I intend to be a little more opinionistic from now on and would love to contribute writing which burgeon healthy argument and amalgamate innovative views. So if you take a minute to read what I have written, take another 30 seconds to tell me about it. It could be bouquets or brick bats, either ways I will fire on all cylinders to make you spend more than a minute the next time you drop by. Also, I perceive this beyond just a space to write whats on top of my head. Remember the zeitgeist?
Random Rambles of the day...
Non verbal communication has become such an interspersed part of our lives. Throughout a working day, smiles, winks and nods contribute a lot to the way we navigate it. Much as we love one of these thrown our way, lets be generous in paying it forward.
My 2 cents on the most hyped product on screen this year, the one thats been on all the channels for the last two months and on the minds of movie watching tamilians for the last 2 years. Watch it if the boss means the world to you, its not worth a visit to the theater expecting more, considering the abundance of talent. I learnt it the hard way. Oh you thought I was talking about the iPhone? Now, thats another evening well spent.
A brave soul happened to express HER 2 cents and what a revolution it created..More than a 1000 comments from en iniya tamil makkal. Lectures, advice, dhamkis and death threats. Way to go. Each comment exhaustive than the previous one, I felt like that history exams in high school were just doodles.
Every one has a right to his or her opinion and chooses to express it. Say your thought on the movie or the writing, refrain from putting an individual down. If you think all of this would make him or her change their mind, its the equivalent of heading down an unlit one way street with no clue whats ahead.
The lady fights back..A lone hobbit against a multiplying army of orcs..in splendid style. Catch the action here.
Progress in Healthcare
Julio Frenk, the former health minister of Mexico asserted that healthcare is a right and not a commodity or privelege during his commencement address at the Harvard School of Public Health.
" The premise that all human lives have the same value and that health systems must represent instances where everybody, regardless of gender, race, national origin, or socio economic status, must recieve similar treatment for similar needs"
Eventhough the power of science has reached a pinnacle, millions of people die unneccessarily from preventable and treatable diseases. A lot of countries have rural communities without doctors, while urban communities are prevalent in the same country with unemployed physicians. Developing countries recieve large amounts of funds for aid, but these funds are rendered ineffective due to the migration of the intellectual capital. Healthcare is so expensive, that it could impoverish people at the same health is important in the fight against poverty. Frenk felt that these issues could be addressed by developing evidence based policies and transforming ideals into "bases" for coherent action.
" The premise that all human lives have the same value and that health systems must represent instances where everybody, regardless of gender, race, national origin, or socio economic status, must recieve similar treatment for similar needs"
Eventhough the power of science has reached a pinnacle, millions of people die unneccessarily from preventable and treatable diseases. A lot of countries have rural communities without doctors, while urban communities are prevalent in the same country with unemployed physicians. Developing countries recieve large amounts of funds for aid, but these funds are rendered ineffective due to the migration of the intellectual capital. Healthcare is so expensive, that it could impoverish people at the same health is important in the fight against poverty. Frenk felt that these issues could be addressed by developing evidence based policies and transforming ideals into "bases" for coherent action.
Quotients
Breaks are rejuvenating. Even self imposed ones. Enough said.
Harvard recently had its graduation ceremony, with the likes of Bill Gates and Bill Clinton gracing the occasion. The dean of the faculty of medicine, Dr. Joseph Martin stepped down after 10 years of service, with a class day address titled "Leading by Listening", where he described 6 qualities of leadership which form the crux of a doctor-patient interaction. The ability to communicate well would determine by large one's gift of healing.
These qualities, referred as quotients by Dr. Martin reflected on his own guiding principles as a leader of HMS.
IQ, "the ability to innovate, to think outside the box, and to construct new and novel scenarios". This being said , he added that intelligence alone does not contribute to good leadership. "Individual brilliance may result in earth-shaking concepts and Nobel Prizes, but of leaders we expect more".
