text:
See the apps created with Project Hawaii.
Spring 2010
- MobiProg—Transparently Partition Applications Between Phone and Cloud. Optimizes Energy & Delay
- Profiler—Captures Resource Usage in Runtime. Predicts Future Usage to Decide How to Partition.
- Translation App—Capture Audio; Recognize Speech; Translate Text; Text-to-Speech; Play Audio.
Nilesh Mishra, Luis D. Pedrosa
University of Southern California
Snakes & Dragons
- Snake Video Game Variant—Points Earned by Eating Items. When Snake Eats Items: Snake Grows; Snake Moves Faster; Dragon Appears. Game Over When Hitting Wall or Dragon.
- On the Phone—Game Dynamics
- In the Cloud—Dragon Positioning Min-Max AI Engine
Joongheon Kim
University of Southern California
Activity Classification
- Activity Classification—Accelerometer Based. Discover Individual Daily Life Patterns. Share Datasets Within the Cloud. SVM (Support Vector Machine) AI Engine.
- On the Phone—Collect Acceleration Data & Timestamps. Framing & Feature Extraction.
- In the Cloud—Data Classification. Offline Processing / Model Training
Bin Liu
University of Southern California
Parking Assistant
- Crowd-Sourced Parking—Driven by Social Networking. Users Rank Lots: Parking Availability, Cost, Convenience, System Finds Available Spots Close to User.
- On the Phone—Location Tracking. User Interface
- In the Cloud—System State. Space Ranking Algorithm
Gaurav Sanghavi, Nirmit Desai
University of Southern California
- Social Networking Mobile App—Find Friends in Real-time. Make Friends with People Around You. Let Others Know What You Are Doing.
- On the Phone—Location Tracking. User Interface
- In the Cloud—Data Storage & Management
Anupama Mann, Sagar Kapare
University of Southern California
Social Connection
Phone dynamically creates your "business card" containing information about you selected appropriately for the surrounding context.
Bao, McDowell, Torski
Duke University
Adventure Game
- Platform for Adventure Games—Treasure Hunt; Hiking; Paintball
- On the Phone—Location & Map Service. User Management: Roles & Groups. AI Tools
- In the Cloud—Game Specific Message Routing. Access Control Enforcement. Score Keeping
Weiwei Chen, Shuo Zhao
University of Southern California
Bomb On Your Lawn
- Location-based Multiplayer Mobile Game—Bomber Places Bomb at Geo-location; Other Players Must Find It in Time
- On the Phone—GPS Data Acquisition. User Interface. User Management.
- In the Cloud—Game State. Score Keeping.
Kai Song, Chengjie Zhang
University of Southern California
Image Stitching
- Automatic Image Stitching—Bomber Places Bomb at Geo-location; Other Players Must Find It in Time
- Multi-step Process—SIFT, Feature Extraction, Feature Matching, Homography Estimation, Camera Pose Estimation, Image Warping.
Each Step Can Run on Phone or in Cloud. Three Strategies: Cloud-only Local-only Static-partitioning In the Cloud:
Moo-Ryong Ra
University of Southern California
Smart Bike Pedometer
- Smart Bike Pedometer—GPS & Accelerometer Based, Real-time Information: Burned Calories; Elapsed Time; Distance; Speed
- On the Phone—Data Acquisition, User Interface.
- In the Cloud—Record Keeping, Route Sharing, Road Information Datasets, Route Condition Inference Engine.
Bo-Chun Wang
University of Southern California
Find a date local to you who matches your profile and interests.
Andryieuski, Olien, Tanumihardjo
Project Eyes
Assist people with speaking disabilities by enabling them to navigate a menu of words on a phone to construct sentences.
Jenkins, Liu, Suski
Leave virtual sticky notes in different locations and interact with others seeking similar information at a given location.
Ilikhan, Liao, Meyer
Location-based RSS Feeds
Leave virtual sticky notes in different locations and interact with others seeking similar information at a given location.
Yin, Li, Kebyl, Fleming
Duke University
Ambience Aware Ringtones
Ringtone is modified on the fly to contrast with ambient noise in the current location.
Lin, Gonzales
Duke University
More Student Projects
- Spring 2012
- Fall 2011
- Spring 2011
- Fall 2010
- Spring 2010


text: By Shari FriedelTribune Staff With the best team score so far this year, Perkins County golfers finished in third place at the Hershey invitational Tuesday, Sept. 27. "The younger girls really stepped up their game and played some of their best golf," said Coach Troy Kemling. Three players, Carra Johnson, Shania Stickley and Capri Meyer had personal bests, and Hailey Sletten was two strokes from her lowest score. "The challenge for the girls today was to approach every shot as if it was going to be their best shot of the day," said Kemling. "This positive approach helped several girls to put up their lowest numbers." Senior Janet Kuskie was feeling under the weather, and this made her mental game much more difficult. She was unable to achieve a spot in the top 10.Hershey InviteTeam Placings1. Ogallala 3752. Hershey 4543. Perkins County 4684. North Platte JV 4695. Dundy County 4736. Creek Valley 532Individual Placings:1. J. Dealey, Og 902. T. Kapp, Og 913. B. Shillington, DC 934. E. Kay, Og 975. H. Teter, SW 976. L. Schlichtemeier, Og 977. E. Green, NPJV 1018. K. Berg, Og 1039. S. Lightfritz, GC 10410. J. Egle, Mul 106Perkins County ScoresJ. Kuskie 107 (51-56)C. Johnson 112 (55-57)S. Stickley 120 (58-62)C. Meyer 129 (63-66)H. Sletten 134 (66-68)R. Carrig, JV 77 (9 holes)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Definition: 'Para-actinomycosis'
para-actinomycosisType: Term
Pronunciation: par′ă-ak′ti-nō-mī-kō′sis
1. Chronic infection, usually pulmonary, resembling actinomycosis; ordinarily caused by nocardiosis.
Synonyms: pseudoactinomycosis
The definition information for para-actinomycosis is provided by Stedman's. You can search our medical dictionary here.
Stedman's, part of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, provides a comprehensive line of health-science publications for healthcare professionals and medical students.
Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.


text:
Beret is a 2D puzzle-platformer game about a scientist, astonishingly named Beret, who has gained telekinetic abilities through his research at the Evil Corporation. He decides that the Evil Corporation is a tad too evil for his liking, and begins his solitary quest to overthrow the corporation and punish the evil deeds of his employers.
Very good and unique gameplay but you have to accept the old-fashioned graphics ;-)
Yes, the graphics look a bit old-fashioned.
But don't let the poor graphics distract you. If you can overlook that, you get rewarded with a game which you will certainly enjoy if you enjoy puzzle platformers or puzzles in general. The "puzzle" aspect is clearly more emphasized than the "platformer" aspect here. The difficulty of the puzzles will rise gradually and at the end they become really tough! But the good thing is you don't have to finish all puzzles to finish the game. The "telekinesis" concept is something unique and central to the game and pretty well thought out, so this game really stands out.
I managed to finish the game but I did not collect every medal (or how were they called?) yet.


text:
ProformaTECH 2014—the premier technology conference for senior corporate finance executives —will be held at the Venetian Las Vegas on February 13, 2014. A "noise-free" practitioner-driven event, ProformaTECH offers a core focus of educating CFOs and other finance leaders on how technology is fundamentally and strategically changing operations in corporate finance.
ProformaTECH 2014 will feature 20 educational sessions in four conference tracks: Operational Advantage; Managing Change; Financial Technology Landscape; and Change Anticipation and Readiness. ProformaTECH 2014 will host interactive presentations led by CFOs, industry leaders, and subject matter experts from organizations such as APQC, KPMG, Financial Executives Consulting Group, Proto Labs, and Papa Murphy's, as well as non-profits and government entities.
John J. Stephens, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, will deliver the event's keynote address.
For more information and to register, please see the ProformaTECH website: http://www.proformative.com/technology-conference


text:
V2 Power On Puzzling Dilemma
Started Oct 24, 2012 | Discussions thread
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ThomasH_always • Regular Member • Posts: 296
V2 Power On Puzzling Dilemma
The V2 has now apparently a mechanical on/off switch, what I rather like in the 1st place, but I am puzzled now, how will it work in conjunction with the lens L-setting? Can I just twist the lens and expect the camera to operate?
Or will the poor former V1 user twist the lens, think he/she is ready, try to compose but the display is dead, our user will say 'oops, I need to twist the 2nd switch as well' !!
Twist switch, re-compose... Duh, the motive is gone. Ah well than, next time maybe in another life.
ThomasH_always's gear list:ThomasH_always's gear list
Canon EOS 6D Leica V-Lux 3 Nikon D7200
Nikon 1 V1 Nikon 1 V2
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text:
This topic is archived and can not be replied to any more.
|After AA Who Is The Largest Carrier In SJU posted Fri Jan 27 2006 02:25:12 by Jdwfloyd
|Who Is The Largest Airbus Operator In The World? posted Sun Dec 9 2001 03:42:28 by Timbo
|Spirit Is The Largest International Carrier At FLL posted Tue Jun 13 2006 00:10:45 by Belizexp
|Who Is The USA's Flag Carrier? posted Mon Jan 9 2006 05:38:46 by Wdleiser
|Who Is The Largest Operators Of 767's Long Haul? posted Mon Dec 13 2004 02:00:24 by Ktachiya
|Who Is The Most Profitable North American Carrier? posted Tue Aug 16 2005 10:00:46 by DFORCE1
|Who Is The 3rd. Largest Aircraft Manufacturer? posted Mon May 9 2005 00:56:01 by Juventus
|Is Qantas The Largest Foreign Carrier Into SIN? posted Mon Jan 3 2005 06:17:02 by Qantasclub
|Who Is The Customer Of Airbus A-318? posted Sat Feb 14 2004 20:20:37 by AerOflyeR
|Tech Delay, Who Is Responsable For PAX posted Sun Sep 10 2006 05:38:30 by GoBlue


