tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-296065092024-02-28T21:17:58.257+05:30Flawed, Cracked ...But Rare!This is my space in the universe, my page in the tome, my drop in the ocean, my chapter in the history of life... without which all of it would be incomplete.Surya Muralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11258824649283373197noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-9843500401078282622014-09-15T17:38:00.000+05:302014-09-15T17:38:01.046+05:30Stupid Reporters Maketh Stupid News-Media<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9EUNeaWXLuLPGFEp11Brkx4QvObnTkCFL20GmcwlZ80xWrnh_YdgZV6-u1ObpJy6FncP3IGN5PPiqhpuQwImxyJXra5_L-Zxy9R3bQOoTafNgNb0AOKwkduuJQTeeCVQmXn4fQ/s1600/TOI+Dunce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9EUNeaWXLuLPGFEp11Brkx4QvObnTkCFL20GmcwlZ80xWrnh_YdgZV6-u1ObpJy6FncP3IGN5PPiqhpuQwImxyJXra5_L-Zxy9R3bQOoTafNgNb0AOKwkduuJQTeeCVQmXn4fQ/s1600/TOI+Dunce.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just the other day I had posted that no one seems to understand what Women Empowerment is all about. And soon, the country’s ‘leading’ newspaper goes right ahead and does a big boo boo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They put up this uncalled for tweet about actress Deepika Padukone. You can find the details here: <a href="http://www.lordraj.com/2014/09/toi-fucked-up-big-time.html">TOI Fucked Up… Big Time!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why is this any different from the numerous previous times that the newspaper has fucked up… from typos to inappropriate headlines to outrageous articles in the name of journalism? Well, this time somebody reacted. Ms Padukone rightly took offence and hauled them up for being inappropriate and quite immature on her Twitter timeline. And because she has thousands of followers the issue went viral.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The deterioration in the quality of reporting by TOI and the lack of morals of the newspaper and its affiliated media is something we all discuss on a regular basis. But our discussions and protests fall on deaf ears, an obvious result of us not being famous. And that is why I would like to thank Ms Padukone for reacting the way she did and not letting the issue slide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, as a friend hoped while we discussed this incident… I too hope that the government issues a show-cause notice to TOI from the PM Office. There would be many women who would applaud such a move by the Modi Government. This is, after all, a perfect way the government can show that they are, in fact, serious about protecting the Indian woman.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Times of India needs to revamp itself and do something about this degradation of quality. Media is important to society as they shape the society’s views and such irresponsible behaviour on the part of TOI can do nothing to improve the already uncouth way the country treats its women.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I sincerely hope all this hoopla hasn’t been for nothing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Get some sensible journos, TOI! Also, please invest in a good spell-check software!</span></h2>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-21297580833255250482014-09-12T11:57:00.000+05:302014-09-12T13:50:26.106+05:30I Have Moved<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span id="goog_1889025665"></span><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsJOGQRlm9tIuTG_boFFcN1AwpKPmZpP0goUDGGuHKLgfHgMIO7V22J6xLSZP5sACcqR8hlgjw1MWOuVZEf8pPWwyOwmUysek4oOkULYP0hzXaKvy2VzmfAAPDHlKs_CamecFzA/s1600/I'mMoving.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy: <a href="http://mecaniquefairy.deviantart.com/">http://mecaniquefairy.deviantart.com</a></td></tr>
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I finally got my own domain and shifted my blog to Wordpress. </div>
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I love Blogger, which is why my design blog: <a href="http://www.smartdesignsstudio.com/">www.smartdesignsstudio.com</a> is still here.</div>
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For my personal blog I wanted a site that will allow me to change the look as often as it fancies me.</div>
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So, now you can find me at...</div>
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***Tada!***</div>
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<a href="http://www.suryamurali.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">www.suryamurali.com</span></a></h2>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-58320004996622342042014-08-20T13:55:00.001+05:302014-08-21T10:06:03.090+05:30Graphic Designer / Animator Required (Preferably Freshers): Urgent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCiXE138xRz7ThkRzA1Km5dFn4_5Wfp0odr1OfSkmo6kbOsfrT8cYzl9vgWJq2QrnbAAfLjY0ozyxYiR-xkb-D1WYbeoUU-7J5bzEa-x2hBmdUz5ROeH1LBgDTfoae8KXZp4eog/s1600/NowHiring.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCiXE138xRz7ThkRzA1Km5dFn4_5Wfp0odr1OfSkmo6kbOsfrT8cYzl9vgWJq2QrnbAAfLjY0ozyxYiR-xkb-D1WYbeoUU-7J5bzEa-x2hBmdUz5ROeH1LBgDTfoae8KXZp4eog/s1600/NowHiring.png" height="322" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hi folks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have an urgent requirement for a Graphics Designer / Animator... preferably freshers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Post: <b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Graphic Designer / Animator</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Qualification: <b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Any Graduate (Fresher)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Location:<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"> Bombay / Mumbai</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Job Requirements:</span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Has excellent working knowledge of basic 3D modelling and animation.</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Excellent in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator.</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Well versed with Adobe InDesign</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Has a working knowledge of video editing software.</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Good working knowledge of MS PowerPoint and MS Word</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Has a creative mind.</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Can take initiative to come up with ideas.</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Has the ability to execute ideas with speed.</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Has good communication skills.</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Can work well in a team.</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Can work with voice overs and basic voice software.</i></b></span></li>
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Compensation: <b><span style="color: #990000;">Negotiable according to the calibre of the candidate.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Candidates who think they would fit this profile, please email their CVs with the following:</span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CV</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Create a sample logo for an existing company or an imaginary/fake company with description of the logo. (Logo Image size: A5 - 148 mm x 210 mm)</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Animation clip on "Brick layer stacking bricks" (Video Duration: Maximum 10 seconds)</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>A 3D model of man. (Rendered image of the model would do, but the candidate if chosen should be able to provide the 3D model)</b></span></li>
