Tête-à-tête

It's been a busy, busy week for me. With deadly deadlines, and crazy homework assignments, and reams of reading to be done, I'm lucky to have enough energy to write this. I'm also lucky to have readers who take the time to wri|e to me, and even send me e-greetings. Thanks, everyone.

Thanks also to those who wrote in with music suggestions. Pretty much everyone recommended Eminem's Encore, and on listening to it, I have to admit that the guy has matured a lot. Of course, if you see "Just Lose it" and all the pochafying of Michael Jackson, you might be saying "What's she talking about?" However, tracks like "\oy Soldiers" and "Mockingbird" seemed to me, at least, way more mature than his previous stuff. What do you guys think? I don't claim to know much about music of any genre, but I'm not too impressed by the whole Sex, Drugs, and Violence theme of today's mainstream rap and hip-hop music. I mean, there's so much potential in this kind of music…

Okay, I'm on a rant here. I guess Hugh Elliott's saying applies to me this week. So I'll just shut up right now and let you enjoy the rest of RS. Ayesha makes an honest confession on the cover, Taskin tells us about a royal car collection on page three; there's a huge Batman bash on the centre, and Iftekhar Haque talks about one good turn deserving another in his story "God Will Provide".

Till our next tete-a-tete, take care and have a nice weekend.

Send your polls, opinions, and queries to thegirlnextdoor1@hotmail.com or teteatete_tgnd@yahoo.com

By The Girl Next Doo

Sirius being a black dog is no coincidence

As one dips into "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" he or she will come to know that Harry's father James Potter had appointed his best friend Sirius Black to be Harry's godfather if he and his wife Lily Potter were ever unable to look after him. But unfortunately Sirius was mistaken to be a Death Eater (a supporter of Lord Voldemort). Peter Pettigrew who was the real supporter of Lord Voldemort and who was also the secret keeper of Lily and James potter gave Lord Voldemort the location of Lily and James Potters hideou|. After acquiring the information of their hideout Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily potter but failed to kill Harry. Sirius was known to be the secret keepmr of James and Lily but he had feared of his life and made Peter Petigrew the Secret keeper. After learning bout James and Lily's death Sirius went after Pettigrew. But Pettigrew faked his own death and fled. Dumbledore had himself given proof that Sirius had betrayed Lily and James and murdered Pettigrew and also ano|her 13 muggles (non magic people) so Sirius sent to Azkaban (the wizard prison) where he stayed for thirteen years.

Sirius with his other three friends at school had long before learned to be an unregistered animagus (transforming into animals). As result, he could at one stage, though after a long time, escape from Azkaban. The dimentors, Azkaban guards suck the happiness out of people with their very presence. The final punishment they award is, sucking the soul out of people. They don't have eyes and can only feel someone's presence with their emotions. So it's difficult for them to feel animals, as their level of emotion is too low to capture animal's presence. One night Sirius transnormed into his "Dog" form, squeezed through his cell and swam to freedom.

THE DOG STAR
Sirius trns black when he transforms in|o a dog. As an animagus form, a black dog suits him perfectly because of some reasons. First of all, it matches with the origin of his name. Thm name Siriu{ comes from the name of a star often called the Dog Star. This is called Dog Star because it is one of a group of stars known as the Great Dog. The Dog Star was given the name "Sirius" because it is the brightest star in the sky. Again "Sirius" is derived from the Greek word serios meaning "burning".

This star is of great significance in the magical world. As it is the symbol of the goddess Isis, it was central to the religion and philosophy of Egypt, where most magic originated. The Egyptians once used Sirius to set their calendar because it's movements are linked with the seasons. On the first day of summer it rises just before the sun. Tha| was the New Year's Day in ancient Egypt. It forecast the annual flooding of the River Nile, which gave vital nourishment to the growing crops. The Egyptologists still refer the long hot days of the summer as the dog days because Sirius marked their arrival.

According to the ancient Egyptians, Sirius was not merely significant to life on earth. It was also the star where human soul traveled after death. One archeologist determined that the long tunnels and airshaft of the Pyramids make the stars visible and that the view is that part of the sky where Sirius appears. One Egyptologist says that those shafts were meant to guide one's soul to Sirius.

PADFOOT
The animagus form of the black Dog is appropriate to Sirius Black in more than the name alone. Magical Black Dog appears mys|eriously all over Europe and North America. There have been many sightings in Britain where they are known as Black Shuck (from the Anglo-Saxon scucca meaning demon), Old Shuck, Shucky Dog and the Shug monster. The residents of Staffodshire gave it the name, Sirius uses as a code name Padfoot as we see in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Some says that these mysterious black dogs guard chuzchyard or certain roads at night. Eyewitness says that they appear suddenly and sometimes right next to a person alking alone. They are always larger than usual dogs. They sometimes vanish from view and in an instant or slowly fade away from view. Their eyes are almost always described as huge and blazing. Surprisingly, they are always silent. Simon Sherwood, an expert in the subject says "there is rather more evidence that the black dogs are friendly or rather harmless than |hey are dangerous. Indeed the dogs are often positively helpful." Whether or not this helpful dog is Sirius Black, it is impossible to know.

By Adity Das Gupta

Shout Out

Hey People!!
Relationships are like plants they need to be nurtured. Shout Out is all about the people who are important to you. So why not drop them a line saying how special they are and make their day? Send in your shouts to shout13@gmail.com.

