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Freida Pinto Red Carpet Oscars 2009 – 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Freida Pinto on the red carpet. Freida Pinto’s deep blue gown is by John Galliano, and her shoes are Jimmy Choo “Private” platform sandals.

Freida Pinto has been in the news for all the wrong reasons and her love life has made bigger news than even her Oscar appearance but she knows she has hit the bull’s eye. Cashing in on the success of her debut film Slumdog Millionaire, which bagged eight Oscars, Freida has signed a lucrative project with renowned American filmmaker Woody Allen.

The news is doing the rounds that Freida would feature in Woody Allen’s next film. The film also features well-known actors like Josh Brolin, Naomi Watts and Anthony Hopkins. It would certainly boost Freida’s career if the news turns out right. (more…)

NEW DELHI: The salaries of judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are set to rise three-fold with Parliament approving a bill in this regard on Tuesday.

The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2008 was passed by Rajya Sabha.

It was approved by the Lok Sabha last week.

The bill proposes to increase the salary of the Chief Justice of India from Rs 33,000 to Rs One lakh per month and that of other apex court judges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 90,000 per month. (more…)

Use action verbs. Instead of saying something like, “The ball got kicked by Christina,” say “Christina kicked the ball.” By making your sentences and syntax active instead of passive, it makes your readers more apt to understand you.

Read your words aloud. If you finish a piece and aren’t sure if it sounds right, read it aloud slowly. Gather an audience of friends and family, asking them what they think. (more…)

New Delhi: How often do you hear a child today say she dreams of being a teacher one day? Few Indian youngsters, especially in big cities, are opting for a teaching career, with low salaries being the biggest deterrent.

According to Bharati Baveja, head of the department of education in Delhi University, the decline in the number of students taking admission in the B.Ed courses – which offer teacher training – has been as much as 20-30 percent over the last few years.

“In the late 1980s and 1990s, teaching as a career option for youngsters was at its peak. Even till 2000, we used to get a lot of applications for admission in the B.Ed course, but not any longer,” Baveja said. (more…)

CHANDIGARH: Defence personnel of the tricity, retired or serving, can now heave a sigh of relief as civilian staff working in CSD (Canteen Stores Department) outlets formally called off their strike on Monday after getting assurance from the minister of defence with regard to their demands. The strike had paralysed work at five major CSD outlets in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, causing loss of sales of around Rs 1.25 crore over the five days work was completely suspended.

Giving details of the development, Chander Prakash, general secretary of defence civilian staff union, Chandigarh said, ‘’We have received information from our national representatives that defence minister AK Antony has agreed to give them payscale as per recommendations of sixth pay commission. Though we are formally resuming our duties from Tuesday, a chain hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi would continue till formal implementation of the defence minister’s assurance.’’ (more…)

While Slumdog Millionaire made a clean sweep at the Oscars, another unlikely star from India has been born. The protagonist of Smile Pinki, Pinki Sonkar, is a celebrity in Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.

The 40-minute short film Smile Pinki directed by American filmmaker Magan Mylan, is about an Indian girl who is ostracised because of her cleft lip. In the film, she undergoes corrective surgery which enables her to enjoy a normal childhood. Her story has moved the judges at the Oscars, as the film bagged the Best Short Documentary award. Pinki had stopped smiling as she was embarrassed of her cleft lip. The Smile Train, an international organisation that offers free surgeries for cleft-lip patients all over the world, arrived in Pinki’s village. In her film, Mylan has documented how this surgery has changed Pinki’s life.

The Oscar also brings the underdeveloped Rampur Dabai hamlet into the limelight and the authorities have now committed to build roads and provide drinking water and solar electricity. The Dabai village has a population of around 2,000. Most of the people are poor and work as labourers for their livelihood. (more…)

Mickey Rourke the Wrestler Trailer

The official trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s new film The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei.

Director Darren Aronofsky presents a powerful portrait of a battered dreamer, who despite himself and the odds stacked against him, lives to be a hero once again in the only place he considers home inside the ring. Now playing in theaters everywhere! youtube.com

Miley Cyrus Red Carpet

Miley Cyrus at Oscras 2009 – 81st Annual Academy Awards

Miley Cyrus is wearing a Zuhair Murad dress with a sparkly v-neck bodice and tiered skirt.

