The following is an extract of a google chat conversation between Amruta and myself today. Amruta had introduced me to the sitcom "Its always Sunny in Philadelphia" a few days ago. I watched it, I liked it, and I was hooked. Now this is what happened when I tried to communicate this to my dear Amruta:
me: im hooked onto sunny now
useless person
Amruta: what?
me: sunny in philly
Amruta: kya bol raha hai?
u r in philly?
me: its always sunny
in philly
Amruta: haha
me: idiot
Amruta: when did u move?
is it sunny?
i thought it was cold in philly
me: AAARRRGGGHHH
this conversation should go on my blog!
Amruta: haha
we r not on the same page
what r u talking about
n u have a blog?
Amruta: what is sunny in philly?
areeee...whats ur blog page?
i dont have it
ok tell me right now!
what's happening
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Favorite Quotes (updated regularly)
Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth. -- Albert Einstein on MK Gandhi's death
Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand. -- Putt's law
I have wondered before now, whether the vast astronomical distances may not be God’s quarantine precautions. They prevent the spiritual infection of a fallen species from spreading. -- C. S. Lewis
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. -- Thomas Edison
I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism. -- Charles Schwab
You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing. -- Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr
Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand. -- Putt's law
I have wondered before now, whether the vast astronomical distances may not be God’s quarantine precautions. They prevent the spiritual infection of a fallen species from spreading. -- C. S. Lewis
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. -- Thomas Edison
I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism. -- Charles Schwab
You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing. -- Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
State of the Indian media - flicked from Big B's blog
It is late, but it has been a full and constructive day.
Promotional activities have consumed most of the time, after shooting for ‘Aladin’ ended.
Srinivasan Jain and Barkha Dutt from the same channel NDTV being the last two.
The former a little more rushed than the latter, but both hinging on topics already expressed upon in the print media. Barkha more incisive, Sri in a hurry ; maybe his time limitations were somewhat acute.
The questions had similar content. Not to say that the other 42 interviews that I did in the evening were any better, but ’similar’ was the unchallenged constant. Shatrughan Sinha, Salim Khan, Raj Thakeray, Anurag Basu. Commerce and sensationalism still riding high on their intelligent shoulders.
Why so angry now ? Would you still be friends with them ? Why do you think you are attacked ? Would you still greet them ?
And i wait for the dynamic headlines announcing the interview. Some thing that will draw attention, keep the audience unmoved from their channel. Phone in’s may get constructed around comments of mine. Do you think he is right in saying so - phone in your comments at 58822 something, put Y and gap and N and gap. Get the graphics of the percentage going, call in a semi intellectual, preferably from the film Industry and certainly not ‘Bachchan Camp’ into the studio, repeat the questions asked in interview, expand them, cover half hour or else the adverts will not fructify. Culminate the proceedings on a note where the channel looks good and unbiased, yet signals its last cynical or sarcastic ending, dynamic background music and…. channel ID !!
Matter over.
Anchors move on to the next programme - a rape or shoot out, car having run over pedestrian sleepers. Get the blood, get the relatives in various stages of shock and dismay, weeping and distraught close ups would help. Catch the cops for comment and the ambulance taking away the bodies. Didn’t get the shot ? Damn !! No problem, pick up the visual from the day before as the bus plunged into the river, patrol cars and ambulances were seen there as well.
Anchor at news asking their on the spot colleague, to report what is happening, in the same tone as when describing Dhoni hitting a six at a cricket match !!
An average scene at any given time on any given channel.
And they talk of monotony and lack of fresh content in our cinema. They talk of ripping off foreign DVD’s and plagiarism. Where did they get there programme ideas from ? Are any of their presenters sitting in front of studious looking desks any different from the sets of the BBC or ABC or CNN Studios. Is ‘Seedhi Baat’ not ‘Hard Talk’ is KBC not ‘Millionaire’ ?
Afternoon of 28th, CNN-IBN 12:25pm news on review. Title, ‘Busy Big B’ a recap of the launch of a game show for Bhooth Nath. Launch over, media questions. The same rumor laced spicy barbs.
The blog is occupying much debate. Thank you. I am honored there is interest in it. How do you get there ? I give them the address. Next question- are you anxious about what the media writes about you. I respond yes for i do not know what abuse will come my way. Back to condescending anchor, male, in a fetching suit and tie, a tinge of sarcasm and one up manship, a wry smile and the closing before the signature tune takes over.. ” Far cry from the Amitabh Bachchan that had boycotted the media not so long ago” !!