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<br /><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Last date to sent in the entries is Monday, 25 August 2014</span></b><br />Email the above to <b><span style="color: #990000;">ispat.iiipl@gmail.com</span></b></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-1342124695199681232014-07-12T10:14:00.000+05:302014-07-12T10:14:04.672+05:30Nothing Compares 2 U... And It's Annoying!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This song has been playing in my head for over a week know. It is annoying me, making me restless. I used to love the song, now I am not sure if I just hate the fact that it is in my head or the song itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I should listen to more crap like <i>'Pinky hain paise waalon ki' </i>or <i>'Pyar hain hookah bar'. </i>WTF!!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Nothing Compares 2 U"</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Sinead O'Connor</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>It's been seven hours and fifteen days</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Since u took your love away</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I go out every night and sleep all day</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Since u took your love away</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Since u been gone I can do whatever I want</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I can see whomever I choose</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>But nothing</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>I said nothing can take away these blues</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>`Cause nothing compares</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Nothing compares 2 u</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>It's been so lonely without u here</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Like a bird without a song</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Tell me baby where did I go wrong</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>I could put my arms around every boy I see</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>But they'd only remind me of you</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I went to the doctor and guess what he told me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Guess what he told me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>He said, "Girl, you better try to have fun no matter what you do."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>But he's a fool</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>`Cause nothing compares</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Nothing compares 2 u</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>All the flowers that u planted, mama</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>In the back yard</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>All died when u went away</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I know that living with u baby was sometimes hard</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>But I'm willing to give it another try</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Nothing compares</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Nothing compares 2 u</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Nothing compares</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Nothing compares 2 u</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Nothing compares</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Nothing compares 2 u</i></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-78974341144132977532014-07-08T17:10:00.000+05:302014-07-08T17:11:38.093+05:30...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ghamon ne gher liya hai mujhe toh kya gham hai</span></i></b> </blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Main muskuraa ke jiyuungi aapke khushi ke liye</span></i></b> </blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;">Kabhi kabhi toh aap mujhe yaad kar toh lete ho</span></span></i></b></blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sukuun itna sa kaafi hai zindagi ke liye</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mujhe mili hai muqaddar se aisi tanhaai</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jinhen tarasti rahi anjuman ki rangeeni</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-54522225626357605432014-05-27T03:53:00.003+05:302014-05-27T03:53:55.776+05:30Rainbow Crafts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RainbowCraftsSTR">Rainbow Crafts (Paper & Clay Jewellery)</a></span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.633168336759044.1073741827.633165746759303&type=1">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RainbowCraftsSTR">Rainbow Crafts</a>.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-15483054728219797732014-02-07T12:04:00.001+05:302014-02-07T12:04:27.266+05:30The Common CM?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Arvind Kejriwal needs to see this (I am sure he would have)... And like someone says in the video... He is now a CM not Shaktiman... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I do wish AAP all the best, but hope they don't continue to make a mockery of themselves and of the ideals they so righteously touted before coming into power.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Do not let the people who voted you up regret their decision.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have always liked AIB and their satirical humour... This is another of their gems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(To the tune of Lungi Dance)</span></div>
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<i>Jab bhi Kejru ka bheja hatega...<br />Tab woh raaste pe protest karega...<br />Wagon R mein woofer bajeja...<br />Topi pehen ke aana padega...<br />Kejriwal Kejriwal Kejriwal...</i></blockquote>
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/_RENcw7a140/0.jpg" height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/_RENcw7a140&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="640" height="360" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/_RENcw7a140&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-36963059147928098932014-01-31T23:24:00.001+05:302014-01-31T23:24:33.772+05:30Rate Card for Graphics / Artwork<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I finally got down to making a rate card for the art / graphical work I undertake. Until now I would discuss the fee only when a client approached me with a request, but I think it is better to have the rates out at a place where it is accessible to prospective clients.<br />
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So, here is the rate card. Feel free to contact me with any clarifications regarding the fee at <a href="mailto:murali.surya@gmail.com">murali.surya@gmail.com</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvXBxVRhOmQg5H9bs-I0trUf7jY7Fua6pCHGDzZLQda1rKC714h8j-6tZxKUp_SKz_XUn8kLhaj7XyQqwIakoeRCADEWskOUUfznnUlyzxPhJB8cGsKMTiT2h_Hfo3nDYzqp7sA/s1600/CommissioningFeeStructure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvXBxVRhOmQg5H9bs-I0trUf7jY7Fua6pCHGDzZLQda1rKC714h8j-6tZxKUp_SKz_XUn8kLhaj7XyQqwIakoeRCADEWskOUUfznnUlyzxPhJB8cGsKMTiT2h_Hfo3nDYzqp7sA/s1600/CommissioningFeeStructure.jpg" height="588" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-28266795472487530312014-01-30T11:07:00.001+05:302014-01-30T11:07:55.415+05:30Sambhar Recipe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There might be a slight issue with the quantity. The quantity of Sambhar I made turned out a medium wok-full, some 1.5 litres of it. This would last me and bro for a week at least. Sigh… </div>
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Here I have tried to give lesser quantities and measures. If you use lesser amount of vegetable and dal you can reduce the quantity of Sambhar. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HOfAZGufqn1pCuMozMgwHZwWsIojchma3I5a9O0G39cqihavIKLq_bl-Yvzoe-uRf6tVEa8F-zt46DVZwhs9wK4NDt9S4jxKo_IrxUy0JyL6ps4xkreR60nEfWpaifG4a8bcdA/s1600/Sambhar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HOfAZGufqn1pCuMozMgwHZwWsIojchma3I5a9O0G39cqihavIKLq_bl-Yvzoe-uRf6tVEa8F-zt46DVZwhs9wK4NDt9S4jxKo_IrxUy0JyL6ps4xkreR60nEfWpaifG4a8bcdA/s1600/Sambhar.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic taken in a rush, with a background score of tummy growls.</td></tr>
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Ingredients:</h3>
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Sambhar Masala: 1 – tbsp. </div>
<em><div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>I used the readymade version by Eastern Masalas (South Indian companies are preferable for South Indian masalas). Mom makes and stores her own Sambhar Masala. If you have the patience, here is the recipe: </em><a href="http://www.rakskitchen.net/2013/06/2-sambar-powder-recipe-homemade-sambar.html"><em>http://www.rakskitchen.net/2013/06/2-sambar-powder-recipe-homemade-sambar.html</em></a></div>
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Tur Dal – 1 cup (1/2 cup for a thinner Sambhar.) Pressure-cook it.</div>
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Tamarind – pulp or juice of one gooseberry or lemon sized ball.</div>
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Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp <i>(Use ½ with the veggies and dal and rest with the seasoning)</i></div>
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Salt to taste.</div>
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For one bowl of Vegetables: </div>
