Some notes on the top 500 songs in the Rolling Stone magazine:
* Abba at 171 with Dancing Queen. Howz that possible?? I guess that Abba were not really that big in the US and they were more of a Euro thing, but still, why 171? It is a good song, nice, catchy.
* Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody comes in a no. 163. Can you believe that?? I aks the Rolling Stone guys to listen to it again. So operatic, so multi-layered, a sound experiment for its time.
* The recording of Bohemian Rhapsody taxed the recording technology of it's time so much, that some tapes became virtually transparent from being overdubbed so many times.
* Bee Gees are at 189 with Stayin' Alive. Come on, this song had a cultural impact, not only in US, but also around the world. India can thank that song for Disco Dancer. I know Mithun-da would.
* Born in the USA at no. 275. 'nuff said.
* No George Michael. Has everyone forgotten Careless Whispers already? And for the matter, no Wham! as well. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go anyone?
* Eric Clapton is here with Tears in Heaven, which is a good number, but what about Cocaine?
* I couldn't find any mention of Eminem on the list.
* The list is, according to the article, "a celebration of the greatest rock & roll songs of all time". But the list has everything fro mbluse, to Hip Hop to Disco t oRegge. Which again brings me to the question - What is Rock???
Monday, November 29, 2004
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind...
I was working again, yesterday, but that's another story...
I recently saw a good movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I highly recommend it to those who haven't seen till now. The story is quite known, so no point in telling it again. But what interested me was the whole idea behind the film, namely, you can choose to forget someone, but can you choose to fall in or out of love with him/her??
The movie begins with Jim Carey going to office on a Valentine's day in the morning, and discovering that his car is damaged. He is forced to take the subway, where he meets Kate Winslet. They are pole apart from each other, him being the cautious type, and her being the impulsive one. But they click. The story then shifts to Jim Carey crying in is car 'cos Kate has left him, and chosen to forget him and erase his memories from her brain through a medical procedure. In retaliation, he too chooses to erase her memories from his brain. What follows is the major part of the story, which takes place during one night. As Jim Carey is sleeping, two technicians come over to his apartment and systematically erase all the memories from his brain. We get a glimpse of all the memories that he Jim Carey had with Kate. About their trip to the beach, about how they fought at the flea market, their trip to the drive-in...
And we also learn how one of the technicians, played by Mr. Frodo himself, has fallen for Kate, and has in fact stolen Jim Carey's identity, and is using his memories with Kate to woo her. Kate, on her part, is quite impressed by the fact that he seems to like a lot of things that she does, but then is also perturbed at how he always seems to hit the bullseye with her, saying the right thing, doing the right thing. In short, there seems to be no passion in what he does, just clockwork precision. To whatever she says, he seems to have the right answer. We also learn how the office intern, played by Kirsten Dunst, had fallen for the head doctor and then chosen to have her memory removed when this didn't turn out well.
During the night, Jim Carey decided the the doesn't want to have Kate's memory erased, as he has realised how much he loves her. But its too late, and he tries in vain to save at least one of her memory by saving it with some other memory.
As the day breaks, the memory erasing is successful, and Jim Carey is not left with any memory of Kate at all. Here the movie proceeds as it had in the begining, and then the penny drops - the story telling was not a linear one, but rather, very non-linear. When Jim actually met Kate at the begining of the movie, it was after he had erased her memory. But still, when they met again, they hit it off, and were a couple again, which again brings us to the premise of the entire movie, namely, you can choose to erase a person's memory from your mind, but can you erase that person from your heart? Both Jim and Kate chose to forget each other, but when they met again, they were attracted to each otehr. Same way, Kirsten too got all the memories of the head doctor erased from her memory, but that didn't stop her from being attracted to him even later.
Many-a-times, we say that we want to forget someone whom we love, or wish we had never met that person at all, but is it really that easy? Will forgetting someone completely really help? What about heart matters? In the end, the movie really lays down rather conventional ideas, the type that we usually see in teh Meg Ryam rom-coms, but under the penmanship of Charlie Kaufman, the story gets a very good treatment.
I also like the other Kaufman-scripted movie, Adaptation. But while that movie was pretty out-there in it's narration, this one is more easier on the brain. Hmm...maybe love is easier to understand than identity (adaptation was about one's identity).
All in all, I highly recommend this movie.
I recently saw a good movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I highly recommend it to those who haven't seen till now. The story is quite known, so no point in telling it again. But what interested me was the whole idea behind the film, namely, you can choose to forget someone, but can you choose to fall in or out of love with him/her??
The movie begins with Jim Carey going to office on a Valentine's day in the morning, and discovering that his car is damaged. He is forced to take the subway, where he meets Kate Winslet. They are pole apart from each other, him being the cautious type, and her being the impulsive one. But they click. The story then shifts to Jim Carey crying in is car 'cos Kate has left him, and chosen to forget him and erase his memories from her brain through a medical procedure. In retaliation, he too chooses to erase her memories from his brain. What follows is the major part of the story, which takes place during one night. As Jim Carey is sleeping, two technicians come over to his apartment and systematically erase all the memories from his brain. We get a glimpse of all the memories that he Jim Carey had with Kate. About their trip to the beach, about how they fought at the flea market, their trip to the drive-in...
