'300: Rise of an Empire' - mediocre vengeance drama

Wonder how many viewers would be interested in another version of the oft repeated history of ancient Greece? It's the story of how the Persian King Xerxes, with over 1,000 ships in his fleet, could have easily conquered the divided Greeks in Circa 480 BC.

Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel "Xerxes", the film takes off on a very verbose expository note by the Spartan Queen Gorgo. Her explanations weave in the loose ends as well as the backstory of the characters, giving an insight into the history of the period.

Driven by vengeance, the drama in the "300: Rise of an Empire" runs concurrently to the original "300" but from a different perspective, the naval warfare. While the earlier film concentrated on the land fight at Thermopylae, this one concentrates on the battle in the Aegean sea, with the storyline running in parallel most often.

The inciting moment of the film is when a Greek General Themistokles shoots an arrow killing the Persian King Darius. Darius's son, Xerxes transforms himself from a mere human being to the 'Golden God King' and swears revenge by conquering Greece. In this mission, he is assisted by his fiercest naval commander Artemisia who is a Greek by birth but was brought up by a Persian.

So while the Spartan King Leonidas engages Xerxes in a land battle at the "hot gates", the film concentrates on the showdown between Artemisia and Themistokles with a far smaller force, in the sea.

The trouble is, even with excellently and cleverly maneuvered tactics on water, the recurring battle scenes eventually leads to visual fatigue. Though some of the fight scenes are very well choreographed, it's the blood and gore scenes, that look very synthetic, especially, when Artemisia chops off a head and the torso bounces off spurting blood all over. This could be repulsive for some viewers.

On the performance front, the film belongs to Eva Green. Clad in fitting black leather, she plays Artemisia from the bottom of her heart. Her actions throughout the film are notable as hers is the only character that has a complete arc and any kind of real context.

Cast opposite her is Sullivan Stapleton as Themistokles. Though he is good, he is not too impressive. He lacks the charisma and aura of a go-getter. But then, in the scene; after a rough sex brawl with Artemisia, he returns to his camp with a confused expression on his face - he pulls off this scene with the grace of an expert. Though he looked silly and muddled, it works appropriately for the situation.

Lena Heady, who once again plays the Spartan Queen Gorgo, delivers some of the film's best lines, as well as a few of its most absurd ones.

The screenplay, by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, lacks the zing of a thrilling historical, and overall, the film lacks the wow factor. Though every scene is a loud spectacle which enhances with the 3D effects, the film slips into a videogame mode.

Director Noam Murro, who had earlier delivered the romantic comedy "Smart People", has probably found it hard to ape the original narrative structure of "300", and it shows. The dialogues are too feeble and laboured. What's more? The characters have inconsistent accents which make the entire involvement far-fetched.

After half an hour of watching the film, you feel the film rambles and gradually it becomes monotonous and wearisome.

Rating : 3.5/5 by MTV

Source: http://mtv.in.com/

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6 Things about Scarlett Johansson's Baby Daddy

With reports from all corners of the gossip globe that super starlet Scarlett Johansson is pregnant, the big question is: Who is ScarJo’s low profile fiancé and baby daddy?

1. His name is Romain Dauriac.

2. He’s French and handsome and flies very under the radar. His Twitter account has been silent since 2010. But his 21 posts are very art-centric. He is said to run a creative ad agency, but it doesn't seem to have a name that anyone knows.

3. His interest in style and design goes well beyond the classic beauty of his fiancé--just look at the amazing art deco engagement ring Scarlett has been sporting.

4. He worked as an editor for a very hip art magazine called Clark. How hip? Check out the covers.

5. He apparently likes body ink as well as magazine ink. Word is he and ScarJo were introduced by the French artist Fuzi-Uvtpk, who tattooed the actress.

6. He evidently has pervasive parental powers. Just over a year ago Johansson was asked about getting married. "It has no relevance to me right now,” she told ELLE UK. “I'm not having kids anytime soon, I'm in a nice relationship, I'm working a lot, and, like I said, it's not important to me."

Source: http://gossip.about.com/od/celebrityprofiles/fl/6-Things-about-Scarlet-Johanssons-Baby-Daddy.htm

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Fighting breaks out in South Sudan army barracks

JUBA: Heavy fighting broke out in the main military barracks in war-torn South Sudan's capital Juba on Wednesday, underscoring serious tensions within the national army as it battles a rebel uprising. 

An AFP reporter said the sound of heavy gunfire was heard coming from the main barracks near Juba University, home to the presidential guards and other elite troops, from 9.30am (0630 GMT), with the shooting ending two hours later. 

According to independent Tamazuj radio, the fighting started after soldiers argued with a military pay committee. It said several people were dead, but there was no immediate confirmation of the number of casualties and the army could not be reached for comment. 

The US embassy in Juba issued a statement advising people to stay indoors, and a diplomatic source in the city cited reports of five to seven soldiers killed in the clashes. 

"We are trying to establish what happpened, although it seems that troops who have not been paid went to the barracks to help themselves," the diplomat said. 

However there were unconfirmed reports in other local media that the fighting broke out between guards loyal to President Salva Kiir and a commando unit under top general Gatwech Gai. 

The conflict in South Sudan started in the capital Juba and under similar circumstances nearly three months ago amid tensions within the ruling party of President Kiir and former vice-president Riek Machar. 

The December 15 clashes, which spilt the army along ethnic lines, quickly spread across the country. 



Since the initial week of fighting in Juba, the capital has been largely calm and key installations have been guarded by Ugandan troops who have intervened in the conflict in support of President Kiir. 