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Thais prefer motorcycle racing? I think not
There is a single Thai rider in MotoGP but it doesn't get anywhere near the coverage of F1. And while there may be no current Thai F1 driver, neither is there a Malaysian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Belgian, Hungarian, American, Bahraini or Abu Dhabian driver but all these places have GPs (some with crowds exceeding 5000).
There has been a Thai driver - Prince Bira - and there is an FIA standard circuit in Thailand (the Bira circuit, near Pattaya). No need to build a circuit on a swamp near Suvarnabhumi airport or one at Dom Muang where access is poor.
Money is certainly not short in Bangkok.
Nigs has the situation spot on. The 'government' will ensure they are rewarded first and last..


text:
Specializing in the Repair of Pebble Surface Pools Including Pebble Tec®* and Stonescapes™ Surfaced Pools
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|Long crack in the pebble surface at the edge of this pool.
|Color of pebble and texture perfectly matched.
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Answer: Usually water needs to be drained only a little lower than the area requiring repair. It is rare that an entire pool needs to be drained.
Question: Will the repair exactly match?
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text:
Seattle Coffee Gear: Espresso Machine Parts
Seattle Coffee Gear offers a wide array of parts for both home customers and service centers. In general, we offer only external parts to home customers, but we have developed a series of Tune-Up Kits to assist with the regular care and maintenace of machines made by Ascaso, Rancilio and Saeco.
Additionally, we are the primary parts importer and distributor for Saeco equipment in the United States. To find the part you need and request it for your service center, please visit our Parts Request Form. You can also use this form to request parts from other manufacturers such as Rancilio or Rocket Espresso and our Parts team will let you know if we are able to source it for you.
La Spaziale - Four-Hole Microfoam Steam Tip (.9mm)This La Spaziale Four-Hole Microfoam Steam Tip features a similar four-hole pattern that's found on the Vivaldi II S1's steam tip, but with a smaller diameter of .9mm instead of the standard 1.3mm. These smaller holes make it easier to produce excellent microfoam. Learn More$14.95
Quick Mill Four-Hole Microfoam Steam Tip (9mm) for Andreja PremiumIf you own an older version of the Quick Mill Andreja Premium, you may be working with a two-hole steam tip. Why not upgrade that two-hole steam tip to a better-than-ever Four-Hole Microfoam Steam Tip without losing the no-burn qualities of your steam arm! Standard on all new versions of the Quick Mill Andreja Premium, this new tip has four .9mm holes instead of just two, making it easier to produce silky microfoam. Not sure which tip you have? The above product photo provides a comparison between the new tip (on the left) and the older version (on the right). Learn More$15.95
La Spaziale - Quick Mill No Burn Steam ArmKeep your fingerprints intact and your wrists protected! This No Burn Steam Wand upgrade for the La Spaziale Vivaldi II S1 and the Mini Vivaldi II espresso machines is internally insulated so you won't feel the pain if you accidentally bump the wand while steaming milk. No Burn Steam Wand pictured above includes a 4 hole tip. Learn More$45.95
Saeco Panarello Assembly - BlackNot just a one-trick pony: This Saeco Panarello Assembly for Gaggia Espresso machines also fits the Saeco Aroma and Via Venezia, Saeco Royal Professional, Saeco Royal Coffee Bar, Saeco Vienna and Vienna Deluxe, Saeco Spidem Villa and Saeco Magic machine models. This is slightly shorter than the Saeco Vienna panarello assembly. Learn More$24.95
Saeco Incanto Panarello Sleeve - Stainless SteelThe Saeco Incanto Panarello Sleeve is a stainless steel, chrome-plated outer sleeve for panarello wands. Learn More$29.95
Rancilio Silvia V3 Single-Hole Steam TipRancilio's Silvia Version 3 was released in early 2009 with a standard three-hole steam tip. However, the company found that in the U.S. market the electricity differences (110V versus 220V) resulted in sub-par frothing performance. Since the first generation of machines, Rancilio has switched back to a single-hole steam tip, but if you have one of these first iterations and wish your frothing was a bit better, you might want to upgrade to this single-hole steam tip. Learn More
Saeco Panarello Assembly - Stainless SteelHow can something so simple looking pack such a punch? Shiny stainless steel, this Panarello replacement wand makes finer microfoam thanks to its tiny pinhole opening, which limits the amount of air incorporated into your milk. Learn More
Regular Price: $66.69
Seattle Coffee Gear Steam Wand Upgrade Kit for Rancilio SilviaDo you have a special relationship with your Silvia? Give her only the best. Upgrade the steam wand on your version 1 or version 2 Rancilio Silvia espresso machine with the commercial grade steaming arm from the latest Silvia model version 3. This new arm is heavier duty and swivels much more than the original arm. Learn More$79.95
Seattle Coffee Gear Panarello Replacement Kit for Saeco TaleaLove lattes alot? Have you used your Saeco Talea panarello to the point that you no longer get quality microfoam in your frothing pitcher? Seattle Coffee Gear has combined three essential Saeco parts into a pre-assembled panarello for your frothing pleasure. The stainless steel wand can also be used as an upgrade for all Saeco Odea espresso machine models as well. Learn More$29.95
Steam Wand Replacement for Rancilio Silvia Version OneRockin' it old school with your trusty original Rancilio Silvia Version One steam wand? We have a replacement part ready for you! Just know that the upgraded Version 3 steam wand is heavier duty and swivels much more than the original Version One arm, but...Hey, nothing wrong with keeping it real...Version One all the way! Learn More$26.79


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I posted on my "introduction post" that I love beachcruisers, and have already built one, besides my first built bike (a lowrider). Some of the members then asked me to post pictures of these bikes, so here they go.
I only have a final shot of the lowrider (begginers mistake):
I built this lowrider from a tandem a friend of mine gave me. It was almost destroyed after his parents had an accident with it. It has some structural errors as to what a tipical lowrider is concerned, but since it was the first bike I made, I love it. It rides very smoothly and it is really confortable.
The second bike I built was this beachcruiser. I made it from scratch and did everything except bending the tubes. Here goes the sequency (aproximately 3 months of work):
I have three other bikes, but my favorite is a 1947 raleigh dawn tourist.
Soon I'll start working on a streched cruiser, when I can find another coaster brake. I also have a 1970's chopper, whith 3 speed Strurmey-Archer rear hub, with a really cool clutch like speed selector that deserves to be chopped and droped!
Lots of ideas, but no time!


text: Girl, 3, dies after being struck by van 15 Mar 2014 A three-year-old girl has died after being struck by a van in Portlaoise, Co Laois. Share Share Share Story by UTV Staff, Belfast It happened at St Brigids Place in the town at 12.20pm on Saturday.The child was taken to Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise where she was pronounced dead.A spokesperson from An Garda Síochána said: "The scene has been preserved. A forensic collision investigation will be carried out at the scene."CHAR(13) + CHAR(10) © UTV Share Share Share


text:
Antique Sterling Silver Lemon Fork- Gorham 824H ED1308
You are bidding on the following lot: Antique Sterling Silver Lemon Fork- Gorham 824H ED1308.
"Bid and invest with confidence when you purchase from Seized Assets Auctioneers."
Lot 125A View Catalog
"Antique Sterling Silver Lemon Fork- Gorham 824H ED1308. Great Condition! YH15DC. A wonderful addition to any table, this antique Gorham lemon fork has three trident shaped tines, measures 4-1/2 inches long and weighs 14.9 grams. Nice quilted pattern. Great condition, marks pictured. No repairs, no monogram. Valued between $150.00-$175.00. Thank you for viewing this lot! We are always adding new inventory and new auctions, so please check back often. We appreciate your business and support. Enjoy the auction! SAA - Seized Assets Auctioneers."
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text:
Deipnophobia is the fear of dinner party conversations.
There are a number of reasons why a sidekick could end up on the cutting room floor instead of helping to save the day.
Astronauts describe the smells that cling to their equipment after spacewalks.
For music videos, just standing in front of a camera and pretending to play your hit single doesn't cut it anymore.
There are two types of big questions. There's the really big kind, the ones Plato was always fretting over: What is knowledge? What is experience? What is existence? And so on.
From 'Harry Potter's Library' to 'South Park and Contemporary Social Issues.'
Pachycephalosaurus' domed, heavily-built head looks like it was capable inflicting some serious damage.
Make some room in there.
With the news filled with sensationalized stories of the current Ebola outbreak, it's important to remember that we've been here before, and that people survive.


text:
(0) items
Edition: 7th
Author(s): Trent, Judith S.; Friedenberg, Robert V.; Denton, Robert E., Jr.
ISBN: 9781442206724 / Paperback / 8/11/2011
Marketplace Disclaimer:
Edition, Cover Design, etc may vary from the eCampus.com description. Please refer to the seller's comments before ordering. Marketplace sellers are required to ship by the end of the 5th business day. Items are not returnable to eCampus.com. Orders cannot be cancelled by eCampus.com.


