Steaming In...

One of the positives I looked forward from my forced sabbatical was some savings. At the fag end of it, I don't see any in my account! Its as bare as it usually is. I thought at least my credit card bill would come down. Maxed out and overdrawn to the limits! If the lack of savings can be attributed to the assortment of lab tests and high cost medicines, the credit card fiasco is the sole responsibility of Valve. More specifically, Steam.

Steam is a digital game delivery platform. The best in existence. You buy a game, download the Steam client, download the game, and play. Simple enough. What makes this extra special is the fact that suppose you have a PC crash, you can redownload the game free of charge! Also, if you have multiple computers, you can download the games all of them and play! Some games also provide you with the facility of syncing the save games! Totally awesome stuff! The sad part is you will go broke from buying games.

I had never bought a legitimate game (apart from a couple of games I bought for a pittance from Big Bazaar which never worked) in my life before I joined Steam. All started on a fateful day. A typical lazy Sunday. I was going through Reddit and a thread caught my attention. Hearts of Iron II for $3.49. My interest piqued. Redditors were raving about the game. Its a grand strategy/war game were you take control of a real life nation in the Second World War and fictional era after the World War. A very complex game. Seeing the price, I decided to buy it. Sadly, the game was too complex and I didnt have enough time to invest at that point of time. Time went by and I got stuck in TVM with my laptop and nothing to keep me busy except for books. Steam struck once again!

I got enamored by Cricket Revolution and decided to buy it. $9.99. Very tough. Haven't got the heart to sit and learn it. Money not so well spent. Steam struck, yet again!

This time the game was Torchlight. Reddit as usual is the guilty party. I bought the game for $9.99. Never regretted. Its worth much more. Totally awesome Diablo like action-role playing game. I finished the main quests and now doing the sub quests. Steam struck...oh nevermind.

The holiday sales began. Amazing, amazing offers. I ended up buying Audiosurf, Indigo Prophecy, and Rome: Total War. All three together for yet another $9.99. Mercifully, my credit card maxed out. Else I would have gone for the Popcap package, Id Super Pack, Orange Box and Unreal package. Sweet deals though! In a way its good that I didn't get any high end games. My PC has apparently croaked and I can assess the damage only after returning to Bangalore.

A word on the Audiosurf. This is one of the most original and amazing games I have played in my life. Its available at an absolute steal right now. Just $2.50. In this game, you give any song as the input. The game comes packaged with tracks from Valve games like Halflife and Team Fortress 2. The game analyses the song and creates a racing track sort of thing with coloured cubes and all. The track dynamics varies with the music. You have several modes with which you have to accomplish certain things. Its very hard to describe. The game is an absolute treat to play with Motherjane songs. They are very challenging and extremely fun, even more than Lep Zepellin and Eric Clapton! A religious musical experience! Best part is its playable on most computers! Watch the following video with Bring Me to Life by Evanescence.

Little Stars

Damn you little brats from Star Singer junior! My reputation of being a tough ass cookie who listens exclusively to metal songs filled with throaty growls have been shattered! To clarify, the image was purported by folks who saw me headbang to Metallica and watch metal videos in Jukebox and Rosebowl. Fascination to black tees, unkempt hair, and torn jeans further added fuel to the fire. The image was held up by yours truly for God know what!

Not so any more!The little ones in the reality show Munch Star Singer junior have shattered that mythical me. Now my parents and my family knows that I enjoy melodious music as much as any other. Boohoo! So much for the bloody exclusivity! I have been turning up for dinner at exactly the same time as the show and does not even demand the remote to watch Cricket during the show! (Good time to be a cricket fan. A riveting South Africa-England contest, Aussies raping our Padosis...yummy time!) Later on, I am searching YouTube for the song videos and searching for the MP3. To play the song over and over again! Caught red handed multiple times! So much for the tough guy shit.

Todays show featured two excellent renditions. Anuraga lola gathri by a lad called Vishnu (the bigger one, the other small Vishnu is the best singer on TV right now!) supported by Swetha (Sujatha's daughter). Amazing song, beautifully sung. Only Yesudas could have done better than him!

The song is from the movie Dhwani, which happens to be the final movie of the great Prem Nazir. The other songs of the movie are as good, if not better than this song. My favourite is Rathi Suga Saare.

The second song was by a slightly older girl (I forgot the name), Vaasanthapanchami naalil from Bhargavi Nilayam. Once again, beautifully sang and as Sujatha commented, it would be impossible to surpass this live rendition by anyone.

Bhargavi Nilayam features some of the best songs including one of my all time favourites, Thaamasamenthe Varuvaan.
To be frank, I don't rate most of the participants in the flagship show, Idea Star Singer (or any other show for that matter!). There are some really good singers. But none of them can really give the established singers a run for their money. These kids on the other hand are truly exceptional and way more fun to watch. Just a sincere wish that none of these kids become fucked up like Britney Spears and a multitude of stars who became successful as little kids.

...

2 months...Its been nearly two months since I got locked up with whatever-this-bloody-thing. No immediate sight of respite as well. Tests followed by tests, medicines by the shit load, work life hitting rock bottom...have I seen the floor yet? The whole ordeal has started show the effect on me. Suddenly feel like a teenager all over again! Flaring up at every single syllable of my parents. Utter disdain for every body I see. The sheer helplessness of the time being wasted away with no clarity. The worse thing. More test results are forthcoming and I think there will be more tests after that! When I wanted to be a test player, I didn't mean this!

The only respite is reading. Need to call up my roomie to fetch my books from Bangalore. I have burning money on new books when several dozen sitting unread back there in my shelf! Another welcome diversion has been the game Torchlight. Got it for 10 bucks in Steam and the best purchase I ever made! Totally awesome game. Diablo like game! Major fun and crack addictive!

My voyages through the interwebs ended up on some poetry. Mushy romantic ones at that! I liked this one...despite having no idea how I can relate to it! May be the fact that there is nobody worrying about me apart from the ones of blood!

