x-toonz

This is my second Christmas on the blogger - so maybe this can be deemed as a tradition - so here enjoy some REAL good holiday cheer.
Also if you want to have a little more fun do check out the posts from last Christmas with the same concept.
- The "innocence" of Calvin and Hobbes found here.
- Some more x-toonz found here.

AND THE BEST FOR THE LAST.............MY ATTITUDE TO ANYTHING IN LIFE :)

Have a REAL BLAST and

guys DO "MERRY"

girls CHRIS is a MUST

Enjoy your Holidays!!!!

Ghajini

A new story short story blog - SURPRISE
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This much awaited Aamir Khan starrer was released today on the 24th here in the New Jersey. Since I had half day at work I caught the early show. Firstly as described in many articles all over - this movie is NOT A COPY OF MEMENTO. Just the basic premise and concept are the same. Other than that its an all in all Bollywood movie.

I loved the movie not just because I admire Aamir Khan but it also left me disturbed and thoughtful. Will not reveal much about the movie here, just some observations.

Disturbed because we take our given faculties of sight, sound, touch, reasoning, analysing, retention of good and bad for granted. But when you see the apathy of the person who has a short term memory loss you realize that life can suddenly become so empty and full of struggle if we miss one of those beats.

All in all Aamir and Asin did a great job and I enjoyed the movie. A big plus was seeing the physical change in Aamir. He looks cool. Here are links to two videos on youtube (Aamir Khan Ghajini Body in Making) Part 1 and Part 2 where he shares his one year endurance to loose that fat and convert it to muscles. That is what left me with a thought. If one makes up his/her mind anything is possible and you can change you life around.

Lastly Aamir is known to be a perfectionist, but I guess he was not involved with the script. And my blogs and me love observing - so here are some bloopers that I think should have be taken care of to make the movie crisper :

1) In the beginning of the movie it is said that Aamir medical case is a police affair - but it does not make sense as the movie progresses

2) He has Short Term Memory loss and at a point he goes to nab a person who he is after (will not reveal much) - how he gets that information is not shown

3) Aamir is a left handed writer (Glad to know it as I am a lefty too) but a diary he keeps has writing in Hindi which slants towards the right from top to bottom. That again is a flaw.

4) He is off to London - and they show stamping his Schengan Visa - which is not a valid visa for United Kingdom. One needs to get a separate visa.

Well that is my first impression - am sure to see it again as this is a real long weekend. Hope you guys fill me in as to how you liked it.

Also there is a spanish movie called NOVO. It also deals with short term memory loss and the concept of love.

Have a happy holiday and merry christmas to all.

What If

When tragedies strike like the recent events in Bombay - some of us get angry and some dejected.
This is not a post about what happened and why it happened. These are questions that we have no control over. The common man today is trapped into a turmoil of HIS existence where he works daily to make a living - but the present and his future is simply a matter of statistics - both for the elected official and the terror inflictors.

But looking at such tragedies it makes me wonder - What If :
- Most of these terror operations are meticulously planned to the tiniest details making sure that all their resources and personel are used optimally.
What if these people were recruited as managers of some firms - can they have averted the financial debacles that the so called white collar workers have inflicted because of their greed and robbed an entire generation of thier hard work and savings.

- Their entire team is observant, has a photographic knowledge of their surroundings, has a plan and they stick to it. These people surely are intelligent.
What if they worked for some good cause with the same fervour. Good cause is relative - isnt it? Their fight for them is a good cause to come out of a turmoil that has been inflicted upon them.

- The leaders of these training camps have the ability to sell death to innocent recruits who carry out their orders based on some promised non existent "heaven" in the name of religion.
What if these leaders were hired or were actually marketing managers of some companies.

- The recruits have overcome the fear of death, they venture into unknown territories to carry out their motives and laid out agendas. They have a spirit to accomplish their task no matter what the situation they are going to be in.
What if these same people were trained to execute difficult infrastruture projects around the world where such daredevil skills are really needed.

These are just some fleeting thoughts - today as we are barraged from every aspect of life - we HOPE for a better future and pray to the ALMIGHTY - but ALL those who currently are MIGHTY are the corporate giants and the terror cells. We the common man can only voice an outburst and wait that someone, anyone hears us.

Intelligence used for anti human motives is surely non productive. Hope people understand their power and use it positively.

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Also updated the short story blog - SURPRISE

All Over Again

Once again I was trapped in the middle (figuratively) in the middle of the terror attacks but this time in Mumbai. Am here on vacation till this weekend and yesterday was in Bandra the center of the city meeting up an old friend when blast and attacks shook the city. We were forcefully evacuated and asked to return back home.

Its over 22 hours and situation is still grim in both the Taj and Oberoi hotels. I did drive around the affected parts and clicked some pictures today - will try an upload them once I am back.