text:
Series 5 Disappointments
What were your biggest disappointments with Series 5, if any?
What were your biggest disappointments with Series 5, if any?
What was your favourite Series 5 story? Results.
Video: Our ten favourite moments from Series Five!
Vote now for your favourite Series 5 story!
What did you think of The Big Bang?
The end is nigh…
Teraleptil, Slitheen, Cheloneon, Nestene, Dravins, Haemogoff, Zygon, Atraxi, Draconian…Where were they?
*Spoilers for The Big Bang* How does the Pandorica end up in a museum?
*Potential Spoilers for The Big Bang* Has the future Doctor speculation been right all along?
Watch the first clip from The Big Bang!
Video: Matt Smith teases the Series 5 finale (spoiler-lite).
Some spoilers (and a bit of speculation) for the Series Five finale, The Big Bang.
What did you think of The Pandorica Opens?
The Pandorica Opens round-up and results of last weeks poll, with your verdict on The Lodger.
In preparation of the finale, a look back over Series 5's "Silence Will Fall" story arc.


text:
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text:
Russell speech recording emailed across Glasgow
Ramsay's covert recording is 'possible breach of Data Protection Act'
Former Stow College chair Kirk Ramsay shared his recording of a meeting of college officials with education secretary Michael Russell with fellow chairs across Glasgow, TESS has learned.
Mr Ramsay is understood to have emailed a transcript or an audio file of the recording to a number of other Glasgow college chairs, suggesting they could share it with their board members - potentially making it accessible to as many as 100 people.
Mr Ramsay resigned last week after what he described as an "unwarranted personal attack" on him by Michael Russell over his recording of the education secretary's speech to chairs and college principals without seeking prior consent. Mr Ramsay originally said he had made the recording "for my own use and for others who could not attend the meeting".
It has also emerged that Mr Ramsay's actions could be in breach of the Data Protection Act, as he attended the meeting in his capacity as leader of the college, not as a private individual.
While it would be "almost impossible" to prosecute such a case, Mr Ramsay's recording was "covert surveillance that has not been justified in any way", William Webster, director of the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy at the University of Stirling, told TESS.
If this had not been an apparent one-off, but had happened regularly, Mr Ramsay's actions would constitute "blanket surveillance on anyone in attendance, not just the minister", Professor Webster said.
"It sounds like there is no regard for the 'data subject' and that the covert surveillance was targeted as well as indiscriminate and purposeful.
"If he was doing it regularly, then it is part of his working practice, and the college's working practice, and as such it should be registered with the Information Commissioner's Office as a data process," he added.
In an appearance on the BBC's Newsnight Scotland programme last week, Mr Ramsay said that because he suffers from tinnitus, he sometimes struggled to hear what was being said in big auditoriums, and using his smartpen to record proceedings had been a big help. "In big meetings and big speeches, I would do that," he said.
Whether it was a recording or a transcript that was distributed makes no difference from a data protection perspective, Professor Webster said. "If anything, the transcript shows that the surveillance was premeditated and organised."
However, Professor Webster said the Data Protection Act was "sometimes difficult to enforce", especially in the case of covert surveillance of individuals.
Minister's apology
Michael Russell has apologised to the Scottish Parliament for using incorrect figures on college funding. His apology came only days after first minister Alex Salmond also tendered a public apology in the chamber for using the same statistics.
Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Liam McArthur said Mr Russell now had to demonstrate his willingness to respond positively to the concerns raised by the college sector.
"As well as looking again at his funding cuts, Mr Russell should reconsider the pace at which he is requiring colleges to merge, cut staff and remove courses. If not, today's apology will strike many as hollow."
Labour education spokesman Hugh Henry called on parliament to ensure Mr Russell would not be given powers to hire and fire college chairs and board members.
Mr Russell came under fire last week after allegations that he had put pressure on the chair of Stow College to resign. Opposition MSPs serving on the education committee have called for an enquiry into the issue.


text:
UK Law
Get UK Law Questions Answered by Verified Experts
Do you remember the name of the court that issued the original decree? Was it Pembrokeshire Family Court? If you can remember the name of the court then all divorce records are public records and you can simply contact the court itself to get this record for you. In the alternative, there are on-line search service companies that specialize in getting original/certified copies of birth, death, marriage and divorce records from all over the world. Here is a company that searches USA and UK divorce records (scroll down -- about halfway down the page you can initiate a UK search).
I hope this helps.
Please press the GREEN ACCEPT BUTTON so I will be paid for my time.
Address for the Haverfordwest County Court is:
PenffynnonHawthorn RiseHaverfordwest DyfedWales SA61 2AX
Phone number: +44 (0)1437 772060
Give them a call ensuring you have the details of both parties and when the decree absolute was made and they will be able to assist.
Hope that helps but feel free to ask any follow questions that occur.
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.
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text:
Please join University of Chicago alumni, parents, and friends for a discussion with President Robert J. Zimmer about the ideas, people, and discoveries that shape the University and inform its impact on the global community.
The Barnes FoundationLower Level Lobby2025 Benjamin Franklin ParkwayPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
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text:
Is Schumacher past it?
That's the question up for discussion in this week's "Thursday Thought".
In case you're a stranger to Thursday Thoughts I'd better take a moment to explain the principle before I write my answer. Last winter, in the long, cold off-season, someone in the comments at Sidepodcast suggested that it might be fun to pose a question and for individual bloggers to answer that question back on their own blogs. Like all good ideas it quickly took off and many were waiting, keyboards at the ready, to answer the questions posed by the community. Whilst the dreaded off-season isn't quite here yet we thought a little reminder might be in order before we get back into the swing of the regular Thursday question. Think of it as a little taster of what's to come. So, without further ado, onto this weeks' question "Is Schumacher past it?"
Not everyone likes Michael; he's a bit like Marmite, you either love him or hate him and I'm afraid I fall into the former category. It wasn't always so, when I first became engrossed in Formula One in the late 90's I absolutely loathed the guy, but gradually, over the years he won me over with his skill, stunning pace and yes, even his evil genius side too! Like many, I was sad when the rainmeister decided to retire but with seven championships to his credit he had nothing left to prove, his place in the history books cemented. So imagine my joy when it was announced that he would fill in for the injured Massa… only for that to be dashed at the last moment because of a neck injury. I pondered what might have been and whether it was right for him to return. If he did and he didn't do well would we only remember the poor performances and forget his outstanding legacy?
"If you take the telemetry data in fast corners or his reaction time when the car breaks away, I don't see any difference. There he's still the old Michael,"
Ross Brawn
With his thirst for competition re-ignited it didn't come as too much a surprise to find that he'd accepted an offer to drive at Mercedes GP for the 2010 season, teaming up once more under the guidance of strategy guru Ross Brawn… and who wouldn't have jumped at the chance? Fresh from winning the 2009 WDC and WCC titles, Brawn had been a guiding hand in all Schumacher's titles and the car can't have been too shabby either could it?
I have to admit that I have been disappointed by his season stats so far, with 17 races gone he has finished ahead of Nico Rosberg on only 5 occasions, and, he's fared even worse in qualifying with Rosberg leading 14:3. There have been flashes of the old Michael and in particular, he has put in reasonably strong performances in the last couple of races where Rosberg has failed to finish. He still has the passion for racing, even though that passion hasn't (thus far) translated into results. You only have to think about his overtaking move on Alonso as the safety car pulled over in Monaco, or his fight with Barrichello for that final point at the Hungaroring (an awful manoeuvre and rightly penalised by a 10 place grid drop) to see that he's still as sharp as ever and ready to pounce on any weakness. Michael is a true racer, just like Lewis and Alonso, a man who's will and determination has not been beaten by poor performance and who isn't ready to sneak quietly into retirement again in another two races. Michael will return again next year I'm sure.
Formula One has changed in the intervening years, where once there was practically unlimited testing there are now severe restrictions on where and when the testing is done. Michael was used to honing his skills with many thousands of km of testing, improving the setup and producing a car that suited his driving style. I'm left feeling that this year's car has not really been to his liking and in the great scheme of things it's certainly not the fastest, being towards the front of the mid-field and fighting for the odd point or two with Williams and Renault.
It's often said that a great driver has out-driven his car, putting it in points scoring positions much higher than it deserves to be. True, based on this season's performance I have to admit he certainly hasn't shone but it doesn't follow that a bad season means you are past it! Heck, Jenson Button is certainly proof of that.
Is the car really that great? We've seen before that Brawn is confident enough to abandon a season's development and come back with a super strong contender the following year (just like he did at Honda, later Brawn GP). The car that Mercedes produces next year will be of an entirely different design, gone will be the double diffusers and KERS will make a comeback, the new tyre supplier will also help to level the field as the new technical regulations kick in. Brawn's designs always employ a bit of lateral thinking and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he and his team come up with an idea that sets them apart from the rest. That, coupled with the changes that Schumacher has undoubtedly suggested will bring the car more towards his liking and we'll really see what he can achieve. In the meantime I'd have to suggest that although we've not got the old Michael back he's certainly far away from being "past it".
This Thursday Thought was posed by Turkey Machine on Twitter.