EQ, " The ability to listen and to discern beneath the surface what the other person is really saying. EQ induces curiousity and temerity to understand an alternate perspective, which includes wanting to learn from an other in order to put right one's own views and impressions. EQ is learning to lead by listening and observation".
on a lighter aspect, comes HQ (humor quotient), " which encompasses the ability to use self-deprecation to accomplish an end, to exude a sense of lightness of being and charisma, of good cheer and hope. It is the ability to detoxify a situation by humor or self-effacement, to know how to relax the tension with a comment, a story or a well-told joke. It is the ability to bounce back after an untoward event".
the fourth Q was the CQ (the contentment quotient), " The ability to view things for the best possible outcome-Its the glass half full, not half empty-Optimism not pessimism. It is to feel good about oneself and the role one plays. It balances good will and good cheer with an appropriate balance of anxiety to set things on course and to toe the line towards an end".
Dr. Martin's quotient no: 5 was GQ (generosity quotient). "In many ways, a singularity of leadership success is epitomized in the term 'vicarious living'. Simply put, it is the joy and satisfaction that comes by watching the success of others. In an organizational setting or an effective office practice, it implies freely giving credit where credit is due, recognizing that ' there is no end to what can be accomplished if one does not care who gets the credit'. Another aspect of the GQ is to forgive and forget."
Finally quotient no: 6 was the WQ (wisdom quotient) " The ability to sum things up, to look at a set of circumstances and know when to act, to know when the vectors are aligned to take the next step towards the end game. It includes the ability to understand and know when to apply Machiavellian principles to reach a good end for the circumstances. But WQ applies the principles of fairness, of reaching the decision that is the best for the most, characterized by equity and equality when possible. Wisdom is sound judgement, a great skill in clinical medicine."
Dr. Martin concluded his speech by saying that all the above mentioned qualities of intelligence, emotional connectivity, good humor, happiness, generosity and sound judgement can be enhanced by good listening and that these quotients, which need not be quantifiable as traits would form a framework to guide one through life.
Harvard recently had its graduation ceremony, with the likes of Bill Gates and Bill Clinton gracing the occasion. The dean of the faculty of medicine, Dr. Joseph Martin stepped down after 10 years of service, with a class day address titled "Leading by Listening", where he described 6 qualities of leadership which form the crux of a doctor-patient interaction. The ability to communicate well would determine by large one's gift of healing.
These qualities, referred as quotients by Dr. Martin reflected on his own guiding principles as a leader of HMS.
IQ, "the ability to innovate, to think outside the box, and to construct new and novel scenarios". This being said , he added that intelligence alone does not contribute to good leadership. "Individual brilliance may result in earth-shaking concepts and Nobel Prizes, but of leaders we expect more".
EQ, " The ability to listen and to discern beneath the surface what the other person is really saying. EQ induces curiousity and temerity to understand an alternate perspective, which includes wanting to learn from an other in order to put right one's own views and impressions. EQ is learning to lead by listening and observation".
on a lighter aspect, comes HQ (humor quotient), " which encompasses the ability to use self-deprecation to accomplish an end, to exude a sense of lightness of being and charisma, of good cheer and hope. It is the ability to detoxify a situation by humor or self-effacement, to know how to relax the tension with a comment, a story or a well-told joke. It is the ability to bounce back after an untoward event".
the fourth Q was the CQ (the contentment quotient), " The ability to view things for the best possible outcome-Its the glass half full, not half empty-Optimism not pessimism. It is to feel good about oneself and the role one plays. It balances good will and good cheer with an appropriate balance of anxiety to set things on course and to toe the line towards an end".
Dr. Martin's quotient no: 5 was GQ (generosity quotient). "In many ways, a singularity of leadership success is epitomized in the term 'vicarious living'. Simply put, it is the joy and satisfaction that comes by watching the success of others. In an organizational setting or an effective office practice, it implies freely giving credit where credit is due, recognizing that ' there is no end to what can be accomplished if one does not care who gets the credit'. Another aspect of the GQ is to forgive and forget."
Finally quotient no: 6 was the WQ (wisdom quotient) " The ability to sum things up, to look at a set of circumstances and know when to act, to know when the vectors are aligned to take the next step towards the end game. It includes the ability to understand and know when to apply Machiavellian principles to reach a good end for the circumstances. But WQ applies the principles of fairness, of reaching the decision that is the best for the most, characterized by equity and equality when possible. Wisdom is sound judgement, a great skill in clinical medicine."
