Guess who?!?!

It is so funny.. looking at this old pic!!

OSCARS 2009..

This post summarizes my "live"r updates on Twitter...http://twitter.com/sbhaskar77

Freida Pinto is looking great in blue... Natalie Portman is gorgeous... Anne Hathaway serene!!

The show has just begun.. it seems the year of slumdogs all the way...... and this just the beginning of the show... way to go.

I dont remember if I watched the event last year... but this year there seems a lot more personal touch at the show probably in tune with the need of the hour... with everyone needing a good hug and a warm shoulder.

First oscar of 2009... best actress in a suppporting role.... Penelope Cruz!! ...for vicky christina barcelona..

Oscars for screenplay: original - Milk, Adapted - Slumdog Millionaire!!!
Best Animated Movie - Wall-E
Art Direction - Duchess
Makeup - Curious case of Benjamin Button
Cinematography - Slumdog again..!!!

Best actor in a supporting role - Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight

Smile Pinki - Best short documentary film... Is also based in India... Its about treating children with cleft upper lips.. watch it. I just watched the trailer in the Ad break.

Visual effects - Curious case of Benjamin Button
Sound editing - Dark Knight
Sound Mixing - Slumdog again again !!
Editing - Slumdog again again again !!!!

Wow!! the count is four now... slumdog.. four of five...you are five questions away from becoming a millionaire ;-)

This is something I have to mention... I see Danny Boyle whenever one of the guys (from Slumdog) are called out.. and he is so genuinely happy 4 them..

The 81st Academy Award continues...

Original score - AR Rahman - Slumdog Milionaire...
At the end of his acceptance speech he said, as he does.. "Ellapughazum Iraivanukkae"... All praise for the Lord!!

BTW, that is also the title of one of ARR's songs that I love..

That was a good performance... of the songs - O Sayya and Jai Ho and one from Wall-E.... and the academy award for the best song goes to..... AR Rahman for Jai Ho.... Wow!!!! I am super thrilled!!!!! Thank God for ARR.

Liam Neeson and Feida Pinto on the stage to present the award for the Best Foreign Language Film - The award goes to Departures (Japanese).

Best Directing - Danny Boyle!!!!! "Finally, to all the folks in Mumbai who helped make this movie and who didnt.. You dwarf even this guy (The Oscar award)" says Danny.. I love this guy.. Love you Danny!!!

Best actress in a leading role - Kate Winslet for Reader...you guys if you are not watching this.. catch the video on youtube or something - gotta watch all this real drama... Really!

Best actor in a leading role - Sean Penn for Milk.. I gotta watch this movie

Best Picture - among Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Reader and Slumdog - Slumdog Millionaire. The entire team of Slumdog are on the stage... this is great!!

Thats eight Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire... Bravo!!! it is a whole lot of awards and recognition... well deserved... have fun guys, everyone!!!

I am loving this...

Love Lockdown - Kanye West

Till Death Do Us...

I don't believe in V day... I never imagined I will find a true love on the same day!

On a lonely mountain top, down the soft fluffy snow starting our journey together...

Howiwish I was in Bangalore for V-Day...

What can be more fun than a bunch of bloggers and some head-banging musik?? Well, of course.. a head-banging bunch of bloggers... ;-)

It's the first heavy metal blogger meet - and it comes a day before Iron Maiden rocks Bangalore.

When?
Somewhere in time (or)
22, Acacia Avenue (or)
On the seventh day of the seventh year (or)
Saturday, 14th February 2009 at 4:00 PM

Where?
Purgatory (or)
Sanctuary (or)
Mother Russia (or)
Stones Pub, Indira Nagar, Bangalore

What’s the plan?
Run to the hills (or)
Remember Tomorrow (or)
Die with our boots on (or)
Have a few beers, listen to some Maiden, and talk about blogging!

If you are an indiblogger:
RSVP at the official meet page, where you will find a link at the top-right to confirm your attendance:

http://www.indiblogger.in/bloggermeet.php?id=24

Tolerance is our middle name

Saw the movie slumdog millionaire two days ago.... lovely movie... will watch it again in the theatre soon.

I guess I have not seen many a movie that depicts poverty as the background.. I have seen 'city of god' and that has ghetto in the background.. but not many others. And especially not many Indian movies - I can recall a couple of Kamal's (tamil) movies that had the poverty portrayed eloquently - varumaiyin niram sivappu, some aspects in mahanadi, nayagan... but they are only a handful.

Well, that's OK... movies are primarily a means of escape from reality for all of us at most times. But, I say - don't criticize movies like slumdog saying they are a foreigner's view of India.

Poverty is as much an aspect of India as its elephants, cows on the road, palaces, BPOs - call centers, music, sandalwood, etc. I think India is a land of contrasts - much more than any other place in the world. I need another post to talk about this, but let me stick to my original topic here...

Depicting poverty as the shade of India is OK - 'cos there are 100s of movies that are an escape from reality, with its song and dance, with its own style and panache.

