2009 July

Jul 31 2009

Terminator : Salvation

Alright! I wasn’t really sure that I would watch this film. I hadn’t watched Rise Of The Machines but had seen the 1st two films in this franchise numerous times. Also, I was thinking – a Terminator movie without Arnie. What the fuck?

But I did watch it and I think it’s an ok film. I’m not going to want to watch this many times over the years. It isn’t very memorable but I have a few points on this movie:

Sam Worthing does a good job in his role as a man given a chance to redeem himself.
I really liked Anton Yelchin, first time I’m seeing him in a movie, and I’m really excited about his role in Star Trek XI.
Christian Bale does not convince me in his role as the grown up John Connor.
Any movie with Michael Ironside in it, even if it’s a tiny role is worth watching. This guy just exudes charisma and he’s perfect as a bad guy. Here he isn’t one but has a slightly negative tint to his role.
As I had stated on seeing the trailer, the Terminator bikes are absolutely cool!
Cool to hear Rooster by Alice In Chains & You Could Be Mine by Guns n’Roses in the movie.
Was there a point to Bryce Dallas Howard’s role? She wasn’t effective. Moon Bloodgood was ok in her part.
I think the best part of the movie is the Terminator with a young looking Arnie face! That was a killer idea and it worked.

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By Roshan • Movies • 0

Jul 31 2009

Another Disappointment

Another great big disappointment. 3, maybe 4 of my trainers will be leaving the company within the next 10 days or so. I’m still trying to prepare myself for that personal & professional tragedy. Today was the farewell for one of my closest friends, Kiran from HR, as her pregancy is complicated and she will need plenty of rest between now and then and even beyond that.

While still getting accustomed to all this stuff, I was called in to meet the center head in his cabin and my manager was already in. Other than to discuss a couple of things, they also laid it down slowly for me. My promotion pay hike is going to take another quarter to get to me! 6 months after my second promotion! What the fuck?

I’ve got nothing more to say on this front. I’m way too disappointed for words!

By Roshan • Personal • 0

Jul 30 2009

Eh…(Chomp, Chomp) What’s Up Doc?

I hate going to hospitals, especially if it’s for me, but since my ankle hadn’t healed completely, I knew it was time for me to visit one. So around 11 am, after stopping to take some money from an ATM, I was at the nearby PNVM Hospital and asked to meet the doctor in Casualty.

I waited for my turn and told the doc my woes and then was led to the x-ray machine, just so we could rule out a fracture – hairline or otherwise. This was the fear that I had in my mind after 3 days of enduring pain on my ankle. Unfortunately the technician & people at the x-ray machine were stupid morons and less than professional. As I waited my turn, there was an older woman who was clearly ill at ease and these idiots weren’t even paying her attention.

Instead they were laughing & joking about some stupid thing that a attendant had done there the previous evening. They didn’t know the pain that the lady was going through. When they were getting my foot x-rayed, one of the girls there kept pressing my foot on the board hard and asking me to keep it straight. I glared at her after I yelled out in pain from my foot being pressed hard “Sister, if I could hold it the way you want me to, I wouldn’t be here, would I? I have a bad sprain so treat my foot like it’s injured”. That shut the 4 of them and they quitely took the x-rays and another nurse led me back to the doctor.

After a checking, he confirmed that there was no fracture but that the sprain needed bandaging and he also gave me some medicines. He assured me that I could go back to work from tomorrow as long as I kept my foot bandaged and avoid climbing stairs. I’m so glad to be going back to work – I’m needed there and I need to be there. I’ll just take it easy at the office and not go out at all for the next few days

And oh, yes I did. I totally flirted with the nurses while I was there.

By Roshan • Personal • 2

Jul 30 2009

As The Years Go Rushing On By

Growing older sucks. In a couple of days I will turn 33 years old. 33 – man I swear that I feel like I’ve lost out on a few years. Although I know that the actual truth is that I wasted my years. What do I have to show for these 33 years?

Nothing!

The signs of aging! Well, a few more wrinkles started to appear and certainly the loss of hair (but that’s more of a genetic one). My beard seems to grow a whole lot more faster that I care for it to do so. I had last shaved on Friday and I didn’t bother to shave since. On Monday morning after I brushed my teeth, I was amazed at the growth on my face as I looked in the mirror and ran my hands on my beard.

I’m glad that I’m not greying yet except for a couple of grey beard hairs and in my nostrils (ewww). The grey isn’t too obvious since I don’t grow a beard and I try to yank out the grey hairs in my nostrils.