I Worry

I worry about you- So long since we spoke. Love, are you downhearted, Dispirited, broke? I worry about you. I can't sleep at night. Are you sad? Are you lonely? Or are you all right? They say that men suffer As badly, as long. I worry, I worry, In case they are wrong.

Light but devilishly dark!
More poems from Wendy Cope are available here. Pretty good ones!


Back to work! I am restricted to doing heavy hauling at nights since my Reliance broadband connection has a paltry 2GB limit during the day. I exceeded the limit last month. A kingly 7 GB instead of the 2GB. Poorer by a country mile this new year!

Photo Blog

Saw a cool template and instantly fell in love with it! Result: A new photo blog! Check it out and subscribe! The URL is flog for a reason. I have practically flogged these photos. Other established photographers and wannabes etch the beauty of their subjects in a delicate manner. Not me! Nada! I flog them on to my canvas! See it to believe it!

P.S: All pictures are randomly shot on my mobile phone. I am too damn lazy to lug around a camera and worry about light and stuff like that. If I like it, I take it! Pronto!

Hai vasti people! Keep eating those vitamins!

Insomniac

I have an Outbrain widget on the blog. The one that allows you to click and rate the post. Very same thing people barely use! It pays for itself by inserting contextual links to posts outside the blog. Look at the link that came along with my last post: Vaginal Health: Why Do I Have Watery Discharge?

A truly WTF moment! It is pretty much contextual when you think about it. The post starts with a fuck and I guess its pretty much related. Hmm...most of the time at least you pervs! If you dig deeper, its even more intelligent! I have referenced the movie Paleri Manikyam: Oru paathirakolapathikathinte katha. The movie deals with the first (fictional) rape-murder in unified Kerala! Very relevant unless you have very different taste! I should stop before I turn this post into an innuendo fueled fuck fest!

Two days on and I can't sleep! I went to bed early. Switched off my laptop so that I don't get up in the middle of the night to check upon mails that never were.Slept for sometime. A fitful sleep. Weird dreams.

In one particular dream, I am having dinner with a lady in a fancy restaurant. No, can't remember her face! I am pretty amorous and eating little. Nothing weird so far. As I think about calling the waiter for bill, she says: I want a juice and something to eat! I am still hungry! If you can't afford from here, we can go out and eat. I wake up thinking WTF!

The second one is worse. I am standing in the front room of my home and talking to my mother. Nothing weird here, until you realize that you are watching a water ride similar to ones seen in Veega Land just next to your home. Weirder still, your mother is talking to you while she is riding it! Weirdest of all, one dry ride is in your yard and literally dozens of people are riding it. I resign myself to the sights and watch a new building next to the water ride where the school kids who came to ride are partying with beer. Suddenly, I am out of the house. A terrorist apparently has entered the ride and he is going inside my home totting a gun. I am frantically trying to devise an escape plan for my mother. Then I wake up. Go and pee few litres. Drink more water to compensate. Sleep has deserted me again. I am left thinking about moving away to a quiet place where there are very little chance of a terrorist attack. There is a promised post. I will get to as soon as I can start thinking coherently. Also, the review of Paleri Manikyam would be up soon. Hint: One of the best movies I have seen this year which is an illustrious list that includes Pazhassi Raja and Kerala Cafe.

Edit: And the outgoing contextual link for this post is...Insomnia at Menopause: Learning to Love My Inner Teenage Night Owl (Health.com) Errm! Curiouser and Curiouser! 

Random

Fuck! A bloody weekend and I cannot sleep! I should be sleeping late into the day, lazily shielding myself from the greenish glare of the sun. Greenish thanks to my curtains, which I chose and absolutely adore! Feeling a little bad about leaving to Bangalore. Its been one and a half months at home and will be two by the time I leave. Of course, everything depends on whether the Hepatitis virus manages to leave me! If I am really lucky, I could be suffering from pancreatic cancer or a rare form of liver cancer. The perils of information overload!

If I stay awake for 10 more minutes, the Pakistan-New Zealand test match will start. Watching the pakis getting pawned is sadistically uplifting! A little while later Cricket Revolution will be done downloading and I can start playing it! A neat game! You can play all sorts of shots unlike the usual hit and giggle in EA Cricket. I guess I will listen to some music on Spotify. Installed it using a UK proxy. Works like a charm! Awesome on-demand radio. Best part: It even has good quality Malayalam songs!
Loved the T20 game last night. Good to see Yuvi raping the Srilambs! Even better to see some old school Dhoni hitting which is a rare sight these days. Oh, by the way I support Telangana to an extent! Hopefully, I will get my lazy butt to write an article tomorrow. Before all the sheeple get another issue to bleat. A tweet really reeled me up: someguy Absolutely! RT @anotherguy We need to unite the country! Not divide it! Yeah right! When you get time, brush upon history and a have quick peek in the constitution. New post! Tomorrow! I am getting hot now!
Hopefully, I will be watching Paleri Manikyam: Oru paathira kolapathakathinte katha tomorrow. Supposed to be one of the best Malayalam movie in a long time!
Ciao! Drink your milk and stay fit!

Reminiscing the Classics

Check out the movie blog for the new series. First up is the write up on Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare.

Remember this day...