Depicting poverty as the shade of India is welcome - 'cos I think we Indians have become insensitive to it. Our tolerance for poverty and the inequalities we see around us has increased so much that we are numb to it. Tolerance is our middle name. O.K. are our initials.

According to wiki, "41.6% of its population is living below the new international poverty line of $1.25 (PPP) per day" and "The World Bank further estimates that a third of the global poor now reside in India"

It seems worse than what I expected - goes to say how much I actually knew about India. Check this wiki to know the facts.

There seems to be some encouraging news, though not enough...

"{Despite this,} India currently adds 40 million people to its middle class every year. Analysts such as the founder of "Forecasting International", Marvin J. Cetron writes that an estimated 300 million Indians now belong to the middle class; one-third of them have emerged from poverty in the last ten years. At the current rate of growth, a majority of Indians will be middle-class by 2025. Literacy rates have risen from 52 percent to 65 percent in the same period."

It also says this as one of the cultural reasons for poverty -

"The caste system, under which hundreds of millions of Indians were kept away from educational, ownership, and employment opportunities, and subjected to violence for "getting out of line." British rulers encouraged caste privileges and customs, at least before the 20th century."

But that is another blog-material altogether...

PS: If you want to see how India compares with the world, check this

Some samples..

Recession not bad....

Today marked an historic day... as the people around the world have marked. The 44th president of US, Barack Hussein Obama, has taken over the office of the President of United States of America.

He seems to be heading in the general right direction.. he has his priorities right and his head square on his shoulders. Everyone is looking to him to lead the US and the world into another golden era.

But, you know - at the overall level, recession may not be all that bad. Well, except for the folks that are below the middle class and/or have been out of job for a while.

Having a person like Obama at the head, hopefully will give us the strength and guidance to take a hard look at our consumerist ways and wasteful ways of the spending cycle.

Here is something I had blogged out some months ago.
The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard
It is a time to remind ourselves on some truths about our way of living and the destructive cycle of consumption.

Hope things get better - and not just temporarily.

Vegas - Lights and Sights...!

Diamond 2009!

Well... some people seldom change....
no... a correction....'people seldom change'

some may try really hard to change...
and some may try really hard to change others..
but, people seldom change
-----------------------------

I want to hit the gym... but I have been working long hours.. really long hours the past few weeks and months... I had a good vacation at Vegas for new years... but, now I am back to the grind... And the same long hours...

Well, here is what I am planning to do this year... find a good reason to hit the gym... or find a gym with a good enough, spirited pack of babes.. and then, things will follow..

Anyway, things don't change overnight.. things are going to be hectic for a long time.. But then, "pressure maketh a diamond", right?!

350 not out!!!

350 posts and on.... skiing into 2009 :-)

Happy New Year, folks!!

Y.O.S.E.M.I.T.E.

I luv U S10 :-)

Pics from the Land of Angels..

The One With The Boobies

Some good old F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

Enjoy!!!
-----------------------------------

Chandler accidentally walks in on Rachel after a shower and sees her breasts, leading to a series of shower peepings. Phoebe's new psychiatrist boyfriend, Roger, depresses and angers everyone. Joey finds out his dad has been having an affair with Ronni, a pet mortician, for six years; he insists his dad either break it off or confess, but it turns out his mom already knew--and didn't want it to stop.


The one where they said....
Ross: Wha... what were you doing seeing her boobies?
Chandler: It was an accident. Not like I was across the street with a telescope and a box of donuts.
Chandler: You know, I don't know why you're so embarrassed. They were very nice boobies.
Rachel: Nice? They were nice? I mean, that's it? I mean, mittens are nice.
Chandler: Okay... rock... hard place... me.

Ross: All right, all right. We're all adults here. There's only one way to resolve this. Since you saw her boobies, I think you're gonna have to show her your pee-pee.
Chandler: You know, I don't see that happening?
Rachel: C'mon, he's right. Tit for tat.
Chandler: Well, I'm not showing you my tat.


.............

.....


Mr. Tribbiani: You're gonna keep an eye on us?
Joey: That's right, mister! And I don't care how old you are, as long as you're under my roof you're gonna live by my rules. And that means no sleeping with your girlfriend.
Ronni: Wow, he's strict.

Chandler: C'mon, I'll show you to my room. That sounds so weird when it's not followed by, "No thanks, it's late."

Chandler: Hey, Kicky! What are you doing?
Joey: Just trying to get comfortable. I can't sleep in my underwear.
Chandler: Well you're gonna.


Joey: I've been thinking, ya know, about how I'm always seeing girls on top of girls?
Chandler: Are they end to end, or tall like pancakes?

Chandler: Hey, you're not him. You're you. When they were all over you to go into your father's pipe-fitting business, did you cave?
Joey: No.
Chandler: No. You decided to go into the out-of-work actor business. Now that wasn't easy, but you did it! And I'd like to believe that when the right woman comes along, you will have the courage and the guts to say, "No thanks, I'm married."

http://www.friends-tv.org/zz113.html

Quiz time..

Once there was a mid-wife
that lead a boring life!

1. What profession does this person belong to:
scientist one day, weatherman the other
milkman one day, mechanic the other!







