Players to Watch at the 2012 Euro Championship

Note: Listed below are the names of the most probable, young, up and coming stars of EURO 2012 who are most likely to be household names in the coming future. If I have missed anyone, and there is every chance that I did, do let me know and I will update the list. Thanks.

 1 Alan Dzagoev (Russia)

 
 

2 André Schürrle (Germany)

3 Mario Götze (Germany)

 

  

4 Christian Eriksen (Denmark)

 

5 Yann M’Vila (France)

6 Luuk de Jong (The Netherlands)

 

  

7 Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Greece)

 

8 Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

 

9 Toni Kroos (Germany)

 

10 Jesus Navas (Spain)

 

11 Olivier Giroud (France)

 

12 Nelson Oliveira (Portugal)

 

13 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England)

 

14 Luka Modrić (Croatia) 

 

 

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2012 and 2013

• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.

·          

• The Mortal Instruments (2013)

When her mom is attacked and taken from their home in New York City by some creature, a seemingly ordinary teenage girl, Clary Fray, finds out truths about her past and bloodline on her quest to get her back that changes her entire life.

•  Project X (2012)

In the wilderness of junior high, Edwin Hanratty and his only friend Flake are at the bottom of the food chain. Branded together as misfits, their fury simmers quietly until an unthinkable idea offers them a terrifying release.

•  Rock of Ages (2012)

A small town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip, while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.

•  Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

•  Jack the Giant Killer (2013)

A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess.

·          

• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.

•  Brave (2012)

Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

•  The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

•  The Watch (2012)

Suburban dads who form a neighbourhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.

•  Fun Size (2012)

When a troubled but whip-smart teen girl loses her oddball little brother on Halloween, she has one desperate night to track him down.

•   LOL (2012)

As a new year at school begins, Lola's heart is broken by her boyfriend, though soon she's surprised by her best friend, promising musician Kyle, who reveals his feelings for her.

• Warm Bodies (2013)

After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

•  The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

A childless couple bury a box in their backyard, containing all of their wishes for an infant. Soon, a child is born, though Timothy Green is not all that he appears.

•  Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count's teen-aged daughter.

•  Here Comes the Boom (2012)

A high school biology teacher moonlights as a mixed-martial arts fighter in an effort to raise money to save the school's music program.

•  Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

The bad-guy character in a classic game who longs to be a hero brings trouble to his entire arcade after sneaking into a new first-person shooter game and unleashing a deadly enemy.

·         

•  Rise of the Guardians (2012)

When the Boogieman launches an assault on Earth, several mythic beings team up to stop him.

•  The First Time (2012)

A romantic comedy cantered on the first weekend of a fledgling romance between two high school kids.

•  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

A curious Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, journeys to the Lonely Mountain with a vigorous group of Dwarves to reclaim a treasure stolen from them by the dragon Smaug.

•  The Great Gatsby (2012)

Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbour, Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.

•  This Is 40 (2012)

A look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked Up.

•  So Undercover (2012)

A tough, street-smart private eye is hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority.

•  Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

15 years after their traumatic gingerbread-house incident, siblings Hansel and Gretel have become a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.

•  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)

School is out and Greg is ready for the days of summer, when all his plans go wrong. What on earth is he going to do all summer?

•  Monsters University (2013)

A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at the University of Fear -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.

•  The Seventh Son (2013)

An 18th century adventure story cantered on young Thomas, who is apprenticed to the local Spook to learn to fight evil spirits. His first great challenge comes when the powerful Mother Malkin escapes her confinement while the Spook is away.

•  Fallen (2012)

A lonely young woman finds herself courted by two competitive men -- fully unaware at first that they are angels who have vied for her love for centuries.

•  Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013)

A prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that tells how the Wizard arrived in Oz became the ruler.

•  Ender's Game (2013)

70 years after a horrific alien war, an unusually gifted child is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future invasion.

•  Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

The son of Poseidon and his friends head into the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece.

•  The Host (2013)

A parasitic alien soul is injected into the body of Melanie Stryder. Instead of carrying out her race's mission of taking over the Earth, "Wanda" (as she comes to be called) forms a bond with her host and sets out to aid other free humans.

•  Man of Steel (2013)

A child sent to Earth from a dying planet is adopted by a couple in rural Kansas. Posing as a journalist, he uses his extraordinary powers to protect the new home from an insidious evil.

•  R.I.P.D. (2013)

A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.

•  Despicable Me 2 (2013)

• Dirty Dancing (2013)

•  Robopocalypse (2013)

A sci-fi story set in the aftermath of a robot uprising.

•  Thor 2 (2013).