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Preferably, use roots and tubers, gourds, aubergines, tomatoes, beans, drumsticks, okra. Here is a list of the veggies normally used in Sambhar <em>(You can adjust the quantity of each vegetable according to your preference; the total quantity is better to be limited to one bowl / katora</em>):</div>
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Yam (<i>suran</i>) – Cut into cubes approx. three quarters of an inch.</div>
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Potatoes – Diced into chunks (fairly large, for e.g. A medium-sized potato needs only be cut into 4 pieces)</div>
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Carrot: Quartered and diced into 1” sticks.</div>
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Pumpkin – Diced into cubes.</div>
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Bottle Gourd (<i>lauki</i>) – Diced into cubes.</div>
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Small Aubergines – Diced into fairly large chunks.</div>
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Drumsticks – Cut into index or little finger lengths.</div>
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Tomatoes – Diced into large chunks, preferably 4 pieces each.</div>
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Beans – Cut into 1.5” lengths.</div>
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Vegetable For Seasoning: Okra – Cut into 1” lengths</div>
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<em>(The idea is to dice the vegetables into chunks of approximately the same size, except for the ones like tomatoes and aubergines which need to be slightly larger so that they do not completely disintegrate while being cooked.)</em></div>
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<em><u>Note 1:</u> Yam needs extra cooking time; if you plan to include it in Sambhar it might be a good idea to cook the yam separately.</em> </div>
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<em><u>Note 2:</u> Keep the okra separately. Do not steam or boil it with the rest of the vegetables. Wash, pat dry and slice the okra and then fry it till they give this nice aroma (Do not crisp them.)</em> </div>
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<em><u>Note 3:</u> There are two ways to cook the veggies – </em> </div>
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<em>Pressure-cook them separately. In the cooker tin, put in all the veggies except yam and okra and add a bit of salt and sprinkle some Sambhar powder (I used about 2 tsps. as I had a lot of veggies.) Use enough powder to coat the veggies lightly. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric and add a bit of water, half a cup or less. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. (I used this method, because I didn’t want the veggies to be overcooked)</em></div>
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<em>Pressure-cook both dal & veggies together. Place the dal in the cooker and place the veggies in a small container on it. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. (This might result in the veggies becoming a bit overcooked and they might disintegrate in the Sambhar – but according to Mom, this is best for kids as they can’t really throw away the veggies.)</em></div>
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For The <i>Tadka</i> / Seasoning:</div>
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Small onions / Sambhar onions /shallots – 3-4 sliced</div>
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Mustard seeds – 1 tsp.</div>
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Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp.</div>
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Dried Red Chilli – 1 or 2</div>
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Curry leaves – 8 to 10 numbers</div>
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Asafoetida / <em>Hing</em> – A generous pinch. </div>
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A bit of chilli powder – optional </div>
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Oil for cooking</div>
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For Garnish: Coriander leaves – Coarsely chopped</div>
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Method:</h3>
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In a large <em>kadhai</em>, heat some oil. When it’s hot enough, throw in the mustard seeds and as they splutter, add the fenugreek seeds, <em>hing</em>, dried red chillies, curry leaves and small onions (all the seasoning ingredients). Sauté till the onions are done. </div>
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Add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder and the rest of the Sambhar powder and let it boil. Add a bit of water if the mixture is too thick or it will burn. Boil until the raw smell of tamarind and Sambhar powder is gone. Add salt to taste. </div>
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Now add the vegetables (except okra) to this boiling mix. Mix well. </div>
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Add the cooked dal, mash it if necessary. And with the dal add a half cup of water. Adjust the water quantity according to the consistency you want your Sambhar to be. </div>
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Mix well and now add the fried okra. </div>
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Bring the Sambhar to a boil and add the coriander leaves. Let simmer a bit. </div>
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Tada! Your Sambhar is ready. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-71000443029773323412013-12-19T14:02:00.002+05:302013-12-19T14:02:41.353+05:30Of Dolls and Dremels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcN3vXx_5PD19JV4XRIDp3Jmf6Mo1kmm7LwHjArdLNSMgYFYHjv7dzDxgR7trpXER6aqZbYYfWHf9iu5o2gHcclqEQCoMP9_kW9KfSZ8n6ke5ukfBSvw_waF1jWbWI1hz6m-HpJA/s1600/barbieWithDremel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcN3vXx_5PD19JV4XRIDp3Jmf6Mo1kmm7LwHjArdLNSMgYFYHjv7dzDxgR7trpXER6aqZbYYfWHf9iu5o2gHcclqEQCoMP9_kW9KfSZ8n6ke5ukfBSvw_waF1jWbWI1hz6m-HpJA/s640/barbieWithDremel.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have you heard cars, badass weapons, tech. gadgetry etc. being referred to as <em><strong>toys for the boys</strong></em>? I bet, you have… and have you ever bristled over how stereotypical and possibly sexist that is. Well, I have… and I always get mad when I hear or read it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Who decides what I, as a girl, ought to play with or what I should fancy under the Christmas tree, wrapped up in elegant gift wrap? I love cars, machinery, electronics and gadgets… and I don’t think I take too kindly to being judged for it. And, no… it is not just these things that I like, I am a huge fan of dolls and soft toys and baby animals and all things ‘cute’. I do hate pink though… unless it is a shocking shade of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I believe that it is a stupid idea to force people to segregate interests and bracket them as male and female ones. Why should a woman who likes to knit be looked down upon and thought of as a ‘bored housewife’ or a woman who has an active <strong>Pinterest</strong> board of fun & creative crafts be considered a ‘sit-at-home-mom’. For all you know, they are probably taking time out from their corporate jobs to have some fun and de-stress. A hobby that does not involve a heavy tool box and machine tools and loads of grease is no less an interesting hobby. I love to build little shelves and tinker with electronics just as much as I love to bake or quill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is this <strong>Samsung</strong> ad that is an irritating example of the prejudiced view of a big part of our society.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Look at how it has a woman (in pink, naturally) in what is, according to Samsung, her natural environment (the kitchen) saying she uses the computer to share pics of her family. Notice how all the men reportedly use their computers for ‘serious’ stuff… and even, work! Ha!! Oh… and if that wasn’t insulting enough, they hand her a screw driver and she looks at the thing as if it is an alien dick. How hard is it to unscrew a laptop? Samsung (and a whole lot of other tech companies) have to dig themselves out of that trench under the rock they are in and see the light of day to know that women have working brains… and they can figure out tools and computers and more just as easily as they can figure out the exact temperature the meat has to reach for the perfect Beef Wellington (which, by the way, is 55°C.) Also, pastels are boring… next time you get a gadget out for women please don’t do pink!! Red is good. Red is passionate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sarah (my imaginary - for now - daughter), loves the Sang Noir Veyron and let’s Tia, her teddy bear drive it while she fixes the broken microwave so she and Tia can together bake that batch of chocolate cookies shaped like LOTR characters. :D </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And you can FO for judging me… both for liking dolls AND my imaginary daughter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also, I have to go fix the goddamn office printer!