There's a story in your eyes
I can see the hurt behind your smile
For every sign I recognize
Another one escapes me
Let me know what plagues your mind
Let me be the one to know you best
Be the one to hold you up
When you feel like you're sinking
Tell me once again
What's beneath the pain you're feeling
Don't abandon me
Or think you can't be saved
Summon up your ghosts for me
Rest your tired thoughts upon my hands
Step inside this sacred place
When all your dreams seem broken
Resonate inside this temple
Let me be the one who understands
Be the one to carry you
When you can walk no further
Tell me once again
What's below the surface bleeding
If you've lost your way,
I will take you there
Oh, where everything is wrong
Oh, where hopelessness surrounds you
Oh, the sun will rise again
The tide you swim against
Will carry you back home
So don't give up
Don't give in
I walk beside you
Wherever you are
Whatever it takes
No matter how far
Through all that may come
And all that may go
I walk beside you
I walk beside you
Monday 30 May 2011
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Man of dreams and action Sylvester Stallone
Finding it a struggle to get parts, he wrote his own screenplay and the Rocky and Rambo legend was born. From adolescent delinquent to multi-million dollar Hollywood action star.
Sylvester Enzio Stallone was born in New York and attended school in Philadelphia. An accident during birth severed a facial nerve, leaving parts of his lip, tongue and chin paralysed. The adult repercussions of the incident have come to signify Stallone’s recognisable slurred speech patterns and drooping lower lip.
These defects during Stallone’s early life left him a sickly child who suffered from rickets and to add to the stress, his parents were constantly arguing and struggling to support him and his younger brother, Frank Stallone (who became a B-movie actor).
His teenage years proved as taxing following his parents' divorce in 1957. Age 15, Stallone moved to Philadelphia to be with his mother, Jackie, and her new husband. By this time, he had begun lifting weights and was enrolled in Devereaux High School where he took up fencing, football, and the discus.
Following graduation, Stallone received an athletic scholarship for the American College of Switzerland. While there he was a girls' athletic coach and in his spare time he starred in a school production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. The experience inspired him to become an actor and after returning stateside, he started studying drama at the University of Miami until he decided to move to New York in 1969 to pursue his dream.
Stallone auditioned frequently but only occasionally found stage work and eventually had to resort to appearing in a softcore porn film, Party at Kitty's and Studs, which was later repackaged as The Italian Stallion after he became famous. He managed to secure a bit role in Woody Allen's Bananas (1971), but after he was turned down for The Godfather (1971), he became even more discouraged.
Rather than give up, Stallone channeled his frustrations into writing, churning out lots of scripts, some of which were produced. Still auditioning though, he managed to land a starring role in Rebel in 1973.
In 1974 Stallone married actress Sasha Czack and they moved to California in the hope of building their acting careers. His first minor success came when he wrote the screenplay for the film, Lords of Flatbush (1974) with Henry Winkler, which he also co-starred in.
The film's modest success resulted in Stallone being offered larger roles, but he didn't attract real attention until he penned the screenplay for Rocky. Studios were eager to buy the rights, but Stallone was clever and stipulated that he would be the main star of the film and he must receive a share of the profits. Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff accepted the terms and Rocky (1976) went on win three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director for John Avildsen and Best Film Editing. It also earned further seven nominations including a Best Actor salute for Stallone.
At last Stallone found himself in the A-list stakes and not long afterwards, made his directing debut with Paradise Alley (1978). The sequel to Rocky, Rocky II which Stallone also wrote and directed was released in 1979 and also became a major success, grossing $200 million worldwide.
Aside from the Rocky films, Stallone starred in a series of other films during the early 1980s which were critically acclaimed but were less successful at the box office. Stallone scored his second major franchise success as Vietnam veteran John Rambo in the action adventure film First Blood in 1982. The first installment of Rambo was both a critical and box office success. Two Rambo sequels Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Rambo III (1988) followed though despite being hits, critics were less impressed than the original. The success of Rocky also continued with Stallone directing and starring in two more sequels to the series: Rocky III (1982) and Rocky IV (1985).
To break away from being typecast in the stereotypical ‘tough nut’ role, Stallone took parts in films of different genres but was unsuccessful. In 1984 he wrote and starred in the comedy film Rhinestone where he played a wannabe country music singer and also the drama Over the Top in 1987.
The action films Cobra (1986) and Tango and Cash (1989) saw Stallone back in his natural acting habitat and rekindled his fans’ attention. Rocky V started out 1990 and was intended to be the last installment in the franchise- it was also a box office disappointment but Stallone bounced back with a vengeance in 1993 with the blockbuster hit Cliffhanger which went on to take $255 million worldwide. Success continued later the same year with the film Demolition Man, a $158 million smash at the box office.
1994's The Specialist went on to make over $170 million worldwide and in 1995 Stallone played the title character Judge Dredd, based on a British comic book. The film flopped in the US but Stallone’s overseas box office appeal saved the profits by tallying up a worldwide $113 million. In 1996, Stallone starred in Daylight which followed in Judge Dredd’s footsteps in being a US flop yet an international success.