Dr. Martin concluded his speech by saying that all the above mentioned qualities of intelligence, emotional connectivity, good humor, happiness, generosity and sound judgement can be enhanced by good listening and that these quotients, which need not be quantifiable as traits would form a framework to guide one through life.
Local Delights
Driving on the US 40 E looking to pick some coffee, we were left behind with nothing in sight. After driving through the streets of Uniontown, PA, we stumbled upon this quaint little coffee shop called Yum Yum Cafe. Previously, when we had stopped by a gas station to find directions to a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, we were directed to this place, which was a popular local coffee joint.
I am a big fan of anything thats local, may it be coffee shops, restaurants, sports teams and people. Being part of the local flavor bring rejuvenates me, the history and legends inspiring, their enthusiasm contagious and their pride dignified. Being in a country where regional sport is worshipped beyond anything else, don't ever get me started on that.
Coming back to Yum Yum, which stayed true to its name- We loved that place. Some of the best coffees in the world is brewed over there. If anyones does pass by Uniontown, PA, this is where you should head, rather than the ubiquitous Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.
P.S: Adi, Vandu, AT, Abhi n me comprise the we.
Coming back to Yum Yum, which stayed true to its name- We loved that place. Some of the best coffees in the world is brewed over there. If anyones does pass by Uniontown, PA, this is where you should head, rather than the ubiquitous Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.
P.S: Adi, Vandu, AT, Abhi n me comprise the we.
New Yank City
oh and I will visit it more oft
en.
May be?
I sense a familar sign of digression.I hope I will be able to make complete justice to what I think and keep my thoughts and words miscible to make eventual sense.
of webs and tears..
Spiderman 3 opened last week to mixed reviews. It looks like the critics have unanimously agreed to the fact that this movie is the weakest of the trilogy. The box office speaks otherwise
Now that the mania has eased out a bit, heres my 2 cents. The critical and public response to the third installment has been see-sawing. People either loved it or lumped it. NG lost all respect for the spidey franchaise and I am not sure whether GK slept through the movie or walked out of the theatre.
I have a moderate opinion on the flick. On the minuses, the plot was a bit shallow, the characters underdeveloped and a very disengaging story line. The special effects and the action sequences were obviously spectacular. Harry Osborne had more to do this time and his character was one of the better written parts.
The reason why NS and I felt this movie did not go well with the critics was that there was too much male melodrama involved in it. The main theme of the movie was about forgiveness. All the main characters in the movie, including spiderman have caused grief and hurt to others. The realization hits some of them early and some of them late. Naturally, the tears flow. So we have Spidey, Sandman, Harry Osborne and MJ (thats a no brainer) draining their tear glands in tandem. This was a sore point to a lot of people who might have perceived their superhero to be Leonidas's clone, bellowing his gut out. Unfortunately, Peter Parker just happens to be another kid next door.
Now that the mania has eased out a bit, heres my 2 cents. The critical and public response to the third installment has been see-sawing. People either loved it or lumped it. NG lost all respect for the spidey franchaise and I am not sure whether GK slept through the movie or walked out of the theatre.
I have a moderate opinion on the flick. On the minuses, the plot was a bit shallow, the characters underdeveloped and a very disengaging story line. The special effects and the action sequences were obviously spectacular. Harry Osborne had more to do this time and his character was one of the better written parts.
The reason why NS and I felt this movie did not go well with the critics was that there was too much male melodrama involved in it. The main theme of the movie was about forgiveness. All the main characters in the movie, including spiderman have caused grief and hurt to others. The realization hits some of them early and some of them late. Naturally, the tears flow. So we have Spidey, Sandman, Harry Osborne and MJ (thats a no brainer) draining their tear glands in tandem. This was a sore point to a lot of people who might have perceived their superhero to be Leonidas's clone, bellowing his gut out. Unfortunately, Peter Parker just happens to be another kid next door.
More Spidey Trivia...
