TNL Onstage 2007

It’s about time of the year that music lovers from all parts of the island gather around to witness some of the best talents Sri Lanka has to offer. The all important final of TNL Onstage 2007 gets underway on November 10, 2007 (Tonight) @ SLECC with all glitz and glamour.

The grand finals of TNL Onstage 2007 promises to be bigger, better and more explosive than ever as six amateur bands, six amateur solo artistes and four hip-hop outfits take the centre stage.

Finalists
The following bands and Hip-hop acts have got through to the finals.
Bands: Merlock / Wagon Park / Icarus / Gray Mind Domain / Hollow / S.A.M.
Hip-hop Acts: Nouty Coast / Dirty 4 Four / Kavisha / Sheaam

Categories of TNL Onstage 2007
* Most Outstanding Band
* Most Outstanding Soloist
* Most Outstanding Hip-hop/R&B Act
* Most Outstanding Musician
* Best Original Song

Awards and Prizes
The Most Outstanding Band will walk away with the coveted title of TNL Onstage 2007. Apart from that, winners will receive…
* Awards for each category
* Sound equipment from Swedish Trading Audio Visual worth half a million rupees
* APPLE products from the EPSI iStore
* Cash prizes for the most outstanding Sprite Theme Song

Guest Performances
There will be a guest performance by the last year’s onstage winners Fuzz MechanX.

Fan Merchandise
The Sunday Leader Rock & Roll special and a compilation CD featuring songs of all the finalists will be issued free with the ticket.

The live broadcast of TNL Onstage 2007 will be beamed to the whole island on 101.7FM in Colombo, 87.9FM Down South, 98.2FM Kandy and 90FM Islandwide.

TNL Onstage 2007
Date: November 10, 2007
Time: 8.30pm onwards
Venue: SLECC
Tickets: Rs.650

Go see it for yourself and be apart of the biggest musical phenomenal of the year.

TNL Onstage
TNL onstage is a musical milestone that is anxiously awaited year after year by aspiring musicians and local talent thirsting crowds.

Since its first appearance back in 1999, TNL Onstage has galvanized to become the music authority on upcoming artistes in the local music industry. The competition has spawned artistes who have now become the corner stone of the original music scene and have in turn inspired young bands to come out of their closet and promote their own music among the audiences. TNL Onstage is a platform which gives local artistes the opportunity to be more confident when it comes to developing their public image, putting out albums & singles and releasing the material to local media.


This post will be updated with photos and a low-down of winners. Make sure you check back…
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The most buzzed about grand finals of TNL Onstage 2007 which held at the SLECC on November 10 came to an end with a big bang. As mentioned earlier six bands, four hip-hop acts along with six soloists battled it out in front of a packed audience to grab hold of the titles for Winner- Onstage 2007, Most Outstanding Hip-hop Act and Best Soloist respectively.

The band Hollow was crowned the Best Band of the night and walked away with the prestigious title Winner - TNL Onstage 2007 together with more merchandize from the event partners and sponsors. The five piece heavy-metal outfit performed one of their originals “Sweet Betrayal” followed by a stunning cover of Queens “The Final Countdown” which got the crowd going really well. In the meantime, the band Merlock was named the first runner up in the band category.

The solo round was not that interesting. A couple of individuals tried so hard to imitate some international artistes by covering commercial hits such as Makes Me Wonder, Summer Love and Umbrella. Not sure whether such songs are suitable for a professional competition like TNL Onstage. They could have found better numbers. Chrishantha who probably gave the best performance of the night when it comes to the solo category had chosen the most outstanding Soloists. He took the audience on a ride with his cover of Scott Stapp’s “Great Divide” and heart-felting rendition of Evanescence’ classic “My Immortal”.

As for the Hip-hop acts, there were two Hip-hop crews namely Nouty Coast and Dirty 4 Four. With all the shades and blingz, they brought glamour to the show. The competition between these two acts was so tight. Both displayed original compositions. At the end, Nouty Coast who did a remake of the club banger “Tambourine” by Eve bagged the award for the most Outstanding Hip-hop act. Even though, it should be mentioned that both acts deserved the title. The other solo participants in the category didn’t make a huge impression among the audience.

The stage looked extremely good. There were two LCD screens carrying artist clips & interviews, intros and promotional material from the sponsors. The venue has also been designed to give the audience the perfect atmosphere. The panel of judges included some of the biggest names in the local music industry including Natasha Jayasuriya, Bathiya, Iraj Weeraratne and Ashanthi. It was a great show. And the talent this year was out of this world. An audience of over 3000 people turned up at this year’s TNL Onstage to support Sri Lankan originality.

Following is a low-down of the event……

Winners
* Most Outstanding Band / Winner: TNL Onstage 2007 – Hollow
* Most Outstanding Band (1st Runner up) – Merlock
* Most Outstanding Musicians – Dilshan (Drummer – Hollow)
* Best Original Song – Crimson Skies (Merlock)
* Most Outstanding Soloist – Chrishantha
* Most Outstanding Hip-hop/R&B Act – Nouty Coast
* Sprite Theme Song – Thirst (Icarus)

Here’s a list of songs performed by the each individual….

Songs performed by the winners/contestants
Band
* Hollow – Sweet Betrayal / The Final Countdown (Queen)
* Merlock – Crimson Skies
* Icarus – Your Lullaby / Run (Snow Patrol)
* Wagon Park – Jingy Bingy Blues / Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd)
* Gray Mind Domain – Into My Mind / Layla (Eric Clapton)
* S.A.M – I’ll Catch You If You Fall / When The Sun Goes Down (Arctic Monkeys)

Solo
* Chrishantha – Great Divide (Scott Stapp) / My Immortal (Evanescence)
* Mariam – Every Breath You Take (Sting) / Umbrella (Rihanna)

Hip-hop
* Nouty Coast – Shawty Goffta / Tambourine (Eve)
* Dirty 4 Four – Dirty CMB /

Guest Performances of the Night
Guest performances of the night saw the up and coming band Thriloka and last year’s Onstage winners Fuzz MechanX.
* Thriloka – Opening Act
* Fuzz MechanX – Final Performance

Media
Here, I’ve got some original music from the artistes who took part for TNL Onstage 2007. The following tracks are getting a fair amount of airplay on local radio. The tracks can also be found in TNL Onstage Compilation CD. Happy listening…….
* Hollow – Sweet Betrayal (Acoustic) (DOWNLOAD)
* Dirty 4 Four – Dirty CMB (DOWNLOAD)
* S.A.M. - Catch You If You Fall (DOWNLOAD)

Last updated: Nov 24, 2007

Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 on YES FM

Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, the longest running modern radio chart show which captivated music lovers around the globe is coming to the airwaves of 89.5 YES FM this November.

YES FM will be airing the "Hit Radio" version of the show which is designed for contemporary radio stations. The four-hour countdown based on radio playlists showcases 40 of the biggest hits in the nation along with music news, up-close celebrity sleaze, guest appearances and competitions.

Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 countdown is currently heard on over 350 radio stations in the US as well as in 177 countries worldwide. The internationally syndicated show reaches 30 million people every week. Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 is available in three different formats- Hit Radio, Hot Adult and Rhythmic. The chart show is hosted by the legendary radio presenter Rick Dees. He has been named Billboard Magazine’s number one radio personality in America for the past eleven years. Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 is a production of Radio Express.

Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 was previously aired on TNL Radio.

Rick Dees Weekly Top 40
First Airing: Saturdays 4 – 8pm
Repeat: Sundays 10 – 2pm

Website: http://www.rick.com/

Mary Wilson of The Supremes to perform in Sri Lanka

Mary Wilson, one of the original/founding members of the legendary 70’s Motown Pop outfit The Supremes is scheduled to perform in Sri Lanka this November in aid of Sri Lanka’s landmine victims.

