King of the Hill (2007/Thriller)
Eey de la Montaña in English
Let me start by saying that this movie will probably be re-made by Hollywood and almost certainly misdirected and destroyed of all its innate cinematic value. So, my suggestion is to watch the original Spanish version here and also not worry about sub-titles as this is a decently dubbed English version which is still eminently watchable.
Similar to Eden Lake, my last movie post, Gonzalo López-Gallego’s King of the Hill is a ‘man against nature’ visceral Latin take in the likes of Walter Hill’s ‘Southern Comfort' John Boorman’s evergreen ‘Deliverance', 1982’s over-violent 'Turkey Shoot' and the 2001 under rated 'Suspended Animation'. If you‘ve have not seen any of these, I will not spoil the fun any further but even if you have, King of the Hill delivers a superior dose of cinema – a joyride that’s well written, tightly edited and beautifully shot.
If you have a stable broadband connection, you can watch the movie online. Or use any of the many video downloaders to extract and save the avi file locally on your PC to watch later at your convenience.
Divxvine Avi Video Link - http://is.gd/v669
Single Link 696 MB Avi Video File - Cut, Copy and Paste into your browser.
Source: websnacker.blogspot.com
Come Back, All is Forgiven
The Art of Running Away
I had an unusual start today. I find a large pool of restless people at my rich neighbor’s door, around 50 or 60 seemingly worried sweaty folks and 2 tired-looking cops, both battered by the sweltering tropical heat. The raison d'être – my neighbor’s 14 year old grandson had run away. Not kidnapped as I had wanted to believe but had simply run off, not able to tolerate his grandfather’s ostensibly unreasonable social and academic demands.
This got me thinking. Running Away, I guess is an adolescent rite of passage, an expression of adolescent angst directed at a careless society, an anguish that I myself had experienced in my teen days. I remember my 18th birthday. ‘You are a major today’, my mother had told me with a flourish. “You can run away from home and I’ll have no legal grip over you.” She had paused and added in a different tone, “if you are going out with your friends tonight, be sure you are back by eleven not midnight’.
No doubt, ‘Running away’ has always been a universally contested topic. It is discussed openly, getaway plans are exchanged and best suggestions sought. Certainly this goes against the secrecy which every potential ‘Runaway’ should maintain! The truth is that while each of us is adventurous by nature, things are usually a trifle too comfortable at home. So merely discussing it is adequate to satisfy our sense of escapist adventure!
The only serious case of Running Away which did occur in my life was on a bright Sunday morning when I was around 11 or 13. Feeling shamed, livid and deeply insulted because my mother wouldn’t reprimand my Maths teacher who I assumed had failed me intentionally, I declared to my mother that I would be leaving home, never to return again. Oblivious to this, Training the new servant maid, was at that moment a greater crisis for my mother than my juvenile rants so she ignored me totally. Annoyed even more, I walked out with poise clutching my newly made pledge. No more than 20 steps and the intoxicating sight of my neighbour polishing his brand new 500 CC Yamaha motorbike slowly dissolved my 10 minute old but apparently iron-clad resolution. The rest of that sunny morning, I spent my time, sitting near the gate along with my dog gazing with a hypnotic admiration at the monstrous beauty on two wheels.
When I was even younger, some very trifling though matter-of-fact problems would also come in the way if was to try and leave home secretly. I knew only five main roads in town, so I would have to come back and ask my elder sister for detailed directions and a diagram of the place I have to run away to. Since my sister would only keep a secret for a maximum of five-and-a-half minutes, she would end up telling my mother about it besides publicizing it to at least five other people including my grand dad, my grand ma, my car driver, my aunt and also our milk man. Knowing very well the time of my planned flight to perpetual freedom, my mother would give me two letters to post, a toaster to be repaired and also ask me to have the old fangled pass book updated at the road corner bank, ruining my perfectly designed AWOL plans and forcing me to abandon my disappearing act.
