Home [again]..not really

Blogging has generally been on now/off then for some while, my apologies.

Life, the daily course of events, the people we meet,  the places we go, the good times, the not so great ones, the laughs, the fights, the comforts, the fears, their reasons, basically everything; keeps doing circles, seems to move on, but ever so slowly. There are times, times of your life, but on other times, they just don’t seem right.

I don’t exactly read too much into fate/destiny et al, but sometimes, just the course of events makes you ponder about why certain things are the way they are, how could they have been better, or did you turn them to the worse, because you were selfish.

Sometimes, I don’t easily get what people try to do with themselves. What makes them happy? Maybe its just the self-centric thing, but some decisions become almost too incomprehensible, too difficult to accept easily. And then, once again the usual cycle of explaining, understanding, the non-understanding, again explaining, and making a very confused, not-exactly-a-yes nod follows. I try non-interference, it becomes ignorance,  i try self-confinement, that becomes attitude, i say fuck it, becomes fuck off.

Makes me realize comic relief is probably the best thing that ever came out. The lighter moments, however insignificant, almost always make life easier, alleviate the pains, and bring back the happiness, however short-lived. Some of the best (recent) comic relief I’ve come across (again this is no order of nothing):

1. The Mock Swine Flu story, my sis told me

2. The Chronicles of Hostel-3 stud(appa)

3. The Ali G show, Borat, Bruno

4. Sarcasm (always works)

5. The Hostel-3 lobby Bak*****

6. The use of Dark Seer by Leon

7. Mumbai touch-ups

8. The time around college et al

9. Lots’ve things actually, invisible, easily lost with time, yet significant, as soon as something sprouts them up, again.

Keep Healthy. Take Care. There’s a lots’ve life out there. Most of it not easy. Live. Relieve.

Of Wall-E, Snatch and the awaiting Slumdog

Another month went between my previous post and the one that progresses… a few things of importance before the reviews begin:

- Barack Obama got chosen as the 44th President of the US of A.

- Mumbai had more to worry than the menacing ‘Raj’. Terrorists attacked the city on 26th of Nov. (the same day as my   parents married). The attack claimed nearly 200 lives and injured many more. It seems this time the world is determined to come together and crackdown Pakistan originating terror organizations.

- Chelsea haven’t been having the best of times. Defeats at Roma, and to Arsenal and Burnley at home, mean that the blues find themselves 2nd in the premiership, knocked out of the Carling Cup, and needing to desperately win against CFR Cluj in a few hours from now, in order to ensure a place in the Champions League knockout stages.

Wall-E

IMDB rank 34 ( as on 9 Dec,2008 )

That Pixar  is the best when it comes to modern-day animation technology, is not questioned by many , but in Andrew Stanton’s Wall-E, Pixar have probably found their masterpiece ( Yes, after considering Ratatouille and Finding Nemo ).

The story is set in a distant, but not so unrealistic future, where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess, alone, except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, Eve, a sleek (and dangerous) robot, is sent to earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with Eve and the rest of the story revolves around sci-fi spaceships, robot chase sequences and umpteen hilarious situations.

What clicks the most for WALL-E is its complete story package, exploring robot emotions, human ignorance and the ultimate fate that technology may bring upon us. Pixar’s superior animation techniques leave you amazed after every scene, and Stanton’s ever-fresh ideas add to the brilliance of the show.

Wall-E is a must watch for all the animation buffs out there ( though I ain’t  1 really), and is currently the highest rated animation movie on the IMDB at 34.

10/10 for animation, direction, voice-overs, storyline and Pixar.

