Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Mind Tune Loop

 

There are some tunes/songs which keep looping in my mind throughout the day and sometimes for several days together.

Some times it feels pleasant but some times it drives me crazy.

The one I am currently hearing in my mind is children poem/song.

B I N G O

B I N G O

B I N G O

It keeps going on and on and on and on.

You can listen it here.

I had to post it and hope that now I get it off my mind.

Monday, February 23, 2009

OSCAR kondaattam !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! from my heart :)

After the OSCAR awards ceremony a friend of mine emailed me this. I had to post this.

After 17 years, Oscar comes back to India with a bang whose name is "Slumdog Millionaire" . :)) And worth the wait, should I say :))


Three Indians who have made the whole country proud surely deserve much more than a Red Carpet and an Oscar.


"This is just not a sound award, but a history being handed over" said Rusel Pookkkutty - the third Indian to win Oscar for the Best Sound Mixing for Slumdog Millionaire. Hadn't he been a failure in the Medical Entrance Examinations, he wouldn't be an Oscar winner today :)


"All my life I had the choice between hate and love. I choose love and here I am" - are the Golden Words uttered by A.R.Rahman when he recd the prestigious Oscar Award. He has recd. not ONE but TWO Oscars for The Best Original Score and The Best Song!


Lyricist Gulzar shares the award with ARR for the Best Song - "Jai hO" written for the film. Look at the instinct of the lyricist, who said it even before he got it "Jai hO" which literally means "Gotta win" :))))


The film itself was nominated under 9 categories and it swept 8 awards in total, which is incredible!


It's a great day for India!!!!!!! !!! And a memorable and a pride moment for us Tamilians.


We wish ARR all the best for more such opportunities for making India proud !


Best,
From An ordinary music lover.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

'Slumdog Millionaire' - IMHO an Average Masala film

 

Will 'Slumdog Millionaire' win the Best Picture award tonight in the OSCAR's ?

When I watched this movie, it was in its fourth week of run in the USA and the buzz surrounding it was enormous. Most of my friends were impressed by the movie and the felt quite good. The Media was declaring it as the best movie to come out this year.

It came as a no surprise for many that it was in the nominations for the best picture of the year.

I am still not certain why this movie has been able to touch everybody but not impress me.

Music by A.R. Rahman is certainly the highlight of the movie but I have heard so many excellent A.R.R. Creations and I know for certain this is not A.R.R's best.

The story about 'A Dharavi Guy' able to answer all the questions of the KBC Show and how his life is interspersed with the questions of the quiz is hardly innovative or unique. I had last year seen two movies which mentioned about this 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' show. One was a french movie 'My Best Friend' and another was a Tamil movie 'Koteeswaran'

So the novelty factor or the innovation factor was absent for me. So when the first flashback was over, the idea of visiting flashback for every question does not seem attractive OR does it?

Secondly when you watch the movies which are non-linear in narration, it takes brilliance of camera work, script, dialogue, cinematography and background music to keep the attention of the viewer.

'Slumdog' failed here for me. It did not hold my attention for long and I was lost in my own thoughts and reactions to some of the not-so-pleasing scene's in the movie.

Recent Best Picture OSCAR Movies like 'CRASH' ,'Forrest Gump' are up to the mark aesthetically, dialogues, background score in short in all aspects.

According to me (only me) Slumdog is a big letdown in all these. That is why in my humble opinion SM is an average Masala movie and should miss out on the OSCAR 'Best Picture' award.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Fireball Video

 

Driving back from L.A. to Tracy CA on 26th Dec 2008 I happened to witness the streak of fireball at around 2:00 am in the morning.

It was only for a couple of seconds but the sight was unforgettable. I twitted about it but missed photographing or video shooting it. I googled about it the next day and found that it was common occurrence and the term for it was California Fireball.

Today I was amazed to watch this video of Fireball blazing across the sky in broad daylight. Thanks to the Video Shooter.

Friday, February 13, 2009

A.R. Rahman wins OSCAR

"If you look deeply enough for a long time in a random set of numbers, you will find some odd pattern in subsets of number." - KRK

It has happened time and again.

Books like 'Freakonomics' , 'Outliers', 'Tipping point' , 'Fooled by randomness', 'Black Swan' etc mention about various events and successfully investigate how they are related. In some of the cases, its a straightforward link and in others its a bit extrapolated inference.

