Bye van Gol. Thank you for everything.

It’s official. Hamburg SV, in Bundesliga have signed Ruud van Nistelrooy, the best forward Real have had in the last 4 years, and the best Manchester United have ever had. Cannot forget how instrumental he was, as he single-handedly took us home to the title in his first season at Madrid. Respect to van! One of the few players who’s been top scorer in every league he’s played, make us proud in Germany!

Off the web

After landing in the US of the A, I’ve been pretty much off the radar as far as my blogging is concerned. But no worries, I don’t really plan to blog that often since I’m here anyways. Have had a miserable beginning to graduate life, but then it was the same way back in Undergrad too, so I’m not surprised. Have had a few good moments, a lot bad and quite a few worth forgetting. It’s the New Year, I’m still sticking to my resolution taken on New Year in 1996 to not make a New Year resolution, or any resolution for that matter, and 14 years down, I’ve been keeping it. It’s snowing in Boston (like that’s something new). I’ve been on a big spending spree and I hope someone can fund my lavish lifestyle with a $150k salary .

There’s been a lot going on that I need to write on, but just don’t have enough time to put in the effort. Boston has been awesome, as far as friends are concerned, and thankfully I’ve made a handful who I can really say I’m getting close to.

The US experience has been phenomenal, even life-changing. This is the third country I’ve stayed in for an extended period of time, and yes, it’s growing on me.

I haven’t read a book (neither a text nor a novel), other than that Chetan Bhagat book. Saw that single big movie 3 Idiots which for all purposes would have been a better movie sans music (c’mon, Gimme sunshine? WTF?). I don’t even have to gush about how awesome a movie Avatar in 3D is. Winter and I’ve been pretty much working, gaming and sleeping. Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2 happened, and was the best 8hr straight gaming experience I’ve ever had, and not even the pure fun factor of taunting friends while playing Wii Sports can beat that. I still suck at pool or any other sport that involves rolling balls, except soccer.

So, why am I posting all this random stuff. The genius inside me, jailbroke my iPod touch and now I don’t have anything to listen to music on.

Timeless

I’ve really been swamped with work ever since college has started. Not even had time to post something interesting that could’ve happened. First time in my life, I find myself spending hours at a stretch at our library. Hopefully I could get some time for a long post later on. Have to watch the CL match v/s Marseille in 2 hours.

I’m back

I’ve been pretty much off the radar over the last few weeks, particularly after flying to Boston. Having to rely for ever on library internet is kinda irritating. So I went off to get my new laptop an Asus G51vx. And yes, it’s awesome (if you pay $1300+ inclusive of warranty, it ought to be). So, I’m on net from home (which is temporary) when I’m there (which is only for sleep). Have to get a good bag now, as the laptop’s of gargantuan proportions. And it heats up fast. It’s got a Nvidia geforce 260M graphics card. Ok, I’m done. No more bragging.

Have been doing a bit of travelling, ok, a lot in fact. Walking all over Boston isn’t a small matter with the heat. But thanks to the T and some ‘desi ingenuity’ our gang’s pretty much traveled cheap. Have been to both MIT and Harvard having seen both campuses extensively (while I still haven’t been around the entirety of my own campus). I’m loving the food (breakfast Burger King, lunch Wendy’s and dinner Subway). Been to the India day thingie celebrating independence day, last weekend.

I still haven’t gotten a phone connection. Any one using an ATT prepaid, and in Boston, kindly help me take a prepaid cell.

The timings are still weird here.  T

Thank god, for the internet

Then finally

I’m right now in Boston. More later, since I’m pretty much stuck to using net from the library and still without a phone. And did I mention it’s been hot? Not Chennai hot but hot nevertheless

I’m in Love

Yes girls, now you’ll have to find some one else, unless you are Heidi Klum at 21 years of age. I’m off the market. I think I’ve finally found my soulmate. I’ve officially given my heart to the 7.3 ltr V12 AMG of the Pagani Zonda S. I’ve got that one dollar, now just another $999,999 to go. Even the crazy oil sheikhs in the Middle of East have not been able to get one of these, only 30 of which were produced. If you’ve read my earlier posts, rewind to the one with a Jay Z video, a Zonda racing the F430 spider. I wasn’t sold then but surely, after this video I can’t wait (one of those 30 owners willing ofcourse and someone ready to part with 1 mil). This is what Hammond at TG had to say. Watch this video to know why I’m hoping to also planning to buy a tunnel.