</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-29456771618320802632013-12-16T17:18:00.001+05:302013-12-16T17:47:37.424+05:30Live-in OR Marriage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lordraj.com/2008/02/live-in-or-marriage-discussion.html?spref=bl"><b><span style="color: #990000;">L o r d R a j: Live-in OR Marriage - The discussion continues</span></b></a>: For any relationship to work one has to put an effort - be it Live-in or Marriage. Some individuals think that people don't put in a...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Came across this while I dug up archives... got me wondering if ever...</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-52521062660780679312013-12-16T12:10:00.001+05:302013-12-16T12:10:17.319+05:30Pla(tonic)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Plato </b>is a major influence in my life now. Especially in my non-natural relationships… in the only other relationship I have other than friends and relatives. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A platonic relationship with my man-friend (he is too much of a man to be called a boyfriend)… three years old and still going strong in spite of all those nay-sayers who told me it just wouldn’t last. People claim there really can't be a platonic relation between two members of the opposite genders over an extended period of time… especially if the two are very close. I’d say… look at us… we are really close, we have been true to the definition… <em>Friends without benefit?</em> ;) And the commitment we have to the relationship is as good as in the deepest, most romantic liaisons… it stops me from having a no strings attached fling or an emotional attachment to any other guy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Having lived his life… casual flings, heartfelt romances and all… he has come to a point where pure, unadulterated, intimate love without the physical intimacy and the heartache is like a balm to him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Though, I have no experience of physical love, I have had enough heartache. First, a relationship gone sour because of the lack of physical proximity and intimacy and then this, a relation that works despite the lack of the same. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have had friends ask me if I don’t miss it in my life (the intimacy, not the heartache!)… the answer is yes, of course… but I don’t really know what I am missing without prior experience… so, it is like missing a trip to the moon, probable but not possible. And anyway I tell them… books help, as in all of my life’s other adventures… it’s a happening life I live through them.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-25357187050930876832013-12-13T23:00:00.001+05:302013-12-13T23:02:26.868+05:30Da Vinci's Demons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2094262/"><b>Da Vinci's Demons</b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A historical fantasy... quite an interesting watch. I like to read about and see historical characters in fictional settings which may or may not have been plausible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Leonardo da Vinci is an historical figure who holds captive the imagination of millions of people and I am no less enthralled by the possibilities that may have been him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I like the title sequence... the artwork... and the CGI isn't bad.</span><br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/63312430">Da Vinci's Demons title sequence</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/huge">HUGE</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The lead character, <i>Leonardo da Vinci</i> is played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2068559/">Tom Riley</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But the male character that intrigues me the most... and I love that subtle menace in him is <i>Count Girolamo Riario</i> played by an awesome <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0728682/">Blake Ritson</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2652095/">Laura Haddock</a> as <i>Lucrezia Donati</i> is easy on the eye... and the character was interesting in the beginning but as the mysteries surrounding her dulled so did my interest in her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Done with Season 1... looking forward to the next seasons.</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-20089451644738283112013-11-28T17:24:00.000+05:302013-11-28T17:24:14.663+05:30A Point To Ponder…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Painting, sketching, drawing etc. are means by which people express themselves… it could be a representation of their thoughts or it could be a depiction of what their eyes see. Of course, at times art is symbolic but that isn’t what I am considering when I talk about what I do in this post. I am not considering abstract art either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Artists for ever have depicted day to day scenarios and general scenery along with the more religious or ritualistic art. The artists of the Renaissance or even some of them earlier on were able to paint, sketch, draw and sculpt realistic images (with some artistic liberties, of course.) Some of the artists of today create hyper-realistic artwork… it is like looking at a photograph (only because it is a 2D image.) But when we go back to the ancient civilizations and not as far as cavemen… the art work though spectacular is very stylized and not realistic in anyway. In fact, the styling of the artwork is what mostly distinguishes them as belonging to a certain civilization. I am excluding cave art from this because well, the supplies and time were definitely limited for leisurely artwork what with the struggle for survival on a daily basis… and they weren't exactly civilized back in the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, why aren’t there any realistic art from that ancient civilized age? Why is all artwork conforming to a panel like style which seems to be quite common across civilizations… there is a that lack of depth to the images, a lack of perception in its literal sense. If you were to sketch a scenery while looking at it most people, even kids, would have a tendency to create the illusion of depth by making far away things look smaller and the ones nearby larger because that is how our eyes perceive the scene. Well, unless you are a toddler who finds it difficult to wrap your head around the idea of depth your image wouldn’t consist of mostly all objects (or people) of the same size irrespective of their relative placement in the scene. Then why is that most ancient art looks like exceptionally talented toddlers created them? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Isn’t there a marked lack of perspective in these images? Albeit they are all exquisitely beautiful… I am just intrigued that there aren't many art works from that age which are less two dimensional.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are a few examples of various stylized depictions of scenes from around the ancient world… some like the <b>Madhubani </b>art is still in practice. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madhubani art (India) - Image via Google Search</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the Standard of Ur - Image via Google Search</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egyptian panel - - Image via Google Search</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sometimes, I just get this weird feeling that ancient people saw only in 2D! :D</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-69561163706594702662013-11-24T12:01:00.001+05:302013-11-24T12:01:20.780+05:30The Cuckoo’s Calling - Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I got my hands on <b>The Cuckoo’s Calling</b> by <b>Robert Galbraith</b>. To be honest, I wouldn't have bothered to pick it up if I hadn't known it was actually <b>J. K. Rowling</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Did I like the book? Hmmm… er… ok. It isn't bad… no, it is a decent read. But with all the hype around it I was expecting a detective novel that smashed conventional gumshoe accounts. Well, this is just mediocre fare. In my younger days I have read the Harry Potter Series and I know that Rowling can weave quite a tale. So, yes… I am a wee bit disappointed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I won’t disclose much of the story as it is…you know… a mystery / detective novel, except that it is set in modern London and revolves around the death of a supermodel of mixed race. Her brother hires a private detective with an unusual name –<em> <b>Cormoran Strike</b></em>, to look in to her death.