Neon Addiction

© Jayanth B Kashyap

A long time ago, when i had a lot of time to spare, i indulged in creating flashy and cool animated titles and videos for my own creative satisfaction..Andrew Kramer, the famous visual artist is my guru when it comes to vfx!

One of his tutorials involves creating a terminator-meets-tron style title effect, and so i decided that i will try it out too! (image above)

Although, the end product was not as spectacular as Andrew's, I'm still proud of it !

Each blog of mine (My Mind a Nolan Movie, Extreme Close Up and 576 Megapixels) incorporates a unique banner design carefully designed by me. But not all designs step out of the drawing board. This design was one of the many that i had created for my movie blog (Extreme Close Up)

Hope you like it too!

Cheers

He Rises

Cross Posting - Extreme Close Up

Hey all! Those of you, who have seen the Dark Knight Rises trailer in my previous post , would have definitely been wondering "What the heck was that chant all about!?"

Well, i came across ujam's site, where Hans Zimmer has actually invited people world over to lend their voice to this chant sitting from their homes! (Link)

And should i say, Hans Zimmer does it again! He blew me away with his powerful orchestra-mixed-with-synthesiser style music for movies such as The Rock, Broken Arrow,
Air Force One, Last Samurai, Inception, Batman Begins, Dark Knight and now he is back again for The Dark Knight Rises!

Just Play the video above and picturise Bane and Batman going toe-to-toe with each other! It is going to be epic!!

The Chant in the trailer is "Dey-Shay, Bah-sah-rah" It means, "He Rises"

How apt right??

I just cannot wait for 2012, because in Nolan i trust.

Cheers!

The Dark Knight Rises : A Storm Coming

Yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!!!!! Christopher Nolan is back!!! The Dark Knight is back!!

Im jumping up and down, somebody get a hold of me for god's sake!!

The highly anticipated trailer for the epic conclusion of the the most awesomest batman series directed by the awesome-est director and my favorite, Christopher Nolan is out and has set my pulse racing!

A Brutal Bane and a wicked Catwoman are all set to go head on against Batman/Bruce Wayne who is now 8 years older than the previous film!

Will batman triumph once again? How will Nolan end this epic trilogy? Will Bane really break the Bat's back!? O god dammit! i can't wait!!

One thing is for sure! I'am definitely going to Hyderabad to catch The Dark Knight Rises on IMAX babay!!

Watch the extremely enticing full trailer from the powerhouse that is Nolan!

The Dark Knight shall Rise!!

The Path of Ezio

Ok so i'am a BIG time Assassin's Creed fan! Even more, i'am totally crazy about Ezio Auditore, the Master Assassin of Firenze..For those who have played the 4 series game, you will relate to what i'am saying!

Last night, i was so bored that i just had to do something totally cool to lift my spirits! and so i flipped through the E3 trailers of Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood and Revelations..and suddenly i realised " what if i create a fan made video paying tribute to this immortal hero!?" And so the next 4 hours flew by..after several cuts and frustrating problems with the audio and video sync, i finally created a video that would make a non-gamer understand the chronicles of the life of Ezio Auditore!

This is the Path. The Path of Ezio.

Hope you like it! Share it with all your AC crazy friends if you'd like too :)

Cheers!

Live By The Creed

Cross Posting from my Photo Blog 576 Megapixels

 

Today, i bid farewell to one of the most memorable characters in videogame history and possibly the whole of film history too - The Master Assassin Ezio Auditore Da Firenze. Maybe this could be the first time, i actually feel 'attached' to a virtual character. I've traveled the whole of Venice, Rome and Constantinople with him and been introduced to his life and the other characters surrounding him.

Assassin's Creed Revelations, the last title to feature both the Great Altair and Ezio, made me wish the game series would never end. The non-gamers,  who have not played this beautiful game can never understand what this means. A brilliant plot, complex characters, huge and astounding cities, cinematic cuts, advanced gameplay with a healthy dose of suspense, mystery, love and action. It is a  story spread across a millenia that can be fully appreciated only by playing all 4 games in the series.

After having seen Assassin's Creed Embers, a 22 minute animated short film that neatly wraps up the life of Ezio, i can't help but  wonder what an amazing part these characters have played. Each word uttered by Ezio in his delightful italian accent, as he recounts his life as an assassin, deep in thoughts and the fear of losing his last and only chance of leading a normal life, Embers is a fitting finish to the life of Ezio Auditore.

Never have i reveled or raved about a mere video game before and i know that i never will.

Requescat in pace Ezio.  I shall miss you Mentor.

For Soup Boys-u Only !

Concept Design : Kolaveri Tee Shirt

Ok so EVERYONE, Southie, Northie, Japanese, American, European and other crazy nutters around the world (including me) are hooked to the song! All of us are so hooked that even Big B Sr, Big B Jr, Beti B,  why even oBama are mumbling "boysu, skinnu, cowu" and stuff!

And so, i thought how cool would it be if i had my own kolaveri tee!? You may think its the heights! But hey, come on! IT IS a rage. 10 Million views in 10 days is no mean feat! Thanks to every media channel, including MTV, V and our own social networks for making it so viral!