•  The Hobbit: There and Back Again (2013)

Thorin and Company have reached Lake-town and it is time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfil his contract with the dwarfs.

•  The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world.

•  Beautiful Creatures (2013)

A supernatural drama cantered on a local teenager and the mysterious new girl in town who uncover dark secrets about their respective families.

•  The Spectacular Now (2013)

Centres on a high school senior who lives only for the moment. As a project, he begins to date a social outcast, a girl trying to plan for the future, but begins to realize he has the power to permanently impact someone's life.

•  Iron Man 3 (2013)

The plot is unknown at this time. Rumor has it Tony Stark/Iron Man will head to China to face his toughest opponent, Mandarin.

•  Captain America 2 (2014)

Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world.

•  Les Misérables (2012)

An adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean seeks redemption.

•  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

The continuing adventures of Katniss Everdeen, which take place in a futuristic dystopian world, as she prepares for the Quarter Quell.

•  High School Sweethearts (2012)

A perfect high school couple falls in love their freshman year, and then slowly turn against each other to take down the entire school in their senior year.

Source: IMDB User

Other Lists   : Upcoming Movies (2012)

                    : Upcoming Movies (2013)

                    : Movie Insider

                    : Listal

World's Biggest Economies by 2050

Source:The Guardian
Details: PWC

In the End You are Alone

This is a world of the equals bound together by parity,

It isn’t all about love, bond or even emotional purity.

Everyone is looking to progress and stay a step ahead,

Practicality is what drives relationship decisions instead.

If you are not ambitious you will surely be left behind,

Soon you will realize life is unfair and is a rough grind.

You will regret the day when you thought all is well,

Finding it hard to swallow the day you will bid farewell.

Stay focused and motivated to progress all the while,

Do something that promises more and is worthwhile.

Sometimes having too much time is not really ideal,

Although it might seem as though gloriously surreal.

Don’t let yourself ponder on what could have been,

Stay focused and committed, being eager and keen.

People want be associated with pride and glory,

You have to be worthy of people’s success story.

If you lack what is the need of the hour,

Be prepared to feel afar like a lonely star.

Heed this message friend and avoid a rude shock,

Be steely in your resolve and be solid like a rock.

Don’t believe for a second that happy ending is a given,

That people around you will linger forever like heaven.

Chart your own course of success and make sure you get there,

As the treatment meted out to you wouldn’t necessarily be fair.

So choose those who will be there with you through the thick and thin,

But don’t expect a fairy tale as the world is still programmed to be mean.

What is the Euro Championship all about?

It's times to separate true heroes from the zeros,

Reveal the genuine from the imposter at the Euros.

Who is to lay claim over the tile of champions true,

Is it going to be someone we expected or totally new.

There are many who think they are one among many,

Could it be Netherlands, Spain, England or Germany?

Ukraine and Poland are all decked up for the show,

It’s time for true champions to let their talent flow.

Torres, Ronaldo, Van Persie, Ozil or its Rooney,

Who will it be that shines be it sunshine or rainy?

Let it be the games that takes all the glory and acclaim,

If controversy and conflict dominates it will be real shame.

Let the Euros be the showpiece of the beautiful game,

Let it be a symbol of unity and show we are all the same.

The human spirit, peace and overcoming adversity is all it is about,

Euros will be benchmark in this regard of which there is no doubt.

Happy Birthday Sister!!!!!

You are my sister and you are my pillar of strength,

You are my motivation, my life’s breadth and length.

You have taught me so much sister without knowing,

You have guided me throughout even without saying.

You have always been more mature although you were little,

Guiding your big brothers through times that were tough and brittle.

With you around life is so simple and always a pleasure,

You are clean by heart and your love without any measure.

We fight, we play but you are constantly there by my side,

We have been places and back and together it’s a wonderful ride.

Your cleanliness and patience is something that I cannot compete with,

Even though I disappoint you, you forgive my action as though a myth.

Today is your birthday sister and I would give the world if I could,

I will make good on all promises and I am sure you trust me I would.

Have a great day sister and I wish that all your dreams come true and are surpassed,

May God Bless you with all in his power so kind, so blissful and so endlessly vast.

Happy Birthday Dear! Take Care and God Bless. Love Ya!!!

What I feel for you Mother

Some emotions and feelings are hard to be expressed in mere words,

But still mortals like me persist in great enthusiasm like all believing nerds.

It’s Mother’s Day and I want to express what I currently feel,

Putting thoughts to words that my actions often tend to steal.

Mothers’ are God’s true and maybe it’s only true reflection,

The true harbinger of all heavenly love, care and affection.