And we also learn how one of the technicians, played by Mr. Frodo himself, has fallen for Kate, and has in fact stolen Jim Carey's identity, and is using his memories with Kate to woo her. Kate, on her part, is quite impressed by the fact that he seems to like a lot of things that she does, but then is also perturbed at how he always seems to hit the bullseye with her, saying the right thing, doing the right thing. In short, there seems to be no passion in what he does, just clockwork precision. To whatever she says, he seems to have the right answer. We also learn how the office intern, played by Kirsten Dunst, had fallen for the head doctor and then chosen to have her memory removed when this didn't turn out well.
During the night, Jim Carey decided the the doesn't want to have Kate's memory erased, as he has realised how much he loves her. But its too late, and he tries in vain to save at least one of her memory by saving it with some other memory.
As the day breaks, the memory erasing is successful, and Jim Carey is not left with any memory of Kate at all. Here the movie proceeds as it had in the begining, and then the penny drops - the story telling was not a linear one, but rather, very non-linear. When Jim actually met Kate at the begining of the movie, it was after he had erased her memory. But still, when they met again, they hit it off, and were a couple again, which again brings us to the premise of the entire movie, namely, you can choose to erase a person's memory from your mind, but can you erase that person from your heart? Both Jim and Kate chose to forget each other, but when they met again, they were attracted to each otehr. Same way, Kirsten too got all the memories of the head doctor erased from her memory, but that didn't stop her from being attracted to him even later.
Many-a-times, we say that we want to forget someone whom we love, or wish we had never met that person at all, but is it really that easy? Will forgetting someone completely really help? What about heart matters? In the end, the movie really lays down rather conventional ideas, the type that we usually see in teh Meg Ryam rom-coms, but under the penmanship of Charlie Kaufman, the story gets a very good treatment.
I also like the other Kaufman-scripted movie, Adaptation. But while that movie was pretty out-there in it's narration, this one is more easier on the brain. Hmm...maybe love is easier to understand than identity (adaptation was about one's identity).
All in all, I highly recommend this movie.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Working On Friday...
Life is maya. I know that. Ok, I don't know that, but I am supposed to know that. What I do know is maya, is my weekly holidays. It's friday, my day off, and once again, I am in my office, updating the site. On the tele, an interview with Shashi Kapoor is going on, and its really interesting. Love it. A really interesting guy. Still the charmer.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Ambani/Kanchi...
The Ambani saga seems to be headed downhill. Latest is that hte mother has refused to intervene, saying that she doesn't know much about the business. And in her place, all sorts of people have started advice to the brothers, the worst being politicians. Forgodssake, what have politicians to do with this?? The moment they butt their heads in, things go downhill.
Talking of politicians and tings going downhill, ahve you seen the latest twist in the Kanchi Seer saga? It seems that one of the main witnesses has recanted, and said that the confessions were taken under duress. What else can we expect from the Karnataka police? Remember the DMK saga arrest? And speaking of DMK, it seems that the main accused is a DMK man. No wonder the DMK is singing a different tune. And its really sad that when a politician gets arrested, he is given a five star treatement by the police, with him being sent to the hospital at the slightest ache, and here, a 70-year old holy man who is a diabetic is not being accorded any special treatement. This really sickens me.
Talking of politicians and tings going downhill, ahve you seen the latest twist in the Kanchi Seer saga? It seems that one of the main witnesses has recanted, and said that the confessions were taken under duress. What else can we expect from the Karnataka police? Remember the DMK saga arrest? And speaking of DMK, it seems that the main accused is a DMK man. No wonder the DMK is singing a different tune. And its really sad that when a politician gets arrested, he is given a five star treatement by the police, with him being sent to the hospital at the slightest ache, and here, a 70-year old holy man who is a diabetic is not being accorded any special treatement. This really sickens me.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
The Best Songs...
The Rolling Stone Magazine has done it again!! They have gone ahead and compiled a list of 500 greatest songs. And surprise, surprise, the best song of all times, based on reader feedback, is 'Like A Rolling Stone' by Bob Dylan (a bit of an ego thing there, I say), followed by '(I can't get no)Satisfaction' by Rolling Stones (the ego thing again??!!??) and 'Imagine' by John Lennon. Now don't get me wrong, but I think that by sheer amount of air play, 'Imagine' should have been on top. Any peace rally, any college fest in India, and this song just pops up.
And surprisingly, the best Beatles number is 'Hey Jude'!! What happened to 'Across The Universe', 'Elanor Rigby' and others??
Point ot be noted here, that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana is the only song from post 90s to make it to the list. Maybe this is an indicator of the decline of the quality of music. And Abba don't make it anywhere near the top.
And yes, Jinu, your fav. song comes in a no. 31. Take heart.
And surprisingly, the best Beatles number is 'Hey Jude'!! What happened to 'Across The Universe', 'Elanor Rigby' and others??
Point ot be noted here, that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana is the only song from post 90s to make it to the list. Maybe this is an indicator of the decline of the quality of music. And Abba don't make it anywhere near the top.
And yes, Jinu, your fav. song comes in a no. 31. Take heart.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Reliance...
