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Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Hitler Re-born in SRILANKA
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
26/11/2008 - A Wednesday
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Vaaran aayiram - Movie Review
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Vaaran Aayiram - Movie Review
From The Hindu, 03-Oct-2008.
| Vaaranam Aayiram is an emotional, personal film, says Gautham Vasudev Menon. |
Audience expectations are high: Gautham Vasudev Menon
In the generally conservative film industry that thrives on star-worship, this man has the courage to call a spade a spade. Gautham Vasudev Menon is indeed a gutsy filmmaker. He’s also the rare professional who takes criticism with all sincerity.
Yes, MAN is the word because ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ is all about the essence of being the man you look up to. Being the man who can sweep the girl off her feet with his strength, poise and courage.
It’s an emotional, personal film straight from the heart for Gautham, considering it was born out of his father’s death. “Three days after he passed away, I decided I must do this film. I went through a lot of emotions when I came back from the funeral and when I sat to write the film a week later, I thought I could put all that into the film as a tribute to my father.”
No action film‘Vaaranam Aayiram,’ he underlines, is not an action film. It’s a coming-of-age drama where boy becomes man. “Because at every point, when you are young and discovering life and what it’s like… with the evil lurking around the corner or a love that hits you and at every point, I thought that the father could be the inspiration which is how it was for me.”
There is no commercial thought that dictated the content, he says.
“ …I thought let me make a film that deserves what it needs and nothing more. So I was thankful for someone like Suriya who straightaway said ‘Yes’. At the Filmfare Awards, I remember him calling me and saying: ‘I hugged my Dad on stage after I worked on this project. I knew people would think it’s for show but I realised it was a great moment to hug him because at home, I’ve never hugged him.”
Cheran and Raj KapoorAny influences? “If you say it reminds you of ‘Autograph,’ I would be happy because I love that film and I like Cheran as a filmmaker. I’ve grown up watching Raj Kapoor films because my Dad asked me to watch them. I like the way music wasn’t thrown in and takes the story forward. So those are influences but I’ve not copied any scene... But just like Forrest Gump sits and talks about his past, here, when a set of memories are triggered by an incident, his whole life unfolds before him.”
Did he make Suriya starve for the six-pack? “Definitely not,” he laughs.
“When I narrated the script, I said I also wanted to give a small message to youngsters that if at all you are going through a low phase in life, working out and pushing yourself to the limit might be a good way to overcome anything instead of smoking and drinking. So Suriya said: ‘I’ll do a six-pack.’ But when I saw what he was doing, I told him not to do it. There were times he wasn’t eating breakfast and skipping meals. He pushed himself.” He’s all praise for Suriya. “Seriously, the things he does for the director and the film. There is hardly anyone who is capable of performing like him.”
Gautham also shares a special relationship with Harris Jayaraj. “When I took ‘Pachaikili,’ he said, ‘Don’t do it’. Your audience is expecting a big film. This time, we’ve done a Gaana. It’s a first for us. I got up and danced like how Suriya would dance (we hadn’t shot the song) and so I danced like for one minute. He laughed his guts out and then worked the groove out. He trusts me completely and I trust him. We’ve done 35 songs and not even once, have I said I don’t want the song after listening to it.”
Being a successful filmmaker, he has to deal with escalating expectations and uncontrollable hype.
“I don’t think I have a fan base but ‘Pachaikili’ proved that people have certain expectations from me. That’s when I started thinking maybe you should be careful but then, that’s bad. Because you start writing for the audience and you can’t make a film you want to make. So somewhere you have to balance that.”
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Appraisal Time
To refresh your memory, and for the benefit of those who have not grown up listening to this moral story, it goes like this.
There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog. One night when the whole world was sleeping, a thief broke into the house, the washer man was fast asleep but the donkey and the dog were awake. The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and wanted to teach him a lesson. The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly. Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.
Moral of the story " One must not engage in duties other than his own"
Now take a new look at the same story.
The washer man was a well educated man from a premier management institute. He had the fundas of looking at the bigger picture and thinking out of the box. He was convinced that there must be some reason for the donkey to bray in the night. He walked outside a little and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the donkey only wanted to alert him about it. Looking at the donkey's extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet. The dog's life didn't change much, except that now the donkey was more motivated in doing the dogs duties as well. In the annual appraisal the dog managed a "meets requirement". Soon the dog realized that the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life sleeping and lazing around. The donkey was rated as "star performer". The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards. Soon he was over burdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a job rotation......
Disclaimer:
All characters in the story are not at all imaginary. Any resemblance to person living or dying of work is purely intentional.
Monday, September 29, 2008
A letter from google
Google Developer Team
If you think you are unhappy, see this.
A blessing is not a blessing until you recognize it !!
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Friday, September 26, 2008
In an office notice board
1) You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary.
2) If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise.
3) If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise.
4) If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.
Sick Days:
We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.
Personal Days:
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturdays & Sundays.
Bereavement Leave:
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.
Bathroom Breaks:
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offence, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under the 'Chronic Offenders' category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sectioned under the company's mental health policy.
Lunch Break:
* Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy.
* Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.
* Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.
Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.
Kindest regards,
Human Resources :NT00
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Asthma
Battling for breath?
| Did you know that after age 20, women are more likely than men to have asthma for the first time? |
DURING PREGNANCY Inhalers are safe
Shiney is struggling to breathe. There is construction going on near her office and the dust has triggered off her asthma. She has used her inhaler but is not getting better. She knows she will have to go to the hospital for further treatment.
Even though asthma is more common in little boys as compared to little girls, this trend reverses after puberty. After age 20, women are more likely than men to have asthma for the first time. Women also have more problems with asthma, as compared to men. Due to hormonal changes around the time of the periods, women may find an exacerbation of the disease during that time. Pregnancy too, can make asthma worse, and moreover it may complicate pregnancy. Between the ages of 20 and 50, women are nearly three times more likely than men to be hospitalised for asthma.
