Thread and needle leads to a successful SME business

Business News

WITH just a needle, thread and pure determination that grew into multiple businesses, local small market enterprise (SME) owner Alice Pitep shared her inspiration behind her business growth last week.

Thirty-five-year-old mother of five, hailing from the Nangananga village in Raluana LLG in Kokopo, Mrs Pitep told the Post-Courier, that it was a tough time for her family back in 2017 when both Mrs Pitep and her husband, Luke were both unemployed.

“Both not working and two children to feed, I started Laja Sew and Grow Tailoring with just 10 pieces of materials and a strong determination to provide for my family,” said Mrs Pitep.

She admitted that the business name Laja carries a deep meaning, representing her family initials from their humble beginnings to a successful SME business name.

“L is for Luke my husband, A is my name, J is for Jeffry, Junior and Jesse our eldest and A is for Alison and Adison our youngest.”

She said that sewing meri blouses had given her opportunities to see beyond what SMEs can do for her and her family. She added that recently her family moved into the Seaview residences in Kokopo and has been quite tough.

“The struggle was real, water bills, electricity and the constant need to refill cooking gas on time became daily challenges,” said Mrs Pitep.

With the housing bills increased, she decided to look beyond sewing.

“…these hardships motivated me to seek opportunities beyond tailoring, leading me to venture into the kolos business as a way to make ends meet.

“…the income generated from sewing alone birthed Laja Taxi services which expanded our family business and providing an additional stream of revenue,” said Mrs Pitep.

She added that Laja is more than a name it is a symbol of her family’s hard work and unity and that with faith, dedication and resilience growth is possible even in the most challenging times.

Also showing up on the Abung market to showcase her products, she said that the initiative was a huge benefit for her business.

Abung market committee Deborah Senus added that the recent event helps with exposure and create client relationships within the province, nation and other parts of the world especially with tourism with the help of sponsors; Gazelle International Hotel, Rapopo Plantation Resort, Kokopo Beach Bangalow, Kokopo Village Resort and KCentral.

“It falls on special days like Easter, Independence, Christmas and the recent one is the pre-Christmas one to close off the year,” said Ms Senus.

She admitted that there will be a first Abung Market for 2025 called the Back-to-School Abung Market.

Nirangal Moondru on OTT: Atharvaa’s hyperlink film to stream on THIS platform

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Nirangal Moondru, the recently released hyperlink film starring actors Atharvaa, Rahman, and Sarathkumar in the lead roles, is all set to make its OTT debut very soon. Aha Tamil has bagged the digital streaming rights of the film and will make it soon available on the platform. Alternatively, the film will also be available on the OTTplay Premium app.Nirangal Moondru OTT platformDirector Karthick Naren made a comeback after two years with Nirangal Moondru, a hyperlink crime drama film. Starring actors Atharvaa, Rahman, and Sarathkumar in the lead roles, the film also features Ammu Abhirami, Dushyanth Jayaprakash, Murali Radhakrishnan, John Vijay, Santhana Bharathi, Chinni Jayanth and others.
Nirangal MoondruNirangal Moondru was released in theatres in November, and following its theatrical run will be soon available on Aha Tamil and the OTTplay Premium app. An OTT release date for the film is yet to be announced by the platform.The film is produced by K. Karunamoorthi under his Ayngaran International banner. Nirangal Moondru is about three individuals; an aspiring filmmaker who is also struggling with substance abuse, a school teacher who seems to be nearly perfect, and a corrupt cop. After the teacher’s daughter goes missing, it sets the ball rolling for a series of events that revolve around the three main characters. Written by Karthick Naren, Nirangal Moondri has cinematography by Tijo Tomy and Sreejith Sarang has edited the film. Jakes Bejoy composed the music.
What else to watch on Aha Tamil?Rocket DriverApart from Nirangal Moondru, the platform also acquired the streaming rights of the 2024 Tamil films, Sir and Rocket Driver.The period action-drama Sir stars Vemal in the lead role, and is about a teacher’s struggle to beat the casteism in his village. On the other hand, Rocket Driver is a fantasy drama that revolves around an autorickshaw driver who seems to have brought the younger version of APJ Abdul Kalam to the present times.

Star Wars Cast Ray Park As Darth Maul Because Of A Terrible Video Game Movie

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Lucasfilm

When you’re in “Star Wars,” you don’t always need that many lines or that much screen time to become a fan favorite. Just ask Ray Park, who quickly shot to fame within the fandom after playing Darth Maul in 1999’s “The Phantom Menace.” Park doesn’t utter a single word as the character, as Maul’s few lines were dubbed over by Peter Serafinowicz. When the character was resurrected for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels,” he was voiced by veteran voice actor Sam Witwer instead. But Park’s version of Maul has remained near and dear to fans’ hearts due to his unforgettable physical presence and martial arts ability. And yet, he likely would have never been cast if not for a truly terrible movie.