...when we as a nation was shamed by a bunch of mindless drones. Same time last year, all of us were glued with horror to our television sets watching the reality show with the highest stakes ever: human lives and dignity of a nation. How different is our country after that gruesome incident? How protected are we from future attacks? Before we launch into a tirade on the ineffectiveness of our Government, read this informative article by Nita. We can without any doubt say that the level of preparedness is higher than what it used to be. But will this prevent future attacks?
Where there is a will there is a way. Its the innate human nature to resist against the defenses and find chinks in them. With a certain amount of preparation and lot of money, terrorists can stage such an attack anywhere in India. I doubt that even Mumbai could be an exception with all its alertness. This is in no way degrading our intelligence wings. Unknown to us, they may be thwarting several plots as we speak. Most of such counter terrorist operations remain classified due to several reasons according to insiders.
All the measures listed in Nita's blog is a step in the right direction. But if you look closely, these are steps taken for counter an attack from the terrorists. If a terror attack happens again, there could still be loss of life and property. May be the damage could be limited. What we should ideally do is strengthen our domestic intelligence and foreign intelligence agencies, namely IB (along with the state level intelligence agencies) and RAW.
Strong intel network can go a long way in mitigating the risk of an attack. It will enable us to nip such attacks at the planning stage itself. Terrorist activities involve a lot of money and lot of time. If we can successfully cut of the money supply to sleeper cells and eliminate the planners, we will go a long way in avoiding the attacks altogether.
Alas, things are not looking rosy at all on this front. I was shocked and filled with dread when I read the Indian Express series: The Rot inside RAW. If the five part series is more of fact than fiction, we can only pray for a divine intervention to stem the attacks. The series lambasts the National Security Adviser M.K.Narayanan for nepotism in appointing the top ranking officials in RAW, among a lot of other things. A more serious allegation is made against the expectant RAW chief A.B.Mathur of being a suspected double agent.
The series was the most depressing news item I read in a long time, especially in the backdrop of 26/11 attacks. Why can't our beloved leaders be a little more pragmatic when it comes to the more important functions of a nation like Intelligence? If RAW is in such shambles, we cannot hope that all is well with IB and other domestic intelligence agencies. Lets hope that the report is wrong. If it isn't lets hope our leaders mend their way. If not, there will always be remembering the attacks with no respite to forget them.
Read the five part series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

Star Wars Facebook Status Updates

via collegehumor.com

This is awesome! Click through for four more!

Posted via web from Pain on the Posterior

Sena Vs Sachin

The geriatric Thackeray and a Shiv Sena on an alarming decline is desperate for some media coverage after the drubbing handed out by the people of Maharashtra in the assembly polls. Nothing new here, except that the level of desperation is at an all time high, with Bhatija Thackeray snapping up the votes of the insane ones. Desperate folks tend to be sharp or stupid. In this case, Oldie T chose to be the latter and a monumental one at that!

Sachin Tendulkar elicits the same emotions that the National Anthem educes from Indians. A gross generalisation, but its true at least for an overwhelming majority. The kind of reverence that Sachin commands is perhaps comparable to Maradona in Argentina. Its suicidal and plain stupid to target a person, who transcends the divisions in the nation with the silliest of allegations.

It all started with a harmless remark from Sachin: "I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian first. And Mumbai belongs to all Indians." A statement true for all patriotic and sane Indians. The variables here are Maharashtrian and Mumbai. Replace them and any one in the country can reuse this statement merrily.

What does Bala dude do? Took his pen and launched a scathing attack on Tendulkar for terming Mumbai is for Indians. The whole country rises up lambasts Thackeray. Everybody thought that was that. An outburst akin to an embarrassing high-bass fart in public. Apparently, Shiv Sena liked it so much that they decided to pass more gas.

In comes the next one from the Shive Sena MP Sanjay Raut: "There has been no instance of Sachin extending a helping hand to other Marathi cricketers. Forget others, he did not even support Vinod Kambli." He then goes to old reminisce the old days of the powerful Mumbai lobby: "In contrast, Gavaskar when he captained India, had half the team drawn from Mumbai and Maharashtra. He gave Test caps to many Marathi players including Suru Naik and Zulphikar Parkar at least for one match."

(I barely know about the politics during Gavaskar period, I don't know whether Gavaskar was the nepotist or the board during that time.Knowing our cricket board, all suspicions point to them than the Little Master. To put things in perspective, Vinod Kambli made multiple comebacks to International Cricket during Sachin's reign. The person Kambli kept out during that time went on to become one of the greatest batsman in modern cricket: Rahul Dravid.)

So, he is accusing Tendulkar for not being a Nepotist? Huh! When did nepotism become the preferred path?

Questions: When these folks say that Mumbai is not for Indians and only for Marathas, aren't they questioning the territorial integrity of India and violating the constitution? Shouldn't such outfits be completely banned or at least barred from elections? How can they uphold the spirit of constitution when they publicly denounce it through their actions? What exactly is our media doing apart from running and rerunning the dramatised news reports? Shouldn't they be the ones asking these questions?

Else, we can just watch the drama unfold and sit back and enjoy. After a while, find the next issue to relish and continue our meaningless existence as citizens.

A-ward!

Award just after getting out of 'a ward!' Bad pun, but good feeling! Chitz awarded the Kreative Blogger Award to me! Yay! Please start the slow clap while I accept the award!

Thank you! Thank you Thank you!
These awards generally come with a catch or few. Lets see!
1. Tell 7 things about youself that nobody else knows.
2. Pass on this award to 7 other people.
3. Comment on their blogs to let them know that they are tagged.
Hmmm...
Lets start with the first condition!
Seven things about me that nobody else knows.
See the blogs name? Confessions of Dangerous Mind. There has been several dangerous (to me!) confessions in this blog, so I cannot say I am giving out some fresh stuff!
1. I really want to eat Mutton Brain Fry. Now! Only if I wasn't under house arrest and on a diet fit for a goat.
2. I love watching rain through my window, lying down on my bed. Somehow the visual makes me very happy.
3. I have an irrational fear of number 13.
4. I love books. I can spend hours in a book store and library.
5. My first book was a Malayalam picture story book made in the USSR. The main characters where kittens, dogs, snow men, rabbits, bears, porcupines (with a red shoe!)...I still have some part of the book with me.
6. I loved being naked as a kid. I used to come from school, do a strip dance, and run around naked around the home. Every day, till I was 8-9.
7. I hate hypocritical dudes. Except me.
Every blogger is creative, just like every baby is beautiful. So I bestow the award upon all bloggers! Since it would be a hassle to go and post comment on every blog, I am skipping that step!
P.S: Check out the Kerala Cafe review at Through The Motions!

Yellow!

Aah...the beautiful colour that heralds the arrival of proper spring with the marigolds! How I love thee! Not anymore! Not since my turned yellow due to acute jaundice on a fine Saturday afternoon in Guruvayoor. There I was, happy as a bee, waiting for Kerala Cafe to start after hanging out with friends at Vineeth-Shalini wedding, and Neo drops the bombshell.

