Adios

This blog ends here.

(I’ve lost my passion for writing on the internet and that is the sole reason why i’ve decided to discontinue with Kenkou Seisoku. I feel like its time for me to try out a new sphere, and completely devote my energy towards that. Maybe take my passion for walking to another level, or learn how to repair a motorbike or maybe just devise a plan to help nourish the talents in other people. Who Knows. Its been nothing but a real pleasure posting on this blog right from April 14,2007 when i wrote my first post. I sincerely think that my best posts were written in those first few weeks of this blog being created,so if you so desire, please do check them out. I’d like to thank all those people who found the time to comment and interact with me on my various posts. From criticisms to encouragements, i’ve whole-heartedly enjoyed reading all your views. Also, please dont comment on any posts from here on in, since i will not be able to give you a response. Thanking You, the ardent reader of this blog once again. Peace. Love. Cheers)

Gone Baby Gone

“It’s always the things you dont choose which makes you the thing you are: Your city, your neighborhood, your family. People here(Boston,USA) take pride in those things. The bodies around their souls, the city wrapped around those.”

So begins, with Casey Affleck’s narration, Gone Baby Gone. It was released in the USA in 2007, but i watched it tonight. Late yes, but I’m sure as hell glad that i did watch it. This movie would easily come in the Top 3 movies I’ve ever seen list. And bear in mind, that I’m as big a Hollywood junkie as you can ever get.

The superficial plot w/out giving away spoilers would go like this: A 4 year old girl gets kidnapped in Boston,USA. The drug-addicted lesbian mother and the concerned Aunt hire two private investigators to augment the police investigation. The investigators(played by Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) work in tandem with two police officers to find the little girl, Amanda. What follows is an eye-opener into the drug peddlers come child molesters scene in Boston. The girl, Amanda is a metaphor for the good in life. And the things that surround her, stand for life itself complete with all its flaws. The movie has a brilliant first half, followed by a Kick-Ass second half, with a twist at the end that leaves the viewer feeling empty, and yet marveling at the sheer quality of it all.

Casey Affleck(Ben Affleck’s brother) steals the show by far. He plays the 31 year old investigator with elan and is just a wonderfully gifted actor. Michelle Monaghan plays the doting partner, and her beauty was enough to keep me hooked on. It’s a great mystery to me how she manages to escape from the ‘Top 10 most beautiful women in the world’ lists that magazines keep coming out with. Ed Harris, plays his part as an officer of the Boston PD well. The supporting characters do a good job too.

This is a must must watch movie. The duration of 1 hr 53 mins is completely worth the time you spend watching it. Go download torrents, get pirated cd’s or just hope it’s running in a theatre near you. But watch it at any cost. My recommendation certainly wouldnt let you feel let down.

Overheard in Class

One girl to another: “Babies must be such difficult customers for a barber right? I mean how do you give a haircut to someone who doesnt want it.”

Sigh.

Naagin: The Lady Cobra

Amazing! Outstanding!

Yahoo!

Today i walked from Erla, Andheri(West) to my home in Powai. Nobody walks from Erla to Powai. The BEST undertaking site calculates the distance as 24 Kms. I walked for a total time period of 3 Hrs 19 Mins. I didnt take a break anywhere on the route. Why did i do it? Well, i’d say ’cause i wanted to feel free. Just feel disconnected from the rest of the world.

(I dedicate the walk to my will power and spirit. And of course, Gatorade(lemon), 2 bottles of which helped me complete the journey.)

Best at his best

George Best: “I spent a lot of my money on booze, fast cars and girls. The rest i just squandered it away.”

(Best was a former Man Utd and Northern Ireland footballer. He’s a legend and was once thought to be the best player in the world. He passed away in 2005.)

Uncle Vernon

V:

1) Vengeance: An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind said Gandhi. MKG also said that if you were hit on one cheek, you must show the other cheek. With all due respect to him, i don’t quite think that those two views of his are relevant today. I believe, that today, if you’re hit once, you must hit back twice ’cause then you wont be hit again. The USA has been following that policy, and they haven’t had a major terror attack on their nation for 7 years. Its just the nature of the game today. Timidness and non violence, especially with regard to one’s own defense, is suicidal.

2) Virginity: An over-hyped concept in today’s world. Thankfully, most men with a moderate-upper class upbringing don’t care jack about it either. If i am free to “indulge” before matrimony, i don’t see why my partner shouldnt have the freedom. In anycase, as one smart alec told me the other day, the word virginity can only be continued to use in a discriminatory sense, if its meaning is changed from its present one ie engaging in “deflowering” to one that describes someone whose never been in a relationship before. How the new meaning can be perceived in a derogatory way, is something i don’t quite understand. The “new” kind of virgin would be quite appealing in my book.

