Presenting Shamu !

Yup ! You got that right.. the world-famous killer whale , at his home in SeaWorld , Orlando , FL.

That is one performance that you simply CANNOT miss ! In an arena , with over 7000 people , are these 3 HUGE killer whales , named Shamu 1 , 2 and 3… Guess you remember them from Animal Planet..

The performance itself is pretty amazing… they mite appear HUGE and dangerous , but , according to their trainers , they’re ‘gentlemen’ at heart… infact , they’re quite mischeivous as well , splashing water on the audience every once in a while ( its quite a different story that they leave the stands looking like a mini-ocean ! )..

In short , a MUST VISIT if you’re in Orlando… !

Presenting Shamu !

Yup ! You got that right.. the world-famous killer whale , at his home in SeaWorld , Orlando , FL.

That is one performance that you simply CANNOT miss ! In an arena , with over 7000 people , are these 3 HUGE killer whales , named Shamu 1 , 2 and 3… Guess you remember them from Animal Planet..

The performance itself is pretty amazing… they mite appear HUGE and dangerous , but , according to their trainers , they’re ‘gentlemen’ at heart… infact , they’re quite mischeivous as well , splashing water on the audience every once in a while ( its quite a different story that they leave the stands looking like a mini-ocean ! )..

In short , a MUST VISIT if you’re in Orlando… !

Lage Raho Munnabhai – a MUST WATCH !!

CAST

Sanjay Dutt
Arshad Warsi

Vidya Balan

Boman Irani

Diya Mirza

Abhishek Bachchan

I take back my words from my previous post.. there is one other film , apart from Crash , which can have an impact on your life… yup , I’m talking about the latest smash hit , Lage Raho Munnabhai.

The cast remains the same , and the comic timing of the lead actors is nothing short of brilliant ! But thats not what I’m going to talk about here. You must have read or seen on TV , reviews of the film , which say that the movie brings to life the teachings of the Mahatma. Well , it doesn’t stop there. It actually manages to ‘change’ your line of thinking… something that a very few movies , and i mean , a very few movies have managed to date.

Like the first movie , this one too has a deep message. The first one showed how one can fix everything ( well , almost everything ) with a little love and compassion. This one is all about speaking the truth , and living by the forgotten ideals of the Mahatma. AND , most importantly , it also talks about the dilemma most commonly faced by most before coming out with the truth… but it also shows the positive impact of speaking the truth….

The underlying message ? It’s simple… just speak the truth and the circumstances will get fixed themselves… and if you’re worrying whether the other person will forgive you ? Well , the movie answers that question as well.

I don’t really have much else to say… the movie will speak for itself !

Lage Raho Munnabhai – a MUST WATCH !!

CAST

Sanjay Dutt
Arshad Warsi

Vidya Balan

Boman Irani

Diya Mirza

Abhishek Bachchan

I take back my words from my previous post.. there is one other film , apart from Crash , which can have an impact on your life… yup , I’m talking about the latest smash hit , Lage Raho Munnabhai.

The cast remains the same , and the comic timing of the lead actors is nothing short of brilliant ! But thats not what I’m going to talk about here. You must have read or seen on TV , reviews of the film , which say that the movie brings to life the teachings of the Mahatma. Well , it doesn’t stop there. It actually manages to ‘change’ your line of thinking… something that a very few movies , and i mean , a very few movies have managed to date.

Like the first movie , this one too has a deep message. The first one showed how one can fix everything ( well , almost everything ) with a little love and compassion. This one is all about speaking the truth , and living by the forgotten ideals of the Mahatma. AND , most importantly , it also talks about the dilemma most commonly faced by most before coming out with the truth… but it also shows the positive impact of speaking the truth….

The underlying message ? It’s simple… just speak the truth and the circumstances will get fixed themselves… and if you’re worrying whether the other person will forgive you ? Well , the movie answers that question as well.

I don’t really have much else to say… the movie will speak for itself !

What’s NASA upto ??

Hurrah ! STS-115 is back home once again ! What with all the technical issues that plagued Atlantis’ latest flight to the ISS , well , alls well that ends well I guess !

But this lates bit of news is kinda worrying… NASA just announced plans of the new ’shuttle’ that is all set to replace the ageing ones , come 2010 or later ( because , apparently , the new versions are ‘too small’ to carry all the cargo required (!!!!) ). All thats fine , because , you and me thought that these 25 year old shuttles with ANCIENT computer systems and stuff falling off will probably be replaced by newer versions of similar craft.. but NO ! NASA is going in for a design by Lockheed Martin , called the CEV ( Crew Exploration Vehicle ). The rationale behind it is that the new design would have a minimum amount of ‘protrusions’ , such as wings , which bear maximum stress during take-off and re-entry.

