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Your Proofness: Dilaira Dubash Master Storyteller: Hurmat Majid Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Talha Ahmed Khan, Omer Asim, Mohsin Alam, Aamir Khan, Eesha Azam, Maryam Rashid, Hira Fareed and Umar Waqas
Reformed villains PAGE 2-3
The story of oil lamps PAGE 4
Apricot and pineapple float PAGE 6
When I was lost PAGE 8
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 12, 2015
Hi light
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Often we are told that life is all about second chances and it’s never too late to right a wrong. There are quite a few characters, be it in books or movies that show us what it’s really like to turn a corner, be it Kovu from Lion King II or Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. But then there are some characters that experience a complete transformation and turn from villains into heroes whom we grow to love and admire. Here are our picks of the most formidable foes that turned over a new leaf.
Disney’s most formidable villain ever, Maleficent was first brought to us in Sleeping Beauty in 1959. Growing up, we considered her to be the epitome of pure evil, knowing that she did what she did because she enjoyed it. But is she really all that bad? How could anyone be evil just for the sake of being evil? Our perspective changed drastically last year when the movie revealing the story behind the story was released. The movie Maleficent explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from Sleeping Beauty and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that is her legacy. Maleficent realises that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.
Professor Severus Snape was a half-blood wizard who was the son of the witch Eileen Prince and muggle Tobias Snape. During his lifetime, Snape was Potions Master, Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was also member of the Order of the Phoenix and played a very important role in both of the Wizarding Wars against Lord Voldemort. Since his first encounter with Harry Potter at Hogwarts, Snape made his dislike for him very clear. All through the series the readers and Harry are suspicious of him time and again until he kills Dumbledore in book six and removes all doubts from our minds — but does he? Right at the time of the most anticipated death in the series, the readers and Harry find out the truth behind those suspicious black eyes and leery evil smile. Severus Snape turns out to be the most selfless and loyal man in the story. He not only had unconditional love for Harry’s mother, he also was one of the bravest men in the Order of Phoenix. His services were vital for Voldemort’s downfall and Harry’s survival. The readers rid themselves of their guilt about hating him by shedding uncountable tears and Harry ended up naming his son Albus Severus Potter “… after two of the greatest headmasters Hogwarts has ever seen.”
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 12, 2015
3 Megamind is an alien refugee from the planet Glaupunk Quadrant. Soon after his birth, his home planet was destroyed by a blackhole. Before the planet was absorbed, Megamind’s parents sent him off the planet in a escape pod with his caretaker, Minion, to Earth. He is determined, overdramatic, enthusiast, egotistical, childish, impulsive, and yet charming and lovable. For most of his life, Megamind was a supervillain and had one thing on his mind: to overcome his arch enemy, Metro Man, the city’s local superhero at the time. In spite of his repeated attempts to destroy Metro Man, Megamind always seemed to be one step behind the superhero. Then one day, he discovered Metro Man’s weakness — an allergic reaction to copper. With his new found knowledge Megamind successfully defeats Metro Man, only to find out that a villain’s life is boring without a superhero to fight. Through a strange turn of events Megamind kindles a friendship with Roxanne Ritchi, a news reporter, disguised as someone else, and starts having second thoughts about being a supervillain. The threat of a new villain Tighten threatens the town and with Metro Man no more, the city needs a new saviour. Stepping up to the occasion Megamind saves the day and receives the title of Defender of Metro City. What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!
Hi light g
Felonius Gru, often referred to by his surname, was a supervillain and jelly manufacturer, and is now a consultant for the Anti-Villain League. Formerly the world’s greatest villain, Gru has been ousted by Vector, who had stolen the Pyramid of Giza and been bestowed the honor of pulling off the “crime of the century”. In response, Gru unveils his plan for the ultimate crime: the theft of the moon. When his plans are interrupted by Vector, Gru becomes the adoptive father of three girls, Margo, Edith, and Agnes. Originally intending to use the trio as pawns for his scheme to steal the moon, Gru ends up warming up to them. Even though he is successful in snatching the moon, Gru chooses to give it up when he hears his adopted daughters have been kidnapped and proceeds to rescue the trio from Vector. In the process the moon is accidentally returned to its orbit, impressing the Anti-Villain League enough that Gru is soon recruited to stop the thief of the PX-41 mutagen. Together with AVL agent Lucy Wilde, he attempts to track down the evasive El Macho. After the events of the mission, he becomes Lucy’s husband. DESIGN BY MARYAM RASHID
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 12, 2015
4 What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear
Two silk worms were in a race. Who won? It was a tie
Why are spiders good swimmers? They have webbed feet
Fun facts about Volcanoes Hundreds of years ago, the Aztecs civilisation of Mexico and the people of Nicaragua believed gods lived in lava lakes. They would sacrifice beautiful young girls to these powerful gods. During the past 400 years, nearly a quarter of a million people have been killed as a direct result of volcanic eruptions. Indirect aftereffects such as famine, climate change, and disease most likely have tripled that number. A species of birds called Maleo uses heat given out by warm volcanic sand to incubate its large eggs. When the chicks hatch, they burrow their way to the surface of the sand. The most dangerous volcano today is Popocatépetl, nicknamed El Popo, which is just 33 miles from Mexico City. El Popo is still active, sending thousands of tons of gas and ash into the air each year. The myth of the lost city of Atlantis sinking beneath the waves may be based on the Greek island of Santorini, portions of which collapsed into the sea after a large volcanic eruption during the Bronze Age.
