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? am a storm,? says Adnan Sami
Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, December 05, 2006]  



? am a storm,? says singer Adnan Sami who has his own plans to combat hurricane Himesh. Sami is ready with his next non-film album ?issi Din? in three years. Sami who weighs ninety kgs has lost loads of weight and seems-n-feels like a new person. Although he has married twice and divorced, the romance in his voice is as fresh as ever. In fact, his number ?il Kya Kare? in ?alaam-e-ishq? is one of the most charmingly romantic number one has heard in a long time.

Adnan Sami had been away from the scene for some time due to his attempts to lose weight and get life in perspective. A little bit of fallow period definitely adds to the mystic quality of a voice that has regaled the masses as well as the classes alike. Here? looking forward to a more leaner and crispier Adnan Sami in the coming days.

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Bachchan wanted umeed se duguna?
Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, December 05, 2006]  



The Kaun Banega Crorepati controversy ceases to die down. Rumours are spreading as if flames of a house on big time fire. There were reports that Big B is very upset with Star Plus and SRK for going ahead with KBC even though he was keen on doing it. But if a tabloid report is to be believed then, the reason why the channel went ahead with SRK was Bachchan insisting on getting double his price for finishing off the remaining 26 episodes (the episodes left due to Mr Bachchan? illness last year). Umeed se duguna?nyone?

Shahrukh Khan on the other hand is leaving no stone unturned in stressing that he is ?ot going to be a host but a dost.? At a press conference in Delhi yesterday, SRK was in good humour and answered the probing questions in a lighthearted manner. He also said that he is willing to go on his knees to convince Mr Bachchan to be a celebrity contestant on his show. ? would drive him myself to the studio,? he said.

Shahrukh Khan will address the media in Mumbai today. You bet, it? gonna be one hell of an event?.

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Mani Rathnam? ?ajjo? to start in August, 2007
Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, December 05, 2006]  



It seems Kareena Kapoor will have to wait a while before she can start work on her dream project, ? Lajjo?. Directed by Mani Rathnam, she would be paired with perfectionist Aamir Khan for the first time. This much anticipated film was supposed to start this December or January, 2007, but with Aamir planning to kick start the remake of Tamil hit ?hajini? under his own home production in January, it seems ?ajjo? will have to wait till August, 2007 to finally start.

For the meanwhile Kareena is basking in the glory of boyfriend Shahid Kapoor? first super hit ?ivah?. No, she is not in a hurry to sign new films. And no, she isn? bothered about her pairing with one time lover Hrithik Roshan in Zoya Akhtar? directorial debut. As of now Kareena is listening to new scripts and is determined to do quality work. Seems Aamir Khan effect is catching up big time in Bollywood.

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Tulip Joshi back with MYKSH team
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, December 05, 2006]  



Ravishing Tulip Joshi recently shot for an ad film to promote health food. Being a health freak herself, she was more than happy to face the camera to promote an ayurvedic health food cereal.

It was a deja vu of sorts for Tulip since the director was none other than Sunil Patel, who was the cameraman for her debut film 'Meri Yaar ki Shaadi Hai'. Sunil Patel has been credited with a lot of big banner films mostly from the Yashraj banner.

Says Tulip, "It was wonderful shooting for a health product, since I believe in it so much. Being a health freak myself, I readily agreed to shoot for this brand. Also Shooting with Sunil Patel was an icing on the cake since it been a long time since he shot me for my debut film. We had a lot of catching up to do."

Tulip has also recently signed a film with Salman Khan secretary Vikas Kapoor film 'Mera Bharat Mahaan', directed by Sameer Karnik. Besides she has also signed a multiple film deal with Sanjay Gupta and will be shooting this month. Her films 'HOSTEL' and 'SHUNYA' are slated to be released soon.

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Aryan all set for Dec 15 release
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, December 05, 2006]  



There is something common between 'Zamaanat' and 'Aryan'. Both the films have been completed for quite some time (though the quantum differs for the two) and have come close to release a multiple number of times only to be postponed again.

While 'Zamaanat' has been getting pushed practically every fortnight, Sohail Khan starrer 'Aryan' that had been lying low for quite some time after being almost ready to hit the marquee a few months back, has announced its release date as December 15th.

Anand Raaj Anand's songs in the film have already been hit for months and now the talkie promos are the ones which are highlighted on the entertainment channels. Story of a boxer who introspects on his priorities between the sport and his family, 'Aryan' also stars Sneha Ullal, Inder Kumar and Puneet Issar in the principal roles.