But i do have to admit that its a silly silly song! But i guess that's the simplicity of it! One doesn't have to analyse the complexity of the music as one usually does for an ARR song..Just play and enjoy! That's what it is!

So would i print this design for an actual tee? Maybe :)

Cheers!

Tintin : A Wild Fantasy Ride!

Cross Posting from Extreme Close Up

Great Snakes!!

Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles !! Just got back from Sathyam, and still reeling from all the on-screen awesomeness that is "The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn" !!

Where do i begin?? You know i've probably read all the Tintin comics atleast a 100 times! I was introduced to the world of Tintin at the tender age of 6 by my mother, and by god what an adventure it was! Be it "Tintin in Tibet" or "Explorers on the Moon", each and every Tintin comic WILL draw you to its world! Herge, the creator of the Tintin would have never anticipated the longevity and the influence Tintin had or has on the people of yesterday and today! My parents grew up reading it, i grew up reading it and so will my kids and their kids!

But, my favorites of all the 23 comics that have been published is "The Secret of the Unicorn" and "Red Rackham's Treasure" which has so beautifully been brought alive on the big screen.

What do we get when one of the greatest and pathbreaking filmmakers of all time and one of the best known comic characters of all time come together? We get this one helluva movie that will surely be remembered in the years to come for faithfully sticking to the original plot, yet craftfully narrated with an engaging screenplay backed by the industry's best motion capture techniques!

So what's all the hullabaloo you ask? Just imagine this. Tintin and the other characters look so bloody real you could actually mistake the movie as a movie with HUMANS. Visually stunning, Tintin would leave you crave for more, what with its spectacular sets and complex camerawork! You have to hand it to Steven Spielberg, even a simple comic book can be made on such a magnificent scale!!

I being a Tintin fan, am absolutely delighted! Commercial cinema can't get better than this! Action, Adventure, Humor and Awesomeness, what more can one ask?!

All the memorable characters, Snowy for instance draws the "awwws" , Captain Haddock entertains you with his bumbling demeanour, the Thompson Detectives with their idiotic antics and ofcourse, the crème de la crème, Tintin !! Smart, agile and one brave sonofagun! He will floor you!

The best scene would be the chase scene in Bhaggar! Tintin can sure teach a thing or two to Ezio (Assassins Creed) and Drake (Unchartered) about high flying stunts!!

Bottomline: It is the BEST animated movie i have EVER seen!

What i love about the film is that there is something fabulous in each frame! Be it the particle effect in Marlinspike Hall's Cellar or the Oasis in Bhaggar or Glass Shatter by Castafiore, it just makes you go AHHH!

I envy my IMAX counterparts..i was stunned by its impact on 70mm 3D, i can only dream how it would be on IMAX! I'd advise you to not miss this masterpiece, the effect is just not the same on DVD or on the computer! Period.

Well, i can't control my excitement for the second part in the series! Steven Spielberg and Percy Jackson are sure to surprise us!

As Haddock would say it, "My thirst for adventure is Unquenchable!"

So is Mine!

V for Vendetta : Freedom! Forever!

Cross Posting from Extreme Close Up

Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici

"Remember Remember, the fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason, why the Gunpowder Treason, should ever be Forgot"

I remember watching this movie when i was 16 years old..right about the same time the movie was released! And i could not understand head or tail of it! And now 5 years later..i decided to revisit this Wachowski Brothers product with hope that i would be blown away! And was i blown away or what!! Back then, i did not even know that the Protagonist of the movie was played by Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith of Matrix) and i must say, he is such a brilliant brilliant actor!


The Year is 2038, Britain has become a totalitarian society, run by fascist leaders. Just when everyone thought that the country had gone to the dogs, enter "V" , a freedom fighter with a stormy past, vowed to remind the people what it means to live for a cause!

A Guy Fawkes mask, 16 inch knives, Zorro like clothes, an addicting persona, some extremely cool martial arts moves, "V" is out to eradicate the vermin of the society. At first glance, you would expect a cheesy plot, with cheesier situations, typical to most super hero movies.. But this film, works because and only because, it tries not to be something it is not.

The film sets the Gunpowder Plot as V's inspiration, and having escaped a cruel past filled with torture and imprisonment, V spends 20 years preparing to take his vengeance on his enemies. A Vendetta.

But the most striking or important part of the film is the fact that we are not told anything about V as an individual, but rather the film dives into V being an embodiment of an idea! How deep is that huh? V does not have a identity or a face. All we get is an extremely convincing body language as when V speaks. Hugo Weaving's deep and sophisticated voice lends character and strength to the man behind the mask.

The Wachowskis gave us the path breaking Matrix Series and they do justice to "V" with both soul and spirit! The action sequences are nothing less than Jaw Dropping! Believe me, there is nothing sexier than "V" using his deadly knives to gracefully kill his oppressors! The final battle is so EPIC!

Natalie Portman as Evey somehow stumbles into V's life as she is saved by him during an attempted rape by the "Finger men" (secret police). As fate would have it, she is drawn into the enigmatic world of V and learns to face her fears with V as her mentor! No i'm not talking about a Karate Kid style training session!!