Fighting between the national army and the rebels — made up of defectors and ethnic militia — has been centered around the towns of Bor, Malakal and Bentiu further north. 

The unrest in South Sudan, the world's newest nation which won independence from Khartoum in 2011, has left thousands dead and has displaced close to 900,000 people, including tens of thousands who have crammed into UN bases in fear of ethnic attacks. 

The government and rebels signed a ceasefire on January 23, but the truce has seen frequent violations — including a rebel assault on Malakal. 

In neighbouring Ethiopia, regional bloc IGAD — which has been trying to broker peace talks aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict — said efforts to resolve the conflict were making progress, albeit very marginal. 

"What has been going on for the last two weeks was in short can be characterised as talks about talks," IGAD special envoy Seyoum Mesfin told reporters. 

On Tuesday IGAD said the government and rebels would be taking a two-week break from the negotiations, with the peace talks scheduled to resume on March 20

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

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6 Things You Should Do Right Now

You’ll feel a million times better, I swear. 

 1. Take a few deep breaths.

2. Now that you have looked at a pair of dogs, look at this cat.

3.Take a quick walk.

4.Clean up your desktop.

5.Drink a glass of water.

6.Check your bank balance. 

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/17-things-you-should-do-right-now

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6 Important And Undeniable Facts You Learn In College

1. If you drink $4 wine for long enough, you eventually become immune to how shitty it tastes.

 

2. It’s magical and beautiful to live in a world where sweatpants are permissible in public. Cherish it.

 

3. All the smartest kids know that a 20-page paper is actually just a 17-page paper with wider margins.

 

4. All you need to have for an active social life is good speakers and a stash of Solo cups.

 

5. There is such a thing as free T-shirts. And they’re everywhere. You never have to buy clothes again.

 

6. Once you’re at college, feeling stuck up about getting in or discussing your SAT score = not allowed.

Source: www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/undeniable-facts-that-will-get-you-through-college

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Simple Steps to Beating A Level Exam Stress

If you have your A-levels coming up, you may be starting to feel a bit worried about this exam. A certain amount of stress can be good for us because it gives us the motivation to put in a good effort. Excessive stress though, can be very counterproductive because it can mean you are too anxious to absorb information, and too nervous to do well in the exam. Here are a few simple steps that will help you beat A-levels exam stress:

Learn Some Relaxation Techniques  You do not need to become a meditating monk in order to enjoy the benefits of relaxation techniques. Even if you just spend a few minutes absorbing your breathing, it can help to get you in the mood for study. If you have more time, you can try things like yoga or Tai-Chi. It is also a good idea to spend a bit of time on these techniques on the night before your exam so that you get a good night’s sleep.

Get Plenty of Exercise  Exercise can be another great way to get rid of stress. Even going for a long walk each day in the run-up to the exam can be a great help. Training for your A-levels is similar to getting ready for a sporting competition, and you want to be in good shape physically as well as mentally. If you spend too much time studying, you will hit a point where you are no longer able to absorb information. By doing some exercise though, you can give your brain a rest, so you will be fit to return to your studies afterwards.

Prepare Sensibly for Your A-levels Doing well in your A-levels is not so much about the amount of time you spend studying but the way you use this time. It is more about quality of study rather than quantity of study. One option would be get help by joining an organised study programme such as private education from Lansdowne College . You can greatly increase your chances of doing well in these exams by following a study schedule that is designed to help you make the best use of your time.

Create a Study Schedule  A common reason for why people become stressed on the run-up to an exam is that they have been approaching their studies in a disorganised way. It is little wonder that they start to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. The solution to this is to think carefully about what you need to study and create a schedule that will allow you to reach this goal. Once you create your study schedule, you have to commit to following it exactly. By staying on track, you will have the peace of mind of knowing that you are entering the exam with the best possible chance of doing well. When creating your study schedule, you will need to think carefully about the subject syllabus, so you cover the information you will need in the exam.

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Would you like to dance with bad dancer?

Just what are you to do when your dance partner shuffles rather than dances and your dreams of great dancing together fail to appear? Don't give up completely. Follow below 6 things:

• Restrain yourself from laughing, pointing, or jeering. If your dance partner is as bad as you think, then it's likely that it took a great deal of courage, bravado, or confidence to even get on the dance floor in the first place. Having fun poked at them won't ease the circumstances. Do your best to drag yourself together and take this in your pace.
• Stay sure about yourself. You don't need to diminish your own dancing skills just to match with those of your partner. As an alternative, you'll need to think about how you can "work around" your dance partner's lackluster dance moves while still showing off your usual thing. Comprehend that you're a role model, an example to be followed, so bear this in mind when you're dancing and hope that your partner's intent on learning a thing or two from you.
• Give your dance partner a chance. Possibly your date has never had a chance to dance with someone as good as you before; perhaps your partner has never danced at all before. Don't make assumptions about your partner's caginess – at this stage, it might be a good chance to ask about their dance experience and to gently probe as to whether they're keen to learn how to get better.
• Give confidence your partner to loosen up. Bad dancers tend to make repetitive moves, using only arms and legs and not involving the whole body. Again, simply leading by example, show your partner a variety of moves that change direction and move all parts of the body. You might even consider grabbing their waist or hips and helping them to spin around a little more, with some cheering pep-talk such as "Doesn't it feel great when you do this?".
• Be polite. Thank your partner after a dance. This reinforces that you valued the effort and that you liked dancing with this person. That in itself may be enough to give self-assurance them to try harder next time and to not feel so self-conscious when giving it a go.
• Maintain the sense of fun. Above all, keep the entire dance skill fun, so that it doesn't seem a drag or burden on either of you. There are worse things in the world than being with a bad dancer and making a meal out of it will only cause the other person to think you're uptight, difficult, or mean-spirited. Laugh it off, have fun with your own dancing, and show by example that dancing is a fun activity that is worth giving a good chance.