Thanks for all who sent ou their wishes. It is errie that I was in the coffee shop of the Taj right under the main dome a week ago.

Hope all of you are doing well......hope to be back full time next week.

Gods Inc - V : Pause

This is part of an ongoing series - I have had 4 earlier calls made to Gods Inc that can be read here.
Its been a while since I called HIM at his office but I had collected a whole lot of data (I am model ME74 - a data collecting model sent to Earth Corp by HIM) that needed analysis and cross checking.
Me : (Dialing)....fifth attempt...keep getting the message to wait and hear the soft music.....not appealing when you are disturbed.
Operator: Hello, Me74, How may I help you? A sweet sultry voice was on the other end. I have a feeling that again something bad is going to happen. Its only then such enticing voices are heard from HIS office.
Me: How come you know who I am? This hasn't happened before? and May I know who I am talking to?
Oksana: I am Okasan from the Decommisioning/Refurbhishing department and as always WE know everything. We have our ways - remember the outing you were foced to go out in the storm and when the lightening struck in front of you.
Me : Ok...(bloody hell and I thought I was sloppy) Well I have few questions - are you the right person to ask them to?
Oksana : Yes and I am ready to take down those questions. Go ahead.
Me: (again they know or rather HE knew) Ok here I go. First Where is HE? Does HE have a gambling problem? Has he been hedging against his own corporation? Has HE been smoking pot? ( I spoke in an exasperated tone)
Oksana : Why do you ask such a question?
Me: Look whats going around here on Earth Corp. Money is being siphoned off somewhere - nobody knows where. There is chaos and fear all over - crime, terrorism, bomb blasts - people are scared and HE seems to be nowhere. Everyone is doubting that the Chief is absconding.
Oksana : Ok what else? (Absolutly nonchalant at my exasperation - as if HE does not care)
Me: Why is he playing with peoples psyche? After the unsuccesful attemp of installing Bush-2 and then raising hopes with Clinton-2, HE has installed McCain-1 and Palin-1 against Obama-1. Today is the day when you have made the inconsequentials all around this American LLC go and cast their hopes. Is it going to be YES WE CAN or SAME OLD SAME OLD.
Oksana: Noted, anything else? (This attitude makes me feel Why am I bothering asking these questions - HE already has planned everything - but the problem is that I CANT help it - I am also programmed to ASK today- damn)
Me: And lastly Why do you give people emotions? Why install this virus in many of us - Why cant you get a fix for this bug. Cant everyone just be logical?
Oksana: ME74, I think I have to transfer you to HIM. You are asking questions beyond what I was told you will ask. Maybe the UNNERve.EXE bug was accidently installed in you.
Me: (again i check the back of my head and look for signs of the antenna) Ok...
(Music ensues and Def Leppards song "Lets get rocked" starts playing)
I am thinking to myself - is this a joke - here I am asking serious questions and HE wants me to party - or is this what HE is doing right now and thats why GODS INC is suffering.

GOD : Hello ME74, long time. Things are fine. I KNOW. You are not doing very well. I KNOW and I read your questions. As we have discussed before and you have been told - THIS IS MY COMPANY - I will do what I wish - you were supposed to just collect data and transmit it - not interact with other Earthlings. You asked if I was gambling - HELL YEAH - we had an inter planetary BlackJack competetion - I have been winning for years but this year because of visiting Earth and inhaling all those obnoxious green gases - it affected me - and I bet on something which I lost - so to recover I kept betting - and had to lease parts of my Earth Inc. Thus you see all the money being evaporated from all my different companies on Earth.
Me:Ok so then we should not worry. You will take care of this situation. And I hope that your model Obama-1 wins today.
GOD: Dont jump the gun. I have it all planned. The Earthlings have become complacent and need a jolt. I am shaking them in all the possible ways - those who survive will have fun - those who complain like you are will be directed to the Decommisioning/Refurbishing department.
Me: (I knew HE has planned it - no wonder I was directed to this department - just then I realized and asked) So....wait...am I being Decommisioned?
GOD : Well you have done your work well till now - so I am just going to clean your RAM and give you some rest and upgrade your system. Then you will be on probation for a period.
Me: Ahem....(just then my head started to itch - I touched that portion and was feeling a wave escaping my head). Are you doing it this instant? I asked?
GOD: Good bye - my next wager is on. I am betting on Haileys comet to strike two stars. You wont hear me in few minutes. If you do survive your workload as a normal earthling - I will reconsider you again for this job.
Me: I was being LAID OFF by HIM - damn! (My head was reeling and I said) Hello! Hello!
Click!
I looked at my phone - and looked around. Why and who was I talking to at this hour?
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As decided by Gods Inc. - I will be away for a month going to homeland passing through Homeland Security here. See you guys back in December - that is if I do get recommisioned.