Stand By Me

I’ve always loved this movie. It’s definitely one of my favorites all time. It’s not a stunning movie – just something that appeals to me a lot. A simple story of four boys – when they’re twelve – in small town America – who go out to look for a dead kid’s body and get in the papers. Actually, it’s more about their adventures on the way – and how they bonded... as they grew up over those two days.

“We had been gone only two days. But somehow the town seemed different. Smaller.”

“Friends seem to come in and out of our lives like busboys in a hotel. But they all leave an impression.”

“Although I hadn’t seen him in ten years, I knew I’d miss him forever. I’ve never had friends later like the ones I had when I was twelve. Does anyone?”

Here’s to all the friends who’ve helped define me and my life. Here’s to not ever growing up.

An Ode to the Toe Poke

Barcelona came back to beat Chelsea and Milan was thoroughly professional in getting an away goal and keeping ManU at bay. A good day.

While sitting and watching the Milan game at Jack Demsey's, an innocuous little play in the 68th minute set me thinking. Wayne Rooney had the ball. He was charging down the touchline on the left. He got past Kaladze. Threatened to cross it into the box, and was all set to let it rip - no one in the frame on the TV set. What followed is: A flash of white appeared on the bottom right of the screen. An AC Milan sock and boot - that effortlessly (or so it seemed) poked the ball away from 'the Wayne'.... away from danger... crisis thwarted - even before it germinated.

How many times have we been told and taught and shown that we kick, pass and shoot from the side of the foot, or the ball of the foot for power?! The exception is the toe poke. A potentially disastrous move to your foot if done in any situation other than that which warrants it. There are many toe pokes (or shots from the front of the foot - but the toe poke with no real power in it - that's a thing of beauty!).

The defenders' lunge: This outstretched piece of poetry - best displayed by Maldini and Nesta... is a result of sheer timing. A fraction early, and the ball is dragged away. A fraction late, and the ball has left. It is the one play that could make the difference between 0-0 and 4-0. It is performed about 5-10 times a game... depending on how often the ball is brought to a stop in the "danger zone". No one has mastered it quite like the Italians. A thing of beauty - especially for the defenders. If there's one reason I've listed it first... it's because defenders always get the short stick - and I figured I (being primarily a defender myself) should pay homage to the oft-overlooked move.

The scorer's poke: Also called the Kluivert poke.... no one does it better or more often. This is opportunism at its best. It is done as effectively the minute you come on as following 89 mins of play. Probably why it's the most common method of scoring - by the super-substitutes. It could be the result of a great cross, a spill by the keeper and/or a run across the face of the goalmouth. Almost always a goal - almost always credited to the one person who barely got his foot to the ball.

The Nip-in-the-Bud: This is usually the most effective play by a defender or defensive midfielder. The attacking playmaker is looking to let the ball fly - presumably to a waiting striker. The defender (or midfielder) ignores the many shimmies and focusses steadfastly on the ball. At the point of the ball's ascent, a well judged poke causes the ball to fly harmlessly away - into touch or into open play. Another one of those plays that rarely makes the highlight reels... but a technique few have mastered.

The sliding boomerang: Boomerang for two reasons - it is usually followed by a surge from defending side...a swift counterattack.... and because the slider's foot has to be retracted just as quickly as it is put forward. In the modern game, the ball-handler is only too happy to take a dive at the slightest of touches. A steady, dependable sliding toe poke can cause a dramatic shift in momentum.

The Goalkeeper's save: Usually outside the box or at the edge of it - where the use of hands may be dubious or off-limits. Needless to say, this can often save games!!

There are numerous other instances where it may be employed... and it is always a thing to watch. I really do think it should be taught a lot more at the grassroots level.

stand-up for fun

Having previously talked about my favorite comedians, the natural progression seems to be to list some of the better haunts (among the ones I've been to) for stand-up. I rate them on line-up, atmosphere, cost, drink and food quality (in that order).