In other news, I’m excited but also sad Schumi’s (that’s Michael Schumacher for those of you who lived under a rock till today, “Good Evenin’ “) proposed return to F1 taking over for Massa (who’s my fave driver among the current crop even though Sebastien Vettel is the best right no). Excited because he’s Schumacher for Christ’s sake and sad because I won’t be able to catch him on action LIVE like before until my roomies shell in and get a used TV. Let’s pray Massa recovers and Alonso never sits in a red car. I hate that guy even though he’s a madridista.

Meanwhile, yes, I’ve not talked football. Real Madrid got Ronaldo while Man U got an oven (an often broken used one, and not a microwave either, red for the dread evils) and Luis Antonio Valencia (who flopped at Villareal). Thanks to youtube, I’ve been able to follow all the presentation ceremonies and nothing was bigger than C. Ronaldo. Officially, I’ve given up my ‘hate C. Ronaldo’ membership card as he got the opener in the Peace Cup against LDU. Best place to catch Kaka’s inaugaration? At an embassy lobby!

The desert’s been acting wierd, throwing up huge sandstorms. I found my favorite Chicken burger yet (at Ruby Tuesday), though I’m hoping I’ll soon find one even better.

Now, coming to the sad part. I’ve given up my car mags (all my TG India editons, Autocars, Overdrives, BSM etc.), hoping they are good hands now. I’ve also left my movie collection at home unattended and mostly unwatched. I’m going to miss my trusted home theatre too.

The heat and the dust have left me in front of my trusted old Dell (will give it up too soon) and so it was but a matter of time that I saw Night at the Museum 2. One word. Don’t! As much as I love to hate Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller is an entire disease in itself. While the first one was amusing, they should have stopped it at that. I didn’t last till the end of the movie. Try watching ‘Taken’ starring Liam Neeson (who’s wife passed away the same day MJ did). The movie was a decent watch, even though not extraordinary in any sense, I liked the concept of a retired spy. No more spoilers. Saw Bolt and I know why I don’t like Travolta, not even his voice. Somehow I missed two movies that I really wanted to watch in India. One being Bhramaram and the other being Transformers 2. Will have to wait for the DVDs (no way I’m watching those on anything smaller than 32inches) now. Finally, I got around to watching the last season of the OC and am sad in a way that it’s over, even though it wasn’t any good. Hopefully, One Tree Hill too will die a quick death, instead of lagging on like Smallville (I’ve switched from glasses to contacts and back to glasses, while Clark Kent has yet to get his glasses, and we all hate Kristin Kreuk, don’t we?). Entourage is back (they should keep doing this till they are 90 years old, and I’ll still love the show. Can’t wait for House season 6, and see how he’s going to live with the realisation that he’s psycho. Chuck too seems set for atleast one more season, who wouldn’t want to see more of Yvonne whatever-her-last-name-is? Checkout the UK dance act Dogzilla as well as John Digweed’s Warung Beach (it’s a song for the unintiated). Like the tune they use for the ads in VH1? It’s Royksopp, who’s song ‘Girl and the Robot’ is also on my current playlist along with ‘Without You’ by Dogzilla. Could be my last or penultimate post on the Inspiron that’s lasted me nearly 2 years (most of it powered on for weeks at a time). I’m still trying to finish Fool’s Die by Mario Puzo and Duma Key by Stephen King.

I should seriously get an Alienware (starting $1799) or the XPS. Going laptop hunting tomorrow anyways. Good night. I’m just putting the green ‘cos if you haven’t heard of it, those are the best laptops money can buy!

Warning: People don’t watch Ee pattanathil Bhootham/Pottan (starring Mum-ooty), unless you are a 5 year old imbecile or a 65 year old retard like him.

Lines open for ‘Buy Ajit a Zonda’ fund.

