I don't want to set the world on fire - Horace Heidt (The Ink Spots)

I DON'T WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE
Horace Heidt
words and music by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin and Eddie Durham

I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start
A flame in your heart

In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you
No other will do

I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you feel the same
I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of

Believe me!
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start
A flame in your heart

Sorry Bhai

The reason this movie is called Sorry Bhai is because the producers wanted to apologise in advance for making such a stupid movie which wastes your time.
A friend of mine, who liked the movie, told me that this movie makes you think. I agree 100%. It made me think why I watched this movie!
It is a totally stupid picture where the story is created in such a way so as to create some suspense. But it is done in a very rough and crude way. Not an elegant story at all.

Final word - pointless movie and a total waste of time. Read a book instead or better yet go take a nap!

:)

Strawberry Chocolate Martini

Above is a picture of Strawberry Chocolate Martini, the recipe can be found here.

Would recommend everyone should try it once!

Devotchka - How It Ends

Devotchka - How It Ends



Lyrics:
Hold your grandmother's bible to your breast
Gonna put it to the test
You wanted it to be blessed
And in your heart
You know it to be true
You know what you gotta do
They all depend on you

And you already know
Yet you already know
How this will end

There is no escape
From the slave catcher's songs
For all of the loved ones gone
Forever's not so long
And in your soul
They poked a million holes
But you never let them show
Come on its time to go

And you already know
Yet you already know
How this will end

Now you've seen his face
And you know that there's a place in the sun
For all that you've done
For you and your children
No longer shall you need
You always wanted to believe
Just ask and you'll receive
Beyond your wildest dreams

And you already know
Yet you already know
How this will end

You already know (You already know)
You already know (You already know)
You already knowHow this will end

E.M.I. - predictable but fun...

E.M.I. is one movie which I was not sure whether I wanted to see or not. I thought it would be same old Bollywood stupidity. Just out of curiosity I watched the movie since on the face of it at least the theme appeared different and it had few decent actors (Urmila and Sanjay Dutt).

In the end I ended up enjoying the movie. The story was, if not 100% based on real life, at least kept real life in sight. I was not whisked away to a foreign land to see our actors dancing around and pretending to be super-cool US ishtyle.

The movie has four parallel stories where the central factor is, as you must have already guessed, people taking loans. All the stories are believable and could happen to any of us.

Over all, without giving away too much of the story, I enjoyed Sanjay Dutts acting but he tries to do a Munna-bhai in this movie which doesn't work. It makes the ending seem rushed as he solves all their problems in last 40 mins of the movie. But maybe they wanted a feel-good movie. Mostly people go to movie to forget the real world for some time. One surely doesn't want to frustrate the audience by exposing them to reality throughout the movie.

Where the movie does go wrong is in the choice of actors. Arjun Rampal was surely the worst possible choice for his role. He is bit one dimensional in this movie. I am sure if the roles were better matched the movie would be even more hard-hitting.

On the whole I enjoyed the movie. More than anything I liked the practical message of the movie which is explicitly stated towards the end of the movie:

'Take loans but with caution'

After all we don't want India and Indian people to be burdened with credit nor do we want the banks to be burdened with bad-credit which would lead to a desi 'credit-crunch' of massive proportions.

Hulla - A Light in the Darkness

I recently had the pleasure of watching 'Hulla'. The movie came highly recommended so I was looking forward to watch it. I started the movie just before going off to sleep just to fill in the 20-30 minutes before bedtime but I had a tough time getting away from the movie. If I hadn't been really sleepy I would have probably finished the movie then and there.
The movie involved me in its simple and down-to-earth story line almost immediately.
The story line is very simple and straight forward. This story could be your story. After a very long time am I seeing a movie which highlights life in the real world.
I will not reveal the story line (although the name of the movie should give a clue).

I will just say watch this movie!

How to categorise the movie... well it is not a comedy and it is not a serious movie. I would call it a dark comedy. The music is also excellent (it is by Indian Ocean).

:)

Phoonk - I need some AIR!

Today I saw Phoonk (a horror movie by Ram Gopal Verma). Reportedly he had issued a challenge to give anyone who would watch the whole movie alone in a theatre a prize of rupees one lakh.
I am sure he issued that challenge because he was sure no one would be able to see it that way. Not because it is a good horror story that leaves looking over your shoulders weeks after the movie. But because it is such a slow and predictable movie that you would die of boredom if you saw it alone. After the first ten minutes I wanted to forward the movie to its last scene.
The story has been copied from Geherayee (an EXCELLENT hindi horror movie) and Ram Gopal Verma's Raat (another EXCELLENT hindi horror movie) which shows an age old struggle between superstition and science.

