d endless road....

eva had a feelin of stagnancy...of loss..of tryin ur best 2 get tht 1 thing u most wanted..n luck failin u each time? of pushin hard every time..yet stayin aput rt whr u r? thy r dese moments tht make u wanna giv up...d true test of nerves tht seperates frm d real mann frm d crowd...

testin times r a part n parcel of every1's life...sum 2 grave 2 handle..a time whn nothin goes ur way..whn all hell breaks loose on u...n u feel lik ur on a highway 2 hell...u lose ur morale..ur patience..ur beliefs n more so ur trust..d very trust tht binds u 2gethr n keeps u up thru times of trials..u lose d hope of any gud cumin ur way sooner or later n lose urself in utter despair..it wasnt as hopeles as it seemed..but 2 u it strts seemin lik a dead end..a maze wid no way out..

but its wudnt entirely b ur fault...its d way it is...its a way of nature 2 test its children..a harsh way 2 make its beings stonger..its d way parents push u n beat u up 2 whn ur little so u can grow up 2 face d harsh world wid d rt attitude..its a way 2 prepare u 4 d way ahead..so d rest of d road is made clearer..u set d 1st step..He takes care of d rest..a pinch of hope is all u need 2 get u thru..

so lose not tht hope..savour every bit of it..4 who knws..whn u mite need a drop of it?

The Wall Crumbles

This is perhaps the second biggest shock to indian cricket this yr aftr the gr8 WC debacle..Rahul Dravid has although nt officially step down as Indian captain but dats fr sure tht he is steeping down...His decision cums jus days b4 the mighty australians tour india fr a seven match one-day series and also the all impt series with Pakistan at home and biggest daddy of all , the test series and one-day series in Aus...the reason fr his resignation as told by him is tht he wanted to concentrate more on his game...but the biggest question tht cums in front of the gr8 BCCI is "who next?" ..
Given tht sachin n saurav r too old fr d job...and reinstating ganguly as d captain wudn`t b a wise decision for future indian cricket....that leaves wid only two options...Yuvraj and Dhoni....between the two Dhoni will b d obvious choice bcoz Yui has still nt cemented his aplce in the test side...but the question is tht will Dhoni b able to do it,,,well v hafta wait n see....

where is india heading???

60 grand yrs of freedom n glory...of celebration 2 cherish d success of d struggle against oppression...2 salute the sacrifices of d fightrs who gave up everythin they had 4 their motherland...they were thn d youth of dose days...dat was 60 yrs ago...
 india has come a long way since then...indian youth has transformed a lot sinced then...the then sober youth known 4 taking their course of action wid thorough analysis...wid no sign of haste whatsoeva...the same youth is now transformed into a fast paced 1 thts runnin at a nerve racin speed haltin nowhr...dis young man wants 2 stop at nothin..wants everythin...ASAP...he doesnt care how much he has 2 slog 4 it..or d sacrifices he has 2 make 4 it...abr his family..health..whateva..n knws his priorities well...
 wht he knws is wht he wants..frm his life..frm his country...wht he does not knw is wht he himself is expected 2 giv in return..wht he owes 2 d country dat has given him so much..his name..his mothrland..a country 2 cal his home..a place 2 belong...its is now his duty tht should be realised n fulfilled wid due respect...it is now his time 2 return...not jus take...for it is this youth tht is goin to b takin on d responsibility of india's future..in its hands rests india's tomorrow...

Hansika Motwani Websites

For all you Hansika Motwani fans - Here is a list of her fansites. So go ahead enjoy.


www.hansikamotwaniwow.com

www.hansikamotwani.net

www.hansikamotwani.com

www.hansikaworld.com

www.hansikamotwani.info

www.hansika.info

www.hansika-motwani.net

Thats it for now. A message for other fansites not listed here. Do give us your address and we will list your site here.

Is it the beginning of an end of an era...!!!!!!!

