this and that

Daas, (remake) Ravi's next. Songs are by Yuvan Shankar Raja. Some songs are not bad. I liked the one by Karthik - Nee en vizhiyil. Karthik is quite good. I loved the Run song he sang, though the words were terrible, vaada machaan.
Saami Kitta is nice, Shreya Ghosal is a good singer. There are places where her accent is bad, but overall her tamil is above average, considering the current crop of singers.

Pavithra Srinivasan has done a absolutely wonderful job blogging the translation of Kalki's Sivagamiyin Sabatham. A good read. If you have missed out on this great classic, grab this chance. Link on right.

I just finished 2 books, The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin and Death at Blenheim Castle by Robin Paige (who is actually a couple - Bill and Susan Smith). Steve Martin is a good writer, here it is about a neurotic young man and his journey to normalcy, well almost. Robin Paige's mystery novels are set in 19th century England and every book features a famous character in history, Beatrix Potter, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Kipling, etc. Good series.

Saw Spanglish over the last 2 days. The first half was quite likeable. Tea Leoni is good as the dysfunctional wife/mom, her mom ( ) is done a very good job, Paz Vega looks beautiful, the 2 girls have acted well. Adam Sandler does an ok job, but I am used to seeing him as the below average IQed person :-) Second half kind of seemed like a let down. Subtle humor and good acting. Not bad.



Oh Well! Off to Yoga now!

Tamlish Song trends

vara vara, thamizh paata, athu ennantu ketkanum pola!

I have some gripes about Kannum Kannum nokia.
intha paatule erkanave orey confusion, english paatula tamizha illai tamil paatula englishannu theriyallai. intha azhagula irukura konja nanja thamizhaiyum kollaranga (or should it be KoLLaranga ;-P)

So, is it kollai kollum mafia or KoLLai KoLLum mafia? The difference here is Capital punishment :-)

Intha paatoda beat supera irukku. I especially like the part where they do o remo, remo... cool honey cool honey cool honey ithazhil kudippen cool honey.

English vaarthai poda koodathunnu sollalai. Arthamullathaantu paaka vendaama? What the heck does Apple laptop penney mean?
chumma rhyme pannaruthuntu words korthu pottakka paatu varaathu. I have to acknowledge one thing here. Rhyme lessons vennumna TR sir kitta kekkanum :-)

I am not expecting Kannadhasan to be reborn. I just wish we had more meaningful and clean lyrics more often than we have nonsensical confused rhymes. I guess I am glad that Autograph's song (ovvoru pookalume - lyricist P. Vijay) is being taught in Madurai Kamaraj Univ. May be there are future lyricists who might be influenced.

Kaa karoon sajni

Today is apparently Rajesh Roshan's birthday. He is an underrated composer. He is not as popular as some others. He has given some gems to hindi film music. I have here a list of some of my favorite songs by him. I am sure I have left out some.

1. dushman na kare dost ne jo - Akhir kyon

2. utthe sab ke kadam - Baaton Baaton mein

3. wafa jo tumse - Daddy

4. Saara zamaana, Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan and chukar mere man ko - Yaarana

5. Almost all songs in Julie

6. Songs in Kaho na pyar hai

7. Songs in Koi mil gaya

8. Tume Se Badkhar and Tujh sang preet - Kaamchor

9. Jaati hoon mein - Karan Arjun


10. Ghunghte mein chanda - Koyla

11. Aap ke Aa Jane se - Khud Garz

12. Hum Dno milke kagaz ke dil pe - Tumhari Kasam

13. Hanste hanste kat jaye raste - Khoon bhari maang

14. ek baat maan lo tum, idlee doo - khel

15. Sa re ga ma - Man Pasand

16. Ghar se nikalte hi - papa kahte hain

17. kaali teri choit hai paraanda - Bahaar aane tak

18. toone abhi dekha nahin - do aur do paanch

19. nazron se kah do - doosra aadmi

20. yeh aankhen dekh kar - dhanwan

21. Jab koi baat bigad jaye

22. Baahon mein teri - kaala patthar

23. Mach Gaya Shor and I love you - Khud daar

24. Pardesiya dil de diya - Mr. Natwarlal

25. Ka karoon sajni - Swami

26. Leharon ki tarah yaaden - Nishaan

Shankar and Rajini together?

I saw this article on Shankar today. If taken on the same lines as his previous movies, we could expect a grand tailored-for-Rajini movie. But the kind of movies Shankar makes is suitable for someone 10 years younger at least?