Moreover, as someone who likes to do things in style (I still do), I wanted my ‘Running Away” to be a schmaltzy blockbuster. So, I hoped to see expensive, full size ‘Come Back, All Is Forgiven’ adverts in the morning paper but since I had a sneaky notion that my stingy folks wouldn’t consider me worth wasting an ad over, I would mostly end up canceling my ‘Runaway’ campaigns than make a floppy messy dud of it. And instead, I would cuddle in my bed, my Sanyo walkman and a second hand copy of a Mad comic for company, enjoying the cool breeze from the open window and searching for UFOs in the night sky. After all, in the end, you realize - east or west, home is still the very best.
"Call you up in the middle of the night
Like a firefly without a light
You were there like a slow torch burning
I was a key that could use a little turning
So tired that I couldn't even sleep
So many secrets I couldn't keep
Promised myself I wouldn't weep
One more promise I couldn't keep"
From ‘Runaway Train’ by Soul Asylum.
Source: websnacker.blogspot.com
Truth About Abs - Forget What You Thought You Already Knew Posted By : Amanda Isbitt
Obesity is now considered an 'epidemic' in America, with 33 per cent of Americans considered overweight and an astonishing 10 per cent considered obese. Much of this is due to the change in the American diet in the last forty years, with the rise of prepackaged foods, and a bustling work ethic that says it's better to eat lunch at your desk and skip exercising.
Source: www.articlesphere.com
SAS honored with 2009 Asia Pacific Frost & Sullivan ICT Award for Business Intelligence
Source: www.printerresellers.com
DASCOM Expands its Global Reach by Acquiring TallyGenicom Key Assets
Source: www.printerresellers.com
CSC Announces New Family of Cloud Services
Source: www.printerresellers.com
Vodafone introduces Budget plans for Postpaid customers in Kolkata & rest of WB
Source: www.printerresellers.com
3 Muscles In Your Legs To Consider With Your Body Building Workout Posted By : D Waser
When putting together a body building workout, it is vital you workout your legs and upper body. There are three main muscles you want to focus on with your legs; your quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. By working out these muscles, you will build strong and durable legs.
Source: www.articlesphere.com
Smoking a Castro and Other Cigars
Everything You Didn't Know about Cigars and Were Afraid to Ask
Rudyard Kipling once jibed “A lady is only a woman, but good Cigar is a smoke “. Thankfully, in these turbulent times of the ever-growing health mafia who balk against anything entering your body that isn’t made exclusively from oat bran, corn flakes or probiotic yoghurt, the seven-inch Cigar is making a modish return. And a real comeback it is!
I had my first Cigar smoke during my high school days when me and my mates experimented with cheap Indonesian spiced Cigars, smuggled inside our school grounds and traded with Iron Maiden tapes. It was not until my second job that I had my first authentic Cigar experience – an original Partagás gifted to me by a gregariously benevolent client who I helped save a substantial sum of money.
Last week, I had my Cigar experiences reawakened as I had to gift an entire box of pricey Dominican Cigars - Arturo Fuente for a close mentor of mine – a retired Army General with a penchant for luxurious Cigars and the most expensive wines for his 69th birthday.
Swanky, posh and undeniably male, Cigars combine the poise of the gentleman with the air of the cad. Even though annual Indian consumption is among the lowest in the world (we smoke a mere .08 per head, as compared to 220 per head in Denmark), the Cigar seems to have unfettered itself from the injurious image of its poor and vastly inferior relative, the acidic Cigarette. Always popular in gentlemen’s clubs, Cigar smoking has been attracting more youthful practitioners recently. Experts believe that the Cigar’s suave image makes it all more attractive to the younger men (and also women).
