Things I was blown away when I watched ‘The Last Emperor’ for my first time are:

It was not just creating a visual spectacle with the humongous & lavishing sets but also telling a long story and keeping the viewer engaged.

The actors amazed me in how they had adapted to different styles and speaking accents based on the story’s flow. (No I’m not referring to the emotional change).

I was totally impressed by the writing. Right from young age to the end, the writing was apt about what the Emperor would or could have done at each age group.

No wonder it got 9 oscars. Stunning and exhilarating to watch the movie even after 25 years.

P.S I’m not watching these movies because I’m a movie buff. But I’m trying to watch movies which are either awarded Oscar for screenplay or is too popular to miss.

 

 ‘Before something happens in the realm of calmness, we do not feel the calmness; only when something happens within it do we find the calmness’

“For the moon there is the cloud. For the flower there is the wind.” – Japanese saying

(Source: Calmness chapter from ‘Zen mind, Beginner’s mind’ by Shunryu Suzuki

Vaaranam aayiram is tool old now to talk or critique about…but I want to put out the small thing which surprises n confuses me..

Mundhinam parthane is such a melodious song, one of the best in that year.  From the movie’s point of view, it was the best form of narrating the flashback in 4-5 mins without boring the audience, at least in the tamil movies I have seen. Songs have been used to move forward the story in a lot of movies.. no one will forget the song in annamalai movie.. Using a song to show the flashback was not just new but succinctly and quickly to portray the past in a capturing manner.. So this is all awesome..but it confuses how such a brilliant director chose to show the kidnapping sequence and additional songs in the movie.. The kidnapping sequence was a time waste IMO to convince the audience to justify hero’s move to army.. It’d have been great at least if the director showed novelty in the fight sequences..Or he could have cut down on the fight sequence and rather showed a little bit more about the 70s/80s lifestyle considering how well the aesthetics and cinematography was handled for the mundhinam parthane song.. I do want to conclude that Gautham Menon is one of the best directors currently in industry willing to experiment as well as create movies which young people are attracted to.. looking forward to more brilliant tamil movies from him

Considering how many cases and levels of jurisdictions we have in each country, I wonder which among the two can one conclude:
1. There is no integrity among humans and hence an external validation needs to be brought to solve the conflict
2. Courts are so awesome in resolving problems that everyone want to take even the pettiest problems to the court. The implication also that people heavily trust the justice system in the country.

From the song Mulumathy in Jodha Akbar (tamil version), I LOVED the lyrics

“ஒரு கரையாக அவள் இருக்க,

மறுகரையாக நான் இருக்க,

இடையில் தனிமை தளும்புதே நதியாக ,

கானல் நீரில் மீன் பிடிக்க

கைகள் நினைத்தால் முடிந்திடுமா,

நிகழ்காலம் நடுவே வேடிக்கை பார்க்கிறதே ..” – நா. முத்துக்குமார்

Under the section “The Little King’s Paradise: A Promise Unfulfilled” from chapter “The Grail Quest or the Bourgeois nest?” in the book “Zen and the art of living” by Laurence G.Boldt:

“About the time the Industrial Revolution was really getting into gear, political revolutions were everywhere replacing kings with parliaments, presidents and promises. The key promise was that the common man would one day soon be king. He would possess for his own the kingly prerogatives of power, leisure, and security…

No doubt kingly life (at least that of the better kings) was more than power, leisure, and security, but these were what we coveted. Duty, responsibility, wisdom, honor, courage, magnanimity– these kingly virtues might be admired in passing, but they were not envied like others…We would be kings and take for ourselves as much power, leisure, and security as we thought we deserved and could get away with..

(today) We cling to the hope that, if not by the miracles of science, then perhaps by the miracle of the credit card, we can live the life of kings. Increasingly, leisure has become associated, not with rest, refinement, or a contemplative life – but with consumption. Leisure, which we get from the Latin licere, “to be permitted” has come to mean permission to consume as much as we want, without consideration for others or the environment..

By now many realize that the promise was empty indeed. We were promised that we would be little kings, and yet it seems we have so little control over the direction of our lives. The little king is a prisoner of his own “freedom” – from responsibility and conscience. He is free to fit in – not free to live his own life….

