Clean, green image of NZ 'fantastical'

New Zealand's clean green image, represented by snow-capped mountains, clean rivers and pristine countryside, is being slammed internationally as false and misleading.

Tourism New Zealand's long-running "100 per cent Pure New Zealand" marketing campaign launched in 1999 has been questioned in a New York Times article.

"While the spectacular and seemingly untarnished natural backdrops, stunning waterscapes and snow-tipped mountains might look world-class on film, critics say the realm New Zealand's marketers have presented is as fantastical as dragons and wizards," the article says.

The tourism organisation's latest $10 million campaign "100 per cent Middle-earth, 100 per cent Pure New Zealand" was launched overseas in August to leverage off Peter Jackson's movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which premieres on Wednesday week.

The campaign portrays New Zealand as the real Middle-earth by using scenic imagery of green fields and people catching fish and accompanied with a voiceover talking about "a place that will forever keep you under its spell".

But the green message promoted in the 100 per cent Pure campaigns doesn't match some environmental statistics, which show more than half of monitored recreational sites on our rivers are unsafe for swimming, and that New Zealand is among the worst countries per capita for preserving natural surroundings. Greenhouse gas emissions per capita have also risen, while most other Organisation for Economic Development members have fallen.

Massey University senior lecturer in environmental science Mike Joy, who was quoted in the article, said the reality was New Zealand was nowhere near 100 per cent Pure.

He said awareness of New Zealand's environmental failings overseas should act as a wake-up call to the Government to protect the "crucial clean and green image" it relied on for tourism and export.

- Nzherald.co.nz

Hyde Park on Hudson(2012)

 The President. The First Lady. The King. The Queen. The Mother. The Mistress...One weekend would unite two great nations...After cocktails of course.

The story of the love affair between FDR and his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley, centered around the weekend in 1939 when the King and Queen of the United Kingdom visited upstate New York.

Director of the Movie is Roger Michell and the writer is Richard Nelson. Bill Murray, Laura Linney and Olivia Williams are starring in the Movie with the genres Biography, comedy and Drama!

Movie was released on 31^st of August 2012 in USA and will be theaters from 1^st of February 2013 in UK

Nicki Minaj Is Afraid She Is 'Not So Nice' on American Idol

Nicki Minaj is as fearless on stage as she ison the red carpet. But when it comes to the season premiere of American Idol on Jan. 16, the new judge isn't quite so brave. 

"I'm scared," she told Idol host Ryan Seacrest on his radio show Monday morning.

What's she worried about? "Maybe I shouldn't have been so like ... " she says, before adding, "It's hard for me to not say how I really feel." 

When Seacrest asks the singer, who performed Sunday on the American Music Awards, if she's nervous about how honest she was with the contestants, she answers, "Yes." 

"Everyone else is so nice," she says. "I was just thinking back about some things and I was like, 'I wonder if that was not so nice.' " 

But Minaj, 29, says she takes a tough-love approach only to help out season 11's singers. 

"As an artist I've always grown more from the tougher criticism," she says, "and so I would like to be that person and to try to help people get that thick skin and to really give it their all, because it is a competition." 

And though Minaj won't likely be hosting a viewing party with popcorn and friends, she does think Idol fans will enjoy the new lineup. 

"I don't think I'm going to be able to watch it. I'm going to be so nervous," she says of the premiere. "But I know people are going to love it. I think it's a great dynamic." 

Despite the on-set feud with costar Mariah Carey, Minaj says, "The chemistry of the judges, I feel it while I'm there. I think it's really different from anything we've seen before on Idol and people are going to like it." 

Does that mean things have cooled off between the judges? Maybe. When asked if she'll perform with the singer, Minaj says, "If she'll have me, I'll be there waiting."

Students design video game to help stop abuse

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Middle school students in Rhode Island have helped design a new video game that aims to help stop teen dating violence and promote healthy relationships.