But I regret not being able to do the things that I should have done. I regret that financially I’m not there yet. Yes I have a good title at work but it hasn’t brought the money in…yet. I don’t any savings and I don’t have a place of my own.

I also regret the fact that I am still single and lonely as hell. I tie this down to the fact that I am not happy with my life, so how can I make someone else happy? My bed is half empty and I long for the woman who will make me feel complete. She’s just not here yet. I’ll find her…eventually I guess.

So 33 is almost here. Don’t wake me up on that day and maybe he’ll just go away.

By Roshan • Ramblings • 2

Jul 29 2009

V The Original Mini Series

Recently I started downloading the entire V catalog via torrent files, after being hit by a wave of nostalgia on reading about the remake of the series which is being planned for a 2010 release. That got me so interested in the 1980s Sci-fi series and so I started downloading them. I’ve finished downloading & watching The Original Mini Series and it’s a lot more somber than I remember. But then ofcourse I was like 9 when they first showed it in Kuwait and I remember getting scared on watching it.

Anyways, as a lot of you Sci-fi buffs will know/remember the series is a bout this scientifically advanced alien species, who humans call Visitors, who come to Earth on the pretext of friendship and asking for supplies in exchange for sharing their much advanced technology. They look & sound a lot like us, having studied us from a far for sometime and learnt English & chosen Earth names.

However, cameraman Mike Donovan (Marc Singer) finds out the truth – behind the fake human like skin, the aliens are reptilian in apperance and eat live food like small birds & mice. Their purpose is to kill humans for food and steal all the water. While trying to broastcast the footage he shot on their mothership, Donovan is branded a hostage and he joins up with a band of resistance fighters in LA who group together to fight the visitors who have all but completed a takeover of power on earth.

Most humans live in fear while some turn collaborators to the visitors, trading information for luxuries & wealth. Others form the resistance movement, lead in LA by the beautiful former medical student, Juliet Parrish (Faye Grant). Then there are dissidents among the visitors, labelled as the 5th Columnist, who oppose the killing of humans. Martin is one such, who befriends and helps Mike to escape the clutches of the evil Diana, Commander & Scientist.

The mini-series ends with the aliens controlling most of Earth while the resistance groups seek out bases to hide from the visitors. It is followed by another mini-series : The final battle and then the tv series.

Has there been a more hotter female villain than Diana (Jane Badler)? A lot of the women actors on V were chicks which led to the popularity of the series. I only recently came to know that the actual plan was to make a series on the rise of fascism or neo-nazis in the US. But it was later changed to a sci-fi series to please the tv station NBC.

By Roshan • Nostalgia, Sci Fi, Television • 1

Jul 29 2009

An Interview With Captain Pike

George Stroumboulopoulos interviews actor Bruce Greenwood on the CBC show The Hour. Greenwood, a very talented actor played Captain Christopher Pike in the new Star Trek movie. You’d also know him from his roles in Double Jeopardy, National Treasure : Book of Secrets, The Core, Excotica & I, Robot.

By Roshan • Movies, Sci Fi, Star Trek, Video Clip • 0

Jul 29 2009

Temporarily Out Of Order

Folks, what I thought would be a 3 day weekend filled with fun, some drinking and going out on the town – has turned into a long rest break due to my ankle getting sprained.

I’ve been avoiding sitting & standing since yesterday evening and hence haven’t been online much, other than to check my office emails (which I can access on any computer that has internet connecivity). Other than going to the dining area for food and going to the loo, I’ve avoided using my left foot but the pain is still there. I’m thinking of consulting a doctor but since the swelling was down a bit today, I put off going to the hospital.

The way I feel right now, I’m thinking of having a doctor take a look at my foot in the morning. I’m so bored with not being able to do anything else other than sleep (took quite a few cat naps) and watching endess episodes of Star Trek Voyager. I actually wanna go to work! Desperately!

Hmmm, maybe I sprained my brain as well!

By Roshan • Personal • 3

Jul 28 2009

4 Day Weekend Update

Damn this had to happen at this time! Not that there is a good time for spraining your ankle but I really hate that it had to happen at this time.

I fucked up – I fell asleep in an awkward position, lower on the bed than usual and my left foot got stuck in the railings of my bed (I was lying down in the wrong direction, with my head at the foot of the bed) and in my sleep I yanked my foot and injured it. So now I have a sprain and had to take a day off from work after a 3 day weekend! Fucking stupid.