Source: www.wikihow.com

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How To Overcome A Fear Of Public Speaking

According to recent surveys, the #1 most common fear shared by all Americans is public speaking. (Death, darkness, flying, heights, snakes, and spiders all take a backseat to this fear.) That means most Americans would rather be the dead person in the casket than the live person giving the eulogy! Unlike flying or heights, though, which we can avoid for the most part, public speaking is something that affects both our personal and professional lives on a consistent basis. So rather than dreading the inevitable moment that we’ll be asked to give a presentation or speak at an event, why not figure out a way to gain confidence in this area?

Here are a few practical steps you can take to overcome your fear of public speaking:

Remember that practice makes perfect. As with sports, music, and any other activity, you don’t become a flawless public speaker overnight. You will make mistakes, you will stumble over your words, you will forget what to say. Rather than being discouraged about that, though, remember that it’s a natural part of growing and learning. As you continue to speak in public, you will gain confidence. But remember that it takes time, effort, and repeated practice in order to get to that point. So rather than stressing about it, practice.

Remember that you have something worth saying. When you’re giving a speech, one of the most disheartening feelings is seeing people texting, sleeping, or just not paying attention to your speech. Although there are always a few people like this in every crowd, don’t let them discourage you. One of the most important things you can do in order to become a better public speaker is to be confident. Remember that you have important information to share. Remember that people will benefit by hearing what you are saying. Remember that your topic is worthwhile and important. Don’t let a few people who aren’t paying attention cause you to forget that. An article in Women's World adds that it's important to know your audience.

Remember to be passionate. It’s easiest to speak about topics that we truly care about. So even if you’re giving a boring presentation at work, try to find a way to connect with the material so that you can really care about what you’re saying. People notice passion and enthusiasm. If you care about something, you’ll inspire others to do the same.

Remember that you’re capable of this. Don’t compare yourself to others or worry about what people are thinking when you’re giving your speech. You may not feel like the next great orator of your time, but you can still give a good speech.

Remember to slow down. People usually feel nervous when giving speeches for the first few times, so they’ll speak faster as a result. Remember to slow down when you’re giving your speech so that you’re not rushing through it. Also, use inflection and tone to help you emphasize certain parts of your speech. It’s helpful to record yourself beforehand or speak in front of a mirror to see what you look and sound like.

Image credit: michaelhyatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/iStock_000022230045Medium-760x506.jpg

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Easy Ways: Avoid Irritate People at Office!

This is a story of maximum offices where you can find some people who do not deserve the place where they are and they truly deserve one tight slap, but you cannot give them because first of all you are in office and may be your position as well as your personality will not allow you, but there is a nice solution where you can control your coolness and safe from irritation.
But before that let me discussions some points about how to identify people who are irritating you or maybe irritate you in future:

• They always try to impress their senior or bosses by doing useless and time pass things
• Always take the credits of others and never respect the ideas of team mates
• Plying dual characters e.g.: present same topic in different way in front of bosses as well as mates to defend themselves.
• Always give advices to others on that topic which they do frequently.
• Spread negative support among team members by their unwanted depressed working style and discussion.
• Take ideas from others and represent that similar idea to particular person and tell that “I am thinking this..”
• Follow other Good peoples’ activities to become like them and compete with them to impress team mates, here I would like to say that “Good people born with natural inner beauty and nobody can become like them. It is gods’ gift ”
• Asking for respect and attention and doing dirty office politics.

So, mates above points will help you to find irritated people in your office. Now it’s time for solutions. Hope following points will help you to control your irritation and stress which come from useless and unwanted people from your office.

• Tell negative points to that person with whom you are feeling irritated once, if that person will be real and doing thing unknowingly and without intentionally then surly he/she will understand your points and try to solve those issues.
• Talk to your close friend about it, they will decently calm you with his/her healthy advice.
• Talk front of the mirror and say whatever you want to tell him/her. You can say anything because it will give you mental piece and support you to move on your personal life.
• Ignore them while they irritate you by listing hard rock music, jokes or any other entertaining things and try not to lose your temper with them by arguing.
• If that person is your senior or in the same position then do not arguing them and only believe in your talent because finally talent gives wroth.
• Avoid eye contact and tell yourself that “he/she is not important person of your life”
• After giving all these trials if that person still in his/her bad character, just talk to your management and say about the issues if you have good management then defiantly they will solve your problem and give you proper and good working environment.
• Very Last solution but use it in the very worst case when everything finish and not get any support from management “ Give him/her a tight slap or give some hard words” , after that you can leave that company with the mental peace without any regret, but I would like to suggest not doing this thing earlier.

Final Words… People who are reading this article and having such type of irritate character; please change yourself because you cannot stay like that in your whole life if you do that you will lose all good people. So, give respect to your mates and make your position in their hearts. Do not give useless efforts to make your position, because one day you will also lose it. Believe in honesty, humanity, purity and royalty then truly you will get attention and respect from others without asking.

“Have a Nice and Good day at Office :)”

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Eight Crazy Facts You Never Knew About Squirrels

Most of us have encountered squirrels at some point in our life and we typically have some very opposing views about them. For some, squirrels are nothing more than cute, furry little animals that bring a smile to our face, whereas for others they are known to be extreme pests, vermin, and can typically cause chaos in the cellars and attics of homes, and indeed in the garden. Love them or loathe them, why not sit back, read and enjoy the following facts about squirrels.