Sojourner House, an advocacy and resource center in Providence for domestic violence victims, premiered ‘‘The Real Robots of Robot High’’ on Monday at Highlander Charter School.

The educational game is set at Robot High, where two of the main characters are in an explosive relationship. Players have to stop the abuse and save the school by using communication skills and positive influence.

The game and accompanying curriculum were developed by Sojourner House in partnership with four middle schools and after-school programs in Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls; the youth advocacy organization Young Voices; the state education department; and a publisher of ‘‘social impact’’ video games.

Education Secretary Mike Russell sorry for college claim

Scottish Education Secretary Mike Russell has made a "full and unreserved" apology to MSPs for giving wrong information on college budgets.

He told parliament in June there was no cut in funding in 2012-13, when it actually fell by £9.3m.

Labour said Mr Russell had "knowingly misled" parliament, and suggested the minister should resign.

Mr Russell's comments followed an apology from first minister Alex Salmond last week on a similar issue.

Referring to an answer he gave to Labour MSP Hanzala Malik on 28 June, the education secretary told parliament: "I said there was no reduction in funding for colleges in financial year 2012-13.

"However, when you include all budget revisions, the revised 2012-13 budget is £9.3m lower than the previous year.

"I should have immediately recognised the answer I gave was not right. I did not, I apologise for that to the whole chamber, and, in particular Mr Malik."

Labour education spokesman Hugh Henry said: "Mike Russell misled the Scottish Parliament in June, despite knowing the true figures since February. Why has it taken him five months to apologise?"

Mr Henry said that, under the ministerial code, ministers who knowingly mislead parliament were expected to resign.

- BBC.co.uk

New coronavirus: May be 'bat bug'

Bats may be the source of a new Sars-like virus which killed a man in Saudi Arabia, according to an analysis of the coronavirus' genome.

Two other people have been infected and one, who was flown to the UK for treatment in September, is still in intensive care.

Experts, writing in the journal mBio, said the virus was closely related to other viruses in bats.

It is thought the virus does not pass readily from one person to another.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses ranging from the common cold to the Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus. They infect a wide range of animals.

In 2002 an outbreak of the Sars coronavirus killed about 800 people after it spread from Hong Kong to more than 30 countries around the world.

Genetic code
The new coronavirus was detected after a 60-year-old man died of pneumonia and kidney failure in Saudi Arabia in June.

A second man, who was brought to the UK from Qatar, still needs an artificial lung to stay alive.

The UK's Health Protection Agency (HPA) published the full genetic sequence of the case in London earlier this month.

Dr Ron Fouchier, from the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands, analysed the case from Saudi Arabia.

He said both cases were related, but it looked as though the men had been infected separately from animals rather than the virus being passed between people.

Quantum cryptography done on standard broadband fibre

Thousands of kilometres of existing fibre may be used
 to carry quantum codes

The "uncrackable codes" made by exploiting the branch of physics called quantum mechanics have been sent down kilometres of standard broadband fibre.

This "quantum key distribution" has until now needed a dedicated fibre separate from that used to carry data.

The technique, reported in Physical Review X, shows how to unpick normal data streams from the much fainter, more delicate quantum signal.

It may see the current best encryption used in many businesses and even homes.

The quantum key distribution or QKD idea is based on the sharing of a key between two parties - a small string of data that can be used as the basis for encoding much larger amounts.


Tiny, faint pulses of laser light are used in a bid to make single photons - the fundamental units of light - with a given alignment, or polarisation. Two different polarisations can act like the 0s and 1s of normal digital data, forming a means to share a cryptographic key.

What makes it secure is that once single photons have been observed, they are irrevocably changed. An eavesdropper trying to intercept the key would be found out.

Sending these faint, delicate quantum keys has until now been done on dedicated, so-called "dark fibres", with no other light signals present.

That is an inherently costly prospect for users who have to install or lease a separate fibre.

