DRAMA-MOVIE ADDICTS – how to become one

“Phew Ma, do you know that Wilson refused treatment?” my eldest greeted me as I entered his room yesterday. 

Immediately I knew he was talking about "that" Wilson. (House M.D. "Holding On" Season 8 Episode 21).

Wilson who is the head of the Department of Oncology at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital is being diagnosed with cancer with a projected five months to live. 

Having watched the transformation of hundreds of dying patients, Wilson tells House he's not going to do anymore chemo; he would much prefer to have five healthy months than a year or so laid up in a hospital room suffering terribly.  

House series is finally coming to an end this week.

Last week my 2^nd son came home for the weekend and as soon as he saw me “Ma, Rowling is going to launch a new book this September – The Casual Vacancy.., I asked him why the sulky expression on his face, “Ooo that means no more Harry Potter, I sure am going to miss him, I kinda grew up with him you know” came his serious reply!


Details of Rowlings new novel, The Casual Vacancy were released by her publisher. The new book, to be published worldwide on 27 September including ebook and audio formats, begins with the unexpected death of Barry Fairweather, whose demise in his early 40s leaves a space on the parish council. 

And just two days ago my daughter came to me with red swollen eyes.

What happened, now who else got shot and died, or was it that old lady with cancer? Anyway, why are you so unhappy, I asked giggling at her.  

“Desperate Housewives has ended, I don't care who died, it is the end of the series that saddened me; I am really going to miss Gabby and the gang” was her reply.

 

Over the years ever since my kids were little I am forced to blend in and keep up with many of their favourites, even sing and dance to the tunes of Teletubbies, Barney and Friends, Barbie, Doraemon, Power Puff Girls, Dragon Ball etc.

 

Who says being a mother is easy?

THE HUNGER GAMES – Against all odds

"Those who haven’t read the book are flocking to read it and those who have read it are flocking to go see it". More.

“The Hunger Games” is a movie that was created from a novel by Suzanne Collins. 

After writing the novel, Collins signed a six-figure deal for three books with Scholastic in 2006.  

By February 11, 2010, The Hunger Games had sold 800,000  copies and 26 foreign editions. Rights to the novel have been sold in 38 territories, and there are over 2.9 million copies in print. The book is a USA Today and The New York Times Best Seller.


The film currently holds the record for the third best opening weekend box office sales of any movie ($152.5 million) in North America behind The Dark Knight ($158 million) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 ($169 million) and the biggest for a non-sequel.


Two days after the film was released, it became Lionsgate's highest grossing film ever. More.

THE HUNGER GAMES ADVENTURES

A social network game called The Hunger Games Adventures was released for Facebook to coincide with the film's release. It is a role-playing video game developed by Lionsgate in coalition with Funtactix. 


STORY PLOT
As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one remains.

Shocked youngsters 'are walking out of The Hunger Games' as experts demand film's certificate is raised to 15

Psychologists, child health professionals and parents yesterday joined calls for The Hunger Games to have its rating raised to a 15 because of its violent content.


Children who see the controversial film are at risk of having its disturbing scenes ‘hard-wired’ into their brains, one expert warned.




One mother said: ‘The fact that you actually see kids killing other kids is something I would not want a 12-year-old to watch.’ More here.

GAME OF THRONES - Season 2 airing 1st April 2012

Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series based on George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels. 


The long awaited second season is scheduled to begin airing in the U.S. on HBO on April 1, 2012.

The first season primary locations being the Paint Hall Studio in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and the city of Mdina, Malta. 

For the second season, the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, was used instead of Malta for scenes in King's Landing and elsewhere. 


 
Scenes set North of the Wall were filmed in Iceland, on the Vatnajökull glacier, in November 2011.

STORY PLOT

Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Political and sexual intrigue is pervasive. Amidst the war and political confusion, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and icy horrors beyond.

AWARDS : here

The Moon that Embraces the Sun

Update:

On March 15th, 2012, MBC Wednesday and Thursday drama series The Moon Embracing The Sun rang down the curtain with viewership ratings of 42.2%. The highest single minute ratings of the day even hit as high as 48.1%. 

Although the audience had already guessed the ending through the original novel of the same name, but people was still concerned about the tension development of the plot, until the last moment. The Moon that Embrace the Sun had been broke in in full fury since debut.

cr:asian-drama.org 

The South Korean MBC TV historical television series  The Moon that Embraces the Sun recently was exported to 7 Asian countries -Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia - the TV series that fetches the highest price in the history of South Korea’s per episode export price. 


This Hit series also caused the share prices of many companies involved in the production to rise sharply.  Source MyDaily 

STORY PLOT

The story of the love shared between Lee Hwon (a fictional king of Joseon) and Wol (a female shaman) is based on the novel by Jeong Eun Gwol. Yeon Woo (Wol), born from a noble family was selected to become the Crown Princess of Joseon, until the Dowager Queen plotted against her (political conspiracy) and secretly ordered her death.