The actors have all done average work (especially since they didnt have much of a story to go by). But the characterization has been done quite badly. The grandmother keeps shaking her head like a spring loaded car-toy trying to simulate a muscle spasm. I am sure she would have had a neck sprain with all that head shaking.

The good 'tantrik' has a facial expression which is a combination of a man suffering from intense constipation and a man having the best sex of his life. Weird but true!

The only thing positive about the movie is that the special effects were good. Not excellent but much better than the cartoon-like special effects usually seen in Hindi movies.

What to do?

Confused signage... these signs were painted by DLF in GK-2 outside their construction area. Don't know whether they want people to park or not!

;)

Dasvidanya - The best way to say Goodbye!

Dasvidanya is an amaazing Hindi movie even though the concept is not original (English movies like The Bucket List have similar concepts). The movie is not unique as such but it does give out a very important message. Watch the movie for its message not for the story.

People crib and complain about things not being right in life. People wait for things to be perfect. All the while they make the same mistakes and change nothing about themselves. They will continue to live within themselves.

It takes the waking call of death to push people ahead and out of their shell. As they say people appreciate things when they no longer have them.

The acting is pretty straight forward (like the story). Still the movie manages to surprise you. Go ahead and watch this movie. Better yet.. go ahead and take the lesson this movie tries to give.

:)

Copy-cat Marketing...

Vodafone Tuesdays - http://www.vodafone.in/existingusers/Pages/privileges.aspx

Vodafone Tuesdays is a buy one get one free offer for all Vodafone customers on Tuesdays at selected outlets. Therefore on Tuesday in selected multiplexes you can buy one ticket and get the other one for free if you are a Vodafone Customer in Mumbai, India. This offer is slowly being rolled out to other cities as well.

Orange Wednesdays - http://www.orange.co.uk/film/orange_wednesdays.htm

Similar offer from Orange for cinema tickets on Wednesday. This is valid only in UK.

This is what I call copy-cat marketing! Pick a concept from your competition in UK and apply it in India! Just change the day and the scope of the offer!

Sales!

A married woman is having an affair. Whenever her lover comes over, she puts her nine year old son in the closet. One day the woman hears a car in the driveway and puts her lover in the closet, as well.

Inside the closet, the little boy says, "It's dark in here, isn't it?"
"Yes it is," the man replies.
"You wanna buy a baseball?" the little boy asks.
"No thanks," the man replies.
"I think you do want to buy a baseball," the little extortionist continues.
"OK. How much?" the man replies after considering the position he is in.

"Twenty-five dollars," the little boy replies.
"TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS?!" the man repeats incredulously, but complies to protect his hidden position.

The following week, the lover is visiting the woman again when she hears a car in the driveway and, again, places her lover in the closet with her little boy.
"It's dark in here, isn't it?" the boy starts off.
"Yes it is," replies the man.
"Wanna buy a baseball glove?" the little boy asks.
"OK. How much?" the hiding lover responds, acknowledging his disadvantage.
"Fifty dollars," the boy replies and the transaction is completed..

The next weekend, the little boy's father says "Hey, son.
Go get your ball and glove and we'll play some catch."
"I can't. I sold them," replies the little boy.
"How much did you get for them?" asks the father, expecting to hear
the profit in terms of lizards and candy.
"Seventy-five dollars," the little boy says.
"SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS?! That's thievery! I'm taking you to the church right now. You must confess your sin and ask for forgiveness", the father explains as he hauls the child away.

At the church, the little boy goes into the confessional, draws the curtain, sits down, and says "It's dark in here, isn't it?"

"Don't you start that crap in here," the priest says.

India-Australia Delhi Test

India is hosting Australia for a four test series. The third test was in Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground. Went to see the match on the 2nd day. It was an amazing day. Warm and bright with a slight breeze. Just enough to make one feel comfortable.

This would also turn out to be the last time Anil Kumble comes out to bat for India in a test match.

The day saw two double hundreds (Gautam Gambhir and V.V.S. Laxman), India reaching a score of 600+ and Kumble reaching a career total of 2500 runs.

Here are some pictures:

India reaches 500.



India declares at 613 after Laxman gets his 200!

Laxman gets his 200!

Gambhir gets his 200!

The Tickets.

India reaches 600.

Chanas wrapped in court judgements.

Details of the court judgement.

The chaos behind the stadium.

Indian Soap Operas Invade France

The other day I was browsing through few TV channels when my eyes fell on a notice being shown on Zee TV (UK).

It said something like:

The following program features subtitles in English and French press 888
for English and 889 for French.

