Sunday, December 6, 2009

Meaning of "Lorem Ipsum vim ut utroque mandamus intellegebat, ut eam omittam ancillae sadipscing, per et eius soluta veritus"

Was just editing my blog when i came across the following quote at the bottom of the Blog 'Edit':

"Lorem ipsum vim ut utroque mandamus intellegebat, ut eam omittam ancillae sadipscing, per et eius soluta veritus"

Was quite intrigued and so googled for the same. And the answer is also quite interesting. Well, in the first place, it doesnt actually have any meaning nor is it Latin. It is actually gibberish which is written so that some sort of content can be used for the sake of illustration. It's called "greeking" -- it's filler text that developers, publishers etc use to designate a text paragraph, without actually putting anything specific in the paragraph.

Wikipedia says: In publishing and graphic design, lorem ipsum is the name given to commonly used placeholder text (filler text) to demonstrate the graphic elements of a document or visual presentation, such as font, typography, and layout.

Even though using "lorem ipsum" often arouses curiosity because of its resemblance to classical Latin, it is not intended to have meaning. Where text is visible in a document, people tend to focus on the textual content rather than upon overall presentation, so publishers use lorem ipsum when displaying a typeface or design elements and page layout in order to direct the focus to the publication style and not the meaning of the text.

Very Interesting!!

Iktara Male Version - Request to Karan Johar!!

This is probably a violation of copyright laws but what the hell!!. This is just a medium to request Karan Johar to launch Amit Trivedi's background score for Wake Up Sid, probably as a separate album. Shankar Ehsan Loy were very good in this film...but the Trivedi magic that we have already seen in Aamir and DevD is simply brilliant. This guy is here to stay and create amazing music that bollywood has not provided in a very long time.

Presenting here the male version of Iktara composed by Amit Trivedi and sung by Tochi Raina - The best song of Wake Up Sid and something that should have definitely been there on the album.

Monday, November 9, 2009

JRD Tata as remebered by Sudha Murthy - A snippet about the great legend!!

This was an Email that i had received some years back and loved it. Being from Jamshedpur, it just made my heart swell with pride. Found it again recently and hence decided to post it here. Hope everyone else is also as inspired with this piece as i was...
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It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science. I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US. I had not thought of taking up a job in India.

One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job- requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors). It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic , etc. At the bottom was a small line: "Lady Candidates need not apply."

I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination. Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers. Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful.

After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then)

I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.

"The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender."

I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected Rs.30/= each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemedgood enough to make the trip. It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city.

To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways.

As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview. There were six people on the panel and I realized then that this was serious business. "This is the girl who wrote to JRD," I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realization abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted.

Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, "I hope this is only a technical interview. " They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.

Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, "Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories."

I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place. I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, "But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories."

Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married.

It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr. Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw "appro JRD". Appro means "our" in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him. I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode.

SM introduced me nicely, "Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate. She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor." JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it). Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. "It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?"

"When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir," I replied. "Now I am Sudha Murthy." He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room. After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him.

One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realize JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me.

"Young lady, why are you here?" he asked. "Office time is over." I said, "Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up." JRD said, "It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor. I'll wait with you till your husband comes."

I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable. I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, "Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee."

Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, "Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again."

In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused.

Gently, he said, "So what are you doing, Mrs. Kulkarni?" (That was the way he always addressed me.)

"Sir, I am leaving Telco."

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune."

"Oh! And what will you do when you are successful."

"Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful."

"Never start with diffidence," he advised me. "Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. I wish you all the best."

Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive. Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, "It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today."

I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice.

He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.

Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly. My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence.

(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)

Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Naxalite Menace - The first glimpse...

Just wanted to write a small bit about the Naxalite menace that has gripped India in the recent times but has been prevalent for well over 35 odd years. Will write more about the details later.

Maoism is actually based on the concept of 'armed resistance and armed liberation of countries' absolutely similar to the one initiated by Mao Zedong when he created a peasant uprising and conquered China...that's why Maoists. These people can be really brutal. I have spoken to people who have ran off from the villages because of brutality of the Naxalites. Maoists generally do not harm villagers and let them be as long as they keep giving them food and shelter when required and do not talk bad about Naxalism. However, in one of those villages, a person decided to say no to Maoists and supported their removal. The next morning, people found his body cut into small pieces in the middle of the village arranged 'neatly'.

