Here come the men in black

The porn industry in America comes out with very innovative rip offs of famous Hollywood films. Names like "Star Whores", "Sex Wars", "Driving Miss Daisy Crazy", "Once Upon A Girl" are quite common. Of course all of them will have the same old 'in out, in out', albeit with a tepid storyline. Imagine Darth Vader with his metallic 'you know what', having a go at Princess Leia, only to find out later that he was being a bad daddy.

Is the law an ass or are we?

When I used to work for a technology magazine I had done an extensive feature on gaming, the history and the future etc. There were plans to put it up on the blog but I wasn’t sure of my rights, or rather the copyright legislations. To be very frank I’m not too sure about my basic rights. I know what my fundamental rights are, in alphabets, that is. Now picture this scenario. You’re traveling on a local train and have a monthly pass. A ticket collector comes along asks for your pass. You give it to him and he tears it up and tosses it out. Then he claims that you are traveling without a ticket and demands a fine or as the norm would be, a bribe. What would you do? Can you fight? What proof do you have that you did indeed carry a pass? If it were an outstation ticket then you have a proof in the system. In case of a omputer generated ticket, your purchase would've been recorded and there is a chart at the dor that proves your reservation. But it doesn’t prove that you had the ticket with you. Daily tickets or monthly passes don’t have any immediate proof of reservation or purchase or that you are carrying it in person either.
Here’s another scenario, what happens if the police just picks you up off the street and puts you behind bars, denying you the right to call the lawyer? They give you a good spanking, slap a case of creating a nuisance against you, and try you for the same. They may do this just to hike up their arrest and conviction ratios. And the rather strong emphasis on circumstantial evidence makes it very easy for ‘them’ to snare ‘us’.
Isn’t that what happened during the emergency, can’t it happen now, doesn’t it happen rather? We’ve always heard of cases where the police are brutal and have committed various acts that don’t quite sit right with our version of safeguarding our rights, or protecting us.
And what is this funda of assembly or parliamentary privilege, the one that grants our elected legislators a certain amount of immunity against criticism?
The tome that is often called our constitution is quite a labyrinth and even 5 years of law school isn’t enough to understand every passage or circumvent every loophole.
As individuals are we really insured against the misuse of power? Does the law really protect us? Does the constitution safeguard our rights? Can these statements be recorded and used to move a contempt of court proceeding against me?The above post may give the reader an impression that I’m a paranoid rambler. But that’s not the case, nor am I elucidating my naivety as far as the law or my rights are concerned. These ideas come floating and leave traces of doubts behind.

(There is a brief post about some new gaming development on Wordpress)

Goa, Goa, had gone

Ah, minty green freshness. It has been quite a while since I've taken myself on a vacation. The weekend trips are fine but no long drawn trips with days spent doing nothing. And the nights? Ditto.

My last trip to any place that is more than 300 km away from Mumbai was in 2004, to Goa. This was between a job switch and on time earned by lying about my tenure to both my future and former employer. 5 days in Goa, went by train, stayed in a Goan 'aunty's' house and wasted myself away. In my defense, I wasn't alone, I had 3 others with me. We rented out a car, a beaten down Maruti 800, got a temporary tatoo done down the length of my back, ate vegetable vindaloo at decently expensive and candle lit cafes like any respectable Tam Brahm, acted like I was drinking and kept emptying my glass into my neighbour's empty one, pussyfooted about smoking up. Sat down at the beach, walked up and down the beach, did not venture into the water because swimming wasn't something that my parents taught me, tried to learn driving, reversed the the car into a 'firang's' Isuzu, paid the damages and walked around with a smirk on my face.

As far as I was concerned this was the funnest of trips I had taken in a while. What to tell you I'm a lazy bum.

PS: This is the first of my crossposts, I coined that term. Which means that for a bit (read as long I think its uber cool) I shall be posting simultaneously here as well as here. It will be the same post before my Wordpress blog detaches itself from the mother ship. And those who are waiting for a quiz (ha the fine art of flattering oneself), a little later please, I'm quite bored right now.

One More

Guess what I've been upto? Someone told me that Wordpress is a very good blogging service. I'm not a very frequent blogger but the opurtunity to try out something new is very tempting. So I gave it a shot, so far I say, it's quite nice, has a few interesting features that Blogger does not.

So all those who do read what's written here can also go and check out raydeo.wordpress.com
I have no fascination for the term raydeo, in fact it sounds like a Mexican wrestler from the WWE, but the name has stuck so I'm cool with it.

Go to the new blog and patronize me, will you?

