Myth Box
God of the Mummies

Anubis is the Greek name of a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu. Like many ancient Egyptian deities, Anubis assumes different roles in various contexts, and no public procession in Egypt would be conducted without an Anubis to march at the head.

Anubis was usually portrayed as a jackal-headed human, or in fully canine form wearing a ribbon and holding a flail (a sort of weapon) in the crook of its arm. It was strongly associated with cemeteries in ancient Egypt, since it was a scavenger which threatened to uncover human bodies and eat their flesh. The distinctive black color of Anubis did not have to do with the jackal but with the color of rotting flesh and with the black soil of the Nile valley, symbolizing rebirth. He was also known as the 'Gaurdian of the veil' that is death. Anubis was frequently depicted in editions of the Book of Dead as performing the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony on the mummy and statues of the deceased, as well as escorting the spirit of the deceased into the presence of Osiris ( god of the underworld).

The jackal-headed god is depicted in funerary contexts where he is shown attending to the mummies of the deceased or sitting atop a tomb protecting it. In fact, during embalming, the "head embalmer" wore an Anubis costume. Originally, in the Ogdoad system, he was god of the underworld. He was said to have a wife, Anput who was depicted exactly the same, though feminine. Anubis was said to be the fourth son of Ra (the sun god). But in after ages, his father was said to be Osiris, as he was the god of the dead, and his mother was said to be Nephthys. Anubis was worshipped throughout Egypt, but the center of his cult was in Cynopolis (Upper Egypt).

By Nishita Aurnab
Sources: wikipedia and Encyclopedia Mythica

The best theme songs on television

I first heard 'Stolen' by Dashboard Confessionals in an episode of One Tree Hill. I will not deny it; One Tree Hill is my numero uno source of good music. What got me hooked on the show, however (and a host of other shows, too) was the theme song, and that's what the article is about.

The Truth Is Out There
I remember, back when I was five or six, my cousin was a huge fan of The X Files. The theme music would start, and my cousin's eyes would glaze over, and for the next one hour any attempt to start a conversation or change the channel would be greeted with a steely glare and an emphatic 'no'. That was eleven years ago, but even today the opening notes of The X Files theme song still brings to my mind that image of my cousin, glued to the television, immobile save for the open-mouthed stare. Oh, how my cousin tried to explain to me the whole concept of someone being 'out there', that there might be little green men in shiny silver suits whizzing away above my head. And no, I didn't buy it.

I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe
Another alien-themed show with a great opening song has to be Roswell. The show aired on Star World back in 2001, and I still hadn't gotten over my skepticism of the existence of little green men. But then, another cousin of mine got me hooked to the show, and the two of us reached the general conclusion that Dido's 'Here With Me' was the single most awesome-est song to describe Max and Liz's can't-live-with-or-without-you love affair (that lasted the span of all four seasons, as is the nature of alien-themed teen shows).

And I just want you to know
From aliens to superheroes, 2004 saw the pilot of 'Smallville' on Star World. Admitted, the first song of the Smallville soundtrack that I heard was Hoobastank's 'The Reason', and to date I still love that song. But the theme song, Remy's 'Save Me', isn't all that bad. It makes me think of Lex Luthor and his nefariousness and cars blowing up (don't ask me why).

I'm Back
The TV show with the best theme music (and the show even won the award to prove it) has to be HEROES. I am yet to come across someone, anyone who can mimic the theme music from HEROES. Really, it is that un-mimic-able. Go on. I dare you.

So no one told you I was gonna be this way
When it comes to fitting theme songs, two top my list: 'I'll Be There For You', the theme song of FRIENDS, and The O.C's 'California'. Everyone ('everyone' meaning the people who actually watch the shows) I've met know at least three lines from these two songs, and even if The Rembrandts or Phantom Planet don't ever sing a hit song again, they ought not mind; I doubt anyone will forget those two theme songs as long as people are still watching the reruns.