So out of 4 days away from work, I’m in the apartment for 3. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much as I did have some fun on Sunday. I went out to have some refreshing cold coffee (it was a hot day) and a smoked chicken sandwich. I sat in my corner seat and ate my delicious sandwich and stared at this woman (perhaps 28 or 29) who sipped her coffee and chatted with a guy. She reminded me of someone I know very well….but I just can’t for the life of me remember who it is! I was also reading a book otherwise it would have pretty obvious that I was staring at her.

I swear that I wasn’t leering at her. Honest! If I was, I would tell you right?

Anyways, a while later, I went in to Velocity for some vodka (it’s been a while since I’ve had vodka) and some cilly pork. Best thing was that they had MGM Apple Kizz vodka – the best kind that there is in India! And I hadn’t had any of those in a couple of months. So I sat there drinking my vodka & watching the flat screen tv – multitudes of Indian women dancing provocatively to techno & hip-hop versions of older Hindi hit songs. Really, where do they find all these women willing to shake their assess and jiggle their boobs for music videos?

Oh yeah, I forgot that we have a huge population!

The rest of the time has been spent watching V and some dvds or listening to music & Youtube!

By Roshan • Drinking, Food, Personal • 0

Jul 27 2009

Them Vs You Vs Me – Finger Eleven

Them vs You vs Me is the 5th studio album from Burlington, Ontario based alternative rock band Finger Eleven. The band decided to wait 3 years before putting out the follow up to the success of their 2003 eponymous album. In the interim the band had lengthy tours across Canada & the US and ventured into Europe & Australia and that ended only in 2005, leaving the band time for a well deserved breather and time off before thinking about new songs and a new album. The album was initially rumoured to be titled Sense of a Spark and is more in the vain of Letters from Chutney than previous Finger Eleven records.

The first time I heard the opening song & huge hit single Paralyser, I was stunned – was this Finger Eleven? It’s a disco-rock song that will make you want to dance across your room, pick up the tennis racket or mop and shake your booty. It’s been played numerous times in tv shows, ads, dance floors and who knows where else. The second single & second track on the album is Falling On, which is about facing your fears. The song has reached #1 on the MuchMusic Countdown.

We then come to a song about heart break and moving on after a love affair sours. I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague is my favourite song on the record and probably one of their best overall. It has a melodic & bittersweet guitar riff. Lost My Way is harder edged but still catchy with cleaner guitar hooks than usual. So-So Suicide is still upbeat despite the lyrics being of the more depressing kind.

Window Song is a slower, mostly acoustic song. The ‘da dum dum’ of the guitar (or is it the bass) that is played after the lines ‘I never said’ is one of the most haunting that I have ever heard. Sense Of A Spark is one of the weaker songs in the cd; however the band had initially planned on naming the album after this song. Talking To The Walls is another great song about heartbreak. This was the fourth single and video released from the album.

The bass lines & piano playing really make Change The World, which is a plea for love. Gather & Give has a catchy chorus, solid drums beats that make this an easy listening number. Lyrically it’s about being true to oneself and to the one that you love. Easy Life has this snaky guitar riff that leads the song into a much slower bridge/chorus section. Them vs You vs Me is about a tumultuous relationship and the infighting that can happen.

It’s got several good songs and a couple of really memorable ones. I’d give it a 4 out of 5. Watch the video for I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague.

By Roshan • Music, Music Album Review, Video Clip • 0

Jul 27 2009

Anamorph

The two reasons that stand out for watching this movie are the lead actor Willem Dafoe and in the supporting role, Scott Speedman. The combined talents of the two name actors isn’t enough to save this movie from being a bit dull and boring.

The theme of the movie is anamorphism – the painting technique that manipulates the laws of perspective to create two competing images on a single canvas. Detective Stan Aubrey (Dafoe) is linked to a new series of murders which begin to mirror a case 5 years ago in which ‘Uncle Eddie’, a vicious serial killer, positions his murder victims artistically. The result, chilling and evil, haunts detective Aubrey, who is forced to come out of semi-retirement and teaching, and he investigates the murders.

The first murder victim is found suspended and surrounded by photography lights, the room is sealed off except for a pinhole, creating a projected camera obscura effect on the apartment wall. The second killing quickly follows the first, in which the butchered corpses limbs are hung independently from wires, creating the image of a raven when viewed from the proper angle. Aubrey’s former partner is also killed in a greusome manner.

