Free fonts at Typenow.net

I've discovered a great site called typenow.net.

It has free downloadable trademark fonts of well-known movies, t.v. shows, companies, bands and others...

see the list of fonts

samples of some fonts:

Cnn Font

The Simpsons

Friends

Alias Font

Shrek Font

How to download and install the fonts

A new look for my website

I've just given my website (zawan.com) a new look!

Check it and tell me what you think. The FRIENDS font of the header and below it is from a website called typenow.net

visit my website

Switched back to zawn.blogspot

Note: I've switched back to zawan.blogspot.com because my personal website name is already zawan.com.

The problem now is that if you want to visit my personal wesite you'll have to type http://zawan.com without www. I'm trying to solve this.

Thanks.
zawan

Guess who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Director: Stanley Kramer
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, and Katharine Houghton
Genre: comedy-drama
my rating: 3/5

An upper class white American couple who have taught their young daughter, Joey, to treat everybody equally despite their race are shocked as she appears one day with a black man whom she has just been engaged to.

Although they were the ones who taught their daughter to respect African Americans (who weren't respected in many areas of their country at that time), they did not expect her to want to marry one.

Joey's parents are put to the test when he says he will not marry Joey without their agreement.

Joey's mother, Christina is supportive about her daughter's marriage from the beginning when she realizes how Joey and Dr Prentice like each other.

Then Dr Prentice's parents arrive, also stunned that their son is engaged to a white woman.

His mother is supportive too.

Only the two fathers show they are not convinced.

In the end, Tracy's father gives an emotive speech and the whole family starts having dinner.

The film takes place in a few locations, mostly Joey's parents' house is San Fransisco.

Guess who's Coming to Dinner is one of the 100 Greatest Movies of the past 100 years.

It has won 8 awards, including 2 Oscars and 20 nominations.

It has very entertaining dialogue and has won a Best Screenplay Oscar.

I think this is a movie that everybody should watch; it focuses on racial issues and the society at the time of the movie.

The ABC Murders

Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Detective Fiction
My rating: 5/5

In The ABC Murders, Capatin Arthur Hastings, a friend of Poirot, narrates the story of a serial killer on the loose, murdering random people brutally in alphabetical order of their names and the places they live in.

Before each murder the killer sends letters to Poirot taunting him and giving him clues of the next murder.

Captain Hastings, Poirot, and the rest of the police team follow the clues on the letters only to find out that the crimes have already been committed with an ABC railway guide on top of each dead body, and no evidence whatsoever that could lead to the identity of the killer.

Soon everybody is convinced that this unidentified murderer is insane, but after the killer makes a crucial mistake Hercule Poirot proves otherwise.

This is one of Poirot's most challenging mysteries that tests his cleverness, and Poirot once again shows thats he is fit for the task.

At the end of the book Poirot reveals the murderer whom you would have never suspected and proves all your thoughts wrong...

The ABC Murders is a stirring book that you will not be able to put down until the mystery is discovered.

Agatha Christie truly is the Queen of Crime.

P.S. This book was so gripping that I finished reading it in 2 days.

This novel has been adapted in 1965 and 1992.
The 1992 film stars David Suchet as Hercule Poirot.

Why does Nadal bite his trophies?

Nadal seems to bite everything...

If I ever get a chance to ask Rafael Nadal one question, it would be why he bites his trophies.

Nadal is recognized for biting his trophies instead of kissing them like all the other tennis players.

A lot of discussion has been going on about this... here are some quotes from discussion boards and answers.yahoo.com:

"A symbol of humbleness"
"To show how delicious victory tastes"
"Marking it as partly his forever"
"In case it gets stolen it will have his dental imprint"

He has never mentioned why he does this act in any of his interviews.

Is it just a trademark, or is there something behind this?

A few probable reasons is that:
1) he wants to record his victory eternally, so whenever you see a dental imprint on a trophy, you will remember that Nadal has claimed that trophy

2) when he becomes an oldie rocking in his chair, whether he claimed the
World Number 1 title or not, the dental imprints will remind him of his lifetime journey of achieving his dream as a young adult

If Nadal ever becomes World Number 1, I'm sure he will be featured on Larry King Live, where questions posted by people are asked on the show. I hope someone asks him why he bites his trophies.