Is it the beginning of an end of an era.... The decision of the Big Three of Indian cricket — Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly — to opt out of September's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa is a clear indication that the era of the 'Team of the 90s' is coming to an end.The trio of stalwarts, one the current Test and ODI captain and the other two his predecessors, have carried the burden of shoring up the Indian batting for several years and have had ups and down in their illustrious careers.It was former chairman of selectors, Raj Singh Dungarpur, who had famously coined the phrase 'Team of the 90s' when he unseated Krishnamachari Srikkanth at the end of the tour to Pakistan in 1989 and elevated Mohd Azharuddin to the throne.Azhar has not only led the famed trio but also Anil Kumble, the veteran leggie who's now playing only Tests, as well as another leading member of the batsmen's club - V. V. S. Laxman.And when India play the Twenty20 lung opener in Kingsmead Durban, on September 13, none of these five champion performers - with a combined experience of a staggering 534 Tests and 1359 ODIs - would not be part of an Indian team for the first time since Tendulkar's debut against Pakistan in 1989.In the aftermath of the World Cup debacle, Kumble retired from the one-day game while Tendulkar and Ganguly were 'rested' for the trip to Bangladesh for ODIs but were included in the Test squad before regaining their ODI spots.

Federer makes it perfect FIVE.....!!!!!!

Roger Federer survived a ferocious onslaught from Rafael Nadal to win his fifth consecutive Wimbledon singles title on Sunday, finally taming the inspired Spaniard 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2.The normally serene Swiss looked about to crack under the strain when Nadal twice had chances to break serve in the fifth set but rediscovered his magic just in time.After smashing the ball away on his second match point Federer collapsed emotionally on Centre Court knowing he had equalled the five titles in a row of Bjorn Borg.The Swede, who won from 1976 to 1980, watched with 14,000 other transfixed spectators as battle raged in the sunshine for three hours 45 minutes, the perfect end to a rain-hit tournament.Only Federer, who now has 11 Grand Slam titles at the age of 25, knows how close he came to losing what will go down as the best Wimbledon men's final for many years.Nadal seemed poised to become the first man since Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon back to back when he stormed the fourth set and had a rattled Federer down 15-40 on two consecutive service games in the decider.

Strange ways of life....

Eva been thru a phase whn everythin seems 2 b goin wrng in life?....b it ur work, studies or relationships...whn u begin 2 get d feelin dat fate has a nice conspiracy cookin up against u...tht destiny has turned its bak on u n God has 4gotten u...n tht all u do jus ends up gettin u all d more screwed...so u tend 2 get even more upset n end up screin up all d more..n thn it goes on..1 thin leads 2 d othr...strtin a vicious circle...feelin low n messin up more...messed life n feelin low...

so whr does d prob actually lie? is it our perception of d lows in our lives...or is it dat vr meant 2 face those probs as a part of our fate so God makes us think in dat way?...why do v sumtimes end up actin very contrary 2 our nature? y do v mess up simple stuff whn it is very against our tendency 2 do so? take a min out n u mite even realize dat u mite not hav dun half d stuff if things had been normal..so d ques stil reamins..why do v end up messin up our own lives whn vr very wel aware of exactly whr d prob lies?!

d trick is 2 luk upon n analyse whr things r goin wrng...take a closer luk n trace bak 2 d strt of probs...ur sure 2 realize how silly d issue had been..n wht a mountain uve made outta mole...mayb u wont even b able 2 realise it until u begin 2 c d 1st ray of hope in ur super messed up life..but whn u do...its thn dat u shall knw how d sad part was actually smartly designed by destiny 2 lead u to d gud part...its thn dat u shall realize dat...God does hav a strange but unique way 2 sort things out...all u've gotta do is believe in Him...hav hope..have faith..n leve d rest 2 Him...

Colours

Eva imagined a black n white life? Eva even tried seein a black n white movie? Ask a 5 yr old kid 2 do tht n ull c how gifted v are 2 hav colours in our lives...n im not jus spkin abt movies..as in..luk all arnd u...d walls..d vase on ur centre table..d pillows..d trees..flowers..butterflies..fishes...n try figurin how d same stuff wud luk in monochromes...!!!
Imagine havin dreams in black n white mode! how borin...thr wud not b anythin dreamy abt them anymore thn rt? Colors hav beautified d way v luk at things...d way v react 2 them..influenced not jus our opinions abt thm but sumwhr down d line even made us even slightly biased towards sum of thm..cmon guys..b honest n answer dis..how many times hav v stuck 2 puttin on d same shirt on at every occassion cos its ur lucky color?
This mite not b completely superstitous either..cos its a scientifically proven fact tht certain colors hav a tendency 2 affect us in a certain way dependin on d intensity in which thy absorb n reflect light..no wonder y gaudy colors tend 2 irritate most of us..n white soothes all..thr r many more connotations attached wid diff colors..like white - peace, black - devil, red - sexy, pink - gay , blue - calm ....can go on n on...but lets stop dis 1 here...
All in all lets jus say dat colors r a gods way of beautifyin d world...do think of it d next time u c a beautiful shade...while pickin up a dress..or simply while seein d rainbow...n try 2 thnk d creator 4 dis luvly gift...