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Amitabh Bachchan & Om Puri ideologies clash again
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, December 05, 2006]  



Come December 8 and audience across globe would be witness to the clash of Amitabh Bachchan and Om Puri ideologies...once again!

This is the day when Ravi Chopra's 'Babul' releases and the two veterans play brothers. While Big B comes with a liberal mindset who is willing to fight the world to let his daughter-in-law remarry after the death of his son, Om Puri is rooted to traditions and call of the society and is against his brother's step. This results in fireworks that are bound to keep you glued to your seats as the drama unfolds.

This is not the first time when the veterans have found themselves on a warring path. A couple of years back, the two played cops in Govind Nihalani's 'Dev' and although they played friends in the movie, their thinking and method of functioning conflicted.

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DJ Akbar Sami makes his composition debut
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, December 05, 2006]  



Say Akbar Sami and one immediately associates the name with the man who has worked with Himesh Reshammiya on dozens of his songs to turn them into remixes.

Soon Sami may be able to shed off his DJ tag, at least when it comes to some of his work in Bollywood, as he goes independent for his work in the film 'Risk'. For this Vishram Sawant film, Sami has composed songs independently without remixing any other composer's work.

Now one waits for the album to be out on the stands to check out the rest of the soundtrack and see of Sami's golden touch is visible in his original work too.

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Where is Danny Denzongpa?
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, December 05, 2006]  



That Danny Denzongpa has always been overtly selective is a known fact. But off late one of the most original villains in Bollywood has not been seen on the silver screen for years now, let alone months.

It was exactly 2 years back when Anil Sharma's 'Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo' [2004] released and that's the last one saw him in a film. Though there were a few films that came before that, his last notable performance was in the film '16 December' [2002] where he was in a central role.

Known for his unique dialogue delivery coupled with the way he carries his stylish self on screen, Danny made his Bollywood debut 35 years back with 'Mere Apne' and since then has acted in over 150 films.

Last one heard, Danny had starred in a film titled 'Frozen' which was shot entirely in B & W at Ladakh in minus 25 degrees Celsius. Produced and directed by Shivajee Chandrabhushan, the film is waiting to see the light of the day.

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A journey from a father-in-law to a lover
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, December 06, 2006]  



Trust Big B to be playing central protagonist in film after film even as he tries to underplay the fact by stating that he is mainly filling in for supporting roles.

Come December 8 and he would be playing the title role in Ravi Chopra's social 'Babul'. As he plays his age, he is bound to touch the hearts of millions with his doting father and then a father-in-law act. Well, he does play his age again in a film a few weeks down the line too but as an altogether different character...that of a 60 year old man who comes in close proximity with a 18 year old [Jiah Khan]. How sparks fly between them and love develops forms the crux of this Ram Gopal Verma.

Since the film's subject is quite unusual, even the tagline of the film proclaims - 'Some Love Stories Are Never Meant To Be Understood'.

While traversing this journey from a father-in-law to a lover, there is also a probability of two of Big B's other films coming in, namely 'Zamaanat' and 'Eklavya - The Royal Guard'. Needless to say, Bachchan is in central role in these 2 films too!

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Will Karan Khanna be third time lucky with HTPL?
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, December 06, 2006]  



In the industry for around 2 years, young Karan Khanna is still waiting to have his moments of glory on the big screen.

Nephew of Vinod Khanna, he made his debut with Mallika Sherawat in 'Bachke Rehna Re Baba' last year. If not being featured in the film's publicity was not a good enough reason to be disappointed, the film's sinking without a trace was quite a blow.

Though he was decent as a beginner, his next chance came only this year when he played younger brother to Irrfan Khan in Naseeruddin Shah's 'Yun Hota To Kya Hota'. While he was noticed for his natural act in the film, the failure of the film meant that his struggle would have to continue for some more time to come.

With the upcoming release of his third film 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd', he has reasons to smile since he has been paired opposite Amisha Patel and is said to have come up with yet another natural act of his. Due for release in February, the film is an ensemble piece that has as many as 15 important characters in the narrative.

Now it has to be seen if the young actor would be third time lucky with this multi starrer!

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Shiamak Davar in the thick of Bollywood choreography
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, December 06, 2006]  



'Crazy Kiya Re' may be the talk of the nation but guess which song has overtaken it in a big way during last fortnight?

'Dhoom Again' picturised on Hrithik in a solo and then with both Hrithik and Ash when the end credits roll. The person who has made the dance moves so special? Shiamak Davar!

Known for his unusual dance steps and some real grandeur treatment, Shiamak has been associated with the Chopras since 'Dil To Paagal Hai' days when he choreographed the still-popular 'Le Gayi Le Gayi'. Later his choreography for songs in 'Taal' and 'Bunty Aur Babli' made many stand up and take notice.