Detective Carl (Speedman) begins to suspect Aubrey, who was never the same after solving the original case, although he got promoted for his work on it. The suspicion of a copycat proves to be wrong – turns out 5 years ago they had the wrong person (who was shot dead while apprehending him) and the real killer is back. Carl is able to shoot the killer dead but Aubrey also dies as a result of the killer mortally wounding him.

I didn’t get much out of this film – the gruesome murder scenes were wicked but the movie is slow moving and dreary at times. I thought Dafoe was ok and Speedman looks as non-glamourous as possible in his role. Nothing much to write home about. I’d give it a 6 out of 10.

By Roshan • Movies • 1

Jul 27 2009

My Sci-fi Blog Novel Is Revived

It’s been pending for far too long. Over a year actually. But I finally got back to writing the next section of my intended sci-fi novel-blog or blog novel or whatever you may want to call it. What it is, is me trying to get the images in my mind onto words and try to make you look at the world that I envision.

The world in question is a little over 5000 years in the future and mankind has settled on many planets in the future. Very Star Trek in feel (ofcourse, the franchise has influenced me a great deal) and I’ve tried to incorporate stuff from other sci-fi shows like Farscape, Andromeda, Star Wars and so on.

So I created a free account in WordPress.com and started writing the first post of the Intro section (basically a how humans came to leave the Earth and settle on different planets) but that was in June of 2008! I only wrote the second section late last night or in the early hours of the morning. It’s a case of feeling unable to clearly ‘show’ a reader the world I envision – it just cannot be done in words. Perhaps if I could plug my brain to a camera recorder and let you all see what images goes on in my mind!!

I mean, how could one completely show someone Star Trek without him or her actually seeing the images to fully comprehend it for him or herself! It’s just not possible. Anyway, I’m still going to give it a try and after writing the 2nd section, I thought that this evening I must attempt the 3rd section. Please do try and give it a read.

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Also read the two other posts I did on this subject.

http://awakeanddreaming.org/?p=1042

http://awakeanddreaming.org/?p=2398

By Roshan • Blogs, Sci Fi • 2

Jul 26 2009

The Team Is About To Crumble

Feeling unwanted, not getting the pay that they deserve, my team is about to crumble. Two of my boys are resigning and will leave the office by the 10th of August. They have been offered a higher salary in a BPO in Chennai. One of the guys is the fellow who has been the scapegoat for an HR stupidity and he paid the price for it. He hasn’t been given a grade hike or pay hike since his promotion from call center executive to a trainer – that promotion was 1.7 years ago.

The strong team that I have is going to be split. I’ll have to rebuild in a very short time as that is the need of the hour. I’m happy for the guys as they are getting a much better package but a little worried since it is in a huge metro like Chennai. They just have to be careful. I’m also worried about my team rebuilding – one more guy and a girl has been offered a job in the same Chennai company and I need to retain them both.

Starting on Wednesday we will be doing an IJP (Internal Job Posting) from the tenured call center agent crowd. I hope to snag 2 or 3 good candidates for the training team. I can hope and wait and watch.

By Roshan • Personal • 2

Jul 26 2009

Homemade Pizza

Homemade Pizza, originally uploaded by Scandblue.

“There is fresh avacado, roma tomatoes, grilled ham, green peppers, cheese and all kinds of spices on it…tasted superb.”

By Roshan • Food, Images • 0

Jul 25 2009

The Absolutely Fake World Of Hindi Reality TV

I do not watch Hindi movies or tv series. I can’t stand Bollywood. I stopped watching the movies that they churn out every second of every day when I was in my mid teens. Since then, yes I have watched 3 Hindi movies in a theatre with friends, out of which I only liked 1. Hindi TV series have gone from bad to worse to worst to ‘holy shit what the fuck is that?’ mode. But even more despicable are the Reality tv shows that they make.

Now, reality tv as such has a huge stamp of ‘fakeness’ or ‘scripted’ as some like to call it on them. Feed it a heavy dose of crap and you get Hindi Reality Tv shows! There’s a celebrity survivor kinda nonsense, where it’s clear to see that the celebrities are not campping out & surviving in a jungle but they are rather in a Bollywood set! The ‘fights’ especially the cat fights are so fucking fake even toddlers can do much better.