On Friday, while Jinu and I were playing pool, the conversation drifted to statements made by Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, that there were differences between him and his brother, Anil. Jinu commented on how sad it was that the two brothers were fighting with each other over the control of the company, while I dismissed it as a minor power struggle and the soon, things will sort themselves out. But now it seems that the matter is more serious than I anticipated it to be. Already, their mother is jumping into the foray, trying to setle things, and also, it seems, the Ambani sisters were in town too. This leads me to wonder - did the Ambani boys have sisters??!!??
But coming back ot the issue, it seems that the matter is not going away so easily. Anile will makea statement about it in the next 48 hours. It seems that Dhirubhai did not leave a will, but he did divide the work among the brothers neatly. While Mukesh managed the companies, Anil managed the finances. Anil is also looking after the upcoming reliance projects like the setting up what is being touted as the world's largest gas-based power project in Uttar Pradesh. So the work is more or less evenly divided between the brothers. In such a scenario, the need for a will is not really that necessary.
On my part, I have a feeling that the media is really playing up the story. Yes, Mukesh is right, that this is a matter of the public domain, and should not in anyway affect the company, given that the brothers have their works cut out for them. But the media always loves a good story.
The markets, too have been too jittery in my opinion, towards the whole saga. What difference will a difference of opinion cause to the markets? You have to give it to the brothers, that whatever their differences, they are thorough professionals. They would never do anything that would in anyway harm the company. After all, they are Gujjus!!
The differences, in my opinion, should be viewed in a constructive manner, and not in a destructive manner. These differences will guide the company in a newer direction. And given the brothers' professionalism, you can bet that that they will choose the right direction, come what may. The Reliance Empire is moving away from Dhirubhai Era to a Mukesh-Anil Era. Heres to a great Era.
The king is dead, long live the Kings!
But coming back ot the issue, it seems that the matter is not going away so easily. Anile will makea statement about it in the next 48 hours. It seems that Dhirubhai did not leave a will, but he did divide the work among the brothers neatly. While Mukesh managed the companies, Anil managed the finances. Anil is also looking after the upcoming reliance projects like the setting up what is being touted as the world's largest gas-based power project in Uttar Pradesh. So the work is more or less evenly divided between the brothers. In such a scenario, the need for a will is not really that necessary.
On my part, I have a feeling that the media is really playing up the story. Yes, Mukesh is right, that this is a matter of the public domain, and should not in anyway affect the company, given that the brothers have their works cut out for them. But the media always loves a good story.
The markets, too have been too jittery in my opinion, towards the whole saga. What difference will a difference of opinion cause to the markets? You have to give it to the brothers, that whatever their differences, they are thorough professionals. They would never do anything that would in anyway harm the company. After all, they are Gujjus!!
The differences, in my opinion, should be viewed in a constructive manner, and not in a destructive manner. These differences will guide the company in a newer direction. And given the brothers' professionalism, you can bet that that they will choose the right direction, come what may. The Reliance Empire is moving away from Dhirubhai Era to a Mukesh-Anil Era. Heres to a great Era.
The king is dead, long live the Kings!
Monday, November 22, 2004
Downloading...
One outcome of my pruchasing the iPod has been that I have started downloading mp3s from the net. I have found a site on the net from where one can download Hindi songs. And not just the songs that I am currently listening to, but also ones that I used to listen to. For example, I am now downloading songs by Nazia Hassan (remember her??)!!! I have two songs by her now, Disco Deewane, and Mera Dil Ro Raha Hai. But these are really worth it.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Did I Have a Weekend?...
Did I have a weekend? I think not. Two days, supposedly off, but I was in the office for both of them. Ok, so I got out early, but that doesn't count. I shouldn't have been in the office in the first place. Boo.
Saturday Night...
It's Saturday night, and I am in office. In fact, I was in office yesterday as well, and both are my off days. I am still working sseven days a week, but on my off days, I get to leave early, that's all. I really need a vacation.
Yesterday, I saw Rocky 4, and I realised something - it's a pucca Hindi movie!!! It's a revenge drama, with an evil villian, a goody hero who is also an underdog, and to top that, there are two whole songs in the movie!!! One is the James Brown song 'Living in America', which comes just before Apollo Creed fights Draga, and the other is 'No Easy Way Out', when Sly has a fight with his wife and drives out of the house. These songs can easily it into a Hindi movie. Replace 'Living in America' with 'Aa Dekhen Zara' from the Indian Rocky, and 'No Easy Way Out' with 'Yudh Kar' from Yudh or 'Intequam Loonga' from Main Intequam Lunga. Yeah!!!
Yesterday, I saw Rocky 4, and I realised something - it's a pucca Hindi movie!!! It's a revenge drama, with an evil villian, a goody hero who is also an underdog, and to top that, there are two whole songs in the movie!!! One is the James Brown song 'Living in America', which comes just before Apollo Creed fights Draga, and the other is 'No Easy Way Out', when Sly has a fight with his wife and drives out of the house. These songs can easily it into a Hindi movie. Replace 'Living in America' with 'Aa Dekhen Zara' from the Indian Rocky, and 'No Easy Way Out' with 'Yudh Kar' from Yudh or 'Intequam Loonga' from Main Intequam Lunga. Yeah!!!
Thursday, November 18, 2004
I-Pod And Packaging...
I just can't keep gushing about my i-pod!! Seriously, the Apple guys know how to package a product. Right from teh packaging, a plaing while cub with the pisture of the i-pod, ot the innards, when you slide it open to reveal another whie box, which splits into two like a book, to reveal the i-pod on one side, and the ear phones and the USB and Firewire cables on the other. Groovy.
