17 March 2014| last updated at 08:33PM

THE paranormal series Fear Files, which airs on Vinmeen HD (Astro Channel 231), the first 24-hour Tamil HD Channel in Southeast Asia, brings to viewers the stories of people who claim to have lived through supernatural experiences. It also introduces paranormal experts who sum up these experiences and the supernatural worlds connection with the physical world, and how these intertwine.

The series is in documentary-drama format. Ordinary folk relate their personal experiences of hauntings, sightings, black magic practices, strange incidents arising from acquiring antiques and second-hand goods, ritual killings and more.

It also delves into all kinds of supernatural beings, including elemental spirits and matters like Vaastu (Hindu feng shui), reincarnation, Tantric sacrifices, astral projections, the sixth sense, life after death, alternative healing and cryptozoology.

Producers of the show, Abhimanyu Singh and Majid Azam, spent almost a year before its launch researching the incidents to be showcased on Fear Files.

Below, the producers answer some questions from Life & Times on the series.

Who, or what, inspired the concept of Fear Files? The idea was to create a new weekend property which was entertaining and edgy. We were very keen on launching a show in the horror genre as it was something that wasnt part of our programming (for Zee TV).

How are the stories from people accessed? A: We have a research team which works on sourcing these stories.

In relation to the above, are accounts verified? Fear Files rides on the assertion that these are real experiences. All incidents that we show on Fear Files are based on paranormal experiences that people have had. As a format, it is completely experiential.

Are the sites mentioned the actual ones in most of the stories? A: This is subjective to the story; at times to protect privacy of individuals, we have to change the name of the place.

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SHOWBIZ: Thrills and chills

Flips, Fences, and Goals
Clips of playing around at a new park today....

By: Jacob Horner

Original post:
Flips, Fences, and Goals - Video

An alleged thief scrambled over fences, waded through a river and got hit by a truck as he ran from police for more than an hour.

The Canterbury chase unfolded after a car was randomly stopped in Whitefield St, Kaiapoi and a passenger fled at about 6pm on Friday, police said.

Constable Aden Cawley gave chase as the fugitive ran through properties, climbed over fences and onto the Northern Motorway.

Sergeant Colin Stewart said the alleged thief was ''hit in the leg and spun around by a truck'' but was able to continue running.

Police received calls from the public as he tried to hide in properties in the Sneyd St area.

The man was eventually arrested after police cordoned off the area and sent in a police dog unit to find him.

''The offender was physically exhausted,'' Stewart said.

Cawley was wet up to his waist after running through a river during the chase but had no time to change before attending his next job.

A 23-year-old man appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Saturday. He was wanted for failing to appear in the Nelson District Court on charges of theft, burglary and assault.

The man was bailed to appear again on March 26.

Read more from the original source:
Man chased over fences, through river

An alleged thief scrambled over fences, waded through a river and got hit by a truck as he ran from police for more than an hour.

The chase unfolded after a car was randomly stopped in Whitefield St, Kaiapoi and a passenger fled at about 6pm on Friday, police said.

Constable Aden Cawley gave chase as the fugitive ran through properties, climbed over fences and onto the Northern Motorway.

Sergeant Colin Stewart said the alleged thief was ''hit in the leg and spun around by a truck'' but was able to continue running.

Police received calls from the public as he tried to hide in properties in the Sneyd St area.

The man was eventually arrested after police cordoned off the area and sent in a police dog unit to find him.

''The offender was physically exhausted,'' Stewart said.

Cawley was wet up to his waist after running through a river during the chase but had no time to change before attending his next job.

A 23-year-old man appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Saturday. He was bailed to appear again on March 26.

He was wanted for failing to appear in the Nelson District Court on charges of theft, burglary and assault.

Originally posted here:
Police chase man for an hour

Verdict

DOMINATION makes his debut over fences but his overall form on the Flat and over hurdles, where he has a total of seven victories, will make him difficult to beat providing he jumps round. Chestnut Charlie won just once over timber but looks as though he may do better over fences after a good run behind Touch Of Eden at Navan. Ludo Et Emergo has been up against serious opposition in his two starts over fences but may need a longer trip than this. Dual hurdles winner Federici was in very good form at the turn of the year but was beaten a long way at Gowran in February.

Domination 2-9fav (11-2) Waited with 4th of the 5, 3rd 4 out, closed into straight, challenged going best in 2nd 3 out, in front from next, clear from before last, stayed on well, very easily, won at Cork 2m 2f hdl gd in Aug beating Supreme Doc (10-7) by 3l, 5 ran.