The Black & White Evening with Mary Wilson of The Supremes gets underway on Saturday 03rd November 2007, 7.30pm at the Oak Room – Cinnamon Grand. Mary Wilson will be accompanied by a seven piece orchestra to sing at the concert.

Taking a look back at her fascinating time with The Supremes, Mary Wilson was the only member of The Supremes who remained in the band until the very end when they called it a day in 1977. Along with her fellow members of the band Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Cindy Birdsong, she counted a total of twelve US number-one hits. The Grammy Award winning singles include “Stop In The Name Of Love”, “I’m Every Woman” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. Several songs have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. The magazine Rolling Stones ranked the band #97 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. The band inspired people around the world. And The Supremes are one of the most influential bands in the Retro era.

In addition to her singing career, she authored the autobiography "Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme" which describes her life with The Supremes. It remains one of the best selling Rock-and-Roll autobiographies of all time. In the early 90’s, she penned a follow-up entitled "Supreme Faith: Someday We’ll Be Together".

Mary Wilson became the Mine Action spokesperson for the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI), a NYC based non-profit organization forging innovative public-private partnerships designed to help solve specific international problems. HDI is implementing multi-million dollar mine clearance and development and education projects in Sri Lanka. And Sri Lanka is the first mission undertaken for HDI by Mary Wilson to raise awareness about landmines and unexploded ordnance.

Apart from the charity concert in Colombo, she will be down in the island by October 31 to review HDI’s mine clearance and dairy development program in the Jaffna Peninsula. Wilson will also meet with individuals whose lives have been impacted by landmines.

The event is organized by The Humpy Dumpty Institute in partnership with One Sri Lanka Foundation.

The Black & White Evening with Mary Wilson of The Supremes live in Colombo
Date: Saturday 03rd November 2007
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Oak Room – Cinnamon Grand
Tickets: Rs.10,000 / 7500 inclusive of dinner
Sponsors: Sunday Times / Daily Mirror / YES FM / MTV

HDI’s Mine Action Program for Sri Lanka
http://www.thehdi.org/srilanka_description.htm

Mary Wilson official website
http://www.marywilson.com/

EPSI iStore

EPSI Computers, the only authorized distributor/re-seller for APPLE products in Sri Lanka in partnership with Apple Inc. recently opened its state-of-the-art iStore in the heart of Colombo. The store provides a variety of services to digital enthusiasts in the country.

EPSI iStore showcases a wide portfolio of APPLE products and provides a number of value added service facilities to customers purchasing APPLE products from the store.

The products on display at the newly opened iStore range from MP3 players to MAC Books, iMacs, Apple TVs and a wide variety of iPods and Apple related accessories. APPLE users can also get their faulty products replaced at this store subject to terms and conditions.

The flagship EPSI iStore is located at #302, Galle Road, Colombo 4 while more branches can be found at Shop #02-10, Majestic City and all Singer Mega showrooms Island wide. According to the press release there will be more outlets opened in the coming months.

To learn more about the products and services they have got in store, visit their official website at http://www.epsi.lk/

Miss Sri Lanka 2007 for Miss World

Miss Sri Lanka 2007 for Miss World was held on September 27th at the Water’s Edge.

Miss Maria Colombage was selected the winner and crowned Miss Sri Lanka 2007. She will represent Sri Lanka at the prestigious Miss World pageant to be held in Beiging, China this December. She wore a slinky white dress with midriff cut-out and a very low back which dipped below the waist. She was also awarded the mini titles 'Best Body' and 'Best Skin'. Narmada Ravihansi and Fallon Shilanthi were adjudged first and second runners up respectively.

The winner was crowned by reigning Miss Sri Lanka 2006 Danielle Kerkovan.

Maria Colombage, the new Miss Sri Lanka is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Watchout magazine.

Photos and Videos

Finalists
http://www.myimagehub.com/files/view/5967/misssrilanka2007_finalists.jpg
Maria Colombage in Swim-suit
http://www.myimagehub.com/files/view/5967/maria_colombage.jpg
Maria Colombage Promo image
http://www.myimagehub.com/files/view/5967/maria_colombage2.jpg
Maria Colombage in Watchout
http://www.myimagehub.com/files/view/5967/mariacolombage_watchout.jpg

Video - Crowning the winner
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KgQQc5I40Mw
Video - Swimwear Parade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgfWQZOgNPA
*Please note that the videos were not uploaded by me.

Discography – Maria Colombage
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/071021/Mirror/mr604.html

Last updated: October 29, 2007

Blood Brothers

Blood Brothers – Their lives were worlds apart…..their destiny joined them together…..

Blood Brothers is a musical/theatrical play which tells the captivating tale of two brothers, born as twins but separated at birth and never told the truth of their kinship until the day they die. The brothers grew up separately, one in a poor family and other with a rich background. As the days go by fate brings them together and finds some sort of bonding. This growing relationship between two brothers which was harmless in childhood causes complications in later adult life with some tragic consequences. And surprisingly, they both fall in love with the same women. The play chronicles around the struggling lives of each boy and their relationship with their mothers.

Mrs. Johnstone, Mickey, Eddie, Sammy, Linda, Mrs. Lyons and Mr. Lyons are the main characters of the play. The narrator of the musical mainly represents fate and inevitability. The music plays a significant role on the production. The tearful tunes such as Bright New Day, Long Sunday Afternoon, Easy Terms, I’m Not Saying A Word and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True give the performance the right impression.

The musical ‘Blood Brothers’ was originally written by Willy Russell back in the early 80’s. The production has scooped up four awards for the best musical in London and seven Tony award nominations on Broadway. And it is one of the longest running productions of all time. This critically acclaimed world-wide smash has now passed its 20th phenomenal year and it continues to draw the crowds across the globe.

The local play was directed by Jerome De Silva. According to him, the story can be related to any era. The story concerns one Mrs. Johnstone, a harassed mother of six, whose husband deserts her while she is pregnant with twins. Facing a dreadful struggle to keep her family fed and clothed, she is persuaded by her employer – the rich and childless Mrs. Lyons to let her take one of the twins and pass him off as her own. And swearing on the bible, Mrs. Johnstone agrees, on the promise of being able to see him grow up. But due to Lyons' fear that she will at one point reclaim the child, she's then sacked and denied access to her son.

Blood Brothers, a story about love, sacrifice and friendship performed by the Workshop Players goes onboard at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from September 14 – 23 at 7.30pm onwards which means it’s on for another four days. So go and see it for your self if you haven’t done so already. Tickets are available at the entrance. It was mentioned that the play contains some violence and explicit language. It may not be suitable for younger viewers.

Review on the Mirror Magazine
Another treat for theatre-lovers this September

Radio Trailer
http://www.zshare.net/audio/37639581bffae2/

The All New E! FM

E! FM has changed for good. The station took on a whole new look last week with a concept of lifestyle radio. And the station has been tagged as ‘Your Lifestyle Radio’. The much publicized change of E FM came to effect on the 12th September. Prior to that both TV (ETV) and print media along with E FM itself were carrying promotions and trailers about the launch of new E FM.

The all new E FM went on air for the first time at around 7 in the morning along with the commencement of newly set-up Morning show. Almost everything has changed. As you see in the image, a new logo has been made. The logo contains the station name (E FM), city frequency (100.4FM) and the tag line (Your Lifestyle Radio). It looks pretty neat. But I believe the black and yellow logo that they used to have is more recognizable.

A bunch of high-profiled DJ’s from the local entertainment scene have joined with E FM. Several well-known radio personalities have also moved over from other stations. The present line-up includes Mark Kross (YES FM), Lenny G (GOLD FM), Diamon Deen (LITE 89.2), Brad Stevens (YES FM) and a few newbies as well. It was nice to hear from people like Lenny G after a long time.