Squirrel Facts: There are over 200 different species of squirrels and they can be found in literally every country and region of the world except for Antarctica. They are most commonly found in areas containingtrees and wooded regions. They are part of the Sciuridae family and are of course rodents.

1. Squirrels come in a wide variety of sizes and can be as small as the African pigmy squirrel, which is no longer than 10cm and weighs no more than 10 grams. However, the Indian giant squirrel is over a metre long and can weigh up to 2kg.
2. A squirrel’s diet mainly consists of nuts, seeds, fruits and fungi, although there are certain varieties of squirrel which feed on insects and even snakes.
3. Squirrels are able to jump extremely high distances, compared to their small size, and this is due to the fact that their feet are padded. A squirrel has the ability to jump as high as 20 feet into the air.
4. You may have noticed that squirrels eyes are placed very high on their heads and to either side. This provides them with an extremely wide range of vision and means that they typically will not have to turn their heads in order to see something.
5. Squirrels use a vast array of sounds to communicate with each other and even make particular sounds for certain events. A prime example of this is the ground squirrel will produce a high pitched whistling sound in order to warn other squirrels that a predator is nearby.
6. Certain squirrels have been given names, but in reality they don’t make a lot of sense. One such variety of squirrel is the gray squirrel, which does typically come in many different shades of gray, but some of them even come in shades of black or brown, but they still happen to be part of the gray squirrel family.
7. No doubt you’ve seen squirrels speeding about, so it won’t surprise you to know that they can reach a top speed of 20 miles per hour. However, rather than run, their anatomy, and especially the muscles in between their legs and body actually allows them to glide. They have the ability to “glide” from up high to down below by a distance of up to 48 metres.

This all sounds well and good, but many people have terrible problems with squirrels. They can often enter a property through small gaps in the roof, and much like rats they can gnaw their way through electrical cables. However, rather than trying to deal with this yourself, you will be probably be far better off hiring a company that provides squirrel removal. This post is written by Mark Ross, an employee at ICE, specialists in squirrel removal in Brampton. Being a nature lover, Mark likes to cycle around parks in his spare time.

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Vegan Meals: Meat Substitutes That Tastes Like The Real Thing

Admit it, you may have adjusted to the new diet but you still miss THAT taste every now and then. Thankfully, there are new recipes that can quench that hunger for meat. These recipes are granted to leave you satisfied and happy with what you ate.

Thai Curry Let your tastebuds experience some oriental taste. This fine Thai cuisine will be very different from what you are used to.

What you need to have:

• One and a half cup of coconut milk
• One half cup of water
• One half cup of vegetable broth
• One half cup of curry sauce
• One large onion
• One cup of carrots
• One cup of string beans
• One cup of zucchini
• One lemon
• One tablespoon of red curry powder
• One tablespoon of soy sauce
• One tablespoon of brown sugar
• Olive oil
• One block of firm tofu

What you need to do: Cut the mushroom into smaller pieces. Slice the zucchini, carrots and string beans. Slice the onions thinly. Cut the tofu into tiny bite-sized cubes. Place the coconut milk, water, vegetable broth, onions, mushroom and the vegetables in a saucepan. Let it simmer over moderate heat. Add in the lime juice, curry powder, sugar, soy sauce and water. Make sure that the vegetables are soft by then. Heat some more and serve with a cup of rice. Enjoy!

Mashed Potatoes With Vegan Gravy

Eat a healthier version of this classic. Gravy has never tasted better!

Ingredients for the Mashed Potato:

• Four large potatoes
• Two tablespoons of virgin oil
• A pinch of sea salt
• A pinch of black pepper
• Two teaspoons of olive oil
• A half cup of soy milk

What you need to do: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the potatoes. Remove the skins. Wrap them with parchment paper. Once dry, bake for one hour and fifteen minutes.  Mash the potatoes well. You can use a machine. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Moisten with a half cup of soy milk and stir. Make sure that the mixture is blended well.

Ingredients for the gravy:

• A tablespoon of olive oil
• An onion
• A cup of chopped kale
• One fourth cup of flour
• One cup of vegetable broth
• One cup of milk
• One teaspoon of sage
• One teaspoon of thyme
• One teaspoon of lemon juice
• Two tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• Salt
• Cayenne Pepper
• Black Pepper
• A half cup of mushroom

What you need to do: Cut the onion into slices. Roughly chop the kale. Dice the mushroom. Heat the oil in a pan, add in the mushrooms, onions and kale/ Cook for five minutes. Meanwhile in a bowl, mix the flour and warm water mixture. Stir well. Add the milk and flour mixture to the pan and let it cook for a minute. Let it thicken, if it is too thick, you can add more water or milk. Add the remaining ingredients. Toss in the amount of seasoning you like. Cook for three minutes. Joyce Del Rosario  is a food blogger from Chef Needs “The Kitchen that Every Chef Needs”. Linda also loves painting and works as an Architect.

Image Credit: whatscookingmom.in/

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Meat Safety - Which Meat And Poultry Is Most Dangerous If Undercooked?

Most people are aware of the dangers of undercooked meat and poultry, but it is actually the case that only some meats are dangerous when undercooked or even completely raw. Bacteria like salmonella don't live in all kinds of meat, and some meats don't spoil as fast as others either. While raw food isn't to everyone's taste, you may be surprised to learn that you can eat beef completely raw without putting your health at risk (such as in dishes like beef carpaccio), and of course raw fish in the form of sushi is a pretty popular thing to eat the world over these days. Other meats can be extremely risky to eat if not thoroughly cooked, however.

