Holi 2015: Festival Of Colors Celebrates Spring (SONGS, PHOTOS)

Holi (also known as Dol Jatra, Basantotsav) is the Hindu festival of colors. It is celebrated at the end of the winter season, on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna. In 2015, Holi will begin on March 6.

Holi is observed with great fanfare by Hindus all over the world. Holi celebrations begin on the eve of the festival with bonfires and prayers. On the day of Holi, people throw colored powder and liquids at each other. A common greeting during this time is, "Happy Holi."

Holi celebrations are particularly riotous in India as social rules are relaxed. Colored water is squirted on passers-by, and people are dunked into muddy water. Many people consume bhang, an intoxicating drink made from the female cannabis plant. Social barriers are broken as people of all ages, genders, castes, and wealth gather together and celebrate the festival. In fact, it is said that one can get away with almost any kind of behavior on the day of Holi by saying "bura na mano holi hai," or, "don't mind, it is Holi." In addition to the boisterous nature of the festival, this is a time for family members to get together, give gifts, eat special foods and decorate their homes. Overall, this is one of the most spirited and beloved festivals of the Hindu calendar.

The celebration of Holi is recounted in Hindu sacred texts and stories that have passed from generation to generation. Holi commemorates the miraculous story of Prahlada, a young boy and a devoted follower o thef Hindu G*d Vishnu.

According to Hindu texts, Prahlada was born to Hiranyakashipu, the king of demons. Unable to tolerate Prahlada's devotion to Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashipu attempted to kill his son several times by poisoning him and throwing him from the top of a mountain but failed each time. Finally, he ordered his son to sit on a pyre on the lap of his demoness sister, Holika, who was protected from fire burning her. Prahlada accepted his father's command and survived unharmed from the fire while Holika burned to death.

The burning of Holika gave rise to the tradition of lighting bonfires on Holi eve. Holi also celebrates the immortal love of the divine couple, Radha and Krishna. And Holi immortalizes the story of Kama, the Hindu G*d of love, his incineration to death by Lord Shiva, restoration and his love and sacrifice for all. These are three of the most popular stories, and as with most Hindu festivals, the stories vary slightly in different parts of India.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/06/holi-2015_n_6810688.html

Continue Reading ..

Ellie Kemper is 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' in Tina Fey, Robert Carlock's new ...

Diving into fish-out-of-water comedyBy Rob Lowmanrobert.lowma

Its such a cool place to be, and I feel that people will be able see all the episodes. She says what is interesting about the character is that audiences get to rediscover the world with Kimmy, seeing things they may be jaded about through fresh eyes.After leaving the bunker, Kimmy and her fellow cult survivors are dubbed the Indiana Mole Women and become media sensations. After the uproar dies down, instead of returning home like the others, she decides to make it on her own, but with no skills. Her only literary references are Babysitter Club books, and she has no idea Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston have died tragically.Kimmy stumbles into a job working as a nanny for a wealthy, insecure trophy wife (Jane Krakowski) and moves into a small apartment with a gay man, Titus (Tituss Burgess), an unemployed actor forced to perform as a dancing Iron Man in Times Square.Carlock says he and Fey approached the series with the idea How do you do Mary Tyler Moore in a new way? How do you do the girl in the big city in a new way? And we ended up with what we think is a very new way.But Mary was a light show about a young woman trying to make her mark at a Minneapolis TV station. Kimmy was imprisoned for 15 years. Fey says that when they started writing the show, they spent the first several weeks talking about the heaviness of the situation.Weirdly, there have been other times that Robert and I have both been through this when writing comedy, says Fey. It reminded me of going back to Saturday Night Live after 9/11 and saying, OK, were going to do comedy. Were going to find it. Since Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was originally destined for NBC, the first season stays pretty much within the constraints of being a network comedy. So now with the freedom of Netflix, will that change the series next year?I think Season 2 is going to be mostly shower s*x, quips Fey.******************Filename:0306_FEA_LDN-KIMMY-1.jpgCaption:Ellie Kemper in Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Photo by Eric Liebowitz courtesy of NetflixFilename:0306_FEA_LDN-KIMMY-2.jpgCaption:Tituss Burgess and Ellie Kemper in Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Photo by Eric Liebowitz courtesy of NetflixFilename:0306_FEA_LDN-KIMMY-3.jpgCaption:Jane Krakowski (L) and Ellie Kemper (R) in Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Photo by Eric Liebowitz courtesy of Netflix

Advertisement

Source: http://saratogian.com/arts-and-entertainment/20150306/ellie-kemper-is-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt-in-tina-fey-robert-carlocks-new-netflix-series

Continue Reading ..

How will scholarship reductions impact Syracuse basketball's pursuit of big ...

Syracuse, N.Y. The NCAA's decision to dock the Syracuse basketball team three scholarships a year for the next four years will have a major impact on the program.