There are just so many things about the movie that i loved!! I just loved V's alliterative speech when he introduces himself to Evey, and you must see it too!! (Sorry there are no embeddable videos on YouTube for that scene!)

Be it the hard hitting flashback scenes, or the subtle emotions of "V", or the eventual relationship that Evey develops with a Man who has no face, or the buildup to the climax, V for Vendetta strikes on all chords for me! There are many who would classify this as an action movie and would shy it away! NO! Spare 2 hours and i assure you that you will not be disappointed!

In short, the movie is a masterpiece, extremely inspiring and at the end of it all, the movie by itself is more than a Guy Fawkes Mask, it is an idea.

As "V" would say it, Ideas are bullet-proof! "V for Vendetta" is solid bullet-proof!!

P.S: Watch the trailer, and you will want to see it instantly!!

X-Men - Point Between Rage and Serenity

This post is from my movie blog - Extreme Close Up. Do comment here/there if you liked it!

We Are the Better Men

Hey!! How's October treating you all?! I've had a hectic 30 days since my last post..but time just flew! I guess that's how relative time is!

You know, when i started this blog..i told myself i would not talk about any movie that hits the screen! I made a solemn oath that i would not be a movie reviewer, but id rather be a Extremely-Movie-Addicted-Junkie who would only rant about the movies that impressed/impacted me a lot!

X-Men First Class hit me with so much force, energy, adrenaline and excitement that i did a Banshee during every exciting scene in the movie! After having seen three disappointing X-Men films with the only shimmering light being Magneto and Wolverine, i wondered if any of the movie makers of today would get the Superhero concept right!

It is about presenting the characters onscreen and utilizing the limited time to bring out the best in each character! And Michael Vaughn (Kick Ass fame) has done just that! Be it Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Professor X (James McAvoy), Mystique (Jennifer), Shaw (Kevin Bacon) or any other character introduced as the first of the X-Men Clan, each person's emotions have been delved at satisfying levels..

I'am so blown away by the new Magneto and Prof X, that am already craving for a sequel!!

So what sets apart X-Men you ask? Just about EVERYTHING!!

Brilliant performances, jaw dropping action sequences, multitude of super powers and an intense plot! The extremeness between Erik Alias Magneto and Charles Alias Prof X is simply electric..James McAvoy as Prof X brings a new dimension to the character! Being a telepath has never been so cool!

Michael Fassbender as Magneto never ceases to amaze me with his performances (Watch Inglorious Basterds). Erik (Michael) born Jewish undergoes the cruelty of the Nazi Reich, separated from his parents, experimented upon,but with an awesome gift to generate magnetic fields, he is one person you do not want to mess with! Erik battling his own demons and haunted by his past is shown the path by Charles,thus harnessing his seemingly untapped power source,turning him into an unstoppable force!

Erik's character is dark, subsequently complemented by his rage and desire for revenge. While Charles is the suave, calm and practical person, who in the real sense has not been exposed to the world that Erik lived in. Together, they light the screen on fire!

X-Men is set against the backdrop of the Coldwar during the 1960's, the atmosphere just gets to you, be it the concentration camps, or the high voltage tension between two Super Powers, X-Men does it all!!

X-Men is a wonderful prequel as it REALLY sets the pace going! It is the legendary story of how two gifted persons became friends, and how certain events make them the worst of enemies forms the core of the film.

And being a lover of Movie Soundtracks and Epic Scores, the soundtracks "First Class" and "Sub Lift" go waayyy up my personal charts!! Henry Jackman! Beauty i say!!

My favorite scene hands down would be when Erik (Magneto) lifts the submarine from the depths of the ocean below using his magnetic powers. EPIC. JUST EPIC.

I've seen that scene atleast 23 times, and every time the feeling is the same.

INDESCRIBABLE..

As you watch the sub rise and the strained determination on Erik's face, you just can't help clapping your two hands and pumping your fist in the air! So much adrenaline i tell you!!

Go watch X-Men First Class. It WILL surprise you! Personally i think, its way ahead of Thor, Captain America, Green Lantern and every other Super Hero movie that has been released off late. X-Men has soul, it has a STORY, it has intensity, and most of all it has some awesome Mutants!!

As Charles would say it, Focus is between Rage and Serenity. and X-Men hits the spot right from the beginning!

That Someone..

Hey you all!..am not really in the fun fun mood! Am not here to narrate to you about the funny incident that happened to me..neither am i going to talk about something that i'd usually do..No... that's not it..More like the "gaze at the star, dreamy eyed, la-la land" mood...

You know, its 11.20 PM in Chennai, the time when usually i develop schemes to take over the world, BUT, it is not a scheme am thinking of..its raining heavily..the Gods seem to be celebrating..dancing..singing..and their joy flowing over all of us as i speak...

In situations such as these, i either get all nostalgic or i get all emotional..life has become such a rat race, that i never stopped, sat back and appreciated the finer aspects of life! You know!..and so...lost in the cool breeze that traversed hundreds of miles with the sole aim of pleasing me and the gentle, yet heavy pitter patter of the rains that sings a lullaby..i began thinking of...That Someone... although my mind strains to express a hundred different emotions, waiting to pop the cork..i am still lost for words..with whatever words i can think of...this is my ode to That Someone..

