Pune Bloggers Meet 2012
9Well, after much procrastination, the Pune Blogger meet was finally organized on Saturday May 5, 2012.
The sole credit for the initative goes to Animesh Mishra, who against all odds decided to go ahead with the meet. Sponsored by Indiblogger , the Pune Blooger meet was organized after a gap of 4 years! For a city teeming with many prominent bloggers, this gap was way too big.
Galaxy Note – A User’s review
0
I got this baby 10 days back, and still haven’t explored all the features.
Not as big as it is being made out to be in negative light…fits well in jeans and trousers, unless you are still stuck in the 70s with jeans that were wrapped around your legs and then stitched.
Excellent screen, quick and responsive applications (thanks to the Exynos dual core 1.4 ghz processor), intuitive interface, and loads of applications from the android market to take advantage of.
Why you should watch Ra.One.
0
So you have heard the naysayers blast Ra.One, some even before it was released and some while it was being released. Everyone who is anyone in their own space had something to say. Some wannabe movie directors who have nothing more to their fame than their spouses also had something to say.Some created fake ids on Twitter, some came out openly, some wrote reviews.
Like me.
Cost of Greed – Confiscated Smuggled Goods
5
On my way back home to Bombay from Amsterdam, i came across what i can only describe as the insufferable result of human greed.
The customs officials at Schipol were busy laying out, what they called ‘confiscated goods’. These were goods that were being smuggled into the country from all over the world, but i think mostly from Africa.
I leave it to you to see how far we have fallen from the plan the almighty may have had for us.
Wild Cat Head
Rhino Horn at a price tag of 100000 Eur
Smuggled Goods
Snake Boots
Ivory
Tortoise
होश में आ!
2
मुंबई अब बस भी कर ,
अपने होंसले की आड़ में,
सर झुका कर चलना बंद कर .
आवाज़ उठा , और वार कर,
होश में आ और दे बदल.
फरियाद करना बंद कर,
डर डर के जीना बंद कर,
पल पल में मिटना बंद कर,
होश में आ और दे बदल. होश में आ और दे बदल.
कब तक युहीं चलेगा ,
हर साँस का कप कपना,
थिर थिराते लम्हों का,
पल भर में झटसे मिट जाना?
होश में आ और दे बदल, होश में आ और दे बदल.
भूलमत इस शाम को,
जो झुलसा गयी इस कदर.
जब तक जियेगी याद कर,
आवाज़ उठा , और वार कर,
होश में आ और दे बदल, होश में आ और दे बदल.
The Fall and Fall of TV
2Kyunki TV kabhi sirf Doordarshan hi tha!
And boy weren’t we happier, content and less open to non sense??
I certainly was.
There was Sunday to Sunday ka program. Mahabharat, Ramayan, Gayab Aaya, Chitrahaar on Wednesdays, Chandrakanta, Sunday afternoon movies!!! You get the point.
I even loved Krishi Darshan. And who can forget Turning Point and over so lovable professor! Those were the days man!
And then came cable TV. Which was still ok, with the plethora of channels limited to Zee, BBC and Star, with interesting programs like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Dream Merchants, Genie, Crystal Maze, Snakes and Ladders, Just Mohabbat, Dekh Bhai Dekh, and my favourite Zee Horror Show. Birth and death were along the prescribed formula of within 80 years or so. The longest running show was Tara, and no one heard from Navneet Nishan after that. Thankfully. She did a cameo in Raja Hindustani, but luck favoured us.
There was this Russian channel also, which used be aired later in the night…I think it was an educational channel. 
The point it, entertainment was designed keeping the whole family in mind, and it was healthy entertainment. Well, err almost.
Then came doom in the form of Balaji Telefilms, which hit on the gold mine of human emotions, most of which lie solely with us Indians, and there was no looking back. With the success of Hum Paanch, I saw some hope in them…but alas..destiny had other plans for us.
It all started with the universal favourite ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi”. I admit, I too was hooked. After a few episodes, I somehow managed to escape the vortex of this emotional drama, and found life. Then came that Parvati bhabhi’s show…”Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’..though which Ghar they were refering to I still can’t figure out. If we had so many Ghars like this in India, we would certainly have been certified as the Bitchiest country in the world by now! So cool it. We don’t figure on that list.
Anyways, once the ‘K’ onslaught started, it gave a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘parallel universe’. People could live up to 200 years, the dead could come back to life, one man’s wife could marry her brother in Law, one person’s life was only full of misery, women could look like a million buck at ANY time of the day (well this I can believe), no body went to the loo EVER, and the list goes on and on and on. Basically things that don’t make sense. Well, that’s just me.
Not too say that there were NO sensible family type entertainment programs. There was KBC [although ripped from 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' ], and….. and……and….. well can’t recollect any others.
What was interesting to note, that all these Balaji Serials type inspired a new type of Journalism. The Aaj Tak types. Aaj tak, IBN7, Headlines Today, India TV. They gave rise to a new type of Journalism that I like to call Sensational Serial Journalism. These news channels tell you what you already know, after watching the serials…a sort of revision if you will. They have given a great push to the Indian Graphic artists industry… what will the surreal imagery they produce to get the point through. After all, anyone watching these channels should be considered daft enough to need a graphical explanation.
I have created an extremely complex equation for the state of Journalism in India, and not even Wikipedia can help you there. Yes, if you have been an ardent follower of India TV, you may be able to somewhat grasp this.
Undoubtedly, these new ‘initiatives’ have given a boost to employment and opened up new avenues for the youth in various fields of entertainment such as make up, dance, sari draping, cinematography and multiple angle swoosh, dialogue writing, and of course Headlining. How else could you explain content worth 10 minutes being showcased over a period of 30 min, including 10 minutes of advertisements, perfectly draped saris for all occasions including funerals and molestation; headlines like ‘Billo Rani Chadi Chajje par’, ‘Amitabh ko lagi Thand’, ‘Rang Badalti Odhani’, ‘Uttaran’, ‘Des mein nikala hoga Chaand’ and so on…
Decidedly, one needs special skills for all this.