I repeat, the Apple guys really know how to package a product. So do the Nokia guys. The packaging of my Nokia phone was equally good, with a simple image over a greyish box. And the word Nokia and the model no. Groovy once again.
Speaking of mobile phones, my Nokia is giving me problems. It's camera is not working, for the second time now. The first time around, the Nokia guys changed it, but then it went bonkers again. I don't actually use the phone that much, but I still would like to have it in a working condition.
And a thought has just struck me. I now have a digital camera, a digital video camera, an IRDA phone, and mp3 players with a USB and Firewire connetion, and I don't have a computer which should act as a hub for these these things!!! I should buy a comp, but it seems like such a useless purchase...
In current affairs, I am quite disturbed by the entire Kanchi Seer affair. First, a holy man is being accused of a crime. Second, the entire matter is being made into a political issue, with politicians taking different sides to the issue. If the Seer is innocent, let him fight it out alone, without taking help of the opportunistic politicians. After all, he should it better than any of us that Satyamev Jayate.
I repeat, the Apple guys really know how to package a product. So do the Nokia guys. The packaging of my Nokia phone was equally good, with a simple image over a greyish box. And the word Nokia and the model no. Groovy once again.
Speaking of mobile phones, my Nokia is giving me problems. It's camera is not working, for the second time now. The first time around, the Nokia guys changed it, but then it went bonkers again. I don't actually use the phone that much, but I still would like to have it in a working condition.
And a thought has just struck me. I now have a digital camera, a digital video camera, an IRDA phone, and mp3 players with a USB and Firewire connetion, and I don't have a computer which should act as a hub for these these things!!! I should buy a comp, but it seems like such a useless purchase...
In current affairs, I am quite disturbed by the entire Kanchi Seer affair. First, a holy man is being accused of a crime. Second, the entire matter is being made into a political issue, with politicians taking different sides to the issue. If the Seer is innocent, let him fight it out alone, without taking help of the opportunistic politicians. After all, he should it better than any of us that Satyamev Jayate.
I'm Too Cool...
Made another massive purchase today. I bought the i-pod mini! I had gone ot purchase a cheap flash drive for transfering some files, but ended up buying a top-of-the range mp3 player instead. The thing that did it in was the sheer functionality of the thing. It is an mp3 player, a storage device (4 GB!) and a cool fashion statement rolled into one. There were other mp3 players, but they were just not worth the money. less price, but also less disk space. The i-pod beats the price-features combination by a mile. Plus, I get to be cool!!
Moving on, Jinu pointed out the online test to check your political leanings. I came out as closer to Gandhi. I am a Libertarian Leftist! On the economic scale, I am more towards the left, but not entirely. I am not a collectivist. And on the Social front, I tend more toawrds the cneter, but am also slightly leaning towards Libertarianism or anarchy. I guess I am a little wayward :-).
Moving on, Jinu pointed out the online test to check your political leanings. I came out as closer to Gandhi. I am a Libertarian Leftist! On the economic scale, I am more towards the left, but not entirely. I am not a collectivist. And on the Social front, I tend more toawrds the cneter, but am also slightly leaning towards Libertarianism or anarchy. I guess I am a little wayward :-).
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Decisions, Decisions...
I am in two minds.
Bride and Prejudice is playing in theaters right now, and I can't decide whether to watch it or not. Part of me wants to (because of Aishwarya Rai) and part of me doesn't (because of Aishwarya Rai). So what to do?
I have two choices in front of me. Choice one, I watch only half the movie. Choice two, I watch the entire movie, but with one eye closed. That ways, I would have watched it as well as not watched it.
Decisions, decisions...
Am I diplomatic or what??
Bride and Prejudice is playing in theaters right now, and I can't decide whether to watch it or not. Part of me wants to (because of Aishwarya Rai) and part of me doesn't (because of Aishwarya Rai). So what to do?
I have two choices in front of me. Choice one, I watch only half the movie. Choice two, I watch the entire movie, but with one eye closed. That ways, I would have watched it as well as not watched it.
Decisions, decisions...
Am I diplomatic or what??
Winter Has Come...
I rained again. This time, hard. The raindrops were actually pounding my car as I drove!! It was nice.
As a result of the rains, winter has finally arrived in Qatar. There is a cold breeze blowing nowadays. The mornings are hot, though.
My last post was too literal/boring, I know, but that's cos I was too tired to think too. In fact, I again had a 9/10 hour sleep yesterday. I was again dead to the world. And Jinu pal, sorry, better luck next time. You called me too late to disturb my sleep. I was already awake, and had even had my lunch till then.
So anyways, I will have to throw away the kheer. It's a bit odd tasting. Some introspection, and a retrial are required.
As a result of the rains, winter has finally arrived in Qatar. There is a cold breeze blowing nowadays. The mornings are hot, though.
My last post was too literal/boring, I know, but that's cos I was too tired to think too. In fact, I again had a 9/10 hour sleep yesterday. I was again dead to the world. And Jinu pal, sorry, better luck next time. You called me too late to disturb my sleep. I was already awake, and had even had my lunch till then.
So anyways, I will have to throw away the kheer. It's a bit odd tasting. Some introspection, and a retrial are required.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Post Diwali...
