…a treasure trove of DVDs in a hole-in-the-wall in Delhi.

Out came a stack of DVD’s. I rifled through them quite amazed at the range of titles available. All of Ozu, the entire Marx Brothers, John Wayne, Early Kurosawa, it seemed endless. Just when I thought I had seen enough the unnamed man thumped another lot and then another and another.

Does the director of “English, August” walk way or does he succumb? Read his post. And while you are there, be sure to peruse the rest of his blog too – lots of little gems there!

Ruchira Paul on leaving home,

Severing ties with once familiar surroundings can come about in two ways – voluntarily and involuntarily. For some it is a deliberate choice of a new life in a new place. Others leave under the threat of natural or man made disasters. There is no doubt that the initial trauma and the feeling of helplessness is much greater for the latter group. But after years, when things have settled down and a modicum of normalcy returns, do things even out? Do those who are violently uprooted from their nests continue to pine for their loss longer and more keenly than those who leave peacefully?

that girl in pink on Colgate Maxfresh Antakshri,

I have nothing against film based singing competition with Anu Kapoor as a host. But if you’ve ever watched this particular film based singing competition with Anu Kapoor as a host you’ll understand why I always make sure to keep the drapes drawn and volume at a minimum while I watch it.
To begin with the teams are called North ki Shaan, East ki Aan, West ki Jaan and Central ka Maan. Cringe.
Then, there’s the matter of Anu Kapoor’s co-host. To be cruder, louder, uglier and more overbearing than Mr. Kapoor is theoretically impossible. And yet the good people at Colgate Maxfresh and Star One have managed to comb the nation and find a woman who fits all the above criteria.

Hat Tip: Megha

கலெகà¯?டரà¯? உதà¯?யோகமà¯? தானà¯? எனகà¯?கà¯?. நகதà¯?தில à®…à®´à¯?கà¯?கà¯?பà¯? படாமலà¯? வாழà¯?கà¯?கையை சநà¯?தோஷமாககà¯? கழிபà¯?பேனà¯?. சà¯?à®±à¯?றிலà¯?à®®à¯? தமிழà¯? நாவலà¯?களà¯?,ரேடியோ,கொறிகà¯?க வதà¯?தலà¯? வடகமà¯? இதà¯? மாதிரிதானà¯? அமைதà¯?தà¯?கà¯? கொளà¯?வேனà¯?. பாடà¯?டி கேடà¯?டà¯?விடà¯?டà¯?சà¯? சிரிபà¯?பாரà¯?. நானà¯?à®®à¯? வநà¯?தà¯? பாரà¯?கà¯?கிறேனà¯? நீ எபà¯?படிகà¯? கà¯?டிதà¯?தனமà¯? பணà¯?றேனà¯?… விடாபà¯?பிடியாக கலà¯?லூரியை எடà¯?டிவிடà¯?டேனà¯?. கோடைவிடà¯?à®®à¯?றையிலேயே மணமà¯? பேசி அடà¯?தà¯?த தையிலà¯? திரà¯?மணமà¯?. ஸோ, à®…à®®à¯?மா கலெகà¯?டரà¯? கனவà¯? பி.யூ.சியà¯?டனà¯? à®®à¯?டிநà¯?ததà¯?. அதறà¯?கெலà¯?லாமà¯? வரà¯?தà¯?தமே படவிலà¯?லை. எனà¯?ன இடமà¯? தானே மாறியதà¯?

உஙà¯?களà¯?கà¯?கà¯? வலைபà¯?பூ தெரியà¯?மா…ரொமà¯?ப à®®à¯?னà¯?னாலà¯? வாரமà¯? à®’à®°à¯? ஆசிரியரà¯? எனà¯?à®±à¯? பிரபலமாக இரà¯?நà¯?ததà¯? அபà¯?பà¯?றமà¯? à®?னோ தொடரவிலà¯?லை. ஆனாலà¯? இபà¯?போதà¯? அதே பாணியிலà¯? வலைசà¯?சரமà¯? தொடஙà¯?கியிரà¯?கà¯?கிறாரà¯?களà¯?. இஙà¯?கà¯?à®®à¯? வாரமà¯? à®’à®°à¯? ஆசிரியரà¯? எனà¯?à®±à¯? களை கடà¯?டà¯?கிறதà¯?.

“சரி நீ திமà¯?கனà¯?னா நானà¯? கேகà¯?கà¯?à®± கேளà¯?விகà¯?கெலà¯?லாமà¯? கரெகà¯?டà¯?டாபà¯? பதிலà¯? சொலà¯?லிரà¯? பாபà¯?போமà¯?”

“திமà¯?க கொடியிலே கரà¯?பà¯?பà¯? மேல வரà¯?மா சிவபà¯?பà¯? மேல வரà¯?மா?”

“கரà¯?பà¯?பை மேல வசà¯?சà¯? கடà¯?டà¯?னா.. கரà¯?பà¯?பà¯? மேல வரà¯?à®®à¯?…அதே மாதிரி சிவபà¯?பை மேல வசà¯?சà¯? கடà¯?டà¯?னா சிவபà¯?பà¯? மேல வநà¯?தà¯?à®°à¯?à®®à¯?… இதெலà¯?லாமà¯? à®’à®°à¯? கேளà¯?வியாமà¯? வெனà¯?à®±à¯?…”

At India Uncut, God resigns

I could go on forever about how all notions of me are corrupted, and used by men – yes, mostly men – for their own selfish purposes. But who will listen to me forever? The one good thing I did was make you mortal, which I now realize is a feature and not a bug. Anyway, I accept culpability for creating a flawed product in the first place, and then for falling asleep. I’m disgusted at my failure, and the only honourable option I have left now is to resign.

See you in Hell.

God.

Jaffna reponds to Martha Nussbaum’s critique of the Hindu Right.

Nussbaum is not entirely incorrect. The RSS represents an insular atavistic world view that is often coarse. The rhetoric of the Bajrang Dal exemplifies this. But Hinduism and the BJP-led National Development Alliance (NDA) can not be equated with the RSS. The NDA when in power included Dalit activists such as Ram Vilas Paswan, the Kashmir-based National Conference, anti-Brahmanic “Dravidian” parties and veteran socialists like George Fernandez! It cut across regions and the social divide. She needs to temper her strident critique with a more nuanced and accurate view.

Born A Libran discusses asteroids, their chemicals and the science of astronomical spectroscopy. And he reaches this interesting conclusion.

To summarize, the raw materials for life to start could be found in meteors and other components of space and indeed, these compounds under the right condition could lead to life anywhere.

Shivam Vij responds to a post by CNN-IBN journalist Hindol Sengupta. He(Sengupta) feels disenfranchised with the rise of the likes of Mayawati.

So what about Lalu’s success as railway minister? Could it be that Mayawati hasn’t been able to work on development because she’s not been in power for more than two years collectively in three terms? Could it be that Mayawati’s Ambedkar Villages scheme has made the ceiling fan finally whirl in a few villages and allowed a few Dalits to gather the courage to go to the police station and file an FIR against the men who raped their daughter? Could it be that the Dalit-Brahmin alliance by Mayawati could force a Brahmin or two to give up untouchability and accept dalits as part of the same social realm as theirs?