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אנחנו בפייסבוק
Seve people suffer from shock following attack; 'our lives mean nothing to government officials', resident says
Shmulik Hadad
Published: 07.19.07, 14:15 / Israel News
Shmulik Hadad
A Qassam rocket fired from the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday hit a home in the city of Sderot.
"Four months ago we were visited by officials from the municipality and the Defense Ministry who asked us where we wanted the new shelters to be located. But now it turns out there is no budget to build these shelters. To them, the lives of other people are worth nothing," he said.
Moran Rada contributed to the report


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Broadband is just not simply high-speed Internet access -- it is an investment in the communications infrastructure. An infrastructure that connects every citizen, company and government agency -- changes the communications landscape. This transformation can foster an open government, enable educational innovation, lower healthcare costs and provide for a public safety broadband network.
Understanding the implications of not having a broadband policy -- Congress directed the FCC to design a National Broadband Plan. On March 15 2010, Chairman Julius Genachowski and the FCC delivered the overdue 377 page National Broadband Plan to Congress.
India had been watching the progress closely and now would like to design their own national broadband plan. Genachowski and TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) Chairman JS Sarma recently spoke at the FICCI Conference. The two discussed a broadband road map for India.
We can share the ideas on priorities and cost effective methods with India.
India has a population of 1.2 billion of which 81 million use the Internet but only 5.3 million have broadband access. Dial-up appears to be the main access to the Internet. According to BuddeComm an estimated 60% of Internet users access the World Wide Web from the more than 10, 000 cybercafes. Unfortunately, India ranks 124th in the world (out of the 152 countries listed) for broadband speeds -- downstream of 1.30 Mbp/s upstream of 0.68 Mbp/s.
We have initiated talks through the ICT joint working group last week in New Delhi. We have fixed a time-bound schedule to discuss things. The two sides will soon identify points of contacts for one-to-one interactions.
US Ambassador Philip L. Verveer
Chairman Sarma has his work cut out for him. Bringing broadband to 1.2 billion people will be not an easy task but I am certain he knows that. Sarma is taking on this massive project because he understands that broadband is not a luxury but an essential infrastructure which is critical to India's competitive advantage.