So I am back after two days of holidays!!
Well, not really. I did not have a two-day holiday this time around. I had to come to office on both days to post some stories. And on Friday, I was in the office till 4 am.
So how was your Diwali? I had a prety hectic one. I got back from office at around 3:30 am, and went ot sleep at round 5:30 am. Woke up at 8:30, with the intention of doing some Diwali cleaning around the house, which didn't begin till around 11:30, cos I did not have the tools to do the cleaning, and also the inredients to make hte Diwali meal.
The Diwali meal was aloo-baingan rasedaar sabzi, bhindi ki sabzi, puri and kheer. Had great hopes riding on these. But like mummyji has said, when one makes a meal with a lot of expectation, it will get spoilt. The kheer turned out a little ok, but since the rice was old, I guess it did not become soft so easily. As for the veggies, I ran out of haldi powder, and had to put in garam masala and a curry masala that I found. this juut made the taste of the whole thing different. Different but interesting, and good.
The puris were a different matter altogether. They turned out to be a little hard. Hard, but good.
I had my lunch at 6:30 pm!! And after that, just I was getting ready to catch some sleep at around 8:30, my phone rings, and I have to go to office 'cos we had two stories to upload. Some Diwali this!!
I was in the office till 4 in the morning, and went ot sleep at 6:30...only to wake up at 5:30 om!!Yes, I slept all through Eid!! Only to be called at the office again at 8 for a story to be uploaded.
Did manage to catch some pool with Jinu till 2:30 am, and then back home. After that, I couldn't sleep, and its been nearly 28 hours since I slept!! and the funny part is, I still don't feel too sleepy. Maybe all those cups of coffee that I had are starting to have their effect!! I am just two hours away from ending my shift, and I cant wait to go to sleep. This will be one long, deep sleep, I think.
Well, not really. I did not have a two-day holiday this time around. I had to come to office on both days to post some stories. And on Friday, I was in the office till 4 am.
So how was your Diwali? I had a prety hectic one. I got back from office at around 3:30 am, and went ot sleep at round 5:30 am. Woke up at 8:30, with the intention of doing some Diwali cleaning around the house, which didn't begin till around 11:30, cos I did not have the tools to do the cleaning, and also the inredients to make hte Diwali meal.
The Diwali meal was aloo-baingan rasedaar sabzi, bhindi ki sabzi, puri and kheer. Had great hopes riding on these. But like mummyji has said, when one makes a meal with a lot of expectation, it will get spoilt. The kheer turned out a little ok, but since the rice was old, I guess it did not become soft so easily. As for the veggies, I ran out of haldi powder, and had to put in garam masala and a curry masala that I found. this juut made the taste of the whole thing different. Different but interesting, and good.
The puris were a different matter altogether. They turned out to be a little hard. Hard, but good.
I had my lunch at 6:30 pm!! And after that, just I was getting ready to catch some sleep at around 8:30, my phone rings, and I have to go to office 'cos we had two stories to upload. Some Diwali this!!
I was in the office till 4 in the morning, and went ot sleep at 6:30...only to wake up at 5:30 om!!Yes, I slept all through Eid!! Only to be called at the office again at 8 for a story to be uploaded.
Did manage to catch some pool with Jinu till 2:30 am, and then back home. After that, I couldn't sleep, and its been nearly 28 hours since I slept!! and the funny part is, I still don't feel too sleepy. Maybe all those cups of coffee that I had are starting to have their effect!! I am just two hours away from ending my shift, and I cant wait to go to sleep. This will be one long, deep sleep, I think.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
HAPPY DIWALI AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!
A BELATED BUT A VERY HAPPY DIWALI AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE TO EVERYONE!!!
Regular post tomorrow.
Regular post tomorrow.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Culinary Adventures...
A new Culinary adventure today. I made chicken!! Yes, my first attempt at a non-veg dish. And I must say, I did manage to ace it t osome extent. Here's the low-down on it:
* I goofed up during the cutting of chicken. Cut it up into large pieces. And also, ill shaped ones. The result was that a lot of meat was thrown away, as I could not cut it up properly.
* I used too much oil. To begin with, the quantity was ok, but afterwards, I just added a little more, and then it became a lot.
* Due to a lack of a mixer grinder in the house, I could not make a paste of all spices, and had to add the onions, garlic and ginger in small pieces. As a result, the taste was not uniform throughout.
* I forgot to marinate the chicken. Because of that, I had to let it burn ofr a little longer, just to make it tender.
All these being taken into account, I am pretty pleased with the final outcome. By being harsh and stingy with points on myself, I give myself 6.5 out of 10 for the effort. The next effort will be dealt with more thoroughly, and with more preparation.
Moving on, my office treated us with chocolates today. Rather, they kept a box of chocolates with nuts in them for us to eat. The chocolates were the expensive ones, and good. I had those with tea, and believe me, tea and chocolates is a very good combo. Someday I'll try coffee and chocolates.
* I goofed up during the cutting of chicken. Cut it up into large pieces. And also, ill shaped ones. The result was that a lot of meat was thrown away, as I could not cut it up properly.
* I used too much oil. To begin with, the quantity was ok, but afterwards, I just added a little more, and then it became a lot.
* Due to a lack of a mixer grinder in the house, I could not make a paste of all spices, and had to add the onions, garlic and ginger in small pieces. As a result, the taste was not uniform throughout.