He says the timing was not right for them to do something together. But now that both of them are free, may be they should give it a thought, before time really runs out.

valaiyil sikkiya kadigal

Lady : Is this my train?
Station Master : No, it belongs to the Railway Company.
Lady : Don't try to be funny. I mean to ask if
I can take this train to Kuala Lumpur.
Station Master : No Madam, I'm afraid it's too heavy.

--------
Peter : What a pair of strange socks you are wearing,
one is green and one is blue with red spots!
Kirk : Yes it's really strange. I've got another pair
of the same at home.
--------
A drunkard was brought to court. Just before the trial
there was a commotion in the gallery. The judge pounded
the gravel on his table and shouted,
"Order, order."
The drunkard immediately I'll have a scotch and soda."
--------
Customer : 'If I post this letter tonight, will it
get to Brighton in two days' time?'
Post Master : 'Well it might do.'
Customer : I bet you, it won't.
Post Master : Why not?
Customer : It's addressed to London.
--------
1st thief : Oh ! The police is here. Quick! Jump out
of the window
2nd thief : But this is the 13th floor.
1st thief : Hurry! this is no time for superstitions.
--------
Man : How old is your father ?
Boy : As old as me
Man : How can that be ?
Boy : He became a father only when I was born.
---------
Teacher : Correct the sentence, "A bull and a cow is
grazing in the field"
Student : A cow and a bull is grazing in the field.
Teacher : How ?
Student : Ladies first.

A trip to London, England

For a long time I wanted to visit this fascinating place. I finally got my chance last year. Amid doubts as to how to manage the trip with a 5 year old and a toddler, we bravely set out across the ocean.

We did a lot of research and equipped ourselves with a lot of information. We decided to rent a one bedroom apartment for the week, rather than stay at a hotel. With 2 kids, food was something we needed to worry about. We found a charming place in Hyde Park that suited us very well.

We used the Gatwick express to commute between the airport and Victoria, which is very convenient. We also bought Travel Cards that could be used on all tubes, buses and Dockland trains. The best part was, we got all of this from here, online and so, we didn’t have any problems when we landed there.

The hotels there don’t allow check in before 3 or 4 PM. So we left our luggage in the lobby and started our sightseeing bright and early.



The big bus tours are a convenient way to start the trip. The ticket is valid for 24 hours and we could get in and get out at any of the stops. They have guides (some recorded and some live) on the bus. The live ones give some interesting footnotes that make them more interesting.



We had no problems finding good food around the place. Indian restaurants are at every corner. My favorite one was Soho Spice in Soho (of course), they had a very limited menu but very tasty. A lot of them are Bangladeshi, so if you don’t like food steeped in garlic, you need to keep away from them. Veerasamy’s was also good, good ambience and excellent service.



I loved walking around the city. There is so much energy on the streets. Crowded streets, a lot of tourists, and a rich history make it very interesting.

The museums are awesome; my older one loved them. I liked the British Library, especially the Egyptian section there. Greenwich Village is a must. We took the Dockland light and walked under the Thames. That was one of my favorite spots around the river.

I loved the flea market there, found some good books. Loved the fact that I could pick a bunch of Enid Blyton and P.G. Wodehouse books without hunting high and low.

The wax museum was awesome. Took pictures next to Amitabh Bachchan. A pity we missed Aishwarya by a few months.





The London eye was wonderful. Being able to look at London from about 440 feet was great. We went around 4.30PM when the sun was slowly setting, got to take some great pictures.


The Tower of London was interesting. We saw the crown jewels, a lot of them should have rightfully belonged to India and Africa. Saw a bit of the Roman wall nearby.



We made a day trip to Salisbury to see Stonehenge. We took the train from Charing Cross and then a double decker bus ride to Stonehenge. Beautiful country, Salisbury! We even found an Indian restaurant there.

I was not impressed with the change of guards. It felt like much ado about nothing. There are so many elaborate customs and rituals that really amounts to nothing. I am sure we have quite a bit of that back home too.

At the end of the week, I knew one thing for sure. I wanted to come back. I am not sure why, but I felt at home in the narrow and bustling streets amidst crumbling buildings.

Why in the world...

would anyone need a limo truck? I did a double-take the other day when I saw this limo on the roads of Smallville. Was that really a pickup truck attached to the back of the loooong limo? So I googled and found this pic. Why?

Steve Martin

I admire a man, well any person, with a good sense of humor. Steve Martin happens to be a personal favorite. Here are some of his best movies, imho.