Critical acclaim was to come for Stallone’s role in Cop Land in 1997. Starring alongside Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, the film was sadly only a minor success at the box office. 1998’s computer-animated Antz was a huge hit, with Stallone taking a backseat from his action man haven to voice the part of Weaver, the soldier ant buddy to Woody Allen's Z as part of an all-star cast including Gene Hackman and Christopher Walken.
The millennium began badly for Stallone's career as he starred in a string of critical and commercial flops including the remake of Get Carter, followed by Driven (2001), Avenging Angelo (2002) and D-Tox (2002).
2003 saw Stallone star in the third installment of the Spy Kids trilogy Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over which was a huge box office success (almost $200 million worldwide). His turn in the 2003 crime drama Shade was a box office failure yet his performance was praised by the critics and his prominence once again was set back on track.
Next came a shift to a different path for his career- reality television. Following in the successful formula of The Apprentice, producer Mark Burnett paired Stallone, because of his Rocky association, and boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard in The Contender (2005). The concept saw Stallone as both host and a mentor to the 16 hopefuls vying for a career as a professional fighter as well as a $1 million prize. The series was well-received by critics but struggled to find a wide audience.
Stallone returned in 2006 with the sixth and final installment of the successful Rocky series; Rocky Balboa. The film saw the legendary prize fighter coming out of retirement to mount yet another heavyweight comeback and was an international hit and climax to the series, taking over $150 million worldwide and gaining well-earned positive reviews.
Stallone has proved his worth as the original action hero, continuing to draw in the fans 30 years after his first screen appearance as Rocky. To double his long-reigning franchise success, Stallone is currently in post-production on the fourth installment of another Rambo film, John Rambo.
Sylvester Enzio Stallone was born in New York and attended school in Philadelphia. An accident during birth severed a facial nerve, leaving parts of his lip, tongue and chin paralysed. The adult repercussions of the incident have come to signify Stallone’s recognisable slurred speech patterns and drooping lower lip.
These defects during Stallone’s early life left him a sickly child who suffered from rickets and to add to the stress, his parents were constantly arguing and struggling to support him and his younger brother, Frank Stallone (who became a B-movie actor).
His teenage years proved as taxing following his parents' divorce in 1957. Age 15, Stallone moved to Philadelphia to be with his mother, Jackie, and her new husband. By this time, he had begun lifting weights and was enrolled in Devereaux High School where he took up fencing, football, and the discus.
Following graduation, Stallone received an athletic scholarship for the American College of Switzerland. While there he was a girls' athletic coach and in his spare time he starred in a school production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. The experience inspired him to become an actor and after returning stateside, he started studying drama at the University of Miami until he decided to move to New York in 1969 to pursue his dream.
Stallone auditioned frequently but only occasionally found stage work and eventually had to resort to appearing in a softcore porn film, Party at Kitty's and Studs, which was later repackaged as The Italian Stallion after he became famous. He managed to secure a bit role in Woody Allen's Bananas (1971), but after he was turned down for The Godfather (1971), he became even more discouraged.
Rather than give up, Stallone channeled his frustrations into writing, churning out lots of scripts, some of which were produced. Still auditioning though, he managed to land a starring role in Rebel in 1973.
In 1974 Stallone married actress Sasha Czack and they moved to California in the hope of building their acting careers. His first minor success came when he wrote the screenplay for the film, Lords of Flatbush (1974) with Henry Winkler, which he also co-starred in.
The film's modest success resulted in Stallone being offered larger roles, but he didn't attract real attention until he penned the screenplay for Rocky. Studios were eager to buy the rights, but Stallone was clever and stipulated that he would be the main star of the film and he must receive a share of the profits. Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff accepted the terms and Rocky (1976) went on win three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director for John Avildsen and Best Film Editing. It also earned further seven nominations including a Best Actor salute for Stallone.
At last Stallone found himself in the A-list stakes and not long afterwards, made his directing debut with Paradise Alley (1978). The sequel to Rocky, Rocky II which Stallone also wrote and directed was released in 1979 and also became a major success, grossing $200 million worldwide.
Aside from the Rocky films, Stallone starred in a series of other films during the early 1980s which were critically acclaimed but were less successful at the box office. Stallone scored his second major franchise success as Vietnam veteran John Rambo in the action adventure film First Blood in 1982. The first installment of Rambo was both a critical and box office success. Two Rambo sequels Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Rambo III (1988) followed though despite being hits, critics were less impressed than the original. The success of Rocky also continued with Stallone directing and starring in two more sequels to the series: Rocky III (1982) and Rocky IV (1985).
To break away from being typecast in the stereotypical ‘tough nut’ role, Stallone took parts in films of different genres but was unsuccessful. In 1984 he wrote and starred in the comedy film Rhinestone where he played a wannabe country music singer and also the drama Over the Top in 1987.
The action films Cobra (1986) and Tango and Cash (1989) saw Stallone back in his natural acting habitat and rekindled his fans’ attention. Rocky V started out 1990 and was intended to be the last installment in the franchise- it was also a box office disappointment but Stallone bounced back with a vengeance in 1993 with the blockbuster hit Cliffhanger which went on to take $255 million worldwide. Success continued later the same year with the film Demolition Man, a $158 million smash at the box office.