Answer: A farmer!
2. Which of the following jobs is the best job and which is the worst?
a. Mid-wife
b. Elephant caretaker
c. Farmer
d. Investment banker (in NY.. should I be even more specific? ok, ex-Lehman)




Answer: Worst job is the one that you are not inspired to do, best job the one that inspires you!!

Bay area in the movies...

You can see a lot of San Francisco in this song...Adiyae Kolluthe.. from Vaaranam Aayiram... the new Surya Sameera starrer.

But, I dont plan on watching the movie... no great reviews...

Moments of Truth.. Vol 2

Pics from my beloved Nikon S10!

Moments of Truth.. Vol 1

Hey Girl, Is he everything you wanted in a man?

You know I gave you the world; You had me in the palm of your hand. So why your love went away - I just can't seem to understand. Thought it was me and you, baby - Me and you until the end, But I guess I was wrong.

Don't wanna think about it; Don't wanna talk about it - I'm just so sick about it; I can't believe it's ending this way. (I'm) Just so confused about it - Feeling the blues about it. I just can't do without ya! Tell me, is this fair?

Is (thi) the way it's really going down? Is this how we say goodbye? Shoulda known better when you came around - That you were gonna make me cry. It's breaking my heart to watch you run around; Cause I know that you're living a lie. But that's ok, baby, cause in time you will find (out that) What goes around, goes around, goes around, comes all the way back around.

Now Girl, I remember everything that you claimed - You said that you were moving on now - Maybe I should do the same. The funny thing about that is.. I was ready to give you my name - Thought it was me and you baby. And now, it's all just a shame - That I guess I was wrong.

Don't wanna think about it; Don't wanna talk about it - I'm just so sick about it; I can't believe it's ending this way. (I'm) Just so confused about it - Feeling the blues about it. I just can't do without ya! Tell me, is this fair?

You spend your nights alone And he never comes home. And everytime you call him, all you get is a busy tone. I heard you found out that he's doing to you what you did to me - Ain't that the way it goes - When you cheated, girl, My heart bleeded, girl. So it go without saying that should let the feeling hurt - Just a classic case scenario (and) Tale as old as time. Girl, you got what you deserved. And now you want somebody To cure the lonely nights. You wish you had somebody That could come and make it right. But girl, I ain't somebody - I'm out of sympathy. See...

What goes around comes back around. I thought I told ya!!

Great song - Justin Timberlake!! Thanks to you and lyrics mode...

... (Three Dots)

If rich get poorer, what will happen to the poor?

------------------------------------

Chidambaram has asked the Indian companies to keep their prices lower.. and to not cut back their production...

I need to read the whole story, but... how will that work??

Indian economy is in a much better shape than the rest of the world.. but still...

--------------------------------------

US economy, as almost all capitalist economies, are built around consumer spending...

Not just somebody... but everybody in the US economy need to be spending... But how are they planning to increase the consumer confidence when the incomes are falling and the credit is in a crunch??

History is made!

One thing is for sure tonight... history had been made!

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America, will also be the first black president in this country. USA has voted to give him a landslide victory - 338 to 144 and counting...

For sure, this is just the beginning.. there is plenty of work to be done to get this country back into a state of economic, social and political greatness.. a lot of evils and bad practices need to be undone.. but, I believe we have made a start.

Overall, what we need is a sense of reality and a stand for greatness - to believe in the greatness of everyone, not just of a particular skin color or personal alignment. (After all, one cannot have all round greatness when even one section is denied that, can we?)

US has a lot of racists. And I have to admit.. I am racist too... I have stereotypes in my mind... I may not say it out loud.. like that jingoistic racist I met the other day who claimed 'Indians suck'... I have no idea why he said that.. (and yeah, we do suck a lot of things.. you mean you dont?!) and I am not bothered to find out.. But, like I said, I have my prejudices too... but I make a conscious effort to overcome... As I believe, a lot of us folks are making that effort - no matter where we are or where we come from.... And, we have enough problems facing us to make us forget and overcome all these differences and prejudices. So, to a better world..

When I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago.. I saw a lot of things... and noticed a few... there were a lot more blacks there than I ever saw in NY or even Detroit... but, they were a cheerful lot. I dont know if it was the joy of having a leader like Obama in their midst and making history... But I did sense a clear aura of happiness.

That is the vision I had when I saw Obama's speech tonight on the TV aired from Grant Park, Chicago. A president firmly grounded in the realities and challenges of the times... and at the same time, someone who believed in the greatness in us.. And someone who can call upon that superlative performance from everyone.

Yes we can!!!

Obama Vs. McCain - If the World could vote

McCain vs. Obama - 2008 World Election

If ever there could have been one, here is how the "Results" will look!!!!!


It's a voting poll for the next US president in which anyone in the world can vote. It was created by a few young people in Iceland, it's independent, and without agenda. Only one vote is allowed per computer. So far there are votes from 200 countries.

And there were only two countries that would have elected McCain... Imagine that!!
This is as of Oct 31, 2008 2pm Pacific Time..

Cast your vote now and see the latest!!
http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com