Tête-à-tête

Hello everyone,
I'm still getting afterthoughts on the anime issue. Sorry people…that discussion's closed. Those who want to continue dissecting the topic, join RS Anime, our online anime forum. Drop me a line, and you'll get the invitation. I know this invites-only system bites, but it's for your own protection.

Moving on, I got a few e-mails asking about the poem "Queen of Defiance", which was printed on our backpack section last week. Some of you said you couldn't find it in The Other Boleyn Girl, the book that was mentioned in the introduction to the poem. That's because the poem was written not by Philippa Gregory (author of The Other Boleyn Girl), but by our own Durdana Ghias, who was inspired by the novel's account of the life of Anne Boleyn.

Hmm…so Bush won again. For once, I'm not going to be diplomatic and pretend I'm not sorry about that. I shudder to think about what this spells for us. A look at Sites Unseen will tell you that Niloy's just as affected. What do the rest of you have to say about the outcome of the US Elections?

While I wait for your replies, here's wishing all my readers Eid Mubarak. Hope you have a blast!

Send your polls, opinions, and queries to thegirlnextdoor1@hotmail.com or teteatete_tgnd@yahoo.com
By The Girl Next Door

Ever wondered about the pesky people who bring you the Rising Stars? Ever feel curious about the twisted minds that concoct the weird stuff you read every Thursday? Well, we're here to give you the inside scoop on the RS team and show you what they're really like…
Part Two: The outing that wasn't…

Starring this week:
The Girl Next Door (TGND)
Niloy
Crucified
Durdana Ghias
Shayera Moula
Tawsif
Tashmia Zaman
Taskin
Maliha Bassam
AES
Special Appearance:

Jennifer Ashraf: Our cat-loving Chittagong correspondent was fit to scratch my eyes out for forgetting to mention her last week…so she gets special casting this week.

Guest Star: Yellow Dog Man

Last week, we left you wondering what happens when the RS crew is unleashed on Dhaka City…this week, you get to find out…
Scene I: Somewhere in Chittagong, Thursday, 4/11/04

Jennifer (reading the RS): Forget to mention me, will she? Go out together without me, will they? We'll see about that! (Brings out voodoo dolls) [Scene dissolves with sounds of maniacal laughter]
Scene II: RS Office

[Enter TGND]
TGND (checking mail): "Oh dear…Ayesha, Marwa, Hitch-hiker…none of them will be able to make it for the outing. This is bad."

[Mobile phone rings]
Tashmia (on the phone): "Hey girl…I won't be able to make it. Sorry!" [Enter Tawsif]

Tawsif: "TGND, I'm broke…I still haven't got my bills. I don't think I'll be able to go today."

TGND: "Superb. Let's just cancel the outing and get on with the meeting." (Sits down before the computer.) "Ooh! One of my writings just got reviewed. I got so many stars from the readers…this I have to check!"

She leans closer, waiting for the page of the online writer's forum to upload. Tawsif pulls up a chair. The page appears, and displays a list of…(drum-roll)…ONE star!"
Tawsif: "Hee hee hee…haw haw…har har… "So many stars!" Haha!" (Oh, yes, he's charming, alright)
TGND: (blushing) "Be quiet, you saloquient blatteroon!"
Tawsif: Hang on, let me get a dictionary! [Telephone rings]
Durdana: (one the phone) "So…are we going?"
TGND: "I'm afraid not…half the people declined, and Tawsif's broke…"
Tawsif: "…and TGND got 'so many stars' on her article review…ouch!" (Promptly silenced by a punch)
Durdana: (disappointed) "Alright then…" (hangs up)
Scene 3: Back in Jennifer's lair
Jennifer (watching her crystal bowl): "Good…let's see you try having fun without me now!"
Scene 4: Back at the RS headquarters
TGND, Maliha, AES, Shayera, Niloy, and Tawsif are seated around the conference table.
TGND: "Right. AES…we need your horror-scope for our Eid issue…"
AES (yawning): Yeah…you'll get it next week…
Shayera, Maliha, and TGND (in unison): "Moron! Next week IS the Eid issue!"
[Enter Crucified, carrying a large tuna fish…background music is one of suspense]
Crucified: (Turning to TGND): "Selam!" (To everyone in general): "Oi!"
Tawsif: "Wow…she gets the salaam, and all we get is a…."
* Whack! *
Tawsif reels back as the tuna fish hits him squarely on the face. Everyone is sitting at attention.
Crucified: "Oi, TGND!" (Throws a CD across the table). "Here's the column for today. I have to go now."
[Exits]
Shayera: "I think it's okay to breathe now."
Tawsif: "Easy for you to say…YOU didn't get slapped by a tuna fish."
Half an hour passes as ideas are exchanged across the table…
TGND: (checking notes) Alright, people. I think we've got enough stuff for the issue. We can leave now.
[Exit all]
Scene 5: At the entrance of a mall in Dhanmondi
The Dog Man stood at the gate, boogying for all he was worth, greeting the bemused shoppers who chose to enter. So it wasn't the cushiest of jobs, wearing a hideous yellow dog suit and having people stare and laugh at him, but at least it paid well. Thank God he had a paper mask to hide his face. On this particularly sultry afternoon, he was really looking forward to his iftar break. Suddenly…
[Enter AES]
AES: "Yoo-hoo…Yellow Dog Man!"
Yellow Dog Man: "May I help you?"
AES: "I just wanted to do this…" (locks Yellow Dog Man in fierce embrace)
Yellow Dog Man: (choking) "Help…can't breathe…too hot…air!"
[Scene fades out]
Why did AES attack the Dog Man? Find out when Rising Soap returns...