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The characters in the novel, including our limping protagonist, are quite clichéd… some of their back-stories are unusual but that’s all there is for novelty. There isn't a feel of the city in it which helps you visualize the scenes… something is lacking despite London being a city with loads of charm and character. In fact, throughout the book what bothered me most was the odd feeling of unfinished characters, lacking a proper fleshing-out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The book, in spite of its shortfalls is an interesting read and you’d want to read it at one go… cover to cover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hear Cormoran Strike is going to feature in more of her novels under the pen-name Robert Galbraith.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the end, I would have to quote Shania Twain… <i>That don’t impress me much!</i></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-2729025266096225512013-11-02T15:00:00.000+05:302013-11-02T15:00:51.345+05:30Bright Memories…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieqOgLHyxSO_RwwL2Mp0mD9-rMPjYyzRsRTBJgCZX98wkSSGstCMvg2RVfQgMSpzbD-R7UOP2l_4SL-m5KXpxeWFnadG7GNR_X2zvLzQQgGGmjLPtJWIg0a4xODGFn-wusE2Ueg/s1600/diwaliHappy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieqOgLHyxSO_RwwL2Mp0mD9-rMPjYyzRsRTBJgCZX98wkSSGstCMvg2RVfQgMSpzbD-R7UOP2l_4SL-m5KXpxeWFnadG7GNR_X2zvLzQQgGGmjLPtJWIg0a4xODGFn-wusE2Ueg/s640/diwaliHappy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s <strong>Diwali</strong> and I am in Kuwait, where it isn't even a holiday. Well, it is Saturday and that ain't a holiday either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In spite of that, the large Indian population in Kuwait does celebrate Diwali with as much grandeur as they can muster without being hauled off to the police station for noise and /or air pollution. The North Indian crowd is especially eager and the areas where there is a majority of them such as Salmiya see very brightly lit up and noisy celebrations. My apartment towers too have their own celebrations which I have never yet attended in all these years I have been here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I do miss the celebrations in Bombay, especially in Anushaktinagar. The colony is a delightful place to be whatever the festival. Being a melting pot of varied cultures from within India, every festival has a multitude of flavours and Diwali is no exception. There is the south Indian Deepavali with its <em>Deepavali</em> <em>lehyam</em>, the rambunctious Punjabi & Gujarati celebrations, the extended Maharashtrian celebrations and so much more. And then there is the Diwali we kids celebrated… Noise and fireworks, louder the better, and loads and loads of it. As we grew older, we grew wiser and more concerned about the environment and so the disturbingly loud celebrations were toned down but nothing dampened our enthusiasm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The days before Diwali, which was vacation time in schools, would be stormy with cleaning and shopping and running around for fixing the lighting and <em>torans</em> and getting last minute spare <em>diyas</em> and <em>rangoli</em> colours. Me being a Keralite did not have too many culinary preparations for the festival, but that did not stop me from planting myself in the neighbours’ kitchens, helping with the sweets and helping myself to the sweets. In spite of being a Keralite… I used to get new clothes for Diwali instead of <b>Onam</b>… because October to December was the festive season (vacation time) and also rained discounts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the late evenings, the fireworks would start a couple of days before Diwali… tiny bursts at first and then the bigger, brighter, louder and more sparkly ones would come out on the day of Lakshmi pooja. I am absolutely fearful of burns, but lighting a little cracker off the <em>ladi</em> while holding it in the hand and then throwing it in the air before it burst never seemed dangerous to me. We pulled all sorts of crazy stunts involving crackers and the more sober fireworks, when we escaped adult supervision, which wasn't that hard to do… anyone would have thought we were all pyromaniacs and arsonists in the making. Now that I look back, I know it was extremely dangerous and I would not recommend it to kids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">School gave way to college and then to the workplace. Diwali was all grown up now… it was more about sweets, decoration and healthy competitions and less of fireworks. At my workplace, we had 4 different studios that catered to game development for different geographical areas of the world… the festival was a time for some competing. We had inter-studio bay decoration and <em>rangoli</em> competitions, dance and traditional wear competitions and more. There was tons of fun to be had… and lots of festive hogging.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I look back with nostalgia to those days, even as I enjoy my new life. I think celebrating festivals is important, not just from a cultural point of view but on a personal level too. Even when you are down and out, the <em>diya</em> of Deepavali, the splash of colour of <b>Holi</b>, the reluctant <i>garba </i>/ <i>dandiya </i>performance you are dragged to for <b>Navratri</b>, the carol singing of <b>Christmas</b>… or just all that yummy food… they are all enough to give you a few moments to smile, forget your troubles and live it up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here’s wishing everyone a happy, safe, brilliant <strong>Deepavali</strong>…</span></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">May the flickers of a million diyas light up every corner of your heart and banish all shadows… and may it burst with joy like a sky filled with fireworks.</span></strong></em></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-49341534075485676682013-11-02T12:43:00.003+05:302013-11-02T12:43:29.789+05:30Device 6 – Game Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few days back, I downloaded this game on the iPad – <b><a href="http://simogo.com/games/device6/"><i>Device 6</i></a></b>, by <b>Simogo</b>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiHTnXG4eO7lSaoGK2iS4qoYdI_1wf5CofwFkqgA5_v2XK00_mnxscbRkDg0LFFHTAPd5fQl7IzPzQJMwdl8gRaS1BlmLqhTCgJo1Vf1eIgMjujkSWJ48taQpKkfby1X8lTgr7g/s1600/DEVICE_6_06_retina-600x800.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiHTnXG4eO7lSaoGK2iS4qoYdI_1wf5CofwFkqgA5_v2XK00_mnxscbRkDg0LFFHTAPd5fQl7IzPzQJMwdl8gRaS1BlmLqhTCgJo1Vf1eIgMjujkSWJ48taQpKkfby1X8lTgr7g/s400/DEVICE_6_06_retina-600x800.png" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am quite impressed by it. It is a game perfect for a tablet (or a phablet... wanting it to come out on Android for my Note 3.) The game is, in a nutshell, interactive fiction in a mostly literal form. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are no gun fights or action on screen which requires you to be smushing your onscreen buttons. The flow of the game is like reading an engrossing thriller… except you actually reach the conclusion along with the character by working on the clues strewn around in the text of the novel, hidden in at times confusing, at times aiding sound bytes, and black and white images both still and moving which seem to be from the 30s or 40s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The intro + credits montage at the beginning of the game is very British, very James Bond… and it is sad that it only played at the first opening of the game. I wouldn't</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> mind it being available to be launched from the game by some discreet onscreen button. The game has to experienced with earphones or a headset... it increases the spookiness quotient a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I don’t know if the game has any precedents, but to me it is a unique experience. The game is as fast as you allow it to be, with the text snaking around the screen, literally. You would end up rotating the screen at all sorts of angles to read it, sometimes holding it to a mirror, tapping at text or images which are actually buttons in disguise, solving cryptic clues written and many a time spoken or broadcast. There is an old world charm to it with a very pipe smoking detective vibe. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwsvMhpiodjZBJN41yGCn4WPZ3Ktd0TdDWSFAFtIpGlAnbcTt3Og9SXfVYOe0HoU66J9IL7wPv47WRi2khJy8jTx2ZMWxNPwsm-QU4pHojdxotPKtOESf7xzBB_n5f4kZIGxCUg/s1600/DEVICE_6_01_retina.