That Someone, who was always there
That Someone, who always cared
That Someone, oh who is full of love
That Someone, who is a beautiful dove
That Someone, who is all heart
That Someone, to whom i said "il never break apart"
That Someone, who stood by me
That Someone, who just has me
That Someone, who makes me smile
That Someone, who makes me cry

That Someone, who means the world to me

That Someone, who just hugged me
That Someone, who asked "what do you want?"

And i said.. "Just you my love"....

That Someone.......................................................

The Brain Button !

Hellooo...its an awesome Sunday evening, nothing to do but just sit back and reeelax..! Before you start wondering about what i have to say this time...am sorry to disappoint you that it won't be me doing the rambling today! Nope. Uh uh.

At the same time, am very happy to introduce to you all a very very close friend, who believes this:

"My idea of fun,
Is good conversation.
My drug of choice, my poison,
Is good conversation.
My mental peace, my salvation,
Is good conversation.
Love, I’m certain,
Is good conversation."

And the person who said it...is Meghna Kannan! At first glance, she comes across as a person full of energy and crazyness! An awesome artist, she lets her hands and words do the talking! And so the day before she left to France (last week), i said "Megz why don't you write on my blog?! and she was like "ummmmm..." After numerous attempts to convince her to write, she finally said "Ok Ju, i'm not really sure about this, il think about it!"

But am happy that she came around, and this is what she has to say....

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

.....Sitting at Frankfurt airport is as good time as any to start working on my “guest” post on friend’s blog. I honestly have no intention of bragging about the fancy-ass airport, but this is the first thing I thought of doing to kill the 2 hrs time I’ve got till I catch my bus from here to my destination.

An Indian at an airport is always a peculiar sight to people here. I’m not generalizing our infamous habits of being the only one with 3 HUGE bags or our legendary white sneakers-blue jean style statement, not at all. We can be cool too. But I do generalize our quality of winning raised eyebrows, 2^nd looks and occasionally a jaw-dropped gawk.

So I perched myself on this sort of maroon marble blocks, randomly placed to form a seating area, which I swear is no different from our kitchen thinnai material, surrounded by coffee shops, a mobile charging port, money exchange counter, information desk, ATM, escalators starting and ending erratically from all directions and directly across the exit gate from where I catch my bus. I started off by being just some regular colourful-attired person sitting there until my Indian-ness started crawling into me. There’s only so much I can sit with my legs dangling before which my legs automatically fold into a chaplaankuti.

And then of course this is followed by the very scrupulous procedure of finding that comfort zone. Mine involved a mini bag fort and changing my slightly greasy pinnal into a kondai. As I carefully remove my DELL, like it’s worth its weight in gold from my very cool broken-zipped, strapless HCL bag, I well up looking at the water stains on the top, clearly a fruitless attempt of Amma’s to keep my laptop dust-free and open it to find 3 of Tulsi’s (my dog) hair on my keys, just a few zillion finger prints and a neat layer dust on the keys. Trust me, I needed to literally lift my computer to chin-level and blow, like one would do with an old book! When I looked up I found three people gaping at me like I was some sort of performing monkey. I pretended not to notice and dug my head into my laptop.

The transition slowly begins. From loose, airy salwars to snuggle-fit jeans, chappals to sneakers, from Vodafone prepaid sim to the French sim, (10 paise/min to 1€/min), from blaring noise to absolute deafening silence to the point where I can hear my anklets ‘jill-jill-jill’ echo while I walk the streets at 10 am! Before I continue, for the record, I do love Europe and I actually am slowly getting pumped to get started with the new year (also ‘cos the sooner it begins, the sooner it ends ;)) Only that my love for this place is sometimes, ok yes, more often than rare, clouded by my love for home. I’m not calling it homesickness, nope not this time. It’s just going to take a few days* to tune my brain to Europe. I wonder whether there’s a neuroscience theory to it. When love can be explained as a simple chemical reaction, desiness to non-desiness might just be switch-on/switch-off mechanism. All it takes is will power as I’m told!

* subjected to change without notice

I was just passed by a Tulsi replica and I was ignored!!! (Oh the heartbreak of not being slobbered over, getting muddy paw-prints and hair all over my clothes) Ok so this switch on/off thing maybe more complex than I thought!

*DEEEPPPPPPP BREATH*

So, welcome to the first of its kind, a Guest blog! Before you begin judging, give me a chance to defend this silly idea. For a person like me, who’s always thought of blogging but never broke out of that “personal writing” shell, I think this is a perfect start. And for people like Jayanth Kashyap, who could use the publicity of an awesome blog entry, its pretty prefect too! C’est parfait! :P It’s a wonder that I haven’t been kicked out of France for raping their language!

Switching Homes

Well, apart from the language murder, I recently realised I have done total injustice to this beautiful place I’ve stayed in for a year already. Last year’s lonely, gloomy gullies are today’s gorgeous cobblestone pathways decked with lush green canopies dancing to the gentle chilly breeze, with the sun playing hide and seek with the whipped-cream like clouds in the baby blue skies. It’s no wonder whichever tiny gully in some remote Indian village our bollywood/kollywood heroes hail from, and however localll they may be, they dance with their heroines only in European gullies. I honestly felt like bursting out into a song and was hoping for a hero to appear suddenly from behind a tree and twirl me around, with our costumes constantly changing as we danced.

