Mind Soup

It used to be that all you had to attract people to your hotel was build a pool. As tourists evolved, the pool was considered a must. Thus the indoor pool became a standard of luxury. Today, both of those types of pools are anything but impressive. It is this reason that many hotels are spending thousands, if not millions, on their pools in hopes of attracting customers. Check out some of these luxury hotel pools to see what we are talking about. 1 - Crown Towers Hotel in Taipa Island Macau This is a cool infinity pool that looks out over a breathtaking skyline from several stories up. This is definitely a great place to enjoy the sunset in Taipa Island. >> Crown Towers Hotel in Taipa Island Macau 2 - Burj Al Arab in Dubai Leave it to the hotel designer in Dubai to create a pool of this magnitude. It’s just too bad you probably have to own a helicopter to be able to comfortably afford to swim here. >> Burj Al Arab in Dubai 3 - Golden Nugget L...

ok so should i go out now? or maybe not! im sitting cosy and warm in my bed listening to music, ahhh bless the music. i dont know how the end of my day would be if i didnt have this moment of peace, just me and my music. its cold today, has been for the past week. and honestly am just prayin the sun will soon shine and bless us with its warmth. My birthday is in 2 days and i can hardly wait, am so excited, jumping all over the place. yes i will be 20, the big 2 and 0 ahhhhhh (yes yes am squealing hahahaha no pun intended )...... this is just another random rambling on my friends blog. for in essence i am a writer, i am an author of life, and i write down what i observe. one thing i observed today, unhappiness. I am a genuinely happy person with mood swings every now and then, but i observe genuinely unhappy ppl with glimpses of happiness every now and then, am i not the normal one here? or am i just escaping reality. am thinking that i should focus more on my studies and im tryin to ba...

Maybe you've eaten too fast. Or perhaps you've had a carbonated beverage and it's fizzing away in your stomach. For whatever reason, you suddenly experience a gulping sensation as you take breath in. Congratulations, you have the hiccups. Hiccups are a result of irritation of the diaphragmatic muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen, and is part of what makes your lungs expand. As you inhale, the diaphragm opens up, stretching across your chest, then relaxes as you exhale. When irritated, the muscle goes into sudden spasms, or hiccups, which usually last only a few minutes. Any session lasting 24 hours or more, should be investigated by a doctor, as you may have an underlying condition that needs attention. How do you get rid of hiccups? Everybody has a cure, whether it's a good scare, swallowing a spoon of sugar, or holding your nose while sipping water. But do any of these cures work? Oddly enough, scientists say that some will serve to interrupt the spas...

When she is your mother. Just ask Jack Nicholson. While preparing a story on the star of Chinatown, which was just being released, a Time reporter called him in June of 1974 to confirm some family facts. Was it true that his sister June, was in fact his mother? And that his father lived in New Jersey? Nicholson was stunned. The 37-year old actor had grown up thinking that June, 17 years his senior, was his sister. She was actually his mother, and Jack was the illegitimate child she had as a teenager. His grandparents raised him as their own, and neither his birth mother, nor his grandparents/parents, gave away her secret, even on their deathbeds. The truth was verified the same year, by his aunt Lorraine, June's sister. He's not the only star to discover a re-arrangement of the family tree. Singer Bobby Darin, who at 32-years of age in 1968 was considering a career in politics, got a similar shock when his sister confessed that she was in fact, his mother. Knowing that politi...

Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska is investigating the mysterious birth of a shark to a virgin mother shark. Three female sharks live in a tank at the zoo and neither have ever been close to a male bonnethead shark since they arrived as pups. DNA test are being completed to find out which one of the sharks is the mother and possibly an answer to who the father is.

