This post is to Bollywood as well as my fellow country men and woman.

To the Bollywood first- Guys, what the heck is wrong with you all? sometimes you talk like you are great people, know only to do good things and can lead people in the right way. But when it comes to actually doing the deed. You play dead?

Fuck Man. Seriously! – Animals are better than us. If one Crow is dying or dead, all the crows come together. When one of your own is being bombarded with threats by some goondas, you all play dead?

Ya we know you have professional rivalries. Professional rivalries should be only be kept to professional matters. But when one of your own is being targeted by some ass hole goons – where the heck were you all? Don’t have balls to come out?

Had been to our native place last weekend and with a brand new HD camcorder (Canon Vixia HF20), I was desperate to film something or rather everything. Luck was in pocket that day and My Grand Father said he has read in newspaper that today we can see the brightest and biggest full moon in 2010 (at 8PM on January 30th, 2010 – read article below). And why would I leave such opportunity to test the Zoom and Hi-Definition in camcorder. I had my Photo tripod positioned by evening and was ready to go. Captured a loooot of Full Moon around 8PM.  This is known as Wolf Moon in the West. This being the second Full moon in the same month, it is also a Blue Moon. It sure appeared to be bigger than normal. Happy Moon and Happy Me.

Here is one of several clips of that day:

For those who don’t know me: I’m writing this as an Indian First, then an Andhra Pradesh Native and then an Hyderabadi.
 
This part of the post is to all the Telengana agitators and supporters – NOTHING is going to change people. It is you who should change. All you will be left with is dirty politics, corruption and naxalism. TRS or Congress or any other party is doing what ever you think ‘they are doing for good’ is NOT for your good but for the temporary power and to make something out of your sentiment. They are going to LOOT you. Everyone has a regional sentiment. That doesn’t mean you should go on the roads, protest and pelt stones at whatever you can when some selfish man says we need a separate state so that he too can be in power, don’t you think of how is it going to benefit you? How is it going to be different? Unless you are planning to send out all Andhra people out of Hyderabad and occupy their homes and properties. Is that your plan? Because I remember very well KCR saying this a few days back "Andhrawala Bhagoo, Telenganawala Jaago". Is that what you are up to? If that’s the case, then bring it on. We are all used to fighting for everything right? Fight with other states, fight with other religions, fight with other castes, fight with everyone you can whenever you get a chance. That is how we are always in India right? Bring It On!!!

1. Does it really cost Rs. 100,000? (About $2,000)?
Yes, but that’s for the base model, without tax. The higher-end versions will cost more.

Checkout More on Time.com

As Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire gets its big share of awards at the Golden Globe, A R Rahman is being recognized and heard all over the world. This Man is not just a musician, he is a magician with just a different kind of magic. He deserves a “Sir”! 
Look at those Awards.

I would say “Sir.A.R.Rahman” this time, he is making HISTORY!

- Rahman’s a genius: Boyle
- Maestro Rahman’s music draws Oscar nominations
- Slumdog, Rahman sweep Oscar nominations
- Complete list of Oscar nominations

Slumdog has been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), Best Picture, Best Original Score (A R Rahman), Best Song (One each for Jai Ho and O Saya), Best editing, Best Sound Mixing (Resul Pookutty), Best Sound Editing (Resul Pookutty), Best Cinematography and Best Director (Danny Boyle) at the Oscars.

Not just Nominations, I am sure he will make it. In fact, I am wishing that he gets the Best Original Score and the two of his songs nominated for the best song do not compromise and make a Tie!! Been tired of listening to Rahman’s music!! This should keep him quite at least for some time

I am watching the movie on Saturday.
But the music? Its already playing in our Home and Car

Me and my wife have the same kind of mindset (lucky for me) and have been thinking we should do something to contribute for a greener tomorrow. But how? Where do we start? Our first thought was avoiding the use of plastic bags completely. Plastic bags have become a way of life here in Hyderabad and of course all over India. You only use plastic bags even though you have a choice. You use plastic bags because they come for free with shopping and you don’t have to carry anything while going to shopping. Well its easy that way right? But lately, we should learn that each family can use a significant number of plastic bags every year (about 200-500). Yes that’s a very little number of bags in an estimated 5 Billion used worldwide every year. That’s 500,000,000,000 ? That’s 1 million bags every minute? Lets not think at a level of filling the underground drainage with plastic bags and overflowing drains. Talk about destroying the planet with plastic, trash and pollution. Like the movie Wall-E?

Avoiding plastics may be a very small thing. But I guess its a good start for a better tomorrow.

Like Al Gore says in his presentations,
Our children might think..
“What were our parents thinking?”
We have to hear that question. Now!

Ya we heard that! Did you?

We want to spread the word as we follow it. But no resources are available. I mean a jute bag or a cloth bag with a message on it about avoiding plastics. Where do we get something like that? And how do we let others also use those bags with a message? How can we make our thought bigger? Much Bigger? How?

Share your thoughts and let us know your suggestions. And in the first place let us know if you are with us in this?