In 1995, “Mortal Kombat” gave us one of the best video game movies we’d seen in decades. It’s goofy and campy, sure, but it’s also fun, and it captures a good deal of the spirit of the games. That made it all the more tragic when the sequel, 1997’s “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,” turned out to be an on-fire trash barrel of poor decisions and abysmal special effects. Thankfully, it also gave Park his big break working as a stunt person, which directly led to his later “Star Wars” audition.
“I did everything on that movie,” Park told Star Wars Insider in 2003 regarding his “Annihilation” work. “I didn’t know anybody in the movie industry, but after ‘Mortal Kombat 2,’ everything started to happen.”

Impressive work on Mortal Kombat: Annihilation led to a Darth Maul audition

Lucasfilm

If “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” was only good for getting Ray Park some attention, it was well worth it. Without him under Maul’s red and black alien skin, it’s hard to imagine the climactic lightsaber duel of “The Phantom Menace” becoming the legendary sequence it is today. That said, Park wasn’t even a union member when he worked on “Mortal Kombat 2,” and the gig wasn’t quite what you might expect for a soon-to-be-famous stuntman.

“I put boxes together, was the crash-pad man, and advised the actors on their fight scenes,” Park told Star Wars Insider, describing the wide range of tasks assigned to him during “Annihilation” production. “That movie was my apprenticeship.” Rick McCallum, George Lucas’ producer for the entire prequel trilogy, saw potential in Park when he began hearing about the young stunt star. “This person had to elevate Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor’s performances,” McCallum told Star Wars Insider in 2003. “Ray’s combination of physical agility and menace, that was it.”
The results speak for themselves. While George Lucas received a good deal of criticism for “The Phantom Menace,” Darth Maul stood out as the one thing most moviegoers universally loved. His longevity in the canon is a testament to Park’s performance, especially given that Maul was supposed to have died at the end of the movie.

Ray Park was so good as Maul that he’s continued to come back

Lucasfilm/Disney+

While Sam Witwer took over the role of Darth Maul in the “Star Wars” animated world, Ray Park was destined to play the part again, and he finally got his chance (albeit briefly) in 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” The reveal at the end of the film that Maul has been pulling many of the underworld strings got some mixed reactions at the time, mainly because of Darth Maul’s complicated timeline. Fans who hadn’t watched “The Clone Wars” may not have even known he survived his “Phantom Menace” fight, and unfortunately, Park’s martial arts prowess went to waste in the film, as Maul only appears in a hologram, dubbed over by Witwer.

In 2020, though, more than two decades after “The Phantom Menace,” fans finally got a new lightsaber fight with Park as Maul. When it came time to create the climactic Siege of Mandalore arc for “The Clone Wars” season 7, showrunner Dave Filoni wanted a sprawling duel between Maul and Ahsoka Tano, so the team brought in Park and fellow stunt performer Lauren Mary Kim to do full motion capture for the battle. The result is arguably the greatest lightsaber duel in any of the “Star Wars” animated shows, and you can really see Park’s distinctive style in the finished product. 
So next time you watch one of Park’s excellent Maul performances, show a little gratitude to “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.” Just don’t watch it.

