10 Websites I visit regularly

Being in the software business has a lot of advantages. Among the better ones are the free internet surfing that one gets to do. Never mind the fact that mail checking is not allowed. It still is a lot of fun catching up with the rest of the world.

Here are the top 10 websites I visit regularly (not exactly in any order):

www.rediff.com

I get my daily dose of news and analysis from here.

www.indiatimes.com

I check this website out basically to find out how low and cheap people can get to promote their website. Their trick actually works.

www.aldaily.com

A wonderful site. Is more like a portal. A reservoir of exciting information.

www.spiegel.de

My only connection with the German world. I read this site to brush up my German daily.

www.pagalguy.com

This is my absolute favorite. I am on this site most of my time. Of late the quality of the posts have come down, but still the site is a wonderful experience.

http://www.newsmax.com/liners.shtml

Leno and Letterman entertain me here. I am an addict to this site.

www.movie-reviewscolossus.net

The best Hollywood movie review site. The guy who runs this site is a great lover of cinema.

www.time4education.com

Of late I have been checking this site very often get my rankings and other stuff.

www.guardian.co.uk

The best English language site I can think of.

www.sify.com

I check this site out when I am absolutely jobless and bored to death. It never fails to entertain me.

Of course I check this blog very regularly too : )

Manoj

Religionless!

Over the past few years I have had a lot of questions in my life. Questions that never met with the right answers. Why God and what God? This was the most important question of my life. Closely following was the question “What is the meaning of this life?”.

I read the Gita. I got no answer. I tried “Googling” on the subject yet got no satisfying answer. The two questions stuck on with me. They would trouble me now and then.

The other day I had wandered into Higginbothams book shop near my place. On an impulse I bought a book on J Krishnmurthy called “Commentary on Living”. I basically bought it because the cover looked good and the price was comfortable. I sauntered back home to lazily gaze into the pages.

I lay down on my bed and started reading the book. Three pages into the book I had got up and my interest was completely evoked. I read with amazement and disbelief at what was written. Within 10 minutes of reading the book I realized I had atlast found the answer to my questions. I read further on and found that my heart started becoming very light. Finally everything in this world started to make sense.

I sat on the feeling for a while to make sure that it was not one of those “momentary” satisfactions. After a week now I realize that I have outgrown religion. Hinduism does not offer the answers for my questions. J Krishnamurthy gave them to me. One by one. One sweet answer by one. As a consequence of which I am not attached to my religion, for that matter any religion, anymore.

I am a citizen of the free world and I have become religion less.

Thanks JK, for setting me free.

Manoj

Where are you from?

I hate that question. I really do. I don’t mind answering those typical double-edge questions like “Have you quit smoking?”. But I hate answering that question. Why? Ok lets see the reasons.

1. My mother tongue is Marati. Does that make me a Maharashtrian? I wonder.

2. I was born in Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. Does that make me an Andhraiite? I wonder.

3. I have practically lived most of my life in Chennai. Does that make me a Tamil? I wonder.

Now when somebody asks me that simple question “Where are you from?” I start having withdrawal symptoms. My tongue goes dry. I have a lump in my throat. And then I start rattling my history. Half way through the lecture the other person gets disinterested and seemingly kicks himself/herself for asking me that simple question. I do not show any kindness and continue till I have explained my inherited lineage.

The week that was!

I have been having a pretty hectic week. It is not work that is keeping me on my toes. It is my CAT preparation that is taking all of my attention. Never has anything engulfed me as fully as this. I am eating, breathing and thinking CAT. Yet I am not able to make any headway. I guess I have only myself to blame. But I know I am improving. My marks might not suggest the same, but deep down I know I am improving. That is important. I can only get better from now on.
I watched a few movies. I will be posting reviews of them pretty soon. The first review will be of Murder. Yes Mallika Sherawat’s sizzling movie.
So ciao till then.

Manoj

The Review: Azhagiya Theeyey

Azahgiya Theeyey

****

Cast: Prasanna, Navya Nair, Prakash Raj, "Pyramid" Natarajan,


It needed a Prakash Raj to provide some wholesome entertainment like this. Not that Azhagiya Theeyey is a different film, but it’s the treatment that wins the day. Prasanna and three of his friends live with the hope of making it big in cinema. One of their friends comes to Prasanna asking for help to rescue a girl from distress. Prasanna plays a small game as the lover of the girl and the problem seems to be solved. But little do the characters know that the real problems are about to begin.
Prasanna has matured handsomely. His portrayal of the protagonist is impressive. He portrays the right emotions mixed with the right dose of comedy. Debutant (in Tamil) Navya Nair is again very impressive. She epitomizes graceful beauty. However she could have acted with a little more heart towards the end of the movie.
The three friends of the hero are very down-to-earth and hence believable. Special mention of the character “Chitthappa” should be made. He does a neat job.
Prakash Raj appears in only a few scenes. In all of them though he dazzles.
The climax of the movie, though expected, is heart warming. The longing look of Prasanna and the way his emotions change as per the situation really warms ones heart. Nice job Prasanna.
The songs are hearable.
All in all, a good and clean entertainer.

Manoj

The Review: Sullan

The Review: Sullan

**

Cast: Dhanush, Sindhu Tolani, Manivannan, Pasupathy

Half way through the movie I had only one question. Why? Why did Dhanush agree to star in this movie? Was it the money? I hope it is just that. The movie is a complete let down. Lets see the story (!).

Dhanush is Subramani aka Sullan. He gets angry at the drop of a hat. Manivannan, his father, is a Corporation lorry driver. He dreams of his son saving the family from wretched poverty. Instead Sullan has a tiff with stereo-typed baddie Suri (Pasupathy). In the end Sullan kills him and goes to jail.

It is painful to see Dhanush being wasted in such mindless movies. Such movies look good only for certain types of heros, Vikram being a very good example. Hopefully in the future Dhanush will refrain from acting in such movies.

The heroine is Sindhu Tolani. She better find herself another job. She aint gonna make it big as a heroine. She may try her hand in Hindi movies where skin show is the order of the day.

All in all, a complete waste of a movie.

Manoj

The King of Stand-up comedy: Jay Leno

A few years back the American channel NBC was available in India. Every night I used to catch up with Tom Brokaw’s Nightly News and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Tom Brokaw was the eternal gentleman. His show oozing with diligence and dignity. Jay Leno’s show on the other hand was a laugh riot. The man can make you laugh effortlessly. Unforunately I am not able to see NBC anymore, but I catch up with Jay Leno’s wisecracks through this site:

http://www.newsmax.com/liners.shtml

I strongly recommend this site to one and all who are interested in good comedy.

Manoj

The Rapist needs to go!

President Kalam did the right thing by turning down the appeal of Dhananjoy, the guy who raped and murdered a 14-year old girl in 1990. The guy had no right in appealing in the first place. A man who could do something as gruesome an act as raping an under-age girl has to go. I am a traditional supporter of human rights, but letting that guy off the hook would be a big mistake. Every guy thinking about outraging the modesty of women should have two choices.
Shut the hell up and get on with life.
Rape and die.

Manoj

AIMCAT503 - My worst yet!

How life can change in minutes or days or weeks! In just about 2 weeks my emotion has gone on from jubilation to sheer desperation. Wrote AIMCAT503 yesterday and it was a complete disaster. I will be managing only a measly 25. Quantitative (In)aptitude is at its worst. I better buck up. This is the last time I am writing CAT and I want to make sure that I make the most out of it.
I have decided to slog a lot more than what I am doing now. This will involve strengthening my hold on concepts to putting them to good practice. There are two Mocks scheduled for this weekend and I hope to do well in both of them.
In short I am feeling terrible now.

Manoj