Here a link to the image.
Monday, April 6, 2009
World War Two - Simplified
For those of you who are not reeeeally sure about what happened during WWII, here's a simplified version of it:
Here a link to the image.
Here a link to the image.
Friday, April 3, 2009
The best horror movies
Here is a list of my all time favorite horror movies (in no particular order):
These are outstanding films which will not lose their impact and the feeling they generate; no matter how many years go by or how many times you watch them.
P.S.: To the ones who haven't seen these movies....shame on you.
- Rosemary's Baby (1968)
- The Omen (1976)
- The Exorcist (1973)
- The Shining (1980)
- Psycho (1960)
- Carrie (1976)
- Communion (1976)
These are outstanding films which will not lose their impact and the feeling they generate; no matter how many years go by or how many times you watch them.
P.S.: To the ones who haven't seen these movies....shame on you.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Downloading a wife
or a husband; whatever the case may be. More and more people and turning to the web to find their soul mates. Why is that? Let's try to delve a little more into the matter...
Let's be honest. There are more people online now than ever before. Not only are they online, but they are more active; adding to the whole Web 2.0 experience (Facebook comes to mind). People are sharing their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams, their dismay, and their interests. Many shop on the internet (I have), play online games, create family trees...the list is practically endless. For many, their whole lives are available on the internet, on public display.
Some years ago, a few sharp entrepreneurs, thought of another thing for people to do on the internet. Get married. Or rather, pave the road to marriage. They started a new online business. A business of helping people fall in love. Although, people have fell in love over the internet before this all began, but now it was on a much larger scale with added features and more choices. I know, it all sounds a little clinical, but that's how it is.
Why did this all happen? What gave these people the opportunity to think "Why not start a matrimonial website where others can search for their future husbands/wives"? What was the reason? Are conventional methods going out of style? Or is it just that people want to be more in control of every aspect of their lives? Including finding a spouse.
I remember when a boy or a girl was at a 'marriageable' age, the parents would start looking out for a suitable spouse for their offspring. After checking out numerous prospects, which involved scrutinizing the boy/girl and their family on various levels, a proposal would be finalized and the boy & girl would be joined in holy matrimony. This method is still practiced today, although it is rapidly losing its popularity. But, why?
To better understand the reasoning behind this, lets digress a bit and take a look at how people's lifestyle has evolved over the years. Young men and women nowadays are a lot more independent then ever before. They know exactly what they want/don't want, what they like/dislike, and how they want to live their lives. They will listen to your suggestions and opinions, but will not tolerate interference of any kind. This format applies to all aspects of their lives, including find a spouse.
Falling in love and then getting married is great, but as the song goes, "Har kisi ko nahin milta yahaan pyar zindagi mein" (translates to: 'Not everyone is fortunate enough to find love in their live'). So, what about those who don't find love in their everyday life?
So, people have become more independent, they are finding less and less time to devote to their personal lives, the internet has become more interactive, and finding love the old fashioned way is not happening that often any more, although it is wonderful when it does :-). So where did all this lead to.......the matrimonial websites.
You've got admit, it is convenient, and in many cases, very successful. Bharatmatrimony.com holds the Limca World Records with the highest number of marriages. For people who haven't been successful in finding a spouse for themselves the conventional way, this is an expedient option. And it does have a lot of pros; you get a vast database to chose from; with all details, photographs, etc. You have to choice to contact the prospect you like and take it from there. But as I said earlier, it all sounds a bit too clinical. In my opinion, no matter how much time one spends on these websites chatting with or talking with one prospect, you still might get to know one another as well as, lets say, if you met in real life. Although that doesn't mean that you cannot meet in real life even if you bumped into each other on a matrimonial site.