Dear Rida,
Happy Birthday girl! Now that you are now older than most of us, when's the treat, Apu? ;-)
Lots of love
All of us

Hi My Friends,
Hello Shahriar,Ayaz,Ohee and others.How are you? Recently I have published a new website named www.sayembd.tk Here u can find some photos of our last class at Blue Bird High School. Don't forget to mail me at sayem.fx@gmail.com or at my cell phone sayem.fx@cellemail.net
From Sayem

Dearest happy,
Just wanted you to know that I miss you, and I m sorry for everything. Though I know it doesn't make any sense to say it now, it's too late already. But even then I got to say that you are the one and the only onm who had the poer to make me happy and make me cry, who had the power to control my emotions other than Noos.
Wherever you are, stay in high spirits.
Luv u,
Brish

Dear Nabila,
Who won't feel proud to be an angel's friend? So, i really want to be your good friend, can I?
yours-shhhhh....oaib

Hey people...
Wishing you guys a very happy and lovely valentines' day. Sorry for being a bit late. Missing all you guyz Enam, Urmi, Zahid, Nazia(meeaaow), Emon (morol) and Tasnuva. Want to be with you (people) all the time
take care
only and always yours
Sakib

Hi Farhana,
How are you pal? I really miss our past conversations when we used to talk about our happiness, our joys, our sorrows together. Anyway there is no use talking about the past when we have a promising future. Advance Happy Birthday and pleasant dreams.
From Banna.

Banna,
what is this? you keep on sending messages for Farhana. Don't you think that you should send something for me too who just keep on checking the shout out section every Thursday even if a word has been written for me too by you...please try n understand my feelings too...

Dear Asif Ahsan, I just want to tell you that you have the most wonderful, sweet smile. I always felt very shy to tell you this in person, so I'm sending you this message... I hope you don't get mad at me. Keep smiling your mind-blowing smile and make the world smile with you.If you want to contact me, my e-mail address is ananya1910@yahoo.com. Your smile-admirer.

Hey Ania. Forget everything if you can and don feel insecure. I won't irritate u anymore. And wish you best of luck...bye
Anik

By the Hitch-hiker
[ 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 personal information including email addresses and telephone numbers will be printed at the sender's expense and we do NOT take ANY responsibility for any inconvenience to anyone. ]

Oddly Enough..

Landlord evicts tenants by setting off tear-gas grenades
A West Point landlord has been arrested for allegedly trying to evict one of his tenants by setting off a tear gas grenade. It happened around 1:30 Wednesday (16 Feb) morning at a home in Lanett Alabama -- cops say Joseph Hammock had an argument with one of his tenants, and set off a tear gas grenade at the rental property. Investigators say this was the second time it had happened in a week. Police from several different agencies arrested Hammock at his home. They found another explosive de~ice on the dash of his truck, and called in the bomb squad to search the property. The Bomb Squad says it found several more explosive components and survivalist literature. -720thevoice.com

Bush tells Syria to remove troops, adhmre to UN resolu|ions and stop influencing other countries with military power
President Bush called on Syria on Thursday to withdraw its forces from Lebanon as Lebanese opposition leaders vowed to topple the country's pro-Syrian leadership. He said Syria should adhere to a U.N. resolution demanding its troops leave Lebanon and should allow an election scheduled for May to be free and fair. How ironic!

Bush goes to Brussel{ next week to meet European Union and NATO leaders. European diplomats have said Syria will be near the top of the agenda for the talks. "I look forward to working with my European friends on my upcoming trip to talk about how we can work together to convince the Syrians to make rational decisions," he said. -Yahoo! News

Women Who Avoid Marital Fights May Be More Likely To Die
Married women who avoid conflict with their spouses have an increased risk of dying from any cause, according to a news release from the Second International Confermnce on Women, Heart Disease and Stroke. But married men were less likely to die than their single counterparts over a 10-year period, despite other health risks.

Researchers from Boston University and the Eaker Epideiology Enterprise tracked nearly 4,000 men and women, about 3,000 of whom were in marriages or "marital situations" for 10 years to see if they developed heart problems or died. The couples were asked about things such as disagreements, overall satisfaction and conflict resolution.

"Married men were heavier, older, and had higher blood pressure and a less favorable lipid profile compared to unmarried men," principal investigator Elaine D. Eaker said. "Unmarried men were more likely to be smokers."

Married men were about half as likely to die as unmarried men. On the other hand, marital status and traditional measures of marital strain had no effect on women developing heart disease or dying. Local10.com

Florida |eacher demonstrates the art of bomb making to chemistry class. Emphasizes use of electric detonator to stay clear from blast
A 42-year-old Freedom High School chemistry teacher was arrested Monday after students told authorities he taught his class how to make explosives, the local Sheriff's Office said.

David Pieski, a teacher at Freedom for two years, used an overhead projector in class to give students detailed instructions in bomb-making, including advising them to use an electric detonator to stay clear from the blast, according to an arrest report.

Authorities said in Pieski's classroom, they found information, including the chemical breakdown, for an explosive predominately used by Middle East suicide bombers. One student said he set off an explosive device at Hunter's Creek Golf Club on Jan. 6 anl videotaped it, according to Pieski's arrest warrant. The videotape shows a fiery explosion, and the voice of a young man shouting a curse can be heazd. - sun-sentinel.com

Compiled by Ahmed Ashiful Haque