Obviously I was curious as to which programs shown on Zee TV feature French subtitles.

To my utter surprise the program which followed this notice was a Saas-Bahu soap opera called 'Kasam se'.

It was good to know that Indian soap operas have crossed the language barrier and are now in the process of invading continental Europe.

I did a bit of Googling and this is what I came up with:

In addition to English subtitles, ZEE TV is also giving its viewers access to
French subtitles, for the first time.
To use the facility, viewers will need to press “888″ for English subtitles and “889″ for French subtitles on ZEE’s analogue teletext. To make use of the subtitles on Sky Digital, viewers can press the “Help” button and then select “On”, which will turn on the subtitles.

The full article can be found here.

I wonder what is next?

Maybe Chinese subtitles for Saas-Bahu Serials to tap the worlds largest audience?

I am sure Ekta Kapoor is already planning an international soap opera. I think all the soap stars must be getting bored of shooting in Lonavala and Khandala!

Finally: who needs nuclear bombs when you have scheming Indian mother-in-laws and intelligent Indian daughter-in-laws to unleash at your neighbours.

Najane Kyon from Spiderman 2 Soundtrack

One of my favourite songs Najane Kyon by Strings.

This song is a part of the Spiderman 2 soundtrack. I love the part of the movie where Spiderman stops the train with his web. Special effects in this movie rock!

Enjoy!

:)

Men are so "S............"

A: Men are so "S.........."

Me: hahahahaha obv ... otherwise why would they fall for girls

The Secret of a Happy Marriage...

Today I got some excellent advice from someone who has a lot of life experience....

For a happy marriage you need:

A woman who is caring
A woman who can cook well
A woman who has patience
A woman who is 'experienced'
A woman who likes cleaning stuff

and MOST IMPORTANTLY

For the above mentioned women to be unaware of each others existence.....

:D

Not the best address in Bristol

This is surely not the best address to have in Bristol. It is also a good example of creative paint work.

:)

Understanding Women....

In my continuing effort to try and understand women I thought I would explore their shopping habits.

Let us look at a typical shopping scenario where a girl goes shopping with her boyfriend (or for that matter any other close male friend).

So it goes something like this:

It is a sunny Saturday morning, for sure there is a good cricket match/movie on TV or something equally exciting is happening somewhere. You (the guy) have been dragged out of bed (oh what a warm bed it was!) just because your 'female friend' wants to go shopping and she can't find anyone else (stupid enough) to go with her!

When she pounced on you as you were enjoying the warmth of your bed you finally understood how a deer feels when it sees a lioness pouncing on it. You swear to all the Gods of all the religions that next time you WILL NOT pick up the phone. Next time you will CONTROL your emotions and if need be you will be RUDE. Then (being a man) you face reality. You stop lying to yourself and accept that you are now trapped.

Now you are standing in some XYZ shopping mall (man they are springing up everywhere, like trees used to some time ago!), staring out into space. You feel itchy all over and your eyes refuse to focus. Your brain is working as well as a car engine without fuel. You realise that if someone asked you what 2+2 equals to you wouldn't know.

You tried (for the millionth time) to get a list of things your 'female friend' is shopping for. But every time you get a different list. Then you realise there is no list. The cat is just playing with the mouse (you are the mouse here!).

You watch as she picks up one item, looks at it, rotates it, thinks about it then puts it back on the shelf. This is like the old Chinese water torture for you. Each time she does this your blood pressure increases thinking that yes she will buy something and that will be one item less on the 'imaginary list of things to be purchased'.

Then comes the time when she asks your opinion on some thing. That is the time you feel like the prime suspect in a double murder case. You know anything you say can and WILL be used against you in all future fights. You know there are no right answers. You are sure that girls ask for your opinion just to check that yes you are still alive and have not turned into a walking vegetable.

Then comes the time for relase. When she says the magic words 'Lets go home I am tired'. You are just too happy to even think about the irony of the statement (since you have been carrying all the bags!).

Obviously as you near the exit your expectations of a swift release are dashed each time she stops to explore a store. But you are also bit happy as long as the overall movement is towards the exit.

You reach home. She is happy. She quickly does a survey of what she bought. If she bought something for you then you get to go and try it then and there (even if you don't want to!).

She is happy because she went 'shopping'. You are happy because the torture is over. Both of you are happy because.....

obviously you know why the both of you are happy....

still not sure....

ok let me spell it out for you... both of you are happy because YOU LOVE EACH OTHER and managed to spend the WHOLE DAY together (who cares if it was constructive or not).

:)

P.S.: This is a PURELY FICTIONAL ACCOUNT created out of years of experience backed by observations.