Snatch

IMDB rank 159 ( as on 9 Dec,2008 )

Snatch is a movie, I can never get enough of. I love British movies, I love dark comedy, and I love the English accent. Snatch is all of that added to a brilliant cast, excellent direction, and a story that leaves you awe-struck. Its also the only real thing Guy Ritchie ever made. Here’s a nice plot summary I borrowed from IMDB:

Turkish ( Jason Statham ) and his close friend/accomplice Tommy ( Stephen Graham ) get pulled into the world of match fixing in illegal boxing by the notorious Brick Top ( Alan Ford ). Things get complicated when the boxer they had lined up gets the shit kicked out of him by a Mickey( Brad Pitt ), a ‘pikey’ ( slang for an Irish Gypsy)- who comes into the equation after Turkish, an unlicensed boxing promoter wants to buy a caravan off the Irish Gypsies. They then try to convince Mickey not only to fight for them, but to lose for them too. Whilst all this is going on, a huge diamond heist takes place, and a fistful of motley characters enter the story, including ‘Cousin Avi’, ‘Boris The Blade’, ‘Franky Four Fingers’( Benecio del Toro ) and ‘Bullet Tooth Tony’( Vinnie Jones ). Things go from bad to worse as it all becomes about the money, the guns, and a damned dog!

Add to the above, some of that eccentric British accent, a buch of witless characters sporting guns, and ovcousre -> ze blood. Please watch Snatch and if it clicks with you, you’ll watch it again n again, just for the sake of it. The background score ain’t bad either.

9/10 for acting, cast, setting, and editing.

10/10 for the storyline.

Watch out for Jason Statham ( in his career best-performance) and Brad Pitt’s a ‘pikey’.

Slumdog Millionaire

IMDB rank 222 ( as on 9 Dec,2008 )

I haven’t seen the Slumdog Millionaire, but from what i hear this promises to be one hell of an India based movie. This genre has been attracting notable interest in the recent past with decent movies like The Darjeeling Ltd. becoming audience favorites. The thing with Darjeeling Ltd. was that none of it was real, neither was the story believable, nor was the India in it. But the west loves its ‘Indian’ image and loved the movie, which frankly, becomes a bit tiresome for an Indian to go through. But Slumdog is different; its set in the real India, with a realistic situation, and is already making heavy Oscar vibes, with lead actor Dev Patel becoming a fan-favorite. Watch out for this movie in the coming days, that is, if you haven’t marveled it already. I sure am looking forward to it.

(*Images courtesy IMDB)

Black Candy Blues

Lewis Hamilton’s F1 win could well be an indicator for things to come. The United States goes into elections today, and for the first time in its history, a black man is being touted as a heavy favourite. And Hamilton’s F1 win may be seen as an indicator for things to come.

Not getting into any race-driven ( excuse the pun ) feelings, but an Obama victory would certainly be refreshing, what remains to be seen is whether he can deliver the change he’s promised.

The important thing here is not to rule out his very formidable opponent in Sen. John McCain. As a former POW, he’s displayed the strength, at both physical and mental levels to make this fight far from a one-sided affair. Even though i’ve always believed the US electoral system to be error prone, it always provides interesting outcomes. May the best man win!

Chelsea have bounced back brilliantly from their Bridge defeat to Liverpool, and have snatched the top spotin the PL again after falling to 2nd last Sunday. Emphatic victories against Hull ( 3-0 a ) and Sunderland ( 5-0 h also involving a Nicholas Anelka hat-trick ) have ensured they have a far superior goal difference ( +23 ) than any of the other title contenders.

A movie that i saw recently was Burn After Reading. From the very impressive duo of Ethan and Joel Coen ( of The Big Lebowski, Fargo, and No Country for Old Men fame ), this movie , for me, couldn’t stand up to their previous highs. Although loaded with the highest-end cast of George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Jon Malkovich, Brad Pitt and Tilda Swinton, the movie fails to find a stable plot and keeps juggling between a situational comedy and a Government thriller. The background score is very impressive, and helps build suspense towards a climax, which ends up being very soft.

Overall i’d rate this movie at 7/10 for its background score, and the impressive cast.

Rajdeep Sardesai’s letter to Raj Thackerey

This comes after I recently got involved in the  “Migrants in  Mumbai” debate at kv’s blog.