Here we take a look at the ones you need to be most careful



Chicken: Chicken is one of the most highly consumed proteins in the world, but it is also one of the most dangerous when undercooked as it can harbor salmonella and other harmful bacteria. Chicken is also quite easy to undercook, especially if you are cooking it on the bone and in a form that is hard to accurately control, such as on a barbecue. Always check that chicken is thoroughly cooked before serving by cutting into it and making sure the meat is white rather than pink and slimy, and also be very careful to clean cutting boards and other surfaces where you have been preparing raw chicken before cooking to avoid cross contamination. Wash and disinfect your hands carefully after handling raw chicken or cooking chicken, too.

Pork: Pork spoils faster than any other meat without good refrigeration. In an age where commercial refrigeration is the norm it is safe to keep and eat pork providing you stick with the use by dates, but in the past before people tended to have their own refrigeration at home, pork was usually only eaten when preserved in some way, for example by smoking. Pork that has been preserved can actually be eaten raw (an example being prosciutto, which is smoked but not cooked), but in any other form raw or undercooked pork is bad news. As with chicken, cook all your pork products (except if smoked, dried or otherwise preserved) extremely carefully, and use a meat thermometer to make sure you have cooked them fully before serving.

Don't keep pork for too long before eating, even when cooked, and never leave it out of the fridge. Making sure all of the meat you serve your family is cooked and prepared safely is crucial to avoiding food poisoning and worse, and in some cases these conditions can even be fatal so it really is important to understand the meat you are working with and what needs to be done to ensure it is safe for human consumption. If you are in any doubt, cut the meat and check its appearance or stick it with a thermometer to ensure it has cooked properly. If you are served meat that doesn't look right – don't eat it. The author of this post is Richard Maxell, an employee at AB Restaurant Equipment, specialists in restaurant equipment. An avid car enthusiast, Richard likes to go on long drives during the weekend.

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Vegetable LEGO bricks: Make with rocking mood

Having a hard time receiving the kids to eat their veggies? Here's a great way to encourage them to take pleasure in doing what's high-quality for them: change their vegetables into neat little LEGO bricks!

• Pick the right vegetables. Many veggies are appropriate, including carrots, potatoes, squash, rutabagas, etc. You could also use stiff tofu and add a food color to the water, which the tofu will immerse up. You can do this with the veggies, too.
• Arrange your veggies. Boil or steam the vegetables so that they're soft but not spongy. Immerse them for a couple minutes in salt water. This will make them a little firmer by drawing out some of the moisture.
• Cut the vegetables into cube shapes. As with real LEGO pieces, you'll need to decide what bricks you'd like to make: a single stud square brick, the four stud square, or the six stud rectangle.
• Poke a straw all the way through the vegetable. This will create a encircling hole and will push out the inside of the vegetable brick. Be sure to match holes with the LEGO stud arrangement you're creating.
• Using a toothpick, push the stud from the underneath of the vegetable brick until it sticks out of the top. This ensures that it looks like a LEGO brick, whole with studs!
• Check that the studs are evenly located crossways the top by looking at the brick sideways. If it's not, carefully press a stud back in, or poke one farther out.

Serve with a smile on a colorful plate. I am loving IT :)

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Do you like to Make Bacon Flavored Waffles for Your Family?

Why compromise when your bacon can meet your waffles for a very delicious treat? All you’ll need are the ingredients for the customary waffle batter and a pack up of bacon to create your bacon waffles. Unfortunately, frozen waffles top with a few slices of bacon won’t make the cut, so get ready to break a few eggs and whip up the beat.

 Ingredients:

• 6 pieces bacon
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large eggs

Here Your Steps:

• Brittle the bacon slices. You can take one of two approaches––cooking the bacon on a stovetop or in the oven.
• Heat an ungreased skillet on low and then place the raw bacon slices in the skillet. Line bacon in a consistent fashion so that it cooks consistently.
• Brown each side of bacon for about 5-6 minutes. The browning process will vary based on the bacon width, type of skillet you use and the stovetop heat.
• Move each piece of cooked bacon to a cooling a plate wrinkled with paper towels.
• Dab each slice of bacon to remove excess fat. You want to avoid having residual grease leak into your waffle batter––this will compromise the integrity of the batter and make the waffles taste oily.
• Rip the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
• Create the waffle batter. Using a traditional waffle beat will bring out and highlight the taste of the bacon.
• Unite flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Instead of using a mixer, consider hand mixing using a large spoon or rubber spatula so keep away from over-mixing.
• In a divide bowl, whisk buttermilk with only 2 tablespoons of the canola oil and eggs.
• Fold the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir well using a large spoon or rubber spatula.
• Gently fold the pieces of bacon into the mixture. Try to deal out bacon evenly throughout the mixture so that each waffle will contain an even amount of bacon.
• Create the waffles. Owning a waffle iron is key to creating bacon waffles, however you can still enjoy this breakfast treat by simply turning your waffles into pancakes by using a plain old skillet.
• Preheat the waffle iron and brush each side with a small amount of canola oil. The remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil will be used to coat the waffle iron in to avoid the waffles from sticking.
• Pour about ½ cup of the batter into the waffle iron. Amounts may vary based on the waffle iron size. Using ½ cup should accommodate a standard 7-inch (17.5cm) iron.
• Cook for 6 to 8 minutes depending on the heat and your individual waffle iron. The idea is to cook the waffle until it is lightly browned, however like ovens and stovetops, heat settings and irons will vary.
• Top the waffles with corrupt flourishes. No bacon infused waffle is complete without special toppings.