If guys can understand mascara why can't girls understand speakers...

Was talking to a friend of mine. He told me that he gave his girlfriend a mascara and cream set from Body Shop. His girlfriend was quite impressed with the gift.

Then the other day a different friend asked me about mp3 players because she wanted to gift one to her boyfriend on his birthday. In the end she went with him and got him the one he liked.

My point is simple... if guys can take a lot of interest in what girls like then why can't girls do the same? The standard excuse given by girls is that 'they don't understand electronics and wires' or it is 'too technical'.

Does that mean that girls are admitting to be dumb? :D

You decide!

:)

A Tasty and Light Peanut Salad

Here is a light and tasty salad which can be made in 15 minutes. It is my own recipe (so try at your own risk :P).

Credits: Amol Chavan for the dish shown in the picture. ;)

Ingredients:

- Peanuts - two handfuls

- One chopped onion

- 14-15 small cubes of cottage cheese (paneer)

- One sliced tomato (big slices)

- Boiled Kala Chana (Yellow Gram)

- One sliced Gherkin

- Salt

- Soy Sauce

- Red chili powder

- Less than one teaspoon oil

- Lemon juice



Stir fry peanuts with chopped onions, tomatoes and cottage cheese cubes in a non-stick pan using less than one teaspoon oil.



Add salt, red chili powder and soy sauce when the onions turn brown.



Remove above from flame, mix Kala Chana and sprinkle lemon juice to taste.



Sprinkle sliced Gherkin pieces on the salad.



ENJOY!

:)

When Google Maps came calling...

Google Maps (Google Earth) is going to implement streetview in UK. Which means you can watch the actual location in 3-D through Google Maps or Google Earth.



Today as I was leaving my house I saw a car with a mounted camera driving into our lane.



It was the Google Maps car! It was quite a coincidence that I happened to be out when the car came. Our street is a short dead-end street so it was pure luck that I caught their car. Here are few pictures:

Why?

Why does the alarm ring during the BEST part of your sleep?

Why can we not talk on cell-phones in a restaurant, I mean other people are talking with each other then why can't I talk to someone through my cell?

Why do we allow politicians to take us for a ride every time there is an election?

Why do people wish for 'magic wands' when they know there is no such thing?

Why does love have to be so difficult yet so enjoyable?

Why can we not get free ketchup at burger joints?

Who's website is this?

Guess who's website is this?

If you guess BharatMatrimony you are wrong... this is the Indian Railways website for booking tickets!

I guess they want you to find a girl while you are booking tickets. Or maybe in the matrimonial site they have special matching by frequent train journeys so like in Hindi movies, in real life too people can meet on a train and fall in love ;)

:)

Girls (Ladies) are silly... why?

A conversation with a friend about the Ladies Coach on the Mumbai Local Trains.... ;)

A Girl:
its still bad yaar
ladies r so so so....i dotn know

Azahar:
?

A Girl:
arre bahut cunning
shrewd
n rude
n blatant
n i dont know what all

Azahar:
:D

A Girl:
they figure out if the person is new

Azahar:
then

A Girl:
then kya nohting
n they puch equally badly
push

Azahar:
yeah girls are silly i know what u mean
:)

:)

Singh is Kinng

Singh is Kinng (2008)



This is a stupid movie. No doubt about that. So I am not going to talk about how stupid this movie is.

Overall the first 40% of the movie (till just before the interval) is decent and has some new stuff in it. The remaining 60% is a standard Hindi movie. Nothing special there.

This movie highlights the increasing mix of Bollywood with Hollywood. How Western artists like Snoop Dog are being involved in Hindi movies. Hopefully someday soon we will understand what a good movie is like instead of just bringing in white backup dancers, shooting at exotic locations or using Hollywood level special effects for moronic/stupid stunts.

Oh and Katrina Kaif does a brilliant job of proving yet again that she can show just one expression on her face.

:)

Maya (2001)

Maya is a movie directed by Digvijay Singh. I am not going to review the movie. More information can be found here and here for those who are looking for a review.

I am writing this post to talk about what kind of feelings it generated within me.

It started with a feeling of deep and intense anger. I felt like burning down all temples, maiming and casterating the priests involved in such a ritual. I also felt ashamed to call myself a Hindu. I felt that Hinduism as a religion is based on things that have now lost their context. Like most religions Hinduism is like a building being built on a rotten foundation.

Then came acceptance. We cannot look at situations from the outside and judge them. One cannot loose sight of the context. If you do that then you are as guilty as the ones who you are fighting against. I realised this fight was not with people but belief.