Soon his work would also be seen in films like 'I See You' where he has gone in for a different mood of choreography altogether. Currently on air, the song 'Subah Subah' picturised on Arjun Rampal is a road number with Arjun Rampal casually strolling across the streets and humming along the song.

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Saurabh Shukla writes dialogues/screenplay for Salaam-E-Ishq
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, December 06, 2006]  



His stint with direction may not have got him the fame and adulation that he deserves but Saurabh Shukla is slated to get all that and lots more as Nikhil Advani directed 'Salaam-E-Ishq' releases soon. Reason? Shukla has been entrusted the responsibility of writing screenplay (where he is joined by Suresh Nair and Nikhil Advani) and dialogues for the film.

Shukla is not new to the writing world as he co-scripted 'Satya' with Anurag Kashyap apart from also doing 'Mumbai Express'. In the recent months, he was seen as an actor in 'Home Delivery and 'Mixed Doubles' and was as always noticed for his act.

Earlier Shukla has tried his luck in direction with 'Mudda' and 'Chehraa', both of which flopped miserably at the box office.

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Reason behind February as the hottest month for film releases
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, December 06, 2006]  



February is soon turning out to be flavor of the season for Bollywood films to be releasing.

With 'Guru', 'Salaam-E-Ishq' and 'Fool & Final' being the 3 biggies slated to release in January and 'Bhagam Bhag' expected to continue its magic from its December 22 release way into the month of January, film makers are left with no choice but to bring their movies in the month of February.

But why not wait a little later?

Because March spells doom for producers, distributors and exhibitioners due to school and college exams. Also, World Cup Cricket 2007 continues till late April which means that it would be nothing short of a hara-kiri for a film to be released then. Hence, the next possible release month is May 2007.

So what happens to numerous big and small films that are waiting to hit the marquee? They jump over one another to try and book a berth in the month of February. With numerous production houses with repute having already closed deals with the multiplexes across country, there is mayhem of sorts with many other films trying to outdo each other.

This is the reason why one sees a flurry of February releases in the form of 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.', 'Traffic Signal', 'Eklavya - The Royal Guard', 'Namastey London', 'Shakalaka Boom Boom', 'Cash', 'Metro' and 'Nishabd' with a strong possibility of arrival of 'Good Boy Bad Boy' and 'Red' too.

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Guru - Finally a worthy comeback for Mithun Chakraborty
Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, December 06, 2006]  



In the month of January, it will be 2 years since Mithun Chakraborty made his comeback with 'Elaan'. Not to mention that it turned out to be pretty damp squib in the end.

The film flopped and though he had a decent hit in the form of 'Lucky-No Time For Love', his was the poorest etched role in the Salman Khan-Sneha Ullal starrer. Playing the role of a 'guru' in both 'Classic-Dance Of Love' and 'Chingaari' didn't help either as the films were commercial disasters though he did come for some critical appreciation in the latter.

Acting in small time films like 'Sun Zarra' and 'Kachchi Sadak' were just not worthy enough and though there were sparks of vintage Mithunda in Aditya Dutt's 'Dil Diya Hai' a few months back, it was still not good enough.

Now all eyes are set in Mani Ratnam's 'Guru' which releases on January 12th (exactly 2 years after 'Elaan' which came on January 14th 2005). The film appears to be the first ever which would be truly utilizing Mithun's potential as he plays the role of Manikdas Guptha a.k.a Nanaji.

Nananji is shown to be a veteran who runs a newspaper called Swathantra and is highly impressed with the kind of fire that he could feel within the character played by Abhishek Bachchan i.e. Guru. In spite of knowing Guru as a young lad whose walk towards his destination seemed too fast, he attributed it to his young blood. But later when he was made aware about Guru's so-called evil ways, he wanted to fight and destroy him.

A showoff that indeed sounds highly promising, one keenly anticipates the release of the film.

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Children's film festival to follow IFFK
IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, December 06, 2006]  



"The international film Festival of Kerala(IFFK) which begins here on Friday would mark the beginning of many endeavors to help and promote bold experiments for young talents with cinema. As a part of this, the Chalachitra Academy will organise a docuumentary and children's film festival," said M A Baby, minister for culture.

Cinema would be made an integral part of children's curriculum. The academy would selct five best films from the festival entries and screen them in all districts. Screenings would be conducted in public places in the city as a part of the festival.

Awards has also been announced for the best news reports on the festival in the elctronic and print media.