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwsvMhpiodjZBJN41yGCn4WPZ3Ktd0TdDWSFAFtIpGlAnbcTt3Og9SXfVYOe0HoU66J9IL7wPv47WRi2khJy8jTx2ZMWxNPwsm-QU4pHojdxotPKtOESf7xzBB_n5f4kZIGxCUg/s400/DEVICE_6_01_retina.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Screenshot 01</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gk8UmDPEnAvu7csWCs7FMzTHm-qfIy-rZ_ifcyhbHNKfZ3Rzg5SyZzM2tfYfDMGnYJx9fC6TRwHoFX4cQs0jKyLIeo9uC6EsmbU77KcmjhMaeyqLcvquQ-GYAo4cohnPnzFgIQ/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gk8UmDPEnAvu7csWCs7FMzTHm-qfIy-rZ_ifcyhbHNKfZ3Rzg5SyZzM2tfYfDMGnYJx9fC6TRwHoFX4cQs0jKyLIeo9uC6EsmbU77KcmjhMaeyqLcvquQ-GYAo4cohnPnzFgIQ/s400/photo+1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtz_BFptpeaEPd0r_GVhyHZWttv4Don7wLte_J7bxn6q17nH5RF1-ov2t4VZQucWN_Lvxgi-6wHUwwaqtTZcVjjYcWBo3u2-6Mo0hy2FwcSd4JKPAAKR8YbVRxqXjOamkWfzsAw/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtz_BFptpeaEPd0r_GVhyHZWttv4Don7wLte_J7bxn6q17nH5RF1-ov2t4VZQucWN_Lvxgi-6wHUwwaqtTZcVjjYcWBo3u2-6Mo0hy2FwcSd4JKPAAKR8YbVRxqXjOamkWfzsAw/s400/photo+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-408AcfpaOotdrboDNb4jEQMWkmCwnBPPA-cDvaxDQkvHuOpesUW_Z23XwIepd-GwQNWPxGjMOgQMkmyn6UYfGV6E0sI-vOYgKIQYtLVe9oi0u2htjTNOX30GVbxWpDfujFYNFg/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-408AcfpaOotdrboDNb4jEQMWkmCwnBPPA-cDvaxDQkvHuOpesUW_Z23XwIepd-GwQNWPxGjMOgQMkmyn6UYfGV6E0sI-vOYgKIQYtLVe9oi0u2htjTNOX30GVbxWpDfujFYNFg/s400/photo+4.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The central character from what I have played is Anna, a lady who loves her smokes, who has woken up in weird surroundings with no memory of how she got there and she has to work her way around what seems like a castle or a mansion or a very large house… perhaps Victorian. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The important part is that the player has to be observant as they read what is essentially a novel… words, numbers and dates or phrases may all be possible clues which you might need elsewhere in the game as you travel room to room exploring along with Anna. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I found the game exciting but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or coffee.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have finished 3 chapters of the story and I don’t really know how many remain… but I am eager for more.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-60129960280360912582013-10-31T14:30:00.001+05:302013-10-31T14:30:44.086+05:30Mixed Reviews<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Okay, I have been reading. I read three <strong>Gillian Flynn</strong> novels back to back and already put up the review of one. I also managed to sneak in <strong>The Silent Wife</strong> by <strong>A. S. A. Harrison</strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The connect between all these novels was that they are/were all by female authors and they all have female protagonists (or antagonists.) I decided to review them together… it is easier because of their being from a similar genre… psychological thrillers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The two remaining books of Gillian Flynn are<strong> Sharp Objects</strong> and <strong>Dark Places</strong> (other than which I already reviewed <a href="http://theradiantisotope.blogspot.com/2013/10/recent-read-gone-girl.html">here</a>.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong>Sharp Objects</strong> revolves around a young woman who has to come to terms with her mother who has alienated her after the death of her younger sister. The psychological stresses that tear the family apart are reflected in the step sister who is years younger than the protagonist. The story is disturbing to say the least. It highlights how unpredictable the human mind is and how much the circumstances we are brought up in may influence us, and our mental outlook. Gillian Flynn writes well, you are kept turning the pages till you are done. I wouldn't rate this one as good as Gone Girl… but it is nevertheless a good read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong>Dark Places</strong> on the other hand focuses on situations that sometimes get out of hand, the helplessness we have to face sometimes and the different ways people deal with life (or fail to deal with it). Again, the character that binds the story line is a young woman who has found herself in a situation where she has to deal with the harsh realities of life at a young age. It has made her bitter and even at a later stage when she should be able to shrug off the past and take responsibility for her actions, she refuses to let go… clinging to a sense of being wronged, a sense of being entitled because she was wronged. She comes across as a shallow, selfish person… which she is… but in her is a deeper need of closure, a detachment from the horrors of her past.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This book too is a very enjoyable read. It does not follow a linear timeline… jumping from now to the events in the past… in spite of which it does not lose the flow of the plot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All three books require a level of understanding of the workings of the human psyche which I believe the author has… and a certain amount of craziness which would let you come up with the ideas for these plots… which may or may not be an alarming thing. :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All said… I look forward to more of Flynn’s works.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKs2iqdfb22Fi-CSQeNlNEtTthauM6ew_kylkAVtDg62ibQdCMCRccPqKwn3Pjsvy01SL_La7HWUPMTCesBT9OevkyINnXGr734_4hVAKmPEMu-e6UtLf2Rxs1RdMIU5Dp25uwRg/s1600/Silent+Wife+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKs2iqdfb22Fi-CSQeNlNEtTthauM6ew_kylkAVtDg62ibQdCMCRccPqKwn3Pjsvy01SL_La7HWUPMTCesBT9OevkyINnXGr734_4hVAKmPEMu-e6UtLf2Rxs1RdMIU5Dp25uwRg/s320/Silent+Wife+2.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong>The Silent Wife</strong> is a book which starts of similar to Gone Girl… an unhappy couple in a relationship that’s a sham… but is not as interesting as the latter. I dislike the character Jodi for her being spineless and clingy and indecisive till things get out of hand. Here is a <a href="http://www.lordraj.com/2013/10/the-silent-wife-asa-harrison.html">review</a> I agree with... not much else to say on it because it would just be a repeat opinion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, the men in all 3 books are assholes… except in Dark Places, where he is less of an asshole and more of an escapist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, I am gonna catch up with a Gothic classic... <b>The Monk</b> by <b>Matthew Lewis</b>.</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-19809250052204797122013-10-28T11:11:00.001+05:302013-10-28T12:22:01.604+05:30Are You That Someone?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGdCYl-JE8h4-k1aXt2iJBeizH2zjRKNKquyAPJ1gx5qzf2eHAno1UrqB501nBdO9m0hyphenhyphenwz4rE5UMpmgVv8ZW9FgW6UKUiGCEQPrxo1xoq88IXiwf7nK7SNAUp28Tlazneri5aA/s1600/writing-with-penNawaab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGdCYl-JE8h4-k1aXt2iJBeizH2zjRKNKquyAPJ1gx5qzf2eHAno1UrqB501nBdO9m0hyphenhyphenwz4rE5UMpmgVv8ZW9FgW6UKUiGCEQPrxo1xoq88IXiwf7nK7SNAUp28Tlazneri5aA/s640/writing-with-penNawaab.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dear <b><i>Someone</i></b>,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I need someone to talk to.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Someone logical and rational but warm at the same time… Someone who wouldn't chide and scold me when am being human. Someone who understands that my views are different, at times crazy, a lot of times stupid... but they are my views and are important to me so wouldn't be dismissive about them or about me. Someone who wouldn't treat me like an errant child... I don't want an extra parent, I have mine who are quite capable of getting on my nerves without needing any additional help.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I need someone who would let me be a girlfriend once in a while and let me do the things girlfriends do... buy gifts, cook you a dinner, ask you to take me out on a date etc... simple things which make me feel human. I want someone who would treasure me like I treasure him.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Get me someone who does not want to fix me all the time… Someone who knows that I rant and vent when I am upset and that's how I am… but I am NOT waiting to be rescued every time I open my mouth. I want someone who would share his troubles with me... I'd listen but not interfere unless asked to. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Would you be someone who cares and is not afraid to show you care?