Use your imagination, but some mouthwatering ideas include:

• Candied brown sugar syrup. Combine ½ cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup of crushed candid walnuts and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Sprinkle mixture over each waffle.
• Homemade whipped cream. Skip the grocery bought whipped cream and makes your own. Combine 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar in a mixer. Pour heavy cream in the mixer and beat until small white peaks form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until well shared and top waffle.
• Old fashioned maple syrup and compressed bacon. Sometimes a traditional topping is the best. Consider warming good maple syrup in a small pan before pouring in excess of a waffle. Then top with extra pieces of compressed leftover crisp bacon to accentuate the waffle.

Source: www.wikihow.com

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Simple Absorption Pasta In Your Style But How?

This is a hearty pasta dish that uses simple things you should already have lying around and it uses the "absorption" method of cooking pasta where uncooked, desiccated pasta is added directly to the sauce and simmered until cooked. It creates a comfortable, silken touch that you never get with the conventional boil-drain-dress method.

Ingredients Requires:

• 1 fatty pork chop, cubed
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• Few drops of balsamic vinegar
• Splash of white wine
• 1/2 jar of pasta sauce or whatever is available
• Dried pasta for 2 (cup shaped pasta is best)
• Butter and olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Cooking Steps:

• Heat the olive oil and sautee the pork for a minute, browning squarely.
• Add a protuberance of butter and the onion and garlic. Crackle for a bit, then add the white wine. Condense the wine on a medium heat. When the wine is almost gone, add a few drops of balsamic, and bring the heat right down to the minimum level and cover. Let it boil like for at least 20 minutes, until the onions are completely browned and sticky.
• Add the dehydrated (dried) pasta to the pan. Stir to ensure the pasta gets covered evenly with the mixture. Add the pasta sauce and stir. Pour in enough water to just cover the pasta. Return to a gentle simmering heat and cover. Heat like this for around 10 minutes.
• Remove the cover, stir and bring up the heat. Most of the liquid should fade after a few minutes of brisk, uncovered bubbling leaving a thick sauce and tender pasta. Stir, season and throw in some chopped basil leaves if you have any. Now enjoy your food.

Source: www.wikihow.com 

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Make Pasta Primavera version using Alfredo sauce But How?

While the term "primavera" is defined as the spring season, in cooking terms, it's characteristically referred to crunchy vegetables in the spring. The possibilities and vegetable combinations are endless. Primavera sauce is usually an olive oil and garlic base, but is also commonly an Alfredo or heavy cream base. Here is how to make a simple pasta primavera version using Alfredo sauce.

 
Ingredients Requires:

• 8 ounces (227g) raw fettuccine or linguine
• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1 cup (91g) broccoli
• 1 cup (100g) cauliflower
• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup (134g) frozen green peas, rinsed to separate
• 1/4 cup (40g) onion, chopped
• 1 container (10 ounces) chilled (not as ice)Alfredo pasta sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Steps:

• Cook the pasta to al dente.
• Over a medium high heat, cook the vegetables in a large skillet with the olive/vegetable oil. Stir frequently for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are crunchy.
• Stir the Alfredo sauce in the skillet and lower the temperature.
• Drain the pasta totally and add it to the skillet. Mix carefully and heat through. Remove from the heat.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and serve. Now you can enjoy your pasta.

Source: www.wikihow.com 

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Panipuri-A Famous Street Snack In India

The panipuri also known as golgappa is a popular street snack in India, and people love to eat it at any way. It is a round in shape, hollow puri, fried crusty and filled with a mixture which is made by water, tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas. It fits completely in one's mouth due to its small size.

  Description of golgappa:

• The name gol gappa refers to the fact that crunchy ball (gol) is placed in the mouth and eaten (gappa) at one time, without stinging.
• Pani comes from the Hindi word and its meaning is water and puri (or poori) is the name of an Indian bread made by frying bread in oil.
• The English meaning of golgappa is "watery Indian bread" or "crisp sphere eaten."

Name of panipuri in some different places:

Place	Name
New Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, Bihar	Golgappa, Water balls, Tikia
Rajasthan	Pani ke bataashe
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu	Panipuri
West Bengal (India), Assam	Phuchka
Chhattisgarh, Odissa	Gup chup
Gujarat	Pakodi
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh	Phulki

Source: Wikipedia

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Some Original Rules In Basketball By James Naismith

In 1891 James Naismith had made some rules on basketball but the original game played beneath these rules was fairly different than the one played today as there was no dribbling, dunking, three pointers, or shot clock, and goal tending was legal. Below are the rules, but remember that it can be changed by authorized community or group.

• By one or both hands the ball can be terrified in any direction by players.
• The basket ball can be batted in any direction with one or both hands by basket ball players.
• A player cannot run with holding the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, payment to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop.
• The ball must be detained in or between the hands; players should not use the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
• Players cannot do shouldering, holding, striking, pushing, or tripping to their opponent. The first violation of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him/her until the next basket is made or, if there was palpable intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No replacement shall be allowed.
• A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of rules three and four and such described in rule number five.
• If either side makes three following fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents.
• A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defensive the goal do not touch the goal. If the ball rests on the limits, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.
• When the ball goes out of limits, it shall be thrown into the field of play and played by the first person touching it. In case of argument the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul /unclean on that side.
• The umpire shall be the judge of the player and shall note the fouls and notify the umpire when three successive fouls have been made. He/she shall have power to ban people according to Rule five.
• The umpire shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He/she shall settle on when a goal has been made and keep account of the baskets, with any other duties that are regularly performed by a scorekeeper.
• The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves and team will take five minutes rest between. The side making the most points in that time is declared the winner.