Finally came anger at the stupid way in which the movie has been laid out. How the director uses the worst possible way to shock people without giving any deeper understanding of the issues. There are many questions that the director has left un-answered.

Keeping all this in mind I cannot tell people not to watch this movie. In fact I want to FORCE people to watch this movie. The tragedy is that this is not a 'special' movie. It is the subject that is special. It goes down like a bitter pill which everyone (especially people inclined towards religion) should swallow.
The failing of this movie is that you discuss the movie and the issues it is based on separately. In a well made movie the movie is the issue and the issue is the movie.

Go watch it!

I asked God...

I asked God to take away my pain. God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No. Her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations. It isn't granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No. I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain. God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as he loves me. God said... Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.



These lines were sent by a friend. I really liked them especially the second last one.

:)

Calling all Teenagers: BharatMatrimony.com

Check out this highly idiotic ad for BharatMartimony.com (BM.com).

It seems to advertise the fact that BM.com caters to teenagers with 'Ash' fantasies rather than people looking to get married. Or maybe they think NRIs use only the brain between their legs when evaluating a match?

Somehow I don't see any normal person (let alone an NRI) saying to himself "Man I gotta get me a gal that looks like Ash, then I can marry her"

Also look at the genius bit of phrasing: "Find love within a few miles"
It reminded me of the 'Store Locators' that most retail chain websites have where you enter your postcode and you get the contact information for nearby branches.

This ad seems to be targetted more at horny teenagers wanting to get laid by an 'Ash' lookalike. But the funny thing is a horny teenager would already know the location (and other details) of sexy gals within a 2 mile radius of where they live. ;)

:)

FishEyePics

I will be posting photographs taken by me on FishEyePics:

http://www.fisheyefocus.com/fisheyepics

Hope you enjoy!

About the new look...

I have recently changed the look and feel of my blog.

Let us see what everyone thinks of it. Feel free to comment!

The pic in the header (the three green marbles) was taken by me.

Those are not ordinary marbles. They are radioactive marbles (very low levels) which fluoresce under UV light (the blue patch). The lines are the surface of the cushion on which the marbels were kept.

VG assissted in taking the photograph by holding the UV lightsource at a particular angle! So partial credit goes to her for helping me setup the photo!

Hancock

Hancock is an AMAZING movie. It is a difficult movie to categorise. It just doesn't fall into one class. That is the beauty of this movie.

It is a very different kind of movie. Good fun with lots of light and funny moments as well as fast paced action. Will Smith plays the role of Hancock - a misfit superhero.

It is a must watch movie. Go get the DVD or go catch it in the theatre.


I will not write a detailed review except give it a 9 out of 10. Go WATCH IT!

Destroy everything you touch...

http://fisheyefocus.com/fisheyeview/?p=11

Destroy everything you touch.... read it... not too late... yet!

India in the World: Part III - Water

The post is here:

http://fisheyefocus.com/fisheyeview/?p=9

India and water issues there...

Enjoy!

From Azahar to Uncle via Bhaiya

The other day a friend of mine from India, asked me if there were a lot of Indian girls at the university where I am doing my Ph.D. from.

I told him yes and every year there are more and more students from India.

So he jokingly replied - I should find some Indian female students to coach.

I replied - yes and they will call me 'bade bhaiya' (elder brother).

He replied - the newer batches would be different.

I replied - yeah that newer batches will call me uncle!

:)

Race - Full Speed Backwards!

I had expectations when people who have similar tastes in movies recommended this movie.

I had misgivings when I saw the trailer. But I put all those misgivings aside and decided to see the movie.

My GOD what an IDIOTIC movie. If the predictable story (due to bad edit effects in the hospital scene) and downright moronic special effects were not enough, some b-grade humor by Anil Kapoor and blank expressions by the 'trophy actresses' - Sameera Reddy and Katrina Kaif made sure that I had wasted two and a half hours of my life.

The final scene has the worst special effects I have ever seen. I think the special effects in some of the computer games I play are much better.

The twists and turns in the movie feel forced and pasted on. In the end mostly to extend the movie.

The only thing good about the movie was the eye candy in form of Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy (I don't like Bipasha that much ;) and the title song of the movie (it comes during the title roll at the end). The Johnny Lever comedy scene was cute and predictable.

One thing I don't understand is why did Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha get married in a church? Why were they wearing black to mourn Saif's death?

Come on guys I know this is a normal Hindi movie so I don't expect it to be a study in logic. But at least let us not confuse our religion!

The songs just spring up like weeds in between the movie without any reason (thank god I could skip them!).

Other than that the movie is crap. Just keeps twisting and turning till you get fed up and want the movie to end.

I think we need to improve our copying skills. I say that if you want to copy at least copy well!