The sky was blue, Blue as could be… The sun shinning brightly! Painfully warm… Over the distance, I could hear the birds, Crooning loudly, As if just for me, But still, Painfully noisy… I could smell the roses, Their aroma so dense… As if I were in the middle of meadow… Their scent, Painfully smothering… I could hear voices, Children crying, Adults talking, arguing, Cars honking irritably, Dogs barking continuously… Their voices & noises were, Painfully close & sharp… I could feel the wind, It was picking up the dust, Heavy with it, And stirring it around me… Painfully provoking… Yet, With all those distractions, I could still smell it, I knew soon, It would fall!! It would shower me. Wash me. Bless me… Soon, It would cleanse everything, Would make everything clean… For a few second, Everything would just be… Fresh, proper, and new… The rain… It would be able to, Extinguish the sizzling heat from the sun’s warmth, Extinguish the noise from the birds’ chipper, Extinguish the dar...

So I thought people who read my blog have gotten pretty bored from all the news and other stuff (A) so I'll start with my first blog entry. So, this semester I registered for this stupid course as an elective which is basically introduces how to use a computer to computer-illiterate people (business, nutrition, economics and chemistry majors). I'm sure I can Ace this course during my sleep!!!!! The first time I went to class, I was this close from DYING out of boredom. During the first lecture, the teacher was telling the class what a mouse and a keyboard is, and what's the difference between a hard disk and a CD-ROM (which is like first grade information). Ironically, as I sat in the back, I started studying the people in the class, and most of them were taking notes.. AGHHH!!!! I mean SERIOUSLY? And then this guy started asking questions after he got confused whether a printer in an output or input device. The next class, the teacher was explaining to her toddler studen...

I saw this on a friend's facebook page and I wanted to share this with all of you: I was talking to the 8 year-old daughter of a friend of mine, and she said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents are liberal Democrats so I asked her, "If you were President what's the first thing you would do?" She replied, "I'd give food and houses to the homeless people." "Wow - what a wonderful goal," I told her. "But you don't have to wait until you're President. You can come over to my house and mow the grass, pull weeds, and rake my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food or a new house." She thought that over for a few seconds and with perfect 8 year old logic said, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work himself, and you can just pay him the $50?" And I said, "We...

Heart, Through the Soul that binds, And the love that grows stronger, A kiss lingers and makes the desire only greater, To find that the heart has a mind of its own. Now, emerging from deep within the chambers of this heart, Is a desire I never knew. A desire that burns savagely making me realize your love is true. Deep within your eyes, There lay a story untold, A sparkle to hold this passion; And never does unfold. Aurore M.

LONDON (Reuters) - Gamers beware: Keeping too tight a grip on the console and furiously pushing the buttons can cause a newly identified skin disorder marked by painful lumps on the palms, Swiss scientists said Tuesday. Called "PlayStation palmar hidradentitis" by the scientists, the skin disorder can cause painful lesions on the palms similar to patches found on the soles of children's feet after taking part in heavy physical activity, they said. "The tight and continuous grasping of the hand-grips together with repeated pushing of the buttons produce minor but continuous trauma to the (palm) surfaces," Vincent Piguet and colleagues at University Hospitals and Medical School of Geneva reported in the British Journal of Dermatology. A spokesman for Sony Corp, which makes the PlayStation, noted the study involved one person and said the company had sold hundreds of millions of the consoles since the product was introduced in 1995. ...

(AGI) - Washington, 24 Feb. – Just over a month after taking office on January 20, Barack Obama soars in the polls, with between 60 and 70pct of people approving of him. In particular, according to the surveys commissioned by 'Abc' and 'The Washington Post', 68pct of the interviewed approve of the steps taken so far by the new US president. According to a 'Cbs News' and 'The New York Times' poll the rate of approval is lower but still a very good 63pct. In '81 Ronald Reagan after one month in the white house scored 68pct approval, George Bush Senior scored even higher than that. The difference between Obama's popularity and that of his predecessor George W. Bush registered in the last month of his term is considerable though: a mere 33pct for Bush. The results of the surveys are even better for Obama considering the current financial crisis: according to the second poll, 75pct of the sample is optimistic about the economic performance in the comi...

