Arts & Entertainment

Art of being an Environmentalist

2010-03-31T04:02:00.000-07:00

At the cost of reiterating a rhetoric let me say that our environment is in shambles. The 2 headed snake of commercialization and capitalism has clawed its fangs upon the ecological system. Industrial pollution has created a havoc in the last decade, much has been said in this regard but very little has been done. At this juncture, it is surprising to come across an eco friendly organization which flips the situation. I am talking about N-Viro International which focuses on conversion of waste to energy.

Oblivious to many of us, this company has been working for the past 2 decades in the field of alternate energy. It licenses its patented technology to municipalities and private companies to treat bio-organic waste. Recording a sales figure of over $40 million dollars, this company has a lot to offer in terms of expertise and technical knowledge. Dealing with issues of renewable energy, this company uses lime and mineral rich combustible products to treat waste water sludge into soil enrichment products with real market value. This company has been managed by Robert Stephens, Raymond James, Oppenheimer and Co., and Paine Webber.

Using state of the art technology the processing operations include physical, chemical and biological reactions to treat biological waste. In many cases, calcium carbonate is obtained as a byproduct which has useful applications. Example: N-Viro recently performed an experiment in Michigan State University in which 2 different fuels were combined and blended with Eastern Ohio coal. The resultant compound was successfully tested to have low air emissions and the boiler (in which the experiment was done) performed efficiently. This company is definitely worth checking.

Information Link

http://www.nviro.com

My Favourite Character

2009-02-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

My favourite animated character is Eric Theodore Cartman from the South Park series, now what do I like about this fat little ba***a*d. He is a bigot; now that is not saying much, he is a racist, egomaniac, self centered fat piece of crap. Now come to think of it, it is his negative qualities that make him so likeable. Voiced by Trey Parker, his acts are funny as hell. Being the antagonist, he does have some good qualities, he is a proactive person and a great strateigist, it is Cartman who usually makes the complicated plans, and he always carries out his plans with utmost dedication. This choice piece of a**, has some great catch lines. "Respect mah Authoritah", "Screw you guys, I?m going home", and "Im gonna kick you square in the nuts" are the ones he frequently uses.

The quality which I respect most is that he is crazy and immature and he remains crazy and immature throughout the South park series, this fatty hates hippies and will do anything to wipe them off the face of the planet. I salute this chubby dude and may he continue to make us laugh with his hillarious buffoonery.

Review of "The Day The Earth Stood Still"

2009-01-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Director- Scott Dickerson

Cast- Keanu Reeves(Klaatu), Jennifer Connelly(Dr.Helen Benson), John Cleese(Noble prize winner Environmentalist)

This film is a remake of a 1951 classic science fiction film of the same name. Although most of the critics here in India gave it negative reviews my opinion stands otherwise. According to me this is a great film, this film has a somber underlying thought and focuses on current issue of man’s environmental damage to the planet.

Keanu Reeves plays the roll of Klaatu, an alien whose primary objective is to communicate with the world leaders and warn them about the impending doom that Earth will face. When he is denied a dialog he escapes from the research facility where he was held captive. He mobilizes the alien forces and declares to Dr.Helen Benson that all people have to die in order to save the Earth, since man is the root cause for damage to the Earth. Klaatu is accompanied by GORT, a gigantic robot which possess high level AI. The robot usually stay immobile until provocated. The robot is captured and is experimented on, but it converts into a swarm of nano robots, which consume everything on its way. The conclusion of the film is a philosophical one.

The mood of the film is thoroughly enjoyable, the sense of inevitability and helplessness is exciting. The special effects and visuals are mind blowing. According to me it is an interesting piece and a must watch. I give a thumbs up to this film.

Rating 3.5/5

Need help in Trade Shows!