I can't do this all on my own
Medical dramas. Back in the day, it was Trauma and The ER. Then the new millennium rolled around, and it was the time for Grey's Anatomy and a lesser known but equally entertaining show, Scrubs. Grey's Anatomy has no theme song to speak of, though it probably has the better soundtrack of all the medical shows out there right now. But when it comes to theme songs, Scrubs has got a really good one Lazlo Bane's 'Superman'. And, unlike a lot of songs I've heard on television, 'Superman' actually makes sense.

Dribble, dribble
I can bet my laptop that my friend Osama is cringing right now; the mere mention of One Tree Hill induces the gag reflex in him. But One Tree Hill did do a great deal to shove in the limelight some relatively unknown musicians, such as the likes of Jack's Mannequin, Tyler Hilton, Bethany Joy Galeotti, and Gavin Degraw. Incidentally, Gavin Degraw sang 'I don't Want To Be', the opening song of the show. In fact, One Tree Hill's got quite a few of Gavin Degraw's songs on its soundtrack. My personal favorite is 'We Belong Together' (which also happens to be the theme song of Tristan & Isolde, a movie about two star-crossed lovers, set in the days of Crusades and knights). And right now, his new single 'I'm In Love With a Girl', is the number one song on iTunes (it outdid even Madonna).

If you're like me, and your only source of new music (good or otherwise) is TV, then you might as well check out the soundtracks of some of these shows. You might be surprised.

By Shehtaz Huq

History's Mysteries

Jack the Ripper

A dark alley, a mutilated body of a woman, an uncaught murderer…yes I am talking about the infamous Jack the Ripper.

He struck terror into London's East End for three months in 1888. Seven murders were definitely attributed to the killer nicknamed Jack the Ripper, but some official investigators put the figure at eight or even higher. The crimes shared a common pattern. All the victims were prostitutes, and with the exception of the last victim, Marie Kelly, all were killed in dark streets or alleys in the middle of the night. All the murders took place in an area of 3 sq km, covering the areas of Whitechapel and Stepney, and the City of London. Each victim was killed in the same manner - throat slashed with a sharp knife, possibly a scalpel, and the body mutilated in varying degrees. In some cases organs or parts of organs of the victims were removed with surgical skill.

Despite intensive investigations by Scotland Yard, London's metropolitan police, the true identity of Jack the Ripper has never been determined or at least revealed by British authorities. Over the years many professional and amateur sleuths have put forth various suspects. The best-known suspects include Prince Albert Victor, second in line to the British throne; Sir William Gull, personal physician to Queen Victoria; James K. Stephen, the tutor of Prince Albert Victor at Cambridge University; Montague John Druitt, a lawyer whose body was found floating in the Thames River soon after the last murder; Neill Cream, a convicted murderer who is reputed to have said "I am Jack the…" as he was hanged.

Though he is long gone this murderer is still talked about all over the world. Many films, musicals and serials have been made about him though his true identity will always be a mystery of history.

By Nishita Aurnab
Source: wikipedia

World Cyber Games, or WCG for short, is the world cup for all the gamers around the world, a chance to truly see just how you good you are with keyboard and mouse against other human players. For the last couple of years, F1 Management Limited, an event management company has been organizing the national round in Bangladesh, selecting the winners who will face the players from all over the globe. This year, for the first time, F1 decided to hold two preliminary tournaments, one in Dhaka and the other in Chittagong, and gave the winners a chance to participate directly from the quarter finals in their games in the national WCG championships, which is scheduled to be held from 2 August 22 this year. The winners from the nationals will take part in the main event, which is to be held in Germany later this year.

WCG is more than just a gathering of a thousands of gamers around the world…it's the benchmark of the gaming world, the main authority. This is where the high scores and records are set and broken. Statistically, it's actually larger than even the Olympic Games! With games from every genre, it's bound to attract anyone who is a gamer. Throw in an awesome environment, cutting edge high performance gaming PCs, thousands of people from different countries and cultures…and voila, you have the biggest, best and most exciting gaming event of the world.

So those of you who are still just thinking in your head “I'm the best in this game!” or bragging to your friends about your new best lap time or highest goals scored or highest frags in 15 rounds, just sign up for the upcoming WCG national championships, and prove you're the best in your field once and for all. To register, log on to www.wcg.com.bd.