The scholarship reductions were just one part of the NCAA's sanctions against the Syracuse basketball program for a variety of violations, including academic improprieties and violations of the school's drug policy. The NCAA handed down its decision on Friday.

The NCAA limits schools to just 13 men's basketball scholarships per year. The NCAA's penalties would force Syracuse to keep its number of scholarship players to 10 starting with the 2015-16 season and the next three years after that.

In its decision, the NCAA did indicate that Syracuse can put off the scholarship reductions by a year in the case of any student-athletes that have a financial agreement with the university. That would include Syracuse's four recruits in the class of 2015. All four Malachi Richardson, Tyler Lydon, Moustapha Diagne and Frank Howard have signed letters of intent with Syracuse.

As it now stands, Syracuse is at the 13-scholarship limit for next year.

That means Syracuse's recruitment of Thomas Bryant, a highly-regarded player in the 2015 class, is all but over. Bryant, a 6-9 center from Rochester, has yet to make his decision. Syracuse would not be able to get a waiver of the scholarship reduction to bring him in. As a result, Syracuse would need four players to leave in order to sign Bryant.

Therefore, Syracuse's four-year period of scholarship reductions will begin with the 2016-17.

If no current or incoming players leave the SU program, the NCAA's scholarship reduction would leave Syracuse with 11 scholarship players in 2016-17 season. Syracuse already has a verbal commitment from Matthew Moyer, a 6-7 forward from Ohio, in the 2016 class, but Moyer is unsigned. The scholarship reductions probably mean Syracuse's pursuit of 2016 recruit Tyus Battle is over.

After the 2016-17 season, Syracuse will lose current players Dajuan Coleman, Tyler Roberson, Ron Patterson, B.J. Johnson and Chinonso Obokoh. Syracuse's next big recruiting year could be the 2017 class.

Source: http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/index.ssf/2015/03/how_will_scholarship_reductions_impact_syracuse_basketballs_pursuit_of_high-impa.html

Continue Reading ..

Daylight Savings Time 2015: When is It and Why are Lawmakers Trying to Lose It?

First Posted: Mar 01, 2015 10:57 AM EST

PLANTATION, FL - MARCH 06: Howard Brown repairs a clock at Brown?s Old Time Clock Shop March 6, 2007 in Plantation, Florida. This year day light savings time happens three weeks early and some people fear that it could cause some computer and gadget glitches. (Photo : Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Twice a year, we either wake up an hour earlier or an hour later than expected. Don't get caught off guard this time when Daylight Savings Time begins on March 8.

When local standard time hits 2 a.m. on Sunday, clocks will turn forward one hour in the long held tradition signaling spring has arrived. Aside from Hawaii, Arizona, and all island United States territories, most of the country "springs forward" as an energy-saving measure that dates back to 1966 when the Uniform Time Act was implemented.

Like Us on Facebook

While parties like the California Energy Commission contend small amounts of saved energy add up to big savings, U.S. lawmakers aren't convinced DST benefits outweigh the costs.

Rep. Elizabeth Scott (R - WA) recently told a House committee that biannual time switches are lead to health problems and accidents due to a lack of sleep. Last week, Idaho House Majority Leader Mike Moyle (R-ID) introduced a bill that would eliminated the state's observance of DST because it is a "disruption to families, businesses and individuals."

Sen. Cliff Pirtle's (R- NM) proposal has DST in effect year-round. The state's Senate Public Affairs Committee voted 5-1 last Thursday to advance Pirtle's bill.

DST was first embraced during World War I when extended daylight helped conserve coal. It was continuously praised throughout the decades as a cost-saving measure, though Tufts University lecturer Michael Downing refutes the claim, saying it's a commercialized measure that's good for retail and bad for energy.

"This standardized time change was no favor to farmers, who now had an hour less of morning light to milk their cows and get their goods ready for maker, let alone for commuters or children waiting for school buses in the dark," Downing said.

Some people complain about losing sleep while others will be grateful for the extra daylight. Eight months later, they will bask in the extra slumber and be more cautious drivers when the sun sets an hour earlier. In some ways it balances out, but not because small amounts of energy are being saved.

"So today we have eight months of daylight savings and only four months of standard time," Downing said. "Can you tell me which time I the standard?"

2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: http://www.latinospost.com/articles/54344/20150301/daylight-savings-time-2015-when-is-it-and-why-are-lawmakers-trying-to-lose-it.htm

Continue Reading ..

Why Is Katie Hopkins Attacking Kelly Clarkson?

Katie Hopkins and Kelly Clarkson are still at odds with each other. The British opinionated columnist just cannot keep her mouth shut, and has now continued with why she is so against Clarkson gaining so much weight.

Many of the singers fans have stood up for her weight gain, which she said happened during pregnancy. However, Hopkins soon hit back saying that it was just a cute name for something thats not very nice. Last month, the writer and reality TV show star took to Twitter to ask if Kelly had eaten her backing singers after Kelly made one of her first appearances since giving birth to her daughter.