The station now caters to a larger audience as they intend to play music from the 80’s, 90’s and today. The most talked about Morning show renamed Morning Show Gram is now presented by Mark Kross, the former co-host of YES FM’s morning show and Lenny G, the veteran DJ of Sri Lanka’s only retro station GOLD FM. So listeners will no doubt get to hear some first class music especially in the morning beam. The revamped Drive-time show is called Rush Hour which is hosted by LITE 89.2’s long-time DJ and the former host of Lite Drive Diamon Deen. Brad Stevens who did fairly okay on YES FM’s main request show TRS now handles E!’s newly introduced request show Radio Active which airs on weekdays from 1 to 5pm. It was mentioned that all communication paths- SMS, Call-in, E-mail and Fax will be opened to reach this particular show. The station’s mid-afternoon show Perk @ Work has been replaced with Work Daze with Andy. Wind Down Zone, E FM’s highly popular late-night show has been given a new twist and it is now hosted by one of the sweetest voices on today’s radio none other than Sherone together with Tony Tony putting the finishing touches for the day.

On Friday nights, the station back-tracks tunes from the past with a bit of a weekend flavor on Weekend Warm Up. The all important chart show is called E! Most Wanted and it count downs 30 of the most wanted hits on E FM. Jamming the fattest club beats in town, the Club Connection on Saturday night is the guide for clubbers. On Sundays, E FM mostly plays nothing but the best in chilled-out music, starting with Sunday Chill which gives some perfect music to relax on your way back from church followed by Sentimental Sunday. This special 3 hour show takes you way back in time with the best in oldies and retro music. If you’re hoping to tune in, Sentimental Sunday and Ethnosphere are just a couple of interesting shows that one with a good taste in music should look out for. It is pretty understandable that the priority has been given to the new set of DJ’s. but the station’s long time E-Jays namely Andy, Sherone, Josh and a few others still exist. The bottom line is unlike some of the other stations E FM always had some high quality Deejays.

New Program line-up
Weekdays 5 – 7am: The Early Bird Show (Josh)
7 – 10am: Morning Show Gram (Lenny G / Mark Kross)
10 – 1pm: Work Daze (Andy)
1 – 5pm: Radio Active (Brad Stevens)
5 – 8pm: Rush Hour (Diamon Deen / Shama)
8 – 12mn: Wind Down Zone (Tony Tony / Sherone)
12 – 5am: Drift (Graham)

Saturdays 6 – 10am: The Brad Stevens Show (Brad Stevens)
10 – 1pm: E! Most Wanted – Top 30 Countdown (Diamon Deen)
1 – 5pm: All Request Saturday (Shama)
5 – 8pm: Saturday Drive
8 – 12mn: Club Connection (DJ Alec)

Sunday 7 – 10am: Sunday Chill (Andy)
10 – 1pm: Sentimental Sundays (Lenny G)
1 – 5pm: Sunday Breeze
6 – 8pm: Ethnosphere (Skinny Don)
8 – 12pm: Wind Down Zone (Tony Tony)
12 - 5am: Drift (Graham)

The station has also introduced an array of new promos and competitions. Most of the old promos including the infamous Rick The Rooster have been dropped. The news from the other side is that they plan to bring some international artistes down here. Talking about that, credits should go out to E FM for bringing down the first ever international act to Sri Lanka- Shaggy, back in 2000 which was one of the biggest concerts Sri Lanka has ever seen. E FM was doing extremely well along with other stations during the course of that time. After that the station had to undergo several changes.

The playlist which is the most important thing for a radio station has been given a total makeover. As I mentioned earlier E FM now plays a wide variety of music covering all genres from R&B and Pop to Alternative with a touch of Rock, Adult Contemporary and Gospel to all time favorites. The current playlist contains more soothing and easy-going tunes instead of more upbeat and dance oriented music that the station was known for. Also some amazing Alternative and classical tunes are being air-played. Let me tell you that E FM has never sounded this good! So get the best out of it… They are also giving out CD’s courtesy of M Entertainments.

The frequencies to be locked on are 100.4FM in Colombo, 93.2FM in Kandy and 104.5FM Down South. And you can listen in live from anywhere in the world by simply login onto efm.lk. They have introduced SMS facilities as well. The new SMS number for the studio is 071-8336336. It was a pleasure seeing E FM with this new music format. Because Since of late a lot of people I know were fed up with what is being played on local radio. And more people were craving for a new station to begin operations in the country.

If E FM continues to stay with the present music format, the station will definitely attract new fans. But first they need to focus on their coverage as well. Then the station will have a lot of potential to become one of the best music playing radio stations in the country. The brand-new Website for the re-formatted E FM is now officially up and running. You can become a member of the exclusive lifestyle section Club E! which at the moment allows you to request, rate and personalize the music that the station plays. Go ahead and discover your new lifestyle radio as it is here to stay….

Visit http://www.efm.lk/

STAR, HALLMARK CHANNEL, AUSTRALIA NETWORK and HBO HITS & FAMILY now on Dialog TV

Dialog TV, Sri Lanka’s leading Pay TV and only DTH service provider has completed adding new channels for the recently activated transponder. A total number of 18 channels have been launched. The much awaited new channel line-up includes the all important STAR bouquet, the Classic favourite HALLMARK CHANNEL, TEN SPORTS the rights holder for WWE programming, HBO Network’s latest additions and AUSTRALIA NETWORK which explores the culture and lifestyle of Down Under.

Newly launched English channels
* STAR WORLD
* STAR MOVIES
* HALLMARK CHANNEL
* HBO HITS
* HBO FAMILY
* AUSTRALIA NETWORK
* TEN SPORTS
* NEO SPORTS PLUS
* NEO SPORTS
* STAR CRICKET
* GOD TV
* NDTV 24/7

STAR Bouquet
The highly anticipated STAR bouquet which includes STAR WORLD and STAR MOVIES was added on 3rd August 2007. The addition of STAR bouquet was welcomed by all subscribers of Dialog TV as they have been waiting for it since the days of CBNSat.

Most of these channels especially STAR, HALLMARK CHANNEL and TEN SPORTS were available in Sri Lanka via other Pay TV platforms such as SatNet and Comet Cable. But if you're accessing the channles for the FIRST time, here's a brief sneak-peek as to what you can expect...

* STAR WORLD
Star World is the premiere English-language TV channel of the Cable network Star TV. The channel is probably the most popular Cable-Entertainment channel in Sri Lanka. It mainly brings U.S and British entertainment programming content to Asia. The channel distributes programs of leading American TV networks such as CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC and CW covering everything from Dramas and Soaps to Sitcoms, Talk shows and Reality shows. The current show-list of Star World includes Ellen, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break, Falcon Beach, The O.C., According To Jim, Desperate Housewives, The Apprentice, Scrubs, Bones, Law & Order, TNA Wrestling and many more. The channel carries exclusive live coverage of the hit reality show American Idol which has a wide audience in the country. And Star World is the home for many Award shows and Beauty pageants such as Grammy Awards, Emmy Awards and Miss World.
(Website)

* STAR MOVIES
Star Movies is the exclusive Hollywood movie channel of Star TV Network. The channel brings audiences across Asia the biggest blockbusters from Hollywood. The channel has acquired broadcast rights for many film production houses such as 20th Century Fox, Colombia Pictures, Universal, Disney, MGM, DreamWorks, Miramax Films, Canal Plus, Buena Vista and over 100 independent distributors. Star Movies has also been given official rights to broadcast live events such as The Academy Awards. The channel is well-known for airing the latest in movies and productions.
(Website)

* HALLMARK CHANNEL
Hallmark Channel specializes in family Entertainment. It’s a Classical Entertainment channel which mainly airs older TV productions and made-for-television movies along with past episodes and segments of present shows. It brings back a lot of memories from the 90’s with some of TV’s longest running shows such as ER, The Nanny and Walker Texas Ranger. The channel currently airs the day time talk show Oprah Winfrey Show which was previously on Star World. Hallmark Channel which broadcasts in over 100 countries across the globe is owned by Sparrowhawk Media. If you are in the mood for some quality TV, Hallmark Channel is the place.
(Website)