Read Rafeal Nadal has an Oral Fixaation - this will make you laugh...


biting the Toronto Masters trophy(July 2008)


biting the ATP Masters trophy (May 2008)


chewing the handle at the Barcelona Open (May 2008)

pictures credit:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7527966.stm
http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-cp166947067-Rafael-Nadal-beats-Roger-Federer-in-Hamburg-Masters-tennis-final.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/AAMB7/aamsz=275x15_TEXTLINK/4511303a10393.html
http://babolatchile.blogspot.com/2007/08/nadal-en-10-preguntas.html

Teens, Tweens and Blogging

I think it's great that more and more young bloggers are starting their own blogs, which gives them a chance to have their say.

Sometimes tweens and teens blog in a very professional way that you wouldn't even realize that the content is written by a youngster unless you read their profile.
Also, some bloggers are getting their own domains too.

Bloggers like Carl Ocab, David Wilkinson, Maher Saleh and Jessicah Maha are extremely popular, but one thing I realize is that all of those blogs are either about tech or making money... young bloggers DO need more niches.

Some young girls have their own online diaries, which I don't really enjoy reading because I think people read blogs to get information and entertain themselves, not read about people's lives for no reason.

If you've realized, my blog doesn't have a particular niche; I blog about lots of stuff: movie and book reviews, The Sims 2 (my favorite game), tennis and everything that I'm interested in.

Nowadays, teens and tweens spend most of their time on the computer and have greater computer abilities.
Anybody who has access to the internet can start his/her own blog.

Although blogs run by young people are increasing, there are only 3 that I enjoy and read regularly:

Kid Reviewer
The Writing Pages
Delve into the Mind of a Budding Blogger

What I like most about those blogs is that they have unique content that you won't find in other blogs, like reviews from a kid's perspective and original writing.

It would be a change if someone starts a blog about something other than technology or money.


List of blogs created by kids (kidreviewer.com)
The Youth Blogger Network
Top 30 Bloggers under 21

Blogs by young people are difficult to find, so if you know one that's not listed here I'd appreciate it if you mention it on a comment.

Pet Rock fad

Fancy a pet that fits in your pocket, doesn't make a mess, doesn't need to be fed and has lots of other benefits? The answer is not a tamagotchi (because after all you have to clean its mess and etc.) - it's a pet rock.

The pet rock was a fad (trend) of the 1970s.

Grey pebbles were imported from a place called Rosarita Beach in Mexico, nestled and packaged in a cardboard box that looked like a pet carrier, along with a Pet Rock Training Manual, and then sold for $3.95.

Soon everybody owned a pet rock, which made Gary Dahl,the man behind this idea, a millionaire.

The Pet Rock Training Manual has instructions on how to take care of your pet rock, including teaching it tricks. 'Sit' 'stay' and 'attack' were easy to achieve. On the other hand, 'come' was obviously impossible.

The pet rock fad disappeared in December 1975, lasting only about 6 months.

Nowadays the pet rock package and the training manual are available on ebay but people usually find their own pet rocks.

There are websites regarding pet rocks too.

Pet rocks are great for those who live in apartments or those who aren't sure if they're ready to bare the commitment of 'real' troublesome pets.
Also, they'll live for eons, so you won't be suffering any loss (unless they get lost).
Pet rocks are the ultimate solution for those who can't afford or don't want to spend much on pets: You're not obliged to buy them any furniture or stuff and they can travel without a ticket.

I own 2 pet rocks, Bloo and Pebble, although I haven't been giving them much attention these last 2 months - but what are Pet Rocks for!

Links regarding pet rocks:
Wikipedia
http://www.super70s.com/Super70s/Culture/Fads/Pet_Rocks.asp
Pet rock net
Pet rock how to's at WikiHow
http://www.virtualpet.com/vp/farm/petrock/petrock.htm

picture credit: http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=408

The Dark Knight Frenzy

There's a big buzz going on about The Dark Knight, which is the sequel to Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale, the late Heath Ledger, Harry Potter's Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan.

In Dark Knight, Batman (Christian Bale) faces his archenemy, the Joker (Heath Ledger), who is causing chaos across Gotham City.