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I need someone I don't have to be careful around... Who won't get upset at every second sentence I say or with the things I do... Someone who understands that I can be direct and straightforward but at times I do hope you'd read between the lines... <em>figure me out like I love to figure you out</em>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When I put up with your quirks and fallacies, I don't do it just because I love you but because they make you who you are and I would want none of that changed... love me like that.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Love me in spite of me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bring down my walls and get to know me instead of pushing me away when I reach out to you.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am tolerant but I want someone who wouldn't stretch me to the point that I break.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you are that someone out there… ping me. ;)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I await you. I need you.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yours if you care,</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOKpNdRFTQ5oosc6wwnJYANVmRfXDuZtQsUnBY22TzQU65tMJUmG_6M8JPz1urvYDl4TUpzy6DIvgBPRVBMdudrAIPHHbHpbmzj10ZEgoY9IuDvCkhFGLoX50LHMLC-rjzv7njA/s1600/Signature+Blogger.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOKpNdRFTQ5oosc6wwnJYANVmRfXDuZtQsUnBY22TzQU65tMJUmG_6M8JPz1urvYDl4TUpzy6DIvgBPRVBMdudrAIPHHbHpbmzj10ZEgoY9IuDvCkhFGLoX50LHMLC-rjzv7njA/s1600/Signature+Blogger.png" /></a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-66045122611565059362013-10-27T12:38:00.000+05:302013-10-27T13:28:41.975+05:30Travel Blues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY44Y7PN4tO0xITT7dyoZAwN_79jT83wuygC8YqG0Jta_0XifDZjh72ID91B844J_6gpb6atAaKJLQ0XL9t0XGQeMkPcowIEdABtcOmSZC4cOzb3OhmiaIzWQnJ3tJZvMUyTwVxg/s1600/No-Flying-Zone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY44Y7PN4tO0xITT7dyoZAwN_79jT83wuygC8YqG0Jta_0XifDZjh72ID91B844J_6gpb6atAaKJLQ0XL9t0XGQeMkPcowIEdABtcOmSZC4cOzb3OhmiaIzWQnJ3tJZvMUyTwVxg/s320/No-Flying-Zone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hate air travel. I know it is the most convenient form of transport, the fastest means to get anywhere. But, I feel it is a nightmare to be cooped up for hours on an armchair and it gets worse if your co-passenger is unsavory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is so much nicer to travel in a train where you can get up from the seat once in a while, stretch your legs, walk around… and if nothing else, there is always something outside the window to look at. Clouds or the dark night sky gets quite boring after a while on an aircraft.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wish the whole of the civilized world was connected by an immense railway network… underground, over ground, under sea, long bridges, scenic routes, over deserts and plains and hill ranges. It would be quite a feat of engineering and a delight to travel the lines. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last night on my flight back to Kuwait, I had a particularly nasty co-passenger. He was sloshed and kept drinking throughout the journey and he wouldn't shut up or let me sleep. He started of decently enough but soon his behaviour deteriorated into an annoying mess. I am normally not sociable while I am travelling, I do like to keep to myself and be in my own world of imagination… and not being left alone to do that was extremely irksome. I didn't want to create a scene on the late night flight and disturb the other sleeping passengers and even then I had to raise my voice and be outright rude to him (which is not exactly my style). When he didn't relent, I tried to change my seat or even get downgraded to economy class just to get away from the horrible fellow. Unfortunately, the flight was packed. Finally, I spent around 50 minutes of my 3 hour flight standing in the aisle space near the door with the steward and hostess to avoid the creep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, glad to have gotten rid of him. When I narrated the incident to someone, he chided me for playing the victim, for talking about the incident in detail and so reliving the miserable moments and making him feel miserable in the process about something that is over and about which nothing could be done… about which HE could do nothing about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Narrating the incident was not reliving it… it was therapeutic, a way to get it out of my system… a way of assurance that stuff happens and you do not let it simmer and boil within you but let it out and be cleansed. Obviously, that didn't go well for me. As usual, I decided to rant on my blog about it and purge it… and not be judged in the process. Thank you!</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-59669467170208390292013-10-25T10:23:00.001+05:302013-10-25T10:23:39.665+05:30BBMing!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPv2LgD_U5ckUFJiXHta5m4X1W7PLTHzlra-dmDsH_O7AELDVkHeTpMzVeLxpE0kE9i7geDiJeWop_SvV_E5n2KLu_qddkbRkbBIF1TC2z_c19LUMIohJS9ea3FboaS_mAghY2Jw/s1600/bbm-icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPv2LgD_U5ckUFJiXHta5m4X1W7PLTHzlra-dmDsH_O7AELDVkHeTpMzVeLxpE0kE9i7geDiJeWop_SvV_E5n2KLu_qddkbRkbBIF1TC2z_c19LUMIohJS9ea3FboaS_mAghY2Jw/s1600/bbm-icon.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When <b>Apple </b>or even <b>Google (Android) </b>comes up with a new product or the tiniest update/upgrade for an existing product, everyone goes hyper irrespective of the relevance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>BlackBerry </b>puts forth a tried and tested and much loved product for the rest of the world and any hype is frowned upon, their marketing mistakes are blown up to look like management blunders that could cause another 'Depression'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The point is that <b>BBM </b>is a great product. It is one of the best if not <i>the best</i> messenger service out there. It beats the others in speed and efficiency and more importantly it is reliable and it is secure and private. Just knowing your email ID or phone number does not put you at risk of being a spam target... The BBM PIN ensures that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So be glad that BBM made it to the other platforms and stop whining about the hype.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enough with the stupid jokes already!</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-67126443839386685362013-10-17T01:30:00.001+05:302013-10-17T04:05:06.378+05:30The Conjuring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU4UHCXgQ_hVZzEbdJC67P3J92w5f7yO1LXWEpBh6AtIguk06d88q4F4laZ8nzl0yciE-FhgJAMR-FRzHVIzyr5JMMvXbWuWZ4YtI8v4C3o2iGEM9bsebCXD6W_7QIqb1jbxxGQ/s1600/the_conjuring_movie-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU4UHCXgQ_hVZzEbdJC67P3J92w5f7yO1LXWEpBh6AtIguk06d88q4F4laZ8nzl0yciE-FhgJAMR-FRzHVIzyr5JMMvXbWuWZ4YtI8v4C3o2iGEM9bsebCXD6W_7QIqb1jbxxGQ/s640/the_conjuring_movie-wide.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few days back I finally caught up with the movie <strong>The Conjuring</strong>, which I have been meaning to watch since its release. Now, I wish I had watched it in the theater.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I speak of the movie there might be inadvertent <b><i><span style="color: red;">spoilers ahead</span></i></b>, though I would try not to disclose much about the movie. It isn't exactly a suspenseful thriller which would lose its charm if anything is revealed but I’ll let the reader watch it and decide for themselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The movie is advertised as a true story based on the life of the <strong>Warrens</strong> (Ed & Lorraine) who were a couple of paranormal investigators. The story centers around the <strong>Perrons</strong> who have moved into a farmhouse which appears to be haunted and for which they seek the aid of the Warrens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What I found interesting about the movie is that the scares used are subtle and woven well into the plot that nothing feels superfluous, they don’t seem like tactics… the scenes seem integral to the movie and I was engrossed. The movie was also paced well, no jittery or parallel timelines which sometimes hinder the flow of a plot if not executed with caution. Horror movies at times have an issue where either too much is happening or too little is happening in them… takes away from the viewing pleasure. This one has just enough going on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Something weird happened while I was watching the movie. I was watching the movie at night (I can’t remember a time when I haven’t watched a horror film at night). There is this scene in the movie where the clocks all stop at 3:07 AM. It is a moment of importance to the storyline and to the events that influence it. As the scene played on screen and the camera focused on the grandfather clock onscreen with the time stuck at that precise moment and slowly panned out to take in the room, my brother who was until then silently watching the movie suddenly said this...