Celeb Lookalikes

Apart from the obvious estranged father and son jodi, George Bush and Ricky Ponting, here are a few celebrities off the top off my head who totally look like one another. With suggested roles if ever cast together. Why hasn't it happened yet?

1. Brad Pitt and Benicio Del Toro: As hunky brothers









2. Rachel Weisz, Preity Zinta, Vyjantimala: Vyjanti-ji being mother and having one numbers desi legit girl child (Preity), and one numbers illegit firang girl child (Rachel).


3. Helen Hunt and Leelee Sobieski: Mother-daughter. (They're so similar it's creepy.)












4. Jack Black, Philip Seymour Hoffman: Brothers











5. Diane Lane and Jennifer Lopez: Seriously. Sisters.
Or cousins. Or aunt-niece, depending on makeup.








6. Robert Downey Jr and Javier Bardem: Be still my beating heart. Brothers.












7. Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts: They do look like one another, they do. It's not just the Aussie thing. Anyway, they could be sisters or something.
(Nicole has to stop the botox. She'll start looking like Renee Zellweger soon, the way the both of them are going.)


I'm pretty sure there's many more I can't remember just yet. It will come to me. In the meanwhile, please feel free to suggest.

Ramadan Kareem

The ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan of Hijri 1430, will begin on 23rd August, 2009, this year. This month of fasting and stepped-up worship is a complete pick-me-up every time.
Just look at the perks we get, spiritually speaking.

1. The first ten days of Ramadan are days of Allah's Mercy (Rahmat). The next ten days are the days of Allah's Forgiveness (Magfirat). And the final ten days are for Him granting us Freedom from Hellfire, Brimstone, the works.


2. There's a popular hadith (am not sure if it's Sahih) the gist of which is, “When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.”

3. I love Suhur (last meal before the day's fast, pre-dawn) and Iftar (meal at dusk for opening the fast) and Taraawih (special nightly prayers during Ramadan) every day. It's quality family time, it's peaceful, it's important, it's symbolic.

4. I love Laylat al Qadr (the Night of Power) because that's the biggest bonus package any person can ever hope for in this life, if we just manage to get the night right. I mean, "khairun-min alfish-shahr" (better than a thousand nights)?

5. There's more, much more.

What's not to like, I say. Ramadan Mubarak!

The Spider and the Fly

Sensational scene at breakfast a few days ago, up in my village. When I say breakfast, I mean mine and the spider's. Have a look (click to zoom).A good-looking arachnid who's always hanging about near us is in the process of devouring an annoying fly. One must not speak ill of the dead but this fly had it coming.