So researchers have been trying to work out how to pull off the trick using standard, "lit" fibres racing with data pulses of millions of photons.

- BBC.co.uk

Greenhouse gases hit record high

The WMO and Noaa operate monitoring
stations around the world

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hit a new record high in 2011, the World Meteorological Organization has said.

In its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin released on Tuesday, the organisation said that carbon dioxide levels reached 391 parts per million in 2011.

The report estimates that carbon dioxide accounts for 85% of the "radiative forcing" that leads to global temperature rises.

Other potent greenhouse gases such as methane also reached record highs.

The carbon dioxide levels appear to have been rising at a level of two parts per million each year for the last 10 years - with the latest measure being 40% higher than those at the start of the industrial revolution.

The WMO estimates that 375 billion tonnes of carbon have been released into the atmosphere since 1750, and that about half of that amount is still present in the atmosphere.

"These billions of tonnes of additional carbon dioxide in our atmosphere will remain there for centuries, causing our planet to warm further and impacting on all aspects of life on Earth," said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.

"Future emissions will only compound the situation."

US weather agency the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contributed to the bulletin with their Annual Greenhouse Gas Index, which indicated that between 1990 and 2011, carbon dioxide's role in the radiative forcing that leads to warming had increased by 30%.

Levels of methane, a more potent greenhouse gas, hit a new record at 1,813 parts per billion - more than two-and-a-half times the pre-industrial level.


Concentrations of nitrous oxide, estimated to be nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide, rose slightly to a record 324 parts per billion.

Mr Jarraud pointed out that until now, "carbon sinks" such as the oceans had reclaimed half of all atmospheric carbon dioxide, but that pattern would not necessarily continue.

"We have already seen that the oceans are becoming more acidic as a result of the carbon dioxide uptake, with potential repercussions for the underwater food chain and coral reefs," he said.

"There are many additional interactions between greenhouse gases, Earth's biosphere and oceans, and we need to boost our monitoring capability and scientific knowledge in order to better understand these."


- BBC.co.uk

Usain Bolt may play football or cricket after 2016 Olympics

Sprint star Usain Bolt will not appear in this year's Big Bash Twenty20 League but may consider switching to cricket or football after the 2016 Olympics.
The Jamaican, 26, held talks with Shane Warne's Melbourne Stars in October.
But Bolt's agent Ricky Simms told BBC Sport: "Usain is currently an athlete focused on his preparations for the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
"He may try his hand at cricket or football when he retires from running but that would be after 2016."
Bolt, who grew up in cricket-mad Jamaica, was sounded out by Melbourne Stars captain Warne in August after cementing his status as an athletics legend by defending his 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay crowns at the London 2012 Olympics.

Bolt, who describes himself as an all-rounder, has appeared in charity cricket matches and famously clean bowled then West Indies captain Chris Gayle in 2009.
His first love, however, is football. He was a special guest of Manchester United at the 2011 Champions League final in London and spoke recently of his desire to play professionally in the future.
"I always wanted to try to play soccer," he stated in October. "Maybe at the end of my career. It would be something that I would love to try."
Jamaican sprint rival Yohan Blake, who captured gold at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu when a false start ruled Bolt out of the final, also touts himself as a potential cricketer.
The 23-year-old was a guest of honour at Lord's for the first day of England's final Test with South Africa in August and declared his desire to play in the Big Bash after interest from the Sydney Sixers.
"I bowl around 85-90 mph, which is definitely quicker than Usain," said Blake.
"He would probably get more bouncers than me because he is taller but I am definitely faster than him."

David Beckham to quit LA Galaxy next month

Former England captain David Beckham is leaving Los Angeles Galaxy next month after six years at the American Major League Soccer (MLS) club.

He intends to quit after the season-ending MLS Cup final on 1 December.

In a statement Beckham, 37, said: "I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career."

Melbourne Heart claim they are in talks with Beckham over a "10-game stint" in Australia, despite his camp saying he had "no plans" to play in the A League.