Why was the mother firefly unhappy? Because her children weren’t that bright
What is a cat’s favorite song? Three blind mice
Volcanologists use a special electric thermometer called a ‘thermocouple’ to take a volcano’s temperature. Lava is so hot that a glass thermometer would melt. Highly volcanic areas have some of the most fertile farmland in the world. Volcanic eruptions bring nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus to the Earth’s soil. The weathering of volcanic rocks also releases nutrients.
Did you know? The history of oil lamps After the human race first tamed fire and started to use it as a light source, a need appeared for a smaller, controllable flame — a more sophisticated solution, if you will. First such solution was an oil lamp that came along around 70,000 BC. Early humans used shells, hollow rocks or any nonflammable material as a container and in those containers they placed some moss soaked in animal fat which they would ignite and it would burn with a flame. As the industry developed so did the materials of which the oil lamps were made as well as the fuel. The first oil lamps of manmade materials were found in Egypt, Greece and Rome and are considered probably the first mass produced objects in history. They were made from terracotta, bronze, stone and alabaster, in a shape of a dish that would hold oil and a place for a wick that would prolong burning and prevent the whole surface of the oil to catch fire. They were easier and safer to carry than torches, they were reusable and left less residue compared to candles. Olive oil was used as a fuel as well as sesame oil, fish oil, whale oil and beeswax. The design later evolved to a closed lamp with a spout for a wick. Once the lamps started getting manufactured on the pottery wheel, better quality was ensured and it enabled the makers to now decorate the lamps. That design stayed the same until the 18th Century when Aime Argand, a Swiss chemist, invented and patented the ‘Argand Lamp’. His lamp consisted of a container for oil as all the other lamps but had a cylindrical wick to give larger surface for a larger flame and glass tube chimney around the flame to direct the draft, make a stronger flame and make the lamp safer for carrying. The reign of the oil lamp lasted until the middle of the 19th Century when kerosene lamps were invented, but in some places the oil lamp endured well in to the 20th Century, especially in the places that steppled late into the electricity era. Today it’s used as an ambient light or in religious ceremonies. Use of oil lamp was always multifold. Beside its use at home and for work, it found a large use in rituals of many religions from the beginning of written history. Ancient Egyptians lit thousands of oil lamps in temples, their homes and public places during the ceremony called Liknokaia in honour of goddess Naiff. The Greeks did the same and Romans lit the oil lamps before prayer to symbol Vesta, goddess of home. In Judaism burning oil lamp symbolises lightening the way for the righteous and the wise and all the positive values. In Christianity it symbolises eternal life and God himself. It is lit when the church is consecrated and, ideally, would burn from that moment forever. In Islam, oil lamp is used as a parable for God. Hinduism and Chinese folk religion also use oil lamps in their rituals as methods of illumination and as symbols. SOURCE: HISTORYOFLAMPS.COM
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 12, 2015
Get your weekly dose of unusual and funny news from across the globe!