Miley Cyrus Date of Birth: 23 November 1992, Franklin, Tennessee, USA

Miley Cyrus Birth Name: Destiny Hope Cyrus

Miley Cyrus Nickname: Smiley, Miley

Miley Cyrus Height: 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)

Miley Cyrus Weight: N/A

Trivia

Daughter of singer/actor Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus.

Has five siblings: older paternal half-brother Christopher Cody, older maternal half-brother Trace Cyrus, older maternal

half-sister Brandi Cyrus, and younger siblings Braison Cyrus and Noah Lindsey Cyrus.

Her favorite sport is cheerleading.

Her favorite book is, “Don’t Die, My Love.”

Her favorite song by her Dad is “Achy Breaky Heart.”

Has written over a hundred songs and some of them have been used on her show, “Hannah Montana” (2006).

Her favorite album is Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway”.

Likes to eat Chinese food.

Favourite hobby is going shopping.

She loves to watch High School Musical (2006) (TV) with her sisters.

She has three dogs, Loco (because “It’s crazy!”), Juicy (because of the clothing brand) and her newest dog, Minnie Pearl. (more…)

Mickey Rourke Date of Birth: 16 September 1952, Schenectady, New York, USA

Mickey Rourke Birth Name: Philip Andre Rourke Jr.

Mickey Rourke Height: 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)

Mickey Rourke Weight: N/A

Mickey Rourke Red Carpet

Mickey Rourke at OScars 2009 81st Annual Academy Awards

Mickey Rourke on the red carpet in a white suit by Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Mickey Rourke Biography

Mickey Rourke was born Phillip Andre Rourke, Jr., in Schenectady, New York. As a teenager, he attended Miami Beach Senior High School, where it’s not clear if he graduated or not. One thing that is clear: Rourke played second-string first baseman on the school’s baseball team under coach Skip Bertman. Yet another mystery regarding his high school days is his acting career. It’s reported that he took drama classes with the legendary “Teacher To The Stars,” Jay W. Jensen; appearing in at least one stage play. However, a P. Rourke listed in the play’s credits, could be that of his sister, Patricia Rourke, who also attended Miami Beach Senior High School. Rourke’s teenage years were more aimed towards sports than acting. Raised in the tough inner city, Rourke took up self-defense training at the Boys Club of Miami. It was there he learned boxing skills, and decided on an amateur career. At the age of 12, Rourke won his first boxing match as a 118-pound bantamweight. Some of his early matches were fought as Andre Rourke. He continued his boxing training at the famed 5th Street Gym on Miami Beach, Florida; joining the Police Athletic League boxing program. In 1969, Rourke, now weighing 140lbs., sparred with former World Welterweight Champion Luis Rodriguez. Rodriguez was the number one rated middleweight boxer in the world, and was training for his match with world champion Nino Benvenuti. Rourke claims to have received a concussion in this sparring match. In 1971, at the Florida Golden Gloves, he received another concussion from a boxing match. He was told by doctors to take a year off and rest, but Rourke decided to retire from the ring. (more…)

Christina Applegate Date of Birth: 25 November 1971, Hollywood, California, USA

Christina Applegate Height: 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)

Christina Applegate weight: N/A

Christina Applegate Biography

Christina Applegate is the daughter of record producer Robert Applegate and singer-actress, Nancy Priddy. Her parents split-up shortly after her birth. She has two half-siblings from her father’s re-marriage – Alisa (b. 10 October 1977) & Kyle (b. 15 July 1981). Alisa and Christina are best friends and even lived together while Alisa was going to college. Christina’s mother took her along on all of her auditions and acting jobs. She made her acting debut at age five months, when her mother got her in a commercial for Playtex nursers. Her mother never remarried, but kept company with Stephen Stills. Christina still cherishes a guitar Stephen gave her when she was young. She played in a number of TV series before landing her breakout role in “Married with Children” (1987) in 1987. Christina still studies jazz dance.

Photo: pixxp.com