A few good books

Lullaby- Chuck Pahlanuik: Awesome stuff as usual from the man who wrote 'Fight Club'. THe story is about a journalist investigating mysterious deaths mostly of infants. The protag. sort of knows how these children are dying- he suspects an ancient 'culling spell' (a spell to induce sleep). Now it becomes his quest to find all copies of the book with the spell and destroy it. He hooks up with a whacky real estate agent, who's also aware of the spell, and two hippie/wiccan lovers in order to realise his mission. Blood and hilarity follow.

Aisimov's New Guide to Science- I haven't obv. read ALL of it but it's a great big book about the evolution of science (biology, physics, chemistry - you name it). What's awesome is the amount of research he put into this to make science comprehensible to the non-science types like me. It's wonderfully engaging and simply written.

Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto- I just started reading this book like 10 minutes ago. It's all about an ill tempered sickly young girl Tsugumi's life as told by her cousin. I like Yoshimoto's style of writing- although much of this credit would have to go to her translator because it's originally written in Japanese. If you've NEVER heard of her, go read Kitchen or Lizard.

Ready for some fifth grade science facts?
1. The atmosphere has FIVE layers. The layer that planes fly in is called the troposphere. Ooh also, in the outer most layer (the exosphere) because there's so little air pressure and gravity some air actually ESCAPES into space. I think that means like there's some loose nitrogen or oxygen in space no?

2. Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels in our body. Capillaries that meet the lung's alveoli are responsible for ejecting carbon dioxide into the alveoli and absorbing oxygen for transport.Viva la capillaries!

Whodunnit?

A few things about the bombs in Bangalore and Ahmedabad confuse me.
Why the high intensity bombs in Ahmedabad and why the low intensity ones in India?
If that Islamic terrorist group is actually bombing places for 'revenge' on prior riots... Bangalore doesn't fit. When have we had Hindu-Muslim riots on a large scale? I mean... is this retaliation for the pig's head (or was it pork?) in the mosque on Friday?
Thirdly, how is killing random people retaliation for any riot anyway?

How many of yous think this is Congress work? I had my moneys on that it was JD(S) but this Ahmedabad thing really throws the Gowdas out of the mix, don't it?

Tell me your Conspiracy Theories...

Dumbass Quote from Last Sunday

Kiran Rao in Sunday times when she said (and I am paraphrasing here) she believes that it's "pointless" to have an opinion when you're someone's mother, wife, partner or daughter.
She probably meant... hell, I'm reaching here... that speaking to the media just coz you're Aamir Khan's wife with an opinion is pointless. Or something.
But really. Go burn your fucking bra somewhere else, okay? It's plenty okay to have an opinion even if you're NOT famous or connected to celebrity. Probably especially if you aren't famous or rich.

Anyway, Aamir's certainly been pimping himself out for his nephew's movie. I love it. :D The pimping I mean. I haven't seen the film yet and I probably wouldn't be all enthu to go see it if my friend wasn't in it.
Seeing the fucker's face on T.V all the time has really piqued my interest. In the FILM. I even like that 'Kabhi Kabhi' song now...

Fun Fifth Grade Fact: Raffelesia (sic) is the world's largest flower and it's carnivorous.

Ms. Incognito

In-cog-nito!
Yeah I been ODing on Tribe Called Quest!
Anyway I was all incognito coz I didnt have internet etc.

I cant type a lot now coz my arms feel like lead. I go to the gym. Yep.
Reg posts shall follow. soon-ish.

Shut up and Cook

In case you thought patriarchy was dead, here's a new term for women: Freemales. According to some TOI article:

If you are single, child-free (not childless) and consider relationships (read romantic) a high-risk job, you have just earned a new adjective for yourself – Freemale.