My Dear Raj,

My apologies for having to communicate through the editorial pages of a newspaper, but frankly am left with little choice since you seem to have decided to stay away from the so-called ‘national’ non-Marathi media. Let me at the very outset say that I am impressed with the manner you have carved a niche on the political landscape of Maharashtra. I distinctly remember meeting you in February last year soon after the Mumbai municipal corporation elections. It wasn’t the best of times: your party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had been marginalized while your cousin Udhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena had captured power in the city. With many of your supporters deserting you, you appeared down, if not quite out. Twenty months later, I see you’ve bounced back: every local and national daily has you on the front page, you are the subject of television debates and your politics has even united Bihar’s warring netas.

And yet, my friend, there is a thin line between fame and notoriety, more so in the fickle world of politics. Bashing north Indian students may grab the headlines, getting arrested may even get you sympathy and strident rhetoric will always have a constituency, but will it be enough to secure your ultimate dream of succeeding your uncle Bal Thackeray as the flagbearer of Marathi asmita (pride)?

If Balasaheb in the 1960s rose to prominence by targeting the south Indian “lungiwala”, you have made the north Indian “bhaiyaa” the new ‘enemy’. In the 1960s, the Maharashtrian middle class in Mumbai was feeling the pressure of job competition for white collar clerical jobs. Today, it seems that there is a similar sense of frustration at losing out economically and culturally to other social groups in Mumbai’s endless battle for scarce resources. With the Congress and the NCP having become the real estate agents of the state’s rural-urban bourgeoise and the Shiv Sena a pale shadow of its original avatar, the space has been created for a charismatic leader to emerge as a rabble-rouser espousing the sons of the soil platform.

But Raj, I must remind you that electoral politics is very different from street agitations. Sure, round the clock coverage of taxis being stoned and buses being burnt will get you instant recognition. Yes, your name may inspire fear like your uncle’s once did. And perhaps there will always be a core group of lumpen youth who will be ready to do your bidding. But how much of this will translate into votes? Identity politics based on hatred and violence is subject to the law of diminishing returns, especially in a city like Mumbai, the ultimate melting pot of commerce. Your cousin Udhav tried a “Mee Mumbaikar” campaign a few years ago that was far more inclusive, but yet was interpreted as being anti-migrant. The result was that the Shiv Sena lost the 2004 elections – Lok Sabha and assembly – in its original citadel of Mumbai. Some statistics suggest that nearly one in every four Mumbaikars is now a migrant from UP or Bihar. Can any political party afford to alienate such a large constituency in highly competitive elections?

Maybe, your not even looking at winning seats at the moment, but simply staking claim to the Sena legacy in a post Bal Thackeray scenario. Perhaps, thats exactly what the ruling Congress-NCP combine in Maharashtra wants: like a market leader who gets competing brands to crush each other, the Congress-NCP leadership seems to be practicing divide and rule politics once again. They did it with Balasaheb and the communists in the 1960s, with Bhindranwale and the Akalis in the 1980s, even with the Kashmir valley politicians in the 1990s. A larger-than-life Raj Thackeray suits the ruling arrangement in Maharashtra because it could erode its principal rival, the Shiv Sena’s voter support. It’s a dangerous game, but often when politicians run out of ideas, they prefer to play with fire. It’s a fire that could leave Mumbai’s cosmopolitanism scarred for life.

Now, before you see my writings as the outpourings of an anglicized non-resident Maharashtrian, let me just say that, like you, I too am proud of my roots. I too, would like to see the cultural identity of Maharashtrians preserved and the economic well-being of our community assured. Where we differ is that I am a citizen of the Republic of India first, a proud Goan Maharashtrian only later. Fourteen years ago, I left Mumbai for Delhi to seek professional growth and was distinctly fortunate to be readily embraced by the national capital. Like millions of Indians, I too am a migrant and a beneficiary of a nation whose borders don’t stop at state checkpoints.

Moreover, I cannot accept that ‘goondaism’ is the way forward to forging a robust Maharashtrian identity. By vandalizing a shop or stoning a taxi, what kind of mindless regional chauvinism are we promoting? Taking away the livelihood of a poor taxi driver or beating up some defenceless students from Bihar reflects a fake machismo that is no answer to what ails Maharashtrian society today. The Maharashtra I once knew was inspired by the progressive ideals of the bhakti movement, by a Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar legacy of social reform. Are we going to dismantle that legacy under the weight of hate politics?