Tobey Maguire almost missed becoming part of Spiderman 2 when a debilitating injury to his back while filming Sea Biscuit caused him to pull out. Even though Maguire was signed for a 3 film contract at the beginning of spider-man, Sony was forced to reconsider a new lead for spiderman-2. They zeroed down on Jake Gyllenhal for the part and even commenced negotiations with him. However Maguire recovered and was able to shoot for Seabiscuit and then for spider-man 2, as a result of which the shoot was postponed to commence from April 2003 instead of Jan 2003.
Also, Spider-man 2 was initally called The Amazing Spider-man, from the title of the comic the story was based upon.
Kids will be Kids
Today was bring your kids to work day. On the T this morning, this dapper executive got his 2-3 year old kid in tow. The kid was suprisingly well behaved for the fact that he actually sat down on a seat, said please and thank you and listened to his father. I was amazed since a week ago, I was subject to an incident where an identical kid ran amock in the train. At one of the stops, a visually challenged gentleman got into the train along with his dog. When the executive and the kid got ready to get off at the State Street train stop, the kid looks at the dog, steals a furtive glance around the room to ensure there were no witnesses, takes two steps to step on the dogs tail and bolts out of the train!!
Certain things never change.
Certain things never change.
Spidey Trivia..
Here's some Spidey trivia, Considering I just cant seem to get enough of Peter Parker, his arachnid alter-ego and the world he knows.
The spiderman franchaise is directed by Sam Raimi, whose monumental claim to fame is having directed the cult classics Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Evil Dead 3. Even though Raimi directed some other movies like "for the love of the game", "the quick and the dead" and "the gift", he is still remembered for the horror movie franchaise. Evil Dead brings another name to our minds, the prosthetic chainsaw wielding, saw gun toting protagonist Ash Williams-one of the most celebrated icons of horror movies, played to perfection by B movie cult star Bruce Campbell.
Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi are childhood friends and go a long way. In fact, Bruce Campbell was one of the executive producers of Evil Dead. In both the spiderman movies, Bruce Campbell has important cameos which help propel the story forward.
In Spiderman, when Peter Parker decides to make use of his newly acquired powers to participate in a wrestling match, he christens himself as the human spider. Bruce Campbell plays the role of the announcer, who calls his name too lame and introduces Peter as the Amazing Spiderman.
In Spiderman 2, Bruce Campbell plays the role of a snooty usher named Dylan Reid who refuses to let Peter to watch Mary Jane's performance and criticizes his appearance, thereby causing a rift in their relationship. Bruce was proud of this role stating that he was the only villain who thwarted spidey and got away with it.
It looks like Bruce Campbell has another important cameo in Spiderman 3, Lets see what he comes up with this time.
The spiderman franchaise is directed by Sam Raimi, whose monumental claim to fame is having directed the cult classics Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Evil Dead 3. Even though Raimi directed some other movies like "for the love of the game", "the quick and the dead" and "the gift", he is still remembered for the horror movie franchaise. Evil Dead brings another name to our minds, the prosthetic chainsaw wielding, saw gun toting protagonist Ash Williams-one of the most celebrated icons of horror movies, played to perfection by B movie cult star Bruce Campbell.
Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi are childhood friends and go a long way. In fact, Bruce Campbell was one of the executive producers of Evil Dead. In both the spiderman movies, Bruce Campbell has important cameos which help propel the story forward.
In Spiderman, when Peter Parker decides to make use of his newly acquired powers to participate in a wrestling match, he christens himself as the human spider. Bruce Campbell plays the role of the announcer, who calls his name too lame and introduces Peter as the Amazing Spiderman.
In Spiderman 2, Bruce Campbell plays the role of a snooty usher named Dylan Reid who refuses to let Peter to watch Mary Jane's performance and criticizes his appearance, thereby causing a rift in their relationship. Bruce was proud of this role stating that he was the only villain who thwarted spidey and got away with it.
It looks like Bruce Campbell has another important cameo in Spiderman 3, Lets see what he comes up with this time.
How to Save a Life
This song by the Denver, Colorado based band The Fray gained popularity due to it being featured on Grey's Anatomy's soundtrack and in episode no: 20 of season 5 of Scrubs, My Lunch. This episode of Scrubs is the second highest rated episode on tv.com, and is based on the true story of 4 patients who died of contracting rabies after recieving organ transplants from an infected patient.