What they wanted was a fast-paced thriller. What they got was an F1 track with speed-breakers after every 100 meters.

Yawn!

:)

My new blog - Fish Eye View

I will be posting on two blogs (for the moment). As a friend suggested, post funny cool things here and more serious stuff on my new personal blog.

:)

It is called Fish Eye View because I am a Piscean and it talks about how I see the world!

So the link to my new blog is:

www.fisheyefocus.com/fisheyeview

Hope you enjoy reading it.

Looking forward to comments and feedback!

Long Live India: A Land of Hindu Shame?

The land of God or the land that God forgot?

India advertises itself as a 'secular democracy' but the religious divide runs deep. It can be seen in the top layers of the Government as well as at the grass-roots level.

The Indian public is simply the most gullible and idiotic when it comes to differentiating between information and opinion. We are very quick to react and the reactions can be extreme.

These reactions are fueled by lack of resources. With a population of 1 billion+ and growing no wonder the incidents of violence are increasing in frequency and magnitude.

More and more people are fighting for the same set of resources. Some people get lucky and those who don't get more and more frustrated. This was the classical scenario which Hitler used to spread propaganda against the Jews.

I think we Indians need to learn how to differentiate between opinion and information. Greater access to facts and figures rather than opinion and hearsay will empower the people.

Another thing that we need to do is to eliminate the middle layer which brings the political message to the masses. This means getting rid of the hands and legs of the political machinery which is used during critical periods.

Remove one politician and you will find hundred others waiting to take their place. Remove one middle man or make political associations a liability then there will be no way that people will be manipulated into doing things (like starting riots).

The Approximate Doctor

Life is full of approximates. We have approximate times, approximate dates and even approximate amounts of money.



But I realised life is full of approximate academic achievements. Often people are stuck in between the exam and the result. Or the result and the award of the degree.



No one knows this better than a Ph.D. student. One gets used to these 'in-between' periods.

If nothing else, a Ph.D. surely teaches you to be patient.



From the seemingly interminable wait for the viva to the end stage delays. From university procedures that converts a gap of few weeks to a gap of few months. Even after the viva things do not change. Informally you can call yourself a Doctor (if you so wish) but to adopt the title formally you need to wait some more time! Till then you are an approximate Doctor! ;)

:)

Five Questions in Life...

The other day I came across five important questions related to something I was working on.
These five questions were:

1) What have you done?
2) Why have you done it?
3) How did you do it?
4) What have you found?
5) What are the implications of these?

I thought these five questions pretty much represent the doubts and conflicts of life.

What have you done?
What have we done in life is something that keeps us awake at night sometimes. Everyone comes across this question at least once in their life. Have we done anything at all in life? Or are we wasting it one day at a time.

Why have you done it?
Why did you do something. Why did you NOT do something? Remember there is action in inaction. Doing nothing also means you are doing something. But why was it done. The motivation is important. One often asks this question especially after difficult moments in life.

How did you do it?
This is another question that keeps us guessing after the fact. After tough periods one always ends up wondering 'how did I get through it'. After doing something amazing people wonder how they did it. Most people are not able to answer this question or answer it with statements like 'it was luck' or 'Thank God!'.

What have you found?
This is one of the most important questions in life. What have you found? In your journey of life what all things have you come across. What were you searching for and what did you find? Did you find what you were searching for? Or did your finding what you were searching for lead to another search.

What are the implications of these?
This is perhaps the most important question. Things we have done, things we have found. What do they mean? What are the implications. What did we gain/loose while finding or doing these things? This is where the accounts are balanced.

So remember these five important questions... and I hope they give you some direction in life.

:)

Stars in a bottle!

These are the pics of a 'USB glitter lamp' that I have. Some I took out-of-focus to give the the glitter effect.

Enjoy!

:)

Dor - A fascinating half-movie

A friend of mine had been telling me to watch the movie 'Dor' for the last 6-7 months.

'Dor' means a thread. This movie is heavy with symbolism.

The story line is simple and there are just four main characters in the movie.

Inspite of this the story brings together several different themes such as: people going to work in the Middle East for money, the plight of widows in Rajasthan, the problems faced by women in general, the status given to women across the different states in India.

Note: Since this movie is available on DVD/VCD I would advise readers not to watch the whole movie at one go unless you are really relaxed and can concentrate on what is happening. This is not the kind of movie you can watch with one eye on food and one eye on the screen or when you are half asleep after a days work.

To appreciate you should watch the movie when you WANT to watch it.

I watched the movie in three parts over a two day period.