Look at the statements of people like Kobad Ghandy who has been arrested and Kisenji who is the Naxalite leader. These people espouse killing and have made statements saying that innocent blood will be killed in a liberation struggle. Think about it. There are 10000 well armed and highly motivated Maoists ready to take on the Indian establishment and they are hiring villagers in droves including women and children to prepare for the defense against the inevitable Indian security attack. They have automatic weapons like SLR's, Kalashnikov's, Grenade Launchers, IED's and they have their own factories in the jungles which manufacture them. Just compare that to only a 1000 odd Islamic terrorists being present in the country and you will understand the difference. These guys regularly bomb schools and hospitals, railway tracks and mobile towers since they do not want any development to take place as the villagers and Tribals might start moving away from Naxalism if that happens. NREGA money and Road building cannot reach the people there because they kill any contractor or government official on sight. They beheaded an unarmed kidnapped police officer to prove their point. Remember Daniel pearl and the Taliban!!?

The Naxalism movement started as a revolt against the 'haves' by the 'have nots' in Naxalbari in West Bengal in the 70's but was subsequently crushed by the Indian state, however it came back again because development did not happen AT ALL and that is the only damn thing which worries me. Naxalism will rear its ugly head once again, maybe under a different name, after this massive Indian offensive, which will start probably in November, if the situation at ground remains the same after that (lack of development etc). Lets just hope that it doesnt!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

The shortest Fairytale ever :-D

Loved this PJ and hence posting it against better judgment!! ;-)

The shortest fairytale ever:

A guy likes a girl and asks her, "Will you marry me?"
The girl says "No!"

The guy lives happily ever after...

:-P

Friday, October 16, 2009

Defining Pain

To God...Hope you are listening :'-)

I have over the past couple of years heard a lot of inspirational stories and seen a lot of rich presentations/ videos on motivation. More often than not, they have a message of keeping positive and telling us that failures are part and parcel of life, without which success cannot be achieved and infact success cannot be appreciated without it. I agree, wholeheartedly. Just that there is a small problem.

What do you about time? Till when are you able to cope with your situation if it is continuously going downhill. When do you say enough is enough and you cannot take it anymore. Furthermore, what do you do after that? What are the choices a person can make.

There is a theory where a lot of people mention about happiness and sadness having their own specific time lines and both definitely coming to an end after some time. Not sure about this though. Just take my case. Everyday my depression keeps becoming deeper. Everyday i think the corner is just about to be taken and i will be free again but it does not. I have been thinking on those lines for the last 2 years. That is an awful lot of time to be depressed :) and i am just tired, plain tired. Now how do i decide that its time to throw in the towel or not? Till when should i continue.

And hey, before you make a judgment call about me, let me assure you that i have tried...a lot! Tried to be happy and not getting bogged down. I have always got up and tried to push myself harder. Try and make myself better and try and adapt to situations around me. Sure, i have been grumpy sometimes but that has never stopped me from giving myself a good chance of trying to be happy. Oh and yes, i try to be happy every moment or at least most moments. A lot of times it is false and most possibly meant for other friends to make them happy but didnt someone say that your own happiness lies in the happiness of others? Hmmm...again an unanswerable question!

Another thing; i am religious or at least believe in god and used to pray, till a couple of months back when i realised that it is all so futile. The gods are not really going to help you. I believe in their existence completely but am not sure as to their work profile; as in what are they supposed to do if they cannot even guide you, forget about helping you directly. All i had asked was for some guidance to tell me the path that i should take but umhnnnn; sorry guys but God really didnt answer and the situation is not that great. So again; what should i do? Interesting question that!

I know some people will come and tell you that there is so much misery in this world and yours is nothing compared to that. Agreed that i am not physically handicapped, agreed that i not mired in poverty, agreed that i don't have abusive parents and definitely agree that i have had many more opportunities compared to so many others around me. However, pain is very very relative. Its almost like a child aspiring for a chocolate while a grown up man aspiring for a luxury car or an old man aspiring for comfortable retirement. Aspirations and pain are very very relative. A person might be poor but extremely happy. The opposite is quite true too. And i am sure you understand what i am saying. Everyone would have gone through some form of pain and sadness in their life. The question is, for how long?

You might ask why i am not thankful for all that i have got?...Well i am, i definitely am for having had some good times in my life but i can't just live on those memories for life, right? particularly when the painful ones are so near and recent. What are the next steps when everything that you do gets a spanner in the works. Every step that you take encounters a roadblock.