 

With the help of the powerful head shaman, Yeon Woo was given a medicine to fake her death; all including Lee Hwon the Crown Prince she was to marry, believed her to be dead. Yeon-woo awaken in her grave six feet under - the shock and trauma robbed her of all past memories. She was secretly shipped away and lived as a shaman under the care of Jong Nok Young, the head shaman. 

 

Years later Yeon Woo returns as shaman Wol. Lee Hwon notices her close resemblance to his 13yr old deceased Crown Princess. “He’s mistaken her for someone else (Yeon Woo), or that his longing for her has created such illusions and heartache”. Wol, having no memory of her past, firmly denies that she is Yeon Woo.

 

Confused, suspicious yet doubtful, Lee Hwon secretly begins investigations to find out the truth of the princess’s death eight years ago and broke down hysterically when he finally discovered the true identity of Shaman Wol.

  
 
 
Superb and exceptionally outstanding performances by these beautiful Korean actresses........

                        
                    


Aja aja Fighting!



Han Ga In as Heo Yeon Woo / Wol
Kim Yoo Jung as Yeon Woo (13 years old)
Kim Min Seo as Yoon Bo Kyung
Kim So Hyun as young Bo Kyung
Jun Mi Sun as Jang Nok Young
Bae Noo Ri as Jan Shil
Jo Min Ah as young Jan Shil
Kim Young Ae as Queen Dowager Jung Hui
Nam Bo Ra as Princess Min Hwa
Jin Ji Hee as young Princess Min Hwa
Yoon Seung Ah as Seol
Suh Ji Hee as young Seol

New 7 Wonders of the Nature – Jeju Island, South Korea. Lie to Me.

A poll was organized by Swiss foundation New7Wonders (N7W) where world citizens were asked to put forward sites which they deemed are natural wonders.

It began in 2007 when more than 440 locations were nominated in more than 220 countries through a global voting process. The top 77 choices were short listed, and further narrowed to 28 candidates. On November 11^th 2011, seven finalists have been announced, and one of the seven selected is Jeju Island, South Korea.

Jeju Island (here) 

The island was created entirely from volcanic eruptions approximately 2 million years ago, during the time period from the Tertiary to the beginning of the Quaternary period, and consists chiefly of basalt and lava. The eruptions took place in the Cenozoic era. It has a humid subtropical climate, warmer than that of the rest of Korea, with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool and dry while summers are hot, humid, and sometimes rainy.

‘Lie to Me’, a 16 episode Korean romantic love- comedy Television mini series – super rich boy poor girl suspense. The President of World Group of Hotels, Hyeon Gi Jun, in his pursuit to woo the heart and trust of his new love, followed her to Jeju Island.

In the 11^th episode, The Republic of South Korea Ministry of Culture Officer, Gong Ah Jeong was sent to the Island to promote and lure the Judges to vote for Jeju Island. And the series finale also takes us back to Jeju Island. 

Gong Ah Jeong summarises Jeju island in one word, 

 ‘MOTHER’. 

Women from this island, dive into the seas to fish for the abalone, Jeju Island’s delicacy. Many of these women divers perished underwater. Despite the known dangers they still continue to dive for the abalones. The endless sacrifices mothers make to raise their children. 

The Plentiful 3 - the 3 most common things in Jeju Island, the wind, rocks and women.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries - 10million wedding of the year ended after 72days?

FilmMagic; 

Albert Michael/Startraks

 

Queen of bling! Kim Kardashian's beau Kris Humphries pops the question with a '$2million ring'

 

 Credit: Albert Michael/startraksphoto.com

“She took my breath away,” Kris said of his bride.

“She was so shockingly beautiful.”

 Kim Kardashian Divorce:

10 Signs the Marriage Was One Big Hoax All Along. here

Schools and our Kids – Nik Nur Madihah 20A Silent Tears - Waiting for Superman

A heart warming and inspiring story of a teenage girl who has risen from the depths of poverty to shock the nation with her national record breaking results in our premier examination.

Nik Nur Madihah scored 20As in her SPM 2008, is currently the national record holder for SPM candidate with the highest amount of “A”.  SPM, (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) is the equivalent to the British General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is an examination for students before entering pre-university studies.

She’s the oldest of 4 from a simple and poor family, her father works as a fisherman and her mother is a cleaner. Yet she does well despite her life's shortcomings; living a life in poverty, no scholarship despite her earlier achievements, no outside tuition and her decision not to go to boarding school as her family cannot afford it. 

• Living in a family that subsist on an inconsistent income of only RM500 to RM700 (USD160 to USD230) a month,
• no financial means to buy books,  having to borrow dictionary from friends and copying it with her own handwriting,
• from 12years old routinely fasts on every Monday and Thursday to conserve food
• sometimes forgoes eating at school as her allowance is only enough to pay for her bus ride to school
• eating only bread or a lunch box of fried rice when she can, as her family only eats rice and fried eggs when her father cannot go to sea to fish during the monsoon season.

The conditions of the house clearly show how difficult her life is with only a small room bordered by a cupboard serving as their rest area while the living room can only fit four person acts as her study. 

When asked why she took 20 subjects for her exams, she responded that she wanted to prove that even a fisherman's daughter could excel like the previous best students that had come from better off families.

