Obama 'brings' a team that is the same !

United States of America was told that finally, after years of ‘yes men’ running the ‘BUSH’ government, they were getting a President who would follow Abraham Lincoln’s lead, fill his administration with ‘varying viewpoints’, and glean empirically sound policy from the clash of ideas. “Yes, we can! To bring the CHANGE we believe in.” … the promise was made.

But, Obama's national security team, for instance, includes not a single Iraq war opponent. The president has not only retained George W. Bush's defense secretary, Robert Gates, but also 150 other Bush Pentagon appointees. The only "rivalry" is between those who back increasing the already bloated defense budget by an absurd amount and those who aim to boost it by a ludicrous amount. Are you giving a choice??

Of course, that uniformity pales in comparison to the White House's economic team -- a squadron of corporate lackeys disguised as public servants.

At the top is Lawrence Summers, the director of Obama's National Economic Council. As Bill Clinton's treasury secretary in the late 1990s, Summers worked with his deputy, Tim Geithner (now Obama's treasury secretary), and Clinton aide Rahm Emanuel (now Obama's chief of staff) to champion job-killing trade deals and deregulation that Obama Commerce Secretary Judd Gregg helped shepherd through Congress as a Republican senator. Now, this pinstriped band of brothers is proposing a "cash for trash" scheme that would force the public to guarantee the financial industry's bad loans. It's another ploy "to hand taxpayer dollars to the banks through a variety of complex mechanisms," says economist Dean Baker -- and noticeably absent is anything even resembling a "rival" voice inside the White House.

That's not an oversight. From former federal officials like Robert Reich and Brooksley Born, to Nobel Prize-winning economists like Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Krugman, to business leaders like Leo Hindery, there's no shortage of qualified experts who have challenged market fundamentalism. But they have been barred from an administration focused on ideological purity. Can they not provide the CHANGE?

In Leo Hindery's case, the blacklisting was explicit. Despite this venture capitalist establishing a well-respected think tank and serving as a top economic advisor to Obama's campaign, the Politico reports that "Obama's aides appear never to have taken his bid (for an administration post) seriously." Why?

The anecdote highlights how, regardless of election hoopla, Washington is the same one-party town it always has been -- controlled not by Democrats or Republicans, but by Bureaucrats.No matter how many times their discredited theologies are stabbed, torched and shot down by verifiable failure, their careers cannot be killed. Somehow, these political immortals are allowed to mindlessly lunge forward, never answering to rivals -- even if that rival is the President himself.

Remember, while Obama said he wants to slash "billions of dollars in wasteful spending" at the Pentagon, his national security team is demanding a $40 billions increase in defense spending (evidently, the "ludicrous" faction got its way won before the competition even started) Is US in recession??

JAWS...movie that gripped me really!