I consider my aspirations to be a happy and cozy dream. About finding life and soul within you and enjoying every living moment to its fullest. Why is it a crime to dream about this. Ok, now coming to the question of if i am tired with all of this, what are my options. Do i decide to end my life. Is it not an option of the losers or is it that god has to maintain a percentage of suicides every year and that some people will come to their end irrespective of how much they tried to resurrect themselves. Is there any other option; maybe just let go and let life decide for you while you do nothing and wait for some god to act. But isn't a purposeless life meaningless. Will you not become a dead man walking. Or you may decide to continue fighting but then again till when...or is there no end?

Just a final word. I recently heard a quote 'Keep swinging away' when you encounter troubles. Its supposedly a very famous quote by some baseball player of the 60's. I have one question, what happens when after swinging a lot of times, your arms are really tired. Do you drop your bat?!

Any suggestions! :-) (A very wry smile)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

A superb motivational video...

Another highly inspirational video!
Even if i am really really down in the dumps, i still feel rejuvenated after seeing them. I know they are manipulative in the way they have been created but its damn good to see such manipulation working once in a while! :-)

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Apple: Think Different - Here's to the Crazy Ones :)

Came across this brilliant motivational piece and a very old Apple advertisement. Just my way of telling everyone...All of us have the chance of one lifetime to change the world...Lets be crazy enough to do something about it!!



Apple's original "Think Different" ad from 1997: "Heres to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. Theyre not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you cant do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Order of appearance: Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Branson, John Lennon (with Yoko Ono), R. Buckminster Fuller, Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Maria Callas, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson (with Kermit the Frog), Frank Lloyd Wright, Pablo Picasso, and Shaan Sahota (young girl).

Monday, September 21, 2009

Something Happens - Precious platinum advertisement :)



Being a sucker for romance, i just fell in love with this advertisement. It is such a beautifully done ad and with such sublime lyrics and piano play. Superb! In fact i was surprised that i had to search really hard to find this on the net.

Anyways here are the lyrics...Enjoy!!

You know they arranged everything, the meeting, the date, the place and we...we did the only thing we could, We Laughed
Today 1 year, 2 months and 11 days later,

(piano music)
Things just happen, That's the way it feels...
Somethings just happen, things we just cant see...
Who knows the reason why, should i laugh or should i cry

Suddenly we discovered...Our Day of Love

Something happens...to you and me
hmmm...hmmmm....hmmm.....and me....

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Bartimaeus Trilogy - A must read for every fantasy lover

Warning: Spoilers Ahead


It really made me cry. The end that is, just a lot of what ifs remained in my head. Frankly I hated Jonathan Stroud in these moments of my final reading. Why couldn’t he keep Nathaniel alive, kept him and Kitty together. It would have been a perfect ending. I guess there is a bit of Quentin Makepeace in Mr. Stroud too. They had started liking each other and would have been perfect for each other; sparring continuously, feeding off the energies of each other. It just would have been the right ending. At the end it was Nathaniel who was the hero and not Kitty or Bartimaeus. They were the guiding lights and really had the most important role in removing the coat of John Mandrake. However, Nathaniel had done no extraordinary wrong that he should have been killed. It just doesn’t feel right to have them separated, Kitty and Nathaniel that is. She will now be all alone in this world and doesn’t again deserve this ordeal. Seeing that she has always been so alone in this world till now and is in reality still only a teenager, she should have been finally free of the pain life has brought on her for no fault of her. Two souls who had been so alone throughout this time would have found each other. The death of Nathaniel is a jolt more for Kitty than anyone else which is why it is not fair. She had not deserved this ending. Please Jonathan; it will be great if you can come up with an alternate ending and put it up somewhere even if it does not make it to your book. Please…


Having said that, the Bartimaeus Trilogy is a masterful set of books which is a must read for anyone who has the least bit of interest in magic and fantasies that revolve around it. It is definitely not in the Tolkien class or rather ‘The lord of the Ring’ class; however it is definitely an 8 out of 10 if LOTR makes a perfect 10. It does do very well in intricately managing several mysteries that are thrown up at regular intervals and successfully integrating them all in the final book. There are actually no loose ends except for Ms Lutyens who should have been able to see Nathaniel in a better light at the end of the book. It would have mattered probably the most to him.