* HBO HITS & HBO FAMILY
HBO Hits and HBO Family are the latest additions of HBO Asia Networks. The channels have partnered with major Hollywood studios and distributors such as Columbia/TriStar, Paramount, Universal, New Line Cinema and Screen Gems. HBO Hits is completely dedicated to Hollywood blockbuster hits. The channel delivers US 100 box-office movies in the year they were released and hits that garnered Oscar/Golden Globe wins or nominations. The channel also features behind-the-scene footages, making of movies, Box-Office countdowns and gossips. HBO Family focuses on more family oriented movies. At late night HBO Family carries a segment called Nightwatch where more advanced content airs. Both channels are commercial free. The movies on HBO are scheduled at different timings. So that if you missed out the premiere of the movie, you can always catch a rerun.
(Website) (Website)

* AUSTRALIA NETWORK
Australia Network (formerly ABC Asia Pacific) is the place for everything Australia. The channel explores the rich cultural diversity of Down Under. On Australia Network you can watch a variety of programs including the latest regional news & current affairs, home-made documentaries, business reports, Australian dramas & soaps, lifestyle programs, sports and children programming. The list of Aussie dramas includes the highly popular Home & Away, medical series All Saints, Stingers and more. The channel also carries live coverage of events from around the region.
(Website)

* TEN SPORTS
Ten Sports is the most popular sports channel in Asia reaching an estimated 48 million homes in the Sub-continent, Middle East, Europe & Asia. As mentioned above, Ten Sports is the only pay network in the territory which holds exclusive rights for WWE events. The WWE content are being aired on a regular basis. Ten Sports also airs popular Magazine shows such as Gillette World Sports and Rally World. Ten Sports distributes hundreds of hours of sports content via satellite multiplex to broadcasters around Asia.
(Website)

* NEO SPORTS PLUS
Neo Sports Plus is a 24-hour Sports oriented Entertainment channel launched by Neo Sports Broadcast Ltd. The channel broadcasts Live Sports events, Magazine shows and Reality shows. Neo Sports Plus carries a variety of sports. It also has some of the best motor sports action in the form of V8 Supercars and Superbike World Championship respectively.
(Website)

* NEO SPORTS
Neo Sports is a channel dedicated to Cricket programming. The channel has exclusive rights to broadcast all cricket matches played by the Indian cricket team and domestic games. The channel showcases various cricket related programming, interviews, analysis and other shows around cricket.
(Website)

* STAR CRICKET
Star Cricket which is a part of the ESPN-STAR sports bouquet is a 24 hour cricket channel targetting the audiences of South-east Asia. The channel is set to carry live cricket coverage from around the world with a showcase segment of feature content on cricket including reality shows, archival programming and magazine shows.
(Website)

* GOD TV
God TV is a religious channel which mainly caters to the rapidly-growing Christian community. GOD TV broadcasts material that inspires you including a range of programmes presented by leading pastors and evangelists. God TV also features worship from Australian Hillsong Church and gospel music sessions. The channel reaches a potential viewing audience of 387 million people in more than 200 nations and territories from its broadcast headquarters in Israel. God TV is operated by The Angel Foundation.
(Website)

* ISLAM CHANNEL
Islam Channel is the first English language Islamic-focused satellite channel available globally. Islam Channel provides innovative and exciting programming that personalizes Islamic themes as well as entertains the Muslim viewers of all ethnic backgrounds.
(Website)

* NDTV 24x7
NDTV 24x7 is the largest English language news channel from India. It mainly airs news and current affairs related to India. Apart from the news bulletins, the channel also produces documentaries and special reports on important news items.
(Website)

Current status
Now Dialog TV currently has over 50 channels. With the recent addition of STAR pack, Dialog TV has an impressive line-up of channels. With the addition of STAR MOVIES, Dialog TV now has a complete Movie package with 7 dedicated channels including the full HBO pack and ZEE STUDIO. And Dialog TV receives the original/Hong Kong feed for all the Movie channels. So you’ll end up watching quality movie content free of commercials!

Future plans
Dialog TV will introduce functions such as Pay Per View and VOD (Video On Demand) sometime soon. HDTV operations are reportedly being tested. A complete EPG is also expected. More channels are likely to come aboard after the activation of Transponder 4. A new package for a higher rental is likely to come out.

Accessing the channels
You must have got access to all the channels by now. The newly launched channels have allocated to different packages. If you have the premium package (1400/=) you should receive all the channels. God TV is only available upon request. If you’re interested in viewing the channel, give the Customer Care a buzz and get it activated.

The subscribers of Dialog TV should be happy about the present channel line-up as they have introduced most of the expected channels especially STAR bouquet and HALLMARK CHANNEL. One of the channels which have been left out was FASHION TV. The channel was on the test mode along with some other channels but disappeared from the line-up after a couple of days. Even the promotional broachers made available by Dialog TV prior to the launch stated that FASHION TV will be introduced. However, it may return along with Transponder 4. It should be mentioned that the channel was previously available on CBNSat.

There is still a lack of Entertainment, Music, Lifestyle and Business channels in the line-up. So they should at least consider adding the channels which are already available in other local platforms. These channels include Channel V International, Dubai One, Fashion TV, Sky News, Bloomberg Television and local channels ETV and Art TV.

EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
EPG is available for selected channels. Press the EPG key on the Remote Control to access the channel bar which displays simple EPG information including the time and program titles. Press INFO key and it will pop out a bigger textbox displaying a full description – Time, Program Title, Genre and Sypnosis. Use the Forward and Backward buttons to navigate through items.

STAR Struck
A commercial named STAR STRUCK which promotes the STAR bouquet on Dialog TV has been released to local media. You can access them here…
Print: http://bayimg.com/BafNiAABG
Radio: http://www.zshare.net/audio/3053789c3f32c6/

Pay Dialog TV bills Online
You can now pay your Dialog TV bills online using your Credit Card at payeasy.lk, a portal powered by Sampath Bank.

Problems and Issues
On the other hand, several issues occur when using Dialog TV. Here’s a lowdown of some of the current issues that you have to deal with.
1. Rain fade – Satellite beam/signal gets lost when raining.
2. Most of the important channels such as HBO and VH1 have been given low band-with which resulted in low quality pictures.
3. The present EPG is inaccurate and contains lot of errors.
4. Low picture quality most of the time comparing to other DTH providers in the territory.
5. Audio and Video comparison on certain channels.
5. Channels go off air without any prior notice / Channels get stuck sometimes.
6. Customer care has not been informed about new developments.
7. Channel activation and package transfers are not being handled on Weekends/Public holidays.
8. The Website doesn’t include proper information / No E-Mail newsletters.
9. An additional decoder (Set Top Box) has been priced at Rs.9000/-
10. The user/subscriber has not been given the opportunity to select channels by genre (Movies, Entertainment, Sports & etc).
I suggest you consider these issues in case you’re thinking of purchasing a Dialog TV connection. Hope the problems will be sorted out soon. And please note that some of the issues such as Rain Fade are common when it comes to Ku-Band Satellite transmissions.

Channel Line-Up
The whole channel line-up has been rearranged from yesterday onwards. The channels have smoothly allocated by Genre making it more easier to access. All the movie channels have been moved to Transponder 1. The new channel order can be viewed here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dialog_TV_channels

Sources
Log onto the following sources for more information on Dialog TV…
Dialog TV Official Website: http://www.dialogtv.com/
Channel line-up & frequencies: http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/dialog.html
Regular updates and scans on Channel band-with: http://www.satcodx3.com/0450/eng/

In the meantime, Comet Cable which is one of the pioneers in the local Pay TV industry has announced digital plans together with 60+ channel expansion. Suddenly, Sri Lankan Pay TV industry looks very promising. It has finally become one of the fastest growing businesses in the island of paradise. As the days progress, more operators both local and foreign are likely to commence operations in the country. That probably means we’ll have more options to choose from!