Evidently, last year’s nostalgia-inducing songs on my playlist, where every song had its own history, are today’s regular sing-along songs. Last year’s committed, undeterred relationship with my computer (or rather skype) is today’s relationship with this place. Last year’s grumble-filled, whiny, polambifying foreign oor-kadhais are today’s overseas adventures and alien-land escapades. Last year’s loneliness is today’s individualism. Yes, it did take me a LONG time to find my “switch”.

For example – Me being highly loyal and unfalteringly biased to my mother’s mouth-watering food, the separation was initially unbearable. My first ever saambar was literally emosanal attyachar and I blamed France for it! *SWITCH* Meghna’s Special Sunday Saambar. All you need is patience and adaptable or better yet dead taste buds. :D

At the French grocery store - “3,90 € for a watermelon??! –brain gears start grinding... processing... 3,70 × 65 = Rs.253.50??!!!!- beep beep *curse* how will I gullet the fruit?”  *SWITCH* At the roadside besant nagar chappal shop, “Uncle, woh chappal kitne ka hai?” “Beta, woh chappal, 320 rupees, with 20 rupees discount, final rate Rs.300” “300??? –brain gears start grinding... processing... Rs. 300 = 4 € “Bas? Teekh hai Uncle”

In this ever-changing world and the sheer unpredictability of life, circumstances and situations, the magnitude of the “switch” is fascinating. The comfort of familiarity is beautiful, no doubt. But the weird and wonderful adrenalin-rush and the challenge of new, however daunting and overwhelming can be quite enjoyable when “switch”ed to discover the comfort in the unfamiliar.

Short circuit those hard-wired habits! *SWITCH!* ♪Wayyy ay ay way ay ay! Turn it over now, turn around now! ♪ ♫

For the uninitiated,

Glossary:

Thinnai – Table top
Chaplaankutti – Seated with folded legs
Pinnal – Braid/Plait
Kondai – The hair rolled into a bun
Salwars – The baggy Indian style pants
Chappal – Flip-flops
Polambifying – complaining
Oor kadhai – Story
Saambar – A south Indian delicacy (like a vegetable-lentil broth)
Emosanal attyachaar – emotional brutality

I am a Criminal !

[Jayanth's room..Dirty Harry playing in the background...]

Harry Callahan: "....this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?..."

[Jayanth realises that your staring at his blog, quickly pauses the movie..]

Jayanth: "...click..click click! ...Mute."

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

Hey there!! That was one of the greatest Clint Eastwood quotes of all time..! So do i feel lucky today? Absolutely not..and why? you will soon know!

Almost 21 months into my job...and i've developed a really bad habit..staying awake till my  granma's ghost scares me to sleep and sleeping till my dreams become a reality..Vicious circle you see...Sleep late, wake up late and you end up doing everything late the whole day..take my work for example..today although i was prepped to leave early i still reached  the work place at 11 AM.

It was one of those days where one wonders "which side of the bed did i awake from?!"

As all of you would be aware, namma Chennai traffic will scare the pyjamas off of even namma Superstar Rajnikanth! He can do anything in this world, except avoiding/weaving through our traffic. And it always so happens that i had to get caught in the busiest of days - Today.

Thankfully, my faithful beast - Yamaha R15 - never lets me down. I hang my bag  on the two rearview mirrors so that it straddles my petrol tank (to avoid sweating you see), wear my helmet and the journey from my place (Saligramam) to my workplace (MRC Nagar) is a loong journey. I get to play road rash with my other late going office buddies, give evil stares to aunties standing in the middle of the road, try to act brave in front of the bus drivers, avert near certain death a couple of times and ofcourse, bask in the glorious Sunshine. Gives an awesome suntan you know. Try it out!

In the middle of all this, just 3 KM away from work, i get pulled over by namma traffic police. The usual scene - Sergeant with his humongous left thigh on his even bigger bike, seriously fiddling with something god knows what. The constables trying to catch every miserable sod on a two wheeler - ones not wearing helmets, overspeeding, riding with two pillion riders, and ofcourse the ones who obey traffic rules most of the time.

Maybe it was my bushy goatee or i dont know what exactly. The constable caught me reaching the signal and instantly jumped in the middle of the road and said -

"..Orama Va Pa Thambi!"

And so, confidently with the knowledge of and pride that i always carry my bike papers, i quickly slapped my license onto the waiting constable's outstretched palm alongwith my insurance papers. And he looked at me, pointed his finger to my bike's ass and said -

"Number plate fancy a poda kudathunu theriyadha pa??" (don't you know that wearing a fancy number plate is wrong?)

My mindvoice told me "F**K, i'm done for". Whatever precautions one may take, the smallest of details go unnoticed. I learnt that. Although i have immense respect for our Traffic Police and the responsibilities they undertake, i couldn't help but laugh at what was happening. Knowing that i was at fault, i voluntarily asked what the fine would be.

