I first started this by writing “May 2009 bring you happiness and joy”, and then realized why they call English a funny language.
Enjoy a favorite song of mine.
Dec 312008
Dec 302008
Three days and 350+ casualties later, it is still hard to find an opinion piece in a major newspaper that is anything but praise for Israel’s pounding of Gaza.
But those selfsame media outlets employ selective (and grossly untrue) reporting when covering the India-Pakistan conflict; reports on India are about a bellicose nation that is mounting its troops along the border with Pakistan, while those about Pakistan are of a peace-loving nation desperately trying to balance its commitment to the United States in the war on terror while having to protect its sovereignty from a bullying neighbor.
While Israel’s right to protect its citizens cannot be denied, it is worth pondering how much more effective its methods are, given the cushion of a well-oiled propaganda machine that India lacks.
Dec 252008
With the exception of Kanjeevaram, I think I must have watched all the must-not-be-missed Tamil movies of 2008. Without a doubt, Anjaathey is the best Tamil movie of the year. A handful of movies view for the second spot. And Poo is one of those worthy movies that I would add to that list.
I’m not sure if many people would even have noticed this movie. People do not take Srikanth seriously, which might explain this in part.
Poo, directed by Sasi (Sollaamale, Roja Koottam, Dishyum) is an excellent tale of a girl’s love for her cousin told with a rustic charm that takes us back to Bharathiraja’s golden age. But what can be new in a village love story, you ask? Simple. Poo is narrated with the girl as the central character. It is a radical departure from the hero-centric narration that Tamil cinema is afflicted with. So much so that Srikanth, the hero, seems only a fleeting presence. In contrast, Parvathi Menon, who plays Mari, is present in almost every frame, and boy, does she carry it well! Interestingly, the film’s other central character is also not a man, but Mari’s friend, Cheenimma (played by Inbanila). Think of it as an Autograph kind of movie, but from the girl’s viewpoint.
Poo is one of the few movies this year which made me look at my watch from time to time and think, “Oh, it is 2 hours and x minutes already. I don’t want this movie to end.” A fabulous movie. You would want to watch it one more time. And also write in Parvathi Menon for a state national award this year.
Dec 192008
First a video clip from Times Now.
You know what irks me? It is not that she (whose only real calling card is that she is somewhat remotely related to Aishwarya Rai) is dating him or anything. But that this report calls her a “popular South Indian actress“.
Reminds me of Koundamani yet again: “மூணு வீலும் ஒரு தார்பாலினும் இருந்தா நீ ஓனரா? படுவா, அப்போ டாட்டா பிர்லா-வல்லாம் என்னடா சொல்லுவீங்க?”
Dec 182008
Friend Alagukannan informs us that the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation has posted PDF versions of textbooks on its website. A welcome move indeed.
To relive old memories, I pull up the Class Ten Tamil textbook. And what do I find on the first page?
Spelling mistake in the Class Ten Tamil textbook
… that celebrates bad behavior.
Dec 142008
Most apps on Facebook belong to the category ”Useless”. Here’s an example. A couple of days ago, I receive a notification on Facebook:
Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan just answered a question about your personal life [Has Vijay had a threesome?] Click here to see what Chandrachoodan said.
Reminds me of a scene from We are not Tata Birla. Koundamani and Parthiban are being beaten up in a police station. The Inspector wants to foist false cases on them. This is the conversation:
Inspector: யோவ், Constable, அந்த அன்னிய செலாவணி வழக்கை இவன் மேல போடுயா
Koundamani: ஆமாம். இங்க local செலவாணிகே [sic] வழியைக் காணும். இதுல அன்னிய செலவாணி வேறயா?
!– Vetti ALERT –!
When I was recovering from a ligament reconstruction surgery last year, I acquired a bad habit, which I have been continuing to this day – listening to music when going to bed. Not only is this bad for the ears (though I listen to classical music 99% of the time), it is also highly addictive. Maybe addictive is not the right word – I can do without it, but it is hard to resist the temptation.
Sometimes, I listen to Tamil dramas – S.Ve. Shekar’s or Crazy Mohan’s. A couple of days ago, I tried something new when listening to S.Ve. Shekar’s Ellaame Thamaash Dhaan. The exercise is to visualize the scene. How you do it is immaterial. You could visualize the scene as if you were a member of the audience in a theater, or as if you were on-stage, but a passive onlooker.
The exercise was interesting, but tough as well. I’m not someone who thinks in terms of images, so it was difficult to keep the flow. Also, I tend to introspect a lot, which again arrests free flow. And finally, the exercise, though stimulating, is counter-intuitive, as you are doing it as you are trying to go to sleep.
Anyway, I am drawn to the fun in it, and I’m looking forward to tonight’s “theater of dreams”.
Dec 082008
I’m surprised that the headline on CNN-IBN’s website reads “Cong., BJP win and lose, no verdict for 2009“. Is IBN carrying a brief for the BJP?
One could argue that the Congress won Mizoram, Delhi and Rajasthan, while the BJP held on to Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. But that doesn’t give the whole picture.
Firstly, the BJP lost Rajasthan. And it lost big. There was a negative swing of 42 seats, a fifth of the seats in the Rajasthan State Assembly. The BJP did managed to stay in power in Madhya Pradesh, but it dropped 30 seats.
The BJP wasn’t able to topple Shiela Dixit in Delhi, despite the fact that her government has been in power for 10 years – not many Chief Ministers have been able to stave off that much anti-incumbency.
This debacle for the BJP comes soon after a national crisis in which the country’s attention has been focused on the Congress Government alleged laxity in dealing with the Mumbai terror attack of 11/26. This was a major loss of face for the Congress; it had to ship out the Union Home Minister as well as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and his deputy. The news media, acting like kids, had placed the blame at the Government’s door. Yet the BJP was unable to capitalize on this.
I’m wondering if the BJP is at all ready to face the coming 2009 general elections. Let’s face it. They cannot win in Kerala and West Bengal. In Tamil Nadu, no party wants to align with them. Chandrababu Naidu might not go with them in Andhra Pradesh. Add to this the debacle in Delhi and Rajasthan. And they are not the force they once were in Uttar Pradesh. Where will they get the numbers from then?
Dec 072008
From the home page of the Times of India. I first read it as “because he has married a woman…”
Dec 062008
There is a saying in Tamil, “போதும் என்ற மனமே பொன் செய்யும் மருந்து”, which literally translates to “The heart that is satisfied is like a pill (medicine, chemical) made of that makes gold.”
In other words, “Content is king.”
President Bush says that he botched the war in Iraq because of poor intelligence. I couldn’t agree more. He is referring to his.
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