As it is Indian tv is now indundated with hoardes of singing competetion shows (thanks a fucking lot, American Idol) and dance competitions. But the ones in Hindi are scripted even more! A huge drama before the results/eliminations are announced. A bunch of small kids crying and saying that they are orphans who are being taken care off by their dance teacher (who is band leader, mother, big sister & future actress rolled into one) and that if they don’t win the prize money they don’t know how they will survive!

Immediately the teacher starts crying, the audience starts crying, the judges start crying & even the celebrity guests of the day start crying. I bet the camera crew & producers were crying as well! A sickly sobbing song starts to play and one of the judges runs to the kids and hugs them! I watched this while changing channels and was so stunned that I sat there with a dumbfounded look on my face. If I could teleport myself there on the set with a machine gun, I would have shot every fucking person there!

Today I saw a bit of the celebrity survivor kinda of show with the fake fights. It’s obviously a huge put on bit. Despite days in the ‘forest’, make up and hair is perfectly aligned. And just why the bloody hell can’t they speak properly. One sentence in Hindi will have one or two words in English. Aren’t there enough fucking words in the Hindi language? The presenters are the worst. Rejects from the movies and music channels.

But the worst was the roadies judges on MTv? Who the fuck does that bald asshole think he is? If he ever talked in such a manner to someone here, he would be lucky to get out alive with both his testicles intact!

By Roshan • India, Ramblings, Television • 0

Jul 25 2009

New York City Atheists Bus Ad

By Roshan • Atheism, Images • 0

Jul 24 2009

A Beautiful But Weird Layout For An Apartment

Pretty cool & stylish, well polished look for the apartment. It does have a weird layout though and I would change a few things, especially the bedroom/living room cum tv area. I mean, you don’t want to entertain guests in the same room as you sleep in, right? Well now, ofcourse unless the guest happens to be a sexy, busty blond with legs that you are dying to have wrapped around you!

But otherwise, I love this apartment and would want to live in a place like this. They haven’t shown us if there’s a balcony or something. I also notice a lack of windows! Still gorgeous.

By Roshan • Apartments, Video Clip • 2

Jul 24 2009

Looking Forward To A Long Weekend

One of the worst things about working here is this medieval concept of a 6 day work week. This utterly stupid and tiresome schedule is killing the social life outta most of us. When I worked in the main office in Idea Cellular, for two years I had two days off (not necessarily Saturday & Sunday) and I loved it. For the 7 months I worked in Aspinwall it was a 2 day weekend with the exception of a few weeks. It was the same in Aysha Infotech.

I moved to Prudent technologies in 2006 January and to my current company in January 2007. The concept was very different – 6 days working with Sundays being the day off. This is tiring. Most of India unfortunately works like this. Other than corporates. The idea should be that you work hard for 5 days and get two days off – irrespective of the days and they should be consecutive. You get one day for rest & relaxation at home and the other to paaaaartaaay!

Or just go out for some coffee, drinks, lunch or dinner, hang out with your friends and watch a movie or do whatever! This is a decent & sensible concept. But this wasn’t the way for me for the last 2.5 years. Until June. With my promotion, I also get 2 Saturdays off in a month and so I get a 2 day weekend.

I have a complimentary off for the 21st – I was working but it was a state holiday. So I plan to take Saturday & Sunday off and get a comp off on Monday – making it a long 3 day weekend. What shall I do? I dunno if I will be able to take it, something might crop up anytime and I may have to go back to the office. But I hope not. I plan to enjoy the 3 days in peace.

By Roshan • Ramblings • 0

Jul 23 2009

Some Delicious Bark Past

At the company guesthouse in Trichy, where me and my colleagues stayed on Monday & Tuesday, there’s a caretaker cum cook who stays year round at the house along with a young lad. The lad does odd jobs, while the caretaker/cook keeps the house neat & tidy and cooks food for the employees who travel to that city and need a place to stay.

The guy who the Trichy office have hired to take care of the guesthouse there is a Tamilian named Mutthu in his 50s. This guy has over 23 years experience in cooking for either a catering service or a hotel and his cooking is…fantastico and bellisimo!! Morning breakfast was idlis, uppma, chutnneys & chammadis that tasted so great and delectable dosas that melted in your mouth. For dinner we asked for thick uthappam styled dodas and chicken curry – needless to say, they were great too!

N ow his English is suspect and I can’t speak more than a few words in Tamil although I can understand a lot more than I can speak. But even then we found it hilarious when he handed us the bill (which is reimbursed by the company) that stated that he was charging us for Chekkan in the night and Bark Past for the morning!

Well, it sure was some delicious Bark Past!