2008-05-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

I came across a great site, named Camelback Displays which sells trade show booths, which is used for exhibition during trade shows. Their coverage in terms of products, is astounding; they sell custom printed table skirts, banner stands, Pipe and Drape etc. Extra components are provided upon request, such as directors chairs, literature Holders, light boxes ect. Custom design products are also available. I like their service policies, which include "free shipping" and "same day shipping" facilities. The cost of their products seem reasonable.

This is a great site for artistic people, who tend to work away from convention and want to add a touch of art to their setup. They help in every department, right from desiging the booth to delivering it. They aid in graphics, presentation, luminious colour display, setting up "state of the art" flooring and various other activities. Example- When I visited their banner stands section, I was highly impressed by the range they have got. They have got all types of stands, and they also help in making custom designed banner stands. They can set up any stand within a minute.

Example- I visited their table skirts section and was highly impressed by their designs; from the simple design to the most ultra modern design, they have got it all. You can have your logo and captions printed on the table skirt. I visited their Pipe and Drape section; Pipe and Drape is a must for making the booths used at trade shows. I conclude that these people are highly systematic in their approach, along with screen shots of various setup, they have also enlisted the price of the components in a tabular manner.

Anyone who has a trade show coming up in the near future, should visit this site.

Lonely Dreamer

2008-05-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

A man is sitting alone in an outdoor gathering, with a coffee mug in his hand. He is very reserved by nature, and does not have any friends. He is feeling lonely and his shallow mood is further aggravated, when he sees that all around him people are chatting and making merry.

He sat alone in a crowd of blabbers,
Getting disturbed by their wagging tongue,
He falls asleep in the mist of chatters,
Awaking in a world where his glory is sung.

He sat in a golden throne ,
Wearing a silver crown with gems galore,
Being the Lord and Supreme commander there is nothing for him to moan.

He is the Master of all he surveys,
He says "I am unto Everybody, Nobody is to Me",
Summoning the sorcerer, who has a bald head and tacky ways,
He shouts "I am deeply affected by the constant quiver of words thrown by my subjects, I want you to shut thee",
He commands "Formulate a spell which will clam their lips and shut their brays",

The sorcerer replies,
"O Great Emperor, Your Majesty is unparallel",
"I shall make an enchanted bubble which will mute your subjects",
"The bubble will bulge in proportions until it is maximal in size",
"Then it will burst and your wish will be fullfilled".

The bubble grows big, bigger, bigger, BIGGER....................,
And then, it burst with a "BANG",
Stumbling him into the world of reality,
He opens his eyes in a FLASH, and spills coffee allover his face,
All his "subjects" converge their gaze upon him,
Laughing their hearts out and fullfilling his dream.

by Chetan M

Art of Comfortable Shopping

2008-05-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

I came across a great site, which I want to share with you. The site, named Shopwiki, is a huge database of online shops. What I like about this site, is their coverage; this site virtually connects to all online shops on the internet by means of a powerful search engine. We can compare the prices of a product in various shops and hope to get the best deal, also we would have better exposure and a lot more variey to choose from. The range of products available is excellent.

Example:- When I searched for "Desktop Computers" on this site, I came across a page which gave exhaustive information on all types of desktop computers including pros and cons for each type of product. I came to know about some amazing products and utilities. The specific products are displayed in a systematic tabular manner for easy browsing; the prices of each product is shown and the "number of stores" the product is available in is also shown. Features such as "colour coding" and narrowing the search by mensioning the price range is also is available.

Example- For people who are interested in Jewelry Making, Shopwiki offers various products. I especially liked their beading kit. Shopwiki offers useful tips on how to go about bead making. I also liked their Glass Art section, in which information about various tools and kit are provided.

Do visit this site, I am sure you will enjoy browing through it.

Art of being stable minded

2008-04-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

I came across a site named Advantage Business Quotes, which can prove to be beneficial for small and medium level businesses. Basically it provides insurance coverage by providing plans and access to various corporate entities.