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Bro:</span> </i><b>Look at that… oh my god… just look at that.</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #783f04;">Me:</span></i> <i>(Not looking away from the screen and presuming he has seen something on it which I have missed) </i><b>What do you see… where? I can’t see anything.</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Bro:</i></span> <b>Look up you doofus!</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><i>Me:</i></span> <i>(looking at the top of the screen)</i> <b>Errr… huh?</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Bro:</i></span> <b>Not the screen, the clock… our clock.</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I looked at the wall clock in our living room, above the doorway to the side of the TV. The time on its yellow face was exactly <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>3:07 AM</b></span>. I blinked and looked again, yep… 3:07 AM it was. There was no mistaking it, the clock has Arabic numerals! I checked my cell-phones, two of them… so did my bro… they all showed 2:56 AM. A weird moment for us, we never realized that the wall clock was so out of sync with the rest of the time-pieces in the house… and it was faster than the actual time. For what seemed like a long time, I kept staring at the clock face willing its hands to move… the seconds needle seemed to drag itself around and finally it completed its rotation and the minute hand moved to the 8th minute… 3:08 AM. I realised I could breathe again. Quite the longest spooky minute I have had.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had to rewind and play the scene back as I had concentrated my senses on our wall clock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ah well… the spooky coincidence added to the likeability of the movie. I guess I would have missed that if I had watched it in the theater. </span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-20594077060476117602013-10-16T19:36:00.001+05:302014-02-07T12:54:20.660+05:30Feeling Blessed!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Years ago I met this girl in school... I was drifting in a world of my own, not really reaching out to others, more acquaintances than friends until she changed all that. She became that one solid anchor that kept me grounded. A friend, a confidante, a soul sister perhaps. The one girl I could talk to endlessly, about any damn thing... from The X Files to relationships. The one person I could share my insecurities and my triumphs with equal ease. The one person with whom even after ages of no contact the break in conversations feels like we'd just hung up to answer the door. In spite of the miles between us and the years since we last met, there is no one else I am as close to... we have transcended the cliches of reading each other like open books... or even telepathy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And today is her birthday... I celebrated with a cupcake and a glass of wine. ;)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Happy birthday, <i><span style="color: #990000;">Urmila</span>!</i><br />
Love you lots! Miss you lots! </b></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-74087863462309763372013-10-12T02:25:00.003+05:302013-10-12T02:25:58.966+05:30Recent Read – Gone Girl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just finished the book <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn/dp/030758836X">‘Gone Girl’</a></strong> by <em>Gillian Flynn</em>. I hadn't actually set out to read this book… the Nawaab was reading <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Silent-Wife-A-Novel/dp/0143123238">‘The Silent Wife’</a></strong> and when he suggested I might want to read it too I searched <b>Flipkart </b>for the book and found I couldn't get a paperback edition of The Silent Wife. Gone Girl showed up in the similar items category and I was immediately drawn to the somewhat mysterious title… also it was available in paperback. I ordered it when I was in Kuwait and received it the day after I landed in Bombay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, my arm hurt too bad for me to actually read from the book and I had to resort to reading the eBook version on my phone. Before starting off I had sent the eBook to the Nawaab and he got a head-start on the book… and I realized that the book was affecting him somewhat. I needed to know how and why and between long lazy periods of bored sleep and long hours of me being upset about being in Bombay I finished the book. This was a few hours back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is a very well written book. The characters invoke strong reactions and stronger feelings in you… of hatred, disgust, fear… appreciation and even admiration. I get excited about books when the characters have some traits in common with me and this one has more than a few that are similar… disturbingly so. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wont give away anything about the story… the twists and turns are worth discovering on your own. I began the book expecting a thriller with the stereotypical douche-bag hubby and suffering wife or vice versa but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't that typical at all. It is a book that holds you captive between its covers and when you are done with it you want to seek out others who have read it just so you can discuss it with them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It made me sit up and examine some of the thoughts that run in my head and also made me look into my relationships in a new light, especially since there are things I have in common with the Gone Girl!</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606509.post-52791318710752480512013-10-03T01:43:00.001+05:302013-10-06T00:26:08.215+05:30How Do I Move On?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Life has a way of throwing you a curved one when you think everything is all set for an easy home-run. Deep inside I know I am grasping at straws to stay afloat. This is me letting off steam… not wanting to explode all over the place… and so today on this blog I vent in a controlled manner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How do I move on… when I am in a relationship with the right guy at the wrong time? When my future with him is a blank with nothing to fill it with… When my present is a struggle I seem to be losing… a fight to be happy with moments of joy stolen from the time meant for priorities that do not and never will involve me. How do I move on when lost as I am in this sea, he is my pole star? He fills my sky. I see nothing between and beyond his brilliance. I swim towards him… and he retreats away from the horizon… forever unattainable. How do I move on when my heart is still warm from an endearment he uttered ages ago? When he first held my hand, it wasn’t a tingling feeling that coursed through me… no first blush of love… but a surge of power, of confidence to take on this world… and a sense of security that he’d stand by me forever. His kisses as rare as midsummer snow, they sent through me an electric pulse that melted my chains, disintegrated my inhibitions and made me look at the world through the eyes of a woman. How do I move on when I am still his girl, but not his woman? He brings out the best and the worst in me… but he brings me out. How do I move on now that I am unmasked? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I convince others that my life is perfect… and I ache within… I ache for him to whisper in my ear again the confirmation of the love with which he claimed my soul. How do I move on with so much hurt inside me? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yin to my yang, he and I, we make a perfect circle. How do I move on when no on else measures up to him? I have shed tears with him and been delighted when his face lit up with a smile. I have fumbled and hurt him and fought with him and then cried and made up. How do I move on now when my cheeks are still wet with tears?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tell me… how do I move on when every fibre of my being refuses to let go? How do I move on when he would not move on?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>These winds of winter... they are robbing me of my spring.</i></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© Surya Murali
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16738632656993307819noreply@blogger.com0