When you started your party a few years ago, it had been pitched as a party committed to a “modern” Maharashtra. If that vision still stands, why don’t you take it forward in real terms? Why don’t you, for example, set up vocational courses and technical institutes for young Maharashtrians to make them competitive in the job market? Why not, for that matter, start English-speaking classes for Maharashtrian students to equip them for the demands of the new economy? If cultural identity is such a concern, why not launch a statewide campaign to promote Marathi art, theatre and cinema by financially supporting such ventures? If Mumbai’s collapsing infrastructure worries you, then target the politician-builder nexus first. And isn’t it also time we realized that Mumbai is not Maharashtra, that the long suffering Vidarbha and Marathwada farmer needs urgent attention? Why not use your political and financial muscle to start projects in rural Maharashtra instead of focusing your energies on Mumbai’s bright lights alone? An employment generation scheme in a Jalna or a Gadchiroli may not make the front pages, but it will have far greater value for securing Maharashtra’s future.

Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra!

Chelsea home-run:An interesting reference

Here’s an interesting piece i came across

Ding dong, Chelsea’s streak is dead.

Thanks to a deflected shot by Xabi Alonso in the 10th minute off Jose Bosingwa, Liverpool topped Chelsea 1-0 Sunday morning at Stamford Bridge to end the Blue impressive 86-game home unbeaten streak.

Chelsea’s last defeat at Stamford Bridge was in February 21, 2004 to Arsenal.

To put it in perspective, that’s six months before anyone knew what “Lost” was. In that time the Red Sox have won two World Series. It’s the same month Kanye West released his first album and since then has sold over 12 units worldwide.

For more perspective, the previous English record had been 63 matches held set by Liverpool from 1978-80. Chelsea might be unlikeable, but they absolutely owned this record.

Chelsea- The 86 streak tribute

Back in 2002, on a random day in school, at a GK period, a friend of mine, who was conducting a small mock quiz for the class, asked my team a question I don’t remember. We didn’t have the answer, and he prompted me by saying, “C’mon Kartik, it’s your favorite team, the one you told me about”. To be frank, I didn’t have a single clue to what he was referring, but I replied, “Is it Chelsea?” As it turned out it was Chelsea, and it’s been Chelsea ever since then. Maybe the word Chelsea had come up in one of our random sports talk ( and there were too many ), but I don’t think I can guess what logistics made him call that team my favorite.

Something happened today!

Sometimes when something ends all of a sudden, its strange how you wish it would never have been in the first place. But the worst strikes, when you have to deal with that for the first time.

Chelsea lost for the first time at the Stamford Bridge in a Premier League game for 4 years and 8 months. I felt like it’d be better if I could cry, and not many things make me feel that way. They’ll all come to me, they’ll repeat it to me- it’d be better if I could cry.

Shortly after that first stint with Chelsea, the cable operator at our place didn’t air ESPN-Star for a long time. But by that time, I’d become Chelsea enough to stop at that. Sure, Zola, Zenden, Hasselbaink, Le Saux et al didn’t claim to be invincible, but flames of my Chelsea romance had already been lit.

We shifted to Mumbai around summer 2004, which hadn’t been the best of my times. On the first day to new school, I met this friend, one who still is probably the best of them I’ve got. He asked me if I followed football, that did I watch the EPL, if I supported a club? Maybe, not entirely truthfully, I said I watched football games all the time. I said I was a Chelsea fan ( for the first time ). And it was never about the money as they keep telling me. 

I had seen the game when they last lost a home premier league game, but at that time it didn’t matter. It was OK. Chelsea was also-rans, and they lost to a season-unbeaten Arsenal side. That was February 2004.I was 15 then.

Ever since then, I’d never seen them fail, not at the fortress called Stamford Bridge, that is until today, October 26, 2008, a day after my 20^th birthday.

The legend of the phoenix is that it rises back from its own ashes, every time it dies, and though today wasn’t the death of the Chelsea legend, it’s time we rebuild it again. It took them all 86 games ( a total of 26 different teams ) to finally bring the streak to an end. I hope its 860 now. I hope I live to see them keep winning at home forever…..