Beckham joined Manchester United as a 14-year-old and went on to make 398 appearances for the club, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

He moved to Real Madrid in a £25m deal in 2003, winning the La Liga title in 2007 just weeks before his switch to the United States.

The midfielder made his England debut against Moldova in 1996 and captained the side from 2000 to 2006, making his 115th and final England appearance in a 3-0 win over Belarus in 2009.

Beckham insisted his links with MLS would continue should he join another league.

"I don't see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future," he said.

- BBC.co.uk

Union questioning Florida teacher evaluation plan

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida's statewide teachers union says a new state evaluation system is so flawed it should be put on hold.

The Florida Education Association on Tuesday said it's resulted in many teachers being evaluated based on test scores of students they never taught. On the other hand some students they have taught are not included in their evaluation. Veteran teachers at A-rated schools have been evaluated as needing improvement.

The union asked Gov. Rick Scott for a delay without success and now is turning to the Legislature and courts.

The Legislature passed a law passed last year that requires evaluation plans to include what's known as a value-added measure based on student test results.

Evaluations will be used to determine which teachers are retained and which receive merit pay.

- sfgate.com

Global Duty Free & travel retail industry on course for annual sales of 50b. US dollars

PARIS - "The most recent annual sales figures from Generation showed our industry reached 46 billion US dollars in 2011. Even allowing for the positive impact of exchange rates against the dollar, this was a performance to be proud of". Speaking at the annual TFWA World Exhibition Conference in Cannes, Erik Juul-Mortensen, President of TFWA commented that, "Our brands, resilient and resourceful, demonstrated growth across all categories, with luxury goods leading the way."

Highlighting the strength of the Asia Pacific region he continued, "This 2011 performance was all the more remarkable given the persistent currency turmoil and the continued economic gloom within the EU, particularly the Eurozone countries, a weak US economy and political and social unrest in North Africa and the Middle East."

Noting the continued growth in 2012, Juul-Mortensen said, "If we maintain this current direction, and we avoid major crises, we are on course to achieve sales of over US$50 billion this year. The latest sales growth forecasts see travel retail potentially hitting $60 billion plus by 2015 and $120 billion by 2020."

Keynote speaker Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group provided an erudite summary of the current geopolitical situation. She said that there has always been a trend towards globalisation but it is the pace at which change happens now that has increased.

She pointed to four realities: the growth of some economies - China, Brazil, Russia, Turkey - which has changed their economic leverage; new technology which has fuelled political change with four governments overthrown in the Middle East and a fifth under intense siege; the evolution of security threats which are even more threatening than before; and religion which is a source of support to millions but whose doctrines can cause conflict.

"Although we cannot underestimate these problems," she concluded, "we cannot be panicked by them either."

The Conference, on the theme 'A Brand New Dimension', also featured presentations by Jean-Charles Decaux, CEO JCDecaux on new modes of engagement with consumers and Kjell A. Nordstrom, Economist, on future business strategies in the face of shifts in society.

Attended by a record 894 delegates, it set the scene for TFWA World Exhibition which gave 462 brand-owners the opportunity to showcase thousands of products before buyers, agents, distributors and other trade visitors representing airports, airlines, airport retailers, ferry and cruise line companies and other duty free outlets. The exhibition occupied 21,000m2, the largest exhibition of its kind ever.

A record total of 6,074 trade visitors flocked to the week-long show in Cannes, up 4% on 2011, all keen to update on trends and view the latest products.

Many of the items on display are exclusive to travel retail; consumers have demonstrated the appeal of products which cannot be found on the high street. Brands often use travel retail as the global launchpad for new products and the first place these are revealed to buyers is at TFWA World Exhibition.

The global duty free and travel retail industry is a dynamic and prosperous market place. The total sales of US$46 billion in 2011 represent an increase of nearly 18% on the previous year and for the first time in the history of the industry, the Asia & Oceania region outpaced Europe with sales of US$16 billion - up 25% on 2010 - compared with US$15.6 billion in Europe, the birthplace of duty free & travel retail, according to Generation Research.