Drawn N Drank (IRE) 6-1 (11-3) Tracked leaders on inner, close 4th and ridden 4 out, soon weakened, pulled up before 2 out, in a race won by Blissful Moment (10-10) at Down Royal 3m hcp chs 0-116 hvy in Feb, 10 ran.

Rory Anna (IRE) 7-2 (11-2) Chased leaders, hampered 2nd and soon mid-division, 7th halfway, ridden and weakened 5 out, tailed off, 9th of 15, well behind Way Up In The Air (11-7) at Thurles 2m 2f mrs beg chs hvy in Feb.

Federici 11-4fav (11-8) Chased leaders, 6th halfway, ridden in 9th entering straight, no extra and weakened, 12th of 13, well behind Hazariban (11-5) at Gowran Park 2m 4f hcp hdl 8Evens23 hvy in Feb.

Truckin All Night (IRE) 9-2 (11-12) Mid-division, 5th halfway, mistake 9th, ridden and no impression 5 out, weakened, moderate 4th last, 4th of 8, 36l behind Cadspeed (11-12) at Thurles 3m beg chase hvy in Feb.

Casa Jove (IRE) 20-1 (11-2) Led, bad mistake 4 out, soon joined, headed from next, soon weakened and eased, tailed off, 8th of 9, well behind Man With Van (11-6) at Fairyhouse 2m 4f hdl hvy in Feb.

Chestnut Charlie (IRE) 12-1 (11-12) Held up in rear, progress in 7th 6 out, improved into close 3rd 3 out, ridden 2 out, no impression on winner in 2nd before last, kept on same pace, 2nd of 9, 8l behind Touch The Eden (11-12) at Navan 2m 4f beg chase.

Thepartysover 14-1 (11-12) Prominent, dropped to moderate 6th from 7th, closer order but 7th approaching straight, moderate 4th and no impression from before 2 out, kept on one pace, 4th of 14, 19l behind Kandinski (11-12) at Clonmel 2m 4f beg chase.

Read more:
Charleville Cheese Beginners Chase 2m 1f

Forecast

Memorabilia (2/1), Shadrack (11/4), Pearls Legend (5/1), George Nympton (6/1), Le Bacardy (8/1), Fiftyonefiftyone (14/1), Playing With Fire (14/1)

Pearls Legend is still a maiden over fences but isn't without a chance of putting that right here as he has his sights lowered. Le Bacardy won his first start over fences at Kempton last May but has struggled since. However, he still has time of his side as does Memorabilia, though the latter might just need this. SHADRACK sports blinkers for the first time and isn't badly treated on his best form. He never figured at Doncaster last time but they are unlikely to go as quickly here and the grey shouldn't be far away.

George Nympton (IRE) 66-1 (11-0) Took keen hold tracking leaders, pushed along after 3rd, ridden and weakened soon after 3 out, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out, in a race won by Aldopicgros (10-7) at Wincanton 2m hcp hdl 0-130 (3) hvy in Feb, 12 ran.

Pearls Legend 10-1 (11-2) Raced wide, in touch, mistake 5th, headway 10th, chased leaders next, went 3rd 4 out until pushed along before next, 4th and no impression when tired jump last, weakened flat, 5th of 10, 23l behind Present View (11-8) at Kempton 2m 4f hcp chs 0-130 (3) sft in Feb.

Shadrack (IRE) 13-2 (10-0) Chased leaders, lost place when not fluent 7th, well beaten 4 out, plugged on from 2 out, 5th of 9, 31l behind Doeslessthanme (11-1) at Doncaster 2m hcp chs 0-145 (2) gd.

Memorabilia 11-2 (10-13) Held up behind, pushed along before 3 out, headway before 2 out, chased leader last, kept on to lead post, won at Doncaster 2m hcp chs 0-120 (4) sft in Feb '13 beating Jack The Gent (11-2) by hd, 7 ran.

Le Bacardy (FR) 6-1 (11-7) Held up in last, mistake 3rd (water), behind when jumped slowly next, tailed off when mistake 3 out, 5th of 6, 50l behind Baile Anrai (11-9) at Leicester 2m hcp chs 0-125 (3) gs in Dec.