I am not spiritual at the best of time which I don’t really repent,

But the force of motherhood is something I vouch for 100 percent.

This power has come to my rescue time and again when I needed it the most,

It has reinforced my faith in the almighty when I resembled a soulless ghost.

I love you more than maybe I could ever convey and perhaps truly express,

But this feeling to let you know what I truly feel is just impossible to suppress.

You mean everything to me and you are the reason of my existence today,

I promise to be devoted to you Mother like a part of your whole every day.

It is from you that I garner my strength, my courage, and conquer my evils,

I am blessed to have you as my guide and friend in need amidst all the upheavals.

My only hope is to make you proud for bringing me into this world so fine,

Give you all you deserve and more as you are my one true proof of the divine.

Happy Mothers’ Day Mom – Love You.

What is a Truly Successful Book?

                                              

One of the greatest points of contention in the literary world is deciding on the parameters that accurately judges the success of a book. Is the success of a book or an author determined by the number of literary laurels it has garnered or the real and tangible difference it has made to the society and the human civilization as a whole?

I don’t think this issue should ever be in doubt. An award-winning book happens to be appreciated by a few but doesn’t  necessarily have to touch a real chord with the masses and adds no value to the human civilization, and is therefore side-lined by the anvils of time. Any book can only have a truly material difference if it is accepted by the populace and its message/learning is implemented in spirit and substance which leaves a coherent impact on the human civilization.

Just imagine what impact books like Iliad and Odyssey by Homer; A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; The Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, books by Isaac Newton and Sigmund Freud, all the works of William Shakespeare, Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin would have had if no one had read and assimilated its teachings and lessons. Would we be talking, discussing and be debating it even today just because it might have won some prestigious award but no one had truly embraced them?

There are many books that one can call out that although won acclaim, appreciation and awards, no one really recalls with great fervour. The real fact of the matter is, although the book might have been good, it wasn’t instrumental in influencing and shaping our minds and affecting our society as it never was wholeheartedly accepted by the readers other than some elite body or institution.

It has also been said time and time again that revolutions are not scripted just on paper but are rather envisioned and executed by the hard toil of the men and women on the ground against great odds. It is through the great books on change and progress chiseled by brilliant and forward thinking minds that wonderful transformation has been brought about.

It is not awards or the acclaim alone that instils this power of influence onto these great books that in turn stimulates the harbingers of change, but it is because they were read and maybe reread many times over by the architects of change that made all the difference. Awards only fills shelves but great books catapults the human civilization forwards by embellishing concerted action that guarantees results.

If it were not for the great books authored by the transformative minds of respective ages long gone, the key players of change would never have been motivated to challenge the hypocrisy, status quo, stagnancy and inequality, and this world would have been much the worse for it. So, an award-winning book that nobody reads leaves no real impact on human civilization. So, next time you are judging a book, don’t think twice.

Source: Hubbrz.com

The Curious Case of a Commuter

I stood at the bus stop of Rabale Station headed to Sion to meet up with friends after a long time. Standing in the hot sun for a while I murmured to myself, “Am I getting late or what. I have really had it this time. My friends are going to gobble me up alive if I am late again.” The BEST fares had just been increased and it was already stretching my already cash strapped wallet, and this waiting was starting to get on my nerves too. But to my surprise I saw a BEST Express (Limited Stops) bus to Sion headed my way. I guessed I must have done something right this morning, hah?

Having entered the bus in exuberance, I found my seat easily enough and settled down for the long road ahead thanking my good luck. Soon the conductor (ticket master) started doing his rounds for tickets and I reached down my pocket to get my money. To my horror I found that I only had a 100 rupee note on me and no chutta (change) on sight, which I would like to stress, is one of the worst things that could happen to a commuter in Mumbai or for that matter in Navi Mumbai as well. Gathering my believes in divine intervention, I comforted myself by reminding myself that the commute had gone well thus far and I will surely find a way out of this tricky situation that I have found myself in.

As I started looking for a good excuse which will compel the conductor to accept my 100 bucks, I heard a commotion in the front of the bus. I puzzlingly decided to put my good listening skills to use. The conductor and a young man were squabbling over a 20 rupee note that the young gentlemen had offered to the conductor for a 5 rupee ticket. The conductor was insisting on exact change and the gentlemen kept pleading that it wasn’t a 100 rupee note and the conductor could well give him change if he so desired. My heart sank as I was the one with the 100 note and realized there is possibly no way the conductor would give into any of my excuses now.