Last updated: Oct 30, 2007

THE BOTTOM LINE – News that matters most!

The Bottom Line, a brand-new midweek newspaper hit local newsstands today (August 8, 2007).

According to the introduction of the maiden issue, The Bottom Line will aim at giving a new face, feel and look for mainstream print journalism in its belief that as opposed to just providing information a newspaper should add value to every reader be it an ordinary citizen or a corporate leader. The Bottom Line will be a development, socio-economic-issues centered midweek newspaper with a promise to offer news that matters most!

The Bottom Line is published by Rivira Media Corporation which also runs the weekend newspaper The Nation.

This is the newest addition to the dedicated Midweek newspaper list which includes a host of other titles. The Bottom Line comes out every Wednesday.

The online Edition of The Bottom Line is up and running...
Log onto http://www.thebottomline.lk/

SLT to introduce CDMA Broadband

SLT, Sri Lanka’s leading communication provider plans to introduce CDMA Broadband Internet services soon.

This was revealed at the press conference held a few days ago to announce South Asia’s first Broadband Communications Congress which is scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka next month. Most of the service providers in the local telecommunication industry are reportedly in the process of introducing 'CDMA Broadband' technology to the local consumers.

CDMA Broadband provides high-speed data transformation to the users. It is highly likely that the services will eventually be available where CDMA coverage is available.

SLT which owns about 60% of the island’s communication infrastructure is set to roll-out WiMAX and IPTV services hopefully before the end of this year.

Dialog Broadband Network launches CDMA operations in Galle

Dialog Broadband Networks, a fully owned subsidiary of Dialog Telekom today launched DIALOG CDMA services in my home town Galle. You can now purchase a Dialog CDMA phone unit at Dialog’s Galle Arcade.

Dialog CDMA offers subscribers a host of features and value added services such as Call holding/waiting, SMS, CLI, Call transferring, Call Forwarding, Voice Mail, FAX, Three Way Calling, Call Conferencing and Internet facilities.

The Dialog CDMA phone also acts as a modem which basically enables you to connect to the Internet by simply adjusting the data speed of the phone. The facility will be automatically activated with the CDMA phone package you choose.

Apart from Galle, Dialog CDMA services are already available in several key towns in the country including Kurunagala, Kandy, Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Kalutara. The official ceremonial of Dialog CDMA was held in Kurunegala a few weeks ago while the launch in Colombo is set to take place shortly. The network aims to roll-out CDMA coverage to other districts over the next few months. And Dialog CDMA will reach to the most rural areas in the country.

In addition to CDMA operations, Dialog was also deploying WIMAX infrastructure and running a pilot project in the city of Galle.

Dialog becomes the fourth communication operator in Sri Lanka to provide fixed wireless operations based on CDMA technology. Lanka Bell was the first to do so and followed by Suntel and SLT. The exclusive customer care hotline for Dialog CDMA is 0117 100 100. You can pay your Dialog CDMA bills at Dialog Galle Arcade, Commercial Bank and Cargills Food City.

Beni-Suef Troupe for Folk Dancing in Concert

An Egyptian dance performance featuring Beni-Suef Troupe for Folk Dancing which has been organized to promote the greatness of Eastern culture among Sri Lankans will go onboard at Galle Town Hall from 6.30p.m onwards on July 21(Today).

The Beni-Suef Troupe had been established since 1995 and consists of 60 members among them a female and male dancer, popular musicians, singers and a choral. Some dances of the troupe are Pharonic, Alexaldrial, The wheat, Hummer your Bread and Hania.

The event is made possible by Arab Republic of Egypt in association with Ministry of Culture, General Organization of Culture Palaces and Enlargement Cairo & North of Upper Egyptcuitural Region.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

It’s the end of an epic journey for a boy wizard named Harry Potter!

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the much anticipated seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series hits book stores worldwide with all its’ magic and glory on July 21st.

There are many speculations regarding the plot of the last chapter. J.K. Rowling has said she is poised to kill off two characters at the end of the final installment and many fans fear that Harry, in his last year at Hogwarts will be one of the victims. She further states that the final volume relates very closely to the previous book in the series, ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’, so much so that the two books are almost as though they are two halves of the same novel. The novel’s plot has been leaked to the net. And to be precise, the leaked story goes on to say who’s gonna die at the final moment of the book. But checking it out definitely kills your curiosity. Photographed copies of the entire book have also made their way to the web. Meanwhile, the title of the book has raised even more rumors about Harry’s future. Who or what are the Deathly Hallows? It’s only a matter of time before everything gets unveiled.

The long awaited final installment of the Harry Potter series will officially go on sale in Sri Lanka from the wee hours of the morning on July 21 at all leading book stores in the country including 'Vijitha Yapa' (including Galle branch) and 'M.D. Gunasena'. You can pre-order your copy through all these outlets. Most local Radio stations are currently having Harry Potter promotions.

The Harry Potter books have sold 325 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 64 languages. ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’, the fifth installment of the Harry Potter movie franchise was opened worldwide on July 12 while the final picture is due for release in 2010. The book ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows’ has become the most pre-ordered product at Amazon with almost 1.6 million copies bought globally ahead of the it's release on July 21.

According to market sources, almost 10,000 copies of the final Harry Potter book were expected to go on sale in Sri Lanka at Rs. 2,750

Download the complete E-book of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
pdf format: http://www.scribd.com/word/download/201604?extension=pdf
txt format: http://www.scribd.com/word/download/201604?extension=doc

Last updated: 26 July 2007, 2.30p.m.

News updates from REUTERS now on your Mobile

Dialog GSM, the largest mobile phone operator in Sri Lanka now offers the network’s subscribers the opportunity to receive breaking news updates from REUTERS direct to their mobile phones.

Reuters will supply its premier media news content to Dialog Telekom, and the service will provide factual, up-to-the-minute updates on local news stories. To register for the exclusive service, type NEWS and send the message to 7777. The service will be activated within 24 hours. And the service will be provided free of charge.

Last month Mobitel launched a breaking news alert service in partnership with JNW (Jasminenews.com), a local portal that provides news alerts through text messaging and the internet. To get JNW breaking news on Mobitel phones, simply text REG to 2233 to get registered. Registration will be free of charge until July 15th and Rs.100 pre month thereafter.

SUN FM Big Nine Birthday Bash

SUN FM’s ninth Birthday Bash went down in style at the SLECC last Friday. I was there. Well, I reached the venue at around 8pm. It wasn’t crowded. The party was yet to start. People were still getting in. DJ behind the console was spinning some music.

Moving on to the performances of the night, the line-up included Stigmata, X-It, Section 8, Iraj, Ashanthi and Elephant Foot. The show finally got going at 8.30pm. The headlining performance of the night came from none other than Stigmata, one of the very few bands that I admire when it comes to local music scene. As usual they played their originals. They performed songs from both albums, mainly from ‘Silent Chaos Serpentine’ including ‘My Malice’ and concert favourite ‘The Jazz Theory’ plus some new materials. It was the longest set. And this is probably the best Stigmata performance I have ever seen. It was f**king awesome. Mosh pits among the crowd began happening. The performance looked like a never seen before footage. It was electrifying. Unfortunately, I missed a few minutes of their performance. Coz I had to go outside for something.