'Dude! Your eyes are yellow! Jaundice! Escape!'

Like I said earlier, I had been feeling pretty crappy over the past one month. The morbid fears and a very pedestrian appetite to boot. I got back to Bangalore on Sunday morning, picked up my laptop and headed to Trivandrum.

I got to the hospital as soon as I reached and the doc asked me to take blood and urine. Funny story: The lab girl was confused between my urine and blood samples. It was that bad! In the afternoon, doc came near me and checked the pulse.

'Alive! You should be dead by the amount of bilurubin in your blood!'

Strangely, I was feeling not that bad. Sick, yes. Deathly sick, no! So started my week long prison break! It was awful. Food mainly consisted of fruits and vegetables, followed by even more fruits! In the mornings I got some respite as I had to eat idli very early to take the medicines. Apart from that, the entire week was spend simply lying on the bed and eating fruits. The sad part was the mobile network. I couldn't even check my Google Reader! After a very long time, I spent a week away from Internet. It was not too bad actually!

The last results at the hospital were not good and the doctor was not in favour of discharging me. But I insisted on it as I was feeling okay and they had stopped giving me IV. It was pretty much useless lying there simply. Besides, I had to get in touch with work and sort out several issues. I started working from home this week and my team has been absolutely smashing! They had taken care of everything that was pending from my side! You guys seriously rock! You are the best!

Back to my laments. Still I am quite sick according to the tests. So food is exclusively fruits and vegetables. I guess I am turning into a birdie! At least 2 more weeks of house arrest is staring in my face. On the plus side, I am getting to spent a lot of time with my parents which I could never do ever since I moved to Bangalore. On the minus side, all they have to talk about is my marriage and future plans. That sucks. Period.

On the bright side of things, Chitz gave me the Kreative Blogger award! Thank you! Bouquets please folkses! Do wait for my acceptance post!

Later days citizens! Drink lots of water! Eat lot of kappa pazham! Show solidarity with me!

Morbid Thoughts

I have not been in best of health since last week. Sudden temperature fluctuations coupled with nausea spells have made life pretty miserable. I drift towards morbid thoughts in these times. My remedial measures for such thoughts? Gross out others with these thoughts!

Me: All my innards are melted!

Neo gives me a puzzled look.

Me: I am dying!

Neo: Is there anything new? I am trying to watch this programme. kthnxbye!

Me: You will see my dead body in the morning!'

Neo: Don't give hope!

Me: You will see my body hanging from this fan when you wake up!

Neo: Won't be a pretty sight. Especially since you don't wear a lungi with no underwear.

Me: Directly over you. Hanging. You know what people do when they are hanged?

Neo: They die?

Me: They shit. Now imagine being awakened by some warm sludge on your body.

Neo is gagging.

Me: I wonder if there is a dead wood like morning wood. If thats so, then it would be scene that would mentally scar you for life!

Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

A nice and bloody hectic evening at work. Out of the blue, Gmail window is buzzing. Unexpected, since I don't really chat anymore and invisible most of the time.

xxx: Congrats!
yt (yours truly): Thanks! :) Didnt expect this! Such an unexpected honour!
(To be frank yours truly was beating around the bush, since he didnt get a clue on who this chick was!)
xxx: :)
yt: :)
(Starts recollecting the generic name holder girls from school and finally throws a stone just to be sure)
yt: howz the little one doing?
xxx: Great! He started walking!
yt: Cool!
(Finally! This is her afterall!)
yt: You have a fairly normal gmail id, then why from this? I had a hard time figuring out!
xxx: Chumma! (simply)
yt: btw what was the congrats for? :D
xxx: :O For the marriage!
yt: :O :O :O
yt: The only marriage I am remotely associated with in the short-medium term is my roomie's.
xxx: Then what about the blog?
yt: Blog?
xxx: Your post today! You have written that your mom said that you would marry in 2010!
yt: That! Look at the time stamp! Nearly 3 AM!
xxx: 1.50 AM :P
yt: Yeah yeah...all are maths and you know I suck in maths.
xxx: So?
yt: Blog posts generally tend to have facts and fiction combined together. Particularly mine when I am narrating incidents!
xxx: So its a lie?
yt: Not exactly! My mother did threaten. And for the record she said 2009 in 2008. :P
xxx: Hmmph!
yt: :-P
yt: I am a long distance runner! Destined to be lonely! :-(
xxx: Right! :P

Man! I should put a disclaimer on the blog posts!

For your aural pleasure, I present Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Iron Maiden. (aural since there is no video per se in this youtube clip!)


P.S: The song based on the story of the same name.

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Posting from Google Wave!
Hope the Posterous integration works!

via google-wave-robot

Posted via web from Pain on the Posterior

Blame the genes!

People say that I have a predatory sense of humour. I can make your life pretty miserable with practical jokes if I decide. Doubtful? Ask Odie and Pappu  for more information. I am too lazy serve you the links. Go ahead and use nice Lijit search and serve yourself some delicious posts! On your way out, pray to lord that you don't become my target. I always wondered from where I got my predatory instincts. All became clear last weekend.

My mother is an avid reader. The most wonderful gift she gave me is the ability to lose myself in the company of books for hours. I can't match her reading in terms of quality or quantity, but I hope one day I do get there. She recently bought the complete works of Madhavi Kutty aka Kamala Das aka Kamala Surayya. A controversial writer to say the least. Very gifted, but often falsely accused of shocking people with porn. Most non-readers consider her works to be taboo for no reason.

One fine day, my mom was watching Malgudi Days (the complete DVD set is available now!) and a society lady pops in to visit Dad for some NSS activities. Mom must have dozed off in front of the TV as she always does and always denies! The lady in question is very orthodox, rather rich, and a bonafide bimbo. Dad was having a cold war with Mom and he utilized the occasion to the max.

"The missus is watching some serial. She always spents her time in front of the TV."

My mom walked over to meet her, only to get a disdainful look.

Dad decided to rub some more salt. He noticed the Madhavikutty book on the table.

"And she reads Madhavi Kutty. Got nothing better to do!", Dad said pointing to the book.