The thrill lives on… RIP MJ

I’ve not posted anything since over a month, what with a tumultuous month of May and all (more on that in another post). As the world mourns the loss of the greatest musician/dancer/performer ever, here’s my little tribute as well as what I can recall about him. Well, I may not be able to remember his birth date or His story, but the music still rings clearly. I grew up with Bad and Dangerous (pretty much anyone who was old enough to remember Music in the early ’90s). My first ‘original’ tapes were of Bad and Dangerous. The world didn’t give him peace in his last years, making a mockery of the man who gave us all reason to dance (yes, even I’ve badly imitated the Moonwalk and the Robot at a point in my life, as well as jumped around madly listening to ‘Blood is on the Dance Floor’). Something inside of us has all died, the part that makes us sit up and notice, and tap our feet unconsciously when we hear Beat It. In fact, even the ordinary Mallu who’s never listened to him can never forget this song (I’ve been playing it non-stop, annoying my neighbours, after I heard of his death), as it’s been used quite a lot in movies (many lame) to stereotype the ‘yo’ Malayali youth. Such was the impact of the boy faced man. Ok, I’m not a singer (not even a bathroom singer), so I can’t understand when people say he was their ‘musical influence’, but yes, for a young boy at 5 years old (yours truly), his music meant the world, irritating everyone listening to it from my first Walkman (heard of those anyone?). I realised my fascination with music (the listening part, I can’t hum a song to save my life), because of MJ, and every new song I like, it’s because of Bad. And yes, if I ever was naive enough to consider a career in dancing, it would have been only due to him. And yes, the time before hitting teenage, when dancing hysterically with my sister listening to HIStory. Can still recall singing ‘We are the World’ with my class back in UIS. So, so many memories. Only the body is gone, the soul remains.

Michael Jackson, RIP the King of Pop

Let’s not remember him for the negative press and the ‘Wacko Jacko’ days, but for the music, the dance, and the life. I guess it’s time he’s to set heaven on fire, dancing and singing for God. He wasn’t a genius, in music, he was perhaps sent to make a lasting impression on all our lives. Peace to the man, who’s given us only happiness. I guess, heaven’s a better place now!

No One Wants To Be Defeated
Showin’ How Funky Strong Is Your Fight
It Doesn’t Matter Who’s Wrong Or Right
Just Beat It, Beat It, Beat It, Beat It, Beat It

What a week

If I counted my week that was taking into consideration, everything that’s happened around me, the week till now from last weekend would top my worst times ever. I am not supposed to get sick, but yes, I’m down (but not out) with a bad cold as well as being more broke than Mammootty’s movies (you get the picture). I’ve lost my serious voice to be replaced by a flat squeak. And then there was chaos. Saturday night, Barca ripped apart Real Madrid (I’ve never seen such a one-sided match, not even when we won at Valladolid 7-0), and now by some twisted cosmic joke, they ditch Chelsea (who were less than 5 minutes away from repeating last year’s CL) through some poor refereeing. Yes, this has to be Barca’s year in football. With 2 of my most hated teams facing off for the best football title (see, the Euro and World Cup don’t count, since how can you support a country so dearly, if it’s not your own?), my football dream is dead (till next season atleast). Ferrari are proving why Kimi is useless in a rundown car (unlike Schumi). Terrible year for sports then? Wait, there’s more, Mumbai Indians chose right in the colour of the team jersey as they’ve been beaten black and blue by everyone (Why Sachin, why?), and yes, there’s just 2 things on our papers these days. Dumb politicians and idiot cricketers.

Ok, atleast I should return to being a couch potato and catch up on some TV shows and DVDs? Non. It doesn’t work that way. Chuck’s over (maybe for good) and Heroes season 3 has wound up. So bored I’ve started this show called Reaper. More on that later. Movies, ehem? Yeah, there was this Fast and Furious which was so bad, I was calculating my total economic loss midway through the movie, sitting in a theatre full of people, half of whom don’t really know what the plot was or get the dialogue (which was English), the time wastage (is the minimum pay now USD 7/hr?) and rising petrol costs and dropping mileage. In this moment let me take a moment to curse the woman who rode head on into my car on Easter night (May you find the better side of a tipper truck across your bleeding carcass). The only respite has to be music. Finally saw this movie, Zack and Miri make a Porno, and a song playing in the background got my attention (1.5 hours waste of movie for this song), Tell my Why by Supermode. More music, Metro Station, Starsailor and Silversun Pickups. Check it out. I am gonna puke. Where are my meds?