Alien atmosphere UFO shaped clouds seen over Texas and a strange light seen darting above Indiana have sparked claims the controversial High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) was being restarted. Others believe the two incidents in America could even be down to so-called ‘cloaked UFOs’ when flying saucers are supposedly concealed among clouds. HAARP was a weather ion research program jointly funded by the US Air Force, US Navy, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and universities. It began in 1993 and at the height of conspiracies, some theorists claimed it could change weather patterns, cause earthquakes, droughts and storms. Other wild claims included it being able to disable satellites, target enemies and even control people’s minds. Scientists rubbished these claims saying all were outside HAARP’s abilities and most were beyond natural science. Actually, based on a sub-arctic facility, an Air Force-owned site near Gakona, Alaska, HAARP’s purpose was to analyse the ionosphere and investigate the potential for developing ionospheric enhancement technology for radio communications and surveillance. It temporarily ceased in May 2013 and was officially closed a year later. But some conspiracists claim it has been secretly continued and the two phenomena last month were proof of this. EXPRESS.CO.UK
World wide weird
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Aerial assistance A cheeky crow was pictured hitching a lift on a bald eagle’s back. Fancying a free ride, the brave black bird landed on the wings of the much larger predator mid-flight. The surprise guest interrupted the bald eagle who was searching for an early morning snack. Miraculously, the predator didn’t even flinch and carried on as if nothing had happened.Their encounter lasted several seconds before the birds parted and flew their separate ways. Luckily, amateur photographer Phoo Chan was on hand to capture the incredible images last week in Washington, USA. HUFFINGTONPOST.COM
Koala it a camera trick A curious koala bear proved that there’s more to her than just sitting in a tree eating eucalyptus leaves all day. Making the most of a visiting news crew, the little grey koala decided to make a name for herself by diving straight into the action and taking up a post behind the camera. The hilarious footage shows the koala bear stand beside the camera at first, before clambering onto the equipment and grabbing various switches and levers. The koala bear was filmed by a news crew visiting the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales at the time. And the footage and photographs of the media-savvy marsupial have now gone viral after being shared on social networks and the Australian Reptile Park’s Facebook page. Amanda Woodbine, an employee at the Australian Reptile Park, said the koala bear in question is a female called Miley, but despite this, online viewers have nicknamed the animal Barry. “She was born here, she was one of our joeys from our most recent intake,” Amanda adds. Earlier this year, another koala bear enjoyed its fifteen minutes of viral fame after taking a midnight stroll through an Australian hospital. MIRROR.CO.UK
Custom coffee A 3D printing-inspired machine that can create any image on the foam of a cup of coffee has been unveiled. The Ripple Maker combines inkjet and 3D printing mechanics to replicate any image onto your frothy beverage. The image can be printed in just 10 seconds, using coffee extract stored in, what the company calls ‘Ripple Pods’. Customers can download an app to send their own photos to the machine, which will then recreate it on top of the drink. With a price tag of 999 dollars, it might seem pricey. But for a gadget that will see a coffee shop’s products rapidly snapped and posted to Instagram, it could prove to be a good publicity opportunity. As well as the up-front cost, there is also a 75 dollars monthly subscription fee. NEWS.SKY.COM
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 12, 2015
Reading corner
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Ten-year-old Aleena is obsessed with collecting stickers. She has been collecting stickers for three years now and at the moment has a total of 3,625 stickers. She has bought some of the stickers herself but a majority of them have been gifted to her by friends and family after they saw her interest in collecting them. Aleena calls her collection ‘The ever growing sticker family’.
Ingredients:
Method:
Ripe apricots
• Blend the apricots and pineapple chunks together in a blender. Add a small amount of water if need be.
2, peeled and cubed
Pineapple chunks 50 grammes Colourless soda
100ml
Vanilla ice cream 1 scoop Ice
• Pop the ice cubes in a tall glass and pour the soda half way over them. • Pour in some of the blended mixture, but don’t fill the glass to the brim.
4 cubes • Add the scoop of ice cream to top the float off. • Garnish with pineapple chunks and serve.
Remember kids, always get permission from your parents before you start. It’s always a good idea to have a helper nearby.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 12, 2015
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Artwork
Suhaira Eman Areesh-e-Mushtaq Winner
Sh M Muntasib
Syeda Haya Shoaib Winner
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 12, 2015
When I was lost By Humayl Aslam On Sunday, my parents were at home and my mom decided to go to a nearby park as the weather was not so humid and the temperature not too high. As the walk was a little long, my mum gave me some salt-crusted almonds to keep me occupied. We were going to the new park that had recently opened in our area and the road which led to that park was very complex and hard to remember as it went through many streets and had many curves in it. After a long walk we reached the park and it blew my mind away — it was beautifully built with lots of rides and amusements for kids. I saw that a group of boys were playing soccer and I joined them. I was having fun when my mom called. The match was near the end so I told my mom that I would come back soon as the match was going to finish, but she was reluctant to leave me there. When I insisted, she left. Suddenly all the lights went out and the only light in the park was the light silvery shimmer of the moon. I was very scared but I remembered that I had almonds. I decided to eat them to stop my teeth from chattering, which happens every time I get scared. But when I put my hand inside my pocket I realized the pocket was torn and all the almonds must have fallen out while I walked to the park with my mother. I looked at my hand and noticed that the salt residue from the almonds was shining on my hand. An idea suddenly struck me, if the almonds fell out of my pocket while I walked to the park then maybe the moon-light would shine on them, making it easier for me to find my way back home. I walked to the park entrance, keeping my eyes open for any traces of salt or the almonds. Finally I found some of the almonds near the park gate and with their help I traced my way back home. When I got home I told my family how I had managed to find my way back home and they praised me for my clever idea.
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