U:

1) United States of America: I was 4 months old when my father’s warship, INS Vikrant, which was on a world cruise was traveling to different parts of America. Mother and I went to all the cities that the naval officers and their families were invited too. I don’t remember anything about that trip obviously. I’m told that i visited a total of 9 cities ranging right from San Francisco on the West coast to Boston on the east. However, i feel that its about justified that i gotto visit the land of my dreams so early on in my life. Today, i care more about the internal affairs of the USA than even my own country. When 9/11 happened, i felt sadder than when bombs go off in Hyderabad or Delhi. Its a sad confession, i know, but it is the Truth. Its important to note, that i come from a defence background with my Father serving in the Indian Navy for so many years. So if anybody should be patriotic about India, it should be me. But that’s not the case. The USA has captured my heart since a very young age. The beauty of the country itself, the people, the cities and the culture is something i admire infinitesimally. The freedom of speech afforded to its citizens, and the go-getting attitude of the nation as a  whole. The movies they make and the music they create. The amount that the US has done to take mankind progressively forward. Its something that i respect, and hold in very high regard. They were brutally attacked on 9/11, so they waged war on Afghanistan to annihilate their enemies. Saddam Hussein in Iraq was a definite threat, so they ousted him to provide the good people of Iraq a better life today. This is a superpower that the world needs today to keep the dark/evil forces at bay. The USA has its dark sides too, absolutely. However, every nation has its own dirty secrets. The fact of the matter is that the US does a lot more good for the world and for itself, than the regression that the brutal components within it do. And that is something that the rest of the world needs to wake up to, and salute.

The Four Ways

Milton Friedman:

“There are four ways in which you can spend money. You can spend your own money on yourself. When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money. Then you can spend your own money on somebody else. For example, I buy a birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost. Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself. And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch! Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else. And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get. And that’s government.”

(via The India Uncut Blog)

What, When, Why

W:

1) Women: There’s something about them. You cant live with them. You cant live without them. I love their smile and touch. I hate their bitchiness. I love the way they do their hair in public. I hate them for hating men who smoke and drink. I love them, every last one of them, for being beautiful, one way or another. The world sure would be a freaky place without them. Here’s to some of them who’ve hit a chord somewhere. Some omissions are necessary for my convenience.

Mother: Owing to the fact that my father is a Captain in merchant navy, he is away at sea 6 months a year. That’s been the case for the last 9 years. Needless to say, I’m pretty close to my mom.

Ritu D: Whom i wrote my 1st love letter to when i was 6 years old. I was in 2nd grade, studying in NPS. I was banned from the class for my audacity and my mother had to come to school the next day to sort things out. RD was really cute. And we were good friends even after that episode.

Preeti N: For telling me so early on in middle school to concentrate on Science, since her mother had told her it was the most important subject going into the future. I laughed it off then. A mistake.

Kunkum S: For four consecutive examinations in the 5th grade, i came second in a class of easily about 50. Every single time i was pipped by her. We never spoke.

AS: I’ve written two posts on her on this blog before. I’m not sure, but i think she was the first girl i truly fell for. We shared a bench for a year, and she had the most amazing face. Our evening playing activities, socially of course, were always fun. I’ve never met her since the 6th grade.

Mrs. Smita D: For being the best teacher I’ve ever learnt anything from.

Preeti B: For personifying a bitch.

Bhagya…J: For being the best painter I’ve come across in real life. For being the 1st girl i ever asked out for our annual socials in school. She left for Calcutta three days after the socials. And she said goodbye to me, in the most exquisite way possible for a 13 year old.

Moving on,

2) White Skin: I don’t possess it. But there’s something about it that catches my eye every time. It makes people appear more attractive. It seems to be with those people who live in such fantastic and developed conditions. It stands for neutrality in character. It stands for intelligence, and for the most part beauty.

PS: I am not fixated with people possessing white skin aka the goras. Also, I am definitely NOT a racist.

Page Update

Videos section updated.

When XX fuses with XY…

Y:

1) “You gotto do what you gotto do” : They say “Inquilab Zindabad” were two words that defined an entire generation of Pro-freedom fighters in India prior to 1947. Well, the quote I’ve stated, i feel, best describes my outlook to events that occur everyday. People do things. Some good, some bad. The “bad/criminal/negative” stuff that is done is not “bad or criminal” by itself. Its just another event. The people perpetrating the acts then face the consequences. That is the essence of the quote given. Do your stuff, whatever they maybe, but then be prepared to face the consequences.

X:

1) XX meets XY: The Egg and Sperm Race is one of the better books i’ve ever read. How a bunch of sperms vy for the chance to fuse with the Egg, and then by some yet scientifically unexplained way one of them just fuses to form the zygote is magical. Sometimes the lucky fellow’s fusion results in a boy, on other occasions a girl. And which one fuses with the Egg is just a matter of chance. How’s that for providence?