After Stigmata’s electrifying performance, Shafi took the stage along with his band Section 8. The set was all about covers. But they got the crowd going really well. They started the set by covering Rascal Flatts’ rendition of ‘Life Is A Highway’ which almost everyone in the crowd enjoyed. I totally adored it. Then, they performed a couple of laid back Alternative tracks including ‘Speed Of Sound’ and later moved on to all-time cult favourites such as ‘Summer Of 69’, House Of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’ and a few others. I was under impression that they tried to play more well-known stuff which is slightly disappointing. But except for Stigmata’s unforgettable performance, this would be the highlight of the entire night.

It’s obvious that half of the crowd were expecting some Hip-hop music. That’s exactly what they witnessed next. Ashanthi, the self-proclaimed queen of Sri Lankan Hip-hop accompanied by Randir and the guy from Cilent Project appeared on stage. They had a pretty strong performance, although the audience didn’t really accept them first. Ashanthi mainly performed tracks from her debut album. She has the potential to please anyone with her style. So everything went smoothly. But she could have done an acoustic rendition of a song or something. Coz parties are not all about thumping dance music.

Next up was Iraj accompanied by Killer B. It was pretty sad to see Iraj all alone without the company of fellow members such as BK, Krishan and Sesh. However, Iraj no doubt tried to give his best shot for the time being. They started things off with the breakthrough single ‘Roots’ which made a huge impact in the Sri Lankan urban scene. They also preformed ‘J Town Story’ and some materials from Iraj’s upcoming album. The reaction from the crowd was overwhelming this time.

The final act in the line-up was Elephant Foot, a bunch of amazing drummers from my side of the country- Hikkaduwa. Their performance was limited for a few minutes with just two percussion sessions. One of these compositions is included in their debut album, if I have not mistaken. I have got myself a copy of their album. But I didn’t give a full listen yet. With that breath-taking performance by Elephant Foot, the party came to an end at around 2am.

Apart from all these performances, there were some dance features as well. There was a fire dance courtesy of some traditional artistes. That was a big no-no…Why do we have to see traditional stuff being thrown at a Western based event? Another dance troupe consisting of about seven young ladies did their thing for the track ‘Chori Chori’ by Aneela. It was quiet okay though. I think an original station like SUN should introduce novelty into these events other than relying on ordinary shit. Talking about the music provided by SUN FM deejays in between the performances, it was noticeable that they haven’t made a proper playlist for the evening…

The quality of the event was not upto standard comparing to previous parties organized by SUN FM. Believe it or not, the smoking inside the premises was not allowed by these security personals, although there was no mention about that in the ticket or invitation. There were only three food and drink stalls located inside- KFC, the Beer outlet and another one for Soft drinks.

The atmosphere was kinda good this time. It was darker. They have brought themes like the beach and the jungle inside the SLECC. Even the sound system was working properly. And it’s always a pleasure to attend to events which feature all sorts of music, so big props out to Sun FM for making it possible. ‘Variety’ should be the key word when it comes to organizing musical events in this part of the world. The choice of venue was okay. But you can’t expect much glamour with this kind of a place. Back in the days, they used to host the B’day Bash at Taj North Lorne which is perfect for parties.

I have got some photos of the Birthday Bash. Will upload them later…

Live Earth kicks off today

The much anticipated 7.7.07 is finally here. People all across the planet earth get ready to embark upon a 24 hour 7-continent concert series called LIVE EARTH that will bring together more than 150 musicians to inspire a global movement to combat the global warming….

Official Concerts and schedules

CITY - LOCAL TIME - EDT
Live Earth Sydney - 11:10 a.m. 7/7 - 9:10 pm 7/6
Crowded House / Jack Johnson / Wolfmother / Eskimo Joe / Missy Higgins / Sneaky Sound System
Live Earth Tokyo - 12:00 p.m. 7/7 - 11:00 p.m. 7/6
Linkin Park / Rihanna / Xzibit / Ayaka
Live Earth Shanghai - 7:00 p.m. 7/7 - 7:00 a.m. 7/7
Sarah Brightman / 12 Girls Band
Live Earth Hamburg - 2:00 p.m. 7/7 - 8:00 a.m. 7/7
Chris Cornell / Enrique Iglessias / Katie Melua / Shakira
Live Earth London - 1:30 p.m. 7/7 - 8:30 a.m. 7/7
Genesis / Damien Rice / Duran Duran / Metallica / Red Hot Chilli Peppers / Foo Fighters / Madonna / Beastie Boys / James Blunt / Keane / Snow Patrol / Razorlight / Pussycat Dolls
Live Earth Johannesburg - 6:00 p.m. 7/7 - 12:00 p.m. 7/7
UB 40 / Joss Stone
Live Earth New York - 2:30 p.m. 7/7 - 2:30 p.m. 7/7
The Police / Roger Waters / Bon Jovi / Dave Mathews Band / Keith Urban / Kelly Clarkson / Smashing Pumpkins / KT Tunstall / John Mayor / Taking Back Sunday
Live Earth Rio de Janeiro - 4:00 p.m. 7/7 - 3:00 p.m. 7/7
Lenny Kravitz / Macy Gray

The Sydney leg of 'Live Earth' has already been started. Tribal leaders with white-painted bodies and shaking eucalyptus fronds were the first of more than 150 performers at the nine concerts, 24-hour series to raise awareness about climate change. The newly reunited 80’s Pop outfit Crowded House is also scheduled to perform at the Sydney concert. 'Live Earth London' is probably the most talked about concert music-wise as the line-up includes some of the biggest names in the industry such as Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Gray, Duran Duran, Damien Rice, Foo Fighters, Keene, Snow Patrol, Razorlight and Kasabian. This is a must see, if you are an Alternative music fan…

Organizers say the series of concerts will be as green as possible, with a tally of energy use being kept. In addition to these official concerts, there are over 8000 'Live Earth Friends' events happening worldwide.

Live Earth will be beamed worldwide, from eight continents (New York, London, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, and Hamburg) by the Intelsat using its industry-leading network of Satellite and terrestrial facilities in standard and high definition, across multiple media channels – Radio, TV, Internet and Wireless channels.

People in Sri Lanka will be able to catch this monumental event through the following Media outlets.
Radio: YES FM 7.7.07 @ 4.30pm (SL)
TV: VH1 7.7.07 @ 2.30pm (SL)
Online: MSN @ http://www.liveearth.msn.com/

YES FM to air LIVE EARTH

The seventh month of the year 2007 has just arrived. And something very important is taking place on the seventh day of this month. It’s none other than the much-anticipated Live Earth. People from every corner of the world will get together to find an answer for the climate crisis...

YES FM has acquired the broadcast rights to air Live Earth in Sri Lanka. YES FM will join an international movement that will bring together more than 150 artists and two billion people worldwide in an effort to combat the climate crisis.

::LIVE EARTH::
Live Earth is a 24-hour 7-continent series of 9 concerts taking place on 7.7.07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to inspire a global movement to 'Answer the Call' and combat global warming. Official concerts will be staged at the following venues…

• Live Earth New York at Giants Stadium
• Live Earth London at Wembley Stadium
• Live Earth Sydney at Aussie Stadium
• Live Earth Rio de Janeiro at Copacabana Beach
• Live Earth Tokyo at Makuhari Messe
• Live Earth Shanghai at Oriental Pearl Tower
• Live Earth Johannesburg at the Cradle of Humankind
• Live Earth Hamburg at HSN Nordbank Arena
• Live Earth Istanbul at Inonu Stadium

Some of the artists confirmed to perform at "Live Earth" include Dave Mathews Band, Smashing Pumpkins, Bon Jovi, David Gray, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Duran Duran, Madonna, Damien Rice, Snow Patrol, Linkin Park and KT Tunstall. The concert series will kick off with the Australian leg. The newly re-formed Crowded House along with a host of homegrown acts will take the centre stage.

Live Earth will reach the worldwide audience through an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms – Radio, TV, Internet and wireless. Live Earth is the first ever international concert event to be broadcast completely in High Definition and will be seen in more than 100 countries.