The real spirit of the first couple of books is literally Bartimaeus. It is actually more fun to read the footnotes than the actual pages. The wit is superb and keeps the reader going even when the story seems to slow down a little. The Amulet of Samarkhand is better than Golems Eye but the Ptolmey’s gate is what makes us gasp. The way in which the artifacts of the first two books are used in the final book and also the way Ptolemy is wound right across the storyline are masterstrokes. It tells you that the author has thought about the ending a lot before actually committing ink to paper. However I actually also got the feeling that a lot of time, the story became visually graphic possibly with one eye on a movie being made in due course. Kitty, Nathaniel, Bartimaeus, Quentin and the rest are really unique characters who keep up their own quite comfortably without taking more than the required space. Except for one bit as to why Kitty takes to magic and summons spirit herself (and if that is so, how come other commoners have not done so earlier and what then will be the difference between Magicians and Commoners) is not really explained properly. That somehow for me limits the ‘essence’ of the trilogy, even if a little bit. Maybe there is a 4th book coming along which will explain this bit and how this magician-commoner difference helped Nathaniel escape at the end of the trilogy. Maybe….


Maybe he can be brought to life if we all promise to buy the books in huge quantities. We promise, it will be one of the biggest bestseller in recent memory. But Please…..

Friday, May 1, 2009

Beautiful Pictures

One of my friends while forwarding the pics said "It seems as if one has already lived and then betrayed each and every part of it."

Commitment
love_19.jpg

Sorrow
1757-2-Carry_On.jpg

Innocence
bird,child,monochrome-561077dfa16639390c7edb66b8ac7730_h.jpg

Departure
503047437_69c6d7f1c0.jpg

Pain
feature1.jpg

Solitude
014_pics_51761.jpg

Passion
windowslivewriterfunkiporcini-b368b0011234-18552294-2.jpg

Respect
kapu_09.jpg

Compassion
Image13.jpg

Grace
1336054857_008d194322.jpg


Friendship
Elephant_friend_girl.jpg

Music
guitar_by_Bersty.jpg

Wait
-alone-street-rain-storm-waiting_large.jpg

Stranger
47b5a1585d86523_love.jpg

Rescued
082_winter_60236.jpg

Best friends
837813.jpg

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Getting VTU Transcripts though Post

I have been trying to find out how to get the VTU transcripts through post for some time but have not really found a good source of information on the internet. The VTU website is useless and give no information whatsoever while the rest of the blogs focus on the 'Traveling to Belgaum' part of it. Howevere since i am based in Kolkata, its not easy for me to do that and anyways i have already visited belgaum earlier so the 'Transcript Tourism' does not really hold good for me. So i decided to find out more from VTU itself.

I called up VTU this week (Not an easy task - I called them for 3 consecutive days before getting through. For the brave ones, the number is 0831-2498136. Either the phone kept on ringing or it was busy) to inquire about getting the transcripts through post and they told me that i need to send a mail (the slow one!) to the Registrar, VTU containing a covering letter mentioning the USN and the number of transcripts required. The cost for the same is Rs 250 for the 1st one and Rs 150 subsequently for each extra copy. I asked the person specifically if i needed to send xerox copies of my marks cards also and he said NO. Just the draft in favor of the 'Finance Officer, VTU, Belgaum' for the total amount and the covering letter is required. However i am going to play safe and send the xerox copies nevertheless. He mentioned that it will take approximately 10 working days from the date of receiving the application to process the request. Mention 'Official Transcripts' on the top of the Envelope just to make it clear.

The address to which this mail needs to be sent is: Registrar VTU, Visvesvaraya Technological University, "Jnana Sangam", Belgaum-590018

Now that i have sent it, will keep this updated as to the status of how long it takes for VTU to send across the documents to me. Hope it helps!

UPDATE - The Transcripts arrived today, i.e on 24th May. So it took approximately 20 odd days for the process to be completed. This seems a reasonable time considering that the entire process was conducted through post. The contents of the package include 10 sealed envelopes with "Official transcript on (sic) the Candidate" mentioned at the top with my name mentioned and the Registrar's signature and VTU stamp on the flipside right over the flap. There is also an unsealed copy for our use to understand the contents.

Also an important point for people who are applying to Universities where its been mentioned that English Language tests are not mandatory in case the medium of instruction was English during the period of Study. On the VTU transcript, this is mentioned very clearly. So basically no TOEFL for me which is a great relief considering the paucity of time and resources.

FAQ's related to the post:

FAQ Part 1
FAQ Part 2

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Extraordinary People - Susan Boyle

Think about the following:
  1. This woman suffered oxygen deprivation in her childhood resulting in learning disabilities
  2. Her classmates teased her because of this and because of her appearance
  3. She stopped her pursuit of singing to look after her sick mother who died in 2007, at the age of 91
  4. This was the first time she had sung since 2007, after her mother's death
  5. She is unmarried and unemployed
When 47-yr old, grey-haired, double chinned, Susan Boyle, who lives alone with her cat and claims she's never even been on a date, walked onto the "Britain's Got Talent" stage and claimed that she wants to be someone like Elaine Page, she elicited snickers and rolled eyes from the crowd.............till she started singing!