Also, someone explain this to me. For those of you too lazy to click on the link, the story's about a lesbian couple from Ahmedabad who ran away together. Six months later, they return to Ahmedabad. One of the girls is spotted by her brother and then her location is betrayed by a friend who is staying with them. Eventually the girl decides to leave her lover and return home. Two things bother me about this story:
First of all, why the fuck is it in the NEWS?
Secondly, it's mentioned that the girl asked for the 'permission' of the judge to return home to her brother and the judge 'allowed' her. I understand her bro had a missing persons and kidnapping FIR when she ran away- but since none of that actually transpired, is she a criminal? In other words, is it a crime to take off and not tell anyone where you're going? I mean, what's the criminal act here that requires her to appear before a judge?

I recently suffered through a lesson on the Phases of the Moon for Grade 4. It's hard explaining that to kids. Anyway, fun fourth grade fact: sometimes there's two full moons in a month. The second one is called the Blue Moon.

Only In India

Does a woman get groped on local television and then go on air claiming the video was an attempt to malign HER name. Well only in Trivandrum.

Speaking of repression... last night, at 11 :30 I was fast asleep. Lights out and all. I awoke at the time coz I was really cold and wanted to put on a shirt. I didn't turn the lights on but I did find my shirt and put it on. Just as I was turning to go back to sleep, I caught the neighbour's watchman standing on tiptoe watching me from across the wall.
Ugh.
I was freaked out. I told my uncle. He went out and gave the guy a really sharp slap and told him he'd fucking kill him if he caught him doing that ever again.
Oh and if anyone reads this and decides it's my fault for:
a) not having a shirt on
b) not having thick enough curtains
c) being a girl

go fucking fuck your toilet pipes, okay?

Of flops and famous friends

I'm almost done reading 'The Namesake'. Such a melancholy book. So different from the film. I've been afraid to read Jhumpa Lahiri before owing to her Booker or Pulitzer or whatever she won. Prize winners always make me wary because I immediately expect something ridiculously brilliant. Something like Lolita or To Kill a Mocking Bird or something equally astonishing. It's the fear of disappointment that keeps me away. But Jhumpa Lahiri's okay. She's got a certain style of writing that draws you into her world. Her characters are well developed but man, is this book sad. Sheesh.
I have nothing to read next.

I saw Sarkar Raj last night. Word to wise: Do not bother. SO look I went in there with no expectations. I like RGV and i do love the Big B. Never seen Abhishek act and definitely didn't like Aishwarya- who by the way surprised me. But then again, the one and only atrocity I saw of hers was Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam (I know. I know) and man, was she a piece of china white shit in that film. I saw a snippet of Mistress of Spices too and wanted to slap her gorgeous face. But in Sarkar Raj, she's alright. I mean, she's not winning any awards or anything but she's not terrible. The movie though SUCKS.
First off, there's barely a story. The story is loosely held together with loud, unexpected thumping background score that jumps out at you for no good reason. If RGV was attempting to create a mood, perhaps a little more attention to scene construction and dialoue would have helped. He loses it with the overtly dramatic pauses, long fucking explanatory monologues (the only reason he NEEDS these is because he isn't clear enough or succinct enough in ALL his gdamn scenes for us to get it.), predictable twists and that loud annoying music. The movie is S.L.O.W. and when it picks up it's got gratuitous violence. Sucky as fucky. Well, I'm sure its not the WORST movie of the year. That award I'm sure will go to that robot movie. Whatever that is. I'm sure you've seen the promos.

Then...oh my friend is in Aamir Khan's new production- Jaane Tum Ya Na Jaane Tu (?) Yep. He's mortified that he's on the posters and CD covers and all the songs and all that. He's even tried to make me promise not to go see it. Unfortunately for him, I can't wait for it to come out so I can see it and take his case. If you happen to catch the promos, he's the chubby dude. He's a really good stage actor. Never seen him on film, so it'll be a first.

Yeah... I'm still writing storyboards. Fun Fifth Grade Fact: The Phylum Arthropod (to which butterflies, spiders and other creepies belong) comprises 80% of all inveterbrate life on earth. Invertebrates themselves compose 80% of the world's animal population. Icky sicky insects rule the world.