Scream 7 Smartly Brings Back Mason Gooding For Next Film

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Posted in: Casting, Movies | Tagged: Mason Gooding, scream 7Mason Gooding has signed on to return to the Scream franchise as Scream 7 pre-production really starts to ramp up.Article Summary
Mason Gooding returns as Chad in Scream 7, exciting fans of the iconic horror franchise.
Neve Campbell and others join him, while Courtney Cox’s return is still uncertain.
Christopher Landon was to direct but exited after franchise leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega left.
Scream 7 faces challenges, but anticipation is high for its 2026 theatrical release.
[embedded content]Scream 7 has smartly brought back a character from the last two films, as Mason Gooding will return as Chad, one of the brightest spots of the last two films in the franchise. There is no word yet on whether Jasmin Savoy Brown will also be back as his sister Mindy, but fingers crossed that happens. Gooding joins Neve Campbell, Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, and Sam Rechner in the new film. Still no word on who else besides Campbell and Gooding might be back in the film from the original set of movies or the recent hit sequels, though there has been talk about Courtney Cox being back once again as Gail. Variety reported the casting news. The film will be directed by Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original 1996 film from a script by Gary Busick.
Scream 7 Should Start Filming Early Next Year
After the success of the sixth film in the franchise last year, the announcement of a seventh installment felt like a foregone conclusion. It took a long while to get that announcement, however. That was the first sign that Spyglass and Paramount may have a problem on their hands. After a six-month wait, we learned that Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) would take over the director’s chair for part seven, replacing Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who helmed the last two films to critical acclaim and box office success. While staying on as producers, it was curious why they allowed Universal to poach them for another horror project when they had spent two movies setting up a new Scream universe for a new generation.
Mason Gooding as Chad in Scream 5. Screengrab from the trailer.
Then, last November happened. After a round of social media posts deemed controversial, new franchise star Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7. A day later, we learned that Jenna Ortega, the other new star of the franchise and one of Hollywood’s biggest young names, would also not be returning due to scheduling conflicts. Many still think it was in solidarity with Barrera, though the studios say that her exit was known for a while behind closed doors. Finally, two days ago, Landon announced on social media that he had left the project weeks ago. It’s not hard to put the pieces together there; it was probably after the two franchise leads were gone.
Scream 7 hits theaters in February 2026.
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Giveaway: Win a Blu-Ray Copy Of The Thriller Film Sleep

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Posted in: Contest/Giveaway, Movies | Tagged: Magnolia Home Entertainment, sleepWould you like to win a Blu-ray copy of the film Sleep? We’re giving away two copies of the movie, you just need to do a few thingsArticle Summary
Enter to win a Blu-ray of the thriller “Sleep” by following us and reposting our BlueSky contest post.
Don’t miss out! The deadline to participate is Sunday, December 22, at 11am PT.
Ensure you’re eligible by having a BlueSky account and following our guidelines.
Open to U.S. residents only. Winners picked randomly from eligible entries.
Would you like to win a Blu-ray copy of the psychological thriller Sleep? All you need is a BlueSky account to take part in this giveaway. Magnolia Home Entertainment has given us a couple of copies of the film, which arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand today, December 17. So this is your chance to win a copy for free. What do you need to do to win this? In order for a chance to win it, all you’re required to do is two things on BlueSky. All you have to do is follow our BlueSky account and also repost the social media post tied to this contest. You can’t miss it, as it will have the same image as the one here, along with the hashtag #BCSleep. You have until Sunday, December 22, at 11am PT to do so.Credit: Magnolia Home Entertainment
That’s all! Literally, we’re only asking you to do two things that cost you zero money and little time on your part, and you could win a copy of the psychological thriller Sleep. Now, as usual, before the complaints start coming into our comments section from people who don’t have a BlueSky account… it’s 2024; BlueSky is free to use. If you’re reading this post, you have the capability of making a BlueSky account. Emailing us or complaining in the comments that the contest is “selective” or “unfair” will not make you a winner. When we choose winners, we will be checking that you have both retweeted our post and that you’re following Bleeding Cool’s official BlueSky account. Those who have not done so are not eligible to win; we do check the accounts AND content of those picked at random. Best of luck to those of you who enter!
This contest is limited to players in the United States. Winners will be chosen at random. Entry into the contest does not automatically guarantee you are a winner.
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Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander to study space weather, pesky moon dust using NASA science

Science and Health

NASA is gearing up to fly more science to the surface of the Moon with its next commercial mission on a Firefly Aerospace lunar lander.

Firefly Aerospace is among NASA’s selected U.S. companies for its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Under this program, the space agency sends its payloads to the Moon via private robotic missions to prepare for the next human Moon landing in 2027. Firefly has named its first CLPS mission Ghost Riders in the Sky.

The lander Blue Ghost was shipped from Firefly Aerospace’s headquarters outside of Austin, Texas, to Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week, where it awaits liftoff. Firefly Aerospace and its launch provider, SpaceX, are targeting a six-day launch window that opens in mid-January.

Unlike the previous two CLPS missions from Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic, Firefly is only flying NASA payloads instead of also offering space to commercial and marketing companies. All 10 payloads are for the U.S. space agency.

What does NASA hope to achieve with Blue Ghost? 

The next human Moon landing is set to be in 2027 according to NASA. Firefly Aerospace

After launch and 45 days of spaceflight, Blue Ghost will attempt to land on the far side of the Moon near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium. The region was the site of three Soviet-era robotic Moon landings in the 1970s.