Fiftyonefiftyone (IRE) 16-1 (11-5) Tracked leaders, lost place 7th, jumped left 9th, pulled up next, in a race won by Cap Elorn (11-5) at Huntingdon 2m hcp chs 0-120 (4) gd in Oct, 6 ran.

Playing With Fire (IRE) 12-1 (11-2) Led, mistake 2nd, soon headed, not fluent 5th, lost touch 7th, very tired 4th when pulled up before 3 out, in a race won by Arkaim (11-9) at Leicester 2m hcp chs 0-115 (4) sft, 5 ran.

Read the rest here:
Bet toteplacepot With totepool Handicap Chase 2m

Verdict

Grade 3 races for mares don't grow on trees which is why Lucy Wadham is sending Baby Shine for this. She's done well over fences, winning at Towcester and Newbury, though she's been a bit disappointing on her two recent starts. BYERLEY BABE carries a penalty for her victory at a similar level at Thurles in January where she had Caoimhe's Delight close up in third. She's since found 2m too short at Navan and can confirm the form with the latter on 5lb worse terms. Civena gained her first victory over fences on New Year's Day but finished last to Foxrock in a Grade 2 last month. Lisrose beat Caoimhe's Delight at Thurles, her best run to date over fences, and must have a chance of completing a double.

Caoimhe's Delight (IRE) 9-10fav (11-4) Disputed lead, still travelling smoothly before straight, narrowly headed when pecked last, not match winner and kept on same pace run-in, 2nd of 7, 1 1/4l behind Lisrose (10-8) at Thurles 3m mrs nov chs (5yo+) hvy in Feb.

Civena (IRE) 20-1 (10-10) Prominent and disputed lead, headed after 3 out and dropped to rear when mistake next, no extra, last of 5, 31l behind Foxrock (11-8) at Navan 3m nov chs G2 (1) hvy in Feb.

Backinthere (IRE) 11-4 (11-4) Tracked leaders, 3rd before 2 out, no extra and kept on one pace from before last, 5th of 7, 7l behind Lisrose (10-8) at Thurles 3m mrs nov chs (5yo+) hvy in Feb.

Byerley Babe (IRE) 7-4 (11-4) Chased leaders, 2nd halfway, slight mistake 4 out, 3rd entering straight, ridden into 2nd last, pressed winner run-in, just held, 2nd of 5, nk behind Avondhu Lady (11-3) at Naas 2m in Feb.

Killtilane Rose (IRE) 9-2 (11-4) Chased leaders, 6th halfway, progress into 3rd 6 out, ridden and no impression 3 out, kept on same pace straight, 3rd of 15, 10l behind Way Up In The Air (11-7) at Thurles 2m 2f mrs beg chs hvy in Feb.

Liz's D'estruval (IRE) 11-1 (11-4) Chased leaders, 5th before 2 out, no impression and kept on same pace from before last, 4th of 7, 6l behind Lisrose (10-8) at Thurles 3m mrs nov chs (5yo+) hvy in Feb.

Lisrose (IRE) 16-1 (10-8) Held up in rear, closed to chase leaders straight, challenged from before last where gained slight lead, drifted left to stand's side run-in, stayed on well, won at Thurles 3m mrs nov chs (5yo+) hvy in Feb beating Caoimhe's Delight (11-4) by 1 1/4l, 7 ran.

Baby Shine (IRE) 5-6fav (11-10) Sometimes jumped right, disputed lead, went right 1st and next, advantage 4th, joined 11th until next, looked in control when mistake 2 out, soon ridden, pressed when mistake again last, headed and no extra final 135 yards, last of 2, 2 3/4l behind She Ranks Me (10-12) at Plumpton 2m 4f mrs nov chs (5yo+) (4) sft in Feb.

Read more here:
I.N.H. Stallion Owners E.B.F. Dawn Run Mares Novice Chase (Grade 2) 2m 6f

Limerick. Click here to bet.

There was all to play for at the final fence where the consistent eight-year-old was just behind the leader Baby Shine.

Lucy Wadham's Newmarket raider suffered a crashing fall, however, but thankfully both horse and rider Leighton Aspell swiftly rose to their feet.

Baby Shine's demise left Caoimhe's Delight (5/1) to lift the Grade Two prize by a length and three-quarters from Civena in the hands of Davy Condon.

It was a welcome change of fortune for Caoimhe's Delight as she had been placed on her last five completed starts.

"She got beat the last day and it was my fault. I told Paul (Townend) to force the pace, but it killed her on that tacky and bottomless ground," said County Cork-based O'Brien.

