"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveller back to his own fireside and quiet home!"
~ Charles Dickens ~

Hello everyone!
Dickens' quote takes me back to a time when I still believed in Santa Claus. Life was so much simpler back then, don't you agree? Another Christmas rolls around and signals the end of a turbulent year. This is supposed to be an occasion of peace and we sure could do with a lot more of that.

Well, it's been a busy week, as we prepare for the RS Awards. Thanks to everyone for voting and sending in your thoughts on your teen magazine. The polls close at midnight tonight, and you'll get to hear about the results soon enough, so sit tight and keep the Rising Stars by your side.

I'll end our discussion here today. Coming down with flu is not my idea of a pleasant week. Hence, in the spirit of the season, I'm leaving you with a couple of Santa jokes:

Why does Santa always go down the chimney?
Because it soots him!
Where does Santa stay when he's on holidays?
At a Ho-ho-tel!
What does Mrs. Claus sing to Santy on his birthday?
"Freeze a jolly good fellow!"
What do you get if you cross Father Christmas with a duck?
A Christmas Quacker!
An honest politician, a kind lawyer and Santa Claus were walking down the street and saw a $20 bill. Which one picked it up?
Santa! The other two don't exist!
What does Santa say to the toys on Christmas Eve?
Okay everyone, sack time!
Why does Santa like to work in his garden?
Because he likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!
Who delivers presents to dentist offices?
Santa Jaws!
Why does St. Nicholas have a white beard?
So he can hide at the North Pole!
Saint "Nickel"-less!
What do you call someone who doesn't believe in Father Christmas?
A rebel without a Claus!
What does Santa like to have for breakfast?
Mistle-"toast"!

To all my readers, Merry Christmas, and I hope all your wishes come true. See you next week!

December's here and it's party time!With Christmas and New Year creeping closer, and the wedding invites piling up, what to wear becomes a major concern. If the thought of dressing up gives you the creeps, read on for some trendy tips. If you want to be…

Party chic:
Both Christmas and New Years Eve are knocking at our doors. So if you're planning to spend your time partying with your friends in a club, the key word is 'funky'.

Denim is stylish in any season, and particularly the coolness of the weather in this season allow for experimentation with flares, bell-bottoms, embroidered, and glittery jeans. Team these with a sparkly top, a fitted jacket, or a stylish wool wrap.

Leather pants are also 'in' when it comes to parties. If you prefer skirts, long tight knee length skirt with small slits at both sides can be worn. Team it with a top of your choice. Contrast the colors; like if your top is a dark color, your skirt has to be bright or vice versa. Darker colors like black, purple, and bright red are more popular in such scenes. Winter also calls for bright shades like fuschia, tangerine, and lime, which are bound to turn heads in a party scene. Or you could go Goth and turn up in all black. For clubbing and parties, make up has to be very glittery. Go crazy with hair and body glitter, shimmery eye-shadows and sparkly lip-gloss. You can even use glittery artificial stone tattoos to make you look more gorgeous. If you really want to make waves, get your nails pierced. Nice high-heeled sandal can be worn or break out your knee-high boots instead of heels.

Casual and Casual Chic:
This is really nothing more than a snazzier way to say "dressy casual," which means what you would sport to Sunday brunch doesnt cut it, but what you'd wear on a first date would. Since you were told to be chic, feel free to have a little fun, throw in a little edge. Playful, slightly daring shirts, are just what the invite ordered. The question will also arise, "To Jeans or not to Jeans?" which is a tricky one to answer. While denim is all the rage these days and certainly can be gussied up, it's not appropriate for every occasion.

Mull over who's on the guest list (parents, elders?), and where and when the party is being held. If you're planning a family gathering for this Christmas or New Years Eve then it would be wise to dress a little conservatively. Whatever you wear, make sure you add a matching muffler or scarf with it. A nice short kameez with straight pants and nice scarf won't look bad either. But if its a friends' gathering well make sure you be the denim girl, to feel free and relaxed while you enjoy every moment with your friends.

Occasion Chic:
Well when it comes to weddings or big parties we often choose to wear a kameez or lehenga or sometimes saris. Nowadays beads, golden and silver zari, glasswork and kundan fitted on the border of the saris are really "IN", and look stunning. What material to wear for saris? If you're a bulky belle, go for chignon, chiffon or georgette while thinner people should go for organza, cotton, tissue and tussar material. Even kameez are made gorgeous these days with intricate bead work. With kameez you can try churidar instead of normal salwar as its really in fashion. Lehenga choli my all time favorite for weddings looks awesome if you are comfortable with it. Lehenga is a typical feminine silhouette that epitomizes style, craftsmanship, quality and class of Indian clothes. These portray feminine versatility, grace and immense workability and are all about intricate designs, hand embroidery, cultural revivals, traditions and fine detailing. Even though heavy net lehengas are in fashion, heavily embroidered satin or silk with beads and zaris look nice too. You can also add a bindi, as it is arguably the most visually fascinating in all form of body decoration.

