Christmas wonders

Yesterday,Today, after eating way too much food and while watching a million ads on TV, I started thinking about who is Xmas really for.

Is it for all kids? Is it for us the grown ups? Or for the big corporations who started trying to sell us things we don't really need, months before Xmas.

I say this every year, but this really is the last time we are stay home for Xmas.

I'm fed up with the songs and Xmas lights.

Most of my friends don't go to Church. I very much doubt that in this time and age people even bother with religion in their everyday lifes.

So why all the spending?

Next year, with all the money I usually spend on useless presents, I'll buy air tickets to a needy country and volunteer to help children or something.

Avatar Review

James Cameron may have placed this story on a moon called Pandora with alien characters, that could have appertained to human race if not being double the size, a longer face, sharper features, blue body, white luminescent marks on the face and tail at the back.

The 3D effect will escort you in the jungle and you would be able to see characters face by face on corridors. There are humanoid alien characters like Na'vi, which has big catlike eyes that looks perfect on their tall blue bodies. Script is full of twists and turns. Here you can have summay of the movie.

In a way, the story is no different from what locals may feel in any part of the world when outsiders make an attempt to make inroads into their land to gain hold of their resources. This is what happens to Na'vis as well when their peaceful existence is challenged with American troops entering their world to gain hold of precious minerals worth billions.

The Details: Normally in a film like this, you can see a few mistakes here and there, but I didn't catch any. From Sam Worthington's tiny legs to the computers within the scenes every detail was thought out and used as a part of the environment. The best thing that Cameron did was allow for all his hard work to be incorporated into the wide shots without saying "hey look at this."

In allowing everything to be part of a greater whole, Cameron truly created a world of his own, which makes you truly feel as if you've been transported into a new world while watching the film.
The Acting: To both the actors and director's credit, the performances came through extremely well. It's amazing how much of the actors emotions you could see through their Avatar characters. Zoe Saldana gave an especially emotional and strong performance, and you never even saw her real face.

The story conveys that Cameron is a big fan of Bollywood films from the 60s and the 70s. Just like his last effort "Titanic" which was as Bollywood as it gets, even "Avatar" has quite a few Hindi film references if one starts plotting them on paper.

After watching "Avatar", the question of paramount importance iswhat does one pick and what is it that should be left behind the experience that goes by the name of "Avatar"?

Jake Sully's out of body experience is simply another extension of this interconnectivity, as if roleplaying games might one day lead to a profound philosophical empathy, a higher human consciousness.

Subtlety is not high on Cameron's agenda, and however many Academy Awards it may pick up, best screenplay seems like a long shot.

Tips To Get Cheap Miami Auto Insurance

cnn avatar review imdb Avatar

Minister Berlusconi - 13/12/2009

Silvio Berlusconi - the Italian Prime Minister will stay in a hospital for observation overnight after being attacked at a campaign rally in Milan, a spokesman said Sunday.

Milan police were questioning a mental illness man who has the connection with the attack, which left the Berlusconi (73) bleeding profusely from his left upper lip and cheek. Silvio Berlusconi - the Italian Prime Minister underwent a CAT scan at Milan's San Raffaele Hospital, and his personal physician, Alberto Sangrillon, recommended more tests be done, Berlusconi spokesman Paolo Buonaiuti told CNN.

The conservative media-mogul-turned-politician has been dogged by allegations of corruption and is in the middle of a messy divorce from his second wife. He was in Milan, his hometown and political base, to stump for a local political ally.

Milan police said Berlusconi's attacker hit him with a not big, metal souvenir replica of the Doumo di Milano, the city's central cathedral, but it was not immediately clear whether the man swung at Silvio Berlusconi - the Italian Prime Minister with the object in his hand or threw it at him.

Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that Berlusconi continued to shake hands with supporters for "a couple of minutes" after being hit.

"He remained calm and leaned out the window as he was being driven to the hospital and waved to the crowd," La Russa said.

Buonaiuti said there was "a lot of confusion" surrounding the onslaught, but he put some of the blame on Berlusconi's critics.

"What I can tell you is that there has been such a buildup of hatred toward the premier, and this is not good," Buonaiuti said. "This campaign of hatred has been building quite rapidly recently, and I am not surprised that what happened tonight took place."

Berlusconi remains popular between the Italian public, however, with his confirmation ratings remaining well over 50 percent. He won a third term in 2008, and his conservative coalition has control of both the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

source: cnn berlusconi bloomberg

Triathlon Off Season training

Triathlon training during the Off-Season

I found this article

Triathlon Off Season Training

Don't you think good points are made there

I couldn't have said it better myself. Some triathlets take themselves too seriously and count
every mile or calorie.

Good training really does mean fun. I can't imagine going to the gym constantly and worrying about precisely what I need to do.

Training for a triathlon is not easy at the best of times, so October - February really is the time to have fun.

I'm not the only one thinking that tri is just a very lonely sport.

Possibly its a good idea to find a tri friend for those long runs.

There was this in the news:

The old feet are walking models – built for stability, not speed or grace. The fact that he has managed to run, even race, on them is testament to what others describe as extraordinary mental toughness.

Called It's Go Time Events Inc., the new nonprofit made its first mission to pay for those expensive carbon-fiber feet.

His parents decided to have the malformed legs amputated before his first birthday so that their son could be fitted with prostheses.

When people should not ask me for this

A buddy of mine asked for a huge favour yesterday. He intended to come and live at my place for longer than a month.

Although I thought I would help him out, I couldn't do it. It is not just me anymore, its US and I must put our feelings first.

The shocking reality is he did the exact same thing last year as well. Same situation (no money, no job) and we took him in. Not only does he have a pit bull, but he is also impossible person to share a flat with.

At the end even his girlfriend came to stay for a while. Never asked if it is ok with us, never thanked us and just left one night.

So this time I had to say no. I despised the fact that I was forced to do it but it would have been awful to put myself and my girlfriend through this hell again.

It was the right thing to do but I still feel bad about it. Thinking of him sleeping in his car with his dog...not good

But since I have already helped him once, he has no right to ask me again and put me in such a difficult situation. No one should be put through this!

Its one thing to help people and another to be taken for a ride. Hell, I moved to another country to get away from people trying to use me.

There are times when people should just know and not ask for favours!

I'm quite capable of ruining my life without someone else's help

Early Dec. - holiday season again

Middle of the week already

Can't say I'm totally surprised by how fast time has passed recently.

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday....

Next thing I know and it will be Christmas, New Year... Time for New Year resolutions...

The holiday season is not my favourite part of the year by far.

2009 has actually been awful. Can't wait to see 2010.

Must go shopping for Christmas presents this weekend