Although politicians frequently say “you can’t govern by polls,” who’s going to discard good polling results? And even when you say you don’t care (usually when your poll numbers are bad), you find a way to spin it. When Rod Blagojevich was asked about his stunningly awful four-percent approval rating, he countered that he’d actually seen one poll that had him in the low 20s – a marked improvement. Blago’s numbers are a far cry from another Illinois politician. Namely, the new POTUS. Average Joe President Obama goes into tonight’s big speech with a 68 percent approval rating, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll. Great numbers? Average, for this point in a presidency. Here’s a comparison of presidential approval ratings taken in February of their first year as president. Bush 43 (2/25/01): 55 percent Clinton (2/23/93): 63 percent Bush 41 (2/14/89): 76 percent Reagan (2/20/81): 68 percent Carter (2/21/77): 71 percent Nixon (2/25/69): 60 percent Kennedy (2/15/61)...

This isnt a poem, no, this isnt a confession, hell no. this is a part of me, a part of my thinking. and am thinking this is where my life begins. maybe not this blog, but this is a point where i can feel my fingers in contact with the hard keys on my laptop, and am feeling cold. but am determined. and i feel like i am ME, for th emoment, and i knw in awhile i will slip away and back to not being me, but tryin to understand me. but at this moment it is perfect clarity. i know who i am, what i want, and where i am most importantly integrated in this never ending struggle we call life. wen we look around, and picture everythin we see everythin very clear and right. and am thinkin where am i ? where do i stand? yes yes , this IS where my life begins. no am not lost, and probbaly no one is readin this, but i have decided to take things into my own hands and work on it. ive decided to vent out here...and u know wht , i will stop...i already feel better, and i wnt to preserve this moment for...

Benjamin Bolger approaches his education the way some people approach a buffet at a restaurant: why settle for one dish when you can get some of everything? Bolger, 32, donned a cap and gown at Harvard University on June 5th to receive his 11th graduate degree, and his first doctorate. A 1994 graduate of the University of Michigan, Bolger's studies range from general liberal arts to more specialized fields such as real estate. He has received degrees from Columbia, Harvard, Brown and Dartmouth and is currently studying at two more Ivy League schools, Penn and Cornell. And even with 11 degrees under his belt, Bolger is working on an additional five. Neither the Guinness Book of World Records, the Council of Graduate Schools nor the American Council on Education keep track of degrees earned in higher education, and none could verify if Bolger has set a record for most degrees. Still, none had ever heard of anyone earning more than him. What makes his achievements even more ...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah woman listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for her long fingernails has lost them in a car crash. Lee Redmond of Salt Lake City sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the accident Tuesday, the Deseret News reported. Redmond's nails, which hadn't been cut since 1979, were broken in the crash. According to the Guinness website, her nails measured a total of more than 28 feet long in 2008, with the longest nail on her right thumb at 2 feet, 11 inches. Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson says Redmond was ejected from an SUV in the crash and taken to the hospital in serious condition.

You come every once in a while, Turning my life around. We sit and talk as if we are two different people. And that fact tears me apart, I manage to understand. And all is well until the last touch, When you are ready to leave. You hold me closer to you, hugging me tightly. And you evoke the hurt. And tears surface in my eyes. You embrace me, and I you, knowing that is all we will ever share now. That is all I will get. This last embrace and my tears that threaten to run free. The pain and the fear, confusion and dread, mean nothing to me. Because I do know that there can’t nor will there be any more. Now we come together as mere friends. Nothing more, nothing less. When there were no others to separate us, Our love was one, you were me and I was you. Just the two of us sharing moments across time. Now we part, as strangers at heart, friends in life. How could we ever be? We have shared a life together, stolen moments, hurried kisses. But my heart you broke, A time you erased. A time, ...