Hello

I thought I'd sit down and write about cheesy blog posts, the ones I've read and the ones that I would in due course had I taken up writing this post. Thank God I did not, else I would have to sit and browse around for very bad blogs, not that they are rare, every second blog you come across is bullshit, especially a lot from the regions that lie to our south-east. A typical post from these blogs would read as follows,
Hi, theeeees Tammiiii here. Long time no pos no!!! Was tied in knotts!! Howzaaaaaa everybodeee. I miss all of you, like everyday you know and sometimes at night times toooooo. Howzaaa Ronil, howzaaaa Wendy, and David, Lisa I soooo miss you. But BB you I'm not talking. You stood up on my birdayyyy!!!!! Alright now I've gotttta go and shop with mama. She plans to send me to Taata's house after school!!!! OOOh loooove school!!! Fun and party |-)

In all probability this will be a collaborative blog by Ronil, Wendy, David, Lisa, BB and Tami. You've read one you've read them all.
I'm not being a nazi but Indian blogs are far more fun to read than these firang ones. the American blogs are pretty dry (waiting for "oh you don't know a lot of good American blogs then" line), the British ones pontificate and struggle between liberal and labour (the tories don't blog, they drink tea and eat scones), the European ones ...well are in some European language that I can't comprehend. Sri Lankan ones are fine and so are the Pakistani ones. The ones from Middle East though take the cake. If they are in English (most are in Arabic) then they're anti US and generally anti anything that is anti fundamentalist. The Arabic ones, however, I believe are just erotic literature. I am not allowed to comment about the Chinese blogs.

PS: Details about Indian blogs coming up

Jesus Christ Super Yaar

The blog land is replete with people writing, arguing, praising, dissing and datting Rang De Basanti. Whole chain of arguments have sprouted. Almost everyone I read had a word to say about the movie, including the normally tangential Supriya who got sucked into a mainstream phenomenon. Even I ventured into it and tried to shoot back at a review of the movie which I thought was getting a bit too stirred up. Jabberwock was kind enough to respond to my 'criticism' of the crticism and hand me a sound thrashing. I understood the folly of my ways and retreated into my dirigible. But there was something about the movie that changed the way I lead my life, until then.
It was because of the movie that I now write down all my posts, including the mind numbingly difficult quizzes, using a pen, sorry, using an ink pen. I fill up entire sheets of office stationary writing arbitrary questions and other inane sentences in Royal Blue Ink (by Chelpark). The pen is a Made in China-China Pen, also known as a Hero Pen, model number 332 preceeded by some Chinese characters that I cannot understand. My source of inspiration was Sue's grandpa, was he from her father's or mother's side, who wrote about the three kinds of dying men in very good writing using an ink pen.
I have also noticed other changes in me, like wanting to jump up to every passing plane. Living in Mumbai this is turning out to be quite a problem (we have a fairly busy airspace you see). I also live in constant fear that the next firang chick I pass a comment at (in Hindi mind you) will turn back and say, "Teri Maa Ki Aankh" or something worse, and I'd never get it because of their accent. The movie also left me wondering what "Takkes" meant, though I dare not ask my sister. This is quite an issue considering I'm always on the look out for answers.
Because of these abnormalities I have thrown my weight behind all those who dissed the movie.
Bad movie, bad influence. Thanks to it I have stained shirt pockets now.

Time's Up

The answers are here

1] Complete the series, with respect to US Presidential elections: Andrew Jackson, Grover Cleveland, Samuel Tilden
- Al Gore, this is the list of those presidential candidates who lost out in the electoral college even though they won more popular votes. Jackson and Cleveland however did serve as the Presidents.

2] It was introduced as an experiment covering a 40km radius with the support of the UNESCO, Philips and the US Govt. in 1959. The facility was extended to Bombay in 1972, followed by Srinagar , Calcutta and Madras . It was delinked from its mother organization in 1976 and given the status of an independent corporation. The corporation went commercial in 1982 and was raking in Rs. 10 billion in revenue by 1987. What ?
- Doodarshan. Good old DD makes a lot of money

3] Lt. Col. Douglas Kirkpatrick ( Prof. of Aeronautics at USAF Academy ) on observing something said : ___ has overcome the acceleration of the earth's gravity by use of muscle power in the vertical plane, thus producing a low-altitude earth orbit.
- That's Mchael Jordan and his amazing ability to stay in the Air

4] Connect Jhankaar,Amore,Upop,Swing,Shruti
- All stations on the Worldspace radio service

5] Which famous personality turned down the Order of Merit with a statement : " It would be superfluous, as I have already conferred this on myself ." ?
- Irreverance can only be George Bernard Shaw

6] A small town so called in south-west France , near Bordeaux gave a Frenchman named Antoine de La Mothe a title , that eventually gave rise to a brand name . Name the brand .
- Cadilac

7] The first U.S. coin to bear the words "United States of America," was a penny piece made in 1727. There was plain spoken motto inscribed on it . What was the inscription ?
- Mind Your Own Business

8] When Steve Wozniak was 18 yrs old , he used to sell illegal devices that allowed free long distance phone calls. This was at a place called Homebrew Computer Club . To whom did he make his first free phone call ?
- He called the Pope

9] What was the contribution to English literature of the visitor from Porlock?
- Kubla Khan was left incomplete because of the insurance salesman who interrupted Coleridge

10] Two phrases, which have now become an integral part of the English language, first appeared in the Snoopy comic strips by Charles Schulz. What are they?
- Good Grief and security Blanket

This time round I'm putting up two bonus questions.