The Sergeant, with a smile said - "100 rupees kudunga sir, receipt bill tharen" Under the scorching heat, my already fried brain told me that i had forgotten to draw cash from the ATM. Sheepishly i told the officer that i had only 60 rupees in hand. And smack came the answer! "ATM pakathule iruku, poi draw pannitu vaanga sir!"

How lucky could i get? The nearest ATM was 2 KM away..and so i walked, jogged, drew cash and came back like a wet donkey. I signed the electronic receipt-churning machine and lo came the offence sheet. And what i saw shocked me!

I had been fined under two sections:

• Defective Number Plate - Sec 177 - Rs.50 (my fault, hence i can live with it)
• Disobedience to orders/abstraction/refusal to give information - Sec 179 - Rs.50   (What the hell!? when did i do that!?)

So what did i do upon seeing this? NOTHING. Why? Because its a waste of time.

So what sort of recklessness was that? I DON'T KNOW. Disobedience to orders? Me? I had practically handed out even my older insurance papers to these cops! Then why was i fined under that section?

What sort of disregardful behavior and brash violation was that? I will never know..! Worst part was i had even signed on the receipt unknowingly accepting a crime i never committed! Irony.

What i know is this...Just enacting a bill will not change anything. We are humans. Humans with emotions, thoughts and a very powerful gift of making our own decisions. Ultimately, a person who is inclined to cheat or take advantage of others, will stop at nothing.

Ink on paper doesn't sound very convincing when its actually an issue of changing the underlying moral values of us humans.

Given a chance to cheat, we will cheat.
Given a chance to fight, we will fight.
Given a chance to rob, we will rob.

After all, we humans place ourselves above anything else. These are the precious words coming out of the newly branded "Criminal"

So do i feel lucky punk? No.

Until next time, safe riding (and please do change your number plates, if its one of those 007 or BOSS type plates)

P.S - Subscribe to comments via email to follow up!

Ninja Fruitassin - Reloaded

PROLOGUE:

The Year is 2028 A.D. I am a Ninja of the Otaku Clan.

Man, known to be the most powerful and evolved organism in the world has achieved many great things. He has walked on Jupiter, visited the Andromeda galaxy, discovered time travel, achieved 100% cognitive capacity and has also gone beyond the 4th dimension.

He is now constantly facing a threat that was unforeseen and unpredicted. (Even by the Mayans)

Invasion. Fruit Invasion.

We know not where they come from. But we do know who created them - The Diabolical Halfbrick Studios from the Queensland Solar System.

THE FRUIT INVASION:

It all began on April 21, 2010 A.D. The people of the world woke up to the squishes and splashes of fruits from the sky. Rocketing towards the Earth at the speed of light, Apples, Pineapples, Bananas, Peaches and humongous Water Melons came hurtling down upon the unsuspecting people of the Earth. As soon as the sweet juices of the fruits touched the skin of the humans, they transformed into fruits themselves! Millions of humans turned into fruits within hours...and then it stopped. It was foretold that such an event was to happen again in the not so distant future.

Man has got back on his feet and just when things seemed to be in control again, we were told of the larger doom awaiting us..in 2028. Right after the first attack we have constantly tried to find multiple ways to fend off another fruit invasion. We ninjas hate fruit.

THE DISCOVERY:

In 2022, One of our most covert Ninja (Sensei) discovered that slicing the fruits nullified and destroyed its evil effects. And thus began the quest to master the art of fruit killing. What happened next was something unbelievable, something miraculous.

We chanced upon a 2011 version of the IntelAppUp Center and alongwith it, an awesome simulation and training module - the Ultimate Secret to stop the Fruit Invasion.

Fruit Ninja HD Lite (Built by Halfbrick Studios themselves)

FRUIT NINJA HD LITE SPECS:

A thorough examination of the IntelAppUp Center revealed this:

• A downloadable App Market bigger and better than any other.
• Developers can submit apps or app components to the AppUp Center.
• People can view and explore various app categories suited to their training module.
  

The Ninjas who had used the Fruit Ninja HD Lite module had this to say:

• Exact Simulation of the Fruit Invasion.
• Accurate reproduction of the Ninja Martial Arts and Samurai.
• Multiple levels that increases the difficulty, thus sharpening the skills of the Ninjas.
• Power Ups and Combo Attacks!
• Plethora of Weapons to choose from
• The ultimate satisfaction of spraying fruit juice all over the place!
• Most of all, it is Xbox Kinect enabled, which means we can simulate the exact slicing technique!

After hearing so many rave reviews of the module, i had to try it to believe it! I quickly setup my Intel Core i100 PC (Ninja Edition) and downloaded the app directly from the IntelAppUp Center. After quickly entering the main screen, i realise that i have to choose my weapon and what better than the original samurai blade?

After starting the simulation module, i am stunned to see the exact fruits that invaded our Earth hurled up on the screen. Anger. Rage. I slice my blade (air mouse) through the barrage of fruits.

Shathak!! There went the apple ..sliced in half! Thawk went the watermelon, its inside spewing juice..it was a ugly sight. But as i licked my lips in satisfaction, i could not contain my hate for these fruits.