'Hindsight' is an exact science. Its foresight what most people lack.

Today I was again wondering what are the Chances that A.R. Rahman will be awarded the OSCAR.

Before the nominations were announced, I did not think he had any chance. Reason. He is a brilliant composer and many of his works are Top Award worthy. ARR has given better works than SM. But now that SM has made it through to the Top 5 I am sure it will WIN.

Why do I think So? Let me put my case based on a pattern I have seen oft repeated.

In 1992 I was amazed when a Indian, Madhu Sapre, was ranked the second runner up in the Miss Universe event.

I was pleased that some Indian Girl had made it in international beauty contest. There was a sense of pride.

In 1994 another set of Indians Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen won both Miss World and Miss Universe Title respectively.

Subsequently in 2000 again Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta won these events.

These two events really had no precedent in India.

But there was a pattern pickup by the Media and some Observant Mind. Too good to resist.

Conspiracy theories floated that India was a market for beauty products and that is why the contests were rigged to award Indian contestants.

Of course this might be far-fetched but once you hear the theory you tend to think.

Its a unique duel of the thoughts in the BRAIN where you want to accept only one version of the event and disregard the other but you cannot do so.

This has happened to me more than once but with experience I have realized Its better to keep a little Trust. I just accept one version of the fact. The other version lies dormant to be awakened one day just in case.

Just about a month back I read 'The White Tiger' by Arvind Adiga.

I did not like the book. It could have been better. But know what it has won the booker prize.

I did not read all the rest of the nominated books but I wonder why nobody this year has written anything better to appeal to the Judges.

So coming back to ARR Nomination following an Indian Winning the Booker Prize, I believe ARR is going to win the OSCAR this year. Of course the composition has won the BAFTA and Golden Globes already.

So Congratulations in Advance to you A.R.R. Sir and hope you have the After Win Speech ready.

Cheerio !!!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Thinking Patterns - Keep Improving

 

Quote: "If you always do, what you have always done, you will get, what you have always got."

Often when I find myself free and not focused on the task at hand, my thoughts go astray and end up jumping from one thought to another.

Today I ended up getting reminded about some patterns I had experienced/observed over years and decided to post it immediately.

We were schooled in a English Medium School, but most of the neighbours kids were brought up in vernacular medium. In my case "Marathi".

One of the very first Joke I heard was about this guy who knew only three words in English. 'Yes', 'No' and 'Thank You' without knowing their meaning.

Most of the episodes in this guy's life used to end up making us laugh with his adventures like :

This guy is travelling in a bus and the lady next to him asks in english "Have you seen my purse?". This guy replies 'Yes'.

'Then tell me where it is."

'No'

The lady slaps this guy.

'Thank You'

Cheeky. Kiddish. Isn't it !? It makes me giggle even today.

Anyway's when I grew up I had heard another joke about a guy having issues striking up conversation with girls. So he is trained to memorize a few Ice-breaking questions which supposedly will help him get going.

'Are you married?"

'No'

'Do you have any kids'

??????

or the other way

'Do you have any kids'

Yes

'Are you married?"

??????

You can imagine. Of course I know it is politically in-correct to ask strangers. But you can ask all my friends who know me, how many times I have asked this question to complete strangers.

But these two above joke's are one of the common thought pattern's or habit's which I had basically put me in JAM quite a few times.

Like if I am not focused in what I am doing consciously, I tend to repeat certain quotes or saying like those scenes in the Wedding Crashers.

Two of the episode's I distinctly remember are from my days in Engineering College. I used to frequent a Tea Shop with my roomies and have a cuppa tea or two. One of the MBA students whom I had recently got acquainted to mentioned

'Let me pay for the Tea this time. I consider it as a investment in our friendship'.

Wow!!! I thought. Good One I should use it.

The very next day I ended up using this quote with another new acquaintance of mine.

You should have seen the desperate look on this face. He went ballistic. 'Investment'. You consider my offer of friendship an 'Investment'. I no longer wish to speak with you.

I was like 'what is he so hurt about?'. Anyway's I was not mature or experience enough to handle that.

Another Episode was about an 'Example Story' I heard from the University Vice Chancellor or Dean. I liked the story so much that I kept repeating it at every opportunity.