A stunning, still terrifying, movie, Jaws sucks three men down to the level of a perfect eating machine while keeping perspective upon their essential humanity. The scene is Amity Island, favourite holiday destination, and the time is summer, just before the 4th of July holiday. Early in the morning police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) gets called out, alerted to a possible drowning. The severed arm that rests among the dunes, however, rules out this avenue of thought. In his first season on the island it's exactly the sort of horror that Brody hoped to avoid by leaving New York. Still this doesn't appear to be your typical city crime; the local pathologist rates the incident as a shark attack.
It's only under pressure from Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) that this verdict gets rescinded, downgraded to a boating tragedy. As a politician and a local, Vaughn wants the beach kept open at all costs. Unfortunately when a little kid is taken, right in front of his mother, all hell breaks loose. With a bounty on the shark's head, amateur fishermen flock to Amity like hook-happy lemmings. With them comes Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), a marine biologist and shark specialist; he alone realises the size of Amity's unwelcome guest. Even the eccentric but experienced Quint (Robert Shaw) doesn't realise what he's stumbled into when he offers to reel in the beast for $10,000. Yet, through the wonder of procrastination, Brody, Hooper and Quint will all get to stare death in the face.
A directorial tour-de-force, with Jaws Steven Spielberg demonstrates an astounding knack for contrasting moments of sheer terror with natural feeling. Even when foreboding wraps your rib cage in a vice-like grip, there is room for touching scenes of beauty. Yet to concentrate on this aspect of Spielberg's talent is to jump the gun; throughout the first half of the film the central trio are barely threatened. In this long, never for one instant boring, build-up, Spielberg achieves two things. First, he makes us care for the three men about to be crammed together in a leaky tub. We care because these characters are endowed with separate, distinct pasts and feelings that touch on more than the immediate crisis. Second, throughout most of the film we barely glimpse the shark; instead our imagination has over an hour to dream up horrifying images and gross scenarios. These factors alone ensure that Jaws retains its dizzying impact decades after first light.
Despite this juggernaut momentum, that Spielberg harnesses and bends to his will, the leading trio of Dreyfuss, Scheider and Shaw resist with incredible strength. Without the slightest evidence of effort, all three dig deeply into their roles; from Jaws' lucky dip they drag motivation, history, phobias and destiny.
Thus Dreyfuss is a rich kid with rich kid's toys, entranced by the danger and mystery that sharks represent. He's familiar with the ocean and how to work with its power; what he's never had to do is gain a living from the sea or evade the chance of dying by its salty clutch. This is Shaw's territory. He's been scarred, rewarded, tortured and reborn, yet the waves continue to hold a deranged fascination for Quint. He's made a sailor's pact with Neptune, open-eyed to his probable fate; all Quint asks is for a shot at the best. In a remarkable change of pace, Scheider is not just a landlubber but also an island dweller that's terrified of the water. It's a crazy notion yet Scheider pulls it off with honesty, warmth, humour and a knowledge of what it's like to leave your comfort zone far behind.
Together these three provide sufficient friction to keep us entertained even as they work together for a single goal; the enormity of the challenge rivets all but the most impatient to their seat. Of course, while the dialogue sparkles and the ensemble acting is wonderful (even amongst the bit parts), these elements alone do not a classic film make. What lifts Jaws high up is the technically sure hand of Spielberg, displaying impressive maturity for one so young. Exceptional, sharp editing ensures that not a single scene is wasted; each builds on that which came before. Overlapping dialogue, such that you often get the gist of what's been said without being able to separate the words, proves wonderfully realistic. Spielberg's choice of shot is occasionally inspired, implying far more than is shown. When suspense is required, it's drawn piano-wire tight, vibrating to the slightest touch. Yes, Jaws is a quite remarkable movie, propelled by a pace that simply refuses to slacken.
Ironically then it's probably the technical limitations faced by Spielberg that forced him to make a better film than might otherwise have emerged. Saddled with a shoal of uncooperative rubber sharks, Spielberg came to rely on the unseen. For much of the time the shark is little more than a shadow or a brief glimpse of fin, the luck of being based on a naturally camouflaged monster. When the shark finally lurches bodily out of the water it's a shock, despite its rubber glory. In fact the effects inJaws still look reasonable, though this is more a result of the aforementioned directorial "choice" than due to the superiority of the effects themselves. Spielberg makes it so easy to suspend your disbelief that you've got to actively work against the film to dislike it, to see the joins. Even better, Jaws is just awesome on the big screen, gaining an impact that you don't realise is missing on television. Writ large the characters gain stature, the violence is more shocking and the tragedy greater.
When these harmonious elements sum, the result is a memorable film that stands up to repeat viewing. Spielberg plunges into the emotional currents of Jaws, forcing the camera upon his cast. Their panic, fear, anger, bewilderment and smugness rolls forth in waves. It's a remarkable directorial feat. Jaws still stands as one of Spielberg's finest, most triumphant, heart-stopping movies, which is really saying something when you consider his filmography. This is an eternal classic, badly let down by its sequels.

So let’s blog!!

Blogging is becoming more and more popular everyday….I had initiated in 2008 to blog but then I was only wondering. What use is my blog if no one reads it? After being plodded by many (my brother in particular) in the family, I decided to take forward my initiative to its end by natural course... I too became a blogger in this exciting Blog World!

Then, I carefully selected the content of my ‘interests’ in my profile keeping in mind it will perceived as an extension of my thought process by my readers. So, some of my thoughts which are private could not be shared, I realized.  But, at the same time I wanted the readers to gain from their reading my blogs…which could be from my past experience, ideas, opinions or just entertainment. In fact my intention to include film reviews as well link to tamil films in my blog page is to relive the moments of joy as well recommend them for viewing. I am a movie buff whether they are English, Hindi or Tamil ones! Of course, I have to steal from my available time to watch the movies in a cinema on Sundays (with my son) or at home or I generally do it during my business trips (late night shows after dinner).