Brilliant, CNN-IBN !! You have denounced the BIG B and come out looking superior. After all media credentials must always be on top. The last word must be ours. ‘News is not what happened, news is what media says happened’ - famous editorial quote from the owner of a daily.
Except its the other way round !
Media blacked out Amitabh Bachchan in the 70’s on the ridiculous assumption that press censorship during the Emergency was instigated by him, because of his proximity to Shrimati Indira Gandhi.
My name my activities my photographs all banned from any and every journal, in retaliation. Even in the credit titles of a film under reference in print, would not carry my name in the star cast. It would be reduced to a comma !
-Amitabh Bachchan,
http://blogs.bigadda.com/ab/2008/04/29/day-11-2/
Promotional activities have consumed most of the time, after shooting for ‘Aladin’ ended.
Srinivasan Jain and Barkha Dutt from the same channel NDTV being the last two.
The former a little more rushed than the latter, but both hinging on topics already expressed upon in the print media. Barkha more incisive, Sri in a hurry ; maybe his time limitations were somewhat acute.
The questions had similar content. Not to say that the other 42 interviews that I did in the evening were any better, but ’similar’ was the unchallenged constant. Shatrughan Sinha, Salim Khan, Raj Thakeray, Anurag Basu. Commerce and sensationalism still riding high on their intelligent shoulders.
Why so angry now ? Would you still be friends with them ? Why do you think you are attacked ? Would you still greet them ?
And i wait for the dynamic headlines announcing the interview. Some thing that will draw attention, keep the audience unmoved from their channel. Phone in’s may get constructed around comments of mine. Do you think he is right in saying so - phone in your comments at 58822 something, put Y and gap and N and gap. Get the graphics of the percentage going, call in a semi intellectual, preferably from the film Industry and certainly not ‘Bachchan Camp’ into the studio, repeat the questions asked in interview, expand them, cover half hour or else the adverts will not fructify. Culminate the proceedings on a note where the channel looks good and unbiased, yet signals its last cynical or sarcastic ending, dynamic background music and…. channel ID !!
Matter over.
Anchors move on to the next programme - a rape or shoot out, car having run over pedestrian sleepers. Get the blood, get the relatives in various stages of shock and dismay, weeping and distraught close ups would help. Catch the cops for comment and the ambulance taking away the bodies. Didn’t get the shot ? Damn !! No problem, pick up the visual from the day before as the bus plunged into the river, patrol cars and ambulances were seen there as well.
Anchor at news asking their on the spot colleague, to report what is happening, in the same tone as when describing Dhoni hitting a six at a cricket match !!
An average scene at any given time on any given channel.
And they talk of monotony and lack of fresh content in our cinema. They talk of ripping off foreign DVD’s and plagiarism. Where did they get there programme ideas from ? Are any of their presenters sitting in front of studious looking desks any different from the sets of the BBC or ABC or CNN Studios. Is ‘Seedhi Baat’ not ‘Hard Talk’ is KBC not ‘Millionaire’ ?
Afternoon of 28th, CNN-IBN 12:25pm news on review. Title, ‘Busy Big B’ a recap of the launch of a game show for Bhooth Nath. Launch over, media questions. The same rumor laced spicy barbs.
The blog is occupying much debate. Thank you. I am honored there is interest in it. How do you get there ? I give them the address. Next question- are you anxious about what the media writes about you. I respond yes for i do not know what abuse will come my way. Back to condescending anchor, male, in a fetching suit and tie, a tinge of sarcasm and one up manship, a wry smile and the closing before the signature tune takes over.. ” Far cry from the Amitabh Bachchan that had boycotted the media not so long ago” !!
Brilliant, CNN-IBN !! You have denounced the BIG B and come out looking superior. After all media credentials must always be on top. The last word must be ours. ‘News is not what happened, news is what media says happened’ - famous editorial quote from the owner of a daily.
Except its the other way round !
Media blacked out Amitabh Bachchan in the 70’s on the ridiculous assumption that press censorship during the Emergency was instigated by him, because of his proximity to Shrimati Indira Gandhi.
My name my activities my photographs all banned from any and every journal, in retaliation. Even in the credit titles of a film under reference in print, would not carry my name in the star cast. It would be reduced to a comma !
-Amitabh Bachchan,
http://blogs.bigadda.com/ab/2008/04/29/day-11-2/
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Caution amid India's cricket euphoria
Writing on cricket in the early 1990s could be a depressingly easy business. All you did, so went the joke, was alter the scores, change a few names and amend the dateline. The storyline mostly stayed the same - India was average.