We give fat really cute names, dont we? We have baby weight, puppy fat, love handles, muffin top, chunky monkey. Ultimately these are all nice names for something thats not very nice.

The Evening Standard reports that Katie went on to say that it was not baby weight, but carrot cake. It is hurtful comments like these that lead to many celebrities trying fad diets to lose the weight quickly.

During her pregnancy, Kellys weight gain had been a matter of concern. She had said that she was fed up with the way that she felt, and that she refused to go outside unless she really needed to. Many fans expected Hopkins comments about her weight to affect the singer during her marketing activities.

However, Clarkson has taken the higher road. Rather than feel hurt, she took to Twitter to ask who Katie Hopkins was. Kelly has been took focused on promoting her new album to even care about the womans comments. Huffington Post reported that she did not even know comments were made about her until Heat magazine told her about them.

This is not the first time that Katie Hopkins has given her opinion without being asked. She is regularly vocal on Twitter, attacking various people. Most recently, she attacked Eastenders actor Danny Dyer when he announced his engagement. Unlike Clarkson, Danny decided to hit back and it did not end so well.

Katie attacked due to Dyers girlfriend proposing, saying that it was the wrong way round. However, Dyer hit back saying that he would have paid her a compliment if he could have thought of one. He continued to post photos to attack the opinionated writer.

Oi @MrDDyer boy, who bought the ring? Presumably your bird had to fund her own diamonds too given you gave up your Crown Jewels saying yes?

Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) March 2, 2015

The mother of two has a habit of attacking others, especially celebrities. One thing is for certain, she never apologizes. In fact, she can often make things worse, which is what she is doing while attacking Kelly Clarkson. Rather than stop at calling her fat, Katie Hopkins went on to say that people supporting the singer are doing it because they like to have a fat friend to feel slimmer.

Youre supporting Kelly Clarkson because everybody likes to have a fat friend, because the great thing about a fat friend is it makes you feel slimmer.

[Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images]

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/1901402/why-is-katie-hopkins-attacking-kelly-clarkson/

Continue Reading ..

Seinfeld, Malcolm in the Middle Actor Daniel von Bargen Dies at 64

Character actor Daniel von Bargen, who appeared on Seinfeldand Malcolm in the Middle, died Sunday in Montgomery, Ohio, after a long illness, Variety reports. He was 64 and had been battling unspecified health problems for the past five years.See other celebrities we've lost this yearBorn in Cincinnati, von Bargen studied drama at Purdue University and went on to have a lengthy acting career with roles on the stage and screen. Most notably, he played Mr. Kruger, the boss of George Costanza (Jason Alexander) on Seinfeld, as well as veteran Edwin Spangler, who was in charge of the cadets at Marlin Academy, on Malcolm in the Middle.Von Bargen had also appeared on The West Wing, All My Children, NYPD Blue and The X-Files, and played Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the 1995 HBO biopic Truman. His film credits included The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia and O, Brother Where Art Thou?.View original Seinfeld, Malcolm in the Middle Actor Daniel von Bargen Dies at 64 at TVGuide.comOther Links From TVGuide.com

Source: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/article/ZZ/20150305/News/303059999

Continue Reading ..

'Avengers Age of Ultron' Cast News, Latest Rumors: Chris Evans Talks Captain ...

ByArvin Donguines , Christian Post Contributor

March 5, 2015|8:20 am

FACEBOOK/ Avengers

Chris Evans as Captain America in Avengers: Age of Ultron

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" cast member Chris Evans, who plays Captain America in the Marvel superhero film, shared some insights about the development of his patriotic superhero character in the upcoming installment.

When asked about suiting up as Captain America, Evans said he was "very comfortable" after playing the role several times.

"You know, the first movie you're terrified," he told IGN. "The second one you're just intimidated because there's so many great people, but by Captain America 2 you really start hitting your stride and feeling like you're making some core progress with the character. And you get a little more comfortable speaking up when you have opinions."

"It's hard to give too much individual attention to your own plotline in a movie like this. They still give good hurdles to jump, but it's almost ... I'm very excited for Cap 3," the 33-year-old actor admitted.

The actor meanwhile teased Joss Whedon's plan on stepping up the character in terms of fighting abilities.

"The first Captain America, he's just strong. In Avengers it was still, in my opinion, a little bit 'punch, punch, kick, kick.' It's fine but, you know, you can't just be Jason Bourne," he said. "I don't wanna take a step back, so we gotta make sure that he's continuing training. His fight style needs to advance a little bit. I don't wanna go full Bruce Lee but there needs to be more than just haymakers and fun kicks."

After "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which is slated to open in theaters May 1, 2015, Chris Evan's Captain America is set to appear in "Captain America: Civil War" with Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, among others.

Source: http://www.christianpost.com/news/avengers-age-of-ultron-cast-news-update-chris-evans-talks-captain-america-135074/

Continue Reading ..