Part Man, Part Fantastic Awesomeness

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If you were one part human, two parts something else — another animal, a plant, an inanimate object — what would the other two parts be?

Haha, what a question. And I have several answers coming to my mind, none of which are suitable for work :D But hey that’s just me. So let’s give them a try, shall we?

  • If I were one part human and two parts another animal – a horse? Like endowed down there like a horse! Hahaha, maybe a horse. Or a wolf – I always fancied myself as a werewolf. Or a falcon / eagle – so I can soar through the air. Or a lion! Yeah!
  • If I were one part human and two parts plant – a tree? Endowed as big & hard as a tree trunk? No? Ok, a venus fly trap? No yuck! Hmmm, I don’t think I’ll ever want to be 2 parts of a plant. Can’t think of one. Maybe roses, so I can pick some off me and give it to pretty women!
  • If I were one part human and two parts an inanimate object – a machine! The Cyborb. Or 2 parts computer so I can live on forever and be indestructible. That would be awesome. Or part spaceship. To boldly go where…….you get the idea!

Prompt from the Daily Post at WordPress.com.

1990 World Cup In Italy

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My first World Cup once back home in India was Italia 1990. I had just started my 9th standard (grade) in school and 2 weeks in the World Cup started. We even had to write an essay about the World Cup in English class! At age 14 I was able to get permission from my parents to stay up late and watch the late night matches even on school nights. And yes this was the first world cup that I watched most of till then.

My favourites were ofcourse Argentina and I was supporting and cheering for them until the very end. Italy was a strong favourite of many with Roberto Baggio in form. It was the most watched world cup till then but it was also one of the most defensive ones as well. Following the 1990 World Cup, the back-pass rule was introduced in 1992 to discourage time-wasting and overly defensive play, and wins were awarded three points in the group stage of the 1994 World Cup to encourage more attack-minded tactics and discourage the strategy of playing for a draw. Cameroon won a lot of hearts around the globe and Roger Milla, a 38-year-old forward who came out of international retirement to join the national squad at the last moment after a personal request from Cameroonian President Paul Biya, became an international star. Milla’s four goals and flamboyant goal celebrations made him one of the tournament’s biggest stars as well as taking Cameroon to the last eight. A strong English had Paul Gascoigne or Gazza as fans lovingly nicknamed him and finished 4th, losing to West Germany in the semis. Gazza won hearts for famously being reduced to tears in the semis as a yellow card meant he would miss the final if England made it through.

The West Germany–Netherlands clash was held in Milan, and both sides featured several notable players from the two Milanese clubs (interestingly, three from each side, both in clubs and in national teams: Germans Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthäus and Jürgen Klinsmann for Inter, Dutchmen Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard for AC Milan). After 22 minutes Rudi Völler and Frank Rijkaard were both dismissed after a goalmouth incident. As the players walked off the pitch together, Rijkaard spat at Völler. Argentina, who started badly, losing to Cameroon in the opening match, went to finish as losing finalists. With Maradona in the squad, the Argentines would also see two stars shine – goalie Sergio Goycochea who made many outstanding saves especially in the penalty shootout wins against Yugoslavia & Italy and Claudio Cannigia who dazzled with his dribbling skills. A totally impetuous & unnecessary handling of the ball earned Cannigia a second yellow card in the tournament which meant he would miss the finals. And that was probably the deciding factor in the final, which turned out to be the most cynical & lowest quality final ever.

Two Argentinians were sent out for fouls and a solitary penalty kick goal was the winner in a short tempered affair. With its third title (and three second-place finishes) West Germany – in its final tournament before national reunification – became the most successful World Cup nation, until Brazil won their fourth title in 1994. West German manager Franz Beckenbauer became the only man to both captain (in 1974) and manage a World Cup winning team, and only the second man (after Mário Zagallo of Brazil) to win the World Cup as a player and as team manager. Also of note was Salvatore Schillaci of Italy, who rose to fame by becoming the top scorer of the world cup with 6 goals. However it often looked like he himself was surprised when he scored and sank to obscurity in a couple of years. I remember watching the final with a cousin of mine, just a little while after the 1990 Wimbledon men’s final.

3 Questions

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A Pulitzer-winning reporter is writing an in-depth piece – about you. What are the three questions you really hope she doesn’t ask you?