Accidental Humanity

I don’t pride myself to being the best driver out on the roads (or patches of asphalt) but I’m still not that careless (as my folks make it out to be). Why, even Schumi of all people had lots of nudges and crashes on the track (and behind the steering he is God), several accidental and a few intentional (Damon Hill, David Coulthard et all will agree). The day (the night of Easter) and I’m cruising back home in my beloved black Swift ‘06, when I get blind sided by a terrorist-look-alike (I can recall several of my past Arabic teachers) in all black with two of her dozen plus brood (in similar black head to toe garb). It was quite a loud one, thud an’ all. However, going a few metres ahead of the junction and safely parking my car, I return to the spot (I’d be damned if I fled), as a few cars on the track stop behind me to reach the accident prone witch in black (she must be in her 30s, but with the headscarf and other pre-historic clothing you can’t really say).

Now, the real story. I’m crossing the traffic signal on green following and being followed by other cars. Now, I don’t call it fate’s sadistic ploy to hinder my progress (to my house), but there’s something when they hit you and not someone else. Apparently I was doing the right thing, going along, following the signal. The witch (let’s call her this, because other than causing stupid accidents the only thing she must be doing is breeding), and her 2 kids are up, scratched but not hurt. People from cars near me already have come to my aid, saying how we were on green. In fact, even after I had come back, our signal was still in green, and her’s (the black witch) was still in red. A small crowd had already developed, and guess what there are more of her like of the semi-male variety to support her in her useless tirade against us (me and 2 friends). One of them, let’s call him clown-face (this wierd hair style he’s got, like that Kuttichathan kid in the Asianet TV show), is already on the offensive, saying how I was going while the signal was on red, and I’m responsible and similar vitriole. Now, I don’t give a crap what these Mullahs and their ilk say, and my friends were itching for a fight (let’s fight ‘em terrorists), but again, the witnesses (save Clown face) are already telling to leave the case, the black witch being on the wrong. Now the elder of her abaya-clad spawn does say something about my indicator and me being in the wrong, while my friend (name withheld give her cold stare of  “WTF b***h?”). Deciding to rise above petty issues, I take them to EMC (the hospital, not the company), me being the good samaritan though I could easily have left the scene, having proved my innocence. Half an hour of tests and XRays ensue, no one’s even mildly hurt, Clown face and Mr. Witch are meanwhile hatching plans to squeeze out what they can from me (I reckon they might even bring in the entire districts of Kozhikode and Malappuram, as well as their bearded leader Madani). We aren’t budging, arguing how they’ve totally messed up my front fender, and asking them to pay for the repairs (which didn’t happen). So leaving them scratching their heads, and silently swearing enough for their entire generation (all 4 wives and 40 kids) to have to get their ears fixed and brains installed, we return home.

Why did this event actually happen?

1. Some old Mullah and his half dozen wives came to Cochin to set up their breeding program, resulting in this witch in all black robes.
2. A moron, actually gave her a license (or she didn’t have a license to begin with and cops were too chicken to check if she had because of her ‘community’ card.
3. Some random tipper truck missed killing her earlier, saving me a bumper and half an hour.

At the least, I’m thankful to the Almighty, that unlike their normal behaviour (like crows), they didn’t come to her rescue, but maybe it was because it was already past 10, and her kind had gotten into reproduction mode by then to bother.

Moral of the story : Keep your distance from abaya/hijab clad women riding scooters or driving cars, as most of them are too ignorant of the traffic laws like not crossing a red light, or they don’t know how to ride/drive to begin with. There are many good people among them, but such examples that we oome across in our daily lives, make us question the purpose of their woeful existence.

I’m short a fender and a bit of cash. For people who are driving in Cochin, I’m posting a picture of the witch’s hot ride, without blanking out the numbers, so that you can be careful in it’s vicinity.