"You read Madhavi Kutty?!", the lady is visibly flabbergasted and flustered as if she just caught her son watching a porn movie. (No reading between the lines. My folks never caught me watching porn, they just caught a few of the erotic comics I drew in college. Reaction was similar though.)

"Err...Yes!", mom is embarrassed and really wants the lady out of the house so that she can bring the house down on my Dad.

Dad is triumphant and decides to leave for his own good.

He flashes his rare triumphant smile and tells the lady, "Can you just drop me to the office on your way?"

He escapes the ship, only to set up a cauldron for yours truly to be boiled.

"You will get married in 2010!", thunders my mom as a hapless me enters without any knowledge of prior events.

Disposable blahs

The last post was number 490 according to Blogger. 4+9+0=13! The bloody number strikes again for me! My dislike for 13 (rather the vice versa) is well documented and I refuse to elaborate!

The sentimental post I did couple of days back on going to Goa. Read it? Well...the trip didn't happen! It would be fair to say it almost happened! Nearly a 100 KM away from Goa, mother nature decided to intervene and shut us down for good!

We were stuck in some god forsaken place. Lucky for us, the halt was made near a drive-in restaurant and food was plenty! But being stuck in a bus for a whole day ain't fun, especially if its pelting dogs, cats, and a few other animals! To cut a sorry story short, we reached back in Bangalore on Satuday morning instead of Goa on Friday morning, after starting from Bangalore on Thursday night!

We drowned our sorrows in Friday night. I have this allergic reaction which has forced me to abandon my hell-bent-for-leather attitude to drowning sorrows, so I am still pretty morose. Bah!

Going to make some green tea to drown my sorrows! Ciao!

P.S: To the three idiots who made it to Goa without us: Goa ain't same without us! You better come when we go the next time!

At first, we were like...



Then we were like...

Seasons change...Do we?

Photo taken in some cathedral in Goa. September 2005.

God! Time does fly fucking fast! Can't believe its been 4 years since this snap been taken!

We are going back to Goa. Friday through Sunday, days hopefully filled with fun and frolic. 2 dudes in the picture won't make it, several others will. I think its pretty commendable that we are still very good friends after leaving the college and being in different cities/companies.

All of us have changed in some way or the other over the years. Some subtle changes, some not so subtle. I always think of a group of friends as chain. Each of us may not be the closest confidant of every other person. But each one is a closest confidant of somebody who is the closest confidant of another. Confusing? Relationships always are. Except may be the blood related ones.

Years back, we had very few baggages to carry. We were more free in speech and actions. The years have added many baggages and I doubt each of us are completely at ease as before. This happens over time. In some cases, sooner than later. College kids and recent passouts would scoff at this though perhaps. But as someone who has been there and done that, I can place a healthy wager on this.

To quote a wonderful movie, Ritu: Seasons change...Do we?

P.S: I completed one successful year in Bangalore! Yay for me! Cheers to my suffering roomies as well!

If tomorrow was today, today would be yesterday...

One of my favourite songs by The Beatles. Pressure is in an all time high with stuff piling up left, right, and center. These are the times where you long for a better yesterday than a better tomorrow.

If tomorrow was today, today would be yesterday,
But I long for my yesterday,
Your yesterday,
And our yesterday.
I hope there is yet another day,
Will it be any good like yesterday?

P.S: These words are mine, song lyrics is there in the song itself.

Trivia: Paul McCartney had a dream in which he heard the tune and he immediately composed the music. He didn't have any lyric and used to sing "Scrambled Eggs" instead of "Yesterday" while composing the song,

Trivia!

Lonngfellow (LW) has been utterly devastated by his lack of technical know-how after spending a good couple of years being a solutions engineer. He is determined to learn and make a case for a seat in the highest echelons of geekhood. What does that mean? My net browsing is limited on my phone (yay wifi!) for a long period on an off day.

LW has suitably tired after an exhausting study session. I am gobbling down some delicious Fish Biriyaani courtesy LW, who got me a parcel since I was on a long work call. Delicious I tell you! The best biriyaani in Continental Spice has to be Fish Biriyani. Mutton is a definite no-no, Chicken is kind of so-s0. Back to LW and his research.

"Aaayaaeeiii", bellows LW. I honestly cannot decipher this. He makes this noise when he is bored or amused.

LW opens Google. Takes images. Types sh.

"Shakeela?", I suggest helpfully, so does Google.

LW smirks, "No one can beat Shriya!"

Types in, hits enter, and ogles at the results. Opens a picture with her assets remarkably pronounced.

"Yummy!", says me munching on a good piece of fish. LW smiles, laughs, and does his routine aaaah.

"Who to search next?", quips LW.

Types in Jennifer Lopez and proceeds to ogle at different asset this time. Longfellow is determined to salvage her sex tape and is unsuccessful.

"Who is that spanish like actress?", queries a disappointed LW.

My heart called out of Penelope Cruz, but my mind said (especially since this is LW who is asking) Salma Hayek. I told him the same.

"Right!", says LW with his trademark 120 W smile. Proceeds to ogle at more assets!

"You know what she said in an interview? Name a good interviewer!", LW is lost in thought.

"Sreekantan Nair?", I give a helpful suggestion.

"Che! English one! Yes, Letterman.", LW is pleased and smiling again.

"What about Letterman?", my curiousity is peaked especially since Letterman is pretty cool.

"She told the story about her boobies. When she was a girl, all others of her age had boobies. She didn't. She went and prayed in a church and told God to give her boobies. Apparently that church was a miracle church!", says LW lost in those holy assets.

"Miracle indeed!"

Image via Wikipedia

This lead me to think about the eternal question tormenting every second person in this world. Whats with men and boobs! The same issue is hilariously portrayed in the movie Notting Hill:

Anna: What is it about men and nudity? Particularly breasts? How can you be so interested in them?

William: Well...

Anna: I mean, seriously- they're just breasts, every second person has them. They're odd looking, they're for milk from your mother. What's all the fuss about?

William: Hmm...let me take a look!