  1. What do you really think about your family? Please be honest.
  2. If you had to choose between sex with any number of hot women of your choice versus a devoted and monogamous relationship with only one woman – which would you choose?
  3. I know you are an atheist and do not  believe in a god or gods, but what do you think about all the world religions? Don’t hold back!

Prompt from the Daily Post at WordPress.com.

Pompeii

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A German-Canadian collaboration Pompeii is a 2014 historical disaster movie directed by Paul W. S Anderson. The film stars Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris, and Kiefer Sutherland.

Back in 62 AE, a Celtic village of horsemen is attacked by the Romans led by Corvus and they are totally wiped out. A young boy named Milo is the only survivor and watches as Corvus personally kills his parents. Later Milo is captured by slave traders and sold as a slave. 17 years later, groomed as a gladiator, he is bought by slave master Graceus and brought to Pompeii with other slaves. On the road to the city a horse that is carrying a carriage falls in front of the slaves, injured and struggling. Cassia and her servant Ariadne are in the carriage on their way back to Pompeii from Rome and they come out of the carriage. Milo offers to help as he understands horses and is allowed to; however there is nothing he can do for the horse, so he snaps it’s neck killing it and ending it’s misery. Milo and the slaves are taken to the arena while Cassia, daughter of Pompeii’s ruler Severus, goes home to see her mother Aurelia and father. Severus is hoping to have the new Emperor Titus invest in plans to rebuild Pompeii but Cassia warns him of Rome becoming more corrupt.

At night a servant named Felix rides Cassia’s horse but is thrown off and killed when a quake from the nearby Mount Vesuvius causes the earth to open up under him. At the arena Milo starts a rivalry with the reigning champions gladiator Atticus who by Roman law will be given his freedom after he attains one more victory. Although they fight each other to show off their strengths, Atticus saves Milo’s life when another gladiator tries to sneak up from behind and kill Milo for revenge on his brother’s death. A grand party thrown by Severus to honour the visiting Corvus, now a respected Senator, and to seek favour in getting Emperor Titus to invest in the former’s plan to rebuilt Pompeii. Corvus, who seeks Cassia, says that although the emperor won’t invest in the plans, he himself will. An earthquake frightens Cassia’s horse Milo helps calm one down & then takes Cassia on a ride, telling her that they cannot be together. When they are caught Corvus is about to kill Milo but Cassia pleads for his life to be spared so the Celt is instead lashed in public. The next day is to be a huge gladiator event with a filled amphitheater.

Instead of Milo & Atticus facing each other, Corvus orders him killed in the first battle and wicked trainer Bellator (Currie Graham) convinces Graecus to sacrifice Atticus as well. The two of them are chained along with other gladiators as a large group of Roman soldiers attack them. Working together Milo & Atticus are the only two left as they kill all the Romans. During the battle, Corvus forces Cassia to agree to marry him by threatening to have her family killed for supposed treason against the Emperor. When Cassia defies him, Corvus has his men lock her up in a villa. Corvus has his officer Proculus fight Milo one to one when Vesuvius errupts creating quakes that cause the arena to collapse, sending Milo and Proculus crashing to the jail levels. Milo opens the prisoner gates and in the rush Proculus escaping while the gladiators kill Bellator. Servus tries to kill Corvus but is stopped by the Senator and killed instead. The volcano sends out balls of fire as the people flee and try to make it to the harbour and the ships that they are trying to escape in are destroyed. Milo races to the villa to rescue Cassia but Aredna is killed when a huge section collapses. Cassia is captured at the arena by Corvus who feels in a chariot and pursued by Milo while Atticus and Proculus face off.

The Roman manages to mortally wound Atticus, but the gladiator rises up to break the blade and use it to kill the soldier. Dodging the fireballs and as the city around them is destroyed Milo catches up to Corvus & Cassia as the chariot crashes at the temple of Appolo. While Milo & Corvus fight, Cassia manages to chain Corvus to a building and she & Milo ride off on a horse. As the gas & lava rush through the city Atticus proudly meets his fate while Corvus is also incinerated. At the city outskirts, the horse throws off Milo and Cassia. Milo tells Cassia to leave on her own. Instead, she sends the horse off, not wanting to spend her last few moments running. She and Milo passionately kiss as the pyroclastic flow engulfs them. The last shot is of the duo’s carbonized bodies locked in an eternal embrace.

In my opinion the production, sets, costumes, designs and special effects all rock. They are great but we have a bad rushed story that fails to capture the imagination and the actors do not have time to work to gain our sympathy and emotions. This is huge failure on the part of the movie makers, especially as everybody dies in this film! They should have tried making the movie longer or writing it better to give us more empathy for the cast of characters. On a budget of $80 million, the film made back around 97 million. 6.5 outta 10 for the movie!

1986 FIFA World Cup In Mexico

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Ah Mexico 1986. For many football fans this was the most memorable World Cup ever, even for me. I was about to turn 10 when the tournament started and didn’t watch many live games. However us kids would watch some highlights and results every evening and discuss games and goals in school and later in the day with friends as we gathered in our building. The world went crazy for Argentina and a midfield maestro named Diego Armando Maradona, who was all over the news, newspapers and tv – I remember that Toyota in particular had ads with him as a brand ambassador that was shown so often on Kuwaiti tv.

Ofcourse Maradona went on to win hearts and plaudits for his magical dribbling and his talents but I will always remember him for the cheat of a goal he scored against England. England goalkeeper Peter Shilton came out of his goal to punch the ball clear. However, Maradona, despite being 8 inches (20 cm) shorter than the 6-foot-1 (1.85 m) Shilton, reached it first with his outside left hand. The ball went into the net and stood as a goal as the refree did not see it, much to anger of  the English players & management. Appropriately called the ‘Hand of god’ goal, for what is god & religion if not man cheating, hoaxing & screwing his fellow man! Ofcourse, Maradona then went on to score “the goal of the century”, so called as it claimed to be the best individual goal of all time – and from a neutral point of view, all is forgiven. Argentina won that game and went on to bet West Germany in the finals and lift the trophy for the second time.

Gary Linekar of England would win the Golden Boot as the leading scorer of the World Cup with six goals. A talented Danish side with a young Michael Laudrup won their group, finishing above West Germany, but were thrashed by Spain in the round of 16. A surprise was Morocco who finished above England at the top of their group an made it to the round of 16 and another was Belgium who made it to the semis losing to Argentina. Michel Platini and France finished 3rd beating out Belgium. Documented in a popular film, I and my cousins relived Mexico 86 for a couple of summers afterwards. One last thing, back in Kuwait in 1986 a chewing gum company (can’t remember which one) had a project for football fans. You could buy a book from them in which all the competing nations were entered and empty slots kept for each squad member. For each pack of the chewing gum you bought, you would get a small pack of 5 stickers on which you’d have the profile photo of a player in the Wold Cup. So one pack of gum gave you 5 player stickers and you had to fill the entire book with all the players – for which the company would give you a large prize. I managed to finish a little over half by the end of the tournament but still have the book for a long time.

Great memories of a great world cup.

Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger

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We now come to the 3rd and final Sinbad movie from Columbia Pictures that Ray Harryhausen was involved in. 1977’s Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger saw a yet 3rd actor play the famous ship captain with Patrick Wayne. Taryn Power, Margaret Whiting, Jane Seymour, and Patrick Troughton also star in this film directed by Sam Wanamaker.

Sinbad is set to marry Princess Farah once he asks her brother Prince Kassim’s permission. However on reaching Charak he and his crew find the city under curfew. Sinbad is attacked in his tent by 3 ghouls who were summoned by a witch called Zenobia from a fire, but he manages to vanquish them. Zenobia is also the stepmother to Kassim and Farah and she has turned Kassim into a baboon using an evil spell, just before he was to be crowned caliph. If Kassim cannot revert back to his human self in 7 nights, Zenobia’s son Rafi will be crowned instead. Sinbad meets with Farah who tells him of her suspicions about Zenobia’s powers Sinbad, Farah, and the baboon Kassim set off to find the old Greek alchemist named Melanthius (Patrick Troughton), a hermit of on the island of Casgar, who is said to know how to break the spell. Following in a ship propelled by a bronzed robotic minoton are Zenobia & Rafi. The baboon displays human intelligence as in playing chess but when irked it gets violent and only Farah can calm him down.

As Casgar they find Melanthius and his beautiful daughter Dione to whom the baboon/Kassim seems to take to. However Zenobia has shrunk herself into a tiny size so as to spy on them but is found and captured. Unfortunately her potion to grow in size is spilled and a wasp drinks some of it, growing in size and attacking the humans. As Sinbad kills it with a knife, Zenobia takes her potion, turns into a gull and escapes. But there is too little of the drink left: While Zenobia is restored to human form and full size, the lower part of her right leg looks like a seagull’s foot. Sinbad’s party sets off for a distant land guided by Melanthius and after a frigid landscape are attacked by a giant walrus that kills two men but is itself killed off. The group then reach a lush Mediterranean like valley through a tunnel. Sinbad’s group meets a giant caveman like creature with a single horn on his head that seems to be genuinely interested in the humans and follows them to a pyramid. Zenobia ad Rafi have already gotten thru thanks to the Minoton who was killed when a large rock fell on him as he pushed open the doors to the pyramid. Sinbad and his friends arrive minutes later and find a large block of ice in which a sabre toothed tiger is frozen.

Rafi attacks Kassim but in killed in the fight and a grief stricken Zenobia transfers her spirit into the sabre-toothed cat that awakens and frees itself from the ice and attacks Sinbad and his men. The caveman creature tries to kill the tiger but is maimed and killed along with 2 men and Sinbad ultimately kills the tiger. With Zenobia dead the spell is lifed and Kassim regains his human form just in time for the group to escape the pyramid that begins to collapse. Sinbad, Kassim, Farah, Melanthius, and Dione and return home just in time for Kassim to be crowned Caliph. Sinbad and Farah share a kiss. The film fades to black, and the eyes of Zenobia appear on the screen accompanied by an evil laugh.

Probably the best of the 3 with better casting and special effects. I’ll give it a 7.5 outta 10!

Finders Keepers

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While walking on the beach you stumble on a valuable object buried in the sand — say, a piece of jewelry or an envelope full of cash. What do you do with it? Under what circumstances would you keep it?

Current situation – if I find a piece of expensive jewelry that someone lost I wouldn’t care and just take it and try and sell it at a pawn shop and get the money for it. No excuses. I would totally do that now when usually I would just take it to the nearest police station or if I am in a complex or an office I would take it to the administration office and hand it over. Yes I need money and I would do that now but I may not sell it if my circumstances improve. That’s what I would usually do and I have done so in the past; I remember finding a gold chain while in a small shopping complex and handing it over to the admin manager. I was 25.

The same will stand true for a wad of cash. Suppose I were to stumble upon an envelope filled with cash – at this moment, I will keep it and spend it for myself. Because I am short of cash and am struggling. Earlier I would not have done so and would be willing to go to a police station and hand it over and have them fill a report. Same if I were in a public building or an office, I would have given it to the management but I won’t do that now.

So unless my circumstances improve you should hope, that if you do lose some cash or some jewellery, that I don’t find it cause I will be keeping it.

Prompt from the Daily Post at WordPress.com.

RIP Velocity Bar

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A few days ago I came to know that due to the bar license issues, one of my favourite bars & preferred watering hole for 6 years, Velocity Bar (otherwise known as my temple or Velocity shetram), has closed their doors. The Kerala government refused to renew the license for over 400 bars in the state due to the fact that they did not meet required standards as per the directions of Supreme Court and the recommendations of the Justice Ramachandran Committee, which studies the issues of bars in the state.Though the family style restaurant is still open it looks unlikely that Velocity will open up again. I haven’t been to a bar in months and only have had a few beers at a family restaurant twice since October.

But I will miss the nice bar with it’s nice posters (they have some movie posters on another wall) good eats and drinks.

I first went to Velocity back in February of 2007 and since then Velocity was my bar of choice – okay prices, near to my apartment, flat screen tv, clean & nice couches/booths – ever since. I haven’t been going for the past few months (since August/September of last year) – maybe that’s why they actually closed. I do hope that things can be sorted out and they will get to reopen next year. If not then, I raise my glass to you. Thanks for all the memories.

1982 FIFA World Cup In Spain

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With the 2014 FIFA World Cup due to start in Brazil in a little over 2 weeks time, I felt it was the right moment to take a look back at the world cups over the years that I have watched. This is not a review of the games & the tournament as a whole but just a personal view point from me especially because I wasn’t blogging from 1982-2002.

1982 – there’s not much that I remember about those years because I was a very lad of not yet 6 when that world cup was played. I don’t think I watched more than the final between Italy & West Germany and do not remember anything of it. I do remember my sister saying that after Kuwait’s (which is where I was born and where my family & I were living at the time) national side qualified for the World Cup in Spain (their first and only appearance in a wold cup tournament) there was a huge celebration all over the streets of the tiny nation. I remember her telling me that there were people all over the streets throwing confetti and shouting happy slogans and that the cars found it hard to get through traffic because of the crowds. Image if they have won!

And that’s about it from me on the 1982 finals. I was too young to watch and remember much of it because I was only 5 and besides at that age I don’t think I watched much football on tv either. Living in a small apartment building, my friends & I – although all football crazy fans – looked forward to getting a chance to play the game, not so much watch it. It was only by 1990 that I would watch a full world cup tournament. So for me, the big thing about the 1982 Espana World Cup is the fact that the nation where I was born & lived in for 11 years qualified, played 3 games (lost 2 and drew 1) and also had a controversial moment!

In the game between Kuwait and France, with France leading 3–1, France midfielder Alain Giresse scored a goal vehemently contested by the Kuwait team, who had stopped play after hearing a piercing whistle from the stands, which they thought had come from Soviet referee Miroslav Stupar. Play had not yet resumed when Sheikh Fahid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, brother of the Kuwaiti Emir and president of the Kuwaiti Football Association, rushed onto the pitch to remonstrate with the referee. Stupar countermanded his initial decision and disallowed the goal to the fury of the French. Maxime Bossis scored another valid goal a few minutes later and France won 4–1. Stupar lost his international refereeing credentials as a result of this incident, and Al-Sabah received a $10,000 fine.

And that wraps up 1982!

Two 80s Teen Movie Classics

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So here’s two 80s teen / high school movie icons of films that I haven’t seen before even though I’ve heard about them a lot over the years. First up is Fast Times At Ridgemont High a 1982 coming of age teen comedy written by Cameron Crowe based on his 1981 book of the same name. In 1981 Crowe, while writing for Rolling Stone magazine went undercover to at Clairemont High School in San Diego, California, and wrote about his experiences. The movie stars Sean Penn (is that really him), Judge Rhinehold, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Robert Romanus, Brian Backer & Ray Walston. You get to see a rather young Forrest Whittaker & Eric Stoltz and a young & unknown Nicolas Cage aka Nicolas Coppola who has a minor moment in the film.

The movie is about a year in the life of high school students at Ridgemont High. 15 year old virgin Stacy Hamilton gets advice on sex & boys from her older, more sexually active & popular friend Linda who encourages her to lose her virginity and that Stacy does to 26 year old stero salesman at a baseball park at night. Stacy then is asked out by her classmate mark Ratner, who is being coached by his older friend Mike Damone – who regularly sells scalping tickets and takes bets for making money – on the ways of hitting it off with girls. Mark takes Stacy to a slightly upscale restaurant on a date and forgets his wallet, needing Mike to come and bail him out. Later at Stacy’s house the two are about to get intimate when Mark shies away and leaves after offering an excuse.

Stacy’s older brother Brad is a more popular senior who is looking forward to his last year of school and almost has his 1960 Buick LeSabre paid off. He works at a burger joint where his girlfriend also works and is dumped by her as he works up the nerve to break things off with her. Brad is fired from his job when he loses his temper with an obnoxious and impatient customer and gets a job at a pirate themed restaurant but quits at the embarrassment at having to deliver food in a pirate costume. He gets a job at a convenience store and luckily is able to foil a burglar and is soon promoted to store manager. Mike & Mark had previously used the pool at Stacy’s house with Linda (where Brad has this vision of Linda taking her wet bikini top off) but one day after school when Stacy walks with Mike to her house which leads to sex. But Mike comes too fast and unfortunately for Stacy, she becomes pregnant. She asks Mike for help he agrees to pay half the cost of an abortion and to drive her to the clinic, but reneges. Stacy gets Brad to drive her to a bowling alley and sneaks off to the abortion clinic which Brad sees and the two agree to keep it from their parents.

Word gets around school about Damone and Stacy, which leads to a confrontation between Damone and Mark in the boys’ locker room. However by the end of the movie the two friends make up. The 6th teen the film focuses on is surfer dude & habitual marijuana user Jeff Spicoli who is always late to school and who always gets into trouble with the strick history teacher Mr. Hand (played by the late Ray Walston). Mr. Hand visits Jeff’s house on gradation dance night and informs him that over the past year Spicoli has wasted about 8 hours of the teacher’s time. Mr. Hand intends to make up for it that night & they proceed to have a one-on-one session that lasts until Mr. Hand is satisfied that Spicoli has understood the lesson. Linda is dumped by her boyfriend but after talking with Stacy is reassured that life goes on. As the movie ends Mark & Stacy are making another attempt at dating.