A quote from her Fan Site - "Before her performance, Miss Boyle told Geordie hosts Ant and Dec that she's "never had a boyfriend" and she has "never been kissed before". Her previous singing experience was limited to the church choir and karaoke. The audience and judges laughed as she said she would like to be as successfull as Elaine Paige.

Susan soon turned that laughter into tears, Piers Morgan described her as stunning and "the biggest surprise in three years on the show" while Simon Cowell said she can go back home and with her head held high."

I personally do not think that i have ever seen a performance such as this. This person shattered all perceptions that this vast gathering might have had of her and turned their laughter into tears within moments. She shamed the crowd, the judges and us...who look at a picture perfect world as a standard, by just living her dream on that stage...

Lady, you do not need to be Elaine Paige. Susan Boyle is as good...if not better!

P.S: She might be on the verge of getting signed by Sony Music or BMG as per various reports.

Song Details: I dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.

And still
I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different form this hell I'm living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Pandora's Box - The greatest Head Fake?

I was reading the story of the 'Pandora's Box' and in Greek Mythology, it goes something like this:

Zeus decided to punish Prometheus and created the woman named Pandora who later in life marries Prometheus's brother. She is a naive woman but has been given a strong sense of curiosity. When she is given a jar by Zeus to take care of but never to be opened, because of this curiosity, she opens it and lets the evil out of it. We are told that that the only thing that remained in the jar was Hope. This was the salve that was provided by the gods for all the ills that had been unleashed on the world.

Now just think...is it not Hope that is the biggest evil and not the rest of the ills. Hope that tells us that there is a bright future, hope that tells us that life will be good, hope that tell us that we should keep striving, hope that tells us that the grass is greener on the other side, hope that tells us that's gods justice can be delayed but one day will be dealt on the wrongdoers.

As i said earlier, the greatest head fake anyone?....

P.S: I just seriously HOPE that i am completely wrong on this.

The Mask

At a certain point of time in the past, this blog used to be anonymous. This was like my personal diary where my sorrow would be buried, stored for posterity...memories that i want to banish from my head but am unable to do so. It helped me to sort the mental files when i was writing, probably because i could reflect somewhat and try and understand the plethora of thoughts and emotions that go through my head at any given point of time.

I am unable to share sorrow with anyone. Its very difficult for me to really tell what i am feeling when i am down in the dumps. The overriding story is easily told, but the emotions are not there. I hate it when people try to give me company during these times. Loneliness is the only option for me. It might work or might not but at least gives me the time to conjure the emotions that i feel will be acceptable to others or at least not make them uncomfortable.

The problem with me is that i am overly optimistic coupled with the fact that i feel that if i keep fighting - even for a lost cause - i might some how will be able to win the battle. I have realised that a lot of times my suffering has intensified because of the same reasons but this is one philosophy that i don't want to change. If a situation is bad, i will always hope that things are going to be good. If i am not able to achieve something in the first try, i will keep on trying till i am really exhausted. If a person tells me no, i will try to find out the reasons for saying so and try and change the situation and or change myself to achieve a favourable response, if the person is really important to me.

These days i am trying to come out into the open with my emotions and not act but be myself. I have been accused of - in jest probably - of either being the court jester or someone who cares a damn. Most of the occasions, i was actually happy with that outcome because it was me the actor, who wanted everyone to believe that and everyone did. I will not go into the right or wrong of this but at least it made some people smile at my antics. This article in the blog is a reflection of that change. I am not sure this is the right decision but at least it is a decision. However, let me make this absolutely clear. My emotions are my own and no one has any right on even a single part of it except the ones closest to me. The only people who have seen a reflection of my true side are those that i have been vulnerable to, the people that mean a lot to me and the people that i love - even though they might not reciprocate.

If i am removing my mask, its because i want to do it - for the time being.

Friday, April 3, 2009

The Quarter Life Crisis

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. You want to settle down for good because now all of a sudden that becomes top priority. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic.You begin to think a companion for life is better than a hundred in the shack and for once you would not mind standing tall for that special someone which otherwise you had never thought of until now.You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Talk about this with your friends.... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...

We call it the "Quarter-life Crisis"

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Shut up & Vote - Thermal & A Quarter

A Damn Good initiative by Thermal & A Quarter: It seems the Jaago Re! One Billion Vote campaign has organized a 5 city tour where TAAQ (One of Bangalore's and India's hottest bands - though i don't like their music too much) will be performing a couple of songs written for the great indian tamasha/ reality TV show of Indian General Elections so that youngsters like us can come out and vote...and as they say...'Vote because we have the dope, We are the Antidote'....