P.S : In the event of this happening, I was almost certain to miss the MotoGP at Qatar, which however was cancelled due to rain!

Disclaimer: Though, I’m against categorizing people, there are times when generalizing is needed to prove a point. I believe there are good people in the world, but again people do their level best to create this negative image of their community. It’s a case of bad apples again. This is not open to discussion. There are Madanis and Osamas and Mullah Omars, and then there are Abdul Kalams, just to push the argument. Again, please do follow traffic rules and don’t cross red lights, the ‘witch’ here was lucky that I wasn’t too fast or that she didn’t come right in front of me, which would have resulted in a few corpses, which they won’t mind, and it’s not the fault of the car driver in such incidents. Human life is more important than that of witches in black, so drive safe. And hoping she has a gruesome end under the tires of a ‘red killer’ or a tipper of immense proportions.

Circus!!!

Yes, the circus is in town, with all the bells and whistles. It is officially the Indian election season. As people ‘Rock their Vote’ proving plainly how stupid the public are, the clowns that run the show, Left, Right and Centre have put on their biggest grins and smiles, folding hands aplenty, after all this season, the voter is King. The minions of the jokers have started brandishing party symbols (the Hand, the Sickle, the Lotus, the Elephant anyone?) and making fools of themselves sloganeering against anything and everything. Two people who’ve made the biggest mockery of the craziness that is democracy have in their own ways clearly defined played to the masses, in turn becoming the biggest fools in the process. Now, only if the Supreme Court (yes, thank you, Mr Chief Justice, you have made us all a bit more trusty of the legal system) didn’t bar Sanju baba (yes, I don’t figure why people call that Dutthead that), then we’d have Munnabhaism’s in the Lok Sabha to add to the stupidity the other clowns generally spurt out in the Lok Sabha. Does this prevent more criminals from contesting? Obviously not, Laloo’s at it again, and so are a half a million other criminals and politicians, who have successfully blurred the thin line between politics and crime (what line you may ask). Another guy (now most people actually equate him as a Gandhi too), has courted controversy and played to the gallery (then again, there’s a bit of truth in his rhetoric too). See you in jail, then? By the way, have the people of India forgotten that the dumb Dutt actually served a lot of time (that too in TADA) for terrorist activities? Talk terrorism, and one word that comes to mind, is ‘Madani’, who’s (the entire three-fourths of his that is) like the communist poster child now. First they idiot comrades equate Saddam Husein on the lines of Marx and Lenin (the last of the real communists) and now they lift up half a man (I don’t have anything against cripples, as long as they are not terrorists), to get the votes of his followers (aren’t they terrorists too?). Communalism, yes that’s what politics are becoming. Maybe if we could deport the Madanis and the Sanju babas (he’s done what a few noticeable movies maybe) and the other clown, Govinda (he’s an MP from Mumbai of all places, shows even the urban elite lack the political brains, then why complain about Laloo in a 33% literate Bihar?)

Yes, there’s a new front, it’s like these loser type movies, where the weaklings and the black sheep join together, (let’s call them the Underdog project). It’s got the left (Karat and co.), Jayalalithaaa (who keeps adding ‘a’s in her name), Mayawati (she’s like this huge ‘Dalit’ thing), Andhrababu Naidu (TDP) and other also-rans. The fact that none of them are national parties shows how pathetic the whole exercise is as they’ll probably stick to the Congress (if they win) as the Left sides obviously have no clout nor any principles to speak of (unless you can call China-love one of those).

A word should go out to the media from the most sensational (HT, Times of India etc.) to the most partisan (Deshabhimani) to the utter crap (the Malayalam channels like JaiHind and Jeevan) for taking so much interest in all the foolishness the politicians and their ilk conduct at the height of the election season.

In the end, the people’s vote will decide the winners, but whatever the case we are still the losers as another 5 years of mis-governance, apathy, corruption and backwardness will be the resutlt (but then isn’t Congress the opposite of Progress?). They say bad government is the result of good people not voting. But it doesn’t really matter does it? After all they are all wolves in Munnabhai’s clothing.

Watch the circus unfurl, while listening to Britney Spears’ album Circus!And yes, please go out and vote (though I’m not).

Jai Hind!