According to Iian Crawford, the author of ‘The Havana Cigar’, a bible for any serious Cigar enthusiast, a Cigar greenhorn should choose a brand that fits his own particular style. While this is good advice, Crawford approach is rather literal: for example, he suggests that if you have a long thin face you should avoid fat Cigars, and vice-versa. A more realistic approach is to begin by buying a selection of different Cigars- a good Havana can be had for around $15 -$20 and simply try several until you find one that suits your palette and personality. A diffident Romeo Y Julieta number One might be a good starting point. At five and a half inches, it is neither too large and nor too aromatic and has a distinct taste of burnt wood smoke – a perfect after-dinner Cigar. But whichever brand you decide to try, it’s wise to avoid Cigars that are under-matured. Even the most hardened smoker would find the notorious “green” Cigar intimidating, if not upsetting, so it is not recommended as an introduction for the uninitiated.
Once you’ve found your perfect Cigar, you are then faced with a minefield of Cigar etiquette to navigate. If you thought it was a case of lighting up and puffing away, you’re very much mistaken. Avoid rolling the Cigar next to your ear or running it under your nose. All this will prove is that Cigars sound like desiccated leaves and smell of tobacco. Cutting the end of your Cigar using a special Cigar guillotine is to be recommended. Alternatively, pierce the end with a matchstick; but be warned, this concentrates the Cigar smoke like a jet on to your tongue, with an associated burning sensation that can be very distasteful.
Never bite off the end of your Cigar – this might be fine in an Italian spaghetti Western, but outside of Clint Eastwood territory, few people find it attractive. Most importantly, light your Cigar with a wooden match, rather than with a petrol lighter or a candle, both of which severely impair the flavor. And, once lit, only smoke three quarters of its length; after this, the tobacco oils concentrate in the remaining area of the Cigar and cause a bitterness, which ruins the otherwise mellow taste. Finally, never stub out your Cigar-once half its length has been smoked a Cigar will automatically extinguish itself if left unattended.
There is little that can match the aromatic smell and taste of a good Cigar. For anyone who claims to enjoy tobacco, it is the ultimate in sheer pleasure and good taste.
The Premium Brands…
Dunhill Aged - Mainly due to the increasing difficulty in importing Cigars from Cuba in the late Eighties, Dunhill decided to produce its own brand of Cigar. It uses South American tobacco and the leaves are matured over a number of years. The result is surprisingly, a much milder and nuttier tasting Cigar that lacks the pungent kick found in the stronger blends. Increasingly popular, the Dunhill Aged is the ideal Cigar for smoking during the day or over a light lunch.
Romeo Y Julieta - One of the world’s most popular Cigars, the Romeo Y Julieta is classified as a medium flavored Cigar. Tasting woodier than the Dunhill Aged, there is no mistaking the punch that lurks within it. However, the medium taste is still aromatic and palatable with our being overpowering. A version worth trying is the Romeo y Juliet Fedros, which boasts a sweeter woody flavor thanks to a cedar wrap around the Cigar.
Montecristo - Similar in taste to the Romeo Y Julieta, but slightly stronger. The increase in the Monetecristo’s strength is more pronounced in its most popular version, the Corona No 3. This Cigar has a very definite rich and pungent nutty flavor that lingers on the palette. Probably best enjoyed after a heavy evening meal.
Bolivar - The strongest of all Cigars, the extremely dark leaves used in the Bolivar give it a very strong taste. Too much for many tinge of bitterness and, if you are unaccustomed to it, can quite literary make your head spin.
Cohiba aka Castro- The Rolls Royce of Cigars, the Cohiba is rolled from the choicest leaves of each year’s Cuban tobacco crop. This Cigar only become available in the West because its Castro’s personal brand.
Besides Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey, H. Upmann and José L. Piedra, other good Cuban brands include Belinda, Cuaba, Diplomáticos, El Rey del Mundo, Flor de Cano, Fonseca, Gispert, Guantanamera, Juan López, La Gloria Cubana, Los Statos de Luxe, Por Larrañaga, Punch, Quai d'Orsay, Quintero, Rafael González, Ramón Allones, Reloba, Saint Luis Rey, San Cristóbal de la Habana, Sancho Panza, Trinidad, Troya, Vegas Robaina, Vegueros and many more.