The Lost Symbol

Extremely busy with work. Not like I am sitting day-in day-out at work, still its pretty hectic. Living with room mates mean you get precious little time to write. Get home from work. Get some dinner. Watch TV/movie/both (we got a TV, a PC and a laptop!), browse, read, fool around, fight and viola its 2 AM! Sleep late and go to work. Repeat until weekend (I started out in Pascal, all you flashy kids would never know the repeat-until loop unless you started out with Fortran)! Anyway, my writing has been supplanted to a large extent by reading. That brings us finally to the point! I got my pre-ordered copy of the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown on 15th, the release day. Devoured it in one sitting, despite being pretty hammered on the head that day!

Lost Symbol is a cookie cutter Robert Langdon book. Its interesting but, way too formulaic. May be I am getting that feeling as I saw Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons back to back just around a month back. Still, you can predict how the story is going. A unique out of the world villain, wise old mentors, intelligent lady sidekick, looot of lectures, skeptical Langdon (way too skeptical and comes of as a jackass at times!), and of course conspiracy theory!

After taking up the Priory of Sion and the Illuminati, Dan Brown's subject is a real fraternity this time. The Freemasons. Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation with branches (or lodges as they call) across the world. Look up the Wikipedia article. Very interesting.

Langdon's mentor and prominent Freemason, Peter Solomon, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious Malakh. Malakh demans Langdon to find the secret guarded by the Freemason's in return for his friend's life. He is joined by Peter Solomon's sister, Katherine Solomon, in the whirlwind of a chase. CIA also gets involved in the plot and it starts to thicken like a jam! I am not blowing any suspense here. Go read the book!

The book is an absolute page turner in spite of being predictable. Interesting aspects are discussed like the current state of organized religion, principles of freemasonry, and noetic science. The plot moves at a brisk pace with quite a lot of turns. For me the greatest disappointment was the ending. You feel like: to protect this, why do they have to be so fucking secretive? Its unlike the ending on Da Vinci Code and the even more dramatic Angels & Demons. Very underwhelming to say the least.

A lot of has been written about Dan Brown's literary style. Personally, I really don't get the accusations. The man is no Hemingway, and no one is claiming that! Think of Dan Brown books as Hollywood blockbusters. Heavy on action, value for money! No one is expecting a Booker/Pulitzer prize for his book. That said, there is a lot of merit in the topics he has put forward. Many intellectuals snark as soon as they hear noetic science or psychic powers. The core idea: God is within you, merits a serious book from a good storyteller. Sad thing is, talented authors are polarized these days. The nutter believers with their pseudos and stark atheists with their pseudos.

Trivia: Famous Indian Freemasons! Check out the following list!

• Dadabhoy Nowroji Tata
• Swami Vivekananda
• W.C. Bannerjee
• President Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
• Justice S Padmanabhan
• Dr. Badruddin Tyabji

The entire list is available here.

Rain...

Just before she comes down...to cool you, drench you, free you from the shackles momentarily...

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Spiders!!!

via savagechickens.com

This is giving me the creeps! Hope I don't recall while going to sleep tonight!

Posting again!

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Ten Dimensions Explained

Bowloftoast sez, "This is a short animation that takes the viewer through a progressive description of all (and all possible) dimensions, up to and including the 10th. It is an elegant introduction to the fundamentals of string theory and a mind-blowing toe-dip into the pool of the metaphysical."

Imagining the Tenth Dimension (Thanks, Bowloftoast!)

via boingboing.net

Cool video! It does get crazy after the 3rd as you can imagine!

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New Movie Blog

Okay! I am showing off with my new domain name! Just started a new movie blog. Just for movie reviews, previews, rants, and the like.

Tada! Through the Motions! No pun whatsoever intended! Only verbal diarrhea guaranteed!

And yeah, we start of with Kaminey!

Jai Hind!

Yet another Independence Day. What does it mean for us now? Watch a couple of national integration songs, feel patriotic, and continue doing our shit. Most of us become cynical over the years. Impatience grows. Finally we get detached. I can't help think of the past. As a child, I used to dream of doing great things for the nation. May be we all did! What happened after that? Reality struck down our dreams I guess. Most of us were not willing to sacrifice and move away from our comfort zone. Only to get cynical over time.

Fuck your cynicism and watch the following video! Go back in time and feel good about our country! Jai Hind!

P.S: Heard the following song at Tempostand. Pretty good listen.

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Mohanlal...

Got a forward of a not-so-comprehensive list of Mohalal's awards. The man never ceases to amaze. You write him off and he comes back with a blast. Latest case in point being Bhramaram. I have been planning to do a write-up on my personal favourites of the man's performances. Couldn't be a better time!

The following list has no particular order. In the order of what comes to my mind! :-)

Kireedom

This movie makes me disturbed. Period. The fate of Sethumadhavan can occur to any honest person. A man who loses everything loves due to no fault of his. This songs sums it all.

Spadikam

If the protagonist in Kireedom is a result of societal issues, the protagonist in Spadikam is a result of bad parenting. One of the best action films in Malayalam, which curiously is also one of the best family drama.

Aaram Thampuran

My favourite scenes in the movie are the combination scenes involving Manju Warrier and Mohanlal. Smooth talking and witty dialogues. Exceptional facial expressions. The best of Mohanlal comes out when he acts with other class actors. Sadly, this is missing these days! I wonder how better Bhramaram would have been, if others could act worth a salt!

Thoovanathumbikal

Even though this movie shines mainly because of the beautiful writing and skillful direction of Padmarajan, you cannot deny the class of Mohanlal's acting. He slipped easily into the role of a simple villager, later revealed to be not-so-simple. His scenes with Sumalatha are the best in the movie.

Dasaradham

If you don't have tears after watching this, you can be sure that you have no heart. This is the best scene from the movie.

Adhipan

The best drunk Mohanlal scene. He is the best actor when it comes to portraying drunk characters. Natural and very endearing! No wonder we Malayalees like to drink!

Devasuram

A landmark movie in the landscape of Malayalam commercial cinema. Especially since it spawned a series of good and terrible superman movies. Mangalasheri Neelakantan will live on as "the man" of Malayalam cinema for a long time.