RAMPAGE!

With each simulation being more difficult than the other, i had to make use of Combo Attacks (slice 4/5 fruits at once) to train better. With the fruit death count increasing, i was on a rampage. I could not be stopped. I needed more fruits to cut, more weapons and more ambient backgrounds to simulate the real thing.

Having started of with the normal blade, i had now advanced to the flame blade; each cut burning through the squishy fruits, sealing their doom.

This app really did the trick - In one way it was jam packed with training features, any normal ninja could casually train with the module and most importantly, it gave us the edge to ward off the upcoming attack.

BECOMING A NINJA FRUITASSIN: (Rocky Style)

Several weeks passed, every ninja of the Otaku Clan trained with the simulation app and attained higher levels of ninja-ness. But i had gone beyond all of them - i had become a Ninja Fruitassin...

I did this by constantly cross training between the Zen Mode and the Arcade Mode.

The Zen Mode tripled my combo attack efficiency, thus ensuring i missed no evil fruit from my sights.

The Arcade Mode bestowed awesome power ups, gave the daftness to avoid the bombs and the ability to do a blitzkrieg in case i faced hundreds of fruits at the same time. All within a span of 60 seconds. It was a skill beyond comparison.

And so, as our clan prepare to make a last stand against the fruits - we only have this to say

"If its fruit, slice it.

If its your doom, embrace it."

That is the Way of the Ninja.

The Fruit Ninja HD Lite app has given us hope. given us courage. Most of all, it has given us the fruit ninja-ness that we possess today. We recommend it to you, you who is part of some clan in the world.

Save the World. Get the Fruit Ninja HD Lite app. Become the One. Become a Ninja Fruitassin.

As for me..a vicious pineapple is hurtling towards me..!! Wataaaaaaaeeeeeeee...Shathak!!! (Juice spraying)

THE END

P.S - The above post was intended to describe the App with a Creative Twist.



This blog is an entry to the "My Favorite PC App" contest. Check out numerous apps for PC/Netbooks available at the Intel AppUp Center. If you are looking for an opportunity to build and monetize your applications, check out the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program.

Vigneshwaraya Namaha!

Its a brilliant day!!! Blue skies, birds (crows) chirping and most of all, namma chennai makkal rushing to get their hands on the clay figures of Lord Ganesha!

Happy Vinayagar Chaturthi people!

Every year at home, i wake up to the smell of the yummy food being prepared and to the hustle and bustle on the streets! Young girls carrying miniature clay ganeshas, hawkers selling flowers, garlands, thoranams, colorful umbrellas (for the clay ganeshas) and other things that would sell on this day! Although i really do not understand the pooja part and the accompanying mantras, all i ever cared about was the kozhukattai! The soft gooey home made sweet that just has no diminishing marginal utility! Saaptukute irukalam!

And so, on this auspicious day, i pray that all of you have a prosperous life ahead filled with the goodness of Kozhukattais!! Lets hope that this world be rid of the evil and sorrow it is now infected with!

Happy Kozhukatai gorging u pigs!! :)

Anyway, me going back to the legendary movie of 2010 (on Sun TV): Sura (Nee adicha adi vizhum, Naan adicha ...IDI VIZHUM!)

Arrivederci!!

My Tryst with Mario!

Here i am..Rock you like a Hurricane..Here i am..Rock you like a..oh hi there!! I was just listening to one of the all time great rock anthems! ..You know the 80's is one of the greatest decades that mankind has seen and experienced! (including my birth in 1989!) It was the decade that ushered in a series of global events,iconic figures in music, politics, film and sport, and most of all - Technology. It was the age of computers, television, VHS, boomboxes and more relevantly - Video Gaming baby!! 

Video Gaming took the world by storm and Japan seemed to be the one of the best in Video Game development! Nintendo, Capcom and Namco especially were churning out games that would be played over the next two decades ! Well of course in India, we had the misfortune of being exposed to these gadgets only almost 15 years after its release! I will never forget the day when i feasted my eyes on the legendary Fourth Generation Nintendo Gaming Console (16 bit version). It was a thing of beauty, but alas, i had to settle for a cheaper copy of the console after weeks of pleading my parents! (this was back in 1999-2000)

And ofcourse ROM cartridges were needed to play and being a first time gamer i was pretty confused about which games to buy as i had no clue about the popular games at that time! In Pondy Bazaar, T.Nagar, is every kid's gaming heaven - Maya's Plaza. At that time, games were sold not individually but as a package with a lot of other games in the same ROM cartridge. 64 in One, 3 in One, 256 in One ; these were some of the ROM cartridges available at that time! So i chose the 64 in One (paid around Rs.400) , checked to see if it worked or not at the shop, and i returned home as fast as i could for the official console unpacking ceremony.

After unpacking and figuring out the connections in my old BPL TV, i finally switched on the power, inserted the ROM Cartridge and i just stood there. What i saw on the screen is etched in my memory even today. The plethora of 8 bit characters on the main screen coupled with the mono electronic music was an absolute delight! The feel of the controller was so amazing that i pressed the arrow buttons a hundred times before settling down! 