End Result. The Story became diluted and the result's were disastrous. The same story that Inspired me and my peers to push the envelope and go beyond the definite, became monotonous and "aaarrrrrrrrrrggggghhhh" !!!

After many similar Thought Pattern 'Quote repeating' incidents I have realized, I need to be focused and self-aware of what I am doing.

Lesson for me. Be Self Conscious.

Learn to visualize how you are behaving. Resist from using same thought patterns. Introduce a little amount of disturbance. The results are going to be different. You can always correct your results later by changing the equation.

Be Self Aware. Always.

Adios !!!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Random Thoughts - Jan 2009

It has been a very freezing January 2009. Most of the days just getting to the car, swiping off the snow/frost from the windshield and starting the car itself required a lot of will power and courage. Whew !!!

Yesterday when I drove to SSVT Temple and Asian market I turned on the AC in the car. It was not a warm day, It was a bit hot.

What happened? Does the climate change based on changes in month? Maybe it does. But heck no, its back to being cold today.

We enjoyed watching NFL Super Bowl which Steelers won in the last minute touchdown, on a big 46" Sony HDTV at a friends house. It was a memorable evening.

One of the resolutions of new year has been to keep away surfing/playing with the phone when having lunch/dinner with company. I think I am in control of this thing.

Next resolution for me to add is to complete ironing all the washed clothes before the end of this month. Wish me good luck !!!

For the record, I complete 3 official years in the USA on 3rd Feb. That is nice. I had not imagined or come with any expectation, but it has far exceeded my whatever little hopes I had for USA.

I hope to continue blogging more frequently and post at least 10 write ups every month.

Here Wish me Good Luck !!! Again !!!

Be Good To Yourself !!!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Do Not Bite Nails

After the Snow Tubing trip yesterday my fingers froze even though I was wearing Ski Gloves.

Psychologically it is said that people who bite their nails lack self confidence.

It is more or less true and I believe in it.

It could also be a BAD habit. I mean a HABIT and I am one of those people who has this bad habit. Seriously.

I have learnt the hard way.. Never Bite Your Nails because in winter you increase your chances of getting a frost bite and by god it hurts. It hurts crazy.

Lesson for me. Do Not Bite Nails.

January 2009 Read/Watch/Learnt Update

 

Date Name Detail Rating Comment Category Status
Jan 2009 Superman. Warner Bros


DVD Could Not Complete

Vettaiyadu vilaiyadu Directed by Gautham Menon 4.5
DVD

The Terminator
3.5
DVD

Shrek the third
4.0 Completes Shrek Series DVD

Finding Nemo
4.0
DVD

The white tiger Arvind Adiga 2.0 Really don't know why this book got booker. Book

The great depression ahead

Not that Interesting Book Could Not Complete

Ocean's thirteen
4.5
DVD

Ocean's twelve
3.0
DVD

Crunch : why do I feel so squeezed?



For SD

Foreign body Robin Cook 3.0 Nice description of India. Book

Ocean's eleven
3.5
DVD

Cars
3.5 Unexpectedly Liked it. DVD

Domestic affairs Eileen Goudge

Book For PV

Cool Stuff 2.0 and how it works Chris Woodford and Jon Wo 3.5 Airophonics/Hydrophonics/p in 1080p
Could Not Complete

Cat o'nine tales Jeffrey Archer 4.0 All stories were Great. Audio Book Had read the book in March 2007

Dor Nagesh Kukunoor 3.5 Good Story DVD

Mission Impossible
4.5 Awesome Stunts DVD

Four Wedding And A Funeral
2.0 Boring DVD Same team of Love Actually

Nadie Conoce a Nadie
2.0 Spanish Movie recommended by Blockbuster. DVD

Traitor
3.5 Good Story DVD

Mission Impossible II
4.0
DVD

Mission Impossible III
4.0
DVD

National Treasure
4.0
DVD

Kung Fu Panda
4.0
DVD

Desperate Housewives
Season 1 Disc 1 and 2

4.5
DVD
Very Impressive.

Desperate Housewives
Season 1 Disc 3 and 4

4.5


DVD
Very Impressive.

Desperate Housewives
Season 1 Disc 5 and 6

4.5


DVD
Very Impressive.