The live broadcast on YES FM will commence on 7.7.07 at 4pm onwards. The station will allow access to the full event including all 9 concerts. Tune into 89.5 in Colombo, 88.2 in Kandy & Down-South and 101 Islandwide. VH1 will carry the official Cable television coverage of the event. And Live Earth concerts will also be streamed live worldwide by MSN at http://www.liveearth.msn.com/

A full list of concert lineups, locations and more, including detailed information about the campaign, is now available at the official Live Earth Website
http://www.liveearth.org/

Anusha

This post is about an R&B artist by the name of Anusha Navaratnarajah. She is half Sri Lankan and half Mauritian, although she was born in Wales. She’s only twenty-one years old. She has attended the same school as some of the big names in the music industry including Gem and Charlotte Church.

As a child Anusha was raised listening to an eclectic range of music, due to her mother and father being passionate music fans. From the sweet soul sounds of Stevie wonder to the rocky sounds of Queen. Her passion for performance was ignited. Anusha was born in Cardiff, on a frosty, harsh December evening 1983, to Nava Navaratnarajah and Margaret Hermance. Her father Nava was raised in Sri lanka. Her parents were keen travelers and so Anusha was exposed to cultural diversity at an early age. As she reached her teens, Anusha grew to become a serious music fan. She later started to guest vocal on several garage and R&B tracks with local artists in London but decided it was time to step out as a solo artist.

She has already released two singles. The debut single titled “Freeze” featuring Jerrel was released on May 21st. “Freeze” is a sexy laid back R&B anthem with subtle instrumentation and a catchy mellow beat. It was written & produced by Chris Rockizm Patrick - the force behind artists like Naila Boss and Jayme ‘Blue Jeans’. The track is said to be gaining a fair amount of Radio airplay over there. It has reached no.9 in the Urban radio and Club charts.

The much anticipated follow up single is called “Are You Ready”. The video for the song which is still in the production will be launched soon.

In addition to these two single, Anusha has posed for the cover of Eastern Eye magazine. And her music has been reviewed by several sources. All the tracks are available at her MySpace profile for streaming.

Download Anusha’s new Single “Are you Ready”
http://www.zshare.net/audio/25405504389aef/

Watch the Video for “Freeze”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_s0aWp2yJM

Log on to the official Website to check out her sexy photos and purchase materials.
http://www.anushaonline.com/

Paris Hilton on Larry King Live

Paris Hilton gave her much anticipated first post-jail interview to CNN’s Larry King Live on Wednesday. I was lucky enough to catch it on Cable TV. And I found the whole interview pretty interesting. She was dressed in a white lace sweater and looked so different. I guess she has changed her attitude a lot.

Quotes from the Interview with Larry King:

LARRY KING: Why are you doing this interview?
PARIS HILTON: I consider you an icon and I really respect you and it's an honor for me to be here today.

KING: What have the last two days been like?
HILTON: Some days, overwhelming. You know, I've been confined for 3½ weeks in a little cell so it's just overwhelming to be out and be free again.

KING: How well were you treated?
HILTON: I went up to L.A. County. All the sheriffs there were very professional. I was treated like any other inmate, no better, no worse.

KING: You were in confinement 23 hours a day?
HILTON: Yeah. It was pretty difficult, just -- the cell was like 8 by 12. So I was alone the entire time.

KING: Do you have television in the cell?
HILTON: No.

KING: What do you do with the hour you get out?
HILTON: For the hour I got to shower and call my family. You only have an hour so you try to make the most of it.

KING: Have visitors?
HILTON: Saturdays and Sundays for a half an hour. My family came, my friends.

KING: Do you have to wear special clothes?
HILTON: I wore the orange jumpsuit just like everyone else. It was a very traumatic experience, but I feel like God does make everything happen for a reason. And it gave me, you know, a time-out in life to really find out what's important and what I want to do, figuring out who I am. And I'm -- even though it was really hard, I took that time just to get to know myself. I have a new outlook on life.

If you missed the show, you can follow the transcript of the full interview here…http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/27/king.hilton.transcript/index.html

Paris Hilton’s hour long appearance on Larry King drew 3.2 million viewers, nearly triple the show’s average audience.

Paris Hilton was released from Los Angeles county jail early Tuesday after being sentenced to 45 days in jail for driving on a suspended license. Her jail term was later cut almost in half for good behavior. In total she has served 23 days behind bars. The new season of her hit reality show ‘The Simple Life’ now airs on E!.

Watch the Interview
PART 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSCrSdq0xTM
PART 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMC3qQurC8o
PART 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhcbZGvxScI
PART 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLBsbCCP2rc

Serendib Summer Beach Party @ Hikkaduwa

Summer is here! And Sri Lanka’s beach party central- Hikkaduwa is all set to host the biggest summer party of the year.

Serendib Summer Beach Party takes place on the 30th June & 1st July at Amaya Reef’s private beach. It’s gonna be a 24 hour party. Music will be provided by the country’s top club DJ’s. The event will be highlighted with a bonefire, percussion sessions and firework displays.

Tickets are priced at Rs.1500. Outstation party goers can take part of the party by either flying or taking a luxury bus. The event is presented by Club One and Sri Lankan airlines. The media sponsor is YES FM.

Sri Lankan lesbians need to see the reality!

Sri Lankan lesbian activists claim that the profile of participants at recent workshops held in different parts of the island goes to prove how many lesbians are living in Sri Lanka. Women from the age of 19 to 60 have been participated in the workshops.

Activists call upon the authorities to decriminalize homosexuality in Sri Lanka and allow lesbian and gays to enter into a marriage. In order to recognize the rights of lesbians the Government of Sri Lanka should repeal Section 365 of the Penal Code. The Sri Lankan legal system has made it extremely difficult for lesbians to lead normal lives in the real sense of the word. According to Section 365, having unnatural sex is a punishable offence. But lesbians question as to how many heterosexual couples indulge in ‘unnatural sex’. The Act came into force in December 2005. When other countries are recognizing the rights of homosexuals, Sri Lanka amended the Penal Code Act No.22 of 1995 and included the Lesbian act which stated that Lesbianism was an offence. Earlier the Penal Code covered only men having sex with men as an offence. Section 365 relating to unnatural offences stipulates that whoever performs a sexual act against the order of nature with a man, woman or animal could be punished with a maximum of a ten years imprisonment. However, these terms have rarely been used or not used at all.

Taking a case in point, a few years ago, a lesbian couple committed suicide in the coastal town of Kalutara because there was vehement parental objection to the affair. The social stigma and homophobic society in Sri Lanka have restricted the rights of Lesbian and Gays. They are subjected to public vilification, harassment, extortion and blackmail. In addition, family pressure mounts on Lesbian to enter into marriage and propagate family traditions. Activists further claim that homosexuals in Sri Lanka do not have the right of choice to select their partners. The right of choice should not be dictated by culture or family pressure but only by human rights…

For the record, the first ever Gay Pride event in Sri Lanka was held on July 20th 2005 - a date that will be remembered for years to come. More than 300 hundred people have packed into a leading club in Colombo for a very memorable celebration. The event was organized by Equal Ground which hails itself as the only organization in Sri Lanka serving the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) community.

Main reports courtesy of The Nation & Sunday Lakbima News

NANCY DREW hits the big-screen

Back in the 90’s I used to read a lot of books from the series 'Nancy Drew Files' by Carolyn Keene. I still have them as a collection. The story of the series grew around a fictional teen detective named Nancy Drew. And now the movie influenced by this mystery novel series hits the big screen. The movie is directed by Andrew Fleming and Emma Roberts gives life to the lovable classy character Nancy Drew….

This summer, Nancy Drew brings the timeless heroine to Los Angeles, where she is faced with a fresh set of challenges and her most baffling case yet.