For me, meeting someone the old fashioned way, liking each other, falling in love, and then, if all goes well, spending the rest of your life together. That's magic. Somehow, falling in love over the internet seems all too impersonal to me. Don't get me wrong though. It's not that I'm against it. it's just that the face to face, personal interaction is important to me. It's the small things in the person, the quirks that attract. Things that you might do together that will give you a better understanding of each other. Just talking to each and gazing into each others eyes while doing can be so revealing. And for me, I cannot imagine spending the rest of my life with someone I don't know. I would rather fall in love and then get married as opposed to getting married first and then TRYing to fall in love; which might or might not happen.
Well, that's my opinion. A lot of people will not agree with me. Just ask the hundreds and thousands of people who have been successful in finding their love, online. GOD Bless them all. And for the countless others who are trying to find that special someone on the world wide web, all I want to say is, Good luck & GOD speed.
Let's be honest. There are more people online now than ever before. Not only are they online, but they are more active; adding to the whole Web 2.0 experience (Facebook comes to mind). People are sharing their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams, their dismay, and their interests. Many shop on the internet (I have), play online games, create family trees...the list is practically endless. For many, their whole lives are available on the internet, on public display.
Some years ago, a few sharp entrepreneurs, thought of another thing for people to do on the internet. Get married. Or rather, pave the road to marriage. They started a new online business. A business of helping people fall in love. Although, people have fell in love over the internet before this all began, but now it was on a much larger scale with added features and more choices. I know, it all sounds a little clinical, but that's how it is.
Why did this all happen? What gave these people the opportunity to think "Why not start a matrimonial website where others can search for their future husbands/wives"? What was the reason? Are conventional methods going out of style? Or is it just that people want to be more in control of every aspect of their lives? Including finding a spouse.
I remember when a boy or a girl was at a 'marriageable' age, the parents would start looking out for a suitable spouse for their offspring. After checking out numerous prospects, which involved scrutinizing the boy/girl and their family on various levels, a proposal would be finalized and the boy & girl would be joined in holy matrimony. This method is still practiced today, although it is rapidly losing its popularity. But, why?
To better understand the reasoning behind this, lets digress a bit and take a look at how people's lifestyle has evolved over the years. Young men and women nowadays are a lot more independent then ever before. They know exactly what they want/don't want, what they like/dislike, and how they want to live their lives. They will listen to your suggestions and opinions, but will not tolerate interference of any kind. This format applies to all aspects of their lives, including find a spouse.
Falling in love and then getting married is great, but as the song goes, "Har kisi ko nahin milta yahaan pyar zindagi mein" (translates to: 'Not everyone is fortunate enough to find love in their live'). So, what about those who don't find love in their everyday life?
So, people have become more independent, they are finding less and less time to devote to their personal lives, the internet has become more interactive, and finding love the old fashioned way is not happening that often any more, although it is wonderful when it does :-). So where did all this lead to.......the matrimonial websites.
You've got admit, it is convenient, and in many cases, very successful. Bharatmatrimony.com holds the Limca World Records with the highest number of marriages. For people who haven't been successful in finding a spouse for themselves the conventional way, this is an expedient option. And it does have a lot of pros; you get a vast database to chose from; with all details, photographs, etc. You have to choice to contact the prospect you like and take it from there. But as I said earlier, it all sounds a bit too clinical. In my opinion, no matter how much time one spends on these websites chatting with or talking with one prospect, you still might get to know one another as well as, lets say, if you met in real life. Although that doesn't mean that you cannot meet in real life even if you bumped into each other on a matrimonial site.
For me, meeting someone the old fashioned way, liking each other, falling in love, and then, if all goes well, spending the rest of your life together. That's magic. Somehow, falling in love over the internet seems all too impersonal to me. Don't get me wrong though. It's not that I'm against it. it's just that the face to face, personal interaction is important to me. It's the small things in the person, the quirks that attract. Things that you might do together that will give you a better understanding of each other. Just talking to each and gazing into each others eyes while doing can be so revealing. And for me, I cannot imagine spending the rest of my life with someone I don't know. I would rather fall in love and then get married as opposed to getting married first and then TRYing to fall in love; which might or might not happen.
