OP v/s PO

I have always felt that everyone needs to be optimistic to lead a more fulfilling life. Though there have been some of my friends, who say that merely being a pessimist is not something bad by itself. They say it's just another dichotomy like theism-atheism, emotional-logical, introvert-extrovert etc. They add it's not analogous to good-bad, ugly-beautiful etc.

I'm not sure if they are right. But there's something interesting that happened over the last week. One of my NRI friends had called me some days back and in due course of the talk he said, "If there is a problem, there should be a solution!". I found the one-liner really amusing as well an epitome of optimism. Feeling happy about such optimistic ideas floating I was reassured of my opinion that pessimism is bad. A few days later during a long chat with a local, self-proclaimed pessimistic friend, I was totally bowled over by another punch-line. That part of the talk was around this very optimism-pessimism dichotomy, when she said - "I'm proud to be a pessimist!".

Now I'm left wondering who is the better optimist?! The optimistic pessimist or the pessimistic optimist?

See July 08,2007

Shankar Rankings

Read that Tamil cinema is completing its Platinum Jubilee this year - 75 years of Tamil cinema. There was an article titled Film-makers' Favourites somewhere, where many successful directors like Shridhar, KB, Maniratnam, Ameer etc have rated their Top 10 films. "16 Vayathiniley" (1977) makes the maximum appearance in these lists i.e. almost all of these directors have this film in their top 10 list. As Maniratnam puts it, "...i like the film for its script, high standards and realism". I'm sure none of us can forget Ilayaraja's music too. And till date Sappaani-Mayilu-Parattai are fresh in our minds. One film that I surely want to watch now is "Andha Naal" (1954) . It's also in many lists, it was a revolutionary film as it was a song-less movie, especially in those days when there were more songs than dialogues! It has Sivaji Ganesan in the lead role, as an anti-hero. Now with Sivaji still blazing, here's my ranking of Shankar's works.

1.Indian
2.Muthalvan
3.Gentleman
4.Kadhalan
5.Anniyan
6.Boys
7.Jeans
Appo Sivaji? That should be in Rajni's ranking, not here!

Another Coincidence?!!

One reality. Two opposite views. Same time. For the second time. (Refer Communal Coincidence, May 30)

Which one is true? Who is right and who is not? I was taking the same line of thoughts like these, on the earlier occasion too. Frontline says the developments in the retail sector would end up making all the small traders paupers and the government is just a mute spectator. Businessworld says the retail sector is transforming the rural economy and the farmers have a bright future, for the first time after the Green Revolution. However it also agrees on the point that the government is not very active!
More on this soon...

STEREOTYPES

Mom: Hello...whats happening, how are you?

Girl: Hi ma, am fine. How are you? Has uncle-aunt left for the US?

Mom: Ya..I had been to the airport last night to see them off. You know what a terrible time we had!! It was raining so badly and the traffic was held up all over..really a terrible time. They got so tensed up...thank God! things ended up well for them...

Girl: Oh!! But uncle always takes things lightly...starts late always...always! And what about Ankit, they are not taking him along, right?

Mom: yeah..he's just a little baby, grandma will take care of him for a week. And these days the boy is trying to speak..he's making very short statements...his favourite is "tata polaam" !!

Girl: So cuuuute! I'm missing him so much. I will gift him a dress, like the one my warden's baby wears..it'll be so cute on our Ankit....and ma, I got a new suit for me yesterday. Remember?... Preeti didi's marriage is next month...

Mom: yes, met her in temple some days back, she's already on a leave..and what about Ananya, has she come back? What has she got for you?

Girl:Oh..I forgot to tell you that. She reached today morning and you won't believe what i got....

Mom:...what's it?!!

Girl: Remember the Lakme ad on TV, those ear studs that I had wanted so badly....that very same thing!! Its a total surprise for me!! I'm so happy....Ananya is so good...I will wear it for the didi's wedding..it matches my new suit so well...

Mom: That's really good of her..nice girl..

Girl: Ma..Vinay is leaving for Shimla next week na..tell him to get something good for Ananya...he will not listen to me. I have told him already....you say na..or ask appa to tell him..

Mom: Okay..I will tell him. But will he be able to get anything good..will he know what suits her? Last time he had got some kurthas from Jaipur and just after two washes the

(Connection goes off. Signal problem)

Son: Good evening pa...

Dad: Hello..mmm..how are you?

Son: Am fine, attending classes, some tests...

Dad: Have you paid the last month's mess bill?

Son: Yeah pa, that's done, but my friends are planning a two-day Shimla trip soon..

Dad:Oh..but its monsoon all over and especially Shimla areas are dangerous...be careful. mmm...don't you have any tests then?

Son:Just two days, we are going by a tourist cab..my friend from Shimla is arranging everything...so..

Dad: Ok..be careful, all of you. Don't try out any adventures there. I will go to the bank in two days...and you take only mineral water wherever you go and don't go to local, cheap restaurants...its not a good season. See, there's even chickungunya in you area..take all precautions.

Son: No problems pa, everything will be ok. By the way, Am using my friend's computer for my projects these days...its a superb machine, dual core and 1 GB RAM!! So fast....

Dad:Good...where's it made..China? These days everyone wants to manufacture there, its so cheap there.

Son: Yes pa, China..but my seniors say India will be the best place for software work in the future..

Dad: That's right...IT sector is booming..you need to have the right skills for...

Son: Yes pa...Ok..my cricket team is waiting for me..we have a competition match today...

Dad: Oh..ok...ok carry on..bye! Will tell you once the money is credited..carry on..

Son: Ok pa...bye!

Why so?

Was trying to focus on History when I heard some haunting cries, quite terrifying. It was just late evening not midnight or something, still those evil noises disturbed me so much. Quite frightened, still I got out to see where this devil-tones were from. Just peeped over the balcony down the road, and to my shock and surprise realised that these strange sounds were from - cats! There were two of them, not looking at each other directly these two were apparently preparing for a fight. Strange creatures, what kind of sounds they make and look at the way they prepare for a quarrel. I really do not know how people can have cats as pets. One famous lady who had so many cats at her home was our French teacher. For every person at her home, there were approximately 3 to 3.5 cats. In fact, we used to sit among the cats and tried learning French. Ultimately, I ended up knowing more about the Meow language than French! Really, cats are a catastrophe and I always fear that they can attack us anytime. Also, am yet to figure-out how the word "catwalk" came into use.

There are four wonderful, black, cute puppies just outside my house.Their mom is also black. Info about their dad is unavailable at this moment. They are so small that I was the first one to make them eat solid food, biscuit. It was really funny to watch them struggle to get hold of the biscuit pieces. Also they are so small that sometimes they don't even know food is being offered, they seem to be more interested in playing. Looking at the colour of their feet - all white - I'm searching for a white dog around the corner. Pappu, Dappu, Sohan, Mohan - these are the names that our Psychology teacher uses for examples in his classes. So I did not have any problems naming these four. One of my friend also suggested Franky. We can add Cranky, Hanky and Monkey to it. But many others are also feeding these dogs, so on all likelihood each one of them will end up having about 4-5 names. That is a mind-boggling 20 names shared among four siblings!! (Recently read in The Hindu that there is a surname-crisis in China; if all people with the surname Wang were put together they will form the 12th most populous country!) And these days they are trying to bark, it's really enjoyable to hear those attempts! But while three pups are full of enthu, one looks so weak and laid-back. Why so?