The gates slowly Descend, It cant be.. And they open, for one moment. For one time. Your hand touches mine, and I look your way. You smile and I think, I pray, I feel. I close my eyes and let my body speak. Am floating in air now, I guess this is my liminal zone, The eroticism your touch evokes, This is where you lose control, Where sanity becomes a lie. And our insanity the truth. The gates are still open, They’re slowly closing, Hurry float faster. If we make it, we would live in eachothers worlds, But if me left you behind, I would die. And if you left me behind, I would die. Must be nice, Security, stability, love. Don’t go away, we will make it through. Tread upon those carved signs in the clouds, Yes yes, those. Slowly, so that you don’t fall right through. Learn patience, it pays off. Let your heart calm down, Your body unwind. Don’t lose it all, keep collected. The gates are closing. They were open for a moment. But only for that moment, Hurry, I cannot afford another lifetime ...

The makers of hit sitcom Desperate Housewives are reportedly planning a same sex kissing scene between Eva Longoria and Teri Hatcher, in a bid to keep viewers hooked to the show, after the exit of Nicollette Sheridan. Nicollette Sheridan, who plays Wisteria Lane’s resident man-eater Edie Britt, will have her role terminated in the forthcoming season of the show. Thus, the bosses are planning a same sex kissing between Eva Longoria and Teri Hatcher to retain their viewers. “I don’t think a kiss between Eva and Teri’s characters could be ruled out, especially if it keeps people interested in the show,” a source telling Celebuzz.com was quoted.

Nicollette Sheridan, who plays Wisteria Lane's resident man-eater Edie Britt in Desperate Housewives, will be killed off during a dramatic finale of hit show, according to reports. Studio bosses are making sure that the stunner's exit from the show is permanent, and so they have reportedly written her out of the programme, reports Contactmusic. Buzz surrounding Sheridan's departure have been rampant for two years, following a storyline in which her character appeared to commit suicide. A source tells America's Us Weekly magazine, "They are killing her off. There is no chance she'll return." Another source adds, "There are no hard feelings - it wasn't a dramatic decision." Sheridan has been with the show since it debuted in 2004.

BEIRUT: A proposed reduction in the minimum voting age will not be in place in time for this summer's keenly contested parliamentary elections even if the change is adopted by Parliament next month, electoral reform campaigners have said. Speaker Nabih Berri has proposed a parliamentary session to decide on whether the voting age should be reduced from 21 to 18. But electoral reform activists say that if it is passed by Parliament, the change will only be adopted after the voter lists for this summer's poll have been finalized, leaving thousands of 18- to 21-year-olds unable to take part in the election despite having the legal right to vote. Nadine Farghal, coordinator and legal consultant of the Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform, told The Daily Star that the changes would come too late for this year's crucial poll and expressed "regret" that the issue has been raised so close to the deadline for the voter lists to be finalized. "The Parliament will discus...

Heath Ledger has become the second posthumous winner of an acting Academy Award by winning the supporting actor category for his performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January last year. It was the seventh posthumous acting nomination. His family, father Kim Ledger, mother Sally Bell and sister Kate Ledger, accepted the award on his behalf. All three spoke. His father, Kim, said the award was ‘’humbling’’ and he thanked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the film’s studio, Warner Bros, the film’s director Christopher Nolan and his agent, Steve Alexander. ‘’This award tonight would have humbly validated Heath’s quiet determination to be accepted by you all here, his peers,’’ he said. His mother said Heath was ‘’a generous and compassionate soul.’’ ‘’Tonight we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he has achieved,’’ she added. Kate revealed on stage she had spoken to her brother about the possibilit...

"The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Each chapter of Jamal's increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show's seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doi...