Good Ol' days of the Cartridges

And then it happened. I discovered the greatest game of all time, Game no.2 on the screen; the game that would forever make me want for more! the game that every gamer should and must have played -

The Super Mario Bros.  !!!!

On entering the game, i was welcomed by the screen shown above and what came next was the best part.

The Central Characters in the game are Mario & Luigi, Italian American plumbers living in the Mushroom Kingdom, the fearsome and evil Bowser - Mario's archnemesis and ofcourse the beautiful Princess Peach. The plot of the game is quite simple - Evil Bowser wants to takeover the Mushroom Kingdom and kidnaps Princess Peach. Mario & Luigi take it on themselves to save Princess Peach and Mushroom Kingdom. For this, they have to pass through eight worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom and defeat King Bowser at the eighth level!

Pretty exciting right?? :)

As days passed by, i was drawn more and more into the world of Mario, fascinated by the awesome gameplay, by its atmospheric detailing, the legendary theme music ringing in my ears even when i slept! Millions of people over the world can never forget the transformation of Mario in Super Mario whenever he eats the "Super Mushroom", the " "Flower" that gives Mario the power to shoot fireballs or the many times when that "One up Mushroom" was needed when Mario's life was short!! Level One of Super Mario Bros. can be played over and over again especially with that music going in the background! (Play Below!!)

It used to be so much fun whenever i stomped on the turtles and made them turn over their shells and when i collected as many coins as i could in the bonus levels when Mario went down the green pipe! And oh! the tension when the timer ticks down to the last few seconds and you know you have to make Mario run faster to the finish point in each level! Was that fun or wat!?! I still remember the many times iv tried to reach the top of the flag pole at the end of each level by making Mario run as fast as possible and and jump over the last set of steps so that i could get the maximum points! .. and who could not want to break the thousands of bricks in the Mushroom Kingdom and particularly Mario doing a Superman Stance every time he jumps!

Up Up and Away!

Mushroom Time!

You so want to buy that old 8 bit video game console don't you? :) Back when i was in 9th grade, i remember playing in the Two Player Mode with my baby sister and every time i lost a life in the game, i would take a life from her (She played Luigi btw) ! And the fight after that was even more hilarious!.. (evil aren't i?)

In one way, Mario and his world changed me. It showed me a whole new universe that i did not know existed ever before..If i were to calculate the total hours of my life that i spent playing Mario, it would roughly work out to over 1300 hours!!!  There are others who have clocked more than that :) You may think we are crazy, but we are not! Our sole aim was to save Princess Peach from the clutches of King Bowser! Period.

But as the old saying goes, all good things had to come to an end..my video console bombed 2 years later and i have never played Mario since then...

The truth is..Mario Bros. was not just a game. It was an essential part of my life, of everybody's lives. Mario made everyone happy and was the hero anybody wanted to be.!

There will definitely come a time, when i would tell my children and their children that once upon a time, there used to be a game called Mario. And how he changed my life forever. This was my tryst with the great Mario and soon it would be theirs.

Until next time...Cheerio!

P.S - Do let me know if you still have the old video game console with the Super Mario Bros. game :)

A New Beginning

Hello all of you! It is so good to be back! We are halfway through 2011 and i can't believe this is my first post for the year! So it makes it all the more special for me! So..what has changed in the last 8 months you ask? Well..iv gone from 67kg to 83kg, my old clothes don't fit me anymore, i bombed in a crucial test, became a complete workaholic, did not watch a single movie from Jan to June (in the theater that is !, which is quite odd for me), brooded day in and day out wondering why i ignored my blog so much when i went of to a flying start, and some other things which you wouldn't want to know ! But well here i am, rambling as usual, typing for the sake of typing.

But the point is! Why did i choose to suddenly decide to break the jinx and make the first post of the year? Well it happened last night, when i was thinking of the good times i had during school and college and how boring i have become these days! It couldn't have happened at a better time, right when a lot of my close friends have come down from the other parts of the world for a brief stay to take in the sambar-ness that is Chennai!! 

The last 3 weeks have been some of the best days of my life, catching up with old friends, reliving all those memories, cracking jokes about the nerd in school or about the dork in college ! My my..we have come a long way haven't we? It was at that same thought i realized how i am incomplete without the people i've grown up with! The people with whom you spent years studying, playing, dancing, fighting and a lot of other crazy things! They make me complete! A temporary void was suddenly filled like a Patronus Charm, full of happiness and joy! There is not a feeling that can come close to that, other than love, and it was that feeling that made me take of the sheets from over this blog and talk about the people that matter.

Im sure that each and everyone of you can relate to this, why even my own DAV-ites and VM-ites will second me on this! Who wouldn't want to get back to Sripad Hall and do one last hurrah for Entrenous! or who wouldn't want to get back to the playground and kick and smash the football or volleyball? or what about the nightlong dance practice sessions at a friends place, where everything else other than dance took place? or who wouldn't want to get back to those old classrooms and sit in their respective seats?

You tell me, who wouldn't?

I would. Anything to hit the reset button and go back in time. It is this feeling that incepted a new understanding of life in me...a new beginning.