Well, that's my opinion. A lot of people will not agree with me. Just ask the hundreds and thousands of people who have been successful in finding their love, online. GOD Bless them all. And for the countless others who are trying to find that special someone on the world wide web, all I want to say is, Good luck & GOD speed.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Movie Review: Billu Barber
On the onset, I would like to mention that I don't really like Shah Rukh Khan. In fact, probably the only movies of his that I actually like are 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' & 'Dil Se', the former because it was released at a time before he adopted his over the top histrionics and 'King Khan' attitude and the latter because, well, it's a Mani Ratnam film. Another reason why I like these movies are for their music.
But I recently saw another film that I really enjoyed. But that's maybe because SRK is served up throughout the movie in small doses and at long intervals. The movie is 'Billu Barber' & and it's story centers around the title character, Billu, essayed by Irfan Khan. He has a wife, Bindiya (played by Lara Dutta) and 2 kids and lives in a village called 'Budbuda'.
The village itself is a very interesting hoi polloi of weird/demented characters (there's one who steals famous songs from Hindi movies and passes them on as his own). You have to remember that this is a Priyadharshan film after all, and the one thing that I really appreciate about his movies is that even the smallest of characters are usually well etched out, and his movies have a lot of characters.
Back to the film. So Billu runs a barbershop in the village, but not a very successful one as his shop is a decrepit, old run-down place; all his equipment is old and rusty and even his chair is on the brink of collapse (which it does, sometime during the film). And also because right in front of his shop, there is another, more upbeat, upmarket, new barbershop, which is giving Billu a run for his money; speaking of which, he hasn't got any, and is trying to apply for a loan so he can get some new equipment. In other words, he's pretty much miserable...but things are about to take a turn for the worse...
Enter Mr. SRK, aka, Sahir Khan in the movie. He's a big shot movie star who's currently shooting for a film, and are looking for an outdoor location. Sahir Khan suggests the name of 'Budbuda' village, as he's read about it someplace. The production crew is sent ahead to make the necessary arrangements in advance before Sahir Khan arrives and the shooting can commence. The news of a film shooting spreads like wildfire through the village, and everyone wants to meet Sahir Khan. Of course the rest of the film crew and security do no let that happen, and the villagers are dejected. That is when Billu mentions to his children in passing that he happens to know Sahir Khan personally and that they are good friends. The kids spread the news all around the village and the villagers they go beserk.They beg, plead, cajole Billu to introduce them to Sahir Khan. Everyone becomes his best friend and virtually overnight, he becomes the center of attention. They set out to fulfill his every whim, and he even manages to get new equipment for his shop, courtesy of Sahukaar Daamchand (played by Om Puri, a staple in Priyadarshan films), a powerful businessman who demands Billu to introduce hom to Sahir Khan, although he keeps telling the villagers that it would not be possible for the them to meet Sahir Khan, and keeps postponing the event. Life changes for Billu and he accepts these changes unwillingly. He never really tells anyone why wouldn't he take them all to meet Sahir. Eventually the villagers, including his wife and kids, start to suspect whether Billu really does know Sahir Khan or not, as the shooting is coming to an end and they have yet to meet the movie star. Life changes for Billu once again as the villagers decide to take matters into their own hands and boycott Billu as a lying cheat who only said he knows Sahir khan because he wanted to improve is status in the village. Even then, Billu remains quiet about the nature of their friendship.
During this time, the local school manages to get Sahir Khan to attend their annual function, on the last day of the shoot. By this time, Billu and family have been humiliated by the village and even the kids are ashamed of their father and don't want to be seen with him. At the function, Sahir is asked to make a speech, in which he starts off with how important education is, moving on to his current life and then finally, talks about his childhood. A childhood in which he had nothing but the very special friendship with a boy named Billu. He says that it was Billu who took care of him and eventually helped him in getting to Mumbai. Billu, who is standing at the back of the event, leaves without letting Sahir know that he was there. The villagers, after listening to this emotional rendition, realize their folly and take Sahir to Billu's house, where finally the two friends are reunited.