1. All of me: With Lily Tomlin. His body is partly taken over by Lily Tomlin's soul. Hilarious

2. Planes, Trains and Automobiles: paired with John Candy, he was at home, as the starched anal salesman.

3. Father of the bride.

4. Housesitter. With Goldie Hawn

5. Bringing down the house.

He is good at being the suffering, serious guy.

The one I am looking forward to is Inspector Clousseau. It is hard to imagine anyone else other than Peter Sellers here. But still, curious to see how good he gets with the accent, which was one of the best things in that movie.

The reason I brought up Steve Martin, is that I am reading his book, The Pleasure of My Company. He writes well. I enjoy the humor that is subtle and sarcastic, and slightly weird. The protagonist is an eccentric. He talks about connections between a car with Arizona plates and a toaster. He fears life, is neurotic and briefly a murder suspect. The most I enjoy in this book is how he puts his thoughts into words. It is different from the usual stuff I read, but absorbing.
A must for booklovers.

more fave romantic numbers

Here are some more of my favorites.

1. sippi irukkuthu

2. thenmerkku paruva kaatru

3. sotta sotta nanaiyuthu taj mahal

4. kuzhaloothum kannanukku

5. vaa vennilaa unnaiththaane

6. thoda thoda malarnthathenna

7. manam virumbuthey

8. thuyilatha pen onru kanden

9. geetham sangeetham

10. kathalaa kathalaa - avvai shanmugi

11. oru mani adithaal

12. maalai pozhuthin mayakkathile

13. paatu paadava paarthu pesava

14. yamunai aatrile

15. kangal enge nenjamum ange

16. narumugaye

17. paruvame

18. kodiyile malligai poo

19. maalayil yaaro manathodu

20. en veetu thottathil

21. chinna chinna vannakuyil

22. mayangugiraal oru maathu

23. anbe.. enai kaanavillaye netrodu

24. nee oru kaathal sangeetham

25. panivizhum malarvanam

26. vanna nilave vanna nilave varuvathu neethana

27. chinnan chiru vayathil

28. katril enthan geetham

29. aayiram nilave va

30. poove ilaya poove

31. aththaan ennaththaan

32. roja malare

33. sangeeth jathi mullai

34. en iniya pon nilave

The boy(?) who cried wolf

Remember Maruthanayagam? It started with a big bang with the Queen and all, but got boxed in by lack of funds. Time and again, there is talk of revival, and then, the same old story, back to the box. I wish he would do this and relieve all of us. It would be awesome indeed.

Again, at the kannada Sathi Leelavathi press meet, he talks of getting back to this. It is has been almost 10 years or more now. There were people predicting that the oscar was a sure thing for this movie.

Lazy did a blog on this sometime back. So much research went into this project. Let us hope it gets made.

email humor

Someone sent me this as the ultimate female joke. I don't know about that. But I did have a good laugh.

It has long been contended that there are male jokes and there are female jokes. And there are unisex jokes. Here is a joke I consider a true female joke. I offer it to you in the hopes that women will love it and men will pass it along to a woman who will love it.

A woman was sitting at a bar enjoying an after work cocktail with her girlfriends when an exceptionally tall, handsome, extremely sexy middle-aged man entered. He was so striking that the woman could not take her eyes off him. The young-at-heart man noticed her overly attentive stare and walked directly toward her. (As all men will.)

Before she could offer her apologies for so rudely staring, he leaned over and whispered to her, "I'll do anything, absolutely anything, that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $20.00......on one condition." Flabbergasted, the woman asked what the condition was.

The man replied, "You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words."

The woman considered his proposition for a moment, and then slowly removed a $20 bill from her purse, which she pressed into the man's hand along with her address. She looked deeply into his eyes, and slowly and meaningfully said.... "Clean my house." (YOU GO GIRL!!!)


Now, I wouldn't mind that. :-)

my fave romantic songs

I am home sick, blasted allergies having taken over. I am trying some musical medicine, listening to some of my favorite songs. Here are some that I really like.

1. anbale thediya en arivu selvam thangam
Don't know why, this moves me a lot. C.S. Jayaraman and, can you believe it, Janaki hums along.


2. Kodi asainthathum.
interesting lyrics. kind of like the chicken-egg controversry :-) Typical Kannadasan, if I may take the liberty to say typical and Kannadasan in the same sentence.