In today’s society , many dishonest entities have cropped up, which intend to dupe the companies that are working for them, for no reason or frivolous reason. Small and mid level companies are primary targets. Customer satisfaction has reached a very high level, considering the tough competition among corporates. In such a scenario, insurance coverage is a must. I like the simple working of this site. In order to wok with this site, you only have to fill a simple form. According to the data supplied to them, this site will link us to the concerned companies which will contact us and provide their quotes. We can select the best quotes. This site also provides insurance for the top level management.

I especially like their policy which deals with lowering the rates. This site provides substantial advice on lowering the cost of the premium, that is paid by the company. I also liked their policies which deals with dealing with liability. It gives sound advice on how to maintain balance between disaster management and being cost efficient.

Look of the year, a must see for all the style freaks

2008-04-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

I came across a site named Look of the year, which is an interesting site. It is a must see, for all those who wish to have a career in modeling. This unique site is a web based Beauty contest. To join this site, simply register with them. Your photo will be posted on the site home page, and web surfers will vote for you when they come across your profile. Needless to say, the person who receives maximum number of votes, shall be deemed a winner.

Anybody and Everybody can join;location and ethnicity, is not a barrier. If you are Beautiful and have the looks and the personality, you have a strong chance of winning this competition.

This site gives an opportunity to Young and aspirant Models to showcase their talent. Just think! Even if you don't win, your talent is bound to be recognized by some modeling agency. You might just land up as a model, and would have a chance to work with top designers in various fashion capitals(Paris, New York, Milan). I highly recommend this site, to anybody, who think , he/she has got the looks and the persona to be a Model.

Information link
http://www.lookoftheyear.com

Hotels in Europe: an artisitic creation

2008-04-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Europe is a very beautiful place; the cities of Europe, exude beauty, grace and charm. The hotels of Europe share the qualities of their cities. The hotels are of superior quality and highly reasonable in their pricing.

Let us start by talking about Dublin. It is the largest and the capital city of Ireland. Dublin has a vibrant nightlife and one of the most youngest cities of Europe. Dublin Hotels guaranty leisure and good service. Hotels of all statures are available with the lowest fares being $28 for ordinary lodges to $370 for 5 star accommodation.

Next comes Paris. Paris, is the capital city of France and situated on the Seine river in Northern France. Paris, as we all know is famous for its Eiffel Tower. Along with being the fashion hub of Europe, it is the site for one of the greatest architecture the world has seen. Paris Hotels are works of art themselves. Prices for Paris hotels start at $46. Even 4 star hotels, which are highly pleasurable start their rates at $127.

Next comes Barcelona. Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain. Barcelona is famous for its beautiful parks and sunny beaches. The pricing of Barcelona Hotels is one of the most reasonable among European cities. Ordinary hotels began their pricing at a very low $24. 4 star and 5 star accommodation are available at $86 and $141 only.

Finally, we shall talk about Rome. Rome is Italy's most largest and Europe's most popular city. As we all know Rome was the center of one of the greatest empires this world has seen. Rome still retains its greatness in terms of language, culture, architecture and artistic skills. Prices of Roman Hotels is a bit expensive than the rest but still quiet reasonable. Ordinary lodging is available at $50, while 5 star accommodation is available at roughly $250.

All hotels are top class in terms of service, quality of food and hospitality. Staying at these hotels is an enriching experience.

For all those dudes, who lack in academics!!

2008-04-06T03:09:00.001-07:00

For people like me who lack in academics, I have written a poem :-

THE CV

An average boy, named Chetan has prepared his CV. He compares his CV with his fellow classmates and discovers that he is way behind in terms of academics, training and co-curricular activities. This is how he feels :-

Seeing the White Devil,
I scorn my fellow mates,
The green snake of envy instigates me,
My mind dims with frustration,
I say "Let them make merry in Hell";
"As If I care",
The arrow of scorn inverts and points toward me,
The warrior of impartiality thrusts the arrow in my torso,

Chetan realizes that he alone is responsible for his shortcomings; because of his lack of hard work and idiocy(idiot nature), he has been put much behind in the race.

The poison of realization flows within me,
"Remember those days when you were idling before the TV";
"Remember those days when you were spending precious currency of time before the computer";
"Remember those days when you kicked your friends of knowledge and thrusted them in the cupboard",
You paid for your incompetency,
The "lazy" Devil who befriended you now mocks you,

He realizes what he should do.

I purged myself,
Decided to have an alliance with my real friends,
My brothers(books) welcomed me with open arms,
The maiden of hardwork enlightened me,
My resolute is unlimited,
In front of my eyes,
The curtain of future unrolled,
My potential broke the sky.

by Chetan M

"Colourful Figment"- A short poem wtitten by me

2008-03-29T23:53:00.000-07:00

An average boy, named Chetan tries to write a poem, no creative thought is coming to his mind. This is how he feels:-

I lay still, like a carnivore,
Waiting for my thoughts of prey,
My mind remains blank,
And does not elicit even the slightest thought,
I try harder, but the brick wall refuses to break,
Clamping my nerves, and fracturing my brains,
I cry "Why the juice of creativity lack within me";
I cry "Why have I been made a fool amongst the Master of Creators";

Then suddenly, out of nowhere he gets a creative thought. The thought is simple yet good enough to make him happy. There is a change in his feeling; his feelings are portrayed below.:-

And in a flash of lighting,
Rose a phoenix,
Fluttering its beautiful wings,
It fills me with joy,
I see a million colours hovering in the air,
Constructing a pattern which is my own,
I fall asleep awaking in my dream,
In a land, where I am the Master.

by Chetan M

Bloggerwave: The art of enjoying and making money

2008-02-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

If we have a broad perspective everything is art! Making money is an art, and enjoying the process of making money is an art too. In my case, I enjoy creating Blog; If i could find the means of earning via blogging, then my enjoyment would provide me with cash. Is this possible?

It definitely is. I came across a site, Bloggerwave which pays its users to blog. Bloggerwave has a market place where the site enlists various opportunities(according to the advertiser), and you can select an optimum opportunity. You would get paid for each post. The number of opportunities that you can take up depends upon the popularity and quality of your blog. Having a good Pagerank, and an Alexa rank for your blog is an important criteria. Hence , this site provides a good opportunity to Make Money.

At present, according to the rules of this site, you can register at most 5 blogs, but if the quality of your blog is superior then they might bend this rule for you. However , there is no restriction to the number of opportunities that a single blog can take up. This is a good site and I highly recommend this site.

Annotation purpose only, no need to click- bloggerwave

Unreal Tournament

2008-02-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Playing games is the most common source of entertainment. Playing games on console and on PC is good, since a research suggests that playing video games improves our reflexes.

I am going to talk about one of my favourite games, Unreal Tournament.
Unreal Tournament follows the successful game, Unreal. It is a third person shootist. It is a mind blowing game. This games has a very simple concept-"No strategy, no thinking, just annihilate your opponents. The motto of this game should be “frag everything that is not you”.

This game mainly tests your cyber reflexes. It has skillful opponents and imaginative guns. The background of the stages are highly engaging. The graphics is good, and game play is rather simple. It has a single player mode, it has other game types such as Flag Match, Team matches etc. The drawback of this game is that you are left craving for more. This game has 8 levels of play, and hence you can test your skill at various levels. To pump up your adrenaline levels , I highly recommend this game.

Short stories- Indigo stories by Satyajit Ray

2008-02-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

A short story is another one of the greats arts. Much Entertainment can be derived from reading a short story. A short story is a pleasant read; a short story like a short film has to end quickly. The artist(author) must be skilled enough to incorporate all the details, and make the scenario interesting within a few pages.

"Indigo stories" is a collection of short stories written by Satyajit Ray, the legendary Indian film maker. He is one of the greatest film maker of this century. He is the only Indian Director till date to win an Oscar. Satyajit Ray was also a writer of repute. Till date, he is considered as one of the most popular writers of Bengal.

Indigo is an apt name, since indigo is the colour of richness and fertility. These 2 factors are incorporated in the short stories.These short stories are highly engaging. The beauty of these short stories are that they do not go into lengthy descriptions. Ray only touches upon the essentials yet, you could feel every part of the characters. Also, the plot of these short stories can rival the best in the business. The plots are highly interesting.

Another thing, that I like about these short stories are the simplicity of characters. The characters are all average men and women, falling into the category of typical Indian middle class. Yet, some supernatural/ unexpected element is included in the scenario which makes the proceedings highly exciting. Ray proves that to understand class, complexity, and variety you should visit the common and not the snob(not all are snobs) higher class.

In these short stories , we are exposed to the fertile mind of Satyajit Ray. Reading these short stories is a highly rewarding experience. I highly recommend this book.

Rating of this book- 4/5

Pottery

2008-01-24T06:57:00.000-08:00

Pottery is a type of handicraft. Pottery is the art of making earthenware, stoneware, ceramics.

Usually, in Pottery, the clay body is manipulated to a particular shape, and then the clay body is hardened in a kiln, to induce permanent changes.

Steps in Pottery:-

First obtain some clay. Wash the clay toroughly in blungers( a large pot) to remove pebbles and sand and other impurities.
Clay is mixed with water, to moist it. This makes the clay easier to handle by the potter.
Then a chunk of clay, is put on a potter's wheel and shaped. This is known as "Throwing". The clay can also be shaped in a mould.
After the pot is shaped, it is subjected to fire in a kiln. This is known as firing. The temperature of the fire has variations depending upon the type of material to be formed. For pottery it is generally, 1420°F.

These basic steps are followed, almost in all cases. Of course, variations can be there in design and shaping.

Some good pottery:-

Satyajit Ray, my all time favourite director

2008-01-05T05:16:00.000-08:00

Satyajit Ray is my all time favourite director, and according to me, one of the greatest artist that humanity has produced. He has won 32 national awards, an award at Cannes film festival for the best human documentary, an Oscar( only Indian director to get an Oscar), and numerous awards at national and international level. His massive award collection suggest that he is perhaps one of the greatest director in the history of mankind. Great film personalities such as George Lucas(creator of the star war series), Akira Kurosawa, Lindsay Anderson and many more have highly appreciated his work.

He was also a writer of repute, he wrote novels and short stories. Many of his short stories, were published in "Sandesh"(means sweet in Bengali) a fortnightly magazine, which was started by Ray's father, Sukumar Ray and later revived by him. His Feluda stories, and Gupi Bagha stories have created a legacy.

Along with possessing mastery in all aspects of film making, he could also paint very well. This shows that he was a complete artist.

The best thing that I like about him is that the simplicity with which he portrayed his characters. It takes a real genius to make a complex thing simple, and he mastered in doing that. Even in his short stories, he did not go into lengthy descriptions, he just touched upon the essentials, and yet you could feel every part of his characters.

Let us all "Salute this Genius".

Wood Carving

2007-12-31T04:14:00.000-08:00

Handicraft is a kind of craft in which decorative materials are made by using hands and simple
tools.

Wood carving is a type of handicraft. In wood carving the wooden object is given a particular orientation using simple carving tools. A carving tool set comprises of a carving knife, gouge, chisel, V-tool, veiner. A carving knife is a specialized knife for pairing, cutting and smoothening wood. A gouge is used to make hollows. A chisel is used for lining up and making straight edges. A V-tool is used for parting and in some cases for emphasizing lines.

The selection of wood is also important. Hardwood is difficult to curve but has more lusture and lasts longer. Softwood is easier to carve but lacks durability. The selection of the type of wood has to be done by the artist.