To be obsessed with control, yet unable to direct his own life, to consume without satisfaction, to seek security in isolating conformity – such is the lot of the little king – such, his ‘freedom’…”

Here are some observations and design thoughts based on my experience today and past few days.

I have been taking coffee for the last 2 days to keep myself awake through the day, cause I am coming really early to office. This and observing other people here at work makes me think that US is not just running on gas/petrol/oil but also on caffeine

Internet radio vs iPod
Internet radio means you dont have to carry your device while providing songs which you dont have worry buying.
Youtube is a good alternative so far because you can create custom list and play them.

Problem though is video which is not really needed if you want the music running in background of your work.

iPod or other personal music device allows a sense of personal control as well as keeps me working without bothering to go to that web window and switch the songs everytime I dont like.

Design ideas or paths based on this are that either the web interface should become like a plugin so that I can work on reading in a page while I can read my page and I can switch songs. Or may be a playlist I’ll choose and work for the day because it might be based on my mood for the day.

Other aspects here are the cost of the device, trust on network capabilities, network permission/access for the website

Private Email server?
Can individuals have private email servers so that they dont put their data for companies to thrive on their business?

The business model will also be very interesting.

Umbrella which you don’t need to hold
We have been using umbrella for years and years. We have been comfortable holding them with one or both the hands, even using it to play in the rain. However, with the element of mobile phone and other technology growth, every one’s hands are busy. It’s not just with the phones.

I was walking with my colleague to our office. It was raining. He was carrying his sports bag and his normal bag in hands, one on each shoulder. He had to put/get something into/from his bag. Since I was there next to him, he asked me to hold the umbrella for a second. Now it struck for me, what if the umbrella could stand by itself and could follow & give protection. Umbrellas have changed colors and models. This is the Umbrella 2.0 in the history of umbrellas I’ll say.

Any more interaction or cool working could be added. But again, observing and understanding people in action is undoubtedly important for the next level of change. This is what I’ll call user (people) experience.

Future of furniture
I came across this video,demonstrating how future furniture will work

My initial reflections were that yes indeed it’s going to solve the problem of space & cost considering the shrinking living space with exploding global population.. but prob will be the cost and repeatin an action everytime and everyday.. wht might be cool will be a intelligent furniture which recognizes humans and changes form automatically. The scope of improvement can be vast for this kind of furniture. Last year (2009) in my first semester, we had the opportunity to create next generation furniture, Google globe.

These are the reflections for the day. Looking forward to what I’ve next.

Ravi

Hi guys,

Long since I signed into wordpress.. Anyways I’m not goin to take much time now..

Yesterday I watched Poi solla porom movie.. Basically I’m not a movie buff, but part of project party I went to this movie. You must have heard about the story line of the movie through papers and friends.

 

While watching the movie I felt “Yes. It is good. Can be watched once”.. But, once I came out of the show and lookin back at crap movies and how directors unable to give stories spice up other things, this movie appeared to be brilliant. Kudos to the director, cause he shaped the story very very beautifully and had enough twist in the simplest of atmospheres. Really good movie..Worth spending some amount .. cause it does it’s prime job just entertain .. and doesnot  leave you in a frenzied state..

Meet you all later..

Tc and enjoy life guys..

Ravi 🙂

P.S Some assignments from Aravindan are pending.. I hope I come back and finish it soon.

Disclaimer: When I mean guys or he , it is not written with gender-bias.

Tagged by  my dear, Logic Thala .

Last movie seen in a theatre:
Sivaji.. Btw I dont go to theatres much.. cause partly  I”m lazy and also  I’m strongly influenced by movies..so i’m quite picky abt them.. I like Kamal’s movies though)

What book are you reading?
The last read book was “The Lady and The Monk” by Pico Iyer… Such a beautiful book.. I lost in Japan.. truly mesmerised by the beauty and innocence of the lady described in the story.. Then I started this book.. “Search:” I dont remember the complete title..It was about Google’s birth and development… Nice one…In the midway I had to return it cause someone else reserved it.. Eager to read tht once again..