1. Certainly, Blogs also enable to express my opinion on current issues political whether national or international. This compels me to read the newspapers as often I can…generally done while I am commuting to my office. I try to be unbiased in presenting my version or perception on my blog.

2. I recommend certain products or ideas of commercial interest too…if not done till now, please be rest assured I intend to do it.

3. My topics on ‘Parenting’ are to help people facing similar situations I have gone through or I am going through. I intend to do some reading on this aspect so that I can understand parenting better. I intend to write on health related issues too to add value, if possible.

4. Blogs are wonderful tools to improve writing skills, so I intend to improve on my written content.

5. Yeah, I write blogs to connect with like-minded individuals with whom I can share my opinions. I would request my readers to comment freely on interests of mutual like.

6. I will try to update readers with information to help them think on ‘whole’ issues all over again.

7. I intend to stay active or knowledgeable in many issues. Hence I invite my readers to update me in return by writing fresh information.

8. I intend to stay connected with my family located at various parts of the world…so keep writing or commenting!

9. To have fun, I would blog! To be just creative and imaginative!!

So let’s blog!!

'Sholay' - review of all time hit Hindi Movie

One of the most analyzed movies in Indian cinema has to be "Sholay". What can one say about this film that has not already been said by thousands of others? Yet, "Sholay" is the type of film that no matter how many times is talked about or frequently played at cinemas, movie buffs never tire of it. A sign of an evergreen classic. For everyone has their own different favorite moment or scene that they recall fondly from the movie. Be it Basanti (Hema Malini) chatting away nines to the dozen but at the end claiming breathlessly, "Kyunke mujhe befuzool baat karne ki aadat to hai nahin (I am not one to engage in idle talk)". Or Gabbar Singh ‘s (Amjad Khan) booming voice philosophizing, "Jo darr gaya samjho margaya (Who ever is scared is dead)". Or the sound of the swing squeaking after the dacoits have inflicted their reign of terror on the household of Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar).


The plot sounds very simple on paper. Notorious dacoit Gabbar escapes jail but he is enraged at the man who put him there in the first place- Thakur. As an act of malicious revenge, Gabbar and his henchmen kill Thakur´s entire family (except for his daughter-in-law). Now Thakur wants to bring Gabbar to justice. He is helpless because he lost his arms and he is out of the police force. Therefore, he employs the help of two brave but badmaash layabouts, Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra), to bring Gabbar to him. ALIVE. Not Dead. “Tum Gabbar Singh ko nahin maaroge! Tum yahan Gabbar ko pakarke mere hawaale karne aaye ho. Zinda! (You will not kill Gabbar! You are here to capture Gabbar and hand him over to me. Alive!)” Thakur reiterates when Jai promises that they will bring Gabbar’s corpse. For Thakur, not killing Gabbar is an important matter. He wants to mete out the desired punishment to his nemesis himself. He wants a helpless Gabbar lying at his feet, a man who would be shocked that an armless man still has the power to render him helpless.


Gabbar Singh is firmly entrenched in Indian cinema history as being a very popular villain. This is mainly due to Amjad’s tour-de-force performance but also partly due to the way Ramesh Sippy introduces his character into the film. He allows suspense to build-up through several characters’ hushed mentions of the notorious bandit. Gabbar does not make his screen appearance until after one song and a lot of scenes have gone past. Even then his face is not shown immediately at first. The sound of shoes clashing onto the rock signifies Gabbar’s entrance. The camera shows his henchmen’s terrified faces from the angle of Gabbar’s shoes. This is a comment on the power that he wields over his yes-men. He is above them and can control whomever he wants. He believes that he is as powerful as God. He has a very maniacal laugh that would not sound out of place in a mental asylum. The role was originally signed to Danny Denzongpa but fate meant that it landed in Amjad’s lap. And how he lapped it up! His dedication to his role (blacking his teeth, vigorous rehearsing, menacing eyes) is mainly the reason why his character is remembered so much today.


