all of this, no moral truth unveiled at the end of the film, no insight we all gained while watching this. I was really wondering, what was the point the author was trying to make? That people who are here illegally can get caught and sent back? I’m supposed to view that as a social crisis? What it all boils down to is one big question: how do I get back the two hours I wasted on this?

MEMORY TRICKS

Memory Tricks You'll Never Forget

Can't remember where you put yor glasses? Blanked on your new colleague's name? Forgetting these types of things is a sign of how busy we are. When we're not paying good attention, the memories we form aren't very robust, and we have a problem retrieving the information later.

The key is to get your brain in shape. We exercies our bodies, but what good is that great body if you don't have the mental capabilities to go with it? Sure, you could write everything down, keep organized lists and leave electronic notes on your Blacberry, cell phone or PDA . But when you don't have access to those aids, or if you want to strengthen your brain, try these expert-recommended strategies to help you remember.

What the heck is his name?

* Pay attention. When you're nitroduced to someone, really listen to the person's name. Then, to get a better grasp, picture the spelling. Ask, "Is that kathy with a k or a C ? Make a rermark about the name to help lock it in ("Oh, Carpenter -- that was my childhood best friend's last name"), and use the name a few times during the conversation and when you say goodbye.

* Visualize the name. For hard to remember monikers (Bentavegna, Wobbeking), make the name meaningful. For Bentavegna, maybe you think of a bent weather vane. Picture it . Then look at the person, choose an outstanding feature (bushy eyebrows, green eyes) and tie the name to the face. If Mr. Bentavegna has a big nose, picture a bent weather vane instead of his nose. The sillier the image, the better.

* Create memorable associations. Picture joe everett standing atop mount everest. If you want to remember that erin curtis is the CEO of an architectural firm, imagine her curtsyng in front of a large building.

* Cheat a little. Supplement these tips with some more cncrete actions. When you get a business card, after the meeting, jot down a few notes on the back of the card ("red glasses, lives in Springfield, went to my alma mater") to help you out when you need a reminder.

Where in the world did I leave my glasses?

* Give a play-by-play. Pay attention to what you're doing as you place your glasses on the end table. Remind yourself, "I'm putting my keys in my coat pocket," so you hace a clear memory of doing it.

* Make it a habit. Put a small basket on a side table. Train yourself to put your keys, glasses, cell phone or any other object you frequently use (or misplace) in the basket -- every time.

What's my password for this website?

* Shape your numbers. Assign a shape to each number: 0 looks like a ball or ring; 1 is a pen: 2 is a swan; 3 looks like handcuffs; 4 is a sailboat; 5 a pregnant woman; 6 a pipe; 7 a boomerang; 8 a snowman; and 9 a tennis racket. To remember your ATM pin (4298, say), imagine yourself on a sailboat (4), when a swan (2) tries to attack you. you hit it with a tennis racket (9), and it turns into a snowman (8). Try forgetting that image!

* Rhyme it. Think of words that rhyme with the numbers 1 through 9 (knee for 3, wine for 9, etc.) . Then create a story using the rhyming words: A nun (1) in heaven (7) banged her knee (3), and it became sore (4).

WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE

Space Umbrellas to Shield Earth

On a hot, clear day, an umbrella can provide cooling relief from the sun's scorching rays. The same concept might one day help protect Earth from the accumulating heat of global warming.

Building a single umbrella big enough to shade the entire planet will never be possible. Instead, astronomer Roger Angel of the Universit of Arizona wants to launch a trillion tiny sunshields into outer space.

Each mini-umbrella would be a small, light spacecraft, weighing about a gram (0.04 ounces) and carrying a sunshade measuring half a meter (1.6 feet) across. Working togrther, hordes of the devices could act as a sunscreen for the globe.

Such a sunscreen would stretch across about 100,000 kilometers (62.000 millesw) of space. And the pressure of sunlight on attachred solar reflectors would keep the little flyers in orbit around Earth at a distance of about 1.5 million kilometers (932.000 miles).

The sunshade would be mostly transparent, or see through, but it would cut the amount of sunlight reaching Earth by 1.8 percent. This would be enough to reduce the impat of global warming, Angel says.

In Angel's scheme, people on Earth could make the lightweight sunscreens out of transparent film. Each shade would be full of holes like swiss cheese.

Angel says his plan is a big improvement over previous ideas for shading Earth from the sun. Those scenarios have typically involved large, heavy spacecraft that would need to be built in outer space out of pieces of asteroids or other space rocks.

