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Your Proofness: Dilaira Dubash Master Storyteller: Hurmat Majid Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Talha Ahmed Khan, Mohsin Alam, Hira Fareed, Nabeel Khan, Sobia Khan and Umar Waqas

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 24, 2016

Hi light

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From singing trees in to Forte the evil piano from Beauty and the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas, many of us have heard of unusual musical objects in fiction. Many of these have fascinated us through out our childhood. This week we have made a list of some of the most extraordinary musical instruments that exist in the world.

The chrysalis Invented and built by Cris Forster, the Chrysalis was his first concert-sized instrument. It’s design was inspired by a huge, round, stone-hewn Aztec calendar.

Cris thought to himself, ‘What if there were a musical instrument in the shape of a wheel? And what if this wheel had strings for spokes, and could spin and when played, would like the wind?’

The janko keyboard The Janko keyboard is an alternate musical keyboard layout for pianos designed

by Paul von Jankó in 1882. Each chord, scale and interval has a consistent shape and can be played with the same finger, regardless of its pitch or what the current key is. If you know a piece of music in one key, you can transpose it simply by starting at a different pitch because the fingering is the same in every key.

The great stalacpipe organ The great stalacpipe organ is an electrically actuated lithophone located in Luray Caverns, Virginia. It is operated by a custom console that produces the tapping of ancient stalactites of varying sizes, with solenoid-actuated rubber mallets in order to produce tones. It was designed over three years and implented in 1956 by Leland W. Sprinkle, inside the Luray Caverns near Shenandoah National Park.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 24, 2016

3 The earth harp

The nellophone

The Earth Harp is the longest stringed instrument in the world, with strings that extend up to 1,000 feet in length. It’s first installation featured a resonating chamber mounted on one side of a valley with the strings stretched out nearly 1,000ft to the other side. The Earth Harp is played using violin resin on cotton gloves and musical bows. The performer’s hands are run along the strings to created beautiful cello like tones. The act of rubbing the strings creates a longitudinal compression wave.

This is an instrument made of tubes, arranged in a wide circle. The player stands in the middle of the instrument and slaps the opening of the tubes with special paddles. The pitch of each tube is defined by its length.

Hi light

The serpent The Serpent is a bass wind instrument, descending from the cornett. It is also a distant ancestor of the uba, with a mouthpiece like a brass instrument but side holes like a woodwind. It is usually a long cone bent into a snakelike shape — hence the name. It is closely related to the cornett, although it is not part of the cornett family, due to the absence of a thumb hole.

The hydraulophone A hydraulophone is a tonal acoustic musical instrument played by direct physical contact with water (sometimes other fluids). The sound is generated or affected hydraulically.

It was invented by Steve Mann and has been used as a sensory exploration device for individuals with low vision.

The 12 neck guitar Japanese artist Yoshihiko Satoh takes mass-produced goods and alters or multiplies them to ‘unleash the energy residing in their function and shape.’

Simply speaking, he multiples them by awesome. His guitar sculptures are by far his most impressive works. However, he’s also experimented with exaggerated length in irons, toy trucks and even functional mopeds.

The Loophonium The instrument is described as the marriage of a euphonium and a lavatory. It was made for a concert of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra on April Fools’ Day in 1960, at which the instrument was played.

The man who did it was the orchestra’s principal flautist Fritz Spiegl.

The Yabahar The Yaybahar is a new, non-electric, acoustic instrument designed by Istanbul-based musician Gorkem Sen. Vibrations from the strings are transmitted via the coiled springs to the frame drums. These vibrations are turned into sound by the membranes, which echo back and forth on the coiled springs.

The result is a unique listening experience with a hypnotic surround sound.

The ice pipe organ The pipe organ is made entirely of ice inside the first and the largest Ice Hotel in the world. It was built in 2004 by the American artist and Ice Sculptor Tim Linhart. While working Sweden’s famous Ice Hotel, Tim found the perfect conditions he needed for the instrument: a consistent -5.55°C degree temperature.

Design by Nabeel Khan What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 24, 2016

4 Use the right apps and filters Spend some time to find the right filters for yourself. Try multiple photo editing apps until you know what works for you. It’s a trial and error process but once you get there, it would be worth your time.

Consider your background The best selfies have either interesting backgrounds or really simple ones. The middle ground is what’s deadly. And beware of photo-bombers.

