mere funde

We (our IP group) are off tonight to the foothills in Uttaranchal to the Jim Corbett National Park for a weekend full of fun and uncontrolled fun!

More on the trip once I return. Have a great weekend everyone

Comes from TED 2008.

The Tibetan monks told us: “we don’t really believe that you went to the Moon, but you did; you don’t believe that we can achieve enlightenment in a single life, but we do.”

TED is a conference which gets together some of the most brilliant minds of the world. Someday, when I have the money or am as important, I will attend one of these TED conferences.

The music of the “Raghu Dixit Project” (erstwhile Antaragni) has been released on CD.

I first listened to them in the psentisem OASIS (2k4) and they were absolutely amazing. I recently ran into them in the SAARC Bands Festival. And the moment that I had been waiting for has finally come. According to TK they have finally launched their CD. Can’t wait to get my hands on the CD people, even though I have most of their MP3s.

The now famous Patent Troll Tracker has been identified by some one, and he has revealed himself on his blog.

I added this blog to my Google Reader way back, and ever since he has been a fantastic blogger and has come up with brilliant posts. It’s a shame he was forced to disclose his identity. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope that he does not have to give up his work.

Keep going dude, you rock!

LinkedIn, the popular and business oriented, social-networking site has gotten an upgrade and feels more like a Web2.0 site now. The home page has gone a drastic change and is now more configurable with custom modules, etc., with drag and drop stuff!

(Click on picture to get full view)

There is a huge difference between other boxing movies like “Rocky” and “Cinderella Man“, and “Raging Bull“.  While Rocky and James Braddock are shown to be entirely white characters, Raging Bull portrays Jake LaMotta as a failable human being. Somewhat like a Shakespearean character, with a mix of black and white, a grey character.

The movie opens with a tragic soliloquy of Jake’s fears, sexual anxiety and confusion, and from then on we are taken into the down the hill journey that is Jake’s life. We are introduced to him when he is almost at the peak of his career, and are shown how he is made to suffer and his life becomes a horrid mess.

He is a self made man who doesn’t want to take any favours from the mafia because he knows that they would come at a big price. However, his brother Joey, played brilliantly by Joe Pesci, convinces him to throw a match once to get a title shot. He does that and from then on, loses respect for himself. He weeps bitterly in the arms of his trainer after the fight. Though he gets his title shot, and also wins it, his fears turn more violent. He doesn’t trust his wife or his brother any more. He takes himself on a path of self destruction and ends up in a jail. The last scene is a poignant one  with Jake reciting the famous lines from “On the Waterfront”. He blames his brother for making him throw the match that changes the course of his life. His life completes a circle from dizzying heights to near obscurity, where he has to do stand-up routine at shady bars.

It wasn’t him, Charley. It was you. You remember that night at the Garden you came down in my dressing room and you said, ‘Kid, this ain’t your night; we’re going for the price on Wilson?’ ‘remember that? ‘This ain’t your night?’ My night. I could’ve taken Wilson apart that night. So what happens? He gets a title shot outdoors in the ballpark, and what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palookaville. I was never no good after that night, Charley. It was like a peak you reach, and then it’s downhill. It was you, Charley. You was my brother. You should’ve looked out for me a little bit. You should’ve looked out for me just a little bit. You should’ve taken care of me just a little bit instead o’ making me take them dives for the short-end money. You don’t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody instead of a bum, which is what I am. Let’s face it. It was you, Charley. It was you, Charley.

Robert De Niro is brilliant as Jake and his acting is top notch. It doesn’t come as any surprise that he bagged the Oscar for this one. His physical transformation within the movie had been carefully manipulated by him. He gained around 60 pounds for second half of the movie when he plays the older Jake with a huge belly. Joe Pesci plays the part of his younger brother to perfection and the facial similarity they share add to the character. The direction by Martin Scorsese is top notch and everything is perfect, including the Italian accent. The black and white composition gives the movie an authentic era look. All in all, a wonderful movie. Must watch!!

So gimme a stage
Where this bull here can rage

I feel in love long back. And we got into the relationship exactly 2 years back. She has been with me through the thick and the thin, and has never given up on me. No tantrums, and has never asked anything in return. She remains my true love.

Happy Birthday Darling! Here’s to many more to come.

The weekend was very well spent with a bunch of us making a trip to the Quli Khan’s Tomb at Qutub Minar for the “Dharohar” Sufi concert as a part of the Times Delhi Festival.

The show featured Gazi Khan Barna and the Manganiyars from Rajasthan. They were magical at times with the Khartal and Dhol jamming bit, and the Dam Mast Kalandar being the highlights of their performance. Also, the actual Rajasthani version of the famous Nimbuda song was done brilliantly.

Next in line was the hyped event of the night. The performance by Kailasa, a band led by Kailash Kher. They put up a pretty nice and feet tapping show. The best from their end was the rendition of Tere Bin Nahi Lagda, Saiyaan and another medley jiska lyrics I don’t remember.

Anyways the folks were hungry before he came to the end and his best songs (Allah ke Bande, etc.). But pretty damn good anyways. The location looked brilliant with the lighting an stuff, and the fact that it was free was that much better

Meanwhile, Questionable Content, a comic I have become addicted to, has come to pretty interesting phase. It seems that Faye is starting to loosen up and that means only one thing. More fun!

Uploaded quite a number of snaps today.

1. The Auto Expo at New Delhi
2. Thax’s Trip in December (highlight - trip to the Paranthe Wali Gali)
3. Debo/Shubbu’s trip in December

From Gaping Void:

Sometimes no one can say it like Hugh.