Keyboards come in many shapes - from the simplest computer grey $9.99 standard 102-key keyboard to variants that seem to come straight out of a Star Trek episode. Here’s our Top 10 list of the weirdest keyboards ever. 10. Roll-up keyboard This keyboard has the same measurements as a standard 102-key keyboard, but there’s a big difference. You can roll this one up and put it in your pocket. Nice. 9. The wrist keyboard This one might be useful if you’re in the need to type stuff while doing practical work in tough climates - but if you would wear this keyboard at the office, you might be considered a bit geeky. 8. Maltron 3D Ergonomic Keyboard Things are starting to get a bit more weird, ey? Getting used to this keyboard isn’t something you’ll do in 10 minutes or so - it will take a while for sure. But if you have medical problems with your hands, this might be a good choice since it’s a very ergonomic keyboard. It looks very weird though! 7. The SafeType keyboard Just ...

Look at me, Don’t I look harmless? Don’t I look vulnerable? Look at me!!! Don’t I look sweet? Sitting there, In front of you, On the ground, My hair covering my face, My face cast towards the floor, I looked at you through watery eyes, And you knew I blew the cover off again, Off of one of your lies.. My cheeks smudged with what’s left, Of my make up, anger, love, pride, trust, & foolishness? Somehow, I always end up there.. Broken… With another scar to bear. My mind twitching with raging thoughts, My mouth holding back words unspoken.. I feel like screaming. Till I loose control, Till I loose my breathe, Till I lay on the floor, All pink and blue, But you’re still just standing there, Like you got no clue!! We’ve danced to this song, So many times before, I’m always right there.. Never have I closed the door.. We always seem to be sitting, Enjoying ourselves, And that song seems to come out of nowhere, And you always seem to seize every chance, To pull me up & in, to dance.. A...

What's the ideal gift for a basketball-obsessed president? Try a size 23 sneaker personally autographed by Shaquille O'Neal. The Phoenix Suns center couldn't be around himself when President Barack Obama arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport Tuesday afternoon. So when the president stepped off of Air Force One, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's son Jake made the presentation at the foot of the stairs. The orange-and-white sneaker made a big impression. Obama set it on the ground next to his own, much smaller shoe, and grinned as photographers captured the moment. Then Obama scooped it up and took it with him as he stepped into the presidential limo. In Sunday's NBA All-Star game, O'Neal shared MVP honors with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.

You’re different. It’s weird. I’m scared/hopeful. I’m different. It’s not so weird. You are hopeful/scared. But we verbally outlined. Verbally sketched. Verbally agreed. We created a base. A guideline. We created understanding. We’re free. We’re not fixed. We’re not defined. It’s you. It’s me. It’s us. But we are also not different. That’s why it not so weird. We understand. We see the same things. We see things the same way. We don’t force. We’re free. We try. But most importantly we understand. It’s you. It’s me. But we’re us. We’re different together. But we’re not so weird for each other.

A little something I wrote for my creative writing class last semester. Hope you enjoy it. Beep Beep The alarm clock goes off. I didn’t want to wake up, I wish I hadn’t. It was very strange, everything was black and white. Was I going blind? I tried to go back to sleep, but that didn’t seem to work. Sleeping somewhere cold, trying to figure out what was happening, I heard a sudden chuckle. Foolish boy, this is your past you have lived to regret it you are doomed to live it again you are stuck here you cannot escape. I open my eyes, absolute darkness, this feeling wasn’t new, darkness is a part of who I am and it has been for ever. I always wondered what was wrong with me. Still in black and white, I relived every mistake I have made, every incorrect decision every wrong turn. A million thoughts of the sins I’ve sinned rushed through my mind like the blowing wind. Shattered lives, ravaged souls, mangled hearts. I am a slave, a slave of my daunting past, it’s taking over me and I can’t b...

