Category: Here & There

Angelina Jolie is Buying Ethiopia

So Angelina Jolie is buying her own country to help impoverished Africans. The ‘Tomb Raider’ star, who is currently pregnant with boyfriend Brad Pitt’s child, is buying a man-made version of Ethiopia, located in Dubai’s The World project.

The project consists of 300 country-shaped luxury island developments built, to form a map of the world, being sold to anyone rich enough to afford them.

The 30-year-old actress, who is due to give birth early in May, is
reportedly planning to turn her new purchase into a fair-trade paradise for
hundreds of Africans.

It seems Angelina has been obsessed with Ethiopia ever since she
adopted her second child Zahara from there.

I remember looking for the island that would mark Tunisia in “The World” project, but it seems Tunisia was too small to get an island of its own. So I’m boycotting the project and not buying any countries in it.

Update: UAE Newspapers are denying the reports. Hamza Mustafa, general manager of The World, said:

Subzero Blue By Email

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Machiavelli Personality Test

Shit, it turns out I’m evil!!!

I just took the Machiavelli Personality Test on Salon.

The results say:
Your Machiavelli score is: 78
You are a high Mach, you endorse Machiavelli’s opinions.

High Machs constitute a distinct type: charming, confident and glib, but also arrogant, calculating and cynical, prone to manipulate and exploit. (Think Rupert Murdoch, or if your politics permit it, President Clinton.)

But come on, I’m not like that, I’m not an arrogant, manipulative, exploiting person, in fact I’m the complete opposite.

Is this my multiple personality thingie kicking in again?
Nah, it’s most probably just a crappy test in the first place. Or is it?

Muhammad Ali Sells Marketing Rights

Muhammad Ali, one of the world’s most recognized people, has sold 80 percent of the marketing rights to his name and likeness to a firm for $50 million.

The 64-year-old former heavyweight champion, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, will retain a 20 percent interest in the business. The new venture will be operated by a company called G.O.A.T. LLC, an acronym for “The Greatest of All Time.”

Wow…
Ok, it’s decided, I’m selling marketing rights to my name, likeness and whatever else you want.
It all goes to the highest bidder.
Let the war begin 😛

Oh whatever…

[Source: Yahoo News]

The Godfather on PlayStation 2

A few of days ago, on my way home, I bought a couple of new games for my PlayStation 2, one of which was The Godfather by Electronic Arts.

I’ve basically been playing the game ever since I popped it into the console. It’s so good, I went to bed yesterday thinking of what I’d do in it today when I get back from work.

The game is closely tied to the story of The Godfather, and even has bits from the film that you unlock while playing.
It puts you into the action of the legendary films, letting you relive the defining moments of the Corleone family. After starting out with some small-time jobs and petty thefts, you are accepted into the Corleone family. Then it’s up to you to carry out orders, earn respect and make New York City your own.

The game reminds me of Grand Theft Auto, only the whole story behind this one makes it so much more engaging and enjoyable to play.

I totally recommend this game for fans of this genre. It’s very well done. The controls are easy and practical, the graphics are really good, the missions and options available are quite cool.

My rating for this game would be: 9/10.

Disney Mobile Phone Service

Walt Disney Co. will announce a phone service designed for 10- to 15-year-olds and their parents, dubbed Disney Mobile, at the CTIA Wireless trade show.

The features of this service are mostly about letting parents monitor and control how their children use the service, and the main ideas are:

– A parent is the designated “family manager,” able to set monthly spending limits (via the phone or a computer) on kids’ voice and text message usage and on ringtone and other downloads. The manager is alerted when a kid bumps the limits and can raise them. When kids exhaust their allowances, they still can exchange calls with their parents and other designated numbers and can dial 911.

– Parents can set the times and days of the week when kids can use the phone.

– GPS technology will let parents map the location of the kids’ handsets from their phone or PC.

– Families can exchange custom text alerts or pick from a menu, such as “Can U Get a Ride?”

Disney plans to offer two camera phones, from LG Electronics and Pantech. Unlike some other Disney electronics, such as PCs with Mickey Mouse ears for speakers, the cellphones will look rather conventional.

Well, I think that this is a good solution for parents who want to give their children phones in order to stay connected with them and make sure they’re safe and doing well, without letting the kids abuse it and overuse the phone.

I’m seeing a lot of people in Tunisia who are starting to get their kids mobile phones, even though I’m not sure they’re all doing it for the right reasons. And I think a service like this would be good for them to get the most benefits of their kid having a phone without falling into the negativities of it.

[Source: USA Today]

Jeans for Muslims

They’re high around the waist, wide around the leg and have lots of pockets for holding watches, bracelets, glasses and other knickknacks.

A new line of jeans designed by a small company in northern Italy, under the name of Al Quds Jeans, caters to Muslims seeking to stay comfortable while they pray.

The bagginess is to ensure the wearer avoids stiffness while bending down repeatedly during prayers. The pockets are for holding all the accessories Muslims have to take off while they worship. And the jeans have green seams

Wise Words By A Wise Man

Here are a few quotes by Mahatma Gandhi, a very wise man…

– An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.

– What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?

– You should be the change that you want to see in the world.

– I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.

– First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

– I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.