“Sholay” is a benchmark in the careers of the rest of the performers involved. The screen chemistry between Hema and Dharmendra sizzles. Their camaraderie and exchanges are a delight to watch. There is also brilliant chemistry between Dharmendra and Amitabh meaning that we do not need to be persuaded that these men are close friends. Sanjeev and Jaya Bhaduri (who plays Radha, Thakur’s widowed daughter-in-law) give powerfully understated performances. But one of the reasons why all the actors shine in their roles is that their characters can easily be distinguished from one another. Each of the characters possess individual traits and nuances that we can identify them with. There is the silent sarcasm inherent in Jai’s character. Veeru’s childish sense of humor. Basanti’s habit of talking too much. Thakur’s sincerity and determination. The quiet brooding of Radha. Whereas Veeru and Basanti’s relationship is steeped in a sense of loud fun and humour, Radha and Jai are united together through silence. When they meet they cannot find many words to say but they are not bothered about that, they connect just by gazing at each other. Every evening, Jai sits outside the house playing his harmonica while watching Radha walk around the building turning off every lamp. Just that rare moment of connection fills them with content. After turning off every lamp, Radha goes into her room to listen to the sound of Jai’s harmonica. Every light in the house is off but she does not turn the light off in her room. The light in her room indicates a new form of hope, a new beginning.


Silence is something that the director uses very well. It serves as a way of understating the violence in scenes where slaughter occurs. Like when the dacoits spot a boy from Ramgarh riding on his horse. They intend to capture him and bring him to Gabbar. They creep up to the boy silently. The next scene shows Gabbar squashing a fly on his arm- an act that represents the death of the boy. Very little bloodshed is actually shown. Even today, Bollywood cinema is rarely this imaginative when it comes to depicting murder or death. If there is silence in some scenes, then there is also the masterful background score by R.D. Burman. The background music is a character in itself. It is tremendous to listen to especially during the train sequence when Jai and Veeru help Thakur fend off a group of highjackers. Here, the sound is a thrilling concoction of operatic music, the thumping rhythm of the train moving and the galloping of the horses. To a certain extent, the musical numbers tend to be overshadowed by the famous dialogues and action scenes but, nevertheless, everyone has their own particular favorite. Each song has become an anthem for a certain theme. Ask someone to name a friendship song and it is more than likely that “Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin Todenge” will be mentioned. Likewise, “Holi Ke Din” is also a perennial favorite as a song to listen to on the occasion of Holi.
Basanti complains to Jai and Veeru, “Tum shaherwale samajhte ho ke hum gaonwale ka akal hai nahin (You city people think that we have no brains)”. Her thought nails the argument of city versus village that lies in the subtext of “Sholay”. Jai and Veeru are outsiders to the locals of Ramgarh. To the villagers, they represent change and the symbol for a happier and progressive future. However, they are also an antithesis to traditionalism. Basanti’s aunt refuses to allow her marriage to Veeru go ahead because he lacks any redeeming qualities from an educationary or financial perspective. Elders are respected tremendously in Ramgarh but Veeru’s refusal to accept Basanti’s guardian’s final decision shows a rebellious streak inside him against tradition. The only way he finally wins her hand in marriage is by getting drunk and making a hilarious attempt to commit suicide in Basanti’s name. In rural parts of India, widows are still stigmatized and treated as society outcastes. Jai dares to break this rule by asking for Thakur’s permission to let Radha marry again. The narrative does not let Jai see happiness by breaking this tradition. Nature intervenes and takes Jai’s life away leaving Radha broken-hearted once more. At this point, fate and nature concurs with traditionalism. Life in Indian society has its rules and it is not prepared to let Jai break those rules. He cannot be left happy through this act of rebellion. Ramgarh is happy to accept the good side of change (ie getting rid of the menace of Gabbar Singh) but it cannot bear the tampering of general society rules. Clearly, modernism does not exist in the outback of Ramgarh. This proves too much for Basanti (who shows a rebellious streak by working as a tangewali, which she herself admits is unusual for a girl) and Veeru, both who eventually leave the village so that they can live their lives as they wish in a more tolerant place.


Salim-Javed hit a creative high with their sterling work on dialogues and story in “Sholay”. To cap off this review, let’s have a look at some of the most memorable lines in this classic:
“Arre o Saambha, kitne aadmi tay? (Oye Saambha, how many men were there?)”
“Bahut yaaraana lagta hai, eh? (He means a lot to you, eh?)”
“Khota sikka to dono taraf se khota hota hai (A bad coin is bad on both sides)”
“Wohi kar raha hoon bhaiya jo Majnu ne Laila ke liye kiya tha, Ranjha ne Heer ke liye tha, Romeo ne Juliet ke liye tha… SOOSIDE (I am only doing what Majnu did for Laila, Ranjha did for Heer, Romeo for Juliet… SOOSIDE)”
“Tumhara naam kya hai Basanti? (What is your name, Basanti?)”
“Saala nautanki, ghadi ghadi drama karta hai (You’d make a fine dramatic actor)”

‘Austerity’ among political class – Is it only Lip service??