Crazy buttons!

Why do women's clothes always button from the left, while men's clothes button from the right?
...This is an example in which history really seems to matter.
When buttons first appeared in the seventeenth century, they were seen only on garments of the wealthy. At that time it was a custom for men to dress themselves and for women to be dresses by servants.
Having women's shirts button from the left thus made things easier for the mostly right handed servants who dressed them...
(source: the natural economist)

Audio Barron`s wordlist for GRE aspirants..!!!!!

• Audio Barrons Wordlist from A-I
  http://www.esnips.com/_t_/audiowordlist
  
  
• Audio Barrons Wordlist from I-N
  http://www.esnips.com/web/BarronsAudioWordlist?docsPage=2#files
  
  
• Audio Barrons Wordlist fot N-Z
  http://www.esnips.com/web/BarronsAudioWordlist?docsPage=1#files
  
  
• How to Download Above Files
  
  • Right click on the mp3 player.Go to "Properties".
    
  • A new small window will open.You can see an address written at the bottom.Copy that address and paste it in your main window bar.Prsss "Go".
    
  • A downloading window will open and you can select the location you want and downloading will start.
    
  Very Imp Site
  This site below is vey imp for daily words and daily questions.It also has its own vocab builder which i think is amazing.
  
  http://www.number2.com/
  
  
• Online test Prep Free
  http://www.crack-gre-test-prep.com/gre-download.htm
  

More GRE software links will be posted soon.Thank you for visiting blog.

The Great BCCI contract...!!!!!!!!!

The decision that might has raised eyebrows amog the cricket fraterniy, BCCI offered pace spearhead Zaheer Khan a Grade C contract even as the struggling Irfan Pathan was put in Grade B. Newly appointed ODI vice-captain M S Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh have been promoted from Grade B to Grade A—even though Yuvraj is yet to cement a Test spot and Dhoni hasn’t fared too well outside the sub-continent. But the biggest surprise was clearly the poor grade offered to Zaheer, who has bowled consistently well in the last few months.
Virender Sehwag, Pathan and Harbhajan Singh have been downgraded from Grade A to Grade B in the new player contracts list. In all, 17 players have been offered annual retainer contracts based on performance during the last season. These contracts, effective October 1, 2006, will run till September 30, 2007.
SWINGS OF FORTUNE
Grade A (Rs 50 lakh/yr plus match fee): Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Yuvraj Singh, M S Dhoni
Grade B (Rs 35 lakh/yr plus match fee): Laxman, Harbhajan, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar
Grade C (Rs 20 lakh/yr plus match fee): Gambhir, Jaffer, Sreesanth, Zaheer, Suresh Raina, Munaf Patel All’s not lost for Dinesh Karthik
Perhaps the biggest blunder was dat wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik, who has not been offered a contract along with Ramesh Powar and Ishant Sharma among others, will not be left out entirely. Any player who plays a minimum of 5 Tests or 15 ODIs during a season automatically qualifies for Grade C contract.
Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh— all of whom do not find a place in the current team to tour Ireland, Scotland and England — will now be in Grade B, a demotion from last season’s. The trio finds a place in the list because they played a key role in India’s record streak in ODIs as well as the Test series win in West Indies in June 2006.
VVS Laxman too has been demoted to Grade B. Laxman is now considered only a Test specialist and no longer finds a place in the ODI squad.
The two players to miss out from last season’s contracts are Mohd Kaif and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik. While Kaif was in Grade B, Kartik was in Grade C. Kaif struggled for form and Kartik battled injury most of last season and have, therefore, been left out. The announcement of the new contracts has been delayed by nearly nine months as the Board and senior players had some differences.