Nothing in the recent times has got me so badly. Sitting in my office today, I am unable to do anything except wait for the terror act to end. I have a report to submit for a new client today by the end of the day, setup advertising tracking for a new banner ad campaign, take 2 telephonic interviews for a senior position but I don’t think I can do any of them. I don’t have my mind with me today! As we at work mourn in silence for the families of victims and the families of the brave soldiers, a message pops up saying “TAJ HOTEL: COMMANDOS PREPARE FOR FINAL ASSAULT”. Damn I have no words to say how it feels. Kill them all!!!!!!!! No Mercy!!!!!!!!!!!!

With a growing financial crisis situation, Rowdy Politicians encouraging hate crimes, Corruption in every single office, Nature not sparing farmers not for a single season, Companies laying off staff, Terror attacks is the last thing India wants!!! More than a hundred died and several hundreds injured in last night’s terror attack in which terrorists sprayed bullets where ever they could. And as I write this, the situation is not over yet. Hundreds more are believed to be trapped or taken hostage in Taj and Oberoi hotels.

I personally think that this terror group is some way linked to the BJP(Bharatiya Janatha Party) and the people who have been arrested in the Malegaon blast probe. People who have supported suspects in the Malegaon should be immediately taken into custody without considering their positions, ranks or whatever. Well I guess L.K.Advani should be first in the row. I am a Hindu but would not encourage any violence or hate culture growing in my country (being a Hindu I should support what BJP is doing for the good of Hindus? BS!!!! These assholes encouraging hate should be tortured to death).

Well, before I begin to write about the Mumbai blasts as never to forget what happened on one Wednesday night in the most loved Indian city, I want to say this: I really wish there is another political party (with real selfless leaders) in the country which is no way like the Saffron Terror Party BJP and no way like the Corrupted Congress …………………………….!!!!!!!!!!! Atleast Congress seems to be better than the Terrorist BJP party.

My condolences and prayers to the families of the victims, police and army men lost in this battle, their families and my special salutes to the One and Only ATS(Anti Terrorist Squad) Chief Hemant Karkare. His loss is mammoth to the country. Sir I really wish you lived. I wish I could give you my life so that you lived. You will live as an inspiration to everyone. You will not be forgotten.

Here is the story as I watched it far away from Mumbai but with fear and hate of the terrorist acts:

MUMBAI UNDER SIEGE : 100 DEAD, 110 INJURED ;

ENCOUNTERS ON

Gunmen have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing 101 people and injuring 287 more.

The Ministry of External Affairs has set up a control room. The phone numbers are: 91-11-23015300, 23012113, 23013537.

The fax number is 91-11-23018158.

What follows in this post is just the news as it came out till 11PM, 27th November 2008. Its not over yet!!!

Celebrate your Vinayaka Chavithi Vratham / Ganesh Chaturthi with the help of these MP3 and PDF downloads.

Photo courtesy: Flickr

Thought to share this on my blog so that it might be helpful for several others in the future as it was to me this year.

The archives contain the following files:
1. Puja in Telugu Document (end.Vinayaka_vratha_kalpam.pdf)
2. Sanskrit/Telugu Puja Audio (end.sri.vinayaka.chavithi.pooja.plus.katha.mp3)
3. Puja in English Document (vinayaka_english.pdf)
4. Puja in telugu document (vinayaka_telugu.pdf)
5. Puja in Telugu Audio (puja.mp3)
6. Kadha in Telugu Audio (katha.mp3)

Download the files here:
.Rar download: (3 parts for easy download – 29.5, 29.5, 27.3 MB files)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

.Zip Download:
Single file download (87MB)

Kamal Hassan’s Dasavatharam which is releasing today (June 13 ), is expected to hit the screens with around 1,000 prints in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. In Kerala it is releasing in 75 screens, while in Andhra in 250 screens.

In non-southern markets movie is beeing released with about 60 prints with sub-titles across the country- the largest release a regional film has witnessed.

Theatres in Chennai are screening around 45 shows a day in 21 theatres as opposed to Rajinikant’s Sivaji, which was released last year in 17 theatres.

Kamal Hassan is making a comeback after two years… so, anticipation for the film has skyrocketed so very high.

I am eager to watch the movie this weekend in Hyderabad.

Update (June 16th, 2008):
Watched the movie on Saturday. Its no where to my expectations except the first 15min of the movie. Rest of it goes on and on and on… and I felt as if I was sitting in the theater for half a day. I heard that the budget was 60 Crore Rupees and the graphics costed a lot of money. But after watching it, I guess even 6 Crores is waste paying for the graphics. Very cheap and silly graphics. No quality at all. Kamal, you should have gone for a better animation company. Coming to the makeup; Only 2 makeups were good enough. Rest of them were crappy and scary. By the way, the picture in this post is NOT showing the original characters played by Kamal. That one is some imaginative designer’s work misguiding people.

I recently saw the movie Forbidden Kingdom and I would say the old man’s makeup on Jackie Chan is
what our Industry makeup standards should be like.

Though I didn’t like the Movie “Dasavatharam”, I would say Kamal has guts to do this movie. I’m sure no other actor can even attempt to do a movie like this just because of too many links and roles.

If I have to remake the move, I would say, the whole of the movie should be like the first 15 min. May be all roles should be historic and powerful, all the roles NEED NOT be linked in one story, there could be multiple stories shown from the history and someone can narrate the stories in between…. well thats what I expected to be in the movie.

I would say, If you still didn’t watch this movie, you can wait for the DVD/CD to be released and watch it at home.