Summer in Bethlehem

The movie is peppy and smart, but looks to taper of into a glum, emotional drama until Mohanlal steps in taking you by surprise. He appears on screen for less than 8 minutes. But the impact is so big that you forget everybody else and giving the movie a satisfactory ending.

Nadodikkaattu

No list is complete without the late eighties comedy masterpiece Nadodikaattu and its sequel. You still laugh just thinking about the scenes. The dialogues from the movie has become part and parcel of our language.

Manichithrathaazhu

Mohanlal plays the role of eccentric doctor to perfection. The way his expressions and body language change is fascinating.

Making a list of Mohanlal's performances is akin to finding a needle in the haystack. This is not a top ten list. Just a list of ten! Here is another list by Brijesh Nair which features a few other (better?) performances.

Mohanlal movies I am looking forward to are with Roshan Andrews and Unnai Pol Oruvan with Kamal Haasan.

Share your favourite performances as well!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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This is why I miss Kerala so much...

First things first! My home does not look like the wonderful pictures
here. Still, I just need to travel 20-30 Km and visit some relations
to experience all this. What I would do it spent a lazy afternoon in
the green fields! Sunlight playing hide and seek behind the coconut
leaves. The small pond which hides the mysteries inside it with a hazy
gleam. The vast expanse of rubber estates with the smoke shacks. The
hills far away looking blue and green alternatively.

August 29th couldn't be farther!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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WTF: 16 year old boy commits suicide after seeing sister-in-law naked!

via inquisitr.com
The demise of Fredrick Shinjoma started when (and we’re not making this up) a chicken belonging to Shinjoma’s brother laid an egg in his house. Fredrick, keen to give the egg to his brother, took it to his brothers house late one evening, where the sister-in-law greeted him while not wearing any clothes. But it gets weirder yet: Fredrick, who according to local media was shocked by seeing his sister-in-law naked, told his brother the next day. The brother wasn’t happy, then reprimanded his wife. She then decided that she’d commit suicide, and was in the process of hanging herself when “apprehended” and stopped by local villagers. After hearing the news of his sister-in-laws attempted suicide, Fredrick became deeply upset and despite having done nothing wrong, hung himself out of some sense of shame.

This has to be the most weird news in a very long time! On a side note, doesn't this stuff look like something straight out of older Bollywood movies?

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Y.A.T

Yet another tag! Got it from here.

***********FOODOLOGY************
What is your salad dressing of choice? Chipotle Southwest/Sweet Onion …

Err...what? I generally have salad only at Italian restaurants. Too fancy a name to remember!

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?

Depends on company. I love Indijoe though.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?

Home cooked food. Dosa takes the cake, followed by rice.

What are your pizza toppings of choice?

Pepperoni.

What do you like to put on your toast?

Butter and Jam. Orange marmalade is also admissible!

***********TECHNOLOGY***********

How many televisions are in your house?

One (Two if you count my TV at TVM!)

How many remotes?
Three including the DVD player and Set Top box. (Doubles if answered as above)

What color is your cell phone?

Silver with blue lining. Ask me about this after a month or two! :->

Do you have an iPod?

No. I have something better! Cowon iAudio 7

How many computers?

Two. My faithful desktop and office lappy.

***************BIOLOGY************
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right.

What is the last heavy item you lifted?

Does my jaw count. Still feeling heavy and numb from a session at the dentist's. The alien item would be my laptop.

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?

Couple of times in kindergarden.

************BULLOLOGY*************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?

Not really. Then again, if such a possibility existed, I would not have peace of mind unless I found out!

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I wouldn't change my name for the world now! It would be really wierd. I would have preferred Narayan Nair. A choice that my parents gave me before I joined LKG. I insisted on the initials instead. They complied. Pooe me is reaping the rewards(!) now. My Outlook ID says Sushama Sivaramakrishnan, Narayan. People address me as Sushama and expect a damsel in distress, only to find a big, ugly guy instead! Can change remove Sushama if I really want, but I feel really sad to cut my mom's name off!

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1,000?

If the exchange rates remain favourable, hell yeah!

**************FAVORITOLOGY*******
Season?

Monsoon.

Holiday?

Now its Onam and Christmas. The time I take vacation from work.

Day of the week?

Saturday. Sleep till noon after Friday night party. Roam around Bangalore and party again all night!

Month?

I like December. Cool. Holidays.

***********CURRENTOLOGY*********
Missing someone?

Many!

Mood?

Numb. Literally! My jaw is still very numb and its affecting my psyche as well!

What are you listening to?

Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd on Amarok :P

Current worry?

Slipped deadlines!!! (aaargh!)

************RANDOMOLOGY*********
First place you went this morning?

Inisde the house: Downstairs to check on the downloads.

Outside the house: Neighbourhood juice stall to get my morning milk shake.

What’s the last movie you saw?

Pattanathil Bhootham. Horrible. Absolutely horrible! I saw a horror dream after watching it. Neither scary nor steamy!

Do you smile often?

Could do better I think! Its either grim or a 100W.

**********OTHER-OLOGY************

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?

What the hell is that!

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?

Couple of weeks back. Police picked us up for driving a Kerala registration car.

Last person you talked to?

Nikhil. We were mulling over watching Harry Potter this weekend.

Last person you hugged?

Umm. Need to go some time back. A colleague at work I think.

Do you always answer your phone?

No. I always end up keeping the cellphone some place where I cannot hear it ringing.

It’s four in the morning and you get a text message who is it usually from?

Airtel. Informing I have a new mail. I just cannot frigging turn that bloody stuff off!

Do you own a digital camera?

No.

Have you ever had a pet fish?

Nada!

Favorite Christmas song?

Jingle bells?

What’s on your wish list for your birthday?

For my last birthday I wished someone would donate to Pratham Books through Causes. The only donor was me in the end! I think I will do something like that for the next birthday too.

Can you do push ups?

Yeah. Don't ask the number. Very rusty now. Creaking bones. Getting old.

Can you do the splits?

I have no intention of turning myself into eunuch who cannot walk. For that matter, even a eunuch who can walk!