Wasn't that lovely? What really made me like this film was that it was a simple, sweet story, told very in a very non-comptemporary setting. The best part of the film was not once does it go over the top or does anything look out of place. It all looks very real. The village and it's inhabitants, the situations, even SRK (to some extent) look very identifiable. The movie has it's fair share of comedy (as I said, it's a Priyadarshan film) but not once does it look forced.
The performances were top-notch. SRK as Sahir Khan didn't really have much to do in the film, except of the last 20 odd minutes. Lara Dutta excels as the naive Bindiya. Rajpal Yadav as the poet with dubious talent is hilarious, as so is Om Puri, who plays the businessman who's always trying to save a buck or two. Billu's kids, especially the boy, manage to bring a smile on your face.
But the movie belongs to one man only, and that is Irfan Khan, who plays the role of the out-of-luck, hapless, simple barber to the T. He brings so much sincerity to the role that you actually feel sorry for him and want to help him out of his predicament. Honestly, this movie wouldn't have been half as good if it weren't for Irfan Khan. This is what they call perfect casting.
In case you are wondering, Billu never discloses about his friendship with Sahir Khan because he was afraid that Sahir probably wouldn't remember him and even if he did, would prefer not to recognize him as he had moved on to become a huge movie star, while Billu was nothing but a measly little barber. But you could have guessed that.
Overall, a very enjoyable film as it is different from what we usually get served from the great movie restaurant called Bollywood. Dig in, before it gets cold!
But I recently saw another film that I really enjoyed. But that's maybe because SRK is served up throughout the movie in small doses and at long intervals. The movie is 'Billu Barber' & and it's story centers around the title character, Billu, essayed by Irfan Khan. He has a wife, Bindiya (played by Lara Dutta) and 2 kids and lives in a village called 'Budbuda'.
The village itself is a very interesting hoi polloi of weird/demented characters (there's one who steals famous songs from Hindi movies and passes them on as his own). You have to remember that this is a Priyadharshan film after all, and the one thing that I really appreciate about his movies is that even the smallest of characters are usually well etched out, and his movies have a lot of characters.
Back to the film. So Billu runs a barbershop in the village, but not a very successful one as his shop is a decrepit, old run-down place; all his equipment is old and rusty and even his chair is on the brink of collapse (which it does, sometime during the film). And also because right in front of his shop, there is another, more upbeat, upmarket, new barbershop, which is giving Billu a run for his money; speaking of which, he hasn't got any, and is trying to apply for a loan so he can get some new equipment. In other words, he's pretty much miserable...but things are about to take a turn for the worse...
Enter Mr. SRK, aka, Sahir Khan in the movie. He's a big shot movie star who's currently shooting for a film, and are looking for an outdoor location. Sahir Khan suggests the name of 'Budbuda' village, as he's read about it someplace. The production crew is sent ahead to make the necessary arrangements in advance before Sahir Khan arrives and the shooting can commence. The news of a film shooting spreads like wildfire through the village, and everyone wants to meet Sahir Khan. Of course the rest of the film crew and security do no let that happen, and the villagers are dejected. That is when Billu mentions to his children in passing that he happens to know Sahir Khan personally and that they are good friends. The kids spread the news all around the village and the villagers they go beserk.They beg, plead, cajole Billu to introduce them to Sahir Khan. Everyone becomes his best friend and virtually overnight, he becomes the center of attention. They set out to fulfill his every whim, and he even manages to get new equipment for his shop, courtesy of Sahukaar Daamchand (played by Om Puri, a staple in Priyadarshan films), a powerful businessman who demands Billu to introduce hom to Sahir Khan, although he keeps telling the villagers that it would not be possible for the them to meet Sahir Khan, and keeps postponing the event. Life changes for Billu and he accepts these changes unwillingly. He never really tells anyone why wouldn't he take them all to meet Sahir. Eventually the villagers, including his wife and kids, start to suspect whether Billu really does know Sahir Khan or not, as the shooting is coming to an end and they have yet to meet the movie star. Life changes for Billu once again as the villagers decide to take matters into their own hands and boycott Billu as a lying cheat who only said he knows Sahir khan because he wanted to improve is status in the village. Even then, Billu remains quiet about the nature of their friendship.
