Internet a Threat to Wildlife?

"Is the Internet hastening the demise of the African elephant?" asks The New York Times. Some animal welfare advocates believe that it is and that scores of other species are at risk as well. Illegal online trade is said to have increased as the Web itself has grown. Searches on English-language Web sites during a three-month period found "more than 6,000 illegal or potentially illegal wildlife items for sale," including turtle shells, elephant-bone sculptures, and even live black leopards.

Movie-Lage Raho Munna Bhai

Bollywood is having a kind of laughathon these days churning out comedies one after another. This one is rather good.

Synopsis

Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt) falls in love with the voice of the Radio Jockey Jhanvi (Vidya Balan). He is finally given the chance to meet her when the radio station announces a trivia contest concerning the life and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi. With the help of his friend Circuit, Munna Bhai formulates a clever scheme and wins the contest. In the process, however, Jhanvi is led to believe that Munna Bhai is a professor of history and subsequently asks him to present a lecture on Gandhi to a community of senior citizens which she takes care of at her home, Second Innings.

Munna decides that the only way out of this situation is to use the days prior to the lecture to learn as much as he can about Gandhi. He puts himself through an intensive period of study in a library devoted to the life and works of Gandhi. It is during this period of study that the image of Gandhi begins to appear to Munna Bhai. With Gandhi on his side, Munna not only wins Jhanvi's heart, but through a radio show also teaches others how to solve their problems using Gandhi's principles. Soon, however, Munna finds his own life falling apart until he learns to practice what he preaches. The problems he faces lead him to cultivate a new life based upon Gandhism, particularly non-violence and truth, which he calls Gandhigiri.^[3]

Movie--Rob-B-Hood

Well, who hasn't heard of Jackie Chan the action hero cum expert in Kung Fu and martial arts, right? His latest movie though having a simple story line, perhaps with some brilliant casting had me crying at one moment and laughing myself silly in another.

PLOT

The film is an action comedy about three gangsters who kidnap a baby. For this film, Chan wanted to play a full-fledged villain, but Chinese censors rejected the original script. So, In the movie, Chan portrays a gambling addict who kidnaps the grandson of a tycoon for ransom, but ends up as a hero trying to protect the child from the mob.

The film follows a group of thieves made up of Slipper (Chan), Octopus (Louis Koo), and Landlord (Michael Hui). They steal for different reasons. Sliper is a compulsive gambler who faces debt collectors at his door. Octopus spends his fortunes to court a rich girl. Landlord does not spend his loot, but saves all of it and keep it in a safe in his house. After Landlord's house was broke into and all his savings stolen, he was desperate to regain his fortune and accepted a job offer that will pay him in huge sums. At the same time Sliper and Octopus were both in desperate need of money again, and they went for the job without knowing the details. Only after breaking in did they know that Landlord was asked to steal a baby, and return it to the baby's allerged grandfather, who is also the head of a Triad. When they were on the way to hand over the baby, they ran through a police road block, resulting in a car crash. Landlord was hospitalized and kept in police custody because of the accident, while Slipper and Octopus was forced to take care of the baby, deciding that it will be best to hold on to their prize before the Landlord is released. They faced challanges from all fronts, including the Triads, Slipper's creditors, Octopus wife and of course the baby they've stolen.

Ice Sculpture

I was first enthralled by ice sculptures when I saw R Todd King's website. Those photographs from Harbin was spectacular and unbelievable! I cannot image a whole city made of ice and snow. Wow...some folks do have the skill, talent and innovation. These sculptures can rival "real" life buildings indeed. And to think that the sculptures will melt away in the summer is such a great waste. So much hard work and effort involved. But then again, for these sculptors, it meant that next winter will be another challenge and excitement, I guess.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I must admit that I am not anywhere near to having any artistic fibre in me but thinking about the sheer beauty and hard work in making these sculptures just bowls me over. There are really so awesome and beautiful to look at. Especially on a hot sunny afternoon and I can just look at Harbin and these wonderful icy sculptures and imagine myself in a Winter Wonderland...so magical, beautiful and so COOL.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife