Month: December 2010
Who Needs Sleep?
Yesterday was not a day for the weak hearted. Neither was today but for a totally different reason and that’s just a small portion of a long standing issue and a post for another day. Yesterday was a marathon day.
I woke up at 6:30 am and after dragging myself to shower, shave, toilet functions and the rest of the morning’s activities I was out of my apartment by 8:30 am. I reached the office at 9:10 am and walked towards my system. We had a big day due to the visit of some biggies from our clients’ corporate offices. We are starting off a new project and there were inspections and certifications and all sort of things happening. A meeting started just after 9:45 am and the rest of the day uncoiled and most of the day was a blur. I wanted to leave at 6:30 pm but was informed that some more people were coming in for final inspections.
We waited and waited, talked for a while as the final checks were completed. I was finally able to get to my system at 10 minutes to 8pm to complete the rest of the day’s emails and stuff. I was done by about 8:45 pm and then went to sign up for a cab to go home. I left the office at 9:10pm (what a coincidence) and reached home at 9:30pm. I quickly ordered some pizza, after checking the contents of the fridge (I was home alone) and a coke. I was starving as I had only had a couple of dosas for lunch and skipped coffee in the evening. I waited impatiently as my pizza got to the apartment. I hungrily devoured it and poured some whiskey+coke and sat and relaxed in front of the tv.
I was asleep by 11 pm but bloody hell I woke up to the sound of the tv and with all the lights on at 1am! Fucking great. And then there was no going back to sleep for me. Lights off, I tossed and turned and tried to lull myself to sleep but it did not come. I counted sheep, no go. I switched back on the lights and watched an episode each of Little Mosque On The Prairies & Star Trek Deep Space 9. I was a bit tired after that but still could not sleep. An hour later I watched an episode of Star Trek : TOS. Still nothing, but I switched off the lights after that and lay in bed in the dark. Finally around 5 am I fell asleep and woke up at 7 am. Eyes red, feeling like shit. I splashed hot coffee over my face to try and wake myself up.
Hence it hasn’t been the greatest day today either. I just wanna crawl into bed and die!
Star Trek: TOS Women 12
The late Jill Ireland played Leila Kalomi, a female Human botanist in the 23rd century. While on Earth in 2261, Kalomi met Spock, a Vulcan Starfleet officer. Kalomi immediately loved Spock and declared her feelings for him, but Spock could not return those emotions for her. Even after they parted company, Kalomi still carried feelings for Spock.
In 2263, Kalomi joined Elias Sandoval’s colonial expedition to Omicron Ceti III, and served as the groups senior biologist. When the expedition finally landing on Omicron Ceti III a year later, Kalomi discovered the pod plants and the contagious spores which they released into the atmosphere. While these spores protected the colonists from the deadly Berthold rays present in the atmosphere, they also gave the colonists a sense of contentment and perfect physical health.
Three years later, in the episode This Side Of Paradise, the USS Enterprise arrived in orbit of Omicron Ceti III to try and establish the loss of contact with the colony. Spock and Kalomi were quickly reunited, and she used one of the pod plants to infect Spock and break down his emotional controls so that he could love her in return. The couple spent many blissful hours together on the planet’s surface, but the spores control over Spock was broken when Captain James T. Kirk was able to induce great anger in his first officer. Realising that she had lost Spock once again, Kalomi broke down in tears. She later evacuated with the rest of the colonists to Starbase 27. Spock wrote a poem, which elaborates on his feelings for Kalomi. It seems possible that he did return her affections, secretly.
The very sweet looking & beautiful Jill was married to David McCallum from May 11, 1957 to 1967, with whom she had three sons, including their adoptive son Jason McCallum Bronson, who died of a drug overdose in 1989. From October 5, 1968 until her death, she was married to actor Charles Bronson, in whose films she frequently appeared. Late in her life, Ireland wrote two autobiographical books, Life Wish (1987, about her experiences after being diagnosed with breast cancer) and Life Lines (1989, about her adoptive son’s drug addiction). Ireland died of breast cancer at the age of 54 in California.
Alone In This Vast Universe?
I’ve always assumed that we humans weren’t alone in the universe. That ofcourse, we aren’t arrogant enough to believe that out of all that vastness of space, with so many planets, in so many star systems, in so many galaxies – uncountable numbers – we are the sole existing intelligent life form. Why would there be so many galaxies & planets if we are the only ones in it? But just for arguments sake, let’s assume the opposite – what if the Earth is the only planet with life existing on it?
That would be something else all together wouldn’t it? Would it even be worth it to spend billions of dollars on space programs to try and get ourselves onto other planets? Only ofcourse if space becomes a premium or we completely destroy the ozone layer (we’re doing a pretty good job of it right now) will we ever need to think of colonizing and if we get the science of terra-forming mastered from just fiction to fact! Then yeah we would need to get our asses onto another planet or moon otherwise – why bother! Let’s spend that money on food, clothing & luxuries!
But think about it, can we be the only planet with living creatures on it? I mean, that would make us either special or an experiment gone wrong! A freak fluke of nature, a 1 in a – I dunno give a huge number here – chance, never to happen again maybe for a few million years. I would call that arrogance but what if? I don’t think that us humans are that special or that lucky. In fact let me state this – I’m certain that we are not alone in the universe and that there is intelligent life out there in atleast a few planet if not many. And some of them are bound to travel in space ships and then find our planet and visit us. And some of them will have very powerful weapons that we have no chance against. And when they do come, I plan on telling them that I knew all along that they existed and that you didn’t!
Arsenal 3 Chelsea 1
Ok this is such good news. I could not watch this game last night but managed to catch the highlights this morning. Arsenal boosted their Premier League title hopes in emphatic fashion and damaged Chelsea’s in the process with a stylish victory at the Emirates. It moved the Gunners up to second in the table, two points behind Manchester United but having played a game more, while Chelsea – also a match ahead of United – are in fourth and six points off the pace.
Arsene Wenger admitted halting a barren run of 11 games in all competitions without a victory over closest rivals Chelsea and Manchester United – including 10 defeats – would provide a psychological lift as they bid to secure their first silverware since 2005. And they will take huge confidence from the manner and margin of their first win against Chelsea since a 2-1 triumph at Stamford Bridge in November 2008. Alex Song put them on the path to victory with a goal seconds before the interval, but the real damage was inflicted on Chelsea with a double salvo from Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott in the space of two minutes just after the restart.
Branislav Ivanovic’s header set up the prospect of an anxious last 30 minutes for Arsenal, but it never materialised as they held out comfortably in the face of a timid Chelsea challenge.
UFOs Headed For Earth?
It seems that there are 3 unidentified flying objects (UFO) in space headed for Earth. From The Examiner:
SETI Astrophysicist Craig Kasnov ( not to be confused with Craig Kasnoff ) has announced the approach to the Earth of 3 very large, very fast moving objects. The length of the “flying saucers” is in the range of tens of kilometers. Landing, according to calculations of scientists, should be in mid-December 2012. Date coincides with the end of the Mayan calendar.
A few very large objects rapidly approaching the Earth – says SETI astrophysicist Craig Kasnov. Don’t take his word for it you can check it out for yourself. He recommends to go to the site http://www.sky-map.org/ and enter the coordinates of the giant UFO:
19 25 12 -89 46 03 – the first large object
16 19 35 -88 43 10 – a cylindrical object
02 26 39 -89 43 13 – the object as a circleThe project participants are assured that the facilities are absolutely real, and the American space agency NASA is trying to conceal important information.
None of these objects can be seen from the northern hemisphere. The second set of numbers in each line tells us that the “object” or “objects” is/are coming in from very deep in the southern hemisphere sky.
In any case, the only thing we can do now – wait for it – says Kasnov. – Soon celestial objects will be visible in a good telescope.
Now I Sing My Songs In Shades Of Blue
Bluebird performed by Anthony Gomes on his solo tour in 2010. Towards the latter stages it becomes a jam and I wish the audio was much better. Great show nonetheless.
Whiskey Like A Dagger To Your Heart
Totally unexpected gift. A girl at the office who works in the Recruitment section of our BPO had gone on a 12 day leave to write her exams in Sikkim. On her way back to Cochin she stopped to pick up some gifts for some of us at the office. Someone wanted a nice winter jacket as he would be traveling to various states in India in a month and would need winter clothing in some places. Another wanted some of the finest drinks that would be available in that state. And as she knows that I love my drink, she thought that she would pick up something for me as well.
This is what she bought for me. A bottle of whiskey shaped in the form of a dagger that is native to the state of Sikkim (I think it’s called a kirpan). It’s Old Gold Whiskey, distilled in Sikkim. It looks cool although my 2mp camera on my BlackBerry does not do justice to it. I love it and am gonna keep it for a while.
Hugh Hefner Gets Engaged!
I can’t believe it. But if any 84 year man can marry a 24 year old blond bombshell then it’s gotta be Hugh!
Hugh Hefner is set to wed for a third time after proposing to Playboy Playmate Crystal Harris on Christmas night. The publisher, reality TV star and ladies man, is 60 years older than his 24-year-old fiancee. Announcing the engagement on Sunday via Twitter, Hefner wrote, “When I gave Crystal the ring, she burst into tears. This is the happiest Christmas weekend in memory.” The couple began dating almost two years ago. This will be Harris’ first marriage.
This man has had so many girlfriends much younger than him. I’ve heard rumours that he pops Viagra for breakfast, starting in the early 90s. But getting married to a babe 60 years his junior! She’s only 24; is she only in it for the money and his assets? He’s old enough to be her grandfather!
Well you also have to admire him. Way to go Hugh!
A Name From The Past
When I was 15 an studying in the 10th grade, I can remember being at a personal crossroads. There were somethings going on in the extended family that was difficult for most of us to handle. Looking back now things should not have been that complicated but knowing my family, it was inevitable that things would get blown out of proportion. I remember the summer before I just turned 15 – most of my relatives were gathered in my grandma’s house in Mattancherry and the adults were spending hours discussing and debating. It was a tough time for some of us, but mostly for 5 people who were going through a really tough time. Anyways, things were a bit awkward at the extended family side and I was getting a bit affected.
I needed someone to spend time with and share my feelings about the things that were happening. That’s when she walked into my life. Well, I saw her pass by heading to the 9th grade on her first day at our school and like everyone else, I wanted to get a closer look; cause she was really beautiful and looked more like a Caucasian rather than an Indian. This is because she was an Anglo-Indian and shared her looks more from the Portugese side of her heritage rather than her Indian side. Which I thought was weird because her genes should have been diluted with a few generations of lives in India but I digress. I didn’t pay anything more than that initial attention for some days but soon she would waltz her way into my heart. Her name was Michelle and I fell hook, line & sinker.
My cousin Sandhya was studying in the 9th grade and having a cousin in the same class as the object of your affection should make it easier for you to get a good word in. So yeah, I used the old routine of getting my cousin sister, who became very close with Michelle, to keep talking about me and say good things about me, while I also tried to become pals with her. It took a couple of weeks but we became friends. Then I wanted to tell her that I liked her and between the hints by my cousin and me talking to Michelle, I finally did say that I liked her. And I wanted to know if she liked me back. She said that she would need to think about it. And she also told me that a guy in her community also liked her. I said ok and sat on my thumbs for a few days. I remember when I called her one weekend and we spoke for a long time and she said that she liked me.
That day and over the next few days we would sneak up without our family knowing and spend a few hours on the phone. At school I got this funny feeling, a good funny feeling whenever I saw her. It was so sweet. I even drew a portrait of her; those who have seen it said that it’s a good drawing. It was just the face with a single tear running down from her right eye. I dunno why I added that but I did. We had a few days off from school coming up and everything was cool until that break. 15 days later when I came back from vacation, she would be giving me the cold shoulder. And that she didn’t like me but rather the Anglo-Indian guy who lived near her. I was stunned. I didn’t know what hit me or what had happened. I got some other people telling me that Anglo-Indians will only end up with other Anglos and not to worry, it’s cool cause she wasn’t the right kind of girl for me anyway. I was quite upset and it would take me a while to get over the hurt feeling.
Other the next few months until the end of school I tried avoiding her and hated it everytime our paths crossed. Our school was small and her class was right next to mine but I did a pretty good job at making a heartbreak worse. In about a year or so I would forget about her completely, like the whole thing was a joke so why get frustrated over something silly anyway. Once in a while I would remember her, especially when I hear the name Michelle. But I got over her well enough and even forgot she looked like. I can’t seem to remember her face until – I saw this woman two days ago who looked just her and bam! it all came rushing back. Only this time, I wasn’t sad, no hurt nothing. Just a name from my past. I smiled and walked away.
A Christmas Carol By Yours Truly
It was the night before christmas, and all round the house
no electronic device was turned on, not laptop or mouse
I was fast asleep, safe in my comfy little bed
the sheets were pulled up, right up to my head
Suddenly a little noise like sharp fingernails on glass
Woke me up from slumber and I sat up on me ass
Outside the window was a crinkly, wrinkly old face of a man
How did he get so high and on what did his legs stand?
I was happy; “it’s Santa” squealed my voice so high
At last in my 30s he deemed me good, I thought with a sigh
He’s brought me all sorts of gifts that I could ever want
And if I said that I believe in Santa, I would never fear a taunt
However my happiness came crashing down in a moment of clarity
It was not jolly Saint Nick but a dirty old bastard of clergy
It was a Catholic priest, as gay as the night is dark
So I shoved his ladder and down fell the old fart!!
Fucking pervert!!