To reduce the enironmental impact of launch, Angel says, astronomers could use magnetic fields instead of rocket fuel for acceleration. He envisions launching 800,000 flyers at a time for a total of 20 million launches over a decade.

Angel thinks that the first launch could happen in just 25 years. And, once the flyers are up there, he says, they would shade the planet for 50 yrars.

The idea is certainly crerative, but critics say there are easier and much cheaper ways to tackle global warming. Covering large areas of ground with white paint, for example, could reflect light back into space and reduce heating. Better yet, by reducing the pollution we create, we can all help keep the planet from heating up.

GIVE BLOLD, GIVE LIFE

Blood Donation

It was a hot and busy midday when Pinky, a girl student of class 7, was returning from her school, as always with her friends and through the school van richshaw. The road was quite crowded; everyone was trying to make their own ways to reach the destination, reducing the wastage of valuable time. Suddenly, a covered van that was trying to overtake a private car hit the car heavily and the running car, losing its control fall over the school van. It was horrible, because the tiny van with the cheerful young students got smashed causing injury to them. Pinky's condition was somewhat worse than the others as her hand was cut off and bled heavily. After she had been taken to the nearby clinic, blood was needed and an unknown person donated blood volunatarily. Two days later, while returning home, Pinky was thanking the unknown saver who provided blood during the emergency. Like the unknown saver thousands of secret social workers have been working by donating blood to the patients without even knowing them. This people are commonly known as blood donor. To pay respect to these human savers, UN has announced 14th June as world Blood Donor Day, that has been going on for several years.

Usually the blood collected from the voluntary donors is used for transfusion. Everyday more than 200,000 bags of blood are needed throughout the country. It's harder to buy the fresh blood. A large part of this problem has been donation organized by many organizations like Badhan, Shandhani, Quantum etc. By encouraging the donors and arranging various occasional programs, they collect blood, preserve them and provide during the time of emergency.

Anyone from 18 to 60 years old with a good health can donate blood if s/he dose not contain any diseases that can be transmitted through blood. One can donate blood a number of times in his life but the duration between two donations must be at least four months long.

Donating blood regularly provides some benefits to the donor such as keeping blood pressure and cholesterol normal, making him healthy. Also, it updates the donor about blood related diseases and keeps away from them. Moreover, it is a duty for all human to come forward to save the humanity.

So, let's take a step right now. Know your blood group and take mental preparation to donate blood when you are ready to do so.

Lead Poem

I am before, I am after
Yunus Emre (1238-1320)


I am before, I am after
The soul for all souls all the way.
I'm the one with a helpong hand
Ready for those gone wild, astray.

I made the ground flat where it lies,
On it I had those mountains rise,
I designed the vault of the skies,
For I hold all things in my sway.

To countless lovers I have been
A guide for faith and religion.
I am sacrilege in men's hearts
Also the true faith and Islam's way.

I make men love peace and unite;
Putting down the black words on white,
I wrote the four holy books right
I'm the koran for those who pray.

It's not Yunus who says all this:
It speaks its own realities:
To doubt this would be blasphemous:
"I'm before-I'm after," I say.

Young Iranian Filmmaker and Script Writer

YOUNG HEROES

Samira Makhmalbaf is an internationally acclaimed Iranian filmmaker and script writer. She is the daughter of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the film director and writer. Samira Makhmalbaf belongs to the new wave movement within Iranian cinema. At the age of 20 Samira studied psychology and Law at Roehampton University in London.

Born on february 15,1980 in Tehran. At the age of eight, she played in "The Cyclist" directed by ger father, Mohsen Makhmalbaf the celebrated Iranian filmmaker.



At the age of 17, she directed fer first feature titled "The Apple" and she went on to become the youngest director in the world participating in the official section of the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. She was praised on different occasions by the legendary Jean-Luc Godard for her film. The Apple was invited to more than 100 international film festivals in a period of two years, while going to the screen in more than 30 countries.

In 1999, Samira made her second feature film titled "The Blackboard" in Kurdistan of Iran, and for the second time was selected by the Cannes Film Festival to compete in the official section in 2000. She was granted the Special Jury Award. The Blacboard received many international awards including the "Federico Fellini Honor Award" form UNESCO and "Francois Truffaut Award" form Italy. The film was widely released across the world and more than two hundred thousand people watched the film in France alone.