Rajini becomes the boss of downloads!

It’s not just the silver screens that Rajni has set ablaze. In an age where cult figures cannot be limited to 36-mm cinemascope, his success formula has gone digital too. The last couple of days have proved that when it comes to a superstar like Rajnikant, there are no rules — physical or virtual. The only guarantee is success and that too in big numbers. Going beyond the box office record run, Sivaji — The Boss is now by-ting on the mobile space as well. The movie’s mobile content is available across 33 countries and Rajni fans are very quick with their downloads. The mobile game based on Rajni’s latest flick, ringtones and trailers are witnessing a huge collection. With the highest ever monotone downloads (50,000) in a day and over two lakh downloads in the first week itself, the movie has created a sort of record in the virtual sphere too. Released in 200 screens all across the country, and around 52 screens alone in Malaysia, Sivaji — The Boss, is the first Tamil movie whose soundtrack was released on digital platforms prior to the public availability of the CD. Also, its soundtrack is available for sale on iTunes, the entertainment centre of Apple to play music, videos, and audio books. For the first time, a Tamil film’s music will be promoted on the world home page of iTunes. In markets such as Malaysia, Singapore, US and Germany, the Tamil audience has a huge preference for the digital content and the movie has successfully managed to leverage new revenue streams.

Bachchans....They are worth Rs 7 bn...!!!!!

The Bachchan family is perhaps the most expensive family that India has ever seen.Amitabh Bachchan is the biggest superstar of Bollywood, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai is already positioning herself on the Hollywood scene, son Abhishek is making a mark as an actor of substance, and wife Jaya Bachchan is playing the grand act of a loving mother, an affectionate wife while also taking strides as a politician.Brand Bachchan today is almost worth Rs 700 crore in the industry. Advertisement campaigns, movies, TV shows, events, the Bachchan grace them all. But of course for a heavy price.The jury may still be out on how Bachchan got involved in the Barabanki land controversy, but it can it ever affect his branding or the branding of his family?he sexagenarian is also India's highest-paid brand endorser, earning as much as Rs 36 crore each year from his endorsements for more than ten premium brands from Pepsi to Dabur to Chawanprash. People who come in after him in the list are are Sachin Tendulkar, Narain Karthikeyan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan.

Dreams n more...

You are entering a mysterious and fascinating world of dreams where the rules of reality do not apply.

A dream unifies the body, mind, and spirit. It provides you with insight into ourselves and a means for self-exploration. In understanding your dreams, you will have a better understanding and discovery of your true self. So stay awhile -- explore, discover, have fun, and find out what's in your dream!

Dreams may range frm sober 1s 2 d craziest 1s u fail 2 even understand...lik dreamin abt God, childrean, dyin , astral projections, ghosts, zombies....u name it..thr shal b whackier than d whackiest u ca imagine..Lets take a luk at a few wierd 1s i found out...

Animal Dreams:

To see animals in your dream, represents your own physical characteristic, primitive desires, and sexual nature, depending on the qualities of the particular animal. Animals symbolizes the untamed and uncivilized aspects of yourself. Thus, to dream that you are fighting with an animal signifies a hidden part of yourself that you are trying to reject and push back into your subconscious.

Aliens:

To see aliens in your dream , signifies that you are having difficulties adapting and adjusting to your new surroundings. You are feeling "alienated" and invaded. On a psychological level, seeing aliens may represent an encounter with an unfamiliar or neglected aspect of your own self.

Cartoon Dreams:

To see others as cartoon characters in your dream, indicates that you are not taking them seriously and often shrug them off. You tend to overlook their opinions and feel that what they have to say is unimportant. Alternatively, it may be easier, less tense, and a non-confrontational way for you to deal with others when you view them as a cartoon.

N ya..how can v forget abt Daydreams!

Daydreams are often viewed as light-hearted in nature and are no more than silly fantasies or wishful thinking. When you daydream, your are accessing your right brain. The right brain is the creative and feminine side of your personality.Actually, the worrying of things can be classified as a form of daydreaming. By repeating these negative images in your mind, you are more likely to make them happen.
But hey..urs d catch...Just as your worrisome daydreams can unwittingly come true via repetition in your mind, you can use it as a tool to your advantage and make positive events happen. You can utilize daydreams as a technique to visualize what you want and hope to happen.