Well…. yeah , this design is like the Apollo Spacecraft which took man to the moon… and incidentally , far from releasing specifics about the Mars Mission , NASA ‘promises’ that this craft will take us ‘back to the moon’ in 15 years. WHAT ??!?!?! It took us just 10 years to start from scratch n land on the moon !!

Guys , WHAT were you thinking when you made that press release ??

What’s NASA upto ??

Hurrah ! STS-115 is back home once again ! What with all the technical issues that plagued Atlantis’ latest flight to the ISS , well , alls well that ends well I guess !

But this lates bit of news is kinda worrying… NASA just announced plans of the new ’shuttle’ that is all set to replace the ageing ones , come 2010 or later ( because , apparently , the new versions are ‘too small’ to carry all the cargo required (!!!!) ). All thats fine , because , you and me thought that these 25 year old shuttles with ANCIENT computer systems and stuff falling off will probably be replaced by newer versions of similar craft.. but NO ! NASA is going in for a design by Lockheed Martin , called the CEV ( Crew Exploration Vehicle ). The rationale behind it is that the new design would have a minimum amount of ‘protrusions’ , such as wings , which bear maximum stress during take-off and re-entry.

Well…. yeah , this design is like the Apollo Spacecraft which took man to the moon… and incidentally , far from releasing specifics about the Mars Mission , NASA ‘promises’ that this craft will take us ‘back to the moon’ in 15 years. WHAT ??!?!?! It took us just 10 years to start from scratch n land on the moon !!

Guys , WHAT were you thinking when you made that press release ??

Crash – A masterpiece on film

CAST

Sandra Bullock

Matt Dillon

Don Cheadle

Brendan Fraser

Larenz Tate

Ludacris

Micheal Pena

Trailer : http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/crash/large.html

Have you ever watched a movie that has you thinking about what you saw , long after you left the theatre ? Well , this year’s Oscar-Winning movie , Crash , does just that. It tells interlocking stories of whites, blacks, Latinos, Koreans, Iranians, cops and criminals, the rich and the poor, the powerful and powerless, all defined in one way or another by racism. All are victims of it, and all are guilty of it. Sometimes, yes, they rise above it, although it is never that simple. Their negative impulses may be instinctive, their positive impulses may be dangerous, and who knows what the other person is thinking?

One thing that happens, again and again, is that peoples’ assumptions prevent them from seeing the actual person standing before them. An Iranian is thought to be an Arab, although Iranians are Persian. Both the Iranian and the white wife of the district attorney believe a Mexican-American locksmith , Michael Pena , is a gang member and a crook, but he is a family man.

It shows the way we all leap to conclusions based on race — yes, all of us, of all races, and however fair-minded we may try to be — and we pay a price for that. If there is hope in the story, it comes because as the characters crash into one another, they learn things, mostly about themselves. Almost all of them are still alive at the end, and are better people because of what has happened to them. Not happier, not calmer, not even wiser, but better. Then there are those few who kill or get killed; racism has tragedy built in.

Not many films have the possibility of making their audiences better people.The movie contains hurt, coldness and cruelty, and not to forget , a dose of humour as well – but is it without hope? Not at all. Stand back and consider. All of these people, superficially so different, share the city and learn that they share similar fears and hopes. Until several hundred years ago, most people everywhere on earth never saw anybody who didn’t look like them. They were not racist because, as far as they knew, there was only one race. You may have to look hard to see it, but “Crash” is a film about progress.

My verdict ? Take a look.. You’ll never find a better movie !

Crash – A masterpiece on film

CAST

Sandra Bullock

Matt Dillon

Don Cheadle

Brendan Fraser

Larenz Tate

Ludacris

Micheal Pena

Trailer : http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/crash/large.html

Have you ever watched a movie that has you thinking about what you saw , long after you left the theatre ? Well , this year’s Oscar-Winning movie , Crash , does just that. It tells interlocking stories of whites, blacks, Latinos, Koreans, Iranians, cops and criminals, the rich and the poor, the powerful and powerless, all defined in one way or another by racism. All are victims of it, and all are guilty of it. Sometimes, yes, they rise above it, although it is never that simple. Their negative impulses may be instinctive, their positive impulses may be dangerous, and who knows what the other person is thinking?

One thing that happens, again and again, is that peoples’ assumptions prevent them from seeing the actual person standing before them. An Iranian is thought to be an Arab, although Iranians are Persian. Both the Iranian and the white wife of the district attorney believe a Mexican-American locksmith , Michael Pena , is a gang member and a crook, but he is a family man.

It shows the way we all leap to conclusions based on race — yes, all of us, of all races, and however fair-minded we may try to be — and we pay a price for that. If there is hope in the story, it comes because as the characters crash into one another, they learn things, mostly about themselves. Almost all of them are still alive at the end, and are better people because of what has happened to them. Not happier, not calmer, not even wiser, but better. Then there are those few who kill or get killed; racism has tragedy built in.