This song was composed as a result of the lead singer Isaac Slade's experience as a mentor in a camp for troubled teens. The song was based on the unsuccessful efforts of all the counselors to reach out and help a troubled musician kid. His family approached the situation in the negative, by threatening not to talk to the kid until he gets out of his rut. All the kid needed was someone to talk to and lean on. The song itself describes the efforts made by an adult to confront a troubled teen.
How to save a life was unique in the fact that it was one of the very few songs to have 3 music videos made for it. The response generated by this song prompted its producers to create a website, where the song was opened for different interpretations. The viewers were welcomed to submit music videos that they had made for this song. (www.howtosavealife.com)
This song was composed as a result of the lead singer Isaac Slade's experience as a mentor in a camp for troubled teens. The song was based on the unsuccessful efforts of all the counselors to reach out and help a troubled musician kid. His family approached the situation in the negative, by threatening not to talk to the kid until he gets out of his rut. All the kid needed was someone to talk to and lean on. The song itself describes the efforts made by an adult to confront a troubled teen.
How to save a life was unique in the fact that it was one of the very few songs to have 3 music videos made for it. The response generated by this song prompted its producers to create a website, where the song was opened for different interpretations. The viewers were welcomed to submit music videos that they had made for this song. (www.howtosavealife.com)
Cogito EGO Sum?
How good is ego?
A healthy dose is always worth it. It makes you trust yourself to do what you want and in the way you want it.
With too much ego, you could end up losing things which you wished you still had.
With the right amount, Nothing is going to stop you.
Believing that you are one of the best to do what you do certainly helps.
Signing off with lines inspired from the movie Ghajini-
Theres a thin line between self confidence and vanity, I CAN DO IT is confidence, ONLY I CAN DO IT is pride.
A healthy dose is always worth it. It makes you trust yourself to do what you want and in the way you want it.
With too much ego, you could end up losing things which you wished you still had.
With the right amount, Nothing is going to stop you.
Believing that you are one of the best to do what you do certainly helps.
Signing off with lines inspired from the movie Ghajini-
Theres a thin line between self confidence and vanity, I CAN DO IT is confidence, ONLY I CAN DO IT is pride.
On a Day Like Today..
Glimpses of a fragrant spring evening..
warmth, sunglasses, miniskirts, beautiful women, frappuchinos, people, music, shadows, more beautiful women,conversations, shopping bags, light, joggers, ipods, flip-flops, backpacks, free-style, tourists,artists, point and shoot cameras, smiles, cheer and a lot more beautiful women.
My evening? one cuppa mocha in hand, feet treading Beacon and Newbury St and a song on my lips.
warmth, sunglasses, miniskirts, beautiful women, frappuchinos, people, music, shadows, more beautiful women,conversations, shopping bags, light, joggers, ipods, flip-flops, backpacks, free-style, tourists,artists, point and shoot cameras, smiles, cheer and a lot more beautiful women.
My evening? one cuppa mocha in hand, feet treading Beacon and Newbury St and a song on my lips.
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
The Song:
The lion sleeps tonight was first recorded by Solomon Linda and his groups the evening birds in 1939., and eventually came to the attention of American Folk group Pete Seegers and the Weavers. Their version of the song was recorded with "Wimoweh" instead of the original chorus of " uyimbube" which means the lion is sleeping in Zulu.
Ever since the songs topped the charts and upteen covers have been made, the most notable being in the soundtrack of Disney's The Lion King.
The song actually refers to an old South African legend, about their last king, Chaka the mighty lion who did not die when the Europeans took over their country. He simply went to sleep and will wake up some day.
The Video:
In 1979, with the hiring of Dr. Ed Catmull, the graphics group division of Lucas Films corp was formed. This small company was purchased in 1986 by a certain Mr. Steve Jobs. The company then progressed to make high end computers for medical applications whichevidently not very successful. This company struck a deal with Walt Disney Pictures to produce full length animated motion pictures in 1991, the first of which was Toy Story. The rest, as they say is History.