Airports dominate the market with nearly two thirds (61%) of sales, with airlines 6%, ferries 5% and downtown, cross-border and military duty free stores accounting for the remainder.

In spite of the current economic problems in global markets, luxury goods from fashion and accessories to jewellery and watches are the most popular purchases generating nearly US$17 billion in revenue a year. Fragrances and cosmetics have traditionally been a great favourite and today they account for a third of sales (31%). Wines & spirits, a category which is noted for its innovative marketing techniques such as travel retail exclusive products and in-store cocktail bars, generates sales of almost US$8 billion.

In terms of passenger numbers, the future of the duty free and travel retail industry looks secure however the industry faces many challenges. Several policies pose a threat to the industry and as such a threat to the non-aeronautical revenue streams of international airports.

TFWA World Exhibition provides a window to the world of brands but also offers a forum in which industry participants can discuss such concerns and network in pleasant surroundings. The next TFWA World Exhibition will take place in Cannes from 20th to 25th October 2013.

Before then industry executives will congregate at the MEDFA Conference on 26th and 27th November in Dubai and at TFWA Asia Pacific Conference & Exhibition in Singapore from 12th to 16th May 2013. In addition, in response to keen interest from the trade in developing duty free and travel retail in China, TFWA and the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) are organising the 'Industry Conference on China' in Beijing from 5th to 7th March 2013.

Keira Knightley's Colourful Week On The Red Carpet: She Wears Mint Erdem Gown To The LA Premiere Of Anna Karenina

In movie-promo terms, this week is ALL about Twilight. Kristen Stewart is the undisputed queen of the red carpet, causing much fash-debate over her barely there Zuhair Murad creations she wore to the London premiere and the LA premiere. R-Patz and K-Stew are ALREADY in Madrid, a cool 12 hours later than their last premier, so clearly no-one can compete this week with their Twilight sprint.

But Keira Knightley is winning the long-distance fash-off as she is stillll promoting Anna Karenina in a number of fabulous spring summer 2013 gowns. Last night was the LA film premiere and Keira wowed in a custom Erdem strapless mint gown, inspired by his S/S 2013 collection. Keira opted for simple jewellery with her Erdem gown, wearing a pair of white diamond Chanel earrings. We also love her oh-so pretty twisted updo and pink lip.Keira is the first to wear Erdem S/S 13 on the red carpet, which we could have predicted at Grazia HQ as Erdem told us that she is his favourite starlet to dress, as he said: "I love Keira! She is always... she's such a... she's SO beautiful! So I'd say her." Keira clearly loves Erdem too, as she wore a purple floral dress to the premiere of The Edge of Love and a floor sweeping Erdem gown to the Laurence Olivier Awards.Keira didn't stop at just one stunning frock last night, as for the after party at the Greystone Manor Supper Club Keira slipped into an orange lace dress with cut-out sides with strappy nude heels.

Anyone else love seeing Keira step outside of her comfort zone and wear pretty pretty pastels? Green could well be Keira's new fave hue, as she wore a Burberry Prorsum green lace dress to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Take a look at Keira's week on the red carpet in S/S 2013 in the gallery above....

Headline November21,2012

''MARX AND ENGELS: THE MOST INFLUENTIAL POLITICAL THEORISTS IN THE MODERN WORLD!''

Marx and Engels are one of those double acts in which one partner almost entirely overshadows the other.In this post,however, I return to History and accord Engels his rightful place.

Engels and Marx met properly in Paris 1844 and began their 40 year collaboration. They spent the late 1840s in a froth of revolutionary excitement running a newspaper in Cologne, where Engels attended the newly named Communist League -and he produced its ''statement of beliefs'', which ultimately became the Communist Manifesto.