Thr r a lot more recurrin dreams n u may jus feel lik goin on n on...
But In d End all i can say id every dream is unique in its own way..n u knw more abt urself thn any philosopher...so d best way 2 dig in2 a dream is thru ur own self....so..wht ya waitin 4...dream on.....!

Mukesh Ambani`s new house

Mukesh Ambani's new house-in-the-making at Altamount Road, but even as work on its construction goes on in full swing, The Reliance Industries Ltd chairman purchased the 4,532 sq mt plot in 2002. The plan, drawn up by the firm Perkins+Will, reveals that the house will resemble a virtual glass palace, with entertainment centres, a health club, a swimming pool and various green spots thrown in for good measure. C onstruction of Mukesh Ambani’s new house at Altamount Road, where real estate prices are now in the region of Rs 75,000 per sq ft, began in late 2006, and the first six floors are already in place now. The building is expected to be complete in September 2008. 27 FLOORS According to the plan, the house will rise to a height of 173.12 meters, equivalent to that of a regular 60-storeyed residential building. However, Antilia will have only 27 storeys in all, which means each floor will have a ceiling considerably higher than the current average of nearly three meters. Six floors for parking The first six floors — which have come up — will be reserved for parking alone, and that too for cars belonging only to Mukesh's family. Space for a total of 168 'imported' cars has been earmarked here. Floor for car maintenance Sources said the Ambanis would prefer to have all their cars serviced and maintained at an in-house service centre. This centre will be set up on the seventh floor. Entertainment floor The eighth floor will have an entertainment centre comprising a mini-theatre with a seating capacity of 50. Balconies with gardens The rooftop of the mini-theatre will serve as a garden, and immediately above that, three more balconies with terrace gardens will be independent floors. The 'health' floors While the ninth floor will a 'refuge' floor — meant to be used for rescue in emergencies — two floors above that will be set aside for 'health.' One of these will have facilities for athletics and a swimming pool, while the other will have a health club complete with the latest gym equipment. For guests There will be a two-storeyed glass-fronted apartment for the Ambani family's guests above the health floors. One more refuge floor and one floor for mechanical works will be built on top of these apartments. Family The four floors at the top, that will provide a view of the Arabian Sea and a superb view of the city's skyline, will be for Mukesh, his wife Neeta, their three children and Mukesh's mother Kokilaben. Air space floor According to the plan, two floors above the family's residence will be set aside as maintenance areas, and on top of that will be an "air space floor," which will act as a control room for helicopters landing on the helipad above. Helipad The plan states that three helipads are to be built on the terrace. However, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials told this paper that permission for the helipads has not been granted yet. "The residential plans were approved three-four years ago. Two levels of basement have also been shown in the proposed project," Sudhir Shinde, deputy engineer at the BMC's building proposals department said. Staff Nearly 600 staffers are expected to work full-time in the building, sources said. Total stats According to BMC records, the total area of Mukesh's Altamount Road plot is 4,532.39 square meters. The proposed built-up area is 4,778.09 square meters (only for residential purposes), and the permissible built-up area 4,939.81 square meters. The current residence of the Ambanis at Cuffe Parade What is Antilia? Antilia (or Antillia) is a phantom island said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean far to the west of Spain. This mythical island had several other names such as Isle of Seven Cities, Ilha das Sete Cidades (Portuguese), Septe Cidades, Sanbrandan (or St Brendan), etc. Antilia was also identified with islands including the Isles of the Blest and the Fortunate Islands. The origin of the name is uncertain. The oldest suggested etymology (1455) fancifully connects it with the name of the Platonic Atlantis, while later writers have endeavoured to derive it from the Latin anterior (i.e. the island that is reached "before" Cipango), or from the Jezirat al Tennyn, "Dragon's Isle," of the Arabian geographers. The legend of the islands seems to have arisen at the latest in pre-Christian Roman times when Plutarch chronicled (in 74 AD) the life of Roman military commander and Consul of Spain Quintus Sertorius (died 75 BC). After returning by sea to Spain after a campaign in "Mauretania" (modern northern Morocco), Sertorius "met some sailors who had recently come back from the Atlantic Islands." It was from these men that Sertorius learned facts so beguiling that he made it his life's ambition to find the islands and retire there.