Presenting the first complete video made by Pixar Animation studios, The Lion Sleeps Tonight..
And this one from Friends when Ross meets his Star pet monkey...
The lion sleeps tonight was first recorded by Solomon Linda and his groups the evening birds in 1939., and eventually came to the attention of American Folk group Pete Seegers and the Weavers. Their version of the song was recorded with "Wimoweh" instead of the original chorus of " uyimbube" which means the lion is sleeping in Zulu.
Ever since the songs topped the charts and upteen covers have been made, the most notable being in the soundtrack of Disney's The Lion King.
The song actually refers to an old South African legend, about their last king, Chaka the mighty lion who did not die when the Europeans took over their country. He simply went to sleep and will wake up some day.
The Video:
In 1979, with the hiring of Dr. Ed Catmull, the graphics group division of Lucas Films corp was formed. This small company was purchased in 1986 by a certain Mr. Steve Jobs. The company then progressed to make high end computers for medical applications whichevidently not very successful. This company struck a deal with Walt Disney Pictures to produce full length animated motion pictures in 1991, the first of which was Toy Story. The rest, as they say is History.
Presenting the first complete video made by Pixar Animation studios, The Lion Sleeps Tonight..
And this one from Friends when Ross meets his Star pet monkey...
Twenty Five Before 25
25 things I have done before 25...
01) Dunked 12 cups of coffee a day
02) Air guitared at a big music concert
03) Watched reruns of favorite TV shows
04) Played a musical instrument
05) Walked a beautiful girl home..more than once
06) Prayed with all my heart
07) Stayed awake throughout the night
08) Regretted things I have said
09) Said and meant sorry
10) Motorcycled my way in college
11) Kept a French Beard
12) Gained a few extra pounds
13) Bunked lectures to watch Cricket
14) Footboarded on Pallavan buses
15) Cheated in exams
16) Given advice for free
17) Felt that samosas were god's way of telling us how much he loved us
18) Played tennis ball cricket on weekends
19) Waded through waist deep water to get to school
20) Played and still love playing video games
21) Kept in touch with people who matter
22) Watched superstar's movie first day first show
23) Not act my age
24) Cook like a caveman
25) Understood that everything happens for a reason
01) Dunked 12 cups of coffee a day
02) Air guitared at a big music concert
03) Watched reruns of favorite TV shows
04) Played a musical instrument
05) Walked a beautiful girl home..more than once
06) Prayed with all my heart
07) Stayed awake throughout the night
08) Regretted things I have said
09) Said and meant sorry
10) Motorcycled my way in college
11) Kept a French Beard
12) Gained a few extra pounds
13) Bunked lectures to watch Cricket
14) Footboarded on Pallavan buses
15) Cheated in exams
16) Given advice for free
17) Felt that samosas were god's way of telling us how much he loved us
18) Played tennis ball cricket on weekends
19) Waded through waist deep water to get to school
20) Played and still love playing video games
21) Kept in touch with people who matter
22) Watched superstar's movie first day first show
23) Not act my age
24) Cook like a caveman
25) Understood that everything happens for a reason
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Bruxism
I have bruxism. Bruxism is defined by the medical dictionary as the habitual involuntary grinding or clenching of the teeth, especially during sleep. It is caused by the activation of the reflex chewing activity controlled by the reflex nerve pathways and the brain. During sleep, the brain control is lost but the chewing activity is present which causes the teeth to grind against each other (wikipedia). Bruxism normally occurs The biting force which is the pressure exerted when the teeth clench is six times more during the nights. Bruxism is attributed a variety of causes which include misalignment of teeth, improper diet and most importantly high anxiety and stress. Common symptoms include sore facial muscles, damage to teeth, TMJ problems, toothache and painful sensitivity.
The symptoms started at around midnight on a monday when I started having uncontrollable pain in my incisors and molars. I attributed it to my inconsistent oral care and met my dentist the following day after making it through the night with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. He checked my teeth for any signs of nerve damage or decay, two potential causes for pain but did not find any. He then noticed that the upper surfaces of my incisors were ridged and my teeth showed signs of wear, and then things fell in place.