Lyrics of 'Shut up and Vote'


Walking man, waking up
It's never too late to shine
The seasons change, you re-arrange
Guess you're doing fine

You think you're cool, you've been to school
You know your rock n' roll

It's an easy twist, to make a fist,
Save your fingers from the cold...

Shut up and Vote
Shut up and Vote
You've got the dope, you're the antidote
Shut up and Vote
Shut up and Vote
You're so smart but you're running out of hope

It's all a mess, I must confess,
The system seems a joke
Should you make the steal, reinvent the wheel
Or simply go for broke?

Is it right, or is it left
They all give you a name
Are they clean, or are they clowns,
In the end, it's you, you're to blame

Shut up and Vote
Shut up and Vote
You've got the dope, you're the antidote
Shut up and Vote
Shut up and Vote
You're so smart but you're running out of hope

Thermal & A Quarter - Shut Up & Vote - Poll 2009

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Something Stupid - Possibly the most romantic song sung...

Yes....as far as i am concerned, this takes the cake...and the girl too....

Possibly the most romantic of songs, it has been sung by the Great Great Entertainer called Frank Sinatra (Same Zodiac sign you see :-)) and his Daughter Nancy Sinatra....this is for those occasions when the words are about to tumble and the pianists are readying themselves to stand in a line...

Lyrics:

I know I stand in line, until you think you have the time
To spend an evening with me
And if we go someplace to dance, I know that theres a chance
You wont be leaving with me

And afterwards we drop into a quiet little place
And have a drink or two
And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid
Like: I love you

I can see it in your eyes, that you despise the same old lies
You heard the night before
And though its just a line to you, for me its true
It never seemed so right before

I practice every day to find some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come through
But then I think Ill wait until the evening gets late
And Im alone with you

The time is right your perfume fills my head, the stars get red
And oh the nights so blue
And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid
Like: I love you
(I love you, I love you,...)

- A devout romantic :-)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Fresh Ho Jao - Simply Refreshing!!

Superb song, though the advertisement could have had a better connect. But the music and Sushma Reddy make this such a compelling watch. Its great that the makers have come out with the complete track. In fact the lyrics are also so true and as you might have realised, even more so for me....Thaki si zindagi si, ruki si zindagi si...kuch lamhe chra lo na :)

Sung by Cara Lisa Monteiro:

Fuhaarein, bochharein, nazaaare chura lo na,
kuch boondein chura lo na;
Thaki si zindagi se, ruki si zindagi se,
kuch lamhe chura lo na…;

Kuch yaddein, aur sapne, apne chura lo na;
ooo Ruki si zindagi se, thaki si zindagi se,
raftaarein chura lo na…

lukka chupi khelti hai,
bheed mein hazaaron kaliyaan (hazaaron kaliyaan);
mmmm galiyon mein yun bheed banke,
chup gayi hain saari khushiyaan (saari….saari khushiyaan);
Khushiyon ko bula lo na,
muskaane churalo naaaa…
sulagti pyaas hai toh,
machalti pyaas hai toh;
ek limca churalo na.

Kuch yaddein, aur sapne, apne chura lo na;
Ruki si zindagi se, thaki si zindagi se,
raftaarein chura lo na…”

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Reclaim Your Life (Part 1)...Start of the guilt trip!

The first ad of the Dicor series....It has always made me wonder whether there are people like me who feel helpless everyday and are still not able to do anything about it. Why cant we just walk away and follow our dreams...won't we be happier then....and make everyone else happier!!

Reclaim Your Life (Part 2)...What an Ad...What an Inspiration!!

This advertisement just means everything that is defined by "Institutionalization"....something against which i am going to fight tooth and nail all my life....

The urge to break out and the courage to follow dreams...hopefully will keep me from becoming part of the scrapyard of Satisfaction!!

Life goes by without you knowing, Can you feel it pass you by...Reclaim you life!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Quest for Justice

Please note that I am Neutral to the Israel - Palestine conflict since both sides have done both right and wrong. My personal belief is that Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully if the entire Arab world agrees to let Israel live in peace and disarm the terror groups while at the same time Israel gives legitimacy to the Palestine State.

I know it is not simple and am not naive to believe that it will happen soon enough but what people want is a way forward....and a positive way forward.