It's not cricket: Club bans dhoti

India it appears still hasn’t grown out of its colonial hangover. Chennai's prestigious cricket club is in the middle of a controversy for disallowing a civil servant entry because he was clad in a veshti - the traditional Tamil attire.But the club maintains its only maintaining its time-honoured tradition by imposing the dress code.Could you imagine Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi in anything else but a dhoti. Well he might have to wear trousers if he's to enter the Tamil Nadu cricket association's club.Atleast that's what A Narayanan figured out. The Congressman and advisor to the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj was denied entry into the club for a lecture all because he came in Tamil Nadu's most traditional attire.Narayanan says, "It's an insult to an Indian traditional dress. They have not insulted Narayanan. They have insulted a representative of the union ministry."Furious with the club's decade's old tradition Narayanan's shot off a letter to the Chief Minister and is now launching a signature campaign against the TNCA club.Several other big clubs in the city too have strong rules on dress code and Narayana's out to fight for the dhoti to be part of that code."This clubs is located in the Chief Minister's constituency and it's sad that it can happen here in the Capital of Tamils, " Narayanan adds.While the TNCA club authorities did not comment on record they did admit that in the past even ministers have been asked to shed their dhoti and wear trousers before the entering the club.But Narayanan says the question now is whether a club's tradition can be more powerful than Tamil Nadu's tradition.

Sony ericsson bringing out 5 megapixel camera(k850i)

Rumors are that sony ericsson is bringing out a successor to the hugely succesful sony ericssoon k790i which featured sony cybershot engine with a 3.2 megapixel camera,now the new one allegedly named k850i will be a featuring sony cybershot engine with a 5 megapixel camera,i am happy to bring out these leaked pictures,which i got via mail,the phone is hoped to be released this spring.


Now here are some quick info on the phone

• Candybar style
• Black color
• GPRS and GSM
• Bluetooth version 2.0
• Infrared
• 262 k colours
• 5 Mega pixel camera
• SMS,MMS,e-mail,wap,internet browsing
• Mp3,AAC support
• Flash
  

Since the phone hasn't been released yet,we have limited info,but rumors are that it will be featuring more enhanced settings

It's All Lies!!!

The art of telling fibs is alive and well and Nottingham unveils the biggest liar in the world.


Plenty of tall tales have been told at Nottingham’s Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem pub over the centuries. In 2004 it's become the venue for a fresh bunch of dirty liars. And no, it wasn’t a group of lads on the pull – nine of Nottinghamshire’s finest storytellers were battling it out for the dubious title of ‘World’s Greatest Liar.’


The event was organised by 55-year-old Pete Davis, better known as Pete the Fireman (because he is a fireman – and that’s the truth.) Pete runs the Storytellers of Nottingham, a club that meets in Ye Olde Trip every month to lie to each other (or tell stories, as they like to put it).
This year, the competition had an extra unbelievable twist: Pete won, with a big fat lie about his vampiric parents. "I’ve been running this for six years," he said after thanking himself, "And this is the first time I’ve won."

So, as the organiser – did you expect to win?
"No I didn’t! I’ve been storytelling for eight years…it’s a strange thing to want to be called the world’s greatest liar. Bill Kirkham, whose won the competition for the last three years, he’s an ex-Chief Superintendent of Police. Worrying, isn’t it?"

What does your wife think of your talent for lying?
"She’s my wife. She’s used to it!"

And what do your colleagues in the Fire Brigade think of your storytelling?
"They thought it was silly at first, but now they’re quite taken with it. They really think it’s fantastic. They are incredible storytellers, firemen."

Given that you are now the World’s Greatest Liar, any advice for our politicians?
"Basically, pack it in. Unless you’re doing it for fun. You’re upsetting lot of people by lying, so behave. Tony Blair wouldn’t know the truth if it bit him in the arse! Tell the truth – save the lies for our competition next year."