I Can feel his chubby fingers. I see his toothless smile as he looks at me. A giggle escapes me, and I look at my mother and tell her “ Mum, he looks funny!” . He frowns at me, only to start smiling again this time grabbing my finger closer to his mouth. I think he’s hungry, otherwise my baby brother is the monster my friends were talking about. Why are babies so small anyways. They can’t talk, so how will I ever understand him. He cannot stand up; he’s always sleeping, what is the use of a baby brother if I can’t play with him. Mum!!! you told me he would play with me. I can see water in his eyes. My brother has water eyes. I think I like him. Mum walks out of the room, I am alone with him. I look at him, touch his blonde hair, poke his nose. He is cute. But I can make him cuter.... I Leave bed and walk to where mum always sits in the morning, I climb her high chair. I MADE IT!! I can smell Roses, Like Mum.I want the red crayon she uses on her mouth. She looks oh so very pretty when...

And so the journey continues, I wake up yet again and smile brightly whilst looking out my vast window. How can I not remember, how can I not feel at home. I miss those lazy Friday morning when I would wake up a bit late, Just because it’s the last day of my weekend. I also miss Wednesday evenings after school, and Thursday mornings on the beach, Only later to crown it with a night outing that would blow your mind away . Do you remember what it felt like, Friday nights, before the first school day for that coming week. The insomnia that would suddenly hit me. The giggles I would suddenly get in the middle of the night. How I long for THAT kind of insomnia. Just cause am excited, not cause am worried. Anyway it doesn’t matter anymore, I’m in 2009 now. Those years I talk about have gone and past. I yearn for them Then again im in the second month of 2009, and up until now it seems like a very promising year. Beirut, i am here, i am now, few hours and I would walk on your beautiful ground...

Never, quite possibly, in the history of the American cinema has a bigger, baggier monster been brought to birth and flourishing -- thirteen Academy Award nominations! -- from a more nugatory source than The Curious Case of Benjamin Button . Scott Fitzgerald's short story of 1920 is the slightest of jeux d'esprit , an avowed "experiment" based on Mark Twain's observation that it is a pity that the best part of life comes first and the worst last. To Fitzgerald, this proved the excuse for a joke, and a very slight one. In my edition of his short stories, the editor, Matthew Bruccoli, apologizes for that slightness by writing that, as he and (presumably) Fitzgerald see it, "the challenge of fantasy is to make impossible events convincing." Not anymore it isn't! It's simply to revel in the fantasy and convincing be damned -- which I, for one, don't call much of a challenge. It should not be surprising, then, that o...

For the first time in her career, Carrie Underwood will compete for the top prize of country music, entertainer of the year, at the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The ceremony will air live from Las Vegas on April 5 on CBS. McEntire, who was raised in Chockie, will host the show for the 11th time. Historically, female artists rarely have won or been nominated for entertainer of the year. The Dixie Chicks were the last women to win the honor in 2000. If Underwood wins, she will be just the seventh female artist to do so. Underwood, who took home a Grammy for best country vocals for "Last Name", also is nominated for top female vocalist, a title she has won the past two years, and video of the year for "Just a Dream.” "I am so humbled and blessed with the recognition of these nominations by my fellow artists and the country music community,” Underwood said in a statement. "My band, crew, and everyone on my team have worked so hard the past ye...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The first picture of a bruised and bloodied Rihanna after her alleged assault by singer Chris Brown has surfaced on the Internet, prompting an investigation by Los Angeles police into how it was leaked. Celebrity website TMZ.com said its photo of the Barbados-born singer, who turned 21 on Friday, was taken after she was beaten on February 8 after leaving a pre-Grammy Awards party with R&B star Brown, her boyfriend of more than a year. It shows the "Umbrella" singer with her eyes closed and her lower lip bloodied and swollen. There are also bruises and blood streaks on her cheek and two long, thin marks on her forehead. "At the request of the authorities, Rihanna is not commenting about the incident involving Chris Brown," her representatives said in a statement on Friday. "She wants to assure her fans that she remains strong, is doing well, and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support she has received d...