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From: bb on: Sun May 21, 2006 11:51 pm
Song of the Day: Three Songs By Chitra.
- Saravanan writes:
If she is imploring plaintively 'kaahE sathaayE aajaa' in one of the numerous Hindi FM stations, she is full of sensual remembrances of last night in 'raat ka nasha abhi' in another. The soothing 'mayangi pOyi nyaan mayangi pOyi' which fetched her the Kerala State Award last year is till topping the charts in the countdown in a Malayalam channel, while even two years after the album's release, rarely does a day pass without the stirring 'ovvoru pookkaLumE' being requested for and aired in Shakti FM. Like most people who have a long drive to work, I try to beat the monotony by alternating between the various local radio stations. But on a typical morning I get to listen to the same voice, whichever channel I tune in to, whichever language it may be in. Hard luck on a guy who's trying to beat monotony, you may think. But far from feeling bored, I listen with renewed amazement at the hitherto unscaled heights of glory that the unassuming Chithra has touched, and the nonchalant ease with which she seems to have bridged the seemingly insurmountable North-South divide, even while establishing herself firmly in the hearts of music lovers in all the four Southern states.
For K.S. Chithra, life has been learning to expect the unexpected, and every turn has been full of delicious surprises. If things had gone according to her father's initial plans, Chithra would have remained a music teacher in an obscure Tiruvananthapuram school. Krishnan Nair always pinned higher hopes on his elder daughter Beena, whom he thought had a bright future as a vocalist. Krishnan Nair was himself a vocalist of repute who performed regularly for AIR-Tiruvananthapuram, and his wife Shantakumari was a veeNai player and music teacher. Beena was gifted with a wondrous voice, and Krishnan Nair ensured that Beena was trained extensively from an early age. But it was little Chithra, born on July 27, 1963 in Tiruvananthapuram, who turned out to be a bundle of surprises, and who would make her father's dreams come true. As a tiny tot, she is said to have nodded her head happily and sang along with a childish lisp when P.Suseela's 'priyathama priyathama' was being aired on the radio. Perhaps her destiny was chalked at that moment…
Playing with her dolls when Beena was being taught music, Chithra could recollect and sing whatever she had heard. She even sang a few lines for a music feature in an AIR broadcast when she was barely 5 years old. In a recent interview, Chithra remembered how academics never interested her, and even while walking to and fro on the terrace with a book in her hand and an exam on the morrow, her attention would be riveted on the snatches of the songs that could be heard from a neighborhood temple. Krishnan Nair couldn't but notice where his younger daughter's interests were, and applied for the National Talent Search Scholarship on her behalf. Though the rules stipulated that the aspiring students ought to have learned music for two years, the 13-year old Chithra breezed through the rigorous interview, singing an intricate piece in thOdi raagam that secured her a 7- year scholarship to learn music. Later, Chitra completed her B.A. in music, passing out with a university rank.
Chithra was learning music under Prof. Omanakkutty, when Omanakutty's brother composer M.G.Radhakrishnan was on the lookout for a fresh voice. The perspicacious Omanakutty pointed to Chithra, and thus Chithra entered the film world, singing a song of riddles for the movie 'attahaasam'. "I never thought that I would become a full-fledged playback singer even then!" reminisces Chithra now, wondering anew at the unpredictable twists and turns that make up life. "During my school vacation, after my SSC exams, I sang a duet with Yesudas which was released before my first song. I was literally trembling with fear that day. Till then I had only seen and admired him from far. And now I was standing next to him, in the same room, singing a duet with him! Later I sang in several shows of Yesudas all over India as part of his troupe and also for his Tarangini cassettes." Music Directors who chanced to listen to Chithra when they came to the Tarangini Studios in Tiruvananthapuram were impressed with her, and film offers started pouring in gradually as Chithra became the favourite singer of upcoming MDs like Raveendran and Jerry Amaldev.
Raveendran was constantly urging Chithra to relocate to Madras, so that she could widen her horizons. But Chithra was reluctant to leave all that she was familiar with and come to Madras where she hardly knew anyone. She did make a trip to Madras though, to sing a song written by P.B.Srinivas and composed by S.P.Venkatesh for a Hindi film called Khushi Aur Khushi that was never released. It was at this juncture that director Fazil was planning a Tamil remake of his Malayalam super hit Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu, and wanting IR to score the music, arranged for IR to see the movie. Intrigued by the female voice that brought the same luster as KJY did to the haunting 'aayiram kaNNumaai' of Amaldev, IR sent for her. This was one summons that Chithra couldn't resist, and the rest, as they say, is history. Chithra sang 'poojaikkEttha poovidhu' with GA and the solo 'kaNNaana kaNNa unna enna solli thaalatta' under IR's baton for nee thaana andha kuyil, and there was no looking back….
* * * *
Tuning in late to thamizh sEvai iraNdu one morning in mid 1985, I wondered for a second (just for a second!!) if Jency had come back to sing, as I listened to the last lines of the JC/Chithra duet 'dhEham siRagadikkum' (naanE raja naanE manthiri). But the second time I listened to the song a few days later, I realized that I had not heard the voice before; and a couple of pronunciation errors notwithstanding, found myself liking the new voice. Several albums wherein Chithra sang for IR were released in the latter half of the same year: 'anbE anbE neeyE enthan…aadharam' (urimai), 'andha nilaava thaan' (mudhal mariyadhai), the entire geethanjali album (that had gems like 'malarE pEsu mouna mozhi', 'thuLLi ezhunthathu paattu' and 'oru jeevan azhaithathu'), 'oorOrama aathuppakkam' (idhaya kOyil)…and presently, with poovE poochooda vaa, thamizh sEvai iraNdu started calling her 'chinna kuyil Chithra'. Chithra had come to tfm to stay. And this remarkable achiever rounded off her very first year in tfm with a National Award winning performance in sindhu bhairavi. 'paadaRiyEn padippaRiyEn' merging seamlessly into marimarininnE had Chithra doing her mentor proud. Even in a recent interview she says humbly, "I owe a lot to Raja sir. He is the main reason for whatever I have achieved so far, and I will be forever grateful to him".
In the very next year, many and varied were the treasures that IR presented to Chithra, and Chithra made sure that she adorned each one with grace and élan. 'un paarvaiyil Oraayiram', 'dEvanin kOyil moodiya nEram', 'kuzhaloodhum kaNNanukku', 'kaatRodu kuzhalin naadhamE', 'indha veNNila ingu vandhadhu', 'nooRaaNdu kaalangaL nee vaazha vENdum', 'podi nadaiyaa pOravarE', 'silukku dhaavani', 'en jOdi manjakkuruvi', 'kaNNanai kaaNbaaya', 'kaathali kaathali kaNgaLaal ennai theeNdu', 'kaalam iLavEniRkaalam' were some of the winners that the IR- Chithra teamwork came up with in 1986. And again it was in this year that Chithra did a fantastic job in punnagai mannan. Save the brilliant VJ number 'kavithai kELungaL', the album was wholly Chithra's. And she did full justice to the songs- be it the two duets with SPB or the two solos, 'yEthEtho eNNam vaLarthEn' being the first among the enticing equals.
The subsequent years saw Chithra rising to prominence as a mandatory inclusion in most IR albums. The master saw to it that there was no genre of songs that Chithra left unexplored, and constantly coerced her to better her own best.
'chittuppOla mottuppOla',
'nee oru kaadhal sangeetham',
'iLamai radhathil iyaRkai sugathil',
'vaa vaa vaa kaNNa vaa',
'malaiyOram veesum kaathu',
'vaa veLiyE iLam poonkuyilE',
'oru kiLiyin thanimaiyilE',
'kaNNin maNiyE kaNNin maNiyE',
'kaNNa varuvaaya',
'sanga thamizh kaviyE',
'nee oru kaathal sangeetham',
'ninnukkOri varNam',
'vaa vaa anbE anbE',
'yaarai kEttu neer thaan',
'malaiyOram mayilE',
'uyirE uyirin oLiyE',
'vaa vaa vanji iLa maanE',
'saami en thaalikkodi',
'idhazhil kathai ezhuthum nEramidhu',
'enna samayalO',
'naan enbathu neeyallavO',
'muththamizh kaviyE varuga',
'thenpaaNdi thamizhE',
'ennuyirE vaa ennuyirE',
'poonkaatRE idhu pOdhum en udal',
'poovum thendRal kaatRum',
'vaanam thodaatha mEgam',
'indha maan undhan sondha maan',
'kudagu malai kaatRiloru',
'isaiyaalE naan vasamaaginEn',
'meenamma meenamma',
'vaanampaadi paadum nEram',
'maarugO maarugO',
'poonkaatRu un pEr solla',
'vandhadhE kungumam',
'rambambam aaramabam',
'matthapoovu oru peNNai aagaatha',
'kalyaaNa then nila',
'oru raja vandhaanaam',
'mazhai varuthu mazhai varuthu',
'saththam varaamal muththam',
'malligaiyE malligaiyE thoodhaaga pO',
'nikkattuma pOgattuma',
'sontham vandhadhu vandhadhu',
'nEthu oruthara oruthara',
'sorgathin vaasappadi',
'thooLiyilE aada vandha',
'kaathal kavithaigaL padithidum nEram',
'karpoora mullai ondRu',
'poonkaaviyam pEsum Oviyam',
'yaarum viLaiyaadum thOttam',
'aalaappOl vElappOl',
'thai pongalum vandhadhu',
'siththagaththi pookkaLE',
'maharaajaNodu raaNi vandhu sErum',
'naattuppura paattu oNNu',
'indha poovukkoru arasan',
'ullaasa poonkaatRe',
'sempoovE poovE',
'mannan kooraichElai manjam paarkkum maalai'…. the list goes on…
Here is one of the many songs in this collaboration that I like a lot:
sandhOsham indRu sandhOsham from manithanin maruppakkam
Sung by Chithra
Lyrics by Vairamuthu
Music by Ilaiyaraja
manithanin maruppakkam (1986/ Satyajyothi Films) was Sivakumar's 150th film and co-starred Radha and Jayashri. It was directed by K.Rangaraj. One of the early instances of the famed IR-KSC teamwork, 'santhOsham indRu santhOsham' mirrors the unfettered happiness of a woman who is yet to come to terms with her own good fortune …not even in her wildest dreams did she imagine that she receive a proposal from him… and now they are getting married….Vairamuthu dips his pen in poetic eloquence (sugamaaga uRavai meettuvOm, sugam theeramal iravai neettuvOm); IR crafts a joyous melody, and Chithra comes as the crowing glory…
* * * *
And with IR showing the way, the other MDs too started sending for Chithra to bring to life many of their imaginative compositions. Gangai Amaran was her co-singer when Chithra sang her first song in Tamil, and later Chithra sang some noteworthy songs in GA's music: 'singaara kaathu', 'nee thaana nesam thaana', 'saathi malligai samanju nikkuthu', 'mOgathai kondRuvidu', 'solla vallaayO', 'sri ranjani en sivaranjani', 'kaathal polladhu', 'poonthOttamE unai naan paarkiREn', 'hero vandhaachudi'.. GA composed music for the Malayalam film Anuraagi, and Chithra and KJY sang two enchanting versions of 'EkaanthathE neeyum anuraagiyaanO', Chithra had a soft solo 'udal ividE en uyir avidE' and had a caressing duet with KJY 'ranjani raagamanO konjum mozhiyil' .
Here is a lilting wonder that GA created for Chithra:
mazhayin thuLiyil from chinna thambi periya thambi
Sung by Chithra
Lyrics & Music by Gangai Amaran
chinna thambi periya thambi (1987/ Chempa Creations) starred Satyaraj, Prabhu, Nadiya, Sudha Chandran, Kanthimathi & others. It was directed by Manivannan. This remains one of my favorite movies from the 80s; a simple story told in a heartwarming, entertaining manner. 'mazhaiyin thuLiyil layam irukkuthu' is a beautiful composition set for a sequence that's replete with delicious irony- a city-bred, suave girl playing a piano and singing… at the doorstep of a thatched cottage in a village, watched admiringly by two rustic men, rivals in wooing her, and a wizened matriarch nodding her head in unconcealed pride…while the rain drops keep falling in tandem with the fingers moving on the piano keys…ennaaLum sangeetham nammOdu ondRaagum….. eppOdhum santhOsham nammOdu vandhaadum…
* * * *
Few and far between were the projects that came the MSV's way at the time, but in his waning years the mellisai mannar did give Chithra some treasured opportunities: 'pookkaLum vaNNa vaNNa kavithaigaL padikkum', 'inaikku nadandha ninaippilE', 'sangeetham en nimmadhi', 'sugam tharum nila', 'sariyena yEzhu swarangaLum', 'thaamarai ilaiyE thoodhu sellaayO', 'engum inbam kaaNuthE', 'kanniyavaL naaNugiRaaL', 'en annai dEsamE', 'ponnO maNiyO poovO kaniyO', 'sandhumunai sindhugaLai padippOm', 'kasthoori maankuttiyaam' 'nee muththamittadhum ennai kattikkoNdathum'….
And here is a delightful rhapsody that MSV created with Chithra; seldom heard these days:
'raajaathi ennai thEdi varuvaarE' from raasaathi kalyaaNam
Sung by Chithra
Lyrics by Muthulingam
Music by M.S.Viswanathan
raasaathi kalyaaNam (1989/ K.M.R. Pictures) had Vetri, Yamuna, Delhi Ganesh & Mohanapriya in its cast. It was directed by V.P.Sundar. Listen to this dainty number from the mellisai mannar…at the sunset of a glorious career, he has given so much to an obscure movie with an obscure cast and crew, a venture that was doomed to fail from its very inception…. Chithra was indeed fortunate to work with a legend….
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Shankar-Ganesh's star too was on the decline from the mid 80s, but Chithra got to be part some of the flashes from their dying embers: 'janaki dEvi ramanai thEdi, 'rOjappoo oru peNNaanadhE', 'maasi maasam thaan', 'OdathaNNi upputhaNNi', 'chittukkuruvi thottuthazhuvi', 'O thendRalE', 'oru kaathal dEvathai'..
Chandrabose was one MD who was in great demand in the second half of the 80s, and he gave Chithra one of his best compositions in that period- 'medhuva medhuva oru kaathal paattu'. 'chinna kaNNa chella kaNNa', 'yEdho nadakkiRathu', 'poo mudikkaNum', 'en raasaathi', 'vaNNathu poochi vayasenna aachu', 'vaan mEgam athu poo thoovum', 'iLankuyil paaduthO', 'ravivarman ezhuthaatha', 'thOdi ragam paadava' were some other songs that Chithra sang for CB.
In his last movie, V.Kumar called Chithra to sing a caressing duet with SPB, 'pattu poochi pattu poochi poovellaam'. Kunnakkudi Vaithyanathan gave her some intricately structured songs in the unreleased 'ulaa vandha nilaa.' T.Rajendar too turned to Chithra to render some of his compositions in that period like 'kaathal oorvalam ingE', 'adi ammadi chinnappoNNu', 'sollamathaanE', 'kukku kukku kuyilE' and 'thOL meedhu thalaatta'. Raveendran and Jerry Amaldev had already reaped repeated success with Chithra in their Malayalam ventures, and so quite naturally when a few Tamil offers came their way, Chithra got to be part of these exciting collaborations as well. A one-film wonder like Murari can rest on his laurels like 'sOlaikkuyil nenjukkuLLE' and 'malai naattu machchaanE' rendered by Chithra.
Any MD who got an opportunity to compose for a Tamil film in that period would compulsorily reserve at least one song for Chithra and wait patiently for her to fit the recording into her tight schedule; such was Chithra's standing then. R.D.Burman (nadhiya nadhiya nile nadhiya), Laxmikant-Pyarelal (achamillaa paathaiyil), Bappi Lahiri (thakkadhimi thana), V.S.Narasimhan (vizhigaLil kOdi abinayam), L.Vaidyanathan (ennai vittu pirivathu niyaayamaaguma), Devendran (kaNNukkuL nooRu nilavaa / puththam pudhu Olai varum), Hamsalekha (raakkuyilE kaNNile ennadi kObam/ sElaikkattum peNNukkoru/ O…kaathal ennai kaadhalikkavillai), M.Ranga Rao (kudumbam oru kOyil), Manoj-Gyan (chinnakkaNNan thOttathu poovaaga/ kaNNa nee vaazhga/ uLLam uLLam inbathil thuLLum thuLLum/ azhagil sokkatha aaNgaLaa), Bhagyaraj (ammaadi..idhu thaan kaathala), SPB (unnai kaNda pinbu thaan/ idhO idhO en pallavi), S.A.Rajkumar (aayiram thirunaaL)…Chithra worked with them all to come out with stunners time and again..
And the following decade brought about exhilarating changes in tfm; a fresh set of talented composers like A.R.Rahman, Deva, Maragathamani, Vidyasagar, Sirpi and Bharadwaj burst upon the scene and many of them brought about original and inventive ideas in music, even as the old guard remained unfazed. … and all these MDs entrusted Chithra with many of their best works. ARR has always relied upon Chithra to embellish many of his complex creations. Some exquisite illustrations of this teamwork are 'puththam pudhu bhoomi vEndum', 'anjali anjali', 'azhagu nilavE', 'en mEl vizhuntha mazhai thuLiyE', 'then kizhakku cheemaiyilE', 'kaNgaLil enna eeramO', 'kaathu kaathu', 'thenmERku paruva kaatRu', 'thoda thoda malarndhadhenna', 'kaNNaaLanE', 'uyirE', 'malargaLE malargaLE', 'oo lalalaa' 'theeNdaai', 'yengE enathu kavithai', 'kaNNamoochi yEnada'..
Deva was responsible for Chithra creating history of sorts singing the famous 'oru thaali varam' with 108 names of the divine Mother in breathless perfection; a song that vies with LRE's famed albums in blaring from loudspeakers during the aadi month. 'pulveLi pulveLi', 'chinna chinna panithuLi', 'poruL thEdum bhoomiyil', 'nilaavE vaa vaa vaa', 'mudhal mudhalil paarthEn', 'thoduvaanamaai unai paarkiREn', 'vaigaRaiyil vandhadhenna vaanmathi', 'thanga magan indRu', 'raasithaan un raasithaan', 'manasE manasE', 'kaalamellaam kaathal vaazhga', 'idhayam idhayam iNaikiRathE', 'sigappu colouru jinguchaan' are but few instances of the unforgettable songs that Chithra sang for Deva.
Maragathamani deserves a very special mention in the Chithra chronicle- even in the few Tamil films that he worked in, Maragathamani gave Chithra some of her best songs ever. 'thathithOm' from azhagan, in Chithra's opinion, remains among the most challenging songs in her career. 'naadOdi mannargaLE', 'nee aaNdavana', 'kambangkaadE' from vaanamE ellai, 'maRakkamudiyavillai' and the soulful ghazal 'samundar baar baar aata hai' from jaathimalli are all magnificent works. 'uyirE uyirE' inspired from Enigma won popular appeal. The bilungual dEvaraagam had Maragathamani composing some enchanting songs for Chithra.
Balabharathy (unnai thotta thendRal), Adityan (Oyila paadum paatula/ veLLi kolusu jathi pOduthE), Mahesh (poonkuyil paadinaal), Sirpi (kannathula vai/ I love you love you /thendRal thendRal thendRal vandhu / ennai thEdaathO /kaathal solla vaarthai vENduma) Ranjit Barot (minnal oru kOdi), Aagosh (tholaivinilE/ mundhaanai sElai), Vidyasagar (paadu paadu bharatha paNpdd / adi aathi/ anbE anbE nee en piLLai / nee katRu naan maram/ udaiyaatha veNNila/ dEvathai vamsam / thOm thOm thithithOm/ iravu kavithai kavithai iravu), Bharadwaj (oru poo varaiyum kavithai / vaanum mannum kattikkoNdathE/ unnOdu vaazhaatha), Ramesh Vinayagam (kaathalai vaLarthaai)… they have all tasted stupendous successes with Chithra.
If this was the story of Chithra's tryst with tfm, in Malayalam, for over two decades Chithra remains perched at unassailable heights. Pages can be written on Chithra's triumphant reign in mfm, suffice to say that V.Dakshinamoorthi, M.B.Sreenivasan, Bombay Ravi, Shyam, M.G.Radhakrishnan, Johnson, Raveendran, Jerry Amaldev, Ouseppachan, Benny Ignatious, Sharath, Vidyasagar, Mohan Sitara, M.Jayachandran, Deepak Dev, Devi Sri Prasad, ….absolutely no MD who was part of mfm in this timeframe who could remain immune to Chithra's magic. Chithra sang for one film album of Salil Chowdhury too: 'thumboli kadappuram'. And in the few Malayalam albums that came his way, IR has harnessed Chithra's talents to the fullest. 'poo kungumappoo' that Chitra has sung in IR's music for the recently released 'rasatantram' is hogging airtime in the local Malayalam radio stations these days.
Chithra has notched unprecedented successes in Telugu and Kannada as well, and no mean achievement, this. After P.Leela, Chithra is the only singer from Kerala who could win the hearts of fans in all the fours southern states. It was veteran K.V.Mahadevan who introduced Chithra in Telugu; she sang her first Telugu song under his baton for the movie praLayam. KVM also gave Chithra a challenging classical outing in swatikiraNam, where Chithra sang some breathtaking songs with Vani Jairam and SPB. Ilaiyaraja and Keeravani (Maragathamani) have given Chithra many, many wonderful songs in their Telugu albums. In an interview Chithra admitted that she found it very difficult to sing Telugu film songs initially, for she did not know the language, and most of the songs that she got to sing were fast-paced, where she had a tough time balancing correct pronunciation with expressive singing. She expresses her gratitude to SPB with whom she got to sing many of her duets in Telugu- SPB used to explain the meaning of the lyrics and the teach her the correct pronunciation as well, she reveals. Today it would seem as though Telugu is her native tongue, so perfect are her pronunciation and accent. At the 'Chithra Musical Nite' held at the Laitha Kala Thoranam in Hyderabad in December 2005 with the first playback singer of Telugu cinema Ravu Balasaraswathi as the Chief Guest, Balasaraswathi observed that listening to Chithra's perfectly rendered Telugu songs, no one would believe that Chithra was from Kerala. Heaping praise upon Chithra, Balasaraswathi exhorted the present day singers to take Chithra as their model.
So much for the South. When 'anbu chinnam' (Telugu original: prEma) was remade in Hindi as 'Love' in 1991, Anand-Milind not only lifted IR's tune 'aathaadi yEdho aasaigaL' ('eenadE yEdhO ayyindhi' in Telugu), but also lifted Chithra over the Vindhyas to enthrall listeners in the North as well. The song 'saathiyaa tunE kya kiyaa' that Chithra crooned with SPB became immensely popular all over the country. Over the years Chithra bagged some very good songs in Hindi and made them memorable by her inimitable mellifluousness. ARR, of course, has made Chithra sing many of his Hindi numbers (yeh haseen vaadiyaan /kehna hi kya /yaarOn sunO zara/ooo lalalala/ tu hi tu/ rang dE basanti). Some of Chithra's Hindi songs that rank high in my list, as they would in anyone else's: 'tum bin kya hai jeena' (tum bin) where Chithra's angst-filled rendition would move anyone who has felt the pang of separation from a loved one, 'kyun baar baar ankhOn mEin tum karwat letE hO' (filhaal) where she brings to life Gulzar's sheer poetry, the title track of tEra jadu chal gaya, where Chithra is the sobering complement to Sonu Nigam's operatic high, 'ganga chali tu kahaan' (pardEs) where she teams up with Shankar Mahadevan to enthrall, 'chup tum rahO' with Chithra and Maragathamani (MM Kreem here!) at their ethereal best, and the recent 'raat hamaari tO' where Chithra weeps for the wretched Lalita losing her beloved Shekhar (parineeta). Chithra's songs like 'roop suhaana lagta hai' (lifted from ottagathai kattikkO), 'kasam ki kasam', 'pyaar tune kya kiya', 'khwaabOn..khayaalOn..khwaahishOn ko chehra mila', 'har subah bahut yaad aata hai' and 'hum bhool gayE hain rakhke kaheen' are very popular and find frequent airtime in the local stations here.
Composers like Rajesh Roshan, Nadeem-Shravan, Anu Malik, Nikhil-Vinay and Ismail Durbar have expressed their admiration for Chithra. Lata and Asha have hailed Chithra as the best of the current generation singers. At the grand function got up at the Andheri Sports Complex to greet Lata Mangeshkar on turning 75, it was Chithra who at Lata's express request opened the show with 'rasika balma'. However, Chithra's Northern sojourn has not without its shades of unpleasantness. In an interview, she revealed that many of her Hindi songs were replaced with songs sung by another singer in the cassettes/ CDs and were even removed from the film tracks. "What pained me most was that they never bothered to inform me why my songs were being replaced. Initially, I was really hurt. But then…that was not the end of the world.." she philosophizes.
Chithra is not inclined towards the current rend of remixes. She also regrets the loss of melody in today's film music. "I wish the old magic of melody returns. Nowadays, the orchestra overrides a singer's voice, suppressing it rather than supporting it. The quality of music apart, the standard of lyrics have also gone down. That is not because the lyricists are incapable of writing better songs, but because they are compelled to write inane stuff." Repelled at the crude and suggestive innuendoes in the lyrics of a song she was once asked to render, Chithra requested timidly that they be altered. But she was told curtly that her brief was to only to sing and she was not to interfere with the lyricist's work.
Chithra longs for the return of earlier days when there were live recordings with interesting interactions with co-singers, instrumentalists, composers and technicians, and there were practice sessions before the actual recording. She turns wistful when she muses over those wonderful sessions in the company of her seniors and associates. "I miss the live recordings with my co-singers. I used to learn a lot from them and we used to share a common bond of friendship. Today, we are asked to record from different locations and composers just splice our recordings together. The human touch is gone. I cannot look into my co-singer's eyes and feel the common passion of creating a tune anymore. I do not even know many of them by face!" she bemoans. But she has something to offer her solace- with remarkable foresight she has preserved recordings of the training sessions from the good old days when music directors taught her how to render their tunes. "This is something I value a great deal. The recordings include the voices of all the music directors who have taught me, right from M.S.Viswanathan and R.D.Burman. Sometimes, it is the pallavi or the charaNam of a song, with some of them playing on their favourite instruments." Priceless souvenirs indeed!
A Grade 'A' artiste of AIR and Doordarshan, Chithra has also sung film songs in Bengali, Oriya, Punjabi and even in Baduga! Chithra's non-film albums have also elicited critical acclaim and commercial success. Her first Indipop venture was Salim- Suleiman's 'Ragga Ragga' with the Voodoo Rapper. 'Piya Basanti' where Chithra teamed up with the legendary sarangi exponent Ustad Sultan Khan to sing the tunes composed by Sandesh Shandilya was a runaway hit, and went on to win the MTV Award. Another popular album of Chithra is 'Sunset Point', which had the unusual structure of Gulzar narrating a story, interspersed with songs sung by Bhupinder Singh and Chithra. In an interview last year, Chithra was eagerly expecting the release of an album wherein she had sung 3 songs, one a folksy solo and two duets with the revered Ghulam Ali. Of course, Chithra has sung numerous non-film albums in Malayalam. Her devotional songs like 'guruvayooramarum', 'chOtaanikkara dEvi', 'achutham kEshavam', and 'gOvinda rama rama' are popular in temple festivities all over Kerala. Chithra and Unni Menon sang for ONV Kurup's private album called 'Swarnarekha' which had music by Salil Chowdhury. Her albums like 'Classical Moods' and 'Devipriya' have kirtans and bhajans soaked in piety. 'Chaitrageethangal' composed by the gifted Sharat, boasting of that fantastic 'madhuram gaayathi madhuram' by Chithra, has achieved record sales. Inreco released an album called 'Annai Mookaambigaye' which had Chithra singing paeans in Tamil to the Kollur Goddess. ''Enchanting Melodies' (Padams of Swati Tirunaal) and 'Krishnapriya' are her recent non-film ventures. Chithra paid her homage to the one and only M.S.Subbalakshmi by coming out with an album titled 'My Tribute' wherein she has rendered the songs immortalized by MS like 'kuRai ondRum illai', 'bhavaayaami raghuraamam' and 'kaatRinilE varum geetham'. She has sung in Usha Utup's album in aid of Tsunami Relief- 'We Believe in Now'.
Chithra is working towards venturing into full-fledged classical concerts. Her guru Omanakutty has declared that if she could snatch Chithra away for a just a month from playback singing, she would prepare her for a classical concert. While expressing her gratitude for her teacher's confidence in her abilities, Chithra feels that she still has a long way to go. "My ambition had been, and still is, to be a classical vocalist. But what I have learnt so far is not enough. I am not yet ready for concerts. It needs a lot of training." She made a timid foray by doing a classical music concert for the Surya festival though, and it did get favourable notice.
She owns a cassette company called 'Audio Tracs.' Managed by her husband, the company is into producing devotional and folk albums in Tamil and Malayalam by upcoming singers, lyricists and composers. She also owns a recording studio called Krishna Digi Design. Her beautiful house at 2/9, Anantha Ramakrishnan Street, Devaraj Nagar, Saligramam in Chennai is aptly named 'Sruthi'.
Chithra has traveled extensively and performed in shows all over India and in the U.S., Canada, U.K, Germany, France, Australia, Srilanka and the Middle East. She has been part of memorable concerts of Ilaiyaraja and A.R.Rahman. She is the only singer from India to perform live in the House of Commons, London, and the first female singer from the South to perform live in the Royal Albert Hall. Her concert at Stadhalle in Zurich on 5th May 2005 had the newly renovated hall filled with frenzied fans even in the aisles. She has accompanied SPB in many of his shows. Chithra has always been willing to perform in events that support charity; from the 'Chithra Nite' in aid of the Thiruvalla Junior Chamber to the 'Santhwanam' show for Tsunami victims, Chithra does her bit for social causes. She is always a welcome visitor to these shores; she was here in Dubai in March to sing in a concert in memory of Raveedran. She is slated to perform with Madhu Balakrishnan in Doha, Qatar on 3rd June, and I believe the tickets are already sold out!
Chithra's parents have departed for their heavenly abode, one after the other. Both her sister and brother are settled abroad. Her husband Vijayashankar is an electronics engineer, and though he has no musical training, shares Chithra's devotion to music. "He has been very supportive, encouraging and undemanding." says Chithra. After singing over 12,000 songs, she has cut down her assignments of late, and with good reason. For after a long anxious wait of 15 years, Chithra has become a mother. Brimming with happiness, Chithra says, "I feel whole now. Nandana is the center of my universe. She is now three years old, and I want to take things easy. I did not travel till she was six months old. Even now, I have to sneak out for recordings without her knowledge!"
Numerous are the awards and honours that have been heaped on Chithra. She has the rare distinction of being the only singer who has won the State Awards of all the four Southern States. Starting from 1985, she has won the Kerala State Award for the Best Female Playback Singer a record 15 times, overtaking Janaki's earlier record of 12 Kerala State Awards. The songs that fetched Chithra this august recognition were 'manjaL prasaadhavum' from nakakshathangaL (1986), songs from Eenam Maranna Kattu (1987), 'indupushpam choodi' from vaishaali (1988), 'kalariviLakku' from Oru Vadakkan Veeragaatha and 'thankathOni' from Mazhavilkkaavadi (1989), 'kaNNil' from Innale and 'paalappoovE' from Njan Gandharvan (1990), 'thaaram' from Keli and 'swarakanyakamaar' from Saanthwanam (1991), 'mounasarovaram' from Savidham (1992), 'ponmEkhamE' from Sopanam, 'rajahamsamE..' from Chamayam and 'sangeethamE' from Ghazal (1993), 'parvanenthu' from Parinayam (1994), 'shashikala' from Devaragam (1995), 'praseeda dEvi' from Angane Oru Avadhikkalathu (1999), 'enthennariyaathoraaraadhanayude', 'ee valappottum peeliyum kittuvaan', and 'mooli mooli' from Theerthadhanam (2001), 'kaarmugil varNantE chundil' and 'mauliyil mayilpeeli chaarthi' from Nandanam (2002) and 'mayangi pOyi' from Nottam (2005). She has won 6 Andhra Pradesh 'Nandi' Awards, 2 Karnataka State Awards and 4 Tamil Nadu State Awards (the latest one being for the famous inspiring 'ovvoru pookkaLumE' from Autograph). She was honoured with the kalaimaamaNi Award in 1995.
Chithra has received 6 National Awards for the Best Female Playback Singer, and here again, this is a singular record. The first one was in 1985 for 'paadaRiyEn paddippaRiyEn', and it this award that remains very special to her. "This song is unforgettable because I had to skip my MA Final exams to record it. It was Ilaiyaraja who helped me decide whether I should sing it. He said, "Music has much more in store for you than academics" she reminisces. She was on stage in a concert with Yesudas when the news came, and she came to know of it only when Yesudas announced it on stage. "But I did not believe it till I saw it in the papers the next day!" she recalls. She received her second National award the very next year for 'manjaL prasaadhavum' from nakakshathangaL (1986), composed by Bombay Ravi. " I initially thought it might be singer Chitra Singh who has won the award, as I could not imagine winning the award twice in a row!" said an amazed Chithra at that time. Little did she realize that this was only the beginning!
It was another beautiful composition of Bombay Ravi that fetched Chithra her third National Award- 'indhupushpam choodi' from vaishaali (1988). The fourth was for the feet-tapping 'oo lalalala' by ARR from minsaara kanavu (1996). The fifth was for 'paayalEn chunmun chunmun' from viraasat (1997), which was a blatant lift by Anu Malik from Ilaiyaraja's 'inji iduppazhaga'. Interestingly, Janaki had won the National Award in 1992 for rendering the Tamil original! Nonetheless, it was another feather in Chithra's cap- she had become the first female singer from the South to have won the National Award for singing a Hindi song.
The latest one has come in for 'ovvoru pookkaLumE' from autograph. Speaking of this song, Chithra says, "I think I was fortunate to get this song. Rarely do you get such meaningful lyrics. Set to Sindhubairavi raga by music director Bharadwaj, the song evokes a lot of positive energy. It is not just my voice that is in it, my heart is also there; my moral convictions have all been transferred into it. It is one of those songs that you could sing anywhere. After it was recorded I prayed that it would be noticed." It has been reported that one school in Trichy has adopted this song for its morning assembly, and that a university has included it as part of the syllabus.
But success, even in such mammoth proportions, sits lightly on Chithra's shoulders. She remains humble, unaffected, non-controversial and simple. " I never expected to come to this field. It's all destined!" she philosophizes. And if she hadn't come to this field? "I would sing, nevertheless," she avers. "Singing is my life. I would have taught music in a school or given tuitions" she adds, with her trademark smile. And yes, her constant smile is another factor that has endeared her to thousands of fans. SPB once surmised that she must have been born with it!
Chithra has time and again expressed her gratitude to all those who helped her reach where she is today. Her thanks are first to her father who was her first teacher as well. She then thanks Omanakkutty, M.G.Radhakrishnan and Yesudas for giving her the initial break, Jerry Amaldev and Raveendran for leading her to fame; Shyam, Kannor Rajan and Johnson for helping her move in the right direction; Ilaiyaraja for moulding her to become what she is today; S.Janaki for being her friend, philosopher and guide; and MSV, KVM, Satyam, Chakravarthi, ARR, Keeravani, Vidyasagar, Hamsalekha and Bharadwaj for giving her many wonderful songs. When asked to compare the working styles of IR and ARR, Chithra says, " With Raja Sir, the orchestra is set beforehand and he teaches you how to sing. Rahman, on the other hand, will let you sing and then set the orchestra. He also retains all the takes and chooses the best ones." Chithra has always enjoyed an excellent rapport with her co-singers. Queried about singing earlier with Yesudas and SPB, and singing now with Vijay Yesudas and S.P.B.Charan, she laughs and exclaims that she has known both Charan and Vijay since their childhood, and they have a blast when singing with her. While singing 'Dasettan' and 'Balu Sir', however, she is respectfully attentive to their suggestions. Chithra turns emotional when speaking of S.Janaki. "Janakiamma means a lot to me. I am very close to her. She is a living legend and I have learned a lot from her. If she goes to Kerala when I am there, she stays with me. She was among the first visitors to come when Nandana was born and gave her blessings." In another interview, Chithra recalled how in her initial years, IR urged her to listen to Janaki's songs to understand better the fine art of playback singing, and how Janaki motivated her and instilled confidence in her to try experimenting with her voice in songs like 'oththayile ninnathenna' (vanaja girija) and 'maarugO maarugO' (sathi leelavathi)
"Smt. Krishnan Nair Shanthakumari Chithra" boomed the resonant voice announcing the Padma Shri Awards at the glittering ceremony at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 28th 2005. And as Chithra walked up the aisle to be decorated by President Abdul Kalam, it seemed as though her parents were there not only in name, but also in spirit, watching with pride their daughter being honored. And the moment also ended the collective angst of the Southerners that no female singer from the South had been considered for the Padma Awards all these years.
The photographers and journalists gathered there wanted a moment with Chithra. But where was she? A frantic search found her with Shahrukh Khan….getting his autograph! "It is for my sister's children who are die-hard fans of Shahrukh…" stammered a blushing Chithra! When asked to say a few words on receiving this high honour, she said, "A little bit of music is all that I know, but it is everything to me. What I am today is wholly due to the blessings of my mentors..." But the beaming face revealed the rightful pride and joy within….sandhOsham indRu sandhOsham.. indha pon veeNaiyil pongum sangeetham…