Pity Suresh Taware, an up-coming MP from Bhiwandi constituency. He was settling into his business-class seat on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai on Monday when Sonia Gandhi, his party chief, boarded the plane. Suresh Taware leapt up to greet the Congress party leader — and then watched in shock as she pointedly took her seat in economy class. He must have known that Sonia Gandhi had ordered her ministers to fly economy class as part of an austerity drive designed to show sympathy with drought-hit Indian farmers. But he had no idea that she was going to be on the same flight. He hurriedly swapped seats, but the damage was done. Suresh Taware is not the only Indian politician to have squirmed under the Government’s attempt to revive the spirit of frugality embodied by Mahatma Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi started the austerity drive last week in an attempt to show empathy with farmers suffering in the country’s worst drought since 2002. Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State External Affairs described his experience of ‘economy class' travel as “yes, I traveled with the cattle class in solidarity with our holy cows”.

Even Rahul Gandhi joined in by ditching his helicopter for traveling ‘first time’ by an economy-class train (Shatapdi AC chair car) from Delhi to Ludhiana. It is another thing that SPG (Special Protection Group) was traveling along that increased the cost of Rahul’s travel to Ludhiana significantly. Sonia Gandhi reportedly saved only 7,000 rupees on her trip to Mumbai as she had to take twice the number of bodyguards she has normally on the aircraft. Indira Gandhi during the peak of her political career used to brandish her HMT watch manufactured by a PSU company to explain her socialist bend. It is fine and common for MPs to travel by fuel-guzzling Ambassador Cars instead of more fuel efficient cars. As Ambassador Car (generally ‘white’ in tandem with white clothes worn by the political class portraying ‘clean’ image) is grossly mistaken to be a cheaper vehicle by uneducated mass so it has become a symbol of ‘I am with you” statement to the vote banks.

In today’s global times ( Think Big Grow Big) , I feel ‘austerity’ should be visible in Public sector corporate business plans, adhering to efficiency that leads to cost-effectiveness, refraining from ‘populist’ vote bank favoring policies, evading wasteful expenditure on religious celebrations, discontinuing ostentatious ‘Iftar’ parties that become political platforms showing cabinet support. Austerity should be in thinking process as displayed by Mahatma Gandhi. He has practiced this not only in India but wherever he went.

Fortunately, now that the educated class has started entering Indian political scenes… let us understand that we need not be penny wise and pound foolish. Are you listening Sonia? 

Eddie Macon's Run

I saw this movie quite some time back..old movie..sure worth watching...

Eddie Macon's Run

Time is running out for Eddie Macon. He’s trapped in a Texas jail on trumped up charges. He’ll do anything to make it back to his wife and child, but if he’s caught, he’ll be back in the pen for life. Carl Marzack is an aging cop who must prove he can still get his man, and his man is Eddie Macon! Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas and The Dukes of Hazzard’s John Schneider star as the pursuer and the pursued in this exciting action thriller that climaxes in a hair-raising chase through the streets of Laredo, Texas. It’s a heart-stopping 1980’s manhunt in the classic American western tradition.

Starring: Kirk Douglas, John Schneider

Why does my son like 'hardy boys' books?

It is really amazing that at different ages we are attracted by different literature books...as if it spells out the 'age' more than the interest.
'Hardy Boys'  books has attracted the interest of my son as he nears his first teen year. I am not surprised at all ! Just two or three years ago he was reading Enid Blyton Famous Five series and  that has now taken its deserving place on the shelf as it is already read. Hardy boys books characters Frank and Joe  ....are two teenage brothers ready to solve every mystery they encounter...

'The Fountainhead' by Ayn Rand.

This steamy novel by Ayn Rand often discussed by literary critics and college-goers (as that is the age when the book is appealing to read), is a stirring story that dramatizes issues in design and brings architecture to life. The hero of the story, Howard Roark, was molded after the larger-than-life American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, I understand.

Ayn Rand's 1943 potboiler, The Fountainhead, is pure drama and talks of ideals and self-confidence... I had started reading the book right from the moment i bought it on my way back home.