New York City:
- Gotham Comedy Club: Very good. Waning: Very chic and very expensive. 4/5
- Comedy Cellar: Most intimate experience. Very good. 5/5
- Caroline's on Broadway: Good, but a tad expensive. 4/5
- New York Comedy Club: Diverse. Very good amateur nights. 3.5/5
- Laugh factory: Had some ho-hum nights here. Lacks energy. 3/5

Austin, TX:
- Capital City Comedy Club: My very first haunt. Plenty good. Some great attractions. 4/5
- Velveeta Room: On sixth street. More of a sandbox for amateurs and regulars alike. Very collegial atmosphere. Like a jam session. Very cheap though... so that's good. 2.5/5

New Orleans:
- Belli Baci: A little upscale. Good. 3/5

San Francisco:
- San Francisco Comedy College Improv nights: Very funny in patches. Easily the best improv I've seen. 3.5/5

That's funny

I really like stand up comedy. It's a guaranteed mood-improvement technique for me. I absolutely love and admire these people who can just walk up (with or without preparation) and have you cracking up. In my opinion, it's one of the greatest skills one can have!!
So, I decided I'd make a list of my favorite comedians (Well, the famous ones anyway. There are tons of people I see on shows whose name I never catch or forget... but who keep it funny - and make it all worthwhile.).. and for the sake of brevity - I forced myself to keep the list down to ten. One thing you will notice is that the list is mostly comedians who are relatively new. I just haven't heard too many of the really old guys.

1. Robin Williams: Probably the best improvizer. Period.
2. Billy Crystal: Classic whiny New Yorker. Did it much better than Woody Allen in my opinion.
3. Jerry Seinfeld: The show did it for me. A show about nothing. A routine about nothing. Yet, very funny.
4. Richard Pryor: The original funny brotha.
5. George Carlin: Funniest while observing things about everyday life.
6. Jay Leno: Hardworking funny.
7. Rodney Dangerfield: All I can say is "I get no respect.."
8. Dave Attell: The insomniac has some crazy stuff up his sleeve.
9. Woody Allen: I appreciate his humor SO much more since I have been in NY.
10. Chris Rock: His high pitched "big ass..." jokes.

Honorable mentions: Denis Leary, Janine Garofalo, Tina Fey, Drew Carey

The Boy Who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan

In Afghanistan in March 2001, the Taliban destroyed 1600 years of history and caused international outrage when they dynamited the Buddhas of Bamiyan. Even more tragic has been the human cost of 20 years of war "in which two million have been killed and millions more turned into refugees".

This film is an account of a year in the life of one of them, an eight-year-old boy named Mir who lives with his family in the caves alongside the rubble of the Buddhas. A documentart where everybody speaks for themselves (although I suspect with much pro-west filtering and prodding). The landscape is beautiful and the camerawork serene and nice. The movie captures the poverty and the conditions quite well. Not quite matter-of-fact but not overly pathetic. The poverty, the Russians, the wreckage, the Taliban - Mir and the people there have seen it all. Yet, Mir maintains his cheery disposition. Although one can clearly see moments of angst, confusion and desperation in him. The human element was very well shot.

It did however, have a strong sense of propaganda. A "west saves the unfortunate" quality to it. What I did not like was that if it was meant to capture the plight of the folks, then the filmmakers should not have infused it with such a strong element of pro-west jingoism. 'Things get better after the allies came by!' Not a message to be mixed with 'The Taliban destroyed their poor lives.' We have the mainstream media for that.

Rating: 3.5/5

Party On!

Staying the course, originally uploaded by heshoots_andscores.

In a previous post, I had mentioned that I had snowskated my way through the 'blizzard weekend' in January. Jonathan took this nice pic of me - on the second day! On the first day, we went out boarding in the night (11pm!) and it was awesome - we had the roads all to ourselves! This picture was at a hill near Kew Gardens in Queens.

The Gates

I hated it. Art or not... it's really an eyesore - at Central Park too! What is otherwise a beautiful sanctuary from the hustle of the city. For me, nature is plenty beautiful - and I don't need a sea of orange drapes spectacularly destroying what little of nature is preserved in the city.
I found it positively hideous!

Failure

How important is it to fail?
A friend was pointing out this phrase "fail to succeed". Does it mean failure in succeeding or failing now to succeed later. I thought it was an interesting interpretation... corny - but interesting.