Tajuk Buku : 

Catatan Hati Nik Nur Madihah
Karya : Nik Nur Madihah
Ummu Hani Abu Hassan
Penerbit : Hijjaz Record Publishing
Terbitan : 2009
Halaman : 126 mukasurat
Harga : rm25.90

WAITING FOR SUPERMAN

What Guggenheim found in his two years of researching Waiting for "Superman" (with co-producer Lesley Chilcott) was that a lot of schools aren't right for any kids. "Every morning is the same - juice, shoes, backpack - the morning rituals. No matter who we are and what neighbourhood we live in, each one wanting to believe in our schools - and take a leap of faith".

Davis Guggenheim's edifying and heartbreaking documentary is engaging and, finally, enraging — as captivating as any Superman movie, and as poignant as a child's plea for help. 


Guggenheim wants to start conversations, debates, elevated arguments — to get people thinking about a crucial problem whose solution has eluded Presidents and parents for the past half-century.  More here

REACTIONS

Oprah 9/20/2010 here

Forbes 9/24/2010 here
 

Rottentomatoes 10/13/2010 here

NewYork Post 9/24/2010  here

CNN 10/18/2010 here

Young boys hairstyles and haircuts 2011 – slides, £15,000 most expensive haircut in the world

 Braids and cornrows

My son came home from college sporting a new look – I could hardly see one of his eyes while talking to him – “bang” said he! Side bangs are one of those hairstyles that give off a flirty yet laid-back vibe.  Oh wow!

Most teenage boys and men generally these days have become much more expressive and trendy in terms of hairstyle. As a mum I do monitor what transpires in my kids community chats etc. Just to get a haircut they will post out queries and get hundreds of comments and feedbacks from friends - tips, suggestions and opinions what style will suit him best etc. They are as intense as any other girl their age about hairstyles. Well, even the Sultan of Brunei is said to have paid £15,000 to get a London barber to trim his hair in what is believed to be the most expensive haircut ever (here).



It is indeed exciting to see the many different styles that are popular currently among boys of all ages. The boy’s shag has become very popular due to entertainers such as Justin Beiber. (Watch celebrity Beiber bangs here). Stars like Johnny Depp, who sports his hair in long layers, Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson from the Twilight films are other celebrities that teens model their hairstyles from.

Emo and Scene are also amongst the favourite teenage boys’ hair styles of 2011. It makes them look cool and trendy. When it comes to short hairstyles the crew cut is still the favourite.

School's refusal to let boy wear cornrow braids is ruled racial discrimination

guardian.co.uk,

Friday 17 June 2011

A 13year old boy's family wins case in high court against Harrow College that bans 'gang-related' hairstyles. 

He was refused entry to St Gregory's Catholic Science College in Kenton, Harrow, north London, in 2009 because he wears his hair in cornrows.

The test case decision is a victory for the family of the African-Caribbean teenager, who wears his hair in cornrow braids as part of a family tradition. Here.

 

63rd Primetime Emmy Awards September 18, 2011, WINNERS Downtown Abbeys, Mad Men, Modern Family, Kate Winslet, Julianna Margulies, Margo Martindale, Maggie Smith, Nominees and WINNERS.

September 18, 2011
AWARD

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the “Television Academy”) tonight (Sunday, September 18, 2011) awarded the 2010-2011 Primetime Emmys® for programs and individual achievements on the “63rd Primetime Emmy Awards” originating on the FOX Television Network from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

The Television Academy’s Chairman & CEO John Shaffner participated in the awards ceremony. Mark Burnett was Executive Producer of the telecast.

The awards, as tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP, were distributed as follows:

Best Miniseries or Movie
 

Downton Abbey, PBS

Mildred Pierce, HBO
The Kennedys, ReelzChannel
Cinema Verite, HBO
Too Big To Fail, HBO
The Pillars of Earth, St arz

 

 

 

Best Actress in a Miniseries of Movie

Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Taraji P. Henson, Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
Jean Marsh, Upstairs Downstairs

 

   

Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

Barry Pepper, The Kennedys

 

Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail
Idris Elba, Luther
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS

IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE

MAGGIE SMITH

as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham PBS

Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A

MINISERIES OR A MOVIE

GUY PEARCE

as Monty Beragon HBO Mildred Pierce

 

 

  

Best Drama Series

Mad Men 

Boardwalk Empire
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Dexter

 

 

 

 

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Julianna Margulies, 

The Good Wife

Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law

 

 

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Kyle Chandler, 

Friday Night Lights

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Timothy Olyphant, Justified
Hugh Laurie, House

 

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Margo Martindale, 

Justified

Kelly MacDonald, Boardwalk Empire
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

 

 

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Peter Dinklage,  

Game of Thrones

Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Walton Goggins, Justified
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age

 

 

 

Best Comedy Series

Modern Family

30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Parks and Recreation
Glee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Melissa McCarthy,  

Mike & Molly

Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope

 

 

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Jim Parsons, 

The Big Bang Theory

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Louis C.K., Louie
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory

 

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Julie Bowen,  

Modern Family

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

 

 

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Ty Burrell,

Modern Family

Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Source and Images Wikipedia and here.