One of the most amazing thing about this movie (apart from the story) is the location. It is filmed in Rajasthan (in and around Jodhpur) and the scenery is 'jaw-dropping'. The amazing desert vista will make you eyes pop out.

There are a few scenes filmed filmed somewhere in the Himalayas (according to the movie Himachal Pradesh) which are equally beautiful.

The movie talks about the meeting of two worlds.
On one side we have the restricted and life-less world of the young widow (Ayesha Takia).
On the other hand we have the tough yet happy life of the new bride (Gul Panag).

The unhappy state of women (especially widows) is a true reflection of the state of affairs in the villages of Rajasthan. The movie also touches upon the high rate of female infanticide in Rajasthan (which now has a female Chief Minister!).

Opposite to that we see the relatively free and bold women of the hills. This too is a typical state of affairs. Women in the mountain states of India, such as Himachal Pradesh, are more empowered than their desert counterparts.

I am glad that I saw the full movie before I deicded to write a post about it.
The movie develops normally till about the last 40 minutes or so when so many things start to happen that it feels as if the makers of the movie realised midway that the movie was going to be too slow for normal public. This means the thread of the story gets lost in between.

This means that ending of the movie is fairly cliched and disconnected.

One wonders why actors, when they are leaving on a train, always end up taking the seat on the side of the platform.

I was also disappointed that the interaction between the widow and the new bride is not developed further after the truth comes out.

The involvement of Nagesh Kukunoor (who is not at all convincing as 'Mr. Chopra') feels added on after the fact.

It seems as if the makers of the movie lost faith in what they were doing mid-way and then decided to bend the storyline to bring it closer to something less unique.

All said and done.. this movie is worth watching once.
If not the whole movie then at least the first 80 minutes or so.
That is where the magic of this movie lies, the symbolism simply amazing.

Another funny quote...

Onslow (Keeping Up Appearances) - "To me the Kama-sutra was an owner's manual"

A funny quote...

Rodney Dangerfield - "I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her."

We pay in diamonds...

People talk about the colonial-era Britain robbing the wealth of India. But where was 'India' before the British?

The Indian sub-continent was divided. The British came and unified it. In its unification they sowed the seeds of their downfall.

A united India directed all its energy against its colonial masters. The creation turned against the creator. But as the creator (the British) beat a hasty retreat they took away the perceived wealth of India including one of the world's most famous diamonds: the Koh-i-noor.

Since then there have been demands for the return of Koh-i-noor by India and Pakistan.

But why do we want it back? I think the diamonds and other precious jewels they took should be considered as payment for uniting the country (among other things like the English language because of which India is doing so well in the service sector). A diamond sitting in a museum gathering dust is no way any better than a unified India with a strong and vibrant economy.

The way you pay the barber after getting a haircut or the doctor after getting a check-up I think it is fit that we pay this 'fee' to the British for uniting India.

:)

Politics of International Economics: Educating the Masses

Growning inflation... recession... economic slowdown... credit crunch...

We are all aware of these headlines. The world economy seems to be melting and the rising oil and food prices are not helping.

Today I was watching Madam Sonia Gandhi addressing the masses (in Hindi no less!).

She was explaining how international economic meltdown is driving the inflation up. She went on to state how the government had tried to absorb the impact and is protecting the common man.

A funny thought came to my head as I was watching her speak. I thought that how come people listening to her speech manage to keep a straight and serious expression when her Hindi pronunciation is so funny. It is like watching a tourist talking in Hindi.

Seeing the other people on the stage with such serious expression made me realise that fear and power work well to kill laughter.

It was also amazing to see India's politicians working overtime to save their asses especially since the general elections are coming up next year (2009). Trying to explain to the people why things are getting expensive and how it is not the fault of the Government.

Maybe she should have given the people a presentation on international financial markets and macroeconomics to drive home her point that IT IS NOT the Government's fault!

Adding to this the looming threat of BJP (which seems to be back with a bang - without a leader!). BJP has won in the recent elections in South India.

Congress (which currently controls the Central Government) is worried.

I think the Government is responsible. The main reason is corruption and re-routing of funds meant for development. They make the classic mistake of treating the symptoms and ignoring the disease. Wiping away farmer loans but not doing anything to bring development to the villages.

And so are we.

We operate more on opinion than information. The Indian public looks at the local picture and ignores what is happening in the world. We have been complaining about the infrastructure ever since I can remember. But nothing has happened yet. Why? Because we don't educate ourselves.

We go out and drive like idiots. Spit/throw garbage on the roads. Have about zero patience and of course want to get our work done first!

Maybe there is a need to educate the masses. Educate them in macro-economics as well as civic sense.

Clifton on a sunny day!