NASA Program Scientist Ryan Watkins said the landing site was chosen because of the data the agency hopes to collect about the Moon and future landings there. The payloads flying on Blue Ghost 1 include instruments to study the Moon’s dust, its geophysical characteristics and the interaction of space weather.

The CLPS program will assist in preparing for the next human Moon landing. Firefly Aerospace

“This particular landing site was chosen because it avoids large magnetic anomalies on the lunar surface that could disrupt some of our payloads measurements. It’s also believed to have limited rocks in abundance, which will allow for safe operations with our onboard drill,” Watkins said. “In addition, this volcanic feature will serve as a good landmark for our terrain relative navigation capabilities onboard the spacecraft, and also payloads on Firefly.“

Among the concerns for upcoming human missions to the Moon is lunar dust, known as regolith. These tiny and sharp particles can stick to everything and everyone.

Several payloads on Blue Ghost will study how the lunar dust sticks to different materials and investigate how electromagnetism could prevent dust buildup. A set of cameras on the lander will capture the moment the robotic mission touches down to help engineers understand the lunar dust plume created.

Some of the payloads on Blue Ghost will use X-ray imagery to study Earth’s magnetosphere from the Moon. FIREFLY HEADQUARTERS

“As we design technologies and experiments for the lunar surface, regolith needs to be better understood and accounted for,” Watkins said. “Lunar dust can affect mechanical components, Earth-based material degradation and human health.”

Other payloads will use X-ray imagery to study Earth’s magnetosphere from the Moon.

“We can use this data to inform decisions on Earth about things like weather predictions, protecting GPS and satellite connectivity,” Watkins said.

Following 45 days of spaceflight, Blue Ghost expects to land on the far side of the Moon. Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace CEO Jason Kim said the mission will operate for 14 days on the lunar surface. Blue Ghost will be collecting payload science data the entire time. 

At the end of operations, Kim said the lander will capture a celestial site last documented by Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan. 

“We’ll then wrap up the mission by capturing a solar eclipse and a lunar sunset in high definition video, before operating for several hours into the lunar night,” Kim said, adding they “expect to capture a phenomenon seen and documented by Eugene Cernan during his final steps on Apollo 17, where he observed a horizon glow as the lunar dust levitated on the surface.”

The Ghost Riders in the Sky mission is expected to last 60 days from launch until the end of operations on the Moon. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger sparks concern after transforming into Santa Claus for Christmas movie

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Arnold Schwarzenegger had fans concerned about his health after transforming into Santa Claus for his forthcoming Christmas movie, “The Man with the Bag.”

One X user claimed the actor, 77, had “aged 200 years in 2 months” after a video showed Schwarzenegger walking slowly on the NYC set with a full beard and head of gray hair.

“… he probably forgot where he parked his Terminator time machine,” another person commented on the clip.

Fans expressed concerned about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s health after he was spotted filming a Christmas movie in New York City on Tuesday. GC Images

The actor, seen in New York City on Tuesday, was seen walking slowly on the set. GC Images

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“Definitely slowing down. Looking older than Trump. Thats wild,” a third wrote.

A fourth person added, “His action movie days are ending.. He’s walking stiff as if he’s in a lot of pain.”

The “Terminator” star — who has experienced recent health scares — is playing Santa in the action-comedy flick produced by Amazon MGM Studios and directed by Adam Shankman.

Schwarzenegger certainly looked the part with his beard and festive Christmas sweater while filming in the Big Apple on Tuesday.

The 77-year-old star was sporting a full gray beard. GC Images

One X user claimed the actor had “aged 200 years in 2 months.” GC Images

The actor raved about working with Shankman and co-star Alan Ritchson in a post shared on Instagram that same day.

“It is fantastic to be shooting The Man with the Bag with @alanritchson,” Schwarzenegger captioned a snap of himself and Ritchson, who is best known for starring in Prime Video’s “Reacher.”

“Our director @adamshankman is one of the funniest directors I’ve worked with, New York City is an amazing host, working with @amazonmgmstudios is a joy, and I can’t wait to share all of this Christmas cheer with each and every one of you.”

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Schwarzenegger is playing Santa Claus in “The Man with the Bag” directed by Adam Shankman. GC Images

Just a few years shy of his 80th birthday, it’s no surprise he looks different than he did as a bodybuilder in the ’70s. Getty Images

“The Man with the Bag” is a family movie about a quest to save Christmas after Santa’s magic bag is stolen, per Entertainment Weekly.

Schwarzenegger starred in his first holiday movie, “Jingle All the Way,” in 1996.

He played a father on a mission to get his son the Christmas present of his dreams: a Turbo-Man action figure.