Some good wood carvings:-

Review of "Welcome"

2007-12-23T13:17:00.001-08:00

Actors- Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Katrina Kaif
Director- Aneez Bazme

Usually I start my critical review by giving a brief gist of the plot, but in this case it would be useless, since the director himself has not been able to explain the plot. It involves an underworld Don, Uday Shetty(Nana Patekar), who wants to marry off his sister(Katrina Kaif) to a white collar person. He ropes in Rajeev(Akshay Kumar), but his uncle(Paresh Rawal) wants to stop the marriage at any cost. Majnoo bhai(Anil Kpoor) is the chief henchman of Uday Shetty, and ably supports him in his deciscions. Other characters like RDX(Firoz Khan) and Ishika(Mallika Sherawat) are introduced and they further complicate the plot.

The comedy is good, but in parts, in most cases cheap jokes and mindless composition dominates the film. The plot is acceptable in the first half but goes completely haywire in the second half. This shows that director lacks script sense. Talented actors like Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor have been wasted. Cinematography is good and the music above average. In totality, it seems like a film which has been very loosely made.

In terms of performances, Nana Patekar steals the show, and is ably supported by Anil Kapoor. Their chemistry is outstanding. Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal are efficient. Mallika Sheravat is average, while Katrina Kaif provides the required glamour. Firoz Khan is good and looks crisp in his usual style.

All in all, a single viewing is sufficiemnt.

Rating- 1.5/5

Pankaj Kapur, my all time favourite actor

2007-12-21T12:51:00.000-08:00

For a career spanning 3 decades, he has done very few films, but all of his performances have been masterpieces. Over-rated bollywood stars consider themselves great by giving masterpiece performance in 1 or 2 films, while this supreme genius has been giving "once in a life time performance" all his life.

Be it Bollywood, Hollywood or any other film industry on this planet, no actor has come even close to matching him. According to me, he is the greatest actor in the history of motion pictures and i really mean it!!! What a pity!!! We are having the most precious gem inspite of it we disregard the gem and crave for petty stones(over-rated stars who depend more on hype and media than their acting skills).!!!

Review of "I am Legend"

2007-12-21T04:37:00.000-08:00

Actors- Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan
Director- Francis Lawrence

"I am Legend" is a science fiction story; a virus is formulated which has an 100% efficiency in curing cancer, but it mutates to have disastrous effect on human beings. The affected humans turn into blood thirsty monsters. The year is 2009, and nearly all of humanity is wiped out, only few normal humans remain. One such person is Dr. Robert Neville(Will Smith) who is the perhaps the only normal person left in New York city.

This film shows how he goes about in his daily routine. He attempts to cure the disease by various trial and error procedures. The final outcome of the film is a philosophical one.

This film is brilliantly made; the cinematography is good, background scores are excellent and the special effects (as expected out of any Hollywood film) is exquisite. In terms of performance, Will Smith is mind-blowing, his expressions of fear, his deep observant eye, and his helplessness with which he talks to the mannequins completely etch the character he is playing.

I recommend this film highly; a must watch.

Rating- 4/5

Entertainment

2007-12-21T04:26:00.000-08:00

Entertainment is the heart of life; according to me the most lucky person is the one who has access to various sources of entertainment. Laughing, singing, dancing, watching films, watching plays are the most common sources of entertainment. Of course you can create your own source(ex.- running through half feet snow in the siberian lands); your innovation will lead to enjoyment.

Art

2007-12-19T06:38:00.000-08:00

I am writing my first post today, so let's see, what does the word "art" mean to me (an average 20 year old guy who has no artistic talent) ----> To me art has no definition, art can be anything : it is not the artist who creates art but the perception of the observer which creates "art". Who is the biggest artist? The answer is nature, if you have to compete with somebody compete with nature, you may not win but at least you will come close to perfection.