True Blue Forever…..

Are we terrorized?: The Good Year- Analogies with a Joker

Its been troubled times lately. The world all of a sudden seems a much more gloomier place than it was an year ago. And NO its not about the dementors ( i guess ). “Its chaos, and right now its the rule”

We’ve been seeing the physical terror striking every now and then. New militant groups spring out of extremist ideologies each day, they kill innocents, and innocents for whose cause they supposedly fight keep getting branded as miscreants. Multiple blasts in various cities across Asia have suddenly hindered the progressive peace and prosperity drives that resulted in significant financial improvements in the region. Political leaders keep playing the blame game, and well-wishers of the common are numbered. “People are dying out there, what’d you do? “

Money changes hands, money disappears, and keeps re-appearing, but money lives on- So where’s all the money gone now? Global Credit Crunch, Inflation, Rising Interest Rates, Taxes, Crude Prices; frankly i heard about most of them, this past quarter. Its not that money was easy to handle before, but its become a lot more difficult to understand now. People lose jobs each day, they kill themselves for their situation, its not because they don’t have the money now, its because they have seen it before, they’ve been on the highs, and now can’t live on the lows.

What we probably do not see very easily, or still pretend to be apathetic towards, is our very co-existence with the earth. I call it co-existence now because it seems we’ve come to a point, when either humans manage to exist somehow, or the earth end our existence naturally, through one of its ‘disasters’. As an eg. we keep celebrating the usual pleasures of Formula-1 racing ( the author included ), even though we all know what its worth.

What we’re witnessing are times when the water slowly rises above our necks, you can still breathe, but inside your head you know you’re not seeing a way out of this; so you re-assure everyone around you that every thing’s gonna be okay, even though you barely speak through all the choking; in turn you believe someone’s giving you hope, when that someone is you, yourself, the drowning man.

So isn’t it like one of the many days of terror that Gotham witnesses, isn’t there a Joker somewhere around who keeps laughing on our faces, and asks us

Why so serious?

The beautiful contradiction problem!

Thinking about thinking of you
Summertime think it was June
Yeah think it was June

I guess, somewhere down the line, it does come to self-examination. There’s a reason for it, and its called insecurity. How can I keep on being the same everyday, what forces us to play cogs on the wheel, why are we so redundant?

Laying back, head on the grass
Children grown having some laughs
Yeah having some laughs

Its interesting, but if I may be allowed to manipulate Coelho, “God rarely reveals the future, and if he does, all that comes of it is the associated deja vu.” Do I believe, whatever doesn’t concern you, is not for you? I guess yeah. Have i been largely ignorant, uninterested in whatever went on? Am i a sinner for caring?

Made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one
Made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one

The signs lately do indicate that tendency of mine. To add to it, i’ve been labelled prejudiced and cold.
Maybe it’s for real. But it’s just me, dats how i role.

Drinking back, drinking for two
Drinking with you
And drinking was new

So what were the things that made me this. I guess, for starters, i always felt, that my only reason for existence was to be the king of the world. That i was the center around which the world was supposed to revolve, that everyone around was just a small part in my story.

Sleeping in the back of my car
We never went far
Needed to go far

And that vision shattered, I lost things, I shudnt have….

Made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one
Made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one

So what’s the beauty of self-contradiction? Is it about opening your eyes?

I don’t know where we are going now
I don’t know where we are going now

Do i finally recognize the stranger in myself? Do i see the need to change? Do i understand what i missed?

Wake up cold coffee and juice
Remembering you
What happened to you?

Maybe its too late. Or maybe thats just a fear? What if i cud go back? How does one go back in time? I’d love to go back in time…..

I wonder if we’ll meet again
Talk about us instead
Talk about why did it end

Its not that i regret being where i am, but i regret being this thing that i am. I believe i owe an apology to all those i wronged. But should i apologize? Do i apologize?

Made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one
Made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one

NO SCREW U PEOPLE, U’RE STILL A PART OF MY STORY!