And there is nothing worse in sport than average. It is tedious, it is uninspiring, and part of our affection for Sachin Tendulkar then was because he, almost single-handedly, fought against this average-ness, a hero amidst the humdrum.
This staggering ability to be unexceptional was not a cricketing malaise but some wider lack of nerve. There were exceptions in Indian sport, but the rule was meekness.
Leander Paes' gravitational pull at this time was not because he was overburdened with tennis gifts, but because in the Davis Cup he was simply prepared to contest every match till its last point. When he howled in desire, something locked up in us was released.
The current Indian cricket team has howled too, occasionally rudely, but in a cricketing sense it has thrilled, its spirit has become contagious, because it has the powerful scent of self-belief.
These fellows wear the insolent bravery of youth and a cloak of effrontery, though at times they needed to clutch at the experienced hand of Tendulkar. Australian cricket is somewhat a faded photocopy of itself, but beating them at home required from the Indians substantial commitment to the cause and each other and they found it. Opportunity knocked and was tackled to the ground by the Indians.
Indian cricket teams have owned this belief before, but never held onto it, because their commitment to excellence, and each other, was fickle.
Greatness is an ability to repeat, but they have not shown the discipline for it yet. This, then, is Dhoni's test.
He has conquered Australia, but like Australia, he must eventually own the world - in every form. In the past decade, Australia has twice won 16 Tests in a row, and also once won seven in a row, another time six in a row.
India's best in that period has been three Test wins in a row. However, the first time that was achieved it included a win against Zimbabwe, the second included two against Bangladesh. This is how far India has to go.
The captain, who has a cowboy's insouciance about him that is agreeable (though Praveen Kumar's immovable face after a wicket in an overreacting series brought the biggest smile), has many jobs ahead, for eventually he will become Test captain.
He must ensure Ishant Sharma, who is in need of muscle, is not overplayed. He must remind his energetic army that history doesn't remember bank balances, only wins. He must keep faith in his own interesting instinct.
And he must be careful with his words. While his statements (he could have run a single faster than Rohit Sharma even with cramp; Munaf Patel was better than Sreesanth in a particular situation because he didn't think) appear absent of malice, when his team loses they may not be as understanding.
Rohit Brijnath
BBC
And there is nothing worse in sport than average. It is tedious, it is uninspiring, and part of our affection for Sachin Tendulkar then was because he, almost single-handedly, fought against this average-ness, a hero amidst the humdrum.
This staggering ability to be unexceptional was not a cricketing malaise but some wider lack of nerve. There were exceptions in Indian sport, but the rule was meekness.
Leander Paes' gravitational pull at this time was not because he was overburdened with tennis gifts, but because in the Davis Cup he was simply prepared to contest every match till its last point. When he howled in desire, something locked up in us was released.
The current Indian cricket team has howled too, occasionally rudely, but in a cricketing sense it has thrilled, its spirit has become contagious, because it has the powerful scent of self-belief.
These fellows wear the insolent bravery of youth and a cloak of effrontery, though at times they needed to clutch at the experienced hand of Tendulkar. Australian cricket is somewhat a faded photocopy of itself, but beating them at home required from the Indians substantial commitment to the cause and each other and they found it. Opportunity knocked and was tackled to the ground by the Indians.
Indian cricket teams have owned this belief before, but never held onto it, because their commitment to excellence, and each other, was fickle.
Greatness is an ability to repeat, but they have not shown the discipline for it yet. This, then, is Dhoni's test.
He has conquered Australia, but like Australia, he must eventually own the world - in every form. In the past decade, Australia has twice won 16 Tests in a row, and also once won seven in a row, another time six in a row.
India's best in that period has been three Test wins in a row. However, the first time that was achieved it included a win against Zimbabwe, the second included two against Bangladesh. This is how far India has to go.
The captain, who has a cowboy's insouciance about him that is agreeable (though Praveen Kumar's immovable face after a wicket in an overreacting series brought the biggest smile), has many jobs ahead, for eventually he will become Test captain.
He must ensure Ishant Sharma, who is in need of muscle, is not overplayed. He must remind his energetic army that history doesn't remember bank balances, only wins. He must keep faith in his own interesting instinct.
And he must be careful with his words. While his statements (he could have run a single faster than Rohit Sharma even with cramp; Munaf Patel was better than Sreesanth in a particular situation because he didn't think) appear absent of malice, when his team loses they may not be as understanding.
Rohit Brijnath
BBC
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