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We are not yet separated. I tried to work on our relationship but she walked away and filed for non-molestation orders. I am concerned about VISA status as well as reflection on my character. Non-molestation order seems to suggest that I have done something bad which I haven't.
Thank you. I had recorded some of our conversations where she had been shouting at me and trying to verbally abuse me. She reported this to police that I am deliberately provoking and recording her conversations. I feel trapped from all directions now. Judge has extended non-molestation period for 6 more months until final hearing. Since I will have to pay from my own pocket for solicitor fee (she gets legal aid), I am trying to balance emotions vs reality. Worse, we have a daughter and I haven't seen her for 3 months.
As I said earlier, I worried about my Visa extension too. Recent changes require good character reference and even agreeing to give undertaking may affect this. Please advise.
Thank you. That is a bit of relief. One last question. I have already reported to UKBA that our relationship is broken. I am not sure if they will curtail her dependent visa. In case they do, can I request court for customer of my daughter? She is 3-year old and I am confident that I can look after her very well. If non-molestation order is cancelled, will the judge give her permission to leave the country with my daughter?
Looks like I better stop defending the non-molestation order and get on with my life.
Thank you very much. I will see how it goes.
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Mingo Central High students, parents pay it forward
Students and parents at Mingo Central High School have recently attempted to better the world around them. The teens and adults in the area took action to aid others in need through several acts of kindness.
These kind-natured volunteers took it upon themselves to do good for total strangers. If we all performed daily tasks like these, the world might really be a beautiful place.
First, student council members came together for a canned food drive to help Jacob's Well and a Mingo County woman's shelter. In total, 1,100 cans were collected for the causes.
"It made me feel like I did something good, something meaningful," said junior student council member Zachary White. "I hope our act of kindness inspires all those in the community to give back, too."
"When we did the food drive, I felt that it reflected a positive image of Mingo Central, and it was more than worth it in the end with such a great outcome," said sophomore student council member Kaitlyn Johnson.
Student council members were not the only generous group in the area, though. The school's basketball players also decided to take action when others were in need.
The Mingo Central basketball team's effort, spearheaded by assistant cheerleading coach Teresa Cline, and with the assistance of countless others in the community, was to collect bottled water, hand sanitizer, napkins and many other supportive products for Sissonville when the water in their area was contaminated.
Not only did they supply such necessities, but after the game, all of the Sissonville jerseys were washed by Mingo Central parents. Their hard work paid off when the school received a letter from West Virginia Senator John D. Rockefeller acknowledging them all for their efforts.
Though groups conducted these caring deeds, acts of kindness do not have to be done in large groups. There are little things everyone can do to make the world a better place, whether it is collecting canned food for those in need or simply picking up litter on the side of the street.
Every little thing makes a difference, which is something to keep in mind when considering a pay-it-forward endeavor.