All I Ever Wanted is the upcoming fourth studio album by American pop-singer Kelly Clarkson, due for a March 10, 2009 release according to her official website. Clarkson has stated that she is working on a new album, and worked with producer and OneRepublic front man, Ryan Tedder . Tedder told Digital Spy that Clarkson's new songs will feature "big choruses" and "heavy drum programming", and he mentioned that the songs are influenced by the band Garbage, while one song, "Save You", will feature an experimental bridge that was inspired by Mozart. Kelly has also stated in a recent interview with PopEater that one song co-written with Tedder, "If I Can't Have You" is "like The Eurythmics meets The Killers" and described the track "Cry" as "a waltz" saying it was heavily influenced by country music and calling it the most personal song on the album, adding that it's about betrayal. There are several songs...

So we thought we'd bring you what the best of film critics predicted for this year's academy awards, airing tonight. And here it goes: Best Film Slumdog Millionaire – This low-budget, word-of-mouth crowd-pleaser has unstoppable momentum. Best Director Danny Boyle – Completing a hat-trick after he snagged a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. Best Actor Mickey Rourke – The on- and off-screen grappler has been working the publicity circuit hard to get his performance of a lifetime the reward he thinks it merits. Best Supporting Actor Heath Ledger – People's favourite The Dark Knight was largely overlooked by the Academy, but Ledger's startling, ineffable turn as the Joker will garner the sympathy vote Best Actress Kate Winslet – As she said in Extras: "If you do a film about the Holoucaust, you're guaranteed an Oscar. Best Supporting Actress Taraji P. Henson – A sop to one of the few non-mediocre performances in David F...

So today I figured I'd add some authors to help me with this blog, and maybe give my blog some objectivity. Introducing my friends, the three new members of the Mind Soup team: Elie: the gossiper .. music, movies, tv shows and everything in between. Aurore: the poet.. she's gonna ramble on about whatever she likes.. (bear with her) Jil: my roommate, also wants to be a gossiper.. lol Samar: the writer, balancing all the gossip in here.. Welcome to MIND SOUP .

A giant rat with one-inch-long teeth has been caught in the southern Chinese province of Fujian. The rat, which weighed six pounds and had a 12-inch tail, was caught at the weekend in a residential area of Fuzhou, a city of six million people on China's south coast. The ratcatcher, who was only named as Mr Xian, said he swooped for the rodent after seeing a big crowd of people surrounding it on the street. He told local Chinese newspapers that he thought the rat might be a valuable specimen, or a rare species, and had to muster up his courage before grabbing its tail and picking it up by the scruff of its neck. "I did it, I caught a rat the size of a cat!" he shouted out afterwards, according to the reports. Mr Xian is believed to still be in possession of the animal, after stuffing into a bag and departing the scene. The local forestry unit in the city identified the nightmarish creature as a bamboo rat from initial photographs, but said that it would nee...

HIS ear hair is 25cm long and still growing but Indian grocer Radhakant Baijpai has no intention of trimming it. “I am sure that no one in the world has ear-hair longer than mine and my hair is almost double the length of the first record I set in 2003. Officially recognised by Guinness in 2003 as having the longest ear hair in the world, Radhakant has carefully coifed his ear-folicles from 13.2cm to their current ear-itching length. Considered by Radhakant, 58, to be symbol of luck and prosperity, his incredible ear-hair has been growing since he was 18 and more importantly has never been cut. Maintained by a specially prepared blend of herbal shampoo, Radhakant has so far resisted the pleas of his long suffering wife to cut it off. Radhakant, from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, said: “She has always been asking me to cut my ear-hair, but since the official record was confirmed by Guinness, she has allowed me to keep it because it is a source ...

A fantastic new brand of cigarette has been released that makes giving up that dirty habit a damned sight easier! Our volunteer shown in the video demonstrates the absolute effectiveness of these new 'smokes' that remind you THAT SMOKING IS DANGEROUS AND BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH !!! Self proclaimed tobacco specialist Mr Benjamavincent Thomsonion says "Smoking is quite simply 'Habit' and that's what we humans do best - act habitually!, these new cigarettes are loaded with a surprise to make your habit unenjoyable and embarrassing, a bit like shitting yourself on a bus." Look out for these new smokes coming to a newsagent near you soon.