11] Who said, and in what context: "You can have it any colour as long as it is Bondi Blue?
- Steve Jobs about the iMac

12] What is the origin for the term "popping crease"?
-Earlier, there was a hole in the pitch where the batsman had to ground the bat to complete a run out. Equally, the fielding team had to "pop" the ball in the hole to achieve a run out. The system, being quite impractical and resulting in a number of injuries to the players, was replaced by a line drawn across the pitch, which was labelled the "popping crease" in recognition of the old system.

10/11

I'm putting up Quiz number 10 or is it 11? Well that doesn't matter. So we have the questions here and the number doesn't matter just as an erection in a porn movie.
So after a fine mix or Horlicks and Green tea I am disgusted enough to loathe each and every one of you.

1] Complete the series, with respect to US Presidential elections: Andrew Jackson, Grover Cleveland, Samuel Tilden

2] It was introduced as an experiment covering a 40km radius with the support of the UNESCO, Philips and the US Govt. in 1959. The facility was extended to Bombay in 1972, followed by Srinagar , Calcutta and Madras . It was delinked from its mother organization in 1976 and given the status of an independent corporation. The corporation went commercial in 1982 and was raking in Rs. 10 billion in revenue by 1987. What ?

3] Lt. Col. Douglas Kirkpatrick ( Prof. of Aeronautics at USAF Academy ) on observing something said : ___ has overcome the acceleration of the earth's gravity by use of muscle power in the vertical plane, thus producing a low-altitude earth orbit.

4] Connect Jhankaar,Amore,Upop,Swing,Shruti

5] Which famous personality turned down the Order of Merit with a statement : " It would be superfluous, as I have already conferred this on myself ." ?

6] A small town so called in south-west France , near Bordeaux gave a Frenchman named Antoine de La Mothe a title , that eventually gave rise to a brand name . Name the brand .

7] The first U.S. coin to bear the words "United States of America," was a penny piece made in 1727. There was plain spoken motto inscribed on it . What was the inscription ?

8] When Steve Wozniak was 18 yrs old , he used to sell illegal devices that allowed free long distance phone calls. This was at a place called Homebrew Computer Club . To whom did he make his first free phone call ?

9] What was the contribution to English literature of the visitor from Porlock?

10] Two phrases, which have now become an integral part of the English language, first appeared in the Snoopy comic strips by Charles Schulz. What are they?

This time round I'm putting up two bonus questions.

11] Who said, and in what context: "You can have it any colour as long as it is Bondi Blue?

12] What is the origin for the term "popping crease"?

Quinine Answers

Jingle bell frock is what Santa wears right??
Would anything I say be taken as true gyan? Then I'd start spouting vacant wisdom a la Oprah Chopra.
Anyway the answers to the last kweez are up and as Supriya said they were quite Google friendly.
Just you wait people. The next one is what any Parsi would call 'g***d fadoo'

What laws were stated in the 1942 short story called 'Runaround'? Bonus for anyone who spells out these laws.
- The laws of Robotics. I guess this was the easiest of the lot. I'm not going to give each of these laws and trust me no one wants to test my Asimov fundae.

Melinda and Bill Gates and Bono were the TIME people of the year for 2005. Who was TIME 'Man' of the year in 1988?
- The Endangered Earth was the Time blah of the year for '88

Which product, extensively used nowadays, did Immanuel Nobel, father of Alfred Nobel, invent?
- Plywood da. Son makes bombs father makes wood variant

Dismas- __________- Getas. Simple fill in the blank
-Jesus

In chess, which move’s notation is 0-0-0?
- Castle on the queen's side. Immensely guessable this was

What was the Treaty of Park Avenue? Who were the signatories? (If anybody says FRIENDS I'll put an embargo on them)
- Asimove and Arthur C Clarke. Good little extra tidbit by Jehangir

Name the brothers whose first names were James and William who made the first milk supplement using malted barley and wheat flour?
- Horlicks

In 1955, Theodor Geisel was awarded an authentic doctorate by his alma mater, Dartmouth College even though he had earlier conferred a similar degree upon himself. How do we know him better?
- Dr Suess, very Supriya kind of poet

Which well-known fictional character hails from the village of Talsonapur?
-Devdas

The playing surface in this sport can be made of any material as long as it answers to this specification: a standard ball, dropped on to it from a height of 12 inches must rebound to a height of 9 -10 inches. Which sport?
- Table tennis

Bonus Q
What famous retort was made to the following exclamation: "Goodness, what diamonds!"?
- Goodness has nothing to do with it.
What's with the dearie Jeh, you have a feather boa with you?