Health Warning - Cigars can be fun but they are as damaging to our Health as Cigarettes or even worse. Think twice before you light one!
I had my first Cigar smoke during my high school days when me and my mates experimented with cheap Indonesian spiced Cigars, smuggled inside our school grounds and traded with Iron Maiden tapes. It was not until my second job that I had my first authentic Cigar experience – an original Partagás gifted to me by a gregariously benevolent client who I helped save a substantial sum of money.
Last week, I had my Cigar experiences reawakened as I had to gift an entire box of pricey Dominican Cigars - Arturo Fuente for a close mentor of mine – a retired Army General with a penchant for luxurious Cigars and the most expensive wines for his 69th birthday.
Swanky, posh and undeniably male, Cigars combine the poise of the gentleman with the air of the cad. Even though annual Indian consumption is among the lowest in the world (we smoke a mere .08 per head, as compared to 220 per head in Denmark), the Cigar seems to have unfettered itself from the injurious image of its poor and vastly inferior relative, the acidic Cigarette. Always popular in gentlemen’s clubs, Cigar smoking has been attracting more youthful practitioners recently. Experts believe that the Cigar’s suave image makes it all more attractive to the younger men (and also women).
According to Iian Crawford, the author of ‘The Havana Cigar’, a bible for any serious Cigar enthusiast, a Cigar greenhorn should choose a brand that fits his own particular style. While this is good advice, Crawford approach is rather literal: for example, he suggests that if you have a long thin face you should avoid fat Cigars, and vice-versa. A more realistic approach is to begin by buying a selection of different Cigars- a good Havana can be had for around $15 -$20 and simply try several until you find one that suits your palette and personality. A diffident Romeo Y Julieta number One might be a good starting point. At five and a half inches, it is neither too large and nor too aromatic and has a distinct taste of burnt wood smoke – a perfect after-dinner Cigar. But whichever brand you decide to try, it’s wise to avoid Cigars that are under-matured. Even the most hardened smoker would find the notorious “green” Cigar intimidating, if not upsetting, so it is not recommended as an introduction for the uninitiated.
Once you’ve found your perfect Cigar, you are then faced with a minefield of Cigar etiquette to navigate. If you thought it was a case of lighting up and puffing away, you’re very much mistaken. Avoid rolling the Cigar next to your ear or running it under your nose. All this will prove is that Cigars sound like desiccated leaves and smell of tobacco. Cutting the end of your Cigar using a special Cigar guillotine is to be recommended. Alternatively, pierce the end with a matchstick; but be warned, this concentrates the Cigar smoke like a jet on to your tongue, with an associated burning sensation that can be very distasteful.
Never bite off the end of your Cigar – this might be fine in an Italian spaghetti Western, but outside of Clint Eastwood territory, few people find it attractive. Most importantly, light your Cigar with a wooden match, rather than with a petrol lighter or a candle, both of which severely impair the flavor. And, once lit, only smoke three quarters of its length; after this, the tobacco oils concentrate in the remaining area of the Cigar and cause a bitterness, which ruins the otherwise mellow taste. Finally, never stub out your Cigar-once half its length has been smoked a Cigar will automatically extinguish itself if left unattended.
There is little that can match the aromatic smell and taste of a good Cigar. For anyone who claims to enjoy tobacco, it is the ultimate in sheer pleasure and good taste.
The Premium Brands…
Dunhill Aged - Mainly due to the increasing difficulty in importing Cigars from Cuba in the late Eighties, Dunhill decided to produce its own brand of Cigar. It uses South American tobacco and the leaves are matured over a number of years. The result is surprisingly, a much milder and nuttier tasting Cigar that lacks the pungent kick found in the stronger blends. Increasingly popular, the Dunhill Aged is the ideal Cigar for smoking during the day or over a light lunch.