The reason why I am writing about this is because I want everyone to be aware of such a condition. All of us go through stress at some point of time, and issues like bruxism are added baggage. I was unfortunate to have been identified with it at a very later stage, as a) It happens when you sleep and b) nobody sleeps next to me to be disturbed by the grinding and let me know about it. Its in our hands to keep ourselves aware of conditions such as these. If you notice
symptoms like dull headaches, sore and tired facial muscles, earaches, sensitive teeth, and locking, popping, and clicking of the jaw and damage to tissues of the inner lips and cheek, and you have been leading a stress filled lifestyle, its probably a good time to talk to your dentist.
So whoever reads this, please make sure to pass it on to your friends and ask them to do the same. Just like prevention is better than cure, awareness is better than regret.
The symptoms started at around midnight on a monday when I started having uncontrollable pain in my incisors and molars. I attributed it to my inconsistent oral care and met my dentist the following day after making it through the night with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. He checked my teeth for any signs of nerve damage or decay, two potential causes for pain but did not find any. He then noticed that the upper surfaces of my incisors were ridged and my teeth showed signs of wear, and then things fell in place.
The reason why I am writing about this is because I want everyone to be aware of such a condition. All of us go through stress at some point of time, and issues like bruxism are added baggage. I was unfortunate to have been identified with it at a very later stage, as a) It happens when you sleep and b) nobody sleeps next to me to be disturbed by the grinding and let me know about it. Its in our hands to keep ourselves aware of conditions such as these. If you notice
symptoms like dull headaches, sore and tired facial muscles, earaches, sensitive teeth, and locking, popping, and clicking of the jaw and damage to tissues of the inner lips and cheek, and you have been leading a stress filled lifestyle, its probably a good time to talk to your dentist.
So whoever reads this, please make sure to pass it on to your friends and ask them to do the same. Just like prevention is better than cure, awareness is better than regret.
Touching a Note..
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Even though I appreciate movies and music more than just listening to it, and have a musical persona to my side, I have never reviewed music and movies. Its probably because I feel that I am not qualified to do so or simply do not have the knack to do so.
Recently two of my absolutely favorite composers released back to back albums..the first being Vishal-Shekhar, two of the most talented musicians out there. Right from their debut movie, Jhankaar beats till date..these guys have their uniqueness in most of their songs which is extremely refreshing and innovative. The other composer needs no introduction, the Mozart of Madras- AR Rahman.
Vishals earlier album Honeymoon travels Pvt. Limited was an ensemble set of music, Right from the extremely addictive, creatively composed and brilliantly sung Sajnaji vari, vari to the hindspanic tango song, that album was path breaking (speaking of sajnaji vari vari-Its got an amazing video as well, KK Menon's dance is worth its wait). They follow it up with the next production from the sarkars of Bollywood, Yashraj film's Ta ra rum pum, which stars Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan. I was really curious to hear the soundtrack of this album, firstly because Vishal and Shekhar were back in action and secondly, their previous effort for this production house was not that bad. I was never so wrong..In my opinion, this is probably one of their most pedestrian efforts to date. The Cliches never stop, u have this happy family song, these 2 romantic duets, a back-to-your-feet-and-have-a-go motivation song and of course the punjabi numbers. Its this tune of been there heard that and disappointment which is heard repeatedly.
Similarly, Rahmans Sivaji was out last week, and i was excited to hear his sounds since I felt that after a lackluster 2006, where his best efforts were only Rang de Basanti and parts of Guru, he made a fantastic comeback with Pray for me Brother. For those who haven't heard it, its vintage Rahman back in the good old days. Minimal instrumentation, awesome voice control-the music, lyrics and vocals blend in such a way, that you are spellbound..listen to it using headphones and you will know what I am talking about. The instrumental version stands out on its own, especially the mridangam bit towards the end..it brought back memories of andhimandharai and Pavithra, some of Rahmans unsung works of wonder.
and now we have Sivaji, with all the hype surrounding it ever since its procreation, one did expect a good album, within commercial restraints due to the unanimous reason-Rajni. I know I will be making a lot of enemies here, but the album is sort of a letdown.