The Clifton Bridge.



The Christ-church in Clifton.



Arch of water.



The sun-shines down.



Another view of the span.



The cliff with the Observatory and balcony.



Aircraft high above.



Pink cloud-streams.



Sunrise from my window.

"If no one is going to read me in one hundred years, why should I write at all"

A few days ago I slept. I slept like a dead man. I slept because I was exhausted.
Emotions were trying to crowd into my head. So I went off to sleep.

I got up few hours later with my mind absolutely blank.

It felt as if I was floating.
I forgot that it was dinner time and that I was hungry.
I forgot I had work to do. I was floating somewhere between worlds.

Then thoughts started entering my mind. I was returning to Earth. I was falling back to Earth.
I could see my whole life ahead. I had questions. Was anything worth it? We all have to die one day then why struggel.

As I continued falling towards Earth the view became more localised. Now I was asking questions about the weeks ahead. How, what, when?

As I was about to crash into the ground I realised where I was and the things I had lined up ahead. The work that I had to do in the night. Things pending.

Suddenly I was back on Earth. Focus on what was immediately in front.

That is when I realised my body was broken and shattered from the fall. I could see the grass in front of my face, I could see the flowers. The focus was back. But I was unable to do anything with it.

I was a dying man. I could feel it. I was happy. The struggle was over.

Then I saw standing above me a figure full of light. I realised it was me. It was my essence. Slowly I felt the light seep into me. My broken body healed. I could move. I could stand and then I could fight again.

As an actor once said in some movie..
"If no one is going to read me in one hundred years, why should I write at all"

Floating is amazing.
There is only reason why one might want to come back to Earth - to do something that leaves a lasting impression on humanity.

Flowers again!

A few summer flowers!

Water Diamond

Some pictures taken at a fountain by me. No lengthy words.. just enjoy the necklace of diamond like water-drops and the reflection of the late evening sun

About women...

Story 1
Yesterday I was watching some random movie on TV.

In the movie the guy and gal are having a discussion. Suddenly the girl says 'I am getting fat, I need to start going to the gym'

The guy looks confused for a second, not sure of what to reply.

Before the guy can think of what to say the girl says 'Do we have any left over pizza from the dinner, I am feeling hungry'

Story 2
I was chatting with a lady-friend the other day and the conversation turned towards skin creams (I don't know how). She happened to remark that if she were to carry all the creams that a woman can use she would need a small suitcase along with her handbag.

That made me curious so I asked her to list out a few and here they are:
- Hand cream
- Under-eye cream
- Night cream
- Body lotion
- Cuticle oil
- Anti-aging cream

Enlarged shots of the moon...

Enlarged shots of the moon... I hope everyone enjoys it!

The Tsar

Most amazing video I have ever seen. The largest nuclear bomb ever tested. 50-58 Megatons (~58 million tons of TNT). This is equal to 10 times the total amount of explosives used in the Second World War.

It is amazing we were able to create something like this. We have enough explosive power to crack open the crust of the Earth like an egg shell. Probably the next step is a nuclear explosion in space to simulate what kind of damage it can cause.

I am in favour of such tests. Better to know what these weapons are capable of so that people think 100 times before they use it in aggression.

If you have a gun, might as well learn to use it well so that you don't end up shooting yourself in the foot by accident!

Another amazing video... love the last bit. I wish I can see a nuclear explosion in my lifetime (especially the mushroom cloud!). The new Indiana Jones movie (The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) has a scene in which Indy just survives a nuclear explosion and he is shown staring at the mushroom cloud.

J. Robert Oppenheimer the physicist who headed the Manhattan Project (also known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb) is said to have quoted the Bhagvad Gita when he saw the first nuclear explosion.

Oppenheimer later would be persuaded to quote again in 1965 for a television broadcast (from Wikipedia):

“ We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another "

How true he was... except I would like to make two minor modifications to the above quote:

"We are Death, the destroyers of Earth"

And this relates not just to the Nuclear Bomb or other weapons. But to our complete disregard for the environment.

:)

With a heart of stone and flowers in my eyes...

My sweet little flower...

A fountain of pink..

Another fountain...

Flower with a delicate center... see the patterns in the yellow bit...

Another view

See the edge of the yellow center... how delicate it looks!

Another view...

Delicate pinks..

White flowers...

Yellow, white and green!

White in front yellows at the back! Line up everyone...

Dark greens, mud and a cloudy sky... that is how the city looked that day!

Foreground, background, the lookout point and the sky!

Veins in the cliff..

Another view looking West...

1/4 foreground and 3/4 background

1/4 foreground and 3/4 background - slightly different

Wood, water and stone