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Kumar Sanu Junior Shines
Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaGlitz [Thursday, December 07, 2006]  



Looks like there's another Kumar Sanu in  the making as Star Plus show ?in Mera Star Superstar? gets Jaan Sanu (singer Kumar Sanu's son) entering the semi-final rounds. Sachin Pilgoankar, one of the judges on the show said, ?aan has definitely got 'sur' and 'taal' as a genetic gift from his father but what I admire about him is that he is using this gift to the best of his advantage and trying to get ahead in life on his own effort.?

But has he reached this far on own merit or are the judges partial to him because of his father's celebrity status? Judge Sachin says, ?oth Farida Jalal and I are judges on this show and we are not here to create biases and favoritism among contestants. We have chosen those contestants who we felt have immense talent and Jaan is one amongst them. We have definitely not chosen Jaan in the semi-finals because of his father. On this show, contestants have to create and use their own identity to come ahead and not their parents.?

Jaan Sanu says, ? I have worked hard to come so far in the show and I am struggling just like any other contestants to win this title. My name is attached with my father Kumar Sanu's name but I don't want to get ahead in life using his name, I am here to create an identity of my own and so no where in the show have I used my fathers name. I have given my best performance and that's why I have got selected.?

Jaan, whose last performance won him accolades from celebrity guest Pooja Bhatt will now be in the semi-finals competing with contestants- Santosh Kapdi (14) and Ashwini Shukla (11) from Mumbai, and 7 other contestants from  Pune, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad and Jaipur.

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? am very excited,? says John Abraham
Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaGlitz [Thursday, December 07, 2006]  



Zee Muzic presents a collector's edition calendar with John Abraham shot by the ace photographer Subi Samuel. The Zee Muzic - John Abraham 2007 Calendar is one-of-its-kind and presents exclusive pictures of the urban Adonis John Abraham, for each month of the year. The calendar has been shot at beautiful and exotic locales in Goa and presents John, a nature lover in a sizzling avtaar that brings out the 5 S's - Sun, Sand, Sea, Skin and loads of Sex appeal!

Thrilled at the upshot, John Abraham said, "I am very excited to be part of this initiative. We had a blast shooting the calendar. Subi has done a terrific job. My fans can take a sneak peek of this exclusive calendar also on my official website along with information on my upcoming releases - Babul, Kabul Express & Salaam-e-ishq."

Speaking on the Calendar and shooting with John, ace photographer Subi Samuel says, "The look of this calendar is highly stylized. John is the quintessential youth icon. He's a unique amalgamation of great looks, a chiseled physique and a childlike quality, which makes him the perfect subject for this calendar.

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Box Office Analysis
Exclusive by Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Thursday, December 07, 2006]  



First weekend performance of latest release

'With Luv...Tumhara' was the sole release of the Friday gone by. Though in a normal scenario, a sole release brings with it a lot of benefits but then things have hardly been 'normal' since the release of 'Dhoom 2'! Even otherwise, 'With Luv...Tumhara' hardly stood a chance at the box office and in spite of the fact that it got a decent chain of theatres, especially with PVR resorting to give the film a decent number of shows due to unavailability of any new movies for last 3 weeks, the film could hardly capitalize on it. Poor reviews coupled with (expected) poor turnaround means that the film would add on to the list of small films that have turned out to be disasters at the box office.

Last week's movies



The definition of a bumper week would have to change from hereon as 'Dhoom 2' has written history all over! If the collections of Week 1 are anything to go by, this Sanjay Gadhvi film is easily en route to turn out to be the biggest money-spinner ever. It may not enjoy a 5 year run of a 'Sholay' or a tremendous stay at the BO like 'Gadar-Ek Prem Katha' or a 11-years-and-still-running film like 'DDLJ' but it is certainly destined to get to the top when it comes to the final numbers i.e. overall box office moolah! What else does one expect from a film that takes a 35 crore opening and still continues to do tremendously well at theatres across country in the second weekend?

KANK record of 28 crore was beaten with as much as a 25% increment which is a feat that promises to remain intact for number of weeks to come. Whether it was a A, B or a C center, the film has created records all over with Mumbai topping with a tremendous 6.5 crores, Pune sitting pretty at 1.5 crore and Ahmedabad boasting of 1 crore. Now let's talk about Delhi. Its total may look excellent at 2.3 crore but it could easily have been in the up of at least 1 crore if the film would have got a multiplex release there. Ditto for Delhi NCR where the film released only on single screens which means that in the end, the film lost out on at least a couple of crores overall!

Hrithik now emerges as a strong contender for numero uno position this year with two back to back successes though Aamir Khan is his closest challenger with both 'Rang De Basanti and 'Fanaa' being critically as well as commercially successful.