"I wasn't going to run her until four or five days ago, but she started to show me a little bit at home.

"This is my first Graded win and over a trip on nicer ground she might have a chance in a big handicap. She'll be grand when she goes to stud eventually, with that win under her belt."

Katie T (13/2) got the better of the odds-on Urticaire to take Grade Three honours in the Kerry Group EBF Mares Novice Hurdle.

Adrian Heskin produced the Kevin Prendergast-trained five-year-old to collar Willie Mullins' charge close home and score by half a length.

See original here:
Limerick Delight for O'Brien

Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeros radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer systems. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona. Here are questions about home maintenance and improvement from the Tucson area.

QUESTION: I have a bathroom shower that is lined with travertine tiles. There seems to be leaking taking place around the grout lines on the tiles, and the drywall seems to be wet after someone takes a shower. In addition, I think there might be a crack around the drain hole in the bottom of the floor. Can I seal the travertine to fix this?

ANSWER: It sounds as if you have multiple problems going on in your shower. Just sealing the surface of the travertine probably wont fix things, though it might save the current walls for a while if you apply several coats of sealer. In general, travertine is not a good choice for showers because it is softer than marble, for example, and more porous. Constant exposure to water and moisture can make the naturally occurring pits in travertine grow larger; then the travertine will begin to deteriorate.

If the floor is having problems, you may also have a torn membrane under the tiles on the bottom of the shower as well. Eventually, you may to have to retile the shower completely. We favor the use of porcelain tile in showers; its more durable than natural stone and is often manufactured to resemble many different stone products.

Q: I have a pond on my property that covers about a quarter of an acre; it was probably built in 1960. I recently made it somewhat deeper and built the walls higher, so that its now 8 feet deep. My problem is that since I did this work, the pond wont hold water anymore. When you fill it, the water seems to flush right out.

A: The easiest way to control water loss in a pond is by applying a pond sealer to the dirt surface of the walls and the bottom of the bond. These sealers contain sodium bentonite, a chemically unaltered clay that contains no additives but puffs up to many times its dry size when it gets wet. But first, of course, you will have to drain the pond in order to apply the sealer.

Q: I have a desert sage bush that is about 13 years old. Someone told me I could whack it down to about a foot high in March, and it would come back beautifully in three or four weeks and bear more blossoms. Is that true?

A: Thats right; cut it back hard in the spring and it will rebound in a short time once the weather gets warmer. The worst thing you can do for these bushes is to try to keep them at about half their size by shearing off the new growth all the time. You see landscapers do that quite often, and what you end up with is a bunch of bushes that are shaped like soup cans.

Q: I think I may need to replace the electric panel on my house, which I have owned for about a year. When a home inspection was done just before I bought the house, the inspector said the panel should be looked at. Do I need a permit from the city to fix the panel? And do I have to hire a licensed electrician?

A: It may be that all that is needed in your panel is to replace some of the breakers. Some homeowners are able to do that safely. But if you need to upgrade the panel for some reason, you will need a permit and a licensed, insured electrician to do the work.

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My Travertine Tile Shower Seems to Be Falling Apart

S 4 Solar has been installing solar power systems in houses and businesses for six years, and now the company is finding new ways to develop the industry.

"S4 Solar: it's like A for apple'," say managing director Ben Stanton. "We'll get it into alphabet books!"

Solar power is a rapidly growing industry, and if Green Party MP Gareth Hughes gets his way, the government will be pushing it as an alternative for households.

Stanton, an electrician, runs S4 Solar with his wife Madelyn, and has been specialising in solar power since 2008.

But Stanton isn't just an installer, he's an innovator, and he says his new technologies can make solar power justifiable for many Kiwi homes, even without government subsidies.

His product - the Feed in Fighter - controls the use of solar power during peak sunshine hours, making the best use of cheap solar electricity.

Any excess power generated by a solar system can be fed back in to the grid and sold to the power companies. "The problem is if you export a lot, they'll pay you 25 cents for the first bucketload, then only 10 cents a unit."

Power companies sell electricity for around 25 to 30 cents per unit (kilowatt hour).

Stanton says a lot of people expect to make money selling power to the grid, but the real profit is made by using the cheap power in-house rather than having to buy electricity off the big companies.

Unfortunately most people are out of the home during the day while the sun is shining, so not many appliances are being used.

See the article here:
Solar innovation paves way for savings