Anyways, the point is, all these programs have seemed to capture the imagination of our nation, and are hell bent on making our nation stupid one episode at a time… courtesy Colors, Zee, Star Plus, India TV, Aajtak and company.
The biggest gainers have been our Mothers’, maids and TV makers like Samsung and Sony. How you ask? It’s really simple… who in their right minds wouldn’t like to watch shiny jewellery in High Def, with multiple angles and close ups and in slow motion?? Tata Sky even launched a ‘Babloo ke pass ‘ campaign, cleverly disguising it as a Cricket fan’s most desired viewing preference… so that the men have no grounds for objection.
I have given up trying to argue my case, at my home, and I consider myself a victim of broadcast.
In the subsequent posts, we shall analyze the impact of each serial or our economy and GDP.
By the way, any idea what happened to that Russian Channel?
Gone..Almost
0Teri Maa Ka!
Yes, what absolute politically uncorrect first line. But hey! Who wants to be politically correct, when i can be me?
Cryptic? Yes, i thought so.
I was just thinking, since i do not have anything better to do right now, that ever since i have become addicted to FB and not so much to Twitter, my blogging has gone to the dogs. Literally and metaphorically.
I feel as if i am getting trained to contrain my thoughts within 140 characters or so. Only. The 141st character is just not allowed. For some reason this seems very Orwellian.
I have started to think in FB status updates terms! i have even started to look for a like button in people! *hmmm…decent FB update…hmmm*
See what i mean! Is this normal? Does it happen to you?
Anyways, the main point of this post was supposed to be how FB walls and Twitter Tweets are going to kill long blog posts, and that now very few people have the patience to read a post that goes beyond 140 characters including a thousand periods (‘ . ‘), and that intellectual debates are not happening etc etc…you get the drift.
So long my friends…dunno when i’ll be back here!
*Mental note to self: Be here regularly.*
[Review] Paranormal Activity – 2
0
Disappointing.
One word, and only one word that describes how i feel. I actually feel let down.
Tod Williams, the director of this flick has actually let go of a fantastically built platform.
The storyline is similar to part 1. Big house, happy people, weird things in the house that the husband always has an explanation for…and stuff like that. What is missing though, is the ‘fright’ factor. PA 2 completely misses out on those. Barring one scene, which will kinda rattle. No character from this movie stays with you. Unlike PA 1, i had no trouble going back to sleep after watching PA 2. After watchin PA 1, i couldnt sleep without a night light for days on end.
Though to the director’s credit, he has managed to create a link between PA1 and PA2, that will make you go ‘Aah…so that is what happened’.
I am not sure if the script demanded the actors be bad, but they were.
I think it will be ok to give this one a miss. Go for a long walk instead.
I will give it a 4 out of 10.
Hindu Wedding Rituals – Time to Move on!
1
I recently attended the wedding of one of my cousins.
There was this one song that the old ladies were singing that kinda bugged me. The song goes “Mano hamara ehsaan ki ‘boy’s name’ ne haan kar di” [meaning : be grateful to us that the boy said yes to this proposal].
As if the girl had no other proposals to consider.
As a country, India is scaling new heights every day. Then why do we find it so difficult to let go of dogmas? We say we are comfortable letting our women be independent. Or is that just a farce?? Are we basking in the knowledge that it is us males, that have lent them this independence?? Are we living under that impression, by any chance?
Most of the rituals, customs and expectations in any hindu wedding are still stuck in the Ramayana era. The girl’s side is supposed to be making sure that everyone in the boy’s side is happy, and no one has any reasons to complain. This, not surprisingly, does not apply to the boy’s side.
I really hope and wish that we get out of this ‘set’ ways of doing things.
It is time to move on.
Kasab’s Fate or Ours?
026th Nov. A date any Indian is unlikely to forget. The year is immaterial.
And even in case someone is not aware, the massive scale Candleing will make sure that everyone knows. After all, we Indians are really good at remembering stuff. We remember important things once a year, light candles, sing songs, give long winded speeches on how we can change things for the better, and how will fight back and all that.
But nothing really happens. Ever.
We caught a terrorist alive. I mean one would be forgiven to think that this would be the opportunity India had been looking for all the last 60 years or so, to go back to our neighbours and give them hard proof. Proof that would nail their lies now and forever.
But no. Look what we did. We stationed Kasab in a high security prison, gave him a lawyer, and food good enough for a prince, and began expecting him to accept his guilt. We can’t be spending INR 85 lakh per day just like that on him, now can we? What’s next? Dual Indian citizenship?
We treat him like royalty, while all the while he is living comfortably at your and my expense, ridiculing our spineless government every now and then. We have given him more rights than a normal Indian citizen would have.
What are we really waiting for? Why do we even listen to his pleas of a re trial?? HOW DARE HE EVEN ASK FOR ONE???
Does he deserve to be kept alive? Is this what Kamte, Salaskar, and Ombale sacrificed their lives for?
He has been give the death sentence, but in India we know how swift that can be. It can be another 15 years by the time he is hanged. But that will be a very easy death.
I say, let him loose at the CST Railway Station in Mumbai. The point where he began the carnage. It is highly unlikely that anyone will not recognise him. Let people know the date and time of his placement.
Let people do the justice. I’m sure many Indians will be ready to take Kasab head one, and hands on.
It has been 2 years and counting, and all we are being fed is a lot of bullshit.
Time to act.
And stop wasting candles.