* I forgot to marinate the chicken. Because of that, I had to let it burn ofr a little longer, just to make it tender.
All these being taken into account, I am pretty pleased with the final outcome. By being harsh and stingy with points on myself, I give myself 6.5 out of 10 for the effort. The next effort will be dealt with more thoroughly, and with more preparation.
Moving on, my office treated us with chocolates today. Rather, they kept a box of chocolates with nuts in them for us to eat. The chocolates were the expensive ones, and good. I had those with tea, and believe me, tea and chocolates is a very good combo. Someday I'll try coffee and chocolates.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Sunny/Accent...
For the last one week, I was driving a rental car, as my car was at the mechanic (routine work before selling it off). I drove a Nissan Sunny, which was a powerful than the Accent. I was quite enjoying it, actually. Power steering, automatic gear, (I think) 2 liter engine, it was fun. The downside was that the speakers on that car were horrible. But I degress..
Anyways, I got my car back today, and suddenly, I felt that I was driving a bachcha car. I mean, its so light, so fragile...But I thoroghly enojyed the ride. While the Sunny has all the power, it could be a brute at times. The Accnet, on the other hand, is quite tame, and cruise worthy. Plus, the sound it makes is better. But I am sold to the power steering. My next car will have a power steering.
Anyways, I got my car back today, and suddenly, I felt that I was driving a bachcha car. I mean, its so light, so fragile...But I thoroghly enojyed the ride. While the Sunny has all the power, it could be a brute at times. The Accnet, on the other hand, is quite tame, and cruise worthy. Plus, the sound it makes is better. But I am sold to the power steering. My next car will have a power steering.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
The Remaining Pictures...
Here are the last of the pics I had taken during my early moring drive through the fog.
The Doha Corniche
I really like this one
The Doha Corniche again
The Doha-Umm Said/Messaid road
A mound near the Umm Said/Messaid beach
This one I took in my apartment. It didn't come out as well as I expected it to.
The Doha Corniche
I really like this one
The Doha Corniche again
The Doha-Umm Said/Messaid road
A mound near the Umm Said/Messaid beach
This one I took in my apartment. It didn't come out as well as I expected it to.
So Defeating...
This is so defeating. Mark LeVine, History, University of California, Irvine, writes on the Juan Cole in a piece on the recent election of George W. Bush titled "We're all Israelis Now", in which he compares India to a "criminal nation" (eighth paragraph). To quote him:
Is the Kashmir insurgency perceived as such? Has Pakistan succeeded in its media wars, to portray India as a colonizer? Sad.
In the second part of this observation, the one about the possible US-India-Israel axis, I fully agree that it is a distinct possibility. In fact, the last BJP/NDA government was working towards such an end. But I don't support it on a matter of principles. It is common wisdom that common enemies do not make good friends. An enemy of my enemy is not my friend. Also, in such an axis, India has a lot to lose, cos firstly, it has a large Muslim population which cannot be ignored. Secondly, in such triumvate, India will be the junior-most partner, it being the least advanced of the three. It will be forced to do the dirty laundry, the footwork, while US and Israel jointly call the shots. Given India's strategic position in the region, I feel it should ask for a bigger portion of the pie. And thirdly, and most importantly, the Islamophobia that will be the basis of such a coming together completely wrong. Don't forget that George Bush is a conservative Christian who believes that God is on his side and that the Second Coming is just around the corner, and same is the case with Ariel Sharon, who has extreme right wing views and hopes for the total annihilation the Muslim population in the region. India's views on this do not match with either. For better or for worse, we have always lived side by side with all the communities, and our constant endeavor should be to improve on it, and if not, then atleast maintain the status quo. Going for a radical shift on the Right does not serve India's purpose at all.
"America, in short, has become a criminal nation, and it must be stopped. (Yes, there are many other criminal nations, but aside from Israel how many even have the pretense of democracy? Russia? The Sudan? China? India is perhaps one; and given its sordid occupation of Kashmir it shouldn’t surprise that a US-India-Israel axis of occupation and Islamophobia is one of the most prominent features of the world’s geo-strategic post-9/11 landscape.)"
Is the Kashmir insurgency perceived as such? Has Pakistan succeeded in its media wars, to portray India as a colonizer? Sad.
In the second part of this observation, the one about the possible US-India-Israel axis, I fully agree that it is a distinct possibility. In fact, the last BJP/NDA government was working towards such an end. But I don't support it on a matter of principles. It is common wisdom that common enemies do not make good friends. An enemy of my enemy is not my friend. Also, in such an axis, India has a lot to lose, cos firstly, it has a large Muslim population which cannot be ignored. Secondly, in such triumvate, India will be the junior-most partner, it being the least advanced of the three. It will be forced to do the dirty laundry, the footwork, while US and Israel jointly call the shots. Given India's strategic position in the region, I feel it should ask for a bigger portion of the pie. And thirdly, and most importantly, the Islamophobia that will be the basis of such a coming together completely wrong. Don't forget that George Bush is a conservative Christian who believes that God is on his side and that the Second Coming is just around the corner, and same is the case with Ariel Sharon, who has extreme right wing views and hopes for the total annihilation the Muslim population in the region. India's views on this do not match with either. For better or for worse, we have always lived side by side with all the communities, and our constant endeavor should be to improve on it, and if not, then atleast maintain the status quo. Going for a radical shift on the Right does not serve India's purpose at all.