Z to A

Some people call it ‘Tag’. The self-christened “neo-hippie” at White Noise indulged in it and then requested me to do it a while back. Likewise my friend, Nilsaw, at Burning Bridges, did it and made it worth a read. Since i have no other imminent topics to post on, I’m going to get cracking with my version. Shashi Tharoor’s A to Z format of columns seems to have been quite a hit with respect to this phenomenon. I’m merely going to use that format. However, due to time constraints and owing to the fact that i start cramping up if my butt is glued still for more than 15 minutes at a particular spot, I’m going to do this in parts. Also, like most things done on this blog recently, I’m going to do this in ‘Memento-ish’ fashion ie go from Z to A.

Z:

1) Zombie: A song by The Cranberries. I could listen to it ‘n’ (being a very large no.) number of times a day, and still not get bored of it. The contrast provided by the guns and the children in the video of the song jolts me every time i see it. And i dare say that this might be the song I’d like to hear right before i die.

2) Zingaro: A variety of Super-strong Beer. I had 4 bottles on Dec 20, 2007. Got drunk for the first time in my life. Puked all over a restaurant near my house. Had two very helpful friends named S and V who wiped the “puke off my crotch” and guided me home. My mother went, “You’ve made me really sad today”, at 12:30 that same night when she found out. I didn’t booze again for the next 3 months. And i solemnly pledged never to overdose on anything ever again.

Random Notes

Blogging’s been light for the last week-and-a-half. My mechanical college routine coupled with my temporary night job have ensured that i just don’t feel inclined towards posting at the end of arduous days.

Unfortunately mine country that prides itself on its democratic values and stance on protection of human rights across the globe, doesn’t feel inclined to help out a small nation right next to it from oppression and tyranny either. India’s appeasement to China is shamefully servile, and reeks of double standards. China’s summoning of our ambassador at 2 AM, and her turning up apologetically doesn’t represent very well the “emerging superpower” image that this country tries to portray to the globe. Mine heart goes out to the Tibetan exiles and refugees. May their long cherished glory days come back sooner rather than later.

Music’s been helping me keep sane right through all the negativity that we’re compelled to watch on our television sets every night. Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Dio may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ve sure begun liking their work recently. However, one song that gets me going at any time of the day, is titled ‘Mighty Wings’ and its been performed by this group called Cheap Trick. Do try to get your hands on it from somewhere and let me know whether you enjoy it as much as i do.

Manchester United inch closer to successive league titles in 2 years. Hopefully they can do pretty well in the Champions league as well this season. They play AS Roma in the Quarters and look good to set up a date with FC Barcelona in the semis. Meanwhile, Jo Wilfried Tsonga is doing well at the Miami masters.  I really admire this guy’s athleticism on court. He’s a superstar in the making for sure. Finally, Indian Hockey is dead. Lets all look back to those days in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s when it was at its zenith. Those days aren’t going to be coming back anytime soon.

The Pennsylvania primary on April 22 should decide who heads the Democratic party in the November 08 US Presidential elections. I’m hoping Hillary Clinton pulls herself together and fends off the menace that is Obama. Obama’s basically run his entire campaign on words with one word, “Change”, cropping up more often than others. I personally believe he’s not fit to be US President and “Leader of the Free World”. His past work in the senate isn’t exemplary and he certainly doesn’t have the experience that Hillary does, in order to know how to manipulate the system in the right direction. And to top it off, its pretty well acknowledged that Hillary would be way more pro-India than Obama would ever be.

On a more personal front, the quotes “You gotto do what you gotto do” (eloquently put by Vincent Chase in Entourage)  and “I dont care, if you dont” (From Homecoming by Green Day)  somehow strike a chord with me recently. People with bloated ego’s are the ones i just cannot stand these days.

And finally, speaking of striking chords, my guitar-ing seems to be headed in the right direction. Playing a musical instrument alone and doing it well has to be one of the best sedatives in the world. And its one sedative, that i feel I’m hooked onto for good.

Mars>Venus, Still?

Her name is R. She’s kind of cute. She’s a friend yet I hardly know her. She meets me at the bus stop. Talks to me for a while, if she’s alone.  Likewise in my college canteen. However, her boyfriend thinks I’m a prick. I don’t think I’m a prick, which basically just reiterates the fact that not everyone gets along with everybody else. So, when she’s with her boyfriend, she ignores me. Avoids my eyes that basically just say, “Hi”. Treats me as some anonymous bystander. Now, i understand her completely. If I was in her place, I’d atleast say a “Hello”, yet she doesn’t, and I’m cool with that. Imposing my values on others isn’t my thing.

She treats me so differently when she’s alone/with her other friends and when she’s with her boyfriend. All because her boyfriend doesn’t like me. If that doesn’t stink of female meekness in front of the/her male, i don’t know what does. And in today’s era, that’s a real pity.

5 must-listen-to songs for the Week

1) Dreams by The Cranberries (The female vocalist makes and ends my day. Everyday)

2) Tears don’t fall by Bullet for my Valentine (courtesy: a college mate)

3) Welcome to my Life by Simple Plan

4) Holy Diver by Dio (If you aint into heavy metal, skip it…)

5) What’s the frequency, Kenneth? by REM