stuff

The Best Skin in the World – Arabian vs Chinese

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It’s strange but I hadn’t come across many Arabian women until now. Now I think there is a tie for the ‘Best Skin in the World’ title.

Until now I had honored the Chinese with the Best Skin Title. Chinese women have the following skin parameters – flawless, fair and glowing.

Arabian women have the following skin parameters – flawless, fair, glowing and excellently toned. That’s one additional parameter compared to the Chinese.

It’s not my fault then, is it, if I catch myself …er… glancing around rather intently. Too many Arabian girls around are not good for concentration. Then neither are having the Chinese around.

But till I explore better, it’s a tie. Kudos!

stuff

The New Year Thing

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So you gotta enjoy on the new year’s eve, right? Must wait till the clock strikes 00.00, smile at everybody like you’re really enjoying it and you’re so happy that the new year has eventually arrived, kiss your loved ones, hug one and all and promise yourselves that this year is the year. You are gonna make it right, make it big, be true to self and follow all your resolutions. This year is it!

Well, I can’t kiss anybody today. My family is an ocean across and am on a trip across for reasons I couldn’t appreciate.

Had no plans of a party till this pass dropped on my lap – Shaan, Atif and Vasundara Das are gonna perform. Can certainly check it out – a lone stag on a new year ‘gotta do something’ trip.

The sound arrangement is cool. I am a bit far from the stage but that’s okay. Only problem as I look at the event flow is the timing. Starts at 10 pm (they had announced 9.30) and gets over at 4am! Yes, I confirmed
again. Vow! Never been so late on a new year..

I already feel sleepy. Atif’s gonna perform at 01.30 – in the new year! Did I hear myself snore or was that some DJ stuff…hmm.. quite similar.

Long story short. I am not complaining. I will love to be wide eyed all thru. Only hope I dominate over my sleep, hours of sitting on a chair and this waft of cold air right thru my sinusitic head. Sneeze.

4am is long…. wonder if I should look around for people to hug – a succor, as the new year, another year strikes.

The DJ has switched to mixing better melodies.

Guess, I better stay put. Sneeze.

stuff

3 Idiots : Movie Review

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‘Excellence and not success is what people should be seeking. Success will automatically follow’ – this is the brief of the movie. Deep!.

Movie has all the ingredients and the right stars. Aamir, as usual, has lived upto his image of doing ‘meaningful’ films. Madhavan and Sharman live upto their potential.

But the movie owes big time to Boman Irani and the guy called ‘Chatur’ in the film (don’t know his name). They have been simply fabulous and a large part of the movie is on their shoulders.

Overall an engrossing normal story line which could have been shorter but for a few force fitted scenes after the interval… so drags a bit.

A must see for all though, certainly – a funny, emotional, pedantic take on our education system and on life.

And the take away is lingering and deep. Deeepp…

Rating: 3.5 stars.

philosophy

Happiness

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So what gives happiness? Sometimes I find this to be the simplest question ever, at times it is a very profound question and at times a ‘trick’ question.

So what gives happiness? The question is actually wrong… It should be “who gives happiness”.

“You”.

life, philosophy, stuff

The infinite loop of requirements

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A man goes to a certain place. He needs food, transportation, shelter, clothes, electricity, entertainment avenues, other 1000 stuff to make his survival worth it.
So more people are required to specifically provide food, transport and all of the above. And these people need all the above services too.

And so a loop of requirements and providers begins – a complete circle, the diameter of which keeps on increasing since man is not a satisfied creature. He just doesn’t need a car, he prefers a better car, a bigger car… And yes, to drive the requirements loop, we have the concept of money. The more money one has, the more can his requirements be satisfied.

So more the money – more requirements fulfilled – better and bigger than others – more power – more ego, boost to self worth. Somewhere this also becomes an absolute for a sense of happiness. A triviality thus takes over existence, becomes a whole!

So people want more money, more than anything else – for a sense of self worth; led by an incorrect cross-connection with happiness.

Hmmm….what if man didn’t have any requirements! Would he be happier?

….errant mumblings, rumblings on a rather nebulous plane …s’il vous plaît excusez moi

stuff

Paa Movie Review – tepid

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Finally made it to Paa just at the end of its 3rd week.

Amitabh was great and so were Abhishek and Vidya. And the concept, certainly. Auro, the 12 year old kid played by Amitabh, certainly grows on you.

But I thought that the 2nd half lacked a conviction, missed an encore that would have lifted the movie off of a base the 1st half had created. The movie also seemed to lack a focus and was not able to create a central theme. What was the movie really about – Auro, progeria, Abhishek’s political career, obstinate Vidya… what? Venturing a bit into the technicalities, well, I also didn’t quite agree with the editing.

I guess this justifies the tepid response the movie has generated (at least with me).Das Kontent!