Source : wikipedia

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Ways of Making Your Loved One Feel Special

A lot of us go through all the trouble just to make our loved ones feel special on special occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries. This is pretty common, planning surprises or giving gifts on special days and all. However, have you ever thought of organizing surprises or giving romantic gifts, just because you feel like doing so? It sounds mushy, right? But for someone who's in love, this doesn’t sound sappy at all. And even if you're not a romantic yourself, it doesn't hurt either to be overly-sentimental at times, just because. Romantic gestures can help ignite the spark back to life, or give your relationship with your partner a deeper meaning and connection. So if you feel like being romantic just because, here are some tips that might help you out:

Make personalized cards

Express your love and affection through cards or simple love notes. With busy days at work, it can surely lighten up her mood and ease some of the stress considerably seeing your short notes of affection.

Do the house chores

Sharing of household responsibilities is a good way to go, but it doesn’t hurt to reduce some of her daily load by doing the chores for her. Simply going out to buy the groceries, or even stacking them up in your pantry, is enough to take care some of her responsibilities and lighten her load.

Plan a surprise trip

Whisk her away from work and go on a surprise trip. It doesn’t need to be anywhere that's too far or too fancy. If you can get the trip done in an hour or several hours max, that would be great. It's ideal so as not to interrupt that much with her workload and daily schedule, but perfect enough to bring her to an adventure trip that won't take that much of her time. Have you heard of day river cruises and trips? Check them out – these may be a great romantic bonding trip with your special someone.

Organize a nature trip

Be close with nature and spend quality time with your loved one outdoors by planning a great nature trip or adventure. It can be a simple walk in the park, picnic in your favorite grove, or a hike in the mountains. Bring treats with you and don't forget to prepare and research well about your target destination beforehand.

Give her a bunch of roses

Giving flowers does not need any occasion – you can be sweet and romantic just because you feel like doing so. Give her her favorite flowers freshly cut from your own garden, or brighten up her day with just because roses from www.rosesonly.com.sg.

Many of us fail to see the beauty and importance of most ordinary things, thinking that we always need to go the extra mile just to make our special someone feel deeply loved. However, remember that you don't actually need a perfect moment or spend money on expensive things. Instead of waiting for the perfect timing, aim to make each moment count with your loved one each day. Make sure you give them the attention and pampering they need, just because.

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Do not Ever Think about Divorce: Keep Your Marriage Alive

I am now 26 years old and I am happy to say that I am still never married single guy, but I am writing on this topic with zero experience. In today’s generation in maximum cases people love first without knowing each other and when the time comes to know each other result is “BREAK UP”, it may be before marriage or after marriage. But there are some people present in this generation who save their marriage life with maturity, mutual understanding, faith, love and support. Thus this article is dedicated to those people who are planning to break up, give divorce or already gave divorce but want to meet again. Please read this article carefully and if I am wrong or right anywhere within post kindly give your feedback through your comment. I know it is a very sensitive topic, but without try how can you give up!

Finding out What Went Wrong

• Put your full effort to figure out what went wrong, you cannot move forward if you do not know how to bring back your happiness. So, give a hard look some matters such as: Growing incongruity (which occurs due to Work, family, stress, finance and everything else our modern world throws at you can reason people to disclose their true colors), Lack of communication, External Affair where he/she did confession from the heart, Money, Physical Relationship etc.  
• Figure out the solutions of problems which create from above reasons where you should not put your past mistakes just go for happy solution. Remember one thing nobody means nobody can take a decision on this matter. You and your spouse both only can take a decision on it. If you cannot take decision alone in your life then kindly do not read the whole article and stop here, because you are still an immature kid, I mean to say you are still a mom’s boy. People often say they'll change, but they rarely do. After they're comfortable, they usually revert back to the people they were before. It's not impossible for someone to vary wholesale, but it's improbable.  
• Do an open communication with spouse and let him/her to know that you got the solution to fix your life problem and please do not put your relatives within it. A lot of the time, our impulse is to fight back instead of hear what the person is actually saying. So, in this situation count 1,2,3 then with calm mind go for the solutions.
• In our open communication ask your spouse that whether she/he will be sacrificing along with you in every aspect for a happy relationship, I guarantee you if she/he really loves you then “YES” will be the answer, but ask this one very cool and mature manner with real smile which you had given when you see your spouse first time.   

Join Your Broken Pieces

• Create a safe place for communication because most of the marriage converts to divorce due to lack of communication, remember you should not do anything while you communicate with your spouse no TV, no children just talk, because sometime your spouse wants a pair of ears and a shoulder to lean on.
• Don't use threats like I am going to leave you or I will marry another better one etc. because it will only create disturbance and you cannot save your marriage life and do not dig up the past. Learn how to argue effectively, with humility.
• Trust is a big factor in any kind of relationship; if you have trust on each other then all happiness will come automatically. Trust is gained when expectations are met, and when actions are followed through on. If you say you're going to do something, just do it my friend.
• Celebrate success as well as support each other when failure comes in your life, because you know that life is not always same.
• Respect each other personal independence. Let be live free with big wings and do not worry trust will do other things.
• Just realize your spouse that “It is no one's fault and it was just bad past” and live in present with happiness and full joy.
• Go for travelling, night out, dinner, Movie etc. (Note: Do not take your whole family, sometimes you should live for each other happiness).

 

 Hope I will be a great husband and follow above points if life will show me such type of situation.

“As I believe that all happiness in own hands, so stop thinking about divorce or break up and be mature.”