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'I'm A Celebrity' star Amy Willerton may be Down Under in the Australian jungle but that hasn't stopped her from donning a pair of union jack pants to sunbathe in.
Feeling patriotic - and seemingly having run out of actual bikinis - the model stripped off to lap up some rays, while her fellow campmates continue to complain about the heat.
Amy Willerton enjoys the Australian sun
On Thursday night's episode of 'I'm A Celeb' the 21-year-old was hurt when her fellow female camp mates Annabel Giles and Leila Morse seemed to find her effort to help with the chores frustrating.
Taking it personally, Amy moaned to actor Alfonso Ribiero that former model Annabel "hates" her.
She also claimed Annabel was cooing over 'TOWIE' star Joey Essex, saying: "She's too busy sucking up Joey's arsehole. As soon as she found out how many fans Joey has, she has started sucking up his arsehole instantly.
"It makes me sick. The way she speaks to me, she would never speak that way to Joey."
Alfonso urged Amy to stick up for herself, ensuring her that she would have the support of many of the other celebrities.
He said: "I guarantee there are a lot of people here who will support you. David pulled you aside. Kian will support you. At the end of the day you will have support if somebody attacks you and you defend yourself."
Should the two women have it out? Or is Amy overreacting?
Age: 21 Most famous for: Winning Katie Price's search for a new model 'Signed… By Katie Price', and then publicly falling out with her. Relationship status: Single Phobias: China dolls Dream campmate: Oprah Winfrey She says: "I'm grumpy when I'm hungry!" Odds to win: 25/1
Age: 60 Most famous for: Designing Princess Diana's wedding dress. Relationship status: Divorced Phobias: "Everything. Anything. You name it!" He says: "Sometimes you have to rise to the challenge. I survived cancer. Can I survive the jungle?" Odds to win: 33/1
Age: 42 Most famous for: Playing Carlton Banks on 90s show 'The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air' alongside Will Smith. Relationship status: Married Missing any special occasions?: Time with his new baby boy He says: "I haven't actually seen much of I'm A Celebrity..., which is the reason why I am doing it. If I had seen more of it... I would probably say 'Hell no'." Odds to win: 10/1
Age: 23 Most famous for: Appearing on ITV2 reality show 'The Only Way Is Essex'. Relationship status: Single Missing any special occasions: The 'TOWIE' Christmas special He says: "I will have my shirt off all the time." Odds to win: 7/4
Age: 33 Most famous for: Being a member of boyband Westlife. Relationship status: Married Phobias: "None but the coffin challenge is, for me, the worst one" He says: "I will definitely do the eating challenge. I will shove it in my gob, chew on it and eat it!" Odds to win: 6/1
Age: 68 Most famous for: Playing Big Mo Harris in BBC soap 'EastEnders'. Relationship status: Dating Phobias: Spiders and cockroaches Dream camp mate: Johnny Depp She says: "I don't like sleeping with clothes on...that's gonna be a bit of an issue." Odds to win: 25/1
Age: 36 Most famous for: Playing Chas Dingle in ITV soap 'Emmerdale'. Relationship status: Engaged She says: "I can't sit still for five minutes. I don't do well with boredom." Odds to win: 9/1
Age: 48 Most famous for: Hosting daily Channel 5 chat show 'The Wright Stuff'. Relationship status: Married Phobias: Terrified of spiders He says: "I know I will be teary. I just don't want to act as big a girl as Paul Burrell." Odds to win: 12/1
Age: 24 Most famous for: Being a Team GB Olympic swimmer. Relationship status: Engaged Dream camp mate: David Beckham She says: "I see myself as a team player and I think my role in the camp will be to be the little helper. I am happy to pull my weight." Odds to win: 9/1
Age: 56 Most famous for: Being a professional snooker player. Relationship status: Long-term relationship Phobias: "Do you really think I'd let you know what I am scared of?!" He says: "There seems to be a growing opinion that I'm not as boring as people once thought, and it's my aim while I am in the jungle to put a stop to this once and for all!" Odds to win: 11/2