From the opening scene when rebel architect Howard Roark stands naked on a cliff, to the triumphant conclusion when the 'insufferably' arrogant hero stands atop the building he fought to build, the story is gripping and irresistible. Howard Roark may be made of architecture idealism who wants to follow the theoretical rules! And he defies those who do not agree with him (the trait often admired by young ones) but want their buildings to resemble masterworks from the past. What do they know, asks Howard Roark ."I don't intend to build in order to have clients," Roark tells the dean who expels him from architecture school. "I intend to have clients in order to build." When I was twenty, I was grappled by the text of the author to read at a stretch. Now, i find it  all idealistic and not possible...but the book is a good 'stimulating' reading and i recommend the book for one time reading.

RSS seeks to distance itself from BJP's crisis...

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that it will not interfere to resolve a leadership crisis within the BJP.

"The BJP leaders are quite capable of handling it. The BJP has to think about its own future," Bhagwat said, when asked if the RSS was going to intervene to resolve the crisis.

Bhagwat's comments are seen as an attempt by the RSS to distance itself from the crisis within the BJP, while also trying to halt speculation that the radical ideological parent was beginning to get a firmer grip on its political arm. The BJP has appeared largely directionless after a massive election defeat in May 2009, its problems further compounded after some senior party leaders began attacking each other. The party has been debating its future -- whether its Hindutva agenda, once its passport to power, was now irrelevant for younger voters.

The crisis boiled over after senior party leader Jaswant Singh was fired for writing a book sympathetic to Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Muslim founder of rival Pakistan.

"The issue of leadership has to be decided by the party," Bhagwat said.

"As far as our opinion is concerned 55-60 should be the average age of the top leadership for the Sangh," he said in comments that could hint at how the RSS might want the BJP top leadership to look like. Finally, Sangh acknowledges youth presence in voting population! But, will it be on the ‘hindutva’ agenda? I hope not.

Pleasures of Parenthood

Children are expensive at times and prevent us from doing our own thing.They also demand our time or attention as they consider us as ‘know All’ or experienced having answers to their questions.

But, at the same time, children bring an extra dimension (and reason too) to one's existence, and provide a very necessary foil to our overweening concerns with our careers and ourselves. Yes, we can wear this ‘parenthood’ foil and experience the pleasures of it. Personally, I find it very refreshing and at the same time relaxing to spend time with my kid who is about to enter teenage coming November this year. Also, I listen to his new ideas and interpretation of issues of common knowledge. These issues are more related to sports or common issues pertaining to our lives, family, problems, opportunities etc.

In fact, I found that by considering him as a member of decision making, I can get brighter solutions. No doubt, as it is commonly found, children are much more attached to their mothers who devote more time/ energy to develop as well look after them. Fathers are always preaching and do not ‘give in’ like mothers do!

Lately, I have struck a good ‘friendship’ with my ‘to be teenager’ son and am enjoying the same. We both go to movies often as I am fond of watching movies and so he is too.If I love my child, I learned that I have to express it! Another aspect is… by my listening to him, I found out that he feels important. I write letters to his personal mail ID when I do not have time to talk to him. Just another way of expression or communication of explaining to him the benefits of letter writing.The feeling of being a parent brings great joy, but it is tough job too.Parents are not always 'perfect' and all of us have flaws.There is no 'right way' in which children have to be brought up.There is no such thing as perfect parent or perfect child.
Now I have to be flexible: The rules that I make need not be the same as that of my parents. At the same time, I understand the fact that - what applies to one child need not be applicable to the other. So, I keep my rules flexible and try to spend some quality time with my son. Make sure I give him enough attention when doing other things like reading, walking, playing chess with him etc. I have been trying to go ‘walking’ with my son for long but I am early riser on sunday while he is not. He goes to his bed on weekends late too and always after me. He will be either busy with computer, television or reading too. But, I do not force him as I respect his requirement or decision.

I can say that I am enjoying this parenthood. I realize that I will be required to spend more time, energy as well be resourceful as he grows older. And I look forward to it. Yes, indeed.

Dev Anand...my favourite star

Legendary actor-filmmaker Dev Anand was felicitated by the government on the occasion of his production house 'Navketan Films' completing 60 years, says....it is his fans who inspire him to continue making films.