Nancy Drew, the resourceful teen detective who leaves her friendly hometown of River Heights for the West Coast and enrolls at Hollywood High. There, her unique personal style immediately sets her apart from her self-absorbed, fast-living peers, especially reigning mean-girl fashionistas Inga and Trish who can't quite figure her out but know that everything about her is different - from her super-smarts and retro manners to her perfect picnic lunches and penny loafers.

Their less-than-warm reception might bother the average new girl in town, but not Nancy. She has more important things to think about - namely, a brand new mystery. Even though she promised her worried Dad that she'd quit the "sleuthing" business, it isn't long before Nancy gets a lead on one of the greatest unsolved cases of all time: the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of famous actress Dehlia Draycott. It happens that the Drews are staying in the former Draycott mansion, long reputed to be haunted and now a site where some very strange things have been happening.

Cast: Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew) / Losh Filter (Corky) / Craig Gellis (Thug) / Rick Cooper (Charlie) / Rachael Cook (Jane Brighton) / Amy Bruckner (Bess) / Tate Donovan (Carson Drew)
Director: Andrew Fleming
Script: Andrew Fleming / Tiffany Paulsen
Picture: Warner Bros.
Release Date: 15 June 2007

Theatrical Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu0ohO7FNnQ

Official Website
http://www.nancydrewmovie.com/

Sri Lanka blocks access to TamilNet

Looks like Sri Lankan government has ordered all the local Internet Service Providers to block access to TamilNet. The website has been inaccessible from Sri Lanka for the past five days or so. TamilNet has later confirmed its site was filtered by the country’s main Internet service provider SLT and others.

TamilNet is one of the most widely surfed news sources on the web. The website mainly covers news and views related to the conflict situation in the North-East of Sri Lanka. It’s a well-known fact that a large number of Sri Lankans across the globe visit this particular website on a daily basis. The site has often been accused of supporting the rebels at LTTE.

According to reports, local ISPs have been blocking access to the website on the government orders since 15 June, Even though no official statement has been made available to the public by the authorities. It also revealed that the blockage came just days after the 10th anniversary of TamilNet’s creation.

Everything seems to be banning these days, from Movies to Newspapers to Cable TV. The corrupted Sri Lankan government is now stepping into the Internet which should be freely available for any individual to speak their heart out. This is probably the first time Sri Lanka banned an online content. So what’s the purpose of blocking TamilNet? Banning an English language website is unacceptable. This is another stupid move by our so called country to mislead the public. This is violation of online freedom. I don’t have a wide knowledge when it comes to this type of issues. But I was under impression that this controversial government is now in the process of preventing citizens from accessing reliable information which are otherwise not covered by local mainstream media. Can even consider it as hiding the truth!! This is the latest attempt to keep the people in the dark. Remember last year, they illegally shut down cable TV operator CBNSat just because it reaches a wide audience….

Even though TamilNet has now being blocked from Sri Lanka, you can still access the site by using anonymous services and proxies. So there’s no need to worry about. I just had a visit. There are a couple of articles on TamilNet regarding the situation.

The TamilNet website is still fresh and updated. The only problem is you can’t have normal access from the footprints of Sri Lanka unless you are connected through a foreign or satellite based ISP.

Report by Free Media Movement

http://www.freemediasrilanka.org/index.php?action=con_news_full&id=625&section=news

Website

http://www.tamilnet.com/

AXE now in Sri Lanka

Promising to give guys an extra edge in ‘getting the girl’, AXE the hip deodorant body spray for men emerged into the local market last year, receiving an overwhelming response from the consumers.

The AXE Effect- the tantalizing ability to attract the opposite sex has been a core message in the brand’s communication the world over. The power of the brand has been phenomenal. Three years after its introduction to the US market, AXE quickly emerged the number one male deodorant, out performing the big names in the category. The AXE Raiders who were recently introduced to Sri Lanka are the brand ambassadors for Axe. These Raiders bring alive the essence of the brand and create a unique brand experience. In keeping with the seductive and dynamic image of the brand, the Raiders have been spotted spreading the Axe effect in and around the city. They’ve also been seen at fashion shows as well rock concerts, all events which were associated with Axe.

AXE is available in four variants of Dimension, Unlimited, Pulse & Click. The brand hopes to introduce a new variant to it’s portfolio in the near future and has a number of unique activities in store for the launch.

SUNDAY LAKBIMA NEWS arrives

A brand new English newspaper called SUNDAY LAKBIMA NEWS hits local newsstands today. This is the newest addition to the list of weekend newspapers.

The maiden copy of today contains six sections. And it has covered local, international, business, sports and lifestyle news.

There was a promo trailer going on media informing the public to switch to a new medium from 17th June. The buzz was all about the arrival of this newspaper.

Online Edition
http://www.lakbimanews.lk/

AL JAZEERA: Sri Lanka war claims civilian lives

First of all, I should mention that I’m not really interested in posting political and ethnic stuff. But a couple of days ago while I was browsing channels on Cable TV, I came across this interesting programme about Sri Lanka on Al Jazeera. This documentary mainly focused on Sri Lanka’s never ending conflict and children that abducted by Tamil Ealam and other unknown gangs. It’s really got me thinking how outsiders may look at our country. And when I logged onto the net this morning the particular report was all over the Sri Lankan news portals. So I thought of sharing it with you. Here’s the exact report which was later posted on Al Jazeera’s official website...

Al Jazeera:
Sri Lanka's ongoing conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, has seen an increasing number of civilian disappearances. The government and the Tamil Tigers blame each other.

Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley reports from Sri Lanka, where human rights groups say more than a thousand people have either vanished or been abducted in the past year alone, most of them Tamils.

In a police station in eastern Sri Lanka, six, seemingly ordinary teenage girls wait to be processed. Their short hairstyles mark them out as female fighters in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam. The girls say they were forced to fight for the Tigers.

"I was walking with my mother going to see my grandmother,” one of the girls told Al Jazeera. "Then the LTTE attacked my mother and took me away."

Pushpu, another of the girls, says she was taken three months ago as she tended her parents’ vegetable garden. Most of the girls are about 16-years-old. Pushpu is only 14.

The girls were trained to use machine guns and dig bunkers in an area called Thoppigala, bombarded daily by the Sri Lankan army. They say they ran away because they could not bear the hardships of life with the Tigers. They say they are innocent victims and that they just want to go back to school, but first they will either be sent to jail or for rehabilitation.

The girls' stories are part of a growing problem in Sri Lanka, where a wave of abductions and assassinations have swept the country, blamed on everything from politics to death squads and criminals.

Tony Birtley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQZVyFqKdmo

The End of an Era….One Tree Hill: Season Finale airs tonight

One Tree Hill ends its fourth season. The final episode will premiere tonight in the US on CW Network. It’s gonna be the end of an era as the kids are graduated from the high school after four years of existence.

I’ll have to wait at least two more days to stream or download the episode from i-Tunes. I can’t wait to see it. Since I have followed the show from the beginning, it has become a part of my life. And it’s the best teen drama alive! It’s going to be a very emotional finale as we say goodbye to the life of Tree Hill High. Most of the former characters are likely to appear on tonight’s season finale specially Rachel and Shelly. And it will be great to see Rachel after sometime.

According to the OTH fan sites, the Season 4 DVD will hit shelves somewhere in September. After tonight's finale, the show will go on hiatus until next season. But big changes are ahead for Season 5 where the show jumps four years into the future. Season 5 will focus on characters lives after college.

Episode 21 (Season Finale) – All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
Dan must face the harsh consequences of his decision to murder Keith as Karen and Haley's pregnancies complicate the lives of Nathan and the graduating seniors of Tree Hill High. Lucas wrestles with his post-high school options, and Peyton and Brooke prepare to spend the summer in Los Angeles together.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPLeMzxoh5g