The Joker is a grotesque fictional comic character who looks like a clown, and (according to Wikipedia) is a master criminal and psychopath who "commits crimes and murders people for his own amusement". He has been rated the greatest villain of all time.
The Joker has been featured in several previous Batman films. (A brief history of the Joker)
Jack Nicholson played the Joker in the Batman 1989 film.

According to NEWSWEEK, the dilemma in Dark Knight is whether the protagonist should play the same unfair "without rules" game as his foe while fighting him.

"[The Dark Knight] is not a typical comic book movie"... it is rated PG-13, but many are saying that the movie is not for young kids because of its "violent and disturbing" scenes. Some recommend it for kids aged 14 or older and others for kids 12 or older. (Read an article at Yahoo! Kids)

There is also a controversy going on over whether Heath Ledger should win an Oscar or not. (Read an article)

Also read Besides Heath Ledger's, what other Oscars could The Dark Knight win?

Showtime (2002)

Director: Tom Dey
Starring: Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro

Showtime is an action/comedy film about 2 guys with completely different personalities who star together in their own reality-TV show.

Mitch Piterson (Robert De Niro) is a stubborn, blunt detective who is forced to star in a reality-TV show with officer Trey Sellars (Eddie Murphy) after shooting a news camera when Trey mistakenly thinks he's a drug dealer and ruins his under-cover case.

Trey, high-spirited and buoyant, prefers acting rather than becoming a police officer.

During the shooting of the TV show, Mitch and Trey face a real crime.

This movie is extremely hilarious because Robert De Niro starred in it.

If you want a light entertaining action film, you'll enjoy this one.

Showtime was nominated for two Razzie awards for Worst Actor and Worst Screen Couple.

School of Life

Directed by Jake Polonsky and written by Malachi Smyth, School of life is an award-winning short film that tells the story of a not-so-well liked school student who had to go through the unfairness of life instead of reading it on paper like all the other students.

"This will be the most important lesson of your life. Maybe the only important lesson".
As the teacher hands out to each student the answers to the "Riddle of Life", Stanley has to share one copy with Garth, the school bully.

Stanley feels alienated for being the only one in the whole school who couldn't get the answers to all to his questions about life.

The music is great and I think Nick Stockwell acted the part of Stanley very well.
This is a wonderful 7-min film that teaches everyone a lesson.

Visit main page of the film



I found out about School of Life in this blog but I couldn't locate the original post.

New to Blogging?

Chech the updated version of this post

If you are a newbie at the blogosphere or you've recently created a blog, here are some tips and links (chosen by me) to help you get started in blogging:

What is a Blog?
Take the Blogger Tour
What is a Blog?

Blogging service
The most popular blogging services are Blogger and Wordpress.

Both are good services, but I personally prefer Blogger.

If you're a newbie and not into really into html, I recommend Blogger for you.

Also, if you want to host your blog on a custom domain, Blogger makes it much easier for you.

On the other hand, Wordpress has more options than Blogger, like creating pages and categories; but you can still do that in Blogger in some way.

The only thing I don't like about Blogger is that it doesn't work with the latest version of Windows Live Writer, a desktop application that allows you to publish content to your blog. Wordpress does.

Blogger and Wordpress comparison chart

Tutorials
There are great tutorials for Wordpress and Blogger on the web.
Here are the best Blogger tutorial sites I know:


Bloggertricks.com (tutorials and templates)
Bloggerbuster.com (tutorials, widgets, templates)
Blogger's YouTube channel
Blogger Help center
Blogger Help group

How to add a category roll on your Blogger blog

If you are an absolute newbie, this video will show you how to create a blog with Blogger

Tutorials for hosting Blogger on a custom domain:
Set up your Blogger custom domain
custom domain questions on Blogger Help
How I set up my blogger custom domain
Video: Setting up a custom domain on blogger (shows you how to fill the Advanced Blog Setup form on Blogger)

Widgets
A widget is an add-on for the sidebar of your blog that makes reading your blog more enjoyable.

It can show your recent viewers, comments and posts, most popular posts, and other fun stuff.