Monday, November 08, 2004
What A Day...
Its is 12:48 pm right now, and looking back, what a day it has been!!! I slept for more than 12 hours today, with a small break in between, for lunch. I had absolutely nothing to do. Jinu pal, did you just turn green with envy??
Anyways, I was talking about what a day it has been. The more-than-extra sleep is doing things to my mind, I think. My sense of smell is playing tricks on me. I swear I can smell the rain!!! The wet mud, the moist rain. That, sitting in an air-conditioned room!! And somehow, I feel that when I go out, I'll find it raining!! Not only that, on an online message board I frequent, there was talk about the G-Force cartoons that I loved as a kid. This again brought back memories. Again, what a day!! Hmmm, T think I'll never need drugs to go on mind trip. Just a long sleep, and I'm there.
On another note, have you seen the new SBI life insurance advert? Isn't it cute? It's one of the better ads on Indian tele right now.
Anyways, I was talking about what a day it has been. The more-than-extra sleep is doing things to my mind, I think. My sense of smell is playing tricks on me. I swear I can smell the rain!!! The wet mud, the moist rain. That, sitting in an air-conditioned room!! And somehow, I feel that when I go out, I'll find it raining!! Not only that, on an online message board I frequent, there was talk about the G-Force cartoons that I loved as a kid. This again brought back memories. Again, what a day!! Hmmm, T think I'll never need drugs to go on mind trip. Just a long sleep, and I'm there.
On another note, have you seen the new SBI life insurance advert? Isn't it cute? It's one of the better ads on Indian tele right now.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Corrections...
A few correction in the last post:
* The Nasseruddin Shah article was in the Outlook magazine, and not in Rolling Stone.
* The song is 'Love you to', and not 'Love to you'
* The sitar in the song is played by George Harrison himself, and not Pt. Ravi Shankar. The tabla in it is played by one Anil Bhagwat.
A proper post later.
* The Nasseruddin Shah article was in the Outlook magazine, and not in Rolling Stone.
* The song is 'Love you to', and not 'Love to you'
* The sitar in the song is played by George Harrison himself, and not Pt. Ravi Shankar. The tabla in it is played by one Anil Bhagwat.
A proper post later.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Revolver...
The irrepressible Naseeruddin Shah talks about censorship and the decline of quality films in this article in the Rolling Stone magazine. This guys is gutsy. Worth the read.
I made a music purchase today. I brought Revolver by the Beatles. A really good buy, IMO. The all music site entry on this album reads as follows:
and,
And I truly agree with all that is said there. A casual listening of this ablum reveals how much varied this entire album is, how much ground it covers, from the opening track, the caustic 'Taxman', to the child-like simplicity of 'Yellow Submarine', to the dark and pessimistic opratic style of 'Eleanor Rigby', to the Indian experimentation in 'Love To You' (great sitar there by Pt. Ravi Shankar). This page has a write up on Eleanor Rigby, which is again a good read.
I had purchased the Sgt. Peppers album, but I gave it to Bunny. Now that was another great album. Plenty of experimentation in that too. The range on both these albums is really mindblowing. Owning them both would have been sweet.
Revolver was named as one of 500 best albums by the Rolling Stone magazine, and that's really saying a lot. The entry for the album read something like:
"One fine day, the Beatles decided to take on the rock bands, and blew the competetion away with this album". Sheer experimentation here. The album was ranked 3rd, and Sgt. Peppers was the best album of all times. Here is the list. Bob Dylan comes fourth on the list.
Here is another list, this time the 100 greatest pop songs of all time. It's topped by the Beatles once again. 'Yesterday' is the best pop song. Interestingly, '(I can't get no) Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones is second, and 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana is third.... These are Pop songs??!!?? Also, the 10th in the list is 'I Want It That Way' by the Back Street Boys!!! What were the Rolling Stone guys thinking when they composed this list???
This brings me to the entire Pop/Rock controversy. I have been searching and searching for an explanation, but no one can yet explain as to where Pop ends, and Rock begins. Sure, there are the pure Pop and pure Rock songs like 'Stayin' Alive' and 'Smoke Over The Water' respectively to name, but where exactly does one end, and the other begin?
But I degress, the Album is a good buy.
I made a music purchase today. I brought Revolver by the Beatles. A really good buy, IMO. The all music site entry on this album reads as follows:
"All the rules fell by the wayside with Revolver, as the Beatles began exploring new sonic territory, lyrical subjects, and styles of composition"
and,
"The biggest miracle of Revolver may be that the Beatles covered so much new stylistic ground and executed it perfectly on one record, or it may be that all of it holds together perfectly. Either way, its daring sonic adventures and consistently stunning songcraft set the standard for what pop/rock could achieve. Even after Sgt. Pepper, Revolver stands as the ultimate modern pop album and it's still as emulated as it was upon its original release"
And I truly agree with all that is said there. A casual listening of this ablum reveals how much varied this entire album is, how much ground it covers, from the opening track, the caustic 'Taxman', to the child-like simplicity of 'Yellow Submarine', to the dark and pessimistic opratic style of 'Eleanor Rigby', to the Indian experimentation in 'Love To You' (great sitar there by Pt. Ravi Shankar). This page has a write up on Eleanor Rigby, which is again a good read.