Samira llongside other prominent director like ken Loach, Shohei Imamura, Youssef Chahine, Sean Penn.. made one of the eleven episodes of the film "September 11". The film was premiered at Venice International Film Festival in 2002.

The third feature by Samira Makhmalbaf titled "At Five in the Afternoon", the first feature film shot in Afghanistan post Taliban. The film was selected for the competition section of Cannes Film Festival in 2003, receiving the Jury's Special Award for the second time.

In 2004, she was eelected as one of forty best directors of the world by Gusrdian newspaper.

Since the Iranian Government did not give the permeation to shoot in Iran to her, Samira Makhmalbaf shot her last film in Afghanistan titled Two Legged Horse in 2007. Her shooting in Afghanistan was disturned by thrown of a bomb into her scene which resulted in severe injuries of 6 people. Despite all the difficulties she faced, Samira did not leave Afghanistan untill she finished her film.

Samira Makhmalbaf has also participated as jury member in reputable film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Locarno, Moscow and Montreal.

Importance of Cleanliness

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS

Abu Malik la Ashsri (R.A.A) reported that the Messenger of Allah Said :

Cleanliness is the half of faith and Alhamdulillah fills up the scale and subhanallah and Alhamdulillah fill up what is between heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light; and charity is a proof, the Quran is clear proof for you or against you. Every man rises at morn and then sells his soul; he makes it free or destroys it. (Muslim)

Dear readers, Islam laid a great emphasis on cleanliness of body and mind because the cleanliness of body leads to the cleanliness of mind. Islam made compulsory bath before prayer in case of impurities and washes of all exposed bodily limbs before each prayer.

Dream

"IF I GET A CHANCE TO WIN THE WELFARE LOTTERY"

We all like to imagine ourselves richer than we actually are. Suppose I do a bit of day-dreaming, let no one ridicule me at my stupidity.

'Charity begins at home.' So the first thing that I would do if I were to win the first prize is to look after myself and my family. I would get rid of every suffering that makes life miserable and hard for us. We would move into a spacious house. I would buy all the lusuries of life, which would make life for my family easier.

I know education is the greatest need of my country. A portion of my money would be spent on education. I would help to lay the foundation of a well ordered society.

Another part of the prize would be spent on doing some real good for my country. I would invest it to build up business and industries. There upon I would multiply my wealth and be happy with satisfaction of contributing my share towards developing my country and uplifting the lives of its people.

I wish my day-dream would come true.

JOKE

JUST FOR JEST

Prime minister Moray was given some basic English conversation training before he visits Washington and meets with president Clinton.

The instructor told Moray - prime minister, when you shake hand with president Bill Clinton, please say - "How are you?"

Then Mr. Clinton should say "I'm fine and you?"

Now you should say - "me too", Afterwaeds we, translators will do all the work for you. It looks quite simple, but the true is......when Moray met Clinton, he mistakenly said, "Who are you?"

Mr. Clinton was a bit shocked but still managed to react with humor-

"Well, I'm Hilary's husband, ha.....................ha................."

Then Mr. Moray replied confidently (as taught) "Me too".

Friendship

Friendship mean........

Friendship means a lot to me. It's the basis of any good relationship. We can define it as a harmonious realationship between two people. We can also call it mutual acceptance, respect and support.

A true friend is one who accepts us totally with all our limitations and weaknesses. He or she is happy for the good things in our life and supports us in bad times. Within a good friendship I feel totally free, as there is no need to pretend, because I know I am accepted as I am. During tough times it is to a friend that I turn,k because I know he/she will be ready with advice or whatever help I need. Some find that friends stand by them even when family fails. I think the proverb "a friend in need is a friend indeed", is very frue.

BANGLADESH

BRIEF HISTORY

Bangladesh is an old country with a new name. Historical records point out the existence of a territory named Banga or Bangla with a thriving trade and agriculture several thousand years ago. In the middle ages its fame spread throughout the region and to Europe as a land of fragrant rice. Muslin (a fine cotton so thin and light that yards of it could be rolled through a ring), fruits and spices. Turks, Mughals, Afghans, Armenians, Arabs, the portuguese-all come here attracted by her wealth. Finally came the English who established their rule over the territory in 1757.