The conductor bluntly and perhaps unjustly asked the gentlemen to get down on the next stop if he doesn’t have change. I was amazed at the hypocrisy in display and the sheer arrogance of the people today. But fortunately for the young man a Good Samaritan came to his rescue and offered him change as they were getting down at the same stop and could adjust the fare amongst themselves once they disembarked from this unwelcoming bus journey.

I took in a deep breath and steadied myself for a full-on tirade against me -- for which, I was mustering courage to fend off the best I can. I heard the conductor step closer and I could hear my heart pounding at the impending onslaught. Curiously, the footsteps ceased as the conductor seemingly pirouetted around to the front of the bus.

There a lady was poised to get down when the conductor asked her to show him the ticket. She abrasively and without a shade of ambiguity confronted the conductor and said, “I don’t have a ticket. Where were you all this time? Should I wait an eternity for you? Don’t just keep on raising the fares but do your duty as well!”

The master looked dumbfounded at this counter offensive by this lady who was clearly in the wrong. The master not ready to back away from this fallacy started to hit back, accusing the lady of looking for a free ride and siphoning off the blame on others when she is clearly up to a misdemeanour herself. The two were now embroiled in a relentless escapade of accusation and counter-accusation which was only ended when the bus halted at the lady’s stop and the master handed the ticket over to the lady -- only after he had extracted exact change from her.

I withdrew deeper into my seat as I realized my chances of reasoning with the master have been blown to smithereens. My pulse started racing to the situation at hand as I sensed the anger and frustration in the master’s eyes.

He thundered towards me like a man on a mission. I knew he was right there when I the heard the singeing words I dreaded, “ticket, ticket…”, made worse the next sentence he chose to complement it with, “Everyone, tender exact change. I don’t have a trove of chuttas here to dish out for you” My jaw dropped. I was breathing heavily and sweat started appearing from nowhere as I awaited a public embarrassed reserved for a very few morons like me.

I couldn’t muster the courage to look at him when I offered him the only note I had on me and said, “Sion.”. The impending sight of the master was too horrific a sight to even comprehend which was sure to ruin my entire year let alone my day; the verbal assault that was set to follow was sure to give my ears a beating of a lifetime. I could hear his breathing also getting harder as I sat with my head hanging low. I was calling all the divine beings I could remember during this standoff which had taken the form of a war of attrition. I awaited the pounce and the bite after the frightening roar as moments ticked by that resembled a millennia.

To my complete bewilderment I saw a ticket being flashed at my face – change included. I looked up and saw the conductor’s face calmer than I anticipated -- to my shell-shocked amazement. He repeated, “Take your ticket”. I jolted back to what had transpired, back from the horrific scenes that I had played out in my mind. I took the ticket. The conductor continued, “You don’t look too well. Go to a doctor as soon as you can.”

I was like, wow, my sheer apprehension and panic tricked the master to thinking I was unwell and he decided to pardon my infringement of sorts. This has to be divine intervention. I also knew that the poor master had had a bad day himself and it was he who was more drained than me. Maybe he just had enough of the constant haggling and repetitious arguments over change, tickets, fare hike, the crowd, the bus schedule, rash driving et cetera, et cetera. However, I had no comforting words to offer the master as I had no idea what would help. I could only imagine and envisage with empathy the plight of those who travel these long distances every day and the torrid time they have to endure. May God bless them is all I could muster at this time.

Soon, I was at Sion. I got down and headed to CinePlanet, Sion where my friends stood waiting. I reminisced of the travel I just had and the thought of all I met and what I experienced sashayed in my head like a roller-coaster ballet, especially the poor conductor and his conundrum. I prayed his days and therein the days of the people he meets only gets better. I turned to my friends who were impressed to see me on time and said, “Guys, you know what happened on my way here……”

 Source: Hubbrz.com

My Maa, Mother, My Amma

In the first moments of my life I gave her more more than I ever might,
But still in times of darkness she comes to my aid as my angel light.

In time of my worry she gave me strength and brought me cheer,
When I felt alone she became my world and chased away my fear.

As and when my troubles keeps me awake she herself hardly sleeps,
Praying and cajoling as my dreams are ushered in and sleep slowly creeps.

When I was scared, she was there to hold my hand,
The one who could read my eyes no matter where I stand.

There are times when I lie although I had hoped not to,
But no lie could pass her without she noticing even if I want to.

I can sense her touch although I couldn’t see her from afar,
She became my 1st love, my first teacher, and my first superstar.

She was my first glimpse of a goddess holding me tight and close,
Never wavering for a second no matter what threat arose.

She is sure to be there by my side strong and true let the weather be rough or fair,
My only mission in life is to give her all the love, comfort, and all the heavenly care.

Love you, Maa, my Mother, my Amma.

-------Sherin Khan