Though Rehman had to deal with the pressure, I felt that he could have justified himself better. The Vaaji, Vaaji song starts of well actually and amalgams a blend of middle eastern, hindustani and oriental tunes-the song generates a wierd feeling of deja vu.
The pick of the lot is the dulcet Sahana. However there are two words which brings back terrible memories-Udit Narayan. I feel that Udit Narayan should be allowed to sing songs with simple wordings, laced with ample english and hindi interspersion. However, we have him singing pure tamil. In the middle of the song, he goes into orgasmic overboard with "pookal", "Bhoomi" and "Vaanam". The results are heavenly. Chinmayee does a great job as usual, She is Rahman's Brahmastra.
Its saddening to see talented composers succumb to commercial constraints. It affects their credibility, confidence and skill. I feel a composer should be given a relatively free hand in doing what they do best. It would enable them to work from the heart.
Happy Listening.
Loud and Clear
To cut a long story short, The lack of inspiration rather than the lack of time was one of the reasons why I haven't had a chance to update this space frequently. Most of my time also was spent sorting out some professional issues, which was time well spent.
After a lot of contemplation, I upgraded to the new Ipod Shuffle-not much of an upgrade, as I had a shuf
fle earlier as well-the 1st generation 512 MB version, which has been discontinued. My initial choices were the Creative Zen V plus, which is a solid 2GB player, with video playback and voice recording. However, once you have an ipod, it sort of serves as a benchmark for other players and I returned it back. I considered the Nano, which is a winner in its own way, but realized that my love affair with clumsiness is going to play villain here. Besides, I really dont care to see the song details, and I have my computer to watch my photos and videos.
One of the primary reasons I invested in this player, apart from the fact that I love to damage my eardrums in a slow and synchronous fashion is that it helps me a lot in my commute.Despite living in a city which boasts of one of the best mass transit systems in the world, more often than not, trains moving downtown during peak hours are limited in service. One has to put up with overcrowding, irritation and displeasure quite a bit. A lot of people make use of such opportunities to cement relationships,slurp coffee, share ringtones and making their private lives public. My music shuts me out and I am so glad. This ain't a rant but I feel that theres a time and a place for everything. The utter lack of consideration for a fellow commuter's sanity further contributes to the show. I know that I cant ask people to lower their decibel levels or tell them that I really do not care about how their "boo" can kiss for hours. All I can do, is just press play..
La Vita e Bella gente..
P.S:
I really like the new shuffle, its compact, the headphones are designed more ergonomically and the lengths reduced a bit, no more USB charging and above all..its so apple..:)
After a lot of contemplation, I upgraded to the new Ipod Shuffle-not much of an upgrade, as I had a shuf
fle earlier as well-the 1st generation 512 MB version, which has been discontinued. My initial choices were the Creative Zen V plus, which is a solid 2GB player, with video playback and voice recording. However, once you have an ipod, it sort of serves as a benchmark for other players and I returned it back. I considered the Nano, which is a winner in its own way, but realized that my love affair with clumsiness is going to play villain here. Besides, I really dont care to see the song details, and I have my computer to watch my photos and videos.One of the primary reasons I invested in this player, apart from the fact that I love to damage my eardrums in a slow and synchronous fashion is that it helps me a lot in my commute.Despite living in a city which boasts of one of the best mass transit systems in the world, more often than not, trains moving downtown during peak hours are limited in service. One has to put up with overcrowding, irritation and displeasure quite a bit. A lot of people make use of such opportunities to cement relationships,slurp coffee, share ringtones and making their private lives public. My music shuts me out and I am so glad. This ain't a rant but I feel that theres a time and a place for everything. The utter lack of consideration for a fellow commuter's sanity further contributes to the show. I know that I cant ask people to lower their decibel levels or tell them that I really do not care about how their "boo" can kiss for hours. All I can do, is just press play..
La Vita e Bella gente..
P.S:
I really like the new shuffle, its compact, the headphones are designed more ergonomically and the lengths reduced a bit, no more USB charging and above all..its so apple..:)
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