During this time, the local school manages to get Sahir Khan to attend their annual function, on the last day of the shoot. By this time, Billu and family have been humiliated by the village and even the kids are ashamed of their father and don't want to be seen with him. At the function, Sahir is asked to make a speech, in which he starts off with how important education is, moving on to his current life and then finally, talks about his childhood. A childhood in which he had nothing but the very special friendship with a boy named Billu. He says that it was Billu who took care of him and eventually helped him in getting to Mumbai. Billu, who is standing at the back of the event, leaves without letting Sahir know that he was there. The villagers, after listening to this emotional rendition, realize their folly and take Sahir to Billu's house, where finally the two friends are reunited.
Wasn't that lovely? What really made me like this film was that it was a simple, sweet story, told very in a very non-comptemporary setting. The best part of the film was not once does it go over the top or does anything look out of place. It all looks very real. The village and it's inhabitants, the situations, even SRK (to some extent) look very identifiable. The movie has it's fair share of comedy (as I said, it's a Priyadarshan film) but not once does it look forced.
The performances were top-notch. SRK as Sahir Khan didn't really have much to do in the film, except of the last 20 odd minutes. Lara Dutta excels as the naive Bindiya. Rajpal Yadav as the poet with dubious talent is hilarious, as so is Om Puri, who plays the businessman who's always trying to save a buck or two. Billu's kids, especially the boy, manage to bring a smile on your face.
But the movie belongs to one man only, and that is Irfan Khan, who plays the role of the out-of-luck, hapless, simple barber to the T. He brings so much sincerity to the role that you actually feel sorry for him and want to help him out of his predicament. Honestly, this movie wouldn't have been half as good if it weren't for Irfan Khan. This is what they call perfect casting.
In case you are wondering, Billu never discloses about his friendship with Sahir Khan because he was afraid that Sahir probably wouldn't remember him and even if he did, would prefer not to recognize him as he had moved on to become a huge movie star, while Billu was nothing but a measly little barber. But you could have guessed that.
Overall, a very enjoyable film as it is different from what we usually get served from the great movie restaurant called Bollywood. Dig in, before it gets cold!
Friday, March 20, 2009
McDonalds experiment
While we are still on the subject of McDonalds, here is a video of a guy who bought a bunch of stuff from Mcdonalds and left it to decompose. Check it out, it's disgusting...!
Yuck!! Don't blame me if you lost your lunch watching this...
Yuck!! Don't blame me if you lost your lunch watching this...
McDonalds in India
A lot of people have asked me, 'What do you get at McDonalds in India?'. Maybe that's because majority of the burgers at McDonalds are beef based, which is 'haram' for Hindus. Also Pork, whose consumption is not only sacrilegious amongst Muslims, but not allowed within Hindus as well, albeit for different reasons.
When someone in India says 'I feel like having a burger' it automatically means McDonalds. The word 'burger' has become synonymous with McDonalds, so much so that no other big name, international burger joint ever set up shop in India. (That's right; no Burger King, no Hardees, no Arby's). They entered the country, researched it, and marketed the brand in the most effective way possible and eventually, made people believe that burger equals McDonalds. This made other brands hesitant to enter the market. In fact, this same theory applies to Barista as well. It's because of Barista and the other, home grown brand, Cafe Coffee Day, that Starbucks has yet to set foot in India. (Although I've heard that they are considering it. And frankly speaking, Barista is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Starbucks).