Romeo Y Julieta - One of the world’s most popular Cigars, the Romeo Y Julieta is classified as a medium flavored Cigar. Tasting woodier than the Dunhill Aged, there is no mistaking the punch that lurks within it. However, the medium taste is still aromatic and palatable with our being overpowering. A version worth trying is the Romeo y Juliet Fedros, which boasts a sweeter woody flavor thanks to a cedar wrap around the Cigar.
Montecristo - Similar in taste to the Romeo Y Julieta, but slightly stronger. The increase in the Monetecristo’s strength is more pronounced in its most popular version, the Corona No 3. This Cigar has a very definite rich and pungent nutty flavor that lingers on the palette. Probably best enjoyed after a heavy evening meal.
Bolivar - The strongest of all Cigars, the extremely dark leaves used in the Bolivar give it a very strong taste. Too much for many tinge of bitterness and, if you are unaccustomed to it, can quite literary make your head spin.
Cohiba aka Castro- The Rolls Royce of Cigars, the Cohiba is rolled from the choicest leaves of each year’s Cuban tobacco crop. This Cigar only become available in the West because its Castro’s personal brand.
Besides Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey, H. Upmann and José L. Piedra, other good Cuban brands include Belinda, Cuaba, Diplomáticos, El Rey del Mundo, Flor de Cano, Fonseca, Gispert, Guantanamera, Juan López, La Gloria Cubana, Los Statos de Luxe, Por Larrañaga, Punch, Quai d'Orsay, Quintero, Rafael González, Ramón Allones, Reloba, Saint Luis Rey, San Cristóbal de la Habana, Sancho Panza, Trinidad, Troya, Vegas Robaina, Vegueros and many more.
Health Warning - Cigars can be fun but they are as damaging to our Health as Cigarettes or even worse. Think twice before you light one!
Source: websnacker.blogspot.com
Long Live the Entrepreneur Revolution !
My earlier blog on working independently attracted a lot of attention, especially from friends and my “connections”. Once again, I was deluged with excellent comments from both sides. Working professionals usually tend to be very realistic, so I wasn't surprised to hear some say that they'll do whatever it takes to stick to a well paying job, passionately committed to the values and virtues of typical corporate life - to the point where some found it difficult even to imagine working freelance.
And then there were those who think that any notion of "permanence" or "stability" is just an illusion. I know an associate who’s been an independent professional since 2002. But for the past three years, she decided to temporarily take the corporate plunge and work as an Art Director at a Multinational ad agency to align herself with professionals of the Internet age or something like that. Up until January, that is. She is now a victim of the current recessionary corporate lay-offs. And now she’s back on her own, feeling good to be in home country again. She feels having a "real 9 to 5 job" is neither the security cover that it used to be nor working for a "first-class corporation" any security in today's unpredictable economy.
She is mostly right. Years ago when I had just started, a long-term client of my company went bust and I went three whole months without a single project - barely avoiding credit card collection agents at my doorstep and a nervous breakdown. "Get a real job" is what everyone told me, but I held strong and now some of the same people who advised me to get a "real job" are laid off from their "real jobs."
A good friend of mine, a fellow entrepreneur, and the source of much of my work last year, put it differently "It is better to work for yourself for zero hours a day than to work for someone else for 8 hours a day and still eventually get fired." As someone who is still adjusting to the ups and downs of independent work, I ponder that statement almost on a daily basis.
Being independent doesn’t guarantee ‘Easy Money’ though. An other friend is going back to working for someone else after 15 years of self-employment; Yes, 15 long years. I asked him why and he seemed tired of the cash flow roller coaster, for one thing. As his business has grown and more of his clients are now large transnational companies instead of small, the fee per project have also grown but the time and hassle involved in collecting payment had also grown exponentially. He said, he was half tempted to get a job in an accounts department at a big company to just see where all of those multiple copies of invoices that he sent actually went… but the real reason that he wanted to go back to working in a company, he said was that self-employment had become lonely and frustrating. He missed the human interaction; he missed the sparks that come from bouncing ideas off people in a few seconds of time at the copy machine and he missed his ex-wife, a collateral damage of his 15 year solo work life.