By Sabrina F Ahmad

Hey People!!
Busy times now with everyone running about preparing for the upcoming celebrations. Well, hope our readers will make time to wish their loved ones, as some of them already have done. Keep mailing to shoutout13@hotmail.com and enjoy the column!!

Hey Radiya!
Even though it is so hard for both of us to be the way we are, I just want you to know that I love you as much as I always did. You are beautiful, and always keep a smile on jaan. Love you sweetheart, and HAPPY EID!!
Im always yours.
Naved

Hey Nish,
Miss you a lot! Drop this break thing and call me! Do i sound
pathetic? Love you lots.
Amaso

Hey people,
Check out the new website which has chat room, forum, games, pictures, daily cartoon, downloads and lots more. The address is www.hudululu.tk or www.hudululu.bravehost.com.
Thank you, Sabab Shemanto

I have been looking for my friends who read in Saint Marry's School at CTG (from 1994 to 1995). They are Somesh, Kolpita, Noyel, Jishan and Ishita. All of you are requested to contact to your old friend who will always remember you, especially my best friend Noyel. My address is lordamit91@yahoo.com. I am in Dhaka.
Your old pal,
Alpha

[ATTENTION:
This column is NOT responsible for any negative (or otherwise) outcome of the messages printed in it. Please do not abuse the column by using it to play pranks etc. Also, all email addresses will be printed at the reader's expense and we do NOT take responsibility any inconvenience to anybody.]

By Crucified

How dumb are you?

1.Before a movie starts, if it says suitable for "15 and over", do you bring 14 other friends over?
.Yes
.No

2.When you heard that 90% of the crimes are committed at home, you moved?
.Yes
.No

3.If the sign to the airport says "Airport left", do you go back home?
.Yes
.No

4.If someone just tells you to "carry on", do u write "O" and "N" on a piece of Paper and carry it everywhere?
.Yes
.No

5.On a hartal day, since you have to travel a long distance, you are told to take 2 rickshaws to reach your destination. Do you paste 2 rickshaws together and take off?
.Yes
.No

6. This morning your mum told you to "make your bed", so are you still chopping wood?
.Yes
.No

7. When a friend of yours comes up to you and says, "What's up?" Do you look
Up?
.Yes
.No

8. When your computer tells you to "press any key", do you spend one hour
searching for the "any" key bottom and realise that there isn't any?
.Yes
.No

Results: mostly NO Mashallah, you can now run up to your parents and tell them that there's hope yet for you!

Mostly YES Not much to say really, because you'd be too dumb to understand it anyway.

RS Mailbox

Dear Editor,
In the previous issue of the Rising Stars, an article by Diya called The Fang-tastic world of Anne Rice was published twice. It was an interesting article, but some of the information there was inaccurate. It says that Anne Rice began to write the Vampire Chronicles during the 1980's but Interview with the Vampire, the first book in this series, was published in 1976. Also the writer of the article has said that Lestat is a French prince. He is actually an aristocrat, the son of a Marquis, and that Blackwood Farm is the series finale. The final book of this series is called Blood Canticle.
Sincerely,
Samira Aziz

Dear Samira
Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Sorry about the repeat review…the printing ghost was at it again. As for all the other points you mentioned, here's what Diya had to say:

"I wrote that Blackwood Farm was a prequel to the finale, not the finale itself, and that she started writing the chronicles around the 1980s. I apologise for not having put it more eloquently. Thanks for pointing it out. As for Lestat being a French prince, it wasn't literal. I meant a French person who has the characteristics of a prince… the Brat Prince...Anne Rice's saviour and prince…
that sort of thing. Once again, I'm sorry I was not as clear in my meaning."

~ RS Desk ~

By Shayera Moula

A spine-chilling night out

With Ramadan on in full swing, big-scale Halloween hungama is out of the question. However, if you still want to add a little spook to your day, here's a freaky recipe you can try out for iftar:

Items required:
# Apples
# whole cloves
# a few grains of rice
# 1/2 Cup lemon juice
#2 tsp. salt

Method:
Make a mixture by dissolving 2 tablespoons of salt into the lemon juice.
Peel the apples and coat them with the mixture to prevent the apples from browning.
Carve out eye sockets, noses, mouths and ears using a knife.
Place the cloves inside the eye sockets and the rice grains inside the mouths as teeth.
You can either leave the apples for 2 weeks and watch the shapes of these faces dry and shrink or speed up the process by placing the apples in an oven with minimum temperature (but the process will still take several days).
Once the apples are dried, you can insert a strong wire inside the apples to form a body. Viola! A spooky treat you'll love to eat!

By Shayera Moula

Horror line

A guy (we'll call him Aaron) was laying down the carpet in some woman's home. As he was finishing his job, he got a craving for a cigarette. Aaron looked around and discovered that his cigarettes were missing. He did, however, notice a bump in the carpet, and figured that he had laid carpet over the pack without noticing it there. Aaron decided rather than to take up the carpet, he would get a hammer and pound it into the ground so no one would know.

When he finished that, the owner of the house walked into the room and commented on what a nice job he had done.

''Aaron, The carpet looks wonderful!'' she exclaimed. ''Here are your cigarettes; I found them in the kitchen. Oh yes, and by the way, have you seen my pet hamster?''