This article was forwarded to me in the last week and i have just posted it here so so that people can gain some sort of a perspective into the views of Jews like Judith Stone and a debate can happen over the same. After all democracy does not mean just fighting with someone if everyone in your country wants to fight. It also means that the brave leaders should stand up and educate the people about the various paths that can be followed and ends that await them. Only then should they be allowed to take a call....

LONDON - 11 January 2009

Jewish editor sacked for publishing article.

This article was sent to Debbie Ducro, a American-Jewish journalist with the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. She published it ........... and was fired the next day!!

Quest for justice
By: Judith Stone

I am a Jew. I was a participant in the Rally for the Right of Return to Palestine . It was the right thing to do.

I've heard about the European holocaust against the Jews since I was a small child. I've visited the memorials in Washington , DC and Jerusalem dedicated to Jewish lives lost and I've cried at the recognition to what level of atrocity mankind is capable of sinking.

Where are the Jews of conscience? No righteous malice can be held against the survivors of Hitler's holocaust. These fragments of humanity were in no position to make choices beyond that of personal survival. We must not forget that being a survivor or a co-religionist of the victims of the European Holocaust does not grant dispensation from abiding by the rules of humanity.

"Never again" as a motto, rings hollow when it means "never again to us alone." My generation was raised being led to believe that the biblical land was a vast desert inhabited by a handful of impoverished Palestinians living with their camels and eking out a living in the sand. The arrival of the Jews was touted as a tremendous benefit to these desert dwellers. Golda Meir even assured us that there " is no Palestinian problem ".

We know now this picture wasn't as it was painted. Palestine was a land filled with people who called it home. There were thriving towns and villages, schools and hospitals. There were Jews, Christians and Muslims. In fact, prior to the occupation, Jews represented a mere seven per cent of the population and owned three per cent of the land.

Taking the blinders off for a moment, I see a second atrocity perpetuated by the very people who should be exquisitely sensitive to the suffering of others. These people knew what it felt like to be ordered out of your home at gun point and forced to march into the night to unknown destinations or face execution on the spot. The people who displaced the Palestinians knew first hand what it means to watch your home in flames, to surrender everything dear to your heart at a moment's notice. Bulldozers levelled hundreds of villages, along with the remains of the village inhabitants, the old and the young. This was nothing new to the world.

Poland is a vast graveyard of the Jews of Europe. Israel is the final resting place of the massacred Palestinian people. A short distance from the memorial to the Jewish children lost to the holocaust in Europe there is a leveled parking lot. Under this parking lot is what's left of a once flourishing village and the bodies of men, women and children whose only crime was taking up needed space and not leaving graciously. This particular burial marker reads: "Public Parking".

I've talked with Palestinians. I have yet to meet a Palestinian who hasn't lost a member of their family to the Israeli Shoah, nor a Palestinian who cannot name a relative or friend languishing under inhumane conditions in an Israeli prison. Time and time again, Israel is cited for human rights violations to no avail. On a recent trip to Israel , I visited the refugee camps inhabited by a people who have waited 52 years in these 'temporary' camps to go home. Every Palestinian grandparent can tell you the name of their village, their street, and where the olive trees were planted. Their grandchildren may never have been home, but they can tell you where their great-grandfather lies buried and where the village well stood. The press has fostered the portrait of the Palestinian terrorist. But the victims who rose up against human indignity in the Warsaw Ghetto are called heroes. Those who lost their lives are called martyrs. The Palestinian who tosses a rock in desperation is a terrorist.

Two years ago I drove through Palestine and watched intricate sprinkler systems watering lush green lawns of Zionist settlers in their new condominium complexes, surrounded by armed guards and barbed wire in the midst of a Palestinian community where there was not adequate water to drink and the surrounding fields were sandy and dry. University professor Moshe Zimmerman reported in the Jerusalem Post (30 April, 1995), "The [Jewish] children of Hebron are just like Hitler's youth."

We Jews are suing for restitution, lost wages, compensation for homes, land, slave labour and back wages in Europe . Am I a traitor of a Jew for supporting the right of return of the Palestinian refugees to their birthplace and compensation for what was taken that cannot be returned?

The Jewish dead cannot be brought back to life and neither can the Palestinian massacred be resurrected. David Ben Gurion said, "Let us not ignore the truth among ourselves...politically, we are the aggressors and they defend themselves...The country is theirs, because they inhabit it, whereas we want to come here and settle down, and in their view we want to take away from them their country...".