Not having asthma as a child is no guarantee against getting it as an adult. 30 to 40 per cent of people suffering from asthma will get it as adults.
In mild cases, the chest feels tight, but in severe cases there can be an intense feeling of suffocation. Being unable to breathe or feeling like you can’t breathe is one of the single most frightening situations to find oneself in.
What causes asthma?
The basis of an asthma attack is inflammation of the bronchioles, which are the narrow tubes which carry air into the lungs. The inflammation leads to constriction and narrowing of the bronchioles and results in wheezing, tightness of the chest and a persistent dry cough. Substances like dust, mold, pollen and smoke trigger cell inflammation and mucous production. The basis for this is an allergic reaction. People who have a tendency to have allergies have a greater chance of developing asthma
All asthma is not triggered by allergies. Women can also have asthma attacks after taking drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen. Some women develop asthma in the workplace due to exposure to certain chemicals or other substances. Some women have asthma which is triggered by exercise. Exercise-induced asthma is caused by dry air coming into the lungs or a change in the fluid balance of cells. Within five to ten minutes after beginning exercise, individuals experience asthmatic symptoms such as chest tightness, coughing or wheezing.
Breathing exercises like pranayama are excellent for asthmatics and complement medical treatment.
Developing asthma in adulthood
Adults will often develop asthma soon after a respiratory infection. Women who are prone to allergies may develop asthma when they move to a place where there is more dust, pollution or an allergy stimulating environment.
Asthma attacks can be unpredictable. A woman may get an attack when she is least expecting it. That is why all asthmatics are advised to always keep their medications with them. Asthma can also be exhausting. Women may find that they have no energy to carry on their daily routine after having spent a night fighting an attack. It also prevents women from exercising, leading to an increase in weight which in turn worsens the condition.
Asthma can sometimes be so severe that it requires hospitalisation. Oxygenation of the brain can be hampered and in rare cases asthma can actually be fatal.
Asthma and the menstrual cycle
More women have an asthma attack around the beginning of their period than at other times in the menstrual cycle. At this time, the oestrogen level in the body is very low and this may trigger the attack. 75 per cent of adults hospitalised for asthma are women. The hormonal changes in women may account for this.
Pregnancy and asthma
A particular concern for women is how pregnancy will affect their asthma. Some women find their symptoms get worse, while others find their symptoms stay the same or get better. Women with more severe asthma are more likely to have their asthma worsen during pregnancy than women with milder forms. Inhalers (both steroid and bronchodilators) are safe in pregnancy. Oral medications may be taken under physician supervision.
Most women with mild to moderate asthma can go through a pregnancy without complications. Women with severe, poorly controlled asthma may have the risk of delivering babies with low birth weight and premature babies.
(The author is a Chennai-based obstetrician and gynaecologist with a special interest in women’s health issues.)
Diet
To diet or not…  Don't starve but don't binge either Dieting is increasingly common among teenagers, and the reasons often have little to do with health. The impossibly slim supermodel, the waif-like actress, and the slender metrosexual are exemplars of beauty for many teenagers, and countless diet books and diet gurus exist to promote such notions. Feelings of poor body image and low self-esteem, poor coping skills and other psychosocial risk factors drive many teens towards dieting behaviour that ranges from silly (skipping meals) to frankly dangerous (bulimia, diet pills, diuretics and laxatives). Adults occasionally have to diet and may even need severe calorie restriction, but such approaches are not healthy for teenagers even if they are overweight. Dieting in adolescence may presage the onset of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Extreme calorie restriction and drug abuse for weight loss cause more than just a scrawny looking figure: electrolyte disturbances, alterations in body minerals, increased risk of infection, bone mineral loss, menstrual abnormalities, stunted growth, damaged heart muscle, disorders of heart rhythm and death are very real risks. Studies show that teenagers who diet are also more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, abuse drugs, be delinquent and attempt suicide. The best way for teenagers to avoid dieting is to prevent obesity in the first place. Parents are the biggest influence on what their children eat. A family that consumes a predominantly vegetarian diet rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and pulses is unlikely to have fat kids in it. Teenagers with a weight problem should first see a doctor to rule out endocrine disorders as a cause of obesity. They should maintain a record of everything they eat in a typical week and show it to a dietician or a nutritionist. The solution for a bad diet is a balanced diet — not starvation or low-carb or high-protein diets. Exercise is the safest way of burning calories for a teenager. The rapidity of weight loss on such a sane programme of balanced meals and exercise will leave many teenagers unsatisfied, but there is no safe way around it. |
Greenland’s Ilulissat glacier melting rapidly
Greenland’s Ilulissat glacier is the most active in the northern hemisphere, producing 10 per cent of Greenland’s icebergs. The effects of global warming in the Arctic are painfully visible as the ice melts at an alarming rate.
Latest Mobile Phone
TOKYO: A new Japanese mobile phone will automatically unlock the doors of its owners’ cars and let drivers start their engines without using an ignition key.
The phone, built by Sharp, uses a technology previously developed by Nissan Motor called ‘Intelligent Key’ that allows drivers enter and start their cars without removing their keys from their pockets or bags.
Cars equipped with the system sense when the correct key is nearby, automatically unlocking their car doors, and allow the engine to be started once the key is brought inside the car.
The new twist on this technology is that it is loaded in a phone. The service will work on the mobile network operated by NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile operator.
The companies said in a joint press release on Wednesday that they will display the technology next week at CEATEC, a major technology conference in Tokyo and aim to bring the phone to market sometime after March 2009.
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