Feedjit offers free live traffic feed and page popularity widgets, and other widgets (you don't need to register)
Yahoo! Widgets have great widgets that require you to have a yahoo ID

Blog Post ideas
Tips for great blog posts or if you've run out of ideas for your next post:

Ten Tips for Writing a Blog Post
23 Great Ideas for Blog Posts
101 Blog Posting Ideas
Discover hundreds of post ideas for your blog with mind mapping
10 Killer Post Ideas

I also use dictionary.com (thesaurus and dictionary) when writing blog posts

Blogger Templates
Although Wordpress and Blogger offer some pre-made templates, you can download some from other websites, free and paid.

Warning: Some template websites can harm your computer

Bloggertricks.com
Suckmylolly.com
freshbloggertemplates.com

I hope this helps. I will be updating this post every time I find good links.

UPDATED version

The Sims 3

I can't wait till The Sims 3 comes out in 2009!

This is the third sequel to The Sims games and I'm sure it will be awesome.

I read that you can have your Sims explore the neighborhood and outside their houses without loading screens.

Also, personalize your Sims more in Create-A-Sim to create unique Sims by modifying their shoes, clothes, height, etc... and also choose between dozens of personality traits for your Sim that will distinct it from any other Sim.

Customize everything in your house to get the perfect house you had in mind: wallpapers, window shades, patterns...

Another thing which was not available in The Sims 2 is that players can choose their Sims' favorite music, color, food, and more.

If you're a Sim fan, like me, I'm sure you'll be very excited about The Sims 3.

Visit the official website of the The Sims 3 to learn more about it, see pictures and watch video the new video.

Click here to learn about the Sims 3 at Wikipedia.
If you are new to The Sims, I suggest you read about The Sims 2 here.

Some screenshots of the Sims 3:

See more pictures

Venus Williams on Larry King Live

Venus Williams appeared on Larry King Live, her first interview since she beat her sister Serena at the Wimbledon Finals, which is her fifth Wimbldon title.

She says she and her sister are coming to the Beijing Olympics!

Also, photographer Koto Bolofo made a book called Venus Williams that has wonderful black and white photos of Venus.


Thanks to dancinwaters1334 for the videos.

Some photos from the book:


click here to see inside the book

The Jonas Brothers' new album

The Jonas Brothers are releasing their new album, A Little Bit Longer, on the 12th of August.

The album includes their hit single, Burnin' Up, and Nick's song, A Little Bit Longer.

Track Listing:

1. BB Good

2. Burnin’ Up (watch music video)

3. Shelf

4. One Man Show

5. Lovebug

6. Tonight

7. Can’t Have You

8. Video Girl

9. Pushin’ Me Away

10. Sorry

11. Got Me Going Crazy
12. A Little Bit Longer

Make an Internet call - for free

Skype is a free program that allows you to call for free anyone in the world over the internet.

If the person you want to call is a user of Skype, then you can call him/her over the internet for free, no matter how long the conversation or distance is.

If that person does not have Skype downloaded on his/her computer, you can make mobile or telephone calls from your computer or from your mobile for some kind of fee.

Video conversations are even possible if you have a webcam; so are group conversations.

Skype is available in many languages and platforms.

Check the many features of Skype by visiting the website, http://www.skype.com/.

Connect with people no matter where you are!

Download the software

visit the website

skype running on Windows Vista

The Blue Planet (2001)

The Blue Planet is the greatest BBC nature documentary I've ever seen.

This multiple award-winning documentary is about the world's oceans, including never before seen footage of recently discovered creatures and the deep sea abyss.

The Blue Planet is both deeply entertaining and educational.

The DVD set contains 8 episodes that covers the ocean from its deepest seas through its Frozen Seas to the Coasts.

According to Wikipedia, The Blue Planet took 5 years to make in nearly 200 filming locations. It is narrated by David Attenborough, who also narrated many other BBC documentaries, and produced by Alastair Fothergill.

I highly recommend this documentary which will keep you thrilled from the beginning till the end.

A clip from the documentary (The Deep Sea)



BBC homepage here
learn more about it at Wikipedia here
Purchase it at Amazon here
Discovery Channel homepage here

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Author: Oscar Wilde
Genre: Classic Gothic Horror Fiction (according to Wikipedia)
My rating: 5/5

The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the story of a young man called Dorian whom a well-known painter, Basil Hallward, paints a portrait of.