Not many films have the possibility of making their audiences better people.The movie contains hurt, coldness and cruelty, and not to forget , a dose of humour as well – but is it without hope? Not at all. Stand back and consider. All of these people, superficially so different, share the city and learn that they share similar fears and hopes. Until several hundred years ago, most people everywhere on earth never saw anybody who didn’t look like them. They were not racist because, as far as they knew, there was only one race. You may have to look hard to see it, but “Crash” is a film about progress.

My verdict ? Take a look.. You’ll never find a better movie !

War … A necessary evil ?

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists and the hopes of its children.

These words of Dwight David Eisenhower , the 34th President of the USA aptly describe the ill-effects of war .

War is a state of widespread conflict between states , organizations or relatively large groups of people , which is characterized by the use of violent , physical force by combatants on civilians. War seems as old as human society and certainly features prominently in the recorded history of state-cultures. But it is a complex issue. Throughout history war has been the source of serious moral questions. Although many ancient nations and some more modern ones viewed war as noble, concerns about the morality of war have gradually increased. Today war is almost unanimously seen as undesirable and morally problematic. Many now believe that wars should only be fought as a last resort.
War, in my opinion, is useless because of its damaging results . It does not decide who is right , but only who is left . It brings suffering and death not only to the conquered , but also to the conqueror. Under no circumstance is war moral, even in cases of self defense. There are just other ways to solve problems. Peace treaties are an easy way to end war. In a peace treaty, it is easy to settle the differences and come up with an agreement that both sides can decide on. That way the solution can be a compromise and problems will be fixed. Often it happens that one side can’t agree , so they decide that war is the only solution. Wars are begun with many different reasons: Land conflicts, religious disagreements, and independence conflicts. In my own opinion, war can never be justifiable . In short , war is cruel – there is no use trying to reform it.
Besides , if everyone solved their problems with fighting , where would we be now? As the famous physicist Albert Einstein once said – ” Peace cannot be achieved by force, only by understanding .” This , in fact , echoes the teachings of the father of our nation , Mahatma Gandhiji , who set an example to the world and succeeded in winning freedom for our mighty nation without engaging in armed conflict.

War in our time has become an anachronism. Whatever the case in the past, war in the future can serve no useful purpose. A war which became general, as any limited action might, would only result in the virtual destruction of mankind .Several nations today engage in armed conflict in the \’defence\’ of freedom. But one must remember that a pre-emptive war in \’defense\’ of freedom would surely destroy freedom, because one simply cannot engage in barbarous action without becoming a barbarian, because one cannot defend human values by calculated and unprovoked violence without doing mortal damage to the values one is trying to defend . Moreover , true patriots always talk of dying for their country and not killing for their country.

Most importantly , war results in large-scale destruction of a nation . Rebuilding and rehabilitation of the people are a responsibility of the invading nation , which puts a further strain on its finances , diverting funds from development efforts and other nobler causes like education and health-care . War is immoral for these reasons . There is just no excuse for human torture , suffering and death.

As John Lennon puts it , ” War is over , if you want it.”

T’day 2006 …

Well , it’s finally upon us ! ( though this is a liiitle late )
All those years when we watched our seniors all dressed up and acting as teachers.. well , it’s a great experience , one that I can’t really describe in words !

Sept. 6th , 2006 was the day we celebrated Teacher’s Day ( coz well , 5th was a holiday for Onam ). All the days before , were spent in endless dance practices.. or treks thru Parrys to ensure that the mementoes for the teachers were all ready.. it was almost as if we were waiting for Teacher’s Day to get over !

The day was great fun ! I guess the biggest excitement was to watch all my friends walking into school in all their finery.. ( though i have to say , some of them did look weird.. ! ).. once we were all in school , that was when the ‘takeover’ took place , with our SPL Priya doing the honours… she and the Cul Sec , Arun were the **ahem** ‘principals for the day’.. lol ( look.. even Satya has his reservations about his ‘replacements’.. )

Me , Ashwin ( aka Candy ) and Harsha were the Chemistry teacher ( Latha Ma’am)

The rest of the day was jus great ! What with all the autograph-hounds…. that was a weird experience , what with all these small kids running upto us ‘teachers’ , begging us to sign their notebooks !! ( my name’s on the top-left corner of the right page.. )

But , getting to the highlight of the day , which was obviously the Fusion Dance , choreographed by Srishti.. which was a GRAND success , coz it had EVERYONE clapping !! ( btw this was when they were dancing for Hips Don’t Lie )

After this ofcourse was the cake-cutting… MUCH awaited , for obvious reasons.. ! We had got 3 HUGE cakes… a total of 15kgs of chocolate and icing.. yuuuum !

as the day came to a close.. it was almost like we didn’t want the day to end.. ! but i guess one of the best images of the day HAVE to be the one below… its our ‘principal’ doing his duty of patting Venkatraman on his back.. CVians will identify with the sentiment behind the image