Harmon Oscar Nelson's backside

This deserves a pretty big post. Not because Slumdog Millionaire sweeped the Oscars but because all the Indians nominated actually won something! After much debate and discussion on how good the movie actually was and whether it deserved any award, there it was...

Even with all the bad acting and sluggish story-telling, the unbelievable character swings and repetitive dialogues, the Danny Boyle movie got the Academy Award. (More famous for being Harmon Oscar Nelson's backside) And boy did it win!! Winning 8 out of 9 categories it was nominated in, it is now in esteemed company. Quite surprising really, considering what an ordinary movie it was.

Out of all the other nominees in oh-so-many categories the ones that I actually saw were The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight. Brad Pitt was OK in the former, while Heath Ledger should have won the Best Actor for the Joker in the latter - he was that good!

AR Rahman got his 2 awards for some mediocre work - and I am sure all of you will agree that his best work has been in Tamil cinema. It was heartening to see him getting recognized globally - the sales of his albums are in the world all-time Top 10!

The last word though goes to the 1st Malayalee to win the award! Rasool Pookkutty! He's obviously going to be overshadowed by Rahman, getting air-time on Indian channels just because he received the award before Rahman. A shame really.

So the Oscars are done and dusted! Time to (belatedly) go and download/watch all the winning movies....

So until next year!

Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree

I bought this book a while back from Reliance TimeOut and I had reservations about how good it would be. If beauty was only skin deep, then I was a fool to think the book was any good.

Its one of 4 book s in an "Islam Quartet" by Tariq Ali, who is a man of many words of Pakistani and British leanings. His more recent books have been takes on current affairs - Iraq, Pakistan, India and other topics.

This struck me as a pretty different book (or series of books, to be more precise). It dealt with Islam in Europe and how, in those days, it was the European Christians who were the so called "Fundamentalists". We have studied in history, of how great Islamic civilizations existed and, in some ways, still do exist today. Not having heard of any better way of getting to know this side of a people, I thought I'd give the book a shot!

Its a brilliant book, as far as I have read anyway! Its informative - which is one quality I was truly interested in. But its not all bland history - He's taken liberties with reality wherever necessary. The only fault would have to be that its very difficult to make out where the fact ends and the fiction begins...

"Over the embers of one tragedy lies the shadow of another..."

the puzzle that is 'Me'

1. I hate being alone.

2. My moods take an unpredictable amount of time to change.

3. I can look scary when I'm angry. Mostly because I don't say what I'm thinking, but its there for all to see.

4. I don't become emotionally attached to anyone easily. But if I do become attached, then I am very difficult to un-attach.

5. I like a good story. In a book or a film. It doesn't have to have a happy ending. In fact it doesn't need an end at all. I love story-tellers.

6. I am not good at hiding my feelings. So I walk away when I don't want to show people what I feel.

7. I hear everyone. I listen to those i feel matter.

8. I find humour where most people don't.

9. I love dreaming about what might have been, should have been or will be.

10. I keep thinking and dreaming. So i talk to myself a lot. Too much time alone is a bad thing.

11. I love arguing. Especially if the person at the other end can change my views on something.

12. I don't like people who say that I can do something when I know i can't.

i wish i DON'T

"
- Enjoy watching someone fail
- Lie to keep someone happy
-Waste my time with people I don't like
- Judge someone's habits
- Feel apathy about things that should matter
- Laugh at unfunny jokes
- Wonder if I am loved
- Lie about liking someone
- Spread my political convictions around
- Waste my time looking for the good in people I don't have to like.
"

Nice Day?

What happens on a nice day?


Do you win the lottery?
Do you find money on the sidewalk?
Do you see an old friend?
Do you finally stop seeing that one person who you reserve all your loathing for?
Do you have the most productive and energetic day ever?
Do you have a lazy, hazy day doing nothing?
Do you see your favourite football team win in style?
Do you see your least favourite team lose miserably?
Do you discover someone else shares your tastes?
Do you have a meal and realize that was the best damn meal you've ever had?
Do you laugh more than you talk?
Do you spend every second with someone you like?
Do you see something rare happen?
Do you see a life saved?
Do you get free t-shirts?
Do you read a good book?
Do you ace a test?
Do you organize your desk so it looks unbelievably neat?
Do you get a good night's sleep?
Do you get an unexpected compliment?
Do you look forward to tomorrow?

Have a nice day.