3. anthi mazhai
A classic. What is not to like about this song? visual and audial pleasure. I can never get bored of this song. SPB and Janaki with Ilayaraja. My favorite combo. TVGopalakrishnan does the classical interlude here. Vairamuthu of course shows early signs of his usual similes that sound good. indiran thottatu mundiriye, manmatha naatukku manthiriye. But still, enjoyable lyrics. Apparently, he was inspired by nandhik kalambagam. I don't know enough to ponder on this.

4. Inji iduppazhagi
Janaki is awesome here. And so is Kamal.

5. Sundari neeyum
Another of Kamal's gems. love the palakkad flavor here.

6. Inbam pongum vennila
PBS and PS. PBS is well suited to romantic numbers.

7. kaniya kaniya

8.masila nilave
not withstanding the rotund nasal diva Bhanumathi, a good song indeed. 3 raagas (maand, sankarabaranam,punnagavarali) mixed into 1 song.

9. unnai kaanaatha kannum
I have always loved these lyrics. beautifully rendered.

10. mella pesungal
LR.Easwari is flamboyant, TMS matching quite well.

11. naan kavignanum illai
lyrics are kannadasan of course. TMS. There is a bit of self-pity here, but still a good song.

12. naan pesa ninaipathellam
bit melancholic.

13. aayiram nilave vaa

14. pachai nirame
loved the visualization of this song.

15. pani illatha

16. poonkathave
one of the best from ilayaraja-vairamuthu duo. of course, vairamuthu with his bombastic sounding words does it here too.

17. enthan nenjil neengatha
from kalaignan.

18.kathal oviyam
actually all the songs in this movie are awesome.

19. katre en vaasal
again, all songs in this movie (Rhythm) are awesome.

20. senthamizh then mozhiyaal
this song brings back memories of the college train trips. one of our favorites to fill up the time.

21. anjali anjali pushpanjali

22. kanaamoochi ennada
well, all the songs in this movie are awesome.

23. vennilave vennilave

24. paadu nilave

25. nee oru kaathal sangeetham

26. ennavale ennavale

27. naan thedum sevvanthi
I think Ilayaraja's voice was the magic of this song.

28. adi aathaadi

There are so many many more. I have not covered most of my fave Ilayaraja tunes. Some other day then.

Are you a paraskevidekatriaphobe

Are you wondering what the h am I talking about?
That's the fancy Greek term for people who fear Friday the 13th. Paraskevi is the Greek word for Friday, and dekatria is how Greeks say 13. Phobe, as you might have guessed, relates to phobia.

Why do people make a big fuss about this day? Urban legend or superstition?
Reading the above link, it is funny to see how people attach luck to specific things. I guess I do too. But certainly not to such an extent. Not enough to stop me from going about with life.

Friday is auspicious to a lot of us. We get paid this day, why would that be not good? ;-)

Anyway, I consider this date to be lucky for me. I have 11 years of a wholesome marriage as proof!

Anniyan Anticipation

My ride back home yesterday was filled with randakka randakkas as my girls have taken to that song quite well. So we went home and decided to watch the songs in Dhool. My older one wanted to see the whole movie and we ended up doing that.
I watched this earlier when it was released. This is one of my favorite Vikram movies. Come to think of it, I think I have liked all the movies I have seen of his, post Sethu. But this and Samy are among my favorites. Jo has also done some good acting here, not just flashing pretty outfits. I have been quite impressed with Shayaji Shinde after watching some of his hindi movies. So it was a good coupla hours altogether. My little toddler loved the vegetable song and was singing that all through the evening. Since it was not a movie for kids, we had to turn their attention elsewhere whenever the screen got violent. :-)
Vikram looked good in this movie. It is good to see heroes giving a lot of attention to body building. So (most of) the fights were believable. Not like Aishu's dad or husband ;-P
The songs are very enjoyable. I loved the way gundu ponnu had been picturized. Jo's saris in Aasai asai were very nice. I think this is one of few movies where I have been able to tolerate her mannerisms ;-)
I liked the comedy which blended quite well with the storyline. Vivek is probably among the minority breed who can make us laugh without resorting to vulgarity.

So now, I can hardly wait to see Vikram in his umpteen plus get ups. I guess I might have to find comfort in watching Saamy again.

Kannaadiyin marupakkam

I came across this superb article on Chennai by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. Anyone who calls Chennai a home will identify with it.
It is like viewing from the other side of the mirror. And he definitely has a flair for writing. Good read and not just for the content.
Who knows, may be in a few more years, this would be the norm :-)

tamil bites

Kathalargal eppo poi pesuvaanga?
Avargal Mei maranthu irrukum pothu.