An attempt at a politically incorrect Christmas Carol by Roshan Gopal Krishnan
Jingle Bombs
Merry Xmas. Jeff Dunham & Ahmed the dead terrorist brings you a version of Jingle Bells titled Jingle Bombs.
Liquid Amber Nectar Of The Gods
The fact that it had been a little of 6 weeks since I’ve had any beer was shocking. Even more was the fact that I hadn’t a drop of alcohol in 4 weeks either. No other drink had passed my lips.
My drinking was limited to mostly coffee, some tea and water. Maybe a little juice which wasn’t served to me all cold. But no drinks and no ice. Even lots of hot water to counteract the effects of a fever, cold, cough & flem infection. It has taken a lot of time to recover.
All which led me to this stage. No drinks for a long time. I had a check up and the doctor said that there was way too much blood in my alcohol system and that I needed to get it remedied instantly!
So after a long 6 weeks, I finally went to get some beer this evening. I went to Oberois and got two Kingfisher beers and drank it down greedily. For a few minutes I also stopped to admire the foam and the golden liquid. How beautiful it looked! Royal, regal, majestic and gorgeous, like a molten sunset, caught in a bottle. And how much have I missed it.
Ah that felt so good. Beer is liquid bread and it’s good for you. Unlike most times, I didn’t spend much time there and just drank my beers quickly. I then ordered some food to go for mom and me and waited till the bag arrived. Butter chicken, garlic fish & fried rice. Good eats.
Devil
Devil or The Night Chronicles : Devil is a 2010 US supernatural thriller film based on a story by M. Night Shyamalan, written by Brian Nelson, and directed by John Erick Dowdle. Released in threaters in mid-September of this year, I watched this movie last night. The film is about 5 people who are trapped inside an elevator and who realize that the Devil is one among them.
The film starts with what seems like a random suicide of a worker who jumped off a building in Philadelphia. Detective Bowden is called onto the scene to investigate. At the same building, an elevator gets stuck with 5 people, who don’t know each other, in it. The five strangers are Ben (Bokeem Woodbine), a temp security guard with a violent past; an elderly woman (Jenny O’Hara) who is a kleptomaniac; Vince (Geoffrey Arend), a mattress salesman who moonlights as a con artist; Tony (Logan Marshall-Green), a former mechanic who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the War in Afghanistan who is now seeking employment within the building; and Sarah (Bojana Novakovic), a blackmailing gold-digger meeting with her lawyer in the building.
Then the strange scary things happen – the lights keep going out, Sarah is attacked & wounded in the dark. Everyone else thinks that Vince is the culprit but after the next power outage, Vince is found killed by a shard of glass from a mirror which slices his jugular vein. Detective Bowden & the security staff of the building can communicated with the people in the elevator through a speaker & mic but they can’t hear anything said in the elevator. The office building’s repairman is sent down the elevator shaft to fix it, but plummets to his death. During a power outage, the old woman is found hanged by the neck from an electrical cord.
With just 3 left, Sarah & Ben turn on Tony, thinking him to be the killer. Confrontations & threats follow but after the lights got out, Ben is found dead. Tony and Sarah prepare to fight each other with broken glass, but Bowden seemingly manages to calm them. As Sarah prepares to take out a shard of glass hidden in her back pocket, the lights once again go out and her throat is slashed. Tony is shaken and distraught – it’s obvious now that he isn’t the killer but then who is? The old woman suddenly rises and appears behind Tony. It is now apparent that she is the Devil who has taken a human form. Having dispensed of the others, the Devil tells Tony it’s his turn to die.
Detective Bowden watches through the CCTV as Tony confesses to killing two people in a drunken hit-and-run accident. Tony had been trying to grab another beer while driving and had not seen where he was going. Bowden is stunned – it was his wife & son who were killed in the accident. Tony had left a car wash coupon which ‘I’m Sorry’ written on it, which Bowden had found and kept as a reminder of the hurt & lose. At which point the Devil is forced to spare him (as he confessed his sin and apologized for it) and disappears as the firefighters finish breaking into the elevator. Detective Bowden realizes Tony is the one who killed his wife and son, but expresses his forgiveness en route to the police station following his arrest.
I liked the concept, the Devil always interests me and I’m a fan of anything Shyamalan does. The movie didn’t pan out quite like how I expected but it has it’s moments. Overall it’s a good movie but it could have been better. I’d give it a 7/10.
My BlackBerry Is Not Working!
Lol, its really funny. Loved it.
Star Trek: TOS Women 11
The late Kathie Browne was a California-based actress who appeared as Deela in the TOS episode Wink of an Eye. Her character was Queen of the Scalosians, whose inhabitants had undergone acceleration in their bio-chemistry so that their hours were like normal minutes. Scalosian males were also made infertile due to the radiation sickness. The Scalosians hijacked the USS Enterprise in 2268. They planned to use the ship’s male crew as a gene pool so her species could continue.