Will provide a more comprehensive rating once I get access to my rating algorithm (currently am travelling), but could give a 3.0(-) star, if stars are what you understand.

If you understand the ‘out of 10’ mechanism, here you go: Rating : 5.5 / 10

If you understand grades, the grade is: @ B.

stuff

Avatar and 3D televisions

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Watched in 3D. Classy fare. Takes you to a different world, literally, and then “thud”, you are back as the movie comes to an end. You would rather wish that the movie would go on…

The story is nornal – that of love, greed and switching loyalties. The delivery is fantastic – you are in a fantasy world all through the movie! So I call it a regular fare served on a golden platter!

More such movies, and 3D would become a regular, essential fare. The production of 3D movies would only become viable and intensify with the coming of 3D television sets displaying 3D home video at premium
prices. Currently producers of such movies are only dependant upon premium revenues from 3D exhibitions besides regular exhibitions and home video.

A bit of research into 3D LCD screens here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/18/3D.home.television/index.html

The tvs are yet to come of age, bandwidth is gonna be an issue and now you will need different broadcasting equipments. And please don’t ask me to wear glasses in my living room. That would be most ridiculous!

Did anyone mention about the cost – of tvs, home videos, content subscription? And what about iptv 3d content – that would require some internet bandwidth!

Guess it will take a couple of years (give it 3) for 3D tvs and content to become ‘mass oriented’. That’s in the developed countries. In the developing countries, where digital is still to become a norm and true broadband an aspiration, a couple of years more than 3. Also the content must necessitate 3d viewing – a sitcom or news
wouldn’t really require 3d unless they start abruptly shoving their fists at the viewers’ face trying to jolt them into attention, but would be fun for nature, sports channels. Plus fantasy movies…. Oh yes, it would be a great thing for advertisers!

Tomorrow I am sure they will start working on 3D mobile phones, etc., if they haven’t already!

Anyways, guess I need not regret my decision of buying a rather pricey, non 3D lcd tv a few months back.
3D at home is a few years away. Plus I don’t wish to wear any funny looking glasses in the comfort of my home…

stuff

The Dubai Rush

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One movie has already been released. I had to rush to Dubai to check its execution. Now another and I have to rush again. Each time there has been a visa problem where normally there is none. Erroneous, ain’t it!

This time it only seems more complicated. When they applied for my 2nd 15 day service visa, it got rejected and the application fee forfeited cos’, according to the dubai govt, my multiple – entry visa is under process already – technically a second cannot be processed simultaneously. Makes sense!

Now who the … has placed a multiple entry visa request for me?

Good news – guess, they are (whoever they are) are vying badly for me!

Bad news – I might not be able to land the flight!

stuff

Information Frenzy – what I really need

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Given the giga bytes of information around, all I need is:

1. an intelligent customized search agent – which gives me answers rather than answer options.
2. a fast and accurate speech recognition application, which I haven’t come across yet
3. sixth sense kind of screening ability, whenever, wherever
4. a time for self when the world on my device automatically shuts off

stuff

Real Time Internet, the new Web X.0s & Productivity

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I’ve been reading a lot lately on the internet – on web 3.0, 4.0 and the future possible versions. At present all the x.0s are based on a few advances and best guesses. 3.0 talks about semantic web where the machines will talk with each other & parse information than just serving them on the screen, 4.0 hatches a plot about how inter-connectivity will help quick and intelligent coordination between governments, institutions, individuals and companies. 5.0 takes this even further – just guess everyone’s connected, the web has become powerful, there is instant info, and the machines can take intelligent decisions for everyone’s sake based upon logical inputs and artificial learning.

Think Terminator? “Humans will be back”!

As of now there’s the real time internet, let’s call it web 2.5x  – the current unfolding phenomenon on social networks and other platforms. These are these real time tweets which announce moment by moment updates, location based applications which announce deals in the neighboring outlets, presence of friends around and even the names and historical significanced of buildings and places as I stroll by!

There are now umpteen sites which do this all – just go to mashable and do some research. Yes, foursquare is one, loopt is other and check out the 15 more sites, plus many more which are not mentioned!

Some where I read again, that Americans consume almost 34 GBs of data every day from all sources of media.

Frankly I have now seen people, including myself, multitasking with information (info-tasking) – talking on one hand and berrying on the other, even during meetings or family time. A patient ear to my wife or child while reading and typing on my blackberry do not go hand in hand and often end up with disastrous results, Yet I stay addicted – crack berry as they say (I am working on it).

The question I ponder then is that has this age of multitude of information, instant information and instant gratification significantly led to increase in standards of living, efficiencies, productivities, health, amount of available spare time and reduction in stress levels in human beings?

Or simply put, has my quality of living increased, or will it significantly in the future?  Is info-tasking the new social behavior? Am I better off because I know the precise time when someone sneezed and twitted about it!