Penn: Enna sir Interview pannama enn moonchiya parthute irukeenga?
Manager: Chumma irumma, ithu Naer Muga thervu athanaala thaan.

3. Kutralam aruvi pathi entha news vanthalaum nambakudathu Eaen?
Enaa athu False news aachae.

Can(nes)vas

Looks like Bollywood is really reaching out to the global audience. Ash is bewitching folks out on the French Riviera along with Nandita Das. BTW, anyone agree that Nandita Das looks better in simple attire and not decked up heavily? Ash looks more confident and pretty, but I wish she had covered her back a wee bit better ;-)

While on Nandita Das, her movie Vishwa Thulasi has worn some awards. I remember reading an article about the movie's director Sumathy Ram in AV and feeling quite envious :-)

I bought this movie and still haven't had time to watch it. Will soon make time for it.

And then, there is news of Shekhar Kapoor back on Elizabeth with a sequel. Mira Nair too, has been in the news recently with a couple of films on the anvil- Gangsta MD and Namesake.

I have read Namesake and enjoyed the experience. Kind of looking forward to watching it on the big screen.

And Chadha, who disappointed many with her last film, is busy with a few. I dream of Jeannie, is the one I am looking forward to.

This coming year sure sounds promising for us fans

Transcreation?

That's the word. It is very popular in India and has been for some time. That is, localizing a concept, in this (check Ravikumar's blog) case, a superhero, Spiderman. The word is new, but the concept is old, at least for us.

We have been "Indianizing" quite a few heroes, that this is no big deal. This is probably one of first legitimate ones though.

Ask the music directors and movie directors there, they would give good pointers on how to go about it.

Anniyan

There are loads of pix on newindpress.com. Check them out here. Is it just me, or does Sada look totally washed out in the first few pics?

Meanwhile, there is so much buildup around Anniyan, everyone is looking forward to the release later this month. The people who brought CM to the US plan to bring Anniyan too. There is also talk of dubbing in Telegu and Hindi. The producers are not selling the distribution rights hoping to reap in the profits themselves. Well, let us hope, for their sake, that the film is not a dud.

But I guess there has been enough marketing hype that this movie should reap in the gold, at least the first few weeks. Not sure if that may be enough to compensate the nation's costliest film thus far.

I am looking forward to the picturization of my 2 favorite songs - sukumari and iyengaar veetu.

Rajini's next movie?

Seems CM's collections have exceeded Padayappa's so far. So the Rajini wave is back in full swing. There is now speculation about his next. There is talk that the hindi movie Waqt being remade in Tamil with thalai in Amitabh's role and Jeyam Ravi donning the son's character. That would be interesting indeed! I am more curious to know who takes up Boman Irani's role. He was hilarious. Manivannan perhaps? Jayaram would be good in such a role too. Although I doubt he would even be considered here. Goundamani too, but I haven't seen him in ages. And who would do Rajpal Yadav's role of the dumb servant? Vadivelu - too loud, vivek - fits better in talkative roles, ramesh kanna - would be good, senthil - if paired with Gounds.

But this is just speculation, but if Rajini is smart, which he is, he should get one more hit movie out of all this heat.

Hero

Another movie to remind you that you shouldn't go by another person's review. Or may be it was watching 2 of Zhang's movies almost back to back. After watching this, I felt the flying daggers one was better.
Certain things were good. Nameless (Jet Li) tells the king several versions of how he captured the assassins. I still don't know which was true. Well, I guess the last one, but I am not too sure ;-)
In some places the fight choreo was too corny, especially when they fight seeming to defy gravity. You can carry things only to a certain extent and get away with it. Ok, I admit this sounds funny coming from a tamil movies fan.
Needless to say, the photography is excellent as in all of Zhang's other movies. The clouds of autumn leaves, the water play in the first fight sequence, and everytime nature serves as the backdrop is visual poetry .
At the end of the movie, my husband and I were of the same opinion - weird :-)
If you really really like martial arts and also like artsy movies, then sure watch it. If not, better skip it.

a bit of email humor

This is something I got by email that I thoroughly enjoyed. Sharing the fun.

If Abbott and Costello were still around today their famous sketch "Who's on first?" might have turned out something like this....