From the past



If the first week of 'Unns', 'Rehguzar' and 'Janani' were not disastrous enough then the second week meant a complete washout for them since the films sunk without a trace. No actor seems to have been really impacted by the dismal response though since except for a few people within the industry, no one from outside the industry or the paying public was hardly aware about any such movie coming and going!

'Vivah' has turned out to be a sweet little success for the Barjatyas [though not as huge as some sections of the trade are proclaiming] and while it is now a comfortable hit due to its low cost, the total at most seems to be reaching up to 20-22 crore range. In today's age when 20 crore is the minimum for a film of this stature to be called as a hit, 'Vivah' fits in the bill but that's about it. It was heartening to see though that in spite of 'Dhoom 2' mania all around, 'Vivah' was the only movie to have remained unshaken as it took a nominal 30% fall to end at 3.5 crores. Though the film took a dip in Mumbai [80 lakhs to 40 lakhs] and Delhi [35 lakhs to 16 lakhs], consistent collections at the smaller centers ensured that moolah kept getting generated for 'Vivah'. Shahid Kapoor now has a hat-trick of successes of varied degree this year [36 China Town, Chup Chup Ke and now Vivah] and should be enjoying a satisfying end of year with a cent percent run!



A total of 13 crore after 3 weeks clearly indicates that 'Apna Sapna Money Money' had its best chances in the first week on which it had capitalized with a 8.5 crore opening. The film could not survive the 'Dhoom 2' onslaught and crashed 70% to add in a measly 1 crore. Mumbai, the best territory for the film so far, was the biggest disappointment with a massive fall from 1 crores to 22 lakhs while Gurgaon turned out to be second best money spinner at 4.5 lakhs! Reason? 'Dhoom 2' hadn't released at multiplexes there. A film that looked set to be hit after the first week, it would now have to settle as an above average runner.

'Umrao Jaan' is now breathing its last with near to negligible 3rd week collections. The film fails to even reach 7.5 crore after a disastrous 6 crores opening. Ditto for 'Jaan-E-Mann' which is now in its last leg at 26.5 crores. On the other hand 'Don' has still some ammunition left with a 60 lakhs 6th week. Staring at 50 crores, it needs another 50 lakhs to reach the milestone. Meanwhile 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' too is striving to hit the 70 crore mark with another 15 lakhs needed for the achievement. With 10 lakhs coming in its 13th week, it should be a matter of time before the film achieves this feat.

In the future

'Baabul' enjoys being the sole release of coming Friday and would be expecting that the 'Dhoom 2' euphoria subsides by that time. The film is expected to take a much better opening than 'Baghban' [in the range of 60%-70%] due to latter being still fresh in audience's mind. Having said that, the film would mainly have families and senior citizens as its main audience since it is not really the first choice of youngsters due to two reasons - a) the subject doesn't sound really enthralling for them and b) 'Kabul Express' and 'Bhagam Bhaag' open in consecutive weeks.

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Hussain bowled by Amrita; who is Shahid Latif?.
Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaGlitz [Thursday, December 07, 2006]  



Ninety something world famous artiste surely creates news in style. Well, MF Hussain? passion for Sooraj Barjatya? movies continues. Remember he watched ?um Aapke Hain Kaun? hundreds of times. And Madhuri Dixit became even more famous than what she is, courtesy Hussain? cutting-edge paintings of the dhak-dhak diva (the ?idi tera devar diwana? sari portraits earns special mentioning). It seems the artiste-in-exile has found another muse in Barjatya? Poonam (Amrita Rao) from his latest ode to engagement-n-marriage ?ivah?.

He has seen the movie nine times already. And tonight he is hosting a big bash at Dubai? Plaza cinema where he has invited 150 relatives, friends and media persons to be a part of his enthusiasm. Incidentally it will be the last show in Plaza and Hussain wants to give it a warm goodbye. He shall find ways to watch ?ivah? many times over. Anyway! In an interview to a prominent newspaper in Mumbai, Hussain stated that he finds huge potential in Amrita Rao, though the hero of the film wouldn? be too amused at being referred to as Shahid Latif.

With such a fantastic painter being one of his fans, Sooraj Barjatya is having the last laugh. For all those who felt that ?ivah? would sink without a trace are still marveling at the tremendous response the film is receiving in spite of the Box Office road-rolling of ?hoom 2?.  Guess good values always make their presence felt. Especially, when they are presented with sure-shot-conviction.

[ Last edited by  ldg at 23-12-2006 10:38 PM ]