That brings me to the importance of failing itself. Is it possible to succeed and sustain it without having faced failure, frustration and disappointment? Let's leave the philosophical discussion about character-building and stepping stones aside. That can be a different discussion in itself.

What I am pondering is the utility of failure as a training method - a training sample for the pattern classifier that allows us to identify the right choice to be made each step of the way. We don't know pain unless we feel it first. And then it serves as a benchmark for all subsequent pain. In a similar fashion, how are we to know what failure is and what leads to failure - without ever failing? Consequently, how are we to know what the right choices are - the ones that lead to success; without failing? Are vicarious learning methods enough? We can learn from others, but is it enough? Considering personal preferences and aptitude vary, and there is a large uncertainty factor in that we don't know the other person's background and history (we are only looking at a snapshot of his/her current status and their discernible, distinct steps).

From more personal experience, as long as things seemed to come easy (relatively at least), I took the first option that seemed appealing - and sometimes (quite often) it led me to dead ends and destinations I didn't want to go to. On the other hand, the more failure and frustration I face, the more clear my preferences for the various options seem to be.

Is failure clarifying? And therefore essential? Were the marines right? Will all that won't kill you make you stronger? Hmm...

the point

What you read below is adapted directly froma conversation i was having on messenger with a friend...

You know what I think? things like sports blogs have a really small and niche reader base as opposed to more personal "reflection" or "things from my life" type blogs. when i write abt sports, only a select few of my sports crazy friends read it or comment on it, but blogs where i write abt random stuff... or reflective things... people respond. and also.. blogs like [a friend's]... which are more general - and "my life" based.... gets much more interest. so there are more ppl who want to find out personal things abt others than those who want to read your opinion on somthing? hmm...

So in a way.. i think the "self-supporting" blog community... will, like the old "chat" community, seperate into personal based blogs and professional, topical or 'article' type blogs. Personally, to write though... it's infinitely more challenging to try to write a topical blog coz u have to write a coherent opinion abt something specific regularly. Not only that... it has to be 'article' like too....

Actually just this monolog of mine can be a blog entry in itself :-)

So how much are my blogs really woth? Is it worth writing every single thing i feel down.... into a blog? It will certainly have a wider reader base. Then again...

Indian Sport... Picking it up.

- Sania is first Indian woman to win a WTA event... a few weeks after a promising showing at the Aussie open.
- Karthikeyan is the first Indian in F-1.
- India is developing a full fledged hockey league... and many international players are playing - including the likes of Sohail Abbas.
Indian sport is looking ahead... and for a change - It's not cricket!

Doctor's Orders

From Time magazine:

" It has been long established by studies that feeling loved and having a warm, cuddly support group helps women ward off depression but doesn't do much for men. Paradoxically, men may suffer more than women do from the adverse effects of isolation - such as a weakened immune system."

The Merchant of Venice

Great movie. Michael Radford has created an impressive narrative - a seemingly seamless integration of painting-like portrayals of old Venice; and transports the viewer to the period. He does a good job of not hiding the anti-semitism inherent to the play and the sensibility of the time, and at the same time, hiding that behind the portrayal of characters - the core of any of Shakepere's plays.

Al Pacino gives a remarkable restrained performance - displaying the vulnerability and hatred that characterize Shylock. Portia and Antonio's performances could have been stronger.

All in all, a great movie. I loved it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Profound

At times, I have profound thoughts (too often, in my opinion). However, when I write them down, they become indecipherable, or trite and obvious. Why is that? I ventured out on a quest for self-discovery. Where do my profound and lucid thoughts go when I attempt to write them down? It is much like attempting to capture pictorially, an hourglass... everytime you think you've nailed it - and take another peek to verify the accuracy of your portrait, it has changed - and then you have to go about editing it... and so on.
Maybe it's because I am hyperactive in thought... and don't really stay too long on one particular stream... so when viewed from afar - it all looks calm - moving in unison to achieve a common goal. The minute I try to put it down in word, the necessity for detail and accuracy precludes any clarity.
Did I make any sense? I think not. Oh well... so what's new?!!
(It may also be the flu medication speaking... :P)