Don’t overthink it Arm yourself with this knowledge, and then just relax. A trying-too-hard selfie is never going to be a good one. You don’t want selfies to be too serious. If your makeup looks like it took you an hour to do and you look too posed, you’re not doing it right Strike a pose, or six Not everyone knows what angle works best for them, which is why experts recommend taking multiple photos with different poses and angles. Its a good idea to take five or six and then pick one. You just have to try it out and see what works. For most people, the best angle for a selfie is one that’s slightly higher than their line of vision. And you probably shouldn’t stare directly into the camera, either. “Most people don’t look their best straight-on. Turn to the side a little bit and work your magic.

Be yourself Flash a real smile and no image will look bad. Or if you’re going for something slightly more serious, pull a Tyra and ‘try smiling with your eyes.’ Practice the look in front of a mirror for the best results.

Find the best lighting There is nothing worse than having a huge shadow cast over your face. When in doubt, face directly into or away from the sun. If it’s the middle of the day and the sun is high, the shadows can look like bags under your eyes. The golden hour to shoot a photo is during sunrise or sunset, when the light is low and the most beautiful.

If you’re indoors find a window. Natural sunlight streaming in will make for a good selfie. Another thing you could try is to take a piece of white paper and hold it underneath your chin, which creates a natural bounce of light, illuminates the face, and also reduces the double-chin effect.

Lumosity

CogniFit Brain Fitness

Personal Zen

Brain Trainer Special

Happify

This popular app is split into sessions of three games tailored to your goals: memory, attention, problem solving, processing speed or flexibility of thinking. The games are played against the clock and change every time.

Developers say just one session a day can improve mental skills and users can track progress and compare performance with others.

Improve cognitive abilities, such as memory and concentration, with sleek, fun and addictive games designed by neuroscientists. Users can track progress and access insights about overall brain health. Competitive players can challenge friends, too. After an initial quiz, the app adapts each game’s difficulty to your profile and gives you recommendations based on your results.

Developers found that users saw improvement by spending at least 20 minutes, two to three times a week, playing the games.

Players follow two animated characters, one of which looks calm and friendly while the other looks angry, as they burrow through a field of rustling grass.

This game, developed by Dr. Dennis and researchers from Hunter College and the City University of New York, reduces anxiety by training your brain to focus more on the positive and less on the negative. “The habit of thinking about the world in a more positive light — like looking for a silver lining in a bad situation — is one of the key ways we can promote our own resilience in the face of adversity,” says Dr. Dennis. Even a single session of play can build resilience over several hours.

She suggests using the app right before a stressful event, but 10 minutes a day will help build more enduring positive effects.

Like Lumosity, this Android app contains games that have you memorizing letter sequences, phone numbers and solving assorted math problems to keep your mind in tip-top shape.

Difficulty levels range from easy to brain-tingling hard.

Train your brain to be happier?

Yep, research shows that some activities help build your ability to conquer negative thoughts, show gratitude, cope with stress, and empathize — all essential ingredients for a fuller, happier life. Using fundamentals of positive psychology, which involves focusing on the strengths and virtues that enable individuals to create fulfilling lives, the app’s quizzes, polls and gratitude journal — combined with a positive community — gradually teach life-changing habits. The goal is to build these skills and keep users smiling all day.

SOURCE. PCADVISOR.COM

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 24, 2016

Get your weekly dose of unusual and funny news from across the globe!

Mother of thrill The Printemps shopping mall in Shanghai’s come up with the idea that helps shoppers get to the ground floor from five storeys up in just 16 seconds. But the 200ft long ‘Dragon Slide’ is not without its concerns — it sends people down at such a rate that they are being advised to cross their arms to save themselves from potential injury.

Anyone looking for the speed thrill in the Pudong District of East China’s city of Shanghai is also being made to wrap up inside bags to avoid scrapes and bruises. The slide, which may seem more at home in a theme park , is reportedly to be free to use, although currently only open for VIPs. One of the lucky few who has been down it has sounded a note of caution. The unnamed male shopper said, “I was really scared, because during those bends my hands felt numb. And then I came down; and more than that, I was scared, so how would children feel?”