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper Computer Store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look in the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software for Windows?
COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What have you got?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.
COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, lets just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".
COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers. OK, forget that. Can I watch movies on the Internet?
ABBOTT: Yes, you want Real One.
COSTELLO: Maybe a real one, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of your business. Just tell me what I need!
ABBOTT: Real One.
COSTELLO: If it's a long movie I also want to see reel 2, 3 & 4. Can I watch
them?
ABBOTT: Of course.
COSTELLO: Great! With what?
ABBOTT: Real One.

COSTELLO: OK, I'm at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do?
ABBOTT: You click the blue "1".
COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?
ABBOTT: The blue "1".
COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue w?
ABBOTT: The blue "1" is Real One and the blue "W" is Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: But there's three words in "office for windows"!
ABBOTT: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the world.
COSTELLO: It is?
ABBOTT: Yes, but to be fair, there aren't many other Words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other Words out there.
COSTELLO: And that word is real one?
ABBOTT: Real One has nothing to do with Word. Real One isn't even part of
Office.
COSTELLO: STOP! Don't start that again. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer
COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT: One copy.
COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy money.
COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

A FEW DAYS LATER . . .

ABBOTT: Super Duper Computer Store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on "Start"

Trust your mama! She knows best.

Today's morning news had this interesting thing to say. Motherhood makes you smarter. Well, I sure do agree there are certain things that I am better at now ;-) Mediating fights, managing time, teaching new things, getting work done (this one is work in progress) and so on.

There have been times when I thought some of my brain cells got fried during labor. But I guess, they just got rewired. My view has shifted, priorities are different than they were a few years back. But on the whole, looking back, I can say I can handle things better now. May be because I am smarter now ;-)

Good news India

On the heels of that previous news, I read this one about the Indian space program.

We are certainly going places (pun intended)!

Kudos to Arvind Thiagarajan

This Anna Univ grad has found a way to do lossless compression. Our country sure needs guys like this. Let us hope this is the start of a new era for our ooru. Thamizhan endru sollada, thalai nimirnthu nillada. Namba seyyalainaalum, innoruthan senjathai kondaadalaame?

The House of Flying Daggers

A chinese masala movie :-)

Starring: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro

Director: Yimou Zhang (who made Hero with Jet Li - planning to watch this next)

Watched this one yesterday. It has the same aura as that of Crouching tiger..., but this is no pouncing tiger for sure. The Cinematography is the best thing about this movie. The dance(?) and fight choregraphy are good too.

James Rochi of Netflix in his critique, has this to say,

House of Flying Daggers has a feel and style that are slightly more specific. Chinese storytelling includes a genre style called wu xia that mixes soap opera emotions with martial arts action. (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the wu xia story most familiar to mainstream American audiences.) Think of any wu xia film as "Desperate Housewives" with swords, and you'll get the general idea.

The fight in the bamboo forest must have irked at least a few conservationists :-) But it was spectacular. The rich greens in those visuals is very appealing. People used to Indian movies would like this somewhat. What really got me was the richness of the frames.


(Warning: spoiler)
There were times when I was reminded of a tamil or hindi movie. Mei falls in love with Jin, Leo too loves her, forming a not so cozy triangle. Leo knifes her in a fit of jealousy, Jin tries to kill him and the two fight a fantastic (visually speaking) battle, then Mei gets up :-) Yes, she does, albeit with tremendous trouble. She uses the dagger stuck in her heart to save Jin, which causes the blood to flow and she collapses. Jin lifts her head on to his lap and we all think that she is dead (finally), but her eyes flutter open, follows a bittersweet moment and she dies. For sure, this time. Jin breaks into a song. A sad one, but a song nevertheless.
Corny, eh? :-)

Outsourcing superheroes?

Spidey goes to Mumbai outsourced as Pavitr Prabhakar . You should see those dhoti-clad costumes :-)

Let's see now. Who else could be brought home?
Superman, Clark Kent - could call him Karan Kanth?
Hulk - Dr. Robert Bruce Banner -Dr. Rabi Bernard?
Flash- Jay Garrick - Jai Gowariker
Wolverine - James Howlett - Jamsher Hamid
Daredevil - Matt Murdock - Madan Mangath

Chennai, more options

Delta is planning to start direct flights to Chennai from May 11, from JFK and Paris. That is going to be so convenient to a lot of us whose only option was lufthansa. This is great news indeed. Hopefully others will follow with our open air policy.

Private Indian airlines have been announcing flights to the US, but only to the 2 major cities. I think, adding Atlanta and Houston may be a good idea.

Anyways, looking forward to more choices and better pricing.