So what can you eat at a McDonalds in India? Well, it's been nearly 5 years that I left the place and there might have been some changes in the menu over these years. So I did some research and found out the latest culinary delights on offer in the 120 odd branches throughout India:
When someone in India says 'I feel like having a burger' it automatically means McDonalds. The word 'burger' has become synonymous with McDonalds, so much so that no other big name, international burger joint ever set up shop in India. (That's right; no Burger King, no Hardees, no Arby's). They entered the country, researched it, and marketed the brand in the most effective way possible and eventually, made people believe that burger equals McDonalds. This made other brands hesitant to enter the market. In fact, this same theory applies to Barista as well. It's because of Barista and the other, home grown brand, Cafe Coffee Day, that Starbucks has yet to set foot in India. (Although I've heard that they are considering it. And frankly speaking, Barista is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Starbucks).
So what can you eat at a McDonalds in India? Well, it's been nearly 5 years that I left the place and there might have been some changes in the menu over these years. So I did some research and found out the latest culinary delights on offer in the 120 odd branches throughout India:
- McVeggie Burger: The McVeggie sandwich starts with the oh-so-familiar sesame seed bun. In between the bread, you'll find a vegetarian patty that is made from peas, carrots, green beans, red bell pepper, potatoes, onions, rice, and seasoning. This vegetarian burger is garnished with lettuce, and has mayonnaise made without eggs spread thickly on the bread.
- McAloo Tikki: Potatoes (aloo in Hindi) are a popular filling food item in India. McDonald's in India's McAloo Tikki sandwich includes a patty made out of potatoes, peas, and spices. It also includes tomato slices, onions, and vegetarian mayonnaise.
- Paneer Salsa Wrap: Paneer referred to as cottage cheese in India. McDonald's Paneer Salsa Wrap starts with a small slab of paneer that has been dredged in a coating that is a cross between Mexican and Cajun in flavor. It is fried and the paneer patty is wrapped in flatbread and topped with a salad mixture that includes lettuce, red cabbage and celery and then is finished off with vegetarian mayonnaise, salsa and cheddar cheese.
- Crispy Chinese: McDonald's in India's Crispy Chinese sandwich is crispy, but very China. It's more an Indianized Chinese. Nevertheless, this vegetarian patty is topped with a creamy Schezwan sauce and lettuce which makes it a nice addition to the Indian vegetarian menu.
- Veg McCurry Pan: If you are in the mood for something similar to pizza, but don't want a tomato-based sauce, McDonald's Veg McCurry Pan is a good choice. It starts with a rectangular shaped crust that is topped with a creamy sauce (made without eggs), and vegetables including broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms and red bell pepper. It is then baked until the crust is crisp and the toppings are hot and bubbly.
- Pizza McPuff: The vegetarian Pizza McPuff also starts with a rectangular shaped crust, but instead of a creamy sauce is flavored with a tomato-based sauce and then is topped with carrots, beans, bell peppers, onions, peas and mozzarella cheese.
- Chicken Maharaja Mac: The Indian version of the Big Mac at McDonalds in India, is the Chicken Maharaja Mac sandwich which is made with 2 grilled chicken patties and is topped with onions, tomatoes, cheese and a spicy mayonnaise.
- McChicken: The McChicken in India is almost the same as its cousin by the same name in other McDonalds around the world. It contains one breaded and fried chicken patty and is topped with lettuce and vegetarian mayonnaise. It is similar in size (but not taste) to the spicy chicken sandwich on the dollar menu at McDonalds restaurants in the U.S.
- Filet-o-Fish: The Filet-O-Fish sandwich at McDonalds in India is the only sandwich item on the menu that is exactly the same as the Filet-O-Fish sandwich you might eat at a McDonalds in the U.S.
- Chicken McGrill: The Chicken McGrill sandwich starts off with a thin grilled chicken patty that is embellished with cilantro mayonnaise, onions and tomatoes and is served on a toasted bun.
- Chicken McCurry Pan: Chicken McCurry Pan is the same as its vegetarian version. It starts off with a rectangle of dough and is topped with a tomato-curry sauce, spiced with thyme, basil, and oregano. It is finished off with chicken, bell peppers, and cheese and is baked till crisp and bubbly.
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