Would I still do it? Well, even if the future looks terribly bleak, I wouldn’t check it out, no matter how tempting as the paid benefits may be. Why? Because all of us are contractors (or more precisely, contingent workers) now; it's just that some of us don't yet realize it.
Remember the battle cry of the '90s youth? Yesterday's demonstrators are today's freelancers and gung-ho entrepreneurs (at least in my case). Okay, it's a bit of stretch but still, the subject is freedom - freedom to work with whom I want, when I want (all within reason), freedom to answer the phone stark naked, and freedom from bad bosses. (I guess I am a good boss). The longer I'm at this entrepreneur thing, the harder it is for me to contemplate leaving it for the confines of a corporate cubicle and a fat paycheck. And this is my sixth year at being an entrepreneur, being self-employed and providing meaningful employment to others, and things have never looked better. Storm the barricades! The Entrepreneur revolution continues!!!
And then there were those who think that any notion of "permanence" or "stability" is just an illusion. I know an associate who’s been an independent professional since 2002. But for the past three years, she decided to temporarily take the corporate plunge and work as an Art Director at a Multinational ad agency to align herself with professionals of the Internet age or something like that. Up until January, that is. She is now a victim of the current recessionary corporate lay-offs. And now she’s back on her own, feeling good to be in home country again. She feels having a "real 9 to 5 job" is neither the security cover that it used to be nor working for a "first-class corporation" any security in today's unpredictable economy.
She is mostly right. Years ago when I had just started, a long-term client of my company went bust and I went three whole months without a single project - barely avoiding credit card collection agents at my doorstep and a nervous breakdown. "Get a real job" is what everyone told me, but I held strong and now some of the same people who advised me to get a "real job" are laid off from their "real jobs."
A good friend of mine, a fellow entrepreneur, and the source of much of my work last year, put it differently "It is better to work for yourself for zero hours a day than to work for someone else for 8 hours a day and still eventually get fired." As someone who is still adjusting to the ups and downs of independent work, I ponder that statement almost on a daily basis.
Being independent doesn’t guarantee ‘Easy Money’ though. An other friend is going back to working for someone else after 15 years of self-employment; Yes, 15 long years. I asked him why and he seemed tired of the cash flow roller coaster, for one thing. As his business has grown and more of his clients are now large transnational companies instead of small, the fee per project have also grown but the time and hassle involved in collecting payment had also grown exponentially. He said, he was half tempted to get a job in an accounts department at a big company to just see where all of those multiple copies of invoices that he sent actually went… but the real reason that he wanted to go back to working in a company, he said was that self-employment had become lonely and frustrating. He missed the human interaction; he missed the sparks that come from bouncing ideas off people in a few seconds of time at the copy machine and he missed his ex-wife, a collateral damage of his 15 year solo work life.
Would I still do it? Well, even if the future looks terribly bleak, I wouldn’t check it out, no matter how tempting as the paid benefits may be. Why? Because all of us are contractors (or more precisely, contingent workers) now; it's just that some of us don't yet realize it.
Remember the battle cry of the '90s youth? Yesterday's demonstrators are today's freelancers and gung-ho entrepreneurs (at least in my case). Okay, it's a bit of stretch but still, the subject is freedom - freedom to work with whom I want, when I want (all within reason), freedom to answer the phone stark naked, and freedom from bad bosses. (I guess I am a good boss). The longer I'm at this entrepreneur thing, the harder it is for me to contemplate leaving it for the confines of a corporate cubicle and a fat paycheck. And this is my sixth year at being an entrepreneur, being self-employed and providing meaningful employment to others, and things have never looked better. Storm the barricades! The Entrepreneur revolution continues!!!
Source: websnacker.blogspot.com
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