Can you give us an example of how you use your talent in everyday life?
"At work we get people from the Nottingham Evening Post ringing us for stories and one morning I told a guy a meteor had hit the jewel tower. I said we’d found the meteorite while we were drilling. He asked how I knew it was a meteorite, I said, ‘I’m a trained geologist… It’s really rare.’ He asked if he could come to the station and take a picture, so I told him to come back at 9, when the station officer was in. That was when we went off duty. But he phoned at quarter to nine and the station manager tannoys over, he says, ‘Blue Watch – which whatsit told the Post about the meteorite?’ That was a true one. Well, a true cheat anyway."

With Christmas coming up, what do you make of the whole Father Christmas myth?
"I like it. I’m a grandfather – it’s nice for the kiddies. It’s not a Christian thing, is it, Father Christmas? I’m a pagan anyway, but I’ll celebrate anything that involves eating pies and boozing!"


The Storytellers of Nottingham meet on the last Thursday of every month and anyone is welcome. Just remember to take everything they say with a pinch of salt.

Mukesh Ambani India's 1st trillionaire

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has won the rare distinction of being the only trillionaire in the country with over Rs 1,00,000 crore of wealth in his companies’ shareholdings.Younger brother Anil is also trailing behind closely with close to Rs 90,000 crore of wealth in the stock market through his holdings in various group companies.Early this year, Mukesh Ambani was ranked 14th by the Forbes 2007 list of world's billionaires. Being a shrewd businessman, Mukesh is seen in the corporate circles as someone who has that rare mix of passion and clever insight. Unlike Anil, Mukesh is level headed, does not runs into quotes easily and balances his words articulately even while discussing the most simple matters.Since splitting with younger brother Anil in 2005 and taking control of $20 billion (revenues) Reliance Industries, founded by his father Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukesh's fortune has soared by $11 billion. He has ventured $5.5 billion on retail ventures including Reliance Fresh, a chain of food stores out of which 60 are now open. His megaplans include $10 billion investment to develop special economic zones across India.The total investors' wealth in the four Anil Ambani Group firms—Reliance Communications (RCOM), Reliance Capital (RCL), Reliance Energy (REL) and Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) has reached 1,42,384 crore, while total promoter holding is estimated at about Rs 87,000 crore.The combined market capitalisation of the four Mukesh Ambani Group companies—RIL, Reliance Petroleum (RPL), IPCL and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd (RIIL) has crossed the Rs 2,50,000 crore mark. The total promoter holding in these companies is worth over half at about Rs 1,30,000 crore.While Anil Ambani holds control of most of these shareholdings, his stakes in some other listed companies such as Adlabs Films takes his total wealth in capital market to around Rs 90,000 crore.Mukesh Ambani, based on his direct and indirect holdings in various group companies, is estimated to have control of about Rs 1,11,000 crore worth shares.While RIL has witnessed a jump of about Rs 1,08,000 crore in its market value in the past one year, that of RCOM has gained by about Rs 70,500 crore in the same period.Reliance Capital has also gained about Rs 14,000 crore in one year, while the gain for RPL is around Rs 12,250 crore. RNRL and REL have gained close to Rs 1,500 crore each, while IPCL has added close to Rs 4,500 crore to its market cap in the past 12 months, although that of RIIL has dropped by about Rs 300 crore.

Confess your sins online now

Now, people are confessing their sins from the comfort of their home. "Bless me father for I have sinned." Most Christians are familiar with traditional means of confession in a booth or face-to-face in a church. But now, the internet highway may be the road to salvation. You can just type away your sins on website "www.ivescrewedup.com".Pastor Gramling and several other church members decided the Internet was a way to reach out.They had never expected the reaction. More than one thousand mea culpa's have poured in since the site went up on Easter Sunday. All are kept anonymous. And the Church leaders screen the confessions before they are posted.One person confessed to stealing $15 thousand from family members. Another wrote, "I hate myself, the way I look, the way I think, the way I feel, everything!"Jus like in the movie Bruce Almighty, actor Jim Carey plays God and is quickly fed up with the amount of e-mail he's getting. Unlike Carey who sends a blanket e-mail response, the flamingo road church doesn't respond at all. Believing that if your confession is sincere god is listening. Or in this case reading, and most importantly forgiving.