I don’t know where we are going now
I don’t know where we are going now

The above lines were written under the influence of a splendid track by The Stereophonics, namely Dakota, and to the author’s best knowledge, none of it is true. If u belvd. them, then he did you in!! A beautiful contradiction…. Do listen to it, the music will only make it better.

So take a look at me now
So take a look at me now

Whats New….

Its been a while since i last blogged, but it doesn’t seem as if many missed my views….

So anyways, moving on, what compels me to take the pains today, is the fact that this date (11/08/2008 ) will always be remembered for a very special moment, in my country’s history.

I also remember the date because i lost a loved one, on this very date, 11 years ago.

The glitter of GOLD is not new to Indians, famous for their explicit gold ornaments, and traditional gold based jewelery. But, GOLD associated with sport has been a rarity, that still continues to amaze the +1bn brain exercising Indians.

Why aren’t we so adept at the skill of finishing tops, when it comes to sport?

The primary reason I see, would probably not be the lack of infrastructure, and neither will it be shortage of funds ( though it would be the favorite nominee for secondary reason ), but rather the indifference towards sports. Its more in the mindset of Indians, to be academic, rather than athletic. Hence we may produce some of the most intelligent scientists, the most successful businessmen, the most efficient of economists, and even the best Grand Masters ( chess ), but not world-beating cross-country runners.

Do I see this as a failure on our part?

No, definitely not, we are aces when it comes to the games of the mind ( not necessarily mind games )
, we are the Gold’s there, and that’s what counts, to be among the best, where you thrive to be the best.

So what makes today so remarkable for this nation?

That man ABHINAV BINDRA! I must confess I knew very little of this champion, before 10.30 am today, and still don’t know much of his past exploits..but he’ll always be remembered for what he accomplished today.

He reached heights, no Indian, male or female, had reached before, HE WROTE HIS NAME IN GOLD.

He became the first ever individual Olympic Gold medalist for India, by clinching gold in the 10m Air Rifle event at Beijing. What he has achieved will not be completely justified by my words, & hence I wouldn’t divulge too much into singing laurels.

All I can say is: I SALUTE U ABHINAV, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, U MAKE ME PROUD, U MAKE INDIA PROUD.

Oranje more or less!

Holland deserved to win the European cup-umm yes,maybe,seein de way they played in the grp stages……..

bt lukin at the way they played against Hiddinks czars,its onlyrite dat they’re outie………

Worst ov all,sneijder(1 ov my 3 oranje favs along wid robben n van persie) disappointed me the most,always lookin 2 shoot from range n employing a very selfish game,clearly the russians had a lot more d-penetrations n created a lot more dangerous situations(notably 5-6 empty front ov the goal crosses,ov wich 2 were converted)……

n dat boy Arshavin (no wonder Zenit wr UEFA cup winners)…..stunning!!

As i’d prediceted in an earlier post on another site,never forget bigg guus…..

so i’d luk out 4 da russians if i wr spain altho guus never goes past the semis….

//

Earlier post 4 every1s viewing:

Who will win Euro-08

I hope its either Holland or Germany altho the top seeds to win would be:
1-Portugal(Team to beat in the tournament,Ronaldo) n Germany(Probably better than Portugal one on one,bt consistency against other teams will be tested)
2-Italy(Very strong on most days,bt lack a clear goal scoring striker)
3-Spain(Trinity of Torres,Fabregas,Villa shud come good)
4-France(Mix of age nd youth bt in their first major tounament post Zidane)
5-Holland(Flair nd attack,bt infighting nd star status lets ‘em down,difficult group)
6-Czech(Weak in attack w/o Rosicky,solid defensive mentality)
7-Russia(Never forget Big Guus)
8-Greece(defending champions,considered outsiders,bt the only team to remain unbeaten in qualifiers)

Of the others, Sweden,Croatia, n Turkey r strong nd may cause upsets on their day,bt winning wud be a far shot….

//

As for the Germans i still back them n feel they hv the easiest route to the final (the Turks fite bt r left wid 2 few a warriors…..), n u cn never kno wot happens then (hope its nt a lame duck as the WC-06 final,decided on penalties,no more penalties 4 me plzzzz(zzz,o i’m nt sleeping already)…..