The second coming of age comedy drama is John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club starring Emilio Estevez,  Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy with Paul Gleason & John Kapelos. The story is about 5 teenagers, each who know very little about the others, but who meet one Saturday morning at detention. Each is a member of a different clique – a princess, an athlete, a brain, a basketcase & a criminal.

5 students are in school on a Saturday morning as they have earned detention for various reasons. “criminal” John Bender, “athlete” Andrew Clark, “brain” Brian Johnson, “basket case” Allison Reynolds, and “princess” Claire Standish. Coming from different cliques each know very little about the other and they are basically strangers to one and another. At 7 :06 vice-principal Richard Vernon arrives and instructs them not to speak, move from their seats or fall asleep until 4 pm. He then gives them a 1000 word essay that each has to write about who they think they are and leaves to relax in his office across the hall. Bender, the antagonist is always fighting against Vernon, calling him names and riling up the other 4 by teasing both Brian & Andrew and harassing Claire. Allison is initially very silent except for the odd outburst.

The 5 teens smoke weed from Bender’s locker, which they sneak out to get and finally open up about their lives. Their secrets are revealed; Andrew hates his overbearing father, Bender comes from an abusive household, Brian contemplates suicide because of a lower grade that he got recently, while Claire feels she has to keep up a certain image and that she is a virgin and Allison is a compulsive liar. They realize that they all have strained relationships with their parents and fear growing up to make the same mistakes. Despite becoming close during the almost 9 hours, they fear that they will go back to their respective cliques from Monday and not speak to each other again. Bender has an altercation with Vernon which leads to him being locked up in a store room but he escapes from it through the air ducts. They kids let loose and dance letting off some steam and in the end Allison has a little make over done by Claire, making her look prettier and which catches Andrew’s eye and they kiss. Claire goes to the storage room with Bender and the two have sex before their hours are up.

the other students ask Brian to write the essay that Vernon assigned earlier. Brian does so, but instead of writing about the assigned topic, he writes a letter objecting to Vernon’s request to describe who they are, stating that the man has already judged who they are (an athlete, a basket case, a princess, a brain, and a criminal), and that he will not accept any different accounts from them. He ends the narration as signed by “The Breakfast Club” and as the movie ends the other four leave in their parents cars while Bender walks home raising his fist in the air.

2 classics that bring me back to a time gone by. I love the 80s and these are two fine examples of the lifestyle and the movie of the time. I like Fast Times a bit more than Breakfast Club. So I give Fast Times At Ridgemont High an 8.5 outta 10 and The Breakfast Club a 7.5 outta 10 – both taking into consideration what genre they are!

Memory On The Menu

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Which good memories are better — the recent and vivid ones, or those that time has covered in a sweet haze?

Not that I don’t appreciate the good memories that are more recent and easily recalled with details – as few and far between as they are – but it’s the older ones that are always sweeter. It usually is that way for most people. We are at heart a nostalgic race of living beings and we often yearn for those things or memories or events from our past. That’s because, since we are extremely aware of time passing by and because we know that our life is limited, as we grow older we tend to cherish & treasure the memories from our childhood and youth. It’s natural.

And while I can recall quite a few good & fun memories from the last 10 years or so, it’s the ones from 15-25 years ago that seem that much more sweet and that much more awesome and that much more fun! I’m like “Gosh I wish I could go back in time and relive that memory all over again” or “I wish I could stay in that memory bubble” – because I know I will never have it so good ever again and that’s past of my youth and my past that I will never experience again.

Time is cruel on us humans. Wish we could stop time or even slow down drastically the passing of it. We can’t, atleast our current technology does not allow us to do so. Maybe someday it will happen though I doubt it will be in my lifetime.

Prompt from the Daily Post at WordPress.com.

Game Of Groans!

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Think about an object, an activity, or a cultural phenomenon you really don’t like. Now write a post (tongue in cheek or not — your call!) about why it’s the best thing ever.

