LLLogic

Something is better than nothing, but nothing is better than the best!
Then, something is better than the best! Then nothing must be better than the best.

I guess the only illogical concept here is that of 'best'.

Read More

Strictly Stupid

If someone asked me at 13 for what pops up in my mind when i hear "rules", I'd probably say "Rules were meant to be broken". Its a knock off of "Records were meant to be broken" I suppose, but it was very popular at the time when breaking rules at school seemed like the logical choice.

Now, in the real world, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I still find people clueless to the whole purpose of rules. People are breaking rules that matter and abiding strongly to little ones that defy reason. Very little thought goes into achieving efficiency.

Last time i faced such nuisance was when i ordered a cake from Coopers. I wanted a two story chocolate fudge cake (yes i did) and they showed me a brochure with pictures of three white and blue wedding cakes and i chose one as a model to follow for my cake. I soon realized from talking to the Coopers guy that they plan to cover my chocolate cake with white icing and pink flowers to look exactly like the one in the pic. Why? Its a rule. I tried to reason with him, that i didn't want white and pink on my chocolate cake (that should be a rule), you can just do without it and put chocolate shavings on as decorations the way they would if i order it just flat! No can do. Was it written in stone? I guess it was and used as a foundation to the building Coopers existed in.

People limit themselves everyday, following baseless rules. Our government is quite famous for it, their bureaucracy or red tape. I say, its time to break these rules. Lets think for a minute why we do what we do!

Read More

Sunday Bloody Sunday

My XMMS shuffle played Sunday Bloody Sunday today, and I realized, it is sunday. For a person who often forget which day he is living, it comes as a nice surprise at times to find out which day it is. The song had these lines:
"When fact is fiction and tv reality" (full lyrics)

and it made me think of the movie I watched last night called Wag the Dog. It started with a silly question of why does the dog wag its tail or something... and it finished all of a sudden but in between it was total amusement and grins. A president is accused of improper sexual behavior by a girl just 11 days short of the election and its upto Robert De Niro to save him. He takes the help of Dustin Hoffman and his colleagues who work in hollywood to stage a distraction for the public. The distraction in the form of a ghost war with Albania takes the heat of the issue of sexual allegations.

This movie was made in 1997, but watching De Niro and Hoffman plot the war will make you feel like this is where they got the idea for the Iraq war and the last threat on Iran. I see from IMDB the movie is based on a book. The movie is a political satire, and made me laugh. But there is also a hint of a feeling of desparation as I feel that this is how the world works these days in the age of high powered media.

Also starring: Woody Harrelson, Anne Heche, and Willie Nelson!

Read More

New Heights of Vanity

Pimped water? Bling H2O? you are a unique snowflake.. yes you are!

Read More

Buy Nothing Day!

Just found out another 'day' is out there. It was started in Canada as a day to raise awareness about over consumption, or over-consumerism~

The Horse's Mouth

Read More

Write

I envy those who write
Write so well
Even if no one else reads it, it is there for themselves to look at. Later
The instruments are the pen and paper and things stay once put out
I wish I could make the music stay
Between my fingers and the strings, the things that come out flutter
Then its gone.
Later I struggle to remember, that chord, that note, the pull, that slide and the strum, and the beat that was in my head
A recorder could be my paper
But it isn't as white
And not as inviting

Read More

তানিম ভালই অাছে

Read More

Speaking of Ironies...

Equal opportunities is a big deal. The awareness however outside the seminars and talk shows are probably not so high. I guess so, since this happened -

Female equality ombudsman gets lower pay than male predecessor

Of course, it could also be bad timing... and she joined right in the time of budget cuts.

Read More

Unplanned crash

It was one of those nights, when I had the sincerest intention to go to sleep early, and then the movie channel that almost never plays any good movies starts playing that movie I have been planning to see one more time. Crash. It is such a brilliant film, and takes you through a whole range of emotions - sadness, anger, triumph, hope, happiness. It is also a beautiful film, especially near the ending with the burning car. Brilliant.

Read More

Children's Stories

Not everyone's stories are told. Some have their stories told over and over again.

www.picturebalata.net/

Read More

Aha

'Aha' is an expression in bangla that is used to express sadness. When someone says that so and so had an accident, you can make a face and say 'aha'. Enamul Karim Nirjhar's film is titled 'Aha!'.