1994's The Specialist went on to make over $170 million worldwide and in 1995 Stallone played the title character Judge Dredd, based on a British comic book. The film flopped in the US but Stallone’s overseas box office appeal saved the profits by tallying up a worldwide $113 million. In 1996, Stallone starred in Daylight which followed in Judge Dredd’s footsteps in being a US flop yet an international success.
Critical acclaim was to come for Stallone’s role in Cop Land in 1997. Starring alongside Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, the film was sadly only a minor success at the box office. 1998’s computer-animated Antz was a huge hit, with Stallone taking a backseat from his action man haven to voice the part of Weaver, the soldier ant buddy to Woody Allen's Z as part of an all-star cast including Gene Hackman and Christopher Walken.
The millennium began badly for Stallone's career as he starred in a string of critical and commercial flops including the remake of Get Carter, followed by Driven (2001), Avenging Angelo (2002) and D-Tox (2002).
2003 saw Stallone star in the third installment of the Spy Kids trilogy Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over which was a huge box office success (almost $200 million worldwide). His turn in the 2003 crime drama Shade was a box office failure yet his performance was praised by the critics and his prominence once again was set back on track.
Next came a shift to a different path for his career- reality television. Following in the successful formula of The Apprentice, producer Mark Burnett paired Stallone, because of his Rocky association, and boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard in The Contender (2005). The concept saw Stallone as both host and a mentor to the 16 hopefuls vying for a career as a professional fighter as well as a $1 million prize. The series was well-received by critics but struggled to find a wide audience.
Stallone returned in 2006 with the sixth and final installment of the successful Rocky series; Rocky Balboa. The film saw the legendary prize fighter coming out of retirement to mount yet another heavyweight comeback and was an international hit and climax to the series, taking over $150 million worldwide and gaining well-earned positive reviews.
Stallone has proved his worth as the original action hero, continuing to draw in the fans 30 years after his first screen appearance as Rocky. To double his long-reigning franchise success, Stallone is currently in post-production on the fourth installment of another Rambo film, John Rambo.
Monday 23 May 2011
Escape to NorthEast
Journey towards Northeast began with a mail sent by my friend which had this wonderful picture of the water fall, the world’s fourth highest falls….all I knew was this was in Cherrapunji and I decided I will visit this place.
After stressful work life and taking break from my company I decided to visit the place which had captured my soul few months back and than I worked out to find a good travel package and I found www.indiabeacons.com which is the only site which offered package to this enchanting place “my kind” of place not explored much,close connect to the nature the tribal village and my caves. I contacted the travel agent for the travel itenary and that is how I met Sandeep the man who gave the assurance that two girls can travel really safe and will have smooth trip. After much of confusion of my "could be" travelling partner finally my colleague Ramya joined me and made this trip possible.
This was five nights and six day package trip, we booked our flights to Guwahati and our journey of two girls began. We had connecting flight in Kolkata and our travel agent from India beacons met us there and assured us to be carefree and we would have great trip and indeed till we reached back to Bangalore Sandeep was very much connected to us checking about our journey and ensuring we were fine & that was the wonderful part of our journey.
Day one we drove to Shillong from Guwahati after visiting the Powerful temple "Kamakhya Temple”, one of the shakthi peeta. We headed to our 4 star hotel in Shillong and we hit the bed.
Following day we headed to Cherrapunji and we visited viewpoints on the way saw Ramakrishna Mission, Nohkalikai Falls (world’s 4th largest falls), Seven Sister Falls, Eco Park & did trek to the living root bridge uff… the trek was tiring but was worth all the pains……….all the way down the mountain you have this beautiful running water and the living root bridge the rare of its kind where the tribal people use as bridge to cross over the other part of the side.
Third day visited the Mawsynram highest recorded rainfall place the cave could not be explore here much as you need to be real professional to do caving or should be accompanied by one. Saw the beautiful formation of shivalinga and water dripping on it. Also Visited the Mawsmai cave where we did get into the cave and it was amazing experience.
Fourth day we visited to Dowki (Bangladesh Border) and the Mawlynnong village, the cleanest village in India…the long drive was really enchanting seeing the Eastern Ghats. If one cannot do the 13km trek to the living root bridge no worries one can get to see the view of the bridge from Mawlynnong village its 4 km walk ………..the best part of our journey was indeed perfect weather to trek as monsoon season was yet to arrive….but flip side was this place looks heaven with waterfalls all over when we visit during rainy season which we missed.
Fifth day our journey was towards Guwahati and we visited wonderful temples I liked the Umananda temple we had to take boat to reach the island on Brahmaputra. Later my friend being movie freak watched movie Dum aro Dum and checked into hotel had amazing food…..the taste of veg kichdi still lingers and decorum of the hotel was very good.
Following day our wonderful driver Hitesh who drove us all the places took us to shopping after our check-out & finally dropped us to the airport.
All in all a memorable journey with my friend Ramya we had lot of funny moments and wonderful time. Thanks to our travel agent Sandeep from Indiabeacons who made it hitch free and safe trip for the two ladies.
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