Ok this is, like the prompt says, a tongue in cheek post, and the thing that I really don’t like are Kerala Hindu weddings. I’m not gonna follow the prompt and tell you why it’s the best thing ever; I’m just gonna tell you what I don’t like them. I’m gonna stick with Hindu weddings, as opposed to Christian or Muslim weddings which bore me as well but I haven’t attended many of those anyway. But coming from a Hindu family in Kerala I have been to many, many weddings in Kerala although it has been a few years since I have attended one. By my own choice, I don’t go to them. And here’s why:

They are fucking boring! I get pissed off at these weddings. Most of them are the same boring affair, unless you have the actual ceremony done in a temple with just the close family members and then have the function at another venue. I hate that most of them are during the hot summer months and it’s so hot outside and even in a wedding hall they have very few fans and they don’t do much to help you anyway as they are usually so high up. So it’s almost noon and the wedding ceremony is over and it’s hot as hell in Kerala and what’s up next – right the wedding lunch! And what is usually served? Fucking heaps of hot, hot rice with equally hot curries and then hot payasam. How do you expect to do anything else after that?

Plus there’s always the same kind of band with the same stupid song/music playing. So boring and predictable and with some ole poojari saying the same ole BS over a fire. Then the people who are supposed to get married are announced as being married and then the people in the audience who want to get home quickly rush to get seats at the first serving for lunch and leave the hall as soon as they can, after saying something to the new bride & groom. And the talk is mostly predictable at these weddings with the same ole uncles, aunties and nobodies who you only get to see at such functions. And you grin and bear it and hope you can get home soon so you can cool down! Not for me, I don’t go for these functions anymore.

Prompt from the Daily Post at WordPress.com.

The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad

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Second in the series of Sinbad films that Ray Harryhausen made for Columbia Pictures is 1973’s The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad. The film which won the Saturn Award for best Fantasy Film stars John Phillip Law as Sinbad with Tom Baker, Takis Emmanuel, the sultry Caroline Munro, Douglas Wilmer & Martin Shaw.

While sailing Sinbad comes across a golden amulet dropped by a flying creature and he wears the tablet, which looks like part of a large piece, along with a chain around his neck. At night Sinbad dreams about a mysterious man in black robes and a beautiful woman with an eye symbol on her palm. During the nigh a storm blows the ship off course and towards a coastal town in the country of Marabia. As soon as he reaches land, Sinbad is approached by a dark cloaked man who demands the amulet but is chased away by guards. Sinbad meets the grand Vizier of Marabia, who wears a golden mask to hide his disfiguration and who happens to have another piece of the tablet. The Vizier relates to Sinbad a legend that the three pieces, when joined together, will reveal a map showing the way to the Fountain of Destiny, hidden somewhere on the lost continent of Lemuria. The legend tells that he who bears the three pieces of the puzzle to the fountain will receive “youth, a shield of darkness, and a crown of untold riches.”

Sinbad agrees to help the Vizier find the final piece of the amulet and the fountain. They join forces against the Prince Koura the man in the black robes who is a wizard hell bent on conquering Marabia.  It was Koura who burnt the Vizier’s face with fire horribly scarring it. When Sinbad goes to find supplies he meets the trader’s slave girl Margiana, who has the same eye symbol on her palm. Sinbad bargains with the trader who asks that the captain take his own lazy son Haroun with him – to which Sinbad agrees and also asks for Margiana to be sent with him. Along with a sleeping Haround and Margiana, Sinbad and his men set sail with the Vizier on their ship, followed closely in secret by Koura. The wizard uses his magic to try and stop Sinbad along the way – including animating the ship’s siren figurehead which steals the map to the fountain from Sinbad – but each time he uses his powers, Koura drains his energy and grows aged. Koura gets to the island first, using the map, and seals the men inside a cave but Sinbad is able to get them out. Koura animates a six-armed Kali idol when he is captured by hostile natives, causing them to free him. However, Sinbad and his men arrive and fight and defeat Kali. The natives capture Sinbad and his crew and give Margiana to a one-eyed centaur, the fountain’s guardian of evil. Sinbad and the others escape when the Vizier shows his burnt face, scaring the natives.

The Centaur fights a Griffin, a guardian of good, but Sinbad however then stabs it to death. Meanwhile Koura has all 3 pices and has reached the fountain and he drops it into the waters. His heath is restored and he attains invisibility and fights Sinbad using swords but is killed. Sinbad then find the crown in the water and gives it to th Vizier, whose face is restored once he wears it. With Margiana by his side, Sinbad then sets sail with his men, Haround and the Vizier back to Marabia. It’s better than the first one and is a fun movie to watch. The date special effects were groundbreaking back then and still holds a certain charm to this day. 7.5 outta 10!