By 1848s Revolutions were spreading across Europe and yet, in 1849, Engels and Marx retreated in exile to England. Engels went back to work in Manchester and funded Marx and his family in London. He could afford it: Engels made £1000 a year from the company at a time when senior civil servants and barristers could expect between £250 and £350 a year. Despite the enduring belief that Marx lived in poverty, his to total was income was more than £200 -but he was hopeless with money, moving to bigger houses, sending his children to expensive schools and running up debts.
Engels, forever bailing him out, was known by Marx as ''Mr Chitty''.

Marx was supported by Engels for more than 20 years while Marx wrote ''Das Capital''. And Engels did not return to writing until he had retired, when he produced the hugely influential article ''Anti-Duhring'', later edited and published as ''Socialism: Utopian And Scientific'', and the posthumously published Dialectics Of Nature.

Engels was born into a bourgeois family in Prussia in 1820, when the German intellectual climate of the time: romanticism, rigorous Biblical scholarship and the dominance of the idealistic philosophy of Hegel reigned supreme. All of this Engels encountered in the lectures at the University of Berlin.

Both Marx and Engels first experienced the ill effects of global capitalism as they watched the Rhineland Textile Industry losing out to Britain in the 1830s.

Their views were strengthened when they saw the horror of Industrial Manchester in early 1840s. Engels then wrote the most brilliant piece of observational journalism: The Condition Of The Working Class in England.

And yet, both these great thinkers produced theories that prefigure much that is now considered purely Marxist, including class division, the unstable nature of Industrial Capitalism and the inevitability of Socialist Revolution.

So, the truth is that at the heart of their thinking was the ever elusive objective of: ''Dignity Of Man!''

Good Night & God Bless!

UNWTO unveils winners of the 2012 Ulysses Awards

Since 2003, the UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism have honored tourism initiatives that have contributed to the advancement of tourism through knowledge creation and innovation, in line with the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Hailing from Austria, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico and Spain, the 2012 winners were presented their awards during the UNWTO Awards Ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey .

The winners of the 2012 edition are:

UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance

Malaysia Homestay Experience Program, Ministry of Tourism Malaysia: Since its launch in 1995, hundreds of thousands of domestic and international tourists have stayed with Malaysian families on their trips, finding this homestay program a unique way to experience the local culture. The initiative is not only benefiting tourists, but has also become a vital source of income for local communities, especially in rural areas.

Runners-up: Holiday Participation Center, Tourism Flanders, Belgium, and the Pannonian Salt Lakes of Tuzla, Municipality of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Enterprises

Conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of Quintana Roo, Experiencias Xcaret, Mexico: The Experiencias Xcaret group owns land throughout the Mayan Riviera in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, all of which has been turned into eco-archaeological parks benefiting visitors, employees and local communities alike. The Group’s longstanding commitment to sustainability is often cited as a leading example of how tourism can protect land from other less sustainable uses.

Runners-up: Wine World and Wine & Spa Resorts, Loisium Hotel, Austria; Chanita ta di Fiesta, University of Aruba, Aruba; and Calviá Beach Resorts, Meliá Hotels International, Spain.

UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations

Landscape of the Year, Nature Friends International, Austria: Every two years since 1989, Nature Friends International has awarded a cross-border and ecologically valuable region in Europe as ‘Landscape of the Year’. Today, the award has grown to become an important incentive for regions across Europe to protect their landscape and biodiversity through sustainable projects such as tourism; and

Experience Tour Project, Instituto Marca Brasil, Brazil:The towns of Petrópolis, Teresópolis and Nova Friburgo in the foothills of Rio de Janeiro are the latest to benefit from the Experience Tour Project which helps tourism professionals to adapt their business so that tourists move from “mere spectators to protagonists of their experiences”.

Runners-up: Sustainable Hospitality Programme, Asociación de Hoteles de Turismo de la República Argentina, Argentina and Long Run Destinations, Zeitz Foundation, Kenya.

UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Research and Technology

TurAcces/IBV, Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia, Spain: This free online tool allows tourism managers to assess the accessibility of their facilities, a major factor of sustainable tourism as defined by UNWTO. The tool further provides reports with proposals to improve accessibility, prioritized by importance and urgency based on current laws and standards.

Runners-up: Amadeus Agent Track, Amadeus IT, Spain, and the Strawberry Energy Concept, National Tourism Organization of Serbia, Serbia.

Lara Stone Is Expecting Her First Baby! David Walliams Confirms

What happy news to round off this fine Thursday: David Walliams and Lara Stone have announced they're having a baby! The Little Britain star took to Twitter to reveal the news. 'Some wonderful news. My beautiful wife Lara is pregnant,' he said. 'We are having a baby! It is due next year and we both couldn't be happier. Dx'. Congrats!

The couple released a statement, saying 'We're very excited to announce we are expecting our first child. We're both absolutely thrilled but ask you to please respect our privacy during this precious time.'

The love affair between the comedian and the Dutch stunner began almost three years ago - the pair started dating in September 2009, they were engaged in January 2010 and married in May that year.

The lovely Lara revealed how David won her heart when speaking to Dutch Vogue earlier this year. She implied that it was David’s persistence which caught her eye and – we’ve got to hand it to him – it obviously worked. She says it wasn’t love at first sight, though, at least not for her: ‘To him it was,’ she giggled. ‘He stalked me!’

The Stone said it’s their shared sense of humour that makes the relationship work. 'I think people like it when you have a bit of personality. It helps that I am not afraid to say what I want to do and what I don’t want to do.'

And now we have the possibility of impeccably beautiful, very tall and crazy-funny babies making their way into the world. Hurrah for that!

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

By Sehlina Zahra
Entertainment Correspondent, SAM Daily Times

Margaret Mitchell's epic novel of love and war won the Pulitzer Prize and went on to give rise to two authorized sequels and one of the most popular and celebrated movies of all time.
Many novels have been written about the Civil War and its aftermath. None take us into the burning fields and cities of the American South as Gone With the Wind does, creating haunting scenes and thrilling portraits of characters so vivid that we remember their words and feel their fear and hunger for the rest of our lives.

In the two main characters, the white-shouldered, irresistible Scarlett and the flashy, contemptuous Rhett, Margaret Mitchell not only conveyed a timeless story of survival under the harshest of circumstances, she also created two of the most famous lovers in the English-speaking world since Romeo and Juliet.

Killing Them Softly (2012)

Jackie Cogan is a professional enforcer who investigates a heist that went down during a mob-protected poker game.

Director of the movie is Andrew Dominik and writers are Andrew Dominik (screenplay), George V. Higgins(novel).  Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta and Richard Jenkins are starring in the movie with genres crime, drama and thriller.

Brad Pitt and Andrew Dominik's fantastic Killing Them Softly has the rigor and grace of the great American crime pictures of the 1970s. A loose adaptation of George V Higgins' great 1974 crime novel Cogan's Trade. A fulfilling elegant and stylish black comedy. The script, acting, direction were all superbly done, and should be commended. Although the film can be very pessimistic, it does have a message, one that should resonate in the near future. The whole cast was extremely effective and highly believable. However Brad Pitt is simply terrific, and deserves much acclaim that could come to him. Just like The Assassination of Jesse James, Pitt plays subtle, but yet powerful sociopath and it ripples the film throughout. James Gandolfini Gandolfini is excellent as a boozy, broken old assassin. Ray Liotta offers a grotesque reprise of the type of manic gangster he played in his younger years in Goodfellas. Richard Jenkins is solemn as ever as the killer's contact, relaying back messages from the Mob and trying to beat Cogan down on prices.

Movie will be released in USA in 30^th of November 2012 and was released in UK in 21^st of September 2012. Movie is mainly shot in USA.