During the British rule, Bengal - now Bangladesh-was delegated to a backwater provivce and suffered yaars of neglect. Isolated and underdeveloped Bengal failed to attract investors, bullders or tourists. It is only when the British left that the world began to take note of the beautiful land inhabited by a hospitable and friendly people with a rich and vibrant culture.

After the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947, the geographical area that now forms Bangladesh became a province of Pakistan. But the same cycle of exploitation and cultural and political subjugation continued, since all economic, political and military poewer lay with west Pakistan. Finally, the people of Bangladesh rose in rebellion, and in 1971, through a nine month war of liberation, freed the country. A free and sovereign nation, Bangladesh, was born.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

Bangladesh lies roughly between 20o 24' and 26038' north latitude and 88 o 1' and 92 o 41' east longitude. It has an area of 1,47,570 sq. km. (56,977 sq. milles). Bangladesh is bordered on the west by India (west Bengal) and on the east by India (Tripura and Mizoram) and Myanmar. On the north of Bangladesh lies India (Assam and Meghalaya). In the south lies the long coastline along the Bay of Bengal.

A web of rivers flows through the plains of Bangladesh. The important rivers are Padma, the Meghna, the Jamuna and the Brahmaputra. The hills of Sylhet and those in the hill districts of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari are mostly low elevations covered with green forests.

CLIMATE

The climate of Bangladesh is tropical - hot and humid in summer and cool in winter. It rains heavily during the monsoon - the average rainfall being 138.16". The temperature in summer ranges between 21 o C (minimum) and 35 o C (maximum) while the minimum during the winter is 9 oC .

ECONOMY

The economy of Bangladesh is predominantly agro-based. The total cultivable area of the country is around 17.7 million acres tilled by over 17.8 million cultivators. The principal crops are jute , rice, wheat, tea and sugar cane.

POPULATION

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated areas of the world, with a population of about 130 million. The average density is about 2282 persons per square mile in the important areas of the country. The lowest density areas are the hill districts and the Sundarbans with 76 Persons per square mile. About 86.6 percent of the total population are Muslims. Hindus, Buddhists and the Christians, make up the rest of the population.

(running, see next day)

Top Movies about

Angels & Demons Better, but Still Not Good

The main problem with Angels & Demons involves pacing. The entire film is set up as an Encyclopedia Brown-style foray into Catholicism. Every five minutes a mystery is presented, one that the audience has no hope of solving, and then Tom Hanks whisks us off to the next location ... but only after he's deciphered the obscure symbol or tome thrust in front of him. Then it happens again. And again. But if the audience has no involvement (as the majority of us aren't Catholic scholars) and we're not really learning anything, where does the enjoyment come in? The characters? Angels & Demons doesn't bother to build them. The spectacle of the thing? Well sure, but bright lights and shiny objects only go so far. Man can't live on frenetic pacing and the likability of Tom Hanks alone. We need movie sustenance, something we "haters" call "plot." I miss plot. I wish plot would make a comeback.
Tom Hanks is again Robert Langdon, though this isn't a sequel. Technically, from the source material's perspective, it's a prequel, but neither story really ties into the other in any meaningful way, so I suppose it's more Tapioca pudding than anything. You could accurately say that The Da Vinci Code captures the public's imagination in a way that Angels & Demons did not -- though the older book (Angels & Demons, produced three years prior) is the better book. Hanks is swimming along, hanging out at Harvard, when an emissary from the Vatican approaches him. They've got a mystery that needs solving, and no one other than Mr. Langdon will do. There's also an interesting subplot involving anti-matter and Hadron Colliders, but I'm not going to get into it because the little fun that can be mined from this film comes from not knowing what's coming next. I'll leave that to you, at least.
I will say that I enjoyed Ewan McGregor's performance, but then again I have a soft spot for him. McGregor plays the Pope's right hand man, or Camerlengo, a guy who isn't really in power but is still definitely very much in the mix as the film rolls on. I'll also cede that the ending of Angels & Demons is interesting. Everything looks great, too; Ron Howard clearly had a budget to work with (which is no surprise, given how well The Da Vinci Code fared).
In the end, a film like Angels & Demons is judged by how well it handles the details, and for me there were too many things that seemed off. The film has a momentum to it, but it's an artificial one, supported by facts and ideas the audience can't possibly follow. People act implausibly throughout, and it's just to get you to the next scene, with no real logic to the equation. I suppose I liked it better than The Da Vinci code, but that's hardly a ringing endorsement. This one is strictly a "check your brain at the door" type of affair.