"I humbly owe my success and fame to you (fans)," said the 86-year-old star of runaway hits like "Guide", "Baazi", "Taxi Driver" and "Jewel Thief".


Check out the films of Dev Anand Saheb in the link below

Dev Anand movies

Amitabh Bachchan back on TV with 'Bigg Boss 3'

I am glad to note that Amitabh will be back on the small screen in place of Shilpa Shetty in the Big Boss...


"We need to analyse the minds of those on the show and reach out to as many people as possible through it. On eviction day, I will discuss the thought process of that particular contestant,'' Amitabh Bachchan says. "I don't claim to give gyaan or suggest that I can calm things down. My job is only to analyse why people behave in a certain manner in the house.''


Amitabh Bachchan, would be the pop-philosopher with an idea to deconstruct the emotions of those in the house and initiate discussions to keep the audience engaged.


look forward to watching it...

Men lose their minds speaking to pretty women?

It’s now established. Pretty women make men nervous, for a new study has revealed that guys can lose their minds while talking to pretty women. Interesting to note, right?

Researchers in the Netherlands have found that talking to an attractive woman really could make a man lose his mind, a finding they claim may have implications for the performance of guys who flirt with women in the workplace.

According to them, the reason may be that men use up so much of their brain function or cognitive resources trying to impress pretty women, they have little left for other tasks.Women, however, are not affected by chatting to a handsome man -- this may be simply because men are programmed by evolution to think more about mating opportunities, the study found.

In their study, the researchers recruited some 40 male students. Each one performed a standard memory test where they had to observe a stream of letters and say as fast as possible if each one was the same as the one before last.

The volunteers then spent seven minutes chatting to male or female members of the research team before repeating the test.

The results showed men were slower and less accurate after trying to impress the women.The more they fancied them, the worse their score. So, guys should take precaution.

Right?

Michael Jackson...Oh i really felt sad and shocked ...

I am not getting time to write as much I want to.....if i have liked any pop singer other than elvis with his yoddling songs....it is Michael Jackson... Meanwhile these links .......you can browse through

Michael Jackson's last journey

Official website of Michael Jackson

believe me guys...people still feel Michael is alive and hiding from everyone who want to exploit him and earn a fortune through his music.

please write what you felt when Michael died...i was shocked !

The Indian Student ...a joke!

It was the first day of school in the USA for a new Indian student
named Chandrasekhar Subramanian entered the fourth grade.

The teacher said, "Let's begin by reviewing some American History. Who said
'Give me Liberty or give me Death'?"

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chandrasekhar, who had his hand up.

"Patrick Henry, in 1775," he said.

"Very good! Who said 'Government of the People, by the People, for the
People, shall not perish from the Earth'?"

Again, no response except from Chandrasekhar. "Abraham Lincoln, in 1863,"
said Chandrasekhar.

The teacher snapped at the class, "Class, you should be ashamed...
Chandrasekhar, who is new to our country, knows more about its history than
you do."

She heard a loud whisper, "Damn those Indians."

"Who said that?" she demanded.

Chandrasekhar put his hand up. "General Custer, in 1862."

At that point, a student in the back said, "I'm gonna puke."

The teacher glares around and asks, "All right! Now, who said that?"

Again, Chandrasekhar says, "George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, in
1991."

Now furious, another student yells, "Oh yeah? Suck this!"

Chandrasekhar jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the
teacher, "Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, in 1997!"

Now with almost mob hysteria someone said, "You little shit. If you say
anything else, I'll kill you."

Chandrasekhar frantically yells at the top of his voice, "Michael Jackson to
the child witnesses testifying against him, in 2004."

The teacher fainted.

And as the class gathered around the teacher on the floor, someone said, "Oh
crap, we're screwed!"

and Chandrasekhar said quietly, ' I think it is an American'

Kal Ho Naa Ho.....

Another movie that I like to write about…I liked the title the moment I heard …kal ho naa ho…very true!

Kal Ho Naa Ho is the story of three friends whose relationship is based on unconditional love ( do you find it? ) and emotional empathy with each other. 

The setting is New York in present times. Life is quite brooding for Naina (Preity Zinta). The cause of her sober lifestyle is a family tragedy that shook her world and took her happiness away.

Her humdrum daily routine includes her chores in her half Punjabi-half Catholic household in which she has to deal with a short tempered grand-mother, has to look after her little sister and brother besides helping her mother Jennifer [well acted by Jaya Bachchan] and deal with the family's financial troubles. In short, life could not be drabber for this gorgeous belle.