Favourite board game:
 I dont know wht’s a board game.. but my favourite game is Dias Tennis..which is played below the board :D.. DT rocks.. Cheers and HI to all the DT Players

Favourite magazine:
Sportstar (English) and Thuglak(Tamil)

Favourite smells:
The smell of new books..Got this habit revived from Ragesh, .. Also the mann vasanai (copied from Revs’s tag .lol ) …. Then nascent Jasmine may be..

Favourite sound:
Ball hitting middle of cricket bat as well as smash in TT/DT

Worst feeling in the world:
When someone asks this question and tries to bring back bad old time.. I allow who’s taking this tag to skip this question..

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
I dont know..I’d be awake atleast 20 mins before I get up from the bed..lol 

Favourite fast food place:
Honestly dont know many of them .. But yes I’m more specific on what i have

Future child’s name:
Will be decided on consutlation with my wife 😀 .. [Claps please :P]

Finish this statement, “If I had a lot of money I’d…”
I’d be in a golden bed, surrounded by armoured guards, costly medicines and other nutrient foods.. but I’d be gasping for breath 😦 .. So I always try to make sure I’ve enough but never a lot of money with me..

Do you drive fast?
Mostly..

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
NO!

Storms – Cool or Scary?
Cool

Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
No

If you could dye your hair any colour, what would be your choice?
Red.

Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in:
Chennai and chennai only living..

Favourite sports to watch:
Table tennis , Cricket, Dias Tennis , and on .. Almost everythin..

One nice thing about the person who sent this to you:
A precious guy..  A brand of his kind.. None can match his character and ability.. Extremely lucky and honoured to join hands with him right from cutting the EECS II UT .. I can add-on..  Personally I expect him to be a politician ..Ok va thala ? [:D]…

What’s under your bed?
Dust

Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Any choice is ok

Morning person or night owl?
Morning

Over easy or sunny side up?
I dont eat eggs (If its related to eggs–Thats what i got when i googled for the phrase) [thanks to thala for such research]

Favourite place to relax:
Either my home’s terrace or the local playground..

Favourite pie:
None

Favourite ice cream flavour:
Nothing specific

You pass this tag to –
Ragesh ,

Pravin R.B, [Long  time since he wrote]

 Swetha Venkatesh, [A chance to take this and tag others ..dont miss it 🙂 ]

Aravindan  [My first tag for him :)]

(If you can tag yourself that will be great too)

Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first?
I’ve asked Ragesh if he’d be free and then only I’m completing this post. I still dont strongly believe he’ll complete .. Family man has lots of commitments.. Hope Ragesh does it.. [This is a fine test of whether he’s a family man or a single person..lol.. ]

Vijay TV under STAR channel group has grown as a fierce competitor to the SUN group which has been a monopoly in Cable TV atleast in South India for almost a couple of decades. The primary shows which raised the stature of the Vijay TV were although mostly  adopted from the Hindi channels, has been a welcome change  for the audience who’ve been bored with movies and serials.

Although the change is laudable, I feel shows involving public esp. “Neeya ? Naana ?” broadcasted on Sundays may face a daunting ask. The show’s interest as I felt was to clear the misopinions between conflict minded people and try to establish harmony in general. This is fairly good job and may not have improved lives of many but atleast few.

 Now the point is if Vijay TV has concerns to cater to the society’s growth and to itself, then why not take up public issues such as pollution, garbage collection, education , health etc. and discuss the issues with people on one side, and the corresponding authorities and politicians on the other side.Something similar to the CM interview in the movie “Mudhalvan”. I dont know if this idea hasnt  struck the Board of Directors of Vijay TV.Or if they’ve intentionally stray off hot issues so that they grow without any problem to anyone.

Whatever may be Vijay TV’s plans, its not too far when people will ask the question “Does VIJAY TV really care for the interests of Audience?”.. If so I openly welcome that..

Ofcourse I’m not the investor to persuade Vijay TV to do such a show, but then if Vijay TV people have real guts and social interests they’d take the risk. Its certain that if they take this risk they’ll reach the top in no matter of time.