Last but not the least a nice fashion advice is to make sure that what ever you wear feel comfortable and confident in it rather then just trying to go with the fashion.

The East West University (EWU) Environmental and Social Club organized an art competition for the children on December 11 at the Osmani Memorial Hall. Around eight hundred students participated in the competition.

The competition was held in three groups: Group A-4 to 6 years, Group B-7 to 9 years and Group C- 10 to 12 years. The theme of the competition was 'Bangladesh'. Eminent artists Samarjeet Choudhurty, Rafiqun Nabi and Shishir Battcharjee were present on the function as Judge. Popular TV actress Tazin Ahmed and presenter Shamim Shahed were present to inspire the young artists. MR. S S M Sadrul Huda, Assistant Professor & Moderator, ESS, conducted the program. Dr. Md Farashuddin, founder Vice Chancellor of EWU presided the function and Senior journalist Mr A B M Musa, Editor, The Daily Jugantor was the chief guest. Among others Mrs. Firdous Ali, Registrar, and other faculty members were present. Maisa Maliha Siddiqui, Abief Zarif, Salman Rahman won the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes respectively in the A group.

Amit, Ariful Hoque Akash and Ibrahim Khan Rana won the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes respectively in the B group, and Sumon Kormoker, Juwairie and Farhana won the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes respectively in the C group. Three prizes have been given from each group and all participants received consolation prizes. The prize money for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions were Tk 5000, Tk 3000 and Tk 2000respectively.
Wonderland amusement park has provided free entry tickets
and Nestle Ltd has provided gifts for all participants.

* In Sedona, Ariz., it's illegal to lie about your astrological sign.
* In Texas, it's illegal to threaten somebody with an UNLOADED gun.
* In Samoa, it's a crime to forget your wife's birthday.
* In Australia, it's illegal to name any animal you plan to eat.
* In Cannes, France, it's illegal to wear a Jerry Lewis mask.
* In New Jersey, answering a traffic cop who asks "Do you know why I pulled you over?" by saying, "If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you" is an automatic $300 fine.
* In Kentucky, it's illegal to paint your lawn red.
* In Portugal, it's against the law to pee in the ocean.
* In Connecticut, night watchmen are forbidden from drinking decaf coffee while working.
* In Vermont, it's illegal to pick your nose and stick the pickings under a table.
* In Tennessee, it's illegal to tell someone to quit smoking.
* In Oregon, donut holes must be at least an 1/8th inch in diameter.
* It's illegal to tear a phone book in half in Montana.
* In Arkansas, it's illegal for a woman getting married for the second time to wear a white wedding gown.
* In Pennsylvania, it's against the law to put a dollar on a string on the ground and yank it when someone tries to pick it up.
* In New York City, it's illegal for a restaurant to call it a "corned beef sandwich" if it's made with white bread and mayonnaise.

Q. Why don't teddy bears eat?
A. Because they are always STUFFED!
Q. What do teachers and eye doctors have in common?
A. They both test PUPILS.
Q. Why can't a bank keep secrets?
A. Because there are so many TELLERS.
Q. What kind of keys cannot open doors?
A. MonKEYS, DonKEYS and TurKEYS.
Q. What letters are not in the alphabet?
A. The ones which are in the mailbox!
Q. Why can't a hand be 12 inches?
A. Because then it would be a FOOT!
Q. When is it bad luck to have a black cat follow you?
A. When you are a mouse.
Q. What did the picture say to the wall?
A. "First they frame me, then they hang me!"
Customer: "Can I put this wallpaper on myself?"
Clerk: " Sure, but it would look better on the wall!"

"Being a reader of your daily and your RS section especially, I had to let you know that Maherin Ahmed who is a nominee for the RS award wrote an article named "SALUTING THE NATION BUILDERS OF TOMORROW", which was published on the 16th December, 2004 edition of RS.

She managed to detail every bit of the event including the show hosts, recitation of Quran, Bible & etc except one of the special guests, the one from Edexcel! It is very funny to find that the Regional Academic Adviser of Edexcel was excluded from the entire event, even after he delivered a speech!
I believe it is a point to be noted, that a RS award nominee exempting a Sponsor (after seeing Edexcel logo in your stage banner and heading that they are a sponsor) of the program, its a very crucial mistake I believe!!! Since Edexcel conducts the examinations world-wide, isn't it important that a person such as him also be included in the report?

A reporter requires in-depth knowledge on any topic upon which s/he is writing. Missing a part of the news is understood as misleading the public. A newspaper such as Daily Star should view each report carefully before publishing to avoid such occurrences in the future.

In an article named "Saluting the Nation Builders of tomorrow" published in our December 16 issue, the author forgot to mention Edexcel International as one of the sponsors. We apologize for the inconvenience caused. It really was a grievous mistake, and we sincerely regret the oversight.
-RS Desk