I had purchased the Sgt. Peppers album, but I gave it to Bunny. Now that was another great album. Plenty of experimentation in that too. The range on both these albums is really mindblowing. Owning them both would have been sweet.
Revolver was named as one of 500 best albums by the Rolling Stone magazine, and that's really saying a lot. The entry for the album read something like:
"One fine day, the Beatles decided to take on the rock bands, and blew the competetion away with this album". Sheer experimentation here. The album was ranked 3rd, and Sgt. Peppers was the best album of all times. Here is the list. Bob Dylan comes fourth on the list.
Here is another list, this time the 100 greatest pop songs of all time. It's topped by the Beatles once again. 'Yesterday' is the best pop song. Interestingly, '(I can't get no) Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones is second, and 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana is third.... These are Pop songs??!!?? Also, the 10th in the list is 'I Want It That Way' by the Back Street Boys!!! What were the Rolling Stone guys thinking when they composed this list???
This brings me to the entire Pop/Rock controversy. I have been searching and searching for an explanation, but no one can yet explain as to where Pop ends, and Rock begins. Sure, there are the pure Pop and pure Rock songs like 'Stayin' Alive' and 'Smoke Over The Water' respectively to name, but where exactly does one end, and the other begin?
But I degress, the Album is a good buy.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Sushi, Sachchi...
I didn't post yesterday, cos I was very busy. Yes, I ended up being busy yesterday. I had four pages worth of translation to do, and I was working till after office hours. In the end, I just did half the work and publish the story that way. I finishedthe other half today.
Moving on, yesterday, Jinu and I finally had sushi!! And our opinion about it? bleh! It was tasteless to begin with, and the sauce was too strong. More like acidic. Didn't have any particular taste to it, just a strong soya taste to it. Jinu absolutely hate it, but I think I will try it out once more, but at a different place. So that's once target met...
So Bush has won!! I expected him to win, though I don't agree with his views. The thing is, Kerry does not have the charisma. Neither does GW, but he makes up for it by his cockiness. The mood in the office is expectedly very downbeat, though the people in my office didn't actually support Kerry either. They just hated Bush more. People are furiously typing away on their machines, getting worlwide opinion on the event. Me, I'm counting down the hours till my shift finishes.
Moving on, yesterday, Jinu and I finally had sushi!! And our opinion about it? bleh! It was tasteless to begin with, and the sauce was too strong. More like acidic. Didn't have any particular taste to it, just a strong soya taste to it. Jinu absolutely hate it, but I think I will try it out once more, but at a different place. So that's once target met...
So Bush has won!! I expected him to win, though I don't agree with his views. The thing is, Kerry does not have the charisma. Neither does GW, but he makes up for it by his cockiness. The mood in the office is expectedly very downbeat, though the people in my office didn't actually support Kerry either. They just hated Bush more. People are furiously typing away on their machines, getting worlwide opinion on the event. Me, I'm counting down the hours till my shift finishes.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Token Post...
Token post, no substance in it. I didn't get time to compose a proper post today - too busy goofing.
Monday, November 01, 2004
My Replacement Has Been Chosen...
Guddu will be coming to Doha, finally. They are very excited about teh resume that I gave them (AFP, fogrgodssake!!!), and will probabaly call them mid-Nov. Thats' around when I am planning to push from here. Let's see...
On other matters, do you know what a chewbecca defence is? Not many people do. cos its a very geeky term any way. A chewbecca defence is when you confuse the other person by overwhelming him/her with lots of useless information. The usage is not mainstream still. It was used in the animated series South Park.
Similarly, do you know what a fanon is? Fanon is a fact or ongoing situation in fan fiction stories related to a television program, book, movie, or video game that has been used so much by fan writers that it has been more or less established as having happened in the fictional world, but it has not actually been established as having happened on the show, book or movie itself. An example of a fanon is that in James Bond novels, there are only nine 00 agents (001-009). In fact, Ian Fleming mentions a 0010 in his novel, Moonraker and a later book by Raymond Benson mentions a 0012. On a related note, some fanon states that M is in fact the original 001, the first 00-agent; nothing in Fleming supports this.
This, and other such useless things can be found at the wikipedia (there's lots of useful information as well). Check it out.
On other matters, do you know what a chewbecca defence is? Not many people do. cos its a very geeky term any way. A chewbecca defence is when you confuse the other person by overwhelming him/her with lots of useless information. The usage is not mainstream still. It was used in the animated series South Park.
Similarly, do you know what a fanon is? Fanon is a fact or ongoing situation in fan fiction stories related to a television program, book, movie, or video game that has been used so much by fan writers that it has been more or less established as having happened in the fictional world, but it has not actually been established as having happened on the show, book or movie itself. An example of a fanon is that in James Bond novels, there are only nine 00 agents (001-009). In fact, Ian Fleming mentions a 0010 in his novel, Moonraker and a later book by Raymond Benson mentions a 0012. On a related note, some fanon states that M is in fact the original 001, the first 00-agent; nothing in Fleming supports this.
This, and other such useless things can be found at the wikipedia (there's lots of useful information as well). Check it out.
I Am Popular...
I have posted my arabic dress pics online on webshots, and so far, I have had 171 hits...yeah!!!
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