Deela is quite taken by the handsome captain Kirk and tries to seduce him and bring him to her point of view. Wanting him as her consort, accelerated him to her level, causing him to vanish from the Enterprise crew’s view. Deela informed him that the Scalosians planned to cryogenically freeze the crew of the ship so that they would have a ready gene pool to populate their race. A large number of individuals were required for the plot to be successful since hyper-acceleration caused rapid aging and death if the subject became injured. Deela’s husband, Rael, became jealous of Kirk because he believed that Deela had feelings for him. Rael tried to kill Kirk, but Deela stopped him. Kirk, along with the help of Spock, was able to stop her plan and reverse the effects of the hyper-acceleration on themselves. Deela and her people however were returned to Scalos with their problems unsolved.
This episode caused some stir back in the late 60s as a scene managed to slip past the censors the scene suggesting that Deela and Kirk have just had sex. The captain is sitting on the edge of the bed, tugging on his boot, while Deela is busy brushing her hair. Nowadays ofcourse this wouldn’t create anything. However, Kathie Browne was a beautiful woman. She appeared in many films and TV shows such as Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, My Favorite Martian, The Wild Wild West, Fantasy Island, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker (with her husband Darren McGavin, to whom she had been married since 1969).
She died of natural causes in 2003 in Beverly Hills, California.
Three Countries I’d Like to Visit
Canada – I love this big country, the second largest landmass and the first nation of hockey. I’m attracted to her cities, her towns, her large open spaces and her natural beauty. I want to visit the farms & the wheat fields and drink a beer at some of the beautiful spots in the country. I want to watch hockey live at the rink and attend concerts of my favourite bands, artists and musicians from Canada.
Britain – watch football at the stadium, go to a pub and hang out with the locals, drinking a lager, eating fish n’chips and discussing the latest football scores. I want to visit the royal family and hang out in London & Liverpool. I would also like to meet a lovely country English lass – who I will corrupt, divide & conquer ;)
Spain – Watching Spanish football made me aware of how lovely Spain is. I want to run with the bulls, throw tomatoes and cook paella with the locals. I want to learn Flamenco guitar from the very best in Andalusia and revel is the Catalan joy. Watching a classico match in person would be great – what could be more regal than Real Madrid vs Barcelona?
Women & Shopping
Do women make better hagglers & smarter shoppers? Is it a talent ingrained in them during childhood? Or is it just part of what makes them….you know….women?
I used to dread going shopping with girls from my family. Its no fun at all. I remember when I was about 16-17 my sister Sherine & my cousin Raakhee wanted to go shopping in the city and they wanted to buy clothes, salwars in particular. Convent Junction was THE place for buying clothing for girls during those years and I think it still is. Anyway, I was accompanying them, innocent & unsuspecting lad that I was. I do not remember much of the details of that day only that we walked and entered 15 different clothing stores on that day!!
Yes 15 of them! The girls went into all these stores, walking in like they owned the place (but then every other woman was doing the same thing) and get many dresses shown to them. In the end they pretended like none of them were good enough and giving the overall feeling that the choices were very bad & limited! I would stand like a deer caught in the headlights and smile weakly to the staff. Like this we went to 15 stores and my sis & cousin repeated this practise in each store. Even the mannequins in the shops looked like they were scolding me for accompanying them on their “shopping trip”. Finally they gave up ——and walked back to the very first store and bough one measly outfit! One!! Yeah, I would quickly refuse any shopping expeditions with the two of them in future.
Well yesterday I volunteered, or was made to volunteer, to accompany a lady from HR to buy decorations & little gifts for the office. Now this was from around 7:30 pm and I said ok cause I know her well, I know her mom well and her mom is an old school mate of my aunt. So I went along to all these little wholesale shops that sell Christmas & New Year decorations and stuff and got a lesson on haggling. I was a silent spectator, merely nodding along to questions and giving a few suggestions and options. She handled the rest and I was just there to carry the bags back to the car, offer her company as it was night and make sure that she was dropped to her house which was quite far from the office. And she didn’t even go a paisa above her budget.
The poor guys at the shops didn’t know what was in store and they were suckered into lowering their rates or offering discounts & adjustments when they weren’t even aware of before she came to their shops. It was 10pm when we were done and I called for the cab to drop her home before I would be dropped home myself. I also bought us a shawarma sandwich each and some fruit juice and we quickly ate that in the cab as we headed on to Fort Kochi where she lives.