This is not a mainstream movie, thus, those who don't like 'slow' movies can just exclude yourselves. For those who can take the right mood to this movie, it will be enjoyable. It has good characters, and a marvelous old house in Old Dhaka whose history is now forever tied to this movie. It was demolished soon after the shooting of the movie was complete. It would have been destroyed sooner otherwise. The only two characters that didn't sit well with me is Ruba, the daughter of the owner of the house (played by Tariq Anam) and Asif, a distant nephew of the Tariq Anam's character played by Dhaliwood film star Ferdous. It is poor casting anytime this guy is put in movies like this. I fear though it has to do with promoting the movie to the usual movie goers or calcutta audiences (It could even be that my personal dislike for him is causing me to speculate too much :) ). Fazlur Rahman Babu played his part as Soleiman, the caretaker of the house, with extreme accuracy. He portrayed the simply complicated nature of interactions that a majority of our countrymen display. Maybe the fine moment was when he refuses to let a bunch of architecture students (interested in the old architecture of the house) to enter the house. Humayun Faridi was brilliant also as Kisslu (or Kissy Kissy Kisslu), a middle aged man who spends his days doing nothing, and has an underwear collection of bright colors.

There are many conflicts in this movie, and not all of them wrap up in the end, and the story survives as long as the house is standing. Within that time however, portraits of everyday life issues are painted.

@IMDB

Read More

Note.

We nearly hit a rickshaw, and in the aftermath nearly hit a curb. The hired hand behind the wheel still speeds on. I don't say anything. How often do I get to speed home like this? Its after the holidays. Its always a bit different after this holiday. Things will be back to normal right after this weekend. Even the wind feels cool and fresh thanks to the recent rainfall.

Read More

Neuz & PS - Man of the Year.

Summer Camp Teaches U.S. Teens To Fight Israeli Style

Nigeria fights Pfizer in court

PS. Saw a wonderful movie last night, called Man of the Year starring Robin Williams and Christopher Walken. A summary would be that a comedian runs for the presidency. Its surreal, sure, but if you are an idealist, you'll see the ironies.

Read More

Visa? Not TODAY!

Just came back from the embassy for the dreamland, land of oppurtunities and whatnot. Our mother-ship there wanted some of us to go there to be part of a few conferences she is arranging. But it is not to be. For some arcane cosmic reasons, its not happening TODAY! thats what the lady at the counter told me and two of my colleagues. The word "today" is interesting cause it suggests that maybe we picked the wrong day to apply! Maybe tomorrow would work?

We got handed to us a piece of paper listing reasons for which our visa applications may have been rejected. None of which make sense considering the amount of paperwork we took with us. That is still okay. What is not okay, is being told "Its very hard to get a visa to the USA". That really doesn't work as an official reply! Is this some kind of rule? I am sure it makes sense in their heads, but in mine, it doesn't! :)

All I want to say is that, i don't want to deny them the right to reject these applications, but i wish i could deny them the right to treat us like fools. Give me a valid reason or just don't say anything! dandy!

Read More

Govt's Bright Ideas

Or, Things that make you ummmmmm.....

Crackdown on internet users in Bangladesh

Read More

Freedom King Burger Fries with Mustard and Mayo

Go watch a video?

Read More

Term of the day

Military-Industrial-Media Complex
Came across this term in an article in alternet.org.

Read More

DRockstars 2, The End!

When I first heard of this event, I was really skeptical and wholeheartedly believed that the winner will some spinoff of the great bands of the mid 90s: LRB, Nogor Baul, Winning, Miles or such.

The surprise came at the moment of the winner being announced. Two standing finalists on stage were Powersurge and Radioactive. Both had 55/60 from the panel of judges, and the rest of their 40 will be achieved through sms-es from the users of DJuice, who launched this whole competition. Even at this point, i thot popularity will definitely be with Radioactive. Their music is straight up rock, a vocalist that sometimes sound like Hasan (of Ark fame), and sometimes (astoundingly) like Sebastian Bach (not the classical composer, but the singer of the rock band Skid Row from USA). They have the general likability factor, unlike Powersurge who is definitely aptly named and follows the thrash/speed metal bands and in that way, they also put up killer performances with headbanging and great loud guitar solos and growling.
So it was a great surprise and a happy moment when the winner turned out to be the latter! Congratulations to the winners Powersurge.

Read More

Open Source

Found a page listing the variety of open source and free software that one can use, e.g - Sun's Star Office is very reliable if you are looking for a free alternative to something like Microsoft's Office (Word processing, spreadsheets etc.); or one could use Gimp for graphics tasks instead of something like Photoshop and if the needs are for 3D, there is Blender which personal friends of mine highly recommend.

See list here, courtesy of John Hopkins University.

Read More

Quote of the Day: Robert Frost

And were an epitaph to be my story I'd have a short one ready for my own.

I would have written of me on my stone:

I had a lover's quarrel with the world.

Read More