Singapore’s Changi Airport is said to be the inspiration for the feature, boasting its own 12.9 metre tall slide. MIRROR.CO.UK

A bone to pick A restaurant owner in Paris has banned all bankers from his gourmet eatery because he was turned down for a loan of £55,000. Alexandre Callet, 30, says his ‘reasonable requests’ to borrow money to open a second restaurant were repeatedly rejected by banks. The refusal by banks to help him explains why so many French businesses are moving to London, Mr Callet said. He has now placed a board outside his restaurant Les Ecuries de Richlieu reading, ‘Bankers banned (unless they pay an entry fee of €70,000)’. He said his establishment, in the leafy Paris suburb of Reuil-Malmaison, was profitable, had film stars as customers and was named in the prestigious Michelin guide. He said, “I believe in reciprocity. I had to respond. If you hit me, I’ll hit you. As soon as I see a banker that I recognise I won’t let them enter my restaurant. They have treated me like a dog, so I have denied them access.” Callet says he felt humiliated because he was only asking the banks for a loan of €70,000, which was ‘nothing’ compared to last year’s turnover €300,000 euros. He said, “The way banks have treated me is a reflection of the shameful way business owners are treated in France. I have never had financial problems and yet I find myself in this situation.” MID-DAY.COM

World wide weird

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The Force awakens A unique Jedi school is offering kids to learn the ways of the Force and to duel with a lightsaber. Based on the epic Star Wars movies, which have recently been rebooted by Disney, the classes combine historical long sword techniques with the twirls and turns seen in the films. Using an ‘LED sabre’ the children wear fencing masks to be taught by self-confessed Star Wars fan and martial arts expert Faisal Mian. The youngsters, who are encouraged to design and make their own costumes, learn techniques passed down from generations of fencing experts, using lightsabers that make the familiar iconic sound. Faisal, 42, said, “These sabres help the children focus because they light up the imagination as well as the blades. The parents were as interested as the children were and so we offered adult classes too. This was before we knew about the new film and we thought we’d go with it and we’ve now managed to produce a martial art that reflects the well-known science fiction movies.

Some of the kids come in dressed as Darth Vader and we encourage people to have a laugh and enjoy themselves. We are a professional martial arts club with an inclination for dramatic theatre.” Fiasal, who also works as a Tai Chi instructor , set up the Silver Sabres Combat Academy two years ago in Finsbury Park, north of London and says the lightsaber is the ideal training weapon. MIRROR.CO.UK

A ratty adventure A rat found scuttling around the cabin forced a Chinese airliner to return to an airport after takeoff. The rodent was found shortly after the Long Air flight left the eastern city of Hangzhou for the southwestern resort city of Xishuangbanna, the airline said on its official microblog. It wasn’t clear how the rat gained access to the plane, although the official Xinhua News Agency said it wasn’t brought on board as a pet and may have arrived with the meal service. Along with worrying passengers, rats can damage a plane’s electrical and other systems. “Considering the threat to passenger health posed by the rat and the possibility of endangering flight safety by biting through wires, the captain flew back to port in the best interests of public health and safety,” the airline said. Loong Air said the plane was fumigated and disinfected after landing. No word was given on the fate of the rat. NBCNEWYORK.COM

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 24, 2016

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Rubbing stale bread on scarred suede would make scruff marks disappear, leaving your shoes looking fresh.

To waterproof your canvas shoes at home; pick up any original, un-dyed wax, commonly found at hardware stores, and rub it over the entire cloth surface. Use a blow dryer to melt the wax and ‘seal’ the material. And let your shoes set for at least five minutes before you test them out.

In order to stretch your shoes at home, fill up two Ziploc bags with water, just shy of halfway. Remove as much air as possible, seal the bags and place one of each into the toes of your shoes. Freeze overnight.

Pull out the bags or break the ice with the blunt end of a knife, then remove. Do not let the water melt in the shoes. Repeat if necessary.

If you need to polish your shoes quickly, reach for olive or vegetable oil. A banana peel will also work in a hurry.

To deodorise shoes, place a dry tea bag in each shoe and leave overnight to absorb the smell.

Repeat if necessary.

Nothing can cure sliding flip-flops entirely or stop them from making that awful flapping sound but if you spray them with hairspray, it can help them grip your feet better.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 24, 2016

7 What it’s about As a freshmen in High School, Charlie struggles with bullies, depression and bad influences. While Charlie wants to survive high school, he forces himself to participate in extracurricular events, to keep himself from falling back into his depression. The not-so-typical teenager finds himself being taken under the wing by a few seniors, and has never been so excited to have friends. again.