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?

Both. The proportion varies according to mood.

Do you have any saved texts?

A few. A current mobile is the most basic one. Cannot save many messages.

Do you have an accent?

Pure blood mallu says yes saar.

What is the last movie to make you cry?

Pattanathil bhootam. After banging my head in the wall a few hundred times.

Plans tonight?

Read The Zoya Factor. Pretty decent book. Peppy and a little girlish!

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?

Have I? Go through the blog mate!

Name 3 things you bought last?

Tuborg. Chicken Noodles. A barrell of water.

Have you ever been given roses?

Nope. I would love to get them though. Very tasty! :-D

Met someone who changed your life?

Yes. Kind of.

Name two people who might complete this?

This ain't poetry!

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?

I always wished I could turn back time and make things right. Now, I wish I could just go back in time and savour my best moments without altering anything.

Do you have any tattoos/piercing?

Nah! I have had enough piercing inside my mouth for a lifetime after today!

Does anyone love you?

I don't know. If you do, don't be shy! You know where to find yours truly!

Would you be a pirate?

Arrrrr! Already am a big cyber pirate!

What songs do you sing in the shower?

Sometimes I sing. Usually heavy stuff with a lot of air guitar playing.

Ever had someone sing to you?

Felt like several songs were tailor made for me. Does that count?

When did you last cry?

Long time I guess. If you meant give a loud cry, then it would 3-4 hours back!

Have you held hands with anyone today?

Nah!

Who was the last person you took a picture of?

I think it was Kiran's. We have Nikon D60 as our guest and he made me take the most impossible profile shots!

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?

Most are old. The newest would be around 1 year old!

Do you like pulpy orange juice?

Minute Maid ftw!

What is something your family or friends make fun of you for?

My fancy ideas and inflated dreams!

In other news, I got a new domain! If you are in my blogger blog look closely at your address bar. My name minus the vowels! I used this nick while playing Counter Strike a few years back.

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18 Days - A Sci-Fi Mahabharata Retelling

via io9.com
Given the nature of the medium and the kaleidoscopic possibilities of the original narrative, my intention is not to tell the story in strict chronological order (beginning with Shantanu and progressing through the various stories towards the war) instead I'd like to approach the text not in a linear fashion but as a 3-dimensional structure to which we can continually add new modular episodes which will eventually build up into an incredible mosaic of the War and the events surrounding it. In this way the story will grow in power and interconnectivity as we build it up piece by piece, episode by episode.

The animation does not look very polished. The man has good vision though. Lets hope that it turns out to be excellent.

On a side note, why can't our film makers adapt stories from epics? There are zillions of side stories worth retelling in the modern world. How far will our movie industries go by aping the west and displaying disgusting opulence never seen in real life.

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Nintendo patents inflatable Horseback Riding Saddle for Wii

via inquisitr.com

I like it! It may look downright ridiculous, but think about it folks! Innovation is not about the pixels you pump, its about the pixels you hump! I can see a Virtual Sex game made from this!

On a serious note, simulation games could get a huge boost. We could see a Polo game, horse racing, knight in shining armor...Hmm...may be we can combine the Knight in shining armour and Virtual hump. Good times people! (If Nintendo goes ahead with this!)

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Vacation Time!

via savagechickens.com

Very glad that I don't have a boss like this! I have been there crushed by that earlier though!

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Top 10 Silliest Alien Prosthetics - io9

via io9.com

Must read article. Whats with the weird ears I wonder always! A writer with ear fetish responsible?

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Miyazaki's Fishy Love Story

via io9.com
But even with a weak story behind it, Ponyo proves Miyazaki is still a master animator, one whose vision and attention to detail may be unparalleled. The tsunami, with waves represented as giant, eager fish, is at once beautiful in its magical elements and terrifying for its very realistic power, and once Sosuke's city is submerged, Miyazaki shows us the underwater remnants of suburbia as enticingly tranquil, rather than as skeletons of human society. And he can add humor to a scene by simply with the apt placement of an octopus or crab in the background. It's certainly a film whose visual elements will demand repeated watchings, and a light enough tale to make those watchings enjoyable.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is the latest Hayao Miyazaki movie from the Studio Ghibli stable. Have to get hold of it! Click through for the entire review!

If you haven't seen Studio Ghibli movies yet, get hold of a few and watch! You have no idea what you are missing!

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Hitler NOT pleased about Facebook’s acquisition of FriendFeed

via techcrunch.com

Awesome stuff. Its a meme done to death. Still manages to evoke laughter!

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The Full House Alternate Intro

via inquisitr.com

A little cruel my heart says! I loved watching Full House with my mom. Stephanie was my favourite character.

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Billy saves the day

Two girls. Fighting for justice. From the land of the free and the home of the brave. Arrives at the shore of a new land. One smug, one with a stupid smile.

They see a man wave. They wave back!

Behold! Caught by the evilest of all evils! Their crime? They were born. Kim Jong doesn't like people who are born. They should kneel down and kiss the ground when he waves. Only the ones transcended from heavens like him can wave at Kim Jong.

His intentions were clear. He wanted to show the girls the proof of his "divinity." He assured them they would be divine after he is through!

The girls wailed! A birdie heard their cries.

Birdie took the news to land of the free!

He heard. He came.

Nah! I haven't come yet. Billy said staring longingly at the pictures of the damsels in distress.

Jong had heard about his exploits. He called him in. He wished to know the secret mojo.

How do you do it Billy?

Communication is the key. Remember, mouth is not just for eating!

Jong was impressed. He wanted a photo. Billy insisted on his special camera for special friends. Jong and company was hypnotized by the reflection of Billy boy's eyes on the camera lens. Billy boy smiled. It ought to keep them down for two days. Billy told his aide to ready the flight for the next day. He wanted to enjoy the Korean landscape.

He felt an itch in the back of his neck. His mind wandered to Washington...

Unknown to Billy boy, Washington had perfected a mind reader chip. Unknown to Barry, known only to the dear leader of the NWO.

Image courtesy: Reuters, Superpoop

P.S: I know its lame. Couldn't resist!

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