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Love yourself then everything will be fine

The big lesson of the life “if you want to be in good relationship then you should start loving yourself”. As you know that life just a puzzle and it is very hard to discover yourself by own effort, but I can tell you that it is not impossible. Let me discuss some fundamental points with you, so you can find yourself. I am not saying that it will discover you accurately, but it is better to do something without doing anything.So. Let's start discover yourself.

   

  Who I am?

• First ask this question to yourself and write down character, talents, thoughts in a list that you feel make up the person you are right now. This question directly hit your doubts, value, beliefs etc.
• Take your time to make above list because it is not a simple task and you cannot end it over a cup of tea or coffee. Try to write everything as much as you can about yourself and separate your list as per good and bad things.

Friends Ask about yourself to your close friends who know you very well. But remember that do not take them wrong way just listen them and take their good or bad feedbacks as recommendation which will help you in the analysis.

Weakness and Strengths Carefully describe your weakness and strengths, people who know their weakness and strengths for me they are the winner. As per my personal experience I always try to convert my weakness to strengths. But careful about your weakness because if people love you due to your weakness so I think you should not change yourself.

Be Real and Humble Be real in the sense of honesty. Honesty is really a great trait to have; it lets other people know that you can be relied on and that your word is your bond. Honesty isn't about being dull or rude though––it's about telling things frankly with a view to respecting other people's intelligence, feelings. By accepting that you don’t know everything, you become more likable and able to learn from others.  

Stop Negative Thinking It is a very important point. Just stop telling yourself negative stuffs like: I am fat, I am ugly or I can’t fall in love again etc. Do not complain yourself just keep working hard to modify it. Always try to be the ultimate winner in real ways and be an ideal and inspiration for others and for that you need to be your best friend. Instead of saying negative things yourself do what you love to do, because remember it you deserve it.

Keep Learning You know that nobody is perfect and life always teach us some lesson, so do not disappoint with life because all things happen for good reason, take a lesson or experience  from your past and implement it in your present. Always keep learning and allow yourself to change.

“Don't die before your time and Change yourself for Happiness”

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Can I Fall In Love Again After Break Up from Fake Love?

After long discussion with myself and taking experience from my office mates, college mates, other mates and yes from myself I have decided to write about it. Before reading this article I would like to say my reader that some points in this article are from my personal experience. So, let’s discuss about it through  question and answer. One more thing I will never forget to do: Big Thanks to some very important persons in my life who gave me support when I was in pain.

Heart Break Love: Can I Fall in Love Again after break up?

 Expert: YES, Yes…. You have read correctly it is YES. Because love is a very beautiful thing and it directly connects you with God and as per me if your relationship is giving you pain then it is not a true love. So, do not stop your heart to love again for any person who brakes your heart because you never know who is waiting for you as real love and as you know that life is beautiful, so do not waste your life after  a person who does not give you damn value, just move on and write another chapter in your life, but never forget the experience you have learned from your bad relationship. I know that above thing is a little bit hard but not impossible and I have faith in you that you can move out from your bad relationship. Hope above sentences from mine are giving some positive energy to forget your bad relationship. Let’s move to the next question and get some more positive boost.

Heart Break Love: Can You please tell what are the differences between Fake Love and True Love?

Expert: Very important and real question. Let me explain it through some points, so you will be able to find the difference.

• Best Example of true love is which your mother does with  you without any demand, any condition and who has been trying to fill up your all demands since your childhood.
• Fake love always demands (like : iPhone, laptop, money etc.) and always try to make you as per his/her requirements. As you can say Fake love is just a business where you have to pay for getting something, but in True love no demands, no condition and no business only happiness stay and lovers give and take by their own wishes.
• When a person is in depression due to his or her recent breakup and propose you never believe in that and never say YES that you love him/her, Because as per my personal experience it will be big fake love and depression will transfer to you.
• True Love is always open and honest but Fake love does not know about it.
• True Love is romantic familiarity and lovemaking. Fake love is just sex.
• True Love tries to resolve the argument. Fake love tries to prove it is right.
• True Love gives you the freedom. Fake love is controlling.
• True Love listens. Fake love only talks.
• True Love forgives. Fake love seeks vengeance.

Hope above points gave you some idea about real love.

Heart Break Love: How can I forget my fake love or pain love?

 
  Expert: Big question and the answers are very easy. Just follow below steps and you will be the winner.

• Delete all communication resources such as: Facebook, phone number, messages. E-mail id etc.
• Stop listen to sad, heartbreak songs.
• Remove all objects that remind you of him/her.
• Refrain from talking about your ex-love all the time. Also stop people who are discussing about him/her in front of you, if that person is not listing you just throw him/her from your life because they are not your true friends, true friends never discuss about it and they always try to divert your mind to another thing.
• Do not think about your ex like he/she will come back,  what he or she is doing now  etc. and whenever you alone and memory knocks you again about him/her just divert your mind in rocking music or comedy shows in tv or anything else which gives you happiness.
• Always talk to a friend when you feel sad.
• Give a big cry which should be the final one after that no cry.
• Keep the faith on you that you will get your real soul mate soon.
• Always try to recall yourself that she/he does not exist and she/he will never come into your life and say thanks to God for all these things.
• Try to change your daily routine like: join a gym, dance classes etc. to out your inside frustration.
• Try to stay away from your crush if you both work in the same office.

Heart Break Love: Anything else you want to say about Love?

Expert: Yes, Do not stop your heart to love again due to fake love, you will get your true love one day but you will have to keep trying. "Remember that never give same pain to others because people who feel the real pain do not give same pain to others." Now I am enjoying my life more than previous and trying to find my real one. So, above article will change your life, so best of luck.

"Waiting for your valuable comments and Do not stop to say I LOVE YOU"

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