1: What is the main character’s name?

A. Billy Peters B. Charlie Brown C. Just Charlie D. Charlie Peters

6: What is Sam and Patrick’s relationship?

A. Brother and sister B. Step-Brother and sister C. Boyfriend and girlfriend D. Just friends

2: Who does Charlie replace in The Rocky Horror Picture Show when he/she can’t make it?

A. Sam B. Craig C. Mary Elizabeth D. Patrick

7: What is the only thing Mary Elizabeth loves that her parents love as well?

A. Laughter B. Reading C. The Rocky Horror Picture Show D. Brandy

3: What was the dare that Patrick tells Charlie to do at a party which messes everything up?

A. Pull a prank B. Kiss the prettiest girl in the room C. Steal a car D. Do the ‘Chicken Dance’

8: What is Brad’s role at the school?

A. Track star B. Class clown C. Quarterback D. Nerd

4: What is the first book Charlie reads?

A. The Catcher in the Rye B. To Kill a Mocking bird C. Naked Lunch D. The Great Gatsby

9: What is Charlie’s brother’s girlfriend’s favorite book?

A. The Fountainhead B. Walden C. Hates books D. Doesn’t say

5: When does Charlie share the mysterious poem?

A. Prom B. At a football game C. Christmas D. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

10: How is the book written?

A. Diary B. 1st person C. 3rd person D. Through letters

Note: Turn to page 8 to find your score.

Key to last week’s puzzle.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 24, 2016

1: Just Charlie

6: Step-Brother and sister

2: Craig

7: Brandy

3: Kiss the prettiest girl in the room

8: Quarterback

4: To Kill a Mocking Bird

9: Walden

5: Christmas

10: Through letters

• Kristen Stewart was born in Los Angeles and then spent some of her early years in Colorado and Pennsylvania before moving back to Los Angeles with her family when she was eight years old.

• Despite her slender shape she loves cooking she said, “I make really good pie. Apple pie, it’s the best.” And this was backed up by her friend and co-star, Nikki Reed who said, “She was really into baking pies, and I’m really into eating pies, so it was a good balance. I mean, she eats pies too. But that sounds weird, because she’s so small.”

• Kristen is a woman of many talents, and learned to play the guitar when she played Joan Jett in the biopic The Runaways. And not just that, she also flexed her vocal talents and recorded six songs for the soundtrack.

• She thinks she should be taller, but wont resort to wearing heels, saying: “I’m 5’6 . I feel like I should be taller. I feel like I’m smaller than my mental stature. I should be 5’10”. 5’10” would be very good.”

• Her full name is Kristen Jaymes Stewart.

• She became known for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga, a role for which she won numerous Teen Choice and People’s Choice Awards. Her other films include Zathura, Panic Room, Still Alice and Adventureland.

• Her wardrobe is certainly stuffed full, but she also likes to have three of the same Balenciaga quilted biker jackets. Kristen owns them in black, red and yellow.

• She was raised as the only girl among two brothers.

Her oldest and biological brother, Cameron is 24. Her brother Taylor was adopted when he was 13 and he and Kristen are the same age.

• She says her favorite snack is Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

• Since she grew up with a family who all worked behind the camera, Stewart thought she would become a screenwriter/director, but never considered being an actor. “I never wanted to be the center of attention — — I wasn’t that ‘I want to be famous, I want to be an actor’ kid. I never sought out acting, but I always practiced my autograph because I love pens. I’d write my name on

everything,” she said • At age eight, Stewart was discovered by a talent agent while singing in a school play. Although Stewart has since become an actress and not a singer, she has performed her own vocals in two films, Into the Wild and The Runaways.

• She shares her birthday, April 9, with actor Dennis Quaid who played her father in Cold Creek Manor in 2003.

• She co-starred with Charlize Theron in the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman.

• Kristen was nominated three consecutive years from 2003 to 2005 for the Young Artist Award, but never won.

• She won a Cesar Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2014 film Clouds of Sils Maria.

• Her mother, Jules Stewart, is an Australian script supervisor.

SOURCE. FACTMONSTER.COM