But things change with the coming of Aman [Shah Rukh Khan] into the tiny Indian neighborhood where she lives.

Aman is an extrovert person who gets friendly with almost everybody and begins to win everybody’s heart with his jolly nature. When he sees the sadness in a young and beautiful girl like Naina, he sets about to bring happiness into her life.

For this he also gets help from his good friend Rohit [Saif Ali Khan], an eligible Manhattan bachelor.

After few initial failures, the two manage to bring Naina out of her dull and gloomy moods and make her genuinely happy. The three become very good friends and every thing is hunky-dory.

But this happiness is short-lived when it turns out that one of them suffers from a deadly disease. …now I stop…you got to see the movie to know what happens. I saw this movie in Goa along with a colleague of mine during one of my business trips. Good to watch this movie and I am sure you will like it including the songs.

Does exposure makes anyone smarter...?

Quite often,  I feel the new generation of kids ( including mine ) are much smarter...then I console myself that their exposure to different situations/ technology are more... that makes them smarter or is the genes ....that decide you are what you are. To what extent... external factors contribute to 'smartness' of a person?

Does it mean the situations should take credit or debit on making the person what he/she is? There are many questions unanswered…if we start adding to a long list of reasons…latest research shows that even the behavior and thinking capability of a person is decided by the genes he or she is born with. So, such a theory does not ensure same 'smartness'  to all exposed to similar situation.

And then, astrologers say that ‘stars’ governing a person decide on a person’s future and the individual is just a victim to vagaries of his destiny etc. But the ‘practical’ and scientism guided individuals say it is cause and effect theory which controls the happening of events in one’s life. But then, every effect is not necessarily preceded by a ‘deciding’ cause!

In the movie “Changing Places”  that stars Eddie Murphy..a comedy as well a parody movie ... resolutely says exposure decides what a person can become.

BJP in crisis ?

BJP gets in to problem again..... the chintan (thought) meeting at shimla became a Chinta (worry) meeting and became an identity crisis as well as leadership crisis! LK Advani, who is 81 years old, and gifted with god sent energy levels but poor memory ( he did not remember that he knew Jaswant Singh accompanied the 'freed' terrorists to Khandahar in exchange of hostages held by them) may not eventually remain as opposition party leader in lok sabha much longer. The only 'other' national party may survive this crisis and recover from the 2009 general elections debacle.... but why RSS cannot stop interfering...nobody understands..but there is clearly a leadership problem! In fact, the RSS ( Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh..popular as ' Sangh " ) had served quit notice to the quartet comprising LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitely and Rajnath singh in the BJP as it was quite disappointed with performance....RSS should realise that the 'hindu' ideology does not suit todays time ..when we are getting globally secular...cosmopolitan cities are increasing in numbers  in our country...exposure is global with internet controlling a global village gearing up to meet opportunities etc.

India needs a very good opposition party and somehow we do not get that for long....oh ! we never had opposition party but seen ample infighting in the party/ coalition. I am happy Dr Manmohan Singh will remain PM for next five years for sure......not because UPA has come out stronger after the general elections...with more votes to congress....it is primarily due to BJP still not being an alternative.

Vasundra Raje in Rajasthan does not step down despite party leadership diktat to do so...due to Rajasthan election debacle. Venkiah Naidu claims that he is not in the race for any post. Such utterances out of turn are ignored by leadership..why? BJP is in a mess..headless that no corrective option can be taken to solve the mess...Will RSS intervene as usual ?

Well, let me know what you feel about the situation..

X board exams..optional?

In a decision that is likely to revolutionise the school education system, the Council of Boards of School Education in India (Cobse) has decided in principle to make the standard X board examinations optional. The alternative it has suggested is a grading system to evaluate students.

Though this will happen only from the year 2010 - 11, I feel relieved to know this. At a tender age of 15 years, the board exams were too heavy a load for the children. Especially, for children who cannot mug before the exams...but are intelligent and innovative ( precisely who can think well ) !

Mostly all schools do have XI and XII standards, so why should anyone take board exams, if he can continue in the same school. The education system should inculcate continuous studying and help in thinking process....a skill required by anyone throughout his / her life.

Will the other boards like HSC, ICSE follow the step taken by CBSE...is yet to be seen.