Mother Sushma holds her daughter Lali at their residence in Saini Sunpura, 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of New Delhi, India. The baby with two faces, two noses, two pairs of lips and two pairs of eyes was born on March 11 in a northern Indian village, where she is doing well and is being worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess, her father said. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)

Pakistani Sunni Muslims devotees return back to their homes on a packed train after attending annual religious congregation in Multan, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Khalid Tanveer)

WASHINGTON - An odd, greenish backward-flying comet is zipping by Earth this month, as it takes its only trip toward the sun from the farthest edges of the solar system. The comet is called Lulin, and there's a chance it can be seen with the naked eye - far from city lights, astronomers say. But you'll most likely need a telescope, or at least binoculars, to spot it. The best opportunity is just before dawn one-third of the way up the southern sky. It should be near Saturn and two bright stars, Spica and Regula. On Monday at 10:43 p.m. EST, it will be 61 million kilometres from Earth, the closest it will ever get, according to Donald Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near Earth Object program. The story behind the comet is more intriguing than its appearance - the greenish tinge may be hard for many to discern. The colour comes from a type of carbon and cyanogen, a poisonous gas. Lulin was discovered by a Chinese teenager two years ago. It still has many of its original gases - ga...

Every Sunday, I will be posting one of my favorite music videos for you to enjoy while browsing through my blog. This week, the video that I chose is Boston by Augustana. Augustana - Boston by DanaOHara

BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) – An infant boy was married off to his neighbors' dog in eastern India by villagers, who said it will stop the groom from being killed by wild animals , officials and witnesses said on Wednesday. Around 150 tribespeople performed the ritual recently in a hamlet in the state of Orissa's Jajpur district after the boy, who is under two years old, grew a tooth on his upper gum. The Munda tribe see such a growth in young children as a bad omen and believe it makes them prone to attacks by tigers and other animals. The tribal god will bless the child and ward off evil spirits after the marriage. "We performed the marriage because it will overcome any curse that might fall on the child as well on us," the boy's father, Sanarumala Munda, ...

SEOUL, Feb 21 – A South Korean woman who has failed the driver's exam 775 times is not about give up on her hope of buying a truck one day to go into her own business, whether other drivers want her on the road or not. Cha Sa-soon, 68, has been trying since 2005 to pass the written portion of the test to get a licence, but she has so far failed to get the 60 percent required to clear it. "I've looked up some guidebooks to get a driver's licence, and they were saying it takes at most five years to get this," Cha said in North Jeolla province, where farmers on tractors or cows can be just as common on country roads as motor vehicles. "It's already been four years, so I might pass the test next time. That's what I hope for." Driving schools in South Korea offer courses to enable applicants to walk away with a licence in a week. Cha has not been fortunate enough to set foot in...

A 10 year old parrot in Sweden uses the toilet to do his buisness. Emil, the jako parrot, has been potty trained since he was four months old, he can now use the toilet without soiling the carpets or furniture.

A US patrol officer stopped a car for suspicious driving and found to his surprise that a drunk mother had let her one-year-old son take the wheel, the Ohio state police department said. Marya Green, 29, of Goshen Township, near Cincinnati, was arrested late on Tuesday and found to have a 0.11 per cent blood alcohol level - well above the 0.08 per cent legal limit, said the town’s police department spokeswoman Mandy Storer. Her licence already suspended for a previous drink-driving offence, Green had put her infant son behind the steering wheel, while two other children aged eight and five were also travelling in the car, she added. “Let’s be honest, a one-year-old child doesn’t have the skill to drive a car. We all know that,” Storer said. “But he was riding, the hands were on the wheel. She was allowing him to steer.” It was Green’s third drink-driving offence in six years, she said. AFP