Etc...

I see myself as a pioneer

If you're a follower of the international motion picture industry, you may know that one of its brightest stars is Meera, a Pakistani actress-dancer who has had major roles in roughly 60 films. So it should come as no surprise that she'll play the lead in a new thriller about a blind woman who develops the ability to foresee murders before they're committed. What may be surprising, however, is that the project is to come out of "Bollywood," the movie capital of ... India. Pakistan and its bitter nuclear rival recently have been edging closer to harmonious coexistence, which isn't lost on Meera. "We are doing this for peace," she said. "I hope other actresses follow."

Planning a trip with your special someone on or about Valentine's Day, Feb. 14? Then it may interest you to learn that Paris, famous around the world as the City of Lights, outshines all other alternatives for the title of most romantic destination in a recent survey by Hotels.com. The online provider of discount lodgings queried more than 500 customers on their preferences for a getaway for the occasion. The top 10 responses, according to the Hotels.com list:

1. Paris
2. New York
3. Cancún, Mexico
4. Venice, Italy
5. Rome
6. Maui, Hawaii
7. Honolulu
8. Las Vegas
9. Key West, Fla.
10. San Francisco - PR Newswire