Palestine is a land that has been occupied and emptied of its people. Its cultural and physical landmarks have been obliterated and replaced by tidy Hebrew signs. The history of a people was the first thing eradicated by the occupiers. The history of the indigenous people has been all but eradicated as though they never existed. And all this has been hailed by the world as a miraculous act of God. We must recognise that Israel 's existence is not even a question of legality so much as it is an illegal fait accompli realised through the use of force while supported by the Western powers. The UN missions directed at Israel in attempting to correct its violations of have thus far been futile.

In Hertzl's 'The Jewish State' the father of Zionism said: "We must investigate and take possession of the new Jewish country by means of every modern expedient." I guess I agree with Ehud Barak (3 June 1998) when he said, "If I were a Palestinian, I'd also join a terror group." I'd go a step further perhaps. Rather than throwing little stones in desperation, I'd hurtle a boulder.

Hopefully, somewhere deep inside, every Jew of conscience knows that this was no war; that this was not G-d's restitution of the holy land to it's rightful owners. We know that a human atrocity was and continues to be perpetuated against an innocent people who couldn't come up with the arms and money to defend themselves against the western powers bent upon their demise as a people.

We cannot continue to say, "But what were we to do?" Zionism is not synonymous with Judaism. I wholly support the rally of the right of return of the Palestinian people. here.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Father's love towards his Daughters....

"I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realised that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours."

- Barack Obama to his daughters Sasha and Malia for expressing regret for not spending enough time with them in the last 2 years.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Old & The New

Classy Photograph of two wheelers representing the old and the new of India.....A Lambretta & an Apache (
They both look shiny though!!)

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Disorder in Court

Extremely funny forward sent across!!

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Are you shittin' me? Your Honor, I think I need adifferent attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Guess.
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
_____________________________________________
--- And the best for last: ---
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS : No.
ATTORNEY : Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS : No.
ATTORNEY : Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY : So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS : No.
ATTORNEY : How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY : I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire...It Rocks!!

It has to be about a Love Story....It just has to be!!

In one of the finest films made this year...shucks...till date...at least on Indian Soil, the love remains the undercurrent for everything. And why not?...if you take out the romance between the lead protagonists Jamal Malik and Latika, you lose the soul.

In an utterly impalusible movie, it still makes you wonder just a little bit...can this really happen, and this is the biggest tribute to the director since everything else is absolutely real. Both sides of India with its pukish slums, brothels, pimps, beggars one one hand and the glitzy call centres, Reality shows, Hiranandani and Mercedes Cars on the other are very 'in your face' real!!

The story is just an elongation of the Movie Name: Slumdog Millioniare in Hindi Slang - Basti/ Jhopad/ 'gandagi' ka Kutta who becomes a crorepati. A dog from the slums who is one the verge of becoming a millioniare and then just before the last question is asked all hell breaks loose. Since the guy is a slumdog, he should not know the answer to questions which even rich people do not know but he does....the situations that he has been in his life till date which makes him know the answer is what forms the crux of the story.

The Q&A moves between the good and the bad but keeping in kind that it has been made for international, particularly British audiences, it makes sense. What makes the Q&A session brillaint is Anil Kapoor, who in a short but career defining role is as slimy and stinking as the pot of shit in which the protagonist falls.

The situations are very real and what makes them more so are the young actors and their interaction. Watch the scene in which the blind child tells Jamal that bearded baldy on a $100 note is Benjamin Franklin. The subtlety of being blind is brought forward so well that its spellbinding. Or take the scene of a vey young Jamal dancing infront of his beloved Latika. The children keep the movie really alive. Infact they are so good that they overshadow the main cast members Dev Patel, Frieda Pinto and also Irrfan who are also quite impressive in their meaty roles.

This movie at some levels reminded me of 'City of God'. There are actually a lot of similarities in their subtext if you observe carefully though they are quite different in their overall positioning.

Finally the 3 things that make the movie so great are, The music of AR Rahman - this guy is a genious and mark my words, one day they are going to call him the greatest musician ever. Some of the tracks are exceptional and without words they convey so much meaning. Then there is the Direction of Danny Boyle - Hats off sir for making a movie in India which is better than what our bollywood has been dishing out for the last 50 years. Some of the scenes are extremely gritty without ever being distasteful. They are just 'Real'. And finally what makes this film truly memorable is INDIA - yes, it presents a myriad of colours and sequences and events our country that have become part of our life. It is what defines India today....sometimes to the extent that we have started ignoring some of these grusome facts about ourselves. If in some way - and i think it will - this movie awakens us to the darker underbelly of India and lets some reality seep into our consiousness, it will deserve the Oscar that is awaiting it right now!!!