Basil is obsessed with Dorian Gray's beauty and chooses not to exhibit the painting because it would reveal his inner feelings towards Dorian, even though his friend Lord Henry describes it as a masterpiece.

When Dorian arrives at the studio, Basil introduces him to Lord Henry.
Dorian is fascinated by the outspoken Lord Henry's view, which is that the most valuable aspects in life are youth and beauty, which are fading day by day.

As he becomes influenced by Lord Henry, Dorian grows terrified of growing older, hoping that the portrait would age instead of him.

His wish comes true; as he does wrongdoings throughout his life, his portrait grows more and more hideous.

This is a thrilling story by Oscar Wilde that is gripping till the end.

Tween Sensation High School Musical

Everyone talks about High School Musical.

I had to watch it because everybody used to awe whenever they heard that I haven't watched the movie.

I thought I was missing something huge.

But after watching 1 and 2 I wondered, "Is this what I've been missing?'

I disliked 1 because it had "A perfect plot" and everything was perfect in the end.
It had an extremely "unreal" ending where everything ended perfectly at a situation where it was impossible to get everything right. They actually tinkered the basketball board to make it in time to do the singing show and the Math competition (or Chemistry or whatever)! What makes it more unrealistic is that it they won everything.

The actors sung better than the way they acted.

Although High School Musical 2 was a little bit better because some real dilemmas occurred in the plot, the ending was still ridiculous; Troy's friends made the perfect surprise for him to meet up Gabriella in the end. It was like a fairy tale where everyone lived happily ever after.

The movie sounded fake and I didn't like the songs, even though they were good for karaoke singing.

I think this movie is fun for 10 year olds or younger kids.

My advice is that if you haven't watched the movie, just watch it because it's a tween sensation and at least you could give your opinion during chat groups instead of saying you haven't watched the movie at all.

According to IMDb, High School Musical 3: Senior Year will be released on 24 October, 2008.
I hope it's going to be more real.

Disney Channel is working on High School Musical 4, too.

Mean Girls (2004)

Mean Girls, starring Lindsay Lohan, is about a 15 year old who enters a public high school in Chicago where she must learn to survive “Girl World” after being home-schooled and raised in Africa.

The movie is based on the non-fiction book, Queen Bees and Wannabees, which talks about girl cliques and other stuff about girls in high school. It is directed by Mark Waters and stars Lindsay Lohan.

When Cady Heron joins a high school in Chicago, she makes friends with Janis and her friend Damian, who are both ‘left out’.
Then she meets The Plastics, the three mean and popular girls of the school, who let her into their group.Cady wants to join the group, but is doubtful because she still wants to keep her other friends.Janis is enemies with the “Queen Bee” of The Plastics, Regina.
She and Damian convince Cady to act as a member of The Plastics and then report to them everything that happens inside the clique.
When Regina seeks revenge on Cady by getting her ex-boyfriend, Aaron Carter back from her, Janis gets her chance to take vengeance on Regina and encourages Cady to retaliate against her.The three friends make a plan to destroy Regina and her status.
As Cady lives her double life and spends more time with The Plastics and less time with her friends, she eventually becomes a Plastic herself.It is up to Cady to make things right.

An interesting character is Gretchen Wieners, the Plastic who is a little left out and not treated very well by Regina but tries her best to fit in because she knows it’s better not to be treated very well in the clique than not to be in the clique at all.
SPOILER: At the end she joins The Cool Asians clique, where he fits in.I liked the idea behind the movie because it gives you insights on cliques and “Girl World” and it shows the struggle of fitting in.It also shows how easy it is to become mean and lose your friends.Some parts were really funny and others were supposed to be funny but they may be offensive to some people.

CONTAINS SPOILER: I didn’t like some parts of the way the movie ended because it was like a fairy tale and everyone lived ‘happily ever after’. I didn’t think the Spring Fling speech was really meaningful or necessary because it wasn’t realistic; and she didn’t have to break the crown into pieces and share it or praise the way some people dressed.

The movie had some really funny parts.

I think this movie is useful for older kids (from 11 and up) and teens.In my opinion the rating is good: PG-13, which means you should only watch it with a parent if you’re under 13.

Mean Girls does have a moral ending. One good lesson was that revenge is not good and it won’t get you get what you want. Overall, I liked the movie and it teaches you many valuable lessons.