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They have triumphed at the competition in every Games since it was added to the schedule in Seoul in 1988, and extended that proud tradition at London 2012.
Lee Sung Jin, Ki Bo Bae and Choi Hyeonju defeated Chinese trio Cheng Ming, Fang Yuting and Xu Jing 210-209 in wet and windy conditions at Lord's.
It is the third time in a row China have finished in the silver medal position behind the Koreans, though none of the archers involved four years ago in Beijing are on duty in London.
The match was decided on the last arrow, when Ki needed at least nine to secure victory, and she held her nerve to hit the outer gold.
The bronze medal match was won by Japan, who defeated Russia 209-207 to claim the first women's Archery medal in their history.
Ren Hayakawa, Miki Kanie and Kaori Kawanaka came all the way through the draw - having just missed out on a first-round bye - defeating world number threes Ukraine 207-192 and Mexico 219-209 in the quarter-final.
Speaking after the Victory Ceremony, Ki explained why it had fallen on her to secure the win.
'Lee shot the first arrow because she is the brave one and I shot the last because one I have more experience,' she said.
'I wasn't nervous at all because if I do my best I know it will go in the gold.'
London 2012 - The British ska band Madness perform their hit Our House during the closing ceremony in Olympic Stadium on August 12, 2012.
London 2012 - The saxophonist from the band Madness performs his solo while flying through Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony on August 12, 2012.
London 2012 - Ray Davies of the Kinks sings "Waterloo Sunset," a love letter to London, at the closing ceremony on August 12, 2012.
London 2012 - Acrobats, dancers, and performers give the eye much to behold in Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony on August 12, 2012.
London 2012 - Motor scooters from London's mid-60's mod subculture deliver Ricky Wilson to the stage to sing The Who's "Pinball Wizard" during the closing ceremony.
London 